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If your smartphone was allowed to be just barely awake, it could extend battery life by as much as 54 percent. That's the claim of a research team at the University of Michigan that has invented a new "subconscious mode" for smartphones and other WiFi enabled mobile devices.
Computer science and engineering professor Kang Shin and doctoral student Xinyu Zhang found that, even when devices are in a power-saving mode and not actively sending or receiving data, they're still actively listening for incoming information and spending energy looking for a clear channel of communication on busy networks. Phones in power-saving modes were found to be performing these functions up to 80 percent of the time.
"This idle listening often consumes as much power as actively sending and receiving messages all day," says Shin.
How It Works
Shin and his team developed a way for smartphones to listen more efficiently, called Energy-Minimizing Idle Listening, or E-MiLi. Basically, a piece of software would be added to smartphones to slow down the clock on the WiFi card to 1/16th its normal speed. Shin says the challenge was how to allow the phone to recognize an incoming message while it was slowed down to a crawl.
"We came up with a clever idea," Shin said. "Usually, messages come with a header, and we thought the phone could be enabled to detect this, as you can recognize that someone is calling your name even if you're 90 percent asleep."
There's a catch though. All headers would need to be encoded in this new and detectable way, and that has to occur on the sending end. Shin and his team have created new firmware to do the encoding, but it needs to be in all mobile devices on a network for E-MiLi's use to become widespread and have the maximum battery-saving impact. That means device manufacturers need to adopt the firmware modifications and incorporate new chips in their products. That's not quite as easy as downloading a new app.
Shin points out that E-MiLi would be backwards compatible, so phones without the new firmware and software would still be able to receive E-MiLi encoded messages in the future, if its use ever becomes widespread.
Shin and Zhang will be making their pitch to the industry when they present their concept next week at the ACM International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking in Las Vegas.
Follow Eric on Twitter, and at ericmack.org. Follow PC World on Twitter, too.


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Rihanna Shares Still From 'Where Have You Been' Video
It's not like we needed any further proof that future 'SNL' musical guest Rihanna is one of the hottest creatures on the planet. But the 'We Found Love' singer decided to give us more unsolicited evidence of her hotness via a still photo from her 'Where Have You Been' video. Yes, we'll take it, and marvel at RiRi's beauty.
The black and white image, which the Bajan singer shared on Facebook, is simply stunning. She is on her knees, bending backwards in what looks like an acrobatically uncomfortable position, holding her head, as a pile of hair tumbles down her back. You can't really see much of her face — just a tease of her profile — but her bangin' body is certainly enough to turn the head of any red-blooded male out there.
She is surrounded by flowers and nature, wearing a bikini top, skirt and cuff. She's a nature goddess here. As always, we're blown away by how beautiful and unconventional RiRi is in everything she does. This teaser image has us excited for the 'Where Have You Been' video, too. The countdown is on…

subset: commoncrawl


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MONDAY, Nov. 26, 2012 (HealthDay News) -- Inflatable bounce houses and moonwalks are springboards for childhood fun, but they're also the source of an alarming number of children's injuries, a new report warns.
On average, 31 children a day are transported to U.S. emergency departments for treatment of bounce-house injuries, including fractured bones and muscle damage, the study found.
"If this was an infectious disease, we'd call it an epidemic and it would be on the front pages all over the country," said study co-author Dr. Gary A. Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
"Our message is that we want children to get up off the couch and be active, but we also like to inform parents of the risks of those activities," Smith said.
As the popularity of inflatable bouncers has ballooned, so have reports of hurt children. Between 1995 and 2010, the rate of injuries jumped 15-fold, with the most rapid boost seen in the last few years of the study.
While public health officials have warned about the dangers of trampolines for years, they've paid little attention to these bouncers, which enable children to jump trampoline-style inside inflatable structures.
In the new study, published online Nov. 26 and in the December print issue of the journal Pediatrics, researchers studied emergency department records and estimated that almost 65,000 children were injured in inflatable bouncers from 1990 to 2010.
Patients were 7.5 years old on average, and the most common injuries were fractures (28 percent) and strains or sprains (27 percent), the investigators found. Concussions and cuts were more common among boys than girls, and 3 percent of the injured children required hospitalization or observation.
Injuries often followed falls -- often a child falling on another youngster -- or collisions, Smith said. In some cases, kids broke their forearms while trying to break their falls. Accidents occurred most often at sports or recreation sites (44 percent) or at someone's home (38 percent).
Dr. Richard Schwend, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' section on orthopedics and professor of orthopedics at University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, said that, in general, the injuries appeared to be minor.
"However, similar to trampolines, the potential for more severe injury is high when children are attempting stunts, or if a smaller child is being bounced by a larger child or children," he said. "I have seen cervical spine injury and paralysis when a child jumps headfirst and lands on the head."
If parents choose to let their kids play in bounce houses, they should make sure that they're 6 years or older, Smith said. An adult should supervise the activity at all times and allow only one child inside at a time. If that's not feasible, children should be of similar age and size, he pointed out.
Manufacturers, meanwhile, should look at ways to make the bounce houses safer, Smith added.
Dr. Tigran Avoian, an orthopedic surgeon at Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital who has studied the risks of bouncers, said they're "fun to use and may be safe if used properly."
However, "the importance of preventive measures to keep this attraction safe cannot be overestimated," Avoian said.
"Because children are the end users and because companies typically do not provide the supervision on rented inflatable bouncers, the burden of safety falls ultimately on the parents' shoulders," Avoian noted. "Parents should be familiar with the risks and dangers and should receive proper supervision instruction."
More information
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has details about bounce-house safety.


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In December, Dark Horse Comics will release the comic book adaptation of Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro's vampire outbreak novel series The Strain. io9 recently spoke with del Toro about this hemoglobin-obsessed miniseries, and the prolific director also tantalized us with details of his upcoming screen projects, like his mech pilot flick Pacific Rim and The Incredible Hulk TV show.
How did you come up with vampires' rather disgusting physiology? Why do they excrete while they eat?
That function comes from ticks. I've always been interested in how vampires relate to other species, particularly insects and arachnids. Ticks have a limited capacity to hold their food after they digest it, so while they're eating they're excreting, which is not a very pleasant habit. They're blood-sucking animals, so I took that from them. The physiology of these creatures, I started thinking about it before I did Cronos. I did some sketches back then, but I couldn't do it with my first movie. Some of it found a way to break through, but a lot of it stayed in my notebook and I was able to use the whole thing in The Strain.
You've adapted other writers' comic stories to film (such as Hellboy) but what was it like adapting your own work to comics?
The first thing I did was to make a very careful selection of the people doing it, which is essentially what you do as a producer. Selecting the writer and the artist was a very informed decision. I'm a big fan of both the creators. I actually wrote an introduction to [illustrator Mike Huddleston's] The Coffin and I loved [Strain writer David's Lapham's] Stray Bullets. I think Stray Bullets was one of the peaks of the early reinvention of the graphic novel. David still is one of the most brilliant minds in the medium. Chuck Hogan and I are very happy with how The Strain is evolving. We asked Dark Horse for more issues to pace the story. I'm very proud of this project, and I really hope fans enjoy it.
Have you ever pondered what you'd like to do with The Strain trilogy if you adapted it for the screen?
If we ever adapted it, we'd go for a long format, which would probably be a cable series. I want to expand the story, the characters, and their arcs rather than contract it. Even if we made three movies, you would end up with six hours to deal with all these character arcs.
What's your "del Toro creature file" like?
That's all in my notebooks. I maintain idea notebooks that tend to be project specific. I have a bunch of creature ideas — many of which have not been used — and I accumulate them until they come in handy.
The Strain and Cronos represented your spin on the vampire legend. Similarly, your upcoming Frankenstein film and Pacific Rim are the del Toro take on The Monster and mecha, respectively. What's the appeal of reenvisioning classic horror and scifi tropes?
The reality is that it comes not from a goal, but from the fact that I'm fulfilling my bucket list as a kid.
Speaking of Pacific Rim, how's that going?
Very good, we're at the end of our second week. We are shooting everything for the main complex in the movie, which is a huge complex in Hong Kong where the robots are maintained. We are doing that, while building downtown Hong Kong streets.
And how's your Incredible Hulk TV show progressing?
Very good. We delivered the screenplay to the network. I have a very specific idea of how to do it, and we're waiting for the green light. We know all the iterations of the Hulk pretty good. We've read all the essential stories, and we're then riffing on that. There are so many incarnations and ideas. Jeph Loeb — who did a good run [on Hulk: Grey] — is involved, and I love Peter David's Hulk. But there's really no part in that mythos that we don't know, so we are trying put our own personal spin on it.
With your many projects, could you see yourself doing more comic work in the future?
Not really. The way I see it is that The Strain comic allows us to expand on the novel. We provided David with chapters and ideas that were not used in the novel. David himself is putting his own spin on the story, and when he does that, we let him run with it. I'm invested in that, but even for me, it would be too much to get into another series. Every time there is a decision to be made in the series, whether it's a color palette or a layout, absolutely ever decision in the series is under my personal supervision. The deadline on the comic book demands that I respond within 24 hours of receiving the material, so I can only be involved with one series.
What works — either written or film — are really inspiring you these days?
I really enjoyed Drive and [director Kim Ji-woon's] I Saw The Devil, which is absolutely insane and brutal. I recommend it for the not faint of heart.
The first issue of The Strain will hit stands Wednesday, December 14 at the price of $1. You can watch our trailer for the series here.


