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Story highlights
NEW: Video appears to show a deadly fire was started with Molotov cocktails
Two helicopters have been downed, and a pilot is being held hostage, authorities say
Ukraine alleges separatists are using human shields
At least 31 people are dead following a fire in Odessa
Deadly street fighting, helicopters shot down and civilians being used as human shields.
That was the picture that emerged Friday in southern Ukraine as violence escalated amid reports that dozens of people were killed in a fire and still more were shot dead or wounded in street fighting, raising the question of whether the country can stave off a possible civil war.
The violence – pitting pro-Russian separatists against Ukrainian forces and those who support the government in Kiev – prompted an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, with Russia demanding an end to what it called Ukrainian aggression and Western powers accusing Moscow of funding the violence.
Russia and the West have squared off diplomatically over the fate of Ukraine, after Moscow annexed Crimea in March following the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. He was pushed from office after months of protests by people upset that he had turned away from Europe in favor of Russia.
The crisis in eastern Ukraine hit a boiling point with news Friday that security forces launched their most intensive effort yet to try to dislodge pro-Russian separatists, who have reportedly seized a number of government buildings in nearly a dozen cities and towns.
Helicopters downed
Two Ukrainian government helicopters were shot down in the flashpoint city of Slavyansk. The helicopters were brought down by fire from pro-Russian separatists, the Ukraine Ministry of Defense said.
Five pro-Russian separatists and two civilians were killed in Slavyansk in a Ukrainian military operation, the city's self-declared mayor, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov.
Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed during an attack in the village of Andriyivka, near Slavyansk, defense ministry said. The gunmen also blocked a bridge in the area, using local residents, including women, as shields, according to the ministry.
Hundreds of miles away, in the Black Sea city of Odessa, at least four people were killed and 40 were wounded in fighting, according to the regional police administration.
Another 31 people died after a fire was started at a trade union building amid clashes in the largely Russian-speaking Odessa, police said. Authorities initially reported 38 people had died, but later revised it.
Video posted on YouTube appeared to show Molotov cocktails being thrown by Kiev supporters at the building where pro-Russian separatists had reportedly taken up positions.
The footage, which CNN could not independently confirm, showed people sitting on ledges trying to escape the fire and thick smoke.
CNN cannot independently confirm the casualty counts.
The United States condemned the violence that led to the fire.
"The violence and mayhem that led to so many senseless deaths and injuries is unacceptable," Marie Harf, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman, said.
The events that led to the fire "underscore the need for an immediate de-escalation of tensions in Ukraine," Harf said.
The violence came the same day that U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged to seek harsher sanctions against Russia if Ukraine doesn't stabilize in time for elections this month.
The two leaders warned Russia could face a new round of sanctions by the West, if it does not stop its actions in Ukraine.
"There just has not been the kind of honesty and credibility about the situation there and the willingness to engage seriously" in finding a diplomatic solution, Obama said.
But the threat seemed to do little to waive off Russia, with its Foreign Ministry saying Ukraine's use of its military in Slavyansk is criminal.
'Nail in the coffin'
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told CNN the military operation was "the last nail in the coffin" for the deal agreed to last month in Geneva, Switzerland, which called for illegal militia groups in eastern Ukraine to disarm and vacate seized buildings.
Putin has been kept fully informed of unfolding events and regards the situation with "grave concern," Peskov said.
What's not yet clear is whether the escalating violence may prompt a response by Russia, which has previously said it has the right to intervene in Ukraine to protect Russian speakers.
Besides the threat from pro-Russian separatists, NATO estimates that Russia has some 40,000 troops massed near Ukraine's border.
Negotiations complicated
Peskov said the Ukrainian operation also complicated ongoing negotiations to free seven Western observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, who have been held captive by separatists in Slavyansk for the past week.
Russia's Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, raised concern about the safety of a special presidential envoy, Vladimir Lukin, sent to southeastern Ukraine to negotiate a possible release of the OSCE observers.
Its statement cited "reports about English-speaking foreigners spotted among attackers," saying there should be no "external interference" in Ukraine's affairs.
As the diplomatic wrangling continued, residents of Slavyansk were warned Friday to stay home and avoid windows as the latest phase of the authorities' "anti-terrorist operation" got under way.
The two Mi24 helicopters were downed with mobile air defense systems, killing two military officers and injuring others, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry website. Another army helicopter, an Mi8, was damaged, but no one was hurt, it said.
Pro-Russian separatists took one badly injured pilot hostage after his helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing, the ministry said, and efforts to free him are ongoing.
Ukraine's security service, the SBU, said one helicopter that came under attack was carrying medics, one of whom was injured.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti earlier reported that one Russian separatist was killed and another wounded in Slavyansk.
The operation also targeted the town of Kramatorsk.
Meanwhile, Russian airline Aeroflot said it was canceling flights Friday to the eastern cities of Kharkiv and Donetsk because it didn't have permission to enter Ukrainian airspace.
Human shield allegation
In his Facebook post, Arsen Avakov, the Ukrainian interior minister, said nine checkpoints that were under control of pro-Russian separatists in Slavyansk have been taken back by Ukrainian forces, who now encircle the town.
What the Ukrainian authorities want from the separatists has not changed, he said – release the hostages, turn in weapons, vacate seized administrative buildings and allow the normal functioning of the city.
Ukraine's security service also accused separatist leaders of ordering separatists to use residents as human shields in the city and at checkpoints.
Acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov acknowledged this week that the central government has effectively lost control of the country's Donetsk and Luhansk regions to the pro-Russian separatists.
He signed a decree introducing military conscription Thursday in a bid to beef up Ukraine's military, citing "real and potential threats to Ukraine."
Why NATO is such a thorn in Russia's side
Opinion: Putin's empire building is not a new Cold War
Amanpour blog: $17 billion Ukraine bailout approved
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reported from Slavyansk and Victoria Butenko from Kiev, while Chelsea J. Carter wrote and reported from Atlanta. CNN's Arwa Damon in Donetsk, Claudia Rebaza in Kiev, and Matthew Chance and Alla Eshchenko in Moscow contributed to this report. CNN's Laura Smith-Spark. Elise Labott, Richard Roth, Boriana Milanova and Yon Pomrenze also contributed.


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ZIWI Peak Air-Dried Dog Food Tripe & Lamb Recipe, 2.2-lb|1-kg
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Lamb Tripe, Lamb, Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver, Lamb Lung, Lamb Kidney, New Zealand Green Mussel, Lamb Bone, Lecithin, Inulin from Chicory, Dried Kelp, Minerals (Dipotassium Phosphate, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Selenium Yeast), Salt, Parsley, Preservative (Citric Acid, Mixed Tocopherols), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid).

subset: commoncrawl


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By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com November 24, 2008 Updated on May 6, 2009 Ever since he won the presidential election, the press has been following President-Elect Barack Obama around Chicago like a bunch of hungry (and annoying) puppies. Whether he's going to his transition office in the Kluczynski Federal Building in the Loop (dowtown Chicago professional district, …Read More »
Tag Archives: door gunner
Swanson Shield Gunner's Shield Protecting U.S. Infantry Warfighters in Iraq
by David Crane [email protected] It's common knowledge that enemy IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) are currently the number one threat to our infantry warfighters, and have been for quite some time. HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, a.k.a. Humvee) machine gunners have been some of the most vulnerable targets (if not the most vulnerable targets), due to the fact that they …Read More »
AGSS II Helo Gunner Simulator: Super-Realism for More Enemy Kills in Battle
by David Crane [email protected] This article was published on Sept. 8, 2005. The Advanced Gunner Scanner Simulator II a.k.a. Aerial Gunner Scanner Simulator II system discussed in this article has since been renamed. It is now designated the Advanced Generation Simulator System II (AGSS II). As a door gunner in a MH-60K Black Hawk (U.S. Army) or MH-60R Sea Hawk …Read More »
Interview of SSgt Kevin Vance 25 March 2002 – Bagram, Afghanistan
My name is Kevin Donell Vance. In June, I will have been in the United States Air Force for eight years. I hold the rank of Staff Sergeant. I am currently married with two children, ages four and two. I was born on 3 September 1976 and am currently 25 years old. I entered into the USAF eleven days after …Read More »


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My hat's off to the Yammer team for their $1.2B acquisition by Microsoft! I think everyone else has already said about everything, but I wanted to add my own spin: the incredible valuation of Yammer isn't that it's social — that's so 2012. Rather, Yammer's value is that it is pioneering a revolutionary sales model that is going to wholly transform the enterprise space. I wager Microsoft bought Yammer not because it needed to plug a social hole, but because they saw it as fundamentally lower-cost-of-sale model that threatens Sharepoint's long-term success. This wasn't about adding Yammer's revenue, but about preventing an even greater loss of Sharepoint revenue. This was a defensive move on Microsoft's part to avoid being disrupted by a competitor they can't possibly beat.
Said another way, I suspect Microsoft didn't buy Yammer because they wanted a piece of their $22M revenue stream. Especially as, so far as anybody has reported, Yammer didn't get that revenue in a profitable manner. Rather, Microsoft bought Yammer because they were afraid if they didn't, people would gradually leave Sharepoint for it. Even if Yammer can't profit from those users, Microsoft can, and they want to ensure that they do.
Like anything, I'm sure there are a hundred angles, all of which bear some grain of truth. But the one I hadn't heard was about Microsoft's deep seated fear that whether or not they wanted Yammer, they needed it.


