Elisa Lam: Executive producer Ryan Murphy revealed at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that the idea for Hotel was inspired by Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old Vancouver woman who was found dead in February 2013. Lam was staying at the notorious Cecil Hotel, a hotel known for its guests' mysterious deaths and suicides, when she disappeared on Jan. 31. Her body was eventually found naked in one of the hotel's rooftop water tanks after guests complained about the taste of the tap water.
During the investigation, police released a surveillance video of Lam acting bizarre in one of the hotel's elevators. The four-minute tape featured Lam waving her arms around, pressing all the buttons and hiding in the corner as though she were being pursued. Her death was eventually ruled accidental, but there are many who believe the supernatural was at play.
How AHS will use it: The Hotel Cortez has beautifully ornate elevator cars, and we're betting their presence will factor into at least one gruesome murder this season.
The Night Stalker: In the 1980s, the Cecil was home to Richard Ramirez, a serial killer known as the Night Stalker, whose childhood was shaped by violence. When he was 12, his elder cousin Miguel showed him photos of his violent exploits during the Vietnam war, including Miguel posing with the severed head of a woman he had raped. Around the same time, Ramirez began avoiding his father's physical abuse by sleeping in a local cemetery. In 1973, Ramirez watched as Miguel shot his wife in the face and killed her. It was after the shooting that Ramirez took an interest in Satanism.
Ramirez often brutalized and raped his victims, and was prone to shooting them in the face, much like his cousin. Ramirez's victims ranged from 9 to 83 years old and he killed using a variety of weapons, including a machete, a hammer, a carving knife and a gun. Ramirez was convicted of 13 murders, but never expressed any remorse for his actions. He died while awaiting execution on death row.
How AHS will use it: Ramirez's twisted family history, as well as his Satanist ideals, seem tailor-made for American Horror Story. Could he have inspired this season's Ten Commandments Killer?
H.H. Holmes: Often dubbed "America's First Serial Killer," H.H. Holmes designed and built a hotel during the 1983 Chicago World's Fair specifically to aid in and conceal his murders. The labyrinthine three-story, block-long hotel was dubbed The Castle by locals and featured more than 100 windowless rooms, doorways to nowhere, secret chutes, soundproof rooms fitted with gas lines that allowed Holmes to asphyxiate guests and a bank vault where he would leave certain victims to suffocate. In order to conceal his murderous design, Holmes was constantly hiring and firing construction workers so no one man would have a full picture of the building.
Many of Holmes' victims were his employees, whom were often required to take out life insurance policies naming Holmes as the beneficiary. And while only nine murders at Holmes' hand have been confirmed, some estimate the total count to be as high as 200. Holmes was eventually caught and hanged, and the Murder Castle he built mysteriously burned down in 1895, allegedly in an attempt to destroy any remaining evidence.
How AHS will use it: If any of that sounds familiar to you, it's because Mr. March (Evan Peters), the Cortez's first owner, did almost the exact same thing in the late 1920s before committing suicide and haunting the hotel he built. Will the season end with one of the killers burning down the Cortez to conceal all the gory crimes that have gone down? Will the Countess fix her money problems by forcing employees to take out life insurance policies before slitting their throats? We shall see.
Jack Unterweger: Another resident of the Cecil, Jack Unterweger, was an Austrian killer who was sentenced to life in prison for strangling a prostitute with her own bra when he was in his 20s. After he was released for good behavior after only 16 years, Unterweger became a minor celebrity: His autobiography was taught in schools and he hosted TV shows about criminal rehabilitation.
But Unterweger continued to kill. It wasn't until he was hired as a journalist to cover crime in L.A. that the local police realized that the reporter they had taken on ride-alongs of the city's red light districts had also strangled three more prostitutes with their own bras. Unterweger was eventually charged with 11 homicides in Austria and he committed suicide in prison.
How AHS will use it: It's often said that Unterweger stayed at the Cecil as an homage to the Night Stalker, much like the Ten Commandments killer is likely staying at the Cortez to honor Mr. March. Could the Ten Commandments Killer be someone fans would never suspect, John or Alex Lowe perhaps? Or maybe Donovan's mother Iris, who demonstrated a deep knowledge of Mr. March and seems to have no patience for those whom she deems vulgar.
The Black Dahlia: Murphy already introduced us to Elizabeth Short (Mena Suvari) during American Horror Story's first season, but it's possible that the infamous Black Dahlia could return - alive - in a flashback. Murphy's version of the Black Dahlia visited the Murder House to receive dental work by Dr. Curran (Josh Malina). Curran put Elizabeth under nitrous and raped her, and then realized she had accidentally died. That's when Curran enlisted the help of Charles Montgomery (Matt Ross), who cut Elizabeth's body in half and carved the Glasgow smile into her face.
How AHS will use it: There are rumors that Short had been staying at the Cecil Hotel shortly before her death, so there's a good chance we could see her again before her trip to the Murder House, especially since this season seems to be extremely connected to the first.
Elizabeth Bathory: Elizabeth Bathory, a Hungarian countess whom the Guinness World Records deems "the most prolific female murderer" of all time. Bathory was accused of torturing and killing hundreds of young women between 1595 and 1610. Bathory allegedly committed the crimes with the aid of her servants and others who helped supply her with new girls. There are also rumors that Bathory practiced vampire-like rituals, including bathing in the blood of virgins to preserve her youth. After she was caught, Bathory was kept bricked in solitary confinement with only slits left open for ventilation and food passing for four years until her death.
How AHS will use it: So... ageless countess named Elizabeth who has a blood fetish and uses her employees to bring her new victims? Yeah. That sounds familiar, and doesn't bode too well for the future of Lady Gaga's character The Countess.
Aileen Wuornos, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy: Wuornos, who killed seven men in Florida in 1989 and 1990, was famously portrayed by Charlize Theron in the movie Monster. Dahmer, who is known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, raped, murdered and dismembered 17 boys and men between 1978 and 1991. Many of Dahmer's later murders also included necrophilia and cannibalism. Gacy murdered at least 33 young boys and men between 1972 and 1978. All but one were killed by asphyxiation or strangulation with a tourniquet, with most of the bodies being buried on his property. Gacy's obsession with clowns (he performed as a clown at events) earned him the nickname the "Killer Clown."
How AHS will use it: Murphy has announced that many real-life serial killers will appear in the first hour of the two-part Halloween episode, in which John Lowe will attend a dinner party with them at the Cortez. AHS alums Lily Rabe and John Carroll Lynch will play Wournos and Gacy (see this trailer for a glimpse of Lynch wearing very Twisty-like makeup), respectively, and Seth Gabel will play Dahmer.
Gordon Northcott: In 1924, Northcott moved to Los Angeles, where he began abducting and molesting a number of young boys at his chicken ranch. There are also rumors Northcott "rented" victims to wealthy Californian pedophiles. Northcott killed at least three of his victims, including Walter Collins, who was murdered after Northcott's mother discovered him kept in a chicken coop. Mrs. Northcott, Gordon and Gordon's nephew Sanford each delivered a fatal blow to Walter with the blunt end of an ax so that none of them could implicate the others. Sanford, who was beat and sexually abused by Gordon, was forced to do this against his will. Northcott's story inspired the Angelina Jolie film The Changeling.
How AHS will use it: Murphy revealed that Mare Winningham's character, the peppy laundress Ms. Evers, has a child who is kidnapped by Gordon Northcott. It's not yet known whether Northcott will attend the Halloween dinner party or appear in other 1920s-set flashbacks. If it is the latter, one theory is that the Countess could have "rented" boys from Northcott for their blood back before she assembled her platinum-haired brood.
What are your Hotel theories? Share them in the comments below!
American Horror Story: Hotel airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.


