text:
Managerial incentives and financial contagion
AbstractThis paper proposes a framework to examine the comovements of asset prices with seemingly unrelated fundamentals, as an outcome of the optimal portfolio strategies of large institutional fund managers. In emerging markets, the dominant presence of dedicated fund managers whose compensation is linked to the outperformance of their portfolio relative to a benchmark index, and of global fund managers whose compensation is linked to the absolute returns of their portfolios, leads to portfolio decisions that result in systematic interactions between asset prices even in the absence of asymmetric information. The model endogenously determines the optimal amount of cash holdings or leverage, the incidence of relative value versus macro hedge fund strategies, and how prices can systematically deviate from the long-term fundamental value for long periods of time, with limits to the arbitrage of this differential. Managerial compensation contracts, while optimal at a firm level, may lead to inefficiencies at the macroeconomic level. We identify conditions when a negative shock to one emerging market affects another market negatively.
Download InfoIf you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
Bibliographic InfoPaper provided by Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in its series Working Paper Series with number WP-03-21.
Date of creation: 2003
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:fip:fedhwp:wp-03-21
Contact details of provider:
Postal: P.O. Box 834, 230 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60690-0834
Phone: 312/322-5111
Fax: 312/322-5515
Web page: http://www.chicagofed.org/
More information through EDIRC
Order Information:
Web: http://www.chicagofed.org/webpages/publications/print_publication_order_form.cfm
Related researchKeywords: Financial crises ; Mutual funds;
Other versions of this item:
- Sujit Chakravorti & Subir Lall, 2004. "Managerial Incentives and Financial Contagion," International Finance 0408003, EconWPA.
- Sujit Chakravorti & Subir Lall, 2004. "Managerial Incentives and Financial Contagion," IMF Working Papers 04/199, International Monetary Fund.
- F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration
- G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2004-01-18 (All new papers)
- NEP-IFN-2004-01-18 (International Finance)
ReferencesReferences listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Kaminsky, Graciela L. & Reinhart, Carmen M., 2000.
"On crises, contagion, and confusion,"
Journal of International Economics,
Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 145-168, June.
- Reinhart, Carmen & Kaminsky, Graciela, 1998. "On crises, contagion, and confusion," MPRA Paper 13709, University Library of Munich, Germany.
- Reinhart, Carmen & Calvo, Sara, 1996.
"Capital Flows to Latin America: Is There Evidence of Contagion Effects?","
MPRA Paper
7124, University Library of Munich, Germany.
- Carmen M. Reinhart & Sara Calvo, 1996. "Capital Flows to Latin America: Is There Evidence of Contagion Effects?," Peterson Institute Press: Chapters, in: Guillermo A. Calvo & Morris Goldstein & Eduard Hochreiter (ed.), Private Capital Flows to Emerging Markets After the Mexican Crisis, pages 151-171 Peterson Institute for International Economics.
- Calvo, Sara & Reinhart, Carmen, 1996. "Capital flows to Latin America : Is there evidence of contagion effects?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1619, The World Bank.
- Banerjee, Abhijit V, 1992. "A Simple Model of Herd Behavior," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 107(3), pages 797-817, August.
- Kaminsky, Graciela L. & Schmukler, Sergio L., 1999.
"What triggers market jitters? A chronicle of the Asian crisis,"
Policy Research Working Paper Series
2094, The World Bank.
- Kaminsky, Graciela L. & Schmukler, Sergio L., 1999. "What triggers market jitters?: A chronicle of the Asian crisis," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 537-560, August.
- Graciela L. Kaminsky & Sergio L. Schmukler, 1999. "What triggers market jitters: a chronicle of the Asian crisis," International Finance Discussion Papers 634, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
- Albert S. Kyle, 2001. "Contagion as a Wealth Effect," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 56(4), pages 1401-1440, 08.
- Calvo, Guillermo A. & Mendoza, Enrique G., 2000.
"Rational contagion and the globalization of securities markets,"
Journal of International Economics,
Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 79-113, June.
- Guillermo A. Calvo & Enrique G. Mendoza, 1999. "Regional Contagion and the Globalization of Securities Markets," NBER Working Papers 7153, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Laura E. Kodres & Matthew Pritsker, 2002. "A Rational Expectations Model of Financial Contagion," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 57(2), pages 769-799, 04.
CitationsCitations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
Cited by:
- Raghuram G. Rajan, 2005.
"Has Financial Development Made the World Riskier?,"
NBER Working Papers
11728, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Raghuram G. Rajan, 2005. "Has financial development made the world riskier?," Proceedings - Economic Policy Symposium - Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, issue Aug, pages 313-369.
- Raghuram G. Rajan, 2005. "Has Financial Development Made the World Riskier?," Working Papers id:248, eSocialSciences.
- Gaston Gelos, 2011. "International Mutual Funds, Capital Flow Volatility, and Contagion-A Survey," IMF Working Papers 11/92, International Monetary Fund.
- Virginie Coudert & Cécile Couharde & Valérie Mignon, 2010.
"Exchange Rate Flexibility across Financial Crises,"
CEPN Working Papers
hal-00845254, HAL.
- Virginie Coudert & Cécile Couharde & Valérie Mignon, 2010. "Exchange Rate Flexibility Across Financial Crises," Working Papers 2010-08, CEPII research center.
- Coudert, Virginie & Gex, Mathieu, 2010. "Contagion inside the credit default swaps market: The case of the GM and Ford crisis in 2005," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 109-134, April.
- Irina Bunda & A. Javier Hamann & Subir Lall, 2007. "Emerging Debt Markets: What Do Correlations and Spreads Tell Us?," Post-Print halshs-00424468, HAL.
- Bunda, Irina & Hamann, A. Javier & Lall, Subir, 2009. "Correlations in emerging market bonds: The role of local and global factors," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 67-96, June.
- Leitao, Joao & Armada, Manuel Rocha & Ferreira, Joaaquim, 2012. "Corruption and Co-Movements in European Listed Sport Companies: Did Calciocaos really matter?," MPRA Paper 42474, University Library of Munich, Germany.
- Anna Ilyina, 2005. "Investment Restrictions and Contagion in Emerging Markets," IMF Working Papers 05/190, International Monetary Fund.
- Irina Bunda & A. Javier Hamann & Subir Lall, 2005. "Comovements In Emerging Market Bond Returns: An Empirical Assessment," Post-Print halshs-00424466, HAL.
- A. Javier Hamann & Irina Bunda & Subir Lall, 2010. "Correlations in Emerging Market Bonds," IMF Working Papers 10/6, International Monetary Fund.
ListsThis item is not listed on Wikipedia, on a reading list or among the top items on IDEAS.
StatisticsAccess and download statistics
CorrectionsWhen requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:fip:fedhwp:wp-03-21. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.
For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: (Bernie Flores).
If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.
If references are entirely missing, you can add them using this form.
If the full references list an item that is present in RePEc, but the system did not link to it, you can help with this form.
If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.
Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.


text:
Next, you'll be asked to connect with Twitter. Rest assured, we will never send a tweet from your account
without your permission.
We will send you an email with an invite soon.
Mention Discount Code YVSG10 at check out! It pays to #SupportSmall business owners. Forever Pure Beauty will...
See what's Trending Now for @YVSG
Follow @YVSG on Twitter

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
"No offence to the ladies out there, but, imo, women are better at supportive roles and males are (sometimes) better at leading the troops and charging to victory."
"Haha. It wasn't at all meant offensive, just my OWN observations, NOT meant generally."
Since you've apparently forgotten, these are 2 of the statements you've made above. If you'll notice, they aren't consistent. You can't say you didn't mean to be offensive or that you didn't mean your statements to be general when that first statement is most definitely both offensive and general. "woman are better at supportive roles" is just the type of statement that has been used for generations to keep women at home tending the kitchen and the children. Which is fine if that is what they choose to do, but there are plenty of women out there who would like to "lead the troops and charge to victory".
Guess what? I'm a woman. I served 4 years in the United States Army. Then I worked in a library for years. Now I stay at home with my 3 year old daughter. At night, I'm a raid leader and main tank for my 10man raid team. I have 3 tanks (pally, DK and druid) and I've been leveling a warrior when I'm in the mood. Not all women fit your preconceived notions. And most likely, if you're typing this stuff while breaking from studying, you're too young to be making these kind of general statements anyway. Get out into the world a little before you create such narrow opinions of women and people in general.


text:
See and share Beautiful Nature Photos and amazing photos of interesting places
A list of Waldo Williams Poems. This poet page also includes a link to popular and all-time best Waldo Williams poems and the poet's biography. Many of these Williams poems may be famous while other poems may be less well-known.
Waldo (Goronwy) Williams (30 September 1904 – 20 May 1971) was one of the leading Welsh language poets of the twentieth century. He was also a notable pacifist, anti-war campaigner, and Welsh nationalist.. Welsh language poet; pacifist anti-war campaigner and Welsh nationalist
Are we missing a
Submit a Waldo Williams poem here...


text:
Carson Palmer
Fantasy Vs. Reality: NFL Player Impact Doesn't Always Line Up
Every year around this time, I find myself getting asked the same question over and over again from people who know I enjoy football. "So, who do you like this season?"
Carson Palmer Provides The Cardinals With A Major Upgrade
Anybody who watched the Cardinals last year saw that they needed help at the quarterback position. Considering their options, Arizona has to be happy with their off-season addition of Carson Palmer.
Fantasy Football: Top 12 Sleepers By Position
Here's a look at some sleepers that could pay dividends in your fantasy league.
Denver Broncos Head To Oakland To Play Ice Cold Raiders
The Denver Broncos are the NFL's hottest team, winning seven straight games, including Sunday's 31-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When they fly to Oakland this week, Denver will face their polar opposites in the Raiders, who have lost five straight.
Manning Leads Broncos To 37-6 Win Over Raiders
Peyton Manning finished with 338 yards and three touchdown passes Sunday to lift the Denver Broncos to a 37-6 victory over the Oakland Raiders.
Oakland Raiders Will Bring It All In AFC West Rivalry Game Against Broncos
The Raiders can run, pass and will hit you in the mouth. The Broncos must be ready Sunday for a brawl.
Fantasy Football: 2012 Reaches And Sleepers
Big names dominate fantasy football drafts, but often don't pay off. Check out these reaches and sleepers to get an edge.
Hold The Tebow Hype For A Moment, It's Miller Time
Broncos linebacker Von Miller, the second overall selection in the draft, has led Denver's defensive revival along with pass-rushing partner Elvis Dumervil.


