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Going off topic but as no doubt Mods are circling, how do you delete an account on here?
There doesn't seem to be any option in Settings or anything similar that makes it obvious?
If I'm right, when I put the Deus Ex dvd in, it tried to install Steam even though it was already installed. So I guess it'll be similar with FM.
Thanks to all those who answered, and I appreciate that I can run in offline mode and set my game to not autoupdate, BUT my question refers solely to the first activation. If Brian Poor-Example lives in TinyVillage, Somorset and has no broadband but a low speed dialup connection or pseudo ISDN line setup but works for BigCompany in Bristol with a fast pipe and lax IT regime, he can activate his game online in 5 minutes (allegedly) at home then download patches and updates at work and copy them onto a CD/DVD (or USB stick if the IT system is REALLY lax). However if Steam rolls out the first update when he tries to activate his game, Mr Poor-Example is either leaving his computer on for a couple of days or has a copy of a game he cannot use.
Last edited by leftback in the changing room; 17-09-2011 at 20:15.
Easy solution.
Keep playing FM11, use 3rd party updates to keep the game up to date with all relevant transfers.........await SI/Sega to realise foolishness of their ways!
It would be interesting to know how the reaction to this decision measures up to what SI/Sega expected or projected? If they aren't surprised by it, then they must have a lot of faith in their new anti-piracy measures.
I don't want to use Steam.
You'll also note, if you read my posts, I have no personal problem with Steam.
This isn't necessarily about people having bad experiences with Steam. It is a bigger issue for some of us. This is about people being forced to use software they don't want to - it is a matter of principle.
No, no excuses for SI. Everyone is responsible for their own actions and behaviour - period.
Will there be a demo out through Steam of FM 2012? This will be good for a couple of reasons, mainly:
1. People will get an experience of using Steam for the first time and then be able to delete Steam (and not buy the full game) if they don't like it.
2. To see if your computer can handle FM 2012 at all. Because there will be no way of returning your game once you've activated it and find out your computer's too slow, or give it to someone else. (I have a 2GB Vista PC with 256MB graphic card).
If people are just going to go over exactly the same things over and over ad nauseum then this thread might as well be closed.
If you have nothing new to add (I'm struggling to think of anything) then why not all rest on your,laurels for a while.
It is one thing for the SI staff (paid or voluntary) to disagree - that's fine.
It is another issue when SI staff (as per above definition) engage in constant sarcasm and belittling of the views of their customers. Even more disturbing when they close a poll i.e. a democratic vote on the issue at hand.
I would expect such moderators to be dealt with. I run my own board. I've been an admin on another board, a mod on another. Such behaviour would not be tolerated on any board I've been involved with. For this to be tolerated on a board such as this, for a large community of a major game, is shocking.
If you want to buy the game via disc the best bet would to install the steam client a couple of days before and ask on the technical forums on steam if it is possible to turn off updates for all games.
I've not got a huge issue with Steam, and I concede that sooner or later I'll be forced to install it in order to keep gaming on a PC. I just wish that I wasn't forced to do so by FM - and a lot of people will be unable to play FM purely because they are being punished for broadband not being universally available.
(I think 2% of the posts I have ever added to this site are on this topic. That's almost as many as I spent carefully explaining to people set their fullback forward runs setting to 'rarely' to negate the 'unbeatable' 2-3-5 formation in FM07.)
And after all that, davehanson had already replied. Must. Type. Faster.
Last edited by leftback in the changing room; 17-09-2011 at 20:57. Reason: Poor keyboard skills
I do include both "sides" in that, in fact some of the pro Steam camp are the worse offenders.
It would be nice if either camp could add something new to the debate, atm it's solid repetition.
OK, two things before I disappear for tonight.
1. To all the mods (paid or voluntary), SI and SEGA staff who have backed the official line so far. Do you all really agree with the Steam policy? If you do, fine. But, I'll bet that there's a heck of a debate going on behind the scenes. I'll bet that some are uncomfortable with the line they're being asked, told, to take, by their bosses.
At the end of the day, you are all people, human beings. How you want to live your lives, and be, is down to you. You might want to think about actions and who you are. If you're comfortable with the line you're taking, then, fine. I'll bet some aren't, to varying degrees.
2. Where is MIles Jacobsen? This is such a major decision. Where is he? Why isn't he holding the line on this? Why isn't he accountable to SI's customers?
If there is one person that should be answering questions, it is him. The fact that he isn't (unless there is a personal circumstance), is disturbing.
Last edited by Lord Rowell; 17-09-2011 at 21:04. Reason: corrected BB code
Maybe if they decided to tell us now that they were going to implement it from next years FM that way people would have had to time sort out what is needed to be able to play the game but the way they did it now is like a flash flood. A few days of sunshine (blogs about new feature etc.) then a torential rainfall that floods the neighbourhood (Activation Notice).
Re. your point about solid repetition. I know this is one heck of a long thread but I made a point earler that the fact, to some degree, there IS repetition of arguments, may suggest there is a strong consensus.
This might be considered stronger than a wide scattergun range of diverse arguments, IMO.
I would like to start off that I condemn piracy of any media.
However, I would like to know the details of the research with regards to the post that was made commenting that for every 1 FM game there is 3 'cracked' games being used or something along those lines.
Obviously the term 'cracked' is very wide.
1) Cracked could mean a product downloaded illegally off the internet and used without paying.
2) It could mean a NOCD crack has been used on a legally purchased game. I understand this violate the terms of the EULA, however, this doesn't mean the game is pirated in anyway shape or form.
So I am interested in this. Does the research that has led to the 3-1 ratio conclusion include or exclude people legally purchasing the game, keeping it, but yet using a NOCD crack. I'm not interested in the rights or wrongs of that as that argument has been done to death on here and all over the internet. I am just curious to know a bit more about the research involved that led to the 3-1 conclusion.
If you don't want to release the research, may I ask why not?
One question thougs. Cause i've never used steam before (only for demos) so i'm new with it... Will you be able to install game multiple time? Cause I often format my computer and erase all the hard drives completly would i be able to install game more than one time? or would i have to bought new copy for every time i format my computer (i know it sound ridiculous) ?
I do have huge sympathy for those who have had problems with it and I'll do anything I can to help them get to my position, I think that's something SI/Sega and steam should devote resources to over the coming weeks.
I'm not getting into any arguments about "third party software" I'll only say I was exactly the same as those most vociferous objectors before I actually used it, and I now feel a little foolish about the inhibitions I had.
The only problem I can think of are licencing issues. Take Germany for example. We aren't allowed to buy this game via Steam. So we need to buy this game via import. For FM11 there have been extra steam keys to buy. Now guess what. Some people here in Germany thought they can make it the easy way, so they just bought a steam key. After entering the key the game was activated. But several days/weeks later the game won't start because it was registered via a German account. Sounds weird and I wonder how that might happen, but these are examples for possible issues with this steam-only approach.
Well. I can only say that I started to use steam several years back then and I had never any problems. Just thinking of other people who might have trouble establishing an internet connection on their gaming pc.
Personally I have no problem with using Steam, but I can understand why some don't want to. I'm also disappointed that it's made it difficult for some users to play and enjoy the game. However, if this succeeds in doing what SI and Sega are doing then that's all good.
We know that people that post on a game's forum are a (very, very vocal) minority of users. How certain are SI and SEGA that knowledge of Steam has penetrated that market? Aside from the one-off registration issue in FM09, which at worst required you to log on to the internet once and type in a code, all FM and CM games have required is that you put the disk into the machine and install it*.
*for the purposes of this post, I will disregards my personal travails with having to install DirectX SDKs or .Net Framework versions to get previous FMs running.
None of them have required you to install a different piece of software, or have had "Internet access and Steam Client required to activate this game" stamped on the box.
Will that not intimidate even regular purchasers of the game? And that's nothing compared to the loss of goodwill if the inexperienced do have issues with Steam.
A bit of advise I'd like to give:
1. Do not (ever) use your workplace to install Steam and/or download updates. This will be cause for immediate discharge. Also don't do it if you're selfimployed or it's your company, because it could be harmfull to your ICT security.
2. If you're using public open wifi connections, like at McDonalds (other fastfood restaurants are available), be sure that it's allowed to download large amounts of data.
3. When registrating for Steam (or any suchlike services), be sure not to use your main email account, but rather an extra specialy created one. This will help preventing the hacking and lose of your main email when Steam itself gets hacked (like Sony's recently). And be sure to have a safety referral email account set up for your extra account in case you do lose access to it.
Either way, repeating your question until you get an answer on a Saturday when it is likely that there is no-one able to answer it today is getting beyond a joke.
Just posting to add to those saying that this decision by FM will mean I will NOT be buying FM2012, and not because I don't want to use Steam (I already do for FM09, FM10, and FM11), but because I dislike ANY attempt at copy-protection that isn't self-contained in the box. It's one reason I stopped purchasing Paradox Interactive games; they used to have no copy protection, and I bought almost everything they sold, but now they use Steam to activate and I stopped purchasing.
In my opinion the effort to stop piracy is almost always doomed to failure. This is true for two main reasons: first, those that pirate a game are not interested in paying for it, so effective anti-piracy measures don't increase sales significantly, and second, all anti-piracy measures are doomed to failure, since all such efforts can be cracked. At best, anti-piracy measures simply prevent those unwilling to purchase a legal copy of a game the delight of playing it on the release date, hardly worth the gumming up of the works that the measures create.
I would recommend that the hierarchy at SI take a page from prolific and wealthy author David Weber, who writes the very successful Honor Harrington books. He has digital copies of EVERY one of his books available to read free on line. Hasn't had any significant impact on sales of his books so far as I'm aware; each of his new novels routinely makes it to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. In the end run, the best business practice is not to focus on the ones who steal, but focus on the ones who are your good customers, for it's the return of their business you are really trying to promote.
The closest thing to an analogy I can think of is staff in a ticket office. If prices go up in order to increase their wages, they can object because the poorest will be frozen out, leading to them losing their jobs, or they can back the policy because it benefits them. Frankly, I can't blame any of them (SI or SEGA) for doing this, and I wouldn't be surprised if the vast majority believe what they are doing is right for their company and customers. They're a good bunch.
We moderators found out about this in the same way you did. We have subsequently discussed the matter, and at no point have we been told what line to take (well, we might have implicitly, but not explicitly, I'm no good at reading into what people say). Nobody has expressed an opinion in public that is different to what they are expressing in private. I genuinely don't like Steam, Kriss genuinely doesn't understand why people don't like Steam, Ackter genuinely wants everyone to shut up
He'll just regurgitate everything he said earlier. He has his stance and he will stick to it. And then some will probably disagree with his stance and then it'll just go downhill from there...
Must say it isn't my preferred solution but meh, doesn't really make no difference.
It's too late for FM12; the best we can do is argue for a change of direction for FM13.
The SI and SEGA team are not going stop everything to talk to use on here, they will try and get representivites when they can like after the announcment and most prob monday. They still have to work on the up-and-coming blogs and the keep the FM Handheld people up-to-date with their game aswell.
@Cynet, I seem to have lost the plot and confused Miles with Neil :o
@left back.It will be interesting tosee what effects this has in the first few weeks, personally dont think a change of direction will happen unless there is a fairly big negative. Not Ideal and I can see why some dont like it and feely for those will have genuine issues with this, but if they think its the way to and it has an overall positive effect i cant see it changing
The next test is release day... or 3 hours after release day, when the complaints start to roll in or the returns commence.
That's not really true. If the vast majority of people hate it, but sales don't go down or go up they won't change a thing.
This post will get lost amidst all the noise of 17 pages and counting, but let me go on the record here with a prediction.
My prediction falls into 2 parts:
1. Sales of FM2012 will be disappointing.
2. SI/SEGA analysts will conclude that the cause of poor sales is piracy. They will NOT admit that this decision to force activation through Steam is a major factor, despite the many warnings in this thread.
The vast majority of people who play FM never visit these forums. Therefore, they won't know that they need Steam to activate the game. They will buy it, install Steam, succeed or fail (at which point a few them might appear on the forums) and then will either continue to play the game, or not bother with it / attempt to give it away.
All Sega will see from that is 1 sale, regardless of whether or not the customer was able to play/played for a week/played for an entire year until the next version is released.
But yes, you're right in that they have a ready made excuse if the Steam experiment goes wrong. At which point they will come on here and completely forget the fact that they analysed, "in detail" the pros and cons of Steam activation.
Sorry if this has been asked, will the demo be steam activated so people can give it a trial?
The last few demos have been available through Steam, I think.
It's still possible that the worst thing about Fm12 is the game itself (as was the case with FM09. By far the worst football manager game I've ever played and that was after all the patches. That had the dreadful online activation debacle too.)
Think this is a terrible move. I really, really don't like steam and although I haven't read the thread I'm sure there are many others in the same boat. You aim to combat piracy but you're going to do just the opposite - encourage it. If I was a betting man I'd place a lot on sales being below the expected figure this year, all down to this.
Been feeling less and less in love with FM over the years but still bought it because, well, it's FM, but I don't think I will this year. When some of my mates get a pirated version (lets not kid ourselves, most people will) I'll go round and see if it's any good. If it is I might buy it when the price does down, but until then goodbye and thanks for the memories
I've just thought of one possible positive about Steam that hasn't been mentioned.
In the past patches have had to be held back effectively until they were substantial because the distribution methods were many and quite complex and took time to set up then activate.
Steam auto updating means any single update can be added when ready, so if they want to take advantage of that we could get "critical" fixes a lot quicker.
Hope that makes sense.


