text:
Dems out to reverse GOP's 2010 gains in Illinois
CHICAGO (AP) -- Pizzeria owner Bobby Schilling catapulted to Congress two years ago with robust tea party support, the endorsement of "Joe the Plumber" and a sharply partisan campaign, making him one of five new Republican congressmen in Illinois who helped the GOP win control of the U.S. House.
This year, the energetic businessman has taken a different tack, making unity a priority in his formerly Democratic district. He now refers to himself as "center right," and his first one-minute television ad mentioned -- three separate times -- that being a congressman is not a "Democrat or Republican issue."
"You have to have more compromise," Schilling told The Associated Press.
Republicans across Illinois are echoing that tone as Democrats mount a fierce campaign to reverse the GOP's gains in 2010 and win five competitive U.S. House districts. Democrats are counting on a big turnout in President Barack Obama's home state, new congressional boundaries that forced some Republican lawmakers into more Democratic-leaning districts and big advertising dollars.
Republicans surged in Illinois in 2010 when only 50.5 percent of Illinois voters went to the polls, in contrast to the 71 percent who voted when Obama was elected in 2008.
"If there were any state where he should have coattails, it should be in Illinois," said Doug House, Democratic Party chairman in Rock Island County, where Schilling is facing Cheri Bustos, a former health care executive and alderman. "We should be able to expect some assistance from the top of the ticket."
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ranks Illinois, along with California and New York, among their top priorities in the fight to retake the House. The committee has opened more voter outreach offices in Illinois and poured $6 million into television advertising buys in the state. More than half the money went to the Chicago area, where U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert faces a tough challenge from Democratic former Rep. Bill Foster and tea party favorite Joe Walsh is running opposite Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth.
At the same time, two little-known challengers are getting attention in the Chicago-area district Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has held since 1995. While Jackson is widely expected to win in November, his mysterious, months-long medical leave and ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation of ties to imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have been an embarrassment to the party.
In downstate Illinois, Democrats say the sudden retirement of longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson leaves an opening for Democrat David Gill, a Democrat, over Rodney Davis, a former aide to Republican Rep. John Shimkus.
Republicans are mounting equally determined campaigns.
The National Republican Congressional Committee has matched the Democrats in spending $6 million on ads, especially in Schilling's district. They hope to pick up a southern Illinois district left open by retiring Democratic Rep. Jerry Costello, claiming it has been trending Republican for years. Jason Plummer, a Republican businessman and former lieutenant governor candidate, faces Bill Enyart, the former chief of the Illinois National Guard.
Just this past weekend, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce bought more than $1 million in television ads against two Democrats -- $500,000 against Gill and $550,000 against Brad Schneider, the Democratic challenger in Chicago's northern suburbs.
"The Democrats' road to the majority has obviously hit a dead end," said Katie Prill, a Midwest spokeswoman for the NRCC.
By all accounts, the five races will be close. The difference likely could be in the new map, which Democrats crafted because they control both the General Assembly and the governor's office.
It already cost the Republicans one seat. Rep. Don Manzullo, a House veteran of nearly 20 years, lost a tight primary battle to freshman Republican Adam Kinzinger, who had moved to a new district to avoid running against Jackson when the new map pitted them against each other.
The unusually outspoken Walsh, a regular commentator on conservative national TV shows, also considered challenging one of his GOP colleagues after his district was altered to favor Democrats. He ultimately chose to stay put and battle Duckworth, a former combat helicopter pilot who lost both legs when she was shot down in Iraq.
Duckworth has raised $2.5 million so far, and more money than any other Illinois candidate in the second quarter. Polls put her ahead of Walsh, who is repeatedly in the headlines with unorthodox remarks in one of the most diverse congressional districts in the state.
For Schilling, about half of his 17th District is new territory. It now extends from the Iowa state line to parts of the Rockford and Peoria areas in central Illinois, both historically friendly areas for Democrats with manufacturing bases and strong union presence. He says his biggest achievements include advocating for the Rock Island Arsenal in conjunction with a Democrat.
Before Schilling, the district had been held by a Democrat since the early 1980s. Bustos, the Democrat, received an early endorsement from Illinois' senior U.S. senator, Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate. Now it's Bustos criticizing Schilling for being the incumbent.
"We have a congressman who is misguided on his priorities," Bustos said in an interview. "What has (resonated with voters) is the absolute disgust with this current Congress and the gridlock over getting things done."
Schilling had a slight edge in fundraising, but the gap has been closing. In the most recent quarter, Bustos raised $470,000, compared with Schilling's $360,000. Before that, the incumbent had $945,000 on hand, compared with Bustos' $820,000, according to recent campaign finance reports.
The pizzeria owner isn't the only GOP incumbent shifting tactics.
Biggert, who first took office in 1999 and has built a reputation as a centrist, admits this is her toughest campaign ever. The new 11th Congressional District contains less than half of her old district. While it used to be mostly Republican-leaning Chicago suburbs, it now includes Aurora, the state's second-largest city, with a more than 40 percent Hispanic population.
Biggert has added a translator to her staff for her neighborhood meet-and-greets. "I want them to know that I'm a person that really listens to what they have to say," said Biggert, who touts her work to extend a flood insurance program and expand services to homeless children.
Her opponent, Foster, is a former physicist who lost in another district in 2010. He has been closing the fundraising gap and outraised her in the most recent quarter, finishing with about $1.27 million cash on hand, compared with her $1.5 million, according to the most recent campaign finance data.
The other close race will be in Chicago's northern suburbs, a district of upscale and working-class communities once represented by Mark Kirk, a moderate Republican who is now a U.S. senator.
Both candidates liken themselves to Kirk. They've pushed their business experience and tried to portray themselves as independents. Bob Dold, the Republican incumbent, is emphasizing his pro-abortion rights stance, while Schneider, the Democrat, touts his campaign contributions to Kirk in the past. Each claims to have made more than 200,000 calls to voters over the summer.
However, Dold has outraised Schneider by far, with $2.9 million during the election cycle, the most of any Illinois candidate. He has more than $2.1 million on hand, compared with Schneider's nearly $570,000. He said he isn't rattled by the Democrats targeting his swing district.
"They always have," Dold said.


text:
By Jason Miks
GPS digital producer Jason Miks sits down with renowned evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, author of the Selfish Gene and An Appetite for Wonder, to discuss readers' questions on religion, its role in society and whether children can be described as "Christian."
A number of readers noting your skepticism over religion's role in society ask whether an absence of religion would leave us without a moral compass?
The very idea that we get a moral compass from religion is horrible. Not only should we not get our moral compass from religion, as a matter of fact we don't. We shouldn't, because if you actually look at the bible or the Koran, and get your moral compass from there, it's horrible – stoning people to death, stoning people for breaking the Sabbath.
Now of course we don't do that anymore, but the reason we don't do it is that we pick out those verses of the bible that we like, and reject those verses we don't like. What criteria do we use to pick out the good ones and reject the bad ones? Non-biblical criteria, non-religious criteria. The same criteria as guide any modern person in their moral compass that has nothing to do with religion.
So the moral compass of any person is very much a part of the century or even the decade in which they happen to live, regardless of their religion. So we live in the early 21st century, and our moral compass in the early 21st century is quite different from 100 years ago, or 200 years ago. We are now much less racist than they were, much less sexist than they were. We are much kinder than non-human animals than they were – all sorts of respects in which we are labeled with a moral compass. So something has changed, and it certainly has nothing to do with religion.
You've been travelling to the States from the U.K. for a number of years. Have you noticed much of a change in the place of religion in the two countries over that time?
Notoriously, the United States is the most religious of the Western advanced nations. It's a bit mysterious why that is. In Britain, Christianity is dying. Islam, unfortunately, isn't. In Western Europe generally, Christianity is dying. Even in America, the figures show that religious adherence is being steadily reduced, and the people who now record themselves as having no religious affiliation is something like 20 percent. Many people don't recognize what a high figure it is, and so politicians here who feel they have to curry favor with religious lobbies should maybe take a look at those statistics and realize that not everyone in this country is religious.
You say it's a bit of a mystery why America is so much more religious than other advanced countries. Do you have any thoughts on why it might be? Tied to that question of disposition, several readers also wondered if there is a genetic predisposition toward faith?
There probably is, but I don't think that really explains why America is so different from Britain. The least implausible suggestion that I've heard is that Britain and Scandinavian countries, which are also very non-religious, have an established church, and that kind of makes religion boring. Whereas in America, there is constitutionally a bar against an established church, and that could be one reason why religion has become so popular – it has become big business, it has become free enterprise, rival churches vie with each other for congregations and especially tax free ties.
