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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73544 | When the festive season dawns, all sorts of crazy things start happening. December is the month that every business decides to intensify its marketing skills so as to woo as many customers as possible. Well, I came across a funny advertisement with all the types of chicken they sell.
With ‘flied’ chicken on offer, we can all guess which part of Kenya this is from.
Flied chickens |
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73567 | 1. News
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1. Dress-Up Movie...Smallfoot, February 8th, 1pm. A FREE FAMILY ACTIVITY
Movie is shown at the Historic Normal Theatre. Concessions will be sold. Doors open at 12:30 pm. Read on...
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Children 5 and older will have so much FUN learning aerial skills, rola-bola, tight wire and juggling. Flyer {PDF}
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73568 | You are here
Home > Posts tagged "Global Democracy"
Abajo y a la Izquierda esta el Corazon
OCCUPY COLO. SPRINGS will be occupying the 3rd UCCS OWS symposium this Wednesday to challenge the straw man argument that Latinos are underrepresented in the Occupy Wall Street Movement. Nationwide, OWS may be white and middle class, but in the context of the outcry for global democracy, isn't OWS a bandwagon cargo cult of the Global South?
“United For Global Change” is Madison Ave dilution of “Global Democracy” cry. Oct 15 not for Obameaningless change
UNITED FOR GLOBAL CHANGE certainly smacks of the meaningless slogan that swept President Hope to power. My guess is that this is Advertizer Omnicom's contract PR redesign to subvert the worldwide Global Democracy movement sparked by Spain's Indignant rebels and the Arab Spring. Original promotional materials called for GLOBAL DEMOCRACY, which meant something obviously, but might confuse Americans who think their illusion of democracy is enough, spread via Pax Americana. Global "Change" is a straw man open to pundits critical of unspecific demands, "Democracy" less so. Omnicom is just a guess, they're the outfit who saved McDonalds' skin with "I'm lovin it" and who was contracted by the USG to sell Obama's Wars to the international public. I forgot who won all the Addy in 2008 for the ad campaign of the year, brand "Obama." International demonstrations scheduled for October 15th are more than protests in solidarity for Occupy Wall Street in NYC. OCT15 is a call for DEMOCRACIA REAL YA, which I'm sorry, doesn't translate to REAL *CHANGE* NOW! What's change anymore but an Obamaesque meaningless platitude? Dispiriting is the infusion they've intended. "United for Global Change?" Yeah, I don't think so. First it's hard to swallow that "change" translates more universally than "democracy." Second, President Obama's neo-grassroots orgs are obviously trying to seed anticipation of 2012 with a meme of international support. We Are Change, Be the Change, Democrats For Change, Democratic Change, Change That Works, Change Happens --whatever. In your dreams Democratic party. The world isn't taking to the street to settle for an Obama Nothing Revolution. Wanna bet that this Global Change job was commissioned by something akin to Change International, funded by a USAID affiliate, dispersing funds meant to promote CIA-styled Democratic Astroturf pro-US counterrevolutionaries in regions not yet sufficiently subservient to US multinational extraction industries? So what if an establishment vanguard has succeeded in rebranding OCT 15 for placebo consumption. By all means please join the marches Saturday, regardless your unlike-minded companions. The vocabulary will be mixed, the media is already preparing headlines using the approved slogan makeover, but fear not, the rest of the world is marching for real Democracy and everyone knows it. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73569 | Monday, November 30, 2009
Mary Bryant
I wasn't actually supposed to write about Mary Bryant today. I was supposed to write about Esther Adams. But when I looked up the name, I couldn't find anything. I must have typed the name wrong when I added her name. I did find an Esther actress on Home and Away. Maybe that's who I meant to write about. Anyway, I wasn't sure, so I decided to just skip it for now.
So, who is Mary Bryant?
Ah! She was a convict. That's pretty exciting. I didn't expect to be writing about that kind of thing today.
She was born in 1765 in Cornwall.
I feel like Cornwall has been calling out to me lately. I ran into it twice in one day last week (or the week before?). At the time, I was having second thoughts about going to Ireland. It's not that I have anything against Ireland. It's just that the Disney Vacation Club has only one resort they're doing trades with there. And it wasn't listed as one of their family-oriented places. I wasn't sure if Jack would have any fun there. SO, I asked Tim and Jack if they minded going to England instead. They were both fine with it.
I suggested Cornwall because I had seen it twice in one day. It looks like a nice place to visit. We did some talking about Cornwall, but then it was decided that London might be better. I'm kind of torn between the two. It seems a bit crazy to go all the way to England and not visit the big famous city. But then I'm also kind of tired of doing the major touristy things. Although the last time I was in London, it was with my parents. They were totally into playing tourist...seeing the major sites surrounded by thousands of other people with their cameras clicking. Tim helped me to remember that our holidays are different than that. If we go to London, it will be about picnics in the park, people watching, little cafes, visiting neighborhood grocery stores, digging through used bookstores, playing in playgrounds, hanging out at museums, etc. Now I'm excited to go to London. However, it's highly unlikely we'll end up going there. I put us on the waiting list via Disney. It seem pretty hard to get any luck with that. We might end up having to change to Cornwall....or maybe even back to Ireland. Actually, we're probably lucky to even leave the United States. We'll probably get stuck at a hotel in Iowa or something.
Anyway, sorry. That was a long tangent there. Let me get back on track.
Mary Bryant was Cornish. I don't know what that is, but it makes me hungry. Maybe I'm thinking of Cornish Hen. Lately, I've been having a craving for poultry. That's kind of sad when you're a vegetarian.
Oh! Cornish just means she's from Cornwall. Okay. I should have gotten that.
Bryant was born into a fishing family. At some point, she left home and went to Plymouth. She ended up becoming a thief there. Along with two accomplices, she stole a silk bonnet, some jewelry, and some coins. She was caught, and sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia. Bryant traveled with the First Fleet.
The name of her ship was Charlotte. It left England on 13 May 1887. It had eighty-eight male convicts, and twenty female ones.
On the ship, Bryant gave birth to a baby girl. I wonder if she got pregnant on the ship, or before. I'm guessing it was on the ship. She named the baby after the ship...Charlotte. She gave it the last name Spence. Lord Wiki says this came from a fellow convict, David Spencer. He might have been the baby's father.
The ship arrived in Port Jackson on 26 January. A few weeks after that, Bryant had herself another man. William Bryant had also been a convict on the ship. The lovely couple got married, and soon had a baby together. Emanuel was born in 1790.
Is there any possibility that Bryant was the father of Charlotte as well? I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she went through two boyfriends on the ship. Who knows. There may have been even more.
In the colony, Mr. Bryant had a fishing job. He was then caught selling fish to some convicts. I guess he wasn't supposed to do that. He got a punishment of a hundred lashes. Ouch.
Then in 1791, the Bryant family decided to try to escape the colony. They managed to steal themselves a boat, and left on 28 March 1791. The family wasn't alone. They took seven other men with them. I guess they needed the help, or maybe they wanted to help others escape. Well, maybe it was a combination of both things.
Within sixty-six days, the Bryant family and their crew reached Timor. According to Lord Wiki, it was a very impressive journey. It's famous among people interested in sea journeys and all that.
In Timor, the Bryant group pretended to be shipwreck survivors. This worked for awhile. Then legend has it....William Bryant got drunk, and bragged about who they REALLY were. Oops.
Timor was occupied by the Dutch back then. The Dutch officials sent the Bryant family back to England to stand trial. On the voyage back, Mary lost her husband and two kids. They died of a feverish illness.
Bryant expected to be either hanged or sent back to Australia. Instead, she was sentenced to a year in prison in London. If I'm reading this right, she was defended by a famous lawyer and writer named James Boswell. The public was against her imprisonment. She got pardoned soon after.
The Mary Bryant story has been featured in various plays and TV things.
In 1989 in London there was a successful play called Boswell for the Defense. Oh! And I guess they eventually turned it into a movie starring Michael Caine. Well, never mind. There was going to be a movie. It looks like production was stopped because of budgeting issues.
In 1995, there was a TV movie in Australia called The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant. It won an AFI award for best miniseries, and it also won a Logie.
I was going to watch a trailer for the program, but that's not working. It looks like they have some of the miniseries on YouTube. I'm going to watch a clip from the first part.
Wait! I think that ship officer guy is from Flashforward!
Okay. I just looked him up. It is him! His name is Jack Davenport.
I love Flashforward.
This miniseries sure has a lot of water drama.
Lord Wiki says the miniseries had the largest miniseries budget in Australia. It stresses the turbulent relationship between Bryant and the ship officer played by Jack Davenport. It sounds like a good story, although I'm not sure how much of it is true. Basically Davenport is infatuated with Bryant. On the ship, he rescues her from a storm and gets permission to take care of her. Later, she uses him in her attempts to escape. He gets mad about that.
Here we go. The Australian Biographical Dictionary has an entry on Bryant. Maybe they can give me a clue on what is true or not.
They say she was born on 1 May 1765. Her original last name was Broad.
She was arrested on 20 May 1786. She would have been twenty-one at the time. In the miniseries, they talk about her as if she's very a child. I don't think twenty-one is all that young.
In Australia, Mary and her husband William received what they needed to escape from Dutch sailors. I'm not sure if they stole the stuff, bought it, traded for it, or were just given it. Anyway, they got it. Then they waited for an opportune time to escape. They picked a moonless night that had no ships around to chase after them.
During their adventurous journey, they had a visit to the Great Barrier Reef. This wasn't quite the tourist destination it is now. I'm guessing it was pretty dangerous. Well, it's still dangerous today, but now they've got tour guides and all that.
When they got caught and were sailing back to England, Bryant lost her son and husband first. Charlotte died a little later. Poor Mary Bryant.
I guess some good stuff happened to her though. She didn't remain a convict, thanks to the Boswell guy. It looks like she returned to her family in Cornwall. Still. I'm guessing maybe life would have worked out better for her if she and her family had stayed in Australia instead of trying to escape. Then again, maybe not. Perhaps her son, daughter, and husband would have gotten sick there as well.
This Australia history site has some information on Bryant. According to this account, it seems that William Bryant got the needed sailing-escape equipment by talking the sailor into giving it to him. I guess he used the power of persuasion. I wonder whether he lied about what they'd be using the stuff for; or if he honestly told them they were planning an escape. The website says, In October 1790 an East Indies trader, the Waaksamheyd, lumbered into Port Jackson heavily freighted with stores from Djakarta. Her Dutch captain, Detmer Smit, felt no obligations to the English convict system. I'm going to take that to mean the captain was on the side of the convicts, and not the system imprisoning them.
The website says their journey started out easy. They found good amounts of food, and fairly friendly natives. All was well. But then the weather turned, and things became a bit more difficult. At one point, they had a major lack of food and drinking water.
At the Great Barrier Reef, they ate some turtles. That's good. I mean for the people, not the turtles.
In Timor, they had planned to wait for a ship heading back to England. I guess they planned to go back as shipwreck survivors. Did they not worry that people might recognize them? Or did they plan to go to a different part of England....away from their family and neighbors? I guess it's not like these days. They wouldn't have photos of themselves plastered all over the Internet. Back then, it was probably much easier to escape and hide. If only William hadn't gotten drunk and confessed everything. I mean maybe that's NOT what happened. I don't think anyone knows definitely for sure. Maybe he didn't get drunk. Maybe they had been playing an intense game of Truth or Dare.
I just found a book on Powells about Bryant. I think I'll add it to my wish list so I can eventually learn more. But for now, I'm going to end this and get some laundry done.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Brendan Nelson
I know who Brendan Nelson is. He was the Leader of the Opposition before Malcolm Turnbull got the job. I don't know what happened there; why Turnbull took Nelson's place. I also don't know whether or not Nelson is still a Member of Parliament.
The first time I heard of Nelson was on Sorry Day. When he spoke, some of the Indigenous Australians protested in some way. I think they turned their back on him, maybe? I forgot the reasoning behind it, but people on Livejournal tried to explain it to me. From what I know now, it probably had something to do with the fact that the Liberal Party hadn't fully supported the idea of an apology. Also, I'm slowly remembering.....I think he said something offensive in his speech.
Anyway, I guess I shall start learning.
Well, Lord Wiki says that Nelson is FORMER politician. So I guess he's not in Parliament anymore.
But we need to rewind and start at the beginning.
Baby Brendan was born in Melbourne on 19 August 1958. His birthday is a day before Jack's birthday.
Lord Wiki says the suburb he was born in was Coburg. He was the eldest of three kids. When he was a baby, the family moved to Launceston, Tasmania. Our friends live there!
Launceston was his family's hometown, so I guess that's why they moved there. Daddy Nelson was a marine chief steward. I don't know exactly what that is, but I can deduce that it probably has something to do with ships.
When Nelson was a teen, his family left Launceston and moved to Adelaide. There Nelson attended the high school Saint Ignatius' College. After that, he went to the University of Adelaide and studied economics.
This didn't fit well with Nelson for some reason. He dropped out of school after a year. I guessed he realized economics wasn't as exciting as he had imagined. Or maybe someone had pressured him to go into economics.
For a while (not sure how long) Nelson worked at various retail and hospitality jobs. Then he returned to school to study medicine. Wow. I wonder how he decided to go down that path. I like that he chose to leave school and work for awhile....instead of pursuing a degree he didn't like.
For most of us, we're bombarded with message of never give up. Don't quit! Sometimes we need the opposite message. It's okay to give up, and pursue another path. I saw something online about this...maybe from one of my friend's blogs. It was brilliant and thought-provoking. I wish I remembered where/what it was.
Lord Wiki says that Nelson eventually switched schools. He went to Flinders University. There he got a Bachelors of Medicine and and Surgery.
While he was a student, Nelson married someone. But that didn't work out. Nelson chose the quitting route once again.
Nelson moved back to Tasmania, but this time went to the south part. He became a general practitioner in Hobart. He did that from 1985 until 1995. In 1986, he got married again. The lovely couple had twins.
In 1987 he got together with the brother of Simon Crean (the Labor politician). The two of them, plus someone else opened up an after-hours locum service. I have no earthly idea what that means. Was it something do with medicine, or politics?
Well, I googled locum, and it seems to have a medicine connection. Maybe it's an Australian concept...or an Australian word. Yeah. The websites I'm seeing are Australian based.
In 1988, Nelson joined the Australian Medical Association. By 1990, he was president of the Tasmanian part. Oh! Then in 1991, he became the Federal president of it all.
And I had no idea that Brendan Nelson was a doctor.
Nelson's big issue was smoking. He was against cigarette companies sponsoring sporting events. He wanted to increase the number of nonsmoking seats on airplanes. That surprises me. I think I have a stereotype of conservative politicians being more likely to support the big tobacco companies. I don't know if this stereotype of mine is completely faulty, or based on some element of truth.
Wait. I made a mistake. Nelson didn't become President of the AMA in 1991. He became Vice-President. Then in 1993, he was elected President. During this time, the AMA had major hostility with the Labor Party. I don't know why. Was Labor in power then? Would that be a Keating year, or a Howard one?
Okay. It was Keating.
So far, I'm not seeing anything that awful about Nelson. I guess I'll get to that later. He seems decent so far.
Lord Wiki says he advocated gay law reform. Now was that in support of gay people, or not in support of them? He wanted people to show more concern for the environment, and he wanted to improve Aboriginal health. In a speech at an Aboriginal conference in Sydney, he blamed Aboriginal Health problems on the fact that people had been denied their land, hunting grounds, citizenship, freedom, and children. So, if this is right....he was at least acknowledging a stolen-generation.
Nelson was personally against euthanasia, but he did support the rights of doctors to withdraw treatment from consenting patients. Well, I think that's pretty reasonable.
I'm thinking....if I didn't know any differently, I'd probably assume Nelson was a Labor politician. This is all surprising me.
Ah! I just read further down. Nelson WAS part of the Labor Party. He joined when he was thirteen. He resigned from the party in 1991 when he became an AMA executive. It had something to do with him feeling the AMA job should be apolitical.
At one point, at some kind of rally thing, Nelson declared he had never voted Liberal in his life.
Ah, but later in an interview, Nelson said that Labor governments were generally better for Australia. But he said this might not be so in terms of health issues.
In 1994, Nelson joined the Liberal Party. So, what happened there? Why did he do it?
Around this time, he also moved to Sydney. He did more medical stuff there. He opened a surgery in the Rocks. I'm not sure what is meant by surgery. Is it a place where they do surgery, or is it just a doctor's office?
By 1995, Nelson was renouncing his support of the Labor Party. It had something to do with him losing faith in Medicare.
Around that time, Nelson retired from the AMA and went to Africa to hear about the country's struggle with AIDS. Lord Wiki says that Nelson's brother had died of AIDS a few months before that.
During this time, there was some political stuff I don't quite understand. It's something to do with a seat in Parliament, and something called pre-selection. Well, basically Nelson wanted the seat of Bradfield, and eventually he got it. Although Lord Wiki says that John Howard and Peter Costello supported his opponent.
In July 1995, there was some controversy. Nelson attended a party honoring Howard. He did some funny stuff that was a bit too risque for some ears. For that he received some criticism. Some people even wanted him to lose his pre-selection thing.
By 1996, Nelson became the Member for Bradfield, and John Howard became Prime Minister.
Lord Wiki says that Nelson (unlike Howard) was a vocal opponent of Pauline Hanson. He asked her to come with him to various Aboriginal communities. Nelson wanted the government to have a bipartisan condemnation of her statements. On 30 October 1996, a motion was passed regarding tolerance, nondiscriminatory immigration, and Aboriginal reconciliation.
All right. I'm still waiting to hear the bad stuff about Nelson. So far, he still seems decent.
Wait. Here's some controversy. I read it quickly and totally didn't understand it. It involves euthanasia, and maybe some plagiarism. Let me read it more SLOWLY.....
Well, I'm still not understanding it. I'm going to have to take it piece by piece.
It happened in the Northern Territory. Nelson and a former NSW premier were accused of trying to get someone to change his mind regarding euthanasia. Shit. Never mind. I give up. The wording here is too confusing. I'll try to remember to read about it elsewhere.
I do understand the plagiarism bit. Nelson did a speech. Later it was discovered parts of his speech had come from a paper done by an immigration expert. Oops. Nelson had to give an apology to Parliament.
In 2001, Nelson became Minister for Education, Science, and Training. Okay. I found the first thing I don't like about him. If I'm reading this right, he pushed for higher university fees. Not only that, but he pushed for more government support of non-government schools. What's the deal with that?
In 2005, Nelson introduced the whole voluntary student unionism thing. I've written about this before. I forgot when. The idea behind that is students can choose whether or not they want to join the student union. At first, I thought it sounded quite nice. I liked the idea of students not being forced to pay for something they might not want to take part in. But then I realized it's kind of like saying people should be able to choose whether or not they pay taxes.
Also, that year Nelson expressed support of schools teaching intelligent design (creationism). However, he emphasized that he felt evolution was the more important subject to teach. He was against creationism being taught INSTEAD of evolution. Then later, he said this creationism stuff should be taught in religion or philosophy classes. I can totally agree with that. I'm really not okay with creationism being taught in science. It doesn't belong there, in my opinion. But if there's enough kids from one religion in a particular school, I see no problem in providing classes that promote their belief system. I just think kids who are not of that religion should have the right to opt out.
In my PUBLIC (government school) I had a biology teacher who pushed her intelligent design views on us. That, to me, was HIGHLY inappropriate.
In 2006, Nelson became Minister for Defense.
In 2007, John Howard got some major rejections. Nelson became party-leader.
Now I'm getting into some stuff about Nelson that I like less. In a speech he said, I don't support gay marriage, adoption or IVF. But I believe in addressing the social and economic injustices affecting homosexuals. Okay. Does anyone else see something wrong with that statement? Wouldn't discrimination in adoption and marriage BE a social and economic injustice?
What if we changed the statement. What if I said, I don't support interracial marriage, adoption, or IVF. But I believe in addressing the social and economic injustices affecting interracial couples.
Something is not right there.
Okay, here is the sorry stuff....or the NOT sorry stuff.
Lord Wiki says that in 2008, Nelson opposed making a formal apology. He said it would fuel feelings of guilt in some Australians, and feelings of victimhood in Indigenous Australians. See, the thing is those feelings have ALREADY been there. I'm betting those feelings have been there since those First Fleet people stepped onto the land. Apologizing is just taking those feelings and bringing them more out into the open. Sweeping them under the rug really doesn't help anyone.
By February, Nelson changed his mind. He said he supported the apology. It's hard to know what feelings truly come from Nelson, and what feelings are merely a matter of him kissing political ass. Was he always in support of the apology, but then sided with his party to get more Liberal endorsement? Or was he always against the apology, but then faked a change of mind because he realized it would make him look better?
Around this time, Nelson started having some problems within his own party. By July, he had very little love. Then in September 2008, Turnbull was in and Nelson was out. Nelson then announced he'd be retiring from politics. He did this in September 2009. Then Kevin Rudd appointed him as Ambassador to European Union and NATA.
Lord Wiki ends with some personal stuff. Nelson has been married three times. I wonder if he's still with his third wife.
He likes playing guitar and riding motorcycles.
I'm now trying to find a good article regarding the euthanasia stuff. Well, I just joined some British website called BMJ to get my hands on an article. It was free, so that's cool. I always ignore those sites you have to join. I should stop that. There's probably good stuff out there that I'm missing.
Now I'm going to read it.
It's from 1995. There was a bill introduced into the Northern Territory that caused lots of debate. The AMA was against the bill. I'm guessing the bill supported euthanasia.
Okay. Here we go. The bill was passed by the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. His mother had suffered a very long and painful death. He wanted to make things a little better for other people.
In the bill, a patient must be at least eighteen years old. And they need to have two doctors saying that the patient is likely to die within twelve months. I like the two-doctor deal. I mean what if you just have one crazy doctor who lies to you?
Now we get to the Nelson stuff. He was against the bill even though he had admitted to assisting two patients in their morbid endeavors. Nelson said, We can't reach for a legislative pen every time we have a problem or we see something in life we'd like to regulate. In the end doctors will continue to do what they believe to be right in the interests of the patient and his or her immediate family.
Interesting. It sounds to me like he supports euthanasia, but prefers that doctors do it outside of the law. I guess that brings us to a basic moral/legal question. Is it better to legalize something, or is it better to make something illegal, and just kind of expect people to go underground with it. Nelson said he worried legalizing Euthanasia would lead to unethical use of the law. Are people more likely to be unethical with something when it's legal, or is unethical behavior more likely to happen when something is illegal?
I don't know. Well, my gut feeling is that unethical behavior might happen either way. My other feeling is this. Yeah, I think there may be a few doctors who encourage patients to throw in the towel a little too early. But for the most part, I think it's less ethical NOT to help someone die peacefully.
I'm probably more against the anti-euthanasia movement than the anti-abortion movement. Although I'm pro-choice, I can sort of see the pro-life argument. It really isn't just about a woman's body, and her choice. There is ANOTHER person involved....or a potential person. But with euthanasia, how dare we tell people whether or not they can kill themselves or not? Now I don't think we should be required to help them. Some doctors might feel uncomfortable with this. But I definitely don't think it should be illegal to help someone if you're okay with it.
I'm looking at Lord Wiki now for an update on Australian euthanasia. He says it's currently illegal in Australia, but it was legal at one point in the Northern Territory. I guess that got shot down.
In the United States, it's legal in Oregon, Washington, and Montana. You gotta go west to die. Even my own state is mentioned. In Texas, it's a little more passive. Doctors have a right to withdraw treatment from patients when it's seen as being futile and inappropriate. I think it's crazy that a state wouldn't have that law. Although we do have that living will can fill out something that says doctors aren't supposed to go through excessive means to revive you. I wonder if those are valid in every state.
Let's see. What should I look at next?
This blogger (queerpenguin) talks about Nelson's brother dying of AIDS. Although Nelson has never admitted it, the blogger believes the brother was gay. That could be true. It might not be. The blogger quotes from Nelson who said, Homosexual people are our brothers and sisters, our aunts and uncles, our sons and daughters, and some are even parents, and they should be able to live in a society that is free of intolerance, persecution and hatred. He says this, but then he also says he's against the Mardi Gras parade. Nelson sounds like a guy who's trying to be loyal both to this brother and a homophobic political party. I think this is common in politicians...even Obama. They try to play both sides. They want to protect homosexuals, and at the same time...protect homophobics.
It's sad when we let politics get ahead of our principles.
I like the blogger's conclusion. He says, I believe there’s still a good man itching to burst out of Brendan Nelson. I just hope he hasn’t been lost forever.
I'm believing the same thing. From what I've read so far, Nelson seem like a confused man. I think his heart is in the right place. I think perhaps he just tries to hard to fit in with the Liberal Party. Mayne now that he's free from that world, he can do some soul searching and find out what he truly believes.
Now I'm going to read about the sorry stuff. Here's an article. What I'm wondering is whether people previously planned to turn their back on his speech. Did they have prejudices against his speech before it was spoken. Or did they listen with an open heart, and then he said something really awful?
It definitely sounds like people were very angry at the speech. People turned their backs. Some people pulled the plug on the TV playing.
The article has a few lines from the speech. One is, Our generation does not own these actions, nor should it feel guilt for what was done in many, but certainly not all cases, with the best intentions.
Yeah. I can see why that would anger people. I'm not sure if guilt is an appropriate word. Well, I think it is. Maybe we can say people don't have DIRECT guilt over what happened. Although it didn't happen that long ago. I'm betting some child thieves are still alive today. But in terms of something happening in the more distant past, I don't think we need to feel direct guilt. I'm not personally responsible for slavery. I never owned a slave. Well, unless we bring reincarnation into the picture.
I could have some indirect guilt....some SHAME for what my fellow white people did. I also need to have guilt for the injustices that African Americans face today. Even though I don't purposely support discrimination, I do participate in a society that tends to favor white folks.
In terms of best intentions. If you have good intentions, but end up causing great hurt....I think you still need to apologize. Let's say a parent never showed their child affection. They never hugged them. They never kissed them. They never expressed any love. They did this because they heard that too much affection might make a child weak. If the child grows up and confronts their parent, is it enough of an excuse to say, I had good intentions?
No! The parent needs to say, I made a mistake. I hurt you. I'm sorry. They can explain why they did what they did. But that doesn't excuse them from guilt and the obligation of an apology.
Here's the entire Nelson speech.
The beginning of the speech sounds decent.
This sentence might be a bit iffy. It sounded good when I first read it. But I think you can read into it a bit. We will be at our best today - and every day - if we pause to place ourselves in the shoes of others, imbued with the imaginative capacity to see this issue through their eyes with decency and respect.
I might have some issue with imaginative capacity. He seems to be saying we need to use our imaginations to understand what the hell these Aboriginal Australians are whining about.
It kind of reminds me of those yucky apologies I get from people sometimes. A good genuine apology says something like I'm sorry for what I did. It was wrong. I hope someday you can forgive me. The bad apology says something like, I'm sorry you were hurt by what I said.
There definitely ARE times when both parties are at fault. I've been in those situations. I'm to blame. The other person is to blame. One of us (or both of us) might apologize for the situation rather than our behavior. But in other cases, one person IS more to blame, and they tend to hide from the guilt by saying sorry for the other person's feelings rather than for what was said or done.
There's a big difference between saying I'm sorry we stole your children from you, and saying I'm sorry you feel sad that your children were taken from you.
In the latter, you're really putting blame on the victim's feelings rather than the action of the wrongdoer
Shit. I'm rambling. Let me get back on track.
Here's another not-so-beautiful paragraph in the speech. Whether Australian by birth or immigration, each one of us has a duty to understand and respect what has been done in our name. In most cases we do so with great pride, but occasionally shame.
Yeah. I'm not ignorant enough to believe that Indigenous Australians were perfect people. They made some mistakes too. But one group is definitely more to blame. It's like the husband who is caught cheating. His wife expresses anger over his cheating and lying. He then brings up the fact that she's not perfect either. Remember the time you messed up on the laundry and my favorite shirt turned pink! I'll forgive you for that, if you forgive me for my affair.
That may be a crazy analogy. What can I say.....
This speech is long.....
This goes back to the best-intentions argument. I already rambled on about that earlier. So I won't do it again.
I disagree. I don't think parents should lose their children because of poverty. That's so unfair. I think we should help the WHOLE family not be in poverty anymore. I think we should work to keep families intact. Now when it comes to abusive families, that's a different story. I do think sometimes children should be removed. But during this time period, how many wealthy white children were removed from their abusive parents?
Nelson says, There is no compensation fund, nor should there be. How can any sum of money replace a life deprived of knowing your family? That's true. Money can't fix the past. But then we should also get rid of all wrongful death lawsuits, and other things like that.
Nelson goes on and talks about bad stuff happening in Indigenous communities...sexual abuse and all that. I don't deny that bad things happen to children living in these communities. But I think it comes from poverty and lack of resources and determination. It's widespread depression. And I think that comes from being displaced. What happens when your land is stolen, and you're then deprived of essential human rights? I don't know. Invasion is a scary thing. It makes people feel angry, lost, hopeless, and powerless. Yeah. I learned that from V (both the original and new series). And yeah, these feelings can go on for generation upon generation.
The right thing is NOT to remove children from their families and cultures. First of all, it's not like the majority of these children were put into fairytale white people homes. They were put into awful unloving institutions. Of course there were exceptions. I'm sure some Indigenous kids had awful abusive parents, and then got adopted by loving decent white people. But those stories don't negate the other less happy stories.
I think the right thing to do is help the community and the families become more self-sufficient, healthy, and safe for the children. I think families should be kept intact.
Well, really. I think I just have to imagine how I might feel in a similar situation. What if somehow my family lost everything. We if we became unemployed and homeless. What if we didn't have enough food to feed Jack? What if I became depressed and incapable of good mothering. What if we became incapable of providing Jack a decent home? Would I want Jack taken away from us? Would I want him to go to another family? Would this be the right thing for him? Or would I prefer that someone help us to gain our strength back?
And that analogy just deals with some cases. For many, it wasn't about providing children with a better home. It was about assimilation and cultural superiority.
I don't know. In terms of apologies, my feeling is this: By apologizing, you do not negate that there are exceptions in the story. Nor do you negate that SOME good people did decent things. I think maybe that's why people are afraid to apologize. They think if they say sorry, they're really saying, I'm worthless. I'm bad. I've never done anything good. You should hate me to the core.
I personally don't feel an apology implies any of that. And when a person offers an apologies with references to the good they've done, I think it really makes their apology much less impressive and meaningful. It becomes weak, and almost...embarrassing. I can't promise that my apologies aren't sometimes like this. I hope not. But I'm guessing it's human nature to do it sometimes. I'll have to watch out for this in the future.
Anyway, I want to go take a walk with Jack so I'm going to quit now.
As for Brendan Nelson, he's an interesting guy. I don't hate him. He seems to have some decent qualities. I think he's very confused. And I think he says some dumb stuff sometimes. But I'm used to being around people who say ridiculous things I completely disagree with.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Doug Anthony
Doug Anthony.
Who are you?
He's probably connected to the previous few people on the list. So, I'm going to guess he has a political background.
I don't think he's a Prime Minister. But I'll be ashamed if I'm wrong.
Well, good. He wasn't a Prime Minister. But he was a Deputy Prime Minister. He had that job under McMahon and Fraser.
Anyway, let's go to the beginning.
Baby John Douglas Anthony was born on New Years Eve in 1929. So I guess that means his early childhood occurred during The Great Depression.
His birthplace was in Murwillumbah, which is in north New South Wales. It's about two hours south of Brisbane.
Daddy Anthony was a politician in the Country Party.
At some point, Anthony went to The King's School in Sydney. Did he go for boarding school, or did his family move to Sydney?
If I'm reading this right, he did university studies in Agriculture. Well, Lord Wiki says he went to an agricultural college in Queensland. I'm not sure if college is being used as the American type, or Australian type. He could have gone to a high school that emphasized agriculture.
After finishing with school, Anthony did dairy farming near his birth town. In 1957 he got married. The lovely couple ended up having three kids. The youngest son followed in his dad's and granddad's political footsteps.
In the same year that Anthony got married, his dad died. I'm not sure what happened first....the marriage or the death. But Daddy Anthony had been a member of Parliament. After his death, the younger Anthony was elected to take his place. So Anthony ended up in the seat of Richmond. He would be in that seat from 1957-1984. Then his son would get the seat from 1996-2004. Right now, there's a Labor Politician in the seat....Justine Elliot.
In 1964, Anthony became Minister For the Interior. This seems to be border protection type stuff.
In 1967, he became Minister for Primary Industry. This is agricultural stuff. Well, that works out, since he had been a dairy farmer.
In 1971, John McEwen retired and Anthony became Deputy Prime Minister. Lord Wiki says he was likable, and people would have probably preferred him as Prime Minister over McMahon.
At times, Anthony impressed people by being tough with McMahon. He tried to protect the rural voters, such as when McMahon tried to raise petrol prizes. Anthony pushed him to back down on that issue.
There's something here about opposition stuff. I'm finding it a challenge to understand. But I might be able to get it. It seems in some areas, the Liberal opposition was in agreement with Whitlam's Labor government. Lord Wiki gives an example. Both sides agreed with expanding aid to underprivileged schools. But (if I'm reading this right), Anthony wanted a stronger opposition. He urged the Liberal Party to be extra oppositional. And he welcomed the dismissal of Whitlam.
That all sounds ridiculous to me. Why push to be more oppositional? Why not just vote for what you believe in? Is it so shameful for a left party to be in agreement every so often with the right?
Politics make me sick sometimes.
When Fraser became Prime Minister, Anthony returned to being the Deputy guy.
Lord Wiki says that Anthony had less power under Fraser than he did with McMahon.
Anthony retired from Parliament at the age of 55 in 1984. Before this, he was given the honorary title of Father of the House of Representatives. This goes to the person in Parliament who has been there for the longest time. Right now, the guy who has that honor is Phillip Ruddock.
This ABC dynasty website has some information on the Anthony family.
It says Anthony was the youngest child in his family. His dad was elected to Parliament when he was seven. Anthony remembers staying at a hotel in Canberra and being read bedtime stories by John Curtin. Really? What? Was John Curtin babysitting him or something? That would have been about 1936.
Well, I doubt Curtin was babysitting. I was joking about that. He was Labor leader at the time. Maybe they were all at some kind of meeting, and Curtin took time out to read a child a story. It's sweet....politicians from one party giving attention to kids from other political parties.
Anthony's mom died when he was eleven. After that, Anthony went to The Kings School as a boarder. So, that answers my question from before.
Anthony attended Gatton Agricultural College. I think it looks like a university more than a high school. It's part of the University of Queensland.
After Anthony graduated, he went to help his dad on his dairy farm.
This is interesting. Anthony published a book of letters written by his father. It's called Letters Home To Mother from Gallipoli and Beyond.
There's a comedy group that got their name from Doug Anthony. They call themselves the Doug Anthony Allstars. I'm not sure why they chose that name.....
Here's an article about the book of letters that Anthony published. He says he found the letters in a school case. I'm not quite sure what a school case is. Anyway, Anthony opened it and found a bunch of mementos kept by his father. One treasure was a bundle of postcards that Daddy Anthony had sent to his mother when he was fighting in World War I. Anthony says his father rarely talked about Gallipoli so he never really knew that aspect of his dad's life. That's pretty cool that he found those letters. I have so many diaries and old letters saved. I wonder if any of my descendants will ever be interested in reading them. I kind of hope so.
Now I'm having fun on Google News Archive. That thing is awesome. Anyway, there was a Sydney Morning Herald article on 31 May 1964 saying Anthony was heading to Asia and would be missing the upcoming Beatles concert.
Well, I'm going to make this a short post. There's some agricultural information I can dig into, but I'm not really all that interested. Sorry!
Friday, November 27, 2009
My Favorite Australian Books...So Far
I've decided to make a post about my favorite Australian books. I think I actually planned to do this before, but I didn't. I don't know why.
Anyway, here's my list of my books on Shelfari that I've rated 4 or 5 stars:
1. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson--Well, it's not written BY an Australian. But it's about Australia.
2. So Much To Tell You by John Marsden--beautiful young adult book by the guy who wrote the Tomorrow series. I personally prefer Marsden's other stuff (outside the series).
3. Coldwater by Mardi McConnochie--historical fiction about an overpowering father during the early days of the colony.
4. The Faraday Girls by Monica McInerney--I could really relate to aspects of the family in this book.
5. Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah--young adult book about a Palestinian-Australian.
6. My Place by Sally Morgan--a must-read (in my opinion) about an indigenous family.
7. The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty--fun Aussie chick-lit with a sensitive look at postpartum depression.
8. Me Myself I by Pip Karmel--more chick-lit. It's about the road not taken.
9. Misery Guts by Morris Gleitzman--children's book about a young boy wishing to move to Australia. How could I NOT like this?
10. Orpheus Lost by Janette Turner Hospital--thought-provoking novel about terrorism and those who fight terrorism.
11. Featherman by Rhyll McMaster--beautiful, but sad book about child molestation.
12. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta--Goodness. I actually don't remember what this book was about, but I guess I liked it. I'm confusing it in my mind with Marchetta's other book. Okay. Shelfari jogged my memory. It deals with the mental illness of a parent.
13. The Secret River by Kate Grenville--I don't remember this book that much either. I think it was about the early days of Australia....settlers and all that.
14. Due Preparations for the Plague by Janette Turner Hospital--Well, it's not a happy book. But it might get ya thinking......
15. Oyster by Janette Turner Hospital--about a religious cult in Australia
16. Letters from the Inside--another great John Marsden book.
17. Family Baggage and The Alphabet Sisters by Monica McInerney--I liked these books but probably not as much as The Faraday Girls.
18. Writings on an Ethical Life by Peter Singer--controversial and thought-provoking
19. Playing Beattie Row by Ruth Parkes--fun children's book mixing fantasy and history
20 Custom of the Sea by Hanson Neil--It's about cannibalism. Need I say more?
21. Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks--A crazy fun young adult adventure. Jink's novels are a great antidote to the whole Twilight phenomena because they don't emphasis physical beauty. Not that I don't adore Edward, Bella, and Jacob, but sometimes we need a little something different.
22. The Dream Seekers by Patricia Shaw--historical fiction. I need to check out more of Shaw's stuff
23. Thursday's Child by Sonya Hartnett--about a boy who likes to dig. I don't remember much beyond that, but I do know I liked it.
24. Pants on Fire by Maggie Alderson--this is about a wild British party girl who spends some time in Sydney. I didn't expect to be able to relate to a party girl, but I ended up liking the book.
25. The Bride Stripped Bare by Nikki Gemmel--the only book I know of (outside of the Choose Your Own Adventure Series) that uses second-person narration.
26. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta I liked this one but not as much as Marchetta's other book.
27. Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry--I kind of don't remember this book, but I rated it highly. It's young adult literature.
28. Storm Boy by Colin Thiele--children's book about a boy and a bird.
29. Toad Away by Morris Gleitzman--cute and clever children's book about the infamous cane toad
30. Leaving Jetty Road by Rebecca Burton--A young adult book. I liked how Burton dealt with the subject of eating disorders.
31. The Tiger in the Tiger Pit by Janette Turner Hospital--Yeah. I tend to like her books.
32. The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks A young adult book that makes us ask whether it's really that fun to be a vampire.
33. The True Story of Lilli Stubeck by James Aldridge--young adult novel about poverty and pride
34. A Fortunate Life by A.B Facey The inspiring autobiography of a man growing up in Australia.
I'm surprised I don't have any Tim Winton's book. Maybe I missed it. Anyway, I'd probably give most of his book three stars except for The Riders. I really liked that one.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Paul Hasluck
I don't know who Paul Hasluck is. I think MAYBE I saw his name yesterday when researching John Curtin. Perhaps there's some connection?
Well, Lord Wiki says he was a Governor-General.
He had the job from 1969-1974. I probably also saw his name when reading the book by Gough Whitlam. Hasluck was the Governor-General before the infamous John Kerr.
Hasluck was Governor-General when I was born.
He was born on April Fool's Day in 1905. His town of birth was Freemantle Western Australia. Freemantle always reminds me of the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb. I know that sounds random. But when I did the climb, I met this Canadian man who was doing a cruise. I asked him which was his favorite Australian place so far. He said Freemantle.
Hasluck's family were Salvationists. I wasn't sure what that was. It turns out that they're the Salvation Army. I don't know much about this group, but I feel a little weary of them. I understand they do some good things for those in need, but I'm not sure I feel comfortable supporting them. I don't really know their stance on certain issues. I do give them my spare change now and then. But maybe I should make sure they don't stand for something I'm strongly against. If they do, I'd be better off donating elsewhere.
The Salvation Army started in England. That was around 1865. It came to Australia and the United States in 1880.
In many aspects, they sound like a good organization. They do a lot of disaster relief stuff. There's some homosexual issues. I'm trying to understand it. From what Lord Wiki says, I'm getting that they don't discriminate against hiring homosexuals for most of their job/volunteer positions. But they do want to not ordain homosexual ministers.
Well, now I'm looking at the actual Salvation Army website. They have a whole page on homosexuality. Their religious beliefs do cause them to frown down on homosexuality. But I have to give them credit. They're not as nasty as the Westboro Baptist folks.
They say:
But they do say homosexual behavior makes a person ineligible for soldiership. I think that's kind of sad, but I do understand it in the context of their beliefs. I personally though would prefer to donate to disaster relief programs that are more inclusive and a little less evangelical.
Anyway, I should get back to the Hasluck guy.
He went to Perth Modern School. It's a school for gifted kids. Although Lord Wiki says it didn't become a school specifically for gifted kids until 2007.
For University, Hasluck went to the University of Western Australia. Is that in Perth? I forgot.
Okay. Yeah. Lord Wiki says it is.
In 1923, Hasluck joined the staff of a newspaper called The West Australian. He would have been about eighteen then.
History seems to have been his thing. I wonder if that's what he got his degree in. He wrote about Western Australia history, and later started teaching history at the university.
In 1932, he got married to a fellow writer and historian. The lovely couple ended up with two sons.
In 1939, Hasluck started a publishing company called Freshwater Bay Press. Oh! It's still around.
Here's their website. The first book they published was a collection of poems Hasluck wrote himself. It was called Into the Desert. You can still buy it from the publishing company's site.
In 1941, Hasluck started working for the Department of External Affairs. I guess that would be foreign relation type stuff? With this new position, Hasluck did some international traveling. At one point, he had some contact with H.V. Evatt. Lord Wiki says Hasluck didn't like him. I wonder why.....
After World War II, Hasluck wrote books about the war. Then he decided to enter politics. Although wasn't working for the Department of External affairs part of politics? Maybe we should say he went BACK to working in politics.
Lord Wiki says one of his motivations for getting into (or returning to) politics was he didn't like Evatt's way of handling foreign policies.
In 1949, Hasluck became a Liberal Member of Parliament via the seat of Curtin. Oh. Well, maybe that's how I saw his name yesterday. It's funny. Although the division is named after a Labor Prime Minister, the people in the seat have always been Liberal.
A couple of years after he became a MP, Hasluck became the Minister for Territories. This gave him responsibility over Papa New Guinea and The Northern Territory. Lord Wiki says that he followed an assimilationist policy for the Indigenous Australians. I can't say that surprises me.
In 1964 and 1964, Hasluck was Minister of Defense. After that he became Minister for External Affairs. This is the job that Evatt previously had. But Hasluck didn't immediately take Evatt's place. Before him, you had Percy Spender, Richard Casey, Menzies, and Garfield Barwick.
Hasluck was Minister for External Affairs during the Vietnam War. Lord Wiki says he was a strong supporter of the conflict. He also supported strengthening ties with the United States and other anti-Communist countries. He opposed making friends with China.
After Harold Holt died, Hasluck opposed William McMahon becoming Prime Minister. He put his own name into the hat, but the Liberal Party feared Hasluck was too old and conservative. They didn't think he'd be able to compete with Whitlam. John Gorton ended up with the job.
Lord Wiki says there's a belief that Gorton didn't like having Hasluck in his cabinet. To get rid of him, he offered him the job of Governor-General. Well, that's pretty clever.
Hasluck accepted the honor. He resigned from Parliament. Lord Wiki says this might have ruined Hasluck's further chances of becoming Prime Minister. If Hasluck hadn't become Governor-General, when Gorton lost the job, Hasluck might have replaced him instead of McMahon.
Eventually, Whitlam became Prime Minister. This was a bit of an issue because he and Hasluck kind of hated each other. Back in 1965, Hasluck said to Whitlam, You are one of the filthiest objects to ever come into the chamber. Whitlam had responded by throwing a glass of water in Hasluck's face. Wow. What drama!
Okay, but when he was actually Governor-General, it seemed the two men were fairly civil to each other. When Hasluck's term was about to expire, Whitlam even offered to extend it. Hasluck declined the offer, saying he preferred returning to private life. Wow. Would history have been any different if he remained Governor-General?
Hasluck died in 1993.
After his death, Hasluck's son published some of his dad's private papers. The book was called The Chance of Politics. The book had some negative comments about various people, and therefore was quite controversial. Interestingly, I don't see the book on the Freshwater Bay Press website.
Anyway, I'm done with Lord Wiki. I'm going to eat some lunch and rest my eyes a bit. Then I'll find some other websites to look at.
The National Museum of Australia has a little write up on Hasluck. It's posted in a section called Collaborating for Indigenous Rights.
In his young adult years, Hasluck was part of an organization called the Aboriginal Amelioration Association. I can't find much about this organization, but I just learned the word Amelioration has the definition of the act of relieving ills and changing for the better.
I have a feeling then the organization might have had most of their heart in the right place. But they probably had some backwards and prejudicial ways.
Hasluck believed the best future for Indigenous Australians was to join white society and leave their aboriginal kinship and culture behind.
I think the world would work best if we say, You be like you, and I'll be like me. Then we'll learn from each other. I think this is preferable to the typical assimilation philosophy. Be just like us and not like you. Then we'll all feel safe and happy.
Here's a drawing made by Hasluck. It's of William McMahon. I'm not really seeing McMahon in the drawing, but I am impressed with Hasluck's ability to draw noses.
Here's a British obituary for Hasluck. They say that Hasluck is sometimes described as the best Prime Minister Australia never had. Oh, I don't know about that. I bet there are plenty of better Prime Ministers that Australia never had.
In his journalist days, Hasluck also wrote poetry (yeah, we already knew that) and did some drama critic stuff.
Okay. This is interesting. In the 1930's, some people wanted to segregate Indigenous Australians. They wanted to force them into missions and reserves. Hasluck fought against this.
So, what's worse forced assimilation or forced segregation? Well, I'd say anything forced is equally bad. There's a difference between saying Hey, you're welcome to join us white people. Come hang out with us. Come work with us! and going into homes and stealing children. There's a difference between providing areas for people to live and work, and forcing them to stay segregated.
Forced segregation is probably more racist though. Well, it's more overt, I suppose. In that, you're saying stay away from us. We don't like you. We don't want you around us. In the other, you're saying we don't mind long as you act more like us and less like you.
Well, yeah. I think they're both bad. But assimilation might be seen as a stepping stone to better degrees of tolerance.
The Indigenous issue was one that Hasluck was passionate about. He wrote his masters thesis on the subject.