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I'm so glad I found this recipe, it's one pot comfort food! It was excellent and my by boyfriend didn't even realize it had whole grain pasta. I used half the mushrooms and added more carrots and was able to "sneak" the mushrooms in that way. I used oregano instead of thyme as well. I'm not one to repeat recipes but this was so good & easy I probably will. I've already thought of a few variations such as subbing cheese and tomato paste for sour cream for cheeseburger macaroni and following the concept using bow tie pasta, chicken and maybe pesto for a one pot chicken pasta.
Hamburger Buddy
From EatingWell: September/October 2007, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (2008)
Very finely chopping onion, mushrooms and carrots in the food processor is not only fast—it makes the vegetables hard to detect for picky eaters. They also form the base for the sauce of this ground beef skillet supper. Make it a meal: Serve with a green salad.
159 Reviews for Hamburger Buddy
This dish was quite tasty, though it does not look all that appetizing. Per recommendations from others, I added 2-3 tbsp of tomatoe paste and replaced one tsp of thyme with oregano. It makes heaps of food and is very filling. Good weeknight comfort food.
100 comments
My son can't have dairy... any suggestions for a substitute for the sour cream???
100 comments
My son can't have dairy either. I have found vegan recipes to be of great help, there are several vegan versions online. A lot of recipes that call for creamy sauces will use soy creamer with corn starch to thicken it up.
We are not a vegan family, but these recipes have really helped us find dairy free alternatives to our favorite foods.
I thought this was great. It does taste a LOT like store-bought Hamburger Helper. So, if you don't like that, I doubt you will like this even though it uses healthier, fresher ingredients.
I sifted through the many reviews before making this because I didn't want to not like it and waste food. My substitutions were:
-- Lean Beef-style Veggie Protein instead of the beef
--Only one teaspoon of thyme
--vegetable broth instead of beef broth
--an extra teaspoon of salt
Depending on what brand of veggie protein you use, this gets the calories way down and you can have a heartier serving. Remember, eating serving after serving of healthy food isn't a lot better than eating Hamburger Helper for real!! I saw a lot of reviews where people said they ate almost the whole thing and I definitely had to curb that impulse.
What an awesome recipe! Easy to prepare. I used ground turkey, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, few dashes of hot sauce, and 2 tbs. salsa (didn't have tomato paste). Now that had flavor! Try it, you'll love it. :]


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If I drop the axiom that Zero is the identity of an addition what consequences does this entail? What do I need to change to my axiomatization?
By definition it is not possible, but are there mathematical structures like a field but without an additive identity?
I don't have a concrete example/issue but I am interested in this question.


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Here is a problem I encountered in the study of Kähler manifolds but there is a natural generalisation of this for topological spaces. If $X$ is a topological space, denote by $g_\mathbb{R}$ the real genus of $X$, that is the maximal dimension of an isotropic subspace in $H^1(X,\mathbb{R})$ (isotropic means that the cup-product restricted to this space is $0$). We can in the same way define $g_\mathbb{C}$ (here we take the complex dimension).
Now the question is : $g_\mathbb{C} = g_\mathbb{R}$ ?
This seems totally obvious : if one has a real isotropic space, then its complexification is a complex isotropic subspace but conversely I don't see how to construct a real isotropic subspace from a complex one.
This is true if $H^2$ has dimension $0$ or $1$ : $0$ is clear and for $1$ one can see the cup-product as a standard symplectic form (maybe degenerate), but in general ?
Thank you for your answers and sorry if I just missed something obvious.


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10 Stress-Busting Tips from Moms Like You
4 of 11
Do Lunch with Friends
Evenings get eaten up by dinnertime, bath time, and bedtime. Make the most of your lunch hour at work by getting together with friends in the area. If you stay at home with the kids, make lunch dates with other moms so that you can chat and vent while the kids nap or play.
One mom says: "When was the last time you had lunch with your best friend? Or better yet, did some serious shopping together? Life is busy for moms, but it's important for you and your girlfriends (both with and without kids) to still make time for girl talk."
Next: Take a Day Off
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I have not been able to obtain a clear definition of what is currently called a 'continuous matrix' nor 'continuous matrix operators.'
It is unclear if the definition would involve a matrix with continuous elements such as continuous functions, or if somehow the matrix itself is to be considered continuous. In the latter case, I would imagine an example of a continuous matrix to be the Green's Function for a function, where integration of a function by its Green's function would be akin to some sort of continuous matrix multiplication.
So I would like to ask:
What is the current accepted definition for a continuous matrix and a continuous matrix operator?
Is there an existing definition for a continuous matrix, of the type I mention, where Green's Function is an example of such a matrix?
If there is such a definition (2.) then does someone know of a clear reference for the theory? I would appreciate both pure and applied works.