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CALL FOR PAPERS "THE TRANSNATIONALIZATION OF ANTI-CORRUPTION LAW"
12/6/18 to 12/7/18
The Anti-Corruption Law Interest Group of the American Society of International Law (ASIL), Sciences Po Law School, and the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
CALL FOR PAPERS "THE TRANSNATIONALIZATION OF ANTI-CORRUPTION LAW" Paris, France, 6-7 December 2018
The Anti-Corruption Law Interest Group of the American Society of International Law (ASIL), Sciences Po Law School, and the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania are organizing an international symposium on the "Transnationalization of Anti-Corruption Law."
The conference will take place at Sciences Po Law School in Paris, France, on Thursday and Friday 6-7 December 2018. The organizers are accepting paper proposals until 23 July 2018. The purpose of the conference will be to look back at the evolution of anti-corruption law as it affects cross-border business, trade, and regulation, but without taking the standpoint of a particular jurisdiction. This retrospective review will seek to explore the mechanisms that have led to the development of modern "transnational" anti-corruption law and standards.
The conference will also discuss current challenges and possible ways forward. It will undertake to achieve these goals through an interdisciplinary approach considering public international law and private international law methods, as well as comparative law, among other fields, while looking at the role and influence of a variety of actors. The conference will also explore the contribution of other disciplines such as economics, political science, psychology and anthropology to understand their impact on the development of anticorruption standards and their implementation in the transnational context. With this in mind, the conference will consider whether and how anti-corruption laws and standards should synergistically lean towards transnational harmonization, unification, or remain a multitude of overlapping and possibly at times conflicting regulatory and procedural regimes.
Discussing possible adjustments in transnational anti-corruption norms would imply looking at the following issues, among others: - What prompted the process of transnationalization in the area of anti-corruption? - What does transnationalization mean in the anti-corruption context? - Is there a normative hierarchy in anti-corruption standards? - How are anti-corruption law, concepts, and practices transplanted? - What is the role of international organizations, regulators, national courts, NGOs, civil society, private actors, and international tribunals in defining anti-corruption norms and standards? - How should anti-corruption regulators cooperate? - What is the effectiveness and legitimacy of transnational anti-corruption law? Can transnational anti-corruption law find a coercive authority? - Should there be a world anti-corruption court? - Has the transnationalization of anti-corruption law gone too far? - What can be learnt from other disciplines when it comes to devising or implementing anti-corruption laws and policies?
Symposium Topics The symposium will consider a broad range of topics, including the following nonexhaustive list.
1. The Role of International Law in the Anti-Corruption Context a. The role of international law in shaping anti-corruption norms. Issues touching on the OECD, the UN, GRECO conventions, and other regional instruments will be considered. b. International institutions (OECD, UN, IMF, Multilateral development banks, etc.). Is there a global administrative law approach to anti-corruption? c. Trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties. The symposium will consider how anti-corruption considerations are taken into account in the negotiation of multilateral and bilateral trade agreements.
2. Jurisdictional Issues a. The symposium will discuss different bases, theories, and practices for exercising jurisdiction in the field of anti-corruption. This will range from civil, administrative and criminal law questions to issues in international dispute settlement. b. In particular, under this topic the conference will seek to understand the concept of extraterritoriality, as defined and applied in anti-corruption law. It will seek to identify differences between countries and how jurisdiction is asserted in the anti-corruption context more generally.
3. Domestication and Acculturation of Enforcement Instruments and Compliance Methods a. Introduction of instruments akin to the U.S. deferred prosecution agreement into other municipal laws (e,g., U.K., French, possibly Canadian and Australian legislation, as well as examples from other jurisdictions) b. National non-binding guidelines; other soft law regimes
4. Standardization, Certification and Corporate Benchmarking a. International Organization for Standardization Guidance b. Certification organizations and their regulation c. Relevant corporate governance transplants
5. Transnational Enforcement & Global Litigation a. Enforcement cooperation and policy coordination between authorities b. Corporate monitorships c. Anti-corruption considerations in international litigation and arbitration
6. Multidisciplinary Approaches (economics, politics, psychology, anthropology, and more broadly behavioral sciences, etc.)
The organizers are soliciting abstracts from academics, practitioners, NGO representatives, policy makers and regulators, private sector representatives, as well as others who are engaged in activities related to the study or control of corruption. Abstracts should indicate which of the above-suggested topics they fall within, or if not within the above topics, how the proposed presentation relates to the overall theme of the conference. Presentation Proposals Guidelines Abstracts are due by Monday 23 July 2018.
Please submit your abstract in PDF format (400-500 words at most), along with a short biography (no longer than 250 words containing name, affiliation, email and phone contact details and an overview of relevant activities/publications). Please send your proposal and biography to the conference email: conference.anticorruption@gmail.com. Conference Timeline - The deadline for submission of abstracts is 23 July 2018 - Successful applicants will be informed no later than 3 September 2018 - The deadline for submission of full papers is 16 November 2018 Symposium Book All authors who present their work at the conference will be invited to submit their paper for publication. The Organizing Committee is envisioning a collective book based on conference papers and published by an international publisher recognized in the field.
Organizing Committee Professor Régis Bismuth, Sciences Po Law School Professor Philip M. Nichols, Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research of the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) and Chair of the ASIL Anti-Corruption Law Interest Group Jan Dunin-Wasowicz, Associate at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP and Vice Chair of the ASIL Anti-Corruption Law Interest Group
Please submit your proposals and any question to: conference.anticorruption@gmail.com
conference.anticorruption@gmail.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Stanisław Podkowiński (ur. 4 maja 1896, zm. 17 stycznia 1970 w Toronto) – podpułkownik dyplomowany artylerii Wojska Polskiego i Polskich Sił Zbrojnych.

Życiorys
Stanisław Podkowiński urodził się 4 maja 1896 roku. W listopadzie 1918 roku został przyjęty do Wojska Polskiego. W czasie wojny z bolszewikami walczył w szeregach 3 pułku artylerii polowej Legionów.

3 maja 1922 roku został zweryfikowany w stopniu kapitana ze starszeństwem z dniem 1 czerwca 1919 roku i 330. lokatą w korpusie oficerów artylerii. W latach 1922-1927 pełnił służbę w 27 pułku artylerii polowej we Włodzimierzu na stanowisku dowódcy baterii. W międzyczasie, 1 kwietnia 1925 roku, został odkomenderowany na sześciomiesięczny kurs dowódców dywizjonów w Szkole Strzelań Artylerii w Toruniu. 12 kwietnia 1927 roku awansował na majora ze starszeństwem z dniem 1 stycznia 1927 roku i 60. lokatą w korpusie oficerów artylerii. W tym samym roku został przeniesiony do kadry oficerów artylerii i przydzielony do Oficerskiej Szkoły dla Podoficerów w Bydgoszczy, pozostając w ewidencji 27 pułku artylerii polowej. W 1929 roku odbył trzymiesięczny staż w innych rodzajach broni, a od 15 października do 15 grudnia 1929 roku ukończył Kurs Próbny przy Wyższej Szkoły Wojennej. 29 grudnia 1929 roku został powołany na dwuletni kurs do Wyższej Szkoły Wojennej w Warszawie.

1 września 1931 roku, po ukończeniu kursu i otrzymaniu dyplomu naukowego oficera dyplomowanego, został wyznaczony na stanowisko szefa sztabu 25 Dywizji Piechoty w Kaliszu. Na tym stanowisku współpracował bezpośrednio z ówczesnym dowódcą dywizji, generałem brygady Michałem Tokarzewskim-Karaszewiczem i dowódcą piechoty dywizyjnej, pułkownikiem dyplomowanym Wilhelmem Lawiczem. 6 czerwca 1933 roku otrzymał przeniesienie z dowództwa 25 DP do 4 pułku artylerii lekkiej w Inowrocławiu na stanowisko dowódcy dywizjonu. 27 czerwca 1935 roku awansował na podpułkownika ze starszeństwem z dniem 1 stycznia 1935 roku i 8. lokatą w korpusie oficerów artylerii. 31 sierpnia tego roku został wyznaczony na stanowisko zastępcy dowódcy 4 pułku artylerii lekkiej. W latach 1937–1939 dowodził 6 dywizjonem artylerii konnej w Stanisławowie. W listopadzie 1939 roku został powołany na Kurs doskonalący dla oficerów dyplomowanych przy Wyższej Szkole Wojennej w Warszawie.

W trzeciej dekadzie marca 1939 roku, po rozwiązaniu kursu, został wyznaczony na stanowisko szefa sztabu Samodzielnej Grupy Operacyjnej "Narew". Był najbliższym współpracownikiem dowódcy SGO "Narew", generała brygady Czesława Młot-Fijałkowskiego. Na tym stanowisku walczył w kampanii wrześniowej.

Po przegranej kampanii przebywał w niemieckiej niewoli. Był jeńcem Oflagu VIIA w Murnau. 29 lipca 1945 roku, po uwolnieniu z niewoli, wyjechał do Włoch. 14 grudnia 1945 roku spisał "Relację z działań 1939 roku". Pełnił wówczas służbę w Sekcji Oficerów Łącznikowych (CMF 742) 2 Korpusu Polskiego. W 1946 roku został przeniesiony do Wielkiej Brytanii, później emigrował do Kanady. Zmarł 17 stycznia 1970 roku w Toronto.

Ordery i odznaczenia
 Krzyż Srebrny Orderu Wojskowego Virtuti Militari (1921)
 Krzyż Kawalerski Orderu Odrodzenia Polski (10 marca 1978)
 Krzyż Walecznych – czterokrotnie
 Złoty Krzyż Zasługi
 Medal Niepodległości
 Medal Pamiątkowy za Wojnę 1918–1921
 Medal Dziesięciolecia Odzyskanej Niepodległości

Przypisy

Bibliografia
 Dzienniki Personalne Ministra Spraw Wojskowych.
 Roczniki Oficerskie 1923, 1924, 1928 i 1932.
 Karol Myrek, Zarys historii wojennej 3-go Pułku Artylerii Polowej Legionów, Warszawa 1928.

Polscy jeńcy niemieckich obozów jenieckich
Ludzie związani z Toronto
Odznaczeni Krzyżem Srebrnym Orderu Virtuti Militari (II Rzeczpospolita)
Odznaczeni Medalem Niepodległości
Odznaczeni Krzyżem Walecznych
Odznaczeni Złotym Krzyżem Zasługi (II Rzeczpospolita)
Odznaczeni Medalem Pamiątkowym za Wojnę 1918–1921
Odznaczeni Medalem Dziesięciolecia Odzyskanej Niepodległości
Podpułkownicy artylerii Polskich Sił Zbrojnych
Oficerowie dyplomowani II Rzeczypospolitej
Podpułkownicy artylerii II Rzeczypospolitej
Uczestnicy kampanii wrześniowej (strona polska)
Uczestnicy wojny polsko-bolszewickiej (strona polska)
Urodzeni w 1896
Wykładowcy uczelni i szkół wojskowych II Rzeczypospolitej
Zmarli w 1970
Żołnierze Wojska Polskiego na emigracji w Kanadzie po II wojnie światowej
Odznaczeni Krzyżem Kawalerskim Orderu Odrodzenia Polski (Polska Ludowa)
Oficerowie 3 Pułku Artylerii Lekkiej Legionów
Oficerowie 4 Kujawskiego Pułku Artylerii Lekkiej
Oficerowie 27 Pułku Artylerii Lekkiej
Oficerowie 6 Dywizjonu Artylerii Konnej
Szefowie sztabu 25 Dywizji Piechoty (II RP)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Jaime Writes: "Kitties Are Creatures of Habit" or "My Cats Are Ridiculously Cute"
"Kitties Are Creatures of Habit" or "My Cats Are Ridiculously Cute"
So yesterday Erin sent me this picture that she took while she was getting ready.
After I saw it, I was reminded of this video I took back in January of this year, when Gizmo was apparently a lot smaller!
Then I remembered a couple of pictures I took of Dublin when she was younger. The first one was taken in May of 2008, and the second one was taken in August of 2008. Guess our cats have their spots and poses they like to use frequently (even if Dublin did decide to turn the other way!).


