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What is the recommended use for all capitals titles? For example:
The website http://camvine.com/ has all capital titles, e.g.
Good, bad?
What is the recommended use for all capitals titles? For example:
The website http://camvine.com/ has all capital titles, e.g.
Good, bad?
It depends on how you are using it.
All caps can be the perfect choice when used correctly. The site you have referenced does look slightly odd to me, this could be because of the typeface itself. Certain typefaces such as Trajan Pro and Bebas consist of only all caps characters. These types of typefaces are usually used very successfully in headers and titles. The main issue here in your example is the current type being uses is not as suitable as others for all caps. A designer should be able to help you with this in your interface. They should be able to know the right way to pull it off and make it look professional.
Anyone use Photoshop CS4 or CS5? All of the predefined workspaces and windows use all caps and it works well here. It is used to help distinguish these elements from their content, which is in normal casing:
Update Visual Studio 2012 is using all caps to help distinguish the menu from the rest of the content.
Another example would be with movie posters. A majority of them use all caps titles very successfully. Google image search movie titles to see a good display of this. Book and magazine covers in at least half of the cases use all caps for titles. Again, I am not advocating to use it for plain text, but for titles and words or short phrases it can work out great.
Newspapers often us all caps for their titles:
Book covers (UX relevant):
The navigation of LukeW's site and the cover of one of his books:
Another resource from Typography for Lawyers states:
UPPERCASE text is harder to read because the shapes of all the uppercase letters are all rectangular and users are not used to reading text that way. Therefore it is harder to scan, less efficient, and consequently a bad thing for readability.
See also this article from UXMovement: Why Text in All Caps is Hard for Users to Read. And quoting from that article also:
I hate to be this guy, but The W Blog has an article digesting some research suggesting that the presumed "letter shape" theory is incorrect on why CAPS LOCK is harder to read. It's a good article that cites real research you can delve into as deeply as you like, it suggests that the presumed reasons (letter shape ect.) for why UPPERCASE is hard to read are incorrect.
Bottom line though, it is harder to read if only because it's uncommon, you're breaking the paradigm of how letters are meant to be cased. There may or may not be a shape-recognition related reason why UPPERCASE is inherently harder to read in a naive context, but in any real context it certainly seems to be so.
More subjectively it LOOKS TERRIBLE. You're drawing attention in an inappropriate way (it draws one's eyes almost as much as bold text) and, even more subjectively, it just "looks sloppy" and many users associate it with "stupid" internet commenters, advertisements and general bad writting. Just imagine if you got an email with the subject: RE:CLOUD BASED DIGITAL SIGNAGE. Looks like spam, doesn't it?
Old fonts were created in a single case, which is now considered to be capital letters. That's when tradition of writing all caps started and that's why people are using all caps fonts like Trajan to make "older" look to text.
We don't read each letter, we recognize words really fast by it's shape.
Some of letters are above baseline(i,k,l), some of them are below (g, q, p), some of them are wider (w, m), some of them are narrow(i, l). It all helps to create more recognizable shape and simplify reading.
All caps is generally not in fashion in designs these days, except in some logotypes. There are arguments that can be made from a readability standpoint, but I think the reasons to avoid them on the Internet are as much cultural as they are technical.
First of all, computer systems that could only display capital letters existed for a while and so today all-caps text has an air of primitivism. On a similar note, there's also the stereotype that people who type in all caps are doing so because they are poor typists and using the Caps-Lock key. More sophisticated internet users utilize caps for emotions, e.g. "Wait a minute, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?!", so the indiscriminate use of them is mocked as "shouting".
On a slightly-tangential sidenote, I've found that reserving capital letters can give you an extra "style" to apply in addition to bold, italic, underline, etc. And it works in plain text. In fact, a programming language I use does not discriminate between upper and lower case, so in order to talk about language keywords one puts keywords like FOREACH or REDUCE in all caps in the middle of one's writing.
(StackOverflow fortunately has the ability to enclose code in backquotes to look like
Our alphabet is designed with distinct shapes for recognition, even the capitals. Readability isn't an issue, this is a question of typography and aesthetics. In this case it is a cleaner look to avoid descenders due to the rule placed below the title. I would recommend using a single font-size for the titles though, the variance in height makes it look unprofessional and works against the clean aesthetic you are trying to achieve with the caps and underscore.
Headings are a very different animal from body text, nearly approaching being graphic elements. Their larger size and shorter length offer much more styling latitude. Don't get hung up on the readability issue - that principle applies to long stretches of multi-line copy, and is not a law for all situations.
All caps headings can really look great, depending on the branding guidelines and type choices with which you're working.
This article explains that uppercase isn't necessarily harder to read, but just slower, due to us being used to reading with a mix of upper and lower cases in a sentence. But if upper case was used consistently, the speed of reading would be increased. It goes into a lot of detail about how we read, how many letters per minute and using our peripheral vision to scope out upcoming letters:
For readability full caps are generally not as good as traditional capitalisation. I wouldn't dismiss using full caps in some cases, but it needs to be carefully considered.
I dislike all caps, because they do feel like shouting - that is agressive and pushy. It is not a good thing on a web site, which I prefer to feel welcoming and friendly.
I can see that small caps, used carefully, could work, but only for short labels. But labels need to be read easily and quickly, so maybe not. The problem is that I am not sure of any situation where all capitals would serve the requirements best - for emphasis, there are other and better ways of doing this. For grabbing attention, there are better ways. So why would you use them with the negative connortations that it has.


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Do you have any great green gift ideas?
I tend to shop for xmas/bday presents early, and I am trying to incorporate eco-minded gifts.
My ideas thus far.
$10 and under:
-Collapsible water bottle
-cheap solar powered toys
-stylish reusable shopping totes
-LED bulb (40 watt equivalent)
-Wattage meter
-premium reusable bottle/cup
-iTunes gift card (could be less)
-Solar powered rechargeable battery pack for phones/tablets
-Certified Refurbished Kindle ($69)
-Certified Refurbished Kindle Touch ($79)
-iPhone case with solar panel
11 Answers answer
Bamboo products! Anything that you would use in wood, from cutting boards or spoons, to non-kitchen uses, use bamboo. It grows extremely fast, and is a much more sustainable resourch than other woods (although everything made from wood is sustainable). Also, if you want to send the message that you're being Eco-friendly, I'd move away from anything with a rechargeable battery. The production of these things requires the use of extremely toxic metals, and studies have shown that they are actually bad for the environment, and even worse when they aren't disposed of properly.
Personally, I don't buy into the whole "going green" fad. I use rechargeable batteries, because they are economic, but I know they aren't necessarily "green". Thought I'd pass the information along though :)
Here is an interesting iPhone 4/4S case made of recycled paper and plastic. it comes with markers so you can customize the look of your case. http://www.trexta.com/Default.aspx?pageID=18&PID=496&CatID=227
What about notebooks made from recycled paper, a set of cloth napkins and maybe some napkin rings made from "found" objects...or make them yourself. For more expensive gifts, paving "stones" or a bench or picnic table made out of recycled plastic. An electric lawnmower, corded if it's a small yard and you trust the person not to run over the cord otherwise cordless. Much easier on the environment than the standard gas powered mower. Same goes for edgers string trimmers.
Don't forget the option of giving cash... it doesn't get any greener than that :-)
For other stuff... some form of Hemp clothing perhaps?
I do have some suggestions. Here's a couple:
How to Sew a Button And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew
The Encyclopedia of Country Living, 10th Edition
Both of those are books that encourage people to do things for themselves, and to make instead of buy, and to reuse. I've given both of them, more than once, to people I thought would like them, and I've just ordered the 10th Edition for my library (I have the 2nd or 3rd already).
sod, it's like $3.00 a roll and it really green
We had a green Christmas gift campaign a couple of years ago that sounded good to me -
Give Experiences
We have several options in the Seattle area which are really cool like:
- Dinner at the top of the Space Needle
- The Dale Chihuly Garden and Glass
- Segway tours
- Glass blowing classes (many Groupons available)
- Performances at the local theater or comedy club or casino
and the list goes on...
Very little wrapping paper (if any) and a memory for a lifetime.
I don;t know if the person you are giving to needs a physical gift. But I have been giving my friend eco-gifts that don't really have a physical component.
I had a forest of 100 trees planted in his name at the Nature Conservancy, where you pay $1 per tree, and gave him a little baby tree with the card.:
American Forests also has a $1 per tree gift planting program:
The next year I had him made a Scottish Laird, and got him all kinds of Scottish stuff to put in the gift bag with his certificate of lairdship. Your friend becomes the owner of one square foot of Scottish Highland and they use the funds to preserve the Highlands:
There's also a number of programs where you can donate goats, chickens and other direct aid to needy folks all over the world. If your friend is female, it's interesting to see how these programs are being used to empower women, see the video below.
This is my favorite site as I like the video and love the photos:
I like the idea of saying, "The world is a better place because you are in it, and I took the opportunity to help make it a better place in your name."
Last day for the sale at Mighty Leaf Tea. I was buying my tea for the 2nd half of the year and saw this. Thought it fit well into your question.
MLT Abaca Spa Box w/ Tea Pouches
Indulge yourself or someone special to a relaxing retreat in the comfort of the home. Each Abaca Spa Box is crafted individually by hand, by artisans using an environmentally-friendly blend of treeless paper, culminating in the classic colors of black and cream.
Enclosed within the Abaca Spa Box are 2 Oasia bath pouches filled with Dead Sea salts, green tea leaves, 22 essential oils and verbena leaves, and 2 whole leaf Tea Pouches each of the following blends: Chamomile Citrus, African Nectar, Ginger Twist and Rainforest Maté. An invitation to relaxation! Set includes: 2 Bath Pouches (4oz/120g), 8 Artisan Whole Leaf Pouches (.88oz/25g)
On sale for $15.37, free shipping on $50+
If your daughter likes food and or anything that has to do with Texas, this company has very unique texas theme gifts and texas gift baskets: http://www.texastreats.com

