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STEUBENVILLE - Joe Belinsky has a few words of advice for anyone thinking of jumping head-first into the entrepreneurial world: Don't.
Belinsky, small business development adviser for the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, said would-be entrepreneurs can spare themselves a lot of headaches by doing their homework before they take the plunge.
Belinsky, in fact, says the biggest mistake a prospective business owner can make is to rush into it.
Article Photos
HELP FOR BUSINESS — The Ohio Small Business Development Center offers assistance to those who are considering opening their own business. Certified Business Adviser Joe Belinsky, standing, offers a monthly start-up class at the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, 630 Market St., Steubenville, as well as one-on-one counseling sessions to those who decide to follow their entrepreneurial dreams. Belinsky, based at the Kent State University-Tuscarawas campus in New Philadelphia, is shown here assisting clients. Jefferson County's next start-up class is set for Jan. 24 from 1-3 p.m. - Contributed
"There are two key elements you need to be successful," he said. "You've got to have a plan, then you have to have money. Usually, you have to have the plan before you (can get) the money."
Belinsky, a certified business adviser operating out of the Small Business Development Center at Kent State University-Tuscarawas in New Philadelphia, helps prospective entrepreneurs in a 10-county region get their business enterprises off on the right foot.
"Our purpose is to help people who have an idea about starting up a business to be able to take that idea and build it into a business plan, and then to take the business plan and actually start working it so they can become successful," he said.
The process begins with a start-up class, offered monthly in each county in Belinsky's service territory. The next start-up class here in Jefferson County is set for 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 24 in the chamber offices, 630 Market St.
"A lot of people who get started have never managed a business or even a part of a business, so we help to shepherd them along," he said. "We tell them things to look out for, things to do, how to go about hiring people, things like that ... They come in and we tell them all the good and bad about starting up their own business, then we also tell them about all the resources that are available.
"The big thing is, we let them know there's lots and lots of help out there, it's just a question of being able to organize their thoughts to be able to do it."
At the end of the start-up class, he said the participants should have a pretty good idea of what to expect if they decide to push forward with their plans.
"Or if they have an idea but aren't sure it's workable, (the startup class) should help them," he added. "If they have a sketch of an idea and don't know where to go with it, I can help them develop the idea into something that's viable."
He said a lot of the things they cover in start-up class can help later on as they work on their business plan, a blueprint they can follow as their business evolves. Done properly, it's a guide a small business owner can use to figure out where their (market) is, how to attract and retain business so they can grow their own.
"There's so much stuff that can help them with their business plan that they'll have to make up later on," he said. "Plus, there's the interaction with other people - that helps, too. Everybody has some questions they might be like to explore, some ideas they might want to try - hearing from someone else can help, there's a lot of good interaction (that takes place)."
If they do decide to follow their entrepreneurial dream, Belinsky offers one-on-one counseling to help each of them develop that all-important business plan.
"(That) includes financial projections, which is usually one of the bigger parts of what I help them do," he said. "I think maybe 1 percent or 2 percent of the people I've worked with over the years actually had a grasp on financial projections - most people have no idea, it's really about education them as to what running a business is all about, all the financials and the cash flow."
How long it takes to develop a workable plan depends on the individual. Some people can get through it in a day, others need more time. Belinsky said he had a handful of entrepreneurs complete their business plans in 2012 who actually started the process five years earlier.
"An awful lot do (chicken out)," he said. "But I actually guide everybody through it. The majority of people are scared to death at doing it, even if you give them a template. What I try to do is help them with the first couple pages, give them a feel for how to do it, then let them do more research and do more work on their plan. Then, when they're done, they send it to me and I'll review it and edit it."
Belinksy said the template is easy to follow, and prospective business owners can do a lot of their research online.
"We use the template to spur them on," he said. "We give them a number of documents and stuff like that, examples ... that helps them out. Quite often, I even show them how to use the Internet, how to do the research on the Internet.
The one-on-one session is usually held at the chamber office, "but as they continue to develop their plan I have them send me stuff by e-mail or phone," he said. "That way, they don't always have to be making appointments to see me."
And, Belinsky said business prospects need to have a viable business plan before they go looking for backers.
"People trying to do it on their own often find it time-consuming and frustrating," he said. "Sometimes they'll start a business up without any kind of plan and then suddenly their funds are gone because they don't have one. A business plan provides a guide on how to be able to run their business. It will tell them what they need to do to prepare themselves."
Belinsky said the process helps people figure out if being a small business owner is really for them.
"Some people think they're not the right material for owning their own business, when they are. Others will think they're ready to go but really shouldn't be doing it. Part of the process is figuring out if you're the type of person who should be doing it. If so, here are things that are important for you to know, like the hours you'll work, the amount of money required for cash flow, how to do their market research.
"Sometimes we don't see them again; it's actually saving them a lot of time and money. On the other hand, those who are really interested in it will find it to be a much simpler, easier, more complete way of doing it. There are lots of different tools that we use to help them flesh it out."
And while no two businesses are alike, Belinsky said a good rule of thumb is that, "the more you plan, the more you're going to succeed."
To register for Belinsky's Jan. 24 start-up class call (330) 308-7434 to register. There is a $20 material fee.