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Pathways Society
Frank Musiek – CAPD, Neuroaudiology
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Capitalizing the Ability of the Auditory System to Process Stimuli without Active Attention
December 7, 2016 August 29, 2016 Pathways	Leave a comment 2498 views	( words)
Vishakha W. Rawool, PhD
Professor and Director of Graduate Study in Audiology
West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
Email: VWRawool@mail.wvu.edu
The auditory system is capable of processing auditory stimuli without active attention as summarized in Rawool (2016a). This article is designed to review a few findings related to auditory processing without active attention and discuss how such processing can be capitalized to support the diagnoses of an auditory processing deficit in the presence of suspicion of other comorbid deficits such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or borderline cognitive deficits.
Auditory Processing during Sleep
Auditory brainstem responses, MMN and even P300 can be recorded during sleep. In fact, it is easier to record the auditory brainstem response when the participant is asleep. The auditory brainstem response of a child while the child was asleep is shown in Fig. 1. In addition, it is well known that the auditory sensitivity of the participant can be determined through identification of wave V, in participants who are asleep. The latencies and amplitudes of ABR waveforms change systematically with change in stimulus level showing that the loudness of the stimulus is coded within the auditory brainstem without the need for asking the participant to attend to the stimuli.
Figure 1. Example of ipsilateral (upper trace) and contralateral (lower trace) auditory brainstem responses obtained during sleep from an 8 year old girl by stimulating the left (left panel) and right (right panel) ears.
Detection of Meaningful Auditory Events during Sleep
The thalamus, auditory cortex, and caudate activation is similar during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and wakefulness, when assessed through Functional Magenetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). There are also differences in the response patterns to simple stimuli such as beeps and complex emotionally relevant stimuli such as the participant's name during sleep (Portas et al., 2000). Enhancement of P300 responses is not apparent to any other names besides the participant's name during sleep (Perrin, Garcia-Larrea, Mauguiere, and Bastuji, 1999). Angry voices evoke stronger evoked potentials compared to neutral voices during stage 2 sleep (Blume et al., 2016). Overall these findings show that processing of auditory stimuli and detection of meaningful events can occur during sleep (Portas, Krakow, Allen, et al. 2000) or without active attention. Such processing has functional significance and may allow protection from dangerous events. For example, young mothers usually are able to hear their own infants' cries during deep sleep.
Discrimination of Auditory Stimuli during Sleep
Electroencephalographic recordings clearly show the presence of a Mismatch Negativity (MMN) in response to tones, deviant in duration (75 ms), in the presence of standard tones of 30 ms, during the first three stages of sleep (Ruby, Caclin, Boulet, Delpuech, & Morlet, 2008). Full-term, 1-3 days old infants also show a response to tones deviant in frequency (500 Hz), in the presence of standard tones of 700 Hz (Háden, Németh, Török, & Winkler, 2016). This shows that the system is capable of distinguishing between auditory stimuli that differ in various dimensions including frequency or duration, without paying active attention. Clinical Implications:
Many children diagnosed with comorbid deficits can be diagnosed with auditory processing deficits using only behavioral procedures with proper controls. For example, children with attention deficits show good attention and vigilance in structured testing environments with appropriate breaks and reinforcements on behavioral tasks (Rawool, 2014). When there is a question about an auditory processing deficit in the presence of other potential deficits, it is possible to support the diagnoses of a processing deficit within the auditory pathways through objective procedures.
Case-Illustration
Key relevant case-history information: The patient is a 10-year-old boy with a history of ear infections from 12 to 24 months with sensitivity to loud sounds. He has been receiving speech-language therapy since the age of 2 years. Results of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) yielded a Full Scale IQ of 75 (5th percentile rank), which falls within borderline range. However, there is a clinically significant disparity between his verbal (71 standard score with 3rd percentile rank) and perceptual reasoning scores (94 standard score with 34th percentile rank) with his perceptual score falling within the average range and his verbal score falling significantly below the average range. Such disparity limits the validity of his Full Scale IQ in predicting academic success. The patient was retained in grade 1 due to academic difficulties. At the time of referral for an auditory processing evaluation, the patient was in the 4th grade and his IEP included an FM device for classroom use, preferable sitting in the classroom, smaller classrooms for math and reading, recommendation for shorter assignments, proper use of visual reminders, repeat and restate directions and checks for understanding, and opportunities to type written work. Additional IEP goals included improving auditory memory, reading comprehension, and self-advocacy skills. The patient was aware of ongoing academic struggles and reported feeling sad about the issues.
Relevant Auditory Processing Test Results: A test-battery was administered. Behavioral auditory processing test results showed deficits in processing dichotic (simultaneous presentation of two different stimuli to the two ears) stimuli as shown by poor performance on the Competing Words- Directed Ear task, the dichotic digits test and the Competing Sentences test. The auditory processing deficit was supported by objective test results showing prolonged latencies and inter-peak latencies of the right ipsilateral ABR suggesting slower processing within the auditory brainstem. In addition, a significant decay was apparent during acoustic reflex decay testing (Fig. 2). A child with acoustic reflex decay can show poor vigilance on verbal tasks as his auditory system fails to maintain processing of incoming stimuli over a longer period.
Figure 2. Reflex decay in a child referred for auditory processing evaluation. The upper traces show decay patterns for the left ear and the lower traces show the patterns for the right ear. Responses obtained with the stimulus frequency of 500 Hz are shown in the left panel and those obtained with the frequency of 1000 Hz are shown in the right panel.
The child's ipsilateral click evoked acoustic reflex thresholds did not improve when the click rate was increased from 50 to 100/sec in both ears. In normal children, the click evoked acoustic reflex thresholds improve by at least 6 dB with an increase in the click rate from 50 to 100/sec (Fielding & Rawool, 2002). The lack of click rate induced facilitation of acoustic reflex thresholds can be due to either poor temporal integration (integration of acoustic energy across time) for faster stimuli and/or deficit in efficiently processing of faster stimuli which can cause the auditory system to miss the processing of some of the clicks presented at higher rates. This deficit will lead to difficulty in quickly processing incoming transient auditory stimuli such as those occur during speech and integrating such stimuli over time.
Case-Relevant Discussion: The patient has an auditory processing deficit including the possibility of retro-cochlear pathology within the auditory brainstem. The deficit could have been diagnosed sooner with adequate attention to the discrepancy between verbal and perceptual reasoning scores and the use of objective procedures to support the diagnoses of auditory processing deficit. The objective procedures used here could have been administered at an age earlier than that recommended for behavioral test procedures to make definitive diagnoses of an auditory processing deficit. Such use could have minimized the child's struggles in academic settings, his self-esteem, and parental struggles in convincing the school district that he is intellectually capable of learning.
The human auditory system is capable of processing auditory stimuli without active attention. Such processing includes differentiation of key stimulus dimensions such as intensity, duration and frequency.
The ability of the human auditory system to process auditory stimuli without active attention can be capitalized to support the diagnoses of auditory processing deficits in the presence of suspected or actual comorbid deficits.
Some audiology professionals are reluctant in undertaking auditory processing evaluations in the presence of comorbid issues due to the possibility of confounding factors such as cognition, attention, and other developmental disorders including ASD. In such cases it is possible to support the diagnoses of an auditory processing deficit through objective test procedures. Future technological trends are likely to lead to easier implementation of objective procedures (Rawool, 2015, 2016b)
Some professionals believe that the diagnoses of an auditory processing deficit is irrelevant in the presence of other comorbid deficits such ASD. However, it should be noted that deficit-specific intervention can lead to substantial improvement in such cases. This is similar to detecting (Pillion, Rawool, & Naidu, 2000; Pillion, Rawool, Bibat, & Naidu, 2003) and providing intervention for a peripheral hearing loss in the presence of comorbid deficits to allow such children to reach their maximum potential (Rawool, 2010a, 2010b). Objective procedures can also assist in documenting the effects of such intervention (Schochat, Musiek, Alonso, & Ogata, 2010).
Vishakha W. Rawool is a professor and director of the Doctor of Audiology program at West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. Dr. Rawool's research spans across prevention, screening, diagnosis, and intervention of hearing difficulties among all populations including infants to older adults. The research is conducted using a variety of subjective and objective procedures. Currently the focus of her research is on three interconnected areas of research including auditory processing deficits, age-related hearing loss and speech perception deficits, and hearing conservation. Her recent achievements include a new text-book on auditory processing deficits and the Dr. SRC Travel Fellow Award from the Banglore Speech and Hearing Trust to speak at the Dr. S. R. Chandrashekhar Institute of Speech and Hearing College, Banglore, India.
Blume, C., del Giudice, R., Lechinger, J., Wislowska, M., Heib, D. P., Hoedlmoser, K., & Schabus, M. (2016). Preferential processing of emotionally and self-relevant stimuli persists in unconscious N2 sleep. Brain and Language. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0093934X15301097
Fielding, E. D., & Rawool, V. W. (2002). Acoustic reflex thresholds at varying click rates in children. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 63(3), 243-252. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165587602000253
Háden, G. P., Németh, R., Török, M., & Winkler, I. (2016). Mismatch response (MMR) in neonates: Beyond refractoriness. Biological psychology, 117, 26-31. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051116300308
Perrin, F., Garcia-Larrea, L., Mauguiere, F., and Bastuji, H. (1999). A differential brain response to the subject's own name persist during sleep. Clinical Neurophysiology, 110, 2153–2164. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388245799001777
Pillion, J. P., Rawool, V. W., Bibat, G., & Naidu, S. (2003). Prevalence of hearing loss in Rett syndrome. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 45(5), 338-343. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2003.tb00405.x/pdf
Pillion, J. P., Rawool, V. W., & Naidu, S. (2000). Auditory brainstem responses in Rett syndrome: effects of hyperventilation, seizures, and tympanometric variables. Audiology, 39(2), 80-87. http://search.proquest.com/openview/8a4b6496dafee6a95f9eb3973de0c5bb/1?pq-origsite=gscholar
Portas, C. M., Krakow, K., Allen, P., Josephs, O., Armony, J. L., & Frith, C. D. (2000). Auditory processing across the sleep-wake cycle: simultaneous EEG and fMRI monitoring in humans. Neuron, 28(3), 991-999. Auditory processing across the sleep± wake cycle: simultaneous EEG and fMRI monitoring in humans. Neuron 2000; 28:991±999. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627300001690
Rawool, V. W. (2010a). Invisible hearing loss among multiple disabilities, Part 1: Ensuring auditory care. Hearing Review 17(1), P. 18, 19-21, 50. http://www.hearingreview.com/2010/01/invisible-hearing-loss-among-obvious-multiple-disabilities-part-1-ensuring-auditory-care/
Rawool, V. W. (2010b). Invisible hearing loss among multiple disabilities, Part 2: The case of the missing hearing aids. Hearing Review 17(2), P. 32, 33-37. http://www.hearingreview.com/2010/02/invisible-hearing-loss-among-obvious-multiple-disabilities-part-2-the-case-of-the-missing-hearing-aids/
Rawool, V. W. (2014, Nov 5). Comparison of Staggered Spondaic Words and Competing Words Test results in ADHD: A case study. Hearing Health Matters. Retrieved from https://hearinghealthmatters.org/pathways/2014/comparison-staggered-spondaic-words-competing-words-test-results-adhd-case-study/
Rawool, V. W. (2015, July/August). Future Trends in Objective Evaluation of Auditory Processing of Speech Stimuli. Audiology Today, 27(4), 22-29. http://online.qmags.com/AT0715?pg=1&mode=2#pg25&mode2
Rawool, V. W. (2016a). Introduction. In Rawool (ed.) Auditory Processing Deficits: Assessment and Intervention (pp. 1-24). New York: Thieme. http://www.thieme.com/books-main/audiology/product/1949-auditory-processing-deficits
Rawool, V. W. (2016b). Emerging technologies with potential for objectively evaluating speech recognition skills. International journal of audiology,55(sup1), S41-S50. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/14992027.2015.1128570?journalCode=iija20
Ruby, P., Caclin, A., Boulet, S., Delpuech, C., & Morlet, D. (2008). Odd sound processing in the sleeping brain. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 20(2), 296-311. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/C_Delpuech/publication/5577411_Odd_sound_processing_in_the_sleeping_brain/links/0046352d3fdce193d7000000.pdf
Schochat, E., Musiek, F. E., Alonso, R., & Ogata, J. (2010). Effect of auditory training on the middle latency response in children with (central) auditory processing disorder. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 43(8), 777-785. http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0100-879X2010000800011&script=sci_arttext&tlng=pt
Articles auditory processing CAPD central auditory processing Neuroaudiology Psychoacoustics Temporal Processing
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About	Pathways
Pathways is both a column that covers topics related to CAPD and Neuroaudiology and a society for people interested in central auditory disorders that regularly meets to discuss these issues.
New Release from Plural Publishers: Disorders of the Auditory System, Edition II by Musiek, Shinn, Baran, and Jones
Neuroaudiology Sites
Dr. Musiek's Lab - University of Arizona
JAR Articles
Simple Reaction Time: Evidence for Two Auditory Pathways to the Brain
For permission to republish Pathways articles, please contact Dr. Frank Musiek.


