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Jenni Quilter July 25, 2018 Bodies and Minds, Popular Fictions, Uncategorized
Half and Half Again
In the fifth-century BC, in southern Italy, there lived a philosopher called Parmenides, who believed that ontological pluralism—the belief that our existence is made up of many moments—was a misapprehension. Parmenides believed that our existence was one single, unchanging reality, in which the passing of time, space and motion, was an illusion. According to him, milk might sour, and loved ones might die, but the world was actually continuous, indivisible. We live in a world in which we are all simultaneously unborn, alive, and dead. Parmenides is with us, and we are and were with him.
It's easier to understand Parmenides's sense of indivisibility if you imagine Italy in summer. There, the senses are sympathetic to an unchanging reality; the days have a rhythm, the pulse of a sleeping heart. Olive trees, sunshine, water; the sound of the wind in the leaves. Insects cry out, clinging to the bark.We live within a oneness of comprehension, where everything—even the things we have not yet experienced—is still inside our horizon line of understanding. We may not be able to see this, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
All of this is nonsense on some level, but these days, I am starting to sense a sphericity in me. Right now it is very slight. I feel it on the days I write in cafes in New York City. There will be three, ten, fifteen people there. A few have laptops. Others sit in twos, talking. Sunny dialectic; they're telling stories to each other. One is dressed in nurse's scrubs, and a second's father has just died. A third wears very large hoop earrings, shaped into large hearts. Sitting at the bar, a woman has a flock of starlings tattooed on her back, which are mostly hidden by her shirt. The fan is turning and The Smiths are playing; that moaning voice, Cassandra in the body of a man. Out on the street, people walk by in the soft light, inspecting their phones. When you become hyperaware, your sense of predestination rises like sap in a plant. These people belong to me. I am newly compassionate; this is my sphere, for better or worse. It takes an infinity to walk to the bathroom.
You could call it a slowing. You could also call it an adult thing, Parmenides's sphere, when you start to sense an inevitability to the shape of your existence. Olives, water, wine. A girl sits down and tells a boy that nobody likes a man-child. I could go to a different café, could come back here on another day and though the details—the food, customers, weather, and song—would be different, the feeling wouldn't have changed. I am sensing a thickening tradition in my own life, a kind of hardening. The plates of my experience are fusing together. I am living within my own horizon line, and I have not departed from it for some time.
On March 8, 2014, Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur airport. It was supposed to land in Beijing, but less than an hour after takeoff, the communication transponder was manually turned off. Just before that, Malaysian radar picked the plane up turning abruptly left, deviating from its northerly flight path and heading out over the Gulf of Thailand.
It took less than seven hours for the media to pick up the story. Everyone assumed the plane had been hijacked, but as the hours passed, no terrorist group came forward to claim responsibility. One morning stretched into one day. None of the neighboring countries had spotted the plane on their radar systems. There were no cellphone calls from passengers. That first night stretched into two, then three, then more.
In that first week, MH370's disappearance was the story to follow; experts in aviation, satellite, terrorism and South East Asian geo-political ambition speculated endlessly on T.V. about why and how. This talk was all anyone had, because the plane refused to materialize. It had to have landed (its fuel would have only lasted until midday of the first day) but without any contrary information, the plane kept on flying in people's minds. The television show Lostdidn't help. Neither did the sense that the world seemed too small to lose a giant plane. Satellite tracking is ubiquitous, our digital handshakes instinctive and incessant (I must register on a satellite hundreds of times of day), but still—227 passengers and 15 crewmembers had vanished into the blue, along with all of that steel and fabric and plastic, suitcases and food carts and pillows and blankets and toys and clothes. Matter vanished into thin, high, blue air.
At the time, I was using a gym to train; it was too cold outside to run. I grew up in New Zealand, and have never owned a television, so this was the first time I'd really encountered the phenomenon of an American 24-hour news cycle. As each day passed, even with the sound off, I found it harder and harder to watch the monitors suspended from the ceiling. The media couldn't bear to look away. They reported on their not reporting.
There was an abstract force to the extremity of this feeling, a kind of pure aversion. On waking, my first thought was whether they had found out what had happened during the night, but I was always reluctant to turn on the radio; I knew that finding out would not be as painful as being told that, yet again, no one knew. My gait felt off. I kept on tripping on the treadmill. It wasn't a paradox, but it felt like one: the crunching sensation of the mind as it persists in a belief that can no longer be true.
Parmenides's lover was (reputedly) Zeno of Elea, another philosopher. You might recognize his name because Zeno's paradoxes are one of the few pieces of Greek philosophy that persist in popular culture today. People remember the gist of it: a space—a football field, an arrow and target—and talk about moving from one end to the other in steps, each time dividing in half the remaining distance. You can move half of the way there, they say, and then half that, and so on and so forth. Yet because you can halve the distance an infinite number of times, it takes an infinite amount of time to reach the target. We should never get there.
Such thought experiments survive as a kind of stoner's delight, as a story told by one college student to another, ambling along St Mark's Place. We're so confident in our empiricism that the scenario seems a pseudo-intellectual amusement rather than a real proposition. But Zeno was serious. That an arrow didhit its target suggested that those who thought the world was divisible were just plain wrong. Parmenides's thought that all was indivisible might seem difficult to swallow, but to Zeno, so too was the idea that all of our actions were truly divisible. His paradoxes were thought experiments designed to defend Parmenides. What we perceive as multiplicity was really a singularity wearing the mask of many. The thought dogs humanity. It is also the basis of spiritual belief.
What seems more surprising is that we remember Zeno's name. There is something about his thought experiments that is singular enough to name it, a quality in his stories of division and non-attainment that we still find distinct. They are analogies for a thought process we seem to have a hard time explaining any other way.
In some kind of asymptotic echo of his paradox, most people trail off before they get to the end of their retelling; they're confident of the bit about division, hazy about the conclusion. Our fuzziness about the paradox is part of the paradox now. His is the line of a song that everybody in a bar somehow knows to chant, in unison, even if they don't know the singer's name. "Oh! We're halfway there. Oh-oh!" It may be that Zeno's paradox persists because beyond his name, there is no single word that can accommodate that delicate sense of the finite and the infinite. Like oil and vinegar, if left alone long enough, they'll insist on separating. The paradox whisks them together.
Eight days after flight MH370 disappeared, I flew to Los Angeles with my boyfriend and drove to Joshua Tree National Park. I had booked a cabin in the desert for five days; I wanted to write, and run outside.
One night, as we lay in bed together, looking out through a large window onto the desert, which stretched away for miles, the rocks and yucca lit by the moon, the highway lights flickering in the far distance, my boyfriend asked me to marry him. I felt something snap or spring tight in me, as real as a pulled tendon: guilt and love.
We spent the next few days talking about what marriage meant. I had no interest in being joined to another person for legal or religious reasons, but there was that romance of extremity, of settling down, of never being technically lonely again. There was the hunger for being loved so much that someone would do such a thing. Our paths had crossed rather randomly, and now there he was, whistling as he made the coffee, or standing on the porch, stretching, looking out at the mountains. I choose you. I declare something is permanent, even though I know nothing really is. The distance between yes and no seemed a chasm a foot wide and thousands of feet deep.
So we began to divide the distance up. Talk of a ring. Talk of children. Half the distance, then half again. Summoning our nerve. I do. Impossibility and inevitability go so well together. Walking across a room used to feel like the easiest thing, but now when I moved across the cabin, bringing him wine, taking dishes to the sink, their air seemed to crackle.
Zeno wrote approximately 40 paradoxes featuring Achilles, chariot races, and tortoises (among other objects), but I'm surprised he didn't use the trembling distance between lovers.
At Joshua Tree, I followed the news on MH370, and registered the fact that two of my countrymen were on the flight. The New Zealand Heraldpublished a profile of one of them, Pauly Weeks, an engineer who had been on his way to a new job in Mongolia. Just before boarding, he had texted his wife Danica Weeks to tell her that she and the kids were the most important things to him in the world. Since then, Danica said, she had woken every morning expecting to find Pauly lying in bed next to her. She could not shake the certainty of his weight, and so every day, she had to unlearn. All of her senses told her something that could not be true. She had started writing poetry about him, rhyming couplets, whichthe Herald published.
The interview was brief, but it stuck with me. I would think about her most days when I went running along the dusty roads. It felt good to run into the desert holding nothing but my iPod. There was no track, no one else about. I kept an eye on my odometer watch, on distinctive rock piles. Cacti, sand, blue sky. I felt like a different woman: an American, who drove a car, who lived near by, who was married. For the first time I felt like I was in my mid-thirties. Here was another future, knitting itself now, spooling itself out ahead of me: a red thread out or in. My skin was drier. My weight bounced off and onto my joints differently each time my foot hit the sand. There would be a time in which I would come to expect this man's weight in my bed too, when my sense memory might grow stronger than reason.
Ironically, neither Parmenides nor Zeno wanted us to develop a taste for such speed, such transformation. Zeno wanted to divide and divide simply in order to show the absurdity of the motion. But what seems to have lasted is not just the impossibility, but also the pleasure that comes from division. How exponential the function of dividing by two is! How quickly we seem to move away from our beginning! There is a charm and terror to the sheer rate of change, to the ever-diminishing room in which we have to move, and how we can continue to move in it. One step, two step, three—and the sky is suddenly darker, the cliff a different kind of stone. I could return to New York with a rock on my hand.
Regardless of what Zeno intended, this is part of the pleasure of the paradox now; it leans both ways, towards completion, towards dissolution. The closer you get, the more aware you are of the edges between things. That awareness is a pleasure, an acquired taste. It sets you on your tiptoes, gives you balance in any high wire act of fatalism.
I can't remember when the disappearance of MH370 became bearable. I flew back to New York and continued teaching. The first day it was warm enough to run outside, I pulled my left piriformis, which is a small muscle deep within your ass, partially veiled by your glutes. It attaches to multiple muscle groups, including the ilia-sacral nerve. It turned out to be very painful. For weeks I couldn't balance my body weight on my left leg, which meant that every second step down, every time the femur pushed up into the hip socket, I felt a jolt of pain.
Online, I watched many dissection videos of left back legs, part of a flourishing sub-genre of online medical dissections. I was always looking out for the piriformis. Faceless men narrated the names of the muscles and tendons, pushing them this way and that with a silver pointer. Whenever they reached the piriformis, I felt a rush of feeling. There it was! It was like the face of a relative who doesn't recognize you on the street. Sitting at the computer, I'd raise my left cheek up off the seat and prod at the glutes, trying to part them, my fingers digging. That's what it looked like inside I'd tell myself: redder, twitchier, but just as blind, just as instinctive.
Through spring and summer, I sat in bars facing my boyfriend drinking wine, talking through the early evening. I so wished him to know how I felt, swaying with happiness; how it felt to sweat, or exhale, to feel my tongue at the roof of my mouth, how the ring he gave me felt on my finger: gold, with a diamond that had a smear of orange at the center. I wanted him to know what the pain felt like in my ass, and how it slowly ebbed. But how could I? The impossibility of knowing another, from the inside out, from the blood and gastric juices and neural pathways, is the despair of love and the excitement of the world.
On a mathematical level, Zeno's paradoxes have been solved, and rather easily. Zeno didn't understand that we could move through an infinite set of points in a finite amount of time. He failed to separate the finite number of real things a runner has to accomplish from the infinite series of numbers we can use to describe what the runner does. Zeno was dealing with what looks infinite rather than the actual mathematical infinite.
I barely know how to treat infinity; the word mostly lingers as a trace of my eight year-old self, discovering swearing brinkmanship. You're infinitely worse.You're infinitely worse plus one. But as Bertrand Russell has pointed out, we can't understand the infinite if we have "habits of mind derived from the consideration of finite numbers." Nothing is gained if "we pass its [the infinite's] terms in review one by one."
One fall day, when I read this sentence, I stopped, and took a big breath. A thought came to me, and I could not unthink it. Zeno's arrow, its clumsy impossibility, was also an analogy for a finite love that is trying to be infinite.
When knowledge arrives whole, it has a singular flash to it. For an instant, a scene is illuminated. The English philosopher Alfred C. Whitehead argued that Zeno's paradox was an attempt to isolate precisely this experience. Wesley C. Salmon summarized his point this way:
Whitehead maintained that the physical world is an extended spatiotemporal continuum, but he believed that it came into existence in chunks; these pieces came into being as whole entities or not at all. In retrospect they can be conceptually subdivided into parts—even infinitely many parts—but the parts do not represent entities that can come to be by themselves. An act of becoming is an indivisible unit; if you subdivide in any way the resulting parts are not smaller acts of becoming.
What I suddenly understood was that my love for this man was a divisible unit. In my relationship, there was no mathematical infinite. No matter how many steps I took, I still wouldn't reach him; even if I said, "I do," the arrow of my heart would keep on flying.
A future spooled back, retracted like the cord on a salad spinner. I returned the ring. I felt sick about it. I still feel sick. But the thought had the inevitability of a cake; I had made this thing, and here it was, rising in me.
The filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky thought art a way to comprehend the infinite, writing, "An artistic discovery occurs each time as…a hieroglyphic of absolute truth. It appears as a revelation, as a momentary, passionate wish to grasp intuitively and at a stroke all the laws of this world—its beauty and ugliness, its compassion and cruelty, its infinity and its limitations." His emphasis on the instant is in line with Whitehead's. It is an insight that cuts through rather than points at. To me, poetry does this particularly well. It crystallizes emergent thought, aims at that sensation of endless becoming. There is nothing—and then there is suddenly something, a thought, like a piece of space rock. It is no surprise to me that Danica Weeks began to write poetry as she began to mourn her lost husband. She was mourning an absoluteness.
Rather than thinking of the infinite in terms of addition, we might understand an infinite set of numbers by its characteristics; how that set of numbers operates rather than how big it is. One way to imagine this multiplicity might be to think about uncountable forms in nature like a flight of birds, a beach's worth of sand; groups of which it makes no sense to think about what happens when you add one more of that thing. The salient feature is how that group of infinity moves: how they tumble, how they separate. My problem was that I could not think or imagine how my love for this man moved.
More than a year later, I read this out loud for the first time to a group of people. It was in the evening, and we had just finished dinner. Olives, water, wine. The light was soft and warm, and I could hear my voice in their ears. As I read, I realized that all of this had become a thought experiment, a paradox to tell other people; an analogy for something else they might feel altogether. The reality of what had actually happened had begun to drift away from me. The thought had completed itself; the cake had stopped rising. They had found a piece of MH 370 washed up on a beach on Réunion in the Indian Ocean. The details of the crash were still fuzzy, but the end was absolute. The arrow had hit the target.
The next morning, over breakfast, one of these people who had listened asked me if I thought all love was finite. "No," I said. "I don't think so. Even if I never thought about it this way before, I can imagine my feelings for others as infinite sets."
She nodded, and disagreed. "I think all love is finite," she said. But I did not ask her if she sensed Parmenides's sphericity in her own life, if there was a quality to her consciousness that persisted, which could not be divided. I suspect there is. She has that quality to her; like a statue that may have eroded over time, the acuity of her lines still springs forth; that brow, that eye. She said she was looking for a paradigm shift. She had given up her apartment, was going to stay in a different place every two months or so for the next year. She had seen a bird in her dream that she had never seen before, and having looked it up on Google, she knew which country to visit. She was departing, moving, swiftly traveling into the dusk.
Right now I can imagine her waking in the morning, and watching the world, seeing the way people swarm and separate, rise and fall. She will notice how she isn't surprised, even when she ought to be. The shift may come, but it was already part of her. It is silly that I see in the infinite in someone who believes in the finite, and the finite in someone who so badly wants the infinite: as silly as a racing tortoise, or a chariot that never arrives. The clumsiness turns out to be vestigial, a tail I cannot shake. The sphericity, a hidden muscle, a hidden intuition, hardens and grows.
—–Jenni Quilter teaches at NYU. Her most recent book is New York School Painters and Poets (Rizzoli)
Posted in Bodies and Minds, Popular Fictions, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
The Vulnerable Academic Body
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Law Offices of Paul W. Ralph | Personal Injury Attorney in Orange, CA |
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Fatal Pedestrian Accidents in Orange County
Paul W. Ralph
Recent pedestrian accidents here in Orange County demonstrate just how serious they can be. In one such incident, a 29-year-old pedestrian in Huntington Beach was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. The victim was struck outside of a crosswalk by one vehicle that left the scene and then another car whose driver waited for the authorities.
In an earlier incident, another 29-year-old victim was killed when he was hit by two cars in the City of Orange. One of the drivers waited for the authorities and the other left the scene. This accident occurred very near the Lamoreaux Justice Center in Orange, on the City Drive South near Justice Center Way.
Factors in Pedestrian Accidents
It is not terribly surprising that both of the above Orange County pedestrian accidents occurred at night while the victims were reportedly crossing the street outside of any marked accident. In such a scenario two issues come quickly to mind: was the pedestrian visible and were they "jaywalking".
Most people might assume that someone who crosses the street outside of a marked crosswalk must be doing so illegally, often labeled as "jaywalking." This is not always the case. The California Vehicle Code specifies certain pedestrian crossings that are illegal, but those same statutes create a number of exceptions that amount to perfectly legal crossings. Simply crossing the street outside of a marked crosswalk is not in and of itself illegal, and a pedestrian crossing the street (even int he dark) may have the right of way.
When a pedestrian accident occurs at night one of the first thoughts that occurs to some is the pedestrian must have been difficult to see and is therefore to blame for the accident, However, a number of other issues must be addressed when assigning blame. What about the color of the pedestrian's clothing? What about the presence of streetlights near the scene of the accident? Did the driver have their headlights on at the time of the accident? All of these questions must be answered before fault can be determined.
Pedestrian Street Crossing Law in California
Is it legal for a pedestrian to cross the street at a location outside of a marked crosswalk? The answer is often yes. Interestingly, there is no blanket prohibition against crossing roadways at locations without a marked crosswalk. A local ordinance is needed before a particular crossing (not prohibited by the California Vehicle Code) could be considered unlawful. An unmarked crosswalk is described by the California Vehicle Code as being the prolongation of the sidewalk lines across an intersection. California Vehicle Code § 275. In other words, an unmarked crosswalk cannot be in the middle of a block and can only be found at intersections with sidewalks.
Moreover, "the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection" California Vehicle Code § 21950 (a). It is important to keep in mind that pedestrians who cross the road outside of a crosswalk must do so with reasonable care and not when a vehicle is close enough to present a danger.
Lighting and Visibility in Pedestrian Accidents
In addition to looking at whether the pedestrian was crossing the roadway in violation of the law, there must be an assessment of the driver's behavior. Regardless of whether the pedestrian was "jaywalking", a driver always has a duty to keep an adequate lookout when behind the wheel of their car. If a pedestrian is crossing the street (even outside of a marked or unmarked crosswalk) in light colored clothing and near street lights, the driver may be found largely at fault for the accident. Drivers must always be on the lookout for hazards such as other vehicles and pedestrians.
For example, if a pedestrian is in the roadway for 3-4 seconds and they could be spotted by an oncoming driver for at least that amount of time, the driver has a duty to see, perceive and react to the danger. In other words, they must take evasive action to avoid the collision. In general, the perception-reaction time for a reasonably careful driver is no more than 2.5 seconds. If a driver fails to react in this much time and strikes a pedstrian they should have seen, California law allows for an apportionment of fault between the pedestrian and the driver. It is not uncommon for a jury to decide a driver was 60-70% and the pedestrian responsible for the remaining 30-40%. What this means is that the victim or their family can recover 60-70% of the damages sustained, which can be a considerable figure in these cases.
Contact an Orange County Pedestrian Accident Attorney
If you believe you or a loved one has been the victim of an Orange County pedestrian accident, contacting an experienced injury atotrney is likely the best first step toward obtaining compensation for all of the injuries and damages sustained. Don't let a careless driver get away with causing an accident without accountability. Tags: orange county pedestrian accident
Two Victims Killed in Car Crash
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Security personnel at bars, restaurants and retail stores may not
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California personal injury laws can be confusing, and accident victims
The Road to Revovery Starts Here. Reach Out For a Free Consultation.
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cereal bars, frozen dinners and countless other processed foods.
last week's findings were the first to link fructose to cancer growth."
Thanks for the article link! I am trying so hard to eat less refined sugar!
It can be tough will all the yummy goodies out there!


