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VESTAPE – the new unidirectional tape from Evonik
Marl. Endless, fiber-reinforced plastics offer a promising, innovative solution for lightweight construction. Evonik has developed endless fiber-reinforced UD tapes with thermoplastic matrices to the marketable stage and is now distributing them under the VESTAPE brand.
For some years now, tape manufacturers have been using thermoplastic matrices from Evonik. Now the company itself is manufacturing both glass and carbon fiber tapes using polyamide 12 and specialty high-temperature polyamides. On request, tapes can also be produced using other thermoplastic matrices such as polyamide 6 or PEEK (VESTAKEEP®). The tapes are supplied in rolls 80mm and 150mm wide.
In a unidirectional tape, glass or carbon fibers, which are embedded in a thermoplastic matrix, optimally combine their properties so that innovative construction materials result which enable new component design. Multiple layers of UD tape in a laminate make up organosheets, which significantly exceed the mechanical properties of metal sheets of similar thickness. Organosheets can be thermoformed and can thus assume various component geometries. They also offer the opportunity to integrate additional functions or components, as the parts can be coated with plastic in an injection molding machine. The matrix is made from specially developed high-performance polymers with a high glass transition temperature and therefore features good heat resistance. The polymers are customized to high-strength endless fibers, which allows production of parts that can be used even in areas exposed to extreme temperatures.
Find out more about VESTAPE at the JEC World in Paris from March 14 to 16, 2017, in Hall 5A, Stand J40.
Company information
Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals, operating in the Nutrition & Care, Resource Efficiency and Performance Materials segments. The company benefits from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms. In 2015 more than 33,500 employees generated sales of around €13.5 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about €2.47 billion.
The Resource Efficiency segment is led by Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH and supplies high performance materials for environmentally friendly as well as energy-efficient systems to the automotive, paints & coatings, adhesives, construction, and many other industries. This segment employed about 8,600 employees, and generated sales of around €4.3 billion in 2015.
In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment.


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The One Democratic Priority President Obama Won't Take Executive Action On
His actions on pay equity have some advocates wondering when he'll sign an order to ban LGBT workplace discrimination.
Over the past few months, President Obama has either picked up his pen or has seriously considered doing so on a number of big-ticket priorities for the Left—ranging from a minimum-wage increase to executive orders relating to equal pay, which he signed Tuesday.
But while the president has taken executive action on those issues, there's another major one he hasn't addresed with an executive order, much to the chagrin of LGBT advocates: enacting protections resembling those that would be provided under the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
"It's a total head-scratcher. The president has taken action before on issues positively affecting our community that have required more of his political capital," says Human Rights Campaign spokesman Fred Sainz. "So, it makes no sense why he wouldn't immediately proceed to protect at least 16 million workers. This was a campaign promise made almost six years ago."
In November the Senate passed ENDA, which bans workplace discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Since then, advocates have been pushing the president to sign an executive order that would ban LGBT workplace discrimination for federal contractors. In March, more than 200 Hill Democrats signed a letter urging Obama to take such action.
The White House position is that it prefers ENDA to pass Congress and doesn't want to take the onus off of the legislature to move the bill. Unlike a minimum-wage increase to $10.10 and the Paycheck Fairness Act—both of which may not even make it out of the Democratic-controlled Senate—ENDA cleared the upper chamber with bipartisan support.
"The fact is that legislation, which has moved in the Senate, if it were to be passed by the full Congress and signed into law, would have the greatest benefit when it comes to ensuring the rights of LGBT individuals," White House press secretary Jay Carney said in March. Carney has also said an ENDA-like executive order would be redundant if ENDA passed, a point that advocates have pushed back on.
But just because ENDA made it through the Senate doesn't mean the House will take it up. (And strong bipartisan support in the Senate sure did a lot push the House to take up immigration reform, right?) House Speaker John Boehner has said ENDA could lead to costly and frivolous lawsuits and that LGBT discrimination is already covered by existing law. Oh, and he's already told other lawmakers that ENDA won't pass this year.
Executive orders have obvious flaws for advocates. They are temporary and limited in scope. Some—particularly a potential one regarding deportation enforcement—can also serve as a signal of the low likelihood of Congress moving on related legislation. Republicans have taken major issue with executive actions issued by Obama, saying that they are contributing to a distrust of the administration to enforce the law.
"His difficulty is trying to give Congress the opportunity to do its work," House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra said. "If unfortunately, Republicans in the House continue to be obstructionists and decide they'd rather be AWOL than get their work done, it would not surprise me if you see the president continue to use his executive authority to try and do the things he can."
The House Progressive Caucus pushed the administration hard on the executive action that raised the minimum wage for employees of federal contractors. Caucus Cochair Raul Grijalva said there's a frustration among caucus members that Obama hasn't signed an ENDA executive order, and that more pressure needs to be exerted on the administration.
"He becomes the right, moral option, and the last option to do something facing discrimination for the communities," Grijalva said of Obama. "I don't think the White House likes to be put in this position, put in that role, but that's the reality as long as these folks are blocking everything."
Obama moving on executive orders, even if they are limited in scope, also serves to elevate Democratic priorities in a midterm year. The actions taken Tuesday prohibit retaliation against federal contractors' employees for sharing wage data with each other and direct the Labor Department to collect wage data from them. Obama signed them on Equal Pay Day, which also coincides with a push in the Senate this week to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. The bill mirrors the executive actions, but applies to all employers, and it also makes employers liable for civil lawsuits.
Advocates for executive actions that just affect federal contract workers argue that they translate into real-life benefits, even if for just a segment of the American population.
"The same logic that the White House is using for all of their executive orders applies to this one—there's no difference and to suggest otherwise fails logic," Sainz said of an ENDA executive action. "Congress isn't acting and the country can't wait."

subset: commoncrawl


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Not many people get through life without experiencing burnout at some point. Whether it's from working more than one job, taking care of a sick loved one, or juggling family life while going back to school, burnout is real, and it negatively impacts your life and health.
Common Signs of Burnout
If you think you may be experiencing burnout but are unsure, here are some of the most common signs:
- Physical and mental exhaustion
- Feeling overwhelmed
- A need to isolate
- Fantasies of escaping
- Irritability
- Frequent illnesses such as colds and flues
5 Ways to Prevent Burnout
You know exercise is necessary for your physical health, but it is also fantastic for your mental and emotional health as well. Physical activity helps our bodies secrete feel-good hormones, which give our mood a boost. So be sure to commit to exercising at least 3-4 times a week.
Get Enough Rest
It's essential to get enough restorative sleep each night. Sleep not only helps our bodies build and repair new tissue, but it helps us be able to feel calm and focus.
If you have trouble getting enough ZZZZZs each night, skip caffeinated beverages past 2 pm, ban smartphones and other electronics from the bedroom, and establish a relaxing nighttime ritual like meditation, reading, or taking a bath.
Validate Your Feelings
"Keep calm and carry on." That's a fun saying for a throw pillow, but it's not always the best advice. Sometimes it's important to admit that you are struggling and that you need a break.
Remember to Play
Just because you're an adult, that doesn't mean you don't need some downtime to just have fun. Whether you want to play a sport, enjoy a hobby, or go to the theater, be sure to make time each week to enjoy yourself and your life.
Ask for Help
During stressful times, it's important to reach out to others for help. Sometimes all we need is a friendly ear to listen to what's on our minds and hearts. Let your friends and family know you could use a little support.
If your stress levels don't seem to go down, you may want to consider working with a counselor who can help you navigate your feelings and offer coping strategies to deal with the issues you have going on.
If you'd like to speak with someone, please reach out to me.


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Twenty-two senior contestants ages 17-20, were judged in the areas of consumer promotion, classroom presentation, media interview technique and issues response at the event held in Sacramento, California.
Contestants from throughout the country vied for a place on this elite team of agriculture advocates and $5,000 in cash prizes sponsored exclusively by Farm Credit.
Additionally five educational scholarships totaling $5,000 were given by the American National CattleWomen Foundation, Inc. and Monsanto.
This year's contest also hosted a junior competition for youth beef industry advocates ages 12-16. Nine passionate contestants vied for cash prizes, competing in two judged categories: Media Interview and Consumer Demonstration.
The first place winner was Austin Gaspard (Louisiana). This was a repeat first place win for Gaspard, as he was the JR winner in last year's contest. The second place winner was Annie Belden (California), and the third place winner was Sage Mijares (New Mexico). They all took home checks sponsored exclusively by Farm Credit for their top scores.
While preparing for this national beef promotion and education competition, youth across the nation learn about beef and the beef industry with support from state CattleWomen and Cattlemen's associations and state beef councils. The preparation highlights industry issues of current consumer interest. Winners of the state competitions compete at the national level where they receive additional training. After the event, the youth ambassadors speak to industry issues and misconceptions and educate their peers and meal-time decision makers about beef nutrition, cattle care, safety and more during consumer events, in the classroom and online.
-- American National CattleWomen


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Are you getting your home ready to sell? Having the house clean and tidy for open homes can be a battle! When you're selling your home, you want it to look the absolute best it can. Including having all fittings polished, wardrobes tidy and organised, walls and ceilings spotless and the kitchen absolutely sparkling. The good news is it's now even easier to say goodbye to those pesky tasks and hire a trusted and efficient cleaner. Goodnest can help connect you to reliable professionals in your area who can make your home shine as bright as the day it was built.
Goodnest cleaners are reliable, trustworthy and affordable. We've been doing this for a while, so from experience and based on 100's of jobs, we've created a price list of various pre-sale cleaning jobs so you know what to expect when hiring a cleaner.
You may have been using the same cleaner for the last few years but it doesn't mean you're getting the best bang for your buck. We've put together a comprehensive list of services and estimated pricing on each cleaning service. Please note, these prices should only be used as a guide and quotes will vary based on the actual property and individual work performed.
Pricing estimates:
This will depend on a variety of factors.
Most cleaners accept a range of payment methods, including:


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Store Information
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Get 20% off on baby daywear. Promo is via direct discount.
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Bite down to a variety of delightful biscuits and cookies that go perfectly with your choice of tea or coffee
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Prepare great value and premium dishes at the convenience of your home with responsibly sourced M&S groceries
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A luxe faux fur collar adds a sophisticated (and snug) feel to this stylish poncho. Knitted design with a touch of added stretch for extra comfort. Subtle striped pattern.
Product ID: T017247J
Care instructions
How to Return


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Natural wooden buttons made from locally and sustainably harvested black walnut. Made on our family farm - from tree to button!
Measure 13/16" x 1 1/8"
Add to your sewing, knitting, crocheting, felting...
Each button and/or set is one-of-a-kind. We sand each button silky smooth and coat in an all-natural oil and beeswax finish.


