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Lecture 22 - More Complex Systems
Lecture 22 covers the development, analysis, and solution of more complex systems. An important tool in the analysis of complex systems is a plot of the poles and zeros on Real-Imaginary axes. Later, we'll show them graphically on a Root-Locus plot to see how they change with increasing controller gain (Kc).
- Course reading for next class: None
- Assignment due by the start of Lecture #23: 6.2, 6.7 from PDC
Homework hints are given here. On 6.7 I've changed the problem on part b.
PDC 6.7b
- Get time-domain solution for P_m(t) in terms of K, zeta, and tau.
- Use solver in Excel to perform least squares fit using K, zeta, and tau as variables.
- Plot to see goodness of fit.
Don't forget to write the purpose at the beginning of each homework problem. This will help you think about each problem in the context of the overall course objectives.
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subset: commoncrawl


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World Wetlands Day 2005 -- Kenya
Background Information
Lake Chem. Chem is about 10 Kilometers from Malindi town along the Malindi Sala gate road. It is about 40o 02'E and 3o 12'S. The lake and its surrounding swamp area cover around 4,170 m2. Administratively, the lake occurs in Ganda (Mere and Ganda sub-locations) and Goshi (Malimo sub-location) Locations.
The rainfall pattern in the area is bi-modal, with the long-rains falling in March to May and Short rains falling in October to December. The rainfall amount varies from 700-1400mm per annum.
The population together with the number of households of the sub-locations in which the lake occurs is 12 048 and 1,803 respectively (National population census 1997). However, it is important to note that, the surrounding/adjacent areas to the lake are not heavily settled as the figures may indicate. Most of the people live near the trading centre but have farms (owned or not) within the lake's surrounding areas.
Socio-economic activities
The people living within the area obtain their livelihood through a number of activities. These include;
1. Fishing from the lake when it has water
2. Provision of casual labor on the farms or the local trading centre and Malindi
3. Subsistence farming
4. Livestock rearing and
5. Eco-tourism - Mainly acting as local guides to birdwatchers (tourists) from Malindi or Arabuko sokoke Forest Station. In addition there was a wildlife sanctuary where wild animals such as rhinos were kept. This was closed in 1996 due to friction between the sanctuary and the local community. The sanctuary provided employment to some members of the local community. The main reason of conflict as reported was the insistence of the sanctuary management for proper use of natural resources within the area by the local people such as use of proper fishing gear and methods, and controlled cutting of the natural vegetation (trees and shrubs).
The natural vegetation observed on uncleared/undisturbed areas such as LMAGRO farm is mainly composed of shrubs/or thickets. The dominant species are
Acacia elatior, terminalia spinosa, Harrizonia abysinica, Hyhaene compressa, Salvadora persica,Thespecia danis, Albizia anthelmintica, Lannea stuhlmanii and the grasses
In addition, Casuarina equisetifolia, Cocos nucifera, Mangifera indica, cashew nuts and bananas are also observed.
Animals that have reportedly been observed within the area or the lake are;
Hippopotamus amphibious, Crocodilus niloticus, monkeys, Buffalo and several bird species including water birds.
The area is served by dry weather roads (Malindi-Sala gate road, Ganda-Kisimani, feeder to Malindi-Sala gate road from Madunguni), motor able tracks impassable during the rains and footpaths.
The area also has a number of primary schools which may be adequate. They include Mmangani School, Maziwani Primary School, Mere SDA, Kwa-Upanga and Sabaki Primary school. In addition there are a number of nursery schools.
The area has few health centres. The nearest public health centre is in Kakuyuni about 3 Kilometers from Kwa Upanga shopping centre.
Land tenure
A bout 5% of the land surrounding the lake is private while the lake is Government Land. The oldest allocations (title deeds) were made in the 1800s' and the most recent (allotment letters) were in 1999. The information was obtained from official records and from information of the local leaders and people.
The soil within the area vary quite widely from sandy to clayey soils. On the raised grounds are sandy loam soils with some deeply weathered. On moderately steep slopes are cambisols that are well drained - with many transitional stage of development from rather young to mature ones. On the steep slopes are soils sensitive to erosion as the coherence of the materials developed is rather low. High permeability and low water holding capacity make them sensitive to droughts.
Alluvial soils (Fluvisols) developed from sediments are found in valley bottoms. The soils vary, depending on the deposition material. Well- drained sandy soils are found as well as poorly drained clayey soils. Fertility of these soils is moderate to high. They receive fresh sediments and nutrients during regular floods and occur in all basins.
High fertile vertisols are characteristics for areas with distinct rainy season in plains and depression. The drainage and the handling of the soils are problematic because vertisols contain mostly clay, which hardens and cracks during the season and waterlogs during the rains.
Around Lake Chem Chem, wet condition occur which enable salts to deposit in the topsoil as the capillary evaporates. This explains the reported salinity of the water and the observed salt accumulation on the surface on some parts of the dry lake basin.
Status of Lake Chem Chem and its surrounding area
The lake is seasonal according to information obtained both from the local people and official records. The cycle of the lake was reported as varying from 4 to 7 years depending on the amount of rainfall received in the area and flooding in river Sabaki. However, it is quite evident that the cycle of drying has become shorter.
Mombasa Marine Park Warden, Mr. Tuda Arthur giving an opening remark at the WWD 2005.
The Convention on wetlands (Ramsar, Iran 1971) is an intergovernmental treaty whose mission is " the conservation and wise use of wetlands by national and international cooperation as a means to achieving sustainable development throughout the world". Presently over 120 nations have joined the convention as contracting parties (COP) and more than 1000 wetlands around the world have been designated as ramsar wetlands of international importance.
As defined by the convention, wetlands include a wide variety of habitats such as marshes, peat lands, flood plains, rivers and lakes, and coastal areas such as salt marshes, mangrove, and sea grass beds, but also coral reefs and other marine areas no deeper than six meters at low tide, as well as human-made wetlands such as waste water treatment ponds and reservoirs.
