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Bernie Suarez, Contributor
Activist Post
After the establishment puppets coordinated with the 4th branch of government (aka the mainstream media mouthpieces) on Sunday night May 1st, 2011 to air the press release heard around the world (now known as the Bin Laden death hoax); we all thought at first, how strange since no one had heard a peep about Bin Laden in almost 10 years.
At the time, any mention about the apparently already dead Bin Laden was rare. Barry Soetoro's (aka Barack Obama) ratings were at an all-time low; his laundry-list of broken promises were all exposed; everyone now understood that he was a liar, an actor puppet put into the White House to smooth-talk Americans into going along with the global new world order plans by using his charm and teleprompter speeches filled with talking points, buzz words and clever deceptive salesman tactics.
We were also just four days removed from an extremely embarrassing and controversial doctored electronic birth certificate which had been boldly uploaded to Whitehouse.gov as supposed "proof" that Soetoro was indeed an American-born citizen. This poorly synthesized birth certificate, missing seal and apparent Photoshop hack-job disaster, was building up to be Watergate to the tenth power; a full-on disaster for Obama. The White House needed something to distract Americans while they can spin off the birth certificate disaster (through the use of blogger site shills) as special scanner creation anomalies.
There we all were, that Sunday night and Monday morning; all subjected to the mass media kangaroo 24/7 hysteria coverage of the supposed Bin Laden capture, killing, body wrapping, body-sea-disposal and zero hard evidence because it was deemed "too graphic" for the public to view. Then the media got caught in piles of lies as usual, circulating phony pictures of Bin Laden. Then there was the phony TV watching video of a man who was supposed to be Bin Laden with a funny looking sheet over his body watching Bin Laden on some weird bad reception 1970s-era TV. Then neighbors in Pakistan all come out confirming the man in the video is another man who lives there who is not Bin Laden. Then the phony laughable White House 'politicians around the TV' photos get released by the government mouthpieces, and on and on.
Within a matter of days I posted an article on a blog site begging anyone to post one tiny piece of hard evidence that Bin Laden death was real. As they did during the 9/11 globalist terrorist attacks, they promised to release the evidence of the Bin Laden death, but sadly here we are over a year and half later and the evidence never came. America had been duped, yet again, with another Sandy Hook-9/11-Oklahoma bombing-JFK-Colorado-shooting-style wild mainstream media tale that goes something like this: 'we are telling you it happened this way so just shut up, believe it and don't ask any logical or critical questions'. I'm thinking to myself, here comes another round of 'here's to the stupid people and here's to the global government phony version of history – everyone else with a useful brain please stay out of the conversation.'
In response to the hoax, we did nonetheless receive confirmed testimonies from a very high-ranking inside source interview with alternative media that Bin Laden had apparently died years earlier as he was dying from both Marfan's syndrome and severe kidney disease requiring dialysis. As a medically trained individual myself I thought, why that makes sense that a man with a severely life-shortening disease and end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis would be fighting the world's most powerful military in history 10 years later while surviving on his own and outsmarting the worlds most sophisticated intelligence agency.
Video also surfaced online of the Prime minister of Pakistan years earlier confirming Bin Laden's death. We learned that Bin Laden's body had been put on ice for years to be used for future political ploy. The time to use this political ploy had apparently come. Talk about things that make sense…
But even with a dead man on ice the globalists couldn't put together a decent hoax. They stumbled on their faces changing their story over and over again. You could hear intelligent and astute Americans and people all over the world laughing at the new world order monkeys. The Obama administration-mainstream media tag-team still struggled to keep the hoax together, but they knew they could at least fool some of the people all the time.
Eventually, weeks had gone by, SEAL Team 6 now completely and conveniently eliminated as is always the case when the useless globalist eaters perform their false-flags; key individuals involved in the false-flag must always be killed.
There we were again, in the middle of another false-flag; the usual lies, the usual accidental deaths, the usual politicians and pundits on TV repeating the lies, the usual contradiction of common sense, science, physics and reason; the usual demonization of the intuitive people who, of course, don't believe the tale. What the globalist monkeys of evil had not realized is that Americans were getting better and better at detecting these false-flags and for the first time in my life, I captured, caught and identified my first false-flag in real-time. I was excited yet concerned at the same time. I asked people at the street level (to sort of do my own consensus) whether they believed the mainstream media version of this story; and sure enough more than half the people I randomly asked, understood that the Bin Laden story was just another government-media sponsored hoax. I felt better as I told myself, America is finally waking up!
Fast forward to January 2013:
At a time when the establishment is imploding, the mainstream media losing its audience at an alarming rate, politicians are getting caught in their lies; and at a time when the ticking time-bomb otherwise known as the American way of life, the Constitution and freedom is under total attack by the globalists just as the they planned, Hollywood puppets pull together for a laughable fictional recreation of the worst media flop of all time strictly for propaganda purposes.
Front and center the film Zero Dark Thirty
Directed by:
Kathryn Bigelow
Written by:
Mark Boal
Produced by:
Kathryn Bigelow
Mark Boal
Megan Ellison
Executive Producers:
Colin Wilson
Ted Schipper
Greg Shapiro
Presented by Columbia Pictures
With this official act of CIA-Hollywood-globalist 2013 desperation, I want to personally offer my first Truth and Art TV 2013 'Monkey of Evil' award to writer-producer 'Mark Boal', director-producer 'Kathryn Bigelow', producer Megan Ellison and all the executive producers 'Colin Wilson, Ted Schipper and Greg Shapiro.' I'm sure these globalist-Hollywood minions had no problem getting their film pre-approved and distributed by CIA's Columbia Pictures. In fact, I can see them fighting to speed up the production of this globalist marketing commercial and I would guess the original release date was probably intended around the time of the 2012 elections.
Perhaps the silver lining in all of this is that these globalist Hollywood puppets are proving to us once and for all that the Bin Laden death is only good for fiction. After all, in a fictional movie like Zero Dark Thirty they can finally present evidence to the world that couldn't be produced in real life. Finally they get to have fun with the story and indoctrinate the young knowing how gullible people are to the effects of movies and cinema.
It's time to expose Hollywood for the CIA-front that it is and the government mouthpiece that it is. No other film proves this more than the Zero Dark Thirty hoax 2013 cinematic recreation. Hollywood and the government are inseparable and it's time for everyone to see the Government-Hollywood-Complex (GHC) for what it is.
Anyone can rent out hundreds of old movies and TV shows from the last 60+ years and learn what the globalists had planned for these modern times; it's all in the scripts and scenery shown to us when we were kids. That is why movies being released now are predictions of destruction on humanity, disasters, fear-mongering, survivalist and end of the world themes which are globalist fantasies they want to see come to pass.
Today almost every TV show glorifies government and police. Kids are being fully indoctrinated by the government through Hollywood and TV and this movie should be a wake up call to all parents and young adults that you better learn and love to use your brain and teach your kids artistic, creative and interactive habits that don't involve watching TV and movies. It's time to turn off the TV and stop watching their brainwashing movies and think on your own.
Why not boycott all movies? Learn to play cards again and games that employ strategies. Get up from that movie theater chair and say enough to Hollywood because you are worth it. You are much more interesting than any movie. YOU can be the hero and you don't have to be a police, DHS or TSA puppet to be cool or feel useful to society. You do not have to be an undercover agent or a state trooper to be someone, as every TV show suggests; and you don't have to do as you are told to be considered normal, moral or "responsible".
I can't think of ONE television show or movie in Hollywood that glorifies the individual person for being a responsible critical thinker, a Constitution and freedom lover who understands history and someone who follows in the footsteps of our founding fathers and questions government. If there is one show that supports the individual on mainstream TV someone please tell me about this as I'm not aware.
Finally, I want to thank Columbia Pictures and the Zero Dark Thirty crew for producing and releasing this film promoting government lies, as it gives us a fresh new opportunity to expose this fabricated government fable and the important implications of it.
Interesting way to launch the new year; I propose we make Hollywood exposure and awareness one of our themes in 2013 for it is likely that the establishment is looking to Hollywood as one of its last remaining influential mouthpieces to reach its dwindling audience. Everyone knows someone who frequents the movies and if we share this important information with people we know, it can have a great impact on cutting off the globalist's audience. Thank you.
Peace and Love!
Zero Dark Thirty Falling on the World
Bernie Suarez is an activist, critical thinker, radio host, musician, M.D, Veteran, lover of freedom and the Constitution, and creator of the Truth and Art TV project. He also has a background in psychology and highly recommends that everyone watch a documentary titled The Century of the Self. Bernie has concluded that the way to defeat the New World Order is to truly be the change that you want to see. Manifesting the solution and putting truth into action is the very thing that will defeat the globalists.
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Galbreath Real Estate buyers come from near and far. They are your friends with growing families that need a bigger home, or your older neighbors that need to down-size so there is not so much to take care of.
Galbreath Real Estate buyers move across the county, state and country to relocate to our beautiful area. Buyers purchase more homes here because of job changes, city attractions, child rearing, or just to fulfill their dreams of returning to the place they once called home.
Galbreath Real Estate agents are trained experts in their field. They know how to steer you in the right direction with each and every move. We pride ourselves on quality customer service, first-hand industry education and more sold homes than the local competition.
Let's begin the home buying process so that you can understand how easy and hassle-free Galbreath Real Estate agents make it for you, our valued client.
Choose a link from the list below, or follow them step-by step to learn more:
Are you ready to build the "American Dream?" Preparing to buy a home can be both exciting and terrifying at the same time. Fortunately, a Galbreath Real Estate agent can lead you in the right direction toward the home for your dreams. You first may want to ask yourself these questions:
You may want to make a list or brainstorm about the features and amenities that you find most appealing in a new home.
Before you choose a real estate agent, it is important to do your homework on the real estate companies in your area.
When choosing a Realtor, do not be afraid to meet with many different agents. They are, after all, competing for your business. This competition is what makes the real estate industry successful.
Feel free to ask them the following questions:
Once you have chosen an agent, it is important to establish specific goals that you would like to meet. It is very important to communicate with your real estate agent and, in turn, that your real estate agent communicates with you.
It is important as a buyer that you establish some kind of financing before you make any serious home offer. The "pre-approval" process allows lenders to take a look at your finances and credit history in order to make a general assumption about your loan amount.
The pre-approval process is when a lender looks at all of your finances and determines the amount of money you could afford for a mortgage.
In order to get pre-approved for a loan, you need to contact a lender. Your Galbreath Real Estate agent can help you help you find a lender that you feel comfortable with, and that offers programs best-suited to your needs.
Now it is time to start the exciting search for homes! You may want to narrow down your search by asking yourself the following questions:
Searching for a home is becoming easier than years ago. We now have the Internet as a powerful "home finding tool," as well as the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and print advertising.
Beginning the search for your new home can be a great feeling. It is important that you directly communicate what you desires in a home are to your real estate agent.
You may want to first begin by making a list of the features and benefits that are most important in your pursuit of finding a home. These could be:
Looking for a home in an area where you feel comfortable is key. If appropriate, instruct your real estate agent to look for homes in the specific areas you have designated.
Selecting a home should be relatively easy once a home falls somewhere in your criteria and the property is desirable for purchase.
You will want to inform your real estate agent what you like about the house and make a list of your likes and dislikes with the property. Though you will most likely have done this already in a general sense, it is important to do it again for specific homes you have in interest in.
There are three steps in selecting a home:
This is all a part of the negotiation process.
Communicating about the house and how it makes you feel is important when making this decision. It is also important to be realistic when it comes to how much you can afford when selecting "your" home.
Doing you homework about loans will save you both time and money. There are thousands of loans out there to choose from, but it is important to keep in mind several key factors that will help you along the way:
Receiving a loan requires completion of a loan application and specific financial documents including pay stubs, rental checks and/or tax returns. You can receive a loan from a number of different financial institutions, namely: commercial banks, credit unions, mortgage bankers, mortgage brokers, savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks and insurance companies.
Insuring your home is like making an investment in your future. You work hard to have a home; homeowners insurance protects you and your family from someone or something taking it all away.
There are many different forms of insurance:
The closing process is always changing. It is even referred to as "settlement" or "escrow" in different parts of the country. With increased technology, most closings are completely automated and both parties do not have to be present at the same time to sign.
Closings usually take about 30 days to complete. This mainly depends on the buyer's financing availability, successful home inspection completion, and various lender conditions (ex. title search, title insurance, termite inspections, surveys and appraisals).
The closing process is the transfer of the title of the property from the buyer to the seller. The buyer will receive the keys to the home or the deed to the land, while the seller receives payment for the property. The amount the seller receives is based upon the amount that is still owed on the mortgage, any outstanding fees or taxes, and any additional closing costs. All legal papers are filed with the local record office.
It is this step where the buyers and sellers do very little. It is important as the seller to take a final walk through the property to make sure the property's condition as not changed. It is equally important for both the buyer and seller to make sure the paperwork they are signing reflects the agreement of the original sale.
You have unpacked your boxes, arranged your furniture, and feel complete with your moving task. What's next? There is always an adjustment period when you move. It is important to understand that what you, your spouse and/or children may be feeling is completely normal.
Here is a list of a few things that may help:

