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The heterosexual majority often argue that gays are bent on publicly displaying their sexual orientation. You often hear remarks about pride parades, "why must they parade about their sexuality, we don't have a straight pride parade." We retort back by saying that our sexual and gender identities are only one aspect of our lives and that we are varied individuals with many characteristics that make up our identities and personalities.
Who is right? Are queer lives so heavily focused on identity or are they truly only just a sample of our greater selves?
When our lives are broken down into important spheres there are some commonalities we all share. With regards to family and friends, our identities can come into play because we want to be open with them about who we are and whom we love. When it comes to religion, many people feel that their religious background has left them feeling isolated and abandoned, and so religion and identity intersect. When it comes to politics we are not a given a fair shake, and so politics becomes an arena where we can advocate and demand equal rights for ourselves, our partners, and our families. At school or the workplace we want to know if our peers/co-workers will accept us, and if our jobs and our positions are in jeopardy. When we venture out into new areas we want to know whether the environment is safe and affirming or whether we could get attacked or victimized for simply holding hands with a partner, or for dressing/acting a certain way.
There is no doubt about the fact that our queer identities are complex and very significant to our lives. The question is how significant are they and to what degree do our respective identities enter other areas of our life? Feel free to weigh in.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Open Forum: How Much do our Identities Shape Who We Are?
10 comments:
There have been times that I've felt that my asexuality is a hugely important part of my identity and others where it seemed totally irrelevant. To some extent, I think it is a matter of how much others make it a problem, knowingly or unknowingly, and this makes it important to people. If I weren't constantly reminded of how I'm "supposed to" be feeling things I'm not, it wouldn't be so important to me. Also, my asexuality isn't just my sexual orientation. I'm also spend a fair amount of time doing things to help others understand it and increase visibility, and so it becomes a more important part of my life than it might be otherwise.
- August 16, 2008 at 11:22 AM
- Avory said...
Like many things dealing with sexuality, it depends a lot on the individual. Some people center their entire lives around sexuality, or around the broader concept sexuality represent (some lesbians, for example, pride themselves on a woman-identified lifestyle, live in a self-sustaining all-female commune, create with women artists, etc). For others, sexuality is only a small part of identity. Some may consider other parts of their identity a bigger deal (nationality, race, sex, gender identity, etc etc).
Personally, I consider my lesbianism to be a big part of my life. This is because I am active in gay and women's rights, I think a lot about those subjects, I read about them, and I'm involved in the gay community to some extent. But I think the thing about the Pride question, specifically, is that there is a better answer than "this is just one part of our lives." My answer would be that we have a parade because we have been attacked by the straight majority, and straight culture does not ALLOW many of us to celebrate on an average day. Most people do not have the luxury of kissing on the street or even holding hands like straight people do. Pride is also a celebration of our history, of our struggle. It grew out of Stonewall and a time where gay people said "we won't take it anymore." I don't say to straight people "this is just one part of who I am," instead I say "being gay is a more important part of my identity than being straight is an important part of yours, because I am forced to think about it." Being straight is a default. It isn't an issue. Sure, straight people can celebrate if they want to, but the fact is, they do - they celebrate in their weddings and anniversary parties. They bring their partners to events and no one asks any questions. All I'm asking for is one day of the year to feel normal. That's what I'd say to a straight person who attacks our right to pride. - August 16, 2008 at 12:06 PM
- Queers United said...
pretzel - I think you make a good point, if we weren't constantly reminded about how we are different and we just fit into society without question I don't think we would feel the need to contemplate about it as much or be a collective group demanding justice.
judith - You make 2 points that really make sense. One being the same as pretzel that we are sort of forced into thinking about identity politics because the non-queer majority reminds us of our differences. The other really interesting point you make is about straight people celebrating their sexuality. I never though of it that way, it is true that their weddings, anniversaries, baby naming, etc are all around the fact of their heterosexual identity. I will be sure to mention that when someone asks why gays need a pride parade. We aren't given marriage or adoption rights in many places so one day out of a year for us isn't very much to ask for. - August 16, 2008 at 12:33 PM
- Chimera said...
Whenever I find myself confronted by a homophobe who's complaining about the proliferation of gay pride celebrations and the dearth of hetero pride celebrations, I can usually stop him in mid-rant with one question:
"What's stopping you from having your own pride celebration?"
They never seem to have an answer for that. - August 16, 2008 at 4:28 PM
- Joie Mayfield said...
For me, Pride celebrations are important for us. One reason I think that is the fact that it's a show of solidarity. I think it's important we gather as a community (much like Judith stated) and saw, "We're not going to take it." We deserve one weekend or week a year where we stand up and say, "we're here, we're queer, get used to it." More than anything, to me, I think Pride is a great way to (again, like Judith stated) say to myself, "look where you are. Are you where you want to be?" It's a constant thinking process for me. Straight people have all the ceremonies and common benefits like holding hands, kissing, even placing one's arm around you. We could do that as gay people, but we're mocked, we're spit on, and we're sometimes, sadly, bashed.
When a straight person tells me that Gay folks shouldn't have Pride celebration, I ask why we have Black History Month, or Women's History Month, etc. They never have a response.
Great post. I love the discussion. - August 16, 2008 at 6:37 PM
- Mirrorboy said...
Sorry if i don't have as much insight into this subject as everyone else, but hey, i'm 15.
I think the pride parade is a celebration of the queer revolution of sorts... e.g. The French celebrate the day when they said "enough is enough," and took back their freedom. We said "enough is enough" as well. We stopped hiding, and the pride parade is a celebration of that.
In regards to the identity part of this, being gay couldn't be a bigger thing for me. I can only assume that in the future it will determine if i have a partner, what I'll write about (as an author), what i think about and what i fight for. I'll suffer because of it. I'll make friends and lose friends... pretty much everything i guess.
But as was already said, if it wasn't such a big deal for all the straight people out there, it wouldn't be for me either. - August 16, 2008 at 10:21 PM
My own family has expressed the idea that "they're okay with me being gay, so long as I don't show it." Which means they don't want to hear about it, think about what it all means, and they don't want to be reminded about it via any aspect of my personality.
I spent many years of my life striving to hide that aspect of myself, only to learn that by putting on that face, I forgot who I was inside. And that, to me, is the very worst feeling in the world; to feel that disorientation about what's very natural to me. Worse still, that constant attempt to hide made it difficult to focus on other areas in my life, such as my education and my work. I eventually realized that if I couldn't be true to myself, there was no possible way I could be true to anyone else.
To me, Pride is a form of reinforcement that lacked my entire life growing up. It's about that freedom to let oneself feel things that others sought to deny you. It's about embracing diversity, and loving others without any conditions.
In my everyday life, I feel that my sexuality is a part of myself, but something that I find that, in many ways, enhances my personality rather than defines it. Being honest about myself makes honesty with others possible. I am gay, and many others are also gay. Many others share a similar background, or perhaps experiences, but I am me. I am not everyone else, and everyone else is not me. If you only judge me based on my sexuality, you can't possibly judge my character, my nature, or anything else about me. If you want to know what I'm about, and what matters to me, spend some time and get to know me.
Thanks for this great post! It was very thought-provoking. :) - August 16, 2008 at 11:07 PM
- T. R Xands said...
Interesting question! The comments above me are already really good and I don't really want to retread...so I just want to chip in with my personal feeling.
For me, my sexual orientation isn't as major a part of my life as it used to be. I still show pride and I'm not ashamed to let people know I'm queer but there's different parts of myself & my personality that I'd like to develop more...because it feels like I've focused so much on trying to figure out what gender I like more that I've kinda neglected my other facets. Like being a black female or an atheist for instance. It's a little more complex than that but I'm trying to keep to the point...
So that's my personal take...like I said, I don't really want to retread anything that's already been said before me but I do support public displays of Pride (like parades and what not) and I don't think I'll ever understand why some heterosexuals get up in arms because the gay community wants to express themselves *shrug* if this makes sense, I just see Pride as a way of moving on, like straights are proud of their straightness because it's "correct" I guess, why can't everyone else be?
I hope that all made sense :/ - August 17, 2008 at 12:14 AM
- CrackerLilo said...
Sorry, it's an essay.
I skipped Pride this year, and I regret it. I keep getting reminded of why it's still needed. You know from visiting my blog how much I love pandas and how devastated I was when China's biggest reserve was destroyed in that earthquake. I want to go on a voluntourism trip next year to help rebuild it. L'Ailee wouldn't go with me. I was told a couple of times that I will have to be down-low about my bisexuality and my marriage to another woman in China. It makes me angry that I have to make that choice, and it makes me sad for the women in China who are not just visiting. It reminds me that humans need all kinds of saving, too.
I can't imagine being anything but bisexual. You also know from looking at my blog that as much as I love my wife, I find the male form (particularly a certain racecar driver's) compelling as well. I won't do anything, but I have to admit that I look and I have to honor my past and myself. I have never been anything else. When I was a little girl watching the Dukes of Hazzard, I couldn't decide whether I was going to marry Bo, Luke, or Daisy Duke! Sometimes I feel like it relates to other aspects of my life--being an environmentalist who loves NASCAR, a fan of both hip-hop and country music, a skeptical Witch...
My bisexuality and the fact that I have loved men (well, two boys and one man) actually make me more committed to the Cause. I know what it's like to be in a mixed-sex relationship. It's so *easy*. My Ex-Boy is also bi, and we'd discuss that all the time. People didn't like that he was a heavily pierced and tattooed redneck, but I could say I went to the movies with him last weekend without causing a fuss at work. I could kiss him or hold his hand on the sidewalk. My relatives actually wanted me to marry him. I realized just how many stupid artificial roadblocks had been thrown up between me and the girl who would become my wife, and that it wasn't just us who made things difficult.
Bottom line, I know that I am the same person with the same assets and liabilities regardless of the gender of the person I choose to be with, or if I am poly, or if I am single. I don't become any better or worse. I get treated better or worse by others. And that keeps me in the fight. - August 17, 2008 at 12:32 AM
- Wonder Man said...
we should have pride, but we should take it up a notch from the go go boys
- August 17, 2008 at 8:47 PM


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
President Donald Trump held a news conference from the White House briefing room Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
The briefing followed Joe Biden's announcement that he picked Sen. Kamala Harris to be his running mate.
Less than three months before the election, Trump is losing the popular vote in nearly every major national poll. He is also falling behind in state polls in several key battleground states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Although Trump fielded questions on the election, the lack of agreement between the White House and Congress over a stimulus package is something on the minds of many Americans. Extended unemployment benefits expired two weeks ago, and it's unclear whether an executive order Trump signed last week can actually go into effect to deliver a $400 a week unemployment supplement to millions of out-of-work Americans.
While there is broad agreement over implementing another $1,200 stimulus check for most Americans, the sides have largely walked away from negotiations, leaving questions on whether Congress can actually deliver another stimulus package for Americans.


text:
These are INTENTIONAL messages that groups have recorded and placed in their songs. This differs from backwards masking in which bands supposedly sing a song in a special way so that when played backwards a hidden message appears.
New entries in this section are currently reviewed by Indy Gent. Previous editors (if any) are listed on the editors page.
If you have a creative/humorous idea, please submit it.


text:
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text:
Despite the sluggish economy, it's been a pretty good year for luxury carmakers. Deluxe brands such as Mercedes, Volvo and BMW have seen double-digit growth.
But the German carmaker Audi is the standout. It's seen a near tenfold growth in the past 20 years, and the company has also become the new status car for young urban professionals.
In the pop star car commercial smackdown, the Fiat 500 flaunts Jennifer Lopez, Chrysler rolls with Eminem, and Audi — not to be outdone — produced a whole series of Internet thriller movies with Justin Timberlake.
Not only has Timberlake brought sexy back, he also helped do the same for Audi. The company uses viral marketing that focuses on very young consumers. Timberlake is about a decade younger than JLo or Eminem.
"We have the most affluent consumer for the most part, and we do have the youngest consumer," says Scott Keogh, head of marketing at Audi. "It's an average age of somewhere around 47 or 48 [years old], and most of our competitors are ... deep into the 50s."
But Keogh doesn't exactly call it the yuppie crowd.
"Because I'll give you my definition or, I think, of how you're giving a definition of the yuppie, [as] crass, aggressive, somewhat in-your-face flashy money, and I think that is the exact opposite of what Audi is," he says.
Whether they're called yuppies or not, Audi is winning young consumers in the U.S., where it's gone from about 1 percent of the luxury car market to nearly 10 percent in 20 years. But Audi has come a lot further than that.
Almost exactly 25 years ago, Audi was at the center of a controversy over unintended acceleration following a report on 60 Minutes. Later, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it wasn't able to find a problem that would produce sudden acceleration and brake failure in Audis, but that happened after the brand was almost killed off in the U.S.
"We sold 75,000 units before and only a couple years after we went down to 12,000 units, so this was a dramatic impact on the brand," Keogh says.
Reinventing The Brand
After getting clobbered that hard, what else was there to do?
"Audi did a couple of things: They made ... enormous investment in the brand. When I say enormous, I mean hundreds of millions of dollars," says Rebecca Lindland, a senior analyst with IHS Automotive.
Lindland says the company focused in an intense way on the design of the cars to make sure they stood apart. It changed the look and the proportions of the vehicles — things that consumers may not understand, she says.
"You don't know why somebody's absolutely beautiful, but at the end of the day it comes to their bone structure. It's the same thing with cars. It's like the perfect cheekbones and the appropriate eyebrow formation, and everything kind of comes together," she says.
Those proportions not only have caught on with younger buyers in the U.S. but also with Chinese bureaucrats. Last year's Audi sales were up nearly 50 percent in China; comparatively, last month they went up 25 percent in the U.S. compared with October 2010.
"They provided people with a brand that not everybody sees all over the place, and then they did it with really cool headlamps," Lindland says with a laugh.
She says young consumers, especially luxury buyers, would rather stand out than blend in, but in an understated way.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
1The second book of the prophet Esdras, the son of Saraias, the son of Azarias, the son of Helchias, the son of Sadamias, the son of Sadoc, the son of Achitob,
2The son of Achias, the son of Phinees, the son of Heli, the son of Amarias, the son of Aziei, the son of Marimoth, the son of Arna, the son of Ozias, the son of Borith, the son of Abisei, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar,
3The son of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi; which was captive in the land of the Medes, in the reign of Artexerxes king of the Persians.
4And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
5Go thy way, and shew my people their sinful deeds, and their children their wickedness which they have done against me; that they may tell their children's children:
6Because the sins of their fathers are increased in them: for they have forgotten me, and have offered unto strange gods.
7Am not I even he that brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage? but they have provoked me unto wrath, and despised my counsels.
8Pull thou off then the hair of thy head, and cast all evil upon them, for they have not been obedient unto my law, but it is a rebellious people.
9How long shall I forbear them, unto whom I have done so much good?
10Many kings have I destroyed for their sakes; Pharaoh with his servants and all his power have I smitten down.
11All the nations have I destroyed before them, and in the east I have scattered the people of two provinces, even of Tyrus and Sidon, and have slain all their enemies.
12Speak thou therefore unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord,
13I led you through the sea and in the beginning gave you a large and safe passage; I gave you Moses for a leader, and Aaron for a priest.
14I gave you light in a pillar of fire, and great wonders have I done among you; yet have ye forgotten me, saith the Lord.
15Thus saith the Almighty Lord, The quails were as a token to you; I gave you tents for your safeguard: nevertheless ye murmured there,
16And triumphed not in my name for the destruction of your enemies, but ever to this day do ye yet murmur.
17Where are the benefits that I have done for you? when ye were hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, did ye not cry unto me,
18Saying, Why hast thou brought us into this wilderness to kill us? it had been better for us to have served the Egyptians, than to die in this wilderness.
19Then had I pity upon your mournings, and gave you manna to eat; so ye did eat angels' bread.
20When ye were thirsty, did I not cleave the rock, and waters flowed out to your fill? for the heat I covered you with the leaves of the trees.
21I divided among you a fruitful land, I cast out the Canaanites, the Pherezites, and the Philistines, before you: what shall I yet do more for you? saith the Lord.
22Thus saith the Almighty Lord, When ye were in the wilderness, in the river of the Amorites, being athirst, and blaspheming my name,
23I gave you not fire for your blasphemies, but cast a tree in the water, and made the river sweet.
24What shall I do unto thee, O Jacob? thou, Juda, wouldest not obey me: I will turn me to other nations, and unto those will I give my name, that they may keep my statutes.
25Seeing ye have forsaken me, I will forsake you also; when ye desire me to be gracious unto you, I shall have no mercy upon you.
26Whensoever ye shall call upon me, I will not hear you: for ye have defiled your hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit manslaughter.
27Ye have not as it were forsaken me, but your own selves, saith the Lord.
28Thus saith the Almighty Lord, Have I not prayed you as a father his sons, as a mother her daughters, and a nurse her young babes,
29That ye would be my people, and I should be your God; that ye would be my children, and I should be your father?
30I gathered you together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings: but now, what shall I do unto you? I will cast you out from my face.
31When ye offer unto me, I will turn my face from you: for your solemn feastdays, your new moons, and your circumcisions, have I forsaken.
32I sent unto you my servants the prophets, whom ye have taken and slain, and torn their bodies in pieces, whose blood I will require of your hands, saith the Lord.
33Thus saith the Almighty Lord, Your house is desolate, I will cast you out as the wind doth stubble.
34And your children shall not be fruitful; for they have despised my commandment, and done the thing that is an evil before me.
35Your houses will I give to a people that shall come; which not having heard of me yet shall believe me; to whom I have shewed no signs, yet they shall do that I have commanded them.
36They have seen no prophets, yet they shall call their sins to remembrance, and acknowledge them.
37I take to witness the grace of the people to come, whose little ones rejoice in gladness: and though they have not seen me with bodily eyes, yet in spirit they believe the thing that I say.
38And now, brother, behold what glory; and see the people that come from the east:
39Unto whom I will give for leaders, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Oseas, Amos, and Micheas, Joel, Abdias, and Jonas,
40Nahum, and Abacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zachary, and Malachy, which is called also an angel of the Lord.


text:
Key details of the way nerve cells in the brain remember pleasure are revealed in a study by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers published today in the journal Nature Neuroscience. Furthermore, the molecular events that form such "reward memories" appear to differ from those created by drug addiction, despite the popular theory that addiction hijacks normal reward pathways.
Brain circuits have evolved to encourage behaviors proven to help our species survive by attaching pleasure to them. Eating rich food tastes good because it delivers energy and sex is desirable because it creates offspring. The same systems also connect in our minds environmental cues with actual pleasures to form reward memories.
This study in rats supports the idea that the mammalian brain features several memory types, each using different circuits, with memories accessed and integrated as needed. Ancient memory types include those that remind us what to fear, what to seek out (reward), how to move (motor memory) and navigate (place memory). More recent developments enable us to remember the year Columbus sailed and our wedding day.
"We believe reward memory may serve as a good model for understanding the molecular mechanisms behind many types of learning and memory," said David Sweatt, Ph.D., chair of the UAB Department of Neurobiology, director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute at UAB and corresponding author for the study. "Our results provide a leap in the field's understanding of reward-learning mechanisms and promise to guide future attempts to solve related problems such as addiction and criminal behavior."
The study is the first to illustrate that reward memories are created by chemical changes that influence known memory-related genes in nerve cells within a brain region called the ventral tegmental area, or VTA. Experiments that blocked those chemical changes — a mix of DNA methylation and demethylation — in the VTA prevented rats from forming new reward memories.
Methylation is the attachment of a methyl group (one carbon and three hydrogens) to a DNA chain at certain spots (cytosine bases). When methylation occurs near a gene or inside a gene sequence, it is thought to turn the gene off and its removal to turn it back on. This back-and-forth affects gene expression without changing the code we inherit from our parents. Operating outside the genetic machinery proper, epigenetic changes enable each cell type to do its unique job and to react to its environment.
Also germane to the study results, a stem cell in the womb that becomes bone or liver cells must "remember" its specialized nature and pass that identity to its descendants as they divide and multiply to form organs. This process requires genetic memory, which largely is driven by methylation. Note, most nerve cells do not divide and multiply as do other cells. They can't, according to one theory, because they put their epigenetic mechanisms to work making actual memories.
Natural pleasure versus addiction
The brain's pleasure center is known to proceed through nerve cells that signal using the neurochemical dopamine and generally is located in the VTA. Unfortunately, the evolutionary processes that attached pleasure to advantageous behaviors also accidentally reinforced bad ones.
Addiction to all four major classes of abused drugs — psychostimulants, opiates, ethanol and nicotine — has been linked to increased dopamine transmission in the same parts of the brain associated with normal reward processing. Remembered cues that predict both normal reward and effects of cocaine or alcohol make dopamine nerve cells fire just like the rewarding experiences they recall. That had led to theory that drug addiction must take over normal reward-memory nerve pathways.
Along those lines, past research has argued that dopamine-producing neurons in the VTA — and in a region that receives downstream dopamine signals from the VTA called the nucleus accumbens (NAC) — both were involved in natural reward and drug-addiction-based memory formation. While that may true to some extent, the new study revealed that blocking methylation in the VTA with a drug stopped the ability of rats to attach rewarding experiences to remembered cues but doing so in the NAC did not.
"We observed an important distinction, not in circuitry, but instead in the epigenetic regulation of that circuitry between natural reward responses and those that occur downstream with drugs of abuse or psychiatric illness," said Jeremy Day, Ph.D., a post-doctoral scholar in Sweatt's lab and first author for this study. "Although drug experiences may co-opt normal reward mechanisms to some extent, our results suggest they also may engage entirely separate epigenetic mechanisms that contribute only to addiction and that may explain its strength."
To investigate the molecular and epigenetic changes in the VTA, researchers took their cue from 19th century Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, who was the first to study the phenomenon of conditioning. By ringing a bell each day before giving his dogs food, Pavlov soon found that the dogs would salivate at the sound of the bell.
In this study, rats were trained to associate a sound tone with the availability of sugar pellets in their feed ports. This same animal model has been used to make most discoveries about how human dopamine neurons work since the 1990s, and most approved drugs that affect the dopamine system (e.g. L-Dopa for Parkinson's) were tested in it before being cleared for human trials.
To separate the effects of memory-related brain changes from those arising from the pleasure of the eating itself, the rats were separated into three groups. Rats in the "CS+" group got sugar pellets each time they heard a sound cue. The "CS–" group heard the sound the same number of times and received as many sugar pellets — but never together. A third tone-only group heard the sounds but never received sugar rewards.
Rats that always received sugar with the sound cue were found to poke their feed ports with their noses at least twice as often during this cue as control rats after three, 25-sound-cue sessions. Nose pokes are an established measure of the degree to which a rat has come to associate a cue with the memory of a tasty treat.
The team found that those CS+ rats (sugar paired with sound) that were better at forming reward memories had significantly higher expression of the memory genes Egr1 and Fos than control rats These genes are known to regulate memory in other brain regions by fine-tuning the signaling capacity of the connections between nerve cells. In a series of experiments, the team next revealed the methylation and demethylation patterns that drove the changes in gene expression seen as memories formed.
The study demonstrated that reward-related experiences caused both types of DNA methylation known to regulate gene expression.
One type involves attaching methyl groups to pieces of DNA called promoters, which reside immediately upstream of individual gene sequences (between genes), that tell the machinery that follows genetic instructions to "start reading here." The attachment of a methyl group to a promoter generally interferes with this and silences a nearby gene. However, ancient organisms such as plants and insects have less methylation between their genes, and more of it within the coding regions of the genes themselves (within gene bodies). Such gene-body methylation has been shown to encourage rather than silence gene expression.
Specifically, the team reported that two sites in the promoter for Egr1 gene were demethylated during reward experiences and, to a greater degree, in rats that better remembered the association between the sugar and the sound cue. Conversely, spots within the gene body of both Egr1 and Fos underwent methylation as reward memories formed.
"When designing therapeutic treatments for psychiatric illness, addictions or memory disorders, you must profoundly understand the function of the biological systems you're working with," Day said. "Our field has learned from experience that attempts to treat addiction with drugs that globally impair normal reward memories do not succeed. Our study suggests the possibility that future treatments could dial down drug addiction or mental illness without affecting normal rewards."
Along with Sweatt and Day, authors for the study were Daniel Childs, Mikael Guzman-Karlsson, Mercy Kibe, Jerome Moulden, Esther Song and Absar Tahir within the Department of Neurobiology and the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute at University of Alabama at Birmingham. This work is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA029419), the National Institute on Mental Health (MH091122 and MH057014), and the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Research Foundation.


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Distance from North Shore Inn:
4.5 miles
HISTORY: The Clark County Fair had its beginning back in 1965. Known as the Moapa Valley Fair, it was held at the Overton Community Center. Compared to the present day fair, this first fair was small in size. Nevertheless, it had all the flavor and elements of a good old county fair. From this simple beginning, the Moapa Valley Fair became an annual event. Each year new attractions were added, such as a carnival midway, junior livestock show, and a rodeo.
Throughout the seventies and early eighties, the fair took place at various locations in the community such as the local park, churches and schools. Each location lacked some key elements necessary to house the ever growing and popular fair.
In 1981 the fair committee decided to pursue a more permanent location for the fair. This committee, under the direction of Grant M. Bowler, was able to obtain 190 acres of ground in Logandale from the BLM. With a grant from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the State Legislature construction began. Many others also contributed their resources to aide in the development of the new fairgrounds. In 1986 the Moapa Valley Fair officially changed its name to the "Clark County Fair".
By 1988, the property had been cleared and fenced. Four buildings, a rodeo arena and various landscaping had also begun to take shape. In April, although the buildings were not yet completed, the very first Clark County Fair was held. Since that time, the fair has grown rapidly. With great effort from many volunteers, new buildings, bleachers, stages and animals facilities have been added.
In 1997 due to the ever so popular Rodeo, the fair once again changed its name. Now known as the Clark County Fair & Rodeo more than 80,000 patrons come to the fair every spring.
It has been the combined work and efforts of many volunteers that have developed and managed the Fair and successfully produced an old-fashioned, family oriented fair for so many people to enjoy. With a part time staff of four, and more than 500 volunteers working together, we pledge to continue to bring this flavor and fun to each and every Fair!


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Meet 'Jerry Before Seinfeld' in New Netflix Standup Special Trailer
We've seen photos of Jerry Seinfeld's first new Netflix comedy special, but as with any standup, it's all about the delivery. See for yourself in a first trailer for Jerry Before Seinfeld, as the revered comedian revisits his past and younger material in new footage.
Set to premiere on September 19, the new hour-long Jerry Before Seinfeld "returns to The Comic Strip in New York City for an intimate stand-up set at the club that helped launch his career. Interspersed with never-before-seen material – including a library of legal pads with every joke he's written since 1975, childhood videos, and more – Jerry performs the jokes that put him on the comedy map."
Netflix Comedy and Seinfeld's Instagram page also features nine of Seinfeld's earlier stand-up jokes, while the comedian's overall deal includes two new standup specials, along with the entirety of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, past and future.
We'll see more in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, check out Seinfeld before and after his big break in the trailer above.


text: Larkspur Growing Guide Delphinium Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Average garden soil with excellent drainage. Position Full sun. Frost tolerant Good. Where winters are mild, seedlings sprout in autumn and survive until spring. Feeding Fast growth is encouraged by mixing a balanced organic fertiliser into the soil before planting. Companions Upright larkspur makes an ideal flower to grow behind shorter mound-forming bloomers. Spacing Single Plants: 30cm (11") each way (minimum) Rows: 30cm (11") with 30cm (11") row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Sow larkspur seeds where you want the plants to grow in autumn, or first thing in spring, making sure they have had a period of vernalisation (cold temperatures). Larkspur can be transplanted with care, but plants grow best from direct-sown seeds. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalised calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area. Notes Well-pleased plants can grow quite tall and may need staking. In many areas, larkspur will reseed with a little encouragement. Colours include pink, purple, lavender, white and many bicolours. Harvesting Larkspurs make wonderful cut flowers. As flowers fade, snip them off with scissors to keep the plants looking neat. Pull up plants when blooms become scarce. Troubleshooting The biggest challenge to growing larkspur is getting the seedlings up and growing. Larkspur is poisonous to pets and horses, but is seldom nibbled due to its bitter taste. Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Larkspur Aphids (General) Slug Snail


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This section is a comprehensive resource for our clients, containing tax calculators, tax rates and deadlines, essential business factsheets, the latest news and more.
Includes calculators for mortgages, loans, APR, payslips, VAT, stamp duty, company car and fuel benefits.
The online tax calendar shows the key tax deadlines.
The latest tax rates and allowances.
Some useful forms from HMRC and Companies House.


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About Swami Vivekananda Jayanti :
Swami Vivekananda was a great religious Hindu saint and leader who founded the Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Math. We celebrate National Youth Day every year on 12th of January at his birth anniversary. 'Swami Vivekananda Jayanti' is celebrated on the Paush Krishna Paksha Saptami, the 7th day after the full moon day. According to the English calendar, Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863 in Calcutta. However his birthday is celebrated according to Hindu calendar and this day is known as Swami Vivekananda Jayanti. Swami Vivekananda was born on 12th of January in 1863 in Kolkata as Narendranath Datta to the Vishwanath Datta and Bhuvaneshwari Devi. He was an extraordinary child with spiritual thoughts. His education was irregular but he completed Bachelor of Arts degree from the Scotish Church College, Kolkata. The teachings of Swami Vivekanand are the biggest philosophical asset of the country.
Here is the Date of National Youth Day 2035 :
Name of Festivals | Day | Date of Festivals |
Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, National Youth Day |
Friday | 12th January 2035 |
Swami Vivekananda was a Hindu monk and a patriotic saint of India. His religious and monk life started when he met to the Shri Ramakrishna and made him Guru. Later he led the Vedanta movement and introduced the Indian philosophy of Hinduism in western countries. Indian government has decided to observe Swami Vivekananda's Gregorian date of birth as 'National Youth Day'. Hence National Youth Day of India is celebrated each year on 12th January since 1985. At various places mangal arti, homa, meditation, devotional songs, religious discourses and sandhya arti are held on this day.
2035 Swami Vivekananda Jayanti Wallpaper Download →


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About Tech Mahindra :
Tech Mahindra is part of the US $15.4 billion Mahindra Group and is a leading global systems integrator and business transformation consulting organization, focused primarily on the telecommunications industry. Tech Mahindra helps companies innovate and transform by leveraging its unique insights, differentiated services and flexible partnering models. This has helped customers reduce operating costs, generate new revenue streams and gain competitive advantage. Tech Mahindra expanded its IT portfolio in 2009 by acquiring the leading global business and information technology services company, Mahindra Satyam (earlier known as Satyam Computer Services). Tech Mahindra's capabilities spread across a broad spectrum, including Business Support Systems (BSS), Operations Support Systems (OSS), Network Design & Engineering, Next Generation Networks, Mobility Solutions, Security consulting and Testing.
Tech Mahindra's solutions portfolio includes Consulting, Application Development & Management, Network Services, Solution Integration, Product Engineering, Infrastructure Managed Services, Remote Infrastructure Management and BSG (comprises BPO, Services and Consulting). With an array of service offerings for TSPs, TEMs and ISVs, Tech Mahindra is a chosen transformation partner for several leading wireline, wireless and broadband operators in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America. Tech Mahindra has successfully implemented more than 16 Greenfield Operations globally and has over 130 active customer engagements mostly in the Telecom sector. The company has been involved in about 8 transformation programs of incumbent telecom operators.
Tech Mahindra has a global footprint through operations in more than 31 countries with 17 sales offices and 15 delivery centers. Assessed at SEI CMMi Level 5, Tech Mahindra's track record for value delivery is supported by over 40,500 professionals who provide a unique blend of culture, domain expertise and in depth technology skill sets. Its development centers are ISO 9001:2008 & BS7799 certified.
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Job Type | Registration |


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From the press Release:
Today the all-new electric Harley–Davidson LiveWire made its European debut at a press conference held at the EICMA show, Milan. During the presentation Vice President of Product Planning and Portfolio Marc McAllister revealed eagerly-awaited specification and details about the first in a portfolio of electric two-wheelers from Harley–Davidson.
Due for release in 2019 and being shown at the event as a production-ready motorcycle, LiveWire was first confirmed during the announcement of the company's "More Roads to Harley–Davidson". On July 30, 2018, Harley–Davidsonshared plans to accelerate its strategy to build the next generation of riders globally. Leveraging core strengths in the business, brand and dealer network, the company intends to invest in opportunities that inspire increased ridership sooner and deliver sustainable growth for the future. As part of this accelerated plan, Harley–Davidson intends to be the world leader in the electrification of motorcycles, and is aggressively, but wisely, investing in electric vehicle technology. Harley–Davidson is excited about the future of electric motorcycles and expect to deliver a full portfolio of electric motorcycles by 2022.
The vision behind the production LiveWire motorcycle began with Project LiveWire, revealed as a prototype in 2014 as an effort to gauge the potential of an electric-powered motorcycle as envisioned by Harley–Davidson.
Drawing from the experiences of the Project LiveWire demo tour and following an intensive development programme the Harley–Davidson LiveWire model offers the rider a new, high-performance motorcycling experience. Propelled by the immediate torque of an all-electric motor, the LiveWire motorcycle is capable of astounding acceleration with just a twist of the throttle – no clutching or gear shifting required. A low centre of gravity, rigid aluminum frame and premium adjustable suspension components give the LiveWire dynamic handling. Performance and range are optimised for the urban street-rider.
The LiveWire motorcycle is powered by a permanent magnet electric motor that produces instant torque the moment that throttle is twisted– which results in incredible acceleration performance for a thrilling ride. The motor is located low in the motorcycle to lower the center of gravity and help the motorcycle handle well at all speeds and easy to control when stopped. The LiveWire model is designed to produce a tone that increases in pitch and volume with speed – a new sound that represents the smooth, electric power of the LiveWire motorcycle.
Powertrain performance is maximised by a chassis designed to deliver nimble, agile handling for confident control on urban streets and a thrilling ride on curving backroads. Combining the powertrain as a stressed member within the aluminium frame to increase rigidity, the LiveWire features premium high-performance fully adjustable Showa suspension. The Showa BFRC-lite (Balanced Free Rear Cushion-lite) mono-shock rear suspension is complimented by Showa SFF-BP (Separate Function Fork-Big Piston) up front, balanced to match the performance and adjustability of the rear shock and deliver exceptional low-speed damping control – ideal for composed control in typical urban riding conditions.
To improve the control and performance of the motorcycle further LiveWire is fitted with Brembo Monoblock front brake calipers gripping dual 300 mm-diameter discs to deliver outstanding power with a crisp feel for confident braking performance. Confidence when riding is enhanced with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Traction Control System (TCS) – both of which are standard features on the LiveWire model – and co-branded H-D/Michelin Scorcher tyres (180mm rear/120mm front). The rider can also tailor the performance of LiveWire with seven selectable riding modes – four of which are set as standard from the factory and a further three modes that can be defined by the user.
A color touch screen TFT display (thin-film-transistor, a type of liquid-crystal display noted for high image quality and contrast) located above the handlebar offers the rider a wide range of information on a screen that's bright and easy to read. The display unit is tilt-adjustable to afford most riders a perfect viewing angle. The TFT screen also allows the rider to access the interface for Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, music and more.
The LiveWire motorcycle features a RESS (Rechargeable Energy Storage System, or the main battery) composed of lithium-ion cells surrounded by a finned, cast-aluminum housing. The LiveWire motorcycle is also equipped with a small 12-volt lithium-ion battery that powers the lights, controls, horn and instrument display. Charging can be completed using an on-board Level 1 charger that plugs into a standard household outlet with a power cord that stores below the motorcycle seat. LiveWire can also be charged with a Level 2 and Level 3, or DC Fast Charge (DCFC), through a SAE J1772 connector, (USA), or CCS2 – IEC type 2 charging connector in international markets. All Harley–Davidson dealers who sell the LiveWire motorcycle will offer a public charging station.
The LiveWire's style is just as stunning as the performance and follows a key Harley–Davidson styling dictum: the focus is on the motor. Just as the V-Twin engine is the most eye-catching element – the crown jewel – of every previous Harley–Davidson motorcycle, the electric motor is the first-look focus of the LiveWire motorcycle. Its bright case and mechanical, muscular shape is meant to convey the power it contains. In addition, the cast-aluminum case for the RESS has been styled with functional cooling fins.
The bodywork, finished utilizing advanced paint technology to give the look of anodized metal, flows from a battery cover through to a high, wasp-like contoured tail section, with a rear fender that hugs the wheel so tightly that is almost disappears from sight.


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- 1 kg beetroot
- 1 1/2 litre milk
- 400-500 gm sugar
- elaichi powder (cardomon)
- saffron few flakes
- 1 tbsp ghee
Peel and grate beetroot Put milk and dudhi in a heavy saucepan. Boil till thick, stirring occassionally. Once it starts thickening, stir continuously. Add sugar and cook further till thickens. Add ghee, elaichi, saffron and colour. Stir on low heat till the mixture collects in a soft ball or the ghee oozes out. Serve hot, decorated with a chopped almond or pista.


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Though we brought our positions much closer together, the issue proved too much for a bottle of wine to solve. We parted ways and Hitchcock took the discussion to H-Albion, a list-serv for historians of Britain and Ireland where many historians and librarians have contributed their opinions. Seth Denbo then brought the discussion to Humanist, another list-serv for digital humanities scholars where a separate conversation has now begun. Rather than contribute to either or both of those conversations, I have decided to address the issue here with the hopes that it can find new contributors who may not otherwise see it in the list-servs.
The most interesting question to arise so far is whether digital humanities projects like the OBO are films or science papers. Not literally of course, but in terms of the model of credit offered to contributors of the finished product. Both films and science journals have developed unique models of credit. In films, the credits run at the end. In science papers, everyone who made a meaningful contribution gets listed as an author and those who made minor contributions get an acknowledgement. I will argue that digital humanists would be doing their field and industry a great service by adopting both models simultaneously. The OBO and projects like it are both films and science papers.
One of the respondants to the list-serv discussion, a retired librarian Malcolm Shifrin, suggested that the point of a citation was to retrieve the source, not to provide credit. In this sense, it does not matter whose names appear in the citation, as long as there is no ambiguity and the item can be identified. However, if that were the case, we could merely cite ISBN numbers, which would drastically cut down on the size of footnotes. Or, in nearly all cases, titles alone would suffice. For example, if I were to task you with finding a copy of the paper: "An alternative definition of the scapular coordinate system for use with RSA" without any further information, I'm entirely confident you would make your way to a paper by my lovely wife, which appears in the Journal of Biomechanics. Citation is not merely about finding an item, it is also about credit; however, as Shifrim points out, it is not crucial that credit appears within a citation. An alternative model is the one used by the film industry in which a portion of the finished product is dedicated to letting everyone know who was involved with its creation.
Most major website projects, including the OBO, already do this. The OBO's "About this Project" page lists 24 of the leading contributors along with their roles and effectively mimics the credits on a film. A listing of this sort is important because it offers an official "in-house" acknowledgement that's difficult to fake without breaking the law and hijacking the website to add your name. This allows everyone to direct future potential employers to evidence of past work that can be independently verified. I would certainly argue that any collaborative digital humanities project should reserve a space on their website for such a page, which has absolutely no cost but can be instrumental to the future career development of your team members. But, I certainly do not think it's enough.
We do not know where the alt-ac world is going, and we would be wise to ensure that as many doors as possible remain open to those people who currently occupy this grey space in academia. Some members may aspire to a future tenure-track position and may find it difficult to convince more conservative senior faculty that film-style credits on a webpage are akin to hits on JSTOR. And because these conservative attitudes change slowly, it would be rash for digital humanists to abandon a well established if perhaps dated model of credit just because we want to rebel in the name of progress. There's a baby in that bathwater.
Science Papers
This is where the model used by the academic science community is particularly helpful. In the humanities, typically if someone got paid to do the work as part of a grant or part-time role, we pretend they didn't exist. The work "was done" rather than "was done by soandso". We don't expect McDonalds to list the names of individual "team members" when they brag about how delicious their french fries are. It doesn't matter who made your fries. They were paid to do so and thereby give up their right to credit.
In the sciences, everyone who makes a meaningful contribution is entitled to a share of the authorship of a paper. Assuming each of the 24 members of the OBO team met those criteria, a citation for the OBO might look like this:
- the conception and design of the study, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data
- drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content
- final approval of the version to be submitted
Obviously those criteria are designed specifically with a peer-reviewed journal article in mind. However, they can easily be adapted to the needs of a digital humanities web-based project, which typically is split into two parts: the project itself, and the digital infrastructure for allowing the audience to interact with the project. A digital humanities "author" could be someone that must have made substantial contributions to all of the following:
- the conception and design of the project or website; or acquisition of data or materials; or analysis, transformation and interpretation of data or materials
- drafting or creating any text, artwork, sound, video, workflow, interface, user experience, or code, that was integral to the success of the project and that would have been substantially different if it had been completed by someone else
- final approval of the finished product
In the case of the OBO, that may eliminate some people from the list of those credited with the project. As I am not one of those people, it is not my place to decide. But it is something I think as a community we should start discussing as soon as project teams are put together. What is the intended output, and how will each person's contribution be credited? It can be an awkward conversation at first, but it's a proactive solution to the elephant in the room for those in the alt-ac community.
The OBO is both a film and a science paper. Project leaders of web-based digital humanities projects would be doing their industry a favour by ensuring projects have both a page of film-style credits which outline contributors and their roles, as well as a science-style listing of substantial contributors or authors that are prominently displayed for anyone wishing to cite.
This two-pronged approach can only serve to help digital humanities to find its place within the academic world. It's the model that keeps the most doors open for those alt-ac members of our project teams who are unsure of which path their career will take in the future. It acknowledges the tremendous teamwork that goes into producing world class digital humanities work, setting them apart from single-authored papers. And it doesn't misrepresent or misconstrue the purposes of either model of credit. The citation may not mean much to a tenured professor, but it can help launch the career of someone in the alt-ac world. And so, the citation may be a bit clunkier if we use the science model, but at least it's an honest reflection.
Photo credit: "Steve Jobs rendered in Applesoft BASIC" by Blake Patterson.


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Pinball Tables and a Microphone Vol 1 – PA23
For us, pinball was the pre-digital entertainment of our parents generation but it's history started much earlier. "Spring launcher" pinball tables were used as far back as the late 1600s/early 1700s. Naturally Pinball has evolved since then becoming more mainstream in the 1860's and then in the 1930's becoming coin operated with electronic bumpers and flippers.… Read More »
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:49:15 — 144.9MB)


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Industry Technology Applications
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Recommended Resources
- White Paper Governments adapting to change Top tips for shifting to an enterprise analytics strategy
- Article Public health infrastructure desperately needs modernization
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- Article The transformational power of evidence-based decision making in health policy
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- Customer Story & Video Changing the conversation about behavioral health San Bernardino County uses data management and advanced analytics to improve care and address misconceptions
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- Using technology to keep the community safe West Midlands Police uses SAS® Data Management to correct, match database records
- North Carolina gets tougher on crime State saves $12 million annually thanks to better data access and process efficiencies
- Large metro county improves indigent adult services; supports policy changes and protects privacy with SAS
- People first policing Constabulary cleans up its data and gains new intelligence


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Park Lanes Privacy Policy
Hey! This is serious.


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A blog for sharing of information and for a healthy discussion on Bank employees issues!! *Please send news related to Bank Employees and your Queries, to my e-mail email@example.com* Follow me on facebook http://www.facebook.com/indianbankkumar
Friday, July 29, 2016
On June 30, headlines across newspapers were on the Union government having approved the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations. The Economic Times headline read, "Central staff hit pay dirt: An early Diwali". The newspaper said the government had accepted the recommendations doling out 'hefty' pay hikes. The salaries were expected to increase in the range of 14 per cent to 23 per cent. The bold fonts also announced that the lowest salary was to increase from Rs 7,000 per month to Rs 18,000. The highest salary, received by the cabinet secretary, was to go up to Rs 2,50,000 from Rs 90,000.
Sounds huge, does it not? But we need to analyse this. What is the bonanza and what are the hefty pay hikes which are speculated to be "fuelling inflationary pressures"?
Actually, the salary of Rs 7,000 and Rs 18,000 are not comparable. The equivalent of the Rs 7,000 basic salary, which was fixed 10 years ago and currently applicable with the dearness allowance added on, is Rs 15,750 (Rs 7,000 basic plus 125 per cent DA). In the salary of Rs 18,000 now announced, the DA is subsumed. Thus, a more accurate comparison would be the present salary of Rs 15,750 and the new salary of Rs 18,000. Similarly, the cabinet secretary at present receives Rs 2,02,500. The newspapers also announced that the total outgo as a consequence of the hike was expected to be Rs 1 lakh crore.
The comments on social media are more expressive! They question whether government employees actually deserve higher salaries: "Being paid more for what?", "More pay for less and less work", and "Babus don't deserve a hike." In fact, it is speculated that these increases will fuel inflation. Another school of thought believes that it will kickstart spending, thus generate demand and hence increased economic activity.
Illustration: Bhaskaran
The Pay Commission is announced once in ten years. Thus any increase in basic salary comes about once in ten years. Even if we were to assume that this Pay Commission has brought about a hike of 20 per cent, it would tantamount to a simple rate of 2 per cent per annum. Which employee in the private sector would be content with a 2 per cent per annum hike? A couple of years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to hear of the bonus received by one of the youngsters in the family. I found that his annual bonus alone was more than the sum of the total salary earned by me over my entire career! He could afford at least two vacations abroad for himself and his kids every year, travelling business class. My wife and I have never been on any vacation as yet. At most, every year we visited our parents using up my earned leave or she would accompany me if I travelled on work. For him the weekend is a total break from work—he gets no official calls over the weekend. Mine was a 24x7 job when I could not refuse anyone who called me. Once when my wife reminded the caller that he had called on a holiday, he had the gumption to remind her that official phones were given to government functionaries so that they could be contacted all the time!
There is then the fear that the pay increase will cause financial difficulties to state governments. True, it will. However, prudent financial management requires constant mobilisation of resources. However, considering the fact that we have just about an election every year, to local bodies or state legislatures or the general election, very few governments can take appropriate measures to increase taxes or tap methods to raise resources. If you cannot take harsh decisions to raise resources, why blame government employees who get a paltry increase of 2 per cent per annum?
I acknowledge that government employees are not the most popular guys. To a large extent, we are to blame for this. This perception needs to be addressed and only we can do that with our own endeavours and actions. However, if the general public still continues to grudge the paltry increase, they must realise that if you pay peanuts you get only ..........!
Former comptroller and auditor general, Rai is chairman of Banks Board Bureau.
2 comments:
- Unknown said...
Hope Mr. Vinod Rai as Chairman if Banks Board Bureau understands the difficulties of Bank Employees and Officers and bring some cheers to them in 11th Bipartite. He himself has said "If one is paid peanuts, service to people will be ........"
- July 30, 2016 at 10:09 PM
- Unknown said...
Hope Mr. Vinod Rai as Chairman if Banks Board Bureau understands the difficulties of Bank Employees and Officers and bring some cheers to them in 11th Bipartite. He himself has said "If one is paid peanuts, service to people will be ........"
- July 30, 2016 at 10:10 PM
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Colourful Tree Felt Cat House / Cave / Condo
Our Cat Cave Bed are handcrafted with high-quality wool using wet felting process. Each design is as unique as your cat.
- Perfect for cats to play, sleep and live inside.
- Bed is strong, persistent and super cozy.
- Provides maximum warmth and comfort.
- Cats are naturally attracted by the wool because of the lanolin smell.
- Wool fiber is naturally odor-resistant.
Light cleaning: Vacuum clean to remove hair and dust.
Stuck-on dirt: Spot clean with a soft cloth or sponge, a mild detergent and warm water.
Full wash: Gentle hand wash in warm water using mild detergent. Reshape while damp, and let it dry on a hand towel. composition: 100% felted wool, a renewable material.
dimension: 22" Ø Height: 12 " Entry hole: 7.5"


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Visually, I believe that this zebra-striped cake is one of the most impressive looking cakes I've ever made. Especially because I have a soft spot in my heart for animal prints. I've seen this cake online for a while now, on various blogs and in various forms, but haven't actually gotten around to trying it myself until now. It has a huge WOW factor for a relatively simple cake and it provides a good mix of chocolate and vanilla flavors in one package.
The pattern looks very intricate, but it is actually very easy to create. The cake starts with one vanilla batter that is divided in half and has cocoa powder added to a portion. The batters are alternately spooned into the center of a prepared baking pan to form a bullseye design. The trick to getting the design is all in how you lay the batters. Put a spoonful of vanilla batter (about 3 tbsp, for this particular cake) into the center of the pan and let it spread slightly on its own. Put a spoonful of chocolate in the center of the vanilla. It will push out the other batter and, as it sits for a moment, will spread itself. Alternating spoonfuls of the two batters, you simply repeat the technique until all the batter has been used up. You can tap the pan on the counter gently to help it spread and eliminate air bubbles, but the batter really must be allowed to spread on its own. Don't worry about the colors mixing as you continue to add batter; unless you're really rough with the pan, the lines will stay clean on their own.
My layers were actually a touch less than 3 tbsp of batter each and, as a result, it took quite a long time to get all the batter in the pan. I think I spent 10-15 minutes doing it, although repetition certainly will help your speed if you start to make these cakes on a regular basis. To save time, you could also cut down the number of stripes by using 1/4 or 1/3 cup of batter for each ring.
This is a fairly plain cake and, while it does have a good chocolate and vanilla flavor to it, it isn't too sweet. Normally, I might consider putting a glaze on a cake like this one, but I didn't want to cover up the pattern on the top of the cake. The cake is also very moist and keeps well, thanks to the generous amount of oil used. It is important for the batter to be fairly liquidy, so I wouldn't play too much with the amount of oil and just keep this as an indulgent treat.
If you accidentally mess up the design at some point – your hand slips and you add too much batter, you get distracted and loose the circle pattern for some reason – don't worry. In a worst-case situation, you can always stick a butter knife into the cake batter, give it a turn and call it a marble cake, then try for the zebra the next time.
Zebra Cake
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with a circle of parchment paper and lightly grease the bottom and sides of the pan.
In a large bowl, mix together eggs and sugar until mixture is light and creamy and the sugar has mostly been dissolved. Stir in milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and almond extracts.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Measure out just over two cups of vanilla batter and place it back in the medium bowl. Sift cocoa powder over the bowl and whisk until fully incorporated.
Put 3 tbsp of vanilla batter into the center of the pan and let it spread slightly on its own. Put 3 tbsp of chocolate batter in the center of the vanilla. It will push out the other batter and, as it sits for a moment, will also spread itself. Alternating spoonfuls of the two batters, repeat the technique until all the batter has been used up.
Bake for 38-42 minutes, until the cake is light gold and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out the cake and remove the parchment paper. Reinvert on to a wire rack and let cool before slicing.
Serves 10.


text: The biggest barrier for good quality high-performance 3D games on Palm Smart-phones has finally been removed. Palm (PALM) have finally officially confirmed that they have added a component to their webOS Software Development Kit which will allow developers to target high-performance 3D graphics and native ARM code. This is in the form of a webOS plugin that Palm plans to … Read More


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No Price, No Date, No Apps, No Problem. No Wait — Problem.
I'm just now catching up on the news about the new Microsoft Surface. Reactions seem mixed, tilting slightly positive or at least hopeful. People seem to want to believe Microsoft can pull this off and that's understandable — competition is good, and right now, the iPad has no competition. My hunch is that whatever tablet Google announces shortly will be more of a Kindle Fire competitor than an iPad competitor. This Surface is a full-on iPad competitor.
On the surface — see what I did there? — the thing seems compelling. It's a tablet that runs Windows, and Office, and has a keyboard. There's no denying that the keyboard/cover hybrid is a smart thing to try.
Two years ago, I think this thing would have been pretty competitive. Today? Color me very skeptical.
First of all, for everything Microsoft did show off yesterday they left out some of the most important details. Namely, the price and the release date. Microsoft is once again late to this game. Every day wasted is a day further behind — and a further day closer to the next iPad.
This Surface doesn't have to just match the price of the iPad, it has to be cheaper. Again, they're playing catchup. Apple's margins on the iPad are worse than their other products, but still good. There is some room to undercut them, but that's assuming Microsoft is able to negotiate the same killer deals that Apple has on components. And this is one of their first forays into hardware. And it is their first foray into hardware of this kind.
Also, undercutting Apple here also means undercutting their own OEM partners. Those guys must already be pissed off at the prospect of this device. And getting into a price war with Microsoft will only piss them off even more. Maybe this drives more of them to Android in the tablet space.
Microsoft's PR line on this is laughable:
Contributing to an Expanded Ecosystem
One of the strengths of Windows is its extensive ecosystem of software and hardware partners, delivering selection and choice that makes a customer's Windows experience uniquely their own. This continues with Surface. Microsoft is delivering a unique contribution to an already strong and growing ecosystem of functional and stylish devices delivered by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to bring the experience of Windows to consumers and businesses around the globe.
Right. Nothing has changed. Nothing at all. These are not the droids you're looking for.
There are about 16 ways this can turn into a disaster for Microsoft. Their entire business model the past few decades has been built upon software licensing. Now their model is hardware sales mixed with software licensing. With the purchase of Motorola, the big fear in the mobile industry is that Google will make this jump as well. With Microsoft now actually doing it, it's a bajillion times worse. At least Android is free (sort of — coincidentally, most OEMs pay Microsoft to use it). Windows is not free. OEMs will be paying Microsoft to directly compete with — wait for it — Microsoft.
Cluster, meet fuck.
Personally, I'm fine with Microsoft jumping into the hardware game. I'm an Apple guy, I'm all about the union of hardware and software. Say what you want about Apple, there's a reason they smoke all the OEMs in the PC, phone, and tablet fields when it comes to overall quality. By doing their own hardware, Microsoft has the opportunity to also deliver on quality.
And a number of people have remarked about how good this new Surface looks. I don't know, I look at it and still see the same mistakes that other OEMs that aren't Apple make. It looks like a big Playbook. Dark. Lots of ports. Blocky. Vents.
Then you add the keyboard and it looks like… a goddamn PC.
While, again, I think the keyboard thing is a smart thing to try to sell units, I have a feeling that in the long run, it will be a burden. It's not as bad as the hardware keyboards on smartphones — which, remember, everyone insisted at one point Apple would have to add to the iPhone — which took up valuable screen real estate. But it's in many ways a literal chain to the past.
Does typing on software keyboards suck? Compared to physical keyboards, yes. But the idea should be to reinvent the method of input (see: Siri, for example), not tack on an old one. It's a crutch. It's baggage. The only way to move forward is to throw it away.
Just take another look at the new Surface. Go ahead. I'll wait.
Back? Okay.
Again, it looks like a goddamn PC. It's a keyboard and a screen. Sure, it's thinner — great, Microsoft has made a more portable laptop that you can't actually use on your lap. Nothing in that gallery even suggests it's a touchscreen device. How weird is that?
To top it all off, there are major branding issues. The press release simply calls it the "Surface". It's a regurgitated brand from something not really related (and, let's face it, a failed product), but whatever. The real problem is with "Surface for Windows RT" and "Surface for Windows 8 Pro". These sounds like fake names I came up with while drunk last night. But they're real. I double-checked.
What are there differences? There's quite a few actually. The biggest is that one works on ARM chips (RT) and one works on Intel chips (8 Pro). But they're also different sizes, different weights, have different displays, different inputs, different release dates, and run different OSes — and thus, different apps.
Cluster, meet double fuck.
Starting from nothing, the app situation on these devices was already going to be a sad story. This bifurcation of the line is a recipe for disaster.
But hey, at least Surface for Windows 8 Pro comes with a pen. To quote a guy I once met, "If you see a stylus, they blew it."


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Green Schools | News
Texas State University, San Marcos is implementing new energy management software that automates the university's data entry and audit process and provides Web-based reporting and other tools.
The university employed a utilities analyst to research new energy management software options that met the university's requirements, and the analyst recommended EnergyCAP. The new system will go live in September and the implementation will be complete in October, at which point it will track 60 buildings and 500 utility meters for the university.
The university's energy management software requirements included:
"After extensive research, we concluded the total energy management software package in EnergyCAP would meet our needs and goals," said Brittany McCullar, utilities analyst for the university, in a prepared statement. "It will bring immediate benefits for automating our data entry and audit process with sophisticated benchmarking, reporting, and project measurement and verification tools."
EnergyCAP is available in multiple versions:
Texas State University, San Marcos is located in central Texas and serves more than 34,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
Further information about EnergyCAP is available at energycap.com.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].