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What strange transformation occurs within humanity as we trace the population northward, from the United States to Canada? A recent survey of Canadians (especially the Quebecois variety) revealed something:
Buried away in the survey was a single question that caught my eye immediately: Personally, do you consider yourself to be a religious person? A minuscule 22% answered yes. Presumeably, a whopping 78% of Quebecers do not consider themselves religious.
Across the whole of Canada, 36% answered yes, which is a little worse…but still, where has the United States of America gone wrong?


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Provo, UT (SportsNetwork.com) - The 25th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs can clinch the West Coast Conference regular-season title, as they take on the BYU Cougars in a league matchup at the Marriott Center on Thursday evening.
Mark Few's Bulldogs have won two straight and nine of their last 10 games to force their way back into the Top 25. Gonzaga's lone loss over that stretch came out of conference in a showdown with Memphis on the road (60-54). Most recently, the Bulldogs made light work of Loyola Marymount last weekend in Spokane to move to 23-4 overall and 13-1 in-conference.
Dave Rose's Cougars are in second place in the conference standings, but it is a distant second at 10-5. BYU has won five of its last six games to improve to 18-10 overall, including last weekend's 60-57 road win at Saint Mary's.
Being up four games in the league with four to play, Gonzaga can claim the WCC regular-season crown outright with a win here. The Bulldogs are 5-2 all-time against BYU and that includes an 84-69 win on Jan. 25 in Spokane.
Sam Dower dominated play down low, recording a double-double with game-highs of 25 points and 15 rebounds in Gonzaga's 19-point win over Loyola Marymount, which clinched no worse than a tie for the WCC crown. The Bulldogs also received sizable contributions from Kevin Pangos (17 pts), Gary Bell Jr. (14 pts) and Przemek Karnowski (11 pts) in the victory. Gonzaga held a huge edge in rebounding over the Lions (40-25) and was an efficient 20-of-25 from the free-throw line in the game.
A potent offensive team, Gonzaga comes into this contest averaging 78.4 ppg and is ranked fourth in the county in field-goal percentage at a cool .500, including .404 from behind the arc. Pangos leads a quartet of double-figure scorers at 15.2 ppg, fueled by his 71-of-170 showing from behind the arc. Dower ranks second on the team in both scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 rpg). He is joined in the frontcourt by Karnowski (10.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg), while Bell (11.5 ppg) provides depth along the perimeter.
BYU would have no problem turning this game into a shootout, as the team is more that capable of winning that way. The Cougars rank third in the nation in scoring at a hefty 85.5 ppg, doing so on a healthy .469 shooting. It helps to get over a quarter of that scoring from one player. Junior guard Tyler Haws has been unstoppable this season and has played at an All-American level, leading the conference and ranking fourth in the nation in scoring at an eye- popping 24.1 ppg. The team has a pair of capable facilitators behind Haws in guards Kyle Collinsworth (14.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 4.8 apg) and Matt Carlino (13.5 ppg, 4.6 apg). Freshman forward Eric Mika (12.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg) provides balance up front.
The Cougars trailed by 14 points against Saint Mary's but rallied in the second half to earn the three-point win. Haws led all scorers in the victory with 18 points. Collinsworth added 14 point to the cause for BYU, which shot 50 percent from the floor in the game, despite an ugly 1-of-8 from behind the arc.

subset: commoncrawl


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Functional safety training for automation, software, semiconductors from SGS – module A3, hardware development.
This module does not focus on hardware development itself but on the verification of the hardware concept that is carried out using mathematical models. A practical example is used to present and practice the probabilistic demonstration of safety.
- Hardware safety requirements and their derivation from the system concept
- Determination of the required failure rates at component level and their adaptation to operating conditions
- Demonstration of the required Safe Failure Fraction (SFF) and the absolute failure rate/probability (PFH/PFD)
Trusted functional safety training from a leading course provider
Our courses are delivered by tutors who are functional safety experts and experienced trainers. Your knowledge and skills will be developed through an interactive and practical approach to learning.
To find out more about our functional safety training for the automation, software and semiconductor industries contact us today.
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text:
BEIJING, China – Man harnesses the power of invisibility.
After reviewing Invisibility & Levitation: How-To Keys To Personal Performance by Commander X, I was contacted by Abelard Productions Publishing professing their deepest gratitude for the glowing review of their 1998 publication.
I was informed that since the review, the book has gone into a thirteenth edition in order to keep up with the demand. They also informed me of testimonial from one of their readers that is their greatest success story of all time.
Chinese artist, Liu Bolin, has not yet conquered the art of levitation but has mastered the art of invisibility. Through his efforts, he has been able to take the art of invisibility to a higher cultural plain and become commercially profitable as well. Due to his discoveries from reading Invisibility & Levitation, which he purchased back in '98, Bolin has been able to blend into any environment that surrounds him earning him the nickname of "The Human Chameleon."
"It is well known that chapter three, Invisibility and the Art of Unvulnerability, really made an impact on Bolin and was a monumentous turning point for him and his work," explained noted art historian, Samantha Downington.
Since his epiphany of sorts, Bolin has begun documenting his uncanny ability to blend into environments. He and a team of assistants travel to various locations throughout the world where he is photographed form various angles as he becomes one with his surroundings. He then meticulously chooses from the images sending them to various galleries throughout the world to sell.
Since he began working in the medium of invisibility and photography, Bolin has had exhibitions with many art venues throughout the world. His work can be found in galleries in New York City, Milan, Paris, and Beijing. His works have sold at auction for as much as $50,000. Bolin is quickly becoming the next hot commodity in the art world so if you can afford them, run out and buy one before they disappear.


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I. Prologue*
1In the beginning* was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.a
2He was in the beginning with God.
3* All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.b
What came to be 4through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;c
5* the light shines in the darkness,d
and the darkness has not overcome it.
6* A man named John was sent from God.e 7He came for testimony,* to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.f 8He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.g 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.h
10He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
11He came to what was his own,
but his own people* did not accept him.
12i But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13* j who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God.
14And the Word became flesh*
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father's only Son,
full of grace and truth.k
15* John testified to him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said,l 'The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' " 16From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace,* 17because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.m 18No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God,* who is at the Father's side, has revealed him.n
II. The Book of Signs
John the Baptist's Testimony to Himself. 19* And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews* from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites [to him] to ask him, "Who are you?" 20* he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted,o "I am not the Messiah." 21So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?"* And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."p 22So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" 23He said:
as Isaiah the prophet said." 24Some Pharisees* were also sent. 25They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?"r 26John answered them, "I baptize with water;* but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,s 27the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." 28This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,* where John was baptizing.
John the Baptist's Testimony to Jesus. 29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God,* who takes away the sin of the world.t 30* He is the one of whom I said,u 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' 31I did not know him,* but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel." 32John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove* from the sky and remain upon him. 33I did not know him,v but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.'w 34* x Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God."
The First Disciples.y 35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God."* 37The two disciples* heard what he said and followed Jesus. 38Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.* 40Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. 41He first found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah"* (which is translated Anointed).z 42Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John;* you will be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).a
43The next day he* decided to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow me." 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."b 46But Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true Israelite.* There is no duplicity in him." 48* c Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." 49Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God;* you are the King of Israel."d 50Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?* You will see greater things than this." 51And he said to him, "Amen, amen,* I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."e
Book Introduction
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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This stunning white pleated knit dress features exquisite organza embroidered sleeves and a halter neck with a tie, creating a chic and feminine look. The mini dress is crafted from integrated pleated fabric, adding texture and dimension to the design. The sleeves are adorned with intricate treadle embroidery, adding a touch of elegance to the overall look. Perfect for any special occasion, this dress is sure to turn heads.
Fabric - Non Stretchable
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Buy as per your body measurement, ref size chart above. For a regular fit buy a size bigger.
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Despite the limited audience that the title might imply, The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life is a book for all genders, ages, and walks of life. Though the self-help section of the bookstore isn't somewhere I would start looking for delicious, tried-and-true recipes, crafts, or inspirational profiles on kick-ass, successful vegan women, that's exactly the category Melisser Elliott's debut work of writing is filed under. Far more than just another cookbook, the pages of this slim text are positively crammed with DIY projects for those with crafty inclinations, help on selecting cosmetics free of animal products, and general advice on living vegan, presented in an exciting and approachable way. Melisser has a fresh, fun style all her own, so you can bet this won't be a dry, monotonous read. Heck, she could make a computer manual sound like fun!
Melisser has been a dear blog buddy and long-distance confidante for years now, so of course, my opinion is highly biased. However, I know a good vegan quiche when I taste one, and Melisser's definitely ranks up on the very top of my list. Those leftover slices were so tempting, the wait I would have had to endure while reheating them in the toaster oven was entirely unbearable; Sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night for a little late nibble, I ended up skarfing down almost the whole thing cold.
Naturally, I skim straight to the recipes first, and there are quite a few keepers to bookmark. Happily, I had the incredible fortune to photograph a few select entries, so I feel confident that I sampled a good cross section of the overall offerings found in The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life.
Flip over to the dessert section, and you'll find a sweet recipe from me! Simple but unique cupcakes, again pushing the limits of natural coloring with Purple Cow Cupcakes. …Hate to tease, but you just have to check out the book to see what they're all about.
For those with a sweet tooth and a penchant for brunch, the Banana Bread French Toast is another must-make. Combining the best of tender banana bread and custard-like yet crispy french toast, it's the kind of meal that you dream about waking up to.
And those craving heartier fair will not be disappointed, because there are plenty of meaty, spicy, and salty offerings to go around! In particular, the Jackfruit Carnitas could woo the most staunch carnivore- Even the texture is eerily "realistic."
Graciously, Skyhorse Publishing has offered an additional book for one of you to ogle and enjoy! If you'd like to win a free copy of The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life, please leave me only one comment on this post with your name and a correct email address, answering the following question: What piece of advice (or vital recipe, tip, or trick) would you give to a new vegan? [Open to those with mailing addresses within the continental US only; Sorry!]
The contest will close at midnight on November 8th, and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Win or lose, you've got to check Melisser's listing of tour dates, because you may be able to meet the brains behind the whole operation and even snag yourself a signed book!


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Il Ratto di Proserpina (The Rape of Proserpina) is an amazing sculpture by Bernini. It depicts Pluto abducting Proserpina to take her to the underworld. The overall composition is great but the devil (ahem) is in the details. For example, check out how Pluto's hands grip into the marble flesh:
Wonderful. Bernini completed this piece in 1622 when he was just 23 years old. (via stable transit)


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Star Defender 4
Want more missions vs. cruel enemies? Here you go! It`s Star Defender 4, with 8 gigantic new missions, better weapons, uglier aliens and more! Jump right in as the battle heats up with a new war raging in the Galaxy! Pilot your way through more than 100 breathtaking levels filled with black holes to explore, strange spacecraft to attack and annoying insects to destroy! Prevent the destruction of humanity in Star Defender 4!


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Ryzen 5 2400G
One of the last poignant questions from our previous Ryzen APU coverage is the way that integrated graphics scales with overclocking. As these low-end Ryzen APUs are all about gaming on a budget, our previous looks into core frequency and memory scaling lead naturally into examining how well the graphics overclocks and what extra performance can be had with a light touch of BIOS settings. We pushed both of our APUs to 1600 MHz on the graphics, representing a +45% overclock, which translates into some interesting results.
Zen and Vega DDR4 Memory Scaling on AMD's APUs
We have previously explored the importance of memory scaling within AMDs Ryzen CPUs: the question being answered today is how much of an effect on performance does the memory...74 by Gavin Bonshor on 6/28/2018
AMD Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G Core Frequency Scaling: An Analysis
When AMD launched their first generation Ryzen-based APUs with a Zen cores and Vega graphics, both of the new parts entered the market at two very different budget-focused price...33 by Gavin Bonshor on 6/20/2018
Delidding The AMD Ryzen 5 2400G APU: How To Guide and Results
Delidding is a process with the aim being to reduce CPU core temperatures on processors with a less-than-ideal thermal interface between the silicon and headspreader. The benefits of delidding...73 by Gavin Bonshor on 5/10/2018
Overclocking The AMD Ryzen APUs: Guide and Results
With AMD's new launch of Raven Ridge APUs, the Ryzen 3 2200G ($99) and Ryzen 5 2400G ($169), AMD holds the current integrated graphics apex when directly compared against...64 by Ian Cutress & Gavin Bonshor on 4/16/2018


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Gruel shop
Why would a street artist in Seoul illustrate his skills with a portrait of John Major?
Archer at the Olympic Stadium
Seoul Metro Spaghetti
Wedding Hall
Cool Korean drum
38th parallel
Clockwork cat
DMZ cafeteria
War memorial 1
War memorial 2
Love for women!
Biker bear
Seoul Tower from cable car
Seoul Tower
Towers of the world (been there, done that)
Seoul by night
Back towards Shanghai
Korean hotpot
Crazy panda
Hotel Sunbee
Tangrams in the metro


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Forgotten Hope is a modification for Battlefield 1942 that concentrates on adding both a more realistic and more enjoyable playing experience than the original BF1942 and includes many new specially designed custom maps to play in. The mod includes over 250 new pieces of authentic equipment (more than any other Second World War FPS).
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.


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Starboard Value has urged Darden Restaurants Inc to delay the spinoff of its struggling Red Lobster chain, becoming the second activist investor in as many weeks to call on the company to rethink its strategy for improving results.
The calls for change from two investors holding almost 8 percent of Darden shares has put intense pressure on Chairman and Chief Executive Clarence Otis.
Otis has been CEO of the Olive Garden parent since November 2004 and Chairman of Darden's Board of Directors since November 2005. He orchestrated the acquisitions of LongHorn Steakhouse, Capital Grille, Eddie V's and Yard House, which critics say led to a lack of focus, bloated operating costs and roughly 18 months of market share losses at its three biggest brands.
(What are Darden shares doing now? