Due to its length, we have divided this document into a number of areas that are accessible by clicking on the links below. You may also download the entire History of Polymers & Plastics for Teachers, including slides.
Plastics are polymers. What is a polymer? The simplest definition of a polymer is something made of many units. Think of a polymer as a chain. Each link of the chain is the "mer" or basic unit that is made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and/or silicon. To make the chain, many links or "mers" are hooked or polymerized together. Polymerization can be demonstrated by linking strips of construction paper together to make paper garlands or hooking together hundreds of paper clips to form chains.
Polymers have been with us since the beginning of time. Natural polymers include such things as tar and shellac, tortoise shell and horns, as well as tree saps that produce amber and latex. These polymers were processed with heat and pressure into useful articles like hair ornaments and jewelry. Natural polymers began to be chemically modified during the 1800s to produce many materials. The most famous of these were vulcanized rubber, gun cotton, and celluloid. The first synthetic polymer produced was Bakelite in 1909 and was soon followed by the first semi- synthetic fiber, rayon, which was developed in 1911.
Even with these developments, it was not until World War II that significant changes took place in the polymer industry. Prior to World War II, natural substances were generally available; therefore, synthetics that were being developed were not a necessity. Once the world went to war, our natural sources of latex, wool, silk, and other materials were cut off, making the use of synthetics critical. During this time period, we saw the use of nylon, acrylic, neoprene, SBR, polyethylene, and many more polymers take the place of natural materials that were no longer available. Since then, the polymer industry has continued to grow and has evolved into one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. and in the world.
There are polymers that contain only carbon and hydrogen (for example, polypropylene, polybutylene, polystyrene, and polymethylpentene). Even though the basic makeup of many polymers is carbon and hydrogen, other elements can also be involved. Oxygen, chlorine, fluorine, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorous, and sulfur are other elements that are found in the molecular makeup of polymers. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) contains chlorine. Nylon contains nitrogen and oxygen. Teflon contains fluorine. Polyesters and polycarbonates contain oxygen. Vulcanized rubber and thiokol contain sulfur. There are also some polymers that, instead of having carbon backbones, have silicon or phosphorous backbones. These are considered inorganic polymers. One of the most famous silicon-based polymers is Silly Putty™.
The initial compound that is used to form polymers is the "mer" or monomer. Monomers are chemically joined together in one of two ways: addition polymerization or condensation polymerization.
Addition polymerization is comprised of three basic steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. For example, during the initiation phase of the polymerization of polyethylene, the double bonds in the ethylene "mers" break and begin to bond together. A catalyst or promoter may be necessary to begin or speed up the reaction. The second phase, propagation, involves the continued addition of monomers together into chains.
The final step is termination. During termination all monomers may be used, causing the reaction to cease. A polymerization reaction can cease by quenching the reaction. Similar to quenching someone's thirst, water can be used to quickly cool a reaction. Polymers formed by addition polymerization include acrylic, polyethylene, and polystyrene, to name a few.
Very simply, addition polymerization describes the process of "mers" joining by each one adding on to the end of the last "mer." A simple visual of the process is paper clips joined together to form a long chain. Polymers formed by addition polymerization are often thermoplastic in nature. Thermoplastics are like hot melt glue sticks that can be heated and made soft and then become hard when cooled. Thermoplastic polymers are easily processed and reprocessed or recycled. The majority of polymers used today are thermoplastics.
The other group of polymers are formed by condensation polymerization. During the chemical reaction of condensation polymerization, a small molecule is eliminated as the monomers join together. Common polymers in this group include nylons, some polyesters, urea formaldehyde, and urethanes. These polymers can be thermoplastic in nature or thermosetting. Once a thermoset polymer is formed, it cannot be melted and reformed. All plastics flow at some time during their processing and are solid in the finished state, but once a thermoset is processed, it is dramatically different and cannot be reformed.
The means of polymerization will affect the heat reaction of the formed polymer; likewise, the arrangement of the "mers" within the molecule will affect the physical characteristics of the formed polymer. "Mers" joined together in long chains have a linear configuration very similar to a paper clip chain, even though in actuality tetrahedral bonds give the molecule a zigzag arrangement. During polymerization, if the "mers" not only form straight chains but also form long side chains off the main backbone, the resulting configuration is described as branched, like a tree branch or grape stem. A third configuration is achieved by the long chains being chemically linked together. An example would be natural rubber (isoprene) being reacted with sulfur. The sulfur bonds the chains to form a giant meshwork molecular structure that is known as vulcanized rubber. This is a cross-linked configuration.
Polymerization will be initiated by the double bond breaking and the "-mers" joining together. Therefore, the methyl group on the propylene "-mer" has the potential to be located at various points along the backbone. If the methyl group (CH3) is oriented repeatedly on one side of the chain on alternating carbons, it is called isotactic.
Ninety to nine-five percent of all polypropylene polymers have this configuration.
Think of how spaghetti noodles look on a plate. This is similar to how polymers can be arranged if they are amorphous. An amorphous arrangement of molecules has no long-range order or form in which the polymer chains arrange themselves. Amorphous polymers are generally transparent. This is an important characteristic for many applications such as food wrap, Plexiglas, headlights, and contact lenses. Controlling and quenching the polymerization process can result in amorphous organization.
Obviously, not all polymers are transparent. The polymer chains in objects that are translucent and opaque are in a crystalline arrangement. By definition, a crystalline arrangement has atoms, ions, or, in this case, molecules in a distinct pattern. You generally think of crystalline structures in salt and gemstones, but not in plastics. Just as quenching can produce amorphous arrangements, processing can be controlled to produce the degree of crystallinity desired. The higher the degree of crystallinity, the less light can pass through the polymer. Therefore, the degree of translucence or opaqueness of the polymer is directly affected by its crystallinity. Crystallinity also affects the melting point of a polymer. The more crystalline the pattern of the molecules, the more energy is needed to cause the molecules to separate, melt, and flow. Amorphous polymers, on the other hand, will have lower melting points. Care must be taken to retain the degree of crystallinity in a polymer. Reprocessing, recycling, overheating, fabricating, machining, UV light, or heat in service use or storage can potentially affect the crystallinity of a plastic. As a polymer becomes more crystalline, its melting point and strength increase. However, its strength can increase to the point that the polymer becomes brittle and loses characteristics it was originally made to have.
>By manipulating factors on the molecular level that affect the final polymer produced, engineers continually are challenged to produce better-suited materials for a wide variety of old and new applications designed to improve our quality of life. Manufacturers and processors introduce various fillers, reinforcements, and additives into the base polymers, expanding product possibilities.
The two major groups of polymers are thermoplastics and thermosets. Thermoplastic and thermosetting nature is based on the heat response of polymers. The light transmittance of polymers includes the description of materials as being transparent, translucent, or opaque. Transparent polymers are those that you can see through, translucent are those that you cannot see through but allow light to pass through, and opaque polymers are those that you can neither see through nor allow light to pass through. Light penetration qualities are dependent on the degree of crystallization of the polymer and the presence of additives.
Every polymer has very distinct characteristics but most polymers have the following general attributes.
Polymers can be both thermal and electrical insulators. A brief trip through your house will reinforce this concept, as you consider all the appliances, cords, electrical outlets, and general wiring that are made of or covered with polymeric materials. Thermal resistance is evident in the kitchen with pot and pan handles made of polymers, with the foam core of refrigerators and freezers, and with insulated cups, coolers, and microwave cookware. The thermal underwear that many skiers wear is made of polypropylene, and the fiberfill in a winter jacket can be made from polypropylene or polyester fiber.
Generally, polymers are very light in mass with varying degrees of strength. Consider the range of applications from a dime store toy to the frame structure of space stations, or from delicate nylon fiber used to make pantyhose to Kevlar®, which is used in bulletproof vests.
Polymers can be processed in various ways to produce thin fibers or very intricate parts. Plastics can be molded into bottles or the body of a car, or can be mixed with solvents to become an adhesive or paint. Elastomers and some plastics stretch and are very flexible. Other polymers can be foamed, like polystyrene (Styrofoam®) and urethane, to give just two examples.
Polymers are materials with a seemingly limitless range of possible characteristics, and colors. Polymers have many inherent properties that can be enhanced by a wide range of additives to broaden their use and application. The ability to design or engineer the polymer for each specific application makes plastics unique among basic material types.
Each polymer resin can be identified by fundamental identification tests. Melting point, burning properties, solubility, relative density, and halogen tests can identify resins in a lab. When testing the resins, be sure to use safety goggles and perform the tests in a lab fume hood.
Of the most common resins, polyethylene (PET) and polypropylene (PP) both have a translucent, waxy texture, and are the only non-foam plastics that float in water. The burning properties will discriminate between these two resins. PE burns rapidly, drips flames, smells like candle wax and, when extinguished, will produce a white smoke. PP, on the other hand, burns more slowly, smells like burning fuel, and does not drip flames while burning. PE is impervious to chemical solvents while PP will dissolve in hot toluene.
Other common plastics can be identified by their burning properties. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can be ignited but will self-extinguish as soon as the fire source is removed. PVC has a very acidic odor when burning because hydrogen chloride is a burning by-product. (A halogen test can be performed to identify the presence of chlorine in PVC. A copper wire is heated in a laboratory burner flame to incandescence and then touched to the PVC. PVCWhen the wire is returned to the burner, a brilliant green flame is produced.) Rigid PVC will become rubbery in the presence of benzene or will dissolve in methyl ethyl ketone. Polystyrene (PS), on the other hand, burns rapidly, has a strong gas odor, and produces tremendous amounts of soot. PS will swell readily in acetone.
These identification tests are not conclusive determinations for polymer content, but are a solid guideline. Polymers with colorants, additives, and stabilizers will naturally have somewhat altered behaviors. Infrared spectrophotometry, gas chromatography, and X-ray are some of the analytical identification tests that can be performed to positively identify polymeric materials. Elastomers are unique polymers, which include rubber, synthetic rubber, and thermoplastic elastomers, and are characterized by their elasticity and flexibility. Elastomeric materials stretch and have the ability to recover with limited permanent set or distortion. These materials are generally thermosetting and can be distinguished by similar basic identification tests like the plastics previously mentioned. However, commercial products are usually compounded with more than one base elastomer, making identification by analytical instrumentation a necessity.
After "mers" are polymerized together, thermoplastics are extruded into strings of plastics that are chopped into pellets. These pellets can be mixed with colorants and additives that are then remelted into other shapes. The extrusion process is customarily designed to make a variety of common objects. Plastic pellets are fed into an extruder through the hopper. The plastic travels into a heated barrel where one or two screws turn continuously, mixing, blending, and melting the plastic. The screw also moves the plastic through the barrel to the end where the die is located. Depending on the shape of the die, a variety of objects are developed. Some common extruded products include drinking straws, molding strips, hose and tubing, seamless gutters, window frames, and vinyl siding.
A process similar to extrusion is the production of sheeting. Plastic is extruded and fed through two hot rollers producing sheets, which continue to be fed through hot rollers to produce the desired thickness. The process of material being fed through a series of hot and/or cooled rolls is called calendering. Sheeting has a final thickness of 0.25 mm or more; whereas film, which can also be produced by this method, is less than 0.25 mm in thickness. Film is also produced by a blown or tubular extrusion process. A tube of plastic is extruded from a vertical die and air is blown into the center of the tube, cooling and orienting the polymers in the film. The air-filled tube resembles a hot air balloon. The diameter of the die and the rate at which the extruded tube is pulled determine the final diameter of the product. Trash liners are commonly produced utilizing this process. The film is then fed through a series of rollers where the material is finally wound on a reel. Plastic films have revolutionized the food packaging industry. Frozen foods, dry goods, meat and vegetable wrap, boil-in-bags, and microwave wrap are examples where filmed polymers are used and contribute to the health and safety of your household.
Fibers and filaments are also extruded through multiple openings of a spinneret die. The specially shaped strands of molten plastics are cooled, then drawn and stretched by passing through a series of rollers. The drawing process will orient the molecule chains to produce the desired strength, while the shape of the fiber will affect other characteristics. All natural fibers have distinguishing cross-sections that fiber producers mimic to create a synthetic that resembles a natural fiber.
Plastic pellets are also used to produce injection molded products. The majority of plastic objects you would customarily think of are products of the injection molding process. The process is very similar to extrusion except the melted plastic is forced under pressure into a closed mold. After the mold is filled it is cooled, the two parts of the mold open, and the object drops out.
Another similar process is blow molding. The molten plastic is extruded as a large tube and the tube is clamped into a mold. Air or another inert gas is forced through the tube of plastic, which forces the material against the walls of the mold. Blow molding can also be done using a preform. A preshaped object is molded and then is reheated, clamped in the mold and air forced into the mold, finalizing the desired shape. Two-liter soft drink bottles are often made by this method.
Another molding process requires plastic pellets to be ground into a fine powder. The powdered plastic is easily melted and used for injection or rotational molding. Rotational molding is used to make large toys and lawn mower catchers. This is becoming a more popular form of molding and is characterized by the object being hollow. The powdered plastic is placed into a half mold and the upper part of the mold is bolted to the bottom. The mold is placed into a heating chamber and rotates, which causes the plastic to coat the walls of the mold. After a specified time, the mold is shifted to another chamber where it is cooled by spraying the outside of the mold with water. Then the top of the mold is removed and the molded part is removed and allowed to cool.
Elastomeric polymers like rubber are mixed in a machine called a Banbury. All the compound ingredients are placed into the machine, and blades inside knead and mix the components. This process is temperature critical, since most compounds mixed by this process are thermoset. Temperature needs to be monitored and controlled to minimize cross-linking, which can cause the material to be permanently set. After mixing in the Banbury, the mixture drops onto a two-roll mill where the rollers turn toward each other forcing the plastic or elastomer between them. The mixed rubber is then cut off the mill and stripped into long continuous sheets until it is ready to be extruded into various shapes and cured into a final product.
These explanations are extremely simplified. In reality, technicians who operate molding machinery have to understand the plastic they are molding as well as complex computer-operated machinery. Their jobs generally include inspecting the quality of the materials being made and correcting problems as they arise in the machine and the polymer.
Other polymers are rising in popularity as effective mechanical adhesives. Hot melt adhesives that are applied with a glue gun are used in some areas because of easy application. The plastic is melted and extruded into place, bonding two materials together or filling and sealing cracks and seams. The molten plastics can be controlled so that a thin or heavy stream is formed depending on the specifications. As the plastic cools, the bond is formed instantly.
Other types of adhesives, which are applied in similar fashion to hot melts, are caulkings, sealants, and putty compounds. These come in squeeze tubes or in a tipped cartridge. The cartridge is inserted into an extruder gun and the substance is forced through a tip. These compounds are used to fill cracks or produce a seal between two materials such as a joint, window edge, or bathroom fixture. The main purpose of these adhesives is to keep out moisture and air.
An equally common use is adhesive-backed tape or labels. These adhesives include masking tape, invisible tape, duct tape, Post-itTM notes, Band-AidsTM, pressure sensitive labels, and stickers. Heat sensitive patches or iron-on patches are also included in this group. In each case, the adhesive is on the back of a substrate such as paper, film, or fabric and can be adhered to another surface by pressure, moisture, or heat.
Polymers in suspension are also in the family of coatings. Paint, wood finishes, and vinyl-coated tool handles are examples of this form of polymers. Coatings are permanently applied to a substrate. Polymeric dispersions, used to fill a mold are considered castings. Casting is another term applied to the various pressure molding processes already discussed, as well as to embedments, which are molds filled without pressure.
Various additives broaden the spectrum of forms that polymeric materials can take. Fillers and reinforcements added to polymeric material constitute composites. Fillers are usually small particles or flakes of organic or inorganic material that are added to polymers to extend the material, lower the costs, and improve the physical properties. For example, application of metallic flake to PVC has brought the development of electrically conductive plastics to the marketplace.
Reinforcements are classified as fibers, additives that improve physical properties, especially the tensile and impact strength of the material. Glass fiber is a common reinforcement used to fill plastics. Mats or yarns of polymer or metal are additional examples of reinforcements used in the industry. Fillers and reinforcements are not only dispersed through the polymer, but can be layered, forming composite structures more commonly called laminates. Laminate structures are used in aircraft and car bodies, foam-backed carpet, and Formica® counter tops.
Additives are also used to stabilize the final polymeric material produced or to aid the processing of the material. Additives are available to curtail the effects of oxidation, ozone, or ultraviolet radiation. Anti-static agents are used to prevent the buildup of electro-static charge on the surface of the polymer. Synthetic fiber clothing is a common example of static charge building up on material, causing the fabric to cling to other materials. Fabrics, such as children's sleepwear and carpet, are often stabilized with flame retardants.
Polymers, especially those with plasticizers, are subject to microbial growth. Anti-bacterial or fungicidal additives, when incorporated into a polymer, will limit the growth of bacteria, fungus, or mildew on a shower curtain, in a water bed, or in tubing for medical applications. Processing additives range from accelerators and catalysts to retardants, which are critical in elastomer compounding. Waxes, lubricants, and plasticizers are additives that reduce friction in processing and result in flexible plastic or elastomeric materials. Blowing or foaming agents are additives that give polymers a specific form. Cellulose sponges and polystyrene are examples of the two different foams that are produced. Open-celled foams, like the sponge, hold water, and have cells or polymers that are not completely enclosed. Polystyrene is indicative of closed-celled foams that do not hold water and have completely encapsulated cells.
With the range of inherent characteristics of polymeric material and the possible modifications from fillers, reinforcements, and additives, the chemical and engineering potential of plastics and elastomers is limitless.
PET is clear, tough and has good gas and moisture barrier properties. The vast majority of this plastic ends up in soft drink bottles and blow molded containers, although sheet applications are increasing. In addition, a small volume of PET is now used outside the packaging industry for the production of injection molded components such as bicycle mud guards. Cleaned, recycled PET flakes and pellets are in great demand for spinning fiber for carpet yarns and producing fiberfill and geotextiles. Other outlets include strapping, molding compounds and both food and non-food containers.
Qualities: Clarity, strength/toughness, barrier to gas, resistance to grease/oil, stiffness, resistance to heat.
Uses: Plastic soft drink bottles, mouthwash bottles, peanut butter and salad dressing containers.
Recycled Products: Tote bags, dishwashing liquid containers, clamshells, laser toner cartridges, picnic tables, hiking boots, lumber, mailbox posts, fencing, furniture, sweatshirts.
HDPE is a relatively straight chain structure, but, as its name implies, exhibits a higher density. It is naturally milky white in appearance and finds wide application in blow molded bottles for milk, water and fruit juices. Copolymer HDPE, pigmented with a variety of colorants, is used for packaging toiletries, detergents and similar products.
Qualities: Stiffness, strength/toughness, low cost, ease of forming, resistance to chemicals, permeability to gas, ease of processing.
Uses: Milk, water and juice containers, grocery bags, toys, liquid detergent bottles.
Products: Recycling bins, benches, bird feeders, retractable pens, clipboards, fly swatters, dog houses, vitamin bottles, floor tile, liquid laundry detergent containers.
In addition to its good physical properties, PVC has excellent transparency, chemical resistance, long-term stability, flammability resistance, good weatherability, flow and insulatory electrical properties. The diverse slate of vinyl products can be broadly divided into rigid and flexible materials. Rigid applications, accounting for 60 percent of total vinyl production, are concentrated in construction markets which include pipe and fittings, siding, carpet backing and windows. Bottles and packaging sheet are also major rigid markets. Flexible vinyl is used in wire and cable insulation, film and sheet, floor coverings, synthetic-leather products, coatings, blood bags, medical tubing and many more applications.
Qualities: Versatility, ease of blending, strength/toughness, resistance to grease/oil, resistance to chemicals, clarity, low cost.
Uses: Clear food packaging, shampoo bottles.
Recycled Products: Air bubble cushioning, flying discs, decking, film, paneling, recycling containers, roadway gutters, snowplow deflectors, playground equipment.
A plastic used predominantly in film applications due to its toughness, flexibility and relative transparency. Because of its lower melting point at a given density, it is used in applications where heat sealing is easily accomplished. LDPE is the preferred resin on older unconverted film extrusion equipment due to its ease of extrusion. Typically, LDPE is used to manufacture flexible films such as those used for plastic retail bags and garment dry cleaning and grocery bags. LDPE is also used to manufacture some flexible lids, and it is widely used in wire and cable applications for its good insulatory electrical properties and processing characteristics.
Qualities: Ease of processing, barrier to moisture, strength/toughness, flexibility, ease of sealing, low cost.
Uses: Bread bags, frozen food bags, grocery bags.
Recycled Products: Shipping envelopes, garbage can liners, floor tile, furniture, film, compost bins, paneling, trash cans, landscape timber, mud flaps.
Polypropylene has excellent chemical resistance, is strong and has the lowest density of the plastics used in packaging. It has a high melting point, yet is readily heat-sealable. In film form it may or may not be oriented (stretched). It is also relatively inexpensive. PP is found in everything from flexible and rigid packaging to fibers and large molded parts for automotive and consumer products.
Qualities: Strength/toughness, resistance to chemicals, resistance to heat, barrier to moisture, low cost, versatility, ease of processing, resistance to grease/oil.
Uses: Ketchup bottles, yogurt containers and margarine tubs, medicine bottles.
Recycled Products: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms and brushes, ice scrapers, oil funnels, landscape borders, bicycle racks.
Polystyrene is a very versatile plastic that can be rigid or foamed. General purpose polystyrene is clear, hard and brittle. On a per-pound basis, it is a very inexpensive resin. It is a rather poor barrier to oxygen and water vapor and has relatively low melting point. Typical applications include protective packaging, containers, lids, bottles, trays and tumblers.
Qualities: Versatility, insulation, ease of processing, low cost, clarity.
Uses: Videocassette cases, compact disc jackets, coffee cups, knives, spoons and forks, cafeteria trays, grocery store meat trays and fast-food sandwich containers.
Recycled Products: Thermometers, light switch plates, insulation, egg cartons, vents, desk trays, rulers, license plate frames, concrete.
The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) introduced its resin identification coding system in 1988 at the urging of recyclers around the country. A growing number of communities were implementing recycling programs in an effort to decrease the volume of waste subject to rising tipping fees at landfills. In some cases, these programs were driven by state-level recycling mandates. The SPI code was developed to meet recyclers' needs while providing manufacturers a consistent, uniform system that could apply nationwide. Because municipal recycling programs traditionally have targeted packaging—primarily containers—the SPI coding system offered a means of identifying the resin content of bottles and containers commonly found in the residential waste stream. Recycling firms have varying standards for the plastics they accept. Some firms may require that the plastics be sorted by type and separated from other recyclables; some may specify that mixed plastics are acceptable if they are separated from other recyclables; while others may accept all material mixed together. Not all types of plastics are generally recycled, and recycling facilities may not be available in some areas.


