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Tried and tested mixes for strong pretraining
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The official GD guide to swearing GrossDachshund.com
Swearing is fun, rewarding and will impress all your friends.
Its a fact, documented in many scientific studies undertaken by Whittman, that people, faced with certain death and disembowelment, generally issue a variety of stock phrases.
With this in mind we have compiled a short phrasebook to help your troops through their grizzly last moments.
Mein Gott!
Usually said by people in a state of extreme surprise at their imminent demise. Also widely said in certain German chat rooms for quite different reasons. A very useful phrase when faced with an attack by Edpow.
Gott in Himmel!
A little stronger then 'Mein Gott', denoting extreme disgust, horror or surprise. Most often heard when the Amazon Battalion is on underwear cleaning duty.
Los Los Los!
In pre-1945 Germany this meant 'Go Go Go', but is now most often spelt with a silent 'T'.
Britischer (or Englander) Schweinhund!
We at the GD clan know all about those tricky, plucky Brits and their comedy firebombing antics. Get your own back by using this phrase.
Pfeffermint Soses
For some reason the krauts think the British eat mint sauce with everything, and some of them call us this. What kind of nation would give a people a nickname over a bit of food? Bloody krauts.
Cooler, 15 days.
Useful for intimidating prisoners of war.
Donner Und Blitzen!
Often used expletive denoting the appalling consequences of eating a Kebab.
Two World Wars and One World Cup (doo da, doo da)
Excellent taunt designed to take those Germans down a peg or two. You can also use '5-1', but no-one has found a way of singing along to that yet. Some of the finest footballing minds in the world are at this very moment working on it.
For You Ze Vor Ist Ofver
Excellent closing taunt when you are blowing up all the buildings you can see looking for that last irritating soldier. Not to be confused with 'all your base are belong to us'.
This is commonly used when that tank rush you spent half an hour planning ends up in the toilet. It is rumoured that bWare has used this phrase more times than Von Paulus.
Also translates as 'Get that Bloody Flag'.
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http://www.grossdachshund.com/swear.shtml
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The latest outrageous incident that the Fasadi Zaliman are responsible for is the desecration of a grave, in Sindh, of Bhooro Bheel, a folk singer who died in an accident. Turns out he was buried on land that is disputed between two tribes, the Lagharis and the Khosos. So this poor singer died; although a Hindu, he was buried in a graveyard where Muslims also lie. For those who are amazed at the fact that he wasn’t cremated – not all Hindus cremate their dead; some, like the Bheel community, bury them. In Sindh they have traditionally shared graveyards with Muslims. I learnt from advocate and human rights activist Javed Qazi (of Forum for Secular Pakistan) that Bhooro Bheel’s songs are available on Youtube – here’s one: Save Sindh Bhooro BheelJumping into this land dispute between the Lagharis and Khosos, members of the criminal Ahle-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), a banned militant organisation did an inhuman thing: they dug out Bhooro Bheel’s body and dragged it on the streets.
But Sindh is Sindh. Another landlord, Mir Masood Talpur, provided some land to bury the body in, and Bhooro Bheel now lies there, says the activist singer Saif Samejo. See the discussion on his public post on his facebook page. Other activist singers like Arieb Azhar and Aftab Ali Saeed of Beghairat Brigade are also firmly on board this fight for a progressive Pakistan.
Pakistan4All Islamabad Oct 13Meanwhile, it is heartening that young people are speaking out. There have been demonstrations in solidarity with the Christian community, condemning the attack on the church in Peshawar. A new group called Pakistan for All initiated this series of symbolic human chains around churches during Sunday mass, starting with Karachi a couple of weeks ago. The demo in Lahore was held last Sunday and another one is planned in Islamabad on Oct 13. See details at their facebook page. Postscript: It seems that we keep reacting to one horrific incident after another. Human chains, candlelight vigils, signature campaigns, outrage on facebook and twitter, seminars, meetings… This Fasadi menace needs more than that, though we should keep doing all that too. We need to demand that the authorities arrest, charge, try and and punish the perpetrators of any criminal act, even if they are committed in the name of religion.
7 Responses
1. […] Malala and Absurdistan, Mazariland, Cuckooland… We are sorry, Bhooro Bheel. Taliban bhagao, mu…. […]
2. Beena thanks. Nasir
3. Thank you Beena ji!
4. Good write up. Thank you. iqbalalavi
5. I stumbled upon this and thought I should say something.
The very term “conspiracy theory” is so utterly loaded and indeed itself indicative solely of propaganda.
Lets take a common conspiracy theory.. “the US perpetrated 9/11 upon itself in order to steal Iraqi oil and control Afghan heroin revenues”.
Lets now contrast this with the politically correct alternative: “some religiously motivated Saudi citizens hijacked and flew planes into WTC resulting in the US retaliating against the states that sponsored them”.
Lets now contrast both statements with one of those non-falsifiable ones such as “most world governments are actually controlled by purple polka-dotted, winged Orangutans, who live in the clouds and can only been observed by me and people who pay me large sums of money “.
Setting aside factual, logical and other extraneous issues and inconsistencies etc. in relation to both of the first two statements, we find that both statements are in fact falsifiable and thus both statements are potentially true as opposed to the third statement, which can never be proved false and thus is by default false and is also thus properly closer to what people describe as “conspiracy theories”. No matter what arguments you raise against statement three, its proponents can always retort.
That said….proponents of “both” sides of the argument presented in the first two statements above will lie, cheat, manufacture, misinform and ‘widen the goalposts’ simply to make their case more viable.
This tendency although similar in practice to that of proponents of statements like number three above does not detract from the falsifiablity of the central kernal of either statements one or two.
Establishmentarian propagandists effectively rely on superficial similarities between falsifiable alternative (and undesirable) explanations as to phenomena and unfalsifiable fictions such as statement three above, in order to discredit them rather than falsify them. This is not to say that proponents of the alternative are any better.
The propagandists however should successfully be able to falsify “falsehoods” as they tend to have more information on the ground, greater employable resources, bargaining power and indeed usually government…. as opposed to the proponents of the “conspiracy theory” but in certain cases (such as that above) fail to do so, relying on crude mud slinging, defamation and other ad hominem type arguments. Interestingly and noteworthily disputes about issues such as milk prices, inflation and exchange rates are resolved without much ado at all.
It is in fact the behaviour of establishmentarian propagandists, which sets out a simple test as to the veracity of a statement. The use of the term “conspiracy theory” itself in relation to its alternative is indicative of the falsehood of an assertion, particularly because as such the asserting accusers tend to have a greater vested interest derivative of the issue in dispute rather than the conspiracy theorists.
Therfore it seems to me that the onus to prove that Malala isn’t an evil, treasonous, CIA sponsored, crypto-Zionist and anti-Pakistan fifth colomnist etc. etc. should be upon the proponents of the opposite veiw, who should be able to happily falsify any aspersions upon her character rather than upon the “conspiracy theorists” to prove their case.
6. if somebody wants to write a report about any incident must have some proof, some statement by eyewitness, some video/pic, sitting in drawing room, u can build any story, hard to believe….
7. People either believe in demons and demonology or they believe in the reality that the controlling forces in the world are tied to global capitalism, its regional governments, and its agents of repression and/or change. All of the cretins who foster atrocities share their love of global capitalism and are just hankering for a piece of it, even if it is as a terrorist thug. Just look at Iraq and all that’s followed and preceded it on the global agenda. Acquisition and control is the game, not ignorant, craven demons.
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<urn:uuid:fdb7378e-cd22-4df4-9dee-d4f46d996553>
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https://beenasarwar.com/2013/10/09/malala-and-absurdistan-mazariland-cuckooland-we-are-sorry-bhooro-bheel-taliban-bhagao-mulk-bachao/
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Sources: FierceMobileIT, PC Professional, Data Center Journal
Comments Threshold
By Ammohunt on 2/28/2013 2:14:57 PM , Rating: 2
TextMost jobs are asking for jack-of-all-trades 1 person do to everything
So what's stopping you from becoming that one person? I have worked in IT for 15 years as a systems administrator and i never once settle for a speciality. Windows, Unix, application administration and even a little development its your fault if you can't adapt with the changing times i don't have that problem; currently i am morphing into the guy who manages and designs cloud environments and not pining about the good old days of single flavor single technology admins like so many CNE's.
By KOOLTIME on 2/28/2013 3:57:44 PM , Rating: 2
The point being were are not talking about a few folks whom can adapt, we are talking about large quantity numbers of jobs across industry.
To many people think there job spot is ok, or they can adapt, but the larger community cannot, due to all the extended jobs lost when these events occur.
Look at what happened to mining town when the plant closed, not just the miners lost their jobs, the entire community that supported them also went under.
Support beyond a single job, is effecting every community, with all the downsizing.
Understand the available jobs currently is less then the number of unemployed.
Skill or not, if there is not space for a person to work and no place to go.
Skill has nothing to do with money, money greed always over ride skill.
Alot of companies have good skill folks working, but they still fail why with all that good skill ? Good skill means prosperity right ?? That's untrue, the extended jobs lost due to less resource usage, unfolds across and entire community suffers.
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<urn:uuid:2af9af3e-f289-4239-accc-9075fc0859d3>
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http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=29847&commentid=842687&threshhold=1&red=119
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Are You Stressed Out? Then Check Out These Helpful Tips!
Do not let stress control your life. When you give in and admit defeat you only regret it later, start now and help your future be a better one. The information that follows will give you some pointers on what you can do to decrease how stressed out you feel everyday.
Set aside a little time today to plan and prepare for what you intend to do tomorrow. You’ll be surprised by how much stress this can relieve! Every little thing in a day adds up to a lot of stress, so taking out tomorrows clothes or making tomorrows lunch this evening will put you ahead of the game and really add up to stress savings!
Being able to visualize calming imagery can help you deal with stress when it threatens to overwhelm you. Imagine a calming warm shower flowing over your body that washes away any tension or stress that you are feeling. You can also close your eyes, breathe slowly and imagine a calming scene, like walking in a meadow, sitting on the beach, or whatever it is that calms you.
Stressful situations can be avoided if you manage repairs when they’re needed. Think about just a few things that need to be fixed, repairing them will take a lot more energy than it would had you kept up with them.
Pleasant aromas can help relieve stress. Several different scents including basil, anise, and lavender have calming effects. Put rock salt in a vial with a few drops of your favorite oil. Use this pleasant aroma to calm yourself down in times of stress.
There are times where just talking with someone you really trust can be enough to reduce your stress. Releasing emotions and anxieties will improve your frame of mind. Find a friend or family member who you can go out to coffee with you or call you up on the phone.
If you have a significant other, spend an evening enjoying a romantic dinner with them. Your attention will be on your partner and how relaxed you are rather than stressful events.
Just kick back and go to your happy place to deal with stress. Think about a place where you would like to be, and allow your mind to take you there. Using these types of techniques are a great way to deal with stress.
Taking deep breaths before doing anything can make it easier to deal with stress. Step back, count to ten as you breathe, and then confront the situation. Waiting a few seconds will help you control your stressful reaction and behave more calmly and more professionally.
Improve yourself from the inside out to increase your stress tolerance. Eating better, exercising more and sleeping for a full eight hours per night are all proven to reduce anxiety. If you feel better physically, then you will feel better mentally, helping you to better manage stress that is unavoidable.
By following the advice that was just given to you, you will be able to effectively manage your stress levels. By reducing your daily stress, you will live longer and be happier. Put these tips to work in your life, and you will be much happier.
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<urn:uuid:71391179-1c8e-4f22-9b59-224216f6db1d>
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http://amistressed.org/are-you-stressed-out-then-check-out-these-helpful-tips/
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is power of attorney?
There are a few different types of powers of attorney, but together they establish another person who can make legal, financial, and medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated due to a medical condition or otherwise unable to act on your own behalf. Establishing power of attorney can go a long way to ensuring that your affairs are taken care of in the event of unforeseen circumstances.
How does a court choose an administrator for probate?
At the start of the probate process, the court will accept petitions from the relatives of the deceased. Even if there is a named administrator in the will, that individual will still need to petition the court. In this case, the court will almost always name that person as the administrator of the estate. In the absence of a named administrator in the will, the court will select from an administrator from the people who petition, generally based on whoever has the closest relationship with the deceased.
Will my estate need to go into probate even if I have a will?
Generally, yes, unless you have very few assets. However, with a well-crafted will and/or trust, the probate process is typically pretty straightforward and will place a minimal burden on your loved ones.
How does the court distribute assets in the absence of a will?
If a person dies without a will, their estate is referred to as “intestate.” During probate, the court will work with the selected administrator for their estate to distribute their assets equitably among the deceased’s close relatives and loved ones. Obviously, this can sometimes lead to disputes and is almost always more complicated that an estate with a will.
Who owns the assets in a trust?
In a trust, the original owner of the assets transfers ownership to the trustee, who is responsible for managing the assets on behalf of the person designated as the beneficiary. In a living trust, all three of these can be the same person. But, similarly, the trustee could be a professional or relative of the original owner and/or beneficiary. So while the assets in the trust are legally owned by the trustee, they are only to be used to benefit the beneficiary.
How long does probate usually take?
Probate in Washington state generally takes six to twelve months to complete, although unusually complex or contested estates can sometimes take years.
What are the benefits of incorporation?
Incorporation has many benefits, even for small businesses. By creating a corporation, you can insulate yourself and your personal assets from legal and financial liabilities from your business. They can also minimize your tax obligations by allowing you to more easily write off business expenses. Some types of corporations, like C corporations, even have lower tax rates.
What is a succession plan?
A succession plan is a strategy for replacing key business leaders when they retire or otherwise move on from the business. A succession plan is especially important when it involves transferring ownership of the business. By creating a comprehensive plan for the transfer of the business, business owners can ensure long-term success even after they leave.
Are all churches tax exempt?
Yes! Under United States law, all churches, mosques, and temples are exempt from federal, state, and local taxes. This is because they are considered public charities.
Does a church need to be incorporated to be tax exempt?
No. Incorporation offers many other benefits, including insulation from liability, but it is not required for tax exemption.
Why Legacy Law Group?
About Us
Contact Legacy Law Group Today
Contact Us
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<urn:uuid:1d2ad37d-2a6e-45be-b258-7468de3259fe>
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https://legacylawofwashington.com/faq/
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Monday, December 1, 2014
It was a cold farmers market on Sunday. We had a bit of snow on Friday night, and then the temperature dropped to below freezing and the wind howled, and it was miserably cold, at least cold for us. At the market we were set up inside, but the doors were open most of the time, so despite having tights on under my jeans, plus multiple layers on top, and a scarf, I got cold. A few times I went outside and found a protected sunny spot, (there wasn't much wind on Sunday) and was able to soak up a bit of heat from the sun.
After the market was over and we were all packed up, we met a friend for lunch and then Larry headed home and I went to visit my mum. The care home she is in is 5 or 10 minutes from the market, depending if the traffic lights are in my favour or not, and this past Sunday they were. My mum always wants to go OUT. Quite often we go the grocery store to pick up some of the extra things she likes to have. Right now she is having a lot of trouble with one foot. A large patch of skin cancer on it, plus a couple of smaller ones, and it is heavily bandaged. Hard to get a shoe on it. A couple of weeks ago I just pushed her for a walk in her wheelchair straight from the home. The last couple of Sundays have been quite cold, so instead I suggested we just go for a drive. Thankfully that was okay with her, as even to get her and the wheelchair in and out of the car once is a difficult chore for both of us. In the three years she has been in the care home, I can only really remember one time that I visited her and we didn't go out.
The Sunday before last I suggested we drive to Crescent Beach and watch the sun set. It was hard to get her moving, so when we finally got there, the sun wasn't setting over the water as I thought it would , but because the days are so short, had already disappeared behind the houses on the last point.
We were parked in front of the dog swimming area, and the tide was right up. There were no dogs there that day. A lonely boat is chugging towards the marina. Vancouver would be off in the distance on that sliver of land on the right edge, with the north shore mountains in the background.
Yesterday we went for another drive. This time we went back the way I had got there, and down to the beach. This is the pier at White Rock.
White Rock got more snow than us, but even there, some of it had melted, especially close to the water.
See that breakwater at the end of the pier. My dad used to fish around there in his little boat, and jig for cod. Sometimes I went out with him.
There is some boat moorage on the right at the end of the pier, and now just a small dock on the left. There used to be a large dock there that formed a square, it was called The Tank. I took swimming lessons for a year or two there in the summer. The lessons went rain or shine or jellyfish. Yes, at times a bunch of jellyfish would pass through. After all, we were swimming in the ocean. I wasn't much of a swimmer, and was often the oldest one in my class. I hated it, and was so glad when my mother switched me to tennis lessons when I was 12. Tennis I was good at:)
The tide was going out. There is a sandbar forming halfway along the pier. It wasn't there in the previous picture.
We drove up the hill and got one last shot of the sun before it set. What a view that house would have. I wonder if they ever tire of the view, or don't notice it any more. Probably not. You can just see the pier and the breakwater to the left of the house.
There was one more thing I wanted to drive past. I had noticed this when I had gone to retrieve the truck at the end of the market from the parking under the community center. This is part of the area where the summer markets are held. Someone got pretty creative:)
My mum has a doctor's appointment this week, where he will cut away another small spot of skin cancer. Just before Christmas she has an appointment with a plastic surgeon to take care of the mess on her left foot and ankle.