World wetlands day is celebrated on the 2nd of February each year to commemorate the date when the convention on wetlands was first signed. The day was first celebrated in 1997 and has since served as an opportunity to undertake actions aimed at enhancing awareness on wetland values, benefits and as well as the Ramsar Convention.
On 12th February 2005 World wetlands Day was marked at Lake Chem Chem in Malindi with a local school and the community participating in performances and tree planting.
Objectives of the day
1. To involve students and communities around Lake Chem Chem in wetland conservation awareness campaign
2. To empower both students and communities in wetlands biodiversity conservation and management
3. Enhance an integrated/multiple sector approach in sustainable utilization of wetland resources for posterity
Date: Saturday 12th February 2005
Venue: Kwa Upanga Primary School near Lake Chem Chem
Theme: There's wealth in wetland diversity-Don't lose it!
Organizers: Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Sea Turtle Conservation Committee, Wildlife Clubs of Kenya and Eco-ethics International Kenya (Mombasa) chapter.
Participants: The total number of participants was 762 drawn from;
1 primary school
3 community groups
VIP: The chief guest was the National Coordinator Alisei project, Dr. Balozi B. Kirongo. Other guests were drawn from the government and Non- government institutions.
8:30am - 9:00am Arrival of Participants and Registration
9:30am - 10:00 am Opening Ceremony/Ice breaking
10:00am - 10:30am Performances
10:30am - 11:00am Speeches from Invited guests
11:00am - 11:30am Tree planting Demonstration
11:30am - 12:00noon Refreshment
12:00noon - 1:00pm Visit lake Chem Chem
1:00pm - 1:30pm Awards and Closing Remark
The function was well attended with a total number of 762 participants. This was a clear indication that the importance of the day was well understood and appreciated by participants.
Event planning
The planning of this year's World Wetlands Day was excellent as there was a good team work.
Many organizations have willingly sponsored this year's event in cash or in kind. However, the Kenya Wildlife Service Wetlands was again the main sponsor.
1. Status of the lake
From our findings the lake is seasonal according to the information obtained from the local people and the official records. The cycle of the lake is reported as varying from 4 to 7 years depending on the amount of rainfall received in the area and flooding of river Sabaki (Galana). The water in the lake is reported to be salty with the local people having minimal use of it. Only livestock drink water when the level is high and water less salty.
The lake relies for its water on run-off during the rains from its surroundings and the river Sabaki when it overflows. Depending on the amount of rainfall received in the area and the level of water in the lake, water either moves into and out of the lake to river Galana. When the water level is low in the lake and Galana river overflows, there is a spill-off into the lake through the river (waterway) Baishe and vice versa when the lake water is high and Galana has not over flown. As reported by the local people, in the past the lake had another inlet known as Kwa Bibi - (an arm of Mbogolo stream) while Baishe served as an outlet. The inlet got blocked due to siltation thus leaving only Baishe acting as both inlet and outlet depending on the water levels in the lake and Galana river.
Currently the lake is facing human encroachment as evidenced by attempts of farming on the edges and cattle grazing on the lake basin. However, much encroachment into the lake is not envisaged due to high content of salt in the soils on the basin thus making crop production not viable. The lake is threatened by siltation as evidenced by gullies which have formed on some parts of surrounding areas. This may have occurred during the El Nino rains 1997/1998. However, the main cause of gulley formation may be livestock grazing as evidenced by the presence of large herds of cattle on this place and cattle tracks leading down the lake, and poor agronomic practices such as cultivation along the slopes without erosion control.
2. Land Tenure System
According to official records and the local people, the land surrounding the lake has been demarcated and allocated to people. A large part of the swampy area has been allocated leaving only the lake and the immediate surrounding area. However most residents are squatters.
3. Livelihood systems
In general, the living standards of the local community is quite, if not, very low. This is clearly indicated by the poor housing conditions, school-age children not attending school and low productivity or poor state of the farms among others. Poverty is generally high.
a) Farming systems
Farm sizes generally range from 0.5 to 10 acres, with a few having over 20 acres among the squatters. The people practice subsistence type of farming. Crops grown include maize, cassava and cowpeas. Some fruit tress were also observed on few farms and include mango, cashew-nut and bananas.
Agronomic practices are generally poor as planting of 4-6 seeds in one hole, haphazard planting, poor digging implements, cultivation on slopes without any conservation measures in place, land clearance using fire or burning of trash and others. Harvests are generally reported to last a family 1-2 months (low food security)
b) Fishing
Fishing take place when there's water. Tilapia (Makumba), mudfish (mtonzi) and Milk fish (Mborode) are some of the fish that are caught. The general income from fishing activities averages 300/- per person per day. Fish are generally sold within the area and surrounding shopping centers with few finding their way to Malindi and Gede through middlemen. The number of people who depend on the lake for fish was reported as 70% of the population in the area.
The elderly people reported that the fish catch used to be high in the past years. This was attributed to the existence of council of elders who used to take care of the lake. This was through traditional rules, norms and standards which are no longer practiced. Certain practices or activities were not allowed and if one transgressed, there were penalties attached.
c) Eco-tourism
Lake Chem Chem attracts many bird watchers particularly of the water birds when it has water. Most tourists for bird watching come from Malindi hotels and Arabuko Forest Station. Despite all this, few people from the area benefit from eco-tourism activities.
d) Environmental Conservation
There is very little environmental conservation taking place in the area. Alisei has attempted to plant trees using catchment approach around the lake. Lmargo farm is also trying to educate the locals not to cut trees. People are still clearing the natural vegetation to create farms, which will only be productive in the first few harvests. This however appears to have very little impact. The seriously affected areas are characterized by tunneling which later become gullies when their roofs collapse.
This year's World Wetlands Day was targeting efforts to salvage Lake Chem Chem first by creating awareness and planting trees around the lake. This time round the lake was dry and the whole area was hit by drought. The organizing committee therefore identified Kwa Upanga Primary School. In this school 80 seedlings were planted as a demonstration on what should be done at the lake as rains come. This gives a challenge to the organizers, as a follow-up must be made in order to salvage the lake.
The following recommendations have been made to reverse the current trends of environmental degradation so as to salvage the lake.
