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National Security
WASHINGTON — By the time Marine Staff Sgt. Jamie Walton went to trial on rape charges, his accuser had changed her story several times.
A military lawyer who evaluated the case told Walton's commander they didn't have enough evidence to go to trial on sexual assault charges. The prosecutor even agreed. But the Marines ignored the advice.
"Everyone knew I didn't rape her," said Walton, who was acquitted of the charge last year. "But they went ahead with the trial anyway."
Walton's questionable prosecution clashes with the public's perception of a soft-on-rape military. A McClatchy analysis found that the military is prosecuting a growing number of rape and sexual assault allegations, including highly contested cases that would be unlikely to go to trial in many civilian courts.
However, most of the accused aren't being convicted of serious crimes.
Such results are provoking cynicism within the armed forces that the politics of rape are tainting a military justice system that's as old as the country itself.
"In the media and on Capital Hill, there's this myth that the military doesn't take sexual assault seriously," said Michael Waddington, a former Army judge advocate who now defends the cases. "But the reality is they're charging more and more people with bogus cases just to show that they do take it seriously."
McClatchy's review of nearly 4,000 sexual assault allegations demonstrates that the military has taken a more aggressive stance. Last year, military commanders sent about 70 percent more cases to courts-martial that started as rape or aggravated sexual-assault allegations than they did in 2009.
However, only 27 percent of the defendants were convicted of those offenses or other serious crimes in 2009 and 2010, McClatchy found after reviewing the cases detailed in the Defense Department's annual sexual assault reports. When factoring in convictions for lesser offenses — such as adultery, which is illegal in the military, or perjury — about half the cases ended in convictions.
The military's conviction rate for all crimes is more than 90 percent, according to a 2010 report to Congress by the Pentagon.
"The pendulum has swung," said Victor Kelley, a former federal prosecutor who's a defense attorney with the law firm National Military Justice Group. "It may be true that years ago some of these allegations weren't given the attention they deserved. But now many of them are given more deference than they're due."
But legal officials with all four military branches say the low conviction rate shows how difficult it is to convict the suspects, not that innocent people are being sent to trial. One common problem in all courts — military and civilian alike — is that a sexual assault victim's behavior comes under attack as much as that of the accused does. As a result, juries may not convict despite hearing significant evidence that a rape occurred.
Making acquittals even more likely, the military is prosecuting more contested cases under a controversial law that broadens the definition of sexual assault. Under the 2006 law, the military can argue that a victim was sexually assaulted because she was "substantially incapacitated" from excessive drinking and couldn't have consented.
"What would you have us do? Tell the victim she can't get justice just because it's a hard case?" asked Timothy MacDonnell, an Army prosecutor who retired in 2008. "Then you're saying to sexual predators, 'Just be careful and make sure you do it in private and you'll get away with it.' "
In dozens of interviews, however, a wide range of people who are involved in the military justice system questioned whether the military was weighing the proper legal considerations when deciding whether to take criminal action.
Unlike in the civilian justice system, a military commander, not a prosecutor, makes the final call on whether to press charges. At times, the commanders disregard their legal advisers' recommendations and pursue allegations of sexual assault, raising concerns that the anti-rape campaign of advocacy groups and Congress is influencing them.
Even some prosecutors say the strategy has backfired, making it more difficult to crack down on the crime in general.
"Because there is this spin-up of 'We have to take cases seriously even though they're crap,' it creates a kind of a climate of blase attitudes," said one Navy prosecutor, who asked to remain anonymous because she feared retaliation for speaking out.
"There is a pressure to prosecute, prosecute, prosecute. When you get one that's actually real, there's a lot of skepticism. You hear it routinely: 'Is this a rape case or is this a Navy rape case?' "
The reality, of course, is many women and men are raped or sexually assaulted in the military. When confronted with the crime even now, some commanders aren't aggressive enough in cracking down, many from all perspectives agree.
North Carolina native Stephanie Schroeder, for instance, said her superiors were unsympathetic after a fellow Marine followed her into a women's bathroom and raped her.
Her superior said, " 'Don't come bitching to me because you had sex and changed your mind,' " recalled Schroeder, who's since joined a lawsuit alleging that the military failed to protect her from the 2002 assault.
Her attacker was never punished, Schroeder said, while she was disciplined after her commanders concluded that she'd lied.
A federal judge is expected to decide soon whether to give Schroeder and others class action status in suing the military.
But many military attorneys describe cases such as Schroeder's as isolated instances that garner most of the attention and outrage.
"Even with this spotlight shining on the military, it has not eliminated the horror story of some commander ignoring valid charges," said Dwight Sullivan, senior appellate defense counsel for the Air Force. "We haven't prevented the horror stories and now we've created another problem of overcharging."
The pressure ratcheted up in 2003, when female cadets at the Air Force Academy accused commanders of ignoring their sexual assaults. In the wake of the scandal, the military prosecuted several of the accused.
The cases didn't go well. One of the juries took only 20 minutes in 2006 to acquit a defendant. After a judge dismissed charges against another cadet, civilian prosecutors declined to charge him in 2007 because of a lack of evidence.
In fact, none of the men accused in the scandal were convicted of charges related to non-consensual sex, said attorneys who were involved.
Citing such failures, Congress boosted the military's anti-sexual assault budget and crafted the new law to help prosecute cases.
As lawmakers turned up the pressure, the military acted on the demands. The number of all sex-crime allegations sent to courts-martial increased from 113 in 2004 to 532 in 2010, according to Defense Department data.
Too often, however, defendants are being prosecuted despite qualms about the evidence, attorneys said.
In Walton's case, the accuser initially denied having sex with him when her commander questioned her.
After Walton confessed to adultery and urged her to tell the truth, she admitted having an affair with him. At that point, she said in a sworn statement that she and Walton had picked up "protection" before heading to a hotel. She denied drinking any alcohol.
Three months later, she changed her account again, saying Walton had plied her with hard liquor before taking her to the hotel. While they were watching TV on the bed, she said, "he all of a sudden rolled on top of me."
"I don't think I said anything," she said in a statement. "I just remember my clothes coming off and I accepted it was happening."
The woman said she realized she'd been raped after attending anti-sexual assault classes. She notified the lawyer who was defending her against adultery charges. The woman also told her estranged husband.
When a military lawyer, known as an investigating officer, reviewed her allegations, he recommended that the Marines drop the aggravated sexual assault charge.
Not only had the accuser's story changed, friends said she'd told them the sex had been consensual and that she would do it again because she thought her husband was cheating on her.
The commander nonetheless rebuffed the lawyers' advice, pursuing nine charges against Walton that ranged from aggravated sexual assault to indecent language. Walton's possible fate changed from expulsion from the military to 30 years in prison.
"They threw everything at me to see what would stick," he said.
Commanders such as Walton's are instructed to consider the evidence, but they aren't required to follow their lawyers' advice. They also can weigh other interests such as the "good order and discipline" of their troops.
Given the push to prosecute, many commanders may see a trial as the best way to determine whether allegations are true.
"Most of the rape cases that I've defended in the military system never would have gone to trial in a civilian system because the prosecutor would say, 'There's no way I'm taking that to trial because I'm not going to get a conviction,' " said Charles Feldmann, a former military and civilian prosecutor who's now a defense attorney.
"But in the military, the decision-maker is an admiral or a general who is not going to put his career at risk on an iffy rape case by not prosecuting it. It's easy for him to say, 'Prosecute it.' If a jury acquits or convicts, then he can say justice was done either way."
"If a military commander dismisses a case and there's political backlash, he's going to take some real career heat over that dismissal," Feldmann said.
Prosecutors outside the military appear to have more success at trial. There's no exact comparison with the civilian justice system, but a study of the nation's largest counties showed that 50 percent of the defendants charged with rape were found guilty of felonies in 2006, the most recent year for which those statistics are available. In New York state, almost 88 percent of the defendants charged with felony sex crimes were convicted in 2010.
In many civilian jurisdictions, the victim has to be unconscious or physically helpless or some sort of force would have to be used for prosecutors to proceed with sexual assault charges.
"A lot of the cases I help people with today I couldn't prosecute in my old jurisdiction because it's not criminalized by state law," said Teresa Scalzo, a veteran civilian prosecutor and the deputy director of the Navy's Trial Counsel Assistance Program.
While the 2006 law allows the military to pursue more sexual assault allegations, it didn't make the prosecution of such cases any easier, attorneys said.
In one recent case, an enlisted woman said she was drunk and fading in and out of consciousness when Army Spc. Kevin Olds touched her breast and put her hand on his penis. The pair had been drinking heavily together during a party. The woman, who was married, told a friend she "did not stop what was happening because she did not want to hurt (his) feelings," according to court records.
At one point, she said, "No, it's OK." That meant, she testified, that she didn't want him to be mad, but she did not want him to continue. She conceded that he may have misunderstood what she meant.
Olds, who was married as well, said he'd thought the woman had consented.
Earlier this year, an investigating officer warned that "insufficient grounds" existed for a sexual assault prosecution.
A commander decided that charges should be pursued anyway. When the accuser said she'd prefer not to testify, the military sent the case to a summary court-martial, which is the equivalent of a misdemeanor court. Olds represented himself, and was acquitted on Nov. 15.
"It never should have seen the inside of a courtroom," said Charles Gittins, who represented Olds at the outset.
Army Sgt. Derek Akins was supposed to go to trial earlier this year in Fort Riley, Kan., after he was accused of sexually assaulting a fellow enlisted man's wife, according to court documents.
All three had been drinking heavily at a party at the couple's house. The husband said that he and his wife had shared a bottle of rum. The woman said Akins had flirted with her but that she didn't remember any sexual encounter because she'd passed out. The husband, however, contended that Akins had had sex with his semiconscious wife in his presence while all three were in the couple's bedroom.
In a last-minute reversal, the husband said that what had happened had been consensual. The military dropped the sexual assault charge.
"This is how nuanced and difficult these cases can be," said Philip Cave, Akins' lawyer and a retired Navy judge advocate. "The prosecution can be lied to as well."
In fact, an accuser and a defendant can have powerful motives to withhold important facts or lie about consensual sex. The military treats "fraternization" — socializing with someone who's lower in rank — as a crime. It's also illegal to have an extramarital affair or to have sex in some overseas locations.
McClatchy tried to talk to commanders about their roles in specific cases, but they either declined to be interviewed or referred a reporter to public affairs offices.
However, attorneys involved in prosecutions maintained that the military is weighing only the legal merits of cases, not the political ramifications.
"We have seen a push to prosecute more challenging cases," said Scalzo, who added that commanders "have become bolder because they've been educated about the nature of non-stranger sexual assault, especially when alcohol is involved."
Officials also denied that a low conviction rate signals any problems with the cases.
"I don't think it's an accurate way to measure the success of our program," said Janet Mansfield, an attorney with the Army's Office of the Judge Advocate General.
Asked how the Army was determining whether it's working, she responded that it was "hard to define."
"We want to see that due process exists," she said. "We want to see that victims are happy with the experience of the court-martial, if not the outcome."
Walton, however, thinks that the justice system has tilted unfairly in favor of the accuser.
After a two-year ordeal, the Marines convicted him of adultery and sent him to prison for six months. As soon as she made the rape accusation, the service dropped the adultery charge against his accuser. She was promoted, while he received a bad conduct discharge.
After 13 years in the military, Walton has lost his retirement and veteran's benefits, and the ability to attend college for free. And he worries that even an acquittal will be seen as a mark of guilt.
"A lot of people aren't going to like me because I made a stupid decision and I cheated on my wife," he said. "But I don't deserve to be seen as a rapist."
(Michael Doyle and Tish Wells contributed to this article.)
Do conflicts among Marine lawyers put justice at risk?