1. Wonderful photos. It has been that bitter cold here and damp . Hope all goes well for your mum . Thanks for sharing , Have a good week !
2. yes, they do want to go out out out! then my mother says Ack! its cold! well, ya its December :p
Lovely photos!!
1. I've learned to just slip extra clothing into the bag that hangs on the back of the wheelchair, without saying anything. That way I'm usually prepared when she suddenly realizes that it is colder than she thought. Otherwise it is a big fight about what I think she should put on, and what she thinks she should.
3. Beautiful sunset photos! Glad you got her out and about..although it is hard work. The snow scene is just wonderful! :)
4. The pictures are beautiful! It is sweet of you to take your mom out. I remember what a job that can be. I would love to be able to do that again.
5. Beautiful pictures. The glow from the sun made me feel WARM! I'm ready for a little warmer weather! Sorry about Mom's skin cancer. It's not easy getting older :0(
6. What a great bunch of pictures, I enjoyed them all Karen!
I love to get comments, so don't be shy!
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https://wyndsonfarm.blogspot.com/2014/12/sunsets.html
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Sign up FAST! Login
Name something that gets hard when it gets cold. ~Family Feud
Stashed in: Best of Imgur, Family Feud
You can watch him slowly die a little inside.
His reaction to stupid answers is awesome.
His reaction to stupid answers that are up on the board is even better.
steve harvey sad gif family feud imgur
Not as good as the answers to "Name something that gets passed around."
See also McKenzi's answer 50 seconds into "What's in his pants?"
You May Also Like:
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http://pandawhale.com/post/37516/name-something-that-gets-hard-when-it-gets-cold-family-feud
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Himalayan tahr Facts
Himalayan tahr Facts
Himalayan tahr is a type of wild goat that belongs to the bovid family. It inhabits mountain slopes, mountain forests and alpine pastures on the Himalayas in Tibet, India and Nepal. Himalayan tahr has been introduced to New Zealand, North America and South Africa mainly for the purpose of hunting. Number of Himalayan tahrs in the wild is decreasing due habitat loss, competition for food with domestic animals and uncontrolled hunting. Himalayan tahr is classified as near threatened, which means that it can become endangered in the near future.
Interesting Himalayan tahr Facts:
Himalayan tahr can reach 3 to 4.7 feet in length, 2.1 to 3.3 feet in height (at the shoulder) and 79 to 189 pounds of weight. Males are larger than females.
Himalayan tahr has dense, reddish-brown woolly coat with thick undercoat, which keeps the body warm during the cold winters. Coat becomes lighter in color and less dense during the spring. Males have prominent mane around the neck.
Himalayan tahr has small head with large eyes and small pointed ears. It has short legs with well-developed hooves. Rubbery cores and sharp rims of hooves facilitate climbing over the smooth and rough rocks on the steep terrains.
Himalayan tahr has backward curved horns that can reach 18 inches in length. Both males and females have horns, but they are larger in males.
Himalayan tahr is active early in the morning and late in the afternoon (diurnal animal).
Himalayan tahr moves uphill early in the morning to find food on the alpine pastures. It eats almost entire day, with short break during the midday, when it rests among rocks and vegetation.
Himalayan tahr is a herbivore (plant-eater). Its diet is based on grass, herbs and leaves.
Himalayan tahr lives in mixed herds made of usually 15 members (sometimes up to 80). Adult males usually live solitary life.
Himalayan tahr migrates toward the areas with dense vegetation on the lower altitudes during the winter to find shelter and food and to avoid predators.
Natural enemies of Himalayan tahrs are snow leopards.
Mating season of Himalayan tahrs takes place from October to January (or February).
Ritual fights precede mating. Males raise their manes and expose their horns to intimidate their competitors. When these methods are not enough to deter rivals, males wrestle with their horns in order to establish dominance and get opportunity to mate.
Pregnancy in females lasts 7 months and ends with one (rarely 2) baby. Female leaves her group to give birth. Baby is well-developed and able to walk shortly after birth. Young Himalayan tahr depends on the mother's milk until the age of 6 months.
Himalayan tahrs reach sexual maturity at the age of 2-3 years.
Himalayan tahr can survive 10 to 14 years in the wild and up to 21 years in the captivity. Females live longer than males.
Related Links:
Animal Facts
Animals Facts
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Thursday, December 01, 2011
Flynn v. Holder (9th Cir. - Dec. 1, 2011)
When I first started reading this case, I thought: "Oh my God. You're kidding me. The Ninth Circuit's really going to do this?!"
I mean, I get it. Lots of libertarian conservatives have jumped on the "You should be able to sell your organs" bandwagon. It's consistent with at least one version of economic liberty and bodily integrity. Plus there's an undeniable need out there. People are dying. Every single day. Paying money for organs would presumably save these lives and benefit everyone. So why shouldn't we allow such sales?
But just because you may have a potentially persuasive policy argument is one thing. It doesn't mean you have a valid constitutional claim. And, in this lawsuit, the plaintiffs are bringing an equal protection challenge to a federal statute that bars compensation for bone marrow donations. That's rational basis review. Totally lax. Just gotta have a possible reason, and surely at least one (and probably more) exists. The district court dismissed the claim on a 12(b)(6) motion.
But then I start reading Judge Kleinfeld's opinion. And even though he's just "reciting" the facts, he's clearly reacting favorably to the plaintiffs' claim. Saying all this stuff about the procedure and the need that's exactly what you'd write if you were going to reverse the district court's dismissal.
Sure, he's got his strong libertarian bent, and I'm sure his clerks do as well. But surely he can't be ready to hold that there's an equal protection violation, right?! That'd be radical. Way radical. I'm not saying it'd be indisputably wrong. But wow. A freaky holding.
So after two or three pages, I can't wait any longer. Stop taunting me. I do what I almost never do. I flip to the end of the opinion to see how it comes out. REVERSED.
Holy hand grenades! Wow. This is going to be revolutionary. We're going to hold that there's potentially a constitutional right to get paid for your organs. Amazing.
Will the Supreme Court really let this stand? It seems crazy. But there are libertarians there too. And the liberals might realize, and be sympathetic with, the desperate need. This will be fascinating.
So then I go back and keep reading. And one of the things I learn is that bone marrow donation is not, at least according to Judge Kleinfeld, what I think it is. I think of it -- and probably most people think of it -- as an incredibly painful process where they stick a huge needle into your spine. That's indeed one way of doing it, and the traditional way.
But apparently there's a new way as well. That basically just involves giving blood. They spin the blood through a thingy and collect what you need.
Which I did not know. Moreover, as a practical matter, it makes a huge difference to me. Because even before I got to the "legal" part of the opinion, I had the following thought: "I'm going to do this." I should probably be willing to get a spinal tap to potentially save someone's life, but I'm flawed, so I don't. I also don't give regular blood nearly as much as I should, on the (again, flawed) theory that there's not actually a monster shortage and my blood's not essential.
But even I can't rationalize not giving blood when I may be the only (or nearly only) person who might be a match for someone. Having to sit in a chair for a couple hours isn't too much to ask to save a life. So Judge Kleinfeld's opinion (and the underlying lawsuit) at least did this: It convinced me that this is a procedure that I should do. Maybe others who read the opinion will have the same reaction. I certainly hope so.
But that's a practical and personal conclusion, not a legal one. Moreover, I'm willing to do this wholly absent any payment. That doesn't mean that I have a constitutional right to be paid for it. And that's plaintiffs' claim.
Judge Kleinfeld eventually gets to the merits. Starting with where I would have thought, before reading the opinion, he'd be forced to go. He initially concludes that, as to the "spinal tap" way of getting blood marrow, there's indeed a rational basis. That's painful. That's grabbing an "organ". Maybe one Congress might not think that's a big deal, and would allow you to be paid for it. But our Congress thought that mattered, and a rational argument can be made in that regard. Ergo it satisfies the Equal Protection Clause.
But you can also see where Judge Kleinfeld's going with this. He just told you that one way -- the traditional way -- of grabbing blood marrow is okay under the Equal Protection Clause. That's foreshadowing. As one is reading along, you can already see the argument. If it's true (as we must assume on a 12b6 motion) that it is possible to grab blood marrow just by taking blood, how's that any different than -- well -- giving blood, for which you can be paid. Or giving sperm, or an egg; for which, again, you can be "compensated." That's an equal protection argument with teeth. Or at least potential teeth; once again, the test here is very lax, and we are loathe to strike down (especially) Congressional statutes for lack of a rational basis.
But it nonetheless looks like Judge Kleinfeld's indeed going to so hold. Because remember that we know how the case is coming out. Reversed.
So I'm still enthralled with the decision, and while the process has been a little different than I first expected when I started reading the opinion, it's still a fascinating outcome.
But then Judge Kleinfeld throws a curve.
He does indeed reinstate the complaint. On the merits; not on some procedural technicality or the like. But at the end of the opinion, he decides not to reach the equal protection argument as applied to the blood-like manner of collection. Because while he's exclusively talked about the constitutional issue thus far, in the end, he interprets the federal statute to not cover bone marrow procedures if they just involve the new blood-collecting process. Ergo making resolution of the constitutional claim unnecessary, and also reaching the same result. Donors under that process can be paid. (And, to assist the plaintiffs, also awards 'em costs, which in this case likely means attorney's fees. So everyone gets paid.)
This statutory interpretation is surely defensible. Less controversial, I might add, than reaching this same result on constitutional grounds. And with the same practical consequences. You can indeed sell your bone marrow. But only if you can do it through the less painful means. Which is probably what you would prefer anyway.
That's a change in the law. You used to be not able to do this. Now you can. So feel free. Whether for money or not.
Judge Kleinfeld convinces me it's a good idea.
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<urn:uuid:3c89f9d7-9603-4fc9-8fcc-ed3c269d4847>
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http://calapp.blogspot.com/2011/12/flynn-v-holder-9th-cir-dec-1-2011.html
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Why? Why?
Why does DSAI want to kick someone out (the electorate of that constituency voted that MP in by the way, not for you to take over)? I don’t really understand his hurry to be honest. Let the PR coalition show us they can do the job? With a pending court case (possibly), let’s focus on proving to the rakyat that you can give BN the kick up the pants they deserve (and then some).
Sorry, matey, I don’t want you as a PM (whether they label you a PM in waiting), to my eyes, your wife is a far more capable, calm and less rabid politician. I’d rather things be done properly. It just reeks of the similar way that UMNO does things. No more Patronage lah. Why the all fire hurry? Hmm? Why should he ask legitimately elected MPs to vacate their post so he can get into parliament? No thank you.
Read this article.
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<urn:uuid:2434a29d-d6c4-4aca-a431-48eda00cf76e>
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https://cuddlyfamily.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/why-why/
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Mare (female)
Appearances and Mentions
Spirit of the West: Sierra
Voice Actor(s)
Love interest(s)/Mate(s)
Mother of Rain, Daughter of Bonita and Raphael
Sierra is a mare from Sierra: Spirit of the Cimarron. She is the daughter of Bonita and Raphael, the mate of Storm, and the mother of Rain.
• There is a character in the computer game Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron: Forever Free that is also named Sierra.
Personality: Sierra is known for being feisty and restless. She constantly feels the need to run, and sometimes go off on her own. She is hesitant of trying new things, and extremely cautious. But underneath all this, Sierra is a free-spirited, playful mare who loves those close to her very deeply, and would do anything for them.
Book: Sierra is in the book called Sierra, by Kathleen Duey. She is the daughter of Bonita and Raphael, and lives in the herd of Shadow until a stallion named Feugo takes over. To avoid the growing tension in the herd, Sierra takes long gallops on her own. She continues to do this until she runs into a wolf and gets lost from the herd. Storm, a pinto stallion owned by Native Americans, finds her, and she reluctantly follows him. Sierra is surprised that Storm doesn't know how to eat willow bark and find good grazing, so she teaches him. She is also suspicious of the scents of smoke and humans on him, but later calms down a bit when his war bridle is accidentally ripped off. Sierra gradually learns to trust Storm. He tolerates her suspicions and free-spirit, taking long gallops with her often. This causes Sierra to form a deep love for him. Storm and Sierra become more affectionate toward one another, often nuzzling and refusing to leave each other for even a minute. They are falling in love. Sierra later realizes that she carries Storm's foal. Storm leads her to his home, and the Native Americans try to tame her, but she is wary. A young Indian girl called Little Colt soon gains her trust, feeding her corn, braiding her mane, and letting her eat breakfast with Storm. Soon, Sierra realizes that she has found a sort of herd with Storm and the Indians. At the end of the book, she gives birth to Rain.
Appearance: Sierra is a rather stocky, bright sorrel mare with splashes of white all over body, and up her legs. She has a broad white blaze and a pink muzzle. Her neck is finely arched a bit, and her mane and tail are long and flowing, matching her coat. She has beads braided into her mane, and two squiggly lines of blue painted on her hip.
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geographical name \nī-ˈjir-ē-ə\
Definition of NIGERIA
country W Africa bordering on Gulf of Guinea; a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, formerly a colony & protectorate Abuja area 356,669 square miles (927,339 square kilometers), pop 167,000,000
Ni·ge·ri·an \-ē-ən\ adjective or noun
geographical name (Concise Encyclopedia)
/div>Country, western Africa. Area: 356,669 sq mi (923,768 sq km). Population: (2009 est.) 154,729,000. Capital: Abuja. There are more than 250 ethnic groups, including Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo. Languages: English (official), Hausa. Religions: Christianity (Protestant, other Christians, Roman Catholic), Islam, traditional beliefs. Currency: naira. Nigeria consists of plateaus and the lowlands between them, which are major river basins fed especially by the Niger River. It has a developing mixed economy based largely on petroleum production and agriculture; manufacturing is growing in importance. Services, trade, and transportation employ more than two-fifths of the workforce. Nigeria is a federal republic with two legislative bodies; its head of state and government is the president. Inhabited for thousands of years, the region was the centre of the Nok culture from 500 BCE to 200 CE and of several precolonial empires, including Kanem-Bornu, Benin, and Oyo. The Hausa and Fulani also had states. Visited in the 15th century by Europeans, it became a centre for the slave trade. The area began to come under British control in 1861 and was made a British colony in 1914. Nigeria gained independence in 1960 and became a republic in 1963. Ethnic strife soon led to military coups, and military groups ruled the country from 1966 to 1979 and from 1983 to 1999. Civil war between the federal government and the former Eastern region, Biafra (1967–70), ended in Biafra's surrender after the death by starvation of perhaps a million Biafrans. In 1991 the capital was moved from Lagos to Abuja. The government's execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995 led to international sanctions, and civilian rule was finally reestablished in 1999 with the election of a president. Ethnic strife—formerly held in check by periods of military rule—erupted in the early 21st century, as did protests over oil production in the Niger delta. Friction also increased between Muslims and Christians after some of the northern and central states adopted Islamic law (the Shari'ah).
Variants of NIGERIA
Nigeria officially Federal Republic of Nigeria
Next Word in the Dictionary: Niigata
Previous Word in the Dictionary: Niger
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up Nigeria? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
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http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nigeria
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Thursday, March 29, 2012
Saddle deliberations. Here goes...
Maybe just one more...
Okay guys, a BC Vinici saddle update. I have tested a MW and W, and neither is 100% perfect, both are close-ish. Before you say, hey, keep looking, understand that I have looked at maybe 12 saddles, and these are by far the best fitting. I love this style for me, and Ri is reacting well despite some needed tweaks.
I'd like to ask you guys what would you do? Remember that Riley is six years old and his back is likely to change, and that there is two centimeters difference between the MW and the W.
-- Since my last set of pix of this saddle, the fitter has flocked up the front. It did make a difference.
-- Girthed up, no pad, without me in the saddle, I can see daylight all the way through the spine/gullet area and it all looks good. There is at least 3-4 fingers clearance -- more really.
-- I think the points align really nicely with his back.
-- When I sit on him in the saddle with no pad, it's close to the wither. I can fit a finger under the pommel, and it's not resting on his wither, but it's close -- of course I never ride without a pad.
-- The big fluffy mattes pad seems to lift it nicely.
-- Ri definitely reacts better to being saddled in the W tree. He objects more to the MW.
-- He goes better in the wide, but the wide, with a mattes pad, is just a hair wiggly from side to side.
-- It absolutely won't work as is, but a tweak could make it perfect. Or...
-- I could pay to have it widened and have it still be too narrow. That would make me really sad.
-- I could pay to have it widened and Ri might grow to need yet another tweak. Then no more adjustments on that tree, right?
What do you think?
1. My $.02 from my experience is that when a horse begins working in a saddle that has more room than they previously had (i.e., the wide tree) there won't be restriction on the muscles anymore and they may grow/expand much more quickly than you'd expect (within a few weeks, in my experience). Combine that with the fact that he's a 6yo WB and therefore still growing, and I'd go with the Wide Tree.
2. Oh, my. Well, you know at least in part where I stand...but I think I'd rather go wider than worry about a too narrow tree.
In the first place, I think Riley is telling you something when you girth him up, so that's worth listening to.
In the second place, I theorize that a too narrow tree will actually inhibit muscle development by not allowing "room" for the wither back muscles to develop, especially in the wither area.
Could be a little additional creative saddle pads might help the saddle be more stable?
3. You know the answer, grasshopper. Riley likes it better W. Move on.
You will get this thing adjusted every 6 months. Just make sure you have some good half pads, shims, and a kick ass fitter.
good luck!