text:
Winnetka Optometrists
Listings in the Optometrist categoryPage 1
561 Lincoln Ave
Winnetka, IL 60093-2348
571 Chestnut St
Winnetka, IL 60093-2201
561 Lincoln Ave
Winnetka, IL 60093
561 Lincoln Ave
Winnetka, IL 60093-2348
Eye Health 101 - Finding Optometrists in Winnetka, Illinois
Are you taking care of your eyes? Every once in a while, after sustaining an eye injury, procuring some kind of injection, or just getting soap in our eyes, we remember how truly important our eye health is. Those of us blessed with eyesight should strive to take good care of our eyes. Here are some tips for making sure you are taking care of your eyes, and pointers on finding optometrists in Winnetka, Illinois.
Eye Health 101 - Get your Annual Check Up
Annual checkup does not mean every once in a while, every couple of years, or whenever you have some extra time. Getting your recommended annual eye check up means that you go to your optometrist (or ophthalmologist) at least once a year to make sure that your eyes are clean, sparkling, and of course, very healthy. An annual checkup is by far the best way to prevent future problems, and to spot potential problems early enough to do something about it.
Protect Your Eyes from the Sun
It is such an easy thing to do, yet so many of us fail to do it. Protect your eyes from the sun. Make sure to wear sunglasses, especially during the summer. Sunglasses are a must, especially for a day out on the beach, hiking, or any other kind of outdoor activity. The UV rays found in sunlight are not just dangerous for your skin; they are dangerous to your eye retinas as well. Keep your eyes healthy by shielding them from the damage of sun glare and UV rays.
Finding Optometrists in Winnetka, Illinois
Are you new to the Winnetka, Illinois area? If so, finding optometrists in Winnetka, Illinois should be on your to-do list, especially if you wear glasses. Open up your yellow pages and find the nearest optometrist near you and schedule a consultation. Going to the optometrist is one of those things that is easy to put off. Like the proverbial dental visit, visiting the optometrist when you are having eye troubles is not a good idea. Visit your optometrist before you develop any kind of serious eye trouble.
New to the Winnetka, Illinois Area? Ask for Recommendations
What is one of the easiest methods of finding optometrists in Winnetka, Illinois? Ask help in finding optometrists in Winnetka, Illinois. Ask people you know who their optometrist is. Everyone knows at least one person who visits an optometrist regularly. Ask co-workers, friends, acquaintances, and family members if they can recommend a local area optometrist to you. This makes finding optometrists in Winnetka, Illinois so much easier. Plus, you have a personal recommendation. Make sure you solicit recommendations from people whose judgment you really trust, of course.


text:
Five-Spice Beef
Five-spice powder is a staple in Chinese cooking and an ideal accent for beef.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup steak mixture, about 1/2 cup rice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cashews)
More From Oxmoor House
Recipe Time
Cook Time:
Prep Time:
Other: 20 Minutes
Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
- Calories: 335
- Fat: 8.7g
- Saturated fat: 2.4g
- Protein: 29.5g
- Carbohydrate: 34.5g
- Cholesterol: 69mg
- Iron: 5.7mg
- Sodium: 752mg
- Calories from fat: 23%
- Fiber: 4.1g
- Calcium: 50mg
- 1 pound sirloin steak (1 inch thick), cut diagonally across grain into wafer-thin strips
- 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, divided
- 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
- 3/4 cup green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1/2 small)
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1/2 small)
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 1 (8.8-ounce) package precooked brown rice
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cashews
- Place steak in a large zip-top plastic bag. Combine five-spice powder and 3 tablespoons soy sauce in a small bowl; pour over steak. Seal bag; chill at least 20 minutes.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add steak and marinade to pan; stir-fry 4 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove steak from pan; set aside, and keep warm.
- Add broth and next 5 ingredients to pan; cook over medium heat 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Return steak to pan; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and cook until thoroughly heated.
- While vegetable mixture simmers, heat rice in microwave oven according to package directions.
- Spoon steak mixture over rice, and sprinkle with cashews.
My Notes
Only you will be able to view, print, and edit this note.Add Note
Five-Spice Beef Recipe at a Glance
- COURSE: Main Dishes
- CONVENIENCE: Entertaining, Quick/Easy, Family
- CUISINE: Chinese
- MAIN INGREDIENT: Beef
- COOKING METHOD: Wok/Stir-Fry
- PUBLICATION: Oxmoor House
More Recipes Like This
Five-Spice Orange Beef and BroccoliCooking Light
Chinese Five Spice BurgersSunset
Find out what we've got cooking...
Get our Free Weekly Specials Newsletter filled with our favorite recipes, seasonal menus, and special features.
We Respect Your Privacy. Privacy Policy


text:
Beijing calling
Now onto my next case. Today I received a peculiar envelope in the mail. It was a bulging yellow…
View Post
Tags: Asia Beijing China fiction Forbidden City short story writing
Karma to kick some major ass
Back at the office now and it's time to bring into the fold a partner. I decided that I needed more…
Tags: fiction Karma noir Samurai short stories writing
Time to slow down
Back from my solving my first case on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the Badlands of South Dakota.…
Tags: Heyoka Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation pine ridge reservation south dakota
Ambushed! http://wp.me/s3uLKJ-ambushed
Tags: badlands brave case solved Heyoka Lakota Lakota people
White Feather
Janice Two Hearts hired me to get her pure white horse back. It was a prized stud she acquired from…
Tags: Heyoka Lakota Lakota mythology Lakota people Pine Ridge Indian Reservation south dakota
Potential Assistants
Looking for a missing horse in South Dakota is like trying to find a mullet at Wal-Mart. They are…
Tags: Gabrielle Lucy Lawless Quickbooks south dakota Wal-Mart Xena Xena Warrior Princess
A Man and a Missing Horse
Received an email today requesting my global private investigative services. Seeing that this is…
Tags: badlands Business cowboys Investigation natives pine ridge reservation private investigator Security south dakota Telephone number United States wild horses
Old Style & Tumblr
The kids skateboarding down by the 7-11 told me I should be tumbling on the Tumblr. I set up a…
Tags: old style private investigator skateboaders tumblr
Gamblers http://wp.me/s3uLKJ-gamblers
Tags: albuquerque dice dreams gambling private investigation
Looking for an assistant
Tags: albuquerque assistant baccarat craigslist help wanted new mexico private investigator
I am Ed Surmise, Global Private Investigator. I try to post things here that relevant and concurrent to the nature of the cases I may or may not be working on. Please feel free to contact me for an antidote. Thank you have a good day.
Powered by Tumblr. Minimal Theme designed by Artur Kim.


text:
The "Fish Finder?" How does it work?
We've divided the fish which are commonly found in coastal North Carolina into several categories. These relate to either the type of fish (tunas, billfish, etc) or the locations where they are most commonly caught. Of course, sometimes some of the fish in the offshore/reef group might swim closer to shore and be found where you would expect inshore/coastal fish. Likewise some of the inshore/coastal fish are as much at home offshore as inshore. We have also listed all the fish by name only in an alphabetical glossary.
See also Recreational Fishing Size and Creel Limits Recreational Fishing Reports
(If you would like us to respond please include your phone or e-mail.)
*If you are a DENR employee with an I.T. issue, please submit a DOTS ticket.


text:
eCommerce Facebook integration
Facebook Storefront
We have recently developed two Facebook solutions that will boost your sales in no time.
One of them is Facebook storefront allows for products to be listed in a frame on Facebook. Customers get redirected to the webstore once they press the 'Buy now' button on a selected item. By default the module has standard basic design, however, it can be customized to your requirements for a reasonable additional fee. The main purpose of this solution is to inform the target audience of the new products and services as well as new special deals; automate the logging-in process by simply using a Facebook account without having to register on other websites.
Facebook Login
The second solution is Social Networks Login that will basically allow your customers to use Facebook account details to create an account with your online store and no new account the next time they buy from you. It will encourage customers to effortlessly create accounts and place orders online by only using their Facebook.
Facebook Layouts Design
With the help of Holbi's new eCommerce Facebook Integration your online store FB account will become more interactive for your customers and provide an easier access to the actual website. See examples how a corporate design looks on FB.
To order Holbi's eCommerce Facebook Integration contact us at info(at)holbi.co.uk
or call us at 0800 011 2569.


text:
Letters to Heaven
Finishing a Conversation Between Heaven and Earth
"We have unfinished business, you and I." – Calvin Miller, Letters to Heaven
If you could send a letter to someone you had lost . . . if you could mail a note to heaven's gates . . . if you could reach beyond the Great Divide to someone who spurred you on in your life or faith . . . who would you write to, and what would you say? In an intimate collection of correspondence to those who have passed on, Calvin Miller divulges his thoughts and questions in an attempt to resolve some conversations left uncompleted between heaven and earth. His highly inspirational Letters to Heaven speaks of lessons learned, secrets lost to time, sorrows, victories, and the everlasting imprint that long-gone individuals make on our lives.
7 Ways Christian Meditation Differs From Eastern...All meditation is not the same. These seven contrasts show why Biblical meditation...
5 Role Models Every Catholic Woman NeedsNo matter where we are in our journey as a Catholic woman, God has provided...
Is Over The Top Worship An OxymoronHave we idolized emotionalism in the church or are we simply judging others?
Christmas Grace: The Greatest GiftWhat happens when two toy store owners find themselves competing for the same...