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Bruce has recently shared pictures of his trike carrier, which mounts in a hitch reciever, and carries two trikes. Nice.
Below is the structure of the hitch receiver 2 trike rack.
An earlier rack held 2 trikes on a small car roof.
Another still is this 3 trike roof top carrier.

subset: commoncrawl


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How Skateboarding, Cooking, and Boxing Taught Me To Make Films/
Guest post by John Zhao
Riding skateboards, boxing with the locals and cooking up a storm were the fun and affordable things I grew up enjoying. Film school I avoided because it wasn't as affordable and I was paranoid it would take out the fun. After I eventually experienced making a first feature, I couldn't help realizing a list of pastimes that seemed to inform me of how to go about being a first-time filmmaker. I'm sharing this list from my journal and hope to hear what other filmmakers do in between the cuts.
Former Skaters Spike and Harmony
That public location essential to your performance will try to kick you out. Have a getaway plan or a good lie.
There's a lot of fun to be had even if your wallet's near empty. The world is your playground.
Skate videos are absent of narrative and plot. They're a cornucopia of rhythms, textures, music, and poetry that can keep me intrigued for hours. How can a feature film do the same?
A general disrespect for money and authority is healthy.
Enjoy feeling pain over and over again. It can take a dozen drafts to find your film's soul and a twenty takes to nail your best move. See failure as slapstick, not sad.
Skateboarders bail and crash the second they become self-conscious of where to land, or intellectualize their movements mid-air. Take a leap of faith when you're "almost ready" and WILL IT into existence. Staying delusional like this while making films seems to work out.
Every skateboarder dances their own style. Finding your own style and voice, and being completely yourself can be a challenge. But you can make someone lonely in their world feel less lonely for being who they are. You can teach something new and push things forward.
It's an athletic art form. Develop a great sense of space, timing and balance. Being physically fit is essential for the ride.
Ang Lee, who loves to cook when not making films, directing The Wedding Banquet followed by Eat Drink Man Woman."
Between the producers, the director and the ADs, getting the best ingredients, timing everything accordingly, and serving it while it's hot will make or break a good recipe.
The reward is in seeing everyone enjoying a great meal; especially if it's a healthy one and with lots and lots of people. A film can be healthy or unhealthy, social or antisocial. It's up to the chefs to steer it towards good taste.
Too many cooks in the kitchen can mean trouble.
Your waiter interacts with your audience. Make sure your "restaurant" has "waiters" who care and about people.
Making dinner for someone you love, and even for yourself, always winds up tasting better than making dinner for the masses.
And chances are if you had no budget like me, you'll be doing more cooking than ordering.
Always seems like the hole-in-the-wall venues play the best stuff on their menu.
Following the recipe word for words takes the soul out of it.
Don't cut your own finger on the cutting room board.
Too much money spent on fancy pots, pans and tools won't necessarily make a better meal.
Respect the taster. Authenticity is key. Anyone can taste the difference between greasy Chinese takeout to real dim sum in Chinatown. Make something that rings true.
Stay in the center of the ring. Stay in the unified field. Never hang around the ropes.
You can tell if a boxer hasn't been doing his jump ropes and mile runs.
Do your homework before going on set.
Find the poetry and rhythm amongst the chaos and fear.
If you're shy like me, learn to not be afraid of confrontation (at least for the duration of the fight).
As each round goes by (or each take), your time is limited.
Make decisions wisely under pressure.
Bend the rules once you know how to follow them.
And chances are you'll want to make a film about boxing one day...
Being completely exhausted is evidence that you've done great work and given it all you've got.
Your "career" can end any day. You're only as good as your last fight.
Scorsese coaching Deniro."
John Zhao is a Korean-American filmmaker who moved to NYC to shoot his first feature with strangers and rent money to redefine his role as a broke college graduate. He's starting to skate again, reluctant for any more boxing brain damage, still enjoys cooking for his girlfriend and hopes that will carry him through making his second feature this year.


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Posts TaggedQ10
In these days of more, more and even more, isn't it sometimes refreshing to have less and less and less? I refer to distractions. While you're trying to concentrate on writing that next best–seller a million and one things are vying for your attention; Email notifications, Windows Updates, Tweets, FaceBook updates, BaseCamp notifications, whatever it might be, it wants you to read it right.this.instant.
This is where a full screen editor like Q10 comes in; turn off those notifications, disconnect the internet(!), fire up the app and relax a little… You now have a distraction free space to get some writing done. I used it to compose this article, should you give it a go too?


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Musical instruments
Bringing your instrument as part of your luggage
Hand baggage
You can bring small musical instruments (like flutes or violins) onto the plane as part of your hand baggage allowance. Please ensure they're stored in a hard case and can be safely stowed inside the overhead locker. If there is no stowage space, the instrument will have to be checked in.
Dimensions must not exceed 93 x 39 x 24cm or 36 x 15 x 9in (height x width x depth) including the case.
Weight must not exceed 7kg (15lbs) including the case.
Check in baggage
Large musical instruments, like a guitar or cello, which exceed the above limits or the cabin baggage allowance, must be checked into the hold. Please be aware that weight and dimension restrictions for check in baggage apply. These include the hard case of the instrument.
Stowing your instrument in the cabin
Travelling on Economy
You can store larger musical instruments (like a guitar or a cello) on a purchased seat if you do not want to check them in. You must store your instrument in a hard case, while our ground staff will fasten it upright into the seat in the canvas bag provided.
Due to temperature variation, expansion and contraction of the neck of stringed instruments may occur. We advise passengers to loosen their strings before travel to prevent any strain or damage.
Dimensions must not exceed 136 x 48 x 44cm or 54 x 19 x 17in (height, in vertical position x width x depth) including the case.^
Weight must not exceed 32kg (70lbs) including the case. +
^ If the thickness of the musical instrument's hard case is between 31cm (12in) and 44cm (17in) the instrument must be fastened upside-down due to space constraints.
+If you are connecting from another airline, please check your baggage restrictions, which can vary from the weight allowance of Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon. If in doubt, always use the smaller weight and dimension restriction.Please note weight allowance includes the hard case.
Travelling on First and Business class
Seats in First and Business class may be able to accommodate a musical instrument in an upright position or a musical instrument exceeding the common dimensions of 136 x 48 x 44cm (54 x 19 x 17in). Please contact your local reservations office or local travel agent for details.
How to buy your extra seat
If you would like to purchase an extra seat for your musical instrument, please contact our local reservations office to make your booking. Please do not book online, as there is currently no provision to purchase an extra seat for musical instruments.
You must make your booking at least three working days prior to when you would like to travel, to allow us to make the necessary handling arrangements, such as deploying installation equipment.
Whilst we don't like saying no to our passengers, we can only accept this sort of item on board if prior permission has been granted.


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Stress Reduction (Part 2) - Interventions in Diabetes
Ryan Bradley, ND, MPH March, 2010
In part 1 I briefly discussed the role of chronic psychological stress in health and disease, and its specific relevance in diabetes and heart disease. In this month's article, I will review some of the clinical research evidence that exists for various stress reduction approaches, and how each might impact risk factors in diabetes. Next month, I will review the research for stress reduction in high blood pressure, or hypertension.
As mentioned in last month's article, there are two goals for stress reduction: reduction of stressors and improvement of our response. A critical first step is the internal evaluation of which stressors are real versus perceived? Which stressors do you have control over now vs. which to accept for now? What resources do you have available- personal and in the community- to help? What obstacles to you need to overcome- or reduce- the stressors in your life? After this critical internal appraisal, experimenting with stress reduction techniques that fit into your lifestyle, philosophy and fitness level (in the case of movement therapies) adds an additional resource to your stress reduction toolbox!
Improving response to stress can come from a variety of approaches- including counseling therapies and breathing exercises with and without a movement component. Once learned, stress reduction techniques belong to us for life- whether a meditative therapy or a movement therapy! Nearly all techniques lend themselves to home practice, and can be practiced alone or in a group settings depending on your preference.
Techniques for stress reduction without a full-body movement component that have been studied in diabetes include stress management training, biofeedback training, and progressive muscle relaxation. Techniques that also include a movement component include yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong. Many of these practices have become popular and classes are readily available at local gyms, sports clubs, community centers and YMCA facilities.
What does the research say about stress reduction in diabetes?
Two of the earliest clinical trials of stress reduction interventions in type 2 diabetes were performed by Jablon et al. and Surwit et al. in 1997 and 2002 respectively. Jablon et al. evaluated progressive muscle relaxation and biofeedback training in 20 adults with type 2 diabetes. 1 Although no improvement was noted in blood glucose in their study, participants did experience reduced stress and anxiety scores following the intervention. (Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique of systematically flexing/contracting and then relaxing your muscles, starting at your toes and feet and working your way up all the way to your eyes and scalp! A typical practice would involve lying down, and beginning by curling your toes, flex and hold the contraction 10 seconds, then fully relax your toes. Move up to your lower legs- contracting for 10 seconds, and then relaxing, and so on. The process continues until you wrinkle up your face and forehead! This technique is excellent for reducing muscular "holding" of stress and is a great practice before sleep!)
Further early clinical trial research was performed by Surwit et al. in 2002 in which they randomly assigned patients to group diabetes sessions with and without stress management training. After 1 year, the group that received stress management training had HbA1c levels 0.5% lower than those who did not receive the stress management training, suggesting the therapies were effective, and the results were persistent.2
Specific Therapies - Tai Chi
One of the most studied stress reduction therapies in type 2 diabetes is Tai Chi, a movement based therapy originating in China. Tai Chi was technically a martial art (like karate) but without the punching and kicking. Instead, Tai Chi focuses on long, fluid, flowing movements linked together with breathing exercises into sequences of movements, called forms. Tai Chi is claimed to increase the flow of "Chi", or "Qi", (literally breath) the purported energetic vital force within us all!
Tai Chi has been evaluated in at least six clinical trials in type 2 diabetes, producing highly variable findings. Early uncontrolled clinical studies suggested modest improvements in fasting blood sugar and increases in insulin sensitivity 3, however clinical trials that were exercise-controlled for longer duration (16 weeks vs. 8 weeks) failed to show any improvement in insulin sensitivity or HbA1c. 4, 5 In these two neutral studies, Tai Chi was practiced twice a week for sixteen weeks.
Apparently this intensity or duration of practice was not enough to improve metabolic function (and thus did not reduce blood sugar) as subsequent clinical trials of more intensive Tai Chi practice of either increased frequency or longer duration have suggested benefit. Zhang et al. conducted a clinical trial of Tai Chi practiced one hour per day, five days per week for over three months and demonstrated significant reductions in fasting blood sugar, increased insulin and lower triglyceride levels. 6 An additional recent study of Tai Chi practiced twice per week for six months also showed reduced HbA1c, fasting blood sugar and improved quality of life. 7
Specific Therapies - Yoga
Often portrayed as a serene-looking form twisted precariously into unbelievable postures on pristine remote beaches, yoga is a fundamentally a breathing practice (and difficult in the sand). Many types of yoga also include a movement-based practice, with different styles requiring varying degrees of physical fitness. Selecting the best type for you should include trying several different styles; more strenuous styles can require conditioning and should be worked toward slowly in order to prevent injury and frustration!
Very few clinical studies of yoga in type 2 diabetes have been published in recent years in the United States (my unconfirmed understanding is the Indian literature has a long history of reports documenting the benefits of yoga in diabetes). Singh et al. published an uncontrolled clinical trial of 30-40 minutes of yoga per day for 40 days and demonstrated 50 mg/dl average reduction in fasting blood sugar, a 1.2% reduction in HbA1c and a 16 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure, i.e. the "top number". 8 The uncontrolled nature of this clinical study demands caution when interpreting these results, but the degree of observed improvement was much greater than what would be expected to occur spontaneously and thus I think it is safe to say some of the observed benefits where due to the yoga practice.
The second clinical trial by Skoro-Kondza et al. was an attempt to evaluate yoga therapies in a group community center. Unfortunately, low participation in this study, in part due to physical limitation and reduced conditioning, preventing evaluating the program in any meaningful manner in their study. 9 These findings reinforce the need for caution in choosing a yoga practice matched to your level of fitness and fitness goals.
Specific Therapies - Qigong
Similar in origin to Tai Chi, Qigong is another breathing practice with a movement component. There are some distinct differences between Tai Chi and Qigong. Qigong is reportedly easier to learn than Tai Chi because Tai Chi emphasizes long repeated forms of many breathing and movement positions, whereas Qigong tends to frequently repeat fewer, smaller movements. Also, historically, Qigong has a more medical orientation and can include specific visualization exercises reported to improve bodily function. In some cases, Qigong also involves massage or hands-on therapies, including some styles that recommend self-massage along with the visualization practices.
Two small, controlled, clinical trials have been performed evaluating Qigong in type 2 diabetes, including one at Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. An early controlled trial was published in 2002 by Tsujiuchi et al. in which 26 participant were randomized to Qigong or a waiting list. After four months, the Qigong group had an average HbA1c reduction of 0.8%, improved insulin secretion and reduced anxiety.10 In our recent clinical trial, Dr. Guan-Cheng Sun randomized participants into either a resistance training program, Qigong or no treatment. Qigong was practiced an hour per week in a group plus an hour per week at home. After 12 weeks, we observed significant reductions in fasting blood sugar, but not HbA1c, in the Qigong group compared to the other groups; we also observed a trend for improved insulin sensitivity, although this result was not statistically significant.11
Do These Different Approaches Have Different Effects?
Clearly practices like yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong are very similar, so how does one chose? Are there greater benefits from one vs. another? Is the practice going to be effective- for YOU?
One commonality is clear from the literature. Stress reduction is a practice and thus takes discipline and a degree of intensity of practice to be beneficial metabolically, i.e. to change your blood sugar. The clinical trials of short duration or with less frequent or less intense practice were less likely to show beneficial results. This suggests, although it cannot be known for sure, that the physical exercise component of these practices seems to be important, rather than only the stress reduction. However, our own trial of Qigong may be an exception to this statement, as our resistance exercise control exerted more energy and burned more calories but still had less metabolic benefit than our Qigong group.
We don't really know how if these practices are different from one another and I have long advocated for a clinical trial to really compare one to another. Generally, I would recommend yoga for patients who are reasonable fit and flexible because yoga builds lean muscle mass and improves balance and posture. A seasoned yoga instructor can tailor a class to any physical limitation. Tai chi and Qigong can be done at nearly any degree of physical fitness, and thus are better options for those less physically conditioned.
"Stress" is a very individualized experience, and therefore finding an individualized practice to reduce our stress is critical to success. Creating time for a disciplined stress reduction practice can be challenging, yet there are effective approaches available for all states of physical fitness, and that are adaptable to home or community practice. Even seated versions of many stress reduction activities are available. For many, finding a Tai Chi or Qigong group leads to greater community participation and social networking- adding extra benefit! Most importantly, learning stress reduction techniques, whether strictly meditative practices or a practice with movement combined, provides you with a lifelong skill to process and move beyond stressors that can impact your long- term health and quality of life!
In part 3, I will specifically review the evidence for various stress reduction techniques, including details on biofeedback, for lowering blood pressure- so stay tuned!
In health,
Stress Reduction Part 1
Stress Reduction Part 3
Where Can I find Out More Information?
More information can be found for each of these approaches at the following websites:
Tai Chi:
Medical Research on Tai Chi and Qigong: www.worldtaichiday.org/WTCQDHlthBenft.html
The Qigong Institute: www.qigonginstitute.org/main_page/main_page.php
The Institute of Qigong (Seattle): www.qigongseattle.org/index.html
1. Jablon SL, Naliboff BD, Gilmore SL, Rosenthal MJ. Effects of relaxation training on glucose tolerance and diabetic control in type II diabetes. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. Sep 1997;22(3):155-169.
2. Surwit RS, van Tilburg MA, Zucker N, et al. Stress management improves long-term glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. Jan 2002;25(1):30-34.
3. Wang JH. Effects of Tai Chi exercise on patients with type 2 diabetes. Med Sport Sci. 2008;52:230-238.
4. Tsang T, Orr R, Lam P, Comino E, Singh MF. Effects of Tai Chi on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in older adults with type 2 diabetes: a randomised double-blind sham-exercise-controlled trial. Age Ageing. Jan 2008;37(1):64-71.
5. Tsang T, Orr R, Lam P, Comino EJ, Singh MF. Health benefits of Tai Chi for older patients with type 2 diabetes: the "Move It For Diabetes study"--a randomized controlled trial. Clin Interv Aging. 2007;2(3):429-439.
6. Zhang Y, Fu FH. Effects of 14-week Tai Ji Quan exercise on metabolic control in women with type 2 diabetes. Am J Chin Med. 2008;36(4):647-654.
7. Song R, Ahn S, Roberts BL, Lee EO, Ahn YH. Adhering to a t'ai chi program to improve glucose control and quality of life for individuals with type 2 diabetes. J Altern Complement Med. Jun 2009;15(6):627-632.
8. Singh S, Malhotra V, Singh KP, Madhu SV, Tandon OP. Role of yoga in modifying certain cardiovascular functions in type 2 diabetic patients. J Assoc Physicians India. Mar 2004;52:203-206.
9. Skoro-Kondza L, Tai SS, Gadelrab R, Drincevic D, Greenhalgh T. Community based yoga classes for type 2 diabetes: an exploratory randomised controlled trial. BMC Health Serv Res. 2009;9:33.
10. Tsujiuchi T, Kumano H, Yoshiuchi K, et al. The effect of Qi-gong relaxation exercise on the control of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Care. Jan 2002;25(1):241-242.
11. Sun GC, Lovejoy JC, Gillham S, Putiri A, Sasagawa M, Bradley R. Effects of Qigong on glucose control in type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled pilot study. Diabetes Care. Jan;33(1):e8.


