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I've been collecting spoons of the world for a while (see second photo) and have always had an interest in odd spoons. Big ones, tiny ones, it doesn't mater really, there's just something about the spoon that from a design and function standpoint catches my interest. At some point I eventually started making my own spoons, and carving them with other people as well as a social event - it's a great thing to share in as a group activity.
Carving a wooden spoon is a great activity because the process is directed, but still has a place for creativity. It's easy enough for anyone to learn and delivers success at virtually any level of completion because there's always a use for an odd spoon and even when they don't go exactly to plan, they still come out as a beautiful handmade work of functional art.
Step 1: Tools and Materials
Tools and Materials:
- sharp carving knives including at least a medium straight knife and a rounded or sweep gouge. (I bought my knives from Flexcut)
- chunk of soft wood a little larger than the size of spoon you'd like to carve (more on wood choices in the following step)
- 80, 120, 220 & 400 grit sandpaper
- small diameter (1"-2") sanding drum or flap wheel
- pen or marker
- food safe wood finish (like a butcher block oil or beeswax finish) or mineral oil
- belt sander
- dremmel tool
- scroll saw
- table saw
This is a good ible. I like the way in which the timber changes species during the making ;)
Not sure this is the 'pure' way to hand carve a spoon but so what you end up with a good product.
Hi!! Have you thought about using Walnut Oil for the finish??? You put 1 or 2 walnuts inside some clean cloth, then smash them with a hammer, and apply the resulting oil... I used it for my converted fretless bass' fretboard and it gives quite a good result :)
That's a great idea, I love the finish walnut oil gives, but might it make the spoon unsuitable for people with nut allergies?
Tung oil also makes a nice hard finish if you want something natural with gloss.
Thank you! I've often thought of trying to carve a spoon. Now I have a place to start!
spoons for everyone!
I have been carving spoons and bowls and cutting boards for 30 years. Any vegetable oil will work for a wooden spoon. Whatever you have on hand. Some people heat the oil up to dip the spoons. I prefer walnut oil or hazelnut oil. Olive oil is my second choice. Wooden cutting boards are safer than plastic cutting boards. The wood will wick away the water left in the cells of the uncooked meat left on the boards (after cleaning). Plastic boards will not do anything. I always carve green wood. Carve it down quickly (couple hours) and have never had one split. Carving a bowl takes longer and I wrap it in plastic bags with wood chips to slow the drying process down. Takes months to dry.
Very nice work.
I have yet to begin carving wood, but this morning(15/MARCH/2014)
I found a part of a tree branch that is long enough(about 30") and has a diameter big enough(about 2"), that I can try & carve SOMETHING half way decent....small but decent. I have always been told that with anything new, start small & work your way up to bigger & more challenging things. so that's what I intend to do...
I figure that there's enough wood in this 1 piece, that I can afford a few mistakes...and I know I'll make at least a few....hundred. LOL
TY for sharing this project with all of us, it gives me inspiration to bigger & better things. 8)
You can't bring new wooden surfaced tables or cutting boards into a commercial kitchen any more (due to idiots who didn't care for the wood so it developed cracks and/or wasn't sanitized correctly). However I still delt with many butcher block tables that were grandfathered in and was trained in their care at school.
In a commercial kitchen you clean the wooden surface by wiping it down with a light bleach/water mix (occasionally, if needed, it gets scrubbed down, but this is seldom if ever needed as long as it's wiped down regularly) and then once a week it gets oiled with vegetable oil (I've heard that you should only use linseed oil as vegetable oil will go rancid and smell. However I've been using vegetable oil at work and home for many years and have never experienced the oil going 'rancid').
I basically do the same thing with my wooden cooking implements at home (though I don't bleach or oil as often).
So to sum my recommendation up, I'd just use oil for a finish and occasionally renew it. I would never use varnish on an item that was going to be in direct contact with my food.
P.S. The oil reapplied over the years will make the wood harder and more durable also.
Thanks for the info!
I normally carve the "cup" part at this stage, so if I accidentally jumble with the carving I can easily change the design to fit my mistake :D
On her workshop page, Spoonlady.com points to a link listing wood toxicities: http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/roche/rec.wood.misc/wood.toxic
It's important to protect yourself, esp from inhaling sawdust, if using toxic woods.
I can't find where she gets her info. She lists beech as toxic and carcinogenic, but I can't anything that corroborates that.
Side note:
Good Stuff not so nice. Maybe use something less potentially carcinogenic.
However, the spoons look really cool! Nice work!
Here's the copy from their website - I guess a food safe gel varnish is really too good to be true.
Good Stuff - 1 Quart
When your butcher block island or counter top starts to show wear or needs refinishing, give it a little Good Stuff. This easy-to-use gel urethane gives unfinished wood surfaces a protective moisture resistant finish. Perfect for butcher block islands, counter tops — even wood utensils and salad bowls. See Emmet's Elixir for cutting boards and chopping blocks.
• Urethane Wood Finish
• 1 Quart
• Non-toxic, food-safe, urethane-based.
• For finishing or refinishing tops with Durakryl 102 finish
• Easy cloth application
• Clear satin finish
I would never bet on that.
To me a butcher's block should be left bare : if you use it every day or so it will wear but that's how things must be. That's the authentic touch that could be ruined by varnishing it with urethane.
If you really care to see the wood grain oil it with a cloth and any dressing oil (olive, peanut, whatever â¦) result will be as good â¦
My feeling (but that is purely personal) is that we shouldn't overdo things.
Thank you for the great instructable, though. I'm just getting back into carving, and I am definitely going to try this one!
That said, I usually use walnut oil and beeswax on the items that I make that may be in contact with food. They are natural and effective. Shellac is also a good choice for things that don't see too much water or wear. Shellac is so safe that it's actually used in food--it provides the shine to some candies like M&Ms and jelly beans.
Nice instructible, by the way! I have made a few spoons and stock-pot stirrers for my wife. Hard to find a 16" spoon to stir a deep pot of strawberries cooking into jam.
Are there woods that are generally not food safe that you can comment on? I had an allergic reaction when working with pau ferro. The interwebs say walnut is toxic to horses, but no sign it is bad for humans.
Rather than try to preach about the relative safety of wood compared to virtually everything else in our environments, I will simply say that working with walnut, cherry and maple is completely safe, and those are great places to start without any fear of a possible reaction.
A simple statement in your instructable for first time wood workers could be useful.
Please accept my apologies - my comment was intended to be directed towards pjotrkuh (see their comment below) and I must have accidentally hit the incorrect reply button. pjotrkuh's comment has a tone of alarm about "toxic wood" to it that I just wanted to turn down a bit since wood is generally a very safe and stable material to work with.
Regarding your comment - I have also heard that walnut is bad for horses, but I do know that it is fine for humans. I have also read that people who suffer nut allergies should be fine working with wood from nut bearing trees - the proteins concentrate in the nuts, not the rest of the plant structure.
It's a good idea to say a word about wood allergies for the beginning wood worker and I thank you for the suggestion. Quite frankly I though wouldn't know what to say as we all mitigate risks in our lives differently and react in our own way to allergens. For example, many woodworkers get itchy skin when working with certain types of wood like cedar and cocobolo. This is a widely known occurrence, and woodworkers suggest wearing long sleeves, or, quite simply, to not let the itch bother them. That being said, the dust from these woods could certainly be described as an allergy. Should cedar and cocobolo be labeled as allergens? Does it merit a warning? I'm not looking for an answer, simply trying to explain why I think these are tricky questions.
If you'd like to point me towards a good reference on wood allergies I'd be happy to read it, and include it in the Instructable. I'm really not trying to deliver a sermon, just simply wanted to answer your question with the thought and explanation that I think it deserved. Thanks again for your suggestion and support.
on your list I would definitely scrap down all the "pine" category such as pine, cedar, fir and redwood : after all you wouldn't mind to use turpentine as a salad dressing !
Same for teak : who would care for a taste of teak oil ???
PS. : Turpentine (at least the traditional stuff that has been manufactured for centuries before synthetic chemistry took over) is made from pine resin : great smell when you enter Picasso's studio,  but it's compatibility with human health stops here !!!!â¦
(I'm pretty sure that's what I read on another forum, which has lots of woodworkers)
there are almost certainly online resources which will tell you what woods are dangerous/easy to work/nice finish/etc.
if in doubt about some wood, Google it
I'll have to try it.
I did not read all the comments before the one I'm posting, so please forgive me if mine is redundant. It's about the finish : instead of mineral oil, wouldn't olive oil (or any other salad oil for that matter) be an acceptable substitute ?... After all olive oil is edible !
However there is an alternative, although I'm not sure it will be accepted by other members : no finishing at all !
Keep the wood bare and the spoon will slowly oil and "finish" itself over time.
Most of the wooden "cutlery" (spoon and forks) sold in local markets here (France) are free of any finish. They keep very well overtime : I spoil mine when I happen to leave them near a flame /) !... Otherwise I wouldn't have to get new ones. En they get a very nice tanned color overtime ...
I'm 60 + and I still see in my mother's kitchen spoons she used when I was a child.
I do ensure that I get a "safe" formulation of mineral oil by purchasing it at the drugstore, where it is sold as a laxative. I've received several odd looks from cashiers when I purchase 2-3 large bottles at the same time, and the occasional warning that "you do know you are supposed to only use a couple tablespoons of that a day, right?"


