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Appeals court rules against SF jail strip searches
A federal appeals court has ruled that thousands of strip-searches of detainees at the San Francisco jail were illegal.
The decision applies to strip searches that were carried out from 2002 to 2004 under a policy that ended in January 2004 when a lower federal court declared the policy illegal.
The decision Friday by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said that "blanket strip searches" — now that's confusing — "of (newly arrested inmates) regardless of severity of charge and without reasonable suspicion is unconstitutional." Is a "blanket strip search" one that's conducted under a blanket?
The ruling pertains to 28,000 incidents that took place from April 2002 to January 2004. Twenty-eight thousand! That's a lot.


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When I was a teenager I remember singing a song with the following words, "Signs of the times are everywhere. There's a brand new feeling in the air. Just keep your eyes upon the Eastern sky. Lift up your hands, redemption draweth nigh." Lately, I can't help but notice that there really is a brand new feeling in the air. It's a feeling of urgency. It's a new surge of evangelism being shot into the veins of God's people.
There are prophetic signs everywhere we look. Surely the Lord's return is not too long off. What prophets of old have been foretelling us through the scriptures for years, are now unfolding before our very eyes. Along with that there is a new surge of evangelism rising up. Young people are being drawn to Jesus. Old people are coming to or being drawn back to Jesus. The people of God are being directed to live lives of commitment that sometimes appear radical in order to follow Christ! It is a beautiful thing! However, there are still millions upon millions of people that don't know Jesus or are dabbling in sin.
Let's take a minute to remember all that Christ has done for us, and all that He wants to do for others that still don't know Him as Lord and Savior… Ephesians 2 NIV 2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Though I have never felt the call of an evangelist, even I have been feeling a stirring deep in my spirit to share the gospel with others as never before. Sharing the gospel is not just for preachers and evangelists. It is for everyone who follows Christ. Jesus said in John 14:6 NIV "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." If we believe Him, and we do, than how can we not share this with others that we know and love.
I am certain of one thing, Christ did not call us to keep the gospel to ourselves. To live fulfilled lives in Him, with little regard for the tens of millions of others who are being sucked into the pit of Hell. We in North America, have often become comfortable and complacent in our walk with Christ. My prayer is that God will stir up the gift of faith that is in each one of us and that we will seek Him for daily direction in ways we can share the love of Christ daily with others. Not in deeds alone, but in sharing His word for it is by the hearing of His word that many are saved. Romans 10:17 NIV 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Lord, I pray that throughout this year,we will draw closer to you than ever before and that you will give us a burden for those around us who need to learn of you. Keep us from falling into a state of comfort where we hoard our faith in you as others around us die in their sins. Stir up the gift of faith in us and a deeper love for others so that we may fulfill the purpose that you have called us to. As Jesus said in John 13:34,35 NIV 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." If we love others as Christ loves them, we will not be able to ignore their need for Him.

subset: commoncrawl


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Prostate Cancer Screenings on the Decline with Concerns Surrounding COVID-19: What Men Should Know
(BPT) – In the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, many areas of the country banned nonessential medical procedures in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. As a result, many physicians saw fewer patients for routine medical care, such as physical exams and screenings. A recent survey by The Physicians Foundation polled 3,513 physicians and found 41% saw volume decreases of 26% or more in their practices.[1]
The impact on cancer screenings was even more profound. For example, screenings for prostate cancer — one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men in the United States — dropped by 56% by the peak of the pandemic in April according to a recent study published in JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics. The study used a large medical claims clearinghouse database representing 5-7% of the Medicare fee-for-service population to characterize changes in the utilization of cancer care services and gain insight into the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. cancer population.[2],[3]
"Last year, we saw many patients deciding to either reschedule or completely forgo preventative care in our office to avoid the risk of COVID-19 infection," said Neal Shore, M.D., F.A.C.S., Medical Director, Carolina Urologic Research Center. "There was also a noticeable decline in the number of prostate cancer screens we conducted which, as a physician treating men with this cancer on a daily basis, makes me concerned that prostate cancer may not be detected in its earlier stages when outcomes are typically better for the patient."
In the case of localized prostate cancer, the five-year relative survival rate is estimated to be 100 percent after diagnosis, according to the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database.[3] For advanced prostate cancer types, such as metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC), which is prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and responds to treatment to lower testosterone or castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which is prostate cancer that no longer responds to treatment to lower testosterone, the outlook is not as good. According to the same SEER analysis, only about 30 percent of men diagnosed with mCSPC will survive five years post-diagnosis and other studies have shown that men with CRPC have a median survival of between 9 and 30 months.[3],[4] This contrast in survival outcomes highlights why early prostate cancer detection is so critical.
In advanced prostate cancer treatment, a goal is to slow the spread of cancer cells in the body. All men have hormones known as androgens (the most common androgen is testosterone), which can fuel prostate cancer growth. For those with metastatic CSPC and CRPC, physicians may prescribe a treatment called a novel hormone therapy. These therapies interfere with the connection between androgens and androgen receptors. This can help slow cancer cell spread. Novel hormone therapies are paired with another treatment called androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) which reduces the total amount of testosterone in the body. Together, these therapies work to slow the spread of prostate cancer.[5]
XTANDI® (enzalutamide), a prescription treatment approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is an example of one of these novel hormone therapies, and is just one potential treatment option that patients can discuss with their doctors. XTANDI is FDA-approved to treat three forms of advanced prostate cancer: mCSPC (prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and responds to a hormone therapy or surgical treatment to lower testosterone), nmCRPC (prostate cancer that has not spread to other parts of the body and no longer responds to a hormone therapy or surgical treatment to lower testosterone) and mCRPC (prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and no longer responds to a hormone therapy or surgical treatment to lower testosterone). XTANDI may cause serious side effects, including seizure, a condition involving the brain called Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES), allergic reactions, heart disease, and falls and fractures, and more. See Important Safety Information below, and talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
"While my goal is to detect prostate cancer as early as possible, this does not always happen, particularly with ongoing concerns around COVID-19 delaying periodic check-ups," continued Dr. Shore. "When a man does present with or progress to mCSPC or CRPC, there are treatment options like XTANDI they can discuss with their healthcare providers."
While COVID-19 continues to be a concern for many men across the country, organizations like the American Cancer Society recommend talking to your provider who can discuss whether screening is recommended and help balance the risk and benefits of being screened now or postponing. To learn more about prostate cancer and XTANDI, visit https://www.xtandi.com/.
What is XTANDI?
XTANDI is a prescription medicine used to treat men with prostate cancer that:
- no longer responds to a hormone therapy or surgical treatment to lower testosterone
- has spread to other parts of the body and responds to a hormone therapy or surgical treatment to lower testosterone
It is not known if XTANDI is safe and effective in females or children.
Important Safety Information
What should I tell my doctor before taking XTANDI?
Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you:
- Have a history of seizures, brain injury, stroke, or brain tumors.
- Have a history of heart disease, have high blood pressure, or have abnormal amounts of fat or cholesterol in your blood (dyslipidemia).
- Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. XTANDI can cause harm to your unborn baby and loss of pregnancy (miscarriage).
- Have a partner who is pregnant or may become pregnant.
- Males who have female partners who are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with XTANDI and for 3 months after the last dose.
- Males must use a condom during sex with a pregnant female.
- Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if XTANDI passes into your breast milk.
- Take other medicines. XTANDI may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how XTANDI works. These include prescription and over-the counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Do not start or stop any medicine without talking to your doctor.
How should I take XTANDI?
- Take XTANDI exactly as your doctor tells you. Take your prescribed dose once a day, at the same time each day. XTANDI can be taken with or without food. Swallow XTANDI capsules or tablets whole. Do not chew, dissolve, or open the capsules. Do not cut, crush or chew the tablets. Your doctor may change your dose if needed.
- Do not change or stop taking your prescribed dose of XTANDI without talking with your doctor first.
- If you are receiving gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) therapy, you should continue with this treatment while taking XTANDI unless you have had surgery to lower the amount of testosterone in your body (surgical castration).
- If you miss a dose of XTANDI: Take your prescribed dose as soon as you remember that day. If you miss your daily dose, take your prescribed dose at your regular time the next day. Do not take more than your prescribed dose of XTANDI each day.
- If you take too much XTANDI: Call your doctor or go to the nearest emergency room right away. You may have an increased risk of seizure if you take too much XTANDI.
What are the possible side effects of XTANDI?
XTANDI may cause serious side effects including:
- Seizure. If you take XTANDI, you may be at risk of having a seizure. Avoid activities where a sudden loss of consciousness could seriously harm you or someone else. Tell your doctor right away if you lose consciousness or have a seizure.
- Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES). If you take XTANDI you may be at risk of developing a condition involving the brain called PRES. Tell your doctor right away if you have a seizure or quickly worsening symptoms such as headache, decreased alertness, confusion, reduced eyesight, blurred vision or other visual problems. Your doctor will do a test to check for PRES.
- Allergic Reactions. Allergic reactions have happened in people who take XTANDI. Stop taking XTANDI and get medical help right away if you develop swelling of the face, tongue, lip or throat.
- Heart Disease. Blockage of the arteries in the heart (ischemic heart disease) that can lead to death has happened in some people during treatment with XTANDI. Your doctor will monitor you for signs and symptoms of heart problems during your treatment. Call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away if you get chest pain or discomfort at rest or with activity or shortness of breath during your treatment with XTANDI.
- Falls and Fractures. XTANDI treatment may increase your risk for falls and fractures. Falls were not caused by loss of consciousness or seizures. Your doctor will monitor your risks for falls and fractures during treatment with XTANDI.
Your doctor will stop treatment with XTANDI if you have serious side effects.
The most common side effects of XTANDI include:
- Weakness or feeling more tired than usual
- Back pain
- Hot flashes
- Constipation
- Joint pain
- Decreased appetite
- Diarrhea
- High blood pressure
XTANDI may cause fertility problems in males, which may affect the ability to father children. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about fertility.
These are not all the possible side effects of XTANDI. For more information, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
For further information, please talk to your doctor and click here to see Patient Information and Full Prescribing Information for XTANDI.
This article is sponsored by Astellas.
[1] The Physicians Foundation. 2020 Survey of America's Physicians. https://physiciansfoundation.org/research-insights/2020physiciansurvey/ Accessed 01-04-2021.
[2] Patt D, Gordan L, Diaz M, et al: The Impact of COVID-19 on cancer care: How the pandemic is delaying cancer diagnosis and treatment for American seniors. JCO Clin Cancer Inform 2020;4:1059-71.
[3] National Cancer Institute. Cancer stat facts: prostate cancer. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/prost.html. Accessed 05-04-2020 .
[4] Kirby M, Hirst C, Crawford ED. Characterising the castration-resistant prostate cancer population: a systematic review. Int J Clin Pract 2011;65(11):1180-92. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2011.02799.x. PMID: 21995694.
[5] American Society of Clinical Oncology. ASCO Answers: Prostate Cancer (2018). http://www.cancer.net/sites/cancer.net/files/asco_answers_guide_prostate.pdf. Accessed 09-02-2020.