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April 14, 2020; Issued: London, UK
- Companies to combine innovative technologies to develop an adjuvanted COVID-19 vaccine
- Candidate vaccine expected to enter clinical trials in the second half of 2020 and, if successful, to be available in the second half of 2021
Sanofi and GSK today announce that they have signed a letter of intent to enter into a collaboration to develop an adjuvanted vaccine for COVID-19, using innovative technology from both companies, to help address the ongoing pandemic.
Sanofi will contribute its S-protein COVID-19 antigen, which is based on recombinant DNA technology. This technology has produced an exact genetic match to proteins found on the surface of the virus, and the DNA sequence encoding this antigen has been combined into the DNA of the baculovirus expression platform, the basis of Sanofi's licensed recombinant influenza product in the US.
GSK will contribute its proven pandemic adjuvant technology to the collaboration. The use of an adjuvant can be of particular importance in a pandemic situation since it may reduce the amount of vaccine protein required per dose, allowing more vaccine doses to be produced and therefore contributing to protect more people.
Paul Hudson, CEO Sanofi, said: "As the world faces this unprecedented global health crisis, it is clear that no one company can go it alone. That is why Sanofi is continuing to complement its expertise and resources with our peers, such as GSK, with the goal to create and supply sufficient quantities of vaccines that will help stop this virus."
Emma Walmsley, CEO GSK, said: "This collaboration brings two of the world's largest vaccines companies together. By combining our science and our technologies, we believe we can help accelerate the global effort to develop a vaccine to protect as many people as possible from COVID-19."
The combination of a protein-based antigen together with an adjuvant, is well-established and used in a number of vaccines available today. An adjuvant is added to some vaccines to enhance the immune response, and has been shown to create a stronger and longer lasting immunity against infections than the vaccine alone. It can also improve the likelihood of delivering an effective vaccine that can be manufactured at scale.
The companies plan to initiate phase I clinical trials in the second half of 2020 and, if successful and subject to regulatory considerations, aim to complete the development required for availability by the second half of 2021.
As previously announced by Sanofi, development of the recombinant-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate is being supported through funding and a collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), in the US. The companies plan to discuss funding support with other governments and global institutions prioritising global access.
BARDA Director, Rick A. Bright, Ph.D., said: "Strategic alliances among vaccine industry leaders are essential to make a coronavirus vaccine available as soon as possible. Development of the adjuvanted recombinant-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate holds the potential to lower the vaccine dose to provide vaccine to a greater number of people to end this pandemic, and help the world become better prepared or even prevent future coronavirus outbreaks."
The companies have set up a Joint Collaboration Task Force, co-chaired by David Loew, Global Head of Vaccines, Sanofi and Roger Connor, President Vaccines, GSK. The taskforce will seek to mobilise resources from both companies to look for every opportunity to accelerate the development of the candidate vaccine.
Considering the extraordinary humanitarian and financial challenge of the pandemic, both companies believe that global access to COVID-19 vaccines is a priority and are committed to making any vaccine that is developed through the collaboration affordable to the public and through mechanisms that offer fair access for people in all countries.
This new collaboration marks a significant milestone in Sanofi's and GSK's ongoing contributions to help fight COVID-19. The companies have entered into a Material Transfer Agreement to enable them to start working together immediately. Definitive terms of the collaboration are expected to be finalised over the next few weeks.
About Sanofi: Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide innovative treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions. With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions around the globe. Sanofi, Empowering Life.
About GSK: GSK is a science-led global healthcare company with a special purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer.
Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements
GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described under Item 3.D 'Principal risks and uncertainties' in the company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2019.
Press Release Source: GSK


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Send Fruit Bouquet Hoffman Estates Illinois
Send Fruit Bouquet Online to Hoffman Estates Illinois USA : A Healthy Gift for Your Loved Ones
With the first bite, the juice oozes out into your mouth enough to fulfill your desire. That's the way a fruit per day makes you happy entire day. So, in order to maintain your health one often needs to peek inside. And look at their daily intake of food. So, to make it even better we have come up with delicious fruit bouquet from our online portal. Freshly picked from our orchard. They are absolutely a joy to savor. With few easy steps, you can actually shop from our site. Get it without any sort of difficulties. So, what are you waiting for? Gift a healthy dose of happiness and send fruit bouquet online only by shopping with us.
Order Fruit Bouquet Online for Home Delivery in Hoffman Estates Illinois USA
Fruits are the small joy of that uplifts our mood. In addition to that, they help to maintain the fit body with necessary nutrients. The life today we are leading often makes us thrive on junk food. But when you keep our fruit baskets at your place the question of deficiency won't arise. From oranges, apples, pears to many more fruits, we have got the best stocked up for you. With no added preservatives shop now. Moreover, if you want to make it look alluring we also have bouquets decorated. Next, to it, you can send flowers online as a surprise gift. Get, going and place the order now for fruit bouquets and fresh blooms.


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Designed for the ultimate music and movie surround sound experience, the MM8077 7-channel power amplifier is equipped with the same amplifier technologies that are incorporated in our reference class hi-fi amplifiers, including our unique current feedback discrete power amplifier stage design, which features a high slew rate that provides a wide bandwidth for the utmost enjoyment of today's high resolution audio formats.
All output stages feature identical topology for uniform high quality sound across all channels, and the MM8077 provides the option to choose between balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) inputs for each channel, for maximum system configuration flexibility. High current, high bandwidth discrete power transistors can handle short term musical bursts with aplomb, even into difficult low impedance speaker loads.
- 7x 150W (8 ohm), 7x 180W (6 ohm) RMS power (20Hz-20kHz)
- Current feedback discrete power amplifier
- High current power supply with toroidal power transfomer
- Marantz reference-grade power supply filter capacitors and high speed, high current discrete power transistors
- Low impedance continuous drive capability
- Highest sound quality design based on pure surround philosophy
- Copper plated chassis
- Gold plated, high grade speaker terminals
- Flasher input, DC trigger (in/out), Remote control (in/out)
- Available in Black
Fisa Tehnica (ENG) :
Model Produs: AUDHC-MR-MM8077