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In case Kirk Hamilton's preview of The Witcher 2 on the Xbox left you with unanswered questions about the 360 remake, here's CD Projekt with a professionally produced video filled with colorful lights, sounds, and people talking about making the game.
Yep, nothing like a highly-polished marketing movie to show us exactly where a game stands in terms of development. This is a raw, tightly-edited look at how the game developers are working to make the Xbox 360 version of its award-winning PC role-playing game so good that even PC players will buy it again, just for funsies.
Ha! Well guess what? It'll totally work, at least in my case. Can't speak for you people, but if I could you'd all be saying nice things about my eyes.


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IBM Storage-VMware integration: Get Ready for VM Volumes
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If you store your VMware bits on external SAN or NAS-based disk storage systems, this post is for you. The subject of the post, VM Volumes, is a potential storage management game changer!
Fellow blogger Stephen Foskett mentioned VM Volumes in his [Introducing VMware vSphere Storage Features] presentation at IBM Edge 2012 conference. His session on VMware's storage features included VMware APIs for Array Integration (VAAI), VMware Array Storage Awareness (VASA), vCenter plug-ins, and a new concept he called "vVol", now more formally known as VM Volumes. This post provides a follow-up to this, describing the VM Volumes concepts, architecture, and value proposition.
"VM Volumes" is a future architecture that VMware is developing in collaboration with IBM and other major storage system vendors. So far, very little information about VM Volumes has been released. At VMworld 2012 Barcelona, VMware highlights VM Volumes for the first time and IBM demonstrates VM Volumes with the IBM XIV Storage System (more about this demo below). VM Volumes is worth your attention -- when it becomes generally available, everyone using storage arrays will have to reconsider their storage management practices in a VMware environment -- no exaggeration!
But enough drama. What is this all about?
(Note: for the sake of clarity, this post refers to block storage only. However, the VM Volumes feature applies to NAS systems as well. Special thanks to Yossi Siles and the XIV development team for their help on this post!)
The VM Volumes concept is simple: VM disks are mapped directly to special volumes on a storage array system, as opposed to storing VMDK files on a vSphere datastore.
The following images illustrate the differences between the two storage management paradigms.
You may still be asking yourself: bottom line, how will I benefit from VM Volumes?Well, take a VM snapshot for example. With VM Volumes, vSphere can simply offload the operation by invoking a hardware snapshot of the hardware volume. This has significant implications:
Here's the first takeaway: With VM Volumes, advanced storage services (which cost a lot when you buy a storage array), will become available at an individual VM level. In a cloud world, this means that applications can be provisioned easily with advanced storage services, such as snapshots and mirroring.Now, let's take a closer look at another relevant scenario where VM Volumes will make a lot of difference - provisioning an application with special mirroring requirements:
Here's the second takeaway: With VM Volumes, management is simplified, and end-to-end automation is much more applicable. The reason is that there are no datastores. Datastores physically group VMs that may otherwise be totally unrelated, and require close coordination between storage and VMware administrators.
Now, the above mainly focuses on the VMware or cloud administrator perspective. How does VM Volumes impact storage management?
VM's are the new hosts: Today, storage administrators have visibility of physical hosts in their management environment. In a non-virtualized environment, this visibility is very helpful. The storage administrator knows exactly which applications in a data center are storage-provisioned or affected by storage management operations because the applications are running on well-known hosts. However, in virtualized environments the association of an application to a physical host is temporary. To keep at least the same level of visibility as in physical environments, VMs should become part of the storage management environment, like hosts. Hosts are still interesting, for example to manage physical storage mapping, but without VM visibility, storage administrators will know less about their operation than they are used to, or need to. VM Volumes enables such visibility, because volumes are provided to individual VMs. The XIV VM Volumes demonstration at VMworld Barcelona, although experimental, shows a view of VM volumes, in XIV's management GUI.
Here's a screenshot:
That's not all!
Storage Profiles and Storage Containers: A Storage Profile is a vSphere specification of a set of storage services. A storage profile can include properties like thin or thick provisioning, mirroring definition, snapshot policy, minimum IOPS, etc.
Note that when a VM is created today, a datastore must be specified. With VM Volumes, a new management entity called Storage Container (also known as Capacity Pool) replaces the use of datastore as a management object. Each Storage Container exposes a subset of the available storage profiles, as appropriate. The storage container also has a capacity quota.Here are some more takeaways:
To summarize the VM Volumes value proposition:
For additional information about VM Volumes, check out [VMware Storage APIs for VM and Application Granular Data Management] blog post by Duncan Epping, a Principal Architect in the Technical Marketing group at VMware!
Until you can get your hands on a VM Volumes-capable environment, the VMware and IBM developer groups will be collaborating and working hard to realize this game-changing feature. The above information is definitely expected to trigger your questions or comments, and our development teams are eager to learn from them and respond. Enter your comments below, and I will try to answer them, and help shape the next post on this subject. There's much more to be told.
technorati tags: IBM, VMware, vSphere, VM Volumes, vVOL, Stephen Foskett, VMworld, Barcelona, Spain, XIV, RPO, SSD
IBM October 2012 Tivoli Storage Announcements
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A lot was announced this week, so I decided to break it up into several separate posts. This is part 3 in my 3-part series, focusing on our Tivoli Storage products. To read the rest of the series, see:
To learn more about all of the announcements this week, see the [Storage Announcement Page].
technorati tags: IBM, TSM, FCM, TSM-VE, VMware, SAP, HANA
IBM October 2012 Tape and Storage Hypervisor Announcements
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A lot was announced yesterday, so I decided to break it up into several separate posts. This is part 2 in my 3-part series, focusing on: Storwize V7000 Unified, LTO-6 tape, and the SmartCloud Virtual Storage Center.
(to read the rest of the series, see [Part 1-Enterprise Systems: DS8000, TS7700 and XIV])
To learn more about all of the announcements today, see the [Storage Landing Page].
technorati tags: IBM, Storwize V7000, Unified, storage, NAS, FCoE, Real-Time Compression, OpenStack, Nova-volume, Brad Johns, LTO-6, SmartCloud, Virtual Storage Center, Storage Hypervisor, SVC, FlashCopy
IBM October 2012 Enterprise Systems Announcements
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Well it's Wednesday, and you know what that means... IBM Announcements.
(Normally, announcements are on Tuesdays, but we moved this one over to Wednesday to line up with our big launch event in Pinehurst, NC. )
A lot was announced today, so I decided to break it up into several separate posts. I will start with our Enterprise Systems: DS8870, TS7700 Release 3, and XIV Gen3.
Enterprise systems are the servers, storage and software at the core of an enterprise IT infrastructure. Enterprise systems enable a private cloud infrastructure at enterprise scale, with flexible service delivery models that provide dynamic efficiency for resource and workload management. They make sure critical data is always available across the enterprise, making it accessible in new ways so that actionable insights can be derived from advanced and operational analytics. They also provide ultimate security, ensuring the integrity of critical data while mitigating risk and providing assured compliance.
To learn more about all of the announcements today, see the [Storage Landing Page].
technorati tags: IBM, DS8000, DS8870, TS7700, TS7720, TS7740, FDE, Encryption, XIV, Gen3, ANSI, T10, DIF, iPhone, iPad, DOE, SSD, RoHS, VAAI, VMware, SRM, Microsoft, Hyper-V,
IBM Tucson Executive Briefing Center is Hiring!
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With the economy recovering from the [Global Recession], my manager has been given authorization to hire new Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the [IBM Tucson Executive Briefing Center!] Here are a few answers to questions you might have:
Where is the job located?
The job is located in Tucson, Arizona, which is a great place to live! Tucson is the headquarters for IBM storage design and development, with the largest collection of engineers, software developers and testers. The IBM Tucson Executive Briefing Center is located on the [University of Arizona Science and Technology Park] campus that houses over 7,000 employees from 50 different companies.
What does the job entail?
Primarily, you will be developing, customizing and presenting Powerpoint presentations and live product demos. For some briefings, you will work with sales reps, IBM Business Partners, and clients to develop an agenda of topics to discuss. At times, the presentation may involve working to solve the client's problems, drawing on the whiteboard or flip charts to help capture the requirements and architect a solution.
Which products are we talking about?
The [IBM System Storage product line] includes solid-state drives (SSD), block and file-based disk systems, tape drives and libraries, storage virtualization, and storage management software.
Is there any opportunity for travel?
Most of the presentations will be performed in Tucson, either in person, by webcast or video conference call. Sometimes, this includes discussions over drinks, dinner or golfing. Occasionally, there will be travel to present at client locations, IBM branch offices, events or conferences. My manager estimates approximately 10 percent travel.
Is the pay based on a commission?
Absolutely not! We are consultants, not salespeople. To maintain our "trusted advisor" status, it is a flat salary, with possibility for year-end bonus based on how well our division does overall. This allows us to present and position all of the products fairly to the clients at briefings without bias. Our clients appreciate that! The job is considered pre-sales technical support.
Is training included?
Yes. Assuming you already have a strong background in storage hardware and software, and how these connect to SAN and LAN networks for a variety of operating systems like z/OS, AIX, Windows and Linux, there will be training for the latest updates and features of the IBM products throughout the year. Also, there will be professional training to build up your public speaking and meeting facilitation skills.
How do I apply?
If you are an American citizen, fluent in the English language, and have at least a Bachelor's Degree, go to the [IBM Employment website], look for "Storage Support Specialist" position using job code "STG-0524037" or "STG-0525309". IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.
The job is immediately available. Apply today!
technorati tags: IBM, Tucson, EBC, SME, Arizona