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Mum shares snap of her 'alternative' Christmas dinner – and people are very divided over it
Rebekah Pemberton
Updated: 13:01 ET, Jan 7 2022
A MUM has shared her own take on a traditional Christmas dinner - and people have been left very divided over it.
Mum-of-two Amy Spilman, from Derbyshire, posted a photo of her "alternative" food table she made for her kids and partner yesterday.
Mum-of-two Amy Spilman showed off the 'alternative' Christmas Day dinner she gave her familyCredit: @amysmealplan/INSTAGRAM
Instead of a traditional roast, she included crisps, pickles, feta stuffed peppers and mini pizzasCredit: @amysmealplan/INSTAGRAM
Although it featured many of the beloved classics, like a turkey and pigs-in-blankets, there were some unusual extras.
Amy included a homemade cheese board, crisps, pickles, feta stuffed peppers and mini pizzas.
Writing in the Facebook group Family Lowdown Tips & Ideas page, she explained: "Am I the only one that doesn't do a Christmas Dinner?
"It always puzzles me why when everyone says Christmas is about spending time with your loved ones and how it's for the kids, that everyone opts for one of their loved ones to be stuck in the kitchen near enough all day cooking a big dinner that the kids don't want to eat because they just want to play with all their new toys.
"I'll make a big roast any other day of the year but Christmas day is party food and turkey cobs (rolls or whatever you call them) and a day to enjoy with my family definitely not stuck in a hot kitchen peeling spuds!"
Many people were left split over the unusual food table.
Some said ditching a traditional roast is preferable as you get to spend more time together as a family rather than cooking in the kitchen.
One said: "We have pizza for Christmas dinner-no complaints from kids, I get to spend time with them instead of stuck in the kitchen-everyone's a winner!"
Another added: "I used to do the big Xmas dinner. But over the past few years I've realised our food doesn't have to be the stereotype Xmas meal.
"I make foods everyone in my family enjoys! More relaxed Christmas and everyone is happy x."
Others said it is better to prep the Christmas meal the night before or days in advance to prevent being bogged down on the day.
One wrote: "That's why you prep it Xmas eve when the kids are in bed. You serve starter and pudding in paper bowls and plates so the only pots you have to wash are the same as any other toast dinner day.
"And you all muck in so it's much quicker and you're spending time doing it together!"
Amy told Tyla: "When people assumed I wasn't able to cook a roast, I wasn't offended, I suppose it is quite logical to assume that the reason for that is because they're not very confident when it comes to cooking.
"However I went to catering college, spent three years working in kitchens and I am no chef but I cook home cooked meals for my family more or less every day."
She also claims she was put off one year "stressful" and "chaotic" year when she had to cook a three course meal for 11 people at Christmas.
She added: "Christmas day is a chilled out day, we're not working to strict time schedules, we don't have to do any food prep on Christmas eve, we have food available to pick at all day and the rest of the day is spent having fun, opening presents and being with family, which to me, is much more important than sitting down to have a huge Christmas Dinner that the children don't want to eat because they want to play with all their new toys."
Amy defended the unusual table saying Christmas day is a chilled out day and she'd rather hang out with her kids than be bogged down in the kitchenCredit: @amysmealplan/INSTAGRAM
Many people were left split over the unusual food tableCredit: @amysmealplan/INSTAGRAM
Were you stressed about prepping your Christmas dinner? Try this 'life changing' timing chart to ensure everything goes to plan next year.
Meanwhile, a mum reveals how to make your Christmas dinner leftovers last for a week – and it's recipes all the family will love.
And a mum reveals surprising reason she takes down all Christmas decorations at 11pm on December 25 & people think it's cute.
Inside RHONJ star Teresa Giudice & fiance Louie Ruelas' over-the-top Italian Christmas celebration in new $3.4M mansion

