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Has anyone tried to replicate Santer's Table 1 and 3 results? It's not as easy as it looks. What's tricky is that the table looks pretty easy (and most of it is), but, if you assume that it's done in a conventional way, you'll get wrongfooted. In fairness, Santer provided an equation for the unconventional calculation, but it's easy to miss what he did and I was unable to verify one of the legs for the unconventional method using profile likelihood methods on the UAH data. The difference is non-negligible (about 0.05 deg C/decade in the upper CI trend).
We've also had some debate between beaker and Lucia over whether there was a typo in Santer's equation – Lucia saying no, beaker yes. Lucia said that she emailed Gavin seeking clarification, but she hasn't reported back to my recollection. Anyway, I can now see what Santer is doing in Table III and can objectively confirm Lucia's interpretation over beaker's.
Now here it is in a digital format (collated from the pdf to make comparisons handy)
Next let's collect the UAH series for 1979-99 on (using a script on file at CA), dividing the year scale by 10 (because Table 1 is in deg C/decade):
year=c(time(x))/10;N=length(x);N #252
Column 3 ("S.D.") matches the obvious calculation almost exactly:
c(sd(x),santer[id,"sd"]) # 0.300 0.299
The OLS trend calculations are pretty close, but suggest that the UAH version used in Santer et al 2008 may not be a 2008 version.
fm= lm (x~year)
c(fm$coef[2],santer[id,"trend"]) # 0.0591 0.0600
The AR1 coefficients from the OLS residuals are a bit further apart than one would like – it may be due to a different version of the UAH data or to some difference between Santer's arima algorithm and the R version. (This is the step where Gavin got wrongfooted over at Lucia's, as he did arima calculations for Lucia on the original series x rather than the residuals, as he acknowledged when I pointed it out to him.)
r= arima (fm$residuals,order=c(1,0,0))$coef[1]; #
c(r,santer[id,"r1″]) # 0.888 0.891
This difference leads to a 3% difference in the N_eff:
neff= N * (1-r)/(1+r) ;
r1= santer[id,"r1″]
c(neff,N * (1-r1)/(1+r1) , santer[id,"neff"]) ; #15.0 14.5 14.5
Now for the part that's a little bit tricky. Santer describes an adjustment of the number of degrees of freedom for autocorrelation according to the following equation:
My instinct in implementing this adjustment was to multiple the standard error of the slope from the linear regression model by sqrt(N/N_eff) as follows, but this left the result about 7% narrower than Santer:
c(sqrt(N/santer[id,"neff"])*summary(fm)$coef[2,"Std. Error"], santer[id,"se"] ) # 0.129 0.138
It took me quite a while to figure out where the difference lay. First, the standard error of the slope in the regression model can be described in first principles as the ssq of the residuals divided by the degrees of freedom (fm$df = N-2) and the ssq of the time intervals (ssx):
c(summary(fm)$coef[2,"Std. Error"],sqrt(sum(fm$residuals^2)/fm$df /ssx) )
# 0.031 0.031
Santer appears to calculate his slope SE from first principles, describing the operation as follows:
If the N_eff -2 is used for the adjustment instead of N_eff, the Santer standard error of the slope can be derived:
c( summary(fm)$coef[2,"Std. Error"] * sqrt( (N-2)/(santer[id,"neff"]-2)) , santer[id,"se"] )
# 0.139 0.138
Santer did not provide a statistical citation for the subtraction of 2 in this context, but was conscious enough of the issue to raise the matter in the SI (though not the article):
The "-2" in equation (5) requires explanation.
Speaking in general terms, I don't like the idea of experimental statistical methods being used in contentious applied problems. After a short discussion in the SI, they argue that their method is not penalizing the Douglass results because their method tends to run slightly low and thereby give a higher N_eff than the data itself:
The small positive bias in rejection rates arises in part because r1, the sample value of the lag-1 autocorrelation coefficient (which is estimated from the regression residuals of the synthetic time series) is a biased estimate of the population value of a1 used in the AR-1 model (Nychka et al., 2000).
Unfortunately Nychka et al 2000 does not appear in the list of references and does not appear at Nychka's list of publications. In the predecessor article (Santer et al JGR 2000), the corresponding academic reference was check-kited (Nychka et al, manuscript in preparation), but 8 years later, the check still seems not to have cleared. (I've written Nychka seeking clarification on this and will report further if anything changes.) [Update – we've tracked down Nychka et al 2000 through a 2007 citation to it as an unpublished manuscript. The link at UCAR is dead, but the article is available here (pdf). Even though the article has not appeared in the "peer reviewed" literature, it is a sensible technical report and has much of interest. It builds on Zwiers and von Storch (J Clim 1995), another sensible article. It's not clear to me as of Oct 23 that the method in Santer et al 2008 is the same as the methods in Nychka et al 2000, but I'll look at this. ]
In the running text, they purport to justify their procedure using a difference reference:
The key point to note here is that our paired trends test is slightly liberal – i.e., it is more likely to incorrectly reject hypothesis H1 (see Section 4)
Turning to section 4, it states:
Experiments with synthetic data reveal that the use of an AR-1 model for calculating N_eff tends to overestimate the true effective sample size (Zwiers and von Storch, 1995). This means that our d test is too liberal …
I attempted to test this claim by comparing the Santer CIs to the CIs calculated using the profile likelihood method described previously. The black colors show 1999 data – which is the only data discussed here. The dotted vertical lines show the 95% CI intervals calculated from profile likelihood. The black dots show the intervals calculated using a sqrt(N/N_eff) adjustment relative to the maximum likelihood slope under AR1 – which in this case appears to be less than the OLS slope. The black triangles show the Santer confidence intervals.
The Santer 95% upper CI is 0.051 deg C higher than my result (0.336 vs 0.285). This result is exactly opposite to the assertion in Santer's SI, as the expanded confidence intervals would make it more difficult to show inconsistency (rather than less difficult.)
I think that one can see how the Santer method might actually over-estimate the AR1 coefficient of the residuals relative to the maximum likelihood method that I used. The Santer results are NOT maximum likelihood for the combination of trend and AR1 coefficient. They calculate the slope and then the AR1 coefficient given the slope, whereas I did a joint maximization over both the slope and AR1 coefficient using profile likelihoods. In the specific examples, the AR1 coeffficient of this method is less than the Santer (N_eff -2) coefficient. This makes sense – the slope in the combined ML result is not the same as the OLS slope; the differences are not huge, but neither are the differences in the AR1 coefficient. So I'm not persuaded by the Santer argument for a combined ML calculation, even if it holds when the calculations are done one at a time.
As noted before, with the inclusion of data up to 2008, the upper CI declines quite dramatically to 0.182 deg C/decade (as compared to Santer's 0.336), a change which may not be irrelevant when one considers that the ensemble mean trend is 0.214 deg C/decade. As noted before, the change arises primarily from narrowing of the CI intervals owing to AR1 modeling, with changes in the trend estimate being surprisingly slight.
Table 3
This is an important table as the results from this table are ultimately applied to significance testing. As noted above, controversy arose between beaker and Lucia over exactly what Santer was doing. Lucia's interpretation (also mine) was that the only difference between the Douglass and Santer tests was the inclusion of an error relating to the observations and that both studies used the standard error of the model means; beaker argued that the appropriate standard error was the population standard error and argued that this must have been Santer used (however they made a typo in their article.) I can now report that Lucia's interpretation can be verified in the calculations.
First let's collect some data for the Table III calculations.
d1=1.11;d1star=7.16 #from Table III
trend.model=santer["Multi-model_mean_T2LT","trend"]; # 0.215
# this is a little higher than the multi-model mean of Douglass Table 1 (0.208)
sd.model=santer["Inter-model_S.D._T2LT",1]; #0.0920
# this is a little higher than the multi-model sd of Douglass Table 1 (0.0913)
trend.obs=santer["UAH_T2LT","trend"];trend.obs # 0.06
se.obs=santer["UAH_T2LT","se"];se.obs #0.138
# this is the adjusted Std. Error of the trend estimate
M=19 #from Santer
Next we can verify that Santer's Table III d1star calculation for his Douglass emulation (presuming his methods):
c( (trend.model-trend.obs)/ (sd.model/sqrt(M-1)), d1star)
## 7.15 7.16 #replicates Table III
Now here is the calculation yielding Santer's Table III d1 result, proving that they used the standard deviation of the model mean (the method decried by beaker):
c( (trend.model-trend.obs)/ sqrt( (sd.model/sqrt(M-1))^2 + se.obs^2), d1)
#1.11 1.11
At this point, we really don't need to hear back from Gavin Schmidt on what he thinks that they did. We know what they did.


