text:
Farewell to the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce Building
The new Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce building, 1938.
Until just a few weeks ago, the 1938 headquarters of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce still stood -- largely ignored -- on the last remaining stub of Church Street, next to the old Santa Ana Y.M.C.A. building. It had been boarded up for many years. But until now, those with a keen eye for architecture occasionally still stopped and admired the remnants of its distinctive architecture.
The building's story began in 1937, when County Supervisor Steel H. Finley led the Board in not renewing the lease on the land underneath the Chamber's old offices. When the County purchased the defunct tourist hotel, St. Ann's Inn in 1931 as their Courthouse Annex, they had leased some land on the hotel's grounds to the Chamber of Commerce to build their own headquarters. But in the depths of the Great Depression, the growing County Welfare Department needed more space and Finley didn't think County government should operate with insufficient space just to accommodate one city's Chamber of Commerce.
But the Chamber – only recently out of debt from building their headquarters at St. Anne's – was in no hurry to incur the expenses of finding a new home. They offered to move the building up on the lot to make room for new construction. They offered to sell the building to the County for a fair price. There was even some talk of letting the county use part of the building while the Chamber continued to use the rest. But the County wanted the Chamber off their property and were annoyed by the Chamber's constant attempts to find a work-around. Although the County offered $3,500 to buy the old Chamber building, they threatened to revoke the offer if the Chamber continued to displease them. (Ultimately, the County paid and converted the building into offices for the Welfare Department.)
Knowing they'd be evicted at the beginning of February 1938, the Chamber of Commerce made plans for a new facility. They arranged a 15-year lease from the Young Men's Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.) on a piece of landscaped turf next to the Y.M.C.A. build at Church St. (now Civic Center Dr.) and Sycamore St. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new building was held on January 1, 1938, and a building permit was pulled on January 6. Plans showed a 50-foot by 25-foot concrete building with three rooms. The architecture firm of Austin & Wildman (W. Horace Austin and H. C. Wildman) was hired to design the building an also to supervise its construction. The contractors were Stark and Schmid (Adolf G. Schmid and A.B. Stark).
Groundbreaking (Santa Ana Regsiter, Jan. 6, 1938)
Austin & Wildman had offices in Long Beach and in Santa Ana's Spurgeon Building. Their projects included some of the most impressive structures ever to grace Santa Ana, including the beautiful art-deco Emma L. French Building (1933) at 4th St. and Main (housing Montgomery Ward) and the Assyrian-themed City Hall (1935) at Third St. and Main. Among their other Santa Ana projects were the New Walker Theater (1936, behind City Hall), Pay-Less Market (1937, at Sycamore and 3rd St), Santa Ana Junior College, the Ludlum Carpet Cleaners Building (ca 1939 at 1622 S. Main), office buildings, and numerous school additions and remodels. They also remodeled the Café/See's Candy building (1939) at Main and 3rd St – which remains a subdued but attractive landmark to this day.
Austin & Wildman also did a great deal of work in other Southern California communities, including Placentia's City Hall (ca 1940), a theater in Garden Grove (ca 1940), the auditorium at Tustin Grammar School (1941), and the Uddo & Taormina Corp (a.k.a. Progresso) Cannery (1941) at 900 S. Grand in Buena Park.
The new Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce building would be a little Streamline Moderne gem, tucked between "the Y" and Spurgeon Methodist Church.
Compare this 2021 view to the 1930s view at the top of this post.
After spending a couple months in temporary quarters at 109 E. 5th St., the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce moved into their new art deco building at 209 Church Street on March 9,1938. The new facility's cost, including furnishings, was $5,953. "Light and airy, the lounge of the present offices offers a pleasant retreat" opined the Santa Ana Register.
For an organization which, among other things, extolled Santa Ana's excellent weather and business climate, the Chamber's new office opened, ironically, amid one of Orange County's worst-ever months of storms and flooding and in the middle of the Great Depression. Still, the little building served them well for nine years of explosive change in Santa Ana. By the time the Chamber moved out in 1947, the Depression had come and gone, World War II had been fought and won, the local population had begun what would become a shocking expansion, and Orange County's entire economy had begun to move inexorably from agriculture to suburbia.
After the Chamber moved out, the Young Women's Christian Association moved in for a short while.
Throughout the 1950s the little building was occupied by the local office of the U.S. Selective Service System, with offices for draft boards 133, 134, and 135 -- a landmark of Orange County's involvement in the Korean War.
Chamber building, 2021 (Photo by author)
From at least the mid-1980s until at least 2021, the Y.M.C.A. building and presumably the Chamber building were vacant and left to decay. In 1992, the property was purchased by the City of Santa Ana. Since that time, numerous offers were made by non-profits, businesses, and government agencies to buy, restore, and repurpose the building. All of these offers were either turned down or fell through when costs to revamp the site proved higher than expected. As a smaller, auxiliary building, the old Chamber of Commerce office was usually little more than an afterthought in these various plans.
In early 2019, after the Orange County School for the Arts backed out of deal to acquire the Y.M.C.A. property, the Santa Ana City Council identified developer Caribou Industries as the best organization to receive the property. Caribou's plans call for adaptive reuse of the main Y.M.C.A. building as a boutique hotel, and for new construction on the site of the now-rotted-beyond-repair gymnasium. It appears that the Chamber of Commerce building wasn't part of the plan either, seeing as the little deco building has just disappeared. In fact, the space where the Chamber sat is needed for both a new ADA-compliant entrance (avoiding alterations to the beautiful south and east elevations of the Y.M.C.A.) and for an entry to the new building that will sit behind it. It's sad, but if this is what it takes to make the long-awaited restoration and adaptive reuse of the historic Y.M.C.A. feasible, then it will at least have given its life for a good cause. I'm hoping this will be like the old Uncle Wiggily board game: "Take one hop back and three hops forward." Let the Y.M.C.A. restoration (at long last) begin.
The empty spot where the Chamber building used to be. June 23, 2021.
Posted by Chris Jepsen at 7/01/2021 0 comments
Farewell to the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce Buil...


A man has been charged with attempted murder after a teenager was shot at a London tube station.
Beinvenu Vangu of Wood Green, north London, was arrested by firearms officers from British Transport Police and officers from Essex Police in the High Street in Southend-on-Sea at about 4.20pm on Saturday.
He was detained on a roof next to a JD store on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with the incident at Barking tube station on Wednesday.
The victim was taken to hospital, where a bullet was discovered inside his abdomen.
Vangu, 25, was also charged with possession of a prohibited firearm, and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.


The +1 323 306 area code numbers are located in Los Angeles, California. This serviced is provided by Xo California for Landline phone numbers. Retrieve caller information for 323306, we offer a full reverse phone number report for (323) 306 numbers in California.
Reverse Phone Number information for 1-323-306 numbers!
LAX Official Website | Live flight times and updates, arrivals and departures, news, advice, maps, traffic and parking | Los Angeles International Airport.
Located in the heart of LA, the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) is the preeminent destination for meetings, conventions, and special events.
Discover the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Find upcoming concerts, tickets, music information, educational programs, and more at LAPhil.com.
Information about the LA Zoo and its animals and plants, special events, exhibits, tours, experiences, wildlife conservation, and volunteer opportunities.
Travel feed: Los Angeles. ... Things to Do in Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Attractions. ... Full-Day Iconic Sights of LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, the beaches and more!
The most up-to-date breaking news for the Los Angeles Kings including highlights, roster, schedule, scores and archives.


Definition at line 103 of file d3dcompiler_private.h.
Definition at line 108 of file d3dcompiler_private.h.
Definition at line 106 of file d3dcompiler_private.h.
Definition at line 105 of file d3dcompiler_private.h.
Referenced by record_declaration(), and write_declarations().
Definition at line 104 of file d3dcompiler_private.h.
Definition at line 107 of file d3dcompiler_private.h.


Composer. Studied Composition at the Juilliard School of Music in New York under the guidence of Christopher Rouse.
He finished those studies with a highest grade. Also graduated composition with an Honours Degree at the Warsaw Academy of Music where he studied composition with prof. Stanislaw Moryto. He received a Kosciuszko Foundation Scholarship and Witold Lutoslawski Schorlarship.


When you register with NoFema.com we ask for information such as your name and email address. Registration with NoFema.com is free and does not involve providing any credit card information.
NoFema.com uses collected information for the following general purposes: products and services provision, identification and authentication, services improvement, contact, and research. NoFema.com does not share your personal information with third parties, unless explicitly approved by you.
NoFema.com uses third party vendors and hosting partners to provide the necessary hardware, software, networking, storage, and related technology required to run our services. Although NoFema.com owns the code, databases, and all rights to the NoFema.com web site, you retain all rights to your data.
NoFema.com may disclose personally identifiable information under special circumstances, such as to comply with legal subpoenas or when your actions violate the Terms of Service of any of our applications.
NoFema.com may periodically update this policy. We will attempt to notify you about significant changes in the way we treat personal information by sending a notice to the primary email address specified when you registered with NoFema.com, or by placing a prominent notice on our site for a period of no less than 48 hours. You retain the right to access, amend, correct or delete your personal information where it is inaccurate at any time. To do so, please contact support@NoFema.com.


text:
Agua Escondida är en ort i Mexiko.   Den ligger i kommunen Izúcar de Matamoros och delstaten Puebla, i den sydöstra delen av landet,  km sydost om huvudstaden Mexico City. Agua Escondida ligger  meter över havet och antalet invånare är .

Terrängen runt Agua Escondida är kuperad österut, men västerut är den platt. Den högsta punkten i närheten är  meter över havet,  km öster om Agua Escondida. Runt Agua Escondida är det ganska tätbefolkat, med  invånare per kvadratkilometer. Närmaste större samhälle är Izúcar de Matamoros,  km norr om Agua Escondida. Omgivningarna runt Agua Escondida är en mosaik av jordbruksmark och naturlig växtlighet.

Savannklimat råder i trakten. Årsmedeltemperaturen i trakten är  °C. Den varmaste månaden är april, då medeltemperaturen är  °C, och den kallaste är september, med  °C. Genomsnittlig årsnederbörd är  millimeter. Den regnigaste månaden är juni, med i genomsnitt  mm nederbörd, och den torraste är januari, med  mm nederbörd.

Kommentarer

Referenser

Orter i Puebla

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Baltimore bocce leagues are a friendly atmosphere where you can meet new people and have fun at the same time! We're hosting Baltimore bocce leagues near you throughout the year and the good news – we'll take care of everything! You just need to sign up, show up and play.
Pick your favorite Baltimore bocce league in Federal Hill, Fell's Point, Canton or various other spots around the city, and we'll see you at the courts!
Only Open to Free Agents!
Check Back Soon for More Harbor Point Leagues!


This is a placeholder page for Jake Stockwell, which means this person is not currently on this site. We do suggest using the tools below to find Jake Stockwell.
You are visiting the placeholder page for Jake Stockwell. This page is here because someone used our placeholder utility to look for Jake Stockwell. We created this page automatically in hopes Jake Stockwell would find it. If you are not Jake Stockwell, but are an alumni of Chippewa Hills High School, register on this site for free now.


text:
Kris Jenner, Kanye West Cozy Up For Sleep On Train, Passer-By Takes Cheeky Snap
Kris Jenner and Kanye West were clearly tired during a recent trip from Paris to London, because the two took a nap together on a train. And one eagled-eyed passer-by was even able to catch a snap of the pair enjoying forty winks together.
The pair, who were assumably travelling in first class on their Eurostar journey between the two countries, were snapped having a sleep as they traveled across the continent earlier this month.
37-year-old West and 59-year-old Jenner were part of a rather large Kardashian entourage, who spent time in both the English and French capitals. They were in Paris for 2015's Paris Fashion Week, which is where Kendall Jenner was participating.
The Daily Mail have alleged that Kanye West's daughter, North West, whose mother is Kris Jenner's own daughter, Kim Kardashian, was being cared for by a nanny as they took their nap. However, Kim Kardashian wasn't in the vicinity when the image was taken, while it's still not been revealed who actually took the picture.
Kris Jenner and Kanye West have developed a rather close relationship ever since the rapper started his relationship with Kim Kardashian in April, 2012.
During an interview with GQ Magazine, via E! Online, West admitted that Jenner is especially important to him following the death of his own mother, Donda West, back in 2007.
After being asked about the best part of joining the Kardashian family, West explained, "Having someone that I can call Mom again. That s*** is super cool."
Meanwhile, there seems to be trouble brewing between another two members of the Kardashian family. Rob Kardashian, the youngest son of Kris Jenner and Robert Kardashian Sr., who died from cancer in 2003, recently took to his Instagram account to unflatteringly compare his older sister Kim Kardashian to Rosamund Pike's character in Gone Girl.
Before Rob Kardashian made this attack on Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian registered her own concern about her younger brother.
"I just feel, especially over the last year, Rob has become very introverted and has a kind of social anxiety. He's definitely not at his happiest place that he once was, and I know he can get to that happy place and he will."
Kris Jenner also revealed her surprising choice for a babysitter for her eldest grand-child, Mason Disick, earlier this week too. Kris posted an image of Justin Bieber looking after the five-year-old, alongside the caption, "#Mason & @JustinBieber family pool day!!! #bestbabysitterintheworld."
[Image via E! Online]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: relative/absolute position css (convert area element rect coordinates) I am a beginner in CSS/HTML. Thank you for reading!
I have a bunch of area elements (rectangles). Here in Javascript the 'this' refers to each area element- I assign each of the area element coordinates the relevant variable (left, top, right, bottom). I would like to convert those coordinates into the CSS div format, but I'm stuck on the syntax. Right now the area elements (displayed as divs) are of the right width and height, but at the wrong position on the graph. I want them to be at the same position as the area elements were.
Any suggestions at all are very appreciated!
                var offset = this.coords;
                var coordarray = offset.split(",");
                var left = coordarray[0];
                var top = coordarray[1];
                var right = coordarray[2];
                var bottom = coordarray[3];
                var ident = this.id;
                var w = right - left;
                var h = bottom - top;

                var elementDiv = $('

')
                    .css({position: 'absolute', left: left px, top: top px, border: 'solid'}). //help with this line!
                    width(w).height(h);
                $("body").append(elementDiv);
                elementDiv.hide();

A: CSS is expecting percentages or pixels, and JS is returning just the numeric value. You need to append 'px' or '%' to the values you're storing in the left, top, right, and bottom vars.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Why did humanity need to work together to get the Aliens' gift if Louise had it already?
I didn't understand why exactly the aliens wanted Earth's nations to cooperate in order to receive.
It seems the gift was the language which allowed one to see the future, but Abbott and Costello gave this to Louise.
Why would they do this if they intended all nations to work together in order to get it?
What prevented the scientists of other nations from getting it as well?
plot-explanation arrival
AbuMariamAbuMariam
Possible duplicate of Why do the aliens of Arrival choose to be coy with communication? – Gustavo Gabriel Feb 9 '17 at 17:19
Honestly I think the point was that through working together to receive the gift, they humans would be brought together as a planet and achieve a higher plane of existence and world peace, which would ultimately lead them to achieve whatever the heptapods would need help with in 3000 years. They essentially showed up to try and serve as a catalyst to the progression of the human race. – sanpaco Feb 9 '17 at 21:50
I will respond from my opinion:
The aliens will need humanity's help in 3000 years. They know they won't get that help if humanity destroys itself before that time. That's why they want to teach humanity to cooperate, "before" getting the gift, because after they get the gift, humans don't need more outside help, since they already will know the bad outcomes from not cooperating in general.
Louise didn't have the gift "before" it was given to her, because "before" she was awarded the gift, she still lived in a linear time. After she gets the gift, her time is not longer linear, it's circular. And in a circular time, there's no before and after, all times are the same and all times coexist.
Louise was willing to cooperate with other humans and with the aliens. They needed a cooperative person.
Perhaps what prevented the scientist from other countries to get the gift directly from the aliens too, was that they were not so willing to cooperate and still didn't really trust each other. But the gift was for all humanity in the end, not just for Louise. Anyone who reads her book, gets the gift too.
Meredith von LasherMeredith von Lasher
Time doesn't become circular for Louise. Instead, her perception of time changes from linear to nonlinear when she understands the concepts that the aliens' language is based on. Circular would be if she repeated her life over and over. :) – Elliot Bonneville Feb 9 '17 at 20:29
Absolutely. You're right. My bad. – Meredith von Lasher Feb 10 '17 at 2:17
Abbott and Costello were the aliens in the Montana ship. They gave it to Louise because she was the human they were interacting with. Aliens in the other ships would've been trying to give the same information to the humans they were interacting with, and may very well have succeeded too; we just don't see it on screen.
As above, the aliens in all the ships are working towards the same goal with the humans they're talking to. Louise is just the one who got there first.
The aliens want all of humanity to work together because they need humanity to survive the next 3000 years without obliterating ourselves. But that doesn't mean that everyone needs to figure it out at the same time - just that the gift be transferred to humanity in general (which Louise ultimately does by publishing her book on their language.)
Nothing. For all we know, scientists in some or all of the other nations did figure out the language as well. The movie sticks with Louise and her team, so we don't really see what the others did or did not learn by themselves.
I certainly don't recall anything suggesting that people other than Louise failed to learn the language. It seems like the Chinese general probably didn't learn the language himself (based on his saying "he can't understand how [Louise's] mind works" in their meeting 18 months in the future) - but he's just one man. All that tells us is that he, personally, did not take the time to learn this new language. Other people around the world may very well have done so by then, for all we know.
Edit: Ian probably didn't learn the language either, otherwise he wouldn't have needed to be told what would happen with their daughter.
Steve-OSteve-O
Just before the bomb went off, Abbott and Costello spewed a great many symbols. Ian eventually figured out that it was 1/12th of a message. They needed to cooperate with the other nations to obtain the complete message.
We the audience never learn what the complete message is. It seems likely it was important. Writing it was one of Abbott's final acts. Louise had learned enough of the language to start remembering pieces of her future, but that doesn't mean she had completely mastered it. The complete message may have been a guide to the rest of the language. Or, it may have been something else that humanity would need to know to be able to help the aliens 3,000 years in the future.
Ken ThomasesKen Thomases
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged plot-explanation arrival .
Why do the aliens of Arrival choose to be coy with communication?
Why did Louise forget she had called the Chinese commander?
Why was Louise the only one who advances her mind?
Why did the aliens arrive on Earth with such a large head start in Arrival?
Why did the humans not communicate pictorially to the aliens in Arrival?
Do Aliens intend to teach every human being the Universal language?
Is the tool given by the heptapods a gift, an imposition, a debt, a curse, other?
Why didn't they change the future in Arrival?


text:
Charlie's Tiny Universe
stories of music, culture and curiosity
← Supaman unites through hip-hop and positivity
For Brady: Feed Jake →
Homecoming: Daniel Bonte returns to Indy
Posted on June 5, 2019 by CharliesTinyUniverse
"I bolted, man."
Daniel Bonte and I hadn't talked since 2002, when we graduated from Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana. He was calling from Orange County, California, wanting to reconnect before embarking on a tour that includes a date at The Rathskeller in Indianapolis, his first performance in his hometown.
I'd heard he was headed back to our old stomping grounds, but I wouldn't be there to catch him. I left, as well, moving to Montana 10 years ago. My friend and fellow 2002 HSE grad Mark Munz told me his new group, AM Radio, would be opening for Bonte.
"This is just our third gig, and it's a real showcase," he said.
Munz's bandmate Adam Zoibi, who also graduated with us, couldn't believe it.
"We put a gig together for St. Paddy's Day to help my friend out at his new bar and now we're getting legit," he said.
Bonte's been legit for some time now. Five years ago I was at Disneyland with my wife-to-be and her stepchildren. As we walked past the House of Blues on Disney Way, I saw a flyer for Daniel Bonte and The Bona Fide.
"What?" I thought. I didn't know Bonte had that kind of ambition. I didn't know he was a performer or even into country music.
What did I know about Daniel Bonte? Nothing, really. What do we really know about each other at that time in life? We would say "hi" here and there, but that was about it. When we talked on the phone the other day, however, he filled me in on what life was like for him back then.
"While you were all listening to 'Dookie,' I was listening to Clint Black, Garth and a lot of other country," he said.
But, after high school, we evolve. We spread our wings. We find our niche.
And that's exactly what Bonte's done. Along with his band, the Bona Fide, Bonte continues to make his way. During his young music career, he's opened for Billy Currington, Easton Corbin, A Thousand Horses and others, bringing a sound reminiscent of Garth, Travis Tritt, John Mellencamp and Keith Urban.
His sound is ever-evolving, as his "Making My Way Back Home" tour has more of a Texas outlaw country vibe. Recently inspired by upcoming artists such as Cody Jinks, Bonte is adding more depth to each song, telling a story while filling up the dance floor.
Bonte may have bolted, but he's excited to come home and see family and friends. It will be a happy homecoming for him, and he'd be delighted to see you.
I encourage those of you still in the Indy area to go see him Thursday night. Munz and Zoibi will kick things off with some memorable 90s alternative tunes and some catchy originals. Then Bonte and The Bona Fide will play their hard-drivin', good-timin' country.
And, for those of you who remember Bonte's C + C Music Factory tribute in the seventh grade talent show, you'll be pleased to see he doesn't just sing. He'll be bustin' some moves.
The free show begins at 7 p.m.
About CharliesTinyUniverse
Originally from the suburbs of Indianapolis, Denison is a writer and musician who has picked up culture and influences from eccentrics all over the U.S. and even overseas. He is a University of Kentucky Journalism School grad and an award-winning Montana journalist. Through the years he's had work published in the Montana Quarterly, Rural Montana Magazine, Raised in the West, Last Best News, NUVO and others. He has a solo album, "Whispers of the Lonely," blending country, folk, blues and soul, and plays regularly with his band, Groove Creek.
View all posts by CharliesTinyUniverse →


l) What are the important investment instruments in money market in India.
m) Difference between equity and preference shares.
Q - 2) Discuss various functions of financial markets in India.
Q - 3) Write a short note on Depository System in India.
Q - 4) Briefly discuss working of NSE in India.
Q - 5) Define Merchant Banker. Discuss in brief various services offered by Merchant Banker.
Q - 6) What are the three stages of stock valuation?
Q - 7) Differentiate between Systematic and Unsystematic Risk?
Q- 8) WHat is the role of SEBI in Capital Markets?
Q - 9) Briefly Discuss Debt Securitisation.
Q - 10) Write a short note on Economic Analysis.
Q-11) What is an industry? Explain the industry life cycle.
Q-12) What are various sources of information in company analysis?
Q-13) What are factors considered in Economic forecasting?


The Adur Head of the River Race is run annually on a strongly tidal section of the river. Run in two divisions either side of the top of the tide, the race is over a 3.5km course through Shoreham town centre to the rowing club located at the mouth of the River Adur. Cost £6/seat.
All categories in coastal boats (unless stated), however entries in river boats are welcome to race for time. If there are 3 or more river entries in a category, prizes will be presented.
Prizes will be presented in all categories receiving 3 or more entries before the closing date. Categories/statuses receiving insufficient entries will be amalgamated where possible. If 3 or more entries are received in a category not currently available then we will provide prizes and run the event.
Refreshments, presentation of prizes and changing facilities at Shoreham Rowing Club.


If you're excited about the upcoming version of Android and want to use the new keyboard now, just follow these steps.
Android Ice Cream Sandwich offers up a new keyboard with new features to make typing easier and faster.
You may have seen some of the new keyboard features when viewing the Galaxy Nexus video, or maybe you've read about them online. Fortunately, you can skip the wait and get the new keyboard right now.
Notice: This version will only work on smartphones and is not configured for tablets at this time.
Step 1: Head to the Android Market and install Ice Cream Sandwich Keyboard, by johntanmi.
Step 2: Go back to your Home screen and press the Menu button, and then choose Settings. You can also open Settings from the icon in the app drawer.
Step 3: Touch the Language & keyboard section of the next menu.
Step 4: Check the box next to Ice Cream Sandwich keyboard and click OK on the pop-up that follows.
Step 5: Touch the Ice Cream Sandwich keyboard settings option and adjust the keyboard to work the way you'd like.
Step 6: Open an application you want to type in, like Gmail or SMS.
Step 7: Press and hold on the input area. Select Input method from the pop-up and then Ice Cream Sandwich keyboard from the choices. You'll know you're using the ICS keyboard when you see the punctuation and autocorrect suggestions in blue instead of orange.
Note that some features may be a little buggy; this is because the keyboard is in beta and your device is running a different version of Android.


text:
Nightcrawler Review
Thu Oct 30, 2014 at 6:20pm ET
By Ron Wilkinson
A flighty but spectacular walk on the mean streets of the new media.
Having written the screenplay for "The Bourne Legacy" and other hits, Dan Gilroy apparently decided to take the plunge and try his hand at directing. His debut with "Nightcrawler" may be one of the most spectacularly successful first efforts seen for some time. This is helped, in large measure, by the riveting performance of Jake Gyllenhaal as nebbish video news reporter Louis Bloom. Casting is critical to the success of any picture. Whether it is just coincidence that Bloom's character fits Gyllenhaal like a glove, or whether it is testimony to his profound acting skill, he takes his role, and what otherwise would have been a lightweight film, to dizzying heights.
This is the incredible story of cub reporter Louis Bloom learning fast. There is no back story for the seemingly feckless Bloom, nor does there have to be. His character is so fantastic and yet so identifiable that to give him a past would only water him down. He has sprung from Los Angeles' womb fully formed; a bright, inquisitive young man with a huge motivation to succeed and a marginal understanding of basic ethics. His demands are not outrageous; he only wants what the rest of America has, recognition and a chance to make a difference. But the boundless power of modern day American media may give him more opportunity then is good for him, or us.
Louis is disciplined; he has taken several online courses in management. Conspicuous by its absence, he missed the course in ethics. Then, again, perhaps the winners in the present day Western world are those who are lighter on the ethics and heavier on the motivation. After a creative but disappointing try at petty theft, Bloom stops at a grisly car accident and runs into Joe Loder (Bill Paxton). Joe is a veteran video reporter for TV news, running his two man firm Mayhem Video (I am not making this up). Paxton's performance is one of a half dozen blue-chip supporting roles that boost this film from OK to fabulous.
You Might Also Like: Jake Gyllenhaal gets raving reviews for his performance in Netflix's The Guilty
Basically a good hearted person who follows the wrong role models, Bloom naively breaks every rule imaginable and, impossibly, gets away with it. Like Suzanne Stone in "To Die For," he becomes an anchorless cannon on the deck of an information industry driven mad by cut-throat competition. Bumbling into the KWLA news studio he meets news director Nina Romina (Rene Russo) and sells her his first grisly footage for a song. Oscar winning cinematographer Robert Elswit drills into Gyllenhall's face the same way he did with Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" and the wheels turn before Nina's eyes. Louis Bloom comes to life, like Frankenstein. As Nina sees it, we see it, and we are thrilled as we are horrified.
News is usually shown during the day, but bad news usually happens during the night, and bad news sells. This gives writer-director Gilroy the chance to alternate sequences throughout the film between day and night. This imparts a nice edginess to the presentation that refuses to let us get into a comfort zone. Night brings out the vulture in Louis; daytime brings out his practical side. There is a Jekyll and Hyde quality about the young man that is more universal than we would like to admit. Many of us would exploit situations that dropped in our laps, as long as no one was hurt and there was a six-figure payoff in the future. The difficulty comes in not crossing over the line.
As one might expect, this is a film about crossing over the line, made all the more intense by the nebbish character doing it. The tension and terror that is achieved by the story is the contrast between a basically good, if naïve, man who is only guilty of an exceptional talent for compartmentalization and a manipulative monster who accepts death as his duty. As his on-line management course taught him, concentration and focus are everything. Oh, yes, that and good communication.
You Might Also Like: Jake Gyllenhaal is taking shots at Taylor Swift in his latest magazine photos
Forgive the lapses in reality (unscrambled police-band broadcasts about armed killers in a coffee shop) and the (thankfully) brief car chase. Two solid performances by Kiff VandenHeuvel as the news editor who cannot believe his station is airing what Nina is buying and Riz Ahmed as Rick, Louis Bloom's first employee. Not to mention Michael Hyatt's Detective Fronteiri as the one person who seems to know more about Louis than Louis knows about himself. All of these characters are critical in providing continuous feedback of how crazy Bloom really is, while Bloom himself dares us to think he could never exist. Los Angeles is not populated completely by madmen, even if, in this film, they seem to be running the show.
Ron Wilkinson
Tags Jake Gyllenhaal


text:
Home > News & Press Releases > FCI Patron Mary Kennedy Releases Charity Single
FCI Patron Mary Kennedy Releases Charity Single
Posted on Thursday 17 December 2020
For the songwriter life is a series of moments when a song can begin life. "Life is a Beautiful Dance" began for internationally successful songwriter, Don Mescall, as he was watching Dancing with the Stars with his 96 years young mother in Ahane, Co Limerick.
"I happened to catch my good friend, the lovely Mary Kennedy, dancing a beautiful waltz with her partner John Nolan. I remembered my Mother telling me that herself and my late father would always find time before he left for work every morning to waltz on the kitchen tiles. That was where the idea came for the song. As I watched Mary and John dancing and visualised my Mother and Father."
Having made a demo of the song in his Cavan studio Don then hit on the idea of asking Mary, and her sister Deirdre to record the song as a Christmas single for Charity.
"When Don phoned me to say he had composed a song for me, I was surprised and genuinely honoured," Mary enthuses. "He is a hugely talented songwriter and I have admired his work since I met him a few years ago to film with him for Nationwide. 'Life is a Beautiful Dance' is a lovely reminder for me of a life enhancing experience on DWTS with the amazingly talented John Nolan. I was delighted to have the opportunity to record this with my dear sister Deirdre. Together we decided to use it to raise money for Family Carers Ireland, a charity close to my heart."
Deirdre is a singer songwriter with several CDs to her credit. She lives on Inis Mór and also works as a retreat facilitator. She was delighted to be invited to record the song.
"Its such a special thing to sing a song together and given its message and melody it will hopefully cheer the hearts of many and get them dancing in their homes, streets and communities."
Don used the talents of many wonderful musicians and because of Covid it became a very international production. He is delighted with the result and hopes to raise much needed funds for Family Carers Ireland
"It was such a joy writing this song for Mary and Deirdre. The production is really a credit to all the wonderful musicians who gave their time and talent so generously for this wonderful charity," he added.
For Catherine Cox, Head of Communications and Policy at Family Carers Ireland, the song comes as an early Christmas boost.
"Being a family carer is a difficult job but one done with willingness and love. This year has been particularly hard for many of our 355,000 carers. Times have been very difficult and there has been a huge increase in demand on our Hardship Fund so money raised through this song will be a very welcome boost. Mary has been our Patron for many years and we are delighted that she, Deirdre and Don chose to support us."
"And I love the song," she added.
Text FAMILY CARERS to 50300 to donate €4.
Text costs €4. Family Carers Ireland will receive a minimum of €3.60. Service Provider: LIKECHARITY. Helpline: 076 6805278.
Or see www.familycarers.ie to donate any amount you wish.
You can stream "Life is a Beautiful Dance" or download for 99 cent here.


text:
Home » Our Work » Advocacy » Public Policy Priorities » Military and Veteran Suicide Prevention
Military and Veteran Suicide Prevention
About the issue Where we stand Additional resources
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Suicide Data Report 2005-2016 (Sept. 2018) the Veteran suicide rate is 1.5 times greater than the non-Veteran population, with over 6,000 veterans dying by suicide each year. In 2016 over 58% of Veteran suicides were among Veterans older than 54, but the suicide rate for young veterans (ages 18-34) has increased substantially in the past ten years.
There is no single cause of veteran and military suicide, but by treating and preventing mental illness and addiction, addressing access to lethal means (firearms accounted for over 2/3 of veteran suicides in 2016), and empowering Veterans to live and thrive in their communities, we can save lives.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is committed to protecting those people that protect us and believes that veteran and military suicide prevention is a national priority.
Currently, AFSP is focused on supporting the passage of legislation that prioritizes suicide prevention for veterans, enhancing programs that target at-risk veterans, and aiding the Department of Veteran's Affairs in its mission to serve and honor our former Service Members.
Military Crisis Line
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Press 1, Phone or Text 24/7
Vets 4 Warriors
Office of Warrior Care Policy
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors [TAPS]
Visit our Action Center to discover more about how you can support this issue.


text:
Heinrich XVIII. Prinz Reuß zu Köstritz (* 14. Mai 1847 in Leipzig; † 15. August 1911 in Schweinfurt) war ein preußischer General der Kavallerie à la suite der Armee und des 1. Großherzoglich Mecklenburgischen Dragoner-Regiments Nr. 17.

Familie
Heinrich entstammte der Linie Reuß zu Schleiz-Köstritz des regierenden Herrscherhauses Reuß jüngerer Linie. Er war der Sohn von Heinrich II. Reuß zu Köstritz (1803–1852) und dessen Ehefrau Gräfin Clothilde zu Castell-Castell (1821–1860). Er hatte zwei jüngere Geschwister: Heinrich XIX. Reuß zu Köstritz (1848–1904) und Heinrich XX. Reuß zu Köstritz van Reichenfels (1852–1884).

Militärzeit
Prinz Heinrich XVIII. war in verschiedenen Beamten- und Militärfunktionen tätig. 1883 wurde er zum Flügeladjutant von Kaiser Wilhelms I. ernannt. Vom 4. November 1886 bis zum 26. Januar 1892 war er Kommandeur der 17. Dragoner-Regiments. 1897 zum Generalleutnant befördert, wurde er darauf Kommandeur der 14. Division. 1902 wurde er zum General der Kavallerie befördert.

Dienstgrade und Regimentschef

Dienstgrad
 Königlich Preußischer General der Kavallerie

Regimentschef
 Chef des 1. Großherzoglichen Mecklenburgischen Dragonerregiments Nr. 17.

À la suite
 Oberst à la suite des 2. Hannoversches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 16.
 Oberst à la suite der preußischen Armee.

Auszeichnungen

Orden und Ehrenzeichen
(Quelle: Hof- und Staats-Handbuch für das Fürstenthum Reuß Jüngerer Linie, 1893)
 Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden, Großkreuz
 Orden der Krone von Rumänien, Großkreuz
 Roter Adlerorden, 1. Klasse
 Alexander-Newski-Orden
 St.-Annen-Orden
 Reußisches Ehrenkreuz

Ehe und Nachkommen
Heinrich XVIII. heiratete am 1886 Charlotte Herzogin von Mecklenburg [-Schwerin] (* 7. November 1868; † 20. Dezember 1944), Tochter von Herzog Wilhelm zu Mecklenburg (1827–1879) und seiner Frau Prinzessin Alexandrine von Preußen (1842–1906). Das Paar hatte drei Kinder:
 Heinrich XXXVII. (1888–1964), Generalleutnant a. D.,
 Heinrich XXXVIII. (1889–1918), gefallen
 Heinrich XLII. (1892–1949).

Literatur
 Bernd Kasten: Prinz Schnaps. Schwarze Schafe im mecklenburgischen Fürstenhaus. Hinstorff Verlag GmbH, Rostock 2009, ISBN 3-356-01334-3.
 John C. G. Röhl: Wilhelm II. Die Jugend des Kaisers 1859–1888. Verlag C.H.Beck München 2001. ISBN 3-406-37668-1. S. 529.
 Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Fürstlichen Häuser. 1900. Justus Pertes, Gotha 1899, S. 71.
 Rudolf Vierhaus: Vorwort. In: Rudolf Vierhaus (Hrsg.): Das Tagebuch der Baronin Spitzemberg, geb. Freiin v. Varnbüler. Aufzeichnungen aus der Hofgesellschaft des Hohenzollernreiches. (= Deutsche Geschichtsquellen des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts. 43). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1989. S. 440.
 Militär-Wochenblatt, Nr. 69 vom 1884, S. 127.

Weblinks
 Kurzbiographie auf den Seiten der Staatsbibliothek Berlin

Siehe auch
 Stammliste von Reuß

Einzelnachweise

Heinrich 18
Heinrich 18
General der Kavallerie (Königreich Preußen)
Träger des Eisernen Kreuzes II. Klasse
Träger des Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischen Hausordens (Großkreuz)
Träger des Alexander-Newski-Ordens (Russisches Kaiserreich)
Träger des Ordens der Heiligen Anna
Träger des Kaiserlich-Königlichen Ordens vom Weißen Adler
Träger des Ordens der Krone von Rumänien (Großkreuz)
Träger des Roten Adlerordens 1. Klasse
Träger des Reußischen Ehrenkreuzes
Person (Johanniterorden)
Preuße
Geboren 1847
Gestorben 1911
Mann


When it comes to a situation in which shipments freight to Sweden or from Sweden are required to meet a specific schedule, you will want to consider an option that includes more than just aspect of the equation. By that, we mean a situation in which you would be required to engage the services of multiple companies and then try to coordinate those services so that they work together. If, at any point, one of those service companies drops the ball, then the entire process can suffer from an unacceptable delay. This type of delay situation can have a number of different effects when it comes to your business's reputation and potential profit margin. It stands to reason that any company that can't arrange freight delivery on time will not be the first choice of potential customers in the future.
At Malaquay Logistics, we incorporate all the aspects of exporting freight to Sweden and importing freight from Sweden. This can include freight/cargo that is being shipped by methods of transportation that encompass land, sea or air shipping and receiving. Additionally, we also feature solution that can offer packing, warehousing, containers and any documentation issues that may pertain to your shipment. This translates into a one-stop shipping source that you can not only schedule every aspect of your freight's transportation, but the progress of the shipment can easily be monitored through one location. If any questions or concerns arise, there is only one point of contact that needs to be addressed. We have frequent shipment to Gothenburg, Stockholm, Solna, etc.
Importing and exporting Sweden freight can become far less stressful and far more reliable with Malaquay Logistics' one stop solution for all of your shipping and receiving details. This is why our customers keep returning in order to schedule their air, sea and land cargo freight to Sweden and other parts of Europe. They rely on us to keep things on schedule and trust us when it comes to making sure that every part of the shipping process is coordinated and error free.
Call 6659 2090 today and we'll be happy to discuss your company's airfreight and sea freight Sweden shipping and go over a logistical approach that is designed to assist you in reaching your business goals. Don't leave your freight to Sweden shipping to chance!


The asphalt rejuvenation in the Village Drive Towns and Milford Singles scheduled to begin on Monday, October 9th will be delayed due to anticipated rain. An update will be provided Monday once Tuesday's outlook is more definite. Vehicles do not need to be moved on Monday as no work will occur that day.


BISKEK:The Issyk-Kul highway was supposed to demonstrate that Kyrgyzstan was capable of completing big projects single-handedly, without foreign funding. But three years after its start, construction is now at a standstill, the money has run out and laborers are complaining of unpaid salaries.
The project was designed to expand and improve an existing stretch of road that leads eastward from Balykchy to Korumdu. The route is how visitors reach the lakeside resorts that constitute the core of the country's tourism industry, which accounts for about 8 percent of economic activity in the country. For most of its current 100-kilometer length, the surface is pot-holed and uneven. Adding to the hazards, many safety-averse drivers are tempted into perilous passing maneuvers on the busy road.
At a projected 6.8 billion som (around $100 million) — an amount equal to $15 for each Kyrgyz citizen — the country was to get a road of which it could be proud. The plan had been to get the highway ready in time for the 2017 Nomad Games, a showcase sporting event intended to impress unseasoned outsiders.
Turgunaliyev said he is one of the lucky ones as his wife has a job at a bazaar and is able to help out.


text:
search menu Search
{{typeahead}}
December 09, 2020 GT Alert
Privacy Compliance Action Items for Businesses Before EOY 2020
Darren Abernethy Gretchen A. Ramos
One week into the final month of what has been a memorable 2020, maintaining an organization's privacy hygiene is more pressing than ever – and includes new requirements.
From privacy policy updates mandated by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), to all businesses needing to stay current and non-deceptive in their public disclosures in relation to evolving data collection and use practices, proper transparency updates are mission-critical. Likewise, policy updates must directly align with a business's consumer-facing privacy controls and internal processes.
CCPA UPDATES
"Every 12 Months." The CCPA requires that "at least once every 12 months" a business review and update the processing information that the CCPA requires be included in the business's privacy policy disclosed to consumers. As a reminder, the CCPA applies to a business's online and offline practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and sale of personal information (PI), so policies must reflect the business's interactions with consumers in the physical world as well.
The CCPA requires that a business's privacy policy describe a business's data processing activities only for the preceding 12 months.
Per CCPA Section 1798.130(a)(5), required disclosures include:
a list of the categories of PI a business has collected about consumers in the preceding 12 months;
a list of categories of PI a business has sold about consumers in the preceding 12 months (or a statement that it has not sold);
a list of categories of PI a business has disclosed to service providers for a business purpose in the preceding 12 months; and
designated methods for submitting consumer requests to that business, among other disclosures.
Privacy policies also must state the categories of sources from which PI is collected, identify the commercial or business purpose for collecting or selling PI, and identify the categories of third parties to whom PI was disclosed or sold.
Given that partners, products, and revenue streams can change from year to year, an update to a business's last CCPA-related privacy policy publication may be in order. Even if processing has not changed, a business should consider documenting that it undertook such a review of its processing activities and determined that no revisions were necessary.
CCPA Regulations. A business's need to review and perhaps update its current privacy policy is also reinforced by the still freshly minted CCPA implementing regulations, which were largely finalized in late Summer 2020. Businesses that updated privacy policies in anticipation of the CCPA's Jan. 1, 2020, effective date, or shortly thereafter, may need to make revisions now, given the new requirements those lengthy rules ushered in.
Verification Procedures. For instance, because prior to the CCPA regulations details were lacking regarding the mechanics of verifying consumer requests, often verification was not described in companies' privacy policies. Now these processes are clear(er) and must be described generally per Section 999.308(c)(1)(c). Section 999.325(g) also requires that if a business has no reasonable method by which it can verify a consumer (such as a non-accountholder), the business must evaluate and document whether a method can be established at least once every 12 months "in connection with the requirement to update the privacy policy."
Mobile-Optimized. Notices at the point of PI collection and privacy policies must be designed for readability wherever a consumer may encounter them, including on smaller screens in the mobile context, making formatting decisions and transparency-focused UX key considerations, and may require a reassessment of whether a business is in line with this requirement.
Accessibility. Privacy policy accessibility for consumers with visual and auditory disabilities is an additional consideration that may not have been top-of-mind in 2019 or at the start of 2020. CCPA regulations Section 999.305(a) specifically cites the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 as a generally recognized industry standard for doing so, which would require a technical update for many companies. Given the exponential rise in digital-property-related ADA lawsuits filed in recent years, this is a compliance imperative that requires attention beyond just online policies.
Languages. A privacy policy also must be available in languages in which the business in its ordinary course provides contracts, disclaimers, sale announcements, and other information to California consumers.
Printable. A privacy policy also must be available in a format that allows a consumer to print it out as a document; this may require an update for mobile app developers who include an app's privacy policy in an in-app screen lacking printing functionality, rather than a link out to a mobile web browser.
Metrics. For the first time, businesses that buy, receive, sell, or share for commercial purposes the PI of 10 million or more California consumers in a calendar year must compile metrics regarding consumer requests received (e.g., access, deletion, opt-out) and the mean or median number of days for their substantive responses to such requests. By July 1 of every calendar year this must be posted in the privacy policy; even though a Jan. 1, 2021, posting is not required, applicable companies should consider beginning work towards this now for the requests already received.
Offline Notice. According to a third set of proposed modifications to the CCPA regulations released on Oct. 12, 2020, and which is still under consideration, a business that collects PI in the course of interacting with consumers offline must also provide notice via an offline method that facilitates consumers' awareness of their right to opt out.
Examples provided by the proposed modifications include a PI-collecting brick-and-mortar store providing notice via the paper forms where it collects PI, or by posting signage in the area where the PI is collected and directing consumers to where the notice can be found. For businesses collecting PI over the phone, they must provide the notice orally during the call. These requirements are not yet finalized, but businesses can start to plan for them now in the event they are published largely unchanged.
Last Updated Date. Although already a common practice, the CCPA regulations require privacy policies to display their "last updated" date.
For more information, subscribe to GT's Data Privacy Dish blog.
Are law firms considered "processors" or "controllers" of the personal data that they receive from clients as part of a representation? 3 min read
Data Privacy Dish
Does the CPRA enlarge the list of data types that may qualify as personal information? 1 min read
Does the term personal information include information that a business obtains from government records? Less than a minute
GT Alumni Network
European Offices Privacy Notice
© 2021 Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Germany ¬
London*
Mexico City+
Seoul∞
Tel Aviv^
Tokyo¤
Warsaw~
Washington, D.C
Symbols refer to GT's office structure, which is detailed on the Disclosures page.


At Shyft, we are changing the future for shift workers around the globe. We are a product-centered company that helps teams manage shifts, share schedules and communicate with each other all in one beautiful and easy to use app. Teams across all industries depend on Shyft every day to help make their work lives simpler, more productive and more flexible. As this young industry has grown, this has transformed into a huge responsibility and we don't take it lightly.
Our team is a group of passionate creators, innovators, builders, and leaders. We take pride in the work that we do, and share in each other's successes - that means that we make it a point of emphasis to trust and empower our colleagues to reach their goals, both professionally and personally. Our loft-style office offers an open and collaborative workspace that perfectly complements our culture, and is centrally located in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle just one block away from the water. We offer competitive benefits and perks to all employees who decide to join us on our journey to change the future of shift workers.
At Shyft, we pride ourselves on having built the most visually appealing and intuitive app on the market, while creating a fun and youthful brand that our users love. Great design is a large contributor to that level of success.
We're rapidly growing and are looking for a lead mobile designer to join our team to innovate and create cutting-edge products. You'll be leading the charge on improving and iterating the look and feel of our brand and our products. The guidelines and patterns you create will be seen by hundreds of thousands of users and impact them on a daily basis. You will be working in an entrepreneurial environment with great team dynamics where everyone values integrity, transparency and good work ethics.


How You Can Get Stopped | McCamley & Branchaud, P.C.
In Vermont, a police officer can stop a car based merely on a reasonable and articulable suspicion of wrongdoing. This is a far lower standard then probable cause (which is needed to arrest or search) or reasonable certainty, but has to be more than "an unparticularized hunch or guess".
Over time, we have seen a gradual yet determined erosion of the line between "reasonable and articulable suspicion" and "an unsubstantiated hunch or guess" when a police officer makes a motor vehicle stop. For example, did you know that the time of day that you are driving, as well as where you are driving, enhances the possibility that you will see blue lights in your rear view mirror? Sadly, anyone driving in Vermont after 10:00 p.m. is practically inviting a blue light stop and a request to provide a roadside breath test. This is because officers know that most DUI's occur at night so that a stop is more likely to result in a DUI arrest.
Hanging objects from a rear view mirror even if not blocking the windshield.
Tragically most of the above examples involved drivers who could not see there was a policeman nearby or assumed that one was not. This is an unwise way to drive, particularly at night. Always assume that a cop is behind you, and drive accordingly. Always use your turn signal, even if no other cars are around and particularly at night. Don't speed and avoid touching either the center line or the fog line. As the above list makes obvious, cops are looking to pull people over on the flimsiest of violations of the Motor Vehicle Laws. Be forewarned!
Another tip: While obviously you should not drive while intoxicated, or even buzzed, sometimes you find yourself in that position. If you can't get a designated driver, be sure to check your running lights, and your rear license plate for visibility before driving away to make sure you don't give anyone a reason to stop you. Of course, you should always drive within the law.


My Pipo X7S served me loayally for many months as a HTPC running Windows 10. Mostly Netflix in Full HD, all smooth.
Now, it has suddenly started to be rather capricious when I am trying to power it on. Most times, I have to press the power button for a long time before the LED turns on and the Pipo boots. It started with something like maybe 10 seconds, but now I figure it is often more like a minute, and sometimes it takes several attempts.
Once the Pipo is running, all seems normal though.
Any idea what this could be? I was figuring maybe the CMOS battery has reached its end of life. Could that be it? If so, does someone have instructions how to change it? I think I read it is soldered in.
All times are GMT-8. This page was generated at 16:33.


text:
The Electric Agora
A modern symposium for the digital age
This Week's Special
New York Diary
Election Roundup
Is the Free Will Debate a Verbal Dispute?
By Paul So
I've noticed that academic philosophers, being fairly insulated from the wider public, have largely failed to engage educated laymen who are interested, and perplexed, about free will. In particular, most people think that there are really only two plausible positions — if determinism is true then there is no free will, and if determinism is not true perhaps free will is possible. In other words, people aren't aware of compatibilism, don't understand it, or find it deeply unconvincing because they think it doesn't really talk about free will.
The only academic philosopher I know who has tirelessly tried to explain compatibilism is Daniel Dennett, but many people still find it confusing at best and unpersuasive at worst. Some, like Sam Harris and Jerry Coyne, have publicly accused Dennett of playing with words — Dennett is using "free will" to refer to one thing whereas Harris and Coyne use it to refer to something else entirely, and Harris and Coyne think only their notion of "free will" is one worth caring about. A public popularity contest for the vying positions has ensued, and it looks like the public jury has sided largely with Harris and Coyne — Dennett simply isn't talking about the real, and important kind of free will.
I think that compatibilism deserves another fair hearing — a "retrial" as it were. What I want to do in this essay is try to explain the free will debate, charitably interpret people's frustrations with compatibilism, and make a sympathetic case for the position as a substantive thesis. Moreover, I want to show that the disagreement between people like Dennett and Harris isn't merely a verbal one, but rather is similar to other debates that have occurred in modern science. My hope is that, in the end, compatibilism will emerge as a view that is far from a mere semantic magic-trick where verbal sleight of hand is used to confuse, and ultimately persuade, people.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that one thing that motivates me is that philosophers already have a bad reputation with the public as being engaged in an enterprise that largely involves trivial verbal disputes ("when does a bunch of sand become a heap?"). Since many people seem to think that Dennett is simply redefining free will willy-nilly as a "get out of jail free" card from hard determinism, I fear that his attempt to bring compatibilism to the public may have backfired, giving people the impression that their suspicions about the petty nature of philosophical disputes are accurate. But in addition to improving philosophy's reputation, I think the public debate on free will also needs substantial improvement. It is troubling that it essentially excludes compatibilism from discussion, because, I think, there is substantial merit to the view.
The Free Will Debate
Usually, when intelligent non-philosophers think of the free will debate they often understand it as a debate between libertarianism (not political libertarianism, mind you) and hard determinism. Both libertarians and hard determinists agree that free will is incompatible with determinism, because while free will requires that there be alternative possibilities for every action chosen, determinism excludes it. In other words, both parties agree that, in order for someone to have acted on their own free will, there must have been an alternative action that they could have chosen to perform. If you ate vanilla ice cream, and you ate it freely, then it should have been possible for you to choose not to eat the ice cream, or to eat chocolate instead. The option wasn't merely there, but was also open for you to choose.
However, determinism states that a prior event predetermines a single outcome. Once that outcome is predetermined, there is no alternative possibility. When a billiard ball strikes another one, the second billiard ball could not have moved in any other way, given the laws of the universe and the conditions under which it was struck.
Both hard determinists and libertarians accept this basic picture about what it takes for free will to exist, and what determinism means. Where they depart is that the former denies free will exists whereas the latter affirms that it does. All of this sounds relatively plain and simple, but things become complicated once you introduce compatibilism. Compatibilists believe that free will can exist even if determinism is true. Even if all of our actions are determined like the billiard ball's motion is, we can still act freely.
Compatibilism is an umbrella term that has many different variations, but they all agree that the existence of an alternative possibility is neither necessary nor sufficient for free will. To illustrate this, most of them will point to the work of Harry Frankfurt, and so-called "Frankfurt-style" thought experiments. Suppose a presidential race is taking place, and a mad neuroscientist installs a control chip inside of Jim's brain in order to compel him to vote for the Democratic candidate. If Jim decides to vote for a Republican candidate, the controller will detect it and immediately hijack his nervous system, compelling him to vote Democrat. However, what the mad neuroscientist doesn't know is that Jim was actually going to vote for a Democratic candidate all along. According to Frankfurt, when Jim, who wanted to vote Democrat all along, casts his ballot, he has done so freely even though it was what the neuroscientist wanted.
Notice that in the Frankfurt-style thought experiment there is no alternative possibility available to Jim. The control chip makes it physically impossible for him to vote in any way other than for the Democratic candidate. Yet, we still have the intuition that Jim freely voted. Why? Because his choice stems from his values, preferences, and deliberations, all of which are important ingredients to make a choice. Why aren't those simply enough to make him a free agent? Many compatibilists think that thought experiments like this one prove that having free will doesn't require that you have alternative possibilities open to you to choose. The free will debate, then, becomes less about between determinism and libertarianism, and more about compatibilism and incompatibilism.
Diagnosing the Debate
Many lay people find it hard to get their heads around compatibilism because, from their point of view, it ceases to talk about real free will, which requires alternative possibilities. This intuition about what "real" free will requires isn't limited to laypeople, even John Searle raises a similar complaint. When people emphatically insist that free will requires alternative possibilities, compatibilists respond that this is begging the question, because people are assuming a conception of free will which cannot be assumed, but must be argued for.
I think there is some merit behind people's suspicion that compatibilists are merely playing with words — compatibilists are talking about one thing and libertarians/determinists another. This isn't to say that these people are correct, but there is a plausible rationale behind their suspicion. To see why, let's consider what, exactly, a verbal disagreement is.
The kind of verbal disagreement that I think people have in mind here is one which takes place when people use the same words to refer to different things, and argue over whether or not the same word should be used to refer to one thing or another. This kind of verbal dispute is a linguistic, prescriptive disagreement in which sides are simply arguing over how a word should be used. The free will debate between compatibilism and incompatibilism might seem to fit the bill.
When the worry is fleshed out that way, it seems plausible. But on further investigation, the disagreement here isn't simply over how we should use the word "free will," but rather over the nature of free will. Does free will necessarily require alternative possibilities? Questions like this are similar to ones asked about things such as the nature of water centuries ago. People thought that water is an element, but later found out that water is in fact a compound. Scientists thought that heat consists of some kind of caloric fluid or substance, but they later discovered that heat simply is the motion of molecules. It would be bizarre to think that when scientists were debating the nature of heat they were engaged in a mere verbal disagreement. Clearly, they were disagreeing about what the nature of heat is.
Similarly, compatibilists want to claim that they are doing something similar to what scientists were doing. They are advancing a different conception of the nature of free will that still grounds moral responsibility, just as thermodynamic scientists were in favor of a mechanical view of heat that still explains why things become hot or cold. When framed this way, it becomes far less obvious that the debate between compatibilism and incompatibilism is merely verbal.
One might object that whereas scientists agree that heat exists, philosophers do not agree on whether free will exists. It's intelligible to argue about the nature of something once there's an agreement that it exists, but if there is an argument about its existence then it seems strange to argue about its nature in the first place. It would seem like they're putting the cart before the horse.
One possible response is that, in some cases, if we do not know the nature of something, we cannot assess whether or not it exists. After all, what exactly are we verifying or confirming the existence of in the first place? There was a time when it was an open question on whether not the black holes exist. Einstein provided a definition and description of a black hole before astronomers discovered it. Peter Higgs had to define and describe the Higgs Boson before physicists could finally confirm its existence, and philosophers need to know the nature of free will before they can jump to the conclusion that it doesn't exist.
Perhaps what really irks people is that there just is a very strong intuition that free will requires alternative possibility. But people have strong intuitions about a lot of things that are simply wrong. For example, people had strong intuitions about time — that it is necessarily invariant and absolute throughout the universe, but it turns out that time is relative to a frame of reference. People thought species are necessarily individuated by essences that are separate from other species, but Darwin showed that all species share similar ancestries. Yet, no one complains that Darwin wasn't talking about species anymore, and people readily assent to the idea that Newton and Einstein were both talking about time. Why can't we extend the same courtesy to free will?
I've tried to make a sympathetic case for the idea that the free will debate is substantive rather than merely verbal. I'm not really committed one way or the other, but I do think people like Sam Harris, Jerry Coyne, John Searle, and the interested public should (freely) consider compatibilism as a viable position.
Share this Electric content!
Categories: Essay, Uncategorized
Tagged as: compatibilism, determinism, Free Will
Politics and Song
Why The Free Will Problem Isn't One
Let's presume a perfect determinism, where cause and effect are perfectly reliable, such that "freedom from causal necessity (inevitability)" does not exist. In this context, what is the meaning of "freedom"?
a) When we set a bird free (from its cage) do we expect it to be free of causal necessity?
b) When we set the slave free (from his master) do we expect the slave to be free of causal necessity?
c) When the bank offers you a free toaster (free of charge) to open an account, is this event free of causal necessity?
d) When you decide for yourself what you will do (free of coercion or other undue influence), do we expect you to be free of causal necessity?
In a perfectly deterministic universe, everything that happens is always causally inevitable. This is equally true for each of these examples. And yet the word "free" makes a meaningful distinction in each case.
a) There is a meaningful difference between a bird in a cage and a bird flying free (of a cage).
b) There is a meaningful difference between a person enslaved and a person who is free (of slavery).
c) There is a meaningful difference between something given you free (of charge) and something you must pay for.
d) There is a meaningful difference between you being free (of coercion or other undue influence) to decide for yourself what you will do and someone else making that choice for you and forcing you to accept their choice against your will.
Since causal inevitability is always true, the idea that we can or should be free of it is irrational. Therefore, it follows that the word "free" never can, and therefore never does imply freedom from causal necessity. It must always mean being free from something else.
Besides, without reliable cause and effect, we could not reliably cause any effect! That means we'd have no freedom at all to do anything!
Finally, the view that causal necessity is some kind of constraint, something that we must be "free of", is a delusion. All of those things, that cause us to make this choice instead of that one, are us. Our thoughts and feelings, our genetic dispositions and life experiences, our beliefs and values, the health or defects of our neurological system, all of these things ARE us. They are not external forces causing us to act against our will. They are instead us in the act of being us, doing what we do, and choosing what we choose. There is no separate us that these things act upon. They are us.
Brian Balke says:
Your phrasing of the debate is valuable. In the voting example, I would like to distinguish between "will" and "actualization." The voter might "will" to vote Republican, but "actually" vote Democrat. But is the "will" changed? No. That is what I think is meant by "free will." Our aspirations are unchanged even though circumstances conspire to frustrate them. In other words, even if our actions are coerced, our will is preserved. We will continue to seek to express that will at the next opportunity.
This makes the meaning of "broken will" all the more poignant. Those subjected to torment with that goal sometimes report the sense of being "outside" of their bodies. They watch what is being done to them, but as if from a distance. This may be the kind of experience that caused philosophers (theologians among them) to recognize "free will."
dbholmes says:
Hi Paul, I'm a compatibilist who has written before on the issue at EA, and agree it is not a mere verbal dispute (depending who one is arguing against). Not sure if you saw the thread for my earlier essay, but in discussion Dan Kaufman and Mark English convinced me that "Free Will" is a term/concept that we could/should get rid of as superfluous. That is not the same as becoming a free will skeptic or hard determinist, just that it isn't necessary to get at what we are talking about and can create confusion. That still left me a compatibilist, but about something more specified that generic "free will".
Of course, since so many still use it, it probably isn't going away. I think comparisons between that and thermodynamics is pretty useful, where both classical and molecular level accounts are valid yet very different treatments of the same phenomenon.
Marvin's argument is really well put together to "close debate" (for me), and I thought Brian's discussion was interesting and in a way reflects the arguments Dan gave for not needing the "free" in the term "free will". Our main concern is whether our will is getting actualized or not. So the only real important descriptor is when our will is being defeated. To say it is "free" when actualized is redundant.
The original illusion is the sense that causal necessity is a constraint, something that we need to be free from. The idea of predetermination makes us feel that something other than us is in control of our lives. But this is false, because what we will inevitably do is exactly identical to us just being us, doing what we do, and choosing what we choose. And that is not a meaningful constraint.
Determinism doesn't actually do anything. Only real objects and forces can actually do things. Determinism simply asserts that the behavior of these objects and forces is rational, reliable, and thus theoretically predictable. By "rational" we mean that there is always an answer to the question, "Why did this happen?", even if we never find the answer.
Within our deterministic universe, we exist as (a) physical objects, (b) living organisms, and (c) intelligent species. As physical objects, our behavior is passive, and can be reliably predicted by the laws of physics. If you drop me and a bowling ball off the leaning tower of Pisa, we'll both hit the ground at the same time.
As living organisms, we are driven to survive, thrive, and reproduce. At this level we behave purposefully (but not intentionally) to satisfy our "biological will". The laws of physics are no longer sufficient to predict our behavior. Now we need the life sciences, like biology, genetics, and physiology.
As an intelligent species are able to behave deliberately. We can imagine possibilities, evaluate them, and choose the specific means to survive, thrive, and reproduce. Now we need psychology, sociology, and other social sciences to predict our behavior.
Determinism still applies at each level, but the classes of causation have expanded. At the level of intelligent species, purpose and reasons are now causes of our behavior. Still, anyone with sufficient knowledge of how you think and feel about a given issue could reliably predict your choice.
It is when we gain a deliberate will, one that is the result of a mental process of imagining, evaluating, and choosing, that the concept of will comes into play.
Free will is when we decide for ourselves what we will do. An unfree will is when someone else makes that choice for us, and imposes it upon us against our will.
And that's the free will we all grew up with. Johnny wants to go out to play. Mother says he must wear his winter coat or he cannot go out. Johnny doesn't want to wear the coat because it interferes with his play. But he is compelled by his mother's authority and power (where his meals come from) to wear the coat, against his will. When he's older, he'll get to make these decisions for himself, and deal with the consequences.
This is not a complex metaphysical issue.
davidlduffy says:
Brian Balke: Others have taken up your exact point – "What is striking about reading the testimonies of those who have endured and survived the most brutal living conditions is how they often confirm and support Sartre's arguments in relation to freedom", The Sartrean radical freedom is "above" ordinary type freedoms. From Being and Nothingness, a souped-up ought-is like assertion: "(1) No factual state whatever it may be (the political and economic structure of society, the psychological 'state', etc.) is capable by itself of motivating [motiver] any act whatsoever. For an act is a projection of the for-itself toward what is not, and what is can in no way determine by itself what is not. (2) No factual state can determine consciousness to apprehend it as a négatité or as a lack. Better yet no factual state can determine consciousness to define it and to circumscribe it" All quoted by Baiasu [2015].
In this view, the things that we commonsensically take as evidence of free will are perverse or paradoxical acts, either in situations where there are overwhelming causal forces for us to do X, and in fact we do Y; or in trivial situations where we could go either way, "I slightly prefer and habitually have tea, but will have coffee instead today" because I don't want to be predictable.
Well written article. The microchip thought experiment isn't really all that revealing for reasons noted by other commenters here.
The free will/ hard determinism debate is strictly undecidable – and has been throughout its long career in the many cultures that have tussled with it, whether phrased as relating to physics or some mind-body dualism; or as relating to the will of god vs human agency; or as implicated in some force or collection of forces (spiritual or material) that impel us to be a certain way and act a certain way yet also seem to demand choice from us, as in, say, astrology.
The grounding assumption for free will is, "because I (feel, think, act) a certain way, the universe must be a certain way." The grounding assumption for determinism is "because the universe is a certain way, I must (feel, think, act) a certain way." These are strictly contrary. But no particular evidence can be produced to contradict either claim. Therefore, neither claim is falsifiable; no evidence in support of either claim will falsify the contrary claim. That's because the ontology of "my thought/behavior" and that of "the universe" are categorically disjunct: whatever we can say of the one category will have very limited (if any) implication for the other category.
Let's consider this in terms of astrology, since astrology persuades its adherents precisely by blurring these distinctions. In astrology, the universe is such that stars somehow guide our fortunes. Technically, this makes this a determinism; the stars can't control our fortunes without controlling our thoughts/behaviors. Yet we are to rely on this in order to – make choices in our thoughts and behaviors! Why? Because my thoughts and behaviors clearly implicate a certain universe in which the stars provide me opportunities to realize my fortune. But my fortune is already prophesied in the star charts, implying what my choices will be. And round and round it goes; the spin only stops wherever one wishes it to stop. My hopes are realized? The stars have proved fortuitous (determinism). My hopes are disappointed? I must have made a mistake in judgment somewhere (I have free will).
What this suggests is that whenever confronting a strenuous debate on the topic, the question we should really start with is, what do the debaters actually want from a general acceptance of their particular position? In the Middle Ages, the function of the debate was quite clear; if divine foreknowledge was strictly deterministic, then exhortations to faith and acts were superfluous. Thus the Scholastics ended up with some amusing quibbles: grace was given freely to individuals, but one could accept it or not; we were free to believe and act well or sinfully, but god knew what choices we were going to make.
So what is really at issue in the current scientistic/ dualist version of the debate? One has to look to the side of the proferred arguments. With the Medievals, one has to recognize that the problem really had to do with persuading the faithful to acceptance of Church injunctions on behavior. So what is it that the scientistic advocates of determinism really want from us? What are the strict dualist/libertarians asking of us? There are a number of particulars we can attend to, mostly having to do with responsibility; but I suggest that we begin with what is gotten by accepting the grounds of the kinds of responsibility with which we are offered. And the first thing we grant in accepting either position is: authority. If we side with the scientistic determinists, then we have accepted scientism as our principle source for explanations of our behavior. If we accept dualist/ libertarians' arguments, we grant them leverage to address the universe as including immaterial, perhaps spiritual, components necessary for consciousness.
It is at this point that compatibilism becomes a cheap and easy way to imply 'a pox on both houses.' Which is basically where I always end up in these discussions.
i usually remark in such discussions that I am something of a 'social determinist,' in that I think that our characters are shaped by our social relationships, right from the get go, which then determines certain kinds of responses to social choice situations. And I used to love discussing this issue when young, and the problems of social determinism were much of interest then, in the wake of Marxism, Hegelianism, Phenomenology and Pragmatism, as well as research in sociology, anthropology, and psychology. But I now accept that in the current climate such discussions are of little interest. Many seem now intellectually invested in either discovering a god in the machine, or a machine-like god. I'm far more interested in how people relate to other people. Microchips need not apply.
I don't follow your logic here:
(a) "The grounding assumption for free will is, "because I (feel, think, act) a certain way, the universe must be a certain way."
(b) "The grounding assumption for determinism is "because the universe is a certain way, I must (feel, think, act) a certain way."
(c) "These are strictly contrary."
If we assume that I am a part of the universe, then it would logically follow that (a) and (b) would both be true. I see no logical support for (c).
Regarding, "In the Middle Ages, the function of the debate was quite clear; if divine foreknowledge was strictly deterministic, then exhortations to faith and acts were superfluous."
I believe their conclusion is would also be false. Predicting and causing are two different things. For example:
If one person is initially uncertain whether to choose A or B, he will imagine the outcomes of the two choices, and then choose the one that seems best.
His wife and you are in another city. She has intimate knowledge of how he thinks and feels. And if you ask her, she can tell you his choice before he makes it. Whether she makes that prediction or not will have no effect upon her husband's choice.
She is only the cause of the prediction. He is the cause of his choice.
Being a compatibilist, I don't say "a pox on both your houses", here is what I actually say:
1) The only way that determinism and free will can be incompatible is by defining "determinism" as "the absence of free will" or defining "free will" as "the absence of determinism".
2) The correct definition of free will is a decision that you make for yourself, free of coercion or other undue influence.
3) The correct definition of determinism is a belief that objects and forces within our universe behave rationally, reliably, and thus theoretically predictably.
4) There is no conflict between the fact of me making a decision for myself and the fact of my doing so in a predictable way.
Pingback: Why The Free Will Problem Isn't One – The Electric Agora
Marvin Edwards,
"If we assume that I am a part of the universe, then it would logically follow that (a) and (b) would both be true." Nothing regarding free will or determinism logically follows from "I am part of the universe." That's exactly the trap of the debate.
The two positions are contrary because the first presumes that "all humans think/behave this way (thus the universe is entirely a certain way)' (all X, not Y (Y=not X)); the second presumes that 'all the universe is a certain way (thus humans must think/behave a certain way) (all Y, not X (X negates Y))' * If the first is true, the thought/behavior of humans determines or reveals the fundamental nature of the universe. If the second is true, the nature of the universe determines/ reveals the nature of human thought or behavior. They cannot both be logically true (but they both can be logically false).
But what evidence would falsify either claim? Some people vote, some people don't vote – does this tell us anything about the nature of the space-time continuum? No; but does the space-time continuum tell us anything about whether people vote or not? No! One actually has to presume the conclusion in order to use these as evidence in a premise.
That's because the behavior of humans, in any interesting aspect worth discussing, is fundamentally of a different order than the functioning of the space-time continuum. Our responsibilities, our responses, our choices, our actions are all about our relationships with other people. This won't change the curvature of light, nor will the curvature of light effect it.
I never said that you as a compatibilist were calling a pox on both houses. I am saying that as a compatibilist (and social determinists are necessarily compatibilists, since otherwise there's no way to account for decisions made with historic consequences), I call a pox on both houses, because the very ground of the free will/ determinism debate (in the absolute terms it frequently takes) is itself confused.
"I believe their (Medievals) conclusion is would also be false. Predicting and causing are two different things." Well, that's where their quibbling ended up, but it doesn't actually resolve anything (if it's causal, it predicts; if it predicts it assumes some cause or set of causes). (And it's worth noting that the actual debate was quite complicated, and engaged some of the finest logicians in Western history.) But it served their purposes.
And that's what I'm really trying to draw attention to, which you have simply evaded – such debates have pragmatic social functions that have nothing to do with the actual logic involved. You may be right, that my logic here is weak – but that doesn't change the fact that what we're really witnessing is a turf war between scientistic thinkers and dualist/ libertarian thinkers. Cui bono? one doesn't need to be a post-modernist to bear that caveat in mind.
(* X = free will in a universe allowing free will; Y = deterministic universe not allowing free will – again, a contrary. My own position is that both are metaphysically irrelevant to what is interesting about human behavior, and, in a different way, with what is interesting about the universe.)
But, within our deterministic universe, X IS Y. The trap is making a distinction where none exists. (a) Free will is me making a decision for myself. (b) Making a decision for myself is a natural event occurring within a deterministic universe. And if it happened, then it was inevitable that it would happen, which means it was inevitable that I would make that decision for myself of my own free will.
There is no such thing as "freedom from causation". It is an oxymoron, because without reliable cause and effect we cannot reliably cause any effect, and that means we'd have no freedom to do anything at all. All of our freedoms, including free will, REQUIRE a deterministic universe.
"Freedom from causation" is literally "irrationality", because it means that nothing that happens ever has any reliable cause. Reliable cause and effect means that when I pick an apple from an apple tree I can expect to find an apple in my hand. Unreliable cause and effect means that when I pick an apple from an apple tree I cannot predict what I will have in my hand. Perhaps a kitten, or a pair of slippers, or perhaps gravity will reverse.
Therefore "free will" cannot logically mean "freedom from causation". Since it cannot, it does not.
Therefore it must mean something else. So, how do we humans actually use the term "free will"?
We use it to distinguish between a decision we make for ourselves and a choice that is somehow forced upon us against our will.
Johnny wants to go outside and play with his friends. But it's cold outside and his mother insists he wear his winter coat. Johnny doesn't want to wear the coat because it is big, heavy, and it interferes with his play. But he knows he must comply or he won't be able to go out at all. So he puts on the coat, against his will.
When John is a man, he'll get to make those decisions for himself, and deal with the consequences of his choice. He checks the temperature, and knowing that he'll be more comfortable wearing his winter coat, he decides to put it on, of his own free will.
A more dramatic example would be when the Boston Marathon bombers hijacked a car and force the driver at gunpoint to assist in their escape. The driver was not charged with "aiding and abetting" because he was not acting of his own free will.
There are also cases of mental illness or injury that causes a defect in a person's ability to make a moral judgment. For example, the person may hallucinate that someone is trying to kill him and kill them in what he thinks is self-defense.
In each case, the person is said to lack free will if he is coerced or subject to some undue influence that causes him to do something he would not ordinarily choose to do himself.
And this is a meaningful and significant distinction to make. Therefore, free will cannot be tossed aside as some kind of illusion or some supposedly metaphysical condition.
Ordinary free will makes this distinction without any supernatural claims or assertions against natural causation.
Ordinary determinism asserts that the behavior of the objects in our universe follow rational, reliable, and theoretically predictable causation. Humans embrace this belief because it means that we might discover the "natural laws" of the behavior of these objects by observation and experimentation. And by that knowledge gain greater control of our environment, for example, by discovering ways to cure or prevent diseases.
A corollary of reliable causation is causal inevitability. But this is not an inevitability that is "beyond our control", but rather one that incorporates our choices and our actions in the overall scheme of causation.
Thus, "X = free will in a universe allowing free will; Y = deterministic universe not allowing free will – again, a contrary", is still false, because determinism does NOT mean that the universe does not allow free will. X and Y are exactly the same universe.
Whether or not the two sides are talking about the same universe, or the same acts/behaviors in that universe, their differing *claims* are contrary; the X and the Y as I've presented them (which distills my understanding of those claims) cannot both be true.
You seem to have misinterpreted my discussion to engage an argument I am not making; and you have again evaded my primary point concerning the motivations behind the disputants of the free will/determinism debate.
I'm not interested in arguing the metaphysics involved, which I think are fundamentally misconceived.
I totally agree with you about the metaphysics. Like you, I'm a pragmatist, and I understand the meaning of words according to how they are commonly used. There is an ordinary determinism: the belief in the reliable behavior of objects and forces within our universe, such that we might understand how things work, and use that knowledge to improve our control of the important events in our lives. That's what science requires to make any progress. And there is an ordinary free will: the process of deciding for ourselves what we will do, free of coercion or other undue influence. These two ordinary definitions serve our practical needs and they have no conflict between them.
It is the corollary of reliable cause and effect, that says everything that happens is always causally inevitable, which causes philosophers to stumble over themselves. They imagine this chain of causation to somehow bind them, preventing them from doing what they would otherwise choose to do. What they fail to realize is that this inevitability incorporates them, their agency, and their choices. They effectively choose what becomes inevitable.
Inevitability is not a spectator sport. 🙂
Want to get involved in The Electric Agora?
The Electric Agora publishes essays, videos, reviews, and humorous pieces, lying at the intersection of philosophy, the humanities, science, and popular culture. If you want to get involved with the magazine, there are three ways you can do so. 1. Submit an article to us! For guidelines, check out the "submissions" page, linked to in the menu above. 2. Join the discussion! For commenting guidelines click on the link "For Readers" in the menu above. 3. "Like" our page on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and/or sign up to follow The Electric Agora, by clicking the relevant links below!
Seren on Destroying the University
Daniel Kaufman on Destroying the University
Bharath Vallabha on Destroying the University
Seren Rose on Destroying the University
Follow The Electric Agora
Enter your email address to follow The Electric Agora and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Follow The Electric Agora on WordPress.com
Destroying the University
Cosmopolitanism: Hatari! or a Better World?
Time and Language
New Year (and Decade) Musings
Bret Easton Ellis, British Labour in the Wilderness, and Barszcz Czysty Czerwony (Polish Beet Soup)
Most popular at The Electric Agora
Is Philosophy OK?
Epithets in Philosophy
Sex and Sports
On Philosophy and Its Progress (a response -- of sorts -- to Massimo Pigliucci)
Course Notes – G.E.M Anscombe's "Modern Moral Philosophy"
Essays from The Electric Agora may be redistributed or translated, with attribution and link to our site, under the general rules of the Creative Commons license
Destroying the University January 18, 2020
by Daniel A. Kaufman ____ We are witnessing a transformation of the University in the United States, the result of which will be its destruction, at least as the institution has been understood since the Second World War. Similar developments are afoot in other Western nations. Some of the changes I will describe are at my own university, but Missouri […]
Daniel Kaufman
Cosmopolitanism: Hatari! or a Better World? January 9, 2020
by E. John Winner ___ Hatari is apparently a Swahili word for "Danger!" I don't know Swahili. I only know the word as the title of a remarkable adventure comedy film by the late, great American director, Howard Hawks, from the screenplay by science fiction author Leigh Brackett, who contributed to scripts for a number of Hawks' best known films, […] […]
The Electric Agora Magazine
1984 2016 election Adolescence Aesthetics Analytic Philosophy Aristotle Baby Boomers Bernard Williams Bertrand Russell Capitalism comedy Critical Thinking Cultural Criticism culture Daily Nous David Hume Donald Trump Epistemology Ethics Feminism Free Will Gender Generation X History identity Identity Politics Immanuel Kant Joan Didion John Locke John Stuart Mill Justin Weinberg Kant Kathleen Stock knowledge language liberalism logic metaphysics Millennials Modernity Morality music Neoconservatism Ontology philosophy Philosophy of Language Philosophy of Mind Political Philosophy politics Postmodernism Practical reason progressivism Quine Racism realism Religion Rhetoric Romanticism Science Self Sex social justice Social media Television The American Philosophical Association Trans activism Transgender Trump Truth Utilitarianism Value Virtue Wilfrid Sellars William James Wittgenstein


Through seven masterpieces by Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (Seville, 1599 - Madrid, 1660), this new exhibition, organised jointly by "la Caixa" Foundation and the Prado National Museum, presents this outstanding artist from the Spanish Golden Age in an innovative fashion, proposing a play of comparisons and correlations with some of the Spanish and international painters that Velázquez frequented or whose work he was familiar with. These include such essential figures as Titian, Rubens, Ribera, El Greco, Zurbarán, Murillo, Giordano, Claude Lorrain, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Antonio Moro, Stanzione, Guido Reni and Van Dyck.
The 59 works in the show are group by theme in order to highlight the existence of common stylistic interests among artists from different geographic origins, and to illustrate the influences that Velázquez received over the course of his artistic career.
By hosting this exhibition, produced as part of a long-standing alliance between the Prado Museum and "la Caixa" Foundation, Barcelona joins in with the programme of activities to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Madrid gallery.
Velázquez and the Golden Age. Place: CaixaForum Barcelona (Av. de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 6-8). Dates: From 16 November 2018 to 3 March 2019.
Introduce the data needed to send the link of the news item, "Velázquez and the Golden Age. CaixaForum Barcelona"


Sunny, with a high near 56. North wind 6 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 32. North wind 6 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Sunny, with a high near 62. Northeast wind 5 to 9 mph.
Mostly clear, with a low around 38. North northeast wind 6 to 9 mph.
Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. East northeast wind around 6 mph.
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.