Some readers see you as very evangelical in your atheism. Do you feel it a duty, just as some Christians might to share the word of God, to spread an atheist point of view?
Duty is a funny word. But when you say evangelical, I like to think that I don't shout or shriek, but employ a quiet, sober voice of reason. And reason is on our side.
You've talked about feeling uncomfortable with the impact of religion on children. In fact, one reader asked whether you would prefer to see no under-18s at church. What's your take?
I certainly wouldn't wish to prohibit parents influencing their children. However, for the rest of the world, to label a child a Catholic child simply because its parents are Catholic, seems to me to be a form of child abuse. The child is too young to know.
You can see the absurdity of talking about a Catholic child of four when you think what it would be like if we talked about an existentialist child of four, or a logical positivist of four. In other words, we wouldn't accept the labeling of a child based the parents' belief, so why do we accept it when it's religion? Why does religion get a free pass when it comes to labeling children in this way?
With xianity on the decline (and other kinds of inanities on the rise, like Islam), the world sorely needs a dose of critical thinking, free-thinking, secular humanist values to guide us morally and philosophically.
Too many people hold the naive notion that you need a belief in a "higher power" to aspire as humans, or to believe in "something greater", and so keep turning to outdated and immoral old books to fill this odd requirement of their own making.
To shed all such bronze-age nonsense and trust in evidence is an enormous comfort: no miracles required!
YO! wat dis guy said!
Yeah. With you.
Religious people are becoming more fanatical as they realize that religion is losing it's foothold. A baptist woman was touring a catholic church and had the gaul to vehmently prosthelytizing (lay people don't do that in catholic churches mind you) that, "God wants us to judge people!" I thought God wanted us to love people and that judgement comes when we meet God. It would not surprise me if most of the Obama-hating, gun-toting people in this country consider themselves Christian too. Hypocrites. Being Christian is just a hide-behind for hating progressives.
Hell! Hell! Hell!
we're all going to Hell.
oh well.
If you want to go there, you will.
I thought God wanted us to love people and that judgement comes when we meet God.
If judgement is wrong, why does God judge?
He's the original "do as I say, not as I do" parent. He even knocked up his own mom, if you believe the mythology.
Judgment is wrong for people because it's what god does; it's above a person's pay grade and it's not his job.
Sheesh, why is it that people comment on a New Testament belief system without having ever read and understood what those passages actually claim?
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word darkness on the walls of his cell."
-C S Lewis
Nice assertion. Too bad you have zero legitimate evidence to back it up.
@Pest: Neither have you any proof that God does not exist and is not what THE BIBLE says He is. You poor lonely being with no hope but "lights out".
The glory of god only exists in the mind of the believer. Beyond that, there simply is no god. Sorry but it's true.
You generalize too much.
Religion is just a belief in magic.
...and still getting to live after you die 🙂
Magic is the supposed process of bypassing the Laws of the Universe in some way. Not just technology more advanced than the understanding of the observer.
Turning an ounce of lead into two ounces of gold by a quick wave of a wand, without any other technological help would be magic. Religious folk believe there is a god who can do similar acts.
I don't want to make any money folks,I just love to sell books, heh,heh,heh.
Don't confuse Darwin and Dawkins
Correct,caught that to late,my bad. Dawkinspitch
Yeah, I'm sure Pat Robertson feels that way!
I love are hard Dawkins. He is my favorite writer. Thank you CNN for including this article about him.
Love are hard = love Richard .. Stupid computer.
Freudian slip? (just kidding)
I love Dawkins too for his courage and Bravery in speaking rationally amongst so much utter delusional lunacy.
He is a hero for all humanity.
I like Sam Harris, well spoken, intelligent, makes you think and question things... (unlike religion!)
Sam Harris is also great, he is not afraid to differentiate between religions, both have their place in this struggle, and both are very logical men. History will reserve a place of honor for them both.
ahh the late Sam Harris. All the great ones leave us too soon.
Sam Harris is very much alive and well. I believe you have confused him for someone else.
So well said, Sir. Thank you Richard Dawkins, for speaking rationally amongst so much lunacy.
I very much look forward to the day when the educated intellectuals, the very ones best suited to lead society, who more often than not are also atheists, do enter into politics, and when we have a secular society that is prepared to accept them.
As is, by not accepting atheists, society in America has barred the most highly educated from politics and from making the type of decisions they are best suited to make.
ScottCA says it better than I could.... although I think it all ties back to the economy. When people have a lack of opportunity, they turn to magical, fantastical thinking to give them comfort, hope, and a sense of self-worth.
nicely put – great comment
Yes, athiests are incapable of love, caring, etc because we don't believe in the invisible guy in the sky. Are you that ignorant of how people work and/or function. I guarantee you that NONE of your religious kook friends act out of religion – they act out of self-interest and use religion as an excuse for anything they do. Ahh, religion. It can be used to do anything, right or wrong. Now, reality is not quite so flexible. You might try it sometimes.
"reality is not so flexible"
Is logic reality? I thought it is just abstract self-consistency?
Not if you expect to get the right change at the supermarket.
That's not logic, that's called math. They are actually two different subjects. Even have their own courses and everything.
For 2,000 years now atheism has hammered away at the anvil of Christianity without making the slightest dent, although the hammers certainly wore out.
Good post!
Atheists have made huge strides against religion. Take Jessica Ahlwuist for example. No hammers worn out here. We are just getting started!
Just picking up steam. We are growing faster than any religion is growing. And we are no longer afraid to admit who we are. The religious used to burn us at stakes. We have beaten them back into submission to rationality, and they no longer wield the power to supress us with their cruelty and insanity.
Wow,that says it all.
Someone should let the Texas School Board know this. The ones in charge of picking out textbooks for America's children. Have you seen "The Revisionaries"?
No, not really. Its the other way around. Religion has dominated culture in one form or the other for most of history.
Secularism and the ideals of Classical liberalism have been the central focus of society since the 18th century, and these ideals stand in gross opposition to religion. Classical liberalist governance has been responsible for the greatest degrees of human freedom, dignity, liberty, and the greatest declines in violence ever experienced. None of this is due to religion, but despite religion that stood in gross opposition the whole time. It is rational deductive reasoning that made all our advances possible without it there is no understanding whatsoever.
seems like there are plenty of other hammers making inroads. what is the fastest growing religion?
Are you referring to the one where its adherents breed like rabbits and then indoctrinate their little rugrats and severely punish anyone who strays from the ideology? Now THAT's how you grow a religion.
we will see how much longer religion can last within an information society – young people who grow up with access to the truth are turning away from religion in droves – religion is decreasing in the most educated of first world countries. Unfortunately in america, the disease is still quite strong. But, people are starting to get fed up, so there is light at the end of the tunnel
Dawkins is a hero, one of the brave few who is willing to stand up and call it like it is – wish I was as brave
I understand your trepidation, throughout most of history Atheists have been beaten, stoned, tortured, and burned alive by believers. Even today if you're in the wrong country(or wrong part of the country) believers often show their true colors when their beliefs are questioned by Atheists. I have to wonder if a believer attacking an Atheist over a mere argument would be considered a Hate Crime? If not, then it should be. I'd say the same for Atheists attacking believers but seriously, when has that ever happened?
This fellow (Dawkins) thinks he the measure of all truth. That, in itself, is evidence that he is not. Poor fellow.
False: he never makes such claims. You are just being a dick.
When one has to argue against rational deduction (otherwise known as science) they are reduced to lying and spewing outs senseless hatred. This is the recourse of the religious, who cling to insane ideas with no anchor in reality.
No he most certainly isn't. Regarding this issue, he acknowledges there is a possibility that a deity exists. He is a good scientist.
Fanatical anti-theism will never be more than a tiny and irrational cult. There is no reason for politicians to court such a tiny group of individuals.
Our numbers grow year after year. You are laughable.
Stats are proving you very wrong about this. Atheism is growing far faster than any religion is, and I meet more and more of them daily. People are coming out of the closet sort of speak, and we are not afraid to say we are atheists.
You said what I was thinking... atheism is not growing so much as atheists are "coming out of the closet".
We are growing in number thanks to the increasing intellect and education of the people. and we are becoming more vocal because of our growing numbers and the suppression of faith based religious based bigotry and cruelty.
