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Thursday, June 19, 2008
Sometimes the Leftovers Are Better...
I've made this before, but last time, it was mid-winter ... not exactly appropriate grilling time. So I broiled it that time, and it was good. But grilling makes all the difference in the world with this recipe. If you haven't tried this yet, do it now before it gets all cold again.
I also sliced some farmer's market zucchini and stuffed it in a packet of aluminum foil, along with a little Smart Balance Light (it's vegan and has less fat than Earth Balance) and seasoning salt:
This is how my mom prepared our zucchini and squash on Father's Day, and it was so tasty, I had to have more. Grilling zucchini gives it a delightfully smoky flavor.
But my other dish was kind of a disaster. I tried to create a baked mac & cheeze recipe for my Southern vegan cookbook. But it came out a little, um, dry:
First, I made a cashew cheeze sauce in the food processor. It was so yummy and super-duper creamy. And I should have just stirred it into the cooked macaroni and called it done. But instead, I tried to get all Paula Deen with it. I added flour to the mix, as well as extra soymilk. Then I topped it with shredded Follow Your Heart vegan cheddar, and stuck it in the oven for 30 minutes.
Bad move. The flour sucked all the life out of the cashew cheeze, leaving it a dry, yet pretty tasty mess. And the FYH didn't melt a bit. Luckily, I salvaged the leftovers for lunch today by throwing a little of it into a saucepan with more soymilk and more nooch. The FYH actually melted into the macaroni.
The result was creamy, cheezy goodness. So I'm going to try this recipe again soon, but I promise to steer clear of the oven. Besides, what was I thinking running the hot oven when I was grilling most of my meal outside? I know, it's crazy talk.
15 comments:
Whoa that cashew sauce looks way too good!! It's making my tummy ache!
- June 19, 2008 at 11:20 PM
Happy (almost) solstice to you! I have been wanting to try that tempeh from VWAV.
And you are so cute with your mac disaster. The final product looks great- I'm all about cashew cheeses.
- June 20, 2008 at 4:29 AM
- Vegan_Noodle said...
That tempeh is delicious... I've only made it on a grill pan so it's certainly time to fire up the charcoal grill!!
Too bad about your mac and cheese disaster.... but I'm sure you'll come up with something that'll knowck our southern socks off!
- June 20, 2008 at 7:50 AM
- Andréa said...
Ai, ai, ai, I'm hungry!!!
- June 20, 2008 at 9:07 AM
- ChocolateCoveredVegan said...
Need. Comfort. Food. NOW!
Haha and I mentioned smart balance light in my post too-- it's a popular day for the little guy, I guess!
- June 20, 2008 at 11:31 AM
- Lindsay (Happy Herbivore) said...
that is one sexy piece of tempeh!
- June 20, 2008 at 12:01 PM
- Me said...
I've been wanting to try that tempeh recipe for a while, thanks for reminding me! The mac & cheese looks great too.
- June 20, 2008 at 12:07 PM
- jessy said...
i am going to have to try grilling the tempeh. dan and i had it a while ago, i liked it and he thought it was just okay. so i think another shot on the grill might be the key to success! good to know!
i'm glad you saved the mac 'n cheeze! the final product looked so cheezy and goooooooood! i'm glad the cheeze finally melted for you.
oh, and cashew sauce sounds glorious! that is something i really need to start making! w00t!
- June 20, 2008 at 3:23 PM
- thedalyn said...
I think you just gave me an idea for the bbq we're having this weekend. I, too, had a disaster in the kitchen yesterday, only mine is just as bad today while yours looks delicious.
- June 20, 2008 at 7:37 PM
- Alicia said...
The tempeh looks too good...
And you call that a disaster? Have you noticed that the leftovers look great? If you can save the leftovers, it wasn't that bad :-)
PS: about your book, I've been thinking about what you told me that it's so difficult to find a publisher and so on. Have you thought of creating a downloadable pdf to sell on your blog? Maybe you could sell the chapters independently... I would definitely buy it...
- June 21, 2008 at 3:37 AM
- Hungry Hungry Dancer said...
i have a tough time believing that that mac and cheese didnt taste good! it LOOKS FREAKIN BEAUTIFUIL!!!!!!!!
- June 21, 2008 at 7:39 AM
- Lisa (Show Me Vegan) said...
Your tempeh looks incredible! I don't tend to grill, but all your smoky dishes make me re-consider!
- June 21, 2008 at 7:55 AM
- thedalyn said...
Update on the Teese: last time it left the freezer was for an artichoke dip and I thought it was fine. This time, though, it had to stand up to pizza. Grating it after it had been frozen, it kind of just fell apart (worse than before) and it didn't melt quite as well. Still good though--just not as aesthetically pleasing.
- June 21, 2008 at 9:09 AM
- Erin said...
Ooooh, hello mac n' cheese take 2. Looks really good. I love zucchini in a foil packet too! I gets all soft and buttery. And the hot sauce glazed tempeh, yum. I made it on a grill pan. A great summertime meal!
- June 23, 2008 at 10:39 AM
- Veggie said...
That tempeh is in Veganomicon, I'll have to look it up. I haven't made all that much out of that book yet.
- June 28, 2008 at 10:44 AM


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Don't get us wrong. We're completely enamored with Duffy London's new glass-topped coffee table that looks like it's being supported by a cluster of helium balloons. We're just not sure calling it the UP was the best idea. That mouse can be very litigious!
Obviously inspired by the Disney/Pixar flick Up, the balloons under the table are actually made from a metal resin composite with a strengthened steel rod as the string. What? You didn't think the whole thing actually floated did you? That would cost a fortune in helium. Not that the $3,800-plus table isn't already expensive as it is. But if you want one you better act fast, since just 20 are being hand built.
[Duffy London via The Fancy]

subset: commoncrawl


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On Friday, Glenn Greenwald's new website, The Intercept, published a number of internal NSA documents that didn't necessarily reveal any great state secrets, but instead cast some light on the NSA's office culture. Those documents, leaked by former security contractor Edward Snowden, were actually from an advice column series, written by a 20-year veteran of NSA management under the pen name "Zelda."
The "Ask Zelda" column was circulated on the NSA's intranet, and it offered lighthearted advice on how to deal with any number of interpersonal office situations. But as Intercept writer Peter Maass writes, the column featured one response in particular from September 2011 which might resonate with civil liberties advocates. In it, an NSA employee is concerned that his or her manager is listening in on the conversations of his employees to stay apprised of all the office gossip. The manager even designates "snitches" to fill him in on what employees are talking about, but the aim of his snooping is nebulous.
"Needless to say, this creates a certain amount of tension between team members who normally would get along well and adds stress in an already stressful atmosphere," writes the NSA employee. "There is also an unspoken belief that [the manager] will move people to different desks to break up what he perceives as people becoming too 'chummy.'"
Zelda responds, "Wow, that takes 'intelligence collection' in a whole new—and inappropriate—direction!"
You and your co-workers could ask [the supervisor] for a team meeting and lay out the issue as you see it: "We feel like you don't trust us and we aren't comfortable making small talk anymore for fear of having our desks moved if we're seen as being too chummy." (Leave out the part about the snitches.) Tell him how this is hampering collaboration and affecting the work, ask him if he has a problem with the team's behavior, and see what he says. Encourage him to come directly to the employee in question if he has a concern (rather than ask a third party to gather intel for him).
Trust is hard to rebuild once it has been broken. Your work center may take time to heal after this deplorable practice has been discontinued, but give it time and hopefully the open cooperation you once enjoyed will return.
The parallels are striking: rather than involve the whole staff on spying on each other, why not just go to the problem employee? Rather than gather vast amounts of information on all Americans, why not narrow the search to only those who are suspects? Trust, it seems, is an issue on many levels with the NSA.


