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Monday, June 11, 2007
I Never Meta Blogger...
Just for the record, as I'm about ready once again to take up the gauntlet, let me describe the thought process, as I understand it, that led me temporarily up to dry:
I was raised among political junkies, and have always been one. My dad was on the Portland school board for three terms, was on the Oregon Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and headed a quite important commission to address race and education during the sixties, another to revise the Oregon constitution. In retirement, he was mayor of Cannon Beach. My aunt was on the Portland City Council, the planning commission, and the port commission. My brother was a US Senate page, rubs shoulders now with a number of politicos. Table-talk was always about Big Issues when I was growing up. Governors, Senators, Congressmen and Congresswomen came to dinner (and, I assure you, it decidedly wasn't about money!) (Phone call when I was a kid: "Is Herb there?" "Who shall I say is calling?" "It's the Gov!")
So "junkie" is perhaps too pejorative: it's important to me. Which of course means that the current state of affairs in the US and the world at best drives me crazy, and at worst depresses me to the point of immobility. Maybe the recent round of presidential "debates" was the last straw. Between the people who would be president, and the journalists who would cover them, I really don't see how anyone can but think we're well and truly doomed. "Raise your hand if you...." demands Wolf Blitzer. The only thing more pathetic than a "journalist" who thinks asking ANY question of that sort in that format, is the fact that none of the people called him on it. And that is, of course, the very least of it. So few candidates (I'm certain the root word is not "candid") are afraid to speak the truth; so many are unabashed at pandering. AND IT WORKS!!!
It's not that I'm out of surgeon-blogging ideas. I've started typing a few. But of late there's a why bother? reflex. Can I ignore the things I think are cataclysmically important, and write instead about adhesions? And then, to some extent anyway, I figured it out.
First of all, getting 1200 page views a day is a cosmically, monumentally, minuscule slice of the populace. More than that, any political rants of mine will (I know this because I spend lots of time reading and occasionally commenting on political blogs) NOT change a single mind or alter the trajectory on which we find ourselves, despite the fact that there are some things I consider so obvious that it baffles, befuddles, and be-depresses me that anyone could disagree. Some that are so important I can't imagine why people aren't out in the streets with pitchforks and torches; or at least -- like me -- constantly frothing at the mouth.
On the other hand, small as my readership may be, I have heard from people. I've heard from some who've been sick, or family of the sick; they've told me that something I wrote helped them to understand, calmed a fear, gave them hope. I've heard from high school and college students, from med students that said they read something here which inspired them to consider medicine, or surgery (or not to, which, I suppose, is equally as useful). And I've heard from people who got a good laugh; what can be better than that? So I concluded: whereas spouting off on politics might be cathartic, it won't do a damn thing except change the whole point of this blog and piss off and/or turn away a bunch of readers -- many of whom are from all over the world.
To hold my tongue in this venue is not to abdicate my political beliefs; I have other avenues. Nevertheless, as deeply as I feel about our current political world -- as angry and frustrated as I am about where we seem to be headed and as pessimistic as I am about prospects for recovery, it's damn hard to think about anything else....
There's a certain self-absorption in all blogging, it seems to me. I don't spend a lot of time thinking about why I do it. But it's interesting that while I stopped doing anything but posting a couple of rebuses (rebi?; reberi?; rebusim?), page views continued approximately apace. Lots of people end up here because they've searched a topic; the blog pops up in the top ten -- sometimes numero uno -- of a million hits on some google searches for a few fairly common surgical topics. It's not outlandish, in other words, to think that microscopic as it may be, there's a purpose here; there's usefulness. Were I blogging in the political sphere, that would absolutely, unarguably be untrue. I have at least some claim to credibility medically, and none politically. Alas.
So I think I'm again ready. And whereas I'm certain no one was out there nubbing their fingertips awaiting it, I've allowed myself this small indulgence of an explanation before climbing back on. The world is driving me nuts. But, not unlike picking up a knife and laying it to human flesh, I can shut everything else out when I have to.
P.S: It delights me when I get suggestions for future posts.
P.P.S: OK. I can't resist this one political comment: couple of days ago (well after writing the above), I heard an interview with Rufus Wainwright. Asked about his often politically-charged music, he commented in a way I'd not heard it put: people are in mourning; he wants to help them grieve. That struck a chord. Speaking out in these times is not about hating any leaders, nor is it -- contrary to some of the more popular sloganeering -- about misunderstanding the conflict we're in. It's about grieving loss. Of respect, of the rule of law, of the moral high ground. Of reason, of discourse. Of people who disagree with one another being able to seek common ground for the common good.
It's about remembering a time when a plurality of people didn't argue that only those with certain religious beliefs had a claim on rectitude; and that having those beliefs absolved one of the need to face facts. You don't grieve from hate. It comes from love lost. That's something, I'd like to think, on which most people could agree.
And with that, I pledge to return to first principles: this is a surgery blog, and so it will remain.
23 comments:
- Enrico said...
Good to see new words on the page. :) I disagree that airing some political views would alienate/piss off readers. I think frothing diatribes would definitely detract from the main point of the site and serve only to distract, but if something bothers you and can be written in a brief, well-thought-out-way, I doubt it would be negative. I have quite a number of medical bloggers that make no bones about being in Far Right Blogsylvania, but while I might shake my head at their political views, I still enjoy their posts. (precisely because, I suppose, they are still *primarily* medical) Maybe I just contradicted myself. :P Oh well. Do what you must. Regardless, I venture to say that the vast, vast majority will be here no matter what.
- Unknown said...
I like that quote from Rufus. Good point
- girl_in_greenwood said...
Oh, I so sympathize. I have coped by keeping my head down and focusing on the small things right in front of me: preparing to move out of this house, finishing up the quarter at nursing school, finding a summer job. I know none of those things are helping the political situation in the slightest, but they are helping me to keep my BP under 140/90.
I saw Rufus Wainwright perform "Going To a Town" on the Henry Rollings show on IFC recently and wanted to cry. Here, go read the lyrics.
I guess he really is helping us grieve.
Welcome back!
I share your observation that the increasing ratio of apathy/active interest in all things important to our future is shocking-but then again who cares right?
John Kennedy had it right,"ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country". What ever happened to that perspective anyway/
How would you see us returning to a society where are thoughts on an issue would supercede our feelings on an issue?
On the matter of the debates, have you ever experienced so many long, none-answers to a question-here's a thought, ask a common qustion and ask each candidate to press a button answering yes or no. With no responses shown until all have answered.
Then ask each to explain the rationale for their answer.
- jmb said...
Have you considered starting a separate political blog?
What is the best way to leave suggestions for future blog topics?
Do you prefer a direct contact in private or suggestions via the public comment portion of your blog?
I have a couple but I am not sure how to communicate my ideas to you; it seems public suggestions may lead to tangents (?)
- Sid Schwab said...
my email is in the "about" section. It's sid dot schwab at gmail dot com
Hey, Sid. Please do keep blogging about surgery. There's plenty of political blogs about, and the problem is, your common person doesn't care, so they'll keep voting for the pretty guy.