Our immunization requirements follow the guidelines set by the American College Health Association and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Maryland law requires that all students living in campus housing receive meningococcal vaccine.
Please note- Failure to comply with the pre-entrance health requirements prior to your arrival on campus will block you from entering campus housing, prohibit you from adding or dropping classes, and interrupt your overall orientation.
Vaccination is important for college students to reduce the risk for potentially fatal meningococcal disease. Studies have shown that college students who live in residence halls or dormitories have a slightly higher risk of meningococcal disease.


Rockstar Games has just released Latest Grand Theft Auto 5 Trailer. We'll discuss game overview and features which are seen in this GTA 5 Trailer.
This game is one of the most anticipated 2013 games. To be released on 17 September, New Trailer of this game is launched recently on 29th August. The features are amazing as seen in trailer of Grand theft Auto V.
Especially the graphics of game are amazing. It seems like augmented reality. All characters, cars and Scenes appear natural. The addictive part is the engaging story of Game. Where a group of criminals join to become a team. One of the main head is back in business after a long time. Each player in game has a unique mind and feature set of its kind. One is the ultimate super strategy developer. One is fighter and so on.
The aeroplanes and helicopters are also in a very good motion in game. The artificial intelligence is enhanced in this version. Game is being launched for XBox, Playstation. But the PC community has to wait for any official announcement. So game lovers from every community will be able to enjoy Grand Theft Auto 5 Gameplay. There are many opportunities to earn and sell money. You can buy apartments where your friends can hang in. There are also a lot of entertainment opportunities in latest GTA 5. You can also have personal tuned customized cars, Jets and Motor bikes. A lot of other stuff can be seen in trailer.
Here is the fourth and final trailer of GTA V. This was released yesterday by RockStar.
The size of game seems massive. It is being promoted on a large scale. After the 1st trailer this is the new effort for the GTA series lovers. Let us know your comments on this official GTA Trailer. The excitement has increased more and people are now deadly waiting for Launch of Grand Theft Auto V Game.
This entry was posted by OceanOfGames on January 28, 2017 at 12:21 am, and is filed under Action, Adventure, Games, Racing. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.


text:
Q: How to remove a specific element from an Array? For instance if I hav this array
String[] cars = {"Tesla", "Ford", "Toyota", "Rolls Royce"};

and I would like to remove the "Ford". Is there a simple function like cars.strip[1] to remove it in java?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Botataung () is a Burmese name that may refer to:

 Botataung Pagoda:  A pagoda in eastern Yangon, Myanmar
 Botataung Pagoda Road:  An avenue in eastern Yangon leading to the Botataung Pagoda.
 Botataung Township:  A township in eastern Yangon
 The Botataung:  Now defunct Burmese language national daily newspaper


Who'd have thought that we'd visit Dunkirk in India. Confused? I mean the new box office movie which was sensational!
We visited the nearby Sun City cinema and booked our tickets two hours early for a princely sum of Rs450, which is around £6, yes that's right, for all of us. We got three tickets for less than the price of one in England. After buying our bargain bucket of popcorn and drinks (Rs190, about £2.50), we settled into our comfy seats and awaited the adverts and trailers. The screen lit up. Yeah, it's starting!
Suddenly, the audience all stood up as the national anthem played, whilst a huge Indian flag fluttered on the screen. Slight awkward moment. Do we sit or stand? We decided to join in with everyone else. Perhaps this might catch on in UK? Or not!
Immediately afterwards, Dunkirk started and within seconds – there were no trailers – we were totally engrossed, especially me, who might have jumped a few times (not a great idea when holding popcorn!).
I was really enjoying the movie when abruptly (about half way through) the screen went black. Damn a powercut, Amy thought, but no, the lights came up and people went out for refreshments. We weren't expecting that!
It was great to experience the cinema in Mumbai, which is of course the centre of Bollywood. We'll do this again but Bollywood style.
We saw Dunkirk this week as well – great film but think you got the better deal!! Love the idea of an interval.
Enjoy the Bollywood when you see it.


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Opendoor just raised $400 million in funding from SoftBank's Vision Fund
Connie Loizos	@Cookie / 1 year
It's official. Two weeks ago, we reported that Opendoor — the four year-old, San Francisco-based company aiming to make it possible to buy and sell residential real estate with a few key strokes — was close to sealing up funding from SoftBank. Today, it's announcing that the ink is dry on the deal.
The terms: SoftBank's massive Vision Fund is investing $400 million for a minority equity stake in the company, with one of its five managing directors, Jeff Housenbold, taking a board seat. The round brings Opendoor's total funding to slightly more than $1 billion, the vast majority of it raised in the last six months. (It had separately closed on $325 million in a June round that brought its total equity funding at the time to $645 million.)
The deal further cements its status as a unicorn, though we gather there wasn't a huge bump in valuation with this newest round. Opendoor was, and continues to be, valued at north of $2 billion, says once source familiar with the deal, who declined to specify further.
The move is also another feather in the cap of Housenbold, who long ran the personal publishing company Shutterfly before joining SoftBank last year, and who has been closing deals left and right with the regional founders he has been tracking. Among other recent deals that have landed him on the board of directors: SoftBank's investments in the dog-walking service Wag, the delivery service DoorDash, the construction company Katerra, and the e-commerce company Brandless.
At an industry event Tuesday night in San Francisco, Housenbold talked of SoftBank's longtime and growing interest in real estate deals — interest underscored by yet deal that closed today: SoftBank also led a $400 million round in Compass, which helps home buyers, sellers, and renters find properties across the U.S. In fact, less than a year ago, the company raised $450 million, also led by SoftBank.
Asked yesterday how Opendoor and SoftBank came together, Opendoor cofounder and CEO Eric Wu tell us that Housenbold first approached Wu 18 months ago, before Housenbold joined SoftBank. "The minute he joined," says Wu, "he reached out to me and let me know he was joining, saying if there was an opportunity to work together, to reach out to him."
Given Opendoor's ambitious plans, now apparently was the time to do that, and it's easy to see why. Representatives from the Vision Fund often talk of having the ambition and the patience to transform entire industries, and Opendoor is trying to upend the traditional home-buying process by bidding on homes sight unseen, agreeing to buy them, then — contingent on an inspection to verify the quality of the home —selling them, charging an average fee of 6.5 percent.
To date, Opendoor, which now employs roughly 950 people, has largely been working with people who need to sell their homes quickly because of a new job or other life event. But the company increasingly wants to help customers buy that next house, too. Indeed, toward that end, the company earlier this month acquired Open Listings, a four-year-old, L.A.-based startup that aimed to make it easier and cheaper for buyers to purchase homes by automating much of what an agent would do, thus reducing the fee an agent would traditionally take.
Opendoor never said what it planned to pay for Open Listings, which had raised $7.6 million from investors over the years, but Open Listings was the first acquisition for the company. And armed with $400 million in fresh capital, we probably shouldn't be surprised to see Opendoor go shopping again.
Wu has also been talking about for years about a financial business that sounds closer now to fruition. "We're doing some things around mortgages that will be integrated into the shopping experience," he told us earlier this month, without wanting to elaborate further. Home improvement loans may also be on the horizon. (Wu says Opendoor "also wants to enable home buyers to personalize their experience.")
Indeed, in addition to the substantial amount of equity funding that Opendoor has now raised to date, it has also now raised more than $2 billion in debt over the years.
Explains Wu of the two pillars, "We're using the equity funding to invest in tech and software and to build an experience that enables a one-click [home-buying experience]." As for the debt, "That's used to purchase real estate," he says.


