text:
According to a press release on Hammond's defense site, the hacker has agreed to a plea bargain which may see him behind bars for 10 years – a reduced sentence which was other slated as 30 years before the plea bargain. Hammond hasn't been sentenced yet but, is awaiting trail and has already spent over a year in jail. Supporters of the activist are trying to get him released with time served
Hammond's case is probably the last in the series of prosecutions against the members of the now disbanded LulzSec hacking collective. Year 2011 and 2012 saw arrest of quiet a few members of the LulzSec including the likes of its leader Hector "Sabu" Monsegur, who has been cooperating with the FBI since his arrests to gather evidences which have led to arrests of other LulzSec members.
Hammond has previously compared himself with late Aaron Swartz and has referred his hacking activities as being "act of protest". Most of the LulzSec members have been charged with relatively less critical charges like launching distributed denial of service attacks against government and entertainment companies, leaking passwords but, Hammond's trail has been taking the shape of a political action considering that the Stratfor hack lead to leak of some high-profile data sets.


text:
Good Questions: Where to Find Petite Hangers?
AT reader Jen writes in with this closet organization question we're hoping someone out there might have experience with:
"Where can I find inexpensive 14" hangers? I'm running out of hangers in my closet and I figure if I'm gonna get new ones, I might as well try to create some order. The tubular children's hangers at Target are too small. Regular size hangers are too big. I'm pretty sure 14" would be just the right size for my tops. Wood would be nice, but I'm open to slim flocked, metal, plastic... anything for a decent price."
Jen, the 14" sized hangers are often described as "teen size", and if cost is the primary issue, plastic is probably the cheapest way to go. A set of 100 14" plastic hangers will cost just $32, but we're sad to say the styling of the hangers themselves will likely make your closet look like a retail discounter rather than a personal closet. Very slim form metal hangers will set you back around $89, while curved wood hangers are about $120 for a box of 100.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Module Name: src Committed By: riz Date: Mon Mar 7 04:09:28 UTC 2011 Modified Files: src/sys/kern [netbsd-5]: vfs_wapbl.c Log Message: Pull up following revision(s) (requested by bouyer in ticket #1543): sys/kern/vfs_wapbl.c: revision 1.27 sys/kern/vfs_wapbl.c: revision 1.28 Turn a KASSERT into a panic. I don't want us to be randomly overwriting memory on non-DIAGNOSTIC kernels if resource estimation fails. Add dealloccnt to list of things to be considered in the stetson-harrison decision making algorithm for flushing a wapbl transation. To generate a diff of this commit: cvs rdiff -u -r188.8.131.52 -r18.104.22.168 src/sys/kern/vfs_wapbl.c Please note that diffs are not public domain; they are subject to the copyright notices on the relevant files.


text:
Renault Dacia Duster launch in India expected during 2012
Renault Dacia Duster Price in India
The new Renault Dacia Duster 2012 is unveiled by one of the world's leading auto manufacturers. The French Renault after redefining and giving a facelift to its Duster brought a budget-priced SUV to the market. There are rumours that it will be produced in Chennai at the Renault-Nissan's premises at the Oragadam plant.
Renault Dacia Duster launch in India in the year 2012 will allegedly initiate the exporting of the Renault Dacia Duster to more right hand-drive markets. Renault Dacia Duster price will be set less than Rs. 18 Lacs.
Renault Dacia Duster SUV features said to combine all the latest specification features and technologies that a manufacturer such as Renault can provide. It combines the company's latest four wheel drive system with a refined and redesigned dashboard. So that it does not only provide the driver with excellent features and characteristics but at the same time the car has undergone a severe cosmetic change making it more appealing.
Renault Dacia Duster features a front wheel (standard feature), 4WD, 4 cylinders, 16 valves, 4 valves per cylinder, 85 BHP (62.56 KW) horsepower, 5 gears to give a brief description. But the Renault Dacia Duster is aimed at hitting a very competitive market.
Renault Dacia Duster 2012, the 5-seater is advertised as an urban SUV suitable for those who choose to drive within the city limits and beyond. It is not a bulky vehicle. Even though it falls under the SUV category it is not a typical large car. Thus, because of its relatively small bulk you achieve higher mileage and hence you can freely suppose it could reach about 15kmpl within city limits.
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text:
Most columns build up to a bottom line. This one starts with it: We can't afford a war and another giant tax cut, too.
The charade starts, of course, with President Bush, who is trying to sell the country his own version of what Lyndon Johnson called "guns and butter," and what his father later ridiculed as "voodoo economics."
Already facing a projected $325 billion deficit, is the president dropping his $726 billion tax cut in order to help pay for the war? No! Instead, he preaches the appealing, but phony, idea that we can wage war and put more money in people's pockets at the same time. History proves him wrong. With the exception of the war against Mexico in the 1840s, taxes have been increased in every war fought before and since.
Finally, this week, the administration put a price tag on the war in Iraq. If you believe the official spin, their number-crunchers were unable to do so before the fighting actually started. They couldn't even come up with a ballpark figure. The truth is, they didn't try. And a compliant Congress, ignorant of the cost of war, passed the president's budget package anyway


