text:
← Review 190: Lord of Chaos (Wheel of Time 06)
Review 192: The Audacity of Hope →
September 6, 2012 · 5:00 am
Review 191: The Great Derangement
The Great Derangement by Matt Taibbi
There is an essential flaw in human nature that makes us think we're special. It used to make us think that we were literally the center of the universe, which it turns out we aren't. It makes us think that we're all going to grow up to be movie stars and astronauts, which we aren't; our children are all brilliant and well-behaved, which they aren't; and that God is on our side, which It isn't.
Oddly enough, though, there is one place where this boundless optimism is flipped on its head. Every generation is absolutely convinced that this is the nadir of human accomplishment, that we are well and truly screwed and that there has never been a more messed-up, terrible time to live. The past was better, we think, and we look back on the days gone by as a golden age when things were simpler and no one had the kind of troubles that we have today.
When you join us, all will be perfect. Join us. Join us.
Of course, that's not true. We are healthier, freer, and generally better off than generations before us, who were healthier, freer, and generally better off than the ones before them, and so on. While things certainly aren't perfect, they're not nearly as bad as we like to think that they are. If people were able to look at their world with an unjaundiced eye and a fair heart, we would realize that and maybe start living our lives accordingly.
Of course, if we were able to do that, then Matt Taibbi wouldn't be able to sell his books.
To be fair, the first decade of this century was messed up on a grand scale. Not the same way the 60s were, or the 30s, or the 1860s, but truly twisted and burdensome in their own special way. We had been attacked, seemingly out of nowhere, by a shadowy cabal of extremists who managed to make a laughingstock of our supposed invulnerability. We reacted by flipping out and invading the wrong country and passing reams of knee-jerk legislation designed to chip away at civil liberties wherever they could. Our government, when it wasn't handing us lies that were about as transparent as a window where the glass has been removed and replaced with nothing but pure, spring-fresh air, was telling us that there was nothing to see here and that the best way to get involved was to go shopping. And if you did have to get involved, you'd better be with us.
Because we know who's against us. The tehrists.
Overseeing all of this was a simplistic frat boy idiot manchild of a President and the band of Washington technocrats who had been itching to bomb the hell out of the Middle East since the 70s. The media, for its part, was playing along, doing what it was told, and making sure that the people, with whom sovereign power resides in the United States, had no way of knowing what its government was actually doing at any given time.
This could probably be a campaign sign for whatever politician is running near you.
Americans had been lied to over and over again for decades, starting with the post-ironic age of advertising (which Taibbi pinpoints as the Joe Isuzu ads) up to the utterly unswallowable "They hate us for our freedoms" line that we were supposed to believe when it slid, wet, horrible and putrescent from the mouth of George W. Bush. And then, if you raised your hand and asked questions about the story you were expected to buy into, people turned around and accused you of being a faithless traitor. So what are people to do when they can't trust the narrative that their leaders are giving them?
Why, they turn inward, of course, and build their own narrative. Their own bubble, as it were – a space within which everything makes sense. Everything can be explained, people can be trusted, and all the rules work. It is utterly incomprehensible to outsiders, but that's okay because outsiders are the whole reason the bubble exists in the first place. As Taibbi discovers, there is far more in common between the far right hyper-Christians and the far left conspiracists than you might expect, and that there are far more of them than you really want to know.
This book is basically two interwoven parts, with a few interludes to keep the story on track. In one part, Taibbi goes down to Texas, uses a fake name and gets involved with a Megachurch in San Antonio. He joins the church to find out what brings these people together in a time when the government and the media can't be relied upon, and what attracts people to a life of fundamentalist Christianity in the first place. He goes to meetings where demons are cast out, to small group discussions in beautiful Texan homes, and listens to people explain why it is that they've given their lives to Christ, something that Taibbi would never do himself, were he not researching a book.
He also finds himself drawn into the shadowy world of the 9/11 Truth movement, a group that believes that – to varying degrees – the Bush administration bears some of the blame for the attacks on New York and Washington D.C. Some believe they knew about it but chose to do nothing, so that they would have a reason to launch their war against Iraq. Others believe that they directly caused the attacks, mining the collapsed buildings and aiming the aircraft. The more elaborate theories involve holograms, missiles and a conspiracy of silence that is continually upheld by thousands of otherwise loyal Americans.
Much like the fundamentalist Christianity, Taibbi immerses himself in Truther culture, trying to find out what it is that keeps them going, even when they – like the Christians – have no real evidence to support what they believe. Even moreso for the Truthers, there is actually a lot of logical, circumstantial and physical evidence that outright debunks their theories, but they soldier on anyway, utterly convinced that they are the only ones in America who haven't surrendered to the lies of the political and media machines.
So what do these two groups have in common, and what do they say about America?
American politics are, generally, about Us versus Them. All politics, really, but we do it really well. The parties in power do their best to say that they stand for Us against Them, regardless of which party you vote with, but it's become increasingly evident that the parties in power are not really for Us – they're for Themselves. They push the same canned platitudes and wedge the same minor issues every election cycle with the sole purpose of keeping their jobs, and that is finally becoming evident to the public. Rather than governing, which is ostensibly their jobs, Our Representatives in Congress are doing what they can to help themselves, their parties and their friends, and this is more and more evident the closer you look. To have them then turn around and say, without a trace of irony, that they're doing their best for the country they love, that they actually care about the concerns of the voter, is enough to make even the most optimistic Pollyanna turn into a Grade-A cynic.
"A riot is an ungly thing… undt, I tink, that it is chust about time zat ve had vun!!" – Inspector Kemp, Young Frankenstein
But rather than rising up as one and kicking the bastards out, the public turned inwards and went into their bubbles. If the game we're playing is Us versus Them, then let's do it right. Now we're not just one group of people with a certain set of political views, we are the anointed of God or, depending on where you are, the only intelligent people in a world of sheep. And who are They? They are not just corrupt politicians. They are agents of Satan, sent to bring about the end of the world. They are power-hungry chessmasters, bent on ruling with an iron fist.
It's a world view that makes sense to the people who have chosen to live in it, more sense than the "real" world does.
Now this book was written back in 2006 and a lot has happened since then, so it is very much a book of its time. Since then, we have seen our political theater change in many interesting ways, not the least of which is the Tea Party, which is kind of the coming-out party for a lot of the people who felt they had been left out of the discussion for so long. They've had their chance to incubate in the churches and on the internet, and now they're out in force and ready to change the way politics works. A later addition to the party is the Occupy movement, bound together in its view of a nation run by plutocrats and their puppet government. They're what happens when the Left sits in the echo chamber for a while.
Whether they will ultimately be successful is still up for argument, but so far, well… They're all kind of freaking me out.
The take-home message from the book is this: There have been far worse times to be in the United States, and our nation has seen its way through far greater trials. But each one is different, born of different causes and with different effects, and we do not have the benefit of being able to look back and see how everything works out. It is much easier these days to find people you agree with and isolate yourself with them, and every time Congress or the President or the Media lets us down, it's more and more tempting to do so.
HAVE YOU ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR?!?!
But that way lies madness. The madness of an evangelical movement that is anticipating the end of days, the madness of a conspiracy of vast and perfect proportions. The answer is not to isolate ourselves with the like-minded but to seek out those with whom we disagree and make sure that we're all living in the same world, no matter what it's like. Rather than dividing ourselves into two giant camps of Us and Them, pointed and aimed by people whose only interest is in seeing us rip each other to shreds, maybe we can finally see what it is that unifies everyone.
Once we can do that, once we can fight the derangement, perhaps we can see our way to making our country into the one we want it to be.
"Washington politicians basically view the People as a capricious and dangerous enemy, a dumb mob whose only interesting quality happens to be their power to take away politicians' jobs… When the government sees its people as the enemy, sooner or later that feeling gets to be mutual. And that's when the real weirdness begins."
– Matt Taibbi, The Great Derangement
Matt Taibbi on Wikipedia
The Great Derangement on Amazon.com
Matt Taibbi's blog at Rolling Stone
Filed under american history, analysis, Christianity, culture, economics, Matt Taibbi, memoir, nonfiction, politics, religion, society
Tagged as book reviews, economy, Matt Taibbi, podcast, religion, society

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


R/C Cars Parts & Accessories : Rims & Wheels Sets 26MM - Hobby Pro Inc.
These are Super Drift A Type Tires by HPI Racing.
This is the set of Type IV Drift Tires/Wheels from Team Integy.
This is the set of Type V Drift Tires/Wheels from Team Integy.
This is the set of Type III Drift Tires/Wheels from Team Integy.
This is a package of four HPI X-Pattern/Split Mounted Chrome Wheels.


Have questions or comments? Our team is here to help you find the resources you need.
If you would like to report a potential cybersecurity vulnerability in any of our products, please refer to our Responsible Disclosure Reporting website. Click here for more information.


text:
Knoydart Peninsula
Welcome to Knoydart Peninsula
The Knoydart peninsula – a rugged landscape of wild mountains and lonely sea lochs – is the only sizeable area in Britain that remains inaccessible to the motor car, cut off by miles of rough country and the embracing arms of Lochs Nevis and Hourn (Gaelic for the lochs of Heaven and Hell). The main reasons for visiting are to climb the 1020m peak of Ladhar Bheinn (laar-ven), or just to enjoy the feeling of remoteness. There's no TV and no mobile-phone reception; electricity is provided by a private hydroelectric scheme.
No road penetrates this wilderness of rugged hills – Inverie, its sole village, can only be reached by ferry from Mallaig, or on foot from the remote road's end at Kinloch Hourn (a tough 16-mile hike). A 4WD track leads northwest from Inverie for 7 miles to the outposts of Doune and Airor, which offer even more remote accommodation options.
Top experiences in Knoydart Peninsula
Ready to go? Get to the heart of Knoydart Peninsula with one of Lonely Planet's in-depth, award-winning guidebooks.
Knoydart Peninsula in detail
Knoydart Peninsula photo credits


I think these blueberry cheesecake squares are so cute! They're easy to make, healthy, vegan and a perfect small snack or dessert! The great thing is that you can just keep them in the freezer until 10 minutes before serving.
I made them with blueberries, but you can use whichever fruit you like! They're also great with strawberries or mango for example.