subset: commoncrawl


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'Death of Wolverine': Marvel killing X-Man this September
It's been almost 40 years since Wolverine's first appearance on the very last page of The Incredible Hulk #180. In comic book time, of course, Wolverine is much older: Over a hundred years old, a century-plus lifespan that has seen the man called Logan become a soldier, a samurai, a superhero, an X-Man, an Avenger, the amnesiac victim of horrific scientific experiments, a renegade, a teacher.
This September, that's going to end.
Marvel has been teasing a radical new development in Wolverine's history with this summer's story arc, "3 Months to Die," which robs Wolverine of his healing factor, the mutant power that has kept him alive and kicking through decades of fatal injuries. Now, EW is excited to announce exclusively that "3 Months to Die" will culminate in a 4-part miniseries in September called, simply, Death of Wolverine. Written by Charles Soule and drawn by Steve McNiven, Death of Wolverine #1 hits on September 3 (that's the cover image above.) The next three issues of the series will follow every week ensuing, climaxing with Death of Wolverine #4 on September 24.
Michael Marts, an executive editor at Marvel overseeing the project, explains that the idea to kill off one of the most iconic characters in comic books emerged out of Marvel's semi-annual creative retreat, when Marvel writers and editors come together to discuss major projects. "For a long time, no matter who Wolverine was battling, he's been the eternal victor," says Marts. "He almost always comes out on top. Now he finally comes up against an adversary that he cannot win against, he cannot fight. What does that mean for this character who's been around for hundred years?"
Charles Soule entered the Marvel fold relatively recently, working on ongoing series Thunderbolts and the new Inhuman. Soule explains that the series is meant, in part, as a retrospective for both the character and the audience. "He's reflecting on his own life as he's reflecting on his own death. We wanted to have the reader do that at the same time. In each issue, we're focusing on a different aspect, or a different quintessential Wolverine."
Eagle-eyed readers will note that the Wolvie silhouette on the issue #1 cover is an homage to the character's first appearance; future covers will feature similar nods to the character's past. Soule's reading list in preparation for the project included classic Logan stories like the Chris Claremont/Frank Miller Japan-set miniseries, the Barry Windsor-Smith Weapon X tale, Mark Millar's "Enemy of the State" arc, and Old Man Logan (also drawn by McNiven.) The writer isn't revealing any specific details of the Death Of story arc. "He's basically been told, by his various genius buddies, to not get into any fights, because he can't survive them," says Soule. "Wolverine being Wolverine, violence tends to find him."
The concept of "death" in comic books can seem a bit tenuous — unless your name is Uncle Ben — but Marts says that Marvel approached this event "from a standpoint of finality, of closure." The hero's death will have ramifications throughout Marvel's line. "You're gonna be entering into a world without Wolverine. That affects not only his teammates, but also the Marvel Universe at large. We've got a lot of things in the works already."
For now, Soule just hopes that Death of Wolverine feels true for the readers. "I hope that when people finish it, they'll feel like he died in a way that was true to him," says the writer. Marvel promises to reveal more about Death of Wolverine at this weekend's C2E2 event in Chicago, at the "Wolverine: 3 Months to Die" panel this Sunday at 1:15 PM CST. But right now, you can check out another exclusive image from the first issue: The first page of Death of Wolverine #1, showing the hero in what appears to be a less-than-ideal situation:


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On 25th September, the UCL iGEM team organised an event that was dedicated to demonstrating their work with the Biohacking enthusiasts at the London Hackspace, on the rights and risks on public participation in developing a biobrick. The event raised some fundamental questions about ethics and limits of citizen science, but first, some jargon entanglement is required.
Biobricks are segments of DNA that perform a specific function, been identified and submitted to a repository so other researchers can use them. They are being used in synthetic biology (synthbio) where an engineering approach is being used to construct genetically modified organisms. The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition is encouraging undergraduate students to develop biobricks and learn about synthbio. This year, the UCL iGEM team is focusing on finding ways to clean the oceans .
The London Hackspace is a place where people with various technical interests come to explore a wide range of technological experimentation through making them and trying them in different ways. This ranges from carpentry and laser cutting of metal and plastic, to computing and electronics. The members decide for themselves what topic they want to explore and how to go about doing that. A subgroup of the hackspace decided to focus on biohacking – the DIY version of synthbio. And this is where things get interesting from citizen science perspective. The group decided that they will focus on creating a biobrick which will act as 'antifreeze' for bacteria so it can survive in lower temperature environment, and started experimenting.
The link between UCL students and the hackspace members developed by sharing expertise of how to handle genetic experiments and the goal of creating an official biobrick that was created with significant public input. Generally, there are restrictions on who is allowed to submit them and they are not open to the public.
By attending the event and talking to people that were involved in the project, it transpires that this is a challenging example of citizen science. It opens up many ethical, practical and theoretical challenges and questions.
First, unlike the use of electronics or smartphones, interacting with a 'wet laboratory' involved many tacit skills and knowledge which are not easily recorded in the literature and are passed from one experienced user of the lab to another. How should these skills taught and should it be opened to amateur or hobbyists? Is it better to ensure that people are competent or is it better to have it as a barrier to entry?
Second, because a lot of the risks are not always visible to the naked eye and other senses, accidents with material that can be dangerous can happen. At the same time, the biohackers are concerned about these aspects and reported to be more attuned then some of the students, although accidents can happen out of lack of knowledge. Is it just an issue that they are taking a risk or should strong regulations apply?
Thirdly, synthbio is fairly much in the forefront of science – so side effects, risks, applications and policy decisions are open. Should that be a space where citizen scientists experiment and try in their kitchens?
There are many more questions and queries that this case is opening – but it was also an enjoyable and fascinating evening.


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Hi Friends!!
I have recently received quite a few enquiries on Happy Saints cupcake toppers, probably because many people have seen them on the highly recommended Catholic Icing website, and a few other places.
I do not provide templates for cupcakes toppers. I do have downloadable ebooks available that feature 2.5inch badges of saints that you may print out and make your own toppers, or any other paper crafts. View the entire ebook catalog.
If you are planning to make your own paper crafts e.g. cupcake toppers, bingo game etc., you can check out my instructional on how to extract images from the ebooks.
Some have also asked where they can download free Happy Saints images. I do post previews of saints on my website and you may use these preview images for your personal and non-commercial use. However, the images are watermarked and are low resolution… and I do not archive what I post. A complete collection of high-quality, watermark-free Happy Saints badges is only available in the ebook collection.
Hope this helps to clarify!
Thank you and God bless!


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Even in a seasonally slow month and with the economy in the doldrums, U.S. sales of video game hardware and software soared 28 percent in July, hitting $1.19 billion.
According to data from market researcher NPD Group, Americans bought $446.9 million worth of video game hardware during the month, a 17 percent jump from the same month a year ago.
The portable Nintendo DS was the top-selling gaming system with 608,400 units, followed by the Wii at 555,000.
The pricier, fancier consoles, the PlayStation 3 from Sony Corp. and the Xbox 360 from Microsoft Corp., came in a distant third and fourth. The classic PlayStation 2, nearly eight years after its release, still managed to sell 155,500 units.
Over time, Sony hopes to convert the throngs faithful PS2 owners to the PS3, but it faces a formidable rival in the Xbox 360.
On the software side, people spent $591.1 million on games during the month, up 41 percent from the previous year. This is slightly below what Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan, had forecast. He had predicted software sales of $605 million, a 44 percent increase.
As expected, "NCAA Football 09" from Electronic Arts Inc. and "Wii Fit" from Nintendo were among the month's top-selling games, along with Activision Blizzard Inc.'s "Guitar Hero: On Tour" for the DS.
Nintendo has boosted production for the Wii last month in an attempt to keep up with relentless global demand for the console. Denise Kaigler, vice president of corporate affairs at Nintendo of America, said customers "continued to respond well to Nintendo products" in July, even in the face of the economic downturn.
Microsoft spokesman David Dennis said July was a strong month for the Xbox though it is one of the quieter periods for the gaming business. Companies focus much of their attention on the yearly E3 Business and Media Summit, a gaming conference held mid-July in Los Angeles.
"We certainly didn't expect to see a major spike" Dennis said, at a time when the company didn't have any major game launches.
The economy, he added, is "certainly something we keep our eyes on."
But Dennis said that when it comes to entertainment value, video games actually offer a lower cost per "minutes of fun" — compared to going out to dinner or a movie, for example.
As such, the industry is somewhat insulated from the ups and downs of the economy, even when people are tightening their belts.