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From Fedora Project Wiki
Each release of Fedora is maintained as laid out in the maintenance schedule. At the conclusion of the maintenance period, a Fedora release enters end of life status. This procedure describes the tasks necessary to move a release to that status.
Set date
- FESCo responsibility
- Should follow guidelines of maintenance schedule
- Take into account any infrastructure or other supporting project resource contention
Reminder announcement
- from FESCo chair to f-devel-announce, f-announce-l, including
- date of last update push (if needed)
- date of actual EOL
Koji tasks
Bodhi tasks
QA tasks
- Bugzilla?
Docs tasks
- any?
Final announcement
- from FPL to f-announce-l
- on EOL date if at all possible
- link to previous reminder announcement
Announcement content
- Consider this EOL announcement from openoffice.org
- Note FAQ
- Resource contention in infrastructure, such as outages
- Extenuating circumstances for specific planned updates, if any
- other?


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Solid-state array maker Violin Memory and Microsoft have built an all-flash network-attached storage (NAS) array that boasts 5GB/sec sequential read rates and up to 32TB of capacity.
It is Violin's first foray into the file-server market. The company is best known for its high performance, all-flash block storage systems.
The new 3U (5.25-in. high) NAS box is filled with solid-state drives and runs Windows Server 2012, which offers functionality such as data snapshots, replication and deduplication.
The two companies, which are calling the product "Cluster-in-a-Box," will be demonstrating the array at the TechEd Conference this week. Microsoft Windows server 2012 is expected to be generally available in the fourth quarter of the year; Violin expects to begin selling its NAS array shortly thereafter.
Violin's Cluster-in-a-Box, all-flash NAS array.
Narayan Venkat, Violin's vice president of product management, said the two companies have worked together over the past nine months to develop the array. Venkat said he sees the array being used as primary storage for HyperV virtual server environments or for running HyperV directly from the box as a converged application server and storage array. For example, Venkat said the NAS server could support large virtual desktop infrastructures.
"We see it being used for scale file services in Windows environments and for larger cloud deployments where the customer wants to deploy a handful of applications on a very fast tier of storage based on Microsoft HyperV," he said.
The "Cluster-in-a-Box" is based on Violin's 6616 all-flash array, which scales from 6TB to 32TB of capacity and can use either single-level cell (SLC) or multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash. The difference between Violin's typical 6616 and the Cluster-in-a-Box is two additional Intel x86 processors, which were added to run Microsoft Server 2012.
"This is the first case of our box being used as a platform where we're putting code on an x86 data plane, but we'll be doing this with other applications in the future," Venkat said.
Venkat said the NAS server can sustain "hundreds of thousands, if not a half a million" I/Os per second. The array is fully redundant for high-availability environments.
The NAS box will be priced from $6 to $9 per gigabyte of capacity, according to Matt Viletta, Violin's vice president of marketing. "We're very competitive with high-end NAS systems," Viletta said. "It's not an expensive system when you understand the economics of what you're getting."
Lucas Mearian covers storage, disaster recovery and business continuity, financial services infrastructure and health care IT for Computerworld. Follow Lucas on Twitter at @lucasmearian or subscribe to Lucas's RSS feed. His e-mail address is email@example.com.
See more by Lucas Mearian on Computerworld.com.
Read more about storage in Computerworld's Storage Topic Center.


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Todd Jensen, CPA began his career in professional finance as a bank examiner for the FDIC, which lead to an opportunity to work in public accounting auditing banks and performing consulting services. Starting a family, Todd elected to join a bank (River City Bank) as controller and subsequently was the founding CFO of two other banks (Auburn Community and Community 1st). He has also served as the Director of Finance with the Sisters of Mercy and continues to serve on non-profit boards as a financial expert. Throughout his career, Todd has taught evenings at Golden Gate and other universities and continues to follow this passion to this day.
MBA (finance), University of Oregon
BS (finance), California State University Chico
1989 - Present
Finance/Accounting Faculty: Golden Gate University, Sierra College, California State University Sacramento, University of California Davis and University of Oregon
2000 - Present
Todd A. Jensen, CPA Consultant and Advisory Services
2005 - 2008
Sr. Vice President and CFO, Community 1st Bank
2000 - 2005
Director of Finance, Sisters of Mercy, Auburn Regional Community
1997 - 2000
Sr. Vice President and CFO, Auburn Community Bank
1995 - 1997
Vice President and Controller, River City Bank
1992 - 1995
Audit Manager, Perry-Smith and Co, CPAs
Chair, Mercy Institute Audit Committee
Board Member, Placer Community Foundation
Chair-Finance Committee, Mercy Education Resource Center
Participant, Financial Accounting Symposium McGraw-Hill
Participant, University for Faculty by PricewaterhouseCoopers
President of the Board, Auburn Symphony


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One of the major questions confronting Western strategists and politicians today has to do with the political direction in which Turkey, a presumed ally and Western lynchpin in the Middle East, seems to be heading. Is it the beacon nation it has long been assumed to be, a stalwart democracy firmly rooted in Islamic soil? Or is it, on the contrary, a fundamentally Islamic nation now shaking off its Western trappings and faux identity to re-enter the theological orbit of the past? Who are we treating with, the Young Turks or the old Ottomans?
As Dinesh D'Souza writes in _The Enemy at Home_, it is time "to retire the tiresome invocation of Turkey as a model for Islamic society. No Muslim country is going the way of Turkey, and even Turkey is no longer going the way of Turkey." But is not Turkey an electoral democracy and does it not therefore merit our approval and support? We in the West appear to have forgotten that elections in themselves do not constitute democracy. In the Muslim world, elections are only mechanisms for regulating the balance between competing tribal, ethnic and religious blocs intent on political domination, social coercion and economic exploitation—to be suspended the moment it seems opportune to do so. They are pretexts for structures of autocratic or theocratic control. It should come as no surprise that under the auspices of an ostensible democratic apparatus, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) is steering Turkey towards ever closer ties with the totalitarian regimes of Iran, Syria and Sudan and re-introducing Islamic norms of behavior.
The unpleasant fact of the matter is that in an Islamic context, democracy as we understand it does not work very well, if, indeed, it works at all. It is not a reliable or enduring phenomenon. Secular institutions in such a cultural and historical framework can survive only if they are imposed and backed by a strong military determined to check the influence of the clerical establishment and suppress the circulation of Islamic doctrine and extremist sentiment among the laity. Thus the folly of The European Commission's 2005 report which declares that the Turkish army should concern itself exclusively with "military, defense and security matters…under the authority of the government," ignoring the fact that the secular aspects of the state were achieved and protected only by internal military interventions.
The unwillingness of the West to recognize the true state of affairs regarding Turkey is encapsulated in an AP report on the recent arrest by the government of fifty Turkish commanders alleged to have planned a coup d'état. The article states: "Erdogan also has dramatically curtailed the military's power, under EU pressure, and reinforced civilian rule while bolstering democratic institutions." Apart from the reference to (typically misguided) EU pressure, the reality is very different.
By all reputable accounts, Turkey is inexorably being Islamized, which was already evident when it refused to permit American flyovers and the use of military bases and staging grounds during the second Iraq war. As noted above, political and economic relations with Iran are growing ever more intimate; a $3.5 billion natural gas deal has recently been confirmed. There has been a rapprochement with Syria and the principal bone of contention between the two countries, the status of the Turkish province of Hatay claimed by Syria as the historical Iskandaron, has been quietly buried. Turkey launched a venomous propaganda campaign against Israel over Operation Cast Lead in the terrorist statelet of Gaza and refused to cooperate with Israel in long-planned war games, leading to the U.S. dropping out as well. Erdogan boasts that Turkey has "opened a new approach to foreign relations…We have a philosophy of strength."
Domestically, the Turkish parliament has cancelled the ban on the hijab, prompting even the Russian journal RiaNovosti to speculate on the danger of radical change in the country. As RiaNovosti wryly points out, "the [pro-hijab] bill will burnish Turkey's democratic credentials, hastening its accession to the European Union"—a clever move, no doubt, given Eurabian sympathies. Turkey has recently attempted to pass a law criminalizing adultery in order, according to Erdogan, to preserve the family. The law did not carry but the current atmosphere in the country suggests it will be proposed once again. The fact that Mein Kampf has become a bestseller in Turkey is equally worrying.
For a sense of what to expect in the future, Turkey's premier novelist Orhan Pamuk furnishes a rather disturbing speculum in his novel, _Snow_, which anyone interested in taking the pulse of the country should consult. The snowstorm which cuts off the town, where the central action occurs, from the secular West is more than meteorology; it is an emblem and parable of the gradually closing mindset that prevails in the country.
We should no longer delude ourselves about Turkey. Barring a successful military insurrection and a Kemalist revival, it is arguably lost to the West, or soon will be. Turkey should be met with forceful economic and diplomatic measures if we wish to prevent or at least defer a deteriorating situation. It would have to be made to realize that joining the Islamist axis is not to its long-term advantage. Significant countervailing pressure needs to be brought to bear and the secular command of the country's military should be effectively supported.
But the problem, of course, is not only Turkey—or Iran for that matter, or Russia or any other nation against which we refuse to exercise leverage. The problem is us. We are addicted to the drug of appeasement. It is high time we showed a little character and took steps to bring about our long-overdue political and moral detoxification. For the reflex posture the West adopts of conciliation and procrastination, which in the case we are examining entails indifference to or even complicity with Turkey's current domestic and foreign policies, will only hasten its departure from the fraying nexus of the Western alliance.