subset: commoncrawl


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Police investigating double shooting
STEUBENVILLE -City Police detectives are continuing an investigation into the shooting of two men around 1:40 p.m. Saturday at the Steubenville Marina.
Police reported three men were sitting in a vehicle at the far end of the marina when another vehicle pulled up. Police reported two men got out of the other vehicle and began firing shots. Officers reported the first vehicle was struck by bullets in the door and windshield.
Derrick Arsenio Hall, 22, and Lanal Buford, 20, both of Chicago, were wounded by the gunshots. One of the victims was flown by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital. The second victim was treated at Trinity Medical Center West. It wasn't clear which victim was flown to Pittsburgh.
Police Chief William McCafferty said the men who were shot at said they didn't know why they were targeted.
PERI to meet Wednesday
WINTERSVILLE - Jefferson County, Chapter 5, Public Employee Retirees will meet at noon Wednesday at Zalenski's.
Mark Miller of the Herald-Star will be the guest speaker.
Boil order in effect in Wintersville area
WINTERSVILLE - A water break on Locust Street in the village has been repaired, but a 48-hour boil order is in effect until Wednesday morning, village officials said.


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What is the most active volcano in Central America, in terms of eruptions, explosions, lava, gases, etc.? Is it possible to visit it?
There are probably two acceptable answers here:
I'd suggest Volcán de Fuego near Antigua in Guatemala. It's active all the time but only at a low level -- great if you want to reliably check out some lava flows without making the evening news. It's just outside of town too, very easy to get to from Antigua which is a great place to visit. Volcán de Agua is also very near by but it's been inactive since the 1500's.


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Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee BucksSat, January 5, 2013 - 7:00 PMBankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN
We are sorry, the date for this event has already passed. This event took place on 1/5/2013. Click here to view upcoming events for Indiana Pacers.
Still unsure? Check out our user reviews for:
Have a question? Need help? Call us at 800.477.5285


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Like many area college football fans, we are having a tough time getting too excited about this year's bowl season.
A large part of that is because our region's major college football programs have, as a group, experienced disappointing seasons.
West Virginia University, for example, found the competition in its new home, the Big 12, to be a little tougher than expected and carried a 7-5 record into Saturday's Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium. The Mountaineers saw their frustrations continue with a 38-14 loss to former Big East-rival Syracuse.
Fans of the University of Pittsburgh will have to wait until this Saturday to see their team in action when the Panthers carry a 6-6 record into the BBVA Compass Bowl against 6-6 Mississippi. It will be Pitt's third straight trip to the bowl in Birmingham, Ala. A win will give the Panthers a winning season under first-year coach Paul Chryst and could provide some momentum as Pitt heads to its new home in the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.
Ohio University, meanwhile, may have missed out on winning this year's Mid-American Conference title, but at least was able to finish its season at 9-4 with a 45-14 win over Louisiana-Monroe in Friday's Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.
There will be no bowl games for Penn State for at lest three more years, as the school continues to serve its probation as a result of sanctions stemming from the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
And, Ohio State fans are left to wonder what might have been if the Buckeyes had not had to serve a year of probation as a result as the tattoo-for-merchandise scandal. Ohio State finished the season at 12-0, which would have put the team in the mix for the BCS National Championship Game.
Just imagine the conversation that would have followed when either the Buckeyes, Notre Dame or Alabama did not earn a spot in the Jan. 7 game in Miami. And, as a ripple effect, there would have been no discussion about whether Northern Illinois of the MAC was really worthy of earning a spot in Tuesday's Orange Bowl against Florida State.
The large contingent of Notre Dame fans in our area, and around the country for that matter, will have plenty to cheer about when the Fighting Irish (12-0) meet the Crimson Tide (12-1) for the BCS title.
That certainly gives area fans a reason to get excited.
Keep that in mind as you sit back and try to enjoy the games.


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Keith Mefford, BGFD says, "We were dispatched to a working fire and the first crew out of the station called it in as a working fire. They could see smoke from the station on Morgantown Road."
Employees at Lemox two noticed Around eight in the morning the first signs that something was wrong.
Robert Hall, Manager of Lemox II says, "Two people came into work this morning they were having trouble getting their computers to work. They called over to our store Lemox One and then they heard a loud pop, a second loud pop."
One of those employees then found flames coming out of the electrical box.
We caught up with some students on Western's campus to see they though it would effect them.
Christina McCarl says, "Usually I would go sell them back on campus or at Lemox. I'm a sophomore so I've used Lemox for two years."
Sara Owens says, "Hopefully they rebuild it and we'll still be able to do that whenever."
That's exactly what the manager of Lemox says they plan to do.
Hall says, "I've talked with the property owners and I fell like we'll try to build back as soon as possible. We want all the students at Western to know we'll be buying books in May and selling them in August. We shouldn't miss a thing we shouldn't."


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So I been thinking about this guy for some time now. I saw him play in several games and was always impressed by his play- illusive and smart with the ball. He actually signed a 6 yr -60 million dollar deal with the Jags at one time so he must have impressed some people. He had a QB rating in the first yr of his new contract of 102.2 (2007). This is when the Jags seemed to have things put together. Despite massive injuries to their starting offensive line, and slow deterioration over the next 3 yrs Garrard still put up a average QB rating of 89.5. This guy is a very good veteran.
So now the question!
What if he is off the chart good?
Personally I think this is a very good possibility. I like David Garrard and I think he is a great addition to this team. What do you guys think?


