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Support for same-sex marriage has become a mainstream political position at head-spinning speed, but that is far from true when it comes to gun control. The diverging trajectory is in a sense bewildering. There are no bandwagons for new gun safety laws, no senators rushing to the cause on a near daily basis. There's only a slog against long odds.
Polls so far this year on same-sex marriage suggest that slightly more than half of Americans favor it. There are higher levels of support – in some cases much higher – for many gun control provisions under discussion. So why all the friction and angst over guns, but not gay marriage?
Though the intimidating electoral clout of the National Rifle Association is a factor, the deeper question is, why is the NRA pressure working? Why are some politicians so wary of proposals that have such widespread support and that would, if applied to other products and behavior, seem unremarkable? Why are gay advocates having so much success while the parents of murdered children, and even a former congresswoman shot in the head, are having to fight so hard for what seems like common sense to so many?
Demographics offers one answer. Acceptance of gay marriage in the political world is being driven in part by polling that shows overwhelming support for it among young people. By contrast, at least two polls this spring show there is no corresponding generation gap on guns.
People aged 18 to 34 are slightly more supportive of universal background checks than older people and a bit less supportive of limits on the size of ammunition magazines, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. Those aged 18 to 39 are more likely to oppose a ban on assault weapons, a Washington Post/ABC poll found. However, both polls found the younger groups back the general idea of new restrictions on guns and most specific proposals at about the same level as the rest of the country.
The relative power of the lobbies on guns and gay marriage is another factor. The NRA is wealthy and widely feared. Christian conservatives are influential, but they are underfinanced and their peak impact arguably is in Republican primary contests in states like Iowa and South Carolina. In the gay marriage fight in particular, they have been unable to muster convincing evidence for their central argument that same-sex marriage will damage traditional marriage. The Constitution also does not provide any wind at their back. If anything, its equal protection clause helps backers of gay marriage, as does the "full faith and credit" clause requiring that the states recognize and honor each other's laws.
The Second Amendment establishing the right to bear arms, not to mention the mythology that's grown up around it, is a tougher challenge for gun-control advocates. There is no constitutional ban on regulating guns, as conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia explained in a seminal 2008 opinion. But the ruling also upheld the right of individuals to own guns and struck down Washington, D.C.'s ban on handguns, so it is remembered as a great victory not for gun regulation but for for gun rights. And subtleties aside, there is simply no stronger – or shorter – rallying cry for the NRA and its allies than the second half of the Second Amendment itself.
There's some punditry suggesting that Obama's statement of support for gay marriage nearly a year ago may have helped move public opinion in its favor, by providing some political cover, at least for fellow Democrats. But his impact seems marginal at best, and he is probably not going to do much better nudging Congress on guns. Still, the administration is doing what it can with the bully pulpit, and could help clear up the mistaken impression among some that strong laws such as universal background checks are already on the books. Obama, Michelle Obama and Vice President Biden are slated to hold gun-related events throughout the week, starting with an Obama speech Monday in Hartford, Conn.
Finally, there is the matter of who you know. Twenty-five years ago, only about 20 percent of Americans were telling pollsters they had a gay relative, friend or co-worker. But in a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll in December, 65 percent said they personally knew or worked with someone who is gay or lesbian. Visibility -- coming out to friends and family -- has been a pillar of gay strategy, and has helped shift issues like marriage and military service from the fraught ideological arena to a more mundane reality.
The personal is the political, there's no disputing that. Just look at who is leading the push for new gun laws: Gabby Giffords, Virginia Tech students, Newtown and Aurora parents, and on and on. But as of now, only about 20 percent of Americans say they personally know a victim of gun violence. Will that number climb to 65 percent before it becomes urgently fashionable to support tighter gun laws? Surely the bandwagon will begin rolling on Capitol Hill, however slowly, before it comes to that.