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Tuesday, May 29, 2007
One thing I have to report is that the duck which had built a nest in PIs inner yard is gone... maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it on the blog. I recall some conversations about Chinese duck recipes...
Then I entered my office yesterday and had to notice my office-mate Jimmy has vanished, apparently he moved into another office. Well, effectively this means I have managed to upgrade myself from a non-window desk in a shared office to a window desk in an office of my own. Now the only thing that's missing is a couch.
Today we had a water outage in the building, and were asked not to use the bathrooms. The plumber arrived and we soon received an email saying 'the water problem has now been corrected and there is now water in the building'. A friend remarked about this 'water in the building doesn't sound too good either'.
I am very happy to report that my workshop 'Experimental Search for Quantum Gravity' has been approved, and will take place here at PI from Nov 5th to 9th. Bianca, Achim and Tomasz are helping with the organization. We even have a website, but so far there is about no information on it.
Besides this, my landlord wants to increase the rent, and I decided I will move out. Actually not because of the rent increase, but because I find it kind of weird that rain leaks through the ceiling even though I don't live under the roof.
Okay, but besides all this I have to announce that I will be travelling the next weeks, starting from tomorrow morning. So you are facing a slow time on this blog. I can feed you with photos from Europe but probably wont have the time to write anything substantial for quite a while.
This morning I read an article in Seed Magazine titled 'Intimate with Einstein' with the opening lines:
Think for a moment about the people in your workplace. Have you ever considered that one of your coworkers might forever revolutionize our understanding of the universe, bending space and time in his or her mind?
Have I ever considered that my coworkers aim to revolutionize our understanding of the universe? *yawn* Who doesn't?
Monday, May 28, 2007
A "Black Hole" on Mars
(HiRISE Image PSP_003647_1745, NASA)
What could make easily a perfect belated April Fools's joke is, however, a real photograph! It was taken with the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft on May 7, 2007, at -5.5 degrees latitude, 118.6 degrees Western longitude on Mars.
Well, on the HiRISE web page it is described innocuously as "Candidate Cavern Entrance Northeast of Arsia Mons" - and that's what it is supposed to be: a round hole with a diameter of about 100 meter in the ceiling of a wide cavern in the Martian ground. It's so deep that the sun, at 03:27 PM local Martian time at about 38 degrees above the horizon, doesn't reach the ground. You should have a look at this detailed photo...
More explanations are given at The Planetary Society Weblog.
So that's where all the Little Green Men are hiding ;-)
Similar geological features (even with about the same diameter) exist also on Earth - for example the Zacaton sinkholes in Mexico. On Earth, these caverns are filled with water (see here for a detailed description as PDF file). The satellite images from the hole on Mars are now better than those of Zacaton at google.maps - that's crazy...
UPDATE (September 7, 2007): New photos, also taken by the HiRISE collaboration, show the shadow of the rim cast onto the wall of the pit. The photo allows to calculate that the pit is at least 78 meters (255 feet) deep, and the new data suggest that the hole has volcanic origins.
TAG: Mars, Zacaton
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Doomsday Argument
One ingredient is the Copernican principle, which states that you should not expect to be special in any regard: our galaxy is not the center of the universe, the earth is not the center of the Milky Way, and Waterloo is not in the middle of nowhere. A typical example is the number of planets in our solar system. The Copernican principle tells you that we are an average solar system in an average galaxy, and the number of planets is not exceptional but rather common. You then expect other solar systems to have a similar number of planets.
It is quite natural for human beings to adopt the Copernican principle. Typically, we assume everybody else experiences the world similar as we do. Needless to say, this is the cause of countless problems, and the reason why the men in my life state frequently they don't understand me... ah, sorry, getting distracted...
To briefly summarize the doomsday argument: consider the lives of humans as distributed over time, until doomsday, after which there are no humans any more. Then the Copernican principle comes into play. Neither you nor me is special in any regard, and the conclusion is that with equal probability I could be any of these human beings. The most common versions of the doomsday argument that I know are
A) If one assumes that population is growing, the largest number of humans will live directly before doomsday. Thus, if I am a random choice among all the humans that will ever been born, the probability is the highest that doomsday is within my lifetime.
B) I consider I am a random choice and want to know how much time is left before the end of the world. I assume a confidence of typically 95% with which I am among the last human beings that will ever been born. Since I roughly know how many people have lived before me this gives an estimate about the total number of people that will ever been born, and the time left to doomsday - with a confidence of 95%.
Okay, nice mathematical trick. Now here is what I don't understand about it.
One of the lessons from stochastic I can recall is that coincidence has no memory. Consider I flip a coin, the probability for each outcome is 1/2, and repeated flips are completely uncorrelated. I flip and it's heads. I flip again and it's heads again. I do that, say, 120 times, and the result is always the same. Then you have to make a bet on the next flip. What would you bet?
Well, okay, by now you have either fallen asleep or decided I am cheating somehow and wouldn't want to bet with me (thereby employing the Copernican principle which states that I am rather average... okay, okay, being somewhat cynical here). But let's assume this is a fair game, and I am totally unable to cheat. You'd be tempted to bet next flip does not continue this awfully unlikely series of heads, no? After all, the saying goes 'lightning never strikes twice'.
However, the probability for the next flip to show heads is (drums please) 1/2. As it was all the time. Yes, the probability for the 120 heads is a tiny (1/2)120, but the probability for the next flip is still 1/2. Coincidence has no memory. Think about Mike who enters the room after flip # 119. He sees # 120 showing heads, and the whole room goes 'ooooooh'. Mike would conclude these people are totally nuts.
Things are different if you take a bag and place in it 120 red and 120 blue marbles and pick them blindly without putting back. If you picked 120 red ones, you know the next one has to be blue. In this case, the probability depends on how many marbles you have already picked.
Now let's come back to mankind. To be clear we will state the following assumption:
1) There is a probability p that doomsday is tomorrow.
And we specify: we don't know when it is, but it's some universal property. That is to say, I am having one of my better days and I am willing to assume the presence of mankind on this planet does not increase the probability of the world ending tomorrow.
Okay. Then quantify the number of all humans that will ever been born as N and distribute them over the time prior to doomsday with function N(t), consider you are number n out of N. Take the derivative of N(t), multiply it with the speed of light, integrate it, subtract two, invert it and turn the paper upside down. Think hard about it and then tell me what is the probability that the world will end tomorrow?
Well. By assumption 1), the probability is p.
And it is in no relation with the number of people on that planet whatsoever. How come the doomsday argument suggests it is related with the number of people alive? To make the argument, the number of people living is treated as a random variable distributed over time with a probability (density), out of which you 'pick' your live span. You might picture it as a bag that contains all the CVs of all the people that will ever live, and you have to draw one. However, the way that the Copernican principle is used, there is no mentioning of how many CVs already have been distributed, so your pick has to be understood as independent of this.
This one can do for stuff like number of planets but not for events with a causal connection - like lives, or everything that has a time evolution. Even though the time evolution itself does not have to be deterministic, the total number of people at a given time is not a random variable over time. For example, if one just assumes some probability and distributes all the N people according to it, there is the small but non-vanishing probability that all the N people are born in the years 0 +/- 10 - which is impossible because it is in conflict with the evolution law for the population growth.
What one has for the population is is not a probability distribution over time, but a stochastic differential equation, that yields the probability for so-and-so many people living at a timestep t from that at timestep t-1. If one knows stochastics better than I, one can calculate a time-dependent average value
To come back to the two doomsday arguments.
A) Relies on the number of humans being a random variable instead of having a stochastic evolution. For an evolution law however, the Copernican principle does not make sense. Obviously, the number of people living at time t does depend on the number of people living before that. That is, you can't pick your CV out of the bag without making sure that your parents were born before you. There are causal correlations between the elements in that distribution.
B) Is a psychologically very interesting reformulation. One replaces one unknown parameter, the time when doomsday is with another unknown parameter, that is the confidence of being among the last humans that will ever live. Both parameters are related to each other. But both are still unknown. The conclusion doesn't yield any insights, it just sounds surprising.
Hmm. Running late. Have to get on that highway again. Sigh. A nice weekend to all of you :-)
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Besides being on a work trip, giving a seminar at USC and trying to convince Clifford's students that phenomenology is the thing to do, I have put myself on a parallel mission. I will tell you details sooner or later (when I have found out why I am doing that to myself).
Anyway, despite all the running around, it is nice to be back in California. I indeed missed the people here, most of them are completely nuts, but kind of irresistibly cute. Yesterday a couple of students talked me into explaining what a center of mass is, bribing me with red-white-blue cookies. "Nah, wrong color" I said, which of course initiated a longer discussion about nationality and food color in general.
Yesterday, the hotel staff didn't know where to place my accent and, faced with my Canadian drivers licence, I was mistaken for being French Canadian. I realized that I involuntarily picked up the Canadian's funny pronunciation of 'ou' (like in 'out' or 'about') and can't get rid of it. Well, but I have also learned some new vocabulary on my trip - it's always worthwhile to talk to British guys ;-) So I found out that one doesn't sit between chairs but is caught between stools (German: Zwischen den Stühlen sitzen), and you don't have a soup and eat it, but have a cake and eat it (Die Suppe auslöffeln). Makes me wonder why German has a soup where English has a cake.
... shit... room service again... how do I get rid of them? I don't speak Spanish, and they don't speak English? GAAH, take that vacuum cleaner away, gee! Sorry, I am off for now...
Quote of the week:
"Look at all these rumors
Surroundin' me every day
I just need some time,
Some time to get away
From all these rumors,
I can't take it no more [...]"
~ `Rumors' by Timex Social Club
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Bonne Anniversaire, Georges Remi!
Well, actually, he is not so much a scientist as a great artist. Take his initials in the inverse order, pronounce them in French, and you get Hergé - the famous Belgian creator of the wonderful universe of Tintin, Snowy, and Captain Haddock.
As a kid, I loved the adventures of Tintin, and I still know by heart many details of the stories. And there is, sometimes, real physics involved: Think about what happens if you switch off the engine of the rocket that carries you to the moon (Explorers on the Moon, published in French as On a marché sur la Lune in 1952-53):
Your spaceship will be in free fall, you will be floating around weightlessly, and your whisky may leave the glass and form a perfect amber-coloured sphere. That's exactly what happens to the fearless explorers half-way to the moon:
(Explorers on the Moon, p. 6)
So, lets have a toast with Captain Haddock:
Bonne Anniversaire, Georges Remi, Tonnerre de Brest!
Source: The Adventures of Tintin
You will find lots of links about Tintin at www.tintinologist.org
TAGS: Hergé, Tintin, zero gravity
Asymptotic Backreaction
I have given the hotel in Venice Beach a second chance. This time I actually met the manager who turned out to be like 16 years or so. (And if he isn't, then I'd really like to have the number of his plastic surgeon.) The wireless is constantly dysfunctional, which might have something to do with the electricity being of a certain 3rd world quality with lights flickering each time the fridge turns on. But anyway, I found besides the hotel's wireless there's another wireless here, very creatively named 'venice'. It's secured, but amazingly my first try for the passkey was accepted (have a guess).
But now to the really interesting part. I've finally met Clifford from Asymptotia, who spent his Sunday taking me on what he called 'The Asymptotia Tour', showing me the nicer places in LA, and, definitly the mayor should pay him for that :-) Clifford turned out to be an entertaining tourist guide, with a cute British accent and a cool hat. Here he is, hat included:
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Relax while waiting
... birds' songs, recorded this morning at 5:30, in the countryside.
Friday, May 18, 2007
PI's duck
Of course the smart duck has chosen one of the world's excellence centers in theoretical physics because of the intelligent conversation by all the Potentially Ingenious smokers hanging around there.
Okay, okay, maybe it was just the ground color. Look how perfectly she fits in there. (In fact it seems, most people have missed her even though she's sitting directly opposite the door and between two tables.) Too bad I will be away the next weeks.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Prime Minister visits PI
As I've mentioned in an earlier post, Canada is great and the present government "provides $50 million to the Perimeter Institute in 2006–07 to support its leading research, education and public outreach activities". So today there is the press conference to make sure the media has a chance to appropriately appreciate the investment in research and development.
Sounds good, but is actually pretty annoying. Starts with me being unable to find a parking spot, I had to park on the museum lot next door, which has a 2 hour limit.
The lobby is crowded with suits in black and blue, and it takes me some while to locate the secretary who has a package for me at the reception. (Turns out to be the SUSY '06 proceedings.) The press conference is scheduled for 11:40 am. We researchers were asked to please sit in the back. The auditorium is full with cameras. The Mr. Importants arrive appropriately late at exactly noon. On the photo below from left to right: Mike Lazaridis also known as He-Who-Started-It-All or Mr. BlackBerry; then there's the Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper; in the middle the person with the crumpled suit and sloppily knotted tie is our Director Howard Burton; then there's another minister, and another minister. I think it was the minister for Industry and the one for Finances. Or the other way round. Sorry for the bad photo quality. And sorry, being an ignorant immigrant, I have no idea who these ministers are.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Where is the Hubble Space Telescope?
Locate the Hubble Space Telescope, the International Space Station ISS, the Integral and XMM-Newton satellite telescope missions, and a few other satellites:
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
You Have Mail...
- Time is an illusion.
- My secretary prints it, brings it with the morning coffee, and I dictate an answer by 5pm.
- If your email doesn't end on dot edu you can still be lucky and get an out of office reply.
- If I don't answer within one day, your email drops out of the front page and you can forget about it.
- I take my BlackBerry with me to the bathroom and can answer one-handed while holding the paper in the other hand.
According to a survey by the Center for the Digital Future in Los Angeles, more and more Internet users believe that e-mails should be answered in a short time span. In 2006, 23.8% said emails should be answered as soon as possible (up from 21.3%) and 34.6% said within one day is fine (up from 32%). Two out of a thousand find it not necessary to reply at all. Interestingly, it's totally okay to answer an email within a week, but completely unacceptable to answer within 4-5 days.
A few thunderstorms?
Monday, May 14, 2007
Frankfurt Skyscraper Festival
If you are walking around in town, and do not happen to work in one of these bank towers, you can only look up to the buildings - there is only one of them, the Main Tower, which has a viewing terrace on the roof and is accessible for everyone.
This weekend, everything was different: It was the 'Wolkenkratzerfestival', the Skyscraper Festival, and you had a chance to visit and ascend most of towers. Well, you could have, if you had been lucky and obtained one of the 80.000 or so tickets that were distributed for free via a webpage two months ago. It seems that all tickets were gone within an hour or two.
For all those people who, like me, didn't have that luck, there was a big party organized in town, and the day ended with an impressive firework. That was again looking up to the towers - but great!
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Hat Tip to Mme Curie
Mr. Mixed Pickles considered whether to be insulted or amused, looked at the tampons I threw on the register and decided on apologizing. "Sorry, Miss, just thinking." While I tried to figure out exactly what he might have been thinking, he added "You know, if you interested in that stuff, there's these people at the institute down on Bridgeport, they do all kinds of weird things there." Yes, I think. Right, all kinds of weird things.
Later I sat at Starbucks on King Street, scribbling notes on a pad, sketching a talk and trying to decide which equations to put on the slides. Somebody accidentally bumped into my chair, and I drew a long line across the paper. A blond man, maybe mid fourties, very pinkish face. Formal shirt, no tie, uppermost buttons opened. He looked at my notepad: "Whats THAT?!", sweat on his forehead. "Propagator", I mumble, "Gauge field. Momentum space." The sweaty forehead frowned at me. "Physics", I said. "Ah! Physics! Are you doing that for money?" - "No." I said. What was I thinking? You tell me.
He looked at me like I was an unsolved equation, then he saw my pen, Perimeter Institute printed on it. "You ARE doing that for money!" he concluded, triumphantly, much as my office mate when he's found that extra minus which got missing.
I had not much desire to speak to him, an aura that I know how to radiate very efficiently, so he nodded a good-bye. While vanishing in the back of the room he said "Very special place that institute."
Yesterday, I am at Starbucks again, sitting outside on what I am convinced is an IKEA table, when he comes by. He grins at me and my book, "Madame Curie!" he says, and tips an imaginary hat.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Decoherence Night II
Matthew Leifer playing guitar:
Constantinos Skordis turned out to be a pretty good singer, here playing guitar with Federico:
Responsible for the organization/technical equipment, the coolest guy at PI: Michele Arzano.
And of course the quality of the photos is that bad on purpose (simulating how things look like after 3+ cocktails or so.)
I have to say though, I liked the first Decoherence Night better. Not only has the old building a much nicer atmosphere, but I am afraid I am more into the really loud stuff with flashing lights etc.
(But the cocktails were better this time.)
PS: I just noticed - Perimeter's website moved from dot ca to dot com? How's that?
Friday, May 11, 2007
Ivory Tower
Anyway, it seems already the presence of the two letters Dr in front of my name leads people to accuse me of living in an ivory tower, and of not knowing what 'real' life is. This is of course completely correct, since I am not 'really' living. Occasionally, I am reminded of this. For example, I talked to a friend on the phone recently and was extensively complaining about the referee process of one of my papers, going on forever about peer review and editors who don't know a fermion from a boson. Until my friend interrupted me rather annoyed to tell me she has no idea what I am talking about, and would I please recall not everybody publishes papers in scientific journals. Okay. Now I am back to earth. Since the header of this blog says something about every day blahblah physicists, here's how to publish a scientific paper.
1) Have something worth publishing. For inspiration, see e.g. my Paper Recipe , or read some of the weirder comments on this blog.
2) Pick a journal. Not an easy task. There are a large number of scientific journals in various degrees of specialization. The broader the context of the journal, the larger the audience that you can reach, but the harder it will be to get published. A more specified journal is generally more supportive in the refereeing process. If you chose a leading and highly cited journal, be prepared for rejection. I believe for example PRL receives much more papers than they can possibly publish, so the rejection quote is somewhere around 70%, not to mention Science and Nature.
3) Find out the specifics of the journal. What is the main scope? How much details are appropriate? Is there a page limit? If the journal publishes several kinds of papers, which form is the most suitable for your paper? A note, a letter, a full research article? If possible, download a sample file.
4) Write the paper. This is the difficult task. To begin with, your paper should actually have content. It should be a new result, and you should appropriately embed it into the existing research. Keep in mind what audience you are writing to, and make sure to meet the standard of the journal.
5) Okay, lets just assume you have mastered that. Now you submit your stuff to the journal. In most cases you do that today via an online form (e.g. the one at Physical Review D). You then get a reply that acknowledges receipt of the manuscript and reminds you of the rules of good scientific publishing. Looks somewhat like this:
- Dear Dr. Hossenfelder,
The editors acknowledge receipt of this manuscript on xx/yy/zzzz and are considering it as [type of article] in [journal].
We understand your submission of this manuscript to certify the following:
- The paper represents original work of the listed authors.
- The manuscript as presented accurately reflects the scientific results.
- All of the authors made significant contributions to the concept, design, execution, or interpretation of the research study.
- All those who made significant contributions were offered the opportunity to be listed as authors.
- All of the listed authors are aware of and agree to the submission of this manuscript.
- The manuscript has not been published, and is not now and will not be under consideration by another journal while it is considered here.
- As part of the submission, the authors have provided any relevant information to the editors (e.g., information about recent relevant unpublished manuscripts by the authors).
- The authors accept the established procedures for selecting manuscripts for publication.
In most cases, your paper will then be assigned to an editor who knows the field you are working in.
