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Keith David: "The Princess and the Frog" Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Face Time with the Man Behind the Famous Voice
Keith David Williams was born in Harlem on June 4, 1956, but raised in East Elmhurst,
After graduating, he dropped his surname en route to embarking on an enviable stage, screen and television career with close to 200 acting credits and counting. In film, he's made memorable performances in such hits as ATL, Crash, Bird, Platoon, Armageddon, Pitch Black, Dead Presidents, Clockers, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Requiem for a Dream, Barbershop, There's Something about Mary and Armageddon, to name a few.
In addition, the stentorian-throated thespian's commanding voice has led to voiceover work as the narrator of such PBS series as Jazz, The War and Unforgivable Blackness, as a pitchman for The U.S. Navy ("Accelerate Your Life!") and numerous other PSA campaigns, and as a character in such animated adventures as Aladdin, Coraline, Hercules and Princess Mononoke.
Here, he talks about his latest role, playing the villain Dr. Facilier in The Princess and the Frog, a cartoon coming courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.
Kam Williams: Hey, Keith, thanks so much for the time.
Keith David: You're very welcome.
KW: So, what interested you in playing Dr. Facilier?
KD: Someone offered me a job, brother. [Chuckles]
KW: Do you feel that The Princess and the Frog is an important film historically, given that it is the first Disney cartoon to feature a black princess?
KD: Is that important? It is very important, and I feel proud and honored to be able to participate. It is an honor for me. And even if I weren't in the movie, I'd still feel grateful that Disney has opened up its mind and expanded its horizons to include a black Princess. That's pleasing in and of itself. And my being able to participate makes me all the more proud.
KW: Were you aware of the historical significance of the project when you were making the movie?
KD: Yeah, of course, I'm not stupid. But that was the icing on the cake. And the fact that people also love the end result is just a wonderful. Listen, I'm an actor. I was offered a job, and my inclination is to take jobs that mean something to me. In this case, I'm very happy that it also resonates with the people seeing it. I have two little girls. I knew that seeing a black princess who looks like them would mean something. It would resonate. The rest of the analysis I leave to you critics to make of it what you will. Not all of you are so pleased about it. But that's your opinion and you're welcome to it. I myself am very happy about it.
KW: Did you hear that the African-American Film Critics Association, to which I belong, named The Princess and the Frog the #2 film of the year?
KD: No, I didn't. What was #1?
KW: Precious. I'm also on the NAACP's nominating committee and The Princess and the Frog was nominated for 7 or 8 Image Awards, including you for this role. Congrats!
KD: That's wonderful!
KW: How do you prepare to do a voiceover role?
KD: The same way I would for any other role. When I wake up in the morning, I warm up my voice, read the script, and then go to work.
KW: Which do you prefer doing, voiceovers or live-action?
KD: I prefer to work.
KW: You have about 200 acting credits on your resume. Laz Lyles wants to know, to what do you attribute your successful and enduring career?
KD: My success is that I work. Fame is what they give you. Success is what you give yourself. I went to school. I studied to become an actor. I worked hard. I am now successful because I'm able to live my dream, living my life as an actor. It's what I feel I was born to do. Everyday, when I wake up, I thank God for another day of living and for allowing me to do what I do. Therein lies the definition of my success.
KW: When you were a kid, did you get your start out at Har-You Act [Harlem Youth Act], like a lot of young black actors back then?
KD: No, I was not a part of Har-You Act, although I was aware of it, and around it. However, my cousin and I were in the group of kids in the very first acting class at the
KW: Documentary filmmaker Hisani Dubose says she thinks that it's great that you've done several truly independent movies. She was wondering, why you've chosen to do this type of work?
KD: I choose the projects that I do based on the roles. It can be a big studio or small studio movie, as long as the role is interesting and the story is good. A good story is a good story, and a great character is a great character.
KW: Speaking of great characters, "Realtor to the Stars" Jimmy asks, whether playing the quasi pimp in Requiem for a Dream, Big Tim, was a big departure for you?
KD: Yes, if you know my work well, you know that was a big departure.
KW: Children's book author Irene Smalls asks, how do you feel about the fact that many people might be more familiar with your voice than your face?
KD: As long as the person signing my paycheck knows who I am, that's what's most important.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
KD: I can't think of anything at the moment. As you have demonstrated, I get asked a gamut of questions, some of which never would have occurred to me. [Chuckles] But I will answer them as they come along.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
KD: This morning.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
KD: In life? Of course.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
KD: Most of the time.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
KD: I'm currently reading one about creative writing and also a great book about W.E.B. Du Bois and Paul Robeson called The Professor and the Pupil.
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: who is your favorite clothes designer?
KD: I particularly like Zegna and Hugo Boss, but my favorite new designer is a guy named Waraire Boswell.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
KD: I see me. I see a black man standing in the mirror.
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
KD: Lambchops.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
KD: I practically remember coming out of the chute. I do clearly remember falling out of bed one day and just falling back asleep on the floor, and having my grandmother wake up the whole house screaming, "Oh my God! The child is dead! [Laughs]
KW: The Mike Pittman question: Who was your best friend as a child?
KD: My grandmother, Dorothy, although I always called her Hortense.
KW: If you could have one wish granted, what would that be for?
KD: Hmm…. One wish instantly granted? To not have to worry about anything monetary.
KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can your fans help you?
KD: By keeping those cards and letters coming. If you want to see me do something, write the studio about it. One letter equals a thousand votes.
KW: What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?
KD: Getting past other people's perceptions of me, of who they think I am and what they think I am capable of.
KW: Which of your movies is your favorite?
KD: Men at Work is one of my favorites. Dead Presidents is another.
KW: Well, you have certainly demonstrated over the years that you have a great gift for disappearing into a role.
KD: I Appreciate that.
KW: Tell me a little about the title character you'll be playing in your upcoming film Pastor Brown.
KD: I used to want to be a preacher, so Pastor Brown is quite close to my heart. Now, I think of acting as my ministry. If I play a part, and you can see yourself in it, or see the person you want to be or the person you absolutely don't want to be, well, then, that is ministering. That's what good ministering is, a guideline to becoming a better person.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
KD: Study! Learn the craft! Learn the craft!
KW: How do you want to be remembered?
KD: Keith David tried to love them.
KW: Thanks again, Keith, and best of luck with The Princess and the Frog and your many other projects on the horizon .
KD: Thank you.