1. Lake status
a) Awareness and education aimed at forming environmental conservation groups composing of farmers, fishermen, bird watchers and others.
b) Opening of the blocked Kwa Bibi water way.
c) Protection of the two water springs in the area by constructing water troughs for livestock and a place for fetching water for domestic purposes.
d) Desiltation of the lake basin where possible
e) Introduction of appropriate lake shore plant species to act as sediment traps and generally reduce evaporation from the surface water by checking wind speeds.
f) Improve fishing method through gear exchange.
2. Land Tenure
a) Change of attitude of the squatters such that they put efforts to carry out conservation measures on the area they are farming.
b) Creation of awareness on the need to conserve Lake Chem Chem and better land husbandry.
3. Livelihood systems
--- Farming Systems
a) Rehabilitation of degraded/eroded areas by putting soil conservation measures
b) Training farmers in soil fertility improvement like fallow systems, mixed planting and agro-forestry techniques
c) Training in proper agronomic practices
--- Fishing
a) Training fishnet-making for local fishermen
b) Awareness creation on suitable fishing methods and techniques
c) Formation of fishing groups that would help enforce the use of proper fishing techniques
d) Fishing gear exchange assistance
--- Alternative income-generation activities
This will help to reduce pressure on the current resources and this include
i. Eco-tourism
ii. Bee Keeping
iii. Fish Farming
iv. Irrigation scheme
v. Introduction of cash crops and their marketing
--- Environmental Conservation
The lakes' surrounding need to be conserved and protected from any form of degradation and where degraded, reclamation should be done. This is possible by
" Introduction of tree planting and soil conservation measures on farms
" Construction of gabions and check dams
" Awareness on environmental conservation through schools, local communities and institutions
" Training of the locational and sub-locational environmental committees in various aspects such as their roles and responsibilities, policy and laws governing environmental conservation etc
This years' World Wetlands Day serves as the first step through awareness that brought together the local community, school children, government institutions, non-government organizations and the local administration to salvage the lake.
However, this is the way forward;
1. Encouraging teamwork and networking between different organizations (government, non-government and civil society) operating in the area.
2. Encourage group work and strengthening of the local community for the purpose of conservation.
3. Promoting an interdisciplinary approach to carry out research and extension programme
4. Involving the local communities in identifying priorities, analyzing the problems and devising both short term and long term solutions. A participatory approach to development would be the most appropriate tool.
5. Promoting measures that are replicable and can easily be adopted by other people.
The chief guest (Dr. Balozi) addressing the WWD 2005 Participants.
The Senior Warden Mr. J. Kagwi planting a seedling during this years' WWD 2005.
Appendix 1
1. Kenya Wildlife Service
2. Eco-ethics International Kenya (Mombasa) Chapter
3. Kikambala Fish Station
4. Valentine Investiment company Mombasa Ltd.
5. Special Lofty Safaris
6. CDA/Integrated Coastal Area Management
7. Alisei
8. Arocha Kenya
9. Lmalgo farm
10. Nature Kenya/USAID
"There's wealth in wetland diversity
- don't lose it!"


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Set on about three-quarters of an acre in a gated community, the contemporary Mediterranean features an open floor plan, three fireplaces, high ceilings, a study, a wet bar, a butler's pantry, five bedrooms, seven bathrooms and 6,399 square feet of living space. A pool, spa, lawn and a motor court complete the outdoors.
Tucker, 41, starred opposite Jackie Chan in the three "Rush Hour" films. More recently, he was in the film "Silver Linings Playbook."
He bought the house in 1996 for $1,113,500.
Danielle Anderson of Estates of Today was the listing agent. Jack Der Ashodian of Coldwell Banker represented the buyer.
Shooting for about $9.5 million
Former pro basketball shooting guard Mitch Richmond has put his Calabasas estate up for sale at $9.495 million.
The sprawling Mediterranean-style mansion has nearly 13,000 square feet of living space and sits on 2.25 acres with a basketball court, a swimming pool, a barbecue center, a fireplace, a fire pit and lawns. Custom built in 2006, the house features a game room, a sports bar, a theater, a library/office, a wine cellar/tasting room, a gym, six bedrooms and nine bathrooms.
Richmond, 47, started his NBA playing career with the Golden State Warriors in 1988 and ended it in 2002 with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is now back with the Warriors as a scout.
He bought the site in 2004 for $1.7 million.
Jordan Cohen of Re/Max Olson & Associates is the listing agent.
Beverly Hills is well dressed
The Beverly Hills home of the late menswear, jewelry and fragrance mogul Bijan Pakzad has been sold for a reported $9.8 million.
Built in 1993, the gated Italianate villa is a showcase of Pakzad's style, with bold primary color interiors, monochromatic-themed rooms and a chandelier made of his signature perfume bottles in the formal dining room. The 12,016 square feet of living space includes a marble-counter bar in the family room, a sweeping central staircase, a step-down living room, seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. There is subterranean parking for more than 20 cars.
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Public records show Pakzad bought the house in 2002 for $5 million.
Brenda Chandler Cooke and David Kramer of Hilton & Hyland were the listing agents. Jade Mills and Roza Mehdizadeh of Coldwell Banker represented the buyer.


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WDEL Blog: Allan Loudell
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Delaware becomes the 11th state to legalize same-sex marriage
For several weeks, I had been hearing gay marriage was more likely to clear the Delaware General Assembly than capital punishment abolition.
And indeed it has.
The Delaware State Senate voted 12-9 in favor and Governor Markell quickly signed the legislation into law.
State Senator Cathy Cloutier (R-Brandywine Hundred) was the only Republican senator to vote yes. I thought State Senator Ernie Lopez (R-Lewes) might have provided another Republican vote in favor, but undoutedtedly he's already been taking heat for his support for the abolition of the death penalty.
State Senator Bethany Hall Long (D-Middletown) was considered a swing Democrat who voted yes. With some of the more conservative, evangelical churches in her district, that was not necessarily a given.
State Senators Bruce Ennis (D-Smyrna) and Robert Venables (D-Laurel) were the two Democrats who voted no. All the other Republican state senators did.