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Inbox: How will Cubs fare in the Draft?
Beat reporter Carrie Muskat answers fans' questions
The First-Year Player Draft, the bench and Wrigley Field are among the topics in this week's Cubs Inbox. Got a question? Send it to [email protected], and please include your full name and hometown.
When is the 2013 Draft? We have the second pick, and Mark Appel, Ryne Stanek and Austin Meadows should be the best players available. Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer will probably pick Meadows. What do you think?
-- Elvis R., Altamonte Springs, Fla.
The Draft will be June 6-8, and yes, the Cubs have the second pick overall. Stanford pitcher Appel, University of Arkansas pitcher Stanek and Georgia high-school outfielder Meadows are ranked 1-2-3 in MLB.com's Top 50 Draft Prospects list. Theo Epstein, Cubs president of baseball operations, addressed the Draft during the Cubs Convention. It does seem that both he and Hoyer would lean more toward a player like Meadows.
"There's a bit of an imbalance in the organization," Epstein said during a front office seminar at the convention. "We have probably better position-player prospects and we lack some starting pitching prospects. So, in an ideal world, there would be that can't miss college starting-pitching prospect available No. 2 overall that we all know is a lock. [We] would move in that direction.
"But it's interesting because in the history of the Draft, the best bets up top are position players because of the uncertainty and the attrition and injury risk of pitchers," Epstein said. "So those are pretty well trends over time. We're going to take the best player available.
"If there were a can't miss position player and pitchers that we had some questions on, we'd go with the position player and then attack the pitching with volume because the history of the Draft also shows that great pitching can come from all over the Draft," he said. "You might hit on a guy in the fifth round, the 15th round, the 25th round. With position players, most of your great players come from the top two rounds."
Last year, the Cubs selected high-school outfielder Albert Almora with the sixth overall pick, and then stocked up on pitchers, selecting seven in a row and eight in the first eight rounds. Appel was selected eighth overall last year by the Pirates but did not sign. Said Epstein: "I don't see us backing down from any player that legitimately wants to play professional baseball."
The last time the Cubs had the second overall pick was 2001, and they selected Mark Prior.
What will be the end-game with Matt Garza? Will he be traded early this year, near the deadline, or not at all? What could the Cubs get for him? Thanks.
-- Tyson W., Iowa City, Iowa
The only thing that's certain is that Garza will be a free agent after this season. There are a lot of variables to be considered regarding the team's options. First, he has to show he's healthy. What if he and the Cubs get off to a good start and they're contending in July? The Cubs might decide it's better to keep Garza than deal him for prospects. You'll just have to wait and see.
I was looking through the roster and I'm not seeing a complete bench. Assuming Scott Hairston, Dioner Navarro, Luis Valbuena and Tony Campana are locks, who possibly fills the fifth or sixth spot if the Cubs decide to go with 11 pitchers?
-- Eric F., Danville, Ill.
Right now, Hairston isn't officially on the Cubs' roster, and I'd say only Navarro and Valbuena are "locks." The Cubs need to find a backup for Anthony Rizzo when he gets a rare day off, and they want a good balance of left- and right-handed hitters in the lineup. One option as a backup at first could be Steve Clevenger. Dave Sappelt had a good winter and could be an extra outfielder. Check out the list of non-roster Spring Training invitees on Cubs.com. Players in that group, which includes Darnell McDonald and Brian Bogusevic, who have big league experience, will also be competing for those final spots on the 25-man roster. Filling out the bench is part of the fun of Spring Training.
Pearl Jam just announced a July concert at Wrigley Field. I understand the Cubs bring in extra revenue selling Wrigley as a concert venue, but why do they continually do it during the season? The field is absolutely destroyed and it's an embarrassment to the players and fans alike. When will Wrigley start being treated like the baseball sanctuary that it is?
-- Chris J., Santa Monica, Calif.
You're from California, and I'm not sure if you've ever been to Chicago, but obviously, the concerts are scheduled during the season because that's the best time of the year here for an outside event. According to the Cubs, the four concerts in 2012 (Roger Waters, Brad Paisley and two Bruce Springsteen shows) generated $24 million in economic impact and $2.5 million in estimated tax revenues to the city, county and state, including $1.6 million for Chicago alone. This also helped Wrigleyville neighborhood bars and restaurants, Chicago-area hotels, rooftop businesses, neighborhood parking lots and residential garages. As for the field, the grounds crew hates having anyone walk on the grass, even the players.
What's going on with Arodys Vizcaino? I haven't heard a whole lot on his progress rehabbing from surgery and was wondering if he'll be someone we'll see at Wrigley this year.
-- Mike P., Clarendon Hills, Ill.
Vizcaino should be pitching at Wrigley this year, but his role is to be determined. Because he's coming back from Tommy John, he'll be eased into action. We'll know more once Spring Training begins.
When will single-game tickets go on sale?
-- Donna C., Williamsfield, Ill.
Cubs' single-game tickets go on sale March 8.


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Saving a Script: or, Bookbinding by Borrowing
Problem: A flimsy, saddle-stapled paper script in the hands of a nine-year-old thespian, already showing extreme signs of wear after only two rehearsals and without ever seeing the ravages lurking at the bottom of a backpack.
Solution: Adding a hard cover (stolen from a book on hand) to provide increased support and durability.
Maybe these reinforcements will help the script last at least a few weeks of heavy use, or perhaps even until performance time?
This whole project took about 15 minutes, making it longer to describe than to do. And the best part? The spine still suggests something about an important element in drama (apologies to Hans-Herbert Kögler).


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Exploring Tidal Power in the San Francisco Bay
In a 2006 study, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) identified San Francisco Bay as a potential resource for electricity generation using tidal power technology. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), the City and County of San Francisco (CCSF) and the Golden Gate Energy Company signed a statement of collaboration in June 2007 to conduct the most comprehensive study yet undertaken to assess the possibilities for harnessing the tides in San Francisco Bay to create a new source of zero-emissions, renewable electric power.
This multifaceted study will include thorough analyses of:
- the Bay's energy potential
- existing and emerging technologies to capture energy from tidal flows
- possible environmental effects
- economic feasibility and other costs and benefits of tapping this new energy supply
Tidal-power technologies are in their infancy. No commercially viable tidal-power generation operates in the United States currently. But ongoing efforts to increase California's renewable power supplies and address climate change require investigation into untapped, environmentally friendly energy sources, even if the potential benefit is not yet known.
The study draws on the combined resources and expertise of PG&E, CCSF and Golden Gate Energy. PG&E has committed up to $1.5 million and CCSF has committed up to another $346,000 to fund feasibility studies and stakeholder outreach. Golden Gate Energy holds federal regulatory permits necessary to study the San Francisco Bay and supports the study.
Benefits of tidal power are:
- clean
- renewable
- predictable
- reliable
- aesthetically unintrusive (underwater)
- no waste of land
If findings are positive a full-fledged project could be launched. The project would require regulatory approval (including public participation). It is estimated that project operation would be 3 - 5 years out.
Measuring the Bay's Tidal Energy
There are several computer models that are frequently used to estimate the tidal flow at any location in the Bay. Using one of these models, "desktop" studies of the tidal velocity and energy content at a more detailed level than the EPRI study showed the tidal currents contain less extractable energy than expected.
Water moves faster at the surface of the Bay than at greater depth. Most of the fast-moving water is in shipping lanes. There are few areas deep enough for tidal turbines to be installed below the draft of the largest ships (where the tidal flow is strong enough to generate a significant amount of electricity). Although there are some areas outside the shipping lanes with strong tidal currents, the flow at those locations is often too turbulent to be useful.
However, one area has been identified as a possible location for installation of tidal-generation equipment. New data on the speed and direction of the tidal flow in that area will be gathered to confirm the estimated amount of energy available in that area. This data will be used to validate and adjust the computer model. The model will then be run at a higher resolution to identify specific locations where the conditions are most likely to generate electricity. The measurement activities are scheduled for December 2007.
Two types of measurements will be collected:
- Stationary Acoustic Doppler Current Profile (ADCP) instruments will be placed on the seabed for one full tidal cycle (about a month).
- Boat-mounted ADCP instruments will obtain a "snapshot" profile of tidal current velocities in a wider area around the selected site for two days.
The two bottom-mounted ADCPs will be deployed in 60 meters and 40 meters of water. These ADCPs will be mounted inside of a buoy designed to keep the ADCP oriented upwards into the prevailing current. The bouy is streamlined to ensure no pitch and roll affects. These buoys have been used in currents over 5 knots with very high data quality.
The internal ADCP compass determines the absolute current direction during rotation. The bottom of the buoy is attached via a swivel shackle to an acoustic release which is attached to an anchor. The system holds the buoy firmly in place while keeping the ADCP off of the bottom but within ~ 1.5 meters of the bottom. This system will negate the effects of rock outcroppings and large, moving features (e.g. sand waves) on the ADCP operation and retrieval.
What is ADCP?
ADCP instruments are used extensively by research organizations and agencies that ensure navigational safety, and have previously been used in San Francisco Bay. ADCP instruments measure the speed of the water by emitting high-frequency sound waves and analyzing the sound reflected off particles in the water. The sound waves used are so highly pitched that humans and dolphins cannot hear them.
The instruments measure water speed at several different distances at the same time. ADCP range is up to 1000 meters (about 10 football fields), though accuracy decreases with distance. Instruments can be bottom-mounted or boat-mounted. Analysis of data from boat-mounted instruments is complicated because the calculations must account for the movement of the boat.
Further information on ADCP is available from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.