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Published by Common Dreams
Written by Million Belay, Timothy A. Wise
Last month in Ghana, Agnes Kalibata, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, congratulated an illustrious group of corporate and government leaders for "leapfrogging into the future" in their efforts to "modernize" African agriculture with high-yield commercial seeds, fertilizers, and other technologies.
Unfortunately, such policies are leapfrogging right over Africa's small-scale farmers. We have seen no such progress on the ground in Africa. Not only are these policies failing to address chronic rural poverty and hunger, they are doing little to improve nutrition, health, and climate resilience.
African farmers have a better idea, grounded in their own experiences and their increasing struggles to grow food in the face of a changing climate. Ecological agriculture, using fewer, not more, chemical inputs, is showing the way forward, as scientists help farmers reduce costs, increase soil fertility, raise more diverse, healthy, and culturally appropriate food crops, and adapt their farms to climate change.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation initiated the latest effort to modernize African agriculture. It launched the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in 2006 with the ambitious goal of doubling productivity and incomes for 30 million farm families by 2020. There is little evidence AGRA will come anywhere near achieving those goals.
Fed by heavy doses of government subsidies for commercial seeds and synthetic fertilizers, evidence suggests that AGRA has promoted monocultures of a few staple crops, reduced crop and diet diversity, undermined soil fertility, and produced disappointing gains in productivity and farmer incomes.
Fed by heavy doses of government subsidies for commercial seeds and synthetic fertilizers, evidence suggests that AGRA has promoted monocultures of a few staple crops, reduced crop and diet diversity, undermined soil fertility, and produced disappointing gains in productivity and farmer incomes. Ten years into AGRA, Global Hunger Index scores remained in the "serious" or "alarming" categories for 12 of the 13 AGRA countries.
Productivity has risen very slowly even for AGRA's narrow range of priority staple crops. Of Africa's top five corn producers, Nigeria and Kenya actually saw declining yields. Even where production increased, such as in Zambia, the gains failed to translate into reductions in rural poverty. Some 78 percent of rural Zambians still live in extreme poverty.
And the subsidies enticed farmers into reducing production of more nutritious and drought-resistant local food crops. Across AGRA countries there was a 35 percent drop in land planted to millet, a hardy native grain, with production falling by nearly half.
This makes small-scale farmers more, not less, vulnerable to climate change. Farmers risk going into debt to purchase the inputs, which often fail to increase production enough to pay for the next year's seeds and fertilizer. By relying on a single crop, farmers lose diet diversity and put their families' food security at risk if that one crop fails. Their soil grows less fertile, more acidic, from the overreliance on synthetic fertilizer.
African farmers have a better way.
Agroecology is giving farmers the kinds of innovation they need, farming with nature to promote the soil-building practices that "agricultural modernization" often undermines. Multiple food crops are grown in the same field. Compost, manure, and biofertilizers – not fossil-fuel-based fertilizer – are used to fertilize fields. Biological pest control decreases pesticide use. Researchers work with farmers to improve the productivity of their seeds rather than replacing them with commercial seeds farmers need to buy every year and douse with fertilizer to make them grow.
The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) has documented the effectiveness of agroecology, now widely promoted among its member organizations.
In Kenya, farmers have created a network of community seed banks to identify, save, and distribute nutritious and productive varieties of local food crops, the kind being lost to the green revolution push.
In Malawi women farmers identified 300 vegetables and planted them using permaculture techniques, a highly productive form of agroecology. This has improved their income, nutrition, and health considerably.
In Tigray, Ethiopian farmers and local allies experimented with improving their land through soil and water conservation techniques. They fared much better than those using chemical-based fertilizers. They supplemented this using well-established push-pull biological pest control as well as other techniques and increased their income and improved their health. The program in Ethiopia is now accepted as government policy.
It is unfortunate that many of these promising innovations are threatened by national seed policies that threaten to outlaw farmers' rights to save, exchange, and sell seeds. Such policies, strongly promoted by the Gates Foundation, open Africa to the multinational seed companies in the name of modernization, but they undermine climate resilience and food security for Africa's small-scale farmers.
Instead of paying African governments to push commercial seeds and fertilizers, leapfrogging right over their own farmers, the Gates Foundation should be pressing governments to incorporate agroecology into their mandated Climate Adaptation Plans. That is the sustainable path into an uncertain future.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Games Over Guns
Craft - Direction - Single
BBDO Toronto
t: 416-972-1505
e: firstname.lastname@example.com
w: bbdo.ca
Winner: BBDO Toronto Chief Creative Officer: Denise Rossetto, Todd Mackie VP, Group Account Director: Rebecca Flaman Brand Planner: Tom Kenny Copywriter: Domenique Raso Art Director: Anand Iyer Account Director: Jaya Rizzi Account Supervisor: Sagi Mamalider Designer: Mike Nugent Broadcast Producer: Dena Thompson Production Company: Skin & Bones, Moonlighting Films Director: Mark Zibert, Eric Kaskens Executive Producer: Liane Thomas, Cheyenne Bloomfield, Hilda Pereira Editing Company: The Assembly Editor: David James Findlay, Marka Rankovic Producer: Tanja Harney, Bobbi Dedman Assistant Editor: Warren Goodwin, Tyler Evans Audio House: Pirate Toronto Music Composer: Chris Tait, Mark Rajakovic Colour & VFX: alter ego Colourist: Eric Whipp Visual Effects: Andrew Kirejew, Eric Perrella, Darren Achim, Sebastian Boros, Alexa Salsberg Rotoscoping: Steve McGregor, Andrew Tavares, Hali Gale
Children are the most oppressed group of people in the world; millions are engaged in child labour, serving as child soldiers, or married off as child brides. But Right to Play empowers them to overcome these injustices. We created The Child Uprising to illustrate the enormous impact of their work.


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Second marriages sometimes involve either a widow, widower, or both. Such weddings, especially when there are children in the family, may bring special challenges. When the widow or widower act with sensitivity and forethought, these issues can be resolved in a way that will suit everyone in question.
Henry asks: "I was sure that both my children and I were excited about my upcoming marriage, until my oldest daughter, sixteen, came to me in tears. What she shared with me was her sadness about what she called our "forgetting about mom." I assured her that I would never forget her decreased mother and that her mom's photos would always remain in our home. She said that wasn't enough and that we should remember her mother during my second marriage ceremony. Have you any ideas about ways in which we could include my first wife without hurting the feeling of my soon-to-be wife and her family?"
Dear Henry: I'm sorry for your loss and can understand your daughter's pain. In circumstances such as yours, bringing the memory of a loved one into the wedding ceremony is especially appropriate. What you need to be looking for is a happy medium between recognizing your deceased wife, while not taking away the joy that is the essence of your second wedding. The question is how to do so.
Your daughter is old enough to work with you on creating a new ritual, or incorporating one that has been used in the past by others. One symbolic act can be as simple as lighting a candle. You can opt to announce the meaning behind the act, or you can explain it in your program. Perhaps there is a poem that you and your children feel is appropriate to be read as part of the ceremony. Some families include a prayer during the ceremony, while others opt to have the children place flowers on the altar as a part of the processional. Some people choose a less public, but no less significant alternative: Each of the children is given something to wear that belonged to the parent being memorialized. It will be up to you and your children to decide who will actively perform the ritual.
I should stress that whatever form you decide upon to memorialize your deceased wife, you need to get input and approval from your bride-to-be. If she is accepting your children as part of the "package" when she marries you, then she will probably not object to anything unless it's morose and puts an unnecessary damper on the festivities. With that in mind, I suggest a line or two in your wedding program explaining the ritual and its meaning, so that your guests will understand and be able to share the moment with you.
Your objective should be predicated on your need to show your children, in a caring, significant way, that the memory of their mother is a part of the life you will build with them and your future wife.
Readers, what do you think? How have you commemorated a family member who is no longer with us?
To submit a question to "The Wedding Guru," e-mail it to email@example.com, or add a comment in the box below.