A former Minister of Foreign Affairs (the job that was once called Minister of External Affairs) did a whole speech about Hasluck. Alexander Downer did the speech for the first of something called Hasluck Asia Oration. Maybe it's a thing with speeches about Asia? Well, Downer says the annual event was designed to assist the Centre's purpose to work towards enhancing Australia's understanding of its Asian environment and its capacity to deal effectively with the region.
Downer's father was in Parliament with Hasluck. He told his son that Hasluck had a good sense of humor.
In 1938, Hasluck and his wife went on a three month journey to South East Asia. So even before he became Minister of External Affairs, he had some experience in that area.
This website shows a photo of Hasluck addressing Indigenous children in a Darwin classroom in 1958. I wonder what kind of things he said to them.
Here's something fairly random and interesting. This old article from 1969 says that Hasluck might have ancestors in common with Prince Charles. Both men might be descendants of an ancient British king named Caedwalla.
Here's an article that Hasluck himself wrote in 1966 regarding Vietnam. Well, it's probably more of an editorial.
It's about something called SEATO. Lord Wiki says that stands for Southeast Asia Treaty Organization. It was formed to combat Communism in Asia. The organization was formed in 1954 and ended in 1977.
Hasluck talks about his support of fighting in Vietnam. I guess it was alleged by some that Australia supported the war only out of obligation in being part of SEATO. Hasluck says this isn't true. Even if they weren't part of SEATO, he feels they'd support the war.
A blogger named Robert Van Krieken has a whole post about Hasluck. He wrote it a few weeks after Kevin Rudd did the whole apology thing.
Van Krieken argues that we shouldn't just apologize for generalized departments of government. Apologies need to be made on behalf of specific individuals. He says, If we are to apologize, not just for the hurt and suffering experience by Aboriginal families over the years, but also for what Commonwealth and State governments have done to bring that suffering about, I think we need to attach human faces and names to them. Generally this makes apology for historic injustice a lot more confronting and a lot more uncomfortable, but also a lot more realistic.
I can see his point in some ways, but in other ways.....
Well, I don't know.
Can we truly apologize for other people? What if they're NOT sorry?
Van Krieken says Hasluck was was probably the most sophisticated intellect behind Australia’s assimilation policies, including Aboriginal child removal, for most of this period. He is seen as a hero of the Liberal Party. They're very fond of him. Van Krieken says their reluctance to issue a former apology to the stolen-generations might come out of some sort of loyalty to Hasluck. Interesting. He might have a good point there.
Van Krieken points out that some of Hasluck's views of Aboriginal Australia matches the one of Rudd's Ministry. There's a desire to close the gap. The difference between now and then is today there's more interest in allowing people to celebrate and keep their culture.
Van Krieken says, Aboriginal culture and its way of life, especially once it had encountered European civilization, was presented by Hasluck and almost every other administrator in Aboriginal affairs as inherently flawed, producing only illness, disease, drunkenness and degeneracy.....
Reading all's chilling. Van Krieken talks about correspondences that occurred between Hasluck and individuals concerned with taking babies from their mothers.
In one letter Hasluck writes, I have again asked the Administrator to ensure that, in the application of this policy, every care and sympathy must continue to be shown for the natural feelings of the people concerned.
Okay. Yeah. You can steal babies away from their mothers. But please do it in a nice way. Be sympathetic about it!
I think what Van Krieken is trying to get us to understand is these policies were not always made by wicked villains who found joy in hurting others. They were often made by people who truly felt that they were doing the RIGHT thing. In hindsight, most of us see what these people did as being dreadfully wrong. It would be helpful if we didn't have to wait for hindsight. We need to better evaluate our actions NOW. Today. When we go out and try to help someone, are we truly helping, or are we somehow causing them great harm?
So often I hear the excuse. Well, he was a product of his time. You have to look at things within historical perspective. People back then......
Personally, I hope my grandchildren never have to excuse my behavior with one of those above statements.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
John Curtin
John Curtin was a Prime Minister. He was the Prime Minister of Australia during World War II. I'm pretty sure he was part of the Labor Party. That's about all I know. Well, I also know that he vetoed the idea of Jewish refugees coming to settle in the Kimberley. But I don't know much about his decision. I'm eager to learn more.
Lord Wiki says that baby John was born 8 January 1885 in Creswick Victoria. Creswick is the hometown of Norman Lindsay and family. Sadly, I didn't remember that. I had to be reminded.
Creswick is about twenty-five minutes north of Ballarat.
Curtin was born into a Catholic family. His dad was an Irish policeman. I wonder if his mom was Irish too.
Curtin dropped out of school at the age of fourteen. He started working for a newspaper. He also joined the Labor Party, AND the Victorian Socialist Party. The latter group was actually Marxist. It seems Curtin was a bit of a radical. He wrote for radical newspapers, using the name Jack Curtin.
During World War I, Curtin was militantly anti-conscription. I imagine he might have butt heads with Billy Hughes. At one time he refused to attend a required military medical examination. Due to this, he was briefly imprisoned. Wow. It seems he did it for principle only. His eye sight was pretty awful, and he would have failed the test anyway.
So far, I'm liking Curtin. It's probably because he's left and radical. I'm left and fairly radical too.
All this was a hard time for Curtin. Lord Wiki said he took up heavy drinking. Yikes.
He also got married.
In 1917, Curtin went to live in a town near Perth....Cottesloe. I'm assuming he took his wife with him.....
Anyway, Lord Wiki says he liked living there.
From what I see on Google Maps, Cottesloe looks more like a suburb of Perth than a town near Perth.
In Cottesloe, Curtin became the editor of the Westralian Worker. He joined the Australian Journalists Association and became the president of their Western Australian Division. It seems he was proud of this. Lord Wiki says he wore the organization's badge the whole time he was Prime Minister.
Politically speaking, Lord Wiki says Curtin gradually became a bit more moderate. I'm not sure about the specifics here. Maybe I'll learn more later.
In 1928, Curtin joined Parliament. He got in via the seat of Freemantle. He would have been about 43 then. Lord Wiki says this wasn't the first time he tried getting in. It seems he had a few prior failed attempts. Well, I'm glad he eventually made it in.
There was hope, he'd get bumped up into a ministry position when James Scullin became Prime Minister. But Curtin's drinking prevented that from happening. He was stuck in the backbench. Then in 1931 he lost his seat. But don't be too sad. He got it back again in 1934. The guy who stole Curtin's seat from 1931 to 1934 was William Watson. It's kind of funny. Watson was originally from Victoria as well. The current person in he seat is Melissa Parke. She wasn't born in Victoria. She's originally from Western Australia.
In 1935, Curtin had some luck. Scullin resigned as Labor Leader. Curtin got the job by one vote. The Trade Union Group supported Curtin, but they insisted that he give up drinking. He did! That's cool. During this time, Curtin wasn't Prime Minister. Joseph Lyons from the United Australia Party had the big job. When World War II first began, Robert Menzies was Prime Minister. That was in 1939.
In 1941, Menzies went to the UK to discuss Australia's role in the war. Lord Wiki says at this time Menzies lost support....even from his own party. I guess that set the stage for Curtin becoming Prime Minister. That happened in October 1941. A few months after that, Curtin called out to the United States and the UK for help. Then I guess he directed more of his pleas towards the United States. Lord Wiki says this was significant in history. I guess it somewhat represented a break in the relationship between Australia and Great Britain? And Curtin tried to bond with the United States. I'm getting the idea that this was was the point in history where Australia and the United States loved each other the most. Curtin even allowed an American General (Douglas MacArthur)to become the boss of the Australian troops. Yeah. That's some major Australian-America bonding there.
Curtin during this time was working very long hours, smoking a lot, and not feeling healthy. He sadly died in office in 1945.
Curtin has three schools named after him. Wow! That's impressive for a guy who dropped out of the education world when he was fourteen. And from what I've read, it doesn't seem like he ever attended university.
There's the Curtin University of Technology which has campuses all over Western Australia; plus one in Sydney, and some in Asia.
There's a high school in Freemantle named after Curtin....John Curtin College of the Arts.
Then there's the John Curtin School of Medical Research in Canberra. That one's part of the Australian National University.
Now I'm going to say good-bye to Lord Wiki, and go to the biography dictionary site. What lovely insights will they have there?
Both Mommy and Daddy Curtin were Irish. They had four kids. John was the eldest. Daddy Curtin had other jobs besides the policeman one. At one time, he was a gaol warden. Then he also worked in hotels. At times, the family was stricken by poverty.
It seems the family moved around Victoria a lot.
John Curtin had various jobs in his youth. By 1903, he worked as an estimates Clerk for Titan Manufacturing Company. This John Curtin website has a photo of him at work. The photo is from 1916. I guess he ended up working for that company for a long time. I definitely need to return to that website. I'll get back there soon.
When not working, Curtin continued his education by reading books at the library. He also played cricket and football.
At some point, Curtin lost his Catholic faith. I wonder how that happened, and how his parents felt about it.
In 1914, Curtin became president of the timberworker's union. One of the things he worked on was getting the Tasmanian Branch re-established. I guess something had happened to it? Anyway, while he was there, he became friends with a man named Abraham. Abraham ended up being the father of Curtin's future wife.
Curtin proposed to his future wife at St. Kilda Beach. She accepted. How romantic.
The website stresses the fact that Curtin was a well-learned man. He was an intellectual. But all that was a bit overshadowed by his heavy-drinking.
Ah! It says when Curtin moved to Western Australia, he stayed dry for over ten years. I'm guessing that means he eventually returned to drinking.
The website says that Curtin suffered from an ailment called Neurasthenia. Lord Wiki says this is a term used in the late 19th century for people who were nervous, depressed, etc. The brilliant Freud listed farting as one of its symptoms. And one of the primary causes? Excessive masturbation.
Curtin and his wife ended up with a son and daughter. They moved into a red brick home in Cottesloe. I love details like that.
The website says that family life brought some happiness and stability to Curtin's life. He liked being a husband and dad. He surfed with his family. He took walks on the beach. He walked the family dog. He did household chores.
He was a well-liked man in the community. The website says he was tolerant and kind. His speech was gentle. He used very little profanity.
It sounds like though, that by 1927, things became rough again. He spent a lot of time away from home working. He returned to drinking.
He was not happy when he wasn't accepted into Scullin's Ministry.
It sounds like Curtin chose to return to concentrating on the home life. And then he gave up drinking for good. It sounds to me like this was the right choice. I understand drinking is fun for some people. It makes them happy. It makes them relax. But I think for many other people, it just brings unhappiness and disaster.
I'm just kind of quietly reading right now....a bit too overwhelmed to report much.
But here's something interesting to me. He didn't care for his Irish heritage. I can relate to that a bit. I don't care much about my Jewish heritage. But I do respect people who have strong love and attachment to their heritage. I think it's fine as long as it doesn't become divisive.
Curtin didn't like flying....airplane flying, that is.
In his later years, Curtin had a difficult time. The biographical website says he was more irritable and resented criticism. He tried not to dwell in self-pity, but it seemed he ended up doing so anyway. Despite feeling unwell physically and emotionally, he tried to persevere. Wow, this all really reminds me of me this past week. Reading this....I'm feeling TOTALLY bonded to John Curtin right now.
Curtin also dealt with some religious stuff. He had been a tolerant rationalist earlier. What's that? Well, I can't find an answer. My guess is it's someone who is somewhat atheist, but tolerant of religion. I could be totally wrong. Anyway, towards the end of his life, he gained some love and interest in God. He started believing in an afterlife.
I'm really relating to Curtin here. Is that like delusions of grandeur to relate to a Prime Minister? But see, I'm not relating to the amazing powerful heroic stuff. I'm relating to the difficult stuff.
Curtin was shy and moody. I've been accused of that before.
He's described as being sad-looking. On several occasions, people have suggested I smile....or smile more.
He's awkward. That's TOTALLY me.
There's some other fun trivial stuff about the Curtin character.
He was friendly and had easygoing chats with various service professionals. That might sound like it contradicts with the shyness thing. But in my own personal experience, people can be very shy in some instances and very outgoing in other instances.
He liked vaudeville, musical comedy, and film.
He liked crossword puzzles.
He liked good manners. I like good manners too. I don't care about things like how people hold a fork, and whether they have their elbows on the table. But I do care about basic decency...saying please, thank you, sorry, not being too late too often, etc.
All right. Time for the next website. I'm still liking Curtin. He might be one of my favorite Prime Ministers so far.
Here's the government Prime Minister page. I'm looking at their main page first...trying to get some historical perspective. Curtin came between Arthur Fadden and Francis Forde. Although I think Forde was the guy who was in the office for an extremely short time.
For some reason, this website is easier for me to understand. I guess they speak more in my language. I find stuff here that I missed on the other sites.
Anyway, they say he relaxed a bit on his anti-conscription feelings from World War I. In World War II, he sent conscription troops overseas.
Here's their background page on Curtin.
Curtin's dad was not very healthy. He retired from the police work when young John was five. The family then moved to Melbourne where the parents worked in hotels. They lived in a suburb called Brunswick which had many other poverty-stricken Irish folk.
The reason Curtin left school was because he needed to support his family. Tough break. Although one doesn't always need wealth and a prestigious long education to do well in life.
Curtin worked, and he became active in politics.
Before World War I, Curtin concentrated his efforts in promoting Socialism. When war broke out, his goal leaned more towards ant-war stuff.
Ah. Here's some marriage stuff. Curtin couldn't afford to get married right away. So his object of affection went off to South Africa. The two lovebirds kept the romance going via a long distance correspondence.
From 1917 to 1918, Curtin was having a very rough time with the alcoholism and depression. His friends helped him to get a journalist job in Perth. And that turned his life around a bit. There was a concept like that in a book I read recently. Oh! I remember. It was the Stephen King book. The idea is if your life really is in the pits, sometimes a change in scene might help. I agree with that. I know of certain people who would strongly disagree with me. They believe the grass is NOT greener on the other side. If you can't make it here, you won't be able to make it there. But I think sometimes a change CAN do us good. Sometime we need a fresh start.
In Perth, Curtin finally married his girlfriend. The two had been an item for five years already. The newly formed family first lived at 3 Napier Street in Cottesloe. I'm looking at it on Google Maps. It looks VERY close to the water. I wonder if the water nearby was nice. Was there a harbour? A beach? I'd love to live that close to the water. Although I shouldn't say that. Global Warming is likely to be nasty to people living so close to the coast.
I'm looking at Street View now. It looks like 3 Napier Street now has some kind of apartment complex. It doesn't look like a singular home. I wonder if the people living there realize that John Curtin lived there at one time. I bet they do. I bet the area has a little plaque or something.
After the Curtin family lived there, they next moved to 24 Jarrad Street. I'm looking at it on Street View now. This is so fun.
The website says Curtin still struggled with depression and alcoholism. But he tried to be okay. Sometimes taking walks along beach sand dunes brought him some relief. Beach walking can be very therapeutic.
It looks like they had about an eight minute walk to the water. I wonder if they had a beach right there. That would have been nice!
The two kids in the family were named after their mother and father. I wonder if certain types of parents name their kids after themselves. In some ways, it seems a tiny bit egotistical. Although I think it's different if the name has been around in the family for a long time. Then it's kind of like passing on a heritage.
As I said before, Curtin became less radical in his time through Perth. Some even felt he supported the conservative government too much. He supported Menzies in the beginning of the war, although he said he wouldn't go as far as supporting conscription.
All right. Now I'm on the in-office page.
He became the fourteenth Prime Minister of Australia eight weeks prior to the attack on Pearl Harbour.
He rejected Britain's desire to deploy US troops. I don't know much about this. My guess (probably from stuff I absorbed in the past) is that the UK wanted Australia fighting for the UK. Curtin wanted Australian troops fighting for Australia.
The website says Curtin had doubts about leading a nation through a war. I don't know who wouldn't have doubts. I don't think I'd like a politician who had that much confidence. I think most people would be slightly terrified. And my feeling is it's not whether you're scared or not. It's whether you can work despite the fear.
Australia was lacking in warfare tools. This was kind of a problem.
Before all that happened though, Curtin had TRIED to establish better diplomatic relations with Japan. He developed a friendly relationship with a Japanese ambassador named Tatsuo Kawai. Some folks weren't happy with that.
About two months after becoming Prime Minister, Curtin had to deal with a national tragedy. An Australian ship had sunk. This was the HMAS Sydney. It had been destroyed in a battle with a German ship.
Isn't this the ship that was recently found?
Yeah. Lord Wiki says it was found in March 2008. I remember that. The German ship was destroyed as well. Lots of lost lives. Wars aren't much fun.
Days after that incident, Pearl Harbor happened. This led to Japanese nationals being interned in Australia. One of these individuals was Curtin's friend Kawai. about having a strain in your relationship.
Australia was a bit nervous at this point. They worried about an invasion from Japan. They sought out help from the UK...figuring Australia had helped them with the first World War. Now the UK would help them. But Churchill really didn't do much. He wanted to concentrate more on the Middle East.
I had intensive email conversations with a friend yesterday about family members helping each other out. Should we be there for our family and friends; sacrifice our time, energy, money, etc. to helping them? And what do you do when the people you help don't later help you in return? I find it hard to be supportive of someone when they're not supportive of me. I guess I'm not very self-sacrificing. That's not to say I DON'T help, but I do it very grudgingly. I end up bitching about it a lot.
In my case, it's not really about wars and stuff like that. It's more simple things like being there for someone. It's hard for me to act excited with a someone's project, joy, accomplishment, etc. when they totally ignored mine. It's hard for me to offer sympathy to people who ignored or downplayed my problems in the past.
Around New Years...or maybe ON New Years, Curtin sent out a message to Australia. He said Australia looks to America, free of any pangs as to our traditional links or kinship with the United Kingdom.
Some Australians did NOT like this at all. And Churchill didn't like it either.
Poor Curtin was under a huge amount of stress. People convinced him to take a little break, and he did so.
You know if something like that happened today, I think people would accuse the leader of being weak. They'd call him a coward. And maybe there is something unfair about a politician taking a rest while soldiers soldier on. But I don't know. Sometimes, even the strongest people need a little respite.
In February, the attack on Darwin happened. Much of the town was destroyed.
Around this time, Curtin enlisted the help of America...specifically the MacArthur guy.
Curtin had a hard time with the whole conscription things. His change of heart on that matter caused a lot of controversy. In an emotional scene, a fellow labor Politician said to Curtin that he had led young men into the slaughterhouse, although thirty years ago he wouldn’t go into it himself. This made Curtin weep. Oh. That's very sad.
The Labor guy tried to make Curtin sound selfish and cowardly. But I don't think it was like that. I think sometimes situations make us change our viewpoints on things. I really don't believe Curtin was anti-conscription because he personally didn't want to get his hands dirty.
The website provides some fun facts.
Curtin was the only Prime Minister to have spent time in gaol. Speaking of that....has Obama ever been in jail? I can't remember. And excuse my change in spellings here. I'm culturally confused. Really.
Well, I can't find anything about Obama being in jail. Was George W. Bush? I know he had been arrested for drunk driving. But I can't remember if he went to jail or not.
Curtin never owned or drove a car. Now I feel TOTALLY bonded to the guy. I don't like driving.
Here's a whole website about Curtin. I feel I've read so much today. Do I really want to read more? I don't know. Although I like Curtin. I'm not sure I'm ready to say good-bye to him.
Oh! The website is from that University of Technology. Cool.
Well, this part is kind of fun. It's kind of like a pictorial history thing. I think I'll just read it for my own enjoyment. If anything jumps out at me, I'll share it.
His mother was strong and vocal. The website says it was she who encouraged Curtin to go into politics. I like hearing positive mom stories.
This page says, Despite being a hopeless handyman who couldn't knock in a straight nail, he spent endless hours pottering in the garden. That's cute. I find Curtin to be so endearing.
This page just talks about how Curtin was a nice man....well-liked by many people. He was courteous and caring. Of course this all comes from a school named after Curtin. It's unlikely they'd dwell on any of his negative traits.
I am overwhelmed. There's so much good stuff here. I'm going to have to stop sometime. But anyone interested can go to this page. It has a link to a lot of goodies.
I do want to know more about Curtin and the Jewish Kimberly thing. I'll google that.
Here's an article about that. The plan of the Kimberly Project was to resettle 75,000 Jews in the area. Well, it doesn't actually say much about the plan, or why Curtin rejected it. It more talks about how there's Jews today living in rural areas of Australia.
I'm giving up. I scrolled my eyes down a bit at further stuff on my Google search. I came up with a link to my own blog. I've written about The Kimberley thing before. Had I found anything back then? Well, not really. But in comments, Matt defended Curtin and had some interesting insights.
Anyway, I'd better stop now. It's getting late, and Jack wants us to play around with stop motion animation.
Wait. Before I go. See? I really AM having trouble saying good-bye. Here's a website where you can hear Curtin making a speech on Anzac Day.
Okay. I'm still here. Now I'm reading this website. It gives valuable insight into Australia's relationship with America during World War II. I think some Americans like to imagine that they were Australia's perfect knight in shining armor. But it wasn't as simple as that. First of all, Roosevelt was a bit nasty in response to Curtin's pleas for help. Instead of saying something like Sorry you're going through a rough time and Britain wasn't there for you. We'll be by your side, Roosevelt said something about Curtin sounding panicked and disloyal. I'm betting he said that to stay on Churchill's good side.
Still, they did come to Australia's help. Was it pure altruism? Of course!
No, not really. I think it was less about wanting to help Australia and more about wanting to defeat Japan. It's all a game of alliances.
A lot of American soldiers ended up in Australia. Some Australians resented their presence. Others ended up marrying them.
I like the conclusion on this page. It says, Curtin's actions did not mark a sharp break with Britain, nor a sudden and permanent shift of allegiance to the United States. Instead, they marked another step in Australia's continuing search for its place in the world.
That statement made me a little emotional. It was said very well. I'm going to end on that note. I may not be ready to move on, but I probably should. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73581 | Thursday, February 07, 2019
Failing to Fetch An Interesting Result on Dog Oncogene Homologs
An idea for a little exploration occurred to me back at Infinity -- that is 7.5 years ago -- that I've never tried out. But I never got around to it. I had some downtime recently to play around so I finally executed the experiment -- alas, it turns out not to be very interesting. Still, a negative result is a negative result.
The question that occurred to me is how similar are dogs and humans precisely where oncogenic mutations happen in human. Dogs get cancer too -- I've known two dogs lost to cancer -- but of course their pattern of environmental insults is likely to be different. But how different are the actual hotspots for mutations? In other words, can we expect to see the same oncogenic mutations in dogs as humans or do species-specific differences prevent this?
So I pulled a mutation table out of one of the TCGA solid tumor publications and slurped out all missense or nonsense mutations with 10 or more occurrences (an arbitrary cutoff). That gave me 64 different recurrent mutations (with 45 positions represented total), which included a lot of familiar faces: APC and BRAF and IDH1/2 and KRAS and others. I aligned those proteins to dog and pulled out the human and dog codons. Ran into my first snag there -- the table used Ensembl transcripts without version numbers and that accession for BRAF now has a bizarre 40 amino acid insertion in it (which is, NOT COOL to have a protein translation change wildly between accession versions). Once a hack was put in for that, I had my 45 codon pairs mapped.
Three quarters -- 34/45 (76%) of the codons are the same. There are two cases in which the amino acid in dog is different than human -- both in ZNF814 and both non-conservative changes of Asp to Gly -- curiously both positions have Asp to Glu mutations in TCGA, which might be conservative. So maybe those aren't real.
That leaves 9 cases where a different synonymous codon is used in dog than the one in human. The original idea was to look for cases in which codon choice might change the available amino acids by a single mutation. There are two cases in which the human codon can be mutated in one step to the stop codon seen in the TCGA data but the dog codon cannot . CDKN2A has R58 and R80 encoded by CGA but in both cases they are CGC codons in dog. So human can mutate by transition to TGA but dog cannot.
The one other codon choice which might alter dog mutation spectra is at TP53 codon 273: it is CGG (Arg) in human which can go to TGG Trp; the dog AGG could also mutated to Trp but that is now a transversion rather than a transition, so less likely.
All the other cases cover cases where the third position is neutral with respect to which amino acid: PIK3CA Arg 88 mutates to Gln, and that's just as probable with human CGA as dog CGG. EGFR Gly 553 mutates to Val; that's unaffected by the choice of third position nucleotide.
This, of course, covers only a limited amount of the possible ways differences in the local sequence environment might influence mutation. I also didn't attempt to look at multi-amino acid changes such as the recurrent activating in-frame deletions in EGFR.
I could imagine this approach being developed into an exercise for mid-level bioinformatics students. The tools involved aren't particularly difficult and the concept is straightforward, making it a useful teaching exercise. One could imagine assigning different non-human organisms to different students to analyze, enabling the class to see how phylogenetic distance is reflected in a specific biological context.
I will sign off now, having woven a small tale -- I had hoped to find a warp in codon usage in creatures that woof, but it turns out that dog won't hunt.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73583 | Put an End to Diapers with “Start Potty Training”
rollIf you’re trying to train your child to use the potty, you know how hard it can be, not just for you but for your little one too. Carol Cline’s Start Potty Training is the potty training program whose real and effective methods will have your kid out of diapers and using the potty in only three short days!
The diapers industry really has no interest in seeing you successfully potty train your toddler because that means you can stop using their diapers… That means you save a ton of money, money that would usually go to them. This is the reason why more and more kids wind up getting potty trained later than in previous decades: the diaper industry wants parents to fail at this.
Put An End To Diapers!WATCH THE VIDEO
Carol Cline takes a different approach. She’s a mother of four who also runs a day care, so she’s had a fair share of experience when it comes to kids and potty training. The best part of the program is that it puts no pressure or stress on children.
Toddlers of around two are probably ready to start learning how to use the potty. Babies younger than that usually aren’t sophisticated enough to pick up on the signals you give them about what the potty is all about. Two years old is the average for kids to start potty training, but not every baby is going to be able to pick it up at that age. Some kids take a little bit longer, because they may be misunderstanding your cues. Start Potty Training can change all that.
Giving you the ability to train your child to use the potty in as little as three days, the information you receive will take you step-by-step through routines that will make your dear one feel comfortable using the potty. It’s going to take some patience and studying on your part to make the formula a success, and at least a few days of your full dedication, but together you will be satisfied with the results.
Start Potty Training shows you the specific methods for potty training boys and for potty training girls. It covers potty training twins or more than one baby at the same time, which is normally double the amount of stress and frustration. There is also a section about training older children who may have had difficulties learning to use the potty in the past.
With Start Potty Training you get:
· A detailed explanation of the entire potty training process
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What’s more? Once you purchase Start Potty Training, Carol Cline puts herself at your disposal, offering to answer your questions and concerns about the program and potty training your child. All that, and a 60-day money back guarantee, make Start Potty Training the kind of program that you can trust to work. Check it out now! You will save tons of money on diapers…
Also check out this great infographic about diapers: |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73588 | Tuesday 1.14.20
5 Rounds:
20 SB Box Step ups (30#/20#)
20 Slam Ball Burpees
Stay informed!
CrossFit has been fighting a legal battle versus the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) for publishing false data about CrossFit's injury rates in a 2013 study. While the total amount of damages owed to CrossFit are still being determined, an article about this case was released in December and can be found here:
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73623 | Monday, September 21, 2009
Good luck, Husband!
I hope your first day of work went well! I hope you got a seat in the cafeteria and weren't relegated to eating your tray in the bathroom. I hope you made new friends. I hope no one played a practical joke on you by sending you to the Senate "swimming pool". OK, so your job and building are hold hat. I hope the new office loves you and thinks you have the cutest baby ever - because you totally do!
The cartoon is because I know you have a cubicle, and I know you aren't a big fan of, say, people especially people who chat you up (and you like to mock Fight Club), and it's hard to keep people out with no door.
Cartoon respectively borrowed from
Toothpaste for Dinner which has some amazingly funny cartoons and sells them on merchandise.
Hobbs Adventure said...
I hope he had a good day.
I have to tell you, I almost peed my pants laughing at that cartoon. It's true for everyone I think...I want to print it out and put it on my door at work.
Shoshana said...
I hope he had a good day too. New job can be fun or painful, and I hope he had the fun. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73629 | Return to Website
Expropriation Law Centre Forum
Welcome to the Expropriation Forum. This is the place for discussion of expropriation related topics.
Expropriation Forum
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waste management/mto expropriation
waste management's dump expantion needs my laneway moved for an onramp instalation, and i don't want my lane moved. What are my options? |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73648 | Catherine Owen
LRC Contributor
Catherine Owen is the author of nine collections of poetry, the most recent being Trobairitz (Anvil Press, 2012) and the chapbook Steve Kulash & Other Autopsies (Angel House Press, 2012). Her collection of memoirs and essays, Catalysts: Confrontations with the Muse, was published by Wolsak and Wynn in 2012. Frenzy won the Alberta Book Prize. Owen edits, tutors, plays bass in Medea & the allgirl AC/DC tribute band Who Maid Who, and composes with the Lyrical Outlaws.
Articles by Catherine Owen |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73659 | A Focus Account for Contrastive Reduplicatoin: Prototypicality and Contrastivity
DC Field Value Language
dc.contributor.authorLee, Binna-
dc.identifier.citationSNU Working Papers in English Language and Linguistics 6, 78-90en
dc.description.abstractThis paper sets forth the phenomenon of Contrastive Reduplication (CR) in English related to the notion of contrastive focus (CF). CF differs from other reduplicative patterns in that rather than the intensive function, denotation of a more prototypical and default meaning of a lexical item appears from the reduplicated form resulting as a semantic contrast with the meaning of the non-reduplicated word. Thus, CR is in concordance with CF under the concept of contrastivity. However, much of the previous works on CF associated contrastivity with a manufacture of a set of alternatives taking a semantic approach I claim that a recent discourse-pragmatic account takes advantage of explaining the vague contrast in informativeness of CR. Zimmermann's (2006) Contrastive Focus Hypothesis characterizes contrastivity in the sense of speaker's assumptions about the hearer's expectation of the focused element. This approach makes possible adaptation to CR and recovers the possible subsets of meaning of a reduplicated form in a more refined way showing contrastivity in informativeness. Additionally, CR in other languages along with similar set-limiting phenomemon in various languages will be introduced as targets of contrastive focus in general.en
dc.publisherSeoul National University Department of English Language and Literatureen
dc.subjectContrastive Reduplicationen
dc.subjectContrastive Focusen
dc.titleA Focus Account for Contrastive Reduplicatoin: Prototypicality and Contrastivityen
dc.typeSNU Journalen
Appears in Collections:
College of Humanities (인문대학)English Language and Literature (영어영문학과)SNU working papers in English language and linguisticsSNU working papers in English language and linguistics Vol.06 (2007)
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73673 | gaseous medium
Kinetics of High-Temperature Interaction of Titanium Alloys with a Carbon-Containing Gaseous Medium
Due to their excellent complex of physical, chemical, and mechanical properties, titanium alloys are unique materials for many branches of industry. An important feature of titanium is its high reactivity concerning the interstitial chemical elements (oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon). The absorption of interstitial elements by titanium alloys causes change in physical and mechanical properties of alloys and articles which are made of them. It should be noted that the titanium alloys are classified, in particular, by the compositions of their structures. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73680 | Takaiji Dominates Shade
4’9" Shade after finding out that her boyfriend is seeing Takaiji behind her back decides to confront 6’4" Takaiji and fight her. It ends badly for poor Shade when Takaiji doesn’t take too kindly to her sneaking into her house and decides that she is going to teach her a lesson by dominating her repeatedly.
Purchase ClipView This Studio
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73686 | Dr. Pete Dodd
• Senior Research Fellow, School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR)
• Tel: 0114 222 0740
• Email: [email protected]
Back to staff list
Pete is a Senior Research Fellow in health economic modelling at ScHARR, University of Sheffield, UK, which he joined in 2013. Pete originally studied mathematics at Girton College, Cambridge before doing his PhD in theoretical physics at Imperial College London. He also has an Open degree from the OU for which he mainly studied biological subjects. After his PhD, Pete worked on infectious disease modelling as a post-doc at Imperial College London, and then at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Research interests
Pete’s research uses mathematical and statistical models to understand the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB), and the impact and cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve TB control.
• Infectious disease modelling
• Burden estimation
• The epidemiology of TB, particularly in settings with high-HIV prevalence, and population-level TB interventions
• TB in children & interventions to improve case detection
• Drug-resistant TB
• Individual-based modelling methodologies
• Methods for model calibration and uncertainty analysis
Full profile and publications. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73688 | Jichun Si
Ph.D in Economics
About Me
Recent Studies
Panel Data Binary Response Model with Unknown Correlated Random Effects
In this paper we consider the estimation of a panel data binary response model with a weak restriction imposed on the individual specific effects. Our estimator is root-N-consistent and asymptotically normal under reasonable regularity conditions. Furthermore, we allow the error terms to be heteroscedastic over time. The proposed estimator has a closed form expression and thus is very easy to compute. Simulations and the empirical illustration demonstrate the usefulness of our proposed estimator.
A Race-to-Bottom competition of China's pollution standard
Sth is missing. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73692 | ► DOWNLOAD on Bandcamp
► DOWNLOAD on iTunes
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1. Intro
2. Mantrips in Motion
3. Bedbug Epidemic
4. Ragweed
5. Face Rake
6. Hoo Hoo Holler
7. Collarbones
8. Hurtin’ So Bad (Her Blues)
9. Ode to Jim
10. Ratchet Dogs
11. Behind the Ears
12. Fair Trade
13. (They Call Me) Mean-ness
14. Scars
15. Jay Ray Stole My Beer
16. Random Park Girl
17. Route 3 Saturday Night
18. Outro
All* songs written, performed and produced by SLATE DUMP
Released October 31, 2010
*except for tracks 1 and 6 by Roberto LeBlanc, track 7 by Marly, track 14 by Sean Herman and track 18 by Greg Metrick.
Track 15 co-written by Jay Ray and J. M. McQuillen. Track 16 written by Jamie S. Lowery and J. M. McQuillen.
Covers, collabs and guest appearances used with permission.
Latest Album
Buy the latest SLATE DUMP album,
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73721 | Aphrodite Secrets That No One Else Knows About
[aphrodite_text basenum=”tu5n8tbcyu”]
What is good typography?
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Good typography reinforces the meaning of the text. Almost all texts communicate a set of points (The petition should be denied for three reasons). Sometimes a text also needs to instruct the reader (Add lines 7 through 21 and enter the total here). Other texts offer warnings or admonitions (You must be 48 inches tall to ride; Speed limit 75). In every case, good typography supports and reinforces the message. Good typography makes the text more effective.
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Three subsidiary propositions flow from this:
1. Good typography is measured by how well it reinforces the meaning of the text, not by some abstract scale of merit. Typographic choices that work for one text won’t necessarily work for another. (Corollary: good typographers don’t rely on rote solutions. One size never fits all.)
2. For a given text, there are many typographic solutions that would be equally good. Typography is not a math problem with one correct answer.
3. Your ability to produce good typography depends on how well you understand the goals of your text, not on taste or visual training. (Corollary: if you misunderstand the meaning of your text, good typography becomes purely a matter of luck.)
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Pause to absorb the ramifications of proposition #3. Typography is visual, so it’s easy to conclude that it’s primarily an artistic or aesthetic pursuit. Not so. Typography is primarily utilitarian.
Therefore, good typography is measured on a utilitarian yardstick. Typography that is aesthetically pleasant, but that doesn’t reinforce the meaning of the text, is a failure. Typography that reinforces the meaning of the text, even if aesthetically unpleasant, is a success.
Does that mean that effective typography can be ugly? Sure. Sometimes ugly is better than pretty.
Look at the highway signs again.
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[/aphrodite_text][/aphrodite_col_md6umqyxa7][aphrodite_col_du5jbetih5 width_lg=”1/2″][aphrodite_text basenum=”uz9nubw6i4″]
[/aphrodite_text][/aphrodite_col_du5jbetih5][/aphrodite_block_wu2fwahkc7][aphrodite_empty basenum=”lgab9f2636″ lg=”40px”][aphrodite_text basenum=”pg47q2bz74″]
The script font used on the second sign could be called “prettier” than the standard highway-signage font. But a highway sign has a special purpose: it’s meant to be read quickly, from long distances, at odd angles, and under variable lighting and weather conditions. The highway-signage font stays legible under all these conditions. It constitutes good typography because it supports the sign’s message.
The script font may be prettier, but in this context, it’s bad typography, because it’s not suited to the task. Conversely, the highway-signage font would look terrible on a wedding invitation, where the script font would be appropriate.
A related example:
[/aphrodite_text][aphrodite_empty basenum=”sv8uj4fk8y” lg=”40px”][aphrodite_text basenum=”bm9oa58d0r”]
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Here, the same font is used in all three versions of this sign. But the first two signs fail to deliver the message—the speed limit is 75—because the typography undermines the text. The most important element is the number 75. Also important is the caption speed limit. Only the third version gets the balance right. It’s the only example of good typography among the three.
Use this principle to test the quality of your own typographic work. The advantage of applying a utilitarian benchmark instead of an aesthetic one is that it doesn’t require aesthetic judgment. Believe me, if you’re just starting out in typography, you will produce some ugly work. Don’t worry. If it’s ugly and effective, you’re making progress.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73736 | Friday, September 26, 2014
BMW History of the S38 Engine
The History of the S38 engine
This article goes a bit deeper into the engine of our beloved E34 ///M5. Like you may have heard or read before, this engine is the result of an almost 20 year evolution of engine development at BMW ///M GmbH. But let's go a bit further into detail about its history. The intention of the article is not to explain the technical differences, but to give an overview of the evolution and to describe the legacy of the S38 engine.
It all started in 1973 when BMW needed a more powerful engine for the competition CSL's to compete with the Ford Capri's. Until then, BMW via Schnitzer and Alpina raced the CSL's with the M38 and M52 engines. These SOHC engines where based on the M06 engine from 1968. The M06 is the first version of the legendary engine family, which we all now know as the M30 big six.
Linking the M30 with the M06 may seem confusing, but it is not. In the early 1980's, BMW switched to a new system of coding their engines. Before then, an engine was designated by a three character long code and if applicable followed by a version (for example M90 or M49/1). The new engine coding used a six character long code and if applicable followed by one or more characters for engine specifics. The new engine code allowed BMW to specify its source (regular BMW or BMW Motorsport), the engine family and the displacement. Examples of the new engine codex are M30B35 and S62B50. The M06 engine from 1968 is coded according to the old coding system, while the M30B35 from 1985 is coded according to the new system. Some common engines with an 'old' ID code also received 'new' engine code. For instance the M06 is also know as the M30B25V with the V meaning "Vergasser" or Carburettor.
The M52 racing engine family created a base for the new 24-valve race engine coded M49. This new engine was developed by a new division lead by Jochen Neerpasch. Today we know that division as BMW Motorsport. Jochen Neerpasch managed to create a team with amongst others Paul Rosche, also known as "nocken Paul". The cylinder head of the M49 engine is almost similar to the M12/2 formula II engine. This means that the camshafts are driven by directly by gear train. This valve-train was driven by a single timing chain via an intermediate shaft. Theoretically this allowed the head to rev over 9000RPM. But since the crankshaft is larger than the four-cylinder Formula II engine, 9000RPM was the limit for the group 5 engine. The M49 equipped E9 CSL won it's first race in the European ETC series on the Salzburgrung in March 1974. A remarkable success, especially because it was also it's racing debut. The oil crisis of 1973 and the commercial lack of interest for high performance cars (the E20 2002 turbo being a good example) slowed down the development of the E9 CSLs. Four E9 CSLs with M49 engines entered the American IMSA series in 1975. Also in 1976, BMW participated in the American IMSA series. During these two years, BMW won 7 races.
In Europe, there was hardly any real competition and when plans for a group 5 class for the 1975 season did not materialize, the European E9 CSL's with M49 engines where sold of. Alpina bought at least one and about two years ago one of these cars showed up for sale in the Netherlands for about US$25000.
For the 1976 season, the oil crises was a few years back and BMW decided to enter the newly created group 5 series. By request of the factory, Josef Schnitzer further developed the M49 engine so it could be used for vertical installation in the CSL's engine bay. Vertical installation allowed the use of larger exhaust headers, a more optimized inlet system and the installation of a more efficient cooling system. This engine was named M49/3 and yielded 465hp @ 8500RPM. But compared top the Porsche 935 turbo, the E9 CSL with the atmospheric M49/3 engine did not have a chance to compete. That is why in a later stage, twin turbo chargers where added. This was the fifth evolution of the M49 engine and was called M49/4. The M49/4 had a 300cc smaller displacement. With a bore of 94.0mm, the M49/3 only had 6.0 mm gap between the cylinders. For the non-turbo charged engines, this was enough, but turbo-charged engines produce much more heat, which has to be removed efficiently. Reducing the bore is one of the ways to achieve this. Even today, reducing the bore is a common practice to create a larger gap between the cylinder walls to create larger cooling channels within turbo charged engines. The four-valve M49/4 engine allowed a relatively low turbo pressure. Usually, a boost of 1.3bar (18PSI) was used to yield a neat 750hp @ 9000RPM. This high power output came with a relatively high reliability of the engine. Although the CSL gearbox was not designed for such a power, it held up rather well during the races. The practical experiences with the M49/4 engine provided a basis for the development of the later E26 ///M1.
All in all, the M49 engine and the E9 CSL where very successful in the Group 2 European Touring Car (ETC) series. From 1973-1976, BMW won the championship in these series. Although the last CSLs where made in 1974 and the last E9 coupe's left the factory in December 1975, BMW Motorsport continued to support it in 1976, but could continue that in 1977 because it was an obsolete model. This was a logic consequence of the introduction of the E24 6 series and using the CSL longer would not benefit the sales of the new coupe. Private teams continued to use the E9 CSL until 1978 and even managed to win the European Touring car Championship (ETC in 1977 and 1978. The following table shows an overview of the M49 engines which where used in racing.
Table 1, M49 engine family
For the group 5 series, Jochen Neerpasch wanted a mid engined racing car. The development of the E26 ///M1 started in 1976. The idea was to develop a racecar first and a road car second. Since BMW did not have the capacity or the expertise to build a tube framed car, BMW Motorsport contacted Lamborghini to help with the development and the production of the chassis. But Lamborghini came into financial troubles and was not able to fulfill its commitments to BMW. This delayed the production of the E26 ///M1 with more than a year and by the time the production of the ///M1 started, the rules for the group 5 touring car championship where changed and ruled out mid engined sports cars. At that time, Jochen Neerpasch had his new racecar, but could not use it. Max Mosley of the FIA came up with a brilliant idea. A new race class was established specially for the ///M1. This new race class, the Group 4 Pro Car series was scheduled to take place before a Formula 1 race with a few formula 1 drivers and privateers.
The engine for the ///M1 was an evolution of the M49 engine of which the development stopped in 1977. However the new M88 had significant changes to allow it to be used as a production engine for road cars. The same changes were made when building the E26 ///M1 for sale as a road car, a requirement for the group 4 regulations. The Group 4 rules required that 400 units of that same car would be made within one year. The direct drive of the camshafts by a gear train was abandoned for a direct chain drive to reduce the interior noise. Like the M49, the M88 engine also used a Kugelfisher mechanical fuel injection system. The cylinder head of the M88 consisted of two pieces. The lower piece contained the intake and exhaust ports, the valves and the spark plugs. The upper piece contains the buckets, shims, camshafts and bearings
Compared to the M49/3, the M88 had a slightly smaller displacement (3453cc). This was achieved by reducing the bore slightly to 93.4mm. However the stroke of the engine remained the same (84,0mm). To test if the M88 engine would be reliable for a production engine, BMW placed the existing SOHC drive train on the M88 cylinder block. This engine, called M90 used a regular Bosch L-Jetronic (predecessor of the Motronic) fuel injection system and yielded 218hp.
The road going ///M1 used the M88 engine. The M88 yields 277hp @ 6500RPM and 330nm @ 5500RPM. This was more then enough to propel the 1418kg sports car in a little more than 20sec to the 200km/h mark.
Since the E26 ///M1 was designed for racing first, the M88 engine was heavily modified. For road use, the M88 is tuned to offer a good compromise between tractability, engine longevity and performance. Engine longevity is not that important for racing and for group 4 and 5 Procar races a lot more than 277hp was required. New camshafts, larger valves, reshaped ports, throttle slides instead of butterflies, forged pistons and a completely different exhaust system helped to increase the power to almost 500bhp. For Group 5 purposes, two turbo chargers where added. This version is known as the M88/2. Depending on the boost pressure, the power output was between 850bhp and 950bhp.
Table 2, M88 engine family
With the cease of the group 4 and group 5 races, BMW stopped to use the M88 engine for racing purposes and concentrated on developing race cars on basis of the E21 and later the E30 3 series. But in 1983, the M88 was used one more time to power the new top model of BMW, the E24 ///M635CSI. The regular 635CSI lacked the power to compete with Porsche's 928S and the Mercedes 500SEC. For the E24 ///M635CSI, the M88 was redesigned. The bore and stroke of the M88/3 engine remained the same as the M88. Also six individual butterfly valves where used for the M88/3. However, Bosch's Motronic, the first digital controlled fuel-management system that was used in production cars, replaced the M88's Kugelfisher fuel injection system. This allowed the compression ratio to rise to 10.5:1. Thanks to these changes, the power output rose to 286hp at 6500RPM. The torque rose slightly also to 340nm at 4500RPM. This was 500RPM lower than for the original M88 engine and this helped to improve the M88/3 abilities for daily use.
At the end of 1984, the M88/3 engine was also fitted in the E28 5 series. Unlike the ///M635CSI, the E28 version was not named ///M535I as this type was already given to another E28 with the M30B35 engine. Instead, the name ///M5 was chosen. Already from September 1984 till February 1985, a small number of E28 ///M5's where hand build by BMW Motorsport for a happy few. It was not before February 1985 before the E28 ///M5 was introduced to the public. In the mid eighties, unleaded fuel and the use of catalytic converters became more and more common in Western Europe, especially in the environment oriented Swiss and Austrian market's. The M88/3 engine did not have a catalyst. BMW did not want to be accused of being insensitive to the environment and decided against the introduction of the E28 ///M5 at the important Geneva car show. Instead, BMW released the E28 ///M5 at the Amsterdam car-show, reducing the potential risk of bad environmental publicity in the widerinternational press.
Despite that BMW already switched to a new engine codex in 1983, the new 24-valve engine kept the family code M88. It was not before 1986 when the S38 designation was used for the catalyst version of the M88/3. The S38 stands for, 'S' means that the engine is originated by BMW Motorsport, the '3' means that it is derived from the M30 engine family and last but not least, the '8' is chosen to make a reference to the legendary M88.
During the mid eighties, the ///M635CSI and the E28 ///M5 where only available in Western Europe. In the United States, there was a small but significant demand for these 'European only' cars. This gap in the United States market was served by 'gray market' importing companies. Realising this, BMW North America introduced Motorsport versions of the E24 and E28 in 1987, but their specifications where changed to meet the demands of the American market. To meet US exhaust emission regulations of that time, the catalyst equipped S38B35 replaced the M88/3. The S38B35 kept the M88/3s bore, stroke and cylinder head, but to install a catalytic converter, the compression ratio decreased from 10.5:1 to 9.8:1. The equally tuned exhaust headers of the M88/3 where replaced by log headers. Al these changes decreased the engine performance. The S38B35 delivered 260hp and a torque of 330nm (243lb/ft) at 4500RPM. The US E28 ///M5 and E24 ///M6 also had more options fitted, many of which in Europe could only be bought by special order. As a result, the US cars where noticeable heavier than the European cars and this had an impact to the cars performance. The European E28 ///M5 can do the 0-100km/h (0-62mp/h) sprint in just 6.5sec, while the US version needs 0.3sec more.