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There were several noticeable results from HEAD sponsored players at the event:
Steve Coppinger (new signing to HEAD UK players team, FXP 140) beat Paul Rawden, Jason Barry and Ben For about to be a HEAD UK sponsored coach, FXP 130) to make it through to the semi-finals where he lost to the eventual winner Pete Genever.
HEAD sponsored players Adrian Waller (Liquidmetal 160) made the first round and Tom Phipps (Liquidmetal 140) made the second round.
Other HEAD players and coaches in the event (most for their first time, junior indicated by - J) included: Peter Creed (Liquidmetal 150), Jamie Matthews (Liquidmetal 140), Issa Kamara (Liquidmetal 120), Chris Tasker- rindley (J, Liquidmetal 140), Theo Woodward (Liquidmetal 140).
There was a racket testing session for all of the HEAD sponsored players at the event with all of the NEW Flexpoint technology squash rackets, which all received rave reviews. On show were the:

subset: commoncrawl


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I find it interesting that a couple people have Obama winning Virginia, but not Iowa. I feel like Obama's doing much better in Iowa.
I find it interesting that a couple people have Obama winning Virginia, but not Iowa. I feel like Obama's doing much better in Iowa.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
I think Virginia is tucked away for Romney at this point.
I have it as razor close 271-267 for Obama
I actually think Romney wins the popular vote as democratic voter apathy will result in huge wins for Romney in the sout.
I am pretty confident Obama takes Ohio where his Union/Manufacturing folks will ride him to the win.
I have Wisconsin in an upset for Romney. The state seems to be fading towards towards the GOP also getting a boost with the Ryan ticket.
Though Obama holds Iowa for the win.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
I predict that the liberal media will pretty much guarantee that Obama has won the election way before people start voting, almost as if to discourage republicans from bothering to go to the polls. Wait, nevermind, that is already happening.
I have no idea who is really going to win this thing but i do think it is going to be a close race. I don't want to predict a voting conspiracy, with Obama winning with suspicious things going on at the polls, with Sandy and the UN "monitoring" the UNITED STATES election. So, I will just say that I hope the best man wins, the man who can turn this economy around and doesn't have an alternative agenda to turn this country into a socialist regime.
And here I was, actually being objective with my map. Then I see maps with people saying Romney wins Michigan and Wisconsin, which goes counter to pretty much everything most polls have said up until now. Objectivity is a lost art...
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


text:
Theater Schedules
Explore worlds unknown, discover fascinating science all around you and spark your imagination in the theaters of the Orlando Science Center! Giant Screen Films will amaze you with images of extraordinary clarity and depth that expand beyond your peripheral vision in the Dr. Phillips CineDome. And experience Educational and Hollywood Movies in stunning, immersive 3D and ultra high definition 4K resolution in the Digital Adventure Theater: A National Geographic Experience.
Show schedules and content are subject to change.
Please call 407.514.2000 before you visit to confirm times and schedule.
Date: Thursday, January 23, 2014 - 5:10 pm
Now Playing on Select Dates - Rated PG
Dusty Crophopper is a little cropduster plane with a fear of heights and a crazy dream of being a racer. While his friends need convincing, Dusty gets the training he needs from Skipper, a veteran fighter, and qualifies for the Wings Across the World race.
In the event, Dusty finds competitors who soon learn that there is something special about this underdog as he is tested to his physical and emotional limits. In doing so, Dusty soon finds enemies, and more importantly friends, who are inspired by his dream. In the face of all obstacles, the winner of this air race will be anyone's guess


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Sudden Cardiac Death Can Strike
at Any Time:Are You at Risk?
Imagine you're outside and you see lightning, hear thunder,
feel a drizzle and finally, are in a downpour. Just like
an oncoming storm, heart attacks send warning signals
of trouble ahead.
Now imagine you're outside on a different day. Suddenly,
there's lightening storm—and you're struck. That's how
fast Sudden Cardiac Death (which is different than a
heart attack) takes over. There are no warning signs and,
like an unpredicted storm, there is no time to escape it.
Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) happens when the heart
experiences an extreme change in rhythm called ventricular
fibrillation. During ventricular fibrillation, the
heart becomes a shaky, jumpy mass and stops pumping
blood to the brain and body.
The only way to stop SCD is to shock the heart out
of the fatal heart rhythm within five minutes. This
can be done two ways: with an Automatic External
Defibrillator (AED), or an Implantable Cardioverter
Defibrillator (ICD).
AEDs are what emergency personnel use to shock the
heart into normal rhythms. Luckily, today AEDs are
widely available—for anyone to use—in places such as
malls, casinos, airports, supermarkets and movie theaters.
The AED is easy to operate and provides voice instruction.
ICDs are lifesaving devices that are surgically placed
beneath the skin of the chest. Fitted with a tiny computer,
the ICD automatically delivers an electric jolt to the
heart during ventricular fibrillation, regulating the beat
once again.
Are You at Risk?
SCD affects twice as many men as women, typically
those who are overweight and between 35-45 years old,
and who have high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Additionally, if you have had a heart attack or have been
diagnosed with coronary artery disease, you may have an
increased risk for SCD.
What You Can Do
You can decrease your chances of SCD by making necessary
lifestyle changes to protect your heart. Quitting
smoking, adding exercise to your schedule and managing
your weight will help lower your blood pressure and
cholesterol levels. It is important to have regular physicals
with your doctor so you know your risks.
What Your Doctor Can Do
Ask your doctor about your risks. He or she will measure
your blood pressure and cholesterol and talk to you
about your health history. Your doctor can also determine
if you should have your ejection fraction (EF)
measured. EF measures the percentage of blood pumped by each heartbeat. People with an EF of less than 40
percent may be at increased risk for SCD, and may be
candidates for an ICD.
In an Emergency
You can increase someone else's chance of survival by
Take it to Heart
SCD can strike without warning. By talking with your
doctor about your risks, as well as by knowing what to
do in an emergency, you can help save a life—perhaps
your own.
In a small skillet, add olive oil and sauté spinach and
onion over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until onion
is tender. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in
cheese; set aside.
In large bowl, combine turkey, oats, garlic powder,
oregano, salt, pepper, milk and sun-dried tomatoes; mix
lightly but thoroughly. Shape 2/3 of turkey mixture
into a 9 x 6-inch loaf in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Make a long, deep well along the top length of the
turkey loaf, leaving about 1 1/2 inches around edges;
fill with spinach mixture. Top with remaining turkey
mixture to completely cover spinach filling; pinch edges
to seal. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until juices run clear
when pierced with a fork. Let stand for 5 minutes
before slicing.
Nutritional Information: per serving (1/8 of recipe):
160 calories, 3 g total fat (1 g saturated), 40 mg
cholesterol, 1,385 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrates,
3 g dietary fiber, 24 g protein.