You cant burn us at the stake anymore to protect your insane irrational beliefs, anymore than you can prevent medical science from progressing anymore, as the religious once burned scientists for studying medicine and examining bodies.
The world is becoming a better place despite religion, in no way because of it.
Is this a joke, contrary to popular belief people are becoming increasingly educated. Meaning such delusions as religion are fading out. Therefore, the survival of ANY political party will be dependant of RATIONAL and LOGICAL voters, not fanatics that believe in myths. This small group that you speak of, includes the religious.
Clearly, I misunderstood that. Sorry.
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word darkness on the walls of his cell."
-C S Lewis
Yes! Praise Allah!
you can replace the word God, with Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy... and the word worship with believe and it all comes down to the same thing. People who believe don't care what you say, or what you show them, they just need to believe. "Don't ruin a kids Christmas by telling him there is no Santa."
Have you also read the rubbish in his Lion, Witch and Wardrobe fantasy?
"I am the wisest man alive for I know one thing and that is that I know nothing" – Socrates
I may know nothing, but I've got a lot of really good guesses.
please do not refer to people as atheist.. The correct term is Realist.
There are atheists who are not realists though. Atheism refers to the singular issue of the belief about a deity. You can believe ghosts, magic, dragons, fairies and unicorns and be an atheist.
"""You can believe ghosts, magic, dragons, fairies and unicorns and be an atheist."""
I understand your point but frankly it's a point not worth making. If you could find an atheist who actually believed in any of that, be sure to let us know.
Jeff, I know atheists who believe in ghosts. I know atheists who believe in karma. I know atheists who are deeply spiritual.
Though yes, the only atheist I know who believed in fairies was my daughter, but she grew out of that.
I always enjoy debating a believer as they tell me that there has to be a beginning origin and they ask me how the universe started.. and then they smile and tell me there just had to be a creator... and they look all smug and tell me it HAD to be God. I look at them and say that they have a good point, and that if there needs to be a beginning for everything, then they can most certainly tell me where God originated. That is when they look you straight in the eye, with the look of a deer in the headlights and tell you that God is the only exception to their rule.
For as much as they love to think we atheists believe the universe is totally random, they pose the most random crap as if it were fact. Lolololololol.
So true. They are easy to dismiss our beliefs based on science and ask us to put facts away and lead with our heart.
Sort of like thinking the universe started with nothing and became matter. That's pretty funny to believers.
Or a pool of proteins magically transformEd into life with a bolt of lightning.all by itself. Prove that, scientists. Still waiting on that one.
How very sad to have such an empty soul.
Yeah, when are the people going to accept Allah into their souls? I feel so bad for these empty hearted Christians. Ey don't even let the Flying Spaghetti Monster in either. And he's so cute. I don't know why they don't like cute things.
Bewtter than an empty brain.
That makes sense.
What is this "soul" you speak of? As far as I know there's no evidence for such a thing.
No, actually. It feels pretty darn good. Love me my empty soul.
I truly do not care iif people are atheists. Go for it, I believe in floating your own boat. It does drive me crazy with the intolerant remarks of atheists that all believers are utterly stupid and conservative. Lies and bias and intolerance on their part. There are liberal Christians too, that have fought your battles too, on gay rights, and choice, and no war, and tolerance. And science. So remember that.
You are a HUGE HYPOCRITE! You have been here for quite a while spreading lies about biology and atheists, and you're going to claim here in this post that you are taking some high road? Please.
What Lies have I spread about biology? Tell me exactly what I said. You're a fat slanderer. I gave facts on biology so tell me otherwise.
They are children clinging to delusional fantasies, they know nothing of rational deductive reasoning, and obtusely refuse to. It is sad, they are reduced to lies and tantrums.
I have already explained in detail what you have been lying about and I"m not going to waste my time explaining it again here for you to continue to ignore.
In a nutshell you are lying about the biological process of Natural Selection. You are lying about it's definition and you are making wild claims that it is somehow a philosophy that people live by.
You are ignorant and uneducated. You don't know biological, so you should stop spreading falsehoods about it.
*biology not biological.
Thanks Donna for that very necessary rebuttal.
The problem with these faith based religious people is that they do not understand the logical process of rational deduction or how it works and they obtusely refuse to study this process to understand it.
The sad consequence of not understanding this, is that it leaves one behaving irrational and without logical reasoning–in other words very much prone to behave insanely.
I know the process of natural selection and nature allow its course is used socially to apply to manifest destiny. To aryanism. To hitlers wars. Wipe out the defects of society because nature justifies it.. If nature allows it its right then, right? I'm saying we are more than that. We are not only chemicals and elements. We have a mind and a spiritual consciousness. Please close it about biology teachers. If you told the truth you would see I ever mentioned one word against them.
Disillusioned you have fallaciously linked the theory of evolution with "social Darwinism" which is not in any way connected to Darwin's theory of evolution.
Evolution acts on the DNA of the individual not on groups, in fact social Darwinism is in gross opposition to Darwin's theory of evolution.
You are also greatly mistaken if you believe an argument that something is natural makes it morally acceptable.
I suggest you read Harvard Psychology Professor and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker's excellent book "The Blank Slate 'the modern denial of human nature"" As this will help alleviate a great number of your fallacious beliefs and ignorance of this topic.
Good reply ScottCA. Love Pinker, that's a great book.
You absolutely care! You've been sitting here bashing atheists the whole time this article has been up. Atheists don't think all Christians are conservative. I know many liberal Christians. But they are delusional, even the best among them. Stupid....ehh... Maybe the ones like you... But I have some pretty intelligent Christian friends when it comes to talking about things other than this. We appreciate those who fight along side us, but that doesn't mean we have to treat them like they are right about everything.
Believing in a religious fantasy is far from stupid, if it is a belief rammed into you at an early age by people you expectedt to be trustworthy. Instead it becomes aasumed to be a fundamental fact, which often takes years of hard thinking and nagging doubt to gradually remove.
Thank you Donna.
"I know the process of natural selection and nature allow its course is used socially to apply to manifest destiny....If nature allows it its right then, right?"
NO. And you make it repeatedly clear that YOU DO NOT know what natural selection is. Each of your "definitions" have been overwhelming wrong.
Answer these very simple questions if you "dare:"
Do you agree that 1) People have different genes that give us some different traits and
2) Do you believe that people who reproduce pass on those genes and that those who do not reproduce do not pass on those genes?
Two simple yes or no questions. If you aren't a hypocrite liar, show my by answering these.
I told you what I believe.i believe natural selection and evolution is a natural process that can be used to socially justify wiping out defects in society. I know people have done it before, and thppthat certain ruthless pigs of society still believe in doing ths to our poor and weak. I know that most atheists are not the natural selection buffs when it comes down to REALLY acting on such a scientific principal in light of social consciousness, and I'm calling them out on that they believe in such things as a soul and a meaning to life and compassion. Whether they admit to it or not. Otherwise your blowing smoke up your a s s to start something and take offense when you have no idea of the perspective I was writing about.
So you are refusing to answer two simple yes or no questions? Go it.
You are changing your story now of what you've been saying. But that's ok- at least you are getting closer.
People use physics to build bombs, does that mean that physics isn't real? Or that we shouldn't "believe in it"?
Anything that deals with life is dealing with biology. You seem to want to blame the existence of life for the fact that some people harm living things. Do you see how absurd that is?
in other words athests are hypocrites. Your beliefs and morality come from a system already in place from religious times and you don't want to admit it. If you're all about science then why don't you follow it to its natural conclusions, when it comes to taking over and destroying the planet and other people to further your own interests. That's thecanswer I want. Ether asmit that there are higher ideals besides chemicals and reasons to care about beauty and love and altruism, or admit you're a simple animal with no souls that is taking up resources on the planet.
You lying puppetteering waste of words. Where did I say anything that you accus me off, take your puny brain and actually quote me, instead of flapping your running lips.quote me. ,right now.
Disillusioned you are again being a major hypocrite!!
You just said that YOU believed that natural selection evolution were biological processes. Now you are saying that people who believe that, obviously think we should let people die.
You are irrational and immature. There are no "natural consequences" to understanding science.
I suppose if I taught you how a microwave worked, by your logic you would feel compelled to put everything in the microwave and let nature take it's course? Right? Because if you understand the physics of microwaves, the natural consequence is that you would use it as your moral guide?
And you have never asked me where I think my moral code comes from. I have degrees in history and anthropology and I guarantee you I understand the development our society's moral codes better than you do.
Disillusioned, quote you about what? We have too many comments here for me to know which one you are referring to. I will be happy to oblige if you specify which comment of mine you are referring to.