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Nicklaus pulling for Tiger record _ well, sort of
AUGUSTA, Ga. – If Tiger Woods wins his 19th major championship, Jack Nicklaus wants to be there to shake his hand. Put him at the head of the line, in fact.
That said, the Golden Bear won't be all that unhappy if Woods comes up short.
"Why would I want to give up my record?" Nicklaus said Tuesday, shortly after arriving at Augusta National and wearing the green jacket he earned for capturing six Masters titles. "Why would I say that?"
Nicklaus used to say it was a mere formality that Woods would eclipse his record of 18 major titles. No one disagreed, especially after Woods hobbled to his 14th on one good leg at the 2008 U.S. Open.
He was still in his early 30s. There was plenty of time to knock out five more major titles, plenty of time to make his case as the greatest golfer ever.
Then, it all fell apart for Woods. His marriage crumbled after revelations of numerous extramarital affairs. His golf game has yet to find its form as he tries to pull off yet another major swing change.
"I think Tiger will probably break my record," Nicklaus said. "I hope I'm around to see it if he does. But nobody wants to see their record broken."
Heading into the first major of the year at the Masters, it's not a surefire bet that Woods will become the greatest major champion this sport has ever had.
"Last year was an important year," Nicklaus said, fully aware the 2010's biggest events were at courses that favored Woods' game. Augusta National. Pebble Beach. St. Andrews. All places where he's romped to dominating wins. "I knew if he won one or two, he would break the record more easily."
Woods didn't win any.
"Now," Nicklaus said Tuesday, "this year is a very important year for him."
Woods is 35 years old — in the prime of his career. But he's no longer the intimidating force he once was, the golfer who always figured out a way to win in the final round.
Nicklaus usually couches any predictions about Woods becoming the greatest major champion ever by saying, "He still has to do it." These days, those words have a lot more meaning.
"The longer it goes," Nicklaus said, referring to Woods being stuck on 14 major titles, "the tougher it's going to be. That's just simple mathematics."
Woods used to be the automatic favorite at any tournament he entered.
Not anymore.
Phil Mickelson is the defending Masters champion, and he's coming off an impressive win at Houston. He's the clear-cut choice at Augusta this week, having supplanted Woods as the one everyone else fears around this place.
"I think Phil," said PGA winner Martin Kaymer, when asked to pick between the two. "He has a good chance again."
A year ago, when Woods came to Augusta for his first tournament since his extramarital exploits were revealed, he was apologetic and sounding like someone who wanted to take his life in a new direction.
That wasn't the case Tuesday. There was an edge to his half-hour session with the media, flashes of the defiant Tiger when anyone tried to bring up the sordid exploits.
"My main focus is to get ready and be prepared and come to the first tee, be all cylinders go," Woods said. "As far as being a better person, I try to do that each and every day. That will always be the case."
No one would deny that Woods knows his way around Augusta as well as any other course.
Since turning pro and winning with a record 18-under score in 1997, he's never missed the cut and hasn't been lower than sixth in the past six years.
Even last year, coming back from a sex scandal and playing for the first time in five months, Woods was in contention on the final day and finished in a tie for fourth.
But he hasn't been able to follow up the promise his game showed that week. He wasn't a serious contender at the last three majors, and now he's no longer considered the man to beat.
That's not to say the other golfers are dismissing Tiger. Just ask Martin Kaymer, now holding the title as the world's top-ranked golfer.
"Obviously, he has won here many times," the German said. "You should never forget about him."
Woods hasn't exactly been hacking it up at Augusta. He also has three wins over the last 10 years, and that doesn't include his record 12-shot victory as a 21-year-old in 1997. But it was Mickelson who made 18 birdies last weekend at the Houston Open to win by three shots, his first victory since last year's Masters.
"I felt like that golf was in me this year, but I haven't been getting it out," Mickelson said. "I haven't had the same type of mental focus throughout the round that I expect. So to be able to have that type of performance heading into here feels very good. Reminds me a lot of 2006, when I was able to put it together the week before and carry the momentum through."
Woods doesn't have any momentum.
And Nicklaus is sounding a bit more confident about his record.


