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Books Palaeontology Palaeozoology & Extinctions
Popular Science
By: WJT Mitchell(Author)
321 pages, Col and b/w photos, col and b/w illus
University of Chicago Press
Hardback | Oct 1998 | #84743 | ISBN: 0226532046
Availability: Usually dispatched within 4 days Details
NHBS Price: £24.50 $32/€27 approx
About this book
For animals that have been dead millions of years, dinosaurs are extraordinarily pervasive in our everyday lives. Appearing in ads, books, movies, museums, television, toy stores, and novels, they continually fascinate both adults and children. How did they move from natural extinction to pop culture resurrection? What is the source of their powerful appeal? Until now, no one has addressed this question in a comprehensive way. In this lively and engrossing exploration of the animal's place in our lives, W.J.T. Mitchell shows why we are so attached to the myth and the reality of the "terrible lizards."
Mitchell aims to trace the cultural family tree of the dinosaur, and what he discovers is a creature of striking flexibility, linked to dragons and mammoths, skyscrapers and steam engines, cowboys and Indians. In the vast territory between the cunning predators of Jurassic Park and the mawkishly sweet Barney, from political leviathans to corporate icons, from paleontology to Barnum and Bailey, Mitchell finds a cultural symbol whose plurality of meaning and often contradictory nature is emblematic of modern society itself. As a scientific entity, the dinosaur endured a near-eclipse for over a century, but as an image it is enjoying its widest circulation. And it endures, according to Mitchell, because it is uniquely malleable, a figure of both innovation and obsolescence, massive power and pathetic failure – the totem animal of modernity.
Drawing unforeseen and unusual connections at every turn between dinosaurs real and imagined, The Last Dinosaur Book is the first to delve so deeply, so insightfully, and so enjoyably into our modern dino-obsession.
""[...] brilliant and truly original. It is the first serious attempt by a cultural historian to understand the extraordinarily strong hold that dinosaurs have taken on the imagination of whole sections of the population, not just children. Mitchell has wonderfully mastered the field of dinosaurs, from systematics to science fiction, and the delight of the book is in the interpretations."
- Keith Thomson, Director, Oxford University Museum of Natural History
1: Reptilicus erectus
2: Big, Fierce, Extinct
3: A Stegosaurus Made of Money
4: The End of Dinosaurology
5: The Last Thunder Horse West of the Mississippi
6: Dinotopia: The Newt World Order
7: The Last Dinostory: As Told by Himself
8: Seeing Saurians
9: Sorting Species
10: Monsters and Dinomania
11: Big MacDino
12: The Totem Animal of Modernity
13: The Way of Dragons
14: Dry Bones
15: On the Evolution of Images
16: Thomas Jefferson, Paleontologist
17: Frames, Skeletons, Constitutions
18: The Victorian Dinosaur
19: Coming to America
20: Bones for Darwin's Bulldog
21: Schizosaur
22: Dinosaurs Moralized
23: Pale-Ontology, or It's Not Easy Being Green
24: Potlatch and Purity
25: Diplodocus carnegii
26: Totems and Bones
27: Indiana Jones and Barnum Bones
28: Worlds Well Lost
29: Bringing Down Baby
30: Miner's Canary or Trojan Horse?
31: The Age of Reptiles
32: The Hundred Story Beast
33: Structure, Energy, Information
34: Catastrophe, Entropy, Chaos
35: The Age of Biocybernetic Reproduction
36: Carnosaurs and Consumption
37: Why Children Hate Dinosaurs
38: Dinos R Us: Identification and Fantasy
39: Calvinosaurus: From T. rex to O. Rex
40: Transitional Objects: From Breast to Brontosaurus Paleoart 265
A: Scrotum Humanum: The True Name of the Dinosaur
B: Science and Culture
Selected Bibliography
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VAT: GB 407 4846 44
NHBS Ltd is registered in England and Wales: 1875194
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http://www.nhbs.com/the-last-dinosaur-book-book
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Around the South Jamaica housing projects in Queens, young men with pit bulls guard street corners and rap music blares from car stereos. But one house, on 110th Avenue, seems to openly defy its gritty surroundings.
Its owner, Milford Graves, has covered it with an ornate mosaic of stones, reflective metal and hunks of discarded marble, arranged in cheery patterns. The yard is a lush garden, dense with citrus trees, herbs and exotic plants.
Continue reading the main story
In 1967, Mr. Graves was honored in a Down Beat magazine critics' poll as the year's bright new talent. He had offers of lucrative gigs from artists like Miles Davis and the South African singer Miriam Makeba.
In his basement, he converted the heartbeats to a higher register and dissected them. Behind the basic binary thum-THUMP beat, he heard other rhythms -- more spontaneous and complex patterns in less-regular time intervals -- akin to a drummer using his four limbs independently.
"A lot of it was like free jazz," Mr. Graves said one day last week in his basement. "There were rhythms I had only heard in Cuban and Nigerian music." He demonstrated by thumping a steady bum-BUM rhythm on a conga with his right hand, while delivering with his left a series of unconnected rhythms on an hourglass-shaped talking drum.
Mr. Graves created computer programs to analyze the heart's rhythms and pitches, which are caused by muscle and valve movement. The pitches correspond to actual notes on the Western musical scale. Raised several octaves, the cardiac sounds became rather melodic.
"When I hooked up to the four chambers of the heart, it sounded like four-part harmony," Mr. Graves said.
He began composing with the sounds -- both by transcribing heartbeat melodies and by using recorded fragments. He also realized he could help detect heart problems, maybe even cure them.
"A healthy heart has strong, supple walls, so the sound usually has a nice flow," he said. "You hear it and say, 'Ah, now that's hip.' But an unhealthy heart has stiff and brittle muscles. There's less compliance, and sounds can come out up to three octaves higher than normal.
"You can pinpoint things by the melody. You can hear something and say, 'Ah, sounds like a problem in the right atrium."'
In 2000, Mr. Graves received a grant from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, which he said gave him money to buy essential equipment.
Dr. Baruch Krauss, who teaches pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and is an emergency physician at Boston Children's Hospital, said the medical establishment has only recently begun to appreciate the rhythmic and tonal complexities of the heartbeat and speak about it in terms of syncopation and polyrhythms.
"This is what a Renaissance man looks like today," said Dr. Krauss, who studied acupuncture with Mr. Graves and follows his research. "To see this guy tinkering with stuff in a basement in Queens, you wonder how it could be legitimate. But Milford is right on the cutting edge of this stuff. He brings to it what doctors can't, because he approaches it as a musician."
Dr. Ram Jadonath, director of electrophysiology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., said Mr. Graves's theories sounded plausible but should not replace a standard medical assessment from a doctor.
"The heartbeat is a form of musical rhythm, and if you have a musical ear, you can hear heart problems a lot easier," he said. "Many heart rhythm disturbances are stress-related, and you have cells misfiring. It is possible to redirect or retrain them with musical therapy. They do respond to suggestion. That's the area where his biofeedback could correct those type of problems."
Mr. Graves said he brings unusual strengths to his medical work.
"To hear if a melody sounds right or not, you've got to look at it as an artist, not a doctor," he said. "If you're trying to listen to a musical sound with no musical ability, you're not feeling it, man."
Mr. Graves claims he can help a flawed heartbeat through biofeedback. He creates what he calls a "corrected heartbeat" using an algorhythmic formula, or by old-fashioned composing, and then feeds it back to the patient, whose heart is then trained to adopt the healthy beat. The patient can listen to a recording of the corrected heartbeat, or it can be imparted directly through a speaker that vibrates a needle stuck into acupuncture points.
"If they don't want that," he added, "I can give them a CD."
Last week, Dennis Thomas, 49, visited Mr. Graves in his basement complaining of severe chest congestion. Mr. Thomas said his doctor had diagnosed bronchial asthma and given him medication that had not been effective.
Mr. Graves said the problem might be related to Mr. Thomas's heart and recorded his heartbeat. With the help of a computer program, Mr. Graves tinkered with the rhythm and amplitude and then attempted to stimulate Mr. Thomas's heart by playing the "corrected" beat both through a speaker and through a wire stuck into an acupuncture point in his wrist.
"I gave him a double shot," Mr. Graves explained. After 10 minutes of treatment, Mr. Thomas's heart rate had risen about 10 beats per minute, according to a monitor.
Mr. Thomas, a city bus driver from Jamaica who used to study martial arts with Mr. Graves, said that he felt improvement afterward.
"I started breathing easier and felt more relaxed," he said.
In addition to his medical work, Mr. Graves analyzes the heartbeats of his music students, hoping to help them play deeper and more personal music. The idea, he said, is to find their most prevalent rhythms and pitches and incorporate them into their playing.
The composer and saxophonist John Zorn called Mr. Graves "basically a 20th-century shaman."
"He's taken traditional drum technique so far that there's no further place to go, so he's going to the source, his heart," Mr. Zorn said.
"This culture is not equipped to appreciate someone like Milford," he said. "In Korea, he'd be a national treasure. Here, he's just some weird guy who lives in Queens."
Continue reading the main story
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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/09/nyregion/finding-healing-music-in-the-heart.html
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Environment in emerging and transition economies
EaP GREEN: Reform of environmentally harmful subsidies
Reforming environmentally harmful subsidies (EHS) is a fundamental element of green growth strategies and confers a range of benefits to countries that undertale such reforms. These include, among others, reducing the use of resource intensive inputs (e.g. energy) and subsequent decrease in pollution levels, fixing market distrortions by making resource prices reflect resource value, and polluters pay for their pollution; releasing and/or relallocating public funding to other areas, such as education, energy saving or reducing debt.
Determining the environmental impact of different subsidies is often complicated because specific policy measures do not take place in isolation, but within a broad and evolving socio-economic and technological context. Due to very patchy data and information but also because of the lack of a harmonised methodology for recording and reporting subsidies, identifying and calculating the size of EHS schemes is not easy and will require the concerted efforts of many different parties in a given government.
Objectives and activities
1. Develop policy guidance tools to prepare EHS reform action plans. The guidance will be based on tools and methods for identifying, measuring and evaluating subsidies that are environmentally-harmful and economically wasteful. The experience with applying these analytical tools in preparing EHS reform plans, including from the EU countries, will be presented in several regional meetings with the participation of key stakeholders from the EaP countries.
2. Implement country projects. The OECD will work in three countries to develop action plans to reform EHS in selected sectors (such as energy, agriculture or water). Each project will aim at facilitating a national-level policy dialogue to generate political support for the adoption and implementation of the actions plan proposed for the country.
3. Build capacity and political support in other EaP countries to develop action plans to reform EHS. Organisation of stakeholder meetings in the EaP countries other than those hosting the pilot projects to disseminate policy recommendations and lessons learned from other countries in the region.
DID YOU KNOW? ....that there is some evidence that fossil fuel consumer subsidies in the EaP countries might be large. The International Energy Agency estimated that, in 2011, fossil fuel subsidies for consumers (oil, coal, gas, electricity) totalled about USD 2 billion in Azerbaijan (about 3% of GDP), about USD 6 billion (3.3% of GDP) in Kazakhstan and about USD 9 billion in Ukraine (about 6% of its GDP).
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Be prepared with our Hurricane Guide, forecasts and latest storm news
Henry M: The Day One Man's Memory Died
The Hartford Courant
Henry M. was awake as the surgeon inserted a metal straw deep within his brain and suctioned out a piece of tissue the length of an index finger.
The surgeon, William Beecher Scoville of West Hartford, talked to the 27-year-old Hartford man during the experimental operation, which he hoped would end his patient's epileptic seizures.
But a reduction in seizures came at a catastrophic cost: Henry no longer could make new memories.
From that summer day in 1953, Henry M. never again retained a conscious recollection of people, places or things he encountered. His intelligence remained intact, but his memory turned into a sort of Etch A Sketch, perpetually erased seconds after he turns his attention elsewhere.
Today, Henry M. is by most accounts a genial old man who lives in a Hartford area nursing home, unable to recognize aides who have cared for him for years. His most recent memories date to when Eisenhower was president. His full name and residence are secrets, jealously guarded by a few neuroscientists who have dubbed him H.M. and built their careers studying his profound loss.
The precisely carved hole in Henry's brain has turned out to be a treasure trove of information about the multiple facets of memory. Over the decades, dozens of scientists have made a pilgrimage to meet Henry, seeking to mine meaning from the man who lost his ability to hold a half-century of his personal history.
Henry is unaware that he has become one of the most famous subjects in the history of psychology -- a textbook example of the importance of memory in the formation of identity -- or that his story still spurs questions about medical ethics and patients' rights.
Dr. James Duffy, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut and director of psychiatric consultation services at Hartford Hospital, says he has not met Henry but suspects the man has become an afterthought in science's relentless pursuit of knowledge.
``Scientists are good at slicing off pieces of patients and manipulating them under a microscope,'' Duffy said, ``but we don't want to take responsibility for their well-being.''
Wiped Away
What the world knows of Henry M. is limited mostly to lifeless prose of psychology textbooks and scientific papers, which devote many more pages to the incisions that removed most of Henry's medial temporal lobe than to his likes and dislikes, his hopes and dreams.
Scientists who have worked with Henry say his memories of childhood, adolescence and young adulthood -- the only conscious memories he has -- have a brittle, worn quality to them. For Henry, the people he talks with are always strangers. And his stories are invariably the same, lacking the sinew, blood and muscle with which memory infuses experience.
``The stories he tells are incredibly similar each time he tells them,'' said John Gabrieli, a neuroscientist at Stanford University who studied Henry extensively during the 1980s. ``There is a bland, stereotyped quality to his conversations. What are you going to say when everyone is a stranger?''
Henry is a big man who has become bigger and softer after years of a sedentary lifestyle. He likes to eat. He is going bald and wears glasses. He still takes medication to control epileptic seizures, which were reduced but not eliminated by the operation. Today, he has osteoporosis and recently has had to depend on a wheelchair to get around. He will need cataract surgery soon.
Apparently, Henry was always good-natured, which makes it difficult to determine just how much his gentle, agreeable demeanor is the result of his operation.
Henry seldom expresses any interest in the topic of sex, but he also had no serious girlfriends before the operation. So scientists don't know if Henry's sex drive, like his memory, was a casualty of the surgery.
There is little biographical information available on Henry and much of it he has supplied himself.
Henry M.'s father was an electrician who migrated from Louisiana in the 1920s to Hartford, where Henry was born in 1926. The family attended church in Hartford and moved to East Hartford by the time Henry was a teenager. Later, they moved to a more rural part of Hartford County.
Henry remembers roller-skating. He remembers shooting his father's gun in the woods. But unless he is coached, he doesn't remember that his parents are dead.
Unofficial Guardian
The person who knows as much about Henry as anyone is Suzanne Corkin, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has worked with Henry since 1962. Corkin acts as a sort of unofficial guardian of Henry's interests, along with Montreal scientist Brenda Milner. It was Milner who, with Scoville, in 1957 co-authored the first scientific paper describing the extent of Henry's memory loss.
Corkin and Milner decided that instead of conducting tests on Henry in Montreal, it would be easier to work with Henry at MIT, closer to his Hartford home.
Corkin's connection to Henry's case actually reaches back into her childhood. She was Scoville's neighbor growing up on North Steele Road in West Hartford and remains friends with the surgeon's daughter.
Corkin said she and Milner decided long ago not to allow the media to interview Henry and actively discouraged efforts to write about him. She said that it would be unethical to discuss his medical records and that there are few details of his life before the surgery.
Misinformation about Henry is rampant, including reports that he may suffer from depression, she added.
But other scientific researchers say that when it comes to controlling information about Henry, Corkin is as zealous with them as she is with reporters.
Endel Tulving, a memory researcher and retired professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, said Corkin refused to allow him to tape-record an interview with Henry.
``It's just silliness,'' said Tulving. He said he has worked with a Canadian amnesiac with a similar devastating memory loss who has been interviewed on several television shows.
Corkin said more than 100 scientists have worked with Henry during the past 50 years.
One fact is almost universally reported about Henry. At the age of 9, Henry was knocked unconscious after he was hit by a bicyclist. Soon after, he experienced his first minor epileptic seizures. On his 16th birthday, he suffered a grand mal seizure.
James Bond In Scrubs
Henry was 27 -- and having as many as 10 minor seizures a day and at least one major seizure a week -- when his case came to the attention of Dr. William Beecher Scoville, a flamboyant descendant of the illustrious Connecticut family that produced ``Uncle Tom's Cabin'' author Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Scoville was a fearless -- some say reckless -- pioneer in developing surgical remedies for a variety of intractable psychological conditions. He was best known internationally for his technical improvements in the performance of lobotomies, which then were regularly conducted at Hartford Hospital and the Institute of Living, one of the world's top centers for the treatment of mental illness.
