text:
Robins can literally see magnetic fields, but only if their vision is sharp
Some birds can sense the Earth's magnetic field and orientate themselves with the ease of a compass needle. This ability is a massive boon for migrating birds, keeping frequent flyers on the straight and narrow. But this incredible sense is closely tied to a more mundane one – vision. Thanks to special molecules in their retinas, birds like the European robins can literally see magnetic fields. The fields appear as patterns of light and shade, or even colour, superimposed onto what they normally see.
Katrin Stapput from Goethe University has shown that this 'magnetoreception' ability depends on a clear image from the right eye. If the eye is covered by a translucent frosted goggle, the birds become disorientated; if the left eye is covered, they can navigate just fine. So the robin's vision acts as a gate for its magnetic sense. Darkness (or even murkiness) keeps the gate shut, but light opens it, allowing the internal compass to work.
The magnetic sense of birds was first discovered in robins in 1968, and its details have been teased out ever since. Years of careful research have told us that the ability depends on light and particularly on the right eye and the left half of the brain. The details still aren't quite clear but, for now, the most likely explanation involves a molecule called cryptochrome. Cryptochrome is found in the light-sensitive cells of a bird's retina and scientists think that it affects just how sensitive those cells are.
When cryptochrome is struck by blue light, it shifts into an active state where it has an unpaired electron – these particles normally waltz in pairs but here, they dance solo. The same thing happens in a companion molecule called FAD. Together, cryptochrome and FAD, both with unpaired electrons, are known as a "radical pair". Magnetic fields act upon the unpaired electrons and govern how long it takes for the radical pair to revert back to their normal, inactive state. And because cryptochrome affects the sensitivity of a bird's retina, so do magnetic fields.
The upshot is that magnetic fields put up a filter of light or dark patches over what a bird normally sees. These patches change as the bird turns and tilts its head, providing it with a visual compass made out of contrasting shades.
To test the bounds of this ability, Stapput wanted to see what would happen if she blurred a robin's vision. She outfitted her robins with somewhat unflattering goggles, with clear foil on one side and frosted foil on the other. Both allowed 70% of light to get through, but the frosted foil disrupted the clarity of the image.
The robins were kept in cages until they were ready to migrate and let loose in funnel-shaped cages lined with correction fluid. As they orientated themselves and changed course, they created scratches on the cage walls which told Stapput which direction they were heading in. These scratches revealed that with both eyes open, the robins flew straight north as they would normally do in the wild. If their left field of vision was frosted, they went the same way. But if their right eye was covered, they became disorientated, heading in completely random directions.
This experiment shows that the internal compass doesn't just depend on light – birds also need to see a clear image with their right eye in order to find they way. After all, their magnetic sense only provides them with information that lies on top of the images they normally see. If that image is blurry, the magnetic sense is useless. To put it another way, driving with an excellent Satnav won't do you much good if your windscreen is covered in frost.
But Stapput thinks that birds also need a sharp, focused image to separate the information from their visual and magnetic senses. Since both lie on top of each other, and both involve differences in light and shade, the potential for confusion is high. But thanks to lines and edges, the images that birds see tend to have sharp transitions between light and shade; by contrast, changes in magnetic fields are smooth and more gradual. So sharp changes in contrast are probably due to the boundaries of objects, but smoother changes are probably due to magnetic effects.
Stapput's study certainly provides good support for the "radical pair" explanation, but it doesn't rule out an alternative hypothesis. Some birds, such as pigeons, have small crystals of magnetite in their beaks. This iron-rich magnetic mineral could provide further clues about the surrounding magnetic fields, especially in darkness.
Reference: Current Biology http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2010.05.070
Image from Ernst Vikne and Theoretical and Computational Physics Group
More on magnetic senses:
- Google Earth shows that cow and deer herds align like compass needles
- Bats: compasses, tongues and memories
- Power lines disrupt the magnetic alignment of cows and deer
Comments (68)
Oh that's what a European robin looks like.
'Orientate' is not a word.
[Yes it is. Orientate and orient are both listed in the OED and MW; the former is the more common usage in the UK and the latter is more common in the US – Ed]
The time to research this could have better been spent determining the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow!
According to MW online, orientate is indeed a word, but only one definition is given, and it is not the same as the definition of orient.
Main Entry: ori·en·tate
Pronunciation: ˈȯr-ē-ən-ˌtāt, -ˌen-
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): ori·en·tat·ed; ori·en·tat·ing
Date: 1848
intransitive verb
: to face or turn to the east
transitive verb
But mostly it just looks and sounds off to Americans.
Thanks for this great summary. It is a fascinating reminder that the human conception of perception is a limited/specific one. Also a wonderful example of the amazing abilities of some of our cohabitants on Earth (proving that Evolution is not a ladder leading to humans at the peak).
An African or European swallow?
"Orientate" and "disorientated" are simply moronic. Constructing a word with additional unnecessary syllables is ALWAYS awkward, and is never the preferred usage, no matter what country you are from. "Oriented" and "disoriented" serve their purposes just fine. Additionally, this article could use some serious editing regarding spelling and grammar…
Is this really the quality of material coming out of "Discover" at this point? Shameful.
when can we put these features into human eyes?
Pedant: Have a read of G. Deutscher's "The Unfolding of Language: An Evolutionary Tour of Mankind's Greatest Invention" … extending words in the manner of "orientate" from "orient" is a very common pattern of language evolution.
I see the grammar police are out in full force.
God gave them this ability to test our faith.
wow the comments barely have anything to do with any thing, its kinda sad
Yeah, a fascinating article.
The authors grammar doesn't affect the validity of the article.
Jocular Pedant: '"Orientate" and "disorientated" are simply moronic. Constructing a word with additional unnecessary syllables is ALWAYS awkward, and is never the preferred usage, no matter what country you are from. "Oriented" and "disoriented" serve their purposes just fine.'
Assuming you're American, may I ask if this standard of yours apply to the world "burgle"? It's a valid word everywhere English is spoken, except in America where "burglarize" is preferred (a form that sounds very odd to those outside of America, believe me).
According to your standard… "burglarize" is simply MORONIC, constructed with additional UNNECESSARY syllables, ALWAYS awkward and ISN'T the preferred usage (no matter the country!), because "burgle" serves its purpose JUST FINE.
I'd be willing to guess not. Just shows there's no point in arguing that one dialect is better than another, because it's all subjective.
I want to know if those sexy specs affected the bird's breeding chances… It's bizarre to imagine what the bird actually sees.
This whole topic is a fascinating one: I've just been diverted into looking up this paper from my undergrad days: http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/abstract/199/1/49 which showed that the orientation of black-cap migration is genetically determined. The meanies did a cross of southeastwards migrating birds with southwestwards migrating birds to give confused offspring that wanted to migrate south (and would have ended up in the Med if given the chance).
I'd be interested to know if these results have been replicated with other, more strongly migratory birds which migrate over longer distances. A quick Google suggests Garden Warblers have been shown to use Magnetic fields in migration. It seems odd to perform a study on a species such as the Robin, which throughout some of its range has a large sedentary population. Maybe somebody could try this on an unladen swallow and get the same results…
Hi Ed,
"This is like standing with one's back at a sunset in order to stare at one's shoes."
what make of shoe Ed? And whereabouts in the world is the sun setting?
if you are talking new trainers and the sun is setting say, in Birmingham UK (a concrete jungle), then those shoes aren't necessarily the weaker option…
How difficult would it be to get some cryptochrome molecules in *my* retinas?
So the question from an engineering standpoint then becomes: Are there any other redox reactions which would produce the same effect with Cryptochrome?
[Looking at the sunset] Is this the same biological compass that lobsters and sea turtles have? Based on the view of the blue sky, I could orient on north pretty easily, but this would seem more difficult in the diffused light underwater.
It strikes me as odd that only one eye is capable of this type of vision, and not both. Is it because only the right eye has enough Cryptochrome, or is only the left side of the brain able to process that kind of input?
Any speculation as to what kind of advantage there would be to only seeing magnetic fields with one eye, as opposed to both? Maybe having a "plain" view out of the left eye helps the bird compare images and separate their visual and magnetic senses.
Regardless, this is very, very cool.
I love the aviator's goggles on the bird. He looks just like a WWI flying ace. Who has been shot down, captured and humiliated.
Vision, just another one of lifes mundane senses…
[Yeah okay, I'll accept that one. Perhaps "everyday" rather than "mundane". Apologies to fans of vision – Ed]
How much light do birds need for this to work? European Robins and most small passerines are nocturnal migrants.
Something seems wrong with the sharpness assumption. Would birds do as humans to and favor one eye over another if the other is hindered. In human sight a burred vision eye will be disfavored.
I was thinking a blurred eye is just not being processed if the other is fine. The real test would be to only slightly blur both eyes perhaps?
I'm no scientist!
i really enjoyed your post, its very intresting to know these animals can see these frequency… and specially when you mention the bluelight crossing those particles creating its magic!
Keep the work up , thanks for the info!
Now, someone must develop this cryptomolecule for persons.. cause im sure i have none of that orientation sensor in my brain hehe.
Are there other examples in animals of one eye having a capability that the other eye doesn't?
I had no idea they could actually SEE the magnetic field. That is just too cool for words. I wonder how many other critters have this ability and we just haven't realised it yet. Perhaps we are in the minority.
"Humans have an extremely efficient antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase, that keeps superoxide at a very low concentration level, apparently too low for human cryptochromes to use. It seems that somewhere in our evolutionary history we might have traded our magnetic sense for longevity."
That suggests a reduction or inhibition of superoxide dismutase might be all it takes to activate magnetic vision in humans. A quick search revealed that mice engineered to knock out this gene die within days of birth due to massive oxidative stress, which would presumably also kill any human infant born with an equivalent mutation. However it does still leave open the possibility that some people have been born with mutations that merely reduce the effectiveness of superoxide dismutase rather than knocking it out completely. Such people would suffer from a number of negative health effects but it seems plausible that they might be able to see magnetic fields. If it only occurs in severely ill children with short lifespans it seems very possible this extraordinary vision ability has been overlooked. Such children would have no idea that normal people lack their special magnetic vision ability. They would have little or no ability to explain it to adults around them. Those adults would likely be dismissive of any inexplicable behavior or comments by such children relating to this vision ability. Children who see "invisible things" simply have active imaginations.
It's just a wild speculation, but an intriguing one.
Awesome! I've read about several studies concerning how birds sense magnetic fields, but I've never run across anything that even hinted at actually being able to see them. This is very intriguing stuff.
I know Ed has called an end to this, but I just wanted to say that "orient" versus "orientate" has nothing to do with American or British. I'm American, I hear both all the time and I've never heard anyone voice a problem with either version.
This is very cool, if maybe slightly disappointing that another sense is merely wrapped into one of the conventional ones we already know about. It takes away a bit of the mystery.
And though Ed has called in the dogs, I did find the extra syllables very distracting in an otherwise good article. Delete this comment if you wish. My reason for writing it is not to get my name in print, but to encourage an improvement which would make reading this more enjoyable for me, and obviously others as well. Telling people to stop pointing out it's distracting doesn't make it less so.
Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to take the aluminuminum foil off my bananana pudding and have lunch. 😉
