text:
An antioxidant in red wine might power astronauts on Mars, study says
The human body was built to function best with gravity as a grounding force, but astronauts on a mission to Mars could spend between six to nine months on a spacecraft without it.
"Our bodies love force," said John DeWitt, senior biochemist who works as a contractor for NASA and focuses on crew health. "Force is what helps our muscles get stronger; force is what helps our bones to stay strong; force is what helps or heart to stay strong by having to pump the blood against gravity. So, when you take that force away, you all of a sudden lose a really important stimulus that's important for health."
Exercise has become an important part of providing that force for astronauts on the International Space Station. But diet and supplements could also be key for combating the challenges of a zero gravity, according to a new study.
After more than 50 years of human spaceflight, researchers know some of the risks posed to the human body in zero gravity. Space motion sickness happens in the first 48 hours, creating a loss of appetite, dizziness and vomiting.
Over time, astronauts staying for six months on the International Space Station can experience the weakening and loss of bone and atrophying muscles. They also experience blood volume loss, weakened immune systems and cardiovascular deconditioning because floating takes little effort and the heart doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood.
Scott Kelly and other astronauts in their late 40s and 50s have also complained about their vision being slightly altered. Some have required glasses in flight.
"You can lose about a percent of bone mass every month, and that's the typical situation astronauts are in," astronaut Mark Kelly said. "Without constant pounding on the ground, you lose bone mass. If we want to send people to Mars someday, this is something we're going to have to learn to overcome. If the human body were to stay in space for 10 to 20 years, evolutionarily, over a long period of time, we would probably lose our skeleton in space because you don't need it. We'd probably just become big bags of meat."
Exercise was developed as a countermeasure to reduce the amount of bone mass and muscle loss.
"We have not flown people on long-duration missions with no exercise," DeWitt said. "We built our exercise suite as time has gone on. But, in the early Apollo missions, there was no exercise, and one of the things that came back from the Apollo astronauts is, 'Hey, you need to have some sort of exercise device on here.' "
For any mission longer than eight days, exercise must be provided, DeWitt said.
Scott Kelly spent a year in space, but he followed the exercise regimen and used the machines on board the space station. The astronauts who will return to the moon and eventually go to Mars will need exercise capabilities on their spacecraft and within their environment. Those are still being developed.
"We have to go in a different direction and build smaller devices, more like all-in-one-type devices that still have the same capabilities but at the same time takes up a lot less space," DeWitt said.
But a new study published in the Frontiers in Physiology suggests that resveratrol, an antioxidant and compound found in blueberries and the skin of grapes, could be part of the dietary strategy that keeps astronauts strong on Mars. Once they arrive on the red planet, astronauts will be dealing with much less gravity than what they're used to: about 40% of Earth's gravity.
Weight-bearing muscles like the soleus, located in the calf, could lose the most conditioning.
"After just three weeks in space, the human soleus muscle shrinks by a third," said lead study author Marie Mortreux of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. "This is accompanied by a loss of slow-twitch muscle fibers, which are needed for endurance."
Resveratrol, which has been studied regarding Alzheimer's, has been found to be anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and antioxidative.
Morteux and her fellow researchers fitted rats with harnesses and suspended them from the ceiling of their cage. This was the analog for Martian gravity in the experiment. The rats were exposed to normal Earth gravity or simulated Martian gravity for 14 days. Half had resveratrol in their water supply; this did not affect their body weight in any way.
Paw grip force and calf circumference and muscles were measures and analyzed.
Reduced gravity led to a loss of grip, muscle weight, calf circumference and slow-twitch muscle fiber in the rats who did not receive resveratrol. But the ones who received the supplemented water recovered their grip, which was comparable to the control rats experiencing normal Earth gravity.
Muscle mass was also protected, and the loss of muscles fibers wasn't as great. However, calf circumference and calf muscle fibers still decreased.
"Dietary strategies could be key, especially since astronauts traveling to Mars won't have access to the type of exercise machines deployed on the ISS," Mortreux said. "Resveratrol has been shown to preserve bone and muscle mass in rats during complete unloading [suspension], analogous to microgravity during spaceflight. So, we hypothesized that a moderate daily dose would help mitigate muscle deconditioning in a Mars gravity analogue, too."
Mortreux believes that the key is insulin sensitivity.
"Resveratrol treatment promotes muscle growth in diabetic or unloaded animals by increasing insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake in the muscle fibers. This is relevant for astronauts, who are known to develop reduced insulin sensitivity during spaceflight," Mortreux said.
But further study is required to see the effects of different doses and how it may interact with other supplements or medicine.


text:
Database giant Oracle Corp. said Monday that it will pay $2.1 billion to acquire Acme Packet Inc . of Bedford, which makes devices that connect Internet-based communication networks to one another and to traditional phone systems.
Oracle will pay $29.25 a share in cash, 22 percent higher than Acme Packet's closing stock price on Friday. Taking Acme Packet's cash holdings into account, Oracle will pay a net price of about $1.7 billion. It's the biggest purchase of a Massachusetts technology company since May of 2011, when Applied Materials Inc., a California manufacturer of chipmaking gear, bought Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc. of Gloucester for $4.9 billion.
Both Acme Packet and Oracle declined requests for interviews about the deal, which is expected to close in the first half of the year.
Rumors of a possible Acme Packet deal have been in the air for months. At the Nantucket Conference on Entrepreneurship and Innovation last June, Acme Packet chief executive Andrew Ory said he would be willing to sell the company if the price were right.
"Acme Packet is not for sale, but Acme Packet can be bought, if someone's going to pay the full current value and enough of the future value," Ory said. Then in August, a rumor that networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. was planning an acquisition sent Acme shares soaring.
Acme Packet employs about 900 workers and produces obscure but vital products for Internet Protocol networks — communications systems that use the same data protocols that run on the Internet. IP networks can handle all kinds of communications traffic more efficiently than traditional phone networks.
Acme Packet's chief product, called a session border controller, acts as a sort of middleman between multiple networks. It enables voice, text, and video traffic to move seamlessly between wireline and wireless networks. It also lets companies running private IP networks easily connect them to public phone systems.
Booming demand for IP networks made Acme Packet one of the most successful technology companies in Massachusetts. The company's stock rose above $80 in the spring of 2011. But a lagging economic recovery led major telecom companies to slash their purchases of new equipment.
Through the first nine months of 2012, the company recorded revenues of $203.7 million but posted losses in the second and third quarters.
But Zeus Kerravala, principal analyst for ZK Research in Westminster, said that Acme Packet is due for a rebound, as telecom companies resume their network upgrades. "I think in many ways Oracle bought Acme at the perfect time," he said.
"Oracle has been trying slowly to move to the [telecom] carrier market," said Catharine Trebnick, senior research analyst at Northland Capital Markets in Minneapolis.
Oracle's databases are already used by the biggest telecom companies. With Acme Packet, Oracle will become involved in routing calls, text messages, and video traffic. That will put the company in head-on competition with Cisco, Trebnick said.
Hiawatha Bray can be reached at email@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dir/scr: Jeong Byong-gil. South Korea. 2012. 119mins
Following a visually spectacular and pulsating opening act Confession Of Murder struggles to maintain the pace and stylistic flare of the first few minutes, which is further hampered by an uneven middle act, but it's bound to stir interest amongst fans of the Korean thriller genre as it seeks to build on the multiple sales it secured at the recent American Film Market.
Jeong demonstrates he is more than capable of pulling off astounding action moments as illustrated in the film's opening sequences.
Reminiscent of other local iconic crime thrillers, most notably Na Hong-jin's engaging The Chaser (2008) and Bong Joon-ho's superb Memories Of Murder (2003), director Jeong Byong-gil's feature shares much in common with these two films through its impressive cinematography, thumping soundtrack, choice of locations and underlying narrative, but given the film's unbalanced tone owing to an attempt to include some unnecessary humour, the film loses its focus in the middle section.
The film centres on a high profile serial murder case, in which 10 women have been killed. When the statute of limitations expires, a member of the victim's family commits suicide in front of detective Choi who is in charge of the case. Two years later a man publishes a book claiming to be responsible for the killings, which is further complicated after another man comes forward claiming to be the real perpetrator, but it gives Choi an opportunity to finally solve and close the case.
Jeong who made action-documentary Action Boys (2008), demonstrates he is more than capable of pulling off astounding action moments as illustrated in the film's opening sequences, which are beautifully orchestrated through some visually dazzling camera techniques that are relentlessly mobile. It's a grave shame though that much of this momentum is lost in some of the subsequent scenes that are in contrast surprisingly more conventional and less innovative.
The presence of popular actor Jung Jae-young (Moss, 2010) and TV star Park Si-hoo who are well-cast as the leads should aid in increasing the film's profile domestically, but with the local hit A Werewolf Boy currently dominating the Korean box office, it faces stiff competition during its theatrical run. On the international stage, however, its prospects remain relatively strong due to its generic appeal and some eye-catching cinematography.
Production Companies: Showbox/Mediaplex Inc & Dasepo Club Co. Ltd
International sales: Showbox/Mediaplex, www.showbox.co.kr/english
Producer: Lee Yong-hui
Cinematography: Kim Gi-tae, Jeong Yong-gyeon
Editor: Nam Na-young
Music: Kim U-geun
Main cast: Jung Jae-young, Park Si-hoo, Choi Won-young, Kim Young-ae