text:
Sam Harris's books "The End Of Faith" and "Letter To A Christian Nation" have established him as second only to the British biologist and author Richard Dawkins in the ranks of famous 21st century atheists. The thrust of Harris's best-sellers is that with the world so crazed by religion, it's high time Americans stopped tolerating faith in the Rapture, the Resurrection and anything else not grounded in evidence. Only trouble is, our country's foremost promoter of "reason" is also supportive of ESP, reincarnation and other unscientific concepts. Not all of it is harmless yoga class hokum—he's also a proponent of waterboarding and other forms of torture.
"We know [torture] works. It has worked. It's just a lie to say that it has never worked," he says. "Accidentally torturing a few innocent people" is no big deal next to bombing them, he continues. Why sweat it?
I wanted to interview Harris to find out why a man sold to the American public as the voice of scientific reason is promoting Hindu gods and mind reading in his writing. But we spend much of our time discussing his call for torture and his Buddhist perspectives on "compassionately killing the bad guy."
In 2004, Sam Harris' award-winning first book said society should demote Christian, Muslim and Jewish belief to an embarrassment that "disgraces anyone who would claim it," in doing so catapulting himself from obscure UCLA grad student—the son of a Quaker father—to national voice of atheism.
"The End of Faith" may be the first book suitable for the Eastern Philosophy shelf at Barnes & Noble that somehow incorporates both torture and New Age piety, and offers pleas for clear scientific thinking alongside appeals to "mysticism." The old-fashioned brand of atheist, like the late Carl Sagan, argued eloquently against religion without supporting rituals and ghosts.
Harris, however, argues that not just Western gods but philosophers are "dwarfs" next to the Buddhas. And a Harris passage on psychics recommends that curious readers spend time with the study "20 Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation."
Asked which cases are most suggestive of reincarnation, Harris admits to being won over by accounts of "xenoglossy," in which people abruptly begin speaking languages they don't know. Remember the girl in "The Exorcist"? "When a kid starts speaking Bengali, we have no idea scientifically what's going on," Harris tells me. It's hard to believe what I'm hearing from the man the New York Times hails as atheism's "standard-bearer."
Harris writes: "There seems to be a body of data attesting to the reality of psychic phenomena, much of which have been ignored by mainstream science." On the phone he backpedals away from the claim.
"I've received a little bit of grief for that," he says. "I certainly don't say that I'm confident that psychic phenomena exist. I'm open-minded. I would just like to see the data."
To see the "data" yourself, "The End of Faith" points readers to a slew of paranormal studies.
One is Dr. Ian Stevenson's "Unlearned Language: New Studies in Xenoglossy." The same author's reincarnation book presents for your consideration the past life of Ravi Shankar, the sitar player who introduced the Beatles to the Maharishi. He was born with a birthmark, it says, right where his past self was knifed to death, aged two.
Making the case for the "20 Cases researcher, Harris sounds almost like "Chronicles of Narnia" author C.S. Lewis, who said Jesus could only be a liar or the Son of God.
"Either he is a victim of truly elaborate fraud, or something interesting is going on," Harris says. "Most scientists would say this doesn't happen. Most would say that if it does happen, it's a case of fraud. ... It's hard to see why anyone would be perpetrating a fraud—everyone was made miserable by this [xenoglossy] phenomenon." Pressed, he admits that some of the details might after all be "fishy."
Another book he lists is "The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena." "These are people who have spent a fair amount of time looking at the data," Harris explains. The author, professor Dean Radin of North California's Institute of Noetic Sciences, which is not accredited for scientific peer review, proclaims: "Psi [mind power] has been shown to exist in thousands of experiments."
Harris has spent the past two years doing "full-time infidel" duty, in his words. His second book, "Letter to a Christian Nation," takes the infidel persona and runs with it, lashing back at Christians for their intolerance toward his first book.
In a versatile turn, however, Harris moonlights as inquisitor as well as heretic. Without irony, he switches hats between chapters of "The End of Faith." Chapter 3 finds him complaining that the medieval Church tortured Jews over phony "blood libel" conspiracies. Then in chapter 6, "A Science of Good & Evil," he devotes several pages to upholding the "judicial torture" of Muslims, a practice for which "reasonable men and women" have come out.
Torture then and now: The difference, he tells AlterNet, is that the Inquisition "manufactured" crimes and forced Jews to confess "fictional accomplices."
But if the Iraq War hasn't been about "fictional accomplices," what has? "There's nothing about my writing about torture that should suggest I supported what was going on in Abu Ghraib," says Harris, who supported the invasion but says it has become a "travesty." "We abused people who we know had no intelligence value."
While our soldiers are waging war on Islam in our detention centers, according to Harris, our civilians must evolve past churchgoing to "modern spiritual practice," he writes. "[M]ysticism is a rational enterprise," he writes in his book, arguing it lets spiritualists "uncover genuine facts about the world." And he tells AlterNet there are "social pressures" against research into ESP.
Society is remarkably free, however, in airing justifications for putting Muslims to the thumbscrews. Harris's case for torture is this: since "we" are OK with horrific collateral damage, "we" should have no qualms against waterboarding, the lesser evil. "It's better than death." Better, in other words, than bombing innocents.
Then again, Sam Harris is not devoting his time in the media to call for an end to bombing civilians. Attacking the sacred cow of airstrikes might have been a real heresy, true to his Quaker roots but ensuring himself exile from cable news. Instead the logic he lays out—that Islam itself is our enemy—invites the reader to feel comfort at the deaths of its believers. He writes: "Some propositions are so dangerous that it may even be ethical to kill people for believing them."
Playing his part in last year's War Over Christmas, Harris plays it safe with "Letter to a Christian Nation." The book lumbers under a title so heavy, you'd think Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote it from prison. While keeping the Christian Nation on notice that Harris remains disdainful of "wasting time" on Jesus, he now calls for something of an alliance with the Right against Muslim Arabs and the "head-in-the-sand liberals" he denounced in a recent editorial. "Nonbelievers like myself stand beside you, dumbstruck by the Muslim hordes who chant death to whole nations of the living," he writes.
Thus praising the hard Right for its "moral clarity" in the War on Terror, Harris reserves much of his wrath for nonfundamentalist Christians, whom he considers enablers of a virgin-birth sham.
Fine, but the alternative to Jesus that Harris recommends in "The End of Faith" is a menu of messiahs. There is Shankara, an avatar of the god Shiva whose water pot could stop floods. There is the first Buddha and his 8th-century successor Padmasambhava. After materializing on a lotus leaf at age 8, Padmasambhava cast a spell that changed his friend into a tiger.
"That is objectively stupider than the doctrine of the virgin birth," Harris says in the interview, however.
Like any religious moderate, he has picked and chosen what he likes from a religion. On the one hand, there's an obligatory swipe in "The End of Faith" against Pakistan and India for threatening to nuke each other over "fanciful" religious disputes. The equal-offender pose doesn't slow Harris from claiming the supremacy of Shankara and other oracles over Europe's entire secular brain trust. For thousands of years, "personal transformation [...] seems to have been thought too much to ask" of Western philosophers, he complains petulantly, as if finding the entire Enlightenment short on self-help tips.
He likes that Buddhism will make you relax. And "dial in various mental states," he says. In the classic case, he says, "you see various lights or see bliss." And like a Scientologist cleric promising you the state of Clear, evicting alien ghosts ruining your life, Harris expresses a faith that his own style of pleasurable mental exploration ushers in good deeds. Meditation, he says, will drive out whatever it is "that leads you to lie to people or be intrinsically selfish."
So it purges your sins? "You become free to notice how everyone else is suffering," he says. Well, some more than others.
We all need our illusions. But doesn't his, a mishmash of Buddhism and "Time-Life Mysteries of The Unknown," weaken his case against Christians? His answer is that Buddhism is a superior product for including the doctrine of "non-dualism," or unity. "The teachings about self-transcending love in Buddhism go on for miles," he says. "There's just a few lines in the Bible." And hundreds in Dostoyevsky and the Confessions of St. Augustine, but never mind: Harris's argument that "belief is action" rests on treating works like the Old Testament not as complex cultural fables but something akin to your TiVo instruction manual.
Though it lapses in skepticism, Harris's work has won a surprising following among nonmystics. Times science writer Natalie Angier felt "vindicated, almost personally understood" reading it, she wrote in a review. Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins has practically adopted Harris as the American Robin to his Batman in confronting unreason wherever it may lurk in the hearts of men. "The End of Faith" should "replace the Gideon Bible in every hotel room in the land," blurbs Dawkins.
* * *
When that happens, Muslims will check into the Best Western and find a text cheering their torture.
Legendary for his role in the Scopes Monkey Trial, American attorney Clarence Darrow wrote of his admiration for his forbearer Voltaire, the original 18th-century renegade against the church. He thanked Voltaire for dealing superstition a "mortal wound"—and for an end to torture. "Among the illustrious heroes who have banished this sort of cruelty from the Western world, no other name will stand so high and shine so bright."
And then among those who want to bring it back, there stands Sam Harris.
"They're not talking," Harris is telling me, imagining a torture scenario where the captives clam up, "quite amused at our unwillingness to make them uncomfortable."
No, it's not the sticky (and real) case of Jose Padilla, the detainee who may have been reduced by his treatment to mind mush, possibly ruining his trial. Instead he's sketching out a kind of Steven Seagal action movie scenario in which we lasso Osama or his gang, maybe on the eve of a terror plot. What to do?
"We should say we don't do it," Harris says of torture. "We should say it's reprehensible." And then do it anyway, he says.
So there it is. In Harris's vision of future America, we will pursue "personal transformation" and gaze into our personal "I-we" riddles, while the distant gurgles of Arabs, terrified by the threat of drowning, will drift into our Eastern-influenced sacred space, the government's press releases no more than soothing Zen koans.
I am at a bit of a loss to comment on Sam Harris. As much as I like some of his views, I cannot help but wonder why he likes "mysticism" and such things as he does. Why does Dawkins even like this guy, and how can you even talk about the likes of ESP and Uri Geller and reincarnation in the same sentence as atheism, which is mostly dependent(short of a person not knowing the concept of God) on a person believing in the validity of the scientific method and the information gathered by it, along with a healthy dose of scepticism for poo poo like the below quoted block:
"[M]ysticism is a rational enterprise," he writes in his book, arguing it lets spiritualists "uncover genuine facts about the world." And he tells AlterNet there are "social pressures" against research into ESP.
Someone go get me my divining rods and crystal ball, I'm about to discover scientific facts! Who would have thought Misses Cleo would be a great scientist of our time!
(borrowed from another poster)
I'm less and less likely to take anything that Sam writes seriously after implusible & ridiculous stuff like this - torchure is not 'necessary'. It doesn't WORK!
& this at http://www.guardian.co.uk/guantanamo/story/0,,1988676,00.html Re:the US torchure camp at Guatanamo
to quote…"George Bush, his aides and the US military define what they have been doing as a special programme using special measures: their position appears to be that as long as blood is not drawn, it is not torture."
so does this mean that Sam is willing to admit that his country participates in illegal acts?
....here's more from the story "
One official investigation found an inmate had been sexually humiliated and forced to perform dog tricks on a leash. It said the conduct was "abusive and degrading" but not torture. In a UK court hearing over Guantánamo, a senior British judge, Mr Justice Collins, declared: "America's idea of what is torture is not the same as ours." A UN report has confirmed evidence of torture, and Amnesty International has declared Guantánamo "the gulag of our time". Guantánamo is not the only US torture camp. Bagram in Afghanistan has been dogged by stories of abuse, and there are secret US prisons around the world where it is widely feared new horrors are occuring.
Human rights have been traded away in Guantánamo in the hope of gaining security, and it has not worked. One of the US's founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, stated: "He who trades liberty for security deserves neither and will lose both." Adorned on the walls of the Guantánamo camp is its mission statement: "Honour-bound to defend freedom". After five years of Guantánamo, do you feel any safer?
I'm guessing his prime target audiences are college students?....or people who believe themselves to be of a higher than average intelligence. HUH! what a joke that is….the twits like to think of themselves as 'elites' as well…...but don't like to be pushed and prodded about their 'sheepish' qualities.
Sam Harris is fast becoming a kind of 'atheist' figurehead of what I see as some religously based moverment - hence my question "does this show a desparation for an 'atheist' figurehead.? I'm wondering why 'atheists' seem to need one. Isn't atheism supposed to be a NIL nadda kind of attitude. ? What happened to the 'scientific' method ?
its all very classical - 'how to be a fanatic'.......or "from the hot water into the fire"...Sam harris the Newager's Superstar. Next thing he'll be giving away 'crystal's'.with every copy of his book…and ipod recordings of 'speaking in tongues'....of himself in his own glorification.
For those who don't subscribe to Sam Harris' newsletter:
Letter from Sam Harris
Dear Readers –
Some of you may have noticed an article about me that is now running on Alternet.org. The writer, John Gorenfeld, has taken a ninety minute telephone interview, along with selective passages from my books, and made of them a poisonous of mash of misquotation and paraphrasis for the purpose of portraying me as an evil lunatic. While some level of innocent distortion can be expected in print interviews, this case appears genuinely malicious.
You can find Gorenfeld's account of me here http://alternet.org/story/46196/. Please feel free to post comments of you own to the site.
If you want to alert the management at Alternet of your displeasure, the contact page can be found here http://alternet.org/about/contact.html.
As you will see, Gorenfeld distorts my views on torture, spiritual experience, and the paranormal. For the record, I have summarized my views on these subjects on my website http://www.samharris.org/site/full_text/response-to-controversy2/.
All the best,
Response to ControversyVersion 1.1
A few of the subjects that I raised in The End of Faith continue to inspire an unusual amount of malicious commentary, selective quotation, and controversy. I've elaborated on these topics here:
My position on torture:
In The End of Faith, I argue that competing religious doctrines have divided our world into separate moral communities, and that these divisions have become a continuous source of human violence. My purpose in writing the book was to offer a way of thinking about our world that would render certain forms of conflict, quite literally, unthinkable.
In one section of the book (pp. 192-199), I briefly discuss the ethics of torture and collateral damage in times of war, arguing that collateral damage is worse than torture across the board. Rather than appreciate just how bad I think collateral damage is in ethical terms, some readers have mistakenly concluded that I take a cavalier attitude toward the practice of torture. I do not. Nevertheless, there are certain extreme circumstances in which I believe that torture may not only be ethically justifiable, but ethically necessary. I am not alone in this. Liberal Senator Charles Schumer has publicly stated that most U.S. senators would support torture to find out the location of a ticking time bomb. While rare, such "ticking-bomb" scenarios actually do occur. As we move into an age of nuclear and biological terrorism, it is in everyone's interest for men and women of goodwill to determine what should be done when a prisoner clearly has operational knowledge of an imminent atrocity, but won't otherwise talk about it.
My argument for the limited use of torture is essentially this: if you think it is ever justifiable to drop bombs in an attempt to kill a man like Osama bin Laden (and thereby risk killing and maiming innocent men, women, and children), you should think it may sometimes be justifiable to torture a man like Osama bin Laden (and risk torturing someone who just happens to look like Osama bin Laden). It seems to me that however one compares the practices of torturing high-level terrorists and dropping bombs, dropping bombs always comes out looking worse in ethical terms. And yet, many of us tacitly accept the practice of modern warfare, while considering it taboo to even speak about the possibility of practicing torture. It is important to point out that my argument for the restricted use of torture does not make travesties like Abu Ghraib look any less sadistic or stupid. Indeed, I considered our mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib to have been patently unethical. I also think it was one of the most damaging blunders to occur in the last century of U.S. foreign policy.
It is not clear that having a torture provision in our laws will create as slippery a slope as many people imagine. We have a capital punishment provision, for instance, but this has not led to our killing prisoners at random because we can't control ourselves. While I am opposed to capital punishment, I can readily admit that we are not suffering a total moral chaos in our society because we execute about five people every month. It is not immediately obvious that a rule about torture could not be applied with equal restraint.
It may be true, however, that any legal use of torture would have unacceptable consequences. In light of this concern, the best strategy I have heard comes from Mark Bowden in his Atlantic Monthly article, "The Dark Art of Interrogation." Bowden recommends that we keep torture illegal, and maintain a policy of not torturing anybody for any reason. But our interrogators should know that there are certain circumstances in which it will be ethical to break the law. Indeed, there are circumstances in which you would have to be a monster not to break the law. If an interrogator finds himself in such a circumstance, and he breaks the law, there will not be much of a will to prosecute him (and interrogators will know this). If he breaks the law Abu Ghraib-style, he will go to jail for a very long time (and interrogators will know this too). At the moment, this seems like the most reasonable policy to me, given the realities of our world.
While my discussion of torture spans only a few pages in a book devoted to reducing the causes of religious violence, many readers have found this discussion deeply unsettling. I have invited them, both publicly and privately, to produce an ethical argument that takes into account the realities of our world—our daily acceptance of collateral damage, the real possibility of nuclear terrorism, etc.—and yet rules out the practice of torture in all conceivable circumstances. No one, to my knowledge, has done this. And yet, my critics continue to speak and write as though a knock-down argument against torture in all circumstances is readily available. I consider it to be one of the more dangerous ironies of liberal discourse that merely discussing the possibility of torturing a man like Osama bin Laden provokes more outrage than the maiming and murder of innocent civilians ever does. Until someone actually points out what is wrong with the "collateral damage argument" presented in The End of Faith. I will continue to believe that my critics are just not thinking clearly about the reality of human suffering.
My views on the paranormal—ESP, reincarnation, etc.:
My position on the paranormal is this: While there have been many frauds in the history of parapsychology, I believe that this field of study has been unfairly stigmatized. If some experimental psychologists want to spend their days studying telepathy, or the effects of prayer, I will be interested to know what they find out. And if it is true that toddlers occasionally start speaking in ancient languages (as Ian Stevenson alleges), I would like to know about it. However, I have not spent any time attempting to authenticate the data put forward in books like Dean Radin's The Conscious Universe or Ian Stevenson's 20 Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation. The fact that I have not spent any time on this should suggest how worthy of my time I think such a project would be. Still, I found these books interesting, and I cannot categorically dismiss their contents in the way that I can dismiss the claims of religious dogmatists.
My views on Eastern mysticism, Buddhism, etc.:
My views on "mystical" or "spiritual" experience are extensively described in The End of Faith and do not entail the acceptance of anything on faith. There is simply no question that people have transformative experiences as a result of engaging contemplative disciplines like meditation, and there is no question that these experiences shed some light on the nature of the human mind (any experience does, for that matter). What is highly questionable are the metaphysical claims that people tend to make on the basis of such experiences. I do not make any such claims. Nor do I support the metaphysical claims of others.
There are several neuroscience labs now studying the effects of meditation on the brain. While I am not personally engaged in this research, I know many of the scientists who are. This is now a fertile area of sober inquiry, purposed toward understanding the possibilities of human well-being better than we do at present.
While I consider Buddhism almost unique among the world's religions as a repository of contemplative wisdom, I do not consider myself a Buddhist. My criticism of Buddhism as a faith has been published, to the consternation of many Buddhists. It is available here: Killing the Buddha
My criticism of Islam:
Especially unscrupulous critics of my work have claimed that my critique of Islam is "racist." This is untrue. My analysis of religion in general, and of Islam in particular, focuses on what I consider to be bad ideas, held for bad reasons, leading to bad behavior. My antipathy toward Islam—which is, in truth, difficult to exaggerate—applies to ideas, not to people, and certainly not to the color of a person's skin. My criticism of the logical and behavioral consequences of certain ideas (e.g. martyrdom, jihad, honor, etc.) impugns white converts to the faith—like Adam Gadahn—every bit as much as Arabs like Ayman al-Zawahiri.
[quote author="snakechic"] Sam Harris is fast becoming a kind of 'atheist' figurehead of what I see as some religously based moverment - hence my question "does this show a desparation for an 'atheist' figurehead.? I'm wondering why 'atheists' seem to need one. Isn't atheism supposed to be a NIL nadda kind of attitude. ? What happened to the 'scientific' method ?
its all very classical - 'how to be a fanatic'.......or "from the hot water into the fire"...Sam harris the Newager's Superstar. Next thing he'll be giving away 'crystal's'.with every copy of his book…and ipod recordings of 'speaking in tongues'....of himself in his own glorification.
You seem to be extremely interested in the small parts of Harris's writing with with you disagree. I don't think his ideas on these topics really detract at all from his basic argument, even if they don't add much to it.
Further, why should atheism be a "NIL nadda kind of attitude"? Perhaps in an ideal world where the minority are believers it would be just as you say; superstitious/occult theists would be the minority (and thus the label "theist" would carry all kinds of stigma) and there wouldn't even be a word for "atheist" because rational thinking would predominate. Well, it should, but it doesn't, and because we must live lin a culture where much is influenced by decisions misguided by a warped mythology, it is indeed necessary to have a strong voice. Why should there have been "gay pride" or "black pride"? Because a large part of the pouplation imposed their corrupt moralities upon these groups. I shouldn't have to feel necessarily "proud" of being gay, but in times when gays are denied constitutional rights (not to mention beaten and killed), visibility is necessary.
Your portrayal of Harris as a crystal-bearing new ager is ridiculous, and actually your rants just spiral into the absurd. Harris seems to believe that there is validity in pursuing a study of various states of consciousness from a neuroscientific viewpoint. I agree with him there. There is something to of this that has nothing to do with crystals.
As far as Harris being an "atheist figurehead" - so what? Many movements out of oppression and irrational thought have been guided by such figureheads. If an overwhelming voice of assent is heard, does that mean that we've all become brainwashed into Harris zombies? Oh, yes, brainwashed by reason! Of course, religious leaders do no such thing, right?
I see atheism as a necessary field-leveler against religion. It is not a religion because there is no god. It is not religious because it does not require people to believe anything without evidence. I think that those who have converted from religon into non-believers have arrived there with a healthy amount of reasoning. Basically, the universe makes much more sense in its operation if explained naturally.
Sam Harris's books "The End Of Faith" and "Letter To A Christian Nation" have established him as second only to the British biologist and author Richard Dawkins in the ranks of famous 21st century atheists
That is an interesting statement. First of all, the 21st century in now 7 years old.
What it really means is that Dawkins and Harris have been presented to us by the mass media as figureheads.
Madeline Murray O'Hair had been my Athiest figurehead for 50 years. I remember being thankful to her when I no longer had to put up with prayer in school.
Snakechic, you and I, as well as everyone else commenting here, are here because we can't get an invitation from BBC.
[quote author="HappyHeathen"]
I don't think his ideas on these topics really detract at all from his basic argument, even if they don't add much to it.
SOrry that doesn't make much sense
Further, why should atheism be a "NIL nadda kind of attitude"? Perhaps in an ideal world where the minority are believers it would be just as you say; superstitious/occult theists would be the minority (and thus the label "theist" would carry all kinds of stigma) and there wouldn't even be a word for "atheist" because rational thinking would predominate. Well, it should, but it doesn't, and because we must live lin a culture where much is influenced by decisions misguided by a warped mythology, it is indeed necessary to have a strong voice. Why should there have been "gay pride" or "black pride"? Because a large part of the pouplation imposed their corrupt moralities upon these groups. I shouldn't have to feel necessarily "proud" of being gay, but in times when gays are denied constitutional rights (not to mention beaten and killed), visibility is necessary.
Your portrayal of Harris as a crystal-bearing new ager is ridiculous, and actually your rants just spiral into the absurd. Harris seems to believe that there is validity in pursuing a study of various states of consciousness from a neuroscientific viewpoint. I agree with him there. There is something to of this that has nothing to do with crystals.
As far as Harris being an "atheist figurehead" - so what? Many movements out of oppression and irrational thought have been guided by such figureheads. If an overwhelming voice of assent is heard, does that mean that we've all become brainwashed into Harris zombies? Oh, yes, brainwashed by reason! Of course, religious leaders do no such thing, right?
I see atheism as a necessary field-leveler against religion. It is not a religion because there is no god. It is not religious because it does not require people to believe anything without evidence. I think that those who have converted from religon into non-believers have arrived there with a healthy amount of reasoning. Basically, the universe makes much more sense in its operation if explained naturally.
Okay you are entitled to your own opionions. I enjoy the absurd including science fiction and other wayout fun type endeavors but I have my limits including SamH interest in Esp etc But what the hell… Why the need to be entirely serious - the world is a silly place…..I happen to agree with you on some levels - ie. that its not an 'ideal' world. And as an 'atheist' I at times choose to stick my 'balls out" so to speak…and come out to engage with others who I don't expect anything from - no change of mind. I'm also not comfortable with the label 'atheist' and it seems that I only use it when online - Humm funny about that…whether or not its a religion is a moot point. Its how the individual chooses to 'wear' that label. There are many - many christians around the globe that have a faultering belief in god or the supernatural but are committed none the less for other personal reasons -that's the way the cookie crumbles.
What I object to and find unhospitable is that Harris Zombism as you call it, doesn't seem to flex in the same way as christianity doesn't. If you don't know what I mean…try having a conversation with a christian - there is no agreeing to disagree and most of everything said is blasphemy or called absurd. ie. god is dead.
Does it strike you as odd…that until this point christianity the highest stake holder in the debate of whether extra or super natural events can be researched and reproduced "scientifically' have not suceeded. Instead great wads of $$$$ is spent (by catholics at least)...to 'prove' the validity of the countless artifacts and relics in their hot little historical collection. Hence I don't agree with samharris in his promotion of further 'research' into ESP etc. For me, its a bid to gain funds from universities for entirely ego based projects that would do nothing but occupy the few clicky as well as luckily enough to score a job.
What about the speaking in tongues….more research needed? or has it already been done - that's the trouble with some research - its not very creative or unique.
Yeah for some 'atheism' has become a movement. I while I find that curious…I understand that for some…coming out of organised religous backgrounds that maybe its a natural transitional faze that the individual feels requires some kind of leadership or mentor. Hopefully those individuals grow in time…. Ever heard of the term 'evangelical atheist'....the 'expert' on everything ready to bob up and 'teach' the newbie - the internet is full of it.
My pet peeve - "appologetic atheists" - the expert bible interpreter….the ex christian poster who hasn't quite given up their addiction to the bible.
Well, sounds good to me. Clarification much appreciated.
ESP = Enigmatic Statistical Paradox
I can predict the future. Toss a ball in the air. I can predict where it will be in the future. In fact, I will place my hand at the future location of the ball and catch it.
We do study ESP. It is called the science of Statistics. Without knowledge of ESP, Las Vegas couldn't exist.
The paranormal is the unexamined normal. The so-called 'paranormal' is an area where Athiests have a legitimate concern. We wish to apply scientific examination to it and remove it from the supernatural.
As for experts on Atheism…Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, etc. You seem to be arguing that Athiesm is a new phenomenom and that it requires Harris or Dawkins. Black people in the US were struggling for equal rights a century before MLK was born.
My first real experience debating a theist was in 1958 at age 10. I still remember my anger at a S Baptist Minister who argued that God hated Black people and didn't give them a soul.
I agree with you about Atheists who debate scripture. Who cares what the Bible says? Certainly not me.
[quote author="Joad"]
That is an interesting statement. First of all, the 21st century in now 7 years old.
What it really means is that Dawkins and Harris have been presented to us by the mass media as figureheads.
Madeline Murray O'Hair had been my Athiest figurehead for 50 years. I remember being thankful to her when I no longer had to put up with prayer in school.
Snakechic, you and I, as well as everyone else commenting here, are here because we can't get an invitation from BBC.
Hahaha.. ....Yeah couldn't agree more! the 'look at me' generation. Lucky its created YouTube. *groan*
but 'presented' ?....in a way but not by the 'media' or people who act on the public. Samharris has a 'best seller' & without the support of book buyer's he would be like us….vying for attention online. Which he doesn't have to do much of..as we can see below, there are many folk here and around ready to distribute his material or reguritate his words and ideas.
Okay…so in a free, relatively non censored medium like that internet - all is fair in love and war… :wink:
Yes he has achieved fame in the 21st Century. ? That's why so many people write books - he was lucky and hit a nerve with people.
Madelaine O'Hair - remember I 'm in Australia - the culture is a tad different here. Personally I don't require hero's or figureheads which is largely due to my early experiences with religion….no doubt something I have in common with other people who were brutilised by 'leader's' / pastors and the like in the long distant past.
[quote author="Joad"]
As for experts on Atheism…Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, etc. You seem to be arguing that Athiesm is a new phenomenom and that it requires Harris or Dawkins. Black people in the US were struggling for equal rights a century before MLK was born.
...I guess I am in a way but I hadn't thought of it that way ..... I didn't think of those people, MTwain etc. as atheists'. - just bloody good writer's with a voice I wanted to hear.
To me 'atheism' is not participating - being comfortable as an individual rather than seeking 'fellowship' for want of a better term, for that kind of worldview or experience. Of course, for other kinds of social activities or even political movements I'd feel very differently.
The paranormal is the unexamined normal. The so-called 'paranormal' is an area where Athiests have a legitimate concern. We wish to apply scientific examination to it and remove it from the supernatural.
That's where we differ - I don't give any credence to the 'supernatural' and feel that to explain the so called 'paranormal' can only be done adequately on a case to case basis.
There is already enough people interested in debunking ie. James Randi etal.
But as an 'atheist'...I do NOT have a concern - what I am concerned about is the use of the word 'we'...as if a group is represented having a common goal.
We do study ESP. It is called the science of Statistics. Without knowledge of ESP, Las Vegas couldn't exist.
Never heard of it… (inserts) : how in the hell is anyone going to 'research' reincarnation etc.?
No amount of research is going to stop people making farout metaphysical claims about their so called 'spriritual' experiences .


