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Tip: Using Spark Conditionals to Toggle CSS and JavaScript
The conditional attribute is a fantastic shortcut to toggle CSS, input boxes, and other elements on a page–and is something I don't see used in very many examples. One of my favorites is applying classes to an element based on a output model property, such as a permission boolean.
Here's an example.
In a recent project, a dashboard screen had several charts that toggled on and off based on the user's preference. Rather than rebuild the screen each time, each class simply toggled an 'enabled' class based on a Model.{Property}.

The Spark Conditional only renders the text preceding the conditional ?{} if the condition is true. In this example, if our Model.ShowSchoolCount returns false, enabled never renders and our chart (due to some styling), remains hidden and never posts back to the server to get the chart data (saving an unnecessary AJAX call).
By toggling a class, you can trigger a certain set of styles, events using JavaScript, or most anything else you can dream up.
Dynamically Adding Sub Reports to an ActiveReport
I'm currently working on a project where I needed to iterate through a group of users and plug in a little sub report that contains some demographic information and a Code38 barcode.
One sub report is easy–add the control to the page, set the .Report property and away we go; however, adding multiple sub reports dynamically and getting the spacing right proved to be a bit challenging.
Warning: It "works on my machine".
To add controls to your report dynamically, you must use the _ReportStart event of your report.
To address the spacing issue, let's start out by specifying our 'base' top and the height of our sub report.
const float height = 0.605f; var currentTop = 7.250f;
In my case, I want my sub reports to start at about 7.25″ and be ~0.605″ in height.
The actual creation of the sub report placeholder is fairly standard–new it up and assign a few properties. I'll get into the looping a bit later.
var subReport = new SubReport { CloseBorder = false, Height = height, Left = 0F, Width = 7.5F, Top = currentTop, Name = person.DisplayName + "_SubReport", ReportName = person.DisplayName + "_SubReport", };
Notice how I've set the Top property to be our currentTop variable. Keep that in mind.
The next step is to new up our actual sub report object. My sub report has two properties on it, each for a data item. I could pass it along as an object, but it seems a bit overkill for two string properties. After the report object is assigned to our new sub report container, add the container to our details section.
var spReport = new _PersonAssignment() { Name = person.DisplayName, EmployeeId = person.EmployeeId }; subReport.Report = spReport; this.Sections["detail"].Controls.Add(subReport);
Because we've assigned it a left, width, and top, our sub report will be added where expected.
The final piece is incrementing the 'top' to accommodate for the height of the last sub report.
currentTop += height;
Easy. Now the next sub report will start at 7.250″ + 0.605″ or 7.855″. Keep in mind that the 0.605″ includes a bit of whitespace, if you need additional whitespace, pad the height number.
The full _ReportStart event looks like:
const float height = 0.605f; var currentTop = 7.250f; foreach (var person in Model.People) { var subReport = new SubReport { CloseBorder = false, Height = height, Left = 0F, Width = 7.5F, Top = currentTop, Name = person.DisplayName + "_SubReport", ReportName = person.DisplayName + "_SubReport", }; var spReport = new _PersonAssignment() { Name = person.DisplayName, EmployeeId = person.EmployeeId }; subReport.Report = spReport; this.Sections["detail"].Controls.Add(subReport); currentTop += height; }
Quick Solution Generation using PowerShell: New-Project
When I have an idea or want to prototype things, I tend to mock it up in Balsamiq, then dig right in and write some specs to see how it'd work. Unfortunately deleting the junk Class1.cs in Library projects, the plethora of excess in MVC3 webs, and such tends to be the most time intensive part of wiring up a quick project in .net.
All that deleting is too many steps–especially if you're developing on the fly with a room of folks. I needed something ala command line to fit my normal workflow:
- o init-wrap MyProject -git
- cd MyProject
- git flow init
- {something to create projects, solutions, etc}
- o init-wrap -all
- {spend 5 minutes cleaning up junk files in my way}
Introducing New-Project
Yes, I know. I'm not a marketing guru. I don't have a cool name for it. Just a standard PowerShell convention.
-Library { } : Takes a string[] of names for c# class libraries to create.
-Web { } : Takes a string[] of names for MVC3 web projects to create.
-Solution "" : Takes a single string for your solution name.
New-Project -Library MyProj.Core, MyProj.Specs -Web MyProj.Web -Solution MyProject
What does this all do?
Well, honestly, I'm not sure how 'reusable' this is… the projects are pretty tailored.
- Libraries don't have the annoying Class1.cs file that you always delete.
- AssemblyInfo.cs is updated with the specified Name and Title.
MVC3 Webs
- The web.config is STRIPPED down to the minimal (27 lines).
- The folder structure is reorganized (removed unnecessary folders, like Controllers, which I put in libraries, not the web project).
- This is the only one I'm actually using the VisualStudio.DTE for–it makes it super easy to create and add projects into the solution.
But there are other scaffolding systems out there–why not use them?
Most of the time, I don't need a full system. I don't need my objects mapped, views automatically set up, or anything else.
Start with three empty projects, load up the Specifications project, and start driving out features. That's how it's supposed to work, right? So why would I want to have to pre-fill my projects ahead of time?
What's next?
- Error catching and handling (it's pretty lax right now)
- Handle setting up gitflow, openwrap, jQuery, etc. Less typing good!
- Something… who knows. 😀
Where to get it?
I've tossed it up on github at https://github.com/drlongnecker/New-Project. Right now it has the WOMM warranty.
TableSorter – Creating a Custom 'TimeSpan' Parser
In an application we're working on, I needed a way to sort a string-based time span returned by my view. The problem was separating it out so that AMs came before PMs.
tablesorter allows adding custom parsers to columns. Along with a simple regular expression, the parser can swap the time format around (AM 10:30 rather than 10:30 AM) and sort accordingly.
The custom parser code:
$.tablesorter.addParser({ id: 'timeSpan', is: function (s) { return false; }, format: function (s) { var re = /([0-2]?[0-9]:[0-5][0-9])|(AM|PM)/; var matches = re.exec(s); return matches[0,1] + " " + matches[0,0]; }, type: 'numeric' });
Adding the parser into TableSorter:
$('#my-table').tablesorter({ sortList: [[1, 0], [0, 0]], headers: { 0: { sorter: 'timeSpan' }, 1: { sorter: 'dayOfWeek' }, 6: { sorter: false } }, widgets: ['zebra'] });
Now, everything looks like it should:
Using xUnit 1.5 with .NET 4.0 RTW
After a bit of tinkering, I finally managed to find the sweet spot for getting xUnit 1.5 to run (without errors) with projects targeted at the new .NET 4.0 Framework.
After initial solution conversion, if you run your tests with xunit.console.x86.exe (or the 64-bit version, I'm assuming), you'll face the following helpful error:
System.BadImageFormatException: Could not load file or assembly 'Assembly.Test.dll' or one of its dependencies. This assmbly is built by a runtime newer than the currently loaded runtime and cannot be loaded. File name: 'J:\projects\Framework\build\Assembly.Test.dll' at System.Reflection.AssemblyName.nGetFileInformation(String s) at System.Reflection.AssemblyName.GetAssemblyName(String assemblyFile) at Xunit.Sdk.Executor..ctor(String assemblyFilename) at Xunit.ExecutorWrapper.RethrowWithNoStackTraceLoss(Exception ex) at Xunit.ExecutorWrapper.CreateObject(String typeName, Object[] args) at Xunit.ExecutorWrapper..ctor(String assemblyFilename, String configFilename, Boolean shadowCopy) at Xunit.ConsoleClient.Program.Main(String[] args)
What? BadImageFormatException? But the bitness didn't change!
@markhneedham blogged last year how to fix the problem: updating the config files for xunit to "support" the new version. That worked then, but the version numbers have changed.
Here's what the new configuration files need to include:
<startup uselegacyv2runtimeactivationpolicy="true"> <supportedruntime version="v4.0.30319" /> </startup>
The useLegacyV2RuntimeActivationPolicy attribute ensures that the latest supported runtimes are loaded. For my projects, this seems to keep Oracle.DataAccess.dll and System.Data.Sqlite.dll (both x86 libraries) happy.
The supportedRuntime element denotes the current version of .NET 4.0 (30319 is the RTM build).
After that, everything runs like a champ!
xUnit.net console test runner (32-bit .NET 4.0.30319.1) Copyright (C) 2007-9 Microsoft Corporation. xunit.dll: Version 126.96.36.199 Test assembly: Assembly.Test.dll Total tests: 397, Failures: 0, Skipped: 0, Time: 7.508 seconds
Crazy Way To Set Display Order From an Enum
I'm sure someone has a better way to do this and I'm all ears; however, this seems to 'work' and performs well enough (YAGNI fully applied).
We have an Enum of our different "school levels"–elementary, middle, high schools, special schools, etc. Since the Enum's values correspond to the data values in our student system, their display/alphabetical orders do not match the common order (e.g. High School = 4, Middle School = 5).
I came up with a simple attribute that's added to the Enum to "specify" display order and it's worked like a champ for the past year or so.
[Description("Elementary")] [DisplayOrder(1)] Elementary = 2, [Description("Middle")] [DisplayOrder(2)] Middle = 5,
Not at all fancy.
However useful it is at looping and providing context in code, what about using it for ordering OTHER "level" information from another source? So far, I haven't found a clean way.
The "Solution"?
Use the index of our already-ordered Enum list. In this instance, our model's SchoolLevel property matches the Description of the Enum.
var levelsInOrder = Enum<level>.ToList(); // AutoMapper mappings, etc. model.Data = data .OrderBy(x => levelsInOrder .FindIndex(z => z.Description() == x.SchoolLevel));
Is it perfect? No, but it works. I could probably even refactor the Enum list and FindIndex call out for a bit more clarity.
model.Data = data.OrderBy(x => x.GetDisplayOrder(x.SchoolLevel)); ... private int GetDisplayOrder(string level) { return Enum<level>.ToList().FindIndex(x => x.Description() == level); }
Is there a better way?
Using .less To Simplify BluePrintCSS
For the past few projects, I've used BluePrintCSS and really liked the experience. It forced me both to conquer my CSS layout fears (tables no more) and standardize a few of my formatting techniques that we use on our internal and external applications. Good deal all around.
The one caveat that I really… really didn't like was how I had to name things.
The clean class codes and IDs that I had…

${H(ApplicationName)}

 [...]