text:
Celeste Jordan
I write to you from the depths of Western Alaska, along the Bering Sea in the large (by Alaskan standards) village of Quinhagak. It is a coastal community of about 700 people (City-Data 2011) that has a long and rich history.
The Quinhagak archaeological site is located right on the coast, about 6.5km from the village itself. The site is under serious threat from coastal erosion and lead investigator, Dr Rick Knecht, says that it all could slide into the Bering Sea with one major storm (Rick Knecht, pers. comm. 2013).
With 3 excavation seasons in the last 4 years, the site has produced some amazing artefacts and yielded unexpected information. The site was occupied between 1350 AD and 1630 AD, pre-contact (1820's for Quinhagak) (Knecht 2012:21). The 1630 AD occupation period ended abruptly when the village was attacked by a neighbouring village in what is known as The Bow and Arrow War (Knecht 2012:23).
Over the last 10 days, 19 people from Scotland, the US, Canada, Lithuania and Australia have been working on two separate areas of the site: area A and area B. Samples of fur, hair and seeds are being taken in most contexts. Below the tundra sod level, broken pottery, animal bones, mask fragments, labrets (cheek and lip plugs), broken shafts, dolls of various sizes, a toy bow and arrow, and lance and harpoon points are being excavated regularly.
The focus of my Directed Study is to understand the maritime subsistence and settlement pattern of Yup'ik culture through artefact study from in situ remains, and site and material culture analyses. This will help not only in my understanding of Yup'ik culture but also, with further investigation, the Quinhagak community in understanding their heritage as well.
So far, last Saturday has been the most exciting day. After many days of removing sod, beautiful artefacts emerged including:
- An entire and complete bowl
- A decorated labret
- A carved ulu handle with what looks like 2 Palraiyuks either end
- Several dolls
- A fish and seal mask attachments
- Mask fragments
These artefacts are a good indication that we are now truly down into the cultural layers—Finally!
Today was beautiful and sunny. Most of us worked in t-shirts, except when the mosquitoes (that are the size of small semi-trailers) and 'no-see-ums' (midges) forced us to wear sleeves. I'm anticipating coming home with a tan! We mainly focused on moving through the contextual layers with carefully excavating and screening.
Only the north part of area A produced anything of note today and boy did it produce! In quick succession this is what was excavated:
- A small wooden box
- A big wooden transformation doll – female to wolf
- A labret
- An almost complete mask
- Snow goggles
- Fur
Other artefacts were recovered today, but nothing like what was excavated in north area A by Chas Bello, one of our most experienced archaeologists. We still have 11 days left of excavation. Who knows what amazing artefacts still await us in the dirt?
There are blog posts everyday at http://nunalleq.wordpress.com
City-Data 2011 Quinhagak, Alaska. Retrieved 8 August 2013 from
Knecht, Rick 2012 Introduction to the Nunalleq Site. Presentation given to field crew, Quinhagak, Alaska


text:
Tag Archives: Body Poems
Body Poem #6 (You knew the cats were coming, right?)
The Wife Breaks Her Appointment at the Day Spa
The black cat shadows me.
Of my own free will, I watch
the breath lift his fur, replace.
I draw a ragged breath
imagine legions of black hairs
stroking my lungs.
He sleeps with his head
soft world
on my wrist–gentle restraint. Who is waving?
I curse my dense bones
dream my diaphragm a knife
thrusting claws through my fingertips.
The air hums with his sleep (little death)
my ribs ache from vibration
fluttering inside. We are wreathed in birds.
A sparrow knocks
against the window (one gold eye open)
it's feathers stick to my tongue
like snowflakes, melt into breakfast.
Notes: This is not nearly as dark as I would prefer. Much like the kitten picture doesn't reflect his size today. I think the title is wrong. Definitely a first draft.


text:
Your browser is not supported.
For the best experience, please access this site using the latest version of the following browsers:
By closing this window you acknowledge that your experience on this website may be degraded.
- Overview
- Configurations
Product: ELT RESCU 406 AFN2
Designed for aircraft that operate over land and water, next generation RESCU 406® AFN2 meets all global safety standards and crash survivability requirements to provide emergency transmission in the event of an aircraft impact. The RESCU 406® AFN2 initiates the search by transmitting distress signals at 121.5 and 406 MHz that have been developed to work with the COSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue system.
Compatible Aircraft: Boeing 767-200 Series, Boeing 767-300 Series, Boeing 767-300F Series
Supported installation configurations:
- ELT with no wiring changes.


text:
|Product Name
|Rohini Court
** As Per Actual GST 18%. Applicable
Hoarding Advertising is one of the most effective, successful, advertising platforms. Hoarding advertising is the most effective method of reaching people. Branding through this Hoarding would help you improve sales and reach the widest possible audience. Hoarding Advertising in Rohini ensures maximum visibility for your brand. The Description ofHoarding advertising is in Rohini Court . The Size of Hoarding Advertising is Small. SmartAds is one of India`s major Hoarding advertising agencies.
Outdoor advertising, also known as out-of-home advertising, advertising that reaches consumers when they are outside their homes. Usually in public areas such as roadside billboards, bus stops, train stations, and other public spaces. It can also include banners and signs hung in public areas, such as on buildings, parks, and beaches. Outdoor advertising services includes Railway Boards, Railway Panels, Mobile Sign Truck, Bus Panel, Advertising Kiosks, Traffic Booth advertising, Vinyl and Toll Naka advertising. It can help people build brand recall with your company. Brand recall refers to how likely someone in your target market is to remember your services. The most important outdoor ad for any small brick and mortar business is its built-in outdoor advertising exterior signage. Business owners want crisp, clear signage that communicates well from a distance. While it should convey the company's brand image, it should also help the business get discovered and found. In the current economy, outdoor advertising is more affordable than ever. Oftentimes less expensive than print or digital marketing, outdoor advertising produces more impactful results on a smaller budget, making it a great option for companies or practitioners who have less to spend on advertising. Additionally, unlike digital or print ads, outdoor advertising is more long term. Outdoor advertising has the ability to be customized and directed to a specific cross-section of the population by using tools such as location, verbiage, and design.
Hoarding Outdoor Advertisement in Rohini is revolutionize the way companies Advertised their products & services. Hoarding Outdoor Advertisement is a popular and effective marketing media option in Rohini Size Small. It is the most affordable Advertising medium which helps to catch maximum 1 K+ reach. Hoarding Outdoor branding reaches even those areas better option for another media. Hoarding Outdoor Advertisement in Rohini is a best and smart way of Advertising.
We'll get you the help you need.
No need to worry, just enter the information you gave while booking & we'll resend it instantly!
Subscribe to our newsletters & Stay updated to the exclusive latest development & offers.


text:
Madison, Dolley
Madison, Dolley, 1768–1849, wife of President James Madison, b. Guilford co., N.C. Born Dolley Payne of Quaker parents, she was brought up in simplicity and was married (1790) to a Quaker, John Todd, who died in the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. She left the Friends to marry Madison in 1794. In later years as official White House hostess for President Jefferson (who was a widower) and for her husband, both in the White House and at Montpelier, she was noted for the magnificence of her entertaining as well as for charm, tact, and grace.
See her memoirs and letters (1886, repr. 1971); biographies by E. S. Arnett (1972) and C. Allgor (2006).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History: Biographies


text:
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Pain Management
Acupuncture Techniques
Acupuncture for Facial Rejuvenation
Our Mission Statement
"...people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel."
Maya Angelou
THE DOCTORS POINT, LLC is an integrated health and wellness medical practice. The physician of the practice is trained in the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with additional training in Medical Acupuncture. Our goal is to provide you with health, vitality, wellness, and an improved quality of life. Our office offers you professional health care, and an environment that promotes relaxation, spiritual health, and well-being.


