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The purpose of this post is not to gloat and to say you should be like me. That declaration would make me an entitled narcissistic douche bag. The purpose of this post is merely to share an element of my design process that has kept me going from the very beginning that may be of use to you. Maybe you're in the pits and feel that both you and your work suck. I have this feeling daily.
What exactly does it mean to fail? Failure seems to be a focal point of the aesthetic and overall sound of this company. Almost everything I make exploits manufactured failure with the intention of creating a musically useful end result. Lately I've been doing a lot of reflection on the concept of failure, how it relates to my own life, how it relates to my design practice, and how it has been an integral role in the development of both myself and these products. When talking to my buddy Peter recently who was in a rut, we discussed the difficulty of learning new skill sets and how at times repeated failure seems to really just take the wind out of your sail and ultimately it beats you down into a depression. It can feel paralyzing at times and can prevent you from becoming a better version of yourself.
Everything that I have made to this day and every aspect of this company has been an experiment. If you've spent any time talking with me you'll know that I'm not declaring to be someone who has any clue what they are talking about. I am a horrible programmer, an awful electrical engineer, I can't really navigate the Adobe suite, I'm a scatterbrained pothead who often places incorrect part orders on Mouser, I probably could have made much smarter business decisions, and as evidence by our media I wouldn't necessarily be the best candidate to do a talk on effective marketing strategies. I have no formal background in electronics and everything I've learned has been taught to me by people who do know what they are talking about. What I can declare with complete confidence about myself is that I am insanely stubborn and I refuse to accept defeat. There is no such thing as failure with this mindset. Something is only considered a failure when you quit and give up on yourself. I fuck up almost every single day of my life and often times it leads to me losing large amounts of money. I just refuse to stop fucking up :D.
For those of you who design circuits, you will know that the design process has a similar cycle from project to project regardless of complexity. A design can take anywhere from two to as high as eight circuit revisions before it hits the market. Obviously, the better your experience and abilities the lower that number will be. If you're a shitty engineer like me it averages out to about five revisions per project. A common piece of the puzzle for my own process is the bane of my existence: that very first printed circuit board...
The first PCB for me is always a catastrophic failure. Most of the time I either made the PCB the wrong size or fucked up an incredibly important aspect of the circuit. My first prototype usually doesn't turn on or it emits magic smoke. If it does power on, it's so insanely fucked up that I can't even kludge it into working order. I have to figure out what I did wrong, ask for help, make the edits and order another board. My turn time start to finish from an initial idea for a project to shipping the product to market is usually an eight month long process. This is a very long time to be stuck with one idea and repeatedly work on the same task. At times the process is so insanely stressful that I break down into a severe depression and can't think about anything else other than the project that I'm working on. The only thing that keeps me going and helps me see a project through start to finish is one very simple ritual I have created for myself that may be of use to you in some other capacity.
I take the prototype PCB from the very first order, I frame it, and I title it with the working title of the project. I do this immediately after I submit the order for the second revision of the PCB. I assemble all the framed PCBs on my wall as my wall of failures. I put the wall of failures right next to the bathroom so that I see it every single time I'm taking a mandatory break from working. This is my inspiration for continuing with the revisions and seeing something through to the end. I have a visual reference for the amount of stress I've been through in the past and a visual reference that I've done this before and that things will work out in the end. Some of the things on this wall never have and never will make it to market and that's ok too.
When I look at completed modules they don't really mean much to me. By the time a module ships to stores or customers my time with them and the joy I receive from them is pretty much over. The demos, talking about them, hearing people use them, or even playing them myself don't really equate to the intimacy I had with the circuits when I was the only person living with them. There is a high that is achieved when something is finally working right after slaving over it for several months. Framing the very end of that process wouldn't mean nearly as much to me as these framed pieces of shit do.
At the end of the day this image by Benjie Escobar helps. It pretty much sums up my human experience in a simple to digest Venn diagram:
Courtesy of Benjie Escobar. Used without permission (sue me).


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PhD Dissertations: Carleton, Chris, 2017
Archaeological and Palaeoenvironmental Time-series Analysis
The effects of modern climate change will be felt for centuries to come. Planning for that future right now is very difficult, however. We do not know how human societies respond to climate change over the long term. Modern and historically recent cases cannot provide us with a solid basis for making predications about the future because modern climate change has not been going on long enough to see its full effects. Instead, we need to look to the archaeological record for examples of long-term human responses to climate change.
Despite more than a century of effort, though, archaeologists have made limited progress in understanding past human-environment dynamics. Archaeological and palaeoenvironmental datasets have improved markedly, but attempts to link those records have so far been unconvincing. The primary reason for this is a lack of appropriate quantitative tools. Archaeological and palaeoenvironmental data contain idiosyncrasies—namely temporal autocorrelation and chronological uncertainty—that undermine statistical methods. Given the seriousness of modern climate change, we need to rectify this situation.
In this dissertation, I lay the groundwork for developing a quantitative toolkit for analyzing long-term human-environment dynamics. The dissertation is comprised of four studies involving time-series methods. The first two look at the impact of climate changes on the Classic Maya using two types of time-series analysis, and the last two use simulations to probe the limits of these methods. Together, the four studies demonstrate that the idiosyncrasies of archaeological and palaeoenvironmental data create challenges for quantitative analyses. Reviewing the studies, I identify the main methodological challenges and sketch out some potential solutions, illuminating a path for future methodological development.
Keywords: Archaeology; Time-series Analysis; Climate Change; Palaeoenvironment; Human-environment Dynamics

subset: commoncrawl


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It happened today - July 1, 2016
July 1 is, among many other things including Canada Day, the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme. The First World War enjoys an evil reputation, but I think no battle is as widely condemned as this one, the apparent epitome of the entire war as a grotesquely massive exercise in mindless slaughter by callous generals at the behest of weak and unimaginative politicians. I think this interpretation is entirely wrong.
As I explain in the relevant sections of The Great War Remembered, the First World War was fought under very difficult circumstances. The technology of the late 19th century, of the "Second Industrial Revolution," conferred an enormous advantage on the defence in war generally and the conditions of trench warfare on the Western Front in particular. But to say the war was hard to fight is not the same as saying giving up would have been appropriate.
For Allied commanders in particular, that was the stark choice. Germany had started the war, both by its prewar maneuverings and by its deliberate escalation of the crisis in the summer of 1914 to justify mobilization and an effort to crush France before Russia could mobilize. Even after that effort failed, the Kaiser's armies occupied most of Belgium, much of France and a considerable portion of Russia. Should they have been allowed to remain there?
If not, what should have been done? In early 1916 the Germans sought to break the stalemate on the Western Front by bleeding the French white at Verdun. It was a cruel and cold strategy. But it might well have worked without a bold strike somewhere else. So should the British have occupied defensive positions, and the Russians, and waited for France to collapse and lose them the war after all the sacrifices already undergone? If not, they had to do something to relieve the pressure.
They did. Russia mounted the "Brusilov Offensive" beginning in June 1916 that enjoyed spectacular early success thanks in part to innovative tactics later adopted and refined by both sides on the Western front notably including the Canadians at Vimy. Then on July 1 the Somme offensive struck the Germans so hard their attack at Verdun did peter out without breaking French will or ability to fight.
The cost was horrendous. July 1st alone, the worst day in the history of the British army, saw some 19,000 killed and 38,000 wounded, including virtually the entire Newfoundland Regiment. And before the battle was done, Allied forces including Canadians had suffered a mind-boggling 620,000 killed or wounded, with a shocking proportion there as at Verdun simply "missing," swallowed by the mud and the gunfire. But the battle was nevertheless a success.
First, German casualties were even higher, perhaps 680,000. That alone would be remarkable given the advantages defence enjoyed in general and the superior positions on high ground the Germans had mostly occupied since late 1914. Second, Verdun did not fall and France did not collapse. Third, the German army was so weakened that German leaders decided to withdraw into the Hindenburg line and resort to unrestricted submarine warfare, bringing the United States in and sealing their doom. Fourth, and it is worth pointing out, the Allies did win the war.
Well, not Russia. Overextended by the effort generally and the efforts of 1916 in particular, the feeble tsarist regime collapsed into chaos and then the horrors of Bolshevism. But Western leaders cannot be blamed for having gone to war with the ally they had not the ally they wished they had, any more than they can be blamed because too many Germans reacted to defeat and depression by embracing radical politics that ended with Hitler coming out on top.
The Versailles settlement did collapse and another dreadful war erupted a generation later. But the politicians of 1918 cannot be blamed for the actions of those in the 1930s, and certainly the generals cannot. And while the rows of crosses, and endless names of those with no known grave, remind us that war is a terrible thing, it is not the worst of things. As John Stuart Mill said, a worse thing is those who think nothing worth fighting for, and let others better than them fight and die in their place.
The fact is that in World War I the Western Allies found a series of plans, strategies and tactics that at terrible cost under terrible circumstances enabled them to withstand Germany's aggressive onslaught, reject a negotiated peace that granted Germany the fruits of aggression, and win the war. And the Battle of the Somme, forced on them by unfavourable circumstances and fought under horrible ones, was a necessary part of the approach that resulted in victory.