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Monday, 12 April 2010
The effect of cycle usage on traffic jams
The two videos show possible futures for drivers in the city. The left hand side of each shows what the situation would be by 2020 if there was ten percent less cycle usage than at present while the right hand side shows the situation if there is ten percent more cycle usage compared with the present.
Investing in cycling infrastructure which encourages a higher cycling rate not only benefits cyclists but also drivers and society as a whole.
What's more, it is easier to address problems for drivers by improving conditions for cyclists as even the best quality of cycle provision is less expensive and more compact than building roads.
Once again, it can be seen that promoting cycling is good not only for environmental and health reasons, but also for fiscal reasons.
The Fietsberaad have produced a (long) publication in Dutch which goes into more detail. This includes the observation that subjective safety is improved by an increase in cycling vs. driving. Half of all car journeys in the Netherlands are under 7.5 km (therefore easy to target as cycling journeys). Many larger cities in The Netherlands have successfully increased cycle use quite sharply in recent years. e.g. Groningen by 10% over 3 years, Amsterdam by 36% over 16 years and Den Haag by 11% over 3 years. It is also expected that the change to taxing motorists per km driven will result in an increase in cycling in the Randstad area of about the same amount.
6 comments:
- dr2chase said...
Ahoy, your videos are removed. But the message is a great one for the US -- "get your neighbor to ride his bike, more road for you, and you can do it on the cheap". Sadly effective, but maybe we can trick people into supporting infrastructure nice enough that they would use it themselves.
- 12 April 2010 at 03:15
- David Hembrow said...
Sorry about the videos. I wrote this a few days ago, since when the videos were removed and then put back on youtube with different IDs. They've been restored now.
- 12 April 2010 at 07:40
- Eneko Astigarraga said...
Sometimes statistics are difficult to manage and are relative. Writing from Spain... a 10% here is different that a 10% there in the Netherlands. Anyway, very interesting!
- 12 April 2010 at 11:44
- anna said...
Interesting numbers! I'll have to point out to my car-focused friends, that they benefit most from an increase in the number of cyclists. Although I would still prefer to see them cycling than in a car on a empty road...
- 12 April 2010 at 13:46
- Marco te Brömmelstroet said...
you might be interested in my post about the same material and the implications for Munich: http://muenchenierung.blogspot.com/2010/03/bicycle-as-main-solution-for-traffic.html
Also, a discussion in the comments of a recent post on the statistics of cycling in the Netherlands: http://muenchenierung.blogspot.com/2010/04/supporting-bike-revolution-from-bottom.html
- 12 April 2010 at 20:22
There are similar arguments about car sharing. On the outskirts of Bristol I count just one in twenty vehicles having more than one person during the work rush hour. Cycling is even lower.
We give far too much land to the car when it would be better used for food, recreation and housing. People in cars also make wasted journeys, a cyclist will try hard not to. If there was less traffic and so less congestion would there be less cyclists?
Mark Garrett, Bristol UK
- 13 April 2010 at 17:15


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Michael Monney
Escape IIIAbout this photograph
This photograph, made by Michaël Monney, comes from the series entitled Escape, which is characterised by compositions structured by elongation and by superimposing intense bands of colour. Variations of light, lines and colours constitute various forms of formal and spatial research for the artist as ?elements designed to capture life in its infinite multiplicity.? The representation of pure and linear forms clearly evokes a return to the essence of things. Taking the photography of real objects as his starting point, such as water in the form of liquid in a bottle, Monney takes on live materials in the manner of a painter, using the creative resources offered by new technologies as his tools. Like the photographic distortions that André Kertesz devoted himself to in the year 1933, Michaël Monney invents a photographic language in which pixels stand in for matter and words.Read more Read less
|Standard Delivery
|Classic, Colorful
|Giant, Collector, Exception
Born in 1977, Michaël Monney lives and works in Paris. Having inherited the strong artistic sensibility of one of his grandfathers, thanks to whom he learned to draw and sculpt, he now deploys his visual imagination and inventiveness via the photographic medium. He has reversed the creative process by starting with the photography of real objects, which later results in productions closer to drawing or painting, verging on abstraction.


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A website gaining popularity among 20- and 30-somethings mostly features 1990s nostalgia pieces and "listicles" (short articles organized in the form of a list, e.g., "100 Ways to Have Fun"). Apparently it has been the inspiration for many of commentator Robert L. Ehrlich recent columns.
Be it his piece Sunday about college student loans ("On student loans, Chavez and Joe Flacco's taxes," March 31) or previous blasts against President Barack Obama and "liberal groupthink" on campus, Mr. Ehrlich seems content to merely list a series of supposed liberal boogeymen and call it a day's work.
The comments sections following Mr. Ehrlich's articles frequently express incredulity that The Sun continues to employ him. Happily, I did not live in Maryland when Mr. Ehrlich was governor, but the nickname his online foes have bestowed on him seems to be "Bobby Haircut."
To mix metaphors, Mr. Ehrlich seems to be all haircut and no cattle: listing right-wing scare tactics without feeling any need to support them with arguments. As long as The Sun continues to employ him I will only read it online for free.
David Swedler, Baltimore