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Reconstruction and Clarification (Update)
In my reflection on Pope Francis' interview with Father Spadaro, I remarked that it be best interpreted under the genre of "conversation," rather than "interview." The same was even more true of the "interview" with Signore Scalfari. But, even at its first appearance, I wondered how it had been recorded by Scalfari – did he bring an aide? (clearly not); did he use a recorder? (none was mentioned); is he adept at short hand? (even while discoursing on the "fabric of being").
Now it appears that it was not recorded at all, but reconstructed after the fact by the octagenarian (though very astute) editor.
John Page, in a comment below, called our attention to the new information. Since his comment is on an old post, I provide the link here.
I confess to finding the modus procedendi rather strange. Stranger still is that the "interview" with Scalfari is presented on the Vatican website under the category of "speeches!"
Actually less an "update" than a warm "recommendation." John Allen linked to an interview between Father Thomas Rosica and Monsignor Dario Viganò, the director of Vatican Television. The interview recounts the "transformation" that Viganò discerned in Francis after his moment of prayer before he went on to the Loggia.
But the whole interview is fascinating and Viganò speaks some of the purest Italian I'v heard in a long time (though Rosica is no slouch!). There are English subtitles.
Viganò speaks of the crucial role of images in filming Benedict's departure from the Vatican and Francis' appearance on the Loggia. At the very end he makes, in response to a question, an interesting comparison between the two Popes.
Here are twenty-seven very worthwhile minutes of breaking good.
About the Author
Rev. Robert P. Imbelli, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, is Associate Professor of Theology Emeritus at Boston College.
55 comments
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It's not really how you do an interview--especially when it's with the pope! But, while it appears Scalfari flubbed some details about Francis's post-election doubts, Vatican spokesman Frederico Lombardi, SJ, said that the pope "does not dispute" what appears in the interview. Indeed, Francis approved the text before it was published.
In other words, no one should dismiss the interview because Scalfari failed to record it as it occurred.
What do you mean "that's not how you do an interview?" You don't record it? Isn't that precisely what Father Spadaro did?
You also ignored in a prior post the completely erroneous headline on La Repubblica's presentation of the "interview:" "Cosi cambierò la chiesa!"
One can be forgiven for indulging a "hermeneutic of suspicion" regarding Scalfari's agenda.
He should write written responses to presubmitted questions before the interview takes place, a la Nabokov.
I thought it was obvious that I was talking about Scalfari's method.
So what if Scalfari has an agenda? You don't? I don't? The pope is no fool.
I ignore lots of things, and can't respond to every comment on the blog.
"Cosi cambierò la chiesa" ("How I will change the church") was the headline, not a quote from the interview. It was presented as a summary of the pope's agenda as set out in the subsequent article, and used the very unfortunate Italian practice of using quotation marks. But those familiar with Italian journalism would know that was the case and would take it into account or explain that to readers.
Those familiar with the often deplorable practices of Italian journalism would also not be too shocked at Scalfari not using a recorder or taking notes and then presenting it as a Q&A in direct quotations. Still, this was an egregious, absurd way to conduct such an interview, even for La Repubblica. In the U.S., his career would have ended in ignominy. (Or he would become the next Bob Woodward.) In Italy he is the toast of the tabloids.
The other question of course is why no one on the pope's side recorded it!
Still, the pope did not dispute the contents of the interview, and the obvious problem with the post-election sequence of events was the focus of the Vatican's clarifications, not the other much more substantial comments. The pope's remarks to Scalfari were consistent with everything else he has said elsewhere.
So it is what it is. The reaction to all this by the church's Old Guard is fascinating: they are always trying to highlight ostensible problems in translation, relialibility, or downplay remarks as "off-the-cuff" and therefore almost inconsequential.
Bob, it seems to me that's where the real "hermeneutic of suspicion" seem to be directed these days -- toward the pope from the right.
I'd also note that I don't think Francis shares your suspicion about Scalfari (an avowed atheist). He seems eager to engage him, and trust in his good will. And it seemed to be returned in kind -- Scalfari reproduced (reconstructed) Francis' own arguments against his unbelief, and Scalfari ended with a very positive assessment of Francis.
It will be interesting to see if they meet again, as the pope indicated he wanted to do. This time with tape recorders I hope!
Tape recorders can destroy the dynamics and make the conversatio more stilted; people may be more self-conscious. As long as pope Francis reviewed it and approved it before publication, I don't think that it is problematic for the journalist to reconstruct the conversation from memory.
What concerns me more than Scalfari's method, questionable in itself, is his lack of disclosure. Based on all my years in journalism, he was duty-bound to make it crystal clear, front and center, that this was his "reconstruction." The fact that he did not more than calls into question the integrity of the "interview," it calls into question the integrity of the author. That's unfortunate.
"All my years in journalism." You said this once before, and when you were asked what kind of journalism, and where you practice it, you demurred, saying something like, "Oh, I didn't mean that I actually work in journalism." What gives?
Truman Capote claimed that he wrote all of the quotes in In Cold Blood from memory. Studs Terkel told all and sundry that his fumble-fingered efforts to set up his tape recorder -- usually requiring help from the interviewee -- loosened up both interviewer and the interviewee. I never used a tape recorder except at times when we planned to run the interview verbatim. Others I know use it whenever they can. Everyone has had the experience of getting the headline news from the interviewee after the interviewer closed his notebook.
Before we slam Italian journalistic practices, we should reflect on FoxNews and the seeping of its "techniques" into other U.S. media.
Tom Blackburn wrote, "Everyone has had the experience of getting the headline news from the interviewee after the interviewer closed his notebook."
Couldn't agree with you more.
I am not familiar with the practice of "phantom quotes" in Italian journalism. It must have been sufficiently problematic even for them, for the quotation marks appeared and disappeared depending on which day one accessed the website.
As for the Pope's eagerness to engage Scalfari, I have no difficulty with that. Indeed, I praised his "astuteness" in challenging Scalfari on a number of points. I am concerned, however, about a tendency towards off the cuff remarks which can be more "ingenuo" than "furbo."
"The church's Old Guard" aside, perhaps we can agree that what seems to be an emerging genre should not be posted on the Vatican website as "speeches;" perhaps they should come up with a new category: "Papal Conversations."
So, I guess the "I" in "How I will change the church" referred to Scalfari, not Francis? How could we have been so obtuse as not to know of this "very unfortunate Italian practice?" Note to self: Read with askance anything written by an Italian not named Imbelli or Alighieri.
I ignore lots of things, and can't respond to every comment on the blog.
Oh, Grant, you're much too self-effacing. Or is it just my comments that always seem to arouse your interest so? As far as your question to me, I think if you read my comments again, very carefully, you'll have your answer. If not, let me know, and I will remove all trace of subtlety.
Abe, I would very much reject the idea of having the pope respond to presubmitted and vetted questions. B16 started doing that for his in-flight "press conferences," which were very deceptive in their practices. (Pretending to call on journalists who were in fact pre-selected and answering questions that reporter hadn't even submitted. Just weird.) Francis, like JP2 in the early days, seems to want real interaction which can produce genuine insights and conversation. The conservative allergy to this form of papal pronouncement I think stems from the high (nose-bleed) view of the papacy, where every utterance could be construed as infallible, and every utterance was therefore carefully vetted to sound like the catechism.
Claire: Using a tape recorder for a conversation like this is not unusual at all, and in fact is to be expected. When you are doing a reported Q&A with a world leader, you record it. Or at least you take notes. This isn't a matter of interviewing someone with no experience of media. The pope does not seem like one to be discomfited by the presence of a microphone. And they are much more discreet than the old days. Just turn on your smartphone!
BTW, John Allen has a similar take:
As does John Thavis.
John Allen:
None of this, of course, is to excuse La Repubblica's sloppiness in not making clear to readers that what was being presented as the literal words of the pope was actually a reconstruction, not a transcript.
Barring further clarification from the Vatican, it's now impossible to cite any particular lines or formulae from that interview and attribute them directly to the pope, since we don't know quite where Scalfari ends and Francis begins.
It would also be a mistake, however, to simply disregard the interview, including the critical matter of what happened to Francis immediately after his election.
Agreed. And who can possibly be against "genuine insights and conversation?" Father Lombardi's bon mot that this is not "Denzinger," merely belabors the obvious. But not to consider it a "speech" is hardly a question of "nose-bleed," but of truth in packaging ... and of interpreting.
The recent uproar over the so-called "mystical" experience of Pope Francis brought back to my mind the time when it was announced "Habemus papam" and Pope Francis first appeared on the balcony after he was elected. I remember being somewhat confused by his demeanor. After giving several very unobtrusive blessings to the crowd, he just stood there looking out at them for close to a minute. I wondered if he was convinced that he was up to the job. (I also thought: This is not going to be a very interesting papacy!!!) Then his face changed as he said to the crowd: "Buonasera." It was awesome.
A few minutes ago I went to the YouTube video of the event and saw a close-up of his face and, as he looked out at the crowd, I detected a calm, peaceful smile on his face that I had not noticed last March. Could this have been part of his mystical acceptance time?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J2uBWXoX68 (1:30)
After viewing this event again I have another opinion of his minute of silence before speaking to the crowd. Could it be that he was showing his respect for them?
Then I thought, "Hmm, I wonder what happened when Benedict was announced?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C41EYAxieK8 (7:22)
What a contrast!
Benedict came out on the balcony arms outstretched, big smile on his face, and then hands clasped and raised over his head in some sort of gesture that I cannot understand, most probably one that has meaning for the Italians. (Hopefully, not a victory gesture.) He continued those gestures for close to two minutes before speaking.
A great deal of human communication is only approximate, and we expect it to be that way.. If you ask me, "What time is dinner?" and I say, "6:15" you don't expect that answer to be exact. But making up things out of whole cloth is another matter. If you ask, "What's for dinner?" and I reply, "Soup, salad, steak, and chocolae mousse" knowing very well there is no dessert, then that is a another matter.
Lack of total accuracy is often good enough for normal conversation, but when the point of a sentence is not entirely consistent with the facts, or, worse, when the speaker invents something and offers it as fact, that't another matter. I must say that at times Pope Francis himself in an effort to make a point clearly sometimes seems to overstates the point. He ends up just being inconsistent or otherwise confusing.
If I understand this post correctly Eugenio Scalfari, a well-educated, highly experienced fellow who defines himself as an atheist in matters of formal religion and Pope Francis, sometimes referred to as the Vicar of Christ, had a conversation or interview or chat or something. And when it was done there seemed to be some ambiguity in the minds by those who were not in attendance concerning what they really meant or said or thought or something. Who could have seen that coming?
Two people who have both struggled mightily in their own ways to be responsible and truthful to themselves and the rest of us got together and talked. And their profoundly different views of the foundations of reality did not prevent them from chatting politely and usefully. They moved to the high ground together. Could there possibly be a pretty clear, useful lesson there rather than a source of confusion?
All onterviews should be like those of suspects in cop tv shows .... video-taped :)
I think you're onto something about them "onterviews!" :-)
What a shame. Now all those who are dedicated to parsing the Pope's words will be unable to do so. But all is not lost. They can simply deny that any of it is valid except for what they like, and attribute whatever they don't like to the villianous atheist interviewer!
As far as I am concerned, if Pope Francis does not contest this report of the interview, if he read it and approved it before it was published, that means it is a fair account of what was said.
Sure, one can say he didn't read it over carefully enough to spot a discrepency about what room he was in when he had that moment of "light" after the shock of being elected. But when someone reviews a transcript of a recording it's possible to miss things too. It's not fatal, or even very important what room he was in.
If he saw something that raised a red flag, that was a misinterpretation of what he really thinks, don't you think he would say so?
One could say he didn't speak carefully enough. But you could say that even if you had a recording. Those who do not like what the Pope says are already very busy telling the world that he really meant to say something else. They are not detained by his actual words. We have quite a bit on videotape, and that hasn't stopped people from spinning it away from what was said.
Also, not to put too fine a point on it, but recordings can be doctored, notes can be selective. Who is going to prove that he actually said those things in a one-to-one interview, with or without a recording? The only assurance you have is his own word, the Pope's word. That ought to be enough.
Sorry, but I think there are people (like the source that Grant linked to above) who are grasping at this opportunity to negate a very favorable public event, because it does not correspond to their own views of what the Pope should have said.
I feel we are getting the view of the Scribes in the Gospels who are scandalized by the freedom of Jesus in dealing directly with sinners and who are zealous over jots and tittles but have little care for the souls of those who are not reached by the prescriptions of the Law.
Get a recording! Prove that he said those things!
Oh, if only there was a videotape of the scene of the woman caught in adultery... we'd have found out that Jesus couldn't possibly have let her off like that!
Bob, I am grateful that you have not descended to the level of dismissing the interview.
And I like your suggestion that there might be a category of "Conversations."
Is "speeches" the same thing as "allocutions"? I believe the category of "allocution" is used as a grab bag for anything that doesn't fall into one of the other formal categories.
One more item, which I did not mention in my comment above. Usually, the details of time and place are objective anchors in facts that can be checked, and this helps us to be confident about the report. But recall that the item of factual discrepency arose when the Pope was describing a spiritual experience at a moment of extremely high emotional and spiritual intensity. He may be the one who didn't remember the details accurately.
Nevertheless, oral history, as we all know from Biblical studies, can succeed in passing on the most important content while not getting all "the facts" straight.
There is no category of "allocution" on the Vatican website. But if you take as definition for the word, "a formal and authoritative speech," then it is subsumed under "Speeches" or, in the Italian, "Discorsi." And that's where the "interviews" have been placed.
Therein lies the problem. It is a new genre, yet, because it presents (whether accurately or not) the words of the Pope (and let's not pretend that he is, from the point of view of influence and newsworthiness,only the "Bishop of Rome," however theologically correct that may be), it raises issues of authority and interpretation that are problematic.
