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I hosted Dr. Robert Lanza on my Wellness Radio on Sirius Stars 102 & XM 155 last year and here's a transcript of our conversation. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Deepak Chopra: My special guest is Dr. Robert Lanza and his extraordinary mind, I just finished reading his book Biocentrism and I said to myself, "Finally, aha, somebody that I can totally relate to." The book is Biocentrism it's in the bookstores and online bookstores. I actually have it on my Kindle because I read it over and over again. Let me just tell you who Dr. Lanza is if you haven't heard about him and you should have. Dr. Lanza is considered one of the leading scientists in the world, he's currently chief scientific officer at Advanced Cell Technology and adjunct professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He has hundreds of publications and inventions and over 20 scientific books. Among them Principles of Tissue Engineering which is recognized as the definite reference in the field. I could go on for a long time giving his credentials. You can just go on Wikipedia and check him out. Dr. Robert Lanza. You know, but some among the few things that really are extraordinary, Dr. Lanza has cloned the world's first embryo for the purpose of generating embryonic stem cells. In 2001 he was also the first to clone an endangered species (a Gaur) and in 2003, he cloned an endangered wild ox from the frozen skin cells of an animal that had died at the San Diego Zoo nearly a quarter-of-a-century earlier. So take these cells, this information from an animal that no longer exists and create a, resurrect literally an endangered species. Dr. Lanza and his colleagues were also the first to demonstrate that nuclear transplantation could be used to reverse the aging process and to generate immune-compatible tissues, including the first organ tissue engineered from cloned cells. Recently he has generated along with other colleagues something called induced pluripotent cells, so the pluripotential cells are cells that have all possibilities in them. They haven't committed themselves to each other which is what stem cells are, but human iPS cells that Dr. Lanza created came from skin cells, never been done before, by direct delivery of proteins, this eliminating the harmful risks with genetic manipulation. But today we are going to talk to him mostly about his book and a little bit about these other contributions of his to the world of science. And we have him for the full hour which is a great privilege. Dr. Lanza are you there sir?
RL: Yes thank you, it's a great pleasure to join you.
DC: No, thank you for joining me and where are you right now? In Boston?
RL: Just outside of Boston in a city called Wister.
DC: Okay, you know I lived in Boston for 23 years so after my internship I did my… first I did my fellowship/residency at the Lahey Clinic and then I went on to the Deaconess and the VA and you I did… I trained endocrinology and then subsequently neuro-endocrinology so my children grew up there and then I'm so familiar. I miss Boston now.
RL: It's a very nice city.
DC: Yes. So Dr. Lanza so many things to talk about we'll get to your book immediately, very soon, but I think you're on the forefront of stem cells research and just to the audience that doesn't really understand the significance of stem cells as pluripotent cells that can be literally coaxed into becoming anything. It would be nice to hear your perspective on that.
RL: Yes. It's a very exciting field and in fact we'll be filing an IND with the FDA in the next few months to actually use these cells to prevent blindness. We've also gotten our research that was published where we show that these cells actually the same human cells we would have actually used in patients when you use them in animals you can actually cut the death rate after a heart attack in half. We could actually restore the blood flow to limbs that would otherwise would have have to be amputated to completely normal in a month. So someday in the near future hopefully rather than having a foot or a leg amputated we'll just give you an injection of the cells and restore the blood flow. We've also created entire tubes of red blood cells from scratch in the laboratory. So there are a lot of exciting things in the pipeline.
DC: Now my imagination says and you must correct me if I'm wrong because I'm not an expert in the field, I've been away from academic medicine for quite a bit of time but my imagination says that based on the fact technology including biotechnologies is moving so exponentially, it almost doubles in less than eighteen months, which literally means that in ten years the power of technology and that includes biotechnology could be a million times what it is today. So my imagination says that the day will come when you'll be able to take perhaps cells from your own skin and then you know derive stem cells as you have already done and inject to replace any organ in the body that is damaged. Is that in the realm of imagination?
RL: Absolutely. Ah. It's absolutely within the realm of reality probably within the lifetime of most of the listeners to this program. In fact when you combine stem cell technology with the technology known as tissue engineering you can actually grow up entire organs, so as you suggest that sometime in the future you get in an auto accident and lose your kidney, we'd simply take a few skin cells and grow you up a new kidney. In fact this has already been done. We've done some work with Tony Atalla's group at Wake Forest where he has actually grown up entire bladders from just a few cells and these have actually gone into patients. Some of our early work with him making primitive kidneys actually was quite successful. So yes, this is real this isn't science fiction.
DC: I'm speaking to Dr. Robert Lanza, his book is Biocentrism, what is the subtitle of the book Dr. Lanza?
RL: It's How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe. A mouthful.
DC: (laughs) Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the Universe. We're going to come to that but getting back to your field which is also tissue engineering. What you just said about stem cells and also in the near future nanobots or nanotechnology which can kind of in a sense move atoms around will probably make it possible to just about repair any organ or replace any organ in the body so that theoretically what you're saying is that one could probably live indefinitely.
RL: Well the exciting thing and we've actually published this data, we've actually have created a population of cells known as hemangioblasts, which are…
DC: Ambulance cells.
RL: Yeah they're like ambulance cells and when you inject these into animals for example that have damaged retina or eyes, if you label them with a dye that's green you can actually follow them and they will home right to the site of injury and within 24 hours fix that damaged vasculature. Where as in the other that is normal it does nothing. So these are cells that are very smart so that as you suggest by simply injecting these cells they know where to go in the body and repair damage. Be it a heart attack or damage anywhere in your body. In fact we think they might be able to reverse the progression of atherosclerosis and certainly all sorts of other vascular damage.
DC: We're seeing this amazing, amazing technology almost double almost 12-18 months, the power of technology. It is almost unimaginable what this might be in say two, three decades, or a century from now. But what we're learning just now from Dr. Lanza is that some of these things that we have been talking about are in our lifetime and in fact as we begin to understand how we extend our lifespan then we may actually one day glimpse even the more advanced technologies that Dr. Lanza has been talking about. You know I had on my show Dr. Michio Kaku who is the person that first described string theory and he's written a new book called Physics of the Impossible which the Science Channel is going to do a twelve part series on and you know he was basically saying based on what we understand in biophysics and I'm going to come to your take on this later because I agree more with you than with anyone else that I have ever met. Basically what he was saying based on our current laws of understanding, our current understanding of the laws of physics if some thing in the future, some imagined technology in the future does not violate our laws of physics then it is not impossible. It is possible and so he was talking about teleportation, he was talking about parallel universes, he was talking about bi-location, he was talking about time travel even into the past and influencing your ancestors in a way that you could be alive in one universe and not exist in another universe, etc. So you know we're right at the frontier at the amazing understanding of reality but what you're saying which has really interested me for a long time. In fact that's why I left the world of medicine and went onto, on my own and started speaking about consciousness almost 25, 30 years ago I was considered an outcast. At least in my circles. So I stuck with the general public hoping I would be able to share my ideas which weren't my ideas, which were part of a wisdom tradition that I had grown up with, with people that were not experts. But what you're saying right now in your book Biocentrism is that the physical universe would not exist unless there was a consciousness in which it could be conceived, constructed, and came into existence. That consciousness is primary and everything else is secondary to that.
RL: Yes, yes. That's absolutely correct and in addition to that life just isn't an accident of the laws of physics. There's a long list of experiments that suggest just the opposite. Amazingly when you add life and consciousness to the equation you can actually explain some of the biggest puzzles of science. So for instance it becomes clear why space and time and even the properties of matter itself depend on the observer in consciousness. In fact when you take this point of view it even explains why the laws of the universe themselves are fine tuned for the existence of life.
DC: I'm speaking with Dr. Robert Lanza, his book is Biocentrism. The publisher is… Who is the publisher?
RL: BenBella Books.
DC: Okay, BenBella Books and we're going to be featuring it on our site deepakchopra.com so we're talking about the principle of biocentrism and what Dr. Lanza is saying first of all is that the universe is so fine tuned with certain universal constants that if there was even a slight deviation from those constants we, you and I as biological organisms would not exist. And so it does not seem to be a random accident that started with the Big Bang. In fact you're also saying that the entire history of the universe from the Big Bang to the moment that consciousness appeared is now an imagined history. That it existed as probability states but not as space-time events.
RL: Absolutely. And as you do point out there's a long list of traits all the way from atoms to stars that make everything since the Big Bang to the present time appear as though it was tailor made for us. So for instance if the Big Bang had just been one part in a million more powerful the cosmos would have blown out too fast for stars and worlds to form. The result of course is no us. Again there are over 200 parameters so exact that it really strains reason to think that they're purely random. You tweak any of them and you never existed. So again without biocentrism or introducing consciousness or life into the equation none of this makes any sense.