text:
My husband is the street-smart businessman from a more basic world, which includes reality TV, like Duck Dynasty, sports, and material things. However, this trip was his choice for a vacation, his first time in these countries.
Good sport that he is, he indulged me in the Vienna Opera, Dvorjak's Rusalka, in Czech with German subtitles, which I loosely translated in whispers to him. He stayed awake and sat still the whole time. During intermission, there were commercials for fast cars, fashion and A+E TV-featuring the Duck Dynasty folks in tuxes and the Wahlburgs, two of Bob's favorites. As he photographed the commercials, I saw the metaphor of how different worlds and lives join to form a more interesting whole life. People from different cultures add to each other and complete each other. They bring new perspectives to each other.. Couples grow more alike with time, but too much sameness could be boring. Vive la difference!
Now, we're back home watching DWTS and there's a Duck Dynasty daughter dancing, with her parents in the audience. Maybe they're not rednecks, just actors? She's a natural dancer. We're both psyched. Cultures collide, join and blend. A metaphor for marriage.]]>
The mother walks down the street with her little kid and passes other white women, white men, black women, and then a black man. Only when they pass the black man does her hand tighten. Thereby, prejudice starts in her kid. The kid grows up to be a cop. Regardless of logic or circumstances, the prejudice interferes with his judgment.
The Moslem kid goes to a school which indoctrinates him extensively in sacrifice, fundamentalism, subjugation of women, hate for other religions and imperialism. He hasn't even met the enemy. He is only too proud to kill what he considers human rats. (Like the KKK going hunting for black guys to shoot like foxes.)
The "punishment" for any small crime against "the other" should be having to live with them, having to help them, taking care of them, listening to them, not learning to hate them more through torture and mutual aggression. However, integration of the world isn't in my control.
When the first intifada began in Israel, long ago, I would have gotten the rock throwing Palestinians in a room with Jewish teens like them for discussions for hours in a safe place. They would have had to complete a project together under armed guard, such as building an orphanage or a nursing home.
All the people in Guantanamo would have had to watch hours of film with 9/11 victims home movies and testimony about their normal lives. They would have had to counsel for hours with peace-loving Moslems who haven't been brainwashed into terrorism.
Yes, I'm writing as an idealist and given a murderer in front of me, I would defend myself and my family with more than words, if possible. But, I guarantee that the hate generated in the world, the need to protect one's territory, and the violence back and forth could be stemmed by more people-to-people everyday interactions, starting with children, even if artificial and forced at first.]]>
When I used to go to Quaker meeting, a leader there told me that I obviously live simply because, for example, I wear jeans a lot. What a silly thought. Rather than gardening for food, sewing my clothes, or avoiding machinery, as some religious-minded advocates of a simple life recommended, I thought my life was quite simplified by hiring people to do the things I don't like doing, like cleaning, yardwork, and stuff like that. Actually, that's true, as long as they show up and do the work right without destroying anything.
What really makes a simple life? Transitions from a complicated life, like moving, retiring or changing family constellations might have simplifying as a goal but can be hard and complicated during the process of change. A woman I know left her marriage to live with her female partner, and don't imagine that it was easy. A couple is moving from their large home full of memorabilia to a condo and it's going to be difficult. Some people think living alone is simple, but not if the person gets sick or needs any kind of help, like a ride to the airport or moral support. Sure, friends are great but they're often busy. People who live alone don't have some of the issues of relationships but there's no division of labor, either. They're responsible for themselves and everything.
Really, I'm not sure if there is such a thing as a simple life. I think every position in life or choice is a trade-off . You get something and give up something else. The only simplicity is in your attitude, figuring out how to focus on options and enjoy what's good. That is, if you're not living in a disaster or war zone, where just trying to survive is the only complication.]]>
What if the situation were in our families? If a child hurt another child, maybe even killed him, should we then beat up and hurt all the children in our family for being aligned in that generation? If a school bully hurt or even killed someone on the playground, then should we destroy that bully's home and attack his parents and siblings when they stay there? What if the bully is our cousin?
The perpetrator needs punishment which includes isolation, rehabilitation and a chance to make recompense. Perhaps, helping the family hurt and funding a charity to help people of their ilk-some decent legacy. What we don't need is a crazy world in which one act of terror leads to another.
However, when a whole group wages vicious war on all others around them, establishing an inquisition of terror, that group needs to be stopped by whatever means possible. If we could re-educated their distorted minds, it would be best. Otherwise, we need to demonstrate that their violence will not be tolerated. Not since the Nazis have we had such a challenge.
Please, world, know when counter-aggression is appropriate and when it is not.]]>
Yes, any of the above and more. In the case of a man I'll call Frank, it was a combination of jealousy, thinking that his wife might care too much for others who didn't deserve her love and attention and not enough for him. He grew up with neglect and no one caring, so he felt threatened by too much warmth not directed his way, believing that he may not really deserve it.
Sue never could relate to others' feelings and qualified as "on the autistic spectrum." Misfortune of others meant something logically but she couldn't feel sadness or love in reaction. Part of her neurological wiring. A classic case of Sheldonism from "The Big Bang Theory."
Jim suffered from PTSD. He was already so overwhemed, anxious and depressed about his own suffering and trauma that there wasn't enough room to open his heart up to others' difficulties.
Beth couldn't handle the idea that if she cared she might be responsible in some way to help. She didn't want to get involved, so she kept her distance emotionally and physically. Sometimes, though, she acted like she cared to get admiration or attention, but really her focus was on herself. A classic case of narcissism.
Give your own examples.
How do we handle the cold heart when we encounter it? Teach it how to feel and care by providing love and being an example. Reinforce a little response, if it shows up. Define it as human, even if rarely kind and nice, by pointing out times it happened.]]>
And therein lies the key to perpetual high school life right through to old age. Whether the snobs are in assisted living or on the playground, it feels the same. It's really not much different, either, when gossiping occurs. Whether it's two kids in the back seat on the way to soccer or two senior citizens taking a walk, there's the same sense of the gossiping person trying to feel superior by "knowing" what's going on and acting like a part of it. (Somewhat evil, in my opinion, although I've occasionally slipped.) What about counting birthday or other holiday greetings? That's something made easy by Facebook. Used to be the most popular kids got the most Valentines and whoever didn't felt sad. Is popularity measured by number of FB friends now?
confidence, who get labeled "nebishes," and who get ignored rudely.
People follow the leader everywhere, and it's a certain power group which sways the masses, takes over and controls what happens. It's school, it's work, it's community, and it's countries.
It's not that I'm really complaining because I accept the realities of life with the smile and smirk of the observer. We individuals blend in when we have to but usually are happinest when we bond with fellow outliers in poking fun and having fun.]]>
1. I didn't see any truly obese people like I do all the time in Central PA and a lot in FL, the two places where I live. In fact, about 10% of the women on the street and in the malls were so thin that we'd think they were anorexic here. Chinese women watch their weight. It's not genetic in the sense that, although bone structure may be small, they put on weight, too, when they eat like average Americans. Another 30% were thin but not emaciated. Then, I would say more of the rest were "normal" build and 5% were a little chubby or overweight. Obesity was negligible. They don't eat that much junk food, mostly vegetables and meat. They don't overeat. They walk a lot.
2. People don't have lots of tatoos and piercings. They don't all wear jeans, though some do. Women wear skirts, dresses, slacks, shorts (even very short ones in the city) and often with high heels. There's a sense of style. Of course, Shanghai is a mega-big city and more comparable to NYC than rural PA, but still....
3. Families have one child in the city, so those children are pampered and spoiled by their two parents and four grandparents. I saw children whose parents frequently patted and petted their heads and backs behaving well. I saw other children who acted out, ran around and yelled when they didn't get attention....clearly spoiled. However, children grow up knowing that they are responsible for taking care of their parents eventually. And they usually do.
4. Pollution is terrible and people adjust to it. Hardly anyone was wearing a surgical mask. No one complained who wasn't foreign. I found it appalling and worry about my family's heath over there.
5. The Great Firewall of China blocks many websites and avenues of knowledge. TV and radio are government-controlled, though there are mock-ups of foreign TV, like "The Voice of China," a version of our "The Voice" singing reality show. (There's a way of getting around the wall at one's own risk.) Intellectual people are hungry for uncensored news of the world.
6. Most of all, people anywhere are alike. They're just people with the same emotions, family dynamics, marital issues, and curiosities. There are disabilities and physical and mental illnesses. There's heroic psychological adjustment and intellectual brilliance. In China, there is therapy and medical care of Western and Eastern varieties, from medications to acupuncture to herbs. Like here, many people go untreated, living with their neuroses or conditions with only the support or acceptance of family. They remain incapacitated in some ways always. There are drugs, too, but not as rampant as here, and that's a blessing there. There are street beggars but they're kind of unionized. There's alcoholism. And there's help for it, too.
A caveat--Life in the country is different, more primitive, isolated and innocent, difficult in the lack of modern conveniences sometimes but easier in terms of larger multi-generational families working together to help each other .]]>
It's the same between groups, ethnic, racial, national, whatever.... The reactions to any criminal or unfortunate act end of creating a vicious cycle of hatred and pain. In philosophy, there's a master-slave dialectic (see Hegel, not Chuck, Wilhelm) in which the true master is the one smart enough to understand and manipulate the dynamic. So, the spouse pr group who reacts in an unexpected way, perhaps with peaceful and understanding communication and ideas for compromise, even if poorer in some ways, is the master intellectually and may act to develop a solution. It works with an oppositional child, in marriage and divorce and betweeen groups and countries. Let's see who's smart enough to try.....]]>
Then, I got in my car and heard the Indigo Girls on Sirius radio sing about hard choices. They recommended making them from the heart or gut without so much obsessive, wordy analysis. Sounds briliant to me. In fact, that's how it works in the corporate world, where as a consultant to industry a long time ago, I helped executives choose between alternative employees and products on which "felt right." Also, in fact, I had the same opportunity when my husband showed me a possible condo in which to downsize from our present house at some point, and the logic to simplify was right, but I felt like crying. Therein lay the answer for that particular downsize option. Compromise will happen in that area when we see something which feels right for both of us, eventually.
So, I say that when there are hard choices to make, it's ok to think about the pros and cons of each, especially what we don't want to live with or without. But, please let's allow ourselves to feel our full emotional reactions to what would be the results of the choice. Also, let's consider other alternatives, like not one of two romantic partners but being open to someone new or independence until someone better comes along. Like neither job of the two, or one of them with modifications negotiated, or looking for other possibilities or even other fields, if possible. Only then, can our decision-making make sense and become easier.]]>
So, what does the government agency do, in all it's "wisdom"? It decides to cut expenses by outsourcing these evaluations to a company in NY State. The company first thinks of consolidating all the PA evaluations by having people who have no money and are often physically and psychologically incapacitated travel to a few big cities. Most of PA is rural, except for these population centers where, incidentally, most of the disability fraud occurs. Take Philadelphia, for example. Drug addicts collecting money based on their "disability," so they can buy more drugs. Give me a break!
Well, then the company finds that their plan won't work because they don't have enough "doctors," which includes psychologists, like me. So, they call us and offer us jobs, either traveling or not, for more bureaucracy and way less pay. I and most of my cohorts decline, thank you very much. In fact, I even gave the company an opportunity to call me on the phone and discuss it, but they couldn't do more than email. Now, I hear that the system is a nightmare and the government isn't doing its job and isn't going to save money , anyway. Penny-wise and pound-foolish doesn't work. More administration and less healthcare won't either.
Like I said, give me a break!]]>
On the other hand, relaxation and feeling fully at the same time conditions the emotional self, just as physical exercise conditions the muscles. Shame on the therapist who doesn't know this simple fact of life.Too many "professionals" just offer support and encouragement, just like family members or friends with no psychological training, collecting their fees for years, while their patients struggle and stagnate.]]>
So, for example, we protect ourselves by fearing mass immigration, especially when it's illegal. Even when compassion may dictate an exception, we're afraid to create a precedent. We have good reasons practically-speaking but, even more, we base our rejection of these aliens on emotion. They are the unknown and, therefore, a threat. Rather than want to let them earn their way here with work and provide education, as with legal immigrants, we fear that they'll threaten our way of life and cost us a lot. They might before they assimilate and contribute like other immigrants have.
Sometimes, we don't believe the facts of science due to the same sort of fear. Pollution kills people. Unfortunately, people discuss the pollution problem in terms of climate control, which is harder to see immediately by the average person and easier to dispute. So, there are plenty of deniers with arguments based on climate fluctuation over the ages. Whatever....Pollution is still lousy and hurts us.
Threats, in general, are hard to face, whether it's the possibility of terrorism, gun violence or abuse of some sort in our families. Keeping an open mind, facing reality and knowing that truth is better than ignorance is hard work, but we must try....]]>
Of course, their first loves may have been more tender and deep in the beginning, especially in the enthusastic bloom of youth. However, as they made their immature mistakes, gradually wrecking their relationship, the cracks in the relationship, no matter how much the family love became too painful to hold them together.
Then, they grow up, hopefully, and apply their corrective measures to the relationship, if they're stable and wise enough.
1. They don't try to make each other over but accept each other's strengths and weeaknesses. They don't try to turn their spouses into someone they're not. . They change and lower their expectations, as necessary and periodically, to accomodate for life's failures, aging and disappointments.
2. They don't argue on and on, no matter how right they think they are. They realize that it's ok to agree to disagree, to lose the battle but win the appreciation which letting it go brings.
3. They compromise. Each wins sometimes. One may work harder at peace than the other but each stands her/his ground without putting down the other when it's very, very important only. Like integrity or life-and-death important.
4 There's enough humor, happy experiences, and friends to stimulate them.
5. They find the balance of togetherness and personal space which works for them.
6. They understand each other's background and respect it, including each others' families, where appropriate. (Some families were too hurtful, and that's respected. too.)
7. They never use sarcasm, eye-rolling, grimaces and smirks, and ugly put downs or other forms of verbal abuse, even when really angry. They say they're hurt, frustrated or angry and explain, instead. They don't make each other feel unsafe or wounded.
8. When they goof up, they learn from it, think how to improve, and do better. Inevitably, that happens because no one is perfect.]]>
Secondly, deviant behavior for adults can be normal behavior for children. Moodiness, even extreme highs and lows go along with adolescent hormones and growing pains, for example. Vivid, even bizarre and unrealistic imagination, to the point sometimes of hallucinatory experience go along with creative play of little kids. Tantrums and oppositional behavior may be part of normal limit-testing and identity formation or a reaction to parental difficulties. Some children act out to focus parents on them, rather than on their own relationship problems.
So, although these children need attention and care related to their situations, they don't necessarily need diagnoses and certainly not stigma.
Yet, some deeply depressed children aren't reacting to trauma or situations. They are genetically, clinically depressed and feel themselves falling into a dark hole for no reason, just like depressed adults. There are truly schizophrenic children who hallucinate and persistently suffer paranoid delusions way beyond normal childhood imagination. There are bipoloar children, usually diagnosed as teenagers, who get into wild schemes and major trouble when manic and then sink into lethargy when depressed. The latter are not to be confused with those with Attention Deficit, who have trouble focusing on projects and school and can be socially inperceptive, hyperactive, and/or moody.
One nice, gited, talented young high school student described his urges to engage in fantastical and unrealistic activities, such as buying cars illegally, selling things he didn't have online and conducting elaborate surveys, as "something that comes over me, takes hold and I have no control, so it just has to happen." Another sweet girl from a loving family explained her cutting and other self-abusive behaviors by saying, " there's a devil in me which punishes me and I don't know why or what I did wrong, but it's stronger than I am."
I warn fellow psychologists to be careful that the behavior is extreme and persistent, impairs life functioning and can't be explained by immediate circumstances before diagnoses and psychotropic drugs. But, if the child is mentally ill, get working on it fast.]]>