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Medicare Reform: A Patient Perspective
Please use for reference only.
Julia Draznin Maltzman, MD
Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Last Modified: September 24, 2003
Why reform Medicare reimbursement?
Over the past ten years, multiple attempts have been made by congress to reduce the amount government pays for prescription drugs. Given current world politics -- the war on terrorism and in Iraq, as well as domestic issues such as the expansion of Medicare's prescription drug coverage, the current Bush administration is eager to cut costs. The contention that oncologists, cancer doctors, are getting fat at the tax payers expense has fueled the recent debates and proposed legislations.
When founded, in 1965, Medicare was intended to cover drugs given in the hospitals. Today, Medicare has expanded coverage to any drug that requires administration by infusion, injection, or with the use of a medical device. Medicare now spends approximately $6.5 Billion on some 450 medications most of which are chemotherapy agents.
There is total lack of regulation and considerable variability on how chemotherapy drug prices are set and how they are actually sold. For the most part intermediaries, such as the Oncology Supply Company, negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies. These prices are based on variables such as volume purchased, availability of generics, and a variety of other marketing considerations. The intermediaries then, sell the drugs to individual doctors, pharmacies, or hospitals. In a sharp contrast, the government can buy chemotherapeutics directly from the drug manufactures at a mandatory 24% discount. Pharmaceutical companies are legally obligated to offer this discount on any drug it sells to the government. (The branches of government that buy these drugs include the VA hospitals, public health service, and the Department of Defense).
Because Medicare reimburses the private doctor who buys the drugs in the open market, it cannot benefit from such a discount. Thus, Medicare pays physicians for the drugs based on their Average Wholesale Price (AWP). Unfortunately, the AWP is not a defined by law or regulation, but rather established by pharmaceutical firms and published in an industry reference book known as the "Red Book". As a result, the AWP does not reflect the true price paid for the drug by the physician. In 1997, the Balanced Budget Act stipulated that Medicare would pay 95% of the published AWP. As an example, a drug who's AWP is $100, but may have actually been purchased by the physician for $75, will be reimbursed by Medicare at $95; thereby giving the practice a $20 profit.
What are the proposed Medicare reforms?
In an attempt to stop Medicare overpayment for chemotherapy drugs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offered four possible ways to reduce their reimbursement. One solution was that Medicare carriers reimburse doctors the same amount as they would for their non-Medicare patients. Another option was to take the current AWP, reduce it by 10% to 20%, and subsequently update the prices according to the annual consumer price index or inflation. A third approach is to use market-based prices, and the fourth possibility was to establish a competitive bidding process.
Why do oncologists dislike these proposals?
Oncologists contend that the mark up of drugs helps to support other vital services that are not reimbursed by Medicare. Physicians point out that the cost of administering a chemotherapeutic goes far beyond the actual cost of the drug. One has to consider the cost of storing, preparing, and discarding the drugs. Physicians also need to pay for the IV tubing necessary to administer the drug, the specialized nurse pharmacist who is responsible for preparing the drug, and the chemotherapy nurse who actually administers the chemotherapy. Other services offered and not directly reimbursed include: patient education, patient and family support, and close monitoring for early and prompt recognition of disease or chemotherapy complications. It is these specialized non-reimbursable services that are offered by the oncologists that are currently subsidized by the profit made on chemotherapy. Trying to underline that cancer doctors are not motivated by money or greed, Drs. Feinberg and Leff, in a recent letter to the New York Times Editor, noted that cancer doctors are not wealthier than other sub-specialist physicians. In fact, on average they earn less than cardiologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists and anesthesiologists.
How will these changes affect patients and patient care?
Many fear that the proposed changes would force physicians to drop or significantly reduce the number of Medicare patients they treat. This would be a calamity as 65% of all cancer patients are Medicare recipients. Rural clinics will be hit the hardest, as those patients have few other alternatives. These patients will likely be forced to travel great distances to seek treatment. The larger hospitals/clinics will then become overcrowded with patients and the quality of care may suffer.
Another possible ramification of this bill is that cancer therapy maybe shifted from the outpatient setting back to the inpatient. Oncologists have worked hard in past years not only to heal their patients but also to improve their quality of life. The ability to give chemotherapy as an outpatient is considered a great coup in oncology. Patients, for the most part, no longer require admission to the hospital for chemotherapy administration. Rather, they can return home, eat dinner with their friends and family, sleep in their own beds, and return the next day for further treatment. Not only does this improve the patients' psychological well being, but it also saves a significant amount of money. Insurers - including Medicare -- no longer have to pay for a hospital room and all the costs that are attached to such an admission. If physicians will be unable to give chemotherapy in the office due to financial constraints, they may be forced to admit the patients to the hospital for chemotherapy. Many believe that a shift from the clinic back to the hospital would ultimately cost Medicare more money.
If the proposed bills become law, a recent survey by the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) found that nearly three fourths (73%) of all physicians would send their patients to a hospital for their treatments and over half (53%) would limit the number of Medicare patients they treat.
What is the governments' answer to the Oncologists?
House representatives Charlie Norwood (R-Georgia), and Lois Capp (D-California, a former nurse and a mother of a child who died of cancer), have introduced a bill (HR 1622) that proposes to compensate doctors for all the currently non-reimbursable services that they provide in addition to cutting the chemotherapy reimbursement. This bill has the support of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Cancer Leadership Council. HR 1622 attempts to strike a compromise by offering the following:
- Reimbursing cancer drugs at a rate that reflects the manufactures actual sale price plus an additional amount to cover currently non-reimbursed costs.
- Covering the entire cost of chemotherapy administration including nursing expertise and special supplies and equipment.
- Reimbursing the oncologist for special services that they provide such as counseling, end of life care, careful monitoring, nutritional support, as well as other essential patient oriented services.
What does the Oncology community think of HR 1622?
Overall, the oncology community is in support of reform that is fair and equitable. However ASCO officials caution that is it not prudent to cut payments from a well functioning system of care for the most vulnerable in our society (elderly cancer patients) without first studying the impact of such changes.