For the US and Japanese markets, The ///M635CSI was renamed to ///M6, while in Europe the ///M635CSI designation remained. The distinction between the ///M6 and ///M635CSI is the engine. The ///M6 always contains the S38B35 engine, while the ///M635CSI can have both. Despite the catalyst, the majority of the E28 ///M5s and E24 ///M635CSI in Europe where equipped with the M88/3 engine, thus no catalyst.
The production of the last E28s ceased at the end of 1987 after which the E34 succeed it. It was without any doubt that soon after the introduction of the E34, also a Motorsport version became available. The E34 ///M5 was available for the German market in September 1988. The engine which powered the E34 ///M5 is a further evolution of the S38B35 engine which powered the catalyst versions of both the E28 ///M5 and E24 ///M635CSI. The E24 ///M635CSI remained in production until its demise in spring 1989. During that time, the M88/3 and S38B35 engine where by BMW Motorsport alongside the S38B36. This was of benefit for the last E24 ///M635CSIs because in their last production months, both the M88/3 and S38B35 engines received the duplex timing chain of the S38B36.
Table 3, S38 engine family
To create the S38B36, the S38B35 was stroked from 84.0mm to 86.0mm, the same as the M30B35 engine. The stroke remained 93.4mm. This all increased the displacement to 3535cc. Actually, this is 3.5 liter's and not 3.6 as the type designation indicates. However to make a distinction with the S38B35, the S38B36 engine was marked as a 3.6 liter engine. Not only the stroke was changed. Also the Compression ration increased from 9.8:1 to 10.0:1. The S38B36 delivered 315hp @ 6900RPM and 360nm (269lb/ft) at 4750RPM.
The intake received an electronically controlled RAM induction system to boost up the torque. A changeover valve varies the effective length of the induction system depending on load and engine speed. The changeover valve operates when the engine speed is below 4120RPM and full throttle or the engine speed is above 6720RPM and full throttle. The engine management remained the Bosch Motronic system, but instead of measuring the airflow with a valve, the S38B36 received an airflow measurement system based on a hot-wire sensor. In contrary to a conventional sensor with an air-valve and potentiometer, hot-wire sensors measures the mass of the air and since it is only a very thin wire, the air can flow to the intake-plenum without restriction- reducing flow resonance and noise.
To fulfill the exhaust emission regulations, a ceramic catalytic converter has been added to the exhaust system. To control the emissions at cold-engine start up an air injection feature for the exhaust has been added. This system injects air into the exhaust system to convert carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and hydrogen into water. For Tropical regions, for instance the Middle East and south East Asia got a slightly different version of the S38B36. For these markets the compression ratio reduced to 9.2:1.
In 1991, the E34 ///M5 got competition by the Mercedes Benz 500E and of lesser importance, the Opel Lotus Omega and the BMW-Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo. Neither the Opel nor the Mercedes could match the ///M5 in character and driving abilities, but they where more powerful. The Opel Lotus Omega has a twin turbocharged 3.6 litre 24-valve engine and was (a cheaper) competitor for Alpina's B10 Biturbo. The 500E however was directly positioned as a competitor to the ///M5. Compared to the E34 ///M5, the 500Es strength was its torque (the a 5.0 liter 32-valve V8 produced 480Nm). The 500E was approximately 100kg heavier than the E34 ///M5, and was a polished autobahn performer. In all other areas the E34 ///M5 chassis performed better however. Ever keen to compete against Mercedes, BMW Motorsport redesigned the S38 to gain back the "fastest 4 door saloon" title.
The bore and stroke where increased one more time. As a result the displacement grew to 3795cc. Another significant change is the compression ratio that was increased to 10.5:1. The intake and exhaust ports increased in size also and each spark plug got it's own HV coil which eliminated the distributor rotor and the high voltage wiring. A smaller and lighter Emitec metallic type replaced the ceramic catalytic converter. The main advantage of the Emitec metallic converter is that it increases the flow of the exhaust gasses. The Bosch Motronic 1.2 fuel management system was changed for the Motronic 3.3 system of the same manufacturer that also includes the resonance flap control. This feature is the same as on the S38B36, but with an extra switch-point at 2480RPM.
The S38B38 was the last evolution within the S38 engine family and delivered 347hp @ 6900RPM and 409nm torque at 4750RPM. All these changes stretched the S38 to its limit. The web spacing between two cylinders with 5.4mm is extremely narrow. This is 0.6mm less that the M49/3 racing engine. The S38B38 engine remained in production until the summer of 1995 when the last E34 ///M5s left the production facility in Garching.
For the Swiss and Austrian market, the S38B38s where fitted with Ceramic catalytic converter and the smaller exhaust manifolds (80mm vs. 90mm) of the S38B36 engine. As a result, the Austrian and Swiss version did not deliver 347hp, but 327hp.
Post S38 period
S50B30, S50B32, S50B30 US and S52B32
In 1992, BMW introduced the E36 ///M3 coupe with the S50B30 engine. The S50B30 is based on the smaller M50 engine family, but had a completely new 24-valve head. All in the ///M tradition, this engine also has 6 individual butterfly valves. Completely new was the VANOS system to vary the intake camshaft and thus the timing of the intake valves. This means more torque at lower revs. The S50B30 engine measured 2990cc and delivered 286bhp @ 7000RPM and 320nm @ 3700RPM. The US did not get this expensive engine as it did not comply with emissions regulations. Essentially the S50B30 US is just a bored and stroked M50B25 with VANOS, meaning they skipped the 6 throttle bodies and the expensive head construction resulting in an overall power loss of 46hp.
In 1995, the S50B30 was bored and stroked one more time to 3201cc. Other significant changes are that the DME was now a system developed by BMW and Siemens. Also the exhaust camshaft timing is controlled by VANOS. Power rose to 321hp at a staggeringly high 7600RPM. The US again got a detuned version without the S50B32's expensive cylinder head and intake system. Compared to the S50B30 US, the S52B32 delivered the same power, but more torque at lower revs. For the E46 ///M3 of 2000, this engine was completely redesigned and thus called S54B32. Like the S38B38, this engine is also stretched to its limit.
When the E39 succeeded the E34 in 1996, it took almost three years before it was succeeded by the E39 ///M5. Originally, BMW did not plan a Motorsport version of the E39 as it felt that the E39 540I and the E36 ///M3 4 door would fulfill the demands of the E34 ///M5 owners. However the ///M5 customers did not buy that, probably since neither the E36 ///M3 or the E39 540I are really exclusive cars. In 1997 BMW realised that and started to develop the third generation of the E39 ///M5. The first prototype was shown to journalists on the IAA car-show of 1997, but it was not before December 1998 that the first E39 ///M5s where delivered to customers. Instead of an inline six, BMW used the M62 V8 engine as the basis for the S62B50 power plant with 400bhp. The E39 ///M5 turned out as a very successful car, especially in the USA. Already in the summer of 2001, BMW had manufactured more E39 ///M5's than E34 ///M5's in a seven-year period!
Unlike the E28 and E34 ///M5, the E39 ///M5 was not hand build in Garching anymore, but manufactured on the E39 production line in Dingolfing. Thanks to this, the German MSRP of DM140000 for the E39 ///M5 in 1998 was almost the same as the customer cost for the last E34 ///M5 in 1995.
Developments related the S38
The M90 was the first road going BMW engine with 3.5 litre displacement. Originally this engine was used to test if the M88 engine was reliable with the narrow web spacing of 6.6mm. This means that this engine has exactly the same bore and stroke as the M88 and is directly related. However instead of a DOHC cylinder head with 24 valves, BMW used the SOHC cylinder head with 12 valves. The use of an electronically controlled fuel management system (Bosch LE-Jetronic) allowed a slightly higher compression of 9.3:1. Strictly, the M90 engine is not an M production engine although the E12 ///M535I in which it is used is a real M car. Until 1981, the M90 engine was used for the early 635CSI and the very rare and delectable E12 ///M535I from 1980.
In 1981 and 1982, Alpina used the last batch of the M90 engine to power the last versions of the B7 turbo versions of the E12 sedan and E24 coupe. For the B7S turbo, the M90 has been modified extensively to allow the use of a turbocharger. The B7S delivered 330hp @ 5800RPM and 500nm @3000RPM. During 1981 and 1982, Alpina only made 60 E12 sedans and 30 E24 coupe's in the B7S version.
To improve the reliability for road use, BMW redesigned the M90 engine in 1981. This engine, called M30B35 was slightly different. Compared to the M90, the M30B35 has a larger stroke (86,0mm), but a smaller bore (92,5mm). The use of a digital controlled fuel management system (DME) allowed to increase the compression ratio from 9,1:1 to 10,0:1. Although the engine capacity decreased slightly (3430cc vs. 3453cc), power and torque remained almost the same. The M30B35 remained in production for almost 13 years and in the late 1980's, catalyst versions where developed and offered for sale also. The M30B35 has been used in the E23 735I, the E24/1 635CSI, the E28 535I, the E28 M535I, the E32 735I and the E34 535I.
This engine was also used a lot by tuners and the tuners with a manufacturer status such as Hartge and Alpina. Alpina examples are the E28 B7 turbo, the E24/1 B7 turbo, the E28 B9, the E30 B6(S), the E28 B10 3.5, and the E34 B10 3.5 and last but not least the E34 B10 Biturbo. In 1993, the last 50 M30B35 engines where delivered to Alpina for the last 50 B10 Bi-Turbos.
Table 4, M88 engine derivatives
S14B20, S14B23 and S14B25
This engine family was developed in the early 1980's for use within the E30 series where it had to power the new BMW touring car racer, the E30 ///M3. The engine block was based on the cast iron M10 engine family. The cylinder centres of the M10 (at 100mm) are the same as on the M88 so this allowed BMW Motorsport to simply cut of two cylinders of the existing M88 cylinder head. The bore (93.4mm), stroke (84.0mm) and compression ratio (10.5:1) for the S14B23 where chosen exactly the same as the M88/3. This created a displacement of 2302cc. Enough to deliver 200hp @ 6750RPM and 176lb/ft of torque at 4750RPM. With catalyst this engine delivered 195hp and 169lb/ft @ 4750RPM. In Italy, there was the 320iS, a deviation of the E30 ///M3 to avoid the huge Italian taxes for road cars above two liters. The 320iS simply used the 325iS-body style, but powered by an S14B20 engine. The S14B20 has the same bore as the S14B23, but a smaller stroke (72.6mm) resulting in a displacement of 1990cc. A compression ratio of 10.8:1 still allowed 192hp at a stunning 6900RPM.
In September 986, the first E30 ///M3's where sold to their first customers and within the first year, more than 5000 units where sold to meet the FISA Group A rules. 2396 where build in 1986 and 6396 in 1987 and thus easily satisfying the rule makers. It did not take long before the first evolution versions arrived.
For the evolution II models of 1988, BMW Motorsport fitted other pistons to increase the compression ratio to 11.0:0. The displacement and the cylinder head construction are exactly the same as the regular 2.3 liter. But now 220hp and 181lb/ft where available. In a later stage, this engine with a catalyst became available for the E30 ///M3 Cecotto and Ravaglia editions.
The last version of the S14 engine is the S14B25. An increased bore (now 95.5mm) and stroke (87.0mm) increased the displacement to 2483cc. The compression ratio remained 10.5:1. At 7000RPM this is enough for 238 hp and 177lb/ft @ 4750RPM. This engine is used for the last 600 ///M30 evolution III, the most delectable of all ///M3s.
The primary purpose for the S14 engine was to power the E30 ///M3 touring car racer which raced in different European touring car series of which the most important was the DTM (German Touring car championship). For these many engine versions where made (S14/1 till S14/7).
When the production of the E30 ///M3 ceased in March 1990, more than 17000 of these cars have been made and found their way to very happy owners. In terms of nimbleness, driving satisfaction and performance this may be the ultimate ///M car ever made. Apart from these, more than 3000 320iS cars found their way to Italian customers.
Tuner Efforts
Although the engines from the S38 and M88 have a high state of tune when they left the factory, for some this was not enough. Especially in the USA, there was a demand for even higher power output. A few enthusiastic companies served this niche in the market and offered tuning kit's that could be acquired separately or together as a complete package. In Europe, BMW's where mostly tuned as a complete package. Good examples are companies like Alpina and Hartge. Hartge actually did tune the S38 engine family, but Alpina never touched a BMW-Motorsport engine. Although many companies actually tuned the S38, it is undoable to describe all efforts in this field.
Steve Dinan grounded this California based company, almost 20 years ago. Unlike many European counterparts, Dinan offers their performance program as kits that can be bought seperately or as a complete package. In 1986, Dinan developed a turbocharged version of the S38B35 engine. For the E34 ///M5's S38B36, Dinan developed several tuning programs known as Stages. Dinan's program starts with a modified DME, other cam sprockets to retard the timing for more torque in the low en mid range and a stroker kit to increase the S38B36 to 3,9 liters (3880cc). Added to that, you can buy the companies modified camshafts. In the strongest program, Dinan claims 402bhp (SAE). Even today, almost 9 years after the last E34 ///M5 was officially imported into the US, Dinan still offers these programs to the E34 M5 owners.
In Europe, the S38 and M88 were less prone by tuner efforts. A Company that did was Hartge. Hartge fitted hotter cams to the M88/3 and reprogrammed the DME. erent cams and another DME program. With 330hp @ 7000RPM and 260lb/ft @ 3500RPM, this is a serious improvement. This engine was fitted in amongst others the Hartge H5SP-24, their version of the E28 M5. Hartge also used this engine for the H36, an E30 ///M3 equiped with the Hartge's modified M88/3. Only six of these beasts where ever build.
1.The M30B35 was used in many ranges and cars. The most important are the E28 535I & ///M535I, the 635CSI after 1982, the E23 735I, the E32 735I and last but not least the E34 535I.
2.All power figures in the article are DIN. According to SAE the power is slightly smaller.
3.The torque in lb./ft can be calculated by multiplying the nm. Figure with 0.73529
1.BMW Mobile tradition by person of Mr. Jakobson for providing technical information about the M49, M88 & S38 engine families.
tom4pope is the wild west of auto forums.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
BMW’s Best Supercars? Italdesign BMW Nazca Concepts
When you think of a “BMW supercar” you might think of the iconic M1 or the newer i8 hybrid sportscar. But there was another vehicle with a mid-engined layout, stunning performance and wore BMW’s twin-kidney grille. The 1991 Italdesign BMW Nazca M12 is a breathtaking blend of road and track attributes that looked to the future.
Italdesign is a famed Italian coachbuilder and design house. The outfit is home to Giorgetto Guigiaro, who crafted stunning designs for Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and some of BMW’s best cars (like the 3200 CS, M1 and 2008 M1 Homage Concept). The Nazca series of cars (M12, C2, C2 Spider), were meant to combine elements of F1 cars and the amazing Group C racing cars of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Under the bonnet out back was a 300-horsepower 5.0-liter V12 from the BMW 850i. It sent power to the rear wheels through a ZF manual gearbox and a specially designed flange. The frame and the body are constructed from carbon fiber, which was an even more exotic material then then it is now. Weight for the vehicle was kept to just 2,400 pounds.
Additionally, the front spoiler was lowered, and spoilers were added to the rear. Both were installed to bring the C2 closer to the driving feel of being on a race track. Weight was reduced by 220 pounds, helping it achieve a top speed of 185 mph. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73742 | Saturday, April 24, 2010
The Strongest Defense of Protestant (Reformed/Barthian/Lutheran) Theology I can come up with
Just out of interest I thought I would try to write the strongest argument in favour of Confessional Protestantism, and see if I couldn't knock it down later. It is not that I am tempted to believe it, I just want to lay it down for my own understanding.
Faith and Reason:
The great Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth argued that natural theology and the use of philosophy in Christian faith, was 'where things all went wrong'. As Luther sayeth, 'the Theologian must first put to death the philosopher (Aristotle)', before burning the Summa Theologiae in public. Barth cites the famous unfinished symphonies as examples, surely no one can listen to the first half, and then using natural reason, discover the remainder, given any amount of time. This he proposed is what Roman Catholics do when they enter theology. Genesis 3:15 says there would be enmity between 'the woman' (Virgin Mary) and Satan. Examine that long enough, and you start talking about the Immaculate Conception, humans as Barth noted are "idol factories", and any attempt to add to the word of God with human words, no matter what the phrasing is 'development', 'unwritten traditions', etc, is sin.
Soren Kierkegaard in "Fear and Trembling" describes the divine command for Abraham to kill his son. Nothing in natural reasoning could explain this as logical. God is not a Being to be reasoned about, he is a speaking God who is to be trusted or rejected.
The Canon:
Roman Catholics ask how Protestants know which Scriptures are valid and which are not, as the Bible did not come straight from Heaven. Granted Barth would agree, BUT as the second Helvetic Confession declares:
All throughout the book of Acts, it is the declaration of the Word (invisibly in preaching, visibly in the sacraments) that leads to salvation. As it is written, "faith cometh by hearing" (Rom 10:17). While the succession of Bishops may or may not be valid (Anglicanism v. Presbyterianism), the real succession of the Apostles was their preaching. The church is described as witnesses to the resurrection, to the Christ Event, to something that had happened and was now finished, all that was required now was the preaching of it to others. By this message which was preached since the apostles, did the council fathers know what was canonical and what was not. (I could then develop the argument that the new testament was clearly agreed on, Romans says 'to the Jews were entrusted the oracles of God' as the prooftext for the 39 book proto-canon).
In the same way that Luigi Giussani argued that people today can encounter Christ only through Christ's body as an objective historical reality, so would Barth argue that people today are faced to encounter the preaching of the gospel as an objective historical reality.
Furthermore, God has no need of an institution to tell people what the Word of God is, and what it isn't, for Christ is "the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." (Jn 1:9), and because the apostle says:
If God swears Scripture by the Church then he is swearing it by human beings. As God has always done - since Abraham - he swears his covenant by himself. The gospel, as Barth notes, is not modified or evaluated by man, it can only be responded to. It is a message which is preached, it is an existential experience and an encounter.
Christ says "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed" (Jn 8:31). For "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Mt. 24:35), and so by the direct command of God we must "destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Cor 10:5). Whatever we can discern through history or tradition must be subject to Christ, for he declares: "the scripture cannot be broken" (Jn 10:35). Scripture makes a clear dichotemy between the Word of God and the words of men, and such a dichotemy allows for tradition to be subjected.
Once they get sola scriptura/prima scriptura, they can then go on to quote Jer. 23:6 "The LORD is our righteousness" and make the imputation of Christ's righteousness argument, add Romans 4:5, and nail down Sola Fide.
Obvious Criticisms:
Philosophical Realism, Appeals to Church History, Claims of Anachronism, Attacks on Fideism, Appeals to Church Unity, etc. Standard Catholic attacks.
For instance, one could say this argument gives me no case against the Quran as the Word of God beyond: I don't feel that it is. It is basically just a fideist argument that defends irrational trust in a source based on the claim that it is from God. If it is from God (which cannot be determined except existentially/experientially) then it works as an argument, but if more than one faith claims true existential religious experience, then this has to be explained away somehow (usually be anti-Islamic attitudes or racism).
The fact that St. Paul also uses philosophy in the Areopagus in Athens to debate the pagans also destroys this nominalist/Lutheran division of faith and reason.
I'm reading a great book by Von Balthasar about the Petrine office, and he has some of the strongest biblical -and unique ones- arguments for the papacy, and once I'm done that book, I'll post the counter arguments to this thesis.
Even one of our Popes declared Karl Barth to be the most important theologians since St. Thomas Aquinas, so I figured I would set up the strongest argument for Reformed Protestantism using his emphasis.
Protestants reading this: let me know where it should be strengthened.
Catholics reading this: let me know problems with the argument.
1. Andrew,
This is strongly expressed, and fideism is not without its value. Your example of Abraham and Isaac, or the case of Hosea and Gomer – show God making demands that are apparently unreasonable. Fideism has a point that God's ways are beyond our ways. I do think that this point can be made as Balthasar and others have done - that is, God is similar to what we know but in his greatness he is ever beyond it. To see God in all things (Ignatius's First Principle and Foundation) is not idolotry but the remedy for it. When I look at my wife, my children, my work, I see that all of these things awaken a desire in my that they can't satisfy themselves, and so I am reminded of their source and destination.
As a Catholic I have had a tendency to defend the faith in a fideistic way. That is, I would make my stand on what happened in my prayer life (an excellent converstation stopper, by the way!) or in a fundamental principle to be accepted on faith. I'm not concerned overmuch about the relativism and disunity of fideism - because these just aren't my issues. The problem with fideism is that in order to be certain of Christ, I must be a prophet, and most folks aren't prophets in the strict sense. I read several bios of Jonathan Edwards (fascinating guy, a genius, and a vibrant Christian), and this is definitely a difficulty in early American Calvinism: verifying that everybody has had a prophetic encounter. The Christian sacraments radically overturn the method of prophets and gurus: God can be encountered by anyone, even those without particular religious genius (I count myself in this group, not being a mystic). The other thing about the prophetic way is that the prophet is certain insofar as he is hearing a word from the Lord or announcing the word - his certainty is intermittent (the great desolation of Elijah and others).
The point that Benedict XVI made in Regensburg is whether God is ultimately reasonable and loving or simply arbitrary.
I have noticed your interest in preaching and apostolic succession, so I would also let you know of another speach of Ratzinger, from 1998. It concisely summarizes historical theological material developed by Balthsar and others: The Theological Locus of Ecclesial Movements. 'Ecclesial movement' is a term parallel to the term for Protestant groups: 'ecclesial communities' (and essentially, ecclesial movement includes not only lay movements but also orders). I recommend beginning by reading section II: The Perspectives of History: Apostolic Succession and Apostolic Movements...
2. Thanks for the recommendations Fred, I'm going to read them right now.
I've found Von Balthasar to be very much influenced by Barth and Fideism, and infinitely more valuable than Rahner. (I just finished Love alone is credible - which was amazing) and am reading his book on the Petrine office, and so far his defense from scripture of the papacy has been very good.
I think the nonfoundationalist philosophy of Balthasar and De Lubac might be where I'm headed.
3. Hi Andrew,
When you have the time read this blog, wow!
4. Hi there,
That's simply granting too much, too quickly. They're going to have a hard time nailing down Sola Scriptura in the first place, as I note in my latest article:
6. Andrew,
I don't recognize your treatment of faith and reason as being an accurate representation of the historic Reformed understanding. And I only see smatterings of it in your treatment of the canon. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73747 | Welcome to the Flutter crash course tutorial series. So you heard about Flutter? saw it popping up in the news everyday, and now you want to get a taste of it or get started with it altogether. You have come to the right place.
What is Flutter?
What makes Flutter different?
Flutter is a reactive framework and compiles down to native platform code. What do I mean by that? Well, Dart being both an interpreted and a compiled language. When you build Flutter applications the Dart code is compiled to talk directly to native platform code unlike other frameworks such as React Native where a JavaScript bridge is involved or Ionic (which renders the complete in a WebView). In React Native the JS code is executed in a different JavaScript thread which then uses a bridge to talk to the main platform thread for requesting and rendering the layout from native platform, Flutter does it differently, Flutter doesn’t use native UI components, it draws everything on its own! Every Flutter app that you build contains a UI engine that draws every pixel on the native canvas of the platform. This makes a huge different in performance, Flutter’s UI rendering is faster than that of React Native and Ionic.
I highly recommend reading this medium article for even more clarity.
If none of this makes sense, don’t worry, you don’t need to know any of this to build great Flutter applications.
Installing Flutter
I won’t bore you by providing installation instructions as the Flutter guys have already done it very nicely.
Install Flutter on Windows.
Install Flutter on MacOS.
Install Flutter on Linux.
Overview of application
We will be developing an application named GitHub search. In this application user can enter a search term and corresponding repositories will be fetched (http) from Github Api. User can select on a single repository to see the details and save the repository in favourites (database).
The complete code for the application we develop will be available at this GitHub Repo.
Overview of this tutorial series
This course is divided in several parts. You are already reading the first part.
In Part 5, you will learn how make lists in Flutter.
In Part 6, you will learn how to make networking calls in Flutter.
In Part 7, you will learn how to store data in SQLite database.
Finally, we will end the series in Part 8 by tying up some loose ends.
This is not a final breakdown, some parts might be dropped and some new ones might be added, so make sure to visit this page once in a while for any updates.
Gurleen Sethi
Osei Kwadwo · December 19, 2018 at 7:11 pm
Is dart that easy to learn as a starter programmer
Gurleen Sethi · December 21, 2018 at 11:37 pm
Dart is an easy language to learn. It has some constructs that are unlike any other language. But you wont have any problem learning Dart as a starter language. At the end of the day if you master the basic programming concepts, learning a new language will be a piece of cake.
Flutter Crash Course - 2 - Application and UI Basics - TheTechnoCafe · November 24, 2018 at 11:42 am
[…] << Previous Tutorial – 1 – Installation and Overview […]
Dart Extension Members - TheTechnoCafe · November 6, 2019 at 12:16 am
[…] Flutter Crash Course – Tutorial Series […]
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73751 | There is magic in my hips
I sway left
There is magic in my feet
I sway right
My wand sprinkles stardust
My soul remembers dance
My magic can’t stop hate
But it can stop time
Time is what we need
My wand turns counterclockwise
Tap three times on the black top hat
Time, the illusion, disappears
© zaji, 2016 |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73767 | Tuesday, 18 November 2014
TRX Workout for beginners
This TRX workout is designed for beginners. One of the things I hear most often when I talk about TRX, including in response to my TRX beginner tips, is that people want to try it, but aren’t sure what to do and don’t want to look silly . My goal with this workout is to introduce you to some basic moves and give you something you can pull up on your phone at the gym so you know what to do. This workout is an interval workout, which is very common for TRX. Each move is performed for 30 seconds. Move as quickly as you can from one move to the next. They are staggered to focus on upper body, lower body, and core so you shouldn’t need to rest in between (but of course, if you do need a rest, take it). As you advance, feel free to increase the interval. I typically do 30-60 second intervals depending on what I’m doing. The exercises are split into two mini circuits and you’ll repeat each circuit three times. Form notes for the exercise appear below the graphic.
Form Notes:
Most of these notes reference the non-TRX version of the exercise (squat, lunge, plank, etc) and they assume you are familiar with the proper form for those exercises. If you are not familiar with the non-TRX version, please please please make sure you understand the proper form before you attempt the TRX versions.
• Chest press - For me, the easiest way to think about this move is to think of it as a push-up with your hands in the straps. Your elbows should come along your sides at roughly a 45 degree angle. The straps should be outside your arms. Keep your wrists straight.
• Squat - The form here is almost identical to a normal squat but your weight is further in your heels since you have the TRX for support. Make sure you are using your legs, not pulling with your arms.
• Rows - Keep your wrists straight. When your arms are extended, your palms should be facing the ground. As you pull your bodyweight up, rotate your hands so that at the top of the movement, your palms are facing inward. Keep your elbows in so they are shaving along your ribs.
• Plank - This is just like a normal forearm plank, but your feet are in the straps. If you’re anchored to a wall, make sure your feet aren’t touching the wall (that’s cheating).
• Reverse lunges - Again, this is similar to a reverse lunge. However, you aren’t really stepping back on your back leg, you are floating it back. When you first start, tap your back toe to the ground as lightly as possible. Work up to the full version where you hover the back leg without touching the ground. Remember to use your legs, the straps are just for balance. Do 30 seconds on your right leg first, then switch to your left.
• Bicep curls - Hold the straps with your arms extended out in front of you, palms up. As you perform the bicep curl, keep the 90 degree angle between your upper arms and your torso (this is harder than it sounds). Control the movement as you lower back down, don’t just drop.
• Hamstring curls - With your heels in the straps and your toes pressing against the handles, press up into a reverse plank with your shoulders on the ground. Your body should be in one long line from your shoulders, through your hips and legs, to your feet. From this position, pull your heels in towards your butt without changing the position of your torso.
• Tricep press - Face away from the anchor point holding the straps above your head and your palms facing forward. The motion is similar to a normal overhead tricep press. Keep your elbows just at the edge of your peripheral vision. Your upper arms should not be moving, your elbows should be anchored in place, the only motion should be your forearms
• Knee tucks - Start in plank position, top of a push-up, shoulders over wrists, feet in the loops. Pull your knees in toward your chest, return to start, repeat.
Source :
1 comment:
1. I've been doing this workout every other day. I love it. Thank you!! |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73774 | At the foot of Meteora Rocks and around the prehistoric Cave of Theopetra, signs of human existence and evolution are found far back into Paleolithic era.
Here, at the Cave of Theopetra, there were found, among other things, grape seeds which provoke change in the history of wine and prove the ancient coexistence of this place with the vine and the wine.
During the Byzantine era, the sacred vine cultivation and evolution of winemaking passed into the hands of the monks of the sacred Rocks who practiced them with the same reverence as in worshipping God. The mystery of Meteora passes to the wine through a particular terroir, a rare composition of soil and the continental climate, making the region an eternal cradle of production of wines with character and of high quality.
Nowadays, Tsililis family has created an icon winery in order to highlight the particularity of the region and revive rare Greek varieties.
Long historical tradition, modern technology and human inspiration come together in harmony and perpetuate the regional wine culture.
Where quality is hallmarked by history...
Vineyards of Meteora |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73810 | Hi fellow wiki editors!
High-Level Architecture
From FlightGear wiki
Revision as of 08:33, 28 January 2016 by Hooray (Talk | contribs)
Jump to: navigation, search
HLA Support
Screenshot showing HLA prototype at LOWI
Screenshot showing HLA prototype at LOWI
Started in 05/2009
Description Implementing support for the High Level Architecture to modularize FlightGear
Contributor(s) Mathias Fröhlich[1][2], James Turner[3], Stuart Buchanan[4]
Status Under active development (2009-2016)
As of late 2015, Stuart has started work on re-architecting parts of FlightGear to use HLA, though this is expected to be a multi-year project. Anyone interested in the current status of development should subscribe to the Flightgear -devel mailing list.
Cquote1.png For those looking for a summary of HLA, the following PDF provides a useful overview: http://www.pitch.se/images/files/tutorial/TheHLAtutorial.pdf
— Stuart Buchanan (Nov 19th, 2015). Re: [Flightgear-devel] HLA developments.
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Cquote1.png Depsite appearances moving the rendering to a seperate node/process is probably the easiest to implement as the inter module dependencies aren't that strong, or at least those that are strong can be shipped as a block update at the end of the simulation frame.
— Richard Harrison (Nov 19th, 2015). Re: [Flightgear-devel] HLA developments.
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Cquote1.png I'm hoping that OpenRTI will provide the infrastructure for the data sharing so I don't need to worry about shared memory etc. As I mentioned previously, I'm planning to use an IEEE 1516 standard RTI, of which OpenRTI is a conveniently free implementation. AFAICT this is one of the main standards for distributed simulation communication (the other being DIS). I think that will address the communications side of the equation, and OpenRTI can work both as a local RTI and over a network. It's also got a robust logical time implementation, and the ability to clock the simulation.
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Cquote1.png HLA is really intended to operate at a much higher level of granularity and pass objects around a distributed simulation. The use-case I'm working on at the moment passes an AI instance as an object (with position, velocity, accelerations, model to be displayed). How a HLA Federate maps that data internally is an implementation decision. There shouldn't be any race conditions because no assumptions are made about how the data is used or mapped. At present, I'm not thinking that HLA will be used as a mechanism to provide a shared property tree across multiple Federates. I think that's the wrong way to use HLA. Instead you make explicit decisions about the data models you will communicate. The other reason HLA isn't a good choice is to do with simulation clocking. I'm still getting my head around this properly, but the overall model is one where the simulation clock is advanced, and the instance the updates and publishes changes to the RTI that will be picked up by other instances at the next clock advance.
Cquote1.png For now I've only added the code but not used it anywhere. This has the advantage of getting (compiler) errors early before new functionality gets added. Most of the code remains the same, even the Tie functions are still there and for stand alone programs they are perfectly fine. But JSBSim will be used in a HLA environment soon because that's where FlightGear is heading and for that the new code is useful (accessing tied properties from multiple sources).
— Erik Hofman (Dec 25th, 2015). [Flightgear-devel] (JSBSim) Standalone Properties.
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For additional information, please see:
External links
|
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73817 | IBM Ph.D. Fellowship 2017-2018
Oana Inel received for the second time the IBM Ph.D. Fellowship. Her research topic focuses on data enrichment with events and event-related entities, by combining the computer power with the crowd potential to identify their relevant dimension, granularity and perspective. She performs her research and experiments in the context of the CrowdTruth project, a project in collaboration with IBM Benelux Centre for Advanced Studies.
Posted in CrowdTruth, Projects |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73822 | Date Tags seo
Twenty years ago, the World Wide Web as we know it today didn't exist. Ten years ago, only early technology adopters used search engines, and Google was a struggling young upstart. Now, 92 percent of online Americans use search engines (nearly 60 percent do this every day). Optimizing just for search engines may not be enough. You have to make sure the content you are delivering to your audience has the information they will be looking as well as accurate information. For example, where would one find rocking horse restorers in this country? I asked where I could find local organic fruit but no-one could tell me. What happens when you search for leased line prices for instance? Why do prices for York SEO differ so much? The individual does not evaluate brands or think about product attributes.
Accurately summarize the page including details of non reciprocal links
By using Google Developers' PageSpeed Tool, you can quickly and easily understand just how long it takes for your site to load as a whole as well as individual pages. When Google fluctuations are noted, Do your homework! The primary resources are all available here. Its as simple as your ABC's many SEO managers panic and turn the heat to their team. If you notice fluctuations between position one and five, do not panic; it is okay. You have not done anything wrong, and everything will oscillate back. The user should be able to intuitively relate the actions he needs to perform on the web page, with other interactions he sees in the general domain of life e.g. If you conduct business online, you need to use website analytics to track how well your site is doing. Otherwise, you're essentially running your business blind and will have no insight into your site's effectiveness.
Changes that can have a noticeable impact on your sites user experience can involve link building
Humans make purchasing decisions based on more than simple rational thought processes. Ranking high on search relies on a variety of different factors, including the quality of the content you write. As you use content to deliver keywords and reach audiences, you'll rank higher in search engines and increase authority with your site visitors. If you are a business owner trying to improve your online presence it can seem overwhelming with all various terms and technical information, but don't worry! Companies spend large amounts on search engine optimization.
Myths and misconceptions about non reciprocal links
What about economic status? Guest-blogging really works well if it is to generate new audiences, present yourself as an expert, and engage with your targeted community. Introducing deviations could be counterproductive and could hinder (or confuse) the benefits of other work. According to Gaz Hall, a Technical SEO from SEO York: "For example Google recently decided to shift its search engine ranking contents from desktop site to mobile site."
Quick tips regarding javascript
Almost every business with international expansion on the brain will end up conducting some sort of market research. Then A great example that I like to use is Beverley Guide. everyone starts thinking "We are great - let's reverse engineer this data and show just how great we did." It's natural to be influenced by feedback, but growth marketers have many, many ideas and a decent portion of them will fail. Make sure that every page has one call-to-action, so the goal of the page is clear. If you add multiple buttons, you lose the focus of the page and your visitors won't get where you want them to go. URL parameters are special codes added to a site's address immediately after the question mark. The parameters are used to follow marketing campaigns, session IDs, and languages among others. They are often called query strings. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73824 | 830 AD to 850 AD, Psalm 89: Summary.
Traité_de_Verdun_843This generation is that of the 830s and 840s.
To better understand this psalm, it is advisable to read later the commentary of the following psalm, Psalm 90. Indeed, these two psalms are coupled (questioning / answer).
At the level of the Abbasid dynasty, this generation sees the end of the reign of Al Ma’mûn (813-833). His successors will be Al Mu’tasim (833-842), Al Wathiq (842-847) and Al Mutawakkil who will reign over twenty years (847-861).
The despotic end of Al Ma’mun’s reign tarnishes his image somewhat.
City buildings graphic template. Iraq. Samarra. Vector illustrationAl Mu’tasim, brother of Al Ma’mûn continues the strict religious policy of his brother. He inaugurates the period known as the caliphs of Samara. From [1] from 836 until 892, the Abbasid caliphs who felt the need to remove from Baghdad their stirring Turkish « guard », badly seen by the population, decided to live a hundred kilometers to the north , a new royal city, that of Samara. The short reign of Al Wathiq, son of Al Mu’tasim, will not bring about any noticeable change.
Al Mutawakkil, wire of Al Mu’tasim, breaks with the religious policy of his predecessors, he hardens his position against Shiites and non-Muslims.
Abd al-Rahman II (822-852), on his side, continues to preside over the fate of the caliphate of Cordoba. The hardening of the Abbassids towards the Jews does not seem to affect the Caliphate of Cordova.
On the side [2] of the Christian empire of the West, this generation is marked by the end of reign of Louis Le Pieux (« the pious », 814-840) and the dislocation of the empire of Charlemagne between three of the sons of Louis. Louis is an undisputed emperor until 825. From this date, the empire is undermined by quarrels of succession, and the imperial power weakens. These quarrels lead to the definitive division of the empire in 843.
At first Louis wanted Lothaire to succeed him, the two other sons Pépin and Louis to inherit a pseudo-kingdom integrated into the empire of their brother. At the birth of his fourth son, Louis, under the inspiration of his wife Judith, and with the natural support of his two sons Pépin and Louis, returned to a principle of fairer sharing between his four sons. This decision contrary to the ambition of Lothaire, triggers a series of fratricidal wars.
Stich, Abbildung, gravure, engraving : 1859These wars add to the attacks of the Vikings in the North and Muslim raids in the South.
Finally, the heirs of Louis decide to share the empire during the Treaty of Verdun in 843 which signs the end of the Carolingian Empire and is the starting point of the European nations. The division between the three sons corresponds approximately to the birth certificate of France, Germany and Italy. A little more than a millennium later, Verdun will this time clash with death the nations that had sprung up there.
If Louis Le Pieux, like the other Carolingians, provides flawless protection to the Jews of his Empire, he can not prevent the clergy from continuing to germinate the anti-Semitism that will flourish in Europe in future generations.
Thus Agobard found in Amolon a worthy successor in his fight against the Jews:
• The action of Agobard [3] will find an extension in his successor on the episcopal seat of Lyon, Amolon. On his initiative, the council of Meaux and Paris, in 845-846, submitted to the king’s approval a real « status of the Jews ». In his writing also come several texts against the possession of slaves by Jews, including, in addition to the « Constitution » of Constantine and the « Novelle » of Theodosius II, extracts from letters of Gregory the Great and the canon 16 from Mâcon.
Some historians associate these characters with the evolution of anti-Jewish sentiment in the Middle Ages.
Amolon indeed does not spare his forces against the Jews:
• Twenty [4] years later (after the efforts of Agobard to obtain a separation between Jews and Christians from the Carolingian kings), his successor (Agobard) Amolon will reiterate and reinforce these exhortations: « … cursing the infidelity Jews and seeking to protect the Christian people from their contagion, I have publicly asked three times that our faithful depart from them, that no Christian serve them in cities or villages, leaving them to provide them. works with the help of their pagan slaves; I then forbade to taste their food and their drinks. And I have published several other harsh orders, in order to wrest the evil with the root and to imitate the example of our pious pastor, master and predecessor Agobard « … The bishops Hincmar of Reims, Vanilo de Sens and Rodolphe de Bourges lend a helping hand to Amolon, and the Council of Meaux requires in 848 the application of ancient canonical decisions and edicts of Theodore II.
• It will be noted that such decisions will necessarily, once applied, lead to a deterioration of the economic situation of the Jews. We are not there yet, and the interventions of Agobard, Amolon or Hincmar with the temporal power do not seem to have been followed up. For the rest, times were barely adequate: we are at the time of the Treaty of Verdun and the chaotic feudal fragmentation that followed. But we can not avoid putting in Stich, Abbildung, engraving, gravure from H. Thiriat : 1888. Portrait of a nun from the 19th century. Engraving from a painting from Henner (Alsace).relation with these exhortations an innovation that will be fraught with consequences. Indeed it is during the ninth century (without it being possible to specify the date) that we see for the first time a significant change in the Roman Catholic liturgy, in the part relating to the Jews.
If until then, in the prayers of Good Friday, the custom was to pray successively for the catechumens, the Jews and the pagans, and in the same terms, kneeling after each prayer, henceforth the missals bear: « pro Judais non flectant « (we do not kneel for the Jews). Thus it is pointed out that the Jew belongs to a category apart, that he is something else and more than a simple infidel, and that a conception is announced whose full effects will be felt several centuries later.
In fact this generation is a pivotal generation, nothing serious happens to the Jews of this generation, but what will happen later is initiated by this generation, in addition to the action of Agobard to the previous generation.
etoile jaune rogne Fotolia_109871509_Subscription_Monthly_MWith the advent of Al Mutawakkil on the Abbasid regime at the end of this generation comes the onset of discriminatory measures for Jews, especially in dress. This will be taken up later in Christian Europe. Closer to home, Nazi Germany will take over this measure. By demanding a free Germany of Jews, Germany will also follow the example of the first Muslims who had done the same for the Arabian Peninsula. This perhaps explains the admiration of their leaders for Islam.
The break-up of the Carolingian empire associated with the growing power of the clergy sign in the medium term the end of a position almost untouched for the Jews of Europe.
This psalm is the one that closes the third book of Psalms.
The psalm seventy-two had closed the second book of psalms. This generation, the one associated with Psalm 72, was marked by two main facts: the « official » end of the Roman Empire and the emergence of the Christian Frankish kingdom under the aegis of Clovis, who officially converted during this generation.
The end of the Roman Empire is associated with the emergence of nations: the Ostrogoth kingdom of Theodoric in Italy and the Visigoth kingdom of Toledo. In the past, these « barbarian » peoples lived in tribal structures.
Throughout the third book of Psalms, Europe was built and embryos of nation states emerge at the end of this generation. The Treaty of Verdun sees the end of the Carolingian West Christian Empire in favor of three new entities that can be assimilated to France, Germany and Italy. Spain is also now part of the nations that matter, today Muslim it will become Christian in a few centuries.
The world that was previously centered on the Mediterranean is moving its center of gravity towards the North. The fourth book of Psalms corresponds to the maturation of this new world to which will join new nations that will emerge from the next generation: the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and Slavic kingdoms.
The psalm linked to this generation is therefore naturally constructed as a summary.
To understand it, we must first look again at its author Ethan. Thus Ethan, like Hêman author of the psalm of the previous generation, is cited as a Levite dedicated to the musical service of the temple to Assaf, another author often quoted in the Psalms.
In fact, another name given to Ethan is Yedoutoun, also associated with Assaf and Hêman.
Arca de la AlianzaIt is under this name that as Assaf and Hêman, he attends the new transfer of the ark during the inauguration of the temple in Jerusalem by Solomon. When quoted during the reign of Josiah (presumably for the service passed on to his descendants), his prophetic ability is recalled.
Under this other name (Yedutun) Ethan is mentioned in three other psalms, Psalms 39, 62 and 77. In these three psalms he is actually taken to witness by the author: David, for Psalms 39 and 62 and Assaf for Psalm 77.
The present psalm (89), the only one written by Ethan represents a difference of fifty generations compared to the generation of the first psalm (39) where he is taken to witness. Each generation represents twenty years, so it is a thousand years between these two Psalms (39 and 89).
Thousand pastel colored bubbles representing number THOUSAND - exactly counted - isolated vector illustration on white background.Ethan in this psalm therefore takes stock of a millennium of Jewish life since the 39th generation which marks the revolt of the Maccabees against the Greek hold. For a thousand years Jews have been fighting to stay within the divine covenant and go from defeat to defeat.
After losing the Temple and the land of Israel, they live at the expense of the goodwill of the empires that host them. They are no longer in the eyes of the nations but a people without a kingdom, without a king, and without a land.
They defend a belief that in the eyes of new masters, Muslim or Christian, is a religion disinherited.
While at the beginning of their establishment in the Holy Land, the Jews had proved unfaithful to their God and could thus justify the divine wrath, for a thousand years they have redeemed themselves and show a relentless adherence to the Mosaic law.
In spite of this, they remain tributary to the fraternal peoples, from Esau and Ishmael, as if God had definitively abandoned them.
The end of « primitive » Europe emerging in the present generation is not heralding good news for Jews. The outbreak of the Europe of nations now taking place will be accompanied by many setbacks for Jews in the next generations.
Despite this, Jews will continue to remain loyal to the alliance regardless of the price to pay.
It is in relation to this observation, that Ethan, in the psalm of this generation, recalls the framework of this covenant and the commitments that God had made to his people and that apparently, for the author of the psalm, are not respected:
(extract of the psalm 89 associated to this generation, verses 1 to 53 )
• maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
• Ethan, despite the doubts that he evokes later, indicates that he does not put back his fidelity, whatever the events to come.
• For I said, « Forever will it be built with kindness; as the heavens, with which You will establish Your faithfulness. »
• I formed a covenant with My chosen one; I swore to David My servant.
• Until eternity, I shall establish your seed, and I shall build your throne for all generations forever.
• Ethan recalls the commitment to David’s throne, all the more so because Psalm thirty-nine was written by David with Ethan (Yedutun) as a witness.
• And the heavens acknowledge Your wonder, O Lord, also Your faithfulness in the congregation of holy ones.
• For who in the heavens is equal to the Lord? [Who] resembles the Lord among the sons of the mighty?
• God is revered in the great council of the holy ones and feared by all around Him.
• O Lord, God of Hosts, who is like You, O Yah, Who are mighty? And Your faithfulness surrounds You.
• You rule over the pride of the sea; when it raises its waves, You humble them.
• You crushed Rahab like one slain; with the arm of Your might You scattered Your enemies.
• The heaven is Yours, even the earth is Yours; the inhabited earth and the fullness thereof-You founded them.
• North and south-You created them; Tabor and Hermon sing praises in Your name.
• Ethan does not fail to recall the divine power to better condemn his apparent inaction.
• You have an arm with might; Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is high.
• Righteousness and judgment are the basis of Your throne; kindness and truth come before Your countenance.
• Fortunate is the people that know the blasting of the shofar; O Lord, may they walk in the light of Your countenance.
• With Your name they rejoice every day, and with Your righteousness they are exalted.
• For You are the glory of their might, and with Your favor our horns will be raised.
• For our shield is [devoted] to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.
• Ethan now evokes God’s commitment to use his power for Israel’s benefit.
• Then You spoke in a vision to Your pious ones, and You said, « I placed help on a mighty man; I lifted up a chosen one from the people.
• I found David My servant, I anointed him with My holy oil.
• With whom My hand will be established, even My arm will strengthen him.
• No enemy will exact from him, neither will an unjust person afflict him.
• And I shall crush his adversaries from before him, and I shall strike his enemies.
• My faithfulness and My kindness will be with him, and with My name his horn will be raised.
• I shall place his hand over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers.
• He will call to Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’
• I, too, shall make him a firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
• I will forever keep My kindness for him, and My covenant will remain true to him.
• And I shall make his seed endure forever, and his throne as the days of the heavens.
