text:
Universities Must Think Globally
This op-ed column was published in the Financial Times.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Nicholas Murray Butler launched his astonishing 43-year tenure as president of Columbia University by defining the modern research university. "In these modern days," he said, "the university is not apart from the activities of the world, but in them and of them. It deals with real problems and it relates itself to life as it is."
In 1902, American universities were entering a century of growth and significance that would have been unimaginable then, perhaps even to Butler. Yet he sensed that the university could not function as a private sanctuary operated for the benefit of the few admitted to it. Universities were a public trust with a role to play in world affairs. Consequently "every legitimate demand for guidance, for leadership, for expert knowledge, for trained skill, for personal service, it is the...duty of the university to meet". There was no place for what Butler called "academic aloofness". Scholarship had to be tied to human needs.
The world is forever changing and raising new problems. A great university, accordingly, must continually reorient itself as the world turns. My sense is that we are at a point when a significant reorientation must occur - in what we teach and research and in how we conceive of engagement with the world. The changes over the past decade - the end of the cold war, the emergence of new forms of mass communication, expansion of trade and markets, experiments with democracy, conflicts over the deepest of human beliefs and intermixing of peoples and cultures on an unprecedented scale - all these and more have ushered in a world of baffling complexity.
Yet not enough of the extraordinary resources of our great universities are directed towards understanding these global phenomena. There are several reasons. First, so much of what one pays attention to depends on whose interests are regarded as being at stake. And we still define ourselves largely by the nation of which we are part. Universities should take a more encompassing perspective on humanity's interests. Second, many fields (economics and political science come to mind) devote too many intellectual resources to creating abstract models that are far removed from the pressing questions of the time or relevant only to particular (usually developed) societies. Third, the method of studying international issues that was developed after the second world war, largely through so-called area studies programmes, needs to be revised. The study of regions must be linked to the broader study of globalisation.
"The world is forever changing and raising new problems. A great university, accordingly, must continually reorient itself as the world turns."
The pressing importance of issues of globalisation will, one hopes, provide a force for change. I have seen this happen in my own field. I am a scholar and teacher of the first amendment rights of freedom of speech and press. On any big law school faculty today, I would be one of more than a dozen specialists in some aspect of US constitutional law. Fifty years ago, this was not the case. A handful would teach a single course on constitutional law. But, as the era of constitutionalism flourished in the late 1950s and 1960s, expertise in constitutional law subdivided the field. This should happen in law schools and throughout the university with the process of globalisation.
Were I teaching today, I would feel compelled to expand my focus to some of the vital global questions (what, for example, is the relationship between a free press and free markets?). But there should also be an emphasis on new global issues, as there was several decades ago with constitutional law. Typically, a law school will have only one or two faculty members who think about international trade law and policy. Yet few areas of human organisation are as significant.
As this happens, and it surely will, it is important to maintain the particular academic stance that defines the modern university and justifies its existence. Butler was right to reject "aloofness". While we cannot order a faculty to study this or that, we must nevertheless be self-critical and aware of the tendency to drift into intellectual solipsism. It is seductive to work on the most fundamental questions, but not all of us can or should do so.
Yet, by becoming too involved with contemporary issues, we risk duplicating the efforts of other actors outside the university and abandoning the vital role of trying to see the forest as well as the trees. Above all, too close an engagement risks turning the university into a partisan, debating society. It is an ideal, but one worth holding on to, that the university nurtures an intellectual character that enjoys the imaginative process of considering all perspectives on any given issue.
Thus, as we reorient our modern universities and turn our focus more to-wards the extraordinary happenings on the global stage, we must bear in mind the fine line between being too much a part "of the activities of the world" and being too "aloof" from them.


text:
Read an excerpt of America Between the Wars.
When the Berlin Wall collapsed on November 9, 1989—signaling the end of the Cold War—America and the West declared victory: democracy and free markets had prevailed and the United States emerged as the world's triumphant superpower. The finger-on-the-button tension that had defined a generation was over, and it seemed that peace was at hand.
More on:
But in their new book, America Between the Wars: From 11/9 to 9/11, Center for a New American Security's Derek Chollet and Council Senior Fellow James M. Goldgeier write that it is a mistake to dismiss the twelve years between 1989 and 2001 as a "holiday from history." Just as history did not end on 11/9, it did not begin on 9/11.
America Between the Wars shows that the challenges confronting America today—the struggle with Iraq, tensions with allies, combating extremist forces determined to spread terror, responding to the violent breakdown of states, stemming the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, managing the economy in an era of dramatic technological revolution, and choosing when to send American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines to fight—did not start on 9/11. They began when the Cold War ended more than a decade earlier, and the Democrats and Republicans are still struggling with the consequences—and will continue to do so when a new president takes office in 2009 and beyond.
Drawing on interviews with leaders across the political spectrum, from Colin Powell and Newt Gingrich to Madeleine Albright and Robert Rubin to Pat Buchanan and Ralph Nader, as well as using declassified government documents, America Between the Wars shows how liberals and conservatives reacted to the collapse of communism and tried to refashion themselves to forge a new kind of politics. It also tells the story of how America's leaders grappled with a moment of dramatic change—offering fresh insights on the successes they achieved and the opportunities they missed.
A Council on Foreign Relations Book
More on:

subset: commoncrawl


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PG&E Seeks to Upgrade SmartMeter(TM) Technology to Enhance Customer, Operational Benefits
Utility expects upgraded technology will more than pay for itself through operational savings while improving customer service
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 12 - Pacific Gas and Electric Company is seeking approval from the California Public Utilities Commission to begin installing next-generation high-tech electric meters during the next phase of its ongoing SmartMeter(TM) program. The new meters would offer an expanded range of service features for customers and increased operational efficiencies for the utility. For example, the new devices would support integration of new capabilities and emerging technologies such as home appliance automation.
"The advanced metering industry has come a long way in just a few years," said Helen Burt, senior vice president and chief customer officer at PG&E. "Features that previously were uneconomic or unproven have become cost-effective and more reliable. The upgrade will take an already strong SmartMeter(TM) program to the next level, by enabling further customer service improvements, more operational efficiencies and more options for customers to conserve energy and save on energy bills."
Specifically, PG&E is seeking to upgrade its residential meters from the traditional electromechanical analog technology to new solid state digital meters, which have become increasingly cost-effective within recent years. The new solid state devices accommodate additional data-communications functions including built-in remote load-limiting, connect-disconnect switches and home area network gateway devices for control of home appliances.
In the request being filed with the CPUC today, PG&E outlined the expected benefits and showed that operational efficiencies and reduced power purchasing expenses would more than offset the cost of SmartMeter(TM) technology upgrades.
PG&E began installing SmartMeter(TM) units in Bakersfield in November 2006, after receiving CPUC approval in July 2006. The company's goal is to install 10.3 million SmartMeter(TM) electric and gas meters for all customers by 2012.
Recognizing that the technology will continue to evolve, the CPUC has directed PG&E to regularly monitor emerging meter technologies and consider upgrades to the program. In the two years since PG&E filed its first SmartMeter(TM) application with the CPUC, the industry has continued to mature and prices for meter devices have decreased while functional capability has increased significantly.
The current SmartMeter(TM) program enables PG&E to read meters remotely and offer rate options that encourage conservation and help customers save money. It creates powerful demand response programs to help reduce electric usage during critical times and will allow the utility to better detect power outages. The upgraded meters will further expand energy conservation and demand response options for electric customers, including a new Peak Time Rebate program, which would automatically award rebates to customers for reducing energy usage on critical days. The upgraded meters will enable enhanced energy information tools for customers such as real-time energy usage data.
Built in connect-disconnect switches would also allow PG&E to quickly turn on or turn off electric service without causing a delay to customers or costing PG&E a service visit.
With the upgraded meters, PG&E can better respond to load reduction directives from the California Independent System Operator by confirming that key energy using devices have responded as well as to aid in the quantification of the amount of demand response achieved.
PG&E estimates that future savings made possible by the new technology will more than offset the cost of the initial investment, which is expected to require $360 million of new funding from 2009 to 2013. The average rate increase for the residential class as a whole varies each year, but will go no higher than 1.1 percent for the highest year. If the CPUC approves PG&E's request, bills for bundled electric customers who use less than 130% of their baseline allowance would not increase. The bill for a typical bundled customer using 550 kWh per month would increase $0.26 from $71.92 to $72.18.
For more information about Pacific Gas and Electric Company, visit www.pge.com/
Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
PG&E News Department,
Web site: www.pge.com/


