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This post follows on from the previous post on Gibbs sampling in various languages. In that post a simple Gibbs sampler was implemented in various languages, and speeds were compared. It was seen that R is very slow for iterative simulation algorithms characteristic of MCMC methods such as the Gibbs sampler. Statically typed languages such as C/C++ and Java were seen to be fastest for this type of algorithm. Since many statisticians like to use R for most of their work, there is natural interest in the possibility of extending R by calling simulation algorithms written in other languages. It turns out to be straightforward to call C, C++ and Java from within R, so this post will look at how this can be done, and exactly how fast the different options turn out to be. The post draws heavily on my previous posts on calling C from R and calling Java from R, as well as Dirk Eddelbuettel's post on calling C++ from R, and it may be helpful to consult these posts for further details.
We will start with the simple pure R version of the Gibbs sampler, and use this as our point of reference for understanding the benefits of re-coding in other languages. The background to the problem was given in the previous post and so won't be repeated here. The code can be given as follows:
gibbs<-function(N=50000,thin=1000) { mat=matrix(0,ncol=2,nrow=N) x=0 y=0 for (i in 1:N) { for (j in 1:thin) { x=rgamma(1,3,y*y+4) y=rnorm(1,1/(x+1),1/sqrt(2*x+2)) } mat[i,]=c(x,y) } names(mat)=c("x","y") mat }
This code works perfectly, but is very slow. It takes 458.9 seconds on my very fast laptop (details given in previous post).
Let us now see how we can introduce a new function, gibbsC into R, which works in exactly the same way as gibbs, but actually calls on compiled C code to do all of the work. First we need the C code in a file called gibbs.c:
#include <stdio.h> #include <math.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include <R.h> #include <Rmath.h> void gibbs(int *Np,int *thinp,double *xvec,double *yvec) { int i,j; int N=*Np,thin=*thinp; GetRNGstate(); double x=0; double y=0; for (i=0;i<N;i++) { for (j=0;j<thin;j++) { x=rgamma(3.0,1.0/(y*y+4)); y=rnorm(1.0/(x+1),1.0/sqrt(2*x+2)); } xvec[i]=x; yvec[i]=y; } PutRNGstate(); }
This can be compiled with R CMD SHLIB gibbs.c. We can load it into R and wrap it up so that it is easy to use with the following code:
dyn.load(file.path(".",paste("gibbs",.Platform$dynlib.ext,sep=""))) gibbsC<-function(n=50000,thin=1000) { tmp=.C("gibbs",as.integer(n),as.integer(thin), x=as.double(1:n),y=as.double(1:n)) mat=cbind(tmp$x,tmp$y) colnames(mat)=c("x","y") mat }
The new function gibbsC works just like gibbs, but takes just 12.1 seconds to run. This is roughly 40 times faster than the pure R version, which is a big deal.
Note that using the R inline package, it is possible to directly inline the C code into the R source code. We can do this with the following R code:
require(inline) code=' int i,j; int N=*Np,thin=*thinp; GetRNGstate(); double x=0; double y=0; for (i=0;i<N;i++) { for (j=0;j<thin;j++) { x=rgamma(3.0,1.0/(y*y+4)); y=rnorm(1.0/(x+1),1.0/sqrt(2*x+2)); } xvec[i]=x; yvec[i]=y; } PutRNGstate();' gibbsCin<-cfunction(sig=signature(Np="integer",thinp="integer",xvec="numeric",yvec="numeric"),body=code,includes="#include <Rmath.h>",language="C",convention=".C") gibbsCinline<-function(n=50000,thin=1000) { tmp=gibbsCin(n,thin,rep(0,n),rep(0,n)) mat=cbind(tmp$x,tmp$y) colnames(mat)=c("x","y") mat }
This runs at the same speed as the code compiled separately, and is arguably a bit cleaner in this case. Personally I'm not a big fan of inlining code unless it is something really very simple. If there is one thing that we have learned from the murky world of web development, it is that little good comes from mixing up different languages in the same source code file!
We can also inline C++ code into R using the inline and Rcpp packages. The code below originates from Sanjog Misra, and was discussed in the post by Dirk Eddelbuettel mentioned at the start of this post.
require(Rcpp) require(inline) gibbscode = ' int N = as<int>(n); int thn = as<int>(thin); int i,j; RNGScope scope; NumericVector xs(N),ys(N); double x=0; double y=0; for (i=0;i<N;i++) { for (j=0;j<thn;j++) { x = ::Rf_rgamma(3.0,1.0/(y*y+4)); y= ::Rf_rnorm(1.0/(x+1),1.0/sqrt(2*x+2)); } xs(i) = x; ys(i) = y; } return Rcpp::DataFrame::create( Named("x")= xs, Named("y") = ys); ' RcppGibbsFn <- cxxfunction( signature(n="int", thin = "int"), gibbscode, plugin="Rcpp") RcppGibbs <- function(N=50000,thin=1000) { RcppGibbsFn(N,thin) }
This version of the sampler runs in 12.4 seconds, just a little bit slower than the C version.
It is also quite straightforward to call Java code from within R using the rJava package. The following code
import java.util.*; import cern.jet.random.tdouble.*; import cern.jet.random.tdouble.engine.*; class GibbsR { public static double[][] gibbs(int N,int thin,int seed) { DoubleRandomEngine rngEngine=new DoubleMersenneTwister(seed); Normal rngN=new Normal(0.0,1.0,rngEngine); Gamma rngG=new Gamma(1.0,1.0,rngEngine); double x=0,y=0; double[][] mat=new double[2][N]; for (int i=0;i<N;i++) { for (int j=0;j<thin;j++) { x=rngG.nextDouble(3.0,y*y+4); y=rngN.nextDouble(1.0/(x+1),1.0/Math.sqrt(2*x+2)); } mat[0][i]=x; mat[1][i]=y; } return mat; } }
can be compiled with javac GibbsR.java (assuming that Parallel COLT is in the classpath), and wrapped up from within an R session with
library(rJava) .jinit() obj=.jnew("GibbsR") gibbsJ<-function(N=50000,thin=1000,seed=trunc(runif(1)*1e6)) { result=.jcall(obj,"[[D","gibbs",as.integer(N),as.integer(thin),as.integer(seed)) mat=sapply(result,.jevalArray) colnames(mat)=c("x","y") mat }
This code runs in 10.7 seconds. Yes, that's correct. Yes, the Java code is faster than both the C and C++ code! This really goes to show that Java is now an excellent option for numerically intensive work such as this. However, before any C/C++ enthusiasts go apoplectic, I should explain why Java turns out to be faster here, as the comparison is not quite fair… In the C and C++ code, use was made of the internal R random number generation routines, which are relatively slow compared to many modern numerical library implementations. In the Java code, I used Parallel COLT for random number generation, as it isn't straightforward to call the R generators from Java code. It turns out that the COLT generators are faster than the R generators, and that is why Java turns out to be faster here…
Of course we do not have to use the R random number generators within our C code. For example, we could instead call on the GSL generators, using the following code:
#include <stdio.h> #include <math.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include <gsl/gsl_rng.h> #include <gsl/gsl_randist.h> #include <R.h> void gibbsGSL(int *Np,int *thinp,int *seedp,double *xvec,double *yvec) { int i,j; int N=*Np,thin=*thinp,seed=*seedp; gsl_rng *r = gsl_rng_alloc(gsl_rng_mt19937); gsl_rng_set(r,seed); double x=0; double y=0; for (i=0;i<N;i++) { for (j=0;j<thin;j++) { x=gsl_ran_gamma(r,3.0,1.0/(y*y+4)); y=1.0/(x+1)+gsl_ran_gaussian(r,1.0/sqrt(2*x+2)); } xvec[i]=x; yvec[i]=y; } }
It can be compiled with R CMD SHLIB -lgsl -lgslcblas gibbsGSL.c, and then called as for the regular C version. This runs in 8.0 seconds, which is noticeably faster than the Java code, but probably not "enough" faster to make it an important factor to consider in language choice.
In this post I've shown that it is relatively straightforward to call code written in C, C++ or Java from within R, and that this can give very significant performance gains relative to pure R code. All of the options give fairly similar performance gains. I showed that in the case of this particular example, the "obvious" Java code is actually slightly faster than the "obvious" C or C++ code, and explained why, and how to make the C version slightly faster by using the GSL. The post by Dirk shows how to call the GSL generators from the C++ version, which I haven't replicated here.


