text:
Tracy Morgan Returns To The Spotlight At The 2015 Emmys [VIDEO]
Written By D.L. Chandler
Tracy Morgan is continuing his long recovery from a near-fatal traffic accident and serving as an inspiration to his fans and supporters. At the 2015 Emmy Awards, Morgan displayed moments of humility in his emotional return to the spotlight but not without a signature joke that had the audience chuckling.
Morgan was introduced to the stage by fellow Saturday Night Live alum and Emmys host Andy Samberg, which was followed by a standing ovation. As Morgan made his way to the podium, the camera flashed to some of Morgan's past collaborators and co-stars such as Tina Fey and SNL creator Lorne Michaels. Actress Kerry Washington was especially animated in cheering for Morgan.
Morgan, visibily moved by the display of adoration, opened up and seemed almost hesistant. Morgan was at the podium to announce the Emmy for Best Drama, the final award for the evening.
"Thank you so much. I missed you guys so much," began Morgan. Although the crowd missed the dig, Morgan pushed to become the host for the Emmys next year but continued by thanking his wife and others for their support over the past year.
Initial photos and appeaances by Morgan prior to the Emmys showed him walking with the assistance of medical equipment but he took to the Microsoft Theater stage on his own, which he made mention of to more applause.
Morgan, who also mentioned his brain injury, didn't lose much of his comic punch.
We won't give away the ending jokes, but we do invite you to watch the clip below that features Tracy Morgan at his funnyman best.
Welcome back, Tracy! We missed you too!
Photo: Fox
emmy awards Tracy Morgan


VM Motori, founded in 1947, is specialized in the design and production of diesel engines. Major investments in R&D, together with the use of modern technology, put VM at the forefront of on-road, off-road, stationary and sprinkler applications. The current engine range is the fruit of our philosophy of producing high performance engines in respect of the most severe emissions limits. In addition to its highly technological products, VM Motori also offers its customers a highly professional and personalized service from the start of the project through to the engine's installation in the final application.
VM Motori is able to guarantee a high level of reliability thanks to the exhaustive tests which all engines are put through at our plant in Cento (Italy). Final sign-off of the engines is only given once the engines have been tested in the field. These tests serve to ensure security and functionality and are much appreciated by our customers.


Pointblank: Drama In Port Harcourt As Woman Discovers She's Been Married To A Dead Man For 6 Years!
Drama In Port Harcourt As Woman Discovers She's Been Married To A Dead Man For 6 Years!
A woman reportedly "ran mad" on Friday, after discovering the father of her two kids and husband for 6 years had died since 2002.
It was pandemonium and endless drama in old port Harcourt town waterside as a woman identified as Grace Amadi by her neighbors ran mad on Friday afternoon after making a shocking discovery that her husband of 6 years and father to her 2 children had died since 2002, LeadersNg reports.
A source told LeadersNg that Mrs Grace and her husband whose name was given as Tony had been married since 2010 and have been living peacefully with their 2 daughters who were both conceived in 2011 and 2013 respectively.
Mr Tony had left for his job normally this morning and today was supposed to be a normal day in their lives until she received a visitor in the late hours of the morning who claimed he was a distant relative of Tony. The visitor's exact conversation with Grace could not be extracted from either of them as the visitor left shortly before Mrs Grace began to scream in disbelief and rage, several times throwing herself on the floor to induce injuries.
A source at the scene says neighbors gathered round and saw old pictures of Tony lying on the floor, apparently left behind by the visitor for Mrs Grace.
The source was also shocked at the pictures left behind, one was wedding ceremony pictures of Tony and another woman dated May 2000, another was a car accident wreckage which had allegedly killed Tony, another was Tony's remains lying in an open casket apparently depicting his funeral dated July 2002, the last one was a picture of a grave headstone carrying the full name and the dates of birth and death. The mystery remains, how is someone who had died in 2002 alive and well and even remarried with children?
Attempts were made to reach Mr Tony by phone but they all proved abortive as his number was not reachable. A delegation of neighbors were sent to his office to retrieve Mr Tony but the delegation returned empty handed and revealed that Mr Tony never arrived at the office that morning as he drove out for work from his house.
Mrs Grace had since be taken to a local prayer house for spiritual treatment against the advice of a psychiatric home while her children are being looked after by her neighbors as they look on confused. Maybe one day they will be old enough to be told that their father had died before they were born.


Wellington barrister Terence Stapleton QC has been appointed to the head of a review of the Overseas Investment Office's process for assessing good character.
The appointment, announced yesterday by Land Information New Zealand chief executive Peter Mersi, follows revelations the OIO approved the 2014 sale of a large farm in Taranaki to Argentine investors, who had previously been found criminally responsible for toxic discharges into a river in Buenos Aires, the NZ Herald reported.
Potential breaches of the way the office provides information of "good character" requirements will now be reviewed.
"To test whether the process in place for assessing good character is sufficiently robust, I have asked for an independent review of it," Mersi said, saying it had become apparent that information relevant to the good character test was not always made available to the relevant ministers.
Stapleton will provide the report, and recommendations, to Mersi by June 15.


Our senior associates, Sara Dousset and Nurith Cohen have earned the ANSI-accredited Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E).
We are very pleased to announce that our senior associates Sara Dousset and Nurith Cohen have earned the ANSI-accredited Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E) credential through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
The CIPP/E is the first professional credential specific to European data protection professionals that is part of a comprehensive, principles-based framework and knowledge base in information privacy.
The CIPP is the global standard in privacy certification. Developed and launched by the IAPP with leading subject matter experts, the CIPP is the world's first broad-based global privacy and data protection credentialing program.
We value and give the highest importance to the continuous education and training of each of our team member. If you want to learn more about our firm and how we operate, the article "The Way We Work" lists our 12 core work principles.


Overcoming the first challenge of settling at a new club, Andrew Hoole has now set himself new goals leading into the Sky Blues Westfield FFA Cup round of 16 clash against Adelaide United on Wednesday night.
After notching his first strike for the Sky Blues against Belconnen United last Wednesday, the 21 year old from Newcastle has targeted hitting the net more often during the Hyundai A-League 2015/16 season.
"The first few months have been good, obviously it was a new challenge and a different environment to what I'm used to," he said.
"I haven't changed clubs before and I'm looking forward to getting to know more about how the boys play and individually what players can do in certain games.
"It's nice to score goals and to get one against Belconnen was good," he continued.
Having faced Adelaide United on countless occasions, the Reds are familiar opponents for Hoole and the Australian U-23 international is hoping to exploit the South Australian side's defensive frailties in their round of 16 cup clash.
"It will definitely be a tough game, they've had some good results of late," he said.
"It's always hard to play them in Adelaide at their home ground but we're looking forward to the challenge and it's a good game to see where we're at.
"I think they've showed in the past that their attack minded football is very good. I think defensively they have some lapses so hopefully we can try and exploit that and if we come up against them in that type of way hopefully we can break them down and bang a few goals in.
"We're going there to try and win the match, it's an FFA Cup game and we're looking forward to the challenge," he continued.


text:
Swim England believes pools should not be impacted by new guidelines
Swim England believes swimming pools should not be impacted by the new Government guidance on groups of no more than six people meeting socially.
An updated version of this statement has been released, you can find it here.
Prime Minster Boris Johnson is due to give further details on the guidelines, which will come into force on Monday 14 September, at a press conference this afternoon.
A Swim England spokesperson said: "Pools are extremely well-managed spaces where we can create safe environments.
"Operators and facility owners have been following Swim England guidance developed in conjunction with Public Health England and medical professionals.
Join us and make your voice heard
"As aquatic activity has been operating under a Government-accepted Covid-secure framework, we believe that swimming pools should be unaffected.
"It is essential for the health and wellbeing of the nation and the future viability of leisure facilities and aquatic clubs up and down the country that this is case."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Maybe it has something to do with crime?
It's Wednesday, which means it's time to get to know a little bit more (or just anything at all) about one of the Southeastern Conference's football players. Now when this player succeeds, massively fails or is shown milling around in the background of a TV shot, you'll know that his greatest off-the-field accomplishment involves the sale and transportation of hobos. Or something like that.
The team of the player selected is chosen through a super-secret process which I cannot reveal, however, the number of the player is randomly chosen by visiting www.random.org and using whatever number is spat out from its random-creating machine.
Some background information: Yet another walk-on selected in this series, but unlike previously selected below-average collegiate athletes, this one is somewhat interesting. As you can see from the picture above, Josh, just 19 years of age, has already spent some time in the clink. While he has yet to contribute to the Georgia football team, he has contributed to the Athens-Clarke County Police Department's "More Drunk People in Jail" tally, which should get them some extra government money and a framed certificate if they keep up the pace.
Greatest on-field accomplishment: Has not occurred.
Greatest off-the-field accomplishment: In the 2009 summer session, Josh made the Athletic Director's honor roll and the dean's list. My only problem with this is that clearly Josh put way too much time into his studies and not being as lazy as humanly possible in the summer. Summer school is not a time to excel academically, it's a time to not get a summer job, lay around the pool, play golf and briefly consider how awful life is going to be when you can no longer do these thing before taking a nap for that evening's activities. Georgia may congratulate you, Josh, but I say time and energy wasted.
Way(s) in which he has embarrassed himself, his family, team and school: Here comes more on the arrest. A young woman, who should have been minding her own business, called police at 1:19 AM on April 11th when she found young Joshua passed out on the second level of the East Village parking deck. Yes, the second level of a parking deck. An excellent choice for a place to pass out. While there was the potential of getting backed over or just run over by a car, he protected himself from the elements.
When the police arrived, Josh was unresponsive and reeked of Mad Dog 20/20 or Steel Reserve (I'm guessing on the booze). Police then looked through his wallet to identify him and found that he had two licenses, one from Georgia and one from Florida. No big deal except that he's not from Florida and it was fake. So Josh earned himself a trip to the hospital, where they tried to make him less drunk, then on to the Clarke County Jail where he was booked for possessing a fake ID and underage possession of alcohol.
I'm a little disappointed there wasn't vomit, cursing and tasers involved, but a parking garage is still a solid backdrop.
Weaknesses: Decision-making...and bad friends who didn't bother to keep up with him or at least drag him inside the building or a car.


text:
NIS President Talks Disgaea 6, Switch's Appeal, And Being Early On PS5
by Kimberley Wallace on Sep 20, 2018 at 07:03 AM
We're out at Tokyo Game Show and taking the time to visit with various Japanese developers. Today, we sat down with NIS President Sohei Niikawa and he dished about the company's future plans. NIS has earned its claim to fame with the Disgaea series, which recently brought its fifth entry to Switch and is set to launch Disgaea 1 Complete (a remaster of the first game) in just a few weeks on PS4 and Switch. Niikawa was candid about NIS' effort to stay in the game by not only developing more Disgaea games, but also creating new IP like the recent Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk. Here's what he had to say about NIS's past, present, and future.
On The Desire To Bring More Games To Switch...
With Disgaea 5 Complete already hitting Switch, and another release in a few weeks with Disgaea 1 Complete, we couldn't help but ask if NIS has seen success on the platform and would like to continue developing on it. Niikawa seemed very open to making the Switch a part of NIS' future.
"I definitely feel the Nintendo Switch is a very appealing platform," he says. "And what I mean by appealing is that at home you can play it on your TV and then you can pick it up and play it on the go as well. It's a platform that's perfect for people all over the world, that meets everyone's needs. And as a company, Nippon Ichi Software wants to continue to release more and more games on it. What really contributed to that decision was Disgaea 5's success on the platform. We were actually surprised, in terms of sales for North America and Europe, it did much better than our expectations."
Disgaea's Future
Niikawa said Disgaea V was met with much fanfare from around the world, but what surprised him most was its performance in the West. "Disgaea is a title that was born in Japan, but I feel it's a title that has been more well-received overseas," he says. "As for why that is, I have no clue, but because that is the case we're going to make more and more Disgaeas and release them into the world."
Naturally, this led us to ask about progress on the next entry. Niikawa confirmed that NIS is hard at work on the next entry. "Yes, it's been in the works from the preparatory stages from a while back, but in terms in when it will be released and what's actually going to be in it content-wise, that's still TBD. It's still very early."
Will Laharl And Company Make Another Comeback?
The cast of the first Disgaea has undoubtedly been the most popular. Something about Etna putting the incredibly arrogant Laharl in his place never gets old alongside Flonne's innocence and naivety. We just couldn't resist asking if NIS would bring these iconic characters back for something beyond D2: A Brighter Darkness.
"Yes, there's definitely a wish to revisit that cast and maybe other casts," he says. "Disgaea is a series that we're constantly thinking of what to do with it. And right now, while all eyes are probably on or looking forward to Disgaea 6, there's still a lot of other things that we're still planning and thinking about in the Disgaea series that maybe we'll be announcing in the future. At least please know that it's being thought about."
Going Beyond Disgaea
While Disgaea is certainly NIS' most popular brand, that doesn't mean that the company isn't looking for new IP to make a splash. "One of the really important themes of the company overall is, while obviously respecting and continuing the legacy of the [Disgaea series], is to always be creating those new things. It's a company imperative to make sure new IP and games get developed and released." Niikawa used the example of Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk making a big impact over time in Japan, which he's hoping it sees in North America as well.
Getting Ahead With The PS5...
We asked Niikawa what were in the future plans for the developer and publisher, and he wasn't shy about stating their goals. "As Nippon Ichi Software, we'd like to continue in the consumer sphere, which is what we consider consoles and handhelds – not mobile, essentially," he says. "Specifically, [we're targeting] the PlayStation 4, Switch, and Steam. That's the general strategy going forward. There's a lot of talk of PlayStation 5 right now, and I personally don't know when it's going to come out, but I know as a company we definitely want to be on there very early – one of the first companies to put something out on it. This goes back to earlier in the conversation, but again, just going forward [our goal is] making Disgaea 6 up to the level that everyone is expecting. Another series we're definitely looking to bring a lot of attention to, which just came out in North America, is Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk. This is a game we put a lot of time and energy into, to strictly call it by its genre type it'd be a [dungeon crawler]. To compare it to Disgaea, which is a strategy/RPG, the things [Disgaea] did were pretty revolutionary and pretty crazy. It kind of turned SRPGs on their heads. I feel the say way about some of the systems in Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk."
Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk is now available for PS4, Switch, and PC. Disgaea 1 Complete, which features all the additional content released for the game alongside HD sprites and graphics, launches on October 9.
Kimberley Wallace
Kimberley is usually playing the latest RPG, sports title, or narrative-driven experience. She has also amassed more than two hundred Stanley Cups while playing as the Blackhawks in various NHL games.


Normally not one to make pronouncements of historic proportion in so complex a field as the housing market, (where even top analysts have stumbled repeatedly in the throes of the housing bubble and its rapid but enduring deflation,) I'm going to go out on a limb here in re-framing the American Dream.
Besides freedom, having a job and owning a car, most people associate the American Dream with owning their own home. But, in the past few years, the promise of home ownership has been snatched away from many younger Americans — first because of the inflated prices of the bubble, from the spring of 2001 to December, 2007, then the Great Recession in which mortgages were hard to get and prospective buyers feared entering the market before it hit bottom.
Now after five years of declining home values and listless sales, there is suddenly a great inventory of affordable houses at the lower end of the price spectrum, with homes being found for $250,000 or lower. At the same time, a new army of first-time homebuyers has jumped into the market with astounding vigor in just the past few weeks. Things are hopping on the cheap, but also on the fast, the very fast.
At the height of the bubble in 2006, only 112 homes had sold in our region for under $250,000 that year, but that number has swelled to 422 homes sold this year. You might wonder what the major cause is for a new glut of affordable homes at a price range that would have been nearly impossible to find in 2006.
We all know the main reasons, and I have one theory of my own. When the subprime mortgage debacle burst the housing bubble, buyers literally disappeared either because of job loss or the fear that housing prices would be declining for a long time. Also, mortgages became more difficult to get. The formerly unheard of term "short sale" rose from obscurity to prominence, and the lower sales prices that banks were willing to accept to satisfy a mortgage impacted the asking price for other homes on the market.
But here's my theory about the current availability of reasonably priced homes that has nothing to do with the reasons cited above: that is, the natural cycle or lifespan of home ownership.
Except for a few pockets in lower and mid-Westchester, such as in New Rochelle, Mt. Vernon and Ossining, most homes now priced under $250,000 are located in northern Westchester and eastern Putnam Counties. Until the 1960s this area was farmland that provided the space for many tracts of housing to accommodate young families who wanted to move from the city at that time.
While the majority of people move on the average of every seven years, many of the homes in this area have had only one or two owners since they were built. As an example my research shows that of the 13,000 households in my hometown of Yorktown, almost 1,700 homeowners have been in the same house for more than 30 years, which I find an incredible statistic, and now they're ready to retire either to a senior community or to head south.
"That's absolutely right," my friend and fellow realtor Rose Delagi at Coldwell Banker said in agreement when I bounced my theory off her. "That is exactly what happened in my family," she explained. "My parents moved here from a small apartment in the Bronx in 1965, and they stayed in that house until they retired in 1998.
Today many new retirees who paid under $50,000 for their homes in the 1970s and are mortgage free can still benefit from a sale that may be 25 to 30 percent lower than they would have realized five years ago.
The other beneficiary of this scenario is the first-time homebuyer looking for a moderately priced home at a time when interest rates are at an historic low and inventory still allows a good choice.
If you're ready to buy your first home, priced under $250,000, call a realtor and come look at some of the 433 homes available today at that price range in Westchester and Putnam. And, if you're willing to travel a little further north to Dutchess that number swells to 780.
But because these bargains are now moving quickly, be sure to act fast, very fast.


text:
Name: OLIVE FILMS
Number: OLV484BR
QUIET MAN, THE (1952) (BLU-RAY)
Directed By: John Ford
Newly re-mastered in HD from a 4K SCAN of the ORIGINAL NEGATIVE. John Ford's The Quiet Man celebrates one of Hollywood's most romantic and enduring epics. The first American feature to be filmed in Ireland's picturesque countryside… Ford richly imbued this masterpiece with his love of Ireland and its people.
Sean Thornton (John Wayne) in an American boxer who swears off fighting after he accidentally kills an opponent in the ring. Returning to the Irish town of his youth, he purchases the home of his birth and finds happiness when he falls in love with the fiery Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara). But her insistence that Sean conduct his courtship in a proper Irish manner with matchmaker Barry Fitzgerald along for the ride as "chaperone" is but one obstacle to their future happiness: the other is her brother (Victor McLaglen), who spitefully refuses to give his consent to their marriage, or to honor the tradition of paying a dowry to the husband. Sean could care less about dowries, he would've punched out the bullying McLaglen long ago if he hadn't sworn off fighting. But when Mary Kate accuses him of being a coward and walks out on him, Sean is finally ready to take matters into his own hands, the resulting fistfight erupts into the longest brawl ever filmed, followed by one of the most memorable reconciliations in movie history! The Quiet Man won a total of two Academy Awards® including Best Director (Ford) and Best Cinematography and received five more nomination including Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (McLaglen).
BONUS MATERIAL:
• Printed Booklet: Joseph McBride on THE QUIET MAN
Adapted from his biography: SEARCHING FOR JOHN FORD
• The Making of THE QUIET MAN (1992 | 28 Minutes)
Written and hosted by Leonard Maltin – Includes interviews with Michael Wayne, Toni Wayne LaCava and Andrew V. McLaglen
1.37:1 Aspect Ratio
Customers who bought this title also bought:
GYPSY (1962)


If you are using Panorama to manage your firewalls, you can use templates and device groups to forward firewall logs to Azure Security Center. With the default Azure Security Center Log Forwarding profile, Threat and WildFire Submissions logs of low, medium, high, or critical severity generated on the firewall are displayed as security alerts on the Azure Security Center dashboard. So that you can focus and triage alerts more efficiently, you can set up granular log filters to only forward logs of interest to you, or forward high and critical severity logs only. You can also selectively attach the log forwarding profile to a few Security policy rules based on your applications and security needs.
To enable the Azure Security Center integration from Panorama, use the following workflow.
Add the firewall as a managed device on Panorama.
From Panorama, create a template and a device group to push log forwarding settings to the firewalls that will be forwarding logs to Azure Security Center.
Specify the log types to forward to the Logging Service.
The way you enable forwarding depends on the log type. For logs that are generated based on a policy match, you use a log forwarding profile within a device group, and for other logs types you use the Log Settings configuration within a template.
Configure forwarding of System, Configuration, User-ID, and HIP Match logs.
Select the Template that contains the firewalls you want to forward logs to the Logging Service.
For each log type that you to forward to the Logging Service, Add a match list filter. Give it a Name, optionally define a Filter.
Add Built-in Actions and enter a Name. The Azure-Security-Center-Integration action will be auto selected. Click OK.
Configure forwarding of all other log types that are generated when a policy match occurs such as Traffic, Threat, WildFire Submission, URL Filtering, Data Filtering, and Authentication logs. To forward these logs, you must create and attach a log forwarding profile to each policy rule for which you want to forward logs.
Select the Device Group, and then select ObjectsLog Forwarding to Add a profile. In the log forwarding profile match list, add each log type that you want to forward.
Select Add in Built-in Actions to enable the firewalls in the device group to forward the logs to Azure Security Center.
Create basic security policy rules in the device group you just created and select Actions to attach the Log Forwarding profile you created for forwarding logs to Azure Security Center. Until the firewall has interfaces and zones and a basic security policy, it will not let any traffic through, and only traffic that matches a security policy rule will be logged (by default).
For each rule you create, select Actions and select the Log Forwarding profile that allows the firewall to forward logs to Azure Security Center.
Commit your changes to Panorama and push them to the template and device group you created.
Verify that the firewall logs are being forwarded to Azure Security Center.
Log in the Azure portal, select Azure Security Center.
Verify that you can see firewall logs as Security alerts on the Azure Security Center dashboard.


text:
Tag Archives: #VedicWisdom
Ana Lucia Alves, Maria M Anderson, Vedic Times
October 4, 2020 Ana Lucia Alves
by Maria M. Anderson
The Creator's extended Eden absences increased.
Man looked up at the Heavens and complained. "You do not love me. You are never around anymore. I do all of the animal-naming myself. I am bored. I am lonely, and by-the-way, I never asked to be made in the first place. What are You going to do about that?"
God chose Archangel Jophiel to mind and mentor the solo garden human, Adam. Besides an honor, Jophiel viewed the Eden provisional placement as a welcome break from his full-time mission, directing fifty-three legions of angels, and assisting Michael with his battle against evil.
Naming animals and Man babysitting, a breeze.
The Creator asked for an update.
Jophiel looked up at the Heavens and complained to God. "Man is no angel. I fear, without your constant presence, love, composure, and example, Adam will remain forever as he is: selfish, childish, and ungrateful."
The Creator pondered, then replied. "I shall create an animal companion for Adam, to always be with him and reflect My love. This animal's devotion shall be unconditional. Regardless of how selfish, childish, or ungrateful Adam is, the companion will remain loyal and loving. Because the animal will be a reflection of Me, God, I will name it, dog."
Dog followed Adam throughout the Garden, ate his scraps, slept by his side. Dog was conscientious and content. Dog nuzzled, played, and wagged its tail often. Adam seemed pleased.
Jophiel looked up at the Heavens and complained to God. "Dog is your finest creature. Its kindness and patience, a mirror of You. However, there is a definite disconnect. With dog at his heels, Man has become as bold as bull, as proud as peacock, as lordly as lion, and as cunning as coyote. Adam has learned from dog's unconditional faithfulness that he is protected and loved, but what Man gravely lacks is humility."
The Creator sighed, then replied. "I shall create another creature companion that will see Adam for what he truly is. This creature will remind Man of his many shortcomings and weaknesses. When Adam realizes that he is not worthy of pure and unconditional animal love and companionship, he will become humble."
God created cat.
Cat always remained near, but did not acknowledge or obey Adam. Sometimes cat would purr and accept affection, other times Man's gentle touch would be met with a hiss or a sharp claw. When Adam gazed into cat's penetrating peridot eyes, he was reminded that Man was not, and never will be, Who Am.
In time, Adam learned humility.
God was pleased. Jophiel was pleased. Dog was pleased.
Cat did not care.
About Maria here.
#MariaMAnderson#vedictimes#VedicTimesWisdom#VedicWisdom
Vedic Times
August 9, 2020 Aradhana Devi Dasi
On the ENVIRONMENT, By Rohini Walker
The last few decades have seen a slow yet steady rise in the awareness and practice of permaculture in conservation and environmental communities. This growing understanding is both heartening and deeply necessary. It also gives rise to occasional pauses to take a closer look at what the term permaculture implies and means, and its true origins. In particular, this examination compels us to look at how permaculture, like much other wisdom deriving from pre-industrial, non-hierarchical, collaboration with land and nature, is at risk of being appropriated and colonized. The resulting reductionist approach seeks to create homogenizing formulas to work in harmony with the environment, a hallmark of mainstream western scientific materialism. This is anathema to what was originally — and still is — an indigenous science of working in partnership and reciprocity with the land and cycles of nature.
Bill Mollison in the garden of his Enmore, Australia home on January 16, 1989. | Greg White / Fairfax Media via Getty Images
The term permaculture — a fusion of "permanent" and "agriculture" — was first coined in the 1970s by two Australians, David Holmgren, and Bill Mollison. Both were academics in Tasmania. Holmgren was at the time a graduate student studying environmental design at the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education, and Mollison — also dubbed the "father of permaculture" — was a senior lecturer in environmental psychology at the University of Tasmania. The foundations of permaculture rest on two concepts: an understanding and acceptance of the diversity of whole systems, as opposed to the soil-degrading effects of industrial monoculture; and on the relational, slow-yet-dynamic practice of observing the land, and its many complex ecosystems.
Running Ditches and Slowing Water
Paiute People Adapt Traditions to Modern-Day Gardens
That permaculture arose as a vital response to the dangerous environmental and human degradation of industrialization, and its toxic farming and agricultural practices is undeniable. Its philosophy is based on the common-sense truth that the human race cannot survive in any measure of health if the Earth is being poisoned. We are at a point in our evolution where anything less than an applied understanding of this idea spells disaster to our survival. In all of this, the propagation of permaculture is crucial.
What is at issue here is the importance of recognizing that permaculture's roots lie firmly and deeply in the ancient, fertile, organic soil of indigenous science. To overlook and ignore that is to leave permaculture at the mercy of the dogmas of mainstream science, and the latter's view of the manifold, complex systems in nature as nothing more than resources to be exploited. From this vantage point, humans control, degrade and exploit the land to become obedient, consummate consumers; and the indigenous science of cultivating a reciprocal, regenerative relationship with the Earth, in which the human acknowledges her innate connection to Earth, is dismissed as "unscientific" and empirically unsound.
The Potawot Community Garden, housed at United Indian Health Services's facility in Arcata, California, incorporates elements of permaculture seamlessly into the center's holistic approach to healing the Earth and body. | Still from "Tending Nature" episode "Healing The Body with United Indian Health Services."
Without actively anchoring itself to the wisdom of indigenous science, permaculture is rudderless and vulnerable to invasion by the parasite that only feeds off its host, without giving anything back, ultimately destroying both.
Indeed, Mollison attributed much of what he came to create as "permaculture" to what he learned from the Aboriginals in Tasmania, and other Indigenous people around the world.
Permaculture is fundamentally then, an indigenous science. Its framework is a design system that incorporates core principles and practices from indigenous knowledge around the world, assimilating it with sustainable new technology that is making strides towards harmonizing this traditional wisdom with pioneering modern quantum science. As such, it can restore valuable ancient knowledge, while steering our industrialized society towards a more viable future based on regeneration and reciprocity.
In California, the Chumash, Yurok, Karuk, Hupa, and Miwok tribes have, for over 13,000 years, practiced and handed down the tradition of prescribed burning as a way of tending the land. As people Indigenous to California, and as guardians of Native wisdom whose cultural foundations rest on a reciprocal, reverential, subject-subject interaction with nature, the practice of prescribed burning sees fire as a necessary medicine for the land. For millennia, this method of small-scale, skillfully managed, intentional burning of dead or dying underbrush has been a way of regenerating the land, and significantly decreasing the risk of catastrophic, out-of-control, large-scale wildfires.
Given the devastation caused by wildfires in recent years, a result of climate change and rising temperatures, the art of prescribed burning is something that is finally being looked at by state fire officials and environmental agencies as a viable means of minimizing the risk of wildfires. Tribes are now working together to revive this ancient and practical wisdom of fire as preventative, restorative medicine through the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network. Crucially, state governing bodies are now beginning to work with tribes and their tradition of prescribed burning as a time-tested way of reducing the conditions that cause wildfires in our current, climate-sensitive age.
This restoration of Native wisdom is critical at this time because we are all indigenous to somewhere. There is as much to be gleaned from pre-Christian, pre-industrialized, indigenous old European culture and wisdom as there is from our more current understanding of what being native is. These traditional societies also operated within an Earth-focused, reciprocal, relational paradigm and were decimated through the terror of widespread witch trials and burnings. They also became colonized by the belief that man is here to exercise dominion over land and sea. These old, indigenous, pagan ways became marginalized at best, literally demonized at worst. What did survive we displaced to the fringes of society, viewed by mainstream science and "sensible" society as esoteric, crackpot nonsense — Fait accompli.
Permaculture's ability to re-indigenize Caucasian people, to reconnect them with their indigenous wisdom traditions of working in partnership with the land, has the potential to stem the tide of the, frankly, crackpot notions of the colonial mindset. These notions are summed up succinctly in the unabridged subtitle of Charles Darwin's landmark "Origin of Species," which is: "By Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life." There is nothing that comes close to resembling "natural" about this type of "selection." That this book is the cornerstone of what has been accepted science for almost 200 years, also coinciding with the Industrial Revolution, has alarming and multiple layers of significance. For this piece, however, our focus is on the importance of recognizing the core truth that permaculture is an indigenous science.
Why is this important? As a philosophy, practice, and movement, permaculture is gaining much support and momentum across the world. Inevitably, the reductionism of mainstream science and its focus on relentless hyper-productivity, are making insidious advances towards permaculture. This rise in awareness is a bid to dominate and reduce to formulas a system rooted firmly in the cultivation of a dynamic, reciprocal relationship between the human and the Earth, both as subjects. As with any relationship, this takes patience. Permaculture can thrive under the pioneering auspices of new quantum science and technology that is discovering that what the ancients knew to be true is also empirically verifiable. The findings of this new science accept the wisdom of indigenous science — and permaculture as a product of it.
As Bill Mollison, the "father of permaculture" so articulately put it:
"Each such cycle is a unique event; diet, choice, selection, season, weather, digestion, decomposition and regeneration differ each time it happens. Thus, it is the number of such cycles, great and small, that decide the potential for diversity. We should feel ourselves privileged to be part of such eternal renewal. Just by living we have achieved immortality — as grass, grasshoppers, gulls, geese and other people. We are of the diversity we experience in every real sense.
"If, as physical scientists assure us, we all contain a few molecules of Einstein, and if the atomic particles of our physical body reach to the outermost bounds of the universe, then we are all de facto components of all things. There is nowhere left for us to go if we are already everywhere, and this is, in truth, all we will ever have or need. If we love ourselves at all, we should respect all things equally, and not claim any superiority over what are, in effect, our other parts. Is the hand superior to the eye? The bishop to the goose? The son to the mother?…
"Stupidity is an attempt to iron out all differences, and not to use them or value them creatively."
We must safeguard the permaculture movement against colonizing influences that seek to reduce it to a system of sterile formulas if we want it to remain a powerful agent of healing for the Earth — and for us. It has to be seen for what it is: an indigenous science.
Potawot Health Center: A Holistic Approach to Healing
"Every individual in the world, regardless of cultural background or race, has an indigenous soul struggling to survive in an increasingly hostile environment created by that individual's mind. A modern person's body has become a battleground between the rationalist mind — which subscribes to the values of the machine age — and the native soul. This battle is the cause of a great deal of spiritual and physical illness."
The relatively new science of quantum physics is discovering what indigenous science has known for millennia: we live in a world where all matter is sentient, a subject-subject stance. This traditional knowledge is very much at odds with the fictions of the lifeless, mechanical "objective" world over which humans ruthlessly rule that has been the prevailing dogma of mainstream science. Permaculture can remain immune to the parasitic disease if colonialism of its origins are grounded in indigenous science, and with this new science as its companion and benefactor. It can be a powerful movement of authentic and radical change that it has the potential to be.
"Permaculture's focus on symbiotic relationships is informed by the concept of ayni, a Quechua and Aymara word for sacred reciprocity, an ethic shared by many traditional cultures and sometimes translated as 'today for you, tomorrow for me.' If the permaculture movement can successfully integrate and spread indigenous science in a way that truly benefits both traditional and modern cultures, perhaps this exchange — this sacred reciprocity — has the power to help guide the future of the planet." – cultureofpermaculture.org
Indigenous science is unequivocally a science, and the system of permaculture is a recent offspring. A dismissal of it as such is a telltale sign and symptom of the colonizer and its unnatural selections.
Rohini Walker is a writer, editor and nature enthusiast. She lives in Joshua Tree, CA and is the co-founder of Luna Arcana, a desert-focused arts & literary print publication.
This article was originally published in support of Tending Nature, a KCET program exploring how traditional practices can inspire a new generation to find a balance between humans and nature.
The Vedic Times is working to create Eco-Villages that will utilize these methods. Please read also "Eco-Villages, Vastu & Sadhu Huts" and join the RE-Evolution.
#ENVIRONMENT#getinvolved#loveandcare#Permaculture#thevedictimes#vedictimes#VedicWisdom#wisdom
Maria M Anderson, Vedic Times
July 22, 2020 Ana Lucia Alves
Story by Maria M. Anderson
Gilfre paused the plow, granting his aged dappled beast invite to nibble the few early sprigs of green, poking through the departed winter's fallow soil. It was not fatigue, but curiosity that prompted the farmer's attention elsewhere, to the adjacent road, whereupon a team of black horned goats pulled a gilded wagon. Alone, managing the reins, appeared to be a crimson-robed king, of sorts, his hands gnarled, jeweled wooden crown worn upside-down.
"Stranger!" called Gilfre. "A foreign sight to behold, insooth!" The farmer's hearty amusement chuckle short-lived, extinguished by sudden stench of brimstone, arrived in a hot whirl of grey smoke. The stranger now stood beside the startled farmer, and his even more terrified horse, that in a frenzied instant managed to release from its yolk and hasten home, towards the barn.
"A gallant steed," commented the Stranger.
"In a day long passed, perhaps," replied the farmer, whilst exchanging fear for marvel, at the speed of his spooked beast, fast fading from view.
"Perception determines value," said the Stranger.
Every hair on Gilfre's body prickled in foreboding, yet his curiosity was piqued by what he could not comprehend. "I am a simple farmer."
The Stranger smiled and removed a rolled document from beneath his red robe. "Riches await. May we strike a deal?"
Finger-prick sangre signature, in exchange, the Stranger's promissory note. Gilfre sold his soul and his horse to the faux king, for a magnificent sum, twenty pieces of gold, secured by indiscernible verbiage, pre-penned on parchment paper. At the Stranger's instruction, as noted in the agreement, the farmer was required to immediately buy back his plow horse, and return the afore signed note, promising twenty pieces of gold, plus two additional silver coins, as interest. Silver coins, Gilfre's sole life savings, that he was required to retrieve (much to his wife's angry dismay) from a hidden box beneath the cottage hearth, and present in tangible actuality, to the open-handed Stranger.
Transaction complete, with verifiable receipt.
Gilfre could now tout his plow horse, to the entire village, as a fine equine specimen, one that he had purchased for twenty pieces of gold, plus two silver coins.
A stud craze ensued. Every townsperson, from near and far, who wished to capitalize on Gilfre's invested fortune, brought broodmare, along with gold and silver payment, hoping to breed offspring of equal or greater value.
In the name of conspicuous consumption, Gilfre's wife forgave her husband for what she'd deemed foolish. Every coin earned by the procreating plow horse, two coins were spent by his jubilant spendthrift masters. Until the old plow horse died of pleasure, leaving Gilfre and his wife with numerous debts, and no means of repayment.
Desperate not to lose his only remaining asset, his land, Gilfre called upon the faux king for advice and assistance.
The Stranger produced a second binding document, one that required the farmer's wife to sangre sign, before financial remedy could be divulged. She pricked and penned without inquiry or hesitation.
"Very well," said the Stranger. "I will purchase your land." He removed a tin coin from his robe pocket and handed it to Gilfre.
"This pittance would not garner a loaf of bread from the baker, let alone the land on which the wheat was grown!" Gilfre attempted to return the coin to the Stranger. "Do you think me a simpleton?"
"Who sought my assistance?" asked the Stranger. "Go forth and inform farmers the value of their land, and my offer to purchase it before prices fall lower. Each secured parcel purchase, I will reward you with a piece of silver as commission."
The farmer's wife pulled her husband aside. "A fair compensation, one that will pay our debts and provide means to repurchase our land."
Gilfre agreed.
Gilfre's past financial success, as master of a valuable plow horse stud, gave credence to his dire alarm: Sell your land before it is too late. Frightened farmers lined up to trade their properties for coins. The Stranger, in self-pronounced charity, offered consolation to dismal market values. Since most lands had been owned and worked by families for generations, the farmers could continue to plant and harvest on their former plots, in exchange for providing a portion of crop proceeds to the Stranger. All agreed.
Gilfre and his wife once again became rich, on commission silver. Rather than squandering as before, they paid creditors and saved half of the remaining silver coins; the other half were presented to the Stranger. "I come in good faith to repurchase my land," announced the former farmer. "Offering the amount paid, plus fair profit, to give thanks for your prior assistance and generosity."
"That land has increased in value, tenfold." The Stranger laughed and tossed Gilfre back his bag of silver. "A barrel of gold would not suffice for property as precious as that which you once owned."
Word of increased property values spread like fire throughout the village. The few farmers who had not sold for a pittance were tempted to finally forgo their lands for hefty profits, paid by other foreign investors, procured by the Stranger. Most of whom paid low-wage imported crews to manage, plant, and harvest the lands. Farmers who had sold cheap, rightly feared the Stranger would increase crop proceed amounts.
Amounts soon doubled, then tripled.
To make up for the deficit, farmers inflated the price of their crops sold to merchants, and decreased the wages paid to local hired laborers. The village bakery was the first business to close. Gypsies replaced local workers, who departed town to seek better compensation, elsewhere. Children of age fled family farms for big cities, without intention of returning. Those without means entered servitude. Instead of land and toil, the generation with means, inherited or borrowed, sought ideas and progress. Skills and traditions were deemed useless by scholars who lectured about knowledge in brick and mortar institutions, created and financed by the Stranger, for profit.
The village and surrounding farms fell into abject ruin. Consumption, crime, and poverty plagued the few who remained. Still, the Stranger grew richer, claiming for his own the deserted decay, and mortgaging it to a new crop of eager speculators, who also signed sangre on the dotted line.
Years passed. Nothing remained of the village, not even its name. Gilfre's former way of life had become an industry, owned not by many, but by a select few. Gilfre blamed himself. On his deathbed, the old farmer pleaded for his wife to summon the Stranger, one final time.
He came.
"Please, tell a dying man who you are," implored the farmer, fast fading. "You wear a misplaced crown, but are more cunning and powerful than any king."
"True. I own what remains of you, and many others, for eternity," the Stranger replied. He bent down and whispered into Gilfre's ear. "Call me, The Banker."
#Banker#FauxKing#MariaMAnderson#vedictimes#VedicWisdom
January 30, 2020 Aradhana Devi Dasi
for Men by a Woman
Why? Because apparently all ladies are still only their bodies.
Dear Kind Souls and Wonderful Vaishnavas.
Dandavat pranams. Jaya Gauranga!
By a great blessing, I have been exposed to sweet Krsna (God) and ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) since 2002; so today, at the beginning of 2020, it's been 18 years.
With all this time, it could be (and maybe should be) expected that I am now mature in the art of philosophy and versed in spiritual etiquette. Therefore, I also expect the same from others that have been within the culture and society of Krishna consciousness for this long, or much longer. I know many who were born into this beautiful culture, and yet, unfortunately, their immaturity is quite prominent; and often hypocritical in regards to Vaishnava etiquette. Many times it is like a one way road, where you're expected to conduct yourself with perfect etiquette, while the one in front of you is not. This has left me stupefied every time.
No need to say, I'll likely be criticized for speaking of this unacceptable trend; often, you're an offender for noticing and speaking up about anomalies in the behavior of 'spiritual' people.
Over the years, much criticism has been given in regards to my frankness (trying to keep things real) and upfront ways; way too often in fact. So much so, that I'm quite infamous (especially in the UK Yatra). Many today seem to enjoy saying that I am 'very offensive'. Others, that know me well, will say that it's mostly because of my constant refusal to just 'go along' with absorbing so many irregularities and unacceptable behaviors; especially from Men.
Why specially from men?
First, I would like to acknowledge and express my appreciation for men of steady and great character, as this does not apply to them; and most ladies, because ladies are more straightforward with me; they simply like me or dislike me – usually strongly – and that is just fine. With ladies, once the relationship is established, we then get closer or just move on. But with men it has been quite a different story.
For a start, Vaishanva men (or so they think) are constantly attempting to contact me on facebook, to be their 'friend'. Many times getting very upset if their intentions are questioned, or when I mention my husband; which they should already know, being that my status says: MARRIED!
When they try to engage me in conversation – if not for a specific service or question – it more often then not, goes like this:
Devotee Man: Hare Krsna Mataji…
Me: Hare Krsna prabhu, How can we serve you?
Devotee Man: Where are you? or …. Where do you live?
Me: How can my husband serve you?
It usually stops there, but if the conversation continues a little further, there are usually two outcomes:
1) They get insulted and try to shame me, sometimes even insulting me for asking what it is that they want, or
2) They just get upset, insult me and go away.
I have roughly three men per day (friend of a friend, or a complete stranger from within the devotee community) asking to connect on FB, most strangers are declined, of course. Only once in a blue moon will a lady seek my attention, and when they do, I am so very glad.
Secondly, after I meet an aspiring devotee in a male body, in person at a temple, an event or kirtan, or even online, more often then not – and especially if they are a little older – there is quickly, a clear undermining of my capacities. This is followed, way too soon, with the preaching of personal philosophy with a hard and clear attempt to control who I am, what I do and how; as if my prana (life force) is now theirs to control, to use to their advantage, rather than mine to use in the mission of spiritualizing the whole planet.
In the event we do begin serving together in some way (apart from a very few cases up to today), a very clear competition is soon established, usually ending badly. Because, when it comes to articulating reason, common sense and expressing their clear capacity to prove themselves worthy of either being followed and/or adored (as some work so hard to do) they fall short, and are at a loss. The only thing for them after that is to engage in a 'correcting Aradhana campaign'. (Some women have also tried this, but again, it is rare.)
What most are not considering is a bigger and more complicated problem. Our spiritual intelligence is granted by Krsna Himself, and only because of our sincere love, dedication and honesty. This intuitive knowledge facilitates the complete understanding of anyone's 'hidden agenda', and that has been priceless.
Akrura (great scholar) visits the cowherd ladies to learn about Love of God.
Most of the time, in this material world, when someone sees the great potential of another – especially if there is a 'seniority complex' – there is an absolute and pointed desire to conquer; the urge to control and utilize others' amazing energy, only to achieve one's own desires, being whatever they are. And when this 'how to control others' is thought out and strategized, it's commonly done while fully disregarding any of the spiritual etiquette instilled in us by Srila Prabhupada. So, depending on the sincerity level, which may be low in many cases, defeating a soul in a 'female body' becomes more important than the service.
Srila Prabhupada explained many times this important fact, that must be understood: we're all gurus (with different levels of knowledge, of course) and bodily designations are to be disregarded.
"We are not this body" is indeed the very first lesson.
HDG Srila Prabhupada, leading by example!
This being so, why is it that I have been reminded again and again that I am a 'female', especially when it comes to ISKCON'S authorities; big and small alike. It has been the case that when positions of responsibility are sought (by me, or other ladies), bodily designation remarks are there every time. Even if just to avoid the consideration of a 'woman' filling such positions.
Most positions of authority, and 95% of the time, have been given openly and irresponsibly to men demonstrating a pronounced lack of: spiritual (or even mundane) etiquette, Krsna consciousness, and even a basic understanding of the true value of all souls. Just see what is actually being done to the Hare Krsna movement today!
Hindu Temples everywhere? Unimportant and irrelevant rituals, such as burning Ravana outside a temple? Is that really the goal?
My deepest concern is that for so long now, this distasteful approach has become quite clear. Where do I send sincere souls to enjoy Krsna's presence in a temple, where nobody will prey upon them!
And these prominent issues are not only noticed by me – of course – but by so many that love Srila Prabhupada and his lovely temples (as they were), who also face the same predicament. Today, it's very difficult to have authentic transcendental interactions with others; so many are not even nice people. It's my feeling that this is due to a lack of proper Vaishnava etiquette and a minimum level of sincerity.
Certainly I have here only touched the tip of this iceberg so it may be that this will become a series of short articles, because this is a serious matter that needs expression.
I feel strongly that the younger generation needs guidance, and as they much prefer short and pointed information, here we are; simple, and without a great need for dropping slokas or long convoluted exposés. It is about loving God (Krsna) and His creation which includes every amazing living entity in this realm and beyond. Simple really! Right?
The Vedic Times is here to stay, and we remain keen to serve true Vaishnavas, spiritual seekers and all darling souls. We do prefer the ones that are willing to stay level headed, kind and reasonable, regarding all matters; of course!
#ArmChairDevotee#Krishna#Krsna#SpiritualEtiquette#srilaprabhupada#VaishnavaEtiquette#vaishnavas#vedictimes#VedicTimesVrindavan#VedicTimesWisdom#VedicWisdomAradhanadd
Chanting Yoga, Hari Krishna das, Vedic Times
An Introduction to Achintya-Bheda-Abheda Tattva
November 30, 2016 Hari Krishna das	Leave a comment
The philosophy of Acintya Bhedabeda Tattva embodies the quintessence of all systems of Indian philosophy. Indian philosophy, embodied in the Vedic literatures, is over 5000 years old and inspired the birth of the two great Eastern religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. It has also greatly influenced the western world, particularly over the last 200 years. Most systems of Indian philosophy propound the view that the universe is fundamentally one, part of and pervaded by the Supreme Being, from whom it has emanated. As such, they maintain that the universe is not the outcome of blind chance, but that it is the result of intelligent design and that it has meaning and purpose. Furthermore, according to most systems of Indian philosophy the material universe, in which we live, is only part of an infinite and spiritual universe. Both the material and spiritual universe are considered energies of God, the Supreme Spiritual Being. The spiritual universe is defined as God's internal energy, and the material universe His external energy. All living beings in the material world are essentially spiritual, and part of His internal energy. Finally, according to most systems of Indian philosophy, God is defined as a transcendental Person, endowed with consciousness, attributes and form, and who stands at the center and source of his infinite energies and emanations.
At the cornerstone of this world view is the notion that God, and the universe emanating from Him, are essentially one and different. He is one, in that He is the origin of, and pervades all beings, and He is different, in that His energies have their own independent existence and identity. This independent existence and individual identity accounts for the world of many-ness and variegatedness.. The problem is, that the principles of oneness and many-ness contain a logical paradox, and appear to be mutually exclusive. On the bases of logic it is indeed hard to reconcile how one entity can be one and many at the same time. Within the different schools of Indian thought, philosophers and mystics have attempted to resolve this paradox by emphasizing one principle over the other, thereby reducing e.g. many-ness to a by product of oneness. Some schools of thought, taking a more extreme position, have even postulated that only oneness is real, and that the many-ness constitutes an illusion. Throughout the history of Indian philosophy this theme, and its implicit paradox, has been at the center of philosophical discussions.
Thereby the oneness and many-ness principles do not just confine themselves to the relationship between God and His creation. The principle extends to virtually all areas of philosophy and science, such as the relation between matter and consciousness, between qualities and substance, between particles and fields, between energy and matter, and the personal and the impersonal. Interestingly, therefore, it appears that the principle of oneness and many-ness, with its inherent paradox, extends to all areas of reality.
Within the history of western philosophy we also find the constant recurrence of the oneness versus many-ness theme, resulting in different schools of opposing thought. Thereby the parallels between Indian and western thinking are striking. Most notable is e.g. the discussion and debates that have flourished on the issue of realism and idealism, or the relation between matter and consciousness, during the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe.
The great 16th century Indian philosopher and mystic Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu formulated a new principle, shedding light on the paradox, and making explicit what was already acknowledged implicitly by many great Indian thinkers. Caitanya stated that the principles of oneness and difference are inherently inseparable, that they always exist simultaneously, and that their simultaneous existence lies at the core of all metaphysics. He furthermore stated that the simultaneous existence of oneness and many-ness is called Acintya in Sanskrit, which means "inconceivable". Inconceivability implies that this aspect of reality is inconceivable to the human and finite mind, and transcends the principles of logic. The philosophy of Caitanya has been formulated in Sanskrit as "Acintya Bhedabheda Tattva". Acintya means inconceivable, Bhedabheda means simultaneous oneness and many-ness, and Tattva means principle or truth.
The problem is, of course, that if we abandon and ignore the principles of logic, then we may be forced to accept any irrational worldview, and loose our ability to analyze and verify scientific and philosophical theories. For logic lies at the core of all philosophy and science. The principle of Caitanya however, makes a noticeable difference, in that Acintya Bhedabheda Tattva should not be considered 'illogical', but rather it should be considered 'supralogical'. The difference is that while a supralogical principle may appear to defy the laws of logic, the principle itself can be perceived and verified by means of direct perception, and has an empirical foundation. As such the principle of Acintya Bhedabheda Tattva can be observed in many phenomenon and occurrences in this world.
A good example is the perception of a red rose. As mentioned before, the discussion on one-ness versus many-ness has extended itself to all aspects of philosophy and science. In the western tradition, two schools of thought emerged on the issue of the relation between substance and its qualities. One school, called the realists, founded by the Greek philosopher Plato, stated that qualities and substance are in fact two different realities. E.g. Plato postulated that there is such a thing as universal 'redness', that becomes superimposed along with other universal qualities, on a particular material substance, thereby creating a red rose. Plato therefore viewed qualities and substance as being different. Many centuries later another school of thought emerged, called the nominalists, that disagreed with Plato, and postulated that a quality can never be separated from its substance, and that quality and substance are in fact one and the same. This discussion is a very good example of the paradox inherent in the relation between a substance and its qualities. The fact is, that they are simultaneously one and different, and that while this may transcend, or defy, the laws of logic, our perception of the red rose confirms the principle.
Another example is the spatial perception of an object, say a coin. While the coin is one, it has many sides, an inside as well as an outside, an upside and down side. These different sides establish an element of many-ness within the object, that is simultaneously perceived as one object.
In modern physics the relation between particles and fields has been a subject of many discussions. Scientists have observed that a field, or wave, sometimes behaves like a continuum of energy (oneness), and other times behaves like a stream of finite particles (many-ness). The phenomena has in fact been named "wavicles" clearly establishing the simultaneous oneness and many-ness of these manifestations of energy. The discussion reflects the underlying principle of Acintya Bhedabheda Tattva. Following this theme, modern physics leans towards a worldview whereby the universe is seen as a unified field of energy, from which finite particles, in the shape of matter, emerge as a continuous process of creation. These finite particles can at any time revert back to their non-finite energetic state, which paints a picture of oneness (the field) and many-ness (particles) continually interchanging, and in fact simultaneously coexisting.
There are in fact many more examples that could be adduced to illustrate the principle of Acintya Bhedabheda Tattva, and that confirm the principle by means of direct perception. As such the principle is not illogical, but should be defined as 'supra-logical', transcending the limitations of the finite human mind.
Ultimately the philosophy of Acintya Bhedabheda Tattva explains the relationship between God and His creation, and more specifically, it also explains the relationship between God and living entities, such as ourselves. The philosophy of Acintya Bhedabheda Tattva states that this relationship too, is characterized by simultaneous oneness and difference. We are one with God in a qualitative sense, however we are different quantitatively. In quantity God is infinite and we are finite. It is therefore a mistake to assume, as some Indian schools of thought have advocated, that man is identical to God, and fundamentally one with Him in every respect. We are not God, merely small parts of God, with a limited degree of independence.
Acintya Bhedabheda Tattva also sheds light on the identity of God Himself. It maintains that while God is a transcendental Person, he is simultaneously impersonal as well. The relationship between the personal and impersonal too has been the subject of many philosophical arguments. While consciousness and form represent the personal aspect of God, infinity and all-pervasiveness represent the impersonal aspect, which attributes appear contradictory. Acintya Bhedabheda Tattva maintains that they both exist simultaneously, and that they complement each other. God is simultaneously full of form and formless, finite and infinite, personal and impersonal.
The philosophy of Acintya Bhedabheda Tattva, as expounded by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, therefore represents a revolutionary new paradigm in our ability to understand reality, and it in fact resolves many of the apparently irresolvable paradoxes that have dominated philosophy and metaphysics in the east and the west for thousands of years.
Experience it for yourself !
Chanting Yoga Retreats
#allweneedislove#anoasisoflove#becausewecare#bhaktiyoga#chantingyoga#compassion#loveandcare#loveandtrust#mahamantra#oasisoflove#spiritualbeings#spiritualpeople#thevedictimes#vedictimes#VedicTimesWisdom#VedicWisdom#yogaoflove


Welcome to the Official Website of the Kirkwood Pioneers Hockey Club!
Please visit the eteamz.com Pioneers C Team website!
Kirkwood Pioneers C team Page!
Please visit the eteamz.com Kirkwood Pioneers Junior Varsity website!
Kirkwood Pioneers Junior Varsity Page!


text:
Crime & Fraud News
Token News
Submit A Press Release or Article
KryptoKurrency
After Trillions Printed Under QE, Politicians Now Say Deficits Don't Matter
When quantitative easing (QE) was introduced, it was likened to a drug, with central banks making an emergency injection of money to resuscitate the global economy. Now it seems that some politicians have gotten addicted to this drug, going as far as to claim that government deficits don't matter and the money printing can just continue unabated.
Also Read: Why Cryptocurrency Investors Are Renouncing Their US Citizenship
Central Banks Create Trillions Out of Thin Air With QE
In the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, central banks embarked on a gargantuan QE policy, expanding their balance sheets by many billions of dollars worth of government bonds and other financial assets each month. Now, more than a decade on, this policy is considered to be largely over but major central banks still hold trillions on the books. As of the end of April 2019, the U.S. Federal Reserve's balance sheet stood at $3.89 trillion, the European Central Bank's balance sheet was $5.3 trillion and the Bank of Japan's…
Click to continue reading on its source location…
Source: https://news.bitcoin.com/after-trillions-printed-under-qe-politicians-now-say-deficits-dont-matter/
Previous articleFuture Prospects of SO Project: All Are Linked by Tokens
Next articleBitcoin Back at $8K to Whole Foods Accepting BTC – Week's Top Stories
Stay connected with KryptoKurrency
EU Seeks to Curb Reliance on US Dollar After American Sanctions Exposed Financial Infrastructure...
Ecuadorian Presidential Candidate Proposes a National Cryptocurrency but It Won't Replace the Dollar –...
XRP At Risk Of Falling Out Of Crypto Top Five For First Time Since...
XRP has had an extremely difficult run since 2017 and things have only turned worse. But somehow despite the poor performance compared to its...
KryptoKurrency.com domain name is for sale! Click here or contact us for details. Financing is available. Crypto accepted.
Advertising & Press Releases
© KryptoKurrency.com 2017-2019


Leaded stained glass, consisting of opaque flashed Lamberts® glass, especially blown for Professor Schreiter.
Refinement by application of black contours by hand painting, acid etching and extremely precise airbrushing to achieve the depiction of the colour gradations at the finest. Prior to leading, the glass pieces had been assembled and cold waxed onto a float glass panel, for Professor Schreiter's proof. A protective glazing had been fabricated and installed to the outside of the leaded stained glass windows. Derix Glasstudios is proud that we are permitted to execute Professor Schreiter's designs since more than 50 years.


Jeff Riddell, MD – teacher. innovator. scholar.
Jeff Riddell, MD is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
He is an award-winning clinical teacher and researcher who speaks to national and international audiences about medical education thru the lens of digital innovation.
His research has been published in Academic Medicine, Journal of Graduate Medical Education, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Academic Emergency Medicine, Journal of Emergency Medicine, Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, and Western Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Jeff completed his Medical Education Research Fellowship at the University of Washington. He completed his emergency medicine residency at UCSF-Fresno and medical school at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
You can find him on Twitter @jeff__riddell or at ALiEM.com. His scholarship can be found at Google Scholar.


¿Quieres recibirlo The tuesday 23 of april?
Make your order before 19:30 y selecciona un servicio de transporte 24/48 horas.
Plastic opening tool through which you avoid damage the casing and components of your devices and gadgets (tablets, smartphones, etc).
If you can not find something, we will search it for you.
Guaranteed delivery, even at night, if you have the YoloDoor smart door installed.
We ship to a large list of countries from € 9.95.
We are the largest Spanish online store of spare parts and accessories for mobile phones and car keys, with more than 200,000 active customers around the world.


text:
Guernica Editions
MiroLand
Arise The Dead I: The Great War (Kindle)
Elizabeth Langridge
Guernica Editions (MiroLand), Spring 2018
Kindle (eBook)
$10.95 Canada, $10.95 US
Looking for the print edition?
Told in two volumes, Arise the Dead--part memoir, part historical fiction--spans the period between 1914 and 1945. The two books concentrate on the lives of real people--the author's parents, the author, a young pilot from New Jersey in WW1, and others--as well as some fictional characters, all of whom lived through one or both of the wars and were profoundly affected personally by them. Arise the Dead I, told mainly from the viewpoint of the author's father, focuses on the First World War, specifically the Battle of Loos in northern France (September 1915) where the author's father fought with the 8th Battalion of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment and where he was wounded.
On April 6, 1915, in the face of an imminent attack by the enemy, a young French adjutant, Jacques Pericard, seeing that his comrades in the trench were either dead or wounded, cried out: ARISE THE DEAD! (Translation of a memorial plaque)
Writer's Block: Elizabeth Langridge and Life at War
Books by Elizabeth Langridge
About Guernica
On Monday, April 26th, 1937, the bells of Santa Maria tolled, warning of the inhumane aerial raid that would reduce the Spanish city of Guernica into ruins. Men, women, children and animals were destroyed under the weight of the fiery nationalist bombs...
Please note that Guernica's annual reading period runs from January 1 to April 30. Submissions are only accepted during this period and only as email attachments.


MyHeritage is one of the most prominent sources of genealogical data complemented by genetic exploration. The company was founded in 2003 in Israel as a result of its current CEO Gilad Japhet's passion for entrepreneurship and family history. Since that time, the company established two new offices in California and Utah.
MyHeritage is currently the fastest-growing conglomerate on the market, with more than 2.6 million profiles in its database, over 8.96 billion historical records, and 40 million family trees. At this point, the company has more than 91 million users across 196 countries. One of the most convenient features MyHeritage has to offer is called "Smart Matching," so if you want to know more about this proprietary tool, keep on reading this post to learn how to connect with your unknown genetic relatives quickly and efficiently.
Smart Matching is a powerful and specialized genealogical technology that allows you to go across different family trees and match individuals from all over the world with the ones you defined. The tool works by intelligently comparing facts, connections, and names between millions of different family trees generated by other users and identifying intersection points to indicate potential matches. The technology behind the tool is sophisticated enough to bridge across differences in phonetics, spelling, and relationships between different trees and provide users with a wide array of highly accurate matches.
MyHeritage contains billions of integrated family tree profiles, which gives you excellent chances of identifying any number of matches that can reveal valuable new data about your family. Once the trees connect, the owners will be informed about all the matching individuals, which gives you the opportunity to learn and collaborate. After you've reviewed the information, you can save it to your family tree and contact other owners to discover new relatives and find more connections.
You can disable Smart Matches any time in your Privacy Settings. Note that if you do so, all the matches you found up to that point will be irrevocably deleted. Once you re-enable the feature, you'll have to find your Smart Matches from scratch.
Is MyHeritage Smart Matching Free?
You can receive, view, and reject Smart Matches, compare family trees side-by-side, and contact your genetic matches absolutely free of charge. However, features like priority processing, confirming matches, extracting/saving data from Smart Matching, and copying photos from other family trees are reserved for Premium and PremiumPlus subscribers.


1966 The company was formed by the merger of two shipbuilding companies Vosper of Portsmouth and John I. Thornycroft and Co of Woolston, Southampton in 1966. The former made small boats and the latter had a long history of building destroyers and similar sized craft.
1968 Vosper Electric were the industrial and marine controls division of the company.
1977 The warship building part of the company was nationalised by the Labour Government becoming a division of British Shipbuilders. The rest of the company remained publically quoted as a subsidiary of David Brown Engineering of Huddersfield.
1985 It became a private company again after a management buyout.
Vosper Thornycroft has flourished even during lean times for warship building, mainly through successful sales efforts in exports and diversification outside of the core shipbuilding business into training and support.
Fleet Support Limited (FSL) was founded as a joint venture between Vosper Thornycroft and GEC-Marconi. GEC's 50 percent share passed to its successor BAE Systems in 1999. In July 2008 BAE Systems and VT Group merged their military shipbuilding businesses to form BVT Surface Fleet. This included FSL, which was rebranded as BVT Surface Fleet Support Limited.
The overall business has been known as VT Group plc since 2001.
This page was last edited on 28 January 2016, at 10:08.


text:
/*********************************************************************/
/*                                                                   */
/*             Optimized BLAS libraries                              */
/*                     By Kazushige Goto <kgoto@tacc.utexas.edu>     */
/*                                                                   */
/* Copyright (c) The University of Texas, 2009. All rights reserved. */
/* UNIVERSITY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES CONCERNING  */
/* THIS SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTIES OF      */
/* MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE,              */
/* NON-INFRINGEMENT AND WARRANTIES OF PERFORMANCE, AND ANY WARRANTY  */
/* THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE ARISE FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF     */
/* TRADE. NO WARRANTY IS EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WITH RESPECT TO   */
/* THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE OR DOCUMENTATION.                         */
/* Under no circumstances shall University be liable for incidental, */
/* special, indirect, direct or consequential damages or loss of     */
/* profits, interruption of business, or related expenses which may  */
/* arise from use of Software or Documentation, including but not    */
/* limited to those resulting from defects in Software and/or        */
/* Documentation, or loss or inaccuracy of data of any kind.         */
/*********************************************************************/

#include <stdio.h>
#include "common.h"

int CNAME(BLASLONG m, BLASLONG n, FLOAT *a, BLASLONG lda, FLOAT *b){
  BLASLONG i, j;
  FLOAT *a_offset, *a_offset1;
  FLOAT *b_offset;

  a_offset = a;
  b_offset = b;

  j = n;

  if (j > 0){
    do {
      a_offset1 = a_offset;
      a_offset += lda;

      i = (m >> 3);

      if (i > 0){
	do {
	  *(b_offset + 0) = *(a_offset1 + 0);
	  *(b_offset + 1) = *(a_offset1 + 1);
	  *(b_offset + 2) = *(a_offset1 + 2);
	  *(b_offset + 3) = *(a_offset1 + 3);
	  *(b_offset + 4) = *(a_offset1 + 4);
	  *(b_offset + 5) = *(a_offset1 + 5);
	  *(b_offset + 6) = *(a_offset1 + 6);
	  *(b_offset + 7) = *(a_offset1 + 7);
	  a_offset1 += 8;
	  b_offset  += 8;
	  i --;
	} while (i > 0);
      }

      i = (m & 7);

      if (i > 0){
	do {
	  *(b_offset + 0) = *(a_offset1 + 0);
	  a_offset1 ++;
	  b_offset  ++;
	  i --;
	} while (i > 0);
      }
      j --;
    } while (j > 0);
  }

  return 0;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


More and more people are moving to Utah each year. It might have something to do with the gorgeous weather. It might have something to do with well-planned cities. Yet it probably has a lot to do with the high employment rates and jobs offered in this beautiful state. Luckily, southern Utah is seeing plenty of that relocation action. There will be many people from all over the country (and the world) moving to Utah this year.
The types of jobs available to southern Utah residents are growing each year, and many lucrative jobs are already available to those who live in this part of the country. Around 1,600 jobs in the food prep and service industry are currently open, and almost 1,800 jobs in the administrative industry are open in this part of the country. Other industries that offer employment opportunities include sales and production. Leisure and hospitality, construction and education have also seen an increase and are projected to keep increasing over the next few years.
The average southern Utahn makes around $3,429 monthly, which is in line with the national average; however, the cost of living in Southern Utah is much lower than the rest of the country. The median price to buy a home in Utah is only $208,000. The rest of the country saw the average prices of houses skyrocket in 2015 to almost $300,000. Those who enter the administrative field in Southern Utah will see an annual salary of about $34,000.
Availability of jobs is expected to rise in the next year. The annual available jobs are around 1,280 within the next year alone. The job growth rate is rising at 2.6 percent each year and is expected to keep rising. At least 650 jobs are expected to be created this year and nearly the same amount should open as the result of job replacements. Architecture and engineering fields will see almost a 10 percent growth within the next year while business and finance fields will grow by nearly five percent.
In Washington County, the resident rate continues to grow. In 2013, the population of the county was just under 150,000. The growth in this area was at 2.2 percent. The most populated parts of the county are St. George with a population of just over 76,000. Washington has just over 20,000, and Hurricane has almost 15,000. These rates have continued to grow over the past few years and are expected to keep increasing. The Utah local news reported in 2012 that one in five Utahns moves every year and that most of them stay inside the state; however, the state continues to see a huge influx in immigration from people from across the country—and even across the world.
Southern Utah has an extremely low unemployment rate compared to the rest of the country, making this part of the United States and extremely lucrative place to call home. In 2013 in Utah, just over 3,000 people were unemployed, leaving the employment rate at around 58,000. The unemployment rate is currently just above three percent; the rest of the United States is at just under six percent unemployed. If fear of losing a job is a factor in any decision to move, Utah is an extremely attractive place to live.
Not just the jobs and the low cost of living bring people to Utah. The great schools, the culture and the highways and public transportation are also bringing in people of every demographic from across the country. While many people mistake the local climate for being chilly all year long, the reality is that Utah has solid winters with fantastic snow and warm winters. The south of Utah is known for rarely seeing snow in the winter and hot winters with low humidity levels. The cities see light levels of traffic thanks to well-planned highways and an easy-to-maneuver grid system.
Plenty of people are catching on to reasons to move to southern Utah—which is why renting out your home with the help of Real Property Management Southern Utah is a great way to make extra money. If you search for property management companies Utah, you'll find that we are the best. Call us today.


text:
Laboratory/pathology
Advanced chemistry
Enhancing sensors that could help cure Alzheimer's and Diabetes
Viscosity sensors are used by scientists fighting various diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Diabetes. Vilnius-based chemist Aurimas Vyšniauskas has enhanced their measuring capabilities. This breakthrough will equip researchers with additional tools to study living cells and how they change in a sick organism.
Dr Aurimas Vyšniauskas at work
© Center for Physical Sciences and Technology
Recently, one of the leading international scientific journals on chemistry, Chemistry: A European Journal, featured an article by Vyšniauskas. The 31-year-old Oxford and Imperial College London graduate's work on fluorescent viscosity sensors states that the scientist and his team have managed to change the structure of viscosity sensors and enhance the viscosity-sensitivity range of them by a very significant margin.
Personally, I will not cure Alzheimer's, nor diabetes. But if I am successful, I will finally manage to create a tool that would help other scientists treat these and other incurable diseases
Aurimas Vyšniauskas
Put simply, viscosity sensors are small molecules used to measure viscosity around them, and they are used as tools to study what is happening inside a living cell. Various diseases, Alzheimer's and diabetes being notable examples, cause viscosity changes in cells. With the sensors of improved sensitivity, it will be possible to determine better what adverse effects come with the change of viscosity in a cell. "I call myself a craftsman of tools – molecule-kind tools," says Dr Vyšniauskas. "Personally, I will not cure Alzheimer's, nor diabetes. But if I am successful, I will finally manage to create a tool that would help other scientists treat these and other incurable diseases that are popularly called civilizational epidemics."
At the early stage of diabetes, the viscosity of the membrane of liver cells increases. The receptors of insulin in the membrane of these cells continually deliver signals and connect with one another, but the increase in viscosity leads to poor connections, the regular cell activity gets disrupted, and the cells are no longer able to recognise insulin. "Up until this point, the most popular viscosity sensor could measure cell viscosity from 5 to 1500 viscosity units of measurement, or cP," added Vyšniauskas. "We managed to increase this range, and our method can measure viscosity in the range of 0.5 to 50000 cP. This is a big accomplishment. Imagine a thermometer that could only measure temperature from 10°C to 20°C. Metaphorically speaking, we have created a new thermometer with a measurement range from -10°C to 60°C."
Miniscule swimmers
Microrobots could re-shape drug delivery
Scientists have developed minute flexible robots that could help revolutionise drug delivery in the future. These 'microrobots' are so small that they could be ingested, or inserted into human veins to deliver drug therapies directly to diseased body areas.
#medication
#research
#robotics
Currently, viscosity sensors are only used by scientists who study them, but there is no doubt, according to Vyšniauskas, that once this method is developed to become a reliable tool, it will be used by both biochemists and cell biologists. The breakthrough in viscosity measurement was a fruit of collaboration between many scientists from the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology and Vilnius University. "Since physical chemistry is an interdisciplinary field, we needed knowledge from various scientific fields to make this achievement possible," elaborated Dr Vyšniauskas. "As I am a chemist, I need to consult with theoretical physicists who are specialists in theoretical calculations, which are crucial for explaining how viscosity sensors work. I also cooperate with other chemists, particularly those who synthesize molecules. Biologists are also involved, as the implementation of our research would be in their field, biology. The collaborative process is fascinating."
The young scientist now works at the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology in Vilnius, Lithuania. According to him, the decision to head home after receiving his doctoral degree in the UK was pretty straightforward. "A couple of reasons were at play when deciding where to continue with my career after the studies," commented Dr Vyšniauskas. "For one, the Department of Molecular Compound Physics where I work employs several excellent scientists who produce international-level results. Being a young scientist, it is a privilege to work hand in hand with these experienced researchers. Also, it is a more stable environment for a scientist here than it is in the UK. Extremely high competition in the UK science community causes unnecessary stress, while here, I can focus on my research and feel valued. Finally, we have state-of-the-art facilities and favourable all-around conditions."
Source: Go Vilnius
More on the subject:
Alzheimer's (147)
clinicial chemistry (63)
laboratory (923)
I'm interested in more information …
Read all latest stories
microRNAs hint at cognitive decline
Researchers find warning signs for dementia in the blood
esearchers at the DZNE and the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) have identified molecules in the blood that can indicate impending dementia. Their findings, which are presented in the…
#Alzheimer's
#biomarkers
#early diagnosis
#laboratory
Coronavirus disease symptom
Exploring why COVID-19 makes people lose their sense of smell
Doctors have reported that partial or total loss of the sense of smell is often an early symptom of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Now, researchers reporting in ACS…
#clinicial chemistry
#neurology
Cognitive chemical manufacturing
'Lab-bot' could revolutionise hunt for cancer drugs
A robot-controlled laboratory where decisions are made by artificial intelligence will change the way new drugs are discovered, says a leading researcher. The engineer leading a project to develop a…
#cancer
Beckman Coulter – HbA1c Advanced
Beckman Coulter Diagnostics
Fujifilm Wako – Autokit Total Ketone Bodies Assay
FUJIFILM Wako Chemicals Europe GmbH
Alsachim – Dosimyco immunosupressant reagent kit (RUO)
Beckman Coulter – Access 2 Immunoassay System
Beckman Coulter – AU5800 Series
Manufacturer-Index
I am interested in ... ------------------------- All topics Surgery Health IT Oncology Research Cardiology Neurology Laboratory Pathology Radiology Ultrasound
This website uses cookies to give our readers the best website experience.
Please refer to our privacy policy to find out how we use cookies and how you can edit your preferences.
Refuse cookiesAccept cookies


What will the future of AI look like?
When the original Blade Runner hit cinemas back in the 70s, sentient beings and the world of artificial intelligence was still firmly pitted within Sci-Fi, and the thought of having a conversation, giving orders to, or taking advice from a machine definitely felt a very long way away.
Fast forward almost half a century, and we're a few steps closer to the kind of AI classed as fantasy even within the last 20 years. Granted, we haven't got psychopathic robots running around, but we're asking Alexa to put things on the shopping list for us, and chatting with software online like we would if we were asking advice from someone over the phone. AI looks a bit different from robot-servants of the movies, but we're entering a new era of hyper-realistic communication and actions from computers that mimic human behaviors astonishingly well.
The personal assistant is one piece of AI that is already with us and is going to get even better as more people adopt the idea of a clever computer organizing their lives. Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Apple have all had smart personal assistants like Alexa, Cortana, and Siri on smart devices for a while now, but the talking assistant speakers that we now have in our homes could become an even more integral part of our lives.
No matter how we look at virtual assistants, they will only ever be handy gimmicks designed to make life easier for us. So what about the robot soldiers and policemen of the future we were promised a few years ago that would keep us safe well into the future?
Well, again we're getting closer, and it seems that intelligent surveillance is going to be more common than robot cops just for now. As well as super-smart facial recognition that is helping to catch criminals in crowds of people and algorithms that are helping to convict criminals, we're also seeing AI being used online to catch criminals communicating over blacklisted and dark websites, but what's the next big thing when it comes to AI helping us to stay safe?
Well, it looks like AI and smart surveillance tools are the answer for both vulnerable people who use the internet, and adults who could end up falling into scam and blackmail traps that catch people out every day. From security tools designed to protect children on social media to software that can recognize specific language and messages that just don't look right, even Facebook is getting in on the whole smart safety feature. Judging by their current sticky situation regarding surveillance, storage, and sharing of personal data, however, whether any trust remains for Facebook users is another question altogether.
The most pressing and imminent piece of AI that is currently revolutionizing the industry and will continue to do so in a big way, however, is the tech found in self-driving vehicles safe? Tesla and a few others have been perfecting the self-driving car, and we've got fully legal vehicles on the road that can turn corners, brake and accelerate all without any input from drivers. As we graduate to electric cars and put more trust in the frankly mind-blowing software that prevents automated vehicles from crashing into each other, this piece of AI will take away one major problem that is the leading cause of death on roads in the developed world; human error.
As AI becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, the applications and opportunities to improve the quality of our lives will certainly benefit from the clever software. Naturally, there'll always be the Matrix-style fear of machines taking over and theoretical problems like grey goo, but in reality, it isn't likely that AI will get to the stage in the near future.
In conclusion, our biggest fear shouldn't be a global takeover from the Facebook-built piece of AI that improved our language in a creepy way, but job losses. From taxi drivers to call center workers, smart AI that is capable of driving a vehicle or handling a conversation about energy bills is much more likely to change our economy than a robot overlord grabbing control, and this new AI industry could be the thing that dictates the economy of the near future. Either that or a dishwasher that loads itself.
Previous articleHow to Bypass Admin Password on Windows 7 Computer?