text:
Q: a simple Guess letters game in java i have just started writing a (guess letters game) as  an assignment .. in java (the first player  inputs 10 words and then 3 random characters will be hidden after that a second player will guess each character and  if he guessed correctly then a new word from the first player will be shown to guess the hidden characters until all 10 words are guessed correctly.. he has only 10 attempts  to get out of the program if he guessed incorrectly >>>>the problem was in replacing the hidden characters with the guessed ones from the second player

here how i hide 3 random characters form a string :
Scanner s = new Scanner(System.in);

       Random r= new Random();
  String word= null;
    for (int i=0; i<10;i++){
                 word= s.nextLine();

    }
    int wordlength = word.length();
    int a=0, b=0,c=0;
    while(a==b||b==c||a==c){
    a= r.nextInt( wordlength);
     b= r.nextInt( wordlength);
    c= r.nextInt( wordlength);
    }

    char[] wordsArray = word.toCharArray();
    wordsArray [a]='-';
            wordsArray [b]='-';
    wordsArray [c]='-';

    String modwords =new String (wordsArray);
    System.out.println(modwords );

A: It's always best to break down what you need to do into smaller steps:

*

*Get 10 words from player One

*For each word, play a single round of the game using that word

Let's name these steps getWords and playRound
From the first step we want to get a list of 10 words: for this we can use a List<String>
So let's make a method for it:
private static List<String> getWords( int numberOfWords )
{
    Scanner s = new Scanner( System.in );
    List<String> words = new ArrayList<String>();
    for ( int i = 0; i < numberOfWords; i++ )
    {
        words.add( s.nextLine() );
    }
    return words;
}

Now we can call this method to get our list of words, and feed them one word at a time to our second method:
public static void main( String[] args )
{
    int numberOfWords = 10;
    System.out.println( "Player 1: enter " + numberOfWords + " words" );

    List<String> words = getWords( numberOfWords )

    System.out.println( "Ready, player 2?" );

    for ( String word : words )
    {
        playRound( word );
    }
}

So now we have a simpler problem - playing a single round, which involves the following steps:

*

*choose three positions where we want to mask out a letter

*create a masked version of the word with the chosen letters dashed out, and display it to player Two

*player Two guesses a letter:

*is the guess correct? If so, replace the corresponding dash with that letter

*repeat from step 3 until all dashes are gone

Let's name the first three steps as methods:
private static List<Integer> getMaskPositions( String word ) { ... }

private static StringBuilder createdMaskedWord( String word, List<Integer> maskPositions ) { ... }

private static char getNextGuess( ) { ... }

Then we can use these in our playRound() method:
private static void playRound( String word )
{
    // choose three positions to mask out:
    List<Integer> maskPositions = getMaskPositions( word );

    // mask our word by dashing out the three chosen positions:
    StringBuilder maskedWord = createdMaskedWord( word, maskPositions );

    System.out.println( "The next word is: " + maskedWord );

    while ( maskedWord.toString().contains( "-" ) )
    {
        // fetch a one-character guess from Player 2:
        char guess = getNextGuess();

        for ( Integer position : maskPositions )
        {
            if ( word.charAt( position ) == guess )
            {
                // guess is correct: replace the dash with the right letter
                maskedWord.setCharAt( position, guess );
            }
        }
        // now re-display the masked word (showing any correctly-guessed letters):
        System.out.println( maskedWord );
    }

    // no more dashes left: all missing letters correctly guessed:
    System.out.println( "Well Done!" );
}

That still leaves the three methods to implement: getMaskPositions(), createdMaskedWord() and getNextGuess(), but now these are much simpler problems for you to solve (and you can re-use some of the code you already wrote).
Note that we use a StringBuilder to store the maskedWord: this allows us to change letters (can't do that with String which is immutable).
You can also improve on my code by checking for valid inputs: for example each word must be no shorter than 3 letters.
I'll leave the rest up to you :)

A: read the user input to StringBuilder and compare a,b and c positions, if the user input char is equal to the original word char than replace it, something like that
public static void main(String[] args) {
    String word = "hello";
    StringBuilder obscureWord = new StringBuilder("h-l-o");
    Scanner s = new Scanner(System.in);

    while (true){
        int pos = obscureWord.indexOf("-");
        if (pos == -1)
            break;

        System.out.println("guess the letter " + obscureWord + " : ");
        char c = s.nextLine().charAt(0);
        if (c == word.charAt(pos)){
            obscureWord.replace(pos,pos+1, word.substring(pos,pos+1));
            System.out.println("correct guess! " + obscureWord);
        }
        else {
            System.out.println("incorrect, try again");
        }
    }
}

of course you can replace the while with a for loop for limit tries


Meditation is often referred to as a "practice". We refer to it in that way because it is something we do on a regular basis, it's always changing and evolving. It is not something to be "mastered".
What is meditation? It is the practice of being still, calming the mind and moving into a state of peace within. Our mind is active throughout the day with 12,000-50,000 individual thoughts per day. The vast majority of those thoughts are the same thoughts every day. Many people describe these thoughts as the "voice" in your head or as the mind "running a million miles per minute".
Depending on life experience and personality the voice can lean toward the constructive or positive or the destructive and negative. Meditation helps quiet that voice to help you get to the "real you". The "voice" is just your thoughts… it's not who you are. When we quiet the voice we find inner peace.
Emotional benefits such as a decrease in depression, stress and anxiety.
8 weeks of meditation of been proven to increase grey matter in areas of the brain involved in learning and memory, regulating emotions, sense of self and having perspective.
Mental benefits include improved decision making, increased resilience and mental toughness. I have found that meditation has helped me to step back and to observe situations without being so clouded by emotion. Emotion, especially negative emotion (anger, sadness, hurt, stress); can lead to out of proportion reactions and lead to conflict.
Physical benefits include reduced risk of heart attack and stroke. It is also linked to lower blood pressure.
Relationships with your family and friends are the basis for the majority of happiness in our lives. Meditation can help build a more robust family and social circle by improving empathy, reducing feelings of worry and increasing feelings of compassion and reducing social isolation.
These benefits stem from having a more peaceful mind, having the ability to recognize that our thoughts and perceptions are not who we are and to not let those thoughts lead to negative emotions like anger, resentment and stress. Our thoughts are just our thoughts and our perception of what is going on around us. Our thoughts are not necessarily "the truth".
If we have a more measured reaction to perceived stress or negativity we are happier, healthier people.
When things don't go as we expected or as we had hoped (like the examples below), we have the ability to pause our thoughts and to assess the situation and our reaction to it.


how early in the morning should I test?
I got the bathroom a lot through the nite, but I also eat a lot of ice so 'm not sure when I should test at my 2:30am blast or my 7am blast just not sure.
I would say 7am is probably best! GL!
The HcG hormone is in the highest concentration in the mornings so the first one when you wake up is best. However, if you read most of the tests they tell you that it really isn't necessary for an accurate result. The tests these days are pretty sensitive. As long as you've given it a few hours that's probably OK.
longest you can go between peeing and testing the best. If you are up at 2:30am and go to the bathroom next at 7am that should be totally fine! I think 3-4 hours is perfect.
I would test at 7 am, Thats when I tested. But if you were to wake up at like 5am and have to pee...then I would test then. Good luck!! What an exciting time!!
First you should lay off the ice since that's terrible for your teeth. You'll miss your sleep if you're pregnant. The reason to test in the morning is that the HcG hormone is concentrated in the morning. I'd say do it after your longest sleep session.


This letter brooch consists of seven shards of bubbly pink cut mirror. These pieces are arranged in a circular band and set in hot pink resin which is caked in pink glitter of varying hues. With the texture of the pink glass resembling caramelised sugar, the pinks and whites of the glitter and the substance of the resin this whole piece resembles a scrumptious sugary treat. These letter brooches make perfect gifts, and though there are other letter 'O' brooches each is handmade and therefore unique.


text:
Q: Integral of $\sqrt{1-\|x\|^2}$ I am trying to calculate the next integral:
$$\int_{Q}\sqrt{1-\|x\|^2}dx$$
where $Q =\{x\in\mathbb{R}^n: \|x\|\leq 1\}$ and $\|x\|$ is the usual norm of $\mathbb{R}^n.$
For the cases $n = 2$ and $n = 3$ polar and spheric coordinates are useful, however, is there an easier form to compute this? I am trying to find a nice variable change but I have not gotten any useful.
Any kind of help is thanked in advanced.

A: Notice that the integral can be rewritten as
$$\int_Q \:dx \int_0^{\sqrt{1-||x||^2}}\:dy$$
by introducing a new variable in $\Bbb{R}^{n+1}$. Thus the integral is equal to
$$\frac{\pi^{\frac{n+1}{2}}}{2\Gamma\left(\frac{n+3}{2}\right)}$$
or half the volume of the unit $(n+1)$-ball

A: Just use $n$-dimensional spherical coordinates. You have $dV = r^{n-1}dr\,d\sigma$, where $d\sigma$ is the "element of surface area" of the unit sphere in $\Bbb R^n$. Since the function depends only on $r$, you're going to get
$$\int_0^1 r^{n-1}\sqrt{1-r^2}\,dr$$
times the surface area of the unit sphere in $\Bbb R^n$. (The volume of the unit ball is a standard inductive computation, and then you get the surface area of the sphere by differentiating the volume $V(r)=r^n V(1)$ of the ball of radius $r$.)