I don't think it serves mutual understanding to launch into a rhetorical riff on "scribes." There are matters of legitimate concern that people can raise about the viability of the procedure -- not because the room was 10 meters or 100 meters from the Loggia, nor because he is meeting and conversing with Scalfari (a wonderful pastoral gesture), but because the unscripted conversations are transcribed and trumpeted to a world-wide audience of listeners who (whether on the "left" or on the "right") read the script precisely as "allocutions."
That such concerns are not totally misplaced, here from the New York Times:
"Not three weeks have passed since Pope Francis said the church had grown "obsessed" with abortion, declaring, "We have to find a new balance." But on the campus of Loyola Marymount University, overlooking this city's west side, a fight over abortion now threatens to rip the school asunder."
Rita, thank you for mentioning this - "Nevertheless, oral history, as we all know from Biblical studies, can succeed in passing on the most important content while not getting all "the facts" straight."
How interesting that so many are so very upset about the fact that the journalist reported from memory. He apparently got the meaning right, since the pope approved publication. I am wondering why this is - what so upsets those who are upset about this?
And how many of those who are upset about a small detail in an interview that was written by one of those who took part in the conversation (is that better than "interview"?) shortly after it took place are similarly upset about the possible inaccuracies in the gospels and letters of the New Testament. They report words attributed to Jesus as quotes and provide accounts of his actions and movements and companions. These "reports" were written decades after Jesus' death, by writers of whom at least one and perhaps more were not present at any of the events they reported on. At least one and maybe more of the evangelists did not personally know Jesus. Nor of course did Paul. I suspect that none of those who wrote the NT worked from transcripts or archived TV footage either.
I forgot to add that I have read that most modern biblical scholars do not believe that any of the evangelists could have known Jesus personally and that none of the stories in the gospels are eyewitness accounts. I am not a biblical scholar, so I cannot judge the accuracy of this claim, but it seems reasonable to me.
Bob, I still don't understand the concern over these papal remarks. The pope certainly seems to know what he is doing, he has delivered the remarks -- again and again, in his daily morning homilies, inflight press conferences, interviews like this one and the one with Civilta' Cattolica. These are the pope's words, his feelings, his beliefs. Why can't we take them at face value? Remarks from John Paul II and Benedict (who gave book-length interviews) were trumpeted and cited and no one seemed to have concerns like these.
I seriously doubt the pope is keeping himself up at night worrying about how to best categorize his interviews on the Vatican website--which is barely navigable.
Just wanted to pick up on, and develop, a point that's been made here.
Rita Ferrone said, "As far as I am concerned, if Pope Francis does not contest this report of the interview, if he read it and approved it before it was published, that means it is a fair account of what was said."
David Gibson wrote, "I still don't understand the concern over these papal remarks. The pope certainly seems to know what he is doing, he has delivered the remarks … again and again…"
And now a friend sends me this in an email: "L'Osservatore Romano re-printed the entire 'interview' or conversation between Scalfari and Francis. Now why would they do that if they didn't think it represented the pope's true thinking?"
Here's the link:
Msgr Dario Vigano indulges in the most saccharine mystificatory papolatry, feeding the faithful unnourishing bonbons.
Helen, I looked at much of the two links you posted -- the initial enthusiasm when Ratzinger's name was announced was much greater than that which greeted the unknown Bergoglio and the reason Ratzinger did not speak for so long was that the crowds were roaring (with help form the Communio e liberazione claque). The display of John Paul II's coat of arms made his entrance all the more spectacular, and of course he is a more handsome man than Bergoglio. He smiled more confidently then than at any subsequent moment in his 8 year pontificate.
That Cardinal Bergoglio immediately accepted his election to the papacy is from overwhelming evidence beyond dispute. That Dottor Eugenio Scalfari says otherwise seems to me more than just a trifling nuance. What else then did he possibly "mis-remember"? But I like Father Lombardi's approach, "This after all is'nt Denzinger-Schonmetzer."
But maybe Ludwig von Pastor! (That smile sign thing.)
This piece by Francis X. Rocca expresses some of the concerns I've tried to raise regarding "genre" and "interpretation:"
"This is a genre to which we were not accustomed," Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters Oct. 2, the day after Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari published his account of a conversation with the pope. "Let's take it for what it is, seeking to interpret it correctly."
Catholics have traditionally heard or read a pope's words in certain authoritative forms: magisterial documents, such as encyclicals or apostolic exhortations, which carry the full weight of the papacy's teaching authority; canonical decrees with the force of church law; and homilies delivered at major papal liturgies.
In all such cases, Vatican officials ordinarily review the texts prior to delivery and provide official translations in major languages to reduce the possibility of ambiguity or confusion.
Pope Francis' addition to the magisterial, canonical and pastoral forms of papal communication, Father Lombardi said, is a genre that might be termed "conversational," comprising not only the pope's interviews with journalists but also his off-the-cuff homilies at daily morning Masses, of which the Vatican publishes only summaries with verbatim excerpts.
When the pope speaks spontaneously, his words should carry correspondingly less weight than in more traditional forms and contexts, Father Lombardi said. Yet lately the impact of the pope's statements has been inversely proportional to their official status.
Rocca opines:
Pope Francis appears to recognize that distinctions between the magisterial and conversational are lost on most listeners and readers, who are unversed in theology and encounter his words in the fragmentary form of news reports.
Speriamo bene!
Why wouldn't we think so already? Why do we have to hope so? The man has already proved himself a skilled communicator. How long will the brow-furrowers wonder whether this pope really knows what he's doing? How long will it be before he has "grown into" his office? He is not Benedict. While he sudied theology in Germany, Francis's way of thinking doesn't seem terribly Teutonic. When he has something he wants to communicate to his people, to the world, he doesn't feel the need to pass it through the relevent dicasteries.
your confidence in the Petrine charism is touching. As you will have perceived from my posts, I have applauded Francis' pastoral sensitivites and his homiletic challenges.
I have expressed in this post and this thread concerns regarding the carefulness of some of his pronouncements that can easily be misused, instancing, in that regard, the Times story on Loyola Marymount. You may dismiss these as "brow-furrowing" (nice inner assonance there). On the other hand it is possible that you fail to see aspects of the still-unfolding pontificate that others are trying to call attention to, not out of fault-finding, but out of care for the office.
After all, Francis has characterized himself as "clever," "naive," and "undisciplined." To suggest that these traits may still appear is not put down, but service. Isn't that what discernment entails? and isn't that what, in good Ignatian fashion, he has asked of others: to tell him when he may be wrong. Certainly Benedict received his share of such discernment - not least in these precincts.
To suggest that one is seeking "Teutonic" thinking is the sort of glib dismissal that advances no discussion.
As for "growing into his office," indeed, six months are insufficient. How long did it take to grow into the office of Provincial where, he confesses, mistakes were made?
Well..."out of care for the office." Never has so much been conveyed in so few words. You may be the master communicator here, Bob!
The fearfulness that Francis has generated in the church establishment is fascinating, but again, to be comparative, where was this hand-wringing and brow-furrowing when it came to Benedict, e.g.?
He never "grew into the office," but presided over a disastrous series of missteps, and then resigned. Yet the narrative line from the Old Guard is that he was undone by the media and others. Benedict's fan club defends Regensberg, which could be construed as a new form of papal communication, I suppose. A lecture from his old university post. And he wrote three books on the historical Jesus! What is that all about? He noted that they weren't magisterial pronouncements, but still -- he was the pope. And now, dressed as pope and bearing the title, he writes an open letter to an Italian atheist engaging him in verbal combat (and dialogue).
That is an entirely new form of papl or semi-papal communication. What weight to give it all? My answer is that I think we can figure it out pretty easily without the edifice of the church collpasing like a house of cards, as another well-known pope put it.
Joseph S. O'Leary
Yes, indeed, the cheering of the crowd was much more exuberant for Benedict than for Francis. Name recognition does have its benefits.
I hope that I am not distracting from the discussion of the facts about the "mystical experience" of Francis but I am astounded when I view the tape of Benedict's introduction as pope to the people of Rome and the world. It is so out of character. He reminds me of a Kentucky Derby winner coming out of the starting gate. (Hope I am not offending Benedict lovers.)
By contrast the demeanor of Francis in the first few minutes before he spoke on the balcony was so profound and deeply personal. The facts about when or where he accepted his election may be a problem but I see his actions on the balcony as the time when it became a reality for him.
I gather that the emerging rule among the anti-brow-furrowers is that only journalists can judge journalism and if journalists declare "nihil obstat" in regard to Scalfari's formulations the rest of us should defer to their obviously superior professional judgment.
Patrick Molloy, nobody has said anything remotely like what you are claiming is the "emerging rule."
BTW, Sandro Magister, who has emerged as the paladin of the nervous Old Guard, reproduces -- with affirmation -- an essay by Pietro deMarco that has been circulating in recent days, a pointed critique of Francis' new form of "magisterium" by interview:
Me, I'm not so bothered by it, as you can tell from my comments above.
But I would also note that this is not just about the pope's remarks -- it is about his actions, his deeds. They reflect and complement each other. Just a day or two after releasing his "first" encyclical, written with Ratzinger, Francis traveled to the island of Lampedusa for that moving mass in memory of the refugees who are still being lost at sea. That was, poetically but rightly, called his true "first encyclical." And it was not about the words as much as the image of a pope going without fanfare to a remote island to celebrate Mass using the humblest vessels.
That was, poetically but rightly, called his true "first encyclical."
Me, I like most of the images too and this was one of the points made by Viganò in the video I recommended.
It's the carelessness, the lack of nuance, of some of the words used which concerns me, as I suggested in my America reflection, even before the conversation with Scalfari appeared.
De Marco's points (and Magister's) are worth engaging; and discernment of their validity is scarcely determined by affixing labels. It only puts commenters here in the company of those they purport to deprecate.
I would also recommend this CNA story on the history of papal interviews. Some very helpful background:
Vatican City, Oct 6, 2013 / 06:56 am (CNA/EWTN News).- While it has drawn much attention, the interview Pope Francis gave to the prominent Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari is not the first of its kind in the history of the Church, but part of a tradition stretching back to "Good Pope John."
The first interview ever given by a Pope to a "secular" newspaper was that John XXIII gave to the prominent Italian journalist Indro Montanelli in 1959, published in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on March 29 of that year.
It was Pope John XXIII himself who made the first move, asking his personal secretary Loris Capovilla to inform Corriere della Sera chief editor Mario Missiroli that he wanted to give an interview to a journalist "outside of the Catholic circle."
Missiroli asked Montanelli, his paper's most important columnist, to conduct the interview, preferring him to the official Vatican analyst Silvio Negro. Montanelli, an agnostic, was unfamiliar with the world of the Church, but nonetheless had a lively conversation with the Pope.
John XXIII spoke candidly at that time about some of his private opinions, including his low esteem for Pope Pius X, who had been canonized some years before. He also announced to Montanelli that he intended to call an ecumenical council, but the journalist did not grasp the importance of that detail, giving it little attention in his article.
John XXIII's successor, Pope Paul VI, gave an interview to the Italian Vaticanista Alberto Cavallari in 1965, which was published Oct. 4 of that year, again in Corriere della Sera.
Paul VI was very outspoken, addressing the problem of the lack of faith, explaining that "the need of the Church to open up" comes from the fact that "millions of people do belong to any religious faith anymore."
Bob, good news -- you don't need a label, just a diagnosis: PTSD, or Pope Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Pat Archbold has it, and explains the symptoms:
I worry not for the Church's survival or the Catholicity of the Pope, but for the souls entrusted to her care. I worry that the spirit of the times can overwhelm the truth contained in the Pope's rhetoric, even if that is not what he intended. It has happened before.
I worry because those most encouraged by the Pope's word and style are those most vehemently opposed to the Church and her mission. I worry that Pope Francis, like Pope Paul VI, may look back on his pontificate and wonder what went wrong.
I worry because the Pope's chosen methods of impromptu communication lends itself to use by the spirit of the times that seeks only justification of its contrary will. I worry that this can happen all over again. I worry because souls are at stake.
Creepy article, David. And creepy comments beneath.
Creepy? Right, Gerelyn, but more than that.
To use a legitimate disorder caused by such things as war experiences, rape, childhood abuse, to name a few causes as an analogy for Mr. Archbold's intense fear of what this pope is doing and saying about where our Church needs to be is unconscionable.
PTSD theapies usually involve finding ways of coping with the disorder. I suggest that he read or reread the Beatitiudes and Matthew 25:31-46 or, better yet, that he go and work in a soup kitchen.
Agree, Helen, that it's waay worse than creepy.
I just hope Francis is being well protected.
Calling the the pope's remarks in these interviews "careless" strikes me as rather bold, even if he did the human thing and admitted his imperfections.
s.v. parrhesia
Speaking truth to power, are we? Exhilarating. And yet, it's one thing to say, "I wish your formulations had been more precise," and quite another to say, "and therefore I deem them careless."
Could you put that into English, please?
I suppose that Fr. Imbelli want us to use google more frequently. :-)
I think people get creeped out when someone talks of "souls being at stake," but should we? As Catholics, isn't this something we should be profoundly concerned about?
And another thing…When someone raises concern about carelessness, meaning lack of nuance, is it fair to misquote them as accusing someone of being "careless"? Twice? Some may think that's par for the course from the Italian media. Me, well, based on all my years in journalism, I think it's… careless.
Very interesting to hear of John XXIII's interview and the journalist who missed the scoop of the century. Paul VI has two book-length interviews with Jean Guitton, which present him in a very attractive light. It's the internet that lent wings to Francis's interview.
Don't forget this one:
Maybe I am getting crotchety in my own old age (likely!), but ISTM that if a couple geezers want to sit down and talk about things, the whole world shouldn't have to get its weltanschauung bent all out of shape. And if they aren't worrying about their souls being at stake when they are old enough to see the clubhouse beyond the 18th hole, no one else should be worrying about his neighbor's soul either.