"It seems that somewhere in our evolutionary history we might have traded our magnetic sense for longevity."
Do non-migratory birds generally have longer life spans than migratory birds by any chance?
How does the retina produce a distinct band of illumination, as shown in the photos? Surely the field is not "focused" by the lens. If all the molecules in the retina were similarly oriented, I would think that they would all experience the same degree of stimulation, all changing by the same amount as the bird changed direction — overall bright in one direction, overall dim in another. Or if the retina had bands (or other patterns) of molecules with different orientations, changing orientation would change the brightness of different parts of the pattern. But how can a stimulus be produced that looks like an "image" of an exterior "object"?
Julie with comment #30 hit the biggest question, and I am not sure it has a complete answer. It was my impression that MANY birds migrate mostly at night, when cryptochrome would be of no use. True, it was stated that "Some birds, such as pigeons, have small crystals of magnetite in their beaks. This iron-rich magnetic mineral could provide further clues about the surrounding magnetic fields, especially in darkness." Evidently, as usual, there is more work to be done. BUT, the article is absolutely fascinating!
Wow – had no clue that was even possible. Thanks for explaining it in such an easy-to-understand manner.
Seems like "magic".
And makes me wonder if the left eye has some as-yet-unknown special skill… lol.
If all the molecules in the retina were similarly oriented, I would think that they would all experience the same degree of stimulation
Well, an eye is a three-dimensional structure after all. All you need is for the retina to stick to the eyeball, which as far as I know it does; and for the cryptochrome molecules to be oriented relative to the retina and not something else. (Why on earth would they be similarly oriented? Do you mean that they'd align to an external magnetic field?)
And from one of the links in the post:
[…] it is likely that cryptochrome is distributed similarly to photoreceptor cells perpendicularly to the retina. The cryptochromes are unlikely perfectly aligned, even if bound to the ordered membrane structures found in the outer segments of rod-shaped photoreceptors.
Or that seems to be the theory at least.
Did this research give any consideration to the possibility, or an indication thereof, that the "mundane" imagery generated in the left eye serves a complementary purpose? This kind of sensory lateral asymmetry is very fascinating, and rare in nature. In fact I'm not aware of any instance (although I am hardly an expert) in which reverse-sidedness in a sensory organ does not occur in a minority of the population. For this magnetic imaging ability to be built into birds' left brains and right eyes, and only their left brains and right eyes, is very remarkable and could have ramifications for our understanding of sidedness in evolution.
I had a friend from Britain who used the word orientated. I corrected him and he politely deferred to my judgement. I later learned that the use of orientate is common even here in Australia. Adhering too strongly to your preconceived notions can make you become an imbecile.
He probably assumed that it would be pointless to argue with an arrogant American.
I have apologized to him since. Lesson learned.
The birds are not seeing the magnetic field. They are seeing the effect of the magnetic field on light. This is like saying we can see magnetic fields because iron filings are aligned in one.
In fact, it's impossible to "see" a magnetic field, as it does not emit energy of any kind.
"In fact, it's impossible to "see" a magnetic field, as it does not emit energy of any kind."
Yes it does if you are an electrical charge or a conductor moving through it.
Obviously it does because you can do work with it – either generating electrical current, or using power from the electrical current to move things.
It might not radiate energy out into space, but the robin is an electrically charged object actually inside the field. So from the robin's POV it emits energy.
"The birds are not seeing the magnetic field. They are seeing the effect of the magnetic field on light. This is like saying we can see magnetic fields because iron filings are aligned in one."
They are not seeing the effect of the magnetic field on light, they are seeing the magnetic field's effect on certain molecules in their eyes. And if this is not "seeing," then we don't "see" light. We just see the effect of it on our eyes…
So. Robins always look on the bright side of life.
Sweet! It turns out, humans can see sound (…check it out: mycolormusic.com). What a crazy world we live in.
Is it possible that the ability to detect a magnetic field is a combination of the magnetite in some bird's beaks, and the cryptochrome in their eyes? That is, the beak with iron in it, and the bird moving through the magnetic field in space, generates a dynamic effect that the eye can detect?
I wonder if it has been determined whether birds can detect a magnetic field when they aren't moving? If movement is required, a combined effect seems more likely.
Also wonder if magnetite could be removed from beaks without chopping of the critters' beaks.
This is fascinating! Maybe this will lead to a better understanding of how magnetism actually works. Because we don't really know that yet. Any more than we do inertia and gravity. Though some quantum/string theorists would disagree with me.
Excellent article. Thanks!
To say that robins don't see magnetic fields, but instead see the effect of the magnetic field on light may be technically correct, but we could also say that humans don't see colours, they see the effect of lights on objects. Again this is true, but pedantic, and a bit pointless.
Of course some would argue that humans don't see colours, but do see colors….
Robins are my favourite birds; they always look so perky and now I know why. I hope she found a way to remove the little goggles later?
And what about the effect of electromagnetic pollution on all this? Once one is acquainted with this exquisite apparatus, how can one go one participating in its disruption by participating or acquiescing in the wireless
mania (cell phones & base stations, etc) set loose on a cryptochromatic world?
This is a fascinating study with serious implications regarding the releaseability of injured avian wildlife in the rehabilitation setting.
Good article, great comments. I especially liked the "when will this be available to humans" comment. Can you imagine how distracting it would be to visualize all magnetic fields? Walking on a sidewalk would be very tricky. Functioning altogether would be tricky if the ability to see magnetic fields were acquired after living with typical human vision for any time period. I fail to see how being able to see magnetic fields would help one, say, I don't know, contribute to the progress of the human race. Translating all animal brain waves to a human abstraction like language would be an amazing feat. We could finally see if birds have any spiteful motivation for shitting on us.
I don't think that the conclusion follows logically from the results of the study. The experiment involved using lined paper in the cage that held the birds. Frosted foil over the right eye made the birds disoriented, but frosted foil over the left eye had no effect. The authors attribute the disorientation to the birds inability to see the lines in the cage. But birds are normally oriented in unlined cages, as the authors mention in the paper. So birds don't need to see lines in the cage to be normally oriented. Also, when the frosted foil covered the right eye, a clear foil covered the left eye. So they could see the lines with the left eye. To prove their point that image formation is necessary for magnetoreception, the authors should repeat the experiment with an unlined cage. If the frosted foil over the right eye makes the birds disoriented with an unlined cage, then they can't conclude anything about image formation.
Robins don't need the magnetic resonance imaging during the nighttime darkness. They use the northern lights… and alternatively the southern lights in the southern hemisphere.
Now there's an example of being able to see magnetic fields! The collision of solar energy against the atmospheric gases can enable any person to "see" what the robins can "see".
And I'm sure with all the EMF humans are creating, those birds have one hell of a time migrating. Quite possibly this occurs with other animals too, like with whales and their migration being affected by navy ship and sub sonar.
Curiously, I never see birds around cell phone, radio or television towers.
I know I'm a little late in replying considering when the article was posted.
#36 prompted my thoughts on this. Could there be a link between Synesthesia and levels of superoxide dismutase, specifically with regard to sound → color synesthesia?
Great read, Ed!
I heard a few years back that some migratory birds can hear very low frequency sound. The idea was that they could navigate using environmental sound cues, particularly the sound of wind passing over or through obstacles. I believe the term was 'infrasound'.
I know that people can feel very low frequency sound if it is strong enough. You don't hear it but you can feel it. Would hearing infrasound be overlaid upon a bird's regular hearing or would it be like the human experience, feeling it in your chest? Or would it just be an extended range hearing experience, like a super-wideband receiver?
Any news on that front?
Ok, so help me out here…I've been able to see something around bodies and objects (don't think furry animals…too much fuzz) that I always knew wasn't an aura and so assumed it was an emf. For instance when I look at my fingers I just have to look closely at the outside edge and I can see a thin thin outline- thinner than a hair and greyish/blue. I expected it was something everyone saw and called an illusion, except when I bring my fingers near each other or just focus on it those lines act like lightning between my fingers or an object. It's that faint tingling sensation you feel when you are a couple inches away from something…not QUITE touching… So I can also sometimes see it in the air, kind of scattery, like snowy image on tv…but less so and always faint.
Promise I'm not crazy. I noticed it when I was 12, I'm 28 now with a husband and kids and I'd rather this didn't mean I exchanged my longevity for seeing magnetic fields.
Anyone know what it could be that I can see???? PLEASE????????????
if the trait is hereditary it means it could also appear in other animals as a recessive trait -even those distant on the evolutionary tree.
it could also appear in other animals as a spontaneous mutation.
this means there could be a reasonable method by which even humans could sense magnetic feilds.
It might be a possible method that so called "aura field seers" could be seeing electrostatic or magnetic fields around people and places.
It would be interesting to find the gene that codes for this ability in birds or other animals.
I know that migrating bird fallow the magnent fields because because I've been watching the birds follow them ever since I was little. As I got older I realized that what I what seeing was the earth's magnetic fields. I would try to explain what the magnetic fields look like but its hard to descirbe it all I can is that it looks kind of like water. When I'm lost in a large store I can use the magnetic fields around me so I can sense my relative or friends magnetic field and head in that direction, and I always seem to find them. I've also seen when a solar flare hits the magnetic field of the earth that it makes it goes crazy until it goes away.
It would appear that the birds actually invented the navigational head-up display (HUD).
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-up_display] for more about the HUD.
Also, I wonder if the superoxide dismutase (or bird equivalent) is locally inhibited in the eye. This would reduce the negative impact on the lifespan of the bird, yet still allow the magnetic vision.
@Melissa #62
The fringes of color you see around the edges of objects (and especially when you look through a small opening like pinched fingers) are the result of light diffracting (bending) around the object. Everyone with sufficient eyesight can see these fringes, but it's just one of those little bits of perception only acknowledged by artists, scientists, and children who haven't been told it's silly to pay attention to such things.
Your faint snowy perception is most likely something called "blue field entoptic phenomenon" and is a sign of healthy retinas. The little specks of light that dance about even when your eyes are motionless are actually the afterimages of white blood cells passing through your retinal blood vessels.
As for the tingling sensation, it's possible that you're feeling electric (not EM) fields. I think a more likely explanation, though, is that it's an illusion caused by your brain waffling on the questions of self/non-self and actual touch/anticipated touch.
Bravo for paying closer attention to the world than most people. You haven't discovered any superhuman abilities, but you have discovered the benefits of quiet contemplation and childlike wonder.
Orientate actually is recorded before orient, acc. to the OED.
The article is really very interesting, and the debate over the language (which we are lead to understand is an evolutionary experience also) does not detract from the amazing discovery of biological evolutionary processes at work here. I have long been fascinated by the laterality of the human brain. Simply, left brain is linear logical, right brain creative and imaginative, in humans. Darwin was interested in facial expression, which is essential to distinguish between a smile and a menacing grin, for survival. Work on this laterality concludes the brain works faster, rather than transmitting between the two halves, one side takes responsibility for the decision. So to find work on the Robin's demonstrating this sophisticated laterality really absorbed my interest. Thank you, a great contribution and simply put. I must research more on the electron pairs.