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Johnny Gr4ves performs live in concert at The Village Block Party on Cook Street in Victoria, BC on Sunday, May 27th, 2018. Concert presented by Atomique Productions and The Village on Cook Street.
Darren Ho Media was there and took photos and videos.
To view photos from the show, you can find them at Darren Ho Media's Facebook page HERE.
Visit Darren Ho Media's Facebook page HERE or Darren Ho Videos on YouTube HERE for more videos and photos from the local music scene in Victoria, BC.

subset: commoncrawl


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Challenge To Fox News' Hannity, O'Rielly Etc
This is a challenge to Fox News team that I'm sure others have issued as well but the challenge is to get serious and expose Obama for what he really is. Check this Keywiki site to show and tell of his disgraceful connections.
I wonder if they have the courage or they just as bad as the left leaning media they are forever bashing for protecting Obama. Come on Fox, have you got the spine? Show some real guts or are you gutless wonders?


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Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself… – (Leviticus 19:18, NIV)
Forget about the wrong things people do to you. Don't try to get even. Love your neighbor as yourself… – (Leviticus 19:18, ERV)
You shall not take revenge nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor (acquaintance, associate, companion) as yourself… – (Leviticus 19:18, AMP)
Historically, there have been many groups of people that have had reason to hold a grudge for the wrongs done against them, yet for change to occur, the right to revenge had to be released, and love had to prevail. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was a phenomenal example of choosing love, despite his circumstances. Dr. King found ways to bring truth in love, and fight for change through peace. Hate was not his motivation, but rather a heart of love. As a husband, father, minister, leader and spokesperson for civil rights, he let his faith shape the way in which he lived and loved. His words, "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear", still remind us of the way in which we ought to choose to live. Be it an acquaintance, an associate, or a companion, may we choose to stick with love; for it is the very way in which we are called to live.
The only true way,
To find peace at last;
Is to stick with love,
Let go of the past.
When we choose forgive,
Our hearts are set free;
The burden of hate,
Is far too heavy.
May we stick with love,
And choose to redeem;
Value all people,
And honor the dream.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the men and women who have chosen to rise up and stick with love, despite the barriers and difficulties that have stood before them. Thank You that when we choose love, You move mightily among us. Forgive us for the times that we have held grudges rather than chosen love. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would stick with love, and not allow the weight of hate to destroy that which You intend for good. Show us how to love every acquaintance, associate and companion as You would have us love ourselves. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. May your peace prevail, and love win where hate has tried to reign. Be glorified O God, as we choose love again and again, knowing that You will use every decision of love to bring the dream to further fulfillment. Amen.
© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present
They will celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness. – Psalm 145:7


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My new richardcodor.com
October 15, 2012
AmericaTsures_The Museum
September 24, 2012
AmericaTsures_How It Was Born
April 26, 2012
Some years ago I was asked to do a magazine illustration of how Israelis viewed the USA. I asked Israelis what places they thought of when they thought of coming to America. Overwhelmingly they said New York, California, Miami. Everything else was secondary. I made a distorted map based on their views. Working on the map gave me ideas of other satiric, serious, surreal and silly illustrations I could make of the map of America. So was born AmericaTsures.


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Palatine, IL – Nothing says summer like hamburgers and hot dogs sizzling on the grill. In fact, according to the 25th annual Weber GrillWatch Survey, more than 80 percent of grill owners say that burgers are their favorite thing to grill, followed by hot dogs (75 percent).
To celebrate America's love affair with hamburgers, brats, and other classic grilled fare, Weber Grills has released "Weber's Big Book of Burgers"—their first cookbook dedicated to fueling America's passion for backyard classics.
"Weber's Big Book of Burgers" also explores famous regional favorites in its America the Burgerful section, including Santa Fe, where the green chili cheeseburger rules, to Columbia, South Carolina's own pimento cheeseburger.
An in-depth Sausage and Hot Dog Geography section salutes regional favorites like Classic Chicago-Style Hot Dogs topped with pickled "sport" peppers and neon-green relish, and New York Hot Dogs with Sweet Red Onions.
Extreme Burgers
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 25 minutes Grilling Time: 6–8 minutes
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon minced garlic, Kosher salt, Freshly ground black pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 pounds ground chuck (80 percent lean)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon onion powder
8 thin slices cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns, split
4 leaves Boston lettuce
1 ripe beefsteak tomato, cut crosswise into 4 slices about ¹/3 inch thick
In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels.
Whisk the mayo ingredients, including ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mash the guacamole ingredients, including ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Mix the ground chuck with the Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, the smoked paprika, and onion powder, and then gently form eight patties of equal size, each about ½ inch thick and a little wider than the buns.
Refrigerate the patties until ready to grill. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat (400° to 500° F). Grill the patties over direct medium-high heat, with the lid closed, until cooked to medium doneness (160° F), 6 to 8 minutes, turning once.
During the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of grilling time, place a slice of cheese on each patty to melt, and toast the buns, cut side down, over direct heat.
Build each burger on a bun with garlic mayo, a lettuce leaf, a tomato slice, two patties, as much guacamole as you like, a slice of bacon (torn in half) and more garlic mayo.
Serve immediately.
Learn More
For more information or to get a copy of "Weber's Big Book of Burgers," visit www.weber.com or www.amazon.com


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Rescuers call off search for 7 on missing Panama City boat
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Rescue teams have abandoned a search for a U.S. schooner carrying seven people that disappeared in the South Pacific.
New Zealand's Rescue Coordination Centre said Friday it had carried out extensive aerial searches over the past 11 days but had found no sign of the vessel, the life raft or the crew.
The 70-foot sailboat Nina left New Zealand bound for Australia on May 29. The last communication was June 4, when a crew member sent an undelivered text saying the sails were shredded.
Authorities believe the 85-year-old classic wooden boat likely sank that day in a powerful storm.
The six Americans aboard included skipper David Dyche, 58, his wife Rosemary, 60, their son David, 17, and their friend Evi Nemeth, 73. Also aboard was a 35-year-old British man. The Dyches are formerly of Panama City.


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UNITED NATIONS >> The Paris Agreement to combat climate change became international law on Friday – a landmark deal about tackling global warming amid growing fears that the world is becoming hotter even faster than scientists expected.
So far, 96 countries, accounting for just over two-thirds of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, have formally joined the accord, which seeks to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). More countries are expected to come aboard in the coming weeks and months.
Secretary General Ban-Ki moon commemorated the event, talking with civil society groups at U.N. headquarters in New York to hear their concerns and visions for the future.
"Today we make history in humankind's efforts to combat climate change," Ban said before opening the meeting.
He praised the civil groups for mobilizing hundreds of millions of people to back fighting climate change, but warned the outcome remained uncertain.
"We are still in a race against time. We need to transition to a low-emissions and climate-resilient future," Ban said. "Now is the time to strengthen global resolve, do what science demands and seize the opportunity to build a safer more sustainable world for all."
Scientists praised the speed at which the agreement, signed by over 190 parties last December in Paris, has come into force, saying it underscores a new commitment by the international community to address the problem which is melting polar ice caps, sending sea levels rising and transforming vast swaths of arable land into desert.
But environmentalists say the agreement is just the first step of a much longer and complicated process of transitioning away from fossil fuels, which currently supply the bulk of the planet's energy needs and also are the primary drivers of global warming.
Naomi Ages, climate liability project lead at Greenpeace, said that it was up to civil society groups to hold governments and corporations responsible.
"We know that existing fossil fuel projects will push us past 2 degrees, so we're mobilizing around the world to keep it in the ground and stop development of new fossil fuel projects," Ages said.
While the Paris agreement is legally binding, the emissions reductions that each country has committed to are not. Instead, the agreement seeks to create a transparent system that will allow the public to monitor how well each country is doing in meeting its goals in hopes that this will motivate them to transition more quickly to clean, renewable energy like wind, solar and hydropower.
The agreement also requires governments to develop climate action plans that will be periodically revised and replaced with new, even more ambitious, plans. Many of these details will begin to be addressed at the COP22 climate change meeting that begins next week in Marrakech, Morocco.