A: If you decompose the domain in elementary spherical slices, the integral is the sum of $\sqrt{1-r^2}$ times the volume of a slice.
$$I=\int_0^1\sqrt{1-r^2}dV=\frac{\pi^{n/2}}{\Gamma\left(\dfrac n2+1\right)}\int_0^1\sqrt{1-r^2}nr^{n-1}dr
\\=\frac{n\pi^{n/2}}{2\Gamma\left(\dfrac n2+1\right)}\int_0^1(1-t)^{1/2}t^{n/2-1}dt
\\=\frac{n\pi^{n/2}}{2\Gamma\left(\dfrac n2+1\right)}\frac{\Gamma\left(\dfrac 32\right)\Gamma\left(\dfrac n2\right)}{\Gamma\left(\dfrac{n+3}2\right)}
\\=\frac{n\pi^{(n+1)/2}}{4\left(\dfrac n2+1\right)\Gamma\left(\dfrac{n+3}2\right)}.$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Future for Annuities in DC Plans
The SECURE Act offered an annuity selection safe harbor for plan sponsors, but education will be the first step in getting this income protection to plan participants.
2020 PLANSPONSOR National Conference
Why Should You Attend PSNC?
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Reasons to Consider a QSEHRA for Small Business Health Benefits
Employers can easily budget their costs, employees use their allowances for a wide range of benefits and it helps small employers compete for talent.
Interest rates for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.47% for the week ending February 13, slightly up from last week when it averaged 3.45%, according to Freddie Mac. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.37%. Interest rates for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 2.97%, unchanged from last week. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.81%.
In January, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted (SA) basis; rising 2.5% over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted (NSA), the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2% in January (SA); up 2.3% over the year (NSA).
Real average hourly earnings increased 0.1% over the month in January (SA). Average hourly earnings increased 0.2% and CPI-U increased 0.1%. Real average weekly earnings increased 0.1% over the month.
In the week ending February 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance was 205,000, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week's revised level of 203,000, the Labor Department reported. The four-week moving average was 212,000, unchanged from the previous week's revised average.
Thursday, the Dow lost 128.11 points (0.43%) to finish at 29,423.31, the NASDAQ decreased 13.99 points (0.14%) to 9,711.97, and the S&P 500 closed 5.51 points (0.16%) lower at 3,373.94. The Russell 2000 was up 4.36 points (0.26%) at 1,693.74, and the Wilshire 5000 was down 33.35 points (0.10%) at 34,369.88.
The price of the 10-year Treasury note fell 17/32, increasing its yield to 1.615%. The price of the 30-year Treasury bond was up 5/32, decreasing its yield to 2.071%.
Record Balances Raise the Stakes for DC Plan Investors
Both market gains and improved savings behaviors have pushed defined contribution (DC) plan balances to record levels.
Investment Product and Service Launches
iShares expands ESG initiatives; T. Rowe Price announces enhancements to TDFs; and Swan Global Investments reduces CIT fees.
ON THIS DATE: Around the year 270 A.D., Valentine, a holy priest in Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius II, was executed. In 1779, Captain James Cook, the great English explorer and navigator, was killed by natives of Hawaii during his third visit to the Pacific island group. In 1859, Oregon became the 33rd member of the Union. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell filed an application for a patent for the telephone. In 1899, Congress approved voting machines for use in federal elections. In 1903, the U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor was established. In 1912, Arizona was admitted as the 48th U.S. state. In 1920, the League of Women Voters was founded in Chicago. The first president of the organization was Maude Wood Park. In 1929, the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" took place in Chicago. Seven gangsters who were rivals of Al Capone were killed. In 1946, ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was unveiled. The device, built at the University of Pennsylvania, was the world's first general purpose electronic computer. In 1980, Walter Cronkite announced his retirement from the "CBS Evening News." In 2005, the video-sharing website YouTube was activated. In 2018, an expelled student entered Parkland, Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and opened fire, killing 17 people and wounding 17 others, in what became the deadliest shooting at a high school in United States history.
And now for some FRIDAY FUN!
Fix a broken zipper with a fork.
A dog with a pig snout, or an oddly turned head?
In Clearwater, Florida, a 73-year-old man told his wife, 68, he wanted a separation from marriage. You might say the wife's reaction was over the top. As the couple argued over the separation, the wife "pulled out a taser and drive stunned him several times," according to a criminal complaint charging her with aggravated domestic battery, the Smoking Gun reports. The court filing does not indicate whether Carr's husband was injured as a result of the tasing.
In Marshfield, Wisconsin, a woman driving along a street crashed into a toilet left in the middle of the lane. She told police she was distracted by another toilet left in the opposite lane when she crashed. According to ONFOCUS, the investigating officer indicated he believed the two toilets were left in the road deliberately, as both were upright and intact prior to the collision.
Have a great weekend, everyone! NewsDash will be back in your inbox Tuesday.

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Well, my thoughts were that in her mind was the knowledge he would not return and for her there was only one outcome, Death, so she returned home to their home to make sure that she would be with him forever, to enjoy life ever after. I was in a mood of "being low and in pain too", I take it you were in pain too after a very long exhausting day (I have mine to come tomorrow). How did you get on, when you feel better do let me know. Take care, God Bless.


Jonita Gandhi: The Indo-Canadian singer started singing at a very young age and her father being a musician always encouraged her. Jonita's YouTube videos went viral and became instant hit. Immense love from her fans got her to India where she made a debut in Bollywood by singing the title track of 'Chennai Express'. There was no going back for Jonita after that, she sang with A.R Rehman in a few movies and the latest addition to her list was the hit "Break up song" from ADHM.
Arjun Kanungo: Arjun rose to fame at a very young age. With his first album "Baaki baate peene ke baad" went viral, Arjun got a lot of offers. He sang in movies like 'Go Goa Gone' and 'Pizza'. He recently also did a video for Colgate with Sonam Kapoor.
Shraddha Sharma: Among the first to take her music online via YouTube (just like Justin Bieber), 20 year-old Shraddha Sharma is one of the country's most popular playback singers and performing artists. Shraddha has signed a long-term contract with Universal Music for producing original material, which also gave her access to the professional music industry.
Aakash Gandhi: Aakash gained his initial popularity through his YouTube channel, 88KeysToEuphoria, which he created in January 2008. Aakash has released over 132 videos on YouTube via his channel. After which he signed his contract with Sony Music India.


text:
Next Society, Politics & Psychology
Next Society & Culture
Next Social Groups
Next Ethnic Studies
Next Black & Asian Studies
Black & Asian Studies 9780691157795-01-000 9780691157795-01-000 9780691157795
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The Age of Garvey How a Jamaican Activist Created a Mass Movement and Changed Global Black Politics
By Adam Ewing (Author)
https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/the-age-of-garvey-how-a-jamaican-activist-created-a-mass-movement-and-changed-global-black-politics/adam-ewing/hardback/9780691157795-01-000.html £25.60 rrp £32.00 Save £6.40 (20%)
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Jamaican activist Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) organized the Universal Negro Improvement Association in Harlem in 1917. By the early 1920s, his program of African liberation and racial uplift had attracted millions of supporters, both in the United States and abroad. The Age of Garvey presents an expansive global history of the movement that came to be known as Garveyism. Offering a groundbreaking new interpretation of global black politics between the First and Second World Wars, Adam Ewing charts Garveyism's emergence, its remarkable global transmission, and its influence in the responses among African descendants to white supremacy and colonial rule in Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States. Delving into the organizing work and political approach of Garvey and his followers, Ewing shows that Garveyism emerged from a rich tradition of pan-African politics that had established, by the First World War, lines of communication among black intellectuals on both sides of the Atlantic. Garvey's legacy was to reengineer this tradition as a vibrant and multifaceted mass politics. Ewing looks at the people who enabled Garveyism's global spread, including labor activists in the Caribbean and Central America, community organizers in the urban and rural United States, millennial religious revivalists in central and southern Africa, welfare associations and independent church activists in Malawi and Zambia, and an emerging generation of Kikuyu leadership in central Kenya. Moving away from the images of quixotic business schemes and repatriation efforts, The Age of Garvey demonstrates the consequences of Garveyism's international presence and provides a dynamic and unified framework for understanding the movement, during the interwar years and beyond. 7 Maps
Adam Ewing is assistant professor of African American studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Contributor: Adam Ewing
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Series: America in the World
Biography: Adam Ewing is assistant professor of African American studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Adam Ewing
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In today's wireless world, we sometimes take for granted the amount of non-dangerous emissions that are always around us. Wouldn't it be just common sense to be able to lower these emissions without sacrificing voice quality in your wireless headset. Well, Spracht has now introduced a very comfortable, sleek Zum eco-Set wireless headset that does just that.


Corporates appear to be becoming more diligent about wiping sensitive company data from their PCs.
When Computerworld handed over three used PCs to Computer Forensics in September last year to check, the Auckland data recovery company retrieved all sorts of data that shouldn't have still been there.
One of the PCs, bought from an Auckland used computer dealer, included correspondence in the name of former prime minister Jenny Shipley and senior bureaucrats. A second PC was apparently owned by finance company AVCO, bought last year by GE Finance, and contained internal documents and letters to mortage holders sent from the firm's Dunedin office.
However, when we recently gave Computer Forensics a secondhand notebook to go over, the previous owner's data had been properly wiped, says Computer Forensics managing director Brian Eardley-Wilmot.
The Toshiba notebook, bought at auction six weeks ago by Computerworld, was one of many of the same type, which suggests had been part of a corporate computer network.


text:
package controllers.traits.account

import config.{Authorised, BackController, NotAuthorised}
import models.account.{AccountSettings, UpdatedPassword, UserProfile}
import play.api.mvc.Action
import services._

import scala.concurrent.Future
import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global

trait AccountDetailsCtrl extends BackController {

  val accountService : AccountService

  def getAccountData : Action[String] = Action.async(parse.text) {
    implicit request =>
      authOpenAction {
        case Authorised =>
          decryptRequest[String] {
            userID =>
              accountService.getAccount(userID) map {
                case Some(acc) => Ok(acc)
                case None => InternalServerError
              }
          }
        case NotAuthorised => Future.successful(Forbidden)
      }
  }

  def updateProfileInformation() : Action[String] = Action.async(parse.text) {
    implicit request =>
      authOpenAction {
        case Authorised =>
          decryptRequest[UserProfile] {
            profile =>
              accountService.updateProfileInformation(profile) map {
                case false => Ok
                case true => InternalServerError
              }
          }
        case NotAuthorised => Future.successful(Forbidden)
      }
  }

  def updateUserPassword() : Action[String] = Action.async(parse.text) {
    implicit request =>
      authOpenAction {
        case Authorised =>
          decryptRequest[UpdatedPassword] {
            passwordSet =>
              accountService.updatePassword(passwordSet) map {
                case InvalidOldPassword => Conflict
                case PasswordUpdate(success) => success match {
                  case true => InternalServerError
                  case false => Ok
                }
              }
          }
        case NotAuthorised => Future.successful(Forbidden)
      }
  }

  def updateUserSettings() : Action[String] = Action.async(parse.text) {
    implicit request =>
      authOpenAction {
        case Authorised =>
          decryptRequest[AccountSettings] {
            settings =>
              accountService.updateSettings(settings) map {
                case UpdatedSettingsSuccess => Ok
                case UpdatedSettingsFailed => InternalServerError
              }
          }
        case NotAuthorised => Future.successful(Forbidden)
      }
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Node Isn't Recognized In Command Prompt I have node installed however in my main terminal I cant access it. I can run the "Node.js command prompt" and it will work fine but shouldn't I be able to run node in the terminal?