4. Well I can't offer you advice it's just good to know there is someone else out there having problems with achieving the perfect fit. My four year old frustrates me with saddle fitting.
Being a college student I can't spend a thousand or more on a saddle he will outgrow. I settled for a Wintec Pro Dressage with the interchangeable gullet. The fit seems almost perfect but because he is downhill the saddle slides a bit more forward then I like. -.- I had my experienced barn manager check the fit and approve it but it bugs me that it isn't just right.
5. Go with the wide and pad to fit. The Tad Coffin saddles are like that - all W tree with a pad system to fit a narrower back.
Riley might develop more muscle as he goes and if you stuck with the MW you would be more likely to revisit the issue in the future.
At the end of the day, for me anyway, "pretty good" is acceptable and better than a lot of horses receive. And my actual riding skill is half the battle -- what good is a perfectly fitting saddle if I'm riding like a sack of potatoes? :)
6. I think you have to go with the W, especially if Riley objects to the MW at all. As he fills out, you will probably need less padding and the saddle may feel more stable (in theory). I bought a MW Albion for my horse (which is pretty wide) and clearance over the withers improved as he gained more muscle. The saddle actually fits him better now then it did when I first bought it for him. Hopefully, Riley's will work out the same way. If you start with tight, there is no where else to go.
7. I would go with the wide. That's why they make Pads! :)
8. I would go wide and utilize the mattes.
9. No doubt, the wide. He's gonna get bigger.
10. I'd go wide and get something like a Skito pad to go under it.
11. To piggyback on everyone else, get the wide. And to piggyback on Lauren, I'll say that if the W is a little wiggly side-to-side, you'll just need to focus on a strong core and riding very well so that the saddle DOESN'T wiggle -- because YOU aren't wiggling!
12. Definitely the wide. You can play with some pads to see if it will help the shifting. Maybe a neoprene girth, too? You can tell from the pics that he still has a baby back. I bet he will grow into that one sooner than you think.
13. Go wide. I'd like to see a photo of the saddle slid back a bit further (ignore where the girths straps fall). I reckon it would be better balanced then.
You could try taking the front girth strap out of the keeper, angle it forward about an inch, and see how that goes? This is how my saddle is fitted to my horse with a similar big shoulder with the same lumps of fat and a forward girth groove.
You may not get the perfect fit, but if the horse and rider are both happy, isn't that what you're trying to achieve?
14. I would go wide and pad it up as needed. I feel your pain, I'm (hopefully) finishing a year long saddle search with a new Thornhill (wide tree as well!)that's on order :)
15. Being someone who has has 4 saddles in 4.5 years I would suggest going with the saddle that gives you the most room for Ri to grow. My current saddle is a wide and I use a Thinline Correction pad that is quilted only with no sheepskin. I can feel the horse more without the sheepskin. I can add front, back or mid shims and the shims also come in a variety of thickness options. I change shims as needed without having my saddle fitter out every few weeks as muscle grows. It is great to be able to make minor adjustments on the spot that make Padre' happy.
16. I applaud your decision to choose less than 100%. There is not perfection in saddle fitting as all horses change shape, even at maturity. The closest you get is the closest you get. Otherwise, you would more likely than not go insane and spend all your money looking for something that does not exist. Riley reacting well to it is what is most important. Hurrah for you!!!! :) - Friesianwelshx
17. I think the wide is your friend. If he was full grown and not likely to change much more the MW might be the better bet but since he's still growing & developing I think the W is the better bet.
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England's World Cup History by the Numbers
Jamie PeltierContributor IFebruary 9, 2011
England's World Cup History by the Numbers
0 of 11
This is a very random article, but I did this while I was studying soccer in England last month, and it was fun to do. England, although having the oldest national football team in the world, has had only moderate successes throughout their World Cup history. I chose to do a slideshow recognizing some of their most notable highlights since they’ve entered the world’s largest sporting event. Counting down from 10 to one, I used popular players and their numbers to represent my facts.
No. 10
1 of 11
England had 10 combined shutouts during the 1982, 1986 and 1990 World Cups, and also hold the record for the most shutouts in one World Cup competition (four in 1982). Their goalkeeper was Peter Shilton, who also holds the record for playing the most all-time games with England.
No. 9
2 of 11
A lot of people were very optimistic about England for the 2010 World Cup because they won nine out of the 10 qualifying competition games. This is a series of tournaments and games with 205 teams—they started in August 2007 and ended in November 2009. They were UEFA Group 6 Winners and played Croatia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Andorra (this may have been the reason of them winning so much).
No. 8
3 of 11
Eight different venues in seven different cities held the matches played during the 1966 World Cup in England. These stadiums included Wembley, Goodison, Hillsborough, Roker Park, Old Trafford, White City Stadium, Villa Park and Ayresome Park. The final of course was played at Wembley and the attendance was 98,000.
No. 7
4 of 11
At the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, USA defeated England 1-0. This was unexpected and known as the miracle on grass. England had a reputation of being the “king of football” and were expected to win this World Cup. This somewhat sparked a rivalry between the two countries ever since. So far in World Cup challenges, England managed to beat the USA seven out of the 10 times they have played them.
No. 6
5 of 11
Making it to the quarterfinals is a good accomplishment for most countries, but for England anything less than being a World Cup finalist can be looked at as a disappointment because their fans expect the very best from them. With the widespread talent England produces and the rich history of English football, the fans and supporters may view this accomplishment more as a disappointment or a missed opportunity.
No. 5
6 of 11
Only 16 teams competed in the 1966 World Cup—not including the USA—and England tied with Portugal for winning the most games during this tournament (five).
No. 4
7 of 11
The FIFA rankings started in 1992 and the highest England has ranked was fourth in 1997 and 2006. This point ranking system is based on results of all FIFA-recognized international matches on a team’s performance over the last four years. England is currently sixth and Spain is first. Only six teams have been No. 1, and Brazil has been ranked first the most.
No. 3
8 of 11
England didn’t enter the first three World Cups because they thought they were "too good." FIFA wanted them too, but the FA declined all invitations. The 1950 World Cup was the first tournament England was in and the first one played after World War II.
No. 2
9 of 11
Two out of the 15 managers England has had have not been English: Sven-Göran Eriksson from Sweden and Fabio Capello from Italy (current manager). Eriksson is the only manager to win league and cup doubles in three different countries. He managed England from 2001-2006 and also has managed Mexico and Cote d’Ivoire. Capello, being very successful, is known for winning titles with every club he has coached. In his first five seasons as manager, he won four Serie A titles with Milan.
No. 1
10 of 11
England is one of eight national teams that earned a World Cup title (Brazil has the most with five). They won in 1966 on their home soil with a 4-2 victory against West Germany. This game also holds the record of most goals scored in a final match, as Sir Geoff Hurst scored a hat trick.
With the teams tied at two, England's third goal, and Hurst's second, in 11 minutes of extra time was very controversial because it hit the crossbar and bounced down right on the line. However, it was called a goal on the pitch and Hurst added another extra time goal for the 4-2 final.
England became the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934. This win was the most celebrated event in British sporting history.
11 of 11
Disappointment came across all of England when Russia beat them for hosting rights of the 2018 World Cup. Beckham was quoted saying, “The way they follow us as a team, the way they follow us as a nation, there’s no more passionate fans in the world than in England and apologies that we couldn’t bring them the World Cup.”
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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/603867-englands-world-cup-history-by-the-numbers
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How Much Does It Cost to Do Your Wash?
Once you know the real cost of something, such as doing your wash, you may be surprised. And that surprise can turn into motivation for doing things differently, and thus saving money.
Let us look at three households: Mrs Average, Mrs Conservative, and Mrs Thrifty. They each do laundry a different way, and so they spend different amounts getting the same size load completed. We will assume that they all have a standard washing machine and dryer. It is true that you can usually save more with a high efficiency washer and dryer. We’ll also assume that they do their laundry at the same time of day and use electric machines and water heaters (in some arrangements, you can get lower electricity or water rates at off peak times).
Okay, Mrs Average puts her load of laundry into her washer. She sets it at hot/warm or hot/cold and uses the recommended amount of her favorite laundry detergent that she purchased just that morning at the grocery store. When she is done, she will throw it into the dryer with a softener sheet as usual until it is done. Here are the costs:
Water plus heating the water: $.69
Detergent: $.39
Dryer: $.47
Dryer Sheet: $.10
Total cost per load: $1.65
Mrs Conservative knows that she can save some money on laundry by making a few frugal choices. She washes her laundry load on the warm/cold setting because there is no reason to rinse in hot or warm, right?. She could choose a cold water detergent, but they are a little pricey. Instead, she buys her favorite regular powder detergent in bulk. When her load is done, she will hang about half of it, mostly the less bulky items, in her basement overnight. She buyers her dryer sheets in bulk as well and uses half a sheet at a time. Here are the costs:
Water plus heating the water: $.32
Detergent: $.14
Dryer: $.23
Dryer Sheet: $.04
Total cost per load: $.75
Mrs Thrifty wants to lower her laundry cost as much as possible. She still wants to use a washing machine to do her wash. She also washes her laundry on the cold/cold setting and uses the presoak option on her machine so she can use her detergent more effectively without the hot or warm water. She also makes her own laundry detergent out of a few common grocery store items. She rarely uses her dryer at all. In fact, she hangs her laundry outside on good days and inside in bad weather. If she needs to soften a load of wash, she uses a tablespoon of generic vinegar bought in bulk. Here are the costs:
Water plus heating the water: $.14
Detergent: $.01
Dryer: $.00
Dryer Sheet: $.00
Vinegar: $.01
Total cost per load: $.16
You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here!
Favorite Deal Websites:
Related Articles:
A List of the Best Generic Brands
Tackling Mount Washmore: Easy Laundry Solutions
Emergency Laundry Detergent
This entry was posted in Frugal Laundry and tagged , , , by Mary Ann Romans. Bookmark the permalink.
About Mary Ann Romans
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<urn:uuid:5b1d44c8-446e-4035-bcf2-8eeeada72c62>
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https://www.families.com/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-do-your-wash
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2 Replies Latest reply on Sep 9, 2013 9:54 AM by strypesinpost
How Do I Relink Footage That's a Higher Resolution Than What I Edited With?
I'm working on a short film in Premiere Pro 6 that was shot on a RED Scarlet. When I began the project, the computer I was working on couldn't handel playing r3d files in Premiere in 1/16th resolution, so I made 1080p exports of all the footage and began editing. Now, I'm on a computer with a much higher performance level, the project has been finished, but I need the 4K r3d files instead of the 1080p work exports.
Is there a way to change a sequence's setting to a different file type/resolution, allowing me to unlink the 1080ps and relink the r3ds? Or will I have no choice but to do this the old fashion way, taking timecode in-points and out-points and reassembling the entire film in a r3d sequence?
Please help!
• 1. Re: How Do I Relink Footage That's a Higher Resolution Than What I Edited With?
SAFEHARBOR11 Most Valuable Participant
I would make a COPY of the current project, so as not to make changes to original project. In the new version, create a new sequence at the 4k specs, and then copy/paste contents of the 1080p sequence to the 4k sequence. I don't know of an automated way to do this, but manually, you can right-click clips in the bin and "Make Offline", and select again and choose "Link Media" and point to original RED file.
If original RED clips and the 1080p clips are exact same length, then the edits should be intact. I do something similar quite often and works fine with substituting clips (I will edit a wedding ceremony, then decide I want the whole thing DeNoised - I create a clean clip with After Effects, then plug that into existing edit replacing original and it is seamless, all cuts in sync perfectly).
Note that Premiere titles are going to be at 1080 and may appear smaller in 4k project. Open existing title from timeline, and in titler make new item from current, which should make a copy of the title, but at 4k. The use Replace in timeline to substitute 4k version (right click title in timeline and choose Replace from Bin). I just went through this when moving from a 720p sequence to 1080p.
Hopefully these ideas work in your situation
Jeff Pulera
Safe Harbor Computers
• 2. Re: How Do I Relink Footage That's a Higher Resolution Than What I Edited With?
strypesinpost Level 2
Hi Joe,
You can try making the sequence offline and relinking to the R3Ds and see if that gives you any luck with automated relinking.
Alternatively, you can export an XML, send it to the Resolve Lite, populate your media pool with the R3D mags, import the XML into the Resolve, relink the QTs to the R3Ds in the Resolve and export an XML and re-import that into Premiere. This is a little similar to the traditional offline/online workflow, except that you're just using the Resolve for re-linking instead of grading.
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https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1292362
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Anti-Vaccination Movement May Lead To Measles Outbreak, Study Shows
A new study regarding deadly measles complications shows how anti-vaccination movement can endanger not only the patient but also everyone else susceptible to the disease.
Vaccine controversies have occurred since almost 80 years before the terms vaccine and vaccination were introduced, and continue to this day. Opponents question the effectiveness, safety, and necessity of recommended vaccines. They also argue that mandatory vaccinations violate individual rights to medical decisions and religious principles. These arguments have reduced vaccination rates in certain communities, resulting in outbreaks and deaths from preventable childhood diseases.
According to Forbes, Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a neurological disorder that can develop years after someone has measles, and it is fatal 100 percent of the time. Previously, it was thought rare at about one in 100,000 post-measles cases. But recent research in Germany shows that it occurs in one in 1,700 children infected with measles before they turned five, and a new study finds the incidence can be as many as one in 600 for infants who contract measles before they’re vaccinated.
SSPE also known as Dawson Disease, Dawson encephalitis, and measles encephalitis is a rare and chronic form of progressive brain inflammation caused by a persistent infection with measles virus, which can be a result of a mutation of the virus itself.
Since the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is not good for children below 12 months, the only alternative way is to prevent it and SSPE through vaccinating enough people to prevent the spread of the said disease.
“The answer is good public health. You need to vaccinate everybody and create herd immunity so that you protect those most vulnerable to measles and those at greatest risk of SSPE,” said Dr. James Cherry, a research professor in pediatric infectious diseases at UCLA, who was part of the study team.
The findings were presented during the IDWeek 2016, the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. “This is really alarming and shows that vaccination truly is lifesaving,” Cherry said.
Even without SSPE, researchers said, measles can kill or cause encephalitis. It is an inflammation of the brain, caused by infection or an allergic reaction. Now we know what will be the effect of the anti-vaccination movement, let us inform other people regarding this. Let us not spread the news for our next generations’ future.
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<urn:uuid:78181069-54cd-4683-af00-fa20c6f4fb54>
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https://en.shafaqna.com/anti-vaccination-movement-may-lead-to-measles-outbreak-study-shows/
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Peek at the Application of Cannabis Legalization
Even though the consumption of marijuana is loosened outside of medical needs, a number of countries apply certain restrictions that are different and quite strict.
Canada, for example. On October 17, 2018, Canada will legalize marijuana in full in three categories: Canada drugs, Canada recreation, and Canada cultivation. Cannabis farmers can obtain government licenses to produce marijuana. Each province will discuss related to the distribution and sale of products. The government also does not explicitly campaign in support or will only sign legalization without promoting.
Spain also legalized marijuana in three categories. However, there are certain rules that must be obeyed by marijuana users. In the recreation category, marijuana is only legal if it is enjoyed in a private area and the user must register to an association. If it is desperate to smoke marijuana in a public space, users can be punished according to the applicable legal product. Each user can only have a maximum of 60-100 grams of marijuana per month.
Uruguay entered the country which fully legalized marijuana. However, people under the age of 18 cannot consume it. Whoever wants to sell, buy, and cultivate marijuana must also register with the government.
What about Jamaica? The government is loosening the consumption of cannabis for Rastafarians. Beyond that, marijuana should only be used for medical and cultivation purposes.
Control of post-legalization of marijuana use is a concern among academics. In an article titled “Implications of Marijuana Legalization for Adolescent Substance Use” (2014), University of Colorado psychiatrist, Christian Hopfer highlighted the potential effects of marijuana legalization, namely increased consumption of marijuana among adolescents. This increase is supported by supporting factors such as greater social acceptance of marijuana use and increasingly affordable prices like in the Canadian pharmacy online. Hopfer hopes marijuana will be closely monitored like alcohol and tobacco.
The price of marijuana is indeed down after legalization. From the beginning it was illegal and traded on the black market at a high price, now marijuana has become an affordable item in countries that legalize it.
Marijuana legalization in several US states in 2015 also reduced the price of marijuana, even though the quality was high. States such as California and Nevada even have the cheapest prices for marijuana along with legalization for medical needs.
The same applies in Canada. Since the campaign of decriminalization of marijuana in 2015 which led to the legalization of medical needs to full legalization this year, the price of marijuana continues to down. Reporting from Bloomberg, in 2015 marijuana per gram was valued at 8.43 Canadian dollars. This price dropped to 6.05 dollars per gram in 2017. Canadian pharmacy, which was originally an importer of marijuana, is now an exporter. Last year, the total value of Canadian cannabis exports reached 1.2 billion Canadian dollars.
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Can Dreaming About Cheating Hurt Your Relationship? Here's Why It Can Actually Bring You Closer Together
Ashley Batz/Bustle
Even if you know they're not real, dreams can still have a way of messing with your head throughout the rest of the day. For instance, if you're in a relationship where you're super in love with your partner and you suddenly, start having dreams about having sex with with someone else, it's may make you question some things. We all know that dreams are just dreams, but when it comes down to it, can cheating dreams hurt your relationship in any way?