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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Nearly $9 billion of money spent on Iraqi reconstruction is unaccounted for because of inefficiencies and bad management, according to a watchdog report published Sunday.
An inspector general's report said the U.S.-led administration that ran Iraq until June 2004 is unable to account for the funds.
"Severe inefficiencies and poor management" by the Coalition Provisional Authority has left auditors with no guarantee the money was properly used," the report said.
"The CPA did not establish or implement sufficient managerial, financial and contractual controls to ensure that [Development Fund for Iraq] funds were used in a transparent manner," said Stuart W. Bowen Jr., director of the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.
The $8.8 billion was reported to have been spent on salaries, operating and capital expenditures, and reconstruction projects between October 2003 and June 2004, Bowen's report concluded.
The money came from revenues from the United Nations' former oil-for-food program, oil sales and seized assets -- all Iraqi money. The audit did not examine the use of U.S. funds appropriated for reconstruction. (Full story)
Auditors were unable to verify that the Iraqi money was spent for its intended purpose. In one case, they raised the possibility that thousands of "ghost employees" were on an unnamed ministry's payroll.
"CPA staff identified at one ministry that although 8,206 guards were on the payroll, only 602 guards could be validated," the audit report states. "Consequently, there was no assurance funds were not provided for ghost employees."
The Defense Department, which was in charge of the reconstruction effort, and former Iraq civil administrator Paul Bremer have disputed the findings.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told CNN that the provisional authority was operating under "extraordinary conditions" and relied on Iraqi ministries to manage development money that was transferred to them.
"We simply disagree with the audit's conclusion that the CPA provided less-than-adequate controls over Iraqi funds that were provided to Iraqi ministries through the national budget process for hundreds of projects, essential services, Iraqi salaries and security forces," Whitman said.
The occupation government established "major reforms" in Iraq's budgeting system, setting up a transparent mechanism for decision-making and beginning efforts to fight corruption, Whitman said.
Under a U.N. Security Council resolution, the Development Fund for Iraq was to be used for humanitarian needs, economic reconstruction and repair of infrastructure, continued disarmament, costs of civilian administration and other programs benefiting Iraqis.
Bremer, in a written response included in the report, said Bowen's report failed to recognize the difficulties of operating in wartime.
"The IG auditors presume that the coalition could achieve a standard of budgetary transparency and execution that even peaceful Western nations would have trouble meeting within a year, especially in the midst of a war," Bremer wrote.
Bremer, who received a Presidential Medal of Freedom in December for his work in Iraq, stated that auditors did not interview him, any of his budget directors or deputies in preparing their draft report.
"On the whole, the office has done excellent work," he wrote. "But I do believe my colleagues at the CPA have a right to expect a level of professional judgment and awareness, which seems to be missing in the current draft report."
Bowen's report, which was prepared for Congress, acknowledged that the insurgency in Iraq poses "the most difficult challenge" to reconstruction.
"Even under the most favorable of conditions, rebuilding Iraq would be a job of daunting proportions," he wrote.
But the provisional authority did not clearly assign managerial responsibility, and its rules lacked clear guidance on procedures and controls for dispersing funds, he concluded.
Staffing shortages and turnover also resulted in inadequate oversight of budget execution by Iraqi ministries, he found -- and allegations of corruption in the oil-for-food program should have raised concerns about the Iraqi government's ability to manage the reconstruction funds.


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Master of Philosophy - MDHS (Health Sciences)
- CRICOS code: 065917F
What will I study?
- You will enrol in a thesis subject and undertake a research project for the duration of the degree.
- The normal period of candidature is 18 months for full-time candidates with the possibility of up to 6 months extension.
- You are required to complete a minimum of 6 months full-time research at the University in order to benefit from planning, conducting and writing up your research within a University community and environment.
- Normally the entire degree is undertaken at the University.
- You will have appropriately experienced academics available to arrange a course of supervised research designed to suit your requirements and interests.
- You may be required to supplement your research program by attendance at, or enrolment in, additional subjects if considered necessary by the supervisor(s).
- You are expected to attend departmental seminars over the period of their candidature.
- Academic progress is reviewed regularly throughout the degree.
- You will be examined on the basis of your thesis which is examined externally. The thesis should normally be between 30,000 and 40,000 words in length excluding tables, illustrations and bibliography.
- You should refer to the University policy library and the Graduate Research Hub for further information regarding candidature, academic progress, ethics, thesis preparation and examination.
- To be eligible to submit a thesis for examination, you must be enrolled in their course for the minimum period of 6 months full-time equivalent.