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Feliciano Lopez came into the 2010 US Open with a seesaw North American hardcourt record: he reached the semis at the Farmers Classic in L.A. (in style, of course) and followed that up with back-to-back first-round losses in Toronto in Cincinnati. Perhaps he just peaked too early? He rebounded in New York, making it to the fourth round before running into the Nadal juggernaut.
And along the way, Feli showed off a simple Joma Sport shirt that played with thick, asymmetrical lines across the chest (and shooting down the left arm).
Meanwhile, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who came into the Open fresh from a title in Umag (though on clay), lost in the third round to Jurgen Melzer. Ferrero went with v-necks peppered with graphics across the clavicle and shoulder.
Browse: At Joma's site, a few more pieces. And below the cut, a few more looks of their US Open kits…
(photos by TSF and from Getty Images)


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Philip Meranto aka PIP Skater Profile
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On Sunday, I took the first drawing class I've had since I was eleven. It was at the Open Center, a sort of granola-y place in Soho which offers many new Age classes on creativity, meditation, and other sorts of grooviness.
My particular class was called "Drawing as a way of being" but I'd not been lured so much by the title as by the teacher's teacher, Dr. Frederick Franck. I learned a lot about drawing from Franck's books, The Zen of Seeing; The Awakened Eye; A Passion for Seeing, etc and, now that he is ninety six, blind, and deaf, he has passed his workshop duties onto Joanne Finkel, a fiftyish woman with bright eyes, pigtails and well-furred calves.
Most of the other students identified themelves as undrawers, anxious about their inability, and armed with Venti Starbucks and Pearl Paint bagfuls of art supplies. My supplies were new too; I decided to abide by the class materials list and had a mechanical pencil loaded with .5 HB lead and a kneadable eraser. Under my arm, I clutched a huge virginal drawing pad.
We did a pleasant meditation exercise and then the teacher handed out leaves. I clicked my pencil a few times and got going on the blind contour exercise. It ws a little dicey at first as I just never draw with a pencil, but by the second pass, I was in the groove.
When we were given permission to look at the leaf as we drew, I got heavily into the details, mainlining the veins that branched off the stem, sinking deeper and deeper into the plant's very cells. The teacher came by to say, "Wow, you're really into those veins, huh?" As that was what the leaf seemed to be to all about, I was a tad puzzled. On her next pass, she suggested that I squint and only draw the major landmarks of the leaf. This seemed regressive but in the spirit of being a good student, I complied and felt like a half-walked dog. On the next circuit, she suggested I vary the intensity of my grip on the lead, making lines that exressed where the leaf seemed very clear and where it was 'less crispy'. It all looked pretty clear to me but dutifullyI rode my pencil up and down with fluctuating line weights, something I rarely do with my ink pen. Before long I recognized Frederick Franck's style expressed on my page. My drawings looked just like his, not much like mine.
It's interesting that what our teacher saw as a pure response to the subject, I perceived as an exercise in style. I was seeing the way she and Franck saw, but not really as I do. I tend to bore deep into things, and to treat every line and detail with similar emphasis. There is something more sensual but tentative (dare I say 'feminine") about the varying lines of this new style.
As we broke at lunch for an hour, the teacher dangled the opportunity to draw fruis and vegetables after we returned. I decided to forgo the salad and played hooky. Instead, I went out and bought myself a 1980 Honda motorcycle. In Dr Franck's honor, I spent the rest of the afternoon drawing the road with my tires, shifting from first to second to third gear, depending on how crispy the potholes looked.


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SendGrid now more available than ever to Rackspace usersSendGrid Team
As a fast growing company with many moving parts, we have to stop every once in awhile and remind ourselves of the reason we exist: to relieve engineering teams and the businesses they support from the hassle and expense of managing email infrastructure. Read: to make your job easier, by eliminating your email headaches.
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If your company hosts its business applications with Rackspace, you now have at your fingertips a shiny new Bronze SendGrid account – free of charge!
You can log in to your Rackspace control panel at any time, find the link to SendGrid, and get started in minutes. Your Bronze plan includes 40,000 email credits per month, advanced reporting and analytics, full access to the SendGrid technical support team, and flexible integration options via SMTP API, Web API, or simple SMTP Relay.
If your business demands exceed 40,000 emails per month and require additional features and functionality, upgrading to our Silver, Gold, Platinum or High Volume plans is simple – either upgrade manually within our web app or contact our sales team for assistance!
We're very excited for the opportunity to work together with a great company like Rackspace in a team effort to improve the experience and provide greater utility for all of their awesome customers. And to all those Rackspacers, welcome to the SendGrid family!


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Dates of Event: Fridays, Weekly
Hands On Adult Nights are from 6:30-10:00 each Friday night all year long attracting a diverse crowd, 21 and older, for food, drink, and do-it-yourself art projects in the relaxed atmosphere of the Art Barn. Selected Adult Nights feature Live Music . It is a 3 1/2 hour kids-free zone. All the studio spaces are open and ready for you to have a fun evening playing with art. The studio fee for the entire evening is $7 plus the cost of your art project. Feel free to bring your own appetizers and drinks. We have pizza, soft drinks and beer available for purchase. Call 920-868-9311 or visit http://www.handsonartstudio.com/ for more info and schedule.


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Thursday, January 12, 2012
Posted by Rot at 7:44 AM
Labels: blog, decorations, ghosts
3 comments:
- Countess VonRauber (Heidi) said...
Wow! Great party decorations! I really like the little ghosts tied to the balloons. I can just imagine them randomly floating around the heads of the guests the whole night of the party :)
- January 12, 2012 at 9:37 AM
- Pam Morris said...
conehead ghosts--pretty cool.
- January 13, 2012 at 1:17 PM
- Colleen said...
Those are some great floor lamps! If I tried my hand at them.. I'd make them a little less... pointy.
- January 13, 2012 at 1:37 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Tim Mullaney reports that according to new census data, more Americans are debt free, but for those with debt, their total indebtedness has increased 40%! Unfortunately, the biggest increase is among seniors.
The percentage of U.S. households carrying any debt dropped to 69% in 2011 from 74% in 2000, the government reported. But the median debt load rose to $70,000, from an inflation-adjusted $50,971.
The article speculates that good portion of the increased debt by seniors may have been taken on to assist their adult children with their own financial struggles following the economic downturn that began in 2007.
{ 0 comments }


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Earlier today, Apple (AAPL 1.98%) management testified in front of a Senate subcommittee, getting grilled about its tax strategy. The Mac maker's tax strategy has been under fire ever since The New York Times ran an expose about a year ago, "How Apple Sidesteps Billions in Taxes."
That brought attention from lawmakers, even though the issue at hand is really how broken the U.S. corporate tax system is. Apple just happens to be perhaps the highest-profile example of tax minimization. Here are the biggest takeaways from the hearing and Apple's testimonies, which were delivered by CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and head of tax operations Philip Bullock.
Everyone's doing it
Strangely, there's a double standard when it comes to corporate income tax and individual income tax. It's entirely acceptable for individuals to seek tax minimization. Every tax preparing service promises to get you the "largest refund ever," which indubitably translates into paying the least amount legally possible.
However, when corporations do this for the benefit of their shareholders, they get vilified. It's also worth noting that the majority of Apple's shareholders are American individuals, whether they own shares individually or through a mutual fund or pension fund, so Apple's broad domestic investor base benefits from tax minimization.
Cook pointed out that Apple is the largest corporate income tax payer in the U.S., expecting to pay $7 billion this fiscal year. The flip side of this is that Apple may also be the largest corporate tax avoider.
It's all legal
Cook reiterated that Apple pays "every single dollar" that it legally owes in taxes, and that Apple's fiscal 2012 total U.S. federal cash effective tax rate was roughly 30.5%. That figure is based on U.S. pre-tax earnings, and doesn't include overseas earnings.
Even as lawmakers gave Apple a hard time, none disputed that the company's practices were fully compliant with current tax laws. There's much debate about whether Apple is violating the spirit of the law, if not the letter of the law.
Kiss me, I'm an Apple Irish subsidiary
At the heart of the scrutiny are three of Apple's Irish subsidiaries: Apple Online International, Apple Sales International, and Apple Operations Europe, or AOI, ASI, and AOE, respectively. AOI is a holding company set up to manage Apple's foreign cash balance, which is now over $100 billion. Subsidiaries further down the food chain distribute income earned around the world to AOI. These subsidiaries pay applicable local taxes in the regions where they operate before sending money to AOI.
None of these subsidiaries have any country of tax residency, in part due to the way that Irish laws are structured. Apple does pay U.S. taxes domestically on the interest income earned from this foreign cash, but that's a relatively small amount relative to the amount of foreign earnings that are taxed at extremely low rates.
These subsidiaries were set up in 1980, and at the time Ireland had offered some generous tax incentives to encourage tech companies like Apple to set up shop. This was before any of Apple's biggest breakthrough products, mind you, including the first Mac. The negotiated maximum tax rate that Apple pays in Ireland is around 2%.
There is a cost-sharing agreement that Apple has with two of its Irish subsidiaries, ASI and AOE, where the entities combine resources and share risk to invest in research and development, of which 95% takes place in the U.S. All parties are then able to reap the rewards from this innovation. This has been mischaracterized as a way for Apple to "shift" income to Ireland. Apple makes it clear that it doesn't move its IP into offshore tax havens and then use the IP to sell products back into the U.S. All products sold in the U.S. are subject to domestic corporate income taxes.
It's the overseas product sales that primarily get favorable tax treatment, although this is now the bulk of Apple's business; 66% of revenue last quarter was international.
Out of sight, out of mind
The real problem is the U.S. corporate tax system, which is in desperate need of reform in order to get with the times. At times, lawmakers lost sight of this and instead focused on chastising Apple about its legal tax practices, many of which are employed by other American multinational corporations.
Apple acknowledged that the current 35% tax that it would need to pay in order to repatriate cash provides a significant disincentive to do so, particularly when the cost of debt is so low. On average, Apple is paying less than 2% (which is tax deductible) for the $17 billion it just borrowed, far less than the 35% that comes off the top for bringing dollars home.
One senator pointed out that Apple's overall effective tax rate, after including its minimization strategies, is very similar to Samsung's. The South Korean conglomerate is easily Apple's biggest competitor right now, and the American company has to jump through all sorts of loops just to pay a similar rate to foreign competitors. However, there's still one big difference: Samsung is free to bring money home to South Korea if it wants to use those funds to invest in infrastructure, pay employees, or distribute dividends, among other uses. Apple is afforded no such luxury under current U.S. tax law.
Taking one for the team
A repatriation holiday isn't a viable long-term solution, either. Cook maintains that such rare holidays aren't predictable, something businesses prefer. It also perpetuates the idea of hoarding cash overseas in anticipation of the next holiday, since the precedent has been set. A rate in the "single-digits" would encourage free movement of capital, in Cook's view.
Even though comprehensive corporate tax reform would very well likely result in Apple paying more taxes, the Mac maker is all for it if the system becomes modernized and simpler.