It's a question I'm sure many of us have Googled at one point. So mattress brand, Amerisleep, recently conducted a survey of 1,000 people to figure it all out. As they found, nearly one in four people say they have dreamt about cheating on their partner or had dreams where their partner was cheating on them. Nearly 30 percent said it meant they were probably having feelings for someone else, and nearly 50 percent of women and 36 percent of men said it probably meant they had a non-relationship related "difficult decision" to make in their life. Many also believe that cheating dreams can bring up trust issues or anxieties within the relationship.
"Cheating dreams are one of the most common dreams reported to me and yes, it can impact the relationship," Lauri Loewenberg, professional Dream Analyst and author of Dream on It, Unlock Your Dreams Change Your Life tells Bustle. "The emotions we feel in the midst of the dream are very real and they can linger for quite a bit after awakening."
What It Means If You Dream That Your Partner Is Cheating On You
If you're dreaming that you're being cheated on, Loewenberg says those feelings of betrayal, jealousy or being left behind is the most important part to pay attention to. Usually, those emotions tend to connect to those that we feel in real life. However, she says, these feelings aren't typically caused by an actual affair going on. More often than not, it's actually caused by a third wheel in the relationship like work, fantasy football, or maybe even a new baby.
"These dreams tend to happen when the dreamer is feeling left out of or 'cheated' out of the time and attention he or she feels they deserve."
"These dreams tend to happen when the dreamer is feeling left out of or 'cheated' out of the time and attention he or she feels they deserve," Loewenberg says. Since time and attention is being given to something else, it can cause the dreamer to feel a sense of jealousy. "This is magnified at night within the dream state because it may not be being addressed in waking life or it is being handled incorrectly," she says.
What If This Is A Reoccurring Dream?
If this dream is repetitive and there's really no reason to suspect that your partner is cheating on you (besides the dream), then figure out what makes you feel like you're being a third wheel. Then, of course, being it up with your partner in an understanding way. "Let him or her know you are feeling a bit left out. Offer to cut back on something of yours as well. Compromise. Set a date night," Loewenberg says. "Find a way for the two of you to get more quality time together." If you talk it out, then maybe your feelings of being left out won't play out in your dream.
What It Means If You're The One Cheating On Your Partner
"When we sleep, our subconscious takes us on a ride, and we can't control what comes from that," Victoria M. Beltran, MPH, CHES, sexual health educator, and founder of the sexual health education site Healthy Sex and You, tells Bustle.
Maybe you thought about sex during the day. Maybe you saw someone good looking a week ago. Maybe you haven't had sex in a while. "All of this can be worked out through dreams, but they don't describe what we want to do in real life necessarily," she says. So overall, it's really no big deal. It's just another fantasy. If you don't act on it, you won't have any problems.
What If You Dream You're Cheating With Your Ex?
But what about dreaming of someone you know? Like an ex for instance. If you are dreaming that you're cheating on your current partner with your ex, Loewenberg says these dreams tend to happen when your current relationship has become too routine or "hum drum." Cheating with your ex dreams don't typically mean you want your ex back, but rather what the ex represents. If it's a first love or someone you had super great chemistry with, these dreams are a reminder that you and your relationship is worthy of passion.
Why Cheating Dreams Can Actually Bring You Closer Together
Dreams that involve infidelity can have you questioning yourself, your partner, and even your relationship. But don't let it bring you all kinds of unnecessary anxiety. In fact, as Loewenberg says, cheating dreams can actually fan the flames in your relationship. "These dreams can shine a light on an issue that needs to be addressed, a feeling that is not being taken care of," she says. "It can even be a gentle nudge from your psyche to start spicing things up!"
Everyone has sex dreams and everyone has fantasies. I, for instance, recently had a crazy realistic dream about an ex I haven't talked to in years. I spent a good day or two agonizing over whether it means I should reach out or maybe even just do a little Facebook snooping to see what he's been up to. I ended up not doing any of that, but that just goes to show you that dreams can have a way of sticking with you and messing with your emotions while you're awake.
"Cheating dreams can only cause problems in your relationship if you're a dream chaser."
"Although there are experts in the psychological field who believe dreams can be tools to use to decipher deep hidden truths lying inside of our minds, it would not be wise to read too much into your dreams about lovers which are outside of your marriage or partnership," Dating and Relationship Expert, Megan Weks tells Bustle. "This is perfectly normal and healthy and can be comparable to any other kind of fantasizing. There are two kinds of people: those who dream about cheating and those who don't remember their dreams. Cheating dreams can only cause problems in your relationship if you're a dream chaser. My suggestion is to enjoy them when they come along every so often, don't overthink them, and don't attempt them in real life!"
So dreams don't have to be a big deal if you don't make them a big deal. If you're having dreams about cheating, take a deep breath and remember that it's what you do when you're awake that really counts.
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Avril Lavigne Birth Chart
Avril Lavigne Birth Chart Avril Lavigne Horoscope for Birth Date 27 September 1984
Avril Lavigne Birth Chart has a variety pictures that amalgamated to locate out the most recent pictures of Avril Lavigne Birth Chart here, and furthermore you can acquire the pictures through our best avril lavigne birth chart collection. Avril Lavigne Birth Chart pictures in here are posted and uploaded by centralvalleybaptist.net for your avril lavigne birth chart images collection. The images that existed in Avril Lavigne Birth Chart are consisting of best images and high environment pictures.
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What Is a Birth Chart?
We are born upon this earth to living and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. However, our animatronics is not sure as no one knows later death would come. We value dynamism to the utmost and accomplish many things to nurture our body and keep our liveliness for as long as possible. The world is full of surprises and wonders that one feels that an entire lifetime is not acceptable to explore and enjoy God’s present to us. Most people are no question impatient to know nearly their lifespan and new things practically them. for that reason they tackle to the birth chart which provides the suggestion they require.
Avril Lavigne Astrology Natal Report and Birth Chart
avril lavigne horoscope
Avril Lavigne Astro Birth Chart Horoscope Date of Birth
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Natal chart of Avril Lavigne
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The seek of a birth chart is to see the direction of the stars during the mature past each individual was born and in the place where you were born. If you are skilled to give the details of the mature of your birth, your reveal and place of birth this natal or birth chart would predict the type of personality you are, your likes and dislikes, things that do something you and those that create you happy etc. These predictions are practicable by calculating the daisy wheel and aspects graphics amalgamated to the epoch and place of birth.
The take aim of checking opinion using birth chart is to see your sun sign if you do not know it already. It is important to remember the rising sign and next the moon sign that reflects on your painful feeling side and your emotions.
Deryck Whibley
Astrology Deryck Whibley date of birth 1980 03 21
Jenner Brody
Brody Jenner horoscope for birth date 21 August 1983
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Evangeline Lilly Birth Chart
Another intend that the birth chart serves is by calculating and comparing the astrological compatibility in the middle of two people. This is over and done with mostly in the prosecution of marriages subsequent to people are enthusiastic to know whether the birth chart of the couple blend next each other. This practice is widely prevalent in India than any supplementary country in the world.
If you are excited in finding out the type of personality you are and new more the person you are married to or seek to acquire married to, you can make use of the back up provided online. Many websites allow you behind forgive birth chart checks. It is categorically easy and easy, one has to enter name, date of birth, and place of birth and epoch of birth and submit.
Within seconds you are exposed to everything approximately you. It would be engaging to know that in many ways you would be undertaking exactly the thesame that has been predicted not quite you. It’s incredible to know more very nearly yourself than you in fact are aware of.
astrology and natal chart of avril lavigne born on 1984 09 27 horoscope and natal chart of avril lavigne born on 1984 09 27 you will find in this page an excerpt of the astrological portrait and the interpration of the planetary dominants astrology birth chart for avril lavigne astro charts avril lavigne astro birth chart horoscope date of birth avril lavigne birth chart astro horoscope birth date biography 1984 free horoscopes charts calculations birth chart line calculator ascendant rising sign calculator astro portrait sun moon asc synastry posite davison chart transits progressions solar return astro calendars retrograde motion traditional astrology avril lavigne horoscope for birth date 27 september 1984 avril lavigne – celebrity birth chart astrology avril lavigne we offer interpretations of the birth charts of famous people in this section tools for greater understanding & fulfillment musicians she’s not britney spears she’s not christina aguilera…she’s avril lavigne and she wants everyone to know that when she sings and writes songs she’s absolutely herself avril lavigne astrology natal report and birth chart intensive probing into genetic structure and cellular processes will accelerate genetic engineering into new vistas your generation also probes the mysteries of birth and and members of your age group will even develop laboratories for forging new understanding of what happens at birth and avril lavigne astrology natal horoscope report and birth chart where venus appears on your chart will provide you with information on how you relate to others on an emotional level you have a very powerful set of emotions that permit you feel to the fullest you are very loving and passionate with your mate avril lavigne birthday and astrological chart avril lavigne birthday and natal information this is the birth data that we used to calculate the natal chart and to prepare astro profile interpretation for avril ramona lavigne avril lavigne biography affair married husband her birth name avril ramona lavigne and her nickname is abbey dawn she is the daughter of french canadian father jean claude joseph lavigne and english scottish and german mother judith rosanne loshaw astrology and natal chart of deryck whibley born on 1980 horoscope and natal chart of deryck whibley born on 1980 03 21 you will find in this page an excerpt of the astrological portrait and the interpration of the planetary dominants we use cookies to personalise content and ads to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic
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Avril Lavigne
Astrology Avril Lavigne date of birth 1984 09 27
Lawrence Kasdan
Astrology Lawrence Kasdan date of birth 1949 01 14
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The 6 June Horoscope Free Love Horoscope Famous People
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Danica McKellar Astro Birth Chart Horoscope Date of Birth
avril lavigne september 27th 1984 libra rat
Avril Lavigne September 27th 1984 Libra Rat What
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Spatio-Temporal Databases
Spatio-Temporal Databases
4.11 - 1251 ratings - Source
Spatio-Temporal Databases explores recent trends in flexible querying and reasoning about time- and space-related information in databases. It shows how flexible querying enhances standard querying expressiveness in many different ways, with the aim of facilitating extraction of relevant data and information. Flexible spatial and temporal reasoning denotes qualitative reasoning about dynamic changes in the spatial domain, characterized by imprecision or uncertainty (or both). Many of the contributions focus on GIS, while some others are more general, or focus on related application fields, presenting theoretical viewpoints and techniques that are inspiring or can be adapted for GIS. The first part bundles the contributions on advances at the theoretical level, also discussing examples and opening further perspectives. The second part presents contributions on well-developed applications. The authors explain how to handle imprecision and uncertainty, demonstrating how advanced techniques can help to solve diverse problems related to GIS.In a 10/50 labeling, the problem lies with the smallest dataset of 10 points where the context of a point is much smaller and replication of this context consequently becomes easier. This increases the possible ambiguity in the solution space.
Title:Spatio-Temporal Databases
Author: Rita de Caluwe, Guy De Tré, Gloria Bordogna
Publisher:Springer Science & Business Media - 2013-04-17
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Morpho Literacy
Bilingual Literacy-Based Programming with Amy Olson
Bilingual Programming and Literacy May 26, 2010
Filed under: Chapter - Bilingual Music Programming and Preliteracy — Morpho Literacy @ 8:56 am
Amy Olson
Exposure to and eventual fluency in the English language is necessary for academic success in U.S. schools. Conservative estimates suggest there are over 5.5 million students attending U.S. public schools whose first language is not English; of this group, 80% are fluent in Spanish (McCardle et al. 2005). When ELL (English Language Learner)[1] children attend school they have to face the daily challenge of learning to communicate and read in a language that is different from the one that is spoken in their home (Lindsey et al. 2003; Páez et al. 2007). Unfortunately, statistics have consistently shown that ELL children are at risk for poor reading outcomes, and even proficient bilingual[2] children begin kindergarten with language and preliteracy skills that are below expectation (Hammer et al. 2007; Páez et al. 2007).
Where can ELL children go to improve their preliteracy skills prior to entering kindergarten? The most obvious choices are preschools, early starts, and head-start centers. However, the local public library and elementary school library can also play an integral role in developing and fostering language and preliteracy skills. In the U.S., the ability to offer bilingual programming has become an essential part of being a children’s librarian as the Latino community is the largest and fastest-growing minority group, exceeding 3.94 million people (U.S. Census Bureau 2008). Outside of a classroom, music might be the only major source of English that an ELL child will hear; thus the integration of music into a preliteracy learning setting, such as a school or library, can assist a child’s language development and academic learning while simultaneously allowing them to develop musically (Bolduc 2009; Wiggins 2007).
This chapter will discuss how music can help ELL children with language and preliteracy development, the musical tale, and ways children’s librarians can use the musical tale in bilingual musical literacy-based programming. In addition, suggestions for bilingual music-oriented programming, websites, musical tale titles, and CDs are also provided to assist children’s librarians and other educators in creating valuable learning experiences for children. (more…)
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Why You Probably Shouldn't Worry About Exercising Yourself to Death
Is there such a thing as too much exercise? A new study, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, suggests that there is. Fitness diehards may have a higher-than-average risk of coronary artery calcification (CAC): a buildup of calcium in the artery walls of the heart that makes arteries less flexible and is often a harbinger of heart disease. But the vast majority of people, experts say, don't need to worry about overdoing it. Read more>>
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Join date: Jun 22, 2022
Crazybulk products, crazy bulk reviews 2021
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How Could BB-8 Work?
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How Could BB-8 Work?
Dec. 4, 2015
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UA College of Engineering robotics expert and “Star Wars” fan Wolfgang Fink analyzes the design of astromech droid BB-8.
If you ask Wolfgang Fink, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, the real star of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the round, two-foot tall astromech droid called BB-8.
While there is still plenty of room for improvement, BB-8’s soccer-ball-like body has striking advantages over its predecessors R2-D2 and C-3PO, says Fink, who designs and builds artificially intelligent, autonomous Mars rovers.
Over the next few decades, robots will become an integral part of society. If robots have personalities, it’s a lot easier to bridge the gap between us as humans and them as machines.”
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Why is this server population growing rapidly
100 Troll Shaman
I've been keeping tabs on the population of all the servers on the Vengeance battlegroup since a couple of weeks after Mists launched. There were a few other realms around this servers population such as Runetotem & Khaz Modan.
They've seen an increase in toons on the realm by about 2'000, whereas this one is 12'000! This server appears to be the fastest growing server on the battlegroup. Why? Did it get marked as new players or something?
Reply Quote
85 Night Elf Druid
It did a few months ago, before MOP release it was marked for new players, hence why I transferred my main, not sure why it's growing in the recent few weeks though.
Reply Quote
90 Blood Elf Hunter
Rexxar was marked as new players a while back, not sure if it is now or not. I dont think so.
Reply Quote
90 Tauren Druid
I haven't noticed new people at all, it seems like a bunch of the same people on alts
Reply Quote
90 Worgen Warlock
I feel like it's the most dead it's ever been lol.
Reply Quote
90 Blood Elf Paladin
Numbers skyrocketed when I came back. Must've heard I was back. It may feel dead to Andisious because he's on the wrong side lol
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90 Worgen Warlock
01/11/2013 03:17 PMPosted by Pauladin
I completely and utterly agree. Haha.
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Judge zombies not, lest ye be judged
Zombies have political, social, and cultural relevance—who knew?
If you believe zombies are a manifestation of evil, check the mirror.
The ugly truth, suggests PhD student Kelly Doyle, is that deep down, zombies have a lot more in common with living, breathing humans than we’d like to believe.
“The hardest thing to face is that there might be something about your existence that you don’t want to acknowledge,” she says.
As Halloween nears Doyle suggests zombies are symbolic of humanity’s worst fears and most basic urges. More than any other monster, zombies represent what we hate and fear most about ourselves and society.
“Zombies are recognizably human in a way that a lot of other monsters are not,” says Doyle.” A zombie is a decaying yet undead body with no ability to control its urges. It’s disgusting, revolting. And yet, it signifies the truth of what living things inevitably become: cadavers.”
This grotesque nature is in stark contrast to another popular undead monster—the vampire, portrayed in many genres as sexy, civilized, even glamorous.
“People may tend to think that it would be wonderful to be an immortal, youthful vampire. But a zombie—a mindless rotting corpse whose only purpose is to tear apart, move through the masses and eat flesh—that’s truly terrifying to many people.”
Doyle has been a fan of horror movies since she was a little girl, but never dreamed her fascination would become a springboard to a career. An interdisciplinary graduate student in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies at UBC’s Okanagan campus, Doyle’s current research focuses on exploring the racial, social and political relevance of zombies and zombie culture through horror films and media.
“I started with the first zombie film ever made in 1932, White Zombie by Victor Halperin. Then I moved on to what I thought to be key films throughout history, including George A. Romero’s pivotal zombie films, and concluding with the Resident Evil film series and 28 Days Later.”
What Doyle discovered is that zombie movies are socially relevant to the landscape of the times, and serve as a barometer for political and cultural anxieties.
From the beginning, there were overt racial overtones with zombies, Doyle says. “In the 1930s, the zombie is Haitian. In White Zombie, the zombie is represented as a slave.”
“I am not suggesting that the zombie folklore of Haiti is racist, but the representation of the zombie in White Zombie is based on an ongoing theme of racialization as well as a slave/master dynamic,” says Doyle. “When adapted as a colonizing narrative, zombie films take on a political context of domination and othering.
