My learning journey got on steroids at the end of May. I met 22 learning architects in a three day Symposium at Universidad del Medio Ambiente. The next day after the Symposium, 11 of us started a 8 day road trip of 1300 km to visit three disruptive universities in the South of Mexico.
First stop was Universidad Campesina Indígena en Red. "We are a university that has no hierarchy, no rectors, no directors. Relationships are not built on people that have knowledge and those that have not. We don't pay the teachers and we don't charge the students, it is a collaborative experience." – said Benjamin Berlanga, as we started our first meeting with the team. The team had been doing this work since 1982, when a rural development center (CESDER) was founded. Aside from UCI RED they have built 15 secondary schools and helped design many rural educational projects. In the meantime, many former students joined as team members.
The meeting revealed a deep pedagogical philosophy: After 30 years we realised that the disruptive is not in the learning or teaching but it is in the relationship.
The fundamental question for UCI RED pedagogy is "How is life going for us?" ("Como nos va en la vida?"). It is not an innocent question. It brings along what they call an epistemic displacement: "Before asking what is life, we ask how is life right now, for us. We are included" They also say that "education is the gift of time, because we are time. Education is opening spaces of conversation. Conversation is to give the ear first and then to give your word." Because of this approach, 35% of the students give up in the first months saying "to have a conversation I can go home, here I come so others tell me how it is". The ones that stay say: "This is a place where we can express ourselves" and "I have learned how to rename the old labels and to resignify living life".
We visited the shop, their agroecology lab and seedbank, a water collection project, a greenhouse and the pottery center. UCI is very much involved in local development, that is no longer understood as the neoliberal foundations advertise it (focused on having running water for example) but more like living in harmony with nature, family and community. As a former student put it "UCI taught us how to be revolutionaries in our own day to day life".
A special moment on the road from Puebla to Oaxaca.
After 350 km and a car radio show, we reached Oaxaca City. It is a rebellious place where ten years ago the city was occupied for seven months by Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca. After ten years, when we got there, the city central square was again occupied by a few thousands teachers protesting against so called "education reform". It was expected that after the 5th of June elections, the government repression will start. Sadly, just two weeks after we left, at least nine people were killed by police in confrontations.
In this troubled environment, UniTierra is a university like no other. It was founded by Gustavo Esteva, around one core principle: learning by doing. Gustavo was a good friend and collaborator of the "maverick social critic" of western institutions, Ivan Illich. He told us: "We don't have education, we are escaping education. Accepting education equals accepting the authority of an educator. The main product of education are dropouts; it is disqualifying 60% of the people. Only 8% in Mexican universities will be able to work in their field." They also note the destructive effect education has on indigenous culture: "You can survive as an indigenous up until university but it is almost impossible to survive after going to university. Your indigenous soul is gone." UniTierra also rejects the idea of diplomas together with the corresponding ideas of professions and experts hidden behind them, claiming exclusive rights to manage learning, or health or justice for everybody else.
An important step for Unitierra was to go to communities. We visited two villages where a UniTierra was developed by local people.
What one could see was some a living museum of eco techniques but what the conversation revealed was a process of community learning. In San Bartolo Coyotepec, an entire community learned to stop burning trash, collect it separately in 16 types and sell it. The learning process was a mix of rules, citizen reporting, public displays, training for adults and children and empowering children to take responsibility.
Re-learning Hope: A Story of Unitierra from Multi-Sense Media on Vimeo.
We left Oaxaca City to go further into the Oaxaca state, in the mountains of Mixe region. Getting to Instituto Superior Intercultural Ayuuk (ISIA) was not that easy. We had to stop for the night somewhere in a village. At ISIA we got to see the place from three different perspectives: the team, the students and the leaders of the community.
This was the occasion for me to witness the uphill battle that young people in the indigenous communities are fighting. It is a struggle for their identity and for their dreams. Trapped between the glossy advertised and hard to reach city life that is alienating for their deep rooted worldview of life in community and a life in their communities that is labeled backward and poor and is seen as futureless. The university is there to re-value the indigenous language and worldview, helping students in their fight for dignity, self respect and a good life. One evening I shared the table with a student that wanted to go back to his community and create radio station and another student that had plans to develop an educational project in her village. Hearing other students clearly articulating their situation, their options and their reflections in the assembly, I had the uplifting feeling that this small rural university is succeeding in one of the most difficult learning challenges a higher education institution can have.
Meeting Don Antonio and other leaders of the community hosting ISIA, we had an insight in how they see the university, after ten years. For example, they value students participation in community events or the partnership they have for writing the recent history of the community. They also expressed that the project still has to fulfill the initial expectation that graduates will energize the rebirth of their communities.
We left ISIA on 7th of June, for the last segment of the road spent together. A big part of the journey was on the road, telling stories, getting deep into some aspects of our projects, making plans and having fun. My fellow travelers were neverending fountains of inspiration and learning. The intellectual idea of comunalidad or the friendship that Ivan Illich and Gustavo Esteva are talking about took a powerful real life incarnation in the friendship we shared in this journey.
One month later, I realise how much this journey enriched me.
I have a collection of important words and one of questions. Both are now richer. The words profession, expert, development and education drifted further towards a negative meaning. Comunalidad and fertility of relationship gained a place on the list. I internalized the question "How is life going for us?". It seems such a fertile starting point and the spanish version – Como nos va en la vida? – has something poetic. I'll keep with me two other questions: "What resonates in you?" and "What do you take in your heart?. Speaking about what do I take in my heart, I take the idea that powerful learning can mean "to rename the old labels and resignify living life" and "make revolution in our day to day life".
The journey opened my mind to new learning possibilities. First, I experimented the power of a collective learning journey. We had enough space to get past the first conversations, to let the comfortable silence set in end then for the beautiful random topics to emerge. Some of them were not random. Now I realise that my curiosity around vision quests and ceremonies was generously attended to in long conversations with Silvia, Genaro and Victoria. A door is now opened to an entire new world.
My idea of the learning environments I would like to design also enlarged. The involvement of Unitierra in the political struggle in Oaxaca sparked the insight that people building revolutions (in the street) are generating a collective learning process. A learning environment would ideally engage with that real time collective learning, maybe even generate it. The idea of light (un)structures generating rich learning environments was another insight. Unitierra, with its light structure seems to have spread out organically around Oaxaca City, in the neighbouring state of Chipas but also to a chocolate factory in Canada. At UCI Red nobody gets paid and students are not charged. So now I hold this question: what is the minimal structure that can generate a rich and adaptive learning environment?.
Finally, I had a strong confirmation for an intuition I have: the base for my work as a learning architect will be in a village. I'd like to nurture knowledge systems that have synthesis as core. I believe that the knowledge system of the monoculture makes us "specialists of nothing and fools of everything else". This fragmented view of the world keeps us dependent on the unfriendly machine that we've built for ourselves. I have an incredible enthusiasm for a different system that nourishes the autonomy of people and their communities and I think that the village environment is better suited as a base for this.
This entry was posted in Miscellaneous, Travel Log on July 8, 2016 by Traian Bruma.


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Incoming kindergarteners get first look at school
Published 11:00 am Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Incoming Meadow View Elementary kindergartener Deanna Bellman, center, hugs her mother, Betty, during kindergarten orientation day at the school on April 17. (Reporter Photo/Neal Wagner)
When incoming Meadow View Elementary School kindergartener Deanna Bellman got her first look at the school on April 17, she knew she was ready for her first day of classes.
"I had fun. I liked playing on the playground and all the books in the library," Bellman said.
But for Bellman's mother, Betty, the upcoming school year will be somewhat bittersweet.
"It doesn't seem like she is old enough to go to school yet," Betty Bellman said as she hugged her daughter.
The Bellmans were among more than 100 incoming kindergarteners and parents who got better-acquainted with Meadow View on April 17 during the school's kindergarten orientation day.
For many parents and future students, it was their first look at the inside of the school. But Taryn Owens and her daughter, Jennie, were already familiar with the building.
"I've already got one in first grade, so we know how it works," Taryn Owens said with a laugh.
Jennie Owens said she is looking forward to attending the school next year, and is especially looking forward to creating masterpieces in the MVES art room.
During the orientation, school staff members put on a farm-themed show in the school's lunchroom while the kids and parents enjoyed a snack. After the production, the kids and parents took guided tours of the school and its grounds.
Members of the Alabaster Board of Education, including Interim Superintendent Dr. Phillip Hammonds and School Board member Ty Quarles, also attended the event.
"We always have a big turnout, because the kids are thrilled to start school," said MVES Registrar Teresa Davenport. "They've heard about all this stuff at the school, and they want to see it firsthand."
Davenport also said the visit helps to put parents at ease with safety concerns.
"I get a lot of questions about school safety," Davenport said. "But we are very proud of all the (school resource officers) we have in our schools. I think when the parents see that, it puts them at ease."
Pelham wins top-5 battle at Oak Mountain
Pelham's Emily Spain prepares to tag out Oak Mountain's Taylor Shivers as she tries to steal second in the Panthers'... read more

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The first software metronome that features Metric Modulation. Shift between tempos instantly in any time signature. All you have to do is input your home and target tempo and BeatNav guides you through rhythmic lines. Despite the fancy word, BeatNav is an amazing tool for musicians of all levels with an easy to use software.
If you are looking for a simple metronome, check out BeatNav Lite.
– Save/Name/Rename tempos and create playlists.
– Save/Name/Rename your modulation results.


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Tiny humans shrank fast Hobbit find shows
By Christian Nordqvist Published Jun 10, 2016 at 0:04 AM GMT
The normal-sized ancient humans who first appeared on the island of Flores in Indonesia shrank rapidly and became small 'Hobbits', according to a recent discovery of a 700,000-year-old primitive human.
Several fossils – of at least one adult and two juveniles – suggest that the original normal-sized humans who first set foot on the island became smaller and smaller over a surprisingly short period.
A team of scientists from Japan, Australia and Indonesia published details of their study and findings in the prestigious journal Nature (citation below).
Archaeologists found a piece of lower jaw and some children's teeth which bring them nearer to determining where the tiny humans of the island of Flores originated from. (Image: griffith.edu.au)
The researchers, from Griffith University and the University of Wollongong, both in Australia, the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, and the Geology Museum Bandung in Indonesia, wrote about their discovery of ancestors of Homo floresiensis – the island of Flores' mysterious species of pygmy-like humans.
A partial skeleton of a primitive adult human female was unearthed from Liang Bua, a limestone cave in the west of Flores.
The skeleton – called LB1 – is the most extreme human ever excavated. It was incredibly short, just about one metre tall (slightly more than 3 feet), with a brain smaller than that of a chimp. This extremely small individual existed about 70,000 years ago.
Now the authors explain that fossil remains of hominins of a similar size, excavated at Mata Menge, 70 km east of Liang Bua, are at least 700,000 years old.
Some of the teeth, including adult and children's milk teeth, which are estimated to be at least 700,000 years old. These images are not to scale. (Image: Large close-up – uow.edu.au. Other smaller images – uow.edu.au)
Archaeologists unearthed a fragment of a hominin lower jaw and a number of isolated teeth in a layer of sandstone which had been deposited next to a lakeside stream about 700,000 years ago.
A breakthrough find
Co-author, Dr. Adam Brumm, an archaeologist and senior research fellow within the Environmental Futures Research Institute at Griffith University, says this new finding is the most spectacular breakthrough yet to help scientists understand the origin of 'hobbits'.
Dr. Brumm, who first commenced fieldwork at Mata Menge twelve years ago with Indonesian colleagues, and under the leadership of the late Professor Michael John 'Mike' Morwood, said:
"We have unearthed fossils from at least three individuals, including two children, along with stone tools that are almost identical to those made by the much younger Homo floresiensis."
"There is a striking similarity in size and form between the Mata Menge hominins and the Liang Bua hobbit, which is surprising given the former are at least several hundred millennia older."
"This suggests the Mata Menge individuals belonged to a population of ancient hobbit-like hominins that gave rise to Homo floresiensis. They may even have been a very early form of hobbits, which would mean this species existed for far longer than anyone had anticipated."
Ever since the hobbit bones were first discovered, researchers have been at a loss to make sense of where Homo floresiensis – a previously unknown species – fits into the human family tree.
Scientists believe that these creatures evolved from an archaic branch of hominins who lived a long time before our own species in Africa emerged about 200,000 years ago. However, there is disagreement among experts regarding which member of the hominin group spawned Flores hobbits.
Mata Menge excavations. (Image: griffith.edu.au)
Two hypotheses regarding Hobbit origins
The distinctive and unique anatomy of Homo floresiensis has led to two hypotheses:
1. Java Man: some experts suggest that hobbits descended from Java Man, also known as Asian Homo erectus, an early hominin that reached the island of Java west of Flores approximately 1,500,000 years ago – Homo erectus was similar in height to modern humans.
Perhaps a small group of these hominins became stranded on Flores, and reduced in size over time. This would be the first case we know of – of hominins conforming to the 'Island Rule' – in which mammals cut off on islands with no predators and limited food became small if they were large (dwarfism) or large is they were small (gigantism).
2. A very ancient precursor: other experts suggest that perhaps Homo floresiensis stems from considerably more ancient precursos, such as Homo habilis, or even an ape-like australopithecine, primitive forerunners of hominins known only from the early fossil record of Africa.
The two hypotheses were put forward, and did not really make much progress for a long time, that is, until the discovery of these latest fossils.
Dr Gerrit 'Gert' van den Bergh led the team that excavated the lower right jaw fragment and six teeth. (Image: uow.edu.au)
Dr. Brumm said:
"While only a handful of fossils has been found at Mata Menge so far, characteristic features of the teeth strongly imply an ancestral relationship with Homo erectus."
"This lends weight to the theory that the hobbit was a dwarfed version of the famous Java Man, which somehow got marooned on the island. The fact that they were found with fossils of extinct pygmy elephants (Stegodon) and giant rats also supports the idea of an isolated group of Homo erectus undergoing a dramatic evolutionary change owing to the Island Rule."
More specimens needed
Dr. Brumm adds, however, that the mystery of the hobbit's origins has not yet been conclusively resolved – we need more complete hominin fossils.
Dr. Brumm explained:
"We were expecting a simple answer. We didn't get one: no one thought the ancestor of the hobbit would itself have looked like a hobbit. I do think Homo floresiensis was a dwarfed Homo erectus, but identifying the true ancestor requires more fossil evidence."
The authors believe more skeletal remains will be found, given that the fossils unearthed so far at Mata Menge were of multiple individuals. The researchers are currently looking for a financial backer so that they may expand the scale of excavations at this site and other promising fossil locations on the island.
Dr. Adam Brumm, from Griffith University's Centre for Human Evolution. (Image: griffith.edu.au)
Dr. Drumm said:
"Mata Menge is a goldmine. I expect that further excavations at this site will eventually yield a hominin skull, which will finally allow us to put a face and a name to the hobbit's ancestor. Then we will know how this experiment in human evolution got started."
The team that excavated the lower right jaw fragment and six teeth was led by Dr Gert van den Bergh, from the University of Wollongong's (UOW) Centre for Archaeological Science. Dr. van den Bergh said:
"Remarkably, these fossils, which include two milk teeth from children, are at least 700,000 year old. This find has important implications for our understanding of early human dispersal and evolution in the region and quashes once and for all any doubters that believe Homo floresiensis was merely a sick modern human (Homo sapiens)."
This jaw bone – found on Flores – is from a tiny adult; even smaller than the 'Hobbit'. (Image: nature.com)
Dr. Yousuke Kaifu, who works at Tokyo's National Museum of Nature and Science, compared the fossils with an extensive dataset of modern and fossil hominins to identify them. Dr. Kaifu said:
"All the fossils are indisputably hominin and they appear to be remarkably similar to those of Homo floresiensis. The morphology of the fossil teeth also suggests that this human lineage represents a dwarfed descendant of early Homo erectus that somehow got marooned on the island of Flores."
"What is truly unexpected is that the size of the finds indicates that Homo floresiensis had already obtained its small size by at least 700,000 years ago."
The late rock-art specialist, Professor Mike Morwood (1950-2013) at Liang Bua cave, where his team discovered Homo floresiensis. (Image: nature.com)
In an Abstract that describes the main paper in the journal, Dr. Brumm and colleagues wrote:
"The Mata Menge fossils are derived compared with Australopithecus and H. habilis, and so tend to support the view that H. floresiensis is a dwarfed descendent of early Asian H. erectus."
"Our findings suggest that hominins on Flores had acquired extremely small body size and other morphological traits specific to H. floresiensis at an unexpectedly early time."
The Mata Menge research was supported by an ARC (Australian Research Council) Discovery grant, and the Geological Survey Institute of Bandung.
Citation: "Homo floresiensis-like fossils from the early Middle Pleistocene of Flores," Gerrit D. van den Bergh, Yousuke Kaifu, Iwan Kurniawan, Reiko T. Kono, Adam Brumm, Erick Setiyabudi, Fachroel Aziz & Michael J. Morwood. Nature 534, 245–248. DOI: 10.1038/nature17999.
Video – Amazing new finds offer clues to 'Hobbit' ancestry
In a spectacular new discovery, scientists have unearthed the fossilised remains of ancient hominins in Indonesia, which appear to be the ancestors of the tiny species of human – Homo floresiensis – affectionately nicknamed the 'Hobbit', that stood just over 3 feet (1 metre) tall.


Collaboration with Collaboration with Jérémie Descamps, Zhang Chun, Zhou Le, Wang Gongxin, Marie Terrieux and Frédéric Henriques.
The Contemporary China Mobility Memory and Perspective project is a trans-disciplinary research on the representations and imagery on mobility in China. Over the course of fifteen months, several town-planners, geographers, sociologists, artists, collectors, cultural producers amongst other specialists respectively based in France and China engaged in collaborative enquiry.
The way people migrate from place to place plays a significant role in society. Daily mobility, leisure, tourism, and migrations shape the mode of existence of people and model social networks. How these practices catalysed the memories, dreams, and hopes of the Chinese population? How the burgeoning of new means of transportation alters lifestyles and travel practices? What is the link between mobility and representations of modernity in China?
In this project, Thomas Sauvin's duty was to build the whole corpus of images. He gathered in total 82 historical and contemporary photographs, which originated from his Beijing Silvermine archive. It was composed of propaganda photo-books, vintage studio photographs, recycled negatives, and contemporary snapshots. This corpus characterised the evolution of people's mobility in China. It served as a tool for sociologists who conducted investigations in several Chinese cities to understand the way Chinese society remembered, forgot, imagined, represented, dreamt or lived such mobility and how it conceived its urban future.


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Shuozhou (chiń. 朔州; pinyin: Shuòzhōu) – miasto o statusie prefektury miejskiej w środkowych Chinach, w prowincji Shanxi. Prefektura miejska w 1999 roku liczyła 1 382 002 mieszkańców.

Przypisy

Miasta w prowincji Shanxi
Shuozhou

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Club Penguin Cheats by Mimo777 Club Penguin Cheats by Mimo777: Who is "Nickname" on Club Penguin?
Our buddy Lance Priebe one of the founders of Club Penguin, tweeted the answer to this question. Oh yeah, and he mentioned @MIMO777 and this site, clubpenguingang.com!
So now you know! "Nickname" is the name used for all penguins!
Why did he randomly say you posted a glitch?
What made you pick the name "Mimo777"
You know what we should all do? Since we all play Club Penguin, we should write a comment here or on the next topic with the name Nickname. It will be fun.
Why would you put your penguin's name as "Nickname" when the penguin's name is supposed to be a name, not a nickmae?
Hahaha I'm just being stupid don't be confused why I'm even writing this!


This ambitious project is a hospitality development with retail on the Ground and lower levels.
Contrary to to the Architectural Brutalism of the surroundings with which the site connects, the project creates a human scale retail "neighborhood" which, unlike a large podium is inviting and easily accessible. There is a shared connection and functional relationship between the project and the neighbouring hotel.
Besides the ample public space, common outdoor and indoor facilities are provided for the residents of the tower. Apartments all have large windows and independent balconies, natural light, and views over the city and the seafront.
The building marks its unique identity using hanging gardens and transparency. It will be a great destination to live in as well as visit.


Monarch Center for Autism offers numerous educational and recreational programs for the autism community. Examples include a bank of visual supports, e-newsletters, free webinars and training sessions, technology tips, current articles, and community arts and sports events. In addition, Monarch students are afforded opportunities to participate in a musical theater residency and attend a spring prom. Monarch also offers consultative services for autism organizations around the world.


It is my go-to nail polish color for everyday French manicure glamour--Especially to achieve the white-on-white French manicure look. This color matches all outfits, of course because it is not pink, like your usual French manicure look. It is one great pick that I highly recommend! The outcome is simply classic and elegant.
When I go to the salon, my manicurist / nail technician applies just two coats and it looks incredibly amazing! The color is not opaque and has a sheer quality, so it looks perfect in the French manicure style!
You may find this nail color at your drugstore. You can also find this nail polish here.


The Clouse Hill Tract is located just minutes from downtown Monteagle, Tennessee and an hour from Chattanooga.This acreage is full of wildlife, perfect for an avid hunter. Whitetail deer, wild turkey, and other small game will keep you coming back each weekend. The bluff views add to the natural splendor of this tract.Other recreational opportunities include camping, bird-watching, hiking, and horseback or ATV riding. The property has several roads and trails already cut. Close by is Sewanee University of the South; and several state parks including Savage Gulf and Fiery Gizzard.The woods are mostly pine with a percentage of hardwoods. Timber inventory available upon request.No restrictions.


hatsumi knits is an artisan knitwear label founded by Nicola Camporeale in 2015.
Inspired by the Japanese aesthetic of simple, subtle and unobtrusive beauty. All items are handmade in Melbourne, Australia from locally-sourced natural materials like wool, cotton and bamboo.
hatsumi believes there is beauty in imperfection. All pieces are unique and special. They are designed to last a lifetime, and with a little TLC can be passed down to future generations.
hatsumi focuses on quality and craftsmanship, and provides an alternative to mass-produced and disposable fashion.


Photo: The pier at Kadidiri Paradise, Togean Islands.
Use the map below to find specific destinations in Indonesia. Each star icon marks a location covered on Travelfish. Click on the star for a link straight to that introduction page for that location.


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Egypt's former presidential candidate Shafiq to return
December 20, 2016 at 11:59 am | Published in: Africa, Egypt, News
Egypt's former presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq is expected to return to the country in mid-January, after the Egyptian Passports and Immigration Authority removed his name from an airport watchlist on Monday, sources close to Shafiq revealed.
Shafiq's attorney, Dina Adly, said Attorney General, Nabil Sadek, has lifted her client's name from the airport watchlist upon the Criminal Court's decision issued on 13 December.
The North Cairo Criminal Court Sixth Circuit accepted a lawsuit filed by Shafiq demanding his name be removed from the watchlist.
The proceedings explained that Shafiq fled the country after the Supreme Committee for Elections announced the victory of then President-elect Mohamed Morsi in 2012 and has been living abroad since.
Shafiq had faced various corruption charges but was acquitted or had cases against him dropped.


text:
Pilgrims survive trip to Knox
Updated at 1:14 am on December 7, 2016
KNOX – A game that saw both teams meet defensive objectives ended with the Plymouth Pilgrims happy to come home with a hard fought 48-47 win at Knox on a Tuesday night.
The Redskins did their best to shut down Plymouth captain and leading scorer Nick Felke, and the Pilgrims made a concerted effort to do the same with Knox offensive leader Kooper Broeker.
"Offensively they do a lot of dribble penetration so our plan was to try to keep them from getting into the paint and preventing those splits," said Knox head coach Rob Krueger. "I think it seemed it had them a little off balance."
"I thought (Ryan Carmichael) gave us some good minutes and I thought Kadin (McCrammer) did as well off the bench," said Plymouth head coach Ryan Bales. "Ryan (Carmichael) is proving to be one of our best one on one defenders and I thought he was really good off the ball, trying to deny the ball to Broeker. He can be very physical. He did a good job making it really difficult on him."
Broeker ended the night with just 11 points well under his 20 per game average and the 39 he scored just a game ago against Tippecanoe Valley, but found other ways to contribute with a team leading five rebounds along with distributing the ball to team mates, especially Brendon Binkley who went off for 19 points missing just one shot on the night.
"He has great practices," said Krueger of Binkley's performance. "We've just been waiting for a night like tonight. Once he gets in a flow he's a really good shooter especially when he gets his feet set."
Krueger had also expressed some concern about his defense prior to the game but hoped that the performance against the Pilgrims was a sign of things to come.
"They brought it, they executed. The last game we played at Tippy Valley they did the exact opposite of what you saw out there (tonight)," he said. "Maybe they learned something from that. We have to be a good defensive team if we're going to be any good at all. I thought we played well enough offensively to hang in there and have a chance to win in the fourth quarter but I think we went down three or four times and turned the ball over and it's always those little plays that come back to hurt you."
Felke was well under his scoring average too, but once again hit the crucial three that would give the Pilgrims the lead for good, and sealed the win with a pair of free throws with just :13.2 that were quite literally the difference in the game.
They did a great job on Nick and we've got to get to the point where we trust others," said Bales. "We know he's (Felke) going to respond. He's a senior and a captain for a reason. The third quarter I think we got a little more into the game plan we wanted to. It was good to see some other guys step up. Production is an important thing and if we aren't getting it from the guys on the court it's tough to keep them in the rotation."
Bales also had some concerns with his defense.
"We're spending a lot of time in our practices right now on one on one defense and I think it's obvious that it shows we need to work on it," he said. "When they got really aggressive tonight we didn't turn it up and we played tentatively and you can't play that way. We have to get better.
Cam Dennie had his best night of the year putting in 19 points of his own adding four rebounds, assists and steals.
The Pilgrims are now 4-1 with a game at Peru on Friday. Knox falls to 2-3 and is on the road at Culver on Saturday night.
Score by Quarters
Plymouth 7 21 39 48
Knox 9 23 34 47
Plymouth (48) – Clay Hilliard 2 0-0 4,Cam Dennie 7 4-6 19, Ryan Carmichael 4 0-1 9, Nick Felke 1 3-4 6, Nathan Patterson 0 0-0 0, Travis Owen 0 0-0 0, Kadin McCrammer 1 2-3 5, Cole Filson 1 0-0 3, Garrett Tharp 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 9-14 48.
Knox (47) – Brendon Binkley 8 0-0 19, Cade Krueger 2 0-0 6, Eian Coad 1 0-0 3, Aaron Fletcher 1 1-1 3, Kooper Broeker 4 3-4 11, Brad LaRowe 4 0-1 8. Totals 20 4-6 47.
3 Pt. FG – Plymouth 5-18 (Filson, McCrammer, Felke, Carmichael, Dennie), Knox 6-16 (Binkley 3).
Rebounds – Plymouth 25 (McCrammer, Carmichael 5), Knox 28 (LaRowe 8).
Assists – Plymouth 10 (Dennie 4), Knox 13 (Coad 3).
Steals – Plymouth 10 (Dennie 4), Knox 5 (Binkley 2).
Turnovers – Plymouth 11, Knox 12.
Fouls (Fouled Out) – Plymouth 11, Knox 12.


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Dmitri Sergejevitsj Kirisjenko (Russisch: Дмитрий Сергеевич Кириченко) (Novoaleksandrovsk, 17 januari 1977) is een Russisch voormalig voetballer die speelde als aanvaller. Hij is de speler die het snelste doelpunt ooit op het Europees kampioenschap voetbal achter zijn naam heeft staan. Kirisjenko scoorde op EURO 2004 na twee minuten tegen Griekenland. In 2013 beëindigde Kirisjenko zijn profcarrière bij FK Mordovia Saransk.

Clubcarrière
Kirisjenko was vooral bekend van zijn periode bij FK Rostov – met name bij het in Rostov opgegane Rostselmasj – (1998–2001) en topclub CSKA Moskou (2002–2004). Kirisjenko heeft tweemaal de Premjer-Liga gewonnen als speler van CSKA Moskou, in 2002 en 2003. In zijn eerste seizoen, 2002, was hij de gedeelde topscorer van de competitie, samen met zijn ploeggenoot Rolan Goesev. Beide spelers maakten vijftien doelpunten. Kirisjenko was een efficiënte spits die op Russische bodem 178 competitiedoelpunten heeft gescoord. Voorts speelde hij voor FK Satoern Ramenskoje Moskou en FK Moskou. Ook daar wist Kirisjenko meer dan twintig keer het doel staan. In 2011 besloot Kirisjenko om terug te keren naar Rostov, waarna hij in 2013 zijn carrière beëindigde bij FK Mordovia Saransk. Kirisjenko is achter Aleksandr Kerzjakov (141) en Oleg Veretennikov (140) met 129 doelpunten de speler met de meeste treffers in de Premjer-Liga, de hoogste Russische voetbalcompetitie.

Interlandcarrière
Kirisjenko speelde ondanks vaak uitmuntende prestaties als aanvaller bij zijn clubs amper twaalf interlands voor het Russisch voetbalelftal. Kirisjenko heeft vier interlanddoelpunten op zijn naam, waaronder één speciale goal. In 2004 nam Kirisjenko deel aan EURO 2004 te Portugal , maar de Russen schopten het onder leiding van bondscoach Georgi Jartsev niet verder dan de groepsfase (tegen Portugal zelf, Spanje – dat ook naar huis moest – en Griekenland).

Kirisjenko maakte naam voor zichzelf op dat EK doordat hij het snelste doelpunt ooit scoorde op een EK. Zijn record staat anno 2020 nog steeds. In de laatste groepswedstrijd tegen het Griekenland van Otto Rehhagel, dat het toernooi zou winnen, scoorde Kirisjenko al na twee minuten. Rusland won met 2–1.

Erelijst

Zie ook
 Lijst van spelers van FK CSKA Moskou

Russisch voetballer


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Q: Filtering rows within a group I have a dataframe like the following:
ID <- c(1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5)
Type <- c('A','B','C','B', 'C','A','B', 'C','A','C', 'C')
Value <- c(10, 11, 12, 1, 2, 100, 101, 102, -1, -2, -10)

df <- data.frame(ID, Type, Value)

My goal is a dataframe, which only has one row for each ID. But I would like to select the rows based on certain criteria / waterfall principle.
So type A is preferred, then type B, then type C. My goal is the following dataframe:
ID <- c(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Type <- c('A','B','A','A', 'C')
Value <- c(10, 1, 100, -1, -10)

df_goal <- data.frame(ID, Type, Value)

I thought aboubt pivoting into wide format and then use dplyr::coalesce, but then I would loose the Type-column. I am pretty sure there is a solution using dplyr::group_by and dplyr::summarise. Initially I also thought about using dplyr::if_else in a dplyr::filter statement, but this is not possible I think.
Any help is appreciated!

A: In dplyr, use slice_min, which by default filters the minimum value by group ordered by a variable (here Type, which is sorted by alphabetical order).
library(dplyr)
df %>%
  group_by(ID) %>%
  slice_min(Type)

# A tibble: 5 × 3
# Groups:   ID [5]
     ID Type  Value
  <dbl> <chr> <dbl>
1     1 A        10
2     2 B         1
3     3 A       100
4     4 A        -1
5     5 C       -10

In base R:
df[with(df, Type == ave(Type, ID, FUN = min)), ]

A: data.table solution
library(data.table)

setDT(df) # make it a data.table if it is not yet

setkey(df, Type) # set the key on Type
df[, .SD[1L], by = ID] # subset the first value per ID

#    ID Type Value
# 1:  1    A    10
# 2:  3    A   100
# 3:  4    A    -1
# 4:  2    B     1
# 5:  5    C   -10

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


1997 The Best Of Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band So Far /images/dvd/Ringo Starr/1997 - The Best Of Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band So Far.jpg Ringo lets loose with his superstar friends in this eagerly-awaited video of worldwide concert highlights from four different All Starr Bands. All the fun and variety of the shows are captured here as legendary rockers share the spotlight and join in with Ringo on his favorite solo and Beatles hits. Songs: Honey Don't (Ringo Starr), Iko Iko (Dr. John), The Weight (Levon Helm), Photograph (Ringo Starr), Don't Go Where the Road Don't Go (Ringo Starr), Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh), No No Song (Ringo Starr), Bang the Drum All Day (Todd Rundgren), You're 16 (Ringo Starr), Yellow Submarine (Ringo Starr), I Wanna Be Your Man (Ringo Starr), Groovin' (Felix Cavaliere), You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet (Randy Bachman), Boys (Ringo Starr), It Don't Come Easy (Ringo Starr), Sunshine of Your Love (Jack Bruce), Norwegian Wood (Peter Frampton), A Whiter Shade of Pale (Gary Booker), All Right Now (Simon Kirke), Act Naturally (Ringo Starr), With a Little Help From My Friends (Ringo Starr).
then joins Barbara Walters for a one-on-one interview.
Vieira and Debbie Matenopoulos join the conversation.
2010 Y Not On TV /images/dvd/Ringo Starr/2010 - Y Not On TV.jpg Here is the Ringo Starr Jimmy Fallon video from Jan. 12, 2010 of his interview and performance on the late night show in support of Y Not, his newly released 16th studio album. He was the sole guest on the program, dubbed a Гґtakeover.Г¶ With Ben Harper and Relentless7, he performed the Beatles classics I Wanna Be Your Man and With A Little Help From My Friends as well as Walk With You, The Other Side of Liverpool from the new album.


The University of Minnesota recently released a study linking sugar-sweetened soft drinks to one of the most deadly forms of cancer. The university followed 60,000 people in Singapore over a 14 year period and discovered that individuals who consummed two or more soda 's a week had double the risk of pancreatic cancer. The researchers have concluded that insulin may play a role in the development of cancer. However that would not account for individuals who consume fruit juices.
Perhaps the real culprit is the elevated levels of bezene found in soda pop. The benzene results from decarboxylation of the preservative benzoic acid in the presence of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) especially under heat and light.


Charming updated home in great West Valley City community. Single level living, easy access to schools, shopping and the West valley fitness club. Beautiful home/ perfect for the starter family with Newly updated on the kitchen area, hardwood and tile throughout, brand new swamp cooler and 2 car garage.


Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of 159.2 km2 (61.5 sq mi) with a population of 412,341. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, 80 km (50 miles) south of Helsinki, west of Saint Petersburg.
One of northern Europe's most beautiful and best-preserved medieval towns, Tallinn never fails to make a positive first impression. Tallinn boasts myriad cultural attractions, historical sights and entertainment options, but retains an absorbing intimacy and is easy to explore on foot.
The largely pedestrianized Old Town (Vanalinn) is Tallinn's heart. An enjoyable, atmospheric and ultimately addictive jumble of medieval churches, striking cobblestone alleyways, slender steeples, barrel-shaped towers and gabled merchants' houses, it was once enclosed by medieval walls, of which significant stretches still survive. Its street plan is a confusion of curving streets and interconnecting passageways.
Tallinn was confirmed by the European Commission as the European Capital of Culture 2011 on 16 November 2007. The year of the Capital of Culture is a great occasion for all Estonia.
By this day, the tradition of the European Capital of Culture has given more than 40 cities an opportunity to present their distinct and diverse culture to millions of people from all over the world during one year.
The status of the event and the attention it attracts give the city a good chance to transform the existing cultural scene – carrying out daring ideas, creating new cooperation projects, reinforcing the existing organisations and structures, and including more people in the cultural life, may it be as organisers or as participants.
The idea of launching the European Capital of Culture project came to life in 1985, when the Ministers responsible for Cultural Affairs of the European Union decided that each year a European city would demonstrate its colourful cultural scene. The movement was proposed by Melina Mercouri, Minister of Culture of Greece. Back in that time, the project was called "European cities of culture".
As the enterprise was a great success from the beginning, its scope was extended, and since 1999, the selected cities are called European Capitals of Culture. Since 2005, two cities are named the Capitals of Culture at the same time, like Stavanger and Liverpool in this year. All cities located in the European Union can apply for the title of European Capital of Culture.


We would like to thank our new and old customers for following us on this journey and Happy Holidays!
Welcome to Maxx Carry. Free shipping on all orders.
We started Cardini Leather 8 years ago by focusing on creating affordable leather holsters without sacrificing quality.


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Parksley will seek $700,000 grant to revitalize downtown
Parksley officials voted to apply for a $700K grant for improvements to the downtown area.
Parksley will seek $700,000 grant to revitalize downtown Parksley officials voted to apply for a $700K grant for improvements to the downtown area. Check out this story on delmarvanow.com: https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/2019/03/13/parksley-seek-700-k-grant-revitalize-downtown/3103761002/
Carol Vaughn, Salisbury Daily Times Published 12:04 p.m. ET March 13, 2019
Parksley officials approved applying for a $700,000 grant to make improvements to the downtown area — including a bandshell, two signature alleyways and façade improvements to downtown businesses — as well as funds for market research and branding.
"These are all intended to be catalysts for driving business activity in downtown Parksley," said Curt Smith, director of planning for the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission.
The town will find out this summer if it will receive the federal Community Development Block Grant.
The Parksley Town Council on March 11 voted without dissent, with John Carter Parks absent, to move forward with applying for the grant.
The vote came after the second public hearing to take comments on the project. The first hearing was in November.
"We've gotten very positive feedback, but it is a very competitive grant," Smith said.
Curt Smith of the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission speaks about a grant application for a downtown revitalization project in Parksley, Virginia during a town council meeting on Monday, March 11, 2019. (Photo: Staff photo by Carol Vaughn)
The town soon will become home to the main branch of the Eastern Shore Public Library, which is relocating from Accomac to a former grocery store.
Among the proposed activities is improvement of two alleyways connecting the library property with businesses on Dunne Avenue.
An alley next to Russell's Formal and Bridal would become a pocket park, featuring landscaping in bloom during all seasons, a restored brick patio, a new brick walkway and distinctive lighting.
A second alleyway, next to the Club Car Café, would include public space for outdoor dining and recreation, a new brick walkway and lighting of courtyard area and a fire pit facing the library.
Additionally, the plan calls for construction of a bandshell and entertainment/education area in the town square.
The band shell area "is intended to establish a signature landmark in the town square," as well as to better draw and accommodate visitors, along with residents and employees of nearby businesses, Smith said.
The area would be used during town festivals, concerts and other events, and also could be used for private events like weddings and to provide additional space for farmers market vendors.
Festival goers enjoyed the Golden Spike Railroad Festival in Parksley, Virginia on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. The festival was a revival of Parksley Fall Festivals held for many years in the past. (Photo: Staff photo by Carol Vaughn)
The bandshell also could be used by schools, the library and other agencies including the Eastern Shore Community Services Board for educational programs.
Façade improvements to downtown businesses are another aspect of the planned revitalization.
An inventory of 79 downtown properties found physical blight in 75 percent of the buildings and economic blight — meaning vacant or underutilized buildings and parcels — in 35 percent of the properties.
Property owners eligible for the façade improvement program must provide public service within the defined downtown area and must provide a one-to-one match.
The grant includes up to $10,000 in a zero percent deferred loan for each property for architect design and estimates, with 20 percent of the loan forgiven each year for five years.
Downtown Parksley, Virginia on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. (Photo: Staff photo by Carol Vaughn)
Twenty properties have committed to the façade improvement program.
"This is very good coverage and should make an impact when it's all said and done," Smith said.
The town, under the terms of the grant, will create a committee to develop design guidelines and oversee the program, and must adopt an ordinance requiring the improvements be maintained for at least 10 years.
The improvements the grant will fund, if it is awarded, are part of a larger downtown revitalization master plan being considered for Parksley.
The 14-member Downtown Revitalization Project Management Committee, whose theme is "Get On Board!," held 25 meetings, workshops and public events between over the last two years to get to this point, Smith said.
Additionally, more than 115 residents, business owners and other stakeholders participated in the meetings and workshops, for a combined 700-plus hours of work.
The Eastern Shore Railway Museum in downtown Parksley, Virginia on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. (Photo: Staff photo by Carol Vaughn)
Parksley in the 1980s was awarded its first downtown revitalization grant, which resulted in construction of a farmers market pavilion, creation of a town square common area and sidewalk, lighting and other improvements.
Town officials in 2016 contacted the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission about applying for a second grant to make additional improvements.
Councilman Frank Russell said a volunteer already has started to clean up the alleyway beside Russell's Bridal & Formal shop.
He noted a $2 million contribution from Accomack County toward construction of the library served as part of the match required for the grant.
WATCH: New farm to table store opening near Chincoteague
READ: NASA Wallops' next Antares rocket launch to ISS in April
Read or Share this story: https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/2019/03/13/parksley-seek-700-k-grant-revitalize-downtown/3103761002/
Maryland Lottery scratch-off pays off big


After Alice Guy in 2012, we honor Germaine Dulac (1882-1942), radical feminist, who was at the origin of the French cinema revival and the cinematograph avant-garde.
An actress is loved by a lord and a poet. A radical feminist, dreaming of the cinema as a delicate art, Germaine Dulac, one of the first women filmmakers, contributed to the revival of French cinema.
spa; an employee in a thrift store; a prison escapee who saves a mother and daughter from drowning. Chaplin created the character of the Tramp for films with a fast-paced and irresistible humor. To see with the family!
Read "Dominique Sanda, la Garbo française" (French).
Nantes, 1955, a shipyard strike. Love (doomed from the start) between a worker (Richard Berry) and a bourgeois lady (Dominique Sanda). The darker side of singing films by Jacques Demy.
Seeing the corpse of his wife who has just committed suicide, a man remembers their past together, while trying to understand the reasons she took her life. One of the finest films by Bresson, with the haunting Dominique Sanda.
Tim Roth is back! He will join Quentin Tarantino (Roth acted in his Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction) to present the only film he has directed, The War Zone.
Tom and his family leave London to live in the country. Nothing can prepare him for the terrible secret that binds his father and his sister. The only film directed by Tim Roth, the film contains uncompromising violence.


Few among us would work without fair compensation, no matter how much we loved our jobs. Physicians who practice locum tenens on either a part-time of full-time basis are naturally interested in earning potential. In this article, we answer some of the most commonly asked questions about pay rates.
Q: HOW ARE PAY RATES DETERMINED?
A: Think back to Economics 101 where you learned about supply and demand. Pay rates for locum tenens physicians – who typically work as independent contractors and are matched to assignments by staffing agencies – are very much market driven. When there is a higher demand for, say, anesthesiologists than there are anesthesiologists to fill positions around the country (or in a particular geographic area), these physicians will command a higher rate than they would if they were in an oversupply situation. Pay rates may vary somewhat by location (i.e., you may earn more practicing in a remote community), but overall specialty demand tends to trump geography. Rates may be higher in practice settings where patient volume is above average, or where a position has been vacant for a long period of time.
Q: IS THERE ROOM FOR NEGOTIATION?
A: Yes, you have the ability to negotiate your pay rate and then accept or decline an assignment accordingly. Since they are not employers, locum tenens firms cannot dictate how you practice and you can negotiate what you are paid. If you are willing to work longer hours or for an extended stretch of time at one location, there could room for further negotiation. Doctors who call around to several locum tenens companies to compare rates, however, often find that they are all fairly comparable. Remember, too, that you are obligated to contract with the first locum tenens company that introduced you to a specific placement. Calling around to try to get better compensation for a particular opportunity violates your contract and industry standards of practice. Keep in mind that a locum tenens arrangement involves three parties: the doctor, the client (hospital or clinic), and the agency. All three should ultimately feel that they are getting a "fair deal" or this three-way relationship will not be successful long-term.
Q: HOW IS PAY CALCULATED?
A: Locum tenens physicians are typically paid by the day. You may receive an additional amount for weeknight and weekend call, and you might be offered "premium" pay for exceptionally long shifts or work weeks. You may or may not receive extra compensation for seeing patients on holidays, so be sure to ask. Also, be aware, that except in very unusual circumstances, you will not collect any part of your billed charges. The revenue you generate seeing patients goes directly to the clinic or hospital.
Q: HOW DOES THE LOCUM TENENS AGENCY GET PAID?
A: As the "matching agent," the firm pays you and collects a slightly higher amount from the client. Agencies earn their fee in exchange for matching you with opportunities, handling the licensing, credentialing, and privileging process, making travel and housing arrangements (often on short notice), providing malpractice insurance, and perhaps a few other perks. Since they are independent contractors, physicians often wonder why they cannot simply find temporary practice opportunities on their own, cut out the "middle man," and receive the full daily rate directly. The short answer is that they can, but most do not because (a) they do not have a large network of colleagues who need locum tenens coverage on a regular basis; and (b) the time involved in taking care of all the little details that an agency typically handles is significant. That said, physicians who fill in occasionally within their own communities may be quite successful in negotiating locum tenens engagements.
Q: HOW ARE INCOME TAXES HANDLED?
A: As a physician practicing locum tenens, you must understand that you are an independent contractor. That means taxes (income and social security) are not withheld from the amount you receive. At the beginning of each year, you will receive 1099 forms from the staffing agency or agencies that matched you with assignments during the prior year, and the amount specified must be reported for tax purposes. You may wish to set up a special account where you can "escrow" a percentage of your earnings throughout the year. That way, you won't be scrambling come April 15th.
We hope that this brief Q&A session has answered most of your concerns about pay rates. If you have additional questions, be sure to contact your NALTO agency recruiter.
Comments on "Q&A: Common questions about locum tenens pay rates"


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"It was after them that the life we see began to branch out."
Mushishi Vol. 1
I don't think this is due in the Direct Market for another week or so, but it's in bookstores now, a new manga series from Del Rey.
You've probably heard something about Mushishi recently; much like Death Note, the extended franchise is arriving in the US just as it's flowered into a multimedia bonanza, although this particular bonanza is not so loud as the mighty saga of Light and those people who get killed. Mushishi is smaller-scale, though no less impressive, especially considering that writer/artist Yuki Urushibara was a complete novice to professional manga publishing when the series began in 2000. She broke into the industry in a manner unique to manga, winning one of several contests held by prominent anthologies to discover new talents, and soon found herself with a slot in Big Three manga publisher Kodansha's alternative-flavored Afternoon anthology. Soon after, the series won Kodansha's Manga of the Year award. In 2005, the Mushishi anime series began airing, its 26 episodes comprised of close adaptations of the first 26 stores from the manga, albeit aired in a different order; the show won the Grand Prize for both television anime and art direction at the Tokyo International Anime Fair in 2006.
And it wasn't just trophies these projects picked up - in a poll of fans from the 2006 Japan Media Arts Festival, both the anime and manga versions of Mushishi placed within their respective Top Ten of All Time categories. All time. Admirers overreacting to the glimmer of the new? Almost certainly, but it's strong evidence of the works' appeal among enthusiasts, particularly with the manga being ranked among such pop powerhouses as Dragon Ball and Doraemon, not to mention fellow contemporary golden boy Death Note. Meanwhile, none other than Katsuhiro Otomo (yes, of Akira fame), adapted the manga into a live-action theatrical film, his second directorial outing on that front (following 1991's World Apartment Horror), which debuted at the 2006 Venice Film Festival. The manga remains ongoing in Japan today.
In English-speaking environs, Mushishi was an active project in scanlation/fansubbing circles, with the anime attracting some special attention among viewers, but we now seem to be at the crucial moment of official aboveground breakthrough. Literally yesterday, the Mushishi anime was announced as officially licensed for R1 dvd release by FUNimation (though cease-and-desist letters sent to fansubbers months ago sort of spoiled the surprise), and the live-action film appears to be courting international buyers at Sundance, albeit under the dismaying title of Bugmaster (who are looking to court, Charles Band?).
And now - the arrival of the Mushishi manga, the font from which all else has sprung. Del Rey clearly thinks this series is special, as it been given a relatively fancy packaging job (ooooh, flaps!), along with the relatively fancy price of $12.95. I won't hold you in suspense - yes, Mushishi is worth $12.95, yes, it is a very good manga, no, I don't think it's quite the greatest thing since opposable thumbs, and yes, I already can't wait for Vol. 2, due in (ugh) May.
The special appeal of Mushishi is that it's in equal parts artful and addictive, leaving the reader with a pleasantly fulfilled sensation upon the reading of even one chapter, yet intent on still reading more. 'Chapter' is not the best word to use, actually; while there is a light element of continuity in Mushishi, every story is self-contained (the five in this volume range from about 35-60 pages each), with lead character Ginko playing the only recurring role of much significance. Ginko, you see, is the Mushishi of the title, a master of Mushi, the 'bugs' of the theatrical film's awful (if linguistically accurate) title. Mushi are not really bugs, though - they're a primal form of life, often tiny or invisible or simple vague, and so close to the heart of nature and sensation that their activities can affect things in a manner not unlike magic. And those who master the Mushi are not unlike magicians, though they're also doctors and scientists in the oldest sense, the wild-attuned potion-making visionary sense. Those people who can grasp and shape the darkness and the irrational, and keep the beasts outside the village walls.
Thus, every story in Mushishi follows Ginko around on a new adventure, where he's essentially a cross between John Constantine and Osamu Tezuka's Black Jack. The series seems to be set in a curious amalgam of time periods, so that some characters will be dressed in modern style, while stumbling into decidedly pre-modernization fishing villages and the like. All that is certain is that it's a time of national isolation. Ginko stops in to visit characters, and inevitably encounters a Mushi-related problem that he solves, often in exchange for an odd payment. He's sardonic, a bit cocky, and always the smartest person in the room (even when he's not, if you know what I mean), but also very empathetic to the fates that befall people who encounter Mushi. He's totally in control of his skills, and always comes prepared. The very cigarettes he smokes are actually Mushi, each puff a living entity with the power to bind and repel potential dangers.
Mushi can be anything, you see, diverse enough that one presumes Urushibara can extend the series as long as she pleases, so long as her imagination holds out. There's plenty to spare in this volume, as Ginko encounters a boy whose left hand can cause anything he draws to spring to life, a horned child that's come down with the curse of being able to hear everything, a man whose dreams come true with both wonderful and disastrous results, a little girl who's cripplingly sensitive to light but can see such perfect darkness that she can grasp the ineffable truths of being (woah!), and a living, traveling, sentient swamp, a sort of fantasy Japan equivalent of Danny the Street, that may be on a journey to die. At the core of it all is a continuing concern with man's relationship to nature, yet never in a modern environmentalist sense; this isn't about give-and-take or preservation, but basic coexistence of people and other things, and the means thorough which that coexistence is possible. The eyes, ears, mind.
These are excellent little stories. On the back cover flap, Urushibara cites "the old stories" as her frame of reference, and there is indeed something fable-like and earthy to these comics, like it's an elaborate series of half-scientific, half-mystic explanations for everything weird that might happen to a people, charged with wonder, but never entirely out of human control. As Urushibara notes between chapters:
"I absolutely do not believe (nowadays) in ghosts or fairytale creatures, but I wish they did exist. (For that reason, I'm very happy to have people close to me who I can trust to confirm some dubious rumors.) 'Mushi' were born as part of that dilemma, and so they take on the form of monsters at times. But only a little while back, monsters lived very close to people. I'm kind of envious of that."
And her tales are firmly grounded with those people, in relatable situations. Many of these stories deal with sensory perceptions, sight and hearing, or pure imagination, drawing and dreaming. These aspects of basic human existence are enhanced (or perverted) by the Mushi, creating an instantly relatable human drama. Who can't imagine their dreams or their sight suddenly jolted onto the next level of perception?
Horror and wonder mixes freely in these tales, with the 'cured' parties often experiencing remorse that they've been brought back down by Ginko to the world of human perception. Our Hero himself is a poignant character, always concerned under his confident façade about whether he's doing the right thing. We're given a few hints as to his origins, indicating that his true mission might be to prevent other people from becoming someone like him - mastering the Mushi requires one to become very close to them, and that surely exacts a cost. And even then, Ginko is not infallible; not all of these stories end well for the people he tries to help, with some pretty bad judgment calls made. Despite the self-contained nature of these stories, Ginko's failures haunt him from journey to journey, driving him even further.
But there's also some good humor mixed in with the fantasy, and some lovely moments of pure queasy spooking. Gelatinous liquid pours from blackened eyes, snail-like Mushi swarm across a man's face, searching for any orifice to crawl in, and bizarre visions are beheld, equal parts lovely natural vista and abstract scatterings of lines and shapes. The art does occasionally get in the way, it must be said; while Urushibara is obviously adept at tugging the indistinct forms of the Mushi into eyesight, and her many natural vistas are impressive, she sometimes stumbles with her human characters. Feet and hands are occasionally drawn far too large (and not even consistently so), and arms are twisted in perspective-defying ways that make them seem enormously long. True, these stories do represent the artist's first-ever professionally published works, so one maybe shouldn't realistically expect a gaffe-free outing, but the flubs are distractions nonetheless.
Better to try and focus on the artist's evident talents with page-by-page storytelling, her sure hand with quiet menace, and the insightful nature of her plots, both humanely telling and fantastically intriguing. I'm not surprised this world of Urushibara's has inspired the loyalty it has, as its so immediately relatable. If it's really the author's wish that fabulous creatures do exist, her greatest success is in prompting the same feeling in her readers, despite the horror that understandably courses through the thoughtful author's world. She manipulates the senses, like a Mushi herself. She's got me hooked, and I'm not going to be the last.
I have two links.
Really, who needs titles?
Links to the homes of the free.
Good, the streets are made of road again.
The Streets = Made of Ice
ALL ANIME SUNDAY POSTING
And now, a few words on passing amusements and idl...
The title that took more than a day to conjure.
What should I have for lunch today?
I dood it again.


Dentistry, the study, prevention, and treatment of diseases in the oral cavity, has a long, winding history, almost as long as mankind's. The earliest hint of dentistry dates as far back as 7000 B.C., making it one of the earliest specializations in the medical field. Beyond general dentistry arrived more specializations within the field, including periodontal and endodontic dentistry. With these specializations, dentistry and treatment options have grown immensely.


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Technology Stocks : Shopify Inc (SHOP: NASDAQ) SHOP.TO -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?
To: Glenn Petersen who wrote (38) 10/30/2020 9:33:18 AM
From: Glenn Petersen Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 55
Shopify stock is up in pre-market trading as earnings blow past estimates
Jonathan Shieber @jshieber
8:23 AM CDT•October 29, 2020
Shopify stock jumped nearly 3% in pre-market trading today after announcing earnings that handily beat the estimates set by Wall Street.
The Ottawa-based provider of e-commerce services for retailers reported earnings of $133.2 million, or $1.13 per-share, for the third quarter after posting a loss of $33.6 million, or 29 cents per-share, in the same period last year. Analysts tracking the company had expected earnings per-share of 52 cents.
Pretty much everything about the company's business looked good, partly driven by plummeting brick-and-mortar retail sales as health regulations to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus like occupancy constraints have slowed down foot traffic.
Shopify's $767.4 million in revenue for the quarter was up 96% from a year ago and handily beat the expectations of analysts who were predicting for the company to bring in roughly $658 million. Operating income was also up from the year-ago period, with Shopify calling about $50 million, or 7% of revenue, compared to a nearly $36 million loss for the year-ago period. Adjusted operating income was nearly $131 million.
"The accelerated shift to digital commerce triggered by COVID-19 is continuing, as more consumers shop online and entrepreneurs step up to meet demand," said Harley Finkelstein, Shopify's president, in a statement. "Entrepreneurs will be the force in rebuilding economies all over the world, which makes it even more important for Shopify to innovate and build the critical tools that merchants need to succeed in a low-touch retail environment."
"Shopify's tremendous third-quarter results reflect the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of our merchants," said Amy Shapero, Shopify's CFO. "More entrepreneurs are signing on to Shopify so they can quickly and easily put their ideas into action. We continue to evolve our global commerce operating system to make it easier for merchants to get online and start selling, get discovered, and get their goods to buyers, while providing a delightful shopping experience."
Shopify is interesting not only for its own revenue, but what its revenues say about the health of direct-to-consumer retail businesses — some of which have raised significant investment from venture capitalists.
Looking at the company's merchant solutions revenue, which grew by 132% to $522.1 million — the state of these direct-to-consumer companies' bottom line must be pretty healthy. Gross merchandise volume, the figure from which Shopify derives its merchant solutions gains, was $30 billion. That figure is an increase of $16.1 billion over the year-ago period.
Shopify is sitting on a pretty hefty financial cushion with $6.12 billion in cash and equivalents, up from $2.46 billion at the start of the year.
Outside its financials, Shopify is making moves to expand its footprint in social commerce through a recent partnership with TikTok, announced yesterday. The deal should enable more Shopify sellers to reach TikTok's audience by marketing directly on the platform using a toolkit integrated with Shopify's dashboard, the two companies said.


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text:
Universidad Andrés Bello Inicio
Resultados de investigaciones
Prensa/Medios de comunicación
Repercusiones
Wnt signaling function in Alzheimer's disease
Giancarlo V. De Ferrari and, Nibaldo C. Inestrosa
Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida
Resultado de la investigación: Contribución a una revista › Artículo de revisión › revisión exhaustiva
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with progressive dementia accompanied by three main structural changes in the brain: diffuse loss of neurons; intracellular protein deposits termed neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and extracellular protein deposits termed amyloid or senile plaques, surrounded by dystrophic neurites. Two major hypotheses have been proposed in order to explain the molecular hallmarks of the disease: The 'amyloid cascade' hypothesis and the 'neuronal cytoskeletal degeneration' hypothesis. While the former is supported by genetic studies of the early- onset familial forms of AD (FAD), the latter revolves around the observation in vivo that cytoskeletal changes - including the abnormal phosphorylation state of the microtubule associated protein tau - may precede the deposition of senile plaques. Recent studies have suggested that the trafficking process of membrane associated proteins is modulated by the FAD-linked presenilin (PS) proteins, and that amyloid β-peptide deposition may be initiated intracellularly, through the secretory pathway. Current hypotheses concerning presenilin function are based upon its cellular localization and its putative interaction as macromolecular complexes with the cell-adhesion/signaling β- catenin molecule and the glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) enzyme. Developmental studies have shown that PS proteins function as components in the Notch signal transduction cascade and that β-catenin and GSK-3β are transducers of the Wnt signaling pathway. Both pathways are thought to have an important role in brain development, and they have been connected through Dishevelled (Dvl) protein, a known transducer of the Wnt pathway. In addition to a review of the current state of research on the subject, we present a cell signaling model in which a sustained loss of function of Wnt signaling components would trigger a series of misrecognition events, determining the onset and development of AD. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.
Brain Research Reviews
Publicada - 2000
Áreas temáticas de ASJC Scopus
Neurociencia (todo)
Neurología clínica
Profundice en los temas de investigación de 'Wnt signaling function in Alzheimer's disease'. En conjunto forman una huella única.
Presenilins Medicina y ciencias biológicas 100%
Amyloid Plaques Medicina y ciencias biológicas 75%
Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Medicina y ciencias biológicas 62%
Catenins Medicina y ciencias biológicas 58%
Signal Transduction Medicina y ciencias biológicas 54%
Alzheimer Disease Medicina y ciencias biológicas 53%
Wnt Signaling Pathway Medicina y ciencias biológicas 52%
Transducers Medicina y ciencias biológicas 47%
De Ferrari and, G. V., & Inestrosa, N. C. (2000). Wnt signaling function in Alzheimer's disease. Brain Research Reviews, 33(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-0173(00)00021-7
De Ferrari and, Giancarlo V. ; Inestrosa, Nibaldo C. / Wnt signaling function in Alzheimer's disease. En: Brain Research Reviews. 2000 ; Vol. 33, N.º 1. pp. 1-12.
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title = "Wnt signaling function in Alzheimer's disease",
abstract = "Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with progressive dementia accompanied by three main structural changes in the brain: diffuse loss of neurons; intracellular protein deposits termed neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and extracellular protein deposits termed amyloid or senile plaques, surrounded by dystrophic neurites. Two major hypotheses have been proposed in order to explain the molecular hallmarks of the disease: The 'amyloid cascade' hypothesis and the 'neuronal cytoskeletal degeneration' hypothesis. While the former is supported by genetic studies of the early- onset familial forms of AD (FAD), the latter revolves around the observation in vivo that cytoskeletal changes - including the abnormal phosphorylation state of the microtubule associated protein tau - may precede the deposition of senile plaques. Recent studies have suggested that the trafficking process of membrane associated proteins is modulated by the FAD-linked presenilin (PS) proteins, and that amyloid β-peptide deposition may be initiated intracellularly, through the secretory pathway. Current hypotheses concerning presenilin function are based upon its cellular localization and its putative interaction as macromolecular complexes with the cell-adhesion/signaling β- catenin molecule and the glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) enzyme. Developmental studies have shown that PS proteins function as components in the Notch signal transduction cascade and that β-catenin and GSK-3β are transducers of the Wnt signaling pathway. Both pathways are thought to have an important role in brain development, and they have been connected through Dishevelled (Dvl) protein, a known transducer of the Wnt pathway. In addition to a review of the current state of research on the subject, we present a cell signaling model in which a sustained loss of function of Wnt signaling components would trigger a series of misrecognition events, determining the onset and development of AD. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.",
keywords = "Alzheimer's disease, Cytoskeletal change, Neuronal degeneration, Wnt signal transduction pathway, β-amyloid",
author = "{De Ferrari and}, {Giancarlo V.} and Inestrosa, {Nibaldo C.}",
note = "Funding Information: N.C.I. is recipient of a Presidential Chair in Science from the Chilean Government. This work was supported by grants FONDECYT N° 1971240 and FONDAP N° 13980001 to N.C.I. and FONDECYT N° 2970073 to G.V.D.",
journal = "Brain Research Reviews",
De Ferrari and, GV & Inestrosa, NC 2000, 'Wnt signaling function in Alzheimer's disease', Brain Research Reviews, vol. 33, n.º 1, pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-0173(00)00021-7
Wnt signaling function in Alzheimer's disease. / De Ferrari and, Giancarlo V.; Inestrosa, Nibaldo C.
En: Brain Research Reviews, Vol. 33, N.º 1, 2000, p. 1-12.
T1 - Wnt signaling function in Alzheimer's disease
AU - De Ferrari and, Giancarlo V.
AU - Inestrosa, Nibaldo C.
N1 - Funding Information: N.C.I. is recipient of a Presidential Chair in Science from the Chilean Government. This work was supported by grants FONDECYT N° 1971240 and FONDAP N° 13980001 to N.C.I. and FONDECYT N° 2970073 to G.V.D.
N2 - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with progressive dementia accompanied by three main structural changes in the brain: diffuse loss of neurons; intracellular protein deposits termed neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and extracellular protein deposits termed amyloid or senile plaques, surrounded by dystrophic neurites. Two major hypotheses have been proposed in order to explain the molecular hallmarks of the disease: The 'amyloid cascade' hypothesis and the 'neuronal cytoskeletal degeneration' hypothesis. While the former is supported by genetic studies of the early- onset familial forms of AD (FAD), the latter revolves around the observation in vivo that cytoskeletal changes - including the abnormal phosphorylation state of the microtubule associated protein tau - may precede the deposition of senile plaques. Recent studies have suggested that the trafficking process of membrane associated proteins is modulated by the FAD-linked presenilin (PS) proteins, and that amyloid β-peptide deposition may be initiated intracellularly, through the secretory pathway. Current hypotheses concerning presenilin function are based upon its cellular localization and its putative interaction as macromolecular complexes with the cell-adhesion/signaling β- catenin molecule and the glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) enzyme. Developmental studies have shown that PS proteins function as components in the Notch signal transduction cascade and that β-catenin and GSK-3β are transducers of the Wnt signaling pathway. Both pathways are thought to have an important role in brain development, and they have been connected through Dishevelled (Dvl) protein, a known transducer of the Wnt pathway. In addition to a review of the current state of research on the subject, we present a cell signaling model in which a sustained loss of function of Wnt signaling components would trigger a series of misrecognition events, determining the onset and development of AD. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.
AB - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with progressive dementia accompanied by three main structural changes in the brain: diffuse loss of neurons; intracellular protein deposits termed neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and extracellular protein deposits termed amyloid or senile plaques, surrounded by dystrophic neurites. Two major hypotheses have been proposed in order to explain the molecular hallmarks of the disease: The 'amyloid cascade' hypothesis and the 'neuronal cytoskeletal degeneration' hypothesis. While the former is supported by genetic studies of the early- onset familial forms of AD (FAD), the latter revolves around the observation in vivo that cytoskeletal changes - including the abnormal phosphorylation state of the microtubule associated protein tau - may precede the deposition of senile plaques. Recent studies have suggested that the trafficking process of membrane associated proteins is modulated by the FAD-linked presenilin (PS) proteins, and that amyloid β-peptide deposition may be initiated intracellularly, through the secretory pathway. Current hypotheses concerning presenilin function are based upon its cellular localization and its putative interaction as macromolecular complexes with the cell-adhesion/signaling β- catenin molecule and the glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) enzyme. Developmental studies have shown that PS proteins function as components in the Notch signal transduction cascade and that β-catenin and GSK-3β are transducers of the Wnt signaling pathway. Both pathways are thought to have an important role in brain development, and they have been connected through Dishevelled (Dvl) protein, a known transducer of the Wnt pathway. In addition to a review of the current state of research on the subject, we present a cell signaling model in which a sustained loss of function of Wnt signaling components would trigger a series of misrecognition events, determining the onset and development of AD. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.
KW - Alzheimer's disease
KW - Cytoskeletal change
KW - Neuronal degeneration
KW - Wnt signal transduction pathway
KW - β-amyloid
JO - Brain Research Reviews
JF - Brain Research Reviews
De Ferrari and GV, Inestrosa NC. Wnt signaling function in Alzheimer's disease. Brain Research Reviews. 2000;33(1):1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-0173(00)00021-7


text:
TV Executives Plan To Skip Q&A Session With Critics
By Eric Deggans
Published December 5, 2016 at 4:39 AM CST
OK, twice a year, journalists and critics gather in Los Angeles for the Television Critics Association press tour. This is two to three weeks of nonstop press conferences offered by television networks, cable channels and streaming companies to show off all their new programs. But here's this - 3 of the 4 biggest broadcast networks say they're not going to bring their top executives to press conferences at January's tour. And NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says this is a troubling precedent.
ERIC DEGGANS, BYLINE: When new CBS Entertainment President Glenn Geller faced TV critics in August to talk about the network's new fall shows, the first question he got was straight to the point.
MAUREEN RYAN: Why is it so difficult to get more inclusion for people of color in the top level of casting at CBS? And what message does it send that the leads of your shows are all heterosexual white men?
DEGGANS: That was Maureen Ryan, TV critic for Variety, laying out the biggest problem many writers had with CBS' fall lineup. Geller responded like a guy who expected the question but still knew he was on the spot.
GLENN GELLER: I'm really glad this question came up first because we're very mindful at CBS about the importance of diversity and inclusion. And I'm glad we're having this conversation first.
DEGGANS: Well, he didn't sound particularly glad to be having that conversation, but these interactions can provide important and revealing moments. It's where critics can speak on behalf of viewers, asking tough questions about the images and values shown on TV. I had a similar moment with HBO's president of programming, Casey Bloys. He seemed to deflect a question about sexual violence against women in HBO shows by saying violence is perpetrated against male characters, too. That prompted a little conversation.
CASEY BLOYS: My point is the violence is kind of spread equally amongst...
DEGGANS: I think the point is that that kind of violence directed against women is different. Rape against women is a particular kind of violence. It's about oppressing women.
BLOYS: Right.
DEGGANS: And there are many critics who are concerned that these shows seem to normalize that.
Both of these discussions sparked pieces by other journalists on the issues. I've attended these tours since 1997 and found that kind of public discussion invaluable. That's why I was concerned to hear that executives at ABC, CBS and NBC plan to skip press conferences with their top executives at January's press tour. The FOX network also planned to cancel their executive session but reinstated it Friday amid backlash from critics.
The networks say it's mostly about making the best use of their time. They want to pack press conferences in January with stars and producers from their midseason shows. But some critics are concerned the networks are ducking tough questions, especially after a fall season without big breakout hits. The executives will be available for some one-on-one interviews offstage, but it still looks like the networks are trying to shield their leaders from criticism.
I think they underestimated how controversial these actions would be. The networks could learn a thing or two from FX President John Landgraf. He's a savvy programmer who made the term peak TV a national topic by using it to describe today's glut of TV programming at one of his press conferences. In August, Landgraf announced he had pushed FX to hire more female and non-white directors after seeing a story by Maureen Ryan in Variety noting they had some of the worst diversity levels in that category.
JOHN LANDGRAF: I want to thank Mo Ryan for giving us and the rest of our industry a good, swift, well-deserved kick in the butt. We hope the example sends a message to our whole industry that it's well past time for change to happen.
DEGGANS: That's how these interactions work best, when executives use the public feedback from critics to make changes that improve TV for everyone. That's why I hope more networks reconsider and reinstate their executive sessions in January because better transparency eventually leads to better television. I'm Eric Deggans. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
Eric Deggans
Eric Deggans is NPR's first full-time TV critic.
See stories by Eric Deggans


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text:
Big Tech Technology & Innovation
Is Technology an Existential Threat?
So what are your own reactions to technology? Do you feel excited or downright horrified at the possibility of owning a humanoid Tesla bot that could run your errands for you?
by Mildred Awino October 4, 2021 November 17, 2021
Have you noticed how movies released in the 1980s to as late as the 2010s envisioned a dystopian future, catalysed by some robot-type or A.I. apocalypse? Movies like The Terminator (1984), Blade Runner (1982) with the sequel of 2013, and Ghost in the Shell (1995), all depict a highly mechanised and digitalised society where slim differences exist between human and machine. The wildly popular and revolutionary 'Black Mirror' series cemented this social commentary by interrogating the negative ethical implications of smart tech. Enter real life, and from the total-surveillance city of Shenzhen in China where jaywalking lowers your social credit, to the bricks-and-mortar Amazon Go stores powered entirely by an app, it is crystal clear how dystopian sci-fi themes explored by these movies were not so far off the mark.
So how does this relate to you, and to your own reactions to technology? Do you feel excited or downright horrified at the possibility of owning a humanoid Tesla bot that could run your errands for you? I imagine your mind would first explode with the possibilities of everything that could go wrong, before you would even begin to appreciate its benefits. And no, you are not being a downer or conspiratorial in the least when you react this way. You are simply picking up on deep psychological concepts such as 'the Uncanny', as well as philosophical issues surrounding technology like Critical Post-humanism, Ethical Cybernetics, and the Mind/Body problem. We will begin with the psychological exploration of what makes technology uncanny.
In 1919, Sigmund Freud, a pioneer in the field of psychoanalysis, wrote a ground-breaking essay titled The Uncanny or Unheimlich. According to Freud, the canny, or 'heimlich', relates to the home or that which is homely, familiar, hidden, and comfortable; the uncanny or 'unheimlich' relates to that which is unhomely, unconcealed, unfamiliar, and therefore eerie. A Freudian interpretation of a haunted house, for instance, would be that it represents the disturbed psyche. The uncanny, therefore, relates to that which has been repressed within the home (psyche) that eventually finds an outlet into your conscious world and whose effect on you is downright frightening.
In fact another term for the uncanny is 'the return of the repressed', where things that were previously unthreatening and familiar (usually from childhood) suddenly take on a strangely insidious quality in your present-day life, for instance, clowns or dolls. It's no wonder there are entire horror movie franchises premised on these two examples. It is because what truly frightens is that which appears to be objectively harmless but, due to psychological reasons, suddenly fills us with an unexplainable sense of fright and dread. Psychoanalysts also refer to this quality as negative familiarity, where the seemingly mundane suddenly becomes strange and unrelatable. Inanimate objects coming back to life, the Double/Doppelganger, severed limbs, and ghosts are some of the references made by Freud in his descriptions of the uncanny.
Robots as the Most Uncanny
In his 1906 essay On the Psychology of The Uncanny, German psychiatrist, Ernst Jentsch drew heavily from a short story called The Sandman, where the protagonist, Nathanial, falls in love with a woman, Olympia, who in the end is revealed to be an automaton, much to his horror and eventual suicide. According to Jentsch, the uncanny nature of any story involves figuring out whether a character is truly human or machine. What makes the automaton uncanny is the fact that it is a machine that mimics the human, and in doing so sometimes exhibits erratic and psychologically jarring behaviour. The mystery behind the workings of a robot also adds to this paranoia. The automaton in this case is the Freudian inanimate object acting as if it were alive, which carries with it deeply repressed issues for the collective to contemplate and address.
Masahiro Mori, a Japanese roboticist, also explored this concept further by asserting that the closer to human behaviour a robot is, the more uncanny feelings it will elicit in humans. Let me explain; an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is quite impersonal as compared to a human bank teller and in this sense is not considered uncanny. But what about Sophia the robot, or a listening device like Google Home? Will Sophia end up being deceptive in her verbal responses or even physically assault you in your sleep; and will Google Home eavesdrop on you because of late-capitalism's need to glean data from you for profit? These two devices would actually be exhibiting eerily human behaviour or negative familiarity if they acted in this way, and this uncertainty is what makes them uncanny as compared to an ATM.
Technology as Humanity's 'Doppelganger'
The Doppelganger or the Double is a powerful psychological archetype, which brings up issues of identity as well as immortality of the soul. In Literature and Film, this symbolism is usually explored as the evil twin, a malicious shadow, or a mirror that distorts your image or brings forth a malignant entity. In this sense, the double becomes a psychological dumping ground for the primary person, who then ascribes to the double all of their own negative aspects. By doing so, the double or the twin becomes evil, which only induces more uncanny feelings in the primary person.
The double also leads you to question your own identity and by confronting you, the doppelganger forces you to grapple with your own mortality. The soul is usually considered the double of the body, and it lives on after death. Indeed, in many cultures themes like reincarnation affirm the immutability of the soul. The double is an assurance of immortality, but ironically, it is also ''the uncanny harbinger of death'' because it exposes your mortality as your identity or life is soon to be taken over by the more sophisticated evil twin.
I am reminded of one of the earliest classics I ever read, Frankenstein. In it, Victor Frankenstein toils tirelessly for almost a year to create life in a human body that he assembled from various body parts. But as soon as the creature opens its eyes, Frankenstein is suddenly horrified by his creation and is filled with morbid regret. Technology in this case is both our creation and sophisticated twin to whom we ascribe our collective traits, including the negative and insidious ones. If humanity is a race that enjoys conquering each other for resources and sometimes for sport, how much so could technology overthrow its own creator, the human race? Also, to what extent does technology remind us of our own mortality or imperfection and does this play any role at all in our uncanny feelings towards it?
Some Philosophical Considerations
Since the dawn of time, humanity has associated life and all events to forces external to himself. This was even more exaggerated during the Early Middle Ages where there was little advancement in art, culture, and the sciences in Europe. This led to the emergence of Humanism during the Renaissance period as a philosophical school of thought that centred the human as the author of his own experience, and who had full agency and of control himself and his environment.
In the modern age though, Humanism is slowly giving way to Post-humanism, which (to its eternal credit) essentially rejects human exceptionalism. Post-humanism asserts that the human is programmed by the environment to act in certain ways or to develop certain habits and must therefore co-exist with nature and his environment. Post-humanism advocates for an interdisciplinary approach where humanity embraces art, cybernetics, quantum science, ecology, psychoanalysis, among other disciples, as valuable tools in his advancement. Whereas Post-humanism would typically welcome technological advancement, Critical Post-humanism would be aware of its benefits and yet wary of its implications.
This gives way to an exploration of Ethical Cybernetics, which is a branch of ethics that concerns itself with the implications of merging human and machine intelligence. The process of cybernetics entails continuous learning and adapting based on the feedback received by the machine. In this way, it gradually becomes intelligent and capable of reaching complex goals. Cybernetics is highly used in the medical field, where robotic systems can make medical diagnoses based on uploaded past medical data which enables it to pick up on medical anomalies in current and future patients based on the feedback loop generated from the information fed to it.
To carry the Cybernetics concept further, the term cyborg or cybernetic organism was coined in 1960 as a reference to the merging of man and machine, or humanity with technology. A good example of cyborgs would be those of us who use medical technological enhancements like contact lenses, hearing aids, pacemakers, and prosthetics. In the social sphere, even those of us who wear smart watches, which are essentially wearable smart phones, can be categorised as cyborgs.
In Philosophy, questions or issues that are yet to be comprehensively resolved or understood are referred to as Problems of Philosophy; key among them is the mind/body problem and the related concept of disembodied existence. Philosophers have long contemplated the relationship between the body and mind; is the mind an autonomous entity or is it predicated on physical processes of the body, like the brain? This is both a metaphysical and scientific question, because both fields generate strong responses to this question, which obscures the final answer further and leads to even more intense debate.
The year 2004 heralded the beginning of the golden age of the internet, and software begun to emerge as a premier form of intelligence, with the rapid advancements witnessed from this period meaning companies needed less hardware to execute tasks. New media is a good example of this, as social media algorithms (through cybernetics) act like a hive mind to generate an impressive degree of collective intelligence, geared to meet certain pre-set goals for their respective companies. What does this mean for the mind/body problem? If we are to believe that the mind is powered by physical processes much like a computer, then we can safely assert that intelligence is no longer the preserve of organic matter like the brain, and can now also be definitively generated from synthetic material (hardware). As creators of A.I. should this affect how we view our own inherent humanity since intelligence is steadily decreasing in significance as a differentiating marker? This line of inquiry would still bring us back firmly to Post-humanism.
They say the first thought that we have about something basically arises from conditioning, thus we should always strive to have 'second thoughts' that are much more balanced and objective, while isolating our biases and fear towards said thing. And so it is with technology, where mindfulness must begin with its creators, so that trust in technology can trickle down to its users.
Mildred Awino
Mildred is a spiritualist, astrologer, and cardologer with a keen interest in African traditional religions, history, and esoterica. Following an 18 year ... More
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