(The Delaware Family Policy Council characterizes Senators Cloutier and Bobby Marshall as 'turncoats'.)
So Delaware becomes the 11th state to affirm gay & lesbian marriage; the only tinier state (by land area) Rhode Island became the 10th state.
With passage of gay marriage, Delaware avoids complications if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act: Couples married under Delaware's civil unions law would not have necessarily received the legal benefits afforded same-sex married couples. The Justices might have also specifically repudiated civil unions as "separate but unequal".
So people of the same gender will be able to marry in Delaware come July 1st. Same-sex unions from other states will be considered marriages under Delaware statute. Existing couples in Delaware same-sex unions will see their legal status morph into marriage.
Houses of worship are under no compulsion to perform same-sex ceremonies. But Delaware businesses denying marriage-related products or services to same-sex couples could become the targets of discrimination lawsuits because of a Delaware statute that bans discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.
Posted at 7:48pm on May 7, 2013 by Allan Loudell
<- Back to all Allan Loudell posts
Comments on this post:
Mike from Delaware
Tue, May 7, 2013 11:56pm
I wonder how this would this scenario would play out: A church fellowship hall, say Our Lady of Fatima, which they do rent out for weddings, but won't marry gay/lesbians as that is against their Catholic beliefs, would they have to rent their fellowship hall for a gay/lesbian wedding reception even though they weren't married at Fatima? My guess is, that's a law suit waiting to happen.
My guess is, the church would lose and have to rent the fellowship hall to gay/lesbians wedding receptions IF they actually do rent out the hall to other non-Fatima folks. IF they only allow their members to use the hall then they'd probably not be forced to rent it to gay/lesbians, other than any gay/lesbians who were members at Fatima, which would be an interesting situation to say the least.
Wed, May 8, 2013 12:07am
Now that gay marriage is legal, you can bet that government bigotry against the church will be on the rise!
Congratulations to Mark Rice, Bill Smith, and Kavips.
Wed, May 8, 2013 7:58am
I'll take that "congratulations", too, mrpizza. I don't care how sarcastic you meant that statement, I am so proud of Delaware today.
Mike from Delaware
Wed, May 8, 2013 8:13am
This really isn't a surprise. Once Delaware voted, over a year ago, to have "Civil Unions" it was only a matter of time before the word was changed to "Marriage". Per the WDEL.com news item all those Civil Unions will morph into Marriages now, so apparently those couples won't have to go back and do another ceremony, their benefits don't change, essentially only the word used to describe their union.
The Delaware Law does not require any Religious organization be it a Christian Church, Jewish Synogogue, Muslim Mosque, etc, to have to perform gay/lesbian marriages.
This would seem to be the best of both worlds, giving those folks who want same sex marriage what they want, while allowing the religious institutions to have their freedom and rights left untouched. So even though I personally am not in favor of gay/lesbian marriage [because of my interpretation of what the Bible says], I applaude Delaware and Governor Markell for allowing those religious groups to decide for themselves without any fear, hassle, or incrimination from the state.
Wed, May 8, 2013 9:39am
Mike: As you just stated in your post above...Delaware went from civil unions to gay marriage in less than a year. Do you really think that Progressives (as their name implies) will no longer continue to push against the Church? Any church that chooses not to perform homosexual marriages will be demonized and called bigots.
Wed, May 8, 2013 9:50am
I am happy that 2 people who truly love each other and want a state sanctioned event to profess their love now have it in delaware. My question is this - and its not a question as much as a prediction - you will see a rise in gay/lesbian short term marriages. Why? Example: 2 divorced women, good friends, one works for the state, the other was a stay at home mom with a entry level job to pay for the kids, etc. Both of them decide to marry so the one and her kids can be on the others state approved benefits and garner taxbreaks get married and live separately in their own living quarters and live their own lives - dating, etc until one or both find a new man they would like to marry. they get divorced and soon get remarried. Married couples are ding it now for tax and benefits purposes even though they dont live together, but stay 'married' for the reasons listed above. It will be a small number but it will happen.
Mike from Delaware
Wed, May 8, 2013 10:24am
Here is an article that gets into what EarlGrey and I have mentioned previously about legalized gay/lesbian marriage as churches in other nations are having some issues.
Mike from Delaware
Wed, May 8, 2013 10:28am
An article about the Swedish government now forcing the state-sanctioned Lutheran Church there to perform gay/lesbian marriages.
Mike from Delaware
Wed, May 8, 2013 10:32am
I've stated this for quite some time as the issue for me, will the churches be forced to do something that goes against their beliefs. There are those who will push for this to happen, because they want all to acknowledge what they do is "normal". It may not happen until the US allows same sex marriage nationwide. It would be more difficult for a state to do this as that would end up in the US Supreme Court, but once the Feds say it OK nationwide, that might just be a different story.
Allan Loudell
Wed, May 8, 2013 10:57am
A question for all of you with reservations:
Civil divorce and re-marriage has been with us for generations.
Has any religious denomination been COMPELLED to grant divorce and remarriage against its wishes?
Can anyone name a single time?
If not... what's the difference?
The state-supported, official Lutheran churches of the Nordic countries would hardly seem to be relevant to our situation here.
Moreover, I researched the Danish case and found even clergy of the official state-supported church are under no compulsion to perform a same-sex ceremony if they continue to have moral objections.
(Paradoxically, one Danish newspaper editor told me some young people in the state-supported church were driven AWAY from the church NOT because of the same-sex marriage, but because some clergy were against it.)
The non-state-supported, houses of worship are under no obligation to perform same-sex ceremonies.
Allan Loudell
Wed, May 8, 2013 12:40pm
Mr. Loudell: I would say yes, the Church has allowed itself to be compelled to allow divorce just as it has been compelled to admit gay clergy and now perform same-sex marriages... The Church is compelled by the fear of losing members rather than remaining steadfast to the teachings of the Bible... So no, the government has not yet forced churches to perform same-sex marriage, but I believe in the not-so-distant future blue states like Delaware will make it very difficult for a church to marry only hetero couples.
