With rising costs, petrol hikes, load shedding and generally tough economic times consumers are looking for ways to cut back on costs.
Cutting back on car maintenance and especially tyre replacement should not be an option, says Jakkie Olivier, CEO of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI).
• To keep tyres in good condition they should be rotated after every 7000 to 10 000km. 8000km is generally optimal. He recommends that the tyres are balanced, rotated and aligned.
• The tyre pressure should also be checked every 10 to 14 days. Tyres are porous so they leak air. That's why it's important to check the pressure and adjust it to the manufacturer's specifications. Don't adjust a tyre's pressure when the tyre is hot. Generally, a tyre will heat up after about 10 minutes of driving at an average speed.
• The spare tyre should be checked as often as the other tyres but realistically this isn't going to happen so once a month is good.
• When it comes to replacing tyres, don't even consider a second-hand option. Firstly, you have no idea or guarantee of what the tyre was subjected to before you came into contact with it.
Secondly it always works out cheaper in the long run buying a new tyre. Second-hand tyres will need to be replaced much quicker and you can end up paying four-times more in the end.
• Don't go for a budget tyre. Rather get several quotes and go for a reliable brand through an accredited-TDAFA supplier. If you are in doubt about the cost, quality or service you can contact the TDAFA directly for advice.
• Don't do business with unscrupulous hawkers trading on the roadside.
These hawkers generally sell badly worn passenger tyres which have been illegally re-grooved to give an appearance of sufficient tread depth. Re-grooving cuts into the carcass of a passenger tyre converting it into a death trap. the practice is illegal in South Africa.
"Motorists also need to remember that the condition and life of a tyre is affected by driver behaviour. Harsh braking, hard cornering, speeding and so on all have an effect on the tyres," says Judd.
Olivier says checking your tyres regularly needs to be a priority: "Don't put it off. If you need to replace tyres but are short on cash speak to your mechanic or tyre supplier and find out what your options are. Find an accredited RMI/TDAFA fitment centre so you can be assured of quality standards of service and ethical trading conditions. Remember that the RMI has a long-standing track record of successful dispute resolution so if you are not satisfied with the service received there is recourse."


There is something so comforting to me in reading these lines. I picture Borges, the great master, reading Hugo's Les Contemplations for the first time. Stopping to repeat, first silently, then aloud, that extraordinary line, "L'hydre-univers tordant son corps écaillé d'astres." The hydra-universe twisting its body scaled in stars. It is an astonishing image in its imagination and in its clarity. And I find it deeply comforting that even one as brilliant as Borges (and his younger self) could be stopped in his tracks by the magic of it.
Hugo's poem is worth reading in its entirety, but like Borges, the image that sticks with me is of the waving universe covered in scales of stars. At once menacing and beautiful. And isn't that the truth.
Image by astrorom, reproduced under Creative Commons License.


text:
2017 Undergraduate Tuition
0% growth from 2016
2017 Average Net Price
After Financial Aid
2016 Student Loan
Default Rate
2017 Enrolled Students
34.1% Full-Time
2017 Graduation Rate
261 Graduates
Navarro College is a higher education institution located in N/A. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Navarro College were N/A.
In N/A, N/A degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Navarro College. N/A of these degrees were awarded to women, and N/A awarded men. The majority of degree recipients were N/A (N/A degrees), N/A times N/A then the next closest race/ethnicity group, N/A (N/A degrees).
The median undergraduate tuition at Navarro College is $1,260, which is $N/A N/A the national average for N/A ($N/A).
Associates Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Career & Technical-High TraditionalAssociates Colleges
After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $10,991.
In 2017, 37% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 24% of undergraduate students received federal loans.
Student Expenses
In 2017, the cost of tuition at Navarro College was $1,260. The cost of tuition at Navarro College is $N/A N/A than the overall (public and private) national average for N/A ($N/A).
This chart compares the tuition costs of Navarro College (in red) with those of other similar universities.
Average Net Price
2017 Value
In 2017 Navarro College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $10,991. Between 2016 and 2017, the average net price of Navarro College grew by 4.59%.
This chart compares the average net price of Navarro College (in red) with that of other similar universities.
Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.
Other Student Expenses
The average yearly cost of room and board at Navarro College was of $6,621 in 2017. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,584. The cost of room and board increased by 0.151% between 2016 and 2017. The cost of books and supplies increased by 0.19% during the same period.
This chart compares the average student costs at Navarro College (in red) with that of similar universities.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Of Undergraduates Receive Grants
Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans
37% of undergraduate students at Navarro College received grants or loans in 2017. This represents a decline of 9.76% with respect to 2016, when 41% of undergraduate students received financial aid.
This chart compares the average award discount at Navarro College (in red) with that of other similar universities.
The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.
Student Loan Default Rate
Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.
2016 Default Rate
Number of Defaults
In 2016 the default rate for borrower's at Navarro College was 22.9%, which represents 586 out of the 2556 total borrowers.
A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.
Navarro College has a total enrollment of 8,968 students. The full-time enrollment at Navarro College is 3,057 students and the part-time enrollment is 5,911. This means that 34.1% of students enrolled at Navarro College are enrolled full-time.
The enrolled student population at Navarro College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 54.2% White, 22.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Black or African American, 2.04% Two or More Races, 0.992% Asian, 0.602% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.268% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.
Students enrolled at Navarro College in full-time Undergraduate programs are majority White Female (26.5%), followed by White Male (18.4%) and Black or African American Female (13.7%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are majority N/A, followed by N/A and N/A.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Navarro College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 8,968 students. The full-time enrollment at Navarro College is 3,057 and the part-time enrollment is 5,911. This means that 34.1% of students enrolled at Navarro College are enrolled full-time compared with N/A% at similar N/A.
This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Navarro College (in red) compares to similar universities.
Retention Rate over Time
2017 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Navarro College was 46%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar N/A (N/A%), Navarro College had a retention rate N/A its peers.
This chart shows the retention rate over time at Navarro College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
The enrolled student population at Navarro College is 54.2% White, 22.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Black or African American, 2.04% Two or More Races, 0.992% Asian, 0.602% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.268% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all N/A is .
Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 67 students (0.747%) did not report their race.
In N/A, N/A N/A women than men received degrees from Navarro College. The majority of degree recipients at Navarro College are N/A (N/A degrees awarded). There were N/A times more N/A graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, N/A (N/A degrees).
The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Navarro College is N/A, followed by N/A and N/A.
The most specialized majors across all degree types at Navarro College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Precision Production (56 degrees awarded), Liberal Arts & Humanities (422 degrees), and Agriculture (30 degrees).
Common Jobs by Major
Most Common Job
The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Navarro College are N/A.
The most specialized majors at Navarro College are Precision Production (56 degrees awarded), Liberal Arts & Humanities (422 degrees), Agriculture (30 degrees), Protective Services (114 degrees), and Personal & Culinary Services (79 degrees).
Highest Paying Jobs by Major
Highest Paying Job
The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Navarro College are Physicians, Surgeons, Dentists, Marketing managers, and Information security analysts
Common Industries by Major
Most Common Industry
The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Navarro College are N/A.
Majors Awarded
IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Navarro College.
N/A degree-majorss awarded
In N/A, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Navarro College was N/A with N/A degree-majorss awarded.
This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Navarro College according to their major.
Gender Breakdown for Common Majors
Degrees Awarded to Men
In N/A, N/A degrees were awarded to men at Navarro College, which is N/A times N/A the number of degrees awarded to females (N/A).
This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 majors at Navarro College by degrees awarded.
Most Common Male Majors
In N/A, N/A degrees were awarded to men at Navarro College in N/A, which is N/A times N/A the N/A female recipients with that same degree.
Most Common Female Majors
In N/A, N/A degrees were awarded to women at Navarro College in N/A, which is N/A times N/A the N/A male recipients with that same degree.
100% Completion Time
In 2017, 10% of students graduating from Navarro College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 18% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 21% within 200%.
The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the N/A Carnegie Classification group.
Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.
Graduation Rate by Race and Gender
Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.
Highest Graduation Rate (31%)
The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Navarro College is Female and Hispanic or Latino (31% graduation rate). Across all N/A, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (68.1%).
The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 0% of graduates (0 students) did not report their race.
Race & Ethnicity by Share
Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity
N/A degrees awarded
The most common race/ethnicity at Navarro College is N/A (N/A degrees awarded). There were N/A times N/A N/A recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, N/A (N/A degrees).
N/A% of degree recipients (N/A students) did not report their race.
Most Common Gender Demographic
The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Navarro College is N/A (N/A degrees awarded). There were N/A times N/A N/A recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, N/A (N/A degrees).
Navarro College has an endowment valued at nearly $4.16M, as of the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $102k (2.46%), compared to the N/A% average return ($N/A on $N/A) across all N/A.
In 2017, Navarro College had a total salary expenditure of $61.2M. Navarro College employs 82 Associate professors, 25 Professors, and 20 Assistant professors. Most academics at Navarro College are Female Associate professors (54), Male Associate professors(28), and Female Professors (13).
The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Navarro College are: Office and Administrative Support, with 98 employees, Management, with 49 employees, and Service with 48 employees.
2017 Endowment
growth from 2016
Navarro College has an endowment valued at about $4.16M, as of the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The endowment of Navarro College grew 4.36% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $N/A N/A than the median endowment of N/A according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.
This line chart shows how the endowment at Navarro College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.
The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the N/A Carnegie Classification grouping.
Government Grants and Contracts
$0 - Federal
$0 - State
$0 - Local
As of 2017, Navarro College received $0 in grants and contracts from the federal government, $0 from state grants and contracts, and $0 from local grants and contracts.
Salary Expenditure
2017 Salaries
decline from 2016
In 2017, Navarro College paid a median of $24.9M in salaries, which represents 40.7% of their overall expenditure ($61.2M) and a 3.34% decline from the previous year. This is compared to a 1.95% growth from 2015 and a 1.18% decline from 2014.
The median for similar N/A is N/A (N/A% of overall expenditures).
Instructional Salaries
In 2017, Navarro College paid a total of $7.96M to 132 employees working as instructors, which represents 31.9% of all salaries paid.
This is compared to a median of $4.65M (31.1%) for similar Associates Colleges.
Most Common Instructor
82 Employees
Most Common Non-Instructional Employee
In 2017, the most common positions for instructional staff at Navarro College were Associate professor with 82 employees; Professor with 25 employees; and Professor with 20 employees.
In 2017, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Navarro College were Office and Administrative Support with 98 employees; Management with 49 employees; and Service with 48 employees.
Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender
Most Common Demographic
Female Associate professor
Male Associate professor
Female Professor
In 2017, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Navarro College was Female Associate professor with 54 employees, Male Associate professor with 28 employees, and Female Professor with 13 employees.
This chart shows the gender split between each academic rank present at Navarro College.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Former Gov. Jon Huntsman campaigns at Mountain View Grand
by Edith Tucker
write the author
WHITEFIELD — "We're in a funk and dispirited," said former two-term Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, describing America to area voters at a campaign appearance at noon on Sunday. "We need to get out of that hole."
He and his wife, Mary Kaye Huntsman, had spent the previous night at the Grand Resort and met with members of the press in the morning before speaking before a standing-room-only crowd in the Dodge Parlor.
Huntsman said that the current state of affairs is "totally unacceptable" in a country that until recent years has always been optimistic. It is time, he said, to rally around to face and solve the big challenges and put divisiveness aside.
"Fifteen million fellow citizens don't have the dignity of having jobs," he said. "There's a deficit of trust; the American people no longer trust the empty rhetoric and unfulfilled promises coming from their elected leaders and institutions of power."
He pointed the finger of blame on a president who hasn't led and banks too big to fail. If the country doesn't get back on course, "we will shipwreck our next generation," Huntsman warned.
Correcting the country's competitive environment, led the former Ambassador to China's list of must-dos. "We have our work cut out for us," he said. "We must fix our dilapidated tax code." Huntsman criticized President Obama for not embracing the proposed Simpson-Bowles reform package. "We need to lower rates, broaden the base, and simplify the structure," he said, noting that under his leadership Utah had effectively adopted a flat tax.
On the corporate side, he called for phasing out "corporate welfare" totaling $90 billion. "We can no longer afford it," Huntsman said. And he also urged that corporations be allowed to bring some $1.2 trillion in overseas profits into the U.S.
"We're on the cusp of a manufacturing renaissance," he said. China, which has enjoyed 8,9, or 10 percent growth in the last 30 years, is facing inflation and rising costs in its southern economic zone, bringing growth down to between 5 and 7 percent a year. Unemployment will rise, Huntsman predicted, bringing associated pressure in China's large cities, accompanied by dismay in the country's Internet generation.
"Those with dollars to invest will be looking for an alternative, and this is an opportunity to win some industries back," he said, adding that U. S. health care costs and the regulatory environment will play a key role as global corporations make investment decisions. "Capital is a coward; it looks for safe havens," he said. "ObamaCare has been a disaster," he said.
Huntsman also called for moving towards energy independence, including natural gas, a fossil fuel, and other alternative fuels. Today's monopolistic fuel distribution system favors gasoline, he said.
It is time to get troops out of Afghanistan where much has been achieved: routed the Taliban, dismantled Al Qaeda, and facilitated democratic elections. "We've achieved mighty important objectives, and it's time to move on," Huntsman said.
The country needs to fix "its own broken core — our economy," he said. It needs to rethink the strategic importance of maintaining troops in Germany in the second decade of the 21st century.
"The Russians aren't coming any more," Huntsman added.
He also called for Congressional reform and term limits.
The nation has many assets: it operates under the rule of law and private property rights; still has the finest colleges and universities; is home to innovative, creative entrepreneurs, and has brave, courageous armed forces.
"I have confidence that I can do the job, and I want your vote, whether you are a Republican, Independent or Democrat," Huntsman said. "I'm running on my record, and not away from my record."
The 2012 election cycle is a potential opening — a window — for various needed reforms and changes, as long as a focused and prepared candidate wins the White House. Huntsman said, "Whoever wins will have two years to get something done."
Asked to comment on the proposed $1.1 billion Northern Pass project to bring HydroQuebec power on towers up to 130 feet in height into New Hampshire and onto the New England grid, Huntsman replied that he cannot stomach violations of private property rights. He suggested that the sponsoring utility companies to come up with the projected costs of putting the HVDC lines underground rework the numbers. "Your voice matters," Huntsman said.
Canada is our neighbor, however, he pointed out, making using power generated north of the border highly desirable. Environmental regulations have gone overboard, covering areas not related to health and safety but that nonetheless deterred growth by halting new power and manufacturing plants. Huntsman said, "There are tradeoffs; it's a balancing act."
Those on hand seemed impressed with the familiarity that Huntsman displayed on both domestic and foreign affairs. Dave Govatski said, "Gov Huntsman impressed me as an articulate, intelligent and positive leader. He stands out from many of the other candidates with sensible ideas on how to improve things like education, the economy and government. His moderate social views are a refreshing change. He is a fluent Mandarin Chinese speaker who was our Ambassador to China, and this successful experience impresses me. He does not sign pledges from special interest groups, and I also like that. He is a strong proponent of energy independence, starting with efficiency and conservation to alternative energy sources."
Gabbard stumps in Lancaster
Groveton Summer Feeding Program receives sizeable donation


text:
Kālacakra Calendar
The Kālacakra Calendar
A key component of the Kālacakra system is the calendar described in the first chapter of the Kālacakra Tantra. Here are published several versions of the calendar, calculated for different major world cities; there is also an archive (covering 600 years) of traditional Tibetan calendars and open source software to calculate both Kālacakra and Tibetan calendars.
Below, there follows an introduction to the calendar.
Kālacakra calendar:
Calendar description – a general description of the Kālacakra calendar.
Published calendar explanation – UPDATED: a description of the Kālacakra calendar using modern astronomy published here.
Symbolic details – some details about the information in the calendar.
Choose calendar – click here to view the list of calendars available.
Kālacakrāvatāra. – Sanskrit edition of the Kālacakrāvatāra of Abhayākaragupta.
Astrology associated with Kālacakra – notes on the astrology associated with the Kālacakra calendar.
Download open source calendar software – UPDATED: software to create the Kālacakra calendar (modern astronomical calculations).
Open source Kālacakra karaṇa calendar – calendar software created for teaching and research purposes (traditional calculations).
Example Kālacakra karaṇa calculations – a worked example of calculations for one day of the karaṇa calendar from the Kālacakra Tantra.
Early epochs – early examples of epoch data for the Kālacakra calendar.
Tibetan and Bhutanese calendars:
Traditional Tibetan calendar archive – an archive of traditional Tibetan calendars.
Open source Tibetan calendar software – UPDATED: software for traditional Tibetan calendars, siddhānta calculation systems.
Open source Tsurphu calendar software – open source software for Tshurphu tradition of Tibetan calendar.
Error correction system – a description of the calendar system of Zhonnu Pal.
A reformed Tibetan calendar – details of a recent attempt to reform the Tibetan calendar.
Open source Sherab Ling calendar software – UPDATED: software for the Tibetan calendar published by Sherab Ling monastery.
On intercalary months – intercalary months in the Kālacakra and Tibetan calendars.
Epoch data – epoch data used in the Kālacakra calendar and a variety of Tibetan calendars.
Bhutan calendar problem – discussion of a unique problem in the Bhutanese calendar.
Open source Bhutanese calendar software and calendar archive – software for the Bhutan calendar together with calendar archive.
One of the main topics to be discussed in the first chapter of the Kālacakra Tantra is the creation of a calendar. There are many misconceptions regarding this system. The Tibetans used it as the basis for their calendar, which theoretically started in 1027, but have mostly never followed the precise instructions as given in the original Kālacakra literature; as a result, the Tibetan calendar contains significant errors. There are therefore strong reasons for saying that the Tibetan calendar is in need of reform. (See Svante Janson for a description of the Tibetan calendar in modern mathematical notation; also see this page for software and source code to calculate traditional Tibetan calendars.)
So, the main Kālacakra calendar presented here is not a Tibetan calendar as can be purchased nowadays in Lhasa or Kathmandu, but is based as closely as possible on the instructions given in the Kālacakra literature, with the exception, of course, that we need not use all of their methods, and can instead use modern technology and astronomical calculations where appropriate.
However, there is one calendar that was developed in Tibet in the 15th century in the system known as the "Correction of Error" ('khrul sel) that closely followed the instructions in the original Kālacakra literature. If that calendar had been developed further and then maintained by means of regular adjustment on the basis of observation, it would be essentially the same as the calendar presented here (it would also, of course, also include Tibetan/Chinese symbolic information).
Another misconception – very common in the west – is that the Tibetan, and therefore the Kālacakra, calendar is based on a sidereal, rather than a tropical zodiac. Exactly the reverse is the case.
Ayanāṃśa. Some Indian systems describe the difference between the beginning of the sidereal and tropical zodiacs by this term, ayanāṃśa. As the First Point of Aries of the tropical zodiac is moving slowly backwards through the sidereal zodiacal constellations (the process known as precession), its value (currently around 22°-24°) is constantly increasing. One sometimes reads that the Tibetan system uses an ayanāṃśa, and even that Tibetan almanacs print its value (Tibetan Astrology, Cornu, p.129). But such statements are pure fiction – the concept does not exist in the Tibetan system, and Tibetan calendars publish no such information or anything that could be misinterpreted as such.
It is certainly the case that the First Point of Aries in the Tibetan way of measuring longitude is offset from that in a proper tropical zodiac, but this is due to the belief that the solstice is observed earlier in Tibet than in India. This offset (1;43,30 in the Phugpa tradition) does not slowly increase with time – other than as a result of errors in the calculation – and has remained fixed for nearly 600 years. The fact that this seasonal offset has a value similar to the current ayanāṃśa is simply coincidence. The offset was fixed at a time when the ayanāṃśa was about 2⁄3 its present value.
The difference between these two zodiacs is as follows. In both cases, the zodiac is a division of the ecliptic into twelve equal parts called signs, or zodiac signs. These are therefore all 30° in size. The ecliptic is the path the Sun follows through the sky during the year, and the position of the Sun, and also of the Moon or planets, at any one time is given as a measure of angular distance from a starting point in the ecliptic. This distance is called longitude.
The zodiac begins with the sign of Aries, and the point right at the beginning of Aries is called the First Point of Aries. In the west, longitude is measured in terms of degrees, or of a combination of signs and degrees. So, if the Sun is said to be at a point 10° within the sign of Gemini, as Gemini is the third zodiac sign, the Sun is therefore 70° from the First Point of Aries.
The difference between the two types of zodiac lies in the definition of the position of the First Point of Aries. In the tropical zodiac, the First Point of Aries is defined as the position of the Sun at the vernal equinox – at this point the plane of the Earth's equator and the ecliptic cross, and when the Sun is in that position in the Spring, day and night are of equal length. The tropical zodiac is the one most commonly in use.
Due to the phenomenon known as the precession of the equinoxes, the tropical First Point of Aries is slowly moving against the background of the stars – the movement is at a rate of approximately 50 seconds of arc each year.
In a sidereal zodiac, the First Point of Aries does not move relative to the stars, but is a point within the fixed stars. It's position varies with different traditions, but it is in the region bordering the constellations of Pisces and Aries. The uncertainty regarding the definition of the sidereal First Point of Aries is not the only problem with a sidereal zodiac. Due to precession, the ecliptic moves relative to the stars, and the point of the vernal equinox on the ecliptic moves away from this point in the stars. So, if the sidereal First Point of Aries is defined for some hundreds of years ago, the Sun no longer actually crosses that same point at the time of the equinox, and as the years pass, moves further away each time it passes.
Approximately 1,500 years ago, these two zodiacs coincided, but due to the precession of the equinoxes, the tropical First Point of Aries is slowly moving against the fixed stars, and has by now drifted to a point approximately on the border between the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces.
New Year in the Kālacakra calendar takes place in spring, and as the system is based on a tropical zodiac, it will always occur in spring. However, if the calendar were instead based on a sidereal zodiac, New Year would slowly drift later through the seasons.
It is surprising that so many westerners believe the Kālacakra and Tibetan calendars to be based on a sidereal zodiac, because the Kālacakra Tantra commentary, the Vimalaprabhā, leaves no room for any such view, and makes the point very strongly.
Most Indian systems of astrology and calendars are in fact based on sidereal zodiacs, and the Vimalaprabhā explicitly criticises such systems for not understanding the true position of the Sun. It describes how the calendar needs to be adjusted regularly by means of direct observation in order to correct the solar position.
It states that without a correct value for the longitude of the Sun, then the longitude of the moon will be wrong, and so will those of the other planets. With all these wrong, any prognostications made will also be wrong. It states that such methods are meaningless.
Text book drawing of a Tibetan gnomon
The observation that it says is needed is to time the occurrence of the winter solstice, by means of determining with a gnomon (thur shing) the longest midday shadow of the Sun. Once that has been determined, then the Sun's longitude has to be corrected for that time to equal 0° Capricorn. 0° Capricorn is the exact position of the Sun at winter solstice in a tropical zodiac, and the Vimalaprabhā calls this the primary definition (rtsa ba'i nges pa, mūladhruvaka) for it's calendar. The point could hardly be made more clearly.
(The Vimalaprabhā actually gives the corrected longitude as 20;15,0, which is a measurement in a system that divides the zodiac into 27 equal bands, each of which are further subdivided into 60 parts. A simple calculation will show that this equals 0° Capricorn.)
The methods used by most Indian systems rely on complex calculation systems that were described in textbooks (siddhānta), and expected to be accurate over long periods of time. Clearly, the Kālacakra system is opposed to this method, because over long periods of time small errors will accumulate and become significant. The methods described by the Kālacakra system would have seemed quite radical in 10th century India, and looked at in this way, the Kālacakra system has quite a reforming spirit to it.
Perhaps these issues were not well understood in Tibet. As most Tibetans have not adjusted their calendars according to the methods described in the Kālacakra literature, their main calendar now uses a position of the Sun which differs from that in a tropical zodiac by about 36° – more than a whole sign of the zodiac. Their solar position is also not consistent with a sidereal zodiac, and is simply wrong – it is not a matter of sidereal or tropical. The intention was to base it on the Kālacakra system and its tropical zodiac, but the methods needed were either not understood or were for some reason rejected.
The irony of course is that the Tibetans, who have otherwise preserved the Kālacakra system so well, when deriving their calendars have fallen victim to just those errors that the Kālacakra so strongly criticises.
E. Henning.
Last updated 27 July 2013.


text:
Q: minutia points extraction using crossing number in matlab I am working on minutiae points (ending and bifurcation) extraction in fingerprint recognition for which I am using Crossing number. I have applied the following code in Matlab. In this code, I am applying color codes to ending and bifurcation so that we can see these points easily in the binary image.
Here CN is finding crossing number. I am using a 3*3 image window and finding crossing number only for the patch which has center value 1 in 3*3 image patch.
But I have found that it extracts false ending points. Also all bifurcation cannot be detected using this code. Can someone please suggest any changes or help me to find out the fault in the code.
Matlab Code:-
binary_image=im2bw(imread('input_1.tif'));
%% Skeleton
skel_image=~bwmorph(binary_image,'skel',Inf);
% figure;imtool(skel_image);title('Skeleton Image');

inv_skel_image = 1-skel_image;
figure;imtool(inv_skel_image);title('Inverse Skeleton Image');

test_inv_img = inv_skel_image;

%% crossing number
[r, c]=size(test_inv_img);

CN_Count = zeros(r,c);
CI = zeros(r, c, 3);
e = 1;
CN_4 = 0;
for i=2:r-1
    for j=2:c-1

        Sub_Image = test_inv_img(i-1:i+1,j-1:j+1);

        if(Sub_Image(2,2) == 1)
            CN_Count(i,j) = sum(Sub_Image(:));
            CN = CN_Count(i,j);
            if CN == 1  % Isolated
                CI(i, j, 1) = 255; % white
                CI(i, j, 2) = 255;
                CI(i, j, 3) = 255;
            end
            if CN == 2  % Ending
                % find co-ordinates of ending
                Ending(e,1) = i;
                Ending(e,2) = j;
                e = e+1;
                CI(i, j, 2) = 255; % GREEN
            end
            if CN == 3  % Continue
                CI(i, j, 3) = 255; % BLUE

            end
            if CN == 4 % Bifurcation
                if((Sub_Image(2,1)==1) && (Sub_Image(1,3)==1) && (Sub_Image(3,3)==1))
                    CI(i, j, 1) = 255; %RED
                elseif((Sub_Image(1,2)==1) && (Sub_Image(3,1)==1) && (Sub_Image(3,3)==1))

                    CI(i, j, 1) = 255; %RED
                elseif((Sub_Image(1,1)==1) && (Sub_Image(1,3)==1) && (Sub_Image(2,3)==1))
                    CI(i, j, 1) = 255; %RED
                elseif((Sub_Image(1,1)==1) && (Sub_Image(1,3)==1) && (Sub_Image(3,2)==1))
                    CI(i, j, 1) = 255; %RED
                else
                    CN_4 = CN_4 + 1;
                end
            end

            if CN == 5 % CROSSING
                CI(i, j, 1) = 255; %pink
                CI(i, j, 2) = 255;
                CI(i, j, 3) = 0;
            end

        end
    end
end
imtool(CI, []);

%% to find coordinates using color codes
% All 3 planes values
R_Plane=CI(:,:,1);
G_Plane=CI(:,:,2);
B_Plane=CI(:,:,3);

% [j1,j2]=find(Mask_End);

% find co-ordinates of Ending using color codes
Mask_End = (R_Plane==0) & (G_Plane==255) & (B_Plane==0);
[Ending1(:,1),Ending1(:,2)]=find(Mask_End);

% find co-ordinates of Bifurcation using color codes
Mask_Bif = (R_Plane==255) & (G_Plane==0) & (B_Plane==0);
[Bif1(:,1),Bif1(:,2)]=find(Mask_Bif);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Some Ramblings - Peepli [live]
Quote-Unquote is probably the print media equivalent of satirizing news content, more than sarcastic write-backs or mocking op-eds. Quote-Unquote keyword/phrase or a key segment of a sound bite, the statement automatically acquires the status of a satire, without explicitly saying so. For example, the police "questioned" the suspect and extracted a "confession" out of him, pinning him to a spate of unsolved crimes in the metro area. Like the childhood exercise in grammar of underlining the various parts of speech, the act of quoting and unquoting word/phrase skews the meaning rendering it in a wholly different light. It is an excellent innovation by some intelligent scribe, calling the reader to read between the lines and the quotes, and glean more than what meets the eye. One has to feel sorry for the print folks for settling on cryptic ways of conveying what's actually on their mind. On the other hand, what is the quote-unquote equivalent for electronic media? Luckily, it needn't resort to such mysterious ways. All it has to do is turn its lens on what is perceived as news nowadays and the satirizing exercise starts instantly. Whoever said 'a picture is worth thousand words' probably didn't have satire in his mind, but the statement rings true in the present day news creation business. Daily news nowadays does not need any punchlines to go along with the ridiculousness. The news itself is a setup and the punchline rolled in one. Case in point - the hot button issue in the current parliamentary session concerning the seemingly substandard wages of the members of Parliament. What more mockery can be done of people who voluntarily chose "public service" (yes, with the quote-unquote) and yet complain that they aren't getting paid enough. Any punchline to that statement in an exercise in extraneousness. All that is needed is a lens focused on the proceedings and the drama dripping in disbelief unfolds right in front of the eyes.
In India, life is cheap, it is living that is dear, and add to that, death comes with a price. Probably the first documented case of suicide pacts started in Tamil Nadu in the 80s. A Chief Minister dies, and hundreds take his lead to the grave, self-immolating, hanging themselves, and the convenient of all, getting cardiac-arrested. And the governement sizes up the 'sacrifice' by promptly announcing an 'ex-gratia' and before anyone even realized, a new form of gainful earning was born. And thanks to the politicians, the news cycle is in no dearth of their antics - arrested, defeated, jailed, impeached, insulted, alleged, caught, and the mother of all, died - and there always is a loyal legion of lunatics, offering up their lives to their leaders, at the drop of the hat for the want of the dime. How about the recent news that a boy, all of 13, committed suicide disappointed about the lack of the progress on the bifurcation of his state? No sooner the news, than the clamor for ex-gratia and the demand for the visit from the titular heads of the state for consoling the bereaved. Amidst all this, no one even dares to investigate the true reasons behind those suicides, lest they be attacked for insensitivity. While this drama unfolds on one side unabated, on the other side lie the genuine cases of farmers taking their lives, burdened by unrelenting mountain of debt. This extreme step, being imitated by all and sundry for frivolous reasons all for the want of the haloed 'ex-gratia', became the defacto for the desperate, bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase 'dying rich' irrespective of for what he died. And gallows humor it is, when a person dies (of natural causes) on the same day as an important political event, and his family couldn't be more elated.
'Peepli [Live]' is a scathing satire on the rampant suicide culture and on the electronic media, whose voracious appetite for ANY news has forced it to discard its fig leaf on decency, standards, and the most important of all, responsibility. And the absolute brilliance of the script is the satire is completely devoid of the usual snide tone and mocking remarks. It simply presents as is, the events surrounding a farmer trying to commit suicide and the media trying to make a story out of it, and the results couldn't be more explosive - maddeningly funny and caustically biting - the two important ingredients of any satire. To aid the script comes the fact that electronic media has become a joke unto itself (with print media closing on its heels). It is amazing to find the media implode under its coverage of sensationalism, exaggeration and desperation, all in the name of clocking out its round the hour responsibilities, all within a span of less than a decade when it first took its baby steps towards 24X7 coverage. Add to that, Indians are a strange lot. Utterly cynical and deeply distrusting in matters of real life, having dealt with generations of selfish and corrupt politicians, their dogged dedication towards supporting and promoting tabloid television that focuses exclusively on the seedier sides of human shades, completely belies any logic. Probably it is the collective frustration against the system and its constituents that expresses itself, quite sadistically, in the patronage of anything that concentrates solely on the stripping of human dignity and respect. And the electronic media, in that regard, aims to oblige and please.
'Peepli [Live]' is a funny film without intentionally so. There aren't any jokes, per se, in the same vein, as there are no real actors, save a couple. In fact, it would have played out just as brilliantly as a documentary, as that was exactly what the movie set out to accomplish - document the jaw-dropping unbelievability that surrounds an every-day event caught under the constant stare of the media glare. And it implicates every talking head, while at it - the administration, the bureaucracy (with the hilarious line 'We are still waiting for the High Court directive' played to maximum effect), the media, the anchors, and yes, even the farmer. There are no sacred cows here, nor are there any scape goats. Everyone is in the game for his own ends, and no one motive is worse than the other. The farmer 'cries' for help, the media is 'aghast' at his plight, the bureaucracy 'springs' into action, the administration 'does all it can', the opposition 'howls and riles' at the injustice, and the public on the other side of the idiot box 'expresses serious concern'. As the story and days wear on, a new news story of celebrities caught in a drug racket breaks. The police department 'exposes' the drug culture, the film fraternity is 'shocked', the public is 'up in arms' against their idols....and the world turns on...in quotes and unquotes.


text:
See https://github.com/breedhub/interconnect

# Installation

## PostgreSQL and Redis

Install PostgreSQL 9.4+. Debian example:

```
# apt-get install postgresql postgresql-client
```

Install Redis 3.0+. Debian example:

Jessie:

```
# wget https://www.dotdeb.org/dotdeb.gpg
# apt-key add dotdeb.gpg
# echo "deb http://packages.dotdeb.org jessie all" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
# apt-get update
```

Now Jessie and Stretch:

```
# apt-get install redis-server
```

## Install bhit

Debian:

```
# curl -s http://tracker.breedhub.net/bhit/install.sh | sh -s
```

Manually:

* Install Node 8 and system build tools
* Run **npm install -g bhit --unsafe-perm**

## Prepare and start

Replace 1.2.3.4 with your IP address. You can also any hostname here. The tracker
will be known to daemons by this address or name.

```
# cd /
# bhitctl install 1.2.3.4
# sudo -u postgres bhitctl create-db
# bhitctl migrate-db
# systemctl enable bhit
# systemctl start bhit
```

## Private tracker

You can limit who can use your tracker by whitelisting their emails:

```
[tracker]
allow_users[] = user1@example.com
allow_users[] = user2@example.com
allow_users[] = user3@example.com
```

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The M18 Colored Smoke Grenade is a US Army grenade used as a ground-to-ground or ground-to-air signaling device, a target or landing zone marking device, or a screening device for unit maneuvering. The M18 replaced the World War II M16 which did not burn as long as vividly. It is not designated the "AN-M18" but "M18." It can be seen repeatedly in the film Apocalypse Now (1979). It was discovered in Vietnam that the green smoke drove away swarming bees.
Color/Markings: Olive drab body with a light gray band and markings, the top painted red, green, yellow, or violet to indicate the smoke color and the color marked on the side. In World War II the M18 had a light gray body with a yellow band and markings and the top in the smoke color.
Body: Body: Sheet steel cylinder with four emission holes at the top and one at the bottom to allow smoke release when the grenade is ignited.
Fuze Assembly: M201A1 Pull-ring Igniter. A "mouse trap" type igniting fuze with a 1.2 to 2.0 second delay. Ignition ignites the filler and expels it from the grenade body.
Filler: 11.5 ounces of a colored smoke mixture. Available in red, green, yellow, or violet.
Range: Can be thrown 35 meters by an average soldier.
Duration: The grenade produces a cloud of colored smoke for 50 to 90 seconds (0.85-1.5 minutes).


Daytime Phone Number REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter a phone number.
Evening Phone Number REQUIRED Please fill out this field. Please enter a phone number.
Retreat Date REQUIRED (Select One) April 13 Day of Recollection Msgr. Roger Statnick April 26-28 Lay Carmelites May 17-19 Women Emmaus June 1-8 Silent Ignation Retreat July 12-18 Six Day Silent Msgr. Roger Statnick July 12-19 Encounter with Silence Sept 6-8 Women & Men Rev. Boniface Hicks OSB Sept 14 Legion of Mary Day of Recollection Sept 27-29 Emmaus Retreat for Women Oct. 25-27 Legion of Mary Retreat Please fill out this field.


I often lament how infrequent it is that student work is actually published as I did in these two posts.
- Just Say Yes to Publishing! Exposing The Man Behind the Curtain If He's Still Saying No.
- 21st Century Educators Don't Say, "Hand It In." They say, "Publish It!
During a recent outreach to my personal learning network about this issue Susan Ettenheim shed some light on the issue which is close to her heart. Together with Paul Allison, Susan is involved in a site called Youth Voices (a social network where students and teachers work together to create student-to-student conversations and collaborations). She shared this insightful idea which she and Paul had been discussing.
A lot of student writing is of little interest to anyone beyond the teacher.
So, I reflected about my own experience as a writer and teacher of writing and I realized just how on target this insight was. Upon reflection I remember clearly the day I accidentally got extremely reluctant writers enthusiastic about writing. It was 1997 and I was a first year teacher working as a library media specialist. I loved my work. I got to see students all day and help them learn and explore using books, videos, and a lab full of computers I had donated from a company who was upgrading their technology.
On this day Dr. H's class came to see me. This was a special education class of middle school students in Harlem with below average IQs. Writing was not high on their favorite activities list, yet on this day I had students that were begging for, no, demanding writing mini lessons, engaging in unprovoked peer review, turning to dictionaries and synonym finders, looking up grammar rules, etc. In fact, I just couldn't pull them away from their writing. Not only that, once I unlocked the key to my new writing enthusiasts, I had them begging to come see me to do more writing all year long...even during lunch, before school, and after school.
So, what got EVERY student so excited about writing?
I helped my students set up email accounts. A revolutionary concept back in 1997 and one that is still elusive in some schools today. I told the students what their email addresses would be and walked them through setting up the accounts with their own passwords. The accounts followed the same format so they easily knew one another's email address. I had tossed names in a hat to get things started and the students had to write to the person whose name they drew sharing something they either admire about that person or have learned from that person. The person they wrote to should respond in kind.
The next thing I knew I had flying fingers in a silent classroom except for the excited squeal as one student or another was informed, "You've got mail." All the kids were writing to each other and excited as heck when they got mail. They cared what they wrote and wanted it to sound good. Some wrote emails to family members who didn't live with them and sometimes did not have consistent mailing addresses. Students were able to help their families set up email so they could stay in touch and they knew places in all communities (i.e. the library) where they could access the internet. Sometimes students just wrote to their parents about something that happened n school that day. Students were excited to connect with each other as well as their families like never before and the momentum never died. The rules of written communication followed that of spoken communication and students knew there were consequences for inappropriate behavior. The students didn't want this privilege taken away and we didn't have a single issue of misuse.
I then remembered another really popular writing activity. I had a 5th grade class that had a lot of complaints about the school. I invited the students to write a letter that would go to the school principal and district leaders. I wish I had saved this! They all wrote the improvements they'd like to see and submitted those. These became bullets in the letter and as a class we came up with an introduction and conclusion. The letter was sent and a follow up presentation was scheduled to share the student's proposed ideas.
Both of these writing activities obviously have something in common.
The desire to write comes from the student, not the teacher.
How much of the writing kids do in school has these qualities?
Not every student will want to engage in all of the above types of writing, but what if instead of an artificial curriculum map filled old-style writing that wasn't interactive, we did something different. What if instead we let authentic purpose and passion drive our writing curriculum. What if we let students help decide the kind of writing that is important to them? What if we let students write for reasons they'd need to write in the real world.
While these suggestions might seem to apply to secondary school students only, there is application for younger students as well. In fact my fourth and fifth graders were some of my most avid emailers back in 1997.
However, it seems it may be more difficult to develop authentic writing experiences for younger students, but there certainly are ways. I think back to when I started my blog. Every post had an audience of at least one person in my mind and that was okay. Instead of writing something and emailing it to that person, I wrote something and sent them the link to my blog. Every student has a built in audience beyond the teacher who genuinely cares about what they have to say and that is their friends and family. What if we shifted the idea of teacher as contrived audience and always asked students to think of a real person(s) to think of before they wrote and their writing would be a gift to that person(s). In some cases this audience might also serve as a peer reviewer and someone, other than the teacher, to talk about their writing to. Imagine students talking to their parents, grandparents, siblings, etc. about a piece they're writing for them. There is a real person who cares. This person in essence also becomes the teacher's helper and perhaps even an editor for the student. If this person is family, you're also working to build the home/school connection.
Now, what about the use of social media with young ones? Not possible, right? Well not really. Early childhood students are closely connected to one of the largest group users of social media. Their parents. In fact, this is exactly why first grade teacher Erin Schoening decided to start using Facebook with her first grade students and their families. She has had tremendous success using this platform as a communication tool with students assigned daily to update an authentic audience of families as to what is going on in their class. Ms Schoening and students parents were constant writing guides in helping to share a well-written message to the classes audience.
The key to unlocking writing passion is simple. We must shift our thinking and move from viewing students as people who we are teaching to learn to write and instead move to regarding students as real writers who we are supporting in their craft.
So how will you be doing this with your students this year?
Thanks for the wonderful post! Your information speaks directly to a workshop on digital writing workshop that I am teaching this year and will be sure to use it! THANKS!
@Mrs. Fleming, thank you so much for sharing that you'll use this post. Interestingly enough this post was written as a result of a writing workshop where we were discussing the issue of authentic publishing and why it is so difficult.
I agree with giving students a purpose to write that is such a part of their daily lives,ie, using digital tools. My ESL students had many opportunities last year to become authors in the digital world. Their work was read by their peers, their families and their relatives in their home countries. That gives them a very real purpose for writing and publishing!
Please join us in responding to the voices from the gulf and publishing with us at voicesonthegulf.net too!
Boil it all down: when it comes to writing (and most other subjects), replace the word "Teacher" with "Coach."
Hi! I'm a freshman at a prestigious science-focused school in New York City. I absolutely love writing with a passion, but I'm not sure others do. Our school does have a literary magazine, but it's getting less and less students and I know it will eventually fade away.
How do you think I can get my peers excited about writing again? What can I do to get the school excited about our literary magazine?
Is Teaching a "Class" a Big Mistake?
IWB, I Will Hunt You Down and Destroy You!!
Who Owns the Learning and Assessment?
Want to be a great teacher? Don't go to PD.


text:
L'AS Pirae est un club de football polynésien basé à Pirae, au nord-ouest de Tahiti. Le club a remporté onze Championnats de Polynésie française et neuf Coupes de Polynésie française. Il a disputé à deux reprises la Ligue des champions de l'OFC : en 2005, le club a atteint les demi-finales, puis la finale contre Auckland City FC, en 2006.

Il participe aussi régulièrement à la Coupe de France de Football.

De grands joueurs sont issus de ce club : Reynald Temarii, président de la Confédération du football d'Océanie de 2004 à 2010, et Marama Vahirua y a joué avant de se rendre à Nantes.

Le 31 décembre 2021, la FIFA officialise la participation de l'AS Pirae à la Coupe du Monde des clubs de la FIFA 2021 (jouée en 2022 en raison de la Pandémie de COVID-19) en raison du forfait des clubs Néo-Zélandais et Néo-Calédoniens. Une première pour un club Tahitien. Néanmoins, l'AS Pirae s'incline sur le score de 4 à 1 face à Al Jazira (UAE).

Palmarès

Coupe du Monde des clubs de la FIFA :
Participation : 2021

Ligue des champions de l'OFC :
Finaliste : 2006

Championnats de Polynésie française (11) :
Champion : 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2014, 2020, 2021 et 2022

Coupes de Polynésie française (9) :
Vainqueur : 1978, 1980, 1984, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2005 et 2015

10 participations à la Coupes de France :
 1990 à Nîmes 0-3
 1991 contre Avignon à Pater 0-4
 1993 contre Nancy à Pater 0-1
 1994 contre Epinal à Saint-Leu 0-2
 1995 contre Poitiers à Paea 2-6
 1997 contre Saint-Priest après prolongations 2-3
 1998 contre CFCO Ajaccio à Saint-Denis 0-3
 1999 contre Vannes à Pater 0-2
 2000 à Sète 3-5
 2002 à Agde après prolongations 1-3
 2015 contre Pontivy après prolongations 5-6

Coupes des TOM (1) :
 2001 contre JS Baco à Nouméa (victoire)
 2003 contre Magenta à Nouméa (défaite)

Coupes des DOM TOM (1) :
 contre le Club Franciscain de la Martinique 1-0 (Naea Bennett)

Notes et références

Liens externes

Club de football en Polynésie française

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan is meant to put into practice the National Ocean Policy, established by President Barack Obama in 2010. It will involve some 27 federal agencies, departments and offices, the White House Council on Environmental Quality said a statement.
"Without creating any new regulations or authorities, the plan will ensure the many federal agencies involved in ocean management work together to reduce duplication and red tape and use taxpayer dollars more efficiently," the council said.
"Why are we doing this if it has not been requested by the stakeholder?" Flores told Reuters.
But California Representative Lois Capps, a Democrat, praised the plan as a "coordinated, national approach."


text:
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Conservative Book Club » Author Interviews » The War on Marriage (Author Interview with Dr. Paul Kengor)
The War on Marriage (Author Interview with Dr. Paul Kengor)
Congratulations Dr. Paul Kengor on the release of your new book, Takedown: From Communists to Progressives, How the Left Has Sabotaged Family and Marriage! Can you give us an overview of the book?
Well, as you can see, I avoid provocative topics. Really though, in all seriousness, I wrote this book because of my unique background—decades of researching, studying, writing, and lecturing on ideologies and especially radical ideologies like communism, socialism, and secular progressivism. I know from that background how communists, socialist utopians, and (more recently) secular "progressives" have long sought to reshape, redefine, and effectively take down natural-traditional-biblical family and marriage. This has been a long march ongoing for about two centuries. They've long looked to alter the so-called "nuclear family."
I know that ideological past. I know how it fits into the present. Most people don't, including those today who are shockingly and unhesitatingly willing to redefine the historic Western/Judeo-Christian conception of male-female marriage. The vast majority of those who are willing to do that have no idea of the deeper, darker ideological-historical forces long at work in this wider movement. They are signing on to something that, whether they know it or not, have important links to much older and more sinister attempts by the far left to redefine family and marriage.
And so, my book details that longer effort. It goes through characters ranging from Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Robert Owen, and Charles Fourier to the likes of Margaret Sanger, Wilhelm Reich, Herbert Marcuse, Betty Friedan, Kate Millett, the Bolsheviks, the Frankfurt School of cultural Marxists, the New Left, and assorted '60s radicals from Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn to Mark Rudd and Tom Hayden, just for starters.
What three takeaways would you like readers to leave with after reading your book?
First, for two centuries, the far left—from communists to socialists—have sought to takedown the natural-traditional-Biblical understanding of family and marriage. Marx and Engels in The Communist Manifesto candidly spoke of the "abolition of the family," which, even then, in 1848, they could rightly describe as "an infamous proposal of the communists." These two men did not like marriage and family. "Blessed is he who has no family," Marx wrote to Engels, who agreed wholeheartedly, refusing marriage to his many suffering mistresses.
Second, for the first time ever, the far left has finally found a vehicle to enable this long-sought takedown of family and marriage: gay marriage. This 21st-century novelty is utterly without precedent in the ancient sweep of human history. Though communists, socialists, and even early progressives could have never conceived the idea of same-sex marriage, they are now firmly on-board for this fundamental transformation of marriage and family. Amazingly, groups like Communist Party USA, its flagship publication People's World, and even Fidel Castro's Cuba—once militantly anti-gay—now support gay marriage.
Third, the American mainstream and even the gay community itself have no idea that their support of same-sex marriage actually enables the far left to achieve the takedown of marriage it has long desired. Most chillingly, they have no idea that their support of gay marriage also allows the far left to attack religion—its long-reviled foe—in a way it never thought possible with such wide public acceptance. They are oblivious to the older, deeper forces at work.
What is your opinion of the recent Supreme Court case involving gay marriage?
I'm not surprised. It was inevitable. This country and culture was destined to redefine marriage, period. America as we once knew it is long gone. It's now comprised of people who feel they can arrogate unto themselves the right to redefine whatever they want. If you tell a modern American that her dog is a dog but she wants it to be a cat, then damn it, it's a cat. Since January 22, 1973, we've rendered unto ourselves the right to redefine life itself. It's up to each and every woman in America to decide whether the child in her womb is a baby or not.
I think of Justice Anthony Kennedy's woeful proclamation in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), affirming abortion as a "constitutional right" in all 50 states: "At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life."
Chew that one over. If Anthony Kennedy interprets liberty to mean that every American possesses his or her own right to define existence, meaning, the universe, and life itself, then why not marriage? For a country of people than can redefine life itself, and come up with their own meaning of meaning, redefining marriage is small potatoes. Really, this country and culture is toast. America, RIP.
What the court's decision also means is a long, dark, protracted battle for religious believers who dare invoke their faith against a newly invented constitutional "right" to gay marriage. They are in big trouble. With this decision, the religious persecution will now begin full throttle. It's amazing that these five justices have done this even after several years of watching what liberals—in the name of "tolerance," of course—will do to those who dare to disagree with them on redefining marriage. This stunning new constitutional invention of "gay marriage" will be an extraordinary wrecking ball for the secular left to smash religious people who disagree with them.
A long period of persecution against religious Americans was launched on June 26, 2015.
Some of our readers may disagree with your view on marriage. What would you say to those who believe that same-sex marriage is an issue about equality, or a civil right itself?
Well, consider all of my earlier points. But I'll add some more.
This requires a much longer answer on so many levels, but the absolutely fundamental starting point must be this: We have to understand and remember that two men or two women simply can't form a "marriage." The very notion of gay "marriage" starts from a completely flawed premise. Marriage has always been a male-female bond. That's simply what it means. A tree is a tree, a dog is a dog, a cat is a cat, the moon is the moon, and marriage is marriage.
When we as conservatives start acquiescing to a totally relativistic culture's redefinition of the most fundamental things, then we're little different from progressives, and we've certainly ceased to be true conservatives. A progressive can come up with a new definition, a new meaning, and a new right over a grande skim latte at Starbucks one morning. That's what progressives do; they have no absolutes, no standards. The only thing that progressives know, and do, is change. They can come up with a totally new definition of marriage tomorrow, next week, next month, or next decade. And they will do so, moving beyond same-sex marriage as well.
In fact, in my book, read closely my section where I discuss the "progressive" group "Beyond Marriage." They've been ready for nearly 10 years to use same-sex marriage to move the culture and legal system beyond traditional marriage entirely.
This is a cultural revolution, folks. If you don't understand that, then you're quite ignorant and need to get up to speed really, really quick. The typical gay-marriage supporter has no understanding of how breaking this model, this male-female mold, will open the floodgates and truly change everything. This will undoubtedly create a revolutionary fissure in marriage and family.
One added thought on this: As for conservatives who support gay marriage, all I can say is that supporting gay marriage is absolutely and utterly incompatible with the basic tenets of conservatism. Click here for a recent piece I did on this. Conservatives conserve and preserve the time-tested values and ideals that we know have been good for people, for cultures, for societies. We don't seek to fundamentally transform human nature and human relations through brand new revolutionary ideas that have never been done before. That's what the other side does.
If you could advise any of the 2016 GOP presidential candidates, how would you advise them to approach the topic of marriage?
Though the Supreme Court ruling is bad for America, it's actually politically good for the 2016 Republican presidential candidates. It will allow them to stick to something politically more popular with the electorate: protecting religious freedom from the gay-marriage onslaught.
Though Americans are split on or slightly favor gay marriage, most do not support (not yet anyway) the state forcing religious believers to bake cakes or photograph or provide flowers or whatever for a gay-wedding service that violates their religious beliefs. The candidates can now focus on that aspect of the gay-marriage debate. The supremes have spoken: gay marriage is a "constitutional right" in America now. The candidates can't do much about that, but they can strive to protect religious liberty.
Also, I would advise the candidates to generally appeal to their faith on this issue. Most of the candidates, if not all, are religious, and (I believe) Christians. As Christians, it would be incredibly arrogant of us and downright heretical and blasphemous to render unto ourselves the right to redefine something that heretofore has been the province of the laws of nature and nature's God. The male-female unitive, procreative, and marital bond is as old as Genesis and was reaffirmed by Christ himself in the first book of the New Testament, where Christ told his followers that humans cannot tear asunder what God ordained.
As Christians, we have no right to redefine marriage.
What books or conservative-themed books, influenced your political philosophy?
That would be a long list, but I'm often reminded in this marriage debate of a remark by Whittaker Chambers in his classic Witness, which bears very much on the focus and argument of my book, Takedown. Witness was a favorite book of Ronald Reagan as well. Reagan and Chambers both often noted that communists (read: radical leftists) were their own gods. Whittaker Chambers noted precisely this, as would Reagan in his March 1983 Evil Empire speech, where Reagan quoted Chambers on the point. Chambers declared that Marxism-Leninism is actually the world's second oldest faith, first proclaimed in the Garden of Eden with the words of temptation, "Ye shall be as gods."
Today's liberals/progressives, like their leftist forebears, have taken it upon themselves to reinvent our very order in their own image. They are their own determinants of truth, of morality, of what is right and wrong. They render under themselves the right to determine everything from what is marriage to what is life. Again, these things used to be the province of nature and nature's God. And when someone disagrees with liberals' attempts to remake these sacred institutions in their own image, they are attacked with hellfire and brimstone.
And here is where modern liberals, secular progressives, and old socialists and communists all come together and share common ground. They all unite, across the generations and centuries, in a joint willingness to permanently alter the historic Western/Judeo-Christian understanding of male-female matrimony. They reject the idea of a single absolute arbiter. They share the fatal conceit first expressed in the Garden of Eden: Ye shall be as gods.
Tags: Paul Kengor, Takedown, The War on Marriage
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