Dr. Baietti received his Doctor's degree from Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, MO in December 1992. He is board certified by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and is Licensed by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation. Dr. Baietti has over 100 postgraduate training hours in Acupuncture and is a certified acupuncturist. Prior to his chiropractic training Dr. Baietti received his bachelor of arts degree in Psychology, with a minor in chemistry from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in May of 1989.
Doctor's degree from Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, MO. Bachelor of arts degree in Psychology, with a minor in chemistry from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL.
Dr. Baietti has over 100 postgraduate training hours in Acupuncture and is a certified acupuncturist.
Elisa is our front Desk Coordinator; She joined our team in December 2015. Elisa has an academic background in medical assisting and business management. Elisa always tries hard to help those in need and does a good job at it. Her ability to explain things in understandable terms and to act as a patient advocate is an invaluable asset to the clinic. Elisa is bilingual English/Spanish.
Isabelle joined our office as our front desk coordinator, meeting and greeting all patients with a smile, maintaining patient's schedules and being a liaison between patients and doctor. She has worked in the chiropractic field as a chiropractic assistant since 2009. Isabelle's love of chiropractic began shortly after birth, being adjusted by her grandfather who was a chiropractor. Since then she has been an active advocate for chiropractic care encouraging all those around her to seek a healthy chiropractic lifestyle. Is fluent in both English and Spanish.