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medial geniculate nucleus
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to medial geniculate nucleus: auditory cortex, basal ganglia, Lateral geniculate nucleus
medial geniculate nucleus
The auditory relay nucleus of the thalamus. It is on the back undersurface of the thalamus, above the cerebral peduncle. It receives auditory axons from the inferior colliculus, and it sends axons to the auditory cortex (superior temporal gyrus of Heschl [area 41]) in which the neurons are organized according to auditory pitch.
See also: nucleus
pl. nuclei [L.]
1. cell nucleus; a spheroid body within a cell, contained in a double membrane, the nuclear envelope, and containing the chromosomes and one or more nucleoli. The contents are collectively referred to as nucleoplasm. The chromosomes contain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which is the genetic material that codes for the structure of all the proteins of the cell.
2. a mass of gray matter in the central nervous system, especially such a mass marking the central termination of a cranial nerve.
3. in organic chemistry, the combination of atoms forming the central element or basic framework of the molecule of a specific compound or class of compounds.
4. the dense core of an atom; called also atomic nucleus. It is made of protons and neutrons held together by the strong nuclear force. Traveling in orbit around the nucleus is a cloud of negatively charged particles called electrons. The number of protons in the atomic nucleus gives a substance its identity as a particular element (2).
nucleus abducens
located in the floor of the fourth ventricle; its axons constitute the abducent nerve.
nucleus ambiguus
the nucleus of origin of motor fibers of the glossopharyngeal, vagus and accessory nerves that supply the striated muscle of the pharynx and larynx. Found in the medulla oblongata.
arcuate nucleus, nucleus arcuati
small irregular areas of gray substance on the ventromedial aspect of the pyramid of the medulla oblongata.
atomic nucleus
nucleus (3).
basal nucleus
large brain nuclei, the caudate and lentiform nuclei, which combine with the white matter to form the corpus striatum. Important in the regulation of motor function.
caudate nucleus, nucleus caudatus
an elongated, arched gray mass closely related to the lateral ventricle throughout its entire extent, which, together with the putamen, forms the neostriatum.
central nervous system nucleus
aggregations of neurons within the brain.
cerebellar nucleus
there are a number of them; they are surrounded by the medulla oblongata caudal to the cerebellum.
cochlear nucleus (dorsal and ventral)
the nuclei of termination of sensory fibers of the cochlear part of the vestibulocochlear (eighth cranial) nerve, which partly encircle the inferior cerebellar peduncle at the junction of the medulla oblongata and pons.
cranial nerve nucleus
aggregations of cell bodies associated with the cranial nerves, which in general are organized as continuations of the four gray matter components of the spinal cord plus three others which appear in the medulla oblongata developed for innervation of the organs in the head.
cuneate nucleus
medial and lateral nuclei are situated in the medulla oblongata.
dentate nucleus, nucleus dentatus
the largest of the deep cerebellar nuclei lying in the white matter of the cerebellum.
Edinger-Westphal nucleus
located in the midbrain and a center for coordination of oculomotor activity.
facial nucleus
in the medulla oblongata and the origin of the facial nerve.
gracile nucleus
located in the medulla oblongata.
habenular nucleus
the gray matter of the habenula.
hypoglossal nucleus
located in the medulla oblongata, the origin of the hypoglossal nerve.
lateral geniculate nucleus
concerned in the transmission of visual stimuli.
lenticular nucleus, lentiform nucleus
the part of the corpus striatum just lateral to the internal capsule, comprising the putamen and globus pallidus.
medial geniculate nucleus
a nucleus within the thalamus; involved in transmission of auditory stimuli.
motor nucleus
any collection of cells in the central nervous system giving origin to a motor nerve.
oculomotor nucleus
the cells of the midbrain which make up the origin of the oculomotor nerve.
olivary nucleus, nucleus olivaris
1. a folded band of gray matter enclosing a white core and producing the elevation (olive) on the medulla oblongata.
2. olive (2).
nucleus of origin
any collection of nerve cells giving origin to the fibers, or a part of the fibers, of a peripheral nerve.
paraventricular nucleus, nucleus paraventricularis
a band of cells in the wall of the third ventricle in the supraoptic part of the hypothalamus; many of its cells are neurosecretory in function and project to the neurohypophysis, where they secrete oxytocin (and, to a lesser extent, antidiuretic hormone).
pontine nucleus, nucleus pontis
groups of nerve cell bodies in the part of the pyramidal tract within the ventral part of the pons, upon which the fibers of the corticopontine tract synapse, and whose axons in turn cross to the opposite side and form the middle cerebellar peduncle.
pulpy nucleus, nucleus pulposus
a semifluid mass of fine white and elastic fibers forming the center of an intervertebral disk. It serves to distribute pressure over the vertebral body. It shows early age changes, may calcify and herniate through the fibrous rings that enclose it to cause disk disease.
red nucleus
an oval mass of gray matter (pink in fresh specimens) in the anterior part of the tegmentum and extending into the posterior part of the hypothalamus; one of the important relay stations in the extrapyramidal motor pathway of the CNS; origin of the rubrospinal tract in the cord; called also nucleus ruber.
nucleus ruber
see red nucleus (above).
salivatory nucleus
groups of preganglionic parasympathetic neurons concerned with salivary secretion organized into a rostral nucleus, of the facial nerve, and the caudal nucleus, of the glossopharyngeal nerve.
sensory nucleus
the nucleus of termination of the afferent (sensory) fibers of a peripheral nerve.
supraoptic nucleus, nucleus supraopticus
one just above the lateral part of the optic chiasm; many of its cells are neurosecretory in function and project to the neurohypophysis, where they secrete antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and, to a lesser extent, oxytocin; other cells are osmoreceptors that stimulate ADH release in response to increased osmotic pressure.
tegmental nucleus
several nuclear masses of the reticular formations of the pons and midbrain, especially of the latter, where they are in close approximation to the superior cerebellar peduncles.
thoracic nucleus, nucleus thoracicus
a column of cells in the dorsal gray column of the spinal cord, extending from the seventh or eighth cervical segments to the second or third lumbar level.
trapezoid body nucleus
a relay station in the auditory pathways.
trigeminal nucleus
there are three sensory nuclei and one motor nucleus of the trigeminal nerve found in the brainstem; the sensory nuclei comprise the mesencephalic nucleus, the nucleus of the descending tract, and the principal sensory nucleus, but none is exclusive to the trigeminal nerve, all of them receiving sensory inputs from other cranial nerves.
trochlear nucleus
source of the trochlear nerve; located in the tegmentum of the midbrain.
vagus nucleus
source of the vagus nerve.
vestibular nucleus, nucleus vestibularis
the four cellular masses (superior, lateral, medial and inferior) in the floor of the fourth ventricle, in which the branches of the eighth cranial (vestibulocochlear) nerve terminate.


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....and here are other samples along with photos of finished buildings documented exclusively using SU Pro/ LayOut.
My main points of comparison can be summed up like this:
- Excellent for outputting construction information and automatically linking/ compiling drawings.
- Seemingly cost effective for very large projects, but prohibitive for small projects.
- It is a post-design tool only.
- Used to assist in the design process.
- Exports technical data from the model, though this is as yet an unrefined process within SketchUp. However Rpreports can produce Bills of Materials from SketchUp. (Windows platform only)
- Creates excellent construction documents in conjunction with LayOut.
- Cost effective for very small to medium size projects (May in time become cost effective for large/ very large projects)


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Water Pillows
Our water pillows by Chiroflow and Mediflow are the ultimate in luxurious comfort. Comfortable and supportive, the amount of water is easily adjusted to achieve the desired amount of firmness. Water displacement is quiet and easily adapts to various sleeping positions. sensitive skin, won't stain clothes, are easy to apply and convenient to use, as well as fast-drying and waterproof.


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WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- A volcano in the center of New Zealand's North Island is showing signs of a possible imminent eruption, vulcanologists in the country are warning.
The Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences said the temperature beneath Ruapehu's Crater Lake was 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit but the lake itself was only 68 degrees F., suggesting a volcanic vent may be partly blocked.
A resulting pressure build-up beneath the Crater Lake would mean a heightened likelihood of eruptions in the near future, experts said.
"We think the pressure beneath Ruapehu Crater Lake has increased and this makes an eruption more likely over the next weeks to months," vulcanologist Steve Sherburn said in a statement.
Such a build-up of pressure beneath the lake was thought to have triggered the last eruption of Ruapehu in 2007 and a smaller eruption in 2006, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
In August, two other New Zealand volcanoes erupted.
Mount Tongariro, also in central North Island, erupted Aug. 6 for the first time since 1897.
Two day later White Island, a marine volcano about 30 miles to the east of North Island, erupted, sending up an ash plume aloft in its first eruption since 2001.