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We spread thick layers of science on everything at our house. Yes, occasionally it smells.
Sometimes our science-y obsessions are entirely nonsense, such as a typical dinner table conversation about how many citrus batteries it might take to start a car. Ideas were proposed for this never-to-occur project, including the use of lemon juice instead of whole fruit.
Sometimes that science is pseudo-educational, such as the time we swabbed between our toes and let the bacteria grow in petri dishes. The "winner's" dish had such virulent growth that she felt sure it deserved to live. She gave it a name and tried feeding it extra glucose and agar. It quite effectively kept her siblings out of her room. I insisted she throw it away when it began creeping past the lid. I am still blamed for the demise of this biological fright.
Sometimes it goes on and on. My offspring seem driven to find out. They can't spot a spider without observing it, wanting to identify it, and then going on about the hydraulic features that are basic arachnid operating equipment. Then there was a certain months-long project that involved observing and sketching the decomposition of a muskrat. They have to discuss all possible angles of a problem, often in such depth that my far more superficial mind drifts off. They tend to walk into a room announcing odd factoids which invariably leads to strange conversations about recently de-classified Russian research, turbo charged engines, or riparian ecology. Or all three. They insist I look at video clips that go on much longer than my attention span. Woe to me if I question a postulate put forth by one of my kids. They will entertain my doubts playfully, as a cat toys with a mouse, then bombard me with facts proving their points. Lots of facts. I've tried to uphold my side in science disputes but it's like using a spork to battle a light saber.
Other family homes probably have video game controllers. Our house has stacks of books and periodicals (who took the neutrino issue of New Scientist, someone yells); tubs overflowing with one son's beakers, tubing, and flasks; culturing products in the kitchen (like the jar with a note that says "Leave me alone, I am becoming sauerkraut"); and random sounds of saws, welders, and air compressors as something entirely uncommon is being constructed or deconstructed. I know other families have nice normal pictures on their refrigerators. Ours tends to post odd information. The longest-running fridge feature here is a card listing the head circumference of every person in the family. By the time the youngest was 11, my head was the smallest.
And then there's the front yard. By the garage door a headstone leans. It has nothing to do with Halloween. Our youngest is teaching himself stone carving using hand tools. This stemmed from his interest in ancient Norse language and myth and lifestyles. That led to a study of runes, leading to old runic carvings, well, you get the idea. He's already carved runes in a few stones. So of course his brother got him a headstone as a birthday gift. Entirely natural. Also in the yard, a giant sculpture another son welded out of scrap metal. He's never taken a welding course, or an art course for that matter. No problem. He measured his own limbs to translate into the correct human form. He thought it was funny to make it a two-fisted drinker. I'm plotting to put a trumpet in one of the metal man's hands so it looks like a rowdy jazz player. And recently my daughter spent the afternoon in front of the house cleaning an entire deer skeleton she found in our woods. She was entirely happy identifying bones, scrubbing, and assembling it into the likeness of a very hungry deer. Maybe our front yard is why our mail carrier seems a little wary.
Science shouldn't be confined to a formal study. My husband and I have never worked in science fields. But we've found that keeping scientific curiosity alive isn't hard. It's about an attitude of "yes." Projects that are messy, time-consuming, and have uncertain outcomes are a form of experimentation. They are real science in action. When a kid wants to know, they want to find out. Not later, not next week, right away. Finding out is engaging. It leads to ever widening curiosity. In our family this process of discovery-to-mastery started early.
When my oldest was just a baby he was horrified by vacuums. Even the sight of one made him scream with This Will Kill Me volume. So we let him learn he could control the "off" and "on" switch. His horror turned to fascination, leading him toward ever greater curiosity, heading in all sorts of directions.
When my daughter was barely able to walk, around 11 months old, she was fascinated by the stones at the end of our driveway. Day after day she wanted to toddle close to the street just to pick up those stones. It occurred to me that it would be a lot easier to satisfy her curiosity than to keep saying no and turning her back toward the house. So she and I went there together and sat in those stones. She was enthralled. I marveled at all the different ways she chose to experience them. Holding, dropping, picking up one at a time then picking up handfuls, handing them to me and taking them back, rubbing the smooth ones and, once I showed her, holding them up to the light. Sometimes she'd raise a stone to her mouth, then shake her head, reminding herself that stones weren't for eating. Once or twice a stone did touch her lips. The result? I told her we were all done, picked her up, and went back to the safety of the lawn near the house. She remembered. I let her investigate stones day after day until she was done, her desire to know satisfied.
When one of my boys was three he was entranced by the lighters and matches his grandmother used to light her cigarettes. Since she lived with us and on occasion unintentionally left those fire generating devices out, his intense curiosity concerned me. He knew that children shouldn't touch anything that makes fire, but he was so intensely curious and active (I've already described his chimpanzee-like abilities as a toddler) that I knew it was a matter of time before her forgetfulness might collide with his need for some hands-on experience. So, explaining this was only okay to do with an adult, I stood him on a stool at a sink full of water, letting him light match after match to drop in the water. He was a little afraid. His fingers were almost singed a few times. He also conquered the fascination with flame that compelled him to disobey. He asked a few times over a period of months to do this again. Then he was done. Warming about danger doesn't have the same effect as a child getting close enough to know that matches do burn but can be conquered in the presence of a parent.
Some experiments shouldn't have happened. One of my little boys quietly carved a small hole in the drywall of his closet, then attempted to spackle it with the unlikely combination of toothpaste covered by an ostrich feather he'd saved from a field trip. We didn't discover it until we were emptying that closet as he packed for college. We still laugh about that one.
My kids are much more science-savvy than I'll ever be, but more importantly, they're capable of discovering anything they want to know.


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Posted by Editoress on 10/22/09
The Verge NECCS Cross-toberfest concludes this weekend with the return of the Downeast Cyclocross Weekend. For two days, the idyllic rolling hills of New Gloucester will be disturbed by a hard-charging pack of elite New England talent. Last a part of the series in 2006, the courses have been completely redesigned but the venue has stayed the same. Pineland Farm boasts over 5000 acres of mixed-use land with a working farm, Nordic ski trails and a diverse array of businesses. Race organizers Lee Strout and John Grenier have brought all the facets of the farmland into play with a melange of off-cambers, challenging descents, fast stretches on Nordic ski trails and even a pass through a barn (the barn, Strout hastened to add, doesn't actually have any animals living in it).
With the USGP in Kentucky this weekend, many of the national figures have headed south leaving all the leaders' jerseys up for grabs. In the women's field, Amanda Carey (Kenda/trainwitheric.com) is looking to continue her consistent finishes while Minuteman Road Club rider Andrea Smith is looking to take another step after her second place finish last weekend at Granogue. Not to be forgotten, Mary McConneloug (Kenda/Seven/NoTubes) is continuing her return to local racing and is a definite favorite to take victory. The men's field should see some of the best competition of the season with a who's who of younger elites taking aim at the podium, including no less than three Keoughs (the youngest of whom, Luke, is the current U23 leader) and two Goguens (Manny currently sits third in the U23 field). Jerome Townsend (bikereg.com/Joe's Garage/IF) comes in fifth overall in the series and second in the U23 and will definitely be looking to make up some ground.
Racing starts at 9:30 Saturday morning with the Category 4 men and continues through Sunday at 3pm when the Elite men go off for the second time. Registration can be found online at www.bikereg.com/events/Register.asp?EventID=9308.
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Alphecca, the jewel in the Northern Crown
Stars often have many names. You might hear people call the brightest star in the constellation Corona Borealis by any of these names: Alphecca, also called Gemma, also called Alpha Coronae Borealis or simply Alpha Cor Bor. The other proper name for Alphecca – Gemma – means gem or jewel. On a dark night under a dark sky, this star lives up to its name, sparkling at the forefront of the semicircle of stars that make up the constellation Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. In the lore of the skies, this C-shaped constellation represents the crown or wreath worn by the ancient Minoan princess Ariadne.
Alphecca is brighter than the other stars in Corona Borealis, but only moderately bright in contrast to the brightest stars. It shines between summertime's two most brilliant stars: Arcturus and Vega. An imaginary line drawn between these two brilliant beauties locates Alphecca every time, about one-third of the way from Arcturus to Vega.
As seen from mid-northern latitudes, Alphecca shines all night long – or nearly all night long – in April, May and June. Alphecca and this glittery bowl of stars crown the sky on July evenings, and continue to grace the heavens well into November. Starting around mid-November, Alphecca appears rather low in the west-northwest sky after dusk. It sets shortly after nightfall, then reappears in the east-northeast before dawn.
In the ancient Greek myth, the C-shaped pattern of our modern-day constellation Corona Borealis was sometimes considered to represent a crown that was given by Dionysus to Ariadne, a princess, daughter of Minos of Crete. When Ariadne married Dionysus – who was the Greek god of fertility and wine – she's said to have worn the crown to her wedding. Later, Dionysus is said to have placed her crown in the heavens to commemorate the wedding.
The star Alphecca is quite interesting in itself. Like the star Algol in the constellation Perseus, it is an eclipsing binary star, with an orbital period of about 17.4 days. In other words, on this timescale of only days, the fainter of Alphecca's two component stars passes in front of the brighter one, resulting a slight dip in brightness. Contrast that days-long orbit to Earth's orbit around our local star, the sun, which takes one year. As one star passes in front of the other in the Alphecca system, the star's variation in brightness is barely perceptible. Meanwhile, the other variable star we just mentioned – Algol in Perseus – has a winking presence that is easy to observe with the unaided eye.
By the way, the famous Pleiades star cluster sits almost opposite Alphecca (and Corona Borealis) on the sky's dome. Also starting in mid-November, the Pleiades cluster appears in the east-northeast after dusk, crosses the sky during the night, then gleams over the west-northwest sky before dawn. The Pleiades and Corona Borealis trade places in the sky after about 12 hours time. In later November, look for these two star formations at about 6 p.m. local clock time, then note that they have switched positions around 6 a.m. local clock time.
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Bottom line: Alphecca is the brightest star in the constellation Corona Borealis the Northern Crown. This star is sometimes called Gemma, which means the jewel of the crown.