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A Picture Says A Thousand Words
A Picture Says A Thousand Words; A saying older than time that still rings true. Vermont Wrestler covers wrestling all season, from college to youth and we take literally, thousands of pictures, no tens of thousands through the season. All of the pics are categorized by the location, date and year so…..if you know that your friend or relative wrestled in the 2017 Vermont State High School Wrestling Tournament….well, you get the idea. We regularly get shots that you can't get, whether you ran out of space, your battery died, sweat dripped in your eye, somebody bumped into you or you just weren't in the right place at the right time!
Our Photographers are there all day, doing what they do best; making sure that a picture says a thousand words, and it's available to you at any time, for eternity. We inspect all of the shots we take and eliminate all of the undesirable photos, leaving all of the game winners for you to peruse and purchase. And these shots are huge, ensuring that if you want to make a large print, you won't get any distortion. We'll also take custom shots for you at the events….family shots, action shots, candids, coaches etc. Then you can go to the gallery, pick your favorites and make your purchase. No hassle and no risk.
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Sel et Poivre
263 Victoria Street, Sydney, Australia
(02) 9361 6530
Sel et Poivre Sydney Reviews
69 reviews
Back home for a dinner! Nov 01, 2009
I have been in Sydney for 2 months, and I have to admit that - as usual when I am abroad - I quite miss French food.
A couple of friends advice us a restaurant in Darlinghurst while we were sunbathing... They talked about charcuterie and nice bread, it made us hungry straight away so we decided to go there for dinner! They could not resist to join us. We booked a table over the phone, in French as the waitress could speak French (she is actually from Colombia!).
The service was very good, they really made our meal fantastic. The food was just perfect. I took an "assiette de charcuterie" (even if it was a small one and an entry, there was way enough for 2 people ^^), and a pepper sirloin steak, cooked rare. The cook is French, and it was perfectly cooked as I love it. But for those who fancy meat too cooked (or well done as they say but I do not agree ^^), it was still a bit too "red" for them the first time so they took it back to the kitchen and came back perfect!
I could not eat a dessert as I had an entire plate of charcuterie as a starter, but my friend did and loved it. We also had an ice-cream for free because a dessert we ordered was not available anymore. Nice!
The atmosphere was a lot French as well, with French music, French flags and French people around!
It was around 50-55$ per head.
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By Rick Cook
If you're going to use VOIP you have to make sure your network is up to the challenge. VOIP is notoriously unforgiving of network problems and what will work with a data network may well fail with VOIP.
Most of the problems with VOIP installations in businesses lie with the network. If the network isn't up to the task you'll have all sorts of problems, most notably poor voice quality or dropped calls.
Related: What Loss of Control Means with BYOD
One of the first places to start evaluating your network is with the cabling. Make sure it is up to VOIP standards. Aged or inadequate cable, full of splices and such, will cause problems on a VOIP system. You may want to install new cable and run one cable for each phone.
Latency and its evil cousin jitter are major problems for VOIP systems. Both lead to dropped packets and poor line quality. The major causes of latency and jitter are network delays. Since each piece of equipment on the connection path can contribute to latency it is important to minimize the switches, routers and such that are in the path from the ATA to the phone or phones. Firewalls are notorious for causing problems with VOIP and different makes and models differ considerably in their ability to pass packets without delay.
The other great cause of poor network quality is insufficient bandwidth for the VOIP packets. This causes congestion and delay – and latency and jitter. For this reason many VOIP networks include devices to set priorities for voice and data streams. VOIP traffic gets a higher priority and suffers less from any congestion. Data traffic, which can handle latency and jitter better, gets a lower priority. Most of the time the data users won't notice any different.
Some systems use a VLAN for the VOIP traffic, which makes it easier to manage.
Set your LAN QoS for VOIP including both the signaling SIP protocol and the RIP voice ports. This will help ensure the highest quality traffic over the network.
All the equipment on the network must be able to handle the number of packets your VOIP system will generate.
From Inside CRM: Picking The Right Bait
Figuring your theoretical maximum VOIP packet traffic involves taking the number of phones and multiplying it by the number and bandwidth of the packets. The bandwidth the packets will need will depend on the codec used. Some codecs use varying degrees of compression to conserve bandwidth. Other codecs don't compress to get higher voice quality. In general you are going to prefer the highest quality voice you can get, even if it means using equipment such as routers and switches with higher throughput.
You may want to replace switches and routers on your existing network with higher capacity equipment when you go to VOIP. Alternatively you may want to use a codec with compression and accept some loss in voice quality. However you do it, it's important to have hardware that can handle more packets than your network will generate. Otherwise you run the risk of packet loss and poor voice quality.
Finally, you want to make sure that all your equipment is in good condition. Otherwise it can cause problems in the VOIP system.
Power is another concern for VOIP. Unlike the analog telephone system, which gets its power over the phone lines, a VOIP system is draws its power from a wall socket. If you lose power, the VOIP goes down.
For this reason a network running VOIP should have an uninterruptable power supply.
All this can add up to a significant hidden cost for a company installing VOIP. Your LAN is working fine, so you assume it can handle the load from adding VOIP.
This is what lawyers call a "rebuttable presumption" – meaning it may not be true. Unless you do your due diligence and carefully check out all aspects of your network before adding VOIP you can find yourself with expensive problems.
Rick Cook has been involved with computers since the days of punched cards and magnetic drum memories. He has written hundreds of articles on computers and related technology as well as a series of fantasy novels full of bad computer jokes.