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DRA301: Drama-Th (2013-2014)
CURRICULUM PROGRAM: Drama Theater
COURSE TITLE: Drama-Theater
COURSE LENGTH: 36 weeks
Major Concepts/Content: The drama course is designed to give the students opportunity to experience drama as a significant and rewarding activity and to enable students to demonstrate knowledge of the historical background of drama. The content includes, but is not limited to, recognition of the different genres of drama (tragedy, comedy, farce, melodrama, musical) and the elements of playwriting; knowledge of the different historical periods of drama and acting; knowledge of the work of important dramatists; understanding of the importance of drama as a reflection of society (the influence of cultural, literary, religious, and political forces upon drama); recognition of drama as a self-rewarding activity that involves the identification of the unique worth of the individual, the motivation behind human behavior; and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships.
Major Instructional Activities: When dramatic performances are being prepared, rehearsed or produced, instructional activities ideally will be provided in a theatre, auditorium, or a room with a stage. When dramatic literature is being studied, instructional activities will be provided in a general classroom setting. Student activities and experiences will include, but will not be limited to, selecting and preparing material for a performance; rehearsing for a performance; performing for a class or public group; practicing character development, mime, solo, duet, and ensemble acting; participating in full-length plays; creating and applying makeup; building sets; stage managing and directing; managing props; selecting and creating costumes; voice building and projection; improving enunciation and pronunciation, and control of body movement; writing scripts for a production; studying and interpreting the works of prominent dramatists from Aeschylus to the present time; studying the effects of cultural, national, religious, and social influences upon drama through the ages; and studying the social and philosophical impact of drama on societies.
Major Evaluative Techniques: Students will be evaluated for active class participation; through written examinations; for creativity, reliability, and dependability when performing assigned tasks/roles/responsibilities; and for participation in field trips and performances.
Course Objectives: Upon completion of the drama course, students should be able to:
- Understand the basic concepts of drama. .
- Apply basic drama concepts to the activities involved in theatrical productions.
- Participate in play cuttings and one-act play presentations while developing individual character interpretations.


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Jeff Lipsky: WHY SO SERIOUS? Or TEN REASONS WHY THE INDIE FILM BUSINESS (AND THE FILM BUSINESS IN GENERAL) IS IN GREAT SHAPE/
Jeff Lipsky, director of the Sundance hit ONCE MORE WITH FEELING (among others), distributor of Cassavettes (among others), co-founder of October Films (among others) -- this man knows the lay of the land. He recently participated in a show Christine Vachon and I did up at Sundance for Filmcatcher (soon to be streamed on their site), and I was once again reminded of his incredible enthusiasm and knowledge of all aspects of the film business. I only asked him for ten reasons he was bullish on the state of indie. I get the sense that if I hadn't capped it, he'd still be adding to the list.


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The adapter together with the lock ring will have an introductory price of only $39.95 and will be available in the first quarter of 2011.


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Given an array of integer numbers and random generator how to perfectly shuffle the array? "Perfectly" means that every permutation is equally likely. One solution is go from 1st element to last element and swap current element, say i-th, with randomly choose from range i, i+1, ..., n. This way it is easy to show that each element has probability 1/n to be in any place. For example lets choose number, say m. The probability of it to be in the position one is 1/n. probability of it to be in position 2 is $\frac{n-1}{n} \cdot \frac{1}{n-1}=\frac{1}{n}$ , and so forth.
My question is about another way to shuffle numbers. Going from 1 to n we swap current number with randomly chosen one from entire array. Does this algorithm guarantee that every permutation obtained this way is equally likely?
Thank you.
EDIT: I meant that we can swap card with itself. (entire is literally entire array)


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We can run into traffic, delays while driving due to accidents or just too many people on the road
It would be great to get around that and find out if you should leave early or take a different route.
A bluetooth technology helps to manage traffic updates on the internet ... all available at your finger tips.
Some people like the idea, but want even more information..
"But if its just saying you know hey there's you're going be in a traffic jam for an hour and its such and such up there you might want to go another route, but if doesn't tell me where to go or how to do it, I probably wouldn't use it," said Roberta Walker.
"I guess it'll work out really good..like I said I'm waiting on it..I can't wait to use it I guess," said Gary Horton.
Recently, this could have been useful to alert drivers of a five vehicle crash on I-35 near McClennan County; and to avoid slow downs and build ups in the area.
This could have come in handy in a recent 5 vehicle crash on I-35 near McClellan County and alerted drivers of traffic slow downs and build ups in the area..
Waco will be using the system on I-35 and soon drivers will be able to go to My35.org to get a reliable forecast up to an hour before they leave their homes.
Drivers will be able to access traffic updates from their phones or computers... on the go.
Here this method is being used at the intersections of Texas Avenue and University Drive and other locations in town.
A metal antennae feeds down into a computer in the signal cabinet to send the data to the internet.
Kevin Balke is a researcher at Texas A&M Institute.
"It's all done in real time so that data that you see is available to you off the blue tooth system is live data; it's real time data," said Balke.
Not every one will take the time to use the system..
"No because I don't really use my phone that much when I'm driving so I don't see how that'll help me,"Jacob Quintana
TTI has plans to expand this traffic system to highways here to ease the flow of traffic.


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Edit: Robin's comments appear to have made the matter a lot clearer to me. I now suppose that the vector space of random variables with zero expectation are studied in the context of second order stationary processes.
The other question remains: are vector spaces of random variables with non-zero expectation also studied?


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The Grapes of Wrath
Adapted by Frank Gallati (John Steinbeck)
Directed by Randy Barbara Kaplan
Wednesday, November 9 - Saturday, November 12 at 8pm
Sunday, November 13 at 2pm
Tickets are $8 and can be purchased at the Brodie Box office and online.
The SUNY-Geneseo Department of Theatre and Dance is proud to present THE GRAPES OF WRATH, John Steinbeck's classic American novel adapted for the stage by Frank Galati. Thirty student actors are joined by a women's "church choir" to enact the epic story of the Joad family's journey from their Oklahoma home to California as they seek work and food after they have been "tractored off" the family farm during the Dust Bowl era. Though they suffer from deprivation and assaults to their dignity, though they lose family members to death and desertion, they ultimately triumph over degradation.
The large ensemble features performances by students Maryanne Agius, Russell Allen, Amy Bishop, Meaghan Castle, Jane Coons, Charlotte Cwikowski, Alexander Dee, Liam Enright, Joshua Horowitz, Michael Kedenburg, Kristoffer Kielich, Matthew Little, Katherine Mapley, Emily McDevitt, Christina Mortellaro, Haider Murtaza, Hamza Murtaza, Jonathan Mushock, Paul Pedziwiatr, David Sak, Lauren E. Scheibly, Nicholas Simmons, Amanda Skinner, Luke Taverne, and Samuel White. We also are happy to welcome Hunter Radesi of Geneseo Central Middle School to our campus as a member of the cast. Elizabeth McDermott stage manages the production, assisted by Casey Gilbert and Katherine Mandracchia; Jonathan Mushock serves as Dance Captain. The women's choir is conducted by two students, Kimberly Olsen and Elizabeth Sackett. Professor Randy Kaplan directed and choreographed the production with sets and props by Professor Steven Stubblefield, including a moving "Hudson" truck; costumes by Professor Crystal Ferrell; lighting and sound design, and technical direction by Professor Johnnie Ferrell; and makeup design by student Chandra Knotts. Professor Jim Kimball and his Geneseo String Band very kindly contributed their talents to the square dance that is performed in the second act.
Questions? Please contact the director Randy Kaplan at email@example.com
| Source URL: http://www.geneseo.edu/news_events/grapes-wrath-119-1113


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I'm looking forward to installing Oneiric. But I need to have full-disk encryption. I, along with over 6,800 other Ubuntu users, have been patiently waiting for the Live CD Installer to gain the ability to setup Full-Disk Encryption.
Will I be able to install full-disk encryption on 11.10 with the Live CD installer?


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We provide you the best-tasting tomatoes!
Learn more about how NatureSweet® grows the best tomatoes in the world!
We grow the best-tasting tomatoes because we have the best associates!
NatureSweet® tomatoes are greenhouse grown in a controlled environment, from the seeds, to the growing medium, to the water that is used. NatureSweet® tomatoes begin with seeds that have been selected for their superior taste and all plants are nurtured with a "secret recipe" of water and nutrients.


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If I would like to construct a fully invested long only portfolio with two asset classes (Bonds $B$ and Stocks $S$) based on the concept of 'risk parity' the weights $W$ of my portfolio would be the following:
Then the weight of the bonds $W_B = \textrm{Vol}(S)/[\textrm{Vol(S)}+\textrm{Vol(B)}]$ and the weights of the stocks $W_S = 1 - W_B$.
Based on this I am going to overweigh the low volatility asset and underweight the high volatility asset. My question is: How to calculate the weights for a portfolio with multiple asset classes, 5 for example, so that each asset class will have the same volatility and contribute the same amount of risk into my portfolio. From historical data I can extract the volatility of each asset class and the correlation between them.