iiode is a design research group aiming to sensitively connect technologies and common goods to offer beautifully objectified matters.
Folding tables and benches, redesign of a classic piece of community furniture delevoped with 5 axis milling company LAPORCH.
Inaugurating exhibition of the FDP art space inside of an occupied house and garage confronting practices related to objects and displays.
Installation part of the "Meaning Can Only Grow out of Intimacy (limbs, water, nostalgia)" group show curated by Elise Lammer for the "Les Urbaines" festival.
On-going research on souvenir objects and replication processes of archeological goods.
Multi-camera obscura for the "Nuit des Images" one-night program of the Musée de l'Elysée.
"Cinema estival" installation, screening during one month only desert-related movies.
On-going project for a desert movie.
Set design of a shop in an artist-run space for an artist solo show.
Sand constructions of moulded swimming pool shapes within an old factory building now surrounded by villas.


Due to scheduled renovations at Neyland Stadium, the finish line will be moved for both the 2019 and 2020 race weekends.
The 15th annual Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon won't be ended at the 50-yard line in Neyland Stadium this year.
This year, the race will end under Knoxville's Sunsphere in World's Fair Park.
"We're excited about the family-friendly, party-like atmosphere participants can expect at this year's finish line. We'll be making more announcements over the coming months as we finalize the new course and fun plans for the weekend's festivities," said Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon race director Jason Altman.
This year's race is set for March 30-31, 2019.
Registration will open early Wednesday, Aug. 1, at 12:01 a.m. Participants are encouraged to register online at knoxvillemarathon.com.
Current registration fees include $65 for the full marathon; $50 for the half-marathon and two-person relay; $35 for the four-person relay; $25 for the 5K; and $10 for the Covenant Kids Run. These are the lowest prices they've offered and it's to mark the first 15 days of online registration for the race's 15th year.
Price increases on entry fees go into effect at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 16.


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Farmville the Magazine
The Charlotte Gazette
The Farmville Herald
VCU receives equipment to perform in-house COVID tests
Thursday, January 14, 2021 1:57 pm
VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital (VCU Health CMH) is getting two new instruments to perform more COVID-19 tests in-house. During the last 10 months, VCU ... Read more | Add your comment
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Smith scores career-best 29 points
Thursday, January 7, 2021 6:50 pm
Akila Smith scored a career-high 29 points and Kyla McMakin added 19 as the Longwood University women's basketball team rallied to erase a double-digit third ... Read more | Add your comment
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Caregivers need our continued support
With Centra Southside Community Hospital experiencing a surge of COVID-19 patients and no relief for at least the next month or so, it is especially ... Read more | Add your comment
Return to political norms would be welcomed
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What will 2021 look like?
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What if 2021 is even worse?
Thursday, December 31, 2020 10:42 am
What if 2021 is worse in events than 2020 has been? What if this is the worst year of your life? What if the complaining ... Read more | Add your comment
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Community calendar for the week of Jan. 13
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Dominion to award $500K in scholarships
Dominion Energy is awarding $500,000 in scholarships in 2021 to assist African American and other underrepresented minority students who reside in the company's service area. ... Read more | Add your comment
Latest Education
Schools to remain virtual until case surge subsides
Schools delay in-person classes
Victoria Elementary School honor roll
Starting Jan. 1, a new law bans motorists from using any handheld personal communications device while driving on Virginia's roadways.
Inez Tomlinson Faris
Dorothy Fowlkes Hurt
New law bans cell phones while driving
By Crystal Vandegrift
Published 5:27 pm Thursday, January 7, 2021
With the new year comes a new law for Lunenburg that bans cell phone use while driving, and deputies have the option to write a summons to the operator of a motor vehicle if they are breaking that law.
Starting Jan. 1, a new law bans motorists from using any handheld personal communications devices while driving on Virginia's roadways.
Law enforcement in neighboring counties of Charlotte and Prince Edward said they plan to enforce the new ban.
"We plan on enforcing the law through warnings and issuing traffic summons when necessary," Charlotte County Sheriff Royal Freeman said.
Repeated attempts via phone and email to Lunenburg Sheriff Arthur Townsend as to if his department will enforce the new law have gone unanswered.
Drivers who violate the new law banning the use of cell phones while driving are subject to a $125 fine for the first offense and $250 for each subsequent offense.
The new law only applies to the direct handling of phones while driving.
Drivers may still use cell phones to make or receive calls while driving through the use of hands-free technology.
"I encourage all citizens to use "hands-free" devices such as Bluetooth while driving or simply pull over to a safe location," Freeman said. "The use of handheld devices is still allowable by drivers who are lawfully parked or stopped."
Freeman said cell phone use in the county while driving has been a factor in numerous motor vehicle crashes across the United States.
"Distracted driving claims nine lives per day — approximately 3,500 per year," he said.
The National Safety Council (NSC) analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data finds that 2,841 people died in distraction-affected crashes in 2018.
The percent of drivers using cell phones while driving has increased from 0.2% in 2005 to 3.2% in 2018.
Other new laws that took effect Jan. 1 include:
Conceal carry permits: Anyone looking to get a conceal carry permit in Virginia will now have to take an in-person class instead of an online course. Getting the training in person allows people to work one-on-one with someone and ask questions, something an online course could not offer.
Cost of insulin: Virginia-regulated health insurance companies will also no longer be able to increase the cost of insulin due to House Bill 66, which limits the charge of a 30-day supply of insulin to $50.
Driver privilege cards to non-U.S. citizens: Non-citizens may be eligible to obtain a driver privilege card if they are a resident of Virginia, have reported income from Virginia sources or are claimed as a dependent on a tax return filed in Virginia in the past 12 months and do not have a driving privilege that is currently suspended or revoked.
County sees 97 new COVID cases in a week
As Lunenburg County experiences a record number of coronavirus cases, Piedmont Health District Director Dr. H. Robert Nash is asking... read more
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/ Whiskey Review: Barrell Bourbon Batches 4 & 5
Whiskey Review: Barrell Bourbon Batches 4 & 5
By Margarett Waterbury / December 8, 2015
Editor's Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a free sample to review by the party behind it. The Whiskey Wash, while appreciative of this, did keep full independent editorial control over this article.
Barrell Craft Spirits is a relatively new non-distiller producer that has focused on sourcing unique, cask-strength expressions of American whiskeys. Rather than hide behind an invented backstory or obfuscate their products' origins, they've taken a page from the independent bottlers of Scotland and are forthright about the fact they're sourcing their whiskey.
In Scotland, independent bottlers like Signatory or Cadenhead's are a respected part of the whisky industry. They serve an important function in the market as a way for producers to dispose of barrels that don't fit their standard flavor profiles. They also offer alternative takes on established whiskies to the consumer – like cask-strength variants or unique blends.
Each batch Barrell Craft Spirits has released comes is detailed on their website with the mash bill, proof, age, barrel type, and state where the contents were made. Every handsome oval bottle is hand-labeled with key attributes and a unique bottle number – a craft-inspired touch.
Until now, Barrell Craft Spirits has confined itself almost exclusively to bourbons, though they recently released a blended American Whiskey expression. However, based on their mission "to find and curate the best barrels and batches of whiskey, wherever they may be," they aren't limiting themselves.
Their releases have won some major accolades, including several Double Golds at the San Francisco Spirits Competition as well as a highly-touted tie with Pappy Van Winkle 15 year at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
The Barrell bourbons are almost entirely devoid of backstory or romance, a peculiar situation in these days when every bottle seems to be made from a secret pre-prohibition great-grand-pappy's recipe saved from obscurity by a team of wild-west gunslingers, Chicago mobsters, and folksy backwoods moonshiners. Without any marketing copy, it's up to the whiskey to sell itself, and fortunately these expressions have a loud, clear voice.
We received two bottles of Barrell Bourbon to review: Batch 004, and Batch 005.
Aged six years and bottled at 116.7 proof, Barrell Bourbon Batch 004 was distilled at an undisclosed location in Kentucky.
Appearance: Medium caramelized sugar in color, long and persistent legs in the glass.
Nose: A honeyed nose somehow reminiscent of mulled wine, with ample cinnamon. Fresh orange zest mingles with caramel cream, clove, and a touch of sun-warmed hay.
Palate: I found a bit of water was essential to appreciating this high-proof whiskey. There's a lot of round sweetness in the entry and mid-palate, with notes of toast, vanilla, caramel, and citrus. The finish is long and surprisingly maritime, with creamy, oyster-like briny notes.
Barrell Batch 004 is a beautiful crowd-pleaser with a rich mouth feel and complex finish that saves it from being syrupy.
Score: 89/100
Aged eight years, three months, and bottled at a strapping 124.9 proof, this is a bruiser of a bourbon. Batch 005 was distilled at an undisclosed location in Tennessee.
Appearance: Slightly darker than the 004, with a burgundy cast. Very viscous in the glass.
Nose: Intensely nutty with tons of buttery esters, giving the distinct impression of a fresh pecan pie.
Palate: Like the 004, without water, it's a bit closed, but a few drops remedies that situation nicely. Strong notes of hazelnut and pastry precede a mid palate dominated by molasses and demerara, again evoking nut pie. The finish moves in a drier direction, introducing some juicy satsuma tartness as well as a bit of cola-like phosphoric acid, before trailing off with a hint of slight French roast bitterness. This whiskey excels as a highball or over ice, with the high strength leaving plenty of room for dilution, while still retaining a robust flavor.
Barrell Bourbon 005 is enjoyable from start to finish, moving seamlessly from sweet to sour to bitter in a masterful, mouth-filling dance.