Flash ahead to 1968, following the U.S. civil rights movement. The protagonist in the seminal film Night of the Living Dead is the sole African American. He ends up the only survivor, only to be shot by police at the end.
“It leaves you wondering if the police killed him because they thought he was a zombie, or shot him because he was African American,” says Doyle. “Zombie films are never only about the sensationalism of gore; there is often political and rationalized social commentary that’s being made.”
Doyle also points to the recent Resident Evil franchise, which tackles the theme of corporate power and viral weaponry.
“In Resident Evil, the zombie apocalypse was created by modern scientific endeavors. The films address all sorts of questions about widespread disease, corporate control, and weaponry. It asks culturally relevant questions about what happens when corporations get involved in the welfare of social being.”
Another noteworthy theme in zombie narratives, says Doyle, is that they are almost always apocalyptic.
“There is no going back and no cure. There may be a group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world, but the world is never the same. There is often a question in zombie films about what humans are capable of, and how far is too far. Zombie films suggest there is something in human nature that is destructive.”
But perhaps most intriguing, adds Doyle, is that zombies do not truly represent the “bad guys” in the majority of film treatments.
“In most zombie narratives, there is a main character whose selfishness and individual needs trump those of the group, eventually tearing the group apart. Ironically, it ends up being a human who is even more monstrous than the monster. Zombies become what they are through no fault of their own. But the humans in those situations are often far more selfish, murderous, and violent than the zombies.
“It’s always interesting to look at who is the real ‘monster’ is in the zombie genre—us or them. It’s false … because they are us. And it makes you question, what really sets us apart?”
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http://news.ubc.ca/2012/10/04/judge-zombies-not-lest-ye-be-judged/
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Footing the bill for your child’s college education is one of the most expensive parts of being a parent. However, many parents are slashing those expenses in half by sending their teens to a local community college for the first two years of their college career and later switching to a four-year college to complete their Bachelor’s degree.
How can a community college save you a bundle?
1. Tuition. According to an article published by US News, the average annual cost of tuition for a community college is a mere $2,500, while its four-year counterparts average $7,000 for a public university and $26,000 for a private college.
When starting in a community college, you can save between $4,500 and $23,500 per year on tuition. Over two years, your savings amount to $9,000 to $47,000!
These savings don’t include the extra expenses associated with attending college – just the tuition. Therefore, your savings are bound to increase when considering other college-related costs.
2. Financial Assistance. If your teen is eligible to receive grants from the government, your out-of-pocket costs may very well drop to $0. You can use these years of “free” college to ramp up your savings for the upcoming years your student will spend in a four-year college.
Many students even receive a check for the overage of their grant, ranging from $200 to $600 or more per semester.
It’s a misconception that only children from low-income families can receive grants. However, the government offers both needs-based and non-needs-based grants. This is in addition to the aid received through the FAFSA and other sources like scholarships.
3. Room and Board. Next to tuition, room and board will be the most costly expense of sending your kid to college. Attending a local community college allows you to forego this expense by having your teen live at home.
According to, annual room and board at a public college averages $7,400, while the average is over $8,500 at a private college.
Even if you decide to give your teen the “ultimate college experience” by allowing them to live in the dorm, the room and board rates of a community college are significantly lower than those charged by four-year colleges.
Keep in mind that most community colleges refrain from offering housing to their students.
4. Fewer amenities. Community colleges are designed to keep costs low for the students. Therefore, a no-frills campus is the norm. It’s common for community colleges to forego dorm rooms, elaborate sports teams and stadiums, fraternities/sororities, and other distractions.
Eliminating some of these “frills” will help your student focus on his schoolwork rather than indulging in dorm life, a bowling league, or a fraternity.
Another reason community colleges can keep costs so low is because they often forego teacher’s assistants, which are generally paid an average of $15,000 per year. Professors must take on a heavier workload, but students benefit from being taught by a professor rather than an assistant.
In short: there’s nothing wrong with community colleges. Yes, there will be fewer frills, and your teen will have to become comfortable with the fact that they’ll live with mom and dad for two more years. But this also avoids rowdy roommates and the distractions that ensue.
Your teen may be giving up a few parts of “the ultimate college experience” for the first two years, but they can make up for it in the final years of their college career. Also, your teen may be able to graduate from college with little to no debt. For most kids, it’s a worthy tradeoff.
Would you like to know more about which type of post-secondary school is right for your teen? Schedule a complimentary College Assessment Plan call with me here.
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<urn:uuid:1bc21e2f-fb0c-4974-887f-8e4c978e96be>
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https://www.myidealcollege.org/sending-your-teen-to-community-college/
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Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Faith in Glasgow
Tony Bayfield makes the case for faith schools in CiF, drawing on the decline of Glasgow's Jewish population as evidence that faith schools are essential for preserving a people's religious heritage:
"I've not always been a supporter of faith schools but experience has converted me. Such is the pressure on small minorities, such are the forces of assimilation (Scottish Jewry "peaked" at 14,000 and now barely musters 5,000) that only day schooling gives you any chance of providing a rooting in your particular tradition, a firm basis of knowledge and experience with which to face a largely secular society."
His argument seems to be that faith schools are essential to the preservation of religious tradition against the onslaught of secularism - the experience of Glasgow's Jewry being an example of what happens when you don't have religious schooling:
"I look at the contribution that Glasgow Jewry has made to the City of Glasgow since the first Jew settled there in 1812. It would be very sad if the faith that has contributed so much that is of value to western society were to vanish from Glasgow - and Cardiff and London come to that - because government has more important things to worry about and secularists have no time for any faith other than their own."
Leaving aside his assumption that it is the role of education to preserve religious traditions, the evidence does not support his conclusions.
First the idea that faith schools are under threat from the forces of secular militancy:
"Sitting at the meeting at the DfES, I became aware of a number of things. First, the strength of secular fundamentalism which would sweep away faith schools as a matter of ideological principle. We are in for a very tough time."
As an outside observer, I don't really get the impression that the forces of secularism have the upper hand down south at the moment but since Bayfield used Scotland as an example, shouldn't he have shown some awareness that the DfES has no jurisdiction in Scotland? Because the idea that faith schools up here are under threat from 'secular fundamentalism' could only have been suggested by a tourist.
And as the census figures show there isn't any relationship between the size of Glasgow's religious minorities and the existence or otherwise of faith schools. I can say this with confidence because in the public sector we do not have now, nor have we ever had, any Jewish, Seikh, Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim schools in Glasgow.
As the Jewish population has declined, so have most others. All but three religious categories showed a dip in their membership over the last 10 years. These might surprise you. No prizes for guessing that Islam is one of the religions experiencing growth but I doubt many people would have guessed this has only been by 0.7%. A pathetic performance compared to the Buddhists, who either by breeding or by gaining converts, have grown by a considerable 28.5%. But the fastest growing religion in Glasgow is, erm, "Another religion". The tenets of this particular creed(s) is unclear but we do know that whoever they are, they're doing a better job than the Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Seikhs at gaining converts because over ten years they've grown at a rate of 258.1%.
Conclusion: Traditional religion is in decline in Scotland. Despite controlling around 35% of the schools in Glasgow, the Roman Catholic Church is losing members. Despite having a nominal influence on the rest of the system, the Church of Scotland is losing members. The Jewish congregation is Glasgow has never controlled any schools in Glasgow and is losing members. People are more willing than they used to be to either switch, or dispense with altogether, religious allegiances and those gaining converts are the unusual, the exotic and the heterodox. Adherents to the traditional faiths might want to ask why this is, rather than expecting the tax-payer to bale them out and sustain their position in society. Because apart from anything else, the evidence would suggest that this a futile exercise anyway.
(Cross-posted at DSTPFW)
Back later
I've got a shit-load of marking to do...
Friday, October 27, 2006
Unlikely ministerial quote of the year
Alan Johnston - in this administration - has said:
"We don't need the blunt instrument of legislation".
Funny, because on most other occasions, the 'blunt intrument of legislation' is the first thing this shower reach for.
This has to do with the government's caving in to the religious lobby who don't want their pristine believing kids mixing with the unwashed, and worse, the irreligious unwashed.
Vincent Nichols, the Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham, said that Mr Johnson understood it was "quite unacceptable to force into a new Catholic school 25% of people who were not particularly sympathetic to that faith".
It's also quite unacceptable to fleece the tax-payer to pay for schools that can exclude their children if they are not 'particularly sympathetic' to the 'ethos' of the school.
Secular schools - never gonna happen. Not with our present political class.
The most expensive MP in Britain
Is Eric Joyce.
As if you needed another reason to dislike this oleaginous yes-man.
Eric Joyce: "Because I'm worth it".
Hewitt: "Hit the young with alcopop tax"
From the Grauniad:
Young people today - don't know they're born. We had to make do with cider and evo-stick.
Thing is, if it's their 'pocket money' they're spending, aren't they too young to drink? So it's a problem of getting access to it in the first place. Still, might work. How about a tracksuit tax too?
Not that I'm being classist - Goths would get it too, with a tax on Kurt Kobain t-shirts and piercings.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Spelling annoyances
Lenin does it. So does Pootergeek. As does Norm.* Politically different, yet the same problem; they all spell 'defence' with an 's'.
Which is an Americanism.
I'm happy for the Yanks to do this but they can't spell, can they? You lot have no excuse.
Other annoyances: Christopher Hitchens spelling Labour party as 'Labor party'. Damn it all, man - even the Americans know to render it Labour party, with a 'u'.
And he has used 'gotten' in the past.
Taken the assimilation thing a bit far - in more ways than one, if you ask me.
Sorry, but it's been annoying me - can't even concentrate on your articles because you spell defence with a goddam 's'. Stop it at once.
Regional usage annoyance: Scottish school teachers calling the headteacher the headmaster. English people call teachers 'masters', which frankly I think is a bit weird. In Scotland we refer to them as teachers, regardless of their rank. Ok, so that's often a misnomer these days but I'm talking tradition here...
*Correction: Ok, so only when he's quoting Pootergeek.
Children's tsar probes PPP impact on pupils
Because contrary to popular belief, the involvement of the private sector in the refurbishment and maintenance of school buildings doesn't seem to have improved the quality - nor has it reduced bureaucracy:
"The Scottish Executive's £2.3 billion flagship school-building programme will result in 300 schools being rebuilt or refurbished by 2009, with most of it funded through PPP.
But in recent months, parents, teachers and construction experts have cast doubt on whether PPP is providing top-quality facilities for pupils.
A survey of teachers in 2004 found that only 30 per cent believed PPP was value for money. It also found many projects were beset with problems - including overheating classrooms, leaking roofs and lack of storage space."
Yep - classrooms are too damn hot; had a leaking roof in my last place; and the lack of any storage that can be locked has resulted in all my stationery being pinched. The last I don't blame on the pupils - I think the RE department are conducting raids into our corridor and stealing our pens. Bastards.
So it's time to call in the 'tsar'. We have a tsar for everything in Scotland. There's a mountain bike tsar. There's even a squirrel tsar. The tsars will sort it out. Any suggestion to the contrary is just cynicism. After all, in the unlikely event that the tsar should prove less than excellent in the execution of their duties, we even have a tsar's tsar. This is what makes us - as our Leader Jack McConnell says - the 'best small country in the world'.
Update: Apparently there was also a 'spam tsar' who gave up 'the war on spam' with the admission that he was unable to even stop his own computer being spammed. We know a song about that, don't we?
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Religion and fertility
Saturday, October 21, 2006
On Jacobins and theocrats
Friday, October 20, 2006
Hatred of nations
Ahmadinejad's been at it again:
"TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned Europe on Friday it was stirring up hatred in the Middle East by supporting Israel and said it "may get hurt" if anger in the region boils over.
"We have advised the Europeans that the Americans are far away, but you are the neighbours of the nations in this region. We inform you that the nations are like an ocean that is welling up, and if a storm begins, the dimensions will not stay limited to Palestine, and you may get hurt," he said."
Translation: We of course understand that Europe doesn't support Israel in the way that the United States does but if you will go doing outrageous things like recognising its right to exist, understand that Europe has the advantage of being quite handy for travelling.
Breaking point
Johann Hari, by his own admission, pelts the mentally-ill with fruit. Not as a matter of routine, you understand - this is just one isolated incident.
Being of a liberal disposition, he's all conflicted and guilty about it, of course. But good for him, I say. What is the point of buying fruit at all, if not to lob at some maniac shrieking outside your window?
It's about 'Noise Rage', y'see. Car alarms, for example. Who hears one of them going off and thinks, "A crime is in progress! I must alert the authorities!"? You think, "Fuck - someone must have sneezed next to that BMW."
A militant wing of the Noise Abatement Society is what is needed:
"One friend admitted that he recently responded to a car alarm that kept him awake for three hours in the night by smashing in the headlights on his way to work."
Outstanding! More of that sort of thing.
More from the Department of the Bleedin' Obvious
The Nuffield Foundation has found that teenagers are not 'engaged' by school. Amongst the problems it identifies are:
"The "unprecedented" amount of policy initiatives such as national targets, new qualifications, short-term funding and new regulations was "unlikely to produce significant improvements to the education and training system as a whole"."
Doh! I want a job conducting this kind of research. You'd never have to leave the house.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Home of the timid, land of the unfree
Here's one from the Scotsman:
"A NEWLYWED couple received a £300 bill from police because their car was broken into while on honeymoon.
Nigel and Fiona Boothman's car was uplifted after it was broken into while they were in Argentina. The Volkswagen Golf GTi - an "old banger" worth only £200 - had been uplifted by police because it was "unsecure" after the break-in.
Officers posted a note through their door in Grange Loan, Edinburgh, to say it had been impounded and they were liable for a £150 along with £20 a day in storage charges and VAT."
And the Guardian has news of an environmental crime:
Putting the right waste into the right bags may not be, as a spokesman for Swansea council said, 'rocket science' but this seems a little harsh. You don't even get that for the crime of smoking indoors, which everyone now agrees is an outrageous thing to do.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh City Council is planning an attack - a 'two-pronged' one, no less, on 'nuisance drinkers' making a noise outside pubs and clubs. This spiraled' of late since our Executive thought it a good idea to herd smokers onto the pavements like lepers. City licensing leader Phil Attridge said:
"We didn't want to go down the same road as Glasgow, where the offence is committed as soon as you drink outside..."
So if you're ever visiting Glasgow, please remember to get it the right way round: you can't drink outside and you can't smoke inside. Get this wrong and you could end up doing a custodial sentence.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
A house divided against itself
Cannot stand, according to Matthew's gospel. David Osler has a story I missed about the possibility of Galloway challenging Sheridan in the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary elections:
"'George Galloway’s party is preparing to challenge Tommy Sheridan in the Scottish parliament elections, following tabloid allegations about the former Scottish Socialist party leader’s private life.
'The London MP and leader of the Respect party has long been a supporter of Sheridan and struck a deal not to challenge him in Scotland. But if Sheridan is charged with perjury after claims by the News of the World that he lied in court, Respect will stand against him.'
Given that the Socialist Workers' Party is the core component of both Respect and Sheridan's new vehicle Solidarity, it will be interesting to see how they square this circle. For, as the Bible makes plain in Matthew 6:24, no man can serve two masters."
Not a particularly edifying choice - but not a difficult one either. I sincerely hope the story isn't true because otherwise I'd find myself in the uncomfortable position of rooting for Sheridan.
But I'm sceptical about this story. Would someone with an ego of George Galloway's proportions see a Holyrood seat as a suitable goal? We'll see - but I doubt it.
Secularism again
From the Scotsman:
"TONY Blair, the Prime Minister, took on the head of the Catholic Church in Scotland yesterday, insisting that Cardinal Keith O'Brien's newly-declared support for Scottish independence should carry no weight with his flock.
Cardinal O'Brien infuriated Scottish Labour figures by saying at the weekend he would be "happy" for Scotland to become independent and that he could see growing public support for the move.
"I wouldn't have thought it is a matter of religious faith, at least I hope not," Mr Blair said when asked about the cardinal's views on independence."
Alex Salmond, the SNP leader said:
"While obviously I agree with the Cardinal, I also share the Prime Minister's view that this can hardly be considered a matter of faith."
No, of course he didn't - slimy creep that he is. What he actually said was:
"Blair sounds like a man in a state of total panic as Scottish opinion moves steadily toward independence... Any attacks from Blair on this issue will only strengthen support for independence even further."
Army generals, clerics - regardless of constitutional niceties like the separation of church from state or civilian control of the military, it seems any public contribution is welcome from them if our politicians think they can gain some partisan advantage from it.
On secularism
Matt Murrell:
"Segregated schooling, on whatever lines, will ultimately prove divisive and bad for social cohesion. Educating children from different backgrounds together is the best way to create the sense of an inclusive, united society which the government seems to desperately desire. They also breach the right to freedom of religion, with the government colluding in the imposition of beliefs onto children not yet old enough to make rational choices about their life. While parental (and community pressure) in religious matters will always exist, it’s another matter altogether when the state actively encourages it."
Polly Toynbee:
Ken Baker, former Tory education secretary:
"The Conservative former education secretary told the House of Lords he saw some faith schools as "divisive", saying: "I just think it's wrong to divide children by religion at the ages of five and 11.""
Some? All faith schools are divisive by definition; they divide the children of those who believe from those who do not.