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Syllabus for written examination for PGT(Mathematics)
Sets : Sets and their representations. Empty set. Finite & Infinite sets. Equal sets. Subsets. Subsets of the set of real numbers. Power set. Universal set. Venn diagrams. Union and Intersection of sets. Difference of sets. Complement of a set.
Relations & Functions: Ordered pairs, Cartesian product of sets. Number of elements in the cartesian product of two finite sets. Cartesian product of the reals with itself (upto R x R x R). Definition of relation, pictorial diagrams, domain. co-domain and range of a relation. Function as a special kind of relation from one set to another. Pictorial representation a function, domain, co-domain & range of a function. Real valued function of the real variable, domain and range of these functions, constant, identity, polynomial, rational, modulus, signum and greatest integer functions with their graphs. Sum, difference, product and quotients of functions. Sets and their Representations. Union, intersection and complements of sets, and their algebraic properties, Relations, equivalence relations, mappings, one-one, into and onto mappings, composition of mappings.
Permutations & Combinations: Fundamental principle of counting. Factorial n. Permutations and combinations, derivation of formulae and their connections, simple applications.
Principle of Mathematical Induction: Processes of the proof by induction. The principle of mathematical induction.
Complex Numbers: Complex numbers, Algebraic properties of complex numbers, Argand plane and polar representation of complex numbers, Statement of Fundamental Theorem of Algebra, solution of quadratic equations in the complex number system. Modulus and Argument of a complex number, square root of a complex number. Cube roots of unity, triangle inequality.
Linear Inequalities: Linear inequalities. Algebraic solutions of linear inequalities in one variable and their representation on the number line. Graphical solution of linear inequalities in two variables. Solution of system of linear inequalities in two variables- graphically. Absolute value, Inequality of means, Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality, Tchebychef's Inequality.
Binomial Theorem: Statement and proof of the binomial theorem for positive integral indices. Pascal's triangle, general and middle term in binomial expansion, simple applications. Binomial Theorem for any index. Properties of Binomial Co-efficients. Simple applications for approximations.
Sequence and Series: Sequence and Series. Arithmetic, Geometric and Harmonic progressions (G.P.), General terms and sum to n terms of A.P., G.P. and H.P. Arithmetic Mean (A.M.), Geometric Mean (G.M.), and Harmonic Mean (H.M.), Relation between A.M., G.M. and H.M. Insertion of Arithmetic, Geometric and Harmonic means between two given numbers. Special series, Sum to n terms of the special series. . Arithmetico-Geometric Series, Exponential and Logarithmic series.
Elementary Number Theory: Peano's Axioms, Principle of Induction; First Principle, Second Principle, Third Principle, Basis Representation Theorem, Greatest Integer Function Test of Divisibility, Euclid's algorithm, The Unique Factorisation Theorem, Congruence, Sum of divisors of a number . Euler's totient function, Theorems of Fermat and Wilson.
Matrices and Determinants:Determinants and matrices of order two and three, properties of determinants, Evaluation of determinants. Area of triangles using determinants, Addition and multiplication of matrices, adjoint and inverse of matrix. Test of consistency and solution of simultaneous linear equations using determinants and matrices.
Two dimensional Geometry:Cartesian system of rectangular co-ordinates in a plane, distance formula, section formula, area of a triangle, condition for the collinearity of three points, centroid and in-centre of a triangle, locus and its equation, translation of axes, slope of a line, parallel and perpendicular lines, intercepts of a line on the coordinate axes.
Various forms of equations of a line, intersection of lines, angles between two lines, conditions for concurrence of three lines, distance of a point from a line, Equations of internal and external bisectors of angles between two lines, coordinates of centroid, orthocentre and circumcentre of a triangle, equation of family of lines passing through the point of intersection of two lines, homogeneous equation of econd degree in x and y, angle between pair of lines through the origin, combined equation of the bisectors of the angles between a pair of lines, condition for the general second degree equation to represent a pair of lines, point of intersection and angle between two lines.
Standard form of equation of a circle, general form of the equation of a circle, its radius and centre, equation of a circle in the parametric form, equation of a circle when the end points of a diameter are given, points of intersection of a line and a circle with the centre at the origin and condition for a line to be tangent to the circle, length of the tangent, equation of the tangent, equation of a family of circles through the intersection of two circles, condition for two intersecting circles to be orthogonal. Sections of cones, equations of conic sections (parabola, ellipse and hyperbola) in standard forms, condition for y = mx + c to be a tangent and point(s) of tangency.
Quadratic Equations:Quadratic equations in real and complex number system and their solutions. Relation between roots and co-efficients, nature of roots, formation of quadratic equations with given roots; Symmetric functions of roots, equations reducible to quadratic equations – application to practical problems.
Polynomial functions, Remainder & Factor Theorems and their converse, Relation between roots and coefficients, Symmetric functions of the roots of an equation. Common roots.
Trigonometric Functions: Positive and negative angles. Measuring angles in radians & in degrees and conversion from one measure to another. Definition of trigonometric functions with the help of unit circle.
Graphs of trigonometric functions. Expressing sin (x+y) and cos (x+y) in terms of sinx, siny, cosx & cosy. Identities related to sin2x, cos2x, tan 2x, sin3x, cos3x and tan3x. Solution of trigonometric equations, Proofs and simple applications of sine and cosine formulae. Solution of triangles. Heights and Distances.
Inverse Trigonometric Functions: Definition, range, domain, principal value branches. Graphs of inverse trigonometric functions.; Elementary properties of inverse trigonometric functions.
Differential Calculus:Polynomials, rational, trigonometric, logarithmic and exponential functions, nverse functions. Graphs of simple functions. Limits, Continuity and differentiability; Derivative, Geometrical interpretation of the derivative, Derivative of sum, difference, product and quotient of functions. Derivatives of polynomial and trigonometric functions, Derivative of composite functions; chain rule, derivatives of inverse trigonometric functions, derivative of implicit function. Exponential and logarithmic functions and their derivatives. Logarithmic differentiation. Derivative of functions expressed in parametric forms. Second order derivatives. Rolle's and Lagrange's Mean Value Theorems and their geometric interpretations.
Applications of Derivatives: Applications of derivatives: rate of change, increasing / decreasing functions, tangents & normals, approximation, maxima and minima.
Vectors: Vectors and scalars, magnitude and direction of a vector. Direction cosines / ratios of vectors. Types of vectors (equal, unit, zero, parallel and collinear vectors), position vector of a point, negative of a vector, components of a vector, addition of vectors, multiplication of a vector by a scalar, position vector of a point dividing a line segment in a given ratio. Scalar (dot) product of vectors, projection of a vector on a line. Vector (cross) product of vectors.
Integral Calculus:Integral as an anti-derivative. Fundamental integrals involving algebraic, trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions. Integration by substitution, by parts and by partial fractions. Integration using trigonometric identities. Definite integrals as a limit of a sum, Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Basic Properties of definite integrals and evaluation of definite integrals; Applications of definite integrals in finding the area under simple curves, especially lines, areas of circles / Parabolas / ellipses, area between the two curves.
Differential Equations:
Definition, order and degree, general and particular solutions of a differential equation. Formation of differential equation whose general solution is given. Solution of differential equations by method of separation of variables, homogeneous differential equations of first order and first degree. Solutions of linear differential equation.
For KV Sangathan Recruitment examination guides of TGT, PGT and PRT, Click here
Three dimensional Geometry:Coordinates of a point in space, distance between two points; Section formula, Direction cosines / ratios of a line joining two points. Cartesian and vector equationof a line, coplanar and skew lines, shortest distance between two lines. Cartesian and vector equation of a plane. Angle between (i) two lines, (ii) two planes. (iii) a line and a plane. Distance of a point from a plane. Scalar and vector triple product. Application of vectors to plane geometry. Equation of a sphere, its centre and radius. Diameter form of the equation of a sphere.
Statistics: Calculation of Mean, median and mode of grouped and ungrouped data. Measures of dispersion; mean deviation, variance and standard deviation of ungrouped / grouped data. Analysis of frequency distributions with equal means but different variances.
Probability: Random experiments: outcomes, sample spaces. Events: occurrence of events, exhaustive events, mutually exclusive events, Probability of an event, probability of 'not', 'and' & 'or' events., Multiplication theorem on probability. Conditional probability, independent events,, Baye's theorem, Random variable and its probability distribution, Binomial and Poisson distributions and their properties.
Linear Algebra Examples of vector spaces, vector spaces and subspace, independence in vector spaces, existence of a Basis, the row and column spaces of a matrix, sum and intersection of subspaces. Linear Transformations and Matrices, Kernel, Image, and Isomorphism, change of bases, Similarity, Rank and Nullity. Inner Product spaces, orthonormal sets and the GramSchmidt Process, the Method of Least Squares. Basic theory of Eigenvectors and Eigenvalues, algebraic and geometric multiplicity of eigen value, diagonalization of matrices, application to system of linear differential equations. Generalized Inverses of matrices, Moore-Penrose generalized inverse.
Analysis : Monotone functions and functions of bounded variation. Real valued functions, continuous functions, Absolute continuity of functions, standard properties. Uniform continuity, sequence of functions, uniform convergence, power series and radius of convergence. Riemann-Stieltjes integration, standard properties, multiple integrals and their evaluation by repeated integration, change of variable in multiple integration. Uniform convergence in improper integrals, differentiation under the sign of integral - Leibnitz rule.
Dirichlet integral, Liouville's extension. Introduction to n-dimensional Euclidean space, open and closed intervals (rectangles), compact sets, Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem, Heine-Borel theorem. Maxima-minima of functions of several variables, constrained maxima-minima of functions. Analytic function, Cauchy-Riemann equations, singularities, Statement of Cauchy theorem and of Cauchy integral formula with applications, Residue and contour integration.
Fourier and Laplace transforms, Mellin's inversion theorem.
For syllabus of other subjects, please check the following link:
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Recommended books for KV Teacher recruitment exams


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WHO: All members of the Cape Ann Community wishing to support Grace Center, Inc.
WHEN: Saturday, March 23 – Registration between 6:00-7:00 p.m. March begins at 7:15 p.m.
WHERE: Meet at Gloucester High School to join others as we march to Stacey Boulevard and then return to Gloucester High School.
WHY: To raise visibility and awareness for the Grace Center, a day resource center to help those in crisis.
www.gracecenterinc.org www.facebook.com/GraceCenter @GraceCenterInc