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The BBC reports today that a US ice-breaker, the Polar Star, has now been called in to rescue not only the trapped Akademik Shokalskiy, but also the Chinese rescue ship, the Xue Long, which transferred those passengers from one to the other, and is now itself trapped. In other words, the ship which rescued the passengers from the trapped ship by flying them in a helicopter to another ship, which nearly got trapped, is trapped. There's a Monty Python sketch in there somewhere.
The reality is that two ships, along with their crew (22 on the Russian ship, and 111 on the Chinese vessel), have gotten trapped in the ice due – allegedly – to the negligence of Prof. Chris Turney, who was out there to prove that the ice was, er, melting. I say "allegedly" because it's pretty obvious that there will be legal repercussions from all this, and I'll let all our lurking lawyers and journalists and non-lurking journalists go threaten Anthony Watts and others for prejudicing court proceedings instead of wasting our time. This post is about the BBC's coverage (and cover-up in process) of the whole fiasco.
Yes, I know the ice melting was only one part of the official research reasons for the trip, which included studies of various wildlife and marine habitats. But the focus was on how Climate Change – which they all believe is caused by human activity – is affecting those things, just like the supposedly melting ice. Curiously, as some here have noticed, that purpose came and went throughout the BBC's coverage of the story.
The Aurora Australis has finally been told it can head home with its new passengers, and will eventually be allowed to go back and finish what it was supposed to be doing: resupplying Australia's research base, Casey Station. Hopefully nobody else in the area will need rescuing by an icebreaker, because the Xue Long won't be able to help. The US Coast Guard icebreaker is similarly abandoning its own proper mission, as even the BBC reports, to resupply the US research station on Ross Island. 133 people are stuck, and who knows how many more actual scientists and their research have been severely inconvenienced by this tourist trip. Or was it a research trip? We'll see.
The BBC is currently describing the Akademik Shokalskiy as a "Russian research vessel". If and when it gets freed eventually (there's still the possibility that the ice will crush the hull), its next scheduled task is to take a group of tourists around the Antarctic Peninsula. See, it originally was an actual research vessel, so the BBC is being "accurate" as usual. Only it's retired from that and has been refitted as a tourist ship. The Expeditions Online website lists it as an "Expedition Ship", and the amenities look appealing.
The Akademik Shokalskiy is a fully ice-strengthened expedition vessel built in 1984 for polar and oceanographic research. This class of vessel is world renowned for polar exploration, because of its strength, maneuverability and small passenger numbers. The Shokalskiy provides comfortable accommodation in double and twin cabins with private facilities. All cabins have outside windows and ample storage space. On board there is a combined bar/library lounge area and a dedicated lecture room, where the science team and expedition staff will present a programme of talks.
Check out the website and you'll see its "NOTICE TO REPORTERS" that they're not the operators of the ship and are merely a booking agent. They know there will be legal ramifications and want to make sure nobody includes them as a defendant in any lawsuit.
Before we get to the inevitable legal repercussions, let's examine just how cavalier with the truth the BBC has been during this whole saga. Aside from who is at fault here, there's the question of the overall purpose of this little adventure. The official reason we've been fed by the BBC is that it was to retrace the footsteps of Douglas Mawson's original tremendous scientific expedition to the region. We're meant to ignore Turney's own "Science Case" for the trip is all about the melting ice, and how Climate Change (and we all know there's only one kind and one cause for these people) affects the wildlife and ocean habitats. All the other stuff is a sideshow, an aegis under which to do this.
Turney has written a book about Mawson (a free signed copy goes to anyone who sends him $400. A measly $200 will only get you the t-shirt. Hopefully all "expedition members" who paid $8000 minimum will at least get one of those for their trouble.). Mawson, of course, deserves all the respect in the world for his achievements. His truly scientific exploration essentially opened the world's mind up to Antarctica. There's certainly nothing wrong with wanting to retrace his steps and sort of duplicate his tests in celebration of the 100th anniversary of his pretty amazing expedition. When one considers that he barely survived the ordeal but through his own strength and initiative lived to tell about it, and compares his experience to the whining from certain members of today's expedition, there's much to discuss about what's become of us as a species.
Unfortunately, Turney, who has done some proper science and is an experienced expedition leader, he set off expecting to find less ice. In addition to the terrific and often amusing coverage from Anthony Watts, Paul Homewood has been following this silly saga, and he too notices some BBC dishonesty. In this case, he's calling out both Turney and the BBC:
There have been various attempts to blame the debacle on global warming, but this one really is nonsensical.
According to the expedition report, filed by the Guardian:
"Direct access from the sea has been impossible for the past four years, however, ever since a 75-mile-long iceberg called B09B grounded itself in the entrance to Commonwealth Bay. A thick band of sea ice has since built up around the iceberg, sticking fast to the land and blocking ships from getting to Boat Harbour, where Mawson moored the Aurora in January 1912."
And Chris Turney, leader of the expedition states that:
"The thick chaotic surface we see around the Shokalskiy is consistent with the idea that this ice is several years old and is considerably more difficult to break through by icebreaker than single year ice."
NSIDC are quite clear just what sea ice is:
Sea ice is frozen seawater that floats on the ocean surface. Blanketing millions of square kilometers, sea ice forms and melts with the polar seasons, affecting both human activity and biological habitat. In the Arctic, some sea ice persists year after year, whereas almost all Southern Ocean or Antarctic sea ice is "seasonal ice," meaning it melts away and reforms annually.
A scientist ignored other scientists, because of his own religious beliefs. And the BBC is enabling him to cover it up.
On Dec. 26, BBC journalist Andrew (Bad) Luck-Baker reported on how the science was continuing while they were stuck in the ice. In a moment of honesty, he admitted the Warmist intent of the expedition:
The goal of the modern day Australasian Antarctic Expedition is to repeat many of the original measurements and studies, to see how facets of the environment have changed over the past century. This passage of time coincides with warming and climate change in Antarctica.
Then we get to another level of spin. There's also the question about who are all those other passengers who were not crew or scientists or PhD students or Guardinistas or Beeboids (or Google marketing mavens or Turney's own family). Further down there's this:
In addition to the Russian crew of 22, the expedition team consists of 18 professional scientists from Australia and New Zealand, and 22 volunteer science assistants. They are members of the public, ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s. They paid to join the scientific adventure.
So not eco-tourists, but "volunteer science assistants".
A report on Jan. 2 stated that one of the goals of the expedition was "to track how quickly the Antarctic's sea ice was disappearing". So let's not have any more denial that this wasn't a Warmist expedition with a goal of "proving" their theory, rather than a simple historical retracing of Mawson's journey.
On Dec. 28, it was a "scientific mission ship". No mention of tourists, although they quoted one of them as a "science volunteer". Actually, it was the same guy and the same quote (Bad) Luck-Baker included in the previous report. Didn't he have time to speak to anyone else? Or were they all too busy with the yoga and knot-tying and songwriting?
Two days later, either he or the other BBC contributor (pulling double duty for the Guardian as well, naturally), Alok Jha, filmed "Expedition Member" Terry Gostlow telling the folks back home that they it was all "good fun" and they were hoping to get back home soon. Gostlow is not listed as either a Science Leader or a PhD student on the Spirit of Mawson website, so one assumes he's another one of those paying volunteers.
On the same day, either (Bad) Luck-Baker, Jha, or a desk-bound editor filed a report when they learned that the Xue Long was on its way with the helicopter.
The Russian-flagged research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy has been stuck in ice for nearly a week. It is carrying 74 scientists, tourists and crew.
Oops. On the same page, there's an inset extra commentary from (Bad) Luck-Baker, where he refers to "research volunteers". A different BBC report from the same day also refers to tourists.
On rescue day Jan. 2, though, the BBC reported that "the scientists and tourists were now all aboard the ship Aurora Australis."
Oops again. So we've gone from "science volunteers" to "expedition member" to "research volunteers" to "tourists", all in the space of a week.
I'm sounding sarcastic about this because the BBC's inconsistency is rather telling. If they were true paying field assistants, actually involved somehow in helping the scientific work, nobody would dream of calling them tourists. I'm saying the BBC seems uninterested in letting you know much these paying customers were contributing in between attending lectures and praying to Gaia, not because there's no such thing as science volunteers, paying or otherwise. In fact, I'm well aware that this is a very common thing in a number of scientific disciplines. Many archaeology and palaeontology projects simply wouldn't be possible without lots of people paying their own way to help sort artifacts, spend hours in the heat painstakingly brushing away dirt, and even make the tea. These things are advertised regularly things in science and history magazines.
The fact that the BBC – an organization known to have the promotion of Warmism as a directive from the top – sometimes refers to the paying customers as tourists tells us that it's not quite the same thing as people paying their way to help excavate some dinosaur bones or catalog a mind-numbing amount of 5000 year-old ostracons.
The reason I'm looking at these paying passengers is because this appears to be the deciding factor in what happened. Now that people are becoming aware that hell and lots of money will be paid, and the lawyers are sharpening their pencils, blame is being placed on Turney not only for an apparent lack of preparation (it seems that he didn't make sure they had adequate weather reports), but for indulging his paying eco-tourist customers instead of heeding the ship captain's warnings and getting out of harm's way while there was still time, the BBC has rushed in to help with his defense.
Meanwhile Prof Chris Turney, co-leader of the AAE 2013, has defended the scientific value of the expedition and rejected claims it was a "tourist trip" hampered by poor preparation.
Writing in the UK's Observer newspaper, he said the trip had been struck by bad luck as opposed to human error. He said it was an important scientific expedition and its success would ultimately be measured by peer-reviewed studies.
I'm sure Turney is very eager to reject those claims. Whatever he publishes from this expedition will only be reviewed by peers who already agree with his conclusions, but that's neither here nor there. The problem for him is that it's not just people the BBC will claim have a vested interest in damaging the reputation of Warmists saying it was due to human error: one of his own passengers has said it. The Australian Green politician, Janet Rice, said this on her own blog (h/t WUWT):
The third drama of the day is the one which is still unfolding. Because of the Argo mishap we got off late, and had one less vehicle to ferry people to and fro. I'm told the Captain was becoming rather definite late in the afternoon that we needed to get everyone back on board ASAP because of the coming weather and the ice closing in. As I write we are continuing to make extremely slow progress through what looks like a winter alpine snow field – it's yet another surreal part of this journey that we are in a ship trying to barge our way through here! I'm sure the Captain would have been much happier if we had got away a few hours earlier.
In other words, Turney ignored the advice of his captain – someone who is an experienced professional and knows the area and its conditions very, very well – in favor of indulging his science volunteers/research volunteers/expedition members/tourists. Read the whole blog and you'll see that, while at least one actual scientist was taking seal tissue samples, the paying customers were there to commune with the penguins and have nice day out. Turney also wrote at a few days before this that he was surprised to see some ice move in so quickly. A pretty cavalier approach from start to finish is in evidence in other blog posts collected by one of Watt's readers here.
The Argo to which she refers is one of three amphibious all-terrain research vehicles, which they damaged by towing it back in haste. Who's going to pay for that? And who do you think paid the way for a Green politician? She sure wasn't there to help constituents. She's a Warmist and was there to support the cause.
There were others there not for science but to support the cause. Google did one of their Google Doodle competitions, and awarded two free trips to teachers whose students sent in the winning entries. They were there to do lesson plans and video chats to promote Warmism to children. No lesson plans have been published yet. Google also sent along their Australia/New Zealand branding and marketing manager (listed as part of the Science Team!). For Warmism.
To sum up, we have evidence that the expedition leader had a pre-conceived notion to expect less ice, wasn't completely prepared for everything, and had a lot of tourists on board to complicate matters and placed an apparently undue burden on the expedition itself. Allegedly, of course. Notice, though, that the BBC has reported precisely none of this. They have, however, reported Turney's surprise and excuses for the ice trapping them.
The BBC has been misleading about the reasons for the trip, the nature of many of the passengers, and the underlying as well as overt cause of their predicament. All in the name of supporting their Warmist agenda. They assigned two journalists, including World Service senior science editor (Bad) Luck-Baker, to follow the scientists around to tell you how the wildlife and environment was responding to climate change. Period. They say so right here.
Alok Jha and Andrew Luck-Baker continue to follow the scientists on the ongoing Australasian Antarctic Expedition 2013. They go out on fieldwork trips with the researchers studying how the wildlife that lives in this inhospitable environment is responding to climate change.
All the history stuff and retracing of Mawson's footstep was window dressing for the Warmist agenda. In case there are any lingering doubts, the top listing on the Supporters page of the expedition website is Turney's own Climate Change Research Center at the University of New South Wales. I imagine not a few Australian citizens are going to question their government's handing out taxpayer money for this as well.
You know what the BBC isn't reporting? That the ice is, in fact, not melting the way they claim, and Global Warming isn't ruining it. It turns out that the models predicting the horror show were not based on proper data, and so overestimated everything. You know that iceberg that Turney blames for trapping them? The one which AGW was supposedly causing to calve? In reality, actual scientists have discovered that it's been ground away on an underwater ridge. Even what he blames for what he wrongly blames is wrong. BBC Science editor Jonathan Amos wrote about that underwater ridge once, but I think he got away with it. I can't even find it now.
More recently, just as the whole expedition coverage was kicking off, Amos managed to report that satellite data showed ice loss in West Antarctica, nowhere near Mawson's Hut, in order to reinforce the dogma that we were all going to be doomed by rising sea levels. He wisely refrained from openly blaming AGW there. He's done more reports on the new satellite data showing a microscopic rise in sea levels due to a little melting Antarctic ice, but doesn't remind everyone that it's not due to AGW, which he ought to be doing at every opportunity so that people don't get the wrong idea. Of course, that wrong idea is the correct one the BBC wants their audience to have.
The entire thing was expected to give a boost to the whole Warmist agenda, so the BBC eagerly assigned two people to go along, and spent who knows how much of your license fee to do it. Once the whole thing went wrong and everyone started to find out it was half science, half eco-tourism, all with a dedicated agenda, they played around with the truth in order to keep the image of historical reenactment going. I fear that information will not be available via FOI requests, because journalism. In any case, it's your license fee hard at work.
I suspect Prof. Turney might get thrown under the bus by people who see this foolish voyage as damaging to the cause. Let's see how the BBC covers it.