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Cyberanalytics: Government's digital game of chess
By Chris Smith, Director of Cyber Strategy, SAS
The hacking game has many players, most of whom can be categorized by their motivations: hacktivism, financial gain or strategic intelligence, to name a few. These groups – regardless of their technique – can be thought of as pieces on a chessboard. Phishing scams, for example, use pawns within an organization to open up access to data – or even to the king.
Those with malicious intent against governments usually attempt to infiltrate databases for either financial gain or to obtain strategic information to relay to a nation-state entity. The strategic information could be military intelligence, critical infrastructure schematics, or personally identifiable information to use for other criminal activities. Moving through the network in any direction like the queen, these adversaries use even the smallest bits of information they find along the way to move closer to their goals. That's why adopting analytics into a government data-loss prevention plan is critical. Much like chess, knowing where a piece falls on the board isn't helpful unless you know where all of the other pieces are, and how they got there.
A good defense in cybersecurity is to think like an attacker to figure out the "why." Why would someone take the risk to gain access to specific information?
The significance of delving into "Why?"
When applying this concept to the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data breach, you may think that having the name and address for a person in itself wouldn't be damaging, but digging deeper into that person's role, security clearance level and associates may prove to be quite harmful, possibly endangering. For example, knowing John Doe lives at 17 Cherry Tree Lane isn't necessarily a threat. But learning that he works at the Department of Health and Human Services as a contracting officer with a top secret clearance and has a wife, Jane, is probably appealing in the eyes of an attacker.
A good defense in cybersecurity is to think like an attacker to figure out the "why." Why would someone take the risk to gain access to specific information? What would justify the time and effort this would take? What might be the next moves? At what levels can we (or should we) protect that data?
The answers to these considerations can guide leaders to a better understanding of the attacker so they can better protect their information. To help automate the process, government agencies can use security analytics. Applying cyberanalytics based on behavioral patterns, agency leaders gain a broader understanding of the most targeted or vulnerable data, and then continually reinforce security measures around it.
Analytics offers both preventive insight and post-attack assessments. When employed for data protection, analytics can help identify where an organization is most susceptible to a breach. If information is compromised, analytics can be used to determine from where and by whom.
Chess masters can anticipate their opponents' strategies many moves in advance. Analytics can provide a similar function in the cybersecurity world – helping agencies anticipate the next move of the adversary to more effectively secure the data they need to protect.
Christopher Smith has 22 years of experience in information technology and security in both the public and private sectors. Positions held prior to SAS include Acting Chief Technology Officer, United States National Park Service and Lead Enterprise Architect for the Departments of Labor, Education, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, United States Presidential Transition Team and the White House. Smith holds a bachelor's degree in Information Systems from the University of Maryland, and is finishing a master's degree in Advanced Engineering in Cyber Security from the University of Maryland's Advanced Cybersecurity Center. He holds industry leading security and technology certifications, including: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Information Security (INFOSEC), Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO), Cisco Certified Cybersecurity Specialist and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).
Read More
- Using Analytics to Predict Future Attacks
- Learn how SAS® Cybersecurity applies analytics to identify cyberthreats.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Malaysian GP 2013
Saturday Press Conference
1 - Sebastian VETTEL (Red Bull Racing)
2 - Felipe MASSA (Ferrari)
3 - Fernando ALONSO (Ferrari)
Q: Sebastian, a late call for a second set of intermediate tyres in Q3 and it worked out well for you.
Sebastian VETTEL: Yeah, I think generally an interesting qualifying session. We knew that rain was the on the way and then... to be honest we expected already some [rain] at the beginning of qualifying but it didn't come, so going out on dry [tyres]. Obviously I think we had a bit of a different approach to other people. Q2 was quite on edge I would say, so probably the rain helped us a little bit. Otherwise I think we would have had to go out again. But in that case it was just enough to go through to Q3. Then in Q3 with the circuit drying, it was clear it was better to change tyres. We confirmed that pretty early. I think we did the right thing. Very tricky because you don't know if there's more rain coming or not, but we took the decision. Bit surprised by the gap but a decent lap and I was very happy obviously. It was quite tricky because some parts of the track were still wet and others were dry but overall a very good session for us. We managed to save some tyres, which could be crucial tomorrow, so we'll see what we can do.
Q: Felipe, ahead of Fernando on the grid once again, as in Melbourne. Ferrari [look] good in the wet, did the rain help you?
Felipe MASSA: Well, I would day maybe yes. I don't know if we were able to be second and third in the dry as [there were] some other quick cars, like Webber, Kimi, maybe Mercedes as well. So I think it was a good qualifying for us. We took the right decision at the start to change tyres and managed to put a good lap together as well. I think maybe the rain helped a bit.
Q: Fernando, in third. You won here last year obviously and you're in the top three on the grid now. What's your approach to the race tomorrow?
Fernando ALONSO: Try to do a good race and try to score as many points as possible. We are not sure about the performance, the car in race pace. Obviously every long run we do is a little bit inconsistent - sometimes we are OK, sometimes not - and we need to see tomorrow how the race goes. We did not have big problems in the long runs on Friday. In Melbourne the race pace was OK, so no reason not to be optimistic for tomorrow. But we'll see what we can do.
Q: Sebastian, back to you. You went from pole to third in Melbourne, what's the story going to be tomorrow?
Vettel: Well, I think if you start in the front you always want to finish there as well. Obviously as Fernando touched on, it will be a long race and difficult to know the true pace. We confirmed more or less what we saw in Melbourne. I was very happy with the balance of the car once again. I think also considering where we were last year here, a big step forward. But these days racing is a little bit different. Hopefully we'll find the right amount of percentage less than 100 per cent to start the race tomorrow. Managing the tyres will be crucial and then we go from there. We know the pace is there so hopefully we get to the chequered flag in the same position.
Q: Sebastian, in Q1 it looked like you were trying to not take too much out of that set of tyres, so that you could use them again in Q2, and you ended up 15th. So, were you living a little dangerously? Was your heart beating a little faster than normal?
Vettel: Yeah, obviously it's difficult to know how quick you go if you don't try to go 100 per cent - which I think it's fair to say that we tried that. Yeah, was quite tight in qualifying, I think, in dry conditions. And across the line I knew that maybe it's not quick enough but it turned out to be just OK. Obviously we were running quite late and we could see if other people... well I couldn't but the team could see if other people are going quicker. And once it was enough we obviously came in to save the tyres because we used them again in Q2 and it was just enough to get to Q3. Obviously there was a bit of rain on the way and I had a little bit of rain on the track as well. I don't think it really slowed me down, for cars that came after me I think it was a little bit more tricky up to a point where it was just too wet for dries. So once it was clear the rain got worse, it was also clear to us that our plan worked out with a little bit of help from the rain. Good to save the maximum amount of tyres possible.
Q: A number of teams had problems with weather radar during the course of the session. Can you confirm whether you at Red Bull have some extra set-up, some individuals that are placed around the circumference of the circuit that are giving information, or do you have any additional information.
Vettel: Well, I think we use what everyone is using, so mostly referring to the radar - which we know sometimes is very accurate and sometimes is not. To be fair, in this place, I think it's very tricky to be very precise because the weather changes so quickly. Also, considering the amount of rain that comes down and the circuit not really changing, it's quite impressive, which I think is related to just this place, high temperatures etc. We saw it yesterday during practice. The rain came down and there was steam on the track. I didn't have an effect for a long time, until it rained hard and then obviously you have to come in and change tyres. So it was similar in that regard but in terms of what we do, I think it's more or less what other people are doing as well.
Q: Felipe, in terms of the information you were getting about the weather, can you track your thoughts through the course of that qualifying session and how you thought it was progressing for you?
Massa: I think it was pretty good. Even on the... we go out, I did one timed lap and it was a pretty good lap straight away with the conditions, which was more water on the track. And then I stop, I change the tyres, looking at many people stopping as well. I go out with a new set, track was already quicker because already the dry line starts to appear. The rain was a bit less, so even in one lap you find a completely different track, so the track was much quicker. I managed to put a good lap together. Even if already I have a bit of graining in my first timed lap because the track was too dry maybe for the Inters. So, maybe I was suffering a little bit on the second and the third sector - but I mean maybe everybody was having similar problems. Anyway, the lap was good, so it was a good start for both of us. I think maybe since a long time we don't start both cars with a good pace as well in the top three. I think it's a good job for the team as well. For the team that was preparing this car in the winter as well. So, I'm really looking forward for the race tomorrow. It will be a difficult long race. Anything can happen with degradation, with strategy, with rain. But let's concentrate to do the best we can tomorrow.
Q: From what we've seen so far in the practice sessions, obviously the tyre degradation different for some teams from others, how decisive is the strategy for tomorrow and what are your thoughts on what we're likely to see?
Massa: Very important. I mean, we know how these tyres behave with the high temperature. For sure you have teams which suffer a little bit more than the other teams. So, we need to concentrate on doing the right job. For sure, if I do the right job it can also be many positions at the end of the race.
Q: What about from your perspective Fernando? What have you learnt so far from the practice running that will help you in the grand prix tomorrow?
Alonso: Well, I think we need to use all the information we have from yesterday in the long run pace and also in this morning a little bit. Also, in qualifying, I think all the laps you do in this race track are important due to the changes that constantly you have: the temperature, the weather conditions, etcetera. So for tomorrow I think we expect some rain around - like all the afternoons here, so if it arrives before the race, at the start of the race, in the middle of the race, at the end of the race, we don't know, so we need to be ready for any change. The only good thing, the only positive thing that we have is that the car performed really well in both conditions: in rain and in dry conditions. So, we are not afraid of what is coming from the sky. Whatever arrives, we will take it and hopefully we will be competitive.
Q: Talk a little bit about the timing as well of decision-making. Obviously today it was important to get the timing right. Wet conditions like we had here last year when you won the race, it was really important - because it's a long lap here - to make the timings right. How important is that within the team to get the decisions clear?
Alonso: It's very important. I think here the characteristics of the circuit are quite... extreme let's say, in terms of tyre stress, so to do a extra lap with the wrong tyre can cause you a lot of time - or more than at other circuits. So we need to be spot-on the decisions tomorrow. We need to be very concentrated because there is no room for mistakes tomorrow in the race.
Q: (Livio Oricchio - O Estado de Sao Paulo) Fernando, you are experiencing something new at Ferrari now and maybe also in your Formula One career: your teammate is as fast as you, maybe even faster. Does it stimulate you?
Alonso: I think I've been racing 27 years now in motor racing - I'm getting old - so it's not the first time that we have very close competition. It was very close the last three years as well, but I know that for you it was not that close in terms of results because I think Felipe had some bad luck, some incidents sometimes, some mechanical problems other times but the last three years was much closer than I think that it looked in the points at the end. So this year it is again very close, no big difference, maybe a little bit closer and for sure the last two races we are behind on the grid but so far on Saturday there are no points so we need to keep working for Sunday. It's the best news for the team, because we need to have a competition between the two drivers in the team, we need to share information between the drivers in the team and now I think all the data that we have from free practice, from qualifying for everything is very useful to compare and to analyse to make ourselves better, so this is only good news for the team and we will push each other to our own limits and this is good news for the team.
Q: Felipe, do you want to respond to that? Do you feel completely re-energised?
Massa: Yes, sure, I feel very happy, very automatically driving the car. I like the car that we have this year much more compared to the car we had last year. I think I understand a lot more the direction for the set-up and everything - we even understood that last year, from August to the end of the year. I feel really happy driving the car. When you try to do something you don't feel comfortable with you maybe cannot do the perfect lap with the car so I think that's really important for me, for the team. The best thing for the team is always to have the best drivers finishing in the best positions, so that's really a positive point for the team and for myself as well, for Fernando, so I think it's a good direction.
Q: (Abhishek Takle - Midday) Sebastian, you mentioned that the rain helped you a little bit in the end, but looking at your pace in the dry, do you think you might have been able to take pole had the rain stayed away?
Vettel: It's difficult to say now. What I meant obviously was that I think the timing helped in that regard, not getting to Q3 - I think we had the pace to do that on our own. It more helped in regards to saving a set of tyres for tomorrow, depending on the conditions and in general - it's difficult to say - but we were looking quite competitive all weekend. I was feeling happy in the car so there's nothing that speaks against that but would/could/should - we don't know so I think the pace set in Q2 by Nico, I think, who was fastest, was a pretty good lap. We had a strong car but whether it was enough to beat that time or not I don't know.
Q: (Ian Parkes - Press Association) Felipe, you've now outqualified Fernando for the last four Grands Prix; after all you went through last season, do you feel that your performances now are a response to all those critics who wrote you off last season when your future was so up in the air?
Massa: Well, I feel comfortable in the car. I think whenever you feel comfortable you can do a good lap and you can use the car to the maximum, it's possible. It was really clear that I was not comfortable last year and the year before, so many things around the car, bad luck, around myself as well, so there were so many things that were not working in the proper direction, but now they are and I know how quick I can be, I've showed that many times in the past. If everything works well, we can be competitive, it's pretty sure about that. I believe in myself and I think it can be really important for the team, for Fernando as well, for everybody. We need a stronger team, a strong position and fighting for the best position in every race so I'm happy, that's a good direction.
Q: (Carlos Miguel - La Gaceta) Fernando, are you looking to pass these guys in the first corner or are you confident of the car in race conditions and you must wait during the race?
Alonso: Well, I think the start will be the first opportunity. I think if everything goes normally I will have a very good start so we should be able to at least maintain the position, if not attack, so we will see how are the first meters tomorrow. I think that in this Formula One that we are experiencing today, the start is very low priority. I think that 56 laps is a very long race, a lot of strategy calls to make, a lot of tyre issues that everybody needs to get through during the race. Some people maybe look better in the first part, some people maybe look a little bit better in the second part or approaching the stints. I think the start, as I said, these days is of less importance than in the past but for sure tomorrow we will try to do a good start, similar to Melbourne - hopefully - and try to be first and second in the first part of the race.
Q: (Cristobal Rosaleny - Car and Driver) Fernando, do you think having Kimi in seventh place on the grid is good news for you, because maybe Sebastian has been struggling more with the tyres this weekend?
Alonso: As I said, I don't think the (grid) positions are very important these days or the first lap positions. If you have a good race pace, as I think Kimi has or Lotus has, I think they will arrive sooner or later in the race and will put some pressure on us, so I think we need to be very calm. Kimi started fantastically well in Melbourne, winning the race, he's very strong this weekend here but the race and the championships are both very long and it's not only Kimi fighting for the championship, so we will see. I think at the moment it's very close, Red Bull is strong, Mercedes very strong, again today, as Seb said now, in Q2 Nico's time was quite impressive so there are four or five teams that at the moment are on top of everybody. We also need to be competitive in the race to develop the car if we want to win the championship.
Q: (Flavio Vanetti - Corriere della Sera) Felipe, we heard Fernando's evaluation concerning the race pace. Is it the same for you or is it different?
Massa: Well, yesterday we didn't have so much time to do a long run on both tyres, so we don't know. I don't know. I think it's difficult to be sure how it's going to be with the car on race pace, because yesterday I did a long run on the medium tyres but not many laps and then it started raining. So I don't know. I think maybe it can be that our car is better in the race compared to qualifying, compared to normal conditions in the dry, but we need to wait and see tomorrow.
Q: (Leonid Novozhilov) Sebastian, what is more interesting for you, rain or dry and why?
Vettel: Well, if it's dry we obviously saved some tyres today that could help. If it's wet, I'm not sure we have enough. It doesn't make a big difference. I think we have to go with the conditions, fortunately they're not in our hands, so obviously it's good for you but also it's very exciting for us, as Fernando touched on, finding the right lap to make the call to come in or stay out. We've seen in the past that sometimes you are just on the spot, sometimes you are not, so it can make a big difference to the race but if that happens, it's very exciting for us inside the car as well. In wet conditions generally, I think you drive the car with much more feeling. It allows you a little bit more to overcome a lack of pace or something like that during the race or overtake someone. Nevertheless, I think we need to be focused every single lap and go from there.