DC: You know I've had on my radio show fortunately some of the greatest minds, academic minds in the world of neuroscience and also in the world of philosophy and consciousness, no one yet has explained to me that when I close my eyes and I imagine a rose or a picture of a red rose or a sunset on the ocean where that picture is? I experience that picture subjectively in my imagination or I can think of my mother and see her face. That experience is not in my brain and you know my brain shows firing of electromagnetic impulses in synaptic networks but now as you point out in your book as well we can look inside the brain through positron emission tomography or MRI's. We don't see pictures of sounds or tastes or textures. Those are experiences in consciousness and nobody has been able to actually locate that consciousness. The brain of course shows electrical phenomena but those electrical phenomena are not the experiences and similarly when I look at a red rose instead of imagining it, I see it out there but the experience is in my consciousness not even in my brain because it's not even in my head. In my head are these electrical impulses. I think all experiences whether we have them all subjectively or objectively are in a transcendent domain which is beyond space and time because as you point out, space and time are also felt-sense experiences and therefore not independent of our consciousness.
RL: Yes you're absolutely right. You know we think that space and time are these hard, cold objects but if you wave your hand through the air and you remove everything what's left? The answer of course is nothing so the same thing applies to time. You can't really put it in a bottle like milk. So if you look at anything say the radio. You can't see that through the bone that surrounds your brain, in fact everything you see an experience right now is just a whirl of information occurring in your mind and space and time are simply the minds tools for putting it all together. Take something as ordinary as the weather outside. You see a blue sky but the cells in your brains can be changed so it looks red and green. You think it's bright out but the brain circuits can be changed so it looks dark out. You think it feels hot and humid but to a tropical frog it would feel cold and dry. In any case you get the point. This logic applies to virtually everything. The bottom line is that anything you see could not possibly be present without your consciousness.
DC: You know what you say is just totally music to my ears. You know in the tradition I grew up in: Vedanta they had these beautiful expressions. I'm not in the world, the world is in me. I'm not in the body, the body is in me. I'm not in the mind, the mind is in me. As I curve back within myself I experience my mind in my consciousness I experience my own body in my consciousness and I experience my whole world in my consciousness. So that consciousness exists outside of space-time because it actually conceives and constructs space-time as well and therefore being outside of space-time, transcendent it has no beginning and time, it has no edges in space and therefore it has no ending in time as well. You know the whole goal of Eastern wisdom traditions has been to experience this as our identity. That even when I think about the brain that in thinking about the brain is in consciousness. When I mathematically conceive of the laws of nature they are still in my consciousness. You know you're coming from a very scientific perspective but essentially saying the same thing.
RL: Absolutely. I couldn't have said it any better than you just expressed it. We're arriving at exactly the same point in the book Biocentrism, basically I'm taking all of the existing science and basically I'm arriving unequivocally at the same end point that you've just described.
DC: Once again I want to remind our listeners that I'm speaking to Dr. Robert Lanza and he's the author of Biocentrism but he's also one of the leading scientists in the world. Dr. Lanza I'm sure you're familiar with books like The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins or you know Consciousness Explained by Daniel Dennett.
DC: And you know I've had some confrontations with Richard Dawkins and I don't mind saying that I found him extremely arrogant and you know attacking a straw man that really doesn't exist as God. But totally not in a way even caring to look at the mystery of consciousness which remains a mystery. Even Dr. Daniel Dennett's book Consciousness Explained is in a sense explained away. Nobody really addresses the mystery of consciousness and the fact that people constantly look for consciousness as a kind of biophenomenon or as a phenomenon byproduct of the brain just so because we can map out what we're thinking with correlations in certain parts of the brain doesn't really explain consciousness.
RL: As a matter of fact you're absolutely right. The book is called Consciousness Explained and many people say, they nickname it Consciousness Ignored.
DC: (laughs)
RL: (laughs) He's missing the very central core of what consciousness is all about.
DC: Yeah. So you know what is striking to me is that your expertise is in the world of biology but you're also and you're, you're expertise is such that you're pioneering some of the most amazing technologies of the future but you do take the stand that consciousness comes first and everything is constructed. Why is it so difficult for people to imagine that when a honeybee looks at a flower it doesn't see the same flower as you and I see because it's sensing ultraviolet and not the usual wavelengths that you and I see? That a chameleon's eyeballs swivel on two different axis and I can't even remotely imagine what this room would look like to a chameleon. Or the fact that whales communicate through infrasonic and dogs here things that we don't hear because the instrument is different. In the Vedanta we say that the fault of the instrument is not a reflection of the user of the instrument. You're the user of the instrument and you know you can manipulate the instrument any way you want as you just said change the weather if you want.
RL: Yea well we were actually evolved as monkeys in the forest trees that collect fruit and berries. We were never really designed to understand the universe. You know in that sense the world, the way we see it is very much like a chipmunk or squirrel. The squirrel opens his eyes and the acorn is just miraculously there and he grabs it and he scurries up the tree without any further thought, but we humans are really the same. We wake up in the morning and voila the world is just magically there but again new experiments are showing very consistently that not a single particle exists with real properties if no one is observing it. Reality is a process that involves our consciousness but it requires that you think about what is going in. People don't stop and think. You can't see anything out there through the bone around your brain and clearly that is completely reconstructed in your brain and as a physician you know well that people for instance like remember the movie A Beautiful Mind, people with schizophrenia they see people and things that are just as real. Your mind absolutely has the capacity to reconstruct and create a reality just as real as anything you are experiencing right now. Even in dreams that proves the capacity. So again everything you see now again has to be reconstructed in your mind.
DC: I'm speaking to Dr. Robert Lanza and we've been talking about his extraordinary book Biocentrism and we'll come back right after this and thank you for staying on for the second half of the show.
DC: We've been talking about some of his research but now we're actually continuing our conversation on biocentrism. Basically what you're saying is that our brain which is encased in a bony skull has no experience of a so-called outside world. The brain cells respond to things like pH, electrolytes, our body temperate, hormones, and so forth and ultimately all this activity is translated into ionic shifts across neural cell membranes and somehow mysteriously gives us the experience of color and sound and shape and texture and smell, not in the neurons but in our consciousness. But it's really not clear how information that is processed of internal states by the brain is translated into sound, sight, taste, and smell which gives us the experience of the outside world. Am I summarizing this accurately?
RL: Yes, I think the whole issue here is that, that space and time are tools of the mind that are ways of us putting things together. So when you talk about the objects you see and indeed that would include the brain and neurons you're already dealing with a reconstruction engineered by your mind. So everything that you experience in space and time is simply your way of understanding how everything is put together. So again even when you talk about a neuron or a brain cell you're already now in the external spatial-temporal world.
DC: That's right.
RL: So everything all the way from the Big Bang to the edges of the universe all that is simply an extrapolation the spatial-temporal logic of consciousness. So if you were to say that I'm standing here in a room on this continent on this earth going around the sun. If continue extrapolating that logic to its ultimate extreme you end up with the known universe. It's very much like a globe of the Earth. You could sit here and look at this globe and say these are all the possible places I could visit out there doesn't mean that you could actually go there it just means that that is an extrapolation of the entire whole.
DC: So let's go a little bit further for our listeners because believe it or not we've been having conversations like this for awhile now but never with this clarity that you are giving it and so our listeners are pretty sophisticated. Let's take it a little bit further. Now we know from mathematics and from the world of quantum mechanics is that as we go a little bit deeper into the sub-atomic world what we call electrons for example are really probability clouds that are hovering around a nucleus which is also a probability cloud. Although difficult to conceptualize this, this probability cloud defines the statistical likelihood of a space time event. We want to call it a sub-atomic particle that as you said earlier: Until we look for it, it's not there. It only exists as a potential. Am I correct?
RL: You're absolutely correct. Actually there was some debate in physics in the early days that these probability waves were waves of material. But it actually just turns out that they're statistical predictions. So for instance I'm sure everything listening is familiar with the famous two-hole experiment. If you look at an electron going through the two holes if you watch it behaves like a particle and goes through one hole or the other. If you don't look at it, it acts like a probability wave and can go through both holes at the same time. The reason that is so is because it's not being observed there is no reality. You have not laid down the threads of consciousness as to where it's going to appear. It can be expressed statistically as to certain probabilities but it isn't real until it's observed.
DC: So you know here's something I do sometimes with my audience and um you know I'm for the first time beginning to get even more clarity as I speak to you. So, and again I might be extrapolating a little bit too much here because what I'm about to say violates everything neuroscientists say. So I ask a person to, to ask them a simple question like what did you have for dinner last night and they might say I had spaghetti and meatballs. So then I say where was that information before I asked you the question? And they of course say: It was in my neurons. I say now listen, are you seeing an image of spaghetti and meatballs and who you were with last night when you had this dinner at the fancy restaurant in Manhattan and they of course are now reliving the full experience. I say where was this information and they will say it was in my neurons. I say well if I went into your neurons do you think I'll find the pictures of spaghetti and meatballs or you know are those synaptic networks coded for spaghetti and meatballs? I slowly lead them to the point where I say that that information, that memory existed as potential memory in their consciousness and when they had the intention it was almost like a measurement. A photon went off in their neurons and it gave them the experience of they were reliving that experience and then in a moment I'll say let's switch from there and go back to your house to when you were a teenager or a child. Do you see that now? And they'll immediately see that and it's almost like a quantum leap. You know localizing another space-time event in your brain through intention is almost like the real me exists as a possibility field for potential space-time events that localize of course as experience through my brain but that real me is not in the brain, it's not, it's transcendent. It's a field of possibilities, it proliferates in uncertainty, it has observer effect, it localizes in space-time events. It takes quantum leaps of imagination. You know I can move from last night's dinner to my childhood in an instant without going through all the intervening. That consciousness seems to be what this unified field that scientists are looking for. Would you relate to that or agree with that or disagree with that?