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Wenger wants transfer window moved to stop "tapping up"
Admin Pat
The Arsenal manager has advocated the change of the dates of the transfer window to before the season actually starts, and now he has given the reasoning of preventing the 'tapping up' of players (obviously referring to Oxlade-Chamberlain) before (or even during) important matches.
Wenger explained why he had to sell the Ox rather than have so many players in the last year of their contracts, and he alluded to Liverpool turning his head. "Today in the Premier League, you have 107 players who go to the final year of their contract. In that, in every club, some are players that the clubs do not want to extend, and some are players that the clubs want to extend but don't agree for financial reasons.
"And we have both sides: we have players we do not want to extend, and we have players we wanted to extend, where we could not find an agreement. So at some stage that means that every time you have to quantify the loss of income.
"And at the end of the day, you decide, 'OK, we can do it for two or three, but not for four or five.'"
And as to Chamberlain's abysmal showing against (his now new club) Liverpool, Wenger seemed to defend the Ox's state of mind. "You sit there before the games and even in players' minds they have no clarity,"
"Are they in? Are they out? Are they half in? Are they half out? Are they tapped up in the afternoon of the game by people who want to get them out?
"You are not naïve enough to think that will not happen. Have they been tapped up? Of course. But on the day of a game? I don't think so, I hope not. But it's inevitable.
"If I am a football player, I can perform even if Liverpool is in my head. I don't think that should stop you to perform.
"Did it? I think he was not worse than any other player on the football pitch. I don't want to go into individual cases, I just think in general.
"It's not the way to work and it's uncomfortable. Every single manager would agree that it's time to kick that out before the season starts and not continue to have players in the dressing room who are half out and half in."
Yes the whole Arsenal team were rubbish at Anfield, but you can't have a more destabilizing influence than fielding a player who is already 'half out' of the club, especially when you are facing the team he wants to join.
How on any planet is that sensible?
Darren N
Arsenal_Girl
If Wenger had played OX in CM there was a good chance OX would have taken the £180,000 per week contract. Even against Liverpool OX was played LWB (I think). Why Wenger played OX against Liverpool is quite puzzling as I assume Wenger knew he would go.
Its not just inadequate summer transfer signings but also poor tactics by Wenger. Wenger from time to time has been known to play players in wrong positions and not started his best players ie Lacazette and Giroud were both on the bench against Liverpool and Welbeck started.
Moving the date won't STOP tapping up all together. Wiki definition of tapping up: In professional team sports, tapping up is an attempt to persuade a player contracted to one team to transfer to another team, without the knowledge or permission of the player's current team. It will just make sure tapping up doesn't happen in August (Start of season). Tapping up can still occur other times
But again, why play someone who is going to leave the club within days especially in a position he doesn't want to play in and against the team he will go to? Another numpty decision by Wenger
Jerick
I believe he is right on this one. You can have 1 player playing against you 3 times in a season. Would you like to face the League's best and toughest opponents 3 times? I however blame him for playing Ox against Liverpool. A player who is usually rumored to leave a club "usually" sits a game out until his head is cleared or the window close. I will conclude that £40 wasn't bad business though.
Nothing changed
It is my understanding that the Barca's and Bayern's of the world can still come and turn our player's heads because the European window doesn't shut till the end of August so our players can still be sold to European teams after the PL deadline closes. No?
"English Premier League to switch to shorter transfer window" (Reuters 08-Sep-2017)
"MANCHESTER, England – The Premier League transfer window will now close before the start of the season after clubs voted to bring forward the deadline for buying players from next season, the Premier League said in a statement.
Premier League clubs on Thursday backed a rule amendment that will see the summer window end at 17:00 local time on Thursday before the start of the season.
This season the window closed on 31 August while the season had begun 20 days earlier.
The new date applies only to clubs in the Premier League and relates only to purchasing of players.
Premier League clubs will still be able to sell players to clubs in other leagues, such as those in Europe, whose window is still open.
Some European clubs have also expressed support for shortening the window in a similar fashion but the Premier League is so far the only league to have made the move.
The Football League, which includes the second, third and fourth tiers of English football, has not yet changed their window but a similar change is on the agenda for their meeting of clubs on 21 September."
Tony on Aubameyang's Red Card is the Perfect Challenge for Arsenal