subset: commoncrawl


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Original sticky can be found here
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I've seen medals awarded for successfully completing a grab in ME3 multiplayer. So what is a grab and how do I do one?
If you are in cover, and an enemy is in the other side of the cover, you will see a blue fist. Hit your melee button, and you will reach over, grab the guy, pull him to your side, and then kill him. This is the grab medals are awarded for.
They are difficult to pull off because enemies will run away if they see you enter cover opposite them.
When you are in cover and somone is on the opposite side you can grab them and if it is succsessfull grab will always kill the victim


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The whole Aspasios #family whishes you a #merry #christmas! https://t.co/cOh4HMpic9
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Halloween Candy
First, fair warning: this is a frivolous post, a tale of pop culture, written to accompany the eating of leftover Halloween candy.The week leading up to Halloween brought television two new fairy-tale inspired dramas, NBC's Grimm and ABC's Once Upon a Time. Grimm is a police procedural with a supernatural twist (one of the cops is a descendant of the Brothers Grimm and has inherited a vocation for hunting monsters). Once Upon a Time supposes that an evil curse has trapped fairy tale characters in the modern town of Storybrooke, Maine, unable to remember where they came from, but with a prophecy about a lost daughter returning to break the curse. The monsters in Grimm are derived from the original, gory tales of the Brothers Grimm; the characters in Once Upon a Time are drawn from the sanitized Disney tales.Of course I was much more optimistic about Grimm. I can't stand sanitized fairy tales with simpering princesses and sugar-coated endings. So I watched Grimm first and was sorely disappointed. The show feels like a third-rate imitation of a Joss Whedon series. The production and writing are sloppy; the plot twists are predictable; nothing about it feels original.Once Upon a Time, on the other hand, which I expected to hate, left me impressed. The characters have complex and plausible human interactions, in the fairy-tale scenes as much as in the real-world ones. Prince Charming tells Snow White that surely the Evil Queen can't hurt her; Snow White shoots back in a tone dripping with sarcasm: Really? She poisoned an apple because she thought I was prettier than her. Costume and set design are richly imagined and have a distinct realism about them the princesses wear gowns that suggest Alexander McQueen more than classic Disney animation. Rumpelstiltskin is not just mischievous, he's unhinged and possibly malevolent. The casting is brilliant. The story is not predictable, and the writing is tight all the guns on the wall in scene one are fired by the end of the episode.Once, in other words, attempts to present the Disney tales come of age, imbued with real human drama and stripped of their saccharine trappings. It's a tall order. The promises of the pilot episode are going to be hard to follow through on. One slip in tone and the story could veer into the saccharine or even ridiculous. Pacing is also going to be a challenge: the initial setup suggests the beginning of a feature film more than a multi-season television drama, and it's hard to imagine the premise holding for more than one season. Still, the pilot was good enough that I'll stick around for a few more episodes and see what these writers can come up with they might just be able to work a bit of magic. If you're in the mood for some lighter viewing, this series is worth checking out.My one criticism, at this point, is that its feminism might be overdone. Like the literary fairy tales of Angela Carter, Once introduces strong female characters three of them, on whom the story centers. The men don't have a whole lot to do; so far they seem to exist mostly as pretty faces or else pawns in a dangerous, female-dominated game. (The one exception, the male creature with designs of his own, is Rumpelstiltskin; but he is monstrous.) This arrangement felt skewed to me, a sort of reverse sexism, and brought to mind all the recent journalistic buzz about "the end of men." Its not that I think the princesses should go back to behaving like wilted lettuce and let the men rescue them, it's just that having at least one fully developed male character in the ensemble (and/or a weak female character to contrast with all the strong ones) would make the story more believable. The objectification of one sex is never a good idea. Ethically, it's unfair; artistically, it drains half the human race of its agency and therefore weakens a story, no matter which half the artist decides to favor.We now return you to your regularly scheduled high culture.
About the Author
Christine Neulieb is a former Commonweal editorial assistant.
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High culture doesn't seem to have got many takers here, sadly. There's much more interest evident in the political fights in the other wing.I almost never watch television, but every now and then something beckons and I have a look. Interest always wanes after a few episodes. The novelty is fun for a while, the cinematography beautiful, the writing not bad, and then, suddenly, it's all extremely boring.
Thanks, Christine. Frivolity is good, and Once Upon a Time may lure me from PBS. We watch very little television but some if it is really worthwhile. I scoffed at Doc Martin after a few minutes, but thankfully a wiser friend got me to watch it again and now I am a fan. I look forward to Once. (Sadly, all the Milky Ways are gone.)
Which night and at what time is Once on? Since it's ABC it should be easy to find. Sounds worth a look :-)
It's on Sundays, 8 (7c), and the pilot is online at abc.com or hulu. Again, it's a guilty pleasure, a bit of mental bubble gum -- but enjoyable mental bubble gum, at least so far!
Thanks, Christine. Will look.I watch TV without a qualm. And speaking of Halloween candy, CNN's Anderson Cooper) just ended his program with some clips of some very little children being told by their parents, "We ate all of your Halloween candy last night after you went to bed". This seems a bit unfeeling, but the kids' reactions are hilarious. Catch them this evening when Cooper's program is repeated :-)
I'm not a high culture vulture (I visit Tim Horton's and watch "Dancing with the Stars" with Raber, and someone gave me a copy of George Hamilton's autobiography!), so "Once" ought to be right up my alley. But I couldn't get through it. It revolves around a clever premise, but it doesn't really seem to be about anything. What does it mean? Fairy tales are parables, the transmission of an culture's virtues and values (and vengeance is swift and bloody). What is "Once" about? Even "Seinfeld," a show I utterly loathed, was about the utter triviiality and shallowness some people make of life, even thought it purported to be be a "show about nothing."Maybe I should give it another chance.I haven't seen "Grimm," though. But I'm not a fan of cop shows. I can't even watch "Castle" with that dishy Nathan Fillion. I wish they'd bring back "Firefly." Sigh.
"...but it doesn't really seem to be about anything. What does it mean?"I don't think most traditional fairy tales can be reduced to simple parables, though there are some that function as cautionary tales. The original stories collected by the Grimms are often frightening and disturbing; they have a lot of sex and violence in them; I'd be hard-pressed to say what most of them are "about." While sometimes bad things happen to bad people as punishment, it's just as often the case that scary or tragic things happen to good people for no apparent reason. Actions have consequences in these fairy tales, but sometimes the negative consequences are out of all proportion to an innocent mistake. I think that's because fairy tales can be an important way for a community to grapple with the baffling complexities of life, not just to pass on instructions to their children about a world whose rules they've figured out. Fairy tales are "about" dealing with a scary, confusing, dangerous world where people don't always seem to get what they deserve.As for Once, I think one of the most important things it's about is the importance of restoring the original moral complexity of fairy tales. The classic Disney retellings of Grimm stories stripped them of everything that made the original stories valuable -- nothing ever truly costs anything in the Disney versions, not really; no one we care about ever loses anything of value; the evil of the villains is cartoonish and inexplicable, motiveless. Once presents more realistic heroes and villains (Snow White, living in Storybrooke, has not entirely attractive school-marmish habits and has trouble getting a date; the Evil Queen, living in the Enchanted Forest, loves her father, and that's what makes us really feel the awful force of her choosing to curse Snow White. The scene in episode two where she calls her father "Daddy" several times, channeling Amy Winehouse -- it's fantastic. It humanizes her.)All that is probably, I'll admit, just about all the analysis this show deserves. It's not terribly deep in its themes, but at least it has themes. It's also truly outstanding in production design and costuming, and I can enjoy a show for the visual aspects alone, if they're good enough.I agree about both Castle and Firefly. :)