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New Startup HANGONATOR announced today that it will be launching a seed round funding campaign using the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo.com effective October, 23 2017.
HANGONATOR is targeting to raise up to $110,000 to launch its brand new bio scientific hangover terminator patch the HANGONATOR, in 2 months. As part of our campaign pre-orders will discounted as much as 30%.
HANGONATOR CEO Ron Harris hosted a webinar last week for entrepreneurs, international resellers, nightclub owners, hospitality industry and alcohol retailers who have tested the product, they were all impressed with the results and are ready to purchase quantities.
The company has been working on the HANGONATOR for nearly 3 years and has done over 2000 field trials. The HANGONATOR Patch is not medicine, it's not a vitamin in fact there are no ingredients, and it is a bio scientific breakthrough engineered to block hangovers with absolutely no side effects. The HANGONATOR patch is engineered to affect your body's bio-resonance and alter subharmonic bio frequencies, programming your body to act in a specific way to alcohol consumption.
Most scientists believe that a hangover is driven by alcohol interfering with your body's natural balance of chemicals in a more complex way. One hypothesis is that in order to process alcohol, your body must convert the enzyme NAD+ into an alternate form, NADH.
The simplest and most familiar explanation is that drinking alcohol cause's dehydration, both because it acts as a diuretic, increasing urine production, and because people who are drinking heavily for multiple hours probably aren't drinking much water during that time period. But studies have found no correlation between high levels of the hormones associated with dehydration and the severity of a hangover.
Other studies show that hangovers result from a buildup of acetaldehyde, a toxic compound, in the body. As the body processes alcohol, acetaldehyde is the very first byproduct, and it's estimated to be between 10 and 30 times as toxic as alcohol itself.
Many studies showed that hangovers are also driven by the way alcohol affects your immune system. Studies have found strong correlations between high levels of cytokines—molecules that the immune system uses.
What this shows alcohol stops the healthy exchange of information between cells, contributing to symptoms like muscle aches, fatigue, headache, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness, thirst, sweating, skin flushing, as well as cognitive effects like memory loss or irritation.
HANGONATOR, kills most hangover symptoms before they start, programing your cells to keep the body in balance and functioning as normal. The technology blocks the signs and symptoms of a hangover, those that generally start to occur when your blood alcohol drops considerably. HANGONATOR stops the symptoms that typically happen in the morning after a night of high alcohol consumption including, headaches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and anxiety.
There are four owners of the HANGONATOR, all professionals ranging in age 25 to 50. Erik and Jason Davila, Neff Torres and CEO, Ron Harris, a business veteran with 20 years' experience launching products and solutions, both domestically and internationally. About three years ago the group decided to use its resources in the science community to find a way to rid the world of hangovers.
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They've been around for at least a year now, and all my research points to obscuring your brake lights as being very illegal. But I don't care. This is the closest my hatchback will ever get to being the batmobile.
For $7 this 'kit' is basically just a sheet of adhesive vinyl with three different sized versions of the Dark Knight Batman logo on it, which you can trim and use to cover the brake lights on your ride. Every time you stop it will let those behind you know you support vigilanteism in all its forms—that is—if they can still see when your brake lights come on.
You'll need to get two sheets if you want both backlights covered. And for an even more impressive effect, you might want to try applying them to your headlights too. Creating a pair of bat signals that blind oncoming traffic. [Amazon via Bookofjoe]


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I LOVE Mary's fitted striped dress. And I wanna start wearing regal gloves. Yeah?!
I tend to lean more towards Mary's style, she always has the best dresses and outfits.
Maggie Smith is perfect in this show! What an icon. (I miss her as Professor McGonagall)
I love the hunting dogs, they totally steal the show.
I really wish men (and women for that matter) would ditch the hoodies and dress like this. Come on, Target! Give us an affordable regal line, please! Or at least H&M. That would ROCK.


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This is the Aral Sea, which was once one of the four largest lakes in the world, until the Soviet Union diverted the rivers that fed it. Now full of stranded ships, it's just one of the world's dying lakes.
In the 1960s, the Soviet Union diverted the two rivers that fed the sea, and it has been shrinking since. As the September 2010 issue of The Trumpet explains:
Since 1960, the Aral Sea has shrunk by over 50 percent. Once a freshwater lake, it is now over twice as salty as the average ocean. Once the source for one sixth of the Soviet Union's seafood, it is now an aquatic graveyard. Huge boats lie marooned in the desert. The lake dried up so fast that boat owners didn't think to relocate their ships until it was too late.
The sea used to cool the air for miles around. Now the local climate is hotter and drier in the summer and colder for longer in the winter. The surrounding region, already dry, is becoming a hard desert.
This is not some nebulous, global-warming-type threat based on the predictions of computer models. This is actual, measurable and provable local climate change that has already happened.
The Wikipedia article on the Aral Sea discusses the history behind the situation and the ecological/economic impact it has had on the inhabitants of the area. The article I had been reading at the time I first encountered this story featured someone's travel journal and tons of photos of ships listing to the side or wedged flat into the bottom of some dead sea. It looked more like a desert. You can see some more Aral Sea photos at Artificial Owl.
I thought of Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl during their adventures in the sand at Davy Jones' Locker.
The Aral Sea isn't the only area that's suffered major repercussions as a result of depleted bodies of water. There's also Mexico City, where Chinampas, or floating gardens, used to feed the local population. Mexico City, formerly known as Tenochtitlan, was situated on an islet in the middle of Lake Texcoco, the largest of five lakes. The surrounding four lakes, Zumpango, Xaltoca, Xochimilco, and Chalco, combined with it to cover about 580sq. miles of the valley floor. The four lakes in the Valley of Mexico are now considered extinct with only small remnants to be found. What remains of Lake Texcoco rests about 2.5 miles outside of Mexico City. It is surrounded by salt marshes and its waters are evaporated to access the salts found in high concentrations.
The Aztecs were a hydraulic society. They depended upon these lakes and surrounding mountain spring water for their basic needs such as bathing, cleaning, agriculture, and transportation. When the Spaniards conquered Tenochtitlan, the leaders ordered the waterways and structures destroyed. When Mexico City was rebuilt in its place, these structures were not restored. Flooding was a common problem. One flood submersed most of the city for five years. The Spaniards began draining the lake by channels and a tunnel connected to the Pánuco River. Yet, the flooding continued until a deep (98-820 ft.) drainage system was installed in 1967. The city fills the lake basin and most of it exists under the phreatic level. The soft, saturated clay base Mexico City is resting on is collapsing due to that extraction and the continued seismic activity that is frequent in the area. This leads to a circular problem. The extraction of ground water causes the city to sink. The sinking has created runoff problems, waste management issues, and flooding.
Pollution, waste management, and drinking water scarcity are issues the city must deal with. You can read more about this here. The lakes are no longer in proximity to the city to support its population. There are other ecological consequences involved with the extinction of the lakes. Species that were indigenous to these lakes also became extinct or are endangered. Some parts of the valley are now semi-arid while Mexico City remains subtropical. "In recent years, architects Teodoro González De León and Alberto Kalach, along with a group of Mexican urbanists, engineers and biologists, have developed the project plan for Recovering the City of Lakes. The project, if approved by the government, will contribute to the supply of water from natural sources to the Valley of Mexico, the creation of new natural spaces, a great improvement in air quality, and greater population establishment planning." (Wikipedia)
I encourage you to read more about both situations and the long-term effects. These were not natural disasters. The situations were caused by humans and their political agendas. The consequences have been severe for these regions. Have you come across this in your reading? This is fodder for your imaginations. Does it spark a story idea or two?
Top photo by Sergey Ponomarev/Associated Press.
This article by M.G. Ellington originally appeared in a different form at Science In My Fiction.


