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Tamas Lajtner (Lajtner Machine, American University)
Published in philoso.philica.com
AbstractBy changing the axiom of time, we affect both physics and science in general, thus raising some remarkably fascinating questions, for example, what is thought, what lives, what is consciousness.
Article body
What is time?
Every era lays stress upon time, and the concept of time has also changed with the development of science. At first, time was associated with the visible passage of the sun, later with the rotation of the Earth. Still later, this blossomed into the notion that time is what we measure as time. On the subject of measuring time, we began with the sundial, then later used the mechanical clock. Now we have atomic clocks, but the essence is still the same. Clocks measure change. Something in the clock's mechanism must change if time is passing.
The sundial appears to be merely a rod stuck in the ground. Actually, it is a device made up of four elements including the Earth, the Sun, and the rod. These alone, however, would not indicate time if the Earth and Sun in relation to each other remained constant. That is, the sundial has a fourth, secret, and most important component: motion.
A wall clock with a spring is made up of more than four components, but the most important feature here again is motion. One component moves in relation to another. If not, then time is immeasurable and inconceivable.
An atomic clock is built upon the detection of particles, the motion of atomic particles.
Whatever clock we speak of, in every case, the perception and measurement of time is the perception of change, motion.
From this arises one part of time's new definition: time is perceived change, no matter who or what perceives it.(Physicists don't call it "perceive change" but action-reaction phenomena.)
Therefore, time is always built upon change, but in the case of clocks that are traveling at different speeds, the times they indicated differ. Theory of Relativity [1.] proves that if a clock moves (in relation to us), the components inside the clock do not change, but something new presents itself. The timepiece in motion will run slowly. For instance, if there is a spaceship moving at a great speed (in relation to our own), the clock on the wall of the spaceship will indicate the passage of less time than the clock on our wall at home. Those who progress more quickly through space, progress more slowly through time. It is this interrelation between time and space that led scientists to suppose that time is another dimension just like space, and this is common knowledge to this day. It is possible to progress through it or not progress through it. Physicists believe, for example, that light does not progress through time. Some physicists, sci-fi writers, and Hollywood screenwriters postulate that one can even travel back in time. Yet, only films stars have managed to do this so far, and only exclusively in their movies.
The interrelationship between time and space is best expressed by the term space-time continuum. Space has three dimensions, and time is one-dimensional, so the space-time continuum has four dimensions. (In superstring theories space have at least 9 dimensions, time has 1 or more dimensions.)
This space-time category resolves many questions, but it is incapable of dealing with many other questions. It is like an excellent instrument – say, a guitar. There are many songs one can play on a guitar, but even more that cannot be played. The other songs exist, only the guitar cannot perform them. This is just like space-time continuum. It is a wonderful instrument, but there are a good many songs that cannot be played in space-time.
Where can we play these songs? Where time has no dimension. Where the meaning of time takes on a new definition. Where time is perceived change.
What is SMALL? What is BIG?
Almost one hundred years ago, Heisenberg [2.] created the uncertainty principle named after him. It largely shows that there are phenomena in our world — matter — that we can observe, because they are large enough; and there are phenomena — matter, too — that we theoretically cannot precisely observe, because they are excessively small. Matter is in these cases mass and energy. Actually, there is a third category. These are phenomena that we cannot perceive at all (neither precisely, nor imprecisely), because they have so small energy. This third category has two sets - space and unknown matter which is neither mass nor energy in the common meaning. In the following, I will refer to matter everything that is not space. Space is no matter. Where there is space, there is no matter; and where there is matter, there is no space. There is no point in the world that is empty, as either matter or space occupies it. In other words, matter is always bordered by space. If we want to definite the space more exact we may do using physics. See [3.].
When matter and space meet, an action-reaction pair comes into existence. If this is an action, a change that matter can perceive, then on the matter scale, time comes into being! If the change (reaction) is perceived by space, then time comes into being on the space scale. (According to the today's physics space has no time.) In the following, I will only deal with matter's time.
To stress that space is space and time for matter, I call it SMALL. And if we stress that matter is matter and time for space we can call it BIG. In other words, time is a co-operation of matter and space.
We know from quantum physics that BIG particles constantly vibrate. This means that SMALL, too, must be in constant vibration. Vibration here refers to how BIG strikes SMALL – sometimes forcefully, sometimes more gently – and these forceful and gentle strikes alternate regularly. That is, this periodicity is always present on the BIG scale.
Time is perceived change. Perception here means that the change has an effect. BIG affects SMALL, and SMALL affects BIG. Time consists of the meeting points between SMALL and BIG. Time's one unit made up of a gentle strike and a forceful strike. Each new gentle strike is followed by a new forceful strike and so on. Time is a consequence of the interaction of SMALL and BIG.
Since BIG cannot exist without exerting some action upon SMALL, BIG and its every movement constitutes a reaction in SMALL. It is just like a couple waltzing. The man's movement leads the woman. If BIG changes, there is a trace of that change in SMALL. Yet, it can also work the other way. If the woman does not follow the man's lead, the man must adjust. If SMALL changes, by necessity, BIG must change as well.
On the basis of this, we may establish three factors of time. We need a body in motion, we need another body which the first body moves in relation to, and we need the first body or the second body to perceive that motion.
In the traditional concept of measuring time, the first body is always matter, and the second body is always matter. The measuring seems to glue the time with matter (or just with masses). This is the limit of the concept. The world is restricted to matter; whereas, the world is made up of BIG and SMALL.
Time vibrations are quantifiable. The basic unit of time is one period of its vibration. If we want to measure it in minutes or in days, it is possible. [3.] We can say how many vibrations occur in a minute. It is a very great number. We can also calculate how fast these vibrations spread through space. That is, we can even calculate the speed of time. How great is the speed? Astronomical. It is practically inconceivable, but I will try. The diameter of the visible Universe is roughly 93 billion light years. Light would need 93 billion years to cover this distance. For time, it would take 2,6 ×10-34 seconds. In other words, whereas in that duration, light could not cover a distance the size of a pinpoint, time could traverse the universe "end to end" several million times.
A decisive majority of the changes that happen in SMALL (immeasurable in themselves) are lost, or they are merely incomprehensible in terms of space-time continuum. If we understand time as a phenomenon that exists in and of itself, that is much like blaming the television set for broadcasting stupid quiz programs.
What is thought?
Essentially, human thought would remain a mystery without the introduction of SMALL and BIG. What is thought?
Many believe that thought is an electric signal. Is thought itself an electric signal? I can give a definite answer to that. The answer is no. Thought is not just electric signals. Thought is a series of signals flowing along a certain "secret channel," leaving your head and racing somewhere with staggering speed.
Sufficient proof of this is provided by a Lajtner Machine. A Lajtner Machine is nothing other than a simple object operated by thoughts. Without thoughts, they cannot work at all. They move if the force of thought acts upon them. The Lajtner Machine is a real object that can be moved by thoughts. [4.] If we stare at it from a distance, the Lajtner Machine will begin to move. That is, thought possesses an energy (force) that is focusable. Thought changes the wavelengths of vibrations in SMALL. That is, thought alters space and time! This statement can be proven with a Lajtner Machine.
It is possible to use thought to make the Lajtner Machine move, because Newton's 2nd Law [5.] is in operation.[6.] According to this, the Lajtner Machine moves because of changes in the surrounding space and time by virtue of the force of thought. It is the embodiment of the force of thought. The Lajtner Machine reveals thought in its true form. Humans need only think "Move", and the object moves. If the thought is "Push", the Lajtner Machine is pushed - hence, the thought "Push" is visible. In other words, the Lajtner Machine shows that thoughts exist as thoughts when they leave the head (or not).
Every thought is some kind of adjustment in time. Hence, those who control time, control your thoughts; and those who think, control time. The great speed of time generates a paradox: The whole is world in your thoughts, and your thoughts are in the whole world.
Where are the laws of nature?
Time is a fast and continuous force that is always present in every BIG. It is a constant series of signals which BIG can conform to and does conform to. The only condition of this is that all elementary particles have an algorithm. Thus, the "laws of nature" are no longer "anywhere." They are regulated by the distinct algorithms that can be described. See a good sketch in [4.]. The first command in the algorithm is "stay alive". This means, the smallest structure build biggest structures to get more protections. These bigger structure is useful as long as the existence of the smaller part is safe. Please see Picture 1.
