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Basic Terminology Of A Circle:
Learn all the basic terminology of a circle
What is constant pi and its use to find the area of a circle
Easy to use foumula to find the area of a circle
Finding area of a circle and its applications
About this site
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Before moving on to find the area of a circle, this page covers the basics about a circle. First of all kids need to know, what a circle is and why they need to study about it? Below is a try to clear all the questions about a circle;
Definition Of A Circle
Mathematically, a circle is a locus (or path) of all the points, whose distance from a fixed point remains fixed.
Many students take this definition as very cumbersome. Let’s simplify the above words by taking an example of a cow tied to a pole with a rope and moving around the pole. What do you think the shape of the path will be?
Now the word “locus of all the points” is cow’s path and the this path is always at a fixed distance (the length of the rope) from a fixed point which is the central pole.
Hope above example have cleared some confusion about the definition of the circle.
In daily life we can see many examples of circles; engagement ring is a very good example of a circle, the other examples may include, bangles, donuts and the caps or lids of many containers.
Basic Terminology: Center, Radius, Diameter, Circumference and Area of a circle
After knowing the definition of the circle, the next step is to find circumference and area of a circle.
To do these tasks we need to define some basic terms about a circle. There are the following basic terms associated with this geometric shape:
Center: The fixed point at the center of the shape is called the center of the circle. In our example of cow, the central pole represent the center.
Radius: The fixed distance from center to path is known as the radius of the circle. In cow example, the length of rope represent the radius.
Diameter: The length of a line across through the center is called the diameter. In other words, diameter is twice as long as the radius. Or 2 times radius length gives the length of the diameter.
Circumference: The total length of the circular path is known as the circumference. For example; if we want to fence the path of the cow then the length of the fence will be circumference.
Area of the circle: Plane surface enclosed inside the circumference is known as the area of the circle. For example; the grass inside the path covers the area of the circle formed by cow’s movement.
It is highly recommended for students to take a note of all the above basic terms related to a circle. These are very useful terms to learn higher concepts about circles, such as finding area and circumference of a circle, application of circles in geometry.
Circle Area Area Of A Circle Circle Basics Basics About A Circle Use of Pi Pi in Area of a Circle Formula Area of a Circle Formula Lessons Printable Lessons Area Using Radius Area Using Diameter Area & Circumference Radius From Area Diameter From Area Circle Inside A Square Square Inside A Circle Area Of A Ring Applications Word Problems About Us About Areacircle.com Privacy Policy Privacy Policy Terms Of Use
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How Too Many Choices Hinders Your Happiness
More choices equals happiness, right? Wrong. People ask us all the time why we would want to ‘roll the dice’ and take away our own ability to chose. The answer is simple; to find happiness. We’ve discovered that too many choices threatens your chance...
Free Spontaneity Exercise eBook
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It has been running rich at sometime you could even smell gas. So I tried this and because my trucks heat hasn’t been working have been able to drive truck when it’s been very code. But took my truck for a drive yesterday, usually have to let it run for a few minutes but not then didn’t try to cut off. Also when you came to a hill you would have to press down on gas pedal more and since it has a dual Magniflow muffler you could hear motor crypto when RPMs increased but noticed last night it seemed to have more power and took gas better and ran alot smoother And something else has happen too my dash & gauge lights are green in color. But again wasn’t sure if it was going to work. But before I tell you about it let me describe what my 03 Dodge Ram 1500 reg cab with 8 ft bed and a 4.7 l had been doing. Well like the rest of you I too was very unbelieving in this Ecotune OBD. But still has a half of tank but has close to 170 miles on it since fill-up. Had to borrow my mom’s 1996 Lincoln Town car that has over 250,000 miles on it but climate control heat still works well. But usually have been dim but noticed they were alot better. I also filled up gas tank when I plugged in so will see if mileage increases any. I live in Bowling Green KY and have to make a appointment today will be going to Morgantown KY and back to Bowling Green KY so should be able to tell more on gas mileage but also about how it is still running…
Moreover, the Blockchain prevents any transactions being removed, modified or tampered without permission. By recording all transactions made within the cryptocurrency network, blockchain technology removes the need for a middle-person like a bank or payment app. This creates a chain of transactions, known as blocks.
The recent spike in fuel prices is caused by better contol of Covid-19 in highly industrialized nations and the reluctance of OPEC to pump more crude. Biden controls neither cause and the clown suit is worn by you.
As new bitcoin miners are developed, regardless of where in the world they emerge, FortiGuard is able to identify them and then use that data to protect all the systems subscribed to the service. FortiGuard Labs also scours the internet on a constant basis, bitcoin looking for bitcoin mining scripts and other threats, providing you with an ever-evolving security fabric.
if the people dont wise up, the usa will be no longer exist within a few years. either tony is employed by the far left or he is too stupid to see that the far left is controlled by china and is ruining the usa.
But hey, this is one of the most common questions asked by cryptocurrency newcomers… So here we are. What I mean is it better be truly innovative beyond functionality and protocols where Bitcoin has already filled the gap.
Part of what I’ve been trying to do in Not Boring this year is to show that ultimately, crypto projects are subject to the same dynamics that any business is. Blockchains and crypto are relatively new. They can seem foreign and a little scary.
Which one of you is getting paid to write your comments? Maybe blame the damn supply shortage on the oil companies themselves for once! Every article written has to come down to political bs??
But they then steal your money by using the wallet ID and password you provide. Each transaction requires a fee. When you trade bitcoin, especially for another digital currency, you may use an exchange. Scam exchanges may lure in unsuspecting bitcoin holders with very low fees.
As you continue to work on that elusive GED in your parents basement, skip ahead to the section on global supply and demand, and you will suddenly realize how inane your comment is, blaming it on one person. The downfall of this country will be from a very thick layer of "Duuhhhh" starting at your address.
Bitcoin refers to the network as a whole and bitcoin to the currency. As you become more familiar with the world of Bitcoin, you might come across Bitcoin with a capital ‘B’ compared to bitcoin with a lowercase ‘b’.
He has no idea how to lead a free market, capitalist economy that built this great country. He and his cronies know nothing about the business of America and western civilization. and provides a profit (pursuit of a better life) for those who work and innovate and create opportunity for those who seek it. He has no real job experience. The truth is: Capitalism funds what socialism spends! He only knows how to be a politician.
Hackers have written malware with the ability to access your computer and use its resources to mine bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin mining uses malware. Cryptocurrencies depend on this to maintain solvency. For the hacker to earn cryptocurrencies, they have to verify transactions on a blockchain.image
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Servet rental crypto
Авиатор-как поднять бабла
एविएटर - ऑनलाइन पैसा कमाना कितना आसान है।
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First Person RTS
Player directly controls 1 elite type unit, anything else is only indirect control.
Player can take 5 different types of actions
1. move
2. attack
3. build
4. order
5. use buildings
So where do the other units come in? That would be using a building produces units.
For the bare bones version you have 4 different types of object
1. Leader unit tougher and stronger then others
2. Minion unit weak, expendable
3. Resource gathering building
4. Unit production building.
Minions would be able to do most of the things the leader can except order but do nothing unless told to do so. They can however be told to repeat tasks(like using the resource building repeatedly to get resources).
first draft of cost/stat structure for example purposes
5 damage
25 health
1 damage
5 health
1 resource to recruit
Recruiting Building
75 health
50 resource to build
Resource Gathering Building
1 resource per holds a max of 100
25 resource to build
30 health
Standard victory, rout (so you could have posthumous victories.)
** I know the specific numbers probably need some work but they are there to show relative values.
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Thursday, November 5, 2015
Why the Cloud ?
Why the Cloud?
Cloud computing has turned out to be a groundbreaking advancement in information technology. It has already enabled many businesses to make profits that were not possible in the past due to no-access to significant information on the cloud to improve sales and costs linked to operation and maintenance of servers.
Cloud computing services are available to users under three categories:
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service),
PaaS (Platform as a Service),
SaaS (Software as a Service).
Small businesses, Startups, Nonprofits used to find technology investments deterring
But not anymore, thanks to cloud computing to make it much easier for business aspirants to set up their businesses in their desired locations. They are no longer required to spend hefty sum of money on buying computer hardware, software to run their businesses.Moreover, they can easily track performance of their businesses, manage resources and increase their ROI through various apt tools available on the cloud.
Another factor that entices to go for cloud computing is scalability, which allows a company to avoid a panic situation where there is unexpected growth in numbers of users. Cloud scalability automatically increases the number of resources as and when there is upsurge in demand. There are many benefits of cloud computing that are leading many businesses, regardless of their sizes, to increasingly opt for cloud computing.
The ability to scale up in the event of skyrocketing business growth makes cloud computing the antidote of system-failure nemesis. It's no hyperbole to say that cloud scalability saves both time and money of cloud customers, who can avail cloud services at any given point of time. Non-cloud users, on the other hand, often face the labyrinth of installing new hardware, buying new licenses for software and keeping a dedicated staff to deal with system failure ascribed to massive influx of users.
Cloud computing acts as a single point to fulfill your all the computing, networking and storage needs. Hence, cloud computing not only frees your of the dependence on buying personal hardware, software to run your business operations, but also ensures high productivity and helps devise strategies to establish a strong foothold in the market.
2Create360 provides web app scaling consulting services without charging any fee to help businesses enjoy benefits of sophisticated infrastructure automation.
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Saturday, June 14, 2008
Searching for the Right Cup
To the few male readers I have, a warning: You probably don't want to keep reading this one. The ladies, most likely, already know what I'm going to be talking about, and they likely agree with me.
Right, ladies? Right.
Okay, then.
About a year and a half ago, I went on a shopping mission. It wasn't a fun shopping trip (you know, that kind that's full of, "Oh, look. Cute shoes!"). It was the absolute worst kind of shopping. And no, I don't mean for swimsuits, because as miserable as that is, one suit will generally do the trick for years, so it's not something that bears repeating very often, and frankly, during the process, your middle section (the area with stretch marks and bread dough) is covered.
Bra shopping, however, must be done a bit more frequently. And it's a hideous, hideous experience. You'd think that all the sizes would actually mean something, that the shape and style wouldn't matter all that much.
You'd be wrong.
This time, I had put off the dreaded trip too many times, to the point that my current supports were flimsy and really . . . . well, not doing the job, shall we say. I finally gave in and dragged my toddler—and a feeling of impending doom—to the store.
I wandered the aisles, looking for sizes and shapes that I thought would work best. With about ten different bras in hand, I went to the dressing room, jaw clenched, eyes narrowed, much like facing a lion in its den.
The first bra one was a definite no-go. I tried the second. Same thing. Frustrated (but not surprised), I went for the third. Meanwhile my little girl was getting bored. She began belting the alphabet at the top of her lungs.
After getting her to shush (and nearly swearing because bra #4 didn't work either), I tried on yet another and another, and another. Each one had its problems, which I'll leave up to your imagination, because you women know what I'm talking about, don't you?
Thought so.
None of the ones in the stack came even close to doing the job. I got dressed, and we trucked back out to look for more.
I spent time investigating the displays, managed to gather another armload of potentials, and dove back into the dressing room. This time my daughter noticed feet on the other side of the divider and decided it would be neat to crawl underneath and say hello to the other women on either side of us.
With one arm in a strap and one out, I quickly grabbed her and pulled her back into the booth, trying to explain why there are times we aren't friendly and go out of our way to say hello to people.
In the end (after some two or three hours), I managed to find a bra that worked. I wanted to sing! In such cases, you buy multiples, because you never know when you'll find another one just like it. But there wasn't another of that style in my size. But since I also know that you can tweak sizes just a bit (increase the band size and the cup is a bit smaller, or vice versa), I got another one in the same style and a slightly different size. It would have to do.
Turns out that after wearing either of those bras for about an hour, the result is the "quad effect." I won't describe it further, but again, I'm sure the ladies know what I mean. It's been a frustrating experience. I don't know what I could have done to know this beforehand except for wearing them and staring at the mirror in the dressing room for an hour.
A couple of months after this bra-shopping expedition, I began taking a particularly nasty medication that didn't address the reason I was taking it and instead caused my brain to fall out of my head. Another side effect was making me nauseated all the time. As a result, I lost a bunch of weight. Remember this post?
At the time, I had lots of people wishing they could take the same pills and lose some weight. Yeah, right. And feel as if you're in your first trimester but you're not making a baby? And not even chocolate sounds good? And you're moody and can't think or focus, to the point that not only can you not write, but you're unable to add 6 + 4 without the aid of your fingers? (You think I'm kidding.) It was a miserable period.
So after about three months, my doctor and I decided it would be best to go off the medication. (Very good decision, by the way. Yes, the weight came back when I actually ate food again, but I'm a much happier person.)
But I had lost weight everywhere. So I bemoaned in the doctor's office, "I just bought new bras. I'm going to have to go buy some new ones."
Assuming he knew my concern, he said, "Oh, don't worry. When you go off the medication, you'll get your full size back."
Who cared if I lost a cup size or so? I just couldn't face racks and racks of brassieres and the accompanying trauma that comes with bringing them to the dressing room.
Save me now!
In the end, I just waited for the weight to come back so I wouldn't have to go on another 3-hour torture quest.
But the time has come again. I really need to face the dragon, as the "quad effect" is becoming a real problem.
This time, I'm leaving everyone home and facing the misery alone. To calm the trauma afterward, I'll be treating myself to some chocolate. It's the least I can do for myself.
Unknown said...
hi annette --
i hate looking for new ones, too. ugh, can relate. i would love to have less cup size, too.
but here's something cute you reminded me of. and yes, i knew immediately what your post was about :)
"good friends are like good bras. they always support you and they always are close to your heart."
peace, kathleen
Sandra said...
You really would think this would be easier. And why each and every time do we have to be remeasured? Do they really change the sizes on the bras inbetween shopping trips?
Try Victoria's or Nordstroms. A bit pricey, but well worth it in the end.
Jenna said...
I'm racking my brains, but I cannot figure out what the "quad effect" is.
I had this same problem bra shopping until I went to a pricey department store and got professional measured. Turns out I had been wearing the wrong size all along and what a difference knowing my correct size made! I'm with your other commenter...go to Victoria's or a department store and don't buy a bra that's less than $30. Good luck!
Annette Lyon said...
Sandra, Definitely! I've got both stores relatively close to me, and it would be worth the trip and the gas to get a darned good bra.
Jenna, Just for you, I'll describe the "quad effect," since this is the comments and not the post itself (as if that makes it better? :D)--It's when you spill into the center (not that the bra's too small or too big, but that you are--or at least, *I* am--situated more center than the cups are) so you spill out a bit. The edge of cup cuts a nice line down the middle of each, so it almost looks like you've got four instead of two. Unless I'm wearing a baggy shirt, I spend half my day readjusting myself, pushing them back to the sides!
Come to think of it, some of the problem may be because of the nursing factor. I doubt there was nearly as much movement possible, say, 13 years ago, before kids entered the picture.
Stephanie Humphreys said...
I just figure all the bra shops should have free chocolate to make the whole experience a little less painful.
Marcia Mickelson said...
Ugh! I just had the unfun experience last night, but it was made better for these reasons: I was by myself, Kohl's was open until 11P:M. It was ten o'clock, the store was empty, there was no one in the fitting rooms, and there was a huge sale. I practically had the whole department to myself. That made the whole ordeal a lot better. I highly recommend shopping at 10 o'clock at night
Blondie said...
Two words for you: Victoria's Secret.
My sister has always sworn by their bras but it wasn't until last year that I even tried one on because they are so expensive. But as the saying goes: you get what you pay for. Their bras are divine!
I had the sales lady measure me and everything. (I actually made her do it twice because I honestly didn't believe her the first time--I know breastfeeding had wreaked havoc on "the girls" but seriously, where did they go?!)
I used to think it would take a village to raise this chest but it turns out all I needed was a little underwire and some padding!
samiam said...
I had a bra shopping trip at the end of 8th grade where I went from an almost A to a C and D. I was in the dressing room crying and my mom had the giggles (which I didn't think was very nice at the time). It's sorta felt like that ever since!
Ines said...
I'm so with you! For years I only shopped at Victoria's Secret until my sister told me about the brand "Barely There". I love this brand even more (available at Kohl's or other department stores). I found one that's a perfect fit :) and will never go back. Good luck and may the force be with you!!!
Julie Wright said...
haaaa! I just did this last friday. I had to pick up my nephew from my sisters and decided on the way home that I had no idea when I'd bein the city again. I dragged the poor boy with me. He stayed in front of the store, staring furiously at his ipod and hoping none of his friends would come by. I finally decided to do the whole get measured and make sure it fits right thing. I don't care if it costs more, i no longer have the quad effect and I don't hurt at the end of the day from wearing the wrong size.
Larsens said...
Go to Dillards, Nordstroms or Macy's and get one of the ladies who is a bra-fitter to help you. You will get out of the store quicker than you can believe with bras that really fit you well. (I was a bra-fitter at Dillard's many moons ago).
Annette Lyon said...
This is making me laugh! I posted this more as a way to share a common (funny, I thought) experience. Never expected such advice to be poured out!
And just so everyone knows, I have been measured and know all about the mechanics of what makes a good bra. It's not QUITE that simple. :)
An Ordinary Mom said...
Looks like my advice has already been offered many times over (going to a nice store where they bring you bras to try on) - sometimes I hate pouring over racks so why not pay a few extra bucks and have someone else cater to your needs for an hour ... and then go get that chocolate :) !!
Anonymous said...
I'm commenting anonymously, although people who know me will know who I am because I complain about this a lot. I lost over 150 lbs, and I swear half of it was in the chest area. So I now have V.S. helpers. But even with that, I cannot find a bra that works.
I was professionally measured. I'm a 32 C (with the helpers). NO ONE STOCKS THAT SIZE. I've been unable to find anything under $70.
I want wide straps, wide chest band, and full coverage, with padding. Any suggestions?
Annette Lyon said...
Anon (whom I think I know, but whose name I won't reveal:), If I had advice, I'd give it. I'm still trying to find a good home for my own girls. Later this week, I hope to make the journey. Good luck, i your own quest. Let me know if you find success!