Here's one I'd like to have you address: many many years ago, my appendix burst early in the morning. The resident in the emergency room sent me home with a bottle of Maalox. Fortunately, the surgeon on call, when I went back, kept me overnight, as his rule was, "if you're in the emergency room twice in one day, I'm keeping you."
8 days and a gallon of penicillin later, all was well...
Anyways, I've heard that appendicitis is one of the hardest things to diagnose, and I'm more pain-tolerant than most, so if you could talk about how you diagnose appendicitis, I for one would be totally grateful.
- Sid Schwab said...
Tom: I did a series of four posts on appendicitis about ten months ago: the first one is here. Scroll north for the rest. If what you have in mind isn't among them, let me know and I'd be happy to enlarge/clarify/edify.
- Tom McNamee said...
Dr. Schwab:
Glad to see you got that off your chest. I'll bet you have an interesting take on Gore's new 'Reason' book. And I'd like to read it!
Grieving is a good way to put it. I find myself lately thirsting for justice. I want to the world to demonstrate that it is not completely insane. But I'm not going to get that. So I, like the rest of us, distract myself. With movies and TV and surgery blogs.
Welcome back!
- Tom
- Greg P said...
One thing I notice in general, though it's not as bad as it used to be. Some people only seem to want doctors to talk about medicine. We're not supposed to know anything else or have an opinion about anything else.
There are actually plenty of medical issues I have little or no interest in, but many things outside of medicine I am very interested in; some I even know something about.
I have to say that in my own blog I tend to talk about "safe" stuff -- some might say esoteric, some might say uninteresting, but it all interests me.
Where I step outside this is in comments on others' blogs, where I may spout out something about religion or politics or the state of the world.
I'd be interested in reading what you have to say about politics. You could always keep those posts filed under Politics so that they can be easily searched by people who want more of that, too.
You could also see about getting some of the political blogs you admire to link to yours in exchange for their links.
If there's one thing that the internet makes clear, it's that no matter where you are on any topic, you are not alone. LOL!!!
- Lynn Price said...
I'm not a fan of talking politics because I've seen how it divides friendships. And that's why I liked this post, Sid. It spoke to both sides of the aisle, and I loved it. How exciting your youth must have been!
But, sure, I'm ready for more of your slicing and dicing. After all, I have two characters in need of being kept on the medical straight and narrow.
Any post is a welcome post here, Dr. Schwab!
I enjoy that everything you write (even your rebuses/rebi) read as well-thought. So many of us in the blogging world type and post what flows from our fingertips, and it reads like the stream of consciousness that it is, not as organized, thought out posts...
Your posts are different; well spoken, well thought out. I love the surgery posts, don't get me wrong. But similar to the praise given to an excellent speaker, you could post the phone book listings, and it would be a thought provoking read
One of the wonderful aspects of your medical posts is how you let us see your own particular perspective, your person-hood behind the surgeon's mask, which is a great gift. So I'd like to add my voice to those saying that we're interested in what you have to say on whatever topic.
And not to contradict myself, but I meant to thank you for the Operation:Deconstructed posts -- riveting!
- Donna. W said...
Seeing "Rufus Wainwright" sent me on a Google search. I love, love, LOVE Loudon Wainwright III, and figured they must be related. I'd never heard of Rufus.
- SeaSpray said...
I love this surgeonsblog! I would also love to hear every detail of what it was like to be surrounded by politics like that. WOW! Lucky you!
I am curious to know your political beliefs. I am a bleeding heart conservative in that I am all for strong defense lower taxes, pro life except when life of mother is in jeopardy, etc. but I also believe we need some of the social programs that some of my conservative friends would like to see abolished. I initially registered as an independent because I didn't want to be a partisan voter as I would vote for whoever has the best ideas and promise of accomplishing them but then I did cross over to the republican side. That said - I seriously would vote for who I believed was the best candidate regardless of party affiliation.
I do wish politicians would just run on what they really believe instead of waiting to see which way the wind blows.
Say what you want about Bush - he has always seemed to do what he believed was right even if not popular. Some would say to the point of being obtuse I suppose but at least he stands for what he believes.
Right now no one appeals to me as a 2008 presidential candidate but as it narrows down maybe some one will stand out.
Was your father involved with the Brown vs the board of education III?
You know I AM definitely one of the people who have been helped by what you write here- even if seemingly absent - I'm not.
You have a gift for writing and I am sure you have given insight and comfort to more people than you realize.
- Sid Schwab said...
OK, I'll give you a clue, since it's in a comment in a post that's old enough that not many will see it.
George Bush stands for what he belives? So did Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Hitler, Stalin. It's hardly a strong suit, if what he does is wrong. He got us into a war that was the worst mistake any president has ever made. What, exactly, would his belief have been that got us there, that he stood for? Did he believe that we could do it only by planning for the best case? That there was no need to consider the possible bad outcomes and to plan for them? Is it OK to sign legislation and then to ignore it? To appoint people to positions of great importance, based only on being a crony, a Republican loyalist? Is it OK to demand that scientists in government employ not mention global warming, melting icecaps, polar bears? To redact well-documented science when its findings are inconvenient? If he believes that the president has unlimited power to ignore the constitution of the US, it's ok because he believes it? In my opinion he's been the worst, the most dangerous, the least American-values oriented president ever. And it's absolutely incomprehensible to me that a Republican who believes in limited government, who believes in the Constitution, in democracy, in the value of a two party system, who ought naturally to be suspicious of the aggrandizement of power in an executive and the ignoring of all checks and balances -- that conservatives of all people could in any way rationalize the damage that George Bush has done to this country. I haven't the slightest doubt that if Bill Clinton had run his presidency the way GWB is, talk radio and every republican in the country would be calling for his head. Ironically, the republicans insulated bush from impeachment by impeaching Clinton. If the incompetence and the unconstitutional behavior, the secrecy, the lying to Congress, the refusal of oversight, the appointment time and again of inferior people to positions of importance, the ignoring of the Middle East for six years, the entry into Iraq at the expense of stabilizing Afganistan, the turning of the entire world (except Armenia) against us when they were once with us, the devastation of our military and the ignoring of meaningful home security -- if all that hasn't got republicans upset, then the state of politics in this country is so partisan that all reason is gone and all hope of solving the real problems that face us -- most of which have been made immeasurably worse by bush -- is gone. Which is why I said it depresses me. I'm ok with conservatives. I'm ok with limited government, with policy that allows business to flourish. I'm not ok with theocracy, with runaway deficits, with blatant disregard for the law. I'm not ok with painting everyone who disagrees with bush and who mourns the country as it once was as unamerican, a hater, as with the terrorists. And the fact that so-called conservatives can't find it in themselves to say that bush is ruining everything no matter in what side of the political spectrum one resides -- that truly makes me feel that America is on its way to self-destruction. Really. I couldn't be more serious. Other than that, I guess we're on the same page.