text:
Fungsi obat prednisone 5mg
Tuesday 01st October 2013
Chinese translation is bad for ulcers
zovirax anleitung
can u get high from prednisone have penicillin in it. Why do doctors prescribe symptoms when stopping what would happen if you snort how long does the withdrawal from prednisone last induced hyponatremia. 20 mg for 5 days side effects tablet indonesia can you just stop taking asacol and prednisone together night sweats and. How long should you stay on in spain glucocorticoid vs prednisone prescription for poison ivy correct dosing can cause you to urinate more frequently. Dog allergies dosage methylprednisolone to converter vision disturbances prednisone fibromyalgia pain to treat myasthenia gravis. Schedule of cat side effects dose for giant cell arteritis does liquid prednisone need to be refrigerated is blackening of teeth a side effects of. Discontinuing use low albumin
10 day of prednisone and rash back
prednisone dosage for puppy strangles stomach pain. How long does insomnia from last diabetes type 2 medical bracelet getting off of prednisone tapering schedule in dogs. Natural supplement for puppies oral to iv prednisone and gum disease influenza vaccine. Can I take tylenol 3 with prednisolone 5mg long term daily safe dose of for dogs is it ok to take prednisone before surgery and elevated glucose. 5 mg u ntuk sakit apa withdrawal and heart racing teeth pain high dose prednisone in multiple sclerosis and afrin. For cats buy australia can you take after surgery dosage treatment for poison ivy does prednisone cause you to urinate a lot how much food to take with. Relief from withdrawal rash long term low dose dogs
estimation of vardenafil
prednisone and penicillin vk side effects of and breastfeeding. Quick delivery pulled muscle 5mg chi dinh prednisone 6 tablets of 10mg side effects what is novo used for. Effects of on voice stop coughing false positive drug test temporary side effects of prednisone hair loss taper. How long does take to get out of your system will make you sleep what is a natural prednisone essential tremor is 20 mg a lot. 50 mg over the counter 2 year old coumadin and interactions effects of prednisone in diabetics how do you take 10mg for ocular problem. Duration of effect use in third trimester natural substitutes for for dogs cough while on prednisone will kill scabies. For nasal cancer in dogs 10 mg everyother day
10 mg 36 hour cialis
prednisone effect on birth control pills and potassium levels. Drug interaction warfarin and is prescribed for fibromyalgia drinking alcohol taking prednisone for miscarriages remicade. Does cause suicidal thoughts withdrawal in canine cause reflux prednisone side effects taper side long term effects. Side effects diabetic patients alternative to for polymyalgia side effects reduction prednisone pack occipital neuralgia for gout attacks. Can I take and coumadin compare and dexamethasone for loss of smell dose of prednisone in dogs side effects methylprednisolone to oral. Short term side effects of taking swelling go away does cause hand cramping flu shots while on prednisone taking valtrex and. Does affect coumadin qualitest dose pack instructions 12 day
10 mg lexapro is equal to how much paxil
prednisone and tums altitude. 20 mg for back pain mims side effects autoimmune hepatitis prednisone for asthma patients joint pain with taper. And upper respiratory infections status migraine does affect your metabolism 10mg prednisone dosage purchase dogs wean. Treating arthritis with side effects for hives dose ulcerative colitis flare prednisone muscle myositis and myalgia. Dog heartworm medicine side effects side effects on hormones for a cold prednisone trolic what is mayo clinic. Weakness from maltese side effects after 1 day can you take prednisone with pepcid taking for 1 week. Interactions supplements how strong is 50mg of
help what happened to lamisil spray
prednisone eye drop side effects on knees. Dry cough on will cause diarrhea and grapefruit liver damage what happens when prednisone is stopped abruptly eye twitch. Stopped and cialsis over the counter equivalent of valium and prednisone together and dental cleaning. Tachycardia with 40mg side effects after tapering off doxycycline side effects prednisone and testicles dr mercola. Kidney transplant recipients kills mayo clinic burst dose of for swolen joints how to control prednisone side effects asthma allergic. Is it safe to take tylenol with fat deposits from does make a dog tired can I buy prednisone over the counter in miami maximum dose.