text:
The Work of Christmas Begins by Dr. Howard Thurman
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
Dr. Howard Thurman was an influential author, philosopher, theologian, educator and civil rights leader. He was Dean of Theology and the chapels at Howard University and Boston University for more than two decades, wrote 20 books, and in 1944 helped found the first racially integrated, multicultural church in the United States.

subset: commoncrawl


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NWSB insider and resident hoops man Steve Lee brings us his thoughts on the 2012/13 Washington Huskies basketball program. With the loss of both Tony Wroten and Terrence Ross to the NBA, the Huskies are definitely a team without a star. Incumbant big time point man C.J. Wilcox will have his hands full trying to carry the bulk of the scoring. Abdul Gaddy will have to step it up during his senior year to take over this team as the floor general.
Ahead of the curve? Washington Huskies hoops preview
September 25, 2012 By


text:
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Pam Biggers, a 52-year-old woman from Hueytown, Alabama, disappeared while on a business trip to the Florida Panhandle.
Pam Biggers disappeared while on a business trip to the Florida Panhandle in January 2008.
She drove to the La Quinta Inn at Panama City Beach on January 27, 2008, a Sunday. She checked in and talked with her husband over the phone about 5:30 p.m.
She told him she was going out to eat with a colleague who was staying across the hall.
After an early dinner, the two women returned to their rooms about 7 p.m., police said. And then Pamela Biggers simply disappeared.
"It's completely baffling," said her husband, Don Biggers. "All of her belongings, clothes, purse, cell phone, were left in her room."
Biggers' bed did not look slept in, police said, but it appeared that she had been reading in bed. Her open book and glasses were on the bedside table, and the pillows were propped up against the headboard.
She had not changed into her pajamas, and her hotel room key and car keys were in the room. There was no sign of struggle, police said. Watch Rupa's report on this baffling cold case »
Biggers' family believes that she left the hotel and either lost her way or became the victim of foul play.
"We think she may have initially wandered off on her own," Don Biggers said. "She had some episodes ... complaining of voices in her head and paranoia."
She'd been on medication but had decided to stop taking it, he added.
Biggers said he was concerned about his wife's health and urged her to not go on the business trip.
Police searched for Biggers for weeks. Her family brought in Texas Equusearch, a specialized search and rescue operation. The group conducted ground and air searches and used cadaver dogs but was unable to find any clues.
The hotel did not have surveillance cameras, so it is not known when Biggers left or whether she was alone. Hotel staffers did not recall seeing Biggers leave.
She had driven to Florida in the family car, which was in the hotel parking lot.
According to her family, Biggers had never wandered off before, nor had she suffered from memory loss.
She had just learned that her son, Jacob, was to be dispatched for a tour of duty in the military to Afghanistan and may have been stressed about that, her husband said.
Police and the Biggers family are asking the public for help. Anyone who has seen Pam Biggers or has more information leading to the person or people responsible for her disappearance is asked to call the Bay County Sheriff's Office tip line at 850-747-4700.
A $20,000 reward is offered.
Biggers was last seen wearing a white sweater, black pants with white pinstripes, a wedding band and an aquamarine ring. She is a white female who stands 5'8" tall, weighs 135 pounds and has green eyes and gray hair.
All About Missing Persons • Nancy Grace


text:
- More Pizza Recipes
- Breakfast Berries Pizza
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Pizza on the Grill with Sausage and Mozzarella
Pizza Dough:
[1] teaspoon sugar
[1] cup warm water
[1] tablespoon kosher salt
[1] package active dry yeast
[3] cups 00 flour, plus more for dusting
[-] extra-virgin olive oil
[2] garlic cloves, minced
[2] sweet Italian sausages
[1] bunch fresh basil leaves
[1] medium onion, chopped
[1/4] cup extra-virgin olive oil
[1/4] cup freshly grated Parmesan
[1] (8-ounce) ball fresh buffalo mozzarella, water drained
[2] (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand crushed
[-] kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For The Dough:
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water; stir gently to dissolve.
Let the mixture stand until the yeast comes alive and starts to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Turn the mixer on low and add the salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Add the flour, a little at a time, mixing at the lowest speed until all the flour has been incorporated.
When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium; stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook.
Get a feel for the dough by squeezing a small amount together: if it's crumbly, add more water; if it's sticky, add more flour - 1 tablespoon at a time.
Mix until the dough gathers into a ball, this should take about 5 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a few times; kneading until it's smooth and elastic.
Form the dough into a round and place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning it over to coat.
Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot (i.e. over a gas pilot light) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Once the dough is domed and spongy, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter.
Roll and stretch the dough into a cylinder and divide into 3 equal pieces.
Cover and let rest for 15 minutes so it will be easier to roll out.
In the meantime, make the pizza topping.
For The Topping:
Coat a saute pan with the olive oil and place over medium heat.
When the oil gets hazy, add the onion and garlic, cook and stir for 5 minutes to soften.
Stir in 1/2 bunch torn basil leaves.
Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes like tomatoes), cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper and then take it off the stove.
Preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue and get it very hot.
Brush the grates with oil to keep the sausages from sticking.
Grill the sausages until cooked through, turning with tongs.
Set aside.
Keep the grill hot to make the pizza.
Roll or pat out a piece of dough into a rustic, oblong shape, about 1/4-inch thick – do this directly on a lightly floured pizza paddle for ease.
Brush the crust with a thin layer of olive oil, and lay oil-side down onto the hot grill.
Once the dough looks set, in about 2 minutes, turn the crust over.
Spread the tomato sauce evenly on the crust with a ladle.
Rip the mozzarella into pieces with your hands and distribute them on top; crumble the grilled sausage all over the pizza.
Close the grill cover and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes.
Remove the pizza from grill and sprinkle with some fresh basil leaves and a good dusting of Parmesan.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
( Tyler Florence )


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Geriatrics Specialty Clinic
The Geriatrics Specialty Clinic can serve you as your primary medical care provider, as your specialist, and as a consultant through your current primary care provider. We provide comprehensive care with a focus on your independence, quality of life, family support and helping everyone live as well as they can for as long as they can.
Our patients represent a wide spectrum of ages. Patients in their 60's and 70's are often highly independent, physically active with few medical problems yet wish to establish a primary care relationship with one of our geriatricians. For them it is not about being old, but putting into place a continuum of care to support their focus on maintaining their health and aging gracefully.
Other patients that come to us have multiple yet, common pre-existing medical conditions. As we age our care becomes increasingly complex and can eventually become chronic and debilitating. This is when we are your specialist, working with you and your family to coordinate care of ongoing medical problems and to provide guidance as you transition from one level of care to another.
Common medical conditions treated at the Geriatrics Specialty Clinic:
These are just a few of the many medical conditions we treat. Patients often have three or more medical conditions, while other patients are relatively healthy and simply value the quality of care we offer. As we age, care grows more complex which is why we collaborate with leading doctors in each of the other specialties at UNC. We ensure you receive the individualized care you want, and the quality you need and deserve.


text:
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Section 61 of the Status of the Artist Act, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 17th annual report of the Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal for the period of April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011.
House of Commons Hansard #82 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was children.