text:
Toledo looks to defend Insperity title
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Esteban Toledo became the first Mexican winner in Champions Tour history last year in the Insperity Championship.
He likes the way he's being treated now that he's back for his title defense and is especially fond of his competitors calling him "champ."
"I'm just the same guy," Toledo said. "They treat me with respect and they honor me as a champion. I can see how every week, every champ up here they treat him good, they know who won last year and I think they're kind of excited for me this week."
The 54-hole tournament opens Friday at The Woodlands Country Club.
Toledo overcame a seven-stroke deficit last year and won on the third hole of a playoff. He was making his ninth career start on the 50-and-over tour. He picked up his second win at the Montreal Championship in September.
But he isn't happy simply to coast on what he did a year ago.
"I believe I can win again," he said. "I don't have no doubt in my mind, that's why I prepare myself well and I'm going to have a lot of fun this week. This is my week and it will be my week until Sunday."
Bernhard Langer is the only player with back-to-back Insperity titles after winning at Augusta Pines in 2007 and The Woodlands in 2008. A win this week would give Langer his 20th Champions Tour win and make him the only three-time winner of the Insperity.
"This is a great test of golf," Langer said. "This golf course has proven itself over the years. It's an outstanding layout and it's usually in great condition. It's always fun coming back here."
Langer, who will turn 57 in August, has been a model of consistency over the last two years and said that being steady gets easier with age. But he also knows things won't get easier as he gets older.
"I know the clock is ticking and it gets harder and harder once you get near that 60 and over-60 mark," he said. "But there's been some great players like Hale Irwin and Tom Watson and Gil Morgan, Larry Nelson, they hung in there for a long time so I'm hoping to do the same thing."
Also in the field are Fred Couples, who won the event in 2010 and picked up his last victory in Newport Beach, California in March, 2012 winner Fred Funk and Woodlands resident Jeff Maggert.
Couples, who went to the University of Houston, called the Insperity his favorite event. He missed the other tournament in the area this year when he tweaked his back the week before the PGA Tour's Houston Open and had to pull out.
Maggert won the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic in March in his debut on the Champions Tour and is hoping to continue his good start in his hometown.
"Mississippi obviously was about as good as it could get, hopefully I (can) repeat here," Maggert said. "But (there are) a lot of good players this week and a very difficult golf course, so I need to play well, be on my A game, make sure my short game and putting is sharp."
He'll certainly have familiarity on his side this weekend.
"Obviously I played a lot of golf on this golf course as a kid and amateur golf early in my professional career," he said. "So just a lot of confidence, a lot of good memories."


text:
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text:
I'm thrilled with the cooler weather, but I always feel a little sad putting away Pierce's clothes at the end of each season. It means she's growing up. And while there are certainly phases I would like to move through quickly, I love having my babies be babies. I make it a goal each day not to wish moments away. I tend to look to what's next so often, and I don't want to look back and realize I missed the happy moments I had right then.
We begin with Adelaide's first well-baby visit. She was perfect, of course.
This was our last super hot trip to the park before school (Mother's Day Out) started for Miss Pierce. We have so much fun at the park when Daddy goes!
I forgot to take my camera when I dropped her OFF, but this is what I found when I picked her up :)
Mrs. Rivers told me she is so grown up. She makes sure the other kids remember the rules (bossy.) She is a VERY precise painter. I have a wonderful picture she painted of a gumball machine and ALL the gumballs are in the machine. Mrs. Rivers said no one else's were. This made me happy because my cousin Jenny told a story once about how VERY precise her eldest daughter Annie was at school and I find Annie to be just about as delightful as they come. So if Pierce is going to follow in her footsteps, I'm for it.
Here are some funny things Pierce says:
Blueblerries and spawberries
Carra me (instead of Carry me)
I told her the shirt she was wearing said "buzzy" and she said, "No it doesn't. It says 'Dear Pierce, this is your very first blue shirt.'"
When she's mad and she means to say "NOTHING" she says "ANYTHING." Par example- "Pierce what do you want to wear to bed?" "ANYTHING!!"
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Summer Ends and School Begins
I'm thrilled with the cooler weather, but I always feel a little sad putting away Pierce's clothes at the end of each season. It means she's growing up. And while there are certainly phases I would like to move through quickly, I love having my babies be babies. I make it a goal each day not to wish moments away. I tend to look to what's next so often, and I don't want to look back and realize I missed the happy moments I had right then.
Posted by Hillary at 11:24 AM 4 comments Links to this post
Sunday, September 26, 2010
War Eagle!!
This Saturday, we took Adelaide on her first Auburn tailgating trip! George, Brittany, me, Pierce, Adelaide and Ooba headed out Saturday morning and had a grand trip down to Grace's house. Grandpapa came with some friends a little later, poor Hagen was in Las Vegas for a wedding and that party pooper Peter was just home doing his own thing. It was just too much fun, too much food, delightful day!
I bought these cute outfits at the Little Lavender in-person sale and had my friend Amy Strong do these cute appliques on! Loving it.
Little bit of the crazy eyes by Pierce here :)
Posted by Hillary at 7:34 PM 1 comments Links to this post
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Railroad Park
If you follow me on twitter or facebook, you know that I'm wildly impressed with the new Railroad Park downtown. It's so awesome. It feels like you're not in B'ham all of a sudden. I hope it stays as beautiful as it was as this opening weekend, and that you go often!
It's 8 blocks of beauty. There is an amphiteater, a big hill that they show movies on, a playground, a walking track all the way around, a catering kitchen, nice bathrooms, a skate park area, a work out section and of course the green grass and creek/ponds/lakes throughout. You can see the trains rolling in and out, airplanes ascending from the airport and the skyline. There is a Domino's Pizza across the street and the ice cream truck was there, much to Pierce's delight, both of the times we were this weekend. B & A Warehouse, which is across the street, also has a lunch bistro in the covered area everyday with fresh, seasonal meals! We didn't try that this weekend, but maybe soon. There is wi-fi throughout and super friendly security folks on bicycle,
golf cart and even segway patrolling all the time.
Head on down!!
This little creek flows all the way down one side.
You're welcome to play in it! But not in the ponds and lakes.
As the sun is setting.
Pierce as "king of the hill" in one of the play areas.
This fella could just jump right over the posts!
Adelaide wasn't sure...But then she liked it :)
Posted by Hillary at 9:43 PM 1 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Talented People
My mom and her friend Chrissy colaborated to make these SUPER cute burp cloths. Don't you think they should start a business? Etsy shop or SOMETHING? Let me know your orders so I can convince them. I LOVE these.
Posted by Hillary at 2:56 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Sunday, September 12, 2010
So Much To Say
There is so much to tell you. Since I blogged last I've had a child, left a job, gotten a new car, new phone, let a nanny go, husband has a new job, new ballet year has started, turned 31, Pierce started Mother's Day Out and... maybe that got it all.
Besides having a beautiful girl named Adelaide and being a stay at homer now (besides ballet and photography!) my favorite event of the last few months was the lake trip for Labor Day. Since I was so pregnant at 4th of July, I had to miss out on my family's annual lake trip. It's as big a deal as Christmas in our family. So my whole sweet family agreed to go again for me :)
This is a very photo heavy post. Here's how it went:
Relaxing on the porch
An Adelaide series I love.
Played "take 2" on the porch while drinking red wine
This made everyone happy
Pierce series I love
Admired George and the blue/green contrast of sky/trees
Played in the slightly chilly water
Watched THIS
And THIS
Wow, she loves Ooba so much
And THIS
Went on a walk down the road and watched Pierce lay down in it.
Watched the Auburn game on the porch
Fly down the field...
We MAY have all broken into the fight song and Pierce LOVED it.
I love the lake. The end.
Posted by Hillary at 9:44 PM 2 comments Links to this post