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Heart Disease
People with diabetes have a higher-than-average risk of having a heart attack or stroke. These strike people with diabetes nearly twice as often as people without diabetes.
There's a big link between diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. In fact, vascular disease is the leading cause of death among people with diabetes. Clogged blood vessels can lead to heart attack, stroke, and other problems. But there are treatments for heart disease, stroke, and blood vessel disease.
Healthy ABCs
Taking care of your diabetes and conditions that come with it can help you lower your chances of heart disease.
Types of Heart Disease
Types of Heart Disease: Coronary Artery Disease, Heart Failure
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
Talk to your doctor if you have mild leg pain, troubling walking, tingling in the legs, or other symptoms of PAD.


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Department of Music
Whatever your musical goals, SWOSU's Department of Music works with you to achieve your personal best. You study with superb musicians committed to your academic and musical advancement. With individual training customized to meet your needs, SWOSU's Department of Music gives you the educational and performance opportunities to put you on the path of musical success. Our Department of Music is one of the region's largest and finest music schools. The excellent quality of training offered at SWOSU is demonstrated daily by the hundreds of graduates now working in Oklahoma and throughout the United States .
The Bachelor of Music Education degree is offered in K-12 Vocal or K-12 Instrumental Music. Bachelor of Music degrees are offered in Music Performance (keyboard, vocal, and instrumental), Music Business and Music Therapy. Our Music Therapy program is the only one in the state of Oklahoma . Graduate degrees include the Master of Music in Performance and the Master of Music in Music Education.
Fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and the American Music Therapy Association, the SWOSU Department of Music features an outstanding group of faculty musicians representing every field of music.


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Personalized, one-on-one instruction is the secret to improved skills and increased confidence. CoachUp now makes private sports nutrition coaching affordable and convenient for athletes of all ages and skill levels.
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This is the latest on the snow that has been threatening to hit over the weekend.
Round One Snow: Philly to NYC Friday Night, Saturday
State College, Pa. — 15 February 2013 — AccuWeather.com reports a swath of snow will streak northeastward across the coastal mid-Atlantic to southern New England spanning late Friday night into Saturday, ahead of a major snowstorm for coastal areas of the Northeastern states a bit later in the weekend.
The snow will not fall along I-95 in the mid-Atlantic until after the evening rush hour.
The snow will start as rain in portions of the mid-Atlantic but will end as snow.
The disturbance producing the snow is an early part of a developing storm just offshore this weekend.
While the snow from the preliminary disturbance may not last long, the snowfall rate could be close to an inch per hour in a few locations, causing road conditions to change rapidly.
A quick 1 to 3 inches of snow can result in wet and slushy travel by Saturday morning along I-95 from Philadelphia, New York City and Hartford. A slushy coating of snow is possible around Washington, D.C., with a coating to an inch farther northeast around Baltimore, Md., and Wilmington, Del.
Many secondary roads and streets in the suburbs are likely to have conditions ranging from slushy to snow covered.
Mixed rain and snow showers will transition to snow showers Friday evening over the central Appalachians, which can also bring a coating to an inch and perhaps a bit more in the snowiest spots over the ridges.
The main storm will organize quickly Saturday afternoon and evening just off the Virginia Capes.
From this point, the storm may begin to put down accumulating snow in portions of northeastern North Carolina, southeastern Virginia, the Delmarva Peninsula, the Jersey Cape and central and eastern Long Island.
It is a close call with additional snow over the coastal mid-Atlantic from the main part of the storm Saturday night from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia and New York City. Odds favor the heaviest and perhaps all of the snow during this time staying to the east of these cities.
However, areas from eastern Long Island and Cape Cod northeastward through Maine and the Canada Maritimes are most likely to experience a significant snowstorm with conditions trending nastier farther north. Blizzard conditions are possible from Maine northward.
Additional information and updated snow accumulation maps on the complex snowstorm this weekend are coming soon on AccuWeather.com.
By Alex Sosnowski, expert senior meteorologist for AccuWeather.com


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Senators rally to reinstate military tuition assistance
'It would hurt retention and our ability to enlist these people'
(FoxNews) Senators are pushing to reinstate tuition assistance for members of the U.S. military, decrying a move by the administration to suspend the program citing the sequester.
"The president wants Americans to feel the pain of the arbitrary across-the-board budget cuts from sequestration, but to cut off promised education assistance for our service members when there are other lower priority spending programs to draw from is an injustice," Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.
Has Obama declared war on the U.S. military?
He and Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina introduced an amendment Wednesday to a stopgap budget bill that would restore the program. Inhofe told Fox News he has additional Democratic support lined up, and warned that dropping the program not only hurts service members — it could hurt the military as a whole.


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No more black swans
Here are the ten principles for a black swan proof world from Nassim Taleb in FT.
1. What is fragile should break early while it is still small.
2. No socialisation of losses and privatisation of gains.
3. People who were driving a school bus blindfolded (and crashed it) should never be given a new bus.
4. Do not let someone making an "incentive" bonus manage a nuclear plant – or your financial risks.
5. Counter-balance complexity with simplicity.
6. Do not give children sticks of dynamite, even if they come with a warning.
7. Only Ponzi schemes should depend on confidence. Governments should never need to "restore confidence".
8. Do not give an addict more drugs if he has withdrawl pains.
9. Citizens should not depend on financial assets or fallible "expert" advice for their retirement.
10. Make an omlette with the broken eggs.


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This weekend we'll be treated to the 40th meeting between Manchester United and Liverpool in the Premier League a rivalry that has quickly become a judge match between the two most successful sides in English football.
United have now usurped The Reds as the domestic kings, having won their record 19th league title last term, but it's the Anfield side's European dominance that sees them as more than equals to the crown of England's biggest league side.
Each clubs' success on home turf means popularity on our shores is natural, but it's both sides' work in Asia and beyond that makes this fixture a worldwide event.
Both clubs have exploited the Asian market, and with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard, David Beckham and Fernando Torres having passed through in recent years, who would blame them. Multiple tours to the far east have also assisted to increase the popularity of the pair.
In addition, with the pair playing in a division could next season command television income in excess of £2bn, you can see why their success overseas is accentuated.
In October's drab, but eventually controversial encounter on Merseyside close to half a billion people tuned in, and this coming weekend, with Luis Suarez set to make his first start since his eight-game ban, numbers are expected to multiple.
The clash was beamed to 211 countries, leaving just 27 without access to the Premier League's elite.
"You know the difference – Barcelona's one end of the country, Madrid the other," Sir Alex Ferguson said last year. "The fans don't travel."
"The only game that can rival United-Liverpool is Rangers-Celtic," he added. "I have always considered it to be the game of the season in English football."
"It is a massive game for both clubs. There is a tremendous profile on it and there will be interest throughout the country."
On a global stage, the only competitor to United and Liverpool's crown comes from Barcelona and Real Madrid, who despite being beamed to a quarter as many countries, attracts an audience of close to 400 million.
With plans to alter the kick-off time to suit the Asian audience, we could see La Liga's biggest fixture usurp their Premier League counterparts. Madrid tested the concept earlier in the season in their league match with Osasuna, which saw 120 million additional viewers just from China.
Reminders of trophy hauls, and off the field incidents are likely to keep United and Liverpool's rivalry as fresh and important as ever, but viewing figures across the world could soon see it usurped as the world's biggest.