text:
This Is Us: Portrait of a Changing America
A nation in time, in seven charts.
Change is complex, particularly at the scale of a nation 300 million strong.
It doesn't proceed smoothly or at the same rate among all age, racial, or ethnic groups. And yet: some of the movements—like the increase in support of gay marriage or interracial relationships or the decline of religious affiliation—are so clearly defined as to seem inexorable now.
Pew Research's new report, The Next America, provides a portrait of these demographic and cultural shifts. It's filled with fascinating details about who Americans are, what we believe, and how both of those things have changed over the last several decades.
We're a nation returning to its immigrant roots
Where more people are marrying outside the racial group they were born into.
We're a nation that increasingly supports gay marriage
And the legalization of marijuana, though the trend is less clear and the generational differences larger.
Each successive generation has fewer members who are religiously affiliated, but the large majority of people still claim a religion.
And we know that we're a divided nation, politically, financially, racially, and by place of birth.


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(A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)
Published: May 5th 2015
A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!
Book Information
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children
Genre: Young-adult (verging on new-adult) fiction, fantasy, romance
Page Count: 416
Format: Paperback
This book was used for the Popsugar challenge: A book by an author you love but have never read.
Hi! I recently (or not-so-recently, I can't remember) finished reading this book, for #JuneAndRosesReadAlong (a June read along hosted by Josie's Book Corner & Bibliophile Gathering). I've been wanting to read this book for a long time, so I'm so glad I finally got to read it! It definitely did not disappoint!
Quick Summary
A retelling of Beauty and the Beast, A Court of Thorns and Roses follows Feyre, a nineteen-year-old huntress who, one day, as a consequence of killing a wolf in the forest, is taken to Prythian, a dangerous, magical land, by a beast-like creature. Finding out soon enough that her captor was an immortal fae named Tamlin, Feyre finds that the icy feelings towards fae she once had had become into a fiery passion, even love. Now there is a much larger threat looming ahead of them, and if it isn't contained and stopped, could destroy the faerie lands and the faes, forever. Can Feyre find a way to stop it?
A plot of mystery, romance and danger, how could I not love it? And if you love these kind of stuff, you'll love it too! From the very first page I was dragged into this world, into this enchanting world with magic and faeries, and the plot was filled with suspense, not to mention romance! And I love Tamlin, so you know… I'm pretty biased, but still. The plot was great.
What I really praise and love, is that Sarah J. Maas took a beloved fairy tale, and not only brought the fairytale back to life, she recreated it into something magical and superb, one with faeries! Just, wow. Once again, Sarah J. Maas blew me away.
I will mention though that in middle-ish, there are times where Feyre isn't necessarily doing anything important, as she is simply walking through the estate or something like that. Some people might find this boring, or had a negative impact on their reading experience, but I kind of slid past it, you know? It's not like a character's supposed to be doing something 24/7. Plus, the action later on and in-between these scenes made up for it.
Oh, the characters. I could go on and on. Feyre was great, first of all. Loyal, brave, supports her family, stubborn. I know, what you're all thinking; 'Oh, where have we seen that before? Hmm, I wonder.' Nonetheless, I still found Feyre to be a fresh, new protagonist, albeit sometimes a bad decision-maker. These little flaws made her less perfect, and less perfect made her more relatable, so I loved her! Especially since I loved her sense of humour! She was witty, sassy and had a lot of spunk. Sure, maybe she was a bit typical, but she, and the rest of the characters made the book awesome, and that's what matters.
So, next we have Feyre's captor and love interest, Tamlin, a swoony, mysterious and misunderstood fae. Tamlin, was just amazing. He was a dark and mysterious character, put in an unfavourable light in reason of what Feyre thought of faes, but who we later find to be a caring, thoughtful person. Him and Feyre are so cute together! I ship it.
But that brings us to the other potential love interest, bad-boy fae Rhysand. There's technically no love triangle yet (note the 'yet') but there will be, I'm almost 100% sure. But hey, I must admit I like Rhysand! I know there are people who hate him, but I just find him really interesting. *Sigh.* Why must I always be interested in the character who the protagonist will most probably not be choosing? But still. I find Rhysand to be a great character. Anyone out there who agrees with me?
Now, the character list wouldn't be complete without Lucien, Tamlin's emissary. He was a great supporting character! I loved him, he was just such a useful and interesting addition to the character cast. Underneath his snark and attitude, he really is a loyal person who cares. And I love his sense of humour! (Noticing a trend yet?) The banter between him and Feyre was very entertaining as well!
"Do you ever stop being so serious and dull?"
"Do you ever stop being such a prick?" I snapped back.
Dead–really, truly, I should have been dead for that.
But Lucien grinned at me. "Much better."
Ha! Loved that. 🙂 Go Feyre! You tell 'em. (Lucien, you rule too, don't worry.) How can you not love a character with sass like that?
Writing Style
I absolutely love Sarah J. Maas's writing! Just like in her Throne of Glass series, the world-building was so on-point, I felt like I was in the book itself, and that was amazing!! Every scene I read, I could see it clearly myself, and I can struggle with that quite a bit. She depicted her scenes with a beautiful style and prose, and through it all, I could still see the underlying personality of Feyre, which I loved. Often authors drown out the voice of the character when writing, filling it with words the character would never use, words that do not suit the character. These little things change the character, and I'm so glad this didn't happen in this book.
I also have to mention the humour! This partly ties in with the characters, but I loved the little bits and tidbits of sarcasm, banter, and witty remarks between the characters.
I should've expected this book would be this amazing, since this is Sarah J. Maas we're talking about, and I did, but she did so much more, once again! You know a book is great when you just can't seem to be able to put it down, and that's what happened to me. You want a great plot, cool characters, a swoony (and steamy) romance, and simply love Beauty and the Beast, and Sarah J. Maas? Then my question to you is, "What on earth are you waiting for?!" Exactly. You aren't. 'Cause you're picking up the book right not. Right? RIGHT? Good. (I'm not crazy, I swear.) Although, for readers a bit more young and who prefer only young-adult however, I caution to wait a bit, as this book does have few new-adult themes. The romance scenes especially.
So, you want to eat roses? Too bad. You can eat A Court of Thorns AND Roses though, and that's ten-times better. I promise.


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Uganda: Circular No. 7/2017 – Donation by H.E. the President of Books Titled "Sowing the Mustard Seed" (02.05.2017)
I write what I like.
We can see today how the Kibaale district has turned up for the FDC Convoy and the Presidential Candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye, in high numbers and great spirit. This here is campaign rallies and proving the progress of the campaign where the local public shows trust to him and therefore rallies behind without asking questions.
Dr. Kizza Besigye has visited Kizayo internally displaced people's camp in Kiziranfumbi sub-county in Hoima district. Over 200 people were forcefully evicted february last 2015; one business man Kimera Robert using police. People displayed tear gass cansters which police used to forcefully evict them from the land they have been occupying for 20 years. The Evictee told Besigye that they took the matter to court and court put injuction on eviction which Kimera never heeded to.
Dust repellent! 'Rtd. Col. Dr Besigye Welcome to the world of dust Kibaale District' reads the special T-shirt designed for Dr. Kizza Besigye by supporters in Kibaale District. Kibaale District residents do not know how it feels to have their taxes translate into tarmac as they do not have even an inch of tarmac! #WesigeBesigye
Dr. Kizza Besigye's Message after the rallies today:
"Today we continued with Hoima and we rallied part of Kibaale we are thankful for the hospitality extended to us. Support is massive, it is our duty to protect it using our P10 structures. I call upon all our supporters and Ugandans who want change to continue building the Power 10 structures, this is our mobilization structure to protect our votes and make sure they are counted and in the end count. This is what we have to do in order for us to achieve equal opportunities and shared prosperity for the change we all deserve". #Wesige Besigye
This here proves yet again how the campaign goes for the presidential FDC candidate and people are really behind him, he doesn't ferry this people to the rallies and they show up on their merry. So let's be positive about it 25 days to go, and the momentum is rising for Dr. Kizza Besigye.
Some Governance news form the district during recent years:
Here is a quick brief on governmental issues in Kibaale District like on Forrest Reserves and Schooling, as the government should have addressed already, since they have been in power for so many years.
In 2013 and on schools in the district:
"One government aided schools in Kibaale District are conducting lessons under trees due to acute shortage of classroom blocks as the pupils enrollment shoots up. The need for provision of enough classroom blocks has been witnessed one week after the commencement of second term of academic year 2013 in different government aided primary schools" (104.1 Power FM, 03.06.2013).
On the 10th of August 2015:
"Ruzaire forest reserve in Kibaale district remains a shadow of its former thickness, following increased encroachment by residents, who have up to now defied the 31st July deadline by the National Forest Authority to vacate" (…)"NFA backed by the UPDF and Police on Friday reigned on errant residents, who continue making fresh clearing for another farming season instead of harvesting their produce as agreed. Our reporter was on location as NFA enforced an eviction in which many were arrested from Kabamba Sub County in Kibaale and taken to Kagadi Police" (WBS TV, 10.08.2015).
More on Forrest Reserves:
"Judicial and security authorities in Kibaale District have teamed up with civil society organisations to step up efforts to protect natural resources in the area" (Radio Ankole 99,3 FM, 21.09.2015).
On Cholera outbreak in Kibaale District:
"Medical officials in Kibaale District have registered more than 90 cholera cases, the district health officer, Dr Dan Kyamanywa, has said. The cholera epidemic was confirmed on November 9 and six patients have since died" (89.9 Spice FM Hoima, 07.09.2015).
Message on the 13th January 2016:
"This school need support any Person or Organization, Corporation, Charities, Christian Organization to Donate towards the construction of this Orphans school in Uganda, Kibaale District, the Plan and BOQs you can see by your self. Also the Dormitory Plan and BOQ is on. Thank you in advance" (Kibaale RURAL Development Foundation, 13.01.2016).
That is enough for today. Peace.