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Mention of one of the original scams in a recent comment brought the topic, flooding with unexpected emotion, to me this week. I've touched on this subject before under the heading of MS Quackery and it's time it was put to bed.
Mercury poisoning was first "linked" to multiple sclerosis in the surrounds of Minamata Bay, Japan in the 1950's. To be fair, looking at the symptoms of this massive episode which now takes on the name of the bay – Minamata Disease, you can see why one might think of MS:
Symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and speech. In extreme cases paralysis, coma, and even death were possible.
Sound familiar?
The massive pollution of the bay with mercury by a local manufacturing factory fed bacteria which converted the heavy metal into an organic compound called methylmercury which fed smaller fish that in turn fed larger fish and then further up the food chain.
"Dancing Cat Fever" was what the locals called the disorder as small felines were the first land animals to begin showing signs of the neurological destruction of methylmercury poisoning; stumbling and falling. Soon birds that ate the poisoned fish were falling from the sky and not long after that, fishermen and their families began to exhibit MS-like symptoms.
Back in the days before MRI, it can be understood why some would think that their MS symptoms might have been linkable to mercury. I've asked my doctor if early exposure to mercury (yes, I know of exposure beyond fillings for me) may have "caused" my symptoms. He showed me MR images of mercury poisoning and showed me mine. They look nothing alike.
Many in the western world have been exposed to mercury in the form of dental amalgam of silver. The more the horrors of mercury poisoning became known to us (think about the tuna scares in the '70s, etc) the more suspect we became about those fillings.
An entire business built up around removal of dental fillings at about that time. One of the big factors these captains of MS Inc touted was that fillings could cause… you guessed it, multiple sclerosis.
Truth be told, even the FDA now states that some mercury likely does "leak" from old fillings. Number of fillings has never been correlated to MS, no particular dentist or dental practice has been linked to increased incidence and, quite frankly, people with MS seem to have less mercury in our brains than controls.
The likely exposure to mercury vapor in the removal of fillings is many times higher than the 1-3 micrograms that the FDA advises may leak from old fillings. Consumer reports has even warned, on numerous occasions, of dentists who breaks the American Dental Association's code of ethics by recommending that a non-allergic patient have fillings removed to prevent/cure MS saying, "if a dentist wants to remove your fillings because they contain mercury, watch your wallet"
Multiple Sclerosis has been proven on several occasions to have nothing to do with mercury. Not mercury ingested from fish, not mercury from silver amalgam dental fillings, not even from mercury played with as a child (yup, that was me). If someone is telling you that your MS is due to your fillings, tell them they have no idea what they are talking about. It's that simple.
Wishing you and your friends the best of health.
You can also follow me via our Life With MS Facebook page, on Twitter, and in our group on MS Connection.org. Also, check out our bi-monthly MS blog for the United Kingdom, and don't forget to check out TrevisLGleason.com.
Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.


text:
La Petite Robe Noire
Eau de Toilette
My New Eau de Toilette
Indisponible - CA$ 74.00
I am absolutely essential and utterly irresistible. I am the chic and very glamorous perfumed creation by Guerlain.
My fragrance is a fresh and swirling floral lace, embroidered with sparkling fruity notes.
My glass showcase is the legendary "heart-shaped" bottle, which has been boldly reinterpreted with a modern touch. Its crystalline transparency, tinged with a delicate, powdery pink, reveals a silhouette of my sophisticated little strapless dress, ready to dance!
Fresh Floral.
Fresh, delicate, swirling.
In the first wink, a bouquet of rose, jasmine and orange blossom takes flight to a delicate melody. The second twirl takes place as cherry, apple and blackcurrant enter the stage, refreshed by explosive green notes. Finally, white amber temptations are revealed and a cloud of white musks envelops the ensemble in a cosy halo.
My Pygmalion, Thierry Wasser, is smitten, as if seeing me again for the first time. One year after our encounter, he asks me to dance in order to reveal more mischievous and carefree facet of my personality. In this more swirling orchestration with its "plunging neckline," he adorns me with fresh floral lace, embroidered with sparkling and fruity notes.


text:
The Raiders today fired first year head coach Hue Jackson after he led them to an 8-8 season and was one win from securing a playoff spot. Jackson, the former Bengals assistant he was often touted as the man behind Carson Palmer's development into an elite quarterback until he left (and Palmer subsequently fell apart), brought Palmer into the fold with the Raiders after starting QB Jason Campbell was hurt in Oakland's win over the Browns.
With Jacksonville apparently in discussions with Jay Gruden, the Bengals current offensive coordinator, about the head coaching position, any Bengals fans out there want to see Jackson back in Cincinnati as the OC if Gruden leave? Heck, if Gruden stays, find a spot as a WR coach or something!
Raiders fire Head Coach Hue Jackson - After ONE Season!!!
Started by Duh Huh Dull Sucks, Jan 10 2012 08:04 PM
3 replies to this topic
Posted 10 January 2012 - 08:04 PM
Posted 16 January 2012 - 01:45 AM
thats the raiders for ya
Posted 05 February 2012 - 10:02 PM
Setting records for penalties does not speak well for a coach's effectiveness. The Bengals seemed pretty effective as is this year.
Posted 21 February 2012 - 02:47 PM
And...the Bengals have hired Hue Jackson as an assistant! Maybe a bit of paying him for helping the team land two high picks for Carson Palmer
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text:
On the Right Side of Beltran
You know what was going through my mind yesterday? How terrifyingly awesome it must be to plummet towards earth at the speed of sound. You know what else was going through my mind? How glad I am that we have Carlos Beltran.
And I'm not just talking about a mild-mannered ball-bashing Carlos Beltran either. No, I'm talking about a mild-mannered ball-bashing and JADED Beltran. Despite what little Beltran has made of it to the press, I would guess there's a certain undefinable stick-it-to-em-ness in Carlos' bat this National League Championship Series, and whatever angst it might have been made of certainly stuck it to 'em last night.
I mean, I saw it too, how the Giants turned their noses up towards the possibility of keeping Beltran through free agency last winter. In fact, they didn't even make dude an offer, opting to bank on the offense of Melky Cabrera instead of having the solid (and, I should add: CLEAN) Mr. Beltran anchoring the middle of their lineup.
Well, we all know how well that turned out, don't we? Meanwhile, all Beltran did was play 151 games with 26 doubles, 32 homers and 97 RBI.
Still, here we are: Cardinals and Giants, NLCS, and only three wins away from defending our World Series crown.
Boy am I glad Beltran is on our team.
Don't hate me 'cuz I'm right (and biased).