What an angel this sweet and endearing young lady is! Intelligent, warm, funny, accomplished – she has it all. A successful model and actress, she's super fit and flawlessly presented. Her excellent upbringing has polished her with beautiful manners. Her loving soul is all her own. Well traveled and attentive, her caring nature and positive attitude make her a perfect companion and friend. A superb choice; this must be to what they refer when they use the term 'high class'. Refined, warm, humble and authentic.
Princeton educated and raised in USA, this gorgeous beauty with the exotic heritage is irresistible. Please contact us for more information, we'll omit a lot here for her privacy. Suffice it to say she is breathtaking, inside and out. Her ambitions include continuing to advance her career in modeling and acting, with a desire to move into caring for others at some point in the future. With a close family and supportive social circle, Ava is well loved, and it's well deserved! A stunning addition to the evening, dinner with Ava will not be soon forgotten.
Obviously focused mainly on her modeling and acting career for the time being, Ava loves to stay active, and enjoys outdoor activities as well as the gym. Her upbeat and cheerful nature means she is always interested in a great conversation or to share a joke. She is aware of her great blessings in life and is entirely grateful and kind at all times. A very, very special young lady, Ava could be the woman of your dreams. She has derailed a couple of callers already, who found her just too good to be true! Level headed, extremely organized and very caring, Ava is already a huge star in our eyes. Highly recommended. Contact us now to discuss inviting gorgeous Ava to meet you.


Do you love laundry lines, too?
© FarmgirlFare.com, where you turn your back for a minute and somebody's munching on plastic.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers regarding our overflowing creek and flooding farm. The short version is that everyone in the farmyard and barnyard is doing okay, including the new baby lamb. More below. . .
Monday Farm Photos: Creek's Up. Way Up.
For at least 11 months out of most years, our wet weather creek bed, which meanders for about a mile through the farm, is filled with nothing more than ten million rocks and my wishes that our peaceful and useful (no hauling water for the sheep!) little babbling brook would run all the time—especially during the heat of summer.
After we've had a lot of rain or snow, the creek will start to run, first upstream next to Donkeyland, then down past The Shack, and finally alongside the entire length of the hayfield before it leaves the property. The water comes off the hillsides and from underground wet weather seep springs. Sometimes it takes several days for the creek to make it down to The Shack, and sometimes it dries back up before it reaches us.
Sunday Dose of Cute: No Sign of the Easter Bunny. . .
Sunday Dose of Color: Happy Easter!
© FarmgirlFare.com, the raining like crazy (four inches so far, with storms predicted through Wednesday—can you say closed highways and flash flood warnings everywhere?) foodie farm blog where we finally found Cheeky and Tuffy's (our two free ranging hens) eggs. Turns out they were hiding them for Easter.
Saturday Night Dose of Cute: I'm Not the Only One. . .
Who loves my hunky farmguy.
Want to see more of this loveable man? You'll find lots more photos here and here.
© FarmgirlFare.com, where hunky farmguys need to maintain their manly image, so don't tell Joe I posted these cuddly photos of him!
We've never had this many dogwood trees bloom before. They're gorgeous.
© FarmgirlFare.com, leafing out and loving these gorgeous spring days—almost as much as the rain that's falling right now and watering our growing fields. Now if only the storm hadn't just knocked out the satellite Internet connection.
Being adorable can really tire you out.
© FarmgirlFare.com, where the lamb count has held steady at 30 since Monday and it's supposed to thunder and storm all night—which has me thinking there's probably going to be some late night (as in middle of the night) lambie action in the barn.
© FarmgirlFare.com, where the pinkest nose always knows.
Oh, morels! Talk about the perfect star of an Earth Dinner. These farm foraged morels* tasted divine, sautéed in organic butter just a few hours after finding them on Sunday and sopped up with a warm and crusty hunk of freshly baked baguette (a simple new yeasted beer bread recipe I've been working on—and may have finally perfected!).
© FarmgirlFare.com, the thrilled with this foraging find foodie farm blog where it happens to be turkey hunting season this week, too, but we prefer to admire our wild turkeys from a distance, rather than spend the day dressed head to toe in camo trying to outsmart them. Deer season, however, is a different story. I love venison, though thankfully the donkey peddling cowboy (who is also the one responsible for bringing Bert and Bear into our lives) usually shoots one for me.
Tuesday Dose of Cute: No Need to Call the Fire Dept.
Smudge has his own ladder (and he knows how to use it).
Want to see more of this fluffy, fourteen year old fellow?
10/20/10: Anybody Up for Raking Leaves?
© FarmgirlFare.com, where everybody at the barn is quiet until you get all the way back up to The Shack—and then somebody starts wildly baaing their head off for their mama or their baby. And if you hear it, you can't just ignore it—or at least I can't. Gotta go.
Happy Earth Week! A perfect way to celebrate it is by attending or hosting an Earth Dinner.
Chefs Collaborative is a national nonprofit network of chefs and farmers that fosters a sustainable food system using the power of education, collaboration, and responsible buying decisions. This year, Chefs Collaborative and 65 restaurants are partnering with Organic Valley to bring Earth Dinners, a series to raise awareness about local, sustainable, and organic food to the dining public.
© FarmgirlFare.com, where some of us simply cannot stay clean—and never met a mud puddle we didn't like.
Want to see more of this big new baby girl? You'll find lots more photos of her here. And you can catch up with what's been going on during this fast and furious (28 babies born since April 1st!) lambing season here.
The Daily Donkey 69: Anonymous Dan—Hiding or Eating?
Thursday Dose of Cute: One Very Big (and Awfully Adorable) Baby Girl Born Today!
Tuesday Dose of Cute: Three Times Two, Woohoophew!
We've had three sets of twins born in less than 24 hours, plus a big (slightly stuck) single boy born yesterday afternoon.
© FarmgirlFare.com, where it isn't all about the baby lambs this time of year—just almost all.
I love it when the dogs crash a photo shoot.
© FarmgirlFare.com, where plans inevitably get changed when the power suddenly goes off (which also means the water goes off) for the afternoon. What can you do without those two? Play Work on the tractor, sweep the floor, weed the garden, or have a baby! Current lamb count: 17.
These are the triplets Clare Elizabeth had at about 2am last Sunday.
I arrived at the barn while she was cleaning up the second one. That polka dotted cutie pie with the big pink nose (who Joe says is trouble with a capital T) was born last. They're about 5 hours old here.
Friday Night Dose of Cute: Back in the Baby Business!
Nine more photos and a lamb report below. . .
Thursday Dose of Cute: Waiting. . .
Current Lamb Count: still 9. Number of pregnant ewes remaining: 16. Number of hours since the last new arrivals: 66! Number of trips I've made down to the barn during that time: probably about 18. In those 66 hours, we've had a heatwave (72° at 3am), a thunderstorm, temps in the 20s, one of the most blustery days ever, a new moon, and a 6 hour trip to town. I was sure with all that going on there would be babies popping out everywhere!
© FarmgirlFare.com, pink nosed, polka dotted, and having a feeling it's probably going to be a busy night.
You should see them romping together.
© FarmgirlFare.com, where it's back to the barn to snuggle some baby lambs check on everybody and tell all the pregos to please cross their legs until we get back from town!
Estelle and her brand new baby boy, a little before 5:00 yesterday afternoon.
BB (short for Black Beauty) and her twin boy and girl, born about 1:30 this morning.
Current lamb count: 6. Sets of triplets: 1. Sets of twins: 1. Girls: 3. Boys: 3. Number of BB's babies who refuse to get with the nursing program (like, at all): 2! Number of hours I slept last night: 3 (from 11pm - 2am). Number of pregnant ewes remaning: 17. Spaces currently available at the Bonding Suite Inn: 2 (with two more under construction).
Lots more photos after the jump. . .