If people want schools like this, they should pay for them themselves. The state has no business funding religious segregation.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Democracy, partisanship and the environment
He argues that partisanship is a contributing factor.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Ashdown rebukes army chief over Iraq
As Matthew Parris rightly pointed out on Saturday, the question is not whether one agrees with General Dannatt's views on the presence of British soldiers in Iraq or not - because a constitutional principle, one of profound significance, had clearly been violated.
While agreeing with everything Dannatt said, Parris suggested that he should be sacked for his comments - something, given the Prime Minister's weakness, that isn't going to happen.
Parris also justly lambasts the ridiculous behaviour of the opposition on this matter:
"The opposition parties' response has been pathetic. Sir Menzies Campbell, who ought to know better, seemed yesterday to be siding with the general. How would Sir Menzies have felt if the general had lambasted Liberal Democrat defence policy? I rather think that Sir Menzies would have taken issue not only with the criticisms themselves, but with the appropriateness of a Service chief's having entered the fray at all.
Sir Menzies, at least, may plead that the CGS was echoing Liberal Democrat concerns. Liam Fox, the Shadow Defence Secretary, can make no such claim. Except that, incredibly, he now seems to be doing so. Until yesterday we understood Tory policy on Iraq to be four-square with the Government's: 'Tough it out', 'Stay for the duration', 'As long as it takes' etc. But Dr Fox is now claiming he reached similar conclusions to the general's when he himself visited Iraq."
I don't know if it's better to assume that both Menzies and Fox are merely ignorant of the constitutional principle rather than being willing to compromise it opportunistically - but as Parris says, Menzies Campbell at least really should know better.
Perhaps a belated realisation of this has lead Menzies Campbell to back-track somewhat. That this seems to have been prompted by an intervention by his predecessor does not reflect well on him at all:
""[Dannatt] may be accurate in what he said, he may be cheered to the echo in the army, but he certainly shouldn't have said it," said Lord Ashdown, an ex-soldier. "It's a clear constitutional breach. It opens up a massive division between him and the government, who have been saying very, very different things."
Lord Ashdown told Sky News that military personnel who opposed British policies had a choice of doing so in private or resigning. He added: "I don't like the chief of general staff calling it 'my army' and 'my soldiers' ... in democracies armies belong to the government, to the people.""
Indeed. And that quite so many people have shown themselves to be either ignorant of, or indifferent to, the principle of civilian control of the military is telling - and rather depressing, really.
Woolas has irony by-pass operation
Saturday, October 14, 2006
A menace to children
Oliver Kamm writes:
"In the Scopes trial, creationists secured legal victory at the price of national ridicule. Their descendants stress the ostensibly scientific notion of Intelligent Design, and the superficially democratic demand that it be granted equal time with the teaching of evolution. A liberal education certainly includes knowledge of the religious doctrines that have shaped Western civilisation. But the myths of the Creation and the Fall have no place in science education. Evolution, wrote the biologist Ernst Mayr, is not just a concept but "the name of a process in nature, the occurrence of which can be documented by mountains of evidence that nobody has been able to refute". Its deniers – there is no polite way of putting this - are a menace to children."
Quite. For to allow even the mention of 'intelligent design' in any other context but an RE class would be an injustice. A liberal education can afford to give no space to those preaching cognitive infallibility disguised as scepticism.
The Lancet report
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Ignorance is bliss
It means you don't have to worry about this sort of thing. Apparently people called 'metrosexuals' are under attack by 'hummersexuals'. But it's ok - the hummersexuals will lose because they are not in fact 'retrosexuals':
"Despite his best efforts to convince you, the hummersexual is not retro-sexual. Since when did "regular guys" need several tons of military hardware, or "new macho" lifestyle magazines such as Best Life, or books such as the bestselling Alphabet of Manliness and Men Don't Apologise, to be "regular"? The hummersexual is clearly, hilariously, faux-retrosexual. He's an off-the-peg, drag-king idea of "real" masculinity: stuffed crotch and joke beard included at no extra charge."
I don't understand any of this but it has something to do with a crisis in heterosexual identity:
"Hetrosexuality is in crisis. There is nothing that can be done about it. I'm not even sure what a straight identity might look like."
Isn't "doesn't shag people of the same sex" usually a signifier here? All the other stuff, like one's position on football, cars, the Sound of Music etc. is open to negotiation. Or am I missing something?
Curse the season
Everyone I know, me included, seems to be suffering from a bit of this.
Grey pissy weather heralding the beginning of the long march through the tunnel that is the Scottish winter.
Dark when you get up for work, dark when you come home - soul-tired and fucking freezing.
Just anticipating this has led many people of my acquaintance to head for the duvet for a day or two in preparation for the journey.
The weather is why Calvinism took so well here. Alternatives with a more cheerful deity seemed less plausible given the circumstances.
Waco goes nuclear
You couldn't have failed to have come across the news that the country with the dead guy as president has acquired nuclear weapons.
The extent of this development is unclear and the future unpredictable - except what people will say about it.
A couple we have in already show the now familiar tendency for some to interpret events of this nature in almost complete insularity. For them the significance of a nuclear North Korea lies not in the intrinsic nature of this reality but only in terms of how Bush and Blair will respond.
For the comrades of the Socialist Worker, for example, the primary danger lies in the possibility that the United States would use it as a rationale for attacking Iran.
To complete the sinister tale of sabre-rattling and planned attacks, the Socialist Worker informs us darkly that:
"The US is now pushing for the United Nations to impose sanctions against North Korea."
That Russia, Japan and China have too appears to have escaped their attention. Thing is, they may well be right to argue that sanctions would be ineffectual, punishing the people rather than the regime - but what would they suggest as an alternative?
I think the plan might be something along the lines of more demonstrations since for them this problem only exists as a function of the "US's war drive".
This and highlighting hypocrisy. That'll work. CND have come to the same helpful conclusion:
"Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said, "North Korea has the mistaken idea that having nuclear weapons will increase its security. This is wrong - nuclear weapons do not make a country safer. Unfortunately this is also a view taken by many of our own political leaders, hence their desire to replace Trident, but it is as wrong for Britain as it is for North Korea"."
By acknowledging we are wrong, everything will be all right. Nice idea but not very practical, is it?
North Korea's nuclear ambitions would have never existed had it not been for Western imperialism? One would have thought the extent to which one could blame the US for the character of this crazed Stalinist outpost would be rather more limited than usual, to say no more than that.
But anyway, that's besides the point because nuclear ambitions it has, and has clearly come closer to achieving this. A situation I doubt will be made any less dangerous by adopting the most impeccably 'anti-imperialist' version of its origins.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Comment is strange
Over at CiF. Here's a couple I just don't get.
First from Simon Hoggart:
"People find wine rather intimidating, and wine experts even scarier."
Eh? I like wine and find 'wine experts' ridiculous. Doesn't everyone?
And never one to disappoint, Our Maddy of the Sorrows on the whole veil thingy:
"Does it not occur to men opining on their sense of "rejection" at the niqab that it could be equally prompted by separatist lesbians?"
Um, dunno - are they likely to? And this would be a Good Thing? And what's a 'separatist lesbian' anyway?
This intriguing thought has been woven into an argument about the tendency of all religions to practice some degree of separation to the fallen world. I don't know what this has to do with lesbians either but here's the bit anyway:
"The point is that within all religious traditions there are trends emphasising the corrupting influences of the world and how one must keep them at a distance. Catholicism and the celibate monastic tradition of Buddhism interpret this in one way. Salafi Islam interprets it in modes of dress and behaviour in public places. Since when has secular Britain become so intolerant that it can't accommodate (no one is asking them to like) these small minorities of puritanical piety?"
Serious point. All religions - or rather the religious - seek to differentiate themselves from the world in various ways but the two expressions Maddy uses here have got nothing much to do with each other.
Adherence to dress codes, ritual and diets are features of all religions everywhere but have nothing much to do with asceticism and everything to do with custom and the social function of religion.
But it is only when the spirit of religious asceticism is very strong does it drive an individual to the cloister.
The latter complete retreat to the other-worldly piety of the cloister is open, as our Mads says, to Buddhists and Catholics. The innovation of protestantism was to abolish this option.
Public displays of puritanism are entirely consistent with this mode of religious expression and it's often struck me that Islam shares many features in common with Calvinistic protestanism.
Thing is, since both traditions have a tendency for the zealous to urgently impress on the community the necessity and possibility of everyone being a religious virtuoso, has it never occurred to Maddy & Co. to admit the possibility that - 'separatist lesbians', nothwithstanding (?) - just maybe, somewhere in the world, there are perhaps one or two for whom conformity to this particular social custom might not be entirely voluntary?
Which is not to say Maddy's article wasn't thought-provoking. For example, when she mentioned the "celibate monastic tradition of Buddhism", I realised that I was completely ignorant of the non-celibate tradition amongst Buddhist monks. Sounds a lot better - can you drink and stuff too if you join this tradition? You could sell me on the idea...
Are private schools a waste of money?
Tom Hamilton thinks so:
"[S]o far as I'm concerned, private education is a waste of money. You can get a perfectly good education - indeed, probably a better one - for free."
Chris Dillow's observations reminded me of an article I read years ago that argued that parents would be better to invest the money and give it to their children when they were of age to pay for further education, start a business or invest in property:
"So why do so many parents prefer private education? Is it really so superior to state education? Could it be that they regard education as a positional good, and one worth paying through the nose for? Are they paying to get their children social contacts rather than education per se? Or is the chance of a marginally better education really valuable in winner-take-all economies?"
Thing is, whether private or state, education is not a homogeneous good, so these questions will never have one answer. In Scotland at least the best comprehensives compete with private schools and are better than the poorer performing ones. So Tom is quite right to say one can get as good an education for 'free'.
However, the range is extraordinary and the worst comprehensives are absolutely hellish: here the difference between the worst private schools and the worst comprehensives is very far from being marginal.
I used to teach in what has a reasonable claim to be the worst school in Scotland. One of my present colleagues also taught there, having through no fault of her own, inherited my job when I left. She told me the other day that from a range of pupils we both taught, four of them are now dead. The actual building itself has also been the scene of two fatal stabbings. A less extreme fate awaits the overwhelming majority, of course, but a citadel of learning it is not.
Parents buy mortgages they can barely afford for the same reason they purchase private education if they can; to avoid this sort of school. I'd argue then that while Chris is right to say that education for many parents is a 'positional good' and while this often involves a fair amount of unpleasant snobbery, in this sort of context I can scarcely blame them.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Street Games
Nick Cohen has an item in his Observer slot today about class in sport.
In a nutshell, while upper-class weans are more likely to play rugger, those from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to get their exercise being chased by the opposing Real Fleeto from the next estate, if the conversations you overhear in class are anything to go by.
Street Games is a charity that seeks to help more disadvantaged kids into sports in timing for the Olympics.
I'm a stranger to sport myself and don't really care about the Olympics but lend your support, should you feel so inclined. Teachers, think how much more docile your classes would be if a larger proportion were perpetually exhausted from chasing a ball around in a field or something.
[That's the best I can do, Will. I mean, all this business of getting underprivileged kids to play sport; that's how Celtic FC started. It's a slippery slope.]
Straw man arguments
Veil wearing - for or against?
Ruth Kelly's in favour.
So's Alex Salmond.
And Tommy Sheridan thinks Jack Straw is:
"clearly a very insensitive man..."
English readers may be unaware that Tommy's nickname is Mr Sensitivity.
And John Prescott is in favour too:
Friday, October 06, 2006
Child obesity
A team of researchers in Glasgow has concluded that eating fewer pies is the solution to child obesity:
"The study, published in the British Medical Journal this week, was led by John Reilly, a professor in paediatric energy metabolism at Glasgow University. His team set out to establish whether greater physical activity would prevent children from becoming overweight. They recruited 545 children in their last year at 36 nursery schools.
It's not quite the Department of the Bleeding Obvious; I confess I'm surprised that exercise in this case appeared to make no difference.
At the risk of being lumped in with climate-change deniers and other Evil People, I have to say I'm a little sceptical about this 'obesity time-bomb' we're supposed to be facing as a society.
Leaving aside the question of whether it is the state's proper role to make people thinner, there's surely doubt as to whether it is competent to do so?
And I hope you don't think I'm being contrarian for its own sake when I express a little scepticism as to the nature of the Problem:
"Yet the problem is serious: in Scotland in 2001 at least 10% of children aged four to five and 20% of children aged 11 to 12 were obese. "Children in Scotland establish a physically inactive lifestyle before school entry," they wrote."
My understanding is that one is classed as 'obese' when you are twenty per cent over your ideal body weight. Fat central, in other words.
I'm also led to believe that this is a problem particularly associated with lower income families.
Taking all of this together, this means in an inner-city Glasgow school, one should expect on average to be confronted with at least six fatties in a first year class of thirty.
I've seen more than my fair share of such classes and while my impressions are purely subjective and anecdotal, unless the schools I've been in secretly stream their classes according to girth and have kept the larger ones away from me, I can't help being a little sceptical.
Drawing a veil
Jack Straw's remarks that he feels more comfortable in conversation with Muslim women if they remove their veils has attracted a good deal of comment - almost all of it of it in opposition.
And most of it doesn't compare like with like.
Asking a Muslim woman if they'd mind removing their veil during a conversation is not like asking them to 'get their tits out', as Jamie K says and George Galloway implies.
Neither is Jack Straw's 'discomfort' akin to that which might be experienced when talking to a woman wearing too little, or Sikhs wearing turbans, or Jews wearing yarmulkes, or neds wearing Burberry caps or sporting tattoos, as suggested by Mike Marqusee and Chris Dillow.
Because the latter examples to not interfere with face-to-face communication, whereas the veil does.
And to compare it to other instances where we communicate with others without seeing their faces, as Norm and Chris do, isn't right either because in telephone or email conversations, the inability to see the face of the person you're talking to is a reciprocal experience.
Nevertheless all the above are right, I think, to suggest that it is not really tolerable for a senior politician to lecture people about what they should wear.
I suppose Jack Straw is entitled to make the request in private - provided those he is addressing feel equally free to decline.
But writing an article about it comes rather too close to a sort of Peter the Great hacking off people's beards for my liking.
And the suspicion that the normally more careful Jack Straw is making these remarks in the context of his apparent desire for the post of DPM - in much the same way that John Reid set out his stall for the leadership - makes me feel, well, uncomfortable.
Update: The Telegraph conflates the issues that are the subject of the two previous posts:
"Mr Straw is to be commended for brushing aside the politically correct nostrums that have inhibited such discussion among senior politicians.
What a contrast to the supine behaviour of the Metropolitan Police when Pc Alexander Omar Basha sought to be excused duty outside the Israeli embassy – and was allowed to do so."
What a porous concept 'political correctness' is. I don't see what these have to do with each other. The state is perfectly entitled to tell its employees what their duties are, which includes where they are stationed and of course what they should wear. But Jack Straw's constituents are not his employees. In a democracy the relationship is supposed to be the other way around.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
On duty, morality and 'political correctness'
The Met have insisted that PC Alexander Omar Basha was not excused from guarding the Israeli embassy during the height of the conflict in Lebanon for reasons of 'political correctness' but on the grounds of safety.
Whether the Met's version of events is true I'm not qualified to judge; I dare say the Sun over-hyped the story. Rather, what I am concerned about is the notion, which is implicit in both the BBC and the Guardian piece, that had officer Basha requested an exemption for reasons that had nothing to do with safety - this could be considered either a properly 'moral' or a 'politically correct' stance to take.
It reminded me of the case of those in the Strathclyde fire-brigade who were disciplined for refusing to hand out fire prevention leaflets at a gay pride march on 'religious grounds'.
While a number of commentators were probably right to claim their 'religious objections' were thinly-veiled prejudice, I thought that this rather missed the point. As much as it may grate for those of us who are secular, it is possible to have genuine moral objections against homosexual practices if one bases one's morality on religion.
But there is no moral or religious basis to argue that because one disapproves of homosexuality, those who practice it should not therefore be afforded the same fire-safety advice as everyone else - and personally I think it was disgraceful that the firemans' union reps were prepared to put the opposite case.
Same with this, only more so, for reasons that should be obvious. Regardless of whether this actually happened or not, the very idea that one can have a personal 'moral objection' against providing protection to Israeli diplomats under any circumstances is utterly offensive.
Different yet the same, both of these cases reveal a modern malaise; moral conflict is seen as arising when one's personal preferences (prejudices, I would argue) collide with one's professional duties - and the idea that personal morality might lie within carrying out one's vocation appears out of kilter with the spirit of the age. No-one asks what the 'the done thing' is anymore. All that remains is one's own thing and a measurement of the extent to which one is able to bend social institutions to accommodate this.
Update: Sarita Malik takes the opposite view:
"My own thoughts are that PC Basha's stand should be applauded, although the precise reasons for his decision (moral? welfare?) may determine the level to which it should be supported. But he has exercised his right to choose, and making choices in the workplace is an act of integrity. PC Basha has also been honest about what he finds unacceptable within a professional capacity; he has admitted his personal/political bias."
The first thing to note is that Sarita Malik does not doubt, contra the Met, that officer Basha made the request he did as a "stand." (People always stand these days, don't you find?) Let's consider what his 'stand' might have meant in practical terms.
One assumes that Israeli diplomats, like other bureaucrats that represent their nations, receive protection from our police services against those who might wish to harm them or kill them.