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Using Group E-Mail
Note: Group E-Mail for Faculty and Deans used to send messages to *Class, *Major, and *Waitlist lists is available at the old Group E-Mail system at: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/gs/oe/index.WBX.
Prior to Requesting Authorization to send messages in Group E-Mail:
- From the Group E-Mail Gateway page, find the Group you'd like to send an email to.
- Groups may have more than one message type, so you need to request authorization to the proper list type. The types are:
- Informational – Any communication that increases the awareness of cost-free campus activities, events, or services, including volunteer activities. Examples of topics acceptable for Informational messages include parking disruptions, game day schedules, Mooove-In, Orange Santa, free holiday music, passport services, etc.
- Promotional – Any communication that announces an opportunity to attend a ticketed event or visit a retail outlet, such as an athletic competition, museum store, or theatrical entertainment. The announcement must be relevant to current employees by offering a discount or other unique opportunity.
- Official - A communication that is a required notification or requires some action on the part of the recipient, or an important communication from an executive officer or designated representative. Examples would be a message from Payroll telling employees how to claim their W-2 forms, or a message from the President's office announcing the President's retirement.
- Group E-Mail list examples:
- ALL-STUDENTS-Informational – To send an Informational email to the ALL-STUDENTS group
- ALL-STUDENTS-Promotional – To send a Promotional email to the ALL-STUDENTS group
- ALL-STUDENTS-Official – To send an Official email to the ALL-STUDENTS group
- Contact one of the Administrators for the group and provide them with the following information:
- The name of the group you'd like to send a message to.
- The type of message (Informational, Promotional, Official) you'd like to send.
- Either a description of the message or a draft of the email you'd like to send.
- If the administrator of the group pre-approves your authorization:
- Go to the Group E-Mail Gateway page.
- Click Go to Group E-Mail.
- Find the Group.
- Click Request Authorization to Send Messages.
- Once the administrator has approved your request, you can send your email.
Last updated February 17, 2014 @ 4:11 pm


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The Purpose of Labor and Rest
What's the point of labor and rest? Asking this question is like asking, "What's the point of breathing?" Like breathing, the cycle of labor and rest is essential to life, embedded in the created order, ceases at death, and begins …Read More
The Rhythm of Life
Sometimes work seems futile and miserable; sometimes we might not have work; and sometimes we might not want work. In other words, there are times when there is no rhythm to our vocational life but only monotonous and persistent dreariness. …Read More
The Right Balance
One of the first things we learn about work is that we are to regularly stop doing it (Gen. 2:1-3). The creation account of Genesis 1 culminates in the Lord's setting aside His creative labors in order to rest. That …Read More
What is the Gospel?
In one sense, the whole Bible is the gospel. Reading it from Genesis to Revelation, we see the vast sweep of God's wonderful message to mankind. But many people read the whole Bible, and their understandings of the gospel differ …Read More
Advancing the Gospel on the Front Line: An Interview with Tim Keesee
Tabletalk: How did you become a Christian and discern your call to ministry? Tim Keesee: I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home and a gospel-preaching church. My earliest memory of my mother was her reading the Bible …Read More
May the Best Man Win
It begins, I suspect, with a far too small view of the fall. There is plenty we lament about that dark day in history's most beautiful spot. We know that sin brought division to Adam and Eve. The two were …Read More
Preaching and Teaching
Over the years, I've made no secret of my admiration for men such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, who were so instrumental in the recovery of the gospel during the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. I'm amazed by …Read More
Preaching the Gospel to Yourself
There is great security in the salvation of the Lord. God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, and His decision stands. The Holy Spirit has caused us to be born again, and there is no means …Read More
Preach It
Some years ago, it was common to see young evangelicals sporting a peculiar fashion accessory: the WWJD bracelet. These bracelets—the initials woven therein standing for "What Would Jesus Do?"—served to remind the wearer to consider the example of Christ in …Read More
The New Heavens and New Earth
Right Now Counts Forever. The title of Dr. Sproul's column in every issue of Tabletalk concisely captures the relationship between the gospel and the new heavens and new earth. The good news of Christ's sacrificial death and glorious resurrection has …Read More
ArticlesBrowse select Tabletalk articles and columns exploring themes and topics across a spectrum of relevant issues.
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text:
Walter Steiger
Peep Toe Lace-Up Platform Oxford
Product Actions
Exclusively Ours!
Patent leather and canvas peep toe lace-up oxford with covered platform and signature curved heel.
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Need Help? Have Questions? Contact Us.
Please call 1.888.222.7639 to speak with a Customer Service Representative.
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If you prefer email, we can be reached anytime at email@example.com.
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text:
As a small hobby or even sidejob, I am planning to give private lessons in German for people with 1) no or low knowledge in German, 2) medium or good abilities. Can you recommend any books or other materials for such a work?
Take the 2-minute tour ×
German Language Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for speakers of German wanting to discuss the finer points of the language and translation. It's 100% free, no registration required.
These books from Hueber are really nice and are actually used by most of the schools teaching German to adults; the series of books are very intelligently designed and can be chosen depending upon level of learner.
You can also buy them from any book store.


text:
Eric Boullier is adamant Romain Grosjean has the "talent" and the "speed" needed to win a Formula One World title...
Eric Boullier is adamant Romain Grosjean has the "talent" and the "speed" needed to win a Formula One World title.
To many outsiders the Frenchman did not appear to be Championship material last season when his erratic driving and first lap stunts resulted in a one-race ban.
However, when Grosjean wasn't crash, he did show some speed, netting three podium finishes on his way to eighth in the Championship.
"I believe Romain can become World Champion," Boullier told The Guardian.
"That's why we kept him. Because we believe he's got the talent. He's definitely got the speed.
"The new Romain is a very different to the one three months ago. He's much more focused. He's not wasting any energy, any time on the useless things F1 can create.
"He is also one of the few drivers who has won every Championship he has entered. Lewis Hamilton achieved it, and so did Nico Hülkenberg. But Vettel has not. I'm sorry."
Boullier added that he believes Grosjean's erratic 2012 season was not due to a lack of talent. Rather, he says, it was because he was trying to hard after the disappointment of getting the axe in 2009 when Renault brought him in half way through the season.
"Last year he tried too hard. He wanted to show everyone that that was a mistake," said the team boss.
"But there were other reasons too. He didn't manage his time away from the track well. There were too many distractions. Even his marriage was a distraction.
"But now he's different. And he's proved he can win races and win Championships. So why not the Formula One World Championship?"


text:
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Movies and television programs from Sony Pictures.
Store and access all of your photos and videos in one place.
Books, magazines and more. Shop all your favorite titles.
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text:
The Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair is being held this year June 22-24. I have never been to it but I have heard that it is very well done. It is in Grayslake, IL, a far northwest suburb of Chicago, IL, USA. I don't normally promote things like this, but they sent me a flyer in search of people who would like to exhibit their work...no jury fee.
Dear friends,
some of you may remember from last week's post that IM working on a lace sweater for my sis. So far, I've gotten the pattern to act right for me.
The pattern is worked in panels: 3 for the back and 2 for the fronts (its a cardigan). The back panels are two top even panels worked out from the center and then the bottom of the sweater is sewn on later.


text:
The official poster of the 2013 College World Series!
This rare piece, published for sale at the tournament venue in Omaha, features a spectacular tribute to the down-and-dirty life of a catcher behind the plate, and all the pertinent details of the tourney in the home of college baseball, Omaha. With the official tournament logo, tournament dates and location, and the sporting logos of all eight schools competing for the 2013 National Championship
(North Carolina Tar Heels, NC State Wolfpack, LSU Tigers, Louisville Cardinal, Indiana Hoosiers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Oregon State Beavers, and the eventual champions, the UCLA Bruins), this is the ultimate poster for the wall
of any fan of college baseball, Omaha sports, NCAA athletics, and America's
Note: this poster was produced in
limited quantity; available while supplies last.
Product Specifications:


text:
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http://news.yahoo.com/boehner-joins-...-politics.htmlHouse Speaker John Boehner joined fellow Republicans in the Senate on Thursday in their battle to stop Democrats controlling that chamber from curbing filibusters, threatening to ignore bills the Senate sends him if Democrats have abused GOP senators' rights to slow consideration of legislation.
The threat by Boehner, R-Ohio, represents an unusual escalation across the Capitol building of a bitter partisan fight that has been brewing in the Senate for weeks. It also underscores a Republican effort to retain as much power as they can next year, when Democrats will control the White House and Senate and Republicans will lead only the House.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said that on the first day of the new Congress in January, he may take the unusual step of using a simple majority vote to limit filibusters.
Usually it takes a two-thirds vote to change Senate rules. A simple majority would mean Democrats could change the filibuster rules without GOP support, and the threat has infuriated Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other Republicans. Democrats will control the new Senate 55-45, including one Democratic-leaning independent....
Minority parties in the Senate use filibusters parliamentary delays to slow or kill legislation. They can only be ended by 60 votes a margin neither party can achieve without some cooperation from the other side.
Democrats say Republicans are abusing filibusters by resorting to them too frequently, and statistics show minority Republicans have increasingly used the tactic in recent years. Reid's plan would forbid the use of filibusters when a bill is initially being brought to the Senate floor for debate and require filibustering senators to actually be on the Senate floor, a long-abandoned practice...
Republicans say they have used filibusters more because Reid blocks them from presenting amendments. Reid, in turn, says Republicans use too much time pushing amendments that make political statements or that are designed to derail bills.
Not sure how i feel about this. Im hesitant to change it for fear of abuse years from now. That said, its being absurdly abused at the moment. Damned if you do, damned if you dont. And lets not kid ourselves, once this change is made it wont go back to 2/3rds again.
Other than that main point i dont feel its to much to ask for Senators who are engaging the filibuster to actually be present.
Thoughts and opinions? I could go either way on this issue.