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What do you believe about hell?
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The confusion and sorrow never end. Regret never ends, self-justification never ends. And the body somehow shares in all of the madness, just as the bodies of the saved share in joy.
Possibly heretical, but I do not believe in a Hell of eternal torments, psychic or bodily. Hell is when your soul has become starved through neglect and self-indulgence, without regard for the succor and salvation you owe to the Body of Christ of which you are a part. Hell is where your soul dies such that there is nothing to Resurrect. Hell is nothingness and meaninglessness. I've always been bothered by the old addage, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." I hope God looks at our intentions and efforts, and does not measure us by "successes."
The Catholic conception of Hell seems to be largely about eternal punishment, no matter how many people claim that the damned freely choose Hell. It is difficult for me to accept God would punish infinitely such limited, finite creatures as human beings based on things we do based on what we can "see through a glass, darkly." And why choices made in life should be irrevocably fixed at the moment of death is a mystery to me, especially because the moment of death can be such a randomly timed event. Not to sidetrack the discussion with my unconventional theories, but the saying, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul" makes me think that if people really go to Hell, and if unbaptized babies are saved, then it is better to die before the age of reason (including by abortion) than it is to live to adulthood and risk Hell. I would like to say I don't believe in Hell, which would be largely (thought not totally) true. The frightening things we are taught as children leave their marks. I once knew a Jew who said the idea of Hell was so powerful that as a child he was convinced he was terrified he was going to Catholic Hell. It seems to me an infinitely loving Supreme Being can bring confusion and sorrow to an end in anybody. And if not, there is always annihilation.
Wasn't it Karl Rahner who said that Catholic tradition asks us to believe that Hell exists, but does not require that we believe that anyone is actually there? Von Balthasaar likewise posited an empty hell. And when Rahner and von Balthasaar AGREE...
We know that "the mercies of the Lord endure forever." We also know that those who walked away from the wounded men on the highway, unless they changed their ways, will be punished. We know that the "rich will go away empty." Selfishness is its own reward, with its own consequent hell. The sermon on the mount or the beatitudes will always be the barometer in entering the promised land. One thing is for sure there will be no shrine that will save anyone. Those who hope in the Lord will enter. Other than that we really do not know the details.
One thing I believe is that Hell should be next on the list for review by the International Theological Commission. In 2007, the International Theological Commission, which acts as an advisory body to the Vatican, studied the concept of limbo, surely one of the most unjust human creations ever attributed to God. It "critiqued the traditional understanding of limbo, arguing instead that there was good reason to hope unbaptized babies who die go to heaven." They drew on many sources, old and modern, because "when the question of infants who die without baptism was first taken up in the history of Christian thought, it is possible that the doctrinal nature of the question or its implications were not fully understood. . . . More specifically, the commission said the theological tradition of the past, specifically the Augustinian tradition, seems to have a 'restricted conception of the universality of God's saving will.'" http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0702310.htm While unbaptized infants unquestionably deserve first consideration, it may be time for a review of Hell and its potential inhabitants for reasons similar to those that sparked the limbo review. A new path to Hell was announced just this week by Bp. Thomas Tobin, RI - participation in a civil union ceremony as legalized in RI. "To do so is a very grave violation of the moral law and, thus, seriously sinful," he said. http://ncronline.org/news/justice/ri-bishops-no-civil-unions-catholics
If Hell is a state and not a place, how can we speak of a Hell that is empty? Does the concept of a state that someone might theoretically be in even make sense if no one was or ever will be in it?
Isn't the prior question what do you think of purgatory??
If not for Jesus, we'd all be headed there.
This article by Avery Dulles is pretty useful, istm. I think it's available to non-subscribers? http://www.firstthings.com/article/2008/08/the-population-of-hell-23
Jim (3:07 pm), thanks for the Dulles piece. Excellent resource.
It's not on my list of places to visit because I have never hand any interest in going there or plans to do so.
Pardon me if I don't give Tobin's commentary much consideration. His warning and $2.45 won't get me a tall one splenda latte @ Bib Bux, either.(Out here it is $2.55 with no extra credit for any Catholic bishops' statements, warnings or other dyspetic utterances.)
As the Catechism makes clear, the Catholic understanding of Hell is the state of eternal separation from God. And being separated from He who is Love and Truth itself, He who is Life itself, is by its very nature a torment. Anyone who has ever known the pain and anxiety of losing a worldly love -- spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, parent, child, etc. -- has gotten a taste of Hell. And the literary devices in scripture to describe that torment really do pale in comparison to the real thing.God does not separate us from Himself. He does not send us to Hell. We send ourselves by necessarily choosing not to be with Him, by choosing against Love, by choosing against Truth.Love, by its very nature, is freely chosen. Forced love is not love at all, but a form of violence. God, being Love, does not, will not, and by His nature, cannot force someone to be with Him for eternity. To force someone to be with Him would not be an act of love, but an act of violence, a form of divine rape. God is not a rapist.Still, nevertheless, some people do not want to be with Him in eternity. They would prefer to be with themselves. Love is an outward act, but they are so selfishly turned inward that they refuse all entreaties that God makes toward them. They refuse His Love, they refuse His forgiveness, they refuse His redemption. And, to be effective, such forgiveness of sin must be accepted. If one does not or will not accept forgiveness, then such forgiveness cannot happen. As such, to refuse or otherwise fail to seek and accept forgiveness is an unforgiveable sin.Yet, people do choose to go down that path. And since the ability to make such moral choices, or any choices at all, terminates upon worldly death, since that is when the body terminates, upon such death, the choice one has made becomes irrevocable.But it is quite simple. Or at least, it is quite simple to say, even if more difficult to do, given that we are flawed and fallen beings. You have to want to be with God. If you don't want to be, fine, He's not going to force you to be with Him and you can instead spend eternity in your self-made "paradise" that is actually Hell. But if you really do want to be with Him, and do what you can to be with Him, then He will do what He can to make that happen.
I was tempted to say hell is like listening to Bender blog eternally with "no exit."
Bender,Why should the suffering of those who are separated from God be any more of a torment in the next life than it is in this life? Is God more present in this life for those who reject him than he will be in the next life? And if the answer to that is that in the next life, they will know what they are missing, then how can we blame them in this life for rejecting what they didn't know they would be missing. It would seem to me that if Hell is separation from God, then it should be no worse in the next life than this life.
Hans Urs von Balthasar thought that though hell existed, we can hope no one goes there ... Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved? With a Short Discourse on Hell ... http://www.amazon.com/Dare-Hope-That-Men-Saved/dp/0898702070 There were a number of articles about Balthasr on this at First Things a while ago. Here's one of them ... Responses to Balthasar, Hell, and Heresy ... http://www.firstthings.com/article/2008/10/responses-to-balthasar-hell-a... want to believe there is no hell at all - it's just too inconsistant with a loving God. I especially hate the idea that people decide of their own free will to go to hell, instead of God sending them there (CS Lewis?). I think that's just a way to get God off the hook and I don't think anyone has the necessary free will to make such a choice anyway. Those who beieve this seem to want to keep hell because it's in the NT, but the hell of the NT is a horible place where people are sent to suffer *against their will* (The Rich man and Lazarus).
"It would seem to me that if Hell is separation from God, then it should be no worse in the next life than this life."For many people, it is indeed "hell on earth" for that very reason. But at least while here, there is still hope.
And Bob, is the hostility really necessary?And Crystal -- God can't separate us from Himself. Even in Hell, there is some measure of God present because all things depend upon God for He who Is, and if one still exists, then a spark of God is still present in him or her. If there wasn't that spark, then the person would cease to be altogether (as Augustine pointed out). So God cannot separate Himself from us, but we can, by our definitive choices, turn so far inward that it is no longer possible for us to know Him, to no longer know what truth is, to no longer know what love is.Moreover, consider the militant atheist who says that he wants nothing to do with any "God," even if He existed. Heaven is not some party of earthly delights, like 72 virgins, etc., which would get pretty boring after a while. Rather, Heaven is being with God. Will God force that militant atheist to be with Him in eternity? Should God do that? And if God did (could) force that person to be with Him against his will, would that be "Heaven" to that person who hates God, or would that, in effect, be a kind of Hell?One cannot go to Heaven against his will.
Bender,Though an atheist may say now that he wouldn't want to be with God, I'd like to think that after death and a face-to-face meeting with God, that person's feelings on the matter would change, be tranformed by that experience. I'm not sure where the idea comes from that God lets us decide if we want to go to hell or not. God gives us no choice about hwether we exist or not or what state we're born into, God intervenes often in the OT and NT and usually doesn't ask fisrst for anyone's permission, and according to the NT he does send people to hell who don't want to go.But saying we do have free will, I don't hink it's really sufficient when we're dealing with God. There's a good post on this at Experimental Theology ... http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2007/03/christ-and-horrors-part... Marilyn McCord Adams giveds a pretty good example of the weekness of human free will in thsi talk at Philosophy Bites .... Marilyn McCord Adams on Evil ... http://philosophybites.com/2009/07/marilyn-mccord-adams-on-evil.html
The idea of eternity with/out God isn't a big selling point. No one knows what that means. We can speculate until Jesus comes, but who knows? It's too hard for the human mind to grasp the totality of what that means.Hell, like heaven, are vague promises that won't be fully realized until the time that they are experienced.That is a good argument for living one's life to the best extent possible here and now because we only have very vague ideas of the existence and reality of the next.Catechism answers are as much speculation as anyone else's speculation.
Bender - You seem to know a puny God, given all you say that He cannot do. ( He will do what He can ?). What happened to the Omniscience and Omnipotence combined with the Love and Truth it took to create the universe you can see out the window? The notion that your will can override God's Will, whatever That may be, sounds like a fairly anthropomorphic school of theology.
This is not the first time Peter Nixon, on this very blog, wanted us to talk about Hell. http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/blog/?p=314I don't want to call two blog posts in five years a "preoccupation," but wonder whence this interest in what people think about Hell, Mr. Nixon?One of the things that makes me hinky about this conversation is that I strongly suspect that the specifics various individuals envision for hell (me included) says more about us than it does about anything else.Interesting, so far only three of us has really answered the question, so you have Kathy Hell, Jean Raber Hell, and Bender Hell. Everyone else is talking about theologians or Splenda Lattes at Bib Bux (no idea), which I'm guessing won't be offered in Hell. I presume the ubiquitous Starbucks has that franchise. But they probably won't give out the little sleeves to keep your fingers from burning. Because, really, what would be the point?I appreciate Jack Barry's suggestion that the notion of hell for unbaptized, stillborn, and miscarried infants be revised. What if I get to heaven (by some miracle) and my two aren't there? I lose them again? How is that heaven?
Jean (8:43 pm):
Interesting, so far only three of us has really answered the question
There are ways of answering the question other than tossing out knee-jerk reactions. For example, Jim gave a URL to a substantial piece by Avery Dulles:http://www.firstthings.com/article/2008/08/the-population-of-hell-23I presume that was his way of saying that he deferred to someone who'd given it a lot more serious study and thought than he. Works for me. It's not, I think, an issue we can brush aside as outdated superstition. It seems to be embedded ineradicably in scripture and the teaching of the Church. It may be out of sync with much modern spirituality, but I presume it's not going to go away because of that.
Those who order people to be gassed and cremated alive should be punished as should all those who abuse children and engage in human trafficking. There has to be a day of reckoning because man's inhumanity to man is terrible. The rich will go away empty and those who passed by the wounded man will surely be compensated unless they repent. Hell is not loving and forgiving one's enemies and trying to dominate others. The results of selfishness is hell. I believe there is hell on earth for those who neglect and take advantage of others. In that sense hell is chosen. The beatitudes are the way to find peace which is the opposite of hell.
What I believe about hell is nothing, because I just don't know what will happen after death, but I do hope there is no such thing as hell. Maybe what we believe about hell is really what we believe about the character of God?
The notion that your will can override Gods Will, whatever That may be, sounds like a fairly anthropomorphic school of theology.Well, yes. Our freedom is God's will, so our will is God's will; we do not override God by choosing, but fulfill what God has chosen for us. God is merciful, and it would not be merciful to override my will, even when my will has chosen separation from God. Such an override would be a fundamental betrayal of God's most gracious gift of freedom, and God will not deny himself. Will God allow us to be what we have chosen to be? Or will God force us to be what would be "best" for us if we were to choose it?So ultimately, hell is a sign of God's gracious giving, a sign of mercy.
I believe that hell is when instead of us saying, 'Thy Will Be Done', God says to us, 'Thy Will be done'. Eternity is then spent in the 'absence' of God. What greater hell can there be than that: to spend eternity alone, knowing what we chose. I cannot imagine any flames (physical sensations) being any worse than to be wrapped up solely in ourselves forever.
"There are ways of answering the question other than tossing out knee-jerk reactions."I apologize for my knee-jerk response. I thought Peter Nixon's question was "What do YOU believe about hell," (emphasis mine), as in "How do regular Catholics think about Hell," not "Who are some scholars you can dittohead about hell?" (Though I realize "dittohead" oughtn't to be used as a verb and I run the risk of responding to snark by being snarkily flip with this type of usage.) The purpose of my post (the second one that seemed to provoke irritation) was merely to see if Peter Nixon would tell us more about why he posed this question so, believe it or not, I could better understand what the conversation was about.
Jean (7/05 11:02 pm), sorry to offend. What I was trying to say was that my response to Peter's question was that my belief about hell was that I had no idea what it was - and that I was willing to listen and learn. That's a belief - that one's ignorance is total and that all one can do - and the best one can do - is to try to understand.It seems to me that it's an unfortunate burden in this society that in order to speak everyone must have specific beliefs about everything under the sun. It's apparently shameful not to know. I don't understand that. Does it seem natural and sensible to you? Maybe it's a byproduct of watching too much television, where, apparently, nothing is uncertain.
Did Jesus preach Hell, historically? It is not mentioned in Mark, the oldest Gospel. I am not sure how much of Q would refer to Hell. Matthew is the one who goes on about Hell most and Luke unfortunately introduces it into some of his own parables such as Dives and Lazarus; John spiritualizes it.Even if all these writers talk about hell, it is just part of the furniture of Jewish apocalyptic of the time. A demythologized, existential interpretation, such as Rahner's is appropriate.Catholics need to stop obsessing about limbo, purgatory and hell. Join our Protestant brothers and sisters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=TSjy6NHxLIs&gl=US
Fr. O'Leary, one of my favorite hymns, but if you think Protestants in a Calvinist vein don't obsess about hell, you're sadly misinformed. I invite you to the next church shindig my Baptist relatives throw, and I guarantee you'll feel the heat 50 feet from the church door.
"It seems to me that its an unfortunate burden in this society that in order to speak everyone must have specific beliefs about everything under the sun."Interesting statement. I read a piece by Norman Mailer (!) years ago, after he wrote "Executioner's Song," in which he said he waffled about capital punishment. He suggested that perhaps on the "big questions" we ought to waffle more; it shows we're struggling to come to some larger understanding of the meaning of life and death and not just blowing it off with platitudes.Reading that piece was a little push on my road to Catholicism from Unitarianism. Unitarians feel they MUST have things figured out, or at least some working theory about everything. Mailer's piece opened up a whole new idea--may some things can't be figured out. Hence mysteries that must be accepted.FWIW, my views of hell were formed by no particular theologian, but I have inculcated St. Julian of Norwich's notions about the nature of God, who can only love. Since I don't believe God would send anyone to hell and would try to reclaim all of our souls, in fact works tirelessly to offer occasions of salvation, I conclude that those who "go to hell" must have to have rejected God such that there is simply nothing left to save. Jesus told those who made a show of piety that they had their reward by everyone noticing how pious they were. In the same way, perhaps those of us who live in complete hedonism and denial of our obligations to each other, have had their reward here, and there will be nothing left to resurrect on the last day.Hope that sounds less "knee jerk" and glib.
Jack, God is indeed all-powerful, but He is all-powerful consistent with His Being.God's Omniscience and Omnipotence does not mean that He can act in a manner contrary to Himself. This is what differentiates God from Allah.God cannot act contrary to Love, He cannot act contrary to Truth. To act contrary to love or truth would be to act contrary to Himself. He would then be God and not-God simultaneously, which is a logical absurdity.God, being Love, cannot act contrary to love, He cannot force or impose love upon someone unwilling to receive it because that would be contrary to love, which is a free act.God is not going to force someone to spend eternity with Him against that person's will.