I have had this camera for ages and I seem to misplace it with film in it. I developed a roll that was in it and as always it was older than sin.
The first one is super cool!
I sometimes wish I had held on to mine.


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Charming home on a large lot of 8025 sqft in Richmond, features 7 bedrooms and 5.5 baths. It's great property for first-time home buyer. Short walking distance to transit, Day Care, Thomas Kidd elementary and Ironwood Shopping Centre. Easy drive access to highway 99, Steveston village, Country club, Hugh McRoberts Secondary, South Arm community centre.


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Pop Archives - WE FOUND NEW MUSIC
Devon Baldwin's fiercely candid "Forgot To Miss You"
Powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Devon Baldwin creates intoxicating and radiating pop electronic tracks that ooze authenticity. Her latest single is entitled "Forgot To Miss You" and is off of a forthcoming body of work written during the pandemic. "Forgot To Miss You" details the time when someone is finally getting over their ex and their ex […]
Jordan Paul Releases Vibey New Track "New Thang"
Kaua'i based alt pop and R&B artist Jordan Paul just released his latest track "New Thang." The artist, who brings a fresh flavor of pop, R&B, soul, and funk to his sound, is inspired by artists such as Bruno Mars and Mac Ayres. In "New Thang," Jordan reflects on the rush of excitement one gets when they get […]
Leah Kate has a realistic outlook on love in "Shit Show"
Los Angeles based pop singer Leah Kate is best known for her bold and provocative approach to storytelling through music. Her latest single, "Shit Show," is about getting real in relationships. No individual or relationship is ever perfect, and that's the attitude that Leah Kate puts forth with her latest anthem. Featuring a vibrant pop melody, catchy and clever lyricism, and […]
Glass Dove's emotional album debut Half Life Wilderness
Nashville based Glass Dove has just unveiled his full-length album debut, Half Life Wilderness, produced by Owen Biddle (The Roots, John Legend). The ten track album features riveting synth pop songs hinted with sweeping indie rock riffs and lush arrangements. Thematically, the album as a whole centers around the dysfunction found in all different types of […]
Seth Glier's new album The Coronation inspires hope and change
Grammy-nominated singer songwriter Seth Glier just unveiled his new album The Coronation, which is a collection of songs with uplifting and relevant themes tied to the current state of the world, such as healing, self-love, collective transformation, and unity. Glier says, "'The Coronation' marks the emergence of our collective unconscious into consciousness and the transcendence of compulsion […]
Glassio's "Magazines" is pure sonic bliss
Brooklyn-based alt electronic producer/songwriter Glassio has returned with an infectious new single all about self-care. Called "Magazines" the synth filled track radiates with dance pop soundscapes and layered vocals. "Magazines" is a hopeful narrative all about finding your way out of dark times, embracing the light and not comparing yourself to the perfect image, as there is […]
Boon Unleashes "Can't Be Love"
Nashville's own multi-instrumentalist and creator Boon has just released "Can't Be Love." The single is an intoxicating fusion of blues-infused rock, trap and electronic pop, and details the intense feelings of being strung up romantically on someone who just doesn't care. The artist has a unique ability to create emotional music that is sensitive, self-confident, […]
Dante Palminteri's "Brunettes" is a flirty summer jam
Dante Palminteri returns with a polished pop alt rock anthem all about seduction. Entitled "Brunettes", the single details a "dangerous" love interest that Palminteri is taken by and the affair that ensues. Featuring a straight to the point chorus that is upbeat and addictive along with clashing alternative rock guitars, "Brunettes" is a song to blast on a […]