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My journalistic investigation of the way scientists attempt to investigate the phenomenon of ghosts led me nowhere. My article became a cover story and even inspired an episode or two of the television series "Unsolved Mysteries." But the mystery of my own experience remained untouched by the whole adventure, like a stone glinting up from the bottom of stream. The researchers I asked told me what I already knew—that it was most unusual to be addressed in such a way by a ghost. To be seen.
One day, there came a hint. I visited Karlis Osis at the American Society for Psychical Research, in an old brownstone on the Upper West Side of Manhattan (where Dan Ackroyd did much of his research for the movie "Ghost Busters.") Born in Riga, Latvia in 1917, Osis is one of the first psychologists to receive a doctorate degree with a thesis that dealt with ESP, from the University of Munich, in 1950. Tall and ascetic looking, with a soft voice and a Latvian accent that made his words sound like spooky echoes rolling out of a cave, Osis told me that spending his youth surrounded by the devastation of World War I helped him develop "a taste of the mysterious and sublime."
And there was this: As an adolescent lying in bed with tuberculosis, Osis suddenly saw his room fill with a "joyful white light." He later learned that at precisely that moment, his aunt had died. Osis went on to conduct ESP research at the parapsychology laboratory at Duke University, as a colleague of one of the famous figures of parapsychology, Dr. J. B. Rhine. But Osis never forgot that experience and he began to feel sure that the great discoveries were to be found in the experiences themselves, not merely by research in the lab.
Osis left the lab to conduct a major survey of the deathbed observations of physicians and nurses in India and the United States, which resulted in a book he co-authored, At the Hour of Death. It also turned up a smattering of evidence for the reality of ghosts. Osis called them "transit disasters," Near Death Experiences in which there is no joyous burst of light that seem bound for somewhere, but "exceedingly self-centered individuals cruise in a void with no one to meet, instruct, or rescue them."
This was not my Elizabeth. I was certain of the reality of my experience—and yet I also came away siding with the skeptics. As Ray Hyman, professor of psychology at the University of Oregon explained to me, even the most rigorous of these investigations "are historical investigations, not true scientific investigations at all." It all comes down to testimony, stories. No researcher has ever been able to capture a ghost by way of an experiment that could be repeated in a lab. I came away from my ghost investigation knowing that I was on my own—left to discover the meaning of what to others could only be a story.
"Not till we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations," wrote Henry David Thoreau in Walden.
There are times in life, usually after a significant ending–college or a job or a marriage or the life of a loved one, when we really realize where we are—when we shocked into realizing the depth and mystery of our experience. This often comes at the moment when we feel lost in a dark wood, off the path, our connection to the divine cut off. When all of the exits are blocked, you have no choice but to go inward, to leave your head entirely and sink down into your own experience, into the body. There we may discover our roots–"the infinite extent of our relations," the depth and fineness of our capacity to just be here, alive on the earth.
In the end, spiritual work is about being willing to be naked and vulnerable, about letting go of the armor of answers to live to be open and defenseless (I once heard that the word "lost" came from a Norse word that means to disband an army). Real spiritual work depends on an awareness that can embrace contradiction and brokenness—that can bear not knowing, being in between.
The Buddha called the path he found the middle way (majjhima patipada) because it steers clear of two extremes. One extreme is totally going for it, totally indulging every sense pleasures. The other way is total denial, painful self-mortification. The usual explanation of this way between extremes is that body needs to be healthy and in balance to undertake the cultivation of awareness. But it can also be taken to mean being willing to be in the space between certainties.
"We are not 'everything,' but neither are we 'nothing,'" write Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham in The Spirituality of Imperfection. "Spirituality is discovered in that space between paradox's extremes, for there we confront our helplessness and powerlessness, our woundedness. In seeking to understand our limitations, we seek not only an easing of our pain but an understanding of what it means to hurt and what it means to be healed. Spirituality begins with the acceptance that our fractured being, our imperfection, simply is: There is no one to 'blame' for our errors — neither ourselves nor anyone nor anything else. Spirituality helps us first to see, and then to understand, and eventually to accept the imperfection that lies at the very core of our human be-ing. Spirituality accepts that 'If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.'
Very slowly, it dawned on me that I could learn to be with my experience just as it is, in all its weirdness and imperfection. If I could learn to be in my experience—to really inhabit the experience of being in this body– its meaning might slowly open over time like a story or a myth.
"Read the myths," said Joseph Campbell once said in an interview with Bill Moyers. "They teach you that you can turn inward, and you begin to get the message of the symbols. Read other people's myths, not those of your own religion, because you tend to interpret your own religion in terms of facts – but if you read the other ones, you begin to get the message. Myth helps you to put your mind in touch with this experience of being alive. It tells you what it is. "


text: Brad Pitt says he'll be married soon. I wonder if it will be to that tall woman with all the kids... . At Monday's New York premiere of "Killing Them Softly," Pitt said his six kids with fiancee Angelina Jolie are really anxious for the two of them to finally get hitched. "I am getting more pressure from my kids, and it is something I want to do within their lifetime, but I also feel like the time has come," the 48-year-old said on the red carpet, according to People.com. "The time is nigh," he added. "It's soon. I got a good feeling about it." The time is nigh? Wasn't that a Blondie song? "We've had a family, we've raised the kids," Pitt said, of Jolie. "I am surprised how much (marriage) meant to me once you had that." Yeah, it really shows -- by how much he hasn't got married the past seven or so years. Pitt is reshooting scenes for "World War Z" and recently spent Thanksgiving without Jolie and the brood -- which includes Maddox, 11, Pax, 8, Zahara, 7, Shiloh, 6, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 4 -- as some of them were in Cambodia helping out with the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation. "That's OK, last year we had a big meal and we don't normally miss things twice," Pitt said.


text:
I am very excited about my latest interview, a fabulous piece on NPR's Picture Show blog by Tanya Ballard Brown. She really captured the essence of what I am trying to do with the Vintage Black Glamour blog and forthcoming book. The picture above, via Michael Ochs archives/Getty Images, is the one and only Josephine Baker (sans her famous banana skirt - I have issues with her being limited to that banana skirt...) getting a pedicure.
You can find Vintage Black Glamour on Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.


text:
As promised, today we'll be looking at Sonic the Fighters.
Otherwise known as That 3D Fighting Game Sega Made That For Some Reason Starred Sonic The Hedgehog.
The story of the game goes like this: in 1995, Sega released an awesome (and sadly forgotten) fighting game called Fighting Vipers. One of the game's character designers, Masahiro Sugiyama, thought it'd be funny to secretly slide both Sonic and Tails into the game. While they were never playable by the public in arcades (though the assets are in the game and are playable via hacks), Sonic boss Yuji Naka thought the idea was so great that the pair deserved their own fighting game.
And so in 1996 Sonic the Fighters - amazingly, Sonic's first true 3D appearance - was born.
A 3D arcade fighting game built roughly on the bones (and controls) of Virtua Fighter's technology, which included nine playable characters, three bosses and a further five unused fighters that, again, are accessible only via hacking.
Because this was a Sonic game, it was also a relatively simple experience, lacking in the elaborate moves or combos that more serious fighting games are renowned for. After all, it had to be playable, and enjoyable, for young Sonic fans.
Sadly, the original arcade version saw only a limited release outside of Japan, so the only way most people in the West have experience with the title is thanks to its re-release as part of 2005's Sonic Gems Collection, a compendium of older and often rarer Sonic games released on the PS2 and GameCube.
Like many 3D games from the 1990s, Sonic the Fighters hasn't exactly aged well (though it's clean cartoon style has it looking better than, say, Virtua Fighters), and many fighting game fans dismiss it for its simplicity. They're missing the point, though. The point here was that you could take control of Sonic and, rather than living in fear of spikes and little robot animals, go to town on people. Including Tails. How many other games let you punch Tails in the face, over and over, until he goes down?
Exactly. Some, but not nearly enough.
NOTE: To stop you asking, Sonic Battles is worth its own piece. This is just about Sonic The Fighters, OK?


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|Syntactic Confectionery Delight
Building a Perl based businessby johnnywang (Priest)
|on Feb 02, 2006 at 03:03 UTC ( #527221=perlmeditation: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
Recently I've been reading some discussions on the JoeOnSoftware's Micro-ISV section, and started to think about products and businesses. From many discussions here on PM, and my personal experience, it looks like most Perl programmers work for a company, consult or run a website. Are there people selling Perl based products? I'm using the term "prodcuts" as something you develope and can sell again and again, packaged or not. What is the career path for a Perl programmer? I always feel employed/consulting is not a scalable business proposition. What are some examples of successful Perl based businesses besides consulting and web sites?
Back to Meditations


text:
Hugh Hefner had made a deal to stay inside the home until his death
Hugh Hefner had made a deal to stay inside the home until his death
Hugh Hefner had made a deal to stay inside the home until his death
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner lived in the Playboy Mansion since 1971, and made it a landmark of its own. But in the final year of his life, Hefner had sold the property, and was paying $1 million in rent to his own neighbor. Hefner died Thursday at 91, leaving the future of the Playboy Mansion uncertain, though its legacy of excess will certainly remain for generations.
According to CNNMoney, the 20,000-square-foot mansion itself has 12 bedrooms with multiple kitchens, a gym, a screening room, a game room, and a wine cellar. The grounds have a tennis court, a guest house, a pool, and that infamous grotto. It also has a zoo license, which means animals like monkeys and exotic birds roam freely throughout the property, located in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Times reports it was built in 1927 and designed by Arthur R. Kelly for the department store heir Arthur Letts Jr. Playboy bought the property in 1971 for $1.1 million, and sold it for 100 times that in 2016. The home, which was owned by Playboy Enterprises before the sale, became a symbol of the Playboy brand, and all the sexual freedom and wild partying that came with it. Stories of parties at the mansion became Hollywood lore, and later on it became home to the E! reality show The Girls Next Door.
Daren Metropoulos, the son of billionaire C. Dean Metropoulos and co-owner of Hostess Brands, bought the residence next door from Hefner for $18 million in 2009. He then restored its formal gardens and grounds, which are next to the Los Angeles Country Club. That property had been used by Hefner's ex-wife, Kimberley, and their children as a personal residence.
In 2016, he bought the Playboy Mansion itself, with the caveat that Hefner and his wife, Crystal, could still live there until his death, while paying $1 million a year in rent. The sale included all the statues, gargoyles, and even arcade games on the property. The Los Angeles Times reports the deal was for $100 million, which was half of the original asking price, but it was still the largest sale ever recorded in Los Angeles County.
On Metropoulos & Co's website, Daren detailed what his plans are for the property:
"In August 2016, he purchased the Playboy Mansion itself, with the future intention of reconnecting the two estates – returning the combined 7.3 acre compound to the original vision executed by noted architect Arthur R. Kelly and its first owner, Arthur Letts, Jr., the department store heir whose father conceived and developed Holmby Hills when it was the Wolfskill Ranch. He looks forward to the opportunity to bring his passion and attention to detail to ultimately restore the grandeur of a historic property that has been recognized for its craftsmanship, architectural splendor and magnificent detail. As he told The Wall Street Journal when the deal was announced: "The heritage of this property transcends its celebrity, and to have the opportunity to serve as its steward would be a true privilege."
Now that Hefner has died, it is unclear of the timing for Metropoulos's plans for the property, though he did tell the Wall Street Journal he would use it as his private residence. Playboy Enterprises and Metropoulos & Co did not respond to requests for comment.