text:
Please login with your Emerald password using the login box above.
Emerald Management First is an online business and management library which places more management tools at your disposal than any other resource. Designed specifically for managers, Emerald Management First brings you regularly updated articles, case studies, expert interviews and more direct to your desktop.
Find out more, including how to subscribe.


text:
At DriveTime Albuquerque, we think buying a car shouldn't be as difficult as some used car dealers make it. Like most dealerships, you can test drive any vehicle on the lot, get an appraisal, and see your financing options. But at our Wyoming dealership in Albuquerque, NM, we let you take control of your used car buying experience.
We won't hassle you with sales people. Our advisors are salaried and won't push you into a deal that's not right for you. We also offer no-haggle pricing, which means you won't spend hours at the dealership dealing with the stressful negotiation process. What you see is what you get.
Plus, we'll show you full financing terms on all 116 cars on the lot within 15 minutes of speaking with our team. Our goal is to give you everything you need to know to make an informed decision without forcing you to wait hours to get it.
Used car buying should be easy, and it will be at our DriveTime Wyoming. Shop our Wyoming dealership inventory, schedule a visit, then experience how used car buying should be.
Located on Wyoming Blvd two blocks south of I-40, next to the golf course.


text:
Diamond, Former Member Of Crime Mob, Gets Topless For Her Photo Shoot (Sorry Fellows Only Hand Bra Here)
Diamond TV reports "Diamond Photo Shoot for promo pictures, getting Diamonds put on back for next shot! "
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Hi everyone,
Today we will help you determine your skin type and help you choose what foundation will suit you best!
You can consider the following descriptions of different skin types…
Dry Skin – Skin is usually tight (mostly after washing your face)
– visible lines around your mouth, forhead or even around your eyes
– face seems very flaky
Normal Skin – T-zone is usually the oiliest part of your face.
– Skin has a smooth texture
– You either have monthly breakouts or " once in a blue moon" type of breakouts
Oily Skin – Very oily/shiny around your nose/chin/forhead
– You have enlarged pores (maily around your cheeks)
– You have acne breakouts/whiteheads/blackheads
– Your skin flaks around your nose/chin (which are accumulated dried oils)
After deciding what skin type you have, now you can determine what foundation best suits your skin…
Dry Skin – Use a foundation fortified with moisturizers, For very dry skin, try using an oil – based foundation.
Normal Skin – If you have clear skin, you can use a tinted moisturizer, a sheer foundation which will give your skin a natural glow.
Oily Skin – Use a water-based foundation that also has oil-blotting ingredients in it.
Now, you know how you can walk out with clearer, healthier-looking skin!
Have a beautiful day!
Sylva K & Team


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Pennsylvania State Rep. Greg Vitali has introduced legislation that would increase the amount of electricity that the commonwealth's utilities must obtain from wind power and other renewable energy sources.
H.B.100 would amend the Pennsylvania Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) Act by requiring Pennsylvania utilities to obtain 15% of their power from renewable sources by 2023, compared to the current AEPS requirements of 4% by 2013 and 8% by 2021.
Vitali says he introduced the legislation to help address climate change and create green jobs.
'Superstorm Sandy was a reminder of the consequences we face if we ignore the climate-change issue,' says Vitali, who is Democratic chairman of Pennsylvania's House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. 'We will not solve this problem without increasing our use of renewable energy."
Currently, 0.05% of Pennsylvania electricity must come from solar energy, and that would increase to 0.5% under the AEPS in place by 2021. Vitali's bill would increase that amount to 1.5% by 2023.
This is the second bill Vitali has introduced during this legislative session to increase the amount of renewable energy Pennsylvania uses.


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Monday, August 30, 2010
Update On Malibu Discussion, and Malibu Safety Commission Meeting Wednesday Night
The gist of this meeting from talking to Ted is that it was a pretty productive conversation with no animosity. It was acknowledged that problem drivers are what pose the greatest risk, and an additional sheriff is being brought on to help police PCH. Cyclists would not be given any kind of special targeting, but if they see rules broken that pose a risk, mainly running reds, they will hand out tickets. There was apparently some continued misunderstanding of riding more than one abreast. However after hearing the LAPD interprets 2 abreast riding to be legal (there is no law explicitly forbidding riding more than one abreast), there was openness to talk across departments to ensure consistency in law enforcement across PCH, which is policed by Malibu, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica, depending on which portion you're on.
Cycling will be discussed at this weeks public Malibu Safety Commission meeting for those who want to give input. I'm torn with the other Wednesday meeting, to discuss a bike connection to Michigan in Santa Monica, but I think it would be good if we had a few cyclists representing in Malibu as well.
Wednesday 6:00PM
Malibu City Hall - Council Chambers
23815 Stuart Ranch Road
5 comments:
- Rach Stevenson said...
I'll be attending the Malibu meeting. Am gonna have to take one of those bus things I think.
- August 30, 2010 at 1:16 PM
- Gary said...
Glad you can go. I believe it is the Metro 534 that picks up from SM and goes down PCH through Malibu. Our last bike touring/camping trip we met a bike camper who skipped all the aggro PCH drivers by taking bus until terminus and only riding the last little bit to Sycamore Canyon.
I think the best thing is keep a level head, a lot of us were pissed by the characterization of cyclists on the facebook page Tellem created, but moving forward I hope conversation can be civil and solutions oriented.
- August 30, 2010 at 1:24 PM
- danceralamode said...
I'm also planning on attending, and I'm hoping to bike the whole way. Does anyone know what the bike parking situation is there?
I find it hard to begin a civil conversation with someone who wrote off myself and a group of people I belong to as criminals on the whole. I still believe she owes a public apology to cyclists everywhere, and I'm not backing down from that.
I can't believe that someone comes out spreading vicious hate and we all let it go because she agrees to meet with us. Yes, the problem is safety in Malibu, but the other problem is people who should know better than spread such violent hate and are in positions of such power.
I'm still extremely angry. If we demand her public apology and admittance of the mistake she made, we set a precedent that spreading this bigatry and prejudice is unacceptable and inexcusable.
- August 30, 2010 at 3:19 PM
- Gary said...
I'm inclined to agree, but ultimately I just want to see safer streets, and worry if it never moves past being different "sides" arguing, than it just delays the real change that has to happen.
I can see your point of view and respect that, I was certainly fuming pissed off when I first stumbled on the whole thing, and it shouldn't be acceptable someone in that position could make a page like that. But I also find a strength in a sort of zen attitude toward things as well. What's best I don't know, I just write my thoughts.
If you are going to bike, I don't know if you have done PCH before, but it is a different beast than other rides in LA. Especially with it being later in the day, I highly recommend very powerful front and rear lighting, and think bus or bus/bike is probably safest bet if going car-free. PCH is poorly lit as it goes dark, and the drivers are fast (when it's not jammed and going 8mph) and shoulder conditions are inconsistent.
- August 30, 2010 at 3:33 PM
- danceralamode said...
Thanks for advice. I've been on PCH a lot, but never during rush hour. I've been on it mornings and afternoons on the weekend and at night with Wolfpack and didn't find it too daunting, but those rush hour maniacs are a cause for concern...I might see how it feels when I get out there. (I'll bring my dolla fity just in case.)
- August 30, 2010 at 7:06 PM


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Wexell wrote an article saying he liked McDonald in the third because he is smart and his dad was an nfl player and has coached him to play safety his whole life. What do you all think of him? I think a smart safety is a must because we won't have three years for him to develop.
sent from my Galaxy SIII using tapatalk 2


text:
In Huggacast Episode Eleven, we go inside the Clif Bar biodiesel bus before it departed on the 2 Mile Challenge tour. Clif Bar's 2MC is educating the masses to the benefits (personal and for the planet) of urban cycling. Clif Bar found that 40% of urban travel is 2 miles or less and the magic bus demonstrates how easy it is to ride to work, school, or the store – all within 2 miles.
Bike Hugger is working with Clif Bar to blog from the various cities the 2MC visits.


text:
Live in Woodland Hills and looking to play some Tennis.
I'm great at rallies and have a good forehand.
Let's play. 2.5 Rating looking to improve.
Very early mornings, late evenings, and weekends.
Views: 275
Replies to This Discussion
can play at pierce college evenings and weekends - let me know.
Hey Nazeer, thank you for your reply.
My schedule is pretty flexible. Maybe tomorrow or Wed 7pm?
It seems like the weather is going to cool off a lil, so that's great to be able to play earlier on the future.
Let me know.
Thank you
Wed at 7 sounds good.
Perfect. See you at Pierce College Wed Sep 18th at 7pm.
Be aware that there are charging $3/day for parking on campus… They have machines on the lots to get your ticket. Exact change or the machine will give you a voucher for future use :)
yeah parking can be a drag - also only a few of the courts there have lights so hopefully one will be available
If we get there earlier it might be parking on the street.
Awfully we won't have any trouble finding courts either.
See you there.
Hey Nazeer are confirmed for tonight at 7pm Pierce College courts?
Thank you
all go for tonite -I'll let you know if there is a last minute change
Looking forward to play.
See you there
i can play at balboa tennis court early morning. starting at 8am, fee is $5.00. Before 8am, it is free. parking is free.
let me know please. thanks,
Bummer, if you were in northridge, we have northridge park . it's free to the public. first come first serve. I also have tennis courts in my community in porter ranch. Ever interested in playing. let me know. I also need to improve my swings and etc. it's definitely a good workout tho.. im doing this for cardio, and to improve my game.. im Arthur!
Hi Sofia
Are you still looking to play some tennis , I live in Granada Hills , If you are still up to it , I would love to do some hitting , let me know , Thanks .My level is between 2.5-3.0.
© 2019 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