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The tragic beheading of Aasiya Hassan, a Muslim Pakistani American mother of four, will finally force a community to confront and remedy the overwhelming - but frequently ignored and intentionally hidden - demon of domestic violence that has persecuted its silenced women for far too long.
The entire world reacted with shock and outrage as Muzzammil Hassan, a Pakistani-American businessman and co-founder of Bridges TV, was arrested for the gruesome murder of his estranged wife. Mrs. Hassan, an architect and MBA student, had recently filed for divorce and received a restraining order against Muzzammil as of February 6, 2009.
Contrary to some spurious reporting, this was not an "honor killing", a barbaric practice that has its own unique motivations and historical culture, rather it personifies the all too common phenomenon of domestic abuse. Asma Firfirey, the sister of the deceased, stated her sister suffered last year from injuries that required nearly $3,000 worth of medical bills - allegedly the result of spousal abuse.
According to Zerqa Abid, the first cousin to Mr. Hassan's first wife, "Both of his earlier wives filed divorce on the same grounds of severe domestic violence and abuses...it took [my cousin] several years to get rid of the fear of living with a man in marriage."
Despite his shameful history, Mr. Hassan mind-bogglingly remained a prominent and often-adulated figure in Muslim American circles for his contributions to the media. His example, amongst several others, highlights the egregious failure of foresight and insight of American Muslim leadership to carefully vet, screen and ultimately renounce appointed representatives with reprehensible backgrounds.
This horrific tale serves as an exaggerated and grotesque microcosm of a pervasive epidemic of violence against women that has been intentionally ignored by all communities - not just Muslim and Pakistani. For example, in the United States, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44.Sadly, despite the universality of the problem, the antiquated tropes of "the savage Muslim" have emerged to crudely tar all Muslims and South Asians with the same brush. I received a colorful comment on my blog to that effect:
"Islam and Muslim are both clear fuc [sic] ups. All Muslims need to be pushed to their Allahlands. They have no business being in the non Muslim countries...Muslim is unable to live in non Muslim cultures for which he has no respect."
Although simplistic knee jerk reactions like this would certainly make xenophobes proud, they ignore the millions of Muslim, Pakistani and immigrant couples who share the same joys and burdens of marriage like any other, yet never resort to violence, abuse or murder.Many assume the root cause of such atrocious behavior towards women exists within Islam itself and legitimized by The Quran and sanctioned by the Prophet Muhammad. However, Dr. Muhammad Rajabally, Chairman of The North American Islamic Shelter for Abused (NISA), established in 2002 as a vehicle towards alleviating issues related to abuse and domestic violence, strongly disagrees:
Imam Tahir Anwar, an Imam at South Bay Islamic Association located in San Jose, California, concurs and says instead the problem lies in a "culture" of misogyny that induces fear and shame:
"There is no room for domestic violence in Islam. More over the Prophet, peace be upon him, said 'the best among you is he who is best with his wife.'"
"Culturally, women are taught to 'not speak out' even if they are beaten. They have to 'save' the family and honor."
Rima Chaudry, a domestic violence victims advocate and counselor based in San Francisco, CA, says survivors of abuse often "face a community that is ignorant about domestic violence and unsupportive."
However, there is still hope. It seems the absolute brutality of Aasiya's murder has served as a clarion call to many American Muslims who have passionately responded to the tragedy with a resounding desire to confront this festering calamity.Imam Mohamed Hagmagid Ali, Vice-President of The Islamic Society of North America - one of the largest and most influential Muslim organizations in the U.S. -wrote a public response to the murder in which he exhorts:
"Our community needs to take a strong stand against abusive spouses...This is a wake up call to all of us, that violence against women is real and can not be ignored. It must be addressed collectively by every member of our community."
A nationwide, unified effort entitled "Imams Speak Out: Domestic Violence Will Not Be Tolerated in Our Communities" has commenced to ask all imams and religious leaders to finally discuss this recent tragedy, as well as domestic violence, in their weekly sermon on this upcoming Muslim holy day of Juma'a [Friday prayer services.]
Those given a platform on Friday to address American Muslims must do so with a passionate resolve and righteous anger that speaks up for the countless mothers, daughters and wives suffering silently and very visibly from domestic abuse and violence.
It is ironic and bittersweet that the heinous murder and tragic death of Aasiya Hassan forces the American Muslim community to build a bridge of "understanding" that leads to a new, hopeful beginning where the silenced voices of abused and battered women will finally find conciliation - and a receptive audience.