A: You have to add the node parent directory to the system $PATH variable.


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text:
Egypt court rejects election law, may delay poll
Egypt's constitutional court rejected five articles of a draft election law on Monday and sent the text back to the country's temporary legislature for redrafting in a ruling that may delay a parliamentary poll due in April.
"The court has returned the draft parliamentary electoral law to the Shura Council after making five observations on five articles which it found unconstitutional," a court statement said.
It did not immediately disclose which parts of the law had been censured, but the court said it would issue a fuller statement later in the day.
A source in President Mohamed Mursi's office said before the decision that if the court found fault with the law, it could delay passage of the law, and hence the election, by a couple of weeks, but probably not months.
Mursi had been expected to promulgate the electoral law by February 25 and set a date two months later for voting, probably in more than one stage for different regions because of a shortage of judicial poll supervisors.
The constitutional court, made up partly of judges from ousted former President Hosni Mubarak's era, has intervened repeatedly in the transition, dissolving the Islamist-dominated parliament elected after the 2011 pro-democracy uprising.
Its composition was changed by the new constitution passed by a referendum in December.
Mursi was criticised in October for issuing a decree giving himself powers to override the judiciary. He backed down and dropped the decree weeks later following widespread protests.


text:
Steeped in history — the Confederate Home
When Charles Town was planned on the "Grand Modell," Broad Street was envisioned as the major east-west thoroughfare. On the east end were the custom house and the merchants and banking houses, facilitating a lucrative commerce. Other public buildings were located further up the street along with the state church. In time South Carolina's State House, a handsome Custom House and Exchange and St. Michael's Church (after the site hosted St. Philip's for a while) were completed. Nearby were the residences of some of Charles Town's most influential citizens, among them, John Rutledge, chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, S.C. governor and a signer of the U.S. Constitution. Across the street was the home of merchant John Laurens, brother of Henry Laurens, who succeeded John Hancock as president of the Continental Congress. In 1788 his executors sold the house to Edward Rutledge, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the younger brother of John Rutledge.
Dr. David Ramsay lived a block away. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a protégé of Dr. Benjamin Rush, a Pennsylvania signer of the Declaration of Independence. His sensational murder by a deranged patient is one of the city's oft-told narratives. In the next block Justice William Burroughs built a residence across the street from Lot 56. Burrows is best remembered as the father of William Ward Burrows, the first commandant of the United States Marine Corps and the grandfather of William Ward Burrows, Jr., a naval hero in the War of 1812 for whom three U.S. Navy vessels have been named.
Conveniently located only 150 paces from the State House, Lot 56 was prime real estate. Granted to John Palmer, Jr., in 1683, it was transferred to Damaris Elizabeth St. Julian, widow of Peter de St. Julian, whose family had worshipped with the Ravenels and the Baroness of Vitré, France, until the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. St. Julian was active in the fur trade, first at Pompion Hill and then at Wantoot, later home of Daniel Ravenel, through marriage to St. Julian's daughter.
William Bull, lieutenant governor of the province and acting governor on five occasions, rented a tenement on Lot 56. Bull was a Loyalist who left the colony when British troops evacuated at the end of the Revolution. The Bulls were a dominant force in early S.C. history. Bull's father had been lieutenant governor from 1738 to 1755 and acting governor from1738 to 1744, and he had assisted James Oglethorpe in the founding of Georgia. His grandfather Stephen Bull had been Lord Ashley's deputy and one of the leaders of the expedition that settled Charles Town.
The Fire of 1786 destroyed the tenement Bull had rented and Ralph Izard acquired the burned-out lot. He sold it in 1800 to Gilbert Chalmers, a well-to-do carpenter who built a handsome brick double tenement with a covered passageway through the center of the building. In 1798 Chalmers' daughter Harriet married John Geddes. When she died in 1803, Geddes married her sister, Ann. Chalmers deeded the property to Ann in 1805, and when she died the following year, the property passed to Geddes.
John Geddes was one of our state's many gentlemen who were involved with affaires d'honneur. Born in 1777, John Geddes was educated in Charleston and admitted to the local bar in 1797. Blessed with considerable wealth, he owned four plantations in St. Andrew's Parish. Socially well connected, Geddes served in the S.C. Assembly and was its speaker from 1810-1815. He was elected governor of the state in 1818.When President James Monroe visited the following year, he entertained so lavishly that it dearly cost both the state and him personally.
Shortly after Geddes completed his term as governor, two (one-m) Simons brothers fought against John Geddes. Both duels are thought to have been because of political differences. Geddes was a Democratic Republican (Jefferson's party) who favored a declaration of war against Great Britain in 1812 and supported "states rights." Keating Lewis Simons (1788-1834) on the other hand was a Federalist. In 1823 Keating Lewis Simons and Gov. Geddes met on Sullivan's Island. Simons was wounded and limped the rest of his life. Geddes also fought Edward Simons (1778-1843). This time Geddes was shot in the knee while Edward Simons was unhurt.
That same year Edward Peter Simons (1794-1823) died in a duel; Gilbert C. Geddes, John Geddes' 17-year-old son, shot and killed the promising Simons who had studied law in the office of his cousin Keating Lewis Simons and took over the practice when he died. He served in the state legislature and was a warden of the city and a captain in the Washington Light Infantry. Young Geddes felt that Simons had made remarks reflecting on his father and demanded a retraction or a meeting in the field. Simons protested that the father should demand satisfaction — not his son. Young Geddes posted notifications around town reflecting on Simons' conduct, while Simons published his version of events in the Charleston Mercury.
The antagonists met at high noon at Fort Johnson. Each fired four times without wounding his opponent, but on the fifth round, Geddes was shot through both thighs and Simons was shot in the belly. Young Geddes recovered. Simons died the following day at the age of 29.
Such a bloody act was no impediment to obtaining political office; Geddes served as intendant (mayor) of Charleston from 1824 to 1825 and held other public posts. He died in 1828 and was buried at the First Scots Presbyterian churchyard.
Meanwhile, as a result of debts Gov. Geddes incurred while entertaining President Monroe in 1819, he was forced to sell the Broad Street property. The house passed through several owners before Angus Stewart acquired the property and converted it into the Carolina Hotel. Archibald Mackenzie acquired the hotel in 1852 and in 1867 leased it to Amarinthia Yates Snowden, and her sister Isabell S. Snowden for the Home for Mothers, Widows and Daughters of Confederate Soldiers. The Confederate Home purchased the property in 1874 and added a section with a cantilevered piazza. They also took over the U.S. Court facilities in the rear.
The entire complex was badly damaged in the earthquake of 1886. E. R. Rutledge, a New York architect, supervised remodeling in a Victorianized version of the Second Empire style. According to the News and Courier, the slate mansard roof with dormers decorated with galvanized iron made the home "one of the finest architectural attractions in the city." Renovations were financed with contributions from the United States, England and Scotland. A plaque commemorating that generosity is on the façade of the building.
Since inception, the Confederate Home has housed and educated more than 2,000 girls and cared for 211 impoverished widows and mothers. Early in the 20th century, dormitories were converted into apartments and elegant period rooms were made available for private parties. The Confederate Home board continues to support its educational mission by providing college scholarships to qualified young people. For more information, contact: https://www.confederatehomeandcollege.org.
My appreciation goes out to Robert Stockton, Barbara Zimmerman and Marge Palmer for contributing to this article.