Josi said...
I went to Dillards about a year ago and got measured. It was way embarassing, though I kept my T-shirt on (it was thin) but I about choked when the bras she brought back were like $60 a piece. However, once I put them on and put my clothes on, my posture was better, and I looked slimmer because I was lifted in all the right places. A year later, they are still in good shame and held up well, held me up well, and I will be getting new ones in a couple months. I highly recommend getting an actual fitting. I told this to my two teenage daughters and I guess I had forgotten the embarrassment of the whole thing, they about died at the very mention of someone measuring them out. So I still buy their bras at Wal-mart, but in a year I spend almost as much on the cheap things that lose their spring as I do on the nice ones I bought and are still doing well.
charrette said...
Okay, I'm only adding my comment on this one because my advice is basically the opposite of everyone else's. I always used to buy my bras at VS, Nordstrom, or Gap Body. Then my friend read in consumer reports (of all places) that no matter the size and shape of the woman, or the expense of the bras tried, the winner hands-down was the Gilligan O'Malley $11 Bra from Target! (Go figure!) I was in utter disbelief. My friend is a DD, and has been to the most expensive bra shop in L.A. Hating the whole bra-shopping nightmare myself, my daughter and I gave Target a try. We bought a few in our respective sizes and tried them on at home and they're perfect. Who would have guessed?
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Friday, March 28, 2014
5 Doha Whys
"Why" is the Doha Expat's four letter word. Why don't people merge on the highway? Why does the road end? Why do locals drive like that? Why don't meetings start on time? Why is a mega yacht docked outside my window?
approx. 1/3 of mega yacht Nirvana
Most of the time there is no answer to the Expat Why - and when there is, answers are often inconsistent or the question deemed unimportant: ma sha' allah habibtee, you must relax. It is as God wills.
Still and But - after all this time there remain a few things I'm curious about. Here are my current top five Doha Whys:
Palm Tree Island
1. Why is the circle of earth in the middle of Doha Bay called Palm Tree Island when it's nothing but sand, dirt and one lone Eucalyptus?
(Sample responses:)
The island was once a park accessed only by dhow from the Corniche. Families flocked for Friday slides, swings, beach, grass, restaurants - and a Ferris wheel! When a sheikh's son died in a freak accident, the park was levelled to earth by decree.
um, there used to be Palm Trees?
The park was bulldozed to make way for something better but they had to remodel the rest of Doha (all at once) first.
I don't know, habibtee, ma'alesh, mafee mushkillah, no problem, sit, have some tea.
West Bay and rain clouds from The Pearl
2. Why is it still so cold and wet? It's nearly April!
The changing weather has something to do with the rotation of the earth, the upside down moon and God.
All of the planting and watering has changed the atmosphere.
Murphy's Law - since historically there is very little rain in this desert country, city planners opted not to include a storm water system. (See actual recent results of a day's downpour on a city with no storm water system by clicking here.) Therefore and henceforth, each year there is rain. Lots and more and ever increasing heaps and gobs of rain. But only for a while. anTatharee, wait habibtee, the sun and hot will soon return in all its plant and mojo killing glory.
random building site
3. Why isn't anyone working on this building/highway/tower/unfinished unknown something?
It's too far from the heart of the city and therefore construction does not disrupt traffic patterns enough.
Contractor stopped for prayer, got stuck in traffic and ended up on a different project.
Locals own 51% of all businesses. To keep gifted land, construction must commence within a particular time frame; once a project is completed and/or fully occupied it's no longer governmentally subsidized so some owners stop work before the cash waterfall dries up.
watch out for the truck? and
two guys watering the pavement
4. Why is this guy(s) (sitting/standing/waving a flag/watching that other guy dig a hole/sand a board/hammer a nail)?
It's his turn to watch.
To assure that all drivers see the truck/brick wall/turn prior to impact - or, at the absolute latest - soon thereafter.
Someone told him to.
There are always groups of what appear to be workers standing/sitting/crouching beside people who appear to be working.
5. Why did (the owner) stop taking care of The Pearl's little beach?
pretty beach 2013
broken beach 2014
splintered and missing chairs, shredded and severed umbrellas
Chairs will be returned tomorrow.
You want beach membership application?
Maybe use pool now.
(See sample responses to #3.)
Friday, March 21, 2014
Signs & Sentinels
Billboard signs tower over the ever present stream of traffic, are planted at intervals along highway medians and glued to bus stop shelters. It's the silhouette of a little boy peeking over what might be a table, keyboard, computer, window frame. "We all see you. You are not alone."
Isn't that nice? I thought. Like the famous line from the movie Avatar, Qatar sees me, my heart and soul and person-ness. No need to feel lost or alone so far from home, craving news of adult children, missing two beautiful, perfection-itself grandbabies who are busy growing up without me. Ahhhhhh. How thoughtful of the locals to touch base from behind those 10 foot walls; close the cultural divide to reassure and enlighten me. The veil is just a thin piece of fabric, after all.
Here's what others are saying about the ad, according to
…George Orwell 1984… 30 years later?
…I'm predicting it has something to do with kids observing us
…I think it's a child abuse campaign
…sounds/looks very sinister!
…felt like Big Brother state
…Scare the Children Into Submission campaign
Turns out we're all wrong: the ad is part of a three year initiative sponsored by Qatargas called "Qatar Belongs to Everyone" - the point of which is to reduce litter.
Yes, really.
In other words:
We all see you - leaving your campout waste at the Singing Dunes. You are not alone - on the planet or in this town, so stop spitting in the street, close that sewer valve and wash your car in the designated area.
Here are a few other curious signs seen around town:
Um, what?
photo credit: Bob Kennaley
No butter served here, maybe?
photo credit: Matt Mikus
read Matt's fantastic travel blog at
In Doha, a "saloon" is a barber shop.
Perhaps the result of phonetic Arabic spelling for an English word, translated back into English: in Arabic, "salon" is spelled with a letter that makes the "oo" sound.
Other interesting displays:
Meet Consumer Rights Guy, economic superhero, Marshad, whose job is to save sanguine spenders from their own bad habits. He's seen dangling from ceilings, waiting at cash registers, posted to mall walls, in grocery stores and retail establishments.
(I think he's pretty awesome.)
Expats quickly learn the basics of prayer time "whens."
Bummer to spend all that time in traffic to get to (grocery store, meeting, lunch) only to be met by one of these…or realize there aren't any cashiers around at the time you're ready to check out.
Prayer and wudu' spaces are everywhere:
grocery stores, businesses, construction job sites.
This photo was taken on a college campus.
(I think this is pretty awesome too.)
We arrived in Doha too late to see the wild camels.
Still, I like this optimistic sign found near the Singing Dunes.
And finally, lest one forget:
Not the same as baking cookies with Krissy or reading a train book snuggled up to Killian.
But knowing the sentinels are afoot makes me feel warm and cozy in…a different way.
Friday, March 14, 2014
We are BMD (Overseas Version)
In the beginning, there is a hole.
Read More: Our Doha What/Why
Sketches, designs, plans, backhoes, shovels, guys wearing hard hats, Ed, Garth.
Mumtaz Ed
(شكرا لتتحدث اللغة عربية معي، أد)
Garth and his canine groupies
Twelve hour days, six day work weeks, paper, diagrams, traffic. Cranes, yellow vests, steel toed boots, sweaty-tee-shirt-onsite-walkabouts, chickens.
chicken coop overlooking the jobsite
Yes, really
Golf vacations, safari adventures. Coffee mornings, beach and museum outings, dune bashing, Inland Sea. Dancing, rugby, tennis, music.
musical bonfire at the Singing Dunes
our first weekend in Doha
thanx Curtis & Mary
Read More: Click to hear Esther sing the Doha expat classic, It's Gonna Be a Bright Doha Day
BMD baby (courtesy Mike and Tracy Sartain, thanks, guys!) born in Qatar.
The "Doha Six" lends a hand. Cats, dogs, golf, visa runs, camel rides. Short drives made long by oppressive, depressive traffic. Villa parties, "Roooox-anne!" Club meetings, language classes, lunches, play dates. Adorable children, heartbreaking loss.
Barbecue Rob cuddles Baby T
Our company "family" here flows, shifts and changes like, well - dunes in the desert (the following photos are non-inclusive and in no particular order; no captions because you know who you are; click to view a larger image):
work, live and play side by side: a special kind of team building
Meanwhile, there is more paper. Meetings. Closed roads, expanded holes, bigger trucks loaded with concrete and steel. Cranes go up, cranes come down.
same hole: floor or ceiling?
Football and potluck parties. Guess Who's Coming to Ramadan Lunch. Turkey Central, British place, Egyptian Chicken, $5 meals, $13 tanks of gas, Fudd's Thursday.
Family visits, Dubai, Oman, Greece, Italy, Africa; around the world adventure. But in the end (of this post), just as the beginning, it's all about the hole:
big hole fillin' up
Read More: BMD Blogger Links (click here to submit a link to add your travelling BMD family's blog to this list)
Samantha and Cesar Vidal:
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Racism grew bolder in US under Obama presidency, study reveals.
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American citizens may think that racism was buried by the Thirteenth Amendment, that racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans ended during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and that any remaining feeling of racial discrimination in American society came to an end with the election of a black president. Nowadays, however, not only is racism more widespread in the United States, but the election of Barack Obama made it even worse. A study by students of social psychology at the University of Stanford shows that the Obama presidency has caused people to favor Whites at the expense of Blacks. According to a theory in social psychology, it has been proven that people are more willing to express a potentially prejudiced attitude when their past behavior had given them a bit of credential as a non-prejudiced person.
By applying this theory to the election of Obama they found that people were more likely to express that whites were better suited than blacks for a police job in a force characterized by racial tension. A similar study found that people who scored higher on a measure of racism were particularly likely to increase the proportion of money they paid to a white organization rather than a black organization. According to these studies, the election of Obama just gave people the moral credentials necessary to increase their comfort expressing preferences for whites at the expense of blacks. Simply put, the election of Barack Obama to the office of president made whites more likely to be concerned that black rights were being given greater consideration than was previously the case, which then resulted in the concern that whites were suddenly in an unjust or unequal position, indicating (to the racist white population, at least) a license was issued to favor whites[1]. As this anonymous quote clearly expresses, “when you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”
Another study found that with the election of Obama, as president, many Americans felt that Affirmative Action or other policies, aimed at reducing racial discrimination, were no longer needed; they felt racism had come to an end, since a black man had been elected President of the United States. Less support to address racial inequality was the result of this feeling, and caused racism to grow bolder in American society. This persistent problem allowed us to delve deeper into the many aspects of this American social disorder, that many people contend had its origins in the institution of slavery, which transferred a toxic legacy to European and American societies[2].
Although racism may be considered as only widespread within groups of “ordinary”, “lesser” educated people in American society, recent studies show that even academia is not immune to racist beliefs and that, actually, these views are prevalent among college professors. Over 6,500 professors at top US universities, drawn from 89 disciplines, and 259 institutions were in this survey[3]; each one received fictional but almost identical letters from prospective students, but different student names on them that connoted various races, ethnicities and genders. For example “Seiko Chen” as an Asian female; “Leisley Thomas” as a black female; “Brad Anderson” as a white male. The study revealed that white men were likely to receive between 80–87% acceptance rate, a staggering dominance [4]. A different name that connotes a different race can, surely, end up getting a different response; be a white man and the college says yes.
Medical services are the next place where racism exists at a high level. During a survey of more than 2,000 children in 550 hospitals, who visited the emergency room for abdominal pain between 2006 and 2009, it was revealed that black children were 39% less likely to receive pain medications compared to white children with the same medical situations [5]. When their pain was severe (rated 7 or higher on a pain scale from 0 to 10), an even larger disparity was noticed. The same study reveals that black and Hispanic children were more likely to have an extended length of stay compared with white children[5]. A later study in 2014 confirms these findings, by offering new results on how skin color can affect the way people perceive another person in pain and shows empathy towards them. In fact, this study reveals how racist feelings prevent people from showing empathy to black people in pain[6]. In a study of young people, results indicated that at an early age kids believe that their black classmates felt less pain[7] and that racial bias is not a matter of age in the US. If a viewpoint is formed at such an early age, it seems natural to see such perceptions in other parts of American society.
Another study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive, found that white people are more involved in the use of illegal drugs compared to blacks, but are less likely to go to jail for this crime. The percentage of different drugs used, based on race, according to this report is as follows:
Cocaine use was seen in 17.1% of whites and in 9.9% of blacks. Hallucinogens were used by 17.2% of whites and 6.7% of blacks. Inhalants were used by 9.6% of whites and by 3.2% of blacks. Forty-six percent of whites expressed marijuana use, while 40.2% of blacks said they used the drug. The use of crack among black people is the only case that surpasses that of whites, by only 1.6% more and stands as 5% of their total population in the US. Although the rate of drug use is higher among whites, African-Americans make up the majority of inmates who were jailed for possession and distribution of crack. In total, there are about 14 million whites and 2.6 million African Americans, in the United States, who use an illicit drug. Despite these facts, which reveal that drug use among whites is 5 times higher than among African Americans, African Americans are convicted for drug offenses at 10 times the rate of whites. Other facts point to more horrible disparities that work against African Americans who represent 12% of the total population of drug users, yet constitute 38% of those arrested for drug offenses, and 59% of state prisoners for a drug offense[8]. In this way, America’s criminal justice system perpetuates racial inequities and racism to feed the US prison industry. Law professor, civil rights advocate, and writer Michelle Alexander says in an interview for Teaching Tolerance, a project for the Southern Poverty Law Center:
“After years of representing victims of racial profiling and police brutality, and investigating patterns of drug law enforcement, and trying to help people who were released from prison face one barrier, one legal roadblock after another to get a job, getting access to housing, getting even food stamps–you know, I had an awakening that our criminal justice system now functions more like a system of racial and social control, than a system of crime prevention or control…”[9]
Apart from the higher rate of incarceration of blacks in contrast with whites, it is also noticeable that black people receive lengthier prison sentences than white Americans. Black inmates are convicted to 20% longer sentences than those served by white men for similar crimes[10]. The same is true for black women who are sure to receive longer prison sentences, based on the degree of their blackness[11]. The formal statistics related to this show that this trend is on the rise, and no sign of decline in this attitude is being observed[12].
Police in the US are indicated to have a high rate of racial bias against blacks, by considering them as more criminal. In a study, researchers tested 176 white police officers in large urban areas to investigate their levels of two distinct types of bias — prejudice and unconscious dehumanization of black people by comparing them to apes. It was found that that solely dehumanization and not police officers’ prejudice against blacks was associated with violent encounters against black children. That same study also found that white people showed racial feelings against African-American children, considering black children less innocent than white children[13].
There are also instances where black children are tried as adults and could be convicted by harsher sentences than white children. Among almost 2,500 juveniles in the US who have a life sentence without possibility of parole, nearly all (97%) were male and (60%) black[14]. In a study by Stanford University, an awful fact was revealed, which can be summarized as follows:
“… simply bringing to mind a black (vs. white) juvenile offender led participants to view juveniles in general as significantly more similar to adults in their inherent culpability and to express more support for severe sentencing.”[15]
This study shows that widespread and substantial racial disparities exist in juvenile sentencing that is ruled on by American courts. Black minors are sentenced to life without parole at a per capita rate, that is 10 times that of white minors[16]; in some states, this number stands somewhere between 18 and 48 times[17]. According to experts, the US courts are the only ones in the world to issue life sentences for juveniles without the possibility of parole[18], even though scientists confirm that the mental process of juveniles is different from that of an adult. Nonetheless, American courts get even more merciless when the skin of the juvenile offender is black; they are 22 percent more likely to receive a plea compared to white juveniles[19]. According to these objective findings, it seems completely reasonable to assume that the US government and the American criminal justice system are racist institutions[20].
Giving the above information to the whites in the US won’t spur them to support a reform in the American prison system. This is the subject of another study by Stanford University[21], which found that telling a white American about racist sentencing laws, that cause a large percentage of African Americans to go behind bars, will not increase the demand for prison reforms. Instead, it might actually garner more support from whites for more punitive policies against persons of color, even though various unjust laws are already in place – such as stop-and-frisk and three-strike laws. These laws are responsible for the disproportionate punishments against the black people. Researchers in a 2007 study write that:
“[O]ur most startling find is that many whites actually become more supportive of the death penalty upon learning that it discriminates against blacks.”
Many researchers have also found that murderers of white victims are more likely than murderers of black victims to be sentenced to death. This is what is being investigated in an article title “Looking Deathworthy,” where it was found that having a typical black characteristic will increase the likelihood of capital punishment for a black defendant[22].
Many American people hold stereotypical beliefs that associate dark skin with negative traits. One finding points to the fact that color bias is a widespread issue in the American society. “When an ‘Educated’ Black Man Becomes Lighter in the Mind’s Eye” is the title of this study, which claims to have able to provide enough evidence for the existing subconscious bias where educated black men are recalled as having lighter skin. In other words, successful black people are believed to be an exception in the black community rather than as evidence to end racist views against black people in general[23]. The existence of color bias is also true the other way around. That is to say, the lighter the person’s skin, the more they are perceived to be more intelligent, competent, trustworthy and reliable. This is the subject of another study that investigates the degree and significance of “white colorism”, which is a form of racism in American society.
As a result of these studies, on the big role racism plays in the American government and society, it is normal to imagine that people of color are facing difficulties for social and professional achievements in their lives, that there is a vicious cycle of one or more elements that keeps them in poverty, and again that poverty fuels more racist beliefs among the American whites. Another study confirms this by revealing that black people face a distinct disadvantage when applying for jobs, even though they have resumes superior to lighter-skinned black applicants[24].