Don't tell me what you think I said, blithering fat mouth. Show me MY words where I said biology teachers don't care about life that you are lying about. Otherwise shut your slandering stupid hole. My biology teacher was a nun. I never would have said that about any biology teacher slandering liar.
An intelligent biology teacher at that, who realized that scientific processes and the belief in god are not incomparable with each other. Unlike a lot of uninformed atheists here.
I can tell by your name calling that you are getting very emotional and upset that I'm showing you how wrong your thinking has been. Don't be embarrassed, everyone makes mistakes. 🙂
"Show me MY words where I said biology teachers don't care about life that you are lying about."
I was referring to your claims that people who believe in "it" meaning natural selection will base their moral code on the biological process of natural selection and you've made that claim several times.
"If atheists believe this [natural selection}, then why dont they advocate for the eradication of our sick and elderly that can't contribute to our society and use our resources."
Your false definition of natural selection "It is letting nature take its course on the sick and weak."
"I know the process of natural selection and nature allow its course is used socially to apply to manifest destiny. To aryanism. To hitlers wars. Wipe out the defects of society because nature justifies it.. If nature allows it its right then, right?"
What's the matter dear? Are you a bored and blithering housewie and thinking it would be a pleasant afternoon spreading lies on the Internet about people saying that biology teachers don't care about life? Liar.
Let me translate for you Disillusioned, in other words you meant
"You proved with my own words that I don't know what I'm talking about and that I'm a hypocrite, instead of having the integrity to admit I was wrong, I will just insult your gender."
Typical. Good bye, you are not worth a second more of my time.
It's bizarre that you should think peopłe who understand biology would want to kill old people. your words. To me. You're a lazy and stupid liar. Too bad you give atheists a further bad name. As a liar and unbelievable poster. I'll remember not to beleive any word you say in further posts. If I bother wasting the time to think you have actually something to say.
I'll do my own translating, liar. Clearly you have no idea what I'm saying and lie to try making look like I said things I did not. But if I think I'm saying you're a slanderer and lazy liar, ill happily go with that.
This quote of yours is also worth pointing out, as empathy and compassion are products OF natural selection, not in opposition to it. Natural Selection heavily favors humans helping each other.
" I m saying that the natural course of natural selection would mean the death of most of the human species with a destroyed planet to be ruled b a few warlords that are ruthless enough to continue, if we don't engage some basic values of empathy and compassion that go beyond who can live the longest by being a warlord"'
The bottom line is that you don't know what natural selection is.
The bottom line, idiot, is that the processes of natural selection proceeding further to social Darwinism are clearly linked. That's why it's called social DARWINISM. Get it? If biologically natural selection favors the few that can make it, then why can't people,cim their logic, in the name of nature kill their weaker and defective that can't compete? Without some belief that human life is important amd more than a soulless flesh lump, what is to keep people from following a natural progression of thought that to,e and again people have done to others by the millions to kill and eradicate? What don't you get about this? You cannot be this dense. Truly.
The processes of a natural selection and social Darwinism are linked by people that would love to justify killing and crippling those weaker than themselves with this philophy. . History, that you claim to have some clue of, clearly shows this pattern. Over amd over. Manifest destiny. Hitler. The klan.c Simple as that. What can you not possibly derive from this. How can you be this clueless. I'm saying that without some checking mechanism of humans, like religion and a sense of soul, of which few exist today, people will proceed further with this the strongest win philosophy to our detriment , without the belief that humans and have importance and
worth besides scrabbling on others to conquer. Crap? Doi need to hold your hand on my relatively simple perspective? Two degrees for you? Really?
And probably while most of the self righteous atheists were standing around picking your noses loudly claiming how bad those no war, for gay erights, war protesting chistians were in the wrong for practicing religiously taught compassion for their fellow man.
Yes yes, compassion for our fellow man say the believers! So tell me where does god, or jesus, or anyone in the bible denounce human enslavement as immoral and wrong?
The bible was written by a group of men with their own biases and cultures and agendas played out as gods literal words. Some believe literally, and other don't.
Is there really was a god, we wouldn't have any human religious leaders, or atheists.
Politicians should NOT "court" anybody! That's the PROBLEM! Politicians should be focused on doing what's good for the country, NOT whats good for any individual group of people. The solution to our screwed up mess isn't to spread the mess around to other places.
There are not enough of the evangelical atheists to matter. The Dawkins types are a small minority, it would be like politicians courting left handed, redheaded tuba players. There are a lot of us Atheists, but to the vast majority it is just not the overwhelming politician issue it is to Dawkins.
No I siaid atheism doesn't bother me, I said crapping on believers that are not stupid and not conservative bothers me. You do not have the science or logic to prove that there is no god. I pointed it out. You said blah blah blah, natural selection. I did not say that I did not believe in evolution- I said that the logical conclusion of such, with that only being the driving force of human nature, is such that most of you scientific so called atheists could not really bear it out to its real conclusion.
Let's accept your premise that the laws of nature only promote self-preservation and that there is no moral law. Hobbes used such a premise. From that, he derived the social contract and wrote up a very good system of morality. You should read it. Even if we are only concerned about self-preservation, game theory suggests that acting exclusively in our self-interest produces a sub optimal outcome for everyone, so logically a social contract is needed to set up better rules of society..
Ok but that does not explain why we still take cae of and don't kill our sick and invalid elderly that do not contribute to our society in any way
In fact we spend money and actually hurt ourselves to do so.
"""You do not have the science or logic to prove that there is no god"""
Do not bring "logic" into the conversation unless you understand how to use it.
It is not up to atheists to DISPROVE anything that you have failed to PROVE.
why is it that the religious can never defend their opinions?? As they begin to start losing,, they then use 'well how can you get something from nothing'.. They just can't accept that we we one day figure that out and no god has ever been proven to exist..
More so, if they end on their claim of something from nothing,, that alone leaves the door wide open for, if you have a god he might not be a nice one. In fact it would seem he wouldn't be nice with all the perils he 'created'. Love me by scaring you. Nice god.
I guess you are going for
Premises: God is good, God is omniscient, God is omnipotent, and there is evil in the world
Conclusion: God knows there is evil in this world and could stop it, but he doesn't, but God is also good. This is a contradiction, so our premises must be false.
I have a problem with this logic. This logic implies that the world would be better if God fixed everything, or at least created a world that started out without problems. I'm not convinced that is the case. We need free will. We need problems to solve, so if there is a god, I wouldn't argue that his world sucks. I'm atheist, but not because of the problem of evil.
This is just one mans opinion. That's all it is.
Let's all bow our heads and pretend to be serious. Conformity for conformity's sake say the people who believe that a cosmic zombie(who was after all his own father), created us sick yet commands us to be well, wants us to eat his flesh and drink his blood to gain immortality, will torture you for all eternity if you disagree, and who's symbol is itself an instrument of torture. Oh man.
Yeah. Definitely gets the "Worst Dad Ever" award! I mean really. Really. "Works in mysterious ways." Lol. Yeah, not me. My method of fathering is a little different than the almighty's. I try to make sure my kids understand why I do anything I do. But I guess I'm not an omnipotent tool.
To ScottCA.
Just because my assessment of Dawkins is that he is off the bell-curve in eccentrism, doesn't equate to "spewing hate".
By the way, I have a degree in science and I am a monotheist.
Which mono?
It seems that the most vocal advocates for a religion are often the worst possible examples of moral behavior. The vocal members of the "Christian" right wing pretty obviously hate most everything that Jesus taught, and make their religion all about things Jesus never addressed at all. Some of the most successful televangelists directly contradict Jesus on almost every broadcast. How Christian is it to quote the Old Testament, or Paul (who never met Jesus) and totally ignore the actual words of Jesus Christ because they don't match your idea of what god wants. Sounds like making up your own morality to me.
I like Jesus, I do not like his followers because they are so unlike him. – Gandhi
Dawkins evidently understands next to nothing about the Scriptures.
He actually has read them, unlike the majority of faith based religious. Religion requires apathy in order to continue its senseless lies.
I'm glad all atheists aren't so rude as you.
Stating a statistical fact is not being rude, its being honest.
Let's see, the scriptures were all assembled by an oligarchy in 5th century Rome, who cut and pasted what they liked and threw out whatever they didn't like and manufactured a story about events that had supposedly happened nearly half a millennium before their time. You know that most of the so-called disciples didn't even live in the time of jesus, right?