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Ford, BMW execs warn on no-deal Brexit risks
1.August 2019
Ford warned on Thursday that the chances of a no-deal Brexit have risen in the last few months as new Prime Minister Boris Johnson ramps up preparations for a possible disorderly exit in October.
BMW prepares to pick new CEO
18.July 2019
BMW's supervisory board will discuss new leadership at the automaker's U.S. plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, later on Thursday, and is expected to name Oliver Zipse as its new CEO, after 53-year-old Harald Krueger said he would not be available for a second term as CEO.
BMW has moved some engine output from UK due to Brexit
BMW has moved some engine output from Britain due to Brexit in a further sign of the decisions companies are having to take to handle uncertainty over the UK's exit from the European Union.
BMW expands recall on fire risk to 1.6 million vehicles
BMW is recalling about 1.6 million diesel cars to fix a potential fire hazard in their engines, expanding repairs from just under half a million vehicles in Europe and Asia.
VW, BMW, Daimler face EU probe over collusion on emissions tech
18.September 2018
The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into whether German automakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen Group colluded to avoid competition in developing clean emissions technology.
S. Korea to ban 20,000 BMWs following engine fires
15.August 2018
South Korea's transport ministry said on Tuesday it would ban about 20,000 BMW vehicles from the streets amid mounting public fears about engine fires.
BMW apologizes over 27 engine fires in S. Korea
BMW's South Korean unit apologized over 27 engine fires between January and July that have prompted a government probe and a major backlash from consumers.
BMW will open $1.2 billion car plant in Hungary
BMW is investing 1 billion euros ($1.17 billion) in a new assembly plant in Hungary, its first factory in Europe in nearly two decades as the automaker strengthens its European footprint amid growing protectionism.
New CEO of the BMW Region Central Europe
BMW AG will appint Neil Fiorentinos as the new CEO of BMW Group Region Central & Southeastern Europe on September 1, 2018. Fiorentinos replaces Christoph v. Tschirschnitz, who has decided to accept new management challenges outside the BMW Group.
BMW sponsored Carlsbad Classic Race
BMW Czech Republic was, as in the past year, a partner of the Carlsbad Classic race car. The sixth year of this "rally" started in Karlovy Vary from Thermal Hotel on Friday afternoon (July 13, 2018).
Czech government supports BMW Test Center
2.May 2018
Czech government of Andrej Babiš agreed to sign a declaration on strategic cooperation between the Government of the Czech Republic and BMW AG to support the planned construction of a test center in the Sokolov region.
BMW searched by German prosecutors over defeat devices
German state prosecutors said they searched BMW premises in Germany and Austria, investigating suspected defeat devices capable of manipulating exhaust emissions.
BMW signed a contract for test polygon
30.January 2018
BMW Group together with representatives of the Government of the Czech Republic and the Karlovy Vary Region, announced the intention to build a new testing center of the BMW Group in the Great Podkrušnohorská dump, north of the city of Sokolov.
BMW will build a polygon in the CR
18.December 2017
Managers of the BMW Group, the Czech government and representatives of the Karlovy Vary Region announced the launch of a new test center for autonomous mobility testing.
BMW, VW, Daimler, Ford ready pan-European charging network
6.November 2017
BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen and Ford are among a group of automakers who have formed a joint venture to create out a pan-European network of 400 fast charging stations for electric vehicles by the year 2020.
BMW leases electromobiles to rescuers
BMW passed six i3 models to state and private rescue and healthcare services throughout the territory of the Czech Republic. In addition to two cars for the Capital City of Prague, the members of the rescue and health services of Brno, Hradec Králové, Ostrava and Zlín are the new users of the BMW i3.


Sea2Summit saw 2,700 sign up to take on Croagh Patrick and all Westport could throw at them. One of these brave souls was Westport Hotel Groups very own Maria Fahy who decided to take her first steps into Adventure Racing. Let's see how she got on.
I started a beginners running group with Westport Leisure Park in September 2017.
It didn't take me long to catch the running bug and I enjoyed it so much that shortly after that I purchased a racer so I could sign up to a couple of duathlons over Winter/Spring.
Once the Sea2Summit registration opened it wasn't long before I signed up.
Family commitments meant I didn't get out training with the running group over the summer period so I knew once September hit I had to just get out and start training on my own at times that suited or with a few other friends that had signed up.
I did two 5k runs twice a week which I made sure included hills to make my legs stronger for climbing Croagh Patrick on the day. I also got out on the bike once a week. When you live in Westport you have an advantage because you can cycle the Sea2Summit Route and you know it like the back of your hand on the day.
On the weeks leading up to Sea2Summit I did two training sessions with Multisport By Anthony Murray. One of these sessions included cycling out to Croagh Patrick and then climbing it. It was very tough but it definitely made my legs stronger for the day.
I was very nervous the day before the race, especially with the downpour of rain we had in Westport. I just kept thinking there's no way I'll get up and down that mountain after all that rain!
On Saturday morning I couldn't believe our luck when I saw the sun shining and not a drop of rain in sight.
As we waited at the start line I was nervous but I felt in great form and fit for the race. I couldn't believe the amount of spectators along the way. I heard my name being called a few times and it was so encouraging. The Marshalls were also so encouraging and helpful at the transitions.
Once the first run was over I was feeling very good getting on the bike so I just pushed on as fast as I could.
When I got off the bike at Croagh Patrick my legs were feeling a bit weak but I knew I had to get to the top so I just put my head down and walked up. It was such a good feeling reaching the top and knowing it was all downhill from there!
I didn't feel as strong for the 2nd cycle but I just pushed on as quick as I could. As I entered the transition area to get off the bike I knew my legs would be like jelly for the final run.
I came across a lady I knew so I stuck with her the whole way in the Greenway. I feel it's always good to try and stick with someone for the last part of a race to help each other with the final few kilometers.
As I approached the finish line I was greeted with such excitement by the Sea2Summit team. I'm usually on the finish line with them helping out so this year was a lot different being able to experience the event as a competitor.
I didn't do the whole route until the actual day and I thought it would take me around 3 or 3.5 hours but I ended up with a finishing time of 2.28 which I was absolutely delighted with.


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Denton to offer scaled-back ban on disposables
Jeff McMenemy jmcmenemy@seacoastonline.com @JeffreyMcMenemy
PORTSMOUTH�� City Councilor Josh Denton is planning to introduce a scaled back version of a proposed �distribution of single use disposables� ordinance for legal review at Monday�s City Council meeting.
Denton will ask the City Council to approve a motion to have the new ordinance reviewed by City Attorney Robert Sullivan.
Earlier this year, Denton introduced a more ambitious ordinance, which banned the distribution of single-use plastic bags in Portsmouth and required stores to charge 10 cents per bag for anyone requesting paper bags.
The initially proposed ordinance also would have banned the distribution of single-use straws in Portsmouth unless requested by a customer, banned the distribution of single-use Styrofoam containers and cups, banned the distribution of single-use plastic containers, cups and straws that are not compostable and �only allowed the distribution of single-use plastic compostable containers, cups and straws if the store provides a specifically designated composting receptacle� at the business.
But Denton dropped that ordinance after the Legislature failed to pass any meaningful enabling legislation that would have given cities and towns specific authority to institute such bans.
�I still think we have the authority to do this under the solid waste statute,� Denton said Tuesday.
But his new ordinance seeks to apply many of those regulations�� with some changes�� �only to events on city property, city-sponsored events and businesses on city property,� Denton said.
He pointed as an example to the Prescott Park Arts Festival, which operates in the city-owned Prescott Park, and Market Square Day.
But despite the lack of enabling legislation he is also proposing to ban the use and distribution of Styrofoam containers in Portsmouth. That way if anybody was opposed to the ban and filed a complaint it could serve as a �test to the theory that the City Council has the ability to ban it as source reduction under the solid waste statute,� Denton said.
He believes the idea of banning Styrofoam containers is �far less controversial than plastic bags or requiring customers to request straws.�
�When it comes to Styrofoam I would like to see us put our flag in the sand and go ahead and ban it citywide,� Denton said. �If we pass a Styrofoam ban in Portsmouth, it will be a huge victory. Entire states are already doing it.�
Maine last month became the first state to ban Styrofoam food containers. The ban goes into effect in 2021.
Denton stressed he has been pushing as both a private citizen and city councilor for five years to limit the use of single-use disposables. He believes such an ordinance is �necessary for the protection of both the environment of the municipality and the public health, safety and welfare of its citizens.�
Denton noted too that he has made changes to his new ordinance based on feedback from his fellow councilors, residents and the business community. For example, he created an exemption for the use of straws for medical facilities.
His new proposed ordinance if passed as proposed would become effective Dec. 31. That way, he said, if the Legislature does pass enabling legislation it would be easy to amend from bans on city property to city wide.
The City Council�s regular meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Monday in City Council Chambers at City Hall.


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Hebburn, Carr Ellison Park
You are Here: Home / Hebburn, Carr Ellison Park
Tyne and Wear HER(5218): Hebburn, Carr Ellison Park - Details
S Tyneside
Hebburn
Gardens Parks and Urban Spaces
The park was donated in 1897. The main entrance is on Canning Street. It had tennis courts and glasshouses to the east and the grounds of Hebburn Infirmary on the left. A memorial to the men who fell in the Boer War 1899-1902 was built on a mound adjacent to the Dell. The space is divided with small groves of trees and lawns leading towards a larger lawn where a monument was situated, the drinking fountain was at a junction of winding paths. Looking south the islands of trees provided a backdrop to the bandstand and a huge lawn on the south west. It appears the park was designed to give plenty of spatial diversions. Access was available to Hebburn Cemetery. Three bowling greens were positioned west of the vicarage. Cuthbert Ellison died in 1868 and left his estates to his nephew Ralph Carr. In 1897 the Carr Ellison family gave a large proportion of the grounds of Hebburn Hall (HER 1951) to the community of Hebburn for a park. In 1920 Colonel Carr-Ellison donated a war memorial for the park. The gate piers may be contemporary with the hall but the gates and railings are later. An area described as a fishpond on the 1854 Ordnance Survey remains as the dell. It may have been a small pleasure garden. The dell contains a number of retaining walls and a network of paths and steps set under trees. Attempts at restoration and adaptation have made the area difficult to interpret. The most dominant feature is a tier of three walls, the highest curves up on either side to a ball finial. Terraces, retained by stone walls curve round the south side of a mound. Steps lead down to a flat open area - the former pond? The paths divert into little walled semicircular alcoves. Hebburn Hall had a very large walled garden to the west. The Carrs and Ellisons were great gardeners and when Carr moved to Cheshire circa 1740 he wrote a letter concerning gardening and mentioned the Ashton pear which he had discovered and was sending to be planted at Hebburn. LOCAL LIST
<< HER 5218 >> F. Green, 1995, Historic Parks & Gardens of Tyne and Wear, Stage 2 Research F. Green, 1995, A Guide to the Historic Parks & Gardens of Tyne and Wear, p 43; Simpson & Brown and South Tyneside Council, 2007, Hebburn Hall Conservation Area - First draft Character Appraisal; www.hebburn.org; www.norman.dunn247.com; www.999hebburn.co.uk; SOUTH TYNESIDE LOCAL LIST REVIEW 2011: REFERENCE NUMBER: LSHA/103/J