6) Now you wait for the editor of the journal to pick one or two of your colleagues to read and report on the paper. This is the dreaded peer review process. This stage can last arbitrarily long, depending on how often the referee has to be reminded of his task, how long it takes him to decline, or the editor to give up on it and chose somebody else. For my papers, it usually takes between 4 weeks and 4 months.
7) Eventually, the editor will send you the referee's report. Some journals indeed only ask for one report (imho not a good procedure). However, in one case I have received four reports (they all said the same but the editor still didn't know whether that was good or bad). Referees are usually asked to classify the paper into categories ranking from
- [x] great, publish it as it is!
[x] sucks, forget it and reject.
If you fuck up really badly, you'll get a result like this:
- I agree with the referee that your manuscript is not acceptable for [the journal]. Please do not resubmit it or submit other papers to [the journal]. I will not be able to acknowledge [sic] further submissions.
If you are rejected in the first round, don't bother resubmitting. In my experience it's a lost case, even if you could prove that the referee didn't read the paper at all. However, usually the rejection has a good reason and you should carefully think about it. There are many things one can criticise about the peer review process (e.g. the importance of your home institution or your previous publications), but in most cases it works - somehow.
The most likely thing to happen is a report that raises several more or less fatal points, and you are asked to review your paper. Even in case the referee has no point, you will usually be asked to do SOMETHING. Like, changing the title, or exchanging section IIa with IVb, or to 'improve grammar and spelling'.
8) Assumed that you can address the referee's concerns, rewrite your paper, and resubmit. It goes back to the editor, and to the referee. Who will hopefully read it, and write another report: this is the important one. At this stage, most papers get eventually rejected. However, in principle this back and forth with the referee can go on forever, easily more than a year. In many cases I have to say the exchange with the referee has taught me a lot. Even if the paper was eventually rejected. In at least as many cases however, the referee reports were as annoying as ridiculous. A very common practice is e.g. that the referee will 'suggest' you cite various papers of 'some person' (guess who).
9) If everything works out, you will eventually get a message saying: We are pleased to tell you that your paper has been accepted for publication... Go, celebrate! If you haven't already done so with the submission, you will now be asked to sign a copyright form. (In most cases you can now do this online.)
10) Some while after that you will receive the proofs of you paper, that is the final layout of the manuscript how it will be available on the journal sites (and if a print journal be printed). You will most likely be asked to answer some queries, and update your reference list.
11) That's it. You're done. Ideally, the result looks like this. (Okay, okay, this was the true reason for me writing this post.)
Now some advises:
- Never submit your paper to several journals at the same time. It can result in serious copyright problems.
- Don't complain about the referee to the editor. It doesn't help anything. If you have concerns about being refereed by a competing colleague, mention this with the submission before you get assigned to a referee.
- In most cases, the editor will chose authors of a paper you have cited as referees, you should keep that in mind.
- Never reply to a referee report immediately. Especially not if you are upset. Breathe deeply, sleep over it. Keep your answers polite, no matter what.
- If you resubmit a revised version, make sure it does at least look different, and that you included all references the referee 'suggested'.
- Read the proofs carefully. In many cases mistakes appear in this version, ranking from messed up integrals to unfortunate line breaks in equations, or even the use of completely wrong symbols (in my last paper all \hbar's suddenly became \bar h).
Welcome to my ivory tower :-)
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Did you know... (IV)
It's pauciloquent "Uttering few words; brief in speech."
For more '-quents', see this extensive list. You'll find a lot of educated sounding alternatives to lie and blather. E.g.
falsiloquence - deceitful speech
flexiloquent - speaking ambiguously or using words of doubtful meaning
inaniloquent - prone to foolish or empty babbling
mendaciloquence - lying speech
Also good to know:
sialoquent - spitting greatly while speaking
But the best is, nobody will have any idea what you are talking about. Eloquent or not.
See also: Did you know
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Millikan Oil Drops
If one estimates as an example the ratio between the electric and the gravitational force between two electrons one finds [1]
Where mpl is the so-called Planck-mass and related to the gravitational constant as 1/mpl2 = G. That is, the gravitational interaction in this case is by roughly 43 orders of magnitude smaller than the electric one. The reason for this is that the mass-scale associated with gravity, the Planck-mass, is much much larger than the typical particle masses. Nobody knows why that is, this is also called the 'Hierarchy problem'. On the other hand, macroscopically seen the Planck-mass isn't a large mass at all. In fact, it is a scale that is perfectly handy for experiments. In grams, the Planck-mass is roughly 22 micrograms.
Last year, I came across a paper by Dr. Raymond Chiao who proposes an experiment to exploit this fact
- New directions for gravity-wave physics via "Millikan oil drops"
Authors: Raymond Y. Chiao
Naturally, I was very interested and looked into the topic. Since there were many details I didn't understand, I have been in email contact with the author for some while. Three months ago, there was a newer, and more extended version on the arxiv: gr-qc/0702100, which caused me to again contact Dr. Chiao. In the following I would like to share my concerns about the effect explained in these works.
The proposal is to use objects of about Planck-mass that only carry a total electric charge of order one. For these objects, the electric and gravitational force would then be of roughly the same strength. The concrete scenario which Chiao describes uses something called 'Millikan Oil Drops'. I admit that I don't understand all the features of these drops, but essentially these are cooled and super-fluid helium drops coated with electrons. Their superconductivity is claimed to be an important part of the experimental setup.
These drops, so the claim, would be strongly coupled to gravitational radiation, and could amplify it such that it becomes detectable [2]. Essentially you can envision a pair of drops acting like an antenna. Excited through a periodic electromagnetic field, they would emit both electromagnetic and gravitational radiation. It is argued that gravitational radiation has to be as strong as the electric radiation, because the droplets are designed such that they are equally strong subject to both forces: "This is a strong hint that mesoscopic-scale quantum effects can lead to non-negligible couplings between gravity and electromagnetism that can be observed in the laboratory."
The first obvious objection that springs into my mind is, yes, both forces act equally. But equally weak. There is no way the process of simply cooling matter can affect the gravitational force, unless one introduces some kind of modification of gravity. But Chiao claims this is an effect of purely classical general relativity, and there is no modification necessary. I was looking for a derivation of the gravitational wave emission. There is none, in neither work. All that one can find is the electromagnetic case, and then the repeated argument that the gravitational case is identical. In such a way, Chiao derives the drops are reflecting gravitational waves: "Hence it follows that nearly perfect reflection of gravity waves should occur from a superconductor at temperatures well below its transition temperature."
This argument can very easily be defeated. The electric charge of the drop is confined to the surface (they are 'coated'). The mass of the objects is equally distributed throughout the drop. Thus, the source terms for both, electromagnetic and gravitational field are not equal. The argument that both can be treated by applying a symmetry principle just does not apply. Though in a linear approximation of gravity both are essentially described by a wave-equation, both have different initial values. The paper says: "From the Maxwell-like equations [...], and the boundary conditions that follow from them, it follows that there should exist an analogous reflection of a gravitational plane wave from a planar vacuum-superconductor [...]". The boundary conditions hardly ever follow from the equations.
I also totally don't understand why one could possibly expect superconductivity to enhance classical gravitational effects. The argument relies on a postulated symmetry between gravitational and electromagnetic behavior. Even if one believes it, this symmetry would be based on the low temperature and the amazing properties of the droplets. Yet, the gravitational field of the droplets doesn't change with the temperature. How then can such an experiment possibly change the behavior for gravitational waves? I do understand that the electromagnetic properties change, but I find it extremely implausible to conclude from that that the gravitational field is also affected [3].
Since the effect can not be caused by the electric properties of the electrons, it had to be caused by their motion. It could then only be the masses of the electrons that cause the gravitational radiation to be strong. But this is more than implausible. The whole setup takes place in the linear regime of gravity. The total mass of all of the electrons is many orders of magnitude lower than the total mass of the droplets. A contribution to the gravitational field that is several orders of magnitude smaller can in the linear regime not result in a radiation that is several orders of magnitude larger (than that of the object without the electrons).
There has been some experimental evidence that superconducting materials might display unusual gravitational effects. I am somewhat sceptical about that, but it might be possible. Who knows? That is, the proposed experiment might be worthwhile to do. However, whether or not there is such an effect, I have very strong doubts about the explanation offered in Dr. Chiao's papers.
Aside: I would have liked to share here part of my email communication with Dr. Chiao to make sure I did not misinterpret his explanations, but he didn't agree on that [4].
Footnote 1: The speed of light and Planck's constant are equal to one, so are maybe occurring factors of some pi or 137 or so.
Footnote 2: One should note here that gravitational radiation has never been directly detected. Indirect detection through radiative loss in binary systems was awarded with the Nobel Prize in 1993.
Footnote 3: Strictly spoken, the gravitational field of course is affected if the electromagnetic field changes since the electromagnetic field strength also is a source to the field equations. However, compared to the mass of the objects this is a negligible effect. It neither affect the conclusion, nor is it claimed by Chiao to be responsible for the effect.
Footnote 4: That might be partly due to him offering to add my name to the acknowledgements, and me replying I'd rather not be mentioned there.
Genius and Insanity
"In truth, it's not easy to predict who will turn out to be a visionary and who a crank, says psychologist Angela Duckworth of the University of Pennsylvania, who studies the traits that lead to success. Geniuses and catastrophic failures share many of the same characteristics, including determination, intense concentration, passion, and a disregard for conventional wisdom. "And both are willing to persist when everyone else thinks it's a ridiculously low-probability idea," she adds."
From: The Boy Who Wants to Live Forever... and Other Champions of the Lost Cause
See also: www.crackedpots.org
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Something else that always gives me the giggles is Googling my own name. One can find a number of really interesting statements about me. My favourite is definitely this one:
- Hey lets get back to the topic of physics....... How about that Sabine Hossenfelder babe, I'll bet she can talk some serious pillowtalk trash. Woo Hoo!
Posted by: The Real Steve at June 16, 2006 07:57 AM (Z2KQp)
Well, Real Steve, indeed. There's nobody more serious than me when it comes to pillows, though occasionally I know better things to do than talking. Woo Hoo.
My bike has made it on a blog called 'American at Heart', and Marcus' guess at physicsforums that I drive a red Miata is already a classic. (I am still driving a Honda, though the color has changed from white to black.) My Inspiration has made it into Spanish (so I assume. Even though I receive my bank statements in Spanish, I don't speak it), and the Wildwestsound made it into a livejournal called 'there is no spoon' (I too would go for the red pill) accompanying a fictitious dialogue of the kind
"Duff: He's lying guys, just listen to the two-faced bastard...[...] You see, he's a string theory denier and just won't admit it! Not only that, but he's a pompous ass!
Smolin: That was the wrong version of my book, dumbass. "
Somebody would be very disappointed to find out how polite physicists are in reality, but then if there is no spoon, what is reality anyway? But, hey: Wikipedia knows!
Anyway, today I came across this message at scienceforums by Martin (physics expert):
- The invited talk about QG phenomenology at LOOPS '07 will be given by Sabine Hossenfelder, it is her specialty. She is the person who could best give the overview to answer your question about "when will..." [QG be tested] click on http://www.matmor.unam.mx/eventos/loops07/index.html again and on PROGRAM and scan down to Hossenfelder [...]
She will sound pessimistic but that is normal for phenomenologists---they are supposed to be unenthusiastic, uncommitted, cautious, and a bit of the devil advocate who throws the cold water of reality on the theorists. But hers is the talk you should hear if you could be there, if you ask those phenomenology questions relating to testability.
This is quite remarkable because I am not even yet sure what I will be talking about (forget about the abstract, I haven't changed it for some years, it says basically nothing). I wasn't aware that being a phenomenologist would require me to be unenthusiastic and uncommitted. If that's what you expect from me, I am afraid you'll be awfully disappointed. In fact, I am usually extremely optimistic.
But I guess some of my colleagues would say I am pretty good with the cold water trick. I can't even recall how many nice ideas I have killed in my life (a considerable part of which were my own.) Indeed, I seem to be very talented in finding flaws. I believe this is due to a combination of being German and a teacher's daughter. My most recent achievement was debunking Dr. H's theory that the fish in the lake next to PI jump because they are gasping for air.
Maybe somehow related to the above or maybe not: If you want to have a laugh, have a look at the deleted nonsensical entries at Wikipedia. You find an excessive list of these under 'Bad Jokes and Other Deleted Nonsense'. My favourite is
From "Apocalypse":
Also nice:
From Banana
"The banana.....possible one of the most cunning and elusive fruits in our world. The banana is also one of the smartest fruits on the market, having a great knowledge in algebra and american history, it is been lead to belive that the banana may to be too smart for our time. The reason we mass grow and eat banana's is so that they cannot group up in large numbers and form a revolution, overthrowing our government and sending our society as we know it into turmoil. The banana has been traced back to the cause of many species becoming extinct. Many predators try to attack the banana thinking it is only an inatimate object.Once the predator comes close enough, the banana has been known to use it's skills in ninjitsu and quick the animal with one swift blow to the head."
And interestingly, Canada seems to be a frequent target of Wiki-vandalism. Here is one:
Vandalism to Canada
At 18:54, 19 July 2006, 22.214.171.124
replaced the article "Canada" with this:
"Canada, also known as America's Hat, Soviet Canuckistan, or The Shizzle North of Hizzle, but more commonly known as the Great White North, is situated somewhere near the inconsequential continental U.S.A., and slightly south of the North Pole. The United Nations has managed to narrow it down further to not only north of the U.S. but also up, eh? To answer the question the entire world is asking, yes, Canada has an Army, and no, Canada doesn't know about it.
Canadians are known for their peacefulness and politeness in distressing situations, such as during a war or hockey playoffs. The world looks to Canada for international peace-keepers, since they possess no weapons other than snow shovels, and their jovial accent and flannel clothing are comforting.
The unanimously[5] agreed upon capital of Canada is Toronto, although a small number of government offices are located in the far less important city of Ottawa. Proposals made entirely and only by Torontonians have been made to move said offices to Toronto, but have yet to be approved. The city has considered separating from the country because of this. The rest of Canada, meanwhile, continues to think that Toronto "blows" and that the city's curling team, the Leafs, "suck".
The world sees Canada as America's dorky half brother. Canada and the USA share a common mother, that being England, but while America's father was apparently Jesus, Canada's was France. While little brother Canada may not be able to throw the ball as far as its "cool" older half-brother America, Canada can at least find itself on a map (of course, Canada finds itself by locating the USA and going north, much like Mexicans find America by locating Mexico and going north)."
Okay, guys, that's my word for the Sunday evening. Have good start into the week. I will go have a close look at my spoons. Why? Because WikiHow taught me last week, how to hang a spoon from my nose...
Friday, May 04, 2007
Einstein's Garden
That's what an American postdoc asked Stefan last week when discussing the best way to ride from downtown Frankfurt to the physics institute by bicycle. Along this route one passes many of these colonies.
During summertime some people may actually live there, but these huts and gardens are definitely not slums. They are allotment gardens, also Kleingärten (small gardens), or Schrebergärten, as they are called in German, after physician and social reformer Daniel Schreber.
The institution of these gardens goes back to the time of industrialisation. They were meant to improve the health of the working class in the expanding cities, and to allow them to grow their own food. The small gardens are now very typical for German cities, especially in crowded areas where many people live in apartment buildings, and where there is too little space for growing the own Marijuana potato supply.
Also Einstein had one when he lived in Berlin: It was in the "Kolonie Boxfelde" in Berlin-Spandau. He spent the summer of 1922 with his sons in the hut in the garden, which he called his "Spandau Castle". (It seems he was quite happy that his wife Else didn't like too much to stay there.)
But there is a caveat to the idyll of the garden... Most of these garden's colonies are subject to some kind of, well, group think. You know, they form their own sub-community and want everything to be clean and nice and pretty looking (Germans call that "Vereinsmeierei").
If one disturbs the good German cleanliness, say, by forgetting to water the plants while being busy with explaining the universe, or is just too lazy to remove the weeds while throwing dices with God, one will get in touch with the authorities soon. That's was happened to Einstein on September 12, 1922:
Note of the Bezirksamt Spandau to "Herrn Professor Einstein": Sie haben die Parzelle 2 am Burgunderweg in Boxfelde in Pacht. Dieselbe ist seit langer Zeit nicht bewirtschaftet, das Unkraut hat sich auf der ganzen Parzelle verbreitet und ist in die Höhe geschossen. Der Zaun is z.T. nicht in Ordnung, und die ganze Parzelle macht einen unschönen Eindruck. Wir müssen annehmen, daß Sie an der Pachtung dieser Parzelle kein Interesse mehr haben und werden dieselbe vom 1.Oktober 22 ab anderweitig verpachten, wenn uns bis zum 25.ds.Mts. ein anderweiser Bescheid nicht zugeht und bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt die Parzelle ausserdem nicht in Ordnung gebracht worden ist. Wir bitten Sie, für Beseitigung des gegenwärtigen Zustandes Sorge zu tragen und uns weitere Mitteilung zu machen. (Source: Einstein Archives, via Wochenendsiedlung und Wassersportvereinigung Bocksfelde e.V.)
Bezirksamt Spandau to "Herr Professor Einstein": You are presently leasing allotment 2 at the Burgunderweg in Boxfelde. Said allotment has not been managed since a long time, weeds have spread all over the whole parcel and have soared. The fence is not in order, and the whole allotment makes an unesthetic impression. We have to assume that you are no longer interested in leasing the parcel, and we will give it away to someone else, unless you object prior to the 25th of this month, and the allotment is put in order until that date. Please take care of the removal of this nuisance, and give us further notice.
This letter is even more typical German than the gardens themselves.
By the way, Einstein kept the deadline, but the Spandau Castle was never mentioned after this.
The story of Einstein's Spandau Castle can be found in Albrecht Fölsing's Albert Einstein: A Biography, page 554/555.
TAGS: Albert Einstein, allotment garden
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
A Nursery Rhyme: Maikäfer Flieg!
Maikäfer Flieg is an old German nursery rhyme - you can listen to the tune as midi file. The text is very dark, it translates to
Cockchafer fly,
father is at war,
mother is in Pomerania,
Pomerania has burned down,
Cockchafer fly.
and is thought to go back to the times of the 30 Years' War, when large parts of Germany were completely devastated and Pomerania, then associated with Poland, lost two thirds of its population. No idea why the cockchafer, or maybug, is associated with this misery.
The maybug feeds mainly on broad-leafed trees, and its larvae, the chafer grubs, especially like the roots of trees. The larvae develop in the ground for the long time span of three to five years, and the bugs work their way to the surface around end of April, beginning of May. The bugs parading in the photos were attracted by the light in the kitchen of Stefan's mother last Saturday night.
The long development period favours the occurrence of the maybugs in cycles, and so, they can be quite a nuisance to forestry and agriculture. Massive use of pesticides had the consequence that they became very rare in the 1970s/80s. But this year, there seem to be again quite a lot of them around - Maikäfer flieg!
TAGS: cockchafer
Science's way of flip-flopping
According to Wikipedia, Stephen Tyrone Colbert is a four-time Emmy Award-winning American comedian, satirist, actor, and writer. He has recently been declared the Greatest Living American by Google, and is about to tell you in great length how to be American.
I makes me really happy to see that scientific ignorance is no longer en vogue. I just want to fill you in with the details that Colbert skipped in his brief introduction. First, as everybody knows the relevant factor between the cookie that he talked about and the entertainment is the media
And then there is the evident TV relation that makes the American nation so outstanding
Taken together we find
I am confident, the US will make good use of their chocolate cookie science.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
The most polite city of the world
According to a Redear's Digest survey, the most polite city in the world is New York. "They have a reputation for being big-headed, but New Yorkers showed they are big-hearted, too, by finishing first in our global courtesy ratings. They placed in the top five in all three tests and were particularly polite when it came to holding doors open, with only two people failing to do so." Second is Zurich, followed by Toronto, Berlin and Sao Paulo. The criteria for the ranking were based on these three tests: 1) walking into public buildings 20 times behind people to see if they would hold the door open |
I am about to drop a folder full of papers on the corridor and see what's going to happen.
If you liked this post you might also like: The 2007 Quality of Living Survey and The National Data Book.