Racism permeates all aspects of American society. Reports point to a high level of suspension disparity among American black students compared with their white classmates:
“Black students are suspended more than three times as often as their white classmates, twice as often as their Latino classmates, and more than 10 times as often as their Asian classmates in middle and high schools nationwide, a new study shows.”[25]
These suspensions may cause students to dropout, ultimately, leading to stained criminal records, beginning with suspensions from the preschool years. There are big racial differences in preschool years as well; students of color are much more likely to be suspended or expelled than white students, even while the infractions are the same[26].
In this manner, the racist thread continues in American society right from the time the first enslaved African was forced to put his feet on American soil. Historical racism still exists in the context of modern slavery, but it has also been coupled with socio-economic inequality in the US. As a result, racial stratification continues to occur in employment, housing, education, lending, and government, making it possible for this kind of racism to exist in every corner of American life and earning the title of institutional racism, which is part of the American lifestyle[27].
African Americans, for example, are almost 3 times more likely than non-Hispanic whites to be poor, nearly six times as likely to be put behind the bars, and only half as likely to graduate from college. The average wealth of white households in the United States is 13 times as high as that of black households[28].
It is often perceived by the American people that the poor educational opportunities and less social success among African Americans is directly associated with their race. In another comprehensive study, it is said that:
“…educational outcomes for minority children are much more a function of their unequal access to key educational resources, including skilled teachers and quality curriculum, than they are a function of race. In fact, the US educational system is one of the most unequal in the industrialized world, and students routinely receive dramatically different learning opportunities based on their social status. In contrast to European and Asian nations that fund schools centrally and equally, the wealthiest 10 percent of US school districts spend nearly 10 times more than the poorest 10 percent, and spending ratios of 3 to 1 are common within states. Despite stark differences in funding, teacher quality, curriculum, and class sizes, the prevailing view is that if students do not achieve, it is their own fault. If we are ever to get beyond the problem of the color line, we must confront and address these inequalities.”[29]
In his 2009 visit to the United States, UN Special Rapporteur on Racism, Doudou Diene noted:
A report by ABC News found that even large sections of Americans admit to bearing discriminatory viewpoints. In a 2007 report, ABC News stated that 1 in 10 American whites admitted to holding racial bias against Hispanic-Americans and about 1 in 4 had the same feeling against Arab-Americans[30].
Racism against minorities in the United States is being recounted in endless scientific and non-scientific articles, and in different social and governmental institutions. Still, the American government holds itself on a moral high-ground to accuse and criticize other countries of racial discrimination.
This article was originally published at Mouood.
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eight. You are That have a hefty Tax bill
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30 November 2012
happy birthday dude
My son celebrated his 16th birthday this week. I cant believe he is so grown up and is now taller than me - much to his delight, I think I will have to get a higher hairstyle! It just seems like yesterday since we were sitting on the sitee together, watching the Teletubbies.
He is a wee bit camera shy, so I had to make do with taking a photo of the cake....
I finished the hexaflexacube in time for his birthday. The pattern suggested invisible thread to join the triangles. However, I found this a bit fiddly so ended up using 4ply black sock yarn.....I think I should have persevered with the invisible thread. Not the prettiest project I've ever done, but then my son doesn't do pretty and quite liked his cushion.....
Have a good weekend, Ali.
1 comment:
1. OOh how cool! I like the extra dimension the black wool adds!
Happy Birthday to the birthday boy! Hope you all enjoy the celebrations!
Ali x
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CCNet 130/2001 - 5 December 2001
Ron Baalke <>
Mark Kidger <>
Clark Whelton <>
Duncan Steel <>
Malcolm Miller <>
>From Ron Baalke <>
Planetary Society Now Accepting Applications for the next round of Shoemaker
NEO Grants
by Melanie Melton
Planetary Society
December 3 , 2001
The Planetary Society is now accepting applications for the next round of
Shoemaker Near Earth Object (NEO) grants.
Those amateur or professional astronomers interested in studying Near Earth
Objects can apply for the grant by filling out an application form and
sending it to The Planetary Society by March 31, 2002.
The application form can by found here:
The Shoemaker NEO grant program was established by the Society in 1997, in
an effort to advance the study of Near Earth Objects. Grant recipients in
the past have been both individuals and groups, amateur and professional
astronomers, all interested in studying asteroids and comets in Earth's
For this round of grants, the Society's international advisory group
reviewing the proposals will be considering three different categories:
Observation Programs, NEO Research Programs, and International Collaboration
in NEO Observations.
With several asteroid detection programs in place at major observatories
around the country, there has been a dramatic increase in asteroid detection
within the last year, creating a long list of objects in need of follow-up
observations. As a result, special consideration will be given to observers
interested in conducting follow-up NEO observations, especially those
capable of detecting objects fainter than magnitude V= 19.5 or so.
* For more information about the Shoemaker NEO Grant Program:
* For NEO Grant Guidelines:
* For the application form:
>From Mark Kidger <>
Dear Benny:
I would like to make a slightly delayed response to two recent submissions
on the Star of Bethlehem: from the Bible Society (November 29th) and from
Scott Raeburn (December 3rd)
Readers in the U.K. and (I guess) those with access to the BBC by satellite
may be interested to hear that the next BBC "Sky at Night" to be broadcast
on Sunday December 9th will feature a debate between Patrick Moore, David
Hughes and myself on the Star of Bethlehem. As we defends
radically different views (Patrick that it was a Cyrillid meteor stream or
two bright bolides, David that it was the 7BC Jupiter-Saturn triple
conjunction and myself that it was the 5BC object that was probably a nova),
this may be an interesting meeting of minds.
The chronology of Biblical events is complicated and even more so when there
are mistakes and false clues in the evidence.
Scott Raeburn is correct when he says that Dionisius missed the year zero.
This is often referred to as the Year 0K problem (zero, not "oh"). Even
though we say that this was a mistake by Dionisius, it was not his fault
that there is no Roman numeral for zero and the Romans did apparently not
use this number. What he misses is the second and more important dating
error, which Dionisius made, namely that when counting the reigns of Roman
Emperors he included Augustus Caesar correctly but forgot that Augustus had
also reigned for 4 years under the name of Octavian. Together the two errors
add up to the famous 5-year error in the Christian calendar.
If we assume that Dionisius was correct, apart from these two known errors,
then we shift the date of the Nativity back to 5BC. This is consonant with
the accepted range of dates that the Bible Society submission states from
Curiously, I have never seen any suggestion that Dionisius had additional
errors in his work that would cast 5BC into doubt as a date. Given that
there is very good evidence that King Herod died in late March or early
April 4BC if there were no other errors in Dionisius's work we have a
pleasing agreement in the dates.
So why is there further doubt? Part of it is for historical reasons. Luke's
Gospel opens its description of the Nativity with a series of statements
that are described generally as "contextual clues" to the dating of the
Nativity. One of these states that Quirinius was Governor of Syria at the
time. We know that Quirinius was not Governor of Syria until 6AD, thus this
clue caused some consternation as it contradicts Dionisius's chronology
completely. David Hughes gave a possible explanation in a seminal review (1)
in which he notes that Quirinius was Governor's Legate in Syria from 6-5BC
under the Governor Saturninus and thus Luke's text may be an error.
A second problem is the famous census. Three are known, the closest in date
being one that was ordered in 8BC. An 8BC order to census is inconsistent
with a 5BC Nativity (3 years to carry out Augustus's order seems excessive
in a Roman Empire with excellent communications between the provinces and
Rome) and would appear to support a date for the Nativity around 7BC. It
also contradicts the statement that the census coincided with Quirinius's
What seems to be less well known though is the fact that the 8BC call to
census was for Roman citizens, which Joseph most certainly was not. This
region was a Roman Protectorate with a certain degree of autonomy and its
people were not granted the privilege of Roman citizenship. Why would a Jew
be required to respond to a census exclusively for Roman citizens? The most
likely explanation is that the 8BC call to census was not the one that was
referred to by Luke. Similarly, Luke's statement that "the whole world" was
called to census is also inconsistent with the 8BC Romans-only census,
although this may simply be typical Roman hyperbole.
In other words, the confusion between sources and clues is one reason why
few people will give a single date with confidence as being the year of the
Nativity. In these circumstances I am personally happy to believe Dionisius.
Incidentally, "Exiguus" was his own way of paying tribute to an earlier
Dionisius from the 4th Century who Dionisius Exiguus considered to be
greater than himself so, rather than being "Dennis the Short"; a better
translation is "The Lesser Dennis".
As far as the date of the year was concerned, many different versions have
been given for the date of the Nativity. Dionisius was writing more than 500
years later and it seems very unlikely that he had any special knowledge or
insight into the problem that has since been lost. Dionisius was actually
using a date that had been established at least 200 years earlier according
to Finnegan (2).
In fact, there are other very good reasons to disbelieve the December 25th
date. The contextual reason is the description of shepherds watching their
flocks by night on the hills. The hills around Bethlehem suffer from
moderately cold and wet winters and in some years heavy snow may fall. It is
unlikely that the biblical shepherds would have kept their flocks in the
open at this time of year - more probably they would have been under cover
as pointed out by Keller (3) or, at very least, taken to low-level winter
pastures. Similarly, there would be no real need for all-night vigils at
most times of year. When the shepherds would have maintained all-night
vigils would be in spring, at lambing time, to aid ewes in distress. This
implies March, April and possibly early May. Humphreys (4) goes even further
and suggests that the biblical description of Jesus as "the holy lamb of
God" suggests that the Nativity may have occurred in the day that the
Passover lambs were selected (sunset of April 14th to sunset of 15th 5BC).
A second strong reason to disbelieve the December 25th date is that this
probably is a christianisation of a long established pagan festival. The
feast of Saturnalia, that celebrated the passing of the shortest day, was a
long established tradition. Curiously, many of its elements correspond to
our modern Christmas traditions (e.g. the giving and receiving of presents,
decoration of houses with green branches, a surfeit of eating and drinking
and processions). As Saturnalia was a popular public holiday the early
Christian church preferred to adapt it and make it into a Christian
celebration than to make the highly unpopular move to abolish it. Saturnalia
was thus transformed into the second most important date in the new
Christian calendar that Dionisius Exiguus was charged with organising.
In other words, December 25th was just an expedient date and became
enshrined in the modern western calendar, but there is no special reason for
believing that it was the true date of the Nativity and many for believing
otherwise. There are much better reasons for accepting a date around April
5BC, even if we do not accept in full the reasoning of Humphreys. If this is
true, the millennium was actually some time in April 1996.
Chronology is extremely important as it provides important clues as to the
possible nature of the Star of Bethlehem. Probably the most important
"modern" study of the Star was carried out by Sinnott (5). This study though
was enormously complicated by the uncertainty of the chronology that was
available, leading to the need to search a range of almost 20 years. This
led Sinnott to select the June 17th 2BC conjunction of Jupiter and Venus (it
has since been shown that from Western Europe an occultation of Jupiter by
Venus would have occurred) as his candidate for the Star. Although this
theory was very popular for many years and has recently been revived Martin
(6), modern biblical chronology is usually regarded as ruling it out and
thus only by questioning this chronology does the Jupiter-Venus become a
candidate Star of Bethlehem.
By greatly reducing the possible range of dates for the Star of Bethlehem
the task of finding plausible explanations is greatly simplified, although
the sad truth is that we may never ever be able to prove which of the
competing theories is the correct one.
The unsigned contribution from the Biblical Archaeology Society (CCNet,
November 28th), makes a number of valid and extremely interesting points,
although it falls into some possible errors of appreciation and contains
some extremely serious errors of detail.
The writer takes the 7BC triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn is the
reference point for the Star. This theory has been strongly supported over
the years by Hughes (1) and is one of the most plausible theories. On May
29th, September 29th and December 4th, 7BC the two planets were in
conjunction, with a minimum separation of 58 arcminutes between the two.
This separation was such that the magnitude -2.5 Jupiter and magnitude 0
Saturn would have made an interesting, but not especially spectacular
Where the Biblical Archaeological Society text errs is in its suggestion of
the rarity of such triple conjunctions. Conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn
occur every 20 years approximately and triple conjunctions may occur with a
separation that ranges from 40 years to several centuries. The statement
that "Since 7 B.C.E. a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn has been
observed only twice, in the years 786 and 1583" is simply not correct. Nor
is the assertion that triple conjunctions in Pisces occur only every 800
years. In fact, two triple conjunctions occurred in the 20th century: in
1940 and in 1980/81 and between 1000BC and 1BC there were seven triple
conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn of which no less than three - those of
980/979BC, 861/860BC and 7BC took place in the constellation of Pisces (7).
Sceptics of the triple conjunction theory point out that the previous triple
conjunction in 146/145BC, which took place in Cancer was far more
spectacular, with a minimum separation of just 10 arcminutes between Jupiter
and Saturn. Hughes (1) suggested that the 7BC triple conjunction was
significant because it took place in Pisces and noted the constellation's
historical association with the Jews. If the astrological association with
Pisces is the key to the Star of Bethlehem it is also possible to argue that
the "normal" conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 126BC, which occurred in
Pisces, was far more significant and spectacular because it was just one
event of a series of close conjunctions and planetary massings of Mercury,
Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon that occurred in a small region of sky
between January 25th and April 24th, 126BC (7).
This astrological link with Pisces though has been strongly questioned by
Molnar (8, 9) who casts severe doubt on the idea, pointing out that this
idea dates back only to the 17th century and is of dubious validity. Molnar
suggests that the constellation with links to the Jews in ancient astrology
was Aries and not Pisces. Similarly, Sinnott (5) supports his hypothesis
that the Star was the 2BC conjunction/occultation of Venus and Jupiter in
Leo by suggesting a historical link between this constellation and the Jews.
The triple conjunction theory suffers from other significant problems. Both
Hughes (1) and the aforementioned Biblical Archaeological Society text
suppose that the Magi came from Babylon. Although it is known that Babylon
had advanced astronomy and strong links with Judaism through the enslavement
of many thousands of Jews after the sack of Jerusalem around 586BC, there is
little or no direct evidence to link the Babylonians with a messianic triple
conjunction. A description of the 7BC triple conjunction is found in a
Babylonian almanac preserved on a tablet in the British Museum that is
catalogued as BM 35429. BM 35429 is translated in Sachs & Walker (10). The
tablet makes neither direct reference, nor allusion to the conjunction. A
translation of a small portion of the tablet is, as follows:
"Month VII, the 1st of which will follow the 30th of the previous month.
Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces, Venus in Scorpio, Mars in Sagittarius. On the
2nd, equinox."
"Month XI, ... Jupiter and Saturn, and Mars in Pisces, Venus in
Sagittarius. On the 13th Venus will reach Capricorn."
As can be seen from the above extracts, the conjunction seems to have given
rise to no perceptible comment or interest, either in the triple conjunction
(e.g. the text from Month VII reproduced above) or in the planetary massing
that followed it (Month XI).
It seems that in most cases it is assumed with little or no supporting
evidence that the Magi were Babylonian and that everything in the
interpretation of the Star must be based on Babylonian beliefs and culture.
Yet we see above that if the 7BC triple conjunction was so significant to
the Babylonians that it led to a group of Magi leaving Babylon for
Jerusalem, this was not communicated in the almanac of the event. The
description of the 7BC triple conjunction, written by the same astronomers
who would have been responsible for its astrological interpretation is so
low key as to suggest that it excited little or no interest in Babylon. This
does not square with it having been an event of great astrological
importance to the Babylonians or the Magi's star.
The most plausible theory is that the Magi were Persian and not Babylonian
at all. The names of the Magi in the classical version of the Nativity
(Gaspar, Balthasar and Melchior) are not biblical and not even necessarily
even from the early church. Although some sources claim that the names were
given by Origen (10) in the 3rd century and became popular by the 6th
century, Trexler (11) gives a radically different chronology and states that
these names did not appear until the 5th century, long after the death of
Origen, and were not widely used until the end of the first millennium. In
this case the fact that they are Babylonian becomes irrelevant as there is
nothing in this case to link them to the Magi. Greetham (12) points out
that the Magi are also known under various other names such as Hor, Basanter
and Karsudan, or Hormizdah, Yazdegerd, and Perozdh. It is also unknown just
how many Magi there were. The idea that there were three is a relatively
modern embellishment and in frescos from the early Christian church there
are on occasions 2, 4, or even 12 Magi.
There are various reasons for believing that the Magi were Persian. First,
the association that the cited text makes with the Zoroastrian sect of Magi.
In the Apocryphal Gospel of the Infancy, chapter 7:1 states that the Magi
came to Jerusalem:
"according to the prediction of Zoroaster"
A second interesting link is provided by Sinnott (5). He comments that, when
Marco Polo passed through the small Persian village of Saveh, the
inhabitants told him that the Magi had set out from there. This village is
now a small town situated 130-km southwest of Tehran, in modern Iran.
Sinnott also points out that this legend is not unique just to Saveh and
that other towns have similar ones, hence we should take such stories with
rather more than just a grain of salt, unless we can find independent
evidence to support them. However, it is curious to find such a generalised
belief in the region that the Magi had set out from there unless there is
some truth in the legends
A third line of evidence is provided by the fund of paintings and carvings
from the earliest centuries AD. These, however, were made long after the
Nativity and are thus, an unreliable and dangerous ally, as they are heavily
influenced by the prejudices and biases of the time when they were made. But
Hughes (1) points out that these earliest carvings show that Magi wore
Persian dress, wearing trousers rather than the traditional robes. There is
even a legend that such a carving saved the church of the Nativity at
Ravenna on the Adriatic coast of northern Italy from the ravaging Persian
hordes in 614 AD. When the invading army saw the Persian figure within the
church, recognising it as one of their own symbols, they spared the building
from pillage and torching.
Taken individually, these items are probably insignificant but, together
they suggest strongly that the standard dogma of Babylonian Magi is
incorrect and unjustified and that the Magi were Persian. It is thus
dangerous to judge their motives by our knowledge of Babylonian astrology.