He received many awards for his work. He founded an international society of brain surgeons that still gives out an annual award in his name. The University of Connecticut Health Center has an endowed chair that bears his name.
No one who met Scoville forgot him.
While Henry M. is genial, meek and eager to please, Scoville was a sort of James Bond in scrubs who loved fast, expensive cars and motorcycles, a demanding dynamo in the operating room, brilliant at his craft.
``Bill drove fast, lived hard and operated where angels feared to tread,'' said Dr. David Crombie, former chief of surgery at Hartford Hospital who met Scoville in the early 1960s as an intern at the hospital and became friends with his son.
Scoville was an early advocate of helmets for motorcyclists, but never wore one himself, despite riding at speeds that terrified friends and colleagues, Crombie recalled.
``He said you had to wear a helmet -- unless you were keenly aware,'' Crombie said. ``He had a sense of invincibility about him.''
Scoville typically operated on people with intractable schizophrenia or severe depression. But in 1953, Scoville thought he might be able to alleviate Henry's epilepsy. Epilepsy can originate within the medial temporal lobe, a structure that extends on both sides of the brain roughly under the temples.
Scoville decided to remove a greater area of brain tissue from Henry than had been removed from patients who had undergone similar surgeries.
A half-century ago, doctors did not need to get a hospital's permission to try innovative operations. They were under no obligation to conduct trials before they tried new procedures on a patient. Henry and other patients did not have to sign informed-consent papers saying they knew the risks involved, although it is unlikely Henry or his working-class parents would have questioned the advice of a famous surgeon.
``In those days, the doctor's word was God,'' said Al Herzog, a psychiatrist and vice president of medical affairs at Hartford Hospital. ``In an odd way, people like Scoville helped create the ethical standards in use today. By pushing the boundaries of surgical practice, Scoville and others led hospitals to establish institutional review boards, patient protocols, things like that.''
A `Successful' Operation
Late in the summer of 1953, either at Hartford Hospital or at the nearby Institute of Living in the single operating room where lobotomies were performed, Scoville took out most of Henry's medial temporal lobe, including all or parts of the hippocampus and amygdala.
Scoville originally dubbed the operation a success, although Henry couldn't remember the way to the bathroom or the names of the nurses who cared for him.
A few years later in a research paper, Scoville would strongly urge surgeons not to duplicate his ``experimental'' operation because of its devastating effects on Henry's memory.
``It bothered him. You could see it in his eyes,'' recalls Dr. Robert Correll, director of psychology testing services at Hartford Hospital who came to Connecticut from Iowa University in 1958 to try with Scoville to duplicate the effects of the operation in monkeys. ``Bill's goal was to be perfect. He didn't make mistakes.''
In the decades that followed, Henry often told researchers that as a child he had wanted to be a brain surgeon. Henry seems to mingle the recollection of his childhood dream and his own operation, the last memory he would ever preserve, in a sort of never-ending loop.
During one interview, Henry told a researcher that he nixed the idea of becoming a surgeon because he wore glasses, ``and you could make the wrong movement then ... and that person could be dead, or paralyzed.''
He was then asked if he remembered his own operation.
``Well, I think I was, ah, well, I'm having an argument with myself right away. I'm the third or fourth person who had it, and I think that they, well, possibly didn't make the right movement at the right time, themselves. But they learned something.''
They did, indeed, the researcher told Henry, who then again brought up Henry's childhood.
``A funny part, I always thought of being a brain surgeon myself. ... And then I said no to myself. ... An attendant might move your glasses over and you would make the wrong movement.''
Do you remember who the surgeon was who did your operation, the researcher asked.
``No, I don't.''
``Sc--,'' the researcher hinted.
``Scoville,'' Henry said.
Understanding The Mind
Scoville was killed in 1984, at the age of 78, when he backed up his car on the highway to get to an exit he had missed. Renowned in his time for innovative improvements to a surgical procedure now held in disrepute, the confident, perfectionist surgeon is best remembered for obliterating the memory of a young working-class Hartford man.
Science's understanding of the brain changed dramatically after Scoville and Milner published their paper in 1957 describing the effects of the operation.
It had been impossible for scientists to determine how specific areas of the brain created the richness of the human mind -- most often understood in abstract terms, such as Sigmund Freud's id, ego and superego.
``Freud was stuck; he couldn't make those connections,'' Herzog said. ``But with cases like H.M., the connections became more obvious. You can't run away from the importance of H.M.''
One of the first lessons Henry taught scientists was that intelligence and memory are separate entities.
Henry would have flunked out of any class in which he had to learn new information because of his inability to recall new facts. Yet his IQ remained slightly above average and his ability to solve problems was unaffected by the operation.
``We now know from 30 years of animal studies that it was the most devastating surgical resection you can possibly make, but it also stopped at the border of all the important areas of the brain associated with intelligence,'' Gabrieli said.
And because Henry could retain memories for very short periods of time, it became clear that different structures of the brain perform different functions in the storage and retrieval of memories.
The brain structures removed by Scoville turned out to be crucial in converting experience into long-term memories, but not in storing them.
``Until H.M., memory was viewed as essentially a unitary faculty,'' said Larry Squire, a neuroscientist at the University of California at San Diego and a leading memory researcher.
Scientists knew during the 1950s, for instance, that motor and muscle skill memories were processed differently than, say, how we recall that Bismarck is the capital of North Dakota. ``But that proved to be tip of the iceberg,'' Squire said.
One of the major hurdles that confronted scientists studying Henry is that the medial temporal lobe contains several brain structures. In the decades since Scoville operated, scientists such as Squire have worked with animals to try to tease out the specific function of each of these individual structures. The discipline known as cognitive neuroscience emerged to describe how various parts of the brain cooperate and allow humans to accomplish complex tasks such as memorization.
``He is the most dramatic example of a patient who tragically became an experiment of nature,'' said Eric Kandel, Nobel laureate and professor of physiology and psychology at Columbia University. ``That single case enlightened a whole body of knowledge.''
Learning Vs. Remembering
Scientists became so infatuated with Henry, Tulving said, that they missed evidence that other areas of the brain also contribute to memory.
``I think H.M. was a bad thing for our science. Everyone got mesmerized by H.M.,'' Tulving said. ``The whole world revolved around one case, and other cases were not followed up.''
Experiments with Henry and other amnesiacs and, more recently, various brain-imaging studies have revealed that memory is a multilayered set of processes. In some cases, such as in our recall of emotionally charged events, those processes can be at work without our conscious awareness.
In one early study, Henry showed that he could learn new skills, even though he had no conscious recollection of having previously performed the task. Henry got better at copying shapes he viewed through a mirror, even though he told researchers he had never done it before.
Gabrieli's research showed Henry can do the same thing with some word tasks. Gabrieli provided Henry with a list of words such as tangerine, apple and bazooka. When asked minutes later, Henry could not remember any of the words on the list.
``But when you ask him, `Can you name a weapon?' he will say, `Bazooka.' And then he says, `Why, that's an odd weapon. I wonder why I picked that one?''' Gabrieli said.
Such studies have shown that different types of memory are compartmentalized in different areas -- and also that the brain has the flexibility to compensate for some deficits.
For instance, Lawrence Weiskrantz of the experimental psychology department at Oxford University has studied a phenomenon he calls ``blindsight.'' Weiskrantz, who coincidentally was working at Hartford Hospital on his thesis when Scoville operated on Henry, worked with subjects who are blind because of damage in their brain. Despite the damage to their visual cortex, they can ``see'' objects. When asked to grab for flashing bars projected onto a screen, the subjects protested they could not see the bars. But, when asked to ``guess,'' they reached toward the flashing bars with great accuracy.
Henry knows nothing of his legacy. Time essentially stopped for him 50 years ago.
His last conscious memories are of the years before 1953, although his image in the mirror and other evidence seem to convince him that time has passed which he can't account for. Asked where he lives, Henry often gives the address of a house where he lived before the operation. Pressed to recall if he had met a visitor before, he might guess he or she was someone he knew in his youth.
``He thinks we went to high school together,'' Corkin said.
Since 1980, Henry has lived in a nursing home, where he likes to do crossword puzzles.
While doctors have treated Henry for a variety of ailments, Corkin said, ``there is no treatment for memory impairment.''
As Kandel said: ``It's hard for us to conceive what he really experiences.''
Waking From A Dream
Henry used to travel three times a year to MIT, where scientists conducted experiments on him. But Henry has become frail enough in recent years that the scientists now come to him, Corkin said.
When Henry is asked whether he is willing to participate in such studies, he invariably agrees, always saying other people may be helped by such knowledge.
Where does that belief come from?
``That's puzzled me, too,'' Gabrieli said.
Henry has no way of knowing that the research of the past 50 years has helped people. And such an idea couldn't be planted in his mind because he lacks the parts of his brain necessary to store and retrieve such a suggestion.
Gabrieli speculates that Henry might be reaching back to one of his last memories, when Scoville or another doctor might have told him that other epileptics could benefit from the lessons learned from his surgery. So, again and again for the past half-century, Henry has agreed to be the subject of experiments, just as he did before surgery robbed him of his memory.
Corkin offers a different explanation: ``I think he was just well brought up.''
Today, Henry is still the subject of experiments, although other amnesiacs with related memory deficits have been discovered and studied. New imaging technologies also have revolutionized the study of memory by allowing scientists to view the brain working in healthy subjects.
Yet Henry's life continues to fascinate.
``Whenever I give a talk about H.M., the questions never stop,'' Corkin said. ``The audience asks questions; people come up and ask me questions afterwards. It happens every time. He is a national treasure.''
As the 50th anniversary of the operation approaches, Dr. James Duffy has come to believe that society, which has learned so much from Henry, owes him something more.
``What is my responsibility as a scientist? Is it to just generate knowledge, or is it something else?'' Duffy asked. ``Henry presents us with questions larger than the mechanics of the memory system. We need to understand what he has become in the absence of memory.
``Why is it that we only ask about his memory,'' Duffy said, ``not about who he has become?''
Corkin cautioned against drawing any universal conclusions from Henry's situation.
``Henry is an `n' of one,'' she said, using a mathematical symbol to stress his singularity. ``It is not clear how his experience can generalize to anyone.''
Every moment, as his past disappears into an abyss, Henry asks his own set of questions.
``Right now, I am wondering if I have done or said anything amiss,'' Henry once told a researcher. ``You see, at this moment everything looks clear to me, but what happened just before, that's what worries me. It's like waking from a dream I just don't remember.''
Copyright © 2017, Orlando Sentinel
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http://www.orlandosentinel.com/hc-archive-henry-m-dec-2002-story.html
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Plaza Cinema Field Trips
The Plaza is offering a variety of field trips suitable for grade school children to high school adolescents. If you enjoy films and believe this exceptional art form can be a fun and educational tool to teach history, social sciences, natural sciences, languages, art and culture - then partner with The Plaza.
By coming to The Plaza students are able to experience the Arthouse Cinema environment and learn about how it differs from the multiplex cinema. Every field trip includes a short presentation on what we do as a not-for-profit, and how we enrich the community culture through film.
SEED: The Untold Story
Directed by Jon Betz and Taggart Siegel
Featuring Vandana Shiva, Dr. Jane Goodall, Andrew Kimbrell, Winona Laduke, and Raj Patel
The Eagle Huntress
Directed by Otto Bell
Featuring Daisy Ridley, Aisholpan Nurgaiv, Rhys Nurgaiv
Persepolis (NR) This uniquely styled graphic novel traces the biographical history of its author, Marjane Satrapi as she depicts her progression from childhood to becoming an adult. Satrapi grew up at a pivotal point in Iranian history, spending her adolescence in the depths of the Islamic revolution. Told from her perspective, she moves back and forth between Iran and Iraq, facing societal clashes, losing loved ones to the revolution, and being consistently separated from her family both physically and in shared ideologies. The non-fiction graphic novel was ranked by Newsweek as the fifth on its list of the best non-fiction books of the last decade. PERSEPOLIS was adapted into a film in 2007, following the same artistic style as the graphic novel, but with some color added. A team of twenty animators were given the task of transforming Satrapi's graphic novel into a moving animation, a project that emphasized traditional animation techniques as well as the capabilities of only using two solid colors (black and white) to achieve depth. In 2007, the film was a co-winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes and nominated for an Oscar.
Directed by Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud
To Kill a Mockingbird
In great depression era Alabama young “Scout” comes of age while her father Atticus takes on a racially charged court case. Spanning over about three years of her life, the novel Follows Scout, her father Atticus, and brother Jem through the trials and tribulations of growing up in the Deep South in the 1930s. The Pulitzer prize winning novel was adapted into a film by director Robert Mulligan in 1962, for which he received critical acclaim and several Academy Awards. As a part of the National Film Registry this film remains a symbolic icon of American Culture, much like Harper Lee’s classic novel.
Directed By Robert Mulligan
Starring Gregory Peck, Mary Badham
Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC’s Sherlock, The Imitation Game, Frankenstein at the National Theatre) takes on the title role of Shakespeare’s great tragedy. Directed by Lyndsey Turner (Posh, Chimerica) and produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, National Theatre brings this eagerly awaited production live to the cinema screen from its sold-out run at the Barbican. As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart. Forced to avenge his father’s death, but paralyzed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state.
Directed by Robin Lough
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Sian Brooke
Romeo and Juliet
The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company Live cinema season continues with a new vision of Shakespeare’s heartbreaking tale of forbidden love. Branagh and his creative team present a modern passionate version of the classic tragedy. A longstanding feud between Verona’s Montague and Capulet families brings about devastating consequences for two young lovers caught in the conflict. Kenneth Branagh co-directs with Rob Ashford, reuniting with the stars of his celebrated film of Cinderella, Richard Madden and Lily James, as Romeo and Juliet. Also featuring Sir Derek Jacobi as Mercutio and Meera Syal as The Nurse. Romeo and Juliet will be screened in high definition black and white.
Directed by Kenneth Branagh and Rob Ashford
Starring Derek Jacobi and Lily James
KUS4Nexternal250 (2).jpeg
Killing us Softly 4
Filmmaker Sut Jhally
Production Year 2010
Tough Guise
Filmmaker Sut Jhally
Production Year 1999
Field Trips for Elementary School Students
The Plaza offers a variety of field trips that are appropriate for grades 3 - 5 focusing on the fundamentals of storytelling and animation. In the past students have participated in interactive lessons where they watch animated films, learn about the fundamentals of animation and gain hands on experience creating heir own stop motion films.
Boxcar Children
In past years 3rd, 4th and 5th graders from River Elementary enjoyed interactive field trips where they saw the animated film BOXCAR CHILDREN (based on the franchised book by the same name), learned about different animation techniques and created their own stop-motion films.
Based on a 1924 novel of the same name, The Boxcar Children has been adapted into a franchise including over 150 adventures in film and novel form. In the original premise, four siblings take to the road after their parents die and make a home in an abandoned boxcar.
Directed by Daniel Chuba
Starring Illenan Douglas, Martin Sheen, Zachary Gordon, Mackenzie Foy
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http://www.plazamac.org/for-teachers
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[
"solid",
"cad"
] |
Numerous industries utilize solid metal parts made of powdered metal. Powdered metal components, which are made from powdered metal via powder metallurgy, can be found in applications spanning across industries such as lawn and garden, computer, electronics, hardware, and automotive.
More specifically, powder metal parts include magnetic assemblies, filtration systems, structural parts, and automobile components. Powder metal gears are inherently porous and they naturally reduce sound, making them a suitable component to the sintering process. Bearings and bushings can simply be produced by way of sintering, however, they may require a secondary sizing operation because their fabrication leaves little room for error.
Powder metal is soft and can be formed in a variety of shapes with proper sintering; however, this variety is very limited. Powder metal is a popular choice of material for parts with magnetic properties, and its magnetism can be enhanced through the sintering process. Two processes can be utilized to make powder metal parts: sintering and metal injection molding. Both of these processes are used to produce powder metal parts made of aluminum, copper, and iron.
Sintered metal parts include sintered steel and sintered bronze parts, and they are made by melting metal powder and forming it into a shape. The metal injection molding process involves adding wax, resin, or polymers to powdered metal, heating the mixture to a pliable state, and formed within a mold. Read More…
Leading Manufacturers
Perry Tool & Research, Inc.
Hayward, CA | 510-782-9226
Comtec Mfg., Inc.
St. Marys, PA | 814-834-9300
MetalKraft Industries, Inc.
Wellsboro, PA | 570-724-6800
Proform Powdered Metals. Inc..
Punxsutawney, PA | 814-938-7411
Powder metallurgy is a process in which metal is formed and fabricated from powder to a finished part. The raw metal material is made into powder by way of atomization, mechanical alloying, electrolytic techniques, chemical reduction, and pulverization. The powder is then mixed with a lubricant, which assists in reducing friction between the powder material and the pressing dies. The next step involves forming, in which the material is molded, forged, or pressed. Sintering is a crucial step in the process, as it develops the products finished properties, such as regulating its porosity and increasing its strength.