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2, 2002
the numerous defenders of Total War, no means of breaking
an enemy's will can be forsworn under the conditions
of modern warfare. The enemy includes every member
of the "enemy society," regardless of age, gender,
occupation, etc. Any vestiges of 18th-
or 19th-century practices which aimed at
limiting the destructiveness of war and at preserving
as much as possible of normal life during war reflect
mere sentimentality or obsolete punctilio.
Warriors like to recommend General Sherman's cute
little saying that "war is hell." You can see Sherman
quoted about once a day at NRO and other such places.
Of course as a Confederate officer retorted at the
time, "it depends somewhat on the warrior."(1)
fact that so many states knowingly chose to
abandon older limitations and rules during the 20th
century does not go very far toward proving that circumstances
beyond their control drove them to their decisions
and that they could not have made different decisions.
otherwise sane military historians of the Boer War,
for example, will say that British policy-makers "had
no choice" but to begin burning farms and putting
Afrikaner women and children into concentration camps
where 27,000 of them died. They had to do so, once
their opponents resorted to unconventional warfare.
the British would not have won.
this, one may say So what? Is anyone outside the British
state apparatus required to care about that? Is there
any reason to suppose that British forces had some
kind of right to prevail, a right so overriding
as to sanctify any means that could contribute to
that end?
put it another way, does it necessarily follow, even
if Britain did embody the cause of civilization and
enlightenment in the Boer War an extreme hypothesis,
I admit that it would therefore have been moral
for the British commanders to use any means at all?
from general name-calling and the unproven but popular
claim that the Good may use means that the Bad may
not, Total Warriors have a few other arguments up
their sleeve. One is that Total
War the policy of making war on the enemy's
entire society is defensible, even humane, because
it "shortens the war." There are some problems with
this argument, the first of which is that one would
like to see some proof that Total War tactics have
shortened all wars, most wars, or even any war in
which they were used.
next question is What is so great about shortening
the war? A war carried on with old-fashioned restraint
and respect for civilian lives and property would
not obviously be worse, if it lasted beyond some arbitrary
time, than a shorter war carried on with every possible
weapon available to imaginative Total Warriors. I
think this may go part of the way towards answering
the Total Warrior's claim that shortening the war
"saves lives."
merely "saving lives" were the point, then the quickest
way to fulfill that goal would be to end the war.
learn little enough from the claim that Total War
saves lives; we don't know whose lives are
being saved, nor do we get an estimate of how many
will be saved, proportionately, by carrying on Total
War instead of some other kind of war that might last
longer on the calendar. I am not sure that we know
if any lives will be saved at all by Total
War. More might well be killed. The most we might
say is that there will be a different distribution
of victims.
if contending powers actually wanted to shorten a
war, they had other means, such as negotiating and
making peace. I suppose that was silly of them, but
it was a choice to which the powers sometimes recurred.
I see no reason to dismiss it out of hand in favor
of flattening the enemy's entire society.
any case, it does not at all follow even if Total
War brings with it such benefits as shortening the
war and saving unspecified people's lives
that it could ever be moral to use the means to which
Total Warriors are addicted. They will naturally say
that with mass conscription, complex industrial economies,
and the rest, no one can be asked to make a strict
distinction between combatants and noncombatants or
between military and civil production. As one authority
put it in the 1920s: "To require aviators to single
out the one class of persons and things from the other
and to confine their attacks 'exclusively' to one
of them will in many cases amount to an absolute
prohibition of all bombardment" [my italics].(2)
And where's the problem?
course the early exponents of air power reasoned that
it would be "inconvenient" not to bomb and that, therefore,
bombing must be done, and any rules limiting
the use of this wonderful tool should be set aside.
This reflects a view which, as Thomas Nagel noted
in 1972, is "widely accepted in the civilized world,"
namely, that "any means can in principle be justified
if it leads to a sufficiently worthy end." He comments
that "If it is not allowable to do certain
things, such as killing unarmed prisoners or civilians,
then no argument about what will happen if one doesn't
do them can show that doing them would be all right."(3)
is not such a difficult proposition. Imagine, for
instance, that most people believed that Fred Smith
should be wealthy. Fred Smith might decide that killing
his six wealthiest neighbors and taking their stuff
was an acceptable way to reach this widely approved
goal. But, now, most would say they agreed with the
goal but not his chosen means. This would not be because
murder was wrong only in close connection with that
particular end. The end does not come into it at all.
Murder was wrong as such before Smith's goal was formed
and his program announced. Its wrongness has no relation
to its possible place in Smith's, or anyone's, complex
chain of ends and means.
to US strategy in Vietnam, Nagel writes: "Once the
door is opened to calculations of utility and national
interest, the usual speculations about the future
of freedom, peace, and economic prosperity can be
brought to bear to ease the consciences of those responsible
for a certain number of charred babies."(4)
It is important to see what Nagel is saying here.
He is not saying that there are no such
things as utility and national interest.
is saying that if there is an overarching moral framework,
considerations of utility and national interest (whatever
that might be) cannot decide questions that
are essentially moral, that is, questions of what
it is right to do. Within the moral framework, we
can and do make decisions about utility and the like
all day long. But notions about utility and national
interest if the latter even exists apart from the
interest of actual people living under some state,
and this is my question, not Nagel's cannot take
the place of moral reasoning.
all this is "extremist" stuff, to be sure, and I am
glad that Nagel is carrying some of the burden here.
His approach, if anyone cared to take it up, would
tend to render Total War impossible. Under this strict
standard, Total War appears as the highest stage of
organized criminality.
and their intellectual apologists have, since the
16th century, gotten away with a great
deal of imposture in the area of morality. States,
it has been said, are not like other human associations.
They must make the really tough decisions, create
peoples, pursue Hegelian missions, and so on, unfettered
by the petty, everyday rules of mere morality. The
state, indeed, is the source of law, and there
you are.
is not the only way in which to view these things,
and may well be the worst way to do so.(5)
goes on to address "the widely imagined difficulty
of making a division, in modern warfare, between combatants
and noncombatants," as well as "problems deriving
from the connotation of the word 'innocence.'"(6)
he means by "innocence" is "currently harmless," i.e.,
that someone is not presently aiming a gun at you,
for example. This is helpful because it gets us beyond
those high-flown constructs wherein the failure of
the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker
to overthrow the government under which they live,
which happens to be at war, makes them "guilty" of
whatever that government did or did not do to bring
about the war or of whatever that government is doing
in the course of the war. Under the other, more popular
notion of innocence and guilt, everyone in the enemy
society is guilty of not overthrowing the government,
of living there, or what? and is therefore a target.
the shoemaker, who repairs the shoes of the farmer
who grows crops which might, some of them, be used
to feed the army, members of which might actually
do current harm to some actual combatant on the other
side, does not automatically become a "legitimate
target" just for doing what he would be doing anyway,
if there were no war. Nagel writes: "The threat presented
by an army and its members does not consist merely
in the fact that they are men, but in the fact that
they are armed and are using their arms in the pursuit
of certain objectives. Contributions to their arms
and logistics are contributions to this threat; contributions
to their mere existence as men are not. It is
therefore wrong to direct an attack against those
who merely serve the combatants' needs as human beings,
such as farmers and food suppliers, even though survival
as a human being is a necessary condition of efficient
functioning as a soldier" [my italics].(7)
Nagel harks back to the position of such radical 19th-century
laissez faire liberals as Gustave
de Molinari, who argued that the rules of warfare
ought to be reformed to separate as completely as
possible the enterprises connected with war from those
of commerce. The latter ought to be allowed to proceed,
as much as possible, as they would in the absence
of war. Indeed, I think that Nagel's conclusion could
be stated even more radically, but I would not want
to outflank him on the right, or left, or whatever
it is these days.
the basis of the view that war establishes "personal
relations" between those involved, relations which
have their proper "target,"(8) and
that soldiers are to be attacked in their capacity
as soldiers and not as men, Nagel rejects as
barbaric and atrocious such weapons as flamethrowers
and napalm, which do far more than stop, incapacitate,
or kill the man-as-soldier but inflict unneeded harm
on him as a man.(9) Total Warriors,
I am sure, can only shake their heads at such utter
sentimentality. And yet Nagel has a point.
the same part of the discussion, Nagel suggests that
the existing "laws" of war may be entirely too permissive,
having been drawn up by cynical state functionaries,
and thus may not constitute any moral framework at
all. I would add that state actors have chosen
to adopt the assumptions of Total War. As international
law goes, however, the 1977
Protocol to the Geneva Conventions, Part IV: Civilian
Population, is a pretty good attempt at stating
rules that would re-establish some distinction between
combatants and noncombatants.
should come as no surprise that the United States
has not bothered to ratify the 1977 Protocol.
than acknowledge the possibility of a larger moral
framework, the United States prefers a sort of utilitarianism,
described by Nagel as "a view of oneself as a benevolent
bureaucrat distributing such benefits as one can control
to countless other beings, with whom one may have
relations or none. The justifications it requires
are primarily administrative."(10)
would never do for the One Remaining Super Power to
admit that ethical norms might exist norms that
were not mere derivatives of policy, and that were
not instrumental and manipulative rationalizations
of whatever the empire's leaders wish to do anyway.
It would cramp their style and hamper their flexibility.
We should not even ask them to look into it.
may expect to see a lot of new moral slogans under
the empire's present management, but you may not expect
to see much actual morality. This is only an empirical
judgment. Nevertheless, I expect it has high predictive
last thing: Why raise the issue of Total War now?
For one simple reason if the reigning US leadership
are really bent on war against Iraq or any other state,
any war they launch will be a Total War. It is a US
tradition since at least 1862. They know no other.
shall hear all about "precision" weaponry and bombs
so smart that they can recite passages from Immanuel
some things are subject to empirical study. The US
authorities learned one thing in Indo-China: foreigners,
and even a handful of Americans, get a little edgy
at these ongoing displays of massive explosive overkill.
US spokesmen certainly talk a good game of precision
these days. Maybe they will kill fewer enemy
civilians per square foot than has been their habit
in the past.
they can manage that, we can acknowledge the achievement
without undue rancor. It will still not establish
their right to have killed however many civilians
they actually do kill. It will not establish much
of anything except an aptitude for applied science
and new advances in propaganda. Nor will it justify
the large number of Iraqi deaths, over the ten years
of non-war and non-peace of recent memory, deaths
with which a late US Secretary State could live.
Richard M. Weaver, "Southern Chivalry and Total War,"
in George M. Curtis, III and James J. Thompson, Jr.,
eds., The Southern Essays of Richard M. Weaver
(Indianapolis: LibertyPress, 1987), p. 167.
J. W. Garner, quoted in Elbridge Colby, Capt. US Army,
"Aerial Law and War Targets," American Journal
of International Law, 19, 4 (October 1925), p.
Thomas Nagel, "War and Massacre," Philosophy and
Public Affairs, 1, 2 (Winter 1972), p. 127.
Ibid., p. 129.
For an excellent reconstructions of the grounds of
political ethics, see Frank van Dun, "Philosophical
Statism and the Illusions of Citizenship: Reflections
on the Neutral State," in Boudewijn Bouckaert and
Annette Godart-van der Kroon, Hayek Revisited
(Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2000), pp. 89-108, and
Murray N. Rothbard, "War, Peace, and the State," in
Egalitarianism As A Revolt Against Nature (Auburn,
AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2000), pp. 115-132,
and The Ethics of Liberty (New York: New York
University, 1998).
Nagel, "War and Massacre," p. 139.
Ibid., p. 140.
Ibid., pp. 133-134.
Ibid., p. 141-142.
Ibid., pp. 137-138.
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printable version of this article
Claims for Total War Revisited
III: The Flight From History
II: The Flight from Theory 7/20/02
US the 'War Power'! 7/6/02
in the Façade of the Civic Religion 6/15/02
Stuart Mill and Liberal Imperialism 5/18/02
War Liberalism: The Nightmare Revisited 4/27/02
Rides Again 4/13/02
Lesson Is Better Than None 3/23/02
World Kaplan and the Empire of Gloom 3/2/02
Debate We Never Have 2/16/02
Times at National Review 1/26/02
Nothing 1/5/02
Who Let the Dogs Out? 12/15/01
There a Constitution? 11/24/01
of Wilson Flashing 11/10 /01
Exactly World War II, But Close Enough 10/19/01
Government, Having Never Gone Away, Is Now Said To Be 'Back' 9/28/01
Jingoes and the Social Reformers 9/14/01
Conflicts Everywhere 8/24/01
Richter on War and Empire 8/3/01
Well-Regulated Police States, and Empire 7/20/01
Quis Americanos Constituit Judices Nationum? 7/6/01
Peculiar U.S. Theory of Self-Defense 6/12/01
Short History of Warmongering at the National Review 5/15/01
Homan Buffett: Old Rightist Extraordinaire 4/24/01
Syndrome 4/10/01
Old Story: Film at Eleven 3/27/01
and Reaction 3/13/01
M. Weaver on Civilization, Ontology, and War 2/27/01
Anti-Imperialist's Reading List: Part Two 2/20/01
R. Stromberg has been writing for libertarian publications since 1973, including
The Individualist, Reason,
the Journal
of Libertarian Studies, Libertarian Review, and the Agorist
Quarterly, and is completing a set of essays on America's wars. He was
recently named the JoAnn B. Rothbard Historian in Residence at the Ludwig
von Mises Institute. His column, "The Old Cause," appears alternating
Fridays on Antiwar.com.
to Antiwar.com Home Page | Contact