RL: No, no, absolutely. You're absolutely correct. I think it's a very different concept for people to fathom and to understand but let me add some teeth to this. There have been some very real experiments that have been carried out. There was an experiment that was published in one of the most prestigious journals in the world, Science last year in February. And what they actually did in this experiment is they put a particle into an apparatus and they had it go and make a choice along the way and then at the end they did something right now in the present that actually changed what that particle did in the past so the actions right now in the present, in the same universe you and I live in actually changed an event that actually happened retroactively in the past. And it's not just you and I thinking this, I believe that if I have it correct that even Steven Hawking has now reevaluated his thinking and I think it was in an issue of Discover magazine is saying now that the present does actually impact the past.
DC: Yes.
RL: So I think we're gaining momentum here.
DC: I know. I read a statement of Stephen Hawking where he said that God not only plays dice with the universe, he frequently throws the dice where you will not find it.
RL: (laughs)
DC: (laughs)
DC: The ultimate uncertainty principle.
RL: Exactly. And that's the other thing, the ultimate uncertainty principle, as you know Eisenberg's famous uncertainty principle, if there was really a world out there with particles bouncing around then we should be able to measure all of their properties. But you can't so for instance if you try to measure a particles exact location and it's momentum, they can't be known at the same time. It's sort of like the man and the woman in the cuckoo clock. When one goes in, the other comes out. This uncertainty is built into the very fabric of the universe and no one has a clue why and the only way this makes sense is to accept the fact that the universe is biocentric and with consciousness as it's foundation.
DC: Yeah. You know I was reading again in your book where you draw the analogy. An arrow is going through the air and somebody takes a picture of it and now you know you have it's location but you have no idea where it is going and you know the Buddhists also talk about this you know that objects in space and impermanence in time is the same phenomenon. If I go to the ocean right now and I take a picture of the sunset and the seagull is flying and I come and show you the picture and you say let's go see it, there's nothing to see because what I took as a picture was a measurement that created a space-time event of something that's slowing, something ineffable that's in a sense transcendent and is flowing continuously as space-time events and every space-time event whether it's a subjective experience or an objective experience is in fact a measurement in consciousness of consciousness.
RL: Absolutely. Everything we perceive is actively being reconstructed in our head. So time for instance is simply the summation of these frames that occur in our minds. That doesn't mean that there's this invisible matrix out there called time. It's simply our way of understanding things.
DC: So tell us what made you write this book Biocentrism? How long have you been thinking about this?
RL: Well ever since a child I knew there was something with the static billiard ball view of the world and when I was taking advanced physics at U Penn the material started to reach a new level of absurdity so at that point I tried to put this all together. I mean again for almost a century now science has not been able to reconcile its foundations relativity almost contradicts quantum theory. So again despite all these immense efforts of all of the greatest minds around there's been no resolution. So clearly the foundation there's a problem there. I think the answer of course is that space and time are not these hard external objects. Again we're, scientists have been building from one side of nature (physics) without considering the other side (life in consciousness). Neither side exists without the other. They cannot be divorced from one another or else there is no reality. I think it's science and physics are just starting to learn from all these experiments. These experiments have been carried out hundreds and hundreds of times in all sorts of ways that no physicist really questions the end point. I think that these experiments are very clearly telling us that consciousness is limitless and the ultimate reality.
DC: And yet there are some very brilliant scientists out there both in the field of physics and neuroscience who are so in a way steeped in this world of reductionist science that they would not agree. They would say that one of these days we're going to find consciousness as a bi-product of the brain. It's a secretion of the brain just like you know hydrochloric acid is a secretion of your stomach or bile is a secretion of your gall bladder. And how many of your colleagues, I mean you're such a respected scientist in your work of stem cells. How many of your colleagues actually get what you're saying?
RL: Well, this is the problem. Scientists have been trained to operate within the existing paradigm and throughout history whenever there is a new paradigm, any of the conclusions don't make any sense. They're nonsense outside of that paradigm. So short of them fully understanding how it all goes together in a systematic way it just simply doesn't make any sense. Now you have obviously given this an enormous amount of thought and figured out the critical principles so I think that you know initially you know certainly for the physicists the reaction has been sort of like a priest's reaction to stem cell research. And actually you can't tell a group of scientists that their whole life has been a joke without them getting defensive. (laughs)
DC: (laughs) So, um but there are scientists that you know of that agree with your point of view because I do know a lot of them.
RL: Well even the great physicist Steven Wiman said that consciousness cannot be explained by the laws of physics and I mean he's one of the greatest physicists recognized. Certainly John Wheeler agrees with this perspective and many others.
DC: Roger Penrose I would say agrees with this perspective.
RL: Absolutely, but I think with any kind of a paradigm shift it takes time. I think you know you, my hats off to you, you have started the movement correctly and that's how it has to start. Presumably, eventually this will catch on and people will realize that you can't keep brushing these experiments under the rug. That they've got to start now doing what science is designed to do, to try to understand everything with a single theory that really doesn't contradict itself like the current paradigm.
DC: I just wanted to remind our listeners about a few things. If you're enjoying this program tell your friends about it. This program is also available on your iPhone so if you have an iPhone app that you can listen to this program. I just had a friend that just came back from Geneva and he was listening to this while hiking the Alps on his iPhone. And so you can do that. You can also go to intent.com and listen to all the archives. The program is repeated all day Saturday until Sunday morning. You have many opportunities to listen to this and there are some very difficult concepts here. You might want to come back again to listen to this conversation. Dr. Lanza if I arrange at some point for a video shoot of a conversation that you and I can have on exactly this topic and on your book Biocentrism somewhere in New York and then we put it on YouTube and offer it to some of the major networks, would you be open to it sir?
RL: Absolutely, I'd be honored.
DC: Now because I think this conversation needs to be heard by a lot of people. We're still very much frozen in the old paradigm of reductionist, materialistic science. And you know your work and the work of many others is slowly beginning I would say to overthrow the superstition of materialism which has frozen us in a very obsolete worldview. Notwithstanding the remarkable things you can do with stem cells and other things because they're in fact stem cells being pluripotential cells remind me of you know they're like consciousness here in a cell saying tell me where to go.
RL: (laughs) It's very funny you know when we grow our embryonic stem cells or these pluripotent cells in this petri dish, the first thing they want to do is form neurons and want to assemble actually into an eye. I'm sure it's coincidence but it's interesting that organs with the perception of the first and almost the default mechanism of these cells.
DC: Well it's been wonderful having you sir and I hope we can do that filming sometime. Perhaps for PBS or any of the other outlets that we have access to and I'll be in touch with you.
RL: Great. That would be a great pleasure.
DC: My very special guest has been Dr. Robert Lanza, considered one of the leading scientists in the world. He's currently chief scientific officer at Advanced Cell Technology and adjunct professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. His book is Biocentrism and what Dr. Lanza is essentially saying is, is that the physical world exists in our consciousness, that our bodies exist in our consciousness, that space-time exists in our consciousness. That even when we think of the brain, that exists in our consciousness. That this consciousness is transcendent. It has no beginning in time, no ending in time, no edges in space. It's our ultimate identity. The whole universe arises and subsides in this consciousness. The world is our projection as we interact with our own self we project and that projection appears as our relationships, as our situation, as the circumstances of our life, as New York City and as the whole universe. This is what the Eastern wisdom traditions have taught for decades and not only decades but centuries of time. Saying that the whole purpose of our life is to expand our consciousness until we can experience ourselves as infinite being and in that experience is our enlightenment because we transcend the fear of death. That all our fears come from a limited perspective where we identify ourselves with our physical bodies which is our projection or even our mind which is our projection. Or even our thoughts which are a projection, our relationships which are a projection. Those are all part of the scenery. You're not the scenery, you are the seer in which the scenery comes and goes.


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Embracing Innovation:
In the ever-evolving landscape of warehousing and logistics, innovation is the catalyst that propels businesses forward. Commercial boilers are no exception. With the advent of smart technology and Internet of Things (IoT) integration, these marvels of engineering can now be remotely monitored and controlled, enabling predictive maintenance, identifying inefficiencies, and optimizing performance. This interactive capability offers warehouse managers a remarkable level of control and efficiency.
Within the realm of warehouses and logistics, the utilization of commercial boilers brings a symphony of benefits. From impeccable temperature precision to exemplary efficiency and sustainability, these elegant heating systems prove their worth at every turn. As the industry marches towards the future, embracing innovation will undoubtedly unleash a new era of streamlined operations, where commercial boilers continue to be the unsung heroes, orchestrating success in every warehouse and logistics hub. So, let us salute these technological marvels, which keep the gears of commerce turning smoothly while ensuring a comfortable and efficient environment for all.
ACEXM7, a prominent industrial expo organizer, recognizes the importance of showcasing these cutting-edge advancements, and as such, has announced the India Boiler Expo 2023, a title sponsored by Jindal Steel & Power. The three-day expo, set to take place from June 29th to July 1st at the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, will serve as an ideal forum for professionals in the boiler industry to connect, learn, and network.