text:
(OK – now I have the Smiths song stuck in my head… )
Part 2 of the trip!
Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Its magic… When Lesley and I realized that my visit would coincide with the Harry Potter: History of Magic exhibit at the British Library… well, you can guess the rest. What REALLY made this day magical was who joined us there!
We took the train from Bournemouth and had a lovely scenic ride through he New Forest and into London. Arriving at Waterloo and then heading to Euston by Tube – I was thrilled to see 2 of the 270 enameled labyrinths! This public art project was the creation of Mark Wallinger. In 2013, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Tube, 270 unique labyrinths were designed and installed. One in every Tube station. The signs aren't labeled in any way, and were enabled by the same company that created the iconic London Underground signage. The video about the project is outstanding!
So this was a momentous occasion! I got to meet all of my team mates from the Art Elements blog! The whole UK contingent! I have to say – it was so exciting, so energetic, and yet so familiar. I have known and worked with these creative talented women for years. I treasure these friendships! And while we were meeting in person for the first time, it felt like old friends getting reacquainted!
The British Library? Heavens. I cant even find the words. We toured their exhibit first. The Magna Carta. Original Shakespeare. The Lindisfarne Gospels. Beatles lyrics scrawled in pencil on old greeting cards. Medieval girdle books. Simple awe inspiring. I was incredulous.
Then we went to the HP exhibit. ( No photographs, naturally). What a beautifully curated exhibit! Arranged in groups, mirroring the subjects at Hogwarts, the items displayed ranged from Medieval pieces from the BL collection, to handwritten notes and sketches from JK Rowling, to new illustrations by artist Jim Kay. There were also pieces from the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall. ( Drawings below from an interactive piece at the end of exhibit)
Heading home – bag filled with treasures, gifts and more than a few books…. Mendel and Malachi were rather mischievous. ( Crocheted mandrakes by Caroline!)
And hijinks continued as I worked on my travel journal the next day…
You can read more about my travel journal over at Art Elements. There is a nice sense of spontaneity and memory-making that I get from creating a travel collage/art journal in real time. With found papers, and a little Googling…
Me – I am back in the studio sculpting cauldrons that Snape might even sneer fondly over… There will be a whole new series of Mythic tiles this year. Magical creatures, witches, wizards, alchemy, and the like!
Stay tuned for part three of the trip coming soon!


text:
Our favorite arrow drawing, circle creatin' screenshot annotation app for OS X, Skitch, is now on the iPad. It's pretty much like the desktop version of the app with options to easily draw on pictures, webpages, screenshots, maps or a blanks late. But since you're doing everything with your finger and not a mouse, it's even more fun.
Since Skitch is now owned by do-it-all-note app Evernote, everything you draw can be saved to Evernote for future vieiwing. Sketches are easy to make, with finger, pencil, arrows, text and shape options and can be shared to all the usual social networks and even through AirPlay. The iPad app is free with an iPhone version on the way [iTunes via Evernote]


text:
Egypt Brotherhood conflicted over presidential run
CAIRO – Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has postponed an open confrontation with the country's military rulers and other political players Tuesday when it delayed a decision about whether to field a candidate for the first presidential elections since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak.
An eight-hour meeting of the Brotherhood's highest leadership body failed to come up with a final decision on whether to reverse an earlier pledge not to contest the presidency.
Further meetings of the Brotherhood's Shura Council were to continue next week and a senior member of the group described the discussions as "comprehensive" and "exhausting."
The lack of a decision Tuesday highlights growing divisions within the group over the thorny presidency question but also the group's hesitancy over a confrontation with the ruling military council and other national forces over the issue.
The Islamist group's increasing grip on power has fueled concerns among liberals and secularists over its intentions and whether it aims to govern alone, controlling both the parliament and the presidency. If it were to run a candidate, it would hike their fears that it aims for a monopoly.
Moreover, it could anger the military. The generals are believed to be aiming to back a consensus candidate for president -- one that would have Brotherhood backing but would also protect the military's interests. If the Brotherhood goes with its own candidate, it would challenge that scenario.
"We discussed all the recent developments. There are many views, but the debate is not settled yet. So they remain points of view," said Mahmoud Hussein, the Brotherhood's secretary general. "We prefer to postpone the discussions so that minds and bodies come prepared and not tired the next round."
More than 100 members of the Brotherhood's Shura Council, which serves as a sort of legislative body for the group, met Tuesday to decide on fielding a presidential candidate, according to a statement on the group's website.
The Brotherhood has emerged as the most powerful political group since Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year, capturing nearly 50 percent of the seats in Egypt's first post-uprising parliament. The group has also claimed a firm majority for Islamists in the 100-member panel that will write the country's post-Mubarak constitution.
If the group makes a presidential bid, it would certainly deepen these fears that the group wants to govern alone. Since Mubarak's ouster, the group has promised not to field a candidate in order to allay those worries.
Given the Brotherhood's popular support and skills at rallying voters, its candidate would stand a strong chance of winning the presidency in late May's elections.
Some members have voiced reservations about the group reversing its earlier promise. A top Brotherhood lawmaker, Mohammed el-Beltagy, told Egypt's Al-Tahrir television late Monday that an internal poll showed a majority of Brotherhood members oppose reversing the pledge not to field a candidate.
Despite its popular appeal, the Brotherhood has been in a tight spot and many of its supporters have grown frustrated with the group's inability to translate its newly gained political clout into real power. The group has in recent weeks been pushing the ruling generals to sack the current military-appointed prime minister and allow the creation of a Brotherhood-led Cabinet. The military council has refused, and the two powerful players appeared on a collision course.
"The honeymoon between the Muslim Brotherhood and the military council ... has reached its logical end," Hassan Nafaa wrote in the Al-Masry Al-Youm daily. "Egypt is stuck between two powers. Each is trying to flex its muscles in the face of the other and impose its will over the other."
Tuesday's inconclusive meeting appeared to have delayed a showdown. Hussein also said there are no plans for the group to take to the streets this weekend in protests against the incumbent government, as local media had reported they would.
The move to consider running a candidate appeared to be rooted in the group's frustrations. According to Al-Masry Al-Youm, two of the top names under consideration as possible nominees are Brotherhood strongman and financier Khairat el-Shater and parliamentary speaker Saad el-Katatni. El-Shater, however, faces a legal barrier to running because of a 2008 conviction on money laundering and terrorism charges.
Some observers believe the Brotherhood-military showdown is little more than a smoke screen to conceal a deal to split power. The Egyptian media has speculated for months of a secret deal between them over a so-called "consensus candidate," whom both the Islamists and the military could support.
Another factor in the Brotherhood's possible bid for the presidency is the challenge from an ex-member, Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh, who was thrown out of the group because he decided to run despite the group's ban. He has drawn support from many of the Brotherhood's young members because of his moderate stances.
The liberals, leftists and youth groups that led the anti-Mubarak uprising are struggling to get their voices heard in the tug-of-war between the military and the Brotherhood.
Their fears deepened this week, after the Brotherhood and ultraconservative Salafis gave themselves a firm majority of seats on a 100-member constitutional panel. That gives the Islamists the strongest hand in writing the new charter, which will determine the balance of power between Egypt's previously all-powerful president and parliament, and define the country's future identity, including the role of religion and minority rights.
More than a dozen mostly liberal and secular-minded members have withdrawn from the panel, saying the committee does not reflect the diversity of Egyptian society. They plan to write an alternative constitution, and many plan to return to street protests. But some liberals are also calling on the generals to intervene.
"It is up to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forced to get involved," said Sameh Ashour, the head of the lawyer's syndicate who resigned from the panel. "We cannot leave representation of Egypt to a majority in parliament."
The head of Egypt's ruling military council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi met with representatives of political parties, including the Brotherhood's political arm, to discuss the standoff a day before the panel was scheduled to meet.
Tantawi said "the constitution must be in the hands of all Egyptians, because it will for a long time chart the road Egypt takes internally and externally." His comments were carried by the official news agency.


text: Back How to Junk a Junk-Food Diet Whether you're trying to maintain a healthy weight or improve your health, junk food can sabotage a worthy effort. Weaning yourself from these unhealthy foods can reap big benefits. Salted snacks, sodas, juice drinks, potato chips, candy bars, cookies, french fries, doughnuts, and other deep-fried foods—it's not hard for most people to identify these as junk food. What's much more difficult for most Americans is to eat less of them. And therein lies the problem. By definition, junk food lacks nutritional value, and people who eat a lot of it leave less room for foods that provide good nutrition. In addition, the primary ingredients in junk food—fat, sugar, and salt—are unhealthy in themselves and are linked with an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, which leads to high blood pressure and stroke. So, should all junk foods be banned? While it's not a bad idea, unhealthy foods are here to stay. Even so, cutting back on them is worth the effort. Look at the label To make it happen, take time to read food labels. Reading labels on food packages or fast-food menu brochures is one of the easiest ways to identify junk food. To make use of labels: Check out the ingredients. If sugar, fat, or salt is one of the first three ingredients, that food is low in healthy nutrients. Check out the fat. Look at the number of fat grams. For every five grams of fat in a serving of a food, you're eating the equivalent of one teaspoon of fat. Hence, when you down a supersize hamburger with lots of extras that contains 62 grams of fat, consider the 12 teaspoons of fat you're eating. Check out the sodium. It should be 700 mg or less per serving. Check out the sugar. To do the math, divide the grams of sugar by four to get the number of teaspoons of sugar. A cereal with 28 grams of sugar per serving has seven teaspoons of sugar per bowl. Toss the junk Clear the junk food from your pantry and refrigerator. Read package labels and determine which foods are over the top in fat, sugar, salt, and calories. You don't have to totally avoid these foods, but it's best to make them the exception rather than the rule. Healthy dining If you eat at a fast-food restaurant, choose a chain that offers some healthy options. Then, order regular rather than supersize meals, and avoid fried and deep-fried foods, such as french fries, onion rings, and breaded-and-fried chicken or fish. Watch portions If you buy potato chips, cookies, or microwave popcorn, choose those that come in 100-calorie packages. Although it's a bit more expensive, doing so is a better option than sitting down with a one-pound bag of chips in your lap. Healthy choices Come up with healthier alternatives for the junk foods you and your family crave. Choose frozen yogurt instead of ice cream and pretzels or baked tortilla chips that contain fiber instead of potato chips. Make a grilled chicken sandwich instead of one that's breaded and fried. Skip the soda and drink 100 percent fruit juice. It really comes down to making informed choices. If you do a little homework to determine what's in the food you eat, it's really not that difficult to make healthier choices.