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Q: Why isn't my command parameter binding correctly? I'm trying to bind a button command to take the text of a textbox as a parameter when the button is clicked.  My Xaml looks like this:
<TextBox x:Name="InputBox" Width="250" TabIndex="1"
   Text="{Binding Path=MessageText, Mode=TwoWay}"
   FontFamily="Verdana" FontSize="11" Margin="0,0,4,0" />
<Button x:Name="SendButton" Width="50" Content="Send" TabIndex="2"
   commands:Click.CommandParameter="{Binding Path=MessageText}"
   commands:Click.Command="{Binding SendMessageCommand}" />

Where MessageText is defined like so:
private string mMessageText;
public string MessageText
{
     get { return mMessageText; }
     set { mMessageText = value; OnPropertyChanged(MessageText); }
}

And my DelegateCommand looks like so:
public ICommand SendMessageCommand { get; private set; }

public TestModuleViewModel()
{
     Messages = new ObservableCollection<Message>();
     this.SendMessageCommand = new DelegateCommand<string>(text =>
     {
          Messages.Add(CreateMessage(text, "Me"));
     });
}

I've run this with a breakpoint set at the delegate and the parameter 'text' is coming up null every time.  If I replace the binding statement  commands:Click.CommandParameter="{Binding Path=MessageText}" with some hard coded value (as in commands:Click.CommandParameter="Foo" ), I get the value as expected.  What am I missing on the binding side?

A: Unless you have something REALLY fancy going on with your OnPropertyChanged implementation, it's likely because this:
OnPropertyChanged(MessageText);

Should be this:
OnPropertyChanged("MessageText");

Hope this helps.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Anyone who has seen him or who knows of his whereabouts is asked to report online or call 101 quoting serial 1032 of 10/11.