text:
First published in SLATE (January 13, 2012) by Tom Shone ☛ Imagine a world in which most of the cosmic injustices perpetuated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not take place. I know it's hard, with the wound of of The King's Speech's victory over The Social Network so fresh [FEELguide NOTE: I still get steam coming out of my ears when I think about Harvey Weinstein's media influence and the role it played in getting his 'King's Speech' the Oscar — 'The Social Network' was light years ahead of that film with regards to artistic merit and message], but imagine a world in which Fincher's film had been victorious—a world where Brokeback Mountain did not lose out to Crash, and E.T. beat out Ghandi; where Chinatown won best film, and Coppola won best director for Apocalypse Now. Oh, and while we're at it, an armful of trophies for Some Like Hot and a little something for Alfred Hitchcock.
Before someone objects on the grounds of cruelty, let me reassure you: This fragrant arcadia exists. It is the world as reflected back to us in those big shiny iridescent orbs, The Golden Globes. I've never understood the vilification rained down on the Globes every year: "the entertainment industry's dirty little secret," "just a group of whores from other countries," "a non-event raised to epic proportions by Dick Clark getting them a network television slot," "a scam that would make Bernie Madoff blush." Agreed, the organization comprises a deeply suspect cabal of just 88 foreign "journalists" writing for such illustrious journals as Malaysia's Galaxie magazine and Australia's FilmInk, who appear to dish out nominations on the basis of which star can be persuaded to get drunk with them on awards night, in return for a boost for their Oscar chances. So the Globes are venal and easily corrupted, and the voters wish for nothing more than to get drunk with Sharon Stone: so, too, do half my friends.
The scandal is not that the Golden Globes are handed out by a bunch of star-struck foreign hacks with lucrative sidelines in the world of hairdressing and personal fitness; the real scandal is that a bunch of star-struck foreign hacks make aesthetic choices that are consistently the equal of, if not better than, those of the 6,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. They (rightly) gave best director to Francis Ford Coppola for Apocalypse Now rather than Robert Benton for Kramer vs. Kramer. They went for Tom Hanks when he was still funny, in Big, long before everyone came down with a case of the Gumps. And they were the only major awards group to spot Marilyn Monroe's gifts as a comedienne, giving her best actress for her performance in Some Like It Hot, a film which won an armful of Globes but limped away from the Academy Awards with just a single lousy Oscar: best costume.
Actually, what they gave Monroe was "Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical)," not the sweetest of endearments, but one pointing to the single most important reason why the Globes taste profile feels so supple when compared to that of the fusty old academy: They recognize comedy. The Oscars, on the other hand, are the place the entertainment industry goes to be reassured that it is not just in the business of entertainment. For 364 days of the year the good citizens of Hollywood graze elbows and knees in their efforts to put bums on cinema seats. Then, come January, they clutch their foreheads, stare into the middle distance, and attempt to divine whether the anti-racism tract playing on their flat-screen TVs is, in fact, art — a vague and amorphous term that strikes terror in the heart of the average studio executive. The Oscars are first and foremost designed to alleviate that terror. The question the awards are concerned with is not "what film marks the greatest artistic effort?" but "which film can best be defense against the charge of philistinism?" Hence their nose for films garlanded with extracurricular socio-political-humanitarian importance—Ghandi, Platoon, Dances With Wolves, A Beautiful Mind, Crash — designed to make Hollywood feel good about itself for one night, but which everybody else forgets almost instantaneously.
Spend some time with the list of Golden Globes winners for best musical or comedy — a list which includes The Apartment, The Graduate, M.A.S.H., Tootsie, Prizzi's Honor, Hannah and Her Sisters, Working Girl, The Player, Toy Story 2, Almost Famous, Sideways, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Lost in Translation—and it reads suspiciously like the list of films we will actually be watching in 50 years' time, once Crash is but a distant blip in our rear view mirrors.
Of course, the Globes do not completely sidestep the marsh of the middlebrow. They preferred Love Story to Patton and Gigi to Vertigo. Notoriously, they named Pia Zadora newcomer of the year after her husband showered the HFPA with lavish parties. They nominated Sharon Stone in The Muse after her representative plied them with 84 gold watches. And in 2009 they nominated The Tourist for best motion picture, actor, and actress seemingly out of nothing more than an intense desire to clap eyes on the sinuous forms of Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie hopping tables.
"The Golden Globes are not taken seriously as artistic milestones and have a history of voting idiosyncrasies," noted the New York Times recently. "The group tends to nominate based on star wattage instead of performance in an effort to orchestrate a red-carpet spectacle." As opposed to the rest of us, who like to take in Bresson films with the bed sheets tucked into our armpits, sucking on a lemon. I would put this the other way around: It is in the warmth of the welcome they give movie stars that the Globes give the slip to the insincere self-admonishments of the Academy and score their deepest consonance with the viewing habits of actual live human beings. They do not worship at the altar of Star Uglification. They do not give awards to anyone found within a 20-mile radius of a fictional concentration camp. While the academy was going bonkers for Roberto Benigni, the Globes handed best actor to Jim Carrey for The Truman Show. Nor are they in the lifetime achievement business. In 1999, while the academy was waxing nostalgic with Michael Caine in The Cider House Rules, the Globes were too busy being electrified by Tom Cruise in Magnolia.
In other words: The Globes recognize stars quicker and earlier, while they still have some life in them. In 1995, while the academy was coming over all mopey with Susan Sarandon for her part in the turgid death-row drama Dead Man Walking, the globes went to Sharon Stone for her part in Casino and Nicole Kidman for her frisky, star-making turn in To Die For—long before she donned a fake nose to win the Oscar. The list of performances rewarded at the Globes but not the Oscars goes on—Melanie Griffith in Working Girl, Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, John Travolta in Get Shorty, Cruise in Jerry Maguire, George Clooney in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums, Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, Sasha Baron Cohen in Borat, Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada …
It reads like a list from an alternate universe, where entertainers are rewarded for being, you know, entertaining. If the academy is serious about its search for younger viewers, I would suggest they take a leaf out of the Globes book, and: 1) supply more alcohol. Watching George Clooney get up and be witty on a couple of glasses of scotch is almost exactly what Hollywood should be about. 2) Loosen the fatwa against comedy and comic performances. And, 3) don't punish stars for "being themselves." It's a rarer gift than mere acting. Bill Murray has won a Golden Globe. He has never been nominated for an Oscar. I rest my case.
The Golden Globes' Best Calls:
Alfred Hitchcock wins the Golden Globe for best TV show for Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958)—not much, but it beats his zero wins at the Academy Awards.
Some Like It Hot (1959) wins the Golden Globes for best motion picture (musical or comedy), best actor (Jack Lemmon), and best actress in a musical or comedy. At the Oscars it wins only best costume.
Peter O'Toole wins the best actor (Drama) for his role in Beckett (1964) and subsequently wins three more Golden Globes. Despite being nominated for an Academy Awards eight times he wins none, necessitating an honorary Oscar in 2003.
Doctor Zhivago wins best motion picture (drama). The Oscar for best picture goes to The Sound of Music (1965).
Al Pacino wins best actor for his performance in Serpico (1973). The best actor Oscar that year goes to Jack Lemmon for Save the Tiger.
Chinatown (1974) wins Golden Globes for best actor, best motion picture (drama), best director, and best screenplay. At the Oscars it wins only original screenplay. Best actor that year goes to Art Carney for Harry and Tonto.
Apocalypse Now (1979) wins best director for Francis Ford Coppola and best supporting actor for Robert Duvall. The directing Oscar that year goes to Robert Benton for Kramer vs. Kramer.Duvall wins the Oscar four years later for Tender Mercies.
E.T. (1982) wins best motion picture (drama). The best picture Oscar, like much else that year, goes to Ghandi.
John Huston wins best director for Prizzi's Honor (1985). At the Oscars, best director goes to Sydney Pollack for Out of Africa.
Tom Hanks wins best actor in a comedy or musical for his performances in Big (1988). At the Oscars, Dustin Hoffman wins Best Actor for Rain Man.
Jim Carrey wins best actor in a drama for The Truman Show (1998). That year, the best actor Oscar goes to Roberto Benigni for Life Is Beautiful.
Tom Cruise wins best supporting actor for his role in Magnolia (1999). The best supporting actor Oscar goes to Michael Caine for The Cider House Rules.
Robert Altman wins best director for Gosford Park (2001). That year, the directing Oscar goes to Ron Howard for A Beautiful Mind.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) wins best director for Ang Lee and best motion picture (drama). At the Oscars, best picture goes to Crash.
The Social Network (2010) wins best motion picture (drama), best director, and best screenplay. At the Oscars it loses best film and director to The King's Speech.
For more great reads such as this be sure to visit Slate.com as well as follow them on Facebook and Twitter. The Golden Globes air tonight at 8pm EST on NBC and CTV. You can read the full list of nominations by visiting GoldenGlobes.org.
SEE ALSO: The Atlantic Asks, "Why Do The Oscars Hate Hollywood?"
SEE ALSO: Photos Leaked Of Gay Porn Past Of Oscar Winner "King's Speech" Set
SEE ALSO: The 80-Year-Old Hollywood Foreign Press Wretch In Charge Of This Sunday's Golden Globes™ Seating Plan