text:
I have no idea where this photo originates — I've seen it pop up twice this morning, first on Twitter then later on Tumblr — and I can't not post it because it's already one of my favorite photos of all-time.
There's so much to love here, but I think the "how the hell did this happen?" look on Ansari's father's face is my favorite thing about it. Meanwhile, Aziz's mom seems totally unflustered by the whole situation. Then again, she probably has no idea who Kanye West is.


text:
LAWRENCVILLE — State leaders vow to use a state-run program to help more families facing foreclosure, but critics still worry that too few homeowners will qualify for help.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs and Gwinnett County officials on Thursday announced a metro Atlanta kickoff for HomeSafe Georgia.
Though critics say the program has not moved fast enough to help struggling homeowners, state officials pledged to speed assistance and greatly increase the number of families helped by the program.
Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Mike Beatty tells The Gwinnett Daily Post that about 2,100 Georgia families have been helped in the early stages of the seven-year program.
Statewide, Beatty says the DCA intends to ramp up its efforts to reach its goal of helping 18,000 Georgia families.
State officials made the comments at a Thursday news conference in Gwinnett County, where several communities have been hard-hit by the housing crisis.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that metro Atlanta's foreclosure rate is more than twice the national average. The state ranked fifth nationally in foreclosure filings in September, according to real estate research firm RealtyTrac.
But critics contend that requirements to qualify for the help are overly strict.
A state reports shows that of the nearly 9,000 applicants who had applied through June, only 14 percent had been approved, with about half of all applications having been withdrawn by the applicants or denied.
"The approval rates are low and the denial rates are consistently high," said Karen Brown, director of the Home Defense Program of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, told the Journal-Constitution. "I think that reflects that the eligibility requirements are still too strict."
Eligible borrowers receive a zero percent interest loan, which can be forgiven over five years if the borrower stays in their home.
For example, if an approved borrower is four months behind on a loan, HomeSafe will make the loan current and make payments for the next 14 months, with the borrower required to pay up to 5 percent of monthly household income. A current but struggling borrower could get 18 months of payment assistance.


text:
Have you seen raindrops on the edge of a Colocasia leaf?
It's a pure delight to see…
Gloomy sky, incessant rains, muddy streets, and high humidity are some things very common in India during monsoons. But every season has its own beauty. Lush greenery and rain-washed branches of trees bring a freshness that makes the season special for me. 🙂
Published in response to The Daily Post Photo Challenge: Edge.


text:
It's that time of year again. Time for the (mostly) northern parts of our country to shake off the lingering effects of winter and renew themselves in the refreshing effects of spring. It's all about flowers, sunshine, warmer days and baseball.
In my youth – which seems to be more in the wrong direction with every passing season, "caution, objects in the rear-view mirror are further behind you than they appear" – the advent of baseball's spring training season staged throughout Florida and Arizona were sure signs that winter was about to become a memory.
Baseball is now not so much in my life since playing is a wish and viewing is a tedious chore, except in short spurts.
But in baseball parlance, the term "on deck" refers to the next batter, preparing both to defend home plate and to try and return to the base with the purpose of scoring, after a trip around the horn. It's such a warm sounding name, home plate.
Anyway, that player awaiting his time in the limelight, at the moment not really in the game, is always a consideration for the team on defense because looking ahead is often a clue as to how to play the present circumstance. Baseball is as much a game about strategy as it is about athletic talent. Many a small man has become a large baseball hero because he knew where to position himself and when to swing away, when to bunt or when to take a pitch.
There is an analogy here to wine. Certain parts of the world are renowned for turning out some pretty special juice of a particular type thanks to soil, climate, vine stock, etc. But when you can grow one varietal and vinify it in a memorable way, you are likely able to do the same with other grape varietals.
It's that "other" varietal we are focused on, and here are a few of those just-about-as-memorable-as-the-stuff-we-are-famous-for wines:
Chile – Cabernet Sauvignon
Carménère has been very, very good to Chile. Not only has this completely secondary, almost forgotten grape from the Bordeaux region of France flourished in Chile, it has moved to the forefront of putting Chile on the word's wine map, with not the least attractive aspect of any bottling, a reasonable, often cheap, price.
You can't argue with a fine red wine for under $16 a bottle. Who cares if the grape is one you never heard of until ten years ago?
Along those lines comes Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. In some cases, pricing is about the same, or just a little higher, than the Carménère, and the flavors are not too far removed from each other, but they are different, with Carménère playing the role of Merlot, soft, silky, velvet, and the Cabernet Sauvignon providing the traditional bold, tannic and strong characteristics.
Germany – Pinot Noir
Sure, go ahead and look at the heading twice. It seems incongruous that a place renowned for muscular white wines would also turn out some pretty darn good and elegant reds. Gender-bender is an apt description for what is going on here.
Pinot Noir in Germany is known as Spätburgunder, literally meaning "Late Burgundian." Given Germany's penchant for great white wines, they can be forgiven if some of these wines are sweeter, softer, without the acidic definition that is Pinot Noir in France, California, Oregon or New Zealand. But around the Baden and Ahr regions some very successful vinification work is being accomplished.
Today in Germany, ripening, avoidance of bunch-rot and new techniques in canopy management are all involved in happy results.
Napa – Cabernet Franc
Napa's reputation for growing just about anything and doing it well, is really rooted (sorry, could not resist) in the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Yet, Cabernet Franc, successfully used in the long-lived wines of Bordeaux and reaching its zenith of character a little further north, in the Loire Valley, western France, is making a stand on American soil.
A bit of a Johnny-come-lately to this brawny, sunshine-laden valley in California named Napa, there is truly excellent work being done with the lighter, more delicate Cabernet Franc. It's a world gone mad, I tell you.
Honestly, after tasting some Cabernet Franc from Napa about eight years ago, I thought this grape was primed to make bigger leaps into the waiting arms of the wine-buying public than it has. Progress has been slow and, I guess, more due to Napa's grand reputation for producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon rather than to anything wrong Cabernet Franc is doing or not doing.
It may be time to put down those heavily concentrated, big alcohol, highly tannic wines from Napa and give this "newcomer," Cabernet Franc, a chance. You can even safely bring just a bit of a chill to the wine and not lose any of the nuances. Perfect for our summertime experiences.
Portugal – Red Wine
What's going on in Portugal is actually more a matter of style and process rather than a different grape.
The Touriga Nacional and Touriga Francesa are two red grape varietals widely used in the production of Portugal's signature product, Port. And they, along with Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, and Bastardo are making wine lovers in Europe sit up, take notice, and drink traditionally fermented still wines with "new" flavors.
Portugal makes a number of wines from many native red grape varietals. Many of these grapes are not familiar to us because they are grown only in Portugal, with maybe a few being grown in Brazil because of the cultural connection.
The Portuguese also do the same thing with white varietals, which are usually marked vinho verde, but, to me, the red wines are more interesting, unique and better priced. Also while Portuguese is close to Spanish, there are significant differences, and those are also confusing to the consumer.
The great white grape of Northwest Spain in the Rias Baixas area, just due north of Portugal, is albariño. In Portugal, that same grape is the alvarinho.
Ironically, many of us cut our wine-teeth on red still wines from Portugal but have no idea. Back in the '70s, Lancers Rosè and Mateus ruled the world. They were sweet and came in bottles begging for a candle when emptied. There was likely not a college dorm room in America without one of these standard accessories.
So, there you have it. There are more such examples of wines that have a bad press agent and can't create the excitement of certain varietals from specific places. What you should do, being the curious wine drinker you are, is continue to enjoy what you like from the places you know. Then, from time to time, see what other wines are coming from a region with which you are familiar. Who knows where that will lead? Be the first on your block to sing the praises of Slovenian Pinot Noir. Amaze your friends.