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Last time a cash-strapped college girl auctioned her virginity, bidding reached $3.8 million. This week, cyberchick "Unigirl" accepted a paltry $30,000 for hers. Welcome to ECON202: Comparative Studies in the Pricing of Hymen.
Is Unigirl's virginity one thousand times inferior to that of Natalie Dylan, the college girl who snagged a Tyra Show appearance and Daily Beast column for the sale of her snatch last year? Here's the statement Unigirl made yesterday: "I have accepted an offer in excess of NZD $45,000 (USD $31,500) which is beyond what I dreamed." That's not enough money for one year at Eugene Lang. (Not even counting dorms and books!) Three lessons Unigirl could've used:
1. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Though New Zealand's culture isn't so far off from America's (First World remnants of the British Empire, raise da roof) Kiwi prostitution laws are among the most liberal in the world (according to the article I read about Unigirl's auction) whereas in America, the demand for deflowering more thoroughly outpaces the supply of supples. Natalie's deal with one of States' rare legal brothels, Moonlite Bunny Ranch, provided a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for law-abiding American perverts.
2. MARKETING The golden rule of stunt prostitution:
3. KNOW YOUR NICHE It's the oldest business in the world, yet co-ed hookers continue to draw headlines and oodles of money. On the one hand, you've got the virgin/whore thing (without the icky pedophile stuff) since college girls are simultaneously Girls Gone Wild and nubile pillow-fighting naifs. There's also class snobbery: Since upper education is a tool of the upper class and upwardly mobile, college girl prostitutes belong (or will some day belong) to the same social class as their rich johns. What's more, Natalie and Unigirl portrayed their virginity auctions as one-time things—they'll go on to professional careers, respectable marriages, maybe even white picket fences. The fantasy that these girls are different (better, even, than Tiger's mistresses!) keeps their value high. [ABC ] [Pic via ]


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The wikipedia page on computational indistinguishability says that two ensembles are not distinguishable if "any non-uniform probabilistic polynomial time algorithm A" cannot tell them apart. To help me better understand the definition, I searched for an example of an algorithm that did not fit the above restriction---in particular a non polynomial time algorithm---that could differentiate between two computational indistinguishable ensembles. Rather to my surprise, I found none, so I ask, could anyone provide me with an example of one?
I am not a complexity theorist, but I believe this fits the requirements.
The best known algorithms for factoring are superpolynomial time algorithm so they are not polynomial time. An example of something th superpolynomial time algorithm could distinguish are outputs from the Blum-Blum-Shub PRNG.
Here are two examples of attack algorithms that are not polynomial-time:
The definition you are considering only concerns itself with attack algorithms whose running time is a polynomial, so the above two attacks are considered out of scope (they're not considered a "break" of the cryptosystem).
Edit 2/22: In the context of distinguishing two probability distributions, if you want a natural example, try exhaustive keysearch: to distinguish AES-CTR output from true random, one algorithm might try all possible $2^{128}$ keys to see if any of them match the observed value from the distribution, and output 1 if it matches, else 0. This algorithm does distinguish the two probability distributions, but it takes exponential time. (Strictly speaking, we should make this a $b$-bit key so that we can apply asymptotic running time, but whatever, hopefully you get the idea.)
P.S. If this gets to be a bit much and you need a study break, don't miss Eric Hughes' infamous advice on How to Give a Math Lecture at a Party (lyrics).