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The internet shouted down Donald Miller the other day after he admitted he doesn't regularly attend a church, and once more when he wrote a follow-up.
I absolutely love Donald Miller and I sincerely believe he loves Jesus. There's no but and this isn't leading up to a negative critique — I really do think he's great. His books re-energized my faith during a particularly bad slump, and like Lewis or Keller, he will always be one of my biggest influences in my personal faith journey.
I attend church. Donald doesn't. We can still be bros.
I agree with just about everything that Donald Miller wrote about church. How could I disagree? When we're really honest about it, the state of the entertainment model of the evangelical church is downright horrifying. We've managed to package the eternal saving power of God into a 1-800-number enterprise. We're mostly tickled one hour a week to compensate for the guilt of our secret second lives, which only enables us into the spiral.
But the thing is: I can find discontent in just about anything. It's hard to disagree with most criticism because as soon as you find something wrong, it'll be wrong for life. Look hard enough and you will see flaws. A critic-filter will always taint how you enjoy a movie or a book or a friend or the church. It's inevitable that imperfection will rear its ugly head.
I was talking with my friend recently about Timothy Keller. I love Keller's work, but my friend was less impressed. I asked why, and he said, "I think he's great, it's true he does good work for the city, he has solid theology … but just, you know, I don't get him. Just something about him."
I really couldn't understand this. Something about him? Couldn't we say that about anyone? Isn't it enough that he does good work for the city and has solid theology? What more could we ask for?
Not to demonize my friend here: But if you dig deep enough, you will always find a reason to dislike someone or something. That's easy. And we can write off an entire group or culture or work because of it. For most people, they will never be pleased no matter how good they have it.
There's the rub. You can never be fully satisfied with anything on this earth, because complete satisfaction in transitory things is an impossible standard. To look for it is futile. There will always be something missing. And if you hold people or systems or churches to that curve: you have already damned yourself on the same curve. When I try to be satisfied by any manmade system, no matter how good its intent, I will always come up short. I will always be restless on this earth. I think it's unfair to squeeze the burden of my satisfaction from any one sermon, preacher, or church building.
I can find something wrong with anything. That's how a lot of bloggers appeal to their readers. It's how pastors build churches. It's how politicians build platforms. They throw around a ton of complaints, talk about those "other people across the street," and their whole agenda is born of a reactionary whiplash. The battle cry is, "I'm not like them."
It's easy to criticize. It's easy to sit in a room and go on about why the church has failed us, why those "other Christians" lost it, why those tribes and camps are so wrong.
Think of every successful blog or author or speaker. They appeal to you because they pick apart things like crazy, and this presses our critic-button. Their posts begin with a snarky smug deconstruction of "what's wrong with the world today." "Oh your pastor is wrong. Oh your church screwed that up. Oh you've been right the whole time. We feel the same way about your problems with church." Maybe they're right on every point. But in the end, it's a cheap direct appeal to your right-ness, which is the same as permissively enabling your flesh, which is the same as Pharisee-like self-righteousness — and there are still zero offered solutions. There's no grace.
Anyone can do that. People get rich from it. I'm probably doing the same exact thing in this post.
The hard part is looking forward to constructive restoration.
None of the comments on Donald Miller's blog really offered anything except "My way actually works, you should come to my church." There was really nothing inclusive that attempted to bridge the disunity. Most of it was banner-waving triumphalist horn-tooting. I can understand that, because we believe my way works.
But I wanted to see someone say, "I agree. So what next? What can we do about the church today? What do you propose? What can we do together? How can we pray for us? What can we repent of? How can we extract the poisonous elements? How can we go to God on this one?"
I wanted to see dialogue. Because going at this side-by-side is how we arrive to a better place. Christians are called adopted for a reason. We have a Father and we're family. We can disagree — but we can rise above those disagreements to something better than the world. We can even use something impulsive like the internet and flip that for the better good — or so I can hope.
And you know, there's plenty the church has done right. We don't celebrate that enough. Any ounce of true-to-God goodness in our churches is a God-given miracle. Can we maybe thank God for that? Can we cheer when we actually see grace? Because as much as Jesus is probably grieving over our craziness, I'm sure there's a lot he's happy with. It's overly romantic to be so negative on things, but it's really not as bleak as we want it to be.
I'm still a fan of the church. I love my church, in all her flaws and everything. I apologize for the church a lot, but I still love her, and Jesus died for her. I agree that she needs work — but that means I myself need work, that I need Jesus. It means we need each other.
I will probably always be dissatisfied with the church somewhere: but that doesn't compel me to give up on her. It only compels me to take care of her while I still have days left on this earth. I will only be satisfied when I'm face to face with our Lord. Until then, I'm serving hard.