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UA professor developing prosthesis that works like a real leg
TUSCALOOSA | Xiangrong Shen has a goal — to improve the quality of life for amputees. To do this, he is developing a prosthesis that functions and feels like human muscle.
"When you build something to replace a human limb, you want the device to be as similar as possible (to the limb)," said the University of Alabama associate professor of mechanical engineering. "You want the same mechanism that is in the human body."
Current leg prosthetics are energetically passive, which means they can only dissipate energy, or store and reuse energy in walking. As a result, the amputee's other joints have to work harder, which causes the amputee to use more energy, leading to an unnatural walk, Shen said.
"That's the problem we want to solve," he added.
For the past six years, Shen has been researching and developing a flexible, robotic actuator that functions like a biological muscle. Initially, he focused on above-knee amputees, but with the help of a recently received $564,000 grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Shen can now work on developing a below-knee prosthesis that will be able to power the ankle joint in use.
There are two primary components in the new prosthesis: a special class of liquid fuel called monopropellant and a sleeve muscle actuator, which is an artificial muscle that replaces the motor used in current prosthesis. The monopropellant generates a large amount of hot gas and decomposes upon contact with certain catalysts, Shen said, resulting in the storage of enough energy to operate daily a light-weight prosthesis. The sleeve actuator is also lighter, more powerful and similar to a biological muscle, he added.
While the main functions of the device will be similar to an above-knee prosthesis, the specific design will be different and a challenge to create. When working with above-knee amputees, the actuator has various biological components to attach to, but for a below-knee prosthesis, the device needs to be as small and short in length as possible so it can fit people with amputations close to the ankle, Shen said. The computer controller will also need to be small enough to fit on the prosthesis so the device will be a self-contained system, he added.
The four-year grant will include preliminary testing on the various components, followed by testing on human patients when the device is completely finished.
"It's going to be lighter, and closer to human muscle," Shen said. "And if we can use that technology to drive the prosthesis, then the user can gain more mobility. That's what this is all about."
Reach Kim Eaton at email@example.com or 205-722-0209


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When Barack Obama announced in May that American commandos had killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Imran Khan was furious. "The whole of Pakistan felt this way. Wherever I went I felt this humiliation and anger in people. It was humiliating because an American president announces it, not our president. And because it was the American military, not our military, which this country has given great sacrifices to nurture, that killed him."
Khan stirs his cappuccino angrily. "Most humiliating of all was that the CIA chief Panetta says that the Pakistan government was either incompetent or complicit. Complicit!" But surely Leon Panetta had a point, didn't he? The world's most wanted man was living a mile from Pakistan's military academy, not in some obscure cave. "They're talking about a country in which 35,000 people have died during a war that had nothing to do with us. Ours is perhaps the only country in history that keeps getting bombed, through drone attacks, by our ally."
Khan's rage is directed not chiefly at Obama's administration but at successive Pakistani governments for entrapping his homeland in a dismal cycle of immiseration and mass deaths for the past eight years by supporting the war on terror in return for billions of dollars of financial aid. The manner of Bin Laden's killing and the national shame of its aftermath typify for Khan how Pakistan has never properly learned to stand on its own two feet. He calls it an era of neocolonialism in which Pakistan's people seem destined to suffer as much as, if not more than, they did during British colonial rule.
"According to the government economic survey in Pakistan, $70bn has been lost to the economy because of this war. Total aid has been barely $20bn. Aid has gone to the ruling elite, while the people have lost $70bn. We have lost 35,000 lives and as many maimed – and then to be said to be complicit. The shame of it!"
Arguably Khan is benefiting from that anger. The legendary cricketer turned politician hopes – even expects – to become Pakistan's next prime minister. "Every poll has shown the gap widening between us and other parties." He is modest about his impact on the polls: "It's not what I have done, it's that they have got discredited. These are the best of times and the worst of times. The best of it is that people are hungry for a change."
I sip the tea that his ex-wife, Jemima Khan née Goldsmith, has just handed me. We're sitting on huge sofas in the vast living room-cum-kitchen of her opulent west London home. He's here to see his two sons, Sulaiman Isa, 14, and Kasim 12, who live with their mother, when they return from school. Later this evening he will fly home to Islamabad.
Jemima retreats upstairs so that her ex and I can analyse what went wrong with his country – and the couple's marriage. Understandably, Khan would rather talk about the former.
He recalls his greatest cricketing achievement as Pakistani team captain, winning the 1992 World Cup. Perhaps the 2012 Pakistani election will eclipse that triumph. "I played five World Cups and it was only in the last World Cup before we won [in 1992] that I said: 'Put money on us.' Now I'm saying my party will win. I'm throwing everyone a challenge that nothing can stop this party. Nothing."
Perhaps. But Pakistani politics, to hear Khan talk, isn't cricket. "To have a senior post in the government, you have to have a criminal record." I laugh. Surely not? He names ministers who have. This was one consequence of ex-president Pervez Musharraf's 2007 National Conciliation Ordinance that gave amnesties to many politicians (including former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan as a result and was shortly afterwards assassinated). "He did the greatest disservice to us by that ordinance. And guess what – it was brokered by the Bush administration.
"My country can barely stoop any lower. All you need to do with a senior politician today is look at his assets before he came into politics and look at them after and you know why they're there. My party is made up of people who don't need politics. You need people who don't need politics to make money." But surely that implies government by gentry, by people who are independently wealthy? "Or people who are not necessarily wealthy but who are in a profession and are doing quite well out of it outside politics. Career politicians have destroyed our country."
I take a sidelong glance at Imran Khan. He's a young, fit-looking 58, dressed in western playboy uniform (jeans, sports jacket, big-collared open-neck shirt), but with an imposingly stern face that he may have inherited from the Pashtun ancestors on his mother's side of the family. He claims to be shy and introverted, but to me he conveys the enviably easy assuredness typical of English public schoolboys. Indeed, Khan is steeped in that ethos: he was educated at Aitchison College in Lahore, a so-called English-medium school, before being sent to England to study at the Royal Grammar School, Worcester, and then read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford. Ironically, one of his party's policies is that elite schools such as Aitchison should be abolished for being inegalitarian.
If this cricketing legend did become Pakistan's prime minister, it would involve a remarkable turn around in fortunes. In his early test-cricketing days, he was called Imran Khan't – and that nickname applied too to his political career. Ever since he established his political party Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice) in 1996, Khan has fared abysmally. Even the Guardian's Declan Walsh described him in 2005 as making a "miserable politician. Khan's ideas and affiliations since entering politics in 1996 have swerved and skidded like a rickshaw in a rain shower."
Khan may have been a brilliant cricketer who for 21 years until retirement in 1992 made Pakistan a leading force in the international game. He may have once been renowned as a soigné habitué of toff nightclubs such as Annabel's and Tramp in the 1980s, and as the playboy who romanced debutantes Susannah Constantine, Lady Liza Campbell and the artist Emma Sergeant. But is he really the man to lead Pakistan from what he calls "the the edge of collapse"?
He, at least, thinks so. "The old parties are all petrified of me now. They all want to make alliances with me and I say: 'No, I'm going to fight all of you together because you're all the same.'"
Excellent. But how does he propose to effect what he calls a soft revolution in Pakistan? "Oh hawk," he replies unexpectedly, "death is better than that livelihood that stops you ascending." He is quoting a verse from his favourite poet and philosopher, Allama Muhammad Iqbal, who died in 1938 and so missed both Pakistan's birth, its rule by dicators and corrupt dynasties, and its current ignominy.
How do Iqbal's words apply to modern Pakistan? "I take them to mean anything that comes with strings attached damages your self-esteem and self-respect – you'd better die than take it," says Khan. "A country that relies on aid? Death is better than that. It stops you from achieving your potential, just as colonialism did. Aid is humiliating. Every country I know that has had IMF or World Bank programmes has only impoverished the poor and enriched the rich." And American aid, he argues, has had a calamitous effect on his homeland.
What Khan is planning politically echoes what he did in cricket. "Colonialism deprives you of your self-esteem and to get it back you have to fight to redress the balance," he says. "I know for myself and my contemporaries Viv Richards [the great West Indies batsman] and Sunil Gavaskar [the no-less-great Indian batsman] beating the English at cricket was a means of doing that. We wanted to assert our equality on the cricket field against our colonial masters."
Isn't cutting foreign aid a perilous policy for a bankrupt economy? "But it doesn't matter," retorts Khan. "We will cut down expenditure, tax the rich and fight corruption. The reason we're bankrupt is because of corruption. Asif Ali Zardari [Pakistan's current president] puts his cronies on top and they literally siphon off money."
He argues that if Pakistan's two greatest problems, corruption and tax evasion, can be solved, then the country will become solvent. "We have the lowest tax-GDP ratio in the world: 9%. If we get it to 18%, which is India, we're solvent." Not only does Khan believe he can tax the rich but also that exploiting Pakistan's huge mineral reserves will help the country escape its current mess. "A country that has no power is sitting on the biggest coal reserves in the world!"
Tehreek-e-Insaaf's other key policy is withdrawing from the war on terror. Why? "The war on terror is the most insane and immoral war of all time. The Americans are doing what they did in Vietnam, bombing villages. But how can a civilised nation do this? How can you can eliminate suspects, their wives, their children, their families, their neighbours? How can you justify this?
"When I came here at 18 I learned about western rule of law and human rights, innocent until proven guilty. The Americans are violating all of this."
Khan wrote an open letter to Obama arguing that the war was unwinnable. "I said you do not have to own Bush's war – you can't win it anyway. It's creating radicals. The more you kill, the more you create extremism."
Why can't the war be won? "The Soviets killed more than a million people in Afghanistan. They were fighting more at the end than the beginning. So clearly a population of 15 million could take a million dead and still keep fighting. They [the Americans] are going to have to kill a lot of people to make any impact and they also have in Zardari an impotent puppet as Pakistani president who has not delivered anything to the Americans.
"The Americans also don't realise that this whole Arab spring was against puppets or dictators. People want democracy. So this whole idea of planting your own man there, a dictator – neocolonialism is what it's called – is not going to work any more.
"The aid to our puppet government from the US is destroying our country. We're basically using our army to kill our own people with American money. We have to separate from the US."
Khan knows what it is to be attacked from both sides. "I've been called Taliban Khan for supporting the tribal Pashtuns and I've been called part of a Jewish conspiracy to take over Pakistan. I am of course neither."
The latter allegation came when Khan married Jemima Goldsmith in 1995. In a chapter on his marriage in his excellent new book Pakistan: A Personal History, he recalls that, when he left for England aged 18, his mother's last words were: "Don't bring back an English wife." But after his mother's death, Khan did that, even though the British press wailed that Jemima would not be allowed to drive in Pakistan and that she would have to be veiled from head to toe; even though the Pakistani media portrayed the marriage as a Zionist plot to take over Pakistan. No matter, as Khan writes, that his wife wasn't actually Jewish (her paternal grandfather was Jewish), but had been baptised and confirmed as a Protestant. No matter that she converted to Islam and set about learning Urdu on her arrival in Pakistan.
The smears got worse a year after their marriage when Khan launched his political career. "Cross-cultural marriage is difficult, especially when one person has to live in another country. But I thought there was a very good chance of it working because people grow together if they have a common passion. But from the moment my opponents attacked her in the first election in terms of a Zionist conspiracy we had to then take her away from politics. That meant we were doing different things. We couldn't share our passions."
Jemima returned to England, ostensibly for a year to do a masters in modern trends in Islam, taking her sons with her. She never returned, the couple divorced in 2004 and she is now associate editor of the Independent and editor-at-large for Vanity Fair. They remain on friendly terms. "It was very painful that it didn't work out but that bitterness and anger that comes when a marriage breaks down through infidelity was not there. We were completely faithful to each other."
There was no way he could have moved to London? "London is like a second home, but never could I imagine living away from Pakistan." It must be tough with his sons living half a world away most of the year. "Very tough. Nothing gave me more happiness than fatherhood. And here's someone who had great highs in his life. The biggest void in my life is not being close to my children all the time, but mercifully, thanks to my relationship with Jemima, I see them a great deal."
One way of looking at his failed marriage, then, is that it could not survive the bearpit of Pakistani politics. How could he continue in that grim game given the high cost it extorted from you? "Ever since my mother died in great pain from cancer, I have had a social conscience that can only express itself in getting involved in politics. As long as I played cricket there was hardly any social conscience. It came because of my mother and how she was treated." It also came after a spiritual awakening and renewed Islamic faith, in which Iqbal's writings played an important role.
"The No1 thing that struck me about your country when I came here was your welfare state, which I'm sad to say they are dismantling – a big mistake. I thought: 'What a civilised society.' When my mother was treated here we were paying for her and there was a national health patient next to her – equal treatment. We didn't have that in Pakistan."
After his mother's death he founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Lahore in her name. "My hospital is the only one in Pakistan where doctors are not allowed to know which patients are paying and which are free. Equal treatment for rich and poor is essential."
But the hospital was only possible because of donations that he raised from the streets of Pakistan's cities. "We needed $4m for the hospital and we had run out of steam so someone suggested we just go out into the streets. I ended up covering 29 cities in six weeks and I just went into the street with a big collecting sack. Only in Pakistan would this happen."
But that Pakistani generosity, he realises, articulates an important principle of Islam, of doing good deeds to get to heaven. In the book he writes that he asked why poor people would give such high proportions of their income to a cancer hospital not even in their own town. "It was always the same reply, 'I am not doing you a favour. I am doing it to invest in my Hereafter.'"
That geneoristy proved a catalyst for Khan's political career, he writes: "I started thinking that these people were capable of great sacrifice. Could these people not be mobilised to fight to save our ever-deteriorating country?" He may have a sentimental vision of poor Pakistanis but Khan has no doubt: they will revolutionise Pakistan, led by him.
Just before I leave him to his children, he tells me that the nadir for Pakistan came last year when Angelina Jolie visited Pakistan's flood-hit area. "It's so shameful. The prime minister gave her a reception in his palace and she commented on its opulence. The prime minister gets his family in a private jet to see her, the family give her expensive presents and yet there are people dying in these flood-affected areas. They were living like Mughal emperors in splendour and our people were dying. It took a Hollywood star to point this out. Our politics can never be so shameful again." That remains to be seen.