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UIS Code of Ethics for Cave Exploration and Science in Foreign Countries
Accepted by the International Union of Speleology (UIS) at the General Assembly at the 12th International Congress of Speleology (La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, 1997). Modified by the General Assembly at the 13th International Congress of Speleology (Brasilia, Brazil, 2001) and the 16th International Congress of Speleology (Brno, Czech Republic, 2013).
The purpose of this document is to serve as a first step in the development of a new international code of ethics for caving and cave conservation. UIS cannot enforce rules on its members, nor can it be responsible for illegal expeditions. This code is intended as a forceful recommendation that describes an ideal scenario for individual member countries to implement with—if absolutely necessary—appropriate adjustments that take account of particular circumstances in their countries. The aim of the code is to ensure respectful practices when visiting caves and in relating to other people who deal with them.
It is the consensus of the Bureau of the UIS (2008) that
Caves and karst features, as well as many other underground cavities, are extremely valuable, vulnerable and irreplaceable. These sites are repositories for aesthetics and a vast range of scientific information that is not available elsewhere.
Caves may be regarded as "time-machines." Their pristine and timeless atmosphere is immediately obvious to any visitor. Caves are a limited resource with close to zero carrying capacity. Recent developments in cave microbiology and trace element geochemistry have established and emphasized the uniqueness and vulnerability of the cave environment. The international community of cavers, scientists and the general public all have a duty to pass on this unspoilt cave legacy to future generations. We want future generations to be able to experience the same untouched and aesthetic atmosphere as we do in our caves today. The owners of our caves are those who are not yet born, as well as the present generation.
The caving community is international and consists of individuals with a wide range of backgrounds. Whether a layman, caver, or scientist, all share a keen interest in their caves and have often invested immense personal resources into their exploration and cave stewardship. Such efforts deserve great respect when dealing with speleologists from different regions and nations.
Therefore, the UIS Code of Ethics covers
The code is organized in paragraphs of short explanatory text with examples.
A: General caving in your own country
Every country should develop its own code of ethics, but something along the following lines is recommended:
§ 1. When dealing with caves, keep the main focus strictly on the cave and its contents.
This is the most basic and simplest rule for maintaining the state of a cave. If, on the contrary, the focus is on something other than the cave, such as financial gain, personal objectives, rescue, etc., then the cave will suffer. Visiting a cave is like borrowing a book at the library; it must be returned in the same state as you received it—you don't tear out pages, write comments, or leave stains on it.
§ 2. Minimum impact ("traceless travel") should be the underlying principle.
One should try to avoid leaving footprints, even on sediment floors, and must avoid smearing and spreading sediments over rocks and speleothems. As the caving community grows faster than the number of known caves, the statement "leave nothing but footprints" is no longer sufficient. One should also acknowledge that microbial cross-contamination within and of caves may become the most serious (and invisible) threat to the cave environment in the future. The only permanent marks that may be acceptable are modest survey stations and other reference points for mapping and scientific investigations.
Likewise, during a cave rescue, the focus is naturally—and should be—on the victim and the transport logistics. This is the only situation where excessive trampling and wear may have to be accepted. However, similar damage is sometimes unavoidable during rescue practice (training). Therefore, rescue practice should be restricted to only a few already damaged caves and never performed in newly discovered or otherwise pristine caves.
Every caving trip makes an impact and contributes to the eventual cumulative destruction of the cave. Ideally, all caving trips should aim to have some kind of return—apart from personal excitement—to make up for the damage inflicted, in the form of documentation (such as survey, photographs, scientific observations). Knowledge is the most important legacy we can provide for others. Likewise, every caver must carry out their trash, etc.
B: Caving expeditions to foreign countries
Here we distinguish between visiting known caves (adventure caving) and exploring areas for new caves (expedition caving). The remarks that follow refer particularly to expeditions. The principle is to realize that one is a guest in a foreign country and to behave appropriately, paying respect to the hosts and local people. This responsibility is mutual, both guests and hosts are expected to respectfully acknowledge (and cite in publications) previous work.
§ 1. UIS supports the international activities of speleological societies, caving groups and karst scientists.
International cave exploration is important for:
However, visiting cavers must be aware that exploration for new caves by foreigners may not be welcome when local cavers are already exploring the same area or may want to preserve them for future generations.
§ 2. Diplomacy and common sense must be practised.
To avoid misunderstandings by local people, government, and local and national caving organisations in the country where the proposed cave exploration or scientific investigation is to take place, the UIS has prepared the following recommendations:
§ 2.1 Search for local collaboration before leaving your country.
In many cases it will be necessary to obtain prior official permission in the country to be visited. In addition, as a matter of courtesy it is necessary to inform one or more of the following: the national speleological organisation; the UIS national delegate; local caving club(s); and relevant individuals from whom cooperation is sought. If adequate contact has not been made, then only a small reconnaissance visit is justified.
Results of the expedition should be given to the host party and, in return, it is the hosts' responsibility to acknowledge any results of the expedition used in their future publications.
If possible, organisers should arrange joint expeditions with cavers from the country to be visited. The national speleological organisation will be familiar with the official requirements for visiting expeditions. They will be well versed in the requirements for the lodging of expedition reports and published material, and in the regulations pertaining to the removal to other countries of any samples collected by the expedition from the caves.
§ 2.2 During the expedition follow local laws and customs.
The expedition members must respect the laws of the country and local traditions, and understand that some caves may be sacred sites and have a religious and/or cultural significance; exploration and research studies in these caves may be restricted.
The expedition members should not damage either the karst or its caves. They should, where possible, educate and advise local communities in the protection and preservation of their karst, caves, and cave biota.
§ 2.3 After the expedition.
Samples from the caves and karst should only be collected during the expedition, if prior permission has been obtained, and should only be exported if that is expressly permitted.
As a courtesy, copies of all printed material produced by the expedition, together with the location and maps of the caves, should be sent to the participating caving clubs and the national speleological organisation and/or the UIS national delegate.
Assistance received from organisations within the country visited should be acknowledged in all expedition publications.
§ 2.4 Respect for the work of other groups and individuals
Before undertaking an expedition to a foreign country, the visitor group should research previous work and/or current exploration by local or foreign cavers, in order not to interfere with current projects.
Credit for previous exploration should be given in expedition reports.
If several groups happen to be working in the same area, then the opportunity should be taken to learn from each other and to coordinate further work.
§ 2.5 Addenda to the UIS Code of Ethics (accepted in Brasilia, Brazil, 2001)
§ 2.5a The UIS urges all their Bureau members and national delegates, who know of any expedition being organised to a foreign country, to immediately contact and inform the national delegate of the target country.
§ 2.5b If a member of the UIS Bureau discovers a violation to its Code of Ethics regarding a foreign expedition, the Bureau member will contact the national delegate of the expedition's country of origin and suggest that the expedition findings and reports should not be accepted in their official publications, and also state that the reports will not be accepted in any UIS-sponsored publication or event.
§ 2.5c For expeditions organised by countries of high speleological development to countries of lower speleological development, the expedition group should do its best to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and to promote local speleological activity.
C: Future development of show caves
(See also the Memorandum of Understanding between the International Show Caves Association and UIS)
Development of a show cave implies a total change of the local cave environment, as it will be literally transformed into a transport belt for many tourists and leave unavoidable on-going impact. Despite that, show cave development may be an effective way of conserving a cave from uncontrolled "wild" caving and can result in effective conservation of undeveloped sections of the cave off the tourist route. Show caves also relieve stress on other vulnerable caves in the vicinity. In addition, show caves have an important role in conveying ideas concerning the cave environment and natural sciences, and may assist in the recruitment of new speleologists. Scientific sampling should be performed in show caves if possible, as it deflects impact from equivalent wild caves and the resulting information can be conveyed effectively to the general public.
§ 1. Sustainable show cave development.
The prescriptions and guidelines of the International Show Caves Association, as endorsed by the UIS, should be used to guide development of show caves. The principle should be to utilise removable installations, such as suspended plastic or stainless steel walkways, in preference to more permanent materials such as concrete. High efficiency lighting should be employed, and every effort must be made to conceal cables without damaging the cave. It is essential that the development and subsequent use have absolutely minimum impact on the natural environment of the cave. The principles of sustainable development should be followed.
§ 2. Show cave interpretation should focus on education rather than entertainment.
Show caves have great potential for conveying knowledge and stimulating interest in the natural sciences and in the relationship between caves and human activity. Development of show caves should involve collaboration with speleologists in order to ensure minimum impact and maximum utilization of the cave's educational potential.
§ 3. Cavers and cave scientists should help to maintain the quality of show caves.
The results of research and exploration in the cave and its vicinity should be popularized and made available to show cave management, perhaps on a consulting basis.
D: Adventure, geo- and eco-tourism
§ 1. Adventure travel and ecotourism must be traceless and sustainable.
Damage caused by adventure tourism and commercial recreation reduces the legacy bequeathed to future generations. To minimise impact, party size must be restricted, especially in low energy and small caves—less so in river caves—and groups must be controlled by guides who are aware of cave conservation values. Conservation of the cave environment must take precedence over all economic considerations.
§ 2. Competitions should not be held in caves.
Although caving is a sport and has elements of performance, and training is necessary for safety, competitions of any sort are inappropriate in caves, because heavy physical use damages their natural values. Damaging caves in the name of sport is totally unjustified.
E: Scientific sampling
The UIS is aware that excessive scientific sampling is occurring within caves and that it is accelerating globally. Likewise, trading in specimens from caves, such as speleothems and fossils, is also occurring.
§ 1. Sampling should only be undertaken by well qualified experts (or their trained assistants) for their own research.
Sampling of rare specimens should be minimized and preferably done in quarries and show caves.
§ 2. Samples and specimens should be neither purchased nor sold.
Trading and private ownership of material from caves should be disapproved of. Such material should be kept in the cave or in a museum. Fossils or specimens in private custody cannot be scientifically studied and published, as this requires that the specimen is available as reference material.
§ 3. Local practice should be followed for permission.
Individual countries may have different rules for scientific sampling and, as with caving, local laws must be respected.
§ 4. Results of research should be passed to international data repositories.
In order to minimize duplicate and unnecessary sampling, research results should be freely available. Analysed samples and specimens must be deposited in a museum or other place where it is curated and made available for other researchers.
§ 5. Specific comments
Living organisms
Cave environments are extreme and subterranean organisms may be correspondingly fragile, vulnerable, and often only present in very low numbers. Thus sampling must be well considered and should generally only be undertaken by well-qualified experts for their own research.
Is someone's transient career more important than an ancient, still-growing in situ speleothem? The irreplaceability of growing and fossil speleothems must be appreciated. The removal of a growing speleothem from a cave means its "life" is ended, as is its value for future appreciation. Speleothems should not be bought (we must not create a market), and without knowledge of the sample's stratigraphic context its scientific value is much reduced.
Sediments in a cave form the habitat of many organisms and contain records of past environmental history. Like any other cave deposit, they should be treated with respect and not be trampled or sampled indiscriminately.
Archaeological, fossil, and sub-fossil deposits
These deposits are irreplaceable and of great value to science, and so should only be excavated by qualified professionals after having first obtained official permission. Excavations should remove only a fraction of the deposit of interest to ensure that a major portion is left untouched for future work.