text:
From cchtml.com
Welcome. This bare-bone little faq details how to get fglrx working on slackware or 64 bit porting.
You can use the internal Slackbuild or the external Slackbuild in order to have fglrx packaged for Slackware.
The internal Slackbuild is distributed within the official ATI installer.
The external Slackbuild is for driver version < 8.37.6.
You can find more detailed information about both of them on the following links.
Internal Slackbuildand for the latest driver patches
External Slackbuild
Tips and Tricks
Slamd64 - You need to install GCC 3.3 libraries for fglrx. Download and install cxxlibs5. You will also need to install the 32 bit compatibility libraries in /c.
Related Resources
|Distribution Neutral Steps


text:
The BMA's Big Table Connections program brings together experts —from neuroscientists and engineers to choreographers and product designers— to explore ideas related to works of art in the Contemporary Wing. On June 7, Goucher College philosophy professor John Rose joined Baltimore-based artist Leah Cooper to discuss Sarah Oppenheimer's W-120301, a radical architectural intervention that uses mirrors to provoke new experiences of space and time. Here are some of his thoughts:
Sarah Oppenheimer, Architectural Intervention W-120301 beckons to us from the open region of the timing of time and the spacing of space, from the open region of possibility. This open region is the site of interaction of our conscious intentions and the resonances of the worlding objects around us. The openness of the world is space/time where our consciousness and the world intertwine and meaning arises. Meanings have already arisen in that opening, and those meanings are our tradition and our history. That tradition and history is often taken for the "truth" of the world. The questions then arise, "How can we both engage and disrupt that tradition? How can we see the meaning arising in an opening of space and time, yet also step into other possibilities in that opening?" Oppenheimer's intervention achieves a rare opportunity to experience that opening by playing and subverting the ways in which we usually step into the meaningful space of a museum.
We know from Husserl's Phenomenology of Internal Time Consciousness that perception is always perspectival and temporal. We have to walk around an object to see it from various perspectives. We have to retain the previous perspectives and anticipate future perspectives as we weave together those perspectives in time into a meaningful object. Opening the space between two floors and the stairwell, W-120301 plays with our spatial intentions towards objects by unfolding multiple perspectives.
When we first see it upon entering the third floor gallery, it appears as another two dimensional painting in a room of paintings of abstract, yet colored, geometrical space. We see a black parallelogram on a wall; its four sides with opposite equal acute angles, opposite equal obtuse angles are an already familiar shape. "Might it be a rhombus?" we might ask ourselves, if we were to bother. We might not even bother to have a look at it right away, as we glance around the room. Without fore-knowledge of the intervention, we might not wander closer. But when we do, we realize that we can see into its space.
We get a question! "What is there in here?" But the "in here" of its space takes us elsewhere. We are not sure where we are looking. Usually, we move around an object to pick up further perspectives that we weave into the story we tell ourselves about that object. Paintings on the wall don't allow us to do that so much, but this is no longer a painting on a wall. It is an inviting space, a hole in the wall, a rabbit hole to jump down? The guard keeps us back from leaning over into and looking down. But we see something: more geometric shapes, glimpses into other rooms. But where are we looking? The questions grow.
Oppenheimer's wormhole reminds us it is impossible to take in an object all at once. But here, to have an intention towards this space, you have to be two or more people. We send our friend out to find the other ways into this space. Is it above? We are on the top floor. Below? How far? It cannot be viewed all in one "space" or in one "time," which perhaps reminds us that no object can be viewed in an exhaustive way from all perspectives all in one time and space. As Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, "Truth can surely stand on one leg, but with two it will be able to walk and get around."
We find ourselves doing what we never do in a museum: playing, engaging the space/time of the exhibit. To a degree, we become ek-static; we are outside ourselves. Both the object itself as space/time whose properties elude us and the gestural movement through it to the larger space/time it reveals in this musing space it makes manifest, takes us away from our usual modes of gathering of intentional experiences and make sense of objects. It gives us the opportunity to do what we rarely get to do afresh: participate with the opening of the world in letting meaning arise.
John M. Rose, Professor of Philosophy, Goucher College
13 June 2014
What do you think? Have you seen Oppenheimer's work at the BMA or other institutions? How did you react to it? Are there other works of art that you've encountered that have left you thinking about time and space in new ways? Tell us about them below.
The Big Table Connections takes place on the first Saturday of every month at 2 p.m. Meet experts in related fields as they share their insights in the galleries, then participate in art-making activities that delve into the ideas behind the artwork. Join us on July 5th as master lighting designer Glenn Shrum addresses Dan Flavin's Untitled (To Barnett Newman for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"). Participate in a hands-on exploration of color mixing with light.


text:
Edited by William John Hardy. Covers the period from February 1689 to April 1690, the first volume for the reign of William and Mary.
Calendar of State Papers, Domestic - William and Mary. Originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1895.
This premium content was digitised by double rekeying. All rights reserved.


text:
Nov 14, 2011
My sporadic obsessions
51 comments:
- Ludwig Bon Quirog y Migriño said...
Oh my goodness! I love this! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS!!! I totally resonate with you in this!
- 14/11/11
- Noobos said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- 14/11/11
- Noobos said...
Yes. I was at school, bored in Math, when I just decided to learn Japaneese. I never managed to memorize even one of their letter sets, but it entertained me through the classes.
I always like to learn something new. Even if it's completely useless in real life (as everybody is telling me). Because it's not. It broadens our horizons. Before my "learning Japaneese" I didn't know they are actively using four different alphabets...
- 14/11/11
- Cool Acid said...
So true. Stupid school.
- 15/11/11
I wish school would hurry up and catch on.
When I was in school I hated it. Even though I attended a very artsy high school and many of the courses were right up my ally, being told that I had to learn it and enjoy it took the fun out of things. I struggled.
Now, however, in my free time I study most of the same subjects I took in High School, expanding my current knowledge. If they hadn't tried to cram it down my throat I might have progressed further in the educational system.
- 15/11/11
- franciscowi said...
Disfruto mucho de estas historias (de vez en cuando)
- 15/11/11
- bill g. said...
This is so inspiring, particularly your conclusion. Let's all hope together!
- 15/11/11
- Filhote de Lua said...
You wrote exactly what I think
- 15/11/11
- Annika said...
I am so glad your hobbies do not distract you from making comics!!!
- 15/11/11
- Xero Fernández said...
Brillante, amigo.
- 15/11/11
I am definitely going to share this with my students. :)
- 15/11/11
- Guía said...
I'm astonished, Mr. Noriega. My sincere congratulations.
- 15/11/11
- Mike Harman said...
What everyone else said, completely amazing!
- 15/11/11
- Carlos Felipe Figueiras said...
I share your vision about the school system as a whole.
But I`ve seen at TED some videos about projects that are already trying to follow Asimov`s prediction.
This site is at my reder`s list. :)
- 15/11/11
- Chila said...
nice thinking! I believe there are indeed some schools that follow a learning system less structured, just like you described. I can´t remember how they are called... I have the feeling it´s the Waldorf Method, but somehow it sounds more like a salad than a learning system...
anyway, love your comics!
- 15/11/11
- My Aisy said...
i like watch dragon ball to..till now..haha..such a kid..
- 15/11/11
- mei said...
ooo! poignant.
I remember freaking out over sailormoon back in the day. actually, I still love it.
I really like the last panel.
- 15/11/11
- artika maya said...
so true.. couldn't be agree more.
- 15/11/11
- { aggie } said...
I agree so much! Although school teaches us the basics about WHY certain things are so-and-so (math, geography, history, languages, science)
I believe that children should have one (or a few!) healthy, non-academic obsession. It fosters self-initiative and curiosity to learn!
- 15/11/11
- yabu said...
You are not alone in your dream. There are a copule of "schools" which follow this philosophy:
Summerhill, Subdury Valley, "Ojo de Agua" in Spain...
There is a lot of information about this topic, I can send you more if you want. I think this is the future of education.
- 15/11/11
- Alex Noriega said...
cool, thanks!
- 15/11/11
- Anton Gully said...
You'd be surrounded my cool, smart, self-motivated people... in your enclave. And that enclave would be surrounded by a bunch of drooling idiots banging on the gates, begging to be told how to work a can-opener.
- 15/11/11
- Kaber Vasuki said...
Yes! I want an organic education system. I do! I know lot's of people who do. It's a brilliant idea whose time has come.
- 15/11/11
- Lila said...
This is my life in comics!
- 15/11/11
- lipsticklori said...
I know exactly what you mean! Since the age of 16, I've been obsessed with many things for a year or two at most. I've tried so many new hobbies, learnt loads at night school, and have always stopped when I realised that there was just too much and I'd never be truly brilliant at any of it. It's good to know it's not just me :-)
- 15/11/11
- FeRosario said...
Totalmente increible!
- 15/11/11
- Pedro said...
You are soooooo going to love this:
- 15/11/11
- Pedro said...
My previous link was an animated version of Ken Robinson's famous speech about changing school paradigms...
- 15/11/11
- Black Scorpion said...
so true!! so true!! specially.. internet is such a blessing for third world countries.
- 15/11/11
- Sydney said...
i agree :)
- 16/11/11
- Abhishek said...
- 16/11/11
- Monica @The List Writer said...
I really, really relate to this as sometimes I feel that I have too many interests and not enough focus. I love the thrill of getting into something new, and having a "project!"
Lately I've been thinking....I'm smarter because of the Internet! Lol
- 16/11/11
This is what I hope for too, Alex :) +1 million internets to you
- 17/11/11
- Nolly said...
I don't think anyone involved thinks school curricula are "perfect" for every student. They're trying to get a certain common knowledge into every kid, because without some kind of foundation, one _can't_ go out and explore. If a kid "isn't interested" in learning to read until he's 15, what's he going to be learning in the years up to then?
If you've never heard of Dickens, you can't study his life instead of math.
- 17/11/11
- Paul said...
All your stories are fascinating, I love your art but I beg of you, please, what happened to your sister!!!
- 18/11/11
- Anthonny Arias said...
Hola Alex, me gustó mucho esta viñeta, me identifico mucho con esa historia, yo soy de los que cree que en esta vida hay que hacer de todo un poco, por supuesto sin abandonar tu meta principal.
- 19/11/11
- jill said...
People totally do this. It's called unschooling.
- 21/11/11
- Bogado said...
There is another side to the coin here, abundance of information resembles to no information at all. There is so much noise on the internet that is hard to tell what is what, for each science article there are hundreds, if not thousands, of pseudo-science or anti-science. For each good comic there are also hundreds of bad ones.
Your comic got me thinking that maybe if the information was scarcer, for instance if the companies didn't had jumped into the dragon ball wagon, would you have keep going? If the search for new facts took say a week instead of minutes, each new fact about something would have a much higher value, and maybe the positive feedback would be more positive making it harder to abandon the obsessions.
On the other hand, you would be now a grown man with thousands of dragon ball Z comics and stuff... :P
- 21/11/11
- Alex Noriega said...
which I actually do own :)
- 21/11/11
- bec said...
http://www.miquon.org/index.cfm?organization_id=108§ion_id=1517&page_id=6111 The Miquon School in PA has existed since the 1930's. As a homeschooler, I used their math curriculum with my kids and was always amazed at how easily the concepts were realized, and how they were really teaching themselves. Exploring and discovering things on their own kept their natural curiosity alive and bolstered their confidence. Also, some parents in the homeschool community choose to "unschool" entirely, which means setting up a rich learning environment in the home and being willing to follow every curiosity rabbit trail to the end. There are no "grades", and the school calendar years don't end because learning knows no schedule. This is a labor-intensive, very hands-on form of education that reaps great rewards, but I don't know how it could be implemented on a large scale.
- 22/11/11
- Maria said...
- 23/11/11
- Pachi said...
Amo este blog y todas las cosas que posteas, pero este ha sido, por mucho, el que más me ha identificado de todos.
Muchas gracias por compartir tus historias!!
- 29/11/11
- Babi said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- 9/12/11
- Azulette said...
No sabes la alegría que me da el hecho de haber encontrado este blog y leer los comentarios que de alguna forma estan en la misma situacion que todas o alguna de tus viñetas, encontre una pequeña imagen tuya en 9gag y esa m trajo aqui, seré una visitante bastante seguido en tu sitio.
Estoy realmente identificada con este en especial, tengo demasiados hobbies, siempre estoy soñando que las se hacer a la perfeccion, quiero saber tantas cosas pero a la vez siento que me falta tanto tiempo, que desearia que no fuese necesario dormir para aprovechar las 7 u 8 hrs
Me has movido el corazón me siento tan identificada :c que estes de lo mejor, saludos!
- 11/12/11
- Sue-Anne said...
I'd add on to this by saying that it may be good to have one core skillset i.e. the one you know will never let you down and you can always fall back on, prioritize that, and then branch out to learn anything else you are interested in.
that way life keeps itself busy and you are never short of new ideas cause one day all these interests are going to build onto each other and the result will be awesome. but you need a strong skillset to start with to make it all possible.
too much scattered exploration without purpose is also not good... many people drop subjects before they can become competent at them, and that is why experts are so prized... it takes lots and lots of time, commitment and energy and precious few people can actually become an expert in more than one area of interest.
- 15/2/12
- Rafael said...
Yeah, you're kind of obsessed with information. This website is one of your obsessions that will end one day.
It is forming part of who you are, like your stuff which you has left behind to someone else when you was moving to Mozambique, to move on.
About this blog: I found so amazing your idea to express your life's impressions in comics.
I really wish I also able to do the same in some moment of my life. I plan in the near future creating something, because the comics can merge the dialogue and graphical representation to illustrate our feelings in a perfect single way.
I know you're Spanish, so I believe that you can understand or translate Portuguese way easier, so I repeat what I said more clearly with my native language:
Sim, você é um obcecado por informações, um curioso nato.
Portanto esse site é uma dessas suas obcessões que acabará um dia.
Ele está fazendo parte de quem você é, e como as suas coisas que você deixou para trás na mudança, você irá dá-lo a alguém e seguir em frente.
Sobre o blog: Achei super bacana a sua idéia de expressar suas impressões da vida em quadrinhos.
Eu gostaria de também poder fazer o mesmo agora. Planejo em breve criar algo assim, pois os quadrinhos unem bem o diálogo e a representação gráfica para ilustrar nossas emoções.
- 11/3/12
- Rafael said...
Revision: I can not say that you are Spanish, but I infer that you are indeed hispanic.
- 11/3/12
- Rafael said...
:) Sorry: I didn't read your about page yet when I posted first (and you say there that you're spanish), and I also forget that Mozamique is part of the CPLP.
- 11/3/12
- Larry Gasik said...
I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this.
- 1/5/12
omg this is exactly how I feel!! you're truly amazing. Are you spanish?
- 23/8/12
- Lisa said...
Just discovered this comic through Emilie from puttylike.com - There is one arrow you forgot to add in the "after school"- panel. The arrow that points from PhD to McDonalds. I'm not joking. I and fellow Chemistry/Materials Engineering PhD have made the experience that there are no jobs for us. We are the product of a very greedy university Ponzy Scheme that is now starting to crumble. I think this makes it only clearer that the only right thing to do is to follow your own interests - Jobs are not a guarantee like they were in our parents generation.
- 14/6/16