In the high-temperature process of sintering, the compacted raw materials, also known as green parts, are melted down in a furnace. When the green parts are melted, the particles are bonded together while still retaining the part’s shape. Sometimes, the product requires secondary operations such as machining, deburring, sizing, or heating. The finished parts may appear solid, but they are actually made up of tiny capillaries that are interconnected with each other. Thus, the parts have a porosity of 25%.
Sintered metal products have many advantages over parts that are fabricated through other processes. Sintering uses roughly 97% of materials, and therefore does not produce as much waste. Sintered products are not sensitive to the shapes in which they are formed, and they frequently do not need to undergo any secondary operations. Powder metal parts have controlled porosity, enabling them to self-lubricate and filter gases and liquids. Because of all of these benefits, powder metallurgy is a highly recommended process in fabricating parts that require intricate bends, depressions, and projections. A wide variety of composites, alloys, and other materials can be used in the sintering process to fabricate products of numerous designs and shapes.
Metal injection molding is a powder metallurgy process which is frequently used to produce metal parts that are smaller, more complex, high density, and high in performance. The process of metal injection combines powder metallurgy and plastic injection molding, and is commonly used for parts used in industries such as electronics, computer, hardware, firearms, dental, medical, and automotive. Metal injection molding allows for more freedom in detailing and design, reduces waste, and offers products that are magnetic, more corrosion-resistant, stronger, and denser. However, this process is only used in making thinner, smaller parts, and is more costly than regular powder metallurgy.
Metal injection molding differs in a few ways. First, the metal powder is not only mixed with lubricants, but also with thermoplastics. The parts are only formed by molding using standard plastic injection molding machines. The next step involves using chemicals or thermal energy and an open pore network to remove the thermoplastics from the parts. Finally, the parts are sintered and undergo secondary procedures if necessary.
Bronze, steel, iron, brass, copper, and aluminum are just a few of the many metals that can be converted to powder and undergo the metallurgy process. Aluminum is frequently used because it is highly flammable, highly conductive, and light in weight. Aluminum is a popular materials to use in structural applications and pyrotechnics. Copper is highly conductive both electrically and thermally, and are thus popular for use in electrical contractor or heat sink applications.
Iron contains a graphite additive and is frequently used to fabricate bearings, filters, and structural parts. Steel is used for tool steel or stainless steel powders, are very high in strength. Thus, one application for which it is frequently used is automobile weight reduction. Finally, bronze is a metal that is higher in density and has a higher mechanical performance than brass, and bronze metal parts are commonly utilized to fabricate self-lubricating bearings.
Powder Metal Part Informational Video
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http://www.powderedmetalparts.com/
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[
"shape",
"solid"
] |
What to Do If Your Pilot Light Goes Out
January 19, 2017
Pilot lights are commonly found on older model furnaces, and while they serve a very important purpose, also pose a safety hazard in the event they should go out. Instructions on how to relight the pilot light are typically found affixed to the appliance itself, or in the original owner’s manual. Knowing what to do if your pilot light goes out, and when to call for service or repair, can help keep your home and family safe and comfortable throughout heating season.
Contact Rick’s Heating & Cooling for assistance, or around the clock emergency repair in the event you are unable to keep the flame lit or if you have any other questions or concerns with your heating or cooling system.
How Does A Pilot Light Work?
A number of components work together in older model furnaces, to maintain the flow of natural gas to the appliance as needed. When heat is called for and the furnace turns “on,” a valve releases gas to the main burner, and the pilot light ignites the gas. This small, blue, perpetually burning flame is created when a small amount of gas is channeled through a small tube in the gas pipe. In the event that the pilot light should blow out, the tube has a valve which, when shut off by the thermocouple, stops the flow of gas to prevent it from building up in side your home.
What Causes A Pilot Light To Go Out?
There are a number of reasons why your pilot light may blow out. Some you may be able to rectify yourself, while others require the services of a professional.
• Draft. A sudden or steady rush of air can easily blow out the standing pilot light. Once it is relit, check the surrounding area for the source of a draft to prevent it from reoccurring.
• Dirty pilot orifice. If, upon reigniting the pilot light, the flame burns a weak yellow instead of blue, the pilot orifice may be dirty. Call Rick’s Heating & Cooling for professional service.
What Should You Do If Your Pilot Light Goes Out?
The pilot light controls, assembly, and instructions for lighting, are typically located at the front of the unit for easy access. If you are unable to locate the manufacturers instructions, general instructions are as follows:
1. Locate the pilot light assembly, including the gas valve with “On,” “Off,” and “Pilot” settings, and pilot reset button
2. Rotate the valve to the “Off” position, and wait several minutes
3. Rotate the valve to the “Pilot” position, and hold a barbecue lighter or long match to the pilot opening while pushing the pilot reset button.
4. Keep the button pressed until the flame is lit and burning strongly, then release and turn the gas valve to the “On” position.
5. In the event the flame will not remain lit, rotate the gas valve to the “Off” position and call for service.
Emergency Furnace Repair In Morrow, OH
The skilled technicians at Rick’s Heating & Cooling can provide expert assistance with all your heating concerns, including issues with your pilot light. Give us a call today at 513-899-6005, or contact us online to request service.
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http://www.ricksheatingandcooling.com/blog/what-to-do-if-pilot-light-goes-out
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"model"
] |
Term 3 Week 10
posted 19 Jun 2016, 12:59 by Primary 2 Teacher [ updated 19 Jun 2016, 13:00 ]
Literacy - Information Texts
Children will continue to practise spelling patterns in their spelling teams.
This week we will be looking at both fiction and non-fiction books about tigers.
Recognising questions and answers.
Writing a conversation using questions and answers.
Using correct punctuation in a sentence, using question marks.
Read and understand factual sentences.
Write factual sentences.
Read understand and sort facts.
Create a non-fiction text.
Write questions and answers in a non-fiction text.
Maths - Measures and Shape
Children will
Practise the order of the months of the year
Say the month before/after a given month
Find times 1 hour/1/2 an hour later than a given time
Recognise 3D shapes
Describe direction and position of 3D shapes
IPC-Water World
We will continue with our Geography learning, children will
Learn how to follow and give directions
Be given the opportunity to express views on attractive and unattractive features of the environment
Communicate their geographical knowlege and understanding in a variety of ways.
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http://www.sakhalinschool.net/home/class-pages/primary-2/primary-2-news/term3week10
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[
"shape"
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How True Capitalism Kills Racism
Bigotry carries a cost.
For decades, agitators aligned with the Democratic Party have argued that the only way to right the "historic wrong" of slavery is to enforce affirmative action - that is, to give unearned preferences to blacks or other minorities simply because they are black or minority. The thought is that, because black people were oppressed for hundreds of years primarily because of their skin color, it's only right for them to enjoy the opposite treatment for a while.
As we've discussed before, this notion flies in the face of anything resembling ordinary justice or ethics. Yes, slavery was a terrible wrong, but the slaveowners are all dead and so are all the slaves. Today's black people never suffered under slavery or even Jim Crow save for a few elderly; today's white people overwhelmingly have never participated in official bigotry. Why should the innocent be punished for the betterment of the never-harmed?
Let us set aside the philosophical arguments against affirmative action, for there's an even better reason not to do it: It does not work. Decades of official discrimination have merely made matters worse, as a few nights' viewing of TV news amply demonstrates.
Does this make the cause of racial justice a hopeless one? Actually, no. There is a proven means of achieving equality of liberty, which was fought for by early civil rights leaders like Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, but has been forgotten by today's venal, race-baiting leeches.
What's more, it's been accidentally tried in powerfully racist environments far worse than anything we see today. This magic elixir was so effective at destroying discrimination that the racists had to legally ban it.
This magic wand? Free and open capitalism.
The Power of Cheap
Consider a fair-sized town in the Jim Crow South, one large enough to have several competing stores of major types. No doubt the main street would contain a store run by a bigot, offering goods "For Whites Only." He'd have a good business selling to other bigots.
In the South, however, at least a third of the population was black. By refusing to serve an entire race, this bigot shrank his potential market by a third.
Now consider another greedy, bigoted individual. In this case, his greed outweighs his bigotry: he doesn't like black people either, but he can't resist the color of their money. Unlike his competitor, his store is willing to serve blacks.
This lesser bigot may accept black customers, but he doesn't like them; he may treat them rudely. In a town of any size, though, there's bound to be another store run by someone who acts polite to customers of any color. Where will the black people shop? At the store that a) is willing to deal with them and b) that treats them like human beings - obviously.
The bottom line? There is a significant business advantage to a store owner who does not discriminate against customers and who treats everyone well. Over time, the non-racist businessman will do better than the racist one.
This advantage isn't just seen with customers. It's even more powerful with employees.
Like anything else, employment is subject to the laws of supply and demand. If there are more workers available, wages go down; fewer workers around, and they go up.
A business which refuses to hire blacks has cut itself off from a fair-sized pool of potential employees. The laws of economics dictate that the employees it does hire will, on average, be paid more than if the pool were not artificially restricted.
Again, over time, the non-bigoted business will have higher profit margins, lower prices, better employees, or some combination of the three than the bigoted one; naturally, more and more customers will gravitate to it as their greed overpowers their bigotry. Each bigot will suffer the penalty of his own folly, with no government intervention whatsoever.
This all sounds nice in theory, but does it work in practice? Yes, it does.
The Flawed Economics of Racism
If the South was as racist as generally portrayed, why were the Jim Crow laws necessary? After all, if all the white folks were racist, they wouldn't want to do business with blacks anyway. No legal requirements would be required.
No, the laws were put into place by powerful racists who were being undercut by thopse who acted non-bigoted just as described here. The only way to make bigotry pay is to make it the law of the land, enforced upon all equally whether they want it or not.
The apartheid South African government had the same problem. The racist authorities fought a constant running battle against companies and employers who wanted to save money by hiring blacks who were just as skilled as whites to fill jobs that were "reserved" for whites. This didn't apply merely to janitors or line management; as the Washington Post reported in an obituary a few years back:
Hamilton Naki, a former gardener who was so skilled in complicated surgery that he helped in the world's first human heart transplant -- but had to keep this secret in apartheid South Africa -- died May 29 at his home near Cape Town. He had heart- and asthma-related problems. He was in his seventies.
"He has skills I don't have," Dr. Christiaan Barnard, who performed the heart operation, told the Associated Press in 1993. "If Hamilton had had the opportunity to perform, he would have probably become a brilliant surgeon."
Barnard asked Mr. Naki to be part of the backup team in what became the world's first successful heart transplant, in December 1967. This was in violation of the country's laws on racial segregation, which, among other things, dictated that blacks should not be given medical training nor work in whites-only operating theaters nor have contact with white patients. [emphasis added]
The first heart transplant recipient, Louis Washkansky, received extra days of life thanks to Mr. Naki's illegal skill. What's more important societally, though, is that the hospital received decades of services from a brilliant surgeon for the price of a gardener - Mr. Naki's role had to be hidden from the authorities until the end of apartheid.
It was only because of the law that Mr. Naki was not able to practice medicine publicly, but he was able to perform surgery on a white person in what was supposedly the most racist society on Earth! Money trumped dogma; money trumped bigotry, in this case and in how many more lesser-known ones! - money trumped the law. It usually does. Funny about that.
Time's Up for Legal Racism
The evil laws of Jim Crow died decades ago, and far more evil slavery long before that. Today, we suffer under the less vicious but still damaging racism of affirmative action.
It's easy to understand why: it's in the interests of powerful racists like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to continue to con black Americans into believing that they're being kept down by "The Man." They are, but not by the white man; today's white men and women couldn't care less what color you are if you do the work well for a decent price, as witness the hordes of illegal Mexican immigrants doing all manner of things for low pay under the table.
No, America's blacks are being kept down by self-appointed black leaders who've managed to get put in place an insidious system that promotes the incompetent and devalues the competent. This is bad for competent blacks who don't get the respect they deserve; bad for incompetent blacks who perpetuate old stereotypes; bad for other races who see their rightful jobs go to less qualified members of preferred races; and bad for America because it makes us hate and fear each other.
The blunt hand of government is no solution to our racial problems; it only makes problems worse. Government can and must only be entirely color-blind in every way; in a free society, no governmental preference or discrimination based on race can be tolerated.
Then, let's trust to the invisible hand of the market to take care of racist bigotry. It works wherever it's tried, even where it's not welcome. The only trouble is, that wouldn't empower or enrich our greedy elites who can't stand competent competition.
Reader Comments
The men and women in government, those with a little power and are called "The Government" want the hate and fear to continue. Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Barry Soetoro, Louis Farakhan, and their like, need the hate and fear so that they can continue to collect "checks in the mail" money from the people who think the hate and fear comes from someone other than the likes of Reverend Wright.
Thank you,
Robert Walker
June 13, 2011 10:25 AM
This is good:
June 13, 2011 10:31 AM
I think this article makes a lot of sense. I agree with the general theme, and agree to a large extent.
However, I have lived in the south. Louisiana in the 1960, and then deep southern Georgia, Thomasville from 2003 until 2008. From personal experience I can tell you that the "Plantation mentality" still dominates there. Not only is the racism deep and still powerful, but the entire 'serf/class' social structure is still prevalent.
The natives to the area may be polite and all smiles on the surface, but they are a deeply traumatized people, still longing for antibellum heritage, still deeply racist against any but whites. They are in effect still fighting the Civil War.
One has to live there and become close with these people before it comes out. Perhaps in another ten generations this will fade away--but it certainly hasn't yet.
June 13, 2011 11:41 AM
Where these people such strong racists that they wouldn't buy from a black merchant who had the best goods? Or were there no black vendors around?
June 13, 2011 12:33 PM
There was only one "black merchant" in the town, a fried chicken lunch place at the end of town. It had a good business--proving Petrarch economic theory.
There were of course hard core Dixienuts that wouldn't be caught dead there. The racism was subtle from the outside...they would refer to blacks as "Democrats" {Lol}, but in more private conversations with people you knew well the N-word would flow like a Mark Twain novel.
June 13, 2011 1:10 PM
Saw this via Reddit and had to respond though I shouldn't waste my time on you racist <expletive deleted>.
Since it's obvious I have to teach Affirmative Action 101, here's the FACTS you need to know about it before applying your perception to it.
Because as with anything, if a debate is to happen, all parties need to at least have a basic understanding of it.
You believe that the whole point of affirmative action is to give jobs to people who do not have the credentials to get them otherwise.
Affirmative Action does not give jobs to unqualified people. It gives jobs to EQUALLY qualified minorities to offset the bias and discrimination inherent in hiring practices. Some facts:
Whites hold over ninety percent of all the management level jobs (these are the people who do the hiring) in this country (1)
Whites receive about 94% of government contract dollars (2)
Whites hold 90% of tenured faculty positions on college campuses (3)
White men with only a high school diploma are more likely to have a job than black and Latino men with college degrees (5) - just to translate this into idiot-speak, this means that lesser qualified white men are more likely to have a job than black and Latino men with college degrees.
How anyone could know this information and STILL RAIL AGAINST affirmative action is beyond me. It's either a profound ignorance of the actual data that illustrates why affirmative action is so important, or it is a blatantly racist belief that despite these facts, minorities aren't as deservince as whites.
Either way it nauseates me that so many white folks are so ignorant of the data, yet they constantly think their opinion on affirmative action actually makes sense. Most whites who have your opinion watched American History X, heard Ed Norton's fathers speech about affirmative action at the dinner table, and thinks it makes total sense! Well, it does if you don't know a <expletive deleted> thing about the data behind affirmative action.
Next time you want to have an opinion about something, try having an educated opinion and read a <expletive deleted> book first.
(4) Sylvia Hurtado and Christine Navia, "Reconciling College Access and the Affirmative Action Debate," in Affirmative Action’s Testament of Hope, ed. Mildred Garcia (Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 1997)
(6) Devah Pager, "The Mark of a Criminal Record," American Journal of Sociology 108, 5 (March 2003)
(8) "Young White Offenders get lighter treatment," The Tennesseean. April 26, 2000
June 13, 2011 1:30 PM
<expletive deleted>That is an interesting set of information, facts and opinion to get from you.
I find it curious to be called a racist as a poster on this site.
Isn't it rather a quick off hand 'pre-judgment'on your part?
You are part of a counter social engineering operation, it would therefore be educational on your part to understand social engineering on a larger frame. The heat of your post tells me that you don't have such a larger perspective.
Part of what you fail to comprehend is the way inwhich affirmative action has been put to work has been as a purposeful divide and conquer operation by the High Cabal, using the Hegelian dialectic.
This is a deep subject, one that you no doubt fail to grasp, as you have been so quick to throw out the term "racist" and to flame with your <expletive deleted><expletive deleted><expletive deleted>, showing an emotional attatchment and a lack of rhetorical skill.