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Cleveland Browns WR Josh Gordon Failed Another Drug Test
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, who was suspended for the entire 2015 season, failed an additional drug test in March, FOX Sports' Mike Garafolo reports.
Gordon's sample tested positive for trace amounts of marijuana, but it was the presence of dilute that triggered the positive test, Garafolo reports.
Gordon applied for reinstatement in January. He sat out all of last season after testing positive for alcohol, which was his third violation of the league's substance abuse policy. It is not yet clear how the latest test might affect an eventual reinstatement decision by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
At the NFL scouting combine in February, Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said the team was saving a roster space for Gordon.
"We're very limited in terms of what we can do with communication and contact with Josh," Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said Thursday at the NFL scouting combine. "Josh, we know, is working out and, by all signs, he's on the path to come back and be reinstated. It's a process that the team is not involved with. We will leave that, and I will not comment on that, but Josh is a tremendously talented young man."
Gordon led the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards in 2013 but has played in just five games since then. On Monday, ESPN reported he was living with former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Jeron Artest Wishes Kobe Bryant Happy Birthday With Inspirational Instagram Post
Jeron Artest Wishes Kobe Bryant Happy Birthday With Inspirational Instagram Post. This year of 2020, would have been the 42nd birthday of world renowned athlete, the late Kobe Bryant.
Jeron Artest Wishes Kobe Bryant Happy Birthday With Inspirational Instagram Post. This year of 2020, would have been the 42nd birthday of world renowned athlete, the late Kobe Bryant. Along with many other people paying tribute to the Los Angeles Lakers Legend was Jeron Artest, son of Metta World Peace who won a championship in 2010 with Kobe before they both retired separately a few years later. Jeron Artest, currently a division I college basketball player in the NCAA, dedicated a few words on his instagram profile to go with a time lapse video by #PaintedWorld of a billboard size mural in his idol's memory.
Kobe has influenced practically everyone who loves basketball, whether loved or not, he was a universal force who certainly influenced Jeron as he began organized basketball as a young player. Born in 2001, Jeron was able to witness Kobe flourish at the height of his career playing in the famous purple and gold uniform at the new Staples Center in Downtown L.A. apart of L.A. Live. Jeron first met Kobe in 2006 when his father played with the Sacramento Kings against the Lakers before joining them later in 2009.
Watch the Kobe Bryant Tribute Video on Jeron's instagram post below. View the hashtags #MambaForever, #MambaMentality, #MambaOut for more posts about the Black Mamba a.k.a. Kobe Bryant. Happy Birthday Kobe!
Kobe was aboard a helicopter along with his 13 year old daughter Gianna Gigi Bryant and 7 other people in Calabasas, California. The crash also claimed the lives of Payton Chester, 13; Sarah Chester, 45; Alyssa Altobelli, 14; Keri Altobelli, 46; John Altobelli, 56; Christina Mauser, 38; and the helicopter's pilot, Ara Zobayan, 50. Kobe Bryant had retired in 2016 and was just 41 years old.
View this post on Instagram
You are one of the greatest inspirations in my life. You have blessed so many of us like my family. I strive to bring out my competitiveness just like you did every single time you stepped on the court. Not only did you show prominence on the court, you excelled off the court as well. You're the best example of an athlete that can learn and do more than just play his sport, and as to many you've inspired me through my whole life. Artist: #PaintedWorld @themayacarandang
NFL Shockingly Decides Not to Suspend Chiefs Star Tyreek Hill Following Child Abuse Investigation
In a shocking twist of events, the NFL announced Friday it would not suspend Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill following a four-month investigation into the wide receiver's family situation.
Hill was under scrutiny for alleged child abuse after an audio recording was leaked to a television station featuring Hill and his fiancee Crystal Espinal discussing aggressive discipline of their child together.
Previously it was reported the Chiefs were "hopeful" that Hill might not be suspended and they were eyeing a max of four games for the wide receiver.
Legal authorities ultimately decided not to charge Hill, although they did say they believe a crime was committed by someone in the matter.
"This office has reviewed all the evidence and has declined to file charges against Tyreek Hill and Crystal Espinal," Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said. "We are deeply troubled by the situation. We believe a crime has occurred; however, the evidence in this case doesn't establish who committed a crime."
The NFL issued a lengthy statement on the situation, noting that no one at the league office can "conclude that Mr. Hill violated the Personal Conduct Policy." Additionally, the league said that "information developed in the court proceeding is confidential and has not been shared with us."
In its statement, the league did add that if "further information becomes available" Hill could face a suspension.
Perhaps that could involve a discussion with Espinal? According to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the league did not speak with Hill's fiancee during the course of its investigation.
That's surprising — the league cannot compel a non-employee to participate in its investigation, but it's surprising the league would not lean on Hill some to have Espinal speak to the NFL's investigators.
Here is the league's statement in full:
Over the past four months, we have conducted a comprehensive investigation of allegations regarding Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Throughout this investigation, the NFL's primary concern has been the well-being of the child.
Our understanding is that the child is safe and that the child's ongoing care is being directed and monitored by the Johnson County District Court and the Johnson County Department for Children and Families.
In conducting our investigation, we have taken great care to ensure that we do not interfere with the county's proceedings or compromise the privacy or welfare of the child in any way.
The information developed in the court proceeding is confidential and has not been shared with us, and the court has sealed all law enforcement records. Local law enforcement authorities have publicly advised that the available evidence does not permit them to determine who caused the child's injuries.
Similarly, based on the evidence presently available, the NFL cannot conclude that Mr. Hill violated the Personal Conduct Policy.
Accordingly, he may attend Kansas City's training camp and participate in all club activities. He has been and will continue to be subject to conditions set forth by the District Court, Commissioner Goodell, and the Chiefs, which include clinical evaluation and therapeutic intervention.
If further information becomes available through law enforcement, the pending court proceeding, or other sources, we will promptly consider it and take all appropriate steps at that time.
Obviously the safety and well being of the child is the No. 1 concern here, but Hill is one of the best players in football and a unique talent, and this suspension — or lack thereof — does affect Hill and the Chiefs from a pure football standpoint.
On the field
From a football standpoint, getting Hill back for the entire season is a massive win for Kansas City. The Chiefs lost Kareem Hunt last year after they released the running back in the wake of video, emerging when TMZ uncovered it, showing Hunt assaulting a woman in a hotel hallway.
A few months ago it felt as if Hill could suffer a similar fate as it relates to the Chiefs roster.
Now he's going to play the entire year barring new evidence popping up, and it means the Chiefs will be as close as possible to full speed offensively.
Hill changes how teams game-plan against the Chiefs, and he's a matchup nightmare. Patrick Mahomes' odds of repeating as MVP only increase with this news.
It looked like the Chiefs might enter Week 1 with Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson and 2019 second-round pick Mecole Hardman as their top receivers on the depth chart, assuming Hill was missing due to a suspension. With the news that Hill is back, the Chiefs offense looks loaded again. Watkins is a great second wide receiver option, and with Hill and Travis Kelce on the field as well as Damien Williams in the backfield, Mahomes and KC will be an offensive force to be reckoned with.
The Chiefs were already the favorites to win the AFC West, but a lot of people were getting on board the Chargers bandwagon. Expect that to flip back some. The regression chatter with Mahomes should slow down as well if he gets a full season of Hill.
Throwing for 5,000 passing yards and 50 passing touchdowns is not the most likely scenario, simply because of how difficult it is to actually produce back to back seasons like that, but Hill makes those lofty totals much more achievable.
Fantasy football
Hill is now a first-round pick in fantasy, according to Heath Cummings. Heath pegs Hill as early as the fifth overall pick in a PPR league and a late first-round pick in non PPR leagues. The diminutive wide receiver was going as late as the fourth round in recent drafts, with uncertainty about his future playing a key role in people not wanting to invest in him as a high pick. The prevailing logic had Hill facing somewhere between a four- and six-game suspension, but now that he's in the clear, he should be expected to produce something similar to last year's 1,479-yard season.
Contract talks
Hill and the Chiefs were, by all accounts, getting pretty close on a new mega extension for the wide receiver in the wake of his All-Pro season in 2018. However, according to a report from James Palmer of NFL Media, it is going to be "several weeks, if not months" before the two sides start talking again. Any new deal, per Palmer, would likely "have some very specific language within it" relating to Hill's off-field actions. Any sort of massive deal that the wideout gets — and he'll get one, because ultimately talent wins out in the NFL — would ostensibly have outs for the Chiefs if Hill violates the Personal Conduct Policy.
It would be exceptionally odd of the Chiefs to storm forward with contract talks. They can still utilize the franchise tag on Hill and let things play out with his court situation and with the NFL before agreeing to commit a large degree of financial investment to the wideout.
U.S. Women's Soccer Team Win 2019 World Cup Over the Netherlands in 2-0 Final
The U.S. women's national soccer team proved their dominance at the 2019 Women's World Cup by defeating the Netherlands 2-0 on Sunday in the championship match.
The victory in Lyon, France — capping an unrivaled run and capturing the world's attention — marks both the fourth world title and back-to-back wins for the U.S. women after taking home the trophy in 1991, 1999 and 2015.
The first half of the game went scoreless, with co-captain Megan Rapinoe earning the first goal of the game with a penalty kick at the 61-minute mark. Just before the 69-minute mark, midfielder Rose Lavelle, 24, scored the second goal.
"It's surreal," Rapinoe, 34, said after the win. "I don't know how to feel right now. It's ridiculous."
Following the victory, Rapinoe was awarded the Golden Boot for the most goals scored in the shortest amount of time.
Rapinoe and teammate Alex Morgan both scored six goals and had three assists, but Rapinoe's goals were scored in 394 minutes compared to Morgan's 445 minutes, the BBC reported.
After Sunday's win, the internet exploded with praise for the U.S. Women's National Team.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton congratulated them with a tweet, as well as first lady Melania Trump and tennis star Billie Jean King, who added a call for the women to receive equal pay to their male counterparts.
"It is long past time to pay them what they rightly deserve," King wrote.
Congratulations to the #USWNT on their 4th World Cup win! These athletes have brought more attention, support, & pride to women's sport than perhaps any other team in history. It is long past time to pay them what they rightly deserve. 🇺🇸🏆🏆🏆🏆 #USAvNED #WorldCupfinal #EqualPay
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) July 7, 2019
Congratulations to 2019 Women's World Cup Champions @TeamUSA! ⚽🇺🇸
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) July 7, 2019
World champs—again!! To the amazing women of the #USWNT: Thank you for playing like girls. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/GWlLR0nwcX
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 7, 2019
Yes! Fourth star. Back to back. Congrats to the record breakers on the @USWNT, an incredible team that's always pushing themselves—and the rest of us—to be even better. Love this team. #OneNationOneTeam
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 7, 2019
We will be watching! Go USA! https://t.co/YV0w7cG5KW
— Mia Hamm (@MiaHamm) July 7, 2019
YAASS QUEENS!!#OneNationOneTeam
— Gritty (@GrittyNHL) July 7, 2019
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted that a parade would be held on Wednesday for the women's team.
The U.S. women's national team roared onto the field during the group stage of the World Cup, defeating Thailand, 13-0. They continued to trounce their competitors throughout the games in France.
The win comes after a season that was marked by increasing visibility of LGBTQ athletes, controversy, calls for equal pay, and public battles against President Donald Trump.
In June, Rapinoe said in a recorded interview that she would decline to visit the White House if invited by Trump. In a video clip shared on social media, Rapinoe told a reporter, "I'm not going to the f—ing White House."
🇺🇸 1 – 0 🇳🇱 | #USAvNED pic.twitter.com/EOOxSmfc5d
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 7, 2019
Goal GOALS. #USAvNED pic.twitter.com/Lcjxa0R7nl
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 7, 2019
She added that Trump doesn't invite teams he knows will decline or "like he did when the Warriors turned him down, he'll claim they hadn't been invited in the first place."