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The Right Stuff Review (Spoiler-Free)
Disney+'s mediocre story of NASA's Mercury 7 languishes in the shadow of its big-screen predecessor.
By Lacy Baugher | October 6, 2020 |
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Photo: Disney
This The Right Stuff review contains no spoilers.
It's impossible to see The Right Stuff, Disney+'s new drama series about NASA's Mercury 7 astronauts, and not think about the award-winning 1983 film of the same name, but those comparisons don't do this streaming series version any favors. Where the film is widely and rightly lauded for its authentic and ultimately inspiring depiction of the real lives behind the men who pioneered the U.S. space program, the small-screen version of The Right Stuff never gets off the ground.
On paper, I almost always enjoy an uplifting tale of humanity's infinite possibility to do and be better than we have been, and regularly weep over stories about our collective ability to work together to achieve great things. Space stories are a particularly potent example of both of those things, as humans look toward the stars and risk their lives in the name of knowing more than we did the day before. But in the five episodes available to screen for critics, The Right Stuff's story never reaches any point that might be called inspiring or even terribly interesting. In fact, for the most part, the story is both plodding and frustrating, and its characters are irritating enough to make you wonder how we ever made it into space at all.
There's a certain appealing realism to this tale and its acknowledgment that these men who were depicted – and are generally remembered – as glowing examples of golden American perfection were truly as flawed and messy as any of us. Maybe even more so. But coming so soon on the heels of Netflix's space drama Away, with its female lead, diverse cast and international message of hope and unity, The Right Stuff can't help but come off as staid and old-fashioned by comparison.
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Chuck Yeager, the character who grounded much of the film version of The Right Stuff, doesn't appear here in this series at all. Instead, the television adaptation focuses exclusively on the Mercury astronauts: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton. They're not just seven of the world's best test pilots, they're the men who established the idea of what being a NASA astronaut means in the first place.
But part of the trick of Wolfe's original novel – also titled The Right Stuff – is that it deconstructs the golden boy images of these American idols, showing us not only the all-too-human men underneath the popular sheen but the ways in which they are essentially being used as propaganda by a government that doesn't really care about their contributions to the space race and essentially treats them as very fancy lab rats.
Unfortunately, this The Right Stuff's Mercury astronauts feel sadly interchangeable, largely little more than a posse of generic white men who are more recognizable from the actors' previous roles – Hey! It's Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time! It's Mike from Suits! – than by any real defining characteristics of the people they're meant to be playing.
Only three of them – John Glenn (Patrick J. Adams), Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman) and Gordon Cooper (Colin O'Donoghue) – are even really drawn as distinct people, with a fourth, Gus Grissom (Michael Trotter), that's at least memorable enough that you'll know his name. The other three? Meh. They're there. Sometimes.
The Right Stuff: What To Expect From The Disney+ Adaptation
By Chris Longo
Most of the show is focused on the rivalry between Glenn and Shephard, who are in fierce competition to become the first man in space. (Ultimately, both men are bested by the Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin, who went to space in 1961.) Both are keenly aware of the potentially historic impact of their involvement in the NASA program, and the knifepoint upon which the entire enterprise sits, funded by a government that doesn't entirely understand – or value – their contributions. Yet, their constant sniping and bickering feel endless, as both men regularly assume the worst of one another, and even the best of gestures are often interpreted in the worst possible life.
Though Adams lacks the overall appeal of Ed Harris, who played the role in the film, he makes the best of a generally thankless task, creating a version of John Glenn who's both painfully earnest and annoyingly aware of his public image at all times. Yet, his aggressive do-gooder nature is strangely charming – or at least understandable – particularly when compared to the generally selfish attitudes of his fellow test pilots and future astronauts, particularly and especially Shepard.
As for Shepard himself, McDorman portrays a conflicted, cocky man who dreams big dreams even as he self-sabotages constantly by way of drinking, womanizing, and covering up a health problem that could damage his ability to participate in the program at all. That this version of Shepard comes off as such an incredible jerk is a testament to the power of McDorman's performance, but it also makes the character nearly impossible to like or root for. Those who know how this story ends because history is what it is may well find themselves hoping it turns out differently at various points out of a sheer desire not to reward a person who so completely seems to not deserve it.
One of The Right Stuff's more intriguing elements is one that doesn't get nearly enough screen time in its first five episodes: its women. Though limited in number, the female characters who do appear are surprisingly interesting, given how male-centric the show is in general. From Glenn's shy wife Annie, who regularly works out with her other half, to Trudy Cooper, who wonders if she can trust the husband who cheated on her and dreams of one day becoming an astronaut herself. These are the perspectives I would have loved to see more of, especially as it becomes more apparent how much joining NASA changes the lives of everyone connected to the astronauts in addition to the men themselves.
Maybe there's magic waiting in The Right Stuff's final three installments, that will somehow convince us that these men do, indeed, have "the right stuff" to lead humanity into a better world. Here's hoping, because at the moment, this journey feels pretty uninspiring.
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Tags: The Right StuffDisneyNational GeographicSpace
Lacy Baugher
Lacy Baugher is a digital producer by day, but a television enthusiast pretty much all the time. Her writing has been featured in Paste Magazine, Collider,…
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De Polytechnische Universiteit Boekarest (UPB) (Universitatea Politehnica din București) is een Roemeense technische universiteit in Boekarest.

De UPB werd gesticht in 1818 op basis van een Walachijs prinselijk edict van Ioannis Georgios Karatzas als de Academische school voor filosofie, wiskundige wetenschappen en ingenieurs, in 1864 werd dit de School van Bruggen en Wegen, Mijnen en Architectuur op basis van een decreet van vorst Alexander Jan Cuza uit 1862, in 1920 de Polytechnische School van Boekarest. In november 1992 kreeg de instelling zijn huidige naam bij resolutie van de Roemeense senaat.

De campus, zo'n drie kilometer ten westen van het stadscentrum gelegen, wordt bediend door de metro van Boekarest via het metrostation Politehnica.

Boekarest, Polytechnische Universiteit
Boekarest

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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It's never too early: NBA Mock Draft 2020
National Hot Dog Day takes over Camden Yards
Who should the Nationals be targeting at the trade deadline?
Tale of the Tape: Troy Brown impresses in Summer League
Lamar Jackson rocked great #8 jersey at Camden Yards
Wizards Summer League Superlatives
Lamar Jackson doesn't care about his Madden rating
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Nebraska, Oklahoma agree to 2021-22 football games
By Associated Press November 29, 2012 4:11 PM
Nebraska and Oklahoma will renew one of college football's greatest rivalries for two seasons.
The schools announced Thursday they have signed a contract that will have the Cornhuskers and Sooners play in 2021 in Norman, Okla., and in 2022 in Lincoln, Neb. Both games will be in September.
``I think it's a great deal,'' said Johnny Rodgers, the 1972 Heisman Trophy winner from Nebraska. ``So many people really miss Oklahoma and Nebraska because they kind of grew up with it on Thanksgiving. It was the most viewed of games.''
The Huskers and Sooners played 71 straight seasons as members of the Big Six and Big Eight. The game decided the Big Eight championship 31 times in 36 seasons.
The teams moved to the Big 12 in 1996 and met twice every four years. Nebraska went to the Big Ten in 2011.
Oklahoma leads the series 45-38-3, having won the teams' last meeting 23-20 in the 2010 Big 12 championship game.
``Classic rivalries like Oklahoma-Nebraska are part of college football's historic fabric,'' Sooners athletic director Joe Castiglione said. ``The ability to rekindle a fabled series between two tradition-rich programs and two extremely loyal and passionate fan bases was very important to both universities.
Of all the memorable Oklahoma-Nebraska meetings, the most talked-about one remains the 1971 ``Game of the Century.'' Top-ranked Nebraska beat No. 2 Oklahoma 35-31 in Norman in what is still considered one of the greatest college games of all time. The Huskers went on to capture their second straight national championship.
The `71 game started a run of NU-OU games from 1971-88 in which both teams were ranked in the top 11 of The Associated Press poll in 17 of 19 meetings.
Rodgers, whose electrifying 72-yard punt return for a touchdown was the signature play of the Game of the Century, said he was sad when the rivalry ended.
``I'm glad we have all the good memories that can take us up to the next one (in 2021),'' he said. ``People still demand to see this game played. I guess that's why we're playing it again.''
The 2021 game in Norman will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Game of the Century.
Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne, an assistant under Bob Devaney from 1962-72 and Hall of Fame head coach from 1973-97, participated in 36 of the 86 games.
``Those matchups were always played with great intensity on the field,'' he said, ``but with a great deal of respect from both sides and among the fan bases.''
Game dates are Sept. 18, 2021 in Norman and Sept. 17, 2022 in Lincoln.
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he didn't know if he would be coaching in the games, but he's happy they're on the schedule.
``There may be some other old boy worried about that one,'' he said. ``Hopefully I am. But, heck, I don't know... I think it's great. We've always played tough nonconference games, so why not bring back a rival and have a go at it a couple more times?''
Rodgers will be 70 years old when that first game is played, and he plans to be there.
``I look forward to being able to go,'' he said, laughing, ``even though I might be wheeling my way into the stadium.''
AP Sports Writer Jeff Latzke contributed to this report.
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Stephen Strasburg makes history at the plate against Atlanta
By Mike Stearman July 18, 2019 10:11 PM
Stephen Strasburg had the best hitting performance of his career against the Braves Thursday night, going 3-3 at the plate with two singles and a 420-foot three-run bomb.
He didn't just set personal records but reached rare air in baseball history. He's the second pitcher ever with at least three hits, a HR, and five RBI since the DH debuted in 1973 and the fifth pitcher in the last 50 seasons to get two hits in an inning including a home run.
Stephen Strasburg's 4th career HR traveled 420 feet.#BanTheDH // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/aSUCZux5FB
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 19, 2019
Strasburg set franchise firsts with his performance, dating all the way back to the Expos.
Nationals say: Per @EliasSports, before tonight, no Expos/Nationals pitcher had ever had two hits in an inning.
— Todd Dybas (@Todd_Dybas) July 19, 2019
An extraordinary milestone for the Nationals' ace, hopefully Strasburg's performance will inspire the team during a crucial four-game series with Atlanta.
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Bullpen Woes: Nats lose to O's
Scherzer's Return: Aiming for Sunday
Stephen Strasburg makes history at the plate against Atlanta 'The Redskins love Alabama guys': Washington could run old draft playbook in 2020 to fill huge need Nationals Roundup: Strasburg shines in Nationals' blowout of Braves Natasha Cloud is tired of the Bradley Beal trade rumors Premier League Roundup: Tottenham sell Kieran Trippier to Atletico Madrid So far, so good for the Fernando Rodney Experience in Washington Don't expect the Patriots' early-season slip up to come against the Redskins Wimbledon phenom Coco Gauff coming to D.C.'s Citi Open The Open Championship 2019: Tiger Woods is playing poorly and it's stressing us all out Alex Ovechkin headed to China as an NHL Ambassador 20 Burning Capitals Questions: What adjustments will coach Todd Reirden make in his second season? Capitals Mailbag Part 2: Just how deep is Washington's blue line? Nationals Roundup: Nats' bullpen spoils Erick Fedde's economical outing 10 Training Camp questions: Will Jimmy Moreland actually win the slot CB job from Fabian Moreau? Orioles Roundup: Trey Mancini's two home runs power O's past Nationals We can't stop staring at these Bowie Baysox commemorative moon landing jerseys Bullpen struggles plague Nationals in loss to Orioles A big Year 2 ahead, Lamar Jackson isn't worried about Madden ratings Why Dwayne Haskins could be the first Ohio State QB to find real success in the NFL Dwayne Haskins sees parallels between himself, Lion King's Simba