Your Danish reference is interesting because the Nordic countries are rapidly leaving Christianity and the church in general...the church is disappearing in both European and Danish regions (According to Wikipedia, only 5% of people in Norway attend church) because its religious leaders have watered-down the teachings of Christ that might offend potential converts or pew warmers who tithe. Just as those who give up liberties for safety end up with neither, so too the Church that gives up its core values for converts/tithers are left with neither.
One the other hand, Christianity is growing rapidly in South America, Africa and Asia.
Wed, May 8, 2013 1:23pm
I know gay marriage is big news in little blue Delaware...but is anyone else following the Benghazi hearings today? Former UN Ambassador Bolton thinks this could be Obama's Watergate...
Wed, May 8, 2013 1:24pm
President Biden?
Allan Loudell
Wed, May 8, 2013 1:26pm
Mr. Grey...
I honestly don't think you effectively refuted my arguments.
I asked for a single example of government COMPELLING a church denomination to solemnize divorces and remarriages; you replied by saying some church denominations were modifying their positions to avoid hemorrhaging of members. That's quite different; it's not compulsion by Government.
Has the official Roman Catholic Church altered its position on ANY of these issues, even though the sex abuse scandal has undermined its position in many countries?
Indeed, two successive popes (John Paul II & Benedict XVI) have moved to tighten church rules on annulments. In 2005, JPII directed Vatican lawyers to tighten canon law governing annulments.
Yes, secularization has accelerated in the West, but surely some of that trend has been the result of young people seeing hypocrisy in organized religion.
But Europe has also seen a modest countertrend of some atheists / agnostics - while not themselves believers - seeing Christianity, or at least, some belief system, as a bulwark against Islamists in Europe.
Incidentally, when I went to Sweden in 1988 - just before the Swedish King and Queen came to Delaware to mark the 350th anniversary of the Swedish--Finnish colonization of the Delaware Valley - I took a train to Uppsala to meet and interview the Lutheran bishop there.
We talked about declining church attendance and whether Sweden had become a post-Christian society. His response was interesting. He argued (or rationalized) that many Swedes might not attend church on a regular basis - except for major holidays, baptisms and funerals - but he still saw his fellow Swedes as spiritual, even practicing Christians. He saw that in the tolerance of the Nordic countries; the elevated role of women in all sectors of society; public support for Swedish foreign aid to select countries (Tanzania) far in excess of the percentage of GNP given by most Western industrialized countries, etc. To him, Swedes were living the Gospel in a more authentic way. It wasn't just about going to church every Sunday.
Of course, cultural clashes involving skinheads and Islamists have tested that Swedish/Nordic reputation for tolerance, and Sweden may have become a less tolerant society since my visit in 1988.
Allan Loudell
Wed, May 8, 2013 9:34pm
Yeah, congratulations to you too, Shawn. Shame! Shame! Shame!
Thu, May 9, 2013 8:28am
And Mr. Pizza, let me kindly return the shame upon you.. For not being part of this century and still thinking that one's sexual preference makes them non-equal citizens.. Shame, shame, shame on you... You disgrace Jesus with your bigotry. :)
Just want to prove it works both ways, lol... that said, time for some music....
That sad
Thu, May 9, 2013 8:41am
In response to EarlGrey's entreaty about Benghazi... no didn't watch it. Why would we?
Looking over today's top 5 news aggregators, Benghazi is showing up on the front pages of only two. In one of them it is ranked in importance beneath this article:
As predicted, it looks like partisan politics, we all know these Republican held hearings are only being done to embarrass the opposite party. Since Obama is the best president ever in our lifetimes... as predicted, no really cares what Republicans have to say in the least...
We gave Republicans 8 years in power to talk to us. The majority of us didn't like how they acted. Now it's time to "forget about'em.." .
Fri, May 10, 2013 4:27am
Ah, it didn't take long for Christian paranoia to reach full bloom.
Do you people ever ask yourself why others hate you?
Because Christians are ignorant, intolerant, bigoted and bullying. That's why.
You claim everybody wants to push you around to justify pushing them around first. Just like US foreign policy.
Let's hope the rapture happens today, or at least before the next election.
Fri, May 10, 2013 3:16pm
Christians are hated because the God they follow/serve was/is hated by the world...so, those who follow Christ are hated.
18��If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19�If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20�Remember what I told you: �A servant is not greater than his master.�[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21�They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22�If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23�Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24�If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25�But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: �They hated me without reason.�
-John 15:18-25
Fri, May 10, 2013 3:51pm
I asked for a single example of government COMPELLING a church denomination to solemnize divorces and remarriages; you replied by saying some church denominations were modifying their positions to avoid hemorrhaging of members. That's quite different; it's not compulsion by Government.
Mr. Loudell: Would you consider the Pentagon's recent policy change to court-martial Christians who proselytize in the military a govt. compulsion?
"God help us now when someone with such visceral hatred of conservative Christians � literally tens of millions of Americans � who says sharing this gospel is 'spiritual rape' is helping develop policies for how to deal with Christians in the military," Ken Klukowski, director of the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council.
Allan Loudell
Fri, May 10, 2013 3:57pm
I hadn't heard that, Mr. Grey, and I don't immediately have the details, but I could see how a military wouldn't want someone proselytizing in the middle of training -- or a battle.
That said, I never understood how the "Bible Belt" South has traditionally been so pro-military considering all the swearing that occurs in basic training and beyond. Not to mention how to kill other human beings.
But really, this is a much different discussion from the previous: Compelling churches to grant divorces and perform re-marriages.
Allan Loudell
Fri, May 10, 2013 4:16pm
Mr. Loudell,
I conceded in an earlier post that I do not have any examples of govt compelling churches on divorce, re-marriage or same-sex marriage:
"So no, the government has not yet forced churches to perform same-sex marriage, but I believe in the not-so-distant future blue states like Delaware will make it very difficult for a church to marry only hetero couples."
Government can make it very difficult for religious (Christian) institutions if they go against something like...health-care...suddenly grants dissappear, tax-exempt status changes, your church can no longer rent public buildings for services, tax deductions no longer available, etc etc.