text:
These prompts are intended to help inspire your creativity. Try your hand at any one of them or use them as quick ten minute writing exercises. More exercises will be added as time goes by, so please check this page periodically - the most recent prompts appear at the top. Remember what Natalie Goldberg says about writing practice: Keep your hand moving. Note: prompts #1 through #10 are preserved from the original Keep Writing classes, hosted by Linda Rome.
# 18: Self-Searching
When you're struggling with what to write about, sometimes it helps to get reacquainted with yourself…who you are…what matters to you. Here is an exercise designed to help you discover, and inspire you to explore in your writing, those things you feel most passionate about.
Take out two pieces of paper. Now answer every question in Phase One on the list below. If you would be willing to share your answers with the wider world, put those answers on the first sheet of paper. Any answers you are not willing to share should go on the second piece of paper. But all questions must be answered fully and honestly.
Once you've finished with Phase One, go through all your answers carefully, expanding on them by answering the corresponding questions in Phase Two.
If you find that those things you feel most passionate about are the ones you aren't willing to share…don't despair. Creative writing recreates reality - frequently changing events and characters, times and places - while staying true to the heart of the story - its emotional truth.
Pick one of your answers and recreate it into a story, an essay, a poem, a performance piece, that you would like to share.
PHASE ONE QUESTIONS
PHASE TWO QUESTIONS
Has a book ever changed your life? If so, which one and why?
Has a relationship ever changed your life? When, how, why?
Describe a friendship you wish you had. Why?
Describe a friendship you wish you had never had.
What is the angriest you've ever been? When? Where? Why?
At what moment in your life thus far have you felt the most powerful? Describe the incident, recalling how it made you feel and why.
At what moment in your life did you feel a sense of wonder and awe. Describe the incident, recalling how it made you feel and why.
What would you like most to change about yourself ? Why?
What would you like most to change about the future world? Why?
What would you most like to change about the world's past?
# 17: Sketching
Think you might enjoy writing about some far-off place and time…or maybe even inventing an imaginary place and culture all your own? Here's a basic exercise to help you define place, time, and cultural mores as a context for your story.
Geographical Features: Photos:
Books: Events/happenings:
Music: Famous people born:
Film: Famous people living:
Theater: Politicians:
Radio: Religious leaders:
Fashions: Philosophers:
Magazines: Education:
Architecture: Military:
Paintings: Geographical changes:
# 16: Characterization
Use the following format to create your own character. No cheating. Do not simply fill in the blanks by describing yourself or someone you know. Instead, fill in the blanks describing someone you'd find it interesting to know. Then, remembering that conflict is the essence of all dramatic writing, repeat the process by imagining a character whose value, attitudes, etc. would likely put them in opposition to the first character you invented.
Nicknames:
Posture:
Birthmark:
Abnormalities:
Heritage:
Where born:
Where live:
Favorite subject in school:
Favorite game as child:
Best memory:
Worst memory:
Smoke/Drink/Drugs Profile:
Favorite section of newspaper:
Favorite type of music:
Last book read:
Last movie seen:
Morning or night person:
Introvert/Extrovert:
Indoor or outdoor person:
Greatest fear:
Closest friend:
Dearest possession:
Favorite season:
Home Life:
IQ:
Political Affiliation:
Amusements/Hobbies:
Reading Interests:
Sex Life:
Morality:
Ambition:
Frustration:
Temperament:
Psychological Complexes:
Superstitions:
# 15: Word Lists
Word lists can sometimes be a great spur to creativity. Try this one. Set your timer for ten minutes, then read the word list below and attempt to write something (a poem, a story, a short play) that contains all nine of these words.
iris handbag
fire engine cantata
M&Ms Shinto
porcelain jell
Once you've completed this exercise, reread what you have written. Is there a character or a situation worth pursuing farther?
Another variation of this exercise is to create your own word list, listing only words that in some way are significant to you as a person. Then, use this list as your jumping off place, following the same rules as those given above.
# 14: Recollections
Write some memoirs about a favorite teacher..
# 13: Celebration
Write about a special birthday.
# 12: Reinvention
Write about an incident in your past that you would like a chance to relive and do differently.
# 11: Suspense
Write in any form (poetry, drama, short story, nonfiction, memoir, etc.) a piece that incorporates the phrase, "Don't pick up the phone."
# 10: Explorations
A. Write a paragraph or story about noise.
B. Make a list: Start each phrase with "It would be crazy to. . . " Go until you run out of sentences. Then, write the other side of the coin: Start each phrase with "It would be perfectly sane to. . . ."
C. Explore the differences of the two lists - either in an essay or poem or put two characters in a dangerous situation together where one is more likely to have said the "it would be crazy" statements and the other would be more likely to say their opposite.
D. Put on a piece of music and write where it takes you.
E. Comment on a newspaper or T.V. clip.
F. Imagine yourself as a child, looking at your mother's wallet. What do you see? How do you feel? Tell a story from this child's perspective.
# 9: Disclosures
A. Make up a word and tell us what it means. Use it in a sentence, a story, a scene. The word can reflect something you always thought needed a word or it can be a set of sounds that trigger your imagination. Try it as a verb, an adverb, or a noun. Be playful.
B. Write a short paragraph/essay about something you used to do with your grandmother or grandfather that you still do today. Questions you might ask and answer: Why do I still do whatever it is? Do I enjoy it, how have my feelings for the activity changed? Why? Have I passed this on to my children? Explore the then and now.
C. Look at a picture. What is the secret hidden in the picture? Explore it, push the characters until they reveal the secret knowledge, power, or pain that they conceal.
# 8: New Perspectives
A. Write a story about a person turning eighty.
B. Write a dialogue between two people who have to share a seat on a plane and who are attracted to one another. Introduce an obstacle to the smooth sailing of this attraction.
C. Write about an ugly moment between two people, but don't label it. Make the reader experience it without you telling them what is going on.
E. Choose one aspect of the natural world that you feel has something to teach you. What specific quality does it express that speaks to you about your own life? Cluster your thoughts and shape them into a poem. (From Poetic Medicine by John Fox).
F. Write about a birthday.
G. Write the saddest thing you know about friendship.
H. Go back to one of the exercises you've done since the beginning of class and edit it with an eye to new ideas, different approaches, clearer sentences. Add a sustaining metaphor or an apt simile. Approach it creatively.
# 7: In the Moment
Today celebrate what you still don't know. Make a list of the elements you are unsure of in the plot of your story; the ideas as yet undeveloped in a poem; or the point of an essay that hasn't yet crystallized. These are your reasons to keep on writing. Or, write the phrase "I still don't know" as a diving study and fill the page with whatever comes out. Select one thing you don't know to write/learn about today.
--- From Bonni Goldberg, Room to Write
A. In this exercise we're going to practice being present to what is around us and reflecting that present reality in our writing. Get up and walk around the house, the porch, the deck, and/or the yard. Spend five or six minutes. Then write three pages about whatever comes to mind. This isn't even a rough draft; this is just flow; pure mental, emotional, associative pure flow.
B. Go through your three pages and underline the sentences or paragraphs, phrases, or ideas you think are most interesting, provocative, amusing, enlightening. Underline or bracket them. With these thoughts in mind, again walk around. Then sit down and write something you might be willing to share, building on your first efforts. Let the ideas and subject matter pick the form.
# 6: Motivation
"Always do what you're afraid to do," Ralph Waldo Emerson's visionary Aunt Mary advised him. We tie ourselves in knots to sabotage the energy that might be unleashed if we move resolutely ahead. The risks of making changes are great. . . especially great changes.
--- Gail Sher, One Continuous Mistake
Write out all the things you are afraid to do concerning your writing and your writing life. Do not simply make a list, but use sentences so you can experience the flow of your thoughts. If you are stuck, start your sentences with something like, "I am afraid my writing will. . . ." or "I am afraid writing is . . . ."
Now make a list of other things you're afraid of doing. Be as outrageous as you can.
In this exercise, we're going to use quotations as our jumping off place into writing. You may choose the form: narrative or essay or dialogue. Spend the first five minutes thinking, jotting notes, clustering, doodling, gnashing your teeth, or wandering around, if you choose. If no response comes together for you, write three pages on what is going on in your mind, starting with the quote:
"Where we are going is here."
"Both ways are best."
"What is the straight within the bent?"
Who might say such words? In what context? You may use them as dialogue or images or theme. Write a poem or a story or a reflection. Let yourself play.
# 5: Dialogues and Expositions
A. Write about a day in the "life" of an inanimate object. (Suggestions: a mirror, football, computer, refrigerator, rug, or paperclip.)
B. Write some funny dialogue between a father (or mother) and his/her daughter (or son) who must explain explain why she/he is two hours past curfew.
C. Expository essays that define call for short or extended definitions to help both the reader and the writer understand the meaning of a word. Depending on its length, you may develop your definition by examples, comparisons, and/or functions. Fill in the blank. Go for 10 minutes. Bad luck is __________.
D. Write a story about a factory.
E. Describe a lake as seen by a young man who has just committed murder. Do not mention the murder. (Exercise taken from John Gardner's The Art of Fiction.)
F. Look around the room you're in. Write about an object that you have an emotional attachment to or that triggers an emotional response in you. Some tips for writing ten minutes a day: Try to do it around the same time every day. It helps build a habit. Go with your first thoughts. Get down the sentences as they occur to you. Trust yourself. You can edit later. This ten minutes is for writing, not editing, not note taking, not planning. If you pick up a piece from the day before, you must make forward progress - at least one sentence. Keep writing!
# 4: Narratives
Writing has tremendous energy. If you find a reason for it, any reason, it seems that rather than negate the act of writing, it makes you burn deeper and glow clearer on the page. Ask yourself, "Why do I write?" or "Why do I want to write?" but don't think about it. Take pen and paper and answer it with clear, assertive statements. Every statement doesn't have to be one hundred percent true and each line can contradict the others. Even lie if you need to, to get going. If you don't know why you write, answer it as though you do know why.
--- Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones
Tip: If you feel stuck, start out: I don't know why I write, but . . . . or I feel that as a writer I have something to say, but. . . . But? But what? Stay with this "but" until you are about "but," the most knowledgeable person in the world.
Since everyone likes a good story, it's no wonder that the narrative is such a popular form of writing. Fairy tales, anecdotes, short stories, novels, plays, comics, and even some poems are all examples of the narrative form. Simply stated, a narrative is a story based on fact or fiction. Any type of narrative (or story) writing is built on a series of events. By telling about these events one after the other, just as they occurred, your story will satisfy a reader's curiosity about what happens next. (A more complex narrative device of moving back and forth from past to present within a story is call the flashback technique.) A narrative composition can be used to entertain, make a point, and/or illustrate a premise.
A. Write a story about wanting and glue and staring.
B. Respond to the following quote. Follow where the words lead you.
A man's life is nothing but an extended trek through the detours of art to recapture those one or two moments when his heart first opened.
--- Albert Camus
# 3: Highlighting Details
A. Start a story with a word that starts with the letter B - any B, any word.
B. Pick a particular time of day and a particular window. Spend 10 minutes each day for three days describing what you see out of the window.
C. Write about what you hate most about writing.
D. Create a lovable character with one disappointing flaw. Put that character in the same room as you and a very favorite small child in such a way that the disappointing flaw is evident. What happens?
E. Remember haiku? Those 5-7-5 syllable poems that have a touch of nature and a hint of epiphany in them? Try writing one every day this week. Or try your hand at a sonnet!
# 2: Found Objects
A. You find a checkbook on the ground-perhaps you're in a park, jogging along the highway, or in the parking lot at the Mall. You decide to return it. What happens next?
B. You're tired. Who isn't? You make a mistake, a costly mistake. What happens next?
C. Question of the year: What do you see in that new piece of art your spouse or significant other brought home? How do you feel when you find out it cost the equivalent of three months pay? Write this story in the third person.
D. Let's revisit the expensive piece of art your significant other brought home. Write a story from the point of view of the person who brought it home.
E. Paper clips. How important are they? Pick up your pen and write about paper clips for ten minutes.
F. Pick out one piece of your writing. Look in Writer's Market or some other marketing tool and pick out three possible places to send it. Write them down, bookmark them. Or type up a query and send off your piece.
G. Pick out three current market listings that sound appealing to you. Think of an article idea that you would be able to write for that market. Write your idea and the approach you'd take down. Write down the names of possible contacts to interview or the titles of books for quotes you might need or use. Play around with a first sentence. Write a rough draft. (Take ten minutes to do each of the previous directions.)
# 1: Observe and Analyze
A. Sit in your favorite chair. Write about the view. If you want to write a piece of fiction, imagine someone who is the total opposite of how you see yourself, and put him or her in that same chair. How does the view change?
B. The pair of shoes, scuffed and worn, stood sentinel, at the door. Use the previous sentence as the beginning or ending sentence for a short story-maximum 1200 words.
C. Today, notice all the people that grease your day but who you rarely think about: the newspaper delivery person, the mailman, the elevator doorman, the pizza delivery guy, the cashier at the grocery store or the hostess at your favorite eatery. One of them is a murderer. What's the story here? Who tells it? What happens next?
D. Pick out one page of your work. Look at it very carefully, sentence by sentence. Cull 10% of the words. Look at the verbs in each sentence. Punch them up by choosing more vigorous, more active verbs. On your word processor, take out all the adjectives and adverbs. Add them back sparingly.
E. Pick out another page of your work. Look at it very carefully, sentence by sentence. Where do you make leaps of logic that may leave your reader confused? Where do you make assumptions about what the reader knows? Are those assumptions valid? Do you actually portray the scene you see in your mind's eye-or are there important details you've left out? Add them in. Pay attention to the sensory details: add in whatever is necessary to make the reader hear, smell, taste, or feel what's going on in the scene (or essay or poem).
Copyright information Contact us