Turned into long, drawn out classes…

${H(ApplicationName)}

Without the BluePrintCSS guide or the CSS files available, you couldn't look at the classes and tell much of what was going on… and it wasn't descriptive like 'header' and 'title'.
Welcome To .less (dotless)
I stumbled onto .less (aka dotless, dotlesscss, that shizzle css thingy) back in November and thought "hey, that's cool… that's how CSS should work" and didn't give it much more thought. Shortly after fav'ing it in github, I noticed they pushed an update targeting BluePrintCSS operability. Cool–I've GOT to try this out.
Getting Started with .less
The instructions on the home page (right side of the screen) is all you need. Clone, compile, update web.config and start go!
The Benefits
So what's the big hype? This:
1. Import your BluePrintCSS file into your .less file (for me, it's site.less).
@import "screen.css";
2. Simply reference any of the BluePrintCSS class styles as part of your custom styles.
#header { #title { .span-10; .column; } #menucontainer { .span-14; .column; .last; text-align: right; } } #left-content { .span-18; .column; } #right-boxes { .span-6; .column; .last; }
3. "Then a miracle occurs…"
When dotless' HttpHandler hits your .less file (or your use dotless.Compiler), it translates those referenced styles into their actual CSS tags.
#header #title{width:390px;float:left;margin-right:10px;}
Nice. Plain and simple (and miraculous).
Lessons Learned
Some "lessons learned" so far:
1. Order matters. Referencing a style before you've 'created' it will bork the interperter. So @imports always go at the top and if you're referencing within the same .less file, keep things in order.
2. Pre-compiling is fun. For now, I'm pre-compiling my .less files without using the handler and simply sending the css file up to our web server. This is easily taken care of with either a MS Build task or psake task. Here's how an example of a quick MS Build task that references the dotless.Compiler in the solution's "tools" directory.
$(SolutionDir)Tools\dotLess\dotless.compiler.exe -m $(ProjectDir)content\css\site.less $(ProjectDir)content\css\site.css
3. .less files need to be 'Content'. Since VS2008 is stupid, .less files (like .spark views, etc) need to be explicitly set to have a Build Action of 'Content' so that the publishing process sends them up to the web server. If you're publishing via psake or another automation tool, then ignore this. 😉
That's it for now. Hit up the project site, peruse and clone the github repo, and join the discussion for .less and (finally) start applying some DRY to your CSS.