text:
Conservation, biodiversity, listed buildings, trees and hedgerows
Conservation Area No.16 - Stroud Top of the Town
The area known as 'Top of Town' in Stroud was first designated as a conservation area in February 1978. The Conservation Area was amended and enlarged in April 2008, when a Conservation Area Statement was adopted by the District Council.
The Conservation Area Statement contains information about the character and special significance of the conservation area as well as proposals for its conservation and enhancement. The document is used to guide the interpretation and application of Development Plan policies, including Local Plan Policy ES10.
Stroud Top of the Town CAS (April 2008)
Article 4(2) Direction
Although the Permitted Development Rights of houses (and buildings other than shops and flats) are restricted within a Conservation Area, the additional controls brought about by designation of the Conservation Area cannot sufficiently prevent many changes to these buildings. If unchecked, a successive number of such changes could damage the character of the Conservation Area.
For this reason, the Local Authority made an Article 4 (2) Direction on 17th April 2008. Article 4 Directions allow the Local Planning Authority to apply controls to works of alteration to dwelling houses, which were previously allowed through Permitted Development Rights. As a consequence of an Article 4 Direction, certain works to specified properties require an application for Planning Permission.
In the case of an Article 4 (2) direction, the controls only apply in circumstances where the proposed works are on elevations which front a highway or public open space.
Find out which properties are affected and what sort of works are covered by the Direction.
Article 4(2) Notification - 17 April 2008
Page last updated: 16 May 2018
View the Conservation Area boundary using the Local Plan online mapping facility
Stroud District Local Plan
What is Supplementary Planning Advice? (SPA)


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Le paradoxe d'Olbers (), appelé aussi paradoxe de Cheseaux-Olbers ou paradoxe de la nuit noire, est une contradiction apparente entre le fait que le ciel est noir pendant la nuit et l'hypothèse que l'Univers serait statique, homogène et infini, qui impliquerait notamment que depuis tout point du ciel, on devrait pouvoir observer une source lumineuse, aussi éloignée et petite soit-elle.

La résolution de ce paradoxe tient dans le fait que l'hypothèse d'un Univers statique, homogène et infini est fausse selon différentes théories de la cosmologie moderne. Parmi celles-ci, la théorie du Big Bang implique au contraire que l'Univers est dynamique et d'âge fini : ces deux caractéristiques permettent de fournir une explication à l'obscurité de la nuit.

Étymologie

Le paradoxe a été baptisé dans l'ouvrage  (1952) du cosmologue anglo-autrichien Hermann Bondi, en l'honneur de l'astronome allemand Heinrich Olbers. Ce dernier l'avait décrit en 1823, mais il avait déjà été énoncé par Thomas Digges en 1576, par Johannes Kepler en 1610 ainsi que par Edmond Halley et Jean Philippe Loys de Cheseaux au .

Exposé du paradoxe

Si on suppose l'Univers infini contenant une infinité d'étoiles uniformément réparties, alors chaque direction d'observation devrait aboutir à la surface d'une étoile. La luminosité de surface d'une étoile est indépendante de sa distance (si l'on suppose que les photons ne perdent pas d'énergie au cours du temps) ; une étoile semblable au Soleil est moins brillante que celui-ci uniquement en raison de son éloignement, qui fait que sa taille apparente est beaucoup plus faible. Donc, dans l'hypothèse où toute direction d'observation intercepte la surface d'une étoile, le ciel nocturne devrait être aussi brillant que la surface d'une étoile moyenne comme notre Soleil ou n'importe quelle autre étoile de notre galaxie.

Ce paradoxe est important, une théorie cosmologique qui ne saurait pas le résoudre serait invalide. Cependant, une théorie qui résout le paradoxe n'est pas forcément valide.

Élaboration progressive du paradoxe
Cette question s'est posée dès Kepler, qui se servait de cet argument pour réfuter la théorie d'un Univers infini de Giordano Bruno. Elle a ensuite été reprise par de nombreux astronomes qui ont proposé de nombreuses solutions, presque toujours fausses, ne soupçonnant pas la profondeur et la complexité de ce problème pourtant exprimé de manière très simple.

Halley s'empare de cette question vers 1720 et la formule de la manière suivante : si l'univers est infini et rempli d'étoiles éternelles, alors la luminosité du ciel nocturne doit être infinie.

Le mathématicien suisse Jean Philippe Loys de Cheseaux précise ce paradoxe mathématiquement en 1746. Il imagine les étoiles dans des coquilles sphériques (l'univers étant modélisé comme une série de coquilles concentriques) par rapport à un observateur. Le nombre d'étoiles est proportionnel à la surface de chaque coquille, donc au carré de leur rayon. Or, l'intensité lumineuse d'une étoile est inversement proportionnelle au carré de sa distance. Donc l'observateur reçoit autant d'énergie lumineuse de chaque coquille. De Cheseaux calcula que cette énergie lumineuse tombant sur Terre devrait être  plus intense que celle du Soleil.

En 1823, Olbers raffine ce raisonnement en constatant que dans un univers rempli uniformément d'étoiles, les étoiles se masquent les unes des autres et en déduit que la luminosité du ciel nocturne ne peut pas être infinie mais au plus égale à la luminosité de surface d'une étoile. On peut de nos jours calculer que cette « limite de visibilité » serait de l'ordre de 1018 à 1019 années-lumière, c'est-à-dire bien au-delà du rayon de l'Univers observable.

Solutions proposées avant le
Dans sa formulation initiale, il était fait clairement et implicitement l'hypothèse que les étoiles pouvaient briller indéfiniment. Les connaissances actuelles démontrent que c'est faux et que les étoiles ont une durée de vie finie.

Finitude du temps ou de l'espace
On peut d'abord supposer, comme Kepler dans son opuscule de 1610, Conversation avec le messager céleste, que l'univers est fini ou du moins qu'il contient un nombre fini d'étoiles.

Une autre solution suggérée pour la première fois par l'écrivain et poète Edgar Allan Poe dans Eureka, et indépendamment quelques années plus tard par l'astronome français François Arago, avance le fait que si l'Univers a un âge fini, alors, la lumière voyageant à une vitesse grande mais finie, seule une région finie de l'univers nous est accessible, ce qui se ramène à la solution proposée par Kepler.

Non-transparence de l'espace vis-à-vis des rayonnements
Une autre explication consiste à considérer que le milieu cosmique n'est pas parfaitement transparent, de sorte que la lumière provenant des étoiles distantes est bloquée par ce milieu non-transparent (des étoiles non-lumineuses, de la poussière ou des gaz), de sorte qu'un observateur ne peut percevoir que la lumière provenant d'une distance finie (comme dans un brouillard). Cette explication est incorrecte, car le milieu devrait s'échauffer en absorbant la lumière. En fin de compte, il se retrouverait aussi chaud et aussi lumineux que la surface d'une étoile, ce qui pose à nouveau le paradoxe.

Structure non uniforme de l'Univers
Le paradoxe suppose une distribution uniforme des étoiles (permettant d'assurer que toute ligne de vue rencontre toujours une étoile). Ce n'est pas le cas, car les étoiles sont regroupées en galaxies, amas, super-amas, etc. Cependant, on sait désormais qu'à grande échelle, la distribution des galaxies est uniforme, et donc les hétérogénéités dans la distribution locale des étoiles ne pourraient résoudre le paradoxe dans un Univers observable infini.

Il faut donc supposer soit un Univers fini, soit un Univers infini dont seule une partie finie peut être observée.

En 1907, Edmund Edward Fournier d'Albe a proposé un modèle de répartition non uniforme des étoiles certes invraisemblable mais qui résout le paradoxe. Son intérêt sur le plan théorique et mathématique a été quelque peu ravivé par Carl Charlier puis par Benoît Mandelbrot.

Âge fini des étoiles
Une autre explication s'appuie sur le fait que la lumière circule à une vitesse finie. Dès lors, si les étoiles n'existent que depuis un temps fini (soit que l'univers soit lui-même d'âge fini, soit que « avant » l'univers ne contenait pas encore d'étoiles), alors une étoile n'éclaire à un moment donné qu'un volume fini (une boule dont le rayon correspond au produit de l'âge de l'étoile par la vitesse de la lumière). Cette explication circulait bien avant la théorie de la relativité et la théorie du Big Bang.

Sur la base de cette hypothèse, on peut calculer l'âge de l'apparition des étoiles connaissant la vitesse de la lumière, la luminosité moyenne des étoiles et la lumière reçue sur Terre. Il n'existe cependant aucune théorie viable rendant compte de ces observations.

Solution donnée par la cosmologie moderne
La théorie de la relativité générale prédit l'instabilité de l'Univers : expansion ou contraction. Par suite, il est possible que l'âge de l'univers soit fini, ce qui laisserait penser que l'explication de Poe et d'Arago est la bonne. En effet, la cause principale expliquant le paradoxe d'Olbers est l'âge fini de l'univers : la lumière de la plupart des étoiles n'a pas eu le temps de parvenir jusqu'à nous.