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Sixteen years ago I attended a Hiroshima/Nagasaki Commemoration at the University of Chicago. Of course, Chicago was a key site in the development of nuclear weapons. It was there under the Stagg Field football stadium on December 2, 1942 that Enrico Fermi and his Manhattan Project team started up the first nuclear reactor capable of a sustained, controlled chain reaction.
Vonnegut was the featured speaker that day in 1994. The final question asked of him was about how we know that use of The Bomb was about something other than ending World War II or "saving lives" in said-to-be-necessary military actions.
He replied with one word, "Nagasaki," and left the platform.
Last Friday August 6 we held our annual Peace Center commemoration at Peirce Park in Bangor. Below I am including two videos. The first is the full ceremony and runs 25 minutes. Yours truly is the last speaker. The second video is the local television coverage airing on all three channels Friday evening.
Below the fold, I have included a written version of my remarks, as prepared. And HERE is a link to the Bangor Daily News story that ran Saturday. (Wow, BDN comments tend toward a swamp of wingnuttia, don't they?)
This video runs 25 minutes and includes the whole commemoration and die-in. Maine Owl is the last speaker.
Ch. 2, Ch. 5, and Ch.7 stories from Friday August 6
Sadly no tape could be made of the reading of "Grandmother's Doll" by Masanobu and Tomoko Ikemiya of Bar Harbor. The story is about a little girl, a hibakusha, who survives the horror of Hiroshima. Masanobu is a wonderful concert pianist who told of his own WWII family tragedies.
Remarks by Maine Owl on August 6, 2010
I stand here today with the best news about the effort to rid the world of nuclear terror
Posted by The Owl on Aug 09 at 17:57. Filed under: War and peace


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Don't Tell Your Mother! Brings fantastic up and coming comedy acts from the London circuit.
How's Your Father? Open Mic Night where anything goes to register your interest email email@example.com
Both night have the fantastic offer of Pizza for £1 a slice, Coke & Lemonade £1 a pint or 4 Bottles of Rekorderlig for £10!


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I don't have a lot of time to tell you what to do step by step, and my English is really bad, but i have lots of pictures that may help anybody who want to make one of this cheap (under 50 UK Pounds)
If you have any question... Just ask, I'll be glad to help.
Hi! It's a great diy projector. I'm in progress to build one with OHP
lenses too, But i have some question, How to cut an OHP fresnel lens?
It's looks like two different focal fresnel lens glued in the edges to become like one piece of lens glass, is it right? if yes, do i have to split them before?. from your picture i saw, you just cut it from the egde to the center? what kind tools that u use? it's look like a cutter/saw. Please answer as soon as possible, and sorry if my english is so bad. thanks for your nice instructables.
Hey just wondering But what size were the heat sinks? try to reply as soon as possible please
Hey just wondering But what size were the heat sinks? try to reply as soon as possible please
Hi all, don't know if anybody can help but I started working on one of these projectors recently. I took an LCD from a broken motherboard and got a driver off ebay. I plug in a video source and the picture comes on. Problem is as soon as I move the screen over top of the over head projector the video goes blank. if I put just a part of the screen over the OHP just that section goes out. The video wont come back until I turn the LCD off and then back on. Anyone have any idea as to why a light source could stop the screen from working?
That is very strange. Is there anything magnetic on the top of the OHP? Did you get a reading of the temperature on the top of the OHP?
Send some pictures if you can.
I dont think it can be from the heat because it happens even when I've just turned the OHP on, before any heat can build. I don't think there is anything magetic in the projector.
i m making one
but i am unable to remove backlight
plzzzzzzzzz reply fast
answer quick
i m hanged
so first light source then condenser lens then fresnel lens then lcd and finally ohp lens (i wont be using a mirror) -- is it the right order or i am missing somenthing --. hope you will answer
i could realy do with some help i have dismantled my ohp!! the transformer has seven outputs and one of then doesnt have any wires but that is not the point its just that it ways a tonne. that means the projector will do. i mean does yours and if not i dont think i need all the outputs is there a lighter one i could use? i cant say the voltage really. the brown wire says 240V and the blue one common!
Sorry for really late answer.
Mine is really heavy too. There is another way to do with is buying an electronic transformer. But they are soooo expensive, it makes the project not worthy any more if you have to buy it.
Mine is heavy, but I didn't need to move if front it's place so once is fitted, you don't worry about the weight any more.
thankyou, btw where else can you by a a triplet lens from?
The LCD is not bad, but you could probably find one with better resolution.