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The Drug Scare That Exposed a World of Hurt
The Gainesville Sun
When cold medicine containing a poison made in China killed nearly 120 Panamanians in 2006 and early 2007, Americans could take some comfort in the belief that a similar epidemic could never happen here, not with one of the best drug regulatory systems in the world.
Then last spring, hundreds if not thousands of pets died or were sickened in the United States by a Chinese pet food ingredient that contained lethal levels of melamine, an industrial product used to artificially boost protein levels. That was followed quickly by the discovery that Americans were brushing their teeth with Chinese toothpaste containing a poisonous chemical used in antifreeze.
Still, no Americans died from the chemical.
And then came heparin.
A hugely popular blood thinner used in surgery and dialysis, heparin turned out in some cases to contain a mystery substance that sophisticated lab tests earlier this month determined to be a chemically modified substance that mimics the real drug. The United States Food and Drug Administration has linked it to 19 deaths and hundreds of severe allergic reactions, though the agency is still investigating whether the contaminant was the actual cause.
What a difference a year makes.
After many near misses and warning signs, the heparin scare has eliminated any doubt that, here and abroad, regulatory agencies overseeing the safety of medicine are overwhelmed in a global economy where supply chains are long and opaque, and often involve many manufacturers.
"In the 1990s governments were all about trying to maximize the volume of international trade," said Moisés Naím, editor in chief of Foreign Policy magazine and author of "Illicit: How Smugglers, Traffickers and Copycats Are Hijacking the Global Economy." "I'm all for that, but I believe this decade is going to be about maximizing the quality of that trade, not quantity."
Mr. Naím said the heparin scare is already having a "huge" impact, fueling worldwide anxiety over imported medicine and a growing demand for consumer protection.
Congressional Democrats are talking about authorizing more money so the F.D.A. can do more overseas inspections, particularly in China, where more and more drug ingredients are made. The agency is also completing a plan to permanently station employees in China for the first time.
"Just focusing on the borders of the United States does not work," said Dr. Murray Lumpkin, a deputy commissioner at the F.D.A. "In order for us to do our job better domestically, we have to work better internationally."
Chinese drug regulators have also begun to take small steps toward plugging some of the country's gaping regulatory holes, particularly with the thousands of chemical companies that sell pharmaceutical ingredients without a drug license. Regulators have much to do and many obstacles to overcome in trying to adapt to changes brought on by globalization.
The way heparin is made and distributed illustrates the challenges they face. The drug's raw material comes from mucous membranes in the intestines of slaughtered pigs. Those membranes are mixed together and cooked, a process that in China often takes place in unregulated family workshops.
It is then transported to middlemen, called consolidators, who direct the product to plants in China that manufacture heparin's active ingredient for shipment to either another trader or the finished dose manufacturer. In the United States, the tainted ingredients ended up at Baxter International, which later had to recall the blood thinner.
Since the outbreak in the United States, Japan and several countries in Europe have recalled certain heparin products made with Chinese ingredients. In some instances, European traders buy and sell the heparin to companies in other countries, extending the supply chain even more.
Anti-counterfeiting experts say that the longer the chain, the greater the opportunity for counterfeiters to adulterate the product. In fact, F.D.A. investigators have yet to figure out where in the multistage manufacturing process the chemical that mimics heparin was added.
"Advanced technology and global manufacturing outlets have made fake drugs a big and illicit business that is literally poisoning patients," said Alan C. Drewsen, executive director of the International Trademark Association.
And since supply chains often pass through more than one country, there is no government agency with the power to police all of it. The World Health Organization runs a program that helps track counterfeit medicine, but it has no regulatory authority.
Manufacturers also need to do a better job of testing imported ingredients, drug experts say.
For example, tests failed to detect the heparin-like contaminant because it was so similar to the real thing. And that worries Dr. Roger L. Williams, chief executive of the United States Pharmacopeia, which sets quality standards for medicine and supplements.
"What you are seeing here is the tip of the iceberg," Dr. Williams said. "How do we know what else has gone wrong?"
He said, for example, that melamine was missed because "we have a bad test for protein." Other tests should also be improved, he said. To help companies identify diethylene glycol, the inexpensive poison that ended up in Panamanian cold medicine and in Chinese toothpaste, USP recently came up with a better way of determining if that poison is present.
Some leading members of Congress don't want to rely so heavily on manufacturers to protect the public, particularly afterreports said poor management and scientific inadequacies have weakened the F.D.A.
More than 500 plants in China export drug ingredients to the United States but the agency inspected only 13 of them last year.
One of the plants not inspected was the one that made the contaminated heparin ingredient. That plant, Changzhou SPL, blames someone else further upstream in the supply chain for selling tainted raw materials.
The F.D.A. is continuing to investigate.
"We can blame the Chinese for this stuff as much as we want, but the truth of the matter is we are the people who are buying," said Joseph G. Acker, president of a chemical trade association.
And Mr. Acker points a finger at the F.D.A., adding, "I think that organization needs a total overhaul."


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Warrant of arrest issued for Jacob Zuma over non-attendance at court
The KwaZulu-Natal High Court has acceded to a request from the state to issue an arrest warrant for former president Jacob Zuma over his non-attendance at his corruption trial.
The matter has been stayed until May 6.
In court on Tuesday, the State asked Judge Dhaya Pillay to issue an arrest warrant for Zuma after his legal team applied for him to be absent from proceedings in Pietermaritzburg, citing ill health.
Zuma's legal team submitted documents to the court, saying the former president was ill and had not been in the country since January 23.
State prosecutor Billy Downer, however, has requested information from the defence regarding Zuma's ailments, which they have yet to receive. The State also raised questions over Zuma's medical note submitted to the court.
Attorney Dan Mantsha, for Zuma, said his health matter was one of national security, and that his doctor was attached to the military.
"It is absurd for the State to doubt admissibility of the medical note stamped by our own military official," Mantsha said.
Judge Dhaya Pillay also questioned alterations on the sick note, asking why dates were apparently changed.
Pillay said there was also no medical number attached to show if the doctor was registered and certified. Pillay acceded to the request.
– Compiled and edited by Paul Herman FOR NEWS24
Prev State Prosecutor asks court to issue arrest warrant for Jacob Zuma
Next Mandisa Mashego resigned as EFF Gauteng Chairperson and member of Legislature.


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«Somewhere I Belong» () — первый сингл американской рок-группы Linkin Park из альбома Meteora. Релиз состоялся 17 марта 2003 года, сам сингл выпускался в двух форматах: CD и Vinyl 10".

Музыкальное видео
Музыкальное видео было выпущено 1 марта 2003 года. Режиссёр Джо Хан. Была использована компьютерная графика. Клип начинается с того, что Честер скользит по полу по направлению к кровати мимо тумбочки с моделями Gundam'ов (Sazabi, Wing zero, Gundam GP01FB). Он медленно падает на кровать и проваливается вниз в тёмную пучину. Майк читает рэп на фоне водопада. Подсознание Честера оживает. Вся группа играет в выдуманном мире, где разбросаны осколки роботов и бродят диковинные животные с картины на стене.

Список композиций
CD single

10" vinyl

Чарты

Дополнительные факты
 В бэкграунде трека «Somewhere I Belong» использован гитарный семпл, перевёрнутый задом наперёд. Семпл представляет собой четыре такта, сыгранные на акустической гитаре двумя риффами.

Примечания

Ссылки
 Официальный видеоклип на YouTube

Синглы 2003 года
Синглы Linkin Park
Песни Linkin Park
Песни, возглавлявшие хит-парад Alternative Songs
Песни, возглавлявшие хит-парад Mainstream Rock Tracks
Песни в стиле ню-метал
Синглы, возглавлявшие UK Rock Chart

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Buckcherry guitarist and songwriter Keith Nelson makes it clear the hard rock band's latest album, All Night Long, is nothing of studio magic — it's Buckcherry, plain and simple. The way Nelson sees it, the album — and, really, Buckcherry's overall philosophy — is just the product of a natural evolution; one that comes from playing nonstop shows and living to deliver pure, bad-to-the-bones rock 'n' roll.
Audio Ink Radio spoke with Art of Dying frontman Jonny Hetherington last week! The Canadian hard rock band is the first to be signed to Disturbed's Intoxication Records imprint through Reprise, and the Art of Dying drops its debut, "Vices and Virtues," March 22. The disc is produced by Howard Benson (Papa Roach, P.O.D., Daughtry) and Disturbed guitarist Dan Donegan.
Stone Sour, Skillet, Seether, Cold and more rock bands have been confirmed for the first-ever Welcome To Rockville Festival, which takes place at the Metropolitan Park in Jacksonville, Fla., on Sunday, May 8.