Your summary is woefully inadequate and wrong. For example, from the literally thousands of copies of manuscripts, scrolls, etc of the NT scriptures we have essentially the original autographs as penned by the apostles. Then we have quotations from those scriptures by men from as early as Clement of Rome around 96; Ignatius around 110; Polycarp, Hermas, Papius and others early 100's; Irenaeus, Diognetus, Justin Martyr, and others mid-100's; and many more too numerous to mention. Then there are the early canons such as that of Marcion around 140, the Muratorian about 170, the Barococcio around 206, and more; look them up. Then there were the councils–Nicea, Hippo, Carthage 1 and 2, all in the 300s and early 400s.
Though a lot of the scriptures have a particular flaw in the fact they were written by men, and men are fallible. And most who do know every word of the 'scripture' don't always seem to practice what they preach. Remember even the Devil knows the bible front and back (and probably any other book of scripture).
Athiests, the Other One Percent, why should be cater to people that are bent on
destroying our RIGHT to freely woeship God, Before we had Atheists we had Christians
Jews etc.
Atheists aren't bent on destroying anyone's right to worship anything at all! If someone believes a magic pink unicorn lives in their closet, who am I to tell them they're wrong? I can think they're silly, ignorant and probably uneducated, but they have every right to pray to their pink unicorn.
Who dares speak ill of the almighty Pink Unicorn?!
Oh and Chuck.. you do realize that Christianity is 2000 years old and Human Beings walked this Earth for hundreds of thousands of years before that. Please say you understand that...lol... this is why atheists, scientists, or really anyone with a form of higher education can't have an intellectual conversation with you people. Non-Christian's, whether atheist, druid, Buddhist, Hindu, or whatever, PREDATED Christians by many millennia. Just introducing FACTS here.
You should know... you were there, right?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Full disclosure: I'm not a modder.
Is it possible to make a mod (or is there already a mod) that causes a company that gets badly beaten--but not destroyed--to take an xp penalty? It's a frustrating and immersion-breaking point in the game when an elite enemy company is losing and flees the field with a shred of hp left only to come back at full strength a few minutes later.
It's immersion-breaking for me because of what all that xp represents. These troops have taken to the front lines multiple times. They've literally gained combat experience. Sure, they took some losses along the way, but not so much that their traditions of bravery have faded and their skills can't be passed along to new recruits. So, they gain xp. They gain so much xp that they're now an "elite" unit. A cut above fresh recruits. One day they head for a fight and are nearly massacred. In game terms, only one element with red health escapes to safety. They start recruiting and rebuild their company's numbers. Sure their numbers are replenished, but what about their skill? Only 1% of their original band escaped; the rest are now fresh recruits. And yet, they're still an elite company?
I don't know how possible or easy it is, but I propose that companies should lose a percentage of their current xp after taking losses. There are probably dozens of ways to implement this, but here are some ideas from me:
- The xp loss is a percentage of the current xp rather than a flat rate. A flat rate would punish companies with less xp; not what I'm looking for.
- The xp loss doesn't kick in until resupplying begins. If no one's been recruited, yet, then all of the company is still experienced.
- The big question: How much gets lost? I'd love to do playtesting on my own to answer this, but as I said, not a modder. My suggestion is for companies to lose a percentage of xp equal to the percentage of elements lost. For example, a long company (9 elements, including command) loses 8 elements and makes it back to supply. As each element gets regenerated, the company loses 11.1% of its xp. I understand this will result in "diminishing" penalties, but it's just for simplicity right now. So an elite company with 1000 xp in this scenario would lose 111 xp for the first recruited element, 99 for the second, and so on. In these circumstances, a company would have to lose 4 elements to lose its elite rank, and it wouldn't quite lose its veteran rank.
- Another model could follow the idea that when a company gets nearly decimated, it's exponentially harder to communicate combat skills to the new recruits. In this case, step up the percentage with each successive loss. Something like 5% for the first loss, 10% for the second and so on.
- With the introduction of xp loss for companies, I suppose the xp requirements for rank up may have to be reduced.
To anyone who read my long post, thank you. I hope it was of value. Moreso, I hope someone can enact it!


text:
FREAKSHOW, the new project featuring former QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali, guitarist/vocalist Markus Allen Christopher (M!SS CRAZY) and guitarist Jeff LaBar (CINDERELLA), has posted another song, "Ripper", on the band's MySpace page.
Banali recently stated about FREAKSHOW: "It was announced that Tony Franklin [WHITESNAKE, THE FIRM, BLUE MURDER] [would] be laying down the bass tracks for the FREAKSHOW recordings. Markus and I had discussed the bass player situation, and since I was available to record the drums right away, we did not seek, search or cattle call for bass players, but rather decided to get the best bass player to record the best bass tracks. I recommended Tony as he is not only the best, but also my favorite bass player. Markus wholeheartedly agreed as he is all too familiar with the gifted Mr. Franklin! Having said that, there are no mutual plans for Tony to continue beyond the recordings. Sometimes a simple mention here or there seems to create an artificial life of its own! The last thing anyone involved in FREAKSHOW wants is to disappoint the fans due to misconceptions. Now then, while Tony has agreed to record the FREAKSHOW bass tracks, there has not been any discussion of any participation on his part beyond the recordings. So I think that it is important for everyone to understand that we are trying to make the FREAKSHOW recordings the best that they can possibly be and as memorable as possible for those who might listen to it. Beyond that, the future of FREAKSHOW is up to you, the listener and the fans!"
FREAKSHOW's self-titled debut album is expected to surface later in the year.


text:
A New Face for Care in Bolivia
Projects Abroad - Bolivia, are working jointly with Maria Christina Orphanage to restructure the home and provide care for girls, boys and young adults with mental disabilities or special needs.
Hogar María Cristina used to house only young girls between the ages of 6 to 18, however, it has recently been designated by SEDEGES (Servicio Departamental de Gestión Social, - Social Services), as part of a new scheme, to house a mixed population of interns, from ages of about 8 to 30.
For years, the Fundación Cristo Vive - Bolivia, along with Projects Abroad - Bolivia have approached SEDEGES regarding the need for proper care and administration of the state-run orphanage due to its lack of staff, poor administration of funds and deteriorating infrastructure.
In March 2005, Daniela Viljoen, Country Director of Projects Abroad - Bolivia was approached by Sister Nancy Vega of the Fundación, with a proposal to work jointly in the administration of the Hogar María Cristina. Due to the nature of Projects Abroad - Bolivia's work in the community, and having helped and supported the staff and interns of this particular home since October 2002, the proposal was gratefully accepted.
Almost a year later, mission accomplished! Hogar María Cristina has recently (January 3rd, 2006) been handed over from SEDEGES to the Fundación Cristo Vive - Bolivia for delegated administration, as legal representatives of the home and its interns.
Hogar María Cristina - 'Nuevo Rostro', the new name given to the home (meaning 'A New Face') now faces new challenges. With a new name, new administration and staff and remodeled infrastructure, the home must undergo a series of changes in order to reach its objective of transforming it into a true "home" that will give and bring dignity back into the life of the individuals living in the home. We are counting on the help of volunteers from Projects Abroad, the Fundación Criso Vive - Bolivia and local people to reach our goal.
Projects Abroad is already involved in cleaning and preparing the home for the interns to return from a temporary home where they have been living since December 2005. Currently there is a group of six Projects Abroad volunteers and six girls from the Fundación who are working hard to clear the garden area of rubbish and debris.
Volunteers who are interested in staying overnight at the orphanage or live there (if requested) will be able to as there are two bedrooms, a communal bathroom and shower area, and a lounge area for volunteers being prepared.
Volunteers will be involved in different types of activities such as maintenance, picking up food and supplies for the orphanage, preparing outings with the interns, and group activities such as garden cleaning.
Hogar María Cristina will be Bolivia's main Care & Community project as it is the orphanage that needs the most help. However, we will continue to work with other orphanages in Cochabamba that also need help from volunteers.


text:
Hip Replacement
(Hip Arthroplasty; Total Hip Replacement; Minimally Invasive Total Hip Replacement; Mini-incision Hip Replacement)
by Patricia Griffin Kellicker, BSN
A total hip replacement is a surgery to replace a diseased or injured hip joint. An artificial ball-and-socket joint is inserted to make a new hip. It can be done by full open surgery or a minimally invasive technique. The minimally invasive technique only requires 1 or 2 tiny incisions and special instruments.
Reasons for Procedure
This surgery is done when pain and stiffness limit your normal activities and rest, medication, and physical therapy are no longer working.