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- Jonathan Huang
- New York, NY
- United States
Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America
This conversation is closed.
What good is being able to control our dreams?
This week in my Bioelectricity class, we discussed electrical stimulation and extracellular fields. We learned about how voltages far away from electrical sources in the body (eg the brain and heart) are directly linked to voltages across cell membranes.
We learned that in 1924, a German physiologist and psychiatrist Hans Berger recorded the first human electroencephalogram (EEG). From our discussion in class, it was evident that EEG activity for awake humans is quite similar to EEG activity during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. An intriguing correlation arrises as lucid dreaming, the act of controlling ones dreams or at least being aware of dreaming, occurs during the REM cycle of sleep.
My question is what does controlling our dreams mean to us as humans? Beyond treating those who suffer from night terrors, is there some correlation between the ability to control our dreams and having more control of our brains during our awake phase? Since people are able to "teach" themselves to lucid dream, does that mean we can use our brains in other ways that we don't yet know of? Or should we allow our dreams to remain "free..."
We can even talk about different forms of dreaming. Shilo Shiv Suleman shows in her INK talk (http://www.ted.com/talks/shilo_shiv_suleman_using_tech_to_enable_dreaming.html) an iPad app that enables the user to enter a fantasy world of dreaming. She says that this form of dreaming is missing from todays youth.
In Daniel Wopert's "The Real Reason for Brains" he says that brains exist solely to control movement. Does this mean that dreaming has no meaning? (http://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_wolpert_the_real_reason_for_brains.html)
Lastly, we can even ask what exists between the lines of dreaming and consciousness? Antonio Damasio shines light into this question in his TED talk "The Quest To Understand Consciousness" by looking at the living brain. (http://www.ted.com/talks/antonio_damasio_the_quest_to_understand_consciousness.html)
Apr 1 2013: Hey John,
I really like this topic! It seems that throughout history, people have been interested in the mechanics of the unconscious mind. Being able to manipulate the dream state (at least, somewhat) would therefore seem to be a great way to begin understanding how the unconscious mind works. Since so little about the mechanics of the brain is well-understood, it's difficult to determine with our current knowledge how the ability to "interact" with your subconscious can influence your well-being. I think it would also be relevant here to consider the ages-old, but not well-characterized world of meditation, which I think falls under a similar category in terms of exploring one's mind.
Apr 2 2013: Awesome that you bring up meditation as we just spoke about this subject in class!
I think that meditation is another form of mind control and something that is definitely relevant. Meditation is supposed to calm the soul, from what I understand. Perhaps lucid dreaming also calms the human body in its conscious state.Apr 2 2013: Hey Osaze, I was also reminded of meditation when I was reading this question! (PS Jonathan, great question!) When I was in high school, a friend of mine introduced me to meditation, and it really helped me with anxiety issues when nothing else worked. Manipulating a semi-unconscious, dream-like state gave me a clarity and comfort that translated over to my conscious life.
Also, I think the fact that humans can train ourselves to lucid dream is really similar to the way we can focus our creative efforts on a single topic. At its most basic level, it is a training of the mind. I've personally never been able to experience lucid dreaming, but I can imagine it definitely crosses the line between consciousness and dreaming. To be able to control a surrounding situation that your mind is producing is a really powerful skill, if one can harness it.Apr 2 2013: Wow Jon, thank you so much for posting the video by Shilo Suleman. She was fascinating and so inspiring. She made me miss my imagination. I love to dream because it allows me to dip into ideas that are new and different from the things I read and think about all day long. The idea of being able to control my dreams, lucid dreaming, is both fascinating and terrifying. On one hand there is the possibility that I can do anything in my dreams, fly, breath under water, meet aliens, the possibilities are endless and fun to consider. On the other hand, what happens if I learn to control my dreams and then they lose their edge of fantasy?
You also ask if there is some correlation between the ability to control our dreams and having more control of our brain during the awake phase. I don't know about that correlation but I think Kyung Lee's comment addresses the usefulness of lucid dreaming. I agree with Kyung that exploring how we dream will help us to understand the mind and how it functions.
I really enjoyed your question, links and reading everyone's responses. Very fun topic!
Apr 2 2013: Thats my problem with lucid dreaming and controlling your dreams. What happens if the dreams lose their mystic nature when we learn to fully control our dreams? Is this a part of human nature that is now lost?
Hadar Cohen
Mar 31 2013: Hi Jonathan!
- +2
You raise a very interesting question about the benefits of controlling our dreams. Personally, I think it is highly rewarding to delve into our subconscious mind and discover ourselves more. Controlling our dreams, however does not mean we can control our minds. Therefore, I view the exploration of the lucid dreaming as valuable. The more we can understand and shape our dreams, the more we become aware of our nature. Modifying our dreams according to our wants will allow us to be more mindful of who we are and the person we want to become. Dreams can take us places where reality can't. Because of this, there are no boundaries to our imagination in our dreams. This imagination is often needed in reality, and therefore, controlling our dreams will perhaps allow us to control our lives in the same way.
Great topic!Mar 28 2013: My view: We can't really control our dreams. However, we can become conscious, or "lucid" while dreaming, and control what we do in our dreams. Imagine having a conversation with someone in your dreams, where you are every bit as lucid as you are right now, and the reality around you looked just as "real" as normal reality, only perhaps shimmering a bit or even hyper-real. And all the senses work. When having such a conversation or interaction with another person in your dreams, you literally hear them say something. Who is coming up with these words that they say? And beyond that, the entire world around you that you see in your dreams - you're not consciously planning out what your'e going to see in every detail - it's just all there. Some place you've never been before. Or maybe some place you have. Or somewhere in between. It doesn't feel like you're planning what the other character in your dream is going to say. Yet you hear them say something, you can remember it, and write it down when you wake up. I've even composed orchestral music in a dream that I literally heard, remembered when I awoke, and then recorded on multi-track. That's an example of something good you can do with your dreams.
Then while you're awake, you read what you wrote down or composed upon awaking. What does it mean? Where did it come from? And why did you dream that dream? What purpose does it serve? You can ask your character in your dream why they are there - you can ask them "What do I need to know". Of course they "free" to respond however they want.
Reinforcing memories. Neuroplasticity. Telling you something your conscious mind is ignoring. Allowing you to think, behave, and act in ways not constrained by reality.
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Mar 29 2013: Thank you for mentioning that. Have you tried speaking something out loud and consciously listening for a spoken response? I find that whatever sense I am really focusing on generally becomes more...active.
For a visual lucid dream exercises I've practiced exercises (more experiments at first) to test out each individual sensual modality. My favorite for vision is to focus on looking at my own dream hand. I also love checking for visual dream signs - a clock, or some writing (those are classic lucid dreaming exercises to perform while *awake* to induce lucidity).
For auditory, I love composing music by directing classical orchestras because I can literally hear what I am composing. While awake, I only hear it "in my mind".
Thanks for sharing.Apr 3 2013: I did not see any mention of Stephen Lebarge or his decades old seminal book "Lucid Dreaming" in which he legitimized the whole concept if not coined the term. He studied Dream Yoga with Tarthang Tulku Rhinpoche to whom he gives some credit for his understanding. Dreaming like much of human experience is a spectrum reflecting a bell curve of varying levels of awareness. On the lowest physiological level it does seem to have a stress releasing effect, analogous to erasing the tapes from a surveillance camera in preparation for the next day. The next level is wish fulfillment or fantasy and then symbolic dreams through which Jung thought our unconscious sends us hints of things that are too painful to confront directly. Beyond this realm many spontaneously dip in and out of semi or fully lucid dreaming. This can lead to an Eden like garden where the flowers contain truths and insights and then even to an encounter with a guide or guardian who may be an ancestor. At this point the whole experience begins to overlap with OBEs and NDEs as described by Dr. Raymond Moody in his "Life after Life " books. The question of what is Lucid Dreaming good for is like asking what is consciousness for? If all you do with it is neutralize nightmares that is already something isn't it? If it helps you to gain self realization that seems like everything to me.
Avi Gadish
Apr 3 2013: Lucid Dreaming has been on my mind since first entering Cooper Union and joining its "Lucid Dreaming Club".
- +1
One thing that is interesting about controlling ones dreams is that it allows us the ability to synthesize and process things that occur during our conscious life.
Wopert, I feel is incorrect in that our brains are only for movement. Emotions, thoughts, and ideas are all housed in brain functions and how could those exist if our brains are limited to only providing us physical movement.
Many mornings I wake from a dream and lay in bed until I can make sense of why a certain person or situationmanifested itself in my dream. It is truly eye opening to realize what my subconscious is working on during my slumbers.
When learning to control one's dreams, the first step is to begin a dream diary. As it is stated in the film Waking Life, "They say dreaming is dead, no one does it anymore. It's not dead it's just that it's been forgotten, removed from our language. Nobody teaches it so nobody knows it exists. The dreamer is banished to obscurity."
I couldnt agree more. The importance of dreams was once so clear to humankind and it seems as though it has lost value as more people discard their dreams to obscurity.
The quote continues: "Well, I'm trying to change all that, and I hope you are too. By dreaming, every day. Dreaming with our hands and dreaming with our minds. Our planet is facing the greatest problems it's ever faced, ever. So whatever you do, don't be bored, this is absolutely the most exciting time we could have possibly hoped to be alive. And things are just starting."
Scott Morse
Apr 1 2013: Hey all. In my experience the Seth/Jane Roberts books, "Dreams and Projection of Consciousness/Jane Roberts" is one, gave me a Onederful understanding of dreaming and dream reality and reality in general. Peace
- +1
Kyung Lee
Apr 1 2013: Hi Jonathan,
- +1
I remember reading about dreams as randomly chosen memories in our brains. So if we think about certain things for a longer period of time, they are more likely to appear in our dreams. Exploring what/how we dream can be valuable in the sense that it helps us understand our brain better. Control of dreams will require extensive understanding of how our brain works, and it will definitely be of our advantage to be able to do so.
Apr 1 2013: Hi Kyung!
I completely agree with you! Dreams allow a passage into one's subconscious mind. What we learn and retain during the daytime, manifests themselves in our dreams. This must mean that our brains reprocess information that we collected during the day. "I'll sleep on it" is a very common saying for those that need more time and a clearer mind to make a decision or understand a concept. Similarly, it is said that if you read before bed, or review a to-do list for the next day, you will wake up the next morning with a clearer, more organized thought process. Therefore, a lot happens in our brains while we rest!
Being able to interpret and control our dreams opens a doorway into understanding in more detail, how the brain retains, processes and organizes information, even how to help those that have problems with retention or processing, like Alzheimer's and autism patients, and people with ADD/ADHD or learning disabilities. Understanding how their brains work differently or similarly helps get us closer to developing greater medicine and providing people with the faith and reassurance that everyone is equally equipped and capable to do great things.
Apr 2 2013: Swetha,
I never really thought about how my dreams come about. But now that you mention relating dreams to daytime memories, I can recall many dreams that have come about from events that have occurred during my conscious state.
Scott Bell
Mar 31 2013: (Related Story I believe......)
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The great Taoist master Chuang Tzu once dreamt that he was a butterfly fluttering here and there. In the dream he had no awareness of his individuality as a person. He was only a butterfly. Suddenly, he awoke and found himself laying there, a person once again. But then he thought to himself, "Was I before a man who dreamt about being a butterfly, or am I now a butterfly who dreams about being a man?"
-have you blocked yourself with the assumption that this daily life is not a dream?
Lauren Bayer
Mar 31 2013: Hi Jonathan,
- +1