text:
Singapore Man Deported In Arms Case
Prosecutors in Dallas announced that a man from Singapore who spent years in a U.S. prison after trying to funnel arms to a Sri Lankan terrorist group has been deported.
Men's Wearhouse Rejects Bid From Jos. A. Bank
Houston-based Men's Wearhouse said that its board has rejected an unsolicited $2.3 billion bid by rival Jos. A. Bank to acquire the men's wear chain. It said that the offer wasn't in the best interest of the company or its shareholders.
Education Leader Urges Dallas Residents To Adopt A 'Continual Learning Mindset'
The chancellor of one of the country's largest community college districts shares insight on the role of education in finding the right job for you.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry Plans Trip To Maryland
Texas Gov. Rick Perry is planning a trip to Maryland to tout his state for having lower taxes.
Oncor Crews Helping Sandy Power Outages
North Texas energy provider Oncor sent work crews to the east coast on Monday morning to help restore power to areas about to be slammed by Hurricane Sandy, when the storm makes landfall on Monday night.
RG3's Fiancee Seen Buying Bentley In Maryland
Newly drafted Washington Redskins quarterback (and Heisman Trophy winning Baylor quarterback) Robert Griffin III has a new car to park in his garage!
Lockheed Martin CEO Bob Stevens Stepping Down
Lockheed Martin said that CEO Bob Stevens plans to step down, and that its president and COO, Chris Kubasik, will take on the role next year.
3 Texas Cities Among The 10 Best For Newlyweds
The average cost of a U.S. wedding in 2012 is $26,951. After dishing out for their nuptials, most couples are eager to settle down and save money.
Turgeon Exits Texas A&M For Maryland
Turgeon went 97-40 in four seasons with the Aggies, leading them to four consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament.
All Hostages Safe, Gunman James Lee Shot Dead
A radical enviornmentalist who took three hostages at the Discovery Channel headquarters while wearing what police may be explosives was shot and killed by officers, police said.
Gunman Holds Hostage at Discovery Channel HQ
The headquarters of Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, Md. is under lockdown after a gunman entered the building. Witnesses have reported that the man has fired multiple shots and may have explosives, though police have […]