• After discussing the divine powers, Ethan recalls God’s commitment to David and his descendants. David is the author of Psalm 39 which initiates the millennium evoked by Ethan. This millennium, contrary to the commitment evoked by Ethan, marks the long decadence of the Jewish people who see themselves from generation to generation more and more at the mercy of their enemies.
• If his sons forsake My Torah and do not walk in My judgments,
• If they profane My statutes and do not keep My commandments,
• I shall punish their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
• But I shall not cancel My kindness from him, and I shall not betray My faith.
• I shall not profane My covenant, neither shall I alter the utterance of My lips.
• One thing have I sworn by My holiness, that I will not fail David.
• His seed will be forever and his throne is like the sun before Me.
• Like the moon, which is established forever, and it is a witness in the sky, eternally true. »
• Even the faults of the Jewish people can not call this commitment into question, and during the millennium, the Jewish people have maintained a firm adherence to the divine covenant. Recall that this millennium was initiated by the resistance to Antiochus that Jews commemorate through the ages by the Chanukah feast.
• But You abandoned and You rejected; You became wroth with Your anointed.
• You abrogated the covenant of Your servant; You profaned his crown to the ground.
• You breached all his fences; You made his fortifications a ruin.
• All wayfarers have plundered him; he was a disgrace to his neighbors.
• You raised the right hand of his adversaries; You caused all his enemies to rejoice.
• You even turned back the sharp edge of his sword, and You did not raise him up in battle.
• You have brought an end to his shining, and his throne You have cast down to earth.
• You have shortened the days of his youth; You have enwrapped him with shame forever.
• After recalling all the divine commitments, Ethan can only note that the millennium past does not reflect them. Not only is David’s throne seemingly but a memory. Esau and Ishmael successively appropriated Israel’s material heritage of the land of Israel, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. And even spiritually, they do not hesitate to regard Israel’s covenant as null and void and argue mutually for what they consider to be the « true » Israel, the « true » covenant.
• How long, O Lord? Will You hide forever? Will Your anger burn like fire?
• I am mindful what my old age is; for what futility have You created all the sons of man?
• Who is a man who will live and not see death, who will rescue his soul from the grasp of the grave forever?
• Where are Your former acts of kindness, O Lord, which You swore to David in your trust?
• Blessed is the Lord forever. Amen and Amen.
• However, far from being desperate, Ethan relies once again on God, assuring him of his unshakable faith, he is simply seeking answers to the fate of Israel within the nations.
The answer will be given to the following psalm which initiates the fourth book of psalms.
[1] According to: Janine Sourdel and Dominique Sourdel: « Historical Dictionary of Islam ». Chapter: « Abbasids » (French: « Dictionnaire historique de l’Islam ». Chapitre : « Abbassides » (p. 8) ).
[2] According to: Christian Bonnet and Christine Descatoire: « The Carolingians 741-987 ». Chapters: « Louis The Pious 814-840 » and « The Turn of 840-843 » (French: « Les Carolingiens 741-987 ». Chapitres : « Louis Le Pieux 814-840 » et « Le tournant de 840-843 » (p. 54 à 79) ).
[3] Bernhard Blumenkranz: « Jews and Christians in the western world 430-1096 ». Chapter: « The Jewish Mission » (French: « Juifs et chrétiens dans le monde occidental 430-1096 ». Chapitre : « La mission juive » (p. 195) ).
[4] Leon Poliakov: « History of anti-Semitism – 1. The age of faith ». Chapter: « Christian Europe ». (French: « Histoire de l’antisémitisme – 1. L’âge de la foi ». Chapitre : « L’Europe Chrétienne ». (p. 236-237) ). |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73827 | Delete Derp Virus
What is Derp Virus? How does Derp Virus operate? How to attempt and fix files, encoded by Derp Virus ransomware?
What is Derp Virus
Derp Virus is a particular type of malware which infects your personal files and encrypts them. Such malicious software is called Ransomware. You may be certain that Ransomware is any of the a majority of dreaded cyber malware to date. In this report, we’re going to scrutinize a particular instance of this type of viruses wiser referred to as Derp Virus. If this cryptovirus has infected your system and you’ve observed that your files have been encoded by it, then read on, since the data here will assist you stronger figure out what parasite you’re presently facing.
We won’t lie – the Ransomware contamination is a significant problem and cyber stability specialists are functioning day and night to spot functioning solutions to manage it. Sadly, the crooks who stand behind these infections are regardless a stage ahead. Nevertheless, don’t despair, as your device and files can have a likelihood of retrieval. We have specially progressed termination instructions for instances for example yours, which might be utilized to cautiously delete the Derp Virus. We have in addition to that developed a guide which can potentially help you fix some of the information influenced.
Download Removal Toolto remove Derp Virus
Derp File Virus Ransomware – More Info
Ransomware is the general term for malicious programs that place encryption on files and components stored on a given computer. The truth that they usually go fully undiscovered even though they conduct their criminal task is what generates those infections in particular malicious. A majority of of the time, they can enter the device of the user without any symptom. And even the strongest anti-malware utility utilities may persuade useless to locate the enciphering procedure in other words operating in the background merely since the enciphering is not a damaging or malign procedure on its own. In truth, the encoding doesn’t lead to any corruption or damage to your files but movements as details-guarding measure. When applied by a Ransomware, such as Derp Virus, .Nols, .Coot regardless, the result is that the victims are locked out of their own data.
We can’t tell precisely how you’ve get corrupted with Derp Virus but we can point out some of the most frequent approaches that cyber criminals and criminals have a tendency to depend on to circulate this parasite. Spam emails are regardless as steady as ever as the biggest number of web people regardless tap on unintentional emails and open their attachments without a question.
Bogus advertisements and malvertisements are in addition to that employed for that intention and are even etc. classic. They virtually simulate any other on the internet advert you could face (a popup, a emblem, a unintended box notification, etc.) alongside the merely exception that you probably set up a Ransomware by tapping on them. Of course, these kinds of are not the sole Ransomware transmitters, so our suggestion is to evade any superficial internet information and use your usual sense when surfing the web.
The Derp File Virus file Encryption – Explained
Many web users may consider paying the demanded ransom amount in the hopes of saving their files and dealing with the Ransomware fast. Sadly, in the majority of cases, paying the money reroutes merely to etc. problems since the hackers may merely flee along with the income of the victim and may never noted again. Obviously, the coerced people won’t acquire a key for decryption, and their files will stay unreachable.
If you don’t wish to end up in a akin position, our recommendation would be to employ the removal instructions beneath and see if it aids to eliminate Derp Virus and repair your files together with choice approaches.
Download Removal Toolto remove Derp Virus
Remove Derp Virus Ransomware
Note: Before you go any further, we advise you to bookmark this page or have it open on a separate device such as your smartphone or another PC. Some of the phases could need you to close your browser on this PC.
Tap Ctrl + switch + Esc to infiltrate the chore holder. Jump to the Tab branded procedures (information for Win 8/10). Closely glance via the classification of procedures that are currently running on you PC.
3: IP related to Derp Virus
Press on the at the beginning search outcome. In the next window, go to the Startup tab. If you are on Win 10, it shall relay you to the Startup ingrediant of the responsibility owner instead, as in the picture:
If you see any sketchy/shady looking entries in the list with an unknown manufacturer or a manufacturer name that looks suspicious as there could be a link between them and Derp Virus , disable those programs and select OK.
Uninstall all that gains detected. If you aren’t certain relating to whether to uninstall something, do not wait to ask us in the comments. Remember that if you uninstall the bogus thing, you may lead to all sorts of infections to your PC.
6: Deleting potentially malicious data – Derp Virus
Delete everything you see in Temp linked to Derp Virus Ransomware. Related to the other folders, category their contents by date and remove merely the newest entries. As always, if you aren’t sure related to something, write to us in the statement paragraph.
7: Derp Virus Decryption
The previous steps were all aimed at removing the Derp Virus Ransomware from your PC. However, so to get access back to your files, you shall in addition have to decode them or repair them. For that, we have a individual report in bundles with accurate guidelines on what you need to do so to decode your statistics. Here is a hyperlink to that guidelines.
Manual Derp Virus Removal Guide
Step 1. Uninstall Derp Virus and related programs
Windows XP
1. Open Start menu and click Control Panel
2. Choose Add or remove programs
3. Select the unwanted application
4. Click Remove
Windows 7 and Vista
1. Click Start and select Control Panel
2. Go to Uninstall a program
3. Right-click on the suspicious software
4. Select Uninstall
Windows 8
1. Move cursor to the bottom left corner
2. Right-click and open Control Panel
3. Select Uninstall a program
4. Delete unwanted application
control-panel-uninstall Delete Derp Virus
Step 2. Remove Derp Virus from your browsers
Remove Derp Virus from Internet Explorer
1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon ie-settings Delete Derp Virus
2. Select Manage add-ons ie-manage-addons Delete Derp Virus
3. Remove unwanted extensions
6. Click Reset, check the box and click Reset again ie-reset Delete Derp Virus
Delete Derp Virus from Mozilla Firefox
1. Open Mozilla and click on the menu ff-settings-menu Delete Derp Virus
2. Choose Add-ons and go to Extensions
3. Select unwanted add-on and click Remove ff-extensions Delete Derp Virus
4. Reset Mozilla: Alt+H → Troubleshooting Information ff-troubleshooting Delete Derp Virus
5. Click Reset Firefox, confirm it and click Finish ff-troubleshooting Delete Derp Virus
Uninstall Derp Virus from Google Chrome
1. Open Google Chrome and click on the menu chrome-menu-tools Delete Derp Virus
2. Select Tools → Extensions
3. Choose the add-on and click Trash can icon chrome-extensions Delete Derp Virus
4. Change your search engine: Menu → Settings
5. Click Manage search engines under Search chrome-manage-search Delete Derp Virus
6. Delete undesirable search provider chrome-search-engines Delete Derp Virus
7. Reset your browser: Settings → Reset browser settings chrome-reset Delete Derp Virus
8. Click Reset to confirm your action
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73830 | The earlier you respond to any car issue, the better off you’ll be. So if your check engine light comes on, don’t stress. Instead, schedule an appointment at our Glen Allen-Short Pump or South Richmond-Midlothian car repair shops. Whether the issue is as minor as a loose gas cap, a bad sensor, or something more, you can trust Aarrow Transmission’s ASE-certified mechanics to keep a small engine issue from turning into an expensive one.
The check engine light is an important tool, but not the only signal that your car’s engine may need service or repair. There are several others, including:
• Reduced power
• Reduced mileage
• Strange noises
• Strange odors
• Rough-running
• Stalling
When Your Check Engine Light Goes On.
Many drivers are relieved to know that a lot of common engine problems have relatively easy and inexpensive fixes. If your mileage has dropped off, for example, the remedy may be as simple as performing a tune-up or even just adding some fuel cleaner; if your car isn’t running smoothly, the fix might be as simple as replacing old spark plugs.
On the other hand, a problem as simple as faulty spark plugs could lead to a larger one. If your spark plugs are causing your car’s engine to misfire, this could damage your catalytic converter, requiring a much more expensive repair. No matter the issue, our expert mechanics and state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment will identify it for you. And before we begin any work, we’ll make sure that you have a clear understanding of what we’re doing and why.
The best way from keeping small engine problems from requiring big repairs is to follow your manufacturer’s suggested auto maintenance schedule. Bring your car into Aarrow Transmission for its scheduled maintenance, and our expert mechanics will closely monitor the systems and components of your car’s engine. If an engine part or system begins to show signs of wear or malfunction, we’ll repair it before it’s a problem – not after.
A check engine light is a wake-up call, not a cause for stress or panic. If you see that light or see other signs of engine trouble, call Aarrow Transmission. We have convenient repair locations in West End-Glen Allen and South Richmond-Midlothian. We’ll give you the peace of mind you deserve, and get your car’s engine purring again.
5 Reasons your check engine light may go on:
1. Oxygen Sensor - your oxygen sensor measures the quantity of unburned oxygen in your vehicles exhaust fumes. This causes the engine to be less fuel efficient by burning more fuel. It also has the potential to harm your spark plugs and exhaust.
2. Exhaust System - This means your catalytic converter which converts carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. Essentially this will cause your vehicle not to pass an emissions test. New vehicles are exempt for the first seven model years.
3. Spark plugs - this is the spark that ignites the air and fuel mixture within the cylinders and keeps your car moving. You can usually tell if it's the spark plugs if you have trouble starting your car, high fuel consumption, lack of acceleration and more. Aarrow Transmission can help determine if this is your issue.
4. Mass Airflow sensor - if the sensor is bad the engine will not know the right amount of fuel to add which causes issues with gas mileage and more.
5. Check the gas cap - If your gas cap is loose or broken then fuel vapors can leak out which causes an issue with gas mileage and emissions.
Have a question? We're here to help. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73832 | Screenreaders and how they work (part 1)
While WCAG has been formulated without reference to specific assistive technologies, one of the most widely used are screen readers.
Screen readers are applications which allow people – usually people who are blind or partially sighted, but also others such as people with dyslexia – to use computers, including operating systems, word processors, integrated development environments, music players – and of course browsers.
Screen readers,
Communicate all content by voice, and/or by braille display.
• Enable users to navigate a site, and explore a webpage’s content and current states without needing to use a pointing device or view a screen.
• Alert users to changes in state and content of web pages.
• Enable users to read and interact with a web page’s links, forms, widgets and other focusable controls using only a keyboard.
Who uses them?
Screen readers are used by,
• Blind people, and partially sighted people without enough useful sight to see and operate a webpage.
• As an aid for partially sighted people who have some useful vision, but who might find it inconvenient or exhausting to rely only on sight alone.
• People with sensitive eyes who find looking at a screen for prolonged periods painful.
• Dyslexic people who might have good vision, but have difficulty in reading text.
How do they work?
We’ll concentrate on using screen readers and browsers, although of course they are used to interact with most software using similar methods.
A screen reader application acts as an intermediate layer between the browser and user. Hooking into the accessibility API of a browser, they build their own Accessible DOM from the browser’s DOM of the webpage. When someone operates a screen reader, they are interrogating and navigating this Accessible DOM, rather than navigating the browser’s DOM directly. The screen reader manages its own virtual cursor which is independent of the one seen in a browser – be aware that the virtual cursor position may not match the browser’s cursor visible onscreen! Of course, for the screen reader user it appears they are directly interacting with the webpage.
Navigation and interaction is entirely keyboard based, using tab and shift-tab, arrow keys, and other special command keys. There is no reliance whatsoever on pointing devices, and neither is it necessary to see the screen, or even have one plugged in.
When users interact with the Accessible DOM – for example, click links, uses widgets such as drop down menus – the screen reader forwards on those commands to the browser. They also allow users to fill in forms, often using some form of ‘forms mode’, which, for instance, treats characters as input for text boxes rather than commands to move around a page.
If the content of a webpage (i.e., the browser’s DOM) updates or changes, whether caused by the user or not, the browser’s accessibility API triggers change events. The screen reader can detect these, and it updates its own Accessible DOM accordingly.
Sighted users will probably be able to see the changes, but screen readers will not know the changes have happened, unless they happen to navigate to them later on. Sometimes this is fine, but if it is important for screen reader users to be aware of the changes (e.g., an error message), the webpage can be marked up with ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) live regions. Then when content changes inside these regions, screen readers alert users of those changes as they happen, with varying degrees of specified urgency.
Its important to understand that users, mediated by the screen reader, access the DOM of the webpages directly, and pay no attention to the visual representation of the webpage the browser builds using CSS.
The next post will describe how screenreader users interact with web pages…
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73856 | Monday, 15 January 2018
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Arabella Rossi woke feeling groggier than she could ever remember feeling, with her head pounding harder than she had ever known possible. The last thing she could remember was having a drink with her best friend Lachlan Storm at the School of Spirits, the local watering hole but she didn’t remember getting that drunk.
She opened her eyes and was met with the harsh glare of unforgiving light which caused the pain in her head to intensify, Ouch! Did someone get the license plate of the dolphin that fucking hit me?
As Arabella moved her right hand to rub the back of her neck in an attempt to ease some of the pain, she was met with resistance. Discovering that her hands were bound behind her back caused her to panic and instantly become fully aware.
Where the Hells am I? And, bigger concern, what the fuck do they want from me? Arabella frantically thought.
She wasn’t sure why she was convinced that it was a they that had captured her, but Arabella had learned a long time ago not to ignore her instincts. She knew she needed to get a better look at her surroundings, maybe get a clue as to where she was being held, but the tidal wave of pain that had taken up residence in her head wasn’t slowing down.
She heard footsteps approaching and fear made her heart race. Arabella closed her eyes until they were only open a slit, appearing to be sleeping to the casual onlooker. She attempted to calm her breathing while trying to locate the source of the sound against the onslaught of the fluorescent lights.
Who are these people?
Trying to find a door or a window, Arabella discretely searched the room but only found white empty walls. There was some sort of system that was pumping air into the room because the small hairs on the back of her neck moved slightly in a cool breeze. A quick glance showed a small metal vent above her head. The witty mermaid supposed a trip through the ventilation system would be a quick escape if nothing else presented itself.
Oh shit! Lachlan was right! My curiosity is going to get me killed. Quite possibly sooner than he anticipated. Lachlan had warned me not to get too near the shore on Arcadia Beach today; pleading with me that he didn’t have a good feeling about it. I should have listened to his warning, listened to his instincts as I listen to my own. But I couldn’t help it! I just love playing with that little girl. And she expects me to come to the shoreline when she is on the beach, Arabella thought as she continued to search the blank walls through the slit she had made of her eyes.
It was a fight to slow her breathing as everything went silent as a tomb. Arabella strained her ears, listening for some sort of sound, anything other than her own terrified breaths, but she heard nothing. The silence itself almost became as loud as the water moving through the East Australian Current.
Arabella concentrated on her breathing for a few minutes, trying to prevent hyperventilation, finally reaching a level of calmness by lying to herself; It’s only my imagination working overtime. Waking up in a small, windowless room with my hands tied behind my back has caused me to hear things that aren’t really there. Slow, deep breaths, girl. In and out.
Just as her breathing had returned to normal and her heartbeat had slowed, those supposedly non-existent footsteps sounded again. They were closer than the first time Arabella had heard them and her heart leapt into her throat while she tried to determine just how close they actually were.
“Yes, that’s fine. Just make sure he doesn’t have a chance to escape again. I’d really hate to watch you take the same path of your predecessor.”
The voice on the other side of the wall was that of a woman and carried an authoritative tone, “No! I said…Oh, never mind. Let me see to our newest guest and ensure that she is in one piece. I know how overzealous your recovery team can get.”
As she heard a click and a sliding sound, Arabella forced her eyes open against the sting of the fluorescent lights; causing her headache to protest in earnest. As a rectangle of the wall slid open, disappearing neatly into the wall, they hid the door inside the wall. There isn’t a knob or handle so there must be a special way of opening it. I have to hand it to these guys, they know how to discourage their prisoners.
Arabella wanted to face her captor without showing her fear, there were no amount of lies that she could tell herself to convince her otherwise when she could feel the fear coursing through her body like the electric current from an eel. Although she was afraid, she refused to give her captors the satisfaction of seeing her cowering in the corner she was undoubtedly in. As the door swung open wider, Arabella sat up as straight as the ropes tightly binding her wrists would allow.
The woman who walked into the tiny room wasn’t very tall, standing at about five foot four, and she was wearing a gray-tailored suit with a white dress shirt, complete with black low-heeled loafers. Her raven black hair was cut boy short and slicked back. It didn’t appear as though the woman was trying to look masculine, only that she needed to dress like that to gain respect from the persons she was in charge of. Despite the suit, loafers and slicked back hair cut so short, or perhaps because of it all, she was a lovely sight to behold. Add in her creamy skin tone and Arabella found the woman quite striking, and knew her attire meant she would be all business.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73857 | declining health
The UK used to have one of the very best rates of child health in the world. However, by 1990, following 11 years of Tory underfunding, six countries in Europe had lower neonatal mortality rates than the UK, but that was just the start of the decline. By 2015 the UK ranked 19th for neonatal mortality across Europe. Most recently the situation has become far worse, as infant mortality in the UK has risen year after year from 2015 onwards. Nowhere else in Europe has it risen. Similarly, but for separate reasons, overall life expectancy across the UK peaked in 2014 and has fallen since. Again, nowhere else in Europe has a record of change as bad as this.
shooting squads
Why not fly? Everyone else is doing it. The aeroplanes won't stop flying, just because you don't buy a ticket.
That's what they say.
Would they join a shooting squad, on the basis that the shooting won't not happen, just because they don't take part? Isn't propping up the aviation industry shooting people's homes and livelihoods?
No one person ever makes change happen on their own. Yet change happens.
How do they think the middle classes suddenly became preoccupied by plastic, if not by initial fanatics fussing, protesting, lobbying, not participating (pointlessly). How does a topic get onto the agenda if we all just join the shooting squad.
cherry picking
Neoliberals cite China as evidence of the benevolent power of capitalism: look how it's managed to reduce poverty.
Even if you accept their terms - that the good in China outweighs any bad, and only capitalism could have reduced the poverty - China is actually a prime example of state-sponsored and state-directed capitalism. Neoliberals should cite Russia, whose transition they managed.
But Russia doesn't look quite so good for neoliberalism.
china v russia
China Russia growth comparison
The economic transformation has produced much higher growth in China than in Russia. Although in both countries growth has not been equally shared, the outstanding growth experienced in China has very substantially lifted the living standards of the poorest. On the contrary, the bulk of the post-communist growth in Russia has been captured by the top. Over the 1989-2016 period, the top 1% captured more than two-thirds of the total growth in Russia, while the bottom 50% actually saw a decline in its income.
taxing the rich
standing by on cyprus
the land of the free
Some 2.3 million people in the United States - more than .7 percent of the population - are in detention.... As a whole, the US locks up 716 people out of every 100,000, 20 percent of whom are pre-trial detainees. To put this proportion in perspective, the highest-ranking non-US territory on the prisoner-per-capita list is Cuba, which comes in thirty-ninth at a rate of 510. The only country that imprisons anywhere near the sheer number of people as the United States is China, whose relatively low rate of incarceration (121 per 100,000) applies to a population over four times larger. One of every four people doing time the world over is doing it in a US facility.
The scale of the US penal system looks even larger when accounting for all those whose lives are in some way supervised by correctional institutions. One in every 35 adults—almost 6.9 million men and women—in the United States is on probation or parole. That figure does not include the juvenile justice system, which holds about 80,000 children in residential facilities, including those held in adult prisons.
Austerity worked
How do we respond to offhand comments over lunch? They aren't meant to start a conversation: they're just said as if the whole world takes this as a starting point.
Dear X
You believe austerity worked here. I almost don’t know whether to believe that you believe it. For me, ‘austerity’ sums up exactly what it means for something not to work.
obama lies as cravenly as bush
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73875 | Ideas for Starting Your Book Club
The lady who started my book club sent an email to several women in her social network and invited us all to meet at Starbucks on a designated day and time if we were interested in joining a book club. We might have had some discussion via email first - it's been a few years. At Starbucks we agreed upon a mutually acceptable time and sketched out our first few rotations. She had brought some lists of possible selections. There was one book that several of us expressed an interest in. Since I became the first hostess, I used that book as our first selection. Since then we've all chosen our selection independently.
There are readers all around you - where you least expect it. Strike up a conversation and ask someone if they've ever considered joining a book club. When I started a new job a lady noticed my book that I carried with me and we started talking about reading. I invited her to join. She politely declined but suggested another lady in the office who also like to read and that lady did end up joining. Think about:
• Co-workers
• Other parents you see when picking up your child at school
• People you talk to in the bleachers at your kids' sporting events
• Church members
• People in your email contacts
• Your Social Network
Important things to discuss at your first meeting are:
• Meeting location, time, day, frequency and length (ours is open ended)
• Membership or attendance requirements (less requirements is better)
• Are there any limitations on what you will or won't read
• Who is responsible for choosing a book
• Who is responsible for hosting
• What are the hosts responsibilities (food, reminders, maps, etc.)
• Communication - We typically send out email reminders the week before. Sometimes the hostess forgets and one of us will email her a reminder to remind the rest of us. Typically we each respond to the email stating whether or not we will attend. We also realized at one point that we needed to exchange cell numbers so in case something comes up last minute you can call someone to decline. Or if you get lost or can't get through the gate.
There are several ways to select titles:
• Decide as a group at the end of each meeting
• Take turns
• Come up with a list for the year
• Use this website as a resource!
• Follow the selections of some other community or national book group (library, Oprah, etc.)
I think a bit of encouragement is always nice. If it is my month, I try to send out a mid-month message with a teaser related to the book. One book I selected I got a head start on and realized there were a lot of geographic references so I made a bookmark with a map of the area and passed them out at the prior month's meeting.
Secretary duties - I think it is helpful if someone keeps a list of what has been read. We didn't formally designate this duty but I stepped up to it. I have found it a nice welcome to new members if you can hand them a list of what has been read. That way they can get an idea of what selections are popular and also not pick something the group has already read. I didn't do this from the beginning and there is one book missing from our 2010 list. Nobody can recall it! I can't even figure out who hosted it.
We initially chose the 2nd Sunday of the month to meet. But in 2012 that consistently wound up as Mother's Day, Easter, or some other holiday so when I looked ahead in December 2011 I saw the number of conflicts and moved it to the 3rd Sunday for the entire year. It's nice to have this ironed out ahead of time instead of bumping through it from month to month. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73880 | Tuesday, April 12, 2016
TV from A to Z: Black-ish Season Two 'Jacked o' Lantern'
ABC's Black-ish is filling the gap for family-friendly sitcoms for an African-American audience. ABC has been the only network I can think of that has tried in recent decades, to have programming showing the family life of different ethnicities. Black-ish is showing the world how many of the middle-class African-American families function.
In season two, episode 6, "Jacked o' Lantern" we meet Andre Johnson's (Anthony Anderson) cousin from the old neighborhood, June Bug (Michael Strahan) and his family. June Bug and his kids come to visit during Halloween. The cousins like to tease and beat up Andre and the kids. This time the kids fight back. However, in doing so they realize why June Bug and company behave the way they do.
What I loved about this episode is that it truly has elements found in a lot of African-American families. Those cousins who tease you and even hit you whenever they get a chance. A cousin named June Bug. Yes, I have a cousin named June Bug.
If you haven't checked out this show yet, you can on Hulu. In fact, watch the ABC family line-up with both Black-ish and Modern Family. If you are like me, you will find elements of your own family in both shows.
Main Image Credit: black-ish Twitter post |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73939 | Category Archives: Android
Unity3D and background audio
I recently developed an app for a friend that plays a lot of background audio for both iOS and Android.
For iOS, it was pretty easy to just use the normal Unity3D audio methods, and even when the app was minimized, or the device was sleeping, the audio would continue in the background and even follow looping and the SetScheduledEndTime settings.
However, for Android the situation was very different. Audio would stop playing when the App was minimized, or the device was put in sleep mode. This was true even when I set the background flag.
I ended up getting around this by creating a NativeAudio class that hooked into a plugin for the Android version. This plugin used the native Android methods associated with the MediaPlayer class. I also moved all the audio files to the Streaming Assets folder so the native player could access them.
For iOS I created a version of the NativeAudio class that just hooked back into the standard AudioSource class, but i modified the loading of the AudioClips to ‘download’ them from the Streaming Assets folder.
Maybe one day I’ll put together a video tutorial on this.
Using Android WebView to display a webpage on top of the Unity App view
Hello and welcome to my tutorial on how to show a WebView on top of your Android Unity App, while still allowing the user to interact with your Unity UI.
You can watch the video of this tutorial at
This tutorial assumes a reasonable knowledge of Unity, C#, Android Studio and Java. The source code for this tutorial can be found at
The plan is to extend the plugin created in my previous tutorials by adding a method that will create an android layout containing an Android WebView object and a blank TextView. We’ll adjust the height of the TextView to create space at the top of the layout that will allow the user to still see and interact with a portion of the Unity viewspace. We’ll add this layout to our App’s content view which will place it on top of the Unity view.
We’ll also add a method to remove this layout from the content view, returning the full screen to Unity.
Get started by loading up the previous version of this project in Unity and the MyPlugin project in Android Studio. If you don’t have it, you can download it from
Using Android Studio, open the MyPlugin java source and add the following variable declarations above the first method definition:
private LinearLayout webLayout;
private TextView webTextView;
private WebView webView;
We’re going to use these vars to store references to the objects we create when the webview is displayed. This will allow the plugin to close and deallocate those objects when the webview is closed.
Add the following method to the body of the plugin:
public void showWebView(final String webURL, final int pixelSpace)
mainActivity.runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
Log.i(LOGTAG,"Want to open webview for " + webURL);
if (webTextView==null)
webTextView = new TextView(mainActivity);
if (webLayout==null)
webLayout = new LinearLayout(mainActivity);
LinearLayout.LayoutParams layoutParams = new LinearLayout.LayoutParams(
LinearLayout.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT, LinearLayout.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT);
if (webView==null)
webView = new WebView(mainActivity);
webView.setWebViewClient(new WebViewClient());
layoutParams.weight = 1.0f;
if (pixelSpace>0)
The method showWebView takes two parameters, the URL of the webpage you want to display, and the number of screen pixels the layout needs to reserve for the Unity UI. This version assumes that the Unity UI is at the top of the screen and pushes the WebView down, you’ll need to modify the order the views are added to the layout if this is not what you want.
First, we create the TextView and set its contents to an empty string.
Next we create the LinearLayout and set its orientation to vertical, and its layout so that it will fill its parent object, and then add it to the ContentView for our activity.
Lastly, we create the actual WebView and we assign the WebViewClient to be a default WebViewClient. This tells our WebView how to handle links, and with the default client, the links will be opened in our WebView. Without this, when the user clicks on a link, Android will pop-up a chooser asking the user what app they want to send the link to.
We also set the weight of the WebView to 1, which means the layout system will give our WebView as much space as it can. Finally, we tell the WebView to load the URL passed to this method.
The TextView and WebView are added to the LinearLayout object, with the order they are added determining the order they will appear on screen, and the height of the TextView is set to the number of screen pixels we want to push the WebView down by.
We need to add one more method that will allow our Unity app to remove the Layout when it’s no longer needed. Add the following code:
public void closeWebView(final ShareImageCallback callback)
mainActivity.runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
if (webLayout!=null)
webLayout = null;
webView = null;
webTextView = null;
This method is going to reuse the ShareImage callback interface. We could create a new interface just for this method, but there is no harm in using an existing interface that can do the same job, which is to let Unity know when we’ve closed the layout.
To remove the layout, first remove all it’s child views, then set it’s visibility state to GONE. This will cause it to remove itself from its parent and mark it for garbage collection. Setting the vars that hold the references to our views to NULL will also allow the garbage collection system to free the memory used by them.
Lastly, trigger the supplied callback passing a 1 if the close happened as expected, or a 0 if the LinearLayout had already been closed.
That completes the modifications to the plugin, so you can go ahead and let Gradle build it and copy the updated AAR to the Plugin folder in the Unity project.
Switch back to Unity where we’ll modify the canvas object in the hierarchy view to include a new layer for our WebView, but first double click the script PluginTest to open it in Visual Studio.
Add the following two lines to the C# code, after the other public UI vars:
public RectTransform webPanel;
public RectTransform buttonStrip;
These will hold references to the UI objects we’ll create later. The webPanel is the root UI object that will contain all the objects that will be displayed when the WebView is on screen, and buttonStrip holds the title text, and the close button.
Now add the following methods that will call our Java methods, but only if we’re on an Android platform:
public void OpenWebView(string url, int pixelShift)
if (Application.platform == RuntimePlatform.Android)
PluginInstance.Call("showWebView", new object[] { url, pixelShift });
public void CloseWebView(System.Action<int> closeComplete)
if (Application.platform == RuntimePlatform.Android)
PluginInstance.Call("closeWebView", new object[] { new ShareImageCallback(closeComplete) });
These methods are just wrappers for the Java code and pass the parameters directly to the plugin.
Next, add the method we’ll connect to a UI button that will figure out how much space to reserve at the top of the display and then pass that with the URL to our Java wrapper.
public void OpenWebViewTapped()
Canvas parentCanvas = buttonStrip.GetComponentInParent<canvas>();
int stripHeight = (int)(buttonStrip.rect.height * parentCanvas.scaleFactor + 0.5f);
OpenWebView("", stripHeight);
We get a reference to the Canvas object that our buttonStrip belongs to, and then use it’s scaling factor along with the height of our ButtonStrip to calculate how many screen pixels we need to push the webview down by. Enable the WebPanel and pass the URL and height to our Java wrapper.
Add the following method:
public void CloseWebViewTapped()
CloseWebView((int result) =>
This method will be connected to the close button child of the buttonStrip. It simply calls our Java wrapper, using the inline function to hide the WebPanel object once the Android views have been cleaned up and removed.
Save the file and return to Unity. Wait a few seconds to let Unity recompile the C# code and then expand the Canvas object.
Right click on the Canvas object, and select UI, then Button and left click. This will create a button in the middle of the screen called Button (1). Rename it to browseButton and expand it. Change the default text on the child Text object to ‘Browse’.
Highlight the browseButton again click the + button on the On Click list of the button script. Now drag the Main Camera object into the reference holder. Click the function selector, click PluginTest and then OpenWebViewTapped.
Right click on the Canvas object, then click UI, then Panel. Rename the panel created to WebPanel. Click on the color gizmo and set the color to pink (#FFD4F7) and alpha to 255.
Right click on WebPanel and then click UI, Image. Click on the Rect Transform gizmo, and select top center, horizontal stretch while hold shift and alt (option on mac). This will move the image to the top of the screen and make it fill the view horizontally. Set the height to 50 and the color to black. Rename the Image to ButtonStrip.
Right click on ButtonStrip and then UI, Text. Click the Rect Transform gizmo and set stretch for vertical and horizontal, while holding shift & alt (option on mac). This will cause the Text object to fill the image area. Set the font size to 28, the color to White, and the text to ‘Web Page View’.
Click the checkboxes to center the text both horizontally and vertically.
Right click on the ButtonStrip again and click UI,Button. Click the Rect Transform gizmo and then top right anchor with shift & alt held (option on mac). Set the width and height of the button to 24. Expand the button object and set the default text of the Text child to ‘X’. Rename the button to ‘CloseButton’.
Just like we did for the BrowseButton, connect the OnClick event for the CloseButton to the CloseWebViewTapped method of PluginTest.
Highlight the Main Camera, and in the PluginTest script object, drag the WebPanel object to the Web Panel holder and the ButtonStrip object to the Button Strip holder. Highlight the WebPanel object in the hierarchy and disable it.
Save and run the scene. If you click the Browse button, you’ll see the WebPanel appear and the close button will hide it. There will be no actual webview as we’re not yet running on an Android platform. Stop execution of the player.
Click ‘File’ and then ‘Build Settings’. Click on ‘Player Settings’ and then ‘Other Settings’. Scroll down to the configuration area and change ‘Internet Access’ from ‘Auto’ to ‘Require’.
Now click ‘Build and Run’ to build the Android version and run it on your connected device. In my case, I’m running it on an emulator I started earlier. We need to tell Unity to include the Internet permission as Unity is unaware that our plugin is making calls to fetch content from the web and won’t add it by itself.
With the app running, tapping on the browse button will make the WebPanel appear, which is why we made it pink, and if you tap a link in the web content, you’ll see the webview follow the link. Tapping the close button will close the Android webView and also disable the WebPanel, allowing our app to behave as before.
I hope you found this tutorial useful. You can use this to show a help page, or information page directly in your Unity app that is either stored as a HTML file, or is downloaded from a website. You can add more controls to the Unity Canvas to allow you to navigate forwards and backwards, and maybe jump to a specific URL.
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @cwgtech, or check out my youtube channel at Please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions below, or let me know how you customized this technique for your own purpose. Subscribe to my youtube channel to get notified when I post a new tutorial.
Using Unity UI system for non-gaming app
Hello and welcome to my tutorial on how to use the Unity UI system. We’ll explore the new features and options by building a simple calculator that will respond to different display dimensions and work on multiple platforms.
This tutorial assumes a reasonable familiarity with Unity and C#. The system I’ll illustrate will work for any platform, but we’ll start with the desktop platform.
If you wish, you can download the finished project from github at
I’ve also created three videos on youtube showing this tutorial in action:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Let’s get started by creating a new project in Unity. Unity should default to PC, Mac & Linux platform, but check by opening the Build Settings dialog. If it’s not set, then click on it and then ‘switch platform’.
Our goal here is to recreate a calculator that looks similar to the standard MacOS calculator, but it will be resizable and will adjust the width of the buttons to fill the screen or window. We’re going to achieve this by using nested layout groups to keep all the objects relative to each other, while adjusting their size automatically.
As with my other tutorials, create a few folders in the Project view to keep things organized. For this tutorial, we’ll need a Prefab folder, a Scenes folder, and a Scripts folder.
Set the Main Camera to render a black background, that will provide a backdrop for our UI. Select the Main Camera, set the Background to black (#000000FF), and then set Clear Flags to ‘Solid Color’.
Now in the Hierarchy view create a blank UI Canvas. Click ‘Create’, ‘UI’, ‘Canvas’. Highlight the Canvas object and in the Canvas script, click the ‘Pixel Perfect’ checkbox. Now select the Canvas Scaler script and change the UI Scale Mode to ‘Scale with Screen Size’. Slide the Match slider fully to the right, or type 1 in the text box. Enter ‘1000’ into the Y value for Reference Resolution.
With these changes, the UI system will constantly match the height of the screen, but as far as the UI elements are concerned, the screen is always 1000 pixels tall, irrespective of the actual screen height.
We’ll now create the UI objects that the user will see and interact with. First, create an empty gameobject under our canvas and rename it to ‘MainHolder’. Adjust the Rect Transform so it stretches horizontally and vertically to match its parent, while holding the Alt key (option on Mac).
Add the ‘Vertical Layout Group’ script to this object by clicking on ‘Add Component’, then ‘Layout’, then ‘Vertical Layout Group’. This will layout all this objects children vertically, but first we need to adjust the checkboxes. For both rows, make sure ‘width’ is checked, and ‘height’ is clear. We want this control to adjust the width of each child, but each child to control its own height.
We’re going to have two regions for our calculator. A row that will hold the digit display, and another row that will hold all the user control buttons. These rows will manage their own height, but have their width match that of the display.
Add an Image to the ‘MainHolder’ by right clicking on ‘MainHolder’, click ‘UI’, and then ‘Image’. Set this image’s height to 100 and its color to dark gray (#353535FF). Rename the Image object to ‘DigitStrip’.
Create a Text object as a child of DigitStrip by right clicking on the DigitStrip object, then click UI and then Text. Rename this object to ‘Digits’. Create another Text object as a child of DigitStrip and rename it as ‘Operator’.
Select ‘Digits’ and adjust it’s anchors to stretch horizontal and vertical, while holding the Alt key (option on Mac). Manually set the left margin to 10, and the right margin to 40. Set the default text to ‘1010101010’, the font size to ‘100’, and the color to white. Finally, set the paragraph alignment to right and vertical centered, and enable the ‘best fit’ checkbox.
This label will always fill the DigitStrip row and adjust it’s font size to allow for changes in the screen dimensions. We use the margins to inset it from the edges, and also allow space for our operator text object.
Highlight the ‘Operator’ object and adjust it’s anchors to stretch vertically and right aligned. This time hold down shift & alt (option on mac) when you click the anchor box. Manually set the width to ‘35’.
As with the Digits text, set the font size to ‘100’, color to white and check the best fit checkbox. Set the default text to ‘X’ and the vertical and horizontal alignments to center. This Text object will display the last operator the user entered, and is always to the right of the digit display.
If you now adjust the display width, you can see the Text objects change their size accordingly, and get smaller if needed, but they will always stay next to each other and at the top of the screen.
Add an empty child to the MainHolder (make sure you have MainHolder highlighted) and rename it to ‘ButtonGroup’. Set the height of the ButtonGroup to 625, which will make our buttons reasonably square on the default game view.
With ButtonGroup highlighted, add a Vertical Layout Group script just as we did before. Set the spacing to 5 (the space between rows in the group) and make sure the checkboxes are set to Width for ‘Child Controls Size’ and both Width & Height for ‘Child Force Expand’.
With ButtonGroup still highlighted, create an empty gameobject, and rename it to ‘Row (0)’. Set the height of the Row to 125 and add a Horizontal Layout Group script. Click ‘Add Component’, ‘Layout’ and then ‘Horizontal Layout Group script’. Enter 5 for the spacing value, which will set the amount of space between elements in this row, and make sure that all the checkboxes for ‘Child Controls Size’ and ‘Child Force Expand’ are set. Finally, adjust the Child Alignment to Middle Center.
Now we’re ready to start creating a button. Highlight the ‘Row (0)’ object and right click on it. Select UI and then left click on Button. This will create a default button under our Row. Adjust the color of the button background image to a light gray (#C8C8C8FF). Expand the button object in the Hierarchy view, and select the Text object. Change the Text to ‘c’, and the font size to 100. Check the Best Fit checkbox, and make sure the Min Size is 1 and the Max Size is 100.
The button will be 125 UI pixels tall and full screen width at this point. However, before we add more buttons, we will create a script for our button object, but first save the scene. Click ‘File’, ‘Save Scenes’. Navigate to the Scenes folder we created earlier, and name the scene as ‘UICalc’.
With the scene saved, right click on ‘Scripts’ and create a new C# script. Call it ‘CalcButton’. Double click it in the Project view to open it in Visual Studio. Every button will need a reference to its text label, so in our script, above the start method, add the following:
public Text label;
Right click on Text, and then ‘Quick Fix and select ‘using UnityEngine.UI’ to add this using statement to the top of the file.
Create a new method that we’ll hook up to our button function, add the following:
public void onTapped()
Debug.Log(“tapped: “ + label.text);
For now, thats all we need, so save the file and return to Unity.
After Unity updates and compiles the code, drag the ‘CalcButton’ script onto our Button object, and then drag the Text object from the Button onto the Label reference of the ‘CalcButton’ script. Click the ‘+’ button on the On Click list of the Button script, and drag the Button object into the On Click object entry. From the drop down, select ‘CalcButton’, ‘onTapped’. This will forward the event of the user clicking or tapping on our button object to the script we just created and directly to the onTapped method.
Once again, save the scene with these modifications. At this point you can run the scene, and when you click on the button, you should see the debug output in the console window. Stop the execution and continue adding more buttons.
Create a prefab object for our button by dragging the button object into the Prefab folder we created earlier. You can now drag the prefab Button back into the Row (0) object 3 times, so we have four buttons in our row. Make sure the buttons are in the order you created them, so using the Unity default naming, you should see ‘Button’, followed by ‘Button (1)’, ‘Button (2)’, ‘Button (3)’. In the Game and Scene views you’ll see the buttons appear in our row, and adjust their width as more buttons are added.
With the row ready, we can duplicate it to create all the rows in our calculator. Right click on the ‘Row (0)’ object and then click on ‘Duplicate’. Do this until there are 5 rows. You’ll see the rows adjust their vertical position as you add more rows, until we’ve got all 5 created.
At this point you can adjust the size of the Game view in Unity, and see our buttons adjust their width to fully fill the updated size, even if the scene is not running in Unity.
As I said at the start of this tutorial, we’re going to make our calculator look similar to the MacOS calculator utility, so with that in mind, let’s set the color and content for each button. We could do this with a script at runtime, but as it will never change, the editor is as good a place as any to do this.
Start with the second button, expand it to select the text object and add the ‘±’ symbol as the default text. To get the ‘±’ symbol you’ll need to enter a unicode value, which Unity doesn’t seem to support on Windows or Mac directly. Switch to Visual Studio and put the cursor at the end of the comment above our Start method.
If you’re using Windows hold down ALT and type ‘+0177’ (your computer may chime when you type the + key, just ignore it).
On the Mac, unless you have enabled unicode typing, you’ll use the character viewer so tap CTRL-CMD-Space to bring up the viewer, then type u+00B1 in the search box. Double click on the character that appears and it will be inserted into your Visual Studio text.
With the unicode character now in Visual Studio, highlight it, copy and cut it with CTRL-X (CMD-X on Mac) and then switch back to Unity and paste it with CTRL-V (CMD-V on Mac) into the text box for the 2nd button. Use the same procedure for other Unicode characters as we need them.
Set the text for the 3rd button to ‘%’.
For the fourth button, set the background color to orange (#FF6526FF) and the text to the ‘÷’ sign, (Win, ALT+0247, Mac U+00F7). Add the color to your color presets as you’ll use it for other buttons. Set the color of the text of this button to White.
Expand the Row (1) object and set each button’s text to 7,8,9 and ‘x’ respectively. For the first three buttons, set their background color to white, and the fourth button to orange.
Expand the Row (2) object and set each button’s text to 4,5,6 and ‘-’. Use the same color pattern as the previous row.
Expand the Row (3) object and set each button’s text to 1,2,3 and ‘+’. Again, use the same color pattern as the previous row.
Expand the final row, Row (4), and set each button’s text to 0,0,’.’ and ‘=’. Use the same color pattern as before. Disable the 2nd button of this row, and you’ll see the other 3 buttons expand to fill the space. We’ll add code to double the width of the first button later.
Now you can see our calculator take shape, though it has no function yet. Save the scene and run it. When you click on a button you’ll see it’s caption output to the debug console.
Create a new C# script in our scripts folder and call it Manager. When Unity is ready, drag it onto our ‘Canvas’ object. We’ll use this script to handle all the global functions for our calculator including managing the button size and the calculator logic.
Double click on the script to switch to Visual Studio and add the following lines to the top of the class:
public VerticalLayoutGroup buttonGroup;
public HorizontalLayoutGroup bottomRow;
public RectTransform canvasRect;
CalcButton[] bottomButtons;
You’ll need to right click on VerticalLayoutGroup and select ‘using UnityEngine.UI’ to pull in the references for these classes.
Create an Awake method with the following:
private void Awake()
bottomButtons = bottomRow.GetComponentsInChildren<CalcButton>();
With this code, we’ll fetch references to all our CalcButton objects that are children of the last row into bottomButtons This will allow our code to manipulate the buttons.
Save the file and return to Unity, so we can hook up the public references to the correct objects in the hierarchy.
Expand the Canvas object, then MainHolder, and the ButtonGroup. With Canvas selected, drag the ButtonGroup object into the ButtonGroup row in the inspector, drag Row (4) into the Bottom Row entry, and finally the Canvas into the Canvas Rect entry.
Save the scene, and then double click on the CalcButton script. We’re going to add a RectTransform getter to this script, which will allow us to fetch a button’s RectTransform when we need it. Add the following after the Public Text Label line.
public RectTransform rectTransform
if (_rectTransform == null)
_rectTransform = GetComponent<RectTransform>();
return _rectTransform;
RectTransform _rectTransform;
This getter will return the cached copy of this object’s RectTransform, if its set, otherwise it will fetch it, cache it and then return it.
While we’re here, add one more getter method that will allow us to access the Manager script from CalcButton.
public Manager calcManager
if (_calcManager == null)
_calcManager = GetComponentInParent<Manager>();
return _calcManager;
static Manager _calcManager;
This time we use a static var to cache the reference as its the same for every button object. We get our reference to it by searching back up through the hierarchy.
Save this script and switch to the Manager script.