text:
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text: GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) Five same-sex couples have been turned down for marriage licenses in a South Carolina county.The couples had expected their requests would be rejected Wednesday in Greenville County because the state's ban on gay marriage still stands.The couples are part of Campaign for Southern Equality's "We Do" project. Supporters of gay marriage get together for a rally and request marriage licenses they know will be turned down. This was the third event in Greenville County. Similar events have been held across the South.The Greenville event happened two days after the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Virginia's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. South Carolina is in the same judicial circuit, but the state plans to continue fighting a lawsuit to overturn its gay marriage ban.


text:
"There is hope after despair and many suns after darkness" – Rumi
We tend to hope and wait for something to miraculously fix that which we accepted and allowed to happen in the first place.
Statements like Rumi's are empty words that mean nothing/hold nothing of substance, yet create the most 'impact' when it comes to our feeble self interest that exists as the aspect that we have accepted and allowed ourselves to exist as, which is the mind as consciousness.
We were looking at yesterday how we have defied the natural laws of the physical reality by creating obnoxious hierarchical schemes that a series of bubbles would never follow through with, as any arrangement that represents a point of abuse cannot simply be sustained at a physical level.
Does HOPE exist or is it necessary as a 'force' to create this perfect physical demonstration of the inherent properties in which matter arranges itself when having to coexist with equals and working as One unit?
Is Love required in order for these bubbles to learn how to arrange themselves in the most perfect way of coexistence that does not even require an actual push by the creator of the bubbles for the matter to arrange themselves in a clear equal disposition in reality ?
Is Peace required for them to agree to coexist within the most stable form wherein all bubbles share an equal amount of space from the first bubble upon which the unit is being built upon?
The answer to all of the above is: No, and this is one single and plain demonstration of how no one had to speak any form of airy-fairy words to create such perfect arrangement of matter in front of our eyes. There is no Resistance stemming from the bubbles to do this – is this a godly force at hand then?*
What has happened with us human beings and words is that we have used them as energy, as consciousness instead of using words as a physical livable consideration of the best way in which we can in fact live as. This means that what we have become is the result of having neglected physical reality and followed only energy as either positive or negative experiences that in no way have a direct correlation to physical reality, but we have instead imposed such experiences onto the physical laws as a violation to this physical natural disposition, creating our current chaos/ inequality/ abuse and suffering just because of having ignored that principles we should all inherently direct ourselves as.
What does this mean?
The moment one react to statements like "There is hope after despair and many suns after darkness" can only indicate that: You are existing only as a programmed mind to react with a self-defined positive experience to words that indicate 'you have nothing to do, you just have to remain in your state of inertia' wherein a future projection/ Imagination process must take place for you to envision this marvelous outcome after the 'darkness' which is what we are currently existing as according to this statement, which is precisely in reverse, I'd say. We are in the era of absolute enlightenment as the ultimate demonstration of ego in its full splendor that uses words like Hope, Love, Peace and Light, Faith, Bliss as a way to Ignore the physical laws that we have violated in the first place, leading us to what Rumi and many other light and love spiritual people consider 'darkness' as the 'bad and the negative.'
Test that for yourself – make some bubbles as it is explained within the section of The Code episode of The sphere, bubbles and how nature's economic laws function – now, speak to the bubbles the word HOPE and see if their arrangement changes to maybe some other marvelous arrangement of sorts, you can also try voicing love, light, peace, joy, happiness, bliss, light, whatever you consider might be 'supportive' for these bubbles to coexist. You can do the opposite then, speak darkness, bad, evil, madness, violence, guilt, remorse, shame and see if the bubbles change their arrangement.
What will happen most likely is that they wont' change no matter how much good positive vibrations/ words you speak to them, their physical stability is not affected by human consciousness.
Now, if you do the same experiment with a human being, most likely the person will react to all such words in both a negative and a positive experience – their body will most certainly remain functioning, breathing, stable as a physical unit, but who they are as the mind might go into an array of energetic experiences that they might even follow through with further imaginations, pictures, judgments, reactions, internal conversations, fears and a plethora of mind-experiences that will eventually create an effect upon the physical body. And so, it would be very clear how we are the only ones that create an instability through our words accepted and allowed to exist only as Energy and participate in such experiences while disregarding the physicality, the constancy and consistency of breath as that certainty of who we really are. It should be very clear with this how we are our own disease and we are our own cure.
The question is, why would we need 'hope' for things to get better if we can instead work on ourselves individually to understand which words are in fact livable, which words can be definitely actions that can be physically lived as humanity to be able to coexist in such a perfect arrangement like the bubbles above? The answer is: there is no need for hope, we have just created these words to protect self interest, because the reality is that we have not willed ourselves to coexist in such equality-arrangement as bubbles and acting as one single unit composed of various individualized expressions, all sharing equal parts of the main foundation which is the bubble in the center. This thus implies that we don't really require hope or imagination or reactions of emotions and feelings to create a solution in this world and that the only obstacle is our own ego/ self interest/ desire to have 'more' of space while neglecting that such decisions lead to unbearable consequences, which is what we are living now in our world.
The solution is being shown by the bubbles themselves which are the same laws that nature in itself is also functioning as. The only external factor that has caused consequence is the human being of course, and not even who we are as physical beings as our physical bodies function within similar processes as any organic entity in this world – thus, it is only who we are as consciousness, as the energy system that has taken the wheel of our beingness in order to exist as the ultimate self interest experience wherein we have certainly Not ever questioned why it is that we have accepted some to have it all and some to have none and as such, create the most heinous imbalance in reality that has existed from the very beginning of our existence, we have just come to the pinnacle of it again and as such, we're also existing in the most important times we'll ever face in our current reality: the absolute possibility of Self-Correction and Self-Responsibility in order to align ourselves to a Best for All Outcome.
We are presenting the Equal Money System which is exemplified perfectly by the natural arrangement of the bubbles above. Each individual sharing, coexisting as equals with equal support and opportunity to live in the most optimal condition while coexisting in one single unit as a whole.
Many say nature is wise, but it is even wiser to actually learn from the physical laws that are existing as the arrangement that enables the sustainability and trust that we can have on the constancy and consistency that this physical reality represents, and actually implement it as the laws and regulations we can found our lives upon on Earth – who we are as the mind varies from second to second, from word to word spoken to another human being as the example I placed above – how could such flimsy self-experience could be the reality of ourselves? How could we be trust worthy with life if we dare to abuse the physical in the name of an energetic positive or negative experience? We simply can't.
The Equality System also represents a physical preventive set of regulations that will ensure no need for hope or faith is ever looked for again within humans, it is quite obvious that such words stem after the 'boat has sunk' and as such, represent an illusory correction to a problem that could have been prevented in the first place. There is absolutely no point in indulging in words that represent a nothingness, an insubstantiality that cannot be physically lived but instead, we can simply erase Hope from our vocabulary and turn it into a disposition and willingness to coexist as equals, without any resistance, without any fear as those points can only exist within the who we are as the ego of the mind, as consciousness.
Bubbles of self interest floating around just fall and disappear – bubbles that stick together become more resistant as they are sharing their beingness to create a more stable structure, even if of course eventually all bubbles will be burst, just like ourselves having a defined lifetime wherein the last question that I'll leave here is the following:
It's clear that all of that which is not directly linked to and supporting what is Real as the physical reality will have to be eliminated, the same as any word that is simply not supporting the expression of who we really are but instead have become the very shackles we have accepted and allowed as a way to remain idle, waiting and hoping for something to resolve the Matters at Hand.
Would you want to remain only as a lonely bubble drifting around with no direction or cause, or would you want to be a bubble that instead joins other bubbles to create a stable and consistent environment that is for sure a more enjoyable way of living as one and in equality?
If you opt for the second choice, join us at
Desteni Forum
Desteni I Process
Desteni Lite Process – Free Online Course
Journey To Life Blogs
Equal Money System
Gian's Vlog on Hope
Bernard Poolman: Give Up All Hope
Bernard Poolman – Most Positive Message on Earth
2012 – Equal Money is an Act of Mercy
Day 251: ESP and God – ADC – Part 98
Creating the Future, from the Past in the Present (Part Two): DAY 251
Interviews to Understand the Physical Matters in this world and how to walk through a Self Corrective process to ensure we Never again recreate the use of hope but instead live as a constant solution to this reality.