text:
Hello again. It's Friday and we're delighted that you've joined us for
another "anything goes" challenge this week. If you're new to the challenge-welcome. If you want to know the requirements for entering our challenge, the list of rules are on the sidebar.
There were so many amazing
entries last week, but we can only have one winner. Drum roll, please...
Please email us to claim your prize.
This week, we're being sponsored by
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Let's see what the DT has been up to this week:


text:
This is the last post in a four part series discussing the ongoing – and "cascading" – effects in the Gulf, not from "oil," but rather its toxic components and their impacts on sensitive ecosystems. Read the rest of the series.
Once the more easily processed materials and their breakdown products have completed their complicated journeys through the Gulf ecosystems, that still leaves the toxins that don't break down easily, both the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals like arsenic that are associated with drilling accidents. By some estimates, as much as a quarter of the total volume of these toxins might end up back on the sea floor, and subjected to processing – and reprocessing – by sediment-eating "infaunal" invertebrates (worms and such), which are prey for bottom-feeding fishes and crustaceans. The same applies to marshes and beaches — foraging grounds for many sought-after fishes — as well as protected species, like migrating shorebirds.
These relationships provide re-entry points for toxins back into food webs that sustain seafood production.
It could be many years before those chemicals wend their way – much more slowly, and through different pathways – through both the ecological systems of the Gulf and their human counterparts.
The pathways for many of these longer-lived toxins will also be altered as human uses resume. Shrimp trawling, for instance, will stir up sediments, potentially exacerbating the impacts of both toxicants and oxygen-demanding substances.
Again and in conclusion, some elements of the complex ecology of the Gulf of Mexico may well get off scot-free from the disaster. But many others will be heavily impaired, at least for some time. Taken together, there will be a significant total effect on the ecological systems and on the productivity and safety of seafood from the Gulf, significant human population impacts are expected, and those impacts must be remediated.


text:
Marketing is all about singing the praises of your business and getting your potential customers on board. But what about letting somebody else do the talking? Testimonials are the perfect way to build trust with your prospective customers. Why? Because people trust people.
Sure, your business is trustworthy. But it's one thing for your business to tell everybody about the great work you're doing, and it's another thing for real customers to tell people about the great work you already executed. Check out these five ways to make testimonials work for your small business.
1. Ask for Reviews and Feedback
If you don't ask, you'll never know the answer. To gather testimonials, start with what you already have. Look online at your Google, Facebook and/or Yelp reviews. If any reviews are particularly good, reach out to the customer who left the review and ask if you can repurpose it for your website or advertisement. If necessary, you can pitch slight rewording and ask for permission to use the content, or provide guidance for a new testimonial. You have nothing to lose, but all of the new testimonials to gain.
2. Keep It Concise
Let's face it—attention spans are at an all-time low. That means your business's message is fighting for attention on social media news feeds, television and radio spots everywhere. When you have customers with work, kids and other everyday distractions, it's hard to hold attention spans. Encourage your customers who are giving testimonials to be concise with their message. Look for ways to cut out unnecessary phrases and only use the most meaningful words. That way, you make the most impact with the least amount of time and space.
3. Use Multiple Mediums
Some people like to read. Others like to watch videos. Potato, potahto. Make sure to gather testimonials in various formats, whether it be written text, video or audio for a podcast or radio spot.
We live in an age where cameras and voice technology on our phones can produce incredible quality, so it's relatively easy to make an ask of your customers to gather the testimonial in whatever media format you prefer. Simply make yourself available to troubleshoot if problems arise. Tell the customer how they can best record, and how they can easily get the testimonial to you.
4. Make It Memorable
Just because it's a testimonial doesn't mean it has to be boring. Encourage your testimonial-givers to let their personalities shine through. If it's a video, encourage props. If applicable, show off your work on camera or by using pictures for print. For video testimonials, consider having somebody that's lively and good in front of the camera talking about your business instead of the standard, straightforward spot. Likewise, for a text testimonial you should use a customer that speaks with energy that translates to paper. Don't be afraid to break some of the writing rules, like including more exclamation points than you would normally let fly.
5. Update Regularly
As the seasons change, so should your testimonials! Mark your calendar with a reminder to evaluate if it's time for a refresh. The more work you do, the more opportunities you'll have to gather rockstar testimonials from your customers. Fresh content means your customers see that you're continually proving yourself to be a quality and reputable business, time and time again.
Now it's time for lights, camera and action! Testimonials are the best way to garner trust with your potential customers without actually having to say anything yourself. Start with reviews you already have, and make additional asks from there.