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Networking Deployment Guide: Deploying High-speed Networking Features
Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2
This guide is intended for IT professionals interested in using high-speed networking features that may improve network and operating system performance. The guide provides a conceptual overview of the features and their prerequisites, deployment instructions, and monitoring information. The following table summarizes availability of these features in Windows Server® 2008 and Windows Server® 2008 R2.
|Operating System
|Available high-speed networking features
Windows Server 2008
TCP Chimney Offload
Receive Side Scaling
Windows Server 2008 R2
TCP Chimney Offload
Virtual Machine Queue
Receive Side Scaling
Many of these features were included for download as part of the Scalable Networking Pack in Windows Server 2003. With the release of Windows Server 2008, the features are included as part of the operating system. Information in this guide, except where specifically noted as applicable only to Windows Server 2008 R2, applies to servers running Windows Server 2008 as well. For more information about the Scalable Networking Pack in Windows Server 2003, see Scalable Networking on Microsoft TechNet.
Overview of high-speed networking features
High-speed networking features include the following:
TCP Chimney Offload. TCP Chimney Offload transfers TCP/IP protocol processing from the CPU to a network adapter during network data transfer. This feature was also available in Windows Server 2008. Windows Server 2008 R2 added an automatic mode and includes new performance monitor counters.
Virtual Machine Queue (VMQ). This is a new feature in Windows Server 2008 R2. VMQ provides scalability for virtual networks by distributing received frames into different queues based on the target VM. On a multiprocessor computer, these queues can be processed by different CPUs. VMQ can also use hardware packet filtering to reduce the overhead of routing packets to the virtual machine. To use this feature, VMQ must be supported by the network hardware.
Receive Side Scaling. Receive Side Scaling allows the load from a network adapter to be distributed across multiple CPUs in a multiprocessor computer. This feature was available in Windows Server 2008. In Windows Server 2008 R2, improvements were made in initialization and CPU selection at startup, registry keys for tuning performance were added, and new performance counters were added.
NetDMA. NetDMA provides offloading of the memory copy operation that is performed by the networking subsystem when receiving network packets to a dedicated DMA engine. This feature was available in Windows Server 2008. No changes were made for Windows Server 2008 R2.
See Also
Using TCP Chimney Offload
Using Virtual Machine Queue
Using Receive Side Scaling
Using NetDMA


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2016 Nobel Prize for Literature, Bob Dylan, Georgetown/Guyana, Lee Hays, Love trumps hate, Pete Seeger, Peter Paul & Mary, Social struggle for justice and freedom, Trini Lopez
U.S. Post-Election 2016 – Stop Hate Crimes – Muslim Lives Matter
Photo Credit: Quartz.com
In keeping with my end-of-year tradition, I feature a song on my Poetry Corner December 2016. Bob Dylan's award of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature prompted my choice. In the uncanny way that our memory weaves songs and events into our lived experiences, the song "If I Had A Hammer" forced its way to the frontline and hammered for attention. I discovered that Bob Dylan didn't write this song. We owe this tribute to America's folk singers and social activists Pete Seeger and Lee Hays who wrote and recorded it in 1949.
If I had a hammer
I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening
All over this land
I'd hammer out danger
I'd hammer out a warning
I'd hammer out love between
My brothers and my sisters
All over this land
Owing to the political controversy surrounding the lyrics and Seeger's connection with the Communist Party, the song disappeared from public radio and TV. But folk songs with an enduring message never die.
During the Civil Rights Movement and anti-Vietnam War rallies of the 1960s, the song surfaced anew. With a new melody and the harmonized voices of the folk singing trio, Peter, Paul & Mary, the song soared to the #10 position of the top charts in October 1962. Eleven months later, the Latin-tempo rendition by Trini Lopez catapulted the song to #3.
I was a kid when the song hit the top charts in my home-town Georgetown in what was then British Guiana. With its feisty beat and repetitive lyrics, the song became an instant hit among us kids. We banged out the rhythm with sticks on pots and other makeshift drums.
It's the hammer of justice
It's the bell of freedom
It's a song about love between
My brothers and my sisters
All over this land
The years leading up to our country's independence from Great Britain in May 1966 were dark days in our small world on the shores of South America. On winning the 1961 General Elections, the East Indian left-wing socialist party gained the right to lead the colony to independence. This development troubled Uncle Sam. After Fidel Castro had seized power in Cuba, the Americans feared the spread of communism in their backyard. Those were the days of Cold War I.
With financial support from Uncle Sam, the opposition parties incited demonstrations and strikes across the country. The fire that razed the capital's commercial district on February 16, 1962, was just the beginning of the racial/ethnic struggle between the leadership of the majority black and East Indian populations for supremacy in the emerging nation.
Today in America, our President-elect has unleashed the demons of bigotry, misogyny, and xenophobia all over this land. The struggle continues. Once again, we must hammer out our need for justice, freedom, and love.
See the complete song "If I Had A Hammer," learn more about Pete Seeger and Lee Hays, and listen to Trini Lopez's rendition of the song at my Poetry Corner December 2016.


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Word's out that Kristen Wiig and Seth Rogen filmed a little somethin' for the upcoming season of Arrested Development, premiering on Netflix in May. But who will the Bridesmaids star be playing? Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled, but it's a good one … Vulture has learned exclusively that Wiig will be playing young Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter)! Makes sense: Wiig and Jason Bateman are presumably pals after having co-starred in the comedies Extract and Paul (in which they spent their down time inventing the rule-less game "Stop, Stop the Robber's Coming").
Let's go ahead and imagine the possibilities: Lucille during her Stuckey's waitressing days! Facing off against young Lucille Austero! Performing the uncomfortable wink for the first time! In any case, Wiig's already got a leg up on playing rich lady winos:


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Wolf Blitzer delivers the most important breaking news and political, international, and national security stories of the day. Tune to The Situation Room weekdays 5-7pm ET on CNN.
Wolf Blitzer asks Oak Creek, Wisconsin mayor Stephen Scaffidi what could have driven the gunman to carry out this horrific attack.
All of these cases are MURDER in the 1st. degree.I don't care how crazy they say they are,they are still quilty and should be hung in front of where they did their murdering.That is the only way this crap is going to stop.No wonder our prizons are full,and they live better than us normal people.You kill,you die,plain and simple.Jim Thomas Phx.Az.
Can someone answer why this is domestic terrorism and Ft. Hood is workplace violence. I know the answer I just want to see if the media will tell the truth.
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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In good news to parents of late talkers, an Australian study shows a slow start on language is unlikely to have lingering effects on kids' mental health.
Researchers followed late talkers into their teens and found the kids were no more likely to be shy, depressed or aggressive than their peers as they grew up.
That means a "wait-and-see" approach may be just fine for toddlers with a language lag, as long as they develop typically in other areas, the Australian team reports in the journal Pediatrics.
"This data is reassuring," said Julia Irwin, who studies language development at Haskins Laboratories, a non-profit research institute in New Haven, Connecticut. "But parents will need to pay attention to other troubling symptoms of either psychosocial problems or language and reading problems."
In an email to Reuters Health, Irwin said late talkers often have some language or reading problems later on, which may influence school readiness.
Between seven percent and 18 percent of children have language delays at two years, although most catch up by the time they start school. Some research has suggested that these toddlers may face psychological problems, but whether that matters down the road has been unclear.
The new study, led by psychologist Andrew Whitehouse at the University of Western Australia in Perth, is the first to track late talkers over the long haul.
The researchers tapped into data on more than 1,400 two-year-olds, whose parents had filled out a language development survey asking about the words their child would use spontaneously. A two-year-old typically says a few hundred words, but there is a lot of variation.
About one out of every 10 two-year-olds in the study was a late talker, scoring in the lowest 15 percent on a list of 310 common words.
The slower toddlers also appeared to have more psychological problems, according to questions on a child behavior checklist that parents answered. For instance, 13 percent of the late talkers had "internalizing" behavior -- such as being shy, sad or underactive -- compared to eight percent of their faster-talking peers.
But that difference had vanished at age five, when then parents were approached again. And it didn't reappear for as long as the kids were followed, up until age 17.
According to Whitehouse and his colleagues, that hints the reason more late talkers had behavioral problems early on is likely because they are frustrated by not being able to communicate effectively -- not because there is something wrong with their brains.
One expert, who was not linked to the study, pointed out that it would have been helpful to know when the slower kids caught up with their typically developing peers.
"'Wait and see' may be okay at 2 years, but there should be a critical time after which language delays should be treated," said child psychologist Gail Ross, adding that age two-and-a-half or three might be appropriate.
"The crucial question is, at what point is 'wait and see' no longer a valid approach?" said Ross, of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, in an email to Reuters Health.
SOURCE: bit.ly/cxXOG Pediatrics, online July 4, 2011.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Search Upcoming Events
Our searchable event list includes only events with fixed start and end dates. For a list of destinations and events that are open year-round, or that repeat regularly throughout the year, check out our Ongoing Events.
- This event has passed.
"Claes Oldenburg with Coosje van Bruggen: Drawings" at the Denver Art Museum
October 7, 2018 - January 6, 2019
This exhibition presents 39 drawings and one sculpture spanning the artists' careers from 1961 through 2001. It offers an intriguing and insightful look at works on paper by two extraordinarily innovative modern artists.
"Claes Oldenburg with Coosje van Bruggen: Drawings" is a survey of 40 collaborative works by contemporary artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.The exhibition presents a chronological survey of works highlighting the ingenious ways in which Oldenburg and van Bruggen appropriated and re-invented form. Beginning with studies of Oldenburg's first and well-known monumental soft sculptures of the 1960s, "Claes Oldenburg with Coosje van Bruggen: Drawings" reveals a collaborative evolution of work that culminates with drafts of their large-scale hard sculptures of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The drawings represent the conception of an artistic idea, striking visual representations of manifested creations where line and form playfully intertwine the surreal and the natural elements of a landscape.
Visitors will see artworks on loan from the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Kimiko Powers Collection, and the Oldenburg and van Bruggen studio as well as one work from the DAM's permanent collection. Notably, this exhibition includes an exclusive presentation of eight drawings of the monumental "Big Sweep" sculpture located outside the DAM, giving visitors the unique opportunity to view the creative process and ideas behind one of the most beloved outdoor sculptures in Denver. This show is curated by Julie Augur, adjunct curator of drawing at the DAM.