Trump later responded in a series of tweets, saying he would invite the women's team win or lose, but adding a rebuke for Rapinoe.
"I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women's Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job!" Trump wrote.
Rapinoe later accepted a Twitter invitation from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., to visit the U.S. House of Representatives.
"It may not be the White House, but we'd be happy to welcome @mPinoe & the entire #USWMNT for a tour of the House of Representatives anytime they'd like," Ocasio-Cortez said.
Two hours later, Rapinoe replied to the tweet, accepting the invitation.
"Consider it done @AOC," Rapinoe wrote.
The U.S. women's team not only stirred up drama off the field, but also on it. The high-scoring game against Thailand led some to criticize how they ran up the score and appeared arrogant by celebrating too much.
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What is the expert consensus on whether the death penalty deters murders—or instead increases them through a cultural "brutalization effect"?
What is the expert consensus on whether permitting citizens to carry concealed handguns in the public increases homicide—or instead decreases it by discouraging violent predation?
According to the National Research Council, the research arm of the National Academy of Sciences, the expert consensus answer to these two questions is the same:
It's just not possible to say, one way or the other.
Last April (way back in 2012), an expert NRC panel charged with determining whether the "available evidence provide[s] a reasonable basis for drawing conclusions" about the impact of the death penalty
concluded that research to date on the effect of capital punishment on homicide is not informative about whether capital punishment decreases, increases, or has no effect on homicide rates. Therefore, the committee recommends that these studies not be used to inform deliberations requiring judgments about the effect of the death penalty on homicide. Consequently, claims that research demonstrates that capital punishment decreases or increases the homicide rate by a specified amount or has no effect on the homicide rate should not influence policy judgments.
Way way back in 2004 (surely new studies have come out since, right?), the expert panel assigned to assess the "strengths and limitations of the existing research and data on gun violence,"
found no credible evidence that the passage of right-to-carry laws decreases or increases violent crime, and there is almost no empirical evidence that the more than 80 prevention programs focused on gun-related violence have had any effect on children's behavior, knowledge, attitudes, or beliefs about firearms. The committee found that the data available on these questions are too weak to support unambiguous conclusions or strong policy statements.
The expert panels' determinations, moreover, were based not primarily on the volume of data available on these questions but rather on what both panels saw as limitations inherent in the methods that criminologists have relied on in analyzing this evidence.
In both areas, this literature consists of multivariate regression models. As applied in this context, multivariate regression seeks to extract the causal impact of criminal laws by correlating differences in law with differences in crime rates "controlling for" the myriad other influences that could conceivably be contributing to variation in homicide across different places or within a single place over time.
Inevitably, such analyses involve judgment calls. They are models that, like many statistical models, must make use of imprecise indicators of unobserved and unobservable influences, the relationship of which to one another must be specified based on a theory that is itself independent of any evidence in the model.
The problem, for both the death penalty and concealed-carry law regression studies, is that results come out differently depending on how one constructs the models.
"The specification of the death penalty variables in the panel models varies widely across the research and has been the focus of much debate," the NRC capital punishment panel observed. "The research has demonstrated that different death penalty sanction variables, and different specifications of these variables, lead to very different deterrence estimates—negative and positive, large and small, both statistically significant and not statistically significant."
That's exactly the same problem that the panel charged with investigating concealed-carrry laws focused on:
The committee concludes that it is not possible to reach any scientifically supported conclusion because of (a) the sensitivity of the empirical results to seemingly minor changes in model specification, (b) a lack of robustness of the results to the inclusion of more recent years of data (during which there were many more law changes than in the earlier period), and (c) the statistical imprecision of the results.
This problem, both panels concluded, is intrinsic to the mode of analysis being employed. It can't be cured with more data; it can only be made worse as one multiplies the number of choices that can be made about what to put in and what to leave out of the necessarily complex models that must be constructed to account for the interplay of all the potential influences involved.
"There is no empirical basis for choosing among these [model] specifications," the NRC death penalty panel wrote.
[T]here has been heated debate among researchers about them…. This debate, however, is not based on clear and principled arguments as to why the probability timing that is used corresponds to the objective probability of execution, or, even more importantly, to criminal perceptions of that probability. Instead, researchers have constructed ad hoc measures of criminal perceptions. . . .
Even if the research and data collection initiatives discussed in this chapter are ultimately successful, research in both literatures share a common characteristic of invoking strong, often unverifiable, assumptions in order to provide point estimates of the effect of capital punishment on homicides.
The NRC gun panel said the same thing:
It is also the committee's view that additional analysis along the lines of the current literature is unlikely to yield results that will persuasively demonstrate a causal link between right-to-carry laws and crime rates (unless substantial numbers of states were to adopt or repeal right-to-carry laws), because of the sensitivity of the results to model specification. Furthermore, the usefulness of future crime data for studying the effects of right-to-carry laws will decrease as the time elapsed since enactment of the laws increases. If further headway is to be made on this question, new analytical approaches and data sets will need to be used.
So to be sure, the NRC reached its "no credible evidence" conclusion on right-to-carry laws way back in 2004. But its conclusion was based on "the complex methodological problems inherent in" regression analysis–the same methodological problem that were the basis of the NRC's 2012 conclusion that death penalty studies are "not informative" and "should not influence policy judgments."
Nothing's changed on that score. The experts at the National Academy of Sciences either are right or they are wrong to treat multivariate regression analysis as an invalid basis for inference about the effects of criminal law.
The reasoning here is all pretty basic, pretty simple, something that any educated, motivated person could figure out by sitting down with the reports for a few hours (& who wouldn't want to do that?!).
Yet all of this has clearly evaded the understanding of many extremely intelligent, extremely influential participants in our national political conversation.
I'll pick on the New York Times, not because it is worse than anyone else but because it's the newspaper I happen to read everyday.
Just the day before yesterday, it said this in an editorial about the NRC's capital punishment report:
A distinguished committee of scholars convened by the National Research Council found that there is no useful evidence to determine if the death penalty deters serious crimes. Many first-rate scholars have tried to prove the theory of deterrence, but that research "is not informative about whether capital punishment increases, decreases, or has no effect on homicide rates," the committee said.
Okay, that's right.
But here is what the Times' editorial page editor said the week before last about concealed carry laws:
Of the many specious arguments against gun control, perhaps the most ridiculous is that what we really need is the opposite: more guns, in the hands of more people, in more places. If people were packing heat in the movies, at workplaces, in shopping malls and in schools, they could just pop up and shoot the assailant. . . . I see it differently: About the only thing more terrifying than a lone gunman firing into a classroom or a crowded movie theater is a half a dozen more gunmen leaping around firing their pistols at the killer, which is to say really at each other and every bystander. It's a police officer's nightmare. . . . While other advanced countries have imposed gun control laws, America has conducted a natural experiment in what happens when a society has as many guns as people. The results are in, and they're not counterintuitive.
Wait a sec…. What about the NRC report? Didn't it tell us that the "results are in" and that "it is not possible to reach any scientifically supported conclusion" on whether concealed carry laws increase or decrease crime?
I know the New York Times is aware of the NRC's expert consensus report on gun violence. It referred to the report in an editorial just a couple days earlier.
In that one, it called on Congress to enact a national law that would require the 35 states that now have permissive "shall issue" laws—ones that mandate officials approve the application of any person who doesn't have a criminal record or history of mental illness—to "set higher standards for granting permits for concealed weapons." "Among the arguments advanced for these irresponsible statutes," it observed,
is the claim that 'shall issue' laws have played a major role in reducing violent crime. But the National Research Council has thoroughly discredited this argument for analytical errors. In fact, the legal scholar John Donohue III and others have found that from 1977 to 2006, 'shall issue' laws increased aggravated assaults by "roughly 3 to 5 percent each year.
Yes, the NRC concluded that there was "no credible evidence" that concealed carry laws reduce crime.
But as I pointed out, what it said was that it "found no credible evidence that the passage of right-to-carry laws decreases or increases violent crime." So why shouldn't we view the Report as also "thoroughly discrediting" the Times editorial's conclusion that those laws"seem almost designed to encourage violence?"
And, yes, the NRC can be said (allowing for loose translation of more precise and measured language) to have found "analytical errors" in the studies that purported to show shall issue laws reduce crime.
But those "analytical errors," as I've pointed out, involve the use of multivariate regression analysis to try to figure out the impact of concealed carry laws. That's precisely the sort of analysis used in the Donohue study that the Times identifies as finding shall issue laws increased violent crime.
The "analytical errors" that the Times refers to are inherent in the use of multivariate regression analysis to try to understand the impact criminal laws on homicide rates.
That's why the NRC's 2012 death penalty report said that findings based on this methodology are "not informative" and "should be ignored for policy analysis."
The Times, as I said, got that point. But only when it was being made about studies that show the death penalty deters murder, and not when it was being made about studies that find concealed carry laws increase crime….
This post is not about concealed carry laws (my state has one; I wish it didn't) or the death penalty (I think it is awful).
It is about the obligation of opinion leaders not to degrade the value of scientific evidence as a form of currency in our public deliberations.
In an experimental study, the CCP found that citizens of diverse cultural outlooks all believe that "scientific consensus" is consistent with the position that predominates within their group on climate change, concealed carry laws, and nuclear power. Members of all groups were correct – 33% of the time.
How do ordinary people (ones like you & me, included) become so thoroughly confused about these things?
The answer, in part, is that they are putting their trust in authoritative sources of information—opinion leaders—who furnish them with a distorted, misleading picture of what the best available scientific evidence really is.
The Times, very appropriately, has published articles that attack the NRA for seeking to block federal funding of the scientific study of firearms and homicide. Let's not mince words: obstructing scientific investigation aimed at promoting society's collective well-being is a crime in the Liberal Republic of Science.
But so is presenting an opportunistically distorted picture of what the state of that evidence really is.
The harm that such behavior causes, moreover, isn't limited to the confusion that such a practice creates in people who (like me!) rely on opinion leaders to tell us what scientists really believe.
It includes as well the cynicism it breeds about whether claims about scientific consensus mean anything at all. One day someone is bashing his or her opponents over the head for disputing or distorting "scientific consensus"—and the next day that same someone can be shown (incontrovertibly and easily) to be ignoring or distorting it too.
By the way, John Donohue is a great scholar, one of the greatest empirical analysts of public policy ever.
Both of the NRC expert consensus reports that I've cited conclude that studies he and other econometricians have done are "not informative" for policy because of what those reports view as insuperable methodological problems with multivariate analysis as a tool for understanding the impact of law on crime.
Donohue disagrees, and continues to write papers reanalyzing the data that the NRC (in its firearms study) said are inherently inconclusive because of "complex methodological problems" inherent in the statistical techniques that Donohue used, and continues to use, to analyze them.
But that's okay.
You know what one calls a scientist who disputes "scientific consensus"?
A scientist.
But that's for another day.