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The Nightly Show stands up for comedians against politicians: #DickJokesMatter
The most recent Republican presidential debate began on such an unpresidential note, that even though it happened on Thursday night, all of the late-night comedy shows still wanted to address it come Monday. Most made basic jokes. The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore saw the bigger picture, though. Dick jokes aren't for presidents. That's a comedian's job. "It may not be classy work, or work I'm proud of, but it's honest work," Wilmore said. "That puts food on my table. And a roof over my head. I got my kids through school on dick jokes! Alright? Alright. Dick jokes!...Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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Two days' ago, Dutchsinse posted up a whole, long video showing how more unexplained wildfires are breaking out within the volcanic fields of a whole bunch of the volcanos in Western USA.
The day after he posted that up on Youtube, Youtube pulled his livestream channel and blocked him.
Why did Youtube do that?
That is the question.
In the meantime, you can see that particular video above, here, and it's shmirat eynayim friendly (as much as anything can be, considering the ads on Youtube).
Here's a few things to toss into the mix about what may be really going on, with all the record wildfires happening across California, plus a few other Western states.
Firstly, the whole area is literally covered in volcanoes.
Some of them – 167 – are marked as officially 'live' by the authorities (including the Long Valley caldera, which was just raised up to 'live' supervolcano status when they discovered 240 sq miles of melted magma, beneath its surface).
But there are literally thousands, nay, hundreds of thousands of volcanic cones and vents and also a bunch of related geo-thermal features like hot springs, geysers and mudpots, all over the Western part of the USA.
And while many of them are officially being ignored, and being marked 'dormant', or even dead, here's the thing:
Even 'dead' and dormant volcanic fields continue to degas a whole bunch of gases and vapors into the atmosphere from the ground.
To put this another way, volcanoes don't have to be actively erupting, or actively doing anything much, to still be pumping a huge amount of diffuse CO2 and other greenhouse gases out into the atmosphere.
There's a bunch of science to prove that, but perhaps the most simple way of proving it is this: geothermal pumping operations are going after oil, and gas extraction, and super-heated steam to turn turbines.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of geothermal 'wells' now drilled into huge swathes of land in the US (and also in places like New Zealand, which is also very volcanically active). Most if not all of these operations are occurring on the flanks of 'dead' and 'dormant' volcanoes (although in Hawaii, they also drilled down into the flanks of the ever-erupting Kilauea...)
And the gas they are extracting – what they actually call 'shale gas', or 'natural gas' – is mostly made up of methane.
And methane is highly flammable.
As the magma is moving below the crust – and all the earthquakes and volcanoes popping off around the whole Pacific 'ring of fire' right now show that magma is on the move across the globe, and is coming closer to the surface – then the volcanic gases associated with the magma will start to rise up, and degas in increasing quantities through the earth's crust.
And everyone knows, that a single spark can ignite an explosion, or a fire, if there's gas anywhere near it.
And the amount of gas being stored in volcanic shale, and in other of these deep rock formations, is mind-boggling – we're literally talking about many trillions of cubic metres of methane.
How do you know this is true?
Well, why else would the fracking companies would go to such lengths to drill wells many thousands of feet down into rock, if there wasn't some serious amounts of gas to extract and sell?
And now, that gas is coming closer to the surface, and igniting fires all over the Western US, in the volcanic fields associated with a whole bunch of volcanoes, many of which are either not even listed, or are listed as being dormant or 'dead'.
If you're bored and you'd like to learn a little more about US volcanoes, go and look up Mount Shasta. It last exploded around 1797 – very recent times. And it's the USGS's #1 volcanic risk for the US, that no-one even really talks about.
Here's what the USGS has to say about it - and it's a masterpiece of double-speak! You have to read it very carefully to understand that Mount Shasta is currently a huge eruption risk, because it's barely erupted the last few hundred years, and even the USGS admits some massive eruption is due 'every 6-800 years'.
I.e., round around now.
Now, read THIS article on how 2 of North California's volcanoes are currently listed as 'very high' threat levels by none other than the USGS, and one of them is Mount Shasta.
Shasta county was devastated by the wildfires raging a couple of months' back.
Do you think that's a coincidence?
I don't.
Now, can you start to figure out why Youtube is trying to close down Dutchsinse?
After I'd written this, I came across a news story from a couple of weeks' ago, about a hole in the ground in Arkansas, that's been 'spewing fire' for the last month or so. You can see the full story HERE, but here's some of the key points:
While methane is being fingered as a culprit for the fire, no-one can figure out where the methane is coming from, because it's ALL NATURAL, and is coming up from volcanic gas degassing at the site. But the authorities are only exploring 'man-made' gas leaks, vis:
"Gas company Black Hills Energy, which was asked to help inspect the site, confirmed it didn't find any utility or fuel lines leaking in the area.
The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality also examined several underground fuel storage tanks in Midway to ensure they were sealed.
"Based on ADEQ inspections it does not appear that any of these tanks contributed to the fire," the agency said in a statement to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette."
But I think it's kind of proving the point: more and more volcanic gas is rising to the surface, and causing 'wildfires', and methane is a the main culprit.
The earthquakes are picking up
It's going to be slow posting on spiritualselfhelp at the mo, as I'm still in the process of trying to figure out what God really wants from me, and where to turn my attentions next.
But I just wanted to share with you that the seismic and volcanic activity across planet earth is continuing to pick up sharply. Usually, there are between 8-12 magnitude 6+ earthquakes occurring in any 30 day period.
Between the middle of September, and the middle of October 2018, there's been 30 6+ earthquakes striking, plus many more volcanoes erupting – including ones like Kadovar, which were listed as 'dormant' because they hadn't exploded in a thousand years.
Pay attention to the news headlines about all the crazy weather and flash flooding going on, and you'll see that many of the stories will include lines like 'one in a thousand years occurrence', or will tell you that the last time something as 'dramatic' as this occurred – whether it's hurricanes slamming into the US, like Michael, or flash floods killing 30 people across Europe, particularly France – was in the 1800s sometime.
That's not a coincidence.
The last solar maximum began around 1850, and we've had relatively benign, stable weather for the best part of 150 years, as a result. But now, we're entering into what could very well be a severe solar minimum, and solar minimums affect seismicity, volcanic explosions, and weather, in ways that very few people are even beginning to understand.
(If you go HERE, Sacha Dobler has a very clear explanation of what solar minimums and solar maximums actually are, and some of the ways they can affect planet earth.)
So, the earthquakes and volcanoes will continue to pick up, and that will feed in to increasingly erratic weather patterns. Every time a volcanic eruption reaches up to the stratosphere, as happened with the recent eruption of Manam in Papua New Guinea, that saw a column of ash injected into the sky to a height of 50,000 feet, that can severely disrupt weather patterns.
It has to do with the sulfur particles contained in the ash, that then bind with water vapor in the stratosphere, and become what's called 'sulfur aerosols' that reflect sunlight back away from planet earth.
Grand solar minimums generally coincide with much colder periods of time, and guess what? Parts of the US and Canada got their earliest snowfalls for over a century last month, and average temperatures for October 2018 already seem to be coming in on the much colder side.
We aren't headed into a period of 'global warming', if anything, we are looking at a time of 'global cooling'. And as more and more volcanic eruptions start to occur – also in the oceans, where there are an estimated 3.5 million submarine volcanoes that are barely being registered, let alone tracked for emissions of Co2 and eruptions – that's going to lead to more crazy and erratic freak weather.
If you want to know why so many fish and marine creatures are dying off – it's because the submarine volcanoes are erupting, and either boiling them in super-heated water or poisoning them with localized clouds of volcanic gases.
If you want to know why warm-water creatures like whales are being found swimming up the Thames – it's because the oceans ARE getting warmer. Why? Because a lot of the submarine volcanoes that no-one talks about are erupting, and are degassing Co2 (and other volcanic gases) in huge quantities.
If you want to know why birds are dropping dead out of the sky, why aquatic fowl were found 'poisoned' after drinking from lakes in Winnipeg, and why rare waterspouts are forming off coastlines in so many different places at the moment – the volcanoes hold the answer.
There is much, much more volcanic activity going on – including 'passive' degassing of often toxic substances, from the flanks of volcanoes listed as 'dead' or 'dormant', and including geothermal springs, mudpots and geysers – than anyone official ever talks about.
But I think as we enter the grand solar minimum and more and more seismicity, volcanic activity and freak weather occurs, even the scientists will have to lift their heads out of the sand at some point, and admit that something is going on.
And that volcanoes, and not man-made carbon emissions, really hold the key to understanding our changing climate.
For the last 30-40 years, we've been routinely told that rising CO2 levels are leading to:
1) Global warming (now amended to 'climate change'), and
2) Terrible future outcomes for planet earth.
Firstly, as we covered in the last post, people are not responsible for climate change. Climate change - even massive, immediate climate change - has been happening for millennia, long before humanity began the industrial revolution and started burning fossil fuels.
Climate change has much more to do with what's going on in our solar system, and the earth's reaction to these events, than human activity, however crass or destructive.
(To put this another way: God is in charge of the weather. That's the bottom line, and it's also something that nearly no scientist is willing or able to concede, hence all the crazy 'climate change' theories.)
But in this post, I wanted to pull out some of the facts about CO2 to start to explore a little bit what might actually happen, if CO2 levels do continue to rise - regardless of anything humanity might be doing to retard or promote this effect.
As usual, I know I sound like a 'flat earther' at this stage in the post. I mean, we all KNOW that rising CO2 emissions are a terribly bad thing for planet earth, don't we?! How often have we been told that by 'the experts', how often have we seen news stories making direct links between taking our SUV for a spin and the rainforest dying….
So I have to say that I was also pretty surprised at what started to turn up very quickly, when you scratch the surface of the 'scientific' claim that increased CO2 = huge destruction of planet earth.
Because in fact, the opposite appears to be true.
Before we continue, take a look at these two, very short, videos from no less an authority than NASA, which clearly shows how very large (and historically frozen…) areas of the world are starting to get a whole bunch greener. The first video shows the world, generally, and the second video concentrates more on Alaska and North America.
These videos were put out to illustrate a new study that was published on April 25, 2016 by a team of 32 scientists from 8 different countries in the Nature Climate Change Journal. In that study, the scientists found that:
"From a quarter to half of Earth's vegetated lands has shown significant greening over the last 35 years largely due to rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Now, I don't know about you but this actually sounds like pretty good news, climate change-wise.
Frozen tundras don't grow a thing, people can't live there, and 10% of the world is currently covered by perma-frost, taking these land masses off the table as viable areas of the planet where more food could be grown and more people could live.
Of course, all these benefits - which let's remember have already been witnessed and recorded in real time on planet earth, not just guessed at and predicted by computer models in the labs of climate change professors - fly in the face of all the doom-mongering about the terrible 'problems' apparently associated with rising CO2.
To put this in NASA speak: Houston, we have a problem.
So as this study came out, the climate change lobby scrambled to try to keep the debate going. First of all, they listed a whole bunch of apparently 'bad' side effects of climate change, including:
We can't do anything much about the 'downside' of climate change, except to stop telling lies about what's really causing it, and to get real about what it really might mean for the planet and also to stop exaggerating the awful impact that we believe it may cause (more on this in a moment).
But in the meantime, the climate change lobby trotted out a number of talking heads to try to damper down any thought that climate change could actually be good for the planet, at least in some major ways:
The beneficial impacts of carbon dioxide on plants may also be limited, said co-author Dr. Philippe Ciais, associate director of the Laboratory of Climate and Environmental Sciences, Gif-suv-Yvette, France. "Studies have shown that plants acclimatize, or adjust, to rising carbon dioxide concentration and the fertilization effect diminishes over time."
We'll met Dr Ciais again later on and we'll also discover his other employer (which is very pertinent information that is strangely missing from this citation on the Nasa website).
One of the biggest 'worries' the climate change lobby likes to promote is that the ocean can't cope absorbing all the extra CO2 that's out there, and that this will kill off a bunch of our marine life in a process named 'ocean acidification'.
Here's an excellent piece of recent 'ocean acidification' scaremongering from the Guardian, published in October 2017:
If the outlook for marine life was already looking bleak – torrents of plastic that can suffocate and starve fish, overfishing, diverse forms of human pollution that create dead zones, the effects of global warming which is bleaching coral reefs and threatening coldwater species – another threat is quietly adding to the toxic soup.
But while these 'alarming' climate change studies are getting so much attention in the press, the scientists who are say the opposite are getting very short shrift. This from The Spectator:
"Howard Browman, a marine scientist for 35 years, has published a review in the ICES Journal of Marine Science of all the papers published on the subject. His verdict could hardly be more damning. The methodology used by the studies was often flawed; contrary studies suggesting that ocean acidification wasn't a threat had sometimes had difficulty finding a publisher. There was, he said, an 'inherent bias' in scientific journals which predisposed them to publish 'doom and gloom stories'."
Even the co-founder of Greenpeace, Dr Patrick Moore recently published a paper on 'ocean acidificiation' where he clearly stated:
"The term "ocean acidification" is, in itself, rather misleading. The scale of pH runs from 0 to 14 where 7 is neutral, below 7 is acidic and above 7 is basic, or alkaline. The pH of the world's oceans varies from 7.5 to 8.3, well into the alkaline scale.
According to Moore, there is no chance that increased CO2 in the oceans will kill off anything, and it may well even have a positive effect on marine life:
"An analysis of research on the effect of lower pH shows a net beneficial impact on the calcification, metabolism, growth, fertility and survival of calcifying marine species when pH is lowered up to 0.3 units, which is beyond what is considered a plausible reduction during this century."
Guess what? NASA agrees with him!
NASA satellites are finding that over the last few years, instead of the ocean and marine life 'dying off', previously barren stretches of the ocean are bursting back into life, again thanks to the increase in the planet's temperature.
This comes from the NASA website:
"Satellites have measured the Arctic getting greener, as shrubs expand their range and thrive in warmer temperatures… As ocean waters warm, satellites have detected a shift in phytoplankton populations across the planet's five great ocean basins — the expansion of "biological deserts" where little life thrives….
Again, call me crazy, but doesn't this sound suspiciously like good news for the planet? I mean, more plankton means more food for fish, which means more fish, which means fuller, thriving oceans all around.
Doesn't it?
If you want to know why you probably haven't heard about this stunning evidence for the good side of global warming / climate change, then you're in good company. Matt Ridley writing in the Spectator last year explained that:
"Four years ago, I came across an online video of a lecture given by Ranga Myneni of Boston University in which he presented an ingenious analysis of data from satellites. This proved that much of the vegetated area of the planet was getting greener, and only a little bit was getting browner.
Ridley was 'startled' by these findings. Although he knew that commercial greenhouse owners had started routinely doubling the carbon dioxide levels to get their tomatoes to grow faster, this was the first time that CO2 impact on the earth's vegetation overall had been measured.
Ridley laments that even though the paper's lead author, Zaichun Zhu of Beijing University, said that this increase of greenery was 'like adding a green continent twice the size of mainland USA' to the planet - no-one was interested in reporting it:
"[A]s I found out, there is not much market for this good news. I was subjected online to withering scorn by the usual climate spin doctors, but even they had to admit I was 'factually accurate'.
Another interesting point I got from reading Ridley's piece is that while the climate change lobby are very keen on quoting Nobel laureate Svante Arrhenius when it comes to predicting doom and gloom scenarios for the planet as a result of rising CO2, they are strangely coy about reproducing his statements of what would occur if CO2 levels should indeed rise, as he thought.
Arrhenius says:
'By the influence of the increasing percentage of carbonic acid in the atmosphere, we may hope to enjoy ages with more equable and better climates.' He predicted that the earth: 'will bring forth much more abundant crops than at present, for the benefit of rapidly propagating mankind'.
How strange that the climate change lobby never mention this aspect of his statements, when citing his research into rising CO2 levels. And in case you think that all the doom-and-gloom was only written when they didn't know any better, i.e. before the study showing the benefits of CO2 greening was published, the following comes from a recent article on the National Geographic website:
The planet is already suffering from some impacts of global warming.