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Markets Shrug at Shutdown Even as Debt Battle Looms
WASHINGTON—Despite a week of budget wrangling that showed scant sign of abating, Wall Street investors shrugged off the federal government shutdown, presuming that lawmakers will find a solution before the U.S. loses its borrowing ability.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 76.10 points on Friday to 15072.58, snapping a two-day losing streak. The 30-stock average declined just 1.2% during the week, despite the shutdown.
Many investors say stocks remain buoyant because they expect the Federal Reserve to continue its efforts to support the economy and because few expect the current clash to continue long enough to do lasting damage.
Some corners of the bond markets show signs of concern over the next stage—a possible fight around mid-October over whether Congress will give permission for the U.S. to issue more debt. But many standard measures of market anxiety, such as the price of gold and the yields on long-term government bonds, aren't yet flashing.
Latest Updates: Budget Battle
- House Democrats Try Longshot Maneuver
- GOP Group Urges Health-Law Detente
- Capital Journal: The Deal That's There for the Taking
- The Numbers Guy: Shutdown Costs Can Be a Drag
- White House's Hard Line Has Risks Attached
- Furloughed Workers Snarl Benefit Systems
- Treasury Remains Coy About Backup Plan
- Remark Gives Ammunition to Obama, Reid
- Obama Presses Boehner for 'Clean' Vote
- Both Parties Dread Looming, Bigger Cuts
- Shutdown Washington: Tales of Empty City
The shutdown "doesn't seem to be fazing the markets all that much," said Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist for Wells Fargo Funds Management LLC, which manages $226 billion. "The reason is, we've seen this coming from a mile away."
Friday brought an increasingly bitter series of volleys between the protagonists and ensured that the federal budget impasse would drag through the weekend. That makes next week a big test of whether the market's calm holds up.
Complicating matters, the lights remain off in the federal government's key statistic agencies, preventing the release of economic data that would help inform investors about the state of the economy. The closely watched monthly jobs report wasn't released Friday.
House Republicans said they would hold an unusual Saturday session to approve back pay for furloughed federal workers while seeking to pin blame on President Barack Obama for the continuing government shutdown, which was into its fourth day.
"All we're asking for is to sit down and have a discussion," Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said after a meeting with House Republicans. Mr. Boehner has told colleagues he is hoping to spark broader discussions to resolve the spending impasse, find a way to raise the federal debt limit and win concessions to GOP budget priorities.
Asked Friday about the possibility of such talks, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) said he had a hard time deciphering what House Republicans want. "It changes by the hour," Mr. Reid said.
The markets' relative calm has been noted in Washington, with some apparent surprise. Mr. Obama and other top officials in recent days have suggested investors shouldn't be complacent about the next deadline. The debt ceiling currently stands at $16.7 trillion and needs to be raised because the U.S. spends more money than it earns through tax revenue and other income. Without such a move, the U.S. could default.
"I think they should be concerned," Mr. Obama told CNBC this week, when asked if Wall Street should remain calm over the standoff. "When you have a situation in which a faction is willing potentially to default on U.S. government obligations, then we are in trouble."
Jason Furman, chairman of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, suggested in an interview Thursday that markets shouldn't assume the conflict will be resolved at the last minute, as similar standoffs in recent years have ended.
"It's not obvious to us that this time is business as usual," he said. "We think that's something that people need to understand and appreciate."
Orrin Hatch (R., Utah), top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, chastised the Obama administration Friday for stoking "greater market uncertainty and volatility" with recent warnings to investors about the threat of a U.S. default.
"Comments such as those recently made by administration officials invite greater market uncertainty and volatility, which threatens the livelihoods and savings of millions of Americans," he said in a Friday letter to Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew. "This is irresponsible and threatens to create needless panic."
There have been some signs of stress in financial markets. Bondholders have been selling short-term U.S. Treasury debt maturing in coming weeks. The yield on the one-month Treasury bill due Oct. 31 jumped intraday Friday to a multiyear peak of 0.193%, according to Tradeweb. The yield closed Friday at 0.117%, compared with near zero a week ago. The cost of insuring against a U.S. default via credit-default swaps has also risen.
But gold futures prices dropped 2.1% this week to a recent $1,309.70. Gold is often a refuge for investors. The price of gold has tumbled 22% this year amid discussions by Federal Reserve officials over whether to pare back the central bank's bond-buying program.
The Chicago Board Options Exchange's Volatility Index, the stock market's so-called fear gauge, added 8.3% this week to 16.74. That's substantially lower than the number it registeredduring the market-shaking debt-ceiling debate of 2011, when it hit 48.
The Dow is up 15% for the year and remains just 3.9% below its all-time high of 15676.94, reached Sept. 18.
The Washington clash is "not affecting our investing appreciably," said Brian Barish, president of Cambiar Investors in Denver, which oversees about $8 billion. "I don't think it should be affecting anybody's."
Republicans say they already have taken a step to ensure the U.S. won't default on its government bonds. The House passed legislation earlier this year that would require the Treasury secretary to pay bondholders with available cash, even if the debt ceiling isn't raised to allow new borrowing.
That bill hasn't been passed by the Senate, and administration officials say that paying bondholders while withholding cash from other debtors, such as Social Security recipients, would still amount to a technical government default. It would also be a political hot potato.
A senior Democratic aide said the Senate might press ahead next week with debate on a bill to raise the debt limit. Mr. Reid said, "I'm not going to be determining what we're going to do next week until next week."
The idea of a broad budget agreement—still more an aspiration than a plan in Mr. Boehner's inner circle—is viewed by some Republicans as a welcome exit strategy from the shutdown.
"There's a huge opportunity, if we seize that opportunity,'' said Rep. Charles Boustany (R., La.). Some conservatives, however, viewed the prospect with suspicion, considering it a dodge for GOP leaders to back away from their fight to undercut the 2010 health-care law.
House Democrats Friday launched a long-shot strategy to force a House vote on a spending bill to reopen the government. They employed a little-used procedural measure, known as a "discharge petition," to force the legislation onto the House floor. Even if Democratic leaders gathered the needed signatures, a vote couldn't take place until Oct. 14 at the earliest.
The impact of the four-day-long partial government shutdown continued to ripple through the economy. Military contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. said it would start furloughing around 3,000 staff on Monday as a result of the shutdown. Lockheed employs 116,000 staff, and said it would likely have to furlough more if the budget standoff continues.
—Patrick O'Connor, Sudeep Reddy, Tomi Kilgore, Siobhan Hughes, Alexandra Scaggs, Kaitlyn Kiernan and Dan Strumpf contributed to this article.
Write to Siobhan Hughes at email@example.com and Janet Hook at email@example.com