text:
When Congress finally reached an agreement to lift the debt ceiling, a week ago, many predicted that investors would react with a sigh of relief. After all, on the surface the deal looked good for business, allowing the U.S. to avoid defaulting on its debt while preserving corporate tax loopholes and avoiding a tax hike for the wealthy. And it was a clear victory for congressional Republicans, traditionally corporate America's best friends in Washington. (The Chamber of Commerce spent more than thirty-four million dollars in the 2010 election, almost entirely on Republican candidates.) Yet the prophesied relief rally never materialized. Instead, investors spent the week dumping stocks as fast as they could.
The debt deal alone didn't send stocks spiralling downward, obviously. But the market's plunge was largely the product of fears about the prospects for corporate profit in an increasingly weak economy, and the debt agreement amplified those fears. Markets, for one thing, tend to be spooked by uncertainty, and the debt-ceiling agreement has increased uncertainty by making it more likely that we'll see down-to-the-wire, default-risking negotiations in the future. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was explicit about this last week, saying that there would be no more "clean" debt-ceiling increases in the future—in other words, Republicans will keep using the threat of default as a political weapon. This approach may well be extended to bargaining over budget resolutions as well, with Republicans threatening a government shutdown unless they get what they want. If that sounds improbably reckless, consider that every Republican Presidential candidate except Jon Huntsman came out against the final debt-ceiling deal. Even if you explain this as pandering to Tea Party voters, there's no ignoring the fact that these candidates were advising congressional Republicans to let the United States default. Once games of chicken become the accepted way to resolve budget issues, the U.S. economy will become a much riskier place.
The deal also hurts business in more concrete ways. Even though the spending cuts are backloaded, so that the major ones are still more than a year away, they will likely hit precisely the kind of public spending—on infrastructure, basic research, and defense—from which corporate America reaps great, if often unacknowledged, benefits. More important, the debt-ceiling fight made clear that, even as the economy struggles to avoid recession, no help can be expected from Washington. President Obama may be talking about the need to create jobs, but, with the advocates of austerity in charge, it's hard to see where support for any new government initiatives is going to come from. Indeed, it's possible that Republicans will block the extension of unemployment-insurance benefits and of the current payroll-tax cut. That would deliver a significant hit to the economy next year. And the austerity advocates will also be emboldened in their attacks on the Federal Reserve, which they argue has been overly loose in its monetary policy (when in fact it's been too tight). The economy needs strong doses of both fiscal and monetary policy. The debt deal makes it more likely that we'll get neither.
There are those, on both the left and the right, who would argue that Republicans are pushing for austerity because, whatever its consequences for workers and borrowers, it serves the interests of business and the wealthy. But it doesn't serve those interests at all. Decades ago, America's rich were a true rentier class. They got most of their income from bonds and lived off their investments, and their main priority was keeping inflation low, regardless of anything else that happened. So austerity suited them nicely. The rich of today, by contrast, get much more of their income from their jobs and from the stock market, which means that they do better when growth is strong. And, while companies have figured out how to make money even during steep downturns—during this very weak recovery, corporate profits have rebounded strongly—over-all corporate profits are below where they were in 2006. That's been reflected in the stock market, which, even before last week's precipitous tumble, was nearly twenty-five per cent below its 2007 peak. In fact, the S. & P. 500 hasn't really budged in a decade. So, while corporate America has been doing well relative to everyone else, it would be doing much better, and investors would be much happier, if growth were stronger and unemployment were lower, even if inflation and government spending were higher. Austerity during an economic slowdown isn't just bad for the unemployed. It's also bad for business.
There are, to be sure, all sorts of ways in which House Republicans are still useful allies for corporations. They're trying to roll back financial regulation and to limit the E.P.A.'s power, and they've quashed any attempt to strengthen the power of labor unions. But it's time for business to realize that, on the question of managing the economy, House Republicans will let ideology trump economic interest. After all, it was proto-Tea Partiers in the House who, in 2008, voted down TARP the first time around, erasing more than a trillion dollars in stock-market value in a single day. Now, once again, House Republicans have pursued a strategy that business doesn't want and that will damage investors. The grim truth is that, at this point, we'd be better off if the House Republicans really were the handmaidens of corporate America, rather than ideologues who prefer crisis to compromise. As it is, the G.O.P. has put our money where their mouth is. ♦


text:
This is not an offer for credit and should be used for estimation purposes only based on the information you provided. You should not base your decision on this estimate alone. Title, registration, tax and other fees, and personal circumstances such as employment status and personal credit history, were not considered in the calculations.
The Tiger 900 GT delivers superior road-going comfort and triple engine capability from a thrilling next-generation platform built with a whole new aggressive attitude and style.
Designed to take you everywhere you want to go, the new Tiger 900 GT combines a class-defining new chassis, agile dynamic handling and ride-enhancing technology to fully satisfy your adventurous spirit.
Front - Twin 320 mm floating discs, Brembo Stylema 4-piston Monobloc calipers. Radial front master cylinder, Multi-mode ABS, Optimized Cornering ABS
Rear - Single 255 mm disc. Brembo single-piston sliding caliper, Multi-mode ABS, Optimized cornering ABS
Front - Cast alloy, 19 x 2.5 in.
Rear - Cast alloy, 17 x 4.25 in.
Front - 100 / 90-19
Rear - 150 / 70R17
Marzocchi 45 mm upside down forks, manual rebound and compression damping adjustment
Travel - 7.08 in. (180 mm)
Marzocchi rear suspension unit, manual preload and rebound damping adjustment
Wheel Travel - 6.69 in. (170 mm)
Pure White
Sapphire Black
Caspian Blue
Category: Motorcycles
Due to continued challenges across supplier networks as well as increasing logistics costs, product pricing, freight charges, specifications, and features are subject to change at any time without prior notice. Please confirm all information with your local dealership.
Price, if shown and unless otherwise noted, represents the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) or dealer unit price and does not include government fees, taxes, dealer vehicle freight/preparation, dealer document preparation charges, labor, installation, or any finance charges (if applicable). MSRP and/or final sales price will vary depending on options or accessories selected; contact dealer for more details.
Images, where available, are presented as reasonable facsimiles of the offered unit and/or manufacturer stock images. Non-standard options or features may be represented. No guarantee of availability or inclusion of displayed options should be inferred; contact dealer for more details.


text:
The Irish in my family were rogues and dreamers, back stabbers and the kindest people I've ever met. They knew how to throw a good funeral, but their parties were awkward with new wealth and old wounds. They were treated as the scum of the earth but knew how to fight. My blood's been mixed with more civilized tribes, but I still like watching a good scrap and getting together at the funeral parlor with my clan.
Do Irish people really like potatoes? Damn straight. My father ate them every day of his life. He also told police stories so amusing that people came from all over to hear him when he visited his home town in New Jersey. Yeah, and the Irish in my family drank (not my father) and died doing it. Others lived on to make sure their kids would have plenty of hilarity, dysfunction and a sense that no one but another member of the clan could ever fully understand them.
That's why the NYC parade is so great. You march along with other freckled faces thinking– "What a bunch of misfits we are but we've taken over the town."


text:
Bark to The Future - w/Kari Lee Cartwright
Great Scott! In this episode, actor/director Kari Lee Cartwright joins John and Christian as they explore the H.G. Wells classic, The Time Machine. In Oakdale, Joe is having trouble in his math class. He just doesn't get percentages. When David offers him a calculator, Joe thinks he's found his solution. But he'll learn that sometimes a helpful tool can turned into a obstacle. Will Joe figure it out before the big test? Will the time traveler find a way from the distant future? Find out on this episode of Wishboning, titled Bark to the Future!
More Episodes
"The full moon is out and Wishbone goes 'loony', burying everything in sight. Sam is accused of stealing a ring. And Wishbone alternatively sees himself as Franklin Blake in 'The Moonstone' by Wilkie Collins."This week John and Christian discuss the episode MoonboneLove Wishboning?Please make sure to review or share with a friend!Find us on twitter!@JohnnybGoodinLA@Christian_Humes
Pupcast - Game of Thrones (Pilot)
"Nine noble families fight for control over the mythical lands of Westeros, while an ancient enemy returns after being dormant for thousands of years."John and Christian discuss the Pilot "Winter is Coming" for the HBO series Game of Thrones and how well it relates to the book "The Black Arrow" and the Wishbone episode "War of the Noses"Love the show? Share with a friend and leave a review!Contact@JohnnybGoodinLA @Christian_Humes @ZyteHeist
War of The Noses
"Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Black Arrow: A Tale of Two Roses' is the backdrop for Wishbone's portrayal of Richard Shelton. In reality, Wishbone is being taken to the vet and feels betrayed by Ellen. What's worse, Wanda accidentally sends his chair to be reupholstered and Joe has to deal with a pathological liar."This week John and Christian discuss the episode War of The NosesLove Wishboning?Please make sure to review or share with a friend!Find us on twitter!@JohnnybGoodinLA@Christian_Humes


text:
Live Bengali Interpreter Overview
Interpreter.com's live expert Bengali interpreters can help you communicate clearly with any of them. Connect to an interpreter over the phone in seconds for Bengali to English or English to Bengali translation for all of your business, travel, or personal needs.
Use our Live Bengali Interpreter services for your Bengali translation needs today.