You have valid points, ones that you have now wasted by this jejune attack on perhaps would be converts to some of your points.
June 13, 2011 1:57 PM
~Rod Serling's closing narration for, the Twilight Zone episode, "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street".
June 13, 2011 2:09 PM
"This magic wand? Free and open capitalism."~Petrarch
This is a huge and complex debate, the actual meaning of 'Capitalism'.
Technically "capitalism" is making money off of money. It has nothing to do with trading money for goods in place of barter.
The Capitalists are the bankers and the speculators, not the merchants.
The US is considered a 'Capitalist Society' because of its banking and trade in stocks and bonds on Wall Street. This is the engine that runs the 'capitalism' aspect of the economy. The use of fiat currency by the merchants does not make them 'capitalist', they remain merchants until they too join in on the casino that is 'Capitalism'.
'Capital' means 'money'--in this instance that is the fiat currency borrowed from the Federal Reserve--a private corporation.
Very few have any deep understanding of money in the US, as very few have any deep understanding of history, because this is a Public Relations Regime run by the High Cabal, and what is taught is simply a mythos to keep everyone ignorant and divided.
June 13, 2011 5:44 PM
So Sansdiety...from your post...I am not sure what to take away from it....are you advocating equal rights or extra rights? Because I am really confused.
Here are some mantras I want you to incorporate into your thought the next time you try to make a counter point, you do not come off as some true believer....(you can never have a discussion with a true believer)
(1) Correlation is not causation
(2) Absence of evidence, is not evidence of absence.
(3) You attract more flies with honey than vinegar, so make your points accordingly (calling people racists...
Perhaps there are more white people are applying for jobs...I mean there are more white it makes sense that there would be more OF THEM in the workplace.
Perhaps in white culture you are not considered a chump, sucker, oreo, a "sell out to the man" or an "uncle tom" for wanting to get a job.
I would be curious to your insight on the NBA and the hip-hop music industry then. I see the ranks of the whites, native americans, and asians grossly under represented in those fields.
June 13, 2011 7:14 PM
His/her moniker, "Sansdiety" would seem an attempt at sansdeity, which would say a lot about his view of theologhy as well...unless he/she is without a diet...which would be quite thin in itself.
All of the "<expletive deleted>" was 'clever' though, reminded me of the Nixon Tapes transcriptions.
A hit and run driver no doubt.
June 13, 2011 8:50 PM
All very interesting, although none of that proves racism from the information that you presented, granted I did not look into the details of the studies which may indeed prove racism, there are simply alternative explanations that could result in those statistics. All of that data however is in no way related to the argument presented in the article. At no point did the article attempt to argue that racism does not exist in the world. Therefore arguing that racism exists is arguing an agreed upon premise. That premise being that racism does exist.
Secondly I saw nothing in the article that can be described as racist. Racism is the belief that a person is less good, intelligent, ect due to ones race. The article in fact is the opposite of racist. It states that if given an even playing field blacks would show themselves too be equal in ability.
The point of the article which you seem to have missed is that only through equality of law can one achieve equality of society. Inequality of law, in either direction, causes resentment and, eventually, hatred. It goes on to argue that inequality of society between races can be broken down by simple greed. People that are actively racist will lose economically to those that are passively racist and those that aren't racist.
Once that happens racist people, both active and passive, will be around blacks that are earning their way in life on their own. They can no longer believe that the blacks are only there because of legal support. They will be forced to confront the fact that blacks are capable of earning their way equally well as whites. Thereby slowly decreasing racism until it is a thing of the past.
Under the current systems many blacks believe they are owed something and that whites are holding them down. This results in many blacks not believing that they can not succeed. Which causes many blacks to not try as hard, after all why play if you can't win.
Those blacks that do succeed are seen by many whites as having gained an unfair advantage. This causes many whites to see their opportunity as being stolen from them, not due to superior ability but rather due to legal favoritism.
Thereby perpetuating the belief of white superiority by many whites as they see data showing blacks failing, in their eyes, despite of unfair legal protection.
It may feel good to 'do something' about inequality but as with so many well intended actions it frequently only makes things worse.
June 13, 2011 9:21 PM
Thomas Sowell, a black columnist, wrote:
June 13, 2011 9:55 PM
jonyfries, very good comment.
It seems it can be summed up with that old saw.
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."
I would add that the road signs on that road are often purposely manipulated by those who fawn good intentions, misdirecting those who do have good intentions. These people are often called 'politicians', and most politicians are lawyers, and most of these lawyers have connections with bankers, and that it is the bankers banker that has been seen as the hand that holds the strings to this whole system.
June 14, 2011 12:24 AM
"Third World countries are poorer today than they were when they were ruled by Western countries, generations ago."~Fred
Pray tell, what thrid world nation today is not still under the grip of Neo-Colonialism? In fact what nation of any sort is not ruled by BIS, IMF, and the global financial oligarchy?
The ballance of an indigenous culture, once fragmented and spun out of control by Malthusian attack can never right itself again, while the present paradigm is maintained.
June 14, 2011 11:14 PM
So Willie, you think that global poverty in places like Africa which were once colonized is the fault of the Westyern powers who did the colonizing? That if they'd been left alone, they'd be rich today?
June 14, 2011 11:53 PM
"That if they'd been left alone, they'd be rich today?"
"Rich"? By what standard? Western materialist standards?
A rich and fulfilling life of ballance and sanity, is not what I see in the empire the west has created.
I would note that this pathological system is about to explode in your face. Good luck when the proverial fit hits the shan.
June 15, 2011 12:15 AM
Despite the joy that people take in thinking about 'what might have been's, there is no way to know what Africa would be like today with European colonization. All that we can be certain of is that Africa is different than it otherwise would have been.
It does not matter if Africa would have been better or not. History followed a different course, instead of finding long dead persons to blame worry about the future and how we move from the present to a more equal and prosperous future.
June 15, 2011 10:17 AM
jonyfries, Africa is not in anyway free of western colonialism yet even today. All the worlds nations today are still under the grip of Noe-Colonialism.All ruled by BIS, IMF, and the global financial oligarchy.
This is the NOW point you urge us to look at. History isn't dead, it is sitting heavily on everyone of our shoulders.
June 15, 2011 12:30 PM
A point on REAL HISTORY, and the architecture of modern political power, compared to the lollipop history in textbooks and entertainment:
A Study in the Hegemony of Parasitism
By Eustace Mullins 1984
[small portion]
It explains the secret writing of the Federal Reserve Act by Paul Warburg of Kuhn, Loeb & Co., and the even more secret deals which caused it to be enacted into law by Congress. It explains how the United States could fight World War I with Paul Warburg in charge of its banking system through the vice chairmanship of the Federal Reserve Board; Bernard Baruch as dictator of American industry as Chairman of the War Industries Board; and Eugene Meyer financing the war through his position as chairman of the War Finance Corporation (printing government bonds in duplicate); Kuhn, Loeb partner Sir William Wiseman with Col. House correlated British and American intelligence operations; Kuhn, Loeb partner Lewis L. Strauss was acting head of the U.S. Food Administration under Herbert Hoover. Meanwhile, Paul’s brother, Max Warburg, headed the German espionage system; another brother was German commercial attache in Stockholm, traditional listening post for warring nations, and Jacob Schiff had two brothers in Germany who were financing the German war effort. It was a classic case of a “managed conflict”, with the Rothschilds manipulating both sides from behind the scenes. At the Versailles Peace Conference, Bernard Baruch was head of the Reparations Commission; Max Warburg, on behalf of Germany, accepted the reparations terms, while Paul Warburg, Thomas Lamont and other Wall Street bankers advised Wilson and the Dulles brothers on how “American” interests should be handled at this all-important diplomatic conference.
June 15, 2011 8:24 PM
Well, as a South African, I feel obliged to stick an oar in here. I'm afraid to say that this article totally misunderstands how South Africa operated, and misunderstands racism generally. Racism isn't just a "bad thought"; it's a tool, a mechanism for justifying exploitation. Pretty much all whites in South Africa ate food prepared by black people, lived in houses built by black people, used products made by black people, shopped in stores staffed by black, and had black maids and servants in their homes. With the exception of a tiny minority of radical Afrikaaners who wanted an all-white society, total separation was not the goal, economic exploitation was. Getting a heart surgeon for the price of a gardner wasn't a failure of apartheid, that was the whole point. And the reason he was barred from being actually employed as heart surgeon was precisely so that he would stay cheap.
Basically this argument is complete bollocks, but as it is accompanied by the description of the likes of Sharpton as "powerful racists", I don't think the author of this "article" is really much interested in reality. It makes a bogus argument and draws a bogus conlusion right out of the stock material used by apologists for racism.
Petrarch, whoever you are, you would have been right at home in apartheid South Africa. Everyone one of the arguments you've deployed about how blacks are being kep down by black leaders was used by the old National Party state. Capitalism is not the enemy of racism, it is it's ally and partner. South Africa was an extremely capitalist state; it had no public health and very limited social services, for example. And apartheid was just a method for suppressing labour costs. South Africa was just a compressed version of the same exploitative relationship that exists between thre West and the Third World today.
June 16, 2011 4:50 PM
Well now, this is interesting indeed. But we need to understand where you're coming from in order to evaluate your argument, and I'm frankly a bit suspicious. For one thing, are you arguing that Sharpton is not powerful? Or that he's not a racist? He's not powerful compared to (say) Obama himself, but he's pretty darn influential compared to you or me. At the very least, he gets an audience whenever he pleases.
And you've totally ignored Petrarch's primary argument: OF COURSE apartheid was racist, it was the LAW, put in place by racists for the purpose of exploiting blacks. Just like Jim Crow. Yes, the heart surgeon was exploited - but that was possible ONLY because he was legally repressed. If the racist laws weren't there, his skills would have been bid over and his compensation would have wound up where it properly belonged, along with anyone else's willing to work and improve themselves.
In both apartheid South Africa and the Jim Crow South, it wasn't illegal for blacks to work - they were expected to. It was simply illegal, explicitly or implictly, for them to hold any jobs above the most menial.
Nothing capitalistic about that. In fact, it's the epitome of socialist exploitation, forcing people to work for the benefit of others without proper negotiated compensation.
June 16, 2011 5:08 PM
Sharpton is not a racist. That claim is simply absurd polemic.
I have not ignored Petrarch's argument in any respect. It is absolutely true that if Mr Naki had been an equal citizen of the state he would have been economically better off. But you're missing the point: that fact that he WAS discriminated against was not only perfectly viable within the capitalist system, but that system actively benefitted from it. In exactly the same way that it benefits from poverty wages in the Third World today to produce cheap products for Western consumers.
Furthermore, Petrarchs argument goes further, asserting that capitalism is inhenrently antagonistic to the sort of repression exhibited by apartheid. But this is not true, because although it did mean that white workers were paid much more, that didn't really matter because there were so many black workers. Overall, capitalism thrived because apartheid reduced labour costs; all that money paid as high wages to white workers was simply cycled back to the companies in return for the products manufactured on the cheap by black labour. The companies made fat profits; the white workers lived relatively high lifestyles; the only people who suffered were the blacks, and seeing as they couldn't vote that didn't matter. It was a win-win system for capitalism.
There was no demand by capitalist activists or agitators to dispose of apartheid, that was totally driven by the socialist Left. Contrary to your final claim, it is not socialism that is an exploitative system, but capitalism. Socialists regard everyone has having due right to the product of their labour, while capitalism transfers ownership of that product to the provider of capital. Advocates of capitalism were the heart and soul of the apartheid system. Don't forget that South Africa was originally Dutch colony, and that the Dutch were amongst the earliest and most zealous exponents of capitalism. South African state was absolutely committed to capitalism in theory and practice, and at no point did this ever translate into a hostility to apartheid. Indeed it regarded itself, more or less correctly, as one of the hot zones in the Cold War between capitalism and communism. Petrarch's argument is just plain wrong.
I am a Marxist, and proudly so, and it was seeing capitalism exposed for what it really was in Soth Africa that made me so. Capitalism is nothing more than systematic exploitation, and apartheid was merely one of the its tools.
June 16, 2011 5:39 PM
@SharpFish said:
"Sharpton is not a racist. That claim is simply absurd polemic"
Surely you jest.
Here's an overview on Sharpton's (recent) racism:
That should get you started.
June 16, 2011 5:43 PM
And 'round and 'round goes the Left/Right carousel...ridiculous fairytale BS--both Marxism and Capitalism.
One who gets to the bottom of the history of this realizes that "Capitalism" created "Marxism" as the 'Controlled Opposition'.
SharpFish should look into Milner and Rhodes, and the "conservatives" here should equally--as well as to the machinations of the Rothschild interlink with the Rockefellers in the Anglo-fication of the Eastern Establishment in the US.
While you people throw stones at one another the High Cabal is sewing up the loose ends of their global gulag, where it matters not what color you are--you all end up slaves.
June 16, 2011 6:21 PM
Michelle Malkin is a raging lunatic, and while you can take exception to some of what Sharpton says, to describe it as "racist" is to abuse the term. And indeed it is a matter of substantial irony that you should call on anything by Malkin as if she had any kind of credible position on racism, given her support for apartheid in Israel.
I know I'm not going to make any headway here because I know that this is really just a case of blaming the victim, and those of you who are committed to it aren't going to be persuaded by anything I say. But I will point out that exactly the same charges were levelled at Nelson Mandela, for example, and so as far as I'm concerned this is just a standard set of apologia for bigotry. And I'm not at all surprised that this article has attracted such apologists, as that's basically what it was for.
But I don't have to stand by and let the reality of South Africa be exploited for that purpose. You do not have the right to hijack our history and distort it to fit some odious right wing agenda.
June 16, 2011 6:30 PM
Netanyahu's Rabbi charged with raping 12-year-old girl
Now if this does not reflect on Nutenyahoo's character—How do you atone for the charges against the Kenyan for his association with Reverend Wright?
June 16, 2011 6:35 PM
It is ludicrous, and would be laughable if the issues weren't at a critical point, that neither the Left nor the Right has a reasonable responce to the questions and assertions outside of their mainstream boxes.
Both the "Right" lunatics here, and the "Left" passerbys that happen onto the sight have the same reaction...their eyes roll back in their sockets and their brains flatline.
Of course this will mean that the real crisis, that of the global elite agenda will hit both of these 'sides' as an utter surprise, even though it is happening in plain sight.
What? Do you actually believe the economy is crashing by mistake? By incompetence?
The cynical "we won't do it again," is a bit of a stretch. Don't you think?
Don't you think? That seems to need repeating here...
June 16, 2011 7:16 PM
"I am a Marxist, and proudly so"
No point in arguing with someone who is "proudly" Marxist. They are either too incompetent to understand the argument or too evil to care. He said he was Marxist. Debate over, he lost.
June 16, 2011 7:39 PM
Ben, that is a simpleton's non-argument.
Now you both "lost".
June 16, 2011 7:45 PM
You're right of course. Anyone that is proudly Marxist and believes that Capitalism is the *cause* of racism is hopeless. But it's fun to yank their chain and watch them fumble around.
June 16, 2011 7:47 PM
Being proudly Marxist is like being proudly flat-earther. And yes, those idiots still exist too:
If you're proud of something that is a universal failure, only life itself can convince you otherwise. So we'll wait and let life change DullFish's mind.
June 16, 2011 7:50 PM
You "conservatives" here are the Synthesis.
Synthetic, plastic, immitation, not real.
Such is life within a false paradigm.
June 16, 2011 8:26 PM
And yet you stay, Willy, and continue to convince us of our ignorance and "false paradigms" over and over again.
So what does that make you? Lonely, I guess.
Give it up. The intelligence of this community is far higher than the normal dregs that you're used to brainwashing. Move along. Sites like InfoWars exist for people just like you.
June 16, 2011 8:29 PM
Fishy, you clearly don't understand either Marxism or capitalism. "Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under Marxism, the opposite is true."
What's more, capitalism and Marxism/socialism are not a black/white dichotomy, they are a continuum. There was nothing whatsoever free-market-capitalistic about either apartheid or Jim Crow, because they were legal interference in the free market: they prevented certain individuals (black people) from freely offering whatever goods or services they wished to provide, and prevented their customers from freely purchasing them. Nothing free about that market - an unfree market was the whole POINT.
Obviously there were free market aspects to the old South Africa, such as between white people. There are also free market aspects of Communist China, pretty significant ones, just as there are increasingly Marxist aspects of the increasingly controlled and regulated American economy. Neither are purely free market or purely Marxist; they are passing each other in opposite directions.
But to the extent that apartheid and Jim Crow interfered in the ability of free individuals of whatever race to participate in whatever economic transactions they freely chose to do, they were ANTI-free-market.
June 16, 2011 8:31 PM
"The intelligence of this community is far higher than the normal dregs that you're used to brainwashing."~twibi
"Intelligence" is what you call it aye twibi?