Picture 1. Staying alive. (Model, not proportional.) The arrow shows the growing force of the environment (for example temperature), the white object are the tiniest object that are able to exist as BIG. This model is very simple, it shows the most important command of the algorithms: "Stay alive!".
This is a very simple rule and does not work without to understand the role of BIG and SMALL. BIG and SMALL, both want to stay alive. Without SMALL there is no BIG, without BIG, there is no SMALL. They need each others. Even time wants to stay alive. Without time there is no SMALL and no BIG.
Why is useful to build green and red objects? Because the white BIG particles have the lowest energy. The white BIG particle has the greatest chance to be transformed into SMALL and lost as BIG. Forming a group means growing the safety. The energy (force) of the red object is much higher than a single white particle, that is, a red or a green object cannot disappear in the SMALL. They are simple too big.
Where are algorithms? In the particle. What runs this algorithm? The wave of space, in other words, the time. Time runs the algorithms of BIG (and the algorithms of SMALL).
How do the white particles decide to build or unfold the red formation? They vote. Their algorithms exist as force, so the sum of force is the outcome of the voting. And now there is an important question: What has algorithm? Just the white objects? Or the green and red, too? To answer this question is important. The answer will tell us, what lives.
What lives?
That which lives, operates on the basis of at least one more algorithm than the number of elementary particles and living elements it is composed of, and at least that many algorithms that receive input from SMALL.[4.] Further, any two interdependent component parts that make up the being must be within a given distance. How much are these given distances? In the case of beings made up of water and carbon compounds (such as grass, trees, flowers, and you), these values can be calculated.
But who said that life could only be carbon and water-based? We have only seen that type so far, but the world is vast. Moreover, the essential condition of life (as explained above) does not depend on carbon and water. Thus, the given distances could be different from those that we encounter on Earth. The definition above holds true for everything that exists in BIG – even for Martians, if they exist! If they do not, they may now bring themselves into existence on the basis of the definition!
Picture 2. What lives? (Model, not proportional.) The white squares have algorithms. The yellow triangle lives, because its have an autonomous algorithm as triangle, too. The blue line shows this autonomous algorithm. The green triangle has not autonomous algorithm, it contains just the algorithms of the white particles. The yellow triangle works using the blue algorithm. The green triangle is the sum of the white particles.Are the computer programs living? No. The input of a software comes always from the BIG. There is no computer software today that has a SMALL input as a "computer program". Life needs SMALL.
Bringing together everything now into a single sentence, life could have existed even billions of years before the formation of our world, our galaxy, or our planet.
What is consciousness?
Consciousness can be created when traces of SMALL of the algorithm run themselves through the algorithm. Many runs mean many results. Consciousness can then come about if the original matter (mass) is capable of recording some of the results from these runs. That is, the results are capable of bringing about material structures within their own systems – for example, changing vibrations in one component part. A body of matter organizing the distinct vibration can itself become distinct, but not necessarily.
A brain (or nervous system, at least) takes shape when these vibrations being created in the mass have physical outcroppings that become distinct. The ongoing vibrations of these distinct parts exert such force on the chosen algorithm that the algorithm forces the mass to make a move that corresponds to these kinds of vibration.
Human awareness comes about when the stored patterns fashion further patterns which have such a strong influence over the algorithm that it makes the matter (mass) obey patterns extrapolated from previous patterns. Hence, the fundamental algorithm, in this case, produces patterns from reflections upon external stimuli and its own reflections in SMALL, then produces more patterns out of the new ones. The algorithm recognizes these new patterns as input like any other. However, its constant presence redeems it, and as a result, a change occurs in the algorithm's output which the matter (mass) must perform. This performance is essentially following and giving shape to the pattern. In this sense, giving shape to the pattern can manifest itself in motion, but other new patterns can be created, too.
Is this conception in harmony with life as a process? Indeed, and highly so. At the end of the DNA strand is a place for information storage. Its role is information storage and delivery. This means it has an algorithm, and on the basis of this, it works as an independent unit. According to my definition above, this autonomous unit lives, and live it does, not just in my definition! Where do the living store this algorithm? In matter, in compounds, and in molecules. If DNA continuously deals with this matter (i.e., these compounds and molecules), then traces of the process are continuously brought into existence in SMALL. Our brain perceives this, senses it, and automatically makes use of it. For the mind, it is simply more input to be processed among other sources of input.
The operation of life and consciousness may come about through other information storage systems, not just DNA. Consequently, consciousness is not necessarily the sole province of Earth-dwellers. We know of this type, but other forms of life could have consciousness.
Is there life in SMALL?
The question is unavoidable. Could there be life in SMALL? Could "living" in SMALL mean the very same thing as living in BIG? Evidently, no. Nonetheless, I stand by my earlier definition here, too. On the basis of that, life is also possible on the Universe's SMALL side.
What is more, there is such life! BIG is always surrounded by SMALL. If SMALL encircles the living, then SMALL itself can be considered living, because the definition still holds.
Could awareness exist in SMALL, in the texture of SMALL? Yes. After all, a trace of our consciousness (this is a given portion of it) is always present in SMALL. Is SMALL's consciousness also independent? Perhaps. One thing is certain. SMALL could possess awareness. It is capable of storing information. Why, it is even capable of storing thought.
Thus, SMALL can even bring about the existence of "intelligent" life.
[1.] Einstein, A. (1905) Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper. (Annalen der Physik und Chemie. 17, S. 891–921.)
[2.] Heisenberg, W. (1927) Über den anschaulichen Inhalt der quantentheoretischen Kinematik und Mechanik, (Zeitschrift für Physik 43 (3-4) 172-198.)
[3.] Lajtner, T. (2014) What is time; or, How old is one meter? (http://philica.com/display_article.php?article_id=444)
[4.] Lajtner, T. (2014) It that all? (Manuscript of a Book)
[5.] Newton I. (1687) Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica
[6.] Lajtner, T. (2014) Why Does Love Attract? (http://philica.com/display_article.php?article_id=449)
Information about this ArticleThis Article has not yet been peer-reviewedThis Article was published on 1st January, 2015 at 20:14:13 and has been viewed 2262 times.


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Swirl Couple Goes In On Black Women: Sellout Sits And Smiles While Becky Degrades Sisters! [Video]
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Buttermilk Chicken
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July 7th, 2011, 11:52 AM
Platinum Supermommy
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 14,409
I got this recipe from the Cooking Light Magazine and it is the best chicken recipe ever plus so easy.
1 cup low-fat buttermilk 4 (8-ounce) bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup cracker meal 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons butter
1. To prepare chicken, combine buttermilk and chicken in a shallow dish, turning to coat.
2. Combine flour and cracker meal in a shallow dish. Transfer chicken from buttermilk to a work surface. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Working with one chicken breast half at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess; set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and flour mixture.
3. Melt butter in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan, meat side down; cook 4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn chicken over, and bake at 425° for 32 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°.
The recipe calls form bone in chicken breast halves but I always use boneless skinless chicken thighs and think they are great. I like chicken thighs better than chicken breasts though.
I make this recipe almost weekly and my husband loves it. Enjoy!!
Oops I thought I was putting this under recipes but guess I messed up. I have added it to the recipes thread!!
Thank you *Kiliki* for my beautiful siggy
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Tuna was looking up at Arthur with a threatening glare, but Arthur refused to loosen his grip on her. He needed her. She was his only source of comfort. She was also his motivation for leaving his house for the first time in two months.
Morgana usually did his shopping for him. She did it begrudgingly, but she did it nonetheless. She bought his food, his shampoo and toilet rolls, and fresh litter. But on her most recent trip, she had forgotten cat food. And then she'd promptly set off for the airport to go to Italy with her boyfriend.
Thoughts of Morgana's trip to Italy were enough to make Arthur's grip on Tuna lethal. She was dating Leon, one of Arthur's oldest friends, and Leon was going to propose on their holiday. Arthur had helped Leon pick out the ring - on the internet, of course. And Arthur had promised Leon that he would be the best man, which also meant promising to see a therapist so that he could leave his flat for things like tuxedo fittings and rehearsal dinners without collapsing in a fit of blind panic.
He had already made an appointment. He had also already come up with at least a dozen different reasons not to go and two dozen different excuses he could give to Leon to explain why he hadn't gone.