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Last year Florida was waterlogged. This year Florida is on fire.
More than 100 active wildfires are burning across the state right now, according to the Florida Forest Service. Twenty-five of them are scorching more than 100 acres each.
"We're usually not this active this early in the season," the service's assistant fire chief, Ralph Crawford, said Monday.
Since February, wildfires have swept across 68,000 acres of the state, Crawford said, noting that that amount is higher than the average acreage burned over the past five years.
"And we're just barely into April," he added. "Usually May is our busiest month."
Heavy rains north of Gainesville last week helped tamp down the wildfire threat in North Florida, said Florida's state climatologist, David Zierden. But south of Gainesville remains so dry that most of the peninsula is classified as being in a moderate drought, while southwest Florida is classified as facing extreme drought conditions.
With no rain forecast for at least another week, "it's going to get worse before it gets better," Zierden predicted.


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Some people have felt that Jeremiah 10:1-5 is referring to what we, today, know as Christmas trees. Let's take a look to see if Christmas trees are in the Bible.
Jeremiah 10:1-5 says the following, "Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the LORD: Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple. They are upright, like a palm tree, and they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor can they do any good."
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At first glance, it might seem that verses 3 and 4 are referring to Christmas trees, cut from the forest and decorated with gold and silver trimmings. But a more careful look at the entire section makes it clear that God is talking about making a carved image—or idol—from the trunk of a tree.
He speaks of a craftsman shaping the wood, "the work of the hands of the workman" (verse 3). This is made clear in the context of the following verses, specifically verse 8: "But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; a wooden idol is a worthless doctrine."
Later in the chapter the contrast is drawn between the false gods that have not made the earth and the true God, the Creator (see verses 9-11). Verses 14 and 15 speak of worthless idols and images that are only objects of mockery.
The practice of making an idol from the trunk of a tree is also referred to in Isaiah 40:19, 20 and 44:14-17. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah declare the futility and absurdity of making and worshiping idols.
When looking at the verses of Jeremiah, we must remember that Christmas, of course, came into being long after Christ's death and resurrection—years after the Bible was written—as a day to honor His birth. And the practice of decorating Christmas trees originated even later. Therefore, these Bible verses are not referring to Christmas trees, but idolatry.
Keep in mind, however, that although Jeremiah 10:1-5 is not referencing Christmas trees, it would be valuable to look into the origin of the Christmas tree and the celebration of Christmas on December 25 since neither are mentioned in the Bible.


