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After some discussion of how much I really hate the Cardio Party workout that is in this rotation, I decided to go ahead and substitute for it. I might be able to handle it once a week for a month, except that the Hard Core Fusion workout incorporates some of the same things I really detest about Party. So... I'm going to force myself to continue Fusion, but sub for Party.
I think I've decided to use Cardio Inferno. It is a shorter workout (30 minutes vs. 40 minutes). It uses light weights, but no other equipment, and it isn't "dancy" at all. As much as I love my "old" Firm, I don't like dragging equipment out and putting it away. I love the idea of getting through one month with no boxes and such.
Again, please, if something stays red, please ask me about it... Saturday is the only day where I won't always be able to update my blog shortly after finishing a workout (not sure how I'm going to handle next Saturday at all... I'm supposed to be picking Connor up at 7:00, which means being out the door before 6, and then he's volunteering until noon... so the earliest I'd be home would be about 1:30. Maybe I can get everyone to go outside that afternoon so I can workout inside ALONE.
I do think I need to adjust my schedule so that I have Saturday as a rest day, instead of Saturday as the longest workout of the week.
Anyway, this week's schedule:
Monday: Hi-Def Sculpt (weights upper body only) DONE
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Hi-Def Sculpt Express (weights for upper body only) DONE
Thursday: Cardio Overdrive Express (no weights) DONE
Friday: Hard Core Fusion (weights for upper body only)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Hi-Def Sculpt
Today's workout was a struggle. Trina and Richard got up before I started to work out, and they were totally obnoxious and difficult. I called Dale and cried, he told me to put their noses on the wall until I was done working out... and voila! I did get through my workout. (I did even let them leave the wall before I finished.) I pre-watched Cardio Inferno, mostly to be sure it wasn't going to be as frustrating as some of these others.
ETA: Wednesday: well, yesterday was a bust. My head was pounding, I felt absolutely miserable all day, and I would have stayed in bed if I thought I could get away with it. So, I did not workout. I decided to use this opportunity to alter my schedule so that I'll have Saturdays off. So, the above is revised to reflect my new plan. Today's workout was great. But the sculpt workouts are always my favorites.
ETA: Friday: I admit it. I didn't complete the workout. I hate it. I have to find another option. I did the first 10 minutes. In that time, Allie admonished me to be "funky" four times, to give her some "attitude" and to give it some "personality." I didn't even get to the Latin dance part, well, not exactly. There was one little cha-cha-cha move in there.
I CANNOT DO THIS WORKOUT! Yes, I'm shouting. I don't care. I'd rather be fat than subject myself to this.
So, I'm writing today off. I'm sleeping in tomorrow and taking my rest day. I'll do the sculpt workout on Sunday morning early (love that one!). And next week? I'll be subbing for Hard Core Fusion. I know I own Firm Cardio+Sculpt workouts that don't leave me standing, watching, saying, "No way, no how" in total frustration. The C+S workouts don't tend to be my favorites, but I don't remember absolutely detesting any of the others.


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Sean wrote... " Don't suppose its much use but just in case you'd like to add something about the first leg of his tour here's a photo or two of Andre with one of our creations during his stay (Evan and Kenny worked on this site too).
This one isn't one of mine! It is rubbish that will never last - need to include it in a Rogues gallery, it's just a part of a 2000 year old (yes thousand) hill fort! Imagine how long it would last if built properly.
We also visited some of things that the Tour of Walls in June was supposed to go on. How not to batter a wall (built 1860s), obviously a life limited structure...
This is a retaining wall in Dinorwic quarry (built so there was enough flat land for the big shed, 100 yards long 40 feet high at tallest) Brenda and Andre are admiring
the view.
A diminutive Andre in front is one of the large incline walls used for lowering finished slates out of the slate quarry in Dinorwic.
Sean was interviewed recently on BBC radio about how not to build a dry stone wall.
It starts about ten minutes into the program

subset: commoncrawl


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« Numbering of the people | Numbers, Book of | Nun » |
Numbers, Book of
The fourth of the books of the Pentateuch, called in the Hebrew be-midbar, i.e., "in the wilderness." In the LXX. version it is called "Numbers," and this name is now the usual title of the book. It is so called because it contains a record of the numbering of the people in the wilderness of Sinai (1-4), and of their numbering afterwards on the plain of Moab (26).
This book is of special historical interest as furnishing us with details as to the route of the Israelites in the wilderness and their principal encampments. It may be divided into three parts:
1. The numbering of the people at Sinai, and preparations for their resuming their march (1-10:10). The sixth chapter gives an account of the vow of a Nazarite.
2. An account of the journey from Sinai to Moab, the sending out of the spies and the report they brought back, and the murmurings (eight times) of the people at the hardships by the way (10:11-21:20).
3. The transactions in the plain of Moab before crossing the Jordan (21:21-ch. 36).
The period comprehended in the history extends from the second month of the second year after the Exodus to the beginning of the eleventh month of the fortieth year, in all about thirty-eight years and ten months; a dreary period of wanderings, during which that disobedient generation all died in the wilderness. They were fewer in number at the end of their wanderings than when they left the land of Egypt. We see in this history, on the one hand, the unceasing care of the Almighty over his chosen people during their wanderings; and, on the other hand, the murmurings and rebellions by which they offended their heavenly Protector, drew down repeated marks of his displeasure, and provoked him to say that they should "not enter into his rest" because of their unbelief (Heb. 3:19).
This, like the other books of the Pentateuch, bears evidence of having been written by Moses.
The expression "the book of the wars of the Lord," occurring in 21:14, has given rise to much discussion. But, after all, "what this book was is uncertain, whether some writing of Israel not now extant, or some writing of the Amorites which contained songs and triumphs of their king Sihon's victories, out of which Moses may cite this testimony, as Paul sometimes does out of heathen poets (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12)."
« Numbering of the people | Numbers, Book of | Nun » |


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By Sant Kirpal Singh, from the book "Spirituality – what it is"
"God is in the soul and the soul is in God, as the sea is in the fish and the fish is in the sea." St. Catherine
The term 'Spirituality' is hard to define. The scope and extent of the subject is so vast and varied in its many aspects that it can hardly be put into so many words. Suffice it to say that it deals with the immutable and eternal facts of life- the active principles that are enlivening tile entire creation.
The quest for the 'Spirit' and for the 'Laws of Spirituality' has ever been in the human breast from the dawn of consciousness in man; yet with all its hoary antiquity, the subject retains its freshness as ever before and shall continue to do so. The Spirit or Soul is the vital flame in man, in the light and life of which he lives and has his being, and no wonder that in every clime and in every age, the leaders of spiritual thought – the sages and seers, the saints and sadhs- have attempted to solve the mystery of life.
The subject of Spirituality is concerned purely with the problems connected with the Spirit or Soul – to wit, its origin or source, what it is, its seat in the body and its relation thereto, how it functions in the physical world, whether it is possible to separate it at will from the body and bodily adjuncts, the mind and the senses, and if so, the various processes connected therewith. It deals with the spiritual journey through different spiritual planes and the spirit's capability of traversing the same, the ultimate goal or destination to which this journey leads, and other allied topics, such as the welfare of the spirit, how to feed it and with what, for on its health depends the health of the mind and the body. These are some of the vital questions that fall within the purview of our inquiry.
Spirituality is more a practical science than a mere theoretical dissertation. The various scriptures of the different religions of the world provide us with the theoretical aspect only and cannot give us a demonstrative experience of the Reality in the laboratory of the human body. Writings like the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Avesta of the Zoroastrians, the Tripatakas of the Buddhists, the Gospels, the Quran, the Adi Granth, Triratanas of the Jains, and other canonical literature and extra-canonical works, with their commentaries, etc., medieval and modern (the Mahabhasyas, the Angas and Upangas, etc.), all might point the Way but have no power to take us there. Their chief merit lies in the spade-work they do in creating an interest in the aspirants for Paravidya or the Knowledge of the Beyond. But the Transcendental Experience can be gained only from a Living Master, a Murshid-i-Kamil, well versed and competent in the practical aspects of Spirituality. Life and Light can come only from the Living-impulse of a Master Saint, whose glance of grace is more than enough to quicken higher life in the disciple.
The greatest teachers of humanity, make use, according to the individual needs of the disciple, of all the three methods: (i) Anva or Gross, that is, imparting spiritual instructions by word of mouth; (ii) Shakta or subtle, that is, instilling higher spiritual consciousness in the disciple without his having to go through the external sadhan or discipline; and (iii) Shambhava or Transcendental, that is, raising the disciple, in infinite mercy, to the highest stage of Realisation without his having to do anything at all. As an unerring guide on the inner spiritual path, he appears in his Radiant Form (Guru-Dev) and accompanies the spirit when it transcends the body consciousness while living or at the time of death, and as a veritable Master of Truth (Satguru) he works out the Divine Plan. The need for such a Master-soul who can at once work on the various planes, as Guru, Guru-Dev and Satguru, cannot be over-emphasized.
In a nut-shell 'Spirituality' contents itself only with "Self-Realisation" and "God-Realisation." It has, therefore, nothing to do with institutionalised religions or religiosity, the outward show of religion that we mostly make nowadays.
Spirituality may be distinguished from sectarianism. While most of the great religions of the world tend to become more and more sectarian in their outlook, Spirituality ever remains universal, with its appeal to people of all the religions who can come to and join this Studium Generale or Universal Mystery School for practical training. As opposed to the sealed or codified religions, Spirituality is an open book of God, with the living touch of the Masters who present it from age to age in the spirit of the age. In this scientific age, it is presented as any other science, with mathematical precision and results verifiable on scientific lines.
The term 'Spirituality' is not to be confused with (i) Spiritism, or belief in the existence of spirits apart from matter, which, when disembodied, haunt the nether regions as ghosts, or the lower planes of the astral regions as angels. (ii) Spiritualism, or belief in the survival of human personality and in communication between the living and those who have 'passed on,' in the form of spirit rapping, planchette writing, etc. (iii) Mesmerism, or producing a state of trance by the consciously exerted 'animal magnetism' of the operator so as to subordinate the will-power of his subject. (iv) Hypnotism, which produces a kind of deep sleep in which the conscious-ness is suspended and the patient is made susceptible to the suggestions of the hypnotist. Spirituality, on the contrary, is the science of developing Higher Consciousness in Man on the level of the soul, and making one transcend from mere body consciousness into Cosmic Consciousness and further on into Super Consciousness, so as to enable one to understand the working of the Divine Plan.
With these few words, I would request the seeker after Truth to carefully peruse and study the pages that follow, so as to understand the true significance of the most important and yet mostly neglected subject, the subject of Spirituality.