But this was different. Tuna needed food. She couldn't live off water and table scraps. And Arthur was her owner and she depended on him for stuff like this - stuff like fresh water and plenty of food and a clean litter box. If he didn't get up and go outside and buy her food, she would starve.
Arthur couldn't let his cat starve.
"Okay," he said bracingly. He lifted Tuna off his lap and set down on the floor. She immediately jumped back up onto the couch and curled up against the arm rest. "Oh, sure," Arthur said, rolling his eyes. "You'll cuddle with a cushion, but not with me. Maybe I will let you starve."
Tuna just closed her eyes and rested her head gently on her front paws. She was a picture of innocence and sweetness. Arthur sighed and leaned down to pet her ears one last time.
"Wish me luck," he whispered. Tuna just purred contentedly.
"Okay," he said again, straightening back up and moving toward the door. "Wallet, check. Shoes, check. Keys, check. Mobile, check. Um." He glanced around his flat, trying to find anything he had forgotten, anything that could delay his departure, or maybe cancel it all together.
All he saw was Tuna curled up on the couch.
"Off we go, then," he muttered, opening his front door and stepping out onto his front step.
But that was okay. He had been out here plenty of times - to open the door for Morgana and Leon or to accept pizza deliveries. His front step was no problem.
He closed the door quickly, before he could escape back inside. He locked it and checked the doorknob twice, then turned to face the street. There was the usual flower cart opposite his house, and the cafe next door had put tables outside so people could enjoy the summer weather while they ate.
Arthur took a deep breath and tried not to think about how hard and fast his heart was pounding, or how his stomach was churning in a way that suggested he should head for the nearest toilet instead of the nearest shop, or how his whole body was screaming "RUN." He ignored all those things and stepped down onto the pavement.
He could barely breathe - he could barely think - but his feet moved him toward the shop around the corner. His gait felt jerky and awkward and he was sure that everyone was looking at him. He clenched his fists against the burning sensation of dozens of eyes on him, staring and judging and mocking.
The only thing that let him make it all the way to the shop was the steady litany of "fuck you, fuck you, fuck you," running through his head. This was his neighborhood too and he had every right to walk to the shop around the corner if he felt like it, even if he hadn't done so in over two months and even if he walked like some sort of weird zombie Frankenstein.
The shop was too brightly lit and had dry, almost stale air. But it had empty aisles and Arthur ducked into the first one he came across. Of course, he found himself staring at tampons, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He needed a moment, a moment to breathe and relax and remember why he had come here in the first place. His cat was depending on him. All he had to do was buy the cat food, pay for it, and go back home. The whole trip should take less than 10 minutes, less than 5 actually, but it already felt like an hour had passed since he had left his house.
He was exhausted. All he had done was walked around the corner, but he felt like he had just run a marathon. His body was weak and his heart was still working in double-time and all he really wanted to do was sit down - preferably back on his own couch.
But before he could go back home to sit on his couch, he had to buy cat food. And, maybe, if he happened across them, his favorite cookies. Morgana hadn't bought them, even though they had been the first thing on the list he'd given her. He knew why she hadn't bought them - it wasn't like he got in much exercise to work off the extra fat and calories - but he still wanted them. Besides, he deserved a reward for what he was doing. He hadn't been able to leave his house in two months and he honestly felt like he should get some sort of treat for making it into the shop at all. He could have given up halfway and turned back, but he hadn't. He had made it all the way to the tampon aisle, and for that he was going to buy himself cookies.
Slowly, Arthur made his way down the aisle to the back of the shop, where he could see all the signs for what products were where. Pet food was all the way on the other side of the shop. Arthur headed toward it, focused only on how delicious the cookies would be after such a stressful ordeal. Arthur checked his mobile as he made his way across the shop. No one had called. No one had sent a text. The only two people who made regular contact with him were out of the country. They were on holiday, enjoying the sun and the foreign architecture and the good food. They were off being well-adjusted individuals doing what well-adjusted individuals did. They were off leading normal lives, leaving Arthur to fend for himself - and for Tuna.
An old lady with poor control of her trolley almost ran into Arthur - almost ran over Arthur, really - and he had to take refuge in the baby food aisle until his heart descended from his throat.
He put his mobile away and closed his eyes to take a few deep breaths. If he had to deal with one more person on this trip, he was going to have a full-blown panic attack. And that meant lots of tears and hyperventilating and, if it got really bad, vomiting all over the tiled floor. He was already sweating far more than he should have been, considering how much cold air was being blasted through the shop's air conditioning.
"Fuck it," he muttered, peering around the edge of the baby food aisle. He was just going to have to power through it - he would speed walk to the pet food, grab everything he could carry, pay at the self service till, and get the hell home.
Making sure that he was well out of the way of any wayward trolleys, Arthur hurried along the back of the shop until he reached the pet food aisle. It was gloriously free of people. He grabbed two bags of dry food, several cans of wet food, and then sped toward the front of the shop.
Arthur stumbled back against some shelves and stopped breathing. He clutched the cat food to his chest and clenched his eyes shut, willing himself not to cry and not to hurl all over the man who had just walked into him.
"I'm sorry," the man said quickly. "So sorry. I wasn't looking."
Arthur said nothing, just opened his mouth to suck in as much air as he could. His throat felt like it was closing up and he was pretty sure his legs were about to give out. The muscles in his thighs were trembling and it was spreading to his arms. He slid shakily down the shelves until he could sit on the floor, the cat food still pressed tightly to his chest.
"Are you hurt?" the man asked anxiously.
Arthur shook his head, his eyes still squeezed shut. They were burning with unshed tears but he wasn't going to cry on the floor of the local shop in front of a stranger.
He tried to speak, to ask the man to just go away and leave him alone to collect himself, but all that came out was a strangled noise.
"You're shaking like a leaf," the man said as Arthur started gasping and panting.
Arthur let go of the cat food and leaned back against the shelves, stretching his neck up and trying to remember how to breathe properly.
"Jesus," the man muttered. Arthur heard and felt the man kneeling next to him and he want to scream, but couldn't. "Just - yeah, just breathe," the man said. His voice was tense and worried and Arthur wanted to sink into the shelf and disappear.
"I'm fine," he choked out, his words harsh and broken.
Arthur felt the man's hand on his arm and he tried to move, to jerk away, but he was frozen in place, shaking and barely able to breathe.
"Is he on drugs?" someone asked in a bored voice.
"No," the man said quickly, tightening his grip on Arthur's arm. "He's fine, we just need a minute."
"Are you sure?" the bored voice asked. "I can call the police."
"We don't need the police," the man insisted. "I told you, we just need a minute."
After that, there was silence. Arthur managed to take in a long breath through his nose, which allowed him to relax enough to shake off the man's hand.
"Sorry," the man said gently. "Are you all right?"
Arthur just nodded and continued focusing on breathing. His throat was loosening up, which would have been good if it weren't for the fact that it meant that tears started streaming out of his closed eyes.
"Shit," he whispered, wiping his eyes quickly. "Shit, I'm so sorry."
"You're sorry? I'm the one who should be sorry."
Arthur shook his head and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. "Not your fault," he muttered. He sighed and closed his eyes again. He had been exhausted before but now he was downright drained. He could easily fall asleep right where he was.
"You're, um... you're not on drugs, right?"
Arthur shook his head. "No. I'm not on drugs. I just have, um... a bit of an anxiety problem."
"Well, I'm sorry I walked into you. I wasn't exactly paying attention."
"It's fine. I wasn't either." Arthur opened his eyes, wiped them one last time, and then looked at the man. He had short black hair and cheekbones the likes of which Arthur had never seen before and - Arthur almost stopped breathing again - delicate and kind blue eyes. The man was searching Arthur's face, checking that Arthur was all right and breathing properly and not dying of panic. All Arthur could think about were those eyes. He couldn't even tell if they were dark blue or light blue - they seemed to change every time he decided. But the exact shade of blue didn't matter because their expression was so gentle and concerned and beautiful.
The man's brow furrowed and Arthur blinked and looked away.
"Sorry," he muttered. "Um. Yeah, sorry."
"You can stop apologising," the man said quietly.
Arthur nodded and shifted up on his knees. "I should... get home."
The man nodded and jumped to his feet, then pulled Arthur up.
"I'm Merlin, by the way," he said, holding out his hand.