text:
Nintendo's Woes Don't Mean Game Over For Its Consoles
In a rare admission of setback, the president of Nintendo acknowledged Friday that he misread the pace of change in the gaming industry caused by the spread of smartphones, saying it was time for a business structure rethink. But that doesn't mean Nintendo is ready to abandon its console-centered strategy.
Despite price cuts and the launch of some of Nintendo's hottest game titles, year-end holiday sales of the company's flagship Wii U videogame console were tepid. The company was forced to slash its annual sales forecast for the Wii U by two-thirds to 2.8 million units. It now expects a loss instead of a profit, and its shares tumbled 17% on Monday.
The Wii U's flop is drawing comparisons with Sega Dreamcast, the failure of which prompted the Japanese game maker to withdraw from the console business in 2001. Investors are clamoring for a similar, drastic strategy shift, including focusing more on capitalizing on game titles and making them available on mobile devices or rival consoles, at the expense of the console business.
But don't hold your breath. Nintendo still has one star performer -- its 3DS handheld, which management points to as what is right about its strategy. While the company cut its sales forecast for the handheld by 25% to 13.5 million units this fiscal year ending March, in absolute terms, the revised numbers are far from weak. The 3DS was the top-selling console in 2013 worldwide, outselling both Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One in unit terms in December in the U.S., according to the NPD group.
"The spread of smart devices does not spell the end of game consoles. It's not that simple," President Satoru Iwata said at a news conference Friday. The key is to figure out a way to use smartphones to make people aware of Nintendo's games, and encourage them to try out the console version of the games, Mr. Iwata said.
"It doesn't mean that we should put Mario on smartphones," he said.
While that may sound like bravado, the numbers give Nintendo good reason to resist going the way of Sega. Putting Mario and Pokemon on the iPhone could hurt 3DS sales, and trying to maneuver Mario on a touchscreen would be frustrating at best.
The 3DS starts at $170 per handheld, while Nintendo's best-selling games retail for about $40 upfront, in a market teeming with smartphones games that are free to download, but encourage players to buy items to win. And whereas makers of game apps for smartphones have to pay hefty fees to Apple or Google, Nintendo gets all the revenue from the games it sells.
In defending its three-decade-old console strategy, Mr. Iwata has said in the past that the short-term benefits of the mobile-apps market weren't worth the risk of harming the company's strategy of combining its hardware in unique ways. On Friday, he repeated his mantra: good games sell hardware. It's just that customers now need more convincing.
Mr. Iwata noted that GungHo Online Entertainment hit smartphone game, "Puzzle and Dragons" became a million-seller on the 3DS within a month of its launch on Nintendo in Japan in December, although it was already ubiquitous on mobile phones.
Nintendo's reliance on proven franchises is understandable. But the fact that most date back decades suggests this reliance may begin to limit the company's prospects, as Sony and Microsoft woo independent game makers to help them amass potential new hits.
In the meantime, it is worth noting that Nintendo is beefing up its research and development budget, and that Mr. Iwata promises to surprise game players in the future. While there are plenty of unknowns, Nintendo isn't saying game over to consoles just yet.
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text:
1 May 2012
Nadinoo update
- Rosaspina Vintage said...
Mmm, that's hard to say :) I think my favorite styles are the Counting Planes dress (so flattering!) and the Fairytale dress (so comfortable!). And both looked absolutely lovely in blouse version as well!
- 5/01/2012 12:36 pm
- Rosaspina Vintage said...
And I still like very much the one you let me try when I was over in Manchester, the petal collar one! (this: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i-zDOmVMY8c/TmY1l1fDZ2I/AAAAAAAABQs/eQsKjaQQ9do/s1600/nadinoo+-+petal+dress.jpg)
- 5/01/2012 12:37 pm
- Nadinoo said...
Thanks Ale! I think you will be pleased ; )
- 5/01/2012 1:26 pm
- Emily, Ruby Slipper Journeys said...
I definitely liked the Plane print dress silhouette (and also the pattern... is there any more of that).
And I liked the summer version of the untie-me dress... though would love it even more in a novelty print of some kind...
- 5/01/2012 4:45 pm
- Nadinoo said...
Thank Emily for all your lovely suggestions! There is a little of the planes fabric left which we have used.. Hope you like :)
Good to know you like the Untie me dress and Planes silhouette too. They should also be making an appearance. x
- 5/01/2012 5:17 pm
- *Evelyn* said...
yes,I would like to see some of my favorite dresses, made with different fabrics,
and therefore more choice ...
I love Fleur's Thunderstorm dress,Lula under the Mistletoe, Lula's Nightbird dress
- 5/02/2012 1:48 pm
Can I ask where you buy your Nadinoo labels from or who prints them? I'm setting up a small handmade boutique and packaging is one of my first stumbling blocks! Thanks :-)
- 5/19/2012 5:32 pm
- Nadinoo said...
We sourced all our label, swing tag and sticker manufacturers from China. You will have to find the right supplier to match your individual needs, google is a useful tool to track them down.
Good luck!
- 5/19/2012 6:03 pm