text:
link, linkat - link one file to another file relative to two directory file descriptors
#include <unistd.h>
int link(const char *path1, const char *path2);
int linkat(int fd1, const char *path1, int fd2, const char *path2,
int flag);
The link() function shall create a new link (directory entry) for the existing file, path1.
The path1 argument points to a pathname naming an existing file. The path2 argument points to a pathname naming the new directory entry to be created. The link() function shall atomically create a new link for the existing file and the link count of the file shall be incremented by one.
If path1 names a directory, link() shall fail unless the process has appropriate privileges and the implementation supports using link() on directories.
If path1 names a symbolic link, it is implementation-defined whether link() follows the symbolic link, or creates a new link to the symbolic link itself.
Upon successful completion, link() shall mark for update the last file status change timestamp of the file. Also, the last data modification and last file status change timestamps of the directory that contains the new entry shall be marked for update.
If link() fails, no link shall be created and the link count of the file shall remain unchanged.
The implementation may require that the calling process has permission to access the existing file.
The linkat() function shall be equivalent to the link() function except in the case where either path1 or path2 or both are relative paths. In this case a relative path path1 is interpreted relative to the directory associated with the file descriptor fd1 instead of the current working directory and similarly for path2 and the file descriptor fd2. If the file descriptor was opened without O_SEARCH, the function shall check whether directory searches are permitted using the current permissions of the directory underlying the file descriptor. If the file descriptor was opened with O_SEARCH, the function shall not perform the check.
Values for flag are constructed by a bitwise-inclusive OR of flags from the following list, defined in <fcntl.h>:
- If path1 names a symbolic link, a new link for the target of the symbolic link is created.
If linkat() is passed the special value AT_FDCWD in the fd1 or fd2 parameter, the current working directory is used for the respective path argument. If both fd1 and fd2 have value AT_FDCWD, the behavior shall be identical to a call to link().
If the AT_SYMLINK_FOLLOW flag is clear in the flag argument and the path1 argument names a symbolic link, a new link is created for the symbolic link path1 and not its target.
Upon successful completion, these functions shall return 0. Otherwise, these functions shall return -1 and set errno to indicate the error.
These functions shall fail if:
- A component of either path prefix denies search permission, or the requested link requires writing in a directory that denies write permission, or the calling process does not have permission to access the existing file and this is required by the implementation.
- The path2 argument resolves to an existing directory entry or refers to a symbolic link.
- A loop exists in symbolic links encountered during resolution of the path1 or path2 argument.
- The number of links to the file named by path1 would exceed {LINK_MAX}.
- The length of a component of a pathname is longer than {NAME_MAX}.
- A component of either path prefix does not exist; the file named by path1 does not exist; or path1 or path2 points to an empty string.
- The directory to contain the link cannot be extended.
- A component of either path prefix is not a directory, or the path1 argument contains at least one non- <slash> character and ends with one or more trailing <slash> characters and the last pathname component names an existing file that is neither a directory nor a symbolic link to a directory.
- The file named by path1 is a directory and either the calling process does not have appropriate privileges or the implementation prohibits using link() on directories.
- The requested link requires writing in a directory on a read-only file system.
- The link named by path2 and the file named by path1 are on different file systems and the implementation does not support links between file systems.
- [OB XSR] path1 refers to a named STREAM.
The linkat() function shall fail if:
- The path1 or path2 argument does not specify an absolute path and the fd1 or fd2 argument, respectively, is neither AT_FDCWD nor a valid file descriptor open for reading.
These functions may fail if:
- More than {SYMLOOP_MAX} symbolic links were encountered during resolution of the path1 or path2 argument.
- The length of a pathname exceeds {PATH_MAX}, or pathname resolution of a symbolic link produced an intermediate result with a length that exceeds {PATH_MAX}.
The linkat() function may fail if:
- The value of the flag argument is not valid.
- The path1 or path2 argument is not an absolute path and fd1 or fd2, respectively, is neither AT_FDCWD nor a file descriptor associated with a directory.
Creating a Link to a File
The following example shows how to create a link to a file named /home/cnd/mod1 by creating a new directory entry named /modules/pass1.
#include <unistd.h>
char *path1 = "/home/cnd/mod1"; char *path2 = "/modules/pass1"; int status; ... status = link (path1, path2);Creating a Link to a File Within a Program
In the following program example, the link() function links the /etc/passwd file (defined as PASSWDFILE) to a file named /etc/opasswd (defined as SAVEFILE), which is used to save the current password file. Then, after removing the current password file (defined as PASSWDFILE), the new password file is saved as the current password file using the link() function again.
#include <unistd.h>
#define LOCKFILE "/etc/ptmp" #define PASSWDFILE "/etc/passwd" #define SAVEFILE "/etc/opasswd" ... /* Save current password file */ link (PASSWDFILE, SAVEFILE);
/* Remove current password file. */ unlink (PASSWDFILE);
/* Save new password file as current password file. */ link (LOCKFILE,PASSWDFILE);
Some implementations do allow links between file systems.
If path1 refers to a symbolic link, application developers should use linkat() with appropriate flags to select whether or not the symbolic link should be resolved.
Linking to a directory is restricted to the superuser in most historical implementations because this capability may produce loops in the file hierarchy or otherwise corrupt the file system. This volume of POSIX.1-2008 continues that philosophy by prohibiting link() and unlink() from doing this. Other functions could do it if the implementor designed such an extension.
Some historical implementations allow linking of files on different file systems. Wording was added to explicitly allow this optional behavior.
The exception for cross-file system links is intended to apply only to links that are programmatically indistinguishable from "hard" links.
The purpose of the linkat() function is to link files in directories other than the current working directory without exposure to race conditions. Any part of the path of a file could be changed in parallel to a call to link(), resulting in unspecified behavior. By opening a file descriptor for the directory of both the existing file and the target location and using the linkat() function it can be guaranteed that the both filenames are in the desired directories.
The AT_SYMLINK_FOLLOW flag allows for implementing both common behaviors of the link() function. The POSIX specification requires that if path1 is a symbolic link, a new link for the target of the symbolic link is created. Many systems by default or as an alternative provide a mechanism to avoid the implicit symbolic link lookup and create a new link for the symbolic link itself.
Earlier versions of this standard specified only the link() function, and required it to behave like linkat() with the AT_SYMLINK_FOLLOW flag. However, historical practice from SVR4 and Linux kernels had link() behaving like linkat() with no flags, and many systems that attempted to provide a conforming link() function did so in a way that was rarely used, and when it was used did not conform to the standard (e.g., by not being atomic, or by dereferencing the symbolic link incorrectly). Since applications could not rely on link() following links in practice, the linkat() function was added taking a flag to specify the desired behavior for the application.
XBD <fcntl.h> , <unistd.h>
First released in Issue 1. Derived from Issue 1 of the SVID.
The following new requirements on POSIX implementations derive from alignment with the Single UNIX Specification:
The [ELOOP] mandatory error condition is added.
A second [ENAMETOOLONG] is added as an optional error condition.
The following changes were made to align with the IEEE P1003.1a draft standard:
An explanation is added of the action when path2 refers to a symbolic link.
The [ELOOP] optional error condition is added.
Austin Group Interpretation 1003.1-2001 #143 is applied.
SD5-XSH-ERN-93 is applied, adding RATIONALE.
The linkat() function is added from The Open Group Technical Standard, 2006, Extended API Set Part 2.
Functionality relating to XSI STREAMS is marked obsolescent.
Changes are made related to support for finegrained timestamps.
The [EOPNOTSUPP] error is removed.
return to top of page


text:
We all know the importance of wearing sunblock, sunglasses, broad-brimmed hats, and other gear to protect our skin from the harsh summer sun, but how do you protect your pets? Can pets get sunburned?
What Pets Can Get Sunburned
Many popular pets are just as vulnerable to sunburn as their owners. Cats and dogs are especially prone to sunburn, particularly breeds with very short or fine coats, as well as hairless breeds like the American hairless terrier and hairless Chinese crested dogs or sphynx and donskoy cat breeds. Breeds that have heavy seasonal shedding or white fur are also more susceptible to sunburn, as are any small, furry pets such as chinchillas, ferrets, rabbits, gerbils, and hamsters.
On any pet, parts of the body with thinner, finer hair or natural bare patches can easily sunburn. This includes the tip of the tail, the ears, and near the nose. The groin and belly can also be sunburned, especially if the pet likes to lay on its back or if sunlight is reflected from bright surfaces, such as concrete. Animals that may have injuries or temporary bald patches, like post-surgery stitches or specific grooming patterns, are also apt to get sunburned.
Sunburn on Pets
Just like with humans, a pet's sunburned skin will turn pink or reddish. The skin may look dry, cracked, or even blistered if the sunburn is severe. The skin could feel hot or the animal may develop a slight fever. Over time, hair loss could occur on skin that is frequently burned. Sunburned pets may also be more sensitive to petting and more likely to shy away from contact on their injured skin.
While a mild sunburn may only be uncomfortable for a few days, more severe burns that cause blistering could lead to worse injuries, particularly if the blisters rupture and get infected. Over time, animals that have been sunburned may also develop different types of skin cancer.
Protecting Pets From Sunburn
There are a number of easy ways pet owners can protect their animals from uncomfortable and dangerous sunburns. Even if a pet has never shown signs of sunburn, it is important to offer suitable sun protection at all times.
- Keep the pet indoors from late morning to early evening when the sun is at its strongest. If the pet must be outside, be sure there is plentiful, deep shade and other shelter to protect it from the sun.
- Walk pets during the early morning or late evening during the summer to avoid the worst sunlight. This is also when the temperatures – including asphalt and sidewalk pavement – will be cooler and safer for walking.
- Do not shave your pet for summer comfort. An animal's coat is designed to protect its skin and help insulate its body from both heat and cold, and shaving can cause more grooming problems and promote sunburn.
- Apply pet-friendly sunscreen to your pet's most vulnerable and exposed skin. Choose varieties without zinc oxide, which can be toxic to pets, and reapply the sunscreen after a swim or if the animal is outdoors for lengthy periods.
- Consider using UV-protective clothing, such as light wraps, vests, or hats, if your pet will tolerate the gear and can wear it comfortably. Be sure the clothes fit appropriately and are the right size for your animal.
If you do suspect your pet has been sunburned, apply cool compresses to the affected skin and seek veterinary care immediately for an evaluation. Medical treatment may be necessary for severe burns, including wound care and topical medication to reduce pain and prevent skin infections.
Other Summer Risks
In addition to sunburn, be aware of other summer risks your pet may face. Dehydration and heatstroke are common in summer, particularly for active, energetic pets, and delicate feet could be burned from hot pavement and other surfaces. Ticks, fleas, and other disease-carrying pests thrive in the summer, so check your pet often for these unwanted interlopers. Even summer activities that seem fun and innocuous – such as backyard barbecues – can be a risk to pets, because many of the foods are unhealthy or toxic. Being aware of sunburn and other threats to pets can help you ensure all your animal family members are safe and comfortable throughout the season.