No, hardly "lonely," I have a blog, we share in our ideas like those of you here. But I find "preaching to the choir," is not enough.
You would be a fish out of water on any other site without your backup squad. And the only "argument" I ever get is the same zip/nothing you just laid on me. Why, because you have no valid counter. So you want me to leave you alone.
The obvious ignorance of the architecture of modern political power is obvious here. That is the reason you can only counter "the Left." You have no overview of both the left and the right.
Naivete is not innocence. And going along to get along is fine...
..until you get where they are taking you.
That destination lies straight ahead. I guarantee you aren't going to like it.
You can puff yourselves up with your false bravado until then.
You won't have the luxury of saying you were not warned.
June 16, 2011 8:47 PM
When every question put on the table comes down to a Left/Right dogfight, or a Demoskunk/Repukelikan tango, it is obvious that the divide and conquer scheme of the oligarchs ruling this nation is working like a charm.
It's like reading the rantings of Pavlovian dogs.
The Petro-Dollar is dying a slow death. With its disappearance will come the Third World to the United States.~Jim Willie
David Rockefeller, Memoirs, page 405
June 16, 2011 11:09 PM
Although many fail to realize it, all is not well in Wonderland.
Most are still lulled by TV and mindless entertainment, whizzbang gadgetry, and delusional mantras of “recovery”...
Meanwhile on the croquette lawn, shock and awe austerity rises in the purple face of the enraged Red Queen.
When this austerity finally bursts the over inflated bubble of some 1 and a half Quadrillion dollars, will you keep your head?
June 16, 2011 11:48 PM
Ben wrote:
"Being proudly Marxist is like being proudly flat-earther."
Hahahaha. You guys are so living in the past, and the really funny part is that you are so oblivious to the fact.
Patience wrote:
Patience, I understand them both extremely well. Where you make your mistake is here:
CAPITALISM ITSELF is anti-free market. Because it systematically appropriates the product of labour from those who produce. Capitalism is not an expression of human freedom, it is a system of exploitative class rule.
The fact that apartheid and Jim Crow could work so well with capitalism absolutely confirm this. There is absolutely nothing in capitalism which contributes to human liberty or autonomy. Capitalist ideology just uses "free market" as a slogan for the untramelled right of capitalists to exploit labour. Both apartheid and Jim Crow assisted in that exploitation and were therefore perfectly in line with capitalism.
If you want a real free market, a society of free people, freely trading, and freely entering into voluntary transactions, the first thing you need to do is kill capitalism. What you in fact need is a communist mode of production.
June 17, 2011 6:08 AM
"CAPITALISM ITSELF is anti-free market"
Ha! Patience, are you *really* going to keep arguing with this clown?
"CAPITALISM ITSELF is anti-free market"
I had to read that again just to get another good laugh out of it.
June 17, 2011 7:58 AM
"CAPITALISM ITSELF is anti-free market. If you want a real free market... What you in fact need is a communist mode of production."
Hmm. OK, I declare myself a Marxist - and therefore, in favor of a capitalist economy.
In other news, black is white, up is down, and left is right. Oh, wait a minute - Willie already believes that last one.
Welcome to Bizarro World!
June 17, 2011 8:23 AM
You lack of comprehension is truly astounding Patience. Your argumentation is sixth grade playground level.
While I have an argument against socialism, I also understand that "Capitalism" is NOT 'free market', the Capitalism of that las hundred years has been monopolism, and centrally controlled--like your brainwashed mind.
What utter chumps.
June 17, 2011 9:06 AM
The interesting thing about capitalism is that it actually achieved what Marxism set out to do: allow the laborers to share in the fruits of production.
For example, the wealth of Walmart is owned by millions of middle-class shareholders as part of their 401k or retirement funds. This includes both the people that "give" their money to Walmart, by buying its products, and those that work there. Additionally, the low costs that Walmart's capitalism created is realized by its laborers and customers.
Here's a great article explaining why capitalism, and free enterprise in general, has beaten Marxism at its own game:
June 17, 2011 9:14 AM
Is this REALLY where you meant to send us with that URL Sam?
May 2007
Socialism, Free Enterprise, and the Common Good
Rev. Robert A. Sirico
President, Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
At any rate, using Walmart as an example for anything positive is the biggest load of tripe I have ever read.
What a collection of nimrods...
June 17, 2011 9:57 AM
Hi Willy,
Yes. Now do yourself a favor and _read it_.
June 17, 2011 10:19 AM
Hi Sam, I did.
June 17, 2011 12:22 PM
Lol. But at least, Sam, I give you credit for acknowledging what "Marxism set out to do". That's a much greater degree of insight than that exhibited by anyone else here.
Of course, I would still say it's ridiculous to argue that capitalism has "beaten" Marxism at anything - indeed, given the recent crisis, Marx' critique of capitalism has been reaffirmed for the umpteenth time. But what really sticks out from this claim is that apparently workers are only to be allowed a SHARE in the fruits of production.
Why should that be, when all of production rests on their labour? It's not enough to have a share; we want it all. We made it all, why shouldn't we have it? Why should a parasitical, noncontributive capitalist class have any claim?
I have read the article you linked; to provide a proper counter-argument probably wouldn't be worthwhile. But while this article is much better informed than most, it is still completely mistaken. For example, the depiction of Bernstein, while not faulty is as such, is incomplete, and it fails to acknowledge the critiques to which his position were subject. Bernstein's argument was destroyed by Rosa Luxembourg, and Sirico is therefore not entitled to use it as a sort of uncompleted realisation of the invalidity of the socialist position.
I commend you though on finding something as detailed and serious as this, rather than depending on the shrill mouthpieces and stereotypes that so many rely on for the substance of their argument, and which we see above. But my challenge to you now is to go out and read Marxist material yourself, and to draw your conclusions rather than relying on the analyses of others.
June 17, 2011 12:43 PM
"what "Marxism set out to do".~SharpFish
What Marxism set out to do is a much deeper subject than simply analyzing the works of Marx. Marx after all is not all that original in his work Das Capital. What is more beneficial in understanding "Marxism" is the understanding of who was in the background promoting him, and what their motives were, and are.
When such an analysis is made, we find lurking in the background a combine of secret societies interlocking in a most complex matrix, and ultimately leading to the Perfectibles, who infiltrated the European Masonic lodges of the 18th century.
At any rate, after years of research by many from that era forward, it can be said with a great degree of certainty that it is high financial capital, in particular the House of Rothschild which is the hand pulling the strings and funding these movements.
In the final analysis, what "Marxism" set out to do was to generate a 'controlled opposition" to this high international finance. One that could be manipulated into unwittingly serving the interests of high finance and coopting any real resistance that was to come along.
For some clues into this look into the Left and Right schools of Hegelianism, a split manufactured by Hegel's own teachings and his star students.
June 17, 2011 1:22 PM
Hi again to Sam,
I am quite familiar with Hillsdale College.
Whether you are aware of it or not Hillsdale is part of Neocon think tank activities. One with the purpose of demonizing Islam for the benefit of the fraudulant "war on terror".
It's luminaries are in the main the usual suspects behind PNAC and the Rand corporation, the Crystal's and thier Daily Standard, etc.
These people come from a Marxist background themselves--all deciples of Trotsky and his 3rd Internationale. Almost all of this leads back to Leo Strause. They are all 'Statists'--Hegelians, who believe that the "state in the footsteps of 'God' on earth."
This means that any "Christians" involved with this cult have been duped.
Not that I expect anyone to follow leads and take anything seriously here, as all on this site seem to have swallowed the MSM kool-aid.
But the history is in the open record for any with some slight bit of curiosity left in their head.
June 17, 2011 1:35 PM
Normalcy Bias
Normalcy Bias; this is the psychological pathos of the conformists, the bean-counters, and those who go along to get along. It is indicated by extreme naivete and a dearth of imagination. Such personalities crave empty entertainment, convenience, and unfettered certainty.
The words, “tinfoil conspiracy nut” are set like a trigger, to be repeated like a Chatty Cathy doll at the slightest hint of suspicion of the system they float around in like party balloons at a kids birthday at Chuckie-Cheese.
Lack of imagination creates a type of memory loss, the inability to imagine what it was like before one became adjusted to the present. This creates a type of mental compartmentalization.
In-congruent information is isolated from itself to prevent cognitive dissonance. The information is still there subconsciously however, which results in neurosis. And it is that neurosis which is acted out as denial.
“Lack of curiosity in otherwise intelligent people is caused by fear. This fear is of finding out something that on might not want to know and face. It is an attendant effect of long term normalcy bias, in the case of the US it is caused by the strategy of tension generated by social engineering.~ww
“The normalcy bias is also known as the ostrich effect. It is also sometimes known as the incredulity response and analysis paralysis.
In situations of extreme danger, some people enter a mental state that is known as the normalcy bias. In this state, people deny that what is happening to them is really taking place.”
June 17, 2011 2:21 PM
To the ones that espouse communist ideals, I only have one thing to say:
F U!
I grew up in a communist country, and it was complete state control. Fear of the state was the way of life. Communism is great, it means some "chosen" ones at the top control the state-owned industries and the workers truly are slaves, because the state and the bureaucrats reap all the benefits. And let's not forget the brainwashing, since you have to be constantly reminded your hard work is for the "good" of the country, while you live off food rations. Meanwhile, the politicians are running around in luxury cars and living in mansions, while you get thrown in jail for daring to ask for more food.
Seriously, do you actually mean this?
Maybe because if they don't make any money off our work, they don't need to employ us. Why would anyone give me a job if not for them to make more money as well? I am sure you think that the state should own the industry, but like I already pointed out, it just means someone else would get rich off my labor.
Communism fails on so many aspects, that if you look at history all it has created is poverty and authoritarian states. And really wealthy state-sponsored oligarchs.
June 17, 2011 4:18 PM
If it is the private sector which is employing as well as being employed, what is the need of a financial class 'providing'the "money" as debt. Creating just the amount of fiat script to cover that "money" itself--but not the amount to cover the INTREST on that debt?
I think if you had a better grasp on how the ponzi scheme of fractional banking works that you would have an entirely different opinion of "Capitalism."
Rather than think in the duality manner of the dialectic of Capitalism/Comminism, why not think back to the concept that "money" is just a conveinience to barter--actual free-trade, not the Newspeak version propagated by the financial elite.
June 17, 2011 4:39 PM
My last comment is directed at Alin_S, and the first quote is from his post.
June 17, 2011 4:41 PM
Again addressing Alin_S,
What needs to be parsed is the distinction between the entrepreneur and a capitalist. Between 'finance' and 'trade'.
By 'trade' I do not refer to the casino of Wall Street. I am talking about actual trade between owners and buyers of goods and services.
June 17, 2011 4:50 PM
Willy, I know you constantly have to mention the financial conspiracy and a international nefarious cabal, but my post had nothing to do with finance. Capitalism has nothing to do with banks, but banks are necessary to provide capital to those who need it. Now imagine a world where I save money or raise capital through other means, and then I open a business. No debt for me, and no Rockefellers making money off me.
Here is an easy definition: An economic system that is based on PRIVATE OWNERSHIP of the means of production and distribution. Prices for goods and services are determined by the free market, and businesses are operated for the economic gain of the OWNERS. (I would like to think that I can be an owner one day, and I guess perhaps I am biased by such an ideal and you might even say a bit foolish for believing such things).
I have never disagreed with you on the federal reserve, which encourages fractional lending and has hijacked our money plus our government. I think your point was also trying to hint at the creation of money, but again, my point had nothing to do with that.
My point is simply this: communism sucks! And I will never ever live under communist oppression. You can take those as fighting words if you prefer...
June 17, 2011 5:01 PM
Alin_S, you say:
Read your first sentence here. It defeats itself in a circle. In effect it is self cancelling.
And the second is true, you have to “imagine” such a world because the “capital” you speak of is fiat debt based “money”. There is NO OTHER form of capital available in 'This World'...only the one you wish for the reader to imagine.
I can indeed 'imagine' such a world. But know that one will not exist until one faces the realities of this on we exist in now and change it.
By making the circular arguments you have above you are simply denying the real world, and playing make-believe, ie, “imagining.”
June 17, 2011 7:06 PM
But Alin, as you should realize the “prices for goods and services “are NOT determined by the free market. They are determined by a central controlled market—the Stock Market, which has manifold instruments of manipulation to play the prices. The 'derivatives' scheme, 'hedge funds', the casino techniques of betting on prices without even buying stocks: Spread betting on stocks and shares allows you to go long or short on a stock without owning.
And these are only a few of the tools the elites have implemented to control the market.
Again, it gets down to who the “OWNERS” are. The Owners are, again; the private banking cartel that you keep dismissing—they own the ability to write an amount on a ledger sheet and pronounce it “money”.
June 17, 2011 7:22 PM
Willy, I know it's hard to admit you are wrong, but you continue to go in a a circle and refuse to see the forest for the trees. Read the definition of capitalism that I provided. Based on this definition, this is how I CHOOSE to see it. Capitalism to me means private ownership (not state-owned), prices determined by free market (not monopolies), and benefits the owners (not the state or bureaucrats). Therefore, capitalism does not need banks. Additionally, the structure of the finance system is a whole different topic. However, since I have to say this again, banks are needed to provide money to those WHO NEED IT. Now, if you want to get into the nuances of my statements, go ahead and over-analyze.
I don't have to imagine a world where I don't need to take on debt. Here is another scenario for you: I inherit a bunch of money and put that into a business, I become a business owner and by default I would be called a capitalist. Now I would be an evil business owner who would hire other people so I could make more money, or I don't hire any and they can all go unemployed.
I think you and I both agree that we need to push the govt off our backs, but the grim realities of the world you live in have got you down. I simply choose to believe that capitalism works and corporations are not evil, but it's when they collude with govt that our lives are impacted typically for the worse. But I will not paint capitalism or all corporations with such a broad brush.
I agree with you, I am aware of how our money is nothing more than govt debt which we have to pay back to this private bank called the FED. I think you assume that the readers of this blog are dunces, and have been living under a rock. We are all well aware of the illegitimacy of the FED, the unconstitutionality of the income tax, the military industrial complex, etc. I really wish you wouldn't think that you are the only one who has seen the light.
June 17, 2011 7:43 PM
Willy, this is becoming a debate less about capitalism and more about manipulation. Commodities and currency trading can absolutely affect our everyday lives, I don't think a wise person would really try to disagree with that. I don't think I ever said that I "dismiss" the banking cartel, I only said that you bring it up in every post even though we are simply discussing capitalism and the positive effects it has on our society. Just like anything else, in the wrong hands it can be abused and misused. I would like for you to admit that capitalism works, and then you can get into how certain factions are trying to gain power and wealth underhandedly. It seems that you are dismissing capitalism as this evil system simply because some people have decided to hijack it for their own benefit. For me, capitalism means that I can go open up an ice cream shop in my neighborhood, and I have the freedom to do so. For you, it means that some wealthy bankers are getting richer. I would like to see your solution to this problem, my solution is simply to get it while the getting is good.
(That's a joke Willy)
June 17, 2011 8:09 PM
But that is my whole point in the first place. What you have been taught the definition of capitalism is not what is put in place and called capitalism.
The ideal system you have in your head that you call capitalism, is a worthy concept and a reasonable way to do business, regardless of what you name it.
What I am saying is that what has been CALLED capitalism from the inception on the use of the word has always been the manipulatory aspect we have discussed, with the Rhetorical cover story being the system that makes the best sense. All cons are sold that way, in economic law this is called a "Fraudulent Conveyance Racket".
The historical record proves that the entire Federal Reserve System can by shown to be a Fraudulent Conveyance racket. The Federal Reserve System is obviously a centrally planned economy. This is NOT a “free market,” as their Newspeak rhetoric claims.
Playing it for what it is worth is all any of us can do as far as personal survival tactics. However I think that trying to educated people as to the scam being played on them is worthwhile.
That is my whole reason for posting. There are a lot of misconceptions being propagated, and that needs countering.~ww
June 17, 2011 8:56 PM
More simply put: The dictionary definition of "Capitalism" that the "Capitalists" have used is a commercial advertizement. That is how they explain their operation.
But this is False Advertizement. Again history shows it to be a con racket.
That is the reason, I dispute the advertized definition. Because it is their Sales Pitch but not what you are sold.
June 17, 2011 9:04 PM
Now, as far as Communism; the very same historical record I refer to proves that it is a created "controled opposition"...
In other words Alvin, the very same financial power that runs this nation, runs the socialist opposition.