Om Surya Namaha is one of the twelve mantras to the sun given in the yoga meditation, Surya Namaskar (Salutation to the Sun). Surya Namaskar is the yoga asana (posture) for worshiping God by meditating on the Sun. As the energy provider for our solar system, the Sun is the primal representative of the inner sun of being.
The complete Surya Namaskar, which is helpful in support of the ability to concentrate, is a yogic meditation traditionally performed in the open air at dawn, facing the Sun.
But the Surya Namaskar is more than a physical exercise. It is a spiritual practice to dispel the darkness of our mind by the light of the inner sun. This is the aim of all true meditation. Our Sun, the star of our solar system, represents the highest form of divinity that we can see or contemplate.
The Yogi performs each of the asanas (postures) with a specific breathing pattern, chanting one of the twelve mantras for each pose. Each mantra is in honor of one of the twelve representations of the sun deity.
Below is a music video dedicated to the chanting of the Om Surya Namaha. Om Surya Namaha is the third mantra of 12 given during Surya Namaskar. It means, "Salutations to the God Surya, He who dispels our darkness." Chanting this mantra is meant to invoke inspiration.


text:
Q: Text not wrapping in flexbox Can anyone tell me why the text inside a div in a row-direction flex container doesn't wrap properly but it goes overflow?
If I change the direction to the section, the text will wrap, I don't understand why...

html,
body {
  height: 100%;
}

body {
  overflow-y: scroll;
  margin: 0;
}

div,
main,
section {
  align-items: stretch;
  display: flex;
  flex-shrink: 0;
  flex-direction: column;
  flex-wrap: nowrap;
  position: relative;
}

main {
  flex-grow: 1;
}

section {
  flex-flow: row nowrap;
  flex-grow: 1;
  justify-content: center;
  margin: 0 auto;
  max-width: 1280px;
  padding: 60px 0;
}

.content {
  flex-grow: 1;
  justify-content: start;
}

        Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum eget nulla sagittis sem egestas molestie. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

A: Let's clarify the structure:

*

*Your main, section and div elements are flex containers.

*section is a flex item in main.

*div is a flex item in section.

*main is not a flex item because its parent (body) is not a flex container.

*All flex items are set to flex-shrink: 0.

Here's the layout:

*

*Note: Most of the code in the question is not necessary to reproduce the problem, so I removed it.

*Note: Each flex container is highlighted.

div,
main,
section {
  display: flex;
  flex-shrink: 0;
}

section {
  padding: 60px 0;
}

main    { background-color: lightgreen; }
section { border: 2px dashed red; }
div     { border: 1px dashed black; }
body    { margin: 0; }

      Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum eget nulla sagittis sem egestas molestie. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

Here's what's happening:

*

*flex-shrink: 0 on div (black border) is preventing it from shrinking.

*flex-shrink: 0 on div is expanding its parent, the section element (red border).

*flex-shrink: 0 on section is preventing it from shrinking.

*flex-shrink: 0 on section is not expanding its parent, the main element (green background), because main is not a flex item and flex-shrink doesn't apply.

*main is standard block-level element (i.e., an element in a block formatting context) and the default overflow: visible applies.

*If you make the body element a flex container, then the main element becomes a flex item, the specified flex-shrink: 0 applies, and main expands based on its descendants, as well.

So the solution is to enable shrinking.

div,
main,
section {
  display: flex;
  flex-shrink: 1; /* adjusted */
}

section {
  padding: 60px 0;
}

main    { background-color: lightgreen; }
section { border: 2px dashed red; }
div     { border: 1px dashed black; }
body    { margin: 0; }

      Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum eget nulla sagittis sem egestas molestie. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.


text:
Got a Great Idea for Shipping Hazmat?
Got an innovative idea or technique for shipping hazardous materials? DOT's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) wants to hear it!
When (And When Not) to Use the Cargo Aircraft Only Label
To know when and when not to use the Cargo Aircraft Only (CAO) label when offering hazmat/DG for air transport, shippers must know their way around the List of Dangerous Goods in the IATA DGR, Section 4.2.
Avoid the Top 4 Lithium Battery Shipping Mistakes
US DOT maintains a list of the most frequently cited hazmat shipping violations in 49 CFR Part 107. We explore the four most common violations associated with shipping lithium batteries, and how to avoid them.
Sabotage Suspected in Oil Train Derailment
"We know from the FBI investigation, from how trains operate, how trains work, how the couplers work, how the pin lifters work, that this incident was caused without a doubt by sabotage."
Crowded Ports and a Container Shortage Spell Delays for Shippers
A perfect storm of circumstances is limiting available cargo capacity, stranding containerships in port, and delaying the transportation of everything from fruits and vegetables to hazardous chemicals.
Sunken Ship Threatens Lasting Environmental Damage
A sinking cargo ship carrying 25 tons of nitric acid reminds us what's at stake when dangerous goods are shipped and transported by vessel.
DOT to Reconsider LNG by Rail Rule
US DOT will reconsider a Final Rule promulgated in July 2020 that authorized the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG)—also known as "Methane, refrigerated liquid"—in rail tank cars.
Train Hauling Hazmat Derails, Residents Evacuated
On Sunday afternoon, May 16, 2021, forty-seven railcars derailed and several exploded into flames near the town of Sibley, Iowa.
Remembering ValuJet 592: 25 Years Later
25 years ago this week, on May 11, 1996, one of the most tragic and widely publicized hazmat transportation incidents in American history occurred.
DOT Raises Hazmat Penalties for Second Time in 2021
For the second time this year, US DOT has increased the maximum and minimum civil penalties for violations of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR).
Hazmat air shipments are subject to more restrictive regulations than shipments that travel by highway, rail, or vessel—and for good reason. In-flight hazmat incidents can be absolutely disastrous. This guide provides five simple tips for first-time air shippers to consider before offering hazmat/dangerous goods for transport on passenger or cargo aircraft.