Other reasons for surgery may include a broken hip, severe rheumatoid arthritis, bone tumors, and loss of blood supply to the bones of the hip.
Possible Complications
If you are planning to have a hip replacement, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:
Factors that may increase the risk of complications include:
Be sure to discuss these risks with your doctor before the surgery.
What to Expect
Prior to Procedure
Your doctor will do a physical exam and may also do:
In the time leading up to the procedure:
Anesthesia options may include:
Description of the Procedure
Total Hip Replacement
An incision will be made along your joint. The muscles will be moved aside. The damaged bone and cartilage of the hip joint will be removed. The remaining bone will be prepared for the prosthesis. The new artificial joint will be placed in position. Depending on the type of prosthesis, bone cement may be used to hold one or both parts of the artificial hip firmly to your bone. Lastly, the incision will be closed with stitches or staples.
Minimally Invasive Total Hip Replacement
This surgery may be done with 1 or 2 small incisions, one over the groin and another over the buttock. Special tools are used that fit into these small incisions. In some cases, x-rays will be used to help guide the doctor.
For the one-incision surgery, an incision will be made over the outside of your hip. The muscles and tendons will be moved out of the way. Next, the damaged bone and cartilage of the hip joint will be removed. The remaining bone will be prepared for the prosthesis. The new artificial joint will then be placed in position. Depending on the type of prosthesis, bone cement may be used to hold the artificial hip in place. Lastly, the incision will be closed with staples or stitches.
How Long Will It Take?
How Much Will It Hurt?
You will have pain after the surgery. Pain medication will be given to help with discomfort.
Average Hospital Stay
This procedure is done in a hospital setting. The usual length of stay is:
Your doctor may choose to keep you longer, if complications occur. In some cases, you may need to stay in a rehabilitation unit. The focus will be on regaining function.
Post-procedure Care
At the Hospital
While you are recovering at the hospital, you may need to:
At Home
When you return home, do the following to help ensure a smooth recovery:
Antibiotics may be needed before certain dental procedures or surgeries now that you have an artificial joint. This will prevent possible infections from entering the bloodstream. Make sure to let the dentist or doctor know that you have an artificial joint.
Within 6 weeks, you should be able to resume normal, light activities. A replacement hip typically lasts 10-15 years.
Call Your Doctor
Contact your doctor if your recovery is not progressing as expected or you develop complications such as:
In case of an emergency, call for emergency medical services right away.
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
The Arthritis Society
Canadian Orthopaedic Association
Activities after hip replacement. Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated July 2014. Accessed February 8, 2018.
Al Muderis M, Bohling U, Grittner U, Gerdesmeyer L, Scholz J. Cementless total hip arthroplasty using the Spongiosa-I fully coated cancellous metal surface: a minimum twenty-year follow-up. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2011 Jun 1;93(11):1039-1044.
Antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental procedures. American Dental Association website. Available at: https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/antibiotic-prophylaxis. Published September 14, 2017. Accessed February 8, 2018.
Geerts WH, Pineo GF, Heit JA, et al. Prevention of venous thromboembolism: the Seventh ACCP Conference on Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy. Chest. 2004;126(suppl 3):338S-400S.
Hip fracture. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116789/Hip-fracture . Updated January 26, 2018. Accessed February 8, 2018.
Lindström D, Azodi, Sadr O, et al. Effects of a perioperative smoking cessation intervention on postoperative complications: a randomized trial. AnnSurg. 2008;248:739-745.
Minimally invasive total hip replacement surgery. Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Updated June 2014. Accessed February 8, 2018.
Pagnano MW, Trousdale RT, Meneghini RM, Hanssen AD. Slower recovery after two-incision than mini-posterior-incision total hip arthroplasty. Surgical technique. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2009 Mar 1;91 Suppl 2 Pt 1:50-73.
Questions and answers about hip replacement. National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, and Skin Diseases website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed February 8, 2018.
6/14/2017 DynaMed Plus Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.dynamed... : Wilson SH, Wolf BJ, Algendy AA, Sealy C, Demos HA, McSwain JR. Comparison of lumbar epidurals and lumbar plexus nerve blocks for analgesia following primary total hip arthroplasty: a retrospective analysis. J Arthroplasty. 2017;32(2):635-640.
Last reviewed March 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Warren A. Bodine, DO, CAQSM
Last Updated: 6/14/2017
EBSCO Information Services is fully accredited by URAC. URAC is an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com. Our Health Library Support team will respond to your email request within 2 business days.
All rights reserved.


text:
OVERLAND PARK, KS -- Jack LaLanne will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro magazine on Oct. 15 at the Club Industry show in Chicago. He will also offer the keynote address at the conference.
"You can't offer a Lifetime Achievement award in this industry without giving it to Jack LaLanne," says Pamela Kufahl, editor of Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro. "He was an advocate of exercise long before it was popular. His TV exercise shows and his advocating of strength training for women and athletes were new concepts at the time, but now, we have whole networks devoted to exercise shows, and strength training is commonly recommended for women and athletes."
LaLanne, now 94 years old, was a sickly boy, but at the age of 15, after hearing nutritionist Paul Bragg speak, he turned his life around through exercise and healthier eating. In 1936, at age 21, he opened a health studio in California.
LaLanne has written a book, "Revitalize Your Life." His wife Elaine, who will be at the Club Industry show with him, has written four books.
LaLanne will receive the award at 11:45 a.m. on Oct. 15. He will then offer the keynote address and sign autographs afterwards.
Previous winners of this award have been Dr. Kenneth Cooper of the Cooper Aerobics Center, Alan Schwartz of TCA Holdings (Midtown Athletic Clubs), Rick Caro of Management Vision, Judi Sheppard Missett of Jazzercise, Joe Gold of Gold's Gym and World Gym, and Joe Weider of Weider Publishing.


text:
For Sale
19 Government Road
- Magnificent 4+1 Bedroom New Build In "The Kingsway"
- Offers The Perfect Blend Of Modern Flair, Stunning Aesthetics, Functionality And Coveted Locale
- Open Concept Main Suits Every Lifestyle While The Master Provides A Personal Top Level Retreat With Spa-Like 5Pc Ensuite Bath And Balcony
- Simply No Detail Has Been Missed – Upper Laundry; Oversized Picture Windows; Bedrooms Each With Their Own Ensuite Baths And Walk-In Closets; Heated Floors; High Calibre Finishes And Much More
- Serenity Flows Thru The Clean Interior Lines To A Private Rear With Huge Entertainer's Deck
- Family-Oriented Neighbourhood And Short Stroll To Cherished Lambton-Kingsway School, Parks, Amenities, Restaurants & Shopping
- Easy Commuter Access Via Hwys & TTC
Presented By
Paul Nusca
- Office: 416-294-1877
- Mobile: 416-618-8326
- Fax: 437-700-5572
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Paul is professional and an expert in his field, our home sold for a record amount over asking and even more importantly, he found us our next home privately in a challenging market! For the most important transaction in our lives, it is all about who you know. Paul's connections are what set him apart. Hiring him as our agent was the best decision we made. Months later he was able to help two friends in a difficult time, again he handled himself with discretion. His professional knowledge that sets him apart.
- We have known Paul Nusca since he first became our real estate agent in 2009 and give him a 5-star rating in all aspects of his work. He has professionally handled 6 real estate transactions on our behalf. We have recommended Paul to many friends and family, all of whom have been very pleased with his services. Paul is pleasant to work with. Paul has proven time and again that he is a highly skilled real estate agent. When he first worked for us and sold our then home, he got us a higher price for it than even the real estate agent that had "worked that area" for many years, believed we could get. Paul's skill is coupled with his honest and ethical business practices. For all of these reasons, you can be assured that you are in good hands.
- First of all - Paul is the KING of Etobicoke!!! I had moved to the 'hood in 2013 and had seen a lot of listings that were his and thought, "if I were to ever move, he is the agent I want to list with". Well, I noticed that he had a listing in the condo I live in - the floor just below me so I had reached out to ask to be in touch once the sale went through and to come see my unit and his perspective on what the market was dictating. Well, he came to see me and had potential clients in mind and asked if I would be amenable to a showing, to which I responded yes ... thinking nothing would happen. Well, he went above and beyond what any other real estate professional I have ever dealt with to make the transaction happen for both the buyer and me ... I LOVE Paul Nusca and HIGHLY recommend him for any real estate transaction you have!!! CLASSY GUY - very professional - knows the market and is not all about HIM!!! I cannot speak more highly of him!!! You can put your trust him - especially on your sale!!!