text:
For Immediate Release
July 31, 2002
Press Briefing Excerpt by Ari Fleischer 07/31/02
Click here for full transcript.
"And finally, also in the Senate, I indicated yesterday that Senator Daschle had made a commitment as far as the confirmation of many of the remaining positions that have not yet been confirmed which are ready for Senate floor action. It appears now that some senators may be raising objections and placing holds to Senate action on many of these conferees.
There are 60 nominees who are waiting for a vote. If the Senate does not act, many critical positions will remain vacant. These include the Deputy Secretary of Energy, Deputy Director of the Federal Emergency Management Administration, the Deputy Administrator of NASA, the Deputy Director for Management in the Office of Management and Budget, 29 foreign policy nominees which include critical positions like Assistant Secretary for Arms Control for Verification and Compliance, and, of course, the judicial nominee, as well.
The President believes in the commitment he got from Senator Daschle and the President will be looking to the Senate to honor that commitment this week."
Q Does the President plan any additional efforts to salvage -- to try to salvage Pricilla Owen's nomination, now that it's been postponed?
MR. FLEISCHER: Well, the postponement actually allows the President to have more time and allows the administration to have more time to talk to some of the senators whose votes may be reachable. So the President hopes that this will allow for her confirmation. He's dedicated to it. He thinks she's an outstanding jurist and he hopes the Senate will act in a bipartisan way and not a partisan way.
This is another interesting case where the rules in the Senate just keep seeming to change, depending on what will stop legislation or people from moving forward. For instance, when it came to Medicare, the Finance Committee could have put together a bipartisan package, but the Senate leadership made a decision not to allow bipartisanship to take place in committee, so they pulled the bill out of committee and put it on the floor where, obviously, it didn't go anywhere.
Energy legislation met the same fate. A bipartisan energy plan could have been put together in the Senate Energy Committee. Senate leadership decided to kill it by pulling it from the committee and then they put it on the floor and a very different version of the bill passed.
When it comes to judicial nominations, the Senate leadership does just the opposite tact and they're content to bottle it up in committee in an attempt to kill it in committee. The one consistent action seems to be to thwart the bipartisan will of the Senate.


text:
Last week Google launched a new app named Cardboard Camera.
The app enables you to scan a 360 degrees panoramic image of your surroundings and then experience it in 3D with any Google Cardboard compatible headset.
It even records an audio clip while you're taking the panoramic shot so make sure you turn the sound on when you admire the result.
The generated file is a .vr.jpg, when opened with a text editor you can clearly see that the file is made up of Base64 encoded files.
Data corresponding to the right eye generated image and a GAudio:Data representing the sound recorded.
In OS X, In order to extract all the information from the .vr.jpg file, you will need Python, Python XMP Toolkit, Homebrew and Exempi.
To install Python XMP Toolkit download it here.
In your terminal, type:
user$ sudo python setup.py install
To install Homebrew just use curl to download and install the script in the terminal:
user$ ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
Once this is done you will need to install Exempi using Homebrew:
user$ brew install exempi
Finally you can use this Python script to extract all the necessary files:
To run the script simply unzip the file and type in your terminal:
./cardcamextract.py IMG_FILE.vr.jpg


text:
Show a notes icon when a task has notes
(closed account) says:
When a task has a note attached there is no way to tell from list view. For me this is unproductive as I now have to "remember" which tasks I added notes to. On the website there is a little note icon right after the due date indicating which tasks have notes. Bringing this (or some kind of visual cue) to the iPhone app would rock. Thanks!
emily (Remember The Milk) says:
emily (Remember The Milk) says:
With the launch of the new Remember The Milk, we've improved the design of the task list so that icons are shown when tasks repeat and/or have notes.
Hope this helps!
Hope this helps!
jansona says:
+1 for this feature. Anything that makes the iphone app and the web version as similar as possible.
paulpensom says:
The add note function on the iphone app would be really useful, as would a function that designated a task as a phone call, which then linked through to the iphone address book.
royeharris says:
Please do the same (perhaps a combined icon) for Recurring and if there is a URL assigned.


text:
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Search Budget locations


text:
Yesterday wasn't a very focused day for me — I got work done, but I also researched a bunch of newish personal interests (mostly programming and cycling), played an iPhone trivia game with my kids, read a bunch of online articles, and did very little of the writing I'd planned.
Digital distractions have also pulled me from reading and meditation in the last week. I think they plague all of us to varying extents.
Realizing this, today I closed all the tabs I'd been researching and reading, bookmarked a few things to read later, shut down the trivia game on my phone, closed email, and took a break.
I meditated.
I showered, and contemplated what was important to me.
Then I got on my bike to get outside and get the blood circulating.
Then I found a place with no wifi, and sat down to write.
This is a guide for my fellow addicts. Those of you who have as much trouble as I do fighting off the temptations and distractions, this is for you. From one addict to another.
Recognizing when it happens
One of the insidious things about the distraction habit is that we often don't even realize it's happening. It sneaks up on us, like old age, and before we know it we're addicted and powerless.
But actually we're not powerless. The power we have is our awareness, and you can develop it right now. Pay attention to what sites you visit, how often you're looking at your phone, how long you're spending in front of a screen all day.
What I did when I wanted to develop an awareness of my smoking urges was carry around a pencil and small scrap of paper, and put a tally mark on it each time I had the urge to smoke. I could still smoke, but I'd have to put a tally mark first.
This built my awareness muscle, and it allowed me to insert a small space between the urge and my subsequent action. Into that space, however small, I could eventually make a choice. That was where the power came in.
See what's going on
Once you're aware of the distractions and urges, you can start to examine the causes.
After hours of following temptations online (learning all about cycling and programming, for example), I stopped and asked myself, "What's this all about?"
It was about fear — the fear that I didn't know what I was doing and was going to screw it all up. I now know that it doesn't matter if I screw it up. My value as a person isn't tied to my successes or failures. So I closed all the tabs, and decided to focus on one program, and one bike ride. I'll learn as I do.
My distractions are also often about fantasies — I really hope that I'll be a great programmer or start doing century bike rides or Ironman triathlons. Realistically, I don't have time to do any of that. So I have to let the fantasies go, because they almost never come true. Unless you're willing to devote your entire life to one of them for a year or two.
Distractions, of course, are often about the fear of missing out. We can't possibly take part in every cool thing that everyone else is doing, but we also don't want to miss out on any of it. So we look online for what's going on, what other people are doing and saying, what's hot. None of that actually matters. What matters is being content, doing things that make people's lives better, learning, being compassionate, helping. So let's let go of what we're missing out on, and focus on the difference we want to make in the world.
Taking action
So you're building an awareness, and you've examined your causes. If you haven't yet, take a few minutes to walk around your office or house, or better yet get outside, and contemplate these things. This article can wait.
Now there are further steps you can take. Consider taking one or more of these:
- Start closing as many browser tabs as you can. Bookmark some things, save others in your favorite "read later" service (such as Instapaper or Pocket), and let others go.
- Block your favorite distractions for a few hours. Games, social media sites, news sites. You don't really need to go to them that often.
- Write down the times you're going to check email and other messages. Want to process email for 20 minutes at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4p.m.? Write that down. Stick to it.
- Get away. Go outside for a walk. Ride your bike. Go for a run. Take the kids to the park.
- Meditate. Sit still for just a couple minutes, without any distractions, and put your attention on your breath. Return to the breath when you get distracted.
- Read. A paper book. Close all screens and just give yourself some quiet reading time.
- Find a place with no wifi. Or turn off your router. Write without distractions. Close all applications besides your writing program.
- Delete social media accounts. I recently went back on Facebook to connect with my family during my dad's hospitalization and death. But the privacy violations and useless things being posted there sent me running, and I deleted my account again.
- Delete distractful apps on your phone. Games, social media, whatever you tend to turn to when you want a bump of distraction.
- Eat without a device. Pay attention to your food. Notice the textures, flavors, colors, healthfulness that you're putting into the temple of your body.
Of course, there are other things you can do. Go on a retreat. Practice mindfulness in bits throughout the day. Take a day off of screens. The possibilities are endless.
Considering what's important
What's truly important to you? Social media? News? What everyone else is doing all the time? Games?
I'd submit that we try to do everything, but then we're not really focusing on anything. We're not going to make any of our little fantasies come true if we pursue all of them.
What is the one thing you want to pursue right now? Can you focus on that for at least a month? If not, maybe it's not that important to you.
What are the most important things in your life? Pick 3-4, or 5 at the most. How much of your time is devoted to these things? Can you cut out other things to focus on these? Can you give your 4 most important things your full attention?
In my life, my writing, my family, my health, and my learning are my four most important things. And no, I don't always devote my full attention to them. I often need to step back and remind myself of what's important.
Falling in love all over again
In his book, "The Art of Stillness," Pico Ayer says that "sitting still is a way of falling in love with the world and everything in it."
This is absolutely true. This is why distractions can be so harmful. They're turning us away from the miracle of life all around us.
Sit still for a few minutes, and pay attention to what's around you. Notice the quality of the light. Appreciate any people who might be nearby. Notice the quality of your thoughts, the sensations of various parts of your body, the loveliness of your breath as it comes in and out.
Fall in love with life all over again. And then devote yourself lovingly to it completely.