"At India Boiler Expo 2023, we are dedicated to building awareness among the people about the importance of sustainable and efficient boiler systems, enabling a greener and more environmentally conscious India. Join our mission to educate and empower individuals, creating a nation that embraces sustainable practices and leads the way in environmental stewardship." – Shikha Chouhan, VP – Conferences, Ace Exhibition Group.
To learn more about the show, please visit:
ACEXM7 Website: www.acem7.com
India Boiler Expo 2023 Website: www.indiaboilerexpo.com
You can also connect on:
Kumar Deepak – 9911607755 or firstname.lastname@example.com
Shikha Chouhan – 8448015101 or email@example.com


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Joseph Shapiro
Joseph Shapiro is a NPR News Investigations correspondent.
Shapiro's major investigative stories include his reports on the way rising court fines and fees create an unequal system of justice for the poor and the rise of "modern day debtors' prisons," the failure of colleges and universities to punish for on-campus sexual assaults, the epidemic of sexual assault of people with intellectual disabilities, the problems with solitary confinement, the inadequacy of civil rights laws designed to get the elderly and people with disabilities out of nursing homes, and the little-known profits involved in the production of medical products from donated human cadavers.
His "Child Cases" series, reported with PBS Frontline and ProPublica, found two dozen cases in the U.S. and Canada where parents and caregivers were charged with killing children, but the charges were later reversed or dropped. Since that series, a Texas man who was the focus of one story was released from prison. And in California, a woman who was the subject of another story had her sentence commuted.
Shapiro joined NPR in November 2001 and spent eight years covering health, aging, disability, and children's and family issues on the Science Desk. He reported on the health issues of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and helped start NPR's 2005 Impact of War series with reporting from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center. He covered stories from Hurricane Katrina to the debate over overhauling the nation's health care system.
Before coming to NPR, Shapiro spent 19 years at U.S. News & World Report, as a Senior Writer on social policy and served as the magazine's Rome bureau chief, White House correspondent, and congressional reporter.
Among honors for his investigative journalism, Shapiro has received an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, George Foster Peabody Award, George Polk Award, Robert F. Kennedy Award, Edward R. Murrow Award, Sigma Delta Chi, IRE, Dart, Ruderman, and Gracie awards, and was a finalist for the Goldsmith Award.
Shapiro is the author of the award-winning book NO PITY: People with Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement (Random House/Three Rivers Press), which is widely read in disability studies classes.
Shapiro studied long-term care and end-of-life issues as a participant in the yearlong 1997 Kaiser Media Fellowship in Health program. In 1990, he explored the changing world of people with disabilities as an Alicia Patterson Foundation fellow.
Shapiro attended the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Carleton College. He's a native of Washington, DC, and lives there now with his family.
A government program made to lift the poorest disabled and elderly people out of poverty is so out-of-date and complex that people often get kicked off. The agency that runs the program responds.
Social Security's SSI program for people with disabilities requires couples to have no more than $3,000 in assets.
Under Social Security's outdated SSI rules, couples say they can't marry - or they have to hide
A little-known Social Security program was supposed to lift people out of poverty. Sometimes it traps them there instead.
The government program called Supplemental Security Income has lots of outdated rules that harm the people it's supposed to help, like people with significant disabilities and their caregivers.
Fifty-one years ago, Washington created a daring program to fight poverty. But instead of lifting people, it now traps them in poverty.
The young North Carolina woman has refused to go to a nursing home in another state. While she wants to leave the hospital, she asks to live in her own home, close to family and her school.
A young North Carolina woman has refused to go to a nursing home in another state. While she wants to leave the hospital, she asks to live in her own home, close to family and her school.
A federal warden claims he tried to stop the abuse at his prison complex in Illinois, but faced threats from his staff and obstacles from his bosses.
He was tasked with ending abuse at a federal penitentiary in Illinois but says his own staff and Bureau of Prisons officials blocked his efforts.


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// Initialize Pentair / Channel Advisor Sales Reporting sTrack.initialise();
The cover's usefulness extends to ways many people don't even realize. While most pool owners' main motivation for using a winter cover is to keep debris from getting into the pool, another major issue for the water itself during the off-season is algae growth. Still water (stagnant because your pump is turned off) in direct sunlight is the perfect breeding ground for algae. But all Arctic Armor covers are UV-protected, so they keep sunlight from penetrating to the water, which prevents algae from developing. The seams are also heat-sealed, ensuring a consistent cover surface that holds up over time and a pool just as sparkling and clear as when you close it for the season. This saves both time and trouble, since cleanup is simplified and your pool water requires much less preparation once the swim season arrives.
The key to Arctic Armor's winter covers staying firmly attached to above ground pools is a vinyl-coated cable that encircles the cover through a series of built-in metal grommets. No matter the weather or surrounding environment, the pool stays clean and healthy throughout the off-season.The cover's four feet of fabric overlap (standard for all Arctic Armor above ground models) on each side ensures an excellent deck connection and greatly reduces stress on the fabric, another innovation that makes Arctic Armor the industry standard in winter covers.
The Bronze model comes with an eight-year warranty. There are 12-year (Silver) and 15-year (Gold) models also available. Each product line has a wealth of size options (plenty of choices for both the round and oval varieties, all listed to the right under Other Purchase Options), meaning we truly have you covered no matter the size or shape of your above ground pool.


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Oh, man. I would not trade my chance for my wife and I to have a sleepover with our niece for anything, but I look forward to the day when we can do it without me having to replace a few hundred dollars of electronics or visiting the doctor afterward.
All of which is to say: the podcast is here! And it is more or less timely, but the show notes are (as ever?) on the speedy side, the kind of thing that might make you snicker once or twice, and help you figure out which part of our show to avoid…but not much more than that. (Yeah, that brilliant endnoted show note pastiche of Infinite Jest still sounds like a good idea to me, damn it.)
But enough of that. Here's this:
00:00-3:08: Greetings! Our greetings include talking about greetings so maybe it's more appropriate to say: meta-greetings! But we get to the comic book talk PDQ (Bach).
3:08-8:05: See? Here we are with Graeme talking about post-WWII era The Spirit, by Will Freakin' Eisner! Boom! Not even four minutes in and Graeme's talking about SOME OF THE GREATEST COMICS EVER MADE.
8:05-9:41: Does Graeme compare The Spirit to Judge Dredd? Why, yes, he does! And does he shame Jeff for being behind on reading 2000 A.D.? Oh my yes, he certainly does that as well, by telling us about the stellar-sounding stuff currently going on in those pages.
9:41-21:20: People who've heard Jeff try and talk about "what's in his future but will be your past by the time you listen to it" know that he would make a pretty terrible Time Lord, and here's another piece of proof: mentioning his and Graeme's guest appearance on the only movie podcast in the world, Travis Bickle on the Riviera, which he figured would be up by the time this podcast was completed but, uh, is not at all.
Anyway, what is the mysterious reason Jeff brings it up? Listen in and find out! (Hint: it does *not* involve Heat Vision and Jack…even though we end up talking about that a lot in this segment.) But all of it is basically a swerve to talk about The Spirit some more, so don't be too fooled.
21:20-47:59: Care to hear about some more recent comics: how about Grayson: Future's End #1? Wow, what an amazing issue cooked up by Tom King, Tim Seeley and Stephen Mooney! Seriously, if you haven't picked it up yet, it is a really amazing one-shot that you don't need to know about the Future's End weekly series in order to enjoy. (In fact, you really don't even need to have been following the previous two issues of Grayson.) Graeme calls it an "amazingly finely-structured comic," and he is not wrong, Whatnauts. He is not wrong. Graeme also walks through some of the other 5YL one-shots, like Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Action, Detective Comics—which is a transition for Jeff to gripe about the ongoing stylistic inconsistencies of Batman Eternal (which has a full spoiler alert on for the most recent two issues since Jeff blabs about one of the big villain reveal), for Graeme to talk about Future's End, and for both to discuss the joys and pains of weekly superhero titles.
47:59-58:45: Speaking of weekly experiences, Batman characters, and DC—Graeme has seen the pilot for Gotham! The whole thing! And he imparts some of his initial impressions here, which gives us a bit of scoop since Graeme will be recapping this show and Agents of SHIELD for Hollywood Reporter this fall.
58:45-1:04:10: Back to comics! Jeff read and very much enjoyed Batman '66 #14, "The Batrobot Takes Flight/Bat-Villains Unite," by Jeff Parker, Paul Rivoche, and Craig Brousseau. Yeah, if you want a classic Silver Age DC story with a giant Batman robot involved? This is indeed the comic for you. Jeff is also loving the current digital series of Jiro Kuwata Bat-Manga stories. The Human Ball! (And Professor Gorilla! Which Jeff didn't mention in the podcast but is telling you here as he's also fantastic.)