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The accidental NGO and USAID transparency test
The following post was written by Till Bruckner, PhD candidate at the University of Bristol and former Transparency International Georgia aid monitoring coordinator. An op-ed from Bill in Monday's Wall Street Journal mentioned Till's struggles with USAID; here Till provides the details. The aid industry routinely pushes institutions in developing countries to become more transparent and accountable. But a slow and almost comically incomplete donor response to a request to see some specific project budgets sheds light on exactly how willing donors are to apply such "best practices" to themselves.
As I described in a previous Aid Watch blog post, I filed a Freedom of Information request with USAID after ten international NGOs working in the Republic of Georgia refused to publish their project budgets. After a painful, 14-month struggle, including failing to respond at all to my first three communications, USAID finally released a set of documents covering project budgets of 19 UN bodies, NGOs and private contractors.
The documents are disappointingly full of blacked-out non-information. The level of disclosure varies drastically from one document to the next. Some budgets are provided in full, while others appear as blacked-out row upon row. In three cases, USAID even withheld the identity of the contractor itself. USAID explained this inconsistency saying that it was legally required to contact each grantee to give it "the opportunity to address how the disclosure of their information could reasonably be expected to cause substantial competitive harm."
I wondered why USAID is legally bound to follow its grantees' wishes in deciding which information to withhold. Can the grantees of a US federal agency really compel that agency to keep the total amount disbursed, or even their very identities, secret? Why doesn't USAID specify full disclosure as a grant condition? I have filed an appeal with USAID to address these questions, and will keep the readers of this blog updated.
Since according to USAID every piece of blacked-out information was withheld on request of the grantee, the budgets provide a fascinating glimpse into aid agencies' willingness to open their books. If USAID blackouts do NOT correspond to NGO requests, I would be happy to correct the record.
Perhaps surprisingly, the United Nations showed the highest consistent commitment to transparency. The budgets of the two UN agencies funded by USAID are both reproduced in full.
UMCOR, Mercy Corps, and AIHA emerge as the most transparent NGOs. These charities apparently felt that they had nothing to hide, and did not request USAID to black out any of the information contained in their budgets.
In contrast, Save the Children apparently asked USAID to withhold all information related to salaries. As even the aggregate subtotals for international and national staff have been blacked out, concerns about the privacy of individual staff members cannot have been the sole concern driving the organization's response. Still, the fact that all non-salary related budget lines remain visible put Save the Children in the middle ground in terms of NGO transparency.
CARE's response is harder to interpret as USAID inexplicably sent only an aggregated "summary budget" that leaves little to conceal. What information exists shows that CARE did not object to the release of unit prices for supplementary food items, or of aggregated staff and operational support costs. In contrast, CARE appears to regard its "indirect cost rate" and "cost share" as confidential. To hide this information, USAID also had to black out the budget's bottom line, thus leaving unclear how many taxpayer dollars were handed over in total.
The least transparent NGOs in this test are CNFA, World Vision, and Counterpart International. They apparently requested that USAID black out all information in their budgets except for the grand total. Apparently, these NGOs consider budget items such as "office furniture" (CNFA), "visibility items (t-shirts, caps, publications)" (World Vision) and "forklift expenses" (Counterpart) as confidential information whose release could cause them substantial competitive harm.
What does this transparency test tell us? First, USAID's mechanism for responding to Freedom of Information requests desperately needs an overhaul. It took USAID 14 months to respond to a simple information request. Ironically, in terms of FOIA responsiveness, USAID is less transparent than public institutions in the Republic of Georgia, as recently assessed by a local watchdog organization. And we are still waiting to hear why USAID allows its own contractors to operate in secrecy whenever they wish. All of this places USAID in an awkward position as it recommends greater transparency and accountability to Georgia.
Second, NGOs have publicly committed themselves to transparency and accountability, but their actions show that their interpretations of what this entails in practice differ widely. For example, World Vision is a full member of the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership, but still asked USAID to hide all of its budget information apart from the bottom line. The Georgian country office of Mercy Corps had earlier refused to release its project budgets, but its headquarters apparently has no such reservations. Save the Children is willing to release indirect cost rates but refuses to divulge even aggregate salary information, while CARE appears more relaxed regarding human resource expenses even as it fiercely guards information on its indirect costs rates. Both USAID and the NGOs have too often violated the elementary principles of transparency.


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HIV/AIDS: The Basics
Part of HIV and Its Treatment
What is HIV/AIDS?
The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is the virus that causes HIV infection. During HIV infection, the virus attacks and destroys the infection-fighting CD4 cells of the body's immune system. Loss of CD4 cells makes it difficult for the immune system to fight infections.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, is the most advanced stage of HIV infection.
How is HIV transmitted?
HIV is transmitted (spread) through the blood, semen, genital fluids, or breast milk of a person infected with HIV. Having unprotected sex or sharing drug injection equipment (such as needles and syringes) with a person infected with HIV are the most common ways HIV is transmitted.
You can't get HIV by shaking hands, hugging, or closedmouth kissing with a person who is infected with HIV. And you can't get HIV from contact with objects such as toilet seats, doorknobs, dishes, or drinking glasses used by a person infected with HIV.
Even though it takes many years for symptoms of HIV to develop, a person infected with HIV can spread the virus at any stage of HIV infection. Detecting HIV early after infection and starting treatment with anti-HIV medications before symptoms of HIV develop can help people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. Treatment can also reduce the risk of transmission of HIV.
What is the treatment for HIV?
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the recommended treatment for HIV infection. ART involves taking a combination (regimen) of three or more anti-HIV medications daily. ART prevents HIV from multiplying and destroying infection-fighting CD4 cells. This helps the body fight off life-threatening infections and cancer.
ART can't cure HIV, but anti-HIV medications help people infected with HIV live longer, healthier lives.
Can treatment prevent HIV from advancing to AIDS?
Yes. Treatment with anti-HIV medications prevents HIV from multiplying and destroying the immune system. This helps the body fight off life-threatening infections and cancers and prevents HIV from advancing to AIDS. It takes many years, but without treatment, HIV infection can advance to AIDS. A diagnosis of AIDS requires that a person infected with HIV have either:
- A CD4 count of less than 200 cells/mm3. (The CD4 count of a healthy person ranges from 500 to 1,200 cells/mm3.)
- An AIDS-defining condition. (AIDS-defining conditions include opportunistic infections and cancers that are lifethreatening in a person with HIV. Having an AIDS-defining condition signals that a person's HIV infection has advanced to AIDS.)
What illnesses are considered AIDS-defining conditions?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers several illnesses AIDS-defining conditions. Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, tuberculosis, and toxoplasmosis are examples of AIDS-defining conditions.
For More Information
Contact an AIDS_info_ health information specialist at 1-800-448-0440 or visit http://aidsinfo.nih.gov. See your health care provider for medical advice.
This information is based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents.


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How many images can be stored on the included 16MB SmartMedia Card?
Where is the Reference Manual for the D-40 Zoom?
The CD-ROM provides a full Reference Manual in PDF format on the CD-ROM. Adobe Acrobat - which is provided on the CD-ROM - is necessary to view the PDF manual. The printed manual that is included with the camera is a "Basic Manual".
How do I download from the camera to my computer?
Instructions for downloading images from the D-40 Zoom are located at http://www.olympusamerica.com/download.
What is the "pixel mapping" function and what does it do?
The pixel mapping function checks the CCD and image processing functions. For optimized results, be sure to activate the pixel mapping function only after the camera's power has been turned off for at least one minute following shooting or playback.
I slide the cover open, but I am unable to take a picture?
The cover opens in two positions. To completely open the lens cover for shooting images, slide the lens cover over until you hear two clicks. When the camera is on the first position, you can playback images.
How do I check the amount of images that I can take and the quality mode?
Press the monitor button. The amount of images that can be stored and the selected quality mode will appear in lower-left corner of the LCD display.
How long do the batteries last in the Olympus D-40 Zoom camera?
With the provided Olympus CR-V3 batteries, you will get approximately 300 images under normal use. Using the Olympus Ni-MH batteries, you can get approximately 120 images per charge, and with alkaline batteries you would get approximately 30 images.


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Staff writer
Lightning skittered between the clouds, gusts of wind carried hints of the smell of rain, and gritty dust swirled up from the tractor tires into my teeth and eyes last Tuesday night as my husband and I planted wheat.
The adrenaline of the moment erased earlier disasters of the day. Tuesday is my day to work late at the newspaper office and things were not coming together in an orderly fashion. My cell phone continued to jingle as my husband called about the myriad of things that were going wrong back at the farm.
The pigs got out. One got put back in the pen, the other ended up on the barbecue grill. It took forever to complete the final disking to smooth the seedbed. The fertilizer cost way more than we had to invest. The electrical wiring on the tractor had some good and some bad moments. And worst of all, in the rush to get the seed in the ground, my husband stepped on the hitch of the tractor, which was covered with slippery oil and fell hard, landing on his face and chest, smack down on the gravel driveway. Ouch.
The last I heard from him while I was still at the office and before his cell phone went dead was a mumbled bunch of groans. I could make out only that "I'm lying on the ground and I'm not getting up."
OK, so it was a stormy night in more ways than one, but through it all the heart of a farmer perseveres, right?
Never mind that the old-timers at McDonalds at coffee hour said it was too early to plant. With rain forecast for the coming three days, we wanted to get our wheat in the ground, no matter what it took.
It was exciting to finally get everything rolling at 9 p.m. The storm seemed to be holding off as we made the first few rounds together.
There is something special about planting time. Putting seed in the ground is like knowing there is hope for the future. It is comparable to hay in the barn, a retirement fund, groceries in the cupboard, that kind of thing.
Our wheat planting experience is nothing like the upscale version of GPS system farming our wealthier neighbors enjoy. In fact, we know it will be a miracle if we managed to get in any straight rows at all.
About halfway through our 40-acre field goal, the storm broke. I was driving the planting tractor while my husband ran to move the equipment holding the seed off the field. It was pitch black except for occasional lightning strikes.
Suddenly the wind came up so strong that dust billowed around and into the tractor, reducing visibility to nil.
I couldn't see the tracks from the previous pass; in fact, I had no idea where I even was in the field. I just drove on.
I could not see through the front window of the tractor so I stood up and wiped off what I could while driving. The greasy rag I used didn't help matters much.
When it started to rain, I knew I needed to get off the field, but how and where? I just kept going.
Good thing the old Minnie was straight and true. I love our Minneapolis-Moline tractor. She is like a loyal dog. Put her in gear and point her in the right direction and she just goes.
That is what I did, just kept her pointed in what I hoped was the right direction. Finally I saw the end of the field and whipped her around to go back home.
By the time I got back across from the barn and pulled over to the side of the field, mud was caking the planter tires and rain was pouring from heaven.
It was wonderful and insane at the same time. Lightning flashed all around and thunder boomed as my husband and I stood at the edge of the field enjoying the moment.
There is nothing better than planting in a storm to make one realize that circle of life goes on, no matter what the complications of the day bring. A little darkness, a little dirt, a little hurt, a little rain, a big storm, they all end eventually, and a few days later the wheat comes up. Nice.


