I am trying to understand better how ego works. The Tibetan word for ego is Dak Dzin. Dak means "self" and Dzin "to grasp", and put together it means grasping at a self. In particular, the teachings say that it refers to grasping at or identifying with a false sense of self.
In the Buddhist teachings the fact that our ordinary sense of self is false is called "emptiness of self" or "egolessness". When I reflect on and try to understand this truth I always find it helpful to look at this from two sides: to understand how things are, but also to understand how I got deluded in the first place. Today I want to focus on the second.
How does this false sense of self come about? I recently heard a nice description of how children develop their identity. In the beginning, babies seem to neither have an idea of name or an "I". By the way, this sometimes brings up the question whether a childlike state of mind is enlightenment. I have heard my teacher explain that even though it is a very pure and innocent state of mind, children are not able to recognize their inherent nature. Therefore, sorry, the answer is no. Now, back to how the sense of self is formed.
In the first stage, even before there is an idea of "I", children start to relate to themselves with their name. For example, after hearing their parents to refer to them with a name, a baby might say "Baba is hungry", "Baba go here" (… yes you guessed right, "Baba" is how I used to call myself as a baby!) First the children get the idea that the name "Baba" refers to themselves and then in the next stage they adopt that name as their identity, as their sense of self. They start to use "I" to refer to themselves. Then slowly all the attributes and qualities of their person become their identity. We define ourselves by how we are: I am short / tall, skinny / overweight, intelligent / stupid, beautiful / ugly e.t.c. We say: I have blue / green /brown eyes, I am dressed nicely / shoddily. Our education, profession, friends, cultural and social conditioning begins to define ourselves and determines how we think of ourselves.
When we feel good, we say "I feel good" and if not "I feel bad". The feeling becomes adopted as our identity. Interestingly, there is a sense that our identity is always the same, we ignore the fact that all these attributes that we make our identity change all the time. It seems to me this one of the reasons why such an approach to happiness doesn't work. We think happiness is to make feeling good our identity, but that feeling good is just a fleeting state of mind and can't possibly last. Over time we develop a strong habit to identify with our feelings or thoughts or judgements. When feeling good inevitably changes to something unpleasant, then our sense of identity has no choice but to change to "I am feeling bad".
One thing that is funny is that ego is not very consistent. For example when we have a headache, sometimes we says "I am sick", and sometimes and we say "my head hurts".
One of my teachers Tsoknyi Rinpoche describes the process of how our mind becomes deluded with the example of looking at a flower. The first moment you see a flower, you see it purely, just as it is, without judgement. But then the next moment mind comes in and starts to label the flower and then to evaluate and judge. It gives it attributes like: tall stem, green leaves, yellow blossoms, smells like lavender, this is a flower. The next step is to either say "I like it" or "I don't like it". If we liked it, we say "I want it". Then we take action: we pluck the flower and take it home. Or, if we don't like the smell, we say "I don't want to smell this" and do what we can to get it as far away from us as possible.
All these reactions take on a life of their own. In the process of identifying with this false sense of self our awareness gets completely absorbed into the forms we identify with. Our mind gets lost in this process. Our pure awareness which has the ability to look at things with wisdom and clarity gets covered up and when this happens we loose our freedom. Our often irrational feelings, judgments, habits and unconscious reactions start running us and our lives.
The way to come back to our true selves and to regain our freedom begins with coming back to this pure consciousness that can see things as they are. How can we do that? By refocusing our awareness on the present moment? If we can simply learn to be present and be aware of the thoughts, feelings, and impulses in our mind, this process of investing our identity with them will no longer be able to happen. In the light of this pure and natural awareness we will be able to see the transient nature of all these arisings. We can see that these risings are in flux. They take form, stay for a while and then dissolve. In that presence of awareness there is also an understanding that our true being is simply open pure awareness, insubstantial, and without a concrete identity.
When the cognizant aspect of our mind — the aspect that can know — recognizes its own nature, there is a natural sense of being and sense of knowing oneself. When our cognizance is not able to recognize what it is, then it feels the need to find an identity and unfortunately gets entangled and lost in the forms it identifies with.
In Tibetan the pure and pristine awareness of nowness that can see things as they are is called Rigpa, and awareness that is obscured and deluded is called Marigpa, usually translated as ignorance.
What we need to do is to recognize our natural pure awareness and then reconnect with it. Meditation is often described as "getting used to". If we are able to simply be aware, we become like a light in which the darkness of identification with a false sense of self naturally dissolves. We need to decide that this is the way to become free and make a choice to strive to develop this natural presence.
I find it quite difficult to remain in my natural pure awareness. My habits of grasping and feeling attachment to what feels good and aversion to what doesn't are very strong. That's why in meditation we try to develop a deeper equanimity and even mindedness. My teacher Sogyal Rinpoche always says that we need to be like a charming hostess who is able and willing to accommodate even the most difficult guests. The Zen master Suzuki Roshi used to say "The best way to control cow and sheep is to give them a big grazing field. Some risings might stay for a while, and it might seem they will never go away but we need to have complete confidence that they will eventually naturally dissolve when their karma is exhausted.
Another very important point is that being in our natural and pure awareness is not just a solitary state that is removed from life, but that it can be integrated into all aspects of our lives. We can learn to perceive forms, sounds, smells, touch, tastes, thoughts or feelings with our full being. We can even act with our full being without loosing that deeper sense of awareness and presence. When difficulties arise we will then no longer take things personally. We will be able to deal with them with the understanding that they are not able to affect our deeper sense of being. When we experience negative emotions we can welcome them with understand that we are not our thoughts and emotions. Because of many causes and conditions these thoughts and emotions arise and will eventually dissolve.
When I study and reflect on the teachings, I find it so inspiring and encouraging that the solution is simply to be present in the face of whatever arises. It is not easy but it is very simple. We already have Buddha nature. There is no need to try to get something nor trying to get rid of something. We just need to reconnect with our fundamental nature which is already perfect in itself!
This entry was posted in Meditation, Shunyata, zz Tsoknyi Rinpoche, zz Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and tagged Ego, Egolessness, Emptiness. Bookmark the permalink.
5 Responses to How does ego work?
This was a great post. You have a natural ability to say it beautifully.
Have a wonderful spiritual journey.
Your post simplified the not easy… you explained it so much more gracefully, than my attempts with loved ones. Thanks!
The article "How to live a more meaningful life inspired by the Tibetan Book of Living & Dying" is very enlightening. A very lucid understanding of "EGO" emerges after reading this article. It explains how the "TRUE SELF" is "PURE AWARENESS" and must not be mistaken for traits, which are transient. Feeling good or bad is also acquired awareness. PURE AWARENESS (or if I may call it CONSCIOUSNESS) is "insubstantial and without identity" and therefore beyond the the purview of the cognizant mind. The GITA (The holy book of the Hindus where Lord Krishna gives a discourse about the philosophy of life to Arjuna (One of the Pandava's) also explains the same understanding of PURE AWARENESS or CONSCIOUSNESS as separate from material and sensual self. It says I (the enlightened ones) AM CONSCIOUSNESS, and I see the world, the existence pass by as a spectator and am not impacted by the positively or the negativity.
The Gita as well this blog says fundamentally the same thing. Examine this passage from this article QUOTE – " being in our natural and pure awareness is not just a solitary state that is removed from life, but that it can be integrated into all aspects of our lives. We can learn to perceive forms, sounds, smells, touch, tastes, thoughts or feelings with our full being. UNQUOTE.
In this context. the GITA conveys tha,t in order to exist in a state of pure consciousness, one does not need to renounce the world. One can continue performing one's duties and responsibilities with detachment while one's consciousness remains only a spectator of your thoughts, feelings and actions. One can construe this to mean that one can attain this state of consciousness or 'pure awareness' by performing one's Karma with total commitment, without any expectation or anticipation of results.
This is a great resources.Bhudha's teachings are really wonderful . It is beneficial to one and all.


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Home Industry News YouGov study reveals 'significant lack of awareness' regarding new data protection rules
YouGov study reveals 'significant lack of awareness' regarding new data protection rules
by Tom Walker
A YouGov study has revealed that the majority of UK businesses are unaware of new data protection rules that come into play in under a year.
These findings come despite 18 per cent of businesses admitting the maximum fine for non-compliance would force them out of business, and 14 per cent saying it would lead to large scale redundancies.
The YouGov study of 300 businesses, which was commissioned by law firm Irwin Mitchell, found that only three in ten firms have started preparing for the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which begins on 25th May 2018.
GDPR represents the biggest change to how businesses process personal information in 25 years, and it replaces existing data protection laws.
Under the new rules, the maximum fine for certain data breaches in the UK will rise from £500,000 to either €20 million (£17.4 million) or four per cent of global turnover, whichever is higher.
Despite the enormity of this potential cost, 71 per cent of manufacturers are unaware of the new fines and 18 per cent said they would go out of business if they received the maximum penalty.
Joanne Bone, partner and data protection expert at Irwin Mitchell, said: "These results are concerning because with next May's deadline fast approaching and so much at stake, our study reveals there's a very real possibility that the majority of manufacturers will not be compliant in time."
The notification of certain data breaches where there is an impact on privacy, such as a customer database being hacked, or a letter being put in the wrong envelope, must be given to the Regulator within 72 hours of the new regime.
However, Irwin Mitchell's study found that only 24 per cent are certain that they would be able to identify a data breach within their organisation, and only 28 per cent say they would be able to notify the relevant stakeholders within the required timescale of three days.
Bone continued: "Contrary to popular belief, personal data is not just consumer information. It's hard to think of a business today that does not use personal data. Whether you have employee data, customer data, or supplier data, if the data relates to an individual you will be caught by the new data protection laws.
The survey also revealed that only 18 per cent of manufacturing businesses view the new data protection rules as an opportunity, and only 11 per cent think the rules will have a positive impact on their organisation.
Dorrian Peters, manufacturing sector specialist at Irwin Mitchell, said: "It is important to recognise that taking a proactive approach towards GDPR compliance will potentially reap financial benefits. The opportunities for manufacturers to take advantage of the Big Data Revolution and embrace Industry 4.0 to become more profitable are real and this is forcing manufacturers to improve the connectivity of their business. Good data governance is a crucial part of this, indeed it will be essential to achieve the future state of a digitally integrated supply chain."
Irwin Mitchell Industry 4.0 Featured General Data Protection Regulation Manufacturing Lead

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Remarketing is a feature of advertising platforms which allows you to reach people who have previously visited your website and display to them relevant ads on various websites across the Internet.
An example of this is when a person visits your website, but leaves without enquiring or buying any of your services. Google remarketing allows you to reach and connect with these users again through different sites. You can even show them an alternative or compelling offer to incentivise them coming back to finish their transaction or enquiry.
Remarketing targets your potential customers at the right time - when they are using spare time to browse the internet on their favourite websites.


***HOME TO BE BUILT - INTERIOR PHOTOS ARE OF BUILDER MODEL HOME*** ------>>> Wonderful SPRAWLING floor plan in GORGEOUS Harper's Preserve! ***SINGLE LEVEL LIVING WITH 4 BEDROOMS*** Still time to choose all your selections from our Design Center! Come visit our incredible Showcase home in Harper's Preserve and build an Empire!!


text:
'''
Created on 28 Jul 2014

@author: michael
'''
import unittest

def suite():
    '''
    Returns a test suite for all of the modules in this package
    '''
    test_suite = unittest.TestSuite(
        #Add all of the suites here:
        [
        ])
    return test_suite

def load_tests(loader, tests, pattern):
    return suite()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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While it was widely predicted that EU leaders would sign off on the withdrawal deal at Sunday's summit, it apparently took merely 40 minutes for them to endorse the almost 600 pages of legal text (the withdrawal agreement) and the accompanying 20-page declaration for the EU's future relationship with the UK.
Calling it a sad day, the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker added (perhaps by way of a warning) that it was the "only deal possible". The warning could well have been addressed to UK MPs who may still be of the (optimistic) view that they can achieve a better one in December, by voting against the current one. UK Prime Minister Theresa May, for her part, has stridently urged both Leave and Remain voters to support the agreement. However, even she has admitted that it involved compromises from the UK and EU sides.
The government's foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has also warned that "nothing could be ruled out" if Mrs May loses the UK's parliamentary vote, including the possibility of the government caving in and Mrs. May being booted out.
Despite President Juncker's gloomy words of warning and sadness (he also stated that nobody should be "raising champagne glasses" at the UK's decision to leave the EU club), the Lithuanian President, Dalia Grybauskaite, opined that there could be a number of possible outcomes if the UK Parliament voted to reject the deal. Such outcomes could include an extension to the negotiations, or even another referendum among the British people. On the other hand, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar echoed President Juncker when he stated that "any other deal really only exists in people's imagination".
As for Mrs. May's critics at home, the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn responded to Sunday's summit by proclaiming the deal to be "the worst of all worlds". He has reiterated that Labour would oppose it, but would work with others "to block a no deal outcome" and ensure "a sensible deal" would be reached, but without giving any details. As for former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, he said that he would find it "very, very difficult" to support the agreement as it currently appeared. The Scottish (SNP) leader, Nicola Sturgeon, who is a staunch Remainer, felt that the agreement was a "bad deal". In her view, the UK Parliament should seek "better alternatives". These would include, for her, staying on in the single market and the EU-UK customs union permanently.
It is also reported that according to an analysis made on behalf of the People's Vote campaign, the leave deal would leave the UK £100bn a year worse off by 2030, when compared to staying on in the EU as a full-fledged member. The People's Vote campaign is a particularly large voice of Remainers, demanding another referendum on Brexit.
The UK Parliament will, it is expected, vote on the withdrawal agreement before Christmas, possibly on 12 December. The vote probably remains Mrs. May's biggest challenge to date, as the main political parties – Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, the DUP – as well as many Conservatives MPs, are still set to vote against it.


Here's a few of the black & white photos that Isaac Gibbs shot during the iMiNUSD 2nd Year Anniversary trick comp. Breezy Excursion supplied the beats, food trucks, and endless ammounts off swag. Never seen so much gear being tossed out. Isaac did a great job capturing the overall mood of the comp, not to mention Anthony "Wreckless" Combs' superman. Sticking it back to pedals believe it or not. He had a little bit more extension than that, but it was quite an impressive trick.
San Jose is quickly becoming the Fixed Freestyle meca. Ever since Ed moved to SJ, him, Montoya, & the rest of the local riders have been pumping out edits on the daily. Peep out their latest flick. Featuring: Devon Lawson, Alex Blanco, Matthew Montoya, Anthony Combs, E. W. Laforte, and Randy Velasquez. If you didn't know what's been going down in SJ, now you do.


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5.9 EQ in Virginia WAS NOT a 5.9 EQ in Virginia - READ and THINK
User ID: 1107716
Q = Since when is a 5.9 picked up on seismographs all over the country and even outside the country?
A = Never
Q = Since when is a 5.9 Felt in up to 20 states?
A = Never. Not even a 9.0 is felt in that many states.
Q = Since when does a 5.9 last 33 minutes long?
This was not a 5.9 EQ in Virginia. It was picked up the strongest there so that is where the software placed it. It looks to me the entire East coast moved, and probably upward. From Canada to Georgia. This means that yes, the West coast will probably move downward.
Pay attention to this. If this is true there will be more misleading and more EQs. Switch your natural gas lines over from solid to flex like (PLEX lines). Secure your important items in your work shop, desk, and food storage shelves. Convert glass jars from glass to plastic, etc.
Below are links to one of Yellostone's 20 or so seismograph stations. Its shows it was INTENSE and lasted 33 min.
[link to quake.utah.edu]
Mt. Rainer - Thousands of miles away -
[link to www.pnsn.org]
Re: 5.9 EQ in Virginia WAS NOT a 5.9 EQ in Virginia - READ and THINK
interesting. whatever the cause, it did not seem normal. and all this activity on latitude 37 seems weird.
gonna take your advice and batten down the hatches..like move the cast iron lamp that looms over my head on my bedstand.
My question is how they figured out it was centered there and a 5.8 quake...Do they have sensors all over the USA or is this a guesstimate using other sensors...
The Japanese said the same thing after the big quAKE. Our news never covered it. I agree with you the whole shelf moved or something.
You got a good point there.
felt far away because the east coast plate is one shelf and distributes the movement across the shelf. where as the western shelf is fragmented and EQ isnt felt far because shelf is fragmented and doesnt distribute the motion across very far
Doesn't the east coast work differently than the west coast?
If a quake happens on the west coast it's only fault along that fault line but seeing as how there are none over here on the east if an earthquake happens everyone feels it.
Am I the only Virginia resident who remembers the earthquake 7 or 8 years ago????
Quoting: Anonymous Coward 1512898
the eastern seaboard is all solid bedrock, for the most part. west coast has lots of sand and soft soils.
hit a slab of granite with a hammer and shock sensors on the other side, see what they register.
hit a pile of sand with a hammer and shock sensors on the other side, see what it registers.
end of story. your assumptions are correct, but you haven't considered all the variables.
Anonymous Coward (OP)
Quoting: ????? 536288
Every state that felt it picked it up as an EQ. Main registered it as a 5.2. PA a 5.3. I am in NY and it shook items off of shelves, and lasted around 30 - 50 seconds. VA picked it up the strongest so the software assumed the epicenter was there.
So, if every state picked at a 5.0+, it was the entire eastern seaboard. That explains why it was registered at Mt. Rainer (2800 miles away) which showed it lasting around 18min. Yellowstone (1600 miles away) showed it lasting 33min.
It had to be the entire east coast. No some little local 5.8 in VA.
Wrong, if that was the case, the EQs in SC and AK over the last year would have been felt in multiple states too, and they were, because they were LOCALIZED.
This is the result of a gigantic plate moving a significant amount.
It did not have to be big, and if it had, it would have rung out like hell on earth.
tranny witch
It's not a guesstimate. It's triangualtion.
2011 may be your last chance for panic sex with a she-male
Your science is off. If the granite runs from ME to VA, then there you go, the entire Eastern seaboard. That entire plate slide yesterday for a half hour. Look, 5.8 EQs happen every day, all over the world and they aren't registered as a 5.anything 1200 miles away I dont care what kind of soil, granite or plate they are on.
ravenoch
I'm in central Virginia, not an hour from the epicenter. Definitely felt like an earthquake. We had one here just like it 7 or 8 years ago but the media will try to scare you
Zlyle14
When earthquakes hit areas like the east coast, they energy released travels a longer distance due to the plate structure. Areas that are closer to major fault lines will dissipate faster due to the faults. They are absorbed quickly, where as this one reverberated up the coast a very long distance due to the less fractured plate.
The question is, was it natural or man made?
Last Edited by Zlyle14 on 08/24/2011 03:15 PM
Peace and Love \/m
[link to www.geol.vt.edu]
As well as numerous different seismology stations along the entire east coast. They also put a bunch of sensors in NY about a year ago.
When EQs strike, I watch them from a distance. You can learn much more about them. I have been doing it this way since over ten years.
Here are the links I use:
USGS GLOBAL
[link to earthquake.usgs.gov]
USGS GLOBAL II
[link to aslwww.cr.usgs.gov]
UUSS
[link to www.quake.utah.edu]
RSOE
[link to hisz.rsoe.hu]
[link to www.ess.washington.edu]
[link to www.iris.edu]
ANSS
PNSN - PNW
WEST VOLCANOES
IMO ICELAND
[link to en.vedur.is]
sapphiressmile nli
does the earth crack at every EQ and if so where are the pics of the damage ?
I felt it in Eastern KY
Quoting: Zlyle14
We have many quakes on the East coast, I don't feel any of them. We had three 3.0 last year 40 miles from me, I didn't feel anything. We had a 6.0 in Canada 170 miles from me last year, I felt nothing, now I am supposed to believe that a 5.8 in VA traveled 700 miles and gave me a 5.2? Aint happenin.
Also, lasting 33 min.??, that ain't your typical "5.8". In fact, a 33min. EQ should be a 20.0 or something. 5.8s only last up to one (1) minute max.
Quoting: sapphiressmile nli 1516914
cracks = no
picks = well, I could go out to my work shop and show you some items knocked off my shelf. The Washington Monument is listing, and a bunch or buildings in DC are supposedly busted up.
In this case, damage doesn't matter. What is going on does.
The ground and rocks on the east coast is different from other places. Earthquakes travel farther.
Learn about attenuation.
Feb 21st 1774 - 4.5 EQ in Petersburg, VA, was felt in Winston-Salem, NC over 200 miles away.
Aug 27th 1833 - 4.5 EQ in Central, VA, was felt in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and North Carolina.
Apr 29th 1852 - 4.9 EQ in Wytheville, VA, was felt in the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
THIS IS THE BEST REFERENCE HERE
May 31st 1897 - 5.8 EQ in Giles, VA, was felt from Georgia to Pennsylvania and from the Atlantic Coast westward to Indiana and Kentucky.
K OP, what do you have to say now?
Quoting: Anonymous Coward
No, we really don't have many quakes on the east coast, and you can look that up on just about any seismology website, including those stationed in Virginia. We are nowhere near a major active fault. New Madrid has only recently been making an appearance, and VA is still hundreds, if not thousands of miles from the fault. Minor faults run along the Appalachians but have been dormant, for the most part, for millions of years.
Just by saying there was a 6.0 in Canada, doesn't mean it was the same type of quake that happened in VA. It could have been a shorter quake but still high on magnitude where as the VA one was about 30seconds long here(about 30 miles north of the epicenter) and reverberated along the plate to the north. There were also multiple(3-4?+) aftershocks and probably tons of tiny ones that continued to rattle the area, which caused the entire plate to ring like a giant bell.
[link to en.wikipedia.org]
I've never felt an earthquake before but for me and everyone I've talked to said they felt vertigo/dizzy when it happened. My mother said she has felt eq's before in Cali and she never felt the vertigo there. It's like everything moved/swayed 3 inches and then swayed back after the earth shook. Very strange indeed.
you had this same thread yesterday. the earthquake yesterday did not last 33 minutes, that is laughable. The degree to which someone feels an earthquake does not just depend on magnitude - but also depth. The other quakes you mentioned that you didn't feel might be if they were at a greater depth. A shallow quake will be felt over a much greater distance.
Felt like an underground explosin and blast wave to me.
John Everytard
wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong... and wrong.
the length of the EQ doesn't directly correlate to the magnitude. the magnitude is a measurement of the amount of energy released by the EQ. Generally speaking, one would assume that a lengthier (time) EQ would equate to a larger magnitude, but that's not true.
Also, this didn't register as a 5.9 across the entirety of the east coast. In SC, we registered between a 2.5 and a 3.0 -- get some facts straight!
don't use logic and fact, it is futile
Lurking Spectator
Magnitude does not usually mean the amount of damage, how far it is felt, and how bad the shaking is. That all depends on what the ground under is made of.
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9 I also think people of Virginia should fight to keep their guns. Don't be like Hong Kong 12/20/19
10 What made Virginia think that Mecklenburg prison was escape proof 11/10/19


text:
Dr. Joanne P. Baron
Anthropologist & Historian, Bard Early Colleges
I have been involved in archaeological research since 2004, working in Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala. My work investigates Classic Maya politics and economics—how ancient communities navigated a complex world of powerful warring cities using strategies such as religious cults, long-distance trade, and control of the landscape. Below are descriptions of my recent research projects.
Ancient Money
Both cotton textiles and cacao are known to have widely served as money upon Spanish contact with Mesoamerica in 1519, yet their most ancient uses appear to be restricted status display. When and why these items began to circulate as currency has been the focus of my recent research. A re-analysis of available archaeological, archaeobotanical, epigraphic, historical, and iconographic information demonstrates that the monetization of cacao and cotton among the Maya took place during the 7th century, a period of intense political rivalry between two powerful Maya kingdoms, Tikal and Calakmul. Each attempted to consolidate its political influence by widening exchange networks, thereby making cacao more available across social classes. These political actions were justified through discourses revealed in mythic narratives, in which the subjugation of cacao producers was represented as a triumph of moral authority. Households, meanwhile, responded to wider economic networks by shifting their textile production practices in order to access newly available goods. Finally, Maya courts imposed standardized sizing and counting of textiles and cacao in order to facilitate their collection as tribute. I have published the results of this work recently in two articles in Economic Anthropology and Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. I am also in the process of co-editing a volume, under contract with Berghahn Books, to be titled The Archaeology of Debt, Finance, and Money. See "Curriculum Vitae" for more information.
A Merchant Kingdom
I am the director of the La Florida Archaeology Project, together with Liliana Padilla and Christopher Martinez (visit floridanaranjo.net for more information). La Florida, known anciently as Namaan, is located on the south bank of the San Pedro River, not far from the border with Mexico. The San Pedro served as an important commercial highway, linking the cities of Central Peten to the fertile plains of Tabasco. La Florida is strategically situated along trade routes to the Usumacinta Valley as well. We believe that La Florida was an active participant in trade with Tabasco, especially in cacao. Preliminary data indicates that the site was rapidly settled during the 7th century.
A plaza of La Florida
Epigraphers have recognized references to the Namaan polity in inscriptions from many different sites, indicating La Florida's widespread political contacts. We believe that La Florida's prominence came from its role as a trading center, probably specializing in cacao from the fertile groves of the Tabasco Plain.
Map showing location of La Florida. Green indicates sites that probably had friendly relations with La Florida. Red indicates an antagonistic relationship.
Today, La Florida is located in the middle of El Naranjo, a growing border town that is linked via paved road to tourist destinations in Guatemala and Mexico. It also provides vehicle access to remote regions of Laguna del Tigre Park, north of the river.
Main Street, El Naranjo
Since 2014, we have worked with officials from the mayor's office, and they were instrumental in helping us organize the 2015 field season. Seeking to protect and develop the site, they asked us to map the ruins the hope of designating an archaeological park.
We conducted this mapping in July of 2015 with the help of students from San Carlos University in Guatemala City and Brandeis in Boston. We also worked with local leaders to develop a school workshop, distribute brochures for tourists, and build relationships with modern residents who live near the archaeological site. Click here for our 2015 season report (Spanish).
Mappers of the 2015 season from left to right: Walter Ochoa (student, U. del Valle), Rene Aguilar (assistant from El Naranjo), Joshua Freedline (student, Brandeis U.), Camille (trusty total station), Joanne Baron (me), Jose Subuyuj (student, U. del Valle).
In October of 2016, we conducted excavations and surface collections throughout the site. Preliminary data suggest that La Florida was settled comparatively late, possibly around 550 A.D. While conducting further mapping, we were also surprised to discover a new carved monument, La Florida Stela 16. The latest known monument from the site, it depicts a royal woman scattering incense in 785 A.D. Photos and season report are available at floridanaranjo.net.
Stela 16 emerges
During the 2017 field season, we conducted further survey work along the San Pedro River to the east and west of the site. Don Alfredo Morales, Auxiliary Mayor of El Naranjo, also allowed us to explore his parcel of land to the south of the site in the foothills of the Sierra Lacandon mountains. Here, several caves overlook a pass giving access to the San Pedro River Valley. Ceramics in the caves indicate that they were occupied and, we suspect, were used to strategically control passages through the foothills.
Explorations at the mouth of a cave in the Sierra Lacandon foothills. Photo by Jose Subuyuj.
A view from the same cave shows a path through the hills. Another cave is located at the base of the cliff seen across the valley. Photo by Jose Subuyuj.
The 2018 season continued investigations of the caves first explored in 2017, revealing the presence of a low rectangular structure at the base of the hill in front of the largest cave. We also excavated an elite residential structure in the site's main group, further confirming the site's chronology in the Late Classic.
Please visit our project website at floridanaranjo.net.
Gods and Politics
My 2016 book, Patron Gods and Patron Lords, the Semiotics of Classic Maya Community Cults, investigates how rulers and their subjects used patron deity cults to form identities, compete with political rivals, and negotiate relationships with other towns. In addition to evidence from over 200 inscriptions and ethno-historic data from later periods, the book analyzes the results of five seasons of excavation at the La Corona Regional Archaeology Project, directed by Dr. Marcello Canuto and Lic. Tomas Barrientos. See "Curriculum Vitae" for more.
Follow Dr. Joanne P. Baron on WordPress.com


text:
By Sam Del Rowe, contributing writer
Freshworks Announces New AI Capabilities
Freshworks today announced new capabilities for its Freddy AI engine. By leveraging real-time behavioral data gathered by the Freshworks suite, the new tools are able to predict which customers are most likely to close, reformulate common FAQs via chat or voice, and proactively engage with users at risk of churning.
"This is a machine learning algorithm that looks at the deals in your pipeline and assigns a probability of close based on prior history and known characteristics of successful deals," says David Thompson, chief marketing officer at Freshworks, of the ability to predict which customers are most likely to close. The algorithm can detect various signals that may not be readily apparent or available to sales reps. In the case of a free trial or freemium model for software, for instance, it could bring in signals such as whether a prospective customer is logging in, using, and populating the software with data—signals that indicate engagement and likelihood to close, Thompson says.
With regard to reformulating common FAQs via chat or voice, Freddy is now able to translate traditional static FAQs into conversational chat interfaces via text and voice chat. "Businesses spend a lot of time investing in writing FAQs, and customers spend a lot of time ignoring them," Thompson says. "What we've discovered in our user testing is that FAQs are actually a lot more useful in different forms than just "go to the website and read the FAQ"; it's much more useful either in a conversational format like a chatbot or a fully voice-enabled bot, which is something else we're seeing gain traction among our customers.
"What that means is you write an FAQ and you formulate a question that you know or you believe your customers frequently ask and then you provide an answer, but the reality is if you're in a chatbot or if you're in a voice bot which our Freddy platform now supports, the question can come in many forms," he continues. "Our algorithm can intuit different forms of the question that require similar answers. If the algorithm can't answer a question, it will ask the administrator for the right answer, and the algorithm will become more intelligent as a result of that."
As for catching users at risk of churning, Freshworks' Freshdesk support software can now read user behavior on websites with an eye on catching signals such as rage clicking, confused cursor movement, and random scrolling. Freddy then alerts support teams, with the goal of catching support issues early. "This can be as simple as something like behavior on a website that indicates frustration, sometimes called 'rage clicking,' or if someone is having a problem on a website and they start clicking multiple times, or they do multiple abandons of a shopping cart, all of those types of signals can alert a support agent or a bot, depending on the situation, to intervene proactively with the customer," Thompson says.


text:
package org.javamoney.moneta.spi;

import java.math.BigDecimal;
import java.math.BigInteger;
import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;

import org.testng.Assert;
import org.testng.annotations.Test;

/**
 * Tests for {@link org.javamoney.moneta.spi.ConvertBigDecimal}.
 */
@SuppressWarnings("BigDecimalMethodWithoutRoundingCalled")
public class ConvertBigDecimalTest {

	private BigDecimal expectValue = BigDecimal.TEN;

	@Test
	public void ofIntegerTest() {
		Assert.assertEquals(ConvertBigDecimal.of(10), expectValue);
	}

	@Test
	public void ofLongTest() {
		Assert.assertEquals(ConvertBigDecimal.of(10l), expectValue);
	}

	@Test
	public void ofShortTest() {
		Assert.assertEquals(ConvertBigDecimal.of((short) 10), expectValue);
	}

	@Test
	public void ofByteTest() {
		Assert.assertEquals(ConvertBigDecimal.of((byte) 10), expectValue);
	}

	@Test
	public void ofAtomicLongTest() {
		Assert.assertEquals(ConvertBigDecimal.of(new AtomicLong(10l)), expectValue);
	}

	@Test
	public void ofAtomicIntegerTest() {
		Assert.assertEquals(ConvertBigDecimal.of(new AtomicInteger(10)), expectValue);
	}

	@Test
	public void ofFloatTest() {
		Assert.assertEquals(ConvertBigDecimal.of(10f).setScale(0), expectValue);
	}

	@Test
	public void ofDoubleTest() {
		Assert.assertEquals(ConvertBigDecimal.of(10d).setScale(0), expectValue);
	}
	@Test
	public void ofDefaultNumberValueTest() {
		Assert.assertEquals(ConvertBigDecimal.of(new DefaultNumberValue(10)).setScale(0), expectValue);
	}
	@Test
	public void ofBigIntegerTest() {
		Assert.assertEquals(ConvertBigDecimal.of(BigInteger.valueOf(10l)), expectValue);
	}
}


text:
How can elected officials fall so short?
Politicians' Little Sins Lead to Great Ones
cconnor
Oops! Apparently the "culture of corruption," of which House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks with such derision, has infected the Democrats. Rep. William Jefferson (D.-La.) is the latest congressional figure to be implicated in a web of bribery and corruption.
The accusations leveled against Jefferson are damning. According to the Washington Post, an 83-page affidavit was recently filed that depicts him as, "a money-hungry man who freely solicited hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, discussed payoffs to African officials, had a history of involvement in numerous bribery schemes and used his family to hide his interest in high-tech business ventures he promoted in Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria."
While he is entitled to the presumption of innocence, things don't look good for Jefferson. Last week it was revealed that the FBI has in its possession a video of Jefferson accepting $100,000 in cash from an FBI informant in the parking lot of a Ritz-Carlton. The FBI's affidavit says, "Congressman Jefferson reached in [to the informant's car] and removed a reddish-brown colored leather briefcase which contained $100,000 in cash." A few days later, the FBI found $90,000 wrapped in aluminum foil in Jefferson's freezer! (They don't call it "cold cash" for nothing.)
How is it that elected officials in whom the public has reposed its trust can fall so short of the fiduciary obligations owed their constituents? It is not likely that public officials who came to Washington planned from the outset to parlay their public position into a vehicle for personal gain. Even the most hardened cynic will likely concede that most newly elected public officials come to their posts brimming with idealism expecting to act in accordance with the public good. Nevertheless, over the course of time, we often see that public servants who came to their offices expecting to be part of the solution have actually become part of the problem. This metamorphosis does not occur overnight. It occurs slowly, imperceptibly over time.
Many observers note that the longer one remains in office, the greater the likelihood that they will become part of the problem. That's not surprising. The "system" in Washington, and in most state capitals, is guaranteed to cause problems for public officials who do not have a strong constitution and a sound ethical barometer. Professional lobbyists make their living buddying up to members and attending their every need. Paid to be sycophants by the special interests who retain them, they sing the praises of members of Congress and flatter them endlessly. Want a great meal? There is always a lobbyist ready to spring for it. The finest wine and champagne? No problem. Need to go to a luxury resort to decompress? When would you like to arrive? Have a penchant for golf? St. Andrews is the best. The goal, of course, is not merely to provide a nice repast for a deserving public servant. The goal is to accomplish the agenda of the client who retained the lobbyist. Little by little, if they are not extremely diligent to preserve their integrity and character, public servants become co-opted over time. Sadly, the longer they serve, the worse the problem often becomes. Recognition of this fact has provided the impetus for many of the term limit movements that have sprung up around the country.
The "frog in the kettle" syndrome that affects many public officials is not limited to those in public life. Rarely is one's reputation undone because of a single momentous mistake. More likely it is the result of many smaller "compromises" that preceded the final collapse. The foundation of a house is not ruined because of one huge bite taken by a single termite on steroids. Rather it is the result of many small bites by a colony of termites that have infested the dwelling over time.
Charles Spurgeon, the famous English preacher who lived in the 1800s recognized the problem posed by "little sins." In one of his best known sermons titled "Little Sins" he observed that most people are not inclined to commit the "big sins," sins that everyone finds abhorrent (like when a public official accepts a bribe). Instead, it starts with a little sin, something that hardly seems significant at all — telling a lie, or receiving a very modest gift — and before long we become acclimated to the little sins, and they hardly seem disturbing. This process continues until we are entirely indifferent to even the biggest sin. Spurgeon exhorted his parishioners, "Little sins lead to great ones. Satan! Though biddest me commit a small iniquity. I know thee whom thou art, thou unholy one! Thou desirest me to put in the thin end of the wedge. Thou knowest when that is once inserted thou canst drive it home, and split my soul in twain. Nay, stand back! Little though the temptation be, I dread thee, for thy little temptation leads to something greater, and thy small sin makes way for something worse."
Spurgeon continues, "We all see in nature how easily we may prove this — that little things lead to greater things. If it be desired to bridge a gulf, it is often the custom to shoot an arrow, and cross it with a line almost as thin as film. That line passes over and a string is drawn after it, and after that some small rope and after that a cable, and after that the swinging suspension bridge, that makes a way for thousands. So it is oft times with Satan. It is but a thought that he would shoot across the mind. That thought shall carry a desire; that desire a look; that look a touch; that touch a deed; that deed a habit; and that habit something worse, until the man, from little beginnings, shall be swamped and drowned in iniquity… Oh! Take heed of those small beginnings of sin. Beginnings of sin are like the letting out of water: first, there is an ooze; then a drip; then a slender stream; then a vein of water; and then, at last, a flood: and a rampart is swept before it, a continent is drowned. Take heed of small beginnings, for they lead to worse."
In the final analysis, politicians are really no different from the rest of us. We all suffer from the consequence of the fall of our forebears in the Garden. We are all vulnerable to temptation. Thus, we would all do well to recognize our vulnerabilities and to guard against them, including little ones, lest we bring ourselves down, and others with us.
In Defense of the Rich
Paulson Pick Goes From Bad to Worse
Written By cconnor
Mr. Connor is chairman of the Center for a Just Society in Washington, D.C., and a nationally recognized trial lawyer who represented Gov. Jeb Bush in the Terri Schiavo case. Connor was formerly president of the Family Research Council, chairman of the Board of CareNet, and vice chairman of Americans United for Life.


text:
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December 19, 2016	/ 9 comments
Yoh Yoshinari Interview (Animestyle, 03/2013) Part 1/3
The following article was originally printed in issue 003 of Animestyle. Scans and images courtesy of The Canipa Effect. The interview has been translated by Twitter user @NohAcro © 2016 Wave Motion Cannon
Consider supporting us on Patreon where you can pick the next translation!
This article is broken into three parts
Dense and technical, a superanimator who impresses fans
Even anime fans who are not into sakuga may recognize him if they're told "the man who made that scene from Evangelion". He attracts sakuga fandom with dense works like in Eva or FLCL, and has many hardcore fans even inside the industry. As his friend and colleague Hiroyuki Imaishi puts it: "Yoshinari-san's key animation is the coolness of many different kinds of animators all bundled in a single vessel."
The greatness of "Yoshinari sakuga" as explained by Hiroyuki Imaishi
"The first time I recognized 'Yoshinari Sakuga' was when I directly saw his key frames, as an in-betweener on (Neon Genesis) Evangelion. Even though I had put my sakuga mania aside at the time, I was shocked of not knowing someone as good as this. To my mind, his key animation is a "bundle". It has the essence of all Yoshinori Kanada, Masami Obari, Satoru Utsunomiya, Yasuomi Umetsu, or Hiroyuki Okiura (and many others, including people from overseas). Moreover, the way he takes good parts from each is very balanced. He doesn't specialize only in tricky or realistic stuff, instead he tries to put the coolness of many kinds of sakuga into one vessel. That's why I found his key animation very otaku-ish at the time (laugh). Since we're the same age I could see things like "Oh, this is that person's style" and I was immediately fascinated by the fact that he could replicate it on such a high level.
My first impression of him on Eva was that he was very sharp, often using a ruler for mecha animation. This is particularly noticeable in episode 2, for which he was trying to draw almost all face and shoulder parts with a ruler. Nobody in GAINAX was doing that anymore so he looked like he was "resisting", and his works had a more sharp and rigid feel to them. But that changed after he participated in Jin-Roh. He started to introduce softer forms, thus changing his touch quite radically. Well, I guess there's also the influence of time. Yet I think he hasn't change fundamentally. He has a thick feeling like he is trying to condense all of the best animation he's seen in the past into one work, that thickness may be his originality. Talking about it, his older brother (Kou Yoshinari)'s work is also very dense, isn't it? Kou-san's is more oriented towards elevating his representation in a meticulous and realistic way, so I think they're a little different on that point. Maybe most of it is because (Kazuya) Tsurumaki-san initiated him the tough way. I remember peeking at him correcting Yoshinari-san's layouts at length telling him "No, not like this". Tsurumaki-san likes typical anime-ish rhythm and energy, but Yoshinari-san preferred to draw realistic, plaster figure-like shapes and accurate movement at the time. So Tsurumaki-san was trying to bring him to a more spectacular style. That happened several times, and his current style must have been shaped through that process.
He's had lesser and lesser time to draw key frames since we teamed up on (Tengen Toppa) Gurren Lagann, and I feel very sorry about that. To be honest, I'd like him to draw more keys. I wouldn't say "instead of spending time on Tezuka anime as Otonari Kobo" but (laugh)… If he's able to make such things unnoticed, that means he actually draws exceptionally fast. But his key animation works require so much efforts and time, he cannot be that efficient. After all it's a miracle to have such works delivered in such short deadlines. What always surprises me when I observe him working is that sometimes he draws incredible amounts of frames, and then just throws them. That happens mostly on very detailed explosion cuts: even when the cut is only about 2.5 seconds, he happens to draw more than what he needs. So in the end he takes unnecessary drafts out and throws them out, only then it's finished. He draws so many of them at first they don't fit into the timesheet, even if we put 24 frames per second. It's almost scary. Moreover, the less he has time the more his drawings get dense. And I think that thickness increases each year.
In that sense, he was also the trigger to decide my current career. I thought I couldn't compete with him on that ground, since I was shown the perfect form of an action animator. He's even started to get invested in directing and screenwriting to reach further perfection. I asked him to direct episode 23 of Panty&Stocking because I wanted to have a longer "Yoshinari time" onscreen. Of course if he manages to make 15 cuts in one episode it would be dense enough, but if he makes all rough keys as the episode director, the Yoshinari time can be even longer. And since that time is even longer on Little Witch Academia, I'm looking forward to the result. The project has the pre-requirement of raising younger animators, yet there are giant dragons and spectacular effects. I think it's normal for him to be able to draw all these, or should we say it's more like "First handle all of this, then we can talk" (laughs)
A mecha anime directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi, with hot-blooded characters who raised the show's popularity. Yoshinari assumed the role of mecha designer, for which he created great amounts of robots with modern designs while capturing the essence of classical and orthodox mecha shows. Animation wise, the cuts he handled were all superb, yet one could regret the fact that there were few, Yoshinari being busy with design work. These illustrations served as box art for the first edition of the 8th volume of the show's DVD, as well as for the limited edition of the movie Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Lagann-hen's DVD.
Metamorphosis in Neon Genesis Evangelion
In the last episode of the TV series, Shinji's inner world is represented with these metamorphoses. This cut doesn't have in-betweens, and he was in charge of all genga and douga. Movements and forms are outstanding, and it contains imagery evoking "evolution" or "Angels" proper to Eva, which is also worth attention. It was made as a paper anime, and pictures shown here are not from the finished film but from the key frames stored at the studio.
A 25-minutes short made for Anime Mirai 2013, and first work directed by Yoshinari. He also assumed the roles of character designer and animation director, as well as drawing background roughs. The main character and aspiring witch Akko joins the prestigious Luna Nova Academy, looking up to Shiny Chariot. Yet her abilities don't meet her ambitions, resulting in fruitless efforts. With her friends Lotte and Sucy, she attends an exercise consisting in bringing treasure back from a dungeon but gets involved in an unexpected incident. A cheerful adventure fantasy with cute characters, including the exceptional amount of 17,000 animation frames. It moves well, and the way action is built in the climax is very enjoyable. It was produced by Yoshinari's home studio, TRIGGER.
Profile: Yoh Yoshinari
Animator, designer, director. Born 6th May 1971 in Tokyo. Graduate from Tokyo Designer Gakuen College. First noticed for his work on Neon Genesis Evangelion, he then played an active part as one of GAINAX's leading animators on works like FLCL, Mahoromatic and Top wo Nerae! 2.
He often handles action scenes, and gathers many fans around his dense and powerful animation. He also handled posts other than animator in recent years, such as mecha design on Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and concept art/storyboards on Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt. He is the director/character designer/animation director on Little Witch Academia, one of Anime Mirai 2013's shorts. Currently working at TRIGGER.
Long interview with Yoh Yoshinari
I joined the anime industry to follow my older brother
Oguro: We have the continuous impression that regarding animation, you are trying to reach summits in something. We'd like to hear from you about that, from your older works to Little Witch Academia which is your first directorial work. Why did you become an animator to begin with?
Yoshinari: I wasn't particularly willing to, it's more like a set of circumstances. At first I was dragged into the industry by my older brother (Kou Yoshinari).
Oguro: Were you drawing way before becoming an animator?
Yoshinari: I was, but it wasn't really serious. More like doodles.
Oguro: Of what kind?
Yoshinari: Normal, I guess, the kinds which were popular then, stuff like that.
Oguro: Was it anime-like drawings, or more photo-realistic ones?
Yoshinari: I think it depended, I wasn't attached to a particular style. I think I was doing it just because I enjoyed the process of drawing.
Oguro: Your older brother began to work with the goal of becoming an animator, right?
Yoshinari: I think he did.
Oguro: So he told you to help him, and that led you to work in the industry?
Yoshinari: I guess that's how it happened. He just trained me as his assistant, so as for knowledge, it's more him who inculcated me with it than me learning by myself.
Oguro: Like how to draw key frames, or how to do in-betweens?
Yoshinari: Well, even he was an amateur at the beginning, there wasn't a big difference between us. So I think we learned in parallel for the most part. The gap between us was not so significant at that point.
Oguro: Have you both attended professional school?
Yoshinari: Yes. But we were mostly going there to play around. They don't teach so important things at school to begin with, you know.
Oguro: You mean it's not practical?
Yoshinari: They taught us how to draw douga, so it was practical so to speak, but it's a place where they only trained key animators and in-betweeners to fill up vacancies, not a place where they taught us how to draw. With all respect, even lecturers weren't good animators, so in the end we had to learn by ourselves.
Oguro: Did you graduate?
Yoshinari: I did, just in case. But I considered it more as a moratorium, since I didn't feel like working just after graduating high school. I could even go as far as to say that I attended in order to look for a job. After all I could gather more information by doing so than jumping directly into a company, right? By going to professional school, I thought I could see job offers from several places. For the rest I attended to play around more than to study.
Oguro: Which one was first, you participating in working as a pro or entering professional school?
Yoshinari: I first worked as a pro.
Oguro: We've heard your first work was on the 1991 OVA Bousou Sangokushi: Specter Tanjou.
Yoshinari: Indeed. I did in-betweens on it, and maybe my first keys as well. I think it's when I was in high school.
Oguro: If I remember well, your older brother is credited as a key animator on it.
Yoshinari: Right. I'm not credited on most works I did helping my older brother. That only started after I got hired by a studio.
Oguro: Are there works you participated in between Specter and when you joined GAINAX then?
Yoshinari: I think there are quite a lot. I did several works during the 2 years I was in professional school. Even if it's not much in quantity.
Oguro: Could you please tell us which cuts you made key animation for on Specter?
Yoshinari: That's a difficult question (wry smile). I remember drawing cuts with people punching each other, as well as cars…
Oguro: You drew things here and there.
Yoshinari: Right, I didn't do an entire scene by myself.
Oguro: I heard you drew the part with someone throwing a Molotov.
Yoshinari: I don't really know… I may have done second key animation, but in that case my brother made the roughs, so his drawings must be prevailing.
Oguro: You first joined Madhouse after graduating from professional school.
Yoshinari: Indeed. But there wasn't any particular reason for that. It wasn't because I wanted to work on one show and not the other… but more because it didn't seem too difficult (laugh).
Oguro: -then you moved to GAINAX, just after joining Madhouse.
Yoshinari: I didn't actually move, I had sent my application to both Mad and GAINAX, and GAINAX didn't respond. So I thought they had rejected it and I went to Mad. If I were accepted by GAINAX, I would have joined them directly. But apparently there was a misunderstanding, and no one in GAINAX had seen my application (laugh).
Oguro: So you learned that you were hired by GAINAX afterwards?
Yoshinari: Yes, I was suddenly called by GAINAX, 3 months after I joined Madhouse. But when I had to resign, I didn't feel like telling them I was leaving for GAINAX, so I said something like "being an animator is too hard for me, so I quit" (laugh).
Oguro: Were you looking up to GAINAX?
Yoshinari: I was, so to speak, but the main reason was because my brother told me I was a fit for GAINAX.
Oguro: (laugh)
Yoshinari: Personally I didn't think I was at all, that the level was too high for me. Even when I sent my application, I wasn't expecting of being hired.
Oguro: Was it after Top wo Nerae! and Nadia?
Yoshinari: I think it was just after Nadia ended. Maybe the bar was brought down a little bit because of Nadia's messy ending, I don't know (laugh). But I think no one would want to join GAINAX just after seeing Royal Space Force (Wings of Honnêamise).
Oguro: You mean the bar was too high?
Yoshinari: Right. Well, I like it of course, but…
Oguro: When you joined GAINAX the studio didn't have many projects of its own yet, so it had to find work outside, didn't it?
Yoshinari: It was like that until just before, but then they hired many new in-betweeners in order to make Uru in Blue.
Oguro: There are rumors saying you participated very actively in the making of Uru, what did you do?
Yoshinari: At the beginning I was doing stuff like image boards. The method, like on Honnêamise was to bring various people to draw boards, and I participated in a quite similar way.
Oguro: Just after you arrived at the studio?
Yoshinari: Right. That's the reason why I did in-betweens in GAINAX only for a very short period of time, like 3 months. Then the preparations for Uru started and I was creating settings or boards-kind of things. They told us to draw as much as we could, not thinking too hard about it, assuming that it would not be used anyways. There weren't any directives about particular characters or camera angles, so I was just drawing what I wanted.
Oguro: Do you remember what you drew then?
Yoshinari: I remember of drawing townscapes repeatedly. Layout tasks were also advancing a little bit at the beginning, so I did that as well. There were many projects not leading to anything like this one in GAINAX.
Oguro: What did you think about GAINAX after joining them?
Yoshinari: It may sound harsh, but I was expecting almost all people my age to be talented, but most of them didn't have any proper knowledge about animators, which was very disappointing. It felt like the anime industry wasn't attracting people anymore.
Oguro: Maybe the game industry was starting to be more attractive to artists at the time.
Yoshinari: That's also true, but I think the main reason is that anime was boring, or rather that the majority of people suddenly lost their expectations towards anime. As (Hiroyuki) Imaishi-san puts it as well, that caused an ice age of talents. Despite there being so many great talents in the generation just before ours, it feels like there aren't many of them among people my age.
Oguro: It was a time when elaborate animation wasn't required so much.
Yoshinari: That's certainly a factor. The general atmosphere was that everything had already been done, and it wasn't worth keeping on doing it. The trend wasn't to do whatever we wanted to do with animation anymore, and most people shifted their mind to just doing their job seriously. It felt like the period for things like Project A-ko was over.
Oguro: How were you feeling personally about all of that?
Yoshinari: As you know, even in these times new animation styles were created. People like (Satoru) Utsunomiya-san, (Masaaki) Yuasa-san, (Shinya) Ohira-san came out, and even after we thought it was over, newer styles kept coming out. Those are things we just don't think about, but which keep being created. Maybe I joined the industry under the influence of The Hakkenden, willing to do that kind of work.
Oguro: Were you in professional school when Hakkenden or Gosenzosama (Banbanzai) came out?
Yoshinari: I think so. Maybe Gosenzo was when I was in last year at high school. Back then I thought something like, "Fresh stuff's coming out, is this where anime is heading now?" and on the other hand there were shows like Nadia which included clear elements from anime in a solid, not anime-ish production line. It was a time when anime started to be more polished. In my case I didn't have any great ambition, I just ended up in the industry by wandering around.
Oguro: But Imaishi-san described your work as a "bundle", condensing every kind of coolness in one style.
Yoshinari: Imaishi-san's also kind of a sakuga maniac, isn't he?
Oguro: Very much so, yes.
Yoshinari: But he's very one-sided. He only knows stuff like (Yoshinori) Kanada style, or (Yoshikazu) Yasuhiko style. I think he doesn't know Utsunomiya-san's evolution in the 90's either, which is quite a shame for a sakuga otaku (laugh).
Oguro: (laugh).
Yoshinari: I think he should watch more of it. It's always important to remain broad-minded, not only for animation. Or else there's the risk of having biased tastes, like obsessing on movements but not on drawings, things like that.
Oguro: Indeed, drawings of people who excel in movement tend to have sloppy lines, forms or details. On the contrary, people focusing on details can lack dynamism and realism when it comes to movement.
Yoshinari: That's right. In the end I need to watch all kinds of things evenly to evaluate them, it's not interesting otherwise. I like anything while it's well-made… even if that could sound inconstant from a certain viewpoint. When it comes to drawings, I want to enjoy everything I can. That's why I want to watch anything, not only from Japan but also puppet animation from abroad, or sand animation. It's gratifying to find a sense of beauty I hadn't noticed by myself in those, and I watch them thinking it could broaden the range of my own representations.
Oguro: Was that also the case before you joined the industry?
Yoshinari: It was. There was that small theater in Kichijouji called the JAV50 -now it's the Baus Theater- and they used to have an annual program where they would screen Russian or East-European animation, to which I was going every year thinking it could be stimulating. There I saw a short film called The Mitten by Roman Katchanov.
Oguro: It's Russian stop-motion animation.
Yoshinari: I was really shocked when I watched that. Character felt like they were alive. It was something completely distinct from what I was making. I couldn't bear the idea of being classified under the same term of 'animation'.
Oguro: Without exaggeration?
Yoshinari: Yes. So I persuaded myself to consider anime only as anime and to draw a clear line. I think I was at GAINAX then, and I also had to work on stuff which made me think, "Why in the world do I have to do this?" while drawing key frames, so I needed that distinction.
Yoshinari: Or I'd rather say that I told myself to enjoy my own job, that I shouldn't be fussy about the shows I get to work on. I shifted my general attitude about it, thinking there was an appropriate way for each show. After that I was willing to do any kind of work I could get, even Mahoromatic, for example.
Oguro: You mostly handled action scenes in Mahoromatic as well, but you're saying you were also enthusiastic about doing other parts?
Yoshinari: I had the intention of doing whatever I was asked to, but in the end I only got that kind of scenes, and no acting. They were simply bringing me difficult scenes, so I was doing action or effects for the most part. Of course it was OK for me to do difficult parts since I was an employee, and it was on my work time so they had to take advantage of it.
Oguro: We consider you as an action authority, and I think a great part of the works you've done are action scenes, yet personally, you're not intending to master action animation?
Yoshinari: I don't really care. I'm just doing it for the fun of making drawings move, so to use harsh terms, I don't have affection for characters. As long as I can make it move, I don't care what kind of drawing it is, and I guess most qualified animators think the same way. Like, (Toshiyuki) Inoue-san's also working with that mindset, I think.
Oguro: Right.
Yoshinari: Well, I also think that even if drawings look great, it's not good if they're not relevant to the work itself. After all we need to think about the work and to reflect on the audience's enjoyment. I try not be selfish in my enjoyment.
Oguro: You mean you mustn't just seek for your own satisfaction as an artist?
Yoshinari: It's not really satisfaction, but the process of animating itself is so pleasant I tend to look like I only care about technique. That's something I shouldn't do.
Oguro: So you don't care about the style of the drawings either?
Yoshinari: Of course I do, but I just don't have any inclination or particular preference, since there are approaches or aesthetics to fit each one. I prefer to think about how I would animate it.
Oguro: Currently on Little Witch Academia, you're drawing cute characters with few amounts of lines. Does that means it was also in your artistic range?
Yoshinari: I guess so. Even if I'd rather say I just came up it this without thinking that much. First I thought about giving more direction to the designs, but there was a pressure around me, saying it wouldn't be well-received (wry smile). So after some course correction, they ended up being kind of orthodox.
Oguro: Oh, so you were aiming for more original designs?
Yoshinari: Well, I thought I would make them a little bit different from what we're used to see.
Oguro: But people around told you not to make it too different?
Yoshinari: First they told me "It's not cute" (laugh). "Can't you do something about it?". And since I don't have preferences of my own, I'm easily influenced by others. If I'm told something's wrong, I immediately change course.
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Josh Dunham
The creator of Wave Motion Cannon - but you already knew that. When not watching a film or podcasting he plays guitar pretending he's Jimmy Page. He grew up on comic books, likes board games, and long walks on the beach. Fluent in Spanish, but misspells English. A perfect balance of Scorpio and Libra, his favorite flavor of ice cream is cookies and cream.
Josh DunhamAuthor website
animage, animation, anime, evangelion, hiroyuki, imaishi, Interview, Sakuga, Yoh, Yoshinari
Blade Licking Thieves Ep #10 – Metropolis
Weekly Motion Cannon: March comes in like a lion Episode 9
NAveryW December 22, 2016 — 2:52 pm
I love how candid this is– I laughed out loud at "I was willing to do any kind of work I could get, even Mahoromatic". He also criticizes Nadia's ending as "messy". I wonder what his own opinion on Evangelion's ending was.
Uru in Blue was a total mess from the beginning, huh. I also wonder how confident the staff ever was about it getting completed. (I'll get my hands on Notenki Memoirs eventually…) Yoshinari says "There were many projects not leading to anything like this one in GAINAX," and that still seems to be the case…
gwern December 25, 2016 — 1:51 pm
> I'll get my hands on Notenki Memoirs eventually…
Here: https://www.gwern.net/docs/eva/2002-notenki-memoirs
Rocko52 January 9, 2017 — 7:40 pm
Well, he did do a lot of key animation for both the final episodes of Evangelion and End of Eva. And as much shit as those things get, they actually have hugely impressive animation, setting aside the philosophical/thematic stuff people argue over (I think they're brilliant) the series' finale is actually quite technically great.
Frog-kun December 27, 2016 — 8:07 am
Imaishi goes to all that effort to praise Yoshinari, and Yoshinari just snubs him… oh my god I'm laughing too hard, this is terrible.
Yoh Yoshinari Interview (Animage, 03/2013) Part 2/3 | Wave Motion Cannon
Yoh Yoshinari Interview (AnimeStyle, 03/2013) Part 3/3 | Wave Motion Cannon
Akko, Yoshinari, and the Journey of the Young Creator | Caffeinated Telescopes
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La 94.ª Brigada Mixta fue una unidad del Ejército Popular de la República creada durante la Guerra Civil Española. Llegó a operar en los frentes de Teruel, Aragón y Segre, teniendo una actuación destacada durante la contienda.

Historial
En marzo de 1937, en Cuenca, se creó originalmente una brigada que recibió la numeración «94», formada con reclutas de las quintas de 1932, 1933, 1934 y 1935, y con restos de la antigua columna «Iberia». El mando de la esta unidad fue encomendado al comandante de infantería José Ramos Chiva. La 94.ª BM, con su organización muy retrasada, fue enviada a la Batalla de Brunete, si bien no llegó a participar. Unos meses después la unidad fue disuelta y dispersada.

En septiembre de 1937 se creó en Cartagena una brigada con fuerzas de infantería de marina que recibió la numeración «94», quedando bajo el mando del comandante de infantería de marina Ginés Sánchez Balibrea. Fue encuadrada en la 34.ª División y, posteriormente, en la 72.ª —ambas, divisiones del XVIII Cuerpo de Ejército—. Inicialmente tuvo su cuartel general en Jódar, donde permaneció hasta que fue llamada para participar en la batalla de Teruel (integrada en la 34.ª División).

Durante la batalla de Teruel la unidad tuvo un papel destacado tanto en los combates de «La Muela» como en la conquista de la ciudad. En febrero de 1938, durante la batalla del Alfambra, la unidad entró en combate en la cota 1.403, el día 8. Dos días después se integró en la Agrupación «Perea», tomando parte en un fallido contraataque contra el avance franquista. Durante todas estas operaciones la unidad sufrió un duro desgaste, por lo que fue retirada a Madrid, donde disfrutó de un corto periodo de descanso. Fue sometida a una reorganización y reforzada con efectivos procedentes de la 95.ª Brigada Mixta, que de hecho sería fusionada con la 94.ª BM.

Tras el comienzo de la ofensiva franquista en el frente de Aragón fue enviada como refuerzo al norte del Ebro. Por estas fechas llegó a estar integrada brevemente en la 70.ª División. El 18 de abril la 94.ª BM se hallaba situada en Sort, integrada en la 34.ª División; al día siguiente fue asignada a la nueva División «Bellvís», en Castellciutat. La ofensiva franquista provocó que la unidad quedase arrinconada en la zona pirenaica. Sin embargo, cuando se detuvo el ataque franquista, a finales de abril la 94.ª BM participó en el asalto republicano sobre la cabeza de puente franquista de Serós, en el río Segre. Para ello la unidad asaltó las Peñas de Aolo en la Sierra de Pobo, sin éxito. Los combates se alargaron hasta comienzos de mayo. Por su desempeño en los combates sería condecorada con la Medalla al Valor.

Para entonces la unidad se encontraba asignada a la 34.ª División del X Cuerpo de Ejército.

El 9 de junio la unidad cruzó el río Segre por la zona de Vilanova de la Barca con la intención de establecer una cabeza de puente, intento que terminaría fracasando. Unos meses después, en octubre, el mando de la unidad pasó al comandante Isidoro Fernández González. En diciembre de 1938 se encontraba situada en el frente del Segre, debiendo a hacer frente a la nueva ofensiva franquista; a pesar de la resistencia ofrecida, hubo de retirarse de sus posiciones. Continuaría retirándose hasta la frontera francesa.

Mandos
Comandantes
 Comandante de infantería de marina Ginés Sánchez Balibrea;
 Comandante de infantería de marina Isidoro Fernández González;

Comisarios
 Evaristo Torralba García, de la CNT;

Jefes de Estado Mayor
 Capitán de infantería de marina Julio Pastoriza Díaz;

Véase también
 Anexo:Brigadas Mixtas del Ejército Popular de la República
 Ejército Popular de la República

Referencias

Bibliografía

Brigadas Mixtas del Ejército Popular español

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Below are a few ideas for getting your hands on the funds you need to get the ball rolling.
A cash-out refinance helps you tap into some of your home's equity. Lenders will generally let you borrow enough to pay off your current mortgage and take out more cash, usually up to 80 percent of your home's value. But proceed carefully before agreeing to this type of refinance. You'll be using your home as collateral for a bigger loan, and you'll be financing short-term costs with long-term debt, which adds interest and other fees to the price of the renovations. In most cases, a cash-out refinance is appropriate only if you're improving your home in ways that will increase its value.
What if you can't qualify for a loan because your credit score isn't high enough or some other mitigating factor? Don't worry too much. First, get some advice from a lending institution officer or an experienced real estate professional. Then think about an unsecured personal loan. This is a common type of loan that isn't backed by collateral, such as your home or car. It's riskier for lenders, though, who might charge higher annual percentage rates than a secured loan. Approval and the rate you receive are still primarily based on your credit score, but with some caveats. You probably won't get funded for a major renovation, but for general sprucing up–maybe adding a new front door or a few windows–an unsecured personal loan could be just the ticket. Rates typically range from 5 percent to 36 percent, and repayment terms range from one to seven years.
A popular loan for someone buying a home that needs work, the 203k rehab loan allows a buyer to finance the purchase price of the property and the cost of needed or desired repairs–all folded into a single loan. If you don't have the money to renovate, this type of loan can be a real benefit to creating your ideal home. No scrambling around before closing, trying to repair the home so the bank will lend on it. No shopping around for a second mortgage to finance repairs. No living with a leaky roof while you save up the funds to fix it. A 203k loan can take care of these repairs and more with one loan transaction.
Of course, paying for renovations with cash is the best way to avoid finance and other charges, and stay within your budget. Saving up takes time and patience, but is bound to cause fewer headaches along the way to completing your reimagined dream home.
Still have questions about which type of home loan you should get? Connect with one of our real estate agents or our HomeServices Lending team today.


text:
GT TOURS INC. > PROMOTIONS > TOUR PACKAGES, PROMOTIONS & DESTINATION INFORMATION & PROMOTIONS TO SOUTH AMERICA > CHILE > GTCT-527 – CHILE
GTCT-527 – CHILE
Full Name Email Date of Travel Number of travelers Departure city GT Preferred Travel Agent Number Departure city Phone
or Call us: (800) 666 8687
Four days / Three nights
Valid for travel thru December 30, 2017
DAY 1: Arrival in Easter Island
Transfer from airport to the hotel. Rest of day at leisure.
Overnight accommodations at selected hotel
DAY 2: Easter Island (B/L)
Ahu Tongariki, Rano Raraku, Akahanga, Te Pito Kura & Anakena
Breakfast served at the hotel. Starting the tour from your hotel in Hanga Roa. This guided excursion lasts between 6 hours and 30 minute and is designed to follow the footsteps of Rapa Nui´s first King, Ariki Hotu Matu'a. during the colonization period. A total of five archaeological sites are visited three in the morning and two in the afternoon. In the morning guests will visit Ahu Tongariki, Rano Raraku, Akahanga. Guests are then taken back to the main town where lunch is served in Hotel Taha Tai. After lunch the tour continues towards the northern coast visiting Te Pito Kura which is known as the navel of the world. The last and final destination is Anakena whereby tourists will be able to see two restored ceremonial centers and many archaeological artifacts (moai statues, petroglyphs, ancient houses, etc.)
Afterwords a brief moment is taken in order to relax and enjoy the White Sandy beach and the crystalline waters of Anakena.
Archaeological Sites:
Ahu Tongariki is internationally recognized due to its immense ceremonial altar which is adorned with 15 majestic moai statues.
Tongariki is a testament to the island´s incredible megalithic culture as it is the largest ceremonial altar in all of Polynesia, and the largest archaeological site that has been reconstructed on the island. This site was reconstructed in the 1980´s after the devastating damage produced by a tsunami in 1960, whereby moai statues weighing approximately 80 tons were moved off their platform about 1,500 feet inland.
Rano Raraku is an inactive volcano and fresh-water crater located in the southeastern portion of the island. Rano Raraku is without a doubt one of the most archaeologically important sites in the world, as it is where the legendary moai statues were carved.
A trail leads along the base of the volcano (light to medium trekking) providing a direct view of the many remaining moai statues that remain positioned within the quarry bedrock while others are standing upright. One will also be able to appreciate a spectacular view of the largest moai statue which has been carved, called Ko Te Tokanga ( The Giant). This structure measures 66 feet long and its estimated weigh is 220 tons.
Akahanga is a once-inhabited ceremonial site, containing a variety of ancient structures including upright and fallen moai statues ceremonial altars, earth ovens (umu pae), ancient houses (hare paenga), caves, and outdoor agricultural areas (manavai), In total this site contains thirteen moai statues and eight pukao headdresses.
Taha Tai means Next to the Sea in Rapa Nui language, a hotel built on the seafront. Hotel Taha Tai has an exclusive restaurant with ocean view where we include the lunch consisting on a main dish, salad, dessert, mineral water or soft drink or national beer or natural juice per person.
Ahu Te Pito Kura is an archaeological site that contains the largest statue wich has been carved and placed on to a ceremonial platform, measuring 30 feet high and weighing approximately 90 tons. This moai statue also has its topknot or hair-dress, which has been estimated to weigh 11.5 tons. This site is located along the northeast coast and also contains a sacred stone believed to have been brought by the island´s first King: Ariki Hotu Matu'a, from his native land of Hiva.
As the final and last stop on the full day tour, time is given in order to visit two ceremonial altars adorned with moai statues (Ahu Nau Nau and Ahu Ature Huki) and to enjoy the palm trees and crystal clear waters of Anakena beach. Also at Anakena beach, one will be able to eat locally prepared dishes, and visit many local handicraft kioskos that contain authentic Rapa Nui souvenirs.
DAY 3: EASTER ISLAND (B)
Half day tour to Orongo, Rano Kau volcano
Continental breakfast served at the hotel restaurant. H/D Orongo, Visit of Rano Kau volcano, (1,6 km in diameter), the ceremonial village of Orongo with its largest concentration of petroglyphs with images of Tangata Manu, the birdman, god Make Make and Komari, the fertility symbol and Vinapu.. & H/D Ahu Akivi, Sightseeing of Ahu Akivi, site of the seven moais overlooking the sea, Caves of Ana Tepahu, among the largest on the island and Pun-a-Pau quarries on the slopes of a volcano and where the reddish topknots were sculpted.
DAY 4: Depart Easter Island
Breakfast served at the hotel. Transfer from the hotel to the airport.
RATES PER PERSON BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
DELUXE CLASS CATEGORY – HANGAROA (Standard Room)
DOUBLE SINGLE TRIPLE
$ 1,287 $ 1,976 N/A
March 1 – April 30 & October 1 – December 30, 2017
FIRST CLASS CATEGORY – ALTIPLANICO RAPA NUI (Standard Room)
$ 754 $ 1,356 $ 666
TOURIST SUPERIOR CLASS – TAHA TAI (Standard Room)
A SAVINGS OF $100.00 PER PERSON
PLEASE CHECK WITH US FOR INTERNATIONAL AIR FARES
FROM USA TO CHILE ON OUR AIR PARTNERS:
AMERICAN AIRLINES, LATAM AND AVIANCA
TOUR RATES INCLUDE:
Three night accommodations at selected hotels with daily breakfast
Full day tour Ahu Tongariki, Rano Raraku, Akahanga, Te Pito Kura & Anakena with lunch
Round trip transfers between airport in Easter Island and selected hotel
International air between USA and Santiago. Round trip local air between Santiago and Easter Island. Land services, tours and meals not indicated in itinerary. Entrance fee to National Park Rapa Nui, must be paid directly by passenger in Easter Island. Tips and gratuities to tour guides and drivers. Travel insurance (highly recommended).


text:
PUBLISHED | JULY 9, 2019
How AI can open new doors for your business
Among the many emerging technologies that companies are exploring to gain a competitive edge, artificial intelligence (AI) may be the most enticing because of science fiction, and the most misunderstood because of the excessive hype surrounding it.
While AI may be closer than ever to being used in the real world, there are still many steps to take before it is fully integrated into everyday business, according to CompTIA.
"With disruptive possibilities for both workflow and workforce, AI must be well understood by not only the technology team, but also the business executives making decisions regarding the future of the organisation," says Moheb Moses, co-founder & director, Channel Dynamics, and director, ANZ Channel Community, CompTIA.
CompTIA recently released a report on Emerging Business Opportunities in AI.
The report provides context for the state of AI adoption, describing general perceptions around the concept, current implementation status, and hurdles in the way of future success.
AI represents a new way of thinking about software
Most businesses aren't actively developing their own AI algorithms. Instead, they are adopting products that have AI features built in. Even so, there must be an understanding of how AI differs from previous software applications. Rather than operating on inputs in a deterministic way to produce results, AI programs take in large amounts of data and work in a probabilistic manner. This means that there is a higher degree of uncertainty in the results. AI may produce unique and disruptive insights, but those insights require some amount of validation.
Innovative use cases require strong foundations
Using a broad definition for AI, many existing IT activities could be placed on an AI spectrum, and building on these activities could lead to better automation or stronger data analysis. However, most companies take a modern view of AI, imagining use cases such as personalised customer experience or security incident detection. Along with the introduction of new AI components, companies must also consider the infrastructure needed, the data that will drive the work, and the processes for integrating AI into workflow.
A mix of basic skills and new skills are needed
Considering the scope of potential impact, businesses should make sure that AI projects are handled similar to most technology projects in a digital organisation; as a collaboration between IT and business. When it comes to detailed implementation, companies are often looking for specific skills around troubleshooting or developing AI, however, there are also foundational skills in software development, security, and data management that contribute to AI success.
Strong data management is key to AI operations
The end goal for most AI solutions involves making sense of large amounts of data, so companies face the same challenge in building AI input that they faced in transitioning to a big data strategy. Data silos must be identified, and processes must be built for consistently handling the capture, processing, and visualisation of different data streams.
Seth Robinson, senior director, technology analysis, CompTIA, said: "AI can help with cost savings, but the greater potential lies in opening new doors.
"Companies that are approaching AI as an IT activity should consider its far-reaching implications and move towards a more collaborative model. AI is a topic that should involve the entire organisation."
Ai |
Artificial Intelligence |
CompTIA |
IT |


Mitchell never EVER wants to go to bed . . .
That is, until the night his dad says he can get his license and drive there. After a careful inspection of his new cars tires, a spiffy wash of the windshield, and a honk of the horn, Mitchell takes off on a bedtime road trip to remember. Steering through an obstacle course of speed bumps, near misses, and sharp turns, Mitchell's trusty car cruises him smoothly to tuck-in time and the open road in his dreams.
"Sure to become a classic for the 'but I'm not tired yet set."
"Mitchell, an overwrought toddler who almost (but not quite) rules the domestic roost, is instantly recognizable as every tyke who gets a second wind after nine o'clock."
"The pacing is riotous . . . This one is destined for family favoritehood."


Here's where you can listen to the sounds without reading the whole story. There are more on the story page, but they wouldn't make much sense out of context.
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