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21 February 2012 12:07 PM (guile | scheme | palindrome | fscons | gnu)
Our time aligns on strange axes, sometimes. Last palindrome day, 11/11/11, found me walking the streets of Gothenburg with Werner Koch, the GPG maintainer. Werner said that in Germany, the carnival season opens on the 11th of November, at 11:11:11 in the morning. Today, 21022012, closes the carnival week here in Catalunya.
I was in Gothenburg for FSCONS. It so happens that the videos for the talk I gave there, Guile: Free Software Means of Production, just came out last week. So, as another point along that carnival axis, I offer in <video> form:
Alternately you can download the video directly (~112MB, 50 minutes). There are notes too, a superset of the slides from the talk.
As I said back then, this one was aimed at folks that didn't necessarily know very much about Guile. It was also different from other talks in that it emphasized Guile as a general programming environment, not as an extension language. Guile is both things, and as the general-purpose side gets a lot less publicity, I wanted to emphasize it in this talk.
In the last 20 minutes or so, we did a live-hack. Inspired by a tweet by mattmight, we built Bitter, a one-bit Twitter. I tried to convey what it's like to hack in Guile, with some success I think. Source code for the live-hack, such as it is, is linked to at the end of the page.


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2011 team
Ante Qu
Traveling Team
Princeton Junction, NJ
West Windsor - Plainsboro High School South
Grade: Senior
computer programming, food, computer games, running
Science Olympiad, Science Bowl, math club, chess club, Christian club, Orchestra, Cross Country
USAMO, PUMaC, HMMT, Moody's, USACO, Science Olympiad, Science Bowl, and US Physics Team
I'm someone who asks a lot of questions. Ever since I was young I've asked interesting questions like "Why am I specifically me?" to which I have not exactly been able to answer. It wasn't until I was 12 years old that I started believing in God and trusting in Him. I realized only someone like God could change my heart and mindset so drastically and rapidly, and I became a Christian soon after.
Becoming a Christian didn't directly answer, reduce or change my questions, but it provided me with a mindset in which everything became clearer. I believe everything has a purpose, and God has a plan. Best of all, I have a sense of security that answers exist to every question.
I was first interested in physics in 7th grade when I got a kinetic yo-yo from somewhere (it's one of those toys with plastic balls that spin around and collide into each other) and tried to apply what I learned in science to explain why one ball stopped moving when another started. It took me almost two years before I finally understood it, and then my comprehension of physics grew after that. My physics teacher, Mr. Field, introduced me to this competition in my freshman year, and I've taken it every year since.
Last year at Physics Team Training Camp, we were given kinetic yo-yos (and I learned for the first time that they're called "kinetic yo-yos") to give to our congressmen, and there were some leftover for us to play around with. Seeing this toy again was one of the many parts of camp that reminded me of how I became interested in physics in the first place. As a result, physics camp remains in me as one of the most memorable experiences, and I look forward to coming again.
Also, I like Chinese food (and similar foods like Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese), so if you ever feel like having some, feel free to invite me.
Disclaimer: Information in Physics Team profiles is provided by the Team members and is in no way a reflection of AAPT's opinions or views.


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Technology is a powerful tool for teaching and learning. Access to technology creates opportunities to develop "new" literacies and engage in inclusive and collaborative relationships that help us bridge physical and sociocultural distances. A commitment to the meaningful and transformative use of technology is reflected in the teaching, scholarship and service of SoEHHP faculty. This commitment is evident in the design of our programs, the learning experiences of our students, and our collaborative work with our community.
Technology Integration at Fairmont State University opportunities to engage in digital learning and to use technologies to support meaningful learning are integrated throughout our undergraduate and graduate programs. Visit this showcase of technology integration to see samples of the ways students are using technology to teach and learn.
The School of Education, Health and Human Performance commitment to digital learning and the meaningful use of technology is represented in our new graduate program in Digital Media, New Literacies and Learning.


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Our retrospective letter series continues with part three.
An index of all letters can be found here.
From: Kirk Hamilton
To: Leigh Alexander
Subject: I Choo-Choo-Choose
"What do you choose, and why?"
I'm glad you asked. I'm tempted to answer, "I choose choice!" but there's more to it than that.
Player Choice has become something of a Big Marketing Buzzword these days—many AAA games offer some kind of choice, or at least the illusion of choice, and multiple endings are just as marketable as multiple weapon loadouts. In Fable II, do I choose to specialize in magic, even if it causes me to look like some sort of radioactive freak? In Mass Effect, do I choose to pacify the colonists, or do I simply shoot them en route to my goal? Do I free the captured slaves in Fallout 3, or do I join the slavers and go capture more innocents? Or do I simply kill everyone and be done with it?
In truth, Deus Ex's choices aren't nearly so constrained as either Mass Effect or Fable, nor are they quite as open to interpretation as Fallout. But I like how many of the choices in the game go beyond simply "did you kill or not" and "with whom did you side in [this conflict]?"
Part of what makes the choices in Deus Ex interesting to me is the lack of clarity surrounding them, and indeed, the game. In fact, I think that the opacity of the experience is one of the things that can make it so unwelcoming to newcomers; too much opacity, too soon, perhaps.
Do we really require a reassurance that "Yes, you are making a decision here"?
But in referencing these newer choice-based games, I must say how strange that we are "learning" a way to make choices in games… color-coded responses, crystal-clear button prompts. The world sits and waits as the game asks us, "Are you sure?" Deus Ex, on the other hand, has us making choices we didn't even realize we were making. It feels somewhat uncomfortable after years of explicit decision-making, but it also feels refreshing and dare I say a bit dangerous.
Do we really require a reassurance that "Yes, you are making a decision here"? The choices in Deus Ex are organic, particularly as the game gets more complex; one of my favorite things about this game was finishing my first playthrough and talking with other people only to realize that I could have done things that I never even knew were possible.
In a lot of games, there is an Option A and an Option B. In games like Deus Ex, there is frequently an Option C, D, and even an E that exists so far outside the proverbial box that it's all the way back in. Games of that ilk are feeling rarer and rarer; indeed, it's as though Bethesda is the only studio still making them. No doubt this is due in large part to how expensive and time-consuming games have gotten to make—one shudders at the thought of dedicating a week to writing and programming three hours' worth of content that the majority of players won't even see.
But then, what to make of the paradox that the very thing that makes those choices cool ("Wow, I played the game twice and had no idea that was even possible!") is the thing that makes them so difficult to implement?
It's also worth making the distinction between choice and customizability. Earlier this week, you sent me a funny email about how Army Space Man did some redecorating by stealing the UNATCO flag and lifting plants out of Manderley's office. (Picture is to the side here). I'm impressed with Army Space Man's lovely office! He did a lot with the tools made available to him, and has certainly demonstrated a good deal more flair for interior design than my own Dent ArthurDent.
In rearranging things as you did, do you feel as though you're testing the game's limits? Bucking against the unappealing flatness of it all? I get the sense that you want to make yourself known, to put your mark on this world; and understandably, that desire is only heightened by the drab surroundings, and, it must be said, the drab protagonist. JC Denton exists in that weird place in between "blank slate" and "expressive, fully realized character." He's not Gordon Freeman, and yet he's not Solid Snake, so it's hard to figure out just what our relationship is to him.
If anything, the morals of Deus Ex play out through the secondary characters, primarily JC's brother Paul (and lo, how the biblical allusions continued, and they were good). As the story proceeds, you'll begin to get an inkling of the conflict to come, and where on the moral spectrum the various characters come down.
The fundamental quality of "choice" presents a challenge not just to game designers, but to storytellers as well. Would the impact of a Metal Gear game be diminished if at the end, players were allowed to make huge, narrative-altering decisions? Would the character of Snake be diminished? After all, it is possible to play through MGS4 killing people right and left, and it is equally possible to play the game as a borderline pacifist. But when it comes time for the big decisions, Snake makes them himself. I'm curious—as an avowed Metal Gear diehard, do you find that you prefer it when your protagonists are defined? And perhaps more importantly, if there were a skin or mod that let you make JC look like Snake, would you use it?
PS Hey maybe that mod is real, and our commenters can tell us where to find it.
PPS I'm kidding.
PPPS Sort of.
From: Leigh Alexander
To: Kirk Hamilton
Subject: Re: I Choo-Choo-Choose
Hiya Kirk,
It's interesting when you talk about the opacity of choice as being something that feels rare to you, feels dated. I hate to keep coming back to the cultural divide between PC gamers and console gamers — which can be extrapolated in the most broad, general sense possible to "people who were raised by Western games" and "people who were raised by Japanese games."
See, the opacity is what I like about Deus Ex so far. But I disagree that games like that aren't being made anymore. Look at even something as recent as Catherine — it has eight endings, and only an extremely dedicated niche has been able to parse out what choices and behaviors create which outcome beyond the obvious.
Most of the Japanese-bred story-driven console games with which I spent most of my younger life have that sort of vagueness; you don't know what kinds of decisions the game will judge you for until the credits roll. Once you've played enough of them it can engender this kind of paranoia that I actually find fun: Will the game notice if I don't take care of my health? Does it make a difference how much damage the hostage takes? Types of weapons I choose?
Since you don't know what will happen, you learn to become pretty vigilant about your values — you don't know if the game "knows" how many health packs you consume or "cares about" that, but just in case it does, you're going to use as few as possible. Or wait, maybe you should use as many as possible? Shit, I dunno! We'll see when we win, right?
Call me crazy, but I think this stuff is actually really fun. More exciting than looking forward to your final "score" is the game's ultimate judgment of you as a player. Like getting the results of an IQ test, or some internet personality quiz. And I was pretty thrilled when I caught on that Deus Ex might be that kind of game. You and I have privately decided on what game we're going to base next month's letter series on — let's not spoil the audience, but I'll tell you that one is big on the opaque character judgment, and that's part of why I love it.
Call me crazy, but I think this stuff is actually really fun.
Because you're right; this idea of "player choice" has become huge in recent years, even defining, especially for great big RPGs. But the polarities have become extreme enough to be quite obvious; the old "will you slaughter these puppies, or give them to these orphans?" trope, or variations thereupon. Generally you know what sort of outcome the choices you're making lead to, or what sort of values they suggest. I liked what Fallout 3 did with certain ethical conundrums; they were more complex, to where I felt like I'd really have to examine myself, weigh my idea of the greater good (or evil, as the case may be!) to decide.
Still, I'm with you; the best choices are organic choices, and not the blinking, color-coded road signs that we've started to see in the modern landscape. Sometimes in real life the choices we make are considered and purposeful, and other times they're immediate reactions to a high-pressure situation; sometimes we don't have time to think. and we just react. Like when in Deus Ex, I realize I've wandered into an optional situation by mistake — I'd planned to avoid a certain course of action, but in the thick of it, Army Space Man's survival becomes more important, so I see it through. Or I figure, well, I've wandered over here, why don't I finish what I started?
In that way, my playthrough so far has a happy spontaneity that I can chalk up in part to the fact that my experience feels just piecemeal enough that I'm not really registering the overall narrative thread. I play like an actor; I understand my objective moment to moment. I'm interested in the characters (I mean, Anna can go die in a fire, and we do NOT talk like these supposed New Yorker NPCs, but other than that), and I'm seeing an interesting personal story shaping up for Army Space Man. I appreciate the emails and the books and the tiny precious details that set the tone for the world. But I think I'm not very interested in the larger storyline, as it is; so far it's blah-blah NSF, blah blah hostages, something something medicine, political something, augmented something...
But I think when a game's missions require such thought, such precision, and when the playing field approaches a certain level of complexity, it gets like that; you think about and cope with what's in front of you and you generally understand who you are and where you're going and why, even if you only retain the larger threads when they are necessary. Actually, Metal Gear Solid is like that for me. I can answer loads of trivia about the games, but if you asked me to describe the entire story? Hah, that convoluted (wonderful! brilliant! Meta!)mess? Are you kidding me?
You asked about Solid Snake; I think he also exists somewhat in that strange plain between "fully realized" and "blank slate." I think, at least, Army "JC Denton" Space Man is given the same amount of initial characterization as Solid Snake is given in the original Metal Gear Solid game. You could, I think, swap them, aside from the specificities of the augmentation program.
The interesting thing about Snake is that I think over time he became simultaneously a spokesperson for the director of his story as well as for his player. Yeah, you can play as a pacifist or as an aggressive soldier, but the game is knit so neatly that it works either way. Either way, it tells you something about yourself, and about the act of playing video games, that the developer wanted you to think about. There are messages, but they're open to interpretation.
In a way, I think that makes him a stronger character, one that can exist, be plausible no matter what I do. I like choice, but ultimately I like the idea of an authored character. My interior design experiment in Army Space Man's office was, I think, my way of expressing that I don't believe in him; that I think he's ultimately a construct, a toy.
Or maybe I'm just afraid of major, narrative-altering decisions, of being able to do things and then regret them later. I can't tell. I've unwittingly stumbled into making Army Space Man a good guy, pretty much — we'll see what I do when it gets hard for me to keep playing him that way, huh?
Do you have a favorite part of this game, something for me to really look forward to? Is there a moment that defines Deus Ex for you? Why is everyone in this game's world so careless with their ATM PINs?
PS: No, I wouldn't skin him as Snake. I'd miss crawling too much.
Coming up next week in Part 4: JC makes some tough decisions, and we go deeper into the night of New York City.
You can contact Kirk Hamilton, the author of this post, at email@example.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page.