The real enemy then is the International Banking Cartel:
Capitalism/Communism/Total State = Totalitarian State
June 17, 2011 9:09 PM
The Final and Urgent Point:
To move further into the present situation is to observe that there can be no reasonable argument against that the US is a totalitarian police state. It is no secret but for putting it so bluntly. This is a Panoptic Maximum Security State based on the openly announced strategy of FULL SPECTRUM DOMINANCE. That term, 'full spectrum dominance” is as in your face as is possible. What does full spectrum mean? It means it is total , total dominance. How much clearer does this have to be made out. This is not my language this is the state's language. You have received your invitation to the ball. You have been absorbed under its umbrella. Since 9/11 and the PATRIOT Act, the superstructure of this panoptic police state has been constructed over the head of the population.
If one chose to pay attention the reality is out there everyday testifying to this.
It is only turning away into denial that can make one blind to the so very obvious.
All it will take to kick this machine on to full draconian force will be the shock of drastic austerity measures imposed. This will be an 'event', and it will ripple around the globe quickly.
Many well researched analysts are saying this is not long in coming. How long? Not long, for "ye reap what ye sow."
June 17, 2011 9:38 PM
And a final comment to Sharpfish:
Marx and Bakunin are both wrong, and their arguments between themselves irrelevant but as a historical footnote.
Marx is wrong. The only thing that has ever changed about human beings is their technologies, and unless technology is allowed to “win” over the human being, and create the cyborg which eliminates the natural humans—mankind will always be the human being he is.
All consensus is synthetic and temporary.~ww
June 20, 2011 11:12 AM
Alin S,
You're confusing communism with state capitalism. Obviously, if that's where you grew up, you'll have been denied this critique, even though it goes as far back as the earliest days of those state capitalist societies. Politicians in luxury cars and ordinary workers in jail for asking for food, that's capitalism in essence. Can you think of any capitalist society that hasn't produced precisely this outcome?
You say yourself, its a society organised by and for the interest of OWNERS, and that you aspire, one day, to being an owner yourself. Isn't that a confession that any capitalist society is the antithesis of democracy, that it is rule by the rich and for the rich? You admit that the only out you can see is to one day join their number. And in the meanwhile, like the vast majority of us, you can only be servant and a slave.
You ask, why should they employ us? Fatuously you assert "they don't make money of us". Of course they do, why else would they employ us, according to your own logic? Only becuase they benefit. Running through your account of capitalism is a truth you won't acknowledge: that we are only allowed to support ourselves when it is in the interests of capitalists. We are no more free than any feudal serf subordinate to their local warlord, paying tithe and rent to someone who, fundamentally, does not work to support themselves.
All value arises from human labour. As Adam Smith said, it is the original commodity from which all others are got. Capitalism cannot exist without workers; it exists for no other purpose than to seize the product of workers labour and channel it into private profit. Just like your state capitalisms, the few benefit from the labour of the many.
Willy Whitten, I don't really want to respond to you, your brand of conpiratorial theory is essentially nonsense, and ironically, precisely what you denounce us for, a "false opposition". So long as you continue to believe in these shadowy conpiratorial groups you'll never do anything to actually change the real, material, world. But your last point I must address, your argument about technology. No political philosophy is as science- and tech-friendly as Marxism. It appears, after all, as an attempt to form a scientific theory about how societies change and develop. It is a specific scientific antidote to the pre-industrial, superstitious cult of capitalist theology.
There is so much historical evidence against your wilder claims I won't bother going into it. Nobody who takes the topic seriously will be convinced by your garbage.
June 20, 2011 7:54 PM
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http://www.scragged.com/articles/how-true-capitalism-kills-racism
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Enterprise Software
SolutionBase: Using the Dsquery command in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft includes some handy GUI tools with Windows Server 2003 to help you manage Active Directory. Sometimes, however, command-line tools such as Dsquery can give you more flexibility and control. Here's a detailed look at the Dsquery command.
In the article "Getting started with Windows Server 2003's directory service command-line tools," I introduced you to the six basic directory service command-line tools and provided an expanded list showing you the particular objects that each tool is designed to work with. I also got you started with a basic understanding of distinguished names and the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) attribute tags.
The directory service command-line tools rely on these names to locate and work with objects in Active Directory. As I closed out that article, I briefly showed you how to use the Dsquery command to look at the distinguished names assigned to the objects in your Active Directory structure.
In this article, I'll pick up with the Dsquery command and examine its features. I'll then show you some cool search techniques you can perform with the Dsquery command to quickly and easily reveal information that would be a bit tricky to get out of GUI interface tools.
The commands
While the Dsquery command is one of the six main directory service command-line tools, it actually consists of 11 separate commands, as shown in Table A. Ten of these commands are designed to find objects of a specific type, and one is designed to find any object type in Active Directory.
Table A
Command Description
Dsquery * Finds any object
Dsquery computer Finds computer accounts
Dsquery contact Finds contacts
Dsquery group Finds group accounts
Dsquery ou Finds organizational units
Dsquery partition Finds Active Directory partitions
Dsquery quota Finds object quotas
Dsquery server Finds domain controllers
Dsquery site Finds Active Directory sites
Dsquery subnet Finds subnet objects
Dsquery user Finds user accounts
The Dsquery commands
Of course, each of these commands comes with a set of object-specific parameters that allow you to define the search criteria for each object. However, the majority of the parameters are common to most of the Dsquery commands.
The common parameters
Let's examine the common parameters and see how they work. Once you understand their function, you'll be able to look at the overly complex syntax layouts for each command and more easily pick out the object-specific parameters.
Targeting your search
The first set of common search parameters allows you to specify where you want your search operation to begin:
[{StartNode | forestroot | domainroot}]
To more narrowly focus your search, you can use a node's distinguished name (StartNode). To broaden your search, use the forestroot parameter, in which case the search is done using the global catalog. The default value is domainroot; while it's implied, if you don't type anything else, you can enter it on the command line if you really like to type out long command strings.
The second set of parameters in this category allows you to specify the scope of your search:
[-scope {subtree | onelevel | base}]
If you use the ï¿?scope base parameter, you target the search on a single object specified by command and the start node. In other words, you prevent the search from progressing down to child objects. Now, if you use the ï¿?scope onelevel parameter, you target the search on the object specified by command, the start node, and the object's immediate children. The ï¿?scope subtree parameter is the default, and it allows the search to freely progress down the tree from the start node.
As I mentioned, you can use the forestroot parameter in order to search the global catalog. You can also use the ï¿?gc parameter to require that your search specifically use the Active Directory global catalog.
One more way that you can target your search is by using the ï¿?r parameter. In this case, the r stands for recursion. This parameter allows you to specify that your search use recursionï¿?also described as following referrals during a search. As I understand it, this parameter allows you to extend your search to multiple servers.
Formatting output
The next set of common parameters lets you specify the output format for the search results:
[-o {dn | rdn}]
The default output is the distinguished name and uses the -o dn parameter. If you want to see the relative distinguished name, you'd use the -o rdn parameter.
As I said in the previous article, the Dsquery command will display only 100 objects by default. The next parameter allows you to expand the number of items displayed in the output:
-limit NumberofObjects
Essentially, you can use any number you want here. While it may seem a bit weird at first glance, if you want to see all of the objects, follow the -limit parameter with a zero. However, be careful when changing the limit because Microsoft's goal in limiting the output to 100 objects is to prevent the domain controller from being unnecessarily taxed by an exhaustive Active Directory search operation.
The last set of output format parameters also double as input format parameters and are designed to allow you to specify Unicode format:
{-uc | -uco | -uci}
The -uc parameter specifies a Unicode format for input from or output to a pipe (|). The -uco parameter specifies a Unicode format for output to a pipe (|) or a file. The -uci parameter is used to specify a Unicode format for input from a pipe (|) or a file.
While I'm on the topic of output, should you ever decide to run the Dsquery command and not see the results, you can use the -q parameter (a.k.a. Quiet Mode), which will suppress all output to the console. At first, this seemed like an odd thing to do, but then I thought it might be useful when you're redirecting output to a file. However, I've not had any luck getting the -q parameter to work at all.
Remote connection
The final set of common parameters that we'll look at are the remote connection parameters. By default, the Dsquery command assumes that you're running the command in the domain to which you're logged in. However, you can also run the Dsquery command on a remote server or domain.
{-s Server | -d Domain}
Using these parameters, you can connect to a specified remote server or domain. You might also need to specify a username and password, in which case you'd use these parameters:
-u UserName
-p {Password | *}
If you use the asterisk, you'll be prompted for a password.
Dsquery examples
Now that you have a good idea of how the Dsquery command works with its common parameters, let's look at some examples of where using this command will come in handy.
Tracking down servers
Suppose that while troubleshooting a problem, you discover that you need to quickly identify the domain controller that is performing one of the five Flexible Single Master Operation (FSMO) roles for a forest. What if you need to quickly identify which domain controllers are performing all five FSMO roles: the Schema Master, Domain Naming Master, RID Master, PDC Emulator, and Infrastructure Master? To perform this operation, you'll use the command:
Dsquery server
along with the parameters:
-hasfsmo {schema | name | infr | pdc | rid}
If you wanted to find only the Schema Master, you'd use the command:
Dsquery server -forest -hasfsmo schema
If you wanted to find all five, you'd use the command:
For %x in (schema name infr pdc rid) do Dsquery server -forest -hasfsmo %x
Here, I've simply incorporated the Dsquery server command in a pretty standard For In Do loop. To use this command line, you might want to type it in Notepad and save it as a batch file. You might also want to capture the output in a file. If so, you can add the following to the end of the command line:
>> FSMO-Query.txt
Tracking down inactive or disabled accounts
Suppose you've just taken a new job as a systems administrator. After a couple of days on the job, you discover that your predecessor wasn't very conscientious about cleaning up inactive and disabled user and computer accounts of employees who either left the company or were there only on a temporary contract basis.
You've already changed the name and passwords on all the Administrative accounts, and you want to plug any potential security breaches that have been left open by your predecessor. You need a way to quickly ascertain the magnitude of the problem. Fortunately, you can quickly gather the information you need with a few simple Dsquery commands. To find all user accounts that have been inactive for at least the last week or longer, you'd use the command:
dsquery user - inactive 1
To find all user accounts that have been disabled, but never dealt with further, you'd use the command:
dsquery user -disabled
To find all computers whose accounts have been inactive for the last week or more, you'd use the command:
dsquery computer - inactive 1
To track down all computers whose accounts are disabled, you'd use the command:
dsquery computer -disabled
Performing an inventory on the fly!
Now imagine this scenario: As a young network administrator, you learned the importance of documenting a network. Over the years, you've become very diligent when it comes to filling in the Description fields for every object account in Active Directory. The Description field for each computer account in your Active Directory structure contains a very detailed string of information that begins with a three-letter acronym specifying the operating system.
Suppose that your colleague asks you to find out how many computers in the Laptops organizational unit are still running Windows 2000 Professional. You could quickly open a command prompt window and type the command:
Dsquery computer OU=Laptops,DC=gcs,DC=com -desc W2K*
Similarly, you could find out how many computers in the Laptops organizational unit are now running Windows XP Professional by using the command:
Dsquery computer OU=Laptops,DC=gcs,DC=com -desc WXP*
Stay tuned
You should now have a pretty good handle on how to use the Dsquery command; you can use my examples as a starting point in your own explorations. In fact, if you come up with any cool examples of using the Dsquery command, please take a moment to share your command line by dropping a note in the Discussion area. In the next article, I'll focus on the Dsget command as I continue examining the directory service command-line tools.
About Greg Shultz
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http://www.techrepublic.com/article/solutionbase-using-the-dsquery-command-in-windows-server-2003/
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Where Is Kosovo?
Kosovo is a landlocked region in the Balkan Mountains in Europe. It borders Central Serbia to the east and Albania to the west. The region is a disputed territory. It declared independence on 17 February, 2008. The case, whether to grant the request for a new nation or not, is still pending with the United Nations. Serbia considers the region a part of the Serbian nation and strongly opposes the independence move of Kosovo.
KosovoThe name of the region comes from the Serbian language and it means ‘a field of the blackbirds’. Within Kosovo, the term ‘Kosovo’ refers to the eastern part of the region and the western part is known as ‘Metohija’. Both parts are sometimes collectively called ‘Kosovo and Metohija’. The largest city in Kosovo is Pristina, where approximately half a million people live. Most of the terrain of the region is mountainous and the highest peak, Djeravica (Đeravica), is 2656 meters high. About 39% of Kosovo is covered by forests and there is only one national park in Kosovo, Šar Mountains National Park. Islam is the predominant religion in Kosovo.
Both Serbia and Kosovo were once a part of Yugoslavia and the secular socialist government of Yugoslavia did its best to prevent any ethnic or religious tensions arising. The iron grip of the Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito held Yugoslavia together for decades but within 10 years after his death the nation broke up into several smaller countries. Kosovo became a part of Serbia after the dissolution of Yugoslavia but it wasn’t long before ethnic tensions began to rise and a war broke out. About 92% of the Kosovon population is ethnically Albanian and the Serbs are the largest minority comprising approximately 4% of the population. The relations between the Albanians and the Serbians are most of the time unfriendly. The war dampened down after a UN intervention but things have been simmering again since Kosovo declared its independence in 2008.
Category: Geography
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http://www.thegeminigeek.com/where-is-kosovo/
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Summer in the City
by Cristiana Strava
Cooling off in the Bronx (2011). Source: Charles Brigand
In 1927, the Times reported that more than three thousand people had spent the night sleeping on the sand at Coney Island in order to escape the stifling heat of their tenements. Patrolmen had been assigned to stand guard over the sleepers. Many more spent their nights in Central Park, while others piled up on fire escapes to survive the sweltering heat of New York in July. Over the years, the image of children cooling off in the spray of a fire hydrant has become synonymous with summer in the city. Too poor to escape to the Hamptons, working class New Yorkers transformed available public spaces into impromptu vacation spots.
Sleeping on a fire escape in New York (1938). Source: Weegee Collection
Today, city officials and entrepreneurs attempt to provide options aimed at both locals and potential tourists. Capitalizing on a certain fetishistic obsession with "authenticity," they appropriate working class spaces and practices and regulate them or present them as fashionable. Sharon Zukin, an urban sociologist and staunch critic of New York's gentrification, refers to this process as "pacification by cappuccino," a scenario in which urban space is "imagineered" as an entertainment event for the consumption of those who can afford it.
This phenomenon is taking place worldwide, and what better season than summer to capitalize on people's use of city space?
Paris Plages on the Rive Droite. Source: Choblet et Associés
An urban summer staple, Paris Plages is perhaps the most famous and chic of European city beaches. Many Parisians abandon the city in summer for the South of France or countryside vacations. Since 2002, the month-long transformation of the Seine's banks (with the recent addition of La Villete) has aimed to offer a comfortable recreation space for those who remain in the city. The attractions of Paris Plages are mostly free and open to all. An "open air drinking ban," however, has meant that those who once brought a home-made picnic and bottle of wine might now be forced to avail themselves of the many and, according to some, overpriced Paris Plage brasseries instead.
Amsterdam City "Beach" on the roof of the NEMO Museum. Source: Tino Morchel
Beyond the issues raised by the commodification of public space, critics have questioned the environmental impact of carting in large amounts of sand for such a brief period of time. However, several European capitals now proudly present their summer residents and visitors with at least one man-made beach. Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Moscow, Prague and Vienna — to name just a few — are converting city spaces into sandy urban oases for a few weeks every summer. Amsterdam boasts no less than four city beaches, while Copenhagen's most famous summer splash spot is a riff off Copacabana, at least in name.
While London has so far resisted the trend, one can still enjoy sand in the shape of a couch in front of the Globe Theatre on the South Bank — before the tide of the mighty Thames wipes it away. Alternatively, during those brief spells of good weather, for £1.50 you can lounge for an hour in a Hyde Park deck chair.
Sculpting the sand on London's South Bank. Source: Normco
Deck chairs in London's Hyde Park. Source: Andy Pallister
In Moscow, known for turning into a boiling cauldron in summer, the range of choices is also rich. Until recently, most sunbathing and swimming spots were appropriations of existing river banks and parks rather than eventified realms. Now from Kirovsk and Strogino to Serebryany Bor (a longtime favorite for nudists), Muskovites can enjoy refurbished sporting and barbecue areas equipped with WiFi.
Serebryany Bor sunbathers. Source: In Moskau
There is nothing evil about providing city dwellers with options for an urban vacation. However, there is something disconcerting about government officials allowing corporations to reap financial benefits from social activities that were once free and improvised, as public space becomes more and more scarce.
+ share
1. Very nice article and overview of the different types of public spaces, and urban vacation spots. I appreciate the range of modifications presented from capital intensive concrete steps for chairs to the simple lawn chair in a park.
The question I have is whether or not the presence of corporate/business interests makes these types of spaces more sustainable in the long term? What were the conditions 5, 10 or 50 years prior, and has the influence of money undermined the experience of a place? It would be nice to see a follow up showing a comparative case study that demonstrates the pro's and con's of infusing private interests in public space. If this is a trend, it would be best to identify best practices to promote a sensitive and appropriate marriage between public and private agendas.