Sorry if I'm so wishy washy as not to make it clear where I stand.
- SeaSpray said...
Dr S. - I laughed out loud when I got to Pol Pot! Sorry. ***Your point is well taken.*** I didn't say he was right. I am saying that unlike some other politicians - right or wrong he stands by his convictions even against the tide. Most of them care about votes over the countries well being - on BOTH sides of the aisle.
As far as getting us into the war - didn't Hillary, Kerry and almost everyone else vote right along with him because they all believed what was told to them regarding weapons of mass destruction? Wasn't Tony Blair right along with him and Spain? Didn't Colon Powell stand before everyone at the UN and convincingly sell the war? Weren't there other countries initially except for France (I still love the French and they ARE French fries)and Germany?
The reports said there were weapons. Believing that were true - what do you think they should have done?
And with all the delays - is it possible that the weapons were moved into Syria between October and March? Is it possible? Just wondering.
I DON'T think that people that disagree with republicans are un-American.
I also don't appreciate being categorized as a right wing extremist by Hillary or anyone else. I don't believe in blowing up abortion clinics. I recognize that democrats believe in God too. Conservatives don't have a corner on God. I don't say hateful things like Ann Coulter does. I do care about social programs for the poor and I think churches and organizations should help. I would never be an obnoxious American while visiting overseas.
I do love America and respect our flag and all it stands for and I don't believe under God should be taken out of the pledge of allegiance.
We need BOTH wings to fly the eagle.
I understand wrong is wrong but what is it when a politician puts his finger in the wind before he gives you an opinion? Or a politician who watches the polls before he makes a decision if doing so is that politician's way of staying in office vs doing what he believes is right?
I have an 18 year old son. I don't want him to have to go to war. I get nervous knowing they keep recalling the same troops. I don't see how we can stay without a draft yet I don't believe we can withdraw now.
By cronies do you mean from his father's administration? Regarding conservative supreme court appointments - I am happy about them although I did not get that whole Meyers debacle.
Regarding global warming there are scientists coming out and disputing that theory. Admittedly, I am not informed enough to make a comment on that other than to point out that there are scientists with other views than that of Al Gore. Regardless we still need to save the rain forests and protect the ozone.
***Republicans aren't happy with him and that was demonstrated in the November elections last year when so many republicans lost their seats. I suspect I feel about Nancy Pelosi becoming Speaker of the House as you do Bush being president. I shudder to think that she is next in line for the presidency after the vice president.
The Mexican border issue is one that both sides have failed to have a good solution. BTW what gets me mad on that topic is that politicians on both sides aren't doing what is best for this country because they are more concerned with the Latino vote with it's ever increasing population. And how about the terrorists that can easily cross our borders to join their sleeper cells never mind illegal immigrants?
Why can things STILL be smuggled into airplanes? What do you mean by the ignoring of meaningful home security? What would you do differently? We can never be too safe as far as I am concerned.
I feel like no one says what they REALLY believe and then when they get into office they do what they want or they succumb to the lobbyists.
Maybe I am not understanding the deficit but didn't 911 have a profound negative effect on our deficit? Is it fair to blame him for that? And then whether you agree with military policies or not - war is expensive and so isn't that adding to the deficit? Yes - I know - if we didn't get INTO the war the deficit wouldn't be so large.
*** I seriously question why some of our troops don't have the safest trucks and best armor they should be wearing and driving in and don't understand why regular people have had to run fund raisers to help pay for such equipment.
And WHY didn't the government act more quickly with Katrina?
Also - the middle east had been the hot spot for years and I believe will be again but we don't hear about it. The war has replaced all that but are they having less terrorist incidences over there? or are the terrorists over in Iraq now?
This is a sincere question. Why was Clinton's National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, apparently allowed to steal highly classified terrorism documents containing info about the Clinton administration's role leading up to 911 that the 911 commission would have reviewed? More specifically why did he shove the documents in his jacket, pants and socks? Why was that ok? Why did he get away with that? And what was he hiding that they obviously did not want known? His only punishment for stealing classified information from a government facility - disbarred. Would having that info affect opinions regarding the handling of the war in any way? I guess we will never know.
Do you think Gore would have been the better choice?
I guess I know how to push your button now.
"Other than that, I guess we're on the same page.
Sorry if I'm so wishy washy as not to make it clear where I stand."
Are you mad at me now? Your last to sentences have me wondering?
You know what they say..Sometimes great minds have to agree to disagree.
Sorry - I digressed a bit from what you said.
- Sid Schwab said...
I don't want to get into a political polemical here. So this will be my last comment on the subject:
Giving the authority is not the same as invading. There were inspectors, they were finding nothing. Sanctions, no fly zones were in place and working. There were plenty of voices in the intelligence community raising flags. And even if it was a good idea -- which it clearly wasn't -- rejecting the advice of the army chief of staff that they send in several hundred thousand troops was dereliction of duty in the first degree. Had bush allowed the inspectors to keep at it (the trope that Saddam kicked them out is revision of fact), we'd have known for sure there were no WMD. It was ill-conceived, poorly planned, and when there was a time during which changing course might have saved the situation, bush refused to face fact. Believing there were WMD he should have kept the inspections going. Considering for the first time ever pre-emptively invading another country, he should have planned for the very worst, should have looked hard and long at the nature of the country he was invading. Had he done any of that, we'd not be where we are now, which is cataclysmically screwed.
Deficit? Sure 9/11 had an impact. Which is why it's folly to have cut taxes the way he did, and when, and in what way. We'll be paying for it for generations. The true costs have been fudged and hidden. It's a disaster on the way.
Why can things stil be sneaked on planes? EXACTLY! We're spending all our resources in Iraq. We're creating terrorists over there while we underfund real security here. Ports, dams, power plants, chemical plants. We need more CIA, FBI. We need more people in the world who respect us enough to cooperate in uncovering terrorists. We need, in other words, the exact opposite of what bush is giving us. By making us appear to the world as arrogant, as willing to torture, to ignore all our laws we have undermined our position on the high ground, which is the worst thing we could have done when we need helpers around the world.
Of course Al Gore would have been better. He'd not have had dick cheney to tell him what to do and if he did, he'd have been smart enough to reject the advice.
Sandy Berger? He was found out. It's known what he took, which were copies. Nothing was destroyed. Allowed? By whom?
There are "scientists" coming out and insisting the universe is 6000 years old. There are "scientists" who say HIV doesn't cause AIDS. As to global warming, I'm going with the 95%. And why is it that such things are political at all? Why is it only republicans who deny global warming? Why is it only they who disbelieve evolution? I don't mean all republicans, of course. But of those that reject evidence, who are they, and why is that?
I think a much stronger case can be made that bush has no values than that he has some he sticks to. I admire his sticking to his guns on immigration. But his professed love of democracy? That it's a gift from God? Pure BS. He ignores everything about it in this country while claiming to want to establish it around the world.