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I have to admit- I am not a graphic novel reader. Sure, I will read one, but it's never my first choice. I think it's because I read so fast and I tend to skip the pictures to get to the words, and then I have to go back to the pictures. It just slows down my normal reading pace. However, I was absolutely thrilled when I received an ARC of Rapunzel's Revenge from the publisher. I read it in one sitting last night and can not wait to pass it on to my students. What a phenomenal story!
First, let's begin with the size. The ARC is 7 1/2 x 10 7/8. It's bigger than your average book and it serves the illustrations well. Nathan Hale's (no relation to the authors) illustrations are just gorgeous. I am not a "picture person" when it comes to books, hence my tendency to avoid graphic novels. However, Nathan Hale forced me to linger over each and every panel! The illustrations are beautiful and there is just so much going on in every one!
As for the story, WOW! First of all, I so admire people who can co-write. I can barely manage to write on my own, and coupled with the fact that I am a control freak, I can't imagine writing with someone. However, Shannon and Dean have crafted a fantastic fairy tale re-telling of Rapunzel's story. A much, much better story than the first time around! The story is in direct contradiction to the original in many parts, but that's what makes it so great. Rapunzel is strong, witty, and smart. No damsels in distress in this fairy tale! The world she lives in is a mix of the Wild West and a fairy tale world. Sounds crazy, right? It works. And it works great!
This is going to be the perfect graphic novel for reluctant readers, fairy tale lovers, readers who love fairy tale retellings, and anyone who loves books that make you laugh out loud. I can not wait to pass this one onto my students. I can already foresee the fight that will break out over who gets to read it first. And second. And third. And so on!
Filed under: fairy tales, reviews | Tagged: fairy tale retellings, graphic novels, rapunzel's revenge, shannon hale |