text:
Guest post from Dr. Adrian Keister (Ph.D. in mathematical physics from Virginia Tech). The article from Tim Keller is found here.
What's the Problem?
The first paragraph sets up the tone for the entire piece: the supposed antithesis between orthodox Christianity with a high view of the authority of the Bible, and evolution. Keller challenges that antithesis in the third paragraph. However, in that third paragraph, Keller evidently equates "evolution" with "science" when he writes, "However, there are many who question the premise that science and faith are irreconcilable." So Keller has shifted the debate now, and this is a point I would not grant him. It is my firm belief that evolution is not science, any more than the theory of mature creation is science. They are both faiths, because the very method of science, being inductive and absolutely dependent on experiment, excludes questions of origin. Let us suppose, via Karl Popper, that scientific statements are statements that can, in theory, be falsifiable by observation. If that is the case, then questions about origins simply do not fall into that category, as there are no repeatable experiments available to settle such questions. The fact that evolution is considered science by mainstream scientists is neither here nor there. 10,000 Frenchmen can still be wrong. If the mainstream scientists have a vested interest in writing God out of their equations, as it says the natural man wants to do in Romans 1, then we should not be surprised when they come up with theories that exclude God! People do science, not machines, and people are always biased. People can always have a vested interest in achieving certain outcomes, even if they are scientists and the desired outcomes are supposed scientific statements.
Keller writes:
However, there are many who question the premise that science and faith are irreconcilable. Many believe that a high view of the Bible does not demand belief in just one account of origins. They argue that we do not have to choose between an anti-science religion or an anti-religious science.
I could certainly agree with the last sentence, but I would agree for different reasons than Keller appears to hold. I would agree because the very nature of science and the scientific method means that the questions science can attempt to answer have nothing to do with the supernatural. Here, I mean that the supernatural is God working through extraordinary means, and the natural is God working through ordinary means. Science excludes itself from questions about the supernatural, precisely because such events are not repeatable and thus there are no experiments. However, for scientists to make the additional leap of logic and claim that the supernatural does not exist, or that supernatural occurrences never happen, is a non sequitur of the first order. Just because the naked eye cannot see past a certain point does not mean there is nothing beyond that point. Keller, on the other hand, appears to hold to this non-antithesis because he believes evolution and orthodox Christianity are compatible. Again, he is placing evolution within science.
Keller's fourth paragraph, including the van Inwagen quote, seems to me to be irrelevant to the main discussion. Keller's claim at the end of the paragraph that "This is just one of many places where the supposed incompatibility of orthodox faith with evolution begins to fade away under more sustained reflection" seems to me a bit of a straw man. God is, of course, free to use any means He pleases that do not contradict His nature. However, the main topic of discussion here is whether macro-evolution is compatible with orthodox Christianity. Orthodox Christianity does not need evolution to explain its own existence; it depends for its existence on the Bible and God working to help men understand the Bible.
Keller's fifth paragraph excludes the possibility that there really is an antithesis, and that those who claim there is an antithesis might be louder and more prominent because they are correct. Yet again, in the second sentence of this paragraph, Keller has equated evolution with science.
Pastors and the People
In this section, Keller lays out four difficulties that he sees laypeople having with evolution. The first is the literalness of Genesis 1, and biblical authority in general. The second is evolution as a Grand Theory of Everything, as per Richard Dawkins. The third is the historicity of Adam and Eve. The fourth is the problem of violence and evil. Keller proposes to "lay out" the first three of these difficulties. To Keller's credit, he takes on himself and other pastors the hard work of interpreting the Bible, scientists, and philosophers in order to make things real to their parishioners.
Three Questions of Christian Laypeople
Question 1: If God used evolution to create, then we can't take Genesis 1 literally, and if we can't do that, why take any other part of the Bible literally?
Answer: The way to respect the authority of the Biblical writers is to take them as they want to be taken. Sometimes they want to be taken literally, sometimes they don't. We must listen to them, not impose our thinking and agenda on them.
The above question and answer are quoted verbatim from Keller. At first blush, I would react by saying that while I think the answer is a true statement, I do not think it answers the question.
Keller then launches into an examination of whether Genesis 1 is prose or poetry or something else. Keller does not appear to want to take Genesis 1 literally. His first argument is that "…Genesis 1's prose is extremely unusual. It has refrains, repeated statements that continually return as they do in a hymn or song." (emphasis original) So far as I can see, this argument is inconclusive. No one, I think, would argue that Numbers 7 is narrative, and yet it definitely has a refrain. His second argument is that "the terms for the sun ('greater light') and moon ('lesser light') are highly unusual and poetic, never being used anywhere else in the Bible, and 'beast of the field' is a term for animal that is ordinarily confined to poetic discourse." This could be true. However, even if we grant the term "exalted prose narrative" as being descriptive of Genesis 1 (which I do not necessarily grant), this does not imply automatically that "we must not impose a 'literalistic' hermeneutic on the text." (Keller is quoting Francis Collins here.) How is exalted prose narrative supposed to be interpreted? What clear examples do we have of interpreting such narrative?
Keller then claims that Genesis 1 and 2 cannot both be taken literally because there would be incompatibilities. The examples Keller brings up seem quite weak to me. Keller's first example is that there is light before any natural sources of light. My brother Lane thinks that this may be a polemic against the Egyptian sun god Ra. Of course there can be light without the sun, moon, or stars: see Revelation 22:5. Then Keller claims that vegetation before atmosphere or rain is impossible. I would divide that question into two. Vegetation before atmosphere might or might not be possible, but at the very least, Keller appears to claim that the atmosphere was created on Day 4, whereas in my reading, Day 1 seems a better candidate. As for vegetation before rain, Keller either does not know about canopy theory (Genesis 2:6 is relevant to that discussion), or dismisses it. However, canopy theory is quite plausible, although I would claim it is not science. As for Genesis 2:5, it by no means necessarily teaches that God followed a natural order, precisely because of Genesis 2:6. The entire creation was supernatural! God made the rules in creation, and He acted by following His own good pleasure. Finally, Keller claims that "evenings and mornings" are not natural, given that the sun is created on Day 4. However, this is a strange way to argue: that something is not natural means we can't interpret a passage literally. Or even, giving Keller the benefit of the doubt, that if all the characteristics of one passage are not natural, and all the characteristics of another passage are natural, that we must then interpret them differently. Would he make the same claim about passages in Exodus, that alternate between supernatural and natural? I simply do not see any clash between Genesis 1 taken as literal history, and Genesis 2 taken as literal history.
Keller writes, in summary, that "Genesis 1 does not teach that God made the world in six twenty-four hour days." In this paper, he appears to come to this conclusion because he thinks Genesis 1 is not meant to be taken literally. However, even if we grant that Genesis 1 is not to be taken literally (which I do not grant), that does not mean that a day is not a 24 hour day. Nonliteral passages can still have literal elements to them. Keller seems to point to non-literalness in every element of Genesis 1.
Question 2: If biological evolution is true – does that mean that we are just animals driven by our genes, and everything about us can be explained by natural selection?
Answer: No. Belief in evolution as a biological process is not the same as belief in evolution as a worldview.
Keller makes a distinction between evolution proper (the biological process) and "perennial naturalism", which is Alvin Plantinga's term. Perennial naturalism is clearly antithetical to orthodox Christianity, and I think Keller thinks that, too. However, it is not clear to me how this helps Keller's overall case. Let us recall that Keller's thesis is that biological evolution (not perennial naturalism) and orthodox Christianity are compatible. So, let EBP be the statement that macro-evolutionary biological processes occur. Let PN be perennial naturalism, and let OC be orthodox Christianity. Keller would agree that PN AND OC is false. Ah, but EBP does not imply PN, like the new atheists claim. Therefore EBP AND OC? The conclusion is not warranted. By that reasoning, we could say that anything that does not imply PN is compatible with OC, which is clearly false. Gnosticism does not imply PN, but it is antithetical to OC. As to whether EBP does or does not imply PN, I will defer to others, since I have not studied the matter.
Keller writes:
Many Christian laypeople resist all this and seek to hold on to some sense of human dignity by subscribing to 'fiat-creationism.' This is not a sophisticated theological and philosophical move; it is intuitive.
I am not sure whether Keller means to demean "fiat-creationists" by calling them unsophisticated (I would tend to think so, given the nature of Keller's ministry, but I do not impute motives) or whether he is merely making an impersonal remark about the nature of "fiat-creationists". Moreover, Keller does not define the term "fiat-creationist". If by "fiat-creationist" he means simply someone who believes in a literal Genesis creation story, where God creates by divine fiat, then I would certainly place myself in that camp. I do not see either that such "fiat-creationism" is unsophisticated merely because it rejects all forms of macro-evolution, nor do I see that even if it is unsophisticated, that that is a bad thing. It is a rather puzzling comment, so I will refrain from further critique.
Question 3: If biological evolution is true and there was no historical Adam and Eve how can we know where sin and suffering came from?
Answer: Belief in evolution can be compatible with a belief in an historical fall and a literal Adam and Eve. There are many unanswered questions around this issue and so Christians who believe God used evolution must be open to one another's views.
Since Keller takes a literal view of Genesis 2, and believes in a literal Adam and Eve, there is less in this section with which I would quibble. I probably would not have quoted N. T. Wright favorably, as his theology is highly problematic, although the statement in question seems unobjectionable. Keller certainly does argue for some of the more orthodox positions in this section.
However, in getting to the subsubsection entitled "A model", Keller runs into some difficulties. It is not entirely clear to me whether Keller holds to Kidner's views of a pre-Adamic race or not, but that is clearly what is in view here. And if there is a pre-Adamic race, then there was death before the Fall of Man. The difficulties of having death (really, of any animal, whether in the pre-Adamic race, or other animals) before the Fall of Man are several. One is that the wages of sin is death. That is, sin implies death. Can we say that not-sin implies not-death? That would be the converse. Equivalently, can we say that death implies sin? If we can, then death before the Fall flies in the face of God's goodness. It is not that man inherently deserves life, and that God must, in justice, give it to him if he obeys. Instead, it is a matter of God's Word. God said to Adam, "Do this and live, do that and die." The antithesis seems to me to indicate that we can conclude the converse. Furthermore, in Isaiah 11:6-9, we see the picture of a restored earth. No animal seems to be hurting any other animal. If the restored earth is to be a return to the Garden of Eden, how can there be animal death before the Fall?
This "model" seems to give away much too much to the scientists. In fact, this is a general trend I noticed in Keller's writing. As Gordon Clark once said, "Science is a collection of useful falsehoods." Useful, but not "true". That is, since science is based on the inductive method, which is technically a fallacy, science can really only ever make probabilistic statements. Science can never arrive at the truth, since its method is inherently flawed. That does not make science worthless, as it does have immense predictive value in its domain. But that's precisely the point: questions about origins of the universe are not within the domain of science. You can hypothesize all day about origins, and scientists have, but the bottom line is there are no repeatable experiments to reproduce what actually happened. Therefore, science simply cannot contradict the Bible, at least in questions of origin. The Bible says something about origins, and science cannot. This is, in general, why I have not seen any tension between true science and Christianity. Science, while competent in its areas to say some things (subject to the limitations I mentioned before), cannot rise even to the level of addressing anything supernatural. And since what the Bible says about natural processes is perfectly accurate, and science corroborates it, there are no conflicts whatsoever.
Keller's view is not technically one of the four accepted views that the PCA allows for TE's. The Metro NY Presbytery has probably ruled that Keller's views do not strike at the fundamentals of the system of doctrine taught in the Westminster Standards. That is a question I have not studied, but I believe there is cause for concern, and it warrants investigation.