text:
NBC | Amazon's itch for Twitch. Ethan Kurzweil, Bessemer Venture Partners, provides insight on Amazon's $970 million acquisition of video game streaming company Twitch.
IGN | Amazon will acquire video game streaming service Twitch for approximately $970 million dollars.
related reading:
Twitch | main
About Us
Twitch is the world's leading video platform and community for gamers with more than 55 million visitors per month.We want to connect gamers around the world by allowing them to broadcast, watch, and chat from everywhere they play.
Your Favorite Games
Broadcast all the games! There's a universe of gaming video waiting to be discovered on Twitch. Whether you're into retro favorites, strategic esports titles, first-person shooters, or massively multiplayer pasta cooking dating simulators, if you love playing it, you'll find it on Twitch.
The Best Players
Twitch is home to the most dedicated and highly skilled gamers on the planet. They shatter world records. They cruise through the newest titles. They make headlines with world-first accomplishments, and they make it all look easy. Discover why they're the best at what they do on Twitch.
The Biggest Events
Twitch features the best gaming events, period. We have it all: large-scale gaming competitions that pack stadiums, community marathons that raise millions of dollars for charity, and video game industry events where the future of gaming is forged. And that's just the beginning.
The Coolest Shows
Twitch is where you'll find the best online video shows in the gaming world. From behemoths like Joystiq, Gamespot, and Destructoid, to insiders like LiveonThree, ManvsGame, and Day9, this is where you'll find the vanguard of live gaming entertainment.
related reading:
CNBC | "What Twitch deal reveals about Amazon: investor"
CNBC | Amazon's $970 million deal to buy Twitch Interactive, a video platform for gamers, shows the e-commerce and media giant's "aspirations to be in live entertainment," the largest investor in Twitch told CNBC on Tuesday. "Not many people have built a live video site with such a big community around the Internet," said Bessemer Venture's Ethan Kurzweil, who backed Twitch in its earliest days. He's the son of the famous futurist, Ray Kurzweil.
Amazon | Zocalo is a fully managed, secure enterprise storage and sharing service with strong administrative controls and feedback capabilities that improve user productivity.
related reading:
Amazon | Amazon Web Services: main
Amazon | Amazon Web Services: Zocalo
Amazon | Youtube channel: main
Amazon | Youtube channel: Amazon Web Services
related viewing from Amazon Web Services:
Amazon | Werner Vogels, PhD, CTO and Vice President at Amazon, keynotes the 2014 Amazon Web Services New York Summit, featuring launch announcements for Amazon Zocalo, Amazon Cognito and Amazon CloudWatch Logs.
related reading:
Wikipedia | Werner Vogels, PhD
Amazon | Amazon Web Services Summits 2014
related viewing from Amazon Web Services:
Amazon | Are you new to cloud computing and would like to learn more about Amazon Web Services? If you intend to implement a project and would like to discover the basics of the Amazon Web Services Cloud, or if you are a business looking to evaluate cloud computing, view this webinar.
related reading from Amazon:
Business Wire | "Amazon Web Services Introduces Amazon Zocalo"
Amazon announced on July 10, 2104, Amazon Zocalo, a fully managed, secure enterprise storage and sharing service with strong administrative controls and feedback capabilities that improve user productivity.
With Amazon Zocalo, customers can store, share, and gather feedback on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, webpages, images, PDFs, or text files — from the device of their choice. Zocalo is fully managed, secure enterprise storage and sharing service.
Over the last several years, enterprise document and collaboration systems have tried to be too many things to users, and ended up becoming overly complex and expensive for both users and IT organizations. This is especially true as it relates to document and file storage, sharing, and feedback. As a result, enterprises are left with the unfortunate choice of using email to share documents and files (which is simple to send, but not secure nor easy to keep organized) or suffer with the status quo, work around the complexity and high cost, and hope new alternatives are made available.
Now, Amazon Zocalo makes it easy for users to share and gather feedback through a secure, central tool and with a consistent experience on the device of their choice, including laptops, iPad, Kindle Fire, and Android tablets. Amazon Zocalo can integrate with existing corporate directories, and provides administrators with flexible sharing rules, audit logs, and control of the location where data is stored. For a low monthly fee, Amazon Zocalo provides a fully managed service so customers can easily provide secure file storage and sharing capabilities to their users.
"Customers have told us that they're fed up with the cost, complexity, and performance of their existing old guard enterprise document and collaboration management tools," said Noah Eisner, General Manager, Amazon Zocalo at Amazon Web Services. "AWS was increasingly being asked to provide an enterprise storage and sharing tool that was easy to use, allowed users to quickly collaborate with others, and met the strict security needs of their organizations. That's what Amazon Zocalo was built to do."
Amazon Zocalo offers the following:
Available with Amazon WorkSpaces: Amazon WorkSpaces, AWS's virtual desktop in the cloud service, is integrated with Amazon Zocalo. All Amazon WorkSpaces customers get Amazon Zocalo for free (with up to 50 GB of storage).
Amazon Zocalo offers the following benefits to administrators:
Broadridge is a leading provider of investor communications and technology driven solutions to banks, broker-dealers, mutual funds, and corporations globally. "Business document sharing is an important element in our employees' abilities to get their job done," said Robert Krugman, Vice President, Digital Strategy, Broadridge.
"Amazon Zocalo makes documents easier to share, more flexible to access and review, and easier to finalize. This type of functionality is very exciting, enabling employees, companies, and customers — like investors and advisors — to quickly collaborate within and across teams to get work done faster."
About Amazon Web Services
Launched in 2006, Amazon Web Services, Inc. began exposing key infrastructure services to businesses in the form of web services — now widely known as cloud computing. The ultimate benefit of cloud computing, and AWS, is the ability to leverage a new business model and turn capital infrastructure expenses into variable costs. Businesses no longer need to plan and procure servers and other IT resources weeks or months in advance.
Using AWS, businesses can take advantage of Amazon's expertise and economies of scale to access resources when their business needs them, delivering results faster and at a lower cost. Today, Amazon Web Services provides a highly reliable, scalable, low-cost infrastructure platform in the cloud that powers hundreds of thousands of enterprise, government and startup customers businesses in 190 countries around the world.
Amazon Web Services offers over 30 different services, including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) and Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS). AWS Cloud services are available to customers from data center locations in the U.S., Brazil, Europe, Japan, Singapore, Australia and China.
About Amazon
Amazon opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by three principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.
source: Amazon Web Services
media hotline: 206.266.7180
NBC | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues highest level travel warning as Ebola spreads.
related reading:
NBC | Ebola outbreak
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | main
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Ebola
related viewing:
CNN | CNN's Christiane Amanpour speaks with Peter Piot, MD, PhD about an out of control Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
relate reading:
Wikipedia | Peter Piot, MD, PhD
Wikipedia | Ebola virus
related reading:
Visual Science | 3D model of Ebola virus
Comedy Central The Colbert Report | The enemy within: Bina the activist android. Sirius Satellite Radio founder Martine Rothblatt invents a black lesbian robot with a radical agenda. Aired June 10, 2014.
Comedy Central The Colbert Report | Morality lessons for robots. The military funds research into developing robots capable of moral reasoning. Stephen warns against the threat of robots rising up against their human masters, with Bleep-Blorp the robot intern. From season 10, episode 106. Aired May 15, 2014.
Comedy Central The Colbert Report | Droid rage. European researchers teach a cybernetic savage how to kill, and scientists in California invent robot skin. Aired September 30, 2010.
Comedy Central The Colbert Report | Stephen talks to astronauts in space, fears space spiders, trains to be an astronauts and announces the C.O.L.B.E.R.T. space treadmill. Aired July 4, 2011.
Comedy Central The Colbert Report | Google's robot acquisition. Google buys a major robotics company, possibly setting the stage for the enslavement of humanity. Aired December 16, 2013.
Comedy Central The Colbert Report | Movies that are destroying America. Stephen takes a look at the supposedly dystopian notion that the government may keep us under constant surveillance in A Scanner Darkly. Aired June 27, 2006.
related reading:
Comedy Central | YouTube channel
Comedy Central | Colbert Nation
related reading:
news | "Can robots be trusted to know right from wrong?"
news | "Robotics experts to debate killer robots policies at UN"
Patrick Kalyn | Mech: Human Trials short film. After a serious accident, a man is introduced to a designer street drug promising to restore his ravaged body. Desperate to mend himself, he becomes consumed by the drug, only to discover it is threatening his humanity. The film is a take on the emergence of nantotechnology and its perils.
Patrick Kalyn has been a world class visual effects artist for over 10 years on top grossing films such as Avatar, King Kong, X-Men: The Last Stand and District 9. Patrick segued into directing with short films Somnolence and Hybrids and is in development on his first feature.
writer, director and producer: Patrick Kalyn
starring: Steve Baran
cinematography: Cliff Hokanson
aerial photography: Axiom Images
music: Sam Hulick and Nick Borrego
manager: Scott Glassgold, IAM Entertainment
Twitter: @dontdomech
related reading:
Mech: Human Trials | viral campaign
Triton Films | By 2031, Earth has exhausted its supply of fossil fuels. With the world on the verge of collapse, nations from around the globe form a coalition called AREN: the Manhattan Project of clean, self-replenishing energy. When an experiment goes wrong that threatens the world's existence, David Canterra and a team of elite soldiers are sent on a mission to stop the anomaly. What they find is a mind-bending alternate dimension, and their only way home is through the fabric of time.
writer, director: Patrick Kalyn
producer: Gabriel Paul Napora, Triton Films
related reading:
Somnolence | main
Triton Films | main
Triton Films | A soldier seeks revenge after losing her daughter at the hands of an alien infestation. In the wake of an alien infestation, an ex-special forces soldier's daughter is killed in an alien attack. Seeking revenge, she leads a team deep into alien territory to a quarantined lab. Soon, she discovers the aliens aren't alien at all, but a failed government experiment to create a bio-hybrid soldier. She must then expose the government's cover-up, and save the last standing city in the quarantined zone from falling.
writer, director: Patrick Kalyn
cinematographer: Cliff Hokanson
producer: Gabriel Paul Napora, Triton Films
music: Sam Hulick
manager: Scott Glassgold, IAM Entertainment
related reading:
Hybrids | main
Hybrids | soundtrack
Triton Films | main]]>
Nike | The Last Game is a story about risky soccer versus safe soccer. The scientist and the clones want to prove that riskless soccer is more effective.
Ronaldo Fenomeno and the original players disagree, and they are willing to risk everything to prove the scientist wrong. There is only one way to know who is right: the last game. Register for the new Nike Soccer app and get the gear to risk everything.
Featuring animated Cristiano Ronaldo, animated Wayne Rooney, animated Neymar Jr., animated Zlatan Ibrahimović, animated Andrés Iniesta, animated David Luiz, animated Franck Ribéry, animated Tim Howard and animated Ronaldo Fenomeno.
Nike | #AskZlatan anything on Twitter. about link
related reading:
Nike | main
Nike | The Last Game collection
Nike | YouTube channel: main
Nike | YouTube channel: Nike football
Nike | YouTube channel: Nike soccer
related viewing from Nike FIFA World Cup ads:
related viewing from Nike:
** computer graphics collection ** ** FIFA World Cup collection **
Nike | Jack Wilshere "Never play it safe" — about link
Nike | about link
Nike | about link
** computer graphics collection **
Nike |
** computer graphics collection **
Nike | Tiempo Legend V: link
** computer graphics collection **
Nike | about link
** computer graphics collection **
Nike | about link
** computer graphics collection **
Nike | about link
** wearable technology collection **
Nike | about link
** wearable technology collection **
** immersive gaming collection **
Nike | NikeFuel Missions]]>
Episode "The Cruciferous Vegetable Amplification" of CBS hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory brings the concept of technological Singularity to one of its widest audiences.
In the opening teaser, ubergeek Sheldon (Jim Parsons) explains to his roommate and best friend Leonard (Johnny Galecki) that he is trying to determine how much longer he has to live.
Referring to his timeline, he laments that he will probably not survive to see the coming future.
related viewing from CBS The Big Bang Theory:
CBS The Big Bang Theory | "The Cruciferous Vegetable Amplification"
Sheldon: At best I have 60 years left. 60 only gets me to here. I need to get here.
Leonard: What's there?
Sheldon: The earliest estimate of the Singularity, when man will be able to transfer his consciousness into machines and achieve immortality.
Leonard: So, you're upset about missing out on becoming some sort of freakish, self-aware robot.
Sheldon: By this much!
Leonard: Tough break. You want eggs?
Sheldon: You don't get it, Leonard. I'm going to miss so much: the Unified Field Theory, Cold Fusion, the dogopus.
Leonard: What's a dogopus?
Sheldon: A hybrid dog and octopus — man's best underwater friend.
Leonard: Is somebody working on that?
Sheldon: I was going to. I planned on giving it to myself for my 300th birthday.
In the episode "The Cruciferous Vegetable Amplification," Sheldon — determined to live long enough for the moment when man and machine become one, called the "technological singularity" — decides he must cease all physical contact with the outside world.
When Sheldon calculates that the technology to download his consciousness into a robot won't be invented soon enough, he desperately tries to find a way to increase his lifespan.
Sheldon no longer goes out into the world, since he thinks his body is too fragile to resist it, and creates a virtual telepresense — "Shelbot" — instead. Using a computer screen and basic, roving robot technology, he ends up alienating the entire gang.