text:
Euro Garages Invests £6m to Reduce Carbon Footprint
Euro Garages has invested £6m into reducing it's carbon footprint by installing renewable energy sources across the UK estate.
Solar panels have been installed, generating over 1.6 million kilowatts of energy – enough to power 400 homes – across more than a fifth of our forecourts. Over 1,112,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be saved year on year.
Mohammed Patel, utilities manager at Euro Garages, said: "We believe it is important to evolve our business and work to reduce our carbon footprint, while also generating significant efficiency savings. We're committed to reducing our carbon footprint through investments in renewable energy and will continue to explore new ways to use sustainable resources across our sites, setting a leading example in our sector to follow."
Energy bills are expected to fall by approximately 22% over a 20-year period as well as reducing emissions significantly.
Other features of the investment include technologies that use power more economically, like LED lighting and solar thermal systems that can be used to heat up water. Reducing water consumption is a key part of Euro Garages energy strategy, with efficiency monitoring in place and the use of rain water harvesting where possible.
EG GROUP SAVES OVER ONE MILLION BAGS OF FOOD FROM GOING TO WASTE 14/06/2022
EG Group is pleased to announce that it has now prevented more than one million bags of food from going to waste in the UK, thanks to its partnership with Too Good To Go.
The Fire Fighters Charity will be EG Group's first charity partner of 2022 05/01/2022
EG Group, a leading global petrol forecourt retail convenience operator, has chosen The Fire Fighters Charity as its first charity for 2022.
EG Group Raises over £81,000 to Support Bone Marrow Transplant Unit 30/04/2021
EG Group is pleased to announce that it has raised over £81,000 for the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital Charity to support the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.


text:
Chris "BadNews" Barnes Brings Hokum Back With 'BADNEWS RISING'
JD Nash
King of the Hokum? In this day and age, the crown fits squarely on the head of Chris "BadNews" Barnes while he sits comfortably on the throne of 'BADNEWS RISING.' Long live the king!
In her book, The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to ZuZu, Debra Devi defines Hokum Blues as a lighthearted subcategory of urban blues popular in the late 20s and early 30s. Beginning with songs such as "It's Tight Like That," and "Please Warm My Wiener," Hokum was filled with sexual innuendo and double entendre meant to tickle your ribs as well as move your feet.
Chris "BadNews" Barnes, a former Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock & Carol Burnett television show performer and writer, has made his mark in the blues community with this genre, even being hailed as The King of Hokum Blues by Elmore Magazine. His third VizzTone release, BADNEWS RISING is also his first all-original album filled with satiric muses interlaced with honest, biographical stories.
The album kicks off with "You Wanna Rock? You Gotta Learn the Blues," co-written by John Hahn. It's an evil sounding, treacherous track that would have fit right into the soundtrack of Crossroads with no problem. The Ry Cooder-esque slide guitar provided Pat Buchanan (Cameo, Hall & Oates) provides a perfect dark backdrop for Barnes' green-bullet enhanced vocal.
Grammy Award winning producer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, Roy Buchanan, et al) co-wrote several of the tunes as well as producing the album and playing drums. BADNEWS RISING was recorded at Sound Stage Studio in Nashville, with a bevy of top musicians including Kevin McKendree (Delbert McClinton, Anson Funderburgh) on piano and Hammond B3, and Tommy MacDonald (Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter) on bass.
"When Koko Came to Town" is the first of Barnes' autobiographical tunes, recalling the days when he performed with legends such as Johnny Copeland, Pinetop Perkins, and, of course, the late, great Koko Taylor at Tramps in New York City. A high end, Chicago style composition with backing horns aplenty, it's a Wang-Dang-Doodle time.
The other song written about Barnes' life is "I Slow Danced With Joni Mitchell." Written as a late '60s, early '70s Mitchell-esque, acoustic ballad, BadNews shares the ups and downs of his life including the loss of his mother and penning the iconic line, "Live from New York!" He lays bare his triumphs and regrets in a song that will bring a tear to your eye and leave a frog in your throat. Make sure you listen to the very end.
"Quid Pro Quo" is another big, showy tune that speaks on the tit for tat of music and life. Co-written by Chicago luminary Terry Abrahamson (Muddy Waters), the horns are once again large and in charge, but McKendree's piano adds a sweet, creamy center.
Another co-write, this time with Bill Murray's younger brother John Murray, is "Chicks Dig Me." This one is a blues rocker about a humble, dedicated man with the "curse and a blessing" that women just love him.
"My Baby Be Cray Cray Cray" is a '50s stroll-meets-barrelhouse song with the antagonist teaching us a lesson in living with a woman for a long time, who just might knife you in your sleep. Meanwhile, Barnes speaks on starting his day at "The Creamy Caramel Cafe." Accentuated with soulful harp from Pat Buchanan, this one if chock full of food related double entendre.
Another rocker comes forth on "Kettle Black." Simply put, be careful what you say about someone else if you're acting the same way. The hard driving rhythm of "Texas Wiener," combined with Barnes' bawdy lyrics will have you tapping your feet and singing along.
The final track is truly one you have to listen to regardless of the title. "I Like Cleavage" isn't what you think – at least not what I thought. While I knew there was surely a double meaning, I didn't expect it to be about the need for a political coming together in our nation.
King of the Hokum? In this day and age, the crown fits squarely on the head of Chris "BadNews" Barnes while he sits comfortably on the throne of BADNEWS RISING. Long live the king!
Chris "BadNews" Barnes
PrevPreviousThe Smashing Pumpkins Live At Riot Fest 2021
NextThe Flaming Lips Live At Riot Fest 2021Next


University consortium initiated development when Blackboard started patent aggression. Code may not be 'iron' clad but it's good and free.
Although Blackboard's much ballyhooed patent-fight with Desire2Learn, along with its recent aquisitition of WebCT has left a bad taste in some customers' mouths, there is an alternative in the online course-management software market. TechNews World reports that Sakai, oddly named after Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai of television fame, has debuted in a pilot program at Rutgers University.
Rutgers used to use WebCT to manage online courses. However, Blackboard is expected to phase out WebCT in 2007, so Rutgers went shopping. After finding Blackboard too expensive, they settled on Sakai, said Charles Hedrick, university director for the office of instructional and research technology.
"[Sakai] is a wonderful teaching tool," said Leslie Fishbein, associate professor of American studies.
Teaming up up Sakai benefits both the university and the company. The university gets a flexible and powerful course management software and the company gets to work out it kinks.
"Because Sakai is open source, the code is not as robust. We find bugs in the system, [but] we have to deal with it," says Gayle Stein, associate director for instructional technology.
Sakai was created in February 2004 by a consortium of the University of Michigan, Indiana University, Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


We currently have 820 listings for public libraries and spanning 673 cities in Illinois. Please select your city in Illinois to see the public libraries, bookmobiles, public library Internet access locations, and other library programs for Illinois.
This library is a Central Library serving a population of 29,244 offering 107,429 books to 388,653 annual patrons.