- Thank you for all your help both in trying to find us a condo and selling our house. The past 2 weeks have been a whirlwind for us as things moved a lot quicker than we had originally planned. We are very pleased with the way you handled everything. You made the whole process very easy for us
- We work with Paul and his team to help prep their listings and their attention to detail with every listing that hits the market is second to none. Being a part of their A-1 processes has been an amazing experience, and all of their clients have spoken highly of them while we work together.


text:
The Bruce Murray Space Image Library
Read ISRO's image terms of image reuse here.
Explore related images: Chandrayaan-2
Become a member of The Planetary Society and together we will create the future of space exploration.
Support the Bruce Murray Space Image Library and help us share the wonders of other worlds.


text:
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Thyme Flies
Our unofficial weekend food theme was the final tastes of summer. I know that we are being rocket launched into brisket in two days, but for now, this weekend is all about grilled vegetables, colorful salads, fresh fish and barbeque. Lunch on Shabbat was tuna nicoise salad and quinoa with roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries and green onions.
To make the tuna, marinate it for 5 minutes in some olive oil, lemon juice and dried thyme. I seared it in a hot pan for less than 2 minutes per side so the center would be rare. I steamed asparagus and red bliss potatoes and found several varieties of olives in the fridge and cut fresh herbs from pots right outside the kitchen.
Place your favorite mixed greens on each plate, some asparagus, potatoes, olives, a few slices of tuna, sliced against the grain, and then the mustard vinaigrette. For a side dish, I made the quinoa salad that I taught at the cooking demos here in Long Island as a healthy Rosh Hashana side dish. Call this salad a bridge between bikinis and brisket.
Dijon Vinaigrette makes ½ cup dressing
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
Whish together the oil, vinegar, mustard and honey. Add the juice, water and whisk vigorously. Add the thyme and oregano and sale and pepper to taste.
Quinoa with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Dried Cranberries serves 8
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 medium sweet potato, cut into ½ inch cubes
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted, optional
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 scallions, sliced thin
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place the quinoa into a small saucepan and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes, covered, or until the water is evaporated. Turn off the heat and let quinoa sit covered for at least one hour, up to 8 hours. While the quinoa is sitting, place the sweet potato cubes into a roasting pan and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until you can just pierce the cubes with a fork. Set aside.
Place the pine nuts into a small pan over medium heat and cook until lightly toasted, stirring often. Watch carefully so they do not burn. Set aside. In a small bowl, place the remaining two tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Whisk well.
When the quinoa is dry, use a whisk to break apart the grains. Add the vinaigrette and mix with the whisk. Add the sweet potatoes, pine nuts, cranberries and scallions and mix gently. Serve at room temperature.
Posted by Paula Shoyer at 12:32 PM
Labels: dijon vinaigrette, quinoa, tuna salad nicoise
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Today, Meghan Stapleton posted about the status of the Alaska Fund Trust and the creation of a successor legal defense fund via Facebook Note on Gov. Palin's page.
First off, let's keep in mind that this is about a legal defense fund. According to the Summary of Findings in the decision released today by the Alaska Personnel Board, nothing illegal and nothing unethical occurred because not a penny has been distributed. Governor Palin did nothing wrong. And in fact, everyone is in agreement that Governor Palin acted in good faith. Now, let me explain how we got here.
It is no secret that Governor Palin has been subject to political and legal attacks on an unprecedented scale. Since these attacks originate from her opposition, sometimes it can be a badge of honor to be the focus of such irrational hatred. But there is a cost to all of this.
Last year, those who willfully and excitedly violated or abused Alaska law showed they would do it again and again to either bankrupt Governor Palin or paralyze her success for Alaska. Governor Palin had a choice: plead guilty to things she didn't do so that she could focus on the state and save money for the family – or defend her good name and reputation. She chose to fight back. In the end, Governor Palin and her attorney, Thomas Van Flein, successfully defended against well over two dozen complaints, lawsuits, and allegations. Time and time again during and after the 2008 Presidential election cycle, independent investigators proved that Governor Palin's actions were sound, her judgment was proper, and her intentions were honest. In fact, the Personnel Board, the ethics board for the Governor of the state, never even had to take up a case as each was dismissed before making it to the next level.
But it did cost the Palins financially.
Seeing this nonsense, it was suggested to me from both sides of the aisle that one way to deal with the substantial financial cost these tactics were inflicting, was to create a trust fund for legal fees – just like all the other legal defense funds for prominent politicians who are targets.
As reported in the Wall Street Journal, "Such funds have become increasingly common as scrutiny of politicians has intensified." ("Palin Backers Set Up Legal-Defense Fund", Wall Street Journal, p. A-3, April 24, 2009)
When I approached Governor Palin with the idea, she had one primary directive – if it can be done lawfully, then I will support it. She also asked that, if possible, we keep it Alaskan.
One might think that creating a trust fund to collect money to pay legal fees should not be that complicated, but it turns out, it is exceptionally complicated. You should know that as many as seven lawyers were involved in the process; some of whom were and are nationally prominent experts in creating legal defense funds, in evaluating federal and state election laws, state trust law, federal and state tax laws, state reporting requirements and state ethics requirements. It is a sad commentary on public life today when the legal system can be used as a political weapon against an elected official, and it takes a battalion of lawyers to figure out how to fund a defense and counter-attack.
In any event, the legal team concluded that the fund they had created was lawful in all respects. I relied in good faith on that advice and advised Governor Palin of that advice.
Ultimately, the Alaska Fund Trust was borne, and within a day or two, a complaint was filed against it challenging its legality. (And like everything else, the public knew because someone – likely the complainant – violated the law and publicly released the accusation.) And so started another prolonged legal battle – this time to determine if the legal fund created to defend Governor Palin against frivolous ethics complaints was itself ethical. Quite a circle really. We made it clear that no money would be paid out on until the matter had been resolved.
Thus, to this very moment, the money received was frozen and no one, not the Palins, not the Palins' attorney, no one ever received a penny from the Trust on the Palins' behalf.
The Personnel Board initially appointed an "independent" investigator. That investigator, we later learned, had connections with, and was associated with President Obama. The Personnel Board had hired President Obama's personal law firm as an "independent" investigator to review whether a fund created to raise money to eliminate a debt incurred as a result of Governor Palin's opposition to President Obama was appropriate. We objected to both the illegal leak and the blatant political influence, and a new investigator was appointed.
The new investigator spent considerable time reviewing the old information and collecting new, but I think it proved to be too difficult to reverse an already-public decision. He concluded that the Trust fund violated Alaska law in two respects. His biggest heartburn was that we used the word "official" on the website. And he was distressed that we turned down an offer from a former White House Special Counsel to serve as trustee and instead chose an Alaskan whom Alaskans would recognize – Kristan Cole.
Kristan sat on several state boards as a volunteer public servant. The investigator concluded that because she sat on such boards, Governor Palin as governor was technically her boss, and therefore she should not be the trustee of the fund. That is his conclusion and we respect that. The law is not clear on this aspect, and not one member of the legal team saw this as an issue, but again, we respect the conclusion here and it is not worth the time or money to dispute that. But we do want to thank Kristan for taking on that otherwise thankless task. What is it they say about no good deed?
The other conclusion needs context. There was a point where it appeared that people around the country wanted to start legal defense funds for Governor Palin. The support and good will the people of this country have shown to the Palins is inspiring. But a concern was raised whether all these other potential funds would comply with various laws, including donation limits, limits against contributions from lobbyists or contributions from foreign nationals. So we used the word "official" in the website to distinguish the Alaska Fund Trust from ones we were not sure would be compliant. In our view, that was a solid and common sense reason to use the word "official," but the investigator believes that it made it appear that the website was sponsored by the State of Alaska, and thus would be a use of Governor Palin's "official" office to raise money. We are not terribly persuaded that really would be the case or that any member of the public could be confused, but we respect the investigator's evaluation of this point and it is not worth fighting about. Again, Governor Palin's prime directive was simple – if this fund could be set up lawfully, she would support it. If not, it would not have her support.
So Governor Palin has reached a point where she decided to agree to resolve this matter with the investigator rather than spend time and money fighting an ethics complaint about a fund that was created to reimburse her for the money she has spent fighting bogus ethics complaints drawn up by insiders and outsiders violating and abusing Alaska law. Really, this is simple pragmatism and common sense.