text:
Radley Balko has more on the absurd case of Shaneen Allen, a Pennsylvania mom facing three years in a Jersey jail for bringing her Pennsylvania-legal handgun into the Garden State.
But just to elevate the old blood pressure let's hear from Bryan Miller of Heeding God's Call, who apparently thinks that God wants this 27 year old mother of two in prison:
Recent reporting in the Courier-Post and elsewhere has made much of the plight of a South Philadelphia woman, Shaneen Allen, reportedly charged in New Jersey with transporting and concealing a handgun loaded with armor-piercing bullets — three transgressions of long-standing state law.
Heeding God's Call, the faith-based and grass-roots movement to prevent gun violence headquartered in Philadelphia and operating in New Jersey and other states, applauds the fact of the coverage, if not all of its tone.
The good news is that, by working to promote attention to this case, pro-gun zealots, such as Allen's lawyer, have inadvertently done an important public education service, as the case's notoriety may make it less likely Pennsylvanians holding permits to carry concealed and loaded handguns in public will bring them across Delaware River bridges, thereby making themselves and New Jersey safer from gun violence.
Yeah, it's those rampaging moms I worry about when I hit the mean streets of Jersey. And far be it from me to suggest that this guy has no idea what he is talking about, but... every other report I have seen (e.g., here) describes her bullets as "hollow point". Although I would consider myself a very casual observer of the gun scene, (as family members will attest, and they know who they are), I am highly confident that "armor piercing" is essentially the opposite of "hollow point".
Maybe the next time Bryan hears from God he can clear that up.


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Gross, but true: You unknowingly eat bugs every day
FDA guidelines allow insects, insect parts in many foods
FDA guidelines allow insects, insect parts in many foods
Warning -- if you are sensitive about insects or contaminated food products, you will find this article disturbing.
Thursday morning on "Live with Kelly and Ryan," Kelly Rippa talked about being grossed out by an article she found that said bugs are in virtually all the food we eat. So, we decided to fact check the claim.
Humans have always eaten insects, either accidentally or on purpose.
Spencer Michaels, reporting for the PBS News Hour, found that 80 percent of the world's population eats insects as a regular part of their diet. He pointed out that of the 1.1 million species of insects that scientists have identified and named, 1,700 are edible. He said they contain lots of protein, hardly any fat and do not cause the types of illnesses caused by eating beef or pork.
But what about those of us who would never choose to eat an insect? Apparently, under Food and Drug Administration guidelines, we don't really get to make that choice.
The FDA's Food Defect Action Levels guidelines allows for certain levels of bugs and other contaminants in food, and the levels are largely based on aesthetics, since insects don't generally pose a health risk.
The amount of insects eaten by consumers is likely lower than what the FDA allows. But for many people, the fact that there are allowable levels is a surprise.
- Pasta may contain an average of 225 insect fragments.
- A cup of raisins can have up to 33 fruit fly eggs.
- Fig paste is allowed to have up to 13 insect heads in 100 grams.
- Up to five fruit flies is allowed in an 8-ounce cup of canned fruit juice.
- One maggot is allowed in every 250 milliliters of fruit.
- Up to 2,500 aphids are allowed in every 10 grams of hops.
- Spinach can have up to 50 aphids, thrips or mites per 100 grams.
- Broccoli can contain insects fragments and even whole insects.
- Up to a kilogram of insect parts is allowed in 100 kilograms of chocolate.
- Up to 19 maggots and 74 mites are allowed in a 3.5-ounce can of mushrooms.
- Up to 15 fruit fly eggs are allowed in 100 grams of tomato sauce.
- More than 40 thrips are allowed in 100 grams of asparagus.
- Hops used in brewing beer can contain more than 2,500 aphids in 10 grams.
Americans eat, on average, "two pounds of flies, maggots and other bugs each year," according to a Scientific American blog.


text:
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Space costs you money! Swisslog always finds the most effective solution with the best price-to-performance ratio, transparent processes, and the greatest flexibility. You can respond to changing business conditions at any time by adjusting capacities when you need to accommodate increasing throughput.


text:
The Band Perry to perform Feb. 20 at the BMO Harris Bank Center
ROCKFORD — The Band Perry, a country music trio, will perform at 8 p.m. Feb. 20 at the BMO Harris Bank Center, 228 S. Main St.
Tickets for the concert go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday and will be available at the BMO Harris Bank Center box office, 300 Elm St.; by calling 815-968-5222; or online at ticketmaster.com.
Cost: $25-$39.75. For information: thebmoharrisbankcenter.com.


text:
Martha Bolton has written comedy for such performers as Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, Ann Jillian, Jeff Allen, Mark Lowry, Fritz Coleman, and more. A speaker and author of over 50 books, Martha is also the Cafeteria Lady for Brio magazine. (If you're looking for The Cafeteria Lady's newest recipe book, you'll find it listed under Notable Toxic Waste Dumps of the South.) Martha has also written for both Bob Hope's and Wayne Newton's USO shows.
Martha began her comedy writing career as a church secretary. "I saw a lot of comedy in the church," Martha says with a laugh. "I used to perform a Friar's Club-type roast on the pastor, deacon, or any other church staff member who was celebrating a special occasion. I had to change churches a lot." And thus began Martha's writing career. She's been going strong ever since.
So if you're looking for a humorous, inspirational speaker for your business,church, ladies or couples retreat, a speaker for your writers' conference,or if you just need someone to do a little filing in the office, contact Martha at email@example.com. (Okay, we're just kidding about the filing).
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text:
This is the time of year…
We are trying not to count the days. We know it is coming up. We are trying to be happy. And yet it is extremely hard.
I remember when my son left home. It was his Senior Year. It was a crazy time for us to move and yet it happened. I remember always shaking my head when I'd hear stories of parents uprooting their kids from their last years of High School and yet we found ourselves in that same position. I was not ready. He was not ready. And yet it is a choice I made and will always look back and wonder about. In the end, he moved in with his dad. I am glad because his dad is gone now and it was a great bonding time for them that my son will always cherish. And yet as a mom who was pretty over protective all of his young life, I had to let go, knowing for the most part, that the supervision would not be identical. In fact, it was pretty non existent. I am pretty sure all curfews flew out the window along with my baby bird!
I remember once my son calling me and telling me that one of his dad's room mate's had brought home Jack In The Box for everyone but him. I am sure there was food in the house and he was not going to starve and that there may have been a good reason for leaving him out… mainly his attitude which has always been a bit challenging… Smile… But I can't imagine his father partaking in the food while our son sat watching. Though I "get" that I was not privy to the full picture. As a mother missing her baby you can imagine my heart. So I began sending care packages.
Sure I could have sent money and saved the shipping, but I found joy in choosing his favorite things and "knowing" he'd be fed. I don't doubt that my ex was supplying the basic needs but not the hugs from his mom and so I sent those packages pretty regularly. Until I was asked not to.
One day I got a phone call asking me to "stop" (sending the packages) by my ex. He said, "Diane, you are not helping." I will never forget how hard it was. I understood that my son was actually 18 by that time, had a job and was living rent free so just had to pay for his gas and food. My ex had moved out of his parent's house his senior year, and I know that he just wanted our son to grow up and learn about life the way he had to. It was a love thing. He wasn't trying to be mean. But it was hard for him to understand my "mother's heart" and that the thought of my baby being cold or sad or going hungry for even just one minute was hard for me. Okay well maybe I wasn't that bad but I did want to confront him about that Jack In The Box incident but I didn't want to betray my son. And I wanted to tell my son that it was his dad who was making me stop sending the care packages but I could not betray his dad.
It seemed as if everytime I turned around that year, I'd see a little boy that reminded me of my son. I missed him so much. But I knew that he wasn't that little boy anymore. He was all grown up and I needed to let go.
I guess I actually was glad that his dad taught him the hard lessons that I couldn't.
I've shared this poem before here but it is one that I wrote right before my first baby bird tumbled out of my nest… This one is for all the moms having to let go this year as their baby birds fly off to school or where ever it might be. I understand and feel for you all. And I am here to tell you that you will survive! My son did! He has his own business and a beautiful family. Letting go isn't always easy, nor is letting our baby birds fall out of the sky sometimes… but if we let them… experience the highs and the lows… someday they will learn to soar and that is enough hope for me. (This poem is also for the young moms who can't wait for school to start and need a little reminder… of just how FAST it all flies by!)
Seems like only yesterday I held you in my arms
Oh how you swept me away with all your baby charms.
The days just flew by quickly, soon you began to talk
and then a little later, you began to walk….
"Mommy will you cross me? I want to go and play."
Oh those words ring sweetly, now seem like yesterday.
The years have swiftly passed,
don't know where they've all gone,
And when you cross the street now,
you don't need to call your mom.
It has happened right in front of me, before my very eyes…
packed away, your faded jeans, one of every size…
Teddy bears and old match box cars,
all packed with loving care,
baseball cards and folded notes of secrets that you shared.
I sit amongst the boxes recalling our memories all alone
and realize that baby, once in my arms,
is now fully grown~
And silently I wonder through a mixture of joy and tears…
Did I truly show how much I loved you
through those tender years?
Sometimes it's hard when you're the mom
to make your child understand
just how VERY proud she is when he becomes a man!
Diane Reed