text:
Indianapolis Colts – No reason for Chuck Pagano to be so patronizing with the media about Luck's shoulder
Chuck Pagano can be a charming guy, but his recent behavior toward the media has been anything but.
It's usually understandable when people treat the media with indifference. We can be a pain in the ass – all those questions when coaches and players want to prepare for an upcoming game or relax.
But the media are mostly easily satisfied folks paid to inform fans about their favorite – a marketing arm for a franchise and individual brands that drive wealth for the very people who hold them in such low regard.
Click here to follow Kent on Twitter
A reasonable answer will pass muster with the media, and no one expects a coach like Chuck Pagano to predict the future. When Pagano is asked whether quarterback Andrew Luck is going to play Thursday night, no one expects an absolute response if the necessary data has not been (or can't be) compiled.
Here is a transcript of the portion of yesterday's Pagano press conference that deals with Luck's health:
Were you able to tell anything from what Andrew Luck did today? Did he work out separately?
"He looked good. He's moving in the right direction. Trending in the right direction. So a lot better than he was Saturday morning.
Did he throw much today?
"He had a good day. He had a good day today.
Is that a yes or no though?
"He had a good day today.
Is the goal seeing in the next couple days him possibly playing on Thursday?
"No different than it was. The goal was to try and see if he would be available for yesterday's ballgame and it just didn't work out that way. So still a goal to try to get him ready to go for this game.
Are you pretty confident that he made some progress and strides from where he was on Saturday morning?
"Yeah, because he came in and felt really good this morning. He felt really good. No setbacks. Again, he's trending in the right direction.
Do we read anything into the release of Josh Johnson leaving just two quarterbacks on the active roster?
"That's up to you.
Was that decision related to Andrew's health?
"Again, that's up to you guys to figure that one out. You guys are a lot smarter than I am."
Media is Indianapolis are reasonable compared to most cities. No one tries to paint Pagano, Frank Vogel, Larry Bird, Tom Crean, or Chris Holtmann into a corner and make them appear stupid. This group of media is worthy of respect and deserve reasonable answers to good questions.
Last week, Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel asked Pagano whether Luck was in the state of Indiana, Pagano dismissed it as "the craziest question" he's ever been asked in his football career.
When Fox 59's Chris Hagan reported that Luck had been examined by out of state physicians, Doyel's question stopped being crazy. Hagan is from Alabama, preeminent shoulder doc James Andrews is from Alabama, and Luck has a dinged shoulder – draw your own conclusions.
Telling us that Luck was examined by Dr. Andrews hurts nothing. Telling us that Luck is throwing or not hurts nothing. Relentlessly telling us "He had a good day," burns through whatever good will remains between Pagano and the media because it shows a lack of respect.
The best kind of respect is mutual, and unless Pagano decides very soon that sharing pertinent facts is not going to corrupt the Colts ability to succeed on the field he stands to lose a very important asset as he fights for his job during a season that could break in any number of directions.
Like our parents always tell us, "when in doubt, tell the truth." Or at least something that sounds like the truth.
Coaches owe the media nothing, but talking to them like children gets the attention of the media and can turn them surly, and that's one thing Pagano does not need.
This entry was posted in Featured Story, Indianapolis Colts, Kent Sterling, NFL and tagged Andrew Luck, Chris Hagan, Dr. james Andrews, Gregg Doyel, Luck shoulder on October 6, 2015 by Kent Sterling.
← For Indianapolis Colts, all news not bad after uninspired win in OT Cubs fans hopes reignited, but not without an emotional fight →
One thought on "Indianapolis Colts – No reason for Chuck Pagano to be so patronizing with the media about Luck's shoulder"
The Daily Bulldog October 6, 2015 at 11:49 pm
Excellent work as always my good man. Well done! I would just briefly like to add one thing, and conscious or sub-conscious, media figures (particularly local media figures where local fans are concerned) are not only paid to report on topics of interest to their readership, but also serve as de facto extensions of the fan themselves.
My point being, when Chuck, Grigson, Irsay or anyone else of stature within the Colts organization treats a polite, professional media member asking a very fair, reasonable question like a petulant child, dismissing them with backhanded insults and / or meaningless platitudes, it not only disrespects the media professional, it disrespects the fan, and whether intended or not, demonstrates an utter disdain for fans who take these matters very seriously, some of whom who also spend countless thousands of dollars supporting this team both emotionally as well as economically.
One of Chuck's comments from last week serves as a good example of what I'm trying to illustrate. It was a comment about the media "acting like a bunch of scared birds", or words to that affect, referring to the barrage of questions regarding Andrew Luck's health and injury. I found this offensive, not because he owes anyone medical details, but because of his dismissive, mocking tone towards you and your fellow professionals.
The local media is a direct extension of the local fan, and a conduit by which local fans obtain current information on a brand / organization that they are asked to embrace, win, lose or draw, and to commit significant financial resources in the course thereof, and to be dismissive and mocking of these same fans by extension through the local media is, as you so eloquently put it, "bad policy" and very bad business, especially in our current economy, and in such a unique industry that enjoys not only an effective monopoly on its product, but that also expects (and more often than not, receives) significant public subsidies in addition to direct economic subsidies and ongoing, diverse revenue streams via fan ticket purchases, ridiculously priced concessions, merchandise sales, parking fees and cable television packages.
Reduced to its simplest form, Chuck and company would be much better served to stop biting the very hands that feed them, and to recognize that their brand and that of their organization is often viewed by the fan first and foremost through the prism of the viewpoint of their favorite local media member(s), which begins with said media member(s)'s treatment by team executives and coaches.
Scott Patrick
@TheDailyBulldog