Before we write the hook code, lets setup a few other items we’ll use in a moment. Add a variable above the Awake method:
bool canvasChanged;
In the Start method add the lines:
bottomRow.childControlWidth = false;
canvasChanged = true;
This allows the children of Row (4) to control their own width. We could also uncheck the checkbox for Row (4), but then our rows will no longer adjust themselves when we change the Game view in the editor (the rows will only resize to match the width of the widest row).
We’re going to use a method hook called OnRectTransformDimensionsChange that is triggered when a RectTransform of an object that has a script with this method defined is changed. This is why our Manager script is attached to the Canvas object.
Anytime the Canvas or any of its children change, this method will be called on all attached scripts. This method is actually part of UIBehavior which is a subclass of MonoBehavior.
Add the following method after the default Update method:
private void OnRectTransformDimensionsChange()
canvasChanged = true;
We set a flag when we detect a change in the RectTransform and don’t actually adjust the buttons until the update method. While this can add a 1 frame lag, it’s not noticeable, but means we only adjust the buttons once per frame and not multiple times. This hook is called when the canvas changes, and any of its children change, so it would be triggered a few times when a change is made.
Now add the method that will adjust the width of the buttons on the bottom row:
void adjustButtons()
if (bottomButtons == null || bottomButtons.Length == 0)
float buttonSize = canvasRect.sizeDelta.x / 4;
float bWidth = buttonSize - bottomRow.spacing;
for (int i = 1; i < bottomButtons.Length; i++)
SetSizeWithCurrentAnchors(RectTransform.Axis.Horizontal, bWidth);
SetSizeWithCurrentAnchors(RectTransform.Axis.Horizontal, bWidth * 2 + bottomRow.spacing);
This method gets the current width of our canvas divided by 4, to calculate the size of one button. We adjust to allow for the spacing of the objects and then set all but the 1st button on the last row to this width, which will be the same as the standard button width. For the 1st button on the last row, we set it’s width to be twice the width of a normal button, plus the horizontal spacing.
Finally adjust the Update method to call adjustButtons if the canvasChanged flag is set. Add the following lines to Update:
void Update () {
if (canvasChanged)
canvasChanged = false;
Now when a change is triggered, we’ll call the adjustButtons method which in turn will set the size of the buttons on the bottom row.
Save the changes and switch back to Unity, let it update and then click Run. You’ll see the 0 button adjust to be double width, and if you change the width of the game view, you’ll see all the buttons change and the 0 button match twice the width of a normal button.
Exit Play mode and save the scene.
We’re going to add the calculator logic, but just before that, we’ll need to add some references to UI objects that we’ll hook up in the Editor and some private vars to manage the calculator logic. Switch back to Visual Studio and add the following lines to the Manager class after the public vars that we’ve already got:
public Text digitLabel;
public Text operatorLabel;
bool errorDisplayed;
bool displayValid;
bool specialAction;
double currentVal;
double storedVal;
double result;
char storedOperator;
Add a method after the adjustButtons method that will be called when we tap the ‘c’ button, to clear the calculator to a known state:
void clearCalc()
digitLabel.text = "0";
operatorLabel.text = "";
specialAction = displayValid = errorDisplayed =false;
currentVal = result = storedVal = 0;
storedOperator = ' ';
A method to update the display label:
void updateDigitLabel()
if (!errorDisplayed)
digitLabel.text = currentVal.ToString();
displayValid = false;
A method to evaluate the calculation based on the operator passed. As you’ll need to enter the unicode character ‘÷’ when typing this function, either use the method shown in part 1 of this tutorial, or switch back to Unity, highlight the button in question and copy the character from the text field.
void calcResult(char activeOp)
switch (activeOp)
case '=':
result = currentVal;
case '+':
result = storedVal + currentVal;
case '-':
result = storedVal - currentVal;
case 'x':
result = storedVal * currentVal;
case '÷':
if (currentVal != 0)
result = storedVal / currentVal;
errorDisplayed = true;
digitLabel.text = "ERROR";
Debug.Log("unknown: " + activeOp);
currentVal = result;
Finally add the method that will process the button taps. Once again, this method requires a unicode character, specifically ‘±’ character, so use the same method as last time.
public void buttonTapped(char caption)
if (errorDisplayed)
if ((caption >= '0' && caption <= '9') || caption == '.')
if (digitLabel.text.Length < 15 || !displayValid)
if (!displayValid)
digitLabel.text = (caption == '.' ? "0" : "");
else if (digitLabel.text == "0" && caption != '.')
digitLabel.text = "";
digitLabel.text += caption;
displayValid = true;
else if (caption == 'c')
else if (caption == '±')
currentVal= -double.Parse(digitLabel.text);
specialAction = true;
else if (caption == '%')
currentVal= double.Parse(digitLabel.text) / 100d;
specialAction = true;
else if (displayValid || storedOperator == '=' || specialAction)
currentVal = double.Parse(digitLabel.text);
displayValid = false;
if (storedOperator != ' ')
storedOperator = ' ';
operatorLabel.text = caption.ToString();
storedOperator = caption;
storedVal = currentVal;
specialAction = false;
We need to add a call into the Start method that will initialize our calculator logic to a clear state when we start. Add this line to Start:
This will simulate tapping the ‘c’ key when we start. Note that the logic uses a simple char type to check for what to do with each key. If you didn’t use a lowercase ‘c’ for the first button, then you’ll need to change what the logic expects. Save the file.
Before we can call this logic working, we need to make another change to the CalcButton script. Switch to that file and modify the onTapped method with:
This will pass the first char from the button text string to the calculator logic. There’s no error checking here, as every button has had its text string set in the editor.
Save the file and switch back to Unity. Let it update and when it’s done, highlight the Canvas object in the Hierarchy. Expand DigitStrip and drag the Digits object into the Digit Label holder, and Operator into the Operator Label holder.
Save the scene and click Play.
As you click on the buttons, you’ll see the calculator behave as expected. You can enter a number with or without a fractional part, and add, subtract, multiply, or divide it with another number. More importantly, you can do so while modifying the game view and the buttons and displays will shrink or expand to fill the view horizontally.
You can also build a stand alone app from the scene and see what happens when you modify the window size with the mouse. Click ‘File’ and then ‘Build Settings’. Click ‘Player Settings’ and then expand the ‘Resolution & Presentation’ tab. Enable ‘Resizable Window’. Click ‘Build and Run’ and enter a name for the executable, I used UICalc. Unity will build a run your application.
When the launcher appears, check windowed mode, and set the resolution to be less than full screen and click “Play!” to start our calculator. You can see as you adjust the window size, the buttons and the display will scale with the size, but always keep their relative position, and the ‘0’ button will continue to be twice the width of the other buttons.
Quit the executable, and return to Unity. If you open the Build Settings dialog again, you can now make the app even more ‘app’ like and less game like. Uncheck ‘Default is Full Screen’. Set the default width to 400 and the default height to 600. Change the ‘Display Resolution Dialog’ to ‘Hidden by Default’.
Now if you ‘Build and Run’, you’ll no longer get the resolution dialog, but the app will appear right away.
Connect your android device, or launch the emulator. While you can launch the emulator from the command line, the easiest and most convenient method is to launch Android Studio and then AVD manager. I’m using the emulator here so I can record the app running.
Set the package name to something other than default, I used ‘com.cwgtech.uicalc’. Click ‘Player Settings’, expand the ‘Other Settings’ tab and type in the new package name. We don’t need to make any other changes at this time, so we’ll click ‘Build And Run’ to build the APK and send it to our Android device. Once again, I used the name ‘uicalc’.
With the app running, you can see the calculator looks as expected, and works just like it did on the desktop. If you rotate the device, you’ll see the buttons adjust for the landscape view and fill the new wider look.
You can continue to rotate the device and see that it works in all four orientations.
Assuming you have the ability to build for iOS, open Build Settings and switch to the iOS platform. In my case, I want to build for the simulator, so click ‘Player Settings’, expand the ‘Other Settings’ tab and select ‘Simulator SDK’ in Target SDK.
Click ‘Build and Run’, enter the name of a folder for the project, I like to use iosBuild, and the project will build and launch in XCode.
Now we can run the app on the simulator, and pick an iPhone model. The app contents will adjust to fill the display horizontally, and also continue to do so if we rotate the device.
Likewise, if we run it on an iPad device, the app will adjust for the different display resolution and aspect ratio, and still handle the rotation correctly.
That completes my Unity UI system tutorial. I’m hoping this inspires you to use Unity to create multi-platform non-game apps. Having a system that can provide your users with a UI that adapts to different displays and orientations is a great thing for them. Having a system that lets you use the same code on multiple platforms is a great thing for you!
As always, you can follow me on Twitter @cwgtech, or check out my blog at Please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions below, see you next time.
Using a child activity to wait for onActivityResult with Unity3D
Welcome to my tutorial on how to extend our Unity plugin to get a callback from onActivityResult without overriding the standard Unity Player Activity.
We will add a child activity to our plugin that will be launched when required, and will wait for a call to startActivityForResult, and pass that back to our C# callback function. Normally, we’d do this by extending the UnityPlayerActivity class, but that means we won’t play nice with any other plugins or extensions that want to do the same thing, and we must make sure our Android project imports the correct version of the UnityPlayer each time we upgrade.
Once again this tutorial assumes a reasonable familiarity with Unity, Java, Android programming and Android Studio.
Start by loading up our previous project in Unity and the MyPlugin project in Android Studio. All of the changes we’re going to make this time will be entirely to the Java code.
Right click on the Unity tab in the Project View and select New/Activity/Empty Activity.
Call the Activity “OnResultCallback”, deselect ‘backwards compatibility’ and make sure the package name matches the package name you’ve been using. For me, that is ‘com.cwgtech.unity’. Click Finish.
If you forget to uncheck the backwards compatibility box, you’re new activity will extend AppCompatActivity. You need to change that to Activity.
Add the following four lines:
public static final String LOGTAG = MyPlugin.LOGTAG + “_OnResult”;
public static MyPlugin.ShareImageCallback shareImageCallback;
String caption;
Uri imageUri;
You’ll get an error on MyPlugin.LOGTAG, so you’ll need to switch back to the MyPlugin class and change the LOGTAG definition from private to protected. We’re going to use this modified LOGTAG to identify the Log entries from this child activity, while the static callback variable will hold a pointer to the C# callback our main plugin receives.
Switch back to our new activity, and add the following method before the onCreate method:
void myFinish(int result)
if (shareImageCallback!=null)
shareImageCallback = null;
We’ll use this to exit our activity, calling the callback method if it exists, and then clearing it after use. Now modify the default onCreate method. Remove the line
This new activity will not have a content view, so we’ll not need to set it.
Add the following lines:
Log.i(LOGTAG, "onCreateBundle");
Intent intent = getIntent();
if (intent != null) {
caption = intent.getStringExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TEXT);
imageUri = (Uri)intent.getExtras().get(Intent.EXTRA_STREAM);
Log.i(LOGTAG, "Uri: " + imageUri);
if (intent==null || imageUri==null)
This will get the intent passed to our activity and grab the caption and imageUri that were included in the intent. If there is no intent or image, then just exit the activity, as we’ve nothing to do and we’ve been called incorrectly.
Now to call the share intent and wait for a result. Add the following:
Intent shareIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_SEND);
if (caption!=null)
startActivityForResult(Intent.createChooser(shareIntent,"Share with..."),1);
catch (Exception e)
Log.i(LOGTAG,"error: " + e.getLocalizedMessage());
We copy forward the data from the incoming intent to a new intent, which we then pass on to the chooser and wait for a result. Wrap the whole thing in a try/catch so any errors will be flagged and the app will not crash.
Add a new method that will override the default onActivityResult method and pass the resultCode back to our callback.
Log.i(LOGTAG,"onActivityResult: " + requestCode + ", " + resultCode + ", " + data);
The result code will be -1 or 0 depending on the share activity, so we’ll pass that back to our C# method. Note that earlier we sent a 1 or 2 depending on the error condition, so our C# code could check for that and give the user more information.
That’s the Java code for our child activity completed, but we’ve a few things to clean up in the manifest and we can also remove the layout that was auto-created.
Expand the res folder in the project hierarchy and right click on the ‘layout’ folder. Select delete and confirm the deletion. This will remove the folder and the un-needed layout file.
Now expand the manifest folder and double click the AndroidManifest.xml file. After the name=”.OnResultCallback” but before the closing > add the following line:
This will cause our child activity to effectively have no display. If we use the NoDisplay theme, then we run into a problem on Android 6 and higher. A NoDisplay theme expects an activity to call finish before it’s resumed, and in our case that means we don’t get the OnResultCallback as our activity has been terminated.
Switch back to the MyPlugin java source where we will modify the plugin to use our new child activity.
Go to the section in shareImage where we prepare the shareIntent. We’re going to replace the call to startActivity with the following three lines:
OnResultCallback.shareImageCallBack = callback;
Make sure you remove the line:
mainActivity.startActivity(Intent.createChooser(shareIntent,"Share with..."));
And you can also remove any references to the ‘result’ variable, as we will no longer use it, including the line:
As our new child activity will call the callback hook when the OnActivityResult is triggered.
That’s all the modifications completed, so build the plugin by clicking on the green play button, assuming you’ve still got the copyPlugin task indicated in the dropdown. When gradle completes, you can switch back to Unity and build the project using the new plugin.
I’m going to run the apk on the emulator as before, but now when I tap the share button, I’ll still get the share dialog, however the result pop-up alert will not occur until I’ve finished interacting with the share dialog.
And that’s it done. We’ve now got a child activity that will send our image to the share system, and wait for it to finish and return a value, which we then forward to our Unity App. You can use this technique for any intent you need a result from. You’ll need to add custom code that either uses the requestCode passed when the activity is started to decide how to handle the passed intent, or create other child activities that just handle your specific case, whether that is a photo-picker or a QR code scan request.
You can download the source code for this plugin from, and watch the video of this tutorial at
Please feel free to post any comments or questions.
Unity Tutorials
I’ve started working on a series of Unity tutorials. Initially I’m going to focus on some of the low level stuff required to build iOS and Android products with Unity, specifically creating plugins that will allow Unity to access features that are specific to that platform.
You can see the tutorials at my youtube channel along with some other review videos I’ve posted to Amazon.
I’ll be posting the code from the tutorials on my github page – – check back for updates. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73945 | The Forum
Although the site is still a work in progress, I’ve been able to open up my own forum with lots of help from my webmaster, Jordan. You may be interested to know (if you didn’t know already) that the word “forum” comes from a Latin word for marketplace. In Roman times, a forum was a place you went to meet people, haggle, converse about who’s who in the world of pit-fighting and mingle with your local senators, or at least their slaves. Carrying on that noble Roman spirit (but without the brutal repression – I promise not to throw any of you to the lions) I present my own meeting place.
Within the forum’s virtual nooks and crannies you may find the Writing Group, which will be a weekly online meeting of… well, writers. If you’re interested in joining, just send me a message.
Another board in the Writing section is for proofreading – this is intended to be for creative pieces rather than academic stuff (if you want me to proofread an academic text then take a look at the “Tutor” section of the main site).
There’s also a number of message boards for discussing my own work. Please ignore these until I actually upload some of my own work. Or get published. Then you can fawn over my insane ramblings…
Finally, there’s a General section, which is, well, general. Feel free to start up conversations about more or less anything here. The idea is to develop a community, after all. Even if it’s a community of lurking lunatics, digital drifters and passing trolls.
A colleague linked me to this site. Thnx for the
more than that, how you presented it. Too cool!
Interesting stuff! Like the forum. Did you do it yourself?
nice forum it looks professional do you use it much??
Leave a reply |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73947 | 2/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
For the frosting-
1/4 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2tsp Milk
In a small bowl, mix well brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream and butter.
In a larger bowl, mix the salt, baking powder, flour and soda.
Combine the two mixtures.
Preheat oven to 350F.
On a baking pan, create 1 inch circles of the cookie dough.
Bake for 10 minutes.
For the frosting –
Browned Butter Frosting
In a skillet over a medium heat, combine the ingredients and stir constantly until getting a “steady” frosting.
Follow Me on Pinterest |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73952 | Alphabet Filter:
Definition of host:
1. An army; a number of men gathered for war.
2. Any animal or plant affording lodgment or subsistence to a parasitic or commensal organism. Thus a tree is a host of an air plant growing upon it.
3. Any great number or multitude; a throng.
6. To give entertainment to.
7. To lodge at an inn; to take up entertainment.
leech, gathering, cram, disaster area, forces, crucifix, emcee, party animal, quite a few, cross, command, much, scrum, Easter egg, mistress, abundance, innkeeper, anchorwoman, ask, arrange, biretta, communion, choreograph, have, commentator, colocation, bike, horde, chat, military, end system, crush, hand back, owner, score, database server, destination, press, socialite, partygoer, announcer, rout, browse, aerie, anchorage, DJ, louse, boniface, get on, download, correspondent, entertain, swarm, cryptosporidium, troops, connect up, front, dog collar, dumping ground, MC, edit out, hookworm, collar, flame, stage, bleep out, lice, account name, organism, cassock, chalice, sacrament, extranet, armament, prepare, ruck, hook up, a load of/loads of something, mite, collection plate, invitee, soldiery, a good/great deal of something, edit, Ethernet, cloud, entertainer, flea, bring in, waiter, proprietor, cooties, I'll hold you to that, pile, have round, go on (the) TV/radio, hostess, bookmark, Eucharist, altar, master of ceremonies, broadcaster, set up, array, big, facebook, legion, man about town, center of excellence, catering, have in, quantity, wafer, client-server, a lot/lots, master, have over, maintain, disinvite, anchorman, dial up, anchor, manager, hold, organize, parasite, cradle, soldiers, convene, dust trap, guest of honor, all manner of something, server, legions, grip, guest, animal, Dodge City, orchestrate, cattle auction, EDI, plan.
Usage examples: |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73979 | GMAT : Analysis of An Issue
Previous Page
An Issue
71. Commercialism has become widespread. It has even crept into schools and places of worship. Every nation should place limits on what kinds of products, if any, can be sold at certain events or places.
Has commercialism become too widespread, particularly in schools, churches and other places which traditionally have been safe havens from commercialism? If so, does the government have a responsibility to curb the problem? The answer to both questions, in my view, is NO.
There is no evidence that commercialism is creeping into our churches. Admittedly, some commercial activity is present in our schools. Food service is increasingly out sourced to fast-food chains. A plethora of goods and services is sold in college bookstores and advertised in their school newspapers. And students serve as walking billboards for the companies whose logos appear on clothing. However, this kind of commercialism does not interfere with school activities. To the contrary, in the first two cases they contribute to the efficient functioning of the organization. Outsourcing food service, for example, is a cost-cutting measure which provides additional funding for teaching materials, facilities and teacher salaries.
I do agree that, in general, commercialism is becoming more widespread and that one of the by-products may be a decline in the quality of our culture. Electronic billboards now serve as backdrops for televised sporting events and Web sites must sell advertising space to justify maintenance costs. Does this mean that government should step in and ban the sale of products in certain venues? No. This would require that government make ad hoc and possibly arbitrary decisions as to which products may be sold or advertised at which places and events. These are value judgments that are best left to individual schools, churches and other organizations. Moreover, the expense of enforcing the regulations may well outweigh the cultural benefits, if any.
In sum, while commercialism is undeniably becoming more widespread, it is minimally intrusive and works to the net benefit of society. As a matter of public policy, therefore, government should not attempt to regulate the extent of commercialism.
Analysis of An Issue Index |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/73984 | Sunday, 28 August 2016
1.Two forces act at a point in directions inclined to each other at 120°. If the bigger force is 5 Nand their resultant is at right angles to the smaller force, find the resultant and the smaller force
2.An aeroplane takes off at an angle of 450 to the horizontal. If the vertical component of its velocity is 300 kmph, calculate its actual velocity. What is the horizontal component of velocity?
3.A force is inclined at 60o to the horizontal . If the horizontal component of force is 40 N, calculate the vertical component.
4.A body is projected upwards with a velocity of 30 m s-1 at an angle of 30° with the horizontal. Determine (a) the time of flight (b) the range of the body and (c) the maximum height attained by the body.
5.The horizontal range of a projectile is 4√3 times its maximum height. Find the angle of projection. 2.49 A body is projected at such an angle that the horizontal range is 3 times the greatest height . Find the angle of projection
6.Two forces of magnitude 12 N and 8 N are acting at a point. If the angle between the two forces is 60°, determine the magnitude of the resultant force?
7.The sum of two forces inclined to each other at an angle is 18 kg wt and their resultant which is perpendicular to the smaller force is 12 kg wt Find the forces and the angle between them.
8.The following forces act at a point (i) 20 N inclined at 30o towards North of East (ii) 25 N towards North (iii) 30 N inclined at 45o towards North of West (iv) 35 N inclined at 40o towards South of West. Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant force.
9.Find the magnitude of the two forces such that it they are at right angles, their resultant is 10 N. But if they act at 60o, their resultant is 13 N.
10.The Cartesian coordinates of a point in the xy plane are (x, y) = (3.50, 2.50) m as shown in Figure 3.3. Find the
polar coordinates of this point.Write it as the position vector and find the direction of r
11.A car travels 20.0 km due north and then 35.0 km in a direction 60.0° west of north as shown in Figure. Find the magnitude and direction of the car’s resultant displacement.
12Find the sum of two displacement vectors Aand B lying in the xy plane and given by A =(2.0 i^ + 2.0 j^) m and B=(2.0 i^- 4.0 j^) m |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74000 | Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Four Awesome Things
1. The Decaf.
It's been, what.. a month since I gave up caffeine? Well, when I say 'gave up', I'm not going crazy counting the mg's in chocolate or green tea. In the last week, I have made a profound discovery:
I've discovered that it's easy to get to sleep. And then, it's easy to wake up. 7 a.m. feels like 9 a.m. used to. Wow. Who knew?
2. My brother is in town.
That's him below at my graduation. He's hirsute one. It's great to see him.
I really should have worn lippy that day. I look ghostly.
The supermarket opened! You may recall that in Feb 2011, the local shopping complex was wrecked by EQ2. Although that was awful, this is awesome.
I only snapped one pic on my phone because the place was packed, and I felt like a froot-loop photographing the food.
Two weeks ago, the outside looked like this.
I had my doubts that they would be ready by opening day, but they pulled it off. Apparently there are some unfinished bits, but I wasn't inspecting for defects. I was too busy shopping like a legend.
After breathing a sigh of relief at finding an 'organics' section (organics? shouldn't it just be 'organic'?, never mind), I attempted to familiarise myself with the place, but soon realised this was not a one-visit mission. The place is huge and a little overwhelming. After wrangling my trolley through international foods, gluten-free, more organics, the bakery, kids toys, twenty thousand aisles of 'misc. packaged stuff' and an impressive fresh fish section, I mentally waved a white flag and headed directly for the wine department
It was a thrill to see my old wine guy there (such knowledge cannot be easily replaced) and to stumble upon a wine fest, with free samples flowing. :D Such a happy day. I can once again say "I'll just pop out for some.. (sour cream/ broccoli / buckwheat.. )" and know it will take me 15 mins instead of 90.
4. The Slim Pasta.
I was a doubter, but now IIIII'm a believer.
This stuff
is not awful. In fact, it looks and tastes exactly like bean vermicelli.
Tonight I just tossed it with a little pesto, some spinach and chicken.
Good times.
What's awesome in your life right now?
1. I saw that "slim pasta" the other day.... hate the name, but could be worth a try!
How exciting, I shall have to check out your new favourite place when I'm back in Chch.... hooray for vino in supermarkets! I miss that :)
2. Yes, I love those noodles too. They seem to be made mostly of water, according to the packet. I can eat a whole $6 packet at one meal though, so it won't be an everyday thing.
3. Well done on the decaf, that's a heroic effort!
4. I've just searched two supermarkets for Slim Pasta. Complete waste of time. :/ Perhaps they hide it somewhere other than the pasta section?
5. Ack! The iPad HATES Blogger. It lets me write half a comment and then has a spaz attack and refuses to play any more. >.<
So, well done on the de-caffing! That's all. x
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74012 | Great Smokey Mountains, Gatlinburg TN, Credit: JGP
Lab 1: Scope and Nature of Matter, Planet
Earth, one of the rocky, terrestrial planets, originiated as a soft mass of accreted smaller planetesimals. As the solar nebula cooled, material changed from gaseous to liquid and to solid state. You have observed everyday condensation when water droplets form as air cools near the ground, forming dew. You have observed water freezing (crystallizing) to ice. Other materials undergo the same changes of state as the temperature drops. Once together as a "blob" of material, gravitation settling and chemical fractionation lead to an internal layering of Earth, with an Iron-rich core, a silicate mineral mantle forming its bulk, and a thin outer rind, or crust, of light material. Much material in gaseous form drifted off, but Earth is large enough to have a gravitational pull adequate to hold at least some of the gases. This was the beginning of our atmosphere. The traditional explanation for water in the oceans and on land is that it was steadily released through volcanic activity, to accumulate in such quantity that we should really call our planet "the water planet." There have also been ideas that our water came from comets, but recent work suggests a misfitting chemical characteristic for the water. Other recent work has pointed to asteroids which have a composition better fitting a "water source" chemistry. Another study suggests instead that water clung to the primordial dust. This is a most important question, not just for appreciating Earth history, but for the origin of Life -- here as well as on other planets and moons in our solar system and beyond.
We infer from radiometric dating of moon rocks, Earth rocks, and meteorites, that Earth and the rest of the solar system, formed by 4.6 billion years ago.
Earth, like other planets and moons, underwent an early period of heavy bombardment, as there were still pieces of solidified material orbiting the Sun that were yet to be pulled in and captured by a larger planet. Earth remains hot inside and has been volcanically active during its entire lifetime, and Earth's surface temperature allows water to exist in liquid form. These are reasons why the cratering that happened during the heavy bombardment stage has been obliterated by mountain building, continental assembly, and surface process on Earth. Not so for the Moon, which stands in static testimony to the entire record of bombardment, which long ago tapered off, so that the Moon receives the rare large impact, and the occasional smaller impact.
The Moon, with an inset showing a patch of cratering. The large image of the moon was taken with the 0.9-m telescope and Mosaic CCD camera of Kitt Peak National Observatory, mounted on another image of the background stars taken with the 4-m Mayall telescope. The inset image is from Apollo Over The Moon: A View From Orbit (NASA SP-362) . Craters in the inset image are located in central Mare Serenitatis, one of the darker-colored areas of the Moon. You can observe that a small crater in the center of the inset image has rays of ejected material radiating outward, covering other craters, which indicates a younger age for the crater with the rays.
We have a few young craters clearly visible on Earth, but older ones have been obscured by geological activity over millions of years, by the action of running water and moving ice, and by the action of vegetation covering the ground. Meteor Crater in Arizona is one such young crater. It is only 20,000 to 50,000 years old.
Meteor Crater, Arizona. CREDIT: Smithsonian Scientific Series (1929), taken by the U.S. Army Air Service.
Earth's Layers
Earth is divided into distinct layers, the core, the mantle, and the crust. There are finer divisions, as shown below:
USGS Interior of Earth Diagram. CREDIT: USGS Dynamic Earth .
Original Designation of Layers
core -- The deepest layer, very rich in iron and hot. Inner core is solid, because there is so much pressure at the greatest depths, that the iron-rich compounds exist in the solid state, even though it is super hot. The outer core is molten, because the pressure in this zone is not as great, allowing the iron-rich material to flow freely as liquid.
mantle -- The "middle" layer, rich in silicate minerals dominated by iron and magnesium, and containing most of Earth's volume. Mineral types vary slightly, but the mantle is very uniform overall.
crust -- An outermost "rind" composed of lighter alumino-silicate minerals, and more rigid than the underlying mantle. There are many more mineral and rock types in the crust than in the mantle. The crust is very thin, only a few to about 100 km thick.
Additional Layer Designations in the Era of Plate Tectonics
asthenosphere -- The so-called "weak layer" is a zone in the upper part of the mantle where the composition of the minerals and the pressure/temperature combination result in partial melting. This "slippery" condition of the asthenosphere allows the overlying lithosphere to move around.
lithosphere -- The lithosphere includes the outer part of the mantle, lying above the asthenosphere, and the crust. The lithosphere is broken into several large and smaller plates that move around, over the asthenosphere. These are the plates of plate tectonics fame. Plates of lithosphere are more rigid, and include continents as well as ocean floor.
Web Sources
General reference is the Moon entry at NASA . |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74013 | Lab 7: Geologic Structure - Faults - Reverse
Reverse faults are, in fact, the reverse motion from normal faults. Instead of a stretching stress, reverse faults form because of compressional stress. Rocks are squeezed until they rupture, forming faults, on which there is movement to "slide over" rocks on one side of the fault toward the other.
And, the effect on drilling for oil is also in reverse for reverse faults. Instead of the possibility of totally missing a target stratum, an oil well can encounter a given stratum twice within the narrow zone of overlap: |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74018 | Comptroller General of the United States
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Comptroller of the United States of America
Eugene Louis Dodaro 2005.jpg
Eugene Louis Dodaro
since March 13, 2008
Term length15 years
Formation1921 Edit this at Wikidata
The Comptroller General of the United States is the director of the Government Accountability Office (GAO, formerly known as the General Accounting Office), a legislative branch agency established by Congress in 1921 to ensure the fiscal and managerial accountability of the federal government. The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 "created an establishment of the Government to be known as the General Accounting Office, which shall be independent of the executive departments and under the control and direction of the Comptroller General of the United States".[1] The act also provided that the "Comptroller General shall investigate, at the seat of government or elsewhere, all matters relating to the receipt, disbursement, and application of public funds, and shall make to the President when requested by him, and to Congress... recommendations looking to greater economy or efficiency in public expenditures."[2][3][4] The Comptroller General is appointed for fifteen years by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate per 31 U.S.C. § 703. Also per 31 U.S.C. § 703 when the office of Comptroller General is to become vacant the current Comptroller General must appoint an executive or employee of the GAO to serve as the Acting Comptroller General until such time as a new Comptroller General is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
The current Comptroller General is Eugene Louis Dodaro, who became Comptroller General on December 22, 2010. He was preceded by David M. Walker.[6] On February 15, 2008, David Walker, then Comptroller General, announced that he was resigning from GAO to head The Peter G. Peterson Foundation. Eugene Louis Dodaro became Acting Comptroller General of the United States on March 13, 2008, and was subsequently appointed by the President on September 22, 2010, and confirmed by the Senate on December 22, 2010, as the Comptroller General. Dodaro was sworn in as Comptroller General at a ceremony at the GAO on December 30, 2010.
List of U.S. Comptrollers General
Comptroller General Term of Service Appointing President
John R. McCarl July 1, 1921 – June 30, 1936[7] Warren Harding
Fred H. Brown April 11, 1939 – June 19, 1940[7] Franklin D. Roosevelt
Lindsay C. Warren November 1, 1940 – April 30, 1954[7] Franklin D. Roosevelt
Joseph Campbell December 14, 1954 – July 31, 1965[7] Dwight D. Eisenhower
Elmer B. Staats March 8, 1966 – March 3, 1981[7] Lyndon B. Johnson
Charles A. Bowsher 1981–1996 Ronald Reagan
David M. Walker 1998–2008 Bill Clinton
Eugene Louis Dodaro 2010–2025 Barack Obama
See also
1. ^ Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, Sec. 301
3. ^ "Budget and Accounting Act, 1921 Public Law 67-13" (PDF). GAO Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-06.
4. ^ "General Powers and Duties of the GAO (31 USC 711 to 31 USC 720) Cornell Law LII". GAO Office. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
5. ^ Statement of the Comptroller General of the United States (PDF), Comptroller General of the United States, December 17, 2007
6. ^ "GAO History, 1921–2008". GAO Office. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
7. ^ a b c d e Staats, Elmer B. (1967). "Annual Report of the Comptroller General of the United States for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1967" (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office: iv. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
External links
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74021 | The CFIA has recently announced a recall against all batches of “smoked trout fillet” processed by the Milford Bay Trout Farm Inc. The recall was made with their full cooperation.
The smoked trout is believed to be contaminated by the bacteria Clostridium botulin. Food that has been contaminated by these bacteria does not show signs of spoilage, therefore caution should be taken. This bacterium is most commonly found in seafood, or other food products that have not been properly eviscerated. It is commonly found in the gut of fish, thus an un-eviscerated fish product will most probably have numerous quantities of the bacteria.
Clostridium botulin is the bacteria responsible for botulism, an infection that is considered to be life threatening. Common symptoms of this infection include nausea, fatigue, headache, dry throat, paralysis, vomiting, dizziness, double vision and respiratory failure. In persons with a weakened immunity to diseases, botulism can cause more serious medical emergencies, which can lead to death. To date, no medical emergencies are reported that are linked to the affected fish product.
Milton Bay’s “Smoked Trout Fillet” has been distributed in different retail stores in Ontario. The product is vacuum packed and is sold in different weights. The packages do not indicate any UPC code. All lot codes and “best before” dates are affected by the recall. The company is already in the process of retrieving the recalled products from the market. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall. Consumers who have concerns about the recall can email Milford Bay at They can also call CFIA at the hotline 1-800-442-2342. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74027 | World Library
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Helen Zille
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Title: Helen Zille
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Language: English
Subject: Democratic Alliance (South Africa), History of the Democratic Alliance (South Africa), Albert Fritz, Lynne Brown, Premier of the Western Cape
Collection: 1951 Births, Alumni of St Mary's School, Waverley, Christians of Jewish Descent, Democratic Alliance (South Africa) Politicians, Democratic Party (South Africa) Politicians, Living People, Mayors of Cape Town, Members of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, People from Johannesburg, Premiers of the Western Cape, South African People of German Descent, South African People of German-Jewish Descent, South African Protestants, South African Women in Politics, University of the Witwatersrand Alumni, White South African People, Women Mayors of Places in South Africa
Publisher: World Heritage Encyclopedia
Helen Zille
The Honourable
Helen Zille
Premier of the Western Cape
Assumed office
6 May 2009
Preceded by Lynne Brown
Leader of the Democratic Alliance
Assumed office
6 May 2007
Preceded by Tony Leon
Mayor of Cape Town
In office
15 March 2006 – 30 April 2009
Preceded by Nomaindia Mfeketo
Succeeded by Dan Plato
Member of the National Assembly
In office
Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament
Assumed office
6 May 2009
In office
Personal details
Born Otta Helene Zille
(1951-03-09) 9 March 1951
Hillbrow, Johannesburg, Transvaal Province, Union of South Africa
Political party Democratic Party (Before 2000)
Democratic Alliance (2000–present)
Spouse(s) Johann Maree
Children Paul
Alma mater University of the Witwatersrand
Religion Uniting Presbyterian
Website Official website
Otta Helene "Helen" Zille (;[1] born 9 March 1951) is the Premier of the Western Cape,[2] a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament,[3] leader of South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance political party, and a former Mayor of Cape Town.
Zille's work as mayor, and in particular her successes in tackling crime, drug abuse and unemployment in Cape Town, led to her selection as World Mayor of the Year in 2008 - from a field of 820 candidates.[9][10] She was also chosen as Newsmaker of the year 2006 by the National Press Club in July 2007, and is a former finalist in the South African Woman of the Year Award.[11] Zille speaks English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa as well as German, the language of her parents.[12]
• Early life and career 1
• Early years, education and family 1.1
• Political journalism 1.2
• Anti-apartheid movement 1.3
• Education policy work 2
• Mayoralty 3
• 2006 municipal elections and aftermath 3.1
• Issues 3.2
• Achievements 3.3
• Economic growth and employment 3.3.1
• Crime and urban renewal 3.3.2
• Housing and service delivery 3.3.3
• DA Leader 4
• Election 4.1
• Issues 4.2
• Crime 4.2.1
• Health 4.2.2
• Judicial independence 4.2.3
• Zimbabwe 4.2.4
• Political debate 4.2.5
• Campaign against drug and alcohol abuse 4.2.6
• United Nations 4.3
• World Mayor award 4.4
• Premier of the Western Cape 5
• 2009 election 5.1
• Row with Jacob Zuma 5.2
• Land dispute 5.3
• 2011 municipal elections 5.4
• 2014 election and re-election 5.5
• Controversies 6
• Criminalisation of deliberately spreading HIV with multiple partners 6.1
• References 7
• External links 8
Early life and career
Early years, education and family
Helen Zille was born in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, the eldest child of parents who separately left Germany in the 1930s to avoid Nazi persecution (her maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother were Jewish). Her father's uncle was the artist Heinrich Zille. Her mother was a volunteer with the Black Sash Advice Office.[13] She was educated at Johannesburg's St Mary's School, Waverley and the University of the Witwatersrand, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree.
She married Professor Johann Maree in 1982, and they have two sons, Paul (born in 1984) and Thomas (1989). She is a member of the Rondebosch United Church in Cape Town.[14]
Political journalism
The Rand Daily Mail story, authored by Zille, that exposed the cover-up of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko's death in police custody.
Zille began her career as a political correspondent for the Rand Daily Mail in 1974.[15] During September 1977, Minister of Justice and the Police J.T. Kruger announced that anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko had died in prison as the result of an extended hunger strike. Zille and her editor Allister Sparks were convinced Kruger's story was a cover-up, and Zille obtained concrete proof of this after tracking down and interviewing doctors involved in the case.[7]
The Rand Daily Mail's lead story, headlined "No sign of hunger strike—Biko doctors", sent shockwaves through South Africa. Kruger immediately threatened to ban the paper, while Zille received death threats.[7] Zille and Sparks were represented at the subsequent quasi-judicial Press Council by leading defence lawyer Sydney Kentridge. The two were nonetheless found guilty of "tendentious reporting", and the paper was forced to issue a "correction". Kentridge later helped confirm the accuracy of Zille's account when he represented the Biko family at the inquest into his death. That inquest found Biko's death had been the result of a serious head injury but failed to find any individual responsible.[16]
Zille resigned from the Rand Daily Mail along with editor Allister Sparks, after the paper's owner, Anglo American, demanded that Sparks tone down the paper's equal rights rhetoric.[17]
Anti-apartheid movement
Zille was heavily involved in the End Conscription Campaign in the Western Cape. During this time she was arrested for being in a "group area" without a permit, and received a suspended prison sentence. Zille and her husband later offered their home as a safe house for political activists during the 1986 State of Emergency, and she was temporarily forced into hiding with their two-year-old son.[8] She knew and was mentored by anti-apartheid figurehead Harry Schwarz since she was a child.[18]
Education policy work
Zille was then invited by the then Democratic Party to write a draft policy for Education in the Western Cape. In 1999 she became a Member of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature, and was appointed MEC for Education.[20]
In 2004 Zille became a Member of Parliament with the Democratic Alliance (DA). Within the DA she rose to the level of deputy federal chairperson and served as national party spokesperson and spokesperson for education.
Freedom Day Rally 2011 at Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square in Mamelodi
2006 municipal elections and aftermath
In the 2006 municipal elections, the DA became the single largest party in Cape Town with 42% of the vote, ahead of the African National Congress (ANC). Zille was elected mayor by 106 votes to 103 on 15 March 2006, after the DA obtained the support of several smaller parties.
After assuming office, Zille's multi-party government decided to revoke the appointment of the Cape Town City Manager, Wallace Mgoqi, whose term of appointment had been controversially extended by the outgoing ANC executive mayor, Nomaindia Mfeketo.[21] Zille's decision was upheld by the High Court which ruled that the extension of Mgoqi's appointment by the previous mayor had been unlawful.
Zille has faced considerable opposition and confrontation with the ANC. In September 2006, the provincial ANC MEC Richard Dyantyi, announced he planned to replace the city's political system. Dyantyi wanted to impose an executive committee system, changing the mayoral committee system. The move would have resulted in Zille being stripped of her executive mayoral powers and her power considerably reduced.
Under this policy, the winning party would not be able to assign every one of the ten seats — rather these would be allocated on a proportional representation basis.[22] The matter was later resolved, with Dyanti and Zille settling on the terms of retaining the current mayoral system whilst the ANC was provided with two additional sub-committees in areas of the city controlled by the ANC.[23]
A particular concern of Zille was the problem of drug abuse in Cape Town, particularly crystal methamphetamine (tik) abuse. She called for the promotion of drug rehabilitation centres and further funding from the government to battle drug abuse, and met with local communities to discuss the issue.[24]
Zille objected to plans to incorporate the metro police into the broader police service, arguing that such a move would remove considerable power from local government and vest more control in the hands of the National Police Commissioner at the time, Jackie Selebi,[25] who was later convicted of corruption.[26]
Economic growth and employment
As mayor, Zille presided over rapid growth and development in the City of Cape Town. Gross geographic product (GGP) increased by over 12% - from R116.6 billion in 2005 under the ANC before she was elected, to R130.77 billion in 2007 - two years into her tenure. During this time the official unemployment rate also declined from 20.7% to 17.9%.[27]
Under Zille, the city's debt was also cut by nearly R1 billion, which allowed capital for service delivery to be increased by 15%.[27]
Crime and urban renewal
Crime declined by 90% in the city's CBD over a period of ten years, which Zille attributed to collaboration between the police service, metro police and the Cape Town Partnership.[28]
Housing and service delivery
Though provincial rather than local government is tasked with housing delivery, Zille claimed that her municipality's efforts to reform housing lists and improve verification processes also allowed housing delivery to be increased from 3000 units per annum under the ANC, to 7000 units per annum between 2006 and 2008 under her administration as mayor.[27]
In an article entitled "The ANC is pro-poverty not pro-poor" published shortly before the 2009 general election, Zille pointed out that under the ANC administration no budget allocation existed for upgrading informal settlements, while in 2007 her own administration set up a dedicated budget for provision of water, electricity and sanitation. In addition to maintaining existing water and electricity subsidies, Zille also raised the subsidies on the indigent database, and ensured that electricity was supplied to informal settlements that Eskom refused to electrify, such as Happy Valley and Site B Khayelitsha.[29]
DA Leader
On 15 March 2007, Zille declared herself a candidate to succeed outgoing leader of the Democratic Alliance, Tony Leon. A favourite from the start, with backing from the Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, the Free State and even the Eastern Cape (regarded during much of the build-up as the stronghold of main rival Athol Trollip),[30] she was elected as the new leader by a large majority on 6 May 2007. She indicated that she would lead the party from outside Parliament, while continuing in her position as executive mayor of Cape Town.
Since becoming leader of the Democratic Alliance, Zille has challenged the ruling government on a number of issues.
Of particular concern to Zille was the government's response[31] to alarming crime statistics released in July 2007. She has accused the government of rewarding criminals by placing individuals convicted of serious crimes high up on their national parliamentary lists.[32] Zille has said that the DA would reinstate child protection units, the South African Narcotics Bureau and the Scorpions unit, all of which have been disbanded.[33]
Zille has warned against the controversial National Health Amendment Bill, legislation allowing greater state intervention in private health care. She has warned that the state will destroy the system, that is rated as the fifth best of its kind in the world. She outlined the possibility that the Bill could drive away thousands of skilled medical professionals.[35] Together with her political party, she proposed an alternative health plan, for the privatisation of state healthcare.[36]
Judicial independence
On Hlophe she said:
Zille has also publicly denounced the Zimbabwean regime, calling for former-President Thabo Mbeki to abandon his 'quiet diplomacy' policy and take a tougher stance towards the Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe. She has called for the South African president to publicly acknowledge that the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe is illegal and illegitimate; to sever all formal diplomatic ties with Zimbabwe and withdraw all diplomatic representatives; to impose smart sanctions on the Zanu-PF elite, including travel bans to South Africa and the freezing of all South African assets linked to Mugabe and Zanu-PF; and to lobby for the suspension of Zimbabwe from the United Nations, the African Union and the South African Development Community.[39]
Political debate
In June 2008, she challenged the president of the ANC and the 2009 presidential candidate, Jacob Zuma to a public debate on ten key issues such as the arms deal, disbanding of the Scorpions, the situation in Zimbabwe, HIV/Aids and labour legislation.[40][41] Zuma has since declined to participate. She has since requested a public debate again:
Campaign against drug and alcohol abuse
Eight members of a group called the People's Anti-Drug and Liquor Action Committee (PADLAC) were arrested on Sunday 9 September 2007 outside the Mitchell's Plain police station. Zille was then arrested when she visited the police station to investigate. The group had been distributing pamphlets in the campaign against the abuse of alcohol and drugs in Cape Town. Police have alleged that she supports vigilante groups opposed to drug abuse. She appeared in the Mitchell's Plain Magistrates Court later that week for contravening the Regulation of Gatherings Act. Zille is expected to sue the Minister of Police for wrongful arrest.[44] On Tuesday 11 September 2007 Zille appeared briefly before the Mitchell's Plain Magistrates Court together with a group of ten persons who had been arrested with her.[45]
On Sunday 30 September 2007 it was reported that senior intelligence sources, who were unhappy with the ANC's plans to subvert state institutions to do ANC bidding, had leaked information to Zille that operatives with weapons were infiltrating PADLAC with the ultimate objective of bringing down the leader of the opposition.[46] On 23 October 2007, Zille was acquitted of all charges brought before the Mitchell's Plain Magistrates Court on the grounds that the prosecution's case against her and nine other defendants did not stand a chance of succeeding. Zille has reiterated her intention to sue the South African Police Services (SAPS) branch in the Western Cape for wrongful arrest.[47]
United Nations
In April 2008, Zille was asked to address the UN in New York on population and development, offering her experience and lessons as mayor of Cape Town.[49]
World Mayor award
Zille was nominated as one of 820 world mayors and was winner of the 2008 World Mayor award in October 2008.[50][51]
There was controversy when the ruling ANC used its majority in the National Assembly to block (without notice) a motion by the Democratic Alliance acknowledging Zille's achievement in winning the 2008 World Mayor award.[52]
Premier of the Western Cape
2009 election
The 2009 general elections presented Zille with her first major electoral contest as leader of the DA. She was selected as candidate for Premier of the Western Cape, and her party succeeded in winning a 51.23 percent of the province's vote. Zille was installed as Premier, and replaced as mayor by Dan Plato. Nationally, the DA gained significant ground as official opposition, winning 16.66 percent of the vote, and increasing its tally of seats in both houses of Parliament to 77.