Living briefly in NYC, I am aware of the transformation of Bryant Park, and the dramatic changes that have taken place over the past fifty years. From a derelict space, the park has seen vast improvements from it's previous condition. The public now experiences many free events and activities at the expense of subtle advertising and the presence of businesses such as a sandwich shop. It's not unreasonable, and in contrast to the rampant advertising in the street, I applaud the care taken to make the advertising in Bryant Park subtle.
2. I see the decreasing public character of public spaces as a huge con of involving the private, Bland. And corporate interests do tend to result in just this, also in Bryant Park. Many governments are unaware of the possible effect of private interests on public spaces and the public character of city centers. Undesirables (appointed by commercial stakeholders) are often pushed from city centers which affects, among other things, the sense of community. You may some like classics from Fainstein, Sorkin and good old Sennett..
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http://www.thepolisblog.org/2012/07/summer-in-city.html
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If you are worried about not speaking Spanish for your upcoming trip to Costa Rica, you’re not alone. We remember those days too and hear from lots of others who are unsure of how they’ll get by without much or any Spanish. The good news is that many Ticos (Costa Ricans) have some English skills, and others, especially those working in the tourism industry, are quite fluent. Costa Rica is a Spanish-speaking country, however, and you are bound to get some blank stares in certain situations. In this post, we’ll give you some of the most common Spanish words and phrases for your visit to Costa Rica.
Simple Spanish for Visiting Costa Rica | Two Weeks in Costa Rica
Talking with the Locals
Before we start in on the specifics, there is something you should know about talking Spanish to Ticos. Costa Ricans are in general some of the friendliest people on earth. For this reason, they will usually go out of their way to help you. This applies to speaking Spanish as well so don’t feel stupid if the person you are talking to is correcting your pronunciation or word choice. In most instances, they really appreciate that you are trying and only want to help.
Another thing that goes along with this is that many Ticos are just as shy about their English skills as you are about your Spanish. If you have the confidence to try speaking some Spanish, you might find that suddenly they get up the courage to use their English too. If you both sound bad but somehow figure it out, everyone wins!
Different Scenarios
Below are some of the situations you’re likely to encounter on your next trip to Costa Rica.
Saying Hello
Hola = Hello. This is the basic way to say hello.
Buenos días = Good morning
Buenas tardes = Good afternoon
Buenas noches = Good evening
Buenas = Shorthand way of saying hello, any time of day. It is more casual and works in the morning, afternoon, or evening. You’ll hear the locals use this all the time.
Saying Goodbye
Chao = Bye. The basic way to say goodbye.
Adiós = A slightly more formal way of saying goodbye. We have also heard adiós used as a sort of greeting and goodbye. For example, if you are driving past someone walking on the street and want to greet them, you could say adiós instead of hola. The idea is that you aren’t staying around to chat.
Hasta luego = See you later, or literally, until later.
Hasta mañana = See you tomorrow (“until tomorrow”).
Asking for Things
Discúlpe = Excuse me (when you need to get someone’s attention).
Quiero… = I would like…
Necesito… = I need…
¿Tiene…? = Do you have…? Good to use if you’re looking for a certain item at a store (e.g., ¿Tiene Tylenol?)
¿Puedo…? = Can I…?
¿Puede…? = Can you…?
¿Dónde? = Where?
¿Dónde está…? = Where is…? Useful when asking for directions or where something is (¿Dónde está el baño? Where is the bathroom?)
¿Cuanto cuesta? = How much does it cost?
¿Acepta tarjetas de crédito? = Do you accept credit cards?
¿Habla Inglés? = Do you speak English? Some Ticos might reply un poco (a little).
¿De donde eres? = Where are you from? Los Estados Unidos is the United States; Canadá is Canada. Remember that America is used to describe North, Central, and South America.
= Yes
No = No
Tal vez = Maybe
Claro = Of course
In a Restaurant
¿Para tomar? = What would you like to drink? This is usually the first thing a server will ask you.
Agua = Water. You might want una botella de agua (a bottle of water) or agua del tubo (tap water).
Una cerveza = A beer. Check out our post about the most popular local beers.
Vino = Wine. Vino tinto is red wine and vino blanco is white wine.
Café = Coffee. The server will ask you ¿Café con leche o negro? (Coffee with milk or black). Don’t worry, they always bring sugar packets.
Refresco naturale = A fruit drink with ice (hielo).
Batido = A fruit smoothie. Con agua means blended with ice and con leche means blended with ice and milk (milk shake).
Popular Local Dishes
Gallo pinto = Breakfast dish of rice and beans mixed together, served alongside eggs and fried plantain. Sometimes comes with fried local cheese (queso), toast (tostadas) or tortillas, and fruit (frutas). Gallo pinto literally translates to painted rooster.
Huevos fritos = Fried eggs
Huevos revueltos = Scrambled eggs
Casado = Lunch Plate. Casado translates to “married” and this traditional lunch dish truly has a marriage of flavors. The dish usually consists of rice (arroz) and beans (frijoles), a protein like meat (bistec/steak; chuleta de cerdo/pork chop; or pollo/chicken) or fish (pescado), and several side salads like green salad (ensalada verde), pasta salad (ensalada pasta), etc.
Arroz con pollo = Rice with chicken. This is a fried rice dish that is very flavorful. Instead of chicken (pollo), you might also see rice with shrimp (arroz con camarones) and other variations.
Sopa = Soup. Common soups are olla de carne (similar to beef stew), sopa de mariscos (seafood soup), and sopa negra (black bean soup, usually with a poached egg). Soups are typically served with a side of white rice.
Cashing Out
Para llevar = To go (for your leftovers)
La cuenta, por favor = The bill, please. In Costa Rica, the server won’t bring this unless you ask for it.
Servicio = Service. This is the 10% added to the bill for tip. You can add more if you like.
Impuestos ventas = Sales tax (13%)
Estación de buses = Bus station
Parada de bus = Bus stop
Tiquete = Ticket (for the bus, ferry, etc). Not all buses use tickets but it is good to ask. ¿Necesito un tiquete? (Do I need a ticket?).
Taxi = Taxi
¿A donde va? = Where are you going? What’s your destination?
Voy a… = I am going to…
Pare aquí = Stop here
¿Esta es la calle a…? = Is this the road to…?
Lleno con regular, por favor = Fill it with regular (gas) please. Gas stations in Costa Rica are always full service.
La llanta necesita aire = The tire needs air.
We hope these simple Spanish words and phrases will help you feel more comfortable while traveling to Costa Rica. When we first visited almost ten years ago, we had zero knowledge of Spanish and got along fine. Just remember, the one term you need to learn is Pura Vida. This can mean hello, goodbye, and that’s great, but the real meaning is more of an attitude that you will discover once you arrive and will never forget.
If you’re looking for a lot more helpful words and phrases, we highly recommend the pocket-sized Costa Rican Spanish Phrasebook by Lonely Planet. This is what we used to carry with us when we were newbies and it got us out of a lot of jams.
Notice anything essential missing from our list? Add it to the comments below!
Looking for more resources for your upcoming trip? Check out these posts:
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http://www.twoweeksincostarica.com/simple-spanish/
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Prevent Direct Execution of EXE
The sample code here is pretty simple:
#include "mainwindow.h"
#include <QApplication>
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
QApplication a(argc, argv);
if (argc <= 1)
return 0;
if (argv[1] != "yourpassword")
return 0;
MainWindow w;;
return a.exec();
In the example above, your EXE will simply pop out an error message that says “Please run MyGame.exe instead.” if you double click on it directly. This is because the argc variable is either 0 or 1 (depending on platform, which means no additional input argument during launch) if you run it directly.
However, if there is one or more arguments being dumped to the program during launch, check (within the argv array) whether the second argument (the first argument is usually the program’s name) matches your secret phrase or password before allowing the program to launch. Usually there will be input arguments if the user drag one or more files to the EXE to make it launch, as this is very useful for programs like text editors or image editors. That’s why we must check if the argument matches your password or not.
Now that your program can no longer be run directly, what about the updater? How to ask the updater to execute your main program with an input argument? It’s actually pretty easy as well. In the following example I will be using C/C++ and Qt, but it should be similar across different programming languages and platforms:
QProcess *process = new QProcess(this);
delete process;
That’s all, it’s very simple to achieve. The tutorial above is by no mean professional: Technical names and phrases are not necessarily accurate, and the method used is not necessarily the standard way. I’m just trying to share what I know and what I did with my own projects. Peace.
Gigabyte BRIX (Intel NUC) GB-XM12-3227 Review
So… the other day I bought this Gigabyte BRIX barebone which is basically an Intel NUC system, but manufactured by Gigabyte. I’ve tried the vanilla Intel NUC systems before and it worked great, except the older generation which had over-heating issue but resolved after adding a thermal pad to it as well as a firmware upgrade, but overall still pretty okay I guess.
Now, back to Gigabyte BRIX, specifically the GB-XM12-3227 model. I can’t talk about the other models as I have never used it before, so let’s just stick to this one.
All-and-all, it worked fine at first. It booted up Windows 10 without any problem, HDMI connected to the monitor without any problem, great resolution, etc. UNTIL I tried to use the web browser. Even though the internet status is “connected”, I still couldn’t use the damn internet on my browser.
After hours and hours of research and trials, I realized that the issue is the firmware. Not only it’s old (from 2013), but it’s supposedly for Windows 8.1, and not Windows 10. Went to Gibabyte’s website to look for the latest drivers, and guess what, they only have firmware updates up to 2014, so still, no Windows 10 support.
Further more, I downloaded the latest BIOS and tried to flash it, only to realize the BIOS utility doesn’t support 64-bit Windows, because it is a god-damn Windows XP Service Pack 2 executable file!
Then, I went to Windows 10’s Device Manager and check out my wireless network adapter’s properties. This is when I realized the WiFi adapter only supports up to IEEE 802.11b/g and not the newer IEEE 802.11b/g/n, which unfortunately is what I set on my router. So then I moved over to my router’s admin page and changed the Transmission Mode to the appropriate setting.
I have no idea what’s causing this. Outdated BIOS? Outdated drivers? I have no idea.
However, despite able to connect to the internet now, the speed is still very limited. Often time it took roughly 20 seconds or more just to load a web page.
Then, I used a Chinese software called 360安全卫士 (translated as “360 Safety Guard”) and went to the “Optimization and Speed-up” page. That particular page contains an automated scan-and-fix feature which includes “network speed-up” option.
After running the optimization process, my wireless network is finally back to usable state! What sorcery is that?? (However, IEEE 802.11b/g/n is still not supported).
Overall, the Gigabyte BRIX works okay except the BIOS and drivers are really outdated and urgently need an update. That’s all for today, have a nice day folks.
OpenGL Side Project
At the moment my prototype does the following:
• Running OpenGL 3.2 core profile and GLSL 150
• Loads OBJ files and PNG/JPEG textures
• Move, rotate, scale model
• Skybox
Some Quick Update
Stay tuned.
Easter Egg
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http://www.zhieng.com/author/leezhieng/
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[
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Fixing bugs like it's 1988
I grew up in the 80's, the decade home computers went from curiosity to mainstream. In primary school we had several Philips P2000T home computers and a pair of Apple Macintosh — ehm, Macintoshes? Two of those, anyway. A friend had a C64 we used to play games on, and at some point my dad bought a C128 for his financial administration. (What I really love is the fact that, to this day, he is still doing his financial administration on a C128, albeit an emulated one. He is an "if it ain't broke don't fix it" kinda guy.)
Soon after the C128, we got a C64. Where the C128 was for business, the C64 was for fun. I have fond memories playing games such as Space Taxi, Super Cycle, Velicopede, Last Ninja II, and Electrix, to name a few. It was also the computer that got me into programming.
With the invention of the World Wide Web still a couple of years off, learning to program mostly involved reading books and magazines. Computer magazines would often publish source code listings which the reader could type in. The result could be anything: A game, a disk copy tool, a drawing program for GEOS, or, more often than not, something that didn't quite work because of typos. At some point, magazines started publishing listings with a checksum added to each line. They offered special tools that would compute the checksum of each line you typed, and checked it against the checksum you typed in at the end of the line. This helped a lot. Still, it must have been one of the slowest and most error prone ways to copy a computer program in the history of computer programs. It was fun though, or at least, that's what I thought.
One such magazine was Commodore Dossier, a "practical magazine for the active Commodore owner", which ran from 1984 until 1988. The 17th issue, which was also the last issue, featured a type-in listing for a rather interesting game. It was called Blindganger, which translates to dud, but was used to mean blind person (ganger literally means go-er, someone who goes).
The cover of Commodore Dossier, issue 17.
In the aftermath of what one can only imagine must have been a proper night on the town, the blind guy in question somehow wakes up inside the city sewers. It's the player's job to guide him back to the streets using only the sounds created by his white cane for guidance.
The city's wastewater division, being exceptionally keen on sewer hygiene, flushes the sewers every five minutes. Each flush lands our blind guy someplace else inside the sewers, from where he has to restart his search for the exit. On the third flush the game ends. A map of the sewers is displayed, showing the location of the exit as well as the locations visited by the player.
Having typed-in the listing sometime in the fall of 1988, I started the game. It had a sprite animation of a bat flying in front of the full moon on an otherwise completely black screen, which I thought was pretty cool. However, I couldn't figure out the controls. The sewer map should have helped, of course, but something was wrong with it. The locations marked as visited on the map did not seem to match the path I thought I had taken. Also, sections of wall would often be marked as visited.
An example of a sewer map produced by the original game.
After a couple of tries I gave up and went on to do other things, but this business with the sewer map and the incomprehensible controls somehow stuck with me. And so, when I came across a scan of this particular issue of Commodore Dossier I knew it was time to sort it out once and for all.
Of course, before I could start, I had to type in the listing again. Back in 1988, I lacked the checksum tool published by Commodore Dossier. Maybe the map of the sewers was messed up just because of my not-quite-touch-typing skills?
A quick Google search turned up a disk image that contained a program called "CHECKSUM DOSSIER". This sounded promising! To confirm, I ran the program and typed a short line from the Blindganger listing: "240 RETURN", followed by the checksum "7E". Then I tried inserting a typo either in the line itself or in the checksum. In both cases, this resulted in the message "FOUT IN REGEL", or "ERROR IN LINE", being printed on the screen. Oh yeah!
Ain't that cute, BUT IT'S WRONG!!
I typed in the listing using the checksum tool. Parts of the scan were of rather low quality and here the tool really helped a lot. I often found myself trying variants of some line and its checksum until I found a combination that matched. So far, so good. Now I had a copy of the original that was guaranteed to be free of typos. Surely, this copy would not produce the same sewer maps as the copy I typed in back in 1988. But... it did!
To find out why, I needed to locate the code that displays the map of the sewers. The sewer map is displayed when the game ends, which happens when the player finds the exit or when the sewers are flushed for the third time. Concentrating on the second case, I looked through the BASIC listing of the game for a check on zero or three.
Sure enough, on line 1780, the variable MAAL is compared to zero. This variable is initialized to three on line 1550 and counts down on each flush of the sewers.
The block of code on lines 1810 – 1840 is executed if MAAL equals zero. Line 1840 is an endless loop. Looking at the other three lines of BASIC, our next target is the machine code subroutine located at memory address 16540 ($409C).
1810 POKECROSS+4096,1 :REM MARK EXIT ON THE MAP
1820 SYS16540 :REM COPY MAP TO SCREEN
1840 GOTO1840 :REM ENDLESS LOOP
This subroutine consists of two parts. The first part copies 1000 bytes from the memory region starting a $6000 to screen memory ($0400 – $07E7). This fills the entire screen (40 columns times 25 rows = 1000 bytes) with a map of the sewers.
As it turns out, this part does not contain any bugs. The map of the sewers may look strange, until you notice that all of the blocky bits are walls, '@' marks a horizontal section of pipe, 'A' marks a vertical section of pipe, 'B' through 'J' mark different types of corners and crossings, 'K' marks a pit, and 'L' marks the exit. These characters are not random. They correspond to screen codes 0 through 12. The map is just a dump to the screen of the internal representation of the sewers used in the game.
The second part of the subroutine copies 1000 bytes from the memory region starting at $7000 to color RAM ($D800 – $DBE7). This marks all visited locations with the color yellow.
L40CB: LDA #$FF ; >-- initialization --
STA $FB ; |
LDA #$6F ; |
STA $FC ; |
LDA #$F4 ; |
STA $FD ; |
LDA #$D7 ; |
STA $FE ; <--------------------
LDX #$04 ; >-- outer loop -----------------
L40DD: LDY #$FA ; >-- inner loop I --- |
L40DF: LDA ($FB),Y ; (copy bytes) | |
STA ($FD),Y ; | |
DEY ; | |
LDY #$FA ; >-- inner loop II ----------- |
L40E8: INC $FB ; (update base addresses) | |
BNE L40EE ; | |
INC $FC ; | |
L40EE: INC $FD ; | |
BNE L40F4 ; | |
INC $FE ; | |
L40F4: DEY ; | |
DEX ; |
The bytes are copied in four blocks of 250 bytes. The outer loop uses the X-register to count from 4 down to 0.