text:
The Man Who Ran for God (pt. 2)
January 30, 2017 January 31, 2017 surfingbaku
VI. Their Rims Were Tall and Awesome
"It should be you."
In his study, Dodd, a block of pine on his knee, uncapped a bottle of industrial-strength wood varnish. At the window, his press agent Raymond Wachstetter reached on tip-toes to open the blinds and let some sunshine in. The squat man sniffed. With his long nose and the cottony tufts of his only hair wisping over his ears, he looked more or less like a penguin offended. He opened the window a crack, letting in cold air.
"What's that?" Dodd asked. He daubed some varnish onto a rag and wiped down the pine.
"I'm looking at the list of best-sellers in Moldova," said Wachstetter. "It's showing here that the Springsteen autobiography's topping the list there, but that can't be right. It should be God Don't Care. It should be you." He coughed and held a sleeve over his mouth.
The preacher shrugged. He said, "I'm sure things'll sort themselves out," and put the varnish on his work table without closing it. He opened a nearby leather pouch and took out a carving knife, set about scraping at the wood chunk on his leg. It was to become an inch-high video store clerk, employed at the model Family Video in Doddville.
After all these years, Dodd was still at it. His hobby proved more therapeutic than ever, and since Tamera's death he'd increased productivity in his hand carved mini-city a hundredfold. An entire room in his posh downtown home was dedicated to Doddville, and soon its space would need to be expanded — he'd have to knock down the wall and overtake the solarium to accommodate its growth. It wasn't just a little wood-and-plastic village anymore; it was a sprawling metropolis. Somewhere in there was little Mary Lou, cheer captain for the Doddville Huskies.
"Oh, here it is!" Wachstetter smacked a sheet of stationery. "I was looking at last month's numbers." When Dodd merely grunted, Wachstetter turned, smoothing out the sleeves of his cheap tweed jacket as though huddled in sub-zero temperatures. "I figured you'd be happy, Gideon," he said. "Moldova was our last major market holdout. Nearly everyone in the enlightened world has read your book now, or else had it read to them."
A curly scraping of wood landed in Dodd's mustache. "Then why hasn't He shown His face?" he said. "Where's His answer?" The knife and wood block landed on the worktable with a pair of soft clumps as he joined his agent at the window. Together they peered into the winter light, and Dodd fixed his gaze upon the large hill beyond the backyard's spire-ridden fence where James and Ellie were dragging up their sleds.
"You know what the kids said?" he asked. In the distance Ellie hopped onto her sled and kicked off, hands in the air. James hung back, arms crossed, waiting to ensure she'd survived her trip downhill before attempting his own. "They don't think there's a God at all."
"Oh," Wachstetter said, "He's there." The agent gave his client a soft rap on the shoulder. "Look at that view and tell me there's no God."
"Credit where credit's due," Dodd said. "That's all the landscaper. Montez, I think's his name."
"Even so," said Wachstetter. "It's only a matter of time. Mark my words: This is only the beginning."
Dodd shut the blinds just as young James managed to propel himself down the hill, flat on his belly with a firm grip on either side of the sled. "Well," he said. "We'll just see, I s'pose. What's it called, anyway? In Moldova?"
"Your book?" Wachstetter pulled a folded sheet of paper from his jacket and glanced at it.
With the sheet held up to him, Dodd read (or looked at, anyway) the words:
Бог не піклується
"Looks good," he said. It felt like the thing to say. He went back to his stool and table and resumed carving a tiny, detailed face on the miniature teenaged DVD and Blu-ray huckster, whom he'd just decided would be called Jeremy. One small slash of the blade and there was his mouth. Two imperceptible flicks and he had eye sockets. Gideon Dodd considered the youngster's expression.
Insolent. Mocking. A youthful challenge to his elders.
He slid the knife down longways and scraped the little wooden brat's smirk right off.
"Um, Gideon?" Ray, at the window. "Who's that out there? Is that Montez?"
"Mm?" Dodd looked up. "Montez's off Tuesdays." From his workbench he could see that, indeed, a tall, thin figure — not clearly man nor woman from here, but certainly adult — had approached the twins at the bottom of the snow-dusted hill. This person wore a whitish gown, or perhaps a clergyman's frock. They knelt, making themselves eye level with the kids, and with remarkable posture, appeared to be sharing with them some story. The youngsters' eyes sparkled in wonder even at this distance.
"Should we go out there?" Ray whipped his head around, then jerked back. "Hey!" he shouted through the inch-gap in the cracked window. "You there! In the dress!" Then to Dodd: "They're pretty pretty, Gid."
Dodd joined his agent at the pane and saw the strangest thing.
A sled. No, a sleigh every bit as impressive as Santa Claus's came gamboling down the hill, no rider in its leather seat to guide it. It was white and ornate, gilded along the edging with a golden veneer. It sparkled in the sunlight, and its white surface seemed crafted from diamond.
"Maybe they're Norwegian?" Ray suggested.
The self-guided sleigh parked itself between the stranger and Dodd's children, who promptly hopped in and grabbed the shining golden reins.
Along the ornamental gilding, dozens of circular baubles moved and bubbled, and Dodd knew when Wachstetter squeaked and squeezed his shoulder that he was thinking the same thing.
They were eyeballs. Blinking, searching, seeing eyes.
Ellie laughed. James ran a hand along the side of the sleigh, whistling.
And then the sleigh burst into flames.
Blue. Then white. White-hot, deathly bursts of flame.
"Hot damn!" said Wachstetter, but Dodd was already at the armoire, fumbling in his pocket for the key. He found it, opened the cabinet, yanked out a shotgun and ran as fast as his troubled knees would let him — out the door, across the yard, through the gate.
The stranger with the flammable sleigh remained at its side, serene, head bowed. The bald head shone bright in the flames, and the mouth bent slightly into a calm smile.
Dodd got within grabbing distance of the odd stranger. And grab he did. Dodd took them by the shoulders, shotgun at the ready, and shouted: "Who are you? What did you do?"
The robed one's eyes never opened, but it held out a flat palm toward the sleigh, and Dodd looked there. His children, swallowed in liquid-white flame, sat with their hands folded in their laps, grinning like they'd just dug their unclipped fingernails into the cookie jar.
"It should be you," the stranger said.
And dozens of inhuman eyes lining the massive and impossible toboggan all, at once, turned to Gideon Dodd.
"In there?" said Dodd.
The figure nodded.
Dodd nodded, too. And he reached out. He reached out for his boy, for James. He lifted a leg, made to clamber over and join his children in the fire. But the instant his thumb made contact with James's shoulder blade, a white flash overtook his sight. He stumbled back, blind, crying out for Wachstetter, for James, for Ellie. For Tamera.
But he opened his eyes again, and he was somewhere new.
No more beautiful, snow-bejeweled garden. No more sleigh or stranger. The air was thin, the ground rust-colored. And he knew he was on a mountain peak. The sun beat down on him, and in an instant he was sweating like a hog. Ellie was there, fingers splayed out in his tight-curled hair. It was odd, her massaging his scalp like that. Like Tammy used to—
Without warning, without his brain telling it to, Dodd's arm swung upward. He glared into the sun to stare at it, aghast at the loss of control. Nestled within white-knuckled, clenching fingers was the bone handle of an old, old, ancient tribal knife. Dodd's eyes followed the arc of his arm back down to the knife's destination. Pinioned under his other hand was the throat of his only son, James.
The boy didn't struggle. He only lay there in the red sand. Ready for anything.
Ellie tugged on her father's hair. It tingled at the roots.
"Daddy," she said. "It should be you."
The sweat on his forehead fell into his eyes, stung them, begat tears. "Yes," he said. "Yes, it should. Is there nothing I can do?"
Ellie shrugged.
And then it didn't matter, for Dodd's arm was falling, thrusting, zooming down, and the old sacrificial knife with it — the slaughterer of so many lambs before it. Only now it wasn't any kind of relic. It was a workman's knife, of the sort one would use to whittle tiny wooden people, and it was headed straight for James's willing throat, and then James was gone. The mountaintop was gone, Ellie, the sand, the sweat and the sun: gone.
It was a cool Paris night. The stars twinkled, winkled, flirted overhead.
And Tamera was there. Her hands, cold but dry, folded over her husband, the preacher man's fingers. She had her lower back pressed against some decorative railing, and she was smiling, wearing a new necklace she'd just opened and just loved to bits.
And Dodd knew they were atop the Eiffel tower, the most romantic spot in all the world. And he knew his wife, his beloved, was about to die, and he could do nothing to stop it.
"It should be you," she said.
"Yes," said Dodd. "I know it should."
And she fell. And all that was left was a tooth.
Dodd wore the tooth around his neck these days. Tucked into his damp collar.
Soaked.
His shirt was soaked through.
The sheet draped over him: soaked through.
He lay on the couch in his second living room. Wachstetter sat on the Eames, one leg draped over the other, leaning in. His brow was twisted in intense concentration and concern.
Dodd's children knelt at his side. Ellie had her hands on his forearm. James hugged his own bent-up legs.
"Dad?" Ellie shook him. "Daddy?" She turned around to the press agent, having never looked to him for any sort of sage adult advice before. "Do we call a hospital?" she said.
Wachstetter shook his head. "He's coming around," he said, and stood. "Ain't that right, boss? Just a little too much of the old wood varnish fumes. You went all floppy on us. Conked out when I tried to get you to read Moldovan." He sucked on his teeth, and looking like he wanted to look knowledgeable, held up a "peace" sign on one hand.
"How many fingers, boss?" he said.
But darn Wachstetter's dopey fingers! They weren't real! They didn't matter! What he'd just seen! That had been real. Dodd rapped his temple with a damp knuckle, trying to recapture and mentally archive everything that had happened in his — yes, he'd call it. Why not?
"I've just had a vision," Dodd said.
Ray's eyes doubled in size. He left his fingers in their V shape. "Maybe you should lie back down," he said. "How many fingers?"
"Hell with your fingers!" The preacher planted his feet on the hardwood floor. Ray looked abashed. The language.
Dropping his hand as a bad job, he said, "Sorry."
Dodd found that the whittling knife was still in his hand, gripped so firmly the brand name was now set into his palm like the brand of some secret society. Dodd set the knife on the nearby coffee table and it rolled off, landing tip-first into the floorboard. It stood upright, proud.
"I saw it too, Dad."
Dodd looked down. There, on the floor, sat James, rocking with his chin tucked into the space between his knees. His big white eyes flashed up at his father, doe-like.
Dodd said, "'Scuse me?"
"I saw it, too." James was shaking. "The sleigh. That— person. And the…" he swallowed. "The mountain?"
"Don't be silly," Dodd said, standing, wobbling only a little. "You've just had a bad dream." Bird-like, his head cocked aside. "Now, Ray." He pointed at his agent. "Call the outlets," he said. "CBN, Christian Science Monitor, Focus on the Family. All the giants."
Ray nodded, patting his pockets for something to write with and on.
Said Gideon Dodd:
"I have an announcement to make."
VII. "Scoffer" is the Name
"Well? What do you think?"
In the past, Pastor Gideon Dodd watched his wife's face with boyish expectancy. Was Momma proud?
"Hmm." Tamera ran a hand over one wall of the wooden structure at the crease of her palm. "What is it?"
Her gruesome death would happen ten years from this very day. She was pregnant with twins, almost a month past her due date. Her exhausted eyes told the story even better than her swollen belly.
"It's a church," Gideon said.
Like a kid who's just realized he took the wrong lady's hand in the supermarket, Tamera withdrew her grip on the model building — the latest addition to Doddville, a hobby that had long since become, in her opinion, an unhealthy habit.
"It looks like an arena," she said. "Like Vegas."
"Well," Gideon smiled. "On weekdays, sure. That'll be the deal. That's how we foot the bill: athletics, rock and roll concerts. But never on Sunday. On the Sabbath —" he straightened up "—it'll be God's house."
Tamera averted her gaze from the model mega-church. "You talk about it like it's real," she said.
And her husband, a showman even then, made a tri-folded slip of paper appear. With a flair, he let it fall open.
He said: "Ta-da."
The paper, on official-looking parchment, bore a legal sort of seal at the top left. On its face were what looked like billions of words in a microscopic font that made Tamera's vision blur in optic protest. At the bottom was a big, billowy signature: her husband's. She didn't need to read billions, or even a dozen, words to know what it all meant.
"Giddy," she said. "You didn't."
"Giddy did." He took her by the shoulders, met her eye. "I'm making the announcement to the congregation in tomorrow's sermon. We've been growing for years — the radio show's climbing to number one, those publisher's've been sniffin' around for a book deal — well, now we'll have some wiggle room, God willing."
Tamera sighed.
"You don't like it," said Gideon.
She looked thoughtful, weighing her next words.
"You don't like it." He shook her, just slightly. Just to wake her up.
"Oh. I hate it," she said.
Gideon let go. He turned and squatted, leveling his sight with the base of the stadium model. He closed one eye and peered inside. What he thought he'd find in there, Tamera could only guess. "You'll see," he said. "You'll see. We're gonna make so many people happy, honey. Spread God's word. Reach millions. Go international with it."
Tamera shrugged. "They already got God in Zimbabwe."
Gideon behaved as though he did not hear her. "I'll need you there, tomorrow." He looked up, pleadingly, over his shoulder. "For the big announcement. You'll be there, right?"
He thought the worst, as she stood there, towering over his hunched frame, licking her lips and staring at her knuckles, now miraculously the most interesting things in the world. He thought she would say no. He thought she would tell him and his stupid church to go to Heck. He thought she would grab the to-scale replica of the to-be building and crack it into pieces over her own hard head.
Whatever she was going to do, however, she never got the chance. For at that moment, they were both startled to hear a galumphing pair of hard-soled shoes clatter down the steps into the basement. They looked toward the commotion and saw there, draped over the railing, panting and sweating like a loony-bin escapee, a stout man in a damp polyester suit. His plaid necktie wrapped round his thick, veiny neck and down his back like a noose. His glasses had slid down his nose precariously, a millimeter from falling off his head and to the concrete floor below. His face was streaked with blood, trickling down what appeared to be scratch marks along his forehead.
"Tammy!" he said. "You gotta help me!"
Tamera forgot all about her husband. She whizzed past him, still prostrate and pleading, to the new man on the scene. Joining him at the foot of the stairs, she put an arm over him and said, "What is it, Rodge?"
Her brother accepted her matronly embrace — indeed, even rested his head in the crook of her neck. "There's been a mix-up," he said.
Tamera dug fingers into her brother's hair up to the knuckles. "Oh, Roger," she said. "Another mix-up?" Gideon saw the back of his brother-in-law's head bob up and down into Tamera's shoulder. "What happened this time?" she said.
"Not my fault," said Roger. "Not my fault." His face, from the nose up, at least, appeared. "Wrong place, wrong time. Just my luck. Just my lousy luck." He inhaled. "Can I sleep here?"
Tamera patted Roger on the back. "Shh, shh," she said. "Of course you can."
"And if the EPA comes calling, can you tell them you never heard of no monitor lizard breeding ring?"
"Um." Tamera's head tilted a little. "I suppose."
"And if the DEA knocks on the door, you'll say you don't know nothing about anyone extracting a chemical from monitor lizard urine that folks are vaporizing to get real, real high?"
Tamera nodded just once. "I really don't."
"Just my lousy luck," Roger said again. "I tell you."
Gideon rose, folded his arms. "Roger," he said, "what — exactly — did you do this time?"
Roger started, evidently surprised at Gideon's being there. "Oh!" he said. "Gideon! Thank goodness!" He slipped free from his sister and made the last step onto the basement floor. With two long strides he reached Gideon, gripped him in a bear hug, and said, "People listen to you! I need a favor, pal." He took two trembling fingers to push up his glasses. "There'll be this — press conference tomorrow morning," he said. "I'll have to explain some things, and, well, it'd mean a whole lot to me if you could be there to back me up. Y'know, in front of the cameras? Can't anybody be mad at me with God's favorite preacher man over my shoulder."
The damp of Roger's clothes began to seep into the chest and belly of Gideon's short sleeve button-up. Gideon felt the other man's grip tighten when his own relaxed.
"I'm sorry," he said. "Big sermon tomorrow."
Roger held on. "What?"
"Can't miss it." Between them, a paper copy of a development contract crinkled in Gideon's breast pocket. "Or I would."
"But I need you," Roger said. He took a step back. Watery, drooping, pink eyes stared back at Gideon through blood-and-oil-smeared glass lenses. "D'you know what this could do to my career?"
"I'm sorry." The preacher tried to catch his wife's eye, there on the stair landing. She was no help.
"I'm sorry, Congressman."
And Roger Bulkiss said nothing else to Gideon Dodd — nor did his wife on that particular day — for what was there to say? The pastor knelt back down to admire itty-bitty Doddville's own version of what would, soon, be the lavish meeting place of his real-life congregation every Sunday. Tomorrow, they'd all get the good news — right along with their weekly helping of the Good News. Postpone the announcement? Certainly not!
It was too bad, he had to admit. He thought now to pray for his brother-in-law, though he wasn't quite sure what yet to ask of God, in regards to the Maryland state representative.
"Uff." Dodd grunted. "I sure do hate politics."
VIII. Truly, Truly I Say
The Sunday after his vision, all those years later, Gideon Dodd watched in — if not astonishment, well — a kind of amusement from the backseat of his stretch limo as it pulled up to the monolithic monster church with his name emblazoned across it in neon letters. Yes, he'd expected the press to turn up when he promised a major announcement. But Al Jazeera and FOX News? NPR and Rush's guys, sharing the red carpet, comparing the size of their microphones?
It was perfect.
Near to divine.
He dodged questions on the way in, only removing his sunglasses and bomber jacket once he got into the greenroom. The floor rumbled; during hair and makeup the mirror on his vanity wobbled.
"What is that?" he asked the stylist, knowing already.
"That's the crowd. They're going nuts," she said.
He smiled again.
He braced himself to be knocked backward by a wave of ovation when he stepped onstage and into the bright lights. An eerie calm-before-the-storm hush fell over the crowd at his appearance instead. He took to the pulpit like a duck to water (and soon, he thought, they'll be sayin' ducks take to water like Gideon Dodd takin' to a pulpit.)
"A blessed morning to you," he said.
Hold for applause.
Hold tight for applause: The hot breath of thousands of screaming zealous mouths smacked him across the face. They cheered fit to crack a hole in the ozone.
He smiled yet again.
"A blessed morning to you all. I see some new faces. Some familiar ones. And some new but very familiar ones." He nodded to the celebrity couple in the front row, stooped over on the edge of their seats.
He swallowed. "You're all here, after a fashion, for the same reason. Some weeks ago I called for the impeachment of God Almighty. I stood here and asked the Lord Hisself to step down, own up, and admit He's botched the job. And now I say I've got big news."
There was a strange sensation, a popping of the ears, as a thousand people drew in and held a breath at once.
"Well, you know, God used to speak to me all the time." Several hundred nodded. They'd seen it on the TV. "But on this matter," Dodd continued, "as in the matter of my late wife, God has remained resolutely — silent."
The crowd roared disapproval. The big, bad villain of the wrestling match had just lumbered in.
Dodd stepped around his podium, patting an invisible kid's head in an effort to hush the room. They obeyed. "But I had a vision, my friends. Was it from Him? I doubt it. But it was real. And I now know what I must do." Both hands wrapped round the microphone, clasped, prayer-like.
"So I'm announcing today," he flicked his eyes to the journalist rows and relished the way they readied their pens. "I'm announcing today my candidacy for the throne of Heaven.
"I'm gonna run for God."
In the instant that followed he felt alone. The room so quiet it could have been empty — might as well have been. The speech was meant to end there, but feeling alone, he found it easy to vamp. And he would vamp until the silence was vanquished.
The silence, the unbearable silence!
He paced. "I challenge the Almighty for the right to continue his self-appointed despotism from On High. I propose an honest, open, and fair election: Me? Or Him?
"If the people will it so, He may continue. But our voice will be heard. This once, it will be heard."
Eyes straining against the stage lights, he looked up.
"What do you say to that, Tight-Lips?"
No one said a blessed thing. Not the riveted audience (all of whom would have plenty to say later), and certainly not any celestial figure from above.
But with a substantial flash and a startling crackle, the arena lights did snuff out, sprinkling the assembly with a dust of sparks, and leaving thousands in utter darkness.
Dodd licked his teeth, and they lit the stage back up.
"You're on," he said.
Posted in Fantasy, satire, The Man Who Ran for GodTagged absurdist, come, fiction, novella, political s, religion, serial
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  <parent>
    <artifactId>protostuff</artifactId>
    <groupId>com.dyuproject.protostuff</groupId>
    <version>1.0.13-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <relativePath>../pom.xml</relativePath>
  </parent>
  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
  <groupId>com.dyuproject.protostuff</groupId>
  <artifactId>protostuff-parser</artifactId>
  <name>protostuff :: parser</name>
  <description>parser for .proto files</description>
  <packaging>jar</packaging>