text:
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text:
The amount of time saved by typing "Thx" instead of "Thanks" is negligible compared with the annoyance it causes.
Likewise with "Yrs" and "Rgrts."
A man should not concern himself with the order in which he is cc'd.
Whatever joke you replace "Sent from my [mobile device]" with will get old by the second e-mail.
"Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab" should be deleted.
Don't tweet about work. Unless you work for Twitter.
The mere fact that you are in an elevator, or urinating, or waiting for the coffee machine does not mean that you have to pull out your mobile device. Look around. Say hello. Be a human.
Pretend there's no such thing as emoticons.
Unless you have an office with a door: headphones.
A man should not worry about whether his work e-mails are being read by a third party. They are.
Your out-of-office reply is still on. Please change it.


text:
Sometimes at Ars Technica, a staffer has to call in "sick" for reasons other than illness, emergency, or hangover. Those are all poor working states, but I would argue that one is even worse: a computer meltdown.
Everyone on staff has suffered at least one of these (or its awful cousin, the ISP outage) and been left distracted or set back to some extent. But when the crash in question happens to the thing you're supposed to test? That's a problem.
And when it happens because you used official Microsoft downloads? Oh, that's an Ars article.
1809: The sign of the Windows Update beast
TL;DR: Everything on my end is fine, after some headaches. There's not enough here to declare that Microsoft has failed its every customer. But, seeing as this is a holiday weekend, I thought I'd use the slow-news opportunity to tell a slightly overlong tale of Windows woe. Methinks you'll empathize.
The trouble began when I returned from a mid-November trip and offered a sing-song "honey I'm hooo-oome" to my sweet, sweet baby: the Ars PC-gaming testing machine.
Some context: I've been a happy owner of a Falcon NW "Tiki" build for years, which I upgraded earlier this year because I'd anticipated the launch of new, consumer-grade GPUs. I wanted any new GPUs to be met by a beefier power supply, faster RAM, and a liquid-cooled i7 processor. This system upgrade certainly helped me review Nvidia's new RTX line of GPUs in September (with some exceptions, which I'll get to later).
Part of the upgrade process was a system wipe and fresh Windows 10 install, which I was happy to do—always a good excuse to back up files and clear some Windows garbage. That was in April, and while I've faced some UWP app-license headaches since, the system has otherwise been fine.
Thus, I was excited upon my return to see a major update queued for download: Battlefield V and its fancy-pants, RTX-minded "ray-tracing" update. (BFV has had a weirdly staggered launch, with some customers playing a full two weeks ahead of standard-edition owners, but we got in as early as possible with hopes of testing this RTX update and informing our audience of PC gamers.)
I got all of my PC-patching ducks in a row. New Nvidia drivers? Check. BFV and Origin client updates? Check. Windows Update, "check for updates?" Check. I was ready to trace some rays—and thus see what Nvidia's newfangled, super-sexy reflection pipeline would offer in an actual game, as opposed to pre-cooked demos.
Yet BFV's menus still had no mention of ray tracing, and jumping into a game showed no difference. Huh?
I was ready to poke the ray-tracing bear.
A quick peek at EA's announcements confirmed what was still missing: a jump to the latest Windows 10 build number. I was running 1803, but EA locked this update to Windows 10 build 1809. Hmm. That's a requirement I hadn't seen before.
I quintuple-clicked Windows Update's "check again" button in the hope of forcing an upgrade, but I was out of luck. Windows' default, staggered approach to official updates had left me out of the approved pool. Oftentimes, that's a good thing. I am glad to not have been part of the recent "official" wave that wiped users' My Documents folders, for example.
But this device is a testing rig, which means it's mostly free of valuable files. In the case of a full data wipe, I'd be more upset about having to re-download zillions of games' gigs (especially with a #%*$ing Comcast monthly data cap) than losing crucial data. Thus, I was ready to poke the ray-tracing bear.
"Undoing changes," "undoing changes," "undoing changes... "
My first force-an-upgrade step came from the Windows Update Assistant, an officially advertised Microsoft download that confirms your system's specs and build version, then answers whether or not your PC is ready for the next Windows 10 build before beginning the download-and-install process. My PC quickly received the all-clear from this app. After a 10-minute data-download phase, the installer offered an expected "first of many restarts" notice.
Before going any further, I should note that I ran into one bit of Windows weirdness ahead of the upgrade process. In clearing out a few more gigs on my install drive, a paltry 256GB SSD, I tried to clear out prior Windows installs by digging through temp files via Windows 10's settings panels. There, I saw an option to recover 6GB of data that was devoted to "previous Windows install files." But doing this did two things: first, it left a "cleaning files... " message on my screen for over half an hour, and second, when the file cleaning was completed, the option to delete that data disappeared—but I had only recovered 1GB of data.
What happened to the other ~5GB? I couldn't tell. I no longer had a Windows.old folder lingering in my C: drive. And a dig through usual-suspect dumping grounds of "hidden" files turned nothing up.
"Undoing changes made to your computer," insta-reboot. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Back to the Windows Update Assistant. When I told this upgrade tool to proceed, its first timing indicator got up to 80 percent before rebooting my system. Then, the restarted, low-resolution screens showed a meter that reached 17 percent before a sudden reboot. Another screen briefly flashed: "Undoing changes made to your computer." Reboot, and back to the prior Windows build, working as if I'd done nothing. I tried again, only to see the exact same percentage markers. Eighty percent, 17 percent, "undoing changes made to your computer."
The next step was to reach out to Microsoft customer service directly through Windows' help interface. My first chat with a customer service agent began with a stern reminder—and one I'd be remiss not to share with you—that I should wait until my Windows 10 system received an 1809 download through Windows Update. If I wasn't getting it yet, I should cool my heels. But my heels were hot, I insisted, and I was ready to use official Microsoft downloads to get to 1809 and its ray-tracing goodness.
After I politely asked if I had any official-download options, my first agent directed me to the Media Creation Tool (which had been advertised on the same site where I'd grabbed the Windows Update Assistant). This came in two flavors: an executable to launch on the existing Windows install, or a boot-disk creation process (which either farts out an ISO or a Microsoft-tailored flash drive). I was told to go ahead with either option, so I installed the MCT executable on the affected machine and rebooted.
This time, the install process got me to a reboot, but instead of a 17-percent crawl, it flashed the "undoing changes made to your computer" message for a split-second, then rebooted. After my BIOS loaded, the same thing: "Undoing changes made to your computer," insta-reboot. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Too mad at Microsoft to use Bing
After some furious Googling, I found a few troubleshooting recommendations for "endless Windows 10 reboot" woes, which all revolved around MCT's flash drive option. However, every possible step I could take using that utility—including repairs, system restores, and update uninstalls—failed with blank error messages. As in, I'd get a nicely phrased "unfortunately, this didn't work" message, followed by a "Log:" note that had zero text afterward. The log was a lack of a log.
With this information in hand, I turned to Microsoft customer service once more. Nobody had a clue where to go with my specific error state. The MCT made accessing a command prompt easy, but every command I entered turned up specific errors that indicated something wasn't loading or being recognized correctly. The language barrier with some Microsoft reps didn't help. Upon advising me to attempt a "custom install" via the MCT, one care agent informed me that "all of your apps on all of your drives" would be deleted by doing this. When I asked for clarification—are we talking about UWP apps, or every single x86 executable?—I received the same "all apps" guidance. (Of course, the answer was "no." My non-Windows drives would be fine, especially since I would be better served by unplugging unaffected drives before going forward with any changes to my C: drive.)
For now, I'm choosing games that are easier to back up on PC.
As of press time, I have yet to get a response from Microsoft about what it has tracked regarding the error I faced in terms of other users running into the same situation as me: finding my Windows drive unable to recover from an endless reboot loop, in spite of exhausting all troubleshooting options. We'll update this article with any response, but the Thanksgiving holiday will likely delay that.
My next step should have been to email my Windows wizard of a coworker Peter Bright. Instead, I got hung up on a question that Microsoft's reps failed to answer in a clear manner: was my ancient, paid Windows 8 license—which was upgraded to Windows 10 during its limited free period—in peril if I opted for a full system wipe? The answer, which took me way too long to figure out, was no. The license was fine, attached to my Microsoft account and mindful of specific hardware on my system.