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Archive for July, 2016
TestApproved launches, offers a new, on-demand way to test web pages and entire sites quickly at low cost
Posted by Internet Business Press in TestApproved, Uncategorized on July 5, 2016
TestApproved is for use by independent web designers, SME and large Ecommerce operations, digital agencies and public sector website developers
Wakefield, July 5th 2016. Businesses are now able to test small and large sections of their website quickly and cost effectively thanks to TestApproved – testapproved.com – which launches today. An affordable alternative to costly traditional testing projects, TestApproved has individual page tests from as little as £50 and end to end checkout tests all the way up to full site testing conducted by experienced, UK based testers.
TestApproved provides a new, on-demand way of testing by dispensing with contracts and briefs and allowing customers to pick and choose online what they want tested – and giving them the option to purchase different testing credit bundles. The offering includes bigger discounts on larger credit bundles. Alternatively, customers can pay as they go without purchasing credits.
"The service is a perfect solution for digital agencies to outsource to because it provides a healthy balance between flexibility, resource management and price sensitivity," says TestApproved Managing Director James Hepton.
"Traditional human testing of web pages can be time consuming and come with briefs, specs and high costs. TestApproved is the complete opposite. It's quick and inexpensive making it ideal for checking a website or any part of it prior to launch or after an update.
"And by not being tied to a contract, customers can pick and chose from a menu whenever they want and at any time in the 24-hour cycle, without having to worry about contractual obligations."
Varying levels of testing scrutiny are available across Basic, Standard and Premium checklists. Included checks range from basic content, links and mobile friendly tests to descriptions and sitemaps all the way up to the more technical elements such as SSL certificates, CSS, HTML and JavaScript, and more.
Testing reports are delivered through the website's easy to use bug tracking service with every customer having its own private access. Customers have the option to be emailed every time a new issue or bug is found or a recommendation is made.
Hepton says, "We've worked hard to bring something to market that allows people to test the most commonly changed elements of their site easily and cost-effectively, with no time wasted on briefs and contracts. TestApproved is a genuine breakthrough in bringing on-demand, commonly required testing solutions to the mass market.
"Our test menus are produced and conducted by experienced people who have been building websites their entire career. As a result, we're able to make recommendations around content, structure and general best practice."
Hepton adds, "While our core products are complemented by a fully bespoke test creation for larger orders, the primary focus of TestApproved is on reducing the cost of everyday testing requirements. We all know how tight resource can be sometimes when having to get multiple projects over the line but too often critical testing gets overlooked. With TestApproved it needn't be."
A free trial without obligation is available at testapproved.com offering free credits to experience the process before making any commitments. "TestApproved can help make websites better with unbiased, fresh eyes," says Hepton. "Our free trial allows users to find that out for themselves, at no cost."
More at testapproved.com or email email@example.com
Tel 01924 658658