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Things Fall Apart
Events in Iraq over the last week have "boulversed" the Iraqis, the U.S., the Iranians, the Turks, and the whole Middle East. Attacks by the ISIS succeeded in capturing Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, along with other smaller cities to the south. Fears that Baghdad would fall seem to have abated for the moment. In the meantime, several items of historical interest have emerged:
- Will Sykes-Picot be overturned? The French-English 1916 agreement to draw ME boundaries created Iraq. Is it time for colonial borders to be redrawn?
- Who was responsible for disbanding the Iraqi army and civil service in 2003? Condolezza Rice? Paul Bremer? The Neocons? G.W. Bush? And who will be held responsible? Obama?
- Were VP Joseph Biden and Envoy Peter Galbraith correct in calling for the break-up of Iraq during the 2006 civil war?
- Will the U.S. and Iran mend fences and go to work to stave off another Iraqi civil war?
- Will the Neocons reemerge as America's foreign policy gurus? See this NYTimes puff piece on Robert Kagan, who comes out in favor of Hillary Clinton.
- Will Obama keep his cool?
About the Author
Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, a former editor of Commonweal, writes frequently in these pages and blogs at dotCommonweal.
43 comments
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Sykes-Picot has been dead for decades - this is the final nail in the coffin and, one hopes, the final end of the colonial empires secret treatiies that paved the way for this debacle.
Army and Baath Party disbandenment - Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, Bremer, and company. Historical argument about: Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 2: Dissolution of Entities.
Funny how this failure is now being re-fought via books, autobiographies, etc. Bush, Powell, and even Rumsfeld now say that they did not intend this or were not part of the process that Bremer approved? It is obvious that both the CIA and the Pentagon were involved with Bremer on this. Facts - Cheney and Rumsfeld had invasion plans formulated long befor 9/11 which was a pretext to support their intentions. Rumsfeld and Cheney's war aims were to overthrow Hussein and his henchmen - they thought the Iraqis would welcome US troops, and so they projected a very short term war that would cost less than $500 million. Thus, there were no contingency plans for post invasion.
Biden was correct and now watch some variation of his original plan go into action.
Iran - there will be some political dancing but nothing of substance. Obama can't align the US military on the side of the Shia/Maliki - the problem is bigger than that and the Sunnis have a justifiable argument to make. Obama will also have to support the Kurds and deflect any Iranian threats there. His goal will be to limit terrorism, trainings, and killings plus stabilize quickly to limit or stop any humanitarian crises.
Neo-cons - nope, Obama doesn't want that nor do US citizens.
Obama's cool - there is the million dollar question.....if he bombs, what a mistake.
It is no surprise that you cannot have peace in a nation with large populations of Sunnis and Shiites. Unless they share power and work together. Not easy. The other alternative is another Sadaam. The Shiite leadership created this by ignoring the Sunnis. Now he is crying to the US. Our aid is important insofar as preventing any ethnic cleansing. Otherwise the Iraqis will have to come to the table to work it out.
@ Bill deHaas: What makes you think Iran will attack the Iraqi Kurds? Iran supported the Iraqi Kurds' bid for independence during the Iran-Iraq war. And I can't see what interest Iran would have in attacking the Kurds now.
Of course they supported the Kurdish bid for independence during their war with Iraq - it gave Iraq another front and worry.
Kurdish national claims extend into Iran, Turkey, Armenia - didn't say they would attack but will want to lay claim and keep the Kurds bottled up in Iraq - the Iranians want influence over their own dreams of hegemony in this region. There is also the question of oilfelds and oil revenue - that may be underneath some of this and those moves will be hidden and secret.
This analysis by Dexter Filkins in the New Yorker touches on several of the questions Margaret raises in her post.
I do wonder how the Israelis feel about the prospects of a transnational Sunni/Shiite war.
Bacevitch's critique of Kagan is persuasive.
JP - what questions did Filkins answer - he merely repeated the boilerplate that is all over the media. In fact, his general trends may be correct but the devil is in the details and doubt he has painted a correct picture. It is far more complex that just Sunni vs. Shia or that Iran backs Maliki.
He appears to ignore the various tribes, sects, etc. that have a stake in this crisis. Just a guess, but once the Shia threat is removed, doubt that most Sunni tribes or sects will long tolerate the cruel imposition of the ISIL's Islamic interpretation. Every current nation - Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, even Saudi Arabi (or Israel/Palestinians) are a mixture of many diverse tribes often delineated by their specific religious rites/practices; with their own claims to a certain area that provides sutenance/financial income, etc.
In fact, Filkins' article says little beyond repeating what you can hear on any good media outlet currently.
If I may Bernard -https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/duplicity-ideologues
Earlier post on dotCommonweal. Bacevitch decontructs Kagan's tired, old, and failed approach. So, Kagan basically repackages an *interventionist* meme (or, cynically, never met a war he didn't like).
One simple question - what has US intervention accomplished over the past 50 years:
- Vietnam (think any objective historian or politician recognizes that the domino theory is disproved)
- Afghanistan (the same pattern we are seeing now in Iraq will play out there)
- Iraq (Kagan's use of the *surge* is a simplistic notion that hides or denies the reality that the surge actually is the foundation for what we see today - without a political solution the tribes and sects that were armed and financed and are Sunni are now exacting revenge)
- dating back a hundred years, what US intervention in Central America or the Caribbean has improved things?
- Arab Spring - the jury is still out in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon
- basically, Kagan et alii promote that the US not only intervene but then remain *forever* in order to control the region (talk about a modified form of colonialism)
It looks to me like we deliberatly installed a Shia government knowing full well they would oppress the Sunnis.[the meme of those 9-11 hijackers were Sunnis].Once the Sunnis resist,we are quick to label them Alquada or Alquada sympathizers.Peaceful protests by Sunnis started in Fallujah a few years ago and was met with violence by the Shia government! We were indifferent to that. Like they should be compliant and live under government oppression.[We don't say that here about even a "stop and frisk" policy where many considred it so egrigeous the courts had to get involved to stop it.But those Iraqi Sunnis should acquiesce to being oppressed,with tactics alot worse then "stop and frisk" by their government?!] . In Syria we see the same thing;once the Sunnis rebel[peacefully at first] against the tyranical Assad regime, we, after doing nothing to assist them, declare they are too infiltrated by Alquada or Alquada sympathizers or now even worse, ISIS to do anything but hope Assad stops murdering Sunni men,women and children en masse! I recall Sarah Palin and other right wingers saying about the war in Syria; let Allah sort it out.I recall right wingers on right wing web sites saying;Muslims slaughtering Muslims;bring out the popcorn.Mc Cain and Graham ,Obama and Kerry DID want to stop the holocaust in Syria ,but the "war weary" people did not and the administration gave in to that sentiment.Now because US soldiers see the take over of cities they "liberated" and feel they fought and were injured or died for nothing, cannot allow that to stand.Such a blatant blow to their sense of heroic acomplishment has emboldened them to want war again.Before the propaganda line was "Saddam is coming here with wwmd's"[really though revenge for 9-11on the part of the recruits and by the government a seemingly ideal place for a a new military base and a new safe supply of oil from a secular country, unlike fundamentalist Arabia where we can't have whore houses and bars near the baes, and the regime might not be secure with those natives called alquada getting uppity,so Iraq looked like it would serve our interests politically once we toppled that regime] . Now it's "ISIS is coming here to force us to be part of the caliphate"and "we cannot tolerate having fought for nothing". So now all these" war weary" right wing Americans, too war weary to stop a holocaust by a Stalinist/ Russian ,Iranian backed mass murderer in Syria, suddenly are not so war weary but want to "get the job done right" in Iraq!;meaning what? Kill all Sunnis?!Very distrubing what is being expressed outright by the main stream media pundits and by the politicians and by much of the public!
Having to just watch the tragedy unfolding in Iraq at this moment is the price that America must pay for not holding GWB, Cheney and the other neo-cons to account for their war crimes in Iraq.
George W. Bush allowed Iraq to drift into and under the geopolitical sphere of Iran. Maliki is a tool of the Iranians, and now the Sunnis are going to extract their revenge. Of coure, it will be the Iraqi people who inherit the wind.
Just like Dubbyah to create a catastrophy and then leave it to the rest of us, and especially the black guy, to clean-up his mess. If the neo-cons are so desperate to rescue their "oil partners" in Iraq and "finish the job," then Cheney's daughters should enlist, and voluteer to lead the charge of a division of ground troops made up of all the children and grandchildren of the people like Bill Kristol, Donald Rumsfeld, Douglas Feith, Paul Wolfowitz- and most especially Condalezza Rice - who lied to the American people about the basis for their war, where tens of thousands of people died and were displaced, all so they could steal with impunity.
It is not in our strategic national interests to unilaterally intervene with our military in Iraq's internecine sectarian conflicts. The only horse we have in this race maybe - that a big maybe in my book - is when our national interests, our troops and diplomats maybe threatened - like when our embassy in Baghdad starts burning.
Why aren't the Israelis and Saudis, to whom the US have given mountains of military aid, and who have the capability to make a difference, and frankly much more skinny in this game than Americans, not rushing to in to stop the slaughter? Because it is not in their national interests to do so. Neither is it in ours.
The American people have written in blood the lessons we have learned from the Bush Wars so that we will never forget them: "As you sow, so shall you reap."
Let's just get used to it. Let it burn!
"...the center cannot hold," to continue the poem. That has been the case for a long time, though.
"Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world," although under a different name. The thugs are calling themselves Jihadists of the new Caliphate. It could have been the New World Order. Give it a name, and thuggery doesn't have to justify itself. The new Caliph is arming himself by robbing banks. That's how Stalin got his start. too.
.".. The best lack all conviction." That might be said about the administration. "Don't screw up" isn't a slogan to inspire enlistments, even in a nonviolent cause.
"...While the worst are fuill of passionate intensity." If we had tossed some of the worst into the slammer when the opportunity yawned before us, maybe we wouldn't have them yawping now that if they only had a few more years they could have turned Maliki into the mayor of Dubuque, his army into a crack fighting force and Iraq into a shining bulwark of free markets and free entrepreneurs. They had approximately twice as much time as MacArthur had with China. But the best, lacking all conviction, ruled the worst to have been above the law (thank you, Gen. Holder), and now we have to listen to their blather again.
Consider traditional Just War theory. One of its criteria is that there is good reason to think that going to war will be both successful and cause less harm that not doing so. Wcwn on this theory, military intervention by the U. S. is very hard to justify. Would that the USCCB would bestir itself at least to call the nation's attention to the constraints that Just War theory embodies.
MacArthur did it in Japan. Duh. Japan should have been harder than Iraq, but not to watch the Bushies trry it.
@rose-ellen caminer: I don't think America wanted Maliki to oppress the Sunnis. The Americans, while they were in Iraq, bought off or otherwise pacified a number of the Sunni tribal leaders to get them working for us. From what I read, we had hoped Maliki would try to keep those good relations we had built up. Obviously he didn't, but that is not our fault.
Also, my impression is that the hawks who want to go to war in Iraq again are mostly the same hawks who wanted to go to war in Syria.
A word for rose-ellen: paragraphs!
They not only help the reader to digest what is otherwise one great and intimidating black blob, but they also usually help the writer to organize material into rational and coherent parcels of thought and thus present a better argument. Give them a try.
People talk about culture and what you can and cannot do. But the international community has to set certain basic laws which must be followed. Like you cannot discriminate against any group (here Sunnis) nor economic status or gender. Even here obervance only comes with law. If we did not have laws it would be open season. Like the billionaire in CA. who is being told that he cannot prevent people from going to a public beach even if his property is there....
Selfishness and greed rules unless the laws are observed and people who try to bribe justice are arrested.......
Those who think that to connect Iraq's current debacles with the 2003 invasion is "bizarre" (Tony Blair( should remember what Colin Powell said: http://www.theburningplatform.com/2014/06/13/colin-powell-on-iraq-you-br...
Jumping in belatedly. Bill de Haas: Sykes-Picot dead? How so? The former territories of the Ottoman Empire were divided up by the British and French who drew those boundaries to suit their own purposes. It may be too late to remedy the damage, but the current boundaries don't seem to serve anyone's purposes, except perhaps Israel's. (Note, I say perhaps.) It may be that the populations of these countries: Iraq, Syria, Lebannon, Jordan would have come to some of the same boundaries but as long as they didn't (and don't) every ethnic-religious-linguistic-class issue is cause for conflict.
I think VP Biden also suggested back in 2006 that the Iraqis should be allowed to settle their own civil war. Was he right?
As so many policy wonks like to say: We can't want peace more than they do!
Does Ireland offer any lessons here? Sectarian violence going back to the Battle of the Boyne hundreds of years ago. It wasn't until the English bowed out (and people got equally sick of Ian Paisley and the IRA) that the two areas were able to reach an amicable division and peace.
I have no opinions here, only questions, and I'm not hearing clear answers (because maybe there aren't any) to many of them:
Is our presence bringing peace? Or do we and other Western nations involved in the region merely act as a goad? To what extent will our alliance with any given faction(s) result in stability, peace, and justice? To what extent will those alliances give us friends in the region? To what extent do we understand Islam, its sects, and the way ethnic forces affect sectarian afiliation? What would our policy in the Middle East look like if Israel were not our Number One priority? (And why is it?) What real economic or strategic interests to do we have in the Middle East that need to be protected?
The countries of the Middle East, like those in Africa, are in the main artificial constructs without any real consideration of ethnic and tribal realities. Rwanda (and Europe's own Yugoslavia) were good examples of that gone wrong. Now Iraq. Unless there is a strong leader in charge of many of these places, they are doomed to dissolution once the said leader goes away.
JH: Good questions!! Don't have the answers. But here's some thoughts.
"Is our presence bringing peace?" Obviously not. Would our absence bring peace? We overlook or ignore the role of Saudi money and its Islamic fundamentalism in the mix. They send their wingnuts to fight in other countries so they will be left in peace. The U.S. and Europe, or at least, Britain cooperate in this policy for the sake of oil. What would change this? Energy independence, partly. On the other hand, no one would want the jihadis to get their hands on the revenues from Saudi oil.
"To what extent do we understand Islam, its sects, and the way ethnic forces affect sectarian afiliation?" We don't. Or at least the people in charge of making policy didn't and don't.
"What would our policy in the Middle East look like if Israel were not our Number One priority? (And why is it?)" We would have more even-handed and mixed policies if Israel were, say our number two or three priority. Israel has benefited enormously from the fractious behavior of its neighbors. And then there's the Amen Corner in the U.S. Congress. Obama is pushing the envelope a bit on this. We'll see how that works. But not if Hillary Clinton is elected in 2016. (You heard it hear first!)
"Or do we and other Western nations involved in the region merely act as a goad? To what extent will our alliance with any given faction(s) result in stability, peace, and justice? To what extent will those alliances give us friends in the region?" Don't know.
"What real economic or strategic interests to do we have in the Middle East that need to be protected?" Oil. Oil. Oil. and Oil.
PC: Maps look good; not sure about the byline, Kimberly Kagan!
Oil. Oil. Oil.
Well, maybe not. We get about a third from domestic sources, another third from Canada/Latin America. About 12 percent of our imported oil comes from the ME, 8 percent from Saudi Arabia. So the strategic interest argument strikes me as weak. Twelve percent is significant, but vital to our national interests?
Ah, yes, the Rapture Ready in Congress. There's a whole other sect that has to be figured into the mix. The fact that Pope Francis is a Jesuit has got to have their Rapture Alert at one minute to midnight as per this exegesis on Revelation. The pope even has glasses like Francis! http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/5025/5025_01.asp
Saudis are very good (and reliable) at cranking up the oil during crises so that prices don't get out of control. How much that affects our relations I don't know. Probably some. But just as Obama is trying to wean us from Israeli priorities, the 12 percent figure you give suggests that perhaps we are trying to do the same vis a vis SA (it would be interesting to see what it was, say in 1980). The fungibility of Oil and Money may give the Saudis an outsize role given their reserves.
Rapture Ready! there's a metaphor.
I know this isn't all about oil, but U.S. Department of Energy has import statistics since 2008. You can make a little chart with selected countries. Sort of interesting to go over there and play around with the info: http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_neti_a_EP00_IMN_mbblpd_m.htm
MOS @2:24pm - So this is who she is. Didn't know.
Like a 12 year old boy, I didn't read the articles that followed the maps; too many words.
JH: Nice chart....good thing we're on friendly terms with Canada--and they with us (check it out all: Canada is the largest supplier of U.S. crude oil, 1993-2014).
Not nit picking: but there's oil and oil...some of it is sludge and some of it you could probably cook with. One of the reasons Libya was once so important is that it's oil was very light and very good (this year, we hardly imported any according to the chart.)
PC: We can't all read everything to the end. I was impressed with the maps though puzzled by no distinction about who had captured what. Reading down I realized that this gang has no distinctions to make... Kirkuk, which the Kurds captured, is certainly not part of the ISIS coalition, though its loss may be part of the break-up of Iraq, which the Kaganites seems to be dead set against. (All: the Kagan family: Robert, Frederick, Kimberly (and Victoria Nuland) are part of the Neocon tribal war council.)
The problem is much bigger than the pundits seem to understand. The Muslim faith is spread all over North Africa down to mid and even southern Africa. It encompasses most of old Asia Minor, all the Arabian countries,Southern Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and even northern India, and all the way through Malasia.
This could erupt into a major Sunni vs. Shiite bloodbath in every county and some we are not thinking of. Just as Catholics and Protestants battled for well over 2 centuries (and perhaps through WWII), the issues on each side do not settle easily in negotiations. Israel has to be alarmed, surrounded as it is by muslims at war. Christian remnant communities are already being fired upon and are emigrating to safe ground. Countries which have adopted a secular approach to governing remain in danger of which ever majority Sunni or Shiite population seems to prevail. Worse, they are not accustomed to settling disputes at the ballot box; they are far more likely to retrieve their military arms from under floorboards and military storehouses and begin firing away at friend and foe alike. Neutral troops will be resented and also fired upon by both sides. The President must avoid a crossfire and appearing to favor Shiites over Sunnis. Both are to be blamed along with the inflamatory oratory from their religious, military, and civil leaders.
Don't forget Andrew Bacevich's brilliant dissection of Robert Kagan's version of events since 1945. Right here at Commonweal.
Ms. Steinfels - here you go....my reference to the end of Sykes-Picot has more to do with Iraq and Syria -
A question on this centennial anniversary of the start of World War I is how long will US and its allies be condemned to repeat the past, to favor policy built on the faulty understanding and perceived stability the flawed lines of Sykes-Picot have represented for so long? It looks now like ISIS may be answering that question for history, and redrawing lines on the map of the Middle East not with pen and ink but with blood.
I have seen many articles asking what the US and President Obama will do about ISIS and the multiple crises in the Middle East.
I have seen pretty much nothing about a role for the United Nations. Why is that? If the Iranian mullahs oppose ISIS, is it too much to hope that the Security Council could be unified? Don't tell me that Putin supports ISIS?
BdH: "Sykes-Picot has been dead for decades - this is the final nail in the coffin and, one hopes, the final end of the colonial empires secret treatiies that paved the way for this debacle."
MOBS: "Sykes-Picot dead? How so?"
Okay...not quite dead! if a final nail is needed. So, you agree however, I guess, per your post @7:27 that it's still operational, at this moment, but that ISIS will do away with it. Or??? someone else will? Or that the U.S. has no obligation to defend it??? Which, if any outcome, do you think will bury it?
Bill deHass - thank you sharing the Vox and Tower links. The Vox maps, with bite size text, are digestable and informative for this lazy internet reader. :)
Ms. Steinfels - okay, things can change every day but I do believe that ISIL will redraw the map and also seal the reality that the Kurds have had their own nation for some time.
The Sunni-Shia divide will not be solved easily - the current land grabs will be left in place for a number of reasons:
- Assad is too weak to drive ISIL out of Syria
- Maliki (even with Iranian help) does not have the ability to recapture cities/land lost to ISIL
- Obama is looking for some type of political resolution - recognition of the balance between Sunni and Shia rights. Not sure that this will happen for some time now that the Shias need to defend Baghdad and southern Iraq. US can not afford to allow Iran free rein to enter Iraq with military forces.
- Unknown - if ISIL truly implements a rigid, Islamic, quasi-Taliban regime, that will also lead to issues. Eventually, some of the awakening tribes, off-shoot Baathists, etc. will contest ISIL dominance.
- suggest that we will be into some type of quasi-stand off within weeks. ISIL will not be able to move on Baghdad; there will be on-going skirmishes in cities such as Samarra, etc. Lines will be drawn and some type of separation will occur. Then, the political games will begin.
BdH: Sounds plausible.
Two Questions:
What role is Turkey going to play in all of this, especially with its large Kurdish population?
What have you read about the role of former Iraqi military (from Saddam's era) in assisting in the capture of Mosul and in cooperating with ISIS?
Take a look at this: http://www.aawsat.net/2014/06/article55333359 "There is a 'trbal revolution' in Iraq: Anbar tribal chief." HT: Pat Lang
Ms. Steinfels - Turkey - sorry, no crystal ball. It is having its own share on internal squabbles. They recently signed an agreement with the Kurds - if memory serves, it reinforces the current borders, oil trade, and security arrangments.
Just guessing but can see Turkey supporting Kurdish independence while negotiating that the current borders and Turkish Kurds would remain Turkey.
The link - just love the quotes from Lindsey Graham - talk about being out of the loop and just shooting from the hip. It is like McCain:
- first he was for closing Guantanamo - now he is against it (wait a few weeks)
- 2003 comment that the Sunnis and Shias really do get along
- his continued belief that the surge was a fantastic success (despite contrary evidence)
Talk about a weathervane.
Yes - would suggest that there are some Baathist, awakening tribal shieks, and former Iraqi military who are aiding, directing, and abetting ISIL.
There is a serious and, in my reading, solid book about Sykes-Picot: The Anglo-French Struggle for the Middle East, 1914-1948 by James Barr.
Ms. Steinfels - great book; well written - *A Line in the Sand: The Anglo-French Struggle for the Middle East, 1914-1948......James Barr.
Hmm - this morning, the word was that the Iraqi Army (or at least Shiite forces) were reasserting themselves. Then on this evening news, the report is that ISIS will soon have captured Iraq's latest oil field, a development seen as devastating. Fog of war, I guess.
I'd still like to understand what role the UN can play.
I haven't seen a word about the UN in connection with this. Am I missing something? Or is there no word?