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A+ Parenting: 9 Tips to Boost Bad Gradesby Erin Dower
Improving test scores and grades can be a tough task for a child of any age. Use the following tips to find constructive ways to discuss grades and make a plan for boosting your child's performance in school.
1 of 10
Remove the Fear Factor
Most children are already plenty scared or worried when they see a low mark circled in red at the top of their test. Grades are important, but they're not about instilling fear. Instead of focusing on the grade itself — "How could you get a C?!" — talk openly and constructively with your child: "Let's take a look and see what we can learn here." Don't use grades as grounds for punishment, which can damage a child's self-esteem and motivation level. Instead, stay positive about her ability to improve and plan a schedule that includes study time and free time or play time. Removing the "fear factor" from grades will help your child focus on absorbing the material and performing well on future test days — rather than pleasing Mom and Dad.


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March 24, 2011
As part of the Division of Student Affairs, Housing & Dining Services is committed to providing an engaging and inclusive on-campus living and learning environment for undergraduate (first year and beyond) and graduate students. The department is comprised of nine units: Residence Life, Dining Services, Finance and Occupancy Management, Housing Facilities Services, Housing IT, Graduate & Family Housing, Customer Relations, CU Conference Services, and the Children's Center. Related Links:


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Firstlight 2 Person Camping Tent
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Black Diamond Firstlight 2-Person Camping Tent - Designed with the weight-conscious alpine climbers in mind, this compact two-person tent spans all seasons. Firstlight tent's single-wall shelter with steep walls and simple floor plan provides the ultimate living space with lots of headroom. This superlight tent is extremely durable and storm-worthy with all seams are double sewn and the stress points are reinforced. Extremely easy to set-up with two equal length DAC Featherlite poles that fit inside the tent with hook-and-loop wraps. The BD Firstlight canopy is well ventilated with both a small rear window and door that are covered with no-see-um mesh. As well, the tent is built with Black Diamond's proprietary NanoShield fabric that is water resistant and very breathable. A waterproof finish applied to the face of the fabric. Two interior mesh pockets are found in the interior for organization.
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Food, Culture & Community: Bryant Terry Wrap Up
Bryant Terry engaged and delighted an audience of over one hundred at Celebration Tabernacle on May 16th as part of a tour to introduce his newest book, Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed. Terry shared the arc of his food journey, which, in a […]Read More →
Po'Shines Café de la Soul: Serving Food and Justice
Seven years ago, while skateboarding with his two young kids in the cozy North Portland neighborhood of Kenton, Chef James Bradley popped his head in the open door of a little corner diner to see what was going on. At the time, the breakfast cafe […]Read More →
Bryant's Glazed Carrot Salad: Delicious!
Bryant Terry (see him in Portland May 16th) mentions that his carrot salad recipe is a mash up of the glazed carrots popular in the South and Moroccan carrot salad. I call it simply delicious, and have made it two nights in a row now. […]Read More →
Terra Madre Chronicles: Iliamna Fish Company
Terra Madre Chronicles is a series of articles on delegates who attended a past Terra Madre bi-annual event in Torino, Italy and the impact it had on their lives and professional dreams. Victor Willis, a Slow Food Portland steering committee member interviews Ried TenKley from […]Read More →