Arthur shook it. "Arthur. Um. Thanks for... sitting with me," he mumbled, then leaned down to pick up the cat food he had dropped.
"It's no problem. My best mate from back home gets panic attacks, so..."
Arthur nodded and glanced toward the front of the shop. He really didn't want to leave the pet food aisle and risk bumping into - or even talking to - any more people. But he wanted to go home - he didn't even want to bother finding the cookies anymore.
"What's your cat's name?" Merlin asked, casually putting his hand on Arthur's back and guiding him out of the aisle.
"Tuna," Arthur said, trying not to look or sound as pathetic as he felt.
Merlin laughed. "Tuna? Really?"
"Yeah. I don't really know what I was thinking when I named her, but... I've never come up with anything better."
"How long have you had her?"
"A few years. Um - six. Yeah, six years."
"What colour is she?" Merlin asked as they reached the self service tills.
"Grey. Um. Don't you have shopping to do, or..." he trailed off as he set down all the cat food, embarrassed that Merlin felt the need to escort him around.
"Just this," Merlin said, holding up a tiny package that Arthur hadn't noticed him holding.
"Birthday candles?" he asked blankly.
Merlin smiled. "Yeah. My friends are hosting a birthday picnic for me, but they forgot candles. Texted me to pick some up on my way over. I mean, I guess I can't complain, since they're having a whole picnic for me. Still, it's sort of silly buying your own birthday candles, isn't it?"
Arthur turned away and started scanning his cat food items and dropping them into plastic bags. "It's your birthday?"
Merlin smiled and rubbed Arthur's back gently. "Yeah."
"Well. Let me buy them for you."
"What?" Merlin asked blankly.
"The candles." Arthur reached out and took them out of Merlin's hand. "As a present. And a thank you."
"You don't have to," Merlin said, trying to take them back.
Arthur scanned them before Merlin could snatch them away, then dropped them into a bag. "It's no problem, really. Happy birthday."
"Thanks," Merlin said softly. "You didn't have to do that."
"They're just candles." Arthur paid and then pulled them back out of the bag. "Here. Happy Birthday."
Merlin just stood there, one hand still on Arthur's back and the other hanging at his side.
"What?" Arthur asked, feeling his heart stutter back into alarm.
"Are you all right to get home?" Merlin asked gently.
"Of course I am," Arthur said quickly, feeling his face heat up. "I'm just around the corner."
Merlin grinned widely. "I'll walk you, then."
"You don't have to," Arthur protested, shoving the candles into Merlin's hand. "Really."
"I want to," Merlin insisted.
He lifted his hand off Arthur's back and Arthur frowned slightly at the loss of contact. It had been nice. And comforting.
But then Merlin used that hand to press the birthday candles back into Arthur's hand.
"You hold onto them," he said, wrapping his fingers around Arthur's hand and not letting go.
Arthur stared down at their hands, taken aback.
"Is this okay?" Merlin asked, sounding unsure for the first time.
Arthur found himself nodding and adjusting his hand so that the birthday candles rested comfortably between their palms and their thumbs overlapped.
Merlin smiled at him, then started heading for the door. Arthur followed, cat food in one hand and Merlin in the other. Once they were outside, Arthur tugged Merlin in the direction of his house.
There seemed to be less people outside than there had been on his way to the shop. He could feel less eyes on him, in any case. And he wasn't chanting "fuck you" in his head. Instead, he was thinking about the way Merlin's thumb kept brushing his own, and how Merlin's fingers were playing with his knuckles.
"This is me," he said when they reached his front step. Reluctantly, he pulled his hand out of Merlin's to fish the key out of his pocket. "Are you late for your picnic?" he asked, pushing the door open.
"No, I've got time."
Merlin followed Arthur inside and into the kitchen. There, Arthur crouched down to fill up Tuna's bowl with food. He stayed on the floor until Tuna ran in, then scratched her behind the ears as she started eating.
"You seem much more relaxed here," Merlin said as Arthur stood back up.
Arthur nodded and unpacked the rest of the food. "Do you have the candles?"
"In my pocket."
Arthur scratched his arm nervously. "Do you have to go?"
Merlin shrugged and stepped closer so that their shoes were touching. "It's my birthday picnic. I can be late if I want."
Arthur smiled and forced himself to look up into Merlin's kind eyes. "You're like... weirdly nice."
Merlin laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"I mean it as one," Arthur said, blushing. "I don't know if I've ever met anyone like you before."
"You don't know any nice people?" Merlin teased.
"Not anyone so nice that they would help a random distressed stranger in the pet food aisle, no."
"Well, it was my fault you were so distressed in the first place," Merlin said quietly. "Plus, I liked you hair."
Arthur smiled awkwardly. "What?"
"Your hair," Merlin said, leaning forward. Arthur licked his lips. "I like it."
"Can I come over and cook for you sometime?"
Arthur blinked in surprise. "What?"
"Well, I was going to ask you out to dinner, but then I figured that a date might be more fun for you if it's here, instead. And I wouldn't want to insist that you cook for me, and ordering pizza isn't very romantic. So. Can I come over and cook for you sometime?"
Arthur couldn't help but smile. His pulse was picking up and he was getting hot all over and his palms were sweaty - but he wasn't panicking. He was excited.
"Can I?" Merlin asked, nudging Arthur's nose with his own.
"Yes," Arthur said quickly. "Yes."
"Good." Merlin licked his lips and nudged Arthur's nose again. "Can I kiss you?"
"Yes," Arthur said, grinning.
"Good." Merlin paused and Arthur's heart skipped a beat - and then he pressed their lips together.
Before Arthur could properly respond, Merlin's pocket vibrated.
"Damn," he said, stepping back and pulling out his mobile. "I guess I should go."
"All Right," Arthur said, trying not to sound too disappointed. "Should I give you my number?"
Merlin nodded and typed the numbers into his mobile as Arthur recited them.
"Okay," he said, pocketing his mobile again. "I'll call you about that dinner."
"Good. Have fun. Happy Birthday."
Merlin grinned and moved in for one more swift kiss, and then he was gone


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How to Troubleshoot a Malibu Fuel Gauge & Dash Light Not Workingby Patrick Nelson
The fuel gauge indicates the fuel level in a Chevrolet Malibu's tank. The Malibu should be topped up when the needle is near the empty mark. In addition to this visual indication, the central Driver Information Center display also provides fuel information. Some things that appear to be anomalies relating to the gauge are in fact normal. The dash lights illuminate the controls and gauges, such as the fuel gauge. Problems with these functions can be corrected.
Turn the ignition on if the fuel gauge reads empty, but you know that there is fuel in the tank. The fuel gauge only works when the engine is on, or the "ACC" position is selected with the ignition key.
Use the gauge as a guide only if the readings appear to be varied. For example, when cornering, speeding up or going up and down hills, the gauge can be less accurate than when stationery on a flat surface. This is normal and you should compensate for it. Allow the Malibu's fuel gauge to stabilize when fueling at the pump. The gauge is working when the pump shuts off because the tank is full, even though the gauge only shows 3/4 full. Just give it some time to register.
Adjust the instrument panel illumination control if the dash lights don't come on. The knob for this is found on the instrument panel to the left of the steering wheel. Turn the knob clockwise if the dash lights aren't working. The lights will illuminate.
Photo Credits
- photo_camera gas pump image by Tammy Mobley from Fotolia.com


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November 29, 2016 Lee Howard
The Amazing Musical Heritage of Georgia, USALeave a comment
photo | Lee Howard
The USA's "Peach State" can also boast a fruitful musical heritage which has made an invaluable cultural contribution to this country and the world, ranging from groundbreaking blues and soul to hip-hop and Southern rock. And the state and its boosters love to promote this heritage and the venues in which to discover it.
Down in Albany, 113 kilometres (70 miles) north of the Florida border, the city's most famous son, Ray Charles is honoured with a life-size statue (top) in the plaza that bears his name. Born here in 1930, Charles lost his sight by the age of seven due to glaucoma. By the Flint River at Ray Charles Plaza, on a pedestal he wears his trademark sunglasses and is seated at a baby grand piano, which revolves and plays his most famous tunes at intervals.