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Writer Profile
Books & Essays
Bartram's Living Legacy: The Travels and the Nature of the South
Date Published:
Mercer University Press 2010
Drew Lanham's essay is entitled "Bartram on Blacktop."
Bartram?s Living Legacy: the Travels and the Nature of the South reprints Bartram?s classic work alongside essays acknowledging the debt southern nature writers owe the man called the ?South?s Thoreau.? The book was nominated for the Georgia Author of the Year Award.
The anthology includes contributions from sixteen of the South?s finest nature writers: Bill Belleville, Kathryn Braund, Dixon Bynum, Christopher Camuto, Thomas Rain Crowe, Dorinda Dallmeyer, Doug Davis, Jan DeBlieu, Whit Gibbons, Thomas Hallock, John Lane, Drew Lanham, Roger Pinckney, Janisse Ray, Matt Smith, and Gerald Thurmond, strikingly illustrated with Bartram-inspired landscape paintings by Philip Juras.
Book Review #1:
"The ecosystems that once defined the southern landscape have disappeared, as though some cataclysmic geological event had simply obliterated them. We know of them chiefly through William Bartram's Travels published in 1791. It would be about two centuries before a group of southeastern writers/naturalists/activists began to survey the landscape that we are left with, and to think about the consequences of what has been lost, and the power, beauty, and richness of what remains. Dorinda Dallmeyer, the editor of this wonderfully conceived volume, has been at the center of that group. Her idea of combining the text of the Travels with reflections by contemporary southern writers is a brilliant one. Bartram remains an indispensable writer, whose work has been neglected for too long. Now at last he, his book, and the land he describes have their champions. Some of the essayists here focus on Bartram the man, some on Bartram the naturalist, some on Bartram the writer and artist. And some focus, as he himself had done, on the landscape and ecology of the South as it now is, and as it once was.
Some of the essayists in this book I have known and admired for years; some are entirely new to me. They do not speak with one voice, or on behalf of any preconceived agenda. But their contributions, taken all together, indicate that the South now has its own distinctive tradition of environmental literature. Bartram, not Emerson, Thoreau, Muir, or John Burroughs, is its progenitor, and this book, I believe, will come to be seen as its cornerstone."
?Franklin Burroughs
Towards Home
Date Published:
NewSouth Books 2008


text:
Could it be that Google will announce the brand new 5.0 version of its Android operating system this spring? Considering that Google I/O-the event where it tends to make announcements like that-is in May, yes. And if that wasn't a sure enough bet just based on the "well duh" factor, some leaked Qualcomm documents are backing it up. And yes, it's Key Lime Pie.
The original leaked documents were posted on Android Police, but have since been taken down after formal requests from Qualcomm. What the documents revealed is anything but a surprise. According to one document, the "K release" of Android is coming "late spring," in a window of "March - June". In another, it's explicitly called Key Lime Pie. And it doesn't take a genius to realize this is Android 5.0 and that "March - June" really means May 15 - 17 i.e. Google I/O.
As for what goodies Key Lime Pie may bring, keep on guessing; the leaked documents don't dish out any of that goodness. So all we really have is the confirmation that an inevitiability will in fact be coming at the most predictable time. Let's just hope it brings some surprises when it shows up. [Android Police via BGR]
Image by Dustin Dennis/Shutterstock


text:
For years now, there have been murmurs about a Star Wars MMO to succeed the nearly-defunct Star Wars Galaxies. Often those rumblings were tied in with Bioware's Knights of the Old Republic franchise, until EA finally corroborated the story. As one of the strongest Star Wars game properties, and given Bioware's aptitude for making compelling RPGs, it seemed like a match made in heaven. We finally have more details, as Bioware and LucasArts have revealed their new MMORPG: Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Unveiled yesterday evening in a private press conference, Star Wars: The Old Republic takes its cues from both the KOTOR games and successful MMOs like World of Warcraft. Story is the primary focus of the game, as it takes place thousands of years prior to the moves and around 300 years after the original KOTOR. The title promises "an innovative approach to interactive entertainment, featuring immersive storytelling, dynamic combat and intelligent companion characters."
"Traditionally, massively multiplayer online games have been about three basic gameplay pillars—combat, exploration and character progression," said Bioware head Dr. Ray Muzyka. "In Star Wars: The Old Republic, we're... adding a brand-new fourth pillar to the equation—story. At the same time, we will still deliver all the fun features and activities that fans have come to expect."
Given the pedigree of the KOTOR franchise and the well-suited nature of the MMO format to the subject material as witnessed early in the life-span of Star Wars Galaxies, this is exciting news. However, it's going to take a lot of work on the part of Bioware and little meddling from LucasArts to make this succeed. Bioware has little experience in the MMO space, so the company will have its work cut out for it. Nevertheless, the prospect of a new, big-time Star Wars MMO has us very excited.