text:
SEC–Mandated XBRL Data at Risk of Being Irrelevant to Investors and Analysts
NEW YORK — January 22, 2013 — In 2009, the Securities and Exchange Commission mandated that public companies submit portions of annual (10–K) and quarterly (10–Q) reports—in a digitized format known as eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL). The goal of this type of data was to provide more relevant, timely, and reliable "interactive" data to investors and analysts. The XBRL–formatted data is meant to allow users to manipulate and organize the financial information according to their own purposes faster, cheaper, and more easily than current alternatives.
But how useful and usable is the new data to analysts and investors? The authors, early proponents of interactive data, from Columbia Business School's Center for Excellence in Accounting and Security Analysis (CEASA) recently completed a review of the state of XBRL, with a focus on its usefulness and usability for security analysis. The study questions the reliability of the data, the simplicity and stability of the underlying taxonomy and architecture, as well as the lack of user tools that add value and are easily integrated into an investor's or analyst's existing work flow and tools. As a result, the researchers conclude that XBRL has promised more than it has delivered to date and is at risk of becoming obsolete for use by analysts and investors.
However, the authors recommend specific changes that could make the formatted data more useful to investors and analysts. First, the entire XBRL stakeholder community must reduce significantly the error rate and limit unnecessary "extensions" (company–specific data identifiers or "tags"). Steps that might achieve this include: greater regulatory oversight and enforcement, mandatory audits of the data and tags, or requirements around meeting the XBRL US organization's error and quality checks. Second, the entities that file the XBRL–formatted financial reports should focus their energy on improving the quality of their data, rather than on trying to destroy the SEC's XBRL regulation. Third, the ongoing development of XBRL technology should be taken over and run by technologists, rather than accountants and regulators. An interesting approach for this might include partnering with major business information system vendors (like IBM, Oracle, and SAP), the key web–based financial information suppliers (like Google and Yahoo), and possibly even the major data aggregators (Bloomberg, CapitalIQ, Factset, and Thomson Reuters) not only to ensure that the SEC's regulatory data can be used effectively by investors and analysts, but, more importantly, to help improve the XBRL technology and usability overall.
"The potential for interactive data to democratize financial information and transform transparency remains stronger than ever, and many investors and analysts wish that the data were more useful today," the researchers wrote in the study. "But unless stakeholders focus on improving the data's reliability and on creating value–added, easily integrated tools, XBRL–tagged data is unlikely to be used by a significant number of investors or analysts."
About The Center for Excellence in Accounting and Security Analysis (CEASA)
The Center for Excellence in Accounting and Security Analysis (CEASA) at Columbia Business School provides an independent, objective voice for practical solutions in financial reporting and analysis. Drawing on the wisdom of leading experts in academia, industry, and government, the center produces sound research and identifies best practices on relevant issues. CEASA's guiding criteria are to serve the public interest by supporting the integrity of financial reporting and the efficiency of capital markets. For more information, visit www.gsb.columbia.edu/ceasa.
About Columbia Business School
Led by Dean Glenn Hubbard, the Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School is at the forefront of management education for a rapidly changing world. The school's cutting–edge curriculum bridges academic theory and practice, equipping students with an entrepreneurial mindset to recognize and capture opportunity in a competitive business environment. Beyond academic rigor and teaching excellence, the school offers programs that are designed to give students practical experience making decisions in real–world environments. The school offers MBA and Executive MBA (EMBA) degrees, as well as non–degree Executive Education programs. For more information, visit www.gsb.columbia.edu.


text:
Developed through a partnership with Platinum Games and Kojima Productions, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance pits cyborg against cyborg in battle that blazes past every human limit!
The main character, Raiden, was once feared as the child soldier "Jack the Ripper" on the front lines of the First Liberian Civil War. Now, his combat mastery is channeled through a cyborg body as the strikes from his high-frequency blade slice even massive assault drones in two. Raiden is contracted for VIP protection, military training and other duties by PMSCs (Private Military and Security Companies) in a developing country piecing itself back together after a bloody civil war. Little does he know that the stage is set for a clash with an enigmatic force of countless cyborgs.
Metal Gear Solid: Rising stands out from other titles in the MGS franchise in a number of ways, the most obvious being its protagonist. And if the game's producer has his way, Rising will be the first of many MGS games to come staring sword-wielding acrobat Raiden. Read More »
Microsoft teased on Monday with a brief trailer of the latest installment in the Metal Gear Solid franchise, the Raiden-centric, Rising. For fans anxious to learn more about Zan-Datsu, Konami provided some additional details today at its E3 press conference. Read More »
Also known as: Metal Gear Solid Rising Revengeance, Mission: The Next MGS [working codename]
Release Region: United States
Release Date: February 19, 2013
Publisher: Konami
Release Region: United Kingdom
Release Date: February 22, 2013
Publisher: Konami
Release Region: Japan
Release Date: Q1 2013
Publisher: Konami
Release Region: Australia
Release Date: February 21, 2013
Publisher: Konami
Expansion packs related to this game:
Metal Gear Rising: Blade Wolf (PS3)
Metal Gear Rising: Jetstream (PS3)
Also available on: Xbox 360
Metal Gear Rising: Rev... at IGN
Metal Gear Rising: Rev... at GameSpy
Metal Gear Rising: Rev... at GameStats


text:
Creamy, rich crème brûlée makes an outstanding pie filling.
Recipe Facts
- One half recipe Easy Pie Dough, shaped and chilled in a pie plate
- 1 egg
- 7 egg yolks
- 5 ounces (About 3/4 cup) granulated sugar, plus 1/2 ounce for sprinkling
- 1 vanilla bean, cut in half with the seeds scraped from the inside
- 5 ounces heavy cream
- 5 ounces milk
- Pinch of salt
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. When oven is ready, line chilled pie shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with weights (I reuse dried beans for this), and bake on the lowest rack of the oven for 15 minutes. Remove weights and liner, turn pie, and bake until the bottom crust is a light golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Remove pie shell from oven and allow to cool completely. Turn down the oven to 300°F
In a bowl, whisk together eggs and yolks for about 30 seconds. Combine the sugar and the seeds scraped from inside the vanilla bean and rub the sugar into the vanilla, which will help break up clumps. Continue whisking the egg mixture as you slowly stream the sugar mixture into the eggs. Whisk without stopping as you add the sugar, then whisk for an additional minute once all of the sugar has been added, until the eggs are a very light shade of yellow. Whisk in the cream, milk and salt until they are completely blended. Pour the custard through a fine strainer, then pour into the cooled pie shell.
Bake until the filling is set but still jiggles, about 45 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature, then put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill and set. When you are ready to serve, sprinkle remaining 1/2 ounce of sugar over the surface of the pie and tilt the pie around for an even coat of sugar. Use the edge of a metal bench scraper or a ring mold that fits inside the pie crust as a shield to protect the crust as you bring a lit culinary torch just close enough to the surface of the pie that the sugar begins to melt and caramelize. Move the torch around the pie to prevent scorching the custard, the goal is to melt and caramelize the sugar without burning the custard beneath. Allow the pie to sit for a few minutes, then gently crack the caramel surface with a spoon all over. Slice and serve immediately.
Special equipment
9-inch pie plate, culinary torch