text:
Home >Comments and Articles > Y2K - What went wrong?
Y2K - What went wrong?
This is an adaptation of a talk I gave to the New South Wales branch of the Australian Skeptics on February 5, 2000. It was a follow-up to the address given in November 1999 and was publicised before the end of 1999 using the theme - "See him grovel or see him gloat".
I'm going to cover five areas here - what went wrong, how much was spent on Y2K, how much expenditure was predicted, what the prophets are saying now, and how this all relates to skepticism. I will stick to the computer issue, because nobody except lunatics expected the religious millennialism to have any effect at all.
Surprisingly, not much at all. Even someone as skeptical of the hype as I was was amazed at how little went wrong. I monitored the Australian government's alert line from midnight on the fateful day and the messages became more and more desperate as nothing happened. At one stage four countries were declared to be on amber alert
GAMBIA 31-Dec-1999 10:59 GMT Govt Svcs
NICARAGUA 31-Dec-1999 01:39 GMT Water
NIGERIA 30-Dec-1999 23:54 GMT Health/ Hospitals
SRI LANKA 31-Dec-1999 11:11 GMT Air Trans
As you can see, these are major industrialised nations where problems could initiate a domino effect across world financial markets or maybe precipitate nuclear war. Some hours later, when it was reported that only Gambia and Nicaragua were still at risk, I felt much more confident.
When other reports of problems started coming in, I became afraid again. An ATM in London rejected some credit cards. An EFTPOS machine in Coles in Melbourne did the same. A water authority somewhere issued invoices with an incorrect date for payment on them. A video store in Adelaide told customers that their videos were being returned a hundred years late (If I ran a video store, I would have done this deliberately to get myself some free publicity). Worst of all, the Western Australian birth registry people issued some incorrect birth certificates.
The first crash of a financial institution in Australia was reported in the first week of February 2000. Monthly statements from Diner's Club are usually listed in date order from oldest to most recent, but statements issued during January were only sorted by two-digit years and showed January charges before December 1999. Is it any wonder that interest rates had to rise, precipitating a stock market crash that brought Telstra shares free-falling back to what people paid for them in the first place?
If I sound cynical, I apologise. I meant to hide it better. Things could have been very bad indeed. We have already had two plane crashes this year big enough to make the evening news, but imagine how it could have been if Mobil hadn't put the Araldite in the petrol to save us from participating in a plague of plummeting Pipers. Some things have got better, though. We had lots of train derailments around Sydney in December but only one so far this year. We have also only had one IOC corruption scandal and two ticketing fiascos (but only one of them from SOCOG).
Since the start of the year, several more significant dates have passed without problems. There was the 3rd and 4th of January when people returned to work and switched their computers on, the 31st January when billing systems had to process the first end-of-month for the millennium, and, of course, 2/2/2000 which was not only the first date where the day equalled the month but the first all-even date since 8th August 888. Of course, 11 days were lost to the calendar since that date, so maybe we should adjust for that and worry about the 13th instead.
How much was spent.
I have an official Y2K participant's mug. It has a picture of Ned Kelly on it. I would like to start off by saying that a lot of people did very good work in inspecting and modifying computer systems during the time leading up to 31/12/99 and there is no doubt that the fact that I can joke about trivial problems now is in part due to this effort. A lot of money was spent on replacing equipment and software that was a few years old, but this should not be classed as Y2K expenditure - it was just the effective management and maintenance of assets that sensibly companies should always have been practising. I have no problem with money well spent. I just can't be convinced that the amounts of expenditure reported could be justified. In fact, I believe that we have just seen the largest fraud ever perpetrated on Australian taxpayers, consumers and shareholders. Someone commented to me the other day that it didn't matter how much was spent because it all added to a vibrant economy. Tell that to people who remember the houses of cards that poured money through the stock market in the early 1980s.
Estimates of expenditure in Australia range from $10 billion dollars to $15 billion dollars. The range of these estimates gives some idea of how reliable they are. The most commonly-quoted figure is $12 billion, which just happens to be 10 times the amount that Alan Bond stole, so it's not that much really, is it? Even the lowest figure suggested that no amount of damage that could happen after the start of the new year could exceed the financial damage that had already been done. The $15 billion figure came from a highly-respected business statistics and intelligence organisation and was strongly influenced by their prior estimate of remediation costs. More about them later. I suspect that nobody has any idea of how much money was really spent.
The big dangers to life, limb and society were going to come from the banks, the airlines, telecommunications and utilities. The only utilities I ever heard mentioned in NSW were electricity and water. For some reason gas was never going to be a problem in NSW although I believe Victorians thought differently. Let's look at water first. Water runs downhill, and I thought that that was unlikely to change with a change of date. The water that comes out of the taps at my place comes from a great big green tank on top of a hill in Baulkham Hills. When the level in these tanks drops, pumps are started elsewhere to fill them up again from other reservoirs, much like the way your toilet cistern refills itself when the level drops. I imagine that the tank supplying my place has been supplying and refilling more than usual during the very hot weather over the last couple of days, but that has been due to increased demand because of the hot weather, not because the dates or times are anything significant. Electricity is similarly driven by demand and again consumption over the last few days would have been a big spike because of air conditioning, pool filters and water pumping. Someone from one of the electricity companies finally snapped at a reporter's nonsensical questioning just before new year and told him that electricity would keep coming because they just didn't use transistors to switch 133,000 volts. Figures I've seen suggest that the water and electricity people spent about $300 million in testing and remediation, which is not a lot of money when you consider the sizes of the operations.
Banks are supposed to have spent about $1 billion between them. Again, this is not a lot when you consider the IT budgets of these organisations, but even then there is evidence of waste and extortion. I have a home loan and two car leases which the banks seem to have had no trouble setting up so that they ran across the end of time. In any case, the banks have all rewritten their major software applications over the last few years so no problems should have been expected. There were problems of management fear, though. I remember speaking to someone senior from ANZ who said that the minimum expenditure for the bank was going to be $110 million because they had 55 million lines of computer code and the consultants had told them that it cost $2 per line to fix things. This is a direct analogy to a plumber using the amount of pipe in your house as a basis for charging for fixing a leaking tap. If the consultants just locked themselves in a room for a year and played cards, the bank would have willingly paid an invoice of $109 million and thought they were getting a bargain.
At the airlines, Qantas spent about $200 million to find out that nothing serious was wrong. Ansett spent $45 million, which suggests that someone there was thinking.
The telecommunications industry is interesting because we only had one company in the business ten years ago. Total expenditure has been estimated at $1 billion, with Telstra accounting for $400 million of that. I don't have much problem with Telstra spending big because they had a lot of history to catch up on. I just wonder where the rest went. Why didn't anyone at Optus have the guts to say that, as every piece of equipment, every software program, and every procedure (either automated or manual) in the place was less than eight years old, why was any money being spent at all?
Looking at these big risk areas and making allowances for slack and waste, let's grant them total expenditure of $3 billion. That is still a long way from 10 or 15 billion.
What was predicted.
Imagine you see a child's toy ball on the floor and want to guess how much it weighs. You know a bit of information about it. It 's obviously more dense than air so there is a low limit on the mass and you can also probably guess that it's not made of solid uranium. How accurate would you think your estimate of its mass would be given just those facts? Now I want you to think about how confident you would be of your estimate if instead of seeing the ball itself, I had just given you a black and white photograph with no background detail.
You might think that nobody would estimate anything with so little information, but that was about how much was available to people estimating what would have to be spent to find and fix all possible Y2K problems in Australia. This was a problem where nobody even knew what had to be looked for, let alone what sort of fixes would have to be applied. Nobody had even the slightest clue about how much remediation was going to cost, nor, for that matter, how much damage would be caused if nothing was done.
None of this stopped people from trying. One international business intelligence organisation estimated that preventive expenditure in Australia would be $20 billion dollars. This number was a total fabrication. It was plucked from the air and sent out to subscribers to their information service, with an invoice attached to it of course. The same company is the one who is saying that actual expenditure was $15 billion dollars and letting us know how lucky and efficient we were to get away with only that much. This figure is also ethereal, but had to be above other estimates of damage in order to prevent them from looking foolish. Being wrong by 1/3 is much better than being out by 100% when you are in the prediction business. In a delightful irony, these geniuses didn't know that Netscape Navigator has a bug in the date routines in the JavaScript programming language, so the date on their web site clicked over from 31/12/1999 to 1/1/19100. Remember that this is the foremost (and most expensive) Y2K expert outfit in the world. Laugh? I nearly wet myself.
Just in case you think I am generalising about people who dispense business research, I will tell you about the reliability of numbers from another international group. I collected and supplied Australian retail computer prices to these people for more than a year. I had a quite complex model which drew in the wholesale pricing from the largest distributors in the country and applied formulas which took into account different markups based on brand perceptions, recommended prices, etc. The figures were spot checked against retailers like Harvey Norman and also against prices available from manufacturers like Compaq, HP and IBM through their web sites and marketing information. I was told that my prices were way too high, and was given an example of a particular notebook computer which someone claimed to be selling for about $7000. I pointed out that this gave a gross margin of $117 and therefore was not a realistic price. Eventually I was told that they no longer wanted to pay me for wrong numbers when they could get accurate information for free. These people charge in the thousands of dollars per year for access to their pricing reports which are worth less than a free catalogue from Harvey Norman or Dick Smith.
What the prophets are saying now.
Most of them aren't saying anything at all. Like most of the great predictors of messianic events in the past, they have either become invisible or are claiming that their predictions were misunderstood. At ten minutes past midnight on the morning of 1/1 2000, I posted a message to the Australian Computer Society's Y2K mailing list which just said "I just turned this thing on and everything seems to be working." I was almost immediately informed that nobody had said that things were going to fail on 1/1/2000, it was all going to happen after the weekend when people went back to work. 30% of small business in Australia would fail during January, just wait until next week, and so on. Oh yeah? This was coming from people who had been claiming just days before that a large percentage of computers would not even turn on, let alone run. I later posted a joke newsflash that some of you may have seen, saying that Boris Yeltsin had resigned because his handlers were worried about his robotic components and that a plane hijacking had ended because the kidnappers did not want to be in Afghani airspace on 1/1/2000. Australia's foremost doom-and-gloomer accused me of passing on rumours when I should have been telling people how disaster was really going to happen on 31st January. It has been going on like this ever since, with new Armageddon dates coming and going with increased desperation from the prophets. As I have mentioned, we have made it through the end of January and the first day-equals-month date. We have 29th February, 3rd march, 4th April etc to go, plus 30th June, 31st December and any number of other magic dates. One pundit has said that Y2K problems may even go on for three years.
Some of the prophets have just taken the approach to history shown in the book 1984, where history is rewritten to suit the feelings of the day. These people have just reinvented themselves as Goods and Services Tax experts, despite GST having nothing to do with computers because it is an accounting problem. I have already been told that GST will cost more than twice what Y2K cost (which was immediately transformed into $24 billion dollars, which is 2 times 12). One supplier of multi-million dollar accounting software packages has already told its clients that implementing GST will take 3 to 4 months, with many consultants needed on site at all times during that period. This is despite selling the software in other countries where GST applies and having just extorted millions out of the same customers to look for Y2K problems.
Why is this relevant to skepticism?
Being a sceptic is not just never believing things without evidence or proof, it is asking that the possibility of proof exists. It's the opposite of gullibility. I resisted much of the Y2K hype for the same reason that I reject homeopathy, iridology, telekinesis, ESP and alien abductions. There is no mechanism of action. There is no way that the results claimed can happen given what we know about how the universe works. There is nothing that can stop water coming out of my taps while there is water in the reservoir and intact pipes between there and me. There is nothing in the date that can stop my phone working, but the bill might be wrong if I happened to be making a timed call at midnight.
We saw supposedly intelligent and astute business leaders conned because they would not apply critical thinking when makers of invisible garments came to offer to make them some clothes. We saw them pay protection money to magicians who promised to remove curses and bring the sun back from the eclipse. We saw them purchase talismans to ward off evil spirits. We saw them sacrifice shareholders' funds just because someone authoritative asked them to. Is it any wonder that these same people join pyramid schemes, or happily accept increased health insurance premiums to cover quackery, or consult feng shui charlatans about office design, or listen to pundits who can predict the stock market, or spend huge amounts of money on ground up weeds to treat disease?
Have we learnt anything from the Y2K experience? When I look at the Y2K scamsters repackaging their spiels by the simple process of sticking hand-lettered "GST" labels on them, I can only doubt that we have.
Notes for non-Australians:
Ned Kelly is Australia's favourite outlaw and folk hero. He was hanged on November 11, 1880. It is a mystery why we revere someone who stole things and shot people, but at least he wasn't a sportsman. Yes, I do have a coffee mug with his picture on it, but I also have a Microsoft mug.
Telstra is the largest telecommunications organisation in the country and used to be a monopoly. Optus was set up as the first competitor and had no customers before 1993.
Alan Bond was an "entrepreneur" in the 1980s. At the time this talk was given he was serving a prison sentence for looting a public company. His management skills are amply demonstrated by the fact that he went broke running a brewery. In Australia!
"GST" refers to a new Goods and Services Tax (or valued-added tax) which will be introduced into Australia on 1 July, 2000. Politicians have assured us that we will all pay less income tax, that the cost of living will fall, that companies will be more profitable, and that nobody will really notice anything different. Perhaps we should change the name of Australia to "Utopia". Airlines who confidently flew at midnight on 31/12/1999 will stay grounded during July 2000 to avoid winged pigs.
The IOC is the International Olympic Committee and SOCOG is the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. The corruption and incompetence in both organisations have been providing us with better entertainment than anything we might see at the real Games in September.
Harvey Norman is a retail chain which claims to sell more computers than anyone else in the country.
The ANZ is a very large bank which actually paid a feng shui "expert" for advice. On this advice, they renumbered the floors in their head office building and cut the corners off desks. People trust them with money.
About 5000 piston-engined light aircraft were grounded indefinitely in January 2000 because Mobil made petrol that damaged the engines. Planes have only been using petrol for 97 years and it is easy to make a mistake with new technology.