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Sprint Cup 2013 Preview: Martinsville
Denny Hamlin had a rough off week during the Easter holidays.
After battling for the win with newfound rival Joey Logano during the last lap at Auto Club Speedway, contact sent the #11 car crashing into the inside wall. Hamlin was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a compression fracture in his back.
Any hopes we had of seeing a rivalry renewed at Martinsville crashed along with the diagnosis.
In Hamlin's defense, it has nothing to do with pain tolerance. If Hamlin was to suffer another hard hit while trying to gut it out, he could risk being paralyzed.
"Since I already have my spine broken up into two pieces," Hamlin said during a candid interview with ESPN's Marty Smith, "if you get in another wreck, those pieces will then shatter & get into your spinal cord. That's something I don't want to risk."
I wouldn't want to risk that either.
Hamlin has never had to have a substitute driver during his career. But if he had to have one, Mark Martin is a pretty good guy to have come off the bench. Hamlin has spoken with Martin this week about how he attacks the half-mile track, and Martin, a veteran to say the least, has said he's learned a thing or two.
"He was very forthcoming with how he approaches practice & how he approaches the race as far as lines he drives," Martin said. "That information is there & it's a two-way street."
After this week, Brian Vickers will take over the #11 car until Hamlin fully recovers. Without a full-time ride for 2014, Vickers time in the #11 car could be an evaluation period for other Cup owners.
But Hamlin is definitely not okay with everything.
"It's personal," Hamlin said, "because I'm the one who has to go through rehab three times a week. I'm the one that has to deal with the repercussion from this wreck. He's going to move on, as if nothing happened."
Well, we won't forget. But we have to move on to Martinsville.
What to look for this weekend:
Jimmie Johnson: For years, J.J. struggled at Bristol, the other half-mile on the Sprint Cup schedule. He's never had an issue being fast at Martinsville. He's got a 7.92 average finish for his career, and a win under his belt already this season. He's definitely the favorite headed into the weekend.
Brad Keselowski: I feel like every week I put B.K. and J.J. on the highlight list, so why stop now? Brad has a pretty crazy streak going at flat tracks: heading into this weekend, he's finished in the top 10 at flat tracks like Martinsville, Richmond, Phoenix & New Hampshire 9 straight times
Kevin Harvick: He's been up and down early this season, but Martinsville is a place for the closer to regain form. For his career, he ranks sixth on the average finish chart at the track, with a 12.24.
Prediction: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has snuck his way into the points lead heading into this race, and I think he'll extend that lead this weekend with a win. Did you know that Jr. has led more laps at Martinsville than any other track in his career?


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5 Bundal Street CHERMSIDE QLD 4032 AU
1319 Gympie Road ASPLEY QLD 4034 AU
1203 Gympie Road ASPLEY QLD 4034 AU
1 Sedgemoor Street STAFFORD HEIGHTS QLD 4053 AU
31 Zenith Avenue CHERMSIDE QLD 4032 AU
113/14 Everest Street WARNER QLD 4500 AU
88/10 Radiant Street TAIGUM QLD 4018 AU
5 Chopin Street STRATHPINE QLD 4500 AU
33 Syma Street CHERMSIDE WEST QLD 4032 AU
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|Oven Roasted Turkey
How to Roast a Turkey
Happy Thanksgiving! We are lucky to spend these major holidays with family every year, so I don't host the typical large spread at my home. I do, however, always do a little mini spread either before or after the main event, just for The Cajun and me, where I roast a turkey and do some of my favorite sides, including homemade turkey gravy from the drippings (sometimes with giblets, sometimes without), homemade mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, because I have to have my green bean casserole and dressing at the very least. What else I add depends on my mood, or if I'm trying something new.
I've outlined the entire turkey process, step by step, here, and provided a great printable too. Just click the link!
I just want to express my gratitude for all of you. Thank you for visiting my little site here, for having confidence in my recipes, and for being a part of this experience here and on the Facebook page. Thank you for your friendship, for your sweet comments and heartwarming emails sharing bits and pieces of yourselves and for the tears we sometimes share together. You are all truly a joy and I am grateful to have met you. Go. Enjoy your family and make some memories. Food. Family. Memories. Happy Thanksgiving y'all!
Love and hugs, Mary
☛ Are you on Facebook? If you haven't already, come and join the party! We have a lot of fun & there's always room for one more at the table.