I think that the phenomenon of dreaming is often overrated. Scientists have conducted electrical recordings of mice while they are awake and while they were sleeping, and have shown that the same regions of the brain that were active while a mouse was running during the day, lets say, were later active that night while the mouse was sleeping. This seems to suggest that during sleep, our brain is simply reactivating the neurons which were active during the day which in a way is "recalling" what occurred during the day. Obviously, this doesn't fully explain the intricacies of the more complex human dreams, however it could be that those more dreams are due to the parts of our brain responsible for our thoughts and emotions firing. As the neuroscience field continues to make more progress in developing understandings of how we think and learn mechanistically, I'm sure we'll one day we'll understand what our dreams are due too
Apr 2 2013: Lauren,
Interesting take on dreams. We do often hear of dreams being this magical thing. However, I think there is a valid reasoning to it. In our dreams we can often do things that are impossible in real life. Yet, in this subconscious state our minds truly believe that we are in reality... until we wake up that isMar 30 2013: Hi John,
I thought your question about teaching ourselves to lucid dream and perhaps using our brain unknown ways is very interesting. Lucid dreaming does require practice, it's a skill we can learn after working at it for a period of time; so maybe we can teach our brain other things as well? The brain is such an incredible entity, I feel there is so much more it can do that we just don't know about. Our brains have an incredible capacity to learn and grow so with the right training, I'm sure we can accomplish a lot. I think dreams are always free no matter how hard we try to control them. Even during lucid dreaming, the dreams take us places we cannot go when fully conscious. Shilo Shiv Suleman stresses the importance of dreaming and how we must not lose the ability to imagine up fantasy worlds. I agree, I feel dreams are much more important than we often think because they allow our brain to create ideas in the most limitless way possible.
Mar 31 2013: I agree with both Neema and Lauren that there is so much about the brain that we are learning each day. I wouldn't be surprised if in the near future we do find a direct correlation between the two. [It's interesting to note, that many years ago, the later prophets prophesied only in while asleep and "dreaming."]
The very limited information I know about lucid dreaming is based on the Hollywood film, Inception, but I see no reason to believe that our brains have that incredible capacity to "train" our conscious. In a sense, it might be, that dreams can in fact influence the day to day decisions of humans. If scientists are in fact able to prove the correlation between the conscious of a human while sleeping and awake, perhaps more people will start listening/believing in their prophetic dreams.
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Mar 30 2013: Carolyn,
Very interesting view on dreams! I can see that you value your dreams immensely and that they really mean a lot to you. You say your dreams parallel your reality. Does this mean that nightmares and such mean that things arent going so well in real life? While enjoyable dreams represent a happy reality? This is interesting!
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Andrew Breen
Mar 28 2013: I dream regularly and vividly and my dreams are generally exaggerated emotions, humor, or fear that tie together the days activity.
- +1
As an example, I was taking apart the interior of my car because there was water getting in somewhere and I had to dry out the flooring and noise dampening material. When I removed the seats I saw the black floor vents with four vanes to direct the blowing air (these were normally covered by the front bucket seats so I never took note of them before). Later that night I had a dream I was pulling on a pair of black socks that only had four toes and the tips were cut off like a pair of gloves smokers would use. My mind had conjured up a comical way to remember the floor vents as in my dream I'm looking down to put my socks on, my socks are black, the individual toes looked a lot like the vanes, and if I were sitting in the backseat those vents would be pointing at my feet. This is one of many examples that come to mind. Sometimes I'll be in a house that feels familiar and I know it's mine but it's just not quite the same...our minds thrive on novel experience, and I am of the opinion dreams afford us that opportunity so that our memories become more memorable.
As for being able to control dreams, I've experienced it, can't relate it to the previous days activities, but I feel pretty damn awesome when I wake-up.
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Mar 29 2013: 32Apr 3 2013: Jonathan Yellow,
I do believe that learning to control our dreams enables us to have more power over our brain. Some neurologists even prescribe lucid dreaming as a method to relieve chronic migraines or night terrors. It may not be possible to determine for sure what advantages lucid dreaming will invoke during our awake phase, however, it is undeniable that the technique provides us with more control.
-GeorgeApr 3 2013: "Control" is but one aspect of our relationship to dreams, what if we changed that word to "harness"?....
As a teenager I learned about dream control and out of body experiences. I get very good at realizing what I was dreaming, I could do it several times a week. And I had my first out of body experience and a kind of terrified me. Since then my ability to realize when I was dreaming has diminished greatly, but it still happens a couple times a month.
I also have a long history with positive thinking (i.e. Napoleon Hill), and so I see it is very important to pay close attention to and take responsibility for one's thoughts. Within the past year I received training as a remote viewer, which is fascinating though time-consuming. So I decided to try blending remote viewing with dreaming to see what kind of results I would get. (With 20 years of personal history of dream control, I can say that I did it for entertainment value, though using it to get answers to questions seems a much more valuable excercise).
In short, it is been a fascinating experiment that I am still doing today, and getting some very interesting results. I am not "controlling" my dreams so much as putting forth a question before I go to sleep and see if I get an answer in my dreams.
You can read a more extended right up in the "harnessing dreams" section of my blog post:
If you are not familiar with remote viewing, I have an extensive post on that too, including my own results:
it is relevant because remote viewing and dreams share a common base which is the unconscious.Apr 3 2013: One short answer seems to be that we can use our dreams to make better use of our mental resources.
Napoleon Hill, in his 1937 book Think and Grow Rich, which has formed the basis for a great deal of personal development literature, urged readers to ask their dreams for answers to difficult questions. He seems also to have developed a personal waking dream capability.
While I can't make any claims on behalf of his approach - and there are things in the original book which are, to say the least, dated - there may be some value in asking questions of our dreams.
If our brain is, at least in part, a bit like a computer then there may be a lot of spare processor capacity available when we are asleep. Some of that might be able to be accessed a bit like the way SETI at Home uses distributed spare processor power. Of course like seti@home our 'dream processing' may suffer from errors creeping in either accidentally or through one part of the system trying to promote its own bias.Apr 3 2013: Are sleep dreaming and daydreaming the same? Why do we often fall asleep as a passenger on a journey even if we weren't tired before the journey began? How many of us make a regular journey from A to B, even as a driver, and realise when we arrive that we can't remember any of the journey?
Do only humans attatch an ethereal significance to dreams?
Dreaming is a thing of nature, we know even animals do it. We haven't worked out why it happens yet. When we do it may not be as magic as it seems. Will we be better off for that?Mar 31 2013: I'm not an academic, no access to peers etc. but i do think about the logic of why we are as we are. I'm on my own with my ideas and rarely write any: Maybe not a bad thing?
For me dreams have little if any serious significance.
First my own experience, (a much shortened version).
When I was about 20 I dreamt I was a cowboy at a bar and I got stabbed in the back. As I drifted off (presumably to death) I said to myself clearly, "@*7$% I've been stabbed. I'd better wake up quick." I did. I checked the bed for anything sharp that may have caused a sensation but there was nothing.
Was that lucid dreaming? Did I save myself? Make of that what you will.
For me, when we try for proper sleep we make every attempt to prevent unwanted stimuli., bedcovers for natural body temperature, darkness to prevent light, and silence. If it's warm we often can't sleep because we can't cool oursleves efficiently and the overwarmth becomes unwanted sensory input. If the brain did shut down completely during sleep how would we ever wake up, hear the alarm etc? My thought on it is the part of the brain that matches incoming information to resident memory (hippocampus?) doesn't shut down, it keeps operating in case there is some incoming stimuli -in the wild a threat perhaps. Think how quickly a dog or cat wakes if something happens, even something we ourselves aren't aware of- When it has no input the hippocampus? flits about in resident memories, (rather like a hosepipe with no one holding it) and dreams however wierd may be the result of delving into old immature memories possibly as far back as birth or even in the womb.
Perhaps accessing early immature memories may have some connection with sleep paralysis.
As I said I'm not an academic. It's only ideas (from daydreaming perhaps?) ;0)
Apr 2 2013: Wow Phillip,
Your ideas really ring a bell. Looking back at my dreams (that I still remember), I tend to wake up when a near-death scenario occurs. Perhaps this is the point in the dream that one realizes that reality no longer exists and thus the brain comes back into consciousness.Mar 29 2013: we can control our dreams but it s not controled thoroughly .
the afternoon ,i hummed tune spontaneously.Sundenlly i realized i did not know the tune. I am not sure that i have heard it before. when or where . and on the way to back home ,i heard a same melody when passing a CD shop.
My poin is the conduct of slide-conscious is the subconscious .
We can bound our most of minds but we can not ban the subconscious .Because these derive by our strongly mental instructions like musn't sth, should't sth, force ourself to do sth and The subconscious will appear and transform another form to infer your deep feeling which is your real wish.
and sometimes we cannot control the unconsciousness-memory. the brain can' t help to keeping we touched ,heard or smelled.Mar 29 2013: Lol,If what we can control it is still can be called:dreams?But anyway we have a saying in chinese:what would be caused dreaming at night if you think too much in daytime .Mar 28 2013: Can anyone tell me what lucid dreaming is? And what is the opposite of it?
Mark O'Neil
Mar 29 2013: In a lucid dream you are aware that you are dreaming. I've had two and they were the most remarkable experiences. When I first became aware that I was dreaming the world around me began to fade out of focus. I felt a lack of sensation; only weightlessness as if I was being pulled up and backwards at the same time. I tried to focus on the elements around me and after what felt like a few seconds all sensations from the world around me returned at once. I can remember feeling temperature, smelling the air, and touching objects around me. The only difference from reality was that I had complete control over my environment. In a lucid dream you can fly, control objects with your mind, and make people, objects and places appear and disappear. It's neat.
- +2
The opposite of a lucid dream then is any dream where you're not aware that you're dreaming.
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Mark O'Neil
Mar 30 2013: I'm only speaking from experience. I'm completely ignorant of the subject otherwise.Mar 29 2013: Thanks, Mark.
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While I'm at it, is there a term or phrase for things outside your dreams that effects what happens in your dreams? For instance, a water bottle falls off of the nighgstand next to me. The sound of thhe impact is heard in my dream but as the sound of something else.
Mar 30 2013: Couldn't tell you. I've never had an experience like that. I've had the occasional nightmare where I wake up from the dream but I'm still in the dream. I call that a double-dream.Mar 29 2013: Hi Mark, Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and I think your definitions are great. I offer my interpretation as a lucid dreamer...
What often happens, especially to first time lucid dreamers, is that when you realize you are dreaming, you get so excited and interested in what is going on, that you start to wake yourself up and fall out of the dream. Your description matches this exactly, in my experience. Some people wake up and that's the end of the lucid dream. Other people, like you, fall back into the lucid dream. Still a third path, is that you can fall back into a non-lucid dream. Sounds like you went down the path of falling back into a lucid dream which is excellent!
Here is a tip: If you discover that you are falling out of a lucid dream and want to stay in it, try spinning around in a counter clockwise direction. (Some say clockwise, I say counterclockwise - some debate about the spiritual dimension of the direction of rotation, for some.)
Mar 30 2013: Both of the dreams came right after a run of final exams. I've often wondered if the hours of studying I put in might have been the cause. My brain had been in overdrive for almost 3 weeks.
I've had an experience like the third scenario you've described where I became aware of the dream and then fell back into a non lucid state. I didn't think that counted so I didn't mention it before.
I've always had very elaborate and nonsensical dreams. I once had a 4 month stretch of nightmares that got progressively worse until the night they ended; after the first couple of weeks I got used to fighting back and thereafter sleeping became comparable to playing a video game. Sometimes I would win; most times I would lose. Losing was not fun.
Back to the matter at hand I don't think it would be beneficial for people to be choose to dream lucidly. In my experience I became a deity in my own mind; none of my decisions had any consequences in the real world. A person repeatedly exposed to that circumstance might be tempted to experiment. You could play murderer or rapist or torturer with no restrictions or restraint. I think that's a slippery slope.Mar 28 2013: Okay I haven't done too much lucid dreaming lately, but it's easy to do.