text:
Afar News community Create a post
Cinametic
Can the eyes forecast the cardiovascular risk?
by admin 1 year ago 1 year ago
Doctors consider a variety of factors to determine the likelihood that a person may experience cardiovascular events, including age, history of smoking, and blood pressure. Yet changes in the blood vessels in the back of the eye may make a prediction more accurate.
New research shows that the key to cardiovascular health may be in the eyes.
They say the eyes are the soul window, But they may also be the gateway to the soul, according to a team of researchers. A previous study has identified a link between changes in the eye and adult hypertension and related changes in the retinal and high blood pressure in children.
Dr. Henner Hanssen, University of Basel, Switzerland, Professor of Preventive Sports Medicine and Systems Physiology, says. "The data that we have is very clear that at a very early age, in children 6 to 8 years old who are otherwise healthy, you can already see vascular alterations due to blood pressure levels that are on the high end of normal," "We don't know if this predicts worse outcomes when they become adults, but we have seen similar alterations in adults that are predictive of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity," he adds.
This study is the widest to look at the eye-to-cardiovascular disease relationship and has provided the most reliable measurements. It appears in the hypertension journal of the American Heart Association.
The study found that artery stiffness and increased blood pressure damaged small blood vessels at the back of the eye.
As lead author professor Alicia Rudnicka from St. George's University in London in the United Kingdom explains: "If what's happening in the rest of the body is reflected in what's happening at the back of the eye, what we see there could be a flag, taking retinal morphology assessment from being just a research tool to incorporating it into clinical practice."
The data set for the new research was developed by approximately 55,000 elderly and middle-aged people from the UK Biobank report, and the team had access to 3.5 million blood vessel sections in total.
An automated program analyzed digital images of the retinal blood vessels of each participant providing measurements of the diameter and curvature of the blood vessel to the team.
Examination of these found that greater retinal artery curvature equated with higher pulse pressure higher average artery pressure throughout a heartbeat, and higher systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure which happens when the heart contracts.
It wasn't the only result. The researchers also noticed a correlation between greater artery walls stiffness, higher mean arterial pressure, and retinal blood vessel narrowing.
None of these retinal effects impact a person's vision, but they "could potentially tell us very quickly whether you are on the road to cardiovascular disease," Prof. Rudnicka said. "What we have now is one piece of the puzzle," she continues.
The next research by the team aims to determine if these measures could predict heart disease a decade later in the same person.
The world's leading cause of deathTrusted Source is cardiovascular disease. Researchers currently estimate the risk factor of a person using a variety of factors, including age, gender, cholesterol levels in the blood, and blood pressure. The future study results of Prof. Rudnicka might determine if the eye is part of that list.
Liverpool 3-1 Man City: ' A statement victory that leaves...
Throughout space flight, the heart cells switch
Action, ArticleNature; Endangered Plants; Drought; Endangered Animals; Climate; Environmental Issues; Environmental Awareness; Global Warming
Difference by the year 2100 expected to impact global biodiversity, food security — ScienceDaily
2 hours ago 2 hours ago
News, Political
Best Samsung Galaxy S21 accessories
Action, Article
NBA plays of the week: Stephen Curry stars as Warriors beat Pacers
Afar News
Top News Websites
What's New in macOS 11 Big Sur: Our Full Feature Roundup
College Going Virtual Means Reaching Young Voters Online. Good
Robert Downey Jr. is fine not to win an Oscar to play Iron Man
The DC Insurrection Lays Bare the Fiction of America
A Digital Picture Frame Is My Favorite Way to Keep in Touch
Dyson Black Friday Deal: The Cyclone V10 Stick Vac Is $150 off
Difference by the year 2100 expected to impact...
NBA plays of the week: Stephen Curry stars...
Jared Porter of the Mets Accused of Harassing...
What You Lose When You Turn Into an...
A new archaeology for the Anthropocene era —...
About Afarnews
Afar news is a Leading media group in sharing Latest and Trending News from all across the world. News about Politics, sports, business, entertainment, weather, education, lifestyle and much more.
Latest Pposts


In our house, we go the classic route for cranberry sauce. We also like to have lots — this recipe makes a big batch!
Pick over and wash cranberries. In pot, combine cranberries with sugar and water, and bring to boil. Cook until skins pop, about 10 minutes. Watch pot to prevent boiling over.
Skim off any white froth and cool. Refrigerate until ready to use.


Renewal by Andersen of Northeast PA has many opportunities for career advancement, both inside our warehouse & showroom, as well as out in the field. If you are interested in learning more about becoming part of the Renewal by Andersen of Northeast PA team, please contact us by filling out the form below, or by calling us directly at (610) 355-4055.
Lead Installer: Renewal by Andersen of Northeast PA strives to provide area homeowners with an excellent experience in replacement window and door purchase and installation. At a time when home improvement companies so often come and go, Renewal by Andersen is a stable and reassuring brand. We'll be here now and in the future.
Lead Window Installers are needed due to high volume and continued growth. These are sub-contractor positions.
This opportunity is for YEAR ROUND WORK. This is not a fill-in or part-time role.
Our installation crews with one helper earned from $80K to $100K last year.
Will be responsible for the installation of our custom manufactured replacement windows and doors within the Northeast PA region. Our homeowners value integrity, quality, and above all expect exceptional service!
For more information or to apply, please contact Tim Snyder at (610) 849-2807 or at tsnyder@rbanortheastpa.com.
Marketing Representative: Come and join Renewal by Andersen®, America's premier replacement window and door company! We are seeking highly motivated Marketing Representatives . This is an entry-level position with room for growth! We are looking for people who want to start a career with our company, but this is also a great opportunity for those that are looking for part time flexibility with a great earning potential. It's a wonderful way to connect with people in the community and make some great money too.
Candidates should be highly motivated , friendly and coachable . While a background in marketing or sales is an asset, it is not required. You must be available to work a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends, and are required to work at least 15-20 hours per week.
We offer an excellent compensation package including paid training and a competitive base rate, bi-weekly pay via direct deposit, and performance-based bonuses. Other perks include company-branded apparel, opportunities for advancement, and access to our experienced and knowledgeable management team.
For more information and to apply please contact Lynann Everett at leverett@rbanortheastpa.com or (610) 849-2805.


Selena Gomez & the Scene was an American pop rock, electropop and dance-pop band from Hollywood, California. Formed in 2008, its last lineup consisted of lead singer Selena Gomez, bassist Joey Clement, drummer Greg Garman, keyboardist Dane Forrest, and guitarist Drew Taubenfeld. The band released three studio albums, seven singles and nine music videos. Their debut album, Kiss & Tell, was released on September 29, 2009, debuting at No. 9 on the US Billboard 200 and earning the band a Gold certification from Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 2010. The second single from the album, "Naturally", reached the top thirty in the U.S., as well as the top twenty in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and Germany. The song has been certified Platinum in the U.S. and Canada. As of 2012, Kiss & Tell has sold over 900,000 copies in the U.S. The band's second album, A Year Without Rain, was released on September 17, 2010, debuting at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and earning the band a second RIAA Gold certification in January 2011. Two singles were released from the album, "Round & Round" and "A Year Without Rain".


Reptiles are turning into increasingly in style as pets with snakes and lizards being the most common. There are commercially accessible diets for some reptiles; nevertheless, most need contemporary meals. In snakes and a few lizards, the process ends in shedding the entire layer of skin as a single piece. As a reptile owner, you do this as a result of care in regards to the health and well being of your reptile.
Don't catch wild reptiles or amphibians and hold them as pets. With so many species of reptiles, every with their own problems and ailments, it is difficult to select specifics in this short overview. Heat lamps are best for heliotherms-these are reptiles which derive radiant heat from the sun and embody diurnal species that bask in the sun.
Do get rid of amphibian and reptile waste water and droppings in the toilet or in a dedicated trash can away from food preparation areas. Our pages on bearded dragons and corn snakes have extra data, and all of our care sheets might be downloaded at the bottom of this web page.
21 Warwick, C., Fyre, F.L. and Murphy, J.B. (1995) Health and Welfare of Captive Reptiles. Stow Kent Animal Hospital and Portage Clinic's workers of expert professionals is nicely educated within the care and husbandry of reptiles and can give you the information it's worthwhile to hold your unique pet looking and feeling great.


text:
Retail Winners & Losers: Barnes & Noble, Target
Retail stocks are recovering, after disappointing consumer confidence.
Jeanine Poggi
) -- Retail stocks are regaining momentum following a selloff earlier this morning due to disappointing consumer confidence data.
The Consumer Confidence Index fell to 48.5 during the month from 53.2 in August. This is its lowest level since February. Economists forecast a reading of 53.
Retail sales are also following the same seasaw as consumer confidence. Sales for the week ended Sept. 25 rose 0.4% after falling 1.4% in the week prior, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.
The ICSC forecasts 3% growth in chain store sales for the full month. Same-store sales are due out on Oct. 7.
(BKS) - Get Barnes & Noble, Inc. Report
is declining 1% to $16.28 after shareholders voted against billionaire investor Ron Burkle, who was trying to get himself and nominees elected to the board of directors. Shareholders also contested his move to get rid of the poison pill, which has prevented Burkle from upping his stake in the company.
Shares of rival
(BGP)
are also slipping, down 0.8% to $1.21, Tuesday afternoon. The company said earlier today that it plans on opening 25 temporary seasonal stores.
(ANF) - Get Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Class A Report
announced Tuesday morning that its director, Robert Rosholt, resigned, leaving two empty seats in the boardroom.
(TGT) - Get Target Corporation Report
was downgraded by Credit Suisse to neutral from outperform, citing an uncertain consumer and credit environment. Analyst Michael Exstein also cut his price target on the stock to $58 from $64. Exstein also called out Target's credit card business, which he said doesn't have sustainable growth.
Still, Target is rallying after this downgrade, up 0.6% to $54.71, in afternoon trading.
Two major retailers --
(BBY) - Get Best Buy Co., Inc. Report
and privately-held
Toys 'R' Us
-- said they will be hiring an influx of employees for the holiday season. Best Buy will add 29,000 temporary workers, while Toys 'R' Us will hire 45,000.
Walgreen
(WAG)
the day's biggest gainer, surging 11.1% to $33.71, after it reported its fourth-quarter profit jumped 8% on higher prescription drug sales.
During the quarter, the drugstore earned $470 million, or 49 cents a share, on revenue of $16.87 billion.
J.C. Penney
(JCP) - Get J. C. Penney Company, Inc. Report
unveiled its plan to grow revenue by $1 billion by 2015. The department store intends to do this in part through new store openings and store enhancements.
The company earmarked $160 million for store rennovations this year, and plans on making adjustments to 375 stores by 2015.
Shares of J.C. Penney are rising 1.5% to $26.07 in midday trading.**
--Written by Jeanine Poggi in New York.
>To contact the writer of this article, click here:
>To follow the writer on Twitter, go to
http://twitter.com/jpoggi
>To submit a news tip, send an email to:
tips@thestreet.com
JobsStocksInvestingRetailEarnings
VTAQMCD
Upcoming Tech SPAC Helps Checkers Jump McDonald's
LCIDTSLAGM
Lucid's 2030 EV Production Goals Bring It to Half Where Tesla Stands Now