The pioneer of soul music left an important legacy for Georgia, not least in his recording of the state's official song, Georgia on My Mind. When he originally recorded it back in 1960, it topped the Billboard Hot 100, and its success led to a busy touring schedule. Charles cancelled a show in Augusta, Georgia in 1961 after learning it was a segregated event. He patched up his rocky relationship with authorities in Georgia as the state slowly improved race relations and eventually, in 1979, it embraced Charles' signature hit as its official anthem.
photo | Ma Rainey Blues Society
Northwest of Albany, on the border with Alabama beside the Chattahoochee River, Columbus is the hometown of Ma Rainey, "mother of the blues". Ma started singing there around the turn of the 20th century, and at the end of her career ran local theatres, including the city's Liberty Theater. Her influence spread far and wide (including a mention on Nobel-prizewinner Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited album). In recent years, her status has grown and fans visit the museum at the Ma Rainey Home, where she retired, to see her piano and other memorabilia, and to take part in April's Ma Rainey International Blues Festival, started just this year.
In Macon, central Georgia, Rock Candy Tours weave stories of the city's cultural past out on its downtown streets, touring on foot or by bus. Nicknamed "the Song and Soul of the South", Macon was home to Capricorn Records, founded by Phil Walden, whose niece Jessica co-founded Rock Candy Tours and was even named after a song by The Allman Brothers Band, signed to the label. The Big House Museum is a mecca for the group's fans, stacked with their guitars artifacts and partially dressed up to represent the 1970s heyday when they lived there and when, for a time, they became the number-one band in the country.
photo | Lee Howard
Macon claims to be the birthplace of Southern rock because of its links to the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd, managed by Alan Walden, Jessica's father. Rock Candy tell tales of tragedy as well as success, and how the Allman Brothers lost two members to motorcycle accidents in Macon in the early 1970s. Later that decade, Skynyrd lost three members in a plane crash.
Music lovers in Macon recall a similar tragedy, the death of Otis Redding in a plane crash in December 1967. He'd started his career in the city and was a business partner of Phil Walden. Shortly before his death, Redding had recorded (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay, a mournful tune about a man at a crossroads in life. "I left my home in Georgia…" croons Redding with a melancholic air and a depth few artists can convey. The song topped the charts, becoming the first posthumously released number-one in the US.
Redding, the "King of Soul" in the 1960s, had been influenced by Little Richard, the "Architect of Rock and Roll", who started out in 1950s Macon. These artists and others were honoured in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, which was based in Macon until it closed in 2011. Rock Candy Tours picked up where it left off, beginning the very next day.
The hall of fame's contents were dispersed, and one of the recipients was the Augusta Museum of History, which also celebrates the city's industrial past and golf history and boasts the world's only James Brown collection. Three galleries are devoted to the "Godfather of Soul", who moved to the city as a child and began his career there, tap-dancing in the street for money. The singer's elaborate costumes are on display alongside walls decorated with album sleeves, posters and an interactive screen that plays video clips – watch James Brown moonwalk and do the "robot" years before Michael Jackson followed his lead.
The museum has a small section on other music stars from the area, including a mention of Blind Willie McTell, the blues artist from Georgia's Piedmont region, covered by countless bands including the Allman Brothers and The White Stripes (Dylan also named a song after him). Forty-eight km (30 mi.) east of Augusta in Thomson, where McTell was born and is buried, the city celebrates his legacy with the annual Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival, debuted in 1993 and one of the largest of its kind in the region.
Heading northwest into Athens, home of the University of Georgia, the city has had a vibrant bar, club and college music scene for decades, finding international recognition in the 1970s and 1980s for alternative rock and new wave, spearheaded by the B-52s and R.E.M. Famous haunts of these acts such as the record store where R.E.M's Peter Buck worked and where the group played early gigs, form self-guided Athens Music History Walking Tours, taking advantage of the pedestrian-friendly city's sights.
Then of course then there's Atlanta. The state's big, booming capital has long been home to a variety of music. Blues fans can get their fix at Blind Willie's, the blues club named after McTell. The city's also the birthplace of country star Zac Brown who, until recently, owned the eatery Southern Ground (the name of his record label) in Atlanta suburb Senoia. Music fans can also stop by for soul food at two locations of Chicken and Waffles, owned by Midnight Train to Georgia singer and icon Gladys Knight.
photo | OZinOH
Knight, Charles, James Brown and many others played early shows on historic Sweet Auburn Avenue at The Royal Peacock (above), a nightclub restored in 2010 and now a reggae club. Another venue for music fans is the Apache Café, formerly The Yin Yang Café, where neo-soul artists such assuch as Erykah Badu and India.Arie had career-making performances. This small venue plays hosts to local soul, jazz and hip-hop artists looking for their break.
Hip-hop and urban music propelled Atlanta's rise in the industry in recent decades. Music producers L.A. Reid and Babyface formed LaFace Records here in 1989, launching the careers of local act TLC as well as Toni Braxton, OutKast and Pink. Usher was on the roster too and his influence can be seen today in artists such as Drake and his protégé Justin Bieber, who in fact launched his career in Atlanta. The city is also home to CeeLo Green and B.o.Band was crucial to Lil Jon's career and crunk music – up-tempo Southern hip-hop.
Many of these artists, including Lil' Jon, OutKast, and Beyoncé, are represented with gold and platinum discs on the walls of Patchwerk Recording Studios, originally opened in 1994 in Midtown before moving to northwest Atlanta. The studio runs tours – by reservation – and isn't short on stories about some of the acts that have dropped by to record there, including Mariah Carey and One Direction.
In 2009, the New York Times called Atlanta "hip-hop's center of gravity". In 2005, at the height of Southern hip-hop, Ludacris released Georgia, featuring Jamie Foxx, who won an Oscar that year for playing Ray Charles in the movie Ray. The song sampled Georgia on My Mind, and came the year after the singer's death, his influence on a new generation enduring from beyond the grave.
Rock on, Georgia…
Lee Howard is a London-based freelance and photographer who covers travel, arts and culture; his work has appeared in The Guardian, National Geographic, Rough Guides and Where Traveler. Follow him on Twitter at @LeeeHoward.
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Fit Or Fat: If I Am Overweight Does That Make Me Unfit?
Josh Smith from Mitise Health, a PT from Adelaide, caught my attention with a post on his blog post on "InstaFit" and the unbalanced nature of a lot of their "programs", he ruffled feathers and pissed a whole bunch of people off and has since removed the first post (because people get all "legal" when you tell it like it is!) but there is a part 2 available for your viewing pleasure. The post went viral because of the subject matter but you know what? I freaking applaud him for putting himself out there in the first place for all the keyboard warriors (worriers) and crazy "teeny" fitness fans of these Instagram fitness "celebrities" to take aim at him. That's what us movers and shakers of the fitness and healthy industry need to do! We need to put our message out there that this focus on perfection isn't the right direction to move forward into long lasting body love and confidence. A 20 something's view on the world will eventually change as they age (and get a little saggy!) or maybe they will forever worry about what their abs look like. There is so much more to life than worry about how lean you are! Someone focused heavily on what they look like doesn't necessarily make them an amazing coach or personal trainer. Food for thought, anyway!
Today, Josh jumps in and takes over Natalie Carter Talks Fitness! Enjoy
In today's image-based society, we often see the terms 'fit' and 'fat' bandied around as if they are mutually exclusive. If your body stores more body fat, you are automatically assumed to be 'unfit', whereas if you store less body fat, it is generally assumed you are 'fit'.
This could not be more wrong.
As a lifestyle, strength and conditioning coach I have seen my fair share of bodies, and if one thing is clear it is this – every body has the potential to achieve great levels of fitness, regardless of body fat levels.
Will you lose body fat exercising and moving more? Sure.
Will every body look the same after undertaking an exercise and movement program? Definitely not.
Bodies come in many different shapes and sizes, each with their own strengths and weaknesses and responses to movement. Those people whose ancestors originated from colder climates (think northern Europe and New Zealand) tend to naturally store more body fat than those whose ancestors originated in more temperate climates. Some bodies prefer to lift heavy weights, some bodies respond best to long runs and cycling sessions.
The fact is, there is NO ideal body type nor body fat percentage.
With the rise of social media, particularly photo-sharing sites such as Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr and Imgur, the exposure to other people's ideas of 'fit' and 'healthy' is becoming far more prolific. Nowadays, you don't have to put in the hard yards to have your ideas published – anyone can start a blog, pay to have it promoted on social media and achieve notoriety.