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God undid me and then put me back together again. Sometimes it's hard to realize that in order for a house in ruin to be fully restored, it must be torn down so as to begin with a more solid foundation. There is a part of me that feels like this is what Inner Healing has done for me. This form of "therapy" isn't really therapy. It healing. It goes to the foundation and helps to bring about full restoration. I have not been fully restored all at once, but in layers.
I have begun to uncover so many agreements I have made with the "father of lies" and in doing so I had given him and his minions permission to oppress me in so many ways. With inner healing I have been shown that when I am brave enough to trust the builder, my reward will be not just a new and sturdy house but God desires to give me a mansion.
The first thing I had to do was to become vulnerable. That might sound easy when you read the words a crossed the page but for me it was like having the Ren and Stimpy cartoon when they pluck the roots out of the tooth sockets. It was beyond painful.
I felt like someone had stripped me naked in front of a bunch of strangers and I had to stand before them in my nakedness. Then I realized, that I had to go back to the garden and become naked like Adam and Eve were before the fall. If I would be willing to become naked without shame, then I would discover what it truly means to enter into the words "Jesus, I trust in You".
Trust is about being vulnerable. Unless I was willing to be vulnerable, I would never fully enter into trusting God. I thought I trusted God, but I was not relinquishing my control over the direction of my life nor that of my families.
I had come to this retreat to get some healing. I couldn't go home and face all the trials of my life without it! That morning the readings were about "ask and the door will be opened" kind of stuff.
Really? I thought to myself, what a joke. I have been asking for years so where are you? I began to get angry as I listened to scripture saying that God desires to heal us and help us and love us. I guess that means for other people and not for me then. The rage was welling up inside of me. I had to get out of there. The facilitator asked what our reflections were on the readings for the morning. You can bet that I let him have it.
"I think it's a crock of shit" I said. "All the hemorrhaging woman had to do was to touch His garment, what do I have to do?" I screamed.
"Well, the hemorrhaging woman bled for 12 years" said the facilitator.
"Even Lazarus had to wait 3 days before he was raised from the dead" was another response.
"Well, I was sexually abused when I was 3 and I am 41 now so I think I have been waiting long enough" I snapped back.
Their comments, although meant to reassure me, just infuriated me more. For every scripture verse they had to why it was justified that I had not received any relief yet, I had two more as to why God promised He would show up when He is needed.
I left the group and stormed up the stairs to my room. As soon as I got to my room, I let Him have it.
I yelled at God and told Him how upset I was. I into the bathroom and punched the shower curtain until my knuckles bled (yes, I know it was a temper tantrum).
As I began to lose steam, I yelled out the words; "What do I have to do for you to fucking show up? Lose Control??"
That is when I heard the very small words; "yes".
My first thought was; "What? Give up control? Hell No!"
What if God doesn't show up? If I am not in control then all hell will break lose! Is God crazy? It will be a death spiral into chaos! Besides, to give up control I would have to be vulnerable. I would have to open myself to the unknown. I can't do that! I am not ready for that! He can't be asking me for that!
"Vulnerable" is not a word that anyone who has known me would use to describe me. I have prided myself on being self-sufficient. My entire life I have taken care of my family and myself because I felt that no one else could be trusted to do it. The thought of relinquishing control and allowing God to take the reigns terrified me.
As I considered the impending doom that would await me if I even contemplated being vulnerable, I saw an image in my imagination of myself on a horse drawn carriage. I had one rein and God had the other. The carriage was all over the place. I guess letting God have one rein was a great first step but by not giving Him both reigns I was going nowhere fast. I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me to consider giving God both reins, at least for this week so He could show me His plan and that He could be trusted.
Could I do that? Well, I am miserable living the way I am so I have nothing to lose. So I stepped out in fear and consented. I decided anytime I felt Him prompt me, I would submit to being vulnerable. Honestly, I was a little excited to see what this would feel like. I was in a safe place to do this so the circumstances of my experiment seemed worthy of effort.
There is an extraordinary video that a woman at this healing retreat shared with me by Brene Brown entitled "The Power of Vulnerability". It was this video that gave me the courage to embrace vulnerability and then and only then could healing be possible. I should note that she also has a second video that is even better (but needs to be watched after her vulnerability video) entitled "Listening To Shame".
The first morning of my Inner Healing course I would be asked to submit control. I was asked to participate in a living sculpture of the trinity. At one point I was asked to enter into the sculpture. I was asked to rest my head on the "Father's" chest while the " Son" would embrace me from the front and the "Holy Spirit" was supporting and hugging me from behind. It felt awkward and feigned. I began resenting the fact that I had agreed to submit to being vulnerable.
|"A quiet moment" Sculpture
To make matters worse I was sobbing uncontrollably. It felt like everyone watching must surely think I was a basket case and needed psychiatric care. I could not express in words what my heart ached with or was crying out so I asked them; "Can I show you what I feel?" The facilitator nodded his head.
I dropped to the floor and laid in a ball in front of the "Father". I held his ankles and laid my face upon his feet. His feet became wet with my tears and wiped them with my hair. The room and the people in it disappeared (See the above picture by Mr. Johnson because it is an image of exactly how I felt at that moment).
I remained there sobbing and thought of Mary Magdalene and wished I had expensive perfumed oils to offer. All I could think of was my desire for the Father to love me. I thought to myself, I am not worthy to stand and face you but surely I am worthy to lie at your feet? There is a great book that describes the scene of Mary Magdalene at Jesus' feet (besides the bible of course) that describes it so very beautifully.
The scene of Mary Magdalene encountering Jesus is described in Michele Perry's book "Love Has a Face" as thus:
"She spent her life earning a living by selling false love to any who would buy it. But the Man before her now was different. He looked passed her reputation to her very soul. His eyes had no agenda, no desire to use her. They probed the deepest crevices of her pain but she saw no loathing, no hatred, and no condemnation. How could this be? She saw only compassion and mercy mingled with sadness at what He knew she had suffered. She looked away. She did not know what to do in the face of love that held no guile or hidden motive. Yet her gaze drew back to this Man they called Teacher. Her heart compelled her.
Could it really be true? One more time their gazes locked. She could not look away again even if she tried. How could she return even a drop of the ocean of love in which He washed her that day? It was inappropriate to be sure. It was in the middle of an important dinner for which she had no invitation. And it was not in the proper manner. She could scarcely believe she had just barged right into the middle of the room. It was absolutely undignified yet she was compelled by His love. She washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. It costs her everything, every shred of dignity and year's wages gone in an instant as she poured out her precious perfume.
Did they know how this amount had been earned? She shuddered at the thought but it was fleeting. The look in His eyes again captured her heart. The room disappeared. The jeering looks and accusations faded as He filled all her vision.
Wasteful. Indignant. Extravagance poured over this Man the only Man who ever showed her the face of love. How could she not pour out her everything on Him? Love outpoured overtook the gathering. The fragrance of intoxicating overpowering adoration that gave all it had and risked all it was filled the room. Inappropriate. Indecent. Scandalous. Wasteful.
But Jesus-what did he do? He accepted it. He defended it. He applauded it. He cherished it. He recorded it for all time"pg 47
I have been praying for receptivity to the Holy Spirit for the past two years. I was now being able to see that vulnerability is. It is the predicator to receptivity. This is what I was seeking.
Why was I so afraid of vulnerability? Why did I see vulnerability as weakness?
It was then that I got the answer. I saw a picture in my mind of me at 3 years of age, lying naked on a waterbed being sexually abused by "Al" the babysitter.
Of Course! I had made the agreement that vulnerability means losing your rights and being unprotected. You cannot get more vulnerable than being three years old, naked and being sexually assaulted in a strange place. Even if I could have gotten away where would I have gone? I was alone and had no idea how to get home. This was vulnerability to me. I had decided at three years old that being vulnerable meant being violated, assaulted and victimized. I thought the only person that could be trusted to protect me was myself because others cannot be counted upon. It was this lie that I had decided to believe that set me up to be a woman that could not be vulnerable. I had misunderstood what being vulnerable means. I had thought to be a vulnerable woman would become a woman that was weak.
Mary Magdalene was not weak, she was brave. She was brave enough to believe that Christ would accept her and her offering. She marched a crossed that floor and she opened herself in a very vulnerable way. She was not assaulted there nor did she become violated. In fact, it was her lifestyle that violated her and stripped her of her dignity. Here, in her willingness to expose herself she was having her dignity restored. That's when it hit me. If I was willing to become naked in the same way then could I be healed too? Was I resisting being vulnerability because I was still consumed by shame? What is shame? What does it mean to say that Adam and Eve were naked without shame? Could it be that I must be willing to willingly become naked in front of God so that in that voluntary vulnerability I could finally experience healing? Yes, I think I needed to relinquish control so that I could let God lead me. If I could do that, it would be the beginning of learning to trust Him.
Control has been my lover for the last 41 years. It has made me feel strong, competent and has soothed my anxieties like drugs for a junkie. If I could not deal with how something was happening, I would take control. Want to know how that has worked out for me? Let's just say I have burned a lot of bridges in my life using control as a coping mechanism. Being vulnerable meant I would have to give up control. This was going to be harder than I thought.
One of the nights I was at the Healing retreat I had a dream about what this control was doing in my marriage. In the dream I was about to be attacked by a large deformed dog. It was about to crush my skull in it's oversized jaws. My husband was standing in front of me, raising his fist to strike the dog beast down. I watched, as he seemed to be slowly puffed up with air. He was getting larger and larger but he did not release raised fist to strike the dog. Fear began to well up inside of me. I had to take over. I began to scream at him.
"What are you doing? Hit the dog!!! He is going to kill me! Shawn! Whats wrong with you?! Hit the dog!"
As I continued to yell at him, I watched as the air began to go out of him and he grew smaller and smaller with every scream.
Then it was our daughter Mercedes sitting in my place. She is our 8 year old daughter and she is a tiny, petite , little flibertyjibbit. Surely he would rise to the occasion for his daughter?
I sat powerless to help her. Once again he began to fill up, growing taller and larger. His fist rose up higher and larger. My fear that the dog would strike before Shawn would act burst out of me again. I began to yell and holler at him to hit the dog. The louder I yelled, the smaller my husband became.
The next morning I thought about the dream. I realized that my desire to control as well as my refusal to be vulnerable was emasculating my husband. I had stripped him of feeling adequate, worthy or even capable of doing, well…anything.
Could it be that me controlling the family and all of our decision was stealing his joy, his purpose, his worthiness? If he were in that role, would he in fact become a more beautiful husband and father? I then thought about how the man is the "head" and the woman is the "heart".
I honestly believe that for a woman to operate in the head, she must make her heart covered in stone. A woman is made to flow from the heart. Even scientists and psychiatrists will tell you that a man has the ability to think through stressful situations and assess them cognitively without being drawn into the affect. He can then compartmentalize them and rank them in according to purpose and then deal with the decisions that flow from it.
Women usually think on things simultaneously. For me to put myself into the very stressful role of dealing with all of the difficult decisions (that come from the head) I had to shut off my heart or else I would have internally combusted. I had made my heart into stone. No wonder I had a hard time hugging and kissing my children! I had to turn off the affect so I could get things done! I had a house to run and finances to sort out and decisions to make and stress to deal with! I had no time for snuggling and comforting children.
It' somewhat ironic that I went to Florida to find out why I have a hard time showing affection and ended up dealing with the very thing that the root or cause. I thought about how arguing with the HVAC guy or electrical guy or the bank guy etc, was making me into a hardened woman not a vulnerable one. I could not be both. I was not made for being a manipulative woman that always found a way to get what she wanted or needed. I was made to love and be loved.
I now had to ask myself the question is there a spiritual aspect of this issue of mine that must be addressed? "Have I come into agreement with a spirit of control?". I looked deeply within me and prayed to the Holy Spirit for wisdom. I had barely begun to ask the question when a resounding YES rang out within me. It's name is The Jezebel Spirit. (Click the link for more information).
The next day I spent some time with the Intercessory Prayer team and we renounced lies, unbound agreements and cut the connections that the Jezebel Spirit had made to me. I realized right away that I had come into agreement with the clever lies it had proposed to me. It is in making an agreement that I had given it power in my life.
I can honestly say I experienced a tremendous shift in my thinking and freedom from something very powerful. That week was another week in the journey to becoming the woman I have always been meant to be. If I want my husband to succeed in being father, husband and man of God that he has been called to be, then I must give him the opportunity to lead our family. It is this very thing that will fulfill him and his masculinity.
So where am I now? Well, now I am dealing with trust and overcoming the fear that wells up inside of me when I am not the one making the decisions at home or orchestrating how the days, weeks and months play out (not easy at all but I can do all things through Christ Who Strengthens me! Phil 4:13).
If I am standing on the platform then how will he ever be able to? Everyday it hurts. Everyday I am challenged to be vulnerable but the first step came in understanding that Jesus would never define being vulnerable as opening myself to be violated.
Being vulnerable now means that I am willing to be imperfect. I know that I am not bad, in fact, I am the opposite, I am very, very good. I may make mistakes and do things that are bad, but I am not bad. In fact, I have been hard wired for struggle. I will continue to struggle against the difficulties of life but now I realize that when I am vulnerable, I open up the door for God to come in and take care of me.
I have now entered into a trusting relationship with God in a very different way. I try to pay attention to when I use the words "should" and "need" and "but" because they show me when I am trying to control people or things or when I am not allowing God the freedom to move in my life or the lives of others.
I am glad I had the courage to be vulnerable because if I hadn't I would have missed a week of intense inner healing of the deep wounds I have carried from my childhood. I am not all better yet, but I am on the road to healing. He knocked on the door and I opened it. I now allow Him to lead as the Good Shepard and I am continually reminding myself not to take the place of the butcher (the guy who drives the sheep). When He leads (and I am not driving things from behind) then I can trust that He will take care of me and I can be vulnerable. His way, affords protection, green pastures, quiet waters, it refreshes my soul and I am protected from evil. That sounds a whole lot better than what I have been giving myself the past 41 years.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord


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Tatum, Edward Lawrie
Tatum, Edward Lawrie, 1909–75, American geneticist, b. Boulder, Colo., grad. Univ. of Wisconsin (B.A., 1931; M.S., 1932; Ph.D., 1935). From 1937 to 1945 he taught at Stanford and from 1945 to 1948 at Yale. Returning to Stanford in 1948 he became (1956) head of the department of biochemistry. He left Stanford in 1957 to become a member of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, New York City. He shared with G. W. Beadle and Joshua Lederberg the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work with Beadle establishing that genes in bread mold transmit hereditary characters by controlling specific chemical reactions.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Medicine: Biographies


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The results of a study conducted by Johan Lundström and several of his colleagues at the Monell Chemical Senses Center indicate the "old person smell" is, in fact, a distinct and distinctly identifiable odor.
The study
To carry out the study, the researchers divided 44 volunteers into three groups: eight women and eight men between the ages of 20 and 30 (the young); eight men and eight women between 45 and 55 (middle-aged); and six women and six men between 75 and 95 (elderly). For five consecutive nights, all volunteers slept in t-shirts into the armpits of which absorbant nursing pads had been sewn. During the day, the sleep shirts were stored in sealed plastic bags.
They were instructed to avoid spicy foods, cigarettes, and alcohol, and to use unscented shampoo and soap—all to keep outside odors at a minimum, preserving their natural human aroma.
In preparation for a smell test, after the fifth night, Lundström and his colleagues cut the sweaty nursing pads into quarters and placed four pieces from each of the age groups in individual glass jars.
A group of 41 new young men and women volunteers was selected for the second phase, the smell test. Blindfolded, they were asked to take in a big whiff of the air at the top of each jar, then rate it for intensity and pleasantness of odor. Some were asked also to indiciate which of two odors they believed came from the older volunteer; others were instructed to label the jars "young," middle-age," and "old-age."
The findings
Based on blind ratings, the scent of the eldest volunteer group was found to be both less intense and less unpleasant than that of the young and middle-aged volunteers. Least pleasant and most intense-smelling was the scent of the middle-aged men, middle-aged women were deemed most pleasant-smelling and old men the least intense.
Moreover, smell-test volunteers had the least trouble identifying old-person odor: labeling the jars by age was difficult when it came to distinguishing between young- and middle-aged and much easier when it came to the old-age sweat jar. Old-age smell was instantly recognizable, for many.
What this means
"Old person smell," while recognized to be distinct among the age groups, is no more offensive than the smell of any other, younger people––and in some cases, it's more pleasant.
In other words
Grandma does smell, but not bad. Generally.
"It might be a way to distinguish the sick from the healthy-not overt sickness, but underlying cell decay," Lundström says. "The older we get, the more natural decay we have." [ScientificAmerican via TheAtlantic - Image via Glenda M. Powers/Shutterstock]


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Plotting Interfaces
Standard Worksheet Interface
Classic Worksheet Interface
Command-line Interface
When using Maple's plotting features, you may encounter differences with the various interfaces. These differences are described in the sections below.
With any of these interfaces, you may redirect plotting output to an alternative device. For more information, see plot/device.
The Standard Worksheet interface provides full functionality for plotting. Help pages describing plotting commands and interactive features are written with the assumption that you are using the Standard Worksheet interface.
The Classic Worksheet interface provides a subset of the full plotting functionality available with the Standard Worksheet interface. It does not include plotting features added in Maple 9 and later versions. Features not available in the Classic Worksheet interface are listed below.
Typesetting of text and mathematics on plots, as described in plot/typesetting, is not available. In these cases, the expression to be typeset is converted to a string and displayed as plain text.
The following plotting options are not supported: axis, caption, glossiness, gridlines, legendstyle, transparency. If any of these options are provided in a plotting command, it is ignored. For more information about plotting options, see plot/options and plot3d/option.
The following symbols are not available with the symbol option: asterisk, diagonalcross, solidbox, solidcircle, soliddiamond. If one of these option names is provided to a plot command, a default symbol is used instead.
Tables of plots created using an Array with the plots[display] command are not supported and are simulated with single plot structures.
A different filling algorithm for polygons is used, and consequently, non-convex polygons may be filled incorrectly.
Polar axes, normally obtained through the plots[polarplot] command or the axiscoordinates=polar option, are not available. Cartesian axes are displayed in all cases.
Dual-axis plots, normally obtained through the plots[dualaxisplot] command, are not available.
A list of colors cannot be provided to the plots[pointplot] or plots[pointplot3d] command.
Only two angles, [theta, phi] can be used with the orientation option. If a third psi value is included in the orientation list, it is ignored and the default value of 0 is used instead.
The command-line interface produces a simple character plot. Most plotting options are not supported in this interface.
See Also
Download Help Document
What kind of issue would you like to report? (Optional)


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Now offering some classes in person.
- This event has passed.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center Tour
June 24, 2018 @ 12:45 pm - 1:30 pm
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Expectant parents are welcome to come to Medstar Washington Hospital for a brief walking tour of our spacious Labor & Delivery suites and private mother-baby rooms.
The tour is designed to introduce families to our facility for a more comfortable birthing experience. For safety reasons, the tour is limited to adults and children 14 years and older.
Pre-registration is required
- Parking: Please park at Blue Parking.
- The tour guide will meet you in the main lobby. When you enter the main lobby there is a waiting area to your left where the TV is located.
- Shuttle buses are available across from the main entrance under the blue shelter.
- Please note this is limited to 20 people (10 couples).