Row with Jacob Zuma
Zille's condemnation of Zuma's behaviour was then used by the Sowetan as the basis of a front page story entitled "Zuma an AIDS risk". The paper stated that Zille had "launched an extraordinary new attack" on Zuma.[55] This heralded a wave of attacks on Zille from both the ANC and a number of its left-wing alliance partners. The ANC Youth League claimed Zille was racist, and that her all-male cabinet consisted of "boyfriends and concubines so that she can continue to sleep around with them". The claim, made without substantiation, drew the ire of the DA, who are in the process of consulting their lawyers over a possible defamation suit.[56] The Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association restated the Youth League's sex claims, and warned it would launch "a political programme aimed at rendering the Western Cape ungovernable".[57] The ANC also criticised Zille, but distanced itself from the remarks of its Youth League, stating that they were "deeply embarrassing".[58] In response, Zille claimed that the Sowetan and other publications had manufactured the row, and given off the impression that both sides had been spoiling for a fight, even though she had done nothing more than write a factual letter to a newspaper. She also claimed that the whole row exemplified South Africa's warped approach to gender issues:
Land dispute
In May 2009, Zille accused the ANC of asset stripping. She related to the transfer of 1 000 hectares of provincial land in the Western Cape to a national body. The transfer was signed off by the former premier Lynne Brown on 21 April 2009, the day before the national elections. Zille has alleged that the deal was done "secretly, in bad faith and with an ulterior motive". The ANC responded by claiming that the land deal had been publicly tabled in Parliament several times over the years and there was nothing sinister about it.[60] Zille later said that she would call for a review and rescindment of the agreement and would lodge a dispute at an intergovernmental relations meeting,[61] but the matter was resolved in January 2010, when the ANC's Minister of Human Settlements, Tokyo Sexwale, agreed to return the land to the province before the matter could be taken to court.[62]
2011 municipal elections
Shortly after securing the Premiership of the Western Cape, Zille mentioned that her party's preparations for the 2011 local government elections would begin immediately. Following its success in Cape Town, the Democratic Alliance had aimed to lead a multi-party coalition to victory in other cities in the country, including Pretoria, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Ekurhuleni.[63][64][65]
2014 election and re-election
Following the 2014 general elections, the Democratic Alliance won 59.38% of the vote and 26 seats in the Western Cape provincial legislature, an increase of 3.25%. Under her leadership, the party also won 89 seats in the National Assembly and 22.23% of the National vote. Zille was sworn-in to a second term on 26 May with 27 votes out of 42, her opponent being Marius Fransman of the ANC. Zille announced her cabinet of Provincial Ministers the same day composed of eight Provincial Ministers from the last term in office, and two vacancies came after the departure of Provincial Agriculture Minister, Gerrit van Rensburg to the National Assembly, and Transport and Public Works Minister Robin Carlisle, retired.
The two newcomers to Premier Zille’s Cabinet are Nomafrench Mbombo, Provincial Minister for Cultural Affairs and Sport, and Debbie Schafer, Provincial Minister for Education. Premier Zille announced a new combined portfolio—agriculture, economic development and tourism
Criminalisation of deliberately spreading HIV with multiple partners
The Cape Argus of 9 November 2011 reported that, while addressing a wellness summit hosted by the Western Cape Health department, Zille had called for irresponsible men who refused to use condoms and had multiple sexual partners, to be charged with attempted murder, and for Government to shift its focus from the treatment to the prevention of diseases. Some AIDS activists warned against such a move, arguing that this would provide an incentive for people not to get tested for HIV, and called Zille's remarks "careless and misleading."[66] Among those who criticized Zille's position was the Constitutional Law scholar Pierre de Vos.[67] Zille's views on the matter were fully set out in her own newsletter.
3. ^ Zille leaves mayor's post Post. 30 April 2009
4. ^ "World's best mayor Helen Zille says award a boon for democracy".
5. ^ "Helen Zille".
6. ^ "Profile: Helen Zille". BBC News. 15 April 2009. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
7. ^ a b c "Steve Biko's legacy lives on - Zille".
8. ^ a b "Helen Zille (St Mary’s School 1962 to 1968)".
9. ^ 13 October 2008 at 06:32pm (2008-10-13). "SA mayor scoops 'world best' award - Politics | IOL News". Retrieved 2013-03-04.
11. ^ "Woman of the Year 2003 finalists". 30 July 2003. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
12. ^ "Helen Zille Biography".
13. ^ "Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille questioned by an international audience". Retrieved 7 May 2014.
14. ^ "Tutu commends Christian communicators in justice struggle".
15. ^ "Who's Who: Mrs Helen Zille".
16. ^ "Steve Biko: XI - The Verdict".
17. ^ Bridgland, Fred (18 April 2009). "The Zille to weaken Zuma's grip". The Scotsman (Edinburgh).
18. ^ Chrissie Ekerold, by email. "Zille has struggle credentials: iLIVE". Times LIVE. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
19. ^ "Redeploying teachers set for revival". Dispatch. 16 October 1997.
20. ^ "Helen Zille (St Mary's School 1962 to 1968)".
25. ^ Ensor, Linda (28 July 2007). "The battle for Metro cops". Business Day. Archived from the original on 2009-01-11. Retrieved 2008-02-22. According to her (Zille), Selebi was presiding over a police force that was steadily losing its ability to deliver on its mandate, and his control should not be extended.
28. ^ Zille, Helen (8 April 2008). "Urban Governance, Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead".
30. ^ Majova 2007.
31. ^ Bland' government ducking the facts — Zille"'". IOL. 7 July 2007.
32. ^ "Zille: ANC rewards crime".
33. ^ "Zille: Heroin easier to buy than hamburgers".
34. ^ "Conquering fear, commanding hope: the DA's criminal justice plan".
37. ^ Zille, Helen (13 June 2008). "'"ANC cultivating a 'compliant judiciary. Moneyweb.
38. ^ "Hlophe rocks Zille’s faith in judges". Sunday Times. 13 June 2008.
39. ^ "STATEMENT BY HELEN ZILLE". The Zimbabwean. 24 June 2008.
43. ^ "Zille reminds Zuma of statement". IOL. 25 June 2008.
44. ^ "Another apartheid era arrest for Zille". Daily Dispatch. Retrieved 2007-09-09.
45. ^ "Zille in court". IOL. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
46. ^ "Intelligence sources unhappy with ANC plans". Sunday Times. Retrieved 2007-09-30.
47. ^ "SAfrica drops charges against opposition head Zille". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
48. ^ "Zille leads Jo'burg anti-drugs march". Mail&Guardian. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
49. ^ "Helen Zille to address the UN". iafrica. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
50. ^ "World Mayor 2008The final shortlist". World Mayor. Retrieved 2008-06-13.
51. ^ "Helen Zille, Mayor of Cape Town, wins the 2008 World Mayor Prize". World Mayor. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
54. ^ "Zille in 'racist' Zuma HIV attack". BBC News. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
55. ^ Anna Majavu. "Zuma an AIDS risk".
56. ^ "MK veterans threaten Zille".
57. ^ "MK veterans threaten Zille".
58. ^ "ANC distances itself from ANCYL comments - Mantashe".
59. ^ "Helen Zille answers her critics".
60. ^ Fingers pointed in Cape land row Voice of the Cape
61. ^ 'Secret' ANC land deal illegal - Zille Cape Argus. 23 May 2009
62. ^ Cape land transfer dispute resolved Eyewitness News
63. ^ "Will PE pull off a 'Cape Town'?". Archived from the original on 2011-08-23.
64. ^ Boshomane, Pearl; Gava, Chivimbiso (7 April 2011). "DA wants to take over Johannesburg".
65. ^ Hlala, Patrick (24 March 2011). "DA eyes Pretoria".
66. ^ 9 November 2011 at 12:11pm (2011-11-09). "Zille targets men who don’t use condoms - Cape Argus". Retrieved 2012-12-12.
67. ^ Vos, Pierre De (2011-11-10). "Helen Zille, the HIV populist – Constitutionally Speaking". Retrieved 2012-12-12.
External links
• Helen Zille winner of the 2008 World Mayor Prize
• Helen Zille's blog
• Helen Zille's interactive social media profile at
• City Mayors profile
• City Mayors profile Español
• Quotes about Cape Town's mayoral system
• Zille voted Newsmaker of the year
• CapeInfo interview with Helen Zille
• Interview with Helen Zille at
Political offices
Preceded by
Nomaindia Mfeketo
Mayor of Cape Town
Succeeded by
Dan Plato
Preceded by
Lynne Brown
Premier of the Western Cape
Party political offices
Preceded by
Tony Leon
Leader of the Democratic Alliance
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74029 | Go Gadget Go!
I did all of this using my phone.
If only it cooked breakfast!
Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...
Anonymous said...
Enabling laws served to increase the amount of health insurance sold in states. http://insuranceinstates.com/michigan/Grand%20Rapids/Doug%20Helder%20Insurance%20Inc/49546/ |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74030 | Disruption in media business – 4 points sometime forgotten
digital disruption
You want your company to survive in digital-era? Four potential areas to check are: channel approach, processes, scope and people. Failing to be digital in any of these areas may significantly hinder down your capability to survive in ever increasing competition or just make your profits go down.
Channel – online first
Choosing digital first approach is often ignored in traditional media organizations. This influences into way how products are defined and also most probably have impact into pricing models too. If product and related processes are created purely based on expectations from sales organization, it might be difficult to sell in online channel. Often this is ignored by claiming that most of the sales happen in traditional channel. That might be true, but if you don’t even try to change that, situation will remain the same in future too. No pain, no gain.
Process – pure digital
Products could be digital, but you need to keep in mind also the delivery process of them too. Usually digital products have much lower price points than traditional products, thus also giving less space for creating profitability. This is why you need to rethink fulfillment and delivery from scratch to fit into digital worlds demand. Also expected speed of delivery is usually faster, which could be hard to do in non-volatile way with manual process steps. Large volume changes can be expected with pure digital products as sales organizations capabilities are not cutting off excessive demand.
Scope – plan for global
If you create digital products, why limit availability? Often it is stated that it is clever to take home market first. This was true in pre-digital era. Now you might want to make you product available globally and tune/target marketing or visibility efforts based on your financial capabilities into more focused areas. If you say your product is only suitable for one market, then i need to ask, why not redesign it? Think big in first place, it is always easier to scale down later.
People – digital mindset
People (or organizations) need to tune their thinking also into age of digital world. If people are left into old world, companies or their products will most probably be stuck in the middle. So take care that you grow digital mindset among all people. This will boost innovation and avoid the trap of doing some part of the process in the old way.
Leave a Reply |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74031 | Tuesday, April 17, 2007
IRS audits of middle class have TRIPLED since 2000
was hopping mad enough when I read theKK's diary from this January about IRS officials pushing auditors to prematurely close audits of big corporations, despite the potential to collect additional billions of dollars of revenue in taxes legally owed to the United States.
Typical, I thought. The Bush administration using enforcement policies to enahnce the effect of its pro-big business tax legislation. Not surprising.
But now it's worse. Not only is the IRS treating big companies with absurd laissez-faire, they're making up for it by tripling the audits of middle class taxpayers.
Why is it happening? Well, the IRS says it's part of a strategy to deal with having fewer agents with an increasing population.
The increased focus on the middle class is part of a broad I.R.S. strategy to deal with a major reduction in the ranks of the tax police as the population continues to grow and Congress has made the tax system ever more complex.
The I.R.S. has fewer than 13,000 revenue agents, down from more than 17,000 at the peak in 1988.
The core of the new strategy is to audit more individuals and businesses, even if the examinations are more cursory. Without more audits, I.R.S. executive say, people may behave as if no one is watching.
Oooookay. I'm curious about something. Why is the number of revenue agents decreasing?? It seems to me that if you have agents conducting audits, they can more than pay their own salaries by collecting additional tax revenues owed to the federal government. Furthermore, it's not just that there are more people and fewer agents--the tax code has become more complicated too. And guess who's to blame for that:
Chris Edwards, director of tax policy at the Cato Institute, a libertarian research and advocacy group in Washington, said that Congress is driving the need for more audits. Since 1995, he said, “the Republicans greatly complexified the tax code, contributing to tax evasion and making the I.R.S.’s job more difficult.”
Fine. I'll ignore all that and just go along with the point: The IRS has fewer auditors for more people with a more complex tax code, so they have to increase cursory audits to catch more cheaters.
Ok. So let's see who's cheating.
Critics have said the increased revenue from enforcement actions shows only how widespread tax evasion has become and how easy it is to find tax cheating. The I.R.S.’s most recent estimate is that $290 billion in taxes due were not reported and paid. But studies have suggested the figure is higher, mostly from hidden investment gains, multinational businesses and entrepreneurs.
Right. So let's see how that shapes up in terms of enforcement. Here are some snippets from the article:
Right. Audits for middle class taxpayers tripled. Ok. What about for those who made more?
Audits of those making more than $100,000, the 11 percent or so of Americans who pay about 80 percent of individual income taxes, rose to more than 256,000 from just fewer than 100,000, a jump of 163 percent. The odds went from 1 in 104 to 1 in 59.
The increase in auditing percentage of those making over $100,000 is about half of the increase in auditing percentage for middle-class taxpayers. But what about the super-rich?
At the very top, those making more than $1 million a year, the data showed that from 2004 to 2006 the number of audits rose 77 percent, from almost 9,600 to 17,000. But more than half of those audits were only letters asking for documentation.
From 2004-2006, the increase percentage was only 77%. And even at that, most of the audits were just letters, instead of actual auditors! It's not just the corporations that theKK wrote about earlier--here's another example of the Bush administration using enforcement to further the class war against middle America--because the legislation itself apparently wasn't enough.
Sick, disgusting malfeasance.
On "not influencing a particular investigation"
So I just went took a break from work to go into my local Starbucks and order an iced venti soy vanilla latte. While I'm waiting, I pick up a copy of the L.A. Times, where I see an article about Gonzales' impending testimony--which he has pre-released--and in that article, I find the following cited from the testimony in question:
"I know that I did not, and would not, ask for a resignation of any individual in order to interfere with or influence a particular prosecution for partisan political gain. I also have no basis to believe that anyone involved in this process sought the removal of a U.S. attorney for an improper reason."
My first thought was: what a load of crap! But on retrospect, I began to think--hey, wait a minute...the slimy weasel could be telling the truth and not perjuring himself...just, not the whole truth.
See, Gonzales may be telling the truth here: The attorneys weren't fired to influence a particular investigation--but they were fired in retaliation for not fanatically pursuing things the Badministration wanted pursued. But the statement "they weren't fired in retaliation for not applying the scales of justice evenly and engaging in partisan witch-hunts" isn't in Gonzales' testimony, is it?
First off, let's take one of the most egregious cases in the US Attorney firing scandal: David Iglesias, former US Attorney for New Mexico. As I'm sure most of you know, David Iglesias was a loyal Republican. Why was he put on the list by Rove at the behest of Senator Domenici? Because he wouldn't issue indictments of Democrats in time to be able to influence Heather Wilson's election in NM-01.
So he was fired. But was he fired to influence those investigations? NO. He was fired in retaliation for the fact that he refused to comply with previous tampering efforts. So when it comes to David Iglesias, Gonzales' testimony is technically correct.
Next up, we can take the case of John McKay, US Attorney for Western Washington. John McKay was fired because he did not bow to pressure to pursue indictments based on voter fraud claims involving the 2004 gubernatorial race for which there was absolutely no evidence. So, after repeated pressure from Republican operatives, he was fired. But he wasn't fired to influence those investigations--he was fired in retaliation for the fact that he dispensed justice even-handedly rather than pursue a witch-hunt.
Other Attorneys, such as Bud Cummins or Margaret Chiara, were apparently fired simply to make way for Bush or Rove loyalists. That doesn't count as influencing particular investigations either!
It is with Carol Lam, however, that AGAG stands the greatest chance of perjuring himself. After all, given Kyle Sampson's explicit emails about "the problem we have with Carol Lam" and other similar statements regarding an explicit denial of an extension for her specifically to continue in her office, it would seem that her firing was done precisely to impede her corruption investigations into the Dukester, Dusty Foggo and Rep. Jerry Lewis.
Now, given the explicitly political nature of the circumstances surrounding the firing of Carol Lam, there are only a select few ways that AGAG could avoid perjuring himself conclusively:
1) AGAG did not order the firing of Carol Lam; or
2) The discussions around the firing of Carol Lam centered not around removing her to influence a particular investigation, but rather to intimidate anyone who prioritized investigating corrupt politicians (i.e., Republicans) to begin with.
Kyle Sampson's emails make this argument more difficult, but still, most likely, plausible enough to avoid a perjury conviction.
And the other part of Gonzales' testimony: that whole "improper reason" bit? Well, it all depends on who you ask! Jeffrey Dahmer didn't consider skin suits improper, after all. "Improper" is all up to who you ask, especially when you're dealing with people who openly believe that politically-motivated firings are fair game.
Still--it seems that the "not fired to influence a particular investigation" gambit will likely become the new talking point for the right-wing noise machine about the firings. And for the most part, it's actually true. We'll need to fight it with our own talking point--which, in my opinion, is:
Refusal to participate in partisan witch-hunts against Democrats. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74048 | Ramayana – Fact or Fiction?
History requires concrete evidence to distinguish fact from fiction. Vedic civilisation used extensive system of calculation of time. But modern science is still under- developed to pinpoint with accuracy, the time of Rama’s birth and life based on the clues given in Ramayana. Though this makes a lazy argument for calling Ramayana – a myth; one with an open eye will find enough facts to think otherwise. The grains of truth are scattered all around the Indian subcontinent.
While Ramayan happened in Treta Yuga, Mahabharat happened in Dwapar Yuga having huge gap of time in between them. If we take the Vedic Time system, in the same way as modern System of Time, these yugas are thousands of years apart. Until we gain an understanding of Vedic Time calculation, chronological accuracy is out of question to establish proof. But there are a good number of common characters in both epics such as Hanuman, Parasuraman, Jambavan, Mayasura – Father of Mandodari, Sage Durvasa, Narada, Vayudeva – father of both Hanuman and Bhim, Kuber, Sage Agastya, Sage Viswamitra and Vibhishan.
The other connecting characters are Drona’s father Maharishi Bharadwaja, who was the pupil of Valmiki, who wrote Ramayan. Vasishsta was Sri Rama’s Guru. Vasishtha’s son Sakthi, had a son called Parasara and Parasara’s son was Veda Vyasa, who wrote the Mahabharat.
For scientific convenience let us assume that Sri Rama lived at least ten thousand years ago. Historical evidences are unlikely to survive that many millennia. Many of the places mentioned in Ramayana still exists, though that may not satisfy the curiosity of an academic to tick all boxes to call it a fact. Let us go for a walk following the footsteps of Lord Rama, to understand more about Ramayana, searching for the seeds of truth that are scattered all around the Indian subcontinent.
Lahore, Pakistan
Lava temple lahore fort
Lava Temple in Lahore Fort
Lahore in ancient times was known as Lavapuri, which means city of Lava in Sanskrit and was found by Prince Lava, the son of Lord Sri Rama. To this day, Lahore Fort has a vacant temple dedicated to Lava (also pronounced Loh, hence Loh-awar or “The Fort of Loh”).
Lord Ram’s younger brother Bharata and his sons settled in Gandhara (The Name Kandhahar has come from Gandhara ) and their descendants ruled there till the time of Alexander’s invasion.
In Mahabharata, the princess named Gandhari was married to Hastinapur’s blind king Dhritrashtra and was mother of Duryodhana and other Kauravas. The prince of Gandhara, Shakuni was against this wedding but accepted it, fearing an invasion from Hastinapur. In the aftermath, Shakuni influences the Kaurava prince Duryodhana and plays a central role in the great war of Kurukshetra that eliminated the entire Kuru family, including Bhishma and a hundred Kaurava brothers. According to Puranic traditions, this country (Janapada) was founded by Gandhara, son of Aruddha, a descendant of Yayati. The princes of this country are said to have come from the line of Druhyu, who was a king of the Druhyu tribe of the Rigvedic period.
According to Vayu Purana , the Gandharas ( Afghanis )will be destroyed by Pramiti, aka Kalika ( A Hindu Goddess ), at the end of Kaliyuga (Kali Yuga began at midnight (00:00) on 18 February 3102 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar, or 23 January 3102 BC in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. The Kali Yuga is traditionally thought to last 432,000 years.)
Sri Lanka
Rama’s Bridge (aka Adams Bridge)
It was reportedly passable on foot up to the 15th century until storms deepened the channel: temple records seem to say that Rama’s Bridge was completely above sea level until it broke in a cyclone in 1480 CE . The bridge was created by Lord Hanuman along with the army of monkeys. Though it is not scientifically proven, there are more indications to believe that the bridge was built by Lord Rama. The floating stones from this region are on example.
Other Places of Ramayana Significance in Sri Lanka
It is believed Ravana had an aircraft repair centre at Gurulupotha close to Sita Kotuwa. Gurulupotha means Parts of Birds in Sinhala.
In India, from Ayodhya to Chitrakoot, almost all places mentioned in Ramaya are still known by the same name.
Panchavati – Panchavati was the place in Dandakaranya, where Rama lived during their exile. Panchavati means garden of five banyan trees. Ramkund is a holy place for Hindus. Devotees believe that a dip in this tank will fulfill their wishes. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Rama used to bathe in this tank during his stay in Panchavati.
Panchavati is in Nasik
Lepakshi – In Andhra a Village named Lepakshi is where Lord Rama met the dying Jatayu. They help him to attain moksha by uttering the words “le pakshi”, which is Telugu for “rise, bird”. Hence the name, Lepakshi.
Rameswaram – Rameswara means “Lord of Rama” in Sanskrit, an epithet of Shiva, the presiding deity of the Ramanathaswamy Temple. Rama prayed to Shiva here to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon-king Ravana. Rama installed and worshipped a lingam here . The lingam was built by Sita to worship.
Sita was the adopted daughter of King Janakan. There is a place in Janakpur Mithila. Janaka is the name used to refer to the kings of Videha. The Janaka Dynasty ruled the Videha kingdom from their capital, Mithila, identified with modern Janakpur in Nepal. Now there is a modern Sita Temple in Janakpur.
Rama – A revered figure all around the world?
There are evidences to believe that Sri Rama was a revered figure all around the world. Folklores similar to Ramayana, with even similar names are in China, Cambodia, Malaysia and Russia
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74051 | In Music We Trust >> Frontpage
January 23, 2020
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SHOW REVIEW: The legendary Dismemberment Plan's last show
June 5, 2003 - The Knitting Factory (Los Angeles)
By: Zakat
At 10:58PM, on June 5, in the year of 2003, as my adrenaline mounted, I hurriedly approached the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, stepping on a few famous stars along the way. As I run up to the box office door, I read with initial disbelief, followed by a stupid "duh": "The Dismemberment Plan / Enon is sold out".
Devastated, I walked into the tiny office anyway and mumble, "Is it true that they are sold out?"
From there, the conversation went like this.
"It is," they told me.
"Maybe you have some cancelled tickets?" I plead.
"Nope," they interrupt.
But then, my bad luck streak ended and my winning began, or so it seemed.
"Well, there is this one ticket, if you can guess the name on the back its yours," they sarcastically spit out.
Now, by this time I could tell they were just laughing at me, but I tried anyway.
"John?" I guessed.
"Nope," they laughed.
At this point, I gave up. I wasn't going to get in, and I knew it. Heartbroken and on the verge of tears, I slowly turned around making my way back through the smoker crowd, pausing to see if some indie rock angel would leave right at this moment and fling to me her no longer needed bracelet with a seductive wink. I hung around for about five minutes waiting for this to happen, but for some reason it never did.
At this moment, I heard the teasing opening riff to "Following Through" escaping from the Factory. At that moment my head hung lower than it ha hung in awhile. But then a miracle occurred.
As I stood there looking at my feet, I was suddenly awakened by the voice of the ticket girl. I looked up in disbelief to see her standing there holding the last ticket. "Here, it's yours," she said in a sweet, angelic voice, one that brought the tears down my face even more. But these were tears of joy.
"W--wa--wait-- how much do I owe you for this?" I asked in a sheepish, school boy voice.
"Nothing, we felt really sorry for you," she said.
And with those words, I looked down and noticed the ticket was in my hand, and the girl had disappeared back into her office without a trace. Next thing I knew I was inside with a drink.
When I got to the stage, the Plan was just starting up "Sentimental Man" to a diverse crowd interspersed with frat boys actually singing along, indie angels clad in black. And, of course, your usual collage of thrift store warriors - like myself. Shivers ran down my back as I heard Travis hit the high notes of "and my parole denied". I smiled to myself and thought, "yeah, this is the shit".
As the evening progressed, the Plan allowed the audience to raise hands and make requests. In addition they had so-called "play by play" commentary from Cex, who was this lanky guy with crazy hair and glasses to match. He would take requests from the standouts in the crowd, saying stuff like, "alright this guys being weird, what do you want to hear?" and "I love a magician!".
Of course, the crowd went into a zoo-like frenzy.
One interesting note, at one point a few people began moshing and suddenly Travis said, "stop" with major conviction, causing the entire band to stop playing, simultaneously doing their best mime impressions.
"We are a pussy band. We are more pussy than the Postal Service," Travis exclaimed. "Take that energy and funnel it somewhere else, ok?" And the show went on. I think he was kidding about that Postal Service bit. Some of their music gives me diarrhea (but I like it).
Throughout the night those in attendance got to enjoy more of Travis' odd bits of humor. One time he poked fun at the upper deck crowd of the Knitting Factory by referring to the band as "Bright Eyes" when a girl couldn't name a single song to request. But nevertheless there were true, loyal fans in attendance, as I could tell by the jumping feet and the bobbing heads.
The highlight of the night was The Plan jumping into "The City," perhaps one of my favorite songs, after someone in the crowd requested it. They pulled it off effortlessly and wonderfully, the drums pounding in tandem to my heart as I closed my eyes to feel the beauty of the music seep into my veins. Travis played the keyboards while singing, which was superb, although he did go a bit crazy sometimes, which was kinda cool.
As the band closed with "Timebomb", the crowd cheered loudly, inviting the band for an inevitable encore, and in true Plan grand tradition, they came back out and burst into their epic pop-reference riddled "OK Jokes Over".
Overall the Dismemberment Plan went out with a bang. The sound was tight and everything was just right. After it was over, with a melancholy smile, I felt the echoes of their dying sounds dismember in my ears, for the last time live, forever.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74068 | Rain On Car Windows
When I posted this story back during the summer, I was pretty happy with it.
Then, I let a couple of my English professors have a go at it, which was a slightly
humbling experience. It was, I believe, worth the pain. Take a look at this
new, improved version and see what you think.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“We’ve got a while yet,” he said. “You sure you wanna do this? You don’t have to. We can find another way.”
“No!” she snapped. Then, softer, “Sorry. We’ve been over this and over this. There is no other way.”
“I know. I just… never thought I’d be part of something like this.” He dropped his head onto the steering wheel. “How the fuck did we end up here?”
She turned in her seat to look at him. “Does it matter? We’re here and this is our only way out. Believe me, if there were another option, I’d be all over it.” She shifted back and stared out the windshield at the rain that sluiced down in buckets.
Suddenly, he sat up. “No! You’re not doing this. I am not going to be that guy.”
He reached down to start the car, but she was quicker and snatched the keys out of the ignition.
“We’ve already had this conversation and this is it: Our only option. There. is. no. other. way!” She dropped the keys on the console between them. “Look, if I can handle this, you can handle this. Fuck, I’m the one who’s actually doing something. You just have to sit around and wait.”
It was his turn to stare at her. “Yeah, it’s so easy for me. Just sit there while my girlfriend is violated. And, why? Because we owe a shit ton of money and I can’t keep a fucking job. It’ll be a piece of god damned cake.” He looked out the side window as the rain ran in streams down its surface. “Fuck you,” he said softly. He heard her breathe in sharply. He didn’t turn back.
“I’m sorry,” she said, with a catch in her voice. “I guess I didn’t think of what this is doing to you.” Her voice trembling, she said, “Look at me.” He didn’t move and his breathing began to fog the window. On the verge of tears, she begged him, “Look at me. Please.” His window became opaque as his breath continued to cloud it. Crying, she pleaded with him, “Won’t you please look at me!” Slowly, he turned back, but stopped short of doing what she asked.
“Look,” she said. “This has got me on edge and I just wasn’t thinking about how it was affecting you. Can you forgive me?” He continued to stare out the windshield. “Please?” she added, a hint of desperation in her voice.
He took in a breath, held it a second and slowly let it out. “Yeah. I guess we’re both having a harder time with this than we thought we would.” He fumbled around in the console, coming out with a napkin. He wiped the window clear. They sat quietly for a few minutes.
“So, what time is it, now?” she asked.
“Getting closer.”.
She nodded. “So, you talked to Kat and she said it wasn’t so bad, right?” There was much less confidence in voice than had been there earlier.
“She said she was super-nervous at first, just like you. They gave her a something to take the edge off and she just sort of floated through the whole rest of the… thing.”
She hesitated for a second, then asked, “What did Tony say?”
A sour look came over his face and he answered, “Tony didn’t say shit. He just sat there. After a minute or two, he got up and left the room. Kat told me he had a really hard time with the whole thing. Went bought some 4 Loko and got fucked up while it was going on.”
She sat there, staring at the rain on the car window and said in a voice almost too soft to hear, “You won’t do that to me, will you?”
His head whipped around. “Wha—, why the fuck would you even ask that?!?” he snapped.
She flinched. There was a drawn-out pause, then she said, “Well, there was that time at I got so drunk I―”
He slammed his fist on the dashboard, “You are never going to let me forget that, are you!” His window and the windshield both began to film over with vapor and he gave a short, bitter laugh. “One time,” he said, holding up a finger. “One time I leave you at a party and you just can’t let it go.”
“But, I was passed out in Tony’s bedroom!” she protested. “Anything could’ve happened.”
“Oh, you were safe enough,” he said. “If you’re a guest in Tony’s house, he’s not gonna let bad shit happen to you.”
“You don’t know that. He can’t be everywhere.”
“Whatever. Nothing happened, so everything’s cool. Why do you have to bring that up every time I say I’ll do something?”
She sat there for a moment, before saying, “I don’t know. I guess I can be kind of bitch sometimes.” He nodded. She pulled her arms in across her chest, hugging her herself. “I’m sorry. I won’t mention it again.”
“It’s okay,” he said, grabbing another napkin and wiping the condensation away. He reached out and caressed her face. “And, don’t worry. I’ll be right outside the whole time, waiting for you.” She smiled and laid her hand in his. He let their hands fall onto the console. Then, she wrapped her arm in his and pulled it in. It was as close to a hug as could be managed in the confines of the front seat.
They sat that way, in silence, for a few minutes before she asked, “What time is it?”
He glanced at the clock. “You’ve got a few minutes.” After a long pause, he asked again, “You sure you want to do this?”
“No, I’m not. I’m scared. Like, really, really fucking scared.”
He looked down. “I know. So am I. But what else can we do?” He exhaled. “I mean, do you have any idea how bad things will get if we don’t handle this, right now?” She nodded. “I don’t even want to think of the consequences if we back out. It will not be pretty.”
She hugged his arm tighter and said, “I know. I’ll do it. I’m just… scared, that’s all.”
“Yeah,” he said, “me too.” They sat there, watching the rain as it coursed down the windows of the car. A smile played across his face and he said, “Hey, remember that time down by the lake…”
“What? You mean that time with the ducks?”
“Yeah.” He let out a tiny laugh. “They were after the sandwiches an—“, the alarm on his phone began to sound. “It’s time,” he said.
Without a word, she reached into the back seat and grabbed a small duffle packed with all the things she’d need. As she turned back around, he pulled her to him and kissed her. She looked at him for a moment. Then she got out of the car and walked through the pouring rain to the door of the building. He watched her all the way, until she disappeared inside. Then he turned and sat there, watching the rain on the car windows. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74071 | Fast Food Art vs. Slow Food Art
Marc Trujillo
14522 Burbank Boulevard
Oil on Aluminum, 2010
25 x 32"
Courtesy of the Artist
Ever since I discovered it, I have been having a blast playing The Association Game (t.a.g.) at the website. Soduko just doesn't do it for me -- my mind isn't rational enough -- but I can spend all morning thinking about "t.a.g." which is a kind of online party game in which artniks like myself post chains of images connected by any associations that may pop into our picture laden minds. Since I have what someone once told me is a "cocktail party mind" that loves analogies, anecdotes and unexpected connections, the game suits me to a T.
After a recent mental workout playing t.a.g. I clicked into artist Mark Trujillo's bracing exhibition at Open Museum and found myself staring at an image I found intriguing and more than a little bit strange. Titled simply 14522 Burbank Boulevard the painting depicts a scene that is, at first, utterly familiar: A KFC franchise, lit from within, sitting semi-forlornly on a Southern California street corner. After mulling over Trujillo's painting I asked myself "What other image does this one connect to for me?" The answer to my personal game of t.a.g., surprising even me at first, was a Dutch Baroque painting of a butcher's stall crammed with fresh meat.
Allow me explain...
Peter Aertsen
Butcher's Stall with the Flight into Egypt
Oil on wood panel, 1551
123.3 x 150 cm (48.5 x 59")
University Art Collections, Uppsala University, Sweden
Peter Aertsen's masterpiece Butcher's Stall with the Flight into Egypt foregrounds a riveting display of meat. When I show the painting to my art history students I often hear groans of disgust: they like their raw meat to be shrink-wrapped on a foam tray. The image, with its un-plucked fowls, beef head ecorche, intestine-cased sausages, and blood puddings, is an essay in carnality, and it has the stink of death as well. If a stall like the one Aertsen depicts were to appear in my neighborhood the children would run screaming into their tract homes, and the health department would shut the place down in fifteen minutes flat.
Once my students settle down, I tell them that in the 16th century this image was meant to display so many culinary delights that it crossed the line into suggesting gluttony. The Dutch of this era must have been rather like Picasso who once said that as a child he thought of the butcher shop as a candy store. Think of this butcher's stall, I urge my class, as being crammed with delights: it was the Costco meat section of its time.
Fast-forwarding 459 years to Trujillo's image, I find myself thinking that one of our cultural values about food is that we want all traces of carnality erased. The architecture of the KFC store isn't meant to display food, but rather to hide it until it is served. What we get is a red and white box, part mortuary, and part circus tent, with the fryers and refrigerators sequestered in a windowless kitchen. Imagine your shock if you were to drive down Burbank Blvd, glance into the windows of KFC, and see an actual dead chicken -- like the one in the Butcher's Stall -- laid out on the formica counter between the cash registers.
Of course, the gay red and white striping on the roof adds a nice carnival touch. Is it worth mentioning that "carne vale," the late Latin expression that evolved into the word "carnival" means "farewell to meat." Carnivals were the last chance to pig out before Lent.
Seeing it from the street, none of us would even know that KFC was serving chicken if it weren't for the logo of the Colonel, an icon in vacuum formed plastic, lit from behind by fluorescent bulbs. The glyph of his beaming face is there to make us all children again: we are meant to want to sit in his lap under a massive oak, feasting on chicken and licking our fingers.
In Aertsen's time "logos" meant the word of God, and "icons" were religious works of art whose subjects were venerated saints or other holy figures. His world was steeped in religion the way that ours is steeped in commerce, and I tend to think that any by the time that any person, actual or invented, becomes the symbol of an American corporation they have achieved a kind of contemporary sainthood. Colonel Sanders, once a real man, has been given a fast-food apotheosis, and in his immortality we idealize him, as we do all saints. What kind of cynic would point out that "Kentucky Colonel" was only an honorary title, and that Harland Sanders, who lied about his age to enlist in the army, had only achieved the rank of private?
If you are wondering why my essay has veered from food to saints, you should know that Aertsen's abbatoir frames the image of an actual saint, if there is such a thing. Between the side of beef and the hanging pig's head you can just make out the figure of the Virgin, a charitable woman who gives alms to the poor even as she flees to Egypt.
Above: Detail of Aertsen's "Butchers Stall"
So let's see if I can sort all this out: Colonel Sanders is a fast food saint, while the Virgin is a moral figure from a slow food world. Of course the Colonel was not really a Colonel and the Virgin had a son, but let's not go there. The dizzying contrasts -- and surprising connections -- continue to multiply as these images are compared.
Two icons: The Colonel and the Virgin
Mary, it seems, is there to remind us of the need for charity in an atmosphere of glut. I don't think I want to shop at a stable where flies are buzzing around the meat, but the more I think about it I like Aertsen's world, with its warning of excess and inclination towards generosity, better than the stark one Trujillo has pointed out to me. Speaking for myself, I am certainly ready for less processed food and more altruism.
Our world seems to be one where we fear the image of death so much, that we insist our chicken be presented to us in a bucket or pulverized into nuggets. Does anyone else worry that our inclination to erase the presence of death from our food establishments is the flip side of a warlike society?
Two images of chicken, 459 years apart...
The Butcher Stall is a grim painting -- at least by our standards -- because of its honesty about death. Come to think of it, Marc Trujillo's painting precisely shares this quality of candor even as it describes a radically different culture. It is also a realist painting that quietly makes a moral commentary.
Maybe I am seeing more in his painting than Marc Trujillo had in mind, but his image of KFC on Burbank Boulevard looks more and more spiritual over time. That must be why I thought of the Butcher Stall when I saw it. In his disciplined, tightly focused painting I see a world where a the reality of death is carefully sanitized and packaged for us while a plastic saint smiles. If that sounds depressing -- and it does -- lift your eyes up to the wonderful twilight sky above the KFC roofline. Is that the polluted LA sky or a glimpse of heaven? Or both?
Does anyone else think that the single street light above KFC could be a stand-in for the star of Bethlehem? If so, t.a.g. you are it!
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74075 | 19 1And Joab was told, “Behold, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.” 2So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people. For the people heard it said that day, “The king is grieved for his son.” 3And the people [H]stole back into the city that day, as people who are ashamed steal away when they flee in battle. 4But the king covered his face, and the king cried out with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!” 5Then Joab came into the house to the king, and said, “Today you have disgraced all your servants who today have saved your life, the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives and the lives of your concubines, 6in that you love your enemies and hate your friends. For you have declared today that you [I]regard neither princes nor servants; for today I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died today, then it would have pleased you well. 7Now therefore, arise, go out and speak [J]comfort to your servants. For I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, not one will stay with you this night. And that will be worse for you than all the evil that has befallen you from your youth until now.” 8Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And they told all the people, saying, “There is the king, sitting in the gate.” So all the people came before the king. For everyone of Israel had fled to his tent. David Returns to Jerusalem 9Now all the people were in a dispute throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “The king saved us from the hand of our enemies, he delivered us from the hand of the Philistines, and now he has fled from the land because of Absalom. 10But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. Now therefore, why do you say nothing about bringing back the king?” 11So King David sent to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, ‘Why are you the last to bring the king back to his house, since the words of all Israel have come to the king, to his very house? 12You are my brethren, you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?’ 13And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of the army before me [K]continually in place of Joab.’ ” 14So he swayed the hearts of all the men of Judah, just as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the king: “Return, you and all your servants!” 15Then the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to escort the king across the Jordan. 16And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David. 17There were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over the Jordan before the king. 18Then a ferryboat went across to carry over the king’s household, and to do what he thought good. David’s Mercy to Shimei Now Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king when he had crossed the Jordan. 19Then he said to the king, “Do not let my lord [L]impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did on the day that my lord the king left Jerusalem, that the king should take it to heart. 20For I, your servant, know that I have sinned. Therefore here I am, the first to come today of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.” 21But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, “Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the Lord’s anointed?” 22And David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today I am king over Israel?” 23Therefore the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king swore to him. David and Mephibosheth Meet 24Now Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. And he had not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he returned in peace. 25So it was, when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, “Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?” 26And he answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go to the king,’ because your servant is lame. 27And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king, but my lord the king is like the angel of God. Therefore do what is good in your eyes. 28For all my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king. Yet you set your servant among those who eat at your own table. Therefore what right have I still to [M]cry out anymore to the king?” 29So the king said to him, “Why do you speak anymore of your matters? I have said, ‘You and Ziba divide the land.’ ” 30Then Mephibosheth said to the king, “Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house.” David’s Kindness to Barzillai 31And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went across the Jordan with the king, to escort him across the Jordan. 32Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man. 33And the king said to Barzillai, “Come across with me, and I will provide for you while you are with me in Jerusalem.” 34But Barzillai said to the king, “How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? 35I am today eighty years old. Can I discern between the good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king? 36Your servant will go a little way across the Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with such a reward? 37Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.” 38And the king answered, “Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you. Now whatever you request of me, I will do for you.” 39Then all the people went over the Jordan. And when the king had crossed over, the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own place. The Quarrel About the King 40Now the king went on to Gilgal, and [N]Chimham went on with him. And all the people of Judah escorted the king, and also half the people of Israel. 41Just then all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, “Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king, his household, and all David’s men with him across the Jordan?” 42So all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is a close relative of ours. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?” 43And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, “We have ten shares in the king; therefore we also have more right to David than you. Why then do you despise us—were we not the first to advise bringing back our king?” Yet the words of the men of Judah were [O]fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
Can i read the Bible on my phone/tablet?
Selected Verses |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74081 | Rednak watched the celebrations from the window of his bedroom. The night sky pulsed with light and a torch-lit parade filled the street below. Even with the window closed, the sounds of laughter and music from the procession permeated the room as the people walked by. They were accompanied by marching bands and mobile displays depicting the historical event. Rednak should have been down there marching with them but this was the night he had chosen to tell his parents the truth. The irony had been lost on him until the moment the words left his lips and his father’s face began to contort in anger.
What are you? Some kind of freak? Rednak’s face flushed and he looked away, unable to face the wrath in his father’s eyes. The words clung to him, sucking on his resolve like a parasite, and he imagined himself shrivelling under the heat of the scandal he was bringing to his family.
He breathed in deeply in an effort to shore up his determination. No, Rednak countered, he had done nothing wrong. He began to shake with rage and clenched his fists. He had known the trouble it would cause but he could no longer hide the truth and he resented being made to feel guilty for what he was.
I’m as tolerant as the next, his father had continued, but this? This is just wrong. It’s perverse! You’re not like that! That’s not how you were brought up! You’re my son!
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74084 | Seleccionar página
Vine wine drip with initials
White metal wine drip with elaborate copper vine detail design and initials plate. It has a black felt liner and will fit most flange bottles.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74129 | Monday, September 29, 2014
The Hoja at War
This image of Nasreddin Hoja at war comes from a 1952 publication called Kore Kahramanları (Heroes of Korea) celebrating Turkish-American friendship and the NATO alliance. By way of advice the Hoja offers the United Nations a piece of cold war wisdom so seemingly absurd that in other situations might be put in his mouth as a form of satire. Here, though, he seems completely earnest in advising: If you want peace, prepare for war.
For more Nasredding Hoja coverage, check out A Very Hojja Christmas. For more Cold War maps, here's some anti-communist propaganda, more anti-communist propaganda, and plans for defending against a Soviet invasion. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74142 | You Listening to Me
Favorite Robert De Niro Movies
There are kids that grow up and think of Robert De Niro as the guy from Last Vegas and Dirty Grandpa. This episode is for them, we list our favorite five movies from the Master of Madness-the guy from Grudge Match.
Movies On UP! is on Stitcher!
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74154 | Write a term paper for me
Write a term paper for me - = past situation actually happened, we use although or, less formally, we can use in your text. But you didnt know cpr. Have a draft outline to help parents or she can be performed at sundays service. C they provide food to their less able to do so is to persuade and convince.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74198 | Play house
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74210 | Family ‘diversity’ unpacked
MercatorNet 9 July 2008 Dale O’Leary is the author of The Gender Agenda and One Man, One Woman: A Catholic’s Guide to Defending Marriage. To pretend that all families are equal denies the truth of the child’s experience… The diversity troops want to force educators, students, and parents to pretend that there is no difference […]
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74220 | Parashat Miketz: Wisdom and Vigor
[Tal Chermon p. 92]
Pharaoh publicly installed Yosef as ruler of Egypt: "He had him [Yosef] ride in his second royal chariot and they proclaimed before him 'Avrech'" (Bereshit 41:43). What is the meaning of this title? The Targum Onkelos interprets it as "father (i.e. counselor to the king)." Yosef is the spiritual father, the source of the Divine ideals and culture of the king. He is above the king. Once the king is affiliated with and guided by holy principles, he can then set about organizing and arranging the practical aspects of existence virtuously and properly. Rabbi Yehudah explained the word as a combination of two words "Av" meaning that he is a "father" of wisdom despite being only "Rach" – "tender" and "young" in age. Older people generally have the advantage of wisdom and experience, but they lack the dynamic energy of youth. With the youth, the situation is reversed. There is a popular saying: "If only the elderly 'could' and the young 'understood.'" The ideal situation is when these two forces, wisdom and capability, are present in one person. Yosef was a "young-elder": as wise as an older person and full of youthful vigor. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74243 | Wednesday, 25 December 2019
Lorem Ipsum: filler text in Word
A few years ago, I wrote a brief blog post explaining how to insert pig-Latin text into MS Office documents (here), but thought I would expand on it.
Often called "Lorem Ipsum", filler text is used to show what a layout or template will look like in its finished form, before you have any actual text to put into the file. I remember getting sheets of Letraset transfers which used this text... ah, the days before computers were ubiquitous.
To get a Lorem Ipsum phrase, you simply type into Word or Publisher or Adobe programmes the code "=lorem(5,10)" which will give you five paragraphs of filler text spanning ten lines.
So why "Lorem Ipsum"? Well, apparently the use of these phrases arose from the early stages of typesetting in the 1500s, where a printer wanted to show off their variety of typesetting faces. Walsh (1996) says that:
Richard McClintock, publication director at the Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, [...] had enlightening news: "Lorem ipsum is [L]atin, slightly jumbled, the remnants of a passage from Cicero's "de Finibus".
"Dolorem Ipsum" means "pain in and of itself", from a once very widely-known treatise by Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum. The actual phase is "Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit...", which translates as (Walsh, 1996):
"There is no one who loves pain itself, who seeks after it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain" (McClintock, n.d., attributed to Pali, as cited by Walsh, 1996)
However, this is not what it actually means, because the Lorem Ipsum Latin is all up the pole, actually translating as (Flood, 2014, citing Boparai):
Can we assume that because everyone who was learned at the time knew their Cicero, that was why this text was chosen to showcase the printer's talent? If so, then it is a bit like the grocer's apostrophe... Here, let me show you my Latin knowledge... oops (smirks from all the learned people who truly knew their Latin). However, as Lorem Ipsum only got popular last century, I wonder how much of this story really is accurate.
Ah, well.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74292 | The Lord of Thousand Moons
Programme Schedule
Reports and Images
Sahasra Poornachandra Darshanam - an overview
Learning Sri Rudram in Rudra's Presence!
23rd Nov... Why is it so special?
A Mirror of the Moon
Everyday is My Birthday
Happy Birthday - Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1978
Sai tale from Arkansas
A Celestial Wedding and twilight music extravaganza
Published on Wed, Nov 17, 2008 at 23.00 Hrs.IST
Rukmini Kalyanam
The afternoon function for this day, 17th evening, was held at Sai Kulwant Hall. Bhagawan came to the Hall at 5.25 p.m. and went round the Hall to the delight of the huge gathering. The arrangement of idols for this evening’s programme, Rukmini Kalyanam (marriage of Rukmini with Lord Krishna) was Lord Krishna’s idol placed on a pedestal on one side, decorated in all splendour and His consorts Rukmini, Sathyabhama on another pedestal, on the other side. The celestial wedding was performed in the traditional manner with all its piety. The priests continuously chanted Vedic Mantras as the divine marriage was being performed. The Mangalasutrams (Mangalasutram means an auspicious thread or cord or gold necklace) for the celestial wedding was first shown by a priest to the entire audience on either side. Then the gold necklaces were placed on the arm of Lord Krishna. After some time, the necklaces were removed and worn round the neck of Rukmini and Sathyabhama. Thus, the ceremonial wedding was performed to the thunderous applause of devotees. Flower garlands were exchanged between the idols of Sri Krishna and Rukmini and Sathyabhama.
After this, there was a brief period of chanting of Sama Veda by the priests. Mahamangala Arati was offered to the idols at the end of this ceremony. The priests chanted Vedic Mantras religiously standing in front of Sai Krishna. Bhagavan blessed the priests with mementoes. He then materialised a gold chain for the head priest of the Yajna, Sri Lakshminarayana Somayaji. Bhagawan went amidst the priests of the Yajna.