text: Events for week of March 26, 2023 › Fundraiser Loading view. No results were found for this week. Jump to the next upcoming events. Events Fundraiser Events Search and Views Navigation Search Enter Keyword. Search for Events by Keyword. Find Events Show filters Event Views Navigation Week List Month Day Photo Week Filters Changing any of the form inputs will cause the list of events to refresh with the filtered results. 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In the last post I mentioned I'd been working on other projects. Here's one of them.
A scarily close up shot of the first darning I've ever done. I had a request to repair some holes in a sweater and was told I could fix them however I liked. It doesn't look too bad, and I think it will look even better after it's worn and the ends of the thread fray a bit instead of being so blunt. There is another cross patching a hole on the back of the sweater. I wish I could claim the red cross idea as my own, I can't. I saw something similar a couple years ago, I believe in Selvedge Magazine, possibly the Scandinavian issue. In case anyone is curious, the sweater is wool, made in Greece, and I used DMC cotton perle number 5 thread.
I chose to work from the front because I wanted the work to show, but I can see how if one was skilled the stitches could disappear. Give me time.


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#1 - The obvious one is this type of breakfast is packed with sugar. I don't think I need to explain why the sugar in this amount is bad.
#2 - We love our fat but we also love getting it from quality sources and this type of breakfast is also extremely fat dense. This combination of high fat and high sugar/carbohydrate is the reason we have the obesity epidemic that faces us in this country. The calorie density is through the roof when you combine sugar and fat, our brains just don't know when to say enough is enough when you combine those things.
#3 - Breakfast is also a unique meal. If you look at it's name "Break - Fast" this is the meal that breaks what is likely a 8-10 hour fast depending on when you last ate the previous night. It is because we are in this fasted state that our body is primed to absorb more of the energy that we provide it.
This happens mainly due to us being more insulin sensitive after a fast. That means that your body will easily transport blood glucose (carbs) into cells. Now if you worked out at 6 a.m. and you then consume a carb dense breakfast that carbohydrate/glucose will get transported to muscle tissue. That's a good thing! If you roll out of bed and have an Ego waffle, bowl of cereal, or a bowl of oatmeal topped with brown sugar and raisins, that carbohydrate will likely get stored in fat cells.
#3 - Lastly, a meal like those mentioned so far is lacking almost all nutritional value. In general, color is a sign of a food's nutritional value. If you didn't cook a waffle, that whole plate would be white = zero nutrition.
When you combine combine, calorie dense, blood sugar spiking, and nutrient poor all together in one food/meal you are either having one hell of a treat meal or trying to develop diabetes.
How do you upgrade your breakfast?
We would love to hear what are your go-to breakfast options?


text: Mississippi ricin letters case now headed to grand jury By Editor | May 3, 2013 | 0 Mississippi ricin letters case now headed to grand jury By: By the Associated Press Posted: Friday, May 3, 2013 10:00 pm The Messenger 05.03.13 By HOLBROOK MOHRAssociated PressOXFORD, Miss. (AP) — A dust mask that tested positive for ricin also contained DNA from a Mississippi man suspected of sending poison-laced letters to President Obama and others, an FBI agent testified Thursday.The testimony came during a preliminary hearing for James Everett Dutshcke, 41, who was arrested Saturday at his home in Tupelo and charged with making ricin, the same substance mailed on April 8 to Obama, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and Lee County, Miss., judge Sadie Holland.Magistrate Judge S. Allan Alexander ruled that there was enough probable cause to send the case to a grand jury. It's not clear when one would hear evidence in this case.Dutschke's lawyer, George Lucas, waived a detention hearing, but reserved the right to ask for one later. That means Dutschke will remain behind bars for now.FBI agent Stephen Thomason said that on April 22, agents saw Dutschke go to his former martial arts studio in Tupelo and then throw items in a trash can down the street. One of those items was a dust mask that tested positive for ricin, he said.Thomason said the mask had DNA from two people on it.He said Dustchke was the "major contributor." The agent did not say who else's DNA was on it.Dutschke is second person to be charged in the case. The first suspect, Elvis impersonator Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, was arrested on April 17, but the charges were dropped six days later. After his arrest, Curtis said he was framed and identified Dutschke as someone who might have sent the letters, according to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court. Curtis said he knows Dutschke and that they feuded over the years. During Thursday's hearing, Dutschke sat at the defendant's table wearing an orange jail uniform. He scribbled notes at times and also shook his head in disagreement at some of the testimony.No possible motive was discussed.Much of Agent Thom-ason's testimony was from an FBI affidavit made public earlier this week, which said trace amounts of ricin were found in Dutschke's former martial arts studio.Thomason said Dutschke used the Internet to make three purchases of castor beans, from which ricin is derived. The affidavit had said two, but Thomason said the investigation turned up another.Lucas, Dutschke's lawyer, said there was a way to make ricin in a way so that it isn't deadly and repeatedly questioned the agent about tests performed on the substance in the letters."If it's ricin, it's deadly," the agent said.The FBI has not revealed details about how lethal the ricin was. A Senate official has said the ricin was not weaponized, meaning it wasn't in a form that could easily enter the body. If inhaled, ricin can cause respiratory failure, among other symptoms. No antidote exists. During the investigation, officials searched Dutschke's home, business and minivans.Thomason said documents from the home had printer markings similar to ones on letters sent to the officials.Dutschke faces up to life in prison if convicted in the ricin case. He's also facing unrelated charges of child molestation.———Follow Mohr at http://twitter.com/holbrookmohr. Posted in Area News Leave a Comment Name (required) Email (will not be published) (required) Comment Click here to cancel reply. Related Posts Dresden Industrial Board approves expenditure to assist with National Tobacco project March 23, 2023 | No Comments » Community Concerns with Shannon March 21, 2023 | 1 Comment » Roy Herron removed as trustee for Cody Wade March 21, 2023 | No Comments » Herron files motion to seal Floyd/Wu case from the public and media March 21, 2023 | No Comments » County Commission honors Westview Lady Chargers March 17, 2023 | No Comments »


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When Paul Loebach volunteered to have microscopic rings of foreign DNA injected into his body, his wife was none too pleased. That the genetic material came from the deadly Ebola virus might have had something to do with it. "My family thought I was crazy," recalls the public health analyst from Rockville, Md. As if to prove they were right, he has since gotten several injections of West Nile virus DNA, too.
In both cases, medical investigators at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in nearby Bethesda were mustering up volunteers to test promising new DNA vaccines. Loebach, 37, answered their call to bare arms. Unlike many current vaccines, which contain whole viruses, these gene-based vaccines have only snippets of viral DNA—just two genes, in the West Nile vaccine, out of seven—and those pieces are cooked up from scratch in a lab. "You can't be infected because the [live] virus is not part of the production process," says Barney S. Graham, chief of clinical trials at the NIH's Vaccine Research Center. In essence, he says, the injection contains just enough "genetic information to enable the cell to make its own vaccine."
Infectious diseases remain among the leading causes of death worldwide, and each year a new species of pathogen emerges. Swift development of vaccines is crucial to stopping potential epidemics. West Nile virus has swept through 48 states since it was first detected in New York City in 1999. Most infected people experience only mild symptoms, but when the virus enters the central nervous system, it can be deadly. There is also evidence that the virus has mutated into a second strain.
A DNA vaccine's simplicity makes it versatile enough to take on a rapidly mutating foe, and cheap enough to deploy in developing countries. Scientists can swap in genes as a virus evolves, creating new formulas in a matter of days. Manufacturers need about nine months to produce large quantities of whole viruses for conventional flu shots, so DNA vaccines could quickly help defend against the deadly strain of bird flu, H5N1. And, DNA vaccines have a high tolerance for heat, so they can be distributed in places where refrigeration is unavailable.
More From Popular Mechanics
Recipe for Resistance
To create the West Nile vaccine, researchers produce a strip of DNA with the genetic code for two proteins that the virus uses to invade cells. They insert this into a loop of nonviral DNA called a plasmid, make many copies, and use a needleless, high-pressure "gun" to ram the plasmids into the arm muscle—on three occasions. (Studies suggest that more plasmids do their job when blasted into muscle cells than when injected by a needle.)
Each infected cell's nucleus reads the viral DNA and makes proteins according to the genetic instructions. The proteins journey to the cell's membrane and poke outward, raising "flags" visible to passing immune cells. Researchers expect the body's response to be twofold: It will produce antibodies to target the foreign proteins, as it would with most vaccines, and stimulate white blood cells that will destroy compromised cells in the event of an actual infection. The two processes mimic how the body resists being reinfected with a virus it has already beaten.
At least that's the theory. To confirm it, researchers sought out human guinea pigs. Willing subjects were excluded if they flunked any item on a laundry list of qualifications. No volunteer could have previously received a shot against yellow fever or Japanese encephalitis, two relatives of West Nile, because they would already have similar antibodies. Volunteers also had to live nearby so they could be monitored throughout the study. "You're committing quite a bit of time on a regular basis for a year, or sometimes 18 months," Graham says.
Acceptees are paid $50 or more for each clinical appointment. Says Loebach: "A round of golf a visit—that's worth it right there."
But Does It Work?
Researchers examine the volunteers to determine whether their bodies develop the expected immune response. But the larger challenge could be proving that the vaccine actually protects them against the virus. To do so, researchers would normally vaccinate a
bunch of people and watch to see if that group experiences fewer infections than an unvaccinated group. But illnesses from West Nile virus are still rare enough in the States—about one in 150,000 Americans were diagnosed last year—that such a study could take years and require hundreds of thousands of volunteers. Graham thinks there's an easier way.
The Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve any DNA vaccine for use in people, but veterinarians already have one to protect horses from West Nile virus. Researchers proved the vaccine works by doing something too risky to try in humans: They exposed inoculated horses to the live virus. The animals didn't get sick.
If studies show that people and horses develop comparable immune responses to the DNA vaccines for West Nile, Graham hopes the human vaccine will get the green light.
In the meantime, there will be a second trial for the West Nile vaccine that includes volunteers over age 50. Loebach won't qualify for it, but he may be swinging by NIH for checkups anyway. Graham's group is developing a DNA vaccine for HIV. "When I'm done with West Nile virus," he says, "if they're still doing the AIDS vaccine, I'll probably volunteer for that."