text:
|Serge Hochar shares a story with sommelier Jason Huerta
And here we were again, a generation later, our skulls now colored grey, celebrating the wines of Musar and life with our younger peers.
Serge is like the Sardinian shepherd to me. He lives in a small world but a very large universe. And his universe is populated with interesting people, passionate subjects and spices and intrigue in a life of wine one can only dream of.
That said, his life hasn't been easy. In fact, Serge and his family, the closest thing we have to the heirs to the throne of Bacchus, have had to struggle most of their lives. But Lebanon is a special place for wine. The Romans built a temple to the wine god in Baalbek, a town in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, known in ancient times as Heliopolis. So, those of us who are devotees of Bacchus have a fondness in our hearts for Lebanon and her wines.
|Through a Glass Brightly
The Chateau Musar wines that were shared at TexSom were indescribably wonderful. If you were there and shared those wines and moments, what did you think and feel?
Please share your thoughts in a comment...
|Musar wines tasted L to R - Reds '75,'89,'98,'03 - Whites- '69,''80,'90', '04
|Mary Bueg of Pappas Brothers pouring the '75 - wine
older than her (and many of the people in the room)
|Rajat Parr of RN74 shares a moment with Serge Hochar
|Paul Greico of Terroir and Hearth mixes it up with Serge Hochar
|The whites - L to R 1969,1980,1990,2004 - were life changing
|The well-dressed crowd at TexSom toasting Serge Hochar
written and photographed by Alfonso Cevola limited rights reserved On the Wine Trail in Italy


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text:
Egypt's charter headed for approval, but troubles loom
The close of Saturday's voting makes it likely that the Islamist-back new constitution will be approved.
Egypt's Islamist-backed constitution headed toward likely approval in a final round of voting on Saturday, but the deep divisions it has opened up threaten to fuel continued turmoil.
Passage is a victory for Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, but a costly one. The bruising battle over the past month stripped away hope that the long-awaited constitution would bring a national consensus on the path Egypt will take after shedding its autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak nearly two years ago.
Instead, Morsi disillusioned many non-Islamists who had once backed him and has become more reliant on his core support in the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists. Hard-liners in his camp are determined to implement provisions for stricter rule by Islamic law in the charter, which is likely to futher fuel divisions.
His liberal and secular opposition, in turn, faces the task of trying to organize the significant portion of the population angered by what they see as attempts by Morsi and the Brotherhood to gain a lock on political power. The main opposition group, the National Salvation Front, said it would now start rallying for elections for the next lawmaking, lower house of parliament, expected early next year.
"We feel more empowered because of the referendum. We proved that at least we are half of society (that) doesn't approve of all this. We will build on it," the Front's spokesman, Khaled Daoud, said. Still, he said, there was "no appetite" at the moment for further street protests.
Saturday's voting in 17 of Egypt's 27 provinces was the second and final round of the referendum. Though the constitution is widely expected to pass, the key questions will be over turnout and the margin of victory. Preliminary results from the first round a week ago showed only 32 percent turnout and a relatively low edge of 56 percent for the "yes" vote. Preliminary results from the second round are expected to emerge by early Sunday.
The new constitution would come into effect once official results are announced, expected in several days.
In a sign of disarray in Morsi's administration, his vice president and — possibly — the central bank governor resigned during Saturday's voting. Vice President Mahmoud Mekki's resignation had been expected since his post is eliminated under the new constitution. But its hasty submission even before the charter has been sealed and his own resignation statement suggested it was linked to Morsi's policies.
"I have realized a while ago that the nature of politics don't suit my professional background as a judge," his resignation letter, read on state TV, said. Mekki said he had first submitted his resignation last month but events forced him to stay on.
The status of Central Bank Governor Farouq el-Oqdah was murkier. State TV first reported his resignation, then soon after reported the Cabinet denied he has stepped down in a possible sing of confusion. El-Oqdah, in his post since 2003, has reportedly been seeking to step down but in recent weeks the administration was trying to convince him to stay on. The government is eager to show some stability in the economy as the Egyptian pound has been sliding and a much-needed $4.8 billion loan from the IMF has been postponed.
Over the past month, seven of Morsi's 17 top advisers and the one Christian among his top four aides resigned. Like Mekki, they said they had never been consulted in advance on any of the president's moves, including his Nov. 22 decrees, since rescinded, that granted himself near absolute powers.
Those decrees sparked large street protests by hundreds of thousands around the country, bringing counter-rallies by Islamists. The turmoil was further fueled with a Constituent Assembly almost entirely made up of Islamists finalized the constitution draft in the dead of night amid a boycott by liberals and Christians. Rallies turned violent. Brotherhood offices were attacked, and Islamists attacked an opposition sit-in outside the presidential palace in Cairo leading to clashes that left 10 dead.
The turmoil opened up a vein of bitterness that the polarizing constitution will do little to close. Morsi opponents accused him of seeking to create a new Mubarak-style autocracy. The Brotherhood accused his rivals of being former Mubarak officials trying to topple an elected president and return to power. Islamists branded opponents "infidels" and vowed they will never accept anything but "God's law" in Egypt.
Both rounds of voting saw claims by the opposition and rights groups of voting violations. On Saturday they said violations ranged from polling stations opening late to Islamists seeking to influence voters to say "yes." The official MENA news agency said at least two judges have been removed for coercing voters to cast "yes" ballots.
The opposition's talk of now taking the contest to the parliament elections represented a shift in the conflict — an implicit gamble that the opposition can try to compete under rules that the Islamists have set. The Brotherhood's electoral machine has been one of its strongest tools since Mubarak's fall, while liberal and secular parties have been divided and failed to create a grassroots network.
In the first post-Mubarak parliament elections last winter, the Brotherhood and ultraconservative Salafis won more than 70 percent of seats in the lower chamber, which was later dissolved by a court order. The opposition is now betting it can do better with the anger over Morsi's performance so far.
The schism in a country that has for decades seen its institutions function behind a facade of stability was on display in Saturday's lines of voters.
In the village of Ikhsas in the Giza countryside south of Cairo, an elderly man who voted "no" screamed in the polling station that the charter is "a Brotherhood constitution."
"We want a constitution in the interest of Egypt. We want a constitution that serves everyone, not just the Brotherhood. They can't keep fooling the people," Ali Hassan, a 68-year-old wearing traditional robes, said.
But others were drawn by the hope that a constitution would finally bring some stability after nearly two years of tumultuous transitional politics. There appeared to be a broad economic split, with many of the middle and upper classes rejecting the charter and the poor voting "yes" — though the division was not always clear-cut.
In Ikhsas, Hassan Kamel, a 49-year-old day worker, said "We the poor will pay the price" of a no vote.
He dismissed the opposition leadership as elite and out of touch. "Show me an office for any of those parties that say no here in Ikhsas or south of Cairo. They are not connecting with people."
In the industrial working class district of Shubra El-Kheima just north of Cairo, women argued while waiting in line over the draft charter.
Samira Saad, a 55 year old housewife, said she wanted her five boys to find jobs.
"We want to get on with things and we want things to be better," she said.
Nahed Nessim, a Christian, questioned the integrity of the process. "There is a lot of corruption. My vote won't count." She was taken to task by Muslim women wearing the niqab, which blankets the entire body and leaves only the eyes visible and is worn by ultraconservative women.
"We have a president who fears God and memorizes His words. Why are we not giving him a chance until he stands on his feet?" said one of the women, Faiza Mehana, 48.
The promise of stability even drew one Christian woman in Fayoum, southwest of Cairo, to vote "yes" — a break with most Christians nationwide who oppose the draft. Hanaa Zaki said she wanted an end to Egypt's deepening economic woes.
"I have a son who didn't get paid for the past six months. We have been in this crisis for so long and we are fed up," said Zaki, waiting in line along with bearded Muslim men and Muslim women wearing headscarves in Fayoum, a province that is home to both a large Christian community and a strong Islamist movement.
The scene In Giza's upscale Mohandiseen neighborhood was starkly different.
A group of 12 women speaking to each other in a mix of French, Arabic and English said they were all voting "no."
"It's not about Christian versus Muslim, it is Muslim Brotherhood versus everyone else," said one of them, Shahira Sadeq, a Christian physician.
Kamla el-Tantawi, 65, said she was voted "against what I'm seeing" — and she gestured at a woman nearby wearing the niqab.
"I lose sleep thinking about my grandchildren and their future. They never saw the beautiful Egypt we did," she said, harkening back to a time decades ago when few women even wore headscarves covering their hair, much less the black niqab.
Many voters were under no illusions the turmoil would end.
"I don't trust the Brotherhood anymore and I don't trust the opposition either. We are forgotten, the most miserable and the first to suffer," said Azouz Ayesh, sitting with his neighbors as their cattle grazed in a nearby field in the Fayoum countryside.
He said a "yes" would bring stability and a "no" would mean no stability. But, he added, "I will vote against this constitution."