Unfortunately, 'opinion' is just that – opinion. The fact that we are all individuals – with our own strengths and weaknesses, thoughts, feelings and motivations – has been moved aside to make way for 'business' and the building of hugely profitable products and services that sell to the masses.
There is no money in promoting individualism, especially in the 'health' industry (think weight loss shows, think the billion dollar supplement industry and think five minute doctor consults).
I wish to change that.
I wish to see ability promoted over aesthetics. I wish to see the promotion of each body as beautiful, regardless of size. I wish to see health promoted as the end-result of happiness. I wish to see what you can do, without the use of special effects and filters.
And I wish for you to join me. Join me in my attempt to re-claim the idea behind what 'health' is.
In my opinion, to be 'healthy' is to hold the positive mindset that comes from the ability to do what you want to do, when you want to do it, and how you want to do it. Run, climb, jump, train, or play with your children – whatever your thing is, to be able to do it happily is what achieving 'health' is all about.
Omnia mea mecum porto
Join Mitise Health on Facebook and comment below on what you make of this whole InstaFIT and InstaFAME culture.
Be awesome, to get some natalie carter talks fitness on a regular basis subscribe now!


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Sister Churches American Congregations and Their Partners Abroad
- Format: Hardcover
- Copyright: 10/24/2013
- Publisher: Oxford University Press
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The growth of Christianity in the global South and the fall of colonialism in the middle of the twentieth century caused a crisis in Christian missions, as many southern Christians spoke out about indignities they had suffered and many northern Christians retreated from the global South. American Christians soon began looking for a fresh start, a path forward that was neither isolationist nor domineering. Out of this dream the ''sister church'' model of mission was born. In this model, rather than Western churches sending representatives into the ''mission field,'' they set up congregation-to-congregation partnerships with churches in the global South. In Sister Churches Janel Bakker draws on extensive fieldwork and interviews with participants in these partnerships to explore the sister church movement and in particular its effects on American churches. Because Christianity is numerically and in many ways spiritually stronger in the global South than it is in the global North--while the imbalance in material resources runs in the opposite direction--both northern and southern Christians stand to gain. Challenging prevailing notions of friction between northern and southern Christians, Bakker argues that sister church relationships are marked by interconnectivity and collaboration.


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Friday Five
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April 5th, 2013, 06:32 AM
Mega Super Mommy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 2,578
1. Where did you go grow up? PA
2. Do you still live there? Yep.
3. Does your best friend still live there? Depends on which one. DH does. Female? No
4. What is one bad thing about your hometown? The police are jerks. I haven't got in trouble with the law or had run ins with the law but I've watched countless people be harassed for NO REASON by them. I'm talking even the elderly. I've also watched them take their sweet old time to get there when someone calls for important emergencies, ie: domestic disturbances, situations that need SWAT intervention, breaking and entering calls, shots fired calls. GRRR!
5. What is one good thing about your hometown? It's beautiful. I love all the water that surrounds me. I love the architecture. We actually have gargoyles on a few of our buildings. It's pretty cool. We also re-located one of our buildings physically(morgue, I think..), by horse and buggy! Who else does that?! I actually love the people too! A majority of them are really sweet and friendly.
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Top 5 Warrantywise Pay Outs in March 2014
Cars can break down at the most inconvenient time leaving you with that gut wrenching (no pun intended) feeling. All too often finding a few grand to put your car right again can spoil your holiday plans, wipe out your savings or put that new kitchen back another year.
Plus, if you think you can repair your car yourself or that your part time mechanic brother in law can help - think again. Long gone are the times where you can bring out your repair manual and start ferreting away with a spanner under your bonnet. A 4 year old BMW 3 series requires diagnostic equipment that can cost upwards of £10,000 to simply diagnose a fault and that's before you start thinking about getting rid of that pesky warning light on your dash! You'll need to know Bill Gates to sort that one out!
All this means that you're better off going to the main dealer, but as we all know that costs money. So what is the logical option? Well it makes sense to pass the burden onto someone else… Every year, Warrantywise protect over 30,000 people with an extended car warranty. Their customers no longer need to worry about their car going wrong, since they offer the UK's highest level of car warranty cover - bar none! Plus their plan has been written by the former Top Gear presenter and Consumer Wiz Quentin Willson and if for any reason you're unhappy his personal contact details are available to every single Warrantywise customer.
Warrantywise have just published their top 5 repair pay out's of March 2014 and they make for very interesting reading.
|Fault Code
|Amount Paid
|Land Rover
|Discovery 2008
|Evo 2010
|Drive Train
|Continental GT 2006
|Steering & Suspension
|5 Series 2003
|Rolls Royce
|Phantom 2004
With repair bills like this you'd be wise to have a car warranty, the lucky people who owned the above cars did and it saved them literally thousands.
More top 5 pay outs next month!


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About HCL Technologies:
HCL has been ranked No.1 in the Hewitt Best Employer in India 2009.This is because at HCL we believe in the philosophy of "Employees first, customer second". Our constant Endeavour is to empower each and every HCLite and give them the opportunity to chart their path of growth within the organization. Here you will be assured of best in class training and work environment that will help you achieve your true potential. Not just this, you also get a chance to be a part of a diverse workforce comprising over 62,000 HCLites who operate out of 26 countries!
Company Name: HCL Technologies
Company Website: www.hcltech.com
Designation – Software Engineer
Salary: 3.25 Lakh Per Annum
Batch Allowed: 2014 & 2013 Only
UPDATE: HCL Off Campus Drive To Be Held In Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai On 6th August 2014
Note: Candidates with valid Hall Ticket are only allowed to attend HCL Drive.
Eligibility Criteria:
- B.tech/B.E/MCA 2013/14 Batch
- Streams-CS/IT/EEE/E&I/ECE
- 60% throughout in academics
- No Standing Arrears
Compensation: 18 k for first 3 months and 4th month onwards Upto 3.25 L (Basis the work location and Role)
Our Requirements -Candidate should be cultural fit / communication/ ability to work with passion / should be good team player.
Service Agreement of 18 Months and probation of 15 Month
Last Date to apply: 04th August 2014 by 10 AM
Interview Process : Online Test followed by Face to face Interviews for Test Select
To register, Click Here
Kindly provide the information requested and click on SUBMIT. Kindly mention your correct information in the registration page.
It is absolutely mandatory to carry this Admit Card for the Recruitment Procedure. Without the Admit Card you will not be entertained


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Benjamin MossHome Consultant
HiLine Homes welcomed Benjamin in 2015, as his background & genuine interest in construction endeared him to the position of Home Consultant. He values his studies in construction management, business and economics. Which enables him to assist Northwest families attain the dream of building a quality and affordable custom home.
Benjamin is a proud husband and father of 2 boys. In his personal time he likes to volunteer in his community, appreciates classic cars and the great outdoors.
Click here for Benjamin's HiLine Homes' office location
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50 Cent: 'My underwear is for when men get lucky!'
50 Cent wants his new Frigo Crown underwear line to make a statement and make men feel confident.
50 Cent recommends men wear his new underwear when they're hopeful of getting some "action".
The Candy Shop rapper signed a whopping $78 million (£62 million) deal with brand Frigo at the end of 2014 and unveiled his Frigo Crown collection last summer (15). Now he's set to release new offerings just in time for the holidays, unveiling a pair of boxer-briefs retailing at $150 (£120) and a T-shirt at the same price.
Sharing his tips on when to wear the smalls, 50 - real name Curtis Jackson - told People: "Wear them when you know some action is going to take place. Hopefully you'll put them on and take them off shortly thereafter!"
But when there's no special occasion to dress up for the musician has a backup plan. "A lot of times I stick to what my grandparents would say: 'Wear white underwear; (because) it will tell you when it's time to be changed," he added, sharing some sage advice.
50's aim was to evolve men's underwear rather than just sticking three into a pack like most labels do. He worked closely with Frigo to ensure the right material was used, picking a fabric with moisture-wicking properties to keep things fresh. There's also customised pouches on the boxers, ensuring a personal touch.
The finished look was an important aspect for 50 too, with him picking a navy blue backdrop covered in prints of black lions wearing crowns for both the boxer-briefs and top. Meanwhile the white logo sits on the waistband of the underwear.
"It makes a statement," he noted. "So we went through different designs until I was like, 'This is what looks best.'"