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Affordable visa free countries for digital nomads and downshifters. US and UK citizens have plenty of options, from Peru to South Africa and more
Slow Travel
For the digital nomads working remotely from all corners of the globe is easy if you have a good Wi-Fi connection. But the cost of all those flights soon adds up. That will simply not do; having to work long gig economy hours and not having time for the Antalya beaches or pubs.
Try some slow travel then to keep the airfare budget down. These 10 visa free countries are both affordable and come without the visa fuss. Of course, UK citizens can make use of their Visa free entry in to Europe before the Brexit negotiations topple the apple cart. US citizens can also enjoy 3 months visa free travel to the 26 Schengen area countries. (Pity then I only hold a South African passport.)
Visa Run
Downshifters will likely be more concerned with the retirement visa requirements. Although you could bypass even this, by doing a visa run and popping back to your home country each time the tourist visa expires.
What is stopping you then? Escaping the gloomy English weather or a Trump presidency is easier than you think! (Apparently the Canadian immigration website has crashed as I write, hehe) Now all you need to do is convince your significant other; but it should be an easy sell, who can resist Peru or Mexico?
Top 10 affordable Visa Free countries
|1. Peru: Visa Free up to 183 days on arrival
|2. Mexico: 180 days Visa Free
|3. Turkey: 3 months with an eVisa
|4. Malaysia: 3 months Visa Free
|5. South Africa: 90 days Visa Free
|6. Argentina: 90 days Visa free
|7. Chile: 90 days Visa free
|8. Colombia: 90 days Visa Free
|9. Ecuador: 90 days Visa Free
|10. Nepal: 90 days Visa on Arrival