Again, if this was the only information you were going on you'd be certain that all this frozen wasteland turning into green pastures is awful; that the 'impact' of global warming on the world is only bad, that more rain can only be a bad thing and that the only 'species' that are thriving in warmer temperatures are tree-destroying insects.
But if that's not enough, National Geographic then launches into a whole bunch of ominous 'predictions' again, including the spread of disease, the extinction of species (which is strange, given that most creatures find it harder to survive in Arctic conditions than lush, warmer ones) and less fresh water available, despite noting that 'precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average', immediately above their scary predictions.
Here's my favorite doom-and-gloom warning from National Geographic:
Just recently, National Geographic was slammed for shopping around a viral video of a 'starving polar bear' which they claimed was a result of man-made climate change, but they were forced to back down - at least a little - when challenged on the claims being made in the video.
"Nunavut polar bear monitor Leo Ikakhik told CBC that he was not surprised by the sight of the starving bear in the video. "Everybody probably was shocked to see a really skinny bear, but this is not my first time seeing something like this," he told Carol Off, host of CBC's radio show "As It Happens."
Ikakhik, who has been monitoring polar bear activity since 2010, said that the polar bear in the video may have been sick or recovering from an injury that made it unable to hunt. "I wouldn't really blame the climate change. It's just part of the animal, what they go through."
But any hint that climate change is not man-made, and is not destroying the planet, or that rising CO2 levels could be a good thing - all based on empirically proven studies - is uniformly derided by the media and 'official' science. On another 'proper' website for scientists, phys.org we're told that:
"The beneficial aspect of CO2 fertilization in promoting plant growth has been used by contrarians, notably Lord Ridley (hereditary peer in the UK House of Lords) and Mr. Rupert Murdoch (owner of several news outlets), to argue against cuts in carbon emissions to mitigate climate change, similar to those agreed at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP) meeting in Paris last year under the UN Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
How shocking, that anyone should argue for a rethink of policy based on actual facts and proven observations! But Phillippe Ciais pops up again to tell us that:
"The fallacy of the contrarian argument is two-fold. First, the many negative aspects of climate change, namely global warming, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and sea ice, more severe tropical storms, etc. are not acknowledged. Second, studies have shown that plants acclimatize, or adjust, to rising CO2 concentration and the fertilization effect diminishes over time," says co-author Dr. Philippe Ciais, Associate Director of the Laboratory of Climate and Environmental Sciences, Gif-suvYvette, France and Contributing Lead Author of the Carbon Chapter for the recent IPCC Assessment Report.
This is a good time to remind us all that the US alone spent $64 billion on 'climate change' research between 2010 and 2013, and a lot of that money went straight into the IPCC coffers that Ciais works for.
According to a report last year by Climate Change Business Journal, the climate change industry is now worth a whopping $1.5 trillion a year. So many scientists, so many people, now owe their jobs to 'man made climate change' that should it disappear, we could be facing the next Great Depression…
Which is probably the single biggest reason why the enormous amount of evidence that shows that global warming and melting glaciers are probably a GOOD thing aren't getting a fair hearing.
Really, what are the negative aspects to more of the world developing a livable climate where plants and food can grow (aside from the skinnier polar bears?)
The last thing to tell you for now is that back in 1992 - more than 25 years' ago - the fossil fuel industry put out a video called 'The Greening of Planet Earth' which put forward the suggestion that more carbon dioxide would lead to the 'greening' of planet earth.
Writing all the way back in 2001, Patrick Michaels explained that:
"Greening" was put out by energy-industry activists (you can get your own copy by contacting http://www.greeningearthsociety.org), who discovered that several big-name scientists were willing to appear and argue that carbon dioxide will enhance global plant growth by directly stimulating plants and by warming the coldest air of winter.
These scientists found that Eurasia had as much as 18 extra crop-growing days year, thanks to 'global warming', while the increase in North America averaged 12 extra days a year. Michaels concludes:
"So is this what global warming has wrought? It appears to have created a more comfortable planet with more food. The video was right. The greens were wrong. The world is greener."
Michaels himself wrote these words more than 16 years ago, yet the climate change lobby has consistently failed to include the observable facts on the ground about the benefits of climate change and rising CO2 levels - like a 14% greener planet, like more potentially cultivatable and habitable land, like 18 extra days to grow more food in a year - to harp on 'predictions' of computer-modelled problems that have almost entirely failed to materialize.
Sure, I'll be upset if the polar bears get a little skinnier. But if it means that millions more people have affordable food and a location they can cultivate and thrive in, I think I'll be able to live with it.
how false theories about 'greenhouse gases' on venus lead to 'climate change' science on earth
If you've been following this blog's series on 'the false foundations of modern science' you'll hopefully already have picked up an inkling of how all this 'false science' gets established in the world.
A researcher comes up with a theory or proposal that garners a lot of attention, and / or a lot of funding, and / or a lot of 'political clout' (for whatever vested interest reasons) - and then they build a big career, and a big reputation, and a big bank balance defending that 'theory' for all it's worth.
Depending on who else thinks their theory is a good idea (regardless of whether the real facts or true science backs it up) any opponent to this theory will then usually have their career torpedoed, their reputations publicly trashed, and their credibility tarnished at every turn.
It takes a very strong person indeed to stand up to people who are 'religious' about their scientific beliefs, and who will stoop to any tactic to ensure that their version of events, and their interpretation of data is the only one the public ever gets to hear about.
We've seen this tactic play out with macro-evolution, with geology, with the infamous 'chemical imbalance' theory for mental illness, and now, we're going to take a look at one of the biggest 'false science' scams of modern times: climate change.
The first thing to note is that climate change is real, and is happening all the time. There is no doubt that some parts of the planet are hotter, or colder, or wetter, or drier etc than they were a few decades, or a few centuries ago.
No-one is really arguing about that.
But where the rub comes is that while the pseudo-scientific community - with Al Gore and ex-president Obama at its head - is loudly proclaiming that PEOPLE are to blame for the changing climate, and especially FOSSIL FUEL BURNING PEOPLE, the actual science paints a very different picture.
Before we continue, remember that so much of what we think is 'proven' in so many fields of science actually really isn't. Also remember that vested interests manipulate us via the media into believing things that really aren't true, for their own agendas and aims.
Between 2010 and 2013, the US government alone paid climate change researchers $64 billion. A lot of scientists, a lot of politicians, and a lot of companies have their fingers in that very big pie. Climate change is big business and great for your scientific career, if you happen to be 'sounding the alarm' on climate change.
But what's really going on, what's really causing climate change, and how did we get to this place where so many people are panicking over Co2 emissions? Read on.
Carl Sagan was a professor of Astronomy at Cornell University, and in 1974 he renewed official science's attack on Immanual Velikovsky, and his 'ridiculous' theories that Noah's flood actually happened, the bible's account was literally true, and that the world had been shaken to its core a number of times in the last 8,000 years, due to 'action at a distance' events with enormous planet-sized comets.
So many of Velikovsky's theories have subsequently been validated by science over the last 70 years since he wrote them, including his claim that Venus would be found to have a scorchingly hot temperature, due to it being a very new addition to the solar system.
(Velikovsky suggested that Venus only became a planet in our solar system within the last 3,500 years or so. Before that Venus had been the 'comet' responsible for wreaking utter havoc on the earth and the moon - as described in innumerable ancient sources and as evidenced by the geological record - and which had also stripped planet Mars of its atmosphere and water on one of its fly-bys.)
Of course, the suggestion that such cataclysmic things might have occurred within the modern age, or that all the theories of the world being many billions of years and uniformly 'stable' were anathema to the open minds of modern scientists like Sagan, so they used any tool they could to discredit Velikovsky and his 'theories'.
The first space probe, Venera 7, successfully landed on Venus on December 15, 1970. It remained in contact with Earth for 23 minutes, relaying surface temperatures of 455 °C to 475 °C (855 °F to 885 °F). Before this information was discovered, Sagan and other NASA scientists were confidently predicting that Venus would have an ambient temperature akin to earth's.
When the NASA probe reported back the shocking information that Venus was scorchingly hot - just as Velikovsky had predicted - Sagan et al went into damage limitation mode, and came up with the VENUS GREENHOUSE GAS theory.
Scientist Charles Ginenthal wrote a whole book deconstructing this hugely deceitful and fraudulent 'theory', but here's the crux of the matter (as explained by a reviewer):
"Rather than admit Velikovsky right on this issue, Sagan invoked a "runaway greenhouse" effect to account for the planet's 900 degrees Fahrenheit surface temperature. As Ginenthal explains, greenhouses are warm primarily because they have a glass ceiling to prevent the loss of heat; and, as everyone (even Sagan) was aware, planets don't have glass ceilings.
And NASA is still doing its best to try to link Venus with faulty climate change theories for earth, as this story from last year shows:
NASA Climate Modeling Suggests Venus May Have Been Habitable
Remember, false assumptions and beliefs in one area of science inevitably give rise to other false assumptions and beliefs, as this little snippet clearly demonstrates. The same 'science' that is telling us Venus is billions of years old is telling us that humans are responsible for disastrous climate change.
Even though Sagan's greenhouse gas theory has subsequently been discredited for Venus, it sadly put down very deep roots in the nascent field of 'climate change science', as we shall see.
One of the main people pushing the issue of climate change was the so-called 'father of climate change' James Hansen. He bought Sagan's false theory of greenhouse gases hook, line and sinker.
The following quote is from Hansen's book called"Storms of My Grandchildren" end of chapter 10, The Venus Syndrome:
"After the ice is gone, would Earth proceed to the Venus syndrome, a runaway greenhouse effect that would destroy all life on the planet, perhaps permanently? While that is difficult to say based on present information, I've come to conclude that if we burn all reserves of oil, gas, and coal, there is a substantial chance we will initiate the runaway greenhouse. If we also burn the tar sands and tar shale, I believe the Venus syndrome is a dead certainty."
How's that for unparalleled scientific rigor? Hansen appears to have proven that the only reason Venus is a hot, barren hell-hole of a planet it because human beings were burning tar on it at some undefined time in the past…
This is the same person who wrote this in 1981:
"It is shown that the anthropogenic carbon dioxide warming should emerge from the noise level of natural climate variability by the end of the century, and there is a high probability of warming in the 1980s. Potential effects on climate in the 21st century include the creation of drought-prone regions in North America and central Asia as part of a shifting of climatic zones, erosion of the West Antarctic ice sheet with a consequent worldwide rise in sea level, and opening of the fabled Northwest Passage.[53]
And here's what he told Congress in 1988:
'On June 23, 1988, NASA scientist James Hansen testified before the House of Representatives that there was a strong "cause and effect relationship" between observed temperatures and human emissions into the atmosphere.
Unperturbed by the lack of evidence to support his theories, Hansen has continued to churn out alarming soundbytes and scary quotes for the last 40 years' or so, like:
"Climate change is analogous to Lincoln and slavery or Churchill and Nazism: it's not the kind of thing where you can compromise.
Sadly, the internet is chock-full of quotes from Hansen along these same lines, but I picked these four out to show a few recurring themes:
1) Hansen's language makes clear that anyone burning fossil fuels is akin to a Nazi, which seems to be an exaggerated comparison, even if you ARE a big believer in human-induced climate change.
2) This is much more about emotive propaganda than hard science.
3) There's loads of false suggestions contained in these few sparse quotes.
Uh, really? Burning coal is giving my kid asthma? Where's the studies that show that's true? Uh, really? Natural disasters are being caused by burning fossil fuels? Where's the scientific evidence for that big statement? Uh, are you sure that Co2 traps heat in the atmosphere and that this was known since the 1800s?
The 'proof' for that last statement, as referenced by the NASA website on climate change, amounts to this:
In the 1860s, physicist John Tyndall recognized the Earth's natural greenhouse effect and suggested that slight changes in the atmospheric composition could bring about climatic variations. In 1896, a seminal paper by Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius first predicted that changes in the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could substantially alter the surface temperature through the greenhouse effect.
Over on the website climatechange.org, a headline from May 2013 screams:
The Last Time CO2 Was This High, Humans Didn't Exist
It seems to be completely lost on the author of this article - and the many climate change scientists he quotes (more on that in a moment) that if this is true, then human beings burning fossil fuels is clearly not the cause of climate change on planet earth…
But these are the types of obvious arguments that false science can never seem to wrap its head around. So instead, you get told pseudo-scientific guff like:
"While there have been past periods in Earth's history when temperatures were warmer than they are now, the rate of change that is currently taking place is faster than most of the climate shifts that have occurred in the past, and therefore it will likely be more difficult to adapt to.
Once again, we see how the false beliefs in one field of science sow more false beliefs in other areas.
Climate change scientists make huge assumptions that 'the rate of change taking place is faster than most of the climate shifts that have occurred in the past.' But this simply isn't true! Every time they drill more ice cores, they are presented with the EVIDENCE that the climate has changed rapidly in the very recent past. For example, this comes from the British Antartic Survey website:
Abrupt climate changes
Again, note all the usual assumptions about these changes 'only' happening in the ancient past, because modern science teaches that the world has been stable for millions of years (despite all the evidence they keep turning up that this patently untrue…) There's no evidence for these statements, they are just beliefs.
And while we're on the subject of ice-cores, this (from the NASA climate change website) explains how they date those things, again using the same assumptions that weather patterns have always been the same for millions of years:
"How old is the oldest ice core—and how do we know it's that old?
Again, even a cursory reading of this paragraph tells you that the 'science' being used to date these ice cores is based on a bunch of unproven assumptions about the world always working the same way - which again flys in the face of the actual evidence on the ground.
The last thing to share with you in this first post on climate change is that back in the 1970s, scientists started 'alarming' the world that the next Ice Age was imminent. Back in 1975:
Newsweek magazine published a story that warned of "ominous signs that the Earth's weather patterns have begun to change."[41] The article continued by stating that evidence of global cooling was so strong that meteorologists were having "a hard time keeping up with it."[41] On October 23, 2006, Newsweek issued an update stating that it had been "spectacularly wrong about the near-term future".[42]
In the 1980s, with James Hansen at the helm, the alarm about 'global cooling' gave way to an even more impassioned alarm about 'global warming'. So what's really going on? This comes from the Friends of Science website:
MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate.
In other words, the planet's temperature is oscillating all the time, and there is no 'unusual' warming going on right now.
(I'm kind of ruining my own production here, but go check out the Friends of Science webpage called ClimateChange 101, as it presents a lot of useful information in a very easy-to-digest way: http://www.climatechange101.ca/)
The scientific establishment is so wedded to the false idea the world is billions of years' old, and that the earth's climate has been 'stable' for millennia (even though both ideas are patently false), that they have consistently discredited any evidence that suggests that:
But I know, ex-President Obama said this about climate change:
"Part of what's unique about climate change, though, is the nature of some of the opposition to action. It's pretty rare that you'll encounter somebody who says the problem you're trying to solve simply doesn't exist. When President Kennedy set us on a course for the moon, there were a number of people who made a serious case that it wouldn't be worth it; it was going to be too expensive, it was going to be too hard, it would take too long. But nobody ignored the science. I don't remember anybody saying that the moon wasn't there or that it was made of cheese."
And no-one could accuse him of manipulating the public with mass-produced, deceitful soundbytes that didn't stand up to any real scrutiny…..
So in the next post, we'll take a look at the nuts and bolts of the 'false science' - and outright lies - that's propping up the befuddled theory of climate change.
Again, no-one is claiming that climate change isn't actually happening - that's a straw man.
What is being very seriously debated is:
In 1949, one Professor M Ewing from Columbia University set out with a team of researchers to go and take a closer look at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, particularly around the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Amongst other things, the team used sound echo equipment to measure the depth of the sediment on the ocean floor - something they expected to be many thousands of feet thick.
Ocean sediment is typically made up of all the millions and billions of microscopic creatures that live and then die in the oceans - called 'foraminifera' - amongst other things. The skeletons of these microscopic creatures very slowly sink to the bottom of the ocean floor, and become sediment.