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With baseball season is getting into full swing, pro teams can now look to improve their batting practices with the conjunction of Blast Motion's major project, Easton Power Sensor, and the company's three new apps.
Based in Carlsbad, California, Blast Motion helps make the idea of personalized motion capture technology achievable for consumers. With real-time metrics, sports analytics and auto-curated video highlights, Blast Motion creates a way for users to capture, analyze and improve their game.
Both baseball and softball players of all ages can use the Easton Power Sensor and mobile app to work on improving their swing accuracy and power, as well as their overall game performance.
The Easton Power Sensor simply connects to an attached grip and then it slips onto the butt of any baseball or softball bat. The app captures video highlights of your actions and combines them with the sensor metrics for easy replays. The app tracks swing speed, time to contact, swing direction and power. Users can check out their stats and over time, they can track their consistency and improvement.
Announcing 3 baseball pro team apps to track swing data, performance, & manage mult. sensors https://t.co/N0VvSgbUVg pic.twitter.com/hhJUgVc012
— blastmotion (@blastmotion) April 19, 2016
With the addition of three apps, players and coaches can now get more information that will help them to manage their team. These apps were designed for the use of professional teams, both in major and minor leagues. The Power Sensor Pro app streamlines the collection and analysis of swing data for coahces. It tracks player performance during team training and from there, a coach can focus on specific details of a player's swing. The Power Sensor Admin allows users to manage an entire team of individual sensors. A Blast-assigned team identifier is required for login to the apps.
"With the introduction of our new pro team apps and on-field activity approval, professional baseball teams can now use Blast's patented technology to deliver best-in-class metrics accuracy, always ready to capture power management, and dynamic sensor calibration, ensuring technology doesn't get in the way of training," said Walt Nolen, Baseball Channel Manager for Blast Motion. "On-field activity allows the Easton Power Sensor to be used during training for activities that range from batting cage and tee work to formal workouts and on-field batting practice."
The Easton Power Sensor is available in the United States and Canada, both online and at major retailers for $149.95. Users can get the Easton Power Sensor app on both the App Store and Google Play Store. As of now, the new apps are only available on the App Store.


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Call To Book
Enjoy the comforts of home at our full-service, Pet-Friendly Hotel, featuring an on-site restaurant and lounge, as well as a heated indoor pool and spa along with our seasonal outdoor pool. We are a pet-friendly hotel. Pets are welcomed with advanced reservation. The Holiday Inn Asheville - Biltmore West is your home away from home. Our amenities include free high-speed Internet throughout the property, complimentary weekday newspaper, daily housekeeping service and premium TV channels. Find complimentary coffee each morning in our beautiful atrium, or enjoy it from the privacy of your room. Start the day with a workout in our 24-hour fitness room, take a dip in the whirlpool or sunbathe on our large pool deck. All of our guestrooms feature pillow-top mattresses, assorted pillow options, premium quality linens and all the other comforting amenities that you've come to expect from Holiday Inn. The Holiday Inn Asheville - Biltmore West is close to major attractions and is conveniently located at the intersections of I-40 and I-26, just west of Asheville's city center. Downtown Asheville beckons with unique shops, live music and many culinary delights. Ask our friendly and helpful front desk staff about our evening round-trip shuttle service. Let our amazingly attentive staff welcome you time and time again!
41 pet friendly rooms available with advance reservation. 25 dollars per pet, per night. Pet walking trails onsite.


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Licensed Heroes Comic 344
Average Rating: None
July 6th, 2016, 2:21 am
Author's Comments:
Tiny Blue Dragon, July 6th, 2016, 2:21 am
In The Course of Going to ConventionsI have encountered this type of person about 200 times. I don't like them.
Don't forget to support us on Patreon ! https://www.patreon.com/benandelaine
Advertisement, September 20th, 2019, 8:11 am
User Comments:
SSJMihoshi, July 6th, 2016, 7:01 am
You learn pretty quick working a table who wants to be talked who and who will break your soul.
Tiny Blue Dragon, July 6th, 2016, 6:00 pm
@SSJMihoshi: Sadly, I'm terrible at reading people so I never really learned how to figure that it.


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Mr. Xi I Presume: China's modern colonization of Africa
This is an essay originally written while at the University of Oregon
INFOGRAPHICS: https://create.piktochart.com/output/28538623-decolonization-of-africa-copy
By Jen Jackson
An Economic History:
Contemporary African history has the long dark shadow of imperialism cast across it. The 1980's saw the recognition of the last remaining imperialized African Nations as independent. The decolonization of Africa is a process that spanned the entire 20th century, with nations gaining independence as early as 1910 in South Africa. The fight against imperialism across the continent was long and hard won, but independence did not come without dangerous shifts of power and economy in the struggle for self-governance.
Botswana became independent of the United Kingdom in 1966 and elected their first president, Seretse Khama, in that same year. Khama was both a leader of the independence movement, and the natural-born king of the Bamangwato people. Botswana is one nation that experienced a peaceful transition to independence. Under Khama's presidency, and within those first several decade, Botswana flourished economically and socially. The discovery of diamond mines and other precious minerals laid the foundation for an independent economy, and the development of infrastructure, healthcare and education systems.
Unfortunately, even a well intentioned government can't prevent disaster. Gaining a foothold in the 1980's, Botswana has since experienced one of the most severe HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world. Both the economy and life-expectancy were hard hit by the catastrophic disease. As of 2006, life expectancy has dropped by nearly half, from 65 to 35 years.
Botswana's story of triumph and tragedy is echoed in the history of nations across the African continent.
Meanwhile, China was beginning to feels the effects of the 1979 economic reforms which opened up the state-monopolized People's Republic to privatization and entrepreneurship. The goals of the reform were to quickly expand exports and catch up to global markets by overcoming severely inadequate transportation and communication systems, and a deficit of coal, iron, steel, building materials, and electric power. Under these reforms the Chinese economy skyrocketing, quickly becoming a global competitor. New wealth lead to the idea of the "Chinese Dream," popularized in part by President Xi Jinping, and associated with a rise in nationalism and the cultural value of international influence.
Since the economic boom in the 1980's, China has seen unparalleled growth, becoming the world's second largest economy in the matter of a few decades. This economic success has brought with it a mentality of expansion and the urge to find new, untapped markets. China has also found itself with an excess of the iron, steel, and building materials it previously lacked.
A Growing Trade:
Across Africa new superhighways and corridors are cropping up with incredible speed. These roads help connect people in remote regions with healthcare, education, employment, and each other. Highways bring with them new jobs, new opportunities to escape poverty, and new problems to developing Africa. At the forefront of African road building are Chinese-funded mining companies, ever in search of natural resources to extract and ways to ship them
China has found it's new market. Since the 1990's, China has invested more in trade with Africa than any other nation worldwide. Seven of the world's 10 fastest growing economies are in Africa. Many African leaders prefer making trade deals with China. China's lack of transparency and "no-strings-attached" business practices means that a trade deal that would take Western nations a couple of years, can be signed in a couple of days and quickly begin creating work.
Chinese investment can hugely benefit local communities and developing nations. Sino-African trade creates opportunities for countries to build strong economies, and African leaders are savvy to Chinese intentions as economic superpowers. Many people, however, fear China's invasive business practices and hunger for natural resources. China's economic influence is a classic example of exerting soft power, and nobody knows just where the line is.
With it's economic roots firmly planted, China's political and social influence is growing fast. Free Chinese education and training programs target African students; An estimated 12,000 were studying in China in 2013, and journalists in various countries across Africa are trained by the Chinese. Roughly $76 billion in foreign aid the last decade has been committed by China, though only a fraction of it would qualify as aid under the standards set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Last year, South Africa refused entry to the Dalai Lama due to Chinese pressure, resulting in the boycott and cancellation of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates which was scheduled to be held in Cape Town. China has even forayed into the media, making state run news agency Xinhua the largest wire service operating in Africa.
A Double Edged Sword:
War in Darfur broke out in 2003 when rebel groups attacked the Sudanese government, and continues to this day. Since 2003, more than 300,000 people have died in ethnic cleansings carried out by the Sudanese government and its militia allies. Between 2003 and 2006, China sold circa $55 million worth of arms to the Sudanese government. In 2008 it was discovered that China had absolved some of the nation's debt, sold them aircrafts, and were even alleged to be training aircraft pilots for Sudan.
Sudan sells the majority of its oil to China. During the peak of the genocide, in 2006, the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation renovated the refinery in Khartoum, doubling its capacity.
This is far from the only example of shady dealings between African countries and China. These dealings are also rarely one sided. Complicit governments see the chance to make money and seize. In Ethiopia the government continues it's practice of land grabs, wherein entire villages are forcibly removed so the government can sell the land to foreign corporations.
Another impact of China's strengthening ties in Africa is immigration. In the last two decades, over a million Chinese migrants have spread out across the continent seeking new opportunities and following the wealth. At times, this migration brings with it echoes of imperialism. This year in Nairobi, Kenya, a Chinese restaurant owner attempted to ban Africans in the evening.
Chinese-African relations also take a devastating toll on Africa's other natural resource: Wildlife. In the last decade, the gains made by a recovering elephant population has been more than erased, and devastating numbers of elephants, rhinos, and gorillas have been killed. China is one of two nations with a legal ivory trade. The government sets a quota on how much ivory can be legally imported each year, but once ivory has been smuggled into the black market there is no way to tell it's source. Legal and black market ivory often sit side-by-side on the shelves.
Chinese officials and diplomats themselves have been behind a large quantity of smuggling animal products like ivory, rhino horns, and gorilla paws. The latter two are most often used in traditional medicine. Smuggling by Chinese delegations is reported to have contributed to the decimation of half of all Tanzania's elephants between 2009 and 2014.
In one instance a Chinese national was caught with 81 elephant tusks he intended to sell to Chinese naval officers. A 2013 visit to Tanzania by China's president, Xi Jinping, coincided with skyrocketing sales which doubled the price of black market ivory.
According to a joint report by two non-profit conservation organizations, roughly 400 tonnes of ivory was trafficked in 2013. With an average value of $3,000 USD per kilogram, that makes for a $1.2 billion dollar a year industry. Ivory trade is often deeply rooted in regions of conflict, and fund violence in countries like Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Poaching funds atrocities by the Sudanese government in Darfur, and Nigeria's Boko Haram reportedly target elephants in Cameroon.
The impacts of Chinese-African relations and exploitations are widespread and not always well understood. Consequences of both a positive and negative nature are continually seen and felt by all demographics. There is danger in dealing with the economic aspirations of a booming nation like China, and balancing the needs of growing African economies and the needs of the people is not easy. Africa's people and landscape have a difficult road ahead of them as the scramble for resources continues to become more dire.
Data Illustrated
Further Readings and References:
100,000 Elephants Killed by Poachers in Just Three Years, Landmark Analysis Finds. National Geographic
African elephants. World Wildlife Fund
Africa's road-building frenzy will transform continent. NewScientist
China and Africa: What the U.S. doesn't understand. Fortune
China commits billions in aid to Africa as part of charm offensive. The Guardian
China's Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States. Federation of American Scientists for the Congressional Research Service
Experts report highest elephant poaching and ivory smuggling rates in a decade. TRAFFIC
Ivory poaching funds most war and terrorism in Africa. NewScientist
Modern Genocide: The Definitive Resource and Document Collection
National Economic Accounts for Countries and Regions around the World. Nations Online