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Gizzi Erskine - BAFTAs: WilliamVintage dinner London United Kingdom Friday 8th February 2013 (9 Pictures)
This political drama is a scandalous thriller starring Patrick Wilson and Lena Headey. It has been directed by Mora Stephens.
Seven Davis Jr.'s debut album, 'Universes', continues the astral theme in both title and tilt.
Chris Cornell refuses to stop, and on the eve of the release of his fourth solo album next month, he is reissuing his first solo album on vinyl and...
Pharrell Williams teams up with Puff Daddy and The Family on new single 'Finna Get Loose'.
The actor will have his fifth outing as the secret agent in 'Spectre' this November.


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Horror, Suspense/Thriller
"Carnies" follows a traveling sideshow in 1936, when the workers set up their oddities and illusions in another town hit by the dustbowl. However, this town is different, as a sinister force begins to kill off the carnies one-by-one.
Cast: Doug Jones, Reggie Bannister, Lynn Ayala, Chris Staviski, David Markham
Produced by: Brian Corder, Chris Staviski, John Corder
Directed by: Brian Corder
Written by: Brian Corder, Ron Leming
Running time: 1hr 40min
Opens: Oct 31, 2010 Limited
|Theaters for Today
Pick a day
on this day.


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Mark Webber discusses his relationship with Sebastian Vettel, his highlights of 2012 and his future...
Mark Webber discusses his relationship with Sebastian Vettel, his highlights of 2012 and his future.
Q. It's been a long year, such a gruelling year, what are your plans now for winter? I understand that you will spend quite a lot of time in Australia like last year, Tasmania Challenge?
MW: "Yes I'm flying to Australia tonight, I've got my Tasmania Challenge which is very important to me for several reasons. Cancer has been pretty tough in my family so I'd like to put something back into the community in Australia. We've set up some adventure race where people come and inter and come and do a 5 day healthy day discipline sort of event. Its our biggest year this year we're having so I'm bloody excited about that. The race starts tomorrow..."
Q. Relaxing then?!
MW: "I'll be doing that. I'll be on the course on Friday and Saturday having a bit of a look around doing some mountain biking. The water stuff we're doing is pretty awesome so I want to go and look at that."
Q. Tell us about your relationship with Seb, do you guys get on well?
MW: "We've been up and down, probably like any relationship or marriage. Sometimes its great and sometimes you need to work at it a bit more. We obviously have good respect for each other. I think ultimately what's at stake, its not possible for us to be super close but in general it's good. It's quite funny after India, apparently the German media were picking up on something where we were into each other big time and having huge problems with each other, but I was on Seb's plane that night together travelling with him. With team-mates it's always a testy relationship where I think you get closer when you stop. Its like with David Coulthard and myself, we were okay as team mates, good respect, but as soon as you stop the guard comes down and you are closer."
Q. When you hear about the late nights these guys back in MK put in how much do you appreciate it and how much do you feel it when you're at the track?
MW: "You really think about it a lot when you have some success. You don't think about it when the car stops but you think about it when you have success, when you're leading the last laps of the GP and it all starts to come to you - the effort that goes to get that car in that position. There are so many micro balances going on, just look at Monaco GP weekend, if you had a fly on the wall on what goes on getting that car in the environment they work in, it's very impressive."
Q. Mark, what about your own future. Is the fact that you're still winning races and still measuring yourself against the best enough to continue?
MW: "Yes, so long as you still have something to offer yourself, you continue. If I turned up, or any driver turned up, and said well I can't win the championship, then you would only have two or three drivers on the grid. That's my goal, to put together a campaign for which I have fought for championships. I have had some good and very special memories in the last two or three years. I'm not at the start of my career I know that, I'm more to the back end of my career, but when you're no longer performing at your peak, or where your peak was, then you have to be real with yourself and say it's the right time now to stop, and I don't think it's the right time now. If I got spanked 20-0 in qualifying and was literally not on the radar, then yeah, its obvious, but until that point comes and I'm motivated, I'll keep competing."
Q. What were the highlights of your season?
MW: "That would have to be the wins in Silverstone and Monaco. They are two special races. There were ups and downs this season - it was perhaps not as consistent as I would have liked - but there were some strong finishes. I'm now looking forward to a good break and to coming back strong next year."
Source - Red Bull