License: GPL 3. See License below for copyright jots and tittles.
Keep Backup Daily is a wordpress plugin which helps you to get relax about taking regular backups. It is much better that if you are running a news website and don't want to overload your database. Keep backup daily and another plugin might be freeing up your database on weekly basis. There can be many uses of this plugin, you could have a look what activity is performing on your database now a days. Its not only a convenience of exporting mysql database but having it in secure place as well. If you have configured the email client on your PC and want to keep backup on disk so it is possible as well with convenience. I am a PHP, WordPress developer and i faced a lot of inconvenience regarding keep an eye on wordpress DB regarding plugins and user's activity. Our debugging process demands access to the DB most of the time so developed this utility for personal use and now publishing it. I coded a no. of fixes for wordpress sites and few of the solutions are in form of articles on my blog.
1- Many of the users might be using free hosting or cheap price hosting. Especially students do that but their data can be important to them, this plugin will give a feel of relax and to restore the website on last stable version of DB.
[WDWD Blog][Wordpress]: http://androidbubble.com/blog/category/website-development/php-frameworks/wordpress Keep backup daily is arranged in flexible manner for better user experience.
New Feature added "Click here to backup now" for those who are careful about their databases before installing or trying anything new.
Expected backup email time bug is fixed.
overwriting any existing Keep Backup Daily files that are there.
Log in to the WordPress Dashboard and activate the Keep Backup Daily plugin.
Once the plugin is activated, a new KBD Settings sub-menu will appear in your WordPress admin -> settings menu.
Does this plugin support download backup file?
Is it secure? If yes, how?
Answer: It immediately removes the temporary backup file and never reveals the temporary backup file path.
What if i am not getting backup email?
Answer: Immediately report to the plugin author via support tab or on mentioned plugin URL.
I have some other queries, other than this plugin, may i ask to the plugin author?
Answer: YES, if the queries are about WordPress and data security then you are welcome.
What best method is to contact plugin author?
Answer: It is good if you use support tab or plugin's author blog. If you want to reach the author immediately then use contact form on his blog.
My website database is really big and this plugin is not handling it, what should i do?
Answer: Contact plugin author, he might will suggest you to exclude some tables and will suggest you to backup only important ones regularly.
What about the files backup?
Answer: Files backup feature will be available soon. For now, i am trying to cover every possible aspect related to database backup.
Is there any premium addon for this plugin or any feature which is not in this version?
Answer: YES, time slot can not be selected in free version. And very large databases can not be emailed as well. So these all exceptional cases are handled in premium version.
"Keep Backup Daily" is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Translate "Keep Backup Daily" into your language.
Backup size display against the row.
Backup now option has been refined.
A minor issue is fixed.
A minor layout issue is fixed.
Settings form improved for better user experience.
Settings won't be deleted on version update from next time.
Old backups will be removed if couldn't sent to you because of email address field was empty. And by default you will get backups on admin email.
Code Precision Process: Email Validation Function Updated.
Recommended Links are added and backup now feature is updated.
On upgrade, settings won't be wasted.
Now you will get a proper HTML email instead of plain text one.
Log file was calculating size of .zip file only. Now it will also calculate if .sql file is not zipped.
Download backup now option is visible now. It was mistakenly hidden before. Functionality was there but never been asked so i forgot to make it visible.
If zip library will not be available on your hosting, still you will get backup as .sql file. Cheers!
Error: undefined function mcrypt_create_iv() fixed.
Exception Hanlded: session_start() was having problem with rest of the plugins files with headers already started message. It is fixed.
Bug Fixed: Default email is now your administrator email instead of info@yoursite.com because most of the bloggers don't use info email address. So admin email will be filled automatically.
Bug Fixed: Output buffer bug fixed. ob_start() was required to move forward with other plugins compatibility.
New Feature: Database size will be available in log.
Maximum execution time input field removed for convenience of the users. Now it will manage all kind of databases automatically.


SF is more of a frontier outpost; a port city sitting gracefully at the edge of the world; a place where people go to seek their fortune. And that fortune, a slice of fame, wealth, notoriety, makes SF a true gemstone.
Being so precious, so beautiful and culturally rich, the city begs/demands/attracts all kinds of attention. And as such, the wealthy can set the bar high in terms of buying up all the prime real estate to keep for themselves and their offspring. And that is too bad. As you note, the diversity disappears. And this from a city that prides itself on diversity.
I'm not sure what's going to happen. SF is a city that just can't say no. It likes to wave it's freak flag high but maybe that's the problem. While folks have been enjoying themselves, literally getting their freak on, monied interests have slowly bought up acre after acre. These same interests have bought the legislature as well insuring the passage of laws that will keep them and their policymaking cronies in place for the foreseeable future.
I wish it were otherwise, but like all places, money talks– and diversity walks.


FSBOs are pestered by agents all the time, you have to take the right steps to earn their trust.
Realtors already don't have the best reputation. Then an owner decides to sell fsbo and gets calls and emails for the next month.
Standing out is key, but earning their trust and respect is just as important.
When you go to prospect them, put yourself in their shoes. Nobody wants to keep hearing how they are wrong over and over again.
Stop making FSBO sellers feel like idiots!
Take this line from an ad for hiring a Realtor: "You're finally ready to admit you need help." That's insulting!
Approaching these owners like this makes no sense.
Instead, show respect for FSBO sellers. Show them stats showing there's almost always more money to be made by letting you help.
Once you separate yourself from the agents who don't approach them right, the listing is so much closer to being yours.
So don't make the same mistakes that agents make when they annoy FSBOs. Don't beat them over the head with the statistics too much, but still let them know.
This is why prospecting is not a great way to go after FSBOs. Or at least the standard way of doing it.
With that system, after you didn't get a listing you move on to the next leads. So that's where this ideology differs. Don't ask them or pressure them, and they stay a warm or even hot lead.
According to the National Asociation of Realtors in 2016, FSBOs sold for $185,000 compared to $240,000 for agent-assisted home sales.
There is no need to keep contacting them over and over. 93 percent of all home sales were with an agent. Over 60 percent of FSBOs end up working with an agent.
Only 6% of FSBO owners surveyed specifically said they did NOT want to work with an agent.
So calling them and staying on them all the time won't change any of these favorable statistics.
Even calling once a week is probably too much.
Even if you're trying to be friendly to them, calling them that much does not serve any purpose.
Calling them is fine, but only during certain times, scenarios and for certain reasons.
Emailing them continuously or repeatedly dropping off your information at the home isn't any better.
Some agents think this is different and less intrusive. That may be somewhat true, but it is pointless as well.
You have to let them come to you at their own pace. Not yours.
Plus these aren't personable either.
Coming off scripted, distant and just in it for the money will ruin your chances.
The owner will be able to see right through it. They are probably already expecting any agent only to be concerned about their potential commission.
Even if you try and act like you care, chances are it will be able to see through.
You have to actually want to help them.
Otherwise, you won't even get a shot to show them how much you could help them.
Having scripts is a good idea. They can work a lot. But you have to use them correctly.
Practicing them with someone in your office or your family is a great way to be comfortable with your script.
You need to be good at altering scripts on the fly if you use them.
Not every situation is the same. You already know this.
But if you stumble when adapting the owner's situation into your script, your relationship will start off poorly.
They probably are expecting realtors to be distant and scripted. Their trust in you will already be off to a bad start.
If they do ask any questions about their sale, you better know the ins and outs of the area and market.
If that happens, it's opening the door and giving you a chance to prove what you can bring to the table.
When you don't have an answer, the owner will have almost no reason to talk to you. So be prepared when you target these owners.
If you help them and don't ask for the listing, that's going to build their trust in you.
The best way to contact FSBOs starts with offering value.
You have to do this for a number of reasons.
Most agents just mention how they will get the home sold.
The owner probably thinks realtors are worthless.
Helping them is the goal here. This does that.
It shows the owner you aren't just it in for the money.
Stopping by and meeting them while giving them something helpful will go a long way.
This is one of our favorite methods at Smart Agents. It is one of the most personable ways you can contact them.
Even if they aren't home or don't want to be bothered, drop off a book, pamphlet, or anything else that will help them learn about home sales.
If you are door knocking, bringing food, cookies or any trinkets with your insight is a great idea.
You could even bring them a pie. It's the law of reciprocity. If you give something to them, they will feel obligated to give something back.
In this situation, they'll give you some time (and more respect than other agents).
Now you see how fruitful it is to give them marketing tips, staging tips, and material to improve their listing.
Who are they going to turn to first when they give up?
This does not mean to drop off these things, then keep contacting each week.
Still, let them do it on their own time.
A follow up every now and then is ok, but preface it with new tips or information.
Keep offering to help in any way – without asking for the listing. How many other agents call and do this with FSBOs?
Barely any. You'll stand out.
Then when you have a great rapport with them, show them how you market and sell homes.
You really need to wait until they have complete trust in you. Too soon and it won't have the same effect.
Show them how you market better than other agents. Use your book or whatever you gave them to prove you are the authority.
Be patient and persistent to win these listings.
Then you can convince them it's not worth it to sell alone.
You can make them more even after your commission. But not only that, the ins and outs take so much of their time.
This is one of the biggest cost associated with FSBO.
It will almost always take the agent less time to get it sold. Talk to them about all the time they will have to put in doing each task, from trivial ones to marketing their home.
Paperwork and inspections are things they need help with.
Paperwork is one of the most complicated and not thought of parts, that owners run into when selling by themselves.
According to the National Association of Realtors' 12% of FSBOs said that it was the hardest part of the whole process.
It varies from state to state but there is a whole lot of forms and legal paperwork they get stuck doing. The sales contract, disclosures, maintenance records and more are what needs to be done.
Even if they have a pre-made contract that doesn't mean they will understand each part of it.
Track how much time and effort you will save them and show them.
Sellers who don't know the rules can get stuck with unnecessary and costly repairs.
Owners should not expect their reports to cover more superficial conditions, the type that can be fixed with a can of paint.
Many of the owners aren't going to have a trained eye to know everything that needs to be fixed up and changed.
Many will end up relying on the inspector for this information.
Inspection reports and the time frame in which they are delivered vary a lot from situation to situation.
A realtor makes this situation much more fluid.
Staying the course and showing your patience is the big difference between a typical agent and a Smart Agent when chasing FSBOs.
Do these things, and they will have enough trust to list their home with you.


Keeping the city safe in these bad boys! Note: these earrings are sold in a pair and can also be bought as a single gold end, for piercings in the gold end section.
The primary image is shown in yellow gold.