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LIMITED EDITION - Essential luxury Brush Kit
While a new pair of shoes can change your life, how about makeup brushes that look like a Stiletto heel?
Take home this STILETTOS LIMITED EDITION Brush Kit with the luxurious "Cartier Pink Gold" design. This set includes every basic brush you need to create a gorgeous full-face makeup look.
These highly sought-after beauty tools can be used in conjunction with both cream, liquid and powder-based products.


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Google has backed down over the Buzz Social Networking Service Lawsuit and has agreed to pay a payment of $8.5m (£5.27m).
The suit was filed on behalf of 31 million Gmail subscribers, and alleged that Google had violated privacy laws when it automatically opted Gmail users into the service.
Since the beginning, plaintiffs had claimed that the aim was not to get a financial payout, but to force Google to change its practices and handling of customer data.
The terms of the settlement appear to reflect those aims, and Google will not pay the $8.5m to users but towards establishing and managing groups to promote privacy education on the web.
"The settlement acknowledges that we quickly changed the service to address users' concerns," the company said in a statement. "We will also do more to educate people about privacy controls specific to Buzz."
The settlement comes as Google looks to settle a number of legal issues related to its collection and handling of data, particularly the Street View Wi-Fi scandal.
Return to security news headlines
View Security News Archive


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Solaire Stainless Steel Grid Scraper For All Solaire Grills 2006 And Later - SOL-SC1
Product Info Guide
Recommended Accessories
Key Features
- All Solaire Gas Grills and accessories are proudly made in the USA
- The 304 grade stainless steel construction resists rust and corrosion
- Use for easy cleaning of Solaire's V-shaped cooking grid grates
- For use with all Solaire Gas Grills including Anywhere and Everywhere Grills 2006 and later
The Solaire Grid Scraper is designed to allow you to scrape the V-shape cooking grids free of cooking debris. Made of durable 304 Stainless Steel, the scraper is 13-inches long for good leverage, and has the Solaire logo laser-burned into the handle. For use with All full sized Solaire and Solaire Go Anywhere gas grills made 2006 and later.
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Product packaging, owners' manuals, installation instructions, and/or operating instructions may include more information than what is shown on our website. The content on our site is intended to be used for reference purposes only. Please fully read all included manuals and documentation before installing or using this product. WARNING for California residents: this product may contain chemical(s) known to the state of California to cause birth defects, cancer, or other reproductive harm.
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At BBQGuys.com we pride ourselves on being the grilling experts. From expert product reviews to free outdoor kitchen planning services, BBQGuys.com is dedicated to being your go-to resource for all things barbecue. Based in Baton Rouge with over 500,000 happy customers nationwide, we stand by our wide selection of grills, smokers, outdoor kitchen components and grilling accessories. Call us with any questions - we're here to help.


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The Arcturians ~ Make FRIENDS with your SELVES
How often do you remember to take a LONG moment to make friends with your many, Multidimensional Friends who, by the way, ALL live within YOU!
September 18, 2019
How often do you remember to take a LONG moment to make friends with your many, Multidimensional Friends who, by the way, ALL live within YOU!
Project MKUltra, also called the CIA mind control program, is the code name given to a program of experiments on human subjects, at times illegal, designed and undertaken by the United States Central Intelligence Agency.
You came in with a wisdom that most humans are not aware of in themselves yet. You can take the most intelligent person on the planet, the most acclaimed writer, the most accomplished thinker, the most prominent figure on social media, the most celebrated of celebrities, and their consciousness would pale compared to yours.
Among the millions of ideas about the existence of the New Earth, the only one that is important for you to understand is your own. The only way I can explain my point is to share my own version.
Share This: The Bouncing, Intense Energies!! by Lisa Gawlas Sleeping at nights lately have been a rough and bumpy ride for me, others too, I am sure!! I woke up yesterday feeling like I just came thru the womb again. The inward pressure on my head was intense and my spine felt like it was curled up all night. It all dissipated about an hour after waking up, but it was…
The Eclipse Portal is still open until February 15 when we will experience a partial solar eclipse. This portal was initiated on January 31st with the Super Moon portal that brought in many Ascension Symptoms and Merging Timelines that are still ongoing. I talked about this portal in my last article and how to maneuver through it.
With the partial Solar Eclipse approaching on February 15th, we have been experiencing increased energies for the last 2 weeks. We have been in the Eclipse Portal since the Supermoon Lunar Eclipse.
We believe that this energy wave is going to connect the ascending humans, the awakened ones, telepathically so that we can support each other during this time of transition.
Diabetes has become an epidemic, instances of those developing type 2 diabetes are increasing at an alarming rate. We know that a poor diet that is high in sugar and animal protein combined with inactivity are two common factors of the typical Western diet and way of life that can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Our source within the Alliance, who we have been calling Arthur, recently updated us on the proceedings of the mass arrests, the recent executive orders signed to pave the wave for military tribunals of the Illuminati, and the expansion of Guantanamo Bay prison to provide maximum security detention of Deep State criminals.
We are facing an autism epidemic in which one out of two American children born in 2025 will suffer the devastating health consequences of autism. MIT research scientist Stephanie Seneff makes this prediction based on the current rapid growth rate of autism in this country.
♥ Supporting/allowing the old does not bring forth Y/Our New Earth Experience for you. It just keeps re-creating the unconscious for each to keep experiencing here. ♥
We are approaching the time of the Sacred Year when you encounter the Aquarius Star Gate, and this year this is experienced in conjunction with the Total Lunar Eclipse in Leo on the 31st of January.
The Leo Lunar Eclipse on January 31st opened the cosmic portal to the photonic plasma light infusion that is altering life on planet earth. We will be broadcasting 'live' Thursday during the Solar Eclipse in our Global Activation show, a powerful time for Lightworkers to unite and transform the world consciousness.
Science fiction no more — in an article out today in Nature Biotechnology, scientists were able to show tiny autonomous bots have the potential to function as intelligent delivery vehicles to cure cancer in mice.
These DNA nanorobots do so by seeking out and injecting cancerous tumors with drugs that can cut off their blood supply, shriveling them up and killing them.
We stand today on the very cusp of Victory. Patience and guile (internal wisdom) are leading us toward manifesting the galactic society that we all have long worked for. It is ready to become a truly wondrous reality based on the principle of Unity consciousness.
I found this on the 2012 portal blog and thought that this would be a great way to support the light forces.
We live on a beautiful planet. There is so much love and beauty. But the powers that rule it, the governments and the elite, just don't seem to want to do what's right. Mother Earth produces enough to let at least 10 billion people live in peace and abundance, but all our rulers can think of is how to keep their power, create conflicts and war, and make us pay more and more.
The Event is coming soon. We can experience the shift now by going into the heart center and feeling one with all things.
Check out this video with James of ECETI Ranch and Michael discussing Trump and the coming Storm against the Globalist Cabal and Secret Technology and Ubuntu communities.