According to Professor Ewing, other things that add to the sediment on the ocean floor are volcanic dust, wind-blown soil and "the ashes of burned-out meteorites and cosmic dust from outer space sifting constantly down upon the earth."
If the world was really billions of years old, as claimed, there should be miles of sediment at the bottom of the sea. But that's not what Professor Ewing and his researchers found when they started measuring it. Writing in: "New Discoveries on the Mid-Atlantic Ride" in National Geographic in 1949, Professor Ewing said:
"Surprisingly, we have found that in the great flat basins on either side of the Ridge, this sediment appears to be less than 100 feet thick…. Always it had been thought the sediment must be extremely thick, since it has been accumulating for countless ages (sic).
The lost continent of Atlantis, anyone?
Fast forward to July 2016, and researcher Isabel Yeo from GEOMAR's Helmholtz Institute for Ocean Research in Kiel took a team of researchers to the North Kolbeinsey Atlantic Ocean Ridge, around 500km off the north coast of Iceland, to start collecting detailed images of the 'hundreds' of deep water volcanoes - many of which are still live - scattered on the ocean floor there.
Yeo came up with a new method of photographing and dating the lava flows from these volcanoes, which are found between 7--2,000 metres below the surface of the ocean using 'hydro-acoustic properties'.
The basic idea is that this technology hits the lava flows with sonar, and then analyses how much sound the lava flow reflects back. Yeo commented that her super-sharp images: "combined with the spatial extents of the flows, mean we can work out how much lava erupted where and when."
As with all of these dating techniques, it relies heavily on a number of unproven assumptions, that Yeo identified in her paper presenting the findings:
"These calculations are heavily dependent on a number of assumptions including assuming that the sediment drape and the surface structure of the lava flow fields are homogeneous, that sedimentation rate is constant through time and that the effects of acoustic refraction within the sediment are negligible. Sediment thickness may be overestimated if the sediments are sandier than assumed."
But the basic findings were still shocking enough:
Yeo found that these massive volcanic eruptions on the sea floor had all occurred within the last 4,000 years, and that the biggest eruptions and lava flows occurred 3,200 years ago.
But the sea held more secrets, too.
In 1947, a Swedish deep-sea expedition headed by H Pettersson, director of the Oceanographic Institute of Goteborg also found "evidence of great catastrophes that have altered the face of the earth."
What did the Swedes find, to convince them of this? Here's a small part of what they reported finding in Scientific American, in 1950:
"Nickel is a very rare element in most terrestrial rocks and continental sediments, and it is almost absent from the ocean waters. On the other hand, it's one of the main components of meteorites."
I.e. whenever a lot of nickel shows up, that's usually a clear sign that a particular area or region got bombarded by a very heavy shower of meteorites.
All over the world, there is evidence that around 3,500 years ago, the ocean level suddenly and significantly dropped leading to the shorelines 'emerging' well over 20ft higher. Professor Reginald Daly, writing in Our Mobile Earth, said:
"Marine terraces, indicating similar emergence, are found along the Atlantic coast from New York to the Gulf of Mexico; for at least 1,000 miles along the coast of Eastern Australia, along the coasts of Brazil, southwest Africa, and many islands of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In all these and other published cases, the emergence is recent as well as of the same order of magnitude."
Daly thought that this came about due to a "recent worldwide sinking of ocean level". Daly put the date for this huge upheaval at between 3,000 - 4,000 years ago. This dating was subsequently confirmed by another researcher, PN Kuenen of Leyden University, who wrote in Marine Geology:
"The time of the movement was estimated by Daly to be probably some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. Detailed field work in the Netherlands and in Eastern England has shown a recent eustatic depression of the same order of magnitude as deduced by Daly. Here the time can be fixed as roughly 3,000 - 3,500 years ago."
I.e. exactly the time the Israelites left Egypt.
We're currently in the Jewish year 5778. The Exodus from Egypt occurred in 2446.
5778-2446 = 3332 years' ago, at the date of writing.
And you'll recall that our Sages taught that when the sea 'split' in Egypt, the seas all over the world also 'split' at exactly the same time, which is how the nations of the world knew of the miracles that were being done for the Jewish people.
Wherever you turn, there is more and more evidence that the land became sea, and that sea became land across huge swathes of the planet, around 3,500 years ago - and that it had absolutely nothing to do with so-called 'global warming'.
Here's what Velikovsky has to say:
"Human artifacts and bones of land animals were dredged from the bottom of the North Sea; and along the shores of Scotland and England, as well as on the Dogger Bank in the middle of the sea, stumps of trees with their roots still in the ground were found. Forty five miles from the coast, from a depth of thirty six metres. Norfolk fishermen drew up a spearhead carved from the antler of a deer, embedded in a block of peat."
Which dated whatever it was that submerged huge areas of Northern Europe under water to 1500 BCE - i.e., 3,500 years ago, when the Jews were leaving Egypt.
There is a huge list of locations in England and Wales which are home to recently submerged forests, which still have large trees somehow rooted to the bottom of the ocean floor, showing they were submerged only recently. These were found at:
In February 2014, a huge storm shifted a ton of sand shale off the Cornish and Welsh coasts revealing more of these 'submerged forests'. One of the biggest forests is at Mount Bay, Cornwall, which contains a number of underwater oak, beech and pine trees, measuring between 3 and 5 metres tall.
Modern geologists grabbed the opportunity to use carbon 14 dating on the trunks, to date them - and again stunned the scientific community by coming up with a time period of between 4000 - 6000 years.
(You'll recall from THIS article that carbon 14 dating is usually fairly accurate within the last 3,500 years or so).
Speaking to the Telegraph newspaper, Frank Howie, Cornwall Wildlife Trustee and chair of the county's Geoconservation Group, said:
"The storms have revealed two to five metre trunks of pine and oak as well as the remains of hazel thickets with well-preserved cob nuts and acorns washed out by streams running across the beach.
All of this shows that very recently, much of what is now underwater was previously inhabited dry land. And that this massive change to the earth's contours didn't occur billions, or even millions of years ago.
It all happened within the last 3,500 years, i.e. well within what's known as 'historical' times, and at the time that the Jewish people left Egypt amidst the huge natural upheavals that came to be known as the 10 plagues, and then received the Torah on Mount Sinai amidst more huge 'natural' cataclysms.
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More camera apps to download
Wikitude Places, Evernote, VI Sports and more. Besides the Xperia camera apps that come pre-installed, there's a whole range of extra apps for you to enjoy. Simply go into your camera viewfinder, turn on Superior Auto and then click on '+Apps' to see which ones you can download. And as new apps are continuously being released, your camera will always be able to offer you fresh and exciting experiences.
Wikitude Places – the perfect tourist guide
Restaurants. Hotels. Events. Shopping. Sights. Switch on Wikitude Places and this augmented reality app will allow you to explore your surroundings, helping you to find new and interesting places, events and activities.
Evernote – remember everything
From document pages to business cards – the Evernote camera app lets you take multiple photos that save directly to your Evernote account. Your notes are synchronised and available from all your digital devices. And they're searchable, too. For an easy way to capture, manage and remember everything.
V1 Sports – perfect your game
From your golf swing to your tennis serve. Use the V1 Pro app to discover why it's the preferred video analysis tool of coaches, instructors and training facilities worldwide for capturing, comparing and improving the performance of their athletes.
Full HD TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile with X-Reality for mobile
Built with the latest Sony BRAVIA® technologies optimised for mobile, Xperia Z1 comes with the most amazing viewing experience. The large, high-resolution 5" Full HD TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile with X-Reality for mobile picture engine comes with a 1920 x 1080 progressive scan, for incredibly crisp pictures free of jagged edges. Paired with a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch, you get pictures on your camera phone that are razor sharp and incredibly bright. And since this compact digital camera comes with a Full HD display, it's optimised to give you the best viewing experience when reliving every capture.
- 5" TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile with X-Reality for mobile
- Full HD 1080p
- 441 pixels per inch
Triluminos™ display for mobile – astonishingly authentic colours
Unique to Sony, Triluminos™ display technology creates incredibly true, natural colour shades – just the way you want them. Hard-to-reproduce reds, aqua blues and emerald greens are displayed beautifully, making landscapes and seascapes appear more vivid. Faces look better too, with natural skin tones.
With Sony's own unique display innovation, the Triluminos™ display delivers a significantly wider colour range, which gives a far more natural and vivid viewing experience with a heightened sense of depth.
(1) Pixel reproduction:
Sony's unique super resolution breathes new life into everything you see. This technology examines each pixel in an image and reproduces the ones that are lacking, giving you the sharpest images.
(2) Texture and outline improvement:
By selectively enhancing elements that help to render the texture and sharpen the outlines, images become clearer and crisper.
(3) Colour and contrast enhancement:
The Intelligent Image Enhancer reproduces the vividness of the image in its original colour. Pictures are selectively optimised by enhancing the contrast, making images appear more detailed and true to life.
(4) Noise reduction:
Intelligent Noise Reduction decreases noise that can occur in high-motion scenes or footage shot in low-light conditions. As a result, images become clearer and smoother.
More pixels per inch
Razor sharp and super bright
This Full HD display features an impressive 441 pixels per inch. All those pixels combined give you a level of clarity that makes whatever you look at all the more real. The result? Razor sharp text and super crisp images, and an incredibly vivid viewing experience.
OptiContrast™ and direct touch – less reflective, more responsive
We've eliminated a layer of air in the construction, bringing the touch panel closer to the display. This OptiContrast™ panel offers clearer viewing with less reflection – even in bright sunlight – as well as creating a seamless black surface when the phone is switched off.
By eliminating the sensor layer and integrating the sensor on the lens, we've managed to increase the responsiveness of the screen. So your touch is more effective and the experience on your Android smartphone is more intuitive.
(1) Lens
(2) Sensor layer
(3) Display
The innovative solid one-piece aluminium frame creates a completely seamless expression.
Premium materials and meticulous attention to details – such as the aluminium on/off button.
The Xperia Z1´s reflective surfaces allows you to get so immersed in your content that the hardware virtually disappears.
A masterpiece crafted in metal and glass
Building upon the rich history of Sony's craftsmanship, Xperia Z1 has been carefully crafted using only the most premium materials. Both the front and back are made of durable tempered glass, reflecting the world around you. The innovative one-piece aluminium frame is designed without breaks, creating a completely seamless expression. And following Sony's unique design principles, this smartphone offers balance and symmetry in all directions, so no matter how you're holding it the feeling is always the same.
Magnetically connected
Combine your Xperia Z1 with the smart Magnetic Charging Dock DK31 and enjoy a truly smooth connection. Place your Xperia Z1 in the dock, and the magnet steers the phone's cleverly designed charging port to the dock's connector. Thanks to magnetic pins, you don't need to fiddle with any ports in order to charge. And while your phone is charging you can check and write messages, or why not enjoy a movie – all from a comfortable viewing angle.
Sony media apps
A world of entertainment
The WALKMAN, Movies and Album apps on your Xperia homescreen provide a fast lane to a world of entertainment. Seamless access to online and offline content – the best and easiest way to discover, enjoy and share photos, music and videos.
The perfect album app
Carry every picture with you, without storing them all in your phone. PlayMemories Online* lets you collect all your photos and videos from your camera phone in one place, so you can relive your favorite moments wherever you are. Upload pictures automatically over WiFi from your phone to PlayMemories Online. Since there's no storage limitation, you can upload as many pictures as you want.
*PlayMemories Online is not available in every market.
Waterproof(1) and dust resistant.
The Sony Xperia Z1 has an impressive IP55/IP58 rating, which makes this slim and sleek smartphone both waterproof(1) and resistant to the tiniest dust particles.
Snap away underwater.
With the waterproof(1) Xperia Z1, you can take pictures while swimming in freshwater for up to 30 minutes. You can even dive up to 1.5 m with it. Just remember that all the covers for the micro USB port, the micro SIM slot, and the memory card slot must be firmly closed.
*(1) In compliance with IP55 and IP58, the Xperia Z1 is protected against the ingress of dust and is waterproof. Provided that all ports and covers are firmly closed, the phone is (i) protected against low pressure jets of water from all practicable directions in compliance with IP 55; and/or (ii) can be kept under 1.50 metre of freshwater for up to 30 minutes in compliance with IP 58. The phone is not designed to float or work submerged underwater outside of the IP55 or IP58 classification range. This may lead to your warranty being void. Get the full story.
IP (Ingress Protection) rating.
IP 55/58 – what does it mean? IP rating is a certification standard that measures a device's resistance levels to both dust and water. The first digit in the two-digit IP rating indicates the level of protection against solid objects, including tiny dust particles. The second digit indicates how resistant the device is to water.
Connect it all with just one touch
An endless eco-system of connected devices
Sony's broad experience in consumer electronics offers you the widest range of NFC-enabled products. Enjoy a selection of more than 100 premium and innovative Sony accessories, varying from wireless headsets to BRAVIA® TVs. All of them work seamlessly together, so it's the best way to connect your smartphone to all your devices – with just one touch.
Seamless and simple
Have you ever spent hours setting up connections between various devices in your home? Well, now those days are over. Our NFC-enabled devices work seamlessly together, giving you a quick and easy way to connect all your devices with just one touch. See photos or videos from your smartphone on your TV. Or play music through a wireless speaker or wireless headphones. No fiddling with cables or buttons or settings. Just pure entertainment – just so easy.
One-touch connection
Touch to connect your Xperia™ Android device with your NFC-enabled SmartWear. Get notifications, control your music and more from your SmartWear, while life-logging everywhere you go.
One-touch listening
Play music on your Android device through a wireless NFC-enabled Sony speaker or Sony wireless headphones.
One-touch mirroring
View photos from your Android device on your TV. To activate screen mirroring, simply touch your Android device with the BRAVIA® TV remote.
One-touch sharing
Share photos, music and more between two Android devices. Or between your Android device and an NFC-enabled laptop, with just a single touch to the other device.
One-touch backup
Whether you take pictures with your smartphone, tablet or camera, you can now store them in the same place. The Sony Personal Content Station™ is a wireless hub for photos and videos.
More ways to connect
Connect it all with just one touch
Seamless and simple
Have you ever spent hours setting up connections between various gadgets in your home? Well, now those days are over. NFC (Near Field Communication) gives you a quick and easy way to wirelessly connect all your electronic devices with just one touch. See photos or videos from your smartphone on your TV. Or play music through a wireless speaker. No fiddling with cables, buttons or settings. Just pure entertainment – just so easy.
Processor and batteryclose
Blazing fast performance
The world's fastest smartphone processor***
We've matched the latest Sony software with the all-new, ultra-powerful Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor. This advanced Quad-core processor is 75% faster than S4 Pro and gives you maximum power and speed with outstanding battery time – run multiple apps simultaneously, surf the web with little loading time, and stream videos without a break. The Snapdragon 800 processor is asynchronous, which means each core is powered independently. So you get the precise amount of power when you need it, without wasting power when you don't.
***Specifications verified by Strategy Analytics, for more information, click here.
Breathtaking graphics
Delivering up to 50% increased graphic performance*, the updated Adreno 330 GPU (graphics processing unit) gives you the most advanced and visually stunning 3D games, and lets you browse the web lightning fast – all while using the lowest power consumption.
* Compared to its predecessor, Adreno 320
TM & ©2013 Marvel & Subs ©2013 Gameloft. All Rights Reserved. Gameloft and the Gameloft logo are trademarks of Gameloft in the US and/or other countries.
Ultra-fast LTE/4G technology
Your Xperia smartphone has a built-in LTE/4G modem. This enables blazing internet connections with up to 150 Mbit/s download and 50 MBit/s upload speeds.
Always loud and clear — HD Voice*
HD voice*eliminates background noise to improve voice clarity. That means that you can talk normally and be heard clearly, without having to raise your voice, even in noisy environments. Now you don't have to shout to be heard, or try to find a quiet place for your conversation.
* HD voice functionality is operator-dependant.
Significantly improve battery life with Battery STAMINA Mode
Smartphones use a lot of power, even when you're not actively using them. All those apps that you have on your Android™ smartphone may still be running in the background, draining your battery. Battery STAMINA Mode saves you wasted battery drain. It recognises when you're not using your display and automatically turns off the functions you don't need, while keeping the notifications you want. As soon as you press the power button to wake up your screen, everything is up and running again.
Get only the important notices
With Battery STAMINA Mode, Wi-Fi and data traffic are disabled during standby, but you still receive incoming calls, texts and alarms. And since everyone has different needs, you can easily customise which apps you want to receive push notifications from even in standby mode. Facebook notifications on or off? It's up to you.