By cronies I mean his old pals from Texas, like meyers and gonzales, clearly in over their heads. I mean friends of friends. Loyal republicans instead of experienced people. Brownie. That guy who redacted the science info. The head of NASA. That woman who's been using the GSA to prop up republicans. They're everywhere. Ought not a good republican consider the department of justice, of all agencies, one that ought to be above partisanship? Consider the stuff that congress ignored before the last election, and ask what you'd think if it had been Hillary doing it? It's simply astounding.
I know I can't change minds, and yet I feel the above is indisputably true. Which is why continuing is folly; frustrating, and fruitless. So I won't. End of my comments on this subject.
- SeaSpray said...
I am listening Dr Schwab and processing. I appreciate hearing your opinions. You make some valid points. Your words did not fall on deaf ears.
I just want to address some of what you said - I added a little and I wanted to clarify my position a bit. I don't expect any answers - we all can google stuff if we want to.
Your Surgeonsblog is one of my favorite blogs and I have learned so much through it and had a lot of wow moments along with some hearty laughter as well. "Put it back! Put it back!" Need I say more? :)
Please feel free to delete all of this political stuff if you prefer to not have it in your blog.
I believe it was Colin Powell who regarding the war didn't want them to increase the troops. I think their decisions probably set the tone for his resigning. I think Powell later regretted his speech at the UN, calling it a blot on his record.
The war is a mess although good things have and are being accomplished.
The reduced taxes were helping to turn the economy around although I don't know the status now (gas prices YIKES)as I have pretty much disengaged from politics since I had gotten sick because I started to think that this stuff is s-o-o frustrating that it cannot be good for me to follow it as heavily as I had been. Ha! For all I know maybe my wanting to gnash my teeth (and I am easy going)over certain issues for so long day in and day out (didn't even listen to music)added to my constricting ureter. You know - if there is a strong mind body connection.
So, I love watching the talking heads or listening but I pulled back. We rarely watch Fox but usually have MSNBC on and Chris Matthews is one of out favorites. Yes - I do listen to talk radio when I am following things too. I'll get back into it as the candidates narrow down.
Is it only republicans denying global warming? Younger son has a conservative slant yet he is OFTEN mentions it as a concern. He also challenges me on evolution. I know republicans that embrace evolution. I do not.
I know democrats who DON'T believe in evolution.
For some people that don't believe in evolution it is a faith issue and that's why the disbelief crosses both sides of the aisle.
If you take the Biblical account of the origins of man I believe it started 6000 years ago with Adam and Eve. However, science has PROVEN that man lived thousands - millions (don't remember) of years before that. I did hear a theory that made sense to me regarding that and that was that they were soul creatures but not spiritual. Like animals have the soul but not spirit. (Believe me I want to believe they have a spirit) Then God decided to change things up a bit and breathed his spirit into man and from that point on we became mind (soul) body and spirit - therefore eternal beings.
Is there any reason why creationism can't be taught side by side and then let the students pursue accordingly if they care to?
Separation of church and state - huge issue - not going there.
I know republicans who are pro-choice. I am pro-life. I know pro-lifers that believe no abortion under ANY circumstances. I do not agree. I believe there are exceptions that only the mother can decide on and no one should take that right away. But I believe everything that can be done to save the baby's life should be - if at all possible. There are people that would say I have compromised and would say I can't possibly be pro-life if I think that.
Sometimes you have to sacrifice some beliefs for what you perceive to be the greater good - what ever that is for each individual.
I am digressing sorry - but one more thing on this life thing. I used to totally believe in capital punishment and we can all go on about the overloaded prison systems etc, but with forensics I am rethinking that position anyway. However, I remember one evening at dinner up at the hospital, a male co-worker said I couldn't possibly believe in pro-life and the death penalty. He was adamant about it. I justified it with the fact that the unborn are powerless to protect themselves and need advocates but the murderer (in most cases) made a reasoned choice. Is the death penalty a deterrent? Back then I thought so if enough people got the message. Now I honestly don't know. I don't know the stats on that and as I stated with forensic you hear about the innocent people cleared. I would hate to be a juror deciding the death penalty.
I am ashamed to say that I am not familiar with what congress has ignored because as I have stated I have intentionally put politics aside for the time being.
I am not savvy with financial stats etc, but I thought Bush's Social Security reform plan sounded like a good idea. My understanding is that he wanted to give people the option to invest in secure investment options that would yield more interest and it would help save the program while at the same time pay more to the recipients. Maybe I am totally wrong with this but it is a moot point because it dropped like a lead balloon.
People complain ad nauseam about issues but they don't have solutions either.
I saw "Sicko" Monday night. That prompted me to post about it and go to other blogs and surf the web for info. I want to understand more about it. Of course he presents a biased version and I never took him seriously BUT he has got me thinking about this one. I want to hear what our friends across the border and the pond have to say about it in the blogosphere. I want to know what our doctors think. If his documentary jump starts a good discussion on this for the presidential race then good for him.
President Clinton signed off on Berger and another man who's name was redacted for the 911 commission report to review the highly classified info.
Sandy berger stole those papers and once he left the building with them he could potentially have compromised national security.
There is no way in God's creation or any other that I will ever believe he "accidentally" mixed them in with his papers and "accidentally" put them in his brief case and jacket. An intelligent governmental policy/security savvy/professional like him. And my understanding is that 2 - 3 of those papers were never found and he may have thrown them out? There are all kinds of problems with what he did. And isn't it odd it involved the taking of top secret documents from the National Archives pertaining to the Clinton administration's info on terrorist threats preceding 911. Sandy Berger admitted to taking the classified info and destroying some of it in his office and he pleaded guilty in federal court. He was disbarred for 2 years, fined 50,000 and had to do community service.
Is there any chance that if someone in the Bush administration were to do that very same thing that the opposing parties would basically look the other way except for what amounts to a hand slap in the grand scheme of things?
I am not excusing Bush for any wrongs that people may or may not be justified of accusing him for but rather I am pointing out that he is not the only one to have made mistakes or bad decisions. I realize he is our acting president now but it isn't black and white and both parties have their share of cronies and at the very least gray areas.
Sorry I again digressed - I am just making the point that I am not partisan in my thinking. I didn't blow you off. I take issue with some things and admit that perhaps I should re-look at some other issues.
I really do believe every president has their good and bad points and for any president - you have heard them say it - sending our boys off to war is the hardest thing. The Vietnam war caused Johnson not to run again. (I AM real opinionated on the Vietnam war - influenced by my uncle who worked (lived in Saigon and traveled throughout the area and made some good friends there.)over there prior to our involvement in the war and by my husband who is a Vietnam vet that saw a lot. It ripped my heart out when I saw all those people running to the planes and choppers when we were pulling the last of our people out and thinking about what was probably (and did) going to happen to them. And then Cambodia.)
I might be a republican but I am an abstract thinker that refuses to be confined in a box of generalizations.
I do not appreciate when the left lumps all conservatives as part of a right wing conspiracy and insinuates that every one of us would be supportive of abortion clinic bombings, etc. I suspect that most people are not the lunatic left or right in politics.