text:
require 'json'
class Location < ActiveRecord::Base
  has_many :weathers
  has_many :location_predictions
  belongs_to :post_code
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Precision is decisive: Our high-quality final assembly guarantees the long service life of the electronics.
Simple assembly: The compact Liebherr power modules fit into every control cabinet.
Detailled tests: We check every detail for the failure-free operation in the field.
Everything is exactly where it should be: A good deal of skill is required for the installation of power units.
Frequency converter systems
Products for industrial applications
Liebherr power electronics are developed for use in harsh environmental conditions and easily withstand dust, vibrations and extreme temperatures. All products impress with their high availability and serve as reliable partners in mobile or stationary applications.
Tel. +41 56 296-4300
Find contact person
In the download area you find an overview of all brochures and datasheets for the various Liebherr components. Downloads
State-of-the-art development and manufacturing equipment is used for electric machines and control technology in the production centre in Biberach. View video
State-of-the-art development and manufacturing equipment is used for electric machines and control technology in the production centre in Biberach.
We need your consent This YouTube video is provided by Google. If you load the video, your data - including your IP address - is transmitted to Google and may be stored and processed by Google inter alia in the USA. We have no influence over further data processing by Google. By clicking on "Accept", you consent to the transmission of data to Google for this video in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR and at the same time expressly consent to the transfer of data to the USA in accordance with Art. 49 (1) (a) GDPR. If you no longer wish to consent to each YouTube video individually in the future and wish to be able to load the videos without this blocker, you can also select "Always accept YouTube" and thereby consent to the associated data transmissions and transfers to Google and to the USA for all other YouTube videos which you open on our website in the future. Please note that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, there does not currently exist an adequate level of data protection in line with EU standards in the USA, and at present we cannot provide suitable safeguards to protect your data and offset this shortcoming. Possible risks to you of data transfer to the USA are that access by state authorities cannot be excluded and that your data could be processed for reasons of national security, criminal prosecution or for other purposes in the public interest of the USA, possibly without you being informed separately and without enforceable rights and effective means of redress being available to you. You can withdraw consent that you have given at any time with future effect via the settings. For further information, please see our Data Protection Declaration and Google's Privacy Policy.
Always accept YouTube
State-of-the-art production and test facilities for Liebherr electronic components are used at the site in Lindau. View video
State-of-the-art production and test facilities for Liebherr electronic components are used at the site in Lindau.
Test Center for electronics
Liebherr operates its own Test Center for electronics at Lindau. State-of-the-art testing and measuring equipment guarantees high product quality. Test Center for electronics
The services of the components division in the Customer Service area are individually tailored to the needs of our customers. Customer Service
System expertise
Liebherr offers convincing system solutions. Our components can be optimally modified to the complete drivetrain. System expertise
We are always on the lookout for talented people who will contribute their expertise and enthusiasm to the Liebherr Group in many different fields. All job vacancies


Emily Kroll, CEO and founder of upholstered furniture company EKLA HOME, has furniture design and environmentalism in her blood. The granddaughter of a furniture designer on one side, and an architectural and scrap metal recycler on the other, Kroll says she is "passionate about changing the way the furniture business works in the United States." She plans to do this by eliminating toxins, limiting waste and using sustainable materials. And EKLA certainly has a very impressive list of sustainable practices, perhaps one of the most impressive on the green furniture market today.
ELKA is a member of the Organic Trade Association, Sustainable Furniture Council, and Co-Op America. They have third-party certifications by FSC, Oeko-tex, KRAV, SCS Gold, and GREENGUARD. Their practices include using raw materials sourced as close to manufacturing facility as possible, producing all products in the U.S., and using only organic and non-toxic materials and the lowest VOC finishes possible. EKLA also uses reclaimed wood whenever possible and, otherwise, the wood is FSC Alder, a sustainable crop.
Other small details are paid attention as well such as recycling packing materials and operating the workshop on as much natural light as possible. One aspect that I particularly like is that no chemical flame-retardants are used, which can be highly toxic and are found on products ranging from pillows to children's pajamas.
Their website is currently only displaying five style options at this time, but the pieces are modern and attractive, especially the Camille, Kristina, and Milano (pictured in this article). I have listed the specific eco-elements of some pieces below the photo. EKLA is certainly making an outstanding effort to create green furniture. A sentence on EKLA's website states their goals beautifully : "Our devotion to craftsmanship and quality produces pieces that last a lifetime, and are lush and luxurious but never compromise our dedication to the environment." Visit their website for more information.
MILANO SOFA ROUGE – 100% organic wool, dyed with fiber reactive low impact, non-toxic dye. Construction: Natural Rubber, 100% organic US grown and milled wool, 100% organic cotton barrier cloth, FSC alder frame and legs, recycled steel springs, Safecoat no VOC stain.
KRISTINA SECTIONAL CITRUS – 100% organic wool, dyed with fiber reactive low impact, non-toxic dye. Construction: Natural Rubber, 100% organic US grown and milled wool, 100% organic cotton barrier cloth, FSC alder frame and legs, recycled steel springs, Safecoat no VOC stain.
What are the dimensions on your Milano Sofa, other colors, cost?


text:
Q: How do I update Custom Label's value using apex? Which one would be a better option metadata api or tooling api? Please provide example I'am working on post deployment automation process in salesforce. I am stuck on how should I update values in custom labels which needs tobe updated manually after a sandbox refresh.

A: You can use this MetadataService class and follow this example:
public static void updateField()
{
    MetadataService.MetadataPort service = createService();
    MetadataService.CustomField customField = new MetadataService.CustomField();
    customField.fullName = 'Test__c.TestField__c';
    customField.label='New Test Field Label';
    customField.type_x = 'Text';
    customField.length = 52;
    List<MetadataService.SaveResult> results =
        service.updateMetadata(
            new MetadataService.Metadata[] { customField });
    handleSaveResults(results[0]);
}

In your case, you will probably want to use only the fullName and label attributes. Type and length are not relevant for you to set here.
More on how to handle the save results can be viewed in the example class at line 1536.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


If cheap parcel delivery New Milton is your priority, then you're in the right place with Parcel Delivery!
For those that live in the charming market town, parcel delivery in New Milton is as important as any other location in the UK. Situated on the edge of New Forest and only around 6 miles from Lymington and 12 miles from Bournemouth, those looking to send a parcel to New Milton at an affordable price will find it easier than ever, and here at Parcel Delivery, we can help you find the right courier with the right service for your needs and budget.
All you need to do is accurately measure and weigh your parcel, enter the details into our online comparison tool, and we will calculate the cheap courier to New Milton with the best cheap parcel delivery to New Milton on offer at a price you can afford for the service that you need. No matter what cheap parcel delivery to New Milton service you're looking for, the quotes we give you will all be from trusted cheap courier services to New Milton with a tracking service so you can keep track of your delivery every step of the way.
Whether you want to send a parcel to New Milton, or you're looking for the best parcel delivery New Milton has to offer, here at Parcel Delivery we can help you find exactly that. We work with a range of well-known cheap courier services to New Milton, including DHL, AirCity, CitySprint, Doddle, FedEx, Hermes, Norsk, TNT, UPS, Yodel, and so many more, so you can be sure that your cheap courier to New Milton is in good hands.
We can help you find the right price for a whole range of services. If you're in a rush, same day or next day delivery could be the right service for you, whereas 2-3 day or 3+ days delivery can be a lower cost for those with more time on their hands. If you need a heavy parcel shipped, we'll help you find a courier who can do that, and the same can be said for pallets and larger parcels! Whatever your needs, we'll find the best cheap parcel delivery to New Milton on offer to fill them!
New Milton not only has amazing rail connections to both London and Southampton but it is also very near the major port of Southampton, this is beneficial because it means there are more options for cheap shipping to New Milton available to you. With many companies offering cheap shipping to New Milton it can be difficult to find the best quote to suit you. However, we can help, enter the dimensions and weight of your parcel into our price comparison tool and we will take care of the rest to find you the best price for your cheap delivery to New Milton as well as an outstanding quote for cheap shipping to New Milton!
When you come to send a parcel to New Milton, you might be lost on where to start. Of course, finding the right courier is a good place to begin, but we have a few tips and tricks to ensure that your parcel delivery in New Milton goes off without a hitch.
When you're packing your goods, it's important to make sure that your goods are well packaged and safe. A sturdy cardboard box or a padded envelope can do wonders to help your goods survive any potential bumps and knocks. Even the best parcel delivery New Milton has to offer can reach bumpy roads, so packaging your goods well is vital to ensure their safety to give you that extra peace of mind. Consider filling any gaps in your box with crumpled paper, bubble wrap or foam for extra cushioning, too!
Another thing to be careful of is the fact that some couriers have different restricted items to others. While there are a few general restrictions like explosives, weapons, acids etc, some couriers won't send cash or other items of monetary value, so checking before you send could stop your parcel being held up along its journey, or not even being sent in the first place!
Cheap parcel delivery New Milton is no longer difficult to find. With Parcel Delivery, we can help you find the right courier for the right price to give you the best cheap delivery to New Milton possible.


I had organised a party for seniors from an old age home and kids from an Institute. Balloons were part of the decor. They were strewn all over the floor. The moment the kids entered our house they just grabbed them and started playing with them lost to the world around them.
It feels good to see how much happiness they found in those balloons. Even the adults seemed to have been well into it too. It's a good look to see everyone having pure fun!
It feels good to see how much happiness they found in those balloons. Even the adults seemed to have been well into it too. :D It's a good look to see everyone having pure fun!
Well done. I hope you will make much these partys.
Lushh wrote: It feels good to see how much happiness they found in those balloons. Even the adults seemed to have been well into it too. It's a good look to see everyone having pure fun!
They were glued to those balloons until the very end.
mrki444 wrote: Well done. I hope you will make much these partys.
I have been having thee parties since 1998 with a few misses here and there and each time the colour theme is different.
This was one of my best parties.
Well such an event brings joy to the people and brings blessings from God as well.
Yes everyone is thoroughly enjoying it !
You have done a great job . Bringing happiness in someone's life is a joy itself. But nowadays many people don't do it. Everyone is busy in their own life. Then there are people like you, who spend time to bring happiness in others lives. It's really great to know.
Rosalin wrote: You have done a great job . Bringing happiness in someone's life is a joy itself. But nowadays many people don't do it. Everyone is busy in their own life. Then there are people like you, who spend time to bring happiness in others lives. It's really great to know.
Many just give money in charity but no one knows where that money goes. I take pains to spend money to see that it is well spent.