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There are times in life when we have to double down and regroup. Whether by choice or compulsion, we retreat and reconsider where we are and where we want to be. Sometimes these moments are scary. Failure might be glaring us in the face. The thing we must remember is that these days are necessary. Growth requires sacrifice and death. When things must change, instead of resisting it out of fear, let's embrace it in the name of growth.


overview : Mit, a hotel manager in Chiang Mai, is going to Krabi to attend a wedding during Songkran festival. On the way, his car has an accident, so he has to hire Bungern, a bus owner to drive him to Krabi. The bus is tumbledown and Mit has no better choice, he is forced to take this bus. While driving to Krabi, they experience many troubles and later become new buddies who make chaos in Songkran festival.


Yesterday after my physio appointment I had a kind conversation while paying for my groceries. The lady cashier had pale blue tattoo on her left inside forearm and I asked her about it. She designed the tattoo from the card her parents received from her Mom's mother - a 62 year old vintage wedding card, she added her parent's (in their handwriting) names on the bells , it was unique and lovely. She designed it for her parent's 62nd Anniversary. She told me about their families, the great numbers of sisters and brothers her parent's had, the celebrations, the way she misses her favorite aunt - so much love compacted into a short time.
Then, walking from putting my shopping cart away, a lady stranger asked if she could give me a bouquet. I was extremely touched and thanked her for her kindness and she continued walking away.
Kindness when I needed kindness.
The past 13 days have been tough, not in the seriously hurt, ill or anything, just tough.
A car ran a red light a week ago Monday on the long weekend and totaled my car. I was 5 minutes from my home. No fault for me on any of the documents that were presented to the Adjuster.
Life changes when an accident happens.
Kind strangers stayed with me from the moment my car stopped moving, helped me out my car (one held my head in an upright position with no head movement allowed (and kept me that way until the ambulance paramedic helped me into the ambulance) while two other kind persons supported my arms and all three walked me into a bike store where the employees got me a bench to sit on and I was lowered by the kind strangers and sat).
Those same three kind strangers plus two others who saw the accident stayed, making sure that everything was documented properly, that the police interview had answers from me, they made sure my wallet and driver's license were replaced in my pocket, used my phone to contact my DH then returned it to my pocket.
Once I had my glasses I was able look directly at (and see) each professional who was asking me questions and recording my answers.
The ambulance crew were very professional, very patient, did the tests they are trained to do, kept notes on my answers, kept a close watch until they handed me over to the Emergency staff.
A blur of red - a blur and a such a loud and resounding metallic body slam feeling and the air bag whomp in the face and falling white dust. My glasses flew.
I didn't move, I didn't even turn off the car. I wondered in a somewhat dreamy way what a person should do now.
I looked forward and saw smoke and still didn't move until the kindness of strangers helped me.
I felt somewhat disconnected, upright, breathing, answering and waiting for whatever would come next.
Fire Engines and crew did spill clean up on the highway. Police. Ambulance. Highway closure.
Sequence of what happened next.
Yes, I went to emergency, DH came to the accident site after he received the call, then followed me to the hospital. He stayed for awhile until I my foggy brain realized he was sitting waiting out in the waiting room after he registered me (he had my phone and wallet then) and I guessed I would be in several hours so I peeked out the door and had a hug and told him I would phone when it was time to come home.
Always long waits in Emergency. Four hours +.
I had been examined three times, questions were repeated, x-rays were taken, results were shared with me, a handout on what to do if... was given and I phoned and we went home. I was grateful for the care.
I walked a total of 10,060 steps that Monday, mostly in the hospital - just up and down the waiting and assistance area as the staff wants to SEE their patients.
Home. Felt vague, sore chest and shoulder and neck and back and hips. Took Advil, had supper that family saved me, slept somewhat, thoughts going everywhere.
I have never had a vehicle accident, never been in one. Not the life experience I would want anyone to have.
Doctor visit, physio started, contact with Adjustor many times, a caring and professional guide through this time which I followed. I have kept notes on all directions and what I did since the accident.
More Doctor visits to come, more physio for several weeks.
Turning my keys over Tuesday this week.
Find another car (was not in my budget plans).
I have spent hours looking. I know the models I will consider, the mileage that matches the norm for the year I end up with, the certified no accident form, Consumer Guide research on each one I consider, test drive.
What an unexpected way to have time and energy gobbled up. I am also using up my Family's time driving me to everything as well as not getting things done that are my normal jobs at home. A dear friend has come over most mornings this week to help me with my work plus some driving to appointments.
The amount of stuff I had in my trunk was amazing. So was DGS who hauled it out of DS's truck and up the stairs into the kitchen.
I keep quite a bit of work stuff in my trunk so some sorting, re-purposing and etc. is happening.
That is where I am today. Going through each bag, making decisions and carrying on.
I am grateful for the kindness of strangers.
So sorry to hear of your accident. That would definitely be a very scary thing to me. So thankful you were not hurt more seriously. I am sure you will be sore for several days. Wishing you better days to come.
Accidents are terrifying! I'm glad that you weren't hurt more seriously. Take the time to rest and heal properly.
Joy I am so thankful you are doing OK. I've been in a big accident before and it is beyond scary. I was stopped waiting to make a left turn and a teenager in a pickup truck hit me and literally pushed me 100 yards down the road. His front wheels were in the trunk of the car. We were so lucky. But like you it totaled the car, emergency room and so much else. The kindness of strangers, family and friends can't be measured. Sending you hugs to rest and let your body and mind heal!
Oh Joy, what a thing to happen to you. It's happened to me twice,both times the other driver's fault but that doesn't take away the trauma. Or the grief--the grief of losing a well-loved car, of losing the innocence that such a thing could happen to us. Doesn't take away the fear that it will happen again either. I think we have post-traumatic stress after a bad accident and it takes a while to recover. Give yourself time, Joy, take care of you. You've made a good start by appreciating the good things from this and the kindness that surrounds you. I hope you have someone close by you can talk to honestly about how you feel because it's hard to work through it by yourself. Wishing I was close enough to stop by for a chat.
Goodness gracious, thank God you are alright. You had an angel on your shoulder for sure.
sorry for your accident. I know what you are going through. I made a left on yellow and the car was very far away. Next thing I know airbag is over my head. It has been 1 yr. and I still am afraid to drive, I go out just for short trips. I am a basic case when I am w/ my hubby on the freeways. It was my fault , no ticket. My front of my car was cut off w/ radiator hanging and engine still in tacked. I did not get a ticket , the guy toward the police and my husband at the hospital where they took me he run the light. I told my insurance but I was found in the wrong . I looked like I was in a battle with a bull. My body was so badly bruised. My left leg and knee a mess. Still in pain 1 yr. later, some of it is arthritis I have in my knee prior to wreck. Wreck did not enhance the arthritis My knee was so swollen it was more than double the size of my knee and lower leg.I still have the bruseing on my left knee, one yr. later. I do not make a free left nor yellow left any more. Sometimes when it is very clear and safe I will make a free left turn. I keep Trusting God to heal my fear. So happy you are doing well. Do not let my post create any fears... I just wanted you to know I feel for you ….Praying for you …..
You are surrounded by kindness! What an encouraging post.
Oh, how awful! You may recall my folks were in a car accident three years ago this last May and we lost my dad instantly. My mom has never really been quite the same, but she's doing okay and will be 90 end of February. Your descriptions brought back Mom telling us how joltingly sudden and yet a bit drifty and unreal it all was. I am SOOO glad you are okay!! I've never been in a serious car acident--just a couple of little fender bender or scraper incidents. Wow! I how your physical therapy helps heal you up perfectly.
Those flowers were such a lovely, unexpected gift. Such wonderful, thoughtful people were there to help you when you needed it the most. Human beings can be almost angelic at times, can't they?


text:
Anne Rice is the international best-selling author of The Vampire Chronicles, the Christ the Lord novels, The Mayfair Witches, Exit to Eden, and Angel Time. Her first novel, Interview with the Vampire, was published in 1976 and has gone on to become one of the best-selling novels of all time. It was also adapted into a blockbuster film staring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, and Antonio Banderas. Her newest series is called Songs of the Seraphim. With about 100 million books sold, Anne Rice is one of the most-read authors in the world.
Buy Anne Rice's Books at the following locations:
Anne Rice's Website
Fantasy and Science Fiction Classics
Anne Rice (International bestselling Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair Witches, 100 million sold)
Ursula K. Le Guin (The Earthsea Cycle, Newbery/National Book/World Fantasy/Nebula/Hugo awards)
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (NYT bestselling Dune, X-Files, Star Wars, Superman/Batman)
Orson Scott Card (Bestselling Ender's Game, John W. Campbell award, multiple Hugo/Nebula winner)
Interview with Anne Rice
Matthew Peterson: Hello there, This is Matthew Peterson, the host of The Author Hour: Your Guide to Fantastic Fiction. Last week I had Terry Brooks, Tracy Hickman, Margaret Weis, R. A. Salvatore, and Brandon Sanderson. This week's theme is classics in fantasy and science fiction with Anne Rice, Ursula K. Le Guin, Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Orson Scott Card.
You know, this is my fifth episode and I have yet to actually introduce myself, so I thought I'd take a moment to do that, since I do have a couple minutes before the interview starts. I'm the author of Paraworld Zero, a fantasy novel about a 12-year old Earthling boy who gets trapped onto a new world where he discovers he can do magic. Now, Paraworld Zero came out last year, it hit the BarnesAndNoble.com bestseller list, won, placed or honored in about 15 contests, but right when it was published, the poor economy basically killed my publisher. They sold the first print run almost instantly but then stopped fulfilling orders because they'd run out of money and couldn't print any more. Now I was touring the country at the time, doing every single promotion you can think of: radio, TV, newspaper–you name it. I actually spent over $100,000 from my own pocket to help spread the word, so as you can imagine it was a huge nightmare to stand before audiences of like 500 kids and be told that they tried to order my book but couldn't.
Anyway, my publisher and I parted ways, and I finally got my rights back to the book. Fortunately, it's still available as an ebook and audiobook at places like audible.com and overdrive. Now the plot thickens. I wrote the second book called Magical Learning and was just about to start looking for a new agent and publisher when my house was destroyed in a fire. That was about 4 months ago. You've heard the saying, when it rains it pours. That same week I got called to jury duty. But I also got a phone call from VoiceAmerica, inviting me to be the host of The Author Hour, and you know the rest of the story.
But things are looking up for me. Just last week, I got an offer from a publisher in India to publish my Parallel Worlds series in that country. So now that things are settling down I'm excited to get back to the hunt for a new agent and publisher in the states. And I'll keep you posted on my progress. So that's me, Matthew Peterson, the host of The Author Hour. Now let's get to the interviews, shall we?
My first guest is Anne Rice, International bestselling author of The Vampire Chronicles, The Christ the Lord novels, the Mayfair Witches and Exit to Eden. Her first novel, Interview with the Vampire, was published in 1976 and has gone on to become one of the best-selling novels of all time. With about 100 million books sold, Anne is one of the most-read authors in the world. Thanks for being on the show today, Anne.
Anne Rice: Oh, it's a great pleasure, thank you.
Matthew Peterson: You know, Interview with the Vampire has really kind of become a modern day classic in a sense. It's a very dark book, but you've come a long way since then, both in your beliefs and in the content of your books. I wanted to go way back to that first book and ask you a question: Why did you write Interview with the Vampire?
Anne Rice: Well, it really started with a whim. I was sitting at the typewriter and I thought, "What would it be like to interview a vampire? What would it be like if you could get him to tell you what his experience really was?" And I did this in a short story, I revised the short story, and then the short story started to grow into a novel. And I found I was able to discuss everything that was on my mind, in that fantasy framework. It was a gateway for me to reality.
Matthew Peterson: You know, The Interview with the Vampire was on TV the other night, and I'd never seen the movie. It was just on local TV. I had no idea that there were so many famous actors in there: Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, and Antonio Banderas.
Anne Rice: Well, David Geffen, the producer, really brought together the best talent he could find for that movie. He did a stunning job, really. I was very grateful.
Matthew Peterson: Oh yeah. You couldn't ask for a better cast, there. I hear there's talk about another movie, though. Or is that a rumor?
Anne Rice: Well, it's just talk right now. But we are always attempting to set something up. And I have very good agents. And when I do have some really concrete information, I'll put it on my website, but right now it's just rumor, really.
Matthew Peterson: Okay.
Anne Rice: I think something will happen, though. I'm very optimistic.
Matthew Peterson: Oh, yeah, yeah. Definitely. Do you plan on revisiting the Vampire Chronicles?
Anne Rice: No. I wrote 11 books with those characters and I loved doing it, but I really am finished. I have no more stories to tell from the point of view of Lestat and Louis and Armand, and those characters. I had to move on, really. When you've told all you have to tell, in a certain way, you have no choice but to move on to new themes and new obsessions and new passions. If you don't do that, you're being dishonest.
Matthew Peterson: You really did move on. You started writing the Christ The Lord novels.
Anne Rice: Finished two of them and it's going to be a long while before I can do the third. But it's a great passion of mine to do those.
Matthew Peterson: Well, going from vampires to writing about the life of Jesus Christ is quite a shift in gears. What was your motivation; why did you write Christ the Lord in the first place?
Anne Rice: Personal conversion. The fact that faith came back to me and I surrendered to my own belief in God and my own love of God, and my desire became to write for God, really, to write a fiction in which God was a reality, in which salvation was a reality. And I went right to the source of all my beliefs: I went to Jesus Christ and wanted to write two biblically correct novels about Jesus that were nevertheless very lively novels. And that was what I attempted to do with those two books. To write really for people that had never read anything about Jesus and for people that read about Him everyday, to write for them all. To say, a novel can be done in this way about Jesus Christ.
Matthew Peterson: Well, what better author to do it! A lot of people know you. And you are definitely an example, there. You can write whatever you want.
Anne Rice: Well, I'm certainly trying to do that. You know, novels have to overcome a certain prejudice out there. There are people that will never pick up my vampire books just because they don't want to read horror fiction, and there are people that won't pick up my Christ the Lord novels because they don't want to read about any Christian themes. But the only thing a writer can do, you just keep going. You keep writing what you love, and you do what you want to do and there will be people who will want to read it. You have to have that confidence.
Matthew Peterson: And this third book that you're writing, why is that going to take a little bit longer?
Anne Rice: Well, the third book on Christ the Lord will involve Jesus on the road, the period of teaching and miracles. And so it's going to take a lot more research and a lot more thought. But in the mean time, I've developed another Christian series called the Songs of the Seraphim.
Matthew Peterson: The Songs of the Seraphim. What an interesting name!
Anne Rice: Well, you know, it was inspired by people who had said that our lives are, in a sense, the songs that heaven sings. What we do in our lives is like a song that we're singing for our creator. And that inspired me somewhat to name it Songs of the Seraphim. The Seraphim, of course, are powerful angels who are before the throne of God. They're beautiful angels and they can do other things besides be at the throne of God. They can come to Earth, and they can have an affect on people's lives. There's nothing to say they can't. And so I wanted to create a fictional seraph who comes to a hit man, actually, Toby O'Dare, and welcomes Toby to change his life, to stop being a hit man and give himself over to God and to start working for the angels. And I'm very excited about the series, because it gives me an opportunity to do so many things I want to do. You know, write in a contemporary voice, write about Toby's life as an assassin, write about Toby going back in history to work for the angels in different times. All of that, to me, is very exciting. I've always loved historical settings and different periods in history in my novels. And it's a lot of fun. I'm having a great time with it.
Matthew Peterson: Well, Kirkus Reviews did a review: "Time travel, ultraviolence and medieval madness--divine intervention rendered fantastically by Rice."
Anne Rice: Great. I love that. I love whoever wrote that review.
Matthew Peterson: Yeah. Very interesting. How many books will be in the series?
Anne Rice: I hope a lot. Really, you know, my earlier series, they were never planned to be a series, but this really is. And so I would really like to keep the books fairly short and write quite a few of them and really develop a lot of themes about Toby's life as he works for the angels. His own life in the 21st century is bound to change, and I'd love to get into that, as well as into many different periods back in history where Toby will go to do the assignments he's given by the seraphim.
Matthew Peterson: Now, Toby does sound like a very interesting character. And he's got a set of skills if he's an assassin. [laughs]
Anne Rice: It's true, yeah. He's a very well educated guy and he loves music and he loves reading history. The angels pick these people, according to my fiction, they pick these people because of the traits they have. And Toby has special education in the field of history.
Matthew Peterson: Ah. Okay. What's one of the tasks that he might have to undertake?
Anne Rice: Well, Toby, in this first novel, Angel Time, he's sent back to a medieval community in England to try to foil a plot, really, of the locals to hurt this couple. They've accused this Jewish couple of murdering their child because she converted to Christianity and the couple is innocent. And Toby is sent back there with the assignment, "Stop this from happening." It's sort of like a mission impossible assignment, you know.
Anne Rice: Make sure that this couple doesn't get . . . you know, that they're not the victims of mob violence, because they didn't kill their child; they're innocent people. And do what you can to stop this. And that's what Toby does. I don't want to give away what happens, but, I mean, that's what he's working on. How can he do that? He slips into that period of time looking like a priest of that period, a medieval priest. And he interacts with people and does what he can to foil that plot.
Matthew Peterson: Sounds like a very interesting idea. I could envision it as like a TV series, or something.
Anne Rice: Oh yeah. I would love it if it became a TV series.
Anne Rice: Maybe Alan Ball would like to do it on HBO.
Matthew Peterson: [laughs] That would be great. Well, Anne, what other projects to you have in mind?
Anne Rice: Well, I want the Christ the Lord books, above all, to be finished. To do all of the life of our Lord. And then I want to do the Angel Time books, or Songs of the Seraphim. I want to do quite a few of them. I have other historical novels that I would like to write that are very much Christian in theme. And I would love at some point to do a big Christmas book of some kind.
Anne Rice: A work of fiction that has Christmas and the celebration of Christmas as its theme. All of these things are sort of in my mind, you know. My mind never stops. It goes on and on.
Matthew Peterson: Yeah. Well, what was the event that really helped you to come back to Christ?
Anne Rice: I don't think there was any event. It was really a matter of searching and questioning and longing to come back. And realizing that I did believe in God, that I was not an atheist. That I really believed in Him and I wanted to go back, even if I had a lot of unresolved questions. That was the crux for me. It was a matter of letting go of those questions. Thinking, "I don't have to know the answer to every sociological or theological question. I don't have to know why is there evil in the world, why do people suffer, why is there war?" I can go back to God because I believe in Him and I believe He knows the answers. So, I don't really have to know those answers. And when that happened in my mind, when I realized that, then I went back. I went back through the doors of my childhood faith, the Catholic Church, and I went back to worshiping with other Christians. And it's learning to live with unresolved issues. It's learning to say, "Okay, I don't have all the answers, but I believe in Him. I believe in Him totally, and I'm going back, and I'm going to do the best I can."
Matthew Peterson: Yeah. Well, it sounds like you're on your way. Well, thank you so much, Anne, for being on the show today. It's been a real pleasure.
Anne Rice: Oh, I've enjoyed it too. Thank you.
Matthew Peterson: I've been speaking with Anne Rice, International bestselling author of The Vampire Chronicles, Christ the Lord, and now Angel Time. Thanks again for being on the show, Anne.
Anne Rice: Sure.
Matthew Peterson: Okay, so, after the show, go to www.TheAuthorHour.com to listen to the bonus questions. Don't go away. I've still got Ursula K. Le Guin, Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Orson Scott Card.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Sweet Bird of Youth (1962)
"I'm gonna have to remove Chance Wayne from your life finally, and for the last time!"
An aspiring actor (Paul Newman) working as a gigolo for a drug-addicted star (Geraldine Page) arrives back in his home town with plans to blackmail Page into giving him his big break in Hollywood; meanwhile, he reconnects with his old girlfriend (Shirley Knight), whose overbearing father (Ed Begley) and brother (Rip Torn) are determined not to let Newman anywhere near her.
Aspiring Stars
Geraldine Page Films
Has-Beens
Mildred Dunnock Films
Paul Newman Films
Play Adaptation
Prostitutes and Gigolos
Richard Brooks Films
Rip Torn Films
Shirley Knight Films
Tennessee Williams Films
Four years after bringing Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) to the big screen, Richard Brooks directed and wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of another Williams play, co-starring Paul Newman and Geraldine Page. Newman and Page reprised the central roles they played on Broadway — and from the opening sequence of Newman driving inebriated, volatile Page in the back of his convertible, we're intrigued by the dynamic between this unusual duo:
Newman is at his hunkiest (is that even possible to distinguish?):
… and Page is note-perfect as an insecure, narcissistic diva, still gorgeous and alluring, but clearly about to pass her prime.
The rest of the storyline — primarily centered on venal Begley's outsized political and personal influence in his town — is a tough pill to swallow but, sadly, all too believable. It's gut-wrenching watching him bully and mistreat everyone around him, including his daughter (Knight):
… his sister (Mildred Dunnock), his staffers, and — most infamously — his mistress (Sherwood):
… not to mention seeing the ripple effect this has on his son (Torn), who it seems will follow in his footsteps:
As Bosley Crowther wrote in his amusing assessment for the New York Times:
"[Underneath] all the glitter and added motion provided on the screen… we are still up against the same dank characters that slithered and squirmed and grunted and howled across the stage… [They] are still horrendous characters, each in his (or her) separate way, oozing meanness like blackstrap molasses and trailing misery like a prisoner's clanking chains…"
Mostly, however, we're eager to see how things will play out between Newman and Page: each is cockily confident they will get what they want from the other, and weirdly enough, we can't help rooting for both of them in turn. As CineSavant writes in his review for Trailers From Hell, "Not all Tennessee Williams film adaptations are successful, but Richard Brooks' blend of romance, show biz venality and political thuggery is just too entertaining to dismiss."
Note: Thankfully, censors demanded that the utterly bleak ending of Williams' play be altered somewhat, leaving us with an unexpected sense of hope by the end.
Geraldine Page as Alexandra Del Lago
Paul Newman as Chance Wayne
Fine supporting performances
Milton Krasner's cinematography
Plenty of memorable dialogue:
"Who taught you to rub desperate ladies the right way?"
Yes, for Page's Oscar-nominated performance.
Noteworthy Performance(s)
Oscar Winner or Nominee
NY Times Original Review (spoilers alert)
Time Out Capsule Review
Trailers From Hell Review
Tired Old Queen at the Movies Video Review
Original Reviews
Summer and Smoke (1961)
Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959)
One thought on "Sweet Bird of Youth (1962)"
Agreed; a once-must for Page's performance. As per my post in 'The '40s-'50s in Film' (fb):
"When monster meets monster, one monster has to give way and it will not be *me*."
'Sweet Bird of Youth': Though the film adaptation was released in 1962, this Tennessee Williams play is very much a product of the '50s. It was produced on Broadway in 1959 (directed by Elia Kazan), where it ran (surprisingly) for almost a year. But the play's origin goes back further: TW had written it previously as both a one-act play and a two-character version. In 1956, it was performed as a work-in-progress in Florida (starring Tallulah Bankhead, who TW had in mind when he wrote the lead). Kazan saw that version – and steered the play to NYC.
This is a Williams play I hadn't actually read til today. There had been a lot of talk about how the film changed the ending. It does. The talked-about castration for Chance Wayne (Paul Newman) doesn't happen. (Instead, his face is roughed up. Actually, the castration is only suggested slightly in the play.) But ultimately that's a small point.
Writer / director Richard Brooks actually does a better job with 'Sweet Bird' than with the hatchet-job he made out of 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' (which removes every hint of homosexuality, thus killing the overriding point of the play). Brooks finds ways to flesh out certain aspects of the play (esp. the political ones) and he generally adds texture.
Thing is: this isn't a Williams play that I particularly like – by which I mean I don't think it's among his strongest work. Kazan said, "I think this is the most truly autobiographic play Williams ever wrote." But what is that supposed to mean when Williams was a fiercely 'autobiographical' writer? Kazan went on: "It is the frankest play he has written, dealing as it does with his own corruption and his wish to return to the purity he once had."
Well, maybe. But finding TW's personal corruption here may be tough. What's not tough to find is what Geraldine Page brings to her performance as panicky movie star Alexandra del Lago. Williams said, "It's a virtuoso part, demanding great stature, stage presence, power, vocal richness and variety." When you read the play, it's hard seeing all of that on the page. As written, it's not like it's Blanche DuBois, not by a long shot.
But what Page mindfully digs out of the part is remarkable. Most of the time. Personally, I don't buy all of it (which is not Page's fault)… but what the actress masterfully manages makes me buy it most of the time. She won a Golden Globe and the Italian equivalent of the Oscar (a David di Donatello award).


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"That which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves." ― Garth Stein, The Art of Racing in the Rain.


How long have you been doing CrossFit? I started in July of 2011, so just over a year and a half. What is your occupation? Currently, I'm a stay-at-home mom, but by trade I'm a project manager in the Advertising industry. How did you hear about CrossFit White Bear?


Imagine a Hebrew School where kids don't want to miss a day! They come in with a smile and leave humming the tune to a Hebrew song. Imagine a child who feels the warmth and spirit of Judaism… and then imagine the pride of his or her parents!


The male passenger and female driver were the only people on the bus. No one was injured.
The abandoned pre-1890s house near Mount Tabor in southeast Portland was ripe to be ripped down. Instead, new owners Lyrin Murphy and Steve Day are carefully restoring it.
Emily Tallman, 37, swiped cash from a Southeast Portland store's self-checkout machines.
They were discovered when one of their daughters fled for help.
A judge sentenced Russell Courtier to life in prison with a 28-year minimum for the race-fueled murder of Larnell Bruce Jr., 19.
A new oversight board, an on-site crisis management team and an embedded member of the governor's senior staff are all needed at the Oregon Department of Human Services, Brown says.
Trail Blazers forwards Moe Harkless and Al-Farouq Aminu have helped Portland grab a 2-0 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder in their best-of-seven, first-round series.
Sharp offense and gritty defense lead the Blazers to a 114-94 win over the Thunder in Game 2 as Portland grabs a 2-0 series lead on Oklahoma City.
One of the least-visited state parks on the Oregon coast, Manhattan Beach is barely more than a mile of sand.
Extras, doubles and stand-ins are needed for "The Water Man," a movie directed by and co-starring David Oyelowo, that will film in the Portland area this spring.
Also, maybe it's time to cut off these in-laws.


The point-to-point swim in the Tennessee River will start 1 mile upstream of transition. Athletes will enter the water in a rolling start and head up river for a short distance before making the turn and heading down river. Spectators will have a great opportunity to watch the swim from the Veterans and Market Street Bridges and the Tennessee Riverwalk. Athletes will exit the water at the beautiful Ross's Landing Park. The water temperature will be in the low 70's degrees Fahrenheit.
The bike course takes riders 11 miles south of town before beginning a 34-mile loop in north Georgia. Athletes can expect incredible views as they parallel Lookout Mountain on this rolling course with great road surfaces. As athletes near the end of the loop they will get the opportunity to ride through historic Chickamauga. The 56 mile course has approximately 2400 feet of climbing.
Athletes will have a chance to see the Scenic City as they complete two loops through downtown Chattanooga, The Tennessee Riverwalk, Veterans Bridge, North Shore, Walnut Street Bridge and the beautiful Riverfront Parkway. The final stretch will bring down Riverfront Parkway to finish at Ross's Landing along the Tennessee River. Total elevation gain for the run is around 800 feet.


text:
Cobra Kai Season 3 Episode 8
Informed that this year's All Valley Karate Tournament is being canceled, the three competing sensei attend a city council meeting to save it.
Serie: Cobra Kai
Director: Hayden Schlossberg, John Hurwitz, Josh Heald
Guest Star: Annalisa Cochrane, Bo Mitchell, Bret Ernst, Connor Murdock, Courtney Henggeler, Dan Ahdoot, Denzel K Williams, Gabe Bowles, Gianni Decenzo, Griffin Santopietro, Hannah Kepple, Jacob Bertrand, Joe Seo, Kwajalyn Brown, Mário Ramírez, Mary Mouser, Nichole Brown, Owen Morgan, Ralph Macchio, Susan Gallagher, Tanner Buchanan, William Zabka, Xolo Mariduena
Episode Title: The Good, The Bad, and The Badass
Robert Van Winkle, better known as rapper Vanilla Ice, demonstrates his expertise in real estate and home renovation by renovating a house along with a team of handymen.
Genre: Reality, Reality-TV
Mia goes to medical school to get close to a professor she suspects had a hand in her past family tragedy and gets tangled in the world of biohacking.
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thriller
Escape to the Continent
Following Brits considering a move abroad, as they take the opportunity to test drive what an alternative life could look like in a totally new, sunny clime.
As Britain is rocked by unstable political, economic and technological advances, members of the Lyons family converge on one crucial night in 2019. Over the next 15 years, the twists…
Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship. A TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel.
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
The year 1829. Nikolay Gogol, a young Third Section clerk, is desperate: his own books seem shallow and mediocre, so he keeps buying entire print runs just to burn them…
Genre: Action & Adventure, Biography, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
The Comedy Get Down
A comedy series about what really happens behind the scenes of a massive stand-up comedy tour.
Rich House, Poor House
Families from opposite ends of the wealth and class divide are given the chance to spend seven days in their counterparts' shoes.
The Wild Wild West season 1
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Western
On the surface Kitty, Margot, Bree and Olivia appear to have nothing in common – but there's one passion which unites them: to expose injustice. They form their own secret…
American Loggers
Atlantic: The Wildest Ocean on Earth
Three-part nature documentary series exploring the natural history of the Atlantic Ocean.


text:
Huawei has a chance to get its smartphone business back on track. It won't be easy
Huawei has a chance to regain lost ground in the battle for smartphone supremacy after President Donald Trump reversed course on a campaign against the company that was hurting global sales.
Trump said over the weekend that he would lift some restrictions that barred American firms from selling critical tech and components to Huawei without a US government license.
"US companies can sell their equipment to Huawei," as long as the transactions don't present a "great, national emergency problem," Trump said at the G20 summit in Japan on Saturday.
Huawei sold more smartphones than Apple in the first three months of 2019 and had ambitions of overtaking Samsung as the world's largest smartphone maker by 2020.
But the US administration's restrictions, imposed on May 16, caused an immediate dent in the Shenzhen-based company's international business. CEO Ren Zhengfei said earlier this month that Huawei's global smartphone sales plummeted 40% between May 17 and June 16, compared to the previous 30-day period.
"We acknowledge the US president's comments relating to Huawei [on Saturday] and have no further comment at this time," the company said in a statement.
While it remains unclear which US companies will be allowed to sell to Huawei, analysts say the most important supplier for the company's smartphone business right now is Google. The Silicon Valley tech firm restricted Huawei's access to its Android operating system and apps last month to comply with Washington's restrictions.
"Assuming that Google is not really a problem and gets the license to sell to Huawei, that's a huge sigh of relief for Huawei," said Bryan Ma, an analyst with research firm IDC.
Like most of the world's smartphones, Huawei devices use Google's Android operating system, which includes popular apps and services like Google Maps and Gmail.
Without access to that ecosystem, Huawei's smartphones would be a lot less attractive to users outside of China, where most of Google's popular products are banned. Roughly half of Huawei's smartphone sales last year came from outside China, according to research firms Canalys and IDC.
For the last six weeks, international retailers and consumers were concerned about whether Google services and security updates would continue to be available on Huawei phones, according to Ma.
"Consumers obviously don't want to buy a phone that doesn't give them the service they want, and retailers don't want to take on a bunch of inventory that can't sell," he said.
Google declined to comment for this article, referring to an earlier statement noting that the company is "engaging with the Department of Commerce to ensure we're in full compliance with its requirements."
Existing Huawei smartphones, which still have access to Google systems and software updates, could also be losing their resale value in key markets.
One of Huawei's latest phones, the P30 Pro, sells for €999 ($1,130) in Europe. After Huawei was blacklisted, most traders were offering only €100 ($113) to buy back the phone, according to Ben Stanton, an analyst with research firm Canalys.
"A lot of customers were quite keen to return devices or switch brands after learning the device in their pocket had dropped in value," Stanton said.
Users "are now paranoid about those devices," he added. "There's a lot of brand building Huawei will have to do."
Beyond Google's suite of services, Huawei phones also rely on US suppliers like Qualcomm, Broadcom, Qorvo and Skyworks for the latest generation of tech that converts information and data to radio signals.
Huawei has said it started stockpiling tech and components last year, anticipating Washington would slap it with an export ban.
At a press conference last week, rotating CEO Ken Hu said "in terms of where Huawei stands right now, our overall supply is not affected."
Even if the company is able to buy all the US tech and software needed for its smartphone business, the US-led pressure campaign against Huawei will have lasting effects.
"Those retailers and consumers, their confidence is shaken. Now there's second guessing, there are question marks around Huawei, is (a US export ban) going to become a problem again?" said Ma.
"The damage to Huawei, the scar, is still there," he said.


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text:
Anger bubbles over at funerals for Florida shooting victims
Posted: Feb 17, 2018 / 11:59 AM EST / Updated: Feb 17, 2018 / 11:59 AM EST
(AP) — As families began burying their dead, authorities questioned whether they could have prevented the attack on a South Florida high school where a gunman took the lives of 14 students, the athletic director, a coach and a geography teacher.
At funerals and in the streets of Parkland, a suburb on the edge of the Everglades, anger bubbled over at the senselessness of the shooting and at the widespread availability of guns. A rally to support gun-safety legislation was scheduled for Saturday at the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.
During a funeral Friday for 18-year-old Meadow Pollack, her father looked down at his daughter's plain pine coffin and screamed in anguish as Gov. Rick Scott and 1,000 others sat in Temple K'ol Tikvah.
"You killed my kid!" Andrew Pollack yelled, referring to Nikolas Cruz, who is accused of gunning down Meadow and 16 others. "My kid is dead. It goes through my head all day and all night. I keep hearing it. This is just unimaginable that I will never see my princess again."
He briefly paused as mourners, punched by the rawness of his words, began to wail.
"I wasn't able to do anything about it. I have always been able to protect my family," he said. "Our kids should be safe."Related Content: Former Superintendent at Sandy Hook reacts to Florida shooting
Not long after that funeral, the FBI said it received a tip last month that Cruz had a "desire to kill" and access to guns and could be plotting an attack, but agents failed to investigate. The governor called for the FBI director to resign.
A person who was close to Cruz called the FBI's tip line on Jan. 5 and provided information about Cruz's weapons and his erratic behavior, including his disturbing social media posts. The caller was concerned that Cruz could attack a school.
In a statement, the agency acknowledged that the tip should have been shared with the FBI's Miami office and investigated, but it was not. The startling admission came as the agency was already facing criticism for its treatment of a tip about a YouTube comment posted last year. The comment posted by a "Nikolas Cruz" said, "Im going to be a professional school shooter."
The FBI investigated the remark but did not determine who made it.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the shooting that killed 17 people Wednesday was a "tragic consequence" of the FBI's missteps and ordered a review of the Justice Department's processes. He said it's now clear that the nation's premier law enforcement agency missed warning signs.
In more evidence that there had been signs of trouble with Cruz, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said his office had received more than 20 calls about him in the past few years.
Cruz was being held without bail at the Broward County Jail on 17 counts of first-degree murder.Related Content: 'We mourn for the potential that was lost': Vigil held for 17 victims of Parkland, Florida school shooting
Authorities have not described any specific motive, except to say that Cruz had been kicked out of the high school, which has about 3,000 students and serves an affluent suburb where the median home price is nearly $600,000. Students who knew him described a volatile teenager whose strange behavior had caused others to end friendships.
News of law enforcement's admissions enraged those in the community.
"The FBI has failed," said Lewis Mizen, a 17-year-old student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where the attack took place. "It's going to be a mark on their name forever. Their mistakes have cost the lives of 17 people. There are people dead because they failed in their jobs."
Across the internet, students who were caught in the crossfire at the school spoke out. Some took politicians to task on Twitter. A 17-year-old junior wrote an essay for CNN, saying that he and his classmates planned to pressure politicians into taking action. One student asked President Donald Trump to meet with her. Some teens have been critical of Trump for failing to mention guns in his comments about the attack.
On Friday evening, Trump visited a Florida hospital where he greeted medical staff and thanked the doctors, nurses and first responders who helped the shooting victims. He told reporters he also met with some of the victims who are still hospitalized. He later met with members of the Broward County Sheriff's office and local law enforcement, including Coconut Creek Police Officer Mike Leonard, who said he was the one who apprehended Cruz.Related Content: Newtown organizations respond to deadly school shooting
Sidney Fischer, a junior who was in a Holocaust history class when the shooter aimed his gun at the window and shot into the room, went on Reddit on Friday to recount his harrowing experience and answer questions. Two students in his classroom died, and one of the slain students, Joaquin Oliver who went by the nickname 'Guac,' had just been transferred into his algebra class.
"I can't believe that when I go back to school, his seat will be empty and life will just go on," Fischer wrote.
by Hector Ramirez II / Jan 22, 2020
(WTNH) -- Back in March 2019, Lori Wierzbicki was attacked in her home by recently-evicted neighbor, Russel Molleur.
RELATED: Milford woman worries that man who brutally beat, assaulted her could be released from prison early
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- Officials announced on Wednesday a Hartford resident was sent to federal prison for two years of illegal possession of a firearm.
According to officials, Llerald Carrasquillo, 28 of Hartford, was sentenced to two years of federal prison for the illegal possession.


text:
Xiaomi Mi Box review: Android TV elevated with cheap 4K HDR streaming
At just $69 with 4K HDR, voice search, and Google Cast capabilities, the Mi Box is the first Android TV device with mainstream appeal.
By Jared Newman
TechHive | PT
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Mi Box Android TV
on Walmart
Xiaomi's Mi Box, the cheapest 4K HDR streaming box on the market, comes from two names you might not be familiar with. The box is built by Xiaomi, a Chinese electronics vendor that has largely avoided the U.S. market until now. As for the software, the Mi Box runs Android TV, a big-screen operating system Google launched a couple years ago, then promptly began neglecting in favor of the more popular Chromecast.
The Xiaomi Mi Box is the first new Android TV streaming box since mid-2015, and it comes with a strong pitch: For $69, you get 4K HDR video, a voice-controlled remote, a speedy processor, and Google Cast built-in. That simple formula goes a long way toward covering up some of Android TV's deficiencies.
Svelte set-top, pointy remote
The Mi Box is surprisingly compact, running four inches wide and deep, with a tapered design that's about a quarter-inch thick. It's smaller than the latest Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku Ultra and Premiere boxes, yet it has some robust tech specs including a 2.0GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi. Apps load quickly, with no major performance hiccups even in heavyweight apps like PlayStation Vue.
The box includes a 3.5mm analog, S/PDIF output for headphones or digital audio connections, and while there's no built-in ethernet port, the full-sized USB port supports USB-to-ethernet adapters, along with external storage drives and game controllers. Google has even been experimenting with USB tuner support in Android 7.0, which in the future could allow users to watch and record over-the-air antenna channels through the set-top box.
The Mi Box has a USB port, HDMI output, and audio output for headphones and S/PDIF connections.
The Mi Box can also stream in 4K at up to 60 frames per second, with HDR-10 to be enabled with Android 7.0, but you're on your own to find supported content. There are no shortcuts to apps that offer Ultra HD video, akin to the "4K Spotlight" app on Roku players. And because Amazon Video isn't supported on Android TV, one major source of 4K and HDR content is unavailable. (Current 4K sources include Netflix, YouTube, Vudu, Ultraflix, and Sony Ultra.)
As for the remote control, Xiaomi aims for minimalism. There are no fast forward, rewind, or pause buttons—those functions are just built into the directional pad—nor are there menu or app shortcut buttons like you'd find on a Roku remote. The Mi Box remote does include volume controls, which you can adjust up to the maximum you've set on your TV, and a power button that puts the box to sleep. Those are worthy trade-offs in my view. My only gripe is that the remote's sharp edges can dig into your palms depending on how you hold it.
The Android TV torchbearer
Where the Mi Box starts to falter is with the Android TV operating system.
Android TV is adequate at the basics, offering plenty of major streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, HBO, Showtime, CBS All Access, Crackle, and Starz. (Some notable exceptions: Amazon Video, NBC, and NHL.TV.)
Android TV also has built-in Google Cast support, which lets you launch videos from streaming apps on phones and tablets, and from websites in Google's desktop Chrome browser. This helps fill in some gaps from Android TV's native app catalog, and can be faster than thumbing through menus with a TV remote.
Still, Google's living-room platform never rises above mere adequacy. It's lacking the pleasant touches found on other streaming boxes, such as the private headphone listening on Roku's remote controls and mobile app, or the Alexa virtual assistant built into Amazon's Fire TV devices.
Android TV also fails to execute on some of its more ambitious ideas. The Recommendations bar that sits atop the home screen is largely useless, with limited participation from streaming services, no sorting options, and a tendency among some apps to be clueless about what they're suggesting. (WatchESPN, for instance, keeps offering days-old football reruns instead of live sporting events.) Android TV's Live Channels app, which is supposed pull live video sources into a unified channel grid, is similarly stunted, with support from only six streaming apps. Sling TV and PlayStation Vue don't make their live feeds available, and Pluto.tv channels consistently fail to load.
Android TV's Recommendations row is a smart idea that's rarely useful in practice.
Even Google seems to treat Android TV as an afterthought. There's no Google Photos app on the Mi Box, YouTube's design is out of date compared to other TV platforms, and the Google Play Music app lacks ad-supported radio stations. And while voice search is a powerful feature—supporting complex queries like "80s comedies" and showing results from across different apps—it could really use a visual overhaul to streamline the long list of results it generates. Better yet, it could act more like the virtual Assistant that's built into the new Google Home connected speaker.
One other caveat with the Mi Box in particular: It comes with some bloatware in form of 16 "Mi Box Recommends" app links. The apps aren't all installed to begin with, and while they are removable, you have to install them before you can uninstall them. They also occupy a separate space from your main app list, making navigation a bit more confused.
Pre-installed apps like Netflix aren't allowed to mingle with your regular app lineup.
Who's the Mi Box for?
At least for streaming devices like the Mi Box, Android TV still has the air of an enthusiast platform. It's rough around the edges, but it allows tech-savvy users to sideload any Android app they want, and it supports the popular media player software Kodi. For gaming, you can install all kinds of console emulators to create your own retro gaming box. USB TV tuner support could also be a boon for cord cutters, assuming Google finalizes it, and Xiaomi upgrades the Mi Box to Android 7.0.
The $69 Mi Box, however, is the first Android TV streamer whose appeal reaches beyond tech enthusiast circles. Though it fails to offer the flourishes and forward-thinking ideas of other streaming platforms, it succeeds as a cheap streaming device with 4K HDR video, solid performance, and voice search. Those same features would cost $30 more on a Roku, and Amazon's $90 Fire TV doesn't support HDR video at all. The Mi Box even matches the price of Google's own Chromecast Ultra, while offering a proper remote and big-screen interface.
On top of all that, you can buy the Mi Box at Walmart, the largest brick-and-mortar retailer in the United Sates. Maybe that's enough to put Xiaomi—and Android TV—on the map.
The Xiaomi Mi Box's $69 price tag and 4K HDR streaming help paper over Android TV's shortcomings.
Impressive performance for the size and price
Remote control has handy volume and power buttons
Google Cast capabilities built in
4K content is hard to find and limited without Amazon video
Support from Google seems to be lacking
Universal recommendations and channel guide aren't useful
Jared Newman covers personal technology from his remote Cincinnati outpost. He also publishes two newsletters, Advisorator for tech advice and Cord Cutter Weekly for help with ditching cable or satellite TV.


text:
Q: Laravel withCount, dont count comment if parent comment user is inactive I came across a weird problem that i cant find the answer how to resolve.
For example i have commenting system on a social network site, which has unlimited level replies to parent comment on a status or picture or whatever.
So i am counting replies with $q->withCount('replies');
I have a globalScope which check if user is inactive (active 1 or 0). It works perfectly with not showing inactive user comment and his child subcomments, but it does count wrong total number of replies.
Example code:
$discourse = RockChat::with([
    "getAuthor",
    "isLiked",
    "lastReply",
    "category"    => function ($q) {
        $q->addSelect("name", "id");
    },
    "subcategory" => function ($q) {
        $q->addSelect("name", "id");
    },
    "replies" => function ($q) {
        $q->withCount("likes");
        $q->with(["isLiked", "replies" => function ($q) {
            $q->withCount("likes");
            $q->with(["isLiked"]);
        }]);
    }])
    ->withCount("replyNumber")
    ->withCount("likes")
    ->where("category_id", $request->get("category"))
    ->where("subcategory_id", $request->get("subcategory"))
    ->where("slug", $request->get("id"))
    ->first();

and a globalScope
protected static function boot()
{
    parent::boot();

    static::addGlobalScope('user_active', function (Builder $builder) {
        $builder->whereHas('getAuthor');
    });
}

I quite cant figure out, how to check if parent comment user is inactive, so dount count child replies as total of replies to status or picture comments or whatever.
I tried applyin global scope to withCount relation method.
Thanks!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Strand brings 'A Very Zelie Christmas' to holiday virtual series
Scott Tady
Beaver County Times
ZELIENOPLE — Broadway star Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) hails from Zelienople we learn in the new Netflix adaptation of the acclaimed musical "The Prom."
That tidbit might be worth a punchline as Zelienople's Strand Theater celebrates "A Very Zelie Christmas" starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
"A Very Zelie Christmas" is an all-new and original live-streaming event, added to The Strand's archived arsenal of shows designed to stir your Yuletide spirit.
The show is reminiscent of those beloved specials produced by Hollywood legends like Bob Hope, Andy Williams, Perry Como and Bing Crosby.
"We'll recreate some of the best moments from those classic shows, like Bing & (David) Bowie's 'Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth,' as well as hilarious comedy bits, dance numbers, great music and memorable moments," said Ron Carter, The Strand's executive director. "It's a nostalgic look at Christmases past, when we were all a little nicer, a little more innocent, and Christmas was a little more miraculous."
The cast features Jeremy Czarniak ("USO Christmas"), Kate Queen Toole ("Rudolph & Friends"), Carmen Lopresti ("YuleTV"), Torrance Bajuszik ("Evita"), and Carter ("Bye, Bye Birdie.")
Households can order their virtual $15 ticket from The Strand's website http://www.thestrandtheater.org/ or at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe.c/10596519
Audiences can watch Wednesday's premiere, or anytime after.
Previous Strand shows also can be watched on home devices, including "Stranded in Zelie: Episode 2" and last week's live-streamed "Christmas With Chris Jamison," starring the Pittsburgh-based finalist on Season 7 of NBC's "The Voice."
Debuting at 7 p.m. Dec. 29 is "Radio Free Espy — Buh-Bye 2020 Edition," starring the WQED-TV personality/singer-guitarist leading an all-new virtual songwriters circle with music, stories and laughter that kicks 2020 to the curb. Tickets are $25 at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe.c/10599244
It's a disappointment for live theater fans these Strand holiday shows can't take place for in-person audiences. The pandemic has prompted a statewide closure of venues until Jan. 4.
That makes these streaming shows important for The Strand.
"It's now our only revenue source," Carter said.
Plus, the performers who have adapted to streaming are proving the adage that "the show must go on." Streep's Broadway star character in "The Prom" would appreciate that.
And how about the Oscar-winning Streep perfectly pronouncing "Zelienople" in that Netflix movie?
"She is to be commended on doing her research," Carter said, "but I'm more curious as to what writer knew that the town even existed to put it into the script."
© 2021 www.timesonline.com. All rights reserved.


text:
Would More Free Time Really Make You Happier?
Amy Norton
THURSDAY, Sept. 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Many people feel their to-do list is overloaded, but there is also such a thing as too much free time, a new study suggests.
In a series of studies, researchers found that having either too little or too much free time seemed to drain people's sense of well-being.
It's no surprise that constantly feeling pressed for time — and the stress that creates — can take a toll on well-being, the study authors said. Many studies have documented as much.
The new findings highlight the other end of the spectrum, according to lead researcher Marissa Sharif, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Excessive free time, her team found, may diminish well-being because people feel they are not being productive.
"Productive" means more than simply being busy, Sharif said. Busyness, she noted, has become something of a "status symbol" in today's society — a sign that a person is important.
Feeling productive is different: It's related to our sense of purpose in life. And that may be lacking, Sharif said, when people have too much time on their hands.
The new study, published Sept. 9 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, involved a few data sets.
First, the researchers used two national surveys that asked Americans about their time use and subjective well-being.
In one, of more than 13,600 working adults, those with the least free time — an hour or so a day — tended to give lower ratings to their life satisfaction.
The second survey found the same, but also suggested that an abundance of free time is no better.
That survey included more than 21,700 Americans, employed and not employed. While a dearth of free time was related to poorer well-being, the benefits of extra time seemed to plateau at two hours per day: Having more free time than that did not make people happier.
And well-being started to dip once people had more than five hours of free time.
What exactly makes time "free"? Here, it was defined as time spent doing what you want, not in obligatory activities like work, household chores and dental appointments.
Of course, people may have little free time, or an abundance of it, for various reasons. Sharif's team found that the lesser well-being among people with lots of free time was not explained by unemployment or retirement, or by being unmarried or childless.
There's also the matter, though, of how people spend their free time. So Sharif's team wanted to see whether free time spent productively was different from idleness.
The researchers conducted an experiment in which participants imagined having a moderate amount of free time each day (3.5 hours) or lots of it (7 hours). They also envisioned spending that time either productively (hobbies, exercising or playing with their kids, for example) or unproductively (watching TV, for instance).
Overall, participants felt their well-being would take a dive if they had lots of free time — but only if it was unproductive time.
However, it's hard to translate such a simulated exercise to real life, said James Maddux, a researcher who was not involved in the study.
That's because past research has found a harsh truth: People are bad at predicting what will make them happy, explained Maddux, a senior scholar at George Mason University's Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, in Fairfax, Va.
That said, it does make sense that productive free time would be different from directionless time, according to Maddux.
He pointed to studies on the concept of "flow," where people are completely engaged in what they're doing — akin to being "in the zone." Those studies showed that people tended to be in a better mood at work, where they were absorbed in the task at hand, compared to their more aimless days off, Maddux said.
Of course, human beings are varied. Some people thrive at work and wouldn't trade it for extra free time, he said. Other people may need to consider whether they can work less — and maybe make less money — but have more time for themselves and their family.
Nor is there a universal definition of "productive," Maddux said. Reading a good book might seem idle to some, while others appreciate the mental stimulation.
The findings cannot offer a prescription for how much free time anyone should have.
"But," Maddux said, "if a study gets people to stop and consider what they do with their time, and why they do it, then it's done its job."
The University of California, Berkeley, has advice on work-life balance.
SOURCES: Marissa Sharif, PhD, assistant professor, marketing, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; James Maddux, PhD, senior scholar, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Sept. 9, 2021, online
Consumer News Products News types Behavior Anxiety Psychology / Mental Health: Misc. Topics Stress News


text:
Q: Style sheet not linking to document Very simple task that doesn't seem to be working for some reason. I am getting no results when I view in the browser, my styles are not being applied to my HTML. My style sheet is in the same folder as main document with the html. I am previewing the code in chrome on a localhost. Not sure what is going wrong here, any help would be appreciated.
<!DOCTYPE html>

    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta name="description" content="meta description placeholder example.">
    <meta name=viewport content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="mystyles.css">
    <title>Web Start</title>

test

Home

Home1

Home2

Home3

My styles are placed in a separate document called mystyles.css

A: Test in one file:
<!DOCTYPE html>

    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta name="description" content="meta description placeholder example.">
    <meta name=viewport content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">

  <title>Web Start</title>

test

Home

Home1

Home2

Home3

Or as Tushar said: remove  from your css file

A: Where is the location of your CSS file?
For your code to be correct, they need to be in the same folder, otherwise you will need to tell the computer which directory to look in by using ../ for each directory back, and then you need to tell it where to look after, ie.
../STYLES/main.css

A: u just need to remove the   opening and closing style tag as it predefined with the link tag.
update your mystyles.css


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To find a reliable website design company that can include all things in your website, you can research or simply choose Verz Design in Singapore. It has the experience of creating user friendly and business friendly websites.


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Download one-page Executive Summary (PDF).


A farmer goes out one day and buys a brand new stud rooster for his chicken coop. The new rooster struts over to the old rooster and says, "Okay old fart, time for you to retire."
The old rooster takes off running. About 15 seconds later the young rooster takes off running after him. They round the front porch of the farmhouse and the young rooster has closed the gap. He is already about 5 inches behind the old rooster and gaining fast.The farmer, meanwhile, is sitting in his usual spot on the front porch when he sees the roosters running by. He grabs up his shotgun and boom, he blows the young rooster to bits. The farmer sadly shakes his head and says, "Dangit, third gay rooster I bought this month."
Don't mess with us old folks. Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill!


text:
/*
 * Minio Cloud Storage, (C) 2016, 2017 Minio, Inc.
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */

package cmd

import (
	"errors"
	"fmt"
	"net/http"
	"time"

	jwtgo "github.com/dgrijalva/jwt-go"
	jwtreq "github.com/dgrijalva/jwt-go/request"
)

const (
	jwtAlgorithm = "Bearer"

	// Default JWT token for web handlers is one day.
	defaultJWTExpiry = 24 * time.Hour

	// Inter-node JWT token expiry is 100 years approx.
	defaultInterNodeJWTExpiry = 100 * 365 * 24 * time.Hour

	// URL JWT token expiry is one minute (might be exposed).
	defaultURLJWTExpiry = time.Minute
)

var (
	errInvalidAccessKeyID   = errors.New("The access key ID you provided does not exist in our records")
	errChangeCredNotAllowed = errors.New("Changing access key and secret key not allowed")
	errAuthentication       = errors.New("Authentication failed, check your access credentials")
	errNoAuthToken          = errors.New("JWT token missing")
)

func authenticateJWT(accessKey, secretKey string, expiry time.Duration) (string, error) {
	passedCredential, err := createCredential(accessKey, secretKey)
	if err != nil {
		return "", err
	}

	serverCred := serverConfig.GetCredential()

	if serverCred.AccessKey != passedCredential.AccessKey {
		return "", errInvalidAccessKeyID
	}

	if !serverCred.Equal(passedCredential) {
		return "", errAuthentication
	}

	utcNow := UTCNow()
	token := jwtgo.NewWithClaims(jwtgo.SigningMethodHS512, jwtgo.MapClaims{
		"exp": utcNow.Add(expiry).Unix(),
		"iat": utcNow.Unix(),
		"sub": accessKey,
	})

	return token.SignedString([]byte(serverCred.SecretKey))
}

func authenticateNode(accessKey, secretKey string) (string, error) {
	return authenticateJWT(accessKey, secretKey, defaultInterNodeJWTExpiry)
}

func authenticateWeb(accessKey, secretKey string) (string, error) {
	return authenticateJWT(accessKey, secretKey, defaultJWTExpiry)
}

func authenticateURL(accessKey, secretKey string) (string, error) {
	return authenticateJWT(accessKey, secretKey, defaultURLJWTExpiry)
}

func keyFuncCallback(jwtToken *jwtgo.Token) (interface{}, error) {
	if _, ok := jwtToken.Method.(*jwtgo.SigningMethodHMAC); !ok {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unexpected signing method: %v", jwtToken.Header["alg"])
	}

	return []byte(serverConfig.GetCredential().SecretKey), nil
}

func isAuthTokenValid(tokenString string) bool {
	jwtToken, err := jwtgo.Parse(tokenString, keyFuncCallback)
	if err != nil {
		errorIf(err, "Unable to parse JWT token string")
		return false
	}

	return jwtToken.Valid
}

func isHTTPRequestValid(req *http.Request) bool {
	return webRequestAuthenticate(req) == nil
}

// Check if the request is authenticated.
// Returns nil if the request is authenticated. errNoAuthToken if token missing.
// Returns errAuthentication for all other errors.
func webRequestAuthenticate(req *http.Request) error {
	jwtToken, err := jwtreq.ParseFromRequest(req, jwtreq.AuthorizationHeaderExtractor, keyFuncCallback)
	if err != nil {
		if err == jwtreq.ErrNoTokenInRequest {
			return errNoAuthToken
		}
		return errAuthentication
	}

	if !jwtToken.Valid {
		return errAuthentication
	}
	return nil
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


We celebrated a birthday in my house yesterday.
Our son, Jordy turned 17 years old.
I paired this chocolate ganache cake with vanilla bean ice cream to top off what was an exciting day for all of us.
Yes, little Jordy (my trusty, loyal stagehand and long-time blog helper) is not so little anymore.
He's almost all grown up… sniffle, sniffle.
Having said that, this post is actually more about the pretty marble server that Jordy's cake is sitting on.
I have to say, when I bought the server ($13 at Home Goods), I loved the marble but hated the pretzel-twist, silver handles which just didn't do the marble justice.
Now, I was initially a bit reluctant to write an entire blog post about handles. Too simplistic, right?
Then, it occurred to me that not every single post has to be an elaborate, complicated or labor-intensive presentation.
We put that pressure on ourselves, don't we?
Meaningful blogging is just as much about the simple things we do that make us happy… and then sharing that joy with others.
Keeping simplicity in mind is an approach that is always worth a friendly reminder.
This post is also a reminder that when it comes to finding great props… try to look beyond what is right before your eyes.
If the item has "good bones" and there are things you like about it… don't let the things you don't like, deter you from consideration.
Often, it's quite easy to tweak an item that better suits the style or look you're going after.
That's how I felt about this server and all I had to do was remove and replace those ordinary (and unattractive) silver handles.
I popped into Hobby Lobby this week to search for new hardware.
Ooh-la-la… they have an entire aisle with bins filled with every kind of handle and drawer pull you can imagine.
This was a good day to pop in too because all pulls were 50% off.
If you're ever on a similar, replacement mission, don't forget to take one of the original handles with you to match the right size and spacing for your project.
Regular readers already know I have a penchant for wood and primitive elements.
I really like this combination too.
The wood adds a rustic warmth while the metal clamps give the handles a slightly industrial and modern charm.
There's an unexpected contrast in texture that really works with the marble.
I think the new handles give the server more visual interest and that makes it a much more useful prop.
By the way, you don't have to wait to find the perfect marble server.
Pick up a few handles and attach them to a wood cutting board or a bread board to create a similar prop.
Can you tell, I now have handles on the brain?
Love everything. You're so talented.
What a great idea!! I have a marble board here and I'm definitely going to add similar handles to mine. Thank you for sharing the pics!
That was some really good cake-lol.
Breathtaking photos…a very sultry cake on stunning marble…love the simplicity of this post…as always, I am in awe of what you do.
Thank you so much, sweet Jeanne.
Thanks so much, Constance for taking the time to leave me such a sweet note.
I really appreciate that and your good wishes for Cameron.
We're pretty excited about the upcoming college experience for her. Just a couple of weeks away now.
The new handles give a little warmth to the marble and the Chocolate Ganache Cake looks divine.
Don't you just feel like going out in search of fun, new handles now?-lol.
Lisa, as always your photography is amazing. And the tray – you have a wonderful creative eye for the perfect accessories. I try to learn from you. Thank you.
Thanks, Elaine. I'm thrilled you're inspired.
You know that's our favorite Fresh Market dessert.
Beautiful cake and spectacular change to the marble cake stand!
First, the cake looks so goooooooood!! And I love what your did by changing handles.
Don't you just love an easy project like this?
You certainly have the creative eye! I really like your new handles — makes the marble piece look antique. Now let's get to the cake — it sounds sinfully delicious!! Lucky, Jordy! And they do grow up too fast. Hugs!
Yes, Marisa… my kids have grown up fast.
I'm going to have to find a new blog assistant after Jordy heads to college in the not-so-distant future. Boo-hoo.
Oh, I didn't make this cake. For once, I bought it.
The chocolate is sooo rich, you have to pair it with a crisp vanilla bean ice cream to balance it-lol.
I thought the silver handles were fine but I know you like wood and a more rustic appearance and the replacement hardware is OK, too.
Jordy is the best son, ever.
He's so sweet and he lets me know he loves me every day in words and deeds.
The photo is amazing and you are amazing! I LOVE that you changed the handles! Great, great idea! Happy Birthday to Jordy!
Shirley, thanks for the good wishes for Jordy.
I feel like everyone who reads my blog, knows him.
You know, I'm already looking around my house to see what other handles I can swap out-lol.
There were so many pretty handles in those bins, I think I'm going to look for some more servers to transform-lol.


My family and I love purchasing and making fresh hummus in our house. I was interested in trying to make a new flavor. So I went ahead and made an asparagus hummus to enjoy with some crackers and veggies. The flavor of the asparagus really comes out. I think this is just another way to add more nutrition to your hummus. This hummus has a refreshing finish too. Enjoy as a snack or with your next get together.
In a medium pot bring water to a boil and add asparagus. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. In a medium bowl with cold water and ice add asparagus. This will stop the cooking process.
Take a food processor and add chickpeas, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic cloves, asparagus, lemon zest and lemon juice. Blend for 2 minutes until everything is well combined and smooth.
Pour into a bowl and enjoy.
The asparagus hummus looks amazing, I am going to try it tonight!!!
This looks great. Do you not need tahini?
Usually some hummus are made with Tahini. I made this simple with no tahini. I hope you enjoy.
Thanks. Just made it and used a little bit of tahini instead of olive oil. Delicious!
Just made this recipe. Delicious!! The only changes I made were that I used a little bit of tahini instead of the olive oil. I also made half the recipe vs the whole. Great, unique flavor!! Thanks for the recipe, Homemade Delish!
I love hummus but never tried with asparagus. I'll try this recipe!


← If Apostles Exist Today, How Does That Play Out?
Check out Marv's new ministry blog at http://missionzarephath.wordpress.com.
God is stirring some great things in he and his wife's life.
This entry was posted in mission and tagged mission. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Theater Hopper
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WHAT DO YOU EXPECT WHEN YOU PUT YOUR WIFE IN SPANDEX?
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You are supporting Theater Hopper when you make a purchase at Amazon.Com with THIS LINK
November 3rd, 2004 | by Tom
(15 votes, average: 8.33 out of 10)
Let's just get this out of the way right now. I'm not going to talk about the Presidential election today. I've been watching news coverage all night long and as I write this, they STILL haven't declared a winner. My mind is baked, so I'm just going to assume you all went out and did your civic duty and go about my business promoting Theater Hopper.
To that end, I wanna ask you to vote in another kind of election, the goal of which is to get Theater Hopper to the number one spot at buzzComix. It's been a really close three-way tie and I'm looking to break away from the pack. Remember, every time you vote, you're treated to a special reward sketch that's related to the comic on the main page.
For example. How does Tom propose this embarrassing situation be prevented in the future? BOWFLEX!
So now you click on the link and you figure out what I'm talking about! See how easy that works?
By the way, in case you missed it, there was an extra comic yesterday. It was a really humdinger, too. In an effort to boost our position at buzzComix, I'm doing a WHOLE WEEK of strips. So that means there will be an extra comic Thursday, too. Don't forget to come back then and check it out.
Now onto The Incredibles!
A member of the THorum recently posted a very interesting link to the Disney Japan web site promoting the release of the movie across the Pacific. It included a very different teaser trailer than what we've been exposed to here in the states. Besides the interesting narration ("MEEESTAH INVINC-AH-BULE!"), the trailer shows several scenes we haven't been treated to yet.
It's very interesting to watch because it really puts the focus on the characters internal struggles as opposed to the WHAM! BAM! action of the American trailer. For example, Mr. Incredible misses his glory days as a super hero. His son is wrestling with the advice to "do his best" when he's not allowed to do his best by hiding his powers. His daughter meanwhile just wants to be normal and his wife is trying to keep them all together. As per usual with Pixar movies, it reveals a very meaty emotional core to the movie and it only makes me want to see it THAT. MUCH. MORE.
Friday can't get here soon enough.
Well, Well! What do we have here?
Don't know what you're doing with superchunk over there, but you gots to git with me!
That costume is a little weird, but your body is totally hot!
...and I like weird!
Bite your tongue, villain!
You're dead!
└ Tags: costume, punch, running, superchunk, The Incredibles, villain, weird
NOTE - You can use these tags:
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DAYFREE
November 4th, 2004 | by Tom
Gotta give thanks to fellow Dayfree Press alumni Jim Burgess for giving Theater Hopper a mention on his site Able and Baker. Jim has endorsed our effort to get to the number one spot on buzzComix, have you?
I also forgot to mention yesterday that Boy On A Stick and Slither has updated it's schedule to Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the month of November. Lend your support by visiting the site and letting them know you want more BOASAS action!
└ Tags: Able and Baker, Boy On A Stick and Slither, buzzComix, Dayfree Press, Jim Burgess
[ No Comments ]
Apr 8, 2005 THIS ISN'T THE BLOG
Feb 14, 2005 MORE COMMENTS SOON
Apr 6, 2005 BLOG TO COME
Feb 25, 2005 BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE SAID…
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text:
Lautaro Martinez Back on Barcelona Radar as Fallback
Seen Goal - #News - Mon 18 Apr 2022 - 12:42 pm
Barcelona will once again pursue Lautaro Martinez in the summer, as has been the case in the recent past. The Argentina striker was close to joining them before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He has since extended his contract at Inter but that hasn't silenced rumors surrounding his future.
The star vented after scoring against Spezia: "A lot of people are always talking about me, but I'm fully focused. I don't listen to the noise and focus on my family who love me and on Inter. I have always given my best and will continue to do so."
Corresponding Corriere della Serathat Nerazzurri have received some inquiries but are not specifically negotiating its sale. Atletico Madrid also remain keen on him. That Blaugrana failed to activate his €111m release clause two years ago. The asking price will be around 60 to 70 million euros next summer, the publication informs. Inter would use the money to fund most of their transfer market moves.
Barcelona could use two players as substitutes to take on Lautaro Martinez. Sports informed. They plan to offer Miralem Pjanic, who won't be bought out by Besiktas, and Memphis Depay, who failed to convince coach Xavi. Both will most likely depart in the next window. On the other hand, their high wages could be problematic for them Nerazzurri.
According to the Catalan newspaper, the Argentine ace is third on their shortlist to strengthen the front. Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski top it, but those pursuits present great challenges.


text:
The Real War in Iran
By Caroline B. Glick
CarolineGlick.com
Something is happening in Iran. Forces are in motion. But what is happening? And who are the forces that are on the move? Since this week's bombing in Isfahan, the world media is rife with speculation that the war with Iran over its nuclear weapons program has begun. But if the war has begun, who is fighting it? What are their aims? And what are their methods and means of attack?
On Wednesday the Times of London published a much-cited article about this week's blast in Isfahan. The article referred to the bombed installation as a "uranium enrichment facility."
But there is no uranium enrichment facility at Isfahan. Rather there is a uranium conversion facility.
As the news analysis website The Missing Peace explained, a UCF is an installation where yellowcake is converted into uranium hexafluoride, or UF6. In Iran, the UF6 from Isfahan is sent to Natanz, where it is enriched.
While Isfahan's UCF may be a reasonable target in an all-out attack on Iran's nuclear program, it is not a vital installation. According to American military analyst J.E. Dyer, it would not be a priority target for Western governments whose primary goal is to neutralize Iran's nuclear weapons program.
As Dyer put it in a blog post at Hot Air,
"Western governments make their targeting decisions based on criteria that would put the Isfahan UCF several notches down the list of things that need to be struck in November 2011. It's a workhorse facility in the fissile-material production network, and it's already done what needs to be done to assemble an arsenal of multiple weapons. Uranium conversion is also 'mastered technology'; Iran can reconstitute it relatively quickly."
Dyer concludes that due to the site's low value to Western governments, "It is extremely unlikely that a Western government" perpetrated the attack.
If Dyer is right, and the Isfahan site is not critical to Iran's nuclear project and was therefore not attacked by a Western government, who attacked it and why? Dr. Michael Ledeen, an Iran expert from the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies wrote Monday at PJ Media that the attack at Isfahan, like the attacks two weeks ago at the Bidganeh Air Force base and two other Revolutionary Guards bases were conducted by members of Iran's anti-regime Green Movement. In those attacks, Revolutionary Guards Maj.-Gen. Hasan Tehrani Moghaddam was killed and some 180 Shahab 3 ballistic missiles were destroyed.
Speaking to The Missing Peace, Daniel Ashrafi, an Iranian anti-regime activist living in Canada, claimed that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was scheduled to visit the Bidganeh base at the time of the explosion, but he was delayed.
If true, this would mark the second time that a facility was bombed when one of Iran's senior leaders was scheduled to visit the site. In May, the Abadan oil refinery was bombed during a site visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Given the shroud of secrecy that covers all operations in Iran, any attempt to assess what is happening on the ground is necessarily speculative. But speculation can be useful if it is grounded in a reasoned assessment of the differing goals of various actors and the probability of their willingness to act alone or in concert with others to achieve their goals.
In the case of the Green Movement, what began as a protest movement after the regime stole the 2009 presidential elections, morphed in the ensuing months of protests and regime repression into a full-blown revolutionary movement.
No longer content to demand that Ahmadinejad step down and fair elections take place, the Green Movement began calling for and working towards the overthrow of the regime as a whole. And since last year, regime installations as well as key members of the Revolutionary Guards have been targeted on a regular basis. As The Washington Post reported last week, since 2010 there has been a fivefold increase in the number of explosions at Iranian oil pipelines and refineries. Whoever is behind the blasts is clearly targeting Iran's high value economic assets.
And now they have moved on to military installations and nuclear sites.
This escalation in the war of sabotage against the Iranian regime provides two important lessons for Western policy-makers assessing Western options for preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
It tells us the popular Western belief that a US or Israeli or coalition strike on Iran's nuclear installations would provoke the Iranian public to rally around the regime is utter nonsense. In the case of the Isfahan bombing, for instance, there are two possible scenarios for who is responsible.
First, it is possible, as Ledeen argues and Dyer infers, that the attack was the work of regime opponents acting on their own. Second, it is possible as Israeli officials quoted by the media have hinted that it was a collaborative effort between local regime opponents and foreign forces.
In either case, what is clear is that at least some Iranians are willing to target their country's nuclear installations if doing so will harm the regime.
At the height of the 2009 Green Movement protests against the regime, US President Barack Obama justified his decision not to side with the anti-regime protesters by claiming that if the US were to support them, they would lose popular credibility. In his words, it would be counterproductive for the US "to be seen as meddling" in Iran's domestic affairs, "given the history of US-Iranian relations."
And yet, what we see is that no one is rallying around the regime. The attacks on Isfahan and Bidganeh, which the regime was quick to simultaneously deny and blame on foreign governments, did not cause the people to rally to the side of the mullahs. So, too, the repeated bombings of petroleum facilities are not fomenting an upsurge in public support for the regime. To the contrary; domestic disgruntlement with the regime continues to rise as the standard of living for the average Iranian plummets.
And this brings us to the "students" who raided the British Embassy on Tuesday. On Thursday the regime released from jail all the "students" arrested for raiding and torching the embassy and briefly holding British personnel hostage.
Their release is yet further proof that the embassy attackers were neither students nor angry at Britain. Rather, as British Foreign Minister William Hague and others have alleged, they were regime goons who belong to the same Basij force that massacred, tortured and raped the anti-regime protesters from the Green Movement in 2009.
According to the official Iranian press agencies, the "students" raided the British Embassy because they were furious that Britain announced it was cutting its ties with Iran's Central Bank. If Obama were right, and Western anti-regime actions were counterproductive, then we could have expected real students, like the ones who called for the overthrow of the regime in 2009 to protest outside the British Embassy. But the fact that they stayed home while their attackers turned their truncheons on the British is clear proof that Obama simply didn't know what he was talking about.
And as Obama's statements in the wake of the assault on the British Embassy made clear, he still fundamentally misunderstands the situation in Iran. Responding to the attack, Obama said, "I strongly urge the Iranian government to hold those who are responsible to task."
That is, the US president opted to pretend that "those responsible," were separate from the regime, which they are not.
Obama's response is of a piece with his non-response to Iran's plan to bomb targets in Washington. It is also in line with his refusal to contemplate sanctions against Iran's Central Bank and its oil sector. Moreover, Obama's continued insistence on working through the UN Security Council to ratchet up sanctions on Iran despite the fact that Russian and Chinese support for Iran has blocked that venue make clear that he is not at all serious about using US power to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Thankfully, Obama's abandonment of the traditional US role as the leader of the free world has not prevented Western governments and regional forces for freedom from acting in their common interests. Britain and France have responded to the regime assault on the British Embassy by rallying Western European nations to escalate the EU's campaign to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Unlike the Obama administration, which continues to falsely characterize Iran's nuclear program as a threat to Israel alone, the Europeans are increasingly willing to acknowledge that the program and the regime constitute a grave threat to European security and to global security as a whole.
Whereas the Obama administration peevishly argues that an embargo on Iranian oil will raise world oil prices, this week the British openly called for an embargo on Iranian oil. In truth such an embargo would harm Iran far more than it would harm the global economy. Europe buys 20 to 25 percent of Iran's oil exports, but Iranian oil makes up only 5% of European oil imports. At least in the short run, Saudi Arabia could pick up the slack, thus ensuring stability in global oil prices.
In the absence of US leadership, a coalition and a strategy for preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and continuing to terrorize the West has emerged. First, we have the Iranian opposition which is apparently actively involved in sabotaging with the aim of overthrowing the regime. Second, we have Israel which is completely committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. And finally we have leading European states that are increasingly determined to take practical steps to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
There are many opportunities for collaboration between these forces. In an interview with The New York Times following the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency's report exposing Iran's nuclear weapons program last month, Jean-Jaques Guillet, who published a report on Iran for the French National Assembly, said the goal of these forces should be to overthrow the regime. In his words, "If we press the regime strongly, there could be an implosion. The real objective these days should be the regime's implosion, not more talk."
Guillet suggested that France could cut off satellite service to Iran. Iran's television networks are broadcast through the French-owned Eutelsat.
Cutting off regime broadcasts, placing an embargo on Iranian oil exports, and actively assisting anti-regime forces in sabotaging regime installations, including nuclear installations, have the potential of achieving the goals of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and facilitating the empowerment of pro-Western democrats in that country.
Clearly, US participation in such a collaborative strategy would be helpful. But between the explosions in Isfahan and Bidganeh, and the surge in attacks on other regime targets; and Europe's notably robust response to Iran's attack on the British Embassy, it is possible that these goals can be accomplished even with the US following far behind.
Iran's ambitious Quds Force chief linked to British embassy attack - Sydney Morning Herald
The war against Iran's nuclear program has already begun - Ha'aretz
Senate passes Iran sanctions 100-0; Obama objects (really) - Washington Post (Jennifer Rubin)
Did Jeremiah Predict Disaster for Iran? - ProphecyDepot.net (Bill Salus)
Iran cleric warns EU, UN against backing Britain - Reuters
Labels: Ali Khamenei , Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution , Caroline Glick , Dyer , Foundation for Defense of Democracies , Iran , Iran's nuclear program , Isfahan , Times


Welcome to the 2019 Glacier Probus Golf Group.
Ken Oyler is co-ordinator of the Golf Group in 2019. Dave Scott,Tony Nicol and Ron Loudfoot will assist and backup Ken.
Our regular events are scheduled at 1.30pm on the second and fourth Fridays each month. We currently have 52 members in our golf group. This year we will be playing Mulligans on both Fridays, but intend to offer a once per month outing to a local 18 hole course for those interested.
Our events are for fun (not competition). Each foursome of players choose to keep score or not, play their own ball or a scramble format, use the "toss stroke" to get out of bunkers, etc. We welcome players of all levels of experience, and have a social time after each event.
The Glacier Club does plan to participate in Probus interclub events this summer if they are suggested.
Further details of the 2019 events will be posted on the website and provided to Glacier Probus golf group members by email.