text:
1. Write the name of a person of the opposite sex.
2. Which is your favorite color out of red, black, blue, and green, yellow?
3. Your first initial?
4. Your month of birth?
5. Which color do you like more, black or white?
6. Name of a person of the same sex as yours.
7. Your favorite number?
8. Do you like California or Florida more?
9. Do you like the lake or the ocean more?
10. Write down a wish (a realistic one).
Are you done?
If so, scroll down
(Don't cheat--)
1. You are completely in love with this person.
2. If you choose:
Red: You are alert and your life is full of love.
Black: You are conservative and aggressive.
Green: Your soul is relaxed and you are laid back.
Blue: You are spontaneous and love kisses and affection from the ones you
Yellow: You are a very happy person and give good advice to those who are
3. If you're initial is:
A-K: You have a lot of love and friendships in your life.
L-R: You try to enjoy life to the maximum and your love life is soon to
S-Z: You like to help others and your future love life looks very good.
4. If you were born in:
Jan.-Mar.: The year will go very well for you and you will discover that you
Fall in love with someone totally unexpected.
Apr.-June: You will have a strong love relationship that will not last long but
The memories will last forever.
July-Sept.: You will have a great year and will experience a major life
Changing experience for the good.
Oct.-Dec.: Your love life will not be too great, but eventually you will find your
Soul mate.
5. If you choose...
Black: Your life will take on a different direction; it will seem hard at the time
But will be the best thing for you, and you will be glad for the change.
White: You will have a friend who completely confides in you and would do
Anything for you, but you may not realize it.
6. This person is your best friend.
7. This is how many close friends you have in a lifetime.
8. If you choose...
California: You like adventure.
Florida: You are a laidback person.
9. If you choose...
Lake: You are loyal to your friends and your love. And you are very reserved.
Ocean: You are spontaneous and like to please people.
10. This wish will come true only if you RE-POST THIS BULLETIN in one hour and it will come true before your next birthday!
Try THIS NOOOOOOWWWW!!!!!
by Ilovepandf10
i can't wait in a few weeks i'm going to be in middle school but i don't get a locker
- August 1, 2013
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König Rother
Our editors will review what you've submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
- English:
- King Rother
König Rother, medieval German romance (c. 1160) that is the earliest record of the type of popular entertainment literature circulated by wandering minstrels. It combines elements from German heroic literature (without the grimness of the older tales) with Orientalisms derived from the Crusades. In the story, the young king Rother sends 12 envoys to the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople to ask his daughter's hand, but before the envoys leave, Rother takes a harp and plays three tunes, which they are to listen for if in danger. After their arrival, the emperor throws the envoys in prison, so Rother sets out, assuming the name Dietrich. He is accompanied by his vassal Berchter, whose seven sons are among the envoys, and by a great army. Dietrich tells the emperor he has been banished by Rother. He contrives to meet the princess, learns she intends to marry only King Rother, and reveals his true identity. The princess persuades her father to release the starving prisoners for three days, and Rother signals his presence by playing the harp. He rescues the envoys and carries off the princess. Her father, however, sends a cunning Spielmann (minstrel) after them, who then tricks the princess into returning. To get her back, Rother has to undertake a second series of adventures.


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The nuthatch below is saying, honey I've returned to our sturdy home.
The first four shots show the sturdy bird homes on the driveway side of my house.
The large sturdy home below was originally for the downy woodpeckers so they'd stop trying to enlarge the entry holes on the homes that were too small for them. In recent years the large home has been confiscated by the squirrels. The nuthatch was checking out how the other half lives below.
The chickadee below is at the door to its sturdy home which is on the back side of my house. I have ten of the small nesting boxes in all. Eight are under the roof eaves (both sides and back) and two are on my swingset garden. I also have a lot over overgrown bushes which provide a good habitat for nest building.
Fortunately the hawk didn't land on either of the sturdy homes on part of the old swing set, that has been used for climbing plants in my garden after my daughter grew up. I fear that it would have been a demolished home under the weight of the hawk.
Click for the Photohunters sturdy theme, and/or click for the Photohunters home theme. By the way, I've posted some of these shots on my blogs in the past but when I saw what the two themes were, these birdhouse shots seemed to fit so well I used them again. This is another week where it seemed like the two separate photohunt hosts (Gattina and Sandy) collaborated to come up with themes that would go well together. Amazing that they didn't.


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*NOTE: If you have favorite anime workout shirts which want to be customized or designed, we provide CUSTOMIZATION service for you.
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VERSATILE AND STYLISH - Use your new funny fitness vest to enjoy your every moment on whether, it be weightlifting, bodybuilding, spartan races, yoga, cosfit, fitness, muscle training, running, football, basketball, MMA or if you just want to wear it casually to look good on the beach or while hanging out with friends, the choice is yours!
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BUY NOW RISK-FREE - We are so confident with the quality and comfortable design of our hero workout shirts that they are backed by our lifetime guarantee. Feel free to contact us anytime to ask any questions and our friendly customer service staff will reply to you within 24 hours.
「WHAT to GET」
- 1 x Hero Workout Shirt
- 1 x Drawstring Bag
Hey, guys
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The concept of CosFitness does not just come from our enthusiasm for those heroes who are full of heroism, passion, dignity, and motivation etc, and also inspired by our great desire to have more people enjoy fitness, workout and train like the heroes with their cosplay clothes.
KiTak who takes its inspiration from heroes' equipment items like the compression suits of MHA All Might and the battle damaged clothes of Dragon Ball Goku and the training 3d skin tops of Attack On Titan Colossal Titan 2.0.
We have a Never Give Up and professional design team to constantly update products for our fans. Our cosplay workout attire is extremely comfortable and breathable for you to get the best out of training.
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Bikes at Work Where You Live, Part 1
Our call for pictures of work bikes elicited such an overwhelming response — more than 300 photos — that we almost didn't know where to begin. It's truly inspirational and delightful to see how people around the world use bicycles
for work (and in some cases to haul some serious gear for play). There seems to be no limit to the inventiveness and resourcefulness of cyclists.
Because of the richness and variety of the pictures you sent (and keep sending), we'll be running at least one and maybe two more slide shows on this theme. Keep watching this space.
For now, here's a selection of some of our favorites, spanning the globe from Beijing to Bogotá to San Francisco.
Many thanks to all our contributors, including those at ITDP, Cyclelicious, Tucson Bike Lawyer, Bikejuju, Bikes and the City, Utility Cycling, Cenas a Pedal and Rock the Bike.
If you've missed our past slide shows, on bike traffic and space hogs, you might want to check them out.


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Pink Elephant Organic Blanket
3 layers of Organic cotton make up these beautiful soft and lightweight blankets. Hand block printed center fabric with sheer cotton voile on both sides giving a subtly sweet design. Each blanket is elegantly packaged in a drawstring pouch making it a perfect gift.
Due to the handmade nature of this product variances may occur in color and design.
Organic cotton voile.
L48" x W38" - Made in India.
Washing Instructions: Cold water wash tumble dry
For gift items please add your special gift message in the special instructions box in the shopping cart. Each gift item comes gift wrapped ready in tissue with card and twine.