But, no official compulsions were ever made, just nudges to push into "correct thinking".
Mike from Delaware
Fri, May 10, 2013 7:02pm
Allan: I found a couple of stories from Canada that show what EarlGrey and I have been talking about, in terms of how Churches and their ministers can be affected by legalized homosexual marriages. Funny how just over a year ago, the GLBT community in Delaware was happy and satisfied that Civil Unions were here. Now they've decided same sex marriage. So how long before what is happening in Canada happens here? There IS an agenda, and there are folks who want the Christian Church that won't bend to THEIR view of the world to be gone[not hyperbolt, but fact].
"Christians are often asked by gay activists why they oppose same-sex �marriage.� �How does our marriage hurt you?� they ask.
Well, I can think of one significant way it will hurt us: It will destroy religious freedom and free speech rights.
The handwriting is on the wall in Canada, which legalized same-sex �marriage� in 2005, in effect completely changing its true meaning. Since then, as Michael Coren notes in National Review Online, �there have been between 200 and 300 proceedings � against critics and opponents of same-sex marriage.� Of course he means legal proceedings.
For instance, in Saskatchewan, a homosexual man called a state marriage commissioner, wanting to �marry� his partner. The commissioner, an evangelical Christian, declined to conduct the ceremony for religious reasons. He simply referred the man to another commissioner.
But that was not enough for the gay couple. Even though they got their ceremony, they wanted to punish the Christian who had declined to conduct it. The case ended up in the courts. And the result? Those with religious objections to conducting such ceremonies now face the loss of their jobs."
Link for rest of article: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/how-will-gay-marriage-hurt-us-heres-how
This article tells that the government will not back down from requiring these pastors to perform homosexual marriages.
"REGINA, Saskatchewan, January 24, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) � Saskatchewan�s Premier Brad Wall last week defended his government�s decision not to challenge a non-binding court ruling saying that marriage commissioners must �marry� same-sex couples regardless of their religious views.
The court�s judgment on the matter was clear, said Wall, according to the Regina Leader-Post.
�We appreciate and respect the rule of law and the role of courts in our society, especially in regards to the Charter, and so we�ve made our decision,� he said.
The court had said that allowing commissioners to refuse to perform same-sex �marriages� would send �a strong and sinister message� that �gays and lesbians are less worthy of protection as individuals in Canada�s society.�
Faye Sonier, Legal Counsel for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, who has been fighting the case, expressed her disappointment with the government�s decision in a letter to Justice Minister Don Morgan.
�Our high court has consistently noted that the right to freedom of religion is broad and it includes the right to belief and the right to act on those beliefs � It is the role of governments in Canada to ensure all enjoy these cherished freedoms.�
�We are therefore very disappointed with the decision of the government to refuse to accommodate the religious beliefs of marriage commissioners,� Sonier wrote."
Fri, May 10, 2013 9:51pm
MikeFromDelaware: You are a homophobic bigot, and a liar. You start off suggesting that marriage equality will force ministers to marry couples. But you trot out a story about a civil servant refusing to follow the laws of his jurisdiction. Once again, we have an example of Bible pounder attempting to force his views on others, instead of treating all citizens equally - as the law requires.
Now you will come back and talking about not wasting time and agreeing to disagree, which is always your cop-out when you put yourself in an untenable position.
If some voter registrar thinks women keeping silent means women can't vote and refuses to register them, are you going to defend that, too? Or if somebody thinks Blacks bear the curse of Ham and refuses to admit them to a public school, do you defend that, too? When people hate gays, it is a sure sign that homosexuality is temptation they fear.
Sat, May 11, 2013 12:01am
The court had said that allowing commissioners to refuse to perform same-sex �marriages� would send �a strong and sinister message� that �gays and lesbians are less worthy of protection as individuals in Canada�s society.�
This would be the slippery slope arguement many on this blog have warned will soon come this way, but Canadians don't have the First Amendment of the US Constitution to protect religious freedoms.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Sat, May 11, 2013 6:24am
Earl: In Canada religious schools and other "faith based 'initiatives" can receive government support thanks to the lack of a badly worded document like the first amendment. Freedom of religion is protected in Canada's charter of rights and freedoms but people in this country like to assume "American exceptionalism" and pretend freedoms exist nowhere else.
Thanks to the lack of a broadly worded document like the first amendment, Canadian media can be prevented from many of the excesses which draw complaints here.
Now to the main point: This is why you Jesus freaks make me sick. You twist things to suit yourselves. You demand "freedom" and protections for yourself while denying them to others. This government clerk is free to exercise his own religion. But that's not good enough. He wants to stop someone else from doing what they want. Apparently Jesus jumpers have an extra commandment: Thou shalt not mind thy own business.
Apparently Christianity opposes gay marriage while its clerics abuse young boys.
Since Christians can't get away with burning people at the stake any more, I guess they have to content themselves with just pushing people around. It's too bad the people Christians like to push around are usually nice people who don't fight back. What they should do is form a picket line around this guy's church. Do unto church-goers as they like to do to others outside Planned Parenthood.
I see you can't let go of the "slippery slope" fallacy, dude. It's so convenient for justifying unjustifiable positions. And since Christians have already shown they will buy a package of ridiculous myths and superstitions, getting them to accept the "slippery slope" is easy.
Mike from Delaware
Sat, May 11, 2013 9:54am
Billsmith: In those articles the Christian commissioner offered those gay/lesbian folks a different commissioner who did the marriage ceremony for them. So it wasn't like the Christian commissioner said too bad for you, I don't do gay marriages, you're out of luck. No she found them someone to do the gay marriage for them. So she was NOT forcing her beliefs on them, but rather than those folks getting married and be happy, those gay/lesbian folks wanted to force THEIR beliefs on this Christian commissioner.
So YOU have it backwards.
So its OK for the government to force a religious institution to have to pay for abortion procedures in their employee healthcare plan too [the HHS thing with the Catholics]. So basically what YOU'RE saying is as long as the libs/progressives are getting their agenda its OK to force others to comply, but not if others do it.