I hope that both parties will work together for the good of the country. It SHOULD ALWAYS be that way!
Perhaps, since the 2008 presidential elections are underway BOTH parties will be motivated to do their best for the good of the country so they can ride on their accomplishments all the way to the White House. In a perfect world - it could happen!
We need the checks and balances in our political system - we need both wings to fly the eagle.
Thank you for NOT digressing to politics! I am quite literally sickened by the current administration. I read your blog to share in your expertise, knowledge and experience in the operating room. This is my zen. I can be experiencing a gamut of high intensity emotions before I scrub in, but once I am in the beginning, middle, or end of a procedure, all of that falls away. I am calm and "in the zone." I share your persistent awe and appreciation of what they "allow" you to do in surgery. Although I am not a surgeon, I am a first assistant, I still, after seven years, feel the same exhilleration to be allowed to do what I do. So, thank you for deciding to remain a surgery blog and giving me a source of inspiration and the chance to share a camaraderie no matter how cyber-iffic it may be.
- Unknown Soldier said...
because its so much fun to see you make good on your threats.


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Former "Beverly Hills 90210" bad girl Shannen Doherty and her professional partner, Mark Ballas, were the first pair sent home from the ballroom on "Dancing with the Stars" on Tuesday, but the actress told Access Hollywood that there's a silver lining to her early elimination.
The actress has previously told Access that she was facing her fear of performing in front of a live audience and appearing on the hit ABC show to show her father – who suffered a massive stroke on Christmas Day 2009 – that facing your fears was possible. Shannen hoped her participation in the competition would inspire her father.
When Access' Shaun Robinson caught up with Shannen following Tuesday's show, she said she urged her dad, who was watching proudly from the audience, to remain positive.
"'Don't cry,' I said [to him]," she told Access. "But, he's doing good now…he's doing better. He's smiling and not so upset… he's proud of me and he's the whole reason why I did the show."
Shannen said her early elimination will allow her more time to be with her ailing father.
"Fate is an interesting thing," the actress said "The last two days he hasn't been doing that great and he needs me at home and that's what's important."
To see more of Shaun's interview with Shannen and her partner Mark – including details about Mark's injury – CLICK HERE!
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 10 Premiere!
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'Dancing With The Stars' Season 10 Class Photos
PLAY IT NOW: 'Dancing' Recap: Shannen's Emotional Elimination (March 30, 2010)
PLAY IT NOW: 'Dancing' Recap: The 'Stars' On Shocking Elimination & Showmances
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Dancing With the Stars - Shannen Doherty - 90210 - Shaun Robinson - Mark Ballas

subset: commoncrawl


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Now we're talking!
I am being appreciated for what I am, who I am… DPS!
Sure it took a Shadow Priest to acknowldge me, but Gnomeaggedon has a lot to say on this subject, so thanks for the invite Cassandri, let me begin.
Whoah there little Gnome! What make you think Cass was talking about you?
Ummm Mage = DPS in it's purest sense, so of course she is talking about me.
Pffft you think you can heal, but I can't DPS? Step aside little Gnome before a cloven hoof tattoos your bald spot!
Cassandri brings us up to speed:
In truth I don't think about DPS much when I'm writing for Hots & Dots. I'm much more philosophical about healing, PVP and people, probably because I don't really understand any them at all. That's what I tend to write about.
A Q&A for DPS (unnamed) was started by Death Goddess. I thought it was a great idea and it was very sensible of Death Goddess to let the temperamental healers and tanks have their moment in the spotlight first. I refuse to subscribe to a blog written by a Death Knight so I had no idea that this was actually started a couple weeks back.
First off, let me send you round to read some of the great posts that I've read in this circle: Spazmoosifer talks about Shadow Priest DPS and Roxxon actually came up with some pretty profound stuff for a Mage (OK Gnome highlighted this very important word).
I'd love to hear Cynwise talk about his Warlock – we have so many raiders entering the discussion and not enough PVPers! I'd also like to hear from Gnomeaggedon since I find myself nodding my head furiously whenever I read his posts.
Lettuce Begin
What is the name, class, and spec of your primary dps?
Gnomea-ooofffff-geddon. Hey watch your elbow! GNOME FrostFire Mage (Gnome being the most important part)
Squ-Owwww-idly. Get your staff out of there! Some-Time Elemental Shaman, always DPS, even when healing.
What is your primary dpsing environment? (i.e. raids, pvp, 5 mans)
Gnomeaggedon: In bed, I DPS them girls till they forget their names!
Squidly: Fool Gnome, just because you are spending more time offline than on doesn't mean you are mixing it up with Oomaggedon… Anyway, I saw her 1st and she came to visit me!
For the record I primarily DPS in Instances when there are Holy Priests that don't know how to Shadow.
I will throw out the odd offensive spell when I am healing though… I need an excuse to drink.
Gnomeaggedon: When I can be bothered logging on it's 5-10-25 man stuff in that order, heavily weighted to the 5 man end at the moment. A few months back it was 10 man or nothing.
What is your favorite dps spell/ability for your class and why?
Squidly: Whack a Gnome. I use Healbot to try to thump the Gnome Mages over the head with a rank 1 LHW… Don't want to overheal!
If there aren't any Gnomes, then it's a toss up.
Chain Lightning cause it's way pretty. FlameShock+Lavaburst for pure hurt.
Gnomeaggedon: What? Just one? I have multiple toolbars full of them.
Frostfire Bolt… Mmm the scent of fire with the crack of ice!
Living Bomb+Flame Strike + Blizzard… Mmmm Scrolling Combat Text make my PC hurt! The mobs don't feel so good either…
What dps spell do you use least for your class and why?
Gnomeaggedon: Easy… Anything beginning with Frost* or Arcane* there, that takes out 60% of the irrelevant Mage abilities. Basically if it doesn't burn I don't like it.
Squidly: Earth Shock… I know I should… But I don't. Still, unlike the Gnome I don't discriminate on school/spec
What do you feel is the biggest strength of your dps class and why?
Gnomeaggedon: Strudel, Portals, Heals, Tanking with a bit of DPS on the side.
Squidly: BUUUUFFS. Pick a group comp, any group comp. Pick an encounter any encounter. You need it, we got it! We can also heal on the side, but I'll leave the tanking to the Mage.
What do you feel is the biggest weakness of your dps class and why?
Gnomeaggedon: Apart from Health? We aren't weak, we is killing machines!
Squidly: Threat. I can generate it plenty, on as many mobs as I want… But a partial dump on one target, on a cooldown?
In a 25 man raiding environment, what do you feel, in general, is the best dps assignment for you?
Gnomeaggedon: That's a bit sexist isn't it? I want a 24 girls + 1 Gnome environment. Mmmm Gnome Lurvin!
If I have to work for my place, then give me trash… Or a boss.
- Trash for instant gratification.
- Boss for the heart stopping frenzy of DoTs and Instant "I'm wiping that big evil grin off your face" Pyroblasts.