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Free food for those who have served or are serving. More discounts available at The Military Wallet.
Free meal on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. 2012. Active duty military members and veterans can receive a free meal, up to $10 in value, and a free non-alcoholic beverage. Available at all locations, military ID or proof of service is required


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Martin Gilbert, the official biographer of Winston Churchill, offers a complete history of World War II.
It began with the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. By the time it came to an end on V-Day - August 14, 1945 - it had involved every major power, and had become global in its reach. In the final accounting, it would turn out to be - in both human terms and material resources - the costliest war in history, taking the lives of forty-six million people.
With unparalleled scholarship and breadth of vision, Gilbert weaves together all of the war's aspects - the political, the military, the diplomatic, and, not least, the civilian - charting an almost day-by-day account of the terrible progress of the war's juggernaut of death and destruction. Through it all, his aim is to show what happened, not from the point of view of any one of the warring nations but from a global perspective. The result is the first total history of this global war, a work that is both a treasure trove of information and a gripping dramatic narrative.
©1989 Martin Gilbert (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
"Brings the losses and the horrors of the war home to us more urgently than a more accented account might do." (New York Times Book Review)
"Mr. Gilbert brings the strongest possible credentials to his history of World War II, and the result is a magisterial work that shows how the greatest war ever fought reached into every corner of the globe." (New York Times)
"In his transmission of the horror of the war, Martin Gilbert has achieved something no historian but he could. There is indeed a relentless force about chronology when it is used as a tool by a historian of the status of Martin Gilbert." (Sunday Telegraph)
my ipod and audible make the daily 10 mile walks a "breeze"....
"was expecting something different"
probably not
too many to recall
all were necessary
very disappointed....90% of the book was concentrated on europe and the nazi...if memory serves me correctly...there was a lot of "war" in the pacific....but the author writes about the pacific in almost an afterthought.....i'm sorry about the horrible happenings in europe...especially toward the jews and the final solution......but just as much horror was in the pacific......too bad the writer chose to ignore that
"audio bad"
couldn't finish the book. After a few chapters, the treble on the tone of the voice was so difficult to listen to I had to return the book. The Story seems interesting, but I didn't get a chance to listen through.
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Andrea Branas, MSE, MPT, Andrea Cheville, MD, Lora Packel, M.S.P.T.
The Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
Ultima Vez Modificado: 8 de septiembre del 2002
Copyright © 2002 by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission in writing from the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
A person who cannot control the flow of urine has UI. This means you leak a little urine when you sneeze or cough, or have total lack of control.
No. UI is not painful. Call your doctor if you have pain while urinating or when you try to control your urine. Pain when you urinate or general pelvic pain may mean an infection or other problem.
There are steps you can take and exercises you can do to improve muscle strength and "re-train" your bladder to work correctly.
Set times to go to the bathroom. Most of the time, urination occurs every 3-4 hours. Setting routine times to go to the bathroom may help prevent UI and will re-train the bladder. Stop using or limit caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks and spicy foods. Eliminating these foods may help urination.
Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor and can decrease episodes of UI. You will need a doctor, nurse or therapist to teach you how to do Kegel exercises.
Biofeedback and/or electrical stimulation of the pelvic floor can strengthen muscles and re-train nerves. This will help your bladder work better. You will need a doctor, nurse or therapist to teach you how to do biofeedback.
Yes. Small "leaks" of urine are still UI, and are just as important to have treated as losing large amounts of urine.
After surgery or radiation, nerves or muscles may not work correctly, causing you to lose control over the release of urine.
We have trained therapists to treat your symptoms of UI. Talk to your doctor or nurse about seeing the therapist or for more information.


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Inherent in the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech is the freedom to be inane – the freedom to say stupid nothings.
Nothing illustrates this better than Sal Rao's recent letter to the editor. The letter is full of vague accusations and pointed demagoguery – no source is ever given for any of his assertions. (i.e. the Congressional Record, newspapers, etc.)
The letter contains nothing of substance – simply the usual rantings you hear from the neo-con talking heads.
The Pleasant Hill Volunteer Fire Department that the fire commission wants to close is a group of several generations of men, who volunteer their time to help the community and neighboring fire stations. Together they are trying to make a difference in the Pleasant Hill community.
This group of 12 work together to make decisions to better the community. Some decisions that have been recently made may not have been the best, but who is perfect? There is no such thing as perfect people.
PAGELAND – Chesterfield County deputies have charged a man in a July 4 shooting at a night club near Pageland.
Melvin Lee Sowell Jr., 21, of 108 Harris St., Heath Springs, was charged July 13 with assault and battery with intent to kill. His father escorted him to authorities, where Sowell turned himself in.
Sowell is accused of firing a gun in the Styx Night Club and wounding a Kershaw man.
The Styx Night Club is near the Lancaster County line west of Pageland.
I've always said Gov. Mark Sanford is selfish and arrogant. His recent episodes confirm that. He never listens to anyone. He does what he wants to do. When he tried to close the University of South Carolina at Lancaster campus, he refused to respond to all of us who tried to contact him.
His Argentina affair is not the issue. The issue is he left South Carolina for almost a week with no way to contact him. How arrogant. What if we had a real emergency? Whose head would have rolled? He had no consideration for his family nor the folks of South Carolina.
I really don't understand a couple of things I have seen lately. One thing that really bugs me is people who don't realize it's a privilege to own your own home and not keep your yard looking like Maw and Paw Kettle, with car batteries and junk laying everywhere. There is no excuse for that type of lifestyle. The other issue is that there are some people who don't deserve to have pets. Pets need to be fed and watered. Most of all they need attention. That really angers me. If you are not going to take care of your animals, give them to someone who will.
As my late Aunt Bess would say, "Well, I never," if she had read the comments from unmamed readers in reply to the TEA party letter on The Lancaster News Web site, www.thelancasternews.com.
Looks like there is a new political party in Lancaster. I would call it the Mean-Spirited, who advocate throwing unfortunate folks – old folks and babies – out on the streets. This new party alludes to the jobs folks can get so they won't remain on some form of assistance. Pray tell, where are those jobs?
I have never written a letter to the editor in The Lancaster News, but I feel compelled to write this letter.
My wife and I have heard a lot about the Charlesboro parade, but have never been until this year. We went to the parade and a cookout with some friends. The weather was beautiful for July 4. It was sunny and not too hot. The parade was just as wonderful as everyone said it would it be. There were firetrucks, floats, tractors and old cars, kids throwing candy, motorcycles and finally, horses.
It looks like we're stuck with Mark Sanford as governor for another 18 months. Calls for him to resign peaked before Independence Day after he gave that babbling interview to the Associated Press in which he referred to his Argentine mistress as his "soul mate" and said he was working to "fall back in love" with his wife, Jenny.
You probably recall that Sanford gave that interview the week after he explained to the national media why he'd been AWOL for nearly a week and he admitted to an extramarital affair.
I recently viewed your picture of the July 4 celebration in Heath Springs. As a physician, I was very concerned about one of the photos. It is nice to see a father enjoying time with his son, but to do tricks on a four-wheeler with absolutely no protection for either participant, especially a 5-year-old child, is totally negligent.
The Lancaster Police Department is still looking for leads in a July 10 shooting that left a 26-year-old Lancaster man dead and hopes a new crime information hotline will yield tips in the case.
Larry Curtis Duncan, of 316 S. Hughes St., was killed in the shooting earlier this month.
The shooting happened at 110 N. Willowlake Road, and police were called to the residence at 2:35 a.m.
Duncan was found lying in the front yard of the home, where his mother lives. He had been shot at least once in the chest.
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The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