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Choosing the right health insurance plan is a critical decision that can impact your healthcare costs and coverage. Health Savings Account (HSA) and Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) are two common options, each with distinct features. Let's explore the details to help you determine which is right for you.
Understanding HSA: A Savings-Focused Approach
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) offer a unique blend of healthcare and savings features. Here's how an HSA works:
- Tax-Deductible Contributions: Contributions to an HSA are tax-deductible, reducing your taxable income.
- Tax-Free Earnings: Earnings within the HSA, such as interest or investment gains, grow tax-free.
- Tax-Free Withdrawals: Withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free.
- Empowered Healthcare Spending: HSAs empower individuals to take control of their healthcare spending.
- Cost-Effective Pairing: You pair an HSA with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), which often has lower premiums.
- Pre-Tax Dollar Contributions: Individuals contribute pre-tax dollars to the HSA, building a fund to cover out-of-pocket medical expenses.
- Portability Assurance: Your HSA is yours to keep, even if you change jobs or health plans.
Key Considerations for Choosing HSA
- Financial Flexibility: Ideal for those comfortable managing their healthcare expenses and looking for tax advantages. Suited for individuals with a generally healthy lifestyle and fewer healthcare needs.
- Long-Term Savings: HSA funds can accumulate over time, serving as a long-term savings vehicle for healthcare expenses in retirement.
Understanding PPO: A Network-Driven Choice
Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) are known for their flexibility and broad network of healthcare providers:
- Network Flexibility: PPOs offer a network of preferred providers, but you have the flexibility to see out-of-network doctors at a higher cost. No referrals are needed to see specialists, providing more autonomy in choosing healthcare providers.
- Cost Structure: PPOs typically have higher premiums than HDHPs but lower out-of-pocket costs. Co-payments and co-insurance are common, making it easier to budget for healthcare expenses.
- Less Focus on Savings Accounts: PPOs don't come with a savings account component like HSAs, but they offer a more traditional insurance model.
Key Considerations for Choosing PPO:
- Network Freedom: Suited for individuals who value the flexibility to see specialists without referrals and have a preferred network of doctors.
- Predictable Costs: PPOs are beneficial for those who prefer predictable costs in the form of co-payments rather than managing a savings account.
Choosing HSA v. PPO
When deciding between HSA and PPO, consider your health needs, financial preferences, and risk tolerance. Here are some additional factors to weigh:
- Healthcare Usage: If you anticipate regular healthcare needs, a PPO may offer more predictable costs. For those comfortable managing their healthcare expenses and seeking long-term savings, an HSA might be suitable.
- Risk Tolerance: HSA plans come with higher deductibles, requiring individuals to cover more upfront costs. Assess your comfort level with potential out-of-pocket expenses.
- Financial Goals: Consider your long-term financial goals. HSAs can serve as a valuable savings tool, while PPOs offer a more traditional approach.
If you need guidance in choosing between an HSA and a PPO, our agents are ready to assist you. Contact your local agent today to explore how our agency can help you make an informed decision and secure the right health insurance plan for your needs.
Filed Under: Health Insurance | Tagged With: Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Health Insurance


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A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby
Title: A Long Way Down
Author: Nick Hornby
Date Finished: Feb 14, 2009 #7
Published: 2005 Pages: 333
Rating: 2.5/5
Four people meet on top of a popular suicide building on New Years Eve, and although none of these four know each other, they all have the same intention of jumping. These characters couldn't be more different from one another: Martin is a divorced middle-aged celebrity who has just gotten out of prison for sleeping with a fifteen year old; Maureen is the mother of a disabled teenager and hasn't had a social life--or any life in nineteen years; Jess is a teenaged troublemaker whose sister disappeared a few years prior, and JJ is an American whose band just broke up and his girlfriend has left him.
When the four get to talking on top of the roof, they learn that maybe they can help one another for the next six weeks when they will reevaluate their lives and decide whether or not they still want to commit suicide. Throughout the rest of the novel, the characters band together to fix some of the messes that they've made and even make right out of a few wrongs. But in the end will it be enough for these characters to find a reason to live?
It sounds like a depressing novel, but it really isn't. Hornby has a dark kind of humor that lets the reader know that--hey, it really isn't as bad as it seems. Each character has his own voice in the novel as each chapter is written from a different character's point of view, so not only did I get to see the character through his/her own eyes, but also each character through the others' eyes. One of my favorite aspects of a book is point of view, and I think that Hornby does a great job of giving each character a distinct and unique voice.
In the end, though, it didn't keep me interested enough in the story. I sometimes found myself forcing my way through each chapter to try and figure out just exactly where this unlikely story was going. I didn't care about most of the characters, particularly Martin and Jess who I strongly disliked, and for such a serious topic (ie suicide), I thought the plot was rather superficial. Grrrr! I know others really love Hornby, and I enjoyed High Fidelity when I read it two years ago, but I was really disappointed in this one. I did, however, get a kick out of the literature/music references in the book and particularly loved JJ's thoughts on reading:
"Why does reading freak people out so much? Sure, I could be pretty antisocial when we were on the road, but if I was playing a Game Boy hour after hour, no one would be on my case. In my social circle, blowing up ****ing space monsters is socially acceptable in a way that American Pastoral isn't" (193).
Yes, JJ. My thoughts exactly! Do I recommend this one? If you're a Hornby fan, go for it. Otherwise, I don't know if I'll be passing this one on or keeping my copy. And another warning--the language is incredibly bad. I'm not a prude when it comes to language, but it is quite excessive.
Booo! I hate writing reviews like this. And maybe it is exacerbated by my blogging slump of late. I've hardly been on my reader at all the past few weeks. And I hate that, but I'm finding myself a little discouraged at my lack of "free" time and the amount that my favorite bloggers post. :) This is not a gripe at you guys, but I am having to figure out the best way to read the blogs that I love. It may come down to skipping meme posts--the Monday Musings, Library Loot, Friday Fill-ins, etc. Or picking one or two posts from a blogger a week instead of trying to catch up with 7 posts at the end of the week? Anyway, for now I've just been avoiding. And although you probably don't notice my absence, I notice and it bugs me.
How do you keep up with blogging without it running your life?


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Authentic to the touch
Yamaha's GHS (Graded Hammer Standard) weighted action has heavier touch in the low end and lighter touch in the high end, just like the hammers inside an acoustic piano. Great for the aspiring pianist, practicing on the GHS action builds the proper finger technique for when the time comes to perform on an acoustic piano. Plus the matte finish of the black keys are less slippery when playing for extended periods of time.
Tried and true, Yamaha's classic sound engine for realistic tone
AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) sampling uses digital technology to record the sound of an acoustic piano. AWM Stereo Sampling creates a deeper, richer and more spacious sound by using pairs of waveforms (L and R) captured with two microphones. The P-45 uses AWM to play one sample per key at varying levels of volume and timbre.
A compact and lightweight design makes it easy to get around
Slim and stylish form with a depth of less than 12 inches, the P-45 requires little space. At only 25 lbs. with a built-in sound system, it can be easily moved anywhere in your home or even used for performance outside.
Simple, single-button operation
Various P-45 settings can be changed with a single button. Hold down the "GRAND PIANO/FUNCTION" button and press the keyboard to change Voices, play demo sources, configure the metronome and more.