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Events archive
POMP Seminar Series
POMP Monday Seminar Series: Who are the Poles and where's Poland? Ethnic, civic, and cultural identities and frontiers in modern Poland. Seminar 1
Łukasz Krzyżanowski (University of Warsaw)
19 January 2015 - 5:00pm
European Studies Centre, 70 Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6HR
Title: To the Germans went the guilt and the crime; to us the keys and the cashbox: Restitution of private Jewish property in Polish courts (1945-1948)


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In August, Monica Clark reported from the annual meeting of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). Facing the challenges of aging sisters and smaller numbers of vocations, the entire conference was dedicated to contemplating what God was calling forth from these communities.
"We sense that something new is emerging," said St. Joseph Sr. Carol Zinn, a member of LCWR's executive committee, "but we certainly don't yet know what it will look like."
Later that month, Tom Roberts entered the conversation to offer a correction to the idea, widely held by many conservative Catholics, that traditional religious communities are experiencing a robust increase in vocations.
The conservative orders, Roberts demonstrated, account for only 5 percent of women religious in the United States. Last year, the highest number of professions among any community was nine. Neither the conservative orders nor the communities affiliated with LCWR have a retention rate higher than 50 percent prior to the profession of final vows.
"In the end," Roberts concluded, "all of this may be panning for gold on opposite sides of a creek going dry."
NCR blogger Mary Ann McGivern, a Sister of Loretto, responded to Roberts by offering her own experience of living in a Catholic Worker House for three decades.
It's a "vibrant young community," she writes, that devotes itself to "praying together, holding discussions to clarify thought, publishing journals, and doing the corporal works of mercy."
"It's not a matter of which religious style will win out," McGivern states, "but whether we trust in the Spirit of God acting in each of us."
And perhaps no one has contributed more to this topic in the NCR than Sandra Schneiders. In the last two years, she has published numerous essays on religious life as a "prophetic life form." The "distinguishing mark" of the "prophetic witness," she writes in one essay, "involves discerning and responding to … 'the signs of the times.'"
As Heidi Schlumpf wrote in her coverage of Schneiders' recent address at St. Mary's College, the sister and scholar projected that "women's ministerial life has a future in this time and beyond."
Unlike many women religious in this country, Schneiders isn't as distressed about the dwindling numbers of vocations.
"No Congregation 'needs' more members than are actually called to it by God," she asserted in a 2010 NCR essay. "The purpose of the life is not to perpetuate particular Congregations nor to staff Church institutions; it is to live intensely the witness to the Gospel to which the Congregation is called and for as long as it is called."
As fruitful as this ongoing NCR conversation has been, what I find lacking from the discussion is the same element that goes missing every time the topic of declining priestly vocations arises, too. What about all of the young adults, many of whom hold degrees in theology and ministry, who are currently doing the traditional work of the church?
Every year, hundreds of young Catholic women graduate from universities, graduate programs in religion, divinity schools and seminaries. Many of them go on to be theologians, chaplains, nonprofit leaders, advocates, activists and social workers doing outreach with the homeless, the incarcerated and victims of domestic violence.
Their work is not only high-risk, it is often emotionally demanding and spiritually draining. If they are very lucky, they work in a supportive environment under a supervisor who is stable, competent and compassionate.
Unlike males who seek the priesthood, the institutional church does not support their education or their profession — even though they, too, spend their lives studying and serving the church.
Unlike women religious, they do not experience some of the securities that come with religious life. They have to find employment on their own, pay their rent, maintain a household on their own and, in some cases, provide their own medical insurance. If they lose their jobs, there is no safety net to carry them through until they find work again.
Perhaps most challenging of all, these young women do not enjoy the sustenance that comes with a life of prayer, contemplation and community. Young women are as in need of this support as any of the sisters engaged in similar work.
The number of young adult Catholic women who find themselves in this predicament is not small. And, I believe, they are most certainly called by God in a way very similar to women religious.
The difference is that these young women grew up in a culture that, in some significant ways, is radically different from society in which the majority of sisters in the United States were raised.
The bulk of the sisters ministering in the United States today entered their communities during or before the 1960s. They were raised in a social climate that did not discuss sexuality openly and in a church that demanded they bury their sexual feelings. Thankfully, most women religious in the past few decades have moved beyond these repressed beginnings. Nowadays, sisters are among our culture's strongest advocates for sexual and gender justice.
Today's young adult women came of age in a culture that speaks much more freely about sexuality and in a society where gender roles have loosened up significantly. The notion that being in a loving, committed relationship might somehow compromise their capacity to serve God fully is foreign to most of them.
More importantly, they were raised in a post-communal culture. Most did not grow up surrounded by extended family or in a traditional parish or neighborhood. For them, a partner or a spouse provides an important part of their identity and their support network. The need for a partner, therefore, is stronger and more crucial to their emotional stability and spiritual health than it was for previous generations.
Yet, sadly, their desire for marriage cuts off any possibility for consecrated religious life — even though, like women religious, these young Catholic women long to live out the witness of the Gospel. They share the same hunger for community, charism and contemplation.
Many will argue that young women can easily join the thriving lay associates and companions programs offered by many religious communities. But associates, it seems to me, have a slightly different purpose in religious life. They immerse themselves in the charism of a community and then they bring that spirit into their professional and personal lives.
I suspect that there are many women, and I count myself among them, who desire more. Rather than taking the community's spirit into the world, they wish to dwell fully in the community. They want to live among the suffering or in the retreat house. They want to make a home within their ministries. They want to make a life commitment not simply to a profession, but to a mission.
Last summer, I had the extraordinary opportunity to study several communities of women religious who ran shelters for homeless mothers. The sisters who ran these homes were aging and were small in number. Many of them lived in the shelter with their guests. Most of them had several nonreligious staff members who served as case managers and social workers.
But as dedicated and skilled as the support staff was, I got the distinct sense that most did not quite grasp the deeper mission of the place. Their devotion to their work was not grounded in Catholic social justice tradition or sacramental theology. Watching the differences between sisters and the clinical staff, I felt like I was looking at a charism of the brink of extinction.
But does it have to end this way?
There are hundreds of young adult women who want to answer God's call and who can, both theologically and pastorally, sustain the spirit and mission of these religious communities. And I believe they can do this and be partnered or married. In some cases, my own included, I believe that being in a committed relationship would actually enhance the fruitfulness of some women's vocations to religious life.
For decades, Catholic Worker Houses have found creative ways to accommodate couples. More recently, the multitude of groups that are emerging out of the "new monasticism" movement are also incorporating couples, some of them even same-sex partners, into their communities.
Many of these "new monastics" are actually Protestants who are finding profound meaning and purpose in this ancient Catholic concept. Catholic women have the extraordinary benefit of already being deeply rooted in the tradition. All they need is for a religious community to open its doors to them.
Most of us would agree that something new is emerging, but we are not quite sure what it is. I would invite women religious to expand their contemplation to include the voices of young adult women who share a deep understanding of their calling and charism. Even though they may not be ready or willing to profess vows, these young women may hold significant insight into how this prophetic life form might continue to give life to future generations.
Although we won't find all of the answers to the mysterious future of religious life, by giving young women a voice, the sisters will be actually provide a much-needed ministry to a different kind of marginalized community. The most overlooked group in the Catholic Church may well be young adult Catholic women who, regardless of the depth of their commitment to the Gospel and to the work of justice, are excluded from nearly every form of life-commitment to ministry.
Together we may be able to attune one another's prophetic vision and guide one another in reading the signs of the times.