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IMSS recommends updating Java
Microsoft's recent Windows updates include an update to Internet Explorer that blocks older versions of Java. If you encounter issues using Java-dependent applications after applying this Microsoft update, please update your version of Java. Instructions on how to download and install Java can be found at http://www.java.com/en/download/.
Additionally, IMSS recommends downloading and installing a custom Java configuration file on your computer. Installing this configuration file will further assist with security and compatibility with IMSS applications and it will prevent persistent, yet harmless, security warnings from appearing when using specific IMSS applications. Instructions for downloading and installing this file can be found at http://imss.caltech.edu/help/java-config-file.
IMSS would also like to remind you that you can avoid any potential Java issues with Kronos by using Kronos Limited instead, which does not require Java to run. To use Kronos Limited, go to http://kronoslimited.caltech.edu.
Lastly, note that IMSS Managed Computing customers do not need to take any action. IMSS will update Java and will install the custom configuration file for managed computers during our maintenance window on 8/21/14.
For questions or further advice, please contact the Help Desk (x3500, https://help.caltech.edu.)?


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Choreographed Wedding Reception Dance
WHO: Bride and Groom or Bridal/Wedding Party
WHEN: Make it a surprise!
Grand Entrance
Wedding First Dance
Surprise Wedding Dance
Wedding/Bridal Party Group Dance
WHAT: Perform a surprise choreographed dance. The most common couples dance is starting off with a slower romantic tune. Guests watch in awe as the DJ scratches and the beat suddenly changes to an upbeat routine that shocks your guests and keeps their eyes glued to your performance.
We have endless ideas on dances and professional dancers to teach you anything from hip-hop, break dancing or pop, to box-step and line dancing.
HOW: Pulse/Utopia has a team of some of the best dancers in the country. A lot of our dancers and emcees have been featured on 'So You Think You Can Dance' and 'America's Best Dance Crew.' Let's just say your special dance will be one you and your guests remember forever! Our talented staff of audio engineers will help create a song mash-up that is uniquely you. We've choreographed all sorts of routines using songs from Stevie Wonder to Kid Rock and Bruno Mars.
Enter our fully-mirrored office and studio in centralized Maryland Heights for the most unique, fun choreographed lessons… ever. Most couples begin lessons a few months before their big day. The whole point is to put on a fun little show for your guests, so it's okay if it's not perfect. Just be sure to leave your self enough time to get down the steps to feel confident and comfortable on the dance floor.
TIP: Practice your routine in the shoes you will be wearing the day of your wedding — it makes a huge difference.


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Recent Posts
Interesting Hobbies
Check Out the Recipe PageModern day wheat free recipes are available here.
"Historical fact and historical record must be sharply distinguished. The historical fact is indeed what really happened. The historical record of the fact is what someone believes happened from his own narrow perspective." Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn "Now these things … Continue reading
I asked my family what they thought of this new recipe from Beach House Baking: An Endless Summer of Delicious Desserts by Lei Shishak. The recipe is on page 2 and titled "bountiful blueberry scones". The comments from my … Continue reading
We have tried everything to eliminate rash guard odors. We used less detergent, soaked it in salt water after training and before washing, and dried it in the sun. The odor persisted. We began putting a dab of tea tree … Continue reading
About 10 Anna apples are clustered together and growing beautifully in our backyard. We enjoy watching them grow and look forward to eating them soon.
This looked too good not to photograph! The carnitas was made the day before from a slow cooked pastured pork shoulder. The corn tortillas are organic, as well as, the romaine lettuce, tomato, salsa, sour cream, and avocado. Tasted so … Continue reading
We got a late start this year with our spring seed sprouting. It was a cooler and wetter winter and early spring. We have started to transplant some of our beef steak tomatoes. All of our seeds are organic or … Continue reading


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At the end of this month, Katie Jennings and Mickey Bergin will be setting off on the journey of a lifetime as they ride a pair of AJP PR4 motorcycles from the UK to New Zealand.
Their route will take them through Europe, Asia and Australasia as they traverse across 22 countries in a single year to reach the other side of the world – no time limits, no pressure, just immersing themselves in the joys of the journey.
Accepted by the Ted Simon Foundation as a Jupiter's Traveller, Katie is an experienced British Neuroscientist and will be blogging about the duo's travels as they ride, giving us an insight into "the positive aspects of mankind and the common values we all share despite our many differences."
With her background, she will also be visiting schools and science centres run by the TCF and Agastya, finding out more about how they are improving access to education for underprivileged children and girls across the globe.
A photographer by trade, Mickey will by putting together a photo-documentary based on man-made structures reclaimed by nature – hence the name of the trip, Trails To The Forgotten!
With no fixed schedule and plenty to explore, the pair will be doing the best to ingratiate themselves with the local population in order to garner valuable knowledge about the area they are travelling through, as well as identifying potential places of interest to them on route.
With a lot of miles ahead of them, and some very questionable road conditions, the pair needed tyres which would give good mileage and a genuine level of off-road grip when needed. With that in mind, they eventually settled on the TKC 70 from Continental, and ordered tyres in for both bikes. They may then switch to our knobbly TKC 80 tyres as conditions deteriorate in Asia.
The pair said:
"We've heard such good things about the durability and performance of Conti tyres that we decided they had to be our tyre of choice. So we got in touch with Graham at Cambrian Tyres for some expert advice on which sort we needed. We're on the dualsport TKC 70's at the outset as they're high mileage tyres and we'll be mainly on-road for the first part of the trip. As the terrain becomes more off-road, we'll switch to TKC80's (depending on how the 70's are doing at that point of course!). Both can be used tubeless but we'll have tubes in."
Prepped and ready to go, you can follow their trip at trailstotheforgotten.co.uk – you will also find links to their social media pages, which are regularly updated with Katie and Mickey's latest pictures and information.
We wish them all the best on their journey, and look forward to seeing everything they discover along the way!
Find out more about the TKC 70 here.


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By Deane Barker on June 3, 2006
Easy teamwork at your fingertips with high-tech table: This is cool as all get out. A horizontal, tabletop touch screen which knows which of multiple users is actually touching it.
Mitsubishi's DiamondTouch displays a PC screen on a high-tech tabletop. People sitting around it use their fingers to create and manipulate projected virtual objects, with the system knowing whose fingers did what thanks to small currents of electricity that flow through the chairs.
Here's the page on it at Mitsubishi's site. There's a movie.


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Looking to make a health plan change?
We can help.
If your employer offers a commercial HMO health plan, then Affinity Medical Group may be an option for you. Check with the benefits representative at your company to find out when your open enrollment period is offered.
If you are interested in joining Affinity Medical Group, talk to your company's benefit representative or contact Affinity Member Services, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. at


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National Volunteer Awards 2011 Nomination Form
2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the United Nations International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10). The objective of IYV+10 is to build on the success of IYV in recognising the contributions of the millions of volunteers worldwide. The United Nations' theme for IYV+10 is 'Inspiring the Volunteer in You', which recognises that everyone can be a volunteer and has a valuable contribution to make.
IYV+10 provides an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the contribution that volunteers make to Australian life. Volunteering is an essential part of a socially inclusive society in which all Australian people feel valued and have opportunities to fully participate in their community.
How can we celebrate IYV+10?
To mark this special year and to recognise those volunteers who make an outstanding contribution to their local community, each Member of Parliament (MP) is invited to participate in a nation-wide local awards campaign in their electorate. The campaign involves the presentation of ten special awards by MPs to local volunteers in their electorate who have made an extraordinary contribution to the community.
Each MP is encouraged to organise and promote a ceremony to thank local volunteers for their outstanding contribution and to recognise innovative and inspiring approaches to volunteering. The award ceremonies are to be held on or around International Volunteer Day on 5 December 2011.