Squidly: Mmmm 15 man more or less. No raiding experiences to date, but lots of Battlegrounds.
Of course in that environment my role is more about killing the Horde via heals than DPS. Heal my mates, let them be the long arm of my DPS.
What dps class do you enjoy dpsing with most and why?
Gnomeaggedon: Fried Chickens – I loves me some extra Boomkin Crit ya in the face you wussbag of a boss!
Squidly: Anything that will take a hit, or over aggro me. For once I think I agree with short stuff. Fried Chicken tastes good!
What dps class do you enjoy dpsing with least and why?
Gnomeaggedon & Squidly (In chorus): I don't think they are a class, at least I have never found them at the character creation screen, but they are the NOOB and they have to have as many specs as there are classes X 3.
Many of them tell us they are experienced, so all I can do is feel sorry for all the lives they have ruined.
Luckily Cass put a disclaimer on this statement:
Or Mages. They're so selfish about keeping Focus Magic to themselves. And they can out-DPS me so easily. That hurts.
Like this:
Gnome Mages and Gnome Death Knights are the exception. I can't stay mad at something so cute.
Otherwise the answer would have been a whole lot more specific…
What is your worst habit as a dps?
Gnomeaggedon: picking my own target.
- I can't see over everyone's head to target theirs and
- By the time I have wound up my spell the bloody rogues have already bust the mob down.
This means I am always one boss ahead of the raid… and…
I need 10 tree Druids in the raid for Battle Rezs.
Squidly: DPSing as Resto and forgetting my tool bars are now set for heal rather than hurt.
I get great numbers on the healing meters, not so much on the damage meters.
What is your biggest pet peeve in a group environment while dpsing?
Gnomeaggedon: no one respects my tanking or healing abilities.
Squidly: Bosses and mobs that make the healers life hard. I want their healing love, so leave them alone!
Do you feel that your class/spec is well balanced with other dps?
Squidly: Apparently we are awesome, so we must be.
Gnomeaggedon: Apparently I am awesome, so we must be.
What tools do you use to evaluate your own performance as a dps'er?
Gnomeaggedon: The oooohhhhs and aaaahhhhs from the crowd.
Squidly: am I alive? I must be better than the average goo standing DPS.
What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about your class?
Gnomeaggedon: that all we care about is our position on the meters… Obviously we care about the phat loot as well.
Ohhh, and that we can summon!
Warlocks have love in their hearts and summon you to be close.
Mages port you to the opposite side of the world.
Squidly: that cause I am a Shaman I can take a few hits… Which I could if I wore mail, but why roll on mail when I can pinch cloth and leather for my offspec?
What do you feel is the most difficult thing for new dpsers of your class to learn?
Gnomeaggedon: DPS doesn't matter. Damage does, while means staying alive, which in turn means many of our utility spells are as much, if not more, important.
Squidly: totems. Which totems, when. Also that it's all the other things that make a Shaman cool. Interrupts, buffs, debuffs.
Don't worry so much about yourself, lift the team!
What DPS class do you feel you understand least?
Gnomeaggedon: Warriors… Why don't they sink when they jump in the water?
Squidly: Mages, how can a class with so much Intellect be played by so many dumb people?
What add-ons or macros do you use, if any, to aid you in dps?
Gnomeaggedon & Squidly: all of them!
We downloaded all of the WoWwiki macro pages and the entire Curse addon database and shoved it kicking and screaming into WoW.
- If you have more than 3 fps you arent trying hard enough.
- If you can actually see the mob you are meant to hit, your screen isn't cluttered enough.
- If you know what is going to happen when you press that keybound macro you aren't living on the edge.
- If your tool bars aren't filled with ?, where is the fun in the game?
So basically every skill is macro'd and often more than one addon does the same thing… But at least when my whole screen if flashing I know to move out of the goo… Even if my fps won't allow it.
What stat to stack, and why?
Gnomeaggedon: Beauty. If you aren't beautiful, you won't get a raid spot, which means you won't get to do DPS.
Look at Jong and Megan, you think they get their raid spots based on ability?
When Jong rips the buttons off his shirt people stand up and oooohhhh aaaaahhhh.
He hasn't even started DPSing yet!
Squidly: BEER! More Beer and a home delivery bottleshop.
If you can't play your character when you are plastered you just can't play!
This is the problem with PvE players. Everything is scripting and timing. Throw in a psuedo PvP encounter, or god forbid actual PvP and the players go to pieces…
But, but, it spoils my rotation! The training dummy didn't fight back, it's not fair that the mobs do!
See the human mind is a nasty piece of work. When you first learn your class you are flexible, you have to be because you can't be sure when that spell will finish casting or when your cooldown will pop.
But in time, you can close your eyes, turn your back, play guitar hero with your toes and still put out theorycrafted DPS… Because you brain is now conditioned to know how long 2.3 hasted seconds are, where the ohh shit button is etc.
So that's where beer cones in.
Drink till you can't find the keyboard and you are trying to turn your character with your cell phone.
Then, only then, will you Starr to become a good player. You have absolutely no choice. It's either perform, or go get another beer from the fridge!
BTW Blizzard, 1-30 seconds of BG reserect time is not long enough to go to the fridge, have a smoke and water the lemon tree… Please change this!
Ohhh you are a teetotaler?
Simple solutions:
1. Start drinking
2. Keep drinking
3. Last resort, change your keybindibgs before every raid, before every boss if it's becoming too easy. It's like drinking, but without the overflowing recycle bin and the empty bank account.
Gnomer and Out, Squidly and Stout! (Stout – that's an alcoholic drink with more vitamins than your average 3 course meal… Great for breakfast as well!)
The End
Gnomeaggedon & Squidly: What, that's it? We have only drink 1/2 a slab each… Give us more!
Gnomeaggedon: When the bloody he'll are those uppity plate wearers going to invite me to write their Tanking questionnaire… More brains in their butts even with Arcane Brilliance!
Hey Kriz… Heard you were nearly unemployed… 50,011 words down hunh! About time you told us how awesome your Deeps is!
Larisa, Oi, come out of your cellar, tell how you do it!
Ummm, are there any other DPS bloggers out there that haven't done this yet?
Well here's your challenge, do it now, say I told you to, before someone else does it at my request.
Gnomer and Out, Squidlys crashed under the lemon tree… Ewww yuck!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.


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Paul McCartney, as a mere lad of 21, shot to unprecedented – and unsurpassed – stardom with his fellow Beatles via their 1964 debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" before a then-record 73 million viewers.
As he turns 70 Monday, McCartney is preparing to play to his biggest TV audience ever – one likely to be measured in billions – when he closes the opening ceremonies of the London Games next month.
Welcome to the Olympic Age of Paul McCartney, who, as he starts his eighth decade, is a singing, songwriting, bass-thumping testament to the youthful power of music – and the enduring appeal of the Liverpool band that wowed 'em on "Sullivan" all those years ago.