Mention is made of Molnar's new and original theory that the Star of
Bethlehem was an occultation of Jupiter by the Moon. Molnar (8, 9) bases his
work in a study of the Antioch coin (13), which shows a ram looking over its
shoulder at a bright star close to a crescent Moon. This he interprets as
being an occultation of Venus by the Moon that took place in Aries. Molnar
suggests that the Star of Bethlehem was one of a series of lunar
occultations of Jupiter in the constellation of Aries between February and
May 6BC. Only the March 20th occultation would have been marginally visible
in the Middle East, with a 14-hour old Moon occulting Jupiter just 12
degrees from the Sun. This event could not have been observed with the naked
eye and would have been challenging to observe even with a small telescope.
Molnar's theory is important in that the event that he describes is
in 136BC and in 6BC did occultations take place in Aries.
However, if we widen the search to occultations of the four most visible
planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) we find that they are extremely
frequent. Just between 20BC and 1BC there were no less than 170, of which
six occurred with the Sun below the horizon. On July 13th 17BC there was a
occultation of Jupiter by the waning crescent Moon that was observable of
much of the Middle East. This occultation took place in western Taurus and
would have been very spectacular to the naked eye. Slightly further back in
time, in 46 and 45BC respectively, occultations of Jupiter and Venus
respectively would have been observed from the region and at least the
latter would have been even more prominent than the 17BC event. In other
words, if we remove the astrological association with Aries from the
equation the theory that the Star was the (unobservable) 6BC occultation of
Jupiter becomes much less convincing.
My own preference is of course that the Star itself was a nova, a theory not
even mentioned in the November 28th posting. There is even an interesting
candidate object that was observed in late February or early March 5BC, the
correct time of year and in a year that even agrees with the Dionisian
chronology of the Nativity. This theory was popularised in 1955 by Arthur C.
Clarke in his short story "The Star" (15), although it seems to date back to
Kepler in 1604. In it he assumes the persona of a Jesuit astronomer, working
as a scientist aboard an exploratory space ship of the future. The ships
mission is to enter and explore the Phoenix Nebula; the remnant of an old
massive star which has died, torn apart by a supernova explosion. In his
cabin he tries to reconcile his conscience with his faith, wrestling
uncomfortably with the implications of his discoveries.
now know in what year the light of this colossal conflagration reached our
blazed low in the east before Sunrise, like a beacon in that oriental dawn.
Although Clarke's star is a supernova and not a classical nova the premise
is basically the same. As someone born and bread just slightly around the
coast from his Minehead home, it would be a special pleasure for me to prove
that his "speculation" was, as so often, correct.
The Star was written for a short story competition run by the British
newspaper The Observer. Much to Clarke's amusement and perplexity, the story
was not worthy of even one of the many consolation prizes of a certificate
of merit. But, when later published in the November 1955
edition of the magazine Infinity Science Fiction, the story was voted the
best science fiction story published in 1955!
For those unfamiliar with the story, I can thoroughly recommend it. Without
wishing to give away its plot, the Jesuit astronomer who is the central
character in the story finds that the nebula that he is investigating is the
remains of the explosion which was, thousands of years previously, observed
as the Star of Bethlehem. This forces him into a crisis of faith because of
the contradictions involved in this discovery. The contradiction is revealed
in the unexpected sting in the tail of this classic work, which I will not
spoil for people interested in reading the story.
The Star was based on an popular article, also by Arthur C. Clarke, which he
had written in 1954. It was called The Star of the Magi and published in
Holiday magazine (16).
Of course it is now known that there were no supernovae close to the date of
the Nativity (17), but a bright nova is a realistic possibility and an
object variously described as a hui-hsing (hairy star) and a po-hsing (bushy
star) in different chronicles is a serious candidate. Although
hui-hsing was generally used for tailed comets and po-hsing for tailless
objects, there is historical precedent for these designations to be used for
bright star-like objects. Chinese observations of Tycho's supernova of 1572
describe it as a Hui-hsing. Despite being observed for over 70 days, the
chinese chronicles make no mention of any movement in the sky, although even
a moderately bright comet would be expected to move considerably in this
time and contemporary chronicles of Comet Halley detail its movement, its
tail length and even its colour; these details are missing for the 5BC
object which was apparently a fixed object. However, due to the "hui-hsing"
designation, Clark and Stephenson (17) make this a Class 2 nova/supernova
candidate (probable nova) rather than Class 1 (certain).
However, like many other theories, a nova has the inconvenience that a
bright nova is a relatively frequent event and thus it is only a *plausible*
candidate due to its proximity to the known date of the Nativity.
This argument can be made strongly about all three of the main candidates
theories. It is the fact that there are question marks over the three
principal theories about the star: the triple conjunction, the occultation
and the 5BC nova (which some authors consider to have been a faint comet
rather than a nova, although the most detailed study yet made of this object
(14) comes out strongly in factor of its nova nature), either because of
their visibility or their astrological interpretation suggests that it is
likely that no single theory is correct.
Astrologically it is argued that the triple conjunction was the most
significant sign. This though stretches biblical chronology to its limits
(few experts seem to date the Nativity as early as 7BC). The nova though was
observed in March 5BC, almost exactly at the moment of our best estimate of
the date of the Nativity and this object would genuinely have been observed
quite low in the east at dawn. In other words, both the date and the
position in the sky (southern Aquila) fit the available evidence both on
date and observability. Hughes (1) pointed out that the traditional
translation of Matthew's Gospel "we have seen his star in the east" is
incorrect and recent translations have revised the phrasing to "at its
rising" or "in the first light of dawn", implying that the Star was observed
at or close to its heliacal rising. A nova that appeared in the dawn sky
would appear to simulate the first sighting of a heliacal rising and has the
additional advantage that by May 5BC it would have been due south at dawn
and could genuinely have led the Magi from Jerusalem, due south to
Bright novae are sufficiently common though for it to be difficult to argue
that a single nova could be the Star of Bethlehem without some additional
factor being involved. It seems reasonable to suggest that the Magi did not
rely on a single sign to make their journey because none was clear enough
and unambiguous enough to be sufficient on its own (the mere fact that we
still debate the Star more than 2000 years after it appears demonstrates
this). The most likely scenario is that the Magi observed the 7BC triple
conjunction and the massing of the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn that
followed in 6BC (which, contrary to some suggestions, would have been
clearly and spectacularly visible low in the dusk sky) and pondered its
significance, seeing that it referred to the birth of a king, but did not
start their journey until a further sign told them that the king had been
born. This definitive sign would have been the (presumably, given that it
was naked-eye visible from China for more than 2 months until finally lost
from view when the spring monsoon made further observations impossible)
bright nova observed in 5BC. Only when the Magis' interpretation of the
triple conjunction was confirmed by the birth of a new star would they have
made their plans to depart and finally made the long and perilous journey
across mountains and deserts from Persia.
(1) Hughes, D.W.: 1976, "The Star of Bethlehem", Nature, 264, 513
(2) Finnegan, J.: 1964, "Handbook of Bible Chronology", Princeton: Princeton
University Press
(3) Keller, W.: 1981, "The Bible as history", 2nd Revised Edition, New York:
(4) Humphreys, C.J.: 1991, "The Star of Bethlehem - a comet in 5BC - and the
date of the birth of Christ", QJRAS, 32, 389
(5) Sinnott, R.W.: 1968, "Thoughts on the Star of Bethlehem", Sky &
Telescope, 36, 384
(6) Martin, E.L.: 1996, "The Star that Astonished the World", Portland: Ask
(7) Kidger, M.R.: 1999, "The Star of Bethlehem - an astronomer's view",
Princeton: Princeton University Press
(8) Molnar, M.R.: 1995, "The Magi's Star from the perspective of ancient
astrological practices", QJRAS, 36, 109
(9) Molnar, M.R.: 1999, "The star of Bethlehem : the legacy of the Magi",
New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press
(10) Origen: c.254, "Contra Celsum"
(11) Trexler, R.C.: 1997, "The Journey of the Magi: Meanings in history of a
Christian story", Princeton: Princeton University Press.
(12) Greetham, Rev. P.: World Wide Web page
(13) Molnar, M.R.: 1992, "The coins of Antioch", Sky & Telescope, 83, 37
(14) Clark, D.H., Parkinson, J.H., & Stephenson, F.R.: 1977, "An
astronomical reappraisal of the Star of Bethlehem - a nova in 5BC), QJRAS,
18, 443
(15) Clarke, A.C.: 1955, "The Star", published in the collection "The other
side of the sky". New York: Victor Gollancz Science Fiction, 1987
(16) Clarke, A.C.: 1954, "The Star of the Magi", published in the collection
"Report on Planet Three and Other Speculations". London: Corgi Books, 1975
(17) Clark, D.H., & Stephenson, F.R.: 1977, "The Historical Supernovae".
Oxford: Pergamon
>From Clark Whelton <>
Dear Benny,
Recent discussions of AD chronology in this forum seem to accept the
Christian myths on which AD dating is based.
Religious faith aside, it has not been proven that either Jesus of Nazareth
or "Dionysius Exiguus" are genuine historical figures. Nor has it been
proven that anyone living 1,500 years ago kept track of time by counting
forward from the birth of Jesus.
Early Christians did not use AD dating. They used AM (Annus Mundi) dating,
a timekeeping system that calculated the number of years since the creation
of the world (see Richard Landes' brilliant paper "The Use and Abuse of
Eschatology in the Middle Ages (Louvain, 1989) edited by Verbeke,
Verhelst... A study of apocalyptic expectations and the pattern of Western
chronography 100-800 CE").
Landes wrote, "Within both Christianity and Judaism, (chronological systems)
emerged more or less simultaneously, based on the age of the world (Annus
Mundi = AM). But whereas both the Greek Christians and the Jews established
their current erae mundi in the early centuries of the Common Era (c.
100-250 CE), Latin Christianity, curiously, made two major revisions in its
dating system during the following six centuries (c. 250-850) before
ultimately abandoning AM entirely in favor of Annus Domini... The pattern
begins with the establishment of a system for dating the age of the world
that situates its own date early in the last five centuries of the 6th
millennium (c. 5600 to 5700 AM). This system then enjoys about two centuries
of universal acceptance among a wide range of ecclesiastical writers,
despite occasional efforts to change it (c. 5700-5900).
Finally, and rather suddenly, it disappears from common usage in its 5900s,
giving way to another dating system that rejuvenates the world by about
three centuries; that is the new system universally adopted in its
Landes shows that by combining eschatological interpretations of two
scriptural passages ("for the Lord, one day is as a thousand years," and "on
the seventh day He rested") early Christians came to believe the world would
end in the year 6000 AM (i.e. the beginning of the "seventh day" when the
Lord would rest). Fear of the year 6000 AM caused Christian scholars to
constantly recalculate and manipulate AM dates in hopes of postponing the
dreaded sixth millennium.
AD dating does not come into general use in Europe until long after the time
period assigned to Bede. Given that documents are easily copied and redated,
I have been trying to find the oldest _original_ AD date inscribed in stone
or metal, i.e. a date not retrocalculated and added to a church or tomb at
a later time. The oldest such date I have found in the UK is 1360. AD dating
in the UK does not seem to have come into general use until the mid-15th
century or later. The Magna Carta, for example, traditionally dated to
1215, does not bear an AD date, instead being dated to the 17th year of King
It is not logical to keep track of time by counting forward from unprovable
events in the past. In my opinion reliable timekeeping begins with the
Gregorian calendar reform. In discussions involving history and chronology,
I prefer to use B2K (before the year 2000) dating. Only by counting backward
from known events can we hope to arrive at an accurate chronology of the
Clark Whelton
Society for Historical Research
MODERATOR'S NOTE: Reliable timekeeping goes, of course, much further back
than the Gregorian calendar reform as can be seen from the Jewish book Seder
Olam (2nd/3rd century CE) which includes the Rabbinical chronology - from
Adam to the destruction of the second temple (i.e. the time of Jesus) - and
which formed the basis for the dating of the "Era of Creation" (= Annus
Mundi). Equally impressive is the systematic dating system used in Islamic
coinage: BJP
>From Duncan Steel <>
Dear Benny,
In the item from the Toronto Star (CCNet 4/12/01) it was said that:
"During his life (which tragically ended four years ago in a traffic
accident), Shoemaker was the guru of asteroid-impact research"
Our friend Gene was indeed the guru of asteroid-impact research. If I recall
correctly, when he died his life-partner Carolyn said that Gene would have
seen the irony of his end in an impact event.
But it was not a "traffic accident" as it is usually understood: no-one
skipped a red light, or got rear-ended by a drunken driver. Out in the
Tanami Desert, in the Australian Outback, there is no "traffic". Gene and
Carolyn came around a blind corner on a dirt track and, against all the
odds, hit another 4WD coming the other way. Gene, I am sure, would also have
appreciated the irony of such a wildly improbable event occurring. He would
have seen the parallel with the next hugely unlikely, but fatal, asteroid
impact on the Earth.
Duncan Steel
>From Malcolm Miller <>
A quote from CCNet 129/2001:
which has been great for checking out our instruments."
Funny, that. We've been having spring in the part of space I live in - the
southern hemisphere of planet Earth
Malcolm Miller
>From, 4 December 2001,,3885-931180,00.html
An Australian primary school has banned a teacher after she told a class of
six year olds that Santa Claus does not exist. Angry parents from the Corowa
public school demanded action when some children arrived home in tears after
a reserve teacher, on her first day on the job, told them their parents
brought their presents....
please contact the moderator Benny J Peiser <>.
Information circulated on this network is for scholarly and educational use
only. The attached information may not be copied or reproduced for
any other purposes without prior permission of the copyright holders. The
fully indexed archive of the CCNet, from February 1997 on, can be found at
DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the articles
and texts and in other CCNet contributions do not necessarily reflect the
opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the moderator of this network.
CCCMENU CCC for 2001
|
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Getting My Immersion Fix
There is a certain type of game that I gravitate towards and that always seems to end up being the ones I keep coming back to, spending far and away the most time with. These games delight me with tiny pockets of ‘emergent narrative’ – parts of the game that for whatever reason ‘just happen’ as a result of the fact that the world around me is alive with people and things. The stories that most stand out in my memory are the ones that pop up without explicit authorial intent, the ones that just happen to coalesce into some strange and surprising mini story.
When I play The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion my regular habit is to walk everywhere to get around. I like to avoid the use of ‘quick travel’ because it doesn’t make logical sense to me that I should be able to instantly teleport around the world. The ‘quick travel’ method that is present in both Oblivion and Fallout 3 pulls me out of the game because literally nothing happens to the player while travelling. I want things to happen to me; after all, it’s why I’m playing a game.
So I use foot power like the lowly commoner I am and install a mod that introduces ‘stage coaches’ that fits with the fiction of the game as well as providing an alternative method of quick travelling between major cities. When I walk, I actually quite enjoy the experience because I find the countryside calming, idyllic – enjoyable for its own sake. Interestingly, the games I’ve most recently spent the most time with all involve traversing the world – I mentioned on the special holiday edition of the Brainy Gamer podcast last year that a lot of the joy I get from playing Far Cry 2 is in learning to skilfully snake my way through a hostile environment. Similarly, the way I like to play Oblivion is just as grounded in inhabiting the world.
This week I was playing Oblivion, and as I walked my Orc north and then west from the Imperial City sewer exit all the way to Chorrol (practically via Bruma) I was quite deliberately taking the scenic route. The direct route would have cut the trip time in half, but I especially like the view from the Orange Road, you get some beautiful views of the Imperial Spire through gaps in the trees and much of the forest is made up of what looks like Silver Birch trees, my favourite (an aside: We had a beautiful silver birch outside our front door but it sadly died from a fungus a year or two ago and blew down in the wind. It was one of my favourite trees.)
On this occasion, I got about half way and spied an imp that looked like good target practice for my marksman skill. I started stalking him, readying my bow and arrow. Unaware of my presence, my first attack gained the benefit of extra damage. Success, a hit! But he is not going to be defeated by a single arrow as I’m still a lowly level 1 Orc, and so the creature flees. This happens because I have a mod installed that makes all sorts of back-end faction changes and the end result is that this Imp now behaves somewhat like a normal wounded animal. I finish him off and continue my journey west and shortly come across an intriguing scene. The bodies of multiple bandits are strewn across the road and the survivors of a pack of wolves haunt the road ahead. They were clearly weakened from their fight with the bandits with one of their number already dead, so I had no trouble finishing them off from a distance. But I was so shocked when I came across such a strange scene that for a moment I almost forgot I was playing a game.
I realised quickly that I was more surprised by the fact that this interaction was entirely natural and actually made complete sense. I could tell at a glance that the bandits, who had been hiding off to the side of the road waiting to pick off unwary travellers, had fallen prey themselves to a pack of hungry wolves. I didn’t see it happen, but the knowledge that this was off happening somewhere else in the world as I wandered around was thrilling. After all, why should my player character be the center of attention in the world? My character is just a nobody at this point, so why should everything in the game be planned and scripted in advance just for me? The real world doesn’t work in that way, so why should a videogame?
I guess this is the difference between games as entertainment – the highly scripted Hollywood film approach to games – and games as experiences. The difference has been described by many, but perhaps most effectively by Steve Gaynor in his post ‘Being There’. The games I love are not the ones that try to usher me along and give me a tightly controlled narrative experience, even though I still enjoy those occasionally. Instead, the games I love are about ‘Being There’.
But what makes one game better at ‘being there’ than another? And for that matter, what makes the ‘Being There’ itself enjoyable? For Oblivion I find that it’s the little details that build the world and make me love the game – stumbling upon unscripted events that could easily be happening without your presence tickle all the right places for me. Conversely I think a large part of why I struggled to engage with Fallout 3 (after all it’s just Oblivion with guns, right?) is that it seemed to lose much of these unexpected events, instead leaning heavily on discovering ‘places of interest’ that sit dormant waiting for you to find them. To me, Fallout 3 distinctly lacks the feeling that the world is ‘lived in’ by anyone at all, heightened by the fact that there are so few people ever doing anything in the world outside of major quest hubs.