Writing this I feel like I am trudging through mud but I keep hearing in my head "Don't give up!". This lovely blog that I worked so hard at and enjoyed designing has been untended for six whole months. Just when I felt like I was getting going, the curveball of us having to move house happened. What I couldn't have predicted was that we would struggle to find a house for six weeks and end up living in temporary accommodation for the summer. Moving house is stressful enough as it is! Having your family's possessions stored in 5 different places across the county is very challenging, to say the least. We had to leave the temporary home twice as it was booked by others and there were times when we had two vehicles full to bursting with stuff (time to downsize perhaps?) as we spent the night in a family hotel room. I am eternally grateful that we were able to find a roof over our heads on those nights. We are the lucky ones. I have always had a great concern for the issues of homelessness but now I have a more acute vision of what that could feel like.
So I am not going to rant on about letting agents fees and requirements and the lack of affordable housing but instead just take a few moments to write about resilience. When we knew we had to move we made a family vision board. Amazingly, the house we had imagined appeared for viewing within a few days. We loved it but then all sorts of financial and practical issues got in the way which meant that we viewed many other houses (some of which were barely fit for habitation yet still at extortionate rents!). Time marched on through the summer weeks as the boys and I tried to make the best of a very strange summer holiday. The start of term at my eldest son's new school was getting uncomfortably close. Of course, we wanted to be settled before then and so the temptation to take a house in a location and condition we weren't happy with was strong. The tension was mounting and the September weather was moving in.
We didn't give up. It was nail-biting and my poor husband had his head in his hands a few times. The kids had to start school and then we managed to pull it all together (only with the help of friends and family mind you..thank you dear ones) and we moved into our lovely home. The very same house we saw first at the beginning of the summer. It was meant for us!
The only way I got through this was by meditating daily and putting my trust in the divine that all would be well for us. I feel that my positive attitude brought our home to us.
So this situation engulfed the whole summer. Consequently, there was an inevitable break in the blogging as I didn't have access to a computer. Then we were settling into our new home and Christmas was upon us. So there has also been some procrastination and some doubt as I had lost momentum. My blog readership is still minuscule and that can be disheartening.
So I did feel like giving up on it. I have been spending time "arting" and making a new website for my healing work. (Check it out here guys Holistic Sound) I have read articles about neglected blogs that were not terribly encouraging and made me feel like a failure as they talk about lack of posting as if it is a death sentence.
I have realised that I am not about to give up on the blog. I didn't give up on the house. There is a lot of valuable information on this blog and lots more to come. I am going to be focusing more on the creative aspects of healing from Chronic Illness as that is what gives me the most joy. There may not be a post every single week as I am myself navigating the ups and downs of family life, and that is ok, in fact, it is good enough! There is no commandment saying how often thou must blog!
Music is magnificent. Music as medicine is free of all unpleasant side-effects! It can sooth, relax, enliven, energise and move us to dance. It evokes memories, provides an atmosphere, enhances a celebration, sends a message and facilitates the expression of our emotions. Music can help us journey to other worlds, create imagery, bring people together, and even shift energy blockages.
I often take music for granted but it is something I am actually truly grateful for. Playing instruments was a big part of my childhood and teenage years.
I can remember practising for music exams an hour each day and finding it so calming and meditative. That was before I even knew what meditation was! I am sad I haven't carried that on into adulthood, although there is still time to get back on that horse, even though it doesn't feel like it!
There was a time in my 20s when I realised that I wasn't at ease unless there was some background noise, such as the radio or television. I was aware that this was not healthy to be uncomfortable with silence, so I made a conscious effort to switch everything off and I grew to really love silence. In the years that followed, I was training in sound therapy and was very focused on sound but still did not listen to any music at home anymore. It didn't hold any interest for me anymore strangely and I seemed to be more attuned to pure frequencies, so would enjoy toning, drumming and playing my singing bowls at home but again was mostly in silence.
Then one day we had to pick a few pieces of music to listen to as homework for the course. We had to lie down with closed eyes and really listen to the tracks with every part of our being. It was a very moving experience and I had profound emotions, sensations and memories arising whilst listening. It reminded me of the power that music holds and I have brought it back into my life again at times when it feels right. However, mostly I have to admit I am still quite hooked on the silence when I am at home. Maybe it is a response to a noisy family life!
As a trained sound therapist I have experienced the power of sound to heal first hand and witnessed my clients having breakthroughs physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. In 2013 Lyz Cooper of BAST (British Academy of Sound Therapy) teamed up with Marconi Union to produce a piece of music. The intention was to make the track as relaxing as possible. The scientific research done on the track afterwards showed that it was the most relaxing piece of music they had found. Amazing! The track was embedded with healing frequencies and rhythms that sound therapists use regularly. It was interesting to me that even played through digital music players, the effects of the sacred sound frequencies still had the power to relax the listener very significantly.
Here is the full length 31 minute extended version of the track if you would like to kick back and have a listen.
Prepare to be very very relaxed!!
This year Lyz Cooper produced another track with duo Silence & Air to help people enjoy a restful sleep. I was part of the research study group and I have to say that when I listened to it before bed it definitely helped get to sleep quickly and have a deep restful sleep. The results of the research on this track were also highly significant. You can learn more about the study here and listen to the track for yourself. For more information about ways in which to enjoy restful sleep, have a look at my post on 8 easy ways to get more rest.
I have a wonderful friend who has sadly experienced ME/CFS and PTSD amongst other physical imbalances of many years. She decided in the last year to take up her practice of piano playing again after having not played for many years. Therapy, acupuncture and hypnotherapy led her to this point of being able to clear the blocks that were stopping her from playing. Her experience has been that the playing of music has incredibly healing for her.
She has shared that it helped her unlock her heart blockages and release fear and trauma. It helped her express her emotions non-verbally and stimulated her creativity when she was improvising. She also finds the regularity and stability of practising pieces and scales very balancing and comforting. I wonder if she has benefited from the right/left brain balancing that is inherent in playing with both hands as she says that she finds it easier to focus and her brain fog has lessened. She has also built up some strength in her hands and wrists which previously caused her a lot of pain. It has brought her a purpose for living again when confined to indoors with ME so much of the time. Of course, the music that arises also brings her joy, as it did me when I heard her playing her beautiful pieces.
I know of another young man who used his music to survive his schizophrenia. It helped him push the voices away and soothed his troubled mind at a time when his medication was not working well. For him, music was essential to help him navigate his illness.
My husband Anthony has always played the guitar and spent many happy years busking on his travels. Since we have been together I have always noticed that when he is feeling down, he will pick up his guitar and play and sing and it soothes and uplifts him. I think that the guitar is especially healing in this way as the vibrations emanate directly from the body of the guitar which is resting on the player's abdomen.
The future of medicine could be the application of sound frequencies to clear blockages and restore healthy energy. Imagine a device installed in your home that would scan your bodies energy and then emit the frequencies you needed to rebalance yourself embedded in a piece of relaxing music that would be played throughout your home. How cool would that be?!
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How to keep that holiday feeling!
I just had the pleasure of a holiday in Gran Canaria with my family. We were given the opportunity to stay in a five-star hotel by an incredibly generous friend and it was wonderful. (Thank you, dear friend). Of course, there were the usual family holiday calamities, one son with a 24hr fever and sickness, another son with a sprained ankle and my husband giving himself a whiplash injury and misaligned vertebrae after being dared to ride the "Take-off" waterslide at the waterpark on our last day. Needless to say, he took off. Then he landed. He was in a lot of pain for over a week, bless him. Amazingly, for once, I was the one that stayed well and injury-free. It might have something to do with the fact that I barely left my sun lounger but hey, I was practising relaxing! Now that I am back home, I am practising hanging on to that lovely holiday feeling and it is challenging!
So we had a lovely time (mostly) and had begun to sink into a more relaxed way of being after 10 days. It can take a while to slow down from the crazy pace of modern life but we were enjoying that process. Lots of sunbathing, swimming and a few glasses of Rosé definitely helped! Also, the little health setbacks meant that we couldn't do many day trips and so were forced to just spend more time around the pool, and reading on the balcony which was no hardship!
Here is how to know your holiday is over!
1) Mess up by only downloading 1 boarding card onto your phone the night before leaving.
3) Have the lady at the check-in desk put one case through but not the other as only one boarding pass on your phone.
4) Make sure your phone starts to get buggy and malfunction, and the airport wifi is chronically intermittent.
6) Start to panic as time is marching on.
7) Watch helplessly as three guys with surfboards to check-in are next in line.
8) Watch more time tick past as you frustratingly try to download the airline app the lady is insisting on you having.
9) Start feeling like crying as your children watch you getting more stressed and panicky.
10) Finally get to the front of the queue again to be told the gate is closing despite the fact you have been stood there for an hour trying to sort it out.
11) Scoot over to the main desk with teary wide-eyed children to plead with the irritated flight manager. Cue angry phone conversation in Spanish.
12) Run back to the check-in desk to finally receive boarding cards and sprint to the gate, as best you can with injured family members and stiff joints.
13) Breathlessly explain to the non-plussed, chilled and smiley gate attendant your 60-second version of events, to be told that the gate is still open and not to worry!! Grr!
14) Spend the first 60 mins of your flight deep breathing to normalise your adrenaline levels and calm the hell down.
15) Land back home with the sketchiest bumpiest touchdown ever!
16) Travel on 4 separate trains to get back home with kids, footballs and multiple bags in tow.
17) Send your husband off to the chiropractor and sit down with a cup of tea to open your mail.
Get outside in the sun as often as possible, but also whatever the weather.
Be in nature, forests and by the sea often.
Eat outside when possible and make new exotic recipes.
Make Mocktails so that you are having fun drinks, but without the excess alcohol.
Stay away from too much telly and devices.
Keep reading more as it is very relaxing, enjoyable and creatively stimulating.
Go on some day trips to new places.
Get some of your best holiday photos printed and in frames so that you can enjoy the memories.
Do things each day that make you happy!
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So what kind of personality do you have?
In my last post (How well do you know your own personality?), I wrote about how I had fun with the online 16personalities test last year. Not only was it entertaining but it also helped me feel validated and encouraged as it was so accurate in its' assessment. Today I want to elaborate on why it was really helpful and interesting to me when I retook the test this week (6 months after the first one).
We are flexible, open-minded and passionate.
Mediators are dedicated and hard-working.
Mediators are hopelessly romantic, poetic and kind-hearted.
This rings so true for me, as I found professional life very stressful and overwhelming. It goes on to say that writing, if not a novel, then blogging is perfect for my personality type as well as service careers such as working as a holistic therapist.
Yay, I seem to be heading in the right direction..at last!
When I took this test 6 months ago I wrote down the results and then pretty much forgot about it. When I came across the results again whilst looking through my old Bullet journal I thought I would write this post but also take the test again to see if the results were repeatable.
I like to be critical of data and stay grounded in science despite my more mystical side, and so I was curious about whether the results would be the same. I am aware that we change energetically from moment to moment and also that our moods might affect how we answer the questions.
In fact, I got very similar results to last time but came out as more introverted (74% – this feels more accurate). The other results were very much similar to before but one variable had changed by 3%. This meant that I now was 55% Judging ( I had been 49% before) and interestingly this made me now a INFJ-T.
That small change had made me a different personality type!
I am now an Advocate!
Now, I hear you cry, that it is all a load of rubbish as I got a different result the second time. The way I see it is that the change from INFP-T to a INFJ-T is a subtle one. Only one variable has changed and only by a few percent, but that has been enough to put me in a different category.
Advocates only make up 1% of the population. It is interesting as the personality type is very similar to the mediator but is more decisive and organised. Over the last 6 months, I have been focused very much on getting more organised and planning with my bullet journal system both for my blog and my personal life. So it is fascinating to me that this effort on my part has produced a shift in my results.
Scientists tell us about plasticity in the brain. Neuroplasticity is where experiences, behaviour and neural changes can reorganise new circuits in the brain. I find this an exciting prospect. This means we have some control over who we are and how we function and cope with life.
Barbara Arrowsmith is an amazing example of what brain training can achieve. Since her childhood, she suffered from several severe mental disabilities. She did not allow that to stop her. She had an inspiring inventor father who told her that if there was no solution yet for a problem, then you had to find it yourself. She invented her own method to rewire her brain and make the healthy parts of her brain perform the functionality that the damaged ones could not do. Her inspiring TED talk is here if you would like to hear more about her journey and neuroplasticity.
All in all, I don't mind whether I am categorised as a Mediator or and Advocate as they both ring true for me. However, as I have essentially ended up being an Advocate for people with Rheumatoid Disease, then that is perhaps what I have become! Also, advocates are apparently suited to writing and also art and music.
So I am still on the right lines ..yay again!
For example, if you are experiencing slight anxiety or depression, then perhaps by knowing your personality type you may be able to make adjustments to your lifestyle, work or social life that could be more beneficial to you.
Also, an understanding of your personality weak and strong points may help by giving an insight into how you deal with life and provide you with some tools and pointers to help along the way. Encouraging your nearest and dearest to also take the test could help you to relate and understand one another better.
Sometimes other people's behaviour can be baffling and seem insensitive, but if we can see that they are actually running on a different operating system, (their personality type), then perhaps we can be more accepting of their behaviour and differences.
Why not take the test?
Comment below on whether you found the test helpful and accurate.
How Well do you Know your Own Personality?
As we approach Mental Health Awareness week next month, I am keen to focus in on this topic for the next few weeks posts. It seems to affect so many people.
Every week 1 in 6 of us experiences mental health problems.
The tagline this year is "Surviving or Thriving?" and this seems very pertinent to those of us dealing with Chronic Illness and our families also.
Last year I came across this personality test and had a go. It only takes 10 minutes. It's so interesting and a lot of fun. My assessment was really spot-on. I really encourage you to have a try.
However, I am not overly keen on placing labels on people and I think it's important to remember that we are also influenced by our environment and experience. Let us not be limited by these assessments. This personality test is based on Five Factor Personality Traits (Mind, Energy, Nature, Tactics, and Identity) and a combination of a Jungian model and a Myers-Briggs test.
My personality type came out as an INFP-T or a MEDIATOR.
often may be perceived as calm, reserved or shy.
diplomats and tend to be guided by principles rather than logic, excitement or practicality.
creative and seek order and peace.
The first scale in the test, Mind, measures how we interact with our surroundings. Introverts prefer solitary activities and tend to be sensitive and extroverts prefer group situations and are energised by interaction. Introverts tend to avoid excessive stimulation and extroverts seek it out.
I wasn't surprised to find that I was 59% introverted. I am very shy at times but I also have a social side that likes to come out to play. I find it much easier in a one-to-one situation or a small group rather than a larger group.
It is a normal characteristic of humans to take some time to get used to a new stimulus (new people, new situation) before we begin to explore the unfamiliar. The new stimulus may be something dangerous or important. Apparently, shy individuals do not accommodate to new situations easily because they sense danger where it does not exist. Their nervous system is on high alert when it doesn't need to be. That makes sense to me and having realised that a lot of my issues over the years have come from an underlying core belief of not being safe in the world, it is all falling into place.
The second scale in the test measures Energy and determines how you see the world and what kind of information you focus on. Being intuitive means being more visionary and focused on ideas, whereas the observant is more interested in facts and observable data. I wasn't surprised that I was 61% Intuitive as that is how I work artistically and I value intuition in life, although I do find it hard to access at times.
The third scale measures Nature and determines how we make decisions and cope with emotions. This is very interesting for me as I place great significance on how we identify and process our emotions in regard to health. People who have a thinking personality trait rather than the feeling one, are thinking with their head more than their heart. They may use logic to override their emotions and tend to hide their feelings. I tested as 75% Feeling which is a considerable amount, but again it doesn't surprise me as I have known I was empathic for many years and am well acquainted with its' benefits and dangers. Feeling types are sensitive, empathic and emotionally expressive. They still use logic and have strong beliefs but tend to consider everyone's feelings in a decision.
The Tactics scale focuses on our approach to work, planning and decision-making. Judging individuals are decisive and highly organised. They prefer structure and predictability. Prospecting individuals are good at improvising and tend to be flexible and nonconformist. I came up as almost 50:50 in this one which also feels accurate to me, as I like planning and spontaneity. I like to keep my options open with some things and at other times to have thought through all possibilities.
In the last part of the test a final scale measures Identity, showing how confident you are in your abilities and decisions. You are placed on a scale from assertive to turbulent.
Assertives are self-confident, self-assured and resistant to stress. Turbulents, on the other hand, are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They experience a wide range of emotions and tend to be success-driven, perfectionistic and eager to improve.
While the Assertive variable may seem more positive, there is a positive side to the Turbulent in that they may be more driven to succeed. Being called Turbulent is not something I ever expected as I am pretty unflappable and only my children seem to drive me to lose my temper (as only children can!). I understand now that they are using the word turbulent to mean something different.
Constant Improvers are apparently sensitive and contemplative individuals who enjoy having their own space and freedom. The website goes on to say that Constant Improvers have a strong drive, but it comes paired with a strong fear of failure. They invest a great deal of their identity in their successes, and even a minor misstep or embarrassment can be crushing. This is so totally me, always striving, terrified of messing up and secretly very ambitious.
The term Constant Improver reminds me of my school reports: Aoife could do better. It also makes me think of an unending hamster wheel so I am going to try to concentrate on patting myself on the back for the things I do achieve and try not to berate myself for my mistakes.
All in all, I learnt an enormous amount about myself in this test. A lot of it I was already aware of, but to have it confirmed and recognised was very helpful for me. I could read about my strengths and weaknesses, some of which were not so obvious to me but I can see that they are true.
I was also able to read about career paths that suit me and about how I tend to operate in a workplace and as a parent. I am going to elaborate on the reason why I found this test really useful and interesting in my next post.
In the meantime, I encourage you to give it a try and find out which one of the 16 personality types you are. I feel that becoming more aware of our psychological profile could help us play to our strengths and bring awareness to our weaknesses.
Don't miss Part 2 of this Blog Post!
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Have your Yearly Goals Gone by the Wayside?
So it is April. That means it is the second quarter of the year guys! How the heck did that happen. I mean January and February went fast, but March was a speeding arrow of a month that I didn't quite grasp hold of until it was almost over.
In our little family of four, we have birthdays in each of the first four months of the year. That means we seem to just go from one birthday celebration to the next in the first quarter of the year. Mind you, it must be worse for our extended family trying to remember it all!
In the last few weeks, I have had a bit of a slump. I have fallen off all my practices, including my Bullet Journaling (which helps to keep me on track). Bullet Journaling is the one thing that helps to keep me on track with what I am supposed to be doing! This feels disheartening, but I am remembering that I am human, and a human with incapacitating fatigue for that matter. So I am trying to be kind to myself and accept what is happening.
At the start of 2017, I spent quite a lot of time reviewing the previous year. I set lots of intentions and made goals in all areas of my life for the coming year. I have done this enthusiastically in previous years also.
One year, quite a while ago, I even came up with 200 separate goals that I wanted to achieve! Quite soon afterwards this seemed completely ridiculous. I was laughing at myself, along with some of my friends who were also laughing at me! In addition to this blind ambition (my Capricorn traits showing!), I hadn't really formulated any plan of action that would get these things done.
Needless to say, the number of items on my list that I achieved that year were not quite into double figures. Interestingly though, on reflection, the ones I did manage were the ones that were the most important to me. I might not have picked those ones out consciously at the time but looking back on it I can see now that those were the ones that really mattered. I had completed the ones that spoke to my heart and not my head.
So in recent years I have been more restrained and focused in my goal setting. Also, I am resonating with the notion of setting intentions but allowing for change and surrendering to the bigger picture of how those intentions will play out. It is interesting… and challenging.
Intentions aren't much without action. Action can be so rewarding when you are in the flow. It can also be like banging your head against a brick wall at times when nothing seems to go as planned. I have wondered whether that means I am trying to go in the wrong direction. I have also wondered whether that just means I need to keep trying and persevering, like those inventors who only succeed on the 99th attempt.
Looking back on my goals for the first quarter of 2017, I have only managed four (and a half!) out of fourteen. That is a 30% success rate! Or a 70% failure rate on a bad day! However, I gave a talk to a group of 15 people, overcoming my severe fear of public speaking (to a degree), I saw more of my family (very happy about that!), and I painted 6 paintings (3 more than intended).
I might not have grown my blog to 1000 subscribers (nowhere near!), I didn't swim weekly or do yoga, in fact, I have never been so inactive physically. My fatigue has been really incapacitating, so I have to forgive myself and move on. I have got a new supplement that will hopefully help.
Spring has sprung now, so hopefully, things will look up. I will get moving as I know this stagnation is a bit of a vicious circle. Too much sitting at the computer trying to work out how to make my blog successful I think! And I guess that is my point.
Perhaps what we most wish for, whether it is a new car, a promotion or a new house, is not actually what is best for us or what we need. In the chronic illness paradigm, we struggle with a seemingly unending list of unexpected and predictable variables that can upend the best of intentions. Acceptance and surrender are the keys here.
Let me know how you are progressing with your goals and intentions for this year.
You could even make some new ones!
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Steffy looked so unbelievably putrid that I started pouring Jack Daniels directly onto my eyeballs, right there at the bar. Anything to cleanse myself of those images of him underthrowing receivers and getting happy feet in the pocket. Some girl was like, "you're spilling that on me," but I was all like "why did I just do that, it really hurts." Turner didn't exactly fill me with confidence either. And God help us if we can't finish drives–our kicker is unquestionably the worst in D-1. The boos raining down on them at Byrd were like sweet music to my ears. For a second, it was like I was back at the O.A.R. concert.
To sum up for you guys, there is absolutely NO WAY WE GO TO A BOWL this year unless we do the following things: Revoke Steffy's scholarship, get Turner to transfer, start Portis next week, fire Ralph Friedgen, deport the kicker, and demand the immediate retraction of every single article ever written that included a positive word about Jordan Steffy. (Honestly, is that what passes for "journalism?") These things MUST happen. Take it from me…the biggest Terp fan in the world.
Steffy scares the crap out of me. He still has those freshman college QB happy feet. Did you see the jump pass he threw for an interception? JUMP PASS?! But hey, I hear he's great in practice. At least the rest of the ACC blows, so we should have a shot at a bowl.