Un autre effet donne aussi une explication au paradoxe d'Olbers, mais est mineur par rapport à l'explication principale. Du fait de l'expansion de l'Univers, la lumière en provenance des galaxies lointaines est décalée vers le rouge. Ainsi, le spectre lumineux d'émission de ces galaxies nous apparait comme virant peu à peu dans les fréquences lumineuses que nous ne pouvons plus voir (typiquement les infrarouges). Cela signifie que la lumière provenant de ces galaxies possède moins d'énergie que celle des mêmes galaxies situées à la même distance si l'univers n'était pas en expansion. Ainsi, les galaxies les plus lointaines sont extrêmement difficiles à observer. Même si l'Univers était éternel et infini mais en expansion (comme dans la théorie de l'état quasi stationnaire), la brillance de surface des astres les plus lointains décroîtrait avec la distance. Le phénomène est également vrai dans les modèles de Big Bang. Cette décroissance rapide de la luminosité des galaxies en fonction du décalage vers le rouge est effectivement observée, ce qui aide à la résolution du paradoxe d'Olbers et valide cette prédiction de la relativité générale.

Métaphoriquement, le ciel est effectivement « clair » ; mais cette radiation est décalée vers le rouge (les basses fréquences) tel que la clarté céleste se situe dans les micro-ondes, d'un rayonnement thermique à  (), et non à , température moyenne du rayonnement stellaire. Le ciel est ainsi plongé dans les ténèbres, en lumière visible.

Ce rayonnement de fond provient non pas des galaxies lointaines superposées, mais du gaz uniforme primordial lorsqu'il devint transparent vers  après ~ . À cette époque, le ciel était, métaphoriquement, de « feu », semblable à la surface d'une étoile. Cela est conforme au scénario du Big Bang.

Les trois prix Nobel de physique 2011, Saul Perlmutter, Adam Riess et Brian P. Schmidt ont par ailleurs mis en évidence que l'expansion de l'univers allait en accélérant et non en ralentissant, ce qui ne peut qu'accentuer l'effet déjà prévu par la relativité générale.

Notes et références

Annexes

Bibliographie

 .

Articles connexes
 Âges sombres (cosmologie)
 Heinrich Olbers
 Horizon cosmologique

Liens externes

  du dossier Big Bang : Des origines de l'Univers aux origines de la vie du Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

 Explication du paradoxe d'Olbers

Cosmologie
Olbers


text:
David Ibañez, Web - Managing Editor
Published: February 15, 2016, 1:33 pm
Tags: Local, News
SAPD: Fatal motorcycle crash involving 18-wheeler closes Loop 410 EB between I-37, S. W.W. White Road
2 hospitalized following three-vehicle collision on city's Northwest Side, San Antonio police say
Wife of man shot, killed by officer sues SAPD, officer, city
Lawsuit claims Officer John Lee violated Antronie Scott's civil rights
SAN ANTONIO – The wife of a man who was killed by a San Antonio police officer is suing the officer, the San Antonio Police Department and the city of San Antonio.
The lawsuit filed Friday seeks damages and punitive damages for numerous reasons, including, pain, suffering and mental anguish, medical expenses and funeral expenses. No dollar amount was specified.
The lawsuit claims that Antronie Scott's civil rights were violated when Officer John Lee opened fire on him Feb. 4 in the parking lot of the Wood Hollow Apartments, near Isom and East Ramsey roads.
Lee was asked to stop and arrest Antronie Scott, who was wanted on outstanding warrants after being spotted by undercover officers. The officers weren't allowed to apprehend the suspect because SAPD policy prohibits officers who are not in uniform or in marked vehicles to make stops.
Scott's wife, Elena Scott, was in his car at the time and wasn't injured.
In addition to the civil rights violation claims, the lawsuit said SAPD's policy and procedural manual on excessive force "gives vague and conflicting instructions to officers on when and under what circumstances force can be used. These conflicting policies ultimately allow officers to determine if deadly force is required based upon their individual judgment without specific guidelines.
"These policies, among others, led to the shooting of Mr. Scott at a time when there was no immediate threat to the life of the officer in violation of his constitutional rights. The defendant's use of excessive action ... caused Scott's death," the lawsuit said.
Police Chief William McManus said that Lee shot Antronie Scott because the officer feared for his life. Scott wasn't armed with a gun and was holding a cellphone in his hand when he was gunned down.
In a Feb. 8 "Spriester's Sessions" interview with KSAT 12 News anchor Steve Spriester, McManus said that a "re-engineering use of force" is needed so that officers are better trained on when deadly force should be used.
Lee, a 10-year veteran, is on administrative duty while the investigation is conducted.
The case has been turned over to the Bexar County District Attorney's Office for review.
The San Antonio City Attorney's Office said it cannot comment on the case because, as of Monday afternoon, it had not yet been served with the lawsuit.
SAPD's internal affairs is also investigating.
To read a copy of the lawsuit, click here.
David Ibañez
David Ibañez has been managing editor of KSAT.com since the website's launch in October 2000.


Okay, so why would anyone think there is a "best" bike for a woman...it all depends on the woman, her riding style, her experience, and he height and strength.
For overall agility, ease of learning, and quality for the money, though, it's hard to beat a Kawasaki Ninja 250. I've been riding for over 30 years, on everything from mini bikes to a Z1000, but the li'l Ninja is one of my favorites, even among my vintage 2-strokes!
Speaking of which, it's quite empowering to build your own "dream" bike, which I've been doing for some time....it'll be finished, some day!
Comments for No such bike exists!
...is so true! Yet it is fun, and more important?, a great learning experience, to hear what qualities we as women look for in a bike. Obviously, style! But are you into the street rod, sporty bike, the classic cruiser, the long-haul touring bike? How do you plan to use your bike; what are your riding skills; what do you aspire to in skill and type of ride; how far are you going; what can you afford?
Eventually, I backed off (due to price tags mainly) and started looking at bike specs. I realized that although I know almost any woman who sets her mind to it can handle a large, heavy bike, we don't HAVE to. I settled on a Suzuki C50T, at half the body weight and half the cost (purchase price, insurance, maintenance - everything) of that Harley I dreamed of.
I can still admire the Harley (there's one sitting right next to my Suzi that belongs to DH), and may someday decide it's what I want/need/deserve. But it won't be an "upgrade" so much as a change. I absolutely ADORE my Boulevard.
Thanks for stating the obvious. Since when has anyone been able to invent one-size-fits-all anything??, especially for women?. I am a woman who rides and I've owned several bikes, all of which fit or didn't according to the time in my life and what I needed to get from my riding experience, not the bike itself.
Thanks, Judy - I agree that there is no ONE best bike, but it sure is fun to see what others think. Your '74 Yamaha is cool!


What Do Online Reviews Really mean?
I've really tried to get a grip on this subject but its an uncontrollable animal. On one hand, reviews serve a purpose, they help the average consumer decide where they will or will not go. Where they will or will not spend their money. Who can blame them? They want their money's worth and they deserve it. On the other hand, from a business owners … Continue reading What Do Online Reviews Really mean?


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May 04, 2022 I Paul Seaburn
Astronomers Listen to the Echo of a Black Hole
accretion disc
binary black hole
Anyone who has approached a canyon – grand or just big -- or the opening of a large cave or tunnel generally can't resist yelling "Helloooo!" and waiting for a responding echo. Would you do the same if the opening was for a black hole? One might think sound wouldn't escape that light-sucking abyss, but a new study by MIT scientists with help from NASA found eight black holes in the Milky Way spewing out echoes of the screams of the binary star they're busy eating … and they've even converted the X-ray waves to sound so you can hear it.
"Interestingly, these black hole binaries appear to be 'mini' supermassive black holes, and so by understanding the outbursts in these small, nearby systems, we can understand how similar outbursts in supermassive black holes affect the galaxies in which they reside."
Erin Kara, an assistant professor of physics at MIT and co-author of a new study on echoing black holes published in The Astrophysical Journal, explains how black hole binary systems are more interesting to astronomers than those supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies because the black hole is sometimes shredding its companion star and, contrary to popular belief, allowing chunks and sounds to escape from their gravitational pull. Kara and a team of MIT researchers knew of two binary systems in the Milky Way that emitted these X-ray echoes or reverberations and believed they could find more. To do this, they developed an automated search tool called the "Reverberation Machine" to analyze data collected by NASA's Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) on board the ISS.
"We see new signatures of reverberation in eight sources. The black holes range in mass from five to 15 times the mass of the sun, and they're all in binary systems with normal, low-mass, sun-like stars."
Study first author and MIT graduate student Jingyi Wang explains in an MIT press release that the echoes are massive bursts of X-ray light that bounce and 'echo' off gas spiraling into the black hole as it shreds its companion star, briefly illuminating its immediate surroundings. By breaking down and studying the phases of these echoes, they were able to identify the states a black hole goes through as it spews out the particles that shapes its accretion disk or, in the case of a supermassive black hole, its galaxy.
According to the study, the states of a black hole go from "hard", where it whips up a corona of high-energy photons and spews particles at lose to the speed of light, to a state-ending high-energy flash, to a "soft" low-energy state, to a final burst of high-energy particles before disappearing entirely. Between the states, the echo times change, signaling the transition -- an event that will help find more of these echoing black holes.
For those who think The Reverberation Machine would make a great band name, Erin Kara worked with MIT education and music scholars Kyle Keane and Ian Condry to convert the emission from a typical X-ray echo into audible sound waves, creating the first soundtrack for The Reverberation Machine's debut album – listen to it here.
It's strange but it sure beats "Hellooooo! Is anybody theeeeere?"
Cow Burps in Space, Wicked Bible, Bank Holiday Chemtrails and More Mysterious News Briefly
Jan 31, 2023 I Brent Swancer
alien moon
Artificial Moon
space mysteries