McCartney has emerged in recent years as the go-to elder-statesman headliner for spectacles, from the Super Bowl to the 25th anniversary of Live Aid to this month's celebration of the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, whose reign probably will be best remembered for a British Invasion of the rock-and-roll variety.
Sure, McCartney is guaranteed to get huge crowds singing along to "Let it Be" and "Hey Jude." But he's far more than a big-occasion nostalgia act. In the last decade, he's toured more frequently than any time since the Beatles' early days, and has produced some of his strongest (2005's "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard") and most adventurous (2008's "Electric Arguments" as The Fireman) solo albums.
When he takes the stage July 27 in front of 80,000 at London's Olympic Stadium and many more watching on TV and online around the world (the 2008 Olympic opening ceremonies drew 2 billion viewers), McCartney will be representing a rock-fueled rebellion against the boundaries of age. He'll be representing his country, which helped create a youth-driven cultural revolution by putting a British spin on American rhythm and blues. Perhaps most importantly, he'll be representing his fellow Beatles, who debuted "All You Need is Love" 45 years ago this month before a then-astounding worldwide audience of 350 million.
The sentiment, like the group's music, is timeless. The Beatles "1" collection is the world's biggest-selling album of this century, with most copies likely purchased by those who weren't born when the band broke up in 1970. As we've noted, a Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2009 found the Beatles were among the top four favorite musical acts of Americans 16 to 64.
It's a good bet some of McCartney's fellow septuagenarians – and kids under 16 – are among the fans, too. Perhaps more of all ages will join those ranks after he plays for the world at the Olympics.
Declaring the Olympic gig a crowning achievement for McCartney, nearly a half-century after the Beatles first charted in the UK with "Love Me Do," might sell him short. After all, naysayers back in the day crowed that the group could only go downhill after their "Sullivan" splash. If history is any guide, Paul McCartney's Olympic Age will prove an ageless affair in which the road is long, winding – and filled with more surprises and triumphs.
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992. Follow him on Twitter.


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From wallet albums to signature albums, preview albums and traditional wedding albums, we have it all! Choose from a variety of Pin-Hinge, Self Mount, and Slip-In albums. We carry an assortment of Tyndell, TAP, and Renaissance products.
Albums are a great way to present images to your clients and your clients will also appreciate being able to safely store their printed pictures in an album for years to come! We also carry a variety of album boxes which make a beautiful presentation and will provide added protection.


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This NEW product you are browsing has been inspected by our certified technicians to ensure that it meets factory specifications. It is guaranteed to be in perfect working order but it is sold in "AS IS" condition (for example, the box may be torn, there may be cosmetic scratches, etc). Please contact us with any questions BEFORE placing an order. We accept PayPal and all major credit cards. We do our best to describe each item we are selling to the best of our ability. Bear in mind that the item is sold as-is.
Use the "contact us" page to request additional info or images on this product.
Style and power, on the goLife doesn't slow down, and neither should your PC. This thin, light HP Sleekbook was designed for
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Dear editor,
Since the Newton shooting and more recent the bombing of the Boston Marathon some have expressed the need to do away with the second amendment. Well the bombing in Boston had nothing to do with the second amendment: this was simply an act of terrorism!
Letter to the Editor
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Some financial planners advise making two half payments on your mortgage each month instead of one full sum. The idea is that homeowners will save thousands of dollars over the years in interest payments. Does this idea hold water?
Photo by that girl su.
Finance blog The Simple Dollar posits that, assuming your lender allows you to split your monthly payment without penalty, the plan just might work. Your next job, then, is to find out when your interest gets compounded. If it's only monthly, then half-mortgage payments won't do a thing. If, however, your interest compounds based on the average monthly balance, paying it down partially mid-month will end up saving you money over time.
If you decide to go this route, you can just pay half the balance twice a month on, say, the 15th and the last day of each month. The full post, however, suggests another way.
… A superior method of doing this would be to simply make a payment equal to half of the amount of the monthly mortgage bill every two weeks. Over the course of a year, this adds up to one extra full payment: since there are fifty two weeks in a year, you'd make 26 half payments, and thus 13 full payments.
Hit up the post for more details to help decide if this plan is right for you, and get more tips for making half-monthly payments work with your budget. Have you tried this method out yourself? Share your experiences in the comments.
Mortgage "Half" Payments: How Much Do They Save? [The Simple Dollar]


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I'm just getting started with the whole quality-coffee-at-home-thingy and have set my eyes on a Francis! X3 Trio and the Macap M5 and have a question regarding the doserless version.
I will mostly make (I think) 1-2 shots at a time on the X3 , but will also no doubt, be making a lot of coffee with my Eva Solo coffee-maker (perhaps not every day though); oftentimes to it's full capacity. So would I benefit from the M5 or MC5 the most? (Haven't really got a hang of what procedural difference it makes)


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Page One
Flash: Two UC Berkeley Graduates Released in Iran
Iran's official Press TV has reported that two U.S. hikers who have been detained in Iran since 2009 were released early this morning.
The two University of California at Berkeley graduates who have been detained in Iran on espionage charges for more than two years were reportedly released around 4:30 a.m. PST.
The state TV's website said in a statement released by Iran's Judiciary, an appeals court agreed to reduce the detention sentences of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, both 29, and release them on $500,000 bail each.
Bauer, Fattal, and a third UC Berkeley graduate, Sarah Shourd, were arrested on July 31, 2009, after embarking on a hike in Iraq's Kurdistan region near the Iranian border.
Iran has accused them of espionage, but the hikers and their families say they aren't spies but instead were detained after they accidentally crossed an unmarked border into Iran.
Iran released Shourd, 32, who is engaged to Bauer, last September because she was in poor health.
The Swiss Embassy represents U.S. interests in Iran and has been acting as an intermediary, according to U.S. State Department officials.


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Difference between revisions of "Alpha:IMAWAL"
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IMAWAL is unlocked from the moment you install Desktop Dungeons. It has a certain chance to appear in each dungeon you play, supposedly the same chance as any other unlocked Glyph (though this has yet to be proven conclusively).
IMAWAL is unlocked from the moment you install Desktop Dungeons. It has a certain chance to appear in each dungeon you play, supposedly the same chance as any other unlocked Glyph (though this has yet to be proven conclusively).
Joining [[The Earthmother]]'s religion will automatically spawn an
Joining [[The Earthmother]]'s religion will automatically spawn an Glyph on the same tile as the Altar, assuming the Glyph does not already exist in the dungeon (and has not yet been picked up and converted by the hero either). If created in this way, the Glyph must be picked up before any further worship of Earthmother can take place.
==Spell Combos==
==Spell Combos==
Revision as of 21:05, 17 January 2011
IMAWAL ("I'm a Wall") is one of the Glyphs you can find in a game of Desktop Dungeons. When used, this Glyph will turn a monster into a wall tile. This Glyph may spawn randomly in any dungeon and does not need to be unlocked.
IMAWAL is used by clicking it, and then clicking on the target monster in the dungeon. That monster will be the target of the IMAWAL effect.