text:
I wrote a short piece for the Washington Post's On Faith section. It's not about faith.
I do love how the Christian commenters are split between "my religion isn't anything like that!" and "my religion is even more like that."
I wrote a short piece for the Washington Post's On Faith section. It's not about faith.
I do love how the Christian commenters are split between "my religion isn't anything like that!" and "my religion is even more like that."
KevinKat, Panda Rouge, Dansant au Soleil says
I love that post, PZ.
unbound says
I'm impressed how many atheists have come out in response to the article.
Doug Little says
I was unimpressed by the responses of the religious commentators, same old, same old. You would think they could come up with some new compelling argument for the existence of their gods, but no.
Lofty says
Entertaining comments but not as good as at FTB.
erikschepers says
The first comment I read is somebody thinking PZ should be more accommodating. Fuck that guy.
Other than that, an excellent article, short and to the point.
scottrobson says
I thought approaching the article with the idea that atheism is the default position was an interesting one to go with. PZ could easily have gone the other way. I think bringing the idea of the default position back into focus at the end of the article would have made for a better conclusion. However, the points raised were excellent, especially the third (prayer is a waste) and last (its ok to grieve death). They encompass the futility of faith and one of the most positive aspects of disbelief – the ability to fully accept the truth of the nature of our existence. While the obviousness that no one is listening on the other end of the line is great evidence that there is no god, it is our natural disposition to grieve death which demonstrates "atheism is the default". We grieve by default because deep down we know this final end is ours one day as well and we have no assurance at all that paradise awaits.
Gregory in Seattle says
That is an excellent essay.
PZ Myers says
It was short on purpose. They asked me for 800 words, it's 700 something.
David Marjanović says
*slow applause*
R Johnston says
You would think they could come up with some new compelling argument for the existence of their gods, but no.
No, I really wouldn't think that.
I would think they'd eventually learn to not bother trying to argue the existence of their gods, to honestly embrace their faith as a strictly personal experience contrary to rationality, and to stop proselytizing, except that's not any more likely.
Rey Fox says
I do love how the Christian commenters are split between "my religion isn't anything like that!" and "my religion is even more like that."
I'm guessing there's a contingent of the "spiritual but not religious" brigade as well. "I don't do any of that church stuff either, but I can't give up the general social approval of believing in (the Christian) God."
Captaintripps says
Is…is that a list?
graham says
Nice one PZ. Cuts through the crap and gets straight to the point. There's no 'god' so let it go and get on with your life. Apatheists rule!
KDoug says
Well said!
cicely says
Excellent article! The point concerning the pointless guilt ("fear of God" as a desirable state) that at least some of the more popular religions consider a feature rather than a bug, resonated with me particularly strongly.
anuran says
Nicely done. Reminds me of the the motto of a group of Sufi friends "Found baggage lost here". You won't agree with their religious conclusions, but I think you could sympathize with the sentiment.
anuran says
I have to disagree with the idea that atheism is the default position. We are born religious. We know there are enormous all-powerful Beings who control our destiny, our very lives. They can be Loving Providers and Terrible in their Wrath, arbitrary and capricious. They are called Mommy and Daddy. Later on we find out they are human beings, but that initial pre-rational message is forged into our plastic infant brains. Atheism is a later development if it happens at all.
unclefrogy says
I would agree with 10. It would be fine if those who were religious would just be content to just live their faith but they insist instead to try and convince everyone else even if they have to threaten death and torture to do it.
The adopting of the language of reason in the pursuit of that end of converting everyone to their brand of god makes me craaazeeey!
uncle frogy
anuran says
unclefrogy, the overwhelming majority of religious people everywhere are "content to just live their faith". That's why you don't hear much from them. They care about where the next dirham is coming from, their kids' grades, the weather, their families and neighbors and all the things that take up your headspace. It's the noisy, nasty, newsworthy ones who get splashed across the headlines. My Catholic friend has two bumper stickers "Obama 2012" and "Teenage Driver: Terrified Parent". He's not that different from you or me except that his kids go to CYO dances instead of the regular junior high ones.
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says
Okay, the best part for me was the kook-spamming of "kookbreakers". Repeatedly posts a link to some essay I won't read, justifying it with
KOOK PZ – does not respect the FREEDOM OF OTHERS TO CHOOSE THEIR RELIGION – TOTALITARIAN SCIENTIFIC WORLD-VIEW THAT IS EVEN WORSE THAN NAZISM
then going on to post the link again, and again, but taking time out in the middle to say
note to editor:
do not touch my comments. Pz's mission is provoke, attack, and destroy religion. Why should not his own world-view be not subjected to the same treatment?
because when spammers say, don't delete my spam, because my spam is totally valuable, editors listen. In fact, that's how editors make the decision to delete or preserve public comments – they wait for the commenter to post a follow up saying "you can delete my previous" or "if you delete my previous you're a totalitarian siding with a Nazi". Because no editor wants to side with the Nazis, amirite?
Of course, the next time he posts the link, he seems not to have complete faith that editor want to avoid siding with Nazis, because he feels compelled to add:
leave the link… the opposition has a right to SPEAK as well… the TOTAL OPPOSITION
Wow. seriously – did kookbreakers read the part about prayer being a useless waste of time?
That is some funny stuff.
unclefrogy says
Fuck if the religious believers would just live their faith but no they do not. I was made to go through the catholic educational system and while I was taught some what the basics of how to think I was propagandized with heaven and hell and being cast-out from the family of the church if I did not have faith or did something really awful like blasphemy or something.
I am reminded of a story I heard a while ago that sounds like how religion functions. It seems that hook worms can suppress certain types of immune reactions and are now being used to treat some people with extreme allergies.
Religion seems to offer some relief from the terror of being alone with mortality, I can think of none that does not offer the comfort the family of believers as well as relief from the knowledge of our mortality. Even Buddhism while not being a faith like christianity still offers the relief from suffering .
it is suffering that is the real problem but in its parasitizing, religion just perpetuates the fear and focuses it. Giving little but asking much.
uncle frogy
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says
bizarre – my previous comment did not show right away as it usually would. I did get a "duplicate comment detected", so I know wordpress got it. Wondering if the moderation function is screwed up? Don't think I've done anything to deserve moderation round here…
Hmph. Oh well. I'm sure it will turn up eventually.
anuran says
unclefrogy, you're a simple-minded bigot, just like the religious people you despise. "I know someone like that, so they're all like that. And they're all out to get poor little me."
Grow the fuck up
Menyambal --- The Man Who Broke Even at Monte Carlo says
PZ, it was well-written, well-thought and amusing, too.
anchor says
"I have to disagree with the idea that atheism is the default position. We are born religious. We know there are enormous all-powerful Beings who control our destiny, our very lives. They can be Loving Providers and Terrible in their Wrath, arbitrary and capricious. They are called Mommy and Daddy."
Except that Mommy and Daddy actually exist.
Nope, you're forgetting that religion is a faith or conviction in the existence of the supernatural. We are born completely oblivious to any notion of the existence of a supernatural uberrealm presided over by an uberbeing. To be sure we are also very nearly oblivious to the existence of the natural world, but at least the sensory information from that real natural environment starts flooding in and shapes our development to inform our conceptual models from the very first. Not a jot of information or guidance ever comes from the supernatural fantasyland – and the stuff that comes from the tradition of words and ritual does NOT come from any supernatural realm, but exclusively from the realm of precocious, creative yet frequently mistaken and self-deceiving imaginations that are generated in the real natural world.
So next time you see a baby responding to its mommy and daddy with a churlish grin, you may appreciate that the mind behind it is operating on real evidence, quite naturally and freely, very much more upon proto-scientific reasoning than anything remotely resembling a religious HABIT OF THOUGHT requiring considerable indoctrination. The kid hasn't had time to get spoiled yet.
Caine, Fleur du mal says
PZ, it was well-written, well-thought and amusing, too.
Agreed. I enjoyed it very much.
anchor says
@Caine, 25: Yes, seconded.
anuran says
Nope, anchor, you're forgetting that we're talking about how the brain works. It doesn't matter whether the gods exist. What matters is how we are predisposed to view the world. Atheism is not the default position. Theism is.
chigau (Twoic) says
Nope, anchor, you're forgetting that we're talking about how the brain works. It doesn't matter whether the gods exist. What matters is how we are predisposed to view the world. Atheism is not the default position. Theism is.
[citation needed]
larrylyons says
Nice to see you commenting in the home town newspaper Dr Meyers. Myself I prefer not to respond to the implied blackmail and extortion – if you don't behave a certain way or worship the correct sky daddy you burn in hell forever. No thanks I don't respond to blackmail. I prefer what the Roman Emperor and Stoic Marcus Aurelius was reputed to write:
"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones."
unclefrogy says
If what you are saying anuran, is that we are prone to believing in illusions I would agree with you.
I to love them, art and theater are all about illusions and suspending disbelief.
I chose not to live my life enthrall to an illusion.
uncle frogy
John Morales says
chigau, I think the human default is magical thinking — it's the very root of superstition (and why we find Basil Fawlty threatening and punishing his car funny).
(Organised religion obviously hacks into that predisposition)
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says
I think I know why my earlier comment didn't show up. I'm now convinced that a certain synonym – whose tedious but unintentionally funny comments on the WP site I saw fit to mock in that comment – is Mabus/Markuze or someone similar who has been horrible to PZ. Anything with that name in it is likely to go to auto-moderation, which wouldn't be checked on his trip (or possibly even auto-trashed).
Thus I can't mercilessly mock that person's posts by name, but I might write up a comment mocking the person's posts without reference to the person…if I feel like going back.
Anyway, I feel satisfied that there's an answer why that comment got lost, so I'm much less focused on figuring out some mystery. My evidence isn't great & I could be very wrong, but at least I can perceive how it might be that one comment disappeared while others got through.
anchor says
"Nope, anchor, you're forgetting that we're talking about how the brain works."
I am? You are? How dreadfully foolish of me. I guess I couldn't tell what you were talking about.
" It doesn't matter whether the gods exist. What matters is how we are predisposed to view the world."
Ah, consider me ruthlessly corrected. I must not have discussed how we might be predisposed to view the world by either observation or direct interaction or by religious traditions of indoctrination…at least not so that anybody like you would ever notice.
"Atheism is not the default position. Theism is."
Well, that's the debatable claim you hold, and you make it as if by decree. As chigau urges: citation needed.
Theism is a cultural artifact. It takes a lot of time and chronic exposure to a certain cultural environment to acquire a theistic worldview or religious conviction. Atheism may also be considered cultural in origin inasmuch as it may be viewed as a response to theism.
I don't much like the term "default position" because it implies that an opinion is still present. Suppose we wish to refer to the lack of a position or opinion – not just a state of indifference but the kind of relatively unspoiled slate we typically think of as belonging to very young children? I suggest that condition resembles atheism much more than it resembles theism, in that the mind has not been indoctrinated into holding a conviction on the existence of an imaginary entity that the mind can never refute or confirm by evidence from the natural world.
John Morales, I think that magical thinking IS an acquired skill, as is a discipline for rational thinking. Let me attempt to explain…
One big difference is the efficiency and with what fidelity each brings to preserving or processing a same amount of information. I agree magical thinking is the root of superstition, but think of how intricately byzantine conceptual structures are that must be sustained exclusively by brute memory, tradition and ritual, with no other supportive boost or verification that can come from the real natural world other than compatriot cultural or social sources. It takes a lot of mental gymnastics to juggle such bizarrely inconsistent parts as compose a typically complex tradition of superstition, and even more effort to find a fit with natural reality.
Its like a personality accustomed to deception and lying, as in, "what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive". Well, it takes a constantly increasing amount of mental effort to keep a bogus conceptual model or narrative 'straight' and 'consistent' because of contradictions with a real natural world that constantly threatens to erode it.
World views inspired by science are, on the other hand, not monolithic static edifices which must be preserved against change, but the very embodiment of dynamic change. That's the other big difference. To my mind that difference (static vs. dynamic views) persuasively suggests that it takes a lot more work to maintain the static but potentially faulty and therefore unstable worldview than it does to harbor a stable dynamic that replaces a potentially faulty view with a better one that is more consistent or comprehensive.
As a bonus, much of the latter sort of view is already indelibly stored in the world surrounding us for ready consultation or retrieval lest we ever stumble backward or forget. The static religious view must be maintained with a system of dogma entirely supported by civilization, with book and ritual, and nature can never come to its rescue if a fire or other disaster destroys the only source of storage outside of the memories of adherents.
Traditions of magical thinking and superstition are formed and maintained by the indoctrinations and habituations that accrue from social interactions and the emergent complexities of culture; they do not spontaneously erupt in the mind as fully formed and functional systems of thought.
For the sake of hypothetical contemplation, think of a child that has somehow managed to survive after being shipwrecked on an otherwise uninhabited island. Nominally equipped with a creative and imaginative mind, the child will entertain all sorts of candidate notions which the child will test against the evidence supplied by the natural environment she has access to.
Nobody doubts that such creativity and imagination is a fundamental feature of the human mind and that it needs no necessary assistance from a cultural environment to be engaged: its how we figure things out, by throwing all kinds of ideas at a mystery until we find one that best fits as an explanation.
I think that you are confusing that facility of creative thinking with 'magical thinking', which is the acceptance of a conceptual model – a 'belief' that indeed may come ready made by some cultural tradition, involving very little if any engagement of the creative faculty in the acquisition – despite the lack of corroborating evidence.
Magical thinking is a defense of what's already been embraced as true, no matter what the evidence says: such a habit is creature of culture, is the source of superstition and its closely allied with deception.
Creativity is the free and untrammeled application of trial concepts: such a discipline is an inherently personal facility, a source of rational thinking and the primary fount that makes science and art – and therefore authentic serviceable knowledge and communication – possible.
anchor says
I wish to add the following point in response to John's remarks:
It shouldn't be surprising that organized religion hacks into our predisposition for entertaining our imagination. Basil Fawlty personifies his car in his imagination because it gives his mind a means to vent his anger and allows him to 'punish' it. That's not magical thinking he's exhibiting – its creative thinking in the service of an immediate cause. That may sound like nothing but a rhetorical distinction, but if you read my remarks above, you may find the distinction justified.
I might succumb to a few moments reverie in the clutches of a pareidolia episode as I gaze on the sky and find myself suddenly struck by a curiously familiar pattern of clouds that reminds me of something that it isn't: am I to attribute such a visual illusion of the imagination (hardly anything as strong as a conceptual excursion) to the trappings of 'magical thinking' in which my mind seriously entertains the superstition that what I see isn't a cloud but the portent it superficially resembles? It is a big mistake to identify 'magical thinking' with the creative faculty responsible for imagination and model-making. They are not at all the same thing.