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Here are 2 100% crops out of a high ISO shot. Notice the tendency to make red and green splotches? We have gotten so used to just turning on a bit of NR that wipes it out. Is it really noise or is it de-bayering? The ISO was to crank the gain making the splotches visible. A low ISO shot does not show them in any visible way. Are they there in a subtle way?
Hi,Shot noise. Natural variation in number of photons collected. That is what I think. May be something else. Increase "nose reduction->color" if you are using Lightroom. If it is shot noise there is little else to do about it.At low ISO you sample more photons so the problem goes away.Best regardsErik
Maybe people call it shot noise. My point is what should be a brown field is turned into red and green. The same on the darker mountain spots. Why is the color changed? If it is noise it should be fluctuations around brown not red green.
Hi,The sensor doesn't see browns but reds or greens. So you have a variation in reds and greens.The natural variation is essentially the square root of the number of photons collected. Let's assume that you collect 50000 photons at saturation. Now, let us assume neutral 18% gray, that is about 9000 photons. Let us further assume that you shoot at 800 ISO, with nominal ISO being 100. Than you would collect 1125 photons per pixel. Let assume that you are looking at a part that is in the shadow, say two stop under. Now we are at 280 photons.So if we have 280 photons, natural variation would be +/- 16 sof photon count would vary between 263 and 296. Actually 65% of the pixels would vary between 263 and 296, if I recall statistics right. So you get a lot of natural variation. Nothing to do about it, except increasing exposure.If you want to learn about noise, I would recommend this article: http://theory.uchicago.edu/~ejm/pix/20d/tests/noise/index.htmlBest regardsErik
Hi Bart, I see we are starting to deviate from the initial 'ideal' thought experiment :-)Ok, in this case we need to decide whether we are dealing with a uniform patch of tones or the single sensel (star) version.
I take it from your example that we are looking at a uniform patch, so the first image works and we are forgetting about the loss of detail.
For simplicity, let's assume that the standard daylight light source can be filtered perfectly by three equally sized bands (vertically by the Foveon sensor and horizontally by the Bayer) and that the area of one Foveon Pixel is the same as that of a single Bayer sensel (the Green one in your example) so that the sensors would output (128,128,128) and (0,128,0) to their respective R*G*B* raw data.
The Bayer sensor would therefore produce a matrix of repeating data such as (128,0,0) (0,128,0) (128,0,0)... in a 'Red' row followed by an offset repeating (0,0,128) (0,128,0) (0,0,128)... in the 'Blue' row and so on.
On the other hand the Foveon would produce an equal number of raw data points of value (128,128,128). As you say the value 128 above is the mean, while in fact it would vary from raw value to raw value according to Poisson statistics. These variations would be restricted to the recorded values and not spill over from one sensel to the one next to it because they are inherent in the incoming photons which, if filtered, would simply not be there.
If the above is correct, then the second image appears too sparse and too noisy, but I assume you did not use it for demosaicing since the final one looks correct :-)
In theory any demosaicing noise improvement in the ideal Bayer will only result from a further reduction in the substantially lower detail available (the real differentiator in the 'uniform patch' case).
To clarify, there is no need for binning in this thought experiment, just simple demosaicing.
Four ideal Bayer Sensels (one red, one blue and two green) cover exactly the same real estate as one ideal Foveon Pixel in the example above.
If, for a given exposure as before, 384 photons of D50 light arrive on such an area of the Foveon sensor, it will record (128,128,128) for this position in its R*G*B* raw file. On the other hand the same 384 photons will arrive on the same area of a Bayer sensor - but each of the sensels, being 1/4 the area of the Pixel, will only see 1/4 of them on its turf, that is 96. And since each sensel is covered by a perfect bassband filter that only lets through 1/3 of the arriving daylight photons, the sensor will record (32,0,0) (0,32,0) (0,0,32) (0,32,0) in its R*G*B*G* raw file.
For simplicity let's assume that no demosaicing is needed for the Foveon and a simple algorithm (say -h) is used to demosaic the Bayer data. The result would be (32,32,32) ...
Contrary to the others we dreamed up,
imo this example is better at comparing apples to apples because the resolution from both ideal sensors should be similar,
including the effects of a 4-dot beam splittin' antialiasing filter.
Hi Jack, Actually, I'm a bit at a loss as to what it is that you are trying to ask, tell, or suggest.
JH Wrote: 'For simplicity let's assume that ... a simple algorithm (say -h) is used to demosaic the Bayer data. The result would be (32,32,32) ...'No, the demosaiced result would be [128,128,128] for the 4 theoretically perfect output pixels (the same as the Foveon type of sensor) added together to the same surface area.
Actually I believe that we are in full agreement, with the possible exception of this statement which goes to the root of (my) confusion:Quote from: BartvanderWolfNo, the demosaiced result would be [128,128,128] for the 4 theoretically perfect output pixels (the same as the Foveon type of sensor) added together to the same surface area.This makes no sense to me, unless we bring into the discussion the difference between brightness and exposure of my first post, with related consequences on SNR and IQ.
No, the demosaiced result would be [128,128,128] for the 4 theoretically perfect output pixels (the same as the Foveon type of sensor) added together to the same surface area.
Forget about Foveon for a second and think only about the Bayer in my example. We are looking at a square area A on the ideal Bayer sensor made up of 4 sensels in a 2x2 matrix, each of area A/4: 1 under a red , 1 under a blue and 2 under a green ideal color filter (CFA). If 384 photons reach area A, each A/4 filter area will only see 1/4 of them or 96. And since each filter only lets through 1/3 of them in our idealized example, the sensel underneath each filter will receive 32 photons and that's the value it would record in the raw data for each of the four sensels of our investigation.
Simple demosaicing of the raw data (for instance with dcraw -h 'half' switch, which keeps the red and blue values as 'they are' and averages the greens) would produce a single R*G*B* Pixel for the whole of area A of value (32,32,32), with a given SNR, keeping in mind the earlier proviso on the green channel - because demosaicing works off the raw data.
More complicated demosaicing would give the same result, but it would be harder to follow. Of course we could in fact express this as any value we desired through digital post processing operations (let's call them brightness/tonal corrections) in-camera or in-computer, but the underlying information and SNR (IQ) would remain unchanged.
Now let's shrink the sensels: If area A contained 64 smaller Bayer sensels instead of 4, once downrez'd to a single ideal Pixel for area A, for the given SNR as before such a pixel would have the exact same value (32,32,32).
Is my confusion with your (128,128,128) statement above clearer now?
I'm not sure why you are mentioning the S/N ratio here...Quote If area A contained 64 smaller Bayer sensels instead of 4, once downrez'd to a single ideal Pixel for area A, for the given SNR as before such a pixel would have the exact same value (32,32,32)Not really, apart from the practical implications which do not scale down perfectly with geometry.
If area A contained 64 smaller Bayer sensels instead of 4, once downrez'd to a single ideal Pixel for area A, for the given SNR as before such a pixel would have the exact same value (32,32,32)


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Zsa Zsa Gabor's ninth husband and the daughter she had with hotel magnate Conrad Hilton are fighting bitterly during what may be her last days.
The 93-year-old longtime Hollywood diva had a ballyhooed deathbed reunion with estranged daughter Constance Francesca Hilton last week, but now her current hubby, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, says he plans to revive a 2005 lawsuit which alleged Hilton stole millions from her mother.
"People come out of the woodwork, like vultures waiting for her to die, so they can take her money but I will not let that happen," Von Anhalt told Radaronline from Gabor's Bel Air mansion.
In the lawsuit, Gabor accused her daughter of conspiring with others to fraudulently take out a $3.75 million loan on her home and using most of it to buy a house.
Francesca denied the allegation and countersued, claiming she suffered serious damages as a result of the false accusations. The case was dropped when Gabor refused to appear in court.
But Von Anhalt says Hilton has resurfaced in her mother's life only because Gabor appears to be near death.
"She is only after whatever money she thinks her mother has and I will fight to protect Zsa Zsa and won't let that happen," he said.
Von Anhalt said his wife of more than 20 years is doing well and watching her favorite TV shows, "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune."
The onetime Miss Hungary was given the last rites by a priest in hospital over the weekend after undergoing a series of setbacks following hip replacement surgery a month ago. Doctors wanted to perform surgery on her liver that would give her a 50-50 chance survival rate, but Gabor and her husband decided "she wanted to spend her final days at home," publicist John Blanchette said.
Selected Reading: Radaronline, IMDB, Reuters.


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The tragic sinking of RMS Titanic in the early hours of the morning of 15th April 1912, with the loss of 1,503 passengers and crew, is an event which continues to fascinate and 2012 saw the centenary of the Titanic tragedy being marked with many touching, commemorative events across the globe. It is then, little wonder, that this historical event continues to inspire authors, documentary and film makers over and over again.
With her sixth novel The Dressmaker author Kate Alcott (pen name of Patricia O'Brien) wanted to tell the 'other' side of the Titanic tragedy: the story of the aftermath and what happened to the survivors. It is an intriguing perspective of a well-known event and is a fascinating read because of that. Already a New York Times Bestseller, the novel is published in the UK at the end of this month.
The Dressmaker centres around Tess Collins, a young maid who dreams of being a dressmaker. On the docks at Southampton, she has a chance encounter with renowned couturier Lady Lucile Duff Gordon, who is about to board Titanic with her husband and sister. Overhearing that Lady Duff Gordon is in need of a maid, Tess makes an impulsive decision and joins the Duff Gordon's on their voyage to New York, hoping that, once there, Lady Duff Gordon will help to turn her dressmaking dreams into reality .
While including reference to many well-known protagonists of the Titanic disaster, and covering the actual sinking with real pathos, Alcott moves the action on quickly to the survivors on the Carpathia and to the focal point of this novel – what happened in Lady Duff Gordon's lifeboat? Did she and her husband refuse to go back for survivors? Did they bribe the occupants of their lifeboat to protect themselves and if so, were they justified in doing so? It is this moral dilemma which sits at the heart of the following Titanic Disaster Hearings in Washington which Alcott covers with compelling, dramatic scenes.
Tess finds herself thrown into the middle of the court proceedings, and her loyalties to her employer are tested to the limit. Lady Duff Gordon's unpredictable temperament doesn't help to endear her to Tess and, despite her promise that she can help Tess achieve her dream of being a successful dressmaker, Tess soon regrets ever getting involved with Lady Duff Gordon and begins to mistrust her and her motives.
In addition to writing in the real individuals of this event (including the 'unsinkable Molly Brown, Captain Smith and Bruce Ismay), Alcott adds many fictional characters into the mix, including two very different love interests for Tess and a wonderfully written press reporter Pinky Wade. All serve to add another interesting dimension to the plot and the narrative and remind us that this is not just a novel about a well-known disaster, but is also a novel about human relationships, trust, loyalty and ambition.
At its heart, The Dressmaker reflects on the split-second decisions we make which can change our lives dramatically. It is pacy, well-written, full of drama, atmosphere and dilemma and is sure to fascinate anyone who is interested in the Titanic as well as anyone who enjoys quality historical fiction.
The Dressmaker is published by Sphere and is available from Monday, 25th February.
Visit Kate's Facebook page for more updates.


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Christian Radio AM 700 - Where it's all about Jesus!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus... Look full in His wonderful face...
Click the tab to the left for the "on-line Streaming" of this station
picture credit: Christina Morrow
This station counts it a privilege to be invited into your car, place of business or home. It is our prayer that we may become a trusted friend. AM-700 is non-denominational Christian radio that is involved with our community. Tune-in and you will hear programming that's exclusive to Douglas County. It's a nice blend of music, local information, Bible teaching, radio dramas and Christian-friendly news. Feel free to send us an email and tell us about yourself and what you like to hear on Christian radio.
This radio station was blessed to take part in celebrating Billy Graham's 95th Birthday back on November 7th at Divine Home Furnishing store where we showed two special movies. To our delight, a special BGEA team came to Roseburg to produce a short documentary. Please view it below and enjoy.