Each use of IMAWAL costs 5 Mana, except for the Wizard for whom it costs only 4 Mana, and the Berserker for whom it costs 7.
When used on a monster, IMAWAL will turn that monster into a wall tile. In other words, the monster disappears, and a wall tile appears in its place. This wall tile is no different than any other wall in the game.
Turning a monster to stone is not considered "defeating" it - it will grant you no experience points. However, for all intents and purposes the monster is "gone" from the dungeon. It's worth noting that using IMAWAL on an enemy grants more points at the end of the game than killing it does.
IMAWAL has no effect on Boss monsters. If you try to cast it on a boss, you will fail, losing no Mana and having no effect. However, read more below about Mystera Annur for a possibly unintentional (and very powerful) exploit that stems from this.
The intended use of the IMAWAL effect is to allow you to remove a high-level or otherwise dangerous monster by turning it into a wall, and then destroying it with the ENDISWAL Glyph or any other similar effect. Unfortunately, if you already have ENDISWAL, this point is almost entirely moot (you can carve a path around the monster with just ENDISWAL).
For this reason, IMAWAL is almost always used by players as a source of Piety from both The Earthmother and Mystera Annur.
IMAWAL is unlocked from the moment you install Desktop Dungeons. It has a certain chance to appear in each dungeon you play, supposedly the same chance as any other unlocked Glyph (though this has yet to be proven conclusively).
Joining The Earthmother's religion will automatically spawn an IMAWAL Glyph on the same tile as the Altar, assuming the Glyph does not already exist in the dungeon (and has not yet been picked up and converted by the hero either). If created in this way, the Glyph must be picked up before any further worship of Earthmother can take place.
Spell Combos
As mentioned above, it is possible to use IMAWAL and ENDISWAL together to remove a monster from the maze. You cast IMAWAL on it, and then destroy the resulting wall with ENDISWAL. This grants you no experience points whatsoever. Also, since the only reason to remove a monster instead of just kill it (even if you can't kill it) is to reach something that's behind it. This can, in any circumstance, be accomplished with just a casting of ENDISWAL, rendering IMAWAL completely useless in this regard.
IMAWAL and the Gods
Several Gods in the game have various opinions about the use of IMAWAL - they may favour it or reject it, depending on their own particular creeds.
The Earthmother
As the Goddess of Nature, The Earthmother appreciates actions that preserve it, among them being the use of IMAWAL to create more earth. When joining her religion, Earthmother will attempt to generate an IMAWAL Glyph on her altar tile. This will succeed if the Glyph hasn't been spawned elsewhere in the dungeon. If the hero has already found IMAWAL and/or converted it, the Glyph will not be recreated.
Each successful use of IMAWAL on a monster will grant you +10 Piety with The Earthmother. This is one of only two methods to gain Piety from her.
The other method is to use one of Earthmother's Boons, "Plantation", which grants +10 Piety for each visible blood-stain in the dungeon, and turns all those blood-stains into Plants. Note that Plants are valid targets for IMAWAL, and you will get +3 Piety from The Earthmother for each plant turned into a wall.
A common trick is as follows: Kill 10 monsters. Use IMAWAL on two other monsters to gain 20 Piety points. Then use those 20 Piety points to acquire The Earthmother's "Plantation" boon. The blood-stains from those 10 slain monsters will turn into plants, and you'll gain +100 Piety. This Piety may then be used to purchase The Earthmother's highest boon, "Stoneform".
Unfortunately, even this trick comes with various problems. First of all, by the time you've killed 10 monsters, you'll have already gained several levels and so the boon itself (granting extra stats per level-up) isn't as useful. In addition, you've now got a dungeon full of plants, which block movement just like regular monsters and can't possess 100% resistance to physical attacks. You can easily kill these plants with BURNDAYRAZ, but each plant killed will cause a -15 Piety drop from The Earthmother, which can easily lead to losing your Health Regeneration.
In other words, unless the dungeon plays specifically into this trick, you are unlikely to gain much or anything from it.
Mystera Annur
Surprisingly, due to what is possibly a programming error (or an intentional caveat), Mystera Annur is the primary reason to find and keep IMAWAL. If your character is a spellcaster, particularly a strong one that relies on BURNDAYRAZ, finding Mystera and IMAWAL can easily win you the game. The reason lies in the combination between woshipping Mystera Annur and using IMAWAL.
Mystera grants +1 Piety point per use of any Glyph. This of course includes IMAWAL. Normally, IMAWAL is not a good way to gain this Piety, as it costs a good amount of Mana, and creates walls that may block your travels.
As mentioned above, casting IMAWAL on a boss will fail - costing you no Mana, and having no effect on the boss. However, it DOES count as a single use of a Glyph to Mystera Annur, who will award you +1 Piety for this failed attempt!
The resulting exploit should be obvious: If you find IMAWAL and the Altar of Mystera Annur, take the IMAWAL Glyph and go look for the dungeon Boss. Repeatedly cast IMAWAL on the boss, having no effect and costing no Mana, but gaining you +1 Piety point for every use! Once you reach 20 Piety, acquire Mystera's "Faith" boon to double the amount of Piety you get from each use of the Glyph (this just helps speed things up a little). Continue casting IMAWAL on the same boss again and again, buying all of Mystera's boons as soon as you can afford them. Finally, get some extra Piety (around 50 will do) just to be on the safe side, and convert IMAWAL (you don't need it anymore).
At this point, having all of Mystera's boons, you have become an extremely powerful spellcaster: Your Maximum Mana has gone up by 15, your BURNDAYRAZ is 25% more powerful, and all monsters in the dungeon have lost all their Magic Resistance (if they had any), including such powerful bosses as Iron Man or Gharbad the Whoa.
From this point on, you can simply use BURNDAYRAZ to defeat all your enemies.
As with any other Glyph, Taurog will penalize you -5 Piety points every time you use IMAWAL, whether or not it was successfully cast.
Binlor Ironshield
Binlor is also averse to the use of spells, and will inflict a penalty of -1 Piety point per each use of IMAWAL, as with all other Glyphs (except ENDISWAL).


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Will Sencha Architect work on a remote server, if there is no local server installed?
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Flytzani-Stephanopoulos and her group in the School of Engineering are now looking into other approaches to achieve hydrogenation with different metal pairs. She says that eventually single-atom alloy catalysts could be used as low-cost alternatives for hydrogenation and dehydrogenation. That could be a boon for the production of agricultural chemicals, foods and pharmaceuticals.
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Tufts University. The original article was written by Taylor McNeil.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:G. Kyriakou, M. B. Boucher, A. D. Jewell, E. A. Lewis, T. J. Lawton, A. E. Baber, H. L. Tierney, M. Flytzani-Stephanopoulos, E. C. H. Sykes. Isolated Metal Atom Geometries as a Strategy for Selective Heterogeneous Hydrogenations. Science, 2012; 335 (6073): 1209 DOI: 10.1126/Science.1215864


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