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Austinites! Please don't miss my band's first appearance in the River City, this Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Parish Underground, 9 p.m. sharp. Click this link for details. FREE SHOW!
If you follow the wide world of Italian wine blogging, you have probably noticed that our wine blogging colleague Franco Ziliani experienced something of a funk last year. We all stood by him as the vicissitudes of life handed him some tough times.
The good news is that Franco is back, blogging again with the same verve — as mutual friend Francesco likes to put it — that gave him one of the biggest followings in the Italian enoblogosphere.
That's Franco in the photo above (right) with my bromance Giovanni (to whom I was introduced by Franco back in 2008). We had dinner together over Thanksgiving weekend at Giovanni's apartment in Brescia when I visited Italy for a new client in Franciacorta, the Barone Pizzini-Pievalta winery group.
This morning, I published a translation of Franco's review of some of Barone Pizzini's Franciacorta for the winery's blog.
And it's without hesitation that I recommend the wine… and the wine writing.
Welcome back, Franco!


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Respect the environment in Tokyo with our green guide to the city, taken from travel bible Great Escapes.
With no telephones, TVs or refrigerators in the rooms, Yoshimizu Inn is the antithesis of the ultraconnected city on its doorstep – but then it is run by a former hippy who used to live at Woodstock in the 1960s. Right in the middle of the upmarket Ginza district, the eleven rooms combine zen simplicity with eco sensibilities, incorporating mud walls (which absorb moisture and odour), bamboo flooring and organic tatami mats. The traditional cuisine served up in the restaurant is organic and homely and before you realize it you'll have forgotten that you're in one of the world's busiest cities.
For rates, reservations and info on getting there see www.yoshimizu.com.
Several hundred years before the "bag for life" became fashionable in Europe, the Japanese were using the furoshiki. It's essentially a large square of material, often made of cotton or silk and beautifully patterned, which you open out, put your supplies in, and then tie up using the kind of folding techniques that seem to come more naturally to the Japanese. They're having a bit of a renaissance in these eco-conscious times, and will cause more of a talking point back home than the latest reusable bag.
Most department stores will stock furoshiki, with simple cotton fabrics selling for as little as ¥300 and pure silk anything up to ¥7500 or more. Try Matsuya in the Ginza district for everything from traditional to modern designs.
Mominoki takes its organic principles seriously: it has its own farm and offers cooking lessons with the master chef (who is also the owner). The restaurant's simple, unfussy design makes it clear that nothing is to get in the way of appreciating the food, where dishes such as steamed organic Orara perch, fresh wakame seaweed and king prawn with sea-urchin cream sauce are all washed down with the finest organic sake or shochu.
Mominoki is at 2-18-5 Jingūmae, Shibuya-ku; the nearest station is Meiji-jingūmae. For menus and prices see omotesando.mominokihouse.net.
continued below
It may not seem so at first glance but Tokyo is actually fairly bike-friendly, and it's highly satisfying to slowly free-wheel through the quiet backstreets and meander between serene parks such as Ueno, Yoyogi and Imperial Garden.
Some outfits will deliver fold-up bikes to your hotel which you're allowed to take on the metro – and if you're getting on at Shibuya station, you'll be helping the environment that little bit more, since footplates in the turnstiles harness the energy created by passengers walking over them and convert it into electricity.
For cycle maps and further info on cycling in Tokyo see cycle-tokyo.cycling.jp.


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5 Reasons to Hire a Professional Electrician
While at home, you may be need of an electrician to help you with several tasks that revolve around electricity, lights, electronic appliances, etc. Apart from that, they are the ones who would help you to install a new electric appliance which is something that is impossible for you to handle. For several, attempting to handle issues related to electricity and is something that is easy and can readily handle them without any qualms. As they are issues related to power which may turn fatal, it is always realistic to hire a professional electrician who can help out in solving all your issues.
While you ponder over the fact that there is no reason to hire a professional when you can easily follow manuals to install electronic equipment and take care of other minor tasks all by yourself. Here are a few reasons why it is feasible to choose a professional electrician to help you out.
• Can understand the root of the problem at once – While you hire a professional during a fault in your electrical connection, they would at once understand your problems and not hover around looking for possible areas that may be the reason for the fault.
• Trained in their job – No one can claim to be a professional electrician unless they have the necessary training to be one. They need to undergo several training sessions and exams that would finally give them the license to be a professional.
• Would do their job well – While they detect the problems with a single look, they are bound to restore the problem in the fastest time possible. You can rest assured that the job would be done right without having to spend time and money by doing it yourself in the wrong way and suffer endlessly.
• Protected appliances – While they come over to install or repair your tools, you can rest assured that it would stay protected without any damage. This is because they know the functionalities of most electronic appliances and thus would help in protecting its parts in a better manner.
• Saves up on money in the long run – While you intend to conduct electrical repairs at home, the professionals would ensure that the best parts and wires are used to complete the tasks. Allowing people who aren't professionals to take care of such tasks may turn out to be a loss where they wouldn't know the parts that are right for use and thus making you spend all over again whenever there is a problem faced.


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Spending December in a meaningful way with my little ones is a passion of my heart. I want to prepare their little hearts to love and treasure the true meaning of Christmas. Celebrating Advent has been a tradition in our family every year, but finding a resource that is appropriate especially for little ones has been a challenge. Truth in the Tinsel is a new resource that fabulously meets this need! This little ebook has 24 daily activities including Bible readings, talking points, extension activities, and craft ornaments for the advent season (all for just $7.99). Each craft is simple, hands-on, beautiful, and ties in wonderfully with the theme and goal of preparing our hearts for the Savior's birth. They all can be hung on your Christmas tree or a separate dedicated tree displaying the story of the birth of Jesus from beginning to end. Most of the crafts are easily made with just simple things around your home.
I am super stoked about this book! And even if you don't have the time or energy to make a craft every day, you can also get the paper ornaments set that can be purchased along side the Truth in the Tinsel ebook that can be simply colored and cut out. I highly recommend this resource! It is appropriate for all ages, not just the young ones, as the ornaments are not cheesy in any way, but truly elegant! I am going out this weekend to collect my supplies!


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Cheeky Trainers Peony
Regular price $ 23.00
$ 0.00
Make potty training less messy and more simple. These trainers are fully lined with an Organic Bamboo Velour inner as well as a Heavy Organic Bamboo Fleece soaker right in the "wet zone" (think like a maxi pad sewn in between the layers). This combination of fabrics stops accidents in their tracks and contains the mess for you while still allowing your child to fully feel the effects of their accident. This is unlike pull ups which wick away wetness, making the potty training process take much longer. They will also be great after potty training is over since they are comfortable and come in cute designs!
*Please note: These trainers reach max absorbency between 5-10 wash/dry cycles. If you want them to be their max absorbency right out of the gate, feel free to "prep" them first!
- Fully lined
- Hidden soaker in the "wet zone" area for triple layer protection where you need it most
- Thick, comfy leg and waistband made out of stretchy knit
- Heavy Organic Bamboo Fleece and Velour are anti-microbial and absorb a lot of liquid
- Bamboo also becomes more absorbent over time so these are probably the only underwear that get better the more you wash them.
Care Instructions:
- May shrink a tiny bit during the "prep" phase
- Wash however you want with your regular kid laundry.
- Dry in the dryer
- If your child has a solid accident dispose of the solids in the toilet or trash prior to washing.
New Sizing Tips:
- Small 18-24 months (up to 27 lbs) for the smallest/youngest of potty trainers!
- Medium 2T-3T (up to 36 lbs)
- Large 3T-4T (up to 45 lbs)
- Use your best judgement: If your kid is taller/skinnier but weighs close to the weight limit for a size I would pick that size. If your kid is shorter/chubbier then I would probably size up if they are close to the weight limit of a size.
- Please note!! You want these to be a little bit on the snug side. The best fit is being able to pull them up and down but still being relatively tight on their legs in order to better contain accidents!