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Softball / Inducted Oct. 10, 2009
Clark pitched for the Titan softball program for two seasons including the 1986 national championship campaign. She won 20 games as a junior and 33 as a senior in 1987 when she won the Broderick Award, presented to the nation's best collegiate softball player. Her career record was 53-7 with an earned run average of 0.37. She still holds the school single-season records for lowest opponent batting average (.086 in 1986) and most strikeouts per 7 innings (8.88 in 1986). Only Kathy Van Wyk (with 35 in 1982) won more games and only Susan Lefebvre (with 34 in 1986) had more complete games (32) in a season than Clark. In career statistics, despite only two seasons, Clark ranks No. 7 in wins, No. 2 in winning percentage (.883) and No. 4 in shutouts (34) and is No. 1 in opponent batting average (.121) and No. 4 in strikeouts per 7 innings (7.31).
The Glendale, Arizona, native graduated in 1987 and gave private lessons locally before beginning her collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Florida State (1990-95). She was hired to launch the softball program at the University of Texas as head coach and in the second varsity season (1998) she had the Longhorns in the Women's College World Series. Her 13-year record at Texas is 509-245-3 (.674).


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Tired of browsing for Android apps via your phone? No problem! Google has recently introduced the ability to download apps to your smartphone via the Android Market Website. Yes, you read that right! You can now download apps to your phone straight from your desktop web browser. No cables needed. You go to the website, login with your Gmail account, search for and select the app you want, and then it gets sent directly to your Android device via OTA (Over The Air). What are the benefits of searching for apps via the website? Well for starters, it's a heck of a lot easier to search for apps when you have a larger screen and a full keyboard. The website also provides improved methods of filtering items so that it is ultimately easier to find apps that interest you. Read more below for the Android Market Webstore link and some pics!
Visit the new Android Market Webstore here: http://market.android.com
Main Webstore Homepage:
Featured/Top Paid/Top Free Section:
Just like on your Android device, this section shows you what are the most popular apps available on the Market. It is split up into different categories: Featured, Free, and Paid Apps. Click on what you are interested in. You'll always find me in the FREE section!
My Account:
The My Account section of the site provides the ability to see all your Android devices' downloaded/installed apps. It even shows you when you downloaded the App.
Installing an App:
If you'd like to install an application from the website to your device:
- Navigate to an item you want to install and select it. The item details screen will appear. Read more about the item and its developer on this screen.
- If you want to install the item, select either the FREE button, or if it's a paid app, select the price of the app.
- Press OK to accept the permissions for the app.
- If you selected a free app, then the item will start downloading immediately.
- If you selected a paid app, you may be asked to sign in to an additional Google account. Sign in and select Purchase now if you want to proceed. Step through the purchase screens.
If you'd like to remove an application from your device:
- On your Android device (not from the website), go to your Android Market app, then select My apps from the Market home screen. (On some devices, press Menu and then touch My apps)
- Select the item you'd like to uninstall.
- On the application home screen, select the "Uninstall" button.
I really like the addition of the Android Market Webstore and think it makes finding apps even easier than before. How about you? Drop us a line in the comments below and let us know what you think of the new Android Market Webstore!
John A
Latest posts by John A (see all)
- How to Bypass the Samsung Galaxy S4 Lock Screen Password - February 5, 2014
- How to Add Password Protection to Google Play Store App - February 1, 2014
- Improve Health and Fitness with FitBit on Android - January 12, 2014