  <build>
    <defaultGoal>install</defaultGoal>
    <plugins>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.antlr</groupId>
        <artifactId>antlr3-maven-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>${antlr3-version}</version>
        <configuration>
          <outputDirectory>src/main/java</outputDirectory>
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      <artifactId>antlr-runtime</artifactId>
      <version>${antlr3-version}</version>
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</project>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Much African land currently has low productivity and has attracted investors leasing land as a speculative option on higher future prices or productivity. To be beneficial land deals need to induce productivity enhancing investments. Some of these will be publicly provided (infrastructure, agronomic knowledge), and some can only be provided by 'pioneer' investors who discover what works and create demonstration effects. Such pioneers can be rewarded for the positive externalities they create by being granted options on large areas of land.
requirements to work a fraction of the land.


text:
Q: Java package politics I always doubt when creating packages, I want to take advantage of the package limited access but at the same time I want to have similar classes divided into packages.
The problem comes when you understand that packages are not hierarchical in Java:

At first, packages appear to be
  hierarchical, but they are not.
  source

Imagine I have an API defined with its classes at foo.bar, only the classes the API client needs are set public. Then I have another package with some internal objects I need in the API defined at foo.bar.pojos, this classes need to be public so they can be accessed by foo.bar but this means the API client could also access them if the package foo.bar.pojos is imported.
What is the common package politic that should be followed?