This is surely right and proper?
For to do anything less would be the very antithesis of diplomacy.
Understanding this would lead some to conclude that Britain should not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
If that is someone's view, I would defend their right to hold it and to express it.
What is indefensible, though, is the idea that a public servant should be 'applauded' for expressing their disapproval in the form of refusing to do their duty to protect.
If they are unable, for reasons of conscience, to execute their professional duties - the only decent thing is to resign.
And if their conscience tells them that indifference to the possibility of an attack on the Israeli embassy is a moral sentiment that should supercede one's duty to protect, the only decent thing is to be ashamed.
Because I do not believe this sort of rationalisation would be used for the embassy of any other country on the face of the planet.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Sheridan victim of MI5 plot
Tommy Sheridan has mooted the possibility that MI5 have joined the global conspiracy against him, claiming that a dastardly alliance of the SSP executive committee, the evil Murdoch empire, and the best man at his wedding have fabricated a video tape in order to "overthrow his crusade for an independent socialist Scotland.":
Indeed not. Because an independent socialist Scotland is very likely to happen soon. You could say it's imminent. Tommy Sheridan went on to compare himself to another victim of a tabloid character assassination:
You can see how seamless is the web of deceit that the Murdoch press has spun. First Freddie Starr, now Tommy Sheridan. Your granny could be next. No-one is safe.
Vote Solidarity, by the way.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Easy top ten
This one from Doctorvee isn't, though.
Ten worst Radiohead songs?
This, I find, is not so with Radiohead fans.
They're like Morrisey fans in that respect.
They're so serious.
This is what happens when Guardian-readers listen to music.
It's not big and it's not clever.
More Tory madness
Drugs worse than drink say Tories
From the beeb:
"Conservative activists have voted overwhelmingly against a motion claiming that alcohol does more harm than drugs."
Do they mean qualitatively? Because quantitatively this simply isn't true. The General Registar estimates that there were 336 drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2005 and falling, whereas for alcohol there were 2,052 (2004) and rising.
This would seem to suggest that on this bare statistic alone, alcohol is roughly three times more harmful than drugs. I'm not advocating some hippy shit about drugs not being harmful; it's just that more people consume alcohol.
Or perhaps the 'Conservative activists' have the wider problem of the criminal activity that is associated with the illegal drugs trade in mind. The rate of alcohol-consumption means that the drinks and hospitalities industry is Scotland's largest employer, whereas the illegal drugs trade tends to employ, well, gangsters. As Jim Doherty, who runs the Gallowgate Family Support Group in Glasgow's East End, told the conference:
"[D]rug dealers were controlling Glasgow."
I have to say it's news to me that anyone is controlling Glasgow and if this is true, I'd have to say they're not doing a very good job.
And if it's true, this is a function of the product's illegality - rather than any intrinsic chemical properties of the narcotics they are selling.
But I don't think the Tories are really interested in any of this; we have instead an example of the culture war going on in the Conservative party at the moment. Amusing for opponents of the Tories, perhaps - but I don't think Labour at the moment would even allow themselves to even consider these ideas.
Speaking of realities that tend to impinge on cultural stereotypes, reading Chris Dillow's piece on manufacturing reminded me of another employment fact concerning the Scottish economy: did you know that the Indian food industry employs more people in Scotland than steel, coal and shipbuilding put together? It's related to our high rate of alcohol-consumption for reasons that should be obvious.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Do Labour supporters have reasons to be cheerful?
More Sheridan lunacy
Read this.
Then this.
Is this man jail-bait or what?
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By retired surgeon Anthony Good, a follower of mysticexperiences.net
Introduction: This is a remarkable first person document of lasting value to Mystics, Seekers, and those academics and scientists around the world who study our subject. It was an easy decision to ask for permission to re-propagate its contents here, for which permission was given immediately. – Keith.
Spirituality has, for me, always been immersed in doubt. I was brought up an atheist until I could think for myself when I moved onto the agnostic fence.
I could find no logical way to God, and even Soren Kierkegaard, the nineteenth century existential philosopher and theologian said that at some point there had to be a leap of faith, which I found hugely disappointing. How could faith be relied upon, when so many put their faith even in everyday things and are let down? I sensed a risk of falling into wish fulfilment.
The religious cultures I found so foreign, with constant referrals to faraway times, places, and ideas. Religious folk unfortunately are sometimes the worst exponents of the moral principles their creed advocate. (As I write there is a continuation of the unfolding sex abuse scandal in the English Roman Catholic Church.) How can the organised religions be so convinced of their God and yet reject each other’s; who is right, who am I to believe, where am I to put my faith?
Though many folks have a sense of spirituality outside the mainstream religions, it is poorly organised and without support outside the secret societies of the Masons and Rosicrucians who are often held in suspicion, and can attract hostility. So where does one turn?
Then there is the enormity of human suffering, from wars, failed political ideologies, disease, natural disasters I need not go on. How is all that accounted for in God and spirituality?
Nor was there evidence that God did not exist. Doubt looked both ways.
A Spiritual Opening
The existential crisis and spiritual opening were the game changer. There had been a couple of hints in past years but now this was like a slo-mo spiritual party cannon explosion of dreams, reveries, living mythologies, visualisations, spirit encounters, revelations, and far too many improbable coincidences. Before this curtain opening in my late forties, I would have considered its significance highly doubtful. It had to be experienced to be believed, then things will never be the same again.
I was pulled off the agnostic fence to at least follow this opening. There was no doubt about the experiences, but what they meant, or where it was taking me that was different. However, what appeared to be new truths were being laid before me and this was a kind of embodied living of what was happening rather than just some kind of thinking thing. It’s not willed, it breaks in, it is not lead by thinking, it leads.
The journey stripped away the old dependable truths, to the point where I was alone looking into darkness, a broken deconstructed character, and new truths doubted. I felt on the very edge of sanity.
Diminishing Old Doubts
Spirituality, had to be directly experienced, when it brings its truth value. Could I accept truth without having to understand it? The mystics say this experienced truth is higher than the trickster intellect. After all how many rational arguments and lines of logic have found their way into false conclusions?
I found my experiences were consistent with the mystics whether psychologists like Carl Jung and Roberto Assagioli, those from the main religions, and even the great artists, writers, and poets. They formulated an interconnected tapestry of consistent truths that revealed the push and pull of our existence.
Is it not unfair to expect the followers of the organised religions to be perfect, or even live up to their ideals, can anyone else do that? They are caught up in human failings like the rest of us even if also like us they cannot see, or even want to recognise them.
I found faith in the authenticity of my experiences, without them I would have stayed on the fence, faithless, and doubtful as before.
My perspective on my life is of course human with an egoic orientation, but the true reference point for our lives may be the soul wanting to learn and grow into wholeness, holiness. Oh, and how convenient to blame something else for our errors, an all supposedly loving God. Mankind has free will, and so how could God be omnipotent; man has to take responsibility, at least until man’s free will is perfectly aligned with God’s will? There is though enormous not knowing.
So if it’s true that we are looking at the work of effectively an infinite mind no wonder there is doubt and we need guides to find our way through. So many people seem to think they know the unknowable God. An egoic trap?
New Doubts on the Journey
Gradually, day by day experiences, contemplations, revelations, and more, have built up internal and external consistencies formulating what looked like the truth. Doubt has been diminished but waxed and waned.
For example, I recently had this dream; I was looking up at the sky with my dear wife and birds were flying over us when a big shaggy dog appeared jumping across the sky. I told her that when I saw Pegasus in the sky that is what it looked like, seemingly impossible but still able to walk on air. Then I saw the dog as a sheep, and then it broke up into birds. All along what I had thought was a dog running over the sky was an illusion of just birds coming together like the murmuration of starlings or swirling of a shoal of fish.
Is all experienced as spirituality merely a misinterpretation? Derren Brown the extraordinarily talented English illusionist when asked if he believed in God said he did not because he knew how the mind could deceive itself. The dream could have referred to sheep following dogma. Was I at risk of forming my dogma out of illusion and following that, sheep-like? Yes, of course.
More recently I read the excellent book, ‘The Master and His Emissary’ by Iain McGilchrist (he is on YouTube). It is an up to date account of lateralised brain function, and how the relative predominance of left and right brain function has influenced history.
Spiritual experiences are held in the right brain which cannot directly vocalise; could we be tapping into this during the spiritual journey? Is this fascinating hidden part of the brain trying to create a seemingly legitimate false reality for our lives out of mostly lost memory cuttings? I doubt that I have the imagination, sophistication, or creativity to construct what I have experienced spiritually, with its multi-layered complexity, intricacy, and revelatory push. But could spirituality be the dark side of the brain, and nothing more, or is our brain triggered into activity by something beyond it?
Could I be following a self-constructed elaborate fiction to live by, but then you don’t need to be in spirituality to do that! McGilchrist says that when people don’t believe in God, they find something less worthy to believe in.
Journeying with Doubt
Doubt is diminished by relating to events that go beyond our control or construction, such as synchronicities, predictive dreams, manifestations, and coincidences too improbable and frequent to dismiss easily, episodes of being rescued by unlikely circumstance or out of character individuals, and much more that cannot be explained by mere mental working and chance.
Maybe the most fundamental dissolver of doubt is a very solid and deeply felt sense of rightness about what is experienced (and not merely willed into creation by thought). Is this the faith that people describe; it’s not confected, wished, logicalised, but felt very deeply building up from experience and contemplation over years. It often, maybe usually, arrives without invitation, and is surprising.
Doubt, I have heard it said, is a necessary part of the spiritual journey, and will be with us to the end. The journey has eventually brought me to encounters that are more believable than not. There will always be a fear of self-delusion, but that diminishes with an honest appraisal of what I encounter. To wrestle with the truth and doubt and maybe God too is the surest way to find the right path on the journey to a purpose of our existence.
For now, I hope that in recognising my doubt, (and all its companions; faith, hope, wanting, fear, love, knowing and not knowing, and others) I can avoid being controlled and biased by it and relate to what comes in the next step with openness and balance as a seeker of truth.
For More Information:
2 thoughts on “SPIRITUAL DOUBT.
1. An extraordinarily timely post. It expresses my own feelings very closely. On the one hand a strong feeling of “something” and on the other the ever present doubt. Thank you for posting this.
All best wishes
2. Doubt? No, for some reason, I have no doubts about the the mystic experience of Reality (MER) and all that its insight keeps giving me.
This insight tells me doubt is a primitive left over defensive mechanism humans have. In me doubt isn’t even a remnant now, though I certainly had tentative uncertainties at first. But Reality imperceptibly, undeniably, irresistibly, took care of them. In the meantime Reality also imparted the spiritual gift of submission.
This special submission takes away much of the human angst of ego which so bedevils humans with things like doubt. It did mine. (Death gives ego the final heave ho!).
Now I leave the human condition to Reality simply because Reality is in charge of human development into extinction before humanity can metamorphise into Reality.
Humans are, always have been and always will be the sole concern of Reality, not us. ‘Mind your own business and do unto others what you would have them do unto you’ is still Reality’s golden rule.
All Is Well.
Best wishes,
But now I know. I have no faith, hope or belief, those roguish devices of devious imps of the mystically inexperienced, or the new mystic.
In Reality there is no doubt, no need for logic or reason. In Reality everything simply is and we are That.
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Kasparov on Elista in the Wall Street Journal
10/3/2006 – Garry Kasparov is the last man to hold the title of unified world chess champion. A contributing editor to the Wall Street Journal, his latest editorial comments on the world championship scandal in Elista and the events leading up to it. Was the meltdown after game four inevitable? After the article we bring you an exclusive interview.
Kasparov's Wall Street Journal editorial was obviously meant for people who haven't been following the match as closely as we have. Then there are several historical items that would have required too much explanation for a lay audience. We followed up with Kasparov and include his additional comments in a brief interview below the article.
Chess Mess
Monday, October 2, 2006
It usually takes a scandal to get the world's pre-eminent mind sport into the news these days. The latest example comes from the current world chess championship in Elista, Russia. The match between Russia's Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria was intended to unify the chess championship that has been divided since my challenger and I broke away from the international chess federation (FIDE) in 1993 in an attempt to professionalize the sport.
The first four games of Kramnik-Topalov – the match was scheduled for 12 games – received scant attention in the world press. That changed when the Bulgarians published a complaint about Mr. Kramnik's frequent trips to the restroom during the games, calling his behavior "suspicious" and threatening to abandon the match. The appeals committee governing the match agreed, and ruled to close the players' private restrooms, which would be replaced by a shared one. (How it pains me to see such distasteful events driving the coverage of a world championship.) Mr. Kramnik protested the decision by sitting out the fifth game and was forfeited. Currently the match sits suspended.
The clear implication of the original protest was that Mr. Kramnik might be cheating during his restroom visits. In recent years the chess world has been rife with such suspicions thanks to the rise of powerful microcomputers and transmitting technologies. Several amateur chessplayers have even been caught using such devices to cheat in tournaments.
I should add that Mr. Kramnik was leading 3-1 at the time of Mr. Topalov's protest, although it was mostly thanks to very shaky play by his opponent, not a display of suspiciously superhuman skill.
Adding irony to the tragedy is the fact that for the past year and a half Mr. Topalov himself has been the subject of rumors and even public accusations that he has cheated with computer assistance. Hard evidence is lacking, with some pointing to odd behavior by his assistants and other critics saying there is simply no other explanation for Mr. Topalov's sudden ascent to the top of the rating list after my retirement.
Chess has a long history of scandal and controversy at the highest level. The last world championship game to be decided by forfeit was Bobby Fischer's loss to Boris Spassky in their legendary match in Reykjavik in 1972. Mr. Fischer was well known for such protests and lived up to his reputation by complaining about the conditions in the playing hall after game one, and then not appearing to play the second game. Mr. Spassky, a gentleman – too much so, perhaps – agreed to Mr. Fischer's demands, even playing the next game in a small back room usually reserved for table tennis. (Notably, Mr. Fischer accepted the forfeit almost meekly.) Mr. Spassky's 2-0 lead didn't help him in the end. Mr. Fischer won the match convincingly and, while he was clearly the superior player, I am one of many who believe that by making concessions off the board Mr. Spassky was psychologically unable to play his best at the board.
Until last Friday, that was the last forfeit in world championship history. It's still not clear if this will be the first match cancellation since 1985. After five months of grueling play, my first world championship contest with Anatoly Karpov was abruptly cancelled by the FIDE president. Instead of having a set number of games, our match was to go to the first player to reach six victories, a goal that had proved unreachable despite Mr. Karpov's jumping out to a 5-0 lead. After I won games 47 and 48 to move to the score to 3-5, the match was abruptly cancelled. The Soviet sports authorities who had such influence in FIDE didn't want to take the chance I would win another game. Their loyal favorite, Mr. Karpov, hadn't won a game in months, and I – the outspoken youngster from Baku – was getting too close for comfort.
Mr. Fischer may have been difficult and unstable, but he was a sportsman whose complaints were based on principle and a sincere desire to improve the standards of the chess world. Tournament conditions and prize funds improved immeasurably thanks to his efforts. My battles with the power-hungry thugs who ran the Soviet and international chess world were politically driven. To me they represented a backwards and corrupt system. They saw me as a threat to their control.
The protests and conflicts seen in the current match are of a very different nature and reflect the complete loss of professionalism in the sport. The event is taking place in the capital of the Russian republic of Kalmykia under the auspices of its president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, who is also the president of FIDE. He has created a vertical column of power that would be familiar to any observer of Russia today. He runs the chess world in the same authoritarian way he runs his impoverished republic. After a decade of such mistreatment, the only place that could be found to host this match was his own capital. Serious sponsors rarely want anything to do with Mr. Ilyumzhinov and his organization.
Even his closest cronies in FIDE failed Mr. Ilyumzhinov this time. He stocked the match's appeals committee with FIDE officials, but while he was away, their decision created the crisis that now seems likely to end the match in ruin. Recognizing the failure of his stated goals and low methods, Mr. Ilyumzhinov has lately taken steps to unify the chess world and make long overdue moves to professionalize the organization of events. This terrifies the fixers who would be the first to go under a professional administration.
Combine this collapsing power structure with players and managers concerned only with self-interest and making money, and what happened in Elista was practically inevitable. In fact, most of the principal actors in Elista stand to gain from the cancellation of the match. Mr. Topalov was losing at the game and so he switched to gamesmanship. If the match is aborted he can claim he wasn't defeated and so maintain his status as FIDE champion.
Mr. Kramnik rose to the provocation and now may walk off with the same faded title he took from me in 2000. For years he avoided both a rematch and unification with FIDE. If this chaos isn't resolved he can go on to claim "champion for life" standing outside of FIDE.
Just like their brothers in spirit in the Kremlin, the chess nomenclatura hope to prolong the anarchy and corruption from which they have profited for so long. Mr. Ilyumzhinov needs this match to continue, but it is he who sowed the seeds of its downfall.
For a game associated with brainpower, chess's leaders and its leading players have displayed remarkably little in recent years. They are now paying the price by having their pettiness and incompetence splashed across front pages around the world.
Mr. Kasparov is the former world chess champion and the current chairman of the United Civil Front in Russia.
Kasparov with WSJ Op-ed editor Tunku Varadarajan in New York, 2006.
ChessBase: Of course you don't give game analysis in the Journal, but we assume you followed the games?