On the Liberty Papers, much of what we write is negative; decrying the steady movement towards tyranny and totalitarianism that is the trajectory of the U.S.. Occasionally, we get to report some good news.Harold Fish has been released from jail.
His case is an important one; the state of Arizona charged him with murder for defending himself with too powerful a weapon; while hiking in the backwoods, Mr Fish was charged by a group of aggressive dogs (who were, quite reasonably, unleashed) . Fish had a 10mm Kimber Pistol with hollow point ammunition. He fired a warning shot into the ground to scare them off as they closed to within a few feet of him. At this point, he was attacked by the dog owner who screamed that he was going to kill Mr Fish and charged swinging his fists. Mr Fish fired three rounds at the last moment before the man got within punching distance and mortally wounded his attacker. he then spent agonizing minutes trying to get medical help for the man.
The police investigating the case thought it a clear case of self defense. The lawyers working for the state of Arizona disagreed, claiming that the size and type of rounds he was carrying indicated that Mr Fisher had set out on his hike with murder on his mind.
Through this argument, and by convincing the judge to keep exculpatory evidence out of the trial, the attorneys were able to successfully convict Mr Fish of murder, although within 24 hours at least one horrified juror contacted the defense attorney claiming that the excluded evidence would have resulted in a different verdict.
This case is important in that people have a right to defend themselves. Certainly, the courts have long held that police have not obligation to defend us. The act of walking outside the patrol area of the police does not mean that we have agreed to allow people to murder or assault us.
Luckily, the appelate court agreed that Mr Fish had been convicted unfairly, and thanks to recent changes in Arizona law clarifying the rules governing self defense, there is little chance that his retrial will result in a conviction.
Harold Fish lost three years of his life to prison. He is nearly $500,000 in debt at a time of his life where he has little prospect of paying it off (Donate here to his defense fund). All because a stranger attacked him, he defended himself, and a prosecutor didn't like the size of his gun.
In a just world, the prosecutor would have to make Mr Fish whoole for all the money and time he lost on this frivolous prosecution. Unfortunately, we do not live in a just world.
Hat Tip: Massad Ayoub of Backwoods Home Magazine.
I probably would have been in worse shape than him. I probably would have shot the dog, and not fired a warning – which would have looked bad later to the jury. Gun nut AND animal hater.
And NOT sticking with hollow point is never recommended for self defense – because any innocent bystanders are at risk with a round-nose versus hollow point. A hollow point goes in and usually stays put – versus round nose exiting out the attacker and it just keeps on going – through walls, doors, etc.
That Arizona AG need to be thrown out of office.
Great points James! Have you ever noticed that its the anti-gun people who know almost nothing about firearms other than "they kill"?
I too would have shot the dog(s). After that, the owner may have been shot as well, but I would have only shot him once to stop his charge – in the shoulder or the leg. I used to carry a .357 and used .38 for practice. I now carry a Glock 27 .40 loaded with hollow points for self defense. It is very concealable and has respectable stopping power especially with hollow point rounds. It is also extremely accurate for it's size.
We now have a stand your ground law here in Florida. This means if you are threatened in a place you are lawfully allowed to be, you do not have to retreat, but may stand your ground using whatever force necessary (debatable).
I once had an altercation with a hysterical woman in a parking lot who attempted to block my vehicle in and then opened the drivers door twice while screaming obscenities. I chose to leave the scene, resulting in some minor damage to my vehicle. Later, when giving a statement to the police, a female officer advised me that under the new (at that time) stand your ground law, I would have been justified in shooting her. I was surprised at that, and still feel that would have been excessive.
I am glad Harold Fish is free for now and I hope he stays that way. From what I read, there wasn't enough evidence to prove murder. IMO, the person being attacked deserves every benefit of the doubt. He should also be made whole with regard to his legal fees. Unfortunately, the time lost with his children and family can never be replaced.
BTW, sjames, did your permit arrive yet?
Stephan – I used to be totally ignorant about firearms too. I'm 50, and until 8 months ago, the only thing I had ever fired was a Daisy BB rifle when I was a kid. Times, they are a changin – and I'm still a neophyte, but I'm learning as I go.
John – it FINALLY arrived last week. I'm a revolver guy, (my gun described above is a S&W 686, 4 inch barrel – a real beast and really fun to shoot, but too darn big and heavy to carry)…so I went right out and purchased a S&W 442 – little black five shot. Only shoots 38 which is fine with me, because I think the kick from .357 on a little revolver like that would take my hand right off. I ordered a DeSantis pocket holster which is due to arrive tomorrow (my online supplier of choice for all this kind of stuff is Cabelas.com – they do a nice job). I'll be carrying, front right pocket, starting tomorrow.
John, no matter what that cop said, I think you did the absolute 100% right thing, with respect to that crazy woman. The guys who taught my concealed class really emphazised that to try to stay out of trouble afterwards, you really need to think you're about a second away from getting killed or seriously injured (e.g., stabbed) before drawing and shooting. It is like the last last last resort, sort of thing. Our instructer really put the fear of God into us, with that.
Since you can't draw and threaten…..I wonder if it is permissible (or advisible) if that type of circumstance ever arises again, to pull out your wallet instead and very calmly say, "let me show you my concealed weapons permit. Please leave and do not force me to defend myself." Or something similar. Just a thought – and perhaps a dumb idea, but it popped into my head.
Very good point about just attempting a single shot, to perhaps the guy's leg. I would like to think that is what I would do also – but in the heat of the moment, and with my adrenalin (and fear) at a high level, I can't for certain say what I would do.
It does seem odd that it took three shots of 10mm for Fish to drop that guy. Either he was panicked and just kept squeezing, or his first couple of shots were not too accurate and grazed the shoulder or something.
In addition to shooting as a last resort, my instructor really stressed the concealed part of the permit. It is supposed to be concealed at all times, not even a hint that there might be a weapon. This means you are also not supposed to disclose that you are armed except to a police officer and only if they ask.
I feel like I did the right thing by removing myself from the vicinity. My wife and three children were also in the vehicle and I was concerned for their safety as well as the lesson they would learn from this. I was sort of stunned that she actually came over and opened my door. All I said to her was "Can you move so I can get out?" She was having an altercation with someone else and was not in her vehicle, and this redirected her wrath toward me.
In the end the incident was reported as a simple accident with no citation and the crazy lady filed a claim against my insurance company which they paid over my objections. I was also sent a check in the mail for the estimated damage to my vehicle.
Stories like this really show the improper brain functioning of liberals. "He didn't have to use such a big gun!" Well, how big of a gun DID he have to use? And of course there is the other dumb liberal statement "He didn't have to shoot him that many times!" Well, how many times did he have to shoot him?


Accessed from the Swiss village of Wilderwil in the Bernese Oberland region of central Switzerland, Schynige Platte is a mountainous area that is notable for its dramatic beauty, Alpine meadows and the unforgettable views it affords of iconic neighbouring mountains including the Eiger, Silberhorn, Mönch and Jungfrau.
The journey to Schynige Platte is an unforgettable experience in itself. The Schynige Platte Railway, inaugurated in May 1893, gently climbs to an altitude of almost two thousand metres over its seven-mile route. On the way, this historic cog railway ascends forested hillsides, before reaching open pastures strewn with summer wildflowers and a point from which passengers gain views over Interlaken and its accompanying lakes Thun and Brienz. As the train attains the summit and nears the Schynige Platte station, the true splendour of the mountainous landscape is finally revealed.
Beyond the station and its adjacent hotel and restaurant, Schynige Platte is tranquil and beautiful, with only the occasional distant sound of a traditional cowbell to disturb the silence. The plateau, with its meadows and rock formations is a haven for walkers and nature enthusiasts, and numerous trails allow visitors to admire this breathtaking destination and be invigorated and uplifted by pure, clear mountain air and the unmistakeable and unique Alpine atmosphere.
Close to the railway station, the Schynige Platte Botanical Alpine Garden is an unmissable attraction for visitors. Begun in 1928 and opened a year later, the garden features more than six hundred species and subspecies of native Alpine flora, including rare and endangered plants, displaying them at their best and in their natural environment. The garden exists not only as a facility for the research and protection of these native plants and flowers but also to allow visitors to enjoy their beauty and diversity whilst learning about their conservation.
The Botanical Alpine Garden follows a circular route which showcases various types of Alpine environment and the plants and flowers that flourish in them. Depending upon the time available to visitors, an exploration of the garden can take anything from thirty minutes to four hours as the main route and offshoot paths lead through areas which include, among others, calcareous rock and scree; a mat-grass meadow; and Alpine bog; a collection of medicinal plants and a typical Alpine pasture.


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Q: How many people need to be screened if the disease has an R0 of 2, and starts with 1 infection in 1000? I need to calculate how many people I would need to screen to catch a disease in its early stages. If the disease has an R0 of 2, and starts with 1 infection in 1000, and I screen one person in every 1000 - how many people will the disease have reached by the time I screen an infected individual?
How can I do this on excel?