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Simple Definition of computerize
: to use a computer to make, do, or control (something)
: to provide (something) with computers
: to put (something) into a form that a computer can use
Full Definition of computerize
computerizableplay \-ˌpyü-tə-ˈrī-zə-bəl\ adjective
computerizationplay \-ˌpyü-tə-rə-ˈzā-shən\ noun
See computerize defined for English-language learners
See computerize defined for kids
Examples of computerize in a sentence
We plan to computerize our billing system.
The office is being computerized.
Libraries are computerizing their records.
First Known Use of computerize
Rhymes with computerize
accessorize, acclimatize, actualize, aerobicize, aestheticize, Africanize, allegorize, alphabetize, analogize, anatomize, anesthetize, animalize, annualize, antagonize, anthologize, anticlockwise, apologize, apostatize, apostrophize, arabicize, aromatize, automatize, bureaucratize, cannibalize, capitalize, categorize, catheterize, catholicize, characterize, collectivize, commercialize, commoditize, communalize, conservatize, containerize, contrariwise, conveyorize, cosmeticize, counterclockwise, criminalize, cross-fertilize, cut down to size, decentralize, decolonize, de-emphasize, de-energize, defeminize, deformalize, deglamorize, dehumanize, deionize, demagnetize, demobilize, democratize, demoralize, denationalize, deodorize, depersonalize, depolarize, depressurize, desensitize, destabilize, destigmatize, detribalize, devitalize, diabolize, digitalize, disenfranchise, disorganize, economize, emblematize, emotionalize, epitomize, epoxidize, eroticize, eternalize, evangelize, extemporize, externalize, familiarize, fanaticize, fictionalize, floor exercise, fool's paradise, formularize, free enterprise, gelatinize, generalize, geologize, Hispanicize, historicize, homogenize, hospitalize, hypothesize, idealize, illegalize, immobilize, immortalize, impersonalize, Indianize, indigenize, infantilize, initialize, internalize, italicize, legitimize, liberalize, literalize, lobotomize, lysogenize, macadamize, marginalize, metabolize, metastasize, militarize, mineralize, monopolize, mythologize, nationalize, naturalize, parenthesize, philosophize, poeticize, politicize, popularize, prioritize, proselytize, radicalize, reorganize, revitalize, ritualize, romanticize, secularize, self-fertilize, sensualize, sexualize, sovietize, subjectivize, suburbanize, subvocalize, systematize, temporalize, theologize, traditionalize, trivialize, ventriloquize, visualize
COMPUTERIZE Defined for Kids
Definition of computerize for Students
1 : to carry out, control, or produce on a computer <computerize a billing system>
2 : to equip with computers <computerize a school>
3 : to put in a form that a computer can use <computerize school records>
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What made you want to look up computerize? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).


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In honour of Tarzan's 100th birthday, this month's giveaway is a set of three of Dark Horse Comics' reprints of Russ Manning's adaptations of Edgar Rice Burroughs' novels. These are Tarzan of the Apes, Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar, and Tarzan the Untamed, and for those who concern themselves with such things, they're all first editions dating back to the halcyon days of 1999 with covers by Mark "Cadillacs and Dinosaurs" Schultz. As an extra bonus, I'm throwing in an additional Russ Manning reprint by Dark Horse of the original story Tarzan in The Land that Time Forgot!
To enter, just leave a comment on this post that includes some method of contacting you should you win. The draw will be made at midnight on Sunday, Feb. 26th. Thank you everybody, once again, for your ongoing support of Voyages Extraordinaires: Scientific Romances in a Bygone Age!
And the winner is... Scott Conner! Check your inbox, Scott, for a message. And for the rest of you, thank you all for your ongoing support of Voyages Extraordinaires! Keep an eye out in another week for our next contest with another of Edgar Rice Burroughs' creations!


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10 Stress-Busting Tips from Moms Like You
3 of 11
Indulge in a Bit of Beauty
Who has the time and money for an entire spa day? Busy moms deserve at least a little treat, such as a monthly manicure or a 15-minute chair massage.
One working mother says: "Working moms have a tendency to feel guilty because they either have to or want to work outside of the home. They feel guilty spending time away from their children and therefore have a more difficult time taking time for themselves during nights and weekends. This is where the lunch-hour of beauty comes in: Get yourself down to your favorite salon during lunchtime for whatever treatments you can fit in and afford from time to time."
Next: Do Lunch with Friends
More on: Mom's Health and Fitness


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Important Notice
At KCTCS, we have a deep commitment to global awareness and are proud each year to welcome several international students to our colleges. As an international student, you'll find that our colleges provide the ideal atmosphere for beginning studies in the United States. With a wide selection of , quality instruction, and low tuition rates, KCTCS will provide you with superior academic opportunities and a truly one-of-a-kind life experience.
To make your application process as simple as possible, our colleges have created a checklist that outlines the process required for admission, such as obtaining a visa and providing proof of health insurance.


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We now that the space $\mathbb{R}$ has compactifications with one point reminder, and two point reminder. but there is no compactification of $\mathbb{R}$ with three point reminder and the same holds for every finite natural number $n$ greater than3. We Know that the stone-cech compactification of $\mathbb{R}$ has infinite reminder. (i.e.$|\beta\mathbb{R}-\mathbb{R}|=2^\mathfrak{c}$
I have the same question for other infinite cardinals less than $2^\mathfrak{c}$ as follows:
A. Is there any compactification $X$ of $\mathbb{R}$ with the property that $|X-\mathbb{R}|=\aleph_0$?
B. Can we improve or question to cardinals less than $2^{\aleph_0}$?


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I'm using libGDX for an android game; as far as I can tell, it doesn't have an API for blurring.
Reading on Wikipedia, it seems like blur is formed by setting each pixels RGB values to the average of all adjacent values. Which doesn't seem easily possible in libGDX -- setting pixel data.
So my question is simple:
Is it possible to fake (a decent) blur using only images?
I can potentially overlay multiple (in number, transparency, type) images; but can I create a convincing blur like this?
I'm tempted to say "no," but maybe someone else has achieved something similar. For clarity, I want a set of 1+ generic images I can render on top of ANY image to generate a blur-like effect.


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What are the best client feedback tools around, for getting the clients feedback on designs, wireframes, workflows and even the final product?
I have found a few that do just the design, but none that really do the whole project. ideally I am looking for something that the client logs in to, can add feedback and then we login and fix, or respond to feedback.
I want to replace the 100 emails I get that dribble through with one bit of feedback at a time.


text:
As an extended idea of Using section sign (§) for cross-references to sections, how can we use
See ⚙5.2 and ☰5.3 in ☞123.
instead of:
See figure 5.2 and table 5.3 in page 123.
(Surely there are more appropriate symbols, but because of HTML and font concerns I used these symbols.)
see also: Looking for camera and paper icon


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To honor survivors of sexual violence and to help bring comfort to their families, friends, and our community, we will be gathering in the garden behind the Nomahegan building on the Cranford campus to show our support and help raise awareness of this issue. Glowsticks will be provided to all participants, thanks to the Student Volunteer Organization. Open flames are not permitted on campus. We thank you for refraining from using candles or lighters.
© 2016 National Sexual Violence Resource Center – Founded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
This site is supported by Grant/ Cooperative Agreement No. 1UF2CE002359-03 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


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Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron is the previously untold story of a ragtag ensemble of battle-hardened rogues and scoundrels assembled by Han Solo. Gathered to execute some of the most secretive operations in the Rebel Alliance's war against the Galactic Empire, the Renegade Squadron participates in battles spanning the galaxy. From the Valley of the Sith on Korriban to a dogfight in space through the remains of Alderaan, Solo directs the team on missions of sabotage, rescue and retrieval.
In Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, robust customization options replace the class system seen in previous Star Wars Battlefront titles, allowing for millions of possible unique combatants. With weapons, equipment and abilities that players select themselves, no two allies will likely ever look or perform exactly the same.
If you are a fan of the Star Wars franchise, check out all the latest Star Wars: Battlefront games and accessories available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.


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The judge in the Katie Autry murder case will soon decide whether or not defendant Lucas Goodrum should be released on bond.
Special Judge Tom Castlen has given prosecution and defense attorneys 10 days to file legal briefs as to why he should or shouldn't be allowed to review the denial of bond by a previous judge in the case.
Goodrum has been in jail since May of 2003, when he was arrested and accused of the rape and murder of WKU freshman Katie Autry in her dorm room on May 3, 2003.
Goodrum's trial had been set to begin on July 30, but the start date was pushed back to March 8, 2005 late last week after prosecutors told the judge they need more time to run DNA tests on 6 hair samples taken from Goodrum.
Goodrum's attorneys argue that because of the change in circumstances and the 8 month delay, their client should be entitled to a bond. Goodrum's mother testified she would be able to post a $1 million cash bond, and would agree to any kind of home incarceration for her son while awaiting trial. Goodrum's attorneys are asking the judge to grant home incarceration either at his mother's ranch in Texas, or at a relative's home in their native Allen County.
Legal briefs on the bond issue are due July 11, and Judge Castlen is expected to rule on the issue soon after.