LDX #$04
; inner loop
BNE L40DD
The first inner loop uses the Y-register to count from #$FA (250) down to 0.
L40DD: LDY #$FA
L40DF: LDA ($FB),Y
STA ($FD),Y
BNE L40DF
Indirect-indexed addressing is used to copy bytes in the inner loop. In this addressing mode, the Y-register is used as an offset that is added to a 16-bit base address stored in zeropage.
For example, the instruction LDA ($FB),Y is executed as follows:
• Read the litte-endian 16-bit base address stored in zeropage locations $FB and $FC. Little endian byte order means the least significant byte is stored at the lowest address ($FB). $FB is initialized to #$FF and $FC to #$6F, so the 16-bit base address is $6FFF.
• Add the value of the Y-register to the base address to compute the effective address. The Y-register is initialized to #$FA at the beginning of the loop. Adding to $6FFF yields $70F9 as the effective address.
• Load a byte from the effective address into the accumulator (A-register).
The Y-register counts down from 250 to 0. Note that the smallest value of Y used as an index is 1. (When the DEY instruction decreases Y to zero, the following BNE branch instruction will fall through, exiting the inner loop.)
The first byte to load is located at $7000. Because the minimal value of Y is 1, the source base address needs to be initialized to $7000 - 1 = $6FFF. Similarly, the first byte to store is located at $D800, so the target base address should be initialized to $D800 - 1 = $D7FF. Instead, it is initialized to $D7F4!
Accidentally typing #$F4 instead of #$FF is not very likely. But in decimal, this corresponds to typing 244 instead of 255. It seems the original author accidentally hit the 4 instead of the 5 while typing the constant 255! This shifts the colors used in the sewer map by 11 positions relative to the map itself. In turn, this means the locations marked as visited on the map are wrong.
The offending byte resides in a data statement on line 3670 of the BASIC listing:
3670 DATA 252,169,244,133,253
After changing it to the correct value of 255, the sewer map displays correctly. And that's that.... bug fixed after 29 years!
To celebrate, I've put together a 2017 version of the original game that includes this fix, as well as fixes for several other issues I came across while going over the code:
• Visited locations are correctly displayed on the sewer map shown at the end of the game.
• The time penalty for falling down a pit is taken into account when computing the amount of time left.
• The street noise volume is set such that it depends on the distance to the exit (as intended by the original authors).
• English translation. (Press and hold the H-key during the game to view the online help.)
Blindganger 2017 is also available as a BASIC listing including checksums. For the authentic 80's experience, just download and run the Commodore Dossier checksum tool (see link below) and start typing!
In the next episode, we will make some improvements to the (now correct) sewer map to make it easier to understand (see the example below).
X marks the spot!
Related links:
1. Very interesting! BTW what software package is your father using for finances? I'm a sucker for CBM retro.
1. You probably won't be familiar with it. The program is called Bookspeed. My father is a general practitioner. Bookspeed was written by J.L van Geijlswijk, another GP. It was specifically written for GPs to do their accounting. It was fairly comprehensive, featuring double entry accounting, annual balance sheet generation, et cetera. It stored the data entered by the user as part of the program itself as DATA statements.
I remember having to fix the disk image by hand from inside the emulator using Disk Doctor, because my dad had closed the emulator in the middle of a write. Fun times!
2. Very nice story! Had similar experiences with my ZX Spectrum and badly printed, hard to read source code listings found in various magazines.
On a related note: I also used the Spectrum for some of my homework in highschool - calculating parabolas and such. Back then it was called chaeting, where as today, I might have been considered the next Bill Gates or something...
3. I echo Marc Carson's sentiment: would be great to know what finance app your dad uses for the C128. Also, that is one hell of a cool debugging project, well done!
4. Wow. I love this. It'd be nice to see/hear a video of the game in all its fixed glory.
1. Thanks! Actually, I think a video would get pretty boring pretty fast. You really have to play it to get into it. The game needs (plenty of) your imagination. Like Rogue on the PC, if you're familiar with that. Unless you can convince yourself that 'B' is a ferocious bat and 'Z' really is a zombie, it stays rather dull.
5. Fun read, nostalgia warming the heart. Thanks! And I too would be curious to know what software your father is still using...
6. Crying from nostalgia here. Think it was more like 1983, writing self-taught machine code directly to memory.... and programming the sound chip from the register list that was in the printed manual YOU GOT WITH THE MACHINE!
7. Wow. What incredible commitment to revising the imperfect past. Have some groovy 80's-ish music on us:
Also, capital L Love Commodore, but came much later to the party. Amigas were my introduction to computers.
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General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Title: Constant-roll Inflation in $F(R)$ Gravity
Abstract: We propose the study of constant-roll inflation in $F(R)$ gravity. We use two different approaches, one that relates an $F(R)$ gravity to well known scalar models of constant-roll and a second that examines directly the constant-roll condition in $F(R)$ gravity. With regards to the first approach, by using well known techniques, we find the $F(R)$ gravity which realizes a given constant-roll evolution in the scalar-tensor theory. We also perform a conformal transformation in the resulting $F(R)$ gravity and we find the Einstein frame counterpart theory. As we demonstrate, the resulting scalar potential is different in comparison to the original scalar constant-roll case, and the same applies for the corresponding observational indices. Moreover, we discuss how cosmological evolutions that can realize constant-roll to constant-roll eras transitions in the scalar-tensor description, can be realized by vacuum $F(R)$ gravity. With regards to the second approach, we examine directly the effects of the constant-roll condition on the inflationary dynamics of vacuum $F(R)$ gravity. We present in detail the formalism of constant-roll $F(R)$ gravity inflationary dynamics and we discuss how the inflationary indices become in this case. We use two well known $F(R)$ gravities in order to illustrate our findings, the $R^2$ model and a power-law $F(R)$ gravity in vacuum. As we demonstrate, in both cases the parameter space is enlarged in comparison to the slow-roll counterparts of the models, and in effect, the models can also be compatible with the observational data. Finally, we briefly address the graceful exit issue.
Comments: minor revision, typos corrected
Cite as: arXiv:1704.05945 [gr-qc]
(or arXiv:1704.05945v2 [gr-qc] for this version)
Submission history
From: Vasilis Oikonomou [view email]
[v1] Wed, 19 Apr 2017 22:13:21 GMT (415kb)
[v2] Sun, 25 Jun 2017 18:35:12 GMT (414kb)
|
https://arxiv.org/abs/1704.05945
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The power of math can be exponential
When I was in elementary school, my parents made sure that I learned. They knew that all of my subjects were important, certainly. But I have special memories of discussing literature and history over the dinner table. They made sure that I really LEARNED my math. I had some terrific teachers in all of those subjects.
Somewhere along the line, though, I developed a special appreciation for math. As a result, I majored in business in college. It is certainly not a leap, since business is full of math. For the past 5 years, I have been a professional tutor, and have loved it. Although I tutor MANY subjects, the one that is in the most demand is math. I have a special love for tutoring pre-algebra and algebra. I practically skip through my day on the days I will be teaching math. I make it a special goal to help my students not only understand math, but perhaps to even fall in love with it.
It used to be that I would comb book sale tables at the library and garage sales for novels. But these days, I scour them for math textbooks. I am on the lookout for innovative explanations and examples that will help my students. I am quite enamored with Khan academy, as he explains so many things so well. I always let my families know about his resource. It is a terrific site to visit. You don’t have to be a student ~ he has tutorials on all kinds of things. Here is the site ~ go ahead, take a look. I will wait.
Many of my competitors think that I am crazy to tell them about a free resource. MY goal is to turn my students into independent learners, so that they can soar like eagles at some point. Through my tutoring, and multiple resources, they can learn every day, even when they are not in a session with me.
To those students who ask the typical question “Why do I have to learn this? When will I EVER have to use it in REAL life?” I smile and tell them a story.
When I took Algebra 2/Trigonometry in high school, I had a fabulous math teacher. His name (really and truly) was Mr. John Wayne. He was the tennis coach, and he was a great math teacher. One day I was particularly frustrated. I raised my hand and asked him those very questions. He just smiled at me. He tossed his chalk up and down, catching it every time. Then he said, “some day, years from now, you will be using algebra in ways you cannot even begin to imagine today. When you do, I hope you will think of me”. Believe me, I do think of him. After all, I walk in his magnificent footsteps when I tutor math. I raise my eyes to the heavens, and I say, “thanks. I LOVE algebra, and I completely understand why you taught it”.
I tell my students that learning is SO important. It IS worthwhile. I loved this article that I have included at the end of this post.
First person: Math has power over all else
By Kevin Levine
Friday January 10, 2014 9:03 PM
For as long as I can remember, I’ve liked numbers.
I like math.
That puts me in a powerful minority.
People who understand and embrace math wield the most powerful weapon ever made.
Let’s dispense with the obvious reasons that math is powerful.
The most effective (destructive) weapons rely on physics, or the science of equations, and chemistry. (Try making a stable mixture of chemicals without math.)
Some of the constructive uses are equally powerful: Medicines, medical equipment, roller coasters, air travel and cellular technology all rely on math.
Yet the true power of math comes from the ignorance and fear of it.
One of my earliest memories of math’s potency stems from this: “Four out of 5 dentists recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum.”
Anyone of a certain age knows the saying from a Trident gum commercial.
I remember thinking as a child that Trident gum must be good for me.
That’s power.
Before long, I started asking questions: Which doctors? Why didn’t the fifth doctor recommend sugarless gum? How many doctor s were asked?
A few years later: Do these dentists work for Trident? Why would dentists recommend gum at all?
How often is a statistic presented as fact, in a vacuum, without supporting documentation or an understanding of the source of the statistic?
A statistic is used as a club to hammer home a message. When one doesn’t understand all that went into generating the statistic, its power becomes immense — a blunt instrument that relies on the general population’s dislike, and ignorance, of math.
How about math as an economic weapon?
Isn’t it wonderful that tuna fish (or peanut butter or jelly) hasn’t gone up in price in years?
Thank math.
The tuna can contained 8 ounces, then 6 ounces, then 5 ounces.
Incremental changes in volume go unnoticed because the price remains constant.
Consumers think: “Wow, tuna prices are stable.”
The tuna company thinks: “Wow, consumers are ignorant.”
Politicians love math, too.
They cherry-pick one statistic from an obscure report commissioned by an obscure group whose agenda might not be to the betterment of humanity.
Politicians use math to convince us that everything would be OK if we just cut fraud and abuse in the welfare system.
They use math to confirm that the American education system is failing.
They use math to justify increased spending in their districts while bemoaning the spending everywhere else.
Politicians thrive on the public’s fear and ignorance of math.
The only way to weaken math’s destructive capabilities is to embrace math.
Instead of telling our children we weren’t good in math, we should tell them that math is the secret to power — that it will make them creative, competitive, powerful, less prone to scams and more valuable in the workplace.
We should tell our children to respectfully question authority, especially when numbers are used as weapons.
Mastering math, our children should learn, is akin to mastering the most powerful weapon on Earth.
Kevin Levine, 48, of Bexley teaches sixth-grade math at Karrer Middle School in Dublin.
About Kate Kresse
This entry was posted in education and career, faith/courage/miracles/hope and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
7 Responses to The power of math can be exponential
1. Kathy says:
Love it!
Texas has decided to drop Algebra II as a graduation requirement. I have very mixed feelings about this change in our curriculum.While some students are not going to go to college and their trade school won’t require it others may be sadly surprised when they find that the school of their choice requires it even though Texas doesn’t.
• Kate Kresse says:
i have mixed feelings about that too, Kathy. there is such a feeling of mastery/accomplishment when you complete Algebra II. There are som many ways for them to learn it, and it robs them of something valuable to cancel the requirement. That is regardless of who “requires” it at the next level. {sorry it took me so long to reply!]
2. Kathy says:
Reblogged this on To Talk of Many Things and commented:
3. And it all begins with learning to count, add, multiply, etc. They want to skip that part, these days, the part that even as a math-unappreciative, I KNEW I would always need. Amazing, eh?
• Kate Kresse says:
In addition to the drilling of math facts, through repetition and competitively racing to the blackboard, we had so many other ways that we practiced math facts. We skip counted when we did jump rope, we skip counted when we walked, we counted and regrouped when we played jacks, and my folks would play math games. Math enriched us.We cooked and measured things with our moms (sewing, buttons, etc). We measured things and grouped things with our dads.{A number of my students have never even seen a yardstick, or used a measuring cup}. By doing those things, we had an ingrained “number sense” that many of my students lack. A number of my students don’t connect the integers and fractions to any real meaning. The integer and the word for a number doesn’t necessarily represent a group or a quantity to them at all.
This is similar to a student I had that had reading difficulties. He could read flawlessly, even if you gave him a 12th grade novel. The mechanics, the sentence pauses, the pronunciation, those were all done flawlessly. But he had NO idea what he had just read. This was true whether he read silently or aloud. If I asked him questions about it, he would have to re-check at least a half dozen times, even if I had him read just one sentence, and asked him a basic question about that sentence. There was no meaning attached to the words. This is something that he sort of “outgrew” a couple of years later.
Some of my students have a major disconnect in math, as I described. This makes it nearly impossible for them to memorize their math facts. We are working with counters and charts, so that they can begin to understand and retain the patterns. It mystifies me, it truly does. It frustrates my students!
4. It is no mystery to me, how they got this way, but surely is a mystery why caring adults are sending them this way. I understand, on a governmental level, why we’d want the next generation unable to function, but it seems every teacher out there just doesn’t get it.
Well, almost every…
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publisher Rodney Buike and Virtualization
When I was in Winnipeg, I had the good fortune to meet Rodney Buike at the Winnipeg IT Pro UserGroup. I also killed his Dell Laptop harddrive (which he fixed by smacking it on the desk a few times) and shared some pints of the local Fort Gary brew while debating virtualization technologies and various other topics. Rodney is a Microsoft MVP for Windows Server and the publisher of (Great Site!). He also provides content for and is working on a book on Virtual Server 2005.
He took up my challenge to provide content for the Canadian IT Pro team blog as a guest blogger - so please welcome him and his first post:
Virtualization technologies have been around for years. Vmware was one of the first to begin selling virtualization software in 1999 and in early 2003 Microsoft purchased virtual machine technologies from a company called Connectix. This purchase led to the development of Virtual PC 2004 and Virtual Server 2005.
In the past, when a user needed to use or test an application on a certain operating system (OS), the user would require a computer on which the OS could be installed which would allow them to test the application. Having to test the application on a number of different OS would require the hardware and time to install the desired operating system.
At the same time systems were becoming more and more powerful and utilized less and less. Today’s multi-GHz and multi-core CPUs, large hard disks and abundance of cheap memory provide more power than most users require. Typically, today’s computers run at about 10-15 percent utilization. By leveraging virtualization technologies, users can harness the extra power and reduce the amount of physical hardware required and instead, install multiple virtual machines with whichever combination of operating systems and applications they require.
The benefits of virtualization are easy to see. Software developers no longer need multiple physical machines, or ghosted images in order to test their applications in different operating system environments, students don’t need a pile of donated computers in order to build a lab environment and get hands on experience with new technologies and IT departments can benefit by consolidating servers and migrating legacy systems to new hardware.
Corporate system administrators can reduce costs by running multiple virtual machines, performing different tasks, on a single physical machine. By doing this, costs are reduced for both the physical hardware requirements as well as the operating system licensing needs. This also allows system administrators to utilize all the power available to them in a physical machine. For example, if an application running on a physical machine only utilizes 15% of machine resources, it would be possible to run 6 virtual machines at 90% utilization. This is a much more economical use of hardware resources.
Today more and more IT departments are looking to leverage the befits of virtualization in an effort to consolidate servers. Improvements in Virtual Server 2005 R2, such as virtual server host clustering, make the idea of virtualizing the corporate infrastructure more acceptable and appealing. If you are (or are not) using virtualization technologies drop me a line with a comment. I am very interested in hearing your reasons why (or why not) and your experiences.
Comments (2)
1. Anonymous says:
I posted my first guest post on the Canadian IT Professionals blog over at TechNet Canada. The article is a brief summary on the benfits of virtualization. Go check it out and add it to your RSS aggregator as there are some great guest bloggers over
2. Anonymous says:
Well time flies when you are having fun, and being an MVP this last year has been a blast. I got notified my term was up and that I am re-nominated and had to send in some information on what I did last year as an MVP. It got me thinking and boy was
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