I’ve also been playing STALKER this week, and while it’s been lauded as a ‘living world’ game similar to Oblivion, I haven’t actually found it as engaging. I think, in this case, it comes down to the geographic design of the world. Areas in STALKER feel like wide corridors connected only by entry and exit points. It would be much more attractive to me if it did away with it’s ‘levels’ and opened up The Zone a bit more. I also wonder if the enjoyment of ‘Being There’ in Oblivion and Far Cry 2 is not present in STALKER because of its distinctly dark and brooding aesthetic. While there are undoubtedly moments of beauty, they seem much fewer and further between.
Lastly, in a strange and maybe unnatural comparison, I think I’m looking forward to (eventually) playing the new Empire: Total War game for somewhat similar reasons. Judging by this after action report by Tim Stone over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun the battles look like they encourage the feeling of ‘Being There’ with their rich level of detail and potential for player-created narratives. I look forward to seeing whether that impression is accurate.
In the meantime, does anyone else have any suggestions for games that encourage that feeling of ‘Being There’ - of watching the world flow around you? Hit up the comments and let me know and I’d also be interested to hear what particular aspects of those games make you feel like you’re 'really there'.
Unknown said...
I think another obvious example is Grand Theft Auto, or at least it is for me. Like the stuff you enjoy from Oblivion it is the small things that add to the immersion and make me feel as if I'm 'there' while playing. Seeing people pull out their umbrellas as it starts to rain is just one example and when all of these small, subtle and even unnecessary moments combine I can't help but forget about the real world.
Interestingly, I also feel that BioShock was another game that managed it, again through attention to detail and atmosphere. Say what you will about the actual game (and I will admit right now, I am biased towards it), but I don't think anyone can deny that Rapture and the things that go with it (history, characters, art deco style and etc.) was the real beauty of that game.
Anyway, nice post Ben - it reminded me a lot of my times in Tamriel.
Jonathan Mills said...
I played Oblivion the same way; in fact, I think that's part of the reason I didn't get very far in the story. It took me so long to get from quest element to quest element that I lost the focus to keep moving the game along.
I enjoy "being there" in the cities of Grand Theft Auto. I think my favorite experiences were in San Andreas. Unlike the other core games in the series, San Andreas includes in-between areas. Sometimes I would turn up the radio and head west out of the city, driving around the mountains. I wasn't trying to find hidden jumps or fill in the game area; I was just taking a drive. In a game world as dense as San Andreas, the spare parts of the game gave me the freedom to enjoy its open world.
I think that's the key to this kind of immersion: there are places in that game where things happen (traffic, environmental effects) but where I'm not really expected to do anything. I'd contrast this with games like Gears of War, where every single game design choice is pushing you to the next battle. It's important to have something else to entertain you, though. In Oblivion, I loved exploring the flora in Tamriel. I wasn't an alchemist, but I collected every plant product. It gave me a purpose to interacting with the environment but didn't really do anything significant to move the game along. There is some beautiful scenery in that game, and while quest objectives encourage you to move through it, it can be fulfilling as an end itself.
I was trying to think of specific moments in games where I just hung out in the game world, but aside from driving through GTA none are coming readily to mind. My style of gaming tends to exploration, so that's the root of most of those experiences. I'll stop back if anything good comes to mind.
VRBones said...
Fallout 3 was the closest to 'being there' in the past release of games. I'm a bit surprised that you felt the world was lifeless as I've had almost exactly the same scorpion > bandit experience in Fallout. Actually a number of times.
There are also small gems littered all around the place that aren't on any location list. Like the letterbox in a nuked city with a flyer for fallout shelters, or posters on the wall in the school library about learning with modern day graffiti on it about UNlearning. The ephemera throughout the environment is as detailed as I've seen anywhere.
Even though I, too, love the 'being there' moment I'll still fast travel after I've been between the places a couple of times. I think this is still to do with the inherent lack of 'living world' as the path between 2 cities is usually identical to last time you made the trip. In a real world there are always things going on that might crop up, but you get the sense that in the game it's always going to be the same.
For other games, you could try Dwarf Fortress as an escapist alternative. Once you get past the interface, the dwarves have character and the world lives and breathes like the best of the latest graphical games. It's because the simple character interface allows your imagination to 'fill in the blanks'; like a good book.
I've also found writing AARs help me 'live the moment'. I'll usually play a game through to try and break it. Once I've satisfied that need, I can then play through casually and not worry about minmaxxing, but just enjoy the ride. Not sure whether AARs stimulate the play experience or whether that style of play leads to AARs, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of playing a game while writing up an AAR.
Ben Abraham said...
It's funny that GTA is mentioned as another game of "being there" because I try and play GTA and struggle to get that feeling.
I think it's maybe because I don't actually *want* to be there, perhaps, and which makes sense because I think we probably need to want to be there in a game before we can successfully be engaged and immersed in it.
Thanks for the contributions guys. I've been meaning to check out Dwarf Fortress for a while... dare I jump in? I dunno... maybe. =P
Anonymous said...
Just wondering what the stage coach mod was called, it sounds cool but I can't find it :(
Ben Abraham said...
Hey Robin, thanks for the comments - the Oblivion addon was part of a pack called 'Modular Oblivion Enhanced' and the module was called 'Travel Services'. It's nothing flash - you don't actually ride in a stagecoach (which would be awesome!) just quick travel and it takes some money off you. But if you've got a mod that disables regular quick travel (like I do) then it's a great immersion friendly way to get around! =)
Anonymous said...
A man after my own heart! STALKER be my own personal downfall.
I must insist on your installing Oblivion Lost, as it breathes a fresh wind into the game and really bumps up the A-Life and feeling of an open world much more.
When I obtain Far Cry 2, I can only IMAGINE the days that will go by, windows shuttered and my mind linked directly to the heart of Africa.
Ben Abraham said...
That's the spirit TGK! You will adore Far Cry 2.
Unknown said...
On the whole walking line of thought, I wish that game designers would ensure that your character's walk speed is the same as the NPCs' walk speed. I annoys me no end that it's impossible to 'follow' someone in some games (e.g. HL2). You have to walk, stop, walk, stop, because you seems to walk much faster than everyone else!
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Tag Archives: robosnakes
Snake robots to aid injured soldiers
snakebot_x2202A snake-like robot is being developed to aid medics in the rapid diagnosis and treatment of injured soldiers, from Technology Review:
Choset and his students have engineered a highly articulated robotic arm that consists of multiple actuated joints, which give the robot a snakelike flexibility. Each joint has two degrees of freedom that, working together, allow the robot to flex, retract, and twist into different configurations, much like a live snake.
As ever snakebots+military immediately put me in mind of Alastair Reynold’s excellent Century Rain.
[via Slashdot][image from Technology Review]
Robot Snakes in a Mother-F*ckin’ Pipe
Bad tidings for drain-blockages and nervous defecators alike with the news that Norwegian scientists are developing a robotic snake (yet more biomimetics!) to navigate and clean complex pipe-systems:
The 1.5-meter long robots, which are made of aluminium, are being designed to inspect and clean complicated industrial pipe systems that are typically narrow and inaccessible to humans. The intelligent robots have multiple joints to enable them to twist vertically and climb up through pipe systems to locate leaks in water systems, inspect oil and gas pipelines and clean ventilation systems.
It seems snakes are a versatile form for robots, with applications for robot snakes in space exploration, military espionage, and surgical tools.
[story from PC World via Slashdot]
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Frequently Asked Questions
Based on years of serving the flute/piccolo community, I have put together the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as an informational aid our customers. I am always available to answer any of your flute related questions.
What kind of clients do you work with?
I have performed adjustments, repairs and complete overhauls for clients from all walks of life; from students just starting out to veteran concert flutists. My work is reasonably priced and of the highest caliber.
What is your turn around time?
Typical turnaround time is within one week to as quick as 48 hours. Rush and Emergency repairs can be performed at additional costs.
Do you have a storefront location?
All repairs are performed at my home workshop. Please call or email to schedule an appointment before dropping by.
How often should my flute/piccolo be serviced?
I recommend getting your flute/piccolo serviced (also known as a “clean-oil-adjust” or “COA” or annual maintenance) once a year assuming normal use (how much it is played) and care (environment, and if you clean it each time you play it). Getting your flute/piccolo regularly serviced will make it possible for it to function at its optimal level. Over the course of a typical year adjustments will change, pads will develop leaks and the headjoint cork will wear out. The amount of play will affect the condition of the oil inside the mechanism. Bringing your flute/piccolo in every year for servicing will ensure that I find anything that is causing you difficulties while playing, and it lessens the chance of major repairs needed on your instrument in the future.
How often should my flute/piccolo be overhauled?
I recommend getting your flute/piccolo overhauled every five to ten years, depending on usage, maintenance, and care.
How often should my piccolo (the wood section) be oiled?
The body of the piccolo (the wood section) should be oiled periodically. I recommend oiling every one to three years, depending on environment, usage, maintenance, and care.
Can dents be removed from my flute/piccolo?
Yes, depending on the severity and where the dent is located. Dents around the lip plate, tone holes and on the keys will most likely not be able to be removed. The materials used in the construction of the flute/piccolo (i.e. silver vs. nickel-silver alloy) can also influence the degree of the potential dent repair due to the malleability of the metal. Finally, although I strive to make it appear as though a dent was never there, it is not always possible. Therefore, sometimes dent repair will leave behind a slight appearance variation when compared to the surrounding material.
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Building of a “Virtual Galaxy” for Bitcoin Nodes.
It is impressive, how intelligence contained in the human brain advances at leaps and bounds, it is clear that when creativity, innovation, freedom, financial resources, clear policies, join motivation in action, the horizon can begin to be clearly glimpsed: that’s why the Startup A16Z has the possibility of building a “virtual galaxy ” for Bitcoin nodes.
It is said that if Bitcoin could think as a digital property, is something similar to virtual gold, yes it is, the description that will be done, raises the following question, can technology be used to create totally digital landscapes?
Developers are chasing a project called Urbit; they have been trying to answer that question in the last ten years. Attached to that initial concept, developed by a company called Tlon, it has attracted the attention of powerful companies in Silicon Valley as Andreessen Horowitz and co-founder, PayPal, Peter Thiel.
Urbit is a network of PC’s in the cloud, according to their founders aims to create a means through which individuals can run their own servers without having to go through the trouble of running infrastructure of complicated servers. The description of its founders is like a “virtual city”, this project dates back to year 2000, it is Curtis Yarvin’s original idea , this is a programmer who enliven the controversy in previous years, with its “neo-reaccionarists” he made these political writings under the pseudonym of Mencius Mouldbug, there are many criticisms about the project, but it goes ahead.
What does it has to do with Bitcoin and Blockchain?
In the online submitted documentation is clear that: Urbit don’t use a real Blockchain, they do not share kinship through Per-to-Per network. On the other hand, Pauly Galen Wolfe, co founder of Tlon argued that Urbit could become a platform, ideal for the running of Bitcoin nodes and other distributed applications.
According to the words of Wolfe-Pauly, a Coindesk “A blockchain is most useful when nodes are in charge of real users. Coinbase is very good, but it would be great if there was an easy way to execute a full node. Urbit is very suitable to solve that problem”. The project is composed of several parts: a virtual machine, called “Nock”, an operating system, called “Arvo”, a programming language “Hoon” and Peer-to Peer network called “Ames”.
In the project book, Urbit conjures up images of a galaxy, to describe how identities are organized, from a hierarchy. Degradation would be: “Galaxies” to “Stars” to “Kites” Urbit can be described as a virtual universe, from that point it’s explained how identities are generated.
Although the project is still in its firsts stages, according to Wolfe-Pauly, by now is intended as developers or programmers test, if they are interested in using Urbit, it is available as Testnet and can be downloaded from the web. Today Urbit does not share the worldwide distributed nature as Bitcoin, as the project of “Universe” is written, Urbit differs from the model made by Satoshi Nahamoto, regarding bitoin.
For now, Urbit is centralized, because it is in birth, it will be growing, according to Wolfe-Pauly, the ecosystem must grow, the Urbit network structure should be more distributed.
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Quick Answer: Are Prunes Good For Health?
How many prunes should you eat a day?
How many prunes should I eat per day? Dr. Hooshmand says how many prunes you should eat in a day depends on the size of the prunes themselves, but current research recommends 50 grams of prunes per day which is equal to about 5 to 6 prunes.
What happens if you eat prunes everyday?
Eating too many prunes and other dried fruits, like raisins and figs, can lead to or worsen diarrhea due to their high fiber and sorbitol content. Both can have a laxative effect on the body.
What is so bad about prunes?
Prunes contain sorbitol, a sugar that can cause gas and bloating. Fiber, also contained in prunes, can also cause gas and bloating. Diarrhea. Prunes contain insoluble fiber, which can cause or worsen diarrhea.
Is it safe to take prunes everyday?
Feren says prune lovers are advised to eat around 30 grams, or three to four prunes, a day. That is equal to one serve of fruit – adults are encouraged to have two daily serves of fruit.
Is it good to eat prunes at night?
You might be interested: Quick Answer: Does Adding Fiber Reduce Carbs?
Should prunes be refrigerated?
How many prunes do I need to poop?
Are prunes good for your liver?
In traditional medicine, prune juice has been used to treat hepatitis — a liver disease. When there are problems with your liver, it produces harmful chemicals. Prune juice vitamins and antioxidants reduce these chemicals, helping to maintain liver health and fight disease.
Who should not eat prunes?
The insoluble fiber in prunes can cause or worsen diarrhea. This is why you need to avoid them when you have diarrhea (2). There have also been certain cases of people who had experienced diarrhea post the ingestion of prunes and prune juice (3). This can be attributed to the laxative property of prunes.
What is prunes called in Marathi?
सूखी हुई जामुन ⇄ prune.
Do prunes make you fart?
“So these carbohydrates reach the large intestine and serve as food for bacteria, which produce gas as a byproduct.” The biggest offenders include apples, peaches, raisins, bananas, apricots, prune juice, and pears, according to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.
You might be interested: Question: How Do The Generations Go?
Are prunes good for weight loss?
Summary: Eating prunes as part of a weight control diet can improve weight loss, research shows. Consumption of dried fruit is not readily recommended during weight loss despite evidence it enhances feelings of fullness.
Are prunes good for your brain?
“The prunes are the secret weapon in this snack, as plums are a rich source of antioxidants to protect the brain. Research has also shown that eating plums is associated with improved brain function and thinking”.
What are the best prunes to eat?
Top Dried Prunes
• Signature’s Dried Plums Pitted Prunes.
• Looney Pruney Organic Pitted Dried Prunes.
• ORGANIC Prunes – Sunny Fruit.
• ORGANIC Pitted Prunes – Sunny Fruit 40oz Bulk Bag.
• Anna and Sarah Dried Prunes Plums.
• Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Dried Plums Pitted Prunes.
• Mariani Pitted Prunes -36oz -Sweet & Tender Superfruit.
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fexecve manpage
Search topic Section
FEXECVE(3) Linux Programmer's Manual FEXECVE(3)
fexecve - execute program specified via file descriptor
#include <unistd.h>
Since glibc 2.10:
_POSIX_C_SOURCE >= 200809L
Before glibc 2.10:
fexecve() performs the same task as execve(2), with the difference that
the file to be executed is specified via a file descriptor, fd, rather
than via a pathname. The file descriptor fd must be opened read-only,
and the caller must have permission to execute the file that it refers
A successful call to fexecve() never returns. On error, the function
does return, with a result value of -1, and errno is set appropriately.
Errors are as for execve(2), with the following additions:
EINVAL fd is not a valid file descriptor, or argv is NULL, or envp is
ENOSYS The /proc filesystem could not be accessed.
fexecve() is implemented since glibc 2.3.2.
For an explanation of the terms used in this section, see
|Interface | Attribute | Value |
|fexecve() | Thread safety | MT-Safe |
not widely available on other systems. It is specified in
On Linux, fexecve() is implemented using the proc(5) filesystem, so
/proc needs to be mounted and available at the time of the call.
The idea behind fexecve() is to allow the caller to verify (checksum)
the contents of an executable before executing it. Simply opening the
file, checksumming the contents, and then doing an execve(2) would not
suffice, since, between the two steps, the filename, or a directory
prefix of the pathname, could have been exchanged (by, for example,
modifying the target of a symbolic link). fexecve() does not mitigate
the problem that the contents of a file could be changed between the
checksumming and the call to fexecve(); for that, the solution is to
ensure that the permissions on the file prevent it from being modified
by malicious users.
The natural idiom when using fexecve() is to set the close-on-exec flag
on fd, so that the file descriptor does not leak through to the program
that is executed. This approach is natural for two reasons. First, it
prevents file descriptors being consumed unnecessarily. (The executed
program normally has no need of a file descriptor that refers to the
program itself.) Second, if fexecve() is used recursively, employing
the close-on-exec flag prevents the file descriptor exhaustion that
would result from the fact that each step in the recursion would cause
one more file descriptor to be passed to the new program. (But see
If fd refers to a script (i.e., it is an executable text file that
names a script interpreter with a first line that begins with the char-
acters #!) and the close-on-exec flag has been set for fd, then fex-
ecve() fails with the error ENOENT. This error occurs because, by the
time the script interpreter is executed, fd has already been closed
because of the close-on-exec flag. Thus, the close-on-exec flag can't
be set on fd if it refers to a script, leading to the problems
described in NOTES.
execve(2), execveat(2)
description of the project, information about reporting bugs, and the
latest version of this page, can be found at
Linux 2016-03-15 FEXECVE(3)
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hipsters at the LA phil
In 2006 the Los Angeles Philharmonic put on a series called the Minimalist Jukebox, featuring music by Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Louis Andriessen, Avro Pärt, John Cage, etc. John Adams was the musical director, and I don’t know if he’s to credit for the outreach of the series but someone had the smarts to include enough electric instruments (100 electric guitars for Glenn Branca’s symphony #13), gamelan drumming, and $10 seats to bring in “the youth.” I watched as kids in hoodies and tennies gawked at the inside of the concert hall for the first time, made fun of the blue hairs sipping intermission champagne in their neck braces, and I swear you could hear a few of them say “SO that’s where ambient dub came from…”
Later on that year I was on the phone with someone in the Philharmonic marketing department who wanted to ask me about my series, seating choice, blah blah. I told her it was so exciting to see so many new people under the age of 40 attending the Jukebox program (many of whom shiver with disdain for “classical music”) and I wanted to know if they had any ideas for how to keep them coming. She told me that keeping “the youth” inside the walls of WDCH was a top priority and not to worry, if I donated some extra bucks they could actualize many of those exciting plans. Sorry lady.