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micoach is all you need to get the results you want.
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Would be outstanding if the instructions were clearer. Adidas needs to do a better job of explaining how to get it to work. Didn't seem to have any problems locating the micoach with bluetooth or syncing it with my iPhone 5S..but it kept saying "no valid workouts" after I tested it. It wasn't until I contacted customer support I was told about the 80/60 rule....you need to move 80 meters within 60 seconds in order for it to start tracking, so just walking around your living room, or going out to the end of the block won't work. Nor will riding on a stationary bike, it only tracks the sports that it is programmed for. Since then though, I've tracked a soccer game, a soccer practice and a jog with no problems. Working great now!! ... read more
Not the greatest ankle support. But for those of you who want a quick, easy, durable and not to mention supportive ankle strap this is it. I've tried some ankle braces before, some where too bulky or too thin without providing support. This strap provides all of the elements that I was looking for in an ankle strap. It is lightweight, not too bulky, supportive and really easy to wear and take off. The only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars is that it is a little overpriced. Paying $60 for a pair sounds a little pricey. I think $20 each for these straps sounds more reasonable. ... read more
I bought this monitor for the usage on my Nokia Lumia 620 in the hope of having Bluetooth Smart support. Last week I saw the miCoach app launched as the first one enabling Bluetooth Smart. Awesome training esp. also indoors with heart-rate tracking and coaching! ... read more
I have been using MiCoach for almost 2 years. LOVE the product. I use F50 1st gen & 2nd gen, Preadator LZ 1st gen, Boost, etc. For the MiCoach devices i have used 1st gen Speed_Cell, Pacer, and now the X_Cell and 2nd gen Speed_Cell. The concept is great. Recording data for my workouts has become in important piece of my routine. I am on board with the modernization of the hardware platforms, but it is true. You do need a Bluetooth v4 device in order for you to be able to pull the data from the X_Cell and the 2nd gen Speed_Cell. Be aware that most devices with Bluetooth v4 had to have been manufactured within the last year or so. Be sure to double check your device compatibility. Another piece to be mindful of is the web interface for the MiCoach data that is pulled from the X_Cell. When you pull data from the X_Cell, you can view the data on your multisport app, and not on the MiCoach website. Not sure when that is going to be addressed, but it really is frustrating to see "Sorry, this workout does not have any chart information" when I try to view the values from my latest workout with the X_Cell. The metrics that you are able to see on the multisport app are great, but until that data is unified in the web interface, and all of the lifetimes stats are updated, the product to me is incomplete. I am sure when the product is at full functionality I will be able to gather some great work out data. ... read more
Breathability: 8.5/10 The breathability of this ankle wrap really surprised me. Most ankle braces make my ankle sweat and hot, but with the adiZero construction it made my ankle cooler. And the coolness leading to better performance on the court. Ankle Support: 9.5/10 These ankle brace's ankle support are outstanding. Not just some fabric that you throw together and call a ankle brace, but this brace is built tough. A hard shell on the outside bone of your ankle prevents any hyperextension. I would say this ankle support is more of a preventer that a healing brace. Fit: 8/10 The fit of this ankle wrap, to me, was a little more on the tighter side. I wear a size 10.5 and thought I would get a size M brace, that might be my mistake. But the tightness turned out to my advantage a bit. Material: 8.5/10 The adiZero material is great, one of my all time favorites of adidas shoes. The brace feels like it would stand up to a lot of abuse. However, once worn a lot, it could develop visible fold creases which might not look that attractive. Longevity: 8.5/10 This brace would definitely last me a long time build on it's construction. adidas products have always been a first for me. Hope this review helped some of you! ... read more
When I hurt my ankle playing in the Kobe's, my peers and my coach said that it would be best that I get an ankle brace until I get better. Naturally, I got the ones that D.rose wears because he is my favorite player and these are the ones he wears. But I still had my doubts because I thought they would be uncomfortable, limit my mobility, or take away from my game. And when I played in them, I saw that I was wrong. They were super comfortable, didn't take away from my mobility or my vertical, and kept my ankles protected. I was very satisfied with them, so much that I will still wear them if my ankle is just bothering me. Great ankle braces. At first I wondered why they were priced so high. 60 dollars for both??? But now I understand. I feel like i payed for quality. ... read more
The GOOD: - It does what it says it does well. It measures your vertical, hustle and quickness either while wearing during practice or in the Power Up Drills. Plus you can use it as your HRM with the general app! The BAD: - Needs to save your Power Up Drills as cards you can view over time to note your improvement. The UGLY: - Adidas is not going to add website connectivity so everything you do with this device can ONLY be viewed in the multi-sport app. Nothing will upload to the website which is a shame because it's probably one of the best devices they have developed. Also, you can't view your Power Up drills results except immediately after doing them. Unless you take a screen shot and save as a photo in your phone, your result will be lost forever. Not good if you want to measure results over time. Overall: A good, unfinished product. If you want to improve your quickness, hustle and vertical this is the product for you, but you will have to give up being able to track your progress except if you wear it during practice (and then only in the multi-sport app). ... read more
This heart rate monitor is great! It's extremely accurate and works very well with the miCoach app. The textile strap is comfortable and easy to adjust, put on, and remove. Also, as a woman, it's not noticeable at all when I wear it under my shirt. I have had some connectivity issues when my phone is in my backpack. The app kept saying "Bluetooth found. Bluetooth lost. Bluetooth found. Bluetooth lost..." nonstop without a break. But when I looked at the results afterwards, it appeared uninterrupted. Don't forget to take it off after you're done working out. Otherwise the dried sweat makes your skin bond to the connective part of the strap and it hurts to take it off. ... read more
This is awesome. I got it yesterday at an Adidas store and it is perfect size. There is no need to buy a size smaller or bigger. Speedwraps fit the size of your shoes. It really does prevent your ankles from rolling and keep them protected. This is only $30 and is cheap compared to other ankle braces. It is also super light. Best Adidas accessory ever and I seriously recommend it to all of you guys looking for ankle braces. ... read more
The product is good, but it doesn't pair with S-Health app on my samsung Galaxy S4. I was looking for pairing it with S-Health as it gives an option to track calories burnt and calories consumed. This device pairs only with micoach app. But this app doesn't have an option of tracking calories consumed... so its difficult to keep-up with my wait-loss goals !!! Now I have to use SHealth and MiCoach. Using two apps (instead of one) would drain the battery of any phone :( Below adds would be better Should pair with SHealth app or an option to track calories consumed in micoach app. ... read more
I saw a web interview that Derrick Rose did and he spoke about how much that he loved the Adizero Speedwrap Ankle Brace and since I already bought the Adizero shoe, I figured I'd try it out. I had a grade 2 ankle sprain about 5 months ago and haven't been able to explode as well as I could prior to my injury. This ankle brace helped a lot and now I can't imagine playing ball without it ... read more
I play football every Saturday and I bought this because I wanted to monitor how much I run on match days and it does that perfectly. It connects to my iPad/iPhone without even taking it out my football boot and the app also gives you tips on how to improve which is a big help. The only reason I haven't given 5 stars is because you never know when the battery is low or ran out until you try to pair with your device. ... read more
I have an iPhone 5 and just bought a Speed Cell Bluetooth off Adidas website. Express postage was as advertised, ordered Saturday night, arrived Tuesday morning. It connected first go with miCoach multi sport app. None of the connection problems I've read about. Can't wait to get first game on it tomorrow night ... read more
Love these!! They are extremely light and not so bulky opposed the first edition of the SpeedWraps, which I purchased also. Not only does these give great support, but your much more mobile and can slash to the court much quicker and feel confident you not going to sprain your ankle. They fit great with the Adizero DRose shoes as well. Must have!! ... read more
I've had to wear ankle braces or tap for almost 8 years now, so i know my way around braces. in terms of comfort speed and visual aesthetic these braces are the top of crop. Ive been taped ive worn, elastic support and light weight lace ups and light weight figure eight wraps, but in my experience these are the best. The fit is exceptional and it makes me feel secure and confident in my abilities, basketball is 90% confidence anyway, like most things its a mental game ... read more