text:
Higher Education
Proving Value - Flagler College to Implement CLA+ Testing
Flagler College is among three Florida universities to use the standardized CLA+ test to measure students' learning.
Incoming students at Flagler College in St. Augustine this year got a rude awakening if they thought standardized tests were something they left behind with their SAT prep books. The Flagler students all had to sit for something called the CLA+, a test that measures critical thinking, communication, reasoning and analysis. They will take it again as seniors.
Flagler President William T. Abare Jr. says the school is using the test to help it measure "the value added to a student for an education at Flagler College. How have our students grown over the four years?"
Proving the value of an education has become important for colleges as education costs rise and employers complain of graduates ill prepared for the workforce despite lofty GPAs. But while law school grads can be judged by how they do on the Bar exam and nursing grads by the results of the licensing exam, it's more difficult to measure the thinking skills and educational progress of students in other fields.
Enter the Collegiate Learning Assessment Plus, which was created in 2000 by the Council for Aid to Education, a New York-based spinoff of the Rand Corp. that has done extensive research in education policy. The council created the 90-minute test to help institutions evaluate applicants and entering students, and then measure their progress over time.
In Florida, Flagler, Stetson University in DeLand and Warner University in Lake Wales now use the test. Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach is considering it. Some of those schools have used a version of the test for as many as the last seven years, sampling specific groups of students rather than entire classes.
This year, the exam made a splash in the national press as a new, end-of-college hurdle for students and as a tool that employers could use to judge job applicants.
Abare is skeptical many employers will use it, since it's not in widespread use or well known. In the meantime, Flagler and the other schools see the test as a tool for internal assessment, though at least some of the schools will provide the results to graduating seniors if they want to use them to impress potential employers.
The push for internal assessment is driven in part by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accrediting body, which requires institutions to back up their assertions of quality with evidence that students are actually learning.
One difficulty is getting graduating seniors to take the test seriously — some uninterested students rush through in 10 minutes — so that the institutions aren't wasting their money. At $35 per test and 700 freshmen, Flagler spent $24,500 this fall testing them. "It's not cheap," Abare says, calling the outlay "a large amount of money for my kind of institution." Flagler is discussing ways to get seniors to focus, perhaps by putting the CLA+ grade on transcripts.
Abare says he looks forward to whatever the test results reveal about how his school might improve. Already, he sees an advantage in testing freshmen. The test could identify gaps in an individual student's profile early and lead to a plan — remedial classes, additional work or other help — to catch the student up with peers. "We're still cutting our teeth on this," Abare says.


text:
What makes Rank 1 players so amazing? What can multi-season Gladiators do that single-season Gladiators cannot? How come do I go that extra distance and avoid another season of Duelist? How can Rivals step it up? What's a Challenger to do to break the ice? Where does a Beginner start? These are the questions I will be tackling this week. I'll be exploring the difference between the skill level and consistency of players between the different rankings (Multi-Glad, Single-Glad, Duelist, Rival, Challenger, Beginners).
Before we start I want to mention things that I won't be taking into consideration. These are factors that do not directly affect how good a player is between the ratings and create too much of a hassle when trying to identify the exact difference between each ranking.
Things not taken into consideration for the purpose of this article
-Your Battlegroup
-How hard you try and how often you PvP
-The gear you are wearing
-What comp you play
-How good your class is this season
Remember these are the things that I'm not taking into consideration. These things DO matter as far as getting certain rating, but it makes it too hard to tell the difference between the rankings without excluding these factors first.
The Beginners
We'll start with the chumps, the newcomers, the learners: the Beginners. What does it mean to be a Beginner? Are you the absolute worst player on the planet? Of course not. Beginners just need to go in a good direction and start learning basic arena gameplay. Let's go over common themes that Beginners have.
Beginners, let's be honest, you guys are pretty terrible at PvP. You don't know what the best abilities to press are and at what times to press them. You don't have the best gear. You might ask questions like: "What the heck is Line of Sight?", "What makes a comp good?" "When should I use my defensive cooldowns?" or say things like: "We died so fast, what could we have even done?" or think "Why do I need to be 2200 to play with other good players?"
Can anyone even help me?
Hold it there buddy. You're not ready to step into the arena. Veteran arena opponents will ruin you faster than you can say 'Realz'. Let me introduce to you your new opponent.
Do not underestimate what you can learn from battling this formidable opponent.No, this isn't some joke. The best way to begin your PvP adventure is to start with the basics of the game. You need to learn what the best buttons to press when attacking or healing are. This part can be very simple or you can get really technical with it. I would just go for with simple path for now. We're going to visit a well known site: www.elitistjerks.com
Here, through the PvE forums, you will find valuable information about each healing and DPS spec. You can learn your best stats, your top DPS rotation, your best enchants, and other key information.
A typical Shadowpriest DPS Priority
With that said, Elitist Jerks is a PvE Healing and DPS site. You're just trying to learn the basics from them. Don't copy the exact talent specs, glyphs, gearing, and gemming. If you think you're going to run around arena in PvE gear and spec with 0 Resilience think again! If you don't want to sift through that information you can watch PvP videos and see what abilities they prioritize. For some classes this is easier than others, but you should take the time to learn the basics before stepping into the arena!
The Challengers
Next up is the inexperienced, the not-so-deadly, the tunnel-visioners: the Challengers. You're done with those training dummies. You are finally ready to break it down in the arena, but do you know how to handle yourself in there? You know what line of sight is, but do you know how to use it? You know the DPS rotations, but can you keep up with the other things going on? Let's find out more about common Challenger traits.
I'll go over DPS first. They generally make poor target choices, or better yet find a target and tunnel it until it goes down (or not) in an arena match. If they get crowd controlled at all, they are trinketing; whether it was a 1 second stun, an 8 second blind, or a frostbolt snare, they have to get back to their target!
Healers, you're next. You guys tend to have next-to the worst positioning possible. When you're healing you lose a sense of what is actually going on in the match and tunnel vision your party health bars to make sure they live, even it it means running straight into the enemy Death Knight and Warrior.
And finally Challengers, do not use or do not look at their focus frame. Even if you do use it: do you know what you're looking for on it? Do you know who to focus each game? Let's talk about what Challengers need to do to improve.
What's a Challenger to do?
I recommended this in my old blog and I still recommend it today. Whether you are the healer or DPS you can work on this together. Go into a battleground with a friend (1 healer 1 DPS). Try to get into engagements with 2 DPS at once and try this out. Put one of them on focus (generally a caster class) and watch what they cast. Do this while killing the other target or healing your partner. If you can watch exactly what they are doing and heal/do damage at the same time - you're one step closer to becoming a better player.
Next we'll move onto the Rivals. What does it mean to be a Rival? You understand the basic concepts of arena battle. You don't run straight in the open and die anymore. You understand that when someone is Deep Frozen with a Rogue on them that they are in big trouble, but what is there still to understand? Let's find out.
I'll start with DPS again. Rival DPS still generally tend to chase one target, but know to get off of them if they are chasing them way out of line of sight of their healer. They will swap targets based on this more than anything else.
Time to criticize the healers! You know to generally stay by pillars to avoid getting controlled. However, once the action gets going you lose a sense of where you are and why you are at that pillar. You start drifting away from the pillar as you start to panic. That Mage is trying to sheep you. That Warlock is trying to fear you. When the going gets tough you end up crowd controlled or swapped to.
Rivals, you know to use your focus frame, right? Don't worry about knowing exactly who to focus, instead think more about what you want to use the focus frame for and what to watch out for. If you can think of those things then you will know who to focus each match because you know what you want to watch for.
A focus frame lets you keep track of important things such as enemy casts
Rival Improvement?
These concepts will be very difficult to execute at first, but with time you will learn them. You need to learn the art of correct defensive cooldown usage. First, keep track of your own team's defensive cooldowns. You should be communicating with your teammates when you think you need extra healing or when a defensive cooldown is needed. This does not just mean when a player is low on health. Second, you need to track the enemy's defensive cooldowns. The focus is more on swapping than anything else. Rivals know how to deal high amounts of damage so you will force cooldowns by attacking a target. Once you see a cooldown, though, I want you to try something new. Once you see that Anti-Magic Shell, Pain Suppression, Barkskin, Cloak of Shadows, etc try switch targets. It doesn't matter if your target was at 20% or 30% health, it's almost always best to swap targets. Their healer will still be trying to heal the person at 20%, but when you get someone else is to 50%, you've just made their job that much harder. Play around with this idea of swapping based on defensive cooldowns and you will surely improve.
We'll follow with the Gladiators-to-be, the almost-there, the hard workers: the Duelists. You guys are almost there. You understand Line of Sight now, even as DPS when you know you're in trouble. The focus frame is a piece of cake now. Swapping? Hah. You're masters of that now. What gets you to that next tier? What brings you to the next level? What's it take to get that sweet yellow Arenajunkies helmet!?
Let's go back to the beginning. As a beginner you learned the proper way to DPS a target. You attack it with your best spells and kill it as fast as possible. When's the last time you took a look at your DPS rotation? Is your DPS rotation out-of-date?
Has something changed over the past couple patches to change that rotation? Is a PvE rotation of spells the best rotation for you? Is it better for you to split damage between targets? What about burst? Isn't that something necessary in PvP? Ask yourself these questions. There's always something you can do better every game as a DPS. Think about when you use your offensive cooldowns. Is it best to use them at the start of the game every time? Should I save Shadowfiend for mana? Is it good to use Deep Freeze in the opener? Should I Recklessness instantly or should I wait? I'm sure your DPS ability usage could use some work.
How do I go that extra mile?
To get to that final goal of becoming a Gladiator we're going to need a lot of practice. Be critical about your play. Record your games via streaming, FRAPS, or any other program. Watch yourself. Question yourself. Don't question your teammates, just yourself. Could you have used Line of Sight there? Look for mistakes that make you exclaim: "Wow, I could have reflected that Frostbolt" or "I could have just killed him here." Find out what you did wrong and what you did right. Repeat the things that worked well; correct the things that did not.
Take some time to learn about all the different abilities in the game. Do you know how long Divine Shield lasts? What's the cooldown of Divine Protection as Retribution? As Holy? What's the duration of Cloak of Shadows? How does Impact proc? What does Fingers of Frost do? What school is Mana Burn? Know the game. Take the time to learn ALL the abilities and figure out what to do when you see them. Next, get a feel for how much damage a spell should do normally and how much a spell should do with trinkets/cooldowns up. It's much easier to know when to use cooldowns and when you are fine when you understand where the damage you are taking is coming from.
One-Time Gladiators
Whether you are a Gladiator from seasons past, or you're a Gladiator from last season looking to repeat your success, this section is for you. You know how all the abilities in the game work. You've watched your games and critiqued your own play. What's next?
Continue recording your own play if that is possible. It's difficult to have someone else critique your own play and it is rude if you try to critique others without them asking for you to. Now is the time to start coordinating with your teammates. Reading through previous passages you could easily be convinced the main type of PvP in this game was solo or 2v2. You're playing 3v3 or 5v5 to get your Gladiator. You need to coordinate with your partners! Let's go over how we do that.
Many players simply do not know what to say in arena. Let me talk about what to communicate and why communication is so important.
What to communicate:
-When you have cooldowns up and you're attacking a player
-When you just used a defensive cooldown
-When you trinket
-When an enemy player trinkets
-Things you are doing that may be good to know (running to fear someone, Frost Novaing someone, running out of Line of Sight to kill someone)
Why communicate?
Sure they can see what's happening, and you might be saying something they already know. However, if everyone communicates those things throughout a game, suddenly your team can concentrate on other things like line of sighting better or managing their cooldowns better. Once you get communication and coordination down you are one step closer to becoming a better player and a consistent Gladiator.
Multi-Season Gladiators
We'll finish off with the triumphant, the victorious, the multi-helmeted Multi-Season Gladiators. What makes players at this caliber so good? Why do they always get Gladiator regardless of their composition or their gear or the season? Let's discuss.
First of all, you can't be a Multi-Season Gladiator unless you have fun with the game and the people you are playing with. You don't need the best of the best players at your side to get Gladiator. Find people you enjoy playing with and work well with to make it to the top. Multi-Season Gladiators do one thing better than everyone else and it's precisely what the Single-Season Gladiators need to learn: communication and coordination. RMPs in the past have been the best example of this. The great ones were able to coordinate their kills with chain crowd controls, heavy burst damage, crazy swaps, and great team play. They know each others game so well they could play almost as good without verbal communication.
Here's one thing to really work your heart on to become a Multi-Season Gladiator or even a rank one player. Make an effort to use chain crowd controls on not just one, but multiple players at once. Sheep the Priest with a Kidney Shot on the Rogue and a Fear on the Mage. Do this while coordinating damage and managing enemy cooldowns and your own cooldowns. Watch your own play, critique yourself. Don't get caught up on the flashy stuff shown in PvP videos. Sure he Shadowstep Kicked that heal, but does that make him a great player? As Day[9] would say "Learn how to be a better gamer." We'll learn more in the coming weeks on just how to do that. Till next time.
Also be sure to follow ArenaJunkies on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date!


