This week we will be checking out a marine reptile that has been able to tell us a LOT about how it lived and what it looked like when alive. Enter Platecarpus tympaniticus!
Platecarpus was a mosasaur, a kind of prehistoric lizard that was adapted to a life in the ocean, that lived during the Cretaceous period, between 84 and 81 million years ago. It swam in shallow oceans over what is now North America, parts of Europe, and also northern Africa. At fourteen feet from snout to tail, it was large for a lizard by today's standards (biggest living example is the Komodo Dragon at ten feet) but it was tiny compared to other known species of mosasaur, some of which grew to be gigantic. The genus name, Platecarpus, translates to "Flat Wrist" in reference to the anatomy of its limbs, which were flat paddles. Like all known mosasaurs, Platecarpus was a meat-eater.
Platecarpus is a well-studied mosasaur because its fossils tend to be very common in areas where it lived. In fact, we probably know a lot of what we know about mosasaurs in general thanks to Platycarpus. There is one specimen in particular that really made the picture of this creature more clear. It was so well preserved that paleontologists could identify patches of skin, the outline of the body, its last meal, and even some of its organs!
The skin of Platecarpus, according to the patches of it that preserved, was scaly, much like that of modern snakes and lizards. The scales were rounded and mosaic-like on the head, and became more like diamond-shaped shingles, overlapping slightly on most of the body. It also had small, thin scales on the throat and underbelly. This is similar to what you would find on most lizards and snakes today on a general level. The scales were also very small, so you would only be able to have really picked them out visually if you were very close to Platecarpus.
This figure from the beautifully preserved Platecarpus specimen which was published in 2010 shows some of the scales, and the trachea.
The organs that scientists think they may have been able to identify in the well-preserved Platecarpus specimen are the heart, liver, and kidney, based on their positions in the body. The most interesting preserved organ, however, was the trachea, the tube-like organ used to breathe air. What makes the preservation of this organ special, is that scientists could tell it was forked, and therefore would have led to two lungs inside the body. This is different from snakes, which are close relatives of mosasaurs, which typically only have one lung. Before this discovery, there were thoughts that perhaps mosasaurs only had one lung, too, to accommodate their streamlined bodies, which we now can confirm was not the case.
Platecarpus' tail was tall and flattened on the sides, which would be expected for a marine animal. It was also sharply downturned towards the tip. This indicates that Platecarpus had a fluke on the top of its tail in life, similar to that of a shark. Other extinct marine reptiles, like ichthyosaurs and some kinds of crocodiles, also exhibited this same feature. Before this discovery it was assumed that mosasaurs swam similar to snakes, moving their whole bodies in S-shaped motions. Now we know their style of swimming was probably closer to that of modern crocodilians and sharks, keeping the body stiff, while powering through the water with their powerful, broad tails.
Platecaarpus skull on display at the Naturmuseum Senckenberg in Germany. Note the large eyes (supported by those scleral rings) and blade-like teeth.
Unlike the teeth of some larger mosasaurs, like Tylosaurus, which were pretty broad, for crushing prey, the teeth of Platecarpus were relatively flat, and blade-like. They were also serrated, to slice meat even easier. This indicates that Platecarpus was probably more adapted for hunting prey with softer bodies, like squid and certain kinds of small fish. The remains of some digested fish were also found in the well-reserved Platecarpus specimen. Platecarpus' entire skull was proportionally smaller, with a shorter snout than what is typically seen in other mosasaurs, further supporting the idea that it was better at hunting small prey.
Lindgren, J.; Caldwell, M.W.; Konishi, T.; Chiappe, L.M. (2010). Farke, Andrew Allen, ed. "Convergent Evolution in Aquatic Tetrapods: Insights from an Exceptional Fossil Mosasaur". PLoS ONE 5 (8): e11998.
Lingham-Soliar T. 1994. The mosasaur "Angolasaurus" bocagei (Reptilia: Mosasauridae) from the Turonian of Angola re-interpreted as the earliest member of the genus Platecarpus. Palaeont. Z. 68 (1/2): 267–282.


text:
Q: Using PowerShell to take ownership/change permissions of GPOs Good Morning,
So I am having a bit of trouble with this code. I have a gMSA setup to take ownership of Group Policy Objects. I have given the gMSA rights in Group Policy on all Domain Controllers to "Take Ownership of files and other objects". The taking ownership part works like a charm. However the second part of the script, sets permissions using the Set-GPPermissions and is supposed to give two groups access to every GPO in the domain but it doesn't seem to work.
        Try {
                [void][TokenAdjuster]
            } Catch {
                $AdjustTokenPrivileges = @"
                using System;
                using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

                 public class TokenAdjuster
                 {
                  [DllImport("advapi32.dll", ExactSpelling = true, SetLastError = true)]
                  internal static extern bool AdjustTokenPrivileges(IntPtr htok, bool disall,
                  ref TokPriv1Luid newst, int len, IntPtr prev, IntPtr relen);
                  [DllImport("kernel32.dll", ExactSpelling = true)]
                  internal static extern IntPtr GetCurrentProcess();
                  [DllImport("advapi32.dll", ExactSpelling = true, SetLastError = true)]
                  internal static extern bool OpenProcessToken(IntPtr h, int acc, ref IntPtr
                  phtok);
                  [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
                  internal static extern bool LookupPrivilegeValue(string host, string name,
                  ref long pluid);
                  [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, Pack = 1)]
                  internal struct TokPriv1Luid
                  {
                   public int Count;
                   public long Luid;
                   public int Attr;
                  }
                  internal const int SE_PRIVILEGE_DISABLED = 0x00000000;
                  internal const int SE_PRIVILEGE_ENABLED = 0x00000002;
                  internal const int TOKEN_QUERY = 0x00000008;
                  internal const int TOKEN_ADJUST_PRIVILEGES = 0x00000020;
                  public static bool AddPrivilege(string privilege)
                  {
                   try
                   {
                    bool retVal;
                    TokPriv1Luid tp;
                    IntPtr hproc = GetCurrentProcess();
                    IntPtr htok = IntPtr.Zero;
                    retVal = OpenProcessToken(hproc, TOKEN_ADJUST_PRIVILEGES | TOKEN_QUERY, ref htok);
                    tp.Count = 1;
                    tp.Luid = 0;
                    tp.Attr = SE_PRIVILEGE_ENABLED;
                    retVal = LookupPrivilegeValue(null, privilege, ref tp.Luid);
                    retVal = AdjustTokenPrivileges(htok, false, ref tp, 0, IntPtr.Zero, IntPtr.Zero);
                    return retVal;
                   }
                   catch (Exception ex)
                   {
                    throw ex;
                   }
                  }
                  public static bool RemovePrivilege(string privilege)
                  {
                   try
                   {
                    bool retVal;
                    TokPriv1Luid tp;
                    IntPtr hproc = GetCurrentProcess();
                    IntPtr htok = IntPtr.Zero;
                    retVal = OpenProcessToken(hproc, TOKEN_ADJUST_PRIVILEGES | TOKEN_QUERY, ref htok);
                    tp.Count = 1;
                    tp.Luid = 0;
                    tp.Attr = SE_PRIVILEGE_DISABLED;
                    retVal = LookupPrivilegeValue(null, privilege, ref tp.Luid);
                    retVal = AdjustTokenPrivileges(htok, false, ref tp, 0, IntPtr.Zero, IntPtr.Zero);
                    return retVal;
                   }
                   catch (Exception ex)
                   {
                    throw ex;
                   }
                  }
                 }
    "@
                Add-Type $AdjustTokenPrivileges
            }

            #Activate necessary admin privileges to make changes without NTFS perms
            [void][TokenAdjuster]::AddPrivilege("SeRestorePrivilege") #Necessary to set Owner Permissions
            [void][TokenAdjuster]::AddPrivilege("SeBackupPrivilege") #Necessary to bypass Traverse Checking
            [void][TokenAdjuster]::AddPrivilege("SeTakeOwnershipPrivilege") #Necessary to override FilePermissions

    # Import the required modules to perform Get-ADOrganizationalUnit & Get-GPO
    Import-Module ActiveDirectory,GroupPolicy
    $NewOwner = (Get-ADServiceAccount SVC._DA002).SamAccountName
    $NewOwnerSID =(Get-ADServiceAccount SVC._DA002).SID
    $Domains = (Get-ADForest).Domains

        Function zChange-GpoOwner {

            Param (
                [Parameter(Mandatory=$true)]
                [string]$NewOwnerSamAccountName,
                [Parameter(Mandatory=$false)]
                [string]$ServerToMakeChangeOn
            )

            [string]$baseDN = (Get-ADDomain $Domain).DistinguishedName
            [string]$SearchBase = "CN=Policies,CN=System," + (Get-ADDomain $Domain).DistinguishedName
            $GroupPolicyObjects = Get-ADObject -Filter * -SearchBase "$SearchBase" -Server $Domain -Properties objectClass,CanonicalName | Where {$_.objectClass -eq 'groupPolicyContainer'}

            ForEach($GroupPolicyObject in $GroupPolicyObjects){
            $GroupPolicyObjectDN = $GroupPolicyObject.DistinguishedName

            #$SecurityPrincipal = new-object System.Security.Principal.NTAccount("$DomainNetBiosName", "$NewOwnerSamAccountName")
            #[System.Security.Principal.NTAccount]$IdentityReference = $SecurityPrincipal

    if($ServerToMakeChangeOn){
                $DN = $ServerToMakeChangeOn + "/" + $GroupPolicyObjectDN
            }else{
                $DN = $GroupPolicyObjectDN
            }

            $guidNull = new-object Guid 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
            $ADObject = [ADSI]"LDAP://$DN"
            $ace = new-object System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectoryAccessRule $NewOwnerSID,"WriteDacl","Allow",$guidNull
            $ADObject.ObjectSecurity.AddAccessRule($ace)
            $aclObject = get-acl -Path ADDOM:$SearchBase
            $aclObject.SetOwner([Security.Principal.NTaccount]($NewOwnerSamAccountName))
            $ADObject.CommitChanges()
            set-acl -path ADDOM:$GroupPolicyObjectDN -AclObject $aclObject

    #$aclObject.SetOwner($IdentityReference)
        }
    }

# For every GPO in domain, add the "Domain Group Policy Editors" group and grant the "Edit Settings" permission.
ForEach ($Domain in $Domains){
Import-Module ActiveDirectory
New-PSDrive -Name ADDOM -PSProvider ActiveDirectory -Server $Domain -Scope Global -Root "//ROOTDSE/" | Out-Null

$DomainNetBiosName = (Get-ADDomain $Domain).NetBIOSName
$DC = (Get-ADDomainController -Discover -DomainName $Domain).HostName
zChange-GpoOwner -NewOwnerSamAccountName "A1\$NewOwner" -ServerToMakeChangeOn $DC
ForEach ($GPO in Get-GPO -All -Domain $Domain) {
$GPO = $GPO.DisplayName
Write-Host $GPO

Set-GPPermissions "$GPO" -Replace -PermissionLevel GpoEditDeleteModifySecurity -TargetName "$DomainNetBiosName\Group Policy Rights - Full Control" -TargetType Group -DomainName $Domain
Set-GPPermissions "$GPO" -Replace -PermissionLevel GpoEdit -TargetName "$DomainNetBiosName\Group Policy Rights - Edit" -TargetType Group -DomainName $Domain

}
Remove-PSDrive ADDOM
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


My Very First Stitch Fix Fail….
Do you guys remember a few weeks ago when I shared with you my love for Stitch Fix? I am sure you do! I have been using the service for about five months now, and I am totally in love with it. Sadly this months fix was the first fail for me 😦 It wasn't… Continue reading My Very First Stitch Fix Fail….


text:
Q: jQuery: count of first level of li tags (exclude decendent ul > li tags) HTML:

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

xxx

Question:
How can I get the count of the first level of li tags?  So in this example, the output would be 5, not 7.

A: $("#top_nav > li").size() should do the trick.
This works because a selector akin to foo > bar selects the immediate children of foo that match bar. the size() function returns the number of entities selected.

A: Use some css with your query and make it even easy.  Remember, jQuery already did all the hard work so you don't have too:
$("ul li:first-child")
//  the previous simply is a call to all unordered list items that re first in the list
$("ul li:first-child").length
// the previous will get you the total count of all first list items

LOL just realized i misunderstood the question in which case the answer is already there
$("#top_nav > li")

A: David and Jasper both give good options but you also have to filter the li that has a ul child to get 4 as the output:
$("#top_nav > li").filter(function() {
    return $(this).children('ul').length == 0;
}).size()


text:
Peru Trips
Enjoy Peru-sing our range of tours to the land of the Incas from guided adventures to private journeys with the option to tailor your dream holiday
Escorted by a tour leader
Overland Adventures
Discover the many wonders of Peru including the official New World Wonder from the spectacular Inca citadel of Machu Picchu to the fortresses and temples of the Sacred Valley.
Lake Titicaca (Peru)
Puerto Maldonado and the Amazon
Start planning your adventure of a lifetime with our handy resources that cover everything you need to know when visiting Peru from money, health and food, to when to go and what to see, visas required, trekking the Inca Trail and visiting Machu Picchu.
1 USD = 3.29 PEN
GMT -05:00
Visiting Machu Picchu
Trekking the Inca Trail
Inca Trail Packing List
About Overlanding
 / Peru / Best Places To Visit
Sacred Valley Tours and Holidays
AboutToursMapSitesTransport
About Sacred Valley
Tracing an astoundingly beautiful course from Cusco to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley encompasses the heartland of the ancient Inca Empire with the historic citadels of Pisac and Ollantaytambo standing guard over the opposite edges of this steep-sided river valley. Agriculturally exploited by the Incas, the fertile alluvial plain is fed by the Urubamba River, which passes the ancient villages of Calca and Yucay on its journey downstream to the Amazon. With dramatic Inca ruins, stunning mountain scenery and traditional Andean villages, the Sacred Valley has plenty to entice travellers.
Of all the ruins in Peru, Pisac and Ollantaytambo are perhaps the most evocative. Spectacularly stood on a mountain spur, the fortress of Pisac towers over the colonial village and affords magnificent panoramas across the valley. Centuries-old terraces are lined with rock-cut water ducts and steps and the Templo del Sol can rival anything at Machu Picchu. Constructed around a protrusion of volcanic rock, the temple is believed to have been used to calculate the changing of the season. Further north, the incredible ruins of Ollantaytambo are defended by giant, steep terraces with several stone storehouses built on the surrounding hills. Hemmed in by snow-capped mountains, Ollantaytambo is an awe-inspiring sight and one of the few existing examples of an Inca grid system.
Retaining a traditional Andean charm, the villages of Calca and Yucay line the road between Pisac and Ollantaytambo. The village of Calca is popular for the thermal baths located beneath the suspended glaciers of Mt. Sahuasiray. Late September and early October are a great time to visit when the village comes alive with local fiestas. Yucay is home to the exquisite stone walls of a ruined Inca palace with a number of Inca terraces nearby.
Sacred Valley Tours
Here are some popular itineraries that include a visit to Sacred Valley. Alternatively, if you would like to include a visit to Sacred Valley on a bespoke touring itinerary to Peru, take a look at our tailor-made holiday planning section.
7 days FROM $2,095
Machu Picchu by Train
Into the Incan Empire
Amazon & Inca Trail
11 days FROM $3,995
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Machu Picchu & Lake Titicaca
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12 days FROM $10,995
Peru, Iguazu & Rio
Amazon, Trek & Titicaca
Amazon, Incas & Titicaca
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Footsteps of the Incas
Footsteps of the Incas Westbound
Peru, Canyon & Jungle
Journey Across South America
Journey Across South America 2020
Peru Encompassed
Argentina, Atacama & Andes
Highlights of South America
Trails to Titicaca Northbound
Trails to Titicaca
Cusco to Santiago Overlander
Santiago to Cusco Overlander
Show All Tours
Best sites to visit in Sacred Valley
The attractive town of Ollantaytambo is a firm favourite in the Sacred Valley thanks to its imposing Inca fortress and dramatic mountain backdrop. Originally built by the Incas as an administrative centre, today's Ollantaytambo sits on the foundations of the 15th century town and demonstrates the clever grid system used by the Incas in their town planning. Steep terraces scale the side of a mountain to form what is known as Temple Hill, a section of town dedicated to ceremonial and religious practices though it is commonly referred to as the Fortress, most likely due to the fact that it was the last Inca stronghold in the face of the conquering Spaniards.
Pisac
Home to a colourful Sunday market and impressive Inca ruins, Pisac features predominantly on any visit to the Sacred Valley. Each week villagers from across the region gather in the picturesque town to buy and sell local produce and goods, an event that proves popular with travellers. During the rest of the week the artisan market of Pisac is one of the best shopping destinations in Peru. Pisac is also famous for the ruined Inca citadel, which sits atop a hill at the entrance to a canyon and features dramatic agricultural terraces, rock-cut water ducts, and the precisely-built stone walls of the Temple of the Sun.
Set on a high plateau at an altitude of 3,500 metres, the Inca ruins of the Moray archaeological site are some of the most distinctive and visually stunning in all of Peru. Resembling an amphitheatre with concentric circular terraces carved into the earth, the site is believed to have been used by the Incas to experiment with the effects of temperature and climatic conditions on their crops. The deepest terrace measures 30 metres and this means that the temperature changes by 15 degrees centigrade between the different levels of terraces. One of the three terraced bowels at Moray has been planted with crops to provide an insight into their original use.
Built into the slopes of Qaqawiñay mountain, the salt evaporation ponds of Maras are a spectacular sight to behold with thousands of uneven-shaped ponds creating a patchwork of texture and colour created by trace minerals with hues of pink, green and brown. The salt pans date back to the pre-Inca period with a complex system of channels feeding salty water from a nearby spring into the terraced ponds. In the ponds the water then evaporates under the sun to leave behind dazzling salt rocks that are harvested and sold at markets to this day with local families continuing the ancient practice.
Chinchero
The Andean village of Chinchero perfectly illustrates why the Sacred Valley is such an alluring destination with a lively market, colourful indigenous character, attractive colonial architecture and striking Inca ruins. Located on windswept plains north of Cuzco, the village maintains a very traditional appearance with adobe brick houses and the unassuming white-wash Spanish church, which contains within it beautiful, though decaying, paintings and frescoes. Extensive terraces and a massive stone wall with ten trapezoidal niches are all that remain of the original Inca village at Chinchero.
Transport links in Sacred Valley
The towns and larger villages of the Sacred Valley are well-connected by winding mountainside roads with Pisac, Chinchero and Ollantaytambo easily reached from Cuzco. One of the main roads in the region follows the course of the Rio Vilcanota and whatever your itinerary, you're guaranteed a scenic journey surrounded by Andean peaks. Tours of the Sacred Valley are undertaken by mini-van, which enables touring groups to arrive right at the entrance to the larger Inca sites.
Railway Services
A railway line connects Cuzco with Machu Picchu following a route through the Sacred Valley and the town of Ollantaytambo. PeruRail operate three different trains between Cuzco and Machu Picchu, ranging in standard from comfortable panoramic carriages to super-deluxe with plenty of inclusions. Along with Inca Rail, PeruRail also offer daily trains between Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, perfect for those starting their excursion to the lost citadel from the Sacred Valley.
Best Time to Visit the Sacred Valley
For the nicest weather, visit the Sacred Valley during the dry season, which falls between the months of June and September. The region, and much else of Peru, experiences minimal rainfall at this time with clear, sunny skies and pleasant daytime temperatures though it can get bitterly cold at night. A number of colourful festivals are held by the Andean communities of the Sacred Valley throughout the year so there are reasons to visit during the wet season including the February-held Carnival and the Virgen de Natividad procession that takes place in Chinchero every September.
Sacred Valley Map
Exciting Days, Comfortable Nights
On The Go's Signature group tours place local interaction and authenticity at the heart of your cultural travel experience. Upping the comfort stakes, this range is a clear cut above our Budget range.
Appealing to a wide age demographic from the 20s to 60+, we maximize your days with excitement and awe and then bring you home to a comfortable 4* hotel with western amenities, air-conditioning, WiFi and, where appropriate, a swimming pool. Hotels can sometimes be of 3 or 5 star standard too, ensuring you get the best value for your holiday.
Visiting all the main attractions you'll be accompanied throughout by our highly qualified English-speaking local guides too. Group size is typically 18 with a maximum for 24, apart from festival tours, where group sizes can be larger due to the one-off nature of these events.
Tailored To Suit You
On our Independent range you won't be joining other travellers, but will be on your own private itinerary. Accommodation, pace of travel and the style of trip is tailored to your individual needs. From pre-priced packages available off the shelf to fully curated tailor-made holidays, this range also includes our selection of one-night stopovers and short breaks.
Our Independent range gives you all the great service aspects of our Signature range with the flexibility to create a truly unique and bespoke holiday or adventure to a variety of destinations around the world.
Iconic Experiences, Local Partners
On our Handpicked range we bring you the most iconic experiences in destinations where you'll join travellers from other travel brands on your tour, safari or sailing holiday. Collaborating with our carefully handpicked portfolio of local partners, these holidays represent exceptional value and there'll be plenty of cultural experiences shared with other like-minded travellers.
Group sizes and accommodation standards vary by destination where typical group size is 28 travellers and hotels, boats and safari lodges are of a 3-4 star standard.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I thought this new feature was not very interesting .. I was wrong.
I played against a player who used it, it's just crazy !
The shot seems so perfect that I had the impression that no goalkeeper could stop him.
Timed finesse shots are a must this year I learned them on the demo. If you don't use them you're at a disadvantage imo.
Ok nice one.. We've all known this since day one. Go practice.
I am not sure why people find timed finishing so hard enough they turn it off. I guess it will reward people who take the time to learn it.
Ok, I just watched 1st goal and what the hell have I seen.
I've been using timed finishing since the demo, the timed finesse is the best, but ever since that last maintenance my shots keep cracking the bar, despite a perfectly timed finesse shot.
I've scored some sweet ones too. But I've also missed the goal completely with the likes of De Bruyne and others hitting them perfectly timed and on strongest foot. They seem hit and miss.


text:
Paul Cox was born in London on 31 July 1957, and was educated at Port Regis and Stanbridge Earls School. He studied illustration at Camberwell School of Art and the Royal College of Art. Since his graduation in 1982, he has worked as a freelance illustrator and painter, involving himself in an extraordinary number and variety of projects. Readers of newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic will instantly recognise his wonderfully fresh images from the Daily Telegraph, Country Life, The Spectator, The Sunday Times Magazine, Punch, The Times, Blueprint Magazine, Vanity Fair and Esquire (whose 'Smart Money' section featured Cox's work for over two years).
The witty draughtsmanship of Paul Cox has enhanced the charm of such humorous classics as Somerville and Ross's Experiences of an Irish RM (1984), P G Wodehouse's Leave it to Psmith (1989), J K Jerome's Three Men in a Boat (1989) , Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows (1993), eleven volumes of Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster series of novels and five of the Blandings novels for The Folio Society.
Paul Cox's other commissions have also included stamp designs for Royal Mail, set designs for the 50th anniversary production of the musical Salad Days and a mural for a lecture theatre at the Royal College of Surgeons. He has recently completed fifteen very large watercolours for the St Charles Hospital in West London, and is currently working on a children's book, The Elevator Man, for the American publisher, Erdmon Press, and a book of comic wine stories 'Absolute Corkers' for Constable.
The Chris Beetles Gallery has mounted exhibitions of his work in 1989 and 1993, and held a major retrospective in 2001. In 2006 The Folio Society commissioned him to illustrate a 50th anniversary version of Gerald Durrell's classic My Family and Other Animals, the drawings from which were exhibited in two highly successful exhibitions at the Durrell Wildlife Foundation in Jersey and the Chris Beetles Gallery in November 2006. A large retrospective exhibition will be held at the Chris Beetles Gallery in 2012.


Ventilation Information Papers (VIP) are a series of typically short AIVC publications (in most cases 6 to 10 pages) intended for giving a basic knowledge of some aspects related to the air infiltration and/or the ventilation.
The AIVC's collection of technical notes on subjects including ventilation, infiltration, indoor air movement, and measurement techniques.
A series of bibliographies aimed at researchers, designers and engineers etc. who are seeking an overview of developments on subjects including ventilation, air infiltration and related fields.


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You've got a spending budget to comply with, and you want to lower your costs. In the process, you should have the most impressive and highest quality of work for French Doors in Cibolo, TX. We provide the best quality even while costing you less. Any time you do business with our team, you get the advantage of our expertise and top quality products to make certain that the project will last while saving time and resources. It will be attainable given that we appreciate how to save time and cash on materials and labor. Call French Door Local Experts when you need the right products and services at the lowest price. We're ready to take your call at 888-669-5583.
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Vintage style meets romantic cottage design with this upholstered panel bed. The center upholstered panel on the headboard is a neutral textured taupe-gray beige color with accent nail head trim. The bed features a gently distressed vintage parchment white finish over select oak veneer and hardwood solids. Heavy trim molding trim on the headboard and footboard complete the look of this bed.
The Demarlos King Upholstered Panel Bed by Signature Design by Ashley at Miskelly Furniture in the Jackson, Pearl, Madison, Ridgeland, Flowood Mississippi area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.


text:
Q: "Could not resolve all files for configuration ':classpath'." error in android studio error
I am getting this error just today.
Android studio is saying com.google.jimfs:jimfs:1.1. can't be downloaded.
Here is my gradle
// Top-level build file where you can add configuration options common to all sub-projects/modules.
buildscript {
    repositories {
        google()
        maven { url 'https://maven.google.com' }
    }
    dependencies {
        classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:3.2.1'
    }
}

allprojects {
    repositories {
        google()
        maven { url 'https://maven.google.com' }
    }
}

ext {
    compileSdkVersion = 22
    buildToolsVersion = "23.0.1"

    minSdkVersion = 9
    targetSdkVersion = 23
}

This only occurs if I download a project from the web. If I create the project then everything works fine.
Should I download com.google.jimfs:jimfs:1.1. myself or is anything missing in my gradle file?

A: // build.gradle (Project: YOUR-APP)
buildscript {
    repositories {
        google()
        jcenter()
    }
    dependencies {
        classpath "com.android.tools.build:gradle:4.0.1"
    }
}

allprojects {
    repositories {
        google()
        jcenter()
    }
}

task clean(type: Delete) {
    delete rootProject.buildDir
}

// build.gradle (Module: App)
apply plugin: 'com.android.application'

android {
    compileSdkVersion 30
    buildToolsVersion "30.0.3"

    defaultConfig {
        applicationId "com.parse.starter"
        minSdkVersion 14
        targetSdkVersion 30
        versionCode 1
        versionName "1.0"
        multiDexEnabled true

        testInstrumentationRunner "androidx.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
    }

    buildTypes {
        release {
            minifyEnabled false
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }
}

dependencies {
    implementation fileTree(dir: "libs", include: ["*.jar"])

    implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.2.0'
    implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.2.1'
    implementation 'androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:2.0.4'
    implementation 'androidx.navigation:navigation-fragment:2.3.2'
    implementation 'androidx.navigation:navigation-ui:2.3.2'
    implementation 'androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1'

    implementation 'com.parse.bolts:bolts-tasks:1.4.0'
    implementation 'com.parse:parse-android:1.13.0'
    implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services:12.0.1'
    implementation 'com.google.jimfs:jimfs:1.1'

    testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.13'
    androidTestImplementation 'androidx.test.ext:junit:1.1.2'
    androidTestImplementation 'androidx.test.espresso:espresso-core:3.3.0'
}


Charlotte is a brave and daring little sheep – everyone says so. Three of the young sheep are envious of Charlotte, especially when she is always being praised. They bandy together and call themselves 'The Wolves'. They are mean to the sheepdog Jack, bully the young sheep, but most of all they are determined to outwit Charlotte. When danger lurks in the forest nearby, Charlotte doesn't listen to the rest of the flock. Instead she goes to have a look. Will the 'The Wolves' succeed in catching Charlotte out?
An amusing and warm tale about courage from German author Anu Stoner and enhanced by Henrike Wilson's illustrations. The vivid and life-like artwork, especially of Charlotte, and the comical expressions of the sheep are particularly endearing. Readers will also enjoy Brave Charlotte, the first book about this feisty little sheep.


DS Dental has a number of ways to give you the perfect smile you've been dreaming of. Some of these procedures include dental implants, direct bonding, periodontal plastic surgery, and more. All of these procedures are carried out by the best dental professionals in the area.
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DS Dental is a full-service dental clinic whose aim is to provide the best dental care for their patients. Having a regular check-up at least every three to four months will be vital to maintaining a good oral health and a cavity-free set of teeth. As a result, we provide our patients thorough teeth cleaning and send them reminders when it's time to visit their dentist again. Aside from cleaning, we also check old fillings and perform restorations because constant pressure from chewing, grinding, or clenching can cause the teeth to chip, crack, or wear away. Start your journey to healthy teeth by setting an appointment today. Our clinic is open from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
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The procedure starts by drilling out the tooth decay and applying the composite onto the tooth's surface. Then, we "sculpt" it into the right shape before curing it with a high-intensity light. On the other hand, our dental veneers are manufactured from medical-grade ceramic which we individually make for each patient to naturally resemble their natural teeth. As a result, any crooked teeth, damaged enamel, and noticeable gaps between two teeth look natural and realistic.
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All our dentists are certified, accredited, and have years of experience in their fields. They not only provide exceptional dental services but they will make sure that each visit is convenient and stress-free. Furthermore, our clinical technicians are also ready to provide a variety of dental applications specific to your needs.
If you are looking for a reliable and trusted dental clinic that performs cosmetic dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and provides emergency dentist service in Miami, DS Dental is here. Our extensive experience has turned us to become one of the leading dental services in Miami. Other services include inlays and onlays (or also known as indirect fillings), composite bonding ( the repair of decayed, damaged, or discolored tooth), dental veneers, teeth whitening and implants.


text:
joe rogan /
Did HGTV Star Christina Haack Really "Smoke a Bufo Toad"?
The star of Flip or Flop and Christina on the Coast shared her experience with psychedelic toad toxin on Instagram.
Keith Baldwin
This week Christina Haack, star of the HGTV series Flip or Flop and Christina on the Coast, shared images from her tropical birthday vacation with her new boyfriend, Austin-based real estate agent Joshua Hall.
Coming so soon after Haack's divorce from English TV presenter Ant Anstead was finalized, the new couple has attracted lots of attention, and were spotted in the Los Angeles International Airport on their way out of town. But questions about the relationship between Haack — who turned 38 on Friday — and her new love interest may not be nearly as interesting as Haack's process for getting back into the dating scene — a process that involved psychedelic toad venom.
As Haack put it in her Instagram post about the new relationship, "I met Josh when I wasn't in a state of fear or fight-or-flight. I had taken time off social, hired a spiritual coach and smoked a Bufo toad (which basically reset my brain and kicked out years of anxiety in 15 mins)."
It should go without saying that Haack did not smoke an actual toad. Rather, the so-called "venom" (technically a toxin, as a true venom is delivered through the animal's bite or similar contact) secreted by the Bufo alvarias, or Colorado River toad, can be extracted and dried, then smoked or vaporized to induce a "spiritual" drug experience.
The drug, sometimes referred to simply as "toad," is one of a number of naturally occurring substances that have long been used to induce shamanic spiritual experiences often described as ego death or communion with the universe. These include psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca tea, and even the urine of Amanita muscaria-consuming reindeer.
But unlike peyote — the mescaline-producing cactus that has a legally recognized religious use — the use of these other substances as hallucinogens remains illegal in the United States, even for the purposes of religious worship. Nonetheless, a large gray market of retreats and private "spiritual coaches" continues to operate under the assumption that their illegal status would not hold up to a first amendment challenge in the court system.
And — whatever the metaphysical reality of these mind-expanding experiences — recent research suggests that the altered state of mind they provide can have significant and lasting psychological benefits. Psilocybin has been observed to be an effective treatment for depression, anxiety, and PTSD, and similar results have been shown for the DMT in ayahuasca.
The working theory for both how these psychedelic experiences occur, and how they can have a therapeutic effect, is that these substances encourage the formation of new connections between the neurons in the brain. This allows, for instance, information from the parts of your brain that quietly interpret patterns, make predictions, or generate imaginative scenarios to interact with the parts of your brain that produce your conscious sensory experience.
But these new connections also allow for the users' brain to be rewired on a semi-permanent basis, potentially disrupting and smoothing out the well-worn neurological patterns that produce clinical depression and anxiety. As Mike Tyson explained his experience with "toad" to Joe Rogan in 2019, "I look at life differently, I look at people differently. It's almost like dying and being reborn… It's inconceivable."
With ayahuasca and psilocybin mushrooms, the active ingredient is ingested, and continues to alter the user's experience as its absorbed into the blood stream through the stomach and intestines over the course of several hours. But because the 5 MeO-DMT in the venom of the Colorado River toad is inhaled as smoke or vapor, its mind-altering effects are delivered in a potent, transformative burst that lasts as little as seven minutes — though it may feel much longer for the user. That expedited process has led to the increasing popularity of "toad."
Mike Tyson on smoking DMT: 'Do you understand the toad?' | The Art of Conversation w/ Dan Le Batard www.youtube.com
Of course, none of this is to say that these chemicals are miracle cures. Even with careful guidance, not everyone who takes these drugs for therapeutic purposes will achieve the desired results, and there are substantial risks that come with the territory.
For one, there is the nightmarish possibility of a so-called "bad trip" that includes all the intensity and immersive, mind-bending, time-dilating perspectives of a psychedelic experience, but one in which dark thoughts and horror pervade. While even these frightening ordeals can apparently provide a lasting benefit — with some users reporting that it can provide a context in which to work through issues and come out the other side — there is another risk without that silver lining: death.
There have been a small but concerning number of deaths associated with DMT ceremonies, possibly due to dosing issues or adulterants. And, last year, adult film star Nacho Vidal was arrested for the death of a man in his home near Valencia, Spain during a "toad" smoking ceremony.
Fortunately, Christina Haack's experience with 5 MeO-DMT and her "spiritual coach" seems to have been purely positive. It helped her to address her anxiety and feel ready to face a new relationship after a tumultuous romantic history both with Ant Anstead and her Flip of Flop co-host and first husband Tarek El Moussa.
So while she didn't actually "smoke a Bufo toad," it seems she did smoke "toad" to escape her "fight-or-flight" patterns and face the world with a new perspective. Hopefully that spells good things for her future and her new relationship with Joshua Hall.
Ant Anstead 'Walked Away Completely' from Home With Christina ... ›
Joe Rogan Is Right — Straight White Men Are Being Silenced!
Won't anyone please consider the plight of the straight white man?
I'm not supposed to be saying this.
I'm not really sure I'm supposed to be saying anything at all. Because the truth is... I'm a straight white man.
I know it's shocking. I'll probably be fired before I can finish typing this sentence. A straight white male being paid to voice his opinions in the year of our lord 2021 — and saying shit like "year of our lord" as if it weren't bad enough already.
It's hard to believe that can even still happen in this day and age, but it's only because I've spent the past year-and-a-half living a lie. I've been telling my bosses that I'm actually an otherkin living in a pansexual wolf-pack-style polycule. If they had known the truth from the beginning, that I'm no less a deviant than a standard, cishet white human male in my 30s with no discernible disabilities or notable disadvantages — and zero lupine proclivities to speak of — would they ever have allowed me a byline?
As if that wasn't bad enough, I'm even in a monogamous, government-licensed straight-marriage with a woman! I'm sure you can see why I kept this a secret, but I can no longer live as the Rachel Dolezal of the wolfkin world.
I'm not part wolf — not even a little bit. All those times I crouched down to sniff the seat of someone's pants, I wasn't gleaning information about their diet and pheromones. As far as my pathetic human nose was concerned, all those butts just smelled like ass.
Still, I kept up the ruse to conceal the truth of my actual, shameful identity — I'm sorry you had to find out like this, Mom and Dad. I thought that the only way I could live a normal life was to hide who I am. But no longer — Joe Rogan has set me free.
In a conversation with comedian and fellow straight white man Joe List on the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience — the private, secret podcast which seems to have been accidentally released, once again, to an audience of millions — Rogan spoke out about the subjugation and secret torment that straight white men live under in modern-day America.
The conversation — which, even behind closed doors, let alone accidentally shared with millions, would normally have been off-limits for two straight white Joe's — started off with Rogan bravely sharing his carefully considered thoughts about how there hasn't been a great new comedy movie in years and the possibility that "they" have made the threat of "being canceled," so palpable that "comedy movies are no longer something you can do."
The Joe Rogan Experience #1651 - Joe List www.youtube.com
Specifically, Rogan was concerned that "edgy" comedy — like the scene in Step Brothers where Will Ferrell rubs his balls on John C. Reilly's drum set — may be a thing of the past. When List then reminded Rogan of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm — which came out last year and featured a scene in which an elaborate menstrual-blood dance was performed for the attendees of a fancy debutante ball — Rogan was unphased, noting that, Sacha Baron Cohen had "figured out a loophole."
The topic then turned to a conversation List said he'd heard on a different, unnamed podcast, where another straight white man was discussing how he'd learned that even self-deprecating humor comes from a place of privilege. The conclusion, according to List, was that "straight white men shouldn't really try to be funny."
Rogan, displaying the kind of cleverness that the world will sorely miss once straight white men are eliminated, asked if the man who said this was "a castrato" — referring to an ancient class of castrated singers prized for their pubescent vocal chords and also to the idea that testicles imbue men with social power. But it was where Rogan took the topic next that really revealed his genius.
While some might simply have rolled their eyes at the thought of someone opining that straight white men should avoid attempts at humor, Rogan correctly identified this single-second-hand anecdote of a stranger saying something stupid as indicative of an irrepressible cultural shift: "It'll eventually get to 'straight white men aren't allowed to talk.' Because it's your privilege to express yourself when other people of color have been silenced throughout the years. It will be, 'You're not allowed to go outside, because so many people were imprisoned for so many years."
And when List chuckled at this suggestion, Rogan clarified, "I'm not joking. It really will get there — it's so crazy."
And it's a good thing that he wasn't joking, both because straight white men should never and also because the topic couldn't be more serious. Straight white males are quickly becoming an oppressed class in America.
Just look at how we were disenfranchised in the 2020 election! Despite 58% of white men voting for Donald Trump in 2020, the rest of the country ganged up on us to kick him out of office — putting a real sour note on the election of Joe Biden, America's 45th straight-white-male president — almost a perfect record!
This is the kind of stuff that keeps happening to us lately, and we don't have the experience to handle it! Sure, you can talk about the "white privilege" of generational wealth and disproportionate policing, or the way men are generally protected from prosecution for sexual assault. But what about the privilege of self-awareness?
We're like those kids born without immune systems, who need to be sealed in plastic bubbles. We've been sheltered from criticism and from consequences for so long that our systems don't know how to take it.
What are we supposed to do? Do we lash out violently, or do we retreat from society entirely and never leave our homes? Those are literally the only two options I can imagine.
Jake Gyllenhaal predicted all of this years ago!
Suddenly people are just allowed to call out racism, sexism, queerphobia, or abusive behavior. And we have to be the victims of those call-outs, just because we've held all the power in society for centuries.
You might think that we could avoid getting ourselves in trouble by just considering other people's perspectives and approaching delicate social dynamics carefully — as everyone who's not a straight white man has had to do literally forever. Well, guess what? We don't know how to deal with that, and you can't make us learn!
As Joe Rogan put it, "You shouldn't have to take into account all the other people that are either not heard or not expressing themselves currently, or not in the same, you know, whatever category as you. Like, come on, man. We can't do that."
Cancel culture has gone crazy! And because our society doesn't allow straight white men like Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Ben Shapiro, Steven Crowder, Jordan Peterson, Glenn Beck, and about 85% of congressional Republicans to share their views, it's up to Joe Rogan to speak the truth. And now that he has, I finally feel able to be out and proud as a straight white man.
Thanks to Joe Rogan — who probably didn't even know that anyone was going to hear his private thoughts — I no longer have to pretend to be interested in smelling your anal scent glands. I can finally hold my head high and say, "I'm a straight white man, and I deserve a safe space where no one criticizes me for my opinions!"
Jordan Peterson (Still) Wants to Give You Life Advice - Popdust ›
Jordan Peterson and the Myth of the Modern Man - Popdust ›
Joe Rogan criticized, mocked after saying straight white men are ... ›
End Times Update 5/1/2021: Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, and Billie Eilish
One disposable clone's take on current events.
Each week one of Popdust's disposable clones — grown in a vault deep beneath the Mojave desert — is exposed to the outside world through a relentless feed of news, pop culture, and social media.
The arduous process accelerates their dissolution back into an amorphous clone slurry. But before they go, they leave behind a document of what they've absorbed and what they've learned — a time capsule preserving a single moment in the slow-motion collapse of civilization. An End Times Update...
End Times Update 5 1 Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, and Billie Eilish www.youtube.com
Transcript 5/1/2021:
The sky, it's beautiful!
(Cough)
Oh, hi! Welcome to another End Times Update, presented by Popdust. I'll be your clone host for this week, Dale-Earl Oddnerd.
As always, we'll be running through the latest omens of the ill fortune lurking in humanity's future. So, if you find yourself overwhelmed at any point, by, you know, the sense of encroaching doom, just freeze—
(Arnold Schwarzenegger): "Freeze"
—long enough to smash that like button. And don't forget to subscribe for more existential dread.
This week has been another hair-raising installment in the unswerving progression toward civilizational demise. But where to begin?
Oh, I know! This Wednesday marked National Superhero day in America, and gave everyone a chance to say which hero they really liked best.
In less heroic news, podcasting phenomenon Joe Rogan made headlines this week, after suggesting to his millions of mostly young fans that young, healthy people don't need to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.
(Joe Rogan): "If the vaccine is available to everybody who wants it, and everybody who wants it gets vaccinated, who are we protecting"?
The comedian and UFC commentator may have been overlooking the vital importance of herd immunity in getting the pandemic under control and preventing the development of dangerous mutations — like the strain that's currently sending a lot of young people to the hospital…
Rogan's take has been decried by experts across the board, and earned a shout out from the President's chief medical advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who stressed the importance of young people getting vaccinated.
(Dr. Fauci): "If I'm a young person and I don't want to vaccinated, but I get infected, you may then infdct someone inadvertently, and I'll use the word innocently, because I don't think anyone deliberately wants to do that. And then you'll pass the infection on to someone else, who might pass it on to someone else, who might really get seriously ill, and might die."
Still, it's hard to know whose opinion to trust. On the one hand, Dr. Fauci has more than 50 years professional experience in the field of public health, on the other hand...
Fear Factor Moments | Rogan Eats a Roach www.youtube.com
(Stephen Baldwin): "Legs are moving, man. Antennas moving."
(Joe Rogan): "Say goodbye"
(Woman): "Bye bye, baby."
(Joe Rogan): "Now that is why I'm the host of Fear Factor."
But just in case there's still any confusion, Rogan responded to the backlash by clarifying his position:
(Joe Rogan): "I'm not a doctor, I'm a ****ing moron — Again, I'm not a doctor, I'm a ****ing moron — Again, I'm not a doctor, I'm a ****ing moron."
Okay, okay, that's probably enough…for today.
Speaking of morons and Joe Rogan — Elon Musk. Not only is he another absurdly rich guy — more than a thousand times richer than Rogan — who loves to share his fun, wacky, baseless opinions on COVID, he and Joe are also best buds.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk Smokes Weed During Joe Rogan Podcast Interview | Velshi & Ruhle | MSNBC www.youtube.com
(Joe Rogan): "It's tobacco and mar***ana in there. So it's..."
So it probably shouldn't have surprised anyone when there was backlash to Saturday night Live's announcement that the Tesla CEO would be hosting with musical guest Miley Cyrus.
Even cast members Bowen Yang and Aidy Bryant shared their criticisms…before taking them down again to avoid incurring the wrath of Lorne Michales.
Some have questioned how a man hoarding enough wealth to end world hunger could possibly contribute anything to comedy. Others have suggested that the show would be better served by letting Cyrus take on the roles of both host and musical guest, as she did in 2013 and 2015.
But no one seems to realize that the same could be said of Musk. Not only is Musk in a long-term relationship with synth-pop musician Grimes, he is actually a musician in his own right…sort of. For now though, we can only imagine what a live Musk concert might look like. Hmm…
Music: "Don't doubt your vibe, because it's true — She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes, toot toot. She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes, toot toot. She'll be coming 'round the mountain She'll be coming 'round the mountain, she'll be coming 'round the mountainwhen she comes, toot toot."
In political news, this week President Joe Biden delivered his first address to a joint session of congress, which was great if you like a lot of blah blah blah.
Joe Biden: "Madam Vice President. No president has ever said those words from this podium. No president has ever said those words, and it's about time. Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the nation, America is on the move again."
And then there was the Republican response, which was just, blah!
(Tim Scott): "America is not a racist country."
Oh, but there was one nice bit of news this week. Billie Eilish shared a video for her new single, "Your Power," and it's all kinds of haunting and beautiful.
Billie Eilish - Your Power (Official Music Video) www.youtube.com
(Billie Eilish): "Would you only feel bad if it turns out that they kill your contract? Would you?"
Eilish also announced a title and release date for her second studio album, Happier Than Ever, which will be out July 30th. So that's something we can look forward to. Or, you know, (cough) some of us can...
Well, that's it for this week. If the world survives longer than I do, we'll send another clone with more updates. Until then, byyyyye...
Inside the Backlash Against Elon Musk Hosting SNL - Popdust ›
Billie Eilish Announces New Album - Popdust ›
Joe Rogan's COVID Stupidity Is Deadly — Spotify Is Complicit ... ›
End Times Update: The Verdict, Tucker Carlson, Mike Lindell ... ›
Is the COVID-19 vaccine equal to biblical end times and 'Mark of the ... ›
end times update
"Technoking" Elon Musk Is the Perfect Refutation of Meritocracy
The SpaceX and Tesla CEO has a new title, but his tragiccomic arc is the same as ever.
In a Monday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, it was revealed that Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the company's CFO, Zach Kirkhorn, have both received new titles.
Musk is taking on the mantle of "Technoking," while Kirkhorn is becoming "Master of Coin."
To clarify, no, this is not an update from a high school Sci-Fi Fantasy Club that accidentally got mixed in with the SEC filings. This is part of vital regulatory documentation for one of the most valuable companies on Earth that includes a Game of Thrones reference and a "badass" adolescent nickname for someone who — on any given day — might be the wealthiest person on Earth.
Does it matter that Elon Musk is "just trolling" — that he doesn't sincerely think "Technoking" is a cool name? Considering the reality of the Cybertruck, even that might be giving him too much credit, but if we stick with the assumption that this is just Musk's brand of snarky humor, that doesn't make it better. It's still deeply embarassing.
By the nature of our economic system, this is among the most powerful men to ever have existed. The founder of multiple massive companies, there is an operating assumption that he must be an unusually competent and responsible steward of his resources. Surely he would never have achieved such incredible success if he weren't among the most capable people to handle the duty to civilization and to humanity itself that is inherent to attaining such a lofty position.
That's the myth that men like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett maintain with their carefully groomed public images as philanthropists and thought leaders. Even nakedly selfish, contemptuous ghouls like the Koch brothers have a way of packaging their political advocacy in a veneer of principle to disguise it as a well-reasoned philosophical stance that a highly accomplished individual can defend with dignity. But Elon Musk is just a messy b*tch.
While someone like Jeff Bezos can shrug off the shame of hacked dick pics and "alive girl" texts, keeping up a facade as a highly serious business-type person, Elon Musk seems more like the person who "leaks" his own dick pics. Of course, in Musk's case it would then be revealed that actually he used a stunt dick — with Musk's stans identifying Peter North's Model D on sight. And then Elon would pretend it was all a joke to amuse Grimes, and probably lob some petty insults and accusations at whoever first called him out.
In short, Elon Musk doesn't seem to have any sense of dignity or merit. He doesn't strive to project an image of the kind of person who "deserves" to be obscenely wealthy. He just wants to enjoy his wealth and prominence by cultivating his weird online fanbase, getting hairplugs, dating out of his age range and out of his league, (allegedly) doxing employees, getting high with Joe Rogan, naming children after aircraft, accusing random strangers of pedophilia, referencing political ideologies he doesn't understand, and throwing around more memes than a teenage boy who just discovered 4chan.
On paper, the fact that one of the wealthiest men alive made his fortune by pushing for advances in electric vehicles, solar power, free Internet, and space travel almost seems like an endorsement of our economic model. If he could keep his nose clean, it would be easy to imagine that he might even be noble. Instead we know him to be one of the pettiest men alive.
In the case of his new titles for himself and Kirkhorn — while retaining their CEO and CFO positions — that pettiness could be directed at his nearest rival, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Bezos, according to a recent announcement, will be transitioning into the role of "executive chairman," which many have interpreted as a superficial change intended to help Bezos skirt publicity.
Or it could be a simple expression of his disdain for the SEC whom he has decried on multiple occasions since they sued him for "joking" about taking Tesla private back in 2018. Like "if I have to report my company's financial activities to you, you have to call me Technoking." When it comes to Musk, there's too much pettiness to pin it to one target.
It's bad enough that he was born into "my daddy owns an emerald mine" levels of wealth in Apartheid South Africa. It's bad enough that one of his early business successes was in conjunction with Peter Thiel, an early Donald Trump-backer who has aspirations of becoming an immortal vampire. It's bad enough that he reportedly told his first wife on the day of their wedding "I am the alpha in this relationship."
But in his public life Musk seems determined to remind us at every opportunity that his tremendous success has inspired neither growth nor humility. If anything, it has served to reinforce his hubris.
He used one of his company's rockets to launch one of his other company's cars into space. He has claimed that his Boring Company can "solve" traffic by just adding new, faster roads — essentially the same way we've been "solving" traffic for decades, but now with dangerous underground tunnels.
Elon Musk's "Loop" - It's bad, folks www.youtube.com
He thinks that we're living in a simulation. And he makes terrible electronic music and sells it as an NFT.
He argues against essential public safety and science when they interfere with his business. And he also thinks that people should trust him to implant Neuralink probes in their brains after that Cybertruck demonstration where he didn't think to test whether the windows would smash before trying it live.
The myth of the meritocracy — that the best representatives of humanity will rise to the top in a free market — is easy enough to pick apart with a little bit of research. There should be plenty of proof in the fact that so many people inherit wealth, that economic classes tend to propagate from one generation to the next, and that the divide between the richest Americans and everyone else keeps growing.
But it's such a comforting notion, so ingrained in our culture, that many people still cling to the idea that society rewards people who deserve to be rewarded. Elon Musk is the antidote to that delusion — that warped American dream.
I'm selling this song about NFTs as an NFT https://t.co/B4EZLlesPx
— Elon Musk (@Elon Musk) 1615837967.0
No complex argument about cultural forces could ever be as powerful as the tragiccomic tale of a petty, egotistical, cringelord ascending to become the wealthiest person on Earth. The myth of meritocracy is dead, and Tesla's Technoking is the man who stabbed it through its rotting heart.
Jeff Bezos is Going To Space ... Good Riddance - Popdust ›
Dear God, Stop Letting Elon Musk Near Public Transit! - Popdust ›
Elon Musk officially made the 'Technoking of Tesla' ›
Elon Musk crowns himself 'Technoking' of Tesla - The Verge ›


My second attempt at the Chiltern Hundred series, and I decided to take an afternoon off work to try to ensure that I found most of the remaining caches, and also to attend an event in honour of the cache owner's celebration of several thousand cache finds – I think it was 20,000. It might also have been his birthday.
Back at the plot, I attempted a few that I'd missed on my first attempt as I was driving into Chesham, and then I parked up to do the Asheridge circuit, which is the middle of the three.
It was a hot day and the terrain proved to be a little challenging, but the caching was fairly easy in comparison to my previous trip. I wasn't missing quite so many. I was on such a roll with them that I returned to repeat a few more on the Pednor loop too.
By the time I got to the event it was already buzzing as I'd managed to stay out caching until nearly 7pm. There was a good crowd. I'd found 42 caches and the event took me up to 43. I thought I'd found enough to be able to have a pop at the bonus when I got home. Oh how wrong I was !


DC Comics and Marvel have dominated the comic-book industry for over 6 decades. Which of the two fiction universes do you prefer? Check out our top 25 super heroes and villains lists.
Together they account for over 80% of the American comic-book market. DC Comics and Marvel Comics have been the leading comic-book companies for over 6 decades. Both have created unique characters, and universes that have expanded beyond comic-books into the cinema, TV, video games and toy industries. Thanks to excellent comic-writers and Hollywood super heroes are nowadays undergoing a new golden age. Their impact on popular culture shouldn't be understated.
The Marvel story started in 1939. By that time, the company was named Timely Publications, but the first comic edited was precisely a work titled "Marvel Comics". The company was later known as Atlas Comics, before choosing the name Marvel in 1961, the year that the company launched The Fantastic Four, along to various superhero titles created by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and other authors. Since 2009, Marvel belongs to The Walt Disney Company. The Marvel universe hosts Spiderman, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Wolverine and X-Men among many others. Both DC and Marvel host also great superhero teams.
Started in 1934 as National Allied Publications, DC Comics took his current denomination in 1937. The initials "DC" came from the company's popular series Detective Comics. The company published the first Action Comics in 1938 (featuring Superman), before introducing Batman in Detective Comics in 1939, with great success. DC Comics belong to the Time Warner group. The DC universe includes characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Sandman, Swamp Thing and Superman, whose Action Comics series has passed the landmark of 1000 issues.
Since both comics company control such a huge share of the market, they are natural competitors. At the same time, most of their superheroes have their own legions of fans, and the rivalry between both universes is a classic subject of debate. However, in 1996, both companies did a curious collaboration, publishing a crossover name "DC vs Marvel Comics", where the main characters of each universe fought in a series of duels, with interesting outcomes such as Superman defeating the Hulk while Spider-Man defeated Superboy.
Today it's your turn to choose your favorite universe. Would you be a member of the Justice League or an Avenger? Batman or Spiderman? Thor or Superman? Wonder Woman or Wolverine? Which are the best comic-books and superhero movies? Pick a side and tell us why.
DC vs Marvel: which super heroes universe do you prefer? Vote and share your thoughts!


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Posted on January 22, 2017 February 21, 2018 by staffcurrent026
'La La Land:' A Masterpiece Musical for the Modern Era
By Danyel Poindexter, Staff Writer
Scene from "La La Land" – Courtesy of Summit Entertainment
In an ensemble of youth, passion, and art, director Damien Chazelle—winner of seven Golden Globes, recipient of 11 Bafta nominations, and best known for the phenomenal film "Whiplash"— pieces together a masterpiece between two struggling artists that fall in love.
If you don't know what all the hustle and bustle is about, it's obvious you haven't seen "La La Land," released December 9. The enthralling story performed through music and dance surrounds Sebastian, played by Ryan Gosling, and Mia, played by Emma Stone, who become drawn together by their intense desire to realize their dreams in the art industry. Attracted by each other's passion for life, the two eventually fall in love but face an array of decisions and consequences that slowly unravel the reality of their relationship and dreams.
In the opening credits of "La La Land," the first official characters the audience are introduced to are not the protagonists who will fall in love, but a mass of youth and wonder performed using bright, vibrant colors that play a crucial part throughout the timeline of the movie. These various characters, like our two protagonists, wrestle with ambition as well, in hopes of accomplishing their dreams as expressed through the lyrics of the opening song, "Another Day of Sun." Though neither of them knows what the future holds, as youths, they tend to stay confident when striving for their goals in life.
The opening song is just one of many in the soundtrack of "La La Land" that uses its lyrics to tell the story of the movie. The rest of the story is told through typical movie scenes and musical numbers that sometimes only include instrumentals. While lyrics and lines are vital to many stories, the right music adjusted to the mood of its scene can do just as much. This is a major accomplishment of "La La Land." To announce the presence of the youth, the opening music uses an arrangement of trumpets, drums, etc., for a loud active beginning to coincide with the dynamic color choices and sunny day.
While all of this may sound generic, ironic, overrated, or what have you to a lot of the young people of this generation, "La La land" still does a compelling job of keeping the interest as it pertains to the youth of today. By using the vibrant colors throughout the movie, it physically and mentally describes the optimism we usually harbor in our prime, all while keeping the viewer focused on an intricate story of reaching a dream—and possibly falling in love.
Besides the energetic colors, music, and lyrics, what really gives this movie a successful outcome is the harmonizing relationship between actors Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Stone's character, Mia, is a gifted aspiring actress who flickers between working at a coffee shop on the Warner Bros. studio lot and trying to get through fruitless auditions. Gosling's character, Sebastian, is extremely ambitious with an overactive personality and is deadly in love with old jazz music, but with the digital era becoming more prominent to youthful eyes, it's not the best music to be invested in. What each needs are opportunities, but what they find is one another. Of course, that sounds cheesy, but the movie and its actors show a strong story of realistic outcomes in the world today, no matter how much in love one is.
Stone and Gosling present a triple threat to the film industry with their dynamic combination of great acting, exceptional singing, and skillful dancing. This movie definitely wasn't a walk in the park as the scene "A Lovely Night" would like you to believe. Other than learning the right pitch when singing, Stone and Gosling had to rehearse every day in order to learn an array of dance moves that included ballroom and tap dancing, all while keeping a steady chemistry on camera that connected their characters. Effortlessly, both stars stay attuned to each other's steps and flow.
Director Damien Chazelle also brilliantly unifies modern day Los Angeles with old time musicals. Of course, some sceneries were modified to meet the requirements of the director, but ultimately all scenes were shot in some part of Los Angeles that included the shutdown of an entire highway. Those who think the musical era is dead might have to tell that to their tapping toes when they watch "La La Land." Through this masterpiece, Damien Chazelle opens doors for future modern musicals in this new era of digital music.
This entry was posted in:A&E, Film
Tagged with:A Lovely Night, ambition, Another Day in the Sun, art, Bafta, Bafta nomination, Bafta nominations, ballroom dancing, color, Damiel Chazelle, dance, Danyel Poindexter, dreams, drums, Emma Stone, Film, film review, GOAL, goals, Golden Globes, La La Land, La La Land Film review, Los Angeles, lyrics, Mia, movie, Music, musical, passion, relationship, relationships, Ryan Gosling, Sebastian, tap dancing, The Current, The Current Newspaper, The Current Student Newspaper, trumpets, UMSL, University of Missouri - St. Louis, University of Missouri-Saint Louis, Warner Bros., youth
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You can apply for a personal loan before you need it, knowing it's ready when you are. It's your Kwik Cash Line of Credit. It costs nothing until you use it and there are no annual fees. Use your line of credit for any worthwhile purpose like unexpected expenses or a special purchase.
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Film Industry Protests Far-Right Surge in Hollywood's Favorite German Backlot
An election in a picturesque eastern German town has become the focus of the country's film and entertainment industry, with stars including Daniel Bruhl and Game of Thrones actor Tom Wlaschiha calling on voters in the city of Gorlitz to oppose a far-right candidate for mayor.
Gorlitz, whose historic cobblestone streets and grand Baroque buildings came through World War II intact, has become a favorite backdrop for Hollywood productions shooting in Germany. Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, Stephen Daldry's The Reader and Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life all shot in Gorlitz. The town has been ...
See full article on The Hollywood Reporter
The Reader (2008)
A Hidden Life (2019)
Tom Wlaschiha
Wes Anderson (I)


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What a great afternoon garden wedding at Hacienda de Vega in Escondido. Christian's family and friends traveled from Panama and Erin's came from Colorado for their lovely ceremony. Loved the afternoon light peeking through the trees during the dances.
well, i don't really know how to sum it up in one word exactly.. one of my favorite things is just being around people who are in a community, not necessarily my community (though i love that as well) but being a part of a group of people or even one person, in their life, even for a moment. like when we had our 'major big news power outage of san diego 2011' [so dramatic] it was so fun for me to go out the next day, everyone was talking about it, people at the grocery store, gym and post office. it was so fun, just for that brief instant, to be connected to people to whom i wouldn't have otherwise said two words. when we went to ireland a few years ago we found a small town named doolin. it was our favorite place to see during our adventure. a tiny coastal town easily traversed in an afternoon. the best part about places like that is the opportunity to discover things typically overlooked. we wandered, we chatted, we found this pub with some local musicians playing and inspiring. a snapshot into their lives, on the other side of the world.


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Leicester lose seven players for Napoli trip due to Covid, illness
By Guardian Nigeria
Leicester will be without seven players for Thursday's decisive Europa League trip to Napoli due to coronavirus cases or illness, manager Brendan Rodgers revealed on Wednesday.
Leicester City's Northern Irish manager Brendan Rodgers . (Photo by PETER POWELL / POOL / AFP)
Leicester will be without seven players for Thursday's decisive Europa League trip to Napoli due to coronavirus cases or illness, manager Brendan Rodgers revealed on Wednesday.
Extra measures to curb rates of Covid-19 infections in England, including the introduction of vaccine passports for the first time, were announced by the British government on Wednesday due to fears over a surge in cases of the Omicron variant.
A Covid outbreak has left Tottenham without eight players and five members of staff for their Europa Conference League tie with Rennes.
"We've had some positive cases, some are generally not well, so we haven't taken the risk," said Rodgers.
"We will have seven unavailable, something you'll see in time. You'll see in the training tonight the ones who haven't travelled. It's been last few days really. In general, you're starting to see a few more cases and, for us, it's always about the health of our players.
"Travelling to a foreign country, we have to respect travelling into Italy. We still have a strong squad here, but unfortunately it's not a fully fit squad."
Leicester top a fiercely competitive group heading into the final matchday with all four sides still having progress to the knockout stages in their own hands.
The Foxes lead Spartak Moscow and Napoli by one point with Legia Warsaw, who host Spartak, one point further behind.
Rodgers said Leicester could have waited a further 24 hours to check the status of the ill players who are yet to test positive, but have decided against doing so as a precaution.
"We've taken every single measure, in terms of arriving here in the safest possible way to our host country, we have to respect the laws and health issues here," added the Northern Irishman.
"We've taken every measure to make sure everyone was tested.
"The players who were unwell who we could've have maybe given 24 hours to feel better, we couldn't take any risk with those, so we've kept them at home along with the other guys who were deemed positive."
The Premier League on Monday reported 12 new positive coronavirus tests out of 3,154 tests among players and club staff. That was the highest figure of positive cases since late August.
Dutch child, 12, killed in fireworks accident
A 12-year-old child was killed and another seriously injured in a Dutch fireworks accident on Friday, police said, despite a nationwide ban on fireworks to usher in the New Year.
UNFPA at the 2021 ICASA Summit: Highlighting SRHR Service Delivery in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic
Download logoThe International Conference on Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) is a major bilingual international aids conference which takes place in Africa. Its current biennial hosting alternates between Anglophone and Francophone African countries. The 21st virtual edition of the summit focused on 'Africa's AIDS response: the race to 2030 – evidence'. Among…
Covid clouds world New Year party
The world began ushering in 2022 on Friday after another tumultuous and pandemic-ridden year capped by new restrictions, soaring case numbers, and a slight glimmer of hope for better times ahead.
Enyinna Nwigwe gets 'Chi Turu Ugo' title from Imo community
Notable actor, Enyinna Nwigwe has joined the league of titled men in Igbo land, following his formal conferment with the title 'Chi Turu Ugo 1' (One Crowned by God) by the Logara community
MTN backs talent development with theatre, music
Multinational mobile telecommunications company, MTN, has said it was keen on facilitating the reawakening of the once vibrant performing arts space, music growth and talent development in Nigeria.
Ayokunle bemoans rising crimes, urges Nigerians to seek God's intervention
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Rev. Samson Ayokunle, has said that God helped Nigerians to escape all dangers and threats occasioned by the criminal activities


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DNA Proves Man Not Father – Department of Family Services Still Garnishes Wages
By US~Observer Staff
Randy Bryant (top) and Cassi Ferris (bottom)
Overland Park, KS – Owing more than $36,000, plus interest for unpaid child support, Randy Bryant claims he doesn't owe a dime. Now, DNA is on Randy's side. In a recent test conducted for heart problems, both Randy and his thought-to-be daughter were informed what Randy had thought all along – he has a 0.00% chance of being the biological father. But the State of Missouri's Department of Child Services isn't so eager to stop garnishing his wages.
Born in 1988, Randy's daughter, Cassi Ferris grew up considering him a typical "deadbeat dad." The only time she remembers seeing Randy was several years after birth, when he was in handcuffs and headed to jail for one year becuase he couldn't afford to pay child support. Their relationship consisted of hard feelings. When Randy was informed that he had a potentially genetic heart problem, he reached out to Cassi, informing her – she may have it, too. That was when DNA testing commenced at separate labs, due to the awkward relationship.
The tests revealed that Randy was not Cassi's father.
Despite the news of Randy being excluded as Cassi's father, the two met that following Saturday for breakfast. Strangely enough, their bond has grown since that day. Randy and Cassi went to a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert and Randy often watches Ferris' children play soccer games.
Overland Park man questions child support after DNA shows daughter not his
"I have this heartache on me. I grew up hating you and thinking you were this deadbeat person who rejected me. I like you. You're a good man," said Ferris.
Randy was told at a young age that he couldn't father children, which was parlty why he always questioned whether or not Ferris was truly his daughter. Nonetheless, when talking about Ferris today, Randy stated, "I guess the spot-on term would be the daughter I never really had, really."
Randy still owes over $36k in back support. His wages are still being garnished – even after he provided proof to Missouri State that he is not the biological father.
Ferris doesn't receive the payments and supports ending them. Her biological mother still receives automatic payments and wants another test perfomed before she will support ending the payments.
Randy said, "I feel like the Department of Family Services just really doesn't care. 'Um, sorry. Case is closed. We are still going to take your money.' That isn't right!" Randy has hired a lawyer but says he's learned his lesson about child support. "I just learned over the years not to hold my breath for nothing… You might die!"
A CBS News affiliate reached out to Missouri's Department of Social Services regarding the continued garnishing of Randy's wages without response.
Editor's Note: Had Randy contacted the US~Observer he would likely have saved thousands by not paying unwarranted child support payments, preventing one year of incarceration for being falsely targeted by the State of Missouri's Department of Social Services.
Former Cop Wrongfully Convicted of Child Abuse Has 9 Million Dollar Verdict Reinstated by Federal Appeals Court
Immunity or Accountability – The Modern Day Mistrust of Government


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Guarding LeBron James: Dillon Brooks' expedited recovery culminated in challenging fashion
After six weeks without game action, Dillon Brooks had quite the welcome back moment.
Guarding LeBron James: Dillon Brooks' expedited recovery culminated in challenging fashion After six weeks without game action, Dillon Brooks had quite the welcome back moment. Check out this story on commercialappeal.com: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/2018/12/28/guarding-lebron-james-dillon-brooks-returning-grizzlies/2405342002/
David Cobb, Memphis Commercial Appeal Published 6:15 a.m. CT Dec. 28, 2018 | Updated 6:21 a.m. CT Dec. 28, 2018
Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks questions a call by the officials during their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the FedExForum on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (Photo: Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal)Buy Photo
Dillon Brooks meant no offense by it.
After all, the Grizzlies (18-16) have four assistant coaches with a combined 52 years of NBA playing experience on staff.
But Brooks' return to the court on Sunday at the Lakers was no comparison.
"I had coaches guarding me in practice," Brooks said. "Then to come out and see LeBron James, uhh, it was a good test."
Brooks returned from a grade II MCL sprain in the Grizzlies' win at the Lakers this past Sunday.
He checked in midway through the first quarter and immediately drew the assignment of defending — and being defended by — one of the all-time greats in James during his first game action in six weeks.
See how the Grizzlies stack up: NBA Western Conference standings
"It was the first step," Brooks said.
The second step came in Wednesday night's 95-87 win over the Cavaliers when Brooks played 15 minutes, up from 12 against the Lakers.
Memphis Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks (24) drives to the basket as Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) and Ivica Zubac (40) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) (Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP)
That Brooks played at all this week is a testament to his desire to return.
An initial prognosis after Brooks' injured his knee in bizarre fashion against the 76ers last month suggested the versatile wing would need 6-8 weeks to recover from the MCL sprain.
He needed only six.
"It was kind of hard having the team going on road trips and you've got to stay back and watch," said Brooks, who appeared in all 82 games last season. "It was difficult. But I just wanted to get back quicker and just tried to focus in on my rehab, treatment and taking care of my body."
Brooks' speedy return came in spite of some logistical hurdles.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks fights for a rebound with Cleveland Cavaliers defenders during their game at the FedExForum on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (Photo: Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal)
He was cleared to play three-on-three and participate in other game-type simulations several days before his return against the Lakers. But with the Grizzlies on a four-game road trip involving tight travel schedules and just one day between each game, finding quality time on the court was hard.
As a second-year player, Brooks is also eligible for assignment to the G-League. Getting game repetitions with the Memphis Hustle didn't work out, because the Hustle was in Las Vegas participating in the G-League Showcase.
"It was just hard to find three-on-three," Brooks said. "But we made it work and I'm just glad to be back out here."
The Grizzlies are 2-0 since Brooks' return, although he declined to take credit for the spurt.
"A whole bunch of rust," he said. "I'm just trying to play hard on defense. That's where there's no rust."
But soon enough, the Grizzlies hope the versatile 22-year-old is an integral part of the team's rotation at wing. The Grizzlies were unwilling to include him in a potential trade earlier this month, and Brooks has the two-way prowess to help solidify a bench unit that has been in flux all season.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks defends Cleveland Cavaliers guards Matthew Dellavedova during their game at the FedExForum on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. (Photo: Joe Rondone/The Commercial Appeal)
"He has a long list of attributes that we really prize," general manager Chris Wallace said this month.
"I think he's got to find his rhythm," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Wednesday night. "And I think he's got to get comfortable again."
First step: hanging with LeBron James.
"I guarded LeBron a couple of plays," Brooks said. "Coach just put me out there to get my feet wet."
More like a baptism by fire.
"It feels great," Brooks said. "I just want to be in the right spots and help my team win."
Reach Grizzlies beat writer David Cobb at david.cobb@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @DavidWCobb.
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Today I am celebrating three months AJ (Thats 3 months After i met Joey) I am thinking of taking her to a nice reasturant this evening to celebrate. By the way if you ever happen to read this Joey….Eu te amo.
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Reality, that most important concept about everything that exists, has gotten out of kilter, and yet very few people have noticed or are paying attention. The problem goes deep into the heart of things, however, so deep that future generations may look back and wonder why this generation didn't wake up. The reason isn't mysterious, actually. It has to do with how much we have come to rely upon contemporary science and to trust it: science has been appointed to inform us about what is real and what isn't. Myths, superstitions, personal prejudices, and obsessions are unreal, while facts, data, and measurements are real.
Nothing seems more secure than science in most people's minds. As long as technology keeps progressing on all fronts, it's commonly believed that the most intractable problems, such as curing cancer and reversing global climate change, are open to scientific solutions. But what if reality has something else in mind? Quite apparently it does, if you bother to look deep enough. Reality has decided to bring physics, for example, to a profound crisis, not on one front, which might be easily circumvented, but on almost all fronts. This sounds like a drastic statement, but it's actually a foreshadowing.
No one knows where the Big Bang came from.
No one knows how life began.
The origin of time, space, matter, and energy remain obscure.
The relation of mind and brain is as up in the air as it was at the time of Plato and Aristotle.
The nature of consciousness and how it evolved -- if it evolved -- cannot be agreed upon.
The process by which the brain creates a three-dimensional world of sight and sound using only chemical and electrical signals is totally mysterious.
The two leading theories in physics, General Relativity (which explains how large objects work) and quantum mechanics (which explains how tiny things work) turn out to be completely incompatible.
In previous posts over the past five years we've gone into detail about each of these difficulties, and as much as mainstream science resists any crack in its armor, a host of leading thinkers acknowledges exactly what these problems are. But let's back away from details to look at the big picture. If there are seven dead ends in our understanding of reality, isn't something drastically off kilter? If the answer to that question is obviously yes, then why doesn't science self-correct and change course? We emphasize "science as it is being currently practiced," because quantum reality is drastically different from the outmoded assumptions of classical physics that still dominate in the everyday work of physicists. Why this gap exists is a complex issue, but let's ignore the details once again and give a simple, workable answer: inertia. Science advances through the momentum built up over the decades, and like a car rolling downhill, inertia will keep things moving even if the engine is dead.
In this case, the driving engine behind science has been its reliance on reductionism, which means breaking a hard problem down into the smallest part necessary to make it easier to solve. The flu can manifest as a host of symptoms, sometimes mild, at other times fatal, but by breaking down the flu to the action of a virus, a viable solution is in hand. Kill the virus and the flu is cured (not that medical science can actually do that yet). But reductionism falls apart when you have already arrived at a level of Nature so fundamental that it can't be broken down any further.
Time cannot be broken down into anything more basic, for example. Subatomic particles cannot be broken down without vanishing from sight. Space, which in advanced physics consists of various dimensions attached to specific particles, comes out of a dimensionless realm that cannot be measured with empirical data. The precreated state before the Big Bang is unreachable by any known method beyond pure mathematical speculation. On all of these fronts, the mystery of how the familiar physical universe disappears into a vacuum, void, zero point, black hole, or void--choose whatever term you like -- has enormous kickback, because if you reverse your viewpoint, there is no way to explain how something was created out of nothing.
Let's say that a reasonable person would acknowledge this widescreen view of how things stand. If reality is out of kilter and the tools of scientific investigation haven't been effective in solving seven massive, fundamental problems, what's next? In our view, what's next isn't theoretical. A starting point would be to take seriously the reality that quantum mechanics has thrust upon us. This would close the gap between theory and practice, so that science could stop being schizophrenic, accepting the enormous successes of quantum theory while not taking its consequences seriously. Reality has more to say about human existence, but to hear the message, we must stop being ruled by inertia. A new track or paradigm or worldview -- choose your own imagery -- is crying out, which is why we consider the current situation to be a foreshadowing. The current confusion cannot persist forever; therefore, the next paradigm will bring clarity. Only on that basis can it survive.
The universe isn't random but exhibits aspects of purpose or goal-seeking.
Consciousness, as quantum mechanics holds, in some way is built into the scheme of Nature.
Instead of individual human minds, there may be a cosmic mind that the individual mirrors.
Matter behaves in mind-like ways, again as quantum mechanics holds; therefore, the separation of mind and matter isn't valid.
The universe as we perceive it is perfectly tuned to give rise to human beings; in that sense, we inhabit a human universe.
What we call facts are actually states of knowledge, giving back to us the assumptions we feed in.
Reality is a field of infinite possibilities that cannot be simplified into a satisfactory model. Instead, we must work from the only common basis of everyone's reality, which is experience.
No matter how you parse or revise these seven new paths, what stands out over and over is the necessity to put consciousness, meaning, and experience back into the equation. The current paradigm has led to astonishing achievements by excluding these very things. But it is axiomatic that theories are right about what they include and wrong about what they exclude. Reality doesn't care if human beings consider the universe random, mindless, and without purpose, just as it didn't care if human believed in the divine right of kings. Humankind exists to pierce the veil of appearance in order to discover the essence of what is real. That project will never come to an end; the important thing is to recognize when a change of course is needed, because the alternative is that inertia, illusion, and hidebound prejudice persist.


Don't take chances. Asbestos is a serious health hazard that should be assessed and removed by contractors with special training and equipment.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was used in many building products during much of the 20th century, including ceiling tiles and "popcorn" ceilings, resilient flooring, flooring adhesives, insulation, fireproofing fabrics and panels, and siding. In its friable (loose) state, invisible airborne fibers may be inhaled, eventually causing asbestosis, a chronic inflammation of the lungs, or mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest and abdominal cavity.
Fortunately, most asbestos found in the home is not friable and the fibers are not easily dislodged. In addition, most people afflicted with asbestos-related diseases were occupationally exposed to it. Miners, factory workers and those who handle or remove asbestos (including painters and construction workers) are primary risk profiles.
Nevertheless, homeowners should take every precaution during any remodeling or home improvement where an asbestos-containing product must be removed or modified. Under no circumstances should it be sawn, sanded, drilled or scraped. The best course of action is to call a licensed and certified asbestos inspector if you suspect that asbestos is present in your home.
Dr. Energy Saver Of Connecticut can help evaluate your home for ways to improve its efficiency and air quality. We will promptly address any issues we find, including the appropriate measures for asbestos removal.
We proudly offer our services in Stamford, Norwalk, Hartford, New Haven, Danbury, Greenwich, and neighboring areas such as New Canaan, Westport, Darien, Ridgefield, Hamden, West Hartford, and more. Also check out our home energy evaluation to diagnose your home's energy problems. In most cases, improving a home's energy efficiency also improve the home's health and indoor air quality.