What they ended up doing was getting Brian Wilson or Bob Mould to play concerts, which is fine and great and all that but they completely missed the point. In 2006 they had in their hands what I would call the “classically curious,” a younger generation willing (shitty-ass coffee notwithstanding) to come back to the concert hall to see more connections between Sonic Youth, György Ligeti, Brain Eno, and good old JS Bach. They missed out on a chance to do some really intelligent programming, to maybe help Alex Ross out a little, or, to do what European promoters are already doing.
But oh well. WDCH needs to keep the blue hairs donating, so they pretty much keep the classical classical and the minimal minimal, and everything else falls into “Additional Concerts.” That being said they can still put on some amazing programs. Last night Steve Reich himself performed his clapping piece, but here’s a good rendition of it performed by Angie Dickensen and Lee Marvin.
and here’s the Bang on a Can again with a part of Reich’s 2×5:
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You have seen the commercials and ads that have the phrases at the bottom: “Download our iPhone app” or “Download our Android app.”
How to build mobile appYour curiosity is probably why you are reading this page right now, and we can assure you that you are on the right track! What is a mobile application? How to build a mobile app? It is simply a mobile extension of your company. If you sell a great product at your physical location, why not make a virtual storefront that can be seen by thousands of people in a day than a few hundred, if that many? This is one of the benefits of having a mobile application for business.
Another reason for having an iPhone app or Android app for your large or small business is that it allows customers to reach you in a matter of seconds. If they want to call you, they can do so with the touch of a button. If they want to send you an email then that can also do this with the press of a button. What if they want to read about your products or services first and then set up an appointment?
We can design a mobile application for any company, including the iPhone, iPad and Android app for small business. This can all be done in seconds through your mobile application. Multichoice Apps can make all of this a reality because this is what we do for our clients everyday. We take their vision and turn it into an interface that customers can interact with. Your mobile app means more customers and higher revenues. This is the power of the mobile application!
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Denver Union Station
Denver’s Union Station, which reopened in 2014, honors the city’s vibrant history as a communications hub in the middle of the United States, now with updates for new uses. The station’s atrium retains the charming atmosphere of a classic railroad station with benches, lanterns, and clocks, but now also offers a boutique hotel, restaurants, fashionable cafes, and public spaces. The redesign was so successful that the space has become known as the city’s “living room,” where all of Denver goes to see, be seen, and pass the time. The train that connects the city center to the airport also arrives at Union Station.
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Alley Maintenance
Alleys in Richmond allow access to the rear of many properties, as well as providing a hiding place for unsightly items such as overhead wires andAlley Maintenance refuse containers. As with streets, we are responsible for the surface condition of public alleys, which may involve regrading and adding stone, or patching asphalt if an alley is paved.
Did you know, as a City resident and/or property owner, some alley maintenance is your responsibility?
Per City Code §38-152, §38-154(d), it shall be a misdemeanor for any person who owns or occupies property within the City to permit any grass, plants, bushes, weeds or any other vegetation 12 inches high or over, other than trees, shrubbery, agricultural plants, garden vegetables, flowers or ornamental plants, to exist on any sidewalk, public right of way, or grass strip adjacent to such property or unimproved street or alley (to the centerline of such unimproved street or alley).
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Category: Be Positive
Starting Your Day on the Sunny Side
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects a lot of people, usually in the winter. There are a handful of tips and tricks to help manage this form of depression. An example is to increase Vitamin D intake. The best and cheapest form of Vitamin D is sunlight.
Okay with Being Alone
Recently my roommate moved. After living in the same apartment together for about a year, I am alone. The apartment is now quiet and I have had to adjust. I used to do everything with my roommate. We would cook dinners together, go shopping together, and watch tv on the couch at the end of the night. Now that I am alone in a city where I don’t know many people, I am relying on myself more. I am a social person and have noticed that I feel pretty lonely since they have left. I have tried to get outside and keep myself occupied but it just feels different.
Long Road
I have been crushed by the weight of anxiety and trauma, as I’m sure many of you are familiar with. I’ve felt like I couldn’t possibly bear the weight anymore, unable to think, breathe, or function countless times. But I’ve been investing in my safety nets lately, like hugging myself, talking to friends and family, and doing my favorite hobbies which are always there for me.
Staying Positive Until Spring
With the coldness dwindling down, it’s easier to get our spirits up and be in a better mood now that nicer weather is on its way. However, it’s still a time when the weather is changing and you don’t know whether it’ll be nice out or we’ll get 5 inches of snow! The ending months of winter definitely feel the longest, so it’s important to stay positive until spring.
A Misdiagnosis: What’s Next?
This past week, I experienced one of the darkest periods of my life which has left me in a pile of medical bills, lost friends, and rash behavior. It had been going off and on for years but was never bad enough to the point where it affected each and every part of my life negatively. I was not able to go to work, my friends were getting tired of my antics, and I lost way more than I ever could have imagined. As a result of this, I consulted a new doctor who told me the news: I had been misdiagnosed for years and was in fact bipolar.
New Beginnings
Stop and Smell the Roses
Sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves. We often get so caught up in our everyday lives and pouring ourselves into others that we neglect ourselves. This neglect can lead to burn out and worsen our overall mental health and relationships. If we don’t show up for ourselves, how can we show up for others?
Be Your Own Valentine this Year
For the first time in a long time, I’m in a really good and healthy relationship with my current partner. As I am approaching Valentine’s Day, I think it’s important to not feel upset or self-pity at not dating or being in a relationship. Honestly, even just celebrating the day for self-love, or the good ole Galentine’s Day, would be ideal.
Winter Wonderland
Do you find it harder to wake up in the mornings when it is cold outside and all you want to do is stay in your comfy bed? Do you find yourself grasping for any bit of motivation along the way in the mornings? A lot of people feel these emotions during the cold and sometimes dark winter months. We are used to a couple extra hours of daylight, more outdoor activities, and just more sun in general. How can we find the positives in the winter?
Acknowledging the Good as it Occurs
We’ve talked about expressing and writing down gratitude plenty of times before. No matter how big or how small, being able to name anything positive can have an impact on your mental health and wellbeing. Whether it’s being able to acknowledge the good things at the end of the day or being able to look back and read them if you’re feeling down, remembering that there are always good things that can happen, even when it doesn’t feel like it, and knowing there’s a light when things feel bleak can make the biggest difference.
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Make Your Marriage Ceremony Memorable in The Best Wedding Destination in Jaipur
May 12, 2022
Make Your Marriage Ceremony Memorable in The Best Wedding Destination in Jaipur
Wedding planning is fun, difficult, and energizing simultaneously. Whether you have a small, cozy wedding or an enormous one- - you have just a single objective as a top priority. To make your wedding significant. You need to consider how to approach that.
Basic Ways of Making Your Wedding Stick Out -
Have a welcome pack
In the event that your visitors have voyaged only for your wedding, leaving them a welcome pack in their rooms will be perfect. Pack in units of sheets covers, headache cures, paracetamol, and a couple of yummy treats to make their visit more tomfoolery. On the off chance that your loved ones are curious about specific customs, having an introduction on what's in store and the meaning of specific services imprinted on a card will surely be useful.
Make a wedding guestbook
At the gathering, you will welcome more than 100 individuals and you likely will not recollect half of them. Make courses of action for a wedding guestbook. Rather than having them recently sign their names, request that they offer you marriage guidance or pen down a great memory they have with you two. You will surely cherish all of this as the years go by.
Offer in return
It very well may be the most joyful day of your life, yet you also can make another person blissful. Support dinners at your local place or your old home or Hotel The Trade International - banquet hall in jaipur on your big day. Rather than choosing locally acquired favors, take a stab at supporting a localbusiness or eating up favors done by good cause.
Make it green
Weddings will quite often be a gigantic waste on assets, and are not especially very eco-accommodating. Begin the pattern of diminishing your carbon impression, with upcycled stylistic theme and by decreasing food wastage. Additionally, have a go at involving recyclable items however much you can.
Create a Custom Logo
Utilizing a custom logo on everything from your solicitations to your drink napkins can truly arrange an occasion. It's a conclusive method for putting your imprint on your occasion, and it's incredibly Instagrammable as well (assuming you're the sort of lady/groom who's as of now had your wedding hashtag chose since your most memorable DTR).
Show a Little Extra Gratitude
Weddings are costly for all interested parties. Assuming that you're planning it, you're overwhelmed with decorative layouts and seating graphs. On the off chance that you're joining in, you're burning through cash on clothing, travel, gifts and the sky is the limit from there.
To show the amount you esteem the extraordinary individuals in your day to day existence, pause for a minute to give them a little jolt of energy. It doesn't need to be costly, however setting something little, sweet and privately obtained in their lodgings, can remind them exactly the way that unique you are and that they are so glad to be essential for your important day.
Create a Signature Cocktail
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16 Dec
Grenshaw and the Monster 13
It couldn’t be. Grenshaw squinted at the man in the doorway. “Tommy,” he said, “how is this possible? Even if this is just a computer simulation, I don’t understand how–”
“Do you remember the GCF slogan, Mr. Grenshaw?” Tommy interrupted.
“Tommy, I assume you are responsible for this vision. But how do you know what that man looks like?” Grenshaw said, pointing toward the figure in the doorway.
“The slogan is “˜Powered by the state of your mind.’ Do you know what that means, Mr. Grenshaw?”
“No, Tommy. I have no idea what that means. I only know that what is currently happening cannot be real.”
“As you know, Mr. Grenshaw, the computer itself isn’t powered by your mind. But the software is. Thus, I am.”
“And what does that mean?”
“It means this is not a conspiracy. There isn’t some faceless man at GCF headquarters pushing buttons and manipulating you. You control me.”
Grenshaw pondered the words briefly before saying, “Okay, then, tell me what’s going on here.”
“Oh, no. It doesn’t work like that.”
“Do I need a password?”
Tommy gave a half-grin. “Perhaps I should rephrase. You determine my actions. But the Universe controls me.”
“The Universe?” Grenshaw glanced at the four dark figures as he tried to decipher Tommy’s words. They weren’t exactly frozen, but all four had stopped their activities. It was like they were waiting for something, or maybe like they were eavesdropping. “Tommy,” Grenshaw asked, “can they hear us?”
“On a conscious level, you are not paying attention to the Universe. But on a subconscious level, you are attuned to the Universe. Mr. Grenshaw, I am here to help you move beyond your own self-deceptive consciousness.”
“Was that an answer to my question?”
“No,” Tommy said, “they can’t hear us. But they are listening.”
“There you go again with these damn riddles. You realize I don’t understand a word you’re saying?”
“You don’t need to understand what I’m saying. What you’re about to witness will speak for itself.”
Grenshaw opened his mouth to reply, but one of the boys drew his attention away when he said, “Did you hear that?” By the light of the torch, he could see the faces of both children more clearly. One of them looked alarmingly familiar.
“Tommy,” he said, “that’s -”
Tommy shushed him and said, “I know. Listen.”
“But that’s me!” Grenshaw exclaimed. When Tommy shushed him again, Grenshaw heard a tinkling of water and a distant sound like the rush of traffic.
“Boys,” the man in the doorway yelled, “it’s not safe out here. Come in.”
The ground suddenly began reflecting the torch light; Grenshaw looked at his feet and saw liquid parting around his shoes. The man in the blue coat grabbed a torch and began running awkwardly down the alley, toward the open street, yelling, “Everybody run!” From the doorway, the larger figure stepped into the alley. He grabbed the nearest child and said, “Come on.”
The boy dropped his torch and responded, “But Dad, what about all our earnings?”
The rushing sound was getting louder. “That doesn’t matter!” the father shouted, grabbing both children, yanking them towards the door, and causing them to drop their bags of shards.
Grenshaw felt a spray of liquid on his face just as the boy escaped his father’s grasp and stepped into the alley again, pawing at the ground for his lost “earnings.”
“Tommy,” Grenshaw shouted, “are we safe?”
The sound was now a deafening roar. “No!” Tommy shouted back.
The stream seemed to erupt as if from a fire hydrant. Preceded by a loose gathering of large droplets and stinging needles of liquid, it came with full force and knocked the boy and Grenshaw off their feet.
Grenshaw gasped before being carried down the alley, flipped upside down, slammed against the buildings on either side. His final thought, before everything went completely black, was that the liquid tasted like orange juice.
to be continued . . .
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(a presentation of word information for your vocabulary enhancement so you can increase your brain gain and decrease your brain drain)
Confusing Words starting with Group A.
A significant effort has been made to provide important examples and content clarifications for many confusing English words starting with this first "A" group.
You are urged to take a look and see if this unit provides some guidance as you strive to grasp the similarities and differences of words in this and the following groups of words.
The only thing that isn't hard to get these days is confusion.
-E.C. McKenzie
In these modern times, the most popular secular "religion" is Confusionism.
It is believed by many that statisticians collect facts, then draw their own confusions.
-E.C. McKenzie
Always think about the words you use. Accuracy in word choice is a key to effective communication. In your daily writing, try to make sure you apply the right word for the right meaning. By doing so, its effect can affect your writing in a positive way.
-Dave Dowling, The Wrong Word Dictionary
Decibels or units for measuring the relative intensity of sounds
Are you aware of the different intensity levels of sounds? If for no other reason than for the safety of your hearing, you need to get acquainted with the information available in this decibels unit.
Intelligence is like a river; the deeper it is, the less noise it makes; and tennis is a game that can't be played without raising a racket.
-E.C. McKenzie
-Michel de Montaigne
All noise is a waste. So cultivate quietness in your speech, in your thoughts, in your emotions. Speak habitually low. Wait for attention and then our low words will be charged with dynamite
-Elbert Hubbard
When the eardrum vibrates, it sets in motion a chain of tiny bones in the middle ear, the names of which we [should] have learned in school: the "hammer" (malleus), the "anvil" (incus), and the "stirrup" (stapes).
The stirrup, the smallest bone in the human body, weighs about 1/2,500 of an ounce.
-Neil McAleer in The Body Almanac
Decibels measure sound intensity at any particular frequency. Thus, a whisper from four feet away in a quiet room ranks at about 30 decibels, normal conversation about 60 decibels, a rock band 120 dcibels, and a shotgun 140 decibels.
-J.D. Ratcliff in Your Body and How It Works
Dismal, its history and its modern applications
I hope your day is not dismal; however, all of us have a bad or unlucky day, or days, now and then. The history of the word dismal should give you a better idea as to where it came from and where it has been going.
-Michel de Montaigne, French philosopher and writer (1533-1592)
Never find your delight in another person's misfortune.
-Publilius Syrus (about the first century B.C.)
We want our children to grow up to be such persons that ill-fortune, if they meet with it, will bring out strength in them, and that good fortune will not trip them up, but make them winners.
-Edward Sandford Martin
-Plutarch, Greek biographer and philosopher (A.D. 46?-120?)
Drinking words includig thirst and swallowing.
Being thirsty and "drinking" words are listed in this dipso- unit.
As usual, there are other units that refer to drinking which are worth seeing, too.
The larynx acts as a derailer to divert food, drink, and air down their respective tracks. When we swallow, the larynx rises causing a piece of cartilage called the epiglottis to move up and back over the glottis, the pathway for air through the trachea.
-Neil McAleer, The Body Almanac
Excessive drinking of alcohol makes such fools of people, and people are such fools to begin with, that it's compounding a felony.
-Robert Benchley, United States humorist (1889-1945)
Dung beetles, an essential element in natural survival
An often neglected but essential creature to the survival of all natural species is the dung beetle. Learn more about this creature and how important it is that we do it "no harm"; on the contrary, it is essential that we do whatever is necessary to maintain the survival and "healthy" growth of dung beetles because they play a vital role in dung dispersal and nutrient cycling in the global environment.
-Luther Burbank (1849-1926),
horticulturist who developed many new varieties of fruits, vegetables, and flowers
Earth, dirt, and related topics
Words dealing with earth or dirt can not be ignored and so today you will have an opportunity of see many of the words which are interlinked with the topic; especially, as you click on the links at the bottoms of the word group pages.
Agriculture is certainly a part of the "earth, dirt" subject, but you may be surprised to see many other applications of today's topical vocabulary.
-Frank A. Clark
Farming is known as a growing industry.
-Evan Esar
Eco is used in many words; however, did you know that it refers to "house"?
Are you aware that eco-; as in "environment" and "ecosystem" and many other eco- words are directly related to "house" and "home"?
Check the eco- link as shown above and learn about that "house" group plus many others which are shown at the bottom of each page.
-Havelock Ellis
Should we allow environmental deterioration to continue, man's fate may be worse than extinction.
-Ron S. Boster
Humans are determining their futures themselves by the decisions they make regarding their eco systems or environments.
-John Rayoa
English words come from many sources, Part 1
The English language is rich because it isn't purely English. Emerson called it "the sea which receives tributaries from every region under heaven". It has taken about 2000 years to evolve.
The Kelts, Jutes, Angles, Saxons, Greeks, Romans, Danes, Normans, Dutch, Germans, French, Spanish, Italians, Indians, American Indians, Africans; to name just a few, have all made major contributions.
Shakespeare's word contributions include about 1,700 words, among them the following: assassinate, auspicious, barefaced, bump, castigate, countless, critical, dwindle, gnarled, hurry, impartial, lapse, laughable, leapfrog, lonely, misplaced, and monumental.
-From "Brave New Words" by Gyles Brandreth
in The Joy of Lex; William Morrow and Company, Inc.;
New York; 1980; Page 7.
English words come from many sources, Part 2
Science has contributed thousands of new words to the English language and here are just a few of them from over the years: magnetism (1616), telescope (1619), gravity (1642), electricity (1646), microscope (1656), botany (1696), zoology (1726), oxygen (1789), atom (1801) evolution (1832), bacterium (1847), pasteurize (1881), hormone (1904), vitamin (1905), and penicillin (1928).