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A book in which 'commonplaces' or passages important for reference were collected, usually under general heads; hence, a book in which one records passages or matters to be especially remembered or referred to, with or without arrangement.
1578 COOPER: A studious young man..may gather to himselfe good furniture both of words and approved phrases and to make to his use as it were a common place booke.
1642 FULLER: A Common-place-book contains many notions in garrison, whence the owner may draw out an army into the field.
1668 HALE: I have commended the making and using of a Commonplace Book, as the best expedient that I know, for the orderly and profitable study of the Law.
1794 GIBBON: I filled a folio commonplace-book with my collections and remarks on the geography of Italy.
1837-9 HALLAM: They registered all his table-talk in commonplace-books alphabetically arranged.
Sunday morning brings the dawn in. It's just a restless feeling by my side. Early dawning, Sunday morning, it's just the wasted years so close behind. Watch out, the world's behind you. There's always someone around you who will call. It's nothing at all.
Sunday morning, and I'm falling. I've got a feeling I don't want to know. Early dawning, Sunday morning: it's all the streets you crossed, not so long ago. Watch out, the world's behind you. There's always someone around you who will call. It's nothing at all
"Peace upon earth!" was said. We sing it
And pay a million priests to bring it.
After two thousand years of mass
We've got as far as poison-gas.
A long, long time ago,
In the land of idiot boys,
There lived a cat, a phenomenal cat,
Who loved to wallow all day.
No one bothered him
As he sat content in his tree.
He just lived to eat: it kept him fat,
And that's how he wanted to stay.
Though he was big and fat,
All the world was good to him,
And he pointed out on the map
All the places he had been...
Fum, fum, diddle-um da
La la la la, la-la la la
Old boy he ran a little stop sign in the south
And he got in deeper trouble with his mouth
They wouldn't let him phone or make a bail
Just let him sit there in that Delford County jail.
It wudn't me, it wudn't me
I'm so glad it wudn't me
No phone, no bail, no plea
Oh, I'm so glad it wudn't me.
He had to break out of that Delford County jail
They put a Grand Dragon posse on his trail
And seven Alabama bloodhounds in a line
Buckin' and barkin' for a bite of his behind.
It wudn't me, it wudn't me
I'm so glad it wudn't me
Hound posses ain't my cup of tea
Oh, I'm so glad it wudn't me.
He was streakin' through the Delta double three
But them hungry hounds was gainin'on his lee
His feet was playin' "Louisiana Bound"
Lord, you help me pick 'em up, I'll put 'em down.
It wudn't me, it wudn't me
I'm so glad it wudn't me
Prayin' ain't no sure guarantee
Oh, I'm so glad it wudn't me.
He was streakin' through the Delta, stridin' wide
But that leadin' hound was meters from his hide
Lord, bless my feet, don't let 'em go corrupt
I'll lay 'em down as fast as you can pick 'em up.
It wudn't me, it wudn't me
I'm so glad it wudn't me
Just meters from a canine jubilee
Oh, I'm so glad it wudn't me.
He reached a highway through the ticket on the side
And a trucker came along and let him ride
But as he settled down to thank him for no harm
He saw a swastika-KKK band on his arm.
That's when he knew he had to get on help himself
'Stead of depending on someone else
He hung a left into that thicket 'cross the fence
And ain't nobody ever sawed or seen him since...
"I was still busy in pushing forward the repairs to the railroad bridge at Bear Creek, and in patching up the many breaks between it and Tuscumbia, when on the 27th of October [1863], as I sat on the porch of a house, I was approached by a dirty, black-haired individual with mixed dress and strange demeanor, who inquired for me, and, on being assured that I was in fact the man, he handed me a letter from General Blair at Tuscumbia, and another short one, which was a telegraph-message from General Grant at Chattanooga, addressed to me through General George Crook, commanding at Huntsville, Alabama, to this effect: 'Drop all work on Memphis & Charleston Railroad, cross the Tennessee and hurry eastward with all possible dispatch toward Bridgeport, till you meet further orders from me. U. S. GRANT.' The bearer of this message was Corporal Pike, who described to me, in his peculiar way, that General Crook had sent him in a canoe; that he had paddled down the Tennessee River, over Muscle Shoals, was fired at all the way by guerrillas, but on reaching Tuscumbia he had providentially found it in possession of our troops. He had reported to General Blair, who sent him on to me at Iuka. This Pike proved to be a singular character; his manner attracted my notice at once, and I got him a horse, and had him travel with us eastward to about Elkton, whence I sent him back to General Crook at Huntsville; but told him, if I could ever do him a personal service, he might apply to me. The next spring when I was in Chattanooga, preparing for the Atlanta campaign, Corporal Pike made his appearance and asked a fulfillment of my promise. I inquired what he wanted, and he said he wanted to do something bold, something that would make him a hero. I explained to him, that we were getting ready to go for Joe Johnston at Dalton, that I expected to be in the neighborhood of Atlanta about the 4th of July, and wanted the bridge across the Savannah River at Augusta, Georgia, to be burnt about that time, to produce alarm and confusion behind the rebel army. I explained to Pike that the chances were three to one that he would be caught and hanged; but the greater the danger the greater seemed to be his desire to attempt it. I told him to select a companion, to disguise himself as an East Tennessee refugee, work his way over the mountains into North Carolina, and at the time appointed to float down the Savannah River and burn that bridge. In a few days he had made his preparations and took his departure. The bridge was not burnt, and I supposed that Pike had been caught and hanged. When we reached Columbia, South Carolina, in February, 1865, just as we were leaving the town, in passing near the asylum, I heard my name called, and saw a very dirty fellow followed by a file of men running toward me, and as they got near I recognized Pike. He called to me to identify him as one of my men; he was then a prisoner under guard, and I instructed the guard to bring him that night to my camp some fifteen miles up the road, which was done. Pike gave me a graphic narrative of his adventures, which would have filled a volume; told me how he had made two attempts to burn the bridge, and failed; and said that at the time of our entering Columbia he was a prisoner in the hands of the rebels, under trial for his life, but in the confusion of their retreat he made his escape and got into our lines, where he was again made a prisoner by our troops because of his looks. Pike got some clothes, cleaned up, and I used him afterward to communicate with Wilmington, North Carolina. Some time after the war, he was appointed a lieutenant of the Regular Cavalry, and was killed in Oregon, by the accidental discharge of a pistol. Just before his death he wrote me, saying that he was tired of the monotony of garrison-life, and wanted to turn Indian, join the Cheyennes on the Plains, who were then giving us great trouble, and, after he had gained their confidence, he would betray them into our hands. Of course I wrote him that he must try and settle down and become a gentleman as well as an officer, apply himself to his duties, and forget the wild desires of his nature, which were well enough in time of war, but not suited to his new condition as an officer; but, poor fellow! he was killed by an accident, which probably saved him from a slower but harder fate."
—from the "Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman"
He is said to have been the last Red Man
In Acton. And the Miller is said to have laughed—
If you like to call such a sound a laugh.
But he gave no one else a laugher's license.
For he turned suddenly grave as if to say,
"Whose business,—if I take it on myself,
Whose business—but why talk round the barn?—
When it's just that I hold with getting a thing done with."
You can't get back and see it as he saw it.
It's too long a story to go into now.
You'd have to have been there and lived it.
Then you wouldn't have looked on it as just a matter
Of who began it between the two races.
Some guttural exclamation of surprise
The Red Man gave in poking about the mill
Over the great big thumping shuffling mill-stone
Disgusted the Miller physically as coming
From one who had no right to be heard from.
"Come, John," he said, "you want to see the wheel pit?"
He took him down below a cramping rafter,
And showed him, through a manhole in the floor,
The water in desperate straits like frantic fish,
Salmon and sturgeon, lashing with their tails.
Then he shut down the trap door with a ring in it
That jangled even above the general noise,
And came up stairs alone—and gave that laugh,
And said something to a man with a meal-sack
That the man with the meal-sack didn't catch—then.
Oh, yes, he showed John the wheel pit all right.
In Havenpool Harbour the ebb was strong,
And a man with a dog drew near and hung,
And taxpaying day was coming along,
So the mongrel had to be drowned.
The man threw a stick from the paved wharf-side
Into the midst of the ebbing tide,
And the dog jumped after with ardent pride
To bring the stick aground.
But no: the steady suck of the flood
To seaward needed, to be withstood,
More than the strength of mongrelhood
To fight its treacherous trend.
So, swimming for life with desperate will,
The struggler with all his natant skill
Kept bouyant in front of his master still
There standing to wait the end.
The loving eyes of the dog inclined
To the man he held as a god enshrined,
With no suspicion in his mind
That this had all been meant.
Till the effort not to drift from shore
Of his little legs grew slower and slower,
And, the tide still outing with brookless power,
Outward the dog, too, went.
Just ere his sinking what does one see
Break on the face of that devotee?
A wakening to the treachery
He had loved with love so blind?
The faith that had shone in that mongrel's eye
That his owner would save him by and by
Turned to much like a curse as he sank to die,
And a loathing of mankind.
"Waiting Both"
A star looks down at me,
And says: "Here I and you
Stand, each in our degree:
What do you mean to do,––
Mean to do?"
I say: "For all I know,
Wait, and let Time go by,
Till my change come." –– "Just so,"
The star says, "So mean I,
So mean I."
Cf. Job 14:10-14 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
N.B.: "Waiting Both" was first published in The London Mercury for November 1924. Collected in Human Shows: Far Phantasies, Songs & Trifles (1925), where it appears as the first poem in the volume. Written in the early 1920s, according to Samuel Hynes in his edition of the complete poems.
Upon making known our desires for a supper and a bed, Mrs. Hussey, postponing further scolding for the present, ushered us into a little room, and seating us at a table spread with the relics of a recently concluded repast, turned round to us and said - "Clam or Cod?"
"What's that about Cods, ma'am?" said I, with much politeness.
"Clam or Cod?" she repeated.
"A clam for supper? a cold clam; is that what you mean, Mrs. Hussey?" says I; "but that's a rather cold and clammy reception in the winter time, ain't it, Mrs Hussey?"
But being in a great hurry to resume scolding the man in the purple shirt, who was waiting for it in the entry, and seeming to hear nothing but the word "clam," Mrs. Hussey hurried towards an open door leading to the kitchen, and bawling out "clam for two," disappeared.
"Queequeg," said I, "do you think that we can make out a supper for us both on one clam?"
However, a warm savory steam from the kitchen served to belie the apparently cheerless prospect before us. But when that smoking chowder came in, the mystery was delightfully explained. Oh, sweet friends! hearken to me. It was made of small juicy clams, scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuit, and salted pork cut up into little flakes; the whole enriched with butter, and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt. Our appetites being sharpened by the frosty voyage, and in particular, Queequeg seeing his favorite fishing food before him, and the chowder being surpassingly excellent, we despatched it with great expedition: when leaning back a moment and bethinking me of Mrs. Hussey's clam and cod announcement, I thought I would try a little experiment. Stepping to the kitchen door, I uttered the word "cod" with great emphasis, and resumed my seat. In a few moments the savory steam came forth again, but with a different flavor, and in good time a fine cod- chowder was placed before us.
We resumed business; and while plying our spoons in the bowl, thinks I to myself, I wonder now if this here has any effect on the head? What's that stultifying saying about chowder-headed people? "But look, Queequeg, ain't that a live eel in your bowl? Where's your harpoon?"
Fishiest of all fishy places was the Try Pots, which well deserved its name; for the pots there were always boiling chowders. Chowder for breakfast, and chowder for dinner, and chowder for supper, till you began to look for fish-bones coming through your clothes.
--Melville, "Moby-Dick"


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State's poet laureate Morehead to speak at library this week
'Cornbread Mafia' author to
speak at library next week
James Higdon, whose Cornbread Mafia, about a drug-dealing syndicate in Marion County, has been very popular, will speak about his book at the Shelby County Public Library.
Higdon will appear at 6-7 p.m. March 14, and the event requires registration for seating purposes. You can reserve your seat or learn more by calling 633-3803.
Have you ever seen a film that's romantic but not sappy, humorous but not slapstick, with religious overtones but not spouting fire and brimstone?
That might be a way to describe Pieces of Easter, a spiritual movie created and filmed in Shelbyville, Simpsonville, Finchville, Oldham and Jefferson counties and in Indiana that hits theaters today.
7th-grader Martion's play makes cut at Actors
Gavin Martion, a seventh-grader at East Middle School, was a semifinalist recently in Actors Theatre of Louisville's eighth annual New Voices Young Playwrights contest.
Gavin submitted a 10-minute play, and his piece was chosen from among 512 entries – the only middle school student to advance that deep into the competition.
Shelby student among
'Pirates' at WKU
Tristen Milburn, a sophomore from Shelbyville, has a role in Western Kentucky University's production of The Pirates of Penzance, which will be performed March 1-3 at WKU's Van Meter Hall March 1-3.
Rick Reinle didn't set out to direct the stage production of Harvey, which this weekend begins a 2-week run at Shelby County Community Theatre. He initially tried out for the lead.
But a twist of plot – and fate and friendship – persuaded Reinle to change his plans, and he stepped into the role of director with Bob Zielinski (co-director) when Zielinski faced extensive surgery.
Susanne Busey Osberg plays recital in Louisville
Susanne Busey Osberg, who grew up in Bagdad and studied music at the Boston Conservatory of Music, is returning to Kentucky this week for a piano recital at a church in Louisville.
Busey will perform at St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church in Louisville at 5 p.m. Sunday with a program that will include J. S. Bach's Italian Concerto and portions of Franz Liszt's Années de pèlerinage (Years of Pilgrimage).
Author Van Stockum to speak at Painted Stone event
The Painted Stone Settlers Inc. will host a public program featuring author and Sentinel-News columnist Ronald Van Stockum at 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at Stratton Center in Shelbyville.
Van Stockum speaking about his latest book, Remembrances of World Wars.
Copies of the book will be available for sale. For more information, call 502-500-4475, 502-228-3746 or 502-738-9435 or visit www.paintedstonesettlers.org.
Shelby artist McCardwell part
of annual exhibit in Frankfort
Michael McCardwell of Shelby County is one of 28 artists from across the commonwealth whose works are on display in hallways and conference rooms of the Kentucky Senate and House offices in the Capitol Annex in Frankfort.
The show, which opened Tuesday and continues through March 26, is the Kentucky Arts Council's "Kentucky Visions at the Capitol," an annual exhibit.
Shelby Artists on Main, in its ninth year in downtown Shelbyville, has introduced its newest addition, Pati Wright, a stained-glass artist who is being featured this month at The Gallery at SAOM.
Originally from Louisville and growing up primarily in Taylorsville, Wright lives in Shelbyville, and her stained-glass artwork can be seen in front window of Shelby Artists on Main.
Copyright © 2019
The Sentinel-News is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Shelby County and Shelbyville, KY, and the surrounding area.