text:
A Guide to Hating 80% of the American League East
by jkeller | Jun 27, 2013 | Alex Rodriguez, American League East, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Bronson Arroyo, Buck Showalter, Carl Crawford, Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies, David Ortiz, David Robertson, Derek Jeter, Edwin Encarnacion, Fernando Rodney, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Joe Girardi, Joe Maddon, John Farrell, John Gibbons, Johnny Damon, Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes, Kevin Gregg, Luke Scott, Manny Machado, Mariano Rivera, Munenori Kawasaki, New York Yankees, Phil Hughes, Robert Andino, Roger Clemens, San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Wil Myers, Xander Bogaerts
There is something great about playing teams like the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres. It's not just that we get to see great, unfamiliar players like Carlos Gonzalez, and it's certainly not that the wins and losses count any less than they do against the division rivals. It's just pleasant to get a break from the tenuous high-stakes divisional play, especially with how absurdly competitive the American League East has been this season. Most of all though, it's nice to face an opponent that I don't hate. 76 games against your four divisional rivals is a huge amount of time to build up serious contempt for those teams.
So, here is a detailed report on each of the other AL East teams and the specifics of hatred for them.
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Jose Reyes came off the DL on Wednesday! Over/under 10 games until he goes back?
(james_in_to on Flickr)
What Annoys Me The Most: The Toronto fans on Twitter. If you are blissfully unaware of this issue consider yourself lucky. You don't even have to mention anyone or use a specific hashtag to get their attention. It's like they just sit at home eating poutine, scouring the internet for people who are saying bad things about their team.
Biggest Villains: Obviously we have to go back a decade and a half and include Roger Clemens, but otherwise there just aren't a lot of Blue Jays that I feel a ton of ill will towards. I resent Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion but that's just because they're good players who hit mistakes a mile. Mostly I can't stand their fans for booing John Farrell like a bunch of scorned little school girls whose boyfriend dumped them to date someone new. That was beyond annoying. They were all so happy to get rid of him originally. What happened?
Player That I Secretly Don't Really Despise: It was obviously Munenori Kawasaki until he was sent down to AAA on Wednesday. In a pinch, I'll go with Jose Reyes because I always find him to be very entertaining for the 100 games a year in which he actually plays.
Manager: I actually feel bad for John Gibbons more than I hate him. This guy got fired by the Blue Jays in 2008, only to get his old job back after Farrell left for Boston. That's like your wife leaving you, dating other guys for a while, before finally deciding "You know, John wasn't quite so awful after all. Maybe he'll take me back." Poor fella.
High Point of Hatred: When Roger Clemens signed with the Blue Jays, decided that it would was a good idea to stop being fat and out of shape (thanks steroids!), and suddenly posted an absurd 11.9 WAR in his first season with the Jays. It's impossible to overstate how much a 17-year-old me despised Toronto's in-shape, dominant version of Clemens.
Current Hatred Level: 5
I'll be right back, I have to go write "I will not root for or celebrate injuries" 100 times on a blackboard.
(Keith Allison on Flickr)
Team: Baltimore Orioles
What Annoys Me The Most: Their darn scrappiness. Prior to September, 2011, they weren't really much of a concern to me. They regularly gave the Red Sox far more difficulty than their win/loss record indicated they should have, but it didn't really matter. Then, in 2011, they made keeping us out of the playoffs their World Series. Ten percent of me admired their scrappiness, the other 90% of me hated them for embracing the roll of spoiler to the level that they did.
Biggest Villains: Buck Showalter, Robert Andino, Kevin Gregg
Player That I Secretly Don't Really Despise: Manny Machado. He is what I like to picture Xander Bogaerts being upon his arrival to Boston. (You're welcome for the smile that just appeared on your face.)
Manager: Buck Showalter is the Rex Ryan of baseball. He talks like he's won something, but he never has. In fact, both the Yankees and the Diamondbacks won the World Series the first year after they let him go. So, at least we know what it will take for the Orioles to get over the hump.
High Point of Hatred: September 2011. My hatred of the Orioles, Andino and Carl Crawford all peaked at the exact same moment in time.
What Annoys Me The Most: The hoards of fair-weather fans. As someone that lives in New York, I can't properly explain to you how quiet this baseball season has been. I'm not seeing anything on Facebook, there is next to nothing on Twitter, and Yankee fans that I see on a regular basis are talking about the team less than if they were in the middle of a work stoppage. There are some die-hard Yankee fans that I like and respect who really do know baseball and their team, but they are few and far between. Instead, you find a lot more people who know that they won a lot of World Series when they were younger, and would be hard pressed to name five current starters. 2004 really did a lot to level the playing field for a Red Sox fan in New York. Prior to that, when I would wear a Sox hat people would openly taunt me and/or smirk in my direction. After 2004 I walked around deliberately making eye contact with every single person wearing a Yankees hat. They had just suffered the worst collapse in baseball history, they knew it, I knew it, and we both knew that they did not want to talk about it. Life is just easier here when the Yankees aren't adding championship trophies to their collection.
I'm honestly not sure who hates ARod more at this point, Yankee fans or Yankee haters. It's a toss up.
Biggest Villains: Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens, Johnny Damon, Aaron Boone (I'm too young personally for Bucky Dent, but I'd be remiss to not include him on this list).
Player That I Secretly Don't Really Despise: Mariano Rivera. I hate facing him, and I always have, but man it is hard to find a negative thing to say about the guy. He's the Tim Duncan of baseball. You don't have to be a fan of his, but if you don't respect him you're just being ridiculous. Happy retirement, Mariano! I can't wait to see someone else run out from the pen for the Yankees in the 9th inning (please choose David Robertson, please)!
Manager: Joe Girardi — He is my favorite opposing manager in the American League East, mostly because I think he is an over-managing, micro-manager who frequently hurts his team with questionable moves. In the third inning of the June 1 game in New York he intentionally walked David Ortiz to load the bases for Mike Napoli. Napoli, of course, repaid Girardi for the vote of confidence by hitting a Phil Hughes pitch into the right field bleachers. That's a classic Girardi move. He tries so hard to be smart and cute and he is very little of either of those things.
High Point of Hatred: 2003 ALCS Game 7. I went back and forth between this and the moment that Alex Rodriguez slapped the ball away from Bronson Arroyo to avoid an inevitable tag in the same way a fourth-grade girl would have avoided being tagged in gym class kickball. Ultimately, though, that terrible moment in 2003 was the peak for me.
Team: Tampa Bay Rays
Brian Knight gets to do what I would love to do: Tell Joe Maddon where to go.
What Annoys Me The Most: Joe Maddon. He is my least favorite person in all of baseball, and that's a difficult spot to attain for someone that doesn't even play in the games. He is a self-righteous, condescending jerk who thinks, acts, and talks like he is better than everyone else. When his players get involved in a bean-ball situation he makes statements like "So he intentionally hit him when he did, there's no question in my mind that he did, and the sad part is that I've always considered Lackey a good teammate, but right there he can get one of his own players hurt." He pretends like he's far above exchanging bean-balls as a part of the game, but at the same time says that opposing players are going to get their teammates hurt. So, wait, which is it Joe? Are you above that part of baseball or do you just like to wax poetic from your high horse while at the same time threatening harm to your opponents?
Biggest Villains: Maddon, Fernando Rodney, Luke Scott, Gerald Williams
Player That I Secretly Don't Really Despise: Wil Myers. I was so sad when he was traded from Kansas City to Tampa Bay because that meant I had to spend the next six years hating him, until they let him go to a club that's actually willing to pay money to players who aren't under cheap team control.
Manager: The aforementioned Maddon, who is about to be mentioned again.
High Point of Hatred: A weekend series in late May 2012. In the Friday game, both teams hit batters, leading to a bench-clearing incident in the 9th inning. Again, both teams were involved in getting the game to that place. So what does Maddon do? In the clubhouse after the game, he immediately says "We will respond, I can promise you that." But then he remembers that his schtick is to pretend that he's above the fray, even though his hands are covered in as much blood as any manager. So he heads to Twitter and proclaims "What occurred in the 9th reeked of intent. Was ridiculous, absurd, idiotic, incompetent, cowardly behavior." What a baby. I was honestly embarrassed for him. He should have claimed later that he was hacked, drunk, or both. If there was any feasible way to hit a manager in between the shoulder blades with a fastball, I would give anything to see Maddon get it. Two days later, when Jarrod Saltalamacchia took Fernando Rodney deep in the 9th inning for a walk-off win at Fenway, I called Joe Maddon a string of names that I am neither proud of nor willing to repeat.
Current Hatred Level: 9. I realize that it is anathema to admit publicly that I hate the Rays more than the Yankees, but I do. At least until the Yankees fire Girardi and his binder and give Maddon a 5-year, $50 million deal to come to the Bronx.