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ooohyeah! I'm making an album!
Yes, this is number 1. It's my debut cd and I've got a stellar line-up of musicians and a kick-ass producer joining me in this collaboration. I'm inviting YOU to get in on the details as they happen. Stay close so that I can get your ideas and input. Please send your EMAIL address and get on the mailing LIST. firstname.lastname@example.com


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Friday 28th May saw me back out on the road again and travelling to my home county of Laois in the Midlands. A visit down home is always a welcome distraction and getting to photograph a couple`s special day while there is just a bonus. I packed both my Nikon D750 and D610, 3 lenses (24-70, 70-200 and the " nifty fifty " 50mm 1.8), 8 memory cards, Macbook, hard drive and spares for everything.
On this day, it was Catríona and Leo getting ready to tie the knot. I landed in the bride`s home place called " The Rock " just before 10am, and the preparations were well underway. Make -up being applied, sandwiches and sausages on the go and a generous dose of hairspray in the air, all the hallmarks of the morning of a wedding.
Mother of the bride, Gillian, was sitting in the midst of it all in great form and the bridesmaids were in full flight all around the house, excitement was building. Father of the bride, Paul, arrived home soon after with more supplies and seemed to be relaxed and ready for the day ahead.I shot some great images here while I chatted to everyone, including lovely Ava, who was extremely busy colouring in some Teletubbies for everyone.
From here I went to the church and checked to see how the lighting was looking for the day. It was decorated to absolute perfection and the light was excellent. I shot some detail images and some wide angle images before everyone descended for the ceremony.
Next stop was Leo`s house to check in with all the fellas and see if the nerves were kicking in. I found a great atmosphere up here, everyone was laughing and joking, spirits were high, I knew it was shaping up to be a great day. I have no doubt that Leo`s late Mam Sadie would have been a very proud lady on this day. I spent some time shooting and chatting and then left for the bride`s house again.
Catríona arrived into the sitting room in her dress and I could see the pride and happiness in her parents and sibling`s faces. It was a lovely moment, and I`m sure their late sister Angela would have been just as proud, she is hugely missed by the family and indeed the whole community around Rathdowney.
The ceremony by Father Martin Delaney was beautiful as always, plenty of genuine sentiment and humour in equal measure, all wrapped by a haunting backdrop of pure vocals and harp provided by Carmel Minogue and AnnMarie Delaney.
Next stop was Heywood Gardens in Ballinakill, a stunningly serene and scenic spot for photos. We had brilliant fun here, but I didn't keep the bridal party long here as it was getting quite chilly. Ensuring the couple enjoy their day comes before all else on a day like this.
The reception kicked off in the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel, and was expertly executed by the staff there, as always. I stayed shooting right up to 5 minutes before food was served. Now was my only chance to take a small break and back up all files to the Macbook and external hard drive so I made a break for the lounge and proceeded to transfer all files to safe keeping.
I returned to the reception shortly before the music kicked off to mingle and chat with the guests, most of whom I know anyway. It is always nice to catch up with people from my local area, the warmth of people from my hometown and it`s surrounding areas is second to none. The first dance was lovely, and was soon followed up with Midnight Run launching into Galway Girl, Wagon Wheel and Walk of Life. The dance floor was soon rocking, adults and the kids bouncing around like you should at a wedding. I continued to shoot for the next 9 or 10 songs and then had to call it a night. I`m sure the craic was only starting when I was leaving. I was delighted to be part of such a special day for two lovely people, and I wish them all the best for their future together.


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The Lost Self
Schizotypy, Runaway Religious Selection,
and the Neurobiology of Self
The FLDS females: the outer edge of reproductive effectiveness
Every now and then, the Darwinian underworld of religiosity rises like the blinding sun. The not-so-secret world of religion and reproductive advantage came to fore when the Texas Department of Protective Services took temporary custody of over 400 children from the compound of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) near the small city of Eldorado.
Historically, the Darwinian origins of religiosity have drawn little attention from the community of evolutionary psychologists, due in part to the subtle and sometimes dangerous political undercurrents that frame scientific research. This hands-off policy has come to an end, just in time to catch this small sect of 10,000 members with its polygamous pants down. The FLDS has such an aggressive and religiously-tainted reproductive strategy that it has become the smoking gun of Friedrich von Hayek's proposal (1982) that the primary function of religion is reproductive advantage.
The FLDS is most notable by its peculiar adaptation of religious polygamy. Polygamy is a divisive problem for the continuity of social groups, as it produces large percentages of surplus males, with the corresponding negative social consequences. Monogamy is a safety valve for such societies, with only about 20% of the male population actually taking advantage of plural arrangements.
This cross-cultural polygamy estimate is very close to some estimates of the rate of Mormon polygamy in Utah in 1870, about 20 years before the institution of the anti-polygamy laws. By 1910, the rate of polygamy dropped in half, countering some of its negative cultural and genetic consequences: group splintering; lowered age of first-intercourse and conception for females; lower educational levels for females; greater average age of reproductive males; and, higher rates of inbreeding.
The rise of the FLDS, like the rise of Mormonism, follows a long tradition of religious splintering and reproductive advantage. The FLDS was formed after the Mormon renunciation of polygamy, which was punctuated by statehood for Utah in the late 1890s. The formation of the FLDS (and its sister splinter groups) had much in common with the original formation of Mormonism, and indeed, with sect formation in general: elevated male dominance and polygamy (or virtual polygamy); emigration to "promised lands"; high levels of intragroup cooperation and income redistribution; elevated levels of outgroup competition; xenophobia; "prophet" leaders with a privileged relationship to god (and privileged sexual access to the sect's females); high levels of reproductive output; economic endogamy (the favoring of religious insiders in economic transactions); and last but not least, a new variation or a recycling (fundamentalism) of religious doctrine.
Sex and the Formation of New Religious Movements
John Lennon noted the sexual advantages of religious leaders in Sexy Sadie and the Maharishi Song
While females, on average, are more religious than males, sect formation is typically initiated by males, an indication of its greater advantages in male reproductive success. Sect formation is typically accompanied by some novel variation of religious doctrine, which integrates mainstream religious practice with some significant difference, be it new or recycled (fundamentalism). So what evolutionary prize is behind the curtain of these endless variations in denominational religious doctrine?
In the case of the FLDS, this is quite clear. The variation took the form of the recycling of the Adam-God doctrine, proposed by some of the early founders of Mormonism, and subsequently discounted by the Mormon church. The Adam-God doctrine proposes the Biblical Adam to be a god, and in some interpretations, the God. This version of Adam was a polygamous one, with Eve relegated to one of his many wives. This was certainly another case of god imitating man, in that its initial promoters were all polygamous males.
Concurrent with the Adam-God doctrine, the FLDS promoted the Three-Wives doctrine, even going so far as to make it an essential part of eternal salvation for a male. According to Joseph Smith, God was so enamored with the Three-Wives doctrine that he commanded: "all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory".
To add fuel to the fire of blatant male reproductive strategy, eternal salvation for a woman would occur if she was escorted by her husband into heaven, and this was achieved through earthly obedience. The glaring inequity of this scenario certainly has the liberals mystified: why would females accept such a concocted premise for eternal salvation? No godly explanation could provide the answer to this question--this one belongs to Darwin. For these females, the sting of earthly subservience is compensated by the eternal glory of Darwinian reproductive advantage. Indeed, the subservient characteristics of the FLDS females are a Darwinian match to the highly reproductive and dominant characteristics of the FLDS males.
We have previously proposed that the religious look for religious partners in what is fundamentally a Darwinian game called reproductive strategy matching (see God, meet Darwin). That is, people tend to look for mates that match their desire for quantity of children, presumably, because this improves the probability that it will be achieved.
Religious females seek religious males to better achieve their reproductive objectives. The more religious, the more this is true. Since the very religious males have the greatest desire for children, finding a male at the extreme ends of religiosity provides the greatest potential for reproductive output. However, males and females at the far edge of religiosity have some distinctive cognitive and personality traits.
The continuum between religious normality and schizophrenia
The proposed relationship between hyperreligiosity and epilepsy dates all they way back to the ancient Greeks. More recently, Dewhurst (1970) noted a tendency of temporal lobe epileptics to experience sudden religious conversions, and Waxman (1975) noted several behavioral tendencies during the interictal phases of temporal lobe epilepsy: changes in sexual behavior, hyperreligiosity, and hypergraphia. (For a comprehensive review of epilepsy and religiosity, see Saver and Rabin, 1997).
Epilepsy is notable by the major religious founders that purportedly have been connected to it: St. Paul, Mohammed, and Joseph Smith. It is also interesting to note that dopamine levels are elevated during interictal periods of epilepsy, which is certainly consistent with the dopaminergic tendencies of religious-conservatism.
FLDS child bride of an older man: male sperm deteriorates with age, reducing fertility and increasing the risk of genetic problems in offspring
But no mental disorder has been as connected to hyperreligiosity as paranoid schizophrenia. Evidence for the relationship between schizophrenia and religiosity has been slowly piling up, and in 1989, Kroll reported that 70% of the schizophrenics in his study group claimed to have had a religious experience. Rudalevièiene et al. (2008) reported that 63% of the 295 schizophrenic patients in their study had religious delusions. Spencer (1975) reported that Jehovah's Witnesses were about four times more likely to be diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia than the general population, and Peters et al. (1999) reported that Hare Krishnas and Druids were elevated (relative to the general population) in delusional ideation. Peters also implied the existence of a continuum between religious normality and psychotic behavior.
Consistent with Previc's dopaminergic-spatial theory of religiosity and the hemisphericity theory of political orientation, schizophrenic religious delusions during neuroimaging, "showed an association of religious delusions with left temporal overactivation and reduced occipital uptake, particularly on the left [hemisphere]" (Purr et al., 2001). As we have previously proposed, the dopaminergic nature of the left hemisphere contributes asymmetrically to religious-conservatism. Indeed, paranoid schizophrenia has been more closely associated with a relatively higher activation of the left hemisphere than the right.
If I can't remember who I am, maybe I'm God?
John Nash, the Nobel-prize winning mathematician and paranoid schizophrenic, once thought he was the left foot of God on earth. Further, he thought he would become emperor of Antarctica and his name was really Johann von Nassau (Capps, 2004). The line between genius and madness is probably not even a line, but Nash's grandiose misidentification of himself highlights a not uncommon problem the brain has in maintaining identity, autobiographic memory, and place in the world.
Patients with damage to the right hemisphere may be unable to recognize their own face in a mirror (Breen et al., 2001), which is consistent with the right hemisphere's more substantial role in both facial processing and the rendering and analysis of reflected space. The right hemisphere seems to have a special relationship in the identification of self, and further, the identification of self may have implications in political-religious disposition.
The part of the human brain that accounts for many of the cognitive attributes of liberals (particularly the "intellectual" liberals) is the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (right DLPFC). The right DLPFC has been implicated in inhibiting racist tendencies (Richeson, 2003), aversion to dominance (Grafman, 2006), and aversion to inequality (Knoch, 2006). Further, we believe it to be the major "antireligious" portion of the brain, that is, its propensity to inhibit belief bias (Goel, 2003) makes it the prime suspect in the subversion of religious beliefs. The right DLPFC is also one of the major (creative) regions for hypothesis generation in the brain, and has given the pesky liberals an important role in the advancement of science and technology.
But the right DLPFC is part of a larger right-hemispheric network that manages one's "selfness". The brain has indeed constructed a "self" from regions in the brain that integrate the inputs coming from the multiple sensory systems, such as the temporoparietal junction, and also regions that respond selectively to human body parts, such as the extrastriate body area. The extrastriate body area keeps track of other people's bodies as well as your own (Blakeslee, 2007).
The right angular gyrus, part of the temporoparietal junction, gives you a sense of being localized within your own body. Out-of-body experiences have been generated by disabling the right angular gyrus with an electrode. Disabling the right angular gyrus also results in the inability to recognize your own face. But part of "selfness" also involves the personal-autobiographical memories accumulated over one's lifetime, and damage to the right cortex, from the DLPFC to the frontal polar and anterior temporal regions, more negatively impacts the retrieval of personal-autobiographic memories than damage to analogous regions in the left hemisphere (Keenan et al., 2000).
Therefore, the sense of self is disproportionately managed by the right hemisphere. Further, it seems to manage it differently than the left. One such experiment (Keenan, 2000) highlighting this difference involved the perception of composite faces, consisting of a 50-50 blend of famous people morphed together with one's own face (the self-famous morph), and a 50-50 blend of co-workers' faces morphed together with famous people (the familiar-famous morph).
David Koresh: a classic case of schizotypy, new religious doctrine, dispersal, and reproductive advantage
People tended to perceive the self-famous facial morph as not being famous, while they tended to view the familiar-famous morph as famous. But what made this interesting was that this varied by the hand the subject responded with. The left hand (right hemisphere) was more likely to consider the self-famous morph as not being famous, while the right hand (left hemisphere) was more likely to consider the self-famous morph as being famous.
It is also interesting to note that the most frequent schizophrenic religious delusion of females is that of being a saint (the most rare was that they were God). For schizophrenic males, the most common delusion was being God (Rudalevièiene, 2008). This gender difference in god-delusion is certainly interesting, and seems to have implications for reproductive success. As we noted before, schizophrenia is more likely to be diagnosed in patients with a higher relative activation of the left hemisphere.
The left hemispheric tendency to be "reborn"
The left-hemisphere may be giving faint indications that it is the more "egomanical" hemisphere. Having a nagging right hemisphere constantly reminding it otherwise seems to be due to the fact that the accurate maintenance of one's autobiographical memories is mainly executed by the right hemisphere (Fischler, 1984). Further, damage to the right hemisphere is more likely to result in the phenomenon of delusional misidentification syndrome (Feinberg, 2005) of one's self and others.
Misidentification of self (and others) is a recurring problem in schizophrenia, which, like the loss of sense of self, has been linked to disorders in the functioning of the right frontal lobe (Coltheart, 2007). This misidentification of self associated with disorders of the right hemisphere is certainly consistent with the left hemisphere's tendency to formulate opinions in the absence of information from the right hemisphere. Michael Gazzaniga referred to this propensity as the "interpreter" function of the left hemisphere.
Gazzaniga, an early pioneer in the field of split-brain research, noted an interesting case study of one of his subjects:
when the word "walk" was presented only to the right side of a patients brain, he got up and started walking. When he was asked why he did this, the left brain (where language is stored and where the word "walk" was not presented) quickly created a reason for the action: I wanted to go get a Coke.
This same interpretive phenomenon was noted in numerous experiments, leading Gazzaniga to not only propose that the left brain compulsively generates and preserves beliefs based on whatever information it possesses, but this was the same process responsible for religious beliefs. This also parallels Goel and Dolan's findings (2003) of a left temporal system facilitating the phenomenon of belief bias, or the ability to hold onto beliefs in the face of contrary information.
The left hemisphere can fully construct a world unto itself, a noted tendency of schizophrenia. In the absence of interference from the right hemisphere, the principle source of self, the left hemisphere fills in the void based on some of the general tendencies of left hemispheric processing: positive dominance valuation (Grafman, 2006); orientation towards upper, extrapersonal space (Previc, 2006); and belief bias.
There is a distinctive tendency for schizophrenics to substitute one's real self with another, more powerful version. As autobiographical memories and the ordinary sense of self fade with the relative deactivation of the right hemisphere, a more powerful, left hemispheric self is constructed, based heavily on the schizophrenic's assessment of social or religious dominance levels. The Grafman study noted a distinctive tendency for the left hemisphere to become activated during dominance valuations, and work by Gazzaniga (with split-brain patients) seems to corroborate the left hemispheric propensity to view dominant individuals more favorably than the right, at least when the two hemispheres are separated by commissurotomy.
In the Rudalevièiene study, being God was the number one delusion of male schizophrenics. Being a saint was number two, followed by the devil, which was followed by the belief that one was an important person. For females, being a saint was by far the number one delusion, followed by an important person. Being God was a relatively rare delusion for females, perhaps due to the male gender bias of God. Perhaps there are reproductive implications in the God-saint dichotomy of male and female schizophrenics, as submissive females, when paired with dominant males, seem to be more reproductive.
Religious conversions have been associated with psychoses in several studies (ICMR, 1988), (Bhugra et al., 1999), and (Bhugra, 2002). Bhugra also made an interesting observation by suggesting that religious conversions were an attempt to regain self-control as one's self-concept began to change with the emergence of schizophrenic symptoms. In other words, the loss of self was compensated by hyperreligiosity and the strong behavioral modulation that went with it.
Rapid religious conversions, like the Christian "born again" experience, are correlated with the loss (to some degree) of autobiographical self, and seem to be serving several important functions: behavioral self-regulation; defection from one social network and into another (and usually a more reproductive one); emigration; and most importantly, higher reproductive rates.
Stuck in the middle with you
The proposal that religious culture diverts the negative consequences of schizoidal tendencies into successful Darwinian reproductive strategies is one of the most controversial theories of the evolution of religion. However, there are a growing number of studies indicating that religiosity is indeed a "coping" mechanism for people afflicted with mental illness, such as Tepper et al. (2001), Sullivan (1993), and Reger et al. (2002). Interestingly, elevations in religious activity usually occur at the onset of schizophrenia.
The Reger study is noteworthy in that schizophrenic patients maintain higher levels of religiosity over a longer time period than those with depressive disorders. The aforementioned Peters et al. noted an interesting finding with evolutionary overtones: the non-religious scored lowest on the delusional inventory, while the Hare Krishna/Druids (along with the psychotics) scored the highest. But the most notable finding from this study was that the normal religious scored in between these two extremes.
The ramifications of the Peters study is fundamental to the evolution of religion. If indeed the normal religious subpopulation, on average, falls in between the non-religious and psychotic subpopulations in delusional ideation, what trend of natural selection has it been following? The answer to this great paradox may be found in the dopaminergic theory of human intelligence (1999), by none other than the author of the ingenious dopaminergic-spatial theory of religiosity, Fred Previc.
A primordial ooze of religion and science?
The fact that dopaminergic innervation is more emphasized in phylogentically recent species (Berger et al., 1991) may hint that it is the neurotransmitter most responsible for the human version of intelligence. It is also notable that humans, relative to chimpanzees, are more dopaminergically innervated in cortical layers V and VI in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex. As we have previously discussed, these regions (among others) are highly activated in social (and political) attitudes, behavioral self-regulation, problem solving, and inductive-deductive reasoning.
Previc introduced the interesting notion that science and religion are actually cognitively linked via the expansion of the dopamine system:
the final expansion of [dopamine] could have prompted the rise in abstract reasoning, human creativity in the form of art and music, and religious behavior....Both abstract reasoning and religious thought involve an emphasis on nonvisible (distant) space and time, and both are linked to the upper field....It might also seem strange that two ostensibly antagonistic processes--religious behavior and abstract (scientific) reasoning--may have co-evolved....both phenomena are concerned with abstract concepts and comprehensive frameworks with which to comprehend spatio-temporal events in the external environment.
Previc's proposal that the brain's rendering of distant (upper) extrapersonal space and time is adapted into religious cognition is one of the great insights of neuropsychology. But his further proposal that scientific reasoning follows a similar cognitive spatio-temporal framework is certainly plausible, and bolstered by the fact the religiosity and spirituality are still common among scientists.
Religiosity and the replication of DNA
Given the substantial reproductive advantages and heritability of religiosity, atheism and agnosticism still persist, although at relatively low levels (about 8% of the population). Hyperreligiosity in a population is not without its Darwinian costs: lower rates of technological change; higher coefficients of inbreeding (Ober, 1998); and environmental stress due to high reproductive rates. These are some of the Darwinian checks and balances on the selection for hyperreligiosity in a population. Thus, natural selection seems to be maintaining the human gene pool in a religiously diversified state, which maintains reproductive effectiveness, technological progress, and the carrying capacity of habitats.
The cognitive asymmetries in the dopaminergic innervation of the various cortical regions could certainly explain much of the diversity in religiosity of the human species. The extreme ends of this cognitive diversity are anchored by the very religious females and the atheistic males. The very religious females have some notable personality characteristics that all converge on one central theme: reproduction.
As we have previously documented, some of these characteristics are: greater desire for offspring; higher rates of monogamy; lower age at first child; lower rates of contraception; greater orgasmicity during intercourse; higher reproductive valence to sexual behavior; higher copulation frequency; greater desire for religious (and therefore more reproductive) males as mates; and greater subservience to males (which increases reproductive output).
The neural substrates of hyperreligiosity appear to be constructed mainly in the left hemisphere, which is confirmed by some recent neuroimaging trends. The acceptance of subservience and inequality in their relationships is consistent with Knoch's findings (2006) that acceptance of inequality is managed mainly by the left hemisphere. Positive valuations of dominance are also managed disproportionately by the left hemisphere (Grafman, 2006). Further, belief bias, or the ability to hold on to beliefs in the face of contrary evidence, is a distinctive trait of the left hemisphere, and the left temporal cortex in particular (Goel, 2003).
Following along the same theme of the temporal lobe's contribution to hyperreligiosity, the controversial Waxman-Geschwind syndrome (1975) notes some of the characterisitics of temporal lobe epileptics: hypermoralism; humorlessness; and hypergraphia. Prosody, which is managed primarily by the right hemisphere, is usually diminished in the hyperreligious, as seems to be the case in the FLDS females.
Schizotypy and human dispersal strategies
The conventional view of schizophrenia as an all-or-nothing disorder ignores the continuum of schizoidal personality characteristics that afflict the general population in varying degrees, yet falling short of a full of a full diagnosis of schizophrenia. Gordon Claridge referred to this continuum as schizotypy, and defined four factors associated with it: unusual perceptual experiences, such as hallucinations; disorganized thinking; asocial and emotionally flat behavior; and impulsive nonconformity.
The evolutionary psychologists would have to work hard for adaptive explanations, especially since schizotypy can originate for many diverse genetic, environmental, and pathological reasons. While creativity seems to be one of the obvious beneficiaries of schizotypy (Nettle, 2005), some others are not so obvious.
Stevens and Price (1996) would make the connection between schizotypy and the most common method animals employ to deal with overpopulation and depletion of habitats: dispersal. Stevens and Price outline their basic premise (1998):
In colonization and the sort of splitting along kinship lines seen, for instance, in the Yanomamo (Chagnon 1980), the group norms of the parent group are maintained in both daughter groups. In another type of splitting, one daughter group breaks off from the main group with a new set of norms, beliefs, and standards. This latter type of splitting occurs in our own society in the formation of cults, in which a prophet or cult leader forms a new ideology, collects a group of followers, and takes them off into some form of promised land. We explore the possibility that the sort of mental apparatus that allows the prophet to reject the norms of his parent group and form a new set of beliefs may, if circumstances are not favorable, result in psychosis or what in the 19th century used to be called delusional insanity.
The "mental apparatus" employed by cult formation, according to Stevens and Price, is schizotypy. Group splitting by kinship or cult has distinctive genetic and cultural implications. When a group splits by kinship, the daughter groups maintain a greater proportion of cultural memes than if splitting by cult formation. Cult formation seems to confer greater reproductive advantages to male cult leaders, one of the reasons cults discourage contact with outsiders. It is certainly arguable that cult formation, relative to kinship, provides greater genetic diversity among new founder populations. However, gene flow between populations would seem to be more limited in cults, although there is little genetic evidence comparing these two modes of splinter group formation.
Runaway Religious Selection
So what are we to make of the FLDS? While the secular world is titillated by their polygamist practices, amused by their old fashioned clothing, disgusted by their expulsions of young males that might compete for females, and unsettled by their extreme form of male dominance, the lifetime reproductive yield of the FLDS female stands at about seven children (Quinn, 1993), not too far from the fertility rates of prehistoric humans. However, the mortality rates of these early humans were quite high, and their net reproductive yield fell short of the modern FLDS.
Religious cultural memes, when combined with the continuum of religious schizotypy, is a runaway Darwinian process. This genetic-memetic confluence is reproductively explosive, creating higher fertility rates, an enhanced propensity for dispersal, and improves the survival of small isolated social groups (Sosis, 2003). Religious culture diverts schizotypy and bipolar tendencies into socially adaptive behaviors, and most importantly, reproductive effectiveness.
Further, religious culture seems to be positively and negatively selecting certain genes, more specifically, the genes associated with the functioning of the monoamine transmitter systems: dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline. The so-called dopamine adventure gene, DRD4, associated with both novelty seeking and spiritual transcendance (Saucier, 2000), and the genes associated with serotonin receptor density (Borg, 2003), are but a few of the genes potentially under selective pressure associated with religious culture. However, we suspect the genetics associated with religious selection to be diverse, and even vary with the particular flavor of religious culture.
Charles Brack, August 2008
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11 September 2019, 10:06 | International relations |
A Transcarpathian separatist priest requested the support of the President of the Czech Republic
In early September, President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman received a delegation of seven in Prague Castle, who claimed to "represent the interests of the Ruthenians seeking their autonomy in Ukraine."
10 September 2019, 11:52 | International relations |
UN prohibits Russian occupants to evict the OCU community from their church in Simferopol
The UN Human Rights Committee has banned Russia to evict the OCU community from their temple in occupied Simferopol. An expert of the Regional Center for Human Rights Serhiy Zaets wrote about it on Facebook, UNIAN reports.
3 September 2019, 10:47 | Religious ceremonies and pilgrimage |
40 thousand Hasidic pilgrims are expected to arrive in Ukraine
Nearly 40 thousand Hasidic pilgrims are exected to arrive in Ukraine at the end of September to celebrate the Jewish New year Rosh Hashanah in Uman
31 August 2019, 16:39 | International relations |
Zelensky and Duda agreed to eliminate historical contradictions between the countries, as well as to exhume graves
The presidents of Ukraine and Poland agreed to eliminate historical contradictions between the countries, and Volodymyr Zelensky even proposed to build a joint reconciliation memorial on the border.
28 August 2019, 09:52 | International relations |
Patriarch of UGCC proposes to proclaim St John Paul II the patron saint of Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation
On August 26-27, 2019, the head of the UGCC, Patriarch Svyatoslav, was on a visit to Poland at the invitation of the episcopate of this country. On August 26 the head of the UGCC led the evening prayers in front of the miraculous icon of the Holy Virgin, during the so-called Apel Jasnogórski.
26 August 2019, 09:46 | International relations |
Metropolitan Epifaniy of OCU to be conferred Patriarch Athenagoras Award in US
The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epifaniy (Dumenko), will receive the Patriarch Athenagoras Award in the field of human rights. It is reported by UATV that cited orthodoxie.com.
23 August 2019, 11:04 | Freedom of Conscience |
Ukraine speaks at UN about religious persecution in Crimea and Donbas
Ukraine's chargé d'affaires to the UN Yuriy Vitrenko said that the Russian occupation authorities grossly violate the freedom of conscience and religion in the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas. Vitrenko said this during the Arria-Formula Meeting of the UN Security Council for the Protection of Religious Minorities in Armed Conflict, RBC-Ukraine reported citing Ukrinform.
22 August 2019, 11:46 | Religion and society |
Religious leaders prepare action plan to have Kremlin's prisoners released
Participants of the Round Table on Religious Freedom in Ukraine expect further effective action from the new leadership of Ukraine and the international community to have political prisoners, hostages and POWs illegally deprived of their liberty as a result of Russian aggression released.
20 August 2019, 10:47 | International relations |
We urge the international community to unite efforts to prevent any manifestation of antisemitism and intolerance on racial or national grounds - President of Ukraine in Babyn Yar
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy together with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara paid tribute to the victims of the Babyn Yar tragedy.
20 August 2019, 09:29 | International relations |
President called on Israel to recognize Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the Israeli side to recognize the Holodomor of 1932-33 as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people. The Head of State told this after the negotiations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on an official visit to Ukraine.
9 August 2019, 10:48 | International relations |
Zelensky refuses to sign joint ecology-related declaration with Patriarch Bartholomew
The meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew was an initiative of President Volodymyr Zelensky and experts assess this step of the President as a good sign and an attempt to establish good relations with Constantinople.
8 August 2019, 16:16 | International relations |
President had a meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Fener, Istanbul.
1 August 2019, 13:59 | International relations |
The Colloquium of European Parishes has received the icon "Six patrons of Europe" that symbolizes the mission of Christians
The Colloquium has received an icon that symbolizes the mission of Christians who are not afraid of taking responsibility for the salvation of Europe and its future.
30 July 2019, 12:25 | International relations |
150 participants of the European Parish Colloquium simultaneously painted the icon of St. George от the glass
A master class on icon-painting on glass brought lots of positives, diligence, persistence and emotions.
29 July 2019, 01:39 | People reporter
The best rest after a busy day is the time with good friends, like-minded people, who are united by the power of faith. Lets diversity unite us!
29 July 2019, 00:43 | International relations
Participants of the Colloquium of the European parishes visited historical and spiritual Univ Monastery
Univ Monastery is located near the village of Univ, about 50 kilometres from Lviv - the city that hosts the Colloquium of European parishes.
28 July 2019, 02:06 | Catholic world | |
Anniversary Colloquium of European Parishes Launched in Lviv
The 30th Colloquium of European Parishes (CEP) started in Lviv on July 27. 110 European citizens, priests and laymen came to Ukraine to find the answer to the question "How to be active Christians in modern Europe" in discussions.
24 July 2019, 12:59 | Freedom of Conscience |
Religious persecutions in Donbas and Crimea brought to attention of British Parliament
On July 23, the British Parliament held a discussion on the problems of religious persecution in the world. On behalf of Ukraine, the event was attended by Maxym Vasin, a lawyer and the Executive Director of the Institute for Religious Freedom.
23 July 2019, 13:25 | International relations |
President Zelensky issues decree to dismiss ambassador of Ukraine in the Vatican
On July 19, President Volodymyr Zelensky issued Decree No. 532/2019 on dismissal of Tetyana Izhevska from the office of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Vatican and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta.
22 July 2019, 11:34 | International relations |
Students of UCU and Kyiv-Mohyla Academy to participate in Model UN competition
The students of the Ukrainian Catholic University and the Kyiv Mohyla Academy will soon take part in the Model UN, an educational role-playing game that simulates the meetings of various UN bodies. The first model with participation of Ukrainian students will be held in November in Germany (Erfurt), and the second – in March in the United States (New York, NY).