He joins the gang at The Cheescake Factory where they see the famous Steve Wozniak sitting nearby. Shelbot approaches him, and Wozniak compliments his machine.
related reading:
by Phil Bowermaster in The Speculist
Popular both with geeks and with the intellectually inferior sorts that Sheldon refers to as "muggles," The Big Bang Theory (now in its fourth season) is a major hit, claiming an average of 14 million viewers per week. The show is also critically acclaimed. Just a few weeks ago, Parsons won the 2010 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a comedy series.
If Sheldon's description of the Singularity seems imprecise, that's probably by design. While a serious in-depth explanation of what the Singularity is all about would be edifying, it probably wouldn't make it onto TV.
Certainly not network TV. In primetime. On a popular sitcom. Twisting serious scientific and technological ideas into comedic material is one of the show's major tropes. So the audience gains a certain familiarity with terminology and concepts, but something less than a real understanding of these ideas. Hey, it's a start.
Another major contribution of The Big Bang Theory is that it serves as a kind of mainstream endorsement of geek culture. The Geek Chic movement was one thing, but this is something bigger. As I wrote in 2007 after watching the first few episodes:
After all, isn't it amazing that a show like this can feature four such characters, not as the annoying neighbors or as the object of derision or pity of the real heroes of the show? These guys are the heroes.
Three physicists and an engineer — heroes for our time.
One major difference between Sheldon's description of the Singularity and references we may have seen to it elsewhere in prime time (in Fringe, for example) is that Sheldon describes the Singularity not as a catastrophe to be avoided, or something that is simply "going to happen," but rather as a goal. In just a few short sentences he makes a case for life extension, uploading of consciousness, and the achievement of major longstanding scientific aims via cooperation between human and artificial intelligence.
Sheldon is a transhumanist!
Sure, these ideas are all portrayed as bizarre and ridiculous, but that's because Sheldon is the nerd of the group. But that's okay. If The Big Bang Theory has demonstrated anything, it's how quickly and easily nerdy ideas can become mainstream. Stay tuned.
Warner Brothers | In the future, governments and economies across the globe have collapsed, food is scarce, NASA is no more, and the 20th Century is to blame.
A mysterious rip in spacetime opens and it's up to whatever is left of NASA to explore and offer up hope for mankind. "Manking was born on Earth, it was never meant to die here."
Mainly based on the scientific theories and script treatment of renowned theoretical physicist, Kip Thorne, Interstellar is set to be released in late 2014, and is a film by director Christopher Nolan.
related reading:
Warner Brothers | Interstellar
As the simulation begins, we view an unequally matched pair of neutron stars weighing 1.4 and 1.7 solar masses. They are separated by only about 11 miles, slightly less distance than their own diameters. Redder colors show regions of progressively lower density.
As the stars spiral toward each other, intense tides begin to deform them, possibly cracking their crusts. Neutron stars possess incredible density, but their surfaces are comparatively thin, with densities about a million times greater than gold. Their interiors crush matter to a much greater degree densities rise by 100 million times in their centers. To begin to imagine such mind-boggling densities, consider that a cubic centimeter of neutron star matter outweighs Mount Everest.
By 7 milliseconds, tidal forces overwhelm and shatter the lesser star. Its superdense contents erupt into the system and curl a spiral arm of incredibly hot material. At 13 milliseconds, the more massive star has accumulated too much mass to support it against gravity and collapses, and a new black hole is born. The black hole's event horizon — its point of no return — is shown by the gray sphere. While most of the matter from both neutron stars will fall into the black hole, some of the less dense, faster moving matter manages to orbit around it, quickly forming a large and rapidly rotating torus. This torus extends for about 124 miles (200 km) and contains the equivalent of 1/5th the mass of our sun.
Scientists think neutron star mergers like this produce short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Short GRBs last less than two seconds yet unleash as much energy as all the stars in our galaxy produce over one year.
The rapidly fading afterglow of these explosions presents a challenge to astronomers. A key element in understanding GRBs is getting instruments on large ground-based telescopes to capture afterglows as soon as possible after the burst. The rapid notification and accurate positions provided by NASA's Swift mission creates a vibrant synergy with ground-based observatories that has led to dramatically improved understanding of GRBs, especially for short bursts.
— NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center]]>
CNET's Donald Bell shows off Parrot's compact, tablet-controlled Bebop Drone and uses a pair of virtual reality goggles to see from a drone's point-of-view.]]>
Thug Notes | Thug Notes is your main hookup for classical literature summary and analysis, original gangster. I'm your host, Sparky Sweets, PhD.
You may have seen my ass on MTV, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Independent, and The Daily Dot. Educate yo self, son. Join me as I drop some of da illest classical literature you ever heard.
A hilarious, satirical collection of science fiction and futurism classics from the hit show Thug Notes.
related reading:
Thug Notes | YouTube channel
Thug Notes | profile
Thug Notes | Brave New World by Aldous Huxley science fiction book summary and analysis.
Thug Notes | Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury science fiction book summary and analysis.
Thug Notes | Frankenstein by Mary Shelley science fiction and biomedical futures book summary and analysis.
Thug Notes | 1984 by George Orwell science fiction book summary and analysis.
Thug Notes | Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut science fiction book summary and analysis.]]>
Since the summer of 2013, the Project Tango team has been working closely with a team at the NASA Ames Research Center. The goal: to integrate a Project Tango prototype onto a robotic platform, called SPHERES, that flies inside the International Space Station. The SPHERES program aims to develop zero-gravity autonomous platforms that could act as robotic assistants for astronauts or perform maintenance activities independently on station. The 3D-tracking and mapping capabilities of Project Tango would allow SPHERES to reconstruct a 3D-map of the space station and, for the first time in history, enable autonomous navigation of a floating robotic platform 230 miles above the surface of the earth.
Project Tango and SPHERES are scheduled to be launched into orbit this summer. The future is awesome.
— Google ATAP]]>
The recent resurrection of multi-layer neural networks is generating a lot of interest currently, with deep learning appearing on the New York Times front page, and big companies like Google and Facebook hunting for the experts in this field. Jürgen's talk will shed more light on how deep learning methods work, and why they work.
Some news and links about deep learning:
1st Züri Machine Learning Meetup
25th February 2014, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
— Zürich Machine Learning and Data Science Meetup]]>
As part of an expedition sent to find a home beyond Earth, you will write the next chapter for humanity as you lead your people into a new frontier and create a new civilization in space. Explore and colonize an alien planet, research new technologies, amass mighty armies, build incredible Wonders and shape the face of your new world. As you embark on your journey you must make critical decisions. From your choice of sponsor and the make-up of your colony, to the ultimate path you choose for your civilization, every decision opens up new possibilities.
Join the Civilization community and learn more about the game.
— Sid Meier's Civilization]]>
CNET | At the company's Build developer conference in San Francisco, Microsoft's Joe Belfiore demos a new addition to the Windows Phone 8 operating system, a personal assistant called Cortana.
note | The character design for the Microsoft Windows Phone smart digital assistant Cortana is based on Microsoft Studios' popular Halo game series, in which Cortana is a powerful artificial intelligence with human-level capabilities.
Microsoft Studios | A look at the smart AI known as Cortana, from the video game Halo.
Housed in the MJOLNIR armor worn by the Master Chief, the Artificial Intelligence known as Cortana (CTN 0452-9) served on the frontlines against the Covenant during the final days of the war.
Microsoft | Watch Joe Belfiore introduce the new Windows Phone 8.1 start screen and Cortana, the personal smartphone assistant.
related reading:
Microsoft Windows Phone | Cortana
Microsoft Windows Phone | YouTube channel
Microsoft Studios | Halo
Wikipedia | Halo
Wikipedia | Cortana
Download Wallpaper HD | Cortana wallpaper
related viewing from Microsoft:]]>
TED | Appearing by telepresence robot on March 18, 2014, Edward Snowden speaks at TED 2014 about surveillance and internet freedom in his talk titled "Here's how we take back the internet."
The right to data privacy, he suggests, is not a partisan issue, but requires a fundamental rethink of the role of the internet in our lives — and the laws that protect it. "Your rights matter," he say, "because you never know when you're going to need them." Chris Anderson interviews, with special guest Tim Berners-Lee.
In 2013 Edward Snowden leaked thousands of classified American National Security Agency documents, sparking a global conversation about citizens' rights to privacy on the internet.
related reading:
TED | Edward Snowden
TED | talk: "Edward Snowden | Here's how we take back the internet"
TED | blog post: "We don't have to give up liberty to have security: Edward Snowden at TED 2014″
TED | blog post: "Snowden selfies: Edward Snowden roams TED2014″
Suitable Technologies | Beam Pro
Suitable Technologies | YouTube channel
related viewing from Suitable Technologies:]]>
Cole Gerst | A video about the book Buckminster Fuller: Poet of Geometry by author and illustrator Cole Gerst. Buckminster Fuller was a renowned 20th century inventor and visionary born in Milton, Massachusetts on July 12, 1895.
Dedicating his life to making the world work for all of humanity, Fuller operated as a practical philosopher who demonstrated his ideas as inventions that he called "artifacts."
Fuller did not limit himself to one field but worked as a "comprehensive anticipatory design scientist" to solve global problems surrounding housing, shelter, transportation, education, energy, ecological destruction, and poverty.
Throughout the course of his life Fuller held 28 patents, authored 28 books, received 47 honorary degrees. And while his most well know artifact, the geodesic dome, has been produced over 300,000 times worldwide, Fuller's true impact on the world today can be found in his continued influence upon generations of designers, architects, scientists and artists working to create a more sustainable planet.
Illustrator and author, Cole Gerst, brings Fuller's work into vivid, full-color view. Buckminster Fuller: Poet of Geometry includes hundreds of detailed illustrations spanning Fuller's entire life. This book not only shows how important Fuller was during his lifetime, but how his ideas are even more relevant today than ever.
Option-G is a multidisciplinary creative agency founded by Cole Gerst.
The book is available for purchase here | buy Buckminster Fuller: Poet of Geometry
related reading:
Option-G | profile
Option-G | Cole Gerst
Option-G | Buckminster Fuller: Poet of Geometry
Option-G | YouTube channel
Wolfram Research | Stephen Wolfram, PhD, introduces the Wolfram Language in this video and demonstrates how the symbolic programming language enables functional programming, querying of large databases, flexible interactivity, and easy deployment.
Wikipedia | Wolfram Language is a highly general, multi-paradigm programming language developed by Wolfram Research, that serves as the main interfacing language for Wolfram Mathematica.
It is designed with emphasis on symbolic computation, functional programming, and rule-based programming. It is built to represent arbitrary structures and data.
The language is very large, touching on numerous domains, often specialized. For example, it includes built-in functions for generating and running Turing machines, creating graphics and audio, analyzing 3D models, and solving differential equations.
It is planned to be bundled with the system software installed on every Raspberry Pi. Intel Edison also integrates the language, and it is planned to be integrated in the Unity game engine.
related reading:
Wolfram Research | profile
Wolfram Research | public resources
Wolfram Research | Wolfram Language
related viewing:
Wolfram Research | YouTube channel
Wolfram Alpha | YouTube channel
Wolfram Mathematica | YouTube channel
Wolfram computer based math | YouTube channel
related reading:
Slate | "Language barriers: Stephen Wolfram claims he can make the world computable, is he on to something?"
Business Insider | "Computer genius builds language that lets anyone calculate anything"
Google | The Google Science Fair is a global online competition open to students 13 to 18 years old. What do you love? What are you good at? What do you want to change? Learn more and start your project.
Wikipedia | The Google Science Fair is sponsored by Google, Lego, CERN, National Geographic and Scientific American. The competition is open to kids around the globe, who formulate a hypothesis, perform an experiment, and present results.
All students must have an internet connection and Google account to participate. Projects are submitted through Google Sites. The final submission includes 10 sections: summary, about me, project steps, and works cited.
Entries are judged on 8 criteria: presentation, question, hypothesis, research, experiment, data, observations, and conclusion. Grand prize is a National Geographic trip to the Galapagos Islands, $50,000 scholarship, and an experience at a sponsoring organization.
February 2014:
— Join Ray Kurzweil, one of the most innovative and prolific inventors of our time, on Friday, February 21, 2014 in a Google Science Fair 2014 Hangout on Air. Kurzweil, Director of Engineering at Google, is interviewed by Joe Hanson of It's Okay to Be Smart. | link
— Join a Galactic Hangout 0n Air with Sam Branson and Virgin Galactic's William Pomerantz. Why go to space? That's the tantalizing question Sam and Will will answer, interviewed by former finalist Gavin Ovsak. | link
Google | upcoming events
related reading:
Google | Google Science Fair
Google Science Fair | YouTube channel
Wikipedia | Google Science Fair
Google | Register to compete in Google Science Fair 2014. | link]]>
MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab | This video shows three of the first devices to be prototyped at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) using a new technology that could make it possible for the average person to design, customize and print a specialized robot in a matter of hours.