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text:
Take My IPO . . . Please!
This story appears in the June 2001 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
Ah, 1999. The days when companies were going public like raindrops, and stock prices were soaring through the roof before the sound of the opening bell had even faded. The days when young companies counted the minutes to their IPOs and then reaped the multimillion-dollar benefits.
"An IPO was a cheap and easy way to raise money," says Nick Hanauer, a founding partner of Seattle-based VC firm Second Avenue Partners and an early investor in Amazon.com. "The markets were frothy and irrational."
Skip ahead to spring 2001. Those heady days of 1999 now seem like a distant memory. Of the 717 IPO filings in 2000, according to business Web site Hoover's Online, 201 never saw an opening bell. In fact, by fall 2000, more companies were filing to withdraw their IPOs than were filing to go public. This year hasn't fared much better: More than 50 companies withdrew their offerings before March alone. While only a short time ago there was a mad scramble to pick up new offers, even if they were overvalued, burned investors now run from anything that smacks of an IPO. AltaVista is just one high-profile name to pull its offering in recent months as a result.
Those Who Dared
Companies going public in this climate are finding that things certainly aren't what they used to be. Take Loudcloud Inc., the Silicon Valley tech company founded by Marc Andreessen of Netscape fame, which went public in March only to have its shares immediately fall below the IPO price of $6 per share. The company's market value was estimated at $450 million, a far cry from the $1.3 billion Andreessen wanted.
"The market is awful," says Mitch Mumma, a general partner with VC firm Intersouth Partners in Durham, North Carolina. "Companies that were considering going public a year ago aren't considering it now."
For companies that are holding back, it's a waiting game. Here are the stories of three that pulled their IPOs late last year--and how they're hanging tough until the market improves.
Mission Aborted
For Greg Gianforte, founder and CEO of Internet customer service software firm RightNow Technologies Inc., going public had been the goal since founding the company in 1997. "It was a logical step in the growth of the business," says Gianforte, 40. The Bozeman, Montana-based company filed its S-1 in April 2000 and hoped to raise $48 million from the offering for working capital and to expand its sales and marketing presence internationally.
Months after the filing, however, investors' receptivity to IPOs had gone from cool to frigid. "There were four or five months where it was going to happen next week," Gianforte says. "We were like expectant parents waiting for the time." It was on a private jet en route to an October road show appearance when Gianforte finally decided to pull the plug. "I said, 'Nope. Take us back to Bozeman.'" The plane turned around, and RightNow's IPO offering was withdrawn the following month due to market conditions.
The company was in a condition of its own. While revenue in 2000 was up 450 percent with sales at $26 million, the company had incurred expenses of $30 million in sales and marketing, administration and other investments, including $1 million spent gearing up for the IPO. The staff went from 130 to 350 employees within a year. Says Gianforte: "The IPO would have meant a larger cushion. Not going public raised the importance of profitability."
The new strategy in lieu of the IPO? First, find money some other way. Gianforte and his management team completed a $15 million second round of VC funding in late December with such VC firms as Credit Suisse First Boston and Greylock--no small feat in the current climate. But the company's rapid growth made things easier. "Raising money was not a problem. We made two phone calls," says Gianforte. RightNow will use the money for sales and marketing and product development.
The lack of an IPO also renewed focus on expanding the company's customer base. First, when the expiration date for two-year software subscriptions came up in the fourth quarter of 2000, the company secured renewal for 100 percent of them, despite a 250 percent price hike due to increasing functionality. Then the company surpassed 1,000 clients in January, adding AT&T, Hasbro, Reuters and the U.S. Postal Service to a client roster that already included names like Motorola, Nortel and Xerox. The company is executing the same business plan, Gianforte says, but with a closer eye to expenses and faster return on investment. "We're refocusing on the cost-saving aspects of our products, on the savings we can deliver to our clients." He expects RightNow to be cash-flow-positive again by the end of the year.
The biggest challenge may be internal. Although there were no layoffs after the lost IPO, "I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said employees were ecstatic [about not going public]," Gianforte says. He is confident the company will take another stab at an IPO when the market improves. But for the near term, he touts a new mantra: "It's a great time to be a private company."
|Offering Price
|Year-End Price
|% Change in Price
|HealthGate Data Corp.
|Varsity Group Inc.
|QS Communications AG
|ImproveNet Inc.
|Talisman Enterprises Inc.
|AsiaContent.com Ltd.
|Uproar Inc.
|Netpliance Inc.
|Opus360 Corp.
A Certificate It Won't Sell
When GiftCertificates.com filed for an IPO in June 2000, it hoped to raise $50 million for sales and marketing, purchases and acquisitions, capital, and alliances.
But the offering was pulled in mid-November. "By June, the market had already begun to turn against companies doing business on the Internet," says CEO Michael Ahern. The company didn't want to take the risk of being undervalued, and timing wasn't optimal during the SEC-imposed quiet period as the holidays approached.
Now Ahern, a former Microsoft executive who replaced founder Jonas Lee as CEO last October, is restructuring the company. GiftCertificates has 4,000 corporate clients and partnerships with 700 merchants representing 800 brands, including Bloomingdale's and TGI Friday's.
While the company did $65 million in sales in 2000 (a 250 percent increase over 1999), its debt stands at around $90 million, due in part to last year's acquisition of two of its competitors, Seattle-based GiftSpot.com and Omaha, Nebraska-based GiftPoint.com. The company's staff has ballooned to 350. "We realized we hadn't [focused] on efficiency during the mergers," says Ahern.
|Fourth quarter 1999:158 IPOs at a total value of $47.2
Fourth quarter 2000:56 IPOs at a total value of $15.1 billion
SOURCE: Hoover's Online
The new strategy? Cut back, and increase efficiency. The company let 70 employees (20 percent of its staff) go in January to minimize operating losses. The company also moved its main offices from pricey Manhattan to frugal Carlstadt, New Jersey. (Satellite offices in Omaha and Seattle remain open.) "We have one sales and marketing team, whereas we had two or three before," Ahern says. Additionally, the company decreased its advertising spending to about $1 million per quarter, a far cry from its days of having prominent billboards in Times Square and Sophia Loren as a spokesperson.
Securing additional funding also became a matter of urgency. In November, the company received $13 million in its fourth round of venture financing from a variety of VC firms. During the second half of 2000, GiftCertificates raised an additional $50 million in private venture equity.
Partnerships are also an important part of the company's growth strategy. In November, it signed an agreement with AOL that lets AOL subscribers purchase from GiftCertificates via AOL's site. Later that month, it did the same with Yahoo!, creating http://giftcertificates.shopping.yahoo.com, where online shoppers can purchase gift certificates from a variety of retailers.
Still, rumors are flying in Internet chat rooms about the company's possible near-term demise due to its financial situation. Ahern deflects the rumors and says he expects the company to be cash-flow-positive by the end of this year. He may consider taking the company public when the market rebounds. "At some point, it will make sense for us to go back to the public markets," he says. "But it's more about when the public markets are ready as well as when we're ready."
|Year 2000 started well, with lots of
companies getting ready for IPOs. The trend spiked in March, but by
year-end, more companies were filing to withdraw than were filing
to go public. Here are the numbers for the entire year:
Total number of IPO filings in
SOURCE: Hoover's Online
A High-Ranking Private
When Web development firm Logical Design Solutions Inc. filed for an IPO on March 30 of 2000, it hoped to raise around $56 million to pay off some debts, fund sales and marketing efforts, and expand the company through methods such as acquisitions.
But instead, after months of testing the market, the company pulled its IPO on December 20. "At the time, we [thought an IPO] was a good move for the business," says president and CEO Mimi Brooks, 41, a former AT&T executive who founded the Morristown, New Jersey-based company in 1990. But the slowing market gradually changed Brooks' mind.
Brooks says the IPO would have ensured the continuation of the company's rapid growth. In the first half of 2000, the company's revenue increased from $6.6 million to $16.7 million, and operating income rose from $400,000 to $3.9 million. Local Design also had some minority equity investments through VC firm Summit Partners that it was planning to pay back if it had gone public, says Brooks.
|Number of IPOs withdrawn between
January 1, 1999, and March 20, 1999:10
Number of IPOs withdrawn between January 1, 2001, and March 20, 2001:57
SOURCE: Hoover's Online
While the company's run at an IPO didn't incur a chaotic financial crisis after the offering was pulled, Brooks says its business model still took a more positioned approach coming into 2001. She became focused on reaching aggressive revenue targets. "Our tactic was to go heads down and run the business," Brooks says.
The company also revamped its broad marketing messages to focus on its enterprise portal expertise and to home in on the buying habits of its Global 1000 clients, a list that includes MetLife and Time Warner. "We're on the ground with our clients and are communicating more," Brooks says.
The company didn't see any need for layoffs, and it hasn't taken any VC funding so far this year. According to the company's addendum, it closed 2000 with $34 million in total revenue on about 13 percent profitability. Business is expected to grow 25 percent over 2000, Brooks says. "We're in the top end of our space."
Brooks is at peace with the company's decision to pull its offering and isn't contemplating another try this year. "We closed that chapter when we pulled our IPO in December," she says. "For now, I'm happy to sit under the radar screen, below all the noise."
Chris Penttila is Entrepreneur's "Staff Smarts" columnist.
Contact Sources
Logical Design
Solutions Inc.
Technologies Inc.
(877) 363-5678