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I've been trying to learn the F chord for a while now, and I am having a very hard time playing the barre chord. I've read that pulling back slightly with your finger and using the body of the guitar for leverage is a good way to play them. What is the best way to learn barre chords that will set me up for long-term success?
I was struggling with my barre chords, but then my teacher showed me two great exercises. I've been doing them for a week or two and--it's a miracle--barre chords started sounding good!
1. Pure barre practicing
Just hold all the strings on fret 7 with your first finger and nothing else and check if all the strings sound clear. You can help with your second finger. When all notes are clear, move to fret 6. And so on, until you reach fret 1.
2. Tough barre exercise
Hold your barre on fret 7 and with the other three fingers, do this pattern, picking one note at a time:
Keep holding the barre on fret 7 for the whole exercise! By the time you get to string 1, your hand will hurt like hell, but that is the purpose - to get your hand strong. Rest for a while, and do the same thing on fret 6, and so on until fret 1.
Do this every day for 2 weeks--and you'll be able to play barre chords with ease.
I think the only answer to this one is...keep doing it.
The reason you're struggling is because your hand and fingers aren't strong enough yet to do it easily. It's like weight lifting, the more you do it, the stronger you'll get.
Try playing barre chords further up the neck, around the 5th fret. You might find it a little easier than F on the 1st, then as you get stronger, work it back down the neck to the 1st fret.
The way I learned was just through old-fashioned repetition. I started with fifth chords, eg F5.
You can play nearly every Green Day song ever written if you learn fifth chords.
Next I moved on to the minor barre chord, eg Fm.
This took a lot of practice to get my index finger to press hard enough to make the G string ring clearly. Play some other chord and move into an Fm. Just keep practicing that transition until you can make it sound good and accurately place your fingers. Once I had built up the muscle memory and neural networks for Fm, I moved on to the major barre. For me, it was easier to learn the minor chord first and then worry about bending my middle finger to play the major third of the chord on the G string.
Then I had to learn the 5 string major barre chord pattern, eg B.
Practice, practice, practice, and you'll get it.
I did following those (hard: F is a real bastard) steps:
A) learn to play "la bamba": C, F, G.
The change through C and F will kill you. That's where we'll focus. Speed is not interesting, perfect sound is. Play the chords very slow ensuring you get perfect sound from ALL the strings. You posture can do a LOT for your playing so check accurately how to sit / stand and hold an electric / acoustic / classic guitar :) In order to complete and master step A you can use this trick:
B) push and pull on the hard chord
Put a perfect F chord and then take your fingers away from the neck (1 mm) and then put fingers back. Do it again. Again. Strum strings to ensure every string is PERFECTLY playing. Now take your fingers away from the neck more and do it again. Then even more and do it again. The more you do this the more you'll be able to take your hand completely off and get it back with strenght and accuracy.
When you're done scream la bamba as loud as you can 'til your family hates you.
and never... NEVER forget:
c) Do not mix it with Twist and shout.
Have fun :)
The error people tend to make concerning barre chords is to believe it requires strength. It does require some, yes, but the real trick is not to try to barre all the strings.
To play an F major, you don't need to barre all the strings, so in my opinion exercizing by barring a whole fret without other fingers is just the fastest way to hurt (or/and discourage)yourself. Truth is, when you play an F, you only need to barre two strings : the B and the high E.The way I do it : I press the low E with the tip of my index, I fret the other fingers (that's C with the ring finger, 3rd fret of A, F with the pinky, 3rd of D string, A with the middle finger, 2nd of G string). At that point, Im not barring the 1st fret. Then, not flattening the index finger, but bending it, I fret the last two strings with the flesh of my index finger. The curvature of the index means that you do not need to press where other fingers are already fretting (that is, the A, D and G string).
For this to work, you need to handle the guitar properly : your thumb is perpendicular to the neck, around the middle. Doing so, your other fingers face the bottom of the guitar, not the celling. When your in that position, just rotating the wrist in a counter-clockwise motion snaps the string behing the bony side of your index, facilitating the barre chord. I always explain to my students that it's as if your want to break the neck between your fingers. You're not pushing with the muscle of the palm of your hand (the one you use when squeezing a ball) but with your wrist muscles.
If you take a chord like the B minor, it's even better : you do no need to barre at all to fret the A string and the E string : you just push with the tip of your index on the A string, arc your finger and fret the E string with the fleshy bottom of your index.
One tip I have is to move higher up the neck. Play the F shape at the 5th fret instead of the 1st (so you'll be playing an A). It's easier to press down the strings further away from the end, and will help you develop finger strength more gradually.
Try learning a Bm cord first. It's the same fingering, but everything is 1 string lower so you don't have to bar the low e (you don't play it). It's a bit easier to play than the F and will help you build up some hand strength. Once you start to get that down, start learning the F again and it will be easier.
Play the open E major chord without using your index finger (only use fingers 2, 3 and 4) until you get comfortable with it.
Then move up a fret and start trying to use your index to bar all 6 strings.
That's what I did back in the day
This is such a frequently asked question, I've written the following article on my website: The F Chord There's basically only 2 ways to play an F Chord: a) Barre Chord b) Hendrix Chord
BARRE CHORD The Barre chord is obviously the use of the index finger across the entire set of strings. The reason this is difficult is due to the tension of the string from the nut to the first fret... it's the hardest place of the fretboard.
Some of the responses here state this as well.
HENDRIX CHORD Essentially, you are NOT playing a barre chod. You are using variations of the C Shape and using your thumb over the neck to fret the E Bass string (marked X). You are only using the index finger to fret 2 frets instead of the intire first fret.
Now some people advise correctly that you can try OTHER BARRE CHORDS to get used to the feeling. This is correct.
My first chord was actually a B minor. Again, same "technique"... B minor is really an A minor SHAPE played with the bottom three fingers and using the first/index finger as the barre. The tension on the 2nd fret strings is alot less than the 1st fret so it will definitely be EASIER to perform. In addition, your index finger gets used to the pain (killing a few nerve endings!) and you will be fine.
It took me 3 to 5 days just to hold the chord. But the ULTIMATE TRICK.... is to change from other chords into the BARRE CHORD.
So coming back to the F Chord, my guitar teacher introduced the F Chord as the Hendrix shape first before getting us to play the BARRE version after we had successfully played and practiced the B Minor and F# Minor.
There are some good ideas in the other answers (for example, working higher on the neck first, to get the chord right, then working your way down). But there are two critical physical reasons why bar chords are hard for beginners, and they don't address these directly:
So those two things add up to a big strength and coordination challenge for the left hand. Here are a few things that will help more quickly then simply slogging through difficult changes until your hand hurts:
A) Make sure that your first finger is close to the target fret, is pushing through its middle knuckle (i.e. "arching", so that the middle strings get good pressure), and that your left thumb is offset towards your elbow - this helps the whole left arm put more pressure on the strings.
B) Do this exercise once a day for four weeks to strengthen those tiny muscles around the first finger big knuckle, and I believe that you'll see a dramatic improvement in your barring:
If your hands aren't developed, you'll start to feel it in your forearms, probably, after 20 or 30 repetitions. Work your way up to 200. Since this exercise is "isometric" (no weights) you can't hurt yourself, so go until you are completely slowed down with the extensions, and you have significant "sensation" in your forearms.
This is going to help all of your guitar work, especially the left hand, and if you've been completely extending, you've also been working those small muscles that are essential for barring. In any case, you'll get quicker results than if you just slugged away at chord changes, in my experience.
Finally, for the independent movement of the LH fingers not "tied down" with the bar, bar up higher up on the neck and play scales with the remaining three fingers.
Remember to set yourself a long-term window for improvement - "in four months I should be able to do this" - keeping in mind that playing music is a life-long thing!
If you want fun with barre chords, try drop-d tuning. All that means is you drop the lowest pitch string (standard: E) to a (D).
Once you do that, the first 3 strings (played open) are DAD. If you strum the guitar open then, you get a power chord (A+D is a fifth and "sounds good" together).
Now move your finger up and down the neck. If you barre the 1st fret, and strum the first 3 strings, you are playing D#, A#, D#. That's another power chord!
Barre the 2nd fret, you're doing E, B, E, yet another power chord!
It turns out that anywhere you barre on the neck in drop-D tuning gives you a nice sounding power chord.
Playing around in this configuration is good to start with because you have nice sounding chords, and only need to use 1 finger to do your barre chord.
Strum away!