text:
An eastern Kansas Republican who is the main proponent of a House measure that would nullify Common Core reading and math standards in the state admits he hasn't read what's in them.
Rep. Willie Dove, of Bonner Springs, says he is driven by a firm belief that the federal government shouldn't be involved in education. He is pushing a bill in the Kansas House that would also nullify recently adopted Next Generation Science Standards and prohibit school districts from administering any tests aligned to those standards.
Dove serves on the House Education Committee, which on Wednesday will conduct a hearing on the bill. Leaders in both chambers say the measure faces an uphill battle and isn't likely to go anywhere this year.
Associated Press information from: Lawrence Journal-World


text:
Montezuma mŏntĕso͞o´mä [key] or Moctezumamŏk– [key], 1480?–1520, Aztec emperor (c.1502–1520). He is sometimes called Montezuma II to distinguish him from Montezuma I (ruled 1440–69), who carried on conquests around Tenochtitlán. His reign was marked by incessant warfare, and his despotic rule caused grave unrest. When Hernán Cortés arrived in Mexico he was thus able to gain native allies, notably in the province of the Tlaxcala. Montezuma, believing the Spanish to be descendants of the god Quetzalcoatl, tried to persuade them to leave by offering rich gifts. That failing, he received them in his splendid court at Tenochtitlán in Nov., 1519. Cortés later seized him as a hostage and attempted to govern through him. In June, 1520, the Aztec rose against the Spanish. Montezuma was killed, although whether by the Spanish or the Aztec is not certain. His successor died a few months later and was replaced by Cuauhtémoc. Montezuma's name is linked by a legend to fabulous treasures that the Spanish appropriated and presumably lost at sea.
See H. Thomas, Conquest: Montezuma, Cortés, and the Fall of Old Mexico (1994).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Mesoamerican indigenous peoples: Biographies


text:
Biofuels Digest, the world's most widely read biofuels daily, and BIO are inviting responses to the quarterly Bioenergy Business Outlook Survey, today through Friday June 17.
The 21-question survey examines growth expectations and opportunities from a company, national and organizational point of view and is open to companies and organizations in all sectors of the industry.
The Spring 2011 Survey found that nearly 40 percent of the industry expected strong to moderate growth, anywhere from 5 to 20 percent, with rising demand for alternative fuels, new technology or intellectual property, and partnering in R&D, production and marketing driving growth.
The Summer 2011 Survey will indicate whether those expectations are still as strong.
Filed under: biofuel, biomass, Business Outlook Survey | Tagged: bioenergy, biofuels, Biofuels Digest, Business Outlook Survey, economy | Leave a comment »


text:
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Gageline PS50/PS100 probe satellites: specially developed for dimensional metrology
The flexible probe satellites from Jenoptik allow you to perform complex dimensional measurements.
The intelligent PS50/PS100 probe satellites from Jenoptik meet the diverse and complex requirements of dimensional metrology. You can use them during production, final inspection or in the measuring lab.
The satellites are extremely robust and operate flawlessly even in the harshest industrial production environments. All probe satellites are based on powerful 32-bit processors with a real-time operating system and internal data memory. They measure with great precision and utmost reliability. The satellites are connected with one another and with the measuring computers via secure Ethernet technology. This ensures rapid transfer of all measured data. You can also combine the probe satellites in a highly flexible manner.
With its 4 probe or 32 digital inputs and outputs, the PS50 is ideal for smaller gauge fixtures. You can start the measurements using the software, by means of a backcheck or using a foot switch. If your measuring machine is more complex, we recommend the use of the PS100. It is equipped with 16 probe inputs or 128 digital inputs and outputs. All probe satellites can be individually combined and feature sophisticated trigger technology: This allows them to perform synchronized measurements at data rates of up to 500 kHz via all connected gauging components.
- Fast: Measure in real-time.
- Automatic measurement cycles: Time- or path-controlled setting of trigger.
- Secure data transmission: Reliable Ethernet connection.
- Flexible: Probe satellites can be individually combine.
- Robust: Suitable for tough manufacturing conditions.
- Automotive industry: Measurements during production and final inspection of workpieces.
Product preview
Technical data
|100 Mbps
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|Protection class
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|0 °C bis + 45 °C
|Relative humidity
|max. 80 %
|PS100 B x T x H = 295 x 150 x 65 mm 6 x USB 2.0 (belastbar bis 1A)
PS100 2,2 - 2,7 kg


text:
The Amazing Power of Grace Under Pressure!
When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Have Fun!
It's a fact: people who bring joy into their daily work are more likely to be resilient under pressure, forward-looking, calm, productive, healthy, and liked by employees as well as employers.
In Lighten Up! The Amazing Power of Grace Under Pressure, C.W. Metcalf reveals the specific skills you can practice to develop more joy in your personal and professional life, and take yourself lightly even while your work becomes serious.
By putting into practice the important skills in Lighten Up!, you'll learn how to:
- OVERCOME fears that hold you back
- THRIVE in an ever-changing environment
- CULTIVATE your sense of joy in being alive
- MAXIMIZE your physical and emotional health
- SEPARATE who you are from what you do
- DO the Zygo Boogie!
- AND much, much more!
Taking yourself lightly, laughing in the face of problems, and staying upbeat while pursuing your goals is C.W. Metcalf's re-definition of the "professional attitude." Discover how you can be successful AND have fun at the same time!
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text:
Dordogne - Cave Art
From $3,870
Famed for its caves, the Dordogne Valley has some of the earliest and finest examples of prehistoric cave art. That's not all, on this trip to rural France you'll discover picturesque villages, sensational cuisine and a wealth of history.
Vividly brought to life in ochre and charcoal are wild animals and human figures up to 30,000 years old. Our Guide Lecturer's tell the story of the art, its discovery and what is known of the people who created it. We will see some of the world famous rock art sites – taking you as close as it is possible to get to the lives of our most remote Ice Age ancestors.
Please note, cave visits may vary according to seasonal opening hours and therefore the itinerary may change.
Book Now
Your Departure date
Today's Price
Deposit: $750 Single supplement: $335
Meet your Experts
Dr Paul Bahn
Andante Guide Lecturer
Dr Paul Bahn is the leading expert on prehistoric rock art worldwide, and is certainly one of our best-known archaeologists.
Your itinerary
Day 1 - Bordeaux
Arrive independently in Bordeaux and meet the group at our hotel in Les Eyzies.
|Hôtel le Centenaire
|Meals included
Day 2 - Abri du Poisson - Laugerie Haute - Cap Blanc
We start our tour at the small rock shelter known as Abri du Poisson. Our next stop will be to the fascinating site of Laugerie Haute, with remains of occupation dating from the Upper Palaeolithic. After lunch, we visit the excavations at Abri Pataud where archaeologists have been attempting to trace artistic progress through the millennia. Then we move on to the Musée de l'Abri Cro-Magnon. The day ends at the rock shelter at Cap Blanc, a rare example of Ice Age sculpted bas-reliefs and the best still in situ which are open to the public.
Day 3 - Lascaux IV center - Le Thot
This morning will be dedicated to the newly established Lascaux IV centre. Lascaux is the most famous and spectacular of all decorated caves, with hundreds of paintings and 1,500 engravings, best known for its awe inspiring depictions of aurochs, horses and deer. After exploring here we drive to the park at Le Thot, where animals which would have been extant in the Ice Age are bred and kept. We will have an independent lunch in Montignac, before heading to Lascaux II for the afternoon.
|Hôtel le Centenaire
|Meals included
|Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 - Rouffignac - Font de Gaume
We travel by electric train into the cave system of Rouffignac, more than five miles long. Known as the Cave of the Hundred Mammoths, about one-third of all mammoth depictions known are found in this cave. In this cave there is also evidence of not only human existence, but scratch marks from cave bears too. We take a short drive to Font de Gaume, the only decorated cave in France with multicolored paintings which remains open to the public. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is home to over 200 representations of animals.
Day 5 - Cougnac - Pech Merle
Our first visit is to Cougnac, two caves are found here which contain the claw-marks of cave bears and fascinating stalactite and stalagmite formations. We also see paintings of mammoths, ibex, human type figures and three megaloceros, many of which take advantage of the natural shapes of the cave wall. Continue to Pech Merle, with painted black outlines of aurochs, mammoth, spotted-horses, geometric shapes and handprints. This cave reveals a full repertoire of cave art techniques and material - it is truly thought-provoking and an unforgettable experience.
Day 6 - Bordeaux
This morning, we transfer to the airport for our independent onward journeys.
|Meals included
Tour dates & prices
Included in your cost:
- Expert Guide Lecturer
- Professional Tour Manager
- Local travel aboard a private air-conditioned coach
- Meals as per the itinerary, wine and tea or coffee with dinner
- Accommodation
- Entries to all sites as per the itinerary
- All taxes & gratuities
- Field notes
|Tour Departure
|Tour ID
|Departure date
|Return Date
|Guided by
|Single supplement
|18 April 2023
|18 April 2023 (Tuesday)
|23 April 2023 (Sunday)
|Dr Paul Bahn
(ex. flights)
|Book your trip
|30 May 2023
|30 May 2023 (Tuesday)
|4 June 2023 (Sunday)
|Dr Rob Dinnis
(ex. flights)
|Book your trip