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As a parent of a former Girl Scout, I know the new year means one thing for our young girls in green vests and sashes: Cookies are coming.
Of all the fund-raisers your kids do (and you know there are a ton), this one is always an easy sell. When my daughter was involved in a local troop, we had friends and neighbors beating down our door or emailing me about their favorite cookies. "When is she selling? I NEED eight boxes of Lemonades now."
The cookies are a sweet addiction.
Orange County troops sold 2.5 million boxes of cookies in 2012. This year, cookie sales begin Sunday. Most of the eight varieties will feature your favorites – Thin Mints, Lemonades, Peanut Butter Patties, Shortbread, Thanks-a-lot, Caramel deLites and Peanut Butter Sandwich. But this year, a new flavor, Mango Crèmes, is replacing the caramelized, Belgian-style Shout-Out cookie.
In a twist, the vanilla and coconut cookie with mango crème filling is infused with added fruit nutrients. (Think Jamba Juice vitamin boost.)
ABC Bakers, one of two bakery suppliers used by troops across America, developed the cookie based on market research that showed "people want to enjoy a treat but are looking for a little something extra in terms of nutrients," said Emilie Perkins, a spokeswoman for Girl Scouts of Orange County.
"The addition of the Mango Crèmes marries indulgence and a healthier option for cookies," she said.
In its third year, the Scouts also are sticking to the new direct-sales strategy. In the past, troops would take orders and deliver cookies three to four weeks later. For some fanatics, the wait was agonizing. Now, troops pre-order their inventory and receive shipments Jan. 26. They start selling the next day. Each box costs $4.
Booth sales start Feb. 15. However, on Feb. 8, Orange County troops will be selling cookies from 4-8 p.m. at Mimi's Café, Yogurt-land and El Pollo Loco restaurants.
More info: www.girlscoutsoc.org/cookies-more
When longtime friends Chi-Lin Pendergrast and Brooke DesPrez launched a public sampling party for their gourmet doughnuts and French-pressed coffee, about 10 people showed up.
"And we knew all of them," Pendergrast says with a laugh, recalling the first October event.
But thanks to social media, namely Instagram, word spread about Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee.
Each weekly tasting, held in Costa Mesa, grew larger as people caught a glimpse Sidecar's savory and sweet artisan doughnuts. Some of the indulgent flavors included Birthday Cake, Banana Nutella, Huckleberry, Devils Food, Maple Bacon and Samoa. The latter is a tribute to the popular Girl Scout cookie by the same name. It is topped with toasted coconuts and a chocolate glaze.
By the time the last "sampling" event rolled around before the holidays, Pendergrast said, "there was a 40-minute wait" for doughnuts.
Testing is now over, and Sidecar is set to open next month in Costa Mesa. The 17th Street café will feature French-pressed coffee from Stumptown – a high-profile Oregon roaster with a string of cafes in Portland, Seattle and New York. On Friday, Kean Coffee, owned by local coffee roasting pioneer Martin Diedrich, will start selling Sidecar gourmet doughnuts in Tustin and Newport Beach.
"It's a doughnut like no one's had before. It's taking doughnuts to the next level," Diedrich said.
He added that he has been searching for a high-quality doughnut that matched the flavors he's tasted at iconic shops such as Top Pot in Seattle, Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland and Dynamo in San Francisco. After trying Sidecar's treats for the first time a few weeks ago, he knew he wanted them in his coffeehouses.
"This was it. This was the one," said Diedrich, who also sells Blackmarket Bakery goods in his cafes.
Most doughnuts will cost about $2.50.
To celebrate the Kean Coffee launch, Sidecar is hosting a kickoff party Friday at the Newport Beach location and Sunday at the Tustin location. Each event starts at 10 a.m. and will feature samples provided from Sidecar's refurbished bakery van – a retro truck outfitted with wooden drawers from an old Helms Bakery van.
Sidecar address: 270 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa. Follow my Twitter page (@fastfoodmaven) for updates on the opening date.
Kean Coffee locations: 13681 Newport Ave., Tustin, and 2043 Westcliff Drive, Newport Beach.
If you've noticed anything astray lately at Cucina Alessá's Huntington Beach and Newport Beach locations, there's a reason. Chef-owner Alessandro Pirozzi, who launched the first Alessa in Newport Beach in 2008, said he "severed" ties with those restaurants in late December.
Under his new restaurant company, Pirozzi Culinary Collection, Pirozzi said "his time and attention" will now focus on his Laguna Beach restaurants: Alessá Laguna Beach and Mare Culinary Lounge.
Teri Williams, a spokeswoman for Pirozzi, said the chef is developing new concepts that are slated to open later this year in Orange County.
Pirozzi, a native of Naples, developed Alessa's menu from recipes taught to him by his grandmother. After debuting Alessa in Newport Beach, Pirozzi opened the next one in Huntington Beach in May 2009 and the Laguna location in November 2010.
The latest food stories:
- Ruby's closes Seal Beach Pier location
- Restaurant Openings in Orange County
- 13 restaurants to watch in 2013
Contact the writer: email@example.com


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After Monster director Patty Jenkins left Thor 2, Marvel Studios had to move fast to find a replacement in time for the November 15, 2013 release date. According to Deadline, director Alan Taylor — who's helmed several episodes of Game of Thrones (including the Season 1 finale), Mad Men, and The Sopranos — will be her replacement. Hey, George R.R. Martin is a documented Avengers fan. Let's hope some power-drunk executive green-lights a Littlefinger versus Fandral moustache-off.
Is AI Moving Too Fast? | Future Tech