A: You really should provide more information otherwise only the people in your field know what you are actually asking. Since you only specified $R_{0}$ and $f(0)$ I assume your growth model is a logistic, which is: $$ f(t)=\frac{1}{1+e^{-R_{0}t+log(\frac{1}{f(0)}-1)}}$$ The probability of sampling 1000 individual in which >1 infected individual is found at time t is $$P=1-(1-f(t))^{1000}$$. Or:
$$t=\frac{1}{R_{0}}[log(\frac{1}{f(0)}-1)-log(\frac{1}{1-(1-P)^{\frac{1}{S}}}-1)]$$
where $S$ is sample size (1000).
Excel code:
=1/B2*(LN(1/C2-1)-LN(1/(1-(1-A2)^(1/D2))-1))

if $P$ is in A2 cell, $R_{0}$ in B2, $f(0)$ in C2 and sample size $S$ in D2

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Who do narcissists fear?
December 19, 2021 By admin Tips
Narcissists are frightened, fragile people. They believe that how they are viewed by others, and how they view themselves, will shield them against realities of life that few of us like but most of us come to accept. Realities such as: None of us is perfect.
What to do when you can't stand yourself?
What To Do When You Can't Stand Yourself
Stop and Give Gratitude. One of the best ways to shift our energy into a more positive direction is to stop and make a mental or literal list of things that we're thankful for.
Go Outside and Go For A Walk. Being outside and physically active is a double whammy to turn that frown upside down.
Let it OUT.
What do you stand for quote?
Stand For Something Quotes
Stand for something.
I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy.
Unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.
You have enemies?
If you stand for something, you will always find some people for you and some people against you.
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut, that held its ground.
Do narcissists think they are attractive?
Third, narcissists are considered more attractive than the average person. A statistical analysis (meta-analysis) review of almost 50 different studies comprised of over a thousand research participants revealed a small but reliable positive correlation between narcissism and physical attractiveness.
What does it mean to stand on something?
It means to hold firmly to an opinion or belief. To stand for something means you give it your support.
Why is it important to stand up for something?
Sticking up for what you believe in builds your self- respect because you're following through with your values. Going against what you believe in just because it's more convenient is less than admirable. Standing your ground also gains respect from others, even if they view things differently than you.
Who said if you stand for nothing you fall for anything?
How do you control a narcissist?
Here's how to deal with a narcissist:
Don't. Think haunted house.
Kiss Up Or Shut Up. If they're your boss or they have power over you, fighting makes it worse.
Know What You Want And Get Payment Up Front. Don't assume they'll play fair.
Ask, "What would people think?" They want to look good.
Be Dexter.
Are Narcissists born that way?
Genetic. Narcissistic personality disorder is an inheritable psychological condition; research evidence indicates that a person is more likely to develop NPD if said personality disorder occurs in the medical history of his or her family.
Why are narcissists so attractive?
Primarily, narcissists are attractive because they think of themselves as the top prize, and that factors into to how other people see them. They believe in their own value (on the surface, at least), so their charisma and confidence often makes them the life of a party.
How do I stop being a pushover?
7 Ways to Avoid Being a Pushover
Expect respect. Envision what it would be like to be treated with respect.
Express your emotions, including anger. Anger is a healthy emotion.
Express your opinions. Your opinions are as important as you make them.
Say no. No is simple.
Ask for what you want.
Make mistakes.
Pursue happiness.
What does standing up for what you believe in mean?
(stand up for someone/something) to defend someone or something that is being criticized or attacked. You've got to stand up for what you believe in.
Are Narcissists physically attractive?
Perhaps it is not surprising, but researchers found that narcissists tend be more physically attractive than average. This trait was also tied into the tendency for narcissists to be more sexually active and to be sexually coercive with potential partners.
What are the 9 protected characteristics under the Equality Act?
Do I mean anything to you meaning?
Shortcomings in the Debt Collection Practices
Braided Rugs For Today's Home Fashions and Lifestyles
WANT TO BE INFORMED? CAN'T FIND A GOOD NEWS APP? HERE ARE THE TOP 5 NEWS APPS FOR
Hair transplant methods: a brief history
About Trampoline Jumping – Health & Fitness
Guidelines Life Other Tips Trendy
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Paul Whittaker established PW Plants - The Bamboo Store in Norfolk in 1986. His business grew to offer around 200 varieties of bamboo, and his exhibits at RHS garden shows garnered 47 gold medals. In 2013, Paul sold his business to Bowdens, but continues his involvement by providing his bamboo expertise to Bowdens customers.
Many of our bamboos in stock are very large, so we like to take special care with their delivery. Consequently orders may take up to two weeks to arrive. If you require your bamboo order urgently, please let us know so that we may make arrangements to expedite delivery.


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Q: Can't find a way to customize Mutter under elementary OS I just installed elementary OS, and I would like to have some options to customize the effects like I could do with Compiz. However, I couldn't find a settings panel related to Mutter.
Is there a GUI utility I should install ?

A: You can change some of the effects and customize by using
    dconf-editor

if you have a look in org/pantheon/ and go through available options.


Summer break or winter break, one can always rely on Red Bull to provide a certain amount of sabre rattling to break the silence.
This time around it comes from Max Verstappen who warns that if he is to commit his long terms future to the Austrian outfit it must be able to provide him with a fully competitive package.
Though he has always proved value for money at Spa, this weekend's race at the Belgian circuit, and the following weekend at Monza, are sure to see the Red Bulls struggle as the numerous power-hungry straights take their toll.
On the back of a run that saw the teenager fail to finish five of seven races, Britain and Hungary witnessed points finishes, thereby putting a smile back on the youngster's face.
However, though he is understood to be committed to Red Bull until the end of 2018, if Red Bull is to prevent the youngster looking elsewhere, the team - and its engine partner - must provide the necessary equipment to challenge its two main rivals.
"I've always said that there's no reason to leave when I have a competitive car," he said whilst attending the DTM event at Zandvoort at the weekend.
"At the moment we are not there where I want to be," he continued, "but that doesn't mean you have to give up straight away. You have to work hard.
"But after two, three years without improving, that would be a different story," he warned. "We are working hard to improve but after next year we will see what happens.
"Every race weekend is a bit different and that surprises me to be honest," he admitted. "On tracks with not too many straights, we are reasonably close, around three tenths more or less. But when there's a few straights then we are a bit further away, so I don't know what to expect for the upcoming races. It will be quite tough to compete against them.
"Between Ferrari and Mercedes, it changes every weekend," he observed. "I expect Mercedes to be very strong at Spa, because in general their power unit is still the best in the field, but it's very close."
With Renault not providing any significant upgrades until next year, any improvements in his package for the remaining races will have to come from the car.
"We keep developing, but every team does," he said. "So we have to make sure we do it a bit faster and of course better. On the engine side there's not much coming compared to the other teams, so we have to make sure our car is going in the right direction."
"The more pressure, the better he responds"


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Write research paper mla format step step
How to write a trip plan
Attention getters for application essays for graduate
Home free business presentation Ancient egypt writing alphabet history
Ancient egypt writing alphabet history
There were slightly later examples of this cursive script from the reign of kings Aha and Den, both of the first Dynasty, but it was the 4th Dynasty that there are substantial records written in hieratic.
The direction of writing in the hieroglyphic script varied - it could be written in horizontal lines running either from left to right or from right to left, or in vertical columns running from top to bottom.
This is due to the fact that the writing system does not record vowels, and therefore different words with the same set of consonants but different vowels can be written by the same sequence of glyphs. The Greeks took letters which did not represent sounds that existed in Greek and changed them to represent the vowels.
By BCE Egyptian writing had a set of some 22 hieroglyphs to represent syllables that begin with a single consonant of their language, plus a vowel or no vowel to be supplied by the native speaker.
In fact, Both of these variants date from the dawn of Egyptian civilization at the latter half of the 3rd millenium BCE at a time period called the Predynastic period.
It offers an explanation of close to signs.
Hieroglyphics alphabet chart
Hieroglyphic writing was not, however, eclipsed, but existed alongside the other forms, especially in monumental and other formal writing. More about Hieroglyphics Hieroglyphics was different from how we write in many ways: It could be written in almost any direction; left to right, right to left, or top to bottom. There is no identifiable precursor. It would have been possible to write all Egyptian words in the manner of these signs, but the Egyptians never did so and never simplified their complex writing into a true alphabet. One of the goals in writing hieroglyphics was that the writing would look like art and be beautiful to look at. Note that the scripts mentioned above are not considered proper alphabets, as they all lack characters representing vowels. Determinatives were important in the script, especially because hieroglyphics could be written left-to-right or right-to-left or down-to-up or up-to-down. Besides a phonetic interpretation, characters can also be read for their meaning: in this instance, logograms are being spoken or ideograms and semagrams the latter are also called determinatives. Interesting Facts about the Hieroglyphic Alphabet The Ancient Egyptians called their writing the "language of the gods. As a result, all phonograms are uniconsonantal, biconsonantal, and triconsonantal. The Hieroglyphic Typewriter.
Champollion's name is forever linked with the Rosetta Stone and the decipherment of hieroglyphics because of the famous publication of his work in CE which conclusively showed that Egyptian hieroglyphics were a writing system composed of phonograms, logograms, and ideograms.
Examples of logograms: Like Proto-Sinaitic-derived scriptsEgyptians wrote only with consonants.
Actually, hieroglyphics were still in use as late as the Ptolemaic Dynasty and only fell out of favor with the rise of the new religion of Christianity during the early Roman Period.
One of these became the Latin alphabet, which was spread across Europe as the Romans expanded their empire. This is just like we have when some of our letters can make the same sound depending on the word for example "c" and "k". They didn't use any punctuation.
Rated 6/10 based on 7 review
Egypt: History of Ancient Egyptian Writing (hieroglyphs), A Feature Tour Egypt Story


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Q: integrating arcpy with other packages I have the windows installation of python 2.7 that came with arcgis 10.2.  In my linux installation of python, I've become fond of other packages, and I'd like to incorporate them into the windows python.  I went through the steps to install pip, and I've got pip working in c:\python2.7\scripts.  But, each time I try to pip install anything (run from that Scripts directory), it fails (with various errors, mostly not finding certain files).
On the other hand, I've used package managers like Canopy or Anaconda, but I don't know how to get arcpy into one of those.
I surely don't quite have the hang of site-packages, dist-packages, paths and environments, particularly in Windows.
Has anyone done this successfully, and can you summarize your steps?