text:
Passion Quilt Meme: Take Risks!
May 5, 2008 at 10:13 am Janie Hermann 3 comments
Last week Betha Gutsche tagged me for the "Passion Quilt" Meme. I am finally finding a few minutes to play along. The rules of the meme have already been posted by Pete in his contribution to the "quilt" and since this meme is really making the rounds in libraryland I shall not repost them.
Like others who have taken part, I had a really hard time narrowing this down. I waffled back and forth between wanting do something that expressed a concept related to risk-taking or else something on the importance of imagination and creativity in the workplace. Also, I really wanted to use one of several favorite quotations that I have filed on index cards in an old recipe box from my days of being a teacher (we would do the "Thought for the Day" first thing in the mornings and rifling through the recipe box yesterday for this meme was fun).
When I found the guinea pig photo, my decision was made. I don't even particularly like guinea pigs, but this photo was too cute not to use — and I could also relate it to a favorite risk-taking quotation so it was perfect. My explanation of why I chose this particular picture and theme for the meme is really more personal than profound, but still worth sharing (I hope).
I am a risk taker who is not afraid of change. In fact, I thrive on it. If I had not been willing to take some pretty big risks in my life, I would not be where I am right now — which, for the record, is at a pretty darn good place. I won't bore you with all the nitty-gritty details, but here are a few of the facts in a nutshell:
I left a tenured teaching job where I was earning 40K+ back in the early 1990s to go to library school on what was almost a whim. When I graduated the job offerings for librarians in Canada were slim pickings at best, so I spent the last few dollars in my savings account to attend ALA Annual in NYC to find a job. I did not limit myself geographically and ended up with 5 offers as a result — all in the USA. I emigrated to upstate NY to become an academic librarian and then two years later I took another risk in moving to NJ to become a public librarian (even though I never thought I would leave academia).
I was single at the time and knew not a single living soul in either of these places, and it was scary — I almost quit several times to go home to family and friends in Canada. To ease the homesickness (and the boredom of knowing no one), I would take on big projects and just keep pushing myself with new challenges. I would often take on "more than I could chew", but somehow it would eventually all get done. With each new risk and each new limit tested I finally found myself exactly where I want to be in life (at least for now). I know that there will more big decision in my future and I know that when that happens I will embrace the challenge of a new risk.
I honestly had several people question my sanity during some of my riskier moves — after all, who leaves the security of a permanent, well-paying teaching position to take a library job that pays less than 28K in a different country where you know no one? It took several years for me to regain parity with my previous salary, but the non-monetary rewards of my risks and of believing that libraries are the right place for me to work have more than compensated for any lost salary in my journey.
Risk-taking is not so scary once you start. In fact, it becomes addictive and opens your mind to greater possibilities. I encourage new grads and seasoned professionals alike to take a great big bite of something new this year and just keep chewing on it until you succeed.
Editing to add: I am feeling pretty sure that this meme has just about run its course so I am not going to tag anyone in particular. If you haven't been tagged yet and want to play along, just saying that Janie from LG tagged you and then have at it.
Entry filed under: Memes. Tags: Janie Hermann, passion quilt, risk-taking.
3 Comments
Thanks for sharing this! I never knew how you made the switch and what it entailed. You are such an inspiration! I'm a big believer in trusting your gut and taking risks and you are such a fantastic example of someone who has gone so far on that philosophy. 🙂
Ok, so I feel a bit better about the leap I made/am making! As you know, this graduation thing has me in a funk. I worry I have made a huge mistake to leap out of the safe world of financial analysis Still like you, I feel being a librarian is the best job ever.
Your story makes me think that sticking it out a few more months is not crazy and might even pay off in the end.
This is a fabulous poster! I think it will become a print on my wall.


text:
"Reading almost 100 works of Canadian fiction, as one of the judges for this year's Giller, is a life-enhancing experience, and gives a glimpse into the culture. The Canadian for 'gutter' is 'eavestrough,' which is picturesque. Everyone is wearing a 'tuque,' or 'toque,' which in English-English suggests the lofty headgear worn by Queen Mary but is actually a little woolly hat. And in the holiday cottages among Ontario's northern lakes and forests – evidently, the prime setting for emotional turmoil – they sit, brooding, on Muskoka chairs. (Look those up on the net.)"
That is a quote from 2009 Giller Prize judge Victoria Glendinning in a Financial Times column (read the full column here) that is causing considerable angst in the Canadian literary community. Having honored Ms. Glendinning with a judgeship how dare she make fun of our fiction? (There are some even better comments on the unique character of "acknowledgements" in Canadian books if you go to the full column.) While Glendinning said she was referring to the "mid" ranking of those 100-plus books, not the best, (and was taking off from a comment that Booker Prize chair James Naughtie had made about "dreadful" books lower down on that list), this veteran Canadian reader has to admit that her observations were pretty much dead on.So it is very, very surprising that a first novel — The Factory Voice, by Jeanette Lynes — set in Northern Ontario during World War II, in which a "toque" plays a key role, should find its way to the Giller Prize longlist. Okay, there is no eavestrough (much cold and snow, however) or Muskoka chairs (we know they are out there), but this novel seems to fall squarely into the hinterland Canadian fiction tradition that Glendinning gently mocks.
And, good Canadian that I am, I loved it. Perhaps that statement is a bit strong — I read it avidly, finishing it in two sessions, and enjoyed every page. It isn't a great book by any means (and may not even make my personal Giller shortlist), but it was certainly fun to read and I have not been able to say that about many books lately.
The Factory Voice of the title is the internal house organ at Fort William Aviation, a manufacturing facility at the western head of Lake Superior (now part of Thunder Bay) where Mosquito aircraft are being built for the war effort by a staff of about 2,000 — mainly women — recruited from just about everywhere in Canada. There are also three internment camps in the area, one of which has just had an escape; the area is home to Red Finns of questionable commitment to the war effort; and recent mishaps on test flights indicate possible subversive activity inside the plant, so security is an issue.
Into this mix comes Audrey Leona Foley, age 16, who is running away from a ranch in Spruce Grove, Alberta, because her parents want her to marry the ranch hand:
Like I said, away from the ranch hand with the face like clabbered milk and huge, thunking hands that would wed me between yanking slick red calves out into the world. (I can breathe better; on I go again). He talked to my father. My father talked to my mother. She talked to me. I talked to the moon.
I'll bet that sounds queer to you, but if you've ever been an only child like me it might sound less queerlike. A girl has to tell someone, and the red staggering calves aren't my idea of a good sounding board. My parents said "oh, dandy, you two can marry, carry on the ranch." That was more useful than finishing high school, they firmly believed. I told you they were cave-era parents.
Audrey gets hired, as the snack cart girl, immediately upon showing up at the plant. But Ruby Kovak, the stenographer who hires her, says she is to do more than just trundle the cart around — Ruby is an aspiring investigative journalist (and sole editor and writer of The Factory Voice) and wants Audrey to serve as her eyes and ears on questionable happenings on the plant floor. Ruby is hoping for a scoop that will enable her to leave manufacturing life — and typing letters — forever. Audrey finds that assignment much more interesting than being a ranch child or matron.
Audrey actually arrived in Fort William on the same train as Muriel McGregor, the plant's new chief engineer, the first of her gender to achieve that status. Muriel brings her own baggage with her — she has just seen her mother, a retired judge, after an estrangement of many years (dating back to WWI, actually) when her mother sent 13-year-old Muriel's best friend, a lefty, to prison for two years. As it happens, that very man is the most dangerous of the escapees from the nearby internment camp (okay, you have to grant Lynes a lot of licence to get along well with this book).
There is another equally implausible twist to the Muriel part of the story, but it would be a spoiler to reveal it here. Let's just say there is some hanky-panky going on inside the plant. And Muriel needs to sort out why test planes keep crashing, before she moves on to her main personal objective, perfecting a design for landing skis so that planes can takeoff and land on snow, which we have quite a bit of for many months of the year in Canada.
Lynes develops this story through a series of rapid-fire chapters from the viewpoint of the various characters, each helpfully identified with a graphic at the start of the chapter indicating who is the focus of that instalment. That is not a conventional — nor recommended — approach for a literary novel, but this book is a story and it worked just fine for me.As much fun as I had with this book, I couldn't help but wondering when I finished it how Glendinning let it get to the longlist, given what she said in the FT column. It isn't just the story itself. The acknowledgements do take up two full pages, thank just about everybody you can imagine (more than 40 names), including various government grant agencies — they are a perfect example of what Glendinning grumped about on that front. I'm only sorry there were no eavestroughs or Muskoka chairs. Either — or both — would have added significantly to the Canadian character of the book.


text:
We decided to make a section on the site to link to other PS2 related sites and general gaming sites that we like/endorse. You can find it on the home page or go here to see it:
http://www.ps2onlinegaming.com/forum/vi ... f=38&t=142
Links Section Created
Here we will post about changes to the site and will make announcements about other things important to the community.
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1
- site admin
- Posts: 1766
- Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:23 pm
- Xlink Kai Setup?: yes
- Xlink Kai username: lazyhobobum
- Location: west coast usa
- Contact:
Links Section Created
aka lazybum...
my youtube channel
my game collection
my youtube channel
my game collection
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1