text:
Mouse Torture
Is there such a thing as a mouse that grows from dirt? The Mishnah discusses the halachos of such a creature, and the Gemara presents it as a way to convince someone of the viability of the resurrection of the dead. (See the full discussion in my book Sacred Monsters.) Due to Chazal's attestations, the Rishonim and Acharonim insisted that such a creature existed. Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, on the other hand, said as follows:
The greatness of (a scholar's) wisdom is in no way belittled if in a later generation it is discovered that some of the things he maintained or accepted on the authority of others are unreliable. The same is true for Chazal in these areas... Imagine if a scholar such as Humboldt had lived in their times and had traveled to the ends of the world for his biological investigations. If upon his return he would report that in some distant land there is a humanoid creature growing from the ground or that he had found mice that had been generated from the soil and had in fact seen a mouse that was half earth and half flesh and his report was accepted by the world as true, wouldn't we expect the Sages to discuss the Torah aspects that apply to these instances? What laws of defilement and decontamination apply to these creatures? Or would we expect them to go on long journeys to find out whether what the world has accepted is really true? And if, as we see things today, these instances are considered fiction, can the Sages be blamed for ideas that were accepted by the naturalists of their times? And this is what really happened. These statements are to be found in the works of Pliny, who lived in Rome at the time the Second Temple was destroyed, and who collected in his books on nature all that was well known and accepted in his day.
There is no such creature as a mouse that grows from dirt. But it is perfectly reasonable for Chazal to have believed in such a creature, just as people today believe in duck-billed platypuses and other creatures that they have never seen.
Rabbi Moshe Meiselman, however, in his book Torah, Chazal and Science, has a different take on the matter.
You see, Rabbi Meiselman is caught in a difficult situation. On the one hand, he insists, as a matter of dogma, that whenever Chazal make a definitive statement about the natural world, it must be true, and to say otherwise is heresy. On the other hand, he believes that science has proven that spontaneous generation never occurs (though his basis for this is very unclear, due to his free dismissal of science in other areas). So, in this case, he is forced to making the astonishing claim that Chazal themselves never actually believed in the existence of the mud-mouse!
What of the Mishnah discussing its halachos? Rabbi Meiselman claims that Chazal were "merely familiar with the persistent rumors" about the mud-mouse, and wished to clarify its halachic status. But "they made no definitive statement" that this creature exists. That's true; still, it is most reasonable to say that Chazal presumed that such a creature did indeed exist. The Rishonim and Acharonim, based on this Mishnah and the discussions in the Gemara, understood that Chazal were attesting to the existence of such a creature. But Rabbi Meiselman, as is his style, claims that the "accepted understanding" (i.e. mesorah) regarding this Gemara is wrong.
But what about the Gemara, in which Rabbi Ami tells a heretic, who does not believe in the viability of the resurrection of the dead, to "Go out to the valley and see the mud-mouse"? Amazingly, Rabbi Meiselman still insists that Rabbi Ami was making no attestation as the existence of the mud-mouse. Instead, he was saying "Since you believe that mice grow from dirt, why shouldn't you believe in techiyas hameisim." Notwithstanding the fact that Chazal often consciously rebuffed heretics with weak arguments, or according to their own, mistaken understanding of pesukim, it is extraordinarily unreasonable to explain this case in such a way - Rabbi Ami actually told him to go and see it! Furthermore, Rabbi Ami precedes and follows his mouse-argument with other scientific arguments that are based on actual realities. Yet Rabbi Meiselman presents his explanation, which goes against the plain meaning of the words, the surrounding context, and the traditional understanding, as the "likely" explanation of the Gemara!
But there is an even more blatant proof that Chazal believed in the existence of the mud-mouse. It's from the third source in Chazal discussing this creature - and it's a source that Rabbi Meiselman entirely neglects to mention. The Gemara and Midrash explain that an exegesis from a Scriptural verse is used to deduce that such a creature transmits spiritual impurity:
"I might think that a swarming creature causes impurity, but a mouse that is half flesh and half earth, which does not reproduce, does not cause impurity. But it is logical: The rat causes impurity and the mouse causes impurity; just as "rat" is as its meaning, so too "mouse" is as its meaning (and thus a mouse that is half flesh and half earth would transmit impurity). Yet alternatively, one could say, just as the rat procreates, so too the mouse referred to is one that procreates, which excludes a mouse that is half flesh and half earth and does not procreate! Therefore it teaches us, "[And this is impure for you] amongst the swarming creatures (basheretz) [which swarms on the land]"—to include the mouse that is half flesh and half earth, that one who touches the flesh becomes impure and if he touches the earth he remains pure." (Midrash Sifra, parashas Shemini 5:6; Talmud, Chullin 127a)
Chazal actually had a derashah from the Torah specifically for the mud-mouse! Now, while some people are comfortable in saying that Chazal's drashos were their own inventions, and could have a mistaken basis, I'm pretty sure that Rabbi Meiselman does not fall into that category. Furthermore, in the prologue to the book, Rabbi Meiselman insists that even in cases where Chazal make mistakes in Torah, we do not have the right to point it out. It's no wonder that Rabbi Meiselman omitted this Gemara from his chapter on the earth-mouse - there's no way that he can quote it and maintain his approach.
(As an aside, the Gemara in Chullin, which presents the mud-mouse as an opposite case to para v'rava, shows that "ain para v'rava" with regard to lice refers to spontaneous generation, in contrast to the strained apologetics of Dr Betech and Rabbi Meiselman.")
It is ironic that at the end of the chapter, Rabbi Meiselman has some weasel words about how he "makes no claim" that his approach is "definitely the correct one" and the correct approach "may be different altogether." He's made it clear that spontaneous generation of mice does not happen, and he's made it clear that to believe that Chazal made a false attestation is heresy. So which different approach is he allowing room for?
What of Rav Hirsch? Well, as noted in an earlier post, despite Rabbi Meiselman's presentation of his book as a definitive guide to Torah and science, and Rav Hirsch's essay being the most substantial pre-20th century treatment of this topic, Rabbi Meiselman omits any mention of Rav Hirsch's essay. Presumably this is because, according to the dogmas that Rabbi Meiselman sets down and claims to be based on tradition, Rav Hirsch's essay is heresy.
Chazal discussed the halachos of the mud-mouse. They had a specific drashah from the Torah to refer to the mud-mouse. They told heretics to go and look at the mud-mouse. It's unreasonable in the extreme to claim that Chazal were not convinced that such a creature exists. Yet this is what Rabbi Meiselman insists upon. And he further insists that if you agree with him that there is no such thing as spontaneous generation, then you are committing heresy if you accept the view of all the Rishonim and Acharonim who disagree with his understanding of the Gemara, and who explain that Chazal were indeed attesting to such a creature!
Perhaps even more disturbing is how in order to try to pull this off, Rabbi Meiselman omits any mention of the crucial Gemara about a derashah for the mud-mouse. Even more ironically, in the conclusion of the book (p. 673), where Rabbi Meiselman repeats why only a person such as himself is qualified to write on these topics, he says that it must be dealt with by "sincere and qualified scholars, interested only in truth." Is omitting crucial Gemaras and prominent Acharonim, not to mention bending over backwards and engaging in tortuous apologetics to avoid the straightforward meaning of the Gemara that was accepted by all the Rishonim and Acharonim, the sign of a sincere and qualified scholar who is interested only in truth?!
Mighty Garnel Ironheart December 5, 2013 at 3:20 PM
> and claims to be based on tradition, Rav Hirsch's essay is heresy.
No, no. The standard line nowadays is that it must have been a forgery. That way the "Gadol" doesn't lose his status and the stuff they do agree with continues to be taught.
I don't know much about mud mouses but I do know I hate meeces to pieces.
E-Man December 5, 2013 at 3:56 PM
To answer why Rav Hirsch's stance doesn't bother Meiselman I will quote something from a talmud muvhak of his:
"The book does discuss Rav Hirsch and his view of evolution. But it does not discuss Rav Hirsch's letters on the Aggada. (It is clear Rav Hirsch's approach to Chazal was based mainly on the alleged position of Rav Avrohom ben HaRambam. After showing that source to be unreliable, Rav Hisrch's letters become irrelevant.)"
Why they become irrelevant, I am unsure, but that is the reasoning.
I honestly do not know who he wrote the book for. Anyone with half a brain could see right through his disingenuous approach. Maybe he is trying to lure baalei teshuva? Young impressionable MO kids spending their year in israel trying to "find" themselves?
Rabbi Dr. Natan Slifkin December 5, 2013 at 4:07 PM
Yes, it's unbelievable. Rav Hirsch doesn't even mention Rabbeinu Avraham. Yet Kornreich decides that Rav Hirsch is based on Rabbeinu Avraham, that Rabbeinu Avraham is a forgery (something that, to say the least, is far from proven), and that Rav Hirsch's views on what is a legitimate approach should not be heard.
DF December 5, 2013 at 4:42 PM
Yoma (21b) says King Shlomo planted trees made out of gold. Yaavetz on the spot says he has heard from reliable people that in Turkey [IIRC] there are grapes that grow with gold inside them, and other vines that grow with gold threads.
Uninvisible December 5, 2013 at 5:21 PM
"…he insists, as a matter of dogma, that whenever Chazal make a definitive statement about the natural world, it must be true, and to say otherwise is heresy."
Reading through the various posts on this matter, I have been wondering how recent such a position has been "dogma." I have always understood that the infallibility of the rabbis (initially Tana'im and Amora'im, but eventually Rishonim, and to a lesser degree, Aharonim) emerged as a reactionary position to Enlightenment trends of the 18th and 19th centuries as well as a simultaneous convergence of Hasidut element, particularly the infallibility of the "tzadik." However, are we aware of earlier sources which suggest that the rabbis, particularly Chazal, are infallible. Moreover, it is not clear to me why this even needs to be a dogma. Is the supposition that Chazal gleaned insight from the world either from their own observations or extrapolation from Torah itself, and not external sources, such that if Chazal is wrong then the source (i.e., Torah) could be wrong. If you have addressed elsewhere, please point me to a prior post. What's so bad about Chazal occasionally being wrong?
Joe Q. December 5, 2013 at 5:21 PM
Can someone please enlighten me on the supposition that the works of Rabbeinu Avraham ben ha-Rambam are forgeries? From where does this claim arise, and what is the evidence for it? What do proponents allege was the motivation for the forgery (i.e. what was to be gained by it)?
Is it just one or two works that are in dispute, or his whole corpus? Do proponents believe that Rabbeinu Avraham never existed?
What is truly unbelievable to me is the claim he makes in the comment section:
"I'm sorry I wasn't clear. I was referring to Rav Hirsch's probable source--the alleged position of Rav Avrohom ben HoRambam in his Ma'amar al Aggados. This source has been shown to be thoroughly unreliable in Rav Meiselman's book."
Since I would rather pluck out my fingernails than spend a penny on this worthless piece of garbage being called a "book" could you enlighten us as to how he shows this source to be thoroughly unreliable? Or does he just use the same talking points that can be found on Gil's website and you don't need to waste your time?
Weaver December 5, 2013 at 6:38 PM
Since Rabbi Ami told the heretic to "Go out to the valley and see the mud-mouse", wouldn't that indicate that there was indeed a creature that would appear to be a mud-mouse? Do you have any idea what it might have been?
Bimm December 5, 2013 at 7:13 PM
"And he further insists that if you agree with him that there is no such thing as spontaneous generation, then you are committing heresy if you accept the view of all the Rishonim and Acharonim who disagree with his understanding of the Gemara, and who explain that Chazal were indeed attesting to such a creature!"
Isn't he essentially also calling all of these Rishonim and Acharonim heretics? Who exactly does he think he is?
Bill - they believed that thus creature existed, so they weren't saying that Chazal were wrong.
Weaver - Rav Aryeh Carmell suggested to me that it was a mole.
E-man - I will be discussing Rabbeinu Abraham in a future post.
Ephraim December 5, 2013 at 7:37 PM
"What of the Mishnah discussing its halachos? Rabbi Meiselman claims that Chazal were "merely familiar with the persistent rumors" about the mud-mouse, and wished to clarify its halachic status. But "they made no definitive statement" that this creature exists."
The problem with this approach is that it conflicts with the Gemara in Menachot dealing with a two-headed baby (conjoined twins?):
Pelemo enquired of Rabbi, If a man has two heads on which one must he put the tefillin?' 'You must either leave', he replied, 'or regard yourself under the ban'. In the meantime there came a man [to the school] saying, 'I have begotten a first-born child with two heads, how much must I give the priest?'
Now, here we see that the questioners is rebuked for asking about a far-fetched question. But it wasn't far-fetched, as the gemara explains a line later. Certainly, a mud-mouse is more far-fetched than a two-headed person, and yet that topic is given serious discussion. How could this be? It must be the case that Chazal felt the mud-mouse is a creature that exists, or at the very least can plausibly exist. Otherwise, Chazal would have refused to discuss the matter just as Rabbi refused.
The above gemara reports that the Gadol haDor made what was essentially a definitive statement that a conjoined twin can't possibly exist! And a moment later he was proven wrong. Doesn't this contradict Rabbi Meiselman's thesis that Chazal were never wrong when they made a definitive statement about the natural world?
Kira December 5, 2013 at 7:37 PM
R' Slifkin: I don't usually nitpick but here I must really ask for a clarification:
"Notwithstanding the fact that Chazal often consciously rebuffed heretics with weak arguments, or according to their own, mistaken understanding of pesukim"
"Mistaken" understanding of pesukim? By Chazal? They have many kinds of creative, Midrashic, and out-of-context understandings, but why "mistaken"?
The heretics' mistaken understanding
Hamasig December 5, 2013 at 8:51 PM
E-Man said...
I honestly do not know who he wrote the book for. Anyone with half a brain could see right through his disingenuous approach.
Since I would rather pluck out my fingernails than spend a penny on this worthless piece of garbage being called a "book"
So you didn't read any of the book, but you can easily see through the approach?
Sabi December 5, 2013 at 8:55 PM
If I may go off on a bit of a tangent about the two-headed phenomenon, I can report that my wife, when working as a labor and delivery nurse, once witnessed the birth of a two-headed baby. Sadly, the baby did not survive, because such a condition (as she put it) is "incompatible with life." I would thus suggest that the incident reported in Menachot about a two-headed adult may have involved some kind of conjoined twin situation (since we know that such twins exist and can survive into adulthood), while the report of a newly born two-headed baby (scientifically speaking, a variety of conjoinedness) may have been more literally true.
Atheodox Jew December 5, 2013 at 10:50 PM
Another angle here: Why should it surprise anyone that Chazal would believe in the existence of mud mice when Bereshit 2:6-7 explicitly mentions the creation of a "mud human"?
וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת כָּל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה...וַיִּיצֶר ה' אֱלֹקים אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה
Hashem waters the dirt, producing clay, and then molds Adam out of it. And then of course in 2:19 all animals are created out of mud:
וַיִּצֶר ה' אֱלֹקים מִן הָאֲדָמָה כָּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וְאֵת כָּל עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם
And just like the naturalists of the day may have informed Chazal's beliefs about mud mice, so too did stories about creatures being formed out of mud inform the Torah's creation narrative. So actually I'd paraphrase from R. Hirsch to refer to the Chumash itself:
The greatness of the Torah's wisdom is in no way belittled if in a later generation it is discovered that some of the things it maintained are unreliable.
E-Man December 5, 2013 at 11:18 PM
Hamasig
If you read Kornreichs blog, you can clearly see his approach.
Yehudah P. December 6, 2013 at 12:35 AM
Rabbi Slifkin commented on Kira's question: "The heretics' mistaken understanding"
I found a blogpost that collects various instances where Chazal gave an off-the-cuff answer to a gentile/heretic, and then gave a more acceptable answer to their talmidim: misgav.blogspot.co.il/2012/06/blog-post_29.html.
The mishnayos in the last chapter of Yadaim also come to mind.
Pliny December 6, 2013 at 1:55 AM
"The above gemara reports that the Gadol haDor made what was essentially a definitive statement that a conjoined twin can't possibly exist!"
An alternative conclusion came to mind: Pelemo asked his question in an obnoxious way, and was kicked out for that.
However, I'm not convinced this is the proper way to understand the gemara.
And DF, you'll enjoy this: http://www.livescience.com/28676-plants-grow-gold.html
Avraham December 6, 2013 at 2:31 AM
Hi Rav Slifkin,
Can you please provide the source for the Ra Hirsch? I think it is a very important and helpful piece.
Ephraim December 6, 2013 at 7:56 AM
"An alternative conclusion came to mind: Pelemo asked his question in an obnoxious way, and was kicked out for that.
However, I'm not convinced this is the proper way to understand the gemara."
I thought of that too, but the flow of the narrative precludes such a reading. That the narrative continues with the report of an actual case of a two-headed baby is an indication that Rabbi rebuked the questioner for asking a crazy far-fetched question.
Ephraim December 6, 2013 at 11:31 AM
The flow of the gemara implies that Rabbi thought that the question was far-fetched. That's why the narrative continues with an actual example.
I forgot the תוספות:
או קום גלי כו'. בעולם הזה ליכא, אבל יש במדרש
Tosfos clearly explains that Rabbi thought that a two-headed person simply couldn't exist. The traditional story involving a two-headed person is just a מדרש and never actually happened. (i.e. Rabbi was aware of the Midrash but didn't consider it to reflect reality.)
Thanks for the link, Pliny, you're quite the naturalist.
Someone actually mentioned, when I mentioned the Yaavetz in a class last week, that he had seen something on the topic recently. I'm sure this is one of those things that are destined to be quoted by the "chazal knew everything!" crowd. However, it clearly, as the kids say, has no shaychus.
The Hensel Twins December 6, 2013 at 11:21 PM
Ephraim, thanks for sharing that Tosfos.
LOL, that would be funny if the Hensel twins were reading this!
I have an extensive discussion of single-bodied twins, the case of Rebbi and Plimo, and the issue of discussing impossible cases, in my book Sacred Monsters.
I just found the following in the introduction of Duties of the Heart, and it's related to my tentative suggestion above: "One of the Sages was once posed a bizarre, hypothetical question, relating to the laws of divorce. He answered his questioner as follows: 'You who ask concerning that which brings no harm if one does not know it, do you know all that you are obligated to know of commandments which may not be ignored or neglected, such that you have time to think of strange questions which will further you neither in Torah nor in faith, and which will not help you overcome the faults of your personality I swear that for 35 years now, I have working on what I need to know of the Torah's commandments -- you know what great an effort I put into my studies and all the books I have access to -- and yet I have never had the time to think of the question which you have posed.' He carried on at length in admonishing and deriding him for this."
Norm December 8, 2013 at 10:19 PM
Natan,
You write: "some people are comfortable in saying that Chazal's drashos were their own inventions, and could have a mistaken basis, I'm pretty sure that Rabbi Meiselman does not fall into that category."
Do you? If yes, please show where there is a precedent for such a claim in your sources (R Avraham, Rambam, R Hirsh etc). If not, how do you explain your approach when Chazal bring a pasuk?
David Ohsie December 9, 2013 at 5:36 AM
Can you please provide the source for the Rav Hirsch? I think it is a very important and helpful piece.
www.zootorah.com/controversy/hirsch.rtf
Pliny said...
Pliny, that's what you get for reading the introduction. You are supposed to skip that. Don't tell me you are going to read Sha'ar HaYichud too?
On a more serious note, I think that Rabbeinu Bachya is bringing that story to emphasize that rather than spending all your time studying arcane cases in Talmud, you should be spending time on "Duties of the Heart". It is not that example was impossible or absurd, but that it was rare and thus not practical, and thus not worth spending so much time on.
From R. Hirsch:
A Dangerous Approach
You are of the opinion that the agados were received [by Moshe from G-d] at Sinai, and that there is no distinction in this respect between them and the halachic statements that were transmitted. As far as my limited mind can grasp, this is a dangerous approach that poses a grave danger for the pupils who grow up believing this concept. For it very nearly opens the gates of heresy before them.
What should these wretches do if they hear from their teach¬ers today, "Agadic statements were transmitted at Sinai just like the main body of Torah," and then they discover the dec-larations of the greatest of our early talmudic commentators (rishonim) upon whom all of Jewry relies - in which one of them says, "Agadic statements are not articles of faith but rea-sonable assumptions," and another says, 'They were stated as exaggerations," or "as one man speaks to another, making statements that are not intended to be true but to entertain their listener for a while," or "They narrated what they had dreamed," or "Learn from [Agadah] only things that make sense," and so on? What are these wretches to do when they read these and similar declarations about statements they were taught by their teachers to believe came from Sinai with no dif¬ference between them and the main body of Torah?
Nevertheless, to my limited intelligence, it seems impossible to swear that all those stories are true and to compare them to those told by Moshe and the other prophets. Some of them may have been stated as parables for some mussor or intel¬lectual purpose. And even if someone were to say that the tales of Avrohom's early life with Terach and Nimrod in Ur Kasdim were parables inferred from Avrohom's having recognized his Creator at the age of three and from HaShem's statement "I am HaShem who took you out of Ur Kasdim," one could not invalidate his position. I can demonstrate that. According to the opinion in Chazal that Avrohom did not convert until he was 48 or older there is no room for any of these stories; if they had been accepted by Jewry as Torah truth, there would be no way to set his conversion at so late a date. Do not be surprised at this [contradiction], for even about the story of Iyov some of Chazal maintain that it was only a parable to teach wisdom, mussor, and fear of G-d in the form of a lofty story that tugs at people's hearts.
Norm December 9, 2013 at 5:50 PM
I am not talking about Agadic statements. I am talking about drashos from pesukim, sometimes for halachos as in the case of Chulin 127.
Yehudah P. December 9, 2013 at 11:53 PM
David Ohsie quoted Rav Hirsch: "For it very nearly opens the gates of heresy before them."
Indeed, the Da'at Emet pamphlets use exactly that devious approach: they lure the reader into thinking that the scientific statements from Chazal are from Sinai--the next step is to show that the science is faulty, and that leads to doubting the veracity of Mattan Torah, and the entire Torah itself.
Z Holzer December 10, 2013 at 4:03 AM
Yes, the issue with R' Meiselman's suggestion bothered me as well, but I do not see how you are in any way addressing it. It is obvious from Chazal that they were discussing a specific animal. There are some very basic questions to be asked, how can the Gemara in Chulin 127a say it's not משריץ and yet the Gemara in Sanhedrin 91a says tomorrow it will be משריץ". Rashi gives no explanation in Sanhedrin, but his approach is obviously very dachuk in how he will have to explain that phrase (and assuming he explains the word משריץ means it grows from the ground; why couldn't the Gemara in Chulin say that it is משריץ b/c it grows from the ground). Furthermore, Rashi's reading in the Gemara would mean that the moment it "sprouts" from the ground it has lost all its "earth" and is fully meat, yet the Mishna in Chulin discusses touching the "earth" that is opposite the "flesh", obviously Link's mouse and what not has no shaychus to the עכבר שחציו אדמה because the mouse has "earth" even after it "sprouts" from the earth. And to say they could touch part of it and feel that it was "earth" while the underside of that earth was flesh (which according to Rashi would mean this is while it's still attached to the earth!) is very hard to understand. From the Gemara it's obvious they are conversations discussing a real creature they are familiar with. You should explain what creature you believe it's referring to, as Rashi's explanation seems incomprehensible. You seem to be dismissing this Gemara as much as R' Meiselman, please explain what creature you feel it's referring to (and how you work that with Rashi)
I see you have mentioned Aryeh Carmell's notion that Chazal are referring to a mole. Obviously that is not possible (whether according Aristotelian knowledge of that day - and according to Chazal). In his defense, he probably did not have access to the numerous books published on the various mammals (nor to the internet) and [I assume he] probably meant to say that there is some species of mole where this might work out [though your language does not imply that].
I assume you have taken the subject seriously and researched it well and [with the internet and many more available books] you have much better explanations (or at least possibilities) on the subject. Could you inform us or at least reference where you have published these explanations?
Yehudah P. December 10, 2013 at 6:54 AM
To answer Z. Holzer's questions:
Here is an older article by Rabbi Slifkin treating the Mud-mouse:
www.aishdas.org/toratemet/dongchong.html
David Ohsie December 10, 2013 at 7:13 AM
Norm has left a new comment on the post "Mouse Torture":
Answering quickly, I think that this comment that I made in a different context applies:
The Rambam in the introduction to Peirush HaMishnaos explicitly says that the Chachamim of each generation did their best using the 13 Midos to learn new halachos according to their understanding, and when they disagreed, there was an argument and they would go according to the majority. And also that there was little argument between Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel, but that "when the studies of their students were reduced, and the ways of deduction became weak in their hands compared to that of Shammai and Hillel their teachers, there arose among argument in the give and take of discussion on many topics because each of them deduced according to the strength of his knowledge and according the principles known to him." It's quite clear that the Rambam holds that the bulk of these Halachos were based on each great man using his intellect to the best of his ability to find the answer, and that there was disagreement and practical methodology (majority rule) for deciding Halacha. And that that argument was a result of a lower level of understanding (relatively speaking) so that ambiguity crept in to a greater degree; ambiguity that would have been avoided if they knew more. This is clearly an intellectual process with human limitations playing a role.
Z Holzer December 10, 2013 at 1:31 PM
Yehuda P.
That has no relevance and in no way answers any of the questions. Does that explain the lashon of chazal and the difficulties with Rashi? I pointed out that Obviously Link's mouse [and the jerboa, and definitely the frog!] could not have been what Chazal were discussing.
Maybe that was written years ago, but any serious reading of the mishna and the Gemara will show that none of those could be what Chazal were referring to. We would need some radical new approach to try to explain the Gemara [and Rashi]
Nachum Boehm December 10, 2013 at 4:39 PM
Z. Holzer:
I, personally, am more interested in the much broader questions regarding the permitted aproach to Torah learning in general:
Was Chazal's knowledge/belief in the science that they cite based on a direct Mesorah from Moshe Rabainu, or on Ruach HaKodesh/intuition, or was it based on the common beliefs of their times?
Can we trust that the Rishonim know how to interpret the words of Chazal without making any huge gross errors?
These are much more important, fundamental questions, which R. Meiselman sets out to answer (as the only valid answer). This series of blog postings seeks to address R. Meiselman's approach.
You have good kashyas on the sugya of the mud mouse.
Don't lose too much sleep over it though; "funn a kasha schtarbt men nisht."
Nachum, the first thing you have to understand is that before a person can answer those questions, a person must go through the topics carefully, intelligently and thoroughly. For example, in this case wouldn't it be ridiculous to come to any conclusions when a person doesn't have an approach as to which animal Chazal were referring to as the mudmouse?
Regarding your question:
"Can we trust that the Rishonim know how to interpret the words of Chazal without making any huge gross errors?"
This is a very basic question relevant to every part of Shas. Consistently one Rishon says one explanation and another Rishon demolishes it and says a totally different explanation. Which one occurred? Which one is true? Is one group of Rishonim making "huge gross errors"?
If you are attempting to resolve there are much more pertinent sources to look at, and I don't believe these posts will help you in the least.
The Gadol and the Snail
Rav Hirsch: Hero or Heretic?
Elected Representatives and Emissaries of the Gedo...
Frogs Challenge Rationalism
New Elections in Bet Shemesh!
The Publishing Rennaissance
Rambam on Demons and Segulos (updated)
A Recipe for Intellectual Dishonesty
Chazal Said It Straight
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Metzizah and the Rav Part II


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You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Committee Publications > All Select Committee Publications > Lords Select Committees > Science and Technology > Science and Technology
Select Committee on Science and Technology Minutes of Evidence
Examination of Witnesses (Questions 999 - 1019)
WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL 2007
MR TIM SUTER, MR BEN WILLIS AND MR JEREMY OLIVIER
Q999 Chairman: We are sorry to have kept you, but you have been listening to the conversation, no doubt, so you see our interest. Thank you very much for coming along, Mr Suter, and for bringing your colleagues. Perhaps, as with the previous witnesses, you would introduce yourself, please, and have your colleagues introduce themselves.
Mr Suter: Thank you very much, my Lord Chairman. My name is Tim Suter. I am the Ofcom partner responsible for content regulation and in that capacity I am also responsible for our programme of work in relation to media literacy, which is a subject I suspect we will want to cover a bit. On my right is Ben Willis, who I will ask to introduce himself.
Mr Willis: I am the head of technology intelligence in Ofcom, so in that role I take an overview across some of the technical issues which are going to confront us in our regulation and in particular I do some of our liaison with the Government on security related matters.
Mr Suter: And on my left is Jeremy Olivier.
Mr Olivier: I work, like Tim, in the content division of Ofcom, but specifically focused on the evolution of content regulation, where it is going and how the Regulator may respond to some of the developments we have been talking about today, for example in relation to the Internet.
Q1000 Chairman: Thank you. Let me open with the first rather general question. Who regulates the Internet and Internet services in the United Kingdom?
Mr Suter: I think our opening response to that is that the Internet as an issue in itself needs to be separated out from the services which are regulated, and to the extent that services are regulated the Internet is one means of carriage of those services, and where they are services which fall to be regulated they are therefore regulated by the appropriate regulator. For instance, if you take the example of IPTV, the fact that it is carried using Internet protocols does not prevent it being regulated by us in the same way that we regulate other traditionally broadcast methods of TV, whereas other forms of content which are delivered online using the Internet, because they do not share the characteristics of television in the sense of their simultaneity and their availability to the general public (as set out in the Communications Act), are not regulated. They are both carried by the same means but it is the nature of the service to which the regulation attaches itself rather than necessarily to the Internet itself.
Q1001 Chairman: That is interesting. The supplementary question I would ask is that Ofcom was excused from regulating content on the Internet, but you are saying it is not really, are you not, but it does regulate electronic communication networks? How does Ofcom regulate this area in practice? I guess you have just given us part of the explanation of this.
Mr Suter: I hope so. Perhaps I could elaborate and in the process perhaps pick up some of what Lord Harris was getting at, I think, in his questions about the future, and certainly Professor Zittrain's response. The key issue which drives content regulation, if you deal primarily with content regulation, is audience expectation. That which gives us the purchase to regulate content is the expectation on the part of the audience that there is a safe environment, an environment where an external body takes a view and operates in a backstop capacity. Those services will have certain characteristics. They will be part of a linear schedule, they will be delivered simultaneously to everybody and the mere fact of choosing whether or not to avail yourself of the service will not prevent that piece of content being delivered at that time, because as a content regulator that is what I need in order to take a view on a given piece of content. A piece of content on its own has virtually no meaning until it is viewed or consumed by somebody in a particular context. Without the context, the content alone means very little to me. A piece of adult content on its own, without knowing who consumed it, when they consumed it, how they consumed it, with what protection preventing them from consuming it means nothing to me. If I know that it was broadcast on a channel which was heavily protected by a couple of PINs available only late at night on a subscription service, that is one thing. If I know that it was broadcast free-to-air at four o'clock in the afternoon, that is different, but it is the same content. So the context is the element which is key and therefore the audience expectation and the context is what gives us our legitimacy to regulate content.
Q1002 Lord Young of Graffham: So what you are telling us really is that IPTV comes under your controls, the content of IPTV?
Mr Suter: Where IPTV is essentially transmitting the same broadcast stream which is being transmitted elsewhere using other means, via cable or satellite.
Q1003 Lord Young of Graffham: If I take one of those programmes and put it on as a video podcast, that is out of your control?
Mr Suter: That is out of our control.
Q1004 Lord Young of Graffham: But it is the same programme?
Mr Suter: It is entirely the same programme, and indeed at the moment you will be able to watch on your screen, the same screen, the same piece of content which will be regulated by a variety of different means. A piece of video on demand -
Q1005 Lord Young of Graffham: What is the point of trying to regulate IPTV if it is the same programme in some way, looking at the content of IPTV? If exactly the same programme is deregulated or is outside regulation, if it comes down not on a constant stream but by way of a video podcast?
Mr Suter: If I could start, and then I will ask Jeremy to pick it up. The key issue is the nature of the service to which the regulation is attached. The service has a certain contract, if you like, with the viewer which says, "Within this service we will abide by certain rules. Up to a certain point you need take less responsibility in regard to what your children are going to watch, but after a certain point you need to take more." There is, if you like, a regulated contract which can apply to the nature of the complete service. Within that, we can take individual judgments on pieces of content. A piece of content that is entirely dependent upon my individual choice, when to go and get it, where to consume it, how long to store it for has a different set of issues attached to it, and therefore the kind of broadcast regulations which we attach to linear IPTV services would not be appropriate. Jeremy?
Mr Olivier: I think you have made the point I was going to make.
Q1006 Chairman: Could I just test that one? If you are a school teacher, a nasty, bad school teacher, and you have a subscription service which you only have access to at night and you were to record a nasty movie and then play it to your class of ten-year-old children the next morning, is that against the law?
Mr Suter: I think it would depend upon the nature of the content. It certainly would not be against the Broadcasting Code.
Q1007 Lord Young of Graffham: Some of these video podcasts, for example, get pushed out on a regular basis at ten o'clock every Thursday morning, a specific time, or something like that, down to a PC and it becomes really indistinguishable from broadcast television, does it not?
Mr Suter: I think that is why you have to separate out the nature of the service which is delivering it from the nature of the consumption. If you take a piece of content, you can watch it at exactly the same time on exactly the same screen as a regulated piece of content. The same film may appear being broadcast at eight o'clock and you may watch at eight o'clock the same piece of content you got from a podcast. That does not in itself undermine, to my mind, the notion that in one environment you have a regulatory environment which says, "This is a linear schedule. Certain rules will apply," and in the other you have chosen to go and get that specific piece of content which you happen to watch at that time. No editor took responsibility for putting it out at that time. The editor of the podcast did not decide this was an appropriate environment within which to consume it. That consumption decision was yours.
Q1008 Lord Young of Graffham: This distinction might be in law or in the Act. Do you think it will last?
Mr Suter: I think it will be reinforced. I think it is there now and I think it will become more important. I think we will see broadcast regulation, if you like, the kind of broadcast regulation which we currently apply to a whole range of channels. I think that will still be there because I think there is audience expectation and I think there is a very considerable degree of consumption of programmes delivered in that way where people want the confidence of that environment, but we will see increasingly content being consumed in other ways.
Q1009 Lord Young of Graffham: Are we not moving away from broadcast television to an era in which people choose what they want to see when they want to see it?
Mr Suter: And as that happens the industry will need to develop its own self-regulatory approaches, its own self-regulatory mechanisms for providing that reassurance.
Q1010 Lord Young of Graffham: But as we go from one which is controlled, we go to the other which is not controlled?
Mr Suter: It is self-controlled.
Lord Young of Graffham: Yes, that is right.
Chairman: We will come back to that in a minute. Lord Mitchell, let us have your question. We are going to come back to some of these topics.
Q1011 Lord Mitchell: What risks to personal Internet security can arise within the networks themselves?
Mr Willis: I guess the first point I would make there is that it is slightly difficult to distinguish, to draw a hard line between the network and the people who use the network around the edge. So the network of itself is not capable of doing bad things. What the network can do is have weaknesses in it which create the holes which bad people can come and take advantage of. I guess the way I understand the question is, if we are assuming that the end users have done everything in their power to ensure that their computers are patched, that they have all the right virus protection and that they are not doing anything silly themselves, what risks can they be put to by the actions of the network and the network operator? As I say, I think that is merely opening the way for a third party with criminal intent to come and take advantage of those weaknesses, if you like, to actually exploit security. There is a whole number of ways in which that could happen. Just to give an example of some of the weaknesses that we might see, one is vulnerabilities in the network which have not been patched by the operator. They, for example, might be bugs in the software that run on the pieces of equipment that make up the network which the operator has not done anything about but which somebody comes along and exploits. So they write this code which attaches itself to the network devices and then can interfere with the security by stealing their details, for example. There is a number of reasons why that situation can occur. Firstly, because it is a bug which the hackers became aware of, either in advance or at the same time as the vendors of the equipment, and at the moment the vendors of the equipment have not yet come up with a solution for that bug so there is nothing the operator could have done about it, i.e. there is no fix for this problem which is being exploited by somebody else. The alternative is that the vendor has created a solution to this bug and the operator simply has not installed it yet. That case is particularly unlikely. It is a matter of course for operators generally to be in very close communication with their vendors, much more so than the average computer user, to keep their network patched and up to date. There is a couple of other examples. We could find, for example, that communication which the user sends across the network gets intercepted at some point on the network. Again, there could be a couple of reasons for that. It could be because the security on the network, either the physical security or the electronic security, has been breached by somebody, so somebody has broken into an office of the operator and attached their computer to the network and sees the traffic going across and can intercept credit card details, or it could be because that network was not secure in the first place, it did not try and stop people from stealing stuff. The other kind of source of these things, which is probably far more likely in practice, is basic human error or problems with the processes and procedures operated by a network operator. So it could simply be that somebody loses a laptop which has customer details on, or that the processes within the network operator lead to them inadvertently exposing lots of personal information to other people. I guess the final example I was going to give is the criminal activity by an employee of a network operator, where somebody working within the network actually steals personal information. So there is a number of ways in which even if the end point has been properly secured—and as we said earlier, that is far from a given—the network itself could still present risks.
Q1012 Lord Mitchell: Have you been made aware of any risks to personal Internet security arising from within the networks themselves?
Mr Willis: It is an area which we do track and take notice of. I guess in general it is not something which falls directly under our control.
Q1013 Lord Mitchell: But have there been specifics?
Mr Willis: There are specific examples.
Q1014 Lord Mitchell: What sort of actions do you take?
Mr Willis: I am not aware of any examples which have fallen to us to take any action on. A fairly recent example, for instance, is that there was an attack on the Internet infrastructure, quite widespread, a global issue, which came through a security weakness in a piece of software which was run on some of the main Internet routers and this was taken advantage of and they were attacked. The operator community was aware of this as it was happening and worked to fix the problem as soon as possible. It was not something where any regulator intervened to fix it, it was fixed by the industry before it became a compromising problem.
Lord Mitchell: Thank you.
Chairman: Lord Young, we talked about this topic, but I think it is worth asking your supplementary question.
Q1015 Lord Young of Graffham: Yes, because I would like to actually test it, if I could. You argue in your memorandum that the distinction in the Communications Act between "content services" and "electronic communication networks" is "quite clearly defined". Do you think this distinction is going to survive in the long term?
Mr Suter: I am going to ask Jeremy to lead off on that.
Mr Olivier: I think, in the light of the discussion we have had to date, I will answer the question slightly different than I had originally anticipated doing so. In the Act there are two distinct things defined, as we said in our evidence. One is an electronic communications network, which is a means of delivery of an enormously broad range of services, and another is a content service, and the definition of content service focuses very explicitly on the provisions, on agency and the provision of content of one kind or another by a service provider, by a content service provider, to a consumer or a set of consumers. The reason why that is important in the Act is because, as Tim was explaining, there are some types of content services described in the Act as "television licensed content services", which has certain characteristics. They are made simultaneously available to very large numbers of users, they are potentially impractical, potentially harmful in some instances, particularly to minors (that is a key area of concern), and which therefore we have a special regulatory architecture to oversee. If your question is—and I think perhaps it is—"Do you think there is a future for the regulation of some types of content service in order specifically" (as we do currently) "to protect vulnerable individuals against exposure to harmful and offensive content," I think the answer is that absolutely there will continue to be such a role. It is very unclear, to me at least, that there is much appetite among audiences for a move away from the provision of some degree of security of the kind you have described. Indeed, in the questions you were asking Professor Zittrain there seemed to be in some sense that you were exploring options for creating such a regulated domain in relation to other security issues by taking responsibility away from where it sits presently with consumers—they are responsible for putting the firewalls, and so on in place—onto ISPs. My analogy would be that we currently have a content regulatory architecture. We believe the audiences value it and that therefore there is strong evidence to suggest that there will continue to be a role for such an architecture.
Q1016 Lord Young of Graffham: Let me just test it. The technology is moving so that PCs and televisions are merging into media centres, and indeed your PC and your television will be connected by wireless. So we have programmes which at the moment have to go out after the watershed, after nine o'clock in the evening, which the following day can be accessed at any time of the day as a podcast. So one gets regulated. What is the point of having a watershed at nine o'clock if the same programme can be accessed at any time?
Mr Suter: That has been the case, I think, since the invention of the video recorder. Time shifting material has always been the case. So the fundamental principle is not, do we prevent material being accessed by people? The answer is no, and anyway we are an after the event regulator. The fundamental issue of content regulation is to provide tools and information to consumers which say, "If this material is broadcast at a certain time or on a certain channel, or with a certain degree of additional warning or preparation, then you should take note of that." We do not assume that the nation's children are in bed by nine o'clock. We know that they are not. The notion of the watershed is not because we believe children are in bed, it is because we know that consumers need a signal which says the level of responsibility shifts at a certain point in the linear schedule, and actually the point is different according to different kinds of channels. So it is not that there is an absolute prohibition or the intention to prevent that material ever being seen. We would rather that it was not. What there is is an intention to give people the tools they need to manage their own consumption. In a regulated linear environment it is relatively straightforward to do. In a non-linear environment it is much more difficult to do in the old way, so you need content information, you need consumers to know, "What is it that I'm getting? With what degree of caution should I approach it? With what degree of care should I manage who's watching it?"
Q1017 Lord Young of Graffham: So you could see Ofcom changing the regulation in order, perhaps, to put up a warning signal for these post-watershed periods being broadcast at any time? If the whole idea of regulation is to help to guard young children from seeing unsuitable material, then what happens with time shifting where, whichever technology it is, it is available at any time? The big difference with time shifting with a VCR of some sort is that it is a positive act to do it, but with the other one people can roam around the Internet and come across them in different ways, I think that is the real thing, or subscribe to them?
Mr Olivier: I think there are a number of points to make in response to that. Perhaps the first and most simple is that, as we have been discussing, Ofcom does not, I think, anticipate that we would be able to impose global standards either for labelling or for any other form of content regulation to the global medium, that is the Internet, but that does not at all mean that it would not be desirable (as in fact we are already doing) to seek to work with those service providers who are legitimately available to us as partners in delivering content regulatory outcomes and that they should work to provide audiences with appropriate tools to enable them to manage their and their children's access to content. So not necessarily regulating in the way that we do with broadcasters but certainly working with service providers, as we do currently, to help them make these kinds of tools available to audiences and thereby to delivery the goal that we share, I think, which is the protection of vulnerable individuals in this particular instance.
Q1018 Earl of Erroll: You state in your written memorandum that "Although security products are valuable tools for consumers they are not a part of the regulated Internet access service". Can you explain this distinction in more detail?
Mr Suter: I shall ask Ben first to explain that.
Mr Willis: I guess the first point is that in the sense that those security tools generally are pieces of software which would run on a consumer's PC they are not part of the service which is offered by the operator per se, they are something in the customer's domain and therefore outside of what we would think of as the regulated Internet access service itself.
Q1019 Earl of Erroll: They could be actually part of the service, and I think that is the point, because the business of ISPs is to provide the customers with access to the Internet and some of it is the information it holds. There is also the other side, which is email, and there is no technical bar to them making those services safer. For instance, in the Lords we use MessageLabs to filter our incoming email before it hits our mailboxes in the Lords, so it would be quite easy for ISPs to do this sort of thing. Why are they, unlike companies in all sorts of other walks of life, not required to provide their services with due regard to the security and safety of the users?
Mr Willis: I think the answer to that is that there is a number of aspects of the service which we do regulate and then a whole bunch of other things which the ISP can choose to add or not, which we do not regulate. The parts which we do regulate are set out in what are called the General Conditions of Entitlement, so they are the instruments of regulation for services and networks. They cover things like customer contracts and how a customer would be billed, how disputes would be resolved between customers and operators and how customers would be migrating between providers. Those features are the things which come under our regulatory remit to control. Other things which an ISP may choose to add to the service, for example, "We will filter your email for you," or, "We will offer you a whole bunch of other services," are outside the things which we regulate under that framework.
© Parliamentary copyright 2007

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Tuition fees are increasing but loans are available to all students. Some students may even qualify for grants or bursaries. Find out more about financing your child's studies.
What is your child looking for in an institution? What do you look for and how to research them? Find out here.
Before applying, your son or daughter needs to be clear and sure of their chosen programme.
Not going to University or College?
Higher education is not always the best option for your child. Many work-base training programmes offer excellent prospects and are worth considering.
Applications can seem long-winded and complicated. We identify the important things to consider that will help your child make a successful application.
League tables are a good way of making valued comparisons between the institutions. But there are many things to consider when making your choice.
The ParentsAdviser community is waiting to discuss the issues surrounding your child's next step. Ask that question.


text:
Q: How do berries work when held as an item? I'm not a fan of pokemon games, and I played only its first game, Leaf-Green and next, the hacked ROM version, Glazed. I'm really confused about how berries work in battles. When a pokemon used a berry in a battle, does it wear off and gets removed as an item? Because if so, then that means I would have to refill that pokemon's item slot over and over again right?

A: Yes, when a Berry is eaten, it's completely gone. They work like Potions and other consumables in that regard, and you can also manually use them in battle. So once the battle is over, they have to be replaced if you want your Pokémon to automatically use them in battle again.
Other held items are also consumed when used, like the Absorb Bulb or the Focus Sash, but they can't be used manually, their effect activates automatically when certain conditions are met.
There are also held items, like Leftovers and Quick Claw, that are never consumed, and passively provide their effect for as long as they're held.

A: Berries can only be used once, so it does mean you have to put a new berry for your Pokemon to hold every time.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


By the way, we are making some of the most creative Veterans quilt tops, quilting more and even finished binding some. I attended the Pacifica Crab Feed at the Veterans Hall and took two of the tops to get some feed back and was told, we are right on! We will get some photos up of our outdoor themed Veterans quilt tops with fishing, hunting, and just fun integrated into patriotic theme tops. We were reminded that we have many l female veterans as well. Today I am doing a Coast Guard top. We are here today and probably rest of the month getting this project underway. 100 quilts for Memorial Day delivery.


I've been keeping an eye on the spring river following predictions out of the North Central River Forecast Center. They issued new predictions on March 1st. I'm curious when they will update it again as we're now getting the first of the spring rains. Here's what I find interesting. Back on February 16th they issued this graph.
Now, on March 1st they issued this one.
There are some subtle but interesting differences. On the Feb 16th prediction, they estimated the chances of the river reaching minor flood stage (14 feet) to be about 90%. You can see the black line intersects the yellow flood level at the 90% mark in the top graph. The prediction for severe flood level was about 65%.
Now look again at the March 1st prediction. The chances of a minor flood have decreased down to about 82%. That's a 9% degrease. Good news right? Look at the prediction for moderate and severe flooding though on the new graph. Both have increased slightly.
I find it really interesting that the odds of minor flooding have decreased but odds for more severe have increased.
I'm guessing there may be a new prediction on Monday the 15th. Well see what happens to the numbers. I'm betting they go up what with the rain but then again an early and slow thaw may actually help decrease chances of flooding.


What would you do without a gym membership?
As a guy who loves the gym, you may view your training time as therapy.
But what if you no longer had access to the gym?
Not only does your body crave the resistance of the weights, your mind also needs the relief that hard physical training provides.
Would you build a garage gym?
What would you do in the time being?
A lot of guys would take some time off from training.
When I cancelled my gym membership I had no place to train.
So I took my workouts outside.
What happens if you don't find a substitute for your gym time?
If you quit the gym and have no place to train, DO NOT STOP WORKING OUT.
That is a recipe for trouble.
When you rely on the gym for sanctuary, you will need to replace that with something.
You probably have your favorite equipment and exercises that you've grown accustomed to.
But if you don't have access to them you gotta get creative.
At first it was weird. I didn't have a squat rack or trap-bar.
I didn't have a sauna or turf with sleds..
You'll feel a bit OFF.
That's to be expected. It's a BIG change!
Start to love bodyweight training.
Work on improving your pullups, dips and pushups.
Try out some new calisthenics exercises.
Become a jump rope king.
In the beginning you may hate it. I did.
But it didn't take long until I started to get into it.
No longer is the squat rack your safe place. Now it's the playground. Or your basement. Or garage.
Get a sandbag or big tire. Start dragging weight in the yard. Come up with new workouts that are challenging in an entirely new way.
Soon, you start to get excited about the training. You look forward to creating new workouts, different exercise combinations.
Plus, you get the added bonus of fresh air.
That's been one of the greatest benefits I didn't see coming.
Breathing a huge amount of fresh air while pushing your body hard is invigorating!
You might not believe it until you try it. Once you do, you'll be hooked.
If you have no clue how to get started with a bodyweight training program, I have a 6 week routine called LEVEL-UP 45 that guides you to get into the best shape of your life without a gym membership.
Even if you have a gym membership you could use this program as a supplement to a few days of a standard strength training plan.


An anti-diabetic, oral medication Gliclazide(Diamicron) is used to treat Diabetes mellitus type 2. Gliclazide lowers your blood sugar by increasing the amount of insulin your body produces. You can buy Gliclazide online at genericmedmart.com without any prescriptions, FDA approved trusted online pharmacy store.


The Actual Cost Of Illegal Immigration Is Staggering.
The biggest tech firms have more actual power than many countries. It's time to check these capitalist giants. They are sitting on usurped income and unerened positions.
BREAKING: CNN JOURNALIST COMMITS ACTUAL JOURNALISM.
Don't let this slide! "Kanye West is what happens when n***** don't read" is an actual quote from CNN today.
Actual Internet Inventor Wants To Upend Internet, Create New One; He Hates Goggle, Farcebook, Et Al.


text:
package com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.datamodeling.unmarshallers;

import com.amazonaws.services.dynamodbv2.model.AttributeValue;

/**
 * An unmarshaller that unmarshals DynamoDB Numbers into Java
 * {@code Float}s.
 */
public class FloatUnmarshaller extends NUnmarshaller {

    private static final FloatUnmarshaller INSTANCE =
            new FloatUnmarshaller();

    public static FloatUnmarshaller instance() {
        return INSTANCE;
    }

    private FloatUnmarshaller() {
    }

    @Override
    public Object unmarshall(AttributeValue value) {
        return Float.valueOf(value.getN());
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
The largest and longest-running queer theatre in the world
Established in 1979, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is Toronto's leading destination for artistically rigorous alternative theatre and a world leader in developing queer voices and stories for the stage. Buddies offers a year-round program that includes a full season of queer theatre, new works festivals, artist residencies, and intergenerational training and education initiatives. In its 40-year history Buddies has welcomed over one million people into its home in the heart of Toronto's queer village and has premiered nearly 1,000 new works for the stage, making it the largest and longest-running queer theatre company in the world.
Our Artistic Mission
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre creates vital Canadian theatre by developing and presenting voices that question sexual and cultural norms. Built on the political and social principles of queer liberation, Buddies supports artists and works that reflect and advance these values. As the world's longest-running and largest queer theatre, Buddies is uniquely positioned to develop, promote, and preserve stories and perspectives that are challenging and alternative. Buddies achieves artistic excellence through its mainstage season programming, artist-residency program, and youth-based initiatives. Buddies serves a broad segment of the population who share a passion for theatre that celebrates difference.
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre has identified three core values that serve as guiding pillars for all our activities and operations.
DIFFERENCE: With our art, we simultaneously celebrate difference and question the mechanisms through which differences are constructed and maintained. With our space, we create an accessible, non-judgmental, and inclusive environment for everyone regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, economic position, race, creed, age, national origin, physical ability, or mental ability. With our daily interactions, we foster respect and dignity among all people.
EXCELLENCE: We provide our audiences with unforgettable theatre experiences, and we give our artists and staff the resources they need to achieve the highest standards of excellence.
COMMUNITY: We believe that the theatre plays a vital role in the educational, social, and economic health of a community. We strive to be a positive force by encouraging collaboration and constructive dialogue among the various groups and individuals who make up our community.
I'm gonna say good-night
I'm gone
The show tanked
It's all my fault
Nobody else to blame
I should have listened to you
I should have played the poodle
That always works
But I did whatever the hell I wanted
And now I'm done
When you play the tough-haired bitch
You have to sweeten your tone
No one goes to concerts
to hear you howl at the moon
And that song about the humane society
was such a mistake
dream good dreams
I'm taking my hat
and the last two or three cigarettes
and I'm gone
think of me every now and then
When you wake
somersaulting like a river otter
with candied salmon
by the lakeside
then passing round a jar
for change
for something to eat and drink
–Jacques Prevert, Le Concert N'a Pas Ete Reussi
translation by Soraya Peerbaye (commissioned in 2018 to celebrate Buddies' 40th Anniversary)
photo by Jeremy Mimnagh


With attendance figures once again well over 100,000 across the week and 37 races that all lived up to their top billing, the 2016 Qatar Goodwood Festival has been hailed a massive success.
Saturday's record crowd of 26,068 enjoyed fine weather through the afternoon, ensuring the week ended with everybody outside enjoying the famous views across the Downs.
Over the week, 3,000 catering staff served 15,000 complimentary strawberries, three tonnes of potatoes and sold 9,000 bottles of champagne.
The sixth running of the Magnolia Cup on Thursday, July 28 was described as 'magnificent' by many of those who witnessed the 12 lady riders race over five and a half furlongs. The race was won by British Eventing team rider Izzy Taylor on Alketios, who just got the better of TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding in one of the closest finishes in the race's history.
The race was run in front of a 23,332-strong Ladies' Day crowd, who were also treated to an impressive victory by Big Orange in the Qatar Goodwood Cup, his second consecutive win in the race. Michael Bell's popular stayer may well now return to Australia for another shot at the Melbourne Cup.
During a week where no race disappointed, the £1 million Qatar Sussex Stakes was contested by ten horses – twice the recent average – and produced a finish worthy of its prestige. Galileo Gold attempted to make all the running and ran a brave race, but ultimately it was The Gurkha and Ryan Moore who landed the spoils, coming with a perfectly timed run to triumph by a neck.
Moore was the Racing UK Leading Jockey at the Festival, claiming seven victories and proving once again why he is considered the world's best. He overcame trouble in running aboard Minding (seemingly a regular occurrence for the filly) to land the Qatar Nassau Stakes on Saturday.
As ever, fashion was a key element of 'Glorious' and Sarah Weston led the way, winning the L'Ormarins best-dressed competition on Friday. She will travel to South Africa in January for the L'Ormarins Queen's Plate as a guest of the sponsors.
Racing and entertainment returns to Goodwood from Friday, August 26 to Sunday 28 with the August Bank Holiday fixture.


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The Ivy League Fencing Championships (officially, the Ivy League Fencing Round-Robins) is an annual tournament to determine the Ivy League standings in men's and women's fencing. Unlike at the NCAA Fencing Championships, the men's and women's events are contested separately.

History
Then men's Ivy League Round-Robin has existed since 1956; the women's since 1982. Currently, five teams compete in the men's tournament, as Brown, Cornell and Dartmouth do not sponsor NCAA men's fencing teams. Brown and Cornell had previously participated, but their men's NCAA team were cut after the 2020 and 1993 seasons, respectively. The women's competition features seven teams, with every Ivy League school with the exception of Dartmouth sponsoring a team.

Men's Results

Women's Results

1.After the 1983 season, Columbia began accepting women. All future results are noted as Columbia, though students from Barnard were able to compete on the Columbia team. This is the only Division I NCAA consortium team.

References

Championship
College fencing conference championships in the United States

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


How many of you have heard of a 'Sloppy Joe' in England? It's not a common meal, but this messy beef burger is an American classic and one the kids will love. I first decided to make a 'Sloppy Joe Kebab' because it was a great way to inject some life into my left over Aloo Keema (mince and potato curry), by disguising the meal from the night before so there wouldn't be any food wastage. And sure enough this meal went down a treat! I simply swapped the traditional burger bun for a nice chunky naan from the supermarket and served it up to the family as a kebab. Now I always aim to team the two meals together.
Below is my base mince curry recipe. Add potatoes and peas to make a yummy curry or use it to make your Sloppy Joe Kebab.
Serves a family of four. Total cooking time: 40-45mins (If using the next day like me, 10mins to prepare).
Heat the oil in a pot and add the onion, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and black peppercorns and stir-fry the onions on med-high heat until golden and a little crispy looking.
Add the ginger, garlic and stir-fry for 30secs, followed by the minced beef or lamb. Cook until sealed and use the spoon to break up the meat to avoid any clumps.
Add cumin, turmeric, coriander and paprika. Cook the spices for a minute and add the tomatoes and tomato puree.
Stir and simmer (covered) for 30-40mins or until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Check halfway and add little water if the curry looks a little dry, then replace the lid and continue to simmer.
So there you have it… my Sloppy Joe Kebab. I was really keen to share this recipe with you all in the hope that you'd find it as useful as I have.
I've already started thinking about other meals I can transform my simple mince curry left overs into. Next on my list is Cottage Pie…. top the beef mince with freshly cooked mashed potato (grill for a golden crust on top), served with gravy and fresh vegetables.
Feel free to share any ideas you may have too. I'd love to hear them.


text:
Q: How to perform "where" query using document ID in Cloud Firestore The is my code :
let newTems = {}
let IDs = ['xyz', 'abc']
let temRef = await db.collection("templates")

For each id in IDs, I am checking if the id is equal to the documentID of any document in the "templates" collection and mapping name along with id to the newTems.
IDs.forEach((id, i) => {
  let temSnap = temRef.where(admin.firestore.FieldPath.documentId(), '==', id).get()

  temSnap.forEach(doc => {
    let temData = doc.data()

    newTems[i] = {
      id: temData.doc.id,
      name: temData.name,
    }
  })
})

I am getting an error saying
TypeError: temSnap.forEach is not a function

I have tried looking for any syntactical errors but could not find any. Why is this happening?
Thanks for your help.

A: You have two issues here. The first one is that you call the get() without awaiting it for the tempSnap and because that is a async call you can't use it in a forEach because forEach doesn't support async.
To resolve your problem you would need first to loop trough the IDs with a for loop because that iterator supports async calls. And as second use the await on the get() call.
Your code would look like this:
let newTems = {}
let IDs = ['xyz', 'abc']
let temRef = await db.collection("templates")

for (let i = 0; i < IDs.length; i++) {
  const id = IDs[i];
  let temSnap = await temRef
    .where(admin.firestore.FieldPath.documentId(), "==", id)
    .get();

  temSnap.forEach((doc) => {
    let temData = doc.data();

    newTems[i] = {
      id: temData.doc.id,
      name: temData.name,
    };
  });
}


Toyota's SMT transmission gets unreliable as it ages and repairs can be complicated and expensive. Performance is also not exciting. Monkeywrench racing has the solution! We convert your MR2 Spyder SMT to full manual transmission functionality using a mixture of top quality Toyota OEM parts and our own custom made adapter parts. Better durability, more simplicity, sportier manual shifting, clean OEM-like install!
Cost for Monkeywrench Racing to perform this conversion on your car at our facility, including all labor, fluids and sales tax is approximately $4195. This includes trade in of your old SMT hardware (removed during the job) regardless of condition. This cost is accurate for good running SMT cars and those with SMT system malfunctions. If your transmission's internals or your clutch are damaged there will be additional cost involved in repairing/replacing those components. Price is the same for 5- and 6-speed SMT cars.
While we're at it we can of course perform any other upgrades or repairs you would like.


If you are an employer who has hired a veteran on or after January 1, 2017.
Then each time you hire a veteran, select the I Hired a Veteran button to complete the new-hire details.
Or if you would like to hire a veteran and would like to connect with your Local Veterans Employment Representative.
To learn how to apply to the VA Innovation Intern Program, please contact VAInnovate@va.gov.


Atlantic House, a boutique beachfront hotel, bar and restaurant in Polzeath, North Cornwall, has gone on the market for a guide price of in excess of £3m.
Savills is marketing the 12-bedroom boutique hotel and nine privately-owned apartments on behalf of the venue's family owners.
The ground floor of the business is home to a new restaurant and bar space, with the capacity for 200 covers and the potential to recreate the famous 'Doom Bar'.


If, like me, you love a good book you'll know that a voracious appetite for reading comes with enormous pleasure but one or two problems as well, writes thrifty living columnist Sheena Grant.
Getting through a book every week or two can mean you need both an enormous amount of shelf space and seriously deep pockets.
At one time I could justify the latter by telling myself that while some people spent their money on gym membership or down the pub, mine went on books instead.
But as I can never bare to part with a book I've enjoyed (re-reading at a later date is often part of the pleasure), it wasn't long before my bookshelves started to bulge.
Happily, I've found a two-pronged solution.
The first is the local library, wonderful institutions that trace their history back to Victorian Britain when the Public Libraries Act gave local boroughs the power to set up free public libraries to offer universal access to information and literature.
More than 150 years later they are still serving that same, vital role.
My online library account shows that over the last decade, my family has had more than 1,000 titles on loan.
Those books may have been free but the enjoyment and knowledge they've given is priceless. It's also a lot of money and a lot of shelf space saved.
If you want a specific title that your local library doesn't have you can browse the county collection and reserve it from elsewhere.
Many libraries also host book clubs these days or offer other reading-based activities for both adults and children, including an annual summer reading challenge.
And if you find a book you really love, one that you may want to own and re-read, you can always buy second hand to make it more affordable. I've done this a lot recently, picking up titles online and in charity shops for as little as £2 each, a fraction of what they'd cost new.
I also know, of course, that many bookstores, especially those run by independent retailers, are not finding life on the high street particularly easy just now so I can still find space on my shelves for the occasional indulgence of a brand new book.


text:
China Data
Home / Business / Macro
Exporters getting help to combat difficulties
By Jiang Xueqing and Zhong Nan | China Daily | Updated: 2020-07-07 10:01
An employee works on wheel hubs that are manufactured for exports at a company in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, on March 18. [Photo by Wang Chun/For China Daily]
Nation adopts policies to stabilize foreign trade by giving companies stronger support via injection of financial resources
China has adopted diversified policies to stabilize foreign trade and give stronger support to companies through the injection of financial resources.
Foreign trade companies in Guangdong province have faced cash flow difficulties due to the novel coronavirus epidemic. As an economic powerhouse in China, Guangdong saw its value of imports and exports hit 7.14 trillion yuan ($1.01 trillion) in 2019, down 0.2 percent year-on-year, accounting for 22.6 percent of the country's total, according to the Guangdong Bureau of Statistics.
The provincial banking and insurance authorities had helped the banking sector ramp up the supply of funds for foreign trade enterprises by launching innovative products and the Guangdong branch of the Export-Import Bank of China had set an anti-epidemic loan quota of 10 billion yuan, said Pei Guang, head of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission's Guangdong office.
At the end of April, for foreign trade companies in Guangdong-excluding those in Shenzhen-various types of loans increased by 29 percent from the end of April last year, and the total volume of trade financing rose 76 percent over the same period. The average lending rate dropped by about 0.4 percentage point from the beginning of the year.
The processing trade sector, which accounted for one third of the total volume of foreign trade in Guangdong, was hit hard by the contagion. In the first two months of the year, import and export volume of processing trade in the province fell by 30 percent year-on-year.
"To stabilize the processing trade sector, we helped the provincial government explore the creation of a pool of funds to compensate banks for their risks in offering financing to processing trade companies. It will give support to the defusing of nonperforming loans so that bank asset quality will remain relatively stable. By giving full play to the leverage of fiscal funds, this will drive a larger amount of credit supply to these companies," Pei said.
By the end of April, the outstanding balance of loans provided to processing trade companies in Guangdong increased by 32.9 percent from the end of April last year.
The CBIRC's Guangdong office has been promoting cooperation between banks and insurers on offering financing to exporters based on export credit insurance, which has become an important measure to stabilize foreign trade. At the end of April, the outstanding balance of export credit insurance policy-based financing in the province rose by 62 percent from the beginning of the year, Pei said.
The scope of coverage of export credit insurance also expanded further in Guangdong. The number of companies whose export credit insurance was underwritten by insurers at the end of April increased by 22 percent from April 30 last year. In the first four months of this year, that number exceeded 20,000 and the amount of risk coverage funds increased by 13 percent year-on-year to 201.5 billion yuan.
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The recipient of numerous industry accolades, including Frommer's Exceptional and AAA Four Diamond awards, the No. 1 Best Hotel in New York City sits in the heart of lower Manhattan. Along with its desirable address, travelers also praise The Beekman's superb service, tasty cuisine and trendy vibe. Acclaimed American chefs Tom Colicchio and Keith McNally have outposts here, and guest rooms and suites boast modern features like custom leather headboards, aged oak floors, curated artwork and bathrooms with Carrara marble accents. (Courtesy of The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel)
The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician – the No. 1 Best Hotel in Phoenix – occupies a prime piece of real estate at the base of Scottsdale's Camelback Mountain, meaning guests are never too far from the region's scenic hiking trails. But visitors don't have to stray off the property grounds to take in picturesque desert vistas. At the on-site infinity pool, travelers can enjoy their surroundings as they swim or sip a cocktail. Or, retreat to one of 60 contemporary rooms. Many of the resort's accommodations offer desert views from private terraces. (Courtesy of The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician)
According to recent guests, the best part about staying in the downtown Wedgewood Hotel & Spa –which is just steps away from Robson Street's high-end shops – is the impeccable service. Travelers describe the staff at this Relais & Châteaux property as especially attentive, gracious and personable. Visitors also gush over the well-appointed rooms, which are outfitted with complimentary Wi-Fi access, flat-screen TVs, Nespresso coffee machines and more. The spacious bathrooms, which boast Frette towels, marble accents deep-soaking tubs and L'Occitane toiletries, also receive a nod of approval from guests. For a little extra pampering, head to the on-site spa or the award-winning Bacchus Restaurant & Lounge. Guests describe the restaurant's ambiance as elegant and serene, and the seafood as delicious.
Over 175 million aggregated hotel ratings and more than 19 million images allow you to find out more about where you're travelling. To get an extended overview of a hotel property, trivago shows the average rating and extensive reviews from other booking sites, e.g. Hotels.com, Expedia, Agoda, leading hotels, etc. trivago makes it easy for you to find information about your weekend trip to New York City, including the ideal hotel for you.
Old Hollywood glamour is on display throughout Hotel Bel-Air. Ranked as the No. 3 Best Hotel in Los Angeles for 2018, this chic property resides in the exclusive Bel Air Estates neighborhood and is home to a spa, an outdoor pool and a lake with four white swans. In addition to the hotel's quiet atmosphere, guests rave about the property's stunning accommodations, which let in ample natural light and offer high-end features, such as marble bathrooms and private entrances. Many also praise the hotel's attentive staff. (Courtesy of Hotel Bel-Air)
It's no wonder royalty, A-list celebrities, and athletes keep returning to the luxury Calistoga Ranch: It's in a class all by itself. Guests rent exquisite private lodges, set on a private 157-acre park-like property complete with hiking trails and a top-of-the-line restaurant and spa. Attention to detail carries over from room design to landscape planning -- all modules for the lodges were flown in by helicopter to minimize impact on surrounding trees and to maximize privacy. The property boasts plenty of activities, including outdoor yoga, a beautiful heated outdoor pool, a bocce court, a fabulous fitness center, and wine tasting seminars. If guests decide to venture out for some reason, they can easily access downtown Calistoga and other towns with not only loaner bikes, but loaner Mercedes-Benzes! This property stands out as one of the most remarkable not just in Napa Valley but in the entire country.
The Jefferson, Washington, DC has been catering to Washington's most elite visitors since 1923, providing a taste of European luxury in the heart of the United States capital. The Beaux-Arts era reigns supreme here, with early 20th century paintings and sculptures lining the checkered floors. The Jefferson's elegant accommodations are appointed with Bose sound systems, walk-in showers, flat-screen TVs and complimentary Wi-Fi access. (For a little more space, upgrade to a suite, which will come equipped with a coffee maker and, in some suites, balconies overlooking the Washington Monument.) Recent guests highly recommend making good use of the intimate on-site spa during your stay, and the in-house gourmet restaurants, Plume and The Greenhouse, earn particularly high praise, along with the on-site bar, Quill. Visitors also give props for The Jefferson's location, which is just a short walk from the National Mall.
We've got a serious soft spot for any hotel that wears its eco-consciousness on its sleeve, and 1 Hotel South Beach does just that, from the organic bedding and reclaimed furniture to its sea-to-table Habitat restaurant. In addition to the five-star amenities and 600 feet of private beach, regular events—like sunset meditation and terrarium-building workshops—keep guests coming back.
Two are indisputably better than one at the Belmond Hotel Splendido and Belmond Splendido Mare, a dual-property entity sitting high above Portofino cove. Both halves carry with them a bit of history: the 670-room Hotel Splendido was once a 16th-century monastery known for withstanding attacks from Saracen pirates, while the other, 16-room "Mare" half sits on the piazzetta, a respite from the lively Ligurian harbor. Outside, fragrant bundles of wisteria and straight-backed juniper bushes flank its winding cobblestone walkways, while rooms mostly come with terra-cotta-tiled terraces where you can take your morning cappuccino—some offer up stunning panoramic views of the cove.
You can compare all of our L'Ancienne-Lorette hotel rooms including the major L'Ancienne-Lorette hotel chains using our genuine Hotels.com guest reviews as well as TripAdvisor L'Ancienne-Lorette hotel reviews to help find the perfect hotel room when booking your accommodation in L'Ancienne-Lorette. We also feature Expedia L'Ancienne-Lorette hotels and reviews.
There are certainly more luxe options scattered around the Ngorongoro crater area. But Gibb's Farm, with its colonial farmhouse on the wooded slopes of the crater, built by German farmers as a coffee plantation in 1929, wins hands down on history and character. (It's so beloved that old African hands use it for their personal family holidays.) Its cozy cottages and lush, tropical gardens make the perfect antidote to days spent on a dusty game drive.
Shimbashi is not nearly as popular as Shinjuku and Shibuya which is why you'll find plenty of cheap hotels in Tokyo around this area. The b Tokyo Shimbashi opened in late 2017, so it's relatively new. All rooms have a France bed mattress, private bathroom with free toiletries, free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, slippers, and a mini-fridge. The 24-hour front desk offers luggage storage service and there's coin laundry available if needed. You could even argue that Shimbashi is the best place to stay in Tokyo since there aren't as many crowds. The hotel is a 6-minute walk from JR Shimbashi Station while Uchisaiwaicho Subway Station is 4-minutes by foot.
Guests rave about Wentworth Mansion, applauding its long-standing commitment to the building's history and its ability to deliver on contemporary luxury. Constructed in the late 1800s, the Wentworth Mansion exudes old-world charm, meaning it's also the perfect Charleston home base for history buffs. Lodgers particularly praise the elegant decor, fantastic customer service, on-site spa, evening brandies and sherries, and complimentary hors d'oeuvres. Rooms include spacious bathrooms with whirlpool tubs, fireplaces or outside porches and, in some suites, sunrooms. Though guests say the rooms and overall atmosphere are relaxing, they note that the luxury doesn't come cheap. However, its location is another feather in its cap; The Battery is nearby, as is the South Carolina Aquarium. Also, keep in mind that this hotel is a part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, which means that members of the INVITED rewards program can earn and redeem points here.
It can be hard to book a hotel internationally. Finding out the best rates on good places to stay is tricky - but Travelocity has what you need to have a wonderful experience. You will have an easy time planning your vacation with excellent rates on hotels. Enjoy all the new experiences of international travel and discover the world in a whole new way with great deals through Travelocity today.
The Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago overlooks the river and provides sweeping views of the city and Lake Michigan. The property, the No. 5 Best Hotel in Chicago, puts travelers close to many of the Windy City's most popular sights, including the Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier and Millennium Park. Guests praise the hotel's sleek and well-appointed accommodations, its outstanding employees and the Terrace at Trump's cocktails and panoramic vistas. (Courtesy of Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago)
The No. 1 Best Hotel in Boston, XV Beacon is a shining example of luxury accommodations. The boutique hotel wins favor with travelers and experts for its variety of amenities, which include a 24-hour fitness center, courtesy car service and concierge assistance with all types of requests, from Red Sox tickets to in-room massages. Accommodations blend modern and classic decor and come equipped with fireplaces, canopy or four-poster beds, cashmere blankets and marble bathrooms. (Courtesy of XV Beacon)
The building's textile-clad façade and verdant latticework by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma creates a palpable sense of calm – ideal for meditating on the deeper cultural meaning behind contemporary Chinese artworks in the atrium, such as Beijing Memory No. 1 and No. 2, Li Xiaofeng's wearable cheongsam and military breastplate covered in Ming and Qing-dynasty porcelain shards, and ceramicist Fiona Wong's ghostly, lace-like White Wings. There's also a 20ft-high Chinese apothecary chest of 6,000 drawers in the lobby, and the multilingual staff shuffling around in all-black outfits further add to the art-gallery vibe. More straightforward are the 99 open-plan guestrooms finished in oak wood and Turkish sandstone, with Japanese-style furo soaking tubs and powerful overhead rain showers. The complimentary 'maxi-bar' features craft brews from the nearby Arrow Factory and bottles of orange-flavoured Arctic Ocean soda, the nectar of any Beijing childhood. A decade after the hotel opened, the Sanlitun area surrounding the House has blossomed. Cross the street to Dover Street Market, where you're likely to spy staff nipping out to pick up niche items at pop-up events. Follow the scent of date wood back to the hotel's Jing Yaa Tang restaurant: cumin-laced lamb skewer and fiery kung pao chicken from a cage-free farm south of Beijing deliver just the right amount of anticipation while the master roaster glazes your duck with his secret combination of osmanthus, honey, vinegar, molasses and crushed dates. Order an Old Peking as nightcap, made with Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva rum, Mancino Vecchio vermouth and finished in a cloud of date wood smoke – the only type used by serious Beijing duck roasters. By Cynthia Rosenfeld
Like other properties near Park City, Utah, Montage Deer Valley appeals to winter sports enthusiasts. All guests staying at the No. 1 Best Hotel in Park City will have access to ski concierge services and ski-in/ski-out access in addition to a bowling alley, an outdoor swimming pool and a 35,000-square-foot spa, among other year-round amenities. Travelers can also grab a bite to eat at one of five on-site restaurants before retiring to their spacious accommodations, which offer walk-in closets, private balconies or patios, fireplaces and marble bathrooms with deep-soaking tubs and heated floors. (Courtesy of Montage Deer Valley)
This was founded in 2001 by siblings Joe and Catherine Bartolomei, whose great-grandfather migrated from Italy and acquired a ranch and vineyards, building the house where Catherine still lives today. She and Joe are a constant presence, checking in with regulars at the restaurant and joining in afternoon wine tastings (including a knockout red-field blend from their own Lost & Found label). Their deep Sonoma roots translate into perks for guests at local wineries, restaurants and shops, whose owners invariably light up at their mention. And the pair's enthusiasm percolates through to the easygoing attitude of the longtime staff. You're as likely to get a great oyster shack or hiking trail tip from the parking attendant as you are from the concierge desk. Of the bedrooms, the newer ones at the quieter, wooded end of the hotel are best, with porches that feel suspended among the trees. Inside you'll find a conga drum refashioned as a cocktail stand, a vintage ladder propped against one wall under the vaulted wooden ceiling. A double-sided fireplace faces both the bedroom and the Adirondack chairs outside on the porch. The inn's restaurant has become a destination in itself: chef Steve Litke has a light touch with his Mediterranean-inflected menu, including a delicate Hokkaido scallop with Moroccan spices, and a thyme-scented trio of rabbit (applewood-smoked loin, confit of leg, roasted rack with mustard cream). But you can take the electric car out and head westward to the coast and have lunch at the inimitable Marshall Store, where Sonoma's best oysters (raw and wood-fire-grilled) are served on wooden barrels along the shore of Tomales Bay. Family-owned and run hotels are now a rarity in California's wine country, which makes this switched-on place so exceptional. By Peter Lindberg
With seven swimming pools, a 28,000-square-foot spa and an epic beachfront location on the Kohala Coast, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai is the No. 1 Best Hotel in Hawaii. Accommodations embrace the locale, with bright colors and Hawaiian art. Plus, many rooms include furnished terraces and outdoor lava rock showers. This Four Seasons outpost also organizes special experiences for guests, ranging from private luaus to mixology classes. (Don Riddle/Four Seasons Resort Hualalai)
Highly recommend for a white Christmas! The city is so magical complete with German Christmas markets and carolers (come prepared for the cold!). Old town is beautiful (very European) and there is lots to do. Recommend trying the toboggan ride (great for all ages) and a visit to nearby Jacques-Cartier National Park if you like the outdoors! Tip: make sure you have the right change (in coins) for the buses.