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Investigators think they've uncovered a key clue that will lead them to solve the mystery of what happened to legendary aviator Amelia Earhart, who disappeared on a trans-Pacific flight 75 years ago.
Ric Gillespie, executive director of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), said a new enhanced analysis of a photo taken on the Pacific atoll of Nikumaroro, formerly Gardner Island, three months after Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared, may show the landing gear of her Lockheed Electra protruding from a reef.
"We found some really fascinating and compelling evidence," Gillespie said at a news conference in Washington on Tuesday.
"Finding the airplane would be the thing that would make it conclusive," he said.
Gillespie said the photo was taken by a British survey team in October 1937 and had been seen by Earhart researchers many times. But investigators took a new look at it in 2010 and, when their suspicions were triggered, had the photo checked by U.S. State Department experts. In a blind review, they determined the component in the picture is the landing gear of a Lockheed Electra.
"This is where the airplane went into the drink," Gillespie said.
On July 2, 75 years to the day after Earhart was last heard from, Gillespie will depart Honolulu on a University of Hawaii research vessel to try to find that plane in the deep waters off a flat reef on Nikumaroro.
The privately funded effort will use robotic submarines from Phoenix International, the U.S. Navy's primary contractor for deep ocean search and recovery, to comb the area. The Discovery Channel will film the exploration for a TV presentation, Gillespie said.
Gillespie acknowledged there would be skeptics after his 23 years of searching for Earhart had yet to yield an answer.
"There are some very smart people who think we're wrong about this, but there are some very smart people who think we're right about this," he said.
One Gillespie supporter is Robert Ballard, the explorer who found the Titanic and other deep sea wrecks, who called himself "a ringer" brought in to vet Gillespie's case.
Ballard said he had rejected offers to look for Earhart's plane, thinking the task too difficult.
"If you ever wanted a case of finding a needle in a haystack, this is at the top of the list in deep sea exploration," he said at the Washington press conference.
Ballard said he did a strict analysis of Gillespie's research and signed off on the science.
"Every time he passed the test," Ballard said. "Clearly the smoking gun was the analysis of that enhanced image."
Earhart and Noonan disappeared while on a flight from New Guinea to Howland Island that summer of 1937. The flat reef off Gardner Island, 300 miles off their course, had been a suspected landing spot. But those suspicions were largely based on speculation.
At Tuesday's press conference, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell called the disappearance of Earhart "the last great unsolved mystery of the 20th century."
If the mystery is solved this summer, Earhart's aviation trailblazing will have played a part, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said.
"In no small part because of Amelia Earhart our world is smaller," LaHood said. "This very voyage to recover her remains in some ways is doable because of Earhart herself."
"We take a special measure of pride in an expedition that is as enterprising and inspiring as the woman with which it will unite us," he said.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saluted Earhart's memory, too.
"Her legacy resonates today for anyone girls and boys who dreams about the stars," Clinton said. "She gave people hope and she inspired them to dream bigger and bolder."
They said' we found a part of Amelia Earharts plane.
im scared.
Amelia Earths? Very interesting history. Amelia Cervantez was my grantsmother mom. She was born in Spain some time on 1937. I share part of my life with brave Amelia Cervantez, this happen at the Pacific Coast of Michioacan Mexiico. More or less on 1969. I mist Amalia, a Lady who teach me how to survive. Be on Peace Amalia .
What is that figure in the water if you go straight down from the big rock on the beach. It looks like someone walking in the ocean near the plane???
the figure in the water is the Loch Ness Monster. If you want to find Amelia Earharts plane, just call John Cameron. I think he's looking for something to do.


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Unique Jewelry Collection Inspired by Nature
©Copyright by Carolina Russo
If you are interested to purchase my Limited Edition Jewelry Designs please contact me for prices (in the near future I will add prices here in the Gallery) or any questions you may have. Click on the photos in this gallery to see them enlarged! Each piece has their own story inspired by the beautiful natural stones, their meaning and powers.
You can always send me a Custom Order and purchase via PayPal directly here on my Blog just fill in the Order Form and I will get back to you soon!
If you like any of these pieces they are made to order and you can purchase here on the Blog, directly from me! Each piece from this Collection would be custom made especially for you!


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5 things Trump needs to do in the final debate
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton meet one final time before Election Day, squaring off Wednesday in Las Vegas in their third debate. Trump, beleaguered by the fallout from the now-infamous Access Hollywood recording and subsequent allegations of sexual misconduct, needs nothing short of a tour de force performance to revive his chances of catching Clinton before Nov. 8.
Here are five things Trump needs to do in Wednesday's debate.
1. Decide whether to be the "issues" Trump or the "take-no-prisoners" Trump
During the campaign, Trump has oscillated between issue-oriented speeches and slam-bang rallies in which he accuses Hillary and Bill Clinton of all kinds of misbehavior. In recent days, he's ramped up charges that critics, including the media, are trying to "rig" the election against him. The more aggressive Trump showed up at the last debate — along with a few of Bill Clinton's past accusers, invited by the Trump campaign — in St. Louis on Oct. 9, generating what was perhaps the nastiest debate in presidential history. Will the showdown in Las Vegas be worse?
Rigged election? A chorus of complaint from Team Trump
2. Address women directly
Trump will likely be called upon to defend himself against claims by more than a dozen women who have accused him of unwanted sexual advances. There's also the recording made public earlier this month in which Trump talks about how he can grab, grope and kiss women because he is a celebrity. As a result, the Republican nominee's approval ratings with women — never high to begin with — have dipped even more in recent days. Trump needs to use this debate to improve his standing among female voters, who make up more than half the electorate. That includes female Republicans, who could put traditionally red states in play for Clinton if they defect in significant enough numbers.
Here are 12 women who made allegations against Trump this week
3. Act presidential
This is Trump's last chance to pass the presidential threshold test in front of a television audience of tens of millions. He must prove he has the knowledge and the temperament to be president and commander in chief, attributes voters have expressed doubts about after the first two debates. The New York businessman has never held public office, and his lack of familiarity with the challenges of the job have become apparent. One of the scheduled debate topics is "fitness to be president," and Trump needs to rise to that challenge.
Topics announced for final Clinton-Trump debate
4. It's not just about her
Trump needs to get beyond attacking Clinton (and her husband). He needs to talk about what he would do as president and what kind of vision he would bring to the presidency. Look for Trump to talk more about issues, such as his new proposed political ethics reforms. Another scheduled debate topic should be in Trump's wheelhouse: immigration, which didn't surface during the first two sessions with Clinton.
Third Trump-Clinton debate could provide explosive finale
5. Avoid a big blow-up
Trump has expressed deep anger on the campaign as the allegations against him have mounted. They don't make much difference with his supporters, but angry outbursts would not play well on a nationally televised debate stage. Trump needs to be cool, calm and collected as he debates the Democrat seeking to be the first female president, a rival who has questioned the Republican's very stability.
• QUIZ: Test your memory of general election debates
• INTERACTIVE: Decide the next president's path to the White House
• POLL TRACKER: Check out the latest presidential polling averages


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YESH! It's Foodie Penpal Reveal Day!
It was my first time participating but I'm SO happy that I overcame my hesitation and joined. Vita spoiled me with a big box of vegan goodies from Lithuania. Thank you so much!!!
She enclosed a lovely card in fall colours (and glitter — I love sparkly stuff!), explaining the contents of the parcel and her choices. So nice! And handy, since I can't read Lithuanian labels. :) Are you curious??? Here's what I got!
Up front is my biggest treasure: Vita's home-made almond butter with a Dutch label. Vita studied my language for a shortwhile in the past! Wow. I haven't tried the spread yet because I want to cherish it a little while longer and I didn't want to open everything at once. I expect it will be awesome on some hot toast… So I've taken the necessary steps to finally get a new toaster – ours has been broken for two years! I can't wait till the morning when I'll be slathering this fluid gold on my first toast for ages. Mmmmm.
Speaking of gold, you should taste some of the pine bud syrup from the bottle at the back! OMG it's delicious! I crowned it as my new favourite sweetener, leaving agave syrup far behind. I guess I'll be booking shopping trips to Lithuania soon! ;)
But for now Vita appropriately sent me Lithuanian Vitamins, to get through winter. These freeze-dried strawberries melt in your mouth and have the full taste of fresh ones, though a bit more sour than I expected. Lovely! Perfect for breakfast, bento, or on the road. I bet Mr Gnoe is going to appreciate these a lot, but I haven't let him taste any yet. I secretly enjoyed them on my own first. :)
I also got two kinds of cookies, the sweet-ish taste of which slightly reminds me of the Liga bars from my childhood. My mother never bought those, but I got them at a friends house. ;) The poppy seed balls are called kūčiukai, Lithuanian traditional pastries for Christmas Eve. You're supposed to eat them with poppy seed milk, but as I had no idea what that is and the recipe is pretty time-consuming, I just had them with roasted cauliflower soup. A good combination! Though probably sacrilege. ;) The cookie rings in the green bag are organic wheat "Javine crisps"; Javinés traškučiai.
Now whát are those bright green and pink chips in a bag almost at the back??? Candied radishes! Sounds scary, I know, but they're quite good. I cannot explain what they taste like, more than "candied radishes", which doesn't do them justice. ;)
Last but not least there's Vita's favourite nutty buckwheat pasta left to try, and a slice of plum cheese. I'm particularly curious about the latter, which I'll be having at tea-time or dessert. Maybe after a dinner of buckwheat macaroni with a creamy mushroom sauce and almond topping. :) That brings us to a full circle!
I thoroughly enjoyed this first Foodie Penpal exchange. I hope Vita did too, as well as Sara, the recipient of my parcel in London. She'll be writing a guest post on Graasland! But for now, please check out some other Foodie Penpal revelations from the link-up.
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Join us with a food related post in Beth Fish's Weekend Cooking!