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The annual Houston Wilderness luncheon, chaired by Debbie and John Daugherty and held at River Oaks Country Club, raised record funds this year. Guests participated in games of wilderness trivia and listened to keynote speaker, journalist and author Richard Louv. More than $300,000 was raised to protect Southeast Texas' wildlife and coastline. ... Realty pro Daugherty also hosted his annual Celebration of Success breakfast and mimosa reception at the Houston Country Club, where he honored the top producers at his namesake company. Photos by Kim Coffman and Daniel Ortiz


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|Thursday, Jul 28, 2016, 10:48:32 PM
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Breather Resist: Punk stamina
Breather Resist avoids hardcore clichés
By Mike Prevatt
Punk rock seems immune to market forces when it comes to concerts. Most punk bands price their shows considerably lower than their alternative rock counterparts. Even when someone like Morrissey charges $35 for a show--about $25 less than the average cost of a concert ticket this year--it's still considered an outrage by those who live by the Ian MacKaye philosophy of tour economics.
"That's the great thing about punk rock," says Evan Patterson of the Louisville, Ky., quartet Breather Resist. "You can go to shows for a reasonable amount money, and whether it's good or bad, you get your money's worth."
Patterson knows a thing or two about gigs. His two-year-old band tours relentlessly, sometimes playing almost two weeks without a day off and canceling shows only when it's absolutely imperative. It stays focused while on the road, often sticking to the same set list throughout a tour leg, and withholding from writing and recording until it returns home. And he's been attending shows since the fifth grade.
"When I was 11, I saw my first show," says Patterson. "I saw the light and walked toward it. It's always been what I want to do. I played guitar when I was 15. When I started going to shows, they were bad, but every month or so, there would be one really great show. That really influenced me and kept me wholeheartedly into it."
You can imagine Breather Resist having the same effect on some punk rock newbie. Its music--a distinctive interpretation of hardcore, laced with punk and metal--is passionately delivered. It conveys particular moods and attitudes, without falling into self-pity or over-the-top rage. And while the songs themselves sometimes meander, often subverting conventional structures and rhythms several times within the same track, its lyrical narrative is largely straightforward. Singer Steven Sindoni shrieks and screeches equal vehemence toward enemies and lovers, untrustworthy strangers and family members--the kind of stuff usually screamed back by the stage-storming youngsters at the shows.
Much of this--sans the mosh pit--can be experienced on the band's recently released debut full-length, Charmer. Produced by venerable hardcore figure Kurt Ballou, who plays guitar for Converge and has worked with underground faves Cave In and Vegas act Curl Up and Die, the album espouses a chaos where new chord progressions and time signatures are never seen coming, though carefully arranged by the band and Ballou. This reflects the spontaneity the band seemed to embrace in rehearsals and the recording studio; even the musicians were surprised with the results once the record was completed.
"We didn't set out to write a song with 11 songs that sound like this," says Patterson. "Some of my favorite songs on the album we wrote in one or two practices. When we started out, we wanted to be technical, and I think that will always be there. But, not to sound cheesy, it was more an organic approach to writing music. That really shines through with the record. There's no tension of the songs. We never write songs to please [someone]. That never crosses my mind."
Nor does the style of the music. Breather Resist may thrive among the hardcore community, but the association isn't necessarily premeditated. This is where comparisons to nonconformist '90s alt-rock act Jesus Lizard make sense.
"I think our band has a lot more to offer, as opposed to just being noisy or a heavy band," he says. "With [Charmer], it started to touch more on the side of that kind of music, which is always been an influence. I've been in lots of bands, and certain people play certain music together. I think whatever music we wanted to play, we could incorporate it into this band. Who know what songs we'll have for the next record, or what sound we'll have."