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Multithreaded simple data type access and atomic variables
Table of contents
How atomic variables work
Atomic variables size limitations
Use cases
The real thing…
Time to see some action
IntroductionBACK TO TOC
In this article I would like to continue subject I started in my previous two posts (post 1 and post2). Question I am trying to answer is what is the most efficient, yet safe way of accessing simple data type variables from two or more threads. I.e. how to change a variable from two threads at the same time, without screwing its value.
In my first post I've shown how easy it is to turn variable value into garbage by modifying it from two or more threads. In my second post I am talking about spinlocks, a recent addition into pthread library. Spinlocks indeed can help to solve the problem. Yet spinlocks more suitable for protecting small data structures rather than simple data types such as int and long. Atomic variables, on the other hand, are perfect for the later task.
Key thing about atomic variables is that once someone starts reading or writing it, nothing else cannot interrupt the process and come in the middle. I.e. nothing can split the process of accessing atomic variable into two. This is why they called atomic.
On the practical side, atomic variables are the best solution for the problem of simultaneous access to a simple variable from two or more threads.
How atomic variables workBACK TO TOC
This is actually quiet simple. Intel x86 and x86_64 processor architectures (as well as vast majority of other modern CPU architectures) has instructions that allow one to lock FSB, while doing some memory access. FSB stands for Front Serial Bus. This is the bus that processor use to communicate with RAM. I.e. locking FSB will prevent from any other processor (core), and process running on that processor, from accessing RAM. And this is exactly what we need to implement atomic variables.
Atomic variables being widely used in kernel, but from some reason no-one bothered to implement them for user-mode folks. Until gcc 4.1.2.
Atomic variables size limitationsBACK TO TOC
From practical considerations, gurus at Intel did not implement FSB locking for every possible memory access. For instance, for quiet some time, Intel processors allow memcpy() and memcmp() implementation with one processor instruction. But locking FSB while copying large memory buffer can be too expensive.
In practice you can lock FSB while accessing 1, 2, 4 and 8 byte long integers. Almost transparently, gcc allows you to do atomic operations on int's, long's and long long's (and their unsigned counterparts).
Use casesBACK TO TOC
Incrementing a variable and knowing that no-one else screws its value is nice, but not enough. Consider following piece of pseudo-code.
decrement_atomic_value(); if (atomic_value() == 0) fire_a_gun();
Let us imagine that the value of an atomic variable is 1. What happens if two threads of execution try to execute this piece of pseudo-C simultaneously?
Back to our simulation. It is possible that thread 1 will execute line 1 and stop, while thread 2 will execute line 1 and continue executing line 2. Later thread 1 will wake up and execute line 2.
When this happens, no one of the threads will run fire_a_gun() routine (line 3). This is obviously wrong behavior and if we were protecting this piece of code with a mutex or a spinlock this would not have happened.
In case you're wondering how likely something like this to happen, be sure that this is very likely. When I first started working with multithreaded programing I was amazed to find out that despite our intuition tells us that scenario I described earlier is unlikely, it happens overwhelmingly often.
As I mentioned, we could solve this problem by giving up on atomic variables and using spinlock or mutex instead. Luckily, we can still use atomic variables. gcc developers have thought about our needs and this particular problem and offered a solution. Lets see actual routines that operate atomic variables.
The real thing…BACK TO TOC
There are several simple functions that do the job. First of all, there are twelve (yes, twelve – 12) functions that do atomic add, substitution, and logical atomic or, and, xor and nand. There are two functions for each operation. One that returns value of the variable before changing it and another that returns value of the variable after changing it.
Here are the actual functions:
type __sync_fetch_and_add (type *ptr, type value); type __sync_fetch_and_sub (type *ptr, type value); type __sync_fetch_and_or (type *ptr, type value); type __sync_fetch_and_and (type *ptr, type value); type __sync_fetch_and_xor (type *ptr, type value); type __sync_fetch_and_nand (type *ptr, type value);
These are functions that return value of the variable before changing it. Following functions, on the other hand, return value of the variable after changing it.
type __sync_add_and_fetch (type *ptr, type value); type __sync_sub_and_fetch (type *ptr, type value); type __sync_or_and_fetch (type *ptr, type value); type __sync_and_and_fetch (type *ptr, type value); type __sync_xor_and_fetch (type *ptr, type value); type __sync_nand_and_fetch (type *ptr, type value);
type in each of the expressions can be one of the following:
- int
- unsigned int
- long
- unsigned long
- long long
- unsigned long long
These are so called built-in functions, meaning that you don't have to include anything to use them.
Time to see some actionBACK TO TOC
Back to the example I started in the first post I mentioned earlier.
To remind you, this small program opens several of threads. Number of threads is as number of CPUs in the computer. Then it binds each one of the threads to one of the CPUs. Finally each thread runs a loop and increments a global integer 1 million times.
#include <stdio.h> #include <pthread.h> #include <unistd.h> #include <stdlib.h> #include <sched.h> #include <linux/unistd.h> #include <sys/syscall.h> #include <errno.h> #define INC_TO 1000000 // one million... int global_int = 0; pid_t gettid( void ) { return syscall( __NR_gettid ); } void *thread_routine( void *arg ) { int i; int proc_num = (int)(long)arg; cpu_set_t set; CPU_ZERO( &set ); CPU_SET( proc_num, &set ); if (sched_setaffinity( gettid(), sizeof( cpu_set_t ), &set )) { perror( "sched_setaffinity" ); return NULL; } for (i = 0; i < INC_TO; i++) { // global_int++; __sync_fetch_and_add( &global_int, 1 ); } return NULL; } int main() { int procs = 0; int i; pthread_t *thrs; // Getting number of CPUs procs = (int)sysconf( _SC_NPROCESSORS_ONLN ); if (procs < 0) { perror( "sysconf" ); return -1; } thrs = malloc( sizeof( pthread_t ) * procs ); if (thrs == NULL) { perror( "malloc" ); return -1; } printf( "Starting %d threads...\n", procs ); for (i = 0; i < procs; i++) { if (pthread_create( &thrs[i], NULL, thread_routine, (void *)(long)i )) { perror( "pthread_create" ); procs = i; break; } } for (i = 0; i < procs; i++) pthread_join( thrs[i], NULL ); free( thrs ); printf( "After doing all the math, global_int value is: %d\n", global_int ); printf( "Expected value is: %d\n", INC_TO * procs ); return 0; }
To compile and run, throw this snippet into a file and run:
gcc -pthread "file name"
Then run
Note lines 36 and 37. Instead of simply incrementing the variable, I use built-in function __sync_fetch_and_add(). Running this code obviously produces expected results – i.e. value of global_int is 4,000,000 as expected (number of CPUs in the machine multiply 1 million – in my case this is a 4 core machine). Remember that when I ran this code snippet leaving line 36 as is, the result was 1,908,090 and not 4,000,000 as we'd expect.
PrecautionsBACK TO TOC
When using atomic variables, some extra precautions have to be taken. One serious problem with atomic variable implementation in gcc is that it allows you to do atomic operations on regular variables. I.e. there is no clear distinction between atomic variables and regular variables. There is nothing that prevents you from incrementing value of the atomic variable with __sync_fetch_and_add() as I just demonstrated and later in the code doing same thing with regular ++ operator.
Obviously this might be a serious problem. Things tend to be forgotten and it is a matter of time until someone in your project or even you yourself will modify value of the variable using regular operators, instead of atomic functions that gcc has.
To address this problem, I strongly suggest wrapping around atomic functions and variables with either ADT in C or C++ class.
ConslusionBACK TO TOC
This article concludes a series or articles and posts where we investigate and study newest techniques in the world of multithreaded programming for Linux. Hope you'll find these posts and article useful. As usual, in case you have further questions please don't hesitate to email me to email@example.com.


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One of the perks of being North Korea's "Great Successor," a.k.a. Kim Jong Un, is command performances by Disney characters. Another is getting your own theme song. While in other parts of the world, theme songs are ordinarily the domain of superheroes, cartoon characters and television shows, it's a North Korean tradition that dates back to the country's founder, Kim's grandfather Kim Il-Sung.
Unlike his father and grandfather's songs, though, Kim Jong Un's theme doesn't mention the country's leader by name. Instead, the song takes a page out of DeadMau5's book and more or less remixes one of his speeches. Titled "Onwards Toward the Final Victory," the song takes its name from the closing words of the speech Kim gave on April 15 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, according to The Guardian.
(MORE: North Korea Threatens South Korea — Over Christmas Lights)
The theme song is part of a concerted effort to build up the image of the so-called "great successor" via a vast propaganda campaign. The song is airing several times a day on radio and television, according to The Guardian, and the score has been printed in the official newspaper Rodong Sinmun. "The song hardens the will of the Korean army and people to devote their all to the prosperity of the country with high national pride," said the state run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), who also report that the song has been enthusiastically received by North Korean citizens, naturally.
"Onwards Toward the Final Victory," is catchy enough that perhaps people will remember it far longer than his father Kim Jong Il's signature tune, which was not "So Ronery," but the far less memorable "No Motherland Without You."