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Navy official orders investigation into Pacific fleet after recent collisions
An investigation is underway into the U.S. Navy's Pacific fleet after two collisions in as many months.
The defense official says Navy Adm. John Richardson — who's the chief of naval operations — has directed Adm. Phil Davidson to lead the investigation. Davidson heads the Navy's Fleet Forces.
The official says Richardson wants to ensure there aren't bigger problems that may be masked by the high pace of ship operations in the Pacific region.
The collision between the USS John S. McCain and a merchant ship off the coast of Singapore has the Navy searching for 10 missing sailors.
Vessels and aircraft from the U.S., Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia are searching for the missing sailors. Four other sailors were evacuated by a Singaporean navy helicopter to a hospital in the city-state for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, the Navy said. A fifth was taken to the hospital by ambulance after the destroyer arrived in Singapore under its own power, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said.
The McCain collision comes after the June 17 collision involving the USS Fitzgerald and a Philippine container ship off the coast of Japan. Seven sailors were killed as a result of the collision.
The Fitzgerald's captain was relieved of his command and other sailors were being punished after the Navy found poor seamanship and flaws in keeping watch contributed to the collision, the Navy announced last week. An investigation into how and why the Fitzgerald collided with the other ship was not finished, but enough details were known to take those actions, the Navy said.
President Donald Trump has expressed concern for the McCain's crew.
Trump returned to Washington on Sunday night from his New Jersey golf club. When reporters shouted questions to him about the McCain, he responded, "That's too bad."
About two hours later, Trump tweeted that "thoughts and prayers" are with the McCain's sailors as search and rescue efforts continue.
The 505-foot destroyer is named after U.S. Sen. John McCain's father and grandfather, who were both U.S. admirals. It's based at the 7th Fleet's homeport of Yokosuka, Japan. It was commissioned in 1994 and has a crew of 23 officers, 24 chief petty officers and 291 enlisted sailors, according the Navy's website.
McCain said on Twitter that he and his wife, Cindy, are "keeping America's sailors aboard the USS John S McCain in our prayers tonight — appreciate the work of search & rescue crews."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Spammers are using social media to circumvent conventional security methods that provided at least some ability to detect and quarantine unwanted email.
Just how much spam is pouring in through social media is presented in a new report on social spam from Nexgate, which has a stake in social media security.
Nexgate data scientists analyzed more than 60 million pieces of unique social content published on more than 25 million social accounts, and concluded:
-- During the first six months of 2013 there was a 355% growth of social spam.
[ Read how Google got in trouble for partnering with a texting service. Google Settles Text Spam Suit For $6 Million. ]
-- 15% of all social spam contains a URL, often to spammy content, pornography or malware.
-- One in 21 social media messages across Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and Twitter contains risky content, such as adult language, private or regulated data, or spam.
-- One in 200 social media messages contain spam, including lures to adult content and malware.
-- Facebook contains the highest number of phishing attempts and personally identifiable information; in fact, more than four times the other social media networks.
-- YouTube contains the most "risky" content -- containing profanity, threats, hate speech or insults. For every one piece of risky content found on other social media networks, there are five pieces on YouTube.
The rise of social media spam is creating a new set of issues not only for corporate and government social media managers, but also their IT security teams.
"Spam isn't just an annoyance issue for federal employees," said Justin Herman, social media lead for the General Services Administration, which helps federal agencies develop their public-facing social media strategies. "It can also be a security issue if used maliciously."
The GSA's Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies, where Herman works, is already guiding and training agencies on how to handle social spam messages "as part of our larger social media management and security programs," he said. He warns users, for instance, to guard against social media posts that offer a link and read: "Did you see this tweet about you?"
GSA offers online tutorials for government social media managers, through its DigitalGov University. One tutorial, "Minimize IT Security Risks While Using Social Media," helps agencies recognize spam and its role in the broader scope of IT management. GSA also issues periodic reports that provide specific guidance on responding to social media attacks.
For commercial enterprises, social spam also represents a growing financial cost, said Devin Redmond, co-founder and CEO of Nexgate, who calls it "a significant burden to big brands" and a drain on media marketing programs.
The fact that spammers can target entire online communities in a single post, and have that post distributed to others, makes it a greater threat than conventional email spam. Social spam is also becoming more complex.
Text- and link-based spam are the most popular types, while" Like-jacking," social bots, spammy apps and fake accounts are the most prevalent forms of distribution.
"Traditional email, Web and antivirus solutions just don't work in social media," a Nexgate spokesman said.


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Man accused of bludgeoning girlfriend to death
METAIRIE, La. — A suburban New Orleans man faces a second-degree murder charge in the death of his girlfriend, who was found bludgeoned to death in her bathtub, officials said Monday.
Pedro Alberto Monterroso-Navas, 43, was arrested late Sunday with his three children in a trailer park in Katy, Texas, Jefferson Parish sheriff's Col. John Fortunato said.
"Unless he fights extradition to Jefferson Parish, he will be returned here and face a second-degree murder charge" in the death of Heidy Monroy, 24, Fortunato said.
Fortunato said Monterroso-Navas' three children were with him at the time of his arrest and are safe. Monroy was mother of the youngest, age 2.
Around 3:35 a.m. Sunday, Monroy's two other children, ages 5 and 8, asked neighbors for help, Fortunato said. Deputies found the woman unconscious with head wounds and she died in her Metairie apartment, Sheriff Newell Normand said.
An autopsy Monday confirmed that Monroy had been bludgeoned, Fortunato said. Investigators do not know what she was hit with, he said.
Fortunato said Texas authorities tracked down Monterroso-Navas, a Honduran living in Metairie, after a woman reported that his 12-year-old daughter had called her daughter, who was in Katy.


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I own a Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and I like it a lot. But I bought it without the fancy satellite navigation system, a decision on my part that cost Toyota about $2000. The reason is that I wanted to buy a car that didn't come with a built-in lawyer.
The Toyota's nav system, like those on many cars, displays a message every time it starts up. It reads: "CAUTION: Drive safely and obey traffic rules. Watching this screen while vehicle is in motion can lead to a serious accident ..." And so on. Before you can use the system, you have to click "Accept" on the screen. Every single time. It's as if there's a lawyer sitting in the passenger seat, shoving a liability disclaimer in your face before you can turn on the nav system. Look, I've got nothing against lawyers. I am a lawyer, and as a law professor, I produce new ones every year. But I don't want to buy a car with one built in.
It's not just Toyota doing this. Mandatory safe-driving agreements are a feature of nav systems in general. Why? I guess the manufacturers are afraid that someone, somewhere, will spend too much time looking at the illuminated map on the dashboard, fail to notice an oncoming tractor-trailer, and then sue. And they're probably right about that, though I wonder if the lost sales are worth it because people will sue regardless, and I doubt that many judges or juries will be very impressed with a robo-waiver. It seems like a terrible piece of marketing to me, and a not very good piece of lawyering, either.
Unfortunately, the lawyer-in-a-box trend seems destined to spread. We're already familiar with the "shrink-wrap" and "click-through" licensing provision--known as End User License Agreements--on many Web sites and software packages. Now, more and more gadgets are programmed to tell us what to do rather than follow our orders. What's worse is that, unlike real lawyers, you can't argue or negotiate with these built-in forms--it's take it or leave it.
More From Popular Mechanics
And we're not just talking lawyers here. My fear is that such systems will gradually evolve from lawyer in a box to cop in a box. For example, in most cars, data recorders are integral to the airbag system. In the event of a crash, data detailing the car's behavior in the last few seconds before impact can be retrieved to help with crash investigations. How you feel about this might depend on the situation: If somebody ran into you, you'd be happy to have data proving he was in the wrong. But you'd probably be less happy if, someday, your insurance company were able to use this data to monitor your driving habits.
That would be worse than a lawyer in a box, as the lawyer would at least come with the privilege of confidentiality. Call it a stool pigeon in a box. Already, various software packages--and most digital video recorders--log information about how they're used by customers. And some color laser printers now put unique identification codes on the pages they print.
Then there's a trend that goes beyond squealing to controlling how you use technology. Most imaging software won't open scanned currency. Digital rights management programs place all sorts of limits on how you can use things you already own, making even legal uses impossible if the seller disapproves. Sony recently went so far as to distribute rootkit-based digital rights management software with its music CDs. Rootkits are used by hackers to surreptitiously take control of victims' computers, and Sony's program, which let the company invade your computer to prevent "piracy," made users' computers more vulnerable to attack by others--enough so that the Department of Homeland Security complained. Meanwhile, Sony's click-through license agreement contained terms so draconian that it required users who moved out of the country or filed for bankruptcy to delete all Sony music from their computers. (After an outcry, the company backed down and recalled the CDs.)
Canada's equivalent to our Department of Transportation is testing a system that uses on-board GPS to monitor a car's speed, and then makes it difficult to drive faster than the speed limit. Another system prevents the car from being started if the driver's blood alcohol content passes a certain level. (Again, how we feel about this probably depends on context. Nobody wants drunk drivers on the road. But do you want to blow into a Breathalyzer every time you start your car?)
Do we need laws protecting consumers against this sort of thing? I hope not. With the range of software and hardware involved, I'm not sure that any one-size-fits-all regulation could possibly work.
So, although I can imagine politicians jumping on this bandwagon, I hope the market will solve the problem first. If consumers don't like this stuff--and complain loudly enough--it will eventually fade away. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty--even liberty from meddling machines.
Glenn Reynolds's new book, An Army of Davids: How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to Beat Big Media, Big Government, and Other Goliaths, can be found at armyofdavids.com.