A: I've seen two ways of doing.
The first one consists in separating the public API and internal classes into two different artefacts (jars). The documentation is separated as well, and it's thus easy for the end user to make the distinction between what is internal and what is not. But it sometimes make things more complex to have two jars, two source trees, etc.
The second one consists in delivering a single jar, but have a good documentation allowing to know what's internal and what's not. The textual documentation can explain how to use the API (and thus avoids talking about the internals). And the javadoc can specify that a class is for internal use and is thus subject to changes.

A: Yes, Java packages don't give you enough control over your dependencies.  The classic way to deal with this is to put external APIs in one package and internal implementation classes in another, and rely on people's good sense to avoid creating dependencies on the latter.
With Maven and OSGI, you have an additional mechanism for managing dependencies between modules / bundles of packages.  In the case of OSGI, you can explicitly declare some packages as not exported, and an OSGI aware development environment will prevent people creating harmful dependencies.  Maven's module support is weaker, but at least it controls dependency cycles.
Finally, you could use custom PMD rules to enforce your project's modularization conventions ... in the same way that there are rules to discourage dependencies on Java's "com.sun.*" package tree.

A: It is a mess.
Using only what Java itself offers, you have to put everything in the same package. You end up with a single (or a few) packages with lots of classes, and no good way to group them for yourself (but at least that problem does not leak outside). Most people don't do that, though, and as a result, your (as a developer on top of these libraries) public classpath is littered with stuff you should never need to see.
You might like OSGi, which has (and enforces) the concept of bundle-private packages. Those are not exported to the outside world.


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text:
Q: How to implement pull down refresh in android? Currently I am working on a fragment that simply a webview with framelayout, the problem is, I would like to do something like the pull down refresh ( just like some refresh function common of list view ).
Assume there is a refreshToDo() function , all I need is just a layout (when I drag the body it show the refresh header, when the header at the certain height, it call refreshToDo() , when I release it , it go back to top and hide) , but how to implement that? thanks
layout: (It contains the main content and target content, you can simply ingore target content, it is for playing the video in fullscreen in webview):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" >

    <FrameLayout
        android:id="@+id/main_content"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent" >

        <WebView
            android:id="@+id/webView"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent" />
    </FrameLayout>

    <FrameLayout
        android:id="@+id/target_view"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:background="@android:color/black"
        android:visibility="gone" >
    </FrameLayout>

</RelativeLayout>

Fragment:
public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
            Bundle savedInstanceState) {

        View rootView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.web_fragment, container,
                false);

        mTargetView = (FrameLayout) rootView.findViewById(R.id.target_view);
        mContentView = (FrameLayout) rootView.findViewById(R.id.main_content);

        mWebView = (WebView) rootView.findViewById(R.id.webView);
        mWebView.setVerticalScrollBarEnabled(false);

        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.KITKAT) {
            WebView.setWebContentsDebuggingEnabled(true);
        }
        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN)
            mWebView.getSettings().setAllowUniversalAccessFromFileURLs(true);

        mWebView.setWebViewClient(new MyWebViewClient(getActivity()));
        mWebView.setWebChromeClient(new MyWebChromeClient(getActivity()));

        mWebView.getSettings().setDomStorageEnabled(true);
        mWebView.getSettings().setPluginState(WebSettings.PluginState.ON);
        mWebView.getSettings().setJavaScriptEnabled(true);
        mWebView.addJavascriptInterface(this, "jsinterface");

        // default go to video page
        mWebView.loadUrl("file://" + getActivity().getFilesDir().toString()
                + StorageUtils.finalfoldername.toString() + "video_list.html");

        return rootView;
    }

How to add the custom view to implement the pull down refresh? Thanks

A: For those who wants to use this feature in webView!
In your xml layout, wrap your WebView into SwipeRefreshLayout:
<android.support.v4.widget.SwipeRefreshLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/swipe_container"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">

<WebView
    android:id="@+id/web_view"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent" />

</android.support.v4.widget.SwipeRefreshLayout>

In your Activity/Fragment class:
//declare it as global var for future cancel refresh
private SwipeRefreshLayout swipeLayout;

//where you initialize your views:
swipeLayout = (SwipeRefreshLayout) findViewById(R.id.swipe_container);

swipeLayout.setOnRefreshListener(new SwipeRefreshLayout.OnRefreshListener() {
    @Override
    public void onRefresh() {
        //your method to refresh content
    }
});

//don't forget to cancel refresh when work is done
 if(swipeLayout.isRefreshing()) {
     swipeLayout.setRefreshing(false);
 }

for example you can set up a webView client and when page is loaded you'll cancel refresh:
webView.setWebViewClient(new WebViewClient() {
    @Override
    public void onPageFinished(WebView web, String url) {
        if (swipeLayout.isRefreshing()) {
            swipeLayout.setRefreshing(false);
        }
    }
});

A: Check out the awesome ActionBar-PullToRefresh Library. It does the pull to refresh gesture using the gmail/ google+ progress bar, is highly configurable, very easy to implement.

A: Now there is an official widget SwipeRefreshLayout in the Android support library. It is doing exactly what you are looking for. The documentation is here:
https://developer.android.com/reference/android/support/v4/widget/SwipeRefreshLayout.html
Here is a good tutorial I found:
http://antonioleiva.com/swiperefreshlayout/

A: You can use SwipeRefreshLayout available in android support library.
A complete sample code example with tutorial is avaialable at this link

A: Try this: LisView Custom XListView-Android


In 2012 "Freezwater" started first small scale experiments on snow protection. The Zeirath snow sausage (snow accumulation) at Lake Vishab (3200 m) proved remarkably viable (lived until mid-September, usually disappears beginning July). The a posteriory analysis showed that it failed to survive until winter arrival solely due to too rocky under-bed. We are glad to acknowledge participation of the University of Fribourg team in scientific monitoring of the results for Zeirath snow sausage.
The purely ecological ouput of the program (such as water for hydroelectric power or watering the Alpine pastures at Aragats) can hardly be detected at the present small-scale experimental level. However in 2013 "Freezwater" intends to realize a project whose results can be much more visible. The plan is to create a ski-piste from lake Vishab to the southern top of Aragats (Vishab Pist project).


Presenters mainly want to use webinars as another way of delivering some of their educational material. Great! But today I want to show you some interesting stuff about the value of webinars for marketing your business.
The marketing company The Shattuck Group, which works with professional service firms and experts, recently conducted some research to find the most effective marketing tools for these businesses.
"How do you build a simple and effective lead generation plan that just works - a plan that impacts revenue and profits while still being manageable and affordable?"
This is extremely valuable research for us as infopreneurs and thought leaders, because it tells you what's working in practice, not just in theory. I'm not going to go into detail about them all here (but if you want to know more, you can read my blog post about it here). I just want to point out that webinars made the top five.
There's no doubt webinars are becoming more popular as a way of marketing your expertise (that's why I wrote the book "Webinar Smarts"), and the Shattuck research confirms this.


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vector Man behind desk repairs electronic equipment. Engineer in workpl Man behind desk repairs electronic equipment. Engineer in workplace. Chinese factory at work.


text:
Q: How will the (anti)commutation relation between two different fermion fields look like? The anti-commutation relation between the components of a fermion field $\psi$ is given by $$[\psi
_\alpha(x),\psi_\beta^\dagger(y)]_+=\delta_{\alpha\beta}\delta^{(3)}(\textbf{x}-\textbf{y}).$$

*

*In case of two different and independent fermion fields, should I impose commutation or anticommutation between them?

*If we continue to use anticommutation, how should the RHS change for two different fermion fields $\psi^1$ and $\psi^2$? $$[\psi^1
_\alpha(x),\psi_\beta^{2\dagger}(y)]_+=?$$
$$[\psi^1
_\alpha(x),\psi_\beta^2(y)]_+=?$$
$$[\psi^{1\dagger}
_\alpha(x),\psi_\beta^{2\dagger}(y)]_+=?$$

A: We use anticommutation relations:
$$[\psi^1
_\alpha(x),\psi_\beta^{2\dagger}(y)]_+=0$$
$$[\psi^1
_\alpha(x),\psi_\beta^2(y)]_+=0$$
$$[\psi^{1\dagger}
_\alpha(x),\psi_\beta^{2\dagger}(y)]_+=0$$

A: As far as I remember, it is also possible to choose the commutation relations for different fermions. However, traditionally, anti-commutation relations are chosen for creation and annihilation operators of different fermions and commutation relations for creation and annihilation operators of fermions and bosons or different bosons.
EDIT:(12/1/2016) See, e.g., https://arxiv.org/abs/1312.0831