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The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet - Frederick Buechner
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Just Because
Ah, camping. We did pretty well this summer grabbing a few weekends to get away. We both find it's one of the only ways we can totally relax - no responsibilities or distractions, and lots of outdoor time (which we're not so good at around home - sadly, and despite the lovely walking and hiking at our doorstep). Let's hope that camping still holds its charm when we've got a couple of little folks in tow! The trailer definitely makes things convenient in some ways, if we can figure out sleeping arrangements for babies. For this year, we're planning on at least one, if not two more little getaways before the campgrounds close for the season. And then we'll get busy on the nursery and all those little details around the house and yard that are waiting for us...
Oh, and I finally told my manager of our adoption plans...who emailed back a very kind and supportive response, which was lovely. For some reason I still feel self-conscious telling people, almost as if I'm just pretending and will be found out as being a silly girl playing house. Odd, but true. And as much as I am trying to be mentally prepared for any negative or indifferent responses, I do tend to protect our news so that nothing spoils it!
And just one more thing. It's looking like this thesis of mine will finally be finished up this fall, and we are so looking forward to being able to settle into our adoption planning and preparations for "real" at long last. Yay!
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Summer Love Songs and Savoring Each Day
It's the last day of August. I can't quite believe it. Throughout the month I've been noticing the beginnings of fall. It seems early this year.
Summer's my season and although autumn can be beautiful its arrival always makes me a bit melancholy.
I will miss:
- cut flowers from the garden
- tomatoes and peppers and herbs (and all the other edibles)
- endless salads (kale, kale and more kale)
- being barefoot (or if shoes are necessary, sandals)
- leaving the house without a jacket
- spending whole days outside
- having the windows and doors open (and cats stretched out in windowsills)
- bees and butterflies and hummingbirds
- the songs of crickets and cicadas
- late sunsets
- the color green (and all the other colors)
I could keep going, but you get the picture.
This week in our area there's been terrible flooding. We weren't hit badly as we live in town at a high point (and my parents, out in the country, are on a ridge), but it's heartbreaking to see devastating flooding happening more and more frequently so close to where we live. It puts my troubles in perspective. Reminds me, again, to savor each day.
So instead of lamenting the loss of all I love about the summer, I've been making a point to savor the days.
Each day.
I try to stop what I'm doing periodically and pay attention to everything around me, to be fully present. Stand in the garden and feel the grass between my toes, to note the perfect beauty of the moment and send off a thank you to the universe.
Three years ago on my old blog I wrote about painting a "love song to summer".
It's one of my favorite paintings, the biggest I've ever done. Truly a love song to my favorite season.
Some years I paint a lot during the summer. Some years I don't. Creativity ebbs and flows. Energy ebbs and flows. In the summer it's always a challenge to stay inside when my garden is calling me to BE OUTSIDE. It's a bit ironic because summer holds the most inspiration for my art.
In a way you could say that a majority of my paintings are love songs to summer. This one, finished the other day, certainly is.
As are the vegetable (or fruit, depending on your perspective) paintings I've been inspired to paint this week:
What better way to celebrate the joys of summer than to paint them?
Although, I think eating them is a prefect celebration, too. In the summer with abundant garden produce it's easy to quickly pull together delicious meals.
Many days I make the easiest tomato salads. Large chunks of tomato dressed with shavings of onion, shreds of basil, splashes of balsamic vinegar and a bit of salt and pepper. Nothing tastes more summery.
And eggplant, chopped (with the skin still on), mixed with splashes of olive oil and a shake of some salt and pepper roasted in a 400 degree for about 40ish minutes is a versatile addition to pasta or salads or rice. It pairs as easily with Italian flavors as it does with Asian ones and I'm thinking about trying it in some tacos, too.
I'd love to know how YOU have been celebrating the season these days.
Will you join me in renewing a commitment to savor the moment, in focusing on gratitude as we shift from August to September and begin the transition from one season to the next?
For me, I think it might be a good time to bring out my Joy Lists* again.
I hope your lists are long.