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The first galaxies in the Universe formed very early in cosmic terms: less than 500 million years after the Big Bang. Observing the first stars and galaxies is not easy: even though they may be intrinsically bright, they are so distant that very few of their photons reach our telescopes.
In some instances, however, the light from such an early galaxy may be magnified if it passes near a galaxy cluster, due to a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing. Astronomers Wei Zheng and colleagues using the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes discovered a possible galaxy dating to between 475 and 505 million years after the Big Bang—meaning its formation happened even earlier. Since they found a galaxy after a relatively short search over a fairly small patch of the sky, the researchers estimate the early Universe may have been full of similar galaxies, enough to drive a key event in the early Universe called reionization.
The astronomers observed 12 galaxy clusters in a small region of the sky. Galaxy clusters are the most massive objects in the Universe bound together by gravity, so they are capable of being powerful gravitational lenses—distorting space in a way that magnifies the light from still more distant objects. The researchers found an object in the region of the galaxy cluster MACS J1149+2223 that appeared to correspond to a magnified galaxy.
At such vast distances, there are very few photons left by the time the light reaches Earth, so even identifying an object as big as a galaxy can be challenging. While galaxies in our cosmic neighborhood show up in telescopes as distinct shapes, the galaxy candidates—labeled MACS 1149-JD—appeared as a small blob. This means the astronomers first had to show that what they had found was truly a galaxy and not some other object, or an artifact of the observation. To achieve this, they modeled the spectral properties of a galaxy and compared them to the observed spectrum from MACS 1149-JD.
Galaxies have produce light with specific spectral properties, based on the stars and gas they contain. However, because the Universe is expanding, the light emitted from early galaxies is stretched drastically, shifting the entire spectrum into a different wavelength range—a phenomenon known as cosmic redshift. Since the magnitude of the shift depends on the distance, determining whether MACS 1149-JD was a galaxy required matching the expected spectral features and measuring how far they had moved due to redshift.
Using multiple wavelength measurements from the Hubble and Spitzer observatories, the astronomers determined the MACS 1149-JD was most likely a galaxy. And, more significantly redshift indicated the light was emitted approximately 490 million years after the Big Bang. Assuming the galaxy was fully formed at that time, it must have been born even earlier, placing it among the first galaxies in the Universe.
These early galaxies are thought to play host to many of the Universe's earliest stars. The powerful radiation from these bodies is thought to have separated electrons from hydrogen atoms in much of the Universe's gas, an event called deionization that was a key milestone in the early Universe.
The authors seem to have a magnified galaxy from a sample of just 12 galaxy clusters. That's an impressive result, since not every early galaxy will be magnified by gravitational lensing—it must be in the right location relative to a galaxy cluster.
Rather than assume MACS 1149-JD is somehow special, a very rare galaxy that just happened to be in the proper spot, the authors proposed that there were many similar galaxies that formed at the same era, with MACS 1149-JD being the one that showed up in their sample. Further observations on a larger set of galaxy clusters should provide real statistics, showing whether MACS 1149-JD is a special snowflake, or one out of many galaxies that formed when the Universe was very young.
Nature, 2012. DOI: 10.1038/nature11446 (About DOIs).


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McMahon, Brien
McMahon, Brien (James O'Brien McMahon), 1903–52, American statesman, b. Norwalk, Conn. After practicing law, he became a judge in Norwalk, and from 1933 to 1936 he served in the office of the U.S. Attorney General. McMahon, a Democrat, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1944 and reelected in 1950. He was chairman (1945–47) of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy and the author of the McMahon Act for the control of atomic energy, which led to the establishment of the Atomic Energy Commission.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History: Biographies


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From the looks of all the pics I've seen, it looks like the 34th Annual Tejano Music Awards was a huge success. Congrats to the Texas Talent Musicians Association, and thanks for keeping Tejano music lovin' blogueros like me in the loop.
Also, congrats to my good friend, the legendary Johnny Hernandez on his nomination for song of the year. I was going to request a recount, but decided to stay respectful and do like him and congratulate Elida Reyna on her win for Muevelo Asi. Also, a tip of the DC Sombrero to Dwayne Verheyden and The TexMexPlosion from The Netherlands on their win for Best New Artist (Group).
And the People of Texas have chosen:
2014 – 34th Tejano Music Awards Winners
Song of Year/Artist/Group
Muevelo Asi – Elida Reyna y Avante
Male Vocalist of the Year
Jimmy Gonzalez
Female Vocalist of the Year
Elida Reyna
Entertainer of the Year
Elida Reyna
Album of the Year – Tejano
EYA Nation – Elida Reyna y Avante
Album of the Year – Conjunto
Ayer y Hoy – Albert Zamora
Album of the Year – Norteño
Inolvidable – Solido
Vocal Duo of the Year
Jimmy Gonzalez/Elida Reyna – Canciones de Amor
Best New Artist – Male
Lucky Joe
Best New Artist – Female
Crystal Torres
Best New Artist – Group
Dwayne & The Tex Mexplosion
Lifetime Achievement Award
Bobby "El Charro Negro" Butler
Jimmy Edward


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Scientists eventually identified several
distinct types of radiation, the particles resulting from radioactive decays.
The three types of radiation were
named after the first three letters of the Greek alphabet:
(beta), and
Alpha particles are helium nuclei (2 p, 2 n):
Beta particles are speedy electrons:
Gamma radiation is a high-energy photon:
These three forms of
radiation can be distinguished by a magnetic field since
Alpha particles can be stopped
by a sheet of paper,
beta particles by aluminum, and gamma radiation
by a block of lead. Gamma radiation can penetrate
very far into a material, and so it is gamma radiation that poses the
most danger when working with radioactive materials, although all types of
radiation are very dangerous.
Sadly, it took scientists many years to
realize the perils of radioactivity...


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RICHARD LARDNER, Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- It was chaos during the early morning assault last year on a remote U.S. outpost in Afghanistan and Staff Sgt. Erich Phillips' M4 carbine had quit firing as militant forces surrounded the base. The machine gun he grabbed after tossing the rifle aside didn't work either.
When the battle in the small village of Wanat ended, nine U.S. soldiers lay dead and 27 more were wounded. A detailed study of the attack by a military historian found that weapons failed repeatedly at a "critical moment" during the firefight on July 13, 2008, putting the outnumbered American troops at risk of being overrun by nearly 200 insurgents.
Which raises the question: Eight years into the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, do U.S. armed forces have the best guns money can buy?
Despite the military's insistence that they do, a small but vocal number of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq has complained that the standard-issue M4 rifles need too much maintenance and jam at the worst possible times.
A week ago, eight U.S. troops were killed at a base near Kamdesh, a town near Wanat. There's no immediate evidence of weapons failures at Kamdesh on Oct. 3, but the circumstances were eerily similar to the Wanat battle: insurgents stormed an isolated stronghold manned by American forces stretched thin by the demands of war.
Army Col. Wayne Shanks, a military spokesman in Afghanistan, said a review of the battle at Kamdesh is under way. "It is too early to make any assumptions regarding what did or didn't work correctly," he said.
Complaints about the weapons the troops carry, especially the M4, aren't new. Army officials say that when properly cleaned and maintained, the M4 is a quality weapon that can pump out more than 3,000 rounds before any failures occur.
The M4 is a shorter, lighter version of the M16, which made its debut during the Vietnam war. Roughly 500,000 M4s are in service, making it the rifle troops on the front lines trust with their lives.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a leading critic of the M4, said Thursday the Army needs to move quickly to acquire a combat rifle suited for the extreme conditions U.S. troops are fighting in.
U.S. special operations forces, with their own acquisition budget and the latitude to buy gear the other military branches can't, already are replacing their M4s with a new rifle.
"The M4 has served us well but it's not as good as it needs to be," Coburn said.
Battlefield surveys show that nearly 90 percent of soldiers are satisfied with their M4s, according to Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller, head of the Army office that buys soldier gear. Still, the rifle is continually being improved to make it even more reliable and lethal.
Fuller said he's received no official reports of flawed weapons performance at Wanat. "Until it showed up in the news, I was surprised to hear about all this," he said.
The study by Douglas Cubbison of the Army Combat Studies Institute at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., hasn't been publicly released. Copies of the study have been leaked to news organizations and are circulating on the Internet.
Cubbison's study is based on an earlier Army investigation and interviews with soldiers who survived the attack at Wanat. He describes a well-coordinated attack by a potent enemy that unleashed a withering barrage with AK-47 automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.
The soldiers said their weapons were meticulously cared for and routinely inspected by commanders. But still the weapons had breakdowns, especially when the rifles were on full automatic, which allows hundreds of bullets to be fired a minute.
Cubbison acknowledges the high rates of fire during the two-hour battle may have led to the failures. But he says numerous problems occurred relatively early in the engagement.
He also said the enemy forces were "experienced, numerically powerful, highly skilled, adequately equipped (and) tactically accomplished."
The platoon-sized unit of U.S. soldiers and about two dozen Afghan troops was shooting back with such intensity the barrels on their weapons turned white hot. The high rate of fire appears to have put a number of weapons out of commission, even though the guns are tested and built to operate in extreme conditions.
Cpl. Jonathan Ayers and Spc. Chris McKaig were firing their M4s from a position the soldiers called the "Crow's Nest." The pair would pop up together from cover, fire half a dozen rounds and then drop back down.
On one of these trips up, Ayers was killed instantly by an enemy round. McKaig soon had problems with his M4, which carries a 30-round magazine.
"My weapon was overheating," McKaig said, according to Cubbison's report. "I had shot about 12 magazines by this point already and it had only been about a half hour or so into the fight. I couldn't charge my weapon and put another round in because it was too hot, so I got mad and threw my weapon down."
The soldiers also had trouble with their M249 machine guns, a larger weapon than the M4 that can shoot up to 750 rounds per minute.
Cpl. Jason Bogar fired approximately 600 rounds from his M-249 before the weapon overheated and jammed the weapon.
Bogar was killed during the firefight, but no one saw how he died, according to the report.
On the Net:
U.S./NATO forces in Afghanistan: http://www.nato.int/isaf/
Army weapons: http://tinyurl.com/yk95j8z
Weapon manufacturer: http://www.colt.com/mil/M4.asp
State Department background on Afghanistan: http://tinyurl.com/5q42z