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- Focus modes: AF Single (w focus lock, focus/release priority selectable), Face Detection AF, Tracking AF, Manual
- Focus point adjustment: Auto 81 Point, User-Selectable, Center
- AF assist: LED dedicated AF assist lamp, AF Autozoom (2X, 4X, 6X), Focus Peaking
- Type: 3.0-in. TFT color LCD w brightness/color adjustment
- Resolution: 921,000 dots
- Wide angle viewable: Yes (approx 170° horizontal/vertical)
- Type: TTL by CMOS image sensor
- Field Of View: 100%
- Display Modes: Grid (4x4, Golden Ratio, Scale), Bright/Dark Indication, Histogram
- Type: Retractable P-TTL auto popup flash
- Guide number: 12m (ISO 100)
- Coverage: 28mm equivalent
- Flash modes: Auto, Auto + Redeye, On, On + Redeye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync + Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Off
- Flash exposure compensation: -2 to 1 EV
- Type: Hotshoe P-TTL, high speed sync w PENTAX dedicated flash
- Synchronization speed: 1/180 sec
- Internal memory: n/a
- Removable memory: SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS Speed Class 1 supported)
- Ports: USB 2.0 hi-speed, AV out, HDMI out (Type C, Mini), 3.5mm stereo mic in
- Video out: HD (via HDMI) NTSC, PAL
- Printer interfaces: n/a
- Power source: Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery D-LI90
- Recordable images: Approx 540 (approx 500 w 50% flash, CIPA)
- Playback time: Approx 320 min
- Movie recording time: 25 min (max record time for a single file)
- AC adapter available: Yes (optional)
- Body dimensions (W x H x D): 4.8 x 3.1 x 2.3-in.
- Without battery or removable memory: 16.9 oz
- Loaded and ready: 19.8 oz
- Construction material(s): Machined aluminum frame with rubber accents
- Weather resistant: n/a
- Operating temperature: 32-104°F
- English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek, Russian, Korean, Traditional/Simplified Chinese, Japanese
- Type: Sensor-shift Shake Reduction (4 stops max)
- Type: TTL image sensor metering
- Sensitivity range: EV -1 to 21 (ISO 100, 50mm F1.4)
- Multi-segment: Yes (1024 segments)
- Center weighted: Yes
- Spot: Yes
- Exposure compensation: ± 3 EV (1/3 and 1/2 steps)
- Exposure lock: Yes (via AF/AE-L button)
- Exposure bracketing: Yes (3 frames, up to ± 3 EV in 1/2 steps)
- Auto: ISO 100-12800 (1, 1/2, 1/3 steps), expandable to ISO 100-25600, auto ISO range selectable
- Manual: ISO 100-12800 (1, 1/2, 1/3 steps), expandable to ISO 100-25600
- Auto preset modes: Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent (D, N, W, L), Tungsten, Flash, CTE
- Manual mode(s): Yes
- WB fine adjustment available in all modes
- Type: Electronically controlled focal plane shutter
- Shutter speed: 1/4000 to 30 sec (1/3 or 1/2 steps), Bulb
- Mode selection: Auto Picture, Scene (SCN), HDR (JPG only), Flash Off, Bulb (B), Metered Manual (M), Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (TV), Program (P), Movie
- Auto Picture modes: Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Moving Object, Night Scene Portrait, Night Scene, Blue Sky, Forest
- Scene modes: Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Moving Object, Night Scene Portrait, Sunset, Blue Sky, Forest, Night Scene, Night Scene HDR (JPG only), Night Snap, Food, Pet, Kids, Surf & Snow, Backlight Silhouette, Candlelight, Stage Lighting, Museum
- Custom Image modes (including fine adjustment): Bright, Natural, Portrait, Landscape, Vibrant, Radiant, Muted, Bleach Bypass, Reversal Film, Monochrome (including film filters, infrared, sepia toning), Cross Processing (creative random effect generation)
- Green simplified mode available: n/a
- Face detection available: Yes (up to 16 faces)
- Date stamp: n/a
- Digital filters (capture): Extract Color, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Color, Color
- Dynamic Range adjustment: Yes (highlight and shadow correction)
- Digital level: n/a
- File/Folder customization: Folder name (standard, date), embed copyright
- Mode selection: Single, Continuous (Hi, Lo), Self Timer (12s, 2s), Infrared Remote (0s, 3s), Auto Bracketing (3 frames, up to ± 3 EV in 1/2 steps)
- Continuous FPS: Approx 6 FPS (JPG, Continuous Hi), Approx 3 FPS (JPG, Continuous Lo)
- Multi-exposure: Yes (2-9 shots, auto exposure adjustment selectable)
- Interval: Yes (1s to 24h, up to 999 shots, delayed start available)
- HDR: Auto, HDR1, HDR2, HDR3, (exposure adjustable ± 1, 2, or 3 EV steps, JPG only)
- Mode selection: One Shot (no data, standard data, detailed data, histogram, color channel histogram), Multi Image Display (4, 9, 16, 36, 81 thumbnails), Magnification (up to 16X, scrollable, quick zoom), Movie Playback (no data, standard data, detailed data), Image Rotation, Bright/Dark Indication, Copyright Info, Calendar Filmstrip, Folder, Save RAW Data From JPG (if available in buffer memory), Select & Delete, Slideshow
- Mode pallet: Image Rotation, Digital Filter, Resize, Cropping, Index, Protect, Slideshow, Cross Processing, RAW Development, Movie Edit, DPOF Digital filters (playback): Monochrome, Extract Color, Toy Camera, Retro, High Contrast, Shading, Invert Color, Color, Tone Expansion, Sketch Filter, Watercolor, Pastel, Posterization, Miniature, Soft, Starburst, Fisheye, Slim, Base Parameter Adj
- Movie edit: Movie Divide, Delete Frames, Save JPG
- Still: RAW (DNG), JPG (EXIF 2.3), DCF 2.0 compliant, DPOF, PIM III
- Movie (compression): MP4 (AVC h.264), AVI/MJPG for Interval Movie
- Functions available: 16
- *For direct device connectivity. Bundled software requirements may vary.
- Windows: Windows XP (SP3), Vista, 7, USB port
- Mac: 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, USB port
-K-01 ILC Hybrid Camera w/DA L 18-55 & 50-200 Lenses
-Li-Ion Battery D-LI90
-USB Cable I-USB7
-Hotshoe Cover FK
-Software CD-ROM S-SW120
-Battery Charger Kit K-BC90
-Strap O-ST120
-Body Mount Cover