text:
Last modified: 2022-01-08 by ian macdonald
Keywords: afghanistan | islamic republic of afghanistan | coat of arms (mosque) | shahada |
Links: FOTW homepage | search | disclaimer and copyright | write us | mirrors
by Juan Manuel Villascan
Flag adopted 4 January 2004.
Date on flag: 1298 = 1919 C.E.
See also:
I visited the Afghan Embassy in Tokyo today. They confirmed that they first hoisted a new flag on December 7th 2004 at President Karzai's inauguration ceremony and introduced the flag as the new national flag of the newly born Islamic Republic of Afghanistan since then. The details of the coat-of-arms and flag are regulated in Chapter I, Article no. 19 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan adopted on January 4th 2004 and signed by Karzai as President of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan at that time on January 26th 2004.
Differences from the flag of the Transitional Authority:
The Afghan flag is made up of three equal parts, with black, red and green colors juxtaposed from left to right perpendicularly. The width of every colored piece is equal to half of its length. The national emblem is located in the center of the flag. The national emblem of the state of Afghanistan is composed of Mehrab and Pulpit in white color. Two flags are located on its sides. In the upper-middle part of the insignia the sacred phrase of There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his prophet and Allah is Great are placed along with a rising sun. The word Afghanistan and the year 1298 (solar calendar) are located in the lower part of the insignia. The emblem is encircled with two branches of wheat. The law shall regulate the use of national flag and emblem.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 12 January 2005
The Afghan Government has created a draft version of the new
Constitution for this nation. It will still be called the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan. Source:
http://www.constitution-afg.com/draft_const.htm :
"Article Nineteen Ch. 1, Art. 19
The Afghan flag is made up of three equal parts, with black, red and green colors juxtaposed from left to right perpendicularly.
The width of every colored piece is equal to half of its length. The national insignia is located in the center of the flag. The national insignia of the state of Afghanistan is composed of Mehrab and pulpit in white color. Two flags are located on its two sides. In the upper-middle part of the insignia the sacred phrase of "There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his prophet, and Allah is Great" is placed, along with a rising sun. The word "Afghanistan" and year 1298 (solar calendar) is located in the lower part of the insignia. The insignia is encircled with two branches of wheat. The law shall regulate the use of national flag and emblem."
To put it in simple terms, the design of the bars is vertically black, red, and green. The coat of arms is white, not gold as reported several times. The seal is not that much different, but the wording at the bottom of a scroll is gone. The nation name and the rising sun is new, and I have no idea if the words "God is Great" is going under the Muslim statement of faith, or next to it. A image should be provided soon.
Zachary Harden, 3 November 2003
Actually, the name of the state is what is now on the scroll; I read the
description as meaning that this will be replaced by the word Afghanistan alone.
And I'm not altogether sure that the rising sun is new; mightn't the rays
emanating from the scroll and embracing the date below the mihrab be the rising
sun to which the draft refers? Since the rest of the emblem remains as is, it's
a good bet that the Takbir (God is Great) will continue to appear beneath the
creed. The
Dari and Pashtu version of the draft
says it will have "the word 'Afghanistan'", same spelling in both languages.
Joe McMillan, 4 November 2003
The colours used on the flag are Red: Pantone 186 C 100%; Green: Pantone 3425
C 100%; Black: Process Black C 100%; White: Process Black C 0%.
Juan Manuel Villascan, 6 January 2006
The protocol manual for the London 2012 Olympics (Flags
and Anthems Manual London 2012) provides recommendations for national flag
designs. Each NOC was sent an image of the flag, including the PMS shades, for
their approval by LOCOG. Once this was obtained, LOCOG produced a 60 x 90 cm
version of the flag for further approval. So, while these specs may not be the
official, government, version of each flag, they are certainly what the NOC
believed the flag to be. For Afghanistan, PMS 348 green, 485 red, and black. The
vertical version is simply the flag turned through 90 degrees, the black on top.
Ian Sumner, 10 October 2012
Article Nineteen (on page 8 at
describes the flag:
"The flag of Afghanistan shall be made up of three equal parts, with black, red and green colors juxtaposed from left to right vertically. The width of every color shall be half of its length, and at the center of which the national insignia shall be located. The national insignia of Afghanistan shall be comprised of an emblem and a pulpit in white color—at the two corners of which are two flags, inscribed in the top middle the holy phrase "There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his Prophet, and Allah is Great." This shall be inscribed and superseded on rays of a rising sun, and in its lower part, the year 1919 in the solar calendar, and the word "Afghanistan" encircled on two sides by sheaves of wheat shall be inscribed. The law shall regulate the use of the flag and insignia."
Zoltan Horvath, 18 January 2014
With a flag as complex as the Afghan, and its recent history, it is no surprise that several variations are found in actual manufactured flags. These include:
Patrick Fisher, 25 July 2005, André Coutanche, 26 September 2005, Juan Manuel Villascan, 6 January 2006, Klaus-Michael Schneider, 3 July 2009, Jan-Patrick Fischer, 26 January 2010, Jonathan Dixon, 3 May 2012, Pete Loeser, 16 September 2014, Zachary Harden, 22 September 2014
At the inauguration of Afghan President Hamid Karzai he was addressing
parliament. Behind him were about a dozen Afghan national flags with the central
emblem in gold. However, to the left of the video, is an Afghan flag that has
the white arms and also the arms overlapping over all 3 stripes. The flags
behind President Karzai have the golden arms and they are about 1/2 the size of
the red stripe. The ratio seems to be 1x2 for the golden armed flags, but I
cannot tell with the white armed flags.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8367293.stm
James Dignan and Zachary Harden, 19 November 2009
image by BlinxCat, 24 November 2021
Apparently some sources claim that from 2004 until 2013, The National Flag of
Afghanistan had a smaller emblem and was "enlarged" in 2013 per an Afghan
Government website, however I'm unable to track anything online involving the
emblem being enlarged. The image at the top of this page shows the Afghan flag
with an enlarged emblem being adopted in 2004 and not having any form of smaller
emblem flag existing from 2004-2013. The first source to claim a "2004-2013"
flag was Wikipedia, which makes me assume that Wikipedia members assumed that a
more-fitting image of the Afghanistan Flag was a brand new design. I know the
supposed "2003-2013" flag is a hugely common variant produced by Flag Companies
(mainly 3rd party ones from China or Taiwan) and was common in Afghanistan
before the Fall of Kabul in August 2021.
BlinxCat, 24 November 2021
image by Jaume Ollé, coloured by Eugene Ipavec, 11 August 2005, based on www.af
The coloured version of the coat of arms, as shown on www.af
Esteban Rivera, 11 August 2005
image by Jaume Ollé
The white version of the coat of arms, as seen on the flag.
The inscriptions on the arms are:
According to this website, quoting an AFP news of 29 January 2002 via the Times of India:
Border affairs ministry official Abdul Wakil Omari said the three colours of the flag represented a different page in the history of Afghanistan. The black represented the 19th century era when Afghanistan was occupied and did not have independence, red marked the fight for independence and the green showed independence had been achieved, he said.
Christian Berghänel, 29 January 2002
By sheer coincidence, the three colours happen to be the same as in all Afghan flags between 1928 and 1978... It may be interesting to mention that the origin of these three colours (on the 1928 flag) is possibly:
Santiago Dotor, 30 January 2002
From the Islamic Resources of the Washington DC Area website: Ashhadu Alla Ilaha Illa Allah
(Wa) Ashhadu Anna Muhammad Rasulu Allah "I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and that Muhammad is his servant and Messenger".
Juan Vaquer Jr., 24 March 1999
On the Saudi Arabian flag and all other flags that bear the Shahada it is simplified as, La allah illa Allah wa-Muhammed rasulu Allah. Literally: "No deity but God and Muhammad God's messenger".
Dov Gutterman, 28 March 1999
I would like to specify that the Shahada written on flags Taliban flag, Saudi Arabian flag etc. does not have the Arabic conjunction wa ('and') mentioned above. [It is thus simply La allah illa Allah / Muhammed rasulu Allah.]
Omar Amastan Mouffok, 26 December 2001
Shahada means 'testimony' or 'approval' in Arabic, and it is the Islamic credo. (...) The shorter form, found on flags, banners and walls of mosques reads, la ilaaha illa llaah (wa) muhammadu rasuulu llaah i.e. There is no god but Allah (and) Mohammad is the messenger of Allah.
Dror Kamir, 12 June 2002
photo by Joe McMillan
This photo was taken in early October 2005 in Kabul at a meeting with
then-Minister of Interior Ali Jalali. This flag was behind his desk. He
explained that it is the national flag used in ceremonies and offices by units
of the Afghan police and military. I believe it would equate to a national
color. It is a vertical tricolor, black-red-green, with a fringe of gold tassels
all around. The arms on the center are in gold embroidery and reduced size to
make room for the inscriptions. Jalali explained that the inscription on the
green stripe reads, in Arabic, "Victory is from God, and it is near." The
inscription on the black stripe is another Koranic quotation, but he didn't say
what it is. I believe the words above the national emblem are the invocation "Bismillah
ar-rahman ar-rahim" (In the name of God the compassionate, the merciful) and the
shahada (There is no God but God and Muhammad is the prophet of God). The
finial, not visible in the photo, is sort of a bulb that tapers to a point on
the top. I don't think there was anything below the arms in the portion hidden
by the chair.
Joe McMillan, 22 December 2006
image by Olivier Touzeau, 24 June 2020
n 2019, a white flag with logo could sometimes be seen in official
institutions in Afghanistan for the 100th Anniversary of Afghanistan's
Reclamation of Independence 1919 – 2019.
See for example:
Olivier Touzeau, 24 June 2020