text:
Q: unordered map - choosing a key type for a path I would like to store a data (for simplicity let's assume that it will be integer id) in unordered_map based on the resource path. Here is an example function - a path is sent as const char*. The straightforward approach is to use std::string as a key:
std::unordered_map<std::string, int> ids;

void load(const char* path)
{
    const int id = generateId(path);
    ids[path] = id;
}

Paths may be too long for SSO. How can I optimize that code in C++17 ? Should I use string_view as a key:
std::unordered_map<std::string_view, int> ids;

?


text:
{% extends "master.html" %}
{% block content %}
    {% include "articles/model/full_article.html" with article=article %}
    <form action="" method="post">
        {% csrf_token %}
        {{ form }}
        <br>
        <input type="submit" class="button" value="Avslå">
    </form>
{% endblock %}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Riddles are a wonderful way to keep our brain refreshed and ready for anything. Here are 6 tricky riddles that will force you to think out of the box!
1. Find the hidden F!
2. Can you see anything inside the red circle?
3. How many children does Mr. Johnson have?
4. Do you see something written in the grass?
5. Don't let your mind trick you!
Stare at the above image for 15 seconds - then close your eyes for 30 seconds. When you open them, point quickly to the circle with the word "red" inside!
Scroll down to see if you got all these riddles right!
Mr. Johnson has 5 children - 4 girls who all have one brother!
How many of these tricky riddles could you solve on your own? Let us know in the comments and pass this along to your friends and family to see if they can solve them, too!


Thank-you for such wonderful inspiration. I was wondering what the smooth green balls are in the second photograph? I see that you mention "green fuzz balls" but I think that may pertain to a photo further down.
So Amazing. Almost makes me like winter.
Beautiful! Stunning! How in the world do you get the lights all to be on outside of ring?
I am so excited! I ordered my first purchase from Detroit Garden Works. Jackie was so helpful in getting me information about the light rings. Your posts and pictures are so beautiful and inspirational. Keep up the great work!
The rings are magical! What are the branches with the green balls? Looks like you made them also?
The last photo is especially interesting. The window reflection creates two circles!
These lighted circle rings are endlessly pleasing…whether suspended and magically ethereal or anchored in a container composition. I truly love them.
I love the rings and first used three in 2014 and they brightened up my yard. I thanked you and my neighbors thanked you. This year I used a smaller one that I could see as I drove up and as I was in the kitchen. Next year I am thinking of using a few inside. I love them and the way they have evolved.
Hello, beautifully done. Are these available to purchase? If so what are prices for small, medium sizes?
I'm fond of the circle, too. The suspended ring with the lightburst is so so pretty. The creative blessing is mutual between you and Rob, one inspiring the other!
I love the look. The thing about lights especially when dealing with LED's is to get the "colour" correct expressed in K value 2700-3000K is closest to older incandescent bulbs, that give a warm glow. Nothing ruins a good Holiday decoration than brash cheap Blues/White LED's. Don't even get me started on CFL house lights..
BTW where do you source your lights I am having a hell of a time finding similar lights.