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For nearly 18 years now, most advanced mathematical work in
theoretical particle physics has centered on something known as
string theory. This theory is built on the idea that elementary
particles are not pointlike objects but are the vibration modes
of one-dimensional "stringlike" entities. This
formulation hopes to do away with certain lingering problems
in fundamental particle physics and to offer the possibility
of soon explaining all physical
phenomenaýeverything from neutrinos to black
holesýwith a single theory. Fifteen years ago Edward
Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study made the widely
quoted claim that "string theory is a part of
21st-century physics that fell by chance into the 20th
century," so perhaps it is now
time to begin judging the success or failure of this new way
of thinking about particle physics.
The strongest scientific argument in favor of string theory
is that it appears to contain a theory of gravity embedded
within it and thus may provide a solution to the thorny
problem of reconciling Einstein's general relativity with
quantum mechanics and the rest of particle physics. There
are, however, two fundamental problems, which are hard to
get around.
First, string theory predicts that the world
has 10 space-time dimensions, in serious disagreement with
all the evidence of one's senses. Matching string theory
with reality requires that one postulate six unobserved
spatial dimensions of very small size wrapped up in one way
or another. All the predictions of the theory depend on how
you do this, but there are an infinite number of possible
choices, and no one has any idea how to determine which is
The second concern is that even the part of
string theory that is understood is internally inconsistent.
This aspect of the theory relies on a series expansion, an
infinite number of terms that one is supposed to sum
together to get a result. Whereas each of the terms in the
series is probably finite, their sum is almost certainly
infinite. String theorists actually consider this
inconsistency to be a virtue, because otherwise they would have
an infinite number of consistent theories of gravity on
their hands (one for each way of wrapping up six
dimensions), with no principle for choosing among them.


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Still Kicking: TrashMan Speaks Live From Prison! (Locked Up Now For Threat Video) - Claims Hes Coming For Alot Of Ppl & Jim Jones When He Gets Out! "This AInt Nothing New. Im On Vaction" [Audio]
Trashman speaks live from prison. For those of you who dont know Trash Man, hes the guy who got locked up after releasing a threat video online. Now he claims hes coming back after being released from prison
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Tinton Cocktail
1/3 Port Wine. (sink 3/4 oz Warre's Warrior Porto)
2/3 Applejack or Calvados. (1 1/2 oz MONTREUIL RESERVE CALVADOS)
(dash Angostura Orange Bitters)
Shake (Stir, please) well (the Calvados and orange bitters) and strain into cocktail glass. (Over the back of a spoon, pour the Port Wine down the side of the glass as a "sink".
When I first made the Princeton Cocktail, I didn't realize that properly made, the Port Wine should be added as a "sink". Attempting to rectify that situation, I have applied that methodology to the Tinton. I think it looks, and tastes, kind of cool.
A few years ago, when I was first getting to know my mother-in-law, I discovered her displeasure at having her Old-Fashioned glasses cleared before she felt she was finished with them. She enjoyed lingering over the dregs of the cocktail, the diluted bitters and whiskey, which collected in the bottom of her glass. Woe betide the waiter, who cleared that glass without asking.
When thinking about that, I started thinking about the tautology of the life of a cocktail. You want it to be enjoyable to the drinker for the whole time they have it, not everyone is "one and done" with their drink.
Which also got me to thinking about cocktails which evolve while you drink them.
The Old-Fashioned is a good example. Usually, when it is put in front of you, the ice has only begun to melt. It should sting a little. As you savor, the ice melts further, chilling and diluting the drink. By the end, you are left with mostly water, which on a hot, humid day in Wisconsin, isn't a bad thing.
In a similar way, 'Ti Punch is another drink which can be a bit of a bear the first few sips, the heat and fire of the Rhum Agricole needs time to be tamed by the melt from the cubes and to blend with the cane syrup and lime peel.
In a more obvious way, the Princeton changes as you drink it. The first few sips will be almost entirely cold Gin. Then as you tilt it back, you find it being more mixed with the Port. The last few sips will mostly be Port.
This works just as well, orignal recipe intention or not, with the Tinton. And I do think the Orange Bitters were a nice addition.
Admittedly, most cocktail drinkers, we hope, down their cocktails quickly, while they are still cold.
But some drinks are meant to be lingered over, to enjoy the puzzle provided by the evolution of the spirits, ice, and flavor as they mingle over time.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.


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With over 11 years of history, DanceDanceRevolution® comes to the PS3 for the first time integrating PlayStation Move! In addition, DanceDanceRevolution Wii comes back bigger and better bringing fitness, free movement and fun to a whole new level for all DanceDanceRevolution fans.


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Post by Stefan of Tokyo Whisky Hub
Today, the second release in Liquors Hasegawa's Karuizawa series "Colors of Four Seasons" went on sale. This time, they selected a cask from the final vintage (#5173) - distilled on December 1st, 2000 and bottled 12 years and 2 months later at 64.8% abv. The success of their first release (just 82 bottles) probably gave them a bit of confidence to go for a cask with a slightly higher outturn (185 bottles). The result was pretty much the same, though: all of it was gone in less than 3 hours. I had the chance to try it today and it's definitely a young Karuizawa, which sounds a bit like stating the obvious, but those of you who have had the chance to try a few different 2000 Karuizawas will understand what I mean. This whisky hasn't had the first-fill sherry cask boost that other recent releases from the same vintage have had. It's fresh - which ties in with the seasons theme: suggestive of spring, according to the staff - a little rough, a little "dirty"- in the good sense of the word! - and it has that slightly "metallic" edge that typifies the Karuizawa spirit, which is not always easy to pick up in older and/or 1st-fill-sherry-cask matured expressions. It'll be interesting to see what sort of cask they're going to find "summer" and "winter" in. They're still looking but it promises to be an interesting little series, so keep an eye on what they're up to when summer approaches!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Colors of Four Seasons 2: Karuizawa 2000/2013 for Liquors Hasegawa
2 comments:
Hi Stefan,
I had a bottle of this and it is ..... very not Karuizawa-style I must say. It certainly doesn't have the Sherry character, could it be this Karuizawa was aged in an American Oak cask? By the way, I love this bottle.
- March 25, 2013 at 11:16 AM
- Stefan said...
Hi Aaron, thanks for your comment. I agree it's very atypical Karuizawa, but it was definitely matured in ex-sherry wood. It must have been a refill cask (2nd, 3rd, who knows?). Glad to hear you're enjoying it!
- March 25, 2013 at 12:11 PM
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The MT9820A is the most versatile, compact, and affordable test solution for the characterization of optical components and modules across the full telecommunication wavelength range
Anritsu Instruments Company, a subsidiary of Anritsu Corporation and a global provider of operational support solutions for advanced and converged networks, announced today the availability of its new MT9820A All-Band Optical Component Tester.
The Anritsu MT9820A is an optical test device designed to perform rapid insertion loss measurements on any fibre or bulk optical component over the entire telecom band. This extremely accurate device uses the latest sweeping method to monitor the output power and wavelength of up to four external tunable laser sources during using high-speed sweeps. Leveraging its four internal detectors, the MT9820A achieves lightning-fast analyses of multi-channels optical components, such as OADM, WSS, multiplexers, and interleavers. The unit also has interface capability for additional external detection units.
The MT9820A's patented configuration provides a unique solution that continuously sweeps over several lasers to achieve fast, full-range measurements of any CWDM, FTTX, or WDM optical component. A compact format, open architecture, flexible hardware inputs and outputs, and configurable software at one low price combine to make the MT9820A the most practical and affordable test solution for present and future applications.
"This unit adapts to any tunable laser source without compromising performance," says Gildas Chauvel, product manager at Anritsu. "It is certainly the best mate of optical engineers and technicians who need a reliable instrument to test or validate their design in a fast and accurate way – and with a low initial investment."
The MT9820A's unique combination of high-speed electronic and optical interferometry enable four real-time measurements with high resolution and accuracy – perfectly suitable for optical characterization during alignment and manufacturing processes, as well as for optical sensor analysis.
"With the MT9820A, Anritsu offers a revolutionary approach in optical testing" says Chauvel. "It bridges the gap between the two previous traditional approaches – slower and less accurate set-up based on step-by-step measurement, and high-cost completely rigid sweeping systems. The MT9820A provides fast and accurate loss measurement capabilities in a simple box that easily interfaces with the customer's tunable laser and PC."
The MT9820A overcomes the cost and additional requirements of a complete sweeping system. These traditional systems are often complex, rigid, and difficult to maintain and modify in mid- and long-term perspectives. With its ability to adapt to any existing installed base, along with its compact frame and low cost, the MT9820A is ideal for use on laboratory test benches.
MT9820A highlights: • High wavelength accuracy of ±1pm with a sampling resolution of 1pm • Fast analysis – up to 100nm/s • Up to four real-time measurements for testing multi-port components • Continuous sweep over several lasers – from 1250nm to 1650nm – to characterize broadband components • A high detection range of -60dBm to 0dBm for deep characterization of components • Low price and independent of the tunable laser source, adding value to existing test setup without technical and cost efforts • Hardware and software is adaptable to customer requirements
About MT9820A MT9820A is the most versatile, compact and low price solution to perform optical loss measurements of any optical component. Its unique patented configuration allows to sweep continuously over up to 4 Tunable Laser Sources, for a fast and accurate characterization over the whole Telecom bands. Compatible with any TLS, it can be easily integrated in existing R&D and manufacturing testing benches, for a low investment.
Availability The new MT9820A is available for immediate delivery.