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If you already have a copy of RootsMagic 4 on your computer and you try to download the new RootsMagic Essentials, you will end up with an update to your existing program but not a separate copy of the program. So if you want to see how the program runs, you left looking at the feature's list. I guess I will have to find someone without the program, since this is what happened to me when I tried to look at the new program for evaluation.
From the features list, it looks like the program is a real winner. Of course there are significant differences between the free version and the for sale version. It appears that the reports are limited, you cannot make a sharable CD, no wall charts, and limited multi-media support are the main differences. There are many other features of the full version that are missing including the research features and many of the tools like place name standardization and geocoding.
Since the full version of the program is offered for only $29.95, I cannot imagine why anyone interested in the program would not buy the full version rather than using a "free" version solely for the reason to save $30. But for the die hard Personal Ancestral File (PAF) users, here is a really viable free alternative.
The two main reasons why people need to migrate from PAF are sources and New FamilySearch. Surprisingly, the free version of RootsMagic 4 apparently contains all of the New FamilySearch features of the full version. Although the features for recording sources are not as extensive as the full version, the feature set is much more useful than the PAF program. Maybe a richer set of source features will encourage users to actually record sources?
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Comments on RootsMagic Essentials -- free genealogy program
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As you'll recall, American Eagle and Ghost Beach worked with TBWA to create Artists Vs. Artists: an "edgy," campaign that asked people to take a stand on music piracy. Wink wink.
Well, this just got sent to our inbox.
Artists vs. American Eagle. An edgy campaign asking people to take a stand on shoplifting and selling out. Wink wink. Artists Vs American Eagle recreates the Ghost Beach site right down to the color palette. But instead of asking you to pick a side on piracy, they're asking you to pick a side on shoplifting from American Eagle. They even have hashtags at the read. #AGAINSTSHOPLIFTAEO and #FORSHOPLIFTAEO
Two things amuse me about this to no end. They're pointing out the hypocrisy of a large corporation sponsoring what is turning out to be a pro-piracy discussion, judging from the outcome of the "discussion." As of writing this, the Artists vs Artists site show just 335 "artists" as being against piracy, while 3,126 are for it.
The second thing this site does is point out TBWA Chiat Day is the agency of record for the Grammys-- an organization that is most assuredly not pro-piracy.
As to who is behind this? Well, It says it is a a Horse And Cow experiment. But when you click on that name, you aren't redirected to a website. Instead, a window pops up that says this:
This is a parody of the highly cynical Artists vs Artists campaign running on the American Eagle Outfitters electronic billboard in Times Square, The Time Square campaign was designed by Madison Avenue Firm TBWA Chiat Day. Our campaign is intended to illustrate there are not two "reasonable" sides when it comes to the issues of exploiting artists without compensation. Just as there are not two sides to the idea of shoplifting, child labor and human trafficking. As as parody and as political speech this site if protected by the first amendment. So chill the f-ck out y'all.
So who do you hate more? Chiat Day? Or American Eagle?
For an update on this story, check out Ghost Beach's press release from our previous article.
Haha. Funny shit. But why are you guys so angry on this site? In general, why are ad people so angry/bitter? Become the artist you've always wanted to be and chill the fuck out. You don't need ads anymore. Just find a cheaper apartment. Eat less sushi.
also, read about this in the NY times. Yes, it's a bit naive but it's better than simply throwing their faces and album art up on the billboard. Pretty cool for the category, which is typically just music videos.
last, i agree piracy is more complex than this, but by making it black and white and using the term "piracy" it really helps to start a conversation again - whether you agree with it or not.
last last, did the person who made this site hate TWBA Chiat Day? That's usually how it works with these things, right? Got fired, didn't get the accounts they wanted and left, or the account girl they fell in love with at the company just left them?
@joebeef That's funny, when we spoke to American Eagle they said they donated the ad space. When we spoke to Ghost Beach's manager, they told us American Eagle donated the ad space. When I wrote the original article, I pointed out that American Eagle already licensed Ghost Beach's music, for it's Project Live Your Life Campaign. Presumably, they licensed it either for money or for an exchange of services, I'm guessing, ad space. By the way, this was also confirmed by the World Wide PR and Communications Director of TBWA Chiat Day New York. I can even tell you the date we spoke to her. From our offices. Would you like her cell phone number?
It's an American Eagle Outfitters billboard. It's on the front of their store. We looked back months and months there is nothing but American Eagle Outfitter ads on this billboard. American Eagle Outfitters gave the artist the billboard as compensation for use of their song. American Eagle approved the campaign. The artist could not have accomplished this without American Eagle Outfitters assistance. . Ergo it's an American Eagle Outfitters Campaign.
1st rule of public relations: Don't become the story.
@ Brian Eno.
Guess what? Working professional artists created this site.
@Joe Beef
It's pretty funny that Ad agency and PR professionals don't have a fucking clue how to deal with this. Public falsehoods from the TBWA chiat servers is fucking unbelievable! Go down the hall to legal and tell them what you just did. Hope they let you keep your job.
Yeah, they can stuff it. The Ghost Beach "Why we did it," letter can be found in our previous article that we've updated at the bottom here. Bottom line is, they tried to gain publicity, they chose the wrong topic, and they worked with an agency pro bono. An agency that came up with a half-baked idea that served no purpose except to infuriate people instead of educate them. Well done, TBWA and American Eagle. The lesson we can all learn from this is, whether it's an mp3 or a billboard in Times Square, you get what you pay for.