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Ambien is like the new warm milk of insomnia cures: 43 million scripts for the drug (and generic and related versions) were written in 2012 alone. But new info is revealing serious concerns, and the drug seems to affect women differently than men. Read this before you pop.
There's the zombie effect. Ambien and its generic, zolpidem, work by latching onto a brain molecule, the GABA-A receptor, that dampens brain activity, making you sleepy. The effect is so strong in some people that when you rouse in the night (say, to roll over), the prefrontal cortex, which controls planning and self-restraint, keeps snoozing. So your body's active but your conscious brain isn't, and behaviors like sleepwalking are more common. Some Ambien-related mishaps border on funny, like the woman who unknowingly ate an entire 9" x 11" pan of tuna casserole. But some people have reported doing scary stuff while on zolpidem, like sleep driving and waking up behind the wheel of a crashed car. Not that they necessarily remember—Ambien can also cause amnesia: When it turns on the GABA-A receptor, the brain may have trouble forming new memories.
The drug may also be deadly. In a study comparing 10,000 users of sleeping pills like zolpidem to nonusers, pill takers were up to 35 percent more likely to develop some type of cancer, including lymphoma and lung cancer, and they were 4.56 times more likely to die of any cause. Though the reasons are still unclear, "the risk of death was substantial even in people taking just 18 pills a year—but it increased the more they took," says study author Daniel Kripke, M.D., of the Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Center in San Diego. (Sanofi, Ambien's maker, says this kind of analysis suggests association, not cause, and that the drug is safe when used as directed.)
And it may hit us harder. In a study involving both sexes taking the same dose of zolpidem, women had much more of the drug in their bloodstream, and it stayed there longer. No one knows exactly why. But one study found that the morning after taking zolpidem, some women were so groggy, their driving was technically worse than if they had been legally drunk—one reason the FDA halved the recommended dosage for women, starting this May.
The bottom line. Most people tolerate the drug with no behavioral mishaps, says the FDA. But there's no way to know if you'll be the exception, and the risk of potential hazards may remain. The craziest thing: For all their drawbacks, drugs like Ambien help people fall asleep on average just 13 to 17 minutes faster and increase total sleep time by only about 11 to 32 minutes a night. Warm milk, anyone?
Photo Credit: Robert Whitman


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is for michi, or the Japanese word for Path. The trail marks the path, literally and figuratively, and Japan has no shortage of roads for you to travel. Whether you're planning to embark on the 88-Temple Pilgrimage, or simply taking a short Sunday stroll, there is always a new one awaiting you. Paths line gardens, temples, shrines, the alleys of small town shops. Some roads are so small as to be more suitable for walking, than driving. There are paths (real and perceived) through the mountains, and forests.
I have noticed that the "paths" in Japan have been particularly artful. Their creation is measured and considered, not like the wild, or straight and narrow perpendiculars I am used to in the states. The paths are purposeful, yet feel natural. I regret that I could not walk them all before leaving.
Images hosted on Flickr.


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Megh19th century 20th century 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s Actor Ancient India Art Cinema Colonial Costume Culture Early 20th Century fashion India Indian Cinema Indian Dress Indian fashion Indian men Indian Women Paintings Sari Sari Blouse Vintage Vintage Blouse Vintage Dress vintage fashion vintage sari Women
Tag Archives: love festival
The Love Post
Madanotsav or Kamotsav was probably today. The Gujarati inscription on top of the painting: જનમ જનમ કે હમ સાથી (Janam Janam ke hum saathi aka lovers/partners forever). Pic Source: Jyoti Bhatt, 1967.
Posted in 1960s, 20th century, fashion, Illustration, in Colour, Indian Aesthetics, indian art, Indian Dress, indian festivals, Indian Illustrators, Indian men, Indian Women, Love, Paintings, retro, retro fashion, Romance, vintage art, Vintage Dress, Vintage Illustration, vintage illustrations Tagged 1960s art, 1967, chaitra, Indian Art, jyoti bhatt, kamotsav, love, love festival, madanotsav, romantic love, trayodashi, vintage art Leave a comment


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Designed by Karen O'Connor of www.redroosterquilts.com
1/4 yard Grunge for border
1/2 yard for backing
1 3/4 yards red
1 3/8″ rick rack
1 – 14″ pillow form 1 ruler with 60 degree angle lines
Cut each 2 1/2″ square in half.
Place your ruler with the 60 degree angle like this and cut:
Place ruler with the 60 degree angle on the other side like this and cut:
Cut all of the pieces so they look like this:
Arrange pieces like this:
Arrange the pieces as desired with 9 in a row and 7 rows of complete hexagons.
Sew the pieces into rows.
Press each rows seams the opposite way.
Sew the rows together.
Square up to 11 1/2″.
Cut 2 – 2 1/2″ strips by WOF. Cut into 2 – 2 1/2″ x 11 1/2″ and 2 – 2 1/2″ x 14 1/2″. Sew the 11 1/2″ pieces on first to two opposite sides. Then sew the 14 1/2″ pieces to the other sides. I did not quilt this pillow but you certainly could if you would like.
To make the back for the pillow. Cut a strip 14 1/2″ wide. Make 2 – 14 1/2″ x 20″ rectangles. Press the rectangles in half so they are 14 1/2″ x 10″.
Place the hexagon quilt top on your table right side up. Place the back pieces on the top aligning the raw edges to the raw edges on each side of the pillow top. The folded edges will overlap.
Stitch 1/4″ around the pillow. At the corners, use a spool of thread and trace around it to make your corners rounded. It makes sewing the rick rack on much easier to go around the corners.
Iron your rick rack in half. Place the folded edge along the seam line and hand stitch in place.
Stuff you pillow form inside the opening and ENJOY!
Makes 1 – 14″ pillow
This is my second Moda Bake Shop project. I hope you enjoy this one! You can purchase a kit from our web site at www.redroosterquilts.com for $25.
Karen O'Conner
{www.redroosterquilts.com }
Red Rooster Quilts
48 Corbins Mill Dr.
Dublin, OH 43017


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Send us your music and we will add proper fingering to it. Using proper fingering in your music is essential to learning and playing the accordion, both from a technical point of view and musically speaking. Good fingering is based on technical rules, formation of the hand, and science. If you have a song that you struggle to apply correct fingering to, let us help you.
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Need more measures? Increase the quantity of this product in your cart. If you have an advanced piece you'd like for us to add fingering to the notes, or any other questions, please contact us for a quote.


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IF you have a long enough lever, you can move the world. That's an old saying attributed to Archimedes. But what Archimedes didn't add is that a long enough lever may splinter in your hands if the material isn't strong enough. You may end up not moving the world where you wanted it to go and finding yourself in a position you didn't want to be in.
That's pretty much the position of organized labor — the leaders of America's large labor unions — today.
For the past several years, they've been trying to move the world by pushing for what they call the Employee Free Choice Act; a more neutral term is "card check." This would effectively abolish the secret ballot in unionization elections and impose on unionized employers, after 120 days of bargaining, federal arbitration of wages, benefits and working conditions.
The aim is to vastly increase union membership and union treasuries — and union contributions to the Democratic Party and its candidates.
The lever they've been using is their political clout. Only 8 percent of private-sector workers are union members today, but nearly half of public-sector workers are, and together they pour millions in union dues and "voluntary" contributions to union political funds. The AFL-CIO, the SEIU and other unions have established large and sophisticated political operations over the past several years, run by smart and dedicated people, and enlisting the services of thousands of others.
Union money and union organizers did yeoman work for Democrats in the 2006 and 2008 elections, and union leaders plausibly claim much of the credit for the Democratic capture of both houses of Congress and the White House. But the lever of political clout has been splintering in their hands.
It all seemed so simple just a year or two ago, when George W. Bush was president. The House obediently passed the card-check bill on pretty much a party-line vote. Every Democratic senator not only voted to bring card check to a vote, but also co-sponsored the bill. Republican Sen. Arlen Specter voted to bring it to a vote, too.
With Democrats gaining seven seats in the Senate (and probably an eighth, if Al Franken of Minnesota is seated), it seemed pretty simple. President Obama has said he'd sign the bill. The House, with 25 more Democrats, would vote for card check again. The 59 Senate Democrats and Specter would cast 60 votes for it in the Senate. Writers sympathetic to unions speculated on how many other Senate Republicans would fall into line.
It hasn't worked out that way. Now that Democrats face the prospect of casting not a symbolic vote (knowing that a Bush veto was a certainty), but one that will affect the real world, they started having qualms.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi let it be known that the House wouldn't vote on card check till the Senate acted. In other words: If I'm going to ask some of my members to cast a tough vote, one that will be hard to explain in their districts, I want to be sure the Senate won't undercut them.
As for the Senate, Specter announced he won't vote for card check. Arkansas Democrat Blanche Lincoln, up for re-election in 2010, said she wouldn't, either. Michael Bennet, the Democrat appointed to fill a vacant Colorado seat. who faces the voters in 2010, said card check can't pass in its present form.
The unions' 60 seems headed down toward 50 and maybe below. They're blaming this on selfish big business. The real problem is that it's hard to defend a law that effectively abolishes the secret ballot. When nobody's looking and it's not for real, politicians may vote that way. But not when it's for keeps.
Moreover, as General Motors and Chrysler spiral toward bankruptcy, it's not apparent that adversarial unionism is healthy for the economy. It's not clear that imposing federal arbitration on the private sector is a recipe for economic growth. Certainly it's not a recipe for innovation or flexibility at a time when businesses need them more than ever.
The unions' lever was strong, but not strong enough to move the world as far as they wanted. And now that it's splintering in their hands, the question is what position they'll be in when they land on the ground.