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Fusion energy, simply, is the exact opposite of , which comes from splitting an atom and is widely used to power nuclear plants and weapons. Fusion occurs constantly , which produces most of its energy via the nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium. When nuclei fuse, they create a heavier nucleus and produce a little leftover energy in the process.
Fusion doesn't produce runaway chain reactions the way fission can, so there's no need to worry about meltdowns. Nor do fusion reactions produce the large amounts of dangerous radioactive waste that fission reactions do. That's why it's such a dreamy source of energy.
So why do we have fission power, but not fusion power? The answer is pretty simple, and very frustrating to a lot of physicists out there: For fusion to occur on Earth, you need a temperature of at least 100 million degrees Celsius—six times hotter than the core of the sun. The sun is a natural fusion reactor which makes up for its measly 15 million degrees with the intense pressure created by its core's gravity. Currently, here on Earth the amount of energy you'd need to put in to produce that kind of heat or pressure is much, much higher than what you get out in usable energy.
More From Popular Mechanics
That's where the term cold fusion, the hope that fusion reactions can occur at relatively low temperatures, comes in. Once a promising theoretical goal, the field was largely written off as pseudoscience the late 1980s, when electrochemists Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann reported that their room-temperature electrolysis experiment had produced so much excess heat—as well as nuclear by-products like tritium—that only a nuclear reaction could be blamed. The attention led to a massive wave of cold-fusion experimenting, but no one was able to replicate their heat anomaly. A Department of Energy review panel debunked the evidence, and met again in 2004 to draw the same conclusion.
That doesn't mean scientists aren't still working on making (hot) fusion a viable energy source. In a New York Times op-ed in November, Stewart C. Prager of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory called the process of creating viable energy from fusion "a grand scientific challenge."
Today, fusion reactions occur in tokamaks—doughnut-shaped chambers where gas is pumped into a vacuum chamber and electricity flows through the center (the doughnut's hole). The gas becomes charged, forming plasma that's then locked inside the vacuum chamber by magnetic fields (which are created by massive magnetic coils), mimicking the pressure of the sun's core. Radio and microwaves are fired into the plasma to raise its temperature, and at around 100 million degrees fusion can occur. The main barrier to a sustained reaction, other than the high cost of the electricity needed to heat the chamber, is finding a material that can withstand that much heat for more than a few seconds.
Prager points out that reaction outputs have come a long way in the past few decades—from milliwatts in the 1970s to 16 megawatts today, though the current record (at 65 percent output) was made in 1997. He believes that more time and support are all scientists need to make this "nearly ideal energy source" a reality. Then again, claims that net fusion power is just around the corner have been made for decades.
Still, Steve Cowley, director of the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, tells PM that the main barrier is getting government funding. "It's expensive research that can only be done at large scales," he says, "and nobody sees the need right now. Every time there's talk about climate change, funding goes up for awhile." But not enough to get the first power plants built.
"For $20 billion in cash," he says, "I could build you a working reactor. It would be big, and maybe not very reliable, but 25 years ago we didn't even know if we'd be able to make fusion work. Now, the only question is whether we'll be able to make it affordable."


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By Ezra Stead
Let's stray from the beaten path for awhile, shall we? Instead of a review in the usual format, today I'd like to offer up thoughts on over 25 films, mostly some of my favorites, but with a few that I love to hate thrown in for good measure. Only a few of these actually work as reviews; most are free-form poetic interpretations of the feelings they brought up in me. Some are just plain silly. At any rate, all are written in the form of the ancient Japanese art of haiku. For those who don't know, that means five syllables in the first line, seven in the next, and another five in the last, preferably with some sort of twist in the last line or, failing that, at least a sense of poetry throughout. Almost all of these were written sometime in 2005, which explains why there are three inspired by Frank Miller's Sin City, my favorite film that year. Let's begin with a couple of actual Japanese films:
The net is vast and / infinite. Now that we two / have merged, where to go?
– Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Tetsuo – not the / Iron Man, but a bike punk / transcends earthly life.
– Akira (1988) Read More


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1-Mattis Justo Quam
1-consectetur. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Praesent commodo cursus magna, vel scelerisque nisl consectetur et. Duis mollis, est non commodo luctus, nisi erat porttitor ligula, eget lacinia odio sem nec elit.
Jacqueline Woodson to Read at Lit House
Location: Rose O'Neill Literary House
CHESTERTOWN, MD—On Tuesday, February 4, at 4 p.m., Washington College will welcome children's and young-adult author Jacqueline Woodson to the Rose O'Neill Literary House for "An Afternoon of Fiction." Co-sponsored by the Black Studies Program, the Department of Education, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the Sophie Kerr Committee, Woodson's reading is free and open to the public.
Jacqueline Woodson is the author of more than 25 books for children, middle-grade readers and young adults. Her books have earned countless awards, including three Newberry Honors, a Caldecott Honor, a Coretta Scott King Award, and recognition as a finalist for the National Book Award. In 2005, her young adult novel Miracle's Boys was adapted into a miniseries that included directing by Spike Lee and acting by Tiki Barber, Dr. Dre, and Jorge Pasada. A resident of Brooklyn, N.Y., Woodson, she has said she will stop writing, "when I stop breathing."
"An Afternoon of Fiction" occurs in conjunction with Washington College's celebration of the 2014 African American Read-In, which is promoted by the National Council of Teachers of English. At 3 p.m., directly preceding Woodson's event, members of the campus community are invited to read and share memorable selections from children's and young adult literature by African American authors.
The Rose O'Neill Literary House is located at 407 Washington Avenue in Chestertown.
–Kimberly Uslin '14


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Honestly the best croissants in Singapore, could even say it is up to Parisian standard!
Bakery Brera offers freshly baked artisan breads (sourdough, preferment, wholemeal, etc.) made with fine flours from France and Japan. We also serve a delectable range of pastries, tarts and cakes made only with the finest ingredients.
Come find us at Empress market just a 5 minute walk from Farrer road MRT
#01-05, 8 Empress Road, 260008, Singapore
(+65) 8431 6569


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Basel's Frei ready to retire in 2013
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Article summary
"It was very important for me to get the timing right and to make the decision myself," said FC Basel 1893 striker Alexander Frei, announcing he will retire from football next summer.
Article top media content
Article body
Switzerland's all-time top scorer Alexander Frei has announced he will bring his playing career to an end when his contract at FC Basel 1893 expires next June.
The 33-year-old, who scored 42 times in 84 appearances for his country, has decided to hang up his boots, explaining: "I can look back on a wonderful career and there's even still a chance to add another league title. It was very important for me to get the timing right and to make the decision myself." He has said he hopes to carry on at Basel in a different capacity following retirement.
Frei started out at FC Aesch in 1988, alongside Marco Streller, before moving to Basel in 1995 as a 16-year-old. In 1997/98 he made his first-team breakthrough, then, after spells at FC Thun, FC Luzern and Servette FC, Frei switched to Stade Rennais FC where he was Ligue 1's 19-goal leading marksman in 2004/05. He scored 34 more during a three-year Bundesliga stint at Borussia Dortmund from 2006–09 before rejoining Basel, winning three championship and two Swiss Cups.
A statement on the Basel website read: "FC Basel 1893 thank Alex Frei from the bottom of our hearts, as do the fans, for four unforgettable years that marked an extremely successful period for Basel. We are delighted to have had someone as special as Alex at the club."
Basel lie third in UEFA Europa League Group G and take on Sporting Clube de Portugal at St. Jakob-Park on matchday five, 22 November.