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Temple shooting videos bring pain, closure to families
Police videos show gunman walking, shooting in parking lot
The videos released Monday of the Sikh temple shootings are a compelling account of what happened on Aug. 5 when six temple members were killed by a gunman.
While the curious watch video from the first two responding police officers, the scene brought both pain and closure to those closest to the victims.
"Seeing it kind of lays down what the nuts and bolts were, and it helps you grieve," said Amardeep Kaleka, son of the temple president who was shot and killed in the assault.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm showed the video to members of the temple on Sunday before releasing it to the media.
Kaleka said that while the video filled in some of the gaps, seeing Wade Michael Page walking in the video was tough to watch.
"When he showed up on screen, you heard the whole congregation gasp," he said. "It just took their breath away. They hadn't seen it live, and him running around shooting ... it was quite graphic."
Kaleka said that when 911 calls were released to the media without notification last month, several members of the temple were disturbed. This time he expressed gratitude for giving temple members the opportunity to view the video privately.
Oak Creek Mayor Steve Scaffidi was impressed with the calm manner that the officers displayed in the video.
"It's stunning how violent this is and how this individual engaged our offices and essentially charged at them, wanting to engage them" he said. "You're not used to seeing that in anything other than the movies."
Sam Lunda was the officer who disabled Wade Michael Page in the parking lot of the temple that morning. He said the community support shown to him, Lt. Murphy and the Sikh community has been extraordinary.
"It was nice to know that all the training that we've gone for over the last two years and the hard work that we put in -- that we as a law enforcement community were able to intervene and stop somebody before it became more tragic," he said.
Lt. Brian Murphy, the first responding officer at the scene, was shot 15 times according to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. Scaffidi said that Murphy is at home recovering from his wounds and is doing very well.