1:04:10-1:12:09: Because Excalibur Comics, Graeme's local shop, was having a huge sale in celebration of its fortieth anniversary. And because Graeme picked up all the rest of Steve Englehart's run on Justice League of America and tells us about it. The Secret Origin of the Justice League? The Construct is to Red Tornado as Ultron is to The Vision? Wonder Woman—mind-controlled feminist? All of it proudly proclaims: ENGLEHART
1:12:09-1:38:04: Fun, apologetic, shameless and incisive comics? In that case, it's well past-time we talked about Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #2 by Tom Scioli and John Barber. Also mentioned as in the same neighborhood, if not more or less under the same roof: Copra by Michel Fiffe; Captain Victory by Casey & Crew; and Nightworld #2 by Adam McGovern and Paolo Leandri; and we talk about Flash Gordon #5 which mixes up the art team for half an issue with surprising results. Also, thanks to Marvel Unlimited, Jeff has read the first issues of Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight which were very good, and the first two issues of She-Hulk by Charles Soule, Javier Pulido and Muntsa Vicente, which is *terrific*. Graeme talks about the second story arc of Ms. Marvel, we discuss the long shadow of the Inhumanity event, and more. Also discussed: Lumberjanes #5 (which Jeff has maybe turned around on); Scooby-Doo Team-Up #6 featuring the Super Friends and the Rainbow Ghosts; and that other fantastic all-ages book, Southern Bastards #4.
1:38:04-1:49:45: Saga #22, read and discussed by both Graeme and Jeff, and the Death-Defying Dr. Mirage, by Jen Van Meter and Roberto De la Torre, which Graeme has read and recommends. For his part, Jeff read and highly recommends Lose #6 by Michael DeForge. And Jeff has just started (still hasn't finished) Finder: Third World by Carla Speed McNeil (with colors by Jenn Manley Lee and Bill Mudron) which is also pretty damn amazing.
1:49:45-1:59:17: Plug and a contest! PLUG: Graeme is moderating the Judge Dredd panel at Rose City Comic-Con in Portland Oregon, Saturday, September 20th, with guests Douglas Wolk, Arthur Wyatt, and Ulises Farinas. If you are in Portland, Oregon on that day, the Power of Dredd compels you to attend! CONTEST: We really liked "The Russia Shift," that first arc of The Fuse, the crime procedural by Antony Johnston and Justin Greenwood set on a space station in the near future. We liked it so much that we are giving away a trade paperback collecting that very same arc (see above), and that trade is furthermore signed by aforementioned artist Justin Greenwood. Want to win it? Listen in here to find out how! (Super-thanks to Justin Greenwood, of course, and the ever-awesome Leef Smith of the ever-awesome Mission Comics and Art.
1:59:17-2:04:56: Closing comments! (Part 1) Graeme realizes we haven't given you any details about our upcoming crossover with Travis Bickle on the Riviera and fills you in on what it was like to record with me and Sean Witzke (the Internet's most terrifyingly knowledgeable film expert). You should definitely be listening to that podcast if you like movies…but if you like us (and let's say for the sake of argument that you do) and you like movies, you should definitely give that episode a listen (we will mention it when it goes live, don't worry!)
2:04:56-end: Also super-worthy of mention—our first $20 patron over at Patreon, Kris Peterson! Check Kris (not Chris) and his buddy Chris (not Kris) as they blog and podcast about comics over at The Gravy Age! He is a good egg, and we promise to do him proud. (And of course, we are grateful to our patrons who are keeping us fired up and productive!) Places to look for us at—iTunes! Stitcher! Twitter! Tumblr, Patreon! (where, as of this count, 77 patrons make this whole thing possible) You are…our Super Friends!
Oh, and here it is below, acting a little bit different from previous entries, but…hopefully you can still right-click and download? And stuff?
In case that doesn't work, I'm going to take supergodmasterforce's advice and throw in the link to our RSS feed here. It's very easy to grab it there, I promise you!
in fact lemme try it this way as a hyperlink (duh!):
As always, we hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening!


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GEN6 is a part-funded EC (CIP-ICT-PSP-2011-297239) project. The information/views generated by the project may not completely align with those of the individual participating companies or The European Community. Although the project''s information/views are considered accurate no responsibility will be accepted for their subsequent use.
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Advanced Emergency Response System
Description of the pilot:
An Advanced Emergency Response Communication System (A-ERCS) represents a vision of convergent, reliable and smart communication system designed specifically for professional use in emergency situations. Such examples are interventions and rescue missions, where different civil protection units vitally rely on communication during an on-site operation, for instance fire fighter units, medical rescue teams, military armed forces, police units etc.
Today, civil protection services are reluctant to use the latest communication technologies for the reasons of extremely high communication reliability, priority and robustness requirements throughout the operation. These requirements are in the sense of instant service operation (e.g. continuous voice communication without interruptions and downtime) and robustness of the communication system in the event of major catastrophes (e.g. operational communication system after a major earthquake or flooding). In the face of such stringent preconditions, so far only professional solutions have been able to provide appropriate capabilities and features while disregarding a variety of readily available commercial networks and solutions.
The focus of the A-ERCS pilot activities is to design, implement and demonstrate a communication system that provides different communication services for a fire fighter unit during an on-site intervention. The aim of our efforts is to demonstrate that state-of-the-art communication technologies and networks can facilitate an advanced emergency response communication system and provide professionalized data services by utilizing a carefully orchestrated combination of professional and commercial networks and relying on advanced features of the IPv6 technology.
Our vision, driving the A-ERCS efforts, is to contribute to further developments and adoption of advanced, reliable and highly convergent communication systems available for professional use in different emergency and catastrophic situations, and thus take the telecommunication services to the next level in serving for security and wellbeing of mankind. We would like to demonstrate that today a variety of powerful and efficient communication technologies exist that, if combined and orchestrated appropriately with advanced intelligent overlay solutions, can deliver reliable, resilient and autonomous communications able to serve and protect in extreme conditions where communication can represent a vital element of survival.
The aim of the A-ERCS pilot is to clearly demonstrate the state-of-the-art IPv6-enabled features in emergency response environments. More specifically, the A-ERCS pilot will demonstrate:
- A scalable and robust overlay system for data transport and rich multimedia service built across both professional (e.g. DMR, TETRA, Satellite) and commercial networks (e.g. UMTS/HSPA, LTE) and ruggedized commercial-of-the-shelf (COTS) systems (mesh Wi-Fi and ad-hoc WiMax).
- The ability of such a system to deliver seamless connectivity from targeted/affected areas across heterogeneous technologies and public networks, locally as well as on national and cross-border levels.
- Capabilities of the IPv6 technology to assist in deployment of automatic network planning and deployment capabilities, vital to all A-ERCS systems.
- IPv6 support for advanced features, such as network, node and host auto configuration, and self-organization and self-healing characteristics.
- The ability of such a system to assure secure and QoS-enabled transmission of data, voice and multimedia-rich services system by relying upon modern professional and commercial telecommunications networks and IPv6-based technologies and features.
The A-ERCS pilot will be implemented and demonstrated in Slovenia by the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Laboratory for telecommunications (LTFE), in tight cooperation with Voluntary Fire Brigade, operating under Municipality of Ljubljana (MOL), Department for Protection, Rescue and Civil Defense (OZRCO)


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A Kendall Family Novel #1
a Contemporary Romance
But Victoria Lane's been through more than Tristan knows since he broke her heart. No longer the girl he once knew, she has a life to live, and a heart to give, but only to someone who's planning to stick around. And she's sure that isn't him. Can he convince her that she's the only victory lane he wants to be in?
When he pulled off onto the winding back roads and slowed down, the cop didn't see him exit. Familiar sights caused memories of home to return. He hadn't been back in five years and more houses had sprung up. The plague of suburbia seemed to crowd in a bit more on the rural town of Comus, creeping up from D.C. to the south. One day there'd surely be a skyscraper in his backyard, but for now rolling farmlands dotted the landscape. Despite his familiarity with the roads, he rode them cautiously, his green eyes alert for patches of dirt or leftover road salt from winter storms. They could send him skidding off the pavement.
As if to prove his point, he came around a curve to find that another sport bike and its rider weren't wrapped around each other anymore. The bike was upside down against a sapling. The rider stood with hands on hips, staring at the flipped-over Suzuki Hayabusa that no one would be taking for a spin anytime soon by the look of the chain, which had disengaged from the rear sprocket to drape near the ground. The clutch lever on the left handlebar hung loose as if snapped, paint had scratched off, and small dents had damaged the body work. Tristan quickly dismounted, running into the tall grass beside the rider.
"Hey, are you all right?" he asked.
The rider turned and Tristan stopped short, his gaze riveted on the rider's brown eyes, which reminded him of melted chocolate, long lashes framing them. A spark of anger gleamed within. Her posture was defiant. His pulse raced faster now than in the last hour. Even with her helmet still on, the visor up, her face radiated beauty, though he couldn't see more than those eyes and cheekbones, making him desperately curious to see more. Full breasts strained at the form-fitting leather suit of red and white. Her zipper was down enough to reveal magnificent cleavage pushed up like two mountains of fleshy delights that Sugarloaf Mountain behind them could not compete with; not all of Mother Earth's mounds were created equal.
"I'm fine," said the woman, hardly sparing him a fiery glance.
"Are you sure? Maybe you should get checked out."
"I'm standing, aren't I?"
He nodded, wondering if her bravado was covering for her being shaken up. By the look of the scene, she'd likely tumbled through the grass and that was all. They silently gazed at the Hayabusa together. "That was a nice bike."
"Was being the operative word."
He shrugged. "I've seen worse. It can be fixed."
"Yeah," she said, not sounding convinced.
"What happened?"
He cringed. "Ouch. That could've been a lot worse. Fatal, even. Whatever move you pulled to avoid colliding was worth it."