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Nation & World
Diplomats predict Assad will soon launch campaign to retake Aleppo
Diplomatic observers in Jordan say they believe Syria is preparing to launch a military offensive to recapture the city of Aleppo, perhaps by as soon as this weekend.
The observers, who agreed to discuss their view of Syrian military actions on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic, said the Syrian army has made steady advances in both the country's north and south, and it appeared to be setting the stage for what one Western diplomat formerly based in Syria called Operation Northern Storm to seize Aleppo, Syria's largest city and once the country's economic center.
"The last players are getting into place as we speak. In another few days the stage will be set for them to retake the city," the diplomat said. "They saw their success in Qusayr and feel they now have the momentum behind them."
A half-dozen other officials and experts interviewed by McClatchy made similar predictions, saying forces loyal to President Bashar Assad stood a good chance of recapturing at least major parts of the portions of the city that rebels now hold.
"It won't be an easy fight and the rebel groups in Aleppo will fight every street. Assad, however, has the support he needs and the weapons he needs to smoke them out," said the diplomat. "If he takes the countryside around Aleppo, it is only a matter of time."
The rebels currently control roughly half the city of Aleppo and much of the countryside to the north, toward the border with Turkey. The rebels first launched an offensive into Aleppo in July 2012 and fought pro-Assad troops street by street, gaining steadily until September, when the battle became a stalemate.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Syrian army already is clashing with rebel fighters near the villages of Zahra and Nibbul, on the outskirts of Aleppo, in a campaign to cut rebel supply lines to the city.
Observers say they expect the government offensive will include thousands of members of the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, whose presence many consider critical to the pro-Assad victory at Qusayr. Iranian troops also may play a part.
"We have seen Iranian officers or advisers assisting the Syrian army in the past, but now we are seeing significant numbers engaged in combat," said an Israeli official, who added that "several thousand" Iranian soldiers had entered Syria in the last month. "Whether through Hezbollah or through its own fighters, Iran has thrown its whole might into the Syrian civil war to ensure that it retains control there."
The expectation of a Syrian government offensive in Aleppo comes as the Obama administration is reported to be discussing whether it should begin sending arms directly to rebel forces to help stave off Syrian military advances.
But regional experts said that even if the United States were to agree to send arms, a step that is hardly certain, the weapons would not arrive fast enough to aid rebels in their battle for Aleppo.
"If the U.S. were to take action, even serious action, now, most of the assessments think that will be too little too late," said one European diplomat based in Amman.
Even as Russia provides Assad with weapons, the Russian ambassador to Jordan said the West's sending arms to the rebels would be "inappropriate" and a "violation."
"The more weapons that are there, the less the chance there is for a political solution," Ambassador Alexander Kalugin said. "What the U.S. or Europe is doing by talking about arming the rebels is the same as bringing liquid fuel to an already burning fire."
He said Russia still favored a peace conference that Washington and Moscow agreed to call but which has been postponed until July, at the earliest.
Western diplomats here say they see little prospect of a serious effort at peace on the part of the Syrian government.
"Assad has become emboldened by his success and now has what he thinks is a winning combination to take back large swaths of his country," said another Western diplomat based in Amman. "We have, along with many others, re-evaluated our outlook, which previously saw him not holding onto power."


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Chicago City Council passes strict gun store law
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago City Council, forced by a federal judge to allow gun sales in the city, approved an ordinance Wednesday that dramatically limits where those stores can open and puts owners on alert that the city will be looking over their shoulders every time they sell a gun.
During their discussions, aldermen and Mayor Rahm Emanuel made it clear that the only reason they were voting to permit gun stores after decades of a ban was because a federal judge, following a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the city's handgun ban, ruled earlier this year that the ban on stores selling guns was unconstitutional.
"I really wish the Supreme Court justices who opened up the floodgates on guns had to take the calls I get at 2 o'clock in the morning from police sergeants and lieutenants about shootings," Alderman Will Burns said before the 48-0 vote. "This is the best we can do and I'm holding my nose and voting for it."
Aldermen also listed some of the provisions — which will almost certainly trigger a legal challenge — including a requirement that all gun sales be videotaped, another that gun owners open their books for inspection by police, and restrictions on where the shops can go that prohibit them in 99.5 percent of the city by confining sales to specific areas and prohibiting stores within 500 feet of schools and parks.
Not surprisingly, a gun rights advocate agreed that the city that has for decades fought to keep guns out of the hands of its residents and faced repeated lawsuits over its gun laws had all but assured itself that it will face another one.
"It's actually an ordinance to prevent gun shops," said Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association.
Emanuel disagreed, adding that the city's law department examined the ordinance and determined that it is on solid legal ground. The city, Emanuel said, had written a "solid, tough and enforceable ordinance." And though he did not discuss the videotaping provision in particular, earlier he said he believes it is no different than the common practice of photographing transactions at ATMs.
The gun ordinance also addresses what police and others believe is a big reason for what they say is a flood of illegal guns into Chicago and why the city's police officers seize more illegal guns than any police department in the United States: The sale of guns by so-called straw purchasers, who then transfer them to people who are not legally allowed to buy and possess firearms.
The ordinance, said Alderman James Balcer, "will now allow employees to be trained so they can identify straw purchasers."
Further, the ordinance allows buyers to purchase no more than one gun every 30 days — a hindrance, supporters say, on straw purchasers who would prefer to buy several firearms at once.
If there is a lawsuit, it will keep Chicago where it has been for decades: At the center of the national debate over gun violence and gun control. After the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling on handguns, a federal appeals court in Chicago ruled in 2012 that Illinois' last-in-the-nation ban on concealed weapons was unconstitutional. Then came the ruling by the federal judge in January, and the ordinance approved Wednesday.
But Emanuel, while not welcoming a lawsuit, suggested it was important to pass the toughest ordinance possible whether or not it prompted a legal challenge.
"You have to do what you think is right," he said.
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Reviewed By Kenneth F (HENDERSON, KY) Reviewed for a 2011 Ford Ranger —4/15/2015 4:25 PM
Really a nice device. I am amazed at all you can monitor with it. My main reason for purchase was to monitor the transmission temps when towing my 17 ft travel trailer. But I'm also monitoring fuel mileage and throttle position. I only gave 4 stars because the included velcro for mounting allows for too much vibration. Replaced it with a 3M Command strip refill.


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Hi everyone, its Friday Freebie time!
Friday, 25 July 2014
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Framed at last!
Posted by Lynn B at 19:35 16 comments
Labels: cross stitch, Mirabilia
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Summer stitching and crochet, plus mini quilt swap.
Posted by Lynn B at 19:41 18 comments
Labels: crochet, cross stitch
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Mini Quilt Swap and Shrink Plastic Gift Tags
Hi Everyone, I am currently signed up for a mini quilt swap from Cherylls Blog over at Gone Stitching here this is the mini quilt I sent to my partner Sue over at The Jersey Scrapper Blog here
Posted by Lynn B at 17:12 19 comments
Labels: Freebie Pattern, Friday Freebies, Quilts
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Well, I was feeling sad and feeling' blue
I didn't know what in the world I wus gonna do
Them Communists they wus coming around
They wus in the air
They wus on the ground
They wouldn't give me no peace
[Verse 2]
So I run down most hurriedly
And joined up with the John Birch Society
I got me a secret membership card
And started off a-walking down the road
Yee-hoo, I'm a real John Bircher now!
Look out you Commies!
[Verse 3]
Now we all agree with Hitler's views
Although he killed six million Jews
It don't matter too much that he was a Fascist
At least you can't say he was a Communist!
That's to say like if you got a cold you take a shot of malaria
[Verse 4]
Well, I woos looking everywhere for them gol-darned Reds
I got up in the morning and looked under my bed
Looked in the sink, behind the door
Looked in the glove compartment of my car
Couldn't find them
[Verse 5]
I woos looking high and low for them Reds everywhere
I woos looking in the sink and underneath the chair
I looked way up my chimney hole
I even looked deep down inside my toilet bowl
They got away
[Verse 6]
Well, I woos sitting home alone and started to sweat
Figured they woos in my T.V. set
Peeked behind the picture frame
Got a shock from my feet, hitting right up in the brain
Them Reds caused it!
I know they did them hard-core ones
[Verse 7]
Well, I quit my job so I could work all alone
Then I changed my name to Sherlock Holmes
Followed some clues from my detective bag
And discovered they woos red stripes on the American flag!
That old Betsy Ross
[Verse 8]
Well, I investigated all the books in the library
Ninety percent of them gotta be burned away
I investigated all the people that I know
Ninety-eight percent of them gotta go
The other two percent are fellow Birchers just like me
[Verse 9]
Now Eisenhower, he's a Russian spy
Lincoln, Jefferson and that Roosevelt guy
To my knowledge there's just one man
That's really a true American: George Lincoln Rockwell
I know for a fact he hates Commies because he picketed the movie Exodus
[Verse 10]
Well, I finally started thinking straight
When I run out of things to investigate
Couldn't imagine doing anything else
So now I'm sitting home investigating myself!
Hope I don't find out anything hmm, great God!