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Latest News
As Syrian refugees flood Lebanon, security worries grow
With more than 700,000 Syrian refugees jammed into a country of fewer than 4 million that already was hosting an estimated 500,000 Syrian guest workers, tensions are rising in Lebanon, which was deeply divided even before civil war broke out in its neighbor to the east.
Three major security incidents involving car bombs, as well as a slew of smaller or unreported incidents throughout the country, have put the Lebanese back into familiar territory of not only fearing a wave of disruptive refugees – the last came in 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who've never left fled the creation of Israel – but also facing political uncertainty that many here blame on foreigners pressing their regional aspirations.
"They're everywhere," Michel Abukhayr said of the refugees. "Are they ever leaving? Or will they stay forever like the Palestinians did and force their wars and culture on us?
Abukhayr describes himself as a onetime vehement opponent of the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. But now he sees the arrival of the refugees as a nightmare that's weakened Lebanon's tourist-based economy, and he admits to agreeing with Assad's assessment of the president's enemies as terrorists.
"I hate Assad," Abukhayr said, "but he's right about a lot of these people: They're violent, they're (extremists) and between them and Hezbollah they will destroy this country. Again."
In Beirut's southern suburbs, a stronghold of mostly Shiite Muslim Hezbollah, the militant group's support for Assad is seen as a hedge against the regional aspirations of Saudi Arabia and Sunni Muslim ideologues aligned with al Qaida.
After two recent car bombings, Hezbollah instituted tough security measures to enter the southern neighborhoods that only the most security-conscious and efficient political and military movement in the Arab world could impose. Checkpoints mark all major entrances, and roving bands of gunmen check identification and license tags against an internal list of suspected bombers. Teams of Hezbollah militiamen range through the area at night with bomb-sniffing dogs, leaving residents feeling under siege and only slightly safer.
"I'd rather die in a car bomb than wait in this traffic every day for two hours on my way home from work," said a schoolteacher from the area who would identify herself only as Sally for security reasons. As her mother chided her, she backed off the claim, but only slightly.
"Hezbollah says these measures are for our own protection, and I understand that terrorists – Israeli or Syrian – want to target the resistance," she conceded. "But they need to go and find these people before they come here. Then we won't need to sit in these lines and wait all night in the heat just to go home."
"She's right," said Abu Reda, a unit commander for Hezbollah in Rweiss, a neighborhood that was hit by a massive blast last month, killing dozens of people and destroying several apartment buildings. "We can't stop each bomb. We're also looking for the bombers themselves, just like the Americans had to do in Iraq. You can't stop every bomb, but you can kill or arrest every bomb maker. And we're working closely with the government to do that."
The security concerns also have become a rallying cry for less established organizations.
The predominantly middle-class neighborhood of Hamra – itself swollen with thousands of Syrian refugees – has seen a newly aggressive posture by members of the Nazi-themed Syrian Social Nationalist Party, whose deep support for the Assad regime has manifested itself with a near-takeover of several streets around the group's headquarters.
Even before the latest crisis, the group had been deeply unpopular among many Hamra residents due to the perception that it was less political than crime-oriented, with local merchants often complaining of protection rackets and shakedowns. As the current crisis has unfolded, the group has deployed even more aggressively around its offices, setting up roadblocks and outfitting its members in militia-style uniforms that hark back to Hamra's brutal civil war history from 1975 to 1990.
A similar phenomenon has struck the northern city of Tripoli, which was hit last month by the worst car bombing since 1985, killing and wounding more than 500 people. There, however, the villains are conservative Sunni gunmen who consider themselves rebels against the Syrian regime.
Although Tripoli has long been plagued by bands of gunmen from both sides playing out their rivalries over the Assad government, since the bomb there's been an increase in checkpoints run by strangers who are clearly not with the police.
"We feel like prisoners," according to Umm Zafer, who used a nickname to preserve her anonymity and, she hopes, her security. "But this is Lebanon. It's never the government here, but the militias are back."


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Thus says this ThinkProgress image, anyway:
I found this image on a Facebook friend's wall. Here's my response interposed with comments from his rather liberal friends:
It is sad that they would reject their family rather than learning to control themselves.
So it's safe to assume, Wes Widner, that you also would reject your children if/when they decided they were gay, because you read Leviticus and you choose to ignore all other Leviticus passages, but hold the one about same sex to literal interpretations.
I guess we can see now why 40% of homeless youths are lgbt. It's parents who feel they have to be cruel to show love, even though that's not Showing love.
You know you could replace homosexuality in that equation with any other immoral lifestyle and you would have essentially the same question of how we, as parents, would deal with it. Certainly we wouldn't condone it or support it in any way. And because we believe it is deeply immoral and therefore self-destructive we would plead with them to repent and change their ways. But if they persist, if they choose their immorality over us then we won't stand in their way and will allow them to make that choice.
Now you can try to re-frame that as rejecting them and causing them to be homeless if you want and then draw from that a wellspring of moral indignation of our apparent bigotry towards homosexuality. But the truth is that I've had friends whose children have decided to live in immoral heterosexual relationships where they have been forced, by their children, to make the hard and gut-wrenching decision (I know it was gut wrenching because I saw the tears) to not enable their immoral lifestyle which, because of their immaturity and stubborn determination to life as they saw fit, led to their being homeless. Thankfully that destitution lasted until they wound up pregnant in which was another rocky road in itself but eventually caused them to think of someone other than themselves and now they aren't homeless and, more importantly, aren't living in a self-absorbed immoral lifestyle.
Now the real tragedy with the image above is that the LGBT lifestyle is being so aggressively pushed even when it leads to such horrible outcomes. I understand the desire to paint the parents as the evil ones here, and in many other pro-GLBT propaganda pieces I've seen, but the truth is exactly the opposite. I would wager that in most cases its not the parents who are rejecting their children but the children who are rejecting their parents.
Sorry, but the truth is that many people like myself believe that some lifestyles are deeply immoral and that that immorality is more important than any temporary physical discomfort such as homelessness.
Oh, and the tl;dr version is: Its not "showing love" to condone an immoral/self-destructive lifestyle.
I am absolutely appalled at your attitude. "Physical discomfort?" Are you fucking kidding me? Would you throw your 14-year-old child out on the street for expressing love for a person of the same gender? With no tools or ability to survive? Would you be OK with that same child wandering the streets, only to be lured into drugs or prostitution by criminals because the very people who were supposed to love and protect them rejected them for their silly little "morals?"
Where is the morality in abandoning your child? It sickens me, how you'd throw your kid out like common trash.
XXXX, are you likewise trying to justify condoning immoral behavior by not dealing with it?
Rather than turning this into an emotional "I'm offended" session why don't we try to suppress our natural emotional responses and at least make an attempt to view this issue from a viewpoint different from our own?
Homosexuality is not immoral behavior. Your argument, therefore, is completely invalid.
I get emotional when I hear that someone would have no problem discarding a child for not adhering to their parents' religious doctrine. There is a huge difference between murder/theft/selling drugs and loving someone of the same sex.
The fact that you think it's all the same tells me you have some serious mental issues. I suggest therapy. Maybe it'll help clear away the brainwashing.
"Homosexuality is not immoral behavior. Your argument, therefore, is completely invalid. "
Ah, so here is where our difference really lies. So we can cut out all the emotionalism and I can attempt to help you understand my viewpoint by substituting homosexuality, which you don't believe is immoral, with something you do believe is immoral and then all I want to ask is whether that would change your perception? I really want to know because I've known parents who have housed and thus tacitly condoned their childrens' drug addictions so I wouldn't presume to conclude that just because we change the act in question from something you don't consider to be immoral to something you do presumably do consider to be immoral that you would then agree that a valid course of action would be to refuse to condone their behavior through material support which includes room and board.
One of the issues we run into when discussing issues like this is that they are built on multiplied layers where we disagree on more than one so that if we don't take the time to unravel the issue we cannot possibly hope to gain any substantive understanding of one another and thus cannot expect to make any progress.
Oh, and as an addendum, refusing to condone a child's immoral lifestyle by expecting them to provide for themselves when they refuse to abide by your rules is hardly to discard them. That would be what pro-abortion proponents advocate in terms of discarding unwanted children as mere biomass. No, regretfully allowing a child to experience the results of their rejection of their parents is to actually hold out hope that they will, at some point in the future, end their rebellion and choose to end their selfishness and self-destructive lifestyle.


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Conference "Science and Progress"
in Saint-Petersburg State University
November, 12-16, 2012
The results will be presented in overview lectures, oral talks and posters.The aim of this conference is development of deep collaboration between students and young researchers from Russia and Germany and raising the level of the student scientific investigations by intense discussion between young researchers and professors from both countries with presentation of overview lectures by professors from Russia and Germany in the most actual and interesting fields of science. The idea of the conference is a union of investigations in physics, geophysics, chemistry and mathematics and to reveal the most actual and modern problems and directions of interdisciplinary investigations.
A. Chemistry
B. Geo- and astrophysics
С. Mathematics and mechanics
D. Solid State Physics
E. Applied Physics
F. Optics and Spectroscopy
G. Theoretical, Mathematical and Computational Physics
H. Biophysics
I. Resonance Phenomena in Condensed Matter