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The GOS gets lots of emails from readers, often with some very cogent points to make. Most are too short to make a whole Grumpy Page, so he has selected a few and put them together ….
From Father Jack …
As a young man in the early sixties I had occasion to fly about in helicopters quite a lot as part of my job. I was told then, that it cost about £1,000 an hour to keep one of these machines in the air. It must be considerably more expensive now.
Then why is it that when there is a "breaking news story" some young floozy journalist with nothing better to do is told "Go grab a helicopter and give us a ten- second piece from a thousand feet above the disaster scene"?
All we see is a shot of the floozy turned round from the front seat to face the cameraman in the back. It adds nothing to the news story except expense. A case in point was the dreaded dead swan in Scotland recently . Not only unnecessary helicopter flights for floozies, but good old George Alagiah standing forlornly on a deserted coastline with not a bird in sight, dead or alive. All the locals were indoors in the warm.
From J*** T*****
You know what really gets up my nose? It's them wot mauls the English Langwidge. Most of them have GCSE grade A in the wretched subject (My dog's got that - GOS) but still insist on suffixing every sentence with "Y'know, like?"
The conjunction 'so' pops up in the most inappropriate context, e.g. " I am so not going to wear that!" - very fashionable lately. Likewise abbreviations, like A.S.A.P. We all know that this means 'as soon as possible'. This (sometimes) useful expression has been simultaneously lengthened and abbreviated to 'as soon as'. As soon as what?
9/11 is a misnomer as the terrorist attack occurred on the 11th September, not 9th.November. Also, might I suggest we expunge '24/7', '0% interest', 'for free', 'in-store', 'pro-active' (I still don't know what that one means), 'faith system' (it used to be called religion), and 'water supply event' (it's a burst water pipe).
As I appear to have the bit between what's left of my teeth, there are a few government ministers I'd like to expunge, berate, admonish, strangle etc., when they pronounce 'comparable' placing the stress on the second syllable, and 'irrevocable' with the stress on the third. A certain schools' minister has committed this heinous crime on numerous occasions. Reference is made to the Metropolitan Pleess and the Home Seckertry.
The GOS says: Then there's George Bush's "nucular weapons". My personal bête noir is the excessive use of the word "now" in TV advertising. "Buy it NOW!", they yell. "Order yours NOW!" "They're in the shops NOW!" "Yes," I say quietly and patiently to myself, "we all know they're in the shops now. That's why you're telling us about them. If they'd been in the shops three weeks ago, you'd have told us about it then. And if they weren't going to be in the shops until 2008 you wouldn't be going on about it in 2006 ……. unless you were a complete wanker, of course."
From Father Jack
How many times have we seen women asked on TV "What do you hate most about men?" and heard them reply "They never put the toilet seat down when they've finished!"? Who in this insane world gave them the idea that the "proper" position for a toilet seat is the down position?
In my house there is a very fair division of labour - when I wish to use the loo I raise the seat, and when Herself visits the loo she lowers it.
The GOS says: Couldn't agree more. We have a fair division of responsibilities in the Grumpy household, too. Mrs.GOS decides the trivial things like where we live, where and when we should go on holiday, what I should wear and what sort of car we should drive, while I get to decide really important things like whether we should go to war in Iraq, where do flies go in winter and whether there is a God.
A**** L****** offers this solution: The easy solution to this is via statistics. In my house there are two of us (myself and my wife). I have calculated that we both visit the toilet in the ratio of about 5:1 for number 1's to number 2's. It is therefore a fair conclusion that ideally the toilet seat should be in the up position 5 out 12 visits or 42% of the time.
I have informed my wife that I will start leaving the toilet seat down 58% of the time when she starts leaving it up 42% of the time.
From P**** V*******
My suggestion for new 'Wanker of the Week' is the Wiltshire Old Bill who failed to act in the case of the young lady who asked for protection. They did nothing, and she was murdered a week later.
The GOS says: Thanks, P****** - good idea. I'd actually missed this item of news (poor girl, she's just a news item now), but I've looked it up and it will certainly be suitable for a future Wanker of the Week. That's after John Prescott, of course, who's probably going to be Wanker of the Decade.
As in the Wiltshire case the murderer was from Portugal and fled there after the killing, it has some bearing on the current row about foreign criminals who aren't being deported. Somehow I think the press are missing the point, though - home-grown criminals can be just as nasty as the foreign ones (vide Mary-Ann Lenaghan's death) and how many of them are roaming free to do it again? Hundreds? Thousands?
From "Press Officer"
You know what I hate? Those annoying charity collectors who press-gang you in the High Street in groups of 10.
Now I've nothing against the tin-rattlers and the rest, just particularly those idiots with the perma-fake smiles and the clipboards looking for your bank details. They come at you one after the other for about 25 metres and you feel like you are running the gauntlet.
A friend was asked by one to hold his umbrella for a minute. Stupidly she did, as it's pretty much an involuntary reaction. The collector said "Got you!" - this is unacceptable harassment.
I propose a ban on this type of charity fundraising. Who's with me?
The GOS says: Me, for one. If our successive governments directed funds where they're needed instead of squandering it all on dubious warlike adventures round the world, there'd be no need for charities at all. A just society, represented by a just government, would accept the responsibility for those who can't look after themselves for one reason and another. "Dream on!" do I hear you say?
From J**** T*****
As a Grumpy Old Sod of 55 years continuous grumping about something or other, I am deeply cynical about Rt.Hon.Tony Blair, Q.C., M.P. and his ridiculous "respect" agenda. I suspect the rot set in with Mrs. Thatcher's 'return to Victorian values' followed by John Major's disastrous 'Back To Basics' (whatever that meant) campaign. "Respect" is merely a coded form of "do what you're told", which means we are not allowed to smoke, drink, criticise or generally debunk the very thing the Prime Minister values most, i.e. himself. In the end it comes down to this: if you are enjoying life, you are probably engaged in some illegal activity. If it isn't illegal and Blair gets to hear about it, you can bet your sorry arse it soon will be.
From M** B*********
Dear GOS, brilliant website! (I know - GOS). I had thought of trying to put something together along theose lines, but yours is so much better.
I find it depressing that although I know many people agree with many of your views, the lunacy continues apace! Surely it ought to be possible to actually change something? When did we all agree that our leaders could behave like complete morons?
Are you really a GOS or is there an organisation there?
The GOS says: Glad you like the site. Sadly, though, I really am a GOS, not an organisation. The site just gives me an opportunity to blow off steam. However, a number of the links on the links page do lead to excellent organisations (Association of British Drivers and No2ID for instance) that may, sooner of later, achieve their goal of injecting a little common-sense into our lunatic society.
Frankly, though, I'm not holding my breath. I know very well that older people in every generation find it hard to accept the things the next generation do. It's certainly been so right through the 20th Century and probably for centuries before that. The difference these days is that the incredible speed and depth of global communication expose us to everyone's lunacy, not just the foibles of our own local government as in days gone by.
I don't really think we will secure any improvement. Wearing a different hat (I'm part of the campaign to improve our local trunk road) I have recently had contact with a lot of district and county councillors, and have even observed at one or two council meetings. Many of these councillors give me the strong impression that they feel just as powerless as the rest of us in the face of budget constraints, the power of their own employed officials, the old-boy network that operates in the background, the fear of litigation in our "must blame somebody for everything" culture, and the general mood of political correctness that governs everything a public body does.
Mrs.GOS and I have been seriously thinking of moving to France. I'm sure things are no better there, but because of our newness and the language barrier (we speak French, but not fluently) we probably wouldn't notice it and could live the rest of our lives in blissful ignorance!
When did we agree.....? Well, we didn't, did we? Our ridiculous first-past-the-post electoral system guarantees that at any time we will be governed by the party most of us voted against. Tony Bliar has been shooting his mouth off recently about not resting until the whole world has accepted the democratic principle of government by the majority. A bit rich from someone who only achieved 33% of the vote!
M** B********* replies: I totally agree that our system of democracy is basically flawed. I believe the electorate becomes a self-selecting minority of do-gooders by something like the following process:
Those people who disagree too much with the manifestos on offer won't vote.
The losing party will then try to change its manifesto to win a larger share of the voters, inevitably becoming more like the last winners.
The incumbents have to be seen to be "doing good", so PC & nannying raise their heads.
Some of the people who voted for them will become disaffected, so the pool gets smaller.
This process continues until there is little difference between the major parties who are fighting for a larger percentage of a diminishing pool of idiot voters.
Eventually, you get Residents' Parking, Water Meters, Road Humps, chicanes, traffic cameras, Red Routes, bus lanes, car pool lanes, Traffic Wardens, Community Support Officers, people being fined for putting the wrong kind of rubbish in a bin etc. etc. etc.
One thought which may provide a tiny bit of consolation: I don't think even Tony Blair is yet in the position where he could order the killing of all the first-born male children .......
The GOS says: Or perhaps he just hasn't thought of it yet.
From A**** W*******
How about this from a Logik LDR1 Digital set-top box instruction manual?
"The set top box gives RGB and CVBS output. If your TV's scart connector has an RGB input then you can switch your digital set-top to RGB mode by toggling TV out menu to RGB mode in configuration menu so you will be able to achieve high performance from your digital set-top box."
The GOS says: In the 1960's there was a deodorant stick called "Odorono". The initial batch had to be withdrawn from sale because the instructions said "to use push up bottom".
If you feel brave enough, look at this. Brilliant. You'll need to have Adobe Acrobat installed, though.
From L***** M*********
old people piss me off!
The GOS says: And young people piss me off. So piss off.
From A*** M*********
Stamp Duty on house purchases - daylight robbery!
It starts at 1% and rises to 4% on, I believe, properties above £500K which buys an awful lot less these days than it did 5 years ago. But has the government taken this into account? No, of course not, this is a very nice little earner for them. And, just in case you are wondering, the percentage applied at each price 'break' is applied to the whole value of the property, not just the amount which is above the price band.
As I said, daylight robbery.
The GOS says: And then there's inheritance tax ……………
From S*** P*******
Tell me, on the quiet, do you support the BNP?
The GOS says: No, for two reasons. (1) I don't live in Barking, and (2) I have a brain.
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