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May 6, 2013 - 12:29:19 AM
Norwalk Hospital Breaks Ground on New Ambulatory Pavilion
By Norwalk Hospital
Named in Honor of the Late Anne. P and Harold W. McGraw, Jr.
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Left to Right Mary Franco, President, Norwalk Hospital Foundation; Carol & George Bauer; Diane Allison, Chair, Norwalk Hospital Board of Trustees; Dr. Howard Eison, Chair, Norwalk Hospital Foundation Board of Directors; Robert McGraw, Sue McGraw, Terry & Nancy McGraw; Mayor Richard Moccia; Lisa Brady, SVP, Chief Operating Officer, Norwalk Hospital; Andrew, Robyn & Adam Whittingham, Michael & Terran Whittingham, Suzanne Rogers.
Norwalk, CT - Norwalk Hospital celebrated a major milestone on Friday breaking ground on a new ambulatory pavilion to meet Fairfield County's growing need for outpatient care. The new pavilion marks the largest expansion project in Norwalk Hospital's 120-year history.
The Anne P. and Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Center will feature a light-filled main lobby and patient registration on the first floor, an expanded Emergency Department and new Cancer Center on the third floor, and an updated Ambulatory Surgery Center and Center for Digestive Diseases on the fifth floor. The project entails 95,000 square feet of new construction and 35,000 square feet of renovations. The pavilion is designed to allow Norwalk Hospital to accommodate new technologies and future development. Construction is expected to be completed in 2015.
Norwalk Hospital was built on a foundation of philanthropy. In 1888, Margaret Cavanaugh's response to a local tragedy triggered concerned and compassionate leaders to take action to help provide better health care for their family, friends and neighbors. For 120-years now, the Hospital has been fortunate to have the philanthropic support of those who share in our vision and have made significant financial contributions to expand facilities, invest in the latest technologies and create new patient programs and services.
The ceremonial groundbreaking recognized local families whose transformational giving plays a crucial role in this next phase of Norwalk Hospital's development. The new pavilion will be named The Anne P. and Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Center in recognition of an extraordinary $10 million gift from The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Family Foundation, Inc. and the McGraw Family made in honor of their late parents' commitment to community, health care and Norwalk Hospital.
The Anne P. and Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Center
In 1997, the McGraws made a leadership gift in support of the Hospital's then new Emergency Department. The McGraws have always been committed to ensuring that all members of the community have access to high quality medical care, regardless of their ability to pay. After their parents' deaths, Sue, Terry and Bob McGraw have carried on the family tradition to generously support many local and national causes.
"Our parents took great pride in volunteering and supporting their community. It was never about them. It was always about helping others. They especially had a deep appreciation for Norwalk Hospital where they received marvelous care. The McGraw Family is so proud to be associated with this outstanding organization," shared Terry McGraw.
Longstanding-friends and supporters George and Carol Bauer of Wilton and the Whittingham Family of Stamford have also made leaderships gifts to support the two busiest departments which already carry their names.
George and Carol Bauer of Wilton, $2.5 million gift for the new and expanded Bauer Center for Emergency Care.
The Whittingham Family of Stamford, $2.5 million gift for the new C. Anthony and Jean Whittingham Cancer Center.
Pavilion Highlights
Renovated 15 years ago to treat 25,000 patients annually, The Bauer Center for Emergence Care currently treats twice that number. The newly designed space will double in size and be able to triage and treat 65,000 patients a year. The expansion will significantly increase the number of exam rooms, offer flexible space to accommodate surges in patient volumes, enhance patient privacy and offer dedicated space for pediatric, behavioral health and urgent care patients.
The C. Anthony and Jean Whittingham Cancer Center will feature peaceful, serene treatment areas and light-filled chemotherapy infusion suites. It will house a CT simulator for treatment planning, a new linear accelerator for radiation therapy and space to expand the collaborative research and clinical trials underway with nationally-recognized cancer research centers. A beautiful outdoor healing garden will allow patients and caregivers to enjoy the healing benefits of nature.
The Guthrie Center for Digestive Diseases will provide academic medical center-level care in a community hospital setting. Services currently located throughout the Hospital will be centralized to enhance patient access and accommodate space for new, innovative technologies. Features include larger screening and treatment rooms, private consultation rooms and a spacious family waiting lounge. Patients will benefit from state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatments, many of which are only available at Norwalk Hospital. The Center is named honor of the late Jim Guthrie, MD, Former Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery.
Given the growing demand for outpatient surgical procedures, the Ambulatory Surgery Center will be upgraded to enhance patient privacy with additional renovations to include new pre- and post- operative space, as well as redesigned recovery and family waiting areas. From registration through discharge, patients will enjoy an enhanced outpatient experience, getting them back home and on the road to recovery.
"Thanks to the generosity of the McGraws, Bauers, Whittinhgams and countless other families and individuals, the new pavilion will transform health care at Norwalk Hospital," shared Diane Allison, Chair, Norwalk Hospital Board of Trustees. From our humble beginnings 120-years ago, Norwalk Hospital remains a cornerstone in our community. Looking ahead, together, we will continue to deliver superior health care to the Fairfield County community for generations to come.
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Norwalk Health Department Continues to Offer Flu Shots, Guidance this Flu Season
American Red Cross Offers Workshop to Help Local Businesses Prepare for Disasters
Heart Walk Chair Announced
SPS Adopts Seal of Biliteracy Recognizing Students Proficient in Two or More Languages
Learn Strategies to Build from the Ground Up from Edsall & Restall on March 9
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Languages, Cultures and Societies (LCS) Scholarships University of Leeds
Languages, Cultures and Societies (LCS) Scholarships
The School of Languages, Cultures and Societies is offering scholarships for students undertaking research MAs and PhD programmes, full-time and part-time, starting in September/October 2015. Both Home/EU and international students are eligible to apply. The School offers postgraduate teaching and supervision by leading researchers in their fields within the disciplines and Centres listed in the further information documentation.
- Eligibility: Available to all new UK/EU and International students undertaking full-time or part-time MA or PhD study (one-year taught Masters, Masters by Research and PhD) in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds
- Deadline: 12 June 2015
- Value of award: Part-fee bursaries at UK/EU fee levels may be awarded to individual applicants at the discretion of the Scholarships Committee.
Download application form and details


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UW-Platteville a 'best buy' for online business degree
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is among the top schools in the nation for an affordable online
"The value of higher education, especially in business, has never been greater," said Dawn Drake, executive director of alternative delivery systems at University of Wisconsin-Platteville. "Because of that, it's vital to ensure programs remain accessible to a broad range of working adults. One way of doing that is keeping tuition affordable."
GetEducated.com recently released its list of the Best Online Colleges for an affordable business degree or "Best Buys" at the bachelor level. The rankings were calculated by comparing tuition and distance education fees at 67 regionally accredited or regional candidate universities.
Click here for full press release.