text:
There once was a man in court
Who thought that his crime was a sport
He ran out a bar
He shot up a car
While chugging a bottle of port
He then met the man from Nantucket
Didn't like him, so told him go fuck it
He punched in his face
He ransacked his place
And stuck his head inside a bucket.......of pee!
He started to run up the road
He slipped when he stepped on a toad
He fell on his head
He thought he was dead
The ground just knocked him out cold
The cops, you know, they got him
The threw him in jail in Gotham
He cried and he cried
'Cause Butch never tired
And now he's a red sore bottom
This story does have motivation
'Cause crime will ruin a nation
If you ever get got
Just blow lots of snot
And who knows? You might get probation
I now put my pen to rest
The Chicago Bulls are the best
The won't win the season
For one simple reason
Winning. They do detest.
Thank you! I miss blogging.
This is a product of boredom in court.....
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Posted by The Maharaja at 7:06 PM
2 comments:
Mrs. B
There's no need to miss blogging...
The Maharaja
But did you like the limmerick (lymrick).
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Jamie Dundee Shoot Interview DVD-R
" target=_blank>(DVD-R Compatibility Chart)
Jamie Dundee, sex, drugs,and white rappers. The former member of PG 13 and son of legendary Bill Dundee lets loose in this Highspots.com interview. Jamie takes us through his life as the son of a pro wrestler and how he inevitably followed in his father's footsteps and got into the wrestling business.
Jamie Dundee, known as JC ICE and his partner Wolfie D formed the rap duo of PG 13. PG 13 spent time in nearly every major company including: USWA, ECW, WWE, WCW, Puerto Rico and everywhere in between. Jamie tells us stories and explains the differences between the different locker rooms and the interesting people in each. This may be the most insightful shoot interview in the Highspots vault.
Jamie is not only a wrestler but is someone who grew up in the business. In this interview he lets us into a world that we will never know about, until now. Between growing up in the business and wrestling for a living, Jamie knows nearly every major star and has so many entertaining stories about these stars including: Sandman,The Rock, Steve Austin, Ron Simmons, New Jack, Brian Christopher, Jeff Jarrett, Jerry Lawler, Robert Fuller, and many more.
This is a must see for any wrestling fan looking for an honest insight into the business and the people in it. This 2 disc shoot interview is filled with footage from Jamie's personal collection as well a bonus match versus the Rock n' Roll Express. Don't miss the 2007 series of Highspots shoot interviews starting with the one and only Jamie Dundee!
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text:
SHANE WATSON is expected to put family before country and could miss a Test during the tour of India to fly home for the birth of his first child, creating another dilemma for national selectors.
And Ben Hilfenhaus also appears to be losing his race against the clock to earn selection for the four-Test series.
Watson and his wife Lee Furlong are expecting the arrival of their first child in March, raising the potential for a clash with Australia's Test schedule in India. The vice-captain, a likely inclusion if fit to tour the subcontinent, may sit out the third or fourth Test, although he could also play both games if his wife gave birth between matches.
Ricky Ponting missed the second Test on a tour of Sri Lanka in 2011 so he could be present for the birth of his and wife Rianna's second child. Watson's potential unavailability for parts of the tour is another factor selectors must take into account as they plan for life after Michael Hussey, whose retirement has left a hole in Australia's batting line-up.
Selectors have been scratching their heads over how to replace the experienced and dependable Hussey and the best spot for Watson in the batting order now he is not bowling. Watson was moved from first drop to No.4 in his two Tests against Sri Lanka as it was felt the position would better accommodate his bowling. But, now that he is taking an indefinite break from bowling, team management is considering restoring Watson as an opener, where he averages nearly 44 from 24 matches, as opposed to Ed Cowan's 33 from 13 games.
Such a move would break up Cowan's opening partnership with David Warner, which was last year's most prolific in world cricket, and possibly endanger the adopted Tasmanian's position in the XI.
Watson had stated before his move from opener in late 2011 that his preferred position was at the top of the order. Used primarily as a partnership breaker towards the end of Ponting's reign as captain, Watson was able to stay injury-free for two years after earning an international recall in the 2009 Ashes series. But he has struggled to cope with the extra bowling workload placed on him by Michael Clarke in the past 18 months.
Although chairman of selectors John Inverarity's panel is now judging Watson as a specialist batsman, the selectors are keen for him to resume bowling.
Watson, who has taken 48 wickets at 28 since his return in 2009, will not bowl in the next two months but the door remains ajar for him to play a role with the ball in the Ashes later this year, although it's unlikely he will bowl extensively as he has this summer.
The 31-year-old is aiming to return for the ODI series against West Indies, starting February 1, but he could also make a comeback via the Sheffield Shield.
Meanwhile, Hilfenhaus has been withdrawn from the Hobart Hurricanes' squad as he continues his recovery from a side strain he suffered during the first Test last month. The move has diminished Hilfenhaus's chances of inclusion in Australia's touring party for India next month.
The Tasmanian swingman, who has been overtaken by Jackson Bird in the national pecking order, is eyeing a return on January 27 in the Tigers' one-day game against Queensland in Brisbane. But with Tasmania not due to play their next Shield game until February 6, Hilfenhaus may not get a chance to prove his fitness before the national squad leaves on February 9.
"He probably won't be fit by then, he won't have bowled enough," said Tasmania coach Tim Coyle. "[They're] probably targeting the Ashes now, I reckon, for him. There'll be more injuries and players will break down, he's just got to get himself right."
The original release of this article first appeared on the website of Hangzhou Night Net.


text: Guests can get up close to some of the Aquarium's more unusual inhabitants. During this twenty minute presentation you will see a variety of animals which could include a 6 foot Boa, a Bearded Dragon Lizard, or a Tarantula, just to name a few! Aquarium handlers discuss the animal's native habitats, their sustainability as pets, natural defenses and predatory instincts along with other interesting facts. Throughout the show, everyone will have the opportunity to ask questions. This show can be viewed in front of the Mid-Atlantic Tank at 2 PM.


text:
Opportunity Details
Age Minimum (with Adult): 14+, Minimum Age:14+, Sterling Volunteers Level: Level 2
Tutor a Child in Reading - Green Valley Ranch Area
Tutor one child, two hours a week and make a difference in their life! No prior teaching or tutoring experience is required. Training is provided online or in person using the highly effective Peak Reader curricula, and a trained site coordinator is always available during the tutoring sessions. Join Children's Literacy Center in the fight against illiteracy...One Child At a Time!
Call for more information at (719) 471-8672 opt. 2 or visit, www.childrensliteracycenter.org.
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text:
UT Beat: Brown elected president of coaches association
Recommended Video:
AUSTIN — Mack Brown will serve as 2013 president of the American Football Coaches Association after being elected this week by fellow members.
Brown, who succeeds Harvard's Tim Murphy as president, won a vote of AFCA members at this week's convention in Nashville, Tenn. He previously served on the organization's board.
"I'm so honored to be serving as the president of the AFCA and representing all of our coaches at a time when our game is facing many challenges, changes and issues, but has never been stronger," Brown said in a statement released by the group.
Longhorns end poll drought: For the first time in three years, Texas finished a football season with a national ranking.
Boosted by their 31-27 victory over Oregon State in the Valero Alamo Bowl, the Longhorns checked in at No. 19 in the final Associated Press Top 25 and at No. 18 in the final coaches poll.
After finishing each of Brown's first 12 seasons ranked in the AP Top 25, the Longhorns were shut out of both polls at the end of 2010 and 2011. This is their first final ranking since finishing No. 2 in both polls after the 2009 season.
Twitter: @mikefinger


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CIA/Keith Ferris
This recipe was shared with Epicurious by Chef Joseph W. DiPerri of The Culinary Institute of America.
- Yield
- Makes 6 servings
- 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes with juice or crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 ounces pancetta or 6 slices bacon, finely chopped
- 1/4 pound ground pork (not lean)
- 1/4 pound ground beef chuck (not lean)
- 1/4 pound ground veal
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 carrot, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound small pasta such as orecchiette or rotini
- Garnish: Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- If using whole tomatoes, in blender or food processor, purée tomatoes with juice. Set aside.
- In large, heavy pot over moderate heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add pancetta and sauté until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add beef, pork, and veal and sauté, breaking up meat with back of spoon, until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add onion and carrot and sauté until vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Stir in red wine and simmer, scraping up browned bits stuck to bottom of pan, until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cream, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and brick-red in color, approximately 30 minutes.
- In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until almost tender. Drain well and toss with sauce. Serve with grated cheese.


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So, is the new Jar Jar figure in this assortment? Is he going to be released in the Vintage line eventually?
His Movie Heroes figure looks good though... better than a lot of the Movie Heroes figures, but his Vintage one is to be "definitive" I guess.
I'm curious why other MH figures aren't as nice.
Lack of ball jointed shoulders, no wrists, no ankles seem like more than a little less. To me anyway. The shoulders were the deal breaker.
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text:
United States U-18 Men's National Team Head Coach Javier Perez announced his 18-man roster for an upcoming four-team tournament in Limoges, France. Included in the roster are Crew Soccer Academy midfielder Ben Swanson and CSA Wolves' forward Ahinga Selemani.
The U.S. will face France, Czech Republic and Poland in the tournament that runs from October 9-13. This is the first major tournament for the cycle of players that will compete in the 2015 U-20 CONCACAF Championships with a goal of advancing to the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jeff Caldwell (NC Fusion; Todd, N.C.), JT Marcinkowski (San Jose Earthquakes; Alamo, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (5): Conor Donovan (Capital Area Railhawks Academy; Fuquay Varina, N.C.), Chase Gasper (Bethesda Olney; Alexandria, Va.), Shaquell Moore (IMG Academy; Powder Springs, Ga.), Erik Palmer-Brown (Sporting KC; Lee's Summit, Mo.), Tommy Redding (Chicago Magic; Oviedo, Fla.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Mukwelle Akale (Minnesota Thunder; Minneapolis, Minn.), Corey Baird (Real Salt Lake AZ; Escondido, Calif.), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham FC; Plano, Texas), Kyle Scott (Chelsea FC; Winterbourne, Bristol), Ben Swanson (Crew Soccer Academy; Grove City, Ohio), Tyler Turner (IMG Academy; Meriden, Conn.)
FORWARDS (5): Andrija Novakovich (Chicago Magic PSG; Muskego, Wis.), Rubio Rubin (FC Utrecht; Beaverton, Ore.), Ahinga Selemani (CSA Wolves; Ann Arbor, Mich.), Alan Winn (Solar Chelsea SC; Garland, Texas), Dembakwi Yomba (Concorde Fire; Lithona, Ga.)