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How to control exposure
Master aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings.
HDR stands for high dynamic range and in photography describes a way to capture the detail in the lightest and darkest elements of a photo. Essentially it involves taking and combining more than one image of the same scene to get the best elements of each.
There are many scenes that have a dynamic range too wide for a camera to record all the detail in a single frame. For instance a landscape on a sunny day, shooting from a window to the bright outside or photographing a building in shade that is in front of a bright blue sky.
In this scene one shot loses the cloud detail in the sky, in the next the base of the windmill is lost. The final HDR image is produced in-camera. You can now view detail in both the darks and the lights of the image, the camera has balanced out the exposures to produce an image far closer to what the human eye can see.
Many compact cameras and smartphones have an HDR function built in. Usually there isn't much control over the output, simply select the function and shoot the image. Often the camera will ask you to keep the camera steady as it takes a series of images with different exposures and combines them automatically to produce the final HDR image.
A DSLR with an HDR function can offer more flexibility. You may be able to choose how many images the camera takes and how far apart the exposures are set. This will enable you to get exactly the shot you are after.
Use a tripod. One important thing to bear in mind is that when the camera exposes for the darks it drops the shutter speed. In fact a fixed shooting position will always help as the camera will find it much easier to align the exposures if they are very similar in composition.
You can create your own HDR image. To do this, all you need is a little knowledge of exposure control.
1. Select shooting mode Aperture Priority and establish your ISO and aperture.
2. Switch the exposure-metering mode to Average or Evaluative. With these settings your camera will select an average exposure based on all the tones in the scene.
3. Use the exposure compensation dial to under and over expose the scene. How much depends on the amount of light and dark in the scene.
4. Start with 1 stop variations. So, take a shot at -1 on the exposure compensation dial, then turn the dial so it reads -2 and then -3. Repeat, this time overexposing at +1, +2, and +3. You may not use all these images in the final HDR but it's good to have the data just in case.
5. Alternatively you can use Autoexposure bracketing (AEB), which lets you decide how much you will under and overexpose, then takes the series of photos in one go
"A fixed shooting position will always help as the camera will find it much easier to align the exposures if they are very similar in composition."
On your computer use software to combine the images into a single image. Many Canon cameras come with Digital Photo Professional (DPP) software which has a special HDR tool.
Try to create an image that was similar to how you saw it, our eyes have a much greater dynamic range than cameras so this technique can be used to bring a scene back to how you remember seeing it.
Look for opportunities to use this technique. Working out when to use HDR is as much of a skill as producing good HDR images themselves. Practice on the obvious landscapes and skies but also keep it mind HDR as a useful technique for detail and macro photography, where you can bring out unseen detail and make for some very interesting images.
Often images with lots of detail make for interesting HDR images. Using HDR in this image has given it greater depth as you can now see right into the windmill mechanism, far closer to what the photographer experienced with the naked eye.
Get Inspired is your key source of useful photography tips, buyer's guides and insightful interviews – everything you need to find the best camera or the best printer, and make your next creative idea come to life.
Back to all Tips & TechniquesPHOTOGRAPHY BASICS
Make your pictures more interesting by following these image composition rules.
Follow these tips and tricks to give your backgrounds a beautiful blur.


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Product details of Tan's Natural Comb
- High-quality natural wood, maintain the natural color of the product
- Crafted with traditional handcrafts, well polished, smooth and seamless
- With smooth texture and anti-static design, will not hurt the scalp
- Daily massage with wooden comb will improve hair texture
- Help achieve healthy hair
- Classic design
- Easily to bring everywhere
- Nice gift for someone
Material: Box Wood 水黄杨木
Craft:Raw Lacquer & Handpainted
Comb's Size: 18cm x 5cm
Special Craft: Raw Lacquer 生漆
Chinese lacquer is natural raw lacquer, also known as strong lacquer and soil lacquer. In China, painting wares with Chinese lacquer has a long history of thousands of years, which began in the Yin-Zhou period, became popular in the Han and Tang dynasties, and flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Chinese lacquer is profound, temperate and refined, magical and magnificent, durable and always like new. No synthetic paint has surpassed it so far in terms of its main properties, such as hardness and durability.
Maintenance: Regular play can make the surface of the combs more lustrous. Take care not to drop them to avoid destroying their lacquer surface. Strong light and intense heat will make the wood and lacquer surface stretch. Due to the different expansion coefficients, the stretch may cause fine cracks on the lacquer surface and damage the appearance of the combs.
Cleaning: Do not put the combs in warm water while cleaning yourself up.Be careful to avoid soaking them in water for a long time to prevent the pigment from separating out. Brush the combs gently with a soft brush while cleaning them and dry them promptly with a towel after cleaning.
Storage: Please put the combs on the desktop or dressing table after using them at
home. Do not store them with sundries, otherwise it may cause the deformation of
comb body, which is not easy to recover. Prevent the combs from rubbing against
hard objects in bag or handbag to avoid scratches on their lacquer surface.
!! Note !!
- Avoid pull or throw them hard,knocking them against hard objects, rub or scratch them.
- Due to the light and monitors effect, colours may have lightly difference.
- Please allow 2-3cm errors due to manual measurement.
- No Return, Refund and Exchange.
For shipping, please refer here.


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Flooring Installation
For a floor you'll be proud to call your own, choose MAS Building & Renovations LLC. We offer best-in-class floor installation services tailored to our clients' needs, wants, and budgetary constraints. Whether you want a sleek slate floor or an ornate floor adorned with a tile mosaic, we have work that's sure to please. Professional, dependable, affordable: Consider us your best bet for quality floors.
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We are happy to offer you a personal consultation for your floors. Book one, and we'll arrive at your location at a time that's convenient for you. We'll inspect the proposed worksite, discuss your product options, and come up with a plan that works for you. We'll be sure to answer any questions you may have, and we'll give you a transparent breakdown of the costs of our services. It's our chance to demonstrate our trustworthiness, and it's your chance to experience the quality of our work for yourself. Take advantage and book your consultation today.
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Naval Aviators Visit Cold War Gallery
On 3 April 2013, three retired naval aviators paid their first visit to the Cold War Gallery at the Washington Navy Yard, to view some of the Navy Museum's newest exhibits. Of particular interest to them was the Ready Room Theater, a replica of an aircraft carrier squadron ready room. The three aviators, Rear


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Access to the Future: Preparing Students with Disabilities for Careers
In this video presentation, college career development staff share ideas for making services and programs accessible to students with disabilities. It can be used in professional development programs for campus service staff who help students develop career skills and participate in internships and other work-based learning activities.
- Year: 2011, 2000
- Runtime: 12:48 minutes
Also available in these formats
- YouTube
- Quicktime Download (open captioned, audio described)
- For sale as part of the DVD Compilation DO-IT Careers 1 (See order form)
Related Publication
For additional details and resources on this topic:


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Thundering drum beats? Check. Swoon-worthy vocals? Check. Panty-obliterating lead guitarist? Check. Looks like you're all set for Rock My Body, Book Two in the Mondez series by Lee Piper!
Rock My Body (A Mondez Novel #2) by Lee Piper
Available: June 3, 2017
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Riley Sears promises herself never to fall in love unless it's going to end in an engagement ring and a white picket fence—her medically diagnosed anxiety skyrockets otherwise.
Enter Dominic Mondez, the hottest guy ever to grace pecs and abs. He propositions Riley with a cocky yet tempting offer of the best sex of her life—his words. However, after learning he's a manwhore who never sleeps with the same woman twice, Riley's decision becomes remarkably simple.
No. Way. In. Hell.
He is a commitment phobe; she needs commitment. End of story.
Sadly, traversing the murky waters of friends without benefits isn't simple, especially when he's lead guitarist of local rock band, Mondez. Riley is also cautious of his tempestuous nature, womanising ways and—even worse—inexplicable jealousy. He is bad for her in every possible way.
Bad, bad, bad.
If only her body would listen.
[Read an excerpt]Where To Buy:
✽ Amazon AU
✽ Amazon CA
✽ Amazon UK
✽ Amazon US
✽ Barnes & Noble
✽ Evernight Publishing
✽ iTunes
✽ Smashwords
He was watching me, I could feel it. My body sensed him long before my head did and started tingling. Everywhere.
Oh, holy mother.
Just the thought of him made my heart pound. Traitorous thing. It merrily rammed against my ribcage as soon as I pictured his tall, muscular body and dishevelled, russet hair. My fingers itched to reach out and delve through the soft strands—they remembered what it felt like to tug down on them as he groaned into my open mouth—but I shifted in my seat and sat on them instead. I wasn't going down that road again, hell no. I was done. D.O.N.E.
A low chuckle cut through the muted sounds of heavy rock music emanating from inside, its gravely sound resonating with my downstairs department, causing a deep blush to stain my cheeks.
Clearly, I wasn't fooling anyone.
What in the name of sweet baby Jesus is he even doing here?
I tried so hard to focus on what Sebastian was saying. Thankfully, he held up his end of the conversation despite my unexpected inability to formulate any words. We'd been sitting together for a while without a single awkward pause so I nodded, smiled, and even laughed when required. To be fair, it was a pretty decent pick-up attempt. Well, until he showed up.
Blue eyes burned my skin.
You don't own me, you don't own me, you don't—
I swallowed, steeled myself and then glanced across the beer garden.
Own me.
Dominic was leaning against the wall, his black, button-down shirt almost bursting at the seams. I blamed those insanely strong pecs and biceps. Honestly, they were huge. And the way his dark blue jeans hung enticingly low off narrow hips… Well. It should be illegal. He was going to give someone—aka me—a cardiac arrest if he wasn't careful.
I shook my head. With a bottle of beer in one hand and a buxom blonde in the other— this one looked nastier than most—the guy was the physical embodiment of everything I despised. Truly.
If only my body would listen.
Raising the drink to full, kissable lips, he tipped his head back, piercing gaze still locked on me. He then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a flicker of emotions I couldn't identify crossing his face when he noticed my breath catch.
The girl must have registered his distraction too because she started rubbing herself up against him like an overly aroused limpet. Gross. He broke contact with me and looked down at her, a dark smile tugging his lips. After murmuring something in her ear and slapping her on the behind, she giggled. I looked away, that familiar painful knot forming in my stomach once more.
Damn you, Dominic Mondez. Damn you to hell.
Readers are raving about the Mondez series! Check this out:
I loved this story. I couldn't put it down! –Rabid Readers Book Blog on Rock My World
From start to finish I could not put this book down! I highly recommend reading it, a truly amazing writer!!! –Kindle Customer on Rock My World
Lee Piper showed us the strength it takes to love someone who is broken and the mental struggle a person battles to just let it all go and live again. Not an easy task, as a real person or as an author writing about imaginary people. To have a reader actually feel a character's emotions, feel their pain as your own is a challenging feat BUT Lee conquered this task. –Kameron Brook on Rock My World
This book had me from start to finish. Cannot wait for the next one in the series!!! –Kindle Customer on Rock My World
Get ready for it:
Rock Me, book three in the Mondez series is written from lead vocalist, Katrina's perspective and will be available soon. Here's a taste of what's to come:
Hours later, I am lying awake in bed when it hits me. It's like a punch to the gut with a drop-kick to the heart thrown in for the hell of it. Groaning, I roll over and cover my head with my pillow, only it does nothing to erase the three unhelpful truths which bombard me.
One: I've still got feelings for Finn Mondez.
Two: He hates my stinking guts.
And three: We're going on tour together. For a month. An entire month.
This is gonna be interesting.
About The Author:
Lee Piper is a lover of books. She often juggles reading seven novels at a time for the sheer joy of it. At the grand old age of five, Lee Piper decided to become an author, however found a limited market for her unicorn stories. So, high school English teacher it was.
At thirty-two, and grieving the loss of her second miscarriage, Lee Piper turned to novels—Kylie Scott, to be precise—to escape the pain. This then inspired her to write Rock My World, the first in a four-part contemporary romance series, and her debut novel became an Evernight Publishing bestseller within the first two weeks of publication.
Lee Piper lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her drummer husband, cheeky daughters, and one very crazy dog.
Connect with Lee Piper: Website | Facebook | Blog | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads Author Page


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Welcome to Twitter Tuesday, our roundup of the latest Metro related tweets. To get our attention, add the #MetroLosAngeles tag to your tweets and subscribe to our feed if you haven't already. For specific complaints and customer service, please use the Customer Comment Form on Metro.net.
If you are having problems reading this post on your browser, please see part one and part two on the Storify website.
Many more tweets about Metro are after the jump!
Categories: Feedback, Twitter Tuesdays


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Arun Gandhi "Mr. Carmack, What you have shown in the scenario is what we are constantly doing at the personal level as well as the public level. It is the policy of exploitation that the rich employ against the poor. This is why grandfather [Mahatma Gandhi] said 'Materialism and morality have an inverse relationship – when one increases the other decreases.' If I may, I would like to keep the videos as resource material to teach students about economic violence in the world. With good wishes. Yours sincerely, Arun Gandhi, M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence"
Milton Friedman "Mr. Carmack, As you know, I am entirely sympathetic with the objectives of your Monetary Reform Act…You deserve a great deal of credit for carrying through so thoroughly on your own conception…I am impressed by your persistence and attention to detail in your successive revisions… Best wishes. Milton Friedman," Nobel Laureate in Economics; Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace
D. James Kennedy "Compelling! Excellently produced and impressively documented. If you want to learn what our Founding Fathers and Presidents have to say about money and its control, you will want to see [The Money Masters]…"- Dr. D. James Kennedy, Coral Ridge Ministries, FL
Malachi Martin "I endorse the video because people should know what is happening." – Malachi Martin, late Professor at the Pontifical Biblical Institute and a close associate of Pope John XXIII; author of: The Windswept House; Vatican; The Keys of the Blood, and numerous other books
Russo "I'm a big fan of The Money Masters. It's undoubtedly the best work on the Federal Reserve. It convinced me that the only solution to our economic troubles is the Monetary Reform Act. Before that, I had no idea how to get out of this mess. Why can't our politicians get this? In a single year America could once again be on the path to political and economic freedom. I hold your work in the highest regard and drew from it heavily for my own film." Aaron Russo, Feb. 2007, Hollywood Producer, Director and Writer of America, Freedom to Fascism
G Edward Griffin I appreciate and applaud your efforts to accomplish something specific in the area of monetary reform. . . I do not hesitate to recommend that people view The Money Masters for the excellent overview of fraudulent banking which it presents. . . G. Edward Griffin," author of THE CREATURE FROM JEKYLL ISLAND; A Second Look at the Federal Reserve
W Cleon Skousen "This is undoubtedly the most comprehensive presentation of the history of our money system and who is responsible for the disastrous consequences that has left us with an unconstitutional money system and multi-trillion dollar debt." – Dr. W. Cleon Skousen, author of The Naked Capitalist and The Naked Communist
Ian Woods "This 3 ½ hour video is professionally produced in the style of A&E Biography and covers the history of monetary reform from Roman times to the present. It is packed with great quotations which make for a powerful argument for the need to reform the money system. A MUST for serious activists."- Ian Woods, publisher of Monetary Reform Magazine
"At last somebody has put together a video on the Fed that the average person can understand."- Betty Faulk, Huntington House Publishers
"The Money Masters is by far the best and most complete production on the subject of money that we have seen. We are pleased to endorse it… Special thanks for your efforts on the most important subject that we face."- Robert Carroll, Humane World Community, Inc.
"Outstanding! The best video yet on the history of the Federal Reserve and the mysterious disappearance of America's gold reserves. Fast-paced and riveting."
– Larry Bates, former bank CEO, former Chair of the Tennessee House Banking Committee, author of The New Economic Disorder, Chief Economist FAMC
"As you know, this material is vital for an understanding of our sovereignty's transition into the U.N. You are to be commended for the video."- George S. Gabric, GSG Publishers
"We highly recommend that every American watch The Money Masters." – Zeldon Nelson, CEO National Center for Constitutional Studies
"The Money Masters is a great video. " – Bryon Dale, The Coalition to Reform Money
"Absorbing and very enlightening! There was not a boring minute in the whole thing." – Marilyn Brannan, Associate Editor, Monetary and Economic Review