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American Physical Society Sites|APS|Journals|Physics Magazine
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"For his many rigorous, elegant, fearless, and influential analyses of the automobile's energy use, emissions, and crashworthiness that have inspired two generations of policy physicists."Background:
Ross received his B.S. at Queens College (1948) and Ph.D. from Wisconsin (1952). He was assistant professor to Professor of Physics at Indiana University, 1955-1963; and professor of physics at the University of Michigan since. He nominally retired in 2001. His dissertation was with Bob Sachs in nuclear theory; and he worked in particle theory and as kibbitzer to experimentalists until 1972. During those two decades he enjoyed NSF postdoctoral and senior fellowships (Cornell and Rome), and work at Brookhaven and Argonne. He helped organize the 1974 APS study on efficient use of energy, and, in collaboration with Bob Williams, began work on energy and environmental issues. His initial focus was industrial energy use. Since 1988 he has focused on automobiles. Much of his research concerns fuel-economy technologies. He also analyzed emissions of in-use cars and created a model of emissions and driving patterns. Recently he has studied relationships among traffic safety, vehicle mass and other variables with Tom Wenzel at Berkeley (LBNL) in order to evaluate safety effects of potential changes in vehicle design. He has also enjoyed long associations with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, and American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
Aviva Brecher (Chair), Tina Kaarsberg (12/03), Robert Socolow ('03 Rcpnt) (12/03), Ken Heller (V Chair) (12/04), John Layman (12/04)


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A while ago Alona from LoneTester HQ blog launched the It's All in the Numbers Geneameme. For ages my mind was blank on what numbers would be relevant, but eventually the lightbulb went from dim to bright and here is my contribution, focused as so often, on my immigrant ancestors.
But first I want to remember my great-great grandmother Mary O'Brien Kunkel who was buried in the Murphys Creek (Qld) cemetery on this day 95 years ago. You're not forgotten Mary.
My McSherry/Sherry/McSharry family gets the guernsey for the greatest number of winning entries and here they are:
3 most name changes – from Sherry on arrival to McSharry for the parents and most children (many adult) and McSherry for my own great-grandparents (2nd phase arrivals a year later).
15 most children in one family, to Peter and Mary McSherry; with Stephen and Emily Melvin in second place, with 14 children.
5 most direct immigrant ancestors: two great-great grandparents, two great-grandparents and my grandfather (James and Bridget, Peter and Mary, James Joseph)
2 the age of my youngest immigrant ancestor on arrival –my grandfather
2 set of twins to my great-grandparents – one set died as still births, another daughter died in infancy, but one survived.
10 children in my McSharry 2xgreat grandparents' family
3 "children" (ages 7, 9 and 22) who died within 7 years of arriving
15 largest number of immigrants from one family (two phases 11 + 4)
1 most elusive ancestor – James Sherry aka James McSharry – but not to be confused with the man of the same name who co-owned O'Rourke & McSharry, a big railway construction company.
And some of my other family history numbers:
92 the oldest age at death (Martin Furlong –father of my McSharry 2xgreat grandmother)
11 children born to my Kunkel 2xgreat grandparents and great-grandparents. 10 to George and Mary survived infancy and 11 to George and Julia.
6 number of families who arrived in Australia (Kent, Melvin, Gavin, Sherry x 2, McCorkindale)
3 number of singles who arrived in Australia (Kunkel, O'Brien, Partridge)
8 Irish immigrants – direct ancestors (McSherry, O'Brien, Gavin)
4 English immigrants – direct ancestors (Kent, Partridge)
3 Scottish immigrants –direct ancestors (McCorkindale, Melvin)
1 solitary Bavarian (German) ancestor (Kunkel)
10 2nd largest immigration of family – McCorkindales -2 phases (2 + 8)
Thanks Alona for suggesting this topic. It took a while for me to get my head around it but once I settled on the theme I really enjoyed it.
And here is the grave of my Mary O'Brien, husband George Kunkel and two of their children including my great-grandfather George Michael Kunkel.


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Not a great job from the photographer. Just a
good enough job...under the circumstances.
Hard to believe it's that time of year again. Remember my post last year about last-minute senior portraits? This year, Zander's ex-girlfriend (and still friend) Kirsten Rollefson came by needing a portrait—yesterday afternoon, with her portrait due today. Not only was it almost-last-minute, but there was a new twist, too—it was raining. Not just "rainy"; raining. I don't have a studio. I shoot portraits outdoors, when the weather's nice. Not a chance of that yesterday.
So we had to set up in the basement. What can ya do? She needed the picture. It was ridiculous—there's no room at all down there. I tried about eight positions for the light before finding something that even worked. Of course the headroom is low, so I had to have Kirsten perch on a low chair to get the light a little higher relative to her. Then, the only backdrop I had was a ridiculous little 4x4' square of satin material that I bought for Ebay product shots. Because the stuff takes a crease seemingly permanently when you fold it, I had just stored it loose in a plastic container—but of course it had gotten all wrinkled. Looked...horrible. And of course I couldn't get far enough away from it to throw it enough out of focus. (I duct-taped it to the wall.) We were extemporizing like mad. The fill reflector was a white dress shirt on a hanger, dangling from a hole in the joist. Silly. If any of you pros could have seen me you would have been rolling your eyes. Amateurs.
This is the one she chose for the yearbook. It should really have a black backdrop, with just a touch of backlight to separate the hair. I just did the B&W one fiddling around with the Image > Adjustments > Black & White controls in CS5 (if that was there in CS, I never noticed it). Is there anyone out there who would volunteer to do some simple graphic ilustrations for me? I'd like to write a post about "why studios need to be big." (Plus, my simple trick for how to get an oversized softbox without paying for it.) I can send you a nice book and another goodie as payment. (It would help for you to like cars.)
I enjoyed it anyway. It was good to talk to Kirsten, who I knew well when she was dating Zander. The secretary at the school, when I dropped the prints off this morning, said, "I know her. She's a really nice young woman." She is.
If you're going to set up to do studio portraits, it's worthwhile having the right tools. Even more important than duct tape is "enough room." Something I'll never have, in this house.
UPDATE: Look what Tom Judd did for Kirsten:
Very nice; I like his background much better than mine. I've always used Photoshop merely to correct photographs, not to construct them, but I might have to learn how to do that.
I should probably also clarify that Kirsten was very good at editing. I showed her all the shots (including a lot of junk shots testing the lighting) and she zeroed in on six good selects, including a preliminary favorite, without fuss, then reviewed the six and made her choice (not the first favorite). Very clean and efficient—I've seen professional art directors do worse. She only saw the color version of the B&W shot here. It was one of her six choices. I did the conversion late last night after watching a tutorial video for a method of conversion I hadn't used before, and dropped off a print of it with the other one at her school office Friday morning. I haven't even heard yet whether she likes it or not....
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Original contents copyright 2011 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.


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MLB suspends MVP Ryan Braun for remainder of season
Suspension part of baseball's ongoing performance-enhancing drug investigation
The first major suspension from Major League Baseball over the use of performance-enhancing drugs was announced Monday.
The ongoing probe focuses on the closed anti-aging clinic Biogenesis, accused of distributing performing-enhancing drugs.
Milwaukee Brewers All-Star outfielder Ryan Braun was suspended without pay for the remainder of the 2013 season for violating the league's drug prevention and treatment policy.
The suspension of Braun was effective immediately and includes any postseason games the team may play in.
Ryan Braun said in a statement. "As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect. I realize now that I have made some mistakes."
Braun said he was willing to accept the consequences of his actions. "This situation has taken a toll on me and my entire family, and it is has been a distraction to my teammates and the Brewers organization."
More suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs appear imminent.
MLB could also attempt to discipline former Yankees MVPs Alex Rodriguez along with other players.
Union head Michael Weiner said last Tuesday he expected Major League Baseball will complete its investigation within a month and speak with the players' association to determine the mechanics of discipline, which would be subject to grievances and arbitration.