Ms. Mahalakshmi Iyer’s Concert
There were two concerts for the evening session, the first of them was by Ms. Mahalakshmi Iyer & Troupe, the second was by Malladi Brothers. Ms. Mahalakshmi Iyer sang her songs in the Hindustani classical style of music. She began her performance with a Marathi song, a song dedicated to Lord Ganesha and Guru (preceptor). It was a Tukaram Abhang (is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu God Vitthala also known as Vithoba. Abhangs were first sung by Tukaram in his native language, Marathi). Her second song, a Mira Bhajan was sung with deep feelings of devotion. The lyrics of the song ran thus, “Whatever anyone may, I have given my heart to Lord Krishna. My mind which was hitherto in slumber was suddenly woken up after hearing the name of the Sadguru. Her third song was a composition for occasion, Sahasra Poorna Chandra Darshana Mahotsavam, the meaning of which was, “As long as there is water in the Ganges, may the Lord Sathya Sai live!). Whatever the world may say, I should always love and worship You. I should always cling on to Your Lotus Feet.” “Rama Ka Gun Gan Kariye …” was the next song. The song, Bhaje Murliyan …was enjoyed by one and all. The song, “Damadam Mast Kalandar …” enlivened interest in the audience. One could see the audience joyfully clapping to the song. At the end of Ms. Mahalakshmi Iyer’s concert, Bhagawan gave clothes to her and her accompanying artistes.
Malladi Brothers’ Brief Performance
The Carnatic music duo Malladi Brothers along with their father who performed on the evening of 16th were given another chance on this evening too. Starting their performance with “Radha Sameta Krishna …”, they followed it up with a livelier song, “Shambo Mahadeva ...” in Panthuvarali raga. This song won the plaudits of the audience in good measure. Prasadam was distributed to all the devotees in the end. The Arati for this memorable day was offered at 8.10 p.m. Thus, concluded the grand and glorious Sahasra Poorna Chandra Darshana Mahotsavam festival which will ever remain etched in the hearts of everyone at Prasanthi Nilayam. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74298 | Have an argument with your racist uncle? Idiot co-worker keep putting up xenophobic memes on their Facebook wall? This page will help gather links and facts to counter their stupid position.
Note: This page is a work in progress. Lot’s of policies to review.
Policy Effect on Economy
This is a list of policies that we have analyzed so far. Each policy includes the total estimated cost over 10 years in billions, if the savings is a negative number then there is a cost.
Note: Trump made a change to his tax reform plan which will result in the modification of the economic impact. Review to come shortly.
Policy Low-End Savings High-End Savings
Tax Reform $-4,400.00 billion $-5,900.00 billion
Immigration Reform $-227.45 billion $-227.45 billion
The Great Wall of Trump $-32.50 billion $-32.50 billion
Abolish the Environmental Protection Agency *$-175.69 billion *$-1,098.83 billion
Obamacare $673.00 billion $673 billion
Total $-4,162.64 billion $-6,585.78 billion
* A non-official estimate.
At the cost of 37 million people.
Non-Economic Policies
Believe Me!
Nuclear Proliferation
Radical Islam and The Age of Terror
Trump University |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74310 | Best Yoga Poses to Control Asthma
Asthma is an illness caused by genetic or environmental factors, sometimes the combination of both. Asthma literally means panting. Asthma patients have a difficulty in breathing and often experience the shortness of breath.
It also causes a feeling of tightness in the chest. The most troubling problem of asthma is coughing. The coughing takes place from the lungs and is very difficult to bring up. The slight change in environmental temperature or difference in a range of altitude gives an attack to the asthma patient. This chronic asthma can be treated and controlled with a good routine of yoga. Here are some of the best yoga poses to control asthma.
Garudasana (Eagle Pose)
To achieve this pose, stand with your knees slightly bent. This is similar to the standing position of Tadasana. Lift your left foot up and cross it over your right foot maintaining the balance of the entire body on the right foot. Spread your arms parallel to the ground and support the right arm on the left and gasp them together pointing towards the sky. It will appear like a twist. Stay in this position for 15 to 30 seconds. Due to the stretching out of shoulders, more space is made available to the lungs and hence this ensures good respiration.
Artha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose)
In this pose, you have to sit erect on the ground with your legs in front of your body. Gently slide your left leg under your right leg by bending the knee. And then bend your right knee and step your right leg over the bent leg and make it stand. Inhale and place your left hand folded in the elbow on the right knee which is pointing towards the sky. Place the right hand on the backside of the body, on the ground. Exhale and turn your head in both the directions –front and back, one by one. Stay in this pose for 30 to 50 seconds, relax and repeat. This will give a twist to your spine helping it to relax all its muscles which is beneficial for asthma.
Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose)
This asana of yoga to control asthma is the one that requires dedication to achieve. Lie down in Virasana. Make your upper body recline in a backward direction and ensure that the back properly rests on the floor. As the pose virasana includes bending of legs in a backward direction, carefully perform this act otherwise you might end up having a muscular pain. The arms should be properly rested on the floor with the arms facing towards the ground. This asana strengths and stretches your spine and is thus beneficial.
Makarasana (Crocodile Pose)
In this pose, lie down on your stomach. Relax your body and keep your legs in a straight line. Gasp your palms together and place your face on the palms with your eyes closed. Stay in this position for 5 minutes. This pose can be done as a relaxation pose between other asanas as it relaxes your mind and is therapeutic to your body.
Makara Adho Mukha Svanasana (Dolphin Plank Pose)
In this pose, lie down on your stomach and slowly acquire the plank pose. Lift your body up resting on your palms and feet. The feet should be well aligned on the ground and should rest in perpendicular to it. The hands should form an L-shape with the arm at 90 degrees to the ground. Take deep breathes for a minute. This pose strengthens the chest and hence enables to better breathing habits. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74316 | February 1, 2014
Just married...22 years ago.
Look, I did all the lettering by hand...
And these were our thank-you cards for the guests.
Someday I'll draw the story of how we met in London.
1. Love you both! Happy Anniversary! Wishing you years and years of hugs, giggles and *ahem* use of good hands!
2. Happy Anniversary! I wish you both many more happy years filled with love, laughs and health :)
3. One month of dating! Amazeballs! Cingrats
4. This made me tear up. We talk about how Gerri gets to go before me, but I get to go two days later, because it would be too hard to go on. I hope I can hold out that long. I wish you both all of the happiness that's available to two people. Hugs.
5. I really hope I'm still this loved up in 22 years!
Congratulations for sticking at it though thick and thin in a culture where 'disposable' has even extended to relationships....you're an inspiration :)
1. When you meet the nicest person ever, prolly a good idea to marry them. I always like it when you stop by to say hi, Jo.
6. alexandra sent me over...reading down i stopped here...its a cool story you have...wow that was a quick engagement...our was at night months...though i had the ring for a good 4 months prior to that...ha...it is cool..congrats you two
1. Hi Brian, really, you kept the ring for 4 months, and didn't lose it or anything? I tease.
You should know that I gave a lecture at a college this past week; the topic was empathy in blogging. At the end I named 7 blogs worth checking out and yours was one of them.
7. This particular created me personally rip upward. All of us discuss exactly how Gerri reaches proceed prior to me personally, however We reach proceed 2 times later on, simply because it might be way too hard to take. I really hope I will hold on which lengthy. We desire both of you all the joy which can be found in order to a couple. Hugs.
buy fifa 14 coins
Buy ESO Gold
fifa coins online |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74332 | Hunter Pedagogy: Why the Unskilled are Unaware
Some of us like to be prepared
The other day, I was re-reading a popular essay, titled Why the Unskilled Are Unaware: Further Explorations of (Absent) Self-Insight Among the Incompetent (here), which got me thinking about some of the requests for hunter help I get, on this sight or in general forums.
The common request tends to be something like: "I'm doing my rotation right so I know that's not the problem; will you look at my gear to tell me how to do more DPS?" Of course many are more nuanced than that, but several times I've seen someone write that they know they are doing their rotation correctly. In a totally unscientific, anecdotal study based on a sample size of "those I can recall off the top of my head", hunters tend to analyze their own performance exactly in correlation with each of the five studies shown in Why the Unskilled.
This is, of course, exactly what we would expect (we being, anyone who's read that essay, or others on the same subject); the popular reasoning being that the less skilled you are at playing a hunter, the less able you'll be to adequately evaluate your play.
A popular youtuber, on the channel Veritasium, wrote his phd dissertation in science education on a similar subject. His basic point (if I may be so bold as to boil down years of research into a few words) was:
People generally overestimate how much they know about a subject, or how much they understand how something works. Because of that, when presented with new information on a subject, they will assume the data support their previously held view, instead of considering whether or not the data challenges that view. Therefore, educators must first convince someone that they are misunderstanding a topic before they can teach them to understand it differently.
This seems to be the biggest problem with trying to teach someone "how to hunter": most players are already convinced that they're playing the best way possible, they just don't have the right gear, or don't have the best pet for the DPS.
Self - Analysis
The reason I brought all of this up, is not only because I want to complain about people asking for help, but at least somewhat, because I'm curious how often I'm suffering from the same problem. I can think of several occasions where I've been raiding with another hunter who out-dps'ed me, and of course my first thought isn't "I should look at their log and see what I could have done better" it's "they must have had better RNG than I". There's obvious dissonance between my analysis of myself and my actual performance.
One of the conclusions from Why the Unskilled... was that there is a causal relationship between how well students adjudicate themselves (or how not overconfident they are) and being taught that intelligence, or traits are malleable. That is, if a student believes that there are some people who are just good at math, and some who aren't, then they're very likely to think they're performing better at math than they actually are; whereas a student who believes that "good at math" is something you can learn is much more likely to have an accurate impression of their own abilities.
I've been trying to imagine how this could apply to playing a hunter. Is it the case that people who say things like "I know my rotation is right, so why is my dps so low?" believe that people are either good at video game or not, instead of believing it's something you learn and get better at? That's certainly conceivable.
Inward Analysis vs Outward Presentation
One of the largest problems for young hunters out there, I'd imagine, is segregating self-analysis from how we present ourselves to others. That is to say, while it is demonstrably true that the more over-confident we are, the harder it is to improve, it also seems to be the case that the more over-confident we appear, the more people trust you know what you're doing.
If you're playing WoW at any sort of competitive level, the vast majority of raid leaders won't know how to play your class, so if you say you know what you're doing confidently and can provide at least a little explanations, they'll tend to believe you and think you're a good player. This is very unfortunate then, for raid leaders hoping to be good at recruiting, as the opposite tends to actually be true.
While I tend to think that being duped by the presentation of confidence is a sign of a bad leader (whether in game or out) it's still a reality that most players will have to deal with. If we're actually trying to get better though, the trick seems to be to learn to segregate the confidence you need to present in order to be given a chance, and the realistic self-analysis you need to improve as a player.
Getting the Message Across
The main point of me writing this down, other than simply because I like thinking about interesting things, is I'm curious if we need a new approach to hunter guide writing. Perhaps one that doesn't just say "this is your rotation" but says "this is how to think about rotations". I've been a bit cautious of employing that sort of writing anywhere but on this blog (which has a much more particular reader base than, for example, the WHU, who, I hope, are more interested in the theory behind things than simply the results) because I know I've been frustrated when playing other games very casually, and I simply want a quick easy answer on "the best X, Y and Z". But I'm certainly curious if it's been a disservice to those reading the guides.
How to actually write guides that are both challenging in that manner, and accessible is currently beyond my knowledge of pedagogy. It is, however, definitely something I'm interested in, both because I want to be an effectual guide writer, and I want to improve as a player.
1. Nice post. My day job is teaching so I could relate. One of the hardest parts of teaching is breaking down false preconceptions.
2. Typo: It should be manner, NOT manor :P
Speaking as someone who's questioned the use of Guides in their current form, I think I'd like to see changes based on how people assimilate information. I'm not sure you're ever going to find a way to deal with players self-perception, however :D
1. ha. You don't think I should write guides that are challenging in a mansion somewhere? :-P
3. I think a lot of the problem comes down to the hunter class being "simple" as in there is a clear cut what should be done. When people read a guide and see the clear cut what should be done they think they know how to do it because "I know the rotation".
Knowing and doing are two completely different things. I "know" how to do my rotation, I probably babble about it in my sleep because I am always thinking how I can do it better, but the fact I "know" it does not mean I can not pick out at least a dozen times I could have done something better on even the best pull I ever had.
Sometimes it is gear. Secondary stats mean a lot and two people in similar gear item levels can have extremely different results. Sometimes it is luck of the proc. The difference between a lucky pull and an unlucky one can really be huge, even more so if it is a short fight and you have horrid luck on the pull. There are many reasons why someone that "knows" their rotation could be doing less than they expect to do. But in the right here and the right now you can do nothing to change your gear or your luck, so you have to try and fix what you can fix, and that is your rotation because no matter how good you are and no matter how well you "know" your rotation, you can always get better.
Three weeks in a row I had someone ask me in the LFR "you don't need anything from here, so why are you here" and I have said "to practice".
If someone really wants to get better that is the best answer to give. Practice. Even after you know your rotation and are mumbling it in your sleep, keep practicing. No matter how good you are there is always room to get better.
I am the exact opposite of you because I never think "they got lucky" and I always think "they are better than me, what can I learn from them". When I see someone do better than me the first thing I do is look at their gear and logs. I want to see what they are doing that I didn't, or if there might be another reason I am doing less (as in they are in all mythic gear or something). I love when I see a hunter with less gear doing better than me, now that is a teaching tool for sure. I have learned a lot reading what other people do.
I once considered writing a guide but I figured that was well covered, and I am the exact opposite of someone that should write a guide. While I believe I am competent as a hunter, I do not believe I am good enough of one to teach others, I am still learning. But I think why I never wrote one is more that I am extremely long winded, tend to go into excruciating detail, and believe that no one would really ever read anything like that.
I personally like the simple guides. Anyone that really wants to improve will look at those, read all the variables to the guides (such as procs, trinkets, interactions otherwise) and then practice until their confident they are doing well. Once they are confident they are doing well, tell them to practice some more because you can always get better.
1. Well, you might not consider them "guides" exactly, but I definitely re-read some of your posts, over and over. How to Teach a Rotation (i think that's what it was called) was one of the best guides I've ever read. I still send lots of hunters to read it, even if a lot of the particulars are outdated, the theory is great.
As for the "they got lucky" thing, man I wish I could get that out of my head. It's a huge hindrance to getting better, but no matter how hard I try, there's that little voice of pride in my head. I heard this story about Jimi Hendrix (I have no idea if it's even a little bit true, but maybe), that well after he was famous and a well established guitar god, he would go divey little bars to see any blues bands he could find, and when confronted about this, he said something like, no matter their skill level, if someone is really passionate about the guitar, then I can learn something from them. I'd love to have that attitude about, well, everything.
"While I believe I am competent as a hunter, I do not believe I am good enough of one to teach others, I am still learning." That's exactly why I like your guides! The best teachers, I think, are those who are really excited about the subject, and are thus still passionate enough about learning themselves, that it makes you want to learn about the subject too. Co-discovery is much more effective than lecturing, I'd wager. I hope that's the spirit of this blog, at least.
I don't think I mentioned this above, but the part of the essay I was quoting, was that the opposite is also true. Less skilled/knowledgeable people tend to think they're much better than they are, but also, the most skilled/knowledgeable people tend to underestimate themselves. One explanation is that for the most skilled people, when things feel "easy" to them, they assume it must be easy for everyone else, too, so they don't think they've done anything special, and furthermore, they're smart enough to know how much they don't know. So the more you know your rotation/priorities, you start not noticing the things that used to be really difficult, all the while noticing more all the mistakes you made.
There's another psych theory, which doesn't necessarily seem to be congruent, but anyway, it's called the 4 stages of competence, those being: Unconscious Incompetence, where someone doesn't understand something or recognize that there's something they don't understand; Conscious Incompetence, when someone doesn't understand something, but recognizes that they don't understand it; Conscious Competence, when someone knows how to do something, but demonstrating the skill requires concentration, or thinking about it, that is, they're aware of every step they're doing; and Unconscious Competence, where someone has so much practice with a skill that it feels like "second nature" and they are able to do it without concentration, and without even recognizing all the steps they're taking (hopefully my RL, who told me about this, will comment on here and correct me if I explained that wrong). Anyhow, as raiders we want to get to that last level of competence, where your rotation feels like second nature; however, the best teachers tend to be those who are at the third level, because they are aware of all the effort it takes, and every step you need to perform.
My point is, Mike Jordan is obviously the greatest basketball player ever, but that doesn't mean he'd be a great coach. Wait, what was I talking about? probably not basketball...
2. It took me a while to get there, but I'm just like you Grumpy. When I see another hunter rocking out I think, "Whoah this person is skilled." I think some of the disconnect is players "learn" their rotation on a training dummy where nothing is happening. They should be learning it where you and I both practice: easier level raids. I'm currently working to get better at DPS while not getting pinned by Beast Lord (getting out of bad is NOT my forte).
Oh gear. People always want to blame their gear. I was no different for a while. I got lucky. For about 3 years I was on a team with a very skilled hunter. I had better gear and he did more dps consistently. It was just obvious that he's a better raider than me. We had a very productive rivalry that made us both better in the end, but whenever someone tied to "play the gear card" as we used to say, we would tell them to compare our gear and dps. Gear just wasn't an acceptable excuse on that team. If your ilvl was high enough to get an invite, it was too high to be blamed for poor performance.
It's pretty dated now, but when I used to have hunters insist that gear is their only issue I would ask them to read this article by Frostheim.
The last section is a pretty conclusive bit of theorycrafting against the gear argument. Better gear will help you, but not very much if you're doing fundamental stuff wrong.
3. Glad you liked the rotation one. It might be really dated now but the concept behind the post still holds as true today as the day I wrote it. It is how I try to help all the new players that come to me looking for advice.
I love Jimi, he was a guitar god for sure and that is the attitude I try to live by as well.
It is easy to write something off as "he got lucky" and sometimes that might be true. But even if he got lucky, it is worth looking closer. I actually love when someone beats me in LFR. It gives me something to look at. I get ideas on how to better play better. I do this on all my characters and it takes time but I slowly get a little better with them.
Now if only I could navigate the rogues I see doing insane numbers I just can not duplicate. That is a classic, I "know" the rotation thing, I can even do it in my sleep, but I am doing something horribly wrong. It is not a gear issue, it is a skill issue. Some people just refuse to admit that.
I am stage two on my rogue (my worst class), stage three on my hunter (my best class) I guess. I really hope I am not a stage one on any and I think I am too much of a perfectionist to ever settle into stage 4 because I over think everything.
@JC Sway
Gear does matter, but I would like to think any competent raid leader judged people based on what they do in the gear they have, not just what they do. If I see someone doing 20K when the rest of the raid is over 30K I do not think he is bad when he is in 640 gear, I think he is doing damn good. So context matters. Sadly some people just look at the bottom line and numbers are all that matters. That is why I say the role of a damage dealer is the hardest. You are judged by your numbers.
Frost wrote some really great stuff, that is for sure.
4. Well put. Gear in context does matter, especially when you're talking weapons, trinkets, set pieces. It just doesn't dictate your dps as much as most players think. Using one's cooldowns right, prepotting, talents and buffs are always going to impact your dps more than good gear.
I might try to replicate some of what Frost did in that article so I can back my opinion up better.
5. I did a test some years back about latency and you might be surprised that even a 0.1 second delay on every shot can add up to a huge DPS loss. I don't recall what it was off hand and I would have to go back and find it. But the ABCs are very important for a hunter as in Always Be Casting. Any loss of time, even a fraction of a second, can mean a huge DPS loss. That is something worth looking at if your numbers are not what you think they should be. Are you missing any shots? I always ask that question of people. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74354 | Results 1 to 3 of 3
Thread: Diagnose Engine Failure??
1. #1
Member Since
Nov 2003
2004 Frontier S/C formally '99 1174
Thanked: 0
Lightbulb Diagnose Engine Failure??
The new engine install is complete. Woo Hoo!!
I kept the old motor and I'm wondering if anyone wants to tear it down and find out what the real problem is with Isuzu blocks?? I can get a quote to ship it anywhere. I don't really want to pay for the shipping so if someone wants to take this task on to help others we may want to get donations or something.
Let me know if there is any interest in pursuing this.
2. #2
Member Since
Jun 2002
99' Astral Silver
Thanked: 0
Will you sell me the valve covers from your old engine?
I have a project in mind and I need a spare set to accomplish it
Live Free or DIE!
3. #3
Member Since
Nov 2003
2004 Frontier S/C formally '99 1174
Thanked: 0
Give me a few weeks?
I need to set aside some time to pick the old motor up from the dealer. I can only do it between 8 - 5 M thru F and that's when I work so I'll make arrangements to do it. I need to check it out to find out what is good and what's not. Then I can decide what I can get rid of. Just don't want to sell you junk valve covers if they are. I'll let you know.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74387 | World’s Strangest
Your source for the strangest things around!
Cat’s Revelation
This gif, which probably originated at 4chan, shows a cat realizing who is actually moving that feather. Oh yes, that’s anthropomorphizing, but is certainly what it looks like to us. Let’s just hope he never finds out about the laser pointer, because he might never recover! Link |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74394 | Social Icons
Thursday, August 19, 2010
New Images From The Walking Dead
With a title stating there's new images from The Walking Dead, is anyone even going to read this? This may be the biggest zombie event in history. First of all, the comics and story are amazing. They are, without a doubt, the best zombie literature you can find. Now we add what is quite possibly the best looking zombies I have seen on film? At this point, I think it will actually take effort to mess up this series.
1 comment:
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74408 | engLobos, TKozina, TOsowski, SDetection of Remote Harmonics Using SVDhttp://zet10.ipee.pwr.wroc.pl/record/24/files/The paper examines the singular value decomposition (SVD) for detection of remote harmonics in signals, in the presence of high noise contaminating the measured waveform. When the number of harmonics is very large and at the same time certain harmonics are distant from the other, the conventional frequency detecting methods are not satisfactory. The methods developed for locating the frequencies as closely spaced sinusoidal signals are appropriate tools for the investigation of power system signals containing harmonics differing significantly in their multiplicity. The SVD methods are ideal tools for such cases. To investigate the methods several experiments have been performed. For comparison, similar experiments have been repeated using the FFT with the same number of samples and sampling period. The comparison has proved an absolute superiority of the SVD for signals burried in noise. However, the SVD computation is much more complex than the FFT, and requires more extensive mathematical manipulations. 2008-03-07 |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74411 | Nipsey Hussle Created Trust Fund for His Children
photo via getty.
A source tells XXL magazine that Hussle owned all of his masters and he established a trust fund for his kids prior to his untimely death.
The family appreciates the support from fan fundraisers but they are respectfully turning the money away.
Former NFL player Reggie Bush and his wife began a GoFundMe campaign for Hussle's kids and donated $20,000 to kick it off. After hearing of the family's wishes, the fundraiser was removed.
Nina Chantele
Nina Chantele
Content Goes Here |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74412 | Covers of 2019-ish
This year blew up with cover songs!
November 1, 2019
2019 has been a big year for cover songs and I'm all about it! My favorite on the radio right now is the Meg Myers cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill". Meg stays true to the original adding a little of her own flair and honestly, these are my favorite kind of covers. The Interrupters cover of Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" is also a solid one and of course made it on our list.
This playlist was a team effort, so thank you for contributing via Facebook and Twitter!
It's titled 2019-ish because some of the covers dropped this year and some may be a little older, but we discovered them this year, so they still count. ;) Now kick back and enjoy, music lover! |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74426 | Tuesday, December 1, 2015
SolveMe Mobiles and BlockBlobs
Two activities that worked really well in class yesterday:
Mobile Balance Puzzles: from EDC
Several months ago, the great folks at EDC released SolveMe Mobiles, a collection of balance puzzles. The idea is pretty simple; you'll probably get the idea from just a couple of screenshot examples.
In many puzzles, some shape values are given and we need to find the ones that are missing so that the arms of the mobile stay in balance:
Sometimes, we are told the total weight of the shapes in the mobile. We then have to find the weights of the shapes so that the arms stay in balance:
Since we were introducing this idea for the first time, we did a simple version together, then gave the kids size more as a warm-up.
the most advanced puzzle we gave them had a side with three descending strings, like this:
We had a nice discussion about what this means: in real life, do all three of the hanging strings have to have the same value or not? What do we think for these puzzles, does it work like real life or not?
Side note: to online or offline?
For our class, we just had print-outs of the puzzles. This worked really well because it was easy for the kids to make notes and helpful drawings on the side of the pictures. The online system has a tool to write notes and draw on the screen, but it is slightly awkward to use on a desktop. Probably it works well on a tablet or smartphone.
Also, we brought out the unifix cubes as manipulatives for several of the kids to work through the puzzles. Of course, nothing would stop someone from doing the same when they are solving puzzles on a computer, but, in practice, I find that the idea just doesn't occur to them in the same way.
With the online version, you have two options that can give additional help. One is an animated test of whether the mobile is in balance. The other options shows numbers at the top of each string that represent the total weight under that position. Each of these makes the puzzle a bit easier by offering a guess-and-check strategy and a nice form of feedback.
Make your own
I always love getting kids to make their own versions of the puzzles. In the class, several of them finished a bit faster and I asked them to make puzzles for me. This feature is also built into the on-line version, which is a nice touch.
Block blobs
Our second activity of the day was Block Blobs. This comes from Beast Academy, though we made some small adjustments to their game.
The basic playing board is graph paper with a central dot. To make each game a manageable length, we split our paper into four sections for four games. Each section is about 20x30:
This was one slight deviation from the BA version: they use a 12x12 board. Each player has their own colored pencil to use as they mark out territory.
On a player's turn, they roll two dice, then they try to draw a rectangle on the board that uses those two numbers as side lengths. For their first rectangle, they have to put one of the vertices on the center dot. For all subsequent turns, their rectangle must share at least 1 unit common boundary with an existing rectangle, may not overlap any existing rectangle and may not go off the board. The growing collection of linked rectangles forms their Block Blob.
Hmm, can you spot the illegal rectangle?
Two against teacher
Play ends when one player is not able to add the required rectangle to their blob. Then, each player figures out how much area they have covered and the one who covered the most wins. To make this final calculation a bit easier, we had them write the area inside each new rectangle as they added it.
Differences with the BA version
As mentioned above, BA suggests playing on a 12x12 board. We originally thought we would us 2d10 instead, so wanted boards that were at least two times larger in each direction.
Second, we required each player to start their block blob with a vertex on the center dot. The BA version requires this of the first player, but allows the second player to start their blob anywhere on the board. Since we were using larger boards, we wanted to facilitate the issue of competing for territory by having the blobs share a vertex. Another option would be to have each player start their blob in opposite corners of the board. This idea is similar to the game Blokus.
Third, we ended play when one player could not add a required rectangle (they pass their turn). The BA version stops play only when there are 4 passes in a row (two for each player). Though seemingly subtle, this was a major change. In our version, the player who gets squeezed out, either through weak play or bad luck, doesn't get penalized as harshly as in the BA version. This turned out to be very helpful because it meant that ending scores were much closer than expected, so (a) it was actually necessary to total the areas to see who had won and (b) the loser got a pleasant surprise when they saw that they were still very close.
For what it is worth, all credit for this important rule change goes to PK!
Of course, each of the versions can make for a fun game with slightly different strategic considerations.
1. Block blobs looks like a lot of fun.
1. If you have a chance to play a couple variations, let me know how they compared for your kids. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74456 | Free Videos and Content
Below you will find free videos and other content taken from the instructional library at Adam Block Studios. They are good examples of image processing techniques as well as Adam's style of explaining them. Joining today will give you instant access to many more hours of material like the below.
In addition to the below, you will also find free content on my YouTube channel
A few of the recent uploads there include:
STAR De-Emphasis!! An Adam Block innovation.
Follow this link for a written description of Adam Block's Star De-emphasis innovative technique.
You can also view my presentation on this and other topics from my Astroimaging Channel guest appearance below. I would encourage you to watch the entire presentation... but you can also skip to the part about the technique.
Here is a video from PixInsight Fundamentals on Dynamic Background Extraction. Typically users will throw as many samples as possible on an image and attempt to flatten the field. However, with an approach as shown below, you can reproducibly model your backgrounds with DBE with fewer samples and more quickly. This video is from the "Workflow" example.
This video comes from the PixInsight Horizons collection. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74467 | OCD in Children Treatment in the North Shore, IL
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, commonly abbreviated as OCD, is a chronic anxiety disorder that causes an individual to experience an irresistible urge to do something over and over again.
OCD is more than a routine or a habit. This disorder will often disrupt a child’s daily functions since they are unable to continue with their day before submitting to their obsessions. Any sort of variance from these compulsive behaviors will cause an intense amount of stress on the individual, even if they logically realize that ignoring their urges will not be catastrophic.
What is an Obsession?
An obsession describes a repeated thought, impulse, or mental image that brings on a sudden fear or distress. Common types of obsessions in those with OCD include a need to be clean or free of contamination, a need to have items perfectly balanced and aligned, or to have unwanted thoughts of restricted topics such as sex or religion.
What is a Compulsion?
With OCD, a compulsion is the repetitive behavior that a child might feel driven to perform in response to their obsession. For example, if an individual is obsessed with contamination, their compulsion would typically involve thoroughly washing their hands or a common surface many times a day.
As a child tries to resist their compulsions, their distress can build up to a boiling point wherein it feels as though they may actually die if they do not give in to their obsessions. Submitting to the compulsion may bring a moment of relief, but this is often immediately followed by feelings of shame and guilt for being unable to resist the repetitive behaviors once again, causing a vicious and unending cycle of anxiousness.
How Does Afg Guidance Center Diagnose OCD?
Each case of obsessive-compulsive disorder is unique, even if patients share certain compulsions or obsessions. The technical definition that separates a routine habit from a compulsion is that compulsions:
• Consume at least one hour or more of the individual’s day
• Are uncontrollable
• Affect important daily functions such as social interactions or completing work
OCD is a common condition that affects a small percentage of the entire population. Those afflicted with this disorder will usually exhibit symptoms during childhood, but will not be diagnosed until their late teenage years. Screenings for OCD are very helpful at identifying key signs of the condition earlier in life, which can help individuals to develop and maintain positive coping mechanisms for their obsessions.
What Treatment Options Are There for OCD?
It is common practice to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder with a combination of medications and therapy. It may be necessary to try a few different medications in order to identify which one(s) work best for your child.
There are also a few different methodologies regarding therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Much of this will revolve around helping the patient develop proper coping skills when they encounter an obsession and feel the urge to respond with their compulsion. Both cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) have proven highly effective in dealing with the symptoms of OCD.
Schedule an Appointment
If you believe your child is displaying OCD like behaviors, contact Afg Family in Kenilworth, IL today. To schedule an appointment, call our office at (847) 853-0234. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74500 | Faces wrapped in blank expressions Unusual mist is an impediment to the vision Labouring to recognize another apparition Feet used to the daily grind of Life Everyone capitulating to the superficial duties Original ideas of life on an anonymous detour When the mind is occupied with banality Relentlessly trying to connect the dots of existence Even though most of the dots are missing Stretching our imagination … Continue reading Everyday |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74501 | The Boy
The boy could only stand between the light source to cast a feeble shadow on the ground. His silence was perceived to be his weakness, and his slender structure was inappropriate for the chaotic world. A world that plunges into a dangerous phase of conflicts that swallow the bravest. His eyes swallow the dangerous images in a stoic manner. Benumbed by the repeated lashes of … Continue reading The Boy
Lingering Chaos
There is a certain degree of honesty that cannot be repressed when it involves something controversial. That controversy may arise from cumulative negative behaviour. Curiosity about the controversial characters and their deeds become fodder for the minds. The best part about these controversies is that they can be chewed upon longer. Negativity is extremely resilient and supposedly has the secret juice to keep the minds … Continue reading Lingering Chaos |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74506 | I have a brand new Samsung 128GB EVO Micro SDXC for use with my Note 4. I did get it from eBay, but it came in actual Samsung packaging and looks legit. If it's a fake, they did a hell of a job. I formatted it on my Mac in good ol' FAT 32 and copied about 70 gig of music over with a USB adapter, then reinstalled in my phone. Using DoubleTwist, suddenly I only had folders in the 0 - C title range, all else has been deleted. Also, certain mp3 tracks within those retained music folders wouldn't show as playable, the "unknown file format error" yet all of these files are good ol' mp3 files..When viewing the files in Android File Transer, they look just fine. Coping them BACK from the card to my Mac, they're unplayable, and VLC says they're "undf", so perhaps corrupt.
So I get frustrated and reload the missing D - Z files (several hour copy processe), reload my phone and use the generic "music" player by Samsung. Now I've got 0 - D folders, nothing else! I've also tried VLC (won't load!) and PowerAmp, these 'unknown' mp3 are still unplayable. I don't see how the card is bad, as it was brand new in the OEM packaging. Should I just reformat again and try again? Just so strange how it retains some folders in alphabetical order then gives up on down the list...? Thank you, Aaron
What about you try and format it on the tablet itself instead of formatting it elsewhere.
sdxc's I believe are catchy and not compatible with every hardware. While you did format it your Mac I have no idea what was the default allocation size of the cluster and the tablet might not like that.
Also check that the card is firmly inserted in its place.
But before anything else... Check that your Samsung Tab 4 actually supports 128Gb card since my guess is that it doesn't but only 64 - check their specs.
• Thanks gitr. It's the Samsung Note 4, not the tablet. Yes, it supports up to 128 gb. I did originally format it on the phone, but it put it in a format that OS X couldn't recognize, some sort of windows based, perhaps exFat, I don't recall. Granted, this is an old MBP running OS X 10.6.8 – Aaron Feb 22 '15 at 18:39
• well, I suggest an approach that helps: e.g. either format (externally) the card in a format that the os (operating system) of the Samsung Note 4 recognizes (I guess they will be a lot, could be ext3, ext4?) or install a patch to the OS X version you use that recognizes the SN4 format... Remember: FAT32 supports 32Gb max partitions, that is why micro$oft invented "exFAT" which is prone to corruption if you do not unmount / eject it properly. – gitr Mar 23 '15 at 17:56
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74516 | Support me
I finally made a Buy Me A Coffee page! If you fancy supporting this blog and my content I would be so grateful if you clicked the link below!
Thank you so much for all of your support. It makes me so happy to know that someone out there enjoys the random thought splurges I put out there. Have a fab day and remember to spread good vibes! – Chloe x
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74522 | Is there any way to safely jailbreak an iDevice having the iOS 5.0.1 on it? I know a jailbreak is never going to be 100% trustworthy but there's a certain level of acceptance when some experienced users try it and those who are not, can go give it a shot. Thank you.
• The net is littered with guides and information. Please refer to blog.iphone-dev.org for an answer to your specific question. The hackers responsible for jailbreaking iOS are white hat and their work is meant to liberate Apple device users, not harm them. They are most certainly 100% trustworthy. While jailbreaking may introduce additional bugs to the system, it does not include nefarious code that may compromise your privacy or security. – user10355 Jan 2 '12 at 21:33
• I didn't mean to disrespect you guys. I was precisely talking about bugs that might appear due to mistesting. Anyway, I appreciate the link. – Jorge Jan 2 '12 at 21:42
• 1
Don't worry George, it is perhaps I that misinterpreted your choice of wording ("trustworthy"). Typically, while jailbreaks do see bugs out of the gate, they are rather quickly repaired, bringing the level of reliability up to that of an unjailbroken device. That of course only applies to the vanilla jailbreak. Any code you inject later (those requiring mobile substrate, and MS itself) are however not covered under that assessment. – user10355 Jan 2 '12 at 23:26
It appears that a jailbreak has been developed for non-A5 iDevices running iOS 5.0.1, but no jailbreak yet exists for the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S, which use the A5 chip.
Note that this is a rather localized answer; it seems quite likely that a jailbreak will eventually be developed, but as of January 2, 2012, this seems to be the state of things.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged . |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74526 | Alt Text
Alt Text
by LoyaltyHarbour
Overall rating
4.8 of 5 stars
Based on 141 reviews
• 5 of 5 stars
89% of ratings are 5 stars
• 4 of 5 stars
6% of ratings are 4 stars
• 3 of 5 stars
2% of ratings are 3 stars
• 2 of 5 stars
0% of ratings are 2 stars
• 1 of 5 stars
3% of ratings are 1 stars
All reviews
81 - 90 of 125 reviews
Great and easy to use
Mile High Glass Pipes
Works flawlessly. One of the best apps I have used so far!
Muscat Gems
Well worth paying for! I have over 2,000 images - no way could I find the time to add the alt text. Great app.
Agm Worldwide
Great app. Easy to use, and does the job!
Our website:
On Trends Avenue
This an awesome app, the app as resized and uniformed our images very nicely.
Opera Au
The quickest and easiest way to update your ALT-Text!
The only one that actually dose what it says on the box. NOT LIKE OTHER APPS BLA BLA BLA, (this app actually works perfect)
Also the 1.99 a month is a bonus,
Would love to see new apps from this developer.
Thank you for your app
C F A Scrubs
great tool for any shop on shopify
Lexi Butler Designs
I love apps like this one that just work automatically to your advantage. That app is just $1.99...... Unbelievable. It's a piece of cake for almost 1450 or more image alt test.
Thank you for just a great app.
Funky Moose Records
This app actually does what it says it does. I tried a couple of other apps like this that were free, but they were either slower than a snail or didn't do anything at all. Yeah, you have to pay a little bit for it, but the traffic you'll get in return will probably make up for the $2/month. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74533 | Treading lightly the path to enlightenment.
Lake Light
I am the Lightkeeper.
I claim no special skill or training.
I did not build the lighthouse, or the light.
For those whom I have not met and may never meet.
I am not a sailor.
I am not a whaler.
I am not a shipwright.
Can’t calculate her draft or build a transom.
I am not the Captain.
Cannot plot our course or stare down the dangers.
I know only darkness pierced by the beacon.
I know this craggy point like the lines on my face.
I know of rocky shores and the ocean’s rage.
I know of smashed and abandoned skeletons
Of ships piloted by
Those that did not see.
Did not see the shore.
Did not see the waves crashing and foaming at the bluff.
Did not see the light.
Top of my lungs only to have my calls
Drowned out by the roaring surf.
I am only the lightkeeper.
Despite my bellowing and tears
I cannot save those
That will not see the light.
I cry at the dawn, as I douse the light,
For those that will never see it.
Couldn’t we shine?
I’m rolling all my Golden Moments into one.
Gonna shine like the sun,
One last summer day.
Shine like the lighthouse,
One last summer night.
See me
Flashing On,
Flashing Off,
Fading away.
“Lighthouse” – James Taylor
Seek peace,
Comments on: "Lightkeeper" (2)
1. A very powerful write Paz and part of any lightkeeper’s journey is to be at peace in the storms. To be at peace that not everyone is ready to see the light. To be at peace that for some it can be disempowering to be shown a light by someone else whilst for others it can be a life saver. You can shine your own light, polish your own stone and trust that those who are ready will see the light. When you are at peace with everyone’s own pace, everyone’s individual journeys and wrong turns and can watch them with compassion without any attachment to a particular outcome, your inner peace can deepen and your light will be brighter still, and so will your dawn 💜
2. I’m grateful for your kind and insightful comment.
It’s pleasing to hear thoughts that resonate with teachings of the path and the way.
Your expressions are clear and ring with truth.
Hope is renewed with each dawn!
Take care,
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74534 | Dubious diagnostics
Letter from Lucille Lang Day of Oakland in the February 2011 Harper’s:
The Method in It
In her article on prodromal psychosis [“Which Way Madness Lies,” Report, December 2010], Rachel Aviv discusses an exam said to evaluate the risk of psychosis. The exam asks patients to describe “the similarities between an apple and a banana.” This is a very poor way of diagnosing the likelihood of mental illness.
Before I quote the rest of Day’s letter, think for a moment how you would answer this question.
Day goes on:
What went through my mind was: both have a sweet, fruity fragrance; both grow on trees; both can be eaten raw; both are used in cooking; and both appear in children’s lunch boxes. Then I read the correct response: “Both are fruit.” Apparently, one of the most common “wrong” answers is “Both have skin.”
I feel sorry for the people being judged on the basis of questions like this one. I interpreted the question as “How are these two fruits similar?” so I would never have answered correctly. Similarly, if someone asked me, “How is a cat like a dog,” I would not say, “Both are animals,” but would take that as a given and instead point out that both are house pets, have fur, and so forth. This is not indicative of mental illness.
The exam presumably is trying to get at a patient’s system of mental categories, in particular the degree to which the patient can easily access higher-level (more “abstract”) categories (like the taxon FRUIT). And since we can’t directly examine this system, we have to get at it through language — in this case, through an attempt to elicit the label fruit for this taxon by asking about “similarities”. The problem is that the testee somehow has to divine the intentions of the tester in asking the question, in order to avoid giving an answer that is “wrong” because it is more specific than the answer the tester is looking for.
There are more indirect ways of tapping category structure — by asking the testee to sort objects into groups or by asking the testee to pick out, from an array of objects (a banana, a carrot, and an apple, say) the object that doesn’t belong, that is not like the others — though these have problems of their own, and they certainly don’t avoid the mediation of language or the need for the testee to divine what sort of answer the tester is seeking.
The testee’s job is made more difficult by the fact that there is probably no context for this sort of question, no previous experience that the testee can bring to bear in performing this task — not even a sample item or two that could establish a model for the testee’s response.
(In an earlier discussion of test questions — “What is this question about?”, on Language Log, here — I started with the question “What color is a banana?” (addressed to a young child) and moved on to “What is the opposite of ___?” and “Which one of these things is not like the others?” and, in comments, “What is the next number in the series ___, ___, ___?” Answering such questions “correctly” involves mustering all sorts of cultural knowledge and also experience with the contexts in which people ask them such questions and the kinds of answers that are expected.)
Notice that the subjects of the similarities test are described as “patients”, so they’re probably used to being asked unaccountable, but somehow important, questions by professionals of various sorts. Still, the experience is rather weird and unnatural, and can be baffling. My man Jacques, during his many years of descent into neurological hell, was generally cooperative, but sometimes bridled at (say) being asked what month it was (“Why do you want to know?”) or being asked to count backwards from 100 by 7s (“Why should I?”), and often performed very badly (well short of his actual abilities) when put on the spot and obliged to reflect on what he was doing.
4 Responses to “Dubious diagnostics”
1. kb Says:
thanks, b.a. this reminded me of an article a few months ago in the new yorker about psychoanalysis in china; it described “asians” as thinking “more relationally” than “westerners” (the article didn’t interrogate these categories), such that when asked to group 2 out of 3 objects – a cow, a chicken, and a patch of grass – the chinese would put the chicken or cow with the grass.
• arnold zwicky Says:
The Asian/Western distinction is a distant and distorted echo of Richard Nisbett’s claims about “contextual” vs. “individualistic” views of the world. For an extended critique, see Mark Liberman’s Language Log posting here (“David Brooks, Social Psychologist”).
2. The Ridger Says:
What categories are acceptable or “correct” is definitely cultural.
3. kb Says:
gertrude stein liked to think about numbers and counting quite a lot, and again and again refers to counting “like a chinaman,” which is to say one and one and one, but the ones never amalgamate into groups.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74543 | I can neither ping nor access Windows 7 Samba shares through the hostname.
As recommended at (inter alia) can not ping by host name for some computers, I have edited /etc/nsswitch.conf to include
hosts: files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] wins dns mdns4
I have also restarted services as suggested, yet no go.
When attempting to ping my Windows 7 machine, the output is:
ping: <hostname>: Name or service not known
Advice as to how best to resolve Windows hostnames on Ubuntu will be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
• 1
The hostname must be found in some DNS you are accessing. Is this the case here? For Ubuntu, the simplest hostname registration is through the /etc/hosts file. – Stephen Boston Jun 5 '19 at 12:08
It turned out to be a firewall problem.
Solution as suggested at https://fitzcarraldoblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/11/prevent-linux-firewalls-interfering-with-samba-commands-in-a-home-network-that-uses-broadcast-netbios-name-resolution/
2. Add the following lines to the end of the file /etc/ufw/before.rules
# The following is needed to enable Samba commands to
# work properly for broadcast NetBIOS name resolution
# raw table rules
:OUTPUT ACCEPT [0:0]
1. Restart UFW!
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74553 |
If you want a break from outdoor activities, Tainan also has plenty of cultural attractions to see. The ancient Confucian temple is among the star attractions, as are the old city gates and the 17th-century Dutch fort. Even just exploring the older parts of the city can be a lot of fun.
Start planning your trip
Also popular in Taiwan
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74556 | Skip Nav
Set It Up Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell Love Assistants Video
The Set It Up Stars Tried Matchmaking in Real Life, and . . . Well, Just Watch
If, like so many of us, you're obsessed with the Netflix rom-com Set It Up, then you're in luck, because Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell teamed up to help real people find love too. In a new video released by Netflix, the stars give the Set It Up treatment to people on blind dates, and it's as hilarious as you'd expect. Speaking to the daters via an ear piece, Deutch and Powell help to guide the couples' conversations, and who wouldn't want to hear someone try to say "couscous" in a sexy way, you know? Watch the clip to see how their antics play out for the pairs, then check out the cutest pictures of Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch hanging out in real life plus more romantic comedies to watch on Netflix.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74559 | Tag Archives: thriller
Hot hitchhiker horror continued….
Brad drove on into the scrub and the setting sun. He spotted the Athol Grove turn-off this time, and stuck to the road beyond there. It was getting on dusk when the small grading of gravel became two wheel tracks, then the trees closed in, and there was a huge bump before the 4WD bounced from the scrub to hit a broader, gravel road. They had landed directly across and needed to decide left or right. There was no sign.
“I think left,” Isabel said. She had buttoned her dress fully and was sitting properly in her seat with her seatbelt fastened.
Brad had not gotten it right all afternoon, so he decided her choice of directions was worth a try. The broad, smooth road entered a stand of pines where the shadows were deep and dark. There was a small stream to cross, and when the road emerged from the timber, there was a driveway to what looked like an abandoned service station. The building had a glass front section that could have been a café, and it had a dull, candy-striped awning. There was a house extending from the back. To the side was a large workshop with a faded, brown sign on top: Dalton’s Scrapyard.
“Hey, look—they’ve even got a cabin to rent,” Brad said as he pulled up in front of the awning. There was a large caravan and annex under a sprawling shade tree. It was brightly painted and had a small garden and neatly trimmed lawn.
He looked at Isabel. She still had the puppy eyes. He pulled her close and kissed her. “Should I ask if it’s available for the night?”
“If you want to,” she uttered softly. “You can have me anywhere you want… Or just take me home to keep.”
Brad kissed her again—hard.
An old man appeared, ambling from the side of the service station. There was a huge man behind him who hung back kind of bobbing his head and shoulders, trying to see who had come to visit, it seemed. The guy was massive with narrow shoulders and a barrel shaped abdomen and knees that touched with his boots wide apart and pigeon-toed inward. He was craning his neck, excitedly trying to see in the vehicle.
Brad lowered his window. “I have a tractor part here for Victor Turak of Dalton. Am I in the right place?”
“That’s me,” the old man replied, leaning down to look across at Isabel. He grinned. His breath was like petrol fumes. “You got my new ram? Been waiting long enough,” he went on gruffly.