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The Lord of the Rings: Trilogy (Extended Edition + Digital Copy) [Blu-Ray] PRE-ORDER on Amazon for $83.99
Many of you have been waiting on this after the crap release they gave us for the Theatrical Version. Pre-Order this TODAY on Amazon.com for the first time and get the Amazon Pre-Order Guarantee!
The extended trilogy features 26 hours of bonus material, including the rare Costa Botes documentaries, plus a bonus digital copy of each film available online.
37 Comments add a comment
After waiting for what seems like forever, we finally get the extended cuts on Blu-Ray. This is awesome!
What sort of quality can one expect with the digital copy? Is it anywhere near as good as Blu-Ray?
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all that wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
Woo! No release date on it yet though. :(
@insightpatch: The digital copy is not 1080p if that is what you are asking. Most of the digital copies that come with blu rays look nice on smaller screen device. I'm not buying this for the digital copy though. I think of it as a small perk.
Yessssssss finally!!! Not only will I finally be adding a sixth copy of the trilogy to my evergrowing collection, but hopefully with 1080p I will be able to pause and count all of the hairs on Frodo's feet! I will blow everyone's mind at our next weekly LOTR tribute party!
OK. "Pre-order" qualifies as a "Deal"... how?
I thought Woot! was about offering Deals -- not directing us to Amazon.com to pay normal pricing!
@uncleguy: Find if for a lower price then. If you can't, then this is a deal, as it is the best price you can find it for.
How is this news? They allow you to pre-order something that has no release date. Thank god. It would be way to hard to wait another 8 months.
$84?!! I've waited this long, I think I can wait 2 more years for the price to come down.
I've been saving myself for years (literally) because I have yet to have seen the extended versions. Great news!
This is one of the 3 best trilogies:
1. Lord of the Rings
2. Godfather
3. Big Momma's House
@uncleguy: Amazon owns Woot so we get Amazon ads mixed in with Woot stuff. Not to mention that it's foolish to preorder something that has no release date.
Amazon digital copies are a fraud. They don't provide the copy with the Blu-ray disc, you have to download it from iTunes so it won't work if you don't have broadband with a high enough cap to let you download a whole movie which is a 4Gb file.
@specimenb - I've pre-ordered several things on Amazon - the advantage is that you pay the lowest price of the item from the time that you pre-order to the time that it ships. Prices on Amazon fluctuate often, so this is a plus. At shipping time, they charge you your price at order time, then a few days later, they refund the difference between your lowest price and your price at order time.
mother of god - finally. when will they release it? Anyways, I've been watching the normal DVD's on my PS3 - and it up converts to a higher quality and I've noticed that it seems to play them faster than normal and it just looks too real or HD. Anyone else experience this as well?
@wootfast: lol - big momma's house.
@happyknappybeard: the proper way to watch the extended movies are all at once for a full 9 hour movie session. I've done this about 4 times so far and it was freaking awesome!
@zisforz: No, it's not awesome. We tried this only once, and got such terrible leg cramps, and people actually left because it was too much for one sitting.
This is actually the same set that was sold at retail for a short period of time before being yanked off of the shelves. The only addition is the inclusion of a digital copy. I was able to get my set of extended editions (with all bonus material included on an additional disc for each film) from Target for $69.99. I knew that it had been released and asked an associate to get it for me from the stock room, where the additional copies had been placed. He obliged and we laughed about the fact that it was marked for return to the distributor due to copyright struggles for the bonus materials.
The fact that it has a video attached to it means that it's probably close to being finished. I'd guess by the end of the year. I hate that they use the word "limited" though...it's a nice marketing word to drive up sales.
No harm is pre-ordering it now though. I can put spare change and cash in an envelope until it comes out.
@happyknappybeard: I'm in the same boat. The last time I saw the movies was in the theaters so I can't wait for this.
Wait! Wait! Wait!.. Hang on.. dammit.. where was that... Ahah!!
You! Shall Not!! PASS!!!
@zisforz: Plus the extended editions are longer. Watching all of those back-to-back will clock in at over 11 hours.
@specimenb: you do realize that Woot really doesn't post "ads" to Amazon things right?
Amazon deals get posted a lot because Amazon is often the cheapest place to find something. They're the first place i check when I will be ordering anything online and/or want to price check someone else's deal.
i agree that pre-ordering something w/o a release date, this early, is a bit silly, but i'm also not OBSESSED with LOTR like A LOT of people are. If I were going to pre-order it anyways, though, I'd probably pre-order the second it was available so i don't forget. and like someone said, you get the low price guarantee from Amazon, which is great.
@zisforz: You better believe that is the plan! I figure start Fellowship around 7:30 a.m. w/breakfast then spend the day simply in Mordor.
@zapp brannigan: Its almost going to be like watching them for the first time all over again! Except I wont have to sneak in booze this time and I wont have some guy pointing out all the parts that aren't in the book sitting behind me. Pretty great trade off.
Can anyone tell me If I will be able to play all of these perfectly on my regular Sony DVD Player? Thanks
@sansagreen: Does your regular Sony DVD player play blue-rays? If it does then it's actually a blue-ray player, and you should be good to go. hth
@sansagreen: only if your Sony DVD player eats blu-ray. Sorry to say but it prob won't if it doesn't say "Blu-Ray".
@happyknappybeard: I can't wait for the Hobbit to be released on Super HD Blu-Ray 3D etc. Can woot put a pre-order on the Hobbit? thx
@molihanms: Uhm, you have the theatrical box set. They've not made blurays with the extended editions yet. What you have is missing a half hour off Fellowship, 43 Minutes off Two Towers, and 50 Minutes off Return of the King. That's not even including the insane amount of behind the scenes and bonus features.
Time to preorder 2042: The Year in Review, on Super Duper SCHDVDHD!
Tomorrow may be too late!
@zisforz: Nice one, but if you really could, I would. I can't wait for the Hobbit either. Wife and kids will be banned from being within a 2 mile radius of the theater when I go see it by myself in my Orc costume...
So, it looks like if the price goes down, they'll refund the difference. Seems to be a pretty good deal.
Fine print off of Amazon:
Pre-order Price Guarantee! Order now and if the Amazon.com price decreases between your order time and the end of the day of the release date, you'll receive the lowest price. Here's how (restrictions apply)
@pitifulazcardsfan: they don't need to refund it since they Amazon doesn't charge until they ship, but yes, you'll get the lowest price.
Well, isn't this precious!
Just ordered my tickets! Have to go to Harrisburg but oh well.


text: Pinterest Tea Tree Oil Skin Care Kit Select size One Size Quantity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Item One Size Price $25.00 Now $17.50 Add to bag Email When In Stock Please note that there is a limit on this product. Offers available on this product See Promotional Details Product description Combat breakouts and tackle excess oil with these travel-friendly Tea Tree favorites featuring Community Trade tea tree oil from Kenya. Includes: 2.0 fl oz Tea Tree Oil Skin ClearingToner 2.0 fl oz Tea Tree Oil Skin Clearing Facial Wash 0.5 fl oz Tea Tree Oil Skin Clearing Lotion .33 fl oz Tea Tree Oil Re-usable mesh bag with zip closure To complete your daily routine, shop our Skin Care Solution Kits **This product is not available for shipment to Alaska and Hawaii Shipping Close


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Jewelry lovers clamored to get a first look during a party celebrating the new Chan Luu pop-up shop at J. Silver Jewelry. While sipping cocktails and discussing their favorite pieces, guests eyeballed the designer's famous leather wrap bracelets, necklaces and earrings. … J. Silver also hosted a trunk show for American jewelry designer Alexis Bittar, whose popular chunky bangles were on display. … And Houston-based biz Gold & Silver Buyers launched an elaborate nationwide tour of its 10-pound cast golden egg, worth more than $250K, across 50 locations, beginning with its Galleria storefront. – Photos by Anthony A. Hynes


text: I cannot believe how popular the Horde faction is compared to the Alliance. There are so many DragoArt artists here that are of Horde factions than Alliance. Personally, I think Blizzard favors the good guys, mainly because of the epic Worgen they imported into the game. Honestly, Alliance is terrible with teamwork most of the time, and Horde is filled with smarter, hardcore players. That could be me on a crappy realm so I'm not entirely sure. Anyways, get yourself a ruler, some sketching pencils, and we'll move onto this lesson. This is probably the easiest symbol to make in World of Warcraft, so take your time! Don't rush when you get to certain corners or angles of the drawing since you'll be prone to mess up. I hope all you Horde players/fans will enjoy this tutoiral. Thanks for viewing and happy grinding!