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Wednesday, January 30, 2013
bits and pieces
6 comments:
- Susan said...
Don't worry about the finishing.......it's the creativity along the way that's important, and you seem to be finding it in a few different places. Love the photo of the cotton reels......nice looking drawers.
- January 31, 2013 at 7:15 AM
- Fairy Floss Stitches said...
Love your photos...your photographer's eye is very tuned in! Cooper looks very involved with the tennis too! xx Lea
- January 31, 2013 at 9:45 AM
- Lorraine said...
I never work on something I am tired of.....I think the quality of my stitching reflects my mood :) Always better to put it away for another day!
- January 31, 2013 at 12:31 PM
- Fiona said...
thats the only way to stitch... when the love is there... great pictures... there is art in all sorts isn't there?
- February 1, 2013 at 10:42 AM
- Jenny said...
Hey Googy girl , love the name. Love the photos too the cottons look so bright and fun.
- February 2, 2013 at 6:25 PM
- Deb R said...
I agree, put it away till the mood strikes...or something else grabs your interest! The material does that on my machine too lol
- February 3, 2013 at 8:22 AM


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I just launched a kickstarter for a children's book I wrote. I did a lot of research before launching to see what made or broke previous kickstarter projects that were similar to mine. I have a video, great content (I think). I even have something to offer that other children's books on kickstarter didn't (an animation). I worked so hard on my kickstarter page... Yet I haven't been able to build up enough traction in my first two days, and I heard the first day is the biggest and most important. Could somebody look at my kickstarter and give their honest opinion on what could be improved? Because I have to be doing something wrong here):
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cl ... cture-book


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Realtek Audio Driver Version V18.104.22.16813 118.85 MB ASUS X551MAV Windows 7 x64 (64-bit)
Realtek Audio Driver Version V220.127.116.1113 118.85 MB ASUS X551MAV Windows 7 x64 (64-bit)
This package contains the driver that enables the Realtek Audio in supported notebook models that are running a supported operating system.
File name: Audio_Realtek_Win7_64_VER6017213.zip
Released: 2014/05/06
Version: 18.104.22.16813
A device driver is a small piece of software that tells the operating system and other software how to communicate with a piece of hardware. For example, all printers come accompanied with drivers to install that tell the operating system exactly how to print information on the page. Sound card drivers tell your software exactly how to translate data into audio signals that the card can output to a set of speakers. About.com - http://pcsupport.about.com/od/termsag/g/term_driver.htm


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Posted by Dan Arndt
My last two outings with the Friends of Fish Creek Spring Birding course were at Carburn Park, both on Thursday, April 17 and Sunday, April 20. Both days had their high points, and so I'll be mixing and matching photos from each of those days here.
While each day we did the route a little differently, the best birds were always in the same spots. On Sunday, we headed down to the Eric Harvie Bridge then walked back along the river with the sun behind us. While there weren't too many birds near the bridge itself, as we moved northward we found our first Common Goldeneyes, an American Beaver, and shortly thereafter, a lone Muskrat above the beaver's dam!
We were also treated to some vigorously displaying Downy Woodpeckers, chasing each other up and down from tree to tree. These two especially were really going at it!
We headed up the river, seeing a few Tree Swallows, a few Ring-billed and Franklin's Gulls, and even heard a lone Song Sparrow calling from across the river before we headed back into the denser foliage. Most interestingly though was a little spot we had found on Thursday which was host to half a dozen Ruby-crowned Kinglets was still holding one little one singing away while the sun shone bright…. unlike Thursday, which was cloudy, gloomy and rather snowy!
Up on the north end of the park we saw the local nesting pair of Bald Eagles in the distance, and both days it appeared that the female was still on the nest, brooding her eggs, while dad hunted for dinner.
The real highlight of the trip on Thursday though was seeing this flock of nearly a hundred swallows, both Violet-green (look for the ones with the white rump band above the tail) and Tree Swallows (all the rest of them, with the bluish-black backs) flying low over the river chowing down on their lunch of freshly hatched insects. While I had initially guessed that we had seen about four or five Violet-green Swallows, looking back over at my photos I was able to find at least 10 individuals, the largest number of that species I've seen in Calgary at once!
Of course, they weren't there in any great numbers on Sunday, which was much warmer, and much nicer weather, but there was a beautiful Mourning Cloak butterfly, my first of the season, sunning itself near the second of the large ponds. It was a great end to a great day!
Thanks again for reading, and good birding!


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I feel like a broken record…. I get tired of my updates with nothing really improved…. Blah! Blah! Blah! My last post about doctors really was more about my frustration of not finding clear answers. But Kodiak had several more visits and another CT SCAN. I think by now my baby's head is glowing. But no sign of infection. Just deviated septum and swelling that might be linked more to allergies. Yeah! Well! We just keep on trying to figure it out. In the mean time… It's good it's been very cold… Kodi had worn mittens to soften the blows he gives to his left eye. His open wound we keep patching up at night after he has gone to sleep. We keep trying new things. It works for a little bit until he realizes he can still find a way around our schemes.
In December we all went skiing and snowboarding while Kodi stayed with Nana and Papa. We had so much fun. I even went snowboarding for the second time. It went a little better than the first time. But my legs get so tired. Next time I will have to go first. Then ski last. Am I too old? I don't know, but I will say I do enjoy winter and being out there versus sitting in a chalet watching people and playing cards. I was never one to just sit and watch others have all the fun. My nieces and kids were so encouraging and I think my brother and sister-in-law thought I was crazy. Oh! Well! I won't give up on it yet.
I thought this photo was so cool. Sitting at night on the hill looking down. Resting of course because I was exhausted. I decided to rest and cool off and get enough energy to continue down hill on my snowboard. I love winter!
Then our temps got real cold. The kids went back to school after winter break. And the next Monday and Tuesday it was way too cold to even venture outside long let alone walk to school. We had record lows with even colder windchill here in the upper Midwest. What an amazing time though. They kept getting up all night tossing a glass of water in the air… Also to feel the coldest temperatures they had ever felt. Of course no one slept. Ice formed all over the windows and doors. They took really cool photos of them.
Then people got sick. I lost my voice and still don't have it completely back… Grrr! But there is some exciting news coming later this week. I will post about it after it happens. I'm so excited as it's been years in the making!!!!
I'm hoping we see huge results with Kodi and communication! It's the ONLY hint I will give for now! Oh! And I might have another helper! In the form of a human… 🙂
My 3 babies that are snug a bugs in a rug… I dearly love you and hope you all sleep soundly!!!
For now I will leave you with some winter sunsets! Love them!
Opps! Last one was a sunrise!


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Section 8 housing could be a part of new development.
GREEN TWP., Ohio - The region's public housing agency voted Tuesday evening on a proposal to buy five parcels of land on the southern edge of Green Township for a new project.
The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) voted five to two in favor of purchasing land between North Bend Road and Boudinot Avenue.
If approved, CMHA has tentative plans to build a 50-unit, multi-family rental project there.
The proposed project is part of Green Township's settlement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), reached in January 2012.
Township trustees had sued HUD the previous summer, alleging the township was being unfairly singled out for subsidized housing.
As part of the settlement, township trustees agreed to allow construction of 32 additional units of subsidized housing in Green Township – less than the 68 units, and possibly more, that CMHA had once envisioned for the area.
The township currently has 105 public housing units.
Under the deal before CMHA, the agency would buy five parcels. They are 3320 Dickinson Road, for $14,900; and 4166, 4176, 4186 and 4238 North Bend Road, for $625,000.
The project likely would include a mixture of subsidized and affordable units, said CMHA spokeswoman Kelly Kramer.
Some Westwood and Cheviot residents are upset about the proposal, noting it borders their neighborhoods. Activists there have said their neighborhoods already are oversaturated with subsidized housing.
CMHA's board of commissioners met Tuesday to decide on the purchase. The meeting was held at The Reserve on South Martin, 7363 Martin St., in Mount Healthy.
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