text:
Blog of Dr. Miland Brown that features different aspects of world history. Not everything can be covered but sites dealing with any historical issue or topic are possible future posts. Also includes sites which discuss teaching history. Dr. Brown is an academic in North America.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed and My Sister Stole My Mother's Boyfriend
As I traveled over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was fortunate to have a copy of Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed and My Sister Stole My Mother's Boyfriend by Barbara Oakley. I have always found travel to be both rewarding and stressful. A good book always helps to make the experience more rewarding.
I ordered Evil Genes through the interlibrary loan department of my academic library. The subtitle of the book lead me to believe this book might not be that great as it is stuffed with keywords and obviously dealt with personal family gossip. Much to my surprise and delight, I was wrong. This book is worth buying and I shall be doing so after I return my borrowed copy!
A Publishers Weekly review of the book gives a good summary. It notes, "Born out of a quest to understand her sister Carolyn's lifelong sinister behavior (which, systems engineer Oakley suggests, may have been compounded by childhood polio), the author sets out on an exploration of evil, or Machiavellian, individuals. Drawing on the advances in brain imaging that have illuminated the relationship of emotions, genetics and the brain (with accompanying imaging scans), Oakley collects detailed case histories of famed evil geniuses such as Slobodan Milosevic and Mao Zedong, interspersed with a memoir of Carolyn's life. Oakley posits that they all had borderline personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder, a claim she supports with evidence from scientists' genetic and neurological research. All the people she considers, Oakley notes, are charming on the surface but capable of deeply malign behavior (traits similar to those found in some personality disorders), and her analysis attributes these traits to narcissism combined with cognitive and emotional disturbances that lead them to believe they are behaving in a genuinely altruistic way. Disturbing, for sure, but with her own personal story informing her study, Oakley offers an accessible account of a group of psychiatric disorders and those affected by them."
I think Oakley has done a good job presenting a strong case that much of human behavior that is deemed to be evil has a biological connection that can be explained by biology and DNA. She acknowledges the social impact on human behavior as it develops in children but makes a good case that the genetics plays a stronger role. Every other species on earth has behavior influenced by DNA so why not humanity? Yes, that leads to many tricky legal, moral, and religious questions but it does not change anything if it is true. It certainly puts the study of historical figures under a different lens.
One problem I have with Oakley is that she does not understand the philosophy of Machiavelli. She equates Machiavellian behavior with psychopathic behavior throughout the book. This is clearly wrong to anyone who has studied Machiavelli and The Prince. Machiavelli did advocate bad behavior in some circumstances to avoid a greater evil. He postulated the concept of entering into evil. At times, a leader must commit evil acts for the common good. Further, failing to do this will actually result in a greater evil. He believed good men were best suited to this and actually wrote his book aimed at educating good men on the rules of power evil men already knew. Ledeen (1999) wrote in summary, "The problem is to find a suitable leader, a good man willing to enter into evil to accomplish good ends. Such men are in short supply; good men shy from evil, and evil men are not interested in good ends" (p. 178). We may find Machiavelli's message questionable today but he was not advocating psychopathic behavior.
I can hardly fault Oakley. Most people have never read The Prince or have actually spent anytime learning what Machiavelli really meant. Machiavelli means intelligent evil in popular culture and she is just repeating the general perception of Machiavelli's work. I hope she spends some time in the future perusing his work and studying his biography. A future edition of her work may well modify her description of Machiavelli.
Oakley also writes about how "evil" genes may actually benefit the human race. After all, if these genes did not aid in natural selection and human survival, they would not be around in great quantities today. Narcissism and ambition help people advance both good ideas and bad ones. Those with attitude are often the most successful in making an impact on society. Have you noticed how those in academia who trumpet their own horn tend to get ahead? Do "evil" genes help humanity as a whole more than they help? Those obnoxious scientists and politicians who leave behind positive legacies may be worth the damage done by their more sinister counterparts...
Again, this is a good book. Disagree or agree with Oakley, this book will make you think. And it is a joy to read to boot.
Ledeen, M. A. (1999). Machiavelli on modern leadership. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.
3 comments:
- Barbara said...
What a nice posting! I think your comments about Machiavellianism are well-taken. I've read the Prince, and am aware that Machiavelli's conception of a Machiavellian (if it can be put thus), was different than the one I settled on in the book. But I was sort of stuck for a word for the successfully sinister individuals that the book discusses. I finally settled on the word "Machiavellian," with the meaning being that which is used in popular language, even though I knew it really wasn't a proper use of the term from a historical perspective. It's tough writing a book about a set of personality characteristics that doesn't really have a name in English...
Barb Oakley
- M said...
Thanks for the note. I appreciate your clarification on Machiavelli. I may be one of the few people who actually gets bothered when Machiavelli is misinterpreted. Thanks again for such a great book. I will be quoting it in the future.
mmmm this looks like an interesting book. Wonder if it will get good reviews! Comments? Thoughts?


text:
Illustrations by Maryn Roos
Mandy's first day in her new school
Class, this is Mandy Cooper. Her family just moved into town, and she will be in our class. Mandy, tell us about yourself.
I wish I didn't have to do this.
Well, I'm 11 years old. And I have a little brother named Matt. He's nine and a half. Umm …
Tell us about your hobbies. What do you like to do?
I love animals, especially horses. I collect pictures and figures of horses. Someday I want to have my own horse. I like to make cookies and play soccer. Oh, and I've been taking piano lessons for four years, but now we have to find a new piano teacher.
What else?
What's your favorite food? Do you have a favorite book?
My favorite food is my mom's cheesy potatoes. And my favorite book is, umm … the Book of Mormon.
What's that?
What did I just say?
To be continued …


text:
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Please fill out the following form as accurately as possible to help us process your booking request. Email confirmation will be sent to the email entered below.
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1638 Steve Irwin Way
Beerwah, Qld, 4519
+ 61 (7) 5436 2000
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Bedtime for some of our animals is 4:30pm.


text:
zorane needed a new other design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 87 designs submitted by 25 freelance designers.
NR Design
I'm professional printed circuit board designer. I work with Zuken CADSTAR (pcb design software).
business customers from electronic industry
Play with the letters N and R. An additional tech symbol would be fine.