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If one has not said ha-Motsi before eating bread( of the amount for which Birkat ha-Mazon is required), is one still required to say Birkat ha-Mazon after eating?
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Yes, the brachas don't always go hand-in-hand.
For instance, let's assume (but check with your rabbi) that one piece of pizza is a "snack", and two makes a meal. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch rules (about pseudo-bread items, let's assume pizza is such an item) that if you decide you only want one piece of pizza, you make a mezonot then eat it. If you then change your mind and want only one more, you don't make a hamotzee for just one piece of pizza, so you make a new mezonot. But then you've eaten two pieces, so you say birkat hamazon.
To answer this in a different derech from Shalom's excellent answer:
Birkat Hamazon is an independent obligation from Hamotzi. If you forgot to say a beracha before eating bread, you'd still be required to say Birkat Hamazon when you finished.
Note that there's no minimum shiur required for saying Hamotzi. You need to say Hamotzi on even the smallest crumb of bread. There are minimum shiurim for both washing (one k'beitzah) and Birkat Hamazon (one k'zayit).
I would add that Birkat Ha'Mazon is the only blessing that is דאורייתא (directly from the Torah) as opposed to the rest (incl. ha-Motsi) that are דרבנן (added by our sages).
With this difference it is obvious that we would do the דאורייתא even if we didn't do the דרבנן.


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I am interested in bounds for
$$S_m = \frac{1}{m-1} \sum_{t | m-1} t \varphi(t)$$
as $m$ gets large.
I am interested in bounds for
$$S_m = \frac{1}{m-1} \sum_{t | m-1} t \varphi(t)$$
as $m$ gets large.
If you let $n = m-1$, and $f(n) = S_{m} / n$, then $f(n)$ is a multiplicative function, with Euler product $$\frac1{n^2}\prod_{p^r \mathop{\mid\mid}n} \sum_{k=0}^r p^k\phi(p^k) = \prod_{p^r \mathop{\mid\mid}n} p^{-2r}\left(1+p(p-1)+p^3(p-1)+\cdots+p^{2r-1}(p-1)\right).$$
This simplifies down to $$f(n) = \prod_{p^r \mathop{\mid\mid}n} \left(\frac{p+p^{-2r}}{p+1}\right) \le \prod_{p \mid n} \left(\frac{p+1/4}{p+1}\right).$$
Since $\sum_p 1/p$ diverges, this product can be made arbitrarily close to $0$ by choosing $n$ to be divisible by many many small primes. So no, $S_m$ cannot be bounded below by a linear function of $m$.
On the other hand, since $f(n) \ge n/\sigma(n)$ (where $\sigma$ is the sum of divisors function), it is possible to bound $S_m$ from below by $m / (2\log \log m)$ for large enough $m$. The slow growth of $\log \log m$ explains your empirical observations.
Proceeding as in the answer above let $T(n) = S(n+1)$ and we'll examine $T(n)$ in more detail. Write it as follows: $$ T(n) = \frac{1}{n} \sum_{t|n} t \varphi(t) = \sum_{t|n} \varphi(t) \left( \frac{n}{t} \right)^{-1}.$$ It now follows from basic properties of the Euler totient that $$ L(s) = \sum_{n\ge 1} \frac{T(n)}{n^s} = \frac{\zeta(s-1)}{\zeta(s)}\zeta(s+1).$$ For certain Dirichlet series of which this is an instance, we have for $c$ chosen correctly that $$ T(n) = \frac{1}{2\pi i} \int_{c-i\infty}^{c+i\infty} L(s) n^{s-1} ds.$$ Now taking the residues at $s=2$ and $s=0$, we obtain $$ T(n) \sim 1/6\,{n}^{-1}+6\,{\frac {\zeta \left( 3 \right) n}{{\pi }^{2}}} $$ which confirms your hypothesis that on average $n$, $T(n)$ is linear. This expansion could be continued and that is where the necessary fluctuation will appear.
We can also apply the Wiener-Ikehara theorem to study the average order of the sum of $T(n)$, which is much more smooth. We have $$\frac{1}{n} \sum_{k=1}^n T(n) = \frac{1}{2n} T(n)+ \frac{1}{n}\frac{1}{2\pi i} \int_{c-i\infty}^{c+i\infty} L(s) n^s/s ds,$$ which gives $$\frac{1}{n} \sum_{k=1}^n T(n) \sim \frac{1}{2n} T(n)+\frac{1}{n} \left( 1/6\,\ln \left( n \right) +1/6\,\gamma-2\,\zeta \left( 1,-1 \right) -1/6\,\ln \left( 2\,\pi \right) +3\,{\frac {\zeta \left( 3 \right) {n}^{2}}{{\pi }^{2}}}\right).$$ This last approximation is of truly stunning accuracy, which is why I include it here even if doesn't directly answer the OP's question.
We can certainly bound it from above since $$\frac{1}{m-1}\sum_{t|m-1}t\varphi(t) \leq \frac{m-1}{m-1}\sum_{t|m-1}\varphi(t) = m-1$$


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The RascalsFri, June 21, 2013 - 8:00 PMCobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, GA
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Suppose $ f(x)$ that is infinitely differentiable in $[a,b]$.
For every $c\in[a,b] $ the series $\sum\limits_{n=0}^\infty \cfrac{f^{(n)}(c)}{n!}(x-c)^n $ is a polynomial.
Is true that $f(x)$ is a polynomial?
I can show it is true if for every $c\in [a,b]$, there exists a neighborhood $U_c$ of $c$, such that
$$f(x)=\sum\limits_{n=0}^\infty \cfrac{f^{(n)}(c)}{n!}(x-c)^n\quad\text{for every }x\in U_c,$$ but, this equality is not always true.
What can I do when $f(x)\not=\sum\limits_{n=0}^\infty \cfrac{f^{(n)}(c)}{n!}(x-c)^n$?


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The 5 Most Hilariously Insane Rulers of All Time
The boring thing about modern democracy is that we almost never elect truly crazy people. Oh, sure, we'll vote in somebody with mild eccentricities or sexual appetites, and we may refer to some extremist as "crazy," but back when rulers took the throne based only on their bloodline, a nation could wind up under the fist of someone who was literally "howl naked at the moon" insane.
Don't get us wrong -- we're sure it was a nightmare for everyone involved. But it does make for hilarious stories down the line.
#5. Justin II of Byzantine Heard Voices, Bit People on the Head
Justin II was a sixth century emperor of Byzantine, which was how they rebranded the Roman Empire after it wasn't cool to be the Roman Empire anymore. Also, apparently they let pretty much anyone be emperor in those days, because Justin II was nucking futs.
History remembers Justin mainly as a kind of shitty leader who wound up losing most of Italy to Persia, which, if you're the emperor of Rome, is dropping the ball pretty badly. But the ancient historian John of Ephesus recounts some interesting facts about Justin's personal life, like how he would hear voices in his head and scream and hide under his bed to escape them. Apparently, the only way his servants could help him out was to play organ music throughout the palace to drown out the voices.
They'd have had better luck with dubstep.
That part of the story is key: the fact that nobody knew how to treat mental illness back then. So it wasn't much fun to be around the palace when Justin II went into full crazy mode -- it's said that when his servants were rushing around trying to restrain him, he would fight back by biting them, often on the head. Eventually, the servants had to go to greater lengths to entertain him, and came up with a solution that would appeal to any toddler -- building a makeshift throne on wheels and pushing Justin around the palace on it, to his great delight. As John of Ephesus puts it, "... having placed him on it, his chamberlains drew him about, and ran with him backwards and forwards for a long time, while he, in delight and admiration at their speed, desisted from many of his absurdities."
"Couldn't you just ride hookers like a regular monarch?"
Are you imagining this? You have an apparently very mentally ill man who A) nobody knows how to treat, B) has the power to have you imprisoned or killed if you cross him, and C) cannot be removed from power. You have a palace full of underlings desperately trying to keep a lid on his madness. Let's put it another way: At some point, a legend even arose that Justin II actually ate two of his servants. And there wasn't a goddamned thing anybody could do about it.
#4. Charles VI of France Thought He Was a Wolf and/or Made of Glass
Charles "the Mad" VI was king of France from 1380 (when he was 12) to his death 1422, all during the Hundred Years' War with England, and when your country is fighting something called the "Hundred Years' War," it's really unfortunate if the man sitting on the throne is nicknamed "Charles the Mad." Unless it means he's really angry. (It doesn't.)
"What if we just add an extra "D" and tell people he really hates drunk driving?"
In 1392, during a trip through a forest to look for a fugitive who had attempted to murder an adviser of his, Charles VI randomly attacked his own knights, killing some of them, until they all managed to hold him down and carry him back to the castle. They concluded that he was probably just under a lot of stress, as it was the first time that Charles had shown signs of not really being totally right in the head.
In the following years, Charles would go through episodes of forgetting people's names, including his own, and the fact that he was king. Oh, and he would also run through his castle pretending to be a wolf, howling at people. And he freaked out when people touched him because he thought he was made of glass.
"Bring me the head of the one they call Bruce Willis."
Eventually, Charles' batshittery reached such a fever pitch that the monarchy of France broke down into civil war, with his brother vying for power on one side and his first cousin leading the other. That's a war breaking out during another war. This infighting allowed rival countries like England to attack with impunity, and by the end of Charles VI's rule, much of France was occupied by foreign powers. He could have done something about it, but, you know, somebody might have touched him.
#3. Christian VII of Denmark's Chronic Masturbation Problem
Christian VII rose to the throne of Denmark in 1766, even though everyone was pretty sure he was crazy. That probably had something to do with the fact that he would often throw food at his dinner guests ... but then, rich people can be real jerks. His reign seemed otherwise pretty normal -- that is, until the masturbation started.
Which is the same way your mother describes you to people behind your back.
At some point, Christian developed a newfound fascination with his penis, by which we mean he jerked it so often that it interfered with his duties. The court physicians actually worried that Christian's chronic habit was affecting his health -- they thought that it would render him infertile and that it was stunting his growth, which was the 18th century version of "Stop that or you'll go blind."
But at least Christian didn't usually do it in front of visiting dignitaries. What he did do was leapfrog over them when they bowed to him, and sometimes he'd slap people in the face in the middle of a conversation for absolutely no reason. OK, so that's actually the second thing he did that we would also do if we became king.
"Wait a minute, which hand did he just slap me with?"
Eventually, Christian's mind was so far gone that his personal physician, Johann Streunsee, basically yanked the whole kingdom out from underneath him by talking the king into handing over control of his executive decisions, as well as boning the queen behind Christian's back. Presumably he was too busy jerking it to notice.
"What queen could compare to Lady Palma and the Quintuplets?"