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Updated April 17, 2022 at 8:46 AM ET
BUCHAREST, Romania — In the courtyard of an elite high school here, a group of mothers stand around waiting for their children to finish up their classes.
Soon, primary school students pour out of the building, some running into their mothers' legs, others showing off their new turquoise backpacks — UNICEF printed on them in bright white.
Looking out over the courtyard, making sure all the students find their families, is Anastasiia Konovalova.
Just over a month ago, Konovalova, 30, was the head teacher of the Ostrovok Primary School in Odesa, Ukraine. But when Russia invaded Ukraine, Konovalova decided she needed to leave the country.
At the time Konovalova wasn't thinking about anyone other than her 2-year-old son. But while packing, she decided to bring along her school's math books, instead of more clothing. She admits that subconsciously she probably knew she would open a school.
After finding a place to stay in Bucharest, Konovalova helped evacuate 40 teachers, mothers and children from Odesa.
Once everyone was safely across the border, she turned her attention to the well-being of displaced Ukrainian children. "For children, it's really important to be in a safe and familiar environment, and the safest and the most familiar environment for any child is a school," Konovalova says.
So she went in search of one.
Konovalova went to Gara de Nord, a train station in Bucharest that has become a main hub for refugee assistance. She started asking around about classes for Ukrainian children, but no one had heard of any.
"It was a very hard time for us," Konovalova admits. "We weren't stable mentally. So at some point I started to yell at the station that 'we are teachers and there are a lot of children here which need our help and we can teach just give us space.' "
Finally, someone came up to her and told her of a center for refugee children. It wasn't meant to be a school, but Konovalova and others started teaching there. Soon the demand was too great for the space and Konovalova convinced the Ministry of Education to help them find a new place to teach.
Now, she and her colleagues have eight classrooms in an actual school. During the day, it's a high school, but from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., it becomes a Ukrainian primary school.
There are 227 students age 4 to 11 — with 600 more on the waiting list. There are 35 children in each class but only 32 desks, Konovalova says. So far, not everyone has shown up every day, so it hasn't been a problem.
Konovalova teaches English. In Class Zero, which is filled with 4-, 5- and 6 year-olds, she starts her lesson with a few songs and gets them moving out of their seats. Then she passes out worksheets and helps students identify letters.
"The huge problem which the Ukrainians are facing everywhere is the language barrier," Konovalova says.
Odesa, where so many of the children are from, is a Russian-speaking city in Ukraine. Others speak Ukrainian, but none of the students know Romanian. Konovalova has been trying to recruit teachers who can teach Romanian as a second language, but is having trouble. There hasn't been a huge need for this skill set in Romania before. The search continues, but in the meantime, Konovalova and her colleagues are looking into language learning apps.
If the war continues and it's still not safe to return to Ukraine, Konovalova's students will be integrated into the Romanian school system.
"We're making plans for September because we're preparing for the worst and hope for the best," she says. "Because everybody told us that there is going to be a war, has anybody packed a suitcase? No. So now we're taught if someone tells you something, listen. Prepare for the worst. Because every day we think if only we did that, if only we did that. We didn't. Because who would believe in a full-scale war with our dear neighbor with whom we share so much."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Explore a new app that allows students to develop a more sophisticated understanding of fractions.
Technology Helps Students Transcend Part-Whole Concepts
Anderson Norton, Jesse L. M. Wilkins, Michael A. Evans, Kirby Deater-Deckard, Osman Balci, and Mido Chang
Virtual manipulatives to assess understanding
Pamela Edwards Johnson, Melissa Campet, Kelsey Gaber, and Emma Zuidema
Three preservice teachers used virtual manipulatives during clinical interviews with students of elementary school age. The technology exposed students' problem-solving strategies and mathematical understanding, promoting just-in-time teaching about the target content. The process of completing and reflecting on the interviews contributed to growth of the preservice teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge.


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I think for gamblers the worst possible thing to ever happen is to go broke. Its in these moments that dictator girl really can consider absorbing a sugar daddy or something really dumb. But before you other girls decline that dark path, heres a couple of ways to get some free gambling with real money. I am lucky enough to count some degenerate online gamblers as some my best friends, so I've learnt that internet casinos offer techniques to a few free gambling for a bit of time. So to clarify, this article won't be considered an big help if your totally flat broke absolutely no income whatsoever. Its more the way to obtain a few nights of gambling until you can get a fresh bankroll with him or her. This is because, nothing good lasts forever but you can possess a bit more pleasurable at the online casinos rate.
Third, pick a strategy and stick with out. Although there can be lots of strategies that could be applied in casino slots, make sure you choose the strategy and stick to it for all of the other games. It's very hard to find if the procedure is working or not if maintain changing in one strategy to another. Thus, if you want someone to work, really stick with out till another game.
After checking the legality of the casino slots, it's also advisable to check that they care competent in handling complaints and other issues. For one, pick there are a few ways you can use to contact them in case you need assistance. They should offer a toll-free hotline that you should use. rtp slot is also a good sign whenever they offer instant messaging, live chat, and email save.
As I said, slots have the lowest rate of applicable tools. But that doesn't mean there's absolutely to slide the house edge down just a little bit. It's all a question of slots variety.
Fun, fun, and more pleasurable is what Monopoly games is details. If you undoubtedly want to achieve a good time playing slots anyone might have to take into consideration Monopoly. Always be every bit as exciting as the board game that associated with people came to affection. If you enjoy playing the board game with as well as family family are going to also enjoy playing at the casino.
Play from a slots game that runs on the highest commission. You should always look for finding a slots game that rrncludes a payout more than 95%. If it is lower then 95% subsequently another slots game that does, because you should be able to find one, especially online.
Sometimes, basically will not win. However, most in the time, the equipment will pay you over volume of you've fed it. They tend to take the plunge in order to tease you into playing through. If you follow these simple rules, 100 % possible beat the casino. You'll need NOT likely become filthy rich this particular particular method, however, you will come out ahead.


text: 14″ Thick Walled Straight Vase$59.99 Out of stock SKU: GLASSHEADS-002 Category: Vases Additional information Reviews (0) Additional information Color Black, Purple, Pink Reviews There are no reviews yet. Be the first to review "14″ Thick Walled Straight Vase" Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Your rating * Rate… Perfect Good Average Not that bad Very poor Your review *Name * Email * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Related products 12″ Clear Designer Vase $139.99 Add to cart "The Boys" Group Vase $159.99 Add to cart 8″ Doughnut Vase $39.99 Add to cart Bubbles Vase $139.99 Add to cart


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Springtime Means It's Time to Get Your Car Washed at a Real Carwash
After winter has finally finished wreaking havoc on our roads and vehicles, it's important that we remove all of the accumulated salt and chemicals from our cars. Road crews help keep the streets clean and safe for driving, but unfortunately a lot of the materials they use to battle ice and snow build up on the outside, inside and undersides of our cars and trucks.
Sure, a bucket and hose will help you clean your car and get it ready for spring, but if you really want to protect your automobile, you might want to consider shelling out a bit of extra cash and going in for a professional carwash, and maybe a car wax too. Here are some of the reasons to hit the carwash this spring:
It Makes Future Washes Easier
By applying a coat of wax to your precious vehicle, you'll actually make washing your car in the future a heck of a lot easier. Car wax will act as a protective barrier between the gunk and dead bugs knocking into your vehicle and its paint. This in turn will make deceased insects, pollen, tree sap and other goo easier to wipe off.
Better Fuel Economy
A clean and glistening car is actually more aerodynamic and less vulnerable to wind resistance while you're driving. That translates into money saved at the gas pump and better overall mileage for your car.
Wax Reduces Paint Chips
Pebbles and other debris that hit your car while you're cruising along can cause paint to chip off. A coating of car wax will help those tiny stones glance off, reducing the damage small impacts (not boulders, though, sorry) can cause to the body of your car or truck.
Better Visibility
By maintaining a clean and well-washed car, inside and out, you'll be able to see through your windshields much better, and the images in your mirrors will be much clearer. Cleaning grime off your lights means others will be able to see your car more easily at night or in adverse driving conditions. In other words, a cleaner car is a safer car.
Preventing Damage
A thorough wash will help get rid of corrosive materials on your vehicle, like sulfuric acids and other chemicals churned up from the road. This in turn will keep your car or truck in better shape, allowing the paint and working parts to last a lot longer. Don't underestimate the effects of acid rain, decaying bugs and road salt on your car's body and undercarriage. Clean that goop off now. And while you or your car-care professional are at it, clean the grunge from your wheels and hubcaps off too.
By maintaining a clean car, you'll be a lot safer while driving and you'll save yourself a ton of money down the road.


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Currently structural steel detailing is becoming most significant and vital process. Property industry can't imagine any building construction without steel detailing. With the aid of structural detailing builders and contractors can certainly find effective solutions related to structures. In the current time building stability is must needed to face up to against natural disaster and structural steel detailing is really a process that assures building stability. To read more about geotechnical engineering textbook , visit our website.
Steel detailing could be referred as detailed sketches, plans and other construction documents. Each steel member plays natural part in building stability and that must definitely be placed with maximum precision. This could be performed by professional steel detailers. Each and every specs of steel member can seen by using structural steel detailing. This technology can be used to know the specs of fabric, dimensions and size. Dimensions and size each steel member should be evaluated with precision because they are the base associated with a building. A little error in dimension may cause big disaster so professional detailers are utilizing latest software and tools.
Currently all countries are trying to find faster infrastructure growth to create valuable impression in global world. Steel detailing ensures faster infrastructure growth with maximum stability. This method can be used for all type of building structures like residential, commercial, institutional, industrial and other special structures.
Fundamental structural detailing services range from the following:
-Shop sketches, fabrication sketches, Erection sketches, field details, framing plans and anchors
-Sheet metal layouts
-Material estimation, tendon and chair bill of materials, felt calculations
-Publish tension detailing
-Joist detailing
-Grating layout and material list
-Beam-beam connections, column-column connection, beam-column connection, column-beam connection, slab-column connection, slab-beam connection
-Working sketches for structures
Engineers are utilizing this technology for material estimation that'll be utilized in building construction. It avoids chance of material wasting and assistance to save your time and cost. Innovation of software like STAAD, RISA, SAP2000, RAM, PCA, SAFE, SDS/2, Tekla and ETABS elevated its essential in structural industry. All of the application happens on computers under recognized software so precision is guaranteed. More information on american concrete institute code can be found by visiting our website.
There are plenty of firms are supplying inexpensive steel detailing services. By outsourcing you can not waste time and cost.


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Dir: Guillaume Nicloux. France-Germany-Belgium. 2012. 114mins
A classic of French literature gets a scholarly and relatively respectful dusting-down in The Nun (La Religieuse), a labour of love from a French director hitherto associated with more worldly pursuits. Writer-director Guillaume Nicloux is best known for mainstream, thriller-skewed material, his 1998 policier hit La Poulpe. Turning to Diderot's eighteenth-century text, he finds himself working in a mode of severe classicism. The film's solemnity is offset by its narrative drive, visual elegance and a terrific central performance by young lead Pauline Etienne.
The film is superbly cast, with a host of French screen stalwarts lending vivid support.
For all its virtues, The Nun's slightly studious composure means that it never quite transcends its own admirable intentions, although it's considerably better than a museum piece. The familiarity of both theme and style will limit its prospects to festivals and to that end of the market committed to Gallic heritage material, although a typically watchable turn by Isabelle Huppert will bring its own benedictions.
The Nun was famously adapted by Jacques Rivette in a film released in 1966 as Suzanne Simonin, La Religieuse de Diderot and the subject of intense controversy in France because of its subject matter, then considered a very hot potato. Nicloux's version won't be seen as comparably provocative, although he shares something of Rivette's austerity, tempering it with the traditional painterly pleasures of costume drama.
Etienne plays Suzanne Simonin, who - because of her family's financial straits - finds herself sent to a convent school and told she must become a nun. Rebelling, Suzanne experiences a brief reprieve at home with her parents (Martina Gedeck, Gilles Cohen) but later reluctantly submits to taking her vows. Initially thriving under the benevolent care of Mother Superior Madame de Moni (Farnçoise Lebrun), Suzanne falls foul of her successor Sister Christine (Bourgoin), a fanatical martinet who favours a mediaeval style of punishment. Suzanne later comes under the care of a more benign Mother Superior (Huppert) - only to find herself unwillingly on the receiving end of her amorous attentions.
The main innovation of Nicloux's Nun - in keeping with period narrative conventions - is to frame Suzanne's first-person narrative as a manuscript read by a young nobleman in the home of his tubercular elderly father (Lou Castel). Otherwise, Nicloux plays it pretty much straight as he recounts Suzanne's progress from ordeal to ordeal. Yves Cape's camera imparts severe beauty, while the naturalistic visual style contrasts effectively with the highly formal acting and dialogue.
The film is superbly cast, with a host of French screen stalwarts (including Marc Barbé and up-and-comer Agathe Bonitzer) lending vivid support. Huppert is dryly witty and poignant too as the older woman whose forbidden desires make her as much a victim of the convent system as Suzanne. And a surprise is that Louise Bourgoin, a fixture of mainstream entertainments such as Adèle Blanc-Sec, is so imposing as the quietly implacable tyrant. But Etienne is the film's revelation, fitting comfortably into the period frame but giving Suzanne a very modern muted tenacity.
Production company: Les Films du Worso, Belle Epoque Films, Versus Production
International sales: Le Pacte, www.le-pacte.com
Producers: Sylvie Pialat, Benoît Quainon
Co-Producers: Nicole Ringhut, Jacques-Henri Bronckart, Olivier Bronckart, Reza Bahar
Screenplay: Guillaume Nicloux, Jérôme Beaujour based on the novel by Denis Diderot
Cinematography: Yves Cape
Editor: Guy Lecorne
Production design: Olivier Radot
Music: Max Richter
Main cast: Pauline Etienne, Isabelle Huppert, Louise Bourgoin, Françoise Lebrun, Martina Gedeck


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By Reginald Stanley. Posted October 29, 2016, 4:06 AM.A fast-moving low pressure system swept down California on Friday, with forecasts originally calling for a tenth of an inch for inland areas. The storm quickly fell apart after passing through the Los Angeles Basin on Friday morning, leaving most communities south and east of that city with no measurable rainfall at all. Warm, gloomy weather persisted for most of Thursday, but when the front arrived Friday morning, it lacked adequate moisture. Of the WeatherCurrents stations, only Simi Valley recorded rainfall - 0.28 inches. Another storm, albeit a weak one, is expected to arrive late Saturday into Sunday morning. Little precipitation, if any, is predicted. Weather looks to be dry for Halloween. |
Other Recent Weather News for French Valley, California


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By AB 'Banjo' Paterson
Banjo Paterson wrote 'Waltzing Matilda' and is one of Australia's most famous and respected poets, so much so that he's featured on Australia's $10 banknote, along with an illustration based on another of his epics, 'The man from Snowy River'. But this, in my view, is his finest work. It helps if you read it in an Australian accent, but just read it any way you want to, for it's simply brilliant, however you do it.
I had written him a letter which I had, for want of better
Knowledge, sent to where I met him down the Lachlan, years ago,
He was shearing when I knew him, so I sent the letter to him,
Just "on spec", addressed as follows: "Clancy, of The Overflow".
And an answer came directed in a writing unexpected,
(And I think the same was written in a thumbnail dipped in tar)
'Twas his shearing mate who wrote it, and verbatim I will quote it:
"Clancy's gone to Queensland droving, and we don't know where he are."
In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy
Gone a-droving "down the Cooper" where the western drovers go;
As the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing,
For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.
And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,
And at night the wondrous glory of the everlasting stars.
I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingy
Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall,
And the foetid air and gritty of the dusty, dirty city
Through the open window floating, spreads its foulness over all.
And in place of lowing cattle, I can hear the fiendish rattle
Of the tramways and the buses making hurry down the street,
And the language uninviting of the gutter children fighting,
Comes fitfully and faintly through the ceaseless tramp of feet.
And the hurrying people daunt me, and their pallid faces haunt me
As they shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste,
With their eager eyes and greedy, and their stunted forms and weedy,
For townsfolk have no time to grow, they have no time to waste.
And I somehow fancy that I'd like to change with Clancy,
Like to take a turn at droving where the seasons come and go,
While he faced the round eternal of the cashbook and the journal -
But I doubt he'd suit the office, Clancy, of "The Overflow".
The Bulletin, 21 December 1889.