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At first it sounds like a familiar tale: a small-town boy eager to break free from his roots and follow the lure of city life. In doing so, he comes to reject much of his upbringing, and his new sensibilities distance him from his family and friends at home.
Plenty of memoirs and pages of literature capture similar stories. Yet for veteran journalist Rod Dreher, this narrative took an unexpected turn when his sister was diagnosed with cancer at age 40. In witnessing the tremendous outpouring of love and support from residents of his hometown, Dreher and his wife begin to rethink the significance of small town life and the value of the deep ties that can only be offered by neighbors and family members. And in seeing how his sister, an unassuming schoolteacher, courageously embraced her struggle with terminal cancer, he comes to understand that some of the greatest joys in life are the simplest ones that can be discovered close to home.
Already hailed by many critics as one of the most important books of the year, The Little Way of Ruthie Leming: A Southern Girl, a Small Town, and the Secret of a Good Life is a powerful reflection on the importance of family and community. Set in the Deep South, St. Francisville, Louisiana, Dreher's account is an honest and very personal attempt to make sense of loss—not only of his sister, but of his own ambitions and desires. Yet, the intertwined story of Dreher and his sister is also a story of hopeful rediscovery and reorientation of life's priorities.
At age 25 Dreher moved to Washington, DC to work as the television critic for the Washington Times, a job that he was sure would be his one-way ticket out of small-town America. His promising journalism career would eventually take him and his family from Washington to New York to Dallas and eventually Philadelphia. It was a life lived in stark contrast to that of his sister Ruthie. She was a country girl, not only content with never leaving her small town, but boastful about what it had to offer. She enjoyed the Saturday night crawfish broils along the river, the dance halls where she could drink beer and socialize with the same folks she grew up with, and the fact that she not only knew all her students, but also understand the family backgrounds from which they came. While her older brother was busy moving from city to city and hobnobbing with society's elites, she lamented the fact that he was wasting money renting apartments and not buying a home to settle and establish roots.
Also central to Dreher's story are his parents, permanent fixtures in St. Francisville, who remain beloved by the locals who affectionately call them "Mam and Paw." For decades their home had been a revolving door for guests and visitors for Sunday dinner—they willingly served up food and strong drink to anyone who happened to stop by for a visit. Yet despite such affable personalities, Dreher's relationship with his father deteriorated during his high school years. While his father was a man of the land, Dreher was a lover of books, art, and film. He resented his father for never understanding these interests of his and his father was equally hurt by his decision to abandon his hometown.
Ruthie viewed Dreher's life in equally suspect terms. When he would return home over holidays the two got along fine, yet there was an unspoken criticism that lingered below the surface. Once when Dreher and his wife Julie decided to prepare a French soup for dinner, the rest of the family refused to eat it—dismissing it as too pretentious for their tastes. On another occasion, when Ruthie's oldest daughter visited her uncle in Philadelphia, Ruthie scoffed at the fact that Dreher took her out to one of the city's finest restaurants for dinner. While neither Dreher nor Ruthie ever doubted the other's love, the impasse resulting from their different personalities and values loomed over every conversation and interaction.
In the winter of 2010 Ruthie was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer. As she was an otherwise healthy 40-year-old woman who had never smoked, this sent shockwaves through the family and reverberations were felt all throughout St. Francisville. While Ruthie's prognosis wasn't great, she remained resilient. Meanwhile, her battle seemed to bring out the best in those around her, as well as everyday strangers whom she had never met. Family friends banded together to tend to Ruthie, her husband Mike, and their three children, cooking meals, shopping, and tending to household chores. A concert was held that raised $43,000 to cover the medical bills for Ruthie and support the Leming family. Dreher, who flew in from Philadelphia for the concert, was struck by a friend who remarked, "This is how it is supposed to be. This is what folks do for each other."
As Ruthie's illness progressed, Dreher spent time reflecting on the profound acts of kindness he experienced taking place in St. Francisville. How had Ruthie, a quiet schoolteacher who resisted attention at every turn, garnered such affection and respect from her community? The experience served as a mirror in which Dreher examined his own life. Dreher and his family had spent the past decade following professional opportunities that relocated their family every few years. This transient lifestyle had prevented him and his wife from ever fully establishing roots and meaningful friendships—at least not like the kind that Ruthie had. He and Julie also begin to wonder what this would mean for their children. For Dreher, his roots were undeniable; he'd always be able to return home to Louisiana where he'd been raised. Yet for his children, where would home be?
What Dreher discovered—through the life and death of Ruthie Leming—isn't that home is a perfect place. It is, however, a place where one's roots provide permanent ties that foster a spirit of goodness that is difficult to replicate in other places. When Ruthie died in September 2011, 19 months after her initial diagnosis of cancer, there was sadness for the Leming and Dreher families and the rest of the community that had watched, prayed, and cared for her during her illness. But the spirit of Ruthie Leming evoked joy and reminded the citizens of St. Francisville of the things that really matter in life: namely, each other and one's relationship with his maker. In fact, these two things reinforced one another and provided the deep soil in which the life-giving spirit of the town could flourish.
In the days, weeks, and months after his sister's death, Dreher spent much time considering the life of Ruthie Leming. Among the words used to describe Ruthie, stability, contentment, and simplicity best capture her life. While Dreher had spent years following his ambition up and down the East Coast, Ruthie stayed put. In his newspaper columns and books and in conversations with friends and other interlocutors, Dreher lamented the fragmentation of family life and the ever-expansive role of the state. Ruthie, however, anchored her family at home and her fellow citizens in St. Francisville weren't dependent on the state for their needs—they took care of one another. It was after this realization that the Dreher family made the decision—three months after Ruthie's death—to pack up their life in Philadelphia and to return home for good.
In the closing pages of The Little Way, Dreher turns to St. Benedict of Nursia, who developed his famous Rule for the monks living in community. Members of the order that now bears his name take a vow of stability, committing to live out the rest of their lives in the same monasteries where they take their vows. According to Dreher, "St. Benedict considered the kinds of monks who moved from place to place all the time to be the worst of all. They refused the discipline of place and community, and because of that, they could never know humility. Without humility they could never be happy." When he and Julie informed their friends in Philadelphia that they would be leaving, he initially expected a wave of Green Acres jokes. Instead, he discovered that many others shared in his longing for stability and equally desired the family and communal ties to which the Dreher family was returning. In making the bold and courageous decision to follow the path of St. Benedict, Dreher discovered that same happiness that Ruthie had known all along.
Some readers of The Little Way might conclude that Dreher is insisting they must either stay put forever or immediately return to their hometowns. But this overlooks the central lesson of his account. While Dreher does indeed lament the loosening of family and communal bonds and the transient nature of our present age, his message isn't a uniform call to never leave home. Instead, it's a call to recognition—a realization—of the importance of family and community wherever one may be in life or wherever you've come to call home. For some, perhaps many, this may entail a reconsideration of their roots and a desire or need to return to their places of origin. For others, it may very well be a call to entrench deeper in their present locations, knowing that our local communities can be indispensable sources of love and support. This is what Ruthie Leming wanted her brother to realize, and it wasn't until after her passing that this became clear.
In his letter to the Church in Thessaloniki, St. Paul admonished the young Christian believers "to aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands" (Thessalonians 4:11). The Little Way of Ruthie Leming offers a comparable message for modern readers longing to discover something more than a life of fleeting friendships, occasional visits with family, and easy relationships. Drawing from his own experience—and his sister's legacy—Dreher pricks the soul of the reader and urges that we dig deeper and commit fully to the lives we choose to live and the people and communities that we are privileged to live alongside. From the penthouses of the Upper East Side or the row houses on Capitol Hill, The Little Way of Ruthie Leming might appear simple and ordinary—perhaps even laughable. But those who choose to follow such a path are likely to discover an adventure far more satisfying than any Manhattan skyline or Washington gala has to offer.
The Little Way of Ruthie Leming: a Southern Girl, a Small Town, and the Secret of a Good Life
By Rod Dreher
Grand Central Publishing, 2013
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Jane C. Timm: Study: Obamacare Helping More Youth To Get Mental Health Treatment
Young adults have a higher risk of mental health problems and substance abuse – both issues that the U.S. health care system traditionally has struggled to treat. But according to a new study, the number of high-risk youth seeking and receiving affordable care is on the rise, thanks to an Obamacare provision that allows young people to stay on their parents' health plan until they turn 26. Two million young people now have health care coverage because of the provision, the study notes, but the biggest shift has been with youth demographics that are most at risk.
Among 18-25 year olds exhibiting signs of mental health or substance abuse problems, 5.3% more received mental health care than a comparable group of 26-35 year olds, researchers from Johns Hopkins and Harvard found in the study, published this month in the health care journal Health Affairs. The cost of care has decreased, too: Uninsured doctor visits requiring patients to pay out of pocket were down 12.4%, while the number of covered visits rose 12.9%. Three-quarters of all mental illnesses begin by age 24, according to the National Institute of Health. Before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, nearly 60% of all mental health or substance abuse care for young Americans was paid for out-of-pocket. Mental health care coverage is often prohibitively expensive, a factor that respondents routinely cite as a reason for not seeking care.
More here