What you don't seem to get from my posts [maybe I just don't say it clearly enough] is I don't want to force anyone to do anything against their will[which includes coming to Christ that is a free choice, just as whether or not a pastor should have to marry gay/lesbians should be a free choice - some churches are willing to do this, others are not]. So, even though I don't agree with it, I have no problem with the state marrying gay/lesbians as long as they allow each church, pastor, denomination to make that choice for themselves with no hassle, pressure, threats, or law suits, etc.
But as with anti-discrimination laws, that were supposed to end discrimination, but didn't end discrimination they just changed who was being discriminated against [white males instead of blacks, other minorities, and women]. So its not too far of a stretch to see NOW that gay/lesbians are going to be getting married that the state would eventually require churches and its ministers to have to ignore their beliefs and marry gay /lesbians. This situation in Canada shows how that can start to happen.
The way that situation should have worked is for Canada to say, if a marriage commissioner has religious reasons for not marrying gay/lesbians, then they are required to find another commissioner who will marry them. That way all are having the freedom to belief and live as they wish. Gay/lesbians are free to marry and Christians are free to not have anything to do with it as it goes against what God's holy word, in the Bible says. Both sides get respect and freedom. The other way this could be accomplished so that the gay/lesbian couple wouldn't have to know someone didn't want to marry them is you go do your paperwork and submit it and then you'll be assigned a marriage commissioner [so then within the inner office, someone who's OK marrying gay/lesbians will take that case]. Either way both get to practice their faith/beliefs or non-faith/beliefs as they choose.
Why is that wrong???
Mike from Delaware
Sat, May 11, 2013 10:13am
Billsmith said earlier: "Now you will come back and talking about not wasting time and agreeing to disagree, which is always your cop-out when you put yourself in an untenable position."
It's not that my view is an untenable position, its when you start the name calling, calling me a liar, etc, etc, then why waste my time trying to have an intelligent discussion with you. At that point there's nothing I can say so why bother.
Second topic Billsmith:
For whatever reasons, you hate the church [including the LCMS], Christians, Jesus, and anything else to do with his church or people. That's fine, it is your right. You even have the right to be an ass, a jerk, a snob, an elitist, or even rude about it, and even have called me a liar above [you've been all of these just for the record], BUT that doesn't mean I have to stay here and listen to it. Trust me Bill, if I allowed my flesh to take over [and ignore the Holy Spirit's promptings], I could put your ass in its place quite quickly [you aren't the only person on this blog who's got verbal weapons they can hurl], but the Lord doesn't operate that way, so rather than allow myself to sink to your level and get into that sort of verbal fight with you [which would please the devil and grieve the Lord] I just walk away.
So bottom line Bill, you've become a cyber bully on this blog and I'm not going to be an enabler. It's time you learned some manners and how to talk to others you don't agree with. So if you want a discussion with me, then you need to keep a civil tongue in your mouth or the discussion with me is done. It is what it is, and yes on this we'll have to agree to disagree. If that means I discuss only with the others here and ignore your post, that too works for me. Your choice.
Sat, May 11, 2013 11:14am
MikeFromDelaware: Sorry, but no. I don't hate Jesus. I don't know if there ever was such a person but I do admire many of the sayings attributed to him. I don't have much use for St. Paul, who corrupted those teachings.
One thing I admire that "Jesus" said were his comments about self-righteous, religious hypocrites. I know Christians like to think Jesus didn't like Pharisees (or Jews) when he was actually talking about people like them. Funny how the human mind works.
Funny how much Christians ignore or misrepresent things Jesus said. Jesus said pray in secret and Christians turn around and demand (usually pompous and long-winded) prayers at public meetings, public events and in public schools.
The historical record shows Christianity has been a bad influence for most of its history. Something about it brings out the worst in people. Maybe because it's basic psychological appeal is authoritarian, which is why rulers like having it around. Ever wonder why so many fundamentalists are tea party types and so many tea party types are fundamentalists?
You express loyalty to this country while acknowledging when this country fails to follow its founding principles. But you are not willing to do that with organized Christianity or its leaders.
Sat, May 11, 2013 12:51pm
Kavips: I'm a bigot for Jesus!
Mike from Delaware
Sat, May 11, 2013 2:36pm
Billsmith: You said, "Funny how much Christians ignore or misrepresent things Jesus said. Jesus said pray in secret and Christians turn around and demand (usually pompous and long-winded) prayers at public meetings, public events and in public schools."
The problem with this statement is it assumes ALL Christians do this and support the doing of it. I know my wife and I are as turned off to this as you. So not all Christians like a public show of prayer. Note in the discussion about Tim Tebow, here on the WDEL blog, I was not one of his fans [in terms of football if he can play, I'm for him, but he had a poor season so I can understand why NY dropped him]. I even said why I didn't support him, his showy prayer performance. I pray and talk to the Lord at work quite a lot, but no one there knows that, because its a silent form of prayer and Mr. Tebow could do that too, but has chosen to "give the appearance" of making a show of it [he may be sincere in what he's trying to do, but the appearance messes that up in my opinion], that turns me off.
So while yes there are some Christians who do like the public showy prayers, there are others [maybe a more silent group - that usually are in the less fundamentalist, conservative, type Christian churches like: United Methodist, Lutheran both ELCA and LCMS [I know you have your beefs with the LCMS, but from what I've observed they are not at all into public showiness], and Episcopalians.
No Christian leader is infallible, including the Pope [sorry Allan, on that we'll just have to agree to disagree]. All, other than Jesus Christ, is a sinner, a broken piece of pottery. It's one of the things that makes the Christian journey more difficult is the leaders are just as flawed as I. So that's why it's important to dig deep into the scriptures to try to ferret out what Jesus really meant. Unconditional love is the key. Most of us aren't even close to being able to show that, as Jesus did, thus the problem folks like you see with the church. Talk is cheap, where's the love showing in our daily walk. I totally understand that and struggle with this everyday. Some rare individuals like St. Francis of Assisi and Mother Teresa probably came closer than most of us, but we are to strive for Godly perfection, even though we know we will miss the mark more often than we'll hit it. Thankfully God isn't like us and that we do worship the God of second, third, fourth, etc, chances.