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From "The Ashbery Riff-Offs"
Witnessed in the Convex Mirror: The Ascetic's Secret
Brought it to the size of the mirror, he set himself
with great art to copy all that he saw in the glass
which he had decided would form the beginning
of memory. As the mirror was convex, he whistled
as he thought himself a genius: much was captured
in the convex gaze, including things he ignored
during his yesterdays but now will be part of his
consciousness. There, not just a vase with roses
but roses at the peak of ripeness with two petals
already fallen and giving the impression of cream
puddles against the mahogany-topped desk—
consequently, he anticipates he will associate
the rose perfume with decay. There, not just
burgundy silk drapes but ancient silk, which is
to say, ripped—consequently, he anticipates he
will associate silk, not with opulence but, with
weakness. It is not enough to see—the gaze must
widen before it focuses. Otherwise, one might fall
to avoid blinding light, instead of quickening forward
to meld more swiftly with the rapture of lucidity—
something justifies the ecstasy we see deep within
the naked ascetic's eyes, and for which he discarded
possessions he once thought would form history
Witnessed in the Convex Mirror: The Significance of Milk
Makes hot tears spurt: that the soul is not a soul
Yet that's the problem with nihilism—you won't
take the logical step of melting ploughshares
into swords. Heads are waiting to be rolled!
There, the milkmaid has covered her hair
with a scarf festooned with pink polka-dots
before doing her duty by cows with a hum
often breaking out into a song. The cows are
grateful, though they'll fill up again during
the day and need reprieve again in a matter
of hours. In conclusion, it matters little how
souls cannot be defined by the language that
was supposed to make us less animal. What is
important is how, despite your contempt
-ous gaze at the universe, you won't take
the logical step of slashing your belly while
a courtier-for-hire ensures the dance of your
head down the steps as it hops down towards
the River Danube, once a long-standing frontier
of the Roman Empire which now flows through
or touches the borders of 10 countries: Romania
Hungary, Serbia, Austria, Germany, Bulgaria
Slovakia, Croatia, Ukraine and Moldova—which
is all to say, souls remain unknown but History
perseveres with the constancy of milk a reward
Witnessed in the Convex Mirror: Beloved Achilles
Among the features of the room, an invitation
never mailed. Perhaps inside its sunlit yellow
envelope lies a female dragonfly pretending
to be dead to avoid sex. In too many species
to be male is to form an obnoxious horde
(recall the virgin Saturnia carpini to whose
scent male moths flocked until they covered
her cage even as several dozen still clambered
down Mr. Darwin's chimney to find her). Or
inside the sunshine-colored envelope may
be a puppy's ball, often placed delicately
by my niece's ankles but too often ignored
for what's blasting in the earphones shielding
her from the world which, yes, brought a
beloved dog but also a history I will never
know because, once, I, too, hid from a world
that throws the Biblical weak out of the wind
-ows of cars rushing to Las Vegas. Who am I
kidding? I taunt myself: Lying to yourself
again? I know that inside the envelope
so cruel due to its cheerful hue, rests not
a response to an invitation but an RSVP
I never bothered to mail. I am no longer
interested in cocktail parties or courtesy
I could not have imagined never ending a day
without tears welling up to spill acid down my
cheeks. Who could have imagined the utter
devastation unleashed when a dog dies?
(Saturnia carpini reference from Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver)
Eileen R. Tabios loves books and has released about 50 collections of poetry, fiction, essays, and experimental biographies from publishers in eight countries and cyberspace. Her most recent include The Opposite of Claustrophobia (Knives, Forks and Spoons Press) and Amnesia: Somebody's Memoir (Black Radish Books). Forthcoming poetry collections include Manhattan: An Archaeology (2017) and Hiraeth: Tercets From the Last Archipelago (2018). Inventor of the poetry form "hay(na)ku," she has been translated into eight languages. She also has edited, co-edited or conceptualized twelve anthologies of poetry, fiction and essays as well as served as editor or guest editor for various literary journals. See http://eileenrtabios.com.