Frigo Crown is available at Neiman Marcus stores. Frigo's founder, Mathias Ingvarsson, previously gushed about 50's involvement with the brand, telling WWD: "50 is a dream partner for Frigo, and we couldn't be happier that he is designing his own line. He is amazingly creative and his attention to detail is immaculate, which will be transparent in his collection."
© Cover Media
Belfast Telegraph Digital


text: good morning sooo i was just wondering for any of you, how does your extended family handle what your easy child/difficult child has done? Grandparents, aunts, uncles etc. do they keep to themselves, still handle your child as a grandparent, or do they get involved, take stances also? get involved in other words and make it their battle as well? I'm wondering...... Here is what is happening on my end: I woke up today to see my brother who is only 23 post an update status on facebook that reads" I used to have 2 nieces, now i have 1. at least she knows how to treat people." Needless to say this upset me. He is very young, inexperienced and tends to copy my Mom's take on just about everything....... Spoke to my mom the other day who stated well if you did mother's day here i dont' know if i want to do a cake for easy child, get her a gift etc. I said that's why we arent' coming. it's better to contain it, no need to put you guys in that position. easy child didn't show up for my stepdad's dad's funeral. easy child and my stepdad her pop pop have always been very close, except the past few years. so any thoughts, or experience how your family has handled it? I text my brother and told him to please remove it. I am not publically going there on facebook and he shouldnt' afterall we'rethe immediate family and chose not to bash her on a social network why should he? i'm sure he'll remove it.


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Lampert's Lemon and Lemman's Lemonade
Date: January 13, 2014 05:07PM
In investing it's often useful to analyze two different sources (annual reports, interviews, articles, etc.) and directly compare them to see if any patterns can be extracted.
Eddie Lampert and Jorge Paulo Lemman
This time, let's focus on two admirable investment billionaires: Jorge Paulo Lemman and Eddie Lampert (despite his recent slump, I still remain a fan of his earlier work). Fundamentally, the similarities between the two stretch beyond their appearances on the Forbes Rich List. Both are considered extremely savvy investors who take an active, hands-on approach to running the companies they invest in.
In recent years, however, the two have diverged despite their common grounding. Lemman's firm, 3G Capital, seems to be hitting one home run after another, most recently in its mammoth acquisition of Heinz. Lampert's ESL Investments, on the other hand, has experienced one headache after another, as its gigantic investment in Sears Holdings (SHLD) (a department store conglomerate of which Lampert is the CEO) continues its crippling battle to stay alive. Lemman's 3G Capital has become a magnet for investment capital, even teaming up with Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) himself in their latest deal. Lampert's ESL Investments, however, is reportedly getting redemptions out the wazoo.
No place is this divergence more striking than in the press. Of particular interest are two articles that can be found on BusinessWeek's website:
1. BusinessWeek's article on Jorge Paulo Lemman August 2013 (click to view)
2. BusinessWeek's article on Eddie Lampert July 2013 (click to view)
Here we have two articles from the same publication, published in the same year (a month apart), both telling a story with the same premise ("a billionaire investor with an impressive track record takes matters into their own hands in latest investment") and yet both outcomes read completely differently. Why?
The Jorge Paulo Lemman article paints him as a swashbuckling "businessman" that is masterfully restoring once mighty, now gluttonous American brands. The Eddie Lampert piece seems to tell the tale of a pedantic "corporate engineer," so obsessed with his own economic ideology that he is willing to risk bankrupting of one of America's oldest businesses just to prove his outdated view of the world correct.
The Devil Is in the Details?
I originally thought it would be interesting to compare one article outlining "good" management practices that led to billions in value creation (in the Lemman case) with the other article that exemplified "bad" management practice, leading to billions in value destruction (the Lampert article). "When I come across managers exhibiting Lemman's characteristics", I thought, "I'll load up on their stocks. When I come across a Lampert, I'll rush for the exits."
The pattern I actually found when directly comparing the two articles completely surprised me and had me re-learning an old investment adage (snore!)...
Here is an example of one of Lampert's main management tools at Sears as reported by BusinessWeek:
This is as opposed to Jorge Paulo Lemman's team, who, according to BusinessWeek:
I'm no business consultant, but "zero-based" budgeting and "autonomous business units" essentially sound like different terms to describe the exact same thing. The similarities in management styles don't end there. Because of Lampert:
If this statement is to be believed in isolation, then aggressive cost cutting for a company is bound to result in disaster. Yet, a mere one month later, BusinessWeek identifies Lemman's success largely resulting from his team's ability to cut expenditures, aggresively:
From here, the similarities between management strategies become eerie:
The more you read each article, the more similarities emerge. BusinessWeek alludes to one of Lampert's key failures as being the fact that his managers at Sears have lacked prior retail industry experience:
Yet, BusinessWeek pinpoints Lemman's success stemming from putting in place managers who triumphed precisely because they don't have relevant industry experience:
The Difference Between Value Creation and Destruction?
Okay, I'm sure by now you get the point.
I think the conclusion to draw from this sermon is not how seeking strategic advice from BusinessWeek articles may be a little confusing. Nor am I suggesting that Lampert and Lemman have the same modus operandi: I'm sure there are lots of things Lemman's managers do that Lampert's don't, and vice versa.
The interesting pattern I'm focused on is this: In one story, broadly speaking, a cunning, smart capital allocator with a fresh, new strategy in an age-old industry — coupled with an eagle-eyed view on unnecessary costs — whipped a company into reaching unimaginable new heights, while creating billions for himself and his investors. In the other story, a cunning, smart capital allocator with a fresh, new strategy in an age-old industry — coupled with an eagle-eyed view on unnecessary costs — strangled a company into reaching unimaginable new lows while losing billions for himself and his investors.
What keeps me up at night as an investor is this conundrum: If I just presented you with just the strategic facts of each case (read over each quote again, but only focus on the bolded words — without BusinessWeek's added journalistic flourishes) before you knew the outcome of each investment or the industries each operated in, would you have picked which manger was sure to make you billions or which one was bound to lose? Maybe not? Don't worry, not even BusinessWeek could: (click for link).
For me, the main difference between the success of Lemman and the languish of Lampert is simple: the businesses they chose to manage and the industries the chose to compete in. Lampert, perhaps originally focused on other motivations, chose to back a crippling, high-cost business in a perfectly competitive industry experiencing tough structural change. Lemman chose to practice his brand of management on perpetuity-like businesses that competed in oligopolies. These oligopolies grew by the year and had the potential to be made even stronger by brilliant management. Lampert chose a business whose revenues and cost structures were tied at the hip. Lemman's businesses have revenues that vary almost independent of their cost structures.
It seems that the stories of Lemman and Lampert, once again, prove the old investment adage: "A jockey is only as competitive as his horse."
"We make silk purses out of silk," explains Charlie Munger. "We dont know how to make silk purses out of a sow's ears." Lemman took lemonade that was already being made and, using extreme management prowess, turned it sweeter. Lampert first had to make lemonade by endlessly trying to squeeze a lemon.
Stocks Discussed: SHLD, HNZ, BKW,
Re Lampert s Lemon and Lemman s Lemonade
Posted by: The Science of Hitting (IP Logged)
Date: January 13, 2014 06:20PM
Great post - and the same goes for the few you've posted on your blog in the past few days; thanks!
Stocks Discussed: SHLD, HNZ, BKW,
Re Lampert s Lemon and Lemman s Lemonade
Date: January 13, 2014 07:02PM
Thank you for your kind words. I'm a big fan of your work, so I extra-appreciate the comment.
Stocks Discussed: SHLD, HNZ, BKW,
Re Lampert s Lemon and Lemman s Lemonade
Posted by: The Science of Hitting (IP Logged)
Date: January 13, 2014 07:30PM
Glad to hear it - keep up the good work and I'll try and do the same haha :)
Stocks Discussed: SHLD, HNZ, BKW,
Re Lampert s Lemon and Lemman s Lemonade
Posted by: kengolub (IP Logged)
Date: January 15, 2014 01:03PM
The different outcomes is because Sears is a retailer and Heinz is a manufacturer. It's one thing to streamline production, introduce new products and manage your employees. Retailing requires a whole different set of skills, from getting customers into the store, to leading them through the store, to presenting the merchandise and closing the sale. Those customers aren't employees and they're often making discretionary purchases; things they don't need. A retailer has to be able to woo the customers. To succeed in retailing, you have to excel at managing that most unpredictable quality: human behavior.