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Has any state ever performed an "economic attack" against another state, by printing fake money of the victim's currency?
Or, is it known if someone ever considered doing it, and which were the supposed pros and cons?
Frederick II the Great, king IN Prussia 1740–1786 used to counterfeit currency of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (PLC) on a large scale, for profit and to economically weaken Polish state. Officially PLC wasn't at war with Prussia but the only reason that this and other hostile activities of Frederick the Great were unanswered by PLC was the weakness of Polish administration at that time. (and that's probably the reason why he did it).
Frederick obtained the dies for Polish coins during his raid on Saxony during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). They were there because at that time PLC was in a personal union with Saxony.
EDIT: Wikipedia piece about this particular episode of Frederick's activity points to those books in English as sources: Hamish M. Scott, The emergence of the Eastern powers 1756–1775 and Norman Davies, Europe: A History
The US government alleges that this has occurred - see Superdollars. Very high quality counterfeit $100 bills flooded the US market. Although it may be that these were merely a way that the responsible institution was funding operations, it is commonly believed that these were also intended to cause inflation within the US by increasing the money supply. I don't see any information about the total value of the counterfeitted currency, or how that relates to MB or M1. One would need to have that value in order to have any hope of estimating the inflationary impact. (and one would have to resolve certain controversies between classical and liberal economics).
That article also references Operation Bernhard, which I think @DVK mentioned.
During world war 2 , Germany carried out Operation Bernhard , one of the biggest currency counterfeit attempt in history , to destabilize the economy of Britain and the United States.
The operation was named after(and started by) NSDAP member and SS Major Bernhard Krüger , who led the operation from a segregated factory built at Sachsenhausen concentration camp, manned by 142 Jewish inmates.
The operation was started initially , to forge the Bank of England pound notes in denominations of £5, £10, £20, and £50.
By 1945 the production had successfully reached 8,965,080 banknotes with a total value of £134,610,810.
Interestingly after the war , the a part of this counterfeit currency fell into the hands of the jewish underground , who used it to bring displaced persons back to Israel.
During the American Civil War, the Union attacked the Confederacy in this fashion. While this was work of a private Union citizen; the work was tacitly permitted by the government.
Considering the technological advantage the North had over the South; they could have industrialised this strand of economic warfare with great ease. They only refrained from (formally) doing so because it could have set a bad precedent for counterfeiting after the war. Indeed, the original purpose of the Secret Service was to protect against this very risk - what with the lowering cost of printing presses and supplies.
At least 1 - 3% of all Confederate money was fake and it causes a problem for collectors to this day.
During the French Revolution, European powers (and displaced French aristocrats, known as emigrants ) opposed to the Revolution flooded France with counterfeit 'assignats' - paper currency, in an attempt to undermine the French economy after they had disposed of Louis XVI.
Thomas Carlye: The French Revolution, a History Chapter 2.5.II: (One of several references there.)
In present time, Pakistan is waging a proxy war with India, which includes destablising the Indian economy by printing large sums of fake currency. Just search Google with 'Pakistan Face currency Racket' and you will be presented with both reputable and not so reputable links.
After a massive loss of people and land in 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, and nuclear tests by India in subsequent years, the balance of power shifted in India's favor. Since Pakistan now cannot sustain a full fledged war with India, its ISI (intelligence agency) was tasked to create a road map to take revenge. To destablise its arch-rival India, Pakistan started to use unconventional methods. The first one was to use terrirism. But you need the money to support it and since Pakistan was already short on money, ISI invented a novel way to print fake Indian currency. It makes money by producing and selling counterfeit currency, and in the process, it harms the Indian economy and fund terror groups as part of its mad terror and proxy war against India.
It may be recalled that a few years back, a First Secretary of the Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu was sent back to his country because of his clear-cut involvement in sending the counterfeit currency to India.
According to intelligence reports, initially the fake Indian currency was printed in only one or two Pakistan government presses. However, as ISI has been able to successfully enlarge its network in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Dubai (UAE) and even in India itself with the connivance of gangsters like Dawood Ibrahim, the fake Indian currency is now being printed at several government-controlled presses in Karachi, Multan, Quetta, Lahore and Peshawar.
There are unconfirmed allegations that ISI has also been able to print some fake Indian currency in Bangladesh under its direct supervision.
The Pakistan government imports the special paper and ink from UK, Sweden and Switzerland. As the material is much more than its own legitimate requirements, the excess bulk is diverted to ISI, which is regarded more as an international terror and sabotage outfit now than an ordinary security agency.
So the answer is yes, fake currency has been used before (by Germany in WW2) and is being used in current period as I have stated above.


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15% Off All Hitachi Reconditioned Products
coupon code: WOOT92
Hitachi engineers some of the best power tools available. In fact, a leading consumer magazine (yep, that one) just ranked our drills #1. You'll get incredible power tools, but you'll also get great service from Hitachi's exclusive Reconditioning Center, BigSkyTool.com. These tools come with a one year warranty, including the tool, chargers and batteries, in the case of cordless.
12 Comments add a comment
I've made several purchases from these folks over the past few months and have been been very happy with the results.
Some decent deals, but some of these drills are pretty old now (from 2007). The chances of getting a good battery with them will be slim. I do need a new drill at the moment, and the drills themselves look like high quality and have good reviews on Amazon, but I'd rather not chance the old batteries.
ALMOST bought the $87 drill. With the coupon code it was down to $73.95. But shipping was nearly $20. Me thinks not.
I just ordered a miter saw and got free shipping too.
I needed a chain saw and have had it on my wish list. In fact, in a spurt of spontenaity I grabbed one this weekend that was on sale for $99 and then saw the word "electric" which made me drop it like a dead rat. The very helpful clerk quickly ran to grab a gas powered one and when I asked how much, he said $249! Another dead rat! As it goes, this worked out beautiful! Hitachi is good reliable brand name and I just marked this item off my wish list for under $120. Awesome deal!
@matkyne: Where were you shipping to? It's free shipping on most items.
@sporadic: The batteries have a one year warranty, so you can't really lose.
The Bosch 1640VS undercut saw is an absolute steal already, let alone with the coupon applied.
New too.
FYI - Reconditioned Hitachi Magic Wand not available.
The list prices they say are retail are extremely inflated. For example; the 3 piece kit they show as retailing for $490.00 is really only $249.00 at Lowe's. For refurbished, the deal is just ok. I feel like you could get these new on sale for a similar price.
I bought one of the compressors based on this ad. I did not get the 15% discount when entering the WOOT code. Makes me a little pissy bought I bought it anyway.
You're quite right.
The best prices were on the closeout items.
The refurbs are nearly the same exact prices (before the coupon) that brand new are on Amazon.
Oh well.
Also, I'm so done chasing up battery powered tools. I'll try to stick with battery drills, but these whole kits full of battery items mean you're locked in for life. I'm back to corded. Especially saws.


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text:
I need to be able to virtualize Ubuntu 11.04 from my USB stick, which will enable to save files on it and when I boot my USB stick on other computers I can still be able to open up the same files. From my understanding, what I need is a non-live CD installation which most creator that I found on the internet is unable to provide.
That's not virtualization. What you're describing is installing Ubuntu on a USB stick, which is quite possible. (I have done this successfully, and in fact was running Ubuntu off a USB hard disk for about a year.)
To do this:
What U need is to create a Usb with ubuntu not live mode but persistent so that u can use it as u said But watch out to 2 thing : one is "Install the basic graphics drivers (xorg stuff), but not the AMD/ATI or Nvidia drivers (which can cause problems if you boot on a system without the corresponding graphics card). " as Mechanical snail said and the second is that u need a usb with a lot of memory ,at least 8 GB .U can use linux live usb creator to do that but i advice that u download your iso for 11.04 separately because the 11.04 is not anymore on the list of iso for download with the linux live usb creator ,once u do that there is an option to use iso that u already have u use that and chose 11.04 that u downloaded and be sure that u use "persistent mode at the max capacity of the usb " and it's done .Only one thing Linux live is created as an app for windows but if u have wine u can run it on ubuntu to .


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Who needs a gold mine when copper can be every bit as valuable to the modern-day urban thief? After all, it's easy to recycle, it carries a hefty price tag, and it's all around us, including in street lights.
Up and down the state, copper bandits have taken to stripping the lights' copper wiring, making for dimly-lit and very unsafe roads. It's gotten so bad police officer Dave Northway says cops are on the lookout like never before.
"The officers are working in those zones to try and do foot patrols, or they're walking around, getting out of their cars, checking things. We have surprised quite a few people who are doing bad stuff in the middle of the night," he said.
But for all that bad stuff' the penalty's often an inconvenient fine or maybe a few days in jail. That's why lawmakers have unanimously passed a bill that would make stealing copper from street lights, power lines and electrical stations a first-degree felony with a maximum sentence of three decades in prison.
Even metal dealers who knowingly buy stolen manhole covers, historical markers, even beer kegs could get up to 15 years. Mary Jones calls it a big overreaction.
"You know, part of civilization is giving people a chance," she said. "Give them a chance - what chance can they have if they spend their whole life in jail? I mean, I really don't think that's a good idea at all."
Officer Northway would beg to differ. He says the real issue isn't so much the metal itself, but thousands of dollars in damage left behind when its stripped out, not to mention the impact on public safety. That's why his entire department is hoping the bill becomes law.
"We don't have a copper squad, but that's not a bad idea. If we have one, I think we'll name it that!"
Copper theft has become especially acute in Florida thanks to air conditioning. The copper wiring in your a/c unit has a value of around $20. When it's stripped out by a thief, the damage can be in upwards of five grand.