As you know, we love a good fight, but we must pick our battles carefully. As a chief executive, Governor Palin makes the calls, and she knows that this battle, though important to her personally, does nothing for the country. She has bigger battles to fight, battles to restore our strength internationally and stand by our allies, battles to stop the downward slide of our economy, and battles to take back control of Congress.
However, I know and you know that no public official should ever have to bear the financial brunt of these attacks. And Governor Palin can lawfully raise money now through a brand new – not official but let's call it "real" – legal defense fund without any risk of offending an investigator or state law. And such a fund now exists at http://www.sarahpalinlegaldefensefund.org/donate.php.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Alaska Fund Trust. Your heart was in the right place. And Governor Palin and her family have been overwhelmed by your generosity. If you want to, you can contribute to the new fund. In the meantime, we will try to contact you to get your donation returned from the old trust.
Now – back to motherhood for me! And common sense.
P.S. One last thought as we approach the anniversary of Governor Palin's "reloading," thank God she had the fortitude and wisdom to look down the road and see what she did – the state's bills would have amounted to millions upon millions more and her personal legal bills would be personally insurmountable. I don't know who would want to hold office under these circumstances and with loopholes our Alaska legislators refuse to close.
– Meghan Stapleton, Mom, Wife, and Now More Knowledgeable Than Ever About Legal Defense Funds
Retrieved from: http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=24718773587#!/note.php?note_id=401885808434


text:
New Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows Come to Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—A group of 10 international professionals will participate in the 2013-14 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, housed in Penn State's College of Education. The Humphrey fellows arrived at University Park from three continents with a wide variety of professional experiences and accomplishments. This year's fellows are:
- Erika Anseloni, Brazil
- Ornsiri Cheunsuang, Thailand
- Charmaine Du Plessis, South Africa
- Vusal Hasanov, Azerbaijan
- Judith Sakubu, Burundi
- Vyjayanthi Sankar, India
- Ali Shah, Pakistan
- Mian Shu, China
- Zodwa Thwala, Swaziland
- Yvonne Yon, Namibia
Each of the fellows has an interest in learning more about various issues in the field of education. This year's participants' interests include areas such as education policy, school leadership, higher education administration and workforce development.
Leila Bradaschia, director of the Humphrey program, said she and her team are excited to be a part of the journey the fellows will take to fulfill their goals.
"The 2013-14 Humphrey fellows bring unique perspectives and significant professional experience to our College," said Bradaschia. "They are thrilled to be members of the Penn State community and look forward to an enriching year of professional development."
This year, the program will take the group to locations such as Niagara Falls and Washington, D.C., where they will meet up with the other 175 Humphrey fellows at the Global Leadership Forum, which is sponsored by the State Department and the Institute for International Education.
The group will visit five local community organizations in order to identify where they would like to volunteer during the academic year, allowing them to contribute their skills and expertise locally while learning new skills.
In addition to the classes and seminars that the fellows will attend at University Park, they will individually travel to conferences, workshops and seminars throughout the year. Starting in November, the fellows will make country presentations, which the public is invited to attend.
Another important aspect of the fellowship is a final project that the fellows will work on throughout the year. This project, once completed, will be taken back to the individual fellow's country to be implemented in his or her community and workplace.
The Humphrey Fellowship Program brings accomplished mid-career professionals from around the world to universities in the U.S. for one year of non-degree graduate study, professional training and work experience.
Since 1979, Penn State has hosted more than 363 fellows from 120 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Latin America and Europe. This year, Penn State is one of 17 universities that will host 185 fellows from 93 countries.
--by Kevin Sliman (August 2013)


text:
Hugin Preferences
By default, hugin uses the internal nona stitcher. Here you can enter an alternative stitching engine such as PTStitcher or PTmender.
The Hugin Assistant tab automates the entire panorama creation process, these settings allow you to customise the assistant.
Image loading
Select Automatically align images after loading to run the second Align... step immediately after loading the images.
Auto align
Auto align uses autopano-sift or autopano to generate control points between pairs of images, set Number of Ctrl Points per overlap to control the number of control points. Note that although most pictures can be stitched with just three or four control points, automatically generated points tend not to be very evenly distributed, so this number should be set to ten or more
The size of the output Panorama Image Size is usually set in the Hugin Stitcher tab where it is also possible to Calculate Optimal Size based on the sizes of the input images. The Auto align process does something similar, though here you can set a smaller output as a percentage. Generally setting a percentage of 70% leads to no great loss of quality due to the way a camera CCD samples data.
After stitching you can open the final image in an external program, this could be an image editor such as the Gimp or an interactive panorama viewer such as panoglview.
hugin helps position control points to within a fraction of a pixel distance automatically:
- When auto fine-tune is selected in the hugin Control Points tab while picking control points.
- When clicking Fine-tune in the hugin Control Points tab
- When picking Fine-tune all Points in the hugin Main window Edit menu.
Basic settings
- Patch width, the size of the square of pixels taken from the left photo to match with the right photo when picking control points, reduce if this is taking a long time on your system.
- Search area width, the percentage area of the right photo that is searched when picking control points, reduce if this is taking a long time on your system.
- Local search area width, the region of the right photo searched when you click Fine-tune in the hugin Control Points tab or Fine-tune all Points in the hugin Main window Edit menu.
- Correlation Threshold. For each Fine-tune, hugin calculates the quality of the control points match, raise this threshold to reject dubious matches.
- Peak Curvature Threshold, TODO, what's this?
Rotation search
Enable this if your photos:
- have a very wide angle Field of View or fisheye Projection.
- are tilted up or down, control points near the zenith or nadir may need to have full 360 degree rotation search
Resource usage
To speed things up hugin keeps a copy in memory of as many input photos as possible. With very large projects, this would use all your system memory, so set Image cache memory to a value below your available free RAM. The default of 200MB should be ok for a system with 512MB of RAM.
The hugin Preview window and nona are multi-threaded so can use more than one CPU/core if required. Set Number of CPUs to how many CPUs you wish to use when rendering with these tools.
User interface
Usually, hugin will use the current locale to determine the language of buttons, menus etc... Set the Language if you need to switch languages temporarily or if you are using a platform such as Windows95 that doesn't support localised software. hugin won't change language immediately, you will need to stop and restart it.
Optimize and stitch only images selected in preview window allows you to work on just a few of the images in the current project rather than all of them. Use the buttons along the top of the Hugin Preview window to enable and disable source photos. When optimising with the Hugin Optimizer tab or stitching with the Hugin Stitcher tab, all the hidden images will be ignored.
HDR and 16bit display mode
hugin supports both HDR and 16bit imaging. These image formats contain a lot more brightness and colour information than can be displayed on a standard computer monitor, so hugin only shows a rough representation of these pictures.
16bit data can have linear or corrected gamma. Linear images appear very dark on many monitors, so set the range to fixed and the mapping to gamma 2.2.
For HDR data, try setting the range to auto and the mapping to logarithmic.
Changes to the HDR and 16bit display mode require restarting hugin to take effect.
File options
Some hugin actions generate large temporary files, change the Tempdir to specify an alternative location for writing these files. One reason for setting this independently from the operating system would be to use a RAM disk to speed up stitching.
Show Druid adds a box showing tips to the hugin Preview window (TODO this is disabled in current betas).
In the final stitching process nona reprojects and distorts images to fit, enblend takes these images as individual TIFF files and merges them using sophisticated seam positioning and blending into a single finished TIFF file.
The Use alternative Enblend program option allows you to use other tools with a similar interface such as smartblend or enblend-mask.
enblend supports a range of Additional arguments, for example you may want to set:
- -a Pre-assemble non-overlapping images to speed up blending.
- -l number Number of levels to use (1 to 29), larger numbers result in wider seams.
- -z Use LZW compression. The TIFF file format has a 2GiB limit (or 4GiB or 8GiB, depending on who you ask) so you will find this useful for large panoramas.
- -b kilobytes Image cache block size (default=2MiB)
- -c Use CIECAM02 to blend colors
- -m megabytes Use this much memory before going to disk (default=1GiB). Increase if you have a lot of memory on your system.
- --fine-mask Enables detailed mask generation.
- --no-optimize Turn off mask optimization.
Often you will want to keep the intermediate TIFF files created by nona in order to edit masks or for manual blending, otherwise Delete remapped tiff files or your disk will fill up with temporary data.
Cropped TIFF files are smaller and more efficient because unused parts of the image are not stored in the file. You should always Use cropped TIFF files unless you need to open them in an image editor without Cropped TIFF support.