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I was happy to read a while back that Barrie would be getting another BBQ joint. Currently we have one Big Chris BBQ and I already like to eat there so why not another.. Barrie with its ever growing population can always use more BBQ.
Big Bone BBQ & Wicked Wings Barrie opened up just yesterday. Their location at 190 Minet's Point Road is within a strip plaza facing Young St. It is an interesting location as it is ideally suited for the bedroom community at the South end and central Barrie.
They have awards from various ribfests around the walls and make claim that they have won over 50 BBQ Championships (?!). The decor is casual and warm with taupe colored table cloths and walls with wood accent partitions. Each table has ketchup salt & pepper, wet naps and a roll of paper towels but no (?) BBQ sauce. It is a nice… but not too nice place to go. You would be comfortable here in dress pants as well as shorts. They have achieved a good balance.
When I arrived there was one table of 4 young men all very animated and thoroughly enjoying their meal. It was nice to see people enjoying their food so much. It was 11:30 am so no wonder that the rest of the dining room was empty. However within moments many people started coming through the door. The crowd was a mix of businessmen in suits, young teens, families and local staff from area businesses. They all looked happy to be there. There was the sweet smell of BBQ throughout the restaurant…. and a terrific selection of Jazz, country, and blues on their sound system.
Lots of options on their menu.
Wanting to try just about everything I ordered the Elvis platter. It comes with 3 bones, 1/2 lb wings, 1/2lb pulled pork, fries, coleslaw, beans and cornbread for $18.00 I also ask to have sauce on the side and the waitress went and asked if that was possible. I also asked the super friendly waitress for sweet tea. I should have known that would be confusing. In Canada no one ever refers to it as sweet tea. We usually order iced tea. (I miss my US sweet tea! ). No problem and off she goes to get it.
In the meantime I play with my blackberry but notice a couple of the staff milling about and generally doing everything they can to make people feel comfortable. The owners of the Newmarket location (Lee & Tim Rombos of the Purple Pig & Memphis BBQ Woodbridge ON, fame) were on hand as well. Certainly as this is only day 2 it is to be expected. I really hope they continue with their hospitality.
My platter arrives minus the beans. I do not say anything because truthfully I was paying attention to the meat. It looks good plus instead of 3 bones I get 4. . ….
The ribs and the wings both come without sauce but the pork had already been sauced for the day. The texture of the cornbread is good its not overly sweet or dry. Just a decent slice of cornbread that crumbles properly. The waitress came with the beans and apologized without being asked. The coleslaw is creamy, simple and crunchy. Its a good contrast for the pork which has nice chunks in addition to the pulled. I got a little bit of bark but not much. The flavor was good – mild and unoffensive with a hint of smoke. I like the fact the pork was not mushy and it still had definition. I would always prefer to order it naked and I hope that could someday be an option here. Their sauce is a tangy and sweet tomato based sauce. A typical Canadian BBQ sauce. I am in it for the meat so to me the sauce really doesn't matter that much.
The ribs had good flavor. Smokey overtones and very mild in seasoning and to me- the lack of sauce let the taste of the meat come through. The ribs were well cooked. They were not fall off the bone. They were tender and moist and quite lovely. They were… however… a little thin on the meat side as you can see from the picture and certainly this may be why I received 4 instead of the 3 as stated on the menu. The owner Mike Miller later told me they are actively looking into obtaining some heavier racks and securing their pork for the upcoming months.
Happy people make better BBQ trust me on this…
Now moving on to the beans. They are forgettable. Seriously. Just forget them if you are looking for Smokey pit BBQ beans. They taste like a can of Heinz beans right off the counter. To some people that may be terrific and perfectly acceptable but I have higher expectations from a BBQ joint. They need some oomph. They need some smoke and they need more flavor. I hope they give them some of the same love & attention they have bestowed upon their wings……..
wing picture from their website (I will admit I was too busy enjoying them to take a picture)
Moving on to the wings… They are really fantastic. Lots of smoke flavor in little wing packages. To me I hold all wings to the level of Buster Rhinos in Whitby my all time favorite place for bbq wings. These come really close other than being a little on the small side they are terrific. Good things can come in small packages. I love a really good smoked then grilled wing. The dual cooking technique can elevate a simple chicken wing to heights of absolute culinary excellence. They do them really well here and offer 24 toppings for their wings from the traditional flavors to a little more unique like Rasta Jerk and creamy Parmesan.
The kitchen is open to the dining room for all to see.
They use a Cookshack with hickory to cook all of their BBQ.
I had a bit of conversation with the owner Mike Miller about the restaurant and the menu items. He pointed out that I had missed the brisket sandwich completely when I had ordered the Elvis Platter. I just had to order one and I am very happy that I did. They thinly slice all of their brisket and toss it very lightly with their sauce and a bit of additional salt. While it is not a traditional Texas style brisket it is a really satisfying beefy sandwich that has all the right amounts of spice and sauce. Its piled high on a perfectly proportioned soft bun. To me meat to bun ratio should always be taken into consideration. You should never have more bun than meat. Ever. They do it right here and its delicious.
The only real glitch I observed on my visit (and seriously its only their second day) besides the beans ..is in their layout. They have a podium at the front of the restaurant for the hostess and the cash station is at the back of the room. Its awkward. I think they should have combined the hostess station and the cash at the front and be done with it. Certainly it would free up room to put in at least 1 more 4 person table if not 2. It doesn't make any sense to have to walk to the back of the restaurant to pay when you are heading out the door. Also for those people waiting on take out they would be standing basically in the dining room right next to the other patrons seated in tables. I really think they need to change that layout.
My bill for the brisket sandwich, the Elvis platter and the iced tea was $33.00 (not including tip). There was plenty to bring home for my better half. He was happy too. Both of us will be back next time. For sure without a doubt we will be back and I am thankful that Barrie has not just one but two great BBQ joints now.
Congratulations to the owners on their successful opening. It was a delicious afternoon.
190 Minet's Point Road
Barrie, ON, L4N 4C3
Mon – Thurs:11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Fri – Sat:11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sun:12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Price Range:$$ (10-30)
Payment Options:
Take – Out and Catering available.


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I managed to create a sphere (calculating all the vertices etc etc). Now I want to apply a texture on it. I have no idea how. I googled some "OpenGL 3 texture tutorials" but I can't seem to find anything simple. I am using shaders btw. Is there anywhere a very basic step by step tutorial on how to implement a texture? A texture is just an image that wraps around a shape right? Sounds simple, but from what I have seen on the web it's kinda complicated.
There are three main components to basic texturing.
First you need to create a texture object, which is done with
Then, you need to provide UVs. These are normally part of the vertex buffer, so you should include a float2 component in your vertex struct for this. The UVs would usually be created by an artist using modeling software, but they can be generated programmatically as well. In any case, getting the right UVs to the right vertices is your responsibility. Assuming you're using vertex arrays / buffers, you'll use
Finally, in the shader you'll need to declare a
When you do the draw call on the application side, don't forget to do
I assume you can google the GL calls I mentioned to find out all the details. There are a bunch of moving pieces here but really it's not that complicated. Most of the work is just getting your data to the right place at the right time.