She cocked an eyebrow at him, her face softening. "Thanks," she said, noting the blonde hair peeking out from the back of his helmet. He hadn't lifted the mirror visor, which hid his face. All she could see under the helmet were a sexy neck, Adam's apple, and stubble, besides broad shoulders on a lean frame. He wore faded blue jeans, black boots, and a blue t-shirt under a white-and-blue summer riding jacket. "You always leave your visor down?"
"Sorry. No. It broke this morning. If I get it up, I won't be able to get it back down, and catching a bug in the face sucks."
"You have trouble getting it up?"
He hadn't expected the joke and laughed, exaggerating the motion of looking her up and down. "Not at the moment." Thinking she seemed amused, he added, "Well, you're gonna need a ride. Can I take you somewhere? Like my place?"
The look in her eyes wavered between mirth and annoyance. "Does that line work on anyone?"
"You'd be surprised," he said. Sensing that maybe his repartee hadn't gone over well, he added, "Sorry. Not a great time for jokes. I was just trying to lighten things up. I know a fall can scare the crap of you."
She nodded. "Crash much? Maybe I should get a ride from someone else."
"You might be out here a while if you want to wait. You got a phone to call someone?"
Shaking her head, she said, "Didn't bring it."
"Mine died earlier. Forgot to charge it at my last stop. I can run by Clarksburg Motorsports and tell them to come get you. It's about fifteen minutes away. They'll need to come anyway to get the bike unless you want someone else to haul it."
She turned to him and sighed, seeming resigned. "No. I know the place. That's where I bought it. And they service it. I don't feel like standing here for the time they'll take to get here. Let's go." She headed toward his bike and he followed through the tall grass. He lowered the rear foot pegs and got on the front seat.
He had a knack for making suggestive remarks that were technically innocent, so he said, as if unaware of the double-entendre, "I don't usually let a woman ride my crotch rocket so soon after meeting."
"I find that hard to believe," she said, smiling wryly. She stepped on a peg, grabbed his shoulder, and easily lifted herself behind him, sitting down gracefully. She squeezed her legs against his, her crotch against his ass. "Take me to the strip mall in Comus. I work there."
"Okay." Over one shoulder, he advised, "Try to find something hard to hold onto."
"I'm afraid to ask what you had in mind." She put her visor back down and wrapped both arms around him from behind.
"You're gonna want to grip harder than that," he said, starting the engine, which came to life with a loud growl due to the aftermarket exhaust system he'd installed. When she didn't hold tighter, he smirked and took off with a small wheelie that caused her to yelp in surprise and squeeze hard with both arms and legs, her head pressed against his back. He let the wheel down softly and noticed she didn't lighten her grip as he continued more safely, the heat of her warming him through his back, legs, and ass.
He was no stranger to women mounting his crotch rocket, whether that was his bike or not. Those who rode one were willing to ride the other. The lone exception had been Victoria, his high school sweetheart. Her father had been killed in a motorcycle accident, making her deathly afraid of them and for Tristan once they'd fallen in love. His high-speed shenanigans had caused no end of fights. When she found out he wanted to be a pro rider, she'd freaked. He'd certainly never gotten her onto the bike, which had bothered him. If you can't share one love of your life with the other love of your life, something's amiss. For him, it had taken some of the steam out of their bond and ultimately made it easier for him to leave town, even though he understood her fears. He hadn't seen her in the five years since or learned what became of her except that she'd left town, too, but he was hoping to find out something about that now that he was back, however briefly. Maybe he'd even go looking for her.
The girl currently on his bike—and he only now realized he hadn't gotten her name—distracted him from the thought when she unzipped his jacket some and slid one hand inside. Tristan's pulse raced, his hand inadvertently pulling on the throttle so the bike revved like his heart. Her hand caressed his chest a few times, giving him a squeeze before dropping to his belly, running over his six-pack abs slowly, as if counting the ripples under the shirt. He struggled to keep his mind on the road and half-wondered if this is how she'd crashed. Had she been riding with some other guy and made him leave the road, his body nowhere in sight among the wreckage?
The thought brought him to his senses, but not for long. Her other hand slipped down to his inner thigh, close to his growing erection, and she playfully squeezed his ass with her legs, making him wish he was facing the other way and buck naked. This woman would be the death of them both, but if he got her back to her place and got her to mount his other rocket, the sex just might be worth the risk of bodily harm now. He'd give her a lift-off worthy of a Space Shuttle launch and all the media coverage that came with.
By the time they pulled into the only strip mall in Comus, where four businesses lay in a row, with parking out front, his visor had begun to fog up. His passenger pointed at a shop that said "Pilates" above it, and he smiled to himself as they parked before it, hoping she was an instructor. Flexibility in a woman was a good thing.
Looking for an excuse to get inside, he asked, "Can I use your bathroom?"
"Sure," she said, turning toward the door and pulling her helmet off with her back to him. A tumble of silken brown hair fell out over her leather-covered back. She unlocked the door and went in without looking at him. He followed, fumbling with his helmet strap, finally getting the whole thing off just as she turned to face him. He barely saw her face before she slapped him.
"You bastard!" she screamed. "Get out!"
The color drained from Tristan's face before anger brought it back in a flash. Then he got a good look at her and his mouth fell open.
Randi has a Bachelors of Music in classical guitar but has always been more of a rocker, having released several albums under another name. Tendonitis in both arms ended career plans in music, leading to a new career as a software developer. Today Randi co-owns a software consulting firm and lives in the Maryland suburbs north of D.C., is married, and loves spending time with son Ryan when not writing, playing guitar or golf, or writing smut.
Please enter the Rafflecopter giveaway to
win one of 5 eCopies
of Tristan by Randi Everheart.
The giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY until March 10th, 2014.
There will be five winners. So, all the best!
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Hi everyone. Bought this beautiful die a couple of months ago from Scrapbook Warehouse in Vancouver. LOVE how pretty and delicate it looks when watercoloured.
I used the inlaid die-cutting technique for this card. It was simple to do. I didn't add all the background pieces back, but instead, just added the oval outline, leaves and flowers. The rest of the die-cut pieces were left out so there is a clear view to the background behind the die-cut. Then I popped it up over top of the lattice design stenciled background.
This is my reminder card for the CAS Mix Up June Challenge - Die-cuts. Still lots of time left to come and join the fun. We'd love to see you in the gallery. :)
My CAS Mix Up card above has die-cutting, stamping, watercolouring, inlaid die-cutting technique, and stenciling with sponging.
We have had amazing entries so far this month. Click HERE to see our Pinterest Board for June's challenge --- lots of fabulous inspiration.
And there are more sample cards from our Design Team, Featured Designer and Guest Designer posted on the CAS Mix Up blog today. Hope you have time to stop by and check them out.
Stamps: Sweet Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper: White card base (Neenah); Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink: Zigs; Smoky Slate (SU!)
Accessories & Tools: Fairhaven Oval Frame, paint brush, Crisscrossed Stencil (STAMPlorations), Sponge, sequins
CAS Mix Up June Challenge - Die-cuts


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Eleven Months to Freedom
A German POW's Unlikely Escape from Siberia in 1915
Eleven Months to Freedom recounts the daring World War I escape of German midshipman Erich Killinger. Falsely accused of bombing a railway station after crashing his plane at sea, he was sentenced to life in the Sakhalin coal mines.
Shipped by rail with several other POWs across Russia, Killinger was determined to return home. In order to do this, though ...
Available Formats: Hardcover


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Do you want to follow Jesus? Do you want to find out what that means? Are you new to following Jesus and not sure what to do now? If so, read this series of pages which are meant for you. They are mainly for anyone who is interested in following Jesus or has just started to do so. They may also be useful to you if you have called yourself a Christian for a long time but want to learn more about what it really means to follow Jesus.
Contents of this series:
- Why should I follow Jesus?
- Do I need to change my religion to follow Jesus?
- How can I become a follower of Jesus?
- I have started to follow Jesus. What next?
- How can I know the power of God in my life?
- What is the handbook for Jesus followers?
- What about all those other Jesus followers?
- How can I meet with other Jesus followers?
- To follow Jesus, do I need to be baptised?
- (more to follow)
If you're not sure where to go now, start at the beginning. Items with no link are projected or in preparation.
Special comment policy for this series: These pages are primarily for beginners. I am allowing comments here so that these beginners can ask questions for clarification. This is not the place for discussion of controversial issues. If you, as a mature follower of Jesus or as a confirmed opponent, think something I have written here is not correct, then please let me know through the contact form, and I will try to address the issue.


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Sony just announced the previously rumored Sony DSC-TX5 (Waterproof, Freeze Proof, Shockproof and Dust Proof) and DSC-H55 models:
No Sony Alpha DSLR was announced.
Pre-order options:
Full press release after the break:
Model Offers Outstanding Low-Light Performance, High Speed, Intelligent Sweep Panorama and More
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 17, 2010 – Leading the industry in innovation and design, Sony today unveiled two new Cyber-shot® digital still cameras (models DSC-TX5 and DSC-H55).
Slim enough to fit in your pocket or purse at less than an inch thin -- about the size of a deck of cards -- the TX5 is the world's thinnest and smallest certified waterproof (up to 10 feet deep) digital still camera with Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization and touch operation. Additionally, the 10.2 megapixel model is Sony's first digital still camera with an "Exmor R" CMOS sensor that is also certified to be freeze proof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, shockproof up to about a 5-foot drop and dust proof.