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Today was the first demo of the semester. I made muffins from a box. " Why?" So you think I should be making these from scratch. I will later. This is a great way for the students to get to know who they will be working with, get familiar with their kitchen and figure out exactly how they will be graded. They all want to make the perfect product and are most eager to hear what I have to say after I taste!!
Notice that one of these muffins is really peaked!! I promise I did not overmix them. I am guessing that I put a little more batter in than I should have. The rest are rounded as they should be.
The first lab of the semester is always interesting. I have a great variety of students some of which cook everyday and others that have only had the experience of eating in a kitchen.
Will be posting pictures of tomorrow's pieces of work!!! Until then,
Happy Cooking,
The Teacher Cooks


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1. Pedestrian sent to hospital with 'critical' injuries after being struck by Canada Post truck
A Canada Post spokesperson confirmed that one of their trucks was involved in the collision and that the agency was investigating. See more >
2. Acts of kindness in memory of Aiden Serr
The family of a Maple Ridge man killed in a collision earlier this fall wants to pass on his legacy. See more >
3. Fire displaces Aldergrove family of eight
The campaign to help the family has raised almost $8,500 in only a week. See more >
4. Snow, freezing rain on the way for Fraser Valley
Environment Canada is forecasting 2 to 4 centimetres of snow overnight with 5 to 10 cm of snow forecast for Thursday. See more >
5. Police seek information about Abbotsford woman who went missing a year ago
Marie Stuart was five months pregnant went she went missing in late December 2016. See more >


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Kanye West's lawyer confirmed the existence of a sex tape featuring the rapper, via a takedown notice sent to AllHipHop.com which claimed the video was stolen from Kanye's computer.
His attorney, Lisa M. Buckley of Pryor Cashman, ordered the site to remove images it had published from the video. She wrote, "Be advised that the Screen Shot, as well as the Tape from which the Screen Shot was taken, were illegally obtained and believed to have been stolen from Mr. West's computer. Your posting, advertising, marketing, displaying and otherwise disseminating the stolen Screen Shot and/or other materials on the Tape constitute actionable violations of Mr. West's rights of privacy and publicity."
TMZ, meanwhile, is reporting that there are two Kanye sex tapes in existence, both of which are being shopped to the highest bidders. The gossip site says the tapes are nearly identical, except that while the first is 20 minutes long, the second goes on for 40 minutes. In what might be TMI, the site adds, "And we're talking constant action. Seriously, the guy takes no breaks. It's incredible."
TMZ claims the vids were shot years ago, which contradicts the earlier rumors that West had filmed one of the tapes in recent months, just before getting back together with Kim Kardashian.
Whether the tapes surface remains to be seen, but the website sex.com has just upped its offer from $1 million to $5 million for the exclusive distribution rights to both videos, which it would package in an online and DVD release.
Watch the Kanye West 'Mercy' Video


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Why we love this product
A stylish little speaker with hidden depths, the One M sounds as good as it looks. Stream music via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and fall in love with the crystal clear sound quality.
Key advantages at a glance
- A compact yet powerful Wi-Fi and Bluetooth sound system
- The authentic stereo system with 3-way technology includes 4 tweeters, 2 midrange drivers, a woofer and 2 passive bass membranes
- Dynamore® technology and two tweeters create a broad stereo panoroma and 180 degree sweetspot
- Raumfeld technology for Wi-Fi streaming from services like Spotify, internet radio and music stored on a local network, easily controlled via smartphone app
- Bluetooth for directly streaming music from Apple Music, Amazon Music and many other services
- On-device controls for play/pause, skip, volume plus preset buttons for instant access to radio stations and playlists
- Line-in for connecting external devices such as a CD player, smartphone, or turntable plus sleep timer and energy saving mode
- Available in black and white
All technologies at a glance
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
You can listen to music in true CD quality without interruption from calls or messages via the Teufel Raumfeld app. You can stream music from your CD- or record player and listen to it throughout the whole house with another speaker. You can even play music from a smartphone, USB stick or hard drive via the app.
Try the Teufel Raumfeld app
Use Bluetooth to stream any audio, such as YouTube videos, Apple Music or Amazon Music, from your smartphone or tablet directly to your speakers. Our speakers ensure a particularly stable Bluetooth transmission with a long range of up to 15m.
You can stream Spotify via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and also use Spotify Connect independently to benefit from the features of the Spotify app. You can quickly change the audio output from your smartphone to the speakers without pausing.
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No more hassle. The Teufel One M gives you more than enough options to leave your phone in your pocket and keep your focus on what matters, the music.
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Two of the four tweeters are side-firing. Dynamore technology offers the best possible audio projection. So even if you are not sitting directly in front of the One M, you will still hear every little detail.
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The One M's new subwoofer allows for even more air flow than before so that the sound becomes even deeper. The long-throw construction offers a punchy bass, even at high volumes.
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Included components
- 1 × power cord for Teufel ONE M – white
Teufel ONE M
A compact yet powerful Wi-Fi and Bluetooth sound system
Description Item Width 42 cm Height 20,5 cm Depth 19 cm Weight 5,2 kg
Description Item AUX Yes Stereo jack 3.5mm - in 1 Bluetooth Yes Compatible with Amazon Echo Yes Compatible with Google Home Yes LAN Yes USB 2.0 Yes Wifi Yes
Description Item Android Yes iOS Yes Raumfeld Yes
Description Item AAC Yes FLAC Yes MP3 Yes OGG Yes WAV Yes Apple Lossless Yes ASF Yes Dynamore® Yes
Description Item Integrated DSP Yes Power supply voltage 230 V Maximum power consumption 200 W Mains cable - IEC connector (non-heating device) Yes Safety class 2 Fuse Yes Standby-Function Yes Standby-Power consumption 2 W Power output capacity impulse (peak) Satellite 45 W Multi-room Yes Amplifier configuration 6.1 Amplifier technology Class D Amplifier channels 7 10/100-Mbit/s Ethernet Yes WLAN Standards 802.11b/g/n/ac Maximum output - bass channel 80 W WLAN encryption WPA2 Maximum number of items 200000
Description Item Internet radio Yes Sleeptimer Yes
Description Item Enclosure material MDF Integrated stand Yes Tweeter (number per enclosure) 4 Tweeter (diameter) 25 mm Tweeter (material) Fabric Midrange driver (number per enclosure) 2 Bass/Midrange driver (number per enclosure) 1 Bass/Midrange driver (diameter) 75 mm Bass/Midrange driver (material) cellulose Woofer (number per enclosure) 1 Woofer (material) Composite Frequency range from/to 36 - 20000 Hz Maximum sound pressure level 105 dB/1m Acoustic principle 3-way-system Enclosure type Closed
Description Item SoundCloud Yes Spotify Yes TIDAL Yes TuneIn Yes
All necessary accessories are included in the delivery.