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Vice President
First Lady
Mrs. Cheney
News & Policies
History & Tours
Your Government
Graphic version
Email Updates | Español | Accessibility | Search | Privacy Policy | Help
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 6, 2001
Radio Address of the President to the Nation
Listen to the President's Remarks
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Today I want to update Americans on our global campaign against terror. The United States is presenting a clear choice to every nation: Stand with the civilized world, or stand with the terrorists. And for those nations that stand with the terrorists, there will be a heavy price.
America is determined to oppose the state sponsors of terror. Yet we are equally determined to respect and help the men and women those regimes oppress. Our enemy is not the Arab world. Many friendly Arab governments are, themselves, the targets of extremist terror. Our enemy is not Islam, a good and peace-loving faith, that brings direction and comfort to over one billion people, including millions of Americans. And our enemy is not the people of any nation, even when their leaders harbor terrorists. Our enemy is the terrorists themselves, and the regimes that shelter and sustain them.
Afghanistan is a case in point. Its Taliban regime has made that nation into a sanctuary and training ground for international terrorists -- terrorists who have killed innocent citizens of many nations, including our own. The Taliban promotes terror abroad, and practices terror against its people, oppressing women and persecuting all who dissent.
The Taliban has been given the opportunity to surrender all the terrorists in Afghanistan and to close down their camps and operations. Full warning has been given, and time is running out.
The Afghan people, however, are the victims of oppression, famine and misrule. Many refugees from that unfortunate nation are on the move, and sadly, many Afghans are on the verge of starvation.
America respects the Afghan people, their long tradition and their proud independence. And we will help them in this time of confusion and crisis in their country.
America has long been the largest source of food and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. This week I announced an additional $320 million in aid to the Afghan people, to those within Afghanistan and those who have fled across borders. Despite efforts by the Taliban to disrupt these critical aid shipments, we will deliver food and seeds, vaccines and medicines by truck, and even by draft animals. Conditions permitting, we will bring help directly to the people of Afghanistan by air drops.
This aid will help Afghans make it through the upcoming winter. For the longer-term, I urge Congress to make funds available so that one day the United States can contribute, along with other friends of Afghanistan, to the reconstruction and development of that troubled nation.
Helping people in great need is a central part of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, as well as many other faiths. It is also a central part of the American tradition. Even as we fight evil regimes we are generous to the people they oppress. Following World War II, America fed and rebuilt Japan and Germany, and their people became some of our closest friends in the world.
In the struggle ahead, we will act in accordance with American ideals. We're offering help and friendship to the Afghan people. It is their Taliban rulers, and the terrorists they harbor, who have much to fear.
Thank you for listening.
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TIPGC may be officially on hold unless WE act now!
TIPGC 2013 Summer Update
People are asking for updates almost everyday and we've heard you.
TIPGC 2013 News
TIPGC has been held in March every year since 2010, until now.
TIPGC 2012 Recap
50+ teams, 500+ attendees, & 550,000+ online viewers!
TIPGC 2012 Results
What an epic video game event! Congrats to our winning teams!
TIPGC 2011 Results
Official brackets from The 2011 Iowa Pro Gaming Challenge.
TIPGC Discussion
The GoG Forum is buzzing with TIPGC discussion. Join in!


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Dental Implants Procedures – Solution for Restoring Dislodged Teeth
Dental implants are a modern approach to restore lost teeth, and the operations are typically performed by aesthetic dentists and oral surgeons. Patients undergoing the operations either require the replacement of a single tooth or are missing bigger parts of teeth.
Implants are superior to dentures because the dentist can construct a single implant to fit between teeth if only one tooth needs to be replaced. Clients can assess if the replacement procedure is the best option by examining details about the surgery.
What Happens During a Dental Implant Procedure?
Dental implants are a cosmetic service used to restore lost teeth. Individuals' confidence is restored, and their smile is corrected, as a result of the restoration process. Dental implants are thought to be a more permanent remedy to tooth loss than any other replacement option, including bridges and dentures.
Many patients prefer dental implants to bridges or dentures because they appear more natural and do not cause voice distortion when speaking. Furthermore, the implants eliminate the need for the patient to apply glue or endure humiliating times when the teeth slip out of position. Once implant teeth are in place, they function just like natural teeth and improve patients' ability to communicate and chew their meals.
The treatment is carried out in a dental office by oral surgeons. To begin, the transplanted tooth is inserted into the jawbone for optimal stability. Clients must first have a full dental examination to determine the state of their jawbone before receiving dental implants. If the jawbone isn't strong enough to support a dental implant, the oral surgeon will need to do bone grafts to strengthen it. Unfortunately, many people experience jawbone weakness as a result of oral cancer therapies.
The Purpose of Dental Implants?
Dental implants are used to replace lost teeth and improve the appearance of the patient's smile. Following tooth injury, clients may require extraction operations and may experience self-confidence concerns. The loss of teeth can have an impact on how well a person speaks and chews their food. Furthermore, missing teeth can create choking problems, which can pose major health risks. The restoration process can help people chew their food properly and enhance their digestion.
Many people chose the procedures because implants appear more natural than dentures. Clients who have had confidence concerns may be hesitant to risk the expected outcomes of wearing dentures. Some people don't want others to know that they are missing teeth in the first place. Because the teeth look so natural, the techniques can repair recently extracted teeth and conceal the fact that they were extracted.
Preparing for a Dental Implant Procedure
Many individuals analyse the benefits and drawbacks of the dental implant process before considering the operation. Furthermore, because the process is surgical, the individual must consider the danger of infection, pain following treatment, and lifestyle factors that may impact the results of the implantation process.
A dental practitioner decides whether or not the individual is a good candidate for dental implants during the consultation. The oral examination determines if the person's jaw can sustain the implants or if an alternative replacement procedure is required. If the person is not a feasible candidate for the devices, the surgeon cannot execute the surgery for a dental implant.
What to Expect During the Procedure
Most oral surgeries are performed while the patient is sedated and permitted to sleep. The surgeon will then apply a numbing chemical to the gums and inject Novocaine into the newly placed tooth region. The titanium root is initially inserted into the tooth socket and then into the jawbone during the first stage of the surgery. Once the gums have healed from the root installation, the clinician completes the dental implant tooth installation.
Some dentists demand a six-week waiting period between the two processes, during which the dentist provides a bridge to cover the root. However, some cosmetic dentists can do the full procedure in a single day.
Following a Dental Implant Procedure, Recuperation
There will be swelling of the gums and face following the operation. There may also be bruising, soreness at the implant site, and slight bleeding. Antibiotics are given by dental specialists to avoid infection and pain medicine is given to keep the client comfortable throughout recuperation. Any significant bleeding or discomfort that lasts more than a week should be reported to the oral surgeon.
Dental implants require a surgical procedure to be installed, and the treatment is completed by a cosmetic dentist or oral surgeon. Many people find that the replacement process gives them a new lease on life and restores their confidence. Following tooth extractions, customers may experience self-esteem concerns that interfere with their daily lives.
Dental implant surgeries aren't overly complicated, and the patient can have the surgery performed as an outpatient. The client's recovery is brief, and he or she will soon be able to resume normal activities. Clients decide if surgery is the best option for restoring their smile by studying details about the procedures, including all of the amazing benefits.
Brought To You By: https://www.simplysmilesdds.com/
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If you want to start homeschooling during the school year and your child is currently enrolled in a public or private school, HSLDA recommends that you formally withdraw your child from that school. If you are going to start homeschooling after the school year is over, and your child is considered enrolled for the following year, we recommend that you withdraw your child before the next school year begins, so that the school does not mark your child as absent or truant.
We invite you to become a member of HSLDA to receive specific advice about withdrawing your child from school and starting to homeschool. Local schools may have specific forms or withdrawal procedures. HSLDA members are eligible to receive individualized advice about whether complying with those procedures is advisable or required. HSLDA members can also use the sample letter of withdrawal for Oregon, located below.
We generally recommend that any correspondence with authorities be sent by "Certified Mail—Return Receipt Requested." Keep copies of the withdrawal letter and any other paperwork or correspondence, and any green postal receipts, for your personal records.
Note: If your child has never attended a public or private school, this section does not apply.
Please note: The information on this page has been reviewed by an attorney, but it should not be taken as legal advice specific to your individual situation.


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The Vikings have a reputation for brutality, and not an entirely undeserved one. The sight of a Northman longship coming round the bend was a terrifying sight for many Europeans. The Viking raids, leaving countless lifeless bodies and villages in ruin were recorded throughout the European continent. Despite this reputation, the relics that remain of their culture give insight into a remarkably different culture. The axes of the Vikings are at times decorated with intricate, artistic designs and carefully created knotwork. Even the weapons that survive show a level of attention to detail that runs counter to the popular perception of Vikings as barbarians.
This Viking axe sits at the balance point between form and function. It has the typical, well-weighted blade of a Viking war axe, suitable for heavy cuts and smashing through an opponent's guard.
The axe is one of the first tools to be manufactured by humankind. The simplicity of its construction and its inherent versatility means that axes have been an integral part of every human culture.
the Dimensions of the Norse Viking Axe is 40" long x 8" x 11"
Total Length: 34″
Head: 8" x 11"