"Only Sony can deliver a technology-packed, ultra slim, fashionable T-series camera that is also durable. Until now, you couldn't have it all in one camera" said Kelly Davis, director of the Digital Imaging business at Sony Electronics. "It is so versatile because it's a great camera for both indoor and outdoor usage. You can easily take it from a day at the beach with the kids to a cocktail party with friends. This camera is also great for activities such as snorkeling, snowboarding or boating."
Waterproof, Freeze Proof, Shockproof and Dust Proof
Waterproof in up to 10 feet of water for an hour, the TX5 lets you take high-quality photos, including panoramic pictures, and 720p high definition videos of your friends, family or pets underwater. From the tropics to the top of the mountain, the camera is also freeze proof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can take pictures of the kids sledding or snowboarding. Not only is it ready for cold weather, but the TX5 is durable enough to withstand an accidental drop from up to approximately 5 feet. Additionally, it is dust proof, so you can take it with you on a camping trip or a mountain bike ride.
The camera features an "Exmor R" sensor and offers 10fps continuous burst shooting for capturing action shots, so you can get great photos of the perfect moment such as when your kids are in mid air while jumping into the pool. Additionally, the sensor provides outstanding low-light performance so you can take high-quality photos even after the sun sets.
In one easy press-and-sweep motion, take panoramic photos of the underwater landscape or breathtaking views from the top of the mountain using the Intelligent Sweep Panorama™ feature. Another benefit of the "Exmor R" sensor, this innovative feature combines separate captures, detects faces and subject motion and intelligently adjusts the width while stitching the images together, resulting in natural looking panoramic photos.
Equipped with a foldable, 25 mm equivalent wide-angle 4x optical zoom Carl Zeiss® Vario Tessor® lens, the TX5 delivers outstanding sharpness and high-quality photos while helping to keep the camera compact. The camera also has a three-inch (measured diagonally) Clear Photo LCD Plus™ (230,400 pixel) wide touch screen display that functions—even underwater. You can focus on your subject, operate the menu and share photos and videos with a touch of the screen—wet or dry. Additionally, you can decorate your photos using the paint feature or scroll through images by simply sweeping your finger across the screen.
Shadows and Details Made Easy
In addition to making it easy to capture entire landscapes or tall buildings, the TX5 camera also helps to manage difficult lighting situations. The "Exmor R" CMOS sensor lets you take high-quality photos in low light without a flash. Additionally, the TX5 has a solution for backlight situations.
With in-camera multi-shot Backlight Correction High Dynamic Range (HDR), the camera combines highlight and shadow detail of two separate captures into one remarkably natural looking image—even without a tripod. HDR offers a solution for strong backlight situations which typically result in either dark shadows in the foreground or a washed out background. Sony's "Exmor R" sensor and BIONZ® processor help to correct these issues.
Sony also is introducing the H55 model, which offers high zoom in a compact design. The H55 camera's 10x optical zoom Sony G lens with 25mm wide-angle (equivalent) takes better shots from greater distances and of wider landscapes. With a 14.1 megapixel CCD sensor, this camera lets you take panoramic shots in one sweeping motion with Sweep Panorama™ mode. You can also frame and view photos on its three-inch (measured diagonally) Clear Photo™ LCD screen (230,400 pixels).
Featuring 720p movie recording, the H55 model offers Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization to help reduce blur in photos without compromising image quality. It also adds Optical SteadyShot image stabilization with Active Mode, which lets you shoot smoother movie clips even if you are walking while shooting. Optical SteadyShot image stabilization with Active Mode allows a moveable lens element inside the camera to shift with greater range of motion—10 times the range of the Optical SteadyShot feature at wide end in standard mode—to compensate for camera shake.
The TX5 and H55 cameras share intelligent features including HD movie recording (1280 x 720 at 30p). Additionally, these cameras have a Self portrait timer that automatically takes the shot two seconds after one or two faces are detected, making hand held self-portraits easy. They also offer Smile Shutter™ technology to automatically capture smiles and iAUTO and Easy modes, which make it easy to get the best shot in nearly any lighting situation.
To give customers greater choice and enhance the overall customer experience, the TX5 and H55 cameras feature a memory card slot compatible with both Memory Stick® (PRO Duo™) and class-four and above SD/SDHC formats.
Pricing and Availability
The TX5 camera will be available in silver, black, pink, green, and red this April for about $350, and the H55 camera will be available in black and silver this April for about $250. Pre-sales begin in February.
The cameras and a range of accessories will be available online at Sonystyle.com, at Sony Style® retail stores (www.Sonystyle.com/retail), at military base exchanges and at authorized dealers nationwide.


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- Make yourself look pretty and modest in this long maxi dress featuring beatiful and colorful printed design.
- Round neckline.
- Short sleeve.
- Comes in Short, Regular, and Tall length.
- Shoulder to hem measurements: Short – 51″, Regular – 54″, Tall – 57″.
- Made of 90% cotton & 10% spandex fabric.
- Design on fabric printed using heat sublimation technique.
- Machine washable, best at 30 C / 86 F.
- Recommended NOT to use the dryer so that the print on this dress remains gorgeous and pretty for a longer time.
Size Chart & Guide
Shipping Information
- This item is handmade or made-to-order. After a successful purchase, please allow 14 to 21 business days for processing your order.
- Item will be sent from our production studio based in Hong Kong or China via international airmail.
- Once your order is shipped, we will update your order with the delivery tracking number.
- Estimated time to arrive is between 2 to 5 weeks, depending on your location and other factors that may affect delivery such as holiday seasons, Christmas, Chinese New Year, etc
- Please note that unfortunate local and global events like natural disasters, pandemic lockdown, labor strikes, or customs issues may also affect the delivery timeframe.
- Your item will be delivered to your address by your local postal service.
- Buyer is responsible for any applicable import duties and local taxes. Please verify with your customs before making your purchase, especially for high value items.
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John Roderick
Roderick on the Line podcast
John Roderick is the songwriter and singer/guitarist of The Long Winters, forming the band from a mound of clay back in 2001. Widely acclaimed as one of America's preeminent artists, credited with resurrecting Seattle's moribund music scene and bringing new life to the rock genre, John also writes his own press bios. A central figure in the Northwest music community, John nevertheless maintains his outsider status by being both dangerously edgy and completely huggable, in contravention of established Seattle practice. Equally talented at almost any instrument, (except guitar, at which he is even more talented), John has made it nearly impossible for any other musicians to find work in Washington State, effectively playing ALL the music that needs to be played. John is also a widely respected journalist, an extensively quoted author and philosopher, a prima ballerina, a cowboy and an astronaut.
Eric Corson
Bass and harmony vocals: '01-present
Eric Corson grew up in Kent, WA and joined The Long Winters in 2001, after the recording of The Worst You Can Do is Harm was completed. He showed up to his first audition fresh off an Alaskan fishing boat having learned all the songs on a five-string acoustic guitar. He was a young-looking and slouchy little hippy, so the band immediately subjected him to cruel and demoralizing verbal harassment in the hope that it would either break his spirit or forge him into an iron-willed road-warrior. He rose to the challenge and, hardened by touring and by the constant verbal firestorm, transformed into a sarcastic and wiry monster who can sleep standing up in a corner and play indie-rock under sustained machine-gun fire, if that opportunity ever arises. Eric is also a great harmony vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and recording engineer who has tracked large portions of the new Long Winters record in his apartment and in John's mom's basement.
Members Emeritus
Nabil Ayers
Drums: '05-'09
Nabil Ayers, from Salt Lake City, UT joined The Long Winters after passing a rigorous audition which included playing Frisbee for an hour in the Post Office parking lot. He earned his bones playing in various Seattle bands such as the Lemons, Micro Mini, and Alien Crime Syndicate, (legends all) developing a reputation as one of Seattle's most elegant and respected drum-masters. In addition to his very "vibey" playing he was also a calming and stabilizing presence in the band, mostly because he was so busy sending emails on his Blackberry that he completely missed most of the conversation and ended up agreeing with everyone. Nabil was once known as the "nicest man in Seattle rock" because he's such a slick operator none of the hayseeds around the Northwest could tell he was robbing them blind, but after a few years in The Long Winters he dropped all pretense of being nice and started being quite upfront about only being in it for the money. He also co-owns Sonic Boom Records, a hipster music chain that hires a lot of cool kids who silently judge you while you shop, and he puts out records himself on his Control Group record label. Sadly for us, he is now the head of 4AD records in America and lives in Brooklyn, like the music business swine he is, charging ridiculous dinners and long cab rides to the recoupable expenses of young bands.