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I played with my iron and crayons again, and created this eery landscape. IRL, it looks sooo cool, but loses some of the defnition in the photograph.
I stamped a couple of trees from Mark's Finest Papers "A Walk in the Woods" set.
Here is a link to show you how it is done.
I debated adding a sentiment, but couldn't decide what it should be, so I just left it off.
Thank you for stopping by!


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Dillon employee Susan Fairweather departs for opportunity in Avon
Longtime town of Dillon employee Susan Fairweather this week announced that she is leaving for an opportunity with the town of Avon.
Fairweather was hired as Avon's director of economic initiatives, which is a newly created position in the town. She will focus on working with current businesses and on attracting new ones to fill vacant offices, which was recently identified as a top priority by the Avon Town Council.
Fairweather was one of 17 candidates identified by Avon officials following a lengthy nationwide search. Six candidates were selected to review and critique Avon's economic development planning documents.
The field was then narrowed to two, from which Fairweather emerged as the top candidate.
"We are excited to have Susan join us this week. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Avon, which will allow her to hit the ground running," Avon Councilmember Todd Goulding said. "Susan will head the town's economic development program, including support of existing businesses, real estate development opportunities and special events.
"Her timing couldn't be better as we start a community-wide effort to define Avon's brand."
A native of Summit County, Fairweather served since 2007 as the town of Dillon's director of economic development, marketing and communication.
She was instrumental in the Dillon's branding efforts, developing and growing the town's special events and establishing partnerships with land and business owners to generate business and development projects in Dillon.
Fairweather also was instrumental in the formation of the Dillon Business Association and served as the town's liaison to the group. She served as the voice of Dillon on stage at the amphitheater for five years and on SCTV 10 interviewing business owners, elected officials and other guests.
Prior to Fairweather's stint in Dillon, she worked as the chief of marketing, communications and administrative services for Metro Parks, serving Summit County in Akron, Ohio. There she utilized her skills in organizational identity and rebranding efforts and the development of award-winning state- and nationally recognized special event programs.
As Avon's director of economic initiatives, Fairweather will work to achieve economic vitality through community investment in projects and partnerships to promote business retention and expansion for the town.
Fairweather's last day with the town of Dillon is Sunday, Feb. 9. She begins her new job Wednesday, Feb. 12, in Avon.
"It's one of those bittersweet moments," Fairweather said. "For the last six and a half years I've really enjoyed working with the Dillon community and its wonderful business owners, who have always supported me. It's hard to move on, but I'm also looking forward to the new and exciting challenges this job will bring."
Local residents and friends can keep in touch with Fairweather through her new email address, email@example.com.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


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What does it mean?
The meaning of ad infinitum is 'to infinity' or 'forevermore.' Ad infinitum and beyond! (Couldn't resist that one…)
'Infinitum' in Latin literally means 'to infinity.' The translation from Latin is as is. An early written use of the term is in Jonathan Swift's 'On Poetry: A Rhapsody' in the 17th century.
Improper Use
As ad infinitum is less commonly used in everyday speech, coming across improper use is rare. However, people may use it to express a long period of time. Pedantic though it may sound, this is incorrect; ad infinitum should only be used when referring to a literal forever. However, it sounds great when used sarcastically…
Proper Use
In its context, ad infinitum means 'for eternity.' It can also be abbreviated to 'ad inf.' Some examples:
'The human race should continue ad infinitum.'
'Space goes on ad infinitum.'


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This page should give you all a current project status for all the Web & Intranet projects and help you give feedback.
Special Downloads
This part of the project was started in February 2013 and was completed middle of 2013. The result of it was a clear concept of how to separate work into different units. A core element was separating the LOM-webs from the intranet and letting different people/companies create/sponsor different pieces of the entire solution. Work was distributed as follows:
In this phase the three national web sites are created and go live. The status of these are as follows
Shop is now independent of the Intranet and can be optimized to business needs.
Feedback/Problems: to
Monika Ingold
Finally a newsletter to be proud of! Thank you Jörg & Monika :)!
System sponsored by Dimando.
Please send Feedback/Problems to
Monika Ingold
The following table shows the LOM-List and Implementation Status (links found here):
New Corporate Design (57%)
Old MHS-Look (6%)
No website at the moment 6%
This is the largest part of the project. It is split into the following sub-projects, each showing the current status:


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I decided to go back over the manual and the video provided by Handi Quilter. Part way through the video they showed how the leaders on the take up pole were attached and low and behold mine draped to the front rather than to the back. The installers had put the leader on backwards. I don't know why I didn't twig on this earlier because my other set up is similar and those leaders hang the right way (I put that one together myself).
I finished stitching in the ditch and took the quilt off the frame. I noticed that the backing is slightly crooked, obviously operator error combined with the quilt's shifting on the poles. Luckily the quilt is one I am doing for family and I will be able to live with some of the imperfections... Adds character. (Ahhhhh).
But my machine is now set up properly with the locking mechanisms giving just the right amount of tension!
Note to self. If you think something is wrong...just because it was done by experts doesn't mean you are not right! Trust your gut!


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On the heels of another round of extremely cold temperatures set to hit the Chicago area, city residents are begging for some relief.
Weekend snow made for dangerous driving conditions Sunday as accidents were reported across the area, prompting traffic alerts from both Illinois and Indiana State Police.
But the snow didn't just make for miserable motorists, it also left city residents waving white flags at the winter weather.
"We've just about had enough of this weather," said Dietlach Pietsa.
By last week, the Chicago area had already received more than 40 inches of snow, surpassing snowfall totals for the entire winter season last year. And we're only halfway through meteorological winter.
The season average is 36.7 inches, an amount breached only six other times as long as records have been kept. And with more than 2 inches over the weekend, this year's snowfall number continues to climb.
From shovels to snow blowers to residents scraping off their cars Sunday, Chicagoans shared in their gripes about the far from modest winter conditions.
"It's been rough," said Latissia Young. "I'm even thinking about moving to another state."
"This has been a doozy," said Daniel Nelson. "From negative 14 to 40."
Pedro Rosado, who recently moved to Chicago from sunny California, said he's not sure he can survive another Chicago winter.
"I know it gets better," he said. "What do we have? Another two or one month of it?"


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