I'm not surprised that Lampert has trouble empathizing with Sears and Kmart shoppers, I'm only surprised he doesn't seem to know his limitations. But don't count him out yet. Sears is circling the drain but liquidation may yet make this a profitable investment.
Stocks Discussed: SHLD, HNZ, BKW,
Re Lampert s Lemon and Lemman s Lemonade
Date: January 15, 2014 06:40PM
You have made some great observations - particularly regarding the requirement of a retailer to "woo customers". Your statements are a terrific summary of our (perhaps unnecessarily) long article.
The interesting thing about Lampert is that his "streamlining" formula did work on two other retailers (ok, I've somewhat broadly classified here): AutoZone and AutoNation.
Obivously, as I'm sure you've already independently concluded, the customer base of those two retailers can be "woo-ed" via a different means: cost and 'merchandise depth'.
You make an interesting observation on the liquidation thesis too. I completely agree there has to be a lot of value in this conglomerate - most likely not as a going concern. However, at what price would it make economical for today's investor? That's a question I can't answer.
Whatever happens, Lampert (and his original investors) have minted money on this investment even taking into account the price decline. When an investor buys a large company for around 13-20 cents on the dollar in bankruptcy and uses its cash to buy another large company - its pretty hard to lose.
Lampert is still an astute investor in my book - all one has to do is look at the performance of his other holdings.
Stocks Discussed: SHLD, HNZ, BKW,
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March 15, 2017
Saint Patrick's Day Healthy Mint Green Smoothie
Does anyone love a certain green shake at a certain fast food restaurant around Saint Patrick's Day? It's the best tasting mint green shake you could ever imagine Now let's talk about how healthy that green mint shake is. Healthy? Not so much… Continue reading →
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Chocolate and Raspberry Chia Seed Pudding
Chia seeds have really evolved over the years. Remember the ceramic heads that grew Chia hair? How did we not know all the benefits of chia seeds back then? Did you know chia seeds are full of nutritional value and power packed with antioxidants that tastes great too? Continue Reading →
March 3, 2017
Gluten Free Cherry Cobbler with No Sugar Added
How many of you love, love frozen cherries but aren't quite sure what to do with them? Cherry season doesn't last long enough for me. What's a person to do when you can't find any fresh cherries? Frozen dark sweet cherries are a great substitute! The best place to find a big frozen bag that doesn't cost an arm and a leg is WalMart! Continue Reading →
February 24, 2017
Strawberries & Cream Overnight Oats
Here's an easy to make breakfast while you sleep! It's Gluten Free, Dairy Free and sweetened with 1 teaspoon of local honey. Have you heard of overnight oats? Continue Reading →
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Desserts by Juliette, who are we?
Just wanted to share a little bit about us… Continue Reading →
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Cupcakes in a Jar for Two!
Is it the end of the romantic meal or the beginning of a romantic evening? It could be both after sharing a special treat like Cupcakes in a Jar for Two with your Valentine? Nothing says I LOVE YOU like a shared dessert made for two by you! Continue Reading →
February 4, 2017
Birthday Cake Cookies
Did you every buy those amazing cookies at the grocery store that come in plastic containers? They are slathered in frosting and sprinkles! Whenever you get that craving, forget the store and open your kitchen pantry… Continue Reading →
If you love, love, love smoothies this Blueberry Detox Smoothie is easy to make and very tasty.
Blueberry Detox Smoothie
This white cake recipe is the perfect combination of fluffy and moist!
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Discussion in 'Computer Games and General Discussion' started by Seratonin, Feb 14, 2013.
I want your opinions on Guild Wars 2.
It had new content added not long ago. However I don't play anymore due to other games and less time off from work.
My opinion: you get a lot for what you pay, so it's worth checking out. And no recurring subscriptions.
1: Exploration. The world is pretty large, and there's tons of blips all over the place to do this, find that, explore this. It even emphasizes exploring crazy things like climbing buildings and stuff and you have to figure out how. It's neat.
2: Rather fun PvE content. Things always seem to be happening.
3: Easy to level (in fact, crafting alone will blast you through levels like nothing, and basically anything you do gives exp, like PvP)
4: Decent amount of content with seemingly dedicated updates
5: Looks pretty gorgeous
6: Buy to play is a sexy model, though it's essentially free 2 play but with a fee...since it has a full-blown cash shop that withholds content till you pay for it, like any other free 2 play MMO. Not a huge fan of that idea.
on the flip side
1: Combat is incredibly lacking. It feels weak and honestly half the time you'll be using your skills, hammering the button and wondering if it did anything. Skills have no impact. It all feels just really loose and boring.
2: Thanks to #1, pvp feels crappy. There's a world vs world vs world mode where servers basically fight eachother for a huge map. Sweet idea, but the combat just doesn't support it at all...and it tends to just be higher population servers maim lower ones. It can be fun though, I remember going with a massive group and just driving down the map dominating it while the other two servers fought on the opposite side.
3: The competitive PvP mode has pre-set gear. Which seems like a cool idea, but all it really shows is how shallow character builds are. PvP doesn't feel meaty or fun, it's more a variation of rock, paper, scissors of if your team has classes that can beat the enemy team better. Though some strategy/skill comes into play, if you're on a team with a bunch of monkeys you'll probably lose. Also it DOES let you choose between different PvP gear items, but still the variation just screams 'shallow'.
Overall most of my complaints are towards shallow character building, as well as a supreme lack of satisfying PvP.
The game looks great, and exploring is fun as hell. Character creation is good.
If you like PvE content, this is probably a game for you. Quests and the world are quite interesting and it's fun to explore every inch of the world, and be rewarded for it.
If you like PvP content, skip this title. It provides 0 PvP fun.
You can also buy gems (the currency for the cash store) with in-game money so you can in fact get all the content without paying anything other than the price of the game.
Anyway, I've been playing since October and still enjoy it enough to play it for an hour or so every day.
Touche, and it's not like the cash shop has anything exclusively of value...all the same, it annoys me when I pay for a game and then a bunch of cool stuff is waved in my face and they go " Lol pay more O: ! "
Ingame currency into gems was pretty crazy last time I checked, would take a while to get enough gems for anything. But it has been a while since I played...
/patches up the game


text: Gustatory rhinitisGeorgalas, Christosa; Jovancevic, LjiljanabCurrent Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery: February 2012 - Volume 20 - Issue 1 - p 9–14 doi: 10.1097/MOO.0b013e32834dfb52 NOSE AND PARANASAL SINUSES: Edited by Anshul Sama Abstract Author Information Purpose of review This review aims to characterize gustatory rhinitis using recent advances in pathophysiology and novel surgical and medical management strategies. Recent findings A significant amount of research has recently focused on the role of capsaicin and its receptors (TRPV1 and VR1), which can be found on sensory c-fibers in human nasal mucosa and play a critical role in the development of nasal hyperresponsiveness to environmental factors. Blocking the nasal sensory nerve stimulation (via the use of capsaicin desensitization) or outgoing parasympathetic innervation (via endoscopic Vidian neurectomy) may control nasal hyperresponsiveness and therefore prevent the induction of rhinitis symptoms. Summary Gustatory rhinitis is a conspicuous type of food-associated rhinorrhea, which can occasionally be associated with significant quality-of-life impairment. It results from an abnormal gustatory reflex associated with a hyperactive, nonadrenergic, noncholinergic, or peptidergic neural system. The use of nasal ipratropium bromide may be effective, if avoidance is not possible or successful. We have had excellent results with the use of intranasal capsaicin or endoscopic vidian neurectomy (including removal of 4–5 mm of the nerve between pterygopalatine fossa and the sphenoid floor) in patients with nonallergic rhinitis, and these could potentially be used as a last resort in patients with intractable gustatory rhinitis. aEndoscopic Skull Base Amsterdam (ESA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands bClinical Centre of Vojvodina, ENT Clinic, Novi Sad, Serbia Correspondence to Christos Georgalas, PhD, DLO, FRCS(ORL-HNS), Director, Endoscopic Skull Base Amsterdam (ESA), Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam (www.endoskull.nl), A2-228, Meiberdgreef 9, 1105AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 20 566 6350; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com © 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.