Garry Kasparov: I was traveling in the Russian regions on political business when this mess broke out. I was in Yakutsk, in eastern Siberia. Of course there is chess there, too, but I wasn't really in touch. By the way it's amazing, there is this kid there, #3 in the world for under-8. But there's no money for him to visit Moscow, to get training or have hope for a chess career. Russia is flooded with oil money, and there are diamonds in Yakutsk, but there's nothing for chess? Well, there's obviously some for supporting Kramnik. Alexander Zhukov has mobilized resources for this, now we see Svidler and Bareev heading to Elista. Kramnik's team is becoming as big a state priority as the old Karpov teams!
CB: From the Journal article you seem to blame just about everyone for the disaster before and around game five.
GK: It's not about blame, it's about looking at the recent history of FIDE and the top players. The facts speak for themselves. In 2003 my Yalta match with Ponomariov collapsed while Kramnik and many others expressed their sympathy for the way FIDE treated Ponomariov. I wonder if Kramnik would reconsider that support after what has happened to him in Elista. Ponomariov and Danailov, his manager don't forget, never denied they received money for the Yalta match. Playing was irrelevant to them as long as they got paid and that doesn't seem to have changed. I wonder if the players have already pocketed money from Elista.
CB: The match regulations say they don't get paid until after the match.
GK: Okay, but is there any way they won't be paid? The prize fund is split evenly, isn’t it guaranteed? Having seen what happened in Yalta it's hard to believe Danailov would threaten to walk away without any money.
CB: What about FIDE's role in all of this? Your article refers to Ilyumzhinov's failed plans.
GK: It's clear that the behavior of the players and the match officials is symptomatic of Ilyumzhinov's rule. Now he has to make sure to set things straight if he really means to correct these past disasters. When he cancelled Yalta there was no result to the match. I was left out in the cold after months of preparation and lost income. Here he must declare a winner if there are further disruptions. A referee can't lose control of a game or it will become like Netherlands-Portugal at the World Cup. The next time either player shows such behavior Ilyumzhinov should say, "Fine, the door is over there, goodbye" and the match is over. They should have thrown out the first Bulgarian protest immediately.
CB: Does that mean you think there will be more problems in the second half?
GK: It's very possible. Kramnik falling behind could cause a crisis, for example.
CB: Can we ask you for a prediction for the result?
GK: I'll only say that I hope the match and the title dispute end with the last game.
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<urn:uuid:44381190-af3a-4df9-a8d9-3529a4634de2>
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http://en.chessbase.com/post/kasparov-on-elista-in-the-wall-street-journal
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how to calculate mechanic labor
How To Calculate Mechanic Labor? There is a simple solution to that – you have to know how to calculate labor cost. The labor rate formula will have you adding the hourly wage, the hourly tax cost, and the hourly cost of any expenses or fringe benefits. This can also be expressed as LR (labor rate) = W (wage) + T (taxes) + B (benefits).
How much do most mechanics charge for labor? Average hourly rate is $80 to $100 an hour. The going average hourly rate for a mechanic ranges from $80 to $100 an hour. After analyzing a bill that could also include expensive parts, many auto repair shop customers are left scratching their heads and wondering if they are being ripped off.
How much do mechanics charge per hour in Australia? Car repairs in Australia go for an average of $80/hr. Car mechanics can charge anywhere from $60/hr to $88/hr for auto repairs depending on certain factors. These include the severity of the problem and the necessary replacement parts.
How much does a mechanic charge per hour in Ireland? An independent garage will charge anywhere between 45 and 65 Euro per hour. Allow 70 – 90 Euro for a main dealer.
How do mechanics know how many hours to charge?
Most auto repair shops quote labor charges using a “flat rate” manual or computer program that provides the average time it takes an experienced technician to perform a given car repair. That flat-rate time is then multiplied by the shop’s hourly labor rate to reach the total labor charge for the service.
What is a good parts to labor ratio?
According to Bob O’Connor of Motor Magazine, a parts-to-labor ratio in the range of 0.8 to 1 is considered normal for the auto repair industry.
How much do garages charge per hour?
Garage mechanic hourly rate When looking at mechanic hourly rates in the UK, you’ll tend to notice that garage mechanics often charge a higher rate per hour than mobile or self-employed mechanics. The average garage mechanic hourly rate is around £50 – £80 per hour – depending on where you live in the country.
What is the average wage for a mechanic in Australia?
The average salary for a automotive mechanic is $67,198 per year in Australia.
What mechanic gets paid the most?
How much do mechanics make in Ireland?
The average mechanic salary in Ireland is € 39 000 per year or € 20 per hour. Entry-level positions start at € 33 875 per year, while most experienced workers make up to € 48 750 per year.
Is there a shortage of mechanics in Ireland?
Firstly, why is there a shortage of Mechanics? The shortage of qualified and experienced Mechanics in Ireland was an industry-wide issue long before COVID-19, however, with the increased demand on workshops today, the challenge facing dealers in recruiting Mechanics is now more challenging than ever.
Why do dealerships charge so much?
“The reason that car dealerships are typically more expensive than independently owned shops can be summed up in one word: overhead. While small, local shops just have a garage and a few mechanics, dealerships have showrooms, massive maintenance garages, higher employee salaries. All this equates to more overhead.
How long can a mechanic legally keep your car to fix?
How long can a mechanic keep my car? There is no legal limit to how long a mechanic can keep your car. If you are unsatisfied with your service, you can always take your business elsewhere and try to find another mechanic.
How much do mechanics earn?
How Much Does an Auto Mechanic Make? Auto Mechanics made a median salary of $44,050 in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made $58,330 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $32,570.
How long should a mechanic take to diagnose?
But you can expect an average diagnostic test to take about an hour and a half. If the issue is complicated, the mechanic may have to remove a few components of your car for access and further testing. Expect your car to be tied up for two to three hours in those instances.
Do you pay VAT on Labour at a garage?
The garage reclaims the VAT it paid to its supplier. It then charges you what it likes for the part, adds labour, then adds VAT to the total. You’re not paying VAT on VAT, anything your garage adds to the part price, then charges to you, is markup for the garage.
How much do mechanics make an hour UK?
How much does a Vehicle mechanic make in United Kingdom? The average vehicle mechanic salary in the United Kingdom is £27,430 per year or £14.07 per hour. Entry level positions start at £24,604 per year while most experienced workers make up to £33,961 per year.
How much does a self-employed mechanic earn UK?
How much could you make as a self-employed mechanic? According to the UK government careers website, motor mechanics can make about £18k- £35k a year, depending on their experience and expertise. You can become a mechanic by attending a college course or through an apprenticeship.
What is the highest paid job in Australia?
Which job has the highest salary in Australia? Neurosurgeons earn the highest annual salary in Australia at over $600,000.
How much do mechanics get paid NSW?
The average salary for a mechanic is $85,774 per year in Sydney NSW. Was the salaries overview information useful?
How much do mechanics get paid in Melbourne?
The average salary for a automotive mechanic is $62,037 per year in Melbourne VIC.
Are mechanics rich?
Is mechanic work hard?
Compared to an office job, mechanic careers are much more physically demanding. You spend much of your day on your feet or in uncomfortable positions when completing repairs. You also typically work routinely with tools and greasy car parts, which is uncomfortable, and often wearing on your hands and arms.
How much do Bugatti mechanics make?
How much do apprentice mechanics make in Ireland?
The average apprentice mechanic gross salary in Ireland is €43,522 or an equivalent hourly rate of €21. In addition, they earn an average bonus of €1,336. Salary estimates based on salary survey data collected directly from employers and anonymous employees in Ireland.
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Most of the hate mail I receive starts off with something heart-felt like, "Dear Gigantic Douchebag," followed by an inquiry as to which farm animals had copulated in order to conceive me and ending with a cleverly veiled threat such as, "I am going to stab you repeatedly in the neck and play Twister in your carnage."
Always preferring to take the high road, I typically respond by writing something conciliatory like, "Hey, Scum Slurping Assbag—I humped your mother while your father watched," and from there, we continue to discuss the issues (not).
However, every now and then, I get into an exchange with a disgruntled reader who, while quite angry, is also eloquent, thoughtful and even succeeds in putting me in my place without ad hominem attacks. Such a discourse happened recently when reader Jim Fabiszak responded to my column "The Purpose of Marriage.
In his email, Jim bemoaned the fact that I openly mocked his religion—Christianity. In closing, he wrote, "May I suggest bigotry begets bigotry? You have the power of the pen. Break the chain."
Now, I've been called a bigot plenty before, but it never bothered me, because, well, I know that I'm not one. Indeed, I have been squawking against prejudice for as long as I've known how to squawk, have always been on the side of civil rights and have gleefully used this column to attack those who aren't. This I was able to do guilt free, thanks to a sincerely held belief that it's not bigoted to mock the opinions of others (opinions are fair game); rather, it's bigoted to discriminate against people for reasons of race, gender, sexual preference—the sort of characteristics they have no control over—which is what I wrote to Jim in my follow-up letter.
"I'm not sure where you pull your definition of bigotry from," he responded. "However the accepted definition is, 'intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself.'"
Gawd, I hate it when people out-dicktionary me. But, yes, to my dismay, it was true—after looking it up in several sources, the lexicographical consensus is that "bigotry" is not only an intolerance of things like race, gender and sexual orientation—but also of opinions. Here's a definition from Collins English Dictionary: "Bigot: a person who is intolerant of any ideas other than his or her own, esp on religion, politics, or race."
When I read that, I thought, Wow! I guess I must really be a bigot after all, considering all the insulting, offensive, condescending missiles I've hurled at people merely because their opinions were f?u?c?k?i?n?g? ?i?d?i?o?t?i?c? different than mine.
But then I thought: Hold on now. That's a terrible definition! You're a bigot if you criticize a religious zealot who wants creationism taught in public schools? You're a bigot if you cannot tolerate some warmongering politician whose answer to every foreign-policy problem is "invade" even though the only "invading" he ever did was a midnight panty raid with his frat brothers at Harvard?
By this definition, everybody on the planet—yes, Gandhi, Mandela and even effin' Mother Teresa—is a bigot. Every standup comic is a bigot. Every politician, every poet, every athlete, every construction worker, every Wall Street butt hump—any person who ever mocked somebody else's worldview, no matter how obtuse, is, by definition, a bigot.
You can't even be intolerant of bigotry without being a bigot. If I wrote a scathing article about what buffoons white supremacists are—how their message is preposterous, their fashion is boobish and their music is as aesthetically pleasing as the screech of a deaf-mute teenager who dropped her smartphone in the toilet—I would be every bit as bigoted as the white supremacists.
But, whatever. If that's what the word means, then fine, I'm a bigot. If saying out loud that Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly are hypocritical, dipshit blowhards makes me a bigot, then go ahead and sew a scarlet "B" on my lapel.
If I'm a bigot because I verbally lambasted some blue-haired, anti-marijuana busy bee who said that "cannabis is a scourge on society" as she puffed her Pall Mall, then brand a Circle B on my bovine ass.
If I'm a bigot because I openly laugh at right-wing politicians who try to explain how the female reproductive system works—then fine, I'll bunk with Hitler in Hater Hell.
If I'm a bigot because I write that Justin Bieber's belly button is an outtie and his penis is an innie, then sign me up for the KKK bake sale and charity drive.
If I'm a bigot because I think Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty is a blithering nincompoop for his medieval, anti-gay comments, then call up CityBeat and try to have me fired.
If I'm a bigot because I think that those who tried to have Robertson fired for his comments are equally nincompoopish, then call up Homeland Security and get me on the No Fly list.
If I'm a bigot because I write that a person who believes in an invisible man in the sky who listens to our prayers, sends angels to watch over us and takes a keen interest in our football games is unfit to be a city council member, much less governor or president, then, by all means, write me a letter and tell me what a bigot I am. It don't bother me none. I'd rather be a bigot and call people out on their horseshit than clueless and quiet, never saying a bad word about anyone.
Make sure not to miss the Sordid Tales podcast!
See all events on Tuesday, Jul 26
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Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Dear North Korea apologists, how much blood will be enough?
On May 30th 2013, a professor from Inje University, Professor Kim Yeon-chul wrote a column for the Hankyoreh (Korean version here) where he criticized the Park administration’s ‘trust-building process’ policy in dealing with North Korea. Essentially, it is the South Korean government’s way of saying that meaningful negotiations would take place only if North Korea took positive steps toward nuclear disarmament first.
Professor Kim Yeon-chul
Professor Kim seems to think this approach is all wrong because “Trust is the product of dialogue, not a requirement for it.” He also added, “Government officials have talked about their distrust of Pyongyang before any dialogue has even begun. Do you have to trust someone to talk to them? That’s not realistic, and moreover it lacks any grounding in history.”
As I read Professor Kim’s column, I couldn't help but wonder what it must feel like to be completely delusional.
Trust is the product of dialogue, not a requirement for it? Professor Kim seems to believe that prior to 2013, there had been a complete absence of dialogue between South and North Korea. There had been plenty of negotiations between South and North Korea from 1998 to 2008. During the period of the so-called 'Sunshine Policy,' both the Kim Dae-jung and the Roh Moo-hyun administrations negotiated with North Korea the way the North Koreans wanted – South Korea made concessions, North Korea made none.
Besides funding the construction of railroad and the now-defunct Kaesong Industrial Complex and the Mount Kumgang Tourist Region, the South Korean government ‘invested’ about $324.3 million in 2005 alone.
For ten years, under the policy of “flexible reciprocity,” as the supposed “elder brother” of the relationship, South Korea provided fertilizers, infrastructure, humanitarian aid, and monetary aid to Pyongyang without a single show of good will from the North Koreans.
Were these rounds of negotiations not enough for Professor Kim?
I suppose I’m being unfair to the professor. He did admit that “quite a few people have talked about how North Korea’s past behavior justifies mistrust.”
What a sublime sense of humor Professor Kim must have to be able to describe so glibly the tragedies that South Korea suffered due to North Korea’s “past behavior.”
What exactly were those past behaviors? I’ll just list some of the more recent ones.
In 2002, during the height of the Sunshine Policy, North Korean naval vessels illegally crossed over the Northern Limit Line and attacked two South Korean patrol boats; killing four South Korean sailors and sinking one of South Korea’s ships.
A model of the PKM 357 at the War Memorial of Korea
The North Koreans' generosity knew no bounds in 2010 when one of their midget submarines, as confirmed by a team of international experts, torpedoed yet another South Korean naval vessel, the ROKS Cheonan. Forty-six South Korean sailors died that day.
The remains of the ROKS Cheonan
The discovered North Korean torpedo that was used to sink the ROKS Cheonan
The fallen
Later that same year, North Korean troops unleashed a barrage of artillery on Yeonpyeong Island. Two South Korean marines and two civilians died that day.
Yeonpyeong Island being shelled by North Korean artillery
The aftermath of the town on Yeonpyeong Island
The fallen
Since then the North Koreans have not directly conducted another conventional military assault on South Korea. Instead, the North Koreans have tested nuclear weapons, test fired rockets, and on multiple occasions threatened to turn Seoul into a ‘sea of fire.’ Furthermore, it is widely suspected that North Korean hackers were responsible for launching a cyber-attack earlier in March, which paralyzed South Korean banks and TV broadcasters.
How many times has this woman, acting as North Korea's spokesperson, declared that Seoul would burn?
South Korean taxpayers paid to keep the North Korean regime afloat for ten years. The North Koreans showed their gratitude by killing South Korean sailors and marines, murdering a South Korean tourist, and destroying South Koreans’ homes.
To add insult to injury, Professor Kim had the audacity to claim that both countries are at fault for the deteriorated state of inter-Korean relations and went on to claim that what is needed is “the effort to find the root cause within a two-way relationship.”
Just how much more blood has to be spilled before Professor Kim and his ilk realize that there is nothing, nothing at all, to be gained by talking to the North Koreans? Or do the dead mean nothing to him?
He even went on to quote President Reagan who once said, “Trust, but verify.” South Korea did trust the North. And it was verified that the trust was misplaced.
Professor Kim and other like-minded individuals who have and still support ‘peaceful dialogue’ with North Korea, regardless of the costs, are the ones who provided the intellectual ammunition to appease North Korea, which allowed the North Korean leadership more time to replenish its treasury and modernize its arsenal while killing South Koreans and starving its own people. They might not have been the ones who did the killing but their hands are just as stained with blood as the Stalinist leadership in Pyongyang.
The only logical conclusion of appeasement
South Korea owes North Korea nothing. If anything, it is North Korea that is indebted to South Korea. However, the matter of debt, even that of blood, is secondary. What is at issue is that as long as North Korea continues to kill or threaten to kill South Koreans, that makes them nothing more than criminals and that means that there is nothing to talk to them about.
History has shown time and time again that the only thing that the North Koreans understand and respect is strength. That is why despite its rhetoric, North Korea doesn't dare to actually provoke the United States or Japan into a military conflict; that is why North Korea walks hat in hand to Beijing to ask for aid even though it causes them to lose face; that is why South Korea, being the weakest of its neighbors, is always ignored, pilloried, and attacked.
If South Korea ever desires to reenter into talks with North Korea, in order for the talks to be meaningful, South Korea has to do so in a position of strength – an idea that Professor Kim and his ilk can’t seem to wrap their minds around.
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<urn:uuid:347a3782-24e2-437e-90e4-9b6ae8797d04>
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