I'm glad to hear that you don't hate Jesus. I sure wish you were able to look past knuckleheads like me and try to see who I am trying to follow [as a disciple] as I bumble along in this life; and seek Christ and ignore me and the rest of us in the church. I truly hate the possibility that you will miss something better, because the messenger [me] is such a dunce.
Sat, May 11, 2013 5:06pm
MikeFromDelaware: I think I understand the message. And I also understand that, in the words of Osgood Fielding in "Some Like It Hot," "nobody's perfect!" But I don't see that Christianity tends to bring out the best in people. Instead, when people feel they've got some direct pipeline to the almighty, it seems to bring out the worst in them.
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Police say they have made two arrests in a robbery that occurred at gun point.
Auburn Police say they have arrested 21-year-old Da'Raebian S. Barefield from Columbus, Georgia and 20-year-old Autumn R. Macon-Scaff from Auburn, and charged them with robbery first degree.
On November 24, 2013 around 9 p.m. officers responded to the 200 Block of W. Longleaf Drive after a call of a victim being robbed at gunpoint.Once they arrived victims told police that they had been robbed at gunpoint by three individuals, who stole an Apple iphone valued at $250 and two hundred dollars in U.S. currency.
After an investigation Barefield and Macon-Scaff were developed as suspects of the robbery and were arrested. Barefield was also arrested for failure to appear and probation violation. Macon-Scaff was also arrested at the scene for unrelated charges and again arrested while in custody.
Macon-Scaff was transported to the Lee County Jail with a $100,000 bond.
Barefield was transported to the Lee County Jail with a $100,500 bond.
This investigation remains ongoing and additional arrests are possible.
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23581 Posts in 19403 Topics by 2893 members
General Questions
SilverStripe Forums » General Questions » Additional params for uploaded flash
General questions about getting started with SilverStripe that don't fit in any of the categories above.
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Additional params for uploaded flash
20 November 2009 at 10:06am Last edited: 20 November 2009 11:59am
Is there a way to add additional default parameters, such as wMode: transparent, to the content flash upload?
Edit: Sorry for the lame way of asking, but I am in 2.3.3 and need to add the "wMode: transparent" to all flash files uploaded through the HTML editor for a page content region. Any help?
Community Member
283 Posts
Re: Additional params for uploaded flash
26 November 2009 at 4:52am
Do you mean for the corresponding embed, or do you want to store a wMode attribute with the file metadata to be used later?
Re: Additional params for uploaded flash
26 November 2009 at 8:15am
Thanks for responding, dalesaurus. And, please forgive my density if I'm not answering the question correctly.
I need all flash files uploaded through the content area of the CMS to have the wMode: transparent attribute associated with the corresponding embed.
The following is what shows in source by default:
<object height="342" width="613" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="assets/Flash/dMap_v6_aa.swf">
<param value="assets/Flash/dMap_v6_aa.swf" name="src"/>
If I upload through a custom field, I know I can code it within the layout (or, at least I think I can). But, I didn't want to go that way (adding any additional fields in the CMS for this) if I could just modify what's already in place.
It may sound silly, but is there a way to deal with this through CSS?
Does this make sense? (I'm fighting some kind of ick at the moment and don't trust my powers of communication.)
Community Member
283 Posts
Re: Additional params for uploaded flash
26 November 2009 at 11:28am
I see what you're up to and it does make sense. However without digging in the code I don't think there is a way to change the embed without hacking some core files. You can do that OR be really lazy and hammer at it with jQuery.
Community Member
901 Posts
Re: Additional params for uploaded flash
26 November 2009 at 8:27pm Last edited: 26 November 2009 8:27pm
Hi AlaVive
I think it would be best to separate the flash content in a file upload field and then use SWFObject to embed the flash. This approach has several advantages:
- You can freely customize all the flash embed parameters and more
- SWFObject automatically detects if the required flash player is installed and can otherwise display alternative content
- It generates valid HTML
The jQuery hack proposed by dalesaurus could be another option, but I'm not sure if it will work. My guess is, that the Flash Player Object only checks the wmode parameter at initialization. Now if that happens before jQuery runs, you're out of luck. But it's probably worth a try.
Personally, I would choose the SWFObject route and even add a text-field along the file upload field to my page, so that I could provide some alternative text for that flash content (for google, and all the users that don't have flash installed).
If that sounds like a good idea to you, I'd be happy to provide you with a code example.
Re: Additional params for uploaded flash
27 November 2009 at 4:13am
Thanks again for your thoughts, dalesaurus.
Banal, thank you, as well, for your points. You've convinced me. So, if you still don't mind sharing, I am interested in seeing a code example you offered!
Community Member
901 Posts
Re: Additional params for uploaded flash
27 November 2009 at 5:47am
Sure thing.
- Download and unpack swfobject 2.2 from http://code.google.com/p/swfobject/
- copy swfobject.js and expressInstall.swf from the swfobject folder to your mysite folder. I copied the files into mysite/javascript/lib, so this is what I'm gonna use in this example
I suggest to create a special Page class for our needs. Let's call it "FlashPage". Copy the following code to a file named FlashPage.php in mysite/code:
class FlashPage extends Page
public static $db = array(
'AlternateContent' => 'HTMLText'
public static $has_one = array(
'FlashFile' => 'File'
public function getCMSFields(){
$fields = parent::getCMSFields();
// create a file upload field that only allows swf to be uploaded
$fileUpload = new FileIFrameField('FlashFile', 'Flash file (swf)');
$fields->addFieldsToTab('Root.Content.Flash', array(
new HtmlEditorField('AlternateContent', 'Flash replacement text', 20)
return $fields;
class FlashPage_Controller extends Page_Controller
public function init(){
// require SWF Object script
After doing this, run dev/build
The FlashPage class has a FlashFile and an alternative content that will show if the flash player isn't installed on the visitors machine. I added these two fields to a new Tab called "Flash" on the same level as "Main".
Now you only need a template for the FlashFile page. This could be either a layout or a full page template. Here's the important template code:
<% if FlashFile %>


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