Some war words include these from World War I: binge, camouflage, cushy, scrounge, umpteen, and zoom.
From World War II, we have: blackout, blitz, bulldozer, jeep, and wishful thinking.
-From "Brave New Words" by Gyles Brandreth
New York; 1980; Page 8.
English-vocabulary quizzes to increase your word skills.
The emphasis is on three groups of unique vocabulary quizzes which is explained at this Vocabulary Quizzes topical page.
You can "control" the number of questions you take from one time until the next, so you don't have to do every question in one setting by utilizing the levels of difficulty. For example, if you want to do the first four levels but you don't want to start all over again with the first one, then simply start the next time with "level five" after you do the first question which will be presented.
If the questions seem to be too easy, then choose a higher level, or a "more difficult level", and proceed from there. The more often you participate in taking the three types of quizzes, the greater your chances of enhancing your vocabulary skills.
Esthesia and anesthesia, feeling and unfeeling
Esthesia refers to "feeling" but there is a great deal to learn about anesthesia or the elimination of pain. So check out this index page for an interesting history about anesthesia.
-John Rayoa
Eye, eyes, eyelids, sight, etc.
Words dealing with the "eye" or "eyes" start with this unit of core-, coro- words with its related links.
-E.C McKenzie
Feelings and perceptions
Are you aware of how many ways there are of feeling physical and mental sensations?
If you visit this link and follow those at the bottoms of each of the pages, you will find out that there are MANY words that express sensations some of which all of us experience at some time in our lives.
-Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948)
-Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
Fingers and toes, another necessity for normal functioning
This time, the emphasis is on words that mean fingers and toes and the beginning unit is dactylo-, dactyl- plus other word families that deal with fingers and/or toes as indicated by the links shown at the bottom of each page in the unit.
Fingers are what you can count on when everything else is lost.
-Evan Esar
Fingernails are what some people file while others cut them off and throw them away.
-Evan Esar
Our fingertips are so sensitive that a single touch sensor can respond to a pressure of less than 1/1,400 of an ounce or about 20 milligrams, which is about what an average-sized fly weighs.
-Neil McAleer in The Body Almanac
Structurally, we hands are the most intricate components of a human body. In no other part of the body is so much machinery packed into so small a space.
As a hand, I have eight wrist bones, five bones in my palm, fourteen in my digits for a total of twenty-seven.
My supply of nerves to detect heat, touch, and pain is one of the most elaborate in the body. I have thousands of nerve endings per square inch, most heavily concentrated in my fingertips.
-J.D. Ratcliff in Your Body and How It Works
Fire comes in many forms with different applications
Words that come from Latin and Greek elements meaning fire are in abundance which may be seen by going to this ars-, ard- and clicking on links at the bottoms of the pages.
Fire in its various applications has been with humans for centuries and it is certainly worth one's time to get better acquainted with them.
You can get a better idea about "fire" and other related meanings when you see these additional "fire, burn" elements found in cand-, cend-; caust-, caut-; crema-; ciner-; ether-; flagr-; flam-; focus, foci-; fulg-; gehenna-; ign-; phleg-; phlog-; pyreto-, -pyrexia; pyr-; spod- (ashes; waste); and volcan- links that are located at the bottoms of each word group.
A fire is something that people try to put out before much damage is done by the fire department.
A fireman is a professional who still makes house calls; a man who doesn't have to be told to go to blazes; and the only civil service employee the taxpayer prefers to see not doing his work during his working hours.
-Evan Esar
This link will take you to the Focal Points of Information for links to other topics or subjects of interest.
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Game of Thrones: Win or Die
Anyway, Senior says they need to do this to prove their family’s still one to be feared, all the while meticulously skinning that deer. We’re getting our blood and guts good and early, this episode. He wipes his hands and urges Jaime to step up and become the man he was always meant to be. Then he goes back to his skinning.
Cersei meets with Ned in the palace gardens, and he wastes no time telling her he knows she’s sleeping with Jaime, and that all her kids are his. She confesses to it pretty readily, defending herself by reminding him that the Targaryens wed their siblings for hundreds of years to keep bloodlines pure. Oh, yeah, and that’s a family you really want to emulate. Wasn’t the last king called “the Mad King” for a reason? She veers sharply into squickville by reminding Ned that she and Jaime share more than a name—they once shared a womb, and they’re meant to be together. I don’t think that’s how it’s supposed to work, Cersei. A womb is not a biological e-Harmony. Ned thinks she’s always hated Robert, but she says she loved him and was excited to marry him, but reality hits hard, and on their wedding night he called her Leanna, and that was the end of that love story. Ned tells her he’s going to spill the beans as soon as Robert gets back from his hunting trip, and she’d better be gone by then, along with the kids. Oh, Ned, you idiot. You know she’s already had a hand in killing the last guy who had your job and found this secret out, and now you’re giving her a timeline. What makes you think she won’t kill you too? Are you not going to eat or drink anything until Robert gets back? It doesn’t seem like Cersei’s going anywhere.
At one of his whorehouses, Petyr watches Roz and another prostitute engage in some lesbian action. Ok, is it me, or is this show starting to really feel like endless fetish fuel? We keep getting girl-on-girl action, gratuitous sex and nudity and blood and guts. It almost never serves any kind of purpose in the plot, either, it’s just there. Like Roz flashing her nether regions at Theon last week—what purpose did that serve? None. It’s like it was just another wink at the fanboys or something, whereas I just find it sleezy.
Petyr scolds the girls for not doing well, and then starts coaching them (see? If this isn’t an audience stand-in moment for the guys out there, I don’t know what is!). One other thing: if Roz is already in the capital, that means it’s been weeks since we saw her last. Remember how it took the court over a month to get to Winterfell? Which means it’s also, presumably, been weeks since Tyrion was released, and his family doesn’t know that he’s safe yet? Where is he? Is he walking home? The hell is going on here? Roz invites Petyr to join them, but he won’t, because he’s holding out for Cate, who he’s been in love with forever. But she, sadly, was in love with Ned’s brother, who dueled with Petyr and won, and then got himself killed before the wedding could take place, so she married Ned instead. Just in case that’s ever important. It’s hard to focus on it, because the whole time the two girls are getting it on and that’s just distracting and kind of stupid and pointless.
Up in Winterfell, Tonks is spreading straw around somewhere and being told by Theon that she’s lucky to still be alive, because where he comes from, they drown people like her. Nice. They get into a chat about social niceties (such as referring to him as “my lord”). She gives him a bit of lip, and he gets annoyed and amused, calling her an impudent wench. For a little while, it looks like he might have found a Roz replacement (though perhaps not a willing one), but fortunately Luwin shows up and tells him to back off, because she’s their guest. That’s a nice way of referring to someone who’s chained. He sends Theon on his way and warns her he might not be nearby the next time that happens. She says she’s used to way worse than Theon. Luwin smiles at her spirit and gently asks why she came to Winterfell. She says she meant to go as far south as she could go, before the long winter sets in, because there are terrible things that hunt at night that are waking up and coming out again.
The Wall. It feels like it’s been a while. Jon and Sam are up on the top, and Sam’s talking about how much he misses seeing girls around. Jon’s not listening, though, because he notices a horse galloping back, riderless. He and Sam hurry below and reach the ground as the horse gets back. It’s Benjen’s horse, naturally, and it’s really, really freaked out. Jon asks the Night’s Watch leader, Mormont (uh, isn’t that Jorah’s last name?), where his uncle is, like he thinks this guy is psychic, or something.
In King’s Landing, Ned’s pacing the halls when Renly finds him and tells him Robert’s been pretty badly injured during the hunt. Ned runs to the king’s room, where Robert’s weakly telling Joffrey he should have done a better job of being a dad, but oh well, too late now. He sends Joffrey away and tells Ned it was his own fault he got hurt, because he drank too much and missed the boar he was aiming for, and the animal gored him. But he still killed it, and he wants the boar served at his funeral feast. Seems both creepy and oddly fitting, that. Robert sends everyone else away, despite Cersei’s near protests, and has Ned write up his last will, which names Ned as regent until Joffrey comes of age. Interestingly, Ned leaves Joffrey’s name out of it and just writes “my rightful heir” instead. Robert also gives Daenerys a reprieve.
Ned goes to fetch some painkillers and hears from a downcast Ser Barristan that they tried to get Robert to call it a day, but he wouldn’t, even though he was totally drunk by then. Varys asks who kept giving him the wine and Barristan says it was the king’s squire, that Lannister kid he’s always abusing. Hmm. Ned takes a second to mull that over, then tells Varys that they need to recall any plans to kill Daenerys. Varys says the horse is out of the barn on that one, and she’s probably already dead.
Oh, but she’s not. She’s braiding her husband’s hair and speaking with him in fluent Dothraki about possibly retaking the Iron Throne. He’s not interested in crossing the sea, so she flirts with him a little bit. She’ll talk him around, you wait.
Later, she, Jorah, and a couple of slaves and guards are strolling through the marketplace. She asks Jorah if he can speak to Drogo, but Jorah tells her to be patient before he peels off to go see if a merchant has letters for him. She offers to go with him, but he urges her to just enjoy the marketplace. Because he’s playing both sides, remember.
A young boy intercepts Jorah and tells him “the spider” sends greetings, congratulations, and a royal pardon. Well done, Jorah! It’s been a good day. I can’t remember who “the spider” is, I’m afraid, and the HBO site isn’t helping me out here. Sorry.
Elsewhere in the marketplace, Daenerys finds a wine merchant and asks, in the language of the Seven Kingdoms, to let her taste the summer wine. Jorah watches the exchange from afar, but close enough to overhear one of the slaves tell the merchant who Daenerys really is. The merchant suddenly tosses out the wine he was going to give Daenerys and goes for something else. Yeah, not suspicious at all. Jorah joins them and orders the merchant to pour a cup from the cask he’s giving Daenerys. The merchant tries to wriggle out of it, but now Daenerys is suspicious, and she orders the man to do as Jorah says. He pulls a cup, and Jorah tells the merchant he should drink first, because the guy’s getting all squirrely. Worst. Assassin. Ever. The merchant makes a break for it, but one of the guys with Daenerys is that Dothraki guy who’s so handy with a lasso. He’s captured. Really, guys? Poisoned wine? That was your big plan to get rid of Daenerys? Haven’t you ever seen one of these shows before? The poison never gets to the intended victim.
On The Wall, Jon and the other new recruits are graduating. Jon’s not all that happy about it, because he’s more concerned about his uncle. Sam tries to comfort him and exposits that he’s going to be a steward instead of a Ranger. Wow, that’s pretty cushy, actually. Nicely done, Sam. Mormont asks if anyone there keeps the old gods, because they get to take their vows at some tree a mile north. Jon says he does, and Sam volunteers to go with him, since the new gods haven’t ever done him any good anyhow. So, it’s a road trip! But there’s some bad news to come: Mormont starts handing out assignments, and instead of being named a ranger, Jon’s going to be a steward. The guy who was training them smiles meanly at him as his face falls. Nice move, moron trainer: take your best leader and fighter and put him where he’ll be utterly useless out of spite. That’s the way to keep the kingdom safe! The stewards are handed over to the blind guy who was telling Tyrion how understaffed the Wall is a few episodes back, and he hands out their assignments. Jon’s going to be personal steward to Mormont. He’s basically going to be Mormont’s maid. Jon’s not cool with that at all, but there’s nothing he can do about it now. He stalks off and then throws a wobbler for Sam and one of the other guys about how unfair this is. The other guy gives him a lesson about fairness: he was a musician who got hit on by a lord, and the lord didn’t take his rejection well and he wound up on The Wall. Yes, yes, life is terribly unfair. He stomps off himself, and Sam rather smartly lays a few things out for Jon: he’ll be working for Mormont, yes, but he’ll be very closely involved with him, and he might be able to use that to his advantage. Sam thinks Mormont wants to groom Jon for command. I kinda doubt that—I’m fairly sure the commanders come from the Rangers. Jon pouts that he always wanted to be a Ranger, and Sam shrugs that he always wanted to be a wizard. But that’s life, you know.
Ned is, once again, wandering the halls of the Red Keep when Renly finds him and confirms Ned’s been named Protector of the Realm. He immediately throws his lot in with Ned, offers him 100 men, and urges him to get Joffrey away from his mother before she ruins him. Too late, Renly. Ned asks where Renly’s older brother, Stannis, falls in all of this and Renly tells him not to think about that, because they’ve got other matters to focus on. He points out that Stannis inspires no loyalty, and he’s not a king, but Renly could be. Come again? Are you talking about killing Joffrey off, now? Because unless Ned comes out with his (basically unsubstantiated) news about Joffrey being Jaime’s kid, not Robert’s, that’s the only way one of Robert’s brothers gets the throne. Ned’s not ok with this plan at all and tells Renly that Stannis is a commander and a warrior. Renly points out that good soldiers don’t necessarily make good kings, but Ned’s still not on board and refuses to go killing kids.
He dispatches one of his men with a message for Stannis, just as Petyr arrives for a little chat. Petyr too knows about Ned’s impending promotion. Ned immediately tells him that Robert’s sons are really Jaime’s, so Stannis will be in once Robert dies. Petyr tells Ned that, actually, it would be wiser to allow Joffrey to succeed so Ned can rule in his stead. In the intervening years, they can marry Sansa to Joffrey, release Tyrion, and make peace between the Starks and Lannisters. Oh, and kill off Stannis. Then, if Joffrey turns out to be a pain, they’ll just reveal his secret and put Renly on the throne. And Petyr’s happy to help Ned carry all these burdens—for a modest fee. Ned is not ok with making peace with people who tried to kill his son, he’s fine with having an all-out war between Starks and Lannisters. He only asked for Petyr to meet with him so he could ask for more guards and soldiers to overcome the queen’s guard. Petyr tells him he’s inviting chaos, and when that comes, the only one anybody will listen to is the man with the purse strings: him.
Jon and Sam head out with a few other guys to go talk to the old gods at a creepy tree that appears to have a face weeping tears of blood. Charming. They recite their vows in unison, and with that, they’re men of the Night’s Watch. They embrace each other, and the three men who accompanied them. Jon’s direwolf then emerges from the woods, hoping to play a game of fetch with a man’s arm. Lovely!
In Dothrakitown, the wine merchant’s all bloodied and tied up. Daenerys and Jorah take in the sight and talk about how endangered her life is, and always will be. Drogo joins them, asks Daenerys if she’s ok, and sweetly kisses her on the forehead before thanking Jorah for intervening and pledging to invade the Seven Kingdoms and take back the throne for his wife and son.
So, the Dothraki get back on the road, dragging the merchant, bound and naked, with them.
In King’s Landing, one of the stewards or servants or whatever finds Ned and tells him Joffrey and the Queen Regent are waiting for him in the throne room. And Robert’s dead, by the way. Ned finds Petyr, who tells him the city guard is all his. Renly, however, is not—he’s fled the city. The two men, along with Varys, enter the throne room with a whole mess of guards, and find Joffrey sitting on the big, ugly throne, his mother at his side. Joffrey starts firing off orders for his coronation to be planned, and says he’ll be accepting oaths of fealty from his councilors. Ned calls on Barristan and hands over a scroll. Barriston reports that it’s got Robert’s seal on it. It’s Robert’s last will, declaring Ned regent. Cersei asks to see it, then tears it up. Barriston’s shocked and tells her those are the king’s words, but she shortly says they have a new king now. She orders Ned to bow to her son, and she’ll let him go back to Winterfell and live. Ned reminds her that Joffrey has no right to sit on the throne, so Cersei orders Barristan to arrest Ned. Barristan’s reluctant to do so, and even more reluctant once he realizes that all the soldiers lining the throne room are answering to Ned now. Ned tells them to take the queen and her kids into custody and return them to their rooms. But then one of the soldiers supposedly on Ned’s side attacks one of Ned’s actual men, the Hound throws himself into the melee, and Petyr grabs Ned and puts a knife to his throat, reminding him that he once warned Ned not to trust him. Well, then. Didn’t see that one coming.
3 thoughts on “Game of Thrones: Win or Die
1. Just wanted to tell you how much I look forward to your recaps…in case your interested the Nights Watch commander is Jorah’s dad and “the spider” is Varys nickname because of his vast web of spies.
2. Two methods of communication here:
1) Raven — requires ravens and a moderately friendly territory (ned had a household in Kings Landing. Tyrion had bubkis in Eyrie town).
2) Messenger — which Tyrion also conveniently forgot to hire.
Two methods of movement here:
1) Ship — fast. can’t move armies, because boats are bloody expensive
2) Walking/Riding — slow, takes about a month from Kings Landing to Winterfell, quicker if you go hell to leather.
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Article Index
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• No competition between SOC restoration, bio-fuels and food production
Numerous researchers warn of deleterious effects on soil fertility if crop residues are removed for bio-energy production (34-39). Removing more than 25% of cornstalks reduced productivity (38).
Pyrolysis with biochar carbon sequestration provides a tool to combine sustainable soil management (carbon sequestration), and renewable energy production. While producing renewable energy from biomass, carbon sequestration, agricultural productivity, and environmental quality can be sustained and improved if the biomass is transferred to an inactive carbon pool and redistributed to agricultural fields. The uses of crop residues as potential energy source or to sequester carbon and improve soil quality can be complementary, not competing uses.
The global amount of crop residue produced is estimated at 2.8 Gt per year for cereal crops and 3.8 Gt for 27 food crops. The use of crop residues for bioenergy could save 10-25% of fossil energy use (20).
An enormous amount of biomass is burned each year without any use. Frequently biomass (forests, fallow vegetation, grassland, crop residues) is burned to get rid of it, adding CO2 to the atmosphere for only marginal and short term increases in soil fertility. Burning of biomass (slash and burn, crop residue burning) is a common practice, releases nearly all the carbon stored in the biomass immediately as CO2 and barely adds to carbon buildup in agricultural soils.
Many agricultural systems search for alternatives to crop residue burning, because accumulating resi-dues can cause considerable crop management problems. E.g. increasing residue incorporation in flooded rice paddies causes higher CH4 emission, a very potent greenhouse gas. Other residues increase the risk of diseases and insect attack.
Worldwide, the total carbon release from fire is of the order of 4-7 Gt of carbon per year. This flux is almost as large as the rate of fossil fuel consumption (Figure 2) (40). Tropical forest conversion is esti-mated to contribute globally as much as 25 % of the net CO2 emissions (Palm, et al., 2004). These num-bers emphasize the potential for biochar carbon management if only the biomass is utilized that is burnt for no other use than getting rid of it.
Pyrolysis or gasification with biochar carbon sequestration
carbon negative.jpg
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) usually assumes geo-sequestration (CO2 capture in depleted oil and gas fields, saline aquifers etc.) as the sequestering tool. To capture and store carbon as CO2 is very cost-intensive. These technologies require vast capital inputs and large scale projects. Using this technology for coal power plants can at best reduce its CO2 emissions, while using re-growing biomass would establish a carbon sink. Bio-energy with biochar carbon sequestration would capture a maximum of 50% of the carbon stored in the biomass but offers several environmental advantages. Bioenergy with biochar carbon storage facilitates the generation of carbon-negative energy (Figure 9 and 12).
Figure 12 shows the carbon foodprint of different energy systems. Only bio-energy with carbon capture and storage or bio-char carbon sequestration can produce carbon negative energy i.e. if re-growing biomass is used, this system reduces CO2 from the atmosphere with each unit of energy produced. (
Biochar producing gasifiers can have a broad range in size and in technological complexity. Bio-char can be produced as a byproduct from cooking (biochar producing kitchen stoves, Ropert Flanagan, personal communication, Figure 13). Decentralized small scale projects are feasible and large capital investments are not necessary. As biochar is a byproduct of gasification, no carbon capture technology is necessary. There is no risk of harmful CO2 leakage from biochar. Most scientists agree that the half life of biochar is in the range of centuries or millennia.
char stove.jpg
char stove2.jpg
char stove3.jpg
Figure 13 shows a biochar producing cooking stove. Left picture shows carbonized corncobs remaining in the stove after gasification. (R. Flanagan,
Fast SOC buildup beyond the maximum sequestration capacity
From biomass to humus a considerable fraction of carbon is lost by respiratory processes, and also from humus to resistant soil carbon. Only 2-20% of the carbon added as above ground residues and root biomass enters the soil organic carbon pool by humification. The rest is converted to CO2 due to oxidation, and furthermore humus is not inert to oxidation (1). Soils can only sequester additional carbon until the maximum soil carbon capacity, or soil carbon saturation, is achieved, which requires a steady input of biomass and careful management practices. 80-90% of the carbon from crop residues in the field is lost due to decomposition in the first 5 to 10 years. In contrast, about 50% of the carbon can be captured if biomass is converted to biochar (26).
The existence of Terra Preta proves that SOC enrichment beyond the maximum capacity is possible if done with a recalcitrant form of carbon such as biochar. These soils still contain large amounts of bio-char derived SOC in a climate favorable for decomposition, hundreds and thousands of years after they were abandoned.
Reduced deforestation
The carbon trading market holds the prospect to reduce or eliminate deforestation of primary forest, because cutting intact primary forest would reduce the farmer’s carbon credits. (41) estimated the above-ground biomass of unlogged forests to be 434 tons per hectare, about half of which is carbon. This carbon is lost if burned in a slash and burn scenario and lost to a high percentage (> 50%) if used for biochar production. Therefore, only re-growing plant biomass can establish a carbon sink. The carbon trade could provide an incentive to cease further deforestation; instead reforestation and recuperation of degraded land for fuel and food crops would gain magnitude. As tropical forests account for between 20 and 25% of the world terrestrial carbon reservoir (42), this would reduce emissions from tropical forest conversion which is estimated to contribute globally as much as 25 % of net CO2 emissions and up to 10 % of N2O emissions to the atmosphere (43).
A prerequisite for the above mentioned management practices is access to the global carbon trade. According to (36) the global C market has a potential grow to $1 trillion by 2020 or before. This market must be made accessible to land managers, especially in the tropics where sustaining soil organic carbon and soil fertility is most challenging and CO2 emissions due to land use change are highest. One tone of biochar is roughly the equivalent of 3 tons CO2.
Cited Literature
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The XPath Data Model
An XPath query operates on a namespace well-formed XML document after it has been parsed into a tree structure. The particular tree model XPath uses divides each XML document into seven kinds of nodes:
root node
The document itself. The root node’s children are the comments and processing instructions in the prolog and epilog and the root element of the document.
element node
An element. Its children are all the child elements, text nodes, comments, and processing instructions the element contains. An element also has namespaces and attributes. However, these are not child nodes.
attribute node
An attribute other than one that declares a namespace
text node
The maximum uninterrupted run of text between tags, comments, and processing instructions. White space is included.
comment node
A comment
processing instruction node
A processing instruction
namespace node
A namespace mapping in scope on an element
The XPath data model does not include entity references, CDATA sections, or the document type declaration. Entity references are resolved into their component text and elements. CDATA sections are treated like any other text, and will be merged with any adjacent text before a text node is formed. Default attributes are applied, but otherwise the document type declaration is not considered.
In the XPath data model each node has a string-value Furthermore, attributes, elements, processing instructions, and namespace nodes have expanded names, which are divided into a local part and a namespace URI. Table 16.1 summarizes XPath’s rules for calculating names and values for its seven node types.
Table 16.1. XPath Expanded Names and String-values
Node typeLocal nameNamespace nameString-value
rootNoneNonethe complete, ordered content of all text nodes in the document; same as the value of the root element of the document
elementThe name of the element, not including any prefix or colonThe namespace URI of the elementThe complete, ordered content of all text node descendants of this element (i.e. the text that’s left after all references are resolved and all other markup is stripped out.)
attributeThe name of the attribute, not including any prefix or colonThe namespace URI of the attributeThe normalized attribute value
textNoneNoneThe complete content of the text node
processing instructionThe target of the processing instructionNoneThe processing instruction data
commentNoneNoneThe text of the comment
namespaceThe prefix for the namespaceNoneThe absolute URI for the namespace
If an XPath function such as local-name() or namespace-uri() attempts to retrieve the value of one of these properties for a node that doesn’t have that property, it returns the empty string.
An diagram and example should help explain this. Consider the simple SOAP response document in Example 16.2.
Example 16.2. A SOAP response document
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!-- XPath data model example -->
xmlns:SOAP-ENV="" />
<Price currency="USD">4.12</Price>
Figure 16.2 is a UML object diagram that identifies the connections between and properties of the different XPath nodes in this document. Solid lines indicate a child relationship. Dashed and dotted lines indicate namespace and attribute connections respectively. Document order runs from top to bottom and left-to-right (although the exact order of namespace nodes and attribute nodes attached to the same element is implementation dependent). One thing to note is that white space is significant in the XPath data model. Line breaks are indicated by \n in this figure.
Figure 16.2. An XPath data model
Copyright 2001, 2002 Elliotte Rusty [email protected] Modified June 07, 2002
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Equipment describes all of the physical parts of a computer, including the case, central processing unit, random-access memory (RAM), hard drive, monitor, mouse, key-board, audio speakers, motherboard, and also graphics card. These components are important to the performance of a computer, and without them, it would certainly be difficult to run it.
Software application is a sort of computer program that is created by developers and installed on a hard disk. Hardware is anything physically affixed to a computer system, such as a hard disk, keyboard, show screen, printer, mouse, as well as power supply. The software program tells the hardware what jobs it should carry out, and the hardware makes these jobs possible. The most basic hardware contains a disk drive, display screen, key-board, and also motherboard. It also has a processor, video card, and also a power supply. When the software application is set up, the equipment starts operating as well as finishing its tasks.
The CPU lives on the motherboard, which operates as a central hub for the computer. The CPU procedures digital guidelines sent by the computer’s different programs, as well as its clock rate identifies just how fast it does tasks. The motherboard also contains temporary memory storage space, or RAM. RAM is volatile memory that clears when the computer system closes down, so it is essential to keep in mind that it’s not permanent. The disk drive shops long-term information as well as various other info.
A computer’s hardware is the physical components that are made use of to operate the computer. The hardware includes the motherboard, monitor, key-board, computer mouse, disk drive, as well as computer mouse, along with the processor, graphics card, sound card, memory, and much more. Without software, the hardware would not operate. In addition, hardware can not be affected by virus, and it can not be moved electrically through a network.
The motherboard is a main printed circuit board where the central processing unit is mounted. It is additionally where memory modules can be put. Unlike key memory, second memory does not directly link to the CPU, and is different from it. This protects against the CPU from mistakenly moving information to or from another computer. The CPU slot commonly has a lock to avoid unnecessary movement. Memory outlets are additionally located on the motherboard. These memory components are attached to the motherboard via a bus that carries information and addresses.
Personal computers are digital tools that use integrated circuits to process information. Personal computers may include home computer, laptop computers, and also tablets. Every one of these tools have a wide range of hardware elements. These elements require to operate together to make a computer work properly. There are many different sorts of hardware components in a desktop computer, so it is essential to recognize what each part of the system does and where it belongs. A good understanding of the equipment of a desktop computer is important when acquiring or upgrading a brand-new computer system.
Motherboard – The major printed circuit card of a computer system, the motherboard is in charge of supplying electrical links between the numerous elements. This board holds the CPU, RAM, and internal and also exterior buses. Other parts are affixed to the motherboard through adapters. The motherboard acts as the control center of the computer system. It directs the activities of all the other devices that are linked to it.
Hardware consists of the physical parts that make up the computer, including the situation, central processing unit (CPU), random accessibility memory (RAM), monitor, key-board, computer mouse, audio speakers, and the motherboard. It additionally includes parts that keep computer information, such as the hard disk and the operating system. Hardware also consists of components that enhance the computer system’s efficiency, such as graphics cards as well as audio cards.
Equipment can additionally include tools that send as well as obtain info from the computer system. As an example, an optical disc or outside flash memory device can be made use of to move details from one device to one more. The effectiveness of these gadgets depends upon the info they contain as well as whether they can be reviewed by other systems. A computer’s CPU is the major handling device, as well as it carries out binary operations essential to run programs. It is usually described as the ‘mind’ of a computer.
Computer systems can additionally include detachable media, which permits customers to keep data as well as programs. Many different sorts of detachable media are offered, consisting of DVD and also CD drives. Blu-ray disc drives, for instance, can keep also bigger quantities of data than a standard hard disk drive. Some systems even incorporate a disk variety controller for better performance.
Equipment is the physical part of the computer that makes the device work. It is comprised of the CPU (central processing unit) and also the RAM (nonvolatile memory). The CPU is the heart of the computer system, and is required to process data. Other parts consist of the screen as well as audio speakers. These components have to be paired with an appropriate os in order for them to work appropriately. Lastly, equipment makes use of firmware, which is a software that permits hardware to connect with a computer. Additional info
Hardware is everything that you can physically touch on a computer system. The hard disk, keyboard, monitor, situation, mouse, and mouse are examples of hardware. Other physical parts include a computer system’s motherboard, graphics card, as well as audio card. It is additionally utilized to store as well as send data. It is likewise made use of to regulate software program.
The motherboard is the key published circuit card in a computer. It has several functions, including linking as well as dividing the elements. It additionally consists of the central processing unit as well as various other interior parts. The CPU, occasionally referred to as the “mind” of a computer system, is installed in a socket on the motherboard, and also memory modules are put into the offered slots on the motherboard. These elements, together with the CPU, are referred to as “signs up.” Each register is attached to a different collection of lines, and all of these components are attached via the data bus and the address bus.
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Latest updates
Friday, October 16, 2015
2018 FIFA World Cup final draw seeding: Only two years left
Next update: October 2016.
Assuming FIFA will again use the October 2017 ranking to determine the seeds, the 0.3 time frame (games played between 24 and 36 months ago relative to the release date) closed a couple of days ago.
It's not looking good for some of the big teams, but there's plenty of time to climb in the rankings.
Need help? Just check the consulting page.
See the previous update.
Portugal, Chile and Austria replace Netherlands, France and Brazil in the list of seeds.
1 Germany 377
2 Portugal 366
3 Argentina 355
4 Belgium 351
5 Chile 332
6 Colombia 329
7 Austria 314
8 Brazil 305
9 England 301
9 Spain 301
11 Wales 291
12 Romania 282
13 Netherlands 275
14 Switzerland 268
15 Uruguay 256
16 France 251
17 Slovakia 241
18 Croatia 240
19 Czech Republic 230
20 Côte d'Ivoire 228
20 Northern Ireland 228
22 Algeria 227
23 Iceland 224
24 Italy 223
24 Bosnia-Herzegovina 223
26 Mexico 219
27 Turkey 213
28 Ghana 208
29 Senegal 198
29 Albania 198
USA are 42nd.
Right now, the seeds for the 2018 World Cup would be: Russia, Germany, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia and Austria.
About me:
1. Edgar, are you sure?
Next update: October 2019...
2. A lot of the matches were played on 12 Oct 2015. Do these matches go into the 0.3 or 0.5 timeframe?
1. Hm, in my tables I got the same numbers as you, except for the teams that played matches on 12 Oct 2015: England, Spain, Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria.
When I add up the 0.2 and 0.3 timeframes for these teams, I get:
Spain 276,
Switzerland 258,
Austria 322,
Slovakia 248,
England 302.
Could you please write your weighted averages for 0.2 and 0.3 timeframe for at least one of these 5 countries, so I can find out where is my mistake?
2. I found out how you got your numbers. These five teams played matches both on 12 Oct 2014 and 12 Oct 2015. The former match you put into the 0.2 timeframe, and the latter into the 0.3 timeframe, the opposite of what you said. Is that correct?
3. *exception from the above is Switzerland who did not play a match on 12 Oct 2014, but played on 12 Oct 2015.
4. Sorry nogomet, I thought you meant 13 October. As long as you got the same numbers, it must be correct.
5. So just to be clear, what are the corresponding dates for each timeframe? According to your numbers, it should be something like this:
13 Oct 2016 - 10 Oct 2017 --> 1.0 timeframe
13 Oct 2015 - 12 Oct 2016 --> 0.5 timeframe
13 Oct 2014 - 12 Oct 2015 --> 0.3 timeframe
12 Oct 2013 - 12 Oct 2014 --> 0.2 timeframe
The last matches of qualifiers will be played on 10 Oct 2017, only two days before the new FIFA ranking is published.
6. Actually, looking at my code, each windows is 365 days long going back from the release date, with the exception of the 0.1 time frame - 366 days long.
7. So, what are the correct dates then?
8. 0.2 starts on 2013-10-12
0.3 starts on 2014-10-13
0.5 starts on 2015-10-13
1.0 starts on 2016-10-12
9. Thanks. Not a very intuitive approach FIFA uses there.
3. I still don't understand how these timeframes are calculated... why 365 or 366?
1. That's simply how it is, Jeroen. Just let go of flimsy concepts like logic and go with the FIFA flow :)
2. ok, but how can you predict it? I don't see any logic, hasn't got anything to do with leap years...
3. What's to predict? The oldest one is always 366. All the others 365. Not logical, but it's always the same. I got this explanation from FIFA long time ago.
4. ah, ok :). I thought the 0.1 timeframe is 366 days by accident, not by default :).
4. hey Ed
Example, FIFA published December FIFA ranking in 19/12/2014 and 5/12/2015
so the newest one is from 19/12/2014 to 5/12/2015 or 6/12/2014 to 5/12/2015 ???
1. The time frames are determined only by the current release date.
2. ok Ed
now I know why there's problem when I calculate my NT points
tks so much :D
5. Are the title holders always seeded in the final tournament? For instance, if Germany qualifies for the WC, but ends below 7th place in October 2017 rankings, will they be seeded?
6. See (art. 31.2 and 41.2). Basically: FIFA can change everything last minute,according to "sportive and geographical" reasons.
I don't think the problem ever occured, but i'd doubt if Germany would be below top 7, they'd be seeded. Not because of sportive criteria, but because CONMEBOL and other non-UEFA bobo's wouldn't agree to lose a seed to UEFA.
1. So there's no article saying that the title holder is seeded. They can do whatever they want. Ludicrous.
Given that we have another Copa America next year, I think it's a given that we'll have 4 CONMEBOL + 3 UEFA + Russia as seeded teams in the WC 2018.
7. It seems like FIFA might have new draw methods. At the Olympic draw as well as for the forthcoming U17 Women's World Cup draw, there were no regional pots as all pots were based on the ranking. Hopefully, this is a sign for what we can expect for the 2018 World Cup draw. It would be much fairer than the current system.
At both draws, the ranking system has been performances at the last four tournaments. Hopefully, that's just because there is no normal ranking for youth tournaments like that. Even the FIFA ranking would probably be better than doing that for 2018. The best would ofc be a reformed FIFA ranking with less emphasis on the most recent year or a system like ELO
1. The U17 Women's World Cup draw post here:
Pot 1
Korea DPR
Pot 2
Pot 3
Pot 4
New Zealand
2. That would be great, but I'm not getting my hopes up :)
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End of preview. Expand
in Data Studio
This dataset was created from DCLM. It is a small subset of 138,000 samples intended to be used as calibration data for mlx-lm quantizations.
The script used to create the datset:
import datasets
files = [
"global-shard_01_of_10/local-shard_0_of_10/shard_00000009_processed.jsonl.zst",
"global-shard_01_of_10/local-shard_0_of_10/shard_00000000_processed.jsonl.zst",
]
ds = datasets.load_dataset("mlfoundations/dclm-baseline-1.0", data_files=files)
ds = ds["train"]
feats = list(ds.features.keys())
feats.pop(feats.index("text"))
ds = ds.remove_columns(feats)
ds.push_to_hub("mlx-community/dclm-baseline-1.0-138k")
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