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Wolf Blitzer delivers the most important breaking news and political, international, and national security stories of the day. Tune to The Situation Room weekdays 5-7pm ET on CNN.
CNN's Brian Todd reports on Israel coming under fire for civilian deaths in Gaza.
In general I am, as always, disappointed in CNN's reporting and particularly about the recent Gaza issue.
Although I am fully aware that "we have Israel's back", I am fed-up where this takes us.
Your reporting is most unbalanced and NEVER goes into the history of the Palestinian/Israeli issue. Since you are obviously not only biased but uneducated on this issue, may I suggest that your viewers read such books as "Sharing the Land of Cannaan" written by a CHRISTIAN Palestinian Professor Mazin B. Qumsiyeh. IF CNN and its viewers have the courage to read this unbiased account of what has been happening for MANY years to the Palestinian people at the hands of the Zionist radicals, we MIGHT begin to have more balanced attitudes.
Calling Hamas a terrorist organization is counterproductive. The U.S. can no longer afford supplying "iron shields" and 3-6 Billion Dollars of aid. Enough is enough!
May I also suggest that your viewers go to Google and type in: IfAmericansKnew.org they will see the Map of what was Palestine in 1946 and what it is today. Try it. Educate yourself. Believe me it doesn't hurt.
Your reporter in Cairo is telling your listeners that Hamas needed rockets to defend against the most powerful country in the region forgot one thing. HAMAS IS A TERROREST ORGANIZATION. Please remind him of that fact so he can say " The terrorest organization Hamas wants these missiles to terrorize". This way the news is repored correctley
Mr. Blitzer,
We need to start talking about the underlying reasons of the conflict.
Palestinians were dispossessed and disinherited and literally cleansed out of their native homeland in 1948.
The vast majority of the people of Gaza are not from Gaza. They are from Jaffa, Ashkelon, and other towns and cities in historic Palestin.
The Master-Slave relationship defining the Israelis and Palestinians needs to come to an end.
I strongly urge you to read the book "The Lemon Tree" to get a deeper understanding of the conflict to gain a better understanding of the conflict.
What about Goma.... The next amjor war about to explode...but again its Africa!
Israel has a right to defend itself... So does every country. When you are invaded by a country, A country that does not respect UN 242. That illegally occupies your country. That puts in illegal settlements to steal away your land, That bombs and destroys your homes. Kills children and wives.
What would you do? I am a West Point graduate. Class of 1958. As a Special Forces officer, We studied the guerillafighting of France when France was invaded by Germany. Israel's invasion of Palestine is the same as the Germans invading France. It is not Terrorism...it is Guerrilla's trying to defend their country.
To solve the problem. Enforce the "Road Map" of the Quartet....who is the Quartet? The United States of Ameirca, The United Nations, The Europeans, and Russia.
Herb J Airborne, Ranger, Special Forces, USMA class of 1958
Over the years, i have watched CNN when actual news shows were not on. I have noticed a marked change in last two years. Now I wonder if I hit the wrong button and got FOX News!! When did it become ok in this country to back terrorist groups? Hamas! Is this a network agenda or a personal one? It disgusts me to see people exploiting the deaths of babies and children by running through the streets carrying a child's body. If these people really care about these children, they need to look within their own country to solve the problem and stop blaming other countries. They allow militant, violent, terrorist to live in their neighborhoods. They need to stop condoning the hate that these maniacs preach.
Thank you for your very thorough reports on the Israeli -Gaza war presently going on. I observe that your reporters keep tell us of the hardships in Gaza which is horrible.
However your reporters never ask if the Gaza resident approves of the constant bombing of Israel which was going on before Israel's attacks. This is a very important matter. As to the feeling of the Gaza population desiring to destroy Israel and is the Israeli bombing worth the price. Please do ask this. It is important to know if the populations is so desirous in destroying Israel that they are willing to be subjected to all this hoeeor.
people that fight ocupation are friedom fighters,no terorist,every palestinian are friedom fighters! ! !
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The strength of feeling expressed by many supporters clearly demonstrates that the issue of remembrance is an emotive one since so many will have served in the Armed Forces or will have family members who gave service.
My great grandfather, Malcolmson Williamson served at Gallipoli and my late father served in Cyprus and Jordan with the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. I'm proud of my family's military history.
Pretty much all of the anger we've seen has been directed at the IFA, however I feel that the focus should instead be placed on FIFA. The governing body of world football has been asked on numerous occasions to clarify whether the poppy would breach Article 4 of its regulations in relation to playing equipment and has failed to answer definitively. For me, their lack of clarity is shameful since it is this which has caused offence at the notion that the poppy might be considered by FIFA to be either political or commercial.
It is neither.
As a result, the IFA has stopped short of putting a poppy on the shirt or armbands, however it has done just about everything else to mark Armistice. A minute's silence before kick-off, black armbands, a wreath laying, a bucket collection by the Royal British Legion and a huge card display in the West Stand featuring a poppy image will all take place. The IFA are right to observe Armistice and more specifically to commemorate the loss of four of our players who made the ultimate sacrifice in the First World War.
My preference would have been to see a poppy displayed on the shirt or on the training tops worn during the anthems. I understand and accept the IFA's reasoning in not risking a fine or points loss.
I'm neither happy nor even content about it, however I accept their argument as a logical one. Others will of course disagree, and they're entitled to their opinion since we are, after all, remembering those who gave their lives so that we may express our views freely.
My reason for not wanting to risk a financial penalty is simple.
Personally, I wouldn't pay one penny to FIFA by way of a fine since it is they who have created this whole mess through their failure to give a straight answer in relation to where the Home Nations stand on the matter.
This is where the IFA, along with their counterparts from England, Scotland and Wales, must press FIFA on the matter so that we avoid the sort of war of words we have seen this week which is so detrimental to the interests of Northern Ireland football.
There can be no repeat of this episode at any point in the future.
The four UK football associations must bring this issue to a head at the International Football Association Board in March. The IFAB is the body which makes the Laws of the Game and is made up by representatives from the IFA, the Scottish, Welsh and English FA's and FIFA.
FIFA has a new president in Gianni Infantino, there is no better time and opportunity for us to have this issue addressed so that we all know exactly where we stand and move forward together.
Gary McAllister is chairman of the Amalgamation of Official Northern Ireland Supporters' Clubs


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Wilder, Billy
Wilder, Billy, 1906–2002, American film director, producer, and writer, b. Sucha, Galicia (now Poland) as Samuel Wilder. He wrote for films in Berlin, fled the Nazis, and arrived in Hollywood in 1934. After writing various screenplays, he directed his first film in 1942, and soon developed a reputation as a witty and harshly sardonic critic of American mores. At first he mixed dramas and comedies, later concentrating on satire, and his 25 films represent many styles, approaches, and themes. His The Lost Weekend (1945), an unsparing study of alcoholism, won Academy Awards for direction, production, and screenplay; Sunset Boulevard (1950), an acidic look at Hollywood, won another for best screenplay; and The Apartment (1960), a morally ambiguous modern tale, again won him three Oscars. Wilder's Some Like It Hot (1959) is one of the finest comic films ever made. His other films include Double Indemnity (1944), Stalag 17 (1953), Sabrina (1954), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), Fedora (1979), and Buddy Buddy (1981).
See C. Crowe, Conversations with Wilder (1999); biographies by M. Zolotow (1977), E. Sikov (1998), K. Lally (1999), and C. Chandler (2002); studies by A. Madsen (1969) and T. Wood (1970).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Film and Television: Biographies


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Advent Theme at Seeds is 'Moving Towards Jesus'. We often see Advent as a time of waiting. This Advent we invite the community to wait…and move…towards Jesus.
Scriptures this week will prepare you for Dec. 15-3rd Advent 'Moving with the Shepherds'.
Daily Scripture for Today is Luke 2:8-20.
There are many ways to engage with scripture…here are 2 of them!
1. Use the Divine Reading (Lectio Divina) method of Praying the Scriptures. Listen while you read it slowly. Meditate on what you hear. Speak to God your prayer, thoughts, questions. Rest in God's presence, let His presence wash over you as you sit in quiet.
2. SOAP – Scripture (read it) Observe (ask questions, research, etc) Apply (What does say to me in the present?) Pray (let God know what you're thinking or questioning)


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Women are drives of healthcare. They are responsible for helping to see that their partners take good care of themselves. My wife makes an appointment for my annual physical exam each year and accompanies me to the doctor to be sure that I explain all of my concerns and that she has the instructions for the recommendations and follow up. I don't think my situation is unique as most women not take care of themselves but also the healthcare of their partner. This article will discuss 5 conditions that can impact a man's health and should come to the attention of a physician\urologist.
Erectile dysfunction is often a sign of something more serious. About 70% of ED cases are caused by existing medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol or heart disease. The more advanced these diseases are, the more at risk a man is for ED. In most cases, ED is treatable. If you loved one has ED, encourage him seek medical care.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. About 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. The number jumps to 1 in 5 if he's African-American and 1 in 3 if he has a family history of prostate cancer. Men should know their risk and talk to their doctors about whether prostate cancer screening is right for them.
Male infertility is more common than you think. In about 40% of infertile couples, the male partner is either the sole cause or a contributing cause of infertility.
If he has blood in his urine, pay attention. This can be a sign of a urinary tract infection, kidney stone, enlarged prostate or an early sign of bladder or kidney cancer. All men who have blood in the urine should see their doctor\urologist.
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men ages 15-35. Although there is nothing to prevent testicular cancer, if the cancer is caught early, there is a high cure rate. Signs of testicular cancer include persistent pain or a bump in the testicular area.
Finally, if they are going to the bathroom more than three times each night, they should be seen by a doctor. This could be a sign of a prostate or bladder problem, or potentially something more serious.
Bottom Line: Men have unique medical problems and women can be so helpful in directing men to a healthcare provider. I hope this article should be kept in mind regarding your male loved one's medical health.


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Mitglied im Berufs-verband des deutschenMünzfachhandels
In case of coins with more than one in stock what could, however, happen is that it will not be exactly the coin illustrated that will be shipped, but rather a coin of absolutely identical quality.
I wish you luck and success for your search on the Internet.
Sincerely yours
Guy Franquinet