Jonathan Rothman
Guitar/keyboards: '06-'09
Jonathan is originally from Atlanta, GA and cut his teeth playing in various teenaged post-punk bands before emigrating to the crisp air and stoner folk-pop of Missoula, MT. Introduced to The Long Winters through his friend, Ghost Stories/Shins member Ron Lewis, Jonathan arrived at his audition already able to play the entire LW's catalogue on both guitar and piano. He quickly established himself as an indispensable member of the band, both by mastering all of John Roderick's long-forgotten piano and guitar parts and by adding his incomprehensible wit to otherwise prosaic conversations. Jon's youthful enthusiasm made him the band's ambassador, always willing to grab a pint or discuss the finer points of songwriting or gear with fellow musicians and fans. He was also one of the few members of the Long Winters to ever actually care about indie-rock, continually explaining which bands influenced which other bands, and why it all really, really matters. He would whisper things like, "The guy walking up to us right now is the washboard player in the band Eskimo Alternator from Chapel Hill, but he used to play soprano saxophone in Frank is a Girl back in the nineties, who were one of the biggest bands of the Toledo punk/polka revival. Don't shake his hand, because he's germophobic." Being in a band with him was like being President of the United States, if the President needed to know about indie rock. He now lives in Brooklyn, and is studying to become a high school math teacher.
Sean Nelson
Keyboards and harmony vocals: '00-'04
Sean was a founding member of The Long Winters, was instrumental in the recording of the first record and acted as consigliore and Minister without Portfolio throughout much of the first four years of the band. Better known as the singer of late-nineties alt-rock heroes Harvey Danger, he is also an accomplished journalist, actor, and radio personality (on Seattle's KEXP), has functioned as a corporate sell-out in some indefinable job at the Microsoft Corp, is a member of Robyn Hitchcock's touring cavalcade, and is presently living in a hollowed-out tree on the edge of the forest. Sean began threatening to leave The Long Winters immediately upon joining the band and could often be seen scowling at his bandmates and scribbling furious notes in his journal, giving the distinct impression of recording for posterity each and every mean thing that was ever said to or about him, filling volumes. Sean's personality, both on stage and off, had a lasting impact on the band and has proved very difficult to remove, despite the use of scouring pads and the purchase of Christmas tree air-fresheners now numbering in the dozens.
Michael Shilling
Drums: '01-'04
Rock Bottom on Facebook
Michael was the original Long Winters drummer, the Enforcer, fact-checker, anxious back-seat driver, and alternating foil for everyone else. A fiction writer, Michael was employed for many years in the time-honored fashion of fiction writers—writing advertising copy—but then went straight and taught in the graduate writing program at Ann Arbor. He was a unifying presence in the early years of the band because he was equally irritated at everyone and hence inspired a real feeling of community. His erudition and mannered deportment infused the band with a literary and cultured air, in contrast to his aggressive drumming which greatly "rockified" the show and began the tradition of live performances being "interpretations" of their CD's. The rigors of touring, particularly in Europe, the low pay, and the intolerable snoring of certain other members of the band ultimately convinced Michael that his literary ambitions were worthy of more constant attention, and he left the band in early 2004. His debut novel, Rock Bottom, about life in a rock band (yikes!) was published in 2009.
Chris Canigula
Keyboards: '01-'03
Chris was the first member of the Long Winters touring band, signing on as keyboardist (an instrument with which he had almost no familiarity) and moving from New York to Seattle in the process. A constant source of trouble and 'angry white guy' hilarity, Chris was widely credited, within the band, with having held the whole shebang together during the tumultuous first few tours. Wickedly funny, anti-authoritarian, and unapologetically racist and sexist (rooted in his fear of the "other" and in his latent homosexuality) Chris made the hours between thankless gigs in bomb shelters and cesspools seem like extended comedy jams, and many all-night drives were enlivened by his rants. As boring and irritating as that may sound, it was really quite great. The protected atmosphere of the van unleashed in Chris a comedy dynamo that no one knew existed, and soon his fellow Long Winters were encouraging him to pursue stand-up comedy as his true calling, not the least of which was because his keyboard playing never really improved. In the summer of 2003 he returned to New York with a renewed sense of purpose, teaching "Intro to Improv" at the People's Improv Theater and performing improv and stand-up, as well as waiting tables, doing carpentry, and turning tricks to pay the rent in the Big Apple. Recently he's moved to Los Angeles in the time-honored tradition of New York actors.
Chris Walla
Producer and multi-instrumentalist: '01-'03
Mr. Walla had already made a name for himself by early 2000 as a recording engineer and producer for his work on the first two Death Cab for Cutie records and he was eagerly recording other bands and experimenting with new projects. He seized on the as-yet-unnamed Long Winters project, quickly becoming a de-facto member of the group as well as the producer and Svengali, and imparted to the recording his now distinctive style of intricate production as well as his many talents as guitarist/pianist/arranger. Unfortunately his commitments to Death Cab and his insistence on eating only Veggie Lunchables and birdseed prohibited his becoming a touring member of the band, but he was again behind the board for the recording of "When I Pretend To Fall". His contributions to that record are at the core of its unique sound and, although he handed off the production to Ken Stringfellow halfway due to previous commitments, his work on it is instantly recognizable and characteristic of his creativity and boldness. He is currently a household name and world-renowned producer with a cult-like following, forcing him to tint the windows of his powder-blue Bentley until they are almost opaque
Ken Stringfellow
Producer and multi-instrumentalist: '03
Ken "joined" The Long Winters during the tour to support his album "Touched" when he asked the band to open for him and be his backing band. He soon reciprocated, singing harmonies and doing high-kicks on stage with the Long Winters, culminating in two legendary nights when he actually sang lead vocals when John had laryngitis, reading the lyrics from the album liner notes. In addition to impressing the LW's every night with his seasoned and worldly professionalism, Ken also demonstrated how to survive by drinking the blood of teenage girls, providing a firsthand look at the kind of depravity a lifetime in "rock music" can produce. At the end of the Touched tour the LW's started work in the studio with Chris Walla, but Ken was a familiar and daily presence, butting in, rolling his eyes, and offering unsolicited advice. Ultimately Ken took over the producer's chair and was a champion of the lush sound that characterizes that album. He also played and sang on several songs, cementing his status as Long Winter emeritus. Today, Ken can be found living in Paris with his wife, Dominique and young daughter, and fronting a Norwegian rock band, the Disciplines. He would like you to be his Facebook friend.
Michael Schorr
Drums: spring '04
Michael Schorr was friends with The Long Winters from his time as the drummer of Death Cab for Cutie during which time they shared many a stage and Michael cemented his reputation as both a very good drummer and a very difficult and dangerous-seeming person. After he left DCFC he focused his attention fully on listening to prog-rock and mastering first-person-shooter video games, which automatically qualified him for a stint in The Long Winters despite his vocal advocacy of Windows-based computer solutions. In his short tenure with the band he brought a new and awesome commitment to rhythmic propulsion, ("I have no knowledge of melodic instruments…"—Michael Schorr), as well as nearly doubling the number of competent drivers in the band. He was the only eighteenth-level magic user with a +4 charisma to have been in The Long Winters (John is a 25th level chaotic-neutral Paladin) and also represents a thousand-fold increase in the number of band members who have ever lived in Chico, Ca. The only downside to Michael's time in the band was that his and Eric's conversations about 3-D Graphics programming acted as one of the most powerful sedatives known to man.
Darius Minwalla
Drums: summer '04
Darius joined The Long Winters for the Capitol Hill Street Fair in July '04 and played several shows with the band including a surprise show at the Comet Tavern and an outdoor show at the State Government campus in Lacey, Washington. Then, after a five year interim, again joined the band for a show in Portland at MusicFest NW. Darius is perhaps best known as the drummer of the Posies but he also plays in the Preston School of Industry and is generally considered one of the nicest, cutest, and most retarded people in the whole Seattle music community. Although he only played with The Long Winters for a half a dozen shows, those shows will be remembered as truly memorable in the memory, if for no other reason than that it means a majority (5 out of 9) of present and former Posies have appeared or recorded with The Long Winters. Gross.
Darius sadly passed away suddenly in 2015, and is greatly missed.
Darren Loucas
Guitar: spring '04
Darren is an excellent guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who joined the band for the Nada Surf tour in the early spring of 2004. He has his own band, Juke, and performs with the Jelly Rollers and as a solo singer/guitarist. Darren once won the coveted "Best Blues Guitarist" award, or something like that, from the Northwest Blues Society, or something. He also plays guitar in various side-projects with Sean Nelson and Sweet Hereafter bassist Bill Herzog, including "'Tommy' All the Way Through", a performance of the entire Who record front to back, which was amazing. Darren continues to be a fixture of the Seattle music community and is at work on a new album.
Mike Squires
Guitar/keys: '05/06
Mike Squires grew up in the rural backwater of Granite Falls, WA and is a longtime Seattle musician who has played guitar and bass in a variety of bands including the Nevada Bachelors, Romadrosis, Alien Crime Syndicate and a variety of other half-baked jazz and metal combos. Splitting his time between Portland and Seattle, Mike brought The Long Winters back together after their "lost weekend" period in 2004 with his Vegas-style showmanship and his crack Marine Corps typing-pool discipline. Mike played on the first Long Winters record, tracking both the guitar and bass parts on the song "Scent of Lime", but the extremely strict conditions of his parole at the time prohibited him from joining the band until 2005, and forced his departure less than a year later. Mike is a true music fan, a guitar collector, and a Northwest original, capable of rambling incoherently about the merits of various vintage chorus effects pedals until even the most die-hard guitar wanker loses the feeling in his hands. He can currently be found touring Japan or Germany or somewhere, playing guitar in Duff McKagan's Loaded.