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Saturday, July 2, 2011
Saucer of the Week: Chinese Export Porcelain for the American Market
. . . to China, where this pretty saucer was made in (around) 1800 for the American market. It is decorated with an urn, similar to the English saucer I posted several weeks ago, that Parnassas so cleverly photoshopped. The decoration is also related to that found on the Thomas Willing Chinese export porcelain service that I saw in the collection at Bayou Bend, three plates of which I acquired for our collection at Darlington House at the New York Ceramics Fair this past January.
But in this case, the urn is surmounted by a bird. I'm not exactly sure what type of bird it is, but I think it could well be a stylized eagle. I am confident that this saucer was made in China for the American market, given its decoration, the asperity of which the citizenry of the New Republic preferred to the more elaborate decorations favored elsewhere at the time.
I found this saucer in a pile of dusty plates in a junk shop in rural Connecticut thirty or so years ago, along with three other dishes from the same service, identically decorated. I think I paid a dollar a plate for them. After I had completed my purchase, and with the plates safely in hand, I explained to the fellow working behind the counter what he had just sold me, and that they were actually worth far more than what I had paid for them. He didn't seem to care all that much, since he was an hourly employee of the shop, and not one of its owners. He responded, "You're the second person who said that to me. Just yesterday some other guy came in here and bought up the rest of them. Must've been twenty or thirty of 'em he got. He probably didn't see these ones that you found just now."
"Well, well," I thought, "that was some lucky guy." If only I had been there the day before, imagine what a haul I would have found!
As it is, I didn't do all that badly . . .
10 comments:
Very fortunate find, the reward for sifting through what may look like worthless items in a box!ReplyDelete
Art by Karena
Beautiful saucer. Beautiful story.ReplyDelete
My guess is that there weren't 20 plates there yesterday or any day. I've discovered that there's a certain antiques dealer who will always entice or deflate by saying if only one had been in yesterday. "Do I have any daguerreotypes of professional people? No, but just last week I had one of a tinker and his young assistant, in perfect condition, too! You should have been here."ReplyDelete
It's a great saucer, Reggie, and I just know you got the whole stack.
- AnonymousJuly 2, 2011 at 9:09 PM
Gorgeous. The colors alone, sublime.ReplyDelete
I also love the primitive resolution of the central design on your saucer, Reggie. LOVE it. One can ride just about anywhere on an interpretation, if desired. If not so desired, fine, the design stands firmly on its own.
This morning when I first viewed your dish, I did so via its classical allusions to Time in mind. A draped urn, albeit sparsely so, draped nonetheless alluding to Death; the white bird, more dove than eagle [to me], naturally winged to the side, yet aditionally [ecclesiastically?] surmounted with stylized wings of an angel, another classical symbol for Eternal Life; and finally the single clockvine blossom, the name obviously pointing to the passage of Time. All taken together, the symbols made me wonder whether this dish, and its mother service, might have been commissioned in memory of a dear departed loved one. Or not.
Hence the eternal beauty of your saucer. Six or one half dozen on the interpretation side, same measure on the other side as well.
Happy 4th to you and Sir Fenwick!
I haven' been following the Saucer Thang Chronicles closely Reggie...but I assume you'll buy a one-off if it intrigues you. Do you prefer to buy sets? Are they displayed in various locales at Darlington and in town? Or is there a central repository? You know...kinda like Heaven. But for Reggie Saucers.ReplyDelete
As soon as I saw the picture it made me gasp. It's so pretty!ReplyDelete
Before I go back and read what you wrote, I want to tell you that you have inspired me to start my own saucer collection. My mother generously gave me 3 demitasse saucers to start me off: 1 was part of demitasse given to her as wedding presents, and the other 2 belonged to my great grandmother's china collection.
Surely, a dove, yes? If an eagle, it seems quite emasculated. But then, Chinese Export porcelain painters often got things charmingly wrong.ReplyDelete
MDR: You are most likely correct--the fellow in the store probably told me that the other person bought ones before me to take the wind out of my sail. Good point!ReplyDelete
Flo: I believe you have perfectly deduced the symbolism here. You are correct: the decoration is similar to what is seen in many mourning pieces of the day. And of course the bird is a dove! Thank you.
ADG: I'm not too picky when it comes to buying saucers, at least when it comes to the numbers of them. Many of ours were bought as singles, some in sets of two, and some in larger sets (usually with the cups in such cases). We scatter them about the house, on end tables (to use as coasters), bed-side tables (also as coasters), chests (as catch alls) and we also display them vertically on stands on fireplace mantles. We keep most of them (most of the time) in stacks, though, sitting in a cupboard in our dining room at Darlington, and we change them out with the ones out on view when it strikes our fancy. No saucers in our city apartment (which is in a modern high rise), only the country house.
Emmaleigh504: I am very pleased to have inspired you to start your own saucer collection, and it sounds as if you are off to a very good start, indeed! Thank you.ReplyDelete
Aesthete: You, too, of the eagle eyes! Yes, I agree with you (and Flo) the bird is surely a dove, and not an eagle. Thank you.
- AnonymousJuly 13, 2013 at 6:19 AM
The event this piece was commissioned to capture as a visual record and its misunderstood symbol is amusing along with the pretty babble. Nice saucer.ReplyDelete


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Easier VNC
anaconda has nice support for using VNC to carry out the install, but setting this up requires the user to know a lot. Would be nice if we could guide them
- Name: none
Current status
- Targeted release: ??
- Last updated: 2007-11-19
- Percentage of completion: 0%
Detailed Description
EricSandeen mentions that although the VNC mode is nice, getting into it requires passing options on the kernel command line for various parts. It would be nice if we could prompt for some of it.
One approach might be to add a 'vncask' option which then prompted for the different options.
No one is currently working on this, though. If you would like to, please send mail to firstname.lastname@example.com with information on how you'd go about implementing it


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WASHINGTON – A measure of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes increased last month to its highest level in two and a half years, the latest sign of improvement in the once-battered housing market.
The National Association of Realtors said Friday that its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index rose 1.7 per cent in November from October to 106.4. That's the highest since April 2010, when a homebuyer tax credit caused a spike in sales. And after excluding those months when the tax credit was available, it's the best reading since February 2007.
The increase points to higher sales of previously occupied homes in the coming months. There's generally a one- to two-month lag between a signed contract and a completed sale.
Signed contracts to buy homes rose in the Northeast and West, and ticked up slightly in the Midwest. They were unchanged in the South.
Home sales are on track to rise 10 per cent this year to their highest level in five years, buoyed by ultra-low mortgage rates and steady job gains.
The housing recovery that began earlier this year is looking sustainable for a number of reasons. The supply of previously occupied homes for sale has finally thinned out and is at an 11-year low. At the same time, more people are looking to buy or rent a home after living with relatives or friends during and in the aftermath of the Great Recession.
The combination of stronger demand and limited supply is pushing up home prices. That could encourage more sellers to put their homes on the market because they can expect a better price.
Builders are also more optimistic that the recovery will endure and are stepping up construction. The pace of home construction was nearly 22 per cent higher in November compared with a year earlier. Builders are on track this year to start work on the most homes in four years.