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All Female Expendables
Is The Ultimate Action Movie Incoming?
The Expendables films have been spitting in the face of terrible reviews by making lots and lots of money in cinemas across the world. We already know that there will be, at least, a third film. And now there's a possibility of seeing the same thing, but with ladies. The ExpendaBelles, if you will…You won't? Well fine.
The potential project won't actually be a part of the Expendables franchise, but instead take the blueprint of throwing together a load of well-known names from the action world and then just blowing shit up. Adi Shankar, producer of The Grey and Killing Them Softly, is preparing to finance the movie, with a script written by Dutch Southern, who himself sounds like a character from a 1980s action movie.
It's reported that discussions have already begun with some "prominent actresses affiliated with the action genre" but there are no names attached yet. Those who would be dream-casting for this sort of thing include Geena Davis, Linda Hamilton, Carrie-Ann Moss, Gina Carano, Michelle Yeoh, Michelle Rodriguez, Grace Jones, Milla Jovovich, Maggie Q, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Beckinsale and, for proper old-school cred, Cynthia Rothrock. Actually, looking at the ideal casting for this project brings up a list of people who, unlike most of the Expendables team, can almost all actually act. You put about half of those actresses together and that already feels cooler than the somewhat crusty Expendables crew muttering woodenly through the bits where they're not shooting. As long as this doesn't wind up with just Bridget Nielsen and someone who was once a stuntwoman on Buffy then this has the makings of The Expendables: The Good Version.
Update On Various Things With '2' In The Title (Or Implied In The Title)
Thor 2, The Dark World, has an extra villain, in the form of Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, better known as Mr Ecko from Lost to those of us with terrible memories for long names. He'll play Algrim the Strong, a mighty Dark Elf, the race ruled by the movie's Big Bad, Malekith (Christopher Eccleston). After being injured in battle he's healed and becomes Kurse, a man twice as strong as anyone on Asgard. Thor plots sound so silly, don't they? Shooting is currently underway in London.
Ellen De Generes is in talks to reprise her role as Dory in Finding Nemo 2, the sequel to the film that reignited her career. DeGeneres has long said she'd like to see a sequel to the movie, so it seems very likely she'll sign, particularly with original director Andrew Stanton, who always maintained that he wouldn't direct a sequel unless he found a terrific idea, now on board.
Hunger Games Sequel Reels In Its Fisherman
Sam Claflin, a British actor who's been hovering on the edge of Next Big Thing for a while, has snagged one of the most coveted roles of recent times, at least for handsome young actors. Claflin, who previously appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean 4 and Snow White and the Huntsman, will play Finnick Odair in Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games. Odair is one of the ex-victors of the murderous games, who's pulled back in for a 'battle of the best' event and develops a complicated relationship with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence). He will also have most likely been contracted for the third film, Mockingjay. Claflin will presumably be living in the gym prior to filming as Odair spends a good portion of his time wearing little more than an artfully draped fishing net.
Cleopatra Still Looking For Her Man
Sony has been trying to get a Cleopatra movie off the ground for a good long while, with Angelina Jolie already set to play the Egyptian queen. But the studio is having a tougher time pinning down a director. David Fincher had been in talks, a hugely intriguing prospect, both for the potential of what he and Jolie could do together and for the opportunity to see him work on a grand scale. But he has now withdrawn.
Ang Lee is currently the man most likely, said to be at the top of Sony's (new) list. Lee hasn't had a real hit since Brokeback Mountain, though Lust, Caution was a solid romance, but early buzz on Life of Pi is extremely strong. If he can manage to turn that very tricky book into a movie that works then he's pretty much capable of anything.
Counting The Days Until…
Every year must have a 'quirky' break-out comedy. The sort of thing you took no notice of during production, has a set-up that sounds perilously niche but then goes on to spread by word of mouth and becomes a big hit. Something like Little Miss Sunshine or, to an extent, The Artist. Perhaps this year's will be Butter, a comedy about the competitive world of butter sculpting. It stars Phil from Modern Family so, frankly, I'm already there.
If You Watch One Film This Week, Make It…
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Saturday, 6.20pm, BBC1 HD)
Because it's nice to remind yourself that once this franchise was about creativity and silliness and joy, rather than confusing people into crushing boredom.
Action Movies
hot women
movie reviews
Reel Talk
Movie News
olly richards


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[Image: Courtesy Xenon Collaboration, via ScienceNews].
Earthquakes, popularly seen as discrete, large-scale events that occur only once every few years—once a decade, once a century, once every thousand years—turn out to be nearly continuous. There are always earthquakes.
According to ScienceNews, "millions of tiny, undetected earthquakes rumble through the ground" every day in California. These are "quakes of such small magnitude that their signals were previously too small to be separated from noise."
In other words, while we wait for the Big One—a true seismic event with the power to punctuate and interrupt everyday life—there are millions of smaller earthquakes constantly rattling the floors, walls, and roads we consider stable.
I'm reminded of a recent article in the New York Times about football player Ryan Miller. "Miller has had 10 concussions in all," we read, "and that is to understate his battering. The brain sits in fluid inside the armor of a skull, and even nonconcussive whacks can result in brain colliding with bone. A couple of hard hits can come to resemble a concussion. The average football player, according to Cantu, takes 600 to 800 hits in high school and 800 to 1,000 in college."
Concussions are like earthquakes, in other words: we wait for the Big One, but this means that, by definition, we miss the cumulative effects of all the little shocks along the way. Everything is moving; the earth is not stable; the landscape is jolting and cracking at a concussive rate, every day, beneath our feet.
On the opposite side of this temporal spectrum, the same website, ScienceNews, also reported that some radioactive decay takes so long, they can outlast our current universe.
"It takes 1 trillion times the age of the universe for a xenon-124 sample to shrink by half," we read. "The decay, seen in xenon-124 atoms, happens so sparingly that it would take 18 sextillion years (18 followed by 21 zeros) for a sample of xenon-124 to shrink by half, making the decay extremely difficult to detect."
That's a bit of an understatement: it means you would need a machine significantly older than the universe to detect and measure these moments of decay.
[Image: Xenon, via Images of Elements].
The breakdown of this specific example—the element xenon-124—involves something called "two-neutrino double electron capture," and I won't even pretend to understand what it means. Nevertheless, what interests me here is the implied possibility that, well, on a universal timescale, everything is decaying. Everything is breaking down. But it occurs on a scale so huge it is inaccessible to human experience, certainly, but perhaps even to human cognition.
Imagine an element that decays only once every 750 trillion years. (Our current universe is 14 billion years old.) Imagine a creature living 749.999 trillion years, arrogantly thinking that its world is immortal.
In any case, this feels like the exact inverse of the previous example: while we're on the hunt for radioactive decay, or while we're out there looking for millions of overlooked mini-quakes and micro-concussions, we might actually miss detecting these massive punctuations of time, epic cycles so rare and daunting that our own universe cannot accommodate them.
For those attentive enough, in other words, there are concussions and earthquakes constantly; yet, on a large-enough timescale, everything decays, everything breaks down, everything has a half-life. Everything is radioactive. In the midst of all that, we make breakfast and take the subway to work.


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A commercial harvester assessed an administrative penalty under this paragraph shall, within 30 days after notification, pay the administrative penalty to the commission, or request an administrative hearing under ss. 120.569 and 120.57. The proceeds of all administrative penalties collected under this paragraph shall be deposited in the Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund.
In addition, any commercial harvester convicted of violating this paragraph shall also be assessed an administrative penalty of up to $5,000, and the incidental take endorsement and/or the stone crab endorsement under which the violation was committed may be suspended for up to 24 calendar months. Immediately upon receiving a citation involving a violation of this paragraph and until adjudicated for such a violation, or if convicted of such a violation, the person, firm, or corporation committing the violation is prohibited from transferring any stone crab certificates or endorsements.


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Finally! Privileged Planet's smoking hypothesis! Or ...
Finally we get to the big hypothesis of Privileged Planet!
Following the discussion of the uniqueness of earth for science discoveries, Jay Richards says, "What if those things that make a planet habitable also make that planet the best place for making scientific discoveries? That is, what if those rare locations in the universe that are compatible with observers like ourselves are also the best places overall for making observations?"
Well, here again we have a falsifiable assertion. Does anyone know of better realistic places for making observations than Earth?
The narrator announces that after three years of research and testing, Richards and Gonzalez published their hypothesis in The Privileged Planet (2004).
(Service note:
The extended review of Privileged Planet will now be posted in a slightly different way. This post is only my account of the latest section of the film that I have re-viewed in detail. Recall that my primary purpose is to try to figure out why the Washington Post thinks Privileged Planet is a religious film.
So if you came here for the latest update, stay right here. If you are new to this extended review, go here first. I will add each day's post to that document.
When I finish, I will post a single complete document to the archives for your convenience.
IF you are looking for a basic introduction to the uproar over the screening of The Privileged Planet at the Smithsonian, you can start anywhere in the archives from May 25, when I broke the story, on. For best convenience, I suggest you go here and here to start, and then this one will bring you up to date. Note that the blogs on the right-hand panel also update the story at various times, so try them too. - Denyse)
Then the key hypothesis — presumably the theme of Privileged Planet — appears on the screen:
The same narrow circumstances that allow us to exist also provide us with the best overall setting for making scientific discoveries.
Of course, my first reaction was to assume that these guys are on the NASA payroll. I mean who should be the happiest people on the planet, if their hypothesis is true?
Richards then explains that in the book Privileged Planet , he and Gonzalez detail more than a dozen examples of key correlations between life and discovery. (I have not read the book, but will try to post non-tendentious reviews.)
We then cut to a discussion of one of these factors, the atmosphere of the Earth. Interestingly, that thin band that keeps us all alive is currently the subject of one of the other BIG debates, global warming.
Other planets such as Mars and Uranus are shown, and the narrator points out that among the approximately 70 known planets and moons (that are not just a lop-sided rock), Earth is the only one whose atmosphere can sustain complex life and the only one whose atmosphere is transparent.
Now again, here's a great chance to prove Richards and Gonzalez wrong. Can someone falsify this observation?
Gonzalez explains that, unlike some other planetary atmospheres, Earth's atmosphere is clear. That is because it is made up of mostly nitrogen and oxygen but very little carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds. The transparent atmosphere is well suited to astronomy.
Of the other bodies in the solar system that have thick, hazy atmospheres, the narrator says, "None of these alien worlds view the stars, or even offers a clear view of the sun."
I guess doing astronomy without a clear atmosphere would be like trying to figure out how much snow fell last night while staring at the basement wall ...
Jay Richards then asks why it is that the only planet that is habitable is also the best one for science?
Yeah, how is that. And don't tell me I am an idiot for wondering.
Of course, this is all heresy in the Church of St. Carl (Sagan), because we are supposed to know somehow that it is all a big accident.
So the big hypothesis has been announced, ... and my local letter carrier has come and gone.
Where ARE those hellfire tracts I thought I was going to get, anyway? I can't start banging on doors up and down the street, bugging my neighbours with my Big Message from God, until I hear something that isn't just about how great astronomy is and (more subtly) why devout astronomers are not mad.
(The undevout astronomer is mad. - Edward Young)
(to be continued)
Labels: Privileged Planet film