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I went to this Native American Festival this past week.
October 7 – 10, 2015
Ancient rulers and thousands of their subjects thrived in a city behind huge wooden walls that once surrounded the Moundville site. These prehistoric Native Americans farmed, hunted and fished. Their society recognized nobles by birth and praised the feats of great artists, warriors and holy people. Each year, descendants of this vibrant culture return, celebrating the South's rich Indian heritage at the Moundville Native American Festival.
Repeatedly named one of Alabama's Top 20 Tourism Events, the award winning Moundville Native American Festival is always slated for Wednesday through Saturday during the first full week of October. Located at The University of Alabama's Moundville Archaeological Park, performers, artists, craftspeople and tradition bearers entertain and educate visitors about the rich culture and heritage that makes Southeastern Indians unique.
Portal to the Past
Visit the renovated Jones Archaeological Museum! State-of-the-art exhibits tell a story of the nobility who once lived at Moundville. Stunning artifacts, recreated scenery and a special effects theatre are all part of the new displays. While you're there, don't forget to visit Knotted Bird Gifts and The Black Warrior Coffee Company.
Art of the Craft
See pottery being pit fired or learn how Choctaws make rivercane baskets in the festival's Arts and Crafts Arbors. See fire kindled by friction or talk with a world-class bowman as he carves wooden longbow. Native Americans and other experts demonstrate these and many other arts, crafts and technologies during the entire festival.
Watch experts shoot the bow and arrow or throw a spear 50 yards with the help of a stick. See how a hollow piece of cane can be used to blow a deadly dart at the festival's Target Range.
Dan Issac of the Mystic Wind Choctaw Dancers "calls," a form of singing traditionally performed by male Southeastern Native Americans.
Dan Issac of the Mystic Wind Choctaw Dancers "calls," a form of singing traditionally performed by male Southeastern Native Americans.
Kids of all ages get firsthand experience in playing native games and making simple crafts in the Children's Area. Play the ancient game of stickball, dress up like Southeastern Indians or throw an Indian football. Make a shell bead necklace or try your hand at Indian Twister. There's fun for the whole family.
Dig Deep
Visit the Archaeology in Action station to find out how scientists excavate and discover new things about the ancient Moundville people. Tour guides, stationed at Mound B, one of North America's tallest earthen mounds, and at other strategic spots around the site reveal what we know about Moundville as well as researcher's latest findings.
Festival Admission:
At the Gate:
Adults: $ 12.00
Seniors: $ 10.00
Students: $ 10.00
Children 5 and under: FREE
Prepaid Groups:
Prepaid groups with reservations: $ 8.00 per student. One teacher for every 15 students and bus drivers are admitted free with registered group. Accompanying adults pay regular festival admission rate at the gate.
Prepaid Tickets:
Festival Hours:
Weekdays 9:00 am to 3:30 pm
Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Moundville Archaeological Park is a division of University of Alabama Museums. The park is located 13 miles south of Exit 71A on I-20/59 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama off of State Highway 69.
Ancient Site
Archaeological Sketch
SM Misty Mounds
The Moundville site, occupied from around A.D. 1000 until A.D. 1450, is a large settlement of Mississippian culture on the Black Warrior River in central Alabama. At the time of Moundville's heaviest residential population, th
e community took the form of a three hundred-acre village built on a bluff overlooking the river.
The plan of the town was roughly square and protected on three sides by a bastioned wooden palisade. Moundville, in size and complexity second only to the Cahokia site in Illinois, was at once a populous town, as well as a political center and a religious center.
Within the enclosure, surrounding a central plaza, were twenty-six earthen mounds, the larger ones apparently supportinmoundville, summer 2006, sunriseg noble's residences alternating with small ones that supported buildings used for mortuary and other purposes.
Of the two largest mounds in the group, Mound A occupies the center of the great plaza, and Mound B lies just to the north on the site's central axis. The latter is a steep pyramid with two ramps, rising to a height of fifty-eight feet. The
arrangement of the mounds and plaza gives the impression of symmetry and planning. In addition, archaeologists have found evidence of borrow pits, other public buildings, and dozens of small houses constructed of paerial view temple mound with river correctole and thatch, many of which have yielded burials beneath the floors.
Striking diff
erences between the nobles and commoners showing a highly stratified society can be seen among the excavated burials with their grave goods. Some include rare artifacts that may be associated with particular political or religious offices. Evidence shows that Moundville was sustained by tribute of food and labor provided by the people who l
ived in the nearby Black Warrior Valley floodplain Copy of IMG_1082farmsteads as well as other smaller mound centers. At its height the Moundville community contained a population of about one
thousand with around ten thousand in the entire valley. Like other Mississippian societies, Moundville's growth and prosperity were made possible by intensive cultivation of maize, or Indian corn. The nobility dominated a traffic in such imported luxury goo
ds as copper, mica, galena, and marine shell. Renowned particularly for their artistic excellence in pottery, stonework, and embossed copper, the inhabitants of Mound B produced artifacts bearing a high degree of skilled workmanship, making the site a benchmark in the study of Mississippian imagery.
Neither the rise of Moundville nor its eventual decline is well understood by scholars. The immediate area appears to have been thickly populated, containing a few very small single-mound centers just before the creation of the public architecture of the great plaza and erection of the palisade about A.D. 1200. However, by about A.D. 1350, Moundville seems to have undergone a change in use. The site lost the appearance of a town, but retained its ceremonial and political functions. A decline ensued, marked by abandonment of some mounds and the loss of religious importance in others. There was also a decrease in the importation of goods which had given prestige to the nobility. By the 1500s, most of the area was abandoned with only a few portions of the site still occupied. Although the first Europeans reached the Southeast in the 1540s, the precise ethnic and linguistic links between Moundville's inhabitants and what became the historic Native American tribes are still not well understood. ??Dr. Vernon James Knight, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Alabama, is the Museum's Curator of Southeastern Archaeology
Moundville, Alabama
While hiking the trails and doing of trail adventuring we come across many different and interesting items of nature or mankind. There were people here long before Columbus visited the North American Continent. Evidence of their existence can be found along the many trails that we hike on. This forum will be a place to share your findings.
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Laptops, ultrabooks, and tablets are all well and good if you're a mobile person -- or you have a small desk -- but if you want serious horsepower for things like games, video editing, 3D modeling, and big ol' CAD drawings, your best bet is usually a desktop.
A desktop also gives you a lot more expansion options, whether it's adding a second hard drive or swapping in the latest and greatest video card. Something to consider.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, DealFisher has the Dell XPS 8500 desktop for $599.99, shipped. It is without question one of the most loaded PCs I've ever seen.
Check it out: The system features a 3.4GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 12GB of DDR3 RAM, a 2TB hard drive, and an Nvidia GeForce GT 640 graphics card with 1GB of dedicated RAM.
As for ports, it's lousy with them: four USB 3.0, six USB 2.0, HDMI, DisplayPort, and all the other usual suspects. The system also includes both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with a 460-watt power supply to handle all this hardware.
I think the only letdown here, and it's a minor one, is the DVD burner: In a system like this, I'd expect a Blu-ray drive, even if not many users are likely to take advantage of it. Of course, this being a desktop, you could always swap one in if you wanted. You might also prefer a wireless mouse and keyboard to the wired ones included here.
The XPS 8500 runs Windows 8 and comes with a one-year warranty. It may be lacking a couple little amenities, but as Han Solo said of the Millennium Falcon, she's got it where it counts, kid. (CNET hasn't reviewed this exact configuration, but you can check out their review of an SSD-equipped version -- one they didn't like so much owing to its high price.)
I haven't run a desktop deal in many moons, and I'm curious to see how many of you take advantage of this one -- or at least have interest in seeing others like it. Let me know in the comments!
Bonus deal: If you're in the market for cheap storage, today's your lucky day. For a limited time, Newegg has the Seagate Backup Plus 1TB USB 3.0 portable hard drive for $69.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code EMCXSWP48 at checkout, and $10 less than when I first wrote about the drive back in January. Also, Rakuten (née Buy.com) has the Seagate Expansion 2TB USB 3.0 desktop hard drive for $84.95, shipped. Glad to see USB 3.0 drives finally matching their 2.0 counterparts, pricewise.
Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.
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Is it wrong to want to be famous?
What the Bible has to say about hitting the big time.
In our age of celebrity, the pull toward fame can feel overwhelming. The famous seem to have it all, and we sometimes find ourselves coveting what they have (or appear to have). When we evaluate whether a desire is right or wrong, we have to look at our motivation. First Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." That instruction is our gold standard for evaluating our own motives. We can look at any desire and ask ourselves, "Do I want this for God's glory or for my own?" It's easy to tell ourselves that we could glorify God more by being famous. Wouldn't more people listen to our message if we had a bigger platform?
Jesus and fame
Jesus gives us a great example in John 6. He had just fed over 5,000 people, healed the sick, and performed other miracles. The people were thrilled. They believed He was the One who would finally deliver them from the oppression of Roman rule. Jesus' fame was at its peak, and the crowds were ready to crown Him king. But verse 15 says, "Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself."
Imagine the situation. Jesus had the opportunity to be catapulted to fame and fortune. A certain logic says that, if Jesus were famous, powerful, and wealthy, then people would take more notice of His message. If He were king, He could glorify God even more. That makes sense from an earthly perspective, but Jesus said "no" to the coronation. It wasn't God's plan, so Jesus chose the harder way. Jesus' goal in everything He did was to seek the will of His Father and to do it (John 4:34;8:29;Luke 22:42). He said inJohn 8:50, "I am not seeking glory for myself." Since Jesus is our model, that must be our goal, too.
Why do you want to be famous?
Some people have a worldwide platform with which to glorify God. Others serve Him in seeming obscurity. Both are equal in importance in God's kingdom (Matthew 5:19;25:14–15). A desire for fame is not wrong in itself, if we want it for the right reasons. Most of us wouldn't have the proper motivation. If we are honest, our desire for fame is to glorify ourselves (James 4:3;1 Timothy 6:9). But God's ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8–9). He chooses the humble to accomplish things of eternal value. He chooses simple truths to confuse those who think they are wise (1 Corinthians 1:27–28). He does it all so that "no flesh should glory in his presence" (1 Corinthians 1:29). That should be our heart's cry to Him: "Lord, let my flesh never glory in Your presence."
God's desire for you to be humble
When we make it our goal to keep our hearts humble before the Lord, He promises to exalt us in His way, in His time (James 4:10;1 Peter 5:6). If He can better use us by making us famous, then fame will come our way. But fame brings its own challenges. Many famous people warn that fame is not all it appears to be. There are headaches and heartaches that come with fame that many cannot handle. God wants the very best for each of His children. When we seek His fame over ours, we can trust that He will direct us into the path He has chosen for us (Psalm 37:4; Proverbs 3:5–6). His path, unlike the world's, includes rewards that last for all eternity (Matthew 6:4; Luke 6:35; Ephesians 6:8; Proverbs 19:17).
Originally published on gotquestions.org