A: I went with simply installing the manager pip-Win. It will install pip and virtualenv for you.
Then it can identify your python installations (or you can browse to a specific python.exe to add more) and take care of all of your pip execution and package maintenance.
https://sites.google.com/site/pydatalog/python/pip-for-windows
Very important warning: Don't upgrade numpy on your ArcGIS python install. This tends to break things in arcpy.


text:
class RestaurantsController < ApplicationController
  def index
  end

  def new
  end

  def show
  end

  def edit
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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In-Store Craft Classes {September 2015}
Here's a full list of all our September 2015 in-store craft classes.
You can view our calendar here: http://www.bfranklincrafts.com/MonroeCalendar.html
Advanced Art of Silk, Tues. Sept. 22, 5:30-8:30pm
Anemone Bracelet, Fri. Sept. 11, 5:30-8:30pm
Art of Silk, Tues. Sept. 8, 5:30-8:30pm
Beginning Crochet, Thurs. Sept. 10, 10:00-11:30am
Beginning Crochet, Tues. Sept. 29 6:00-7:30pm
Beginning Knitting, Tues. Sept.1, 6:00-7:30pm
Beginning Sewing, Tues. Sept. 1, 6:00-8:00pm
Beginning Sewing, Tues. Sept. 15, 6:00-8:00pm
Bob Ross Landscape Painting (Senior and Teen Price) Sat. Sept. 19, 11:00-2:30pm
Bob Ross Landscape Painting, Sat. Sept. 19, 11:00-2:30pm
Cardmaking - Advanced Techniques: Color-Layering Stamping, Thurs. Sept. 24, 10:00-11:00am
Copic/ Spectrum Coloring, Fri. Sept. 11, 12:00-2:00pm
Creative Oil or Acrylic Painting, Thurs. Sept. 3, 5:00-8:00pm
Cricut Class, Sat. Sept. 12, 12:00-2:00pm
Cut-Away Metal Cuff, Wed. Sept. 23, 11:00am-3:00pm
Girls Day Out with Roxanne Carter, Wed. Sept. 2, 1:00-4:00pm
Girls Night Out with Roxanne Carter, Wed. Sept. 2, 6:00-9:00pm
Kids' Beginning Sewing, Sat. Sept. 19, 10:00-12:00pm
Kids' Sewing 2, Sat. Sept. 19, 12:30-2:30pm
Landscape Collage Quilt, Thurs. Sept. 3, 10:00am-2:00pm
Late Night Sew, Sat. Sept. 19, 4:00-midnight
Learn to Read Crochet Patterns, Thurs. Sept. 24, 10:00-11:30am
Learn to Read Knitting Patterns, Thurs. Sept. 17, 10:00-11:30am
Learn to Read Knitting Patterns, Tues. Sept. 15, 6:00-7:30pm
Learn to Tat Chains, Sun. Sept. 20, 1:00-2:30pm
Learn to Tat Chains, Wed. Sept. 16, 6:00-7:30pm
Micro Torch Magic-Introduction to the Butane Torch, Wed. Sept. 9, 11:00-1:00pm
Peyote Earrings, Fri. Sept. 18, 5:30-7:30pm
Riveting (1) For Beginners-Layered earrings, Mon. Sept. 14, 11:00am-2:00pm
Riveting (2) - Mixed-Metal Pendants, Mon. Sept. 21, 11:00am-2:00pm
Riveting (3) Riveting on a Curve, Mon. Sept. 28, 11:00am-3:00pm
Riveting Series (1-4), Mon. Sept. 14, 11:00am-2:00pm Sept. 21, 11:00am-2:00pm and Sept. 28, 11:00am-3:00pm
Selling Jewelry - How to Begin, 2 Part Class, Sat. Sept. 5, 11:00-4:00pm and Sun. Sept. 6, 1:00-4:00pm
Sewing 2, Tues. Sept. 22, 6:00-8:00pm
Sewing 2, Tues. Sept. 8, 6:00-8:00pm
Twilight Scrap, Sat. Sept. 12, 2:00-10:00pm
Twilight Yarn Yoga, Sat. Sept. 26, 2:00-8:00pm
Umbrella Making, Sat. Sept. 12, 10:00am-1:30pm
You can view our class calendar HERE.
Or you can go directly to our registration area for a list of classes. CLICK HERE.
Register 48 hours prior to the class.
Class policies available HERE.


This week, The Annex meets Japonica Brown-Saracino from Boston University. Japonica discusses research from her new book, How Places Make Us: Novel LBQ Identities in Four Small Cities. We also discuss housing funding and gentrification, and enrollment problems in the university industry.
Japonica Brown-Saracino is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Boston University. Brown-Saracino has served as Vice-President of the Eastern Sociological Society, secretary/treasurer of the Community and Urban Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association, as co-book review editor for City & Community, on the Boston University Initiative on Cities' advisory board, and as a consulting editor for the American Journal of Sociology. She is a member of the Contemporary Sociology editorial board, and at BU she directs the Urban Inequalities Workshop, which is sponsored by the Initiative on Cities.


With around 4,000 items, LIQUI MOLY offers a global, uniquely broad range of automotive chemicals: Motor oils and additives, greases and pastes, sprays and car care, glues and sealants. LIQUI MOLY develops and produces exclusively in Germany. There it is repeatedly voted the best oil brand.


It wasn't my first time there. But it is always a joy to be back in marvelous Estonia. Tallinn especially is an insiders tip. A medieval fairytale city with the nordic charm and some great modern architecture thrown in the mix.


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Tag Archives: Northern Gateway
One First Nation's endorsement of Energy East highlights issues with pipeline consultation
Image: a large silvery pipeline extends off into the distance under a blue sky. (Image credit: TransCanada/I don't have any right to use this but whatevs)
"First Nations and Métis partnership is at the very heart of the Northern Gateway Project," claims energy giant Enbridge on their website promoting the pipeline project.
In extolling the benefits of the Energy East pipeline, TransCanada boasts that "Fostering strong, long-term relationships with Aboriginal communities is, and will continue to be, an integral part of everything we do here at TransCanada…In fact, many Chiefs have already expressed their appreciation for our engagement process."
Kinder Morgan, touting the 22 "long-term mutual support and benefit agreements" they've signed with First Nations along the route of Trans Mountain, promises to "continue to work with Aboriginal communities along the pipeline to build mutual benefit agreements with all communities along the proposed pipeline corridor."
These proclamations of mutually beneficial relations with First Nations and of the support of Aboriginal communities for the pipeline process are in many ways fantasies. Each of these projects faces widespread opposition from Indigenous peoples, both at the grassroots level and among many provincial and national leaders. This opposition has in many cases escalated to the extent of constructing blockades and protest camps to prevent pipeline construction. The consultation process of which these titans of industry are so proud has been widely condemned by First Nations across the country, with Aboriginal elders in Manitoba refusing to participate in NEB consultations over Enbridge's Line 3 due to the absurd restrictions imposed on the process.
To claim that the support of First Nations is "integral" to these companies' success is therefore somewhat ridiculous on its face, as evidence of this support is in short supply. And yet, in another sense, these claims are absolutely true. These pipeline companies know that without at least the appearance of First Nations support, their chances of ever constructing these behemoth tar-sands tubes are slim. And so they quite reasonably do everything they can to play up the support they have received from some First Nations communities.
But even that support isn't as simple as it may seem at first glance. Continue Reading
Catherine McKenna
Denis Coderre
Reforms of the pipeline review process have literally satisfied nobody
Image description: A banner reading "NO PIPELINES" is suspended from pine trees in a forested area. (Image credit: YouTube/Kahsatstenhsera)
The Liberal government's release of new guidelines for the pipeline review process a few weeks ago was meant to end furious feuding over the future of Canada's oil and gas sector. The National Energy Board (NEB) reforms came hot on the heels of a nasty debate over Energy East, as the rejection of the pipeline by Montreal-area mayors was absurdly spun as a threat to national unity. The reforms were also delivered in the context of continual pressure on the new government by activists frustrated with Trudeau & Co's delays in following through on campaign promises to fix what was widely viewed as a broken process.
The reforms, announced at a joint press conference by Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr and Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna, aimed to "rebuild Canadians' trust in our environmental assessment processes" and to "take into account the views and concerns of Canadians, respect the rights and interests of indigenous peoples and support our natural resources sector."
But if the government expected their announced reforms to actually create trust in the NEB process or to do anything to cool down the overheated pipeline debate, they must be sorely disappointed. Two weeks later, it's now clear that their proposed reforms have satisfied literally nobody, and the squabbling over pipeline proposals looks set to carry on indefinitely.
Just look at the wave of opposition to various proposed pipelines that's arisen in the days since the government tried to calm everybody down with their (hastily-thrown-together?) reform package: Continue Reading
Rona Ambrose
Why 2016 will be a year of victories for the pipeline resistance movement
Image description: Three pipeline resisters are chained to a valve behind a chain-link fence, which bears a sign reading "NOTICE: NO TRESPASSING". These three brave folks had their first trial session in Sarnia today in relation to the incident in question. (Image credit: The Indignants/Facebook)
Pipelines are having a moment right now.
Even in the darkest depths of the Harper years, I can't recall a time when tar sands bitumen transportation infrastructure was such a hot-button headline issue. And not in an isolated one-off kind of way, either – barely a day goes by without some prominent national figure making some newsworthy statement about pipelines.
I mean, it's only Tuesday, and here's just some of the big news in pipelines so far this week: Continue Reading
B.C. Liberal Party
ICYMI – B.C. Supreme Court ruling against Northern Gateway a huge win for First Nations and pipeline resisters
2016 is shaping up to be a year of major victories for pipeline resisters across (so-called) Canada. And once again, the latest major victory was made possible through the leadership of First Nations directly impacted by untrammelled resource extraction.
In a serious blow to Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline, the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled last week that the (so-called) province of B.C. abdicated its duty to consult First Nations when it signed an "equivalency agreement" with the federal government in 2010 which gave the National Energy Board (NEB) "equivalent" status and the authority to conduct these consultations on the province's behalf.
Analysts suggest that British Columbia is unlikely to appeal the ruling, given that the Supreme Court confirmed the existence of powers they most likely do not want to surrender.
And as for the implications for Northern Gateway…well, I'll let the litigants brag for themselves: Continue Reading
As 2015 comes to a close, these major ongoing issues aren't going anywhere
This awkward week jammed in between Christmas and New Year's is when some of the year's most half-assed journalism gets cranked out, in the form of phoned-in Year in Review pieces, or worse, Top Ten Blanks of 201x listicles.
I don't have a problem with retrospectives. It's just that the last week of December is only ever the actual turning point in current events by pure chance or accident. More often than not, major stories are still developing, trends are still unfolding, and it's too soon to pass judgement on what the legacy of recent events will actually be.
So in my final post of 2015, I'm going to eschew the lazy conventions of the genre by highlighting a few stories which are very much ongoing affairs as the year comes to a close. Continue Reading