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AIC's graduate degree programs are designed to give students expertise that helps them increase their earning potential and advance their careers.
Our supportive classroom environment enables students to network with peers in their field and benefit from a knowledge exchange based on real-world experience.
What's more, you'll learn from professors whose real-world experience can help you prepare for the work the world demands. Our graduate programs are designed to bring out the best in our students. And we'd love for you to join us.
Getting your MSN at AIC opens up so many doors. When I'm done, I'll be qualified to teach in the classroom or manage a team of nurses. And being able to get the degree online is a huge bonus- I'm a mother and an emergency room nurse, and the MSN program provides exactly the flexibility I need. And even though the classes are all online, the professors are still very accessible. You can call or email them whenever you have questions. For where I am in my life right now, this program is perfect.
© 2024 American International College


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The Right Security System Makes All The Difference In The World
April 29th, 2024
Helping Omaha NE residents stay safe and secure has never been more critical than it is today. With things like the opioid epidemic, gun violence, and burglaries continually making the headlines, it is no wonder that people are fearful of leaving their houses. Heck, with so much going on, a lot of folks don't even feel safe in their own homes. So, what is a person to do?
Unfortunately, there is not always a clear-cut answer as to what property owners should do to protect their families. Some folks choose to arm themselves, but having a gun in the home is risky, particularly when children are around. Others decide to buy guard dogs, but anybody that has ever owned a pooch knows that they can sometimes sleep through just about anything. Hence, more and more consumers in Omaha NE are deciding on security cameras to give them peace of mind. Read further to learn about the ins and outs of today's devices.
Think About A Wireless Security System
Modern devices are not the CCTV systems of the past that immediately pop into your mind. There are hard-wired cameras still available, but most people in Omaha NE are opting for wireless models. With old cams, criminals could easily snip a cable here or there outside to gain access to the inside of the home. In turn, they were able to grab valuables and be on their merry way before anybody even noticed.
Wireless cameras are solar or battery powered. Thus, they don't rely on electricity to function, which means the structure is protected during blackouts and failed attempts to cut the cord. If the individual decides to break in any way, a clear image of his or her face will be recorded. Then, the footage can be handed over to the police to ensure that the perpetrator is caught and justice is served.
For More Than Intruders
Many modern security systems detect things such as carbon monoxide, smoke, and even high levels of mold. While they still alert you to trespassers, these devices also inform you when it is time to get your family out of Dodge. Injuries, illnesses, and even deaths can occur when a fire breaks out, or inappropriate substances are floating in the breeze. So, if for nothing else, get a security system with these features to rest-assured that no harm comes to the people you love.
Door, Window Sensors And More
When trespassers get past the security cameras, the window and door sensors will give them a rude awakening. The devices will send a signal to the control panel and alert the monitoring company, who will then send out the police. Also, a doorbell camera can prove to be a worthwhile investment. This little gem allows the homeowner to see who is at the door without actually opening it. Regardless of your security needs, wants, or desires, make sure that you talk with a professional company to get the right system for you. Anything else will be just like throwing your hard earned money down the drain.


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January 10, 2018
Acknowledging Traditional Territory
"F.W. Howay Elementary School recognizes and acknowledges the Qayqayt First Nation, as well as all Coast Salish peoples, on whose traditional and unceded territories we live, we learn, we play and we do our work."
At New Westminster Schools, we believe that acknowledging Traditional Territory is a way to honour and show respect to the original inhabitants of this land. This practice encourages sharing in Aboriginal cultures, and leads to better relationships and understandings.
CLICK HERE for more information about the New Westminster School District's Aboriginal Education Program.


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News: A year on, bitter Italians keep #M5S flying high
Posted 10 years ago on May 20, 2014, 10:48 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
ROME (Reuters) - Franco Picini, a schoolteacher in Italy's capital city, says he has voted for the left all his life, but in this month's European parliament elections, he will back the 5-Star Movement of comedian Beppe Grillo.
"I know his political platform isn't very clear, but enough with Italy's old political guard! They all have to go," says the slim 58-year-old, who teaches teenagers with special needs. "Grillo is the only alternative ... if we want to start over."
The 5-Star Movement swept into Italy's national parliament for the first time last year, riding a wave of discontent with the country's politicians and their mismanagement of the euro zone's third largest economy.
But over the past year, 5-Star has been rocked by internal strife and has little to show in the way of new legislation.
Even so, with Italy still scarred by a three-year economic downturn, the 65-year-old Grillo's grassroots populism remains a potent electoral weapon.
Polls put Grillo's support at about 27 percent for the European elections on May 25, up from the 25.6 percent he took in last year's national elections. That's behind the Democratic Party's 33-34 percent, but some say polls underestimate 5-Star as pollsters typically conduct telephone surveys on land lines, while younger voters, the core of Grillo's support, tend to use mobiles.
"Since the crisis isn't going to be resolved over the next few weeks, the political space for Grillo is still vast," says Elisabetta Gualmini, political scientist for the Istituto Cattaneo research group and author of a book on the 5-Star Movement.
Italy, like other southern European states, is showing tepid signs of economic recovery, and investors are returning to a debt market they had shunned en masse, but business is still suffering, and unemployment high, especially among the young. Even before the crisis, Italy's real per capita gross domestic product had not improved since 1997, two years before the introduction of the euro, according to Eurostat.
Grillo's critics say the party has wasted an opportunity over this past year to put their popular mandate to good use, maintaining a stance of opposition in parliament, and refusing to join with other parties to pass legislation. But it is seen as a badge of honour by supporters disillusioned with decades of political compromise that has kept coalitions together at the expense of much-needed reform.
And Grillo is having a broader influence on Italy's political discourse. The Democratic Party's new prime minister Matteo Renzi, at 39 Italy's youngest ever, peppers his speeches with slogans from Grillo's hymnsheet, and last month announced he was selling dozens of official government cars on eBay as a way to reduce the fringe benefits of Italy's politicians.
"Renzi and Grillo are very similar. Renzi is the only politician who could eat into the 5-Star Movement's popularity, because he uses the same populist communication strategies that Grillo uses; he speaks directly to homemakers, factory workers," says Gualmini.
In last year's elections, Italians lapped up Grillo's rhetoric that it was time to make government more accountable, especially after a year of austerity measures at the hands of the technocrat government of Mario Monti, who was appointed, not elected, to bring Italy back from the brink of default.
"Neither the right nor the left has done anything to make our life better, or to try something new," says Massimo Ornaghi, a 42-year-old information technology engineer who voted for Grillo in last year's national elections. Ornaghi says that if 5-Star hadn't run, he wouldn't have voted at all.
The result gave 5-Star a formidable block of 163 lawmakers between the lower house Chamber of Deputies and upper house Senate.
"The attention we were getting, particularly abroad, was huge," recalls Vito Crimi, speaker of the party in the Senate.
"It was enough to give us all big heads, and some did get cocky."
From the start, Grillo, who founded and runs 5-Star but is not in parliament, said his party "was neither right nor left, but behind the scenes to check on those who govern".
Sometimes they have been very much centre-stage, including a heated attempt to filibuster a property tax bill that led to scuffles in parliament. They failed on that occasion, but on others have exerted influence on government policy. On party financing, long a controversial issue in Italy, they helped push the former government of Enrico Letta to substitute state financing with voluntary contributions by 2017. 5-Star also say they influenced Renzi's plans to reduce the power of various levels of local government in Italy.
"(Grillo) has managed to strip certain controversial issues that used to previously belong either to the right or to the left of the political spectrum," says Roberto Weber, from polling organisation Istituto Ixe'.
Perhaps 5-Star's most effective move, in the eyes of its supporters, is to have agreed to halve their salaries to about 4,000 euros a month and use the savings to support small and medium-sized enterprises.
"The other lawmakers drone on about spending cuts, but when we asked them to follow our example and cut their salaries, there was no response," said Nicola Biondo, head of communications for the party in the lower house.
Though in terms of legislation the party has little to its credit, it did secure a popular amendment to the budget that allows private businesses to withhold tax for unpaid bills owed by the state.
Its popularity has survived what often proves fatal to mainstream parties - a series of bitter internal feuds and high-profile defections and expulsions. As many as 14 of its 54 senators and four of its 109 deputies are no longer with the party.
"The idea that everyone counts in the same way in 5-Star is pure hypocrisy," says Luis Orellana, one of the senators who was expelled in February.
Hurt by the defections and to counter the freshness of Renzi, who had not set foot in parliament until he became premier, 5-Star has been tweaking its policy platform. Grillo, in his blog, has recently tried to attract centre-right voters, in particular small businesses and entrepreneurs, traditionally on the right of the political spectrum, whose biggest complaint is Italy's high taxes.
"The party has gradually been moving towards the right," says Mario Catania, a member of the centrist Civic Choice party and former minister of agriculture in Monti's technocrat government.
That's partly a strategic move, analysts say, as Grillo is trying to take disillusioned voters from Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, which has also suffered internal divisions.
On the blog, which is also an active debate forum, Grillo in April suggested abolishing Equitalia, a private tax collection agency, which he dubbed "the oppressor of small and very small companies, while closing an eye to rich people".
A major plank of Grillo's strategy ahead of European elections is to fuel euroscepticism and seek a popular mandate to abandon the euro, unless there are changes to the financial and budgetary constraints the currency group has signed up to.
"We need to hold a referendum, and our vote will be 'no' if the conditions of the Stability Pact and the Fiscal Compact remain," says Crimi, the party's Senate speaker.
He says 5-Star's biggest achievement is to have restored credibility to Italian politics. "Thanks to us, many people have fallen in love with politics again, and we have opened a window into how our institutions are run."
"This is a model of transparency that we now want to export to Europe," he adds.
Millionaire Grillo has said that if 5-Star doesn't poll first in Italy, he will step aside.
Many don't take him at his word, as they believe the party would fall apart without him.
"He's saying so to shake things up," says Nicola Biondo, the party's communication chief in the lower house. "He wants us to aim high."
(Editing by Alessandra Galloni and Will Waterman)