The easiest way to explore Barre chords is playing in an Alternate Tuning. There are many
There is also
One addition to what everyone else has said:
Before learning barre chords, make sure your guitar is set up properly. A high action combined with heavy gauge strings will make it difficult even for an experienced guitarist.
Ask a guitar player to try it out. They'll be able to tell you if it feels wrong.
If there are problems with the guitar, take it to a guitar shop to get set up properly.
I think it's easier to learn on a nylon-strung guitar, because although the neck is wider, the strength required to press down the string is much lower. It then becomes another leap to progress to steel-strung acoustics.
It's vital that you hold the guitar properly, so that you can reach the fretboard without curving your wrist too far. If you can see the fretboard without leaning your head forward, you're probably turning the guitar towards you too much.
One trick that will make your life easier is to place your barring finger in a way that your joints fall on a string. The fleshy parts of your finger are not your friends! Also try slightly rotating the finger to find the edge with less flesh on it. You will need way less pressure this way. It is true that you need to strengthen your fingers, but brute-force methods have the potential of causing serious injury. One very important thing I learned after many years of studying classical guitar is that if it hurts you are doing something wrong.
Careful positioning of your wrist and fingers (also the position of your thumb is very important) might drastically reduce the amount of pressure you need, and make sure you don't have your wrist too laid back. It should be in a position that allows you to use the strength of your arm to exert pressure and not only your fingers. Many rock and folk players tend to use their guitars too low (you can tell by the thumb almost being able to touch the fretboard), and this demands more effort from your fingers.
Another useful piece of advise is using lower tension strings while you are learning. Usually very thick metal strings in an acoustical guitar is asking for trouble, and among nylon strings there are usually low tension models. They don't usually sound as good but you can switch to higher tension when you master those strings.
What kind of guitar? Playing an F chord is somewhat different on my classical (wider neck but with less string tension) vs my steel string (narrower neck, but much more string tension).
You might try changing to a lighter gauge of strings which would bend easier and hopefully make it easier to do the bar.
Long term success with barre chords comes from repetition and proper form. Be sure your thumb is directly behind your barre finger when you form the chord. To make the repetition part more enjoyable by allowing for success as you build strength and refine your technique, you might consider some of the ideas below.
To make things easier (especially with the F Barre chord) as you build strength, try tuning the guitar a half or whole step flat which will reduce the string tension and make it easier to play barre chords. If you don't want to play your songs a step flat, then put a capo on the first or second fret (depending on if you are a half or whole step flat) and this will make it even easier to play a full six string F Barre chord because the fret becomes the nut and is much closer to the next fret than the nut is to the first fret.
Lighter gauge strings will make barre chords easier to play as will a proper set up on your guitar. The lower the action, the easier it will be to play barre chords.
If you try different guitars, you may find one that is much easier to play barre chords on. Of course an electric is easier to play than an acoustic where barre chords are concerned. But various acoustics have different construction characteristics which make them easier or harder to play barre chords.
The nut height makes a big difference when it comes to the relative ease of playing an F Barre Chord at the first fret. If you try this with a bunch of guitars at your local music store you will find differing degrees of tension required to cleanly fret an F Barre at the first fret.
If a new guitar is not in the cards, try lighter strings and de-tune half or whole step and use a capo. Soon you will be playing the F barre chord as easily as a G chord and you can gradually move to heavier strings and/or the tighter tension of standard tuning. The idea is to gradually build strength while successfully playing the chord - as opposed to grappling with the frustration of not being able to cleanly play the chord you are trying to play.
Good luck.
Have a think about which part of the F chord you're trying to get across. It may vary for different tunes. It'd be unusual to really need all strings, so concentrate on playing just the strings you need. Leaving the top 2 or bottom 2 out makes it a LOT easier. Leave top 2 out for a nice full strummy feel or leave bottom (thickest) two out for a more tinkly sound.
The ones you're not playing : damp them with a spare fold of finger flesh
If you really need all strings and are finding it difficult, two further ideas : 1) Bit brutal : Try playing a full F on a 12 string guitar (if you have access to one). It's nearly impossible ! but great exercise and your own guitar will feel like a doddle afterwards. Unless your own guitar is a 12 string, in which case.. er... ignore this.
2) Maybe the guitar's nut holds the strings a bit too high ? This isn't uncommon even on some posh guitars. It's just like the bridge really so as you play nearer to it, it gets difficult if the action is too high around there. If you think this is the case, maybe have it sorted so the nut is a little lower ?
you can normally do this yourself by filing the string grooves (take strings out of course) with a folded bit of fine sandpaper, but it's a disaster if you go too far so be very careful !
Play it as much as you can. Testing each string for a brilliant sound.
AND press your finger flat against the table during the day. It will strengthen your finger muscles.
Another tip to cheat barre while you are learning: use your thumb to hit the low string. So you don't need a barre. (only works for thin necked guitars).
I don't know what kind of musician you are, but here's a good way to learn barre chords if you're a songwriter!
When I wanted to learn barre chords, I wrote a song using a barred Gmajor Chord. I could have very easily gotten away with just using the standard Gmajor chord that everyone learns, but I thought that the barred chord had a better sound.
So to learn an Fmajor barred chord, simply keep on playing it. Don't stop until you've got it. Learn a song that uses it a lot, or write a song that relies on a bar chord. I don't know what kind of music you're into, but there are songs that mainly only use barre chords. The verse in"She's a Woman" by The Beatles uses 3 barre chords and is a good way to practice barred chords!
Good luck!
Honestly... It's probably been mentioned given there's so many responses here. But you've got to build finger strength. Start with an open bar without all the other notes and just play each string until you get a clear sound (It's gonna hurt). Than hold that for as long as you can, repeat a few times a day (It takes your muscles awhile to adjust, just like lifting weights). Eventually, add the other notes back in... repeat.
There are already a whole load of answers but I thought I'd share some nice videos on the topic - and also to reiterate "everybody struggles with this!" There's no magic 'trick' to barre chords, you just have to practice both the technique and build up some strength. Just like you have to build up calluses on your fingertips over time, you have to build up muscle.
Anyway here's the best video lesson on barre chords I've come across from the ever-friendly Justin Sandercoe, full of technique tips and useful encouragement!
I noticed he also has an older mini-series just on the topic (I haven't watched these myself): http://www.justinguitar.com/en/CH-006-BasicBarres.php
However I wouldn't get too hung up on trying to find more and more videos... spend a few minutes solidly doing barre chords every single day and you will undoubtedly progress quickly. Dedication and stubbornness are important!
What I did when I tried to learn my barre chord, is that I played the barre chord shape upper on the neck, when I got easy I slid it down to his original position (in your case the F note).
Hope this helps :)
If you play Classical Guitar:
Try raising the footstand a click so your wrist can remain straight. Make sure your arm isn't on anything (like the arm of a chair). Barre Chords are essential. You can ignore the rest of this post.
If You Play on a Steel String Acoustic or Electric:
Assuming you play Rock, Blues, Metal or even Jazz (I am open to be corrected for Jazz), I'm going to say the unthinkable:
The best way to play Barre Chords on a steel string, is to not barre all the strings.
Unless you play in a Ramones cover band, They are an ergonomic nightmare on a steel string, requiring you to bend your wrist and use the strength each individual finger, as opposed to using the strength of the whole hand.
As a kid I was saving up for a guitar, so my friends dad gave me an classical acoustic which had no strings, I unwittingly put steel strings on it, and the action was so high and stiff, it was brutal. That's what I learned barre chords on, I suffered for them and you know what? I haven't played one on a stage since the 1990s.
Making you suffer in the same way isn't helping or teaching; its hazing.
Instead what I think you should learn is what I actually see and hear famous guitarists playing: four note open voiced chords. From my website:
Harmonized Scale of A Minor 6th String root
Using the thumb for the root is optional, but it will allow you to do Hendrix style pinky embellishments.
And I am fully aware that the question was how to play them not how to replace them, but **I argue that these are the same thing as the standard 6th string root barre chords ** in Mel Bay etc., the only notes left out are duplicates, and the 4 notes that remain are identical to the barre chord voicing.
Using strength to overpower a steel string especially an acoustic one, leads to tension, and possible injury.
protected by Matthew Read♦ Jun 5 '12 at 22:45
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