text: NES/Famicom emulator. GPFCE - good and quality Dendy emulator for Symbian OS. Supports roms with *.nes, roms can be connected directly in zip-archive without unpacking. How to install a game on the GPFCE emulator: 1. Download and install the emulator on your phone 2. Start the emulator and click "Load new ROM" 3. Choose your game file from the folder where you downloaded it...Read more


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Conceptually, one of the most attractive ways to' prove Pythagoras' Theorem is to find a partition the three squares into smaller regions, with the property that the partition of the large square is assembled from regions in the partitions of the two other squares. Such proofs are among the oldest known. Some of them turn out to be closely related to the straightforward `algebraic' proofs.
There is in fact a general and elementary result about areas in the plane (apparently proven first around 1900) which asserts that if two polygonal figures in the plane have the same area, then one can find piecewise congruent decomposition of the two figures. That is to say, on grounds of general principle one knows that if Pythagoras' Theorem is true, one can find the sort of partitions we are looking for.
David Hilbert, Foundations of Geometry, Open House, 1994.
On each side we have a square of side a + b. On the left inscribed in it is a square of side c, and four copies of the original right triangle. The area of the square on the left is therefore
On the right we have the two smaller squares of Pythagoras' Theorem and the same four triangles. The area is therefore
If we subtract the area of the four triangles from each of these expressions, we get
The algebra here asserts that
c2 = 4(ab/2) + (b-a)2 = a2 + b2.
Tufte's book (Envisioning Information, p. 84) has a representation in the colours attributed to the figure in about 200 A.D. (This is as far as I know the earliest known use of colour in mathematical diagrams.)
This proof also gives rise implicitly to a dissection proof, attributed (see Heath, volume I, p.64) to Thabit ibn Qurra from about 900 A.D.
Here is a version of this explained by Michael Buckland, an undergraduate, to a Geometry course at UBC:
Click in control node to adjust size and reset the figure. Click anywhere else to start and stop the animation.
Reference Jean Claude Martzloff, A history of Chinese mathematics, Springer 1997.
Henry Perigal, `On geometric dissections and transformations', Messenger of Mathematics (second series) volume I (1872), pp. 103-105.
... in Mr. Perigal's elegant proof ... the four parts into which he has divided the greater side are equal in all respects, so that the division of the squares is symmetrical. In this consists chiefly the elegance of the construction, which is in this respect ... unique. J. W. L. Glaisher in an addendum to Perigal's note.
Both coloured nodes move.
Felix Bernstein, `Der Pythagoraische Lehrsatz', Zeitschriften fur Mathematischen und Naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht 55 (1924), pages 204 - 207.
K. O. Friedrichs, From Pythagoras to Einstein, M. A. A. New Mathematical Library, pages 8 - 12.
Major P. MacMahon, `Pythagoras's Theorem as a repeating pattern', Nature 109 (1922), page 479.
Paul Mahlo, `Topologische Untersuchungen uber Zerlegung in ebene und spharische Polygone', Dissertation, Halle, 1908.
Greg N. Frederickson, Dissections: Plane & Fancy, Cambridge University Press, 1997, pages 28 - 31. (I wish to thank Frederickson for pointing out the work of Mahlo, MacMahon, and Bernstein.)
One way to decompose the large square into two regions, each one matching areas with one of the smaller squares. Of course the rectangles in the large square are not themselves squares. According to the principle asserted at the beginning of this page, however, one can decompose each of these rectangles and each of the smaller squares into matching congruent regions. Describe how to do this. This is not so easy, because the number of regions required will depend on the exact triangle one starts with. It will help to refer to the discussion of shears, where a similar question is answered for parallelograms with the same base but different heights.
[Back to the Pythagoras main page]


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With at a half-dozen possible cases of coronavirus being investigated in Canada, authorities are trying to screen people coming into the country for symptoms.
International airports in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver have added messaging about the spreading virus to signs and kiosks, and travellers are asked to informed border agents if they have symptoms.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, symptoms can include a runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat and a fever in milder coronavirus cases, while serious cases can cause Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) , which can could lead to pneumonia, respiratory failure, kidney failure and death.
Although the World Health Organization did not declare a global health emergency due to the disease, more than 500 people have been infected in China after the outbreak started in the city of Wuhan.
More than a dozen people have died in China as of Thursday and Canadian authorities are monitoring five to six possible cases in the country. There are suspected cases in Ontario, Quebec and one in the Vancouver area. American authorities have confirmed one case of coronavirus in Washington State.
Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver airports have been identified as the most likely entry point for coronavirus. Additional health screening questions have been added to kiosks, informing travellers about coronavirus and asking them if they've been to Wuhan.
If a traveller shows signs of the virus, the Canadian Border Services Agency is the first point of contact under the Quarantine Act, and will conduct a preliminary screening. If the CBSA officer suspects an infection, they can contact a Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) quarantine officer
The quarantine officer will do a more detailed assessment about where the traveller has been, when they were there and what symptoms they may have, the agency said.
"If deemed necessary, the quarantine officer can then take the appropriate measures to address the potential public health risk," PHAC said in a statement. Those measures included ordering the traveller to be transported to hospital to undergo a medical examination and to report to the local public health authority.
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The PodCamp Toronto Organizing team wants to thank everyone who made PodCamp Toronto 2009 a success – all of the volunteers, speakers, participants and sponsors. We appreciate you coming out and taking part and encourage you to add your feedback to the wiki.
Last weekend more than 500 people gathered at Ryerson University from a wide variety of professions and interests to share and explore how the various forms of new media can be an effective means of communication for anybody. Thanks to the generous contributions of our sponsors, we were able to offer two days of sessions as well as a very successful evening social event which was hosted by Molson. In an effort to reduce waste, the first 400 registrants received an official PodCamp Toronto water bottle branded with the logos of our Gold sponsors. If you were unable to attend PodCamp Toronto or missed some sessions, all the sessions were videotaped and streamed live over the Internet. Archived videos from the sessions will be available on the PodCamp Toronto wiki in the next few days. Special thanks to Brad, Many and their crew at Rogers Communication Centre of Ryerson University who once again provided first rate facilities and hospitality.
Thanks again to everyone who helped to make PodCamp Toronto 2009 a success. We hope to see you next year.
Your Podcamp Toronto 2009 Organizing Team,