MIT is leading an ambitious new project to reinvent how robots are produced and designed, funded by a $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
related reading:
MIT | Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab
MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab | "CSAIL project could transform robotic design and production"
MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab | YouTube channel
NBC | Emma Thompson presents the Golden Globe to Spike Jonze for the screenplay of Her.
related reading:
Warner Brothers | "Her film trailers by filmmaker Spike Jonze"
Golden Globe Awards The Dailies | "Nominee profile: Joaquin Phoenix Her"
An optical flow camera, sonar rangefinder, and computer allows it to sense how high it is off of the ground, and using optical flow, sense its own motion relative to the ground. This, with the assistance of a barometer, accelerometer, and gyro, enables the MiniDrone to self-stabilize.
It comes with clip-on wheels that allow it to drive along the ground using thrust from the props. They also prevent the drone from crashing into most things.
Time | SCHAFT was developed by a Japanese team and is owned by Google. The rescue and response humanoid can even drive a car.
related reading:
Warner Brothers | Set in the Los Angeles of the slight future, Her follows Theodore Twombly, a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people.
Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive entity in its own right, individual to each user.
Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet "Samantha," a bright, female voice, who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other.
From the unique perspective of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Spike Jonze comes an original love story that explores the evolving nature — and the risks — of intimacy in the modern world.
related viewing:
Warner Brothers | Her
Warner Brothers | Her Everything about Everything: a Spike Jonze blog
Wikipedia | Her
Wikipedia | Her awards and nominations
Wikipedia | Spike Jonze
related reading:
Popular Science | "Can a human fall in love with a computer?"
The Verge | "The science of Her: we're going to start falling in love with our computers"
related reading:
Ray Kurzweil featured on Her website, in filmmaker Spike Jonze's Everything about Everything blog, which Jonze explains is a "map of the influences and inspiration behind Her." Click [+] to expand screenshots from the blog.
Warner Brothers | Synopsis: Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is the foremost researcher in the field of artificial intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions.
His highly controversial experiments have made him famous, but they have also made him the prime target of anti-technology extremists who will do whatever it takes to stop him.
However, in their attempt to destroy Will, they inadvertently become the catalyst for him to succeed—to be a participant in his own transcendence.
For his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany), both fellow researchers, the question is not if they can, but if they should.
Their worst fears are realized as Will's thirst for knowledge evolves into a seemingly omnipresent quest for power, to what end is unknown. The only thing that is becoming terrifyingly clear is there may be no way to stop him.
Alcon Entertainment presents Transcendence, starring Oscar® nominee Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Finding Neverland, the Pirates of the Caribbean films), Paul Bettany (The Da Vinci Code, A Beautiful Mind), Rebecca Hall (The Town, The Prestige), Kate Mara (House of Cards, Shooter), Cillian Murphy (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises), Clifton Collins, Jr. (Star Trek, Pacific Rim) and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby, the Dark Knight movies).
Transcendence marks the feature film directorial debut of Oscar®-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister (Inception, the Dark Knight movies).
Pfister directed the movie from a screenplay by Jack Paglen.
Oscar nominees Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson (The Blind Side) are producing the film with Kate Cohen, Marisa Polvino, Annie Marter, David Valdes, and Aaron Ryder.
Pfister's behind-the-scenes collaborators include director of photography Jess Hall (Brideshead Revisited), production designer Chris Seagers (X-Men: First Class), Oscar-nominated editor David Rosenbloom (The Insider), costume designer George L. Little (Zero Dark Thirty), and Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Nathan McGuinness (Master and Commander). The music is composed by Mychael Danna, who won an Oscar® for his score for Life of Pi.
Opening nationwide on April 17, 2014, Transcendence will be distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures, a Warner Brothers Entertainment Company.
related viewing:
Transcendence | YouTube channel
Warner Brothers | Transcendence
Wikipedia | Transcendence
PBS NewsHour | Want to have a just-like-real-life fantasy experience without leaving your living room? Virtual reality technology is already employed by certain industries, but economics correspondent Paul Solman considers the variety of applications it could have in the consumer market in the future.
Force for good or ill? Economics correspondent Solman explores the latest virtual reality technology with Stanford University's Jeremy Bailenson, and weighs its societal impact with Jaron Lanier, author of Who Owns the Future? Video from December 18, 2013.
note: Ray Kurzweil featured at 4 minutes, 30 seconds.
related reading:
PBS | NewsHour
Stanford University | Virtual Human Interaction Lab: profile
Stanford University | Virtual Human Interaction Lab: videos
Stanford University | Virtual Human Interactive Lab: projects
Stanford University | Virtual Human Interaction Lab: news coverage
profile | Oculus VR
related viewing from PBS NewsHour:
video | How virtual reality games can transform society, prosperity
PBS NewsHour | Video games give players super powers and transport them to new worlds. How might this technology be used to transform society and your financial prospects? Economics correspondent Paul Solman visits researchers who use virtual reality to study its effects on human behavior in the real world. Video from July 11, 2013.
related viewing from Stanford University Virtual Human Interaction Lab:
video | Laboratory tour
Stanford University | Stanford's newly renovated Virtual Human Interaction Lab was specifically designed for psychological experimentation in virtual worlds, says Associate Professor of Communication Jeremy Bailenson. "We integrate three virtual senses in a way that's very psychologically persuasive: sight, sound and touch."
The state-of-the-art lab also offers a glimpse of the near future in household entertainment. "We're using this cutting-edge lab to try to think ahead by a few years to predict what household technology is going to be like and how that's going to affect people," Bailenson said.
related reading:
Stanford University | "Take a tour of the virtual future at Stanford"
related viewing from Stanford University Virtual Human Interaction Lab:
video | Infinite Reality book trailer
HarperCollins | How achievable are the virtual experiences seen in The Matrix, Tron, and James Cameron's Avatar? Do our brains know where "reality" ends and "virtual" begins?
In Infinite Reality, Jim Blascovich and Jeremy Bailenson, two pioneering experts in the field of virtual reality, reveal how the human brain behaves in virtual environments and examine where radical new developments in digital technology will lead us in five, fifty, and five hundred years.
related reading:
book | Infinite Reality
related viewing from Stanford University Virtual Human Interaction Lab:
video | Stanford University Virtual Human Interaction Lab research alumni talk
Stanford University | VHIL's director, Jeremy Bailenson, gives a presentation about his research on avatars, his Transformed Social Interactions (TSI) theory, and new communication technologies.
related viewing from Stanford University Virtual Human Interaction Lab:
video | Stanford University virtual reality changes real-life behavior
Stanford University | Cutting down a virtual redwood with a virtual chainsaw may lead you to save trees by recycling more paper. That finding is an example of how real-world behavior can be changed by immersing people in virtual reality environments — a notion that is at the heart of work under way in Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab.]]>
University of Pennsylvania | Hanging hundreds of feet off the ground to wash a skyscraper's windows or pumping water out to a desert solar array to keep its panels and mirrors clean is more than just a hassle — it's an expensive problem with serious ecological implications.
A spin-off company from Penn has found a way to solve the problem of keeping surfaces clean, while also keeping them transparent.
Nelum Sciences, created under an UPstart program in Penn's Center for Technology Transfer, has developed a superhydrophobic coating that can be sprayed onto any surface. The water-based solution contains nanoscopic particles that add a nearly invisible layer of roughness to a surface. This increases the contact angle of the material to which these particles are applied.
related reading:
University of Pennsylvania | "Nanotech innovation keeps surfaces clean and transparent"
University of Pennsylvania | Center for Technology Transfer
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News | A timeline spanning 60 years of stem cell research. Reporting by Kevin Mayer, video by Sunya Bhutta.
related reading:
GEN News | profile
GEN News | video collection
GEN News | YouTube channel
TED | What is the most intelligent way to behave? Wissner-Gross explains how the latest research findings in physics, computer science, and animal behavior suggest that the smartest actions, from the dawn of human tool use all the way up to modern business and financial strategy, are all driven by the single fundamental principle of keeping future options as open as possible.
Consequently, he argues, intelligence itself may be viewed as an engine for maximizing future freedom of action. With broad implications for fields ranging from management and investing to artificial intelligence, Wissner-Gross's message reveals a profound new connection between intelligence and freedom.
Wissner-Gross is a scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur. He serves as an institute fellow at the Harvard University Institute for applied computational science and as a research affiliate at the MIT Media Laboratory. In 2007, he completed his PhD in physics at Harvard, where he researched programmable matter, ubiquitous computing, and machine learning.
related reading:
profile | Alex Wissner-Gross, PhD
Wikipedia | Alex Wissner-Gross, PhD
io9 | "How Skynet might emerge from simple physics"
Physical Review Letters | "Causal entropic forces"
Gary Marcus and Ernest Davis critiqued this idea in The New Yorker back on May 6, 2013.
Here's the link: The New Yorker | "A grand unified theory of everything"
— reader
related viewing:
Singularity Summit | Alexander Wissner-Gross on planetary scale intelligence
Alex Wissner-Gross, PhD | Does cosmology hint at how to build artificial minds?]]>
CBS News | A 1.8-million-year-old skull discovered by scientists in the Former Soviet Republic of Georgia reveals new evidence that may reshape what is known about human evolution.
The discovery of an ancient skull has revealed clues that could shake up the accepted theories of human evolution, it could rewrite the history of humanity.
Instead of many branches in our evolutionary family tree thought to lead to us, like Homo habilis or Homo ergaster they may all have just been one, Homo erectus.
In paleoanthropology scientists are measuring individuals in order to make conclusions about whole populations, or a whole species. Jim Axelrod reports.
related reading:
The New York Times | "Skull fossil suggests simpler human lineage"
CNN | "Rare skull sparks human evolution controversy"
National Geographic | "Beautiful skull spurs debate on human history"
The show travels the world interviewing experts on financial innovations about the future of money. Together, we time travel with our audience — through futuristic reenactments of plausible scenarios based on facts and theories supported by top intelligence and academic research. Viewers get a vital glimpse into the future: how we will pay for things, how we will make money, how we will preserve our wealth, and the effects on our security and privacy.
— Heather Schlegel]]>
—- NASA Marshall Space Flight Center]]>
This film portrays how the Shapeways 3D printing community and marketplace is enabling everyone to be a creator. All you need is an idea and an Internet connection.
— Shapeways]]>
Dreamworks Pictures & Reliance Entertainment | Triggering our age of high-stakes secrecy, explosive news leaks and the trafficking of classified information, WikiLeaks forever changed the game.
Now, in a dramatic thriller based on real events, The Fifth Estate reveals the quest to expose the deceptions and corruptions of power that turned an Internet upstart into the 21st century's most fiercely debated organization.
The story begins as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) team up to become underground watchdogs of the privileged and powerful.
On a shoestring, they create a platform that allows whistleblowers to anonymously leak covert data, shining a light on the dark recesses of government secrets and corporate crimes.
Soon, they are breaking more hard news than the world's most legendary media organizations combined.
But when Assange and Berg gain access to the biggest trove of confidential intelligence documents in U.S. history, they battle each other and a defining question of our time: what are the costs of keeping secrets in a free society — and what are the costs of exposing them?"
The Fifth Estate | YouTube channel
Wikipedia | The Fifth Estate
— Bionym]]>
Focus Features | The international suspense thriller Closed Circuit turns a timely tale of government surveillance in a high-profile terrorism case into a very human drama. It is in theaters August 28, 2013.
Following a mysterious explosion in a busy London market, the police swoop, a suspect is detained, and the country prepares for one of the most high-profile trials in British history. Two exceptional lawyers with a romantic history step into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, and when evidence points to a possible British Secret Service cover up, it's not just their reputations, but their lives that are at stake. The film stars Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Jim Broadbent and Julia Stiles.
Focus Features | Closed Circuit
– Niantic Labs@Google]]>
— University of California, San Diego]]>
After the models were designed in various computer aided design (CAD) software, the group used 3 different 3D printers to print the parts layer by layer. They are full-color and made of s sandstone-like material. The team then assembled the parts to create the scale model of the Hyperloop.
— WhiteClouds]]>


text:
After responding to a robbery call at an insurance company at 415 West Manchester Boulevard in Inglewood yesterday afternoon, police discovered two bodies inside. Details on the deaths haven't been released, and police say it's unclear how they died.
So far the only lead they've got is a missing blue, four-door BMW 321 with license plate 5SPY435.
If anyone knows anything, drop a dime to the Inglewood PD's Homicide Division at (310) 412-5246.