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OCEAN CITY – Discussions on town employee medical coverage at this week's Mayor and City Council meeting had tempers flaring, as the council tossed around drastic proposals in changing employee health benefits.
The town's current health coverage for employees includes medical, prescription, dental and vision. This coverage will remain but exactly how much the town will cover in costs is left in question.
Human Resources Director Wayne Evans and Kay Moran, health care consultant, presented a benefit and compensation study during this week's Mayor and City Council meeting. They presented the council with three health insurance alternatives in efforts to cut costs for the town. The alternatives varied in the employee cost share and their spouse and family's co-share premium.
Councilman Joe Hall, whose family is covered under the city plan, created his own alternative with his first motion to cover a newly hired town employee 100 percent with health insurance, but for spouse and family to only be covered in a 50-50 cost share. The employees would pay half of the difference in coverage for his or her spouse, while the town would cover the other half. Councilman Brent Ashley seconded the motion.
Councilman Lloyd Martin put it into perspective for Hall on what exactly his motion would entail. He explained that if a town employee started off at earning $32,000 a year, has two children and a spouse the costs for health insurance from the town is around $20,000. This motion would require the employee to pay $10,000 of his $32,000 salary, just to pay for health insurance.
"Is that really what you want to do?," Martin asked. "We want confident employees, we want good people and we want people to be here for 30 years."
Hall responded that he had all the confidence that with a 50-50 cost share in health insurance, the town would be able to attract qualified applicants.
"Employees with families are the best, most solid employees we have," Finance Officer Martha Bennett said. "To move away from offering a family coverage benefit of 85/15, which will save you [the town] over half a million dollars a year, would mean we would no longer attract employees with families that live in the community."
Councilwoman Mary Knight found it hard to believe that the council was attempting to change a system that has already proven to be successful.
"We're not going to get the employees we deserve to get, we're basically lowering our standards," she said. "We're going to hurt ourselves in the long run with these rash actions we're taking."
Councilman Doug Cymek points out the negative impact a drastic change on health insurance could have on the public safety department of the town.
The Ocean City Police Department and Fire Department was well represented at the meeting. The departments are in contract with private unions, concerning their benefits and compensations, due to a referendum passed years ago. That contract with the town will expire next year and any changes to the town's benefits and compensations made now will effect their re-negotiation for a new contract at a later date.
"You do what you said you're going to do, and you're not going to have police officers in January," Cymek said. "All I ask is review information before you make decisions."
Cymek said that there is a police department 30 miles away that is understaffed and a risky decision would put the town at risk for loosing its public safety staff.
"The people in this audience [police and fire department] have done a tremendous job of keeping this town safe," Cymek said. "It is important to keep the staff levels up where they are."
At this notion, Ashley withdrew his second to Hall's motion, and the motion died due to lack of a second.
Almost two hours later, the council returned to the topic of health insurance coverage. Joe Hall stated he would lower his initial motion of 50/50 cost share, if someone were willing to meet him in the middle.
His second motion was to continue to offer new hires the preferred provider organization (PPO) health plans for single coverage at an 85/15 cost share and to add spouse and family the employee will pay 25 percent of the total. Hall recommended the health maintenance organization (HMO) plan for single coverage be set at an 90/10 cost share, and to add their spouse and family the individual will pay 80/20, 20 percent of the total.
After running many numbers and figures, the council as well as the audience grew weary.
"Why don't we just get this down on paper?," Pillas said.
In a later work session the council will have the figures of different scenarios, including HMO and PPO for individual coverage, as well spouse and family, where they can review the facts before making any decisions.
"I think the taxpayers sent a pretty strong message to the council about getting a handle on spending," Council President Jim Hall said. "Maybe this isn't the right vehicle, maybe we will reconsider this."


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Basic Search Stone Collection: Volume 94 - Item 15 | Advanced Search | Online Archives | Help | ||||||||||||
15. Edward Atkinson, The Race Problem: Its Possible Solution (Baltimore, MD: Manufacturer's Record, 1901). (8 p.)
Article asserting that "the race problem exists only where there is ignorance and illiteracy among very large numbers of both whites and blacks." The author argues that education offers the most promising solution to problems associated with race. (The collection has another copy of this pamphlet in volume 91 [no. 25]).


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Law Clinic Student Information Fair
- When:
- Location:
- John and Frances Angelos Law Center
- Room:
- Lobby
- Description:
Law Students! Visit the 1st floor lobby to get more information about Experiential Learning opportunities (Clinics and Externships) available in the Spring 2018 semester. Meet clinic faculty and talk to current Clinic students about the important work they do!
- Contact Name:
- Laura Garcia
- Contact Email:
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- Contact Phone:
- 410.837.5659
Appropriate accommodations for individuals with disabilities will be provided upon request 10 days prior to a campus event and 30 days prior to an event requiring travel.


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Against the backdrop of a mountainous terrain, two communities share a peaceful coexistence. Yet despite their proximity, the societies are distinctly unique. Macaques cavort among the trees, grasping with delight at nature's bountiful pleasures. From the quiet solemnity of a nearby temple, their human neighbours regard them, coveting the monkeys' playful abandon. The macaques are all but oblivious, sparing only the briefest of curious glances at the pensive faces below before surrendering once again to their carefree revels.
Sweet notes of yuzu dance through a pine forest, welcoming you to Zoologist Macaque. Incense adds gravity with aromas of Hinoki woods and myrrh. The delicate balance between heavy and light results in an austere woody scent with mild hints of creamy sandalwood. Macaque is exuberance tempered by calm, sublimity buoyed by joy, a happy harmony of meditative bliss.
This perfume is a new interpretation by perfumer Mackenzie Reilly. The original version, designed by Sarah McCartney, is discontinued and no longer available.
Top Notes: Japanese Yuzu, Mandarin, Juniper Berry
Heart Notes: Myrrh, Hinoki Wood, Hydro Carbon Resin
Base Notes: Oakmoss Absolute, New Caledonia Sandalwood, Olibanum Hyperabsolute
Zoologist Macaque Yuzu Edition does not use animal products.
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