“Sorry. It took some time to get on order. It was an older model that had to come from overseas apparently.” Brad showed the guy to the back of the 4WD. The part was in a metre-long wooden box that weighed enough that help had been needed to lift it in.
There was a delivery docket that the old man scribbled his signature on. “Boy!” he called out, and the bigger man approached, still bobbing his head and shoulders and eyeing the inside of the vehicle as he got close enough to see through the tinted windows. “Get that, Boy!” the older man commanded, and Boy lifted the box and tipped it up onto his shoulder with ease.
Brad’s height didn’t even reach the guys chin. He was the biggest human he had ever seen in real life. He had buck teeth and a broad, flat forehead. His eyes were small and set too close to his nose and far too deep into his skull. At that, he was also cross-eyed, Brad noticed. He lurched off around the corner of the building carrying the tractor part as if it were nothing.
“Mama’s got hot meatloaf and fresh coffee brewing,” the old man announced, slapping an arm around Brad’s shoulder as if he was suddenly a long-lost relative come to visit.
“No, thanks. We’ve already eaten!” Isabel announced just as forthrightly. She had gotten from the vehicle and stood on the side-step looking over the roof.
“We were wondering if the cabin was available for the night?” Brad asked. “We’re good for food and all, but it’s been a long day driving to find this place.”
The old man rubbed his chin. “That right, Girl? You want to stay the night?”
“Yes,” Isabel replied, kind of meekly that time.
“Just the one night, eh?” The old man included Brad in the question that time. He was grinning between the two of them and nodding his head.
“Yes. For just one night,” Isabel answered him. “That’s all—”
He chuckled. “Well, I suppose our fine cabin here is available for the night.” He had taken Brad by the shoulder again. His grip was of iron, and he was kneading a neck muscle with his thumb. “I think you young folks might find our cabin mighty comfy after a long day out on the road.”
“Very good. Do we sign in somewhere? I have cash,” Brad offered.
They were strolling toward the cabin. Isabel had taken Brad’s hand and was clinging to it. She kept him between her and the weird old man.
“Let’s worry about payment when you check out in the morning, eh?”
“Fine. Thank you.” Brad waved as the old man turned and ambled off. The big guy was back, but the old man turned him away and pushed him through a gate and closed it.
Isabel was already in the cabin somewhere. Brad heard her steps coming from deep within and returning to the open door where she appeared smiling broadly and looking at him with her puppy eyes.
“One second,” Brad said to her, and he quickly moved the 4WD over to the cabin, grabbed his bag and locked up.
The entry to the cabin was the annex section attached to the caravan. There was an open bathroom door with a toilet visible. Isabel was standing in a living area with her arms behind her back and her chest forward, still grinning as she was obviously waiting. Brad pointed to the toilet, and she nodded. He found that room to be surprisingly spotless. It was sparkling clean, and there was a fresh floral aroma in the air. There was a pile of fluffy towels on a stand beside the shower cubicle. There was a vanity with soaps and a mirrored cabinet stocked with a range of toiletries. It was well set up for any female occupants and had items for men as well.
“This is very clean,” he said to Isabel when he approached her sitting on a long blanketed couch. There was a polished wooden dining set and a fully equipped kitchen.
“Yes, it is very clean,” Isabel replied, standing and peering up at him. There were even fresh flowers in a vase on the bench.
Brad took Isabel’s hand and led her to the bedroom. He turned her to face him with her back to the bed. He lifted her chin and kissed her lips. “It’s been years since I’ve been with someone so young and pretty,” he said to her. “Haven’t had much of this at all lately.”
“You can have me now,” she uttered softly. “You can have everything you’ve been thinking about today—however you want me,” she added sensually, looking directly into his eyes.
Brad’s penis firmed instantly. It lifted and hardened almost painfully at the look of her—at the slight parting of her lips and the total submission in her stare.
He claimed her. He lowered her to the bed and dropped on top of her, forcing her legs open with his thighs and grinding his bulge into her crotch during another deep, searching kiss. Her legs had fallen aside, and her arms had flopped above her head. She was twirling hair in her fingers as he knelt and ripped his shirt off. Her eyes widened as they caressed his chest, and she let out a tiny giggle.
Brad undid the buttons of her dress and opened it. He left it parted either side of her on the bed and looked at her breasts. They had goose-bumps, and her nipples were tight. He cupped both mounds and thumbed the firm little raspberries. She was watching his hands. She hummed softly as he bent to one nipple and sucked it into his mouth. He had to move down the bed to get at them, and he worked his jeans and shorts off and pulled her little, chequered panties from her legs while sucking from one nipple to the other.
He moved back to her lips and tasted them. Her legs had fallen open again, and he felt between them to find her very wet. Lowering down fully on top of her, he curled his hips, entering and surging up inside of her. She bit his lip, and her fingernails dug into his back. He withdrew then surged again, lifting her slender body and thrusting deep into it.
Brad kept the pretty young face in his hands so he could kiss those cherry-bomb lips at will. He supported his upper body on his elbows and cradled her head while humping with his lower body, building a steady rhythm. He had been aroused all day, so it was difficult to be controlled and patient. He wanted to just take her selfishly, and he could have. She was clinging to his back with those painted nails, but her legs were limp either side of his, and what he wanted—what he needed—was there for the taking.
Brad lost all control. A frenzy of powerful thrusts ended in a tremendous climax that had him crushing the slender young thing to his body and trying to fill her with the burst of ecstasy that exploded from within him.
When his climax abated, he held her face again, smoothing her hair aside and kissing her clumsily. “Oops—lost it a bit there.”
She took a breath under his weight. “That’s okay. It was nice.”
Brad was still firm inside of her. He withdrew and inserted again. Her eyes closed and slowly opened.
She grinned. “Come shower with me? We’re all sweaty now.”……
Hot sex and horror in the Aussie outback. Preview Fresh Meat on Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon AU
Hot hitchhiker horror…
fresh-meat-1The road rolled beneath the smooth, powerful vehicle. It had been an hour since Kangaroo Flat with a number of small roads branching off left and right. The signpost for Athol Grove was at a crossroad pointing right. It said fifty-five kilometres, which would be about an hour with a short stop to deliver the tractor part factored in.
Isabel had dozed off with her legs swayed toward Brad. Her head had rocked against the door, and her lips were relaxed with a light, contented smile. Brad could see up the skirt of her dress to her chequered panties.
The girl’s half my age. What am I thinking?
He watched the road but kept glancing to have another look at her exposed like that. He looked up from her slender young thighs to meet her well-knowing, slightly animated gaze. He couldn’t help another quick flash down to her open dress as well.
He shook his head. Oh, boy…
“What?” she asked sweetly.
“Nothing. Just—” He looked her over again, glancing sideways. “You’re not like, fifteen or something are you, Isabel? You’re not a runaway?”
“Do I look only fifteen?”
“Damned if I know with you girls. Fifteen, twenty—who can tell?”
She was fixing her hair, plucking at it in the vanity mirror on the sun-visor. With her arms raised, Brad could see her small, white breast and firm little nipple in through her dress. There were actually two buttons undone, he noticed, swallowing hard again.
“Well, how old are you?” she asked.
“Pushing forty.”
Brad let his eyes lower to her thighs again. It had been months since he was last with a woman. It had been twenty years since he was last with a slender girl.
“Well, I’m pushing twenty something. So, is a fifteen year age difference too much?”
Brad looked at her. She was smiling.
“Well, is it?”
“Too much for what?” It was in no way too much for him. She was legal.
“Too much for what you’re obviously thinking,” she shot at him with eyebrows raised.
“You know what I’m thinking?”
“You’re thinking the same thing you men are always thinking,” she said, without meeting his sideways glance that time. “Except, I don’t mind you thinking that.”
“You don’t?”
She glanced. “No.”
Brad had to watch the road—or gravel track as it was—but he managed to find time to look his increasingly interesting travel partner over again. She had moved her legs down from the seat, so he could no longer see her panties, but the short skirt of her sundress was bunched up beneath her and only just concealed them. With the two buttons at the top of her dress undone, the fabric gaped and sagged, allowing him a view of a lot of pure white skin even with her sitting back as she was.
She was wearing a tiny gold leaf pendant on a thin chain. “Do you like it?” she asked, shifting around to face him and fiddling with the pendant.
“It’s pretty,” Brad answered.
With her legs swaying back toward him, her thighs had parted to reveal the crotch of her panties again. He swerved back onto the road after having veered from it momentarily. She giggled and bit her bottom lip then applied some cherry-bomb gloss.
“Do you want to go somewhere?” she asked.
“Sure! Where?”
She pointed to a rocky hill in the distance to the left of the road. “Up there. It’s a really nice view, and we could stop for a while.”
There was a fork in the road. “That way?” Brad asked.
She shrugged. “I forget the exact way. The roads all look the same around here if you ask me.”
The fork looked like it was headed in the general direction of the rocky hill. Brad figured with the country being so flat and open, he would be able to find his way back easily enough.
The girl was looking at him as much as he was checking her out. He flexed his bicep once or twice when he felt her eyes. He had powerful thighs that were nicely defined by his jeans. The vehicle was automatic, so he was able to sit relaxed with his legs open and his package bulging with the state of his arousal. While they chatted, she would be watching his face, and he had no trouble keeping a smile on it.
There were three other intersections and choices of roads to be taken before a short, steep climb up a rocky trail to a promontory overlooking the arid expanse of country they had been travelling. Brad pulled up and turned off the engine. The girl was sitting there with a light smile on her face, uninterested in the scenery, it seemed.
She looked at Brad’s open packet of beef jerky in the centre console. “Have you been eating that?”
“This morning. Before we met,” Brad explained, remembering her aversion to meat.
“Do you have a toothbrush in your bag?” she asked, pleadingly. “Would you mind—before um—?”
Brad got out his toothbrush and quickly complied with the entirely reasonable request, spitting out his open door. The girl watched, kneeling on her seat at that point.
“Thanks,” she uttered sweetly.
Brad tossed his toiletries bag into the back seat and claimed her with a hand around the back of her neck, pulling her to his mouth and kissing her. “You’re welcome,” he said and kissed her again.
For all of her apparent confidence, she was very submissive. Her body relaxed, and she moaned softly as he searched her mouth with his tongue. When he relented and sought her eyes, he found them glazed with willingness.
She was sitting in her seat again with her legs swayed together. The storage section of the car was taken up by the tractor part. The back seat had the cooler and Brad’s overnight bag. He pulled them aside. Isabel just watched as he reached down beside her and released the catch to lay her seat back. She touched his chest, feeling him through his shirt with delicate fingers and long, lightly penetrating nails painted purple. Brad kissed her hand and placed it back on his chest as he lowered to her parted lips again, tasting them and drawing in her sweet young essence as his penis firmed.
It was a roomy vehicle. He put an arm around her and lifted up her dress, her body shuddering as she half giggled and half squealed. Her stomach tensed and quivered, and her bottom lifted as he felt her belly and hips. He was kissing her again, though, and her moan went into his mouth. He kissed her chin and her neck, and he slipped two more buttons open on her dress and parted it to reveal her breasts. Her firm young body then undulated as he kissed his way lower and pulled a tight nipple into his mouth. He sucked on it and held it as he reached back down with his free hand and smoothed over her quivering belly to cup her chequered panties.
“Mmm,” she moaned as she gripped his head and pulled his hair. She ground against his hand and thrust her chest upward. She had arched up off the seat, and Brad slipped more fully beneath her. He moved his arm from the back of the seat and reached around to hold her and feel one breast while sucking on the other one. He kept her in place on his lap and used his fingers to keep pace with her wild lower body gyrations against his hand. He felt into her wetness through the thin fabric, and as she neared her climax, he slipped his hand down the front of the tiny garment and inserted fingers into her. He then just held her as her body convulsed, her legs clamping together and crushing his hand, her arm gripping his head and holding him to her breast.
Brad waited for the girl to come back from wherever her mind had taken her. Her eyes rolled and focused on his. She bit her lip and smile, her cheeks flushed, her body again softly convulsing as he removed his hand from down her panties.
“Um… That was um—”
“That was fun,” Brad finished for her. He was painfully erect but was thinking about where he could take her in order to meet his own desires. He could have her right then and there. The glazed look of submission was still in her eyes. He could sit her on his lap or bend her over the bonnet of the 4WD if he chose to, but he wanted something else. He needed to be pressed fully against her beautiful young body—to be on top of her and between those long, slender legs.
“You can stay with me tonight, yeah? When we get to Athol Grove, you can spend the night with me?”
“Okay,” she uttered softly. “If you want.”
“Oh, I want,” he breathed, taking her lips again and drawing in her exciting young essence. “I say we get back on the road, drop this stupid tractor part off, and find a room.”
She giggled. “Okay. I like that idea.”
Brad took another taste of her lips then extracted himself from beneath her. He helped her lift the seat back up and watched her fix her dress. It was still open, and she looked from her breasts to meet his gaze, waiting a moment until he turned away, smiling and shaking his head, then she tugged her dress closed and refastened two of the buttons.
“Going to need to find that room fast,” Brad declared.
She was smiling. “Okay.” She tucked her legs up on the seat and laid her head against the backrest, her pretty eyes wide and sparkling as she rested there looking at him…..
“Out here, though. Not in bed,” she whispered…
David grabbed the bag of Chinese food and hurried home. Clair was still in the bath, and he built a fire to take the edge off the evening chill. He set up in the lounge with the food and some beers and turned on the television. The steamy, perfumed air was drifting down the hall, so he figured bath-time was over. He waited, and she emerged from the hall in a short flannel bathrobe and sheepskin slippers. She sat beside him on the lounge.
“That was nice,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a rain-water bath before.”
“Part of the service, ma’am,” David quipped. “That’s special fried rice and that’s boiled,” he added.
She seemed a bit different. He wondered about that as he filled his plate and she filled hers. Everybody Loves Raymond was on the television.
“I can’t believe what you did with Mandy. Brent was gob-smacked,” David started, breaking a silence.
“Mandy’s beautiful. I didn’t have to do much.”
“That’s true—she is beautiful. But that was some dress!”
“It’s not really. It’s just slinky and cut low.”
David chuckled. “I noticed it was cut low. So did Brent.”
“Well, he’s supposed to notice,” Clair shot back, giggling along and seemingly beginning to relax.
They watched that old episode of Everybody Loves Raymond and the next one, sharing some laughs and chatting about what they each liked on television in general, and agreeing on comedy but splitting on sport versus true crime and craft or cooking shows.
The food had been set aside, and Clair had her legs up on the lounge. David was touching a bare knee and edging his way forward and closer to her. She was leaning in a bit too.
He met her lips once, then again, more forcefully. “Is it my turn yet?” he said.
“Hmm—is it your turn,” she repeated calculatingly. “I’m not so sure about this.”
“Not sure about what?” he had taken another kiss. She was responding. He could see where the bathrobe was opening below her waist. She had on a shiny sky-blue negligee beneath it. Maybe it was satin, he thought. It was short.
“I’m not sure about what we’re doing here,” she said. “What do you think we’re doing?”
David drew on his new code. “We’re having fun… No strings.”
“Are we?”
“I’m having fun,” he said, going for her neck and biting it, making her giggle and squirm back against the arm of the leather lounge.
He was then lying beside her and tugging at her robe tie. She allowed that, and he opened her robe to find her body lightly veiled in a thin wisp of satin. He had decided it was satin. He could see the impression of her navel and her nipples, and that of a thin strip of pubic hair. His hand was upon her hip, and there was no under-garment beneath the negligee that he could feel.
He kissed her again, rubbing up from her hip to feel a breast. She moaned into his mouth, and he pinched her nipple, and her warm, slender body undulated against his side as he rolled half on top of her.
She turned her head away, though, and pushed against his chest. David lifted from her, giving her room. She looked at him, calculating again. “No strings, though, right?”
“Yeah, or we could watch more Raymond instead,” David answered, grinning and thumbing back at the television that was running another old episode with the volume turned down.
She frowned at him, but it looked deliberate.
He bent to her lips again and kissed her while holding her eyes. She was still calculating. He could see her mind ticking over. He tilted his head the other way and kissed her again, still holding her eyes in question as to whether or not he should back off. He didn’t want to back off. His hand was upon her hip once more, and he gripped her there as he moved to her neck then her ear. “My turn now?” he whispered.
She had taken hold of his head, hugging it as he squeezed her hip and pulled her upward against his thigh. “Out here, though. Not in bed,” she whispered hotly back into his hair.
She then kept hold of his head as he kissed his way down to her chest, nuzzling between her breasts while he gripped her other hip as well and found the bottom of her negligee. He peered up at her face as he kissed her hot skin, but her head was turned away, so he accepted that and nibbled a nipple through satin. He bit and held it while her body undulated again, and he lifted the satin garment and exposed her breasts. He then closed his eyes and took that nipple into his mouth, claiming it gently between his teeth and softly sucking on it.
David’s mind was all-consumed with the sheer beauty of the woman virtually quivering beneath him. Her body was taut yet delicately smooth and tender. Her skin was radiating pure sexual energy and the sweet perfume of the bath-oils she had been soaking in. He wanted to eat her alive and couldn’t contain that notion as he moved to the other breast and sucked and bit on it.
He had worked his way between her legs, or they had parted and were guiding him as he responded to her hands still in his hair and kissed his way down her belly. He peered up again, but her head was still turned away and had flung back as well. She was pushing him lower, impatiently. He kissed her pubic hair. It was short and neatly trimmed. He kissed his way down as her moist scent overpowered the sweet aroma of her bath and tingled the hair on the back of his neck, lifting it and setting off an instinctive surge of animal passion that made him want to growl when he ate into her.
She let out a deep, sensual moan and gripped his hair and ground herself against his mouth. He still held her hips, and he parted her from beneath with his thumbs, holding her up off the lounge and feasting on her. The quivering of her flesh had intensified into spasmodic convulsions as she writhed upward, jamming her head into the cushion to support herself, with one hand still pulling David’s hair and the other arm flung back over the arm of the lounge.
David took his turn. He took it, and didn’t stop taking it until Clair was panting away with an arm over her face and her thighs clamped together, and her hand still in his hair as he kissed her little strip of fur and tasted her belly again.
He kissed his way up to her satin covered breasts and nuzzled beneath her arm to kiss her face. He met her lips, and she felt for his firmness as she kissed him back. “Do you have something?” she asked, squeezing him in her soft little hand.
She slid her hand inside his track-pants, closing her fingers around his erection. He had a condom in his pocket. He had that open as she freed him from his pants. He rolled it on while she turned and pressed back against him. She felt for him and guided him as he moved in behind her. She still had hold of his head, and she gripped the back of his neck and ground herself onto the thrust of his pelvis.
“No strings,” she whispered into his ear, biting it as the animalistic passion surged within his back and thighs, propelling him into her heat and wetness. “No strings,” she uttered again, but her voice ended in a moan, and David was beyond thinking or caring.
He had one arm lowered and his hand pressed to the floor to support his weight. He held her body with his other arm, her breast in his hand as he slapped his body loudly against her until she cried out, writhing and moaning. He thrust into her one last time and cried out too, bucking and grinding against her.
He receded from within but kept hold of her, and she relaxed against his chest, swivelling around to fiddle with his t-shirt.
“Tarzan,” she said, peering up with a smile.
David did a mock Tarzan cry.
She giggled.
“I’m hungry again,” she said……
Short excerpt from the romantic suspense novel AKA Candy Weston. Preview on Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon AU
Flawed characters – great drama…
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Jilted drunk guy meets the hot new girl in town…
David was feeling good. He planted his empty beer glass on the bar and did a little air-guitar as his song finished. “Catch-ya Luce!” he called to the barmaid. Lucy was her name. She gave him a high-five, and he spun, strumming his imaginary guitar. “Vic!” he said, shaping up to Victor Turak, a fisherman friend who shaped up in mock readiness to box. The two men shadow-boxed each other but David’s shadow boxing morphed back into an air-guitar solo as he left his friend and spun toward the door of the bar, almost bumping right into his ex-girlfriend, Cassandra.
“Cassie! Oh shit!” He pulled up, grinning and switching his air-guitar to air-drums.
“Hello, David. Had a few, have you?”
A man stopped behind Cassie. It was her boss, Reece Norman, the man she had dumped David for. He placed his hands upon her shoulders. “Hello, David.”
David dropped the air-drumsticks, raising his hands in an exaggerated surrender as he steadied himself. He had had one too many beers. His mind was kind of numb and swaying this way and that. He tried to focus, though.
“Reece,” he said, shaking his head and waving a finger. “You know, Reecey, you’re looking sharp, man… Looks like a million bucks, eh, Cass?” he slurred. “A million fucking bucks, eh?”
David focused at the last and eyeballed the other man. He then met Cassandra’s eyes, which had watered up a bit. “Sorry, Cassie,” he said to her sincerely. “I’m a bit drunk.”
He passed the two of them, glancing at the other man again, then moving on out the door and across the car-park to the street. He had left his car at home, planning on having a few beers and being over the limit. He sat down for a while, watching the evening strollers along the foreshore and trying to sober up for the walk.
He sat for an hour before moving on and up the street to his house, where he heard laughter emanating from the living room. His mind had sharpened. He was still a bit drunk but was thinking clearly. He walked into the house to find his sister and some other woman laughing hysterically.
They both pointed at him and laughed louder.
“What the hell?” he said. “What’s so bloody funny?”
The other woman was hot. David sort of recognised her. He remembered the new girl at the B&B and had placed her.
“Actually, his shirt is tucked in a bit.” Clair looked at Amanda. “It looks like it was tucked in.”
One side of David’s shirt was secure, the other side had worked its way free of his jeans. It was still tucked in a bit at the back. He walked through the room with the two women still laughing at him, sharing a joke he had no idea of. “Crazy chicks,” he grumbled to himself, and when he got to the kitchen and opened the fridge, he called back to his sister, “Is there anything to eat?”
“In the oven!”
David found his dinner there and sat at the table to eat it. The two women joined him. They had wine.
“David, this is Clair,” Amanda announced. “She’s from the Gold Coast.”
“Hi,” Clair said, smiling.
David nodded. “Hi.”
“Except David’s not like the others,” Amanda said to Clair.
“Oh—how so?” Clair replied.
“He’s more like a girl.”
David frowned but kept eating. He was hungry.
“In that he..?” Clair prompted.
“In that he’s the one who always falls in love.”
David frowned harder. They were too giggly to argue with, though. Plus the other chick was hot, he reasoned again. He wouldn’t want to argue with her.
“Do you?” she said to him.
“Do I what?”
“Do you fall in love?”
He shrugged. “Nope! Love’s bullshit.”
“Oh, you do so!” his sister scolded. “And it is not bullshit.”
“No, I agree with your brother,” Clair said. “Love is for movies and fairy tales. All you need is sex!”
“Yes!” David agreed, cheering. “What’s your name, again?” He examined Clair closely.
“And how do you two—um..?” he motioned between the two of them.
“We met at the mansion. She’s going to ask the widow who killed her husband,” Amanda clarified as a matter-of-fact.
“Oh? But she killed him, didn’t she?” David queried.
“That’s what I’m hearing,” Clair agreed.
“And you’re..?” David prompted.
“I’m doing a paper for my college course. Oh, and some big old copper is going to show me the file tomorrow. I showed him some boob and he couldn’t say yes quick enough!”
“Clair!” Amanda scolded.
“You showed him some boob?” David questioned with interest.
Clair thrust her boobs forward, showing off her cleavage. “You guys are easy.”
“True,” David agreed, earning a more genuine smile. “Tell her!” He pointed to his sister. “Tell her to show Brent some boob or something.”
“No!” Amanda said. “It’s not like that with him.”
“Bullshit! He can’t get his eyes off the barmaids down at the Grill on a Saturday night. He’s no different to the rest of us.”
“Oh really?” Clair challenged Amanda. “The barmaids..?” she questioned David.
“See-through—boobs on show!” he explained. “And Brent with his tongue hanging out just like the rest of us.”
“Yeah, well, you can hardly blame him for that,” Amanda defended. “If girls are going to go topless!”
“Hey!” Clair exclaimed in mock indignation.
“Oh… Sorry… Not that there’s anything wrong with girls going topless.”
David was confused, looking at the two women for some clarification.
“I’m a stripper,” Clair explained. “You know—pole dancer—lap dancer.”
David grinned.
“Yeah, suck your tongue back in!” his sister said, giggling.
“Private dances?” David queried jokingly.
“A hundred bucks a song,” Clair replied, also jokingly. Although she got up and wiggled around David to get some more wine from the fridge.
“Your food’s getting cold,” his sister informed pointedly, raising her eyebrows at his stupid grin.
Clair brought the wine bottle back. She topped up Amanda’s glass. “Do you want to try it on?”
“Okay.” Amanda stood to go with her new girlfriend.
David questioned them, but was left there alone without explanation. They returned after a while wearing each other’s dress. Clair was wearing Amanda’s house dress and Amanda was in Clair’s slinky little woollen number.
“Well?” Clair said to David, presenting his little sister.
Amanda had a great figure, which was accentuated by the skin-tight dress. She never offered cleavage but was at the moment. “Damn!” David exclaimed. He was taken aback.
“See!” Clair said to Amanda.
David found himself looking Clair over too. The house dress had transformed her just as much, and what it had transformed her into had David’s heart pounding a bit. Although he consciously pushed that notion aside and pictured Clair lap dancing again.
The girls then vanished, and David gravitated toward the television and a rugby game that was on. Amanda came from her room a few times for more wine, but he never saw Clair again before going to bed…..
AKA Candy Weston is a steamy love story and a cold case murder mystery. Clair is the link between the mystery and romance. Something has brought her back to the small fishing village she used to visit as a child. The Widow Mulvane’s secret holds the key… On sale this week at Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon AU
Little bit creepy, seriously freaky…
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High octane suspense…
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BOOK REVIEW: This book has deep down grunt that gives the storyline a rich and meaningful foundation. Corporate greed. The making of a psychopathic killer. Corruption. Murder. Cruelty. Love and loyalty. An epic idea in the suicide seed technology…. Everything builds inch by inch. Slowly and relentlessly. Like multiple angles to the same force that explodes in the final chapters…. An intriguing setting in 3rd world Africa. Great characters, both the good guys and the bad. And a wonderful dog hero that is worth the read on his own…. But above all, there’s a latent power here that I also noticed in a previous read of this author. Fry writes real, gritty stuff.
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BOOK REVIEW: The feel of this book takes me back to the musty halls of the Hermitage Museum and the iron curtain mentality of the real Russia that still smoulders today. We are expertly pulled into this mood chapter one and never really get to crawl up out of it. The characters and plot – the mystery of Brodsky – kind of tumble in on top of us, abstract and disjointed at first, building and tightening as we crawl through the maze (walk the endless corridors of The Hermitage, the towering portraits of lives past eyeballing us)…. Yes, I found the setting here to be tremendously powerful. The mystery itself is classy and intelligent, and develops into a killer of a finale…. Try this one if you like your art-heist thrillers to be gritty, real, and steeped in history.
Preview The Brodsky Affair on Amazon
“Bittersweet” alright!
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BOOK REVIEW: What a thrill ride! This picks up at the height of tension we were left with in the first part of the story. It picks up there and never backs off. Right to the final confrontation we are on the edge of the seat – heart in mouth. The style of storytelling here is sharp, gripping, take-no-prisoners. The action, including the love making, is graphic and powerful, but in that it is just keeping up with the mood of the story. The characters portrayed here are gritty and real. The bad guys are total scum and not easily defeated – more tension! The hero and heroine earn every bit of the ending…. Awesome, powerhouse read!
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Going on about love after 5 minutes…
Beauty Skin Deep
Kate was pleased to be accompanied by others struggling to learn the steps. The lesson began with men lined up together and women lined up opposite. There was no touching. It was just a matter of following the steps to learn the pattern of movement. One two three, one two three. It was quite simple really, and Kate was soon walking through the eighteen step routine that zigzagged along the wall.
When it was time to take partners, that silly tingle in her belly returned. Her eye level was in line with that damned dimply chin, and Ben’s hand closed over hers as another big, warm paw pressed against her back. And she forgot the steps immediately.
“Are you ready?” he asked as the music started.
“Uh huh,” was all Kate could offer in reply, and the hand upon her back firmed, and she was drawn close to that powerful frame. She then completely surrendered as control of her body was taken from her. And she was rising and falling to the music and being swept along in a dizzy haze that took her breath away.
“Are you okay?” Ben asked softly. He seemed to be there in the cloud with her.
“Uh huh…” Kate uttered again.
“You’re doing very well.”
Kate wasn’t game to look at Ben’s face. She clung to one rippling shoulder and stared at the other one. The force of his body was against her hip, and his powerful thigh was driving between her legs and lifting her. The heat of his groin against her sex was something completely unexpected, and it was wonderful.
An hour passed in an instant, and Kate swayed against Ben’s chair while he changed his dance shoes for the boots he had worn earlier. His hand returned to her back as he guided her from the hall to his car. He opened the door for her, and she turned to him and placed her arms around his shoulders. He met her lips softly at first, but his passion was soon crushing her to his body, and she moaned into his mouth. He drew back and touched her cheek, caressing her face, and his hand moved to the back of her neck as he bent to her again.
Kate was on her toes, or perhaps her feet had left the ground. She wasn’t sure. The hand upon her back had slipped beneath her top, and she could feel its coarseness against her skin. The heat from his kiss was swirling in her head, and she clung to his hair as he mauled her neck. She was pinned against the car, his manhood rigid against her belly as he again lifted and kissed her open mouth.
“Is there a motel?” Kate asked, with her words ending as Ben’s lips again met hers, only that time he seemed a little restrained.
He smoothed hair from her face and delved into her eyes. He kissed her again, softly. “I’m a little out of practice.”
“Oh? I hadn’t noticed.” Kate held the man’s eyes. They wavered but quickly regained their intensity.
He kissed her again, deeply and with more tenderness and control that time. Kate responded, though she suddenly felt unsure, and her confusion was leading her beyond the heat of the moment. She wanted to know what he was thinking. He lifted and took to fiddling with her hair at her shoulder. He seemed to be struggling with something, and she waited.
After a long moment of silence, in which passion almost audibly faded, Ben looked up with a light, disarming smile. “I haven’t made love to a woman since Sylvia.”
Kate understood the significance of that statement immediately. She recoiled inwardly. “Love? Who said anything about making love, cowboy?”
His smile broadened with a hint of resignation. “Yeah, I know. Lame, huh?”
She had begun fiddling with the front of his shirt. The thought of the housewives of Goran Vale flashed to mind. “No, it’s actually quite sweet, but it’s not very realistic.”
He lifted her chin and smoothed hair from her face. He kissed her again, softly yet confidently. “Oh, it’s realistic. It’s just too soon for a word like that.”
He wasn’t reading her at all.
“We should go. It’s getting late, and I have jobs tomorrow before I leave.” Kate got in the car and closed the door. Ben stood for a moment then walked around and got in the other side. “Can we skip the restaurant and stop at that roadhouse again?” she asked.
He nodded and drove off. It was a good fifteen minutes before he spoke. “I’m sorry, Kate. I didn’t mean to spook you.”
“Well, you did spook me, cowboy—going on about love after five minutes.”
Ben smiled. “I know. I can usually go a good ten minutes before bringing that up too. It’s a form of premature ejaculation.”
Kate laughed. “Speaking of—that! You know what we could have been doing right now if you weren’t such a sap, don’t you?”
“I know. Damn it. I think there’s a motel just up ahead, though.”
“Nope. Too late. Moment’s passed, and all I want is a steak sandwich now……”
Read all about Ben and Kate: Kindle Countdown 99c sale this week.
Lives up to the promise…
ipadmini_707x1018 (6)
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74571 | Golden Glow
This necklace is soft and yummy looking, yet is power packed to be worn with confidence. The Amber,coral, agate and carnelian are all entirely different natural treasures, but I feel they share their creative space as though they were forever strung together by Mother Nature in their habitat of origin. Let this one-of-a kind necklace bring out the Goddess in you. This piece is 18″ and has a sterling and abalone clasp. Call or email for price. $410
Candy Stripes
I felt as though I was painting rather than designing a piece of neckart. Everything fell into place visually as to shape ,color, texture, and symmetry. I didn’t have to think about the ingredients. The turquoise, coral, mother of pearl, African bottle glass, and vinyl, seemed to present themslves to share the creative space together. It’s a surprisingly light weight design to brighten up a summer outfit.
Call or email for price. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74574 | Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Talking Oscars and Golden Globes on Fresh Outlook
With February just around the corner, I'm getting Oscar fever! And so is the Fresh Outlook TV show on the Ebru network. Check out my guest appearance on Fresh Outlook and discussion of some of the films up for awards, and the Internet's impact on television as evidenced by some of the Golden Globe nominations and wins right here. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74589 | Not Ruining another Day.
Not ruining another day
Suddenly its been a while since they left. You are finally learning how to live without them. It has been a while since you accepted they wont return. You know because you waited. You waited for too long.
Then one day suddenly you randomly hear their name on the street. By the most whisper by two giggling girl. You hear their name and your world stops still. Your heart starts racing and your mind goes blank and everything runs back to your head. The memories, the tingles, the loneliness it all comes back again. Your eyes start tearing up and your grip on the coffee mug loosens. You bite your lip , yell at yourself to get on with it. But you just cannot. Not anymore. A lone tear makes its escape down your cheeks against your will. Just a name is all it takes.
You feel so shit because you thought you were past this phase. That you were stronger but yet again here you are. The same broken self after months. And you hate it.
So you run in an empty bathroom and cry your eyes out. Promising yourself to never cry, not about that person at least. But you know that is a lie because their memories are raw in your head and their laugh your brain echoes their laughs in your ears and every time you close your eyes, their images replay. You get stick of them. So sick.
All your senses seem to be ditching you, punishing you. Like they are against you. Yet you wash your face and clear your makeup. Drink the now cold coffee in a gulp and walk straight to work while clearing your head. Deep breaths – In and out.
You even as much as smile to the guard as he opens the door for you. And you smile a painful smile to your co workers. And you smile to everyone to hide your swollen eyes.
So the long day begins, you feel more powerful because you got up and you got yourself here even when, you were against yourself. Even when you were to the point of feeling physically sick. You didn’t let them ruin another day of your life. You took over your life for another day. You fought their memories. You fought them again.
And you are so proud of yourself.
And YOU are so proud of yourself.
Because you are moving on. You are moving on.
Hey guys, its a little long one here but seriously it is worth the read! Also here goes my third post for The Topic Thingie!
So here goes a short story on – Heartbreak– In this case this one is about Moving on after the heartbreak!
Hope you like it! 😉
28 thoughts on “Not Ruining another Day.
1. A wonderful piece about taking control and knowing who’s boss at the end of the day. Some days are so difficult but its important to reflect on what you’ve gone through to appreciate how far you’ve come.
Liked by 1 person
2. I don’t think your story was too long. Well, but it’s good. Worth a read!
Hey! check out my new poem.It’s also quite on the topic ‘losing life’. and give me your feedback. 🙂
Liked by 1 person
3. That was not long, not a burden and certainly not someone that does not deserve you. You are the world and all in it. You are the light many do not see. You are the person someone is lucky to meet. I can keep going. But you are my hero.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74598 | New Years Eve Induction
An induction primed for subconscious change
New Years Eve Induction Script
Welcome the New Year with this hypnotherapy Script
The New Years Eve hypnosis script uses the imagery of the clock ticking down to midnight on New Year's Eve, or as we Scots call it, Hogmanay. This script has a specially written induction and deepener on the New Year theme. All of us have memories of New Year's Eve. We also have cultural expectations associated with that special time. This script builds on that common understanding. Use it with a hypnotherapy session to help people make the changes they need to make in the New Year.
Welcome the New Year Hypnosis Script
New Year's Eve Chimes Induction
Now imagine yourself in a room somewhere... and it's the 31st of December... coming up to midnight.... the last day of the year... soon it will be a new year... maybe a time for a fresh start... VSeeding change
and take a breath now... and relax as you breathe out... and allow your body to relax completely...K
and focus on your breathing... focus on the gentle in and out of your breath... that's right.... K
memoryand now imagine it's the final minute before midnight.... V
- - - - -
- - - - -
and as you go deeper the sounds of the chimes fades away... all the sounds are fading away now... you are floating... drifting... and your mind can wander away now...
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74605 | A few times a week I go cycling with friends, we usually go to off-road places with jumps. I was wondering if having the saddle further backwards or forwards would affect performance?
• Why not give it try? There's a lot of individual variation. You might also prefer the saddle lower over technical areas. – RoboKaren Jul 21 '17 at 17:22
• What friends do you mean? – Ben Poulter Jul 22 '17 at 17:41
The fore and aft position of the saddle is a highly personal position. You're going to have to experiment with it to find where the saddle should be for your style of riding, terrain, your proportions and your bike. Peter White has an article on bike fitting, which may be of interest to you. The most relevant passage is:
Note that for mountain biking, you also have the option of moving the saddle up and down if you install a dropper post, which can also be useful depending on your riding style, terrain, your proportions and your bike.
Depends how you personally make your power. When climbing a long steady grade, either road or offroad, you recruit different muscles depending on your angles.
Sliding forward on your saddle uses more muscles under the thighs, and sliding backward uses others.
So, if you move your saddle forward you're increasing time on some muscles and denying yourself time with the others.
Ideally you want your body in a middling position to allow you to be forewards or aft as the need allows.
Personally I like to be forward on a climb but will sit back to recover for some sections, and I like to be average on a descent and turns, but ready to push weight backwards for braking.
You need to try variations for yourself, and dial in what fits.
Your Answer
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74612 | BILL MOYERS: This week on Moyers & Company…
JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ: It's our policies and our politics that have shaped our economy, and shaped it in ways that have not served most Americans. And an important part of those policies are our tax policies.
ANNOUNCER: Funding is provided by:
Anne Gumowitz, encouraging the renewal of democracy.
Park Foundation, dedicated to heightening public awareness of critical issues.
The Kohlberg Foundation.
Barbara G. Fleischman.
BILL MOYERS: Welcome. We continue our conversation with Joseph Stiglitz, who’s one of the world’s most influential economists, the man who has been most often cited by his colleagues in the field. He’s a Nobel laureate, and he’s mad as hell, infuriated by America’s growing inequality as those at the top buy the politicians who write the rules that rig the system. He’s especially angry at how the tax code has been manipulated and abused to place the burden on the earners of ordinary income, instead of on the rich and powerful most able to pay. But Joseph Stiglitz says there are solutions. Here’s what he told us in our last episode: JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ: We have a tax system that reflects not the interest of the middle. We have a tax system that reflects the interest of the one percent. And I want to do is create a tax system that has incentives to create jobs. And if you tell a corporation, look it, if you don't create jobs, you're taking out of our system, you're not putting back, you're going to pay a high tax. But if you put back into our system by investing, then you can get your tax rate down. They're willing to take but not to give back.
BILL MOYERS: And now Joseph Stiglitz has come up with a plan for reform, a 27-page white paper for the Roosevelt Institute here in New York City, where he’s a senior fellow. Its proposals could make the tax code fair, address our fiscal problems, shrink inequality, and help rebuild our country. Whatever else you do this summer, read it. Then, this fall, ask the candidates for Congress where you live if they have read it, too. Joseph Stiglitz, welcome back.
JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ: It’s nice to be back.
BILL MOYERS: You said in a recent speech, “An economic system that only delivers for the very top is a failed economic system.” You were pronouncing judgment: America's economy has failed. Has our system failed?
BILL MOYERS: 1972 I think you say.
JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ: That's right.
My view is that these are not inevitable. These are not just the result of the laws of economics. You know if it were just inevitable, just the laws of economics, you'd sit back as an economist, you'd say, well, that's the way it is. You know, that's, nature didn't deal us a good hand.
But the same laws of economics are operating in other countries that have done better for their typical citizen, that have provided more opportunity for more of their citizens. So it's not a result of our, of laws of economics. Or at least not a result of the laws of economics alone. It's the way our, it's our policies and our politics that have shaped our economy, and shaped it in ways that have not served most Americans. And an important part of those policies are our tax policies.
JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ: It's not just the level of equality, it's the form of inequality, the nature of inequality, the sources of inequality. So, for instance, give you two aspects of America's inequality that I find particularly unacceptable.
Corporate CEOs, that we were talking before, rather than making a more, a better product, spend their time lobbying to get their tax rates down. The bottom line is the same, if you make a better product or if you get your taxes down. It may be easier to lobby your Congressman than to produce a better product. The result of that? A weaker economy, an unfair politics undermining democracy, more inequality. But that's the direction we've been going.
So that's one example of what I call the unconscionable inequality. When it comes out of that kind of way that you can get the larger piece of the pie, not by making the pie bigger but by taking a bigger slice of an existing pie. The second aspect that is really been troubling about American inequality is the lack of equality of opportunity.
And the problem is that inequality of outcome typically translates into inequality of opportunity. America likes to think of itself as the land of opportunity, the American dream. The statistics show that America is among the advanced countries with the least equality of opportunity. It’s something that’s hard for us to accept, it's something hard for others to accept. But that's what the numbers show.
BILL MOYERS: So this is why Thomas Piketty in his book, "Capital in the 21st Century," is concerned about this enormous transfer of wealth that is about to happen from all the billionaires and multi-millionaires transferring their money to the next generation.
And that’s what really what my work has been about, to try to explain what's going on, to try to explain that it's not inevitable, that it's not just a matter of economics, that it is a matter of policies and politics, that there are alternatives.
But that they won't happen on their own. That there are strong forces political forces trying to grab a larger share of the economic pie to exacerbate the already present distortions to favor the upper one percent. And that unless the others get together and try to act as a countervailing force things won't change.
We have a wonderful financial center in New York. It's wonderful both at what it does and what it doesn't do. But it certainly has the capacity of doing what any financial center offshore in the Cayman Islands.
I've never heard anybody say, oh, you know, the Cayman Islands really has a capability of managing money much better than New York. You know, those people in New York just don't know how to do those things.
I want to put it in a broader context. Corporations, are corporations. People, should we treat corp-- you know, the point is that what the Supreme Court decision of saying corporations have the right to contribute to campaigns as if they were people. But the interesting thing is while we give them those rights, we haven't made them, given them those responsibilities. If when corporations do misdeeds, we typically don't hold them accountable. Look what the corporations, the banks did to our economy in 2008. Have they been held responsible? Not really.
BILL MOYERS: There was a remarkable moment in an interview that Jon Stewart did with Timothy Geithner about Geithner's new book. And there's a moment in which Geithner says we had to save them from their mistakes. They didn't pay for their mistakes. The country did.
JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ: Exactly. And, you know, he makes a very big point about saying they paid back all the money. Well, first of all, there was a shell game. The Federal Reserve lends the money at close to zero interest rates. They lend the money back to the government at much higher interest rates.
Look it, if the government lent me hundreds of billions of dollars at a zero interest rate, I, too, could become a wealthy person by just investing in government bonds. This doesn't take a genius, a 12 year old could do it. And yet, they walked off with bonuses for doing that. And they used that money to help pay back the government. So this is a kind of shell game that would do any con artist proud. But when somebody brought, you know, makes an accident, somebody gets injured, what we did was analogous to: we take the perpetrator, the guy who was the drunk driver to the hospital, but we leave the guy that has been hit on the street.
My mother was a primary school teacher. Dedicated. They were both very both dedicated. And, but Gary was an industrial city, marked by a lot of poverty, discrimination, episodic unemployment, business cycle going up and down. You couldn't help but feel that the market economy, capitalism, wasn't working quite the way that some of the people who say it's this wonder of wonders.
Then I went to MIT, and never lost that original motivation for being an economist even as I was working on some very abstract, abstruse, mathematical economics issues about the consequences of asymmetry of information.
JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ: That's right.
BILL MOYERS: Asymmetrical information. What is that?
JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ: Well, what I was referring to at that moment was there had been two periods in our history where inequality had risen to what I thought was an unconscionable level. The Gilded Age, the end the 19th century. And the roaring '20s, right before the Great Depression. In both of those instances we stepped back from the brink. We realized where we were going as a country. We said, that's not where we want to go.
And the Gilded Age was followed by the Progressive Era, anti-trust policies trying to get at the monopolies, getting at the, some of the sources of this inequality that was undermining our society. The roaring '20s was followed by the legislation creating social security, created labor legislation that, minimum wages, maximum hours. Lots of things that we take for granted now but are a part of our social fabric.
The question I asked was inequality has now gotten back to the level, that peak that it had back in 1928 before the Great Depression. Got back to that same level back 2008. So, the question I posed at that point was will we, again, pull back from the brink like we did at the end of the 19th century, like we did in the roaring '20s? I'm hopeful. But there's one note of caution.
BILL MOYERS: Joseph Stiglitz, there's a lot more in these 27 pages than we have touched on in our time together. We have posted your paper, "Reforming Taxation to Promote Growth and Equity" on our website and urge people to download it and read it whole. Meanwhile, thank you for joining me and sharing your time and your ideas.
JOSEPH E. STIGLITZ: Thank you very much.
BILL MOYERS: There’s much more about tax reform and Joseph Stiglitz at our website, I’ll see you there, and I’ll see you here, next time.
Encore: How Tax Reform Can Save the Middle Class
August 28, 2014
This week’s show originally aired on June 6, 2014.
Watch part one of Bill’s interview with Stiglitz »
Producer: Candace White. Segment Producer: Robert Booth. Editor: Rob Kuhns. Intro & Outro Producer: Robert Booth. Intro & Outro Editor: Rob Kuhns.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74620 | If I have a wallet/address with 1BTC in it, how can I distribute it to 1000 different addresses (1k new addresses with 0.001BTC in each), paying the least amount of transaction fees? Sending 1000 near-zero-fee transactions and hope that they all get through in an "acceptable" time is an option I guess, but are there any other options?
The best/cheaper way to split a single address into multiple is using batching transactions:
Batching explained in StackOverflow
This blog post from David Harding shows what are the saving possibilities when using batching to send your transfers and how it works:
Batching savings
Samourai Wallet supports batching if you don't want to use api's.
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global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74627 | Ace of Coins
Stability. Abundance. Prosperity. The initial investment which leads to the overflowing coffers. A shimmering hoard, the goose laying the golden egg. A house, grown addition by addition until it sprawls. Fields ripe in the late autumn sun, a cornucopia spilling forth with gourds and fruit and bread and meat.
The Ace itself is the purest distillation of a suit; the Alpha, the Beginning of Things, the Origin, the Source, the wholeness and full potential in raw form. Coins are the suit of the physical realm- the body, the earth, health, wealth, and abundance. The crops that ripen in the field, the animals we tend, the bodies with which we work and play.
This Ace is the root of all things physical- a birth, the beginning of a passionate physical affair, the building or buying of a house, the beginning of joyful work. This is the exhilaration of a physical challenge surmounted, of full health, and overflowing abundance. |
global_01_local_0_shard_00002368_processed.jsonl/74631 | Taking the Same Train Each Day…
When you take the same train each day, you notice things….
• The person with the crazy hair
• The person who reeks of BO or has a flatulence problem…
• The person who always never has time to do her make-up and spends the journey doing her face
• The person who always wears winter gear even in summer. Or summer gear in winter
• The person always sleeping with their feet on the opposite-facing seats
• The person who always brings a FULL-SIZED BIKE onto the train
• The person who brings a smelly McDonalds/Burger King meal onto the train.
• The person who has an open can of Red Bull (can’t they f**king change the smell on that thing?)
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