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constructions in magical thinking
An Information Age Glossary
February 7, 2014 By Venkatesh Rao
We live in an information-rich environment, but our minds are still wired for an environment of information scarcity. It still hasn't really hit us that in the last 20 years, we've experienced a transformation that is as dramatic for our brains as climbing out of the water and learning to breathe air was for our ancient fishy ancestors.
For the past year or so, I seem to have been unconsciously retooling my thinking and writing to operate in an information-rich environment. A big part of such cognitive ret0oling is learning to favor particular terms (or unusual redefinitions of existing terms), and deprecating older terms and meanings that assume information scarcity.
I figure it is time to get more conscious and deliberate about the retooling, so I am sharing the current state of my glossary. Proposals for new terms, or refinements of definitions welcome. I'll edit this post for a while, and if people find it useful, we can try to figure out a more permanent home for it.
Very little of this is original to me by the way. I've credited people where I can, but a lot of this is the outcome of conversations with people I am not at liberty to cite publicly. So you can credit me for any substance here, and blame these invisible collaborators for any bullshit.
Related: I've wanted a CMS dedicated to creating shared glossaries for a long time, and even took a half-hearted stab at building one with a friend. I'd enthusiastically support any such effort.
Note: this glossary is in alphabetical order, without any cross-referencing. So you may have to skip back and forth a bit to get certain terms. This is also work-in-progress. Usual beta-state disclaimers apply.
Acting Dead: Pretending the world is less information-rich than it is. (Derived from Bruce Sterling)
Aestheticization: The process of creating a layer of superficial simplicity, harmony and normalcy as an aid to denial of underlying complexity, dissonance and strangeness.
Antifragility: (1) A property of a class of hypothesized things that gain from disorder (qualified paraphrase of N. N. Taleb) (2) The hypothesized longevity, intelligence premium and bullshit resistance enjoyed by a system with more metis than knowledge. (Derived from N. N. Taleb).
Arbitrage: Exploiting bullshit for profit.
Art: the process of creating information starting with bullshit.
Attention: contemplation of the truth value of data.
Authoritarian High Modernism: A formula used by cargo cults that have no Big Data capacity to create false justifications for acting dead. (Derived from James Scott).
Authoritah: Capacity for reality distortion.
Belief: Sincere acceptance of the truth or falsity of a piece of information.
Big Data: Data that is cheaper for a system to store than to sort into information, bullshit and noise (my modification of a definition due to George Dyson).
Bullshit: (1) Data (often a firehose) produced by someone who is indifferent to the truth or falsity of what is being said (my short version of of Harry Frankfurt's definition in On Bullshit. See also, the Wikipedia summary). (2) Data that appears to contain more information than it actually does (my version, which I think is roughly equivalent). (3) Noise randomly tagged with truth-values to give it apparent legibility (4) Non-requisite variety.
Bozo: Somebody who emits a bullshit signal without being aware of it. Often, but not always, a consequence of Cluelessness.
Byzantine System: A system that can act with intelligence and creativity despite the presence of bullshit within it. Inspired by the notion of Byzantine fault tolerance in computer science. A byzantine system may be antifragile.
Cargo Cult: A system embodying a false consensus that bullshit is information, based on social proof among the Clueless. Cargo cults are social forms that emerge among those who act dead collaboratively.
Cluelessness: The inability to form true beliefs by telling information apart from bullshit.
Consensus: Shared beliefs among a number of independent actors concerning the truth or falsity of a set of data.
Creativity: The ability to turn noise into either information or bullshit.
Data: Any collection of information, bullshit and noise.
Data Science: Silicon Valley term for "statistics." (orig. Jeremy Jarvis on Twitter)
Dimensionality: A measure of the amount of potential information in a data set.
Disruption: The outcome of a conflict between a cargo cult and a hunting party, resulting in the death of the former.
Diversity: The sum of the requisite and non-requisite variety in a system.
Death: Discontinuity in the information embodied by a system.
Ephemeralization: The natural conversion of signal into bullshit through creative destruction (derived from original definition due to Buckminister Fuller).
Extinction: Destruction of all systems embodying a particular set of information. Note that while information in the mathematical sense cannot be created or destroyed, embodiments of information in the sense of this glossary can be.
Falsehood: Information that is known to be inconsistent with the observed state of the world.
Favela: A system with significantly more Big Data than knowledge.
Favela Chic: Aestheticization of a favela. (derived from Bruce Sterling).
Firehose: A signal that ends up as Big Data.
Finite Game: A world view characteristic of a cargo cult (derived from James Carse' Finite and Infinite Games). Embodied bullshit in motion.
Formula: A belief (or practice based on a belief) that cannot change as fast as reality can. Formulas are proceduralized bullshit and represent risk of ephemeralization. Formulas represent the closest the Clueless can get to knowledge.
Fragility: The condition of a system embodying a lot of bullshit.
Gothic High Tech: Consciously weaponized bullshit. (Derived from Bruce Sterling).
Gollumization: The impoverishment of a system through ephmeralization and weaponized attention.
Hipsters: A cargo cult of aestheticizers who mistake themselves for artists.
Hunting Party: An idealized group of sociopaths whose consensual beliefs are based in reality rather than social proof. Cannot be distinguished from a cargo cult until a reality test has taken place.
Identity: Continuity in the information embodied by a system, sufficient to uniquely identify it.
Illegibility: Information or bullshit that looks like noise to those outside a system, due to the presence of a large amount of metis. (Derived from James Scott).
Infinite Game: The world view characteristic of hunting parties (derived from James Carse' Finite and Infinite Games). Embodied information in motion.
Information: Data that has been judged to be true or false through comparison with observed reality at a given point in time.
Innovation: (1) The transformation experienced by a system as a consequence of intelligently embodying the information in a signal while retaining its identity. A necessary condition is that the system must have requisite variety commensurate to the dimensionality of the data being absorbed.
Intelligence: The ability to separate bullshit from information. Editorial note: I came up with this after a Twitter exchange. @SameerPatel tweeted a Stephen Hawking quote, "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge." I replied with my 2014 translation, "the greatest enemy of signal is not noise but bullshit" which I then adapted into this definition.
Justification: Determination of the truth-value of data through comparison with observed reality.
Kool-Aid: Social pressure brought to bear on individuals to join a cargo cult by means of social proof.
Knowledge: Justified true belief about the truth value of information. (derived from Plato)
Legibility: the apparent absence of noise in data.
Lifestyle Design: Favela chic arbitrage.
Metaphysics: Bullshit that cannot be falsified and is occasionally useful.
Metis: A collection of formulas that work to maintain the identity of a system.
Noise: The component of data that is neither information nor bullshit and at risk of being prematurely discarded by Authoritarian High Modern systems seeking to create Gothic High Tech.
Pattern: Naturally occurring bullshit.
Pattern Recognition: The starting point of both intelligence and creativity, the separation of bullshit from noise, but preceding the separation of information from bullshit.
Program: A codified practice based on belief, with the potential to change as fast as reality. Contrast with formula.
Requisite Variety: The variety required in a system to absorb a signal of a given dimensionality. — Derived from concept proposed by Ross. W. Ashby (known as Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety).
Reality: That which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. — Philip K. Dick
Reality Distortion: Hiding reality temporarily behind bullshit.
Science: The programmatic practice of intelligence.
Secret: Something you believe that nobody else believes. Contrast with old definition based on information scarcity: something you know that nobody else knows. (Originally Peter Thiel, further evolved by Balaji Srinivasan and Chris Dixon). Holding secrets lead to socipathy.
Serendipity: Compounding and unexpected good luck that accrues to systems that do not act dead. Usually a consequence of continually discovering new natural data sets uncontaminated by bullshit, and therefore capable of being absorbed even by non-byzantine systems. Potentially evidence of antifragility.
Signal: Data moving from one system to another.
Sociopath: An intelligent and creative individual who does not drink kool-aid.
Software: A collection of programs and formulas that maintain the identity of a system.
Statistics: Weaponized pattern recognition. Statistics is neither scientific, nor non-scientific, but pre-scientific.
System: An agent (individual or collective) capable of holding data, beliefs about the truth or falsity of the data, acting on it through pattern recognition, statistics, metis, science and intelligence, and absorbing and producing signals. Cargo cults and hunting parties are human systems.
Smarm: (1) an assumption of the forms of seriousness, of virtue, of constructiveness, without the substance. Smarm is concerned with appropriateness and with tone…. a variety of bullshit. — Tom Scocca, On Smarm. (2) A form of acting-dead characteristic of cargo cults that imagine they are actually hunting parties.
Snark: Snark is often conflated with cynicism, which is a troublesome misreading. Snark may speak in cynical terms about a cynical world, but it is not cynicism itself. It is a theory of cynicism…The practice of cynicism is smarm. — Tom Scocca, On Smarm. (2) A form of acting-dead characteristic of cargo cults based on the belief that calling out bullshit and creating information are the same thing.
Social Proof: False justification that leads to false consensus on the truth or falsity of information, arrived at without truth value having been actually established. The collective, formulaic production of bullshit.
Technical Debt: Known bullshit that a system has committed to purging from itself.
Truth: Information that is known to be consistent with observed reality at a given time and capable of being unpredictably turned into falsehood by a change in reality in the future.
Truthiness: Smarmy bullshit. (My definition, based on Stephen Colbert's).
Values: Unjustified justification procedures.
Variety: Diversity in a body of information that contributes to its dimensionality.
Weaponization: Separation of data into information and bullshit, and deliberate direction of the two signals at different systems (generally a hunting party and a cargo cult respectively), with the intention of creating serendipity in one system and zemblanity in another.
Zemblanity: Compounding bad luck that befalls those who act dead, leading to their eventual actual death.
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About Venkatesh Rao
Venkat is the founder and editor-in-chief of ribbonfarm. Follow him on Twitter
Eli says
Modern-day Ambrose Bierce
Julian Bond says
"Hunting Party" needs a definition. It appears several times but I struggled to understand the nuance in the current context.
Paul Bort says
Hunting Party has a definition, but it's sorted based on the invisible "Q" at the beginning.
Venkat says
fixed, sorry.
emrah says
https://www.ribbonfarm.com/guerillaGuideToSocialBusiness.pdf reutns a 404
thanks, will fix. broke in the move to a new ISP.
Kyle Mathews says
Data Scientist tweet—https://twitter.com/jeremyjarvis/status/428848527226437632
Added, thanks.
Alexander Parij says
That's the original tweet, two years before Jeremy:
https://twitter.com/nivertech/status/180109930139893761
Christian Molick says
Art and Aesthetics used this way make sense, but masks the way art and aesthetics can be used to constructively expose complexity, dissonance, strangeness. The distinction made here seems to be closer to the difference between pop art and folk art or romanticism and classicism. Boy band songs or dramatic performances staged with everyone wearing white face makeup and wigs fit these descriptions of art and aeshtetics, but other forms like impressionism, expressionism, and surrealism can also be useful for disrupting cargo cult bullshit with evocative truths. These are specific views of the art, like thinking of sales representatives as slick fish instead of the foundations of the bottom line.
Identity seems basically right, yet seems to trivialize the extent to which systems tend to form goals based on concepts of perceived self-interest. Identity is among the strongest of all motivations.
Excellent thoughts there. I defined aestheticization (the process operating on an existing reality rather than creating things from scratch) rather than aesthetics to try and build in that distinction.
Identity… yeah, there's more that that might be worth unpacking with related definitions.
Caroline, Ireland says
Hi Venkat,
I came across ribbonfarm yesterday through the satisfying discovery of your summary on corporations. Very illuminating, thanks, as is the advanced glossary making up this post : )
Sistens Viator says
Adveni sperans scribere Commentarios ubi quisque Reddit suam opinionem, sed nihil inveni meriti.
A certain obsession with the excrements of bulls is all over the place in this dictionary, an anal repulsive incontinence, which must be very strong in the information society, the age where we are stepping out of the water again, this time directly into shit, as it seems, which is at least a positive sign that there has been animal life before on this planet. The article leaves us hobby ethnologists puzzled. If it is not intelligence that increases itself for itself as it was once hoped and for which there is little indication but the heap of excrements ( bit rotting programs, capital, …? ), what is the purpose of this peculiar cultural practice? Are we flies and does it nourish us or is the singularity lurking and already breaking through the shell and from there directly into our shit ( not that of bulls )?
Another observation about the dictionary and the shit in it which begins to grow on me: shit is the only material object that is left. No other substance has its appearance. Of course shit is always residual: a rest from our bodies which is not us anymore. For H.Moravec life is structure + jelly and as you might guess he favors structure over jelly and this is the whole meaning of this silly distinction but now even the jelly is gone and only shit is left. But isn't the structure also gone?
Yes, bullshit, like any kind of manure, is good fertilizer for the growth of the new.
Frankfurt explores why there's been an explosion in bullshit in recent decades in his essay. My own simple explanation is that capacity to store, transmit and process information has expanded far faster than our capacity to generate it. Bullshit is almost like a placeholder for the real thing, like fake datasets used to test the development of a software system before it can be populated with real data. Certain chicken-and-egg relationship there.
That's the system-theoretic explanation (at global level, variety of composite system exceeds dimensionality of data circulating in it, necessitating the production of bullshit to bootstrap the system). At the social and cultural level, bullshit is the currency of non-production, which is coincidentally high when a system is being displaced by a new one, since lots of people are struggling to transition.
One way to think of this is that impending vast changes ephemaralize the old before they replace them. So the signal of the old becomes the test-bullshit of the new.
Marc Hamann says
As a long time reader, nothing in this glossary is a surprise, but summing things up in a pithy way can bring problems and tensions to the fore.
I'm concerned about the distinction between noise and bullshit from an empirical "science" point of view. Both kinds of data have meaningless truth values, the difference is one of intent: bullshit serves someone's interests and was deliberately created by them for that purpose. Since the deliberately hidden mental states of others are very hard to measure empirically, how do you propose one determines the difference in a "scientific" way?
The best that seems possible is an educated guess based on one's knowledge of interests and the political ways of the world.
I'd argue that noise has no truth value. It's simply pre-justification.
As for the how of bullshit detection as distinct from noise cancellation, I think the main clue is that if "information" is suspiciously quickly manufactured to explain new data, it is likely to be bullshit. Because as a rule of thumb, most new data that is not a completely transparent fit to existing valid models, represents problems that are non-trivial to figure out. If somebody "figures it out" too quickly, there's a problem.
For example, there is a whole lot of punditry going on right now about the future of Microsoft under Satya Nadella, the new CEO. A few are credible (long-time Microsoft watchers with a track record). But most are just bullshit waiting for a few quarters worth of performance data to come in.
Overfitting is another sign. There's been like 2 weeks worth of data on Nadella's record as a CEO, yet some are tempted to offer models about his entire tenure to come.
Boris Borcic says
I feel your "Truth" denies information (and, to me, more exactly speech) to use verb tensing in a controlling way such that the speech itself and not changing reality, decrees _when_ both meet.
I thought I said the exact opposite: "capable of being unpredictably turned into falsehood by a change in reality in the future." That to me is a statement that reality dictates when the test will occur, and provides no advance warning most of the time.
Amadeus Rex says
"Byzantine system" is a terrible name for a system that "can act with intelligence and creativity despite the presence of bullshit within it", since "byzantine" is an adjective carries connotations of labyrinthine, recondite complexity.
Then again, Byzantium lasted a thousand years. Nearly two thousand if you count the Ottoman empire as a rebranded continuation, and the early Eastern Roman Empire as a prequel of sorts :)
The definition is inspired by the distributed trust problem and the structure of bitcoin in particular. Bitcoin is complex in almost a byzantine way (it took me several days of reading and thinking to grasp the basic idea), but it seems necessary to build in bullshit tolerance.
I'm reminded of Philip Dick's observation that "The Roman Empire never ended".
N says
You're misusing the jargon. "Byzantine fault tolerance" is the ability to tolerate Byzantine faults. I think you're interpreting it as a Byzantine ability to tolerate faults.
A fault tolerant system can survive incompetence: a Byzantine fault tolerant system can survive malice too.
Amasa Amos says
I'm afraid your definition of "Information" is bullshit.
Data can never be compared with reality — data can only be compared with other data.
Do you have a proposed alt definition?
How about a nice recursive definition:
"Data whose truth value survives comparison with all other known information."
Shawn Conn says
Since Amasa is already hinting at it, your current definition of data already has circular references to it through bullshit, information, and noise.
Circularity is not a bug, it's a feature of all relativist epistemologies based on falsification rather than verification. If you could remove that core cycle, you'd have a notion of absolute truth.
Amasa's definition retains the circularity. He's getting at a procedural subtlety problem rather than conceptual one with the original definition.
KevinH says
Here's an alternative definition of sociopath: One who attempts to weaponize the data that they self-produce.
locomotive says
Nice, thanks for the glossary. I understand most of the words already, but that was a great consolidation of your entire thinking thus far, VGR
see y'all at the refactor
Mark Clifton says
You've distilled as good a definition of art as I've seen. (I've always avoided overly generous "but is it art?" discussions as juvenile, because of course for there to be "art" there must be "not art.") Your definition generalizes art into a practice, distinct from aesthetics or production, which means it can be applied to areas outside what we typically think of as "the arts." Art may produce an object or situation, but to confuse the product with the process is to become a hipster. An outcome that's produced by an art-like process that's not art is decoration, or at best maybe design.
Your definition of "hipster" addresses some of the main things that peeve me about that subculture (and the dominant global, urban popular culture it informs, to the point I find it increasingly difficult to separate it as a subculture): the transparent bogosity of its aesthetics, and its confusion of aesthetic with artistic processes ("aestheticizers who mistake themselves for artists").
Like many a good cargo cult, hipsters ritualize procedures in hopes of replicating previous outcomes (in this case, products and relationships that carry a feeling of a certain kind of genuineness that is transmitted from origins that are information rather than bullshit rich), without retaining the necessary processes. The information-generating process of art has been replaced by a charade that is bullshit all the way through. A friend of mine has a theory that a primary motivation for hipster obsession with proofs of authenticity established on the past, and the resulting lumberjack/speakeasy aesthetic, is to carry out roleplaying scenarios that seek to reset history precisely to the point where they feel authenticity was lost, in an effort to figure out how it all went wrong.
Recently, I've begun describing this kind of aesthetic-product-masquerading-as-art-procedure as pornographic. If I may humbly offer a half-baked definition from my own glossary:
Pornography: a simulation that satisfies the same reward centers as carrying out the genuine act, but with less apparent effort.
Following this definition, if there's a moral argument that can be made for pornography's negative influence, it's that it stifles real creativity and value by insidiously replacing them with cheaper facsimiles. Though the immediate costs seem lower, long-term costs can be high. Who cares if you didn't actually accomplish anything, as long as you're still basking in the rosy afterglow of accomplishment? I think there are many phenomena that can be pinned to this motivation, from the ritualistic language of the Clueless to popular culture's recombinant aesthetics ("Darth Hello Kitty"). This seems to be a dominant ethos of our time, but perhaps as you pointed out in your reply to Kay it's proliferating as a means to cope with transition.
If we're to get cheeky and slightly mean sounding, a hipster is an art pornographer.
Andy Tribble says
Interesting comment, Mark, but… Let me summarise your position as it appears to me:
'Hipster' = 'fake' pursuit of the 'real'.
Surely it's still better to be in pursuit of the real. Better than not.
But they're not working hard enough.
Does "hipster" still means anything, specifically?
Sometimes a hipster channels what is new and hot in pop culture, then it is a graphic designer, i.e. someone who makes a living from a practical art or more generally being an artisan. Finally it is someone who wears horn-rims because nerds appear to be the resilient information age species with lots of futurity. In the latter case the nerd would be the real thing, though their own culture is full of BS and fashion driven including academic one which can be easily adopted to pretend even better futurity. Hipsters simulate other hipsters. No bottom of recursion in sight.
It would be easy to be evasive and say hipsterdom is like pornography – you know it when you see it – but I have seriously been trying to form a more concrete definition. One reason is an attempt to avoid sliding into casual bigotry against a particular subculture, and another is that I think the phenomenon serves as a canary in a coal mine regarding real, juicy issues of cultural stagnation and malaise as a reaction to massive cultural and technological change. I've tried to guide my thinking by differentiating behaviors I think are hipster from those that are not hipster, and figuring out what unifies all those in the hipster category.
I've come to a conclusion that's similar to my friend's: that hipster in the subcultural sense is a state of mind that fixates on authenticity (perhaps purity in almost a religious sense), and almost exclusively uses arbitrary historical references as proofs of that authenticity. These references are cherry picked from various points in history, each from just before the hipster believes authenticity in that particular realm was lost (Prohibition, assembly line manufacturing of consumer goods, personally needing to adopt adult responsibilities, etc.). Since proofs are not confined to a single era, hipsterdom can derive its tropes from many, seemingly disparate points in their culture's and their practitioners' own personal histories: artisanal methods of production, pre-Prohibition cocktail recipes, 1980s mass media, summer camp and childhood games (coming in close second place to the cliche "authenticity" is "whimsy"). iDevices and the Internet can be integrated into a hipster worldview, because they carry no strong authenticity proofs from the past. However, other technologies that have changed significantly, even recently, are reset to their respective authentic moments (film photography, tape recording, vinyl records).
Sure, this thinking informs a fashion convention, but not all those who wear the fashion or live the lifestyle are hipsters, though I find almost everyone who thinks in a hipster way adopts the fashion (similar to any other fashion that originates from a subculture of True Believers that goes mainstream, like hippie or punk).
Billy says
Horse shit is better than bull shit. You can apply it directly to the soil without burning the plants. Mild and gentle is the horse (shit). Simply put, I would rather horse around than bully pulpit.
As to fashion, let's really be clear. It is cowardice. I know, I made a living at it. One of life's greatest fears is to be unfashionable. We preyed upon that fear and made money. And isn't it interesting how anti-fashion becomes so fashionable so fast? It's similar to religion. But the best part is the renaming. "Mid-century" takes the cake. We went to several furniture stores this week. How did boring square 1950's sofas become popular again? Because they are not what was before and someone "discovered" how cool it is! But it was before and I left the store…it was such a bore. It's like long hair and no hair and short skirts and long skirts. Tan or no tan. I need not continue. But I must ask: will this cycle of recycle never end? Nothing is new or old, just resurrected and retold.
Will there ever be a time when function and comfort will rule? Will fashion ever (please) die? Will we begin to fix things instead of them throwing them out? Will we learn how to use things intelligently before we make them obsolete? Will technology with no need indeed be the fashion of the future? Ooops…that happened already, didn't it?
And please, if you hear that I have been sent to jail for strangling the fellow walking around Whole Foods talking loudly into his Blue Tooth thingie about architectural integrity while I am trying to decide which mushrooms to buy, please visit and bring me some oatmeal raisin cookies.
Will fashion ever (please) die?
A friend of mine was once business manager of a fashion store. I asked her back then about this years fashion and she responded to me somewhat evasively in the way of: wear what you like. I didn't wanted to raise my individuality though but on the contrary, becoming legible fashion-wise i.e. participate on a code and a social system. This isn't much fun though if no one cares about the code, if it becomes arbitrary and its readers fade away.
Will we begin to fix things instead of them throwing them out?
Sure, this is more of a trend or paradigm but a fashion. One can see related ideas popping up everywhere. Take food: the Avantgarde kitchen is scientific/molecular or regional, a paradigm which seems to include using the whole of the fruit or vegetable including leafs and so on. This paradigm is now explored. A fashion happens to be orthogonal to this. For example it was fashionable to use ginger everywhere. Next year it might be manioc or whatever African is in your Whole Foods store. Or this happened yesteryear and I'm already outdated …
Dan McReavy says
Smart idiot – a highly-educated person that knows nothing of practical value.
It may be appropriate to surround h-e in quotes.
After failing to resist yet another trolling thread, I've come to another realisation. Many of these threads are populated by well meaning people repeating anecdotes and then using them as justification for their own preconceived thinking. So I'd like to propose:-
Anecdata: A form of data consisting of a collection of anecdotes and containing a higher than usual proportion of bullshit and noise and less actual information.
Fitz says
Self-licking lollipop: an endeavor fueled by its own bullshit.
Blogchains
Domestic Cozy
Elderblog Sutra
Infinite Machine
Mediocratopia
Predictable Identities
Refactorings Roundups
Regenerations
The Goat-Crow-Rat Triangle
Weirding Diary
Worlding Raga
Crash Early, Crash Often
Be Slightly Evil
Gervais Principle
Every Cradle is a Grave
Blogging Residencies
Refactor Camp
anon on Mediocratopia: 6
Sean Hood on Weirding Diary: 9
DP on Mediocratopia: 6
Eldho kuriakose on Mediocratopia: 6
romeostevens on Mediocratopia: 6
Jacob Falkovich on Predictable Identities: 13 – Totalizing Ideologies
Alper on Reflections on Refactor Camp 2019


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⬅ The Harod Valley—Your Overwhelming A...
Nazareth—Jesus' Hometown with a View to ... ➡
The Gates of Jerusalem Today and Tomorrow
8 gates today and 12 in the future.
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Every time I see them, they fascinate me. The walls and gates of Jerusalem have expanded and contracted over the centuries like the breathing of a living being. Even today, the Old City of Jerusalem is such that we have to enter the city through gates—just as people did for thousands of years.
(Photo: Jerusalem's Golden Gate. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Gates were more than passageways. They served as places for personal business and civic affairs (see Ruth 4:1). Gates often took their names from the distant cities they faced, like Jaffa, Damascus, and Shechem.
There are 8 gates of Jerusalem today. But the Bible promises 12 in the future.
(Quarters and gates of the Old City, from Wikipedia Commons)
Today's gates of Jerusalem mostly date from the time when Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the walls about AD 1537.
Because the Jaffa Gate also faces Hebron, where Abraham is buried, Arabs call the gate, Bab el-Khalil, "Gate of the Friend," because the Qur'an refers to Abraham as God's friend (Surah 4.125), as does Isaiah 41:8. The gate offers easy access to the Citadel Museum and a walk on the ramparts.
(Photo: Jaffa Gate. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Zion Gate
Immediately south of this gate sits modern "Mount Zion." Its Arabic name, Bab Nabi Daud, "Gate of the Prophet David"—came about because David's tomb supposedly rests on Mount Zion. A misnomer on all counts, biblical Zion (as well as David's Tomb), rests east of its modern designation.
The gate wears a pockmarked façade, voiceless scars from the fierce fighting for the Jewish Quarter in 1948.
(Photo: Zion Gate. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Dung Gate
The unusual name stems from a gate that stood along the city's south wall in the time of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:13). The Targum identifies the Dung Gate as the "Potsherd Gate" of Jeremiah 19:2.
In antiquity, the city dump lay in the nearby Hinnom Valley, and the Potsherd Gate served as the exit by which the citizens took out the garbage.
(Photo: Dung Gate, by fr:Utilisateur:Djampa, via Wikimedia Commons)
Bricked closed for more than 1000 years, this gate is sometimes confused with the "Beautiful Gate" of the Second Temple (Acts 3:10). Muslim tradition holds that a conqueror or the Messiah will enter through this gate.
Indeed, the Bible does predict the glory of the Lord will enter the Temple by means of "the eastern gate" (Ezekiel 43:4), but who knows if it refers to this one. Regardless, no bricked gate will deter the Messiah.
(Photo: Golden Gate. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Stephen's Gate
Christians have identified this gate with Stephen's name in honor of his martyrdom outside the city (Acts 7:58-60). However, Byzantines placed his death outside a northern gate.
Another name, "Lion's Gate," comes from the stone reliefs of two lions (or panthers or jaguars) that flank each side of the gate.
(Photo: Stephen's Gate. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Herod's Gate
Sometimes called the "Gate of Flowers," or Bab ez-Zahar, this gate took Herod's name in the 16th or 17th century because pilgrims mistook a Mamluk house near the gate to be Herod Antipas' palace.
In this area the Crusaders penetrated the walls to capture the city in 1099.
(Photo: Herod's Gate. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Damascus Gate
A fine example of Ottoman architecture, this is the most beautiful of the gates of Jerusalem. Excavations below the gate reveal a triple-arched gateway that Hadrian built—the northern extent of the Cardo street from the second century.
Outside the gate, an Arab market offers fresh fruit and vegetables. The Jews call it the "Shechem Gate," and the Arabs refer to it as the "Gate of the Column."
(Photo: Damascus Gate. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
New Gate
The antiquity of the city walls is betrayed by the "New Gate," opened in 1887 as a means of convenient northwest access to the Old City.
I lodged for a week in the Christian Quarter years ago, grateful for the easy access the New Gate allowed to the city streets.
(Photo: New Gate. Courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
The Future Gates of Jerusalem
These 8 gates of Jerusalem have stood for centuries. But the Prophet Ezekiel predicted a day when the gates of Jerusalem would total 12—one for each of Israel's tribes (Ezekiel 48:31-34).
These 12 gates will stand in the Millennial Kingdom when the Messiah rules the world from the Holy City.
Ezekiel also mentions that when the Messiah reigns in Jerusalem, the city will even receive an additional name: "The Lord is There."
Tell me what you think: Which gate is your favorite? To leave a comment, just click here.
The Walls of Jerusalem through the Centuries—a Timeline
How the 4 Quarters of Jerusalem Will Be United
How Jerusalem's Mountains are Like God's Presence in Your Life
Walking Atop the Walls of Jerusalem
Posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Categories: Jerusalem, Prophecy, Walls and Gates

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Leaders & Legends Speaker Series
Leaders & Legends
Building a Firm Foundation
Roslyn Dawson Thompson
On March 28, the University of Dallas welcomed Texas Women's Foundation President and CEO Roslyn Dawson Thompson as part of UD's Leaders & Legends Speaker Series, where she spoke about the importance of gender equity, diversity and inclusion.
Of the 120 different women's foundations in the world, the Texas Women's Foundation is the second largest. Before joining the Texas Women's Foundation and expanding it to where it is today, Dawson Thompson spent 20 years in marketing and communications.
Dawson Thompson began the event by discussing the Texas Women's Foundation, which addresses economic and social disparity for women, aiming to help women gain valuable skills so that they can take on more leadership roles.
"Women are not going to become economically secure with equal pay and opportunities if we don't have more women in leadership," said Dawson Thompson.
She then went on to speak about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. At the time of its founding, the 19 women who made up the Texas Women's Foundation board came from all walks of life, and that is something that still holds true today.
"We hold one of the most diverse boards of any organization of modern times," she declared proudly. She emphasized the need for all companies to start pushing for more diversity, not just because it creates a more culturally aware environment, but because it creates value in an organization that would be lost otherwise. "The more your organization's workforce reflects your customers, the better you can serve them."
Dawson Thompson also spoke about the influential people who are making a difference in the community. From local heroes to NBA star Stephen Curry, she wanted to show how even the smallest act of kindness could make a difference. "I encourage you all to lead with your vision and your values, and I encourage you to ask yourself these questions in life — 'If not for me, then who?' and 'If not now, then when?'"
The University of Dallas Leaders & Legends Speaker Series was founded to further the university's mission of providing practice-based education by inviting business leaders to share their experiences with graduate and undergraduate students in the classroom. Through this program, alumni, business leaders and their companies are invited to partner with the university in our shared pursuit of management excellence.
Learn more about the Leaders & Legends Speaker Series.


While nearly every indication points to Apple (AAPL) – at best – releasing a mild update to the iPhone 4 (billed the iPhone 4S), DigiTimes is reporting that the company's Taiwan-based supply chain is tinkering around with a curved-glass model for an upcoming iPhone 5 release.
"Apple reportedly has purchased 200-300 glass cutting machines to be used by glass makers," said the sources.
The DigiTimes report did not indicate a timetable for any potential curved-glass iPhone 5 release.
It is plausible that a curved-glass display iPhone 5 could be released later this year, then most pundits believe Apple will release a truly next generation device. Android devices, including the Google (GOOG) Nexus S, already offer this feature.
In any event, DigiTimes sources are indicating that Apple has purchased as many as 300 glass cutting machines to manufacture the device.


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Downloads Home » Stronghold: Economic Scenarios » The Bet
Ionait
You always said you loved a good challenge. Now you have been given one. On a whim, you took a bet that you could turn this bit of land into a fully functioning village. In order to win the bet you have to gather certain items to prove you have made this place into a productive village. The land here is strange and you have had to bribe your new villagers with all the ale they can drink.
This is a total economic scenario. No military action at all. The land its self should prove enough of a challenge. You must build in the low level areas. No access has been given to the highest land area. You will need to manage your space wisely.
Merepatra
I'm not going to actually give any rating for this mission. I attempted to play it but gave up after an hour or so when I found myself getting too frustrated, more by Strongholds AI than anything else.
I thought I had done a reasonable job of setting out the buildings/farms etc in the very limited space available but found my planning wasn't working as instead of walking the shortest route to buildings workers were taking incredibly long routes around the whole map. An example was an inn placed in the little space directly to the North East of the major land area, instead of walking through that short passage the innkeeper walked almost to the very Eastern edge of the map before heading back down another passage to the inn. This meant this inn could not possibly be kept supplied with ale. This type of thing was happening with all my farms/industries etc.
Probably with enough patience the mission is winnable, escpecially if I had put down the difficulty level, but for me the frustration wasn't worth it.
lord_yoshi
Playability 4.0
Balance 4.0
Creativity 4.0
Map Design 3.0
Story/Instructions 2.0
Playability - Playability was good. I wanted to finish the scenario although I did feel bored sometimes, but I never thought of exiting the scenario. It took quite some time to finish playing the scenario, so The Bet should give you enough challenge for many hours. The scenario has, however, one slight "bug": the victory conditions do not include any population requirements, thus giving the option to gather all the required goods, delete most of the town and easily achieve the 'ale coverage' and 'blessed' requirements.
Balance - Balance was good, too, although I was able to gather certain goods more than was required. I enjoyed adjusting food rations and taxes, but there could have been some more bad events, like fires and plagues. The scenario's main challenge is figuring out what to build, when and where. The challenging map design made the scenario harder than normal.
Creativity - The one thing that makes The Bet more unique than most Economics scenarios, is the unique Map Design. The map is almost like a network of little caves connected by tunnels. Another thing, that raised the Creativity score was the events, which had a resource or a population size as a condition, not just a date.
Map Design - I'd love to rate Map Design 4.0, because the map structure was so clever and unique. Howeve, the map wasn't detailed enough to earn a 4.0, so the average score will have to do now. Some parts of the map weren't designed pretty, for example, the iron and stone resources did not look good on the map.
Story/Instructions - The story was a little more unique than normally, but it was too short to really be attractive and fascinating. There were also a few spelling mistakes.
Final comments: All in all, a good scenario. I recommend The Bet for everyone who enjoys playing a challenging long-term economics scenario.
Dianna125
I had a great time playing this map. The limited amount of space made it a difficult and fun map to play. It was a different look, not your normal map, and this made it all the more enjoyable.
Bets can be a dangerous issue. What a challenge did I decline here.
The maze looks funny at first. This impression changed when I sent out some workers. Some spots that appear passable, aren't.
Nature on high plain looks nice. But I have to issue a warning. The trees won't spread out across the borders of steep rocks.
On very hard, I ran out of wood and was in severe danger of losing too many buildings to the repeated fires. Some wells could be best placed in the centre of the map, so that the water bearers (which I employed only in acute events) can reach the firebrand.
With the targets of 100% drunk and 50% blessed, I tried to keep my population low. Often disbanded workers and sent them to other buildings (millers / brewers, quarry men / oxen drowers, etc.). Had to figure out how many parts of granary and armoury would be needed: they fit all into the middle cave (but I had to smash one part of stockpile).
A -5 fear factor helped to hasten productivity.
Altogether, the scenario is about the delay of long ways, even detours. To get this different experience, playing on easy seems good enough.


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Sean was born in Birmingham a very long time ago. He went to college in Canada and spent far too long as a musician before he started working in TV in 1984. He spent his formative years working in the corporate sector and ran a Birmingham based Production Company before moving to London where he began to work with the emerging technology of non-linear editing. He was recruited by L!ve TV where his technical and creative side was an invaluable part of the innovative TV station. From then he joined the freelance market and soon moved into the world of factual TV where he became a regular on C4's hugely successful Time Team.
Since then he has produced, directed and edited a whole host of different films for all the major broadcasters both in the USA and in the UK. He has filmed in Africa, the Arctic, Antarctica, the USA and all over Europe.


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The Pope to the Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East: there is no religious, political or economic justification for the condition of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) – "Our meeting is marked by the suffering we share on account of the wars that beset various regions of the Middle East and in particular for the violence suffered by Christians and members of other religious minorities, especially in Iraq and Syria", said Pope Francis this morning, as he received in audience His Holiness Mar Dinka IV, Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East. "When we think of their suffering, it is natural to overcome the distinctions of rite or confession; in them there is the body of Christ that, still today, is injured, beaten and humiliated. There are no religious, political or economic factors that can justify what is happening to hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, and children. We are deeply united in our prayers for intercession and in charity towards these suffering members of the body of Christ".
"Your visit is another step along the path of an increasing closeness and spiritual communion between us, after the bitter misunderstandings of previous centuries", continued the bishop of Rome. Twenty years ago, the joint Christological declaration you signed along with my predecessor, the Pope St. John Paul II, was a milestone in our path to full communion. In this declaration we acknowledged that we confess the sole faith of the apostles, faith in the divinity and humanity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, united in a single person, without confusion or alteration, without division or separation.
Finally, the Pope referred to the work of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, which he accompanies with prayer "so that the blessed day may come in which we are able to celebrate at the same altar the sacrifice of praise, that will make us one in Christ. … What unites us is far greater than what divides, and for this reason we feel urged by the Spirit to share from now the spiritual treasures of our ecclesial traditions, to live, like true brothers, sharing the gifts that the Lord does not cease to give to our Churches, as a sign of His goodness and mercy".
Published by VISarchive 02 - Thursday, October 02, 2014 0 commenti
To the prelates of Chad: the behaviour of the Church is a model for all society
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) – The implementation of catechetical methods for inculturation, the defence of the family and the role of women, and the need for dialogue with other religions in a country where Catholics are a minority are the main themes of the discourse Pope Francis handed to the bishops of Chad this morning, at the end of their "ad Limina" visit. The Holy Father writes that the Catholic communities in this country "are growing, not only numerically, but also in terms of quality and the strength of their efforts", and expressed his satisfaction for the work carried out in the spheres of education, health and development.
"The civil authorities are very grateful to the Catholic Church for her contribution to society as a whole in Chad. I encourage you to persevere along this path, as there is a strong bond between evangelisation and human development, a bond that must be expressed and developed in all the work of evangelisation. Service to the poor and the most disadvantaged constitutes a true testimony of Christ, Who made Himself poor in order to be close to us and to save us. Both the religious congregations and lay associations who work with them play an important role in this respect, and they are to be thanked for this".
"However", he observes, "it is certain that this commitment to social service does not constitute the entirety of evangelizing activity; the deepening and strengthening of faith in the hearts of the faithful, that translates into an authentic spiritual and sacramental life, are essential to enable them to withstand the many trials of contemporary life, and to ensure that the behaviour of the faithful is more coherent with the requirements of the Gospel. … This is especially necessary in a country where certain cultural traditions bear considerable weight, where less morally demanding religious possibilities are present everywhere, and where secularism begins to make headway".
Therefore, "it is necessary for the faithful to receive a solid doctrinal and spiritual formation. And the first locus of formation is certainly catechesis. I invite you, with a renewed missionary spirit, to implement the catechetical methods used in your dioceses. First, the good aspects of their traditions must be considered and accorded their due value – because Christ did not come to destroy cultures, but rather to lead them to fulfilment – while that which is not Christian must be clearly denounced. At the same time, it is essential to ensure the accuracy and integrity of doctrinal content".
The Pope goes on to refer to families, who are "the vital cell of society and the Church, and who are currently very vulnerable. … And within the family, it is important that the role and the dignity of the woman are recognised, to bear eloquent witness to the Gospel. Therefore, in this respect, "behaviour within the Church must be a model for the whole of society".
After reiterating the need for the permanent formation of the clergy and the closeness of bishops and priests, Pope Francis observes that the Church in Chad, "despite her vitality and development, is a minority in a population in which there is a Muslim majority and which is still partly bound to its traditional religions", and encouraged the prelates to ensure "that the Church, which is respected and listened to, occupies the space justly accorded to her in society in Chad, in which a significant element has converted, even though this remains a minority". He continues, "in this context, I must urge you to foster interreligious dialogue, which was fortunately initiated by the late Archbishop of N'Djamena, Mathias M'Garteri Mayadi, who did much to promote the co-existence of different religious communities. I believe that it is necessary to continue with this type of initiative to prevent the violence to which Christians have fallen victim in neighbouring countries".
The Holy Father concluded by reiterating the importance of maintaining the good relations established with the civil authorities, and highlighted the recent signing of a Framework Agreement between the Holy See and the Republic of Chad that, once ratified, will greatly help the mission of the Church.
To Justice and Peace: rising inequality and poverty endanger democracy
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father received in audience the participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council "Justice and Peace": a meeting that coincides with the fifth anniversary of the publication of Benedict VI's encyclical "Caritas in veritate". Pope Francis described it as "a fundamental document for the evangelisation of the social sphere, which offers valuable guidance for the presence of Catholics in society, in the institutions, in the economy, in finance and in politics", which "has drawn attention to both the benefits and the dangers of globalisation, when the latter is not guided towards the good of the people. While globalisation has increased aggregate wealth and that of a number of individual States, it has also caused division between various social groups, creating inequality and new forms of poverty in within those same countries that are considered to be among the richest".
The Pope remarked that one of the aspects of the current economic system is the exploitation of international imbalances in the costs of labour, which affects millions of people who live on less than two dollars a day. This imbalance not only fails to respect the dignity of those who provide low cost labour, but also removes sources of work from those areas where it is most protected. "This poses the problem of creating mechanisms for protecting working rights, as well as the environment, in the presence of an increasingly consumerist ideology, that does not demonstrate responsibility with regard to cities and to creation. Rising inequality and poverty put participatory and inclusive democracy at risk; the latter always presupposes an economy and a market that are fair and do not exclude. This therefore means that the structural causes of inequality and poverty must be dealt with". Frances remarked that in his apostolic exhortation "Evangelii gaudium" he indicated three basic instruments for the social inclusion of the those most in need: education, access to healthcare, and work for all.
"In other words", he explained, "the State of social rights must not be dismantled, and in particular the right to work must be protected. This must not be considered a variable, dependent upon financial and monetary markets. It is a fundamental right for dignity, for the formation of a family, for the realisation of the common good and for peace. Education and work and access to welfare for all are key elements both for development and for the just distribution of goods, for achieving social justice and for belonging to society, and for participating freely and responsibly in political life, understood as the management of the "res publica". Ideas that claim to increase income at the cost of restricting the job market and creating further exclusion are not coherent with an economy at the service of man and the common good, or with an inclusive and participatory democracy".
Further problems arise from the "lasting imbalances between economic sectors, remuneration, commercial banks and banks engaged in speculation, between institutions and global problems: it is necessary to remain vigilant about poverty and social justice. This requires, on the one hand, radical reforms that provide for the redistribution of the wealth produced, and the universalisation of free markets in the service of families, and on the other, a redistribution of sovereignty, at both national and supranational levels".
Returning to the encyclical "Caritas in veritate", the Pope noted that this document emphasised the bond between the environmental and human ecology, and affirmed the current relevance of its principles. "A love full of truth is in fact the foundation on which we must build the peace that is particularly hoped for and necessary for the good of all today. It enables us to overcome dangerous fanaticism, conflicts over the possession of resources, migration of biblical dimensions, the lasting wounds of hunger and poverty, human trafficking, social and economic injustice and disparity, and imbalance in terms of access to collective goods". He concluded, "the Church is always on the move, in the search of new ways to proclaim the Gospel, also in the social sphere".
Pope Francis receives in audience the survivors of the Lampedusa shipwreck that claimed 368 lives
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) – Yesterday afternoon the Holy Father received a delegation of Eritrean survivors and relatives of the victims of the shipwreck that occurred a year ago in the waters of Lampedusa, Sicily, in which 368 migrants lost their lives. The delegation was composed of 37 people – more than 20 survivors and some relatives – from the various European countries where they have settled, often with family members who were already present there. These countries include Germany, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark. Other survivors are due to arrive tomorrow, to join the delegation to participate in the commemoration of the tragedy in Lampedusa tomorrow. A few days ago a proposal was put forward to the Italian parliament that 3 October be declared a "Day of Remembrance for Victims of the Sea".
The delegation was organised by the "3 October Committee", chaired by Tareke Brhane, and was accompanied by Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, almoner of His Holiness, and Fr. Giovanni Lamanna, former president of the Astalli Centre, the Italian home of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), an international Catholic organisation active in more than forty countries, whose mission is to accompany and assist refugees and asylum-seekers, and to defend their rights.
During the meeting, which took place in a room adjacent to the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, one of the refugees addressed the Pope, asking for his help and support in work that remains to be done, for instance in identifying the bodies, that in some cases has not yet been possible. Another young person thanked the Pope for his support for and interest in the welfare of migrants and refugees.
The Pope, moved by these testimonies, said, "I cannot find the words to say what I feel. What you have suffered is to be contemplated in silence; one weeps, and seeks a way of being close to you. At times, when you seem to have arrived in the port, we encounter very difficult situations. You find closed doors and do not know where to go. But there are many people whose hearts are open to you. The door of the heart is the most important in these moments. I implore all men and women in Europe to open the doors of their hearts! I want to say that I am close to you, I pray for you, I pray that the closed doors open up".
The delegation presented the Holy Father with a sculpture in iron, depicting a bottle in the sea, containing a family. At the end of the encounter, the Pope personally greeted all those present.
Papal representatives in the Middle East gather in the Vatican to discuss the situation of Christians in the region
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) – The papal representatives in the Middle East are meeting in the Vatican from 2 to 4 October, at the Holy Father's behest, to discuss the presence of Christians in the region, due to the grave situation that has prevailed in recent months. The meeting began this morning at the Secretariat of State and was attended by the Superiors of the Secretariat of State and the Roman Curia directly linked with the issue, as well as the Holy See Permanent Observers at the United Nations in New York and Geneva, and the apostolic nuncio to the European Union.
The meeting demonstrates the Holy Father's closeness and interest in this important question. He opened the meeting, thanking the participants convened to pray and reflect together on what to do to approach the dramatic situation experienced by Christians in the Middle East, along with other religious and ethnic minorities who suffer as a result of the violence that continues to rage throughout the region. With heartfelt words the Holy Father demonstrated his concern regarding the situations of conflict currently in progress in many areas, and for the phenomenon of terrorism, which holds human lives to have no value. The Pontiff also mentioned the problem of arms trafficking that is the basis of many problems, as well as the humanitarian drama experienced by many people forced to leave their countries. In emphasising the importance of prayer, the Holy Father expressed his hope that multi-level initiatives and actions may be identified in order to manifest the solidarity of all the Church towards the Christians of the Middle East and also to involve the international community and all men and women of good will, to respond to the needs of the very many people who suffer in the region.
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin illustrated the importance and aim of the meeting. Cardinal Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, offered a complete report on the situation experienced by Christians in the Middle East, presenting different aspects of the question and opening up dialogue with the participants. The papal representatives in Syria and Iraq then went on to provide information on the conditions of Christians in their respective countries, and finally, Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", spoke on the role of the Church in facing the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
This afternoon, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, will speak on religious dialogue with Islam, and the challenges faced by Christians in the Middle East. This will be followed by a presentation by Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, on his recent visit to Iraq as the Holy Father's special envoy. After the debate, the session will close with Vespers.
Vatican City, 2014 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father received in audience:
- Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, Peru;
- Archbishop Pedro Ricardo Barreto Jimeno of Huancayo, Peru;
- Seven prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Chad, on their "ad Limina" visit:
- Bishop Rosario Pio Ramolo, O.F.M. Cap., of Gore;
- Bishop Miguel Angel Sebastian Martinez, M.C.C.I., of Lai, apostolic administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Doba;
- Bishop Joachim Kouraleyo Tarounga of Moundou;
- Bishop Jean-Claude Bouchard, O.M.I., of Pala;
- Bishop Goetbe Edmond Djitangar of Sarh;
- Bishop Henri Coudray, S.J., apostolic vicar of Mongo; and
- Rev. Alphonse Karamba, diocesan administrator of N'Djamena.
The Pope to the Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyri...
To the prelates of Chad: the behaviour of the Chur...
To Justice and Peace: rising inequality and povert...
Pope Francis receives in audience the survivors of...
Papal representatives in the Middle East gather in...


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The Town of Southold is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located in the northeastern tip of the county, on the North Fork of Long Island. The population was 23,732 at the 2020 census. The town also contains a hamlet named Southold, which was settled in 1640.
Algonquian-speaking tribes, related to those in New England across Long Island Sound, lived in eastern Long Island before European colonization. The western portion of the island was occupied by bands of Lenape, whose language was also one of the Algonquian languages.
In surrounding areas, the Dutch colonists had established early settlements to the northwest: on the upper Hudson River was Fort Orange, founded in 1615 (later renamed Albany by the English); and New Amsterdam (later renamed Manhattan) in 1625. Lion Gardiner established a manor on Gardiners Island in East Hampton in 1639. Just across from Long Island, the Connecticut Colony, or Connecticut River Colony, was established in 1636. The Puritans established New Haven Colony separately in 1638, even though it was largely surrounded by Connecticut Colony. New Haven Colony was a theocracy, governed only by church members.
English Puritans from New Haven Colony settled in Southold on October 21, 1640. They had purchased the land in the summer of 1640 from the group of Indians related to the Pequot of New England, who lived in the territory they called Corchaug (now Cutchogue). Settlers spelled the Indian name of what became Southold as Yennicott. In most histories Southold is reported as the first English settlement on Long Island in the future New York State. Under the leadership of the Reverend John Youngs, with Peter Hallock, the settlement consisted of the families of Barnabas Horton, John Budd, John Conklin, John Swazy, William Wells, John Tuthill, and Matthias Corwin.
Learn more about Southold.
Useful links for Southold, NY
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Locate nearby Southold, NY pharmacies
View the current Southold, NY weather report
Browse a list of Southold, NY public and private schools
Southold, NY is located in Suffolk county in New York State


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Home Page Chess Life Online 2009 September Cirque de Chess in Oklahoma
Cirque de Chess in Oklahoma
By Tom Braunlich
1st Women's Open champion, Saheli Nath
The Okie Chess 'Festival' really lived up to its name this year and as an organizer I was happy to see a celebrative diversity of events and players:
o the U.S. Senior Open, with one of the strongest lineups of experienced players in its history,
o the 1st U.S. Women's Open, an experimental and popular event,
o the 5th annual Master Invitational, featuring many young players and future GMs in a hard-fought round robin,
o the 5th annual Okie Open, a Fischer-Random event, and even some Pot Limit Omaha.
Here are games, results, and stories from these Labor Day Weekend events played at the Trade Winds Central in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and sponsored by IA Frank K. Berry.
Master Invitational
This year's round robin finished in a 3-way tie between FM Conrad Holt of Kansas, IM Bryan Smith of Pennsylvania, and IM Ray Kaufman of Virginia. They each won $534. All of the players were about in their 20s or younger and provided a colorful contrast to the Senior Open going on in the next room.
It isn't hard to imagine that we are seeing some future GMs in action here, such as this last-round encounter between 13-year-old Darwin Yang and 15-year-old Holt. A victory would have given Holt clear first, but he was unable to win a pawn-up bishop endgame, and nearly threw it away in time trouble.
Conrad Holt and Darwin Yang
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 dxc4 4.e4 b5 5.a4 b4 6.Na2 Nf6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Bxc4 e6 9.Nf3 a5 10.Bg5 Qb6 11.Nc1 Ba6 12.Qc2 h6 13.Bd2 Nd7 14.0-0 Be7 15.Bxa6 Qxa6 16.Nb3 c5 17.dxc5 Rc8 18.Rfc1 Nxc5 19.Nxc5 Bxc5 20.Qe4 0-0 21.Rd1 Qa7 22.Be1 Rfd8 23.Rac1 Qd7 24.b3 Bb6 25.g3 Rc7 26.Rc4 Rxc4 27.Qxc4 Rc8 28.Qe2 Qc6 29.Nd4 Nc3 30.Nxc6 Nxe2+ 31.Kf1 Nxg3+ 32.hxg3 Rxc6 33.Ke2 g5 34.f4 Kg7 35.Rd7 Kg6 36.Rd6 Rxd6 37.exd6 Bd8
After 37...Bd8
The passed d-pawn gives White a suprising amount of practical chances to save the game. Black spent 7 of his remaining 12 minutes on this move. But perhaps he overlooked the strength of the clever bishop manouver it allows. Instead, perhaps 37...f5 38.Kd3 Kf7 39.Kc4 (39.Bd2!?) 39...gxf4 40.gxf4 Be3.
38.Bf2 Kf5 39.Ba7! e5 40.Bb8 Ke6 41.fxe5 h5 42.Kf3 f6??
42...Bb6
43.exf6?
43.Bc7! Kd7 (43...Bxc7 44.dxc7 Kd7 45.exf6+-) 44.e6+! wins for White. However, Yang was moving quickly in his opponent's time trouble and was seemingly focused on this manouver to win the a-pawn and equalize the game.
43...Bxf6 44.Bc7 Be5= 45.g4 Bxd6 46.Bxa5 h4 47.Bb6 Kd5 48.Be3 Be7 49.a5 Kc6 ½-½
Last year's winner, IM Bryan Smith, found the going tougher this time, unable to convert some advantageous positions and losing a game to tough FM Michael Langer. For example, Holt put up a determined defense against him in an interesting French Winawer:
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 0-0 8.Bd3 Nbc6 9.Bg5 Qa5 10.Ne2 cxd4 11.f4 dxc3 12.h4 Kh8 13.Rh3 Nf5 14.Qh5 f6 15.Bxf5 exf5 16.exf6 Qc7 17.fxg7+ Qxg7 18.Bh6 Qg4 19.Qxg4 fxg4 20.Re3
20.Rxc3 Re8
20...d4 21.Bxf8 dxe3 22.Bb4 Nxb4 23.axb4 Bf5 24.Ra3 Bxc2 25.Rxc3 Be4 26.g3 a5 27.Rxe3 Bc6 28.bxa5 Rxa5 29.Re7
White still has a dangerous initiative against Black's cornered king, despite the reduced material. At this point Holt was down to 1 minute, plus the 30 second increment. Smith had 15 minutes.
29...Ra1+ 30.Kd2 Ra3 31.h5
31.f5!? Rf3 32.Nf4 Rxg3 33.f6 might be another winning attempt.
31...Ra5 32.h6 Rd5+! 33.Ke3 Rd6 34.f5 Rxh6 35.Kf4 Rd6 36.Kxg4 Rd7 37.Re8+ Kg7 38.Nf4 Kf7 39.Rh8 Kg7 40.Rb8 Ba4 41.Nh5+ Kh6 42.Nf4 Bd1+ 43.Kh4 Bf3 44.f6?
Smith pointed out he missed the careful 44.Rf8! preventing ...Rf7, and Black would then be hard-pressed to defend against the threat of g2-g3-g4 etc. 44...Rd4 45.Rf6+ Kg7 46.Kg5 Kg8 47.Ne6 Rg4+ 48.Kh6 Kh8 49.Ng5 and wins.
44...Rf7! 45.g4 Bxg4 46.Kxg4 Rxf6 47.Rxb7 Ra6
White still has hopes here due to Black's time trouble and trapped king, but...
48.Kf5 Ra5+ 49.Kf6 Rf5+! 50.Kxf5
Stalemate. Solid defense by young Holt to hold off a determined IM. ½-½
Ray Kaufman, traveling here with his Dad (GM Larry), needed a little luck to make the winner's circle, defeating former Denker Champion Nelson Lopez from a lost position with a truly vicious double-check in time trouble.
Perhaps realizing his luck was running hot, Ray multiplied his winnings within hours after the tournament by moseying over to the nearby River Spirit Casino, where he won $1800 playing Pot Limit Omaha "against some crazy Asians." Combine that with his winning the Fischer-Random blitz event, and Ray said he took home over $2500 this weekend. But he didn't always need luck to win, of course, as shown in this nice endgame attack against Yang:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 dxc4 4.e4 b5 5.a4 b4 6.Na2 Nf6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Bxc4 Bf5 9.Nf3 e6 10.Bd2 a5 11.Nc1 Be7 12.Nb3 Bg4 13.0-0 0-0 14.h3 Bh5 15.Qe2 Nb6 16.g4?!
White will miss his light-square bishop. 16.Bd3 Qd5 17.Qe4 Bg6 18.Qxd5 cxd5=
16...Nxc4 17.Qxc4 Bg6 18.Be3
18.Rfe1
18...Be4!
19.Nfd2 Bd5
This bishop is a tower of power for the rest of the game.
20.Qc2 Nd7 21.f4 f5 22.Rad1 Kh8 23.Qd3 g5 24.Kh2 gxf4 25.Bxf4 fxg4 26.hxg4 Rg8 27.Qh3 Rg6 28.Nc1 Bg5 29.Bxg5 Qxg5 30.Nf3 Qxg4 31.Nh4 Rg7 32.Qxg4 Rxg4 33.Kh3 Rag8 34.Rf7 Nb6
Now the knight infiltrates for a king attack.
35.Ne2 Nc4 36.Rdf1 Ne3 37.R1f6 Ng2 38.Rh6 Be4!
The bishop combines defense with attack very nicely here.
39.Nf3 Bf5 40.Kh2 Ne3 41.Ne1 Nf1+ 42.Kh1 Be4+ 43.Nf3 Nd2 0-1
Okie Open
IM Michael Brooks will be getting an invitation to the round robin next year after topping the 45-player field at the annual Okie Open, cruising to a 6-1 score. There was a massive tie for 2nd at 5-2 with Sergey Galant (2172, OK), Tim Steiner (2115, MO), Chris Niggel (2145, AR), Bran Whitcomb (1840, OK), Nathaniel Fast (2074, MO), and Terry Wright (1878, KS).
Michael Brooks and Sergey Galant
U.S. Women's Open
This experimental first Women's Open featured 10 players rated over 2000 and provided another congenial counterpoint to the variety of the festival. It is such a pleasure to have lots of women players around a large event and once again several discussions erupted about how we can encourage more participation by women in tournaments beyond scholastics. The post-scholastic membership "dropout rate" among girls is incredibly high, and I know is of special interest of new USCF Vice President Ruth Haring (who was playing in the Senior!).
This event was an intriguing mixture of talented young girls (such as Margeret Hua and Joanna Gossell) and more experienced young women players, a large contingent of whom came from UTD (headed by Bayaraa Zorigt (2276) and Karina Vazirova (2104)) to join top-ranked Iryna Zenyuk (2280), a brilliant graduate student at Carnagie-Mellon University in Pittsburg, and the ever-popular Chouchanik Airapetian (2142) of Seattle and Alexey Root (2000) of Dallas.
I asked some of the younger girls what it felt like to play in a women-only event with players of different ages, a rather rare experience outside of the championship or scholastic realms. They all said it was more pleasant because there was less of that hard-to-define tension that exists in mixed events; perhaps less testosterone or aggression. (Although having played both Zenyuk and Airapetian, I can testify there was a heck of a lot of aggression coming from their side of the board!)
Vying for a spot in the prestigious U.S. Women's Championship in 2010, the tournament was very hard fought. A case in point is this pivotal round 5 game in which 5th-ranked Saheli Nath (2026) of UTD upset Zenyuk in a Dragon. It was awarded the $100 Best Game Prize donated by Oklahoma's well-known USCF Forum cowboy, Harry Payne.
Saheli Nath won the trophy with a fine 5-1 score after drawing with Jennifer Acon in the final round. Since she is from India, however, the 2010 championship slot was awarded to Iryna Zenyuk, who finished in clear second place.
Nath,Saheli (2107) - Zenyuk,Iryna (2280)
This was the critical game of the 1st U.S. Women's Open and was awarded the Best Game Prize of $100 donated by Harry Payne, of Oklahoma.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Be6 11.Kb1!
This is a known subtlety that allows White now to meet 11...Qa5 with the strong 12. Nd5!, and is why Black's choice of ...Nxd4 and ...Be6 is not the main line of theory.
11...Nd7!?
Normal is 11...Qc7 12.g4 Rfc8 13.h4 Qa5 losing a tempo in order to get in the counter-attacking move Qa5.
12.Bxg7 Kxg7 13.Nd5
13.h4 Qa5 14.h5 also looks good. Then 14...g5!? 15.g3 intending f3-f4 looks dangerous.
13...Bxd5 14.exd5 f6!?
It's hard to find a viable defensive setup for Black. 14...Rc8!? 15.h4 (15.Qd4+ Nf6 16.Qxa7 Rc5 might be a playable pawn sac for Black.) 15...Nf6 16.h5 with a typical strong attack for White.
15.h4 Rc8 16.f4 Rc5 17.h5± Nb6 18.hxg6 hxg6 19.f5!
The attack on d5 is not enough to distract White!
19...Rh8
19...g5 20.Qe2 Qe8 21.Rd3 Rxd5 22.Rdh3 is presumably too much.
20.Bd3 Rxd5
It's probably better to try to keep White's pieces out with 20...Rxh1 21.Rxh1 g5 when it is still a problem for White to find a breakthrough.
21.fxg6 Nd7 22.g4! Nc5 23.Qg2 Rd4
It looks bad to allow white g4-g5, but if 23...Rg5 24.Bf5 is strong, i.e. 24...e6 25.Rxh8 Qxh8 26.Rh1 Qg8 27.Qh2+-
24.g5 fxg5
24...Rdh4 may be the last chance, although 25.gxf6+ exf6 26.Qd5 Qe7 27.Rhe1 Qc7 28.Bf5 looks close to winning, doubling on the e-file.
25.Qxg5 e5 26.Rh7+! 1-0
Saheli Nath and Iryna Zenyuk
I was asked to make some comments on the controversial ruling that occurred during the first round of this event. The FIDE time control of Game in 90 with 30 seconds increment per move is one that I personally like, but which does have some problematic aspects. FIDE (and I guess the USCF too) consider in the rules that players using this time control must continue to keep score even in time trouble under 5 minutes. This is because 30 seconds is considered plenty of time to write down your moves, and thus a complete scoresheet is required to win on time even in this sudden-death time control. IA Frank Berry has enforced that rule in the past (such as during an incident at last year's U.S. Championship Qualifier). But this assumption, however, isn't always true. At this year's events for example we had players in their 80s, some of whom were half-blind, partially deaf or handicapped; and it is not true that 30-seconds is plenty of time for them. There also were some very young kids here who can't handle the scorekeeping that quickly. Chief TD Frank Berry agreed and stated at the opening ceremony that he wasn't going to require this rule and instead would allow players in time trouble to hand off their scoresheet to an assistant TD or spectator to continue scorekeeping. Unfortunately, this was not well communicated and led to some confusion in the first round, and one case in which a player overstepped on time aware that her opponent wasn't keeping score, and the opponent thought she didn't have to keep score in time trouble, etc. Frank wasn't present at the time, and later on appeal declared the game a draw, which was acceptable to both players. I think this rule needs to be reconsidered by FIDE and USCF. Even under ideal circumstances with 30 seconds players start scribbling their moves in time trouble and they the scoresheet often becomes an unreadable mess.
Despite this small glitch the 1st U.S. Women's Open was considered a success by the players and should hopefully continue as one way to encourage more post-scholastic female tournament participation.
U.S. Senior Open — Make Room for the Boom!
This year's championship was the strongest in several years and I think is a harbinger of things to come in the Senior ranks now that Fischer Boom players start to pass 50 and become eligible. 52-year-old GM Larry Christiansen (who actually was already a strong player before Fischer-Spassky in 1972) is one example. GM John Fedorowicz (51) was also signed up to play but withdrew at the last minute (Larry speculated he must have scored some Yankees tickets). Soon we may be seeing DeFirmian, Rohde, and others of that great chess generation admitting they are officially seniors in order to be able to compete again at top levels and to try for an otherwise hard-to-get slot in the U.S. Championship.
Christiansen won the tournament with 5.5/6, topping a 54-player field that included such famous players as GM Larry Kaufman (defending champion), GM Boris Gulko, IM Joe Bradford, IM Walter Shipman, and many other strong and enthusiastic contestants.
What I found intriguing about this event was the camaraderie of the players. It's a little bit like what I imagine a reunion of old army buddies might be like decades after the war. In some cases active players meet yet again with old rivals they've played dozens of times, and in other cases players are paired who last played together decades ago. For example, I played Christiansen in round 2. The last time I played him was in the 6th round of the 1980 Southwest Open, 29 years ago!
Christiansen wins a slot in next year's U.S. Championship for his effort. Kaufman finished in clear 2nd place with 5-1, and as the top scorer over 60 wins the official USCF slot in the World Senior Championship coming up in Italy in October, which includes a stipend for expenses from its organizers. However, since Larry is also the defending World Senior Champ and is receiving some considerations for that, it may be that his slot can go to the next finisher over 60, Michael Schemm (1974) of Washington, who had a great tournament and outscored Gulko for this slot! The USCF is looking into the details of this, but perhaps both of them will be able to go.
The key round featured GM Larry Christiansen vs. IM Joe Bradford and GM Boris Gulko vs. GM Larry Kaufman
Round 5 was the turning point for this event, with "the two Larrys" defeating Bradford and Gulko, with Black, to take the lead:
Kaufman used a TN discovered by his protégé' Rybka. Gulko responded with an exchange sac but after a few ups and downs Larry came out on top:
These games will be presented with full annotations in the upcoming Chess Life article on the event.
Having already drawn each other, both leaders were paired down in the final round. Christiansen defeated Gregory Markzon, but Kaufman got nowhere in an ending against veteran IM Walter Shipman (who had a great tournament). Shipman's been playing endings since his first U.S. Championship in 1948 and won several nice ones here.
For the first time in several years this event had a schedule of two games per day instead of the usual one, which did not sit well with some of the players such as 87-year-old Dan Mayers who need the more leisurely pace. On the other hand, with three fewer days other potential players were able to afford the time or money to come that wouldn't be able to otherwise. It's a trade off, and perhaps future Senior tournaments should experiment with compromise schedules, such as 6 games in 4 days.
Age Category Awards for the Senior:
50-54 - Yefim Treger (53)
55-59 - Joe Bradford (58)
60-64 - Michael Schemm (62) (ahead of Gulko!)
65-69 - Denis Strenzwilk (68)
70-74 - Dr. Jorge Montero (72)
75+ - Walter Shipman, (80) except he refused the award, saying he doesn't believe in age categories.
Fischer-Random Speed Chess
Our annual "Fischer-Random Speed Chess Pizza Bash" was won by IM Ray Kaufman with 6.5/8 over a very tough field of 20 players, mostly masters and experts. WIM Bayaraa Zorigt and FM Conrad Holt tied for 2nd place with 6/8.
The two Kaufman's ponder their back ranks before a Fischer-Random game.
If you've never played Fischer-Random (also called "Chess 960" in Europe), give it a try; it's great fun. It's regular chess with the starting position of the pieces "randomized" on the back rank. It feels normal and the only thing weird about it is how castling works … the king can castle despite starting out on b1 or f1 or wherever. The next day in the main event Michael Langer's black king had been checked over to g8 by Conrad Holt, hemming in his rook on h8. Michael remarked to me, "I must be playing too much Fischer-Random chess; I keep thinking about castling now with Rf8!"
The Okie Chess Festival and related tournaments were all handled by Chief Director, IA Frank K. Berry, who also generously sponsored the prize funds. He was ably assisted by Rob Jones and Steve Wharry. It was organized by myself. The Fischer-Random was directed by Mike Crockett. Special thanks to the Trade Winds Central staff for their extra hospitality. We'll see you again next year!
See the official website here and the U.S. Chess Scoop featuring the Senior.
Read or Write Comments on this Article
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September - Chess Life Online 2009
Chess in Central ParkGM Joel on the From's GambitNorth American Youth Squad AnnouncedTitles for Rensch and FinegoldFinegold Earns Final GM Norm; Ray Races for His!Lifestyles of a U.S. Champion Kasparov Wins Valencia Blitz 6-2 Finegold on Fire at SPICE Cup U.S. Chess Scoop #8 Kasparov Wins Valencia Rapids 3-1 Kasparov dominates the first day in ValenciaCastling Long Around the World Kasparov-Karpov To Battle in Valencia SPICE Cup Begins at Texas TechWorld Cup Update: Nakamura Passes, Friedel in Jennifer on Playing By Trust Jennifer on a Win for the Inventors Two Knights Against a Pawn at the Marshall From Roulette to Jazz to Great Games at the US Women's Cirque de Chess in OklahomaGold for Alisa in China! U.S. Chess Scoop #7Labor Day Roundup Part II: GM Melik Annotates; Antal Tops Southwest Join in the Fun at the 2009 U.S. Women's!Labor Day Round up Part I: Dean and Alec AnnotateUpdate on North American Youth Championships Christiansen Takes Senior OpenUSA Scores Big Win Against ChinaAmerican Women's Team Struggling Update From Oklahoma U.S. Senior and Women's Begin2009 North American Youth Championships Jersey in da House!: GM Joel on the Knockouts Labor Day Preview: From Albany to San Diego Field Set for US Women's USA Crushes Armenia in World Women's TeamRobson Gets Ticket into World Cup!World Women's Team Kicks Off


Sec. 307.001.  RIGHTS OF GOOD FAITH PURCHASERS.  (a)  This section applies only to an act performed by a qualified executor or administrator in that capacity and in conformity with the law and the executor's or administrator's authority.
(b)  An act continues to be valid for all intents and purposes in regard to the rights of an innocent purchaser who purchases any of the estate property from the executor or administrator for valuable consideration, in good faith, and without notice of any illegality in the title to the property, even if the act or the authority under which the act was performed is subsequently set aside, annulled, and declared invalid.
Sec. 307.002.  JOINT EXECUTORS OR ADMINISTRATORS.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b), if there is more than one executor or administrator of an estate at the same time, the acts of one of the executors or administrators in that capacity are valid as if all the executors or administrators had acted jointly.  If one of the executors or administrators dies, resigns, or is removed, a co-executor or co-administrator of the estate shall proceed with the administration as if the death, resignation, or removal had not occurred.
(b)  If there is more than one executor or administrator of an estate at the same time, all of the qualified executors or administrators who are acting in that capacity must join in the conveyance of real estate unless the court, after due hearing, authorizes fewer than all to act.


He can cover any of the following styles as a solo act: Jazz, Blues, Rock, Pop and Latin Styles: Latin Jazz., Salsa, Bossa Nova and Bolero, Classical piano. Holiday Music.
To book Ricardo as a solo act or with an ensemble click here.


Interesting observation of Tanner's rep at the Senior Bowl practices, at least with Jerry Jones.
Saint's Loomis, Payton and CJ have a liking to Lee. Wouldn't at all be surprised to see him become a Saint. Remember Ryan Griffin ended up a Saint.
The "experts" at the NFL network were talking about the workouts leading up to today's game. They discussed 5 QBs and didn't mention Tanner Lee. Said the QB from Western Kentucky looked impressive, among other comments. But having been at practice all week, I was surprised they didn't mention Tanner, who excels at practice.
DfromCT wrote: The "experts" at the NFL network were talking about the workouts leading up to today's game. They discussed 5 QBs and didn't mention Tanner Lee. Said the QB from Western Kentucky looked impressive, among other comments. But having been at practice all week, I was surprised they didn't mention Tanner, who excels at practice.
the one mention for a writer covering the 1st day practice wrote, "While Mayfield is getting all the attention; Tanner Lee is quietly having the best day at QB".
Tanner also was given credit for the longest pass of 54+ yards among all QB's competing in drills at 2018 Senior Bowl.
Last edited by swampnik on Sun Jan 28, 2018 1:29 pm, edited 3 times in total.
With Faulk out for funeral, Tanner had his chances with more series given him than the others. The fumble and interception (both blantey not his fault), will probably cost him any good press from the Senior Bowl.
Last edited by swampnik on Sun Jan 28, 2018 1:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I've been brutal on Lee but I would not mind at all if the Saints spent a 6th round pick or later on him. That would be worth the risk.
Can anyone show me a recent example of another college qb who 1) had an awful won-loss record (9-22 as a starter), 2) a mediocre TD-interception ratio (1.2 : 1), and 3) wasn't accurate (career 55% completion) that went on to have any kind of a meaningful NFL career?
Lee is not only A LOSER he is THE BIGGEST LOSER.
Why was he even in Mobile ?
greenphantom wrote: I've been brutal on Lee but I would not mind at all if the Saints spent a 6th round pick or later on him. That would be worth the risk.
Would be good pick up for the Saints. But I don't think he'll last that long. Probably 4th or 5th Round.
As a Saints fan I'd like to see the Saints get him. It would be interesting to see him operate behind a quality offensive line for the first time while surrounded by quality skill position players.
winwave wrote: As a Saints fan I'd like to see the Saints get him. It would be interesting to see him operate behind a quality offensive line for the first time while surrounded by quality skill position players.
Sorry, I wish Tanner the best of everythng but as a Saints fan I want him nowhere near the Black and Gold.
Welcome to gotula.net, where it's never too late to mention Tanner Lee, Andy Cannizaro, Lindsey Scott Jr., Rich Rodriguez, David Pierce, or, of course, Scott Cowen. You see, no horse here is so dead that it cannot be beaten just a little bit more.
nawlinspete wrote: Lee is not only A LOSER he is THE BIGGEST LOSER.
Because it's the Senior Bowl so high profile non-senior QBs aren't allowed to attend -and- Mason Rudolph was injured. There is quite a list of possible first round QBs - Louisville, USC, UCLA, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Wyoming - but only a couple were seniors.
Unless I misread it the guy who wrote the article said that the two turnovers were not Tanners fault earlier in the article the said they were his fault when he spoke of Tanner. I'm not defending Lee but you can't have it both ways.
I saw the interception, it was clearly Tanner's fault, he threw behind the receiver resulting in a pick. But, at least it wasn't a pick-six, just a "plain vanilla" pick returned for only a few yards.
Tanner Lee is an INT machine. It was only fitting for him to throw one in Mobile.
As a vehement Patriots hater (goes back to the Sullivan Family in the 70's and 80's) I could only hope that Tom Brady channels his inner Tanner this Sunday evening.
So much for any likelihood that Tanner might be another "under the radar" Tom Brady.
HoustonWave wrote: So much for any likelihood that Tanner might be another "under the radar" Tom Brady.


text:
Attack the Open Waters!
(click here for full published article at the Daily Mail along with some cool pix!)
Here's a new watercraft, brought from New Zealand, the land that specializes in finding new ways to thrill seek. Two crazy (maybe that's why they have Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" as the soundtrack) mates have combined their testosterone levels with their design and engineering skills to fabricate a watercraft capable of diving down, jumping out and even rolling side-to-side in the water. When it's not doing any of those sharky tricks, it can cruise up to 50 mph on top of the water or 20 mph below.
Dubbed the Seabreacher X by inventors Rob Innes and Dan Piazza of Innespace Productions, the company's tag line for the watercraft is "The Ultimate Diving Machine". It takes a lot of testosterone to not just envision this craft, but to actually build a company to put it into small-scale production (currently custom built for $60K to $85K for those who want to do their own shark driving/diving). The goal of the Seabreacher X ride, as with most crafts sporting 260 hp motor engines, is for the potential of a full scale (pardon the pun) adrenaline rush. Based on the video of the watercraft in use, I think they achieved their goals!!
Its size is about 16.5 feet long, just about the same size as a real shark. It sports dorsal and pectoral fins, and of course has fierce shark teeth adorned across the front underside. The airtight cockpit will hold a pilot and one passenger as they circle the lake or ocean of their choice. When diving, it can hold it's breath for 20 seconds before heading back up, and then, with the controls pulled back, can be propelled a purported 12 feet out of water....It's like being inside Bruce at Universal Studios, without the mechanical constraints. When you're not doing any shark tricks, passengers can use the on board camera, listen to the stereo, or if boredom somehow sets in, even play video games.
Seeing the video of the Seabeacher X skimming below the surface at a fairly good speed, then doing barrel rolls, looks exactly like a real dolphin out in the open sea....many of their earlier models of watercraft were designed with more of that same dolphin shape to them. Apparently, their next project will be designed like the Seabreacher X's (great white) cousin, the hammerhead shark. Not to far off from this crew, with a flare for making wild watercraft, may be be an inter-island tour watercraft, with ability to fit 50 passengers and spout water out of its blowhole..the Seabreacher HBW (Humpback Whale Edition)...
Keep 'em coming Innespace, these are awesome!!
For more information (and to test your own testosterone level for the ability to make spontaneous purchases) visit http://www.seabreacher.com
holty crap jaws meets jet skis!


Where it all comes together at the end of a great day on the water, the Bell Ringer is the place to be! Cold drinks and hot appys match perfectly with new friends and stories of the fish that did – and didn't, get away!
After a long day on the water, there is no better place where guests can reflect on the day's fishing excitement than at the Bell Ringer. Coming through the breakwater to the QCL docks, as you power down the motor, you immediately hear the music playing and smell a waft of something delicious cooking. The Bell Ringer has emerged as one of THE favourite places to enjoy the QCL experience.
At the Bell Ringer our concept is simple, to create a fun social house for anglers where you can sit back, relax, and share your fishing stories while enjoying a drink and some delicious eats. The food philosophy puts the catch in the spotlight; think Japanese-style Izakaya bar meets Super Bowl tail gate party. It's a place for meeting and drinking, while enjoying tapas and smaller portions of Asian influenced foods with West coast technique.
Combining the unique ambiance of excitement and bragging rights from the day's fishing, life is good at the Bell Ringer! Wine drinkers, martini sippers, shot takers and beer chuggers are all welcome here!
The facilities really are top notch and the staff are friendly and very accommodating. The hard working dock staff always ensured the boats were fully stocked and ready to go whenever we were. We especially enjoyed checking out the day's catches, swapping stories and chowing down on some yummy appies at the Bell Ringer on the dock at the end of the day.


text:
Room of the Segnatura
Go to the works
The Room of the Segnatura contains Raphael's most famous frescoes. Besides being the first work executed by the great artist in the Vatican they mark the beginning of the high Renaissance. The room takes its name from the highest court of the Holy See, the "Segnatura Gratiae et Iustitiae", which was presided over by the pontiff and used to meet in this room around the middle of the 16th century. Originally the room was used by Julius II (pontiff from 1503 to 1513) as a library and private office. The iconographic programme of the frescoes, which were painted between 1508 and 1511, is related to this function. It was certainly established by a theologian and meant to represent the three greatest categories of the human spirit: Truth, Good and Beauty. Supernatural Truth is illustrated in the Disputation over the Most Holy Sacrament (theology), while rational Truth is illustrated in the School of Athens (philosophy). Good is expressed in the Cardinal and Theological Virtues and the Law. Beauty is represented in the Parnassus with Apollo and the Muses. The frescoes of the ceiling are connected with the scenes below them. The allegorical figures of Theology, Philosophy, Justice and Poetry allude in fact to the faculties of the spirit painted on the corresponding walls. Under Leo X (pontiff from 1513 to 1521) the room was used as a small study and music room, in which the pontiff also kept his collection of musical instruments. The original furnishings of the time of Julius II were removed and replaced with a new wooden wainscot, the work of Fra Giovanni da Verona. The wood covered all the walls with the exception of that of the Parnassus, where, for reasons of space, the same decoration, still visible today, was painted in fresco. The wooden wainscot was probably destroyed following the Sack of Rome in 1527 and in its place, during the pontificate of Paul III (pontiff from 1534 to 1549) a wainscot in chiaroscuro was painted by Perin del Vaga.
Raphael's Rooms


I've created a portable version of Microsoft OUtlook 2003 which will not run under LiveXP. I've had difficulty with other portable programs including portable Firefox and Chrome.
My question is--and I know this is overly broad--what are the differences between LiveXp and a full install of the operating system? Also is it possible to modify the build to make these porable programs work?
My other thought was that if I can't run Portable OUtlook in LiveXP, what about running it in Portable VirtualBox under LiveXP? What adjustments would I need to make to get PortableVirtualBox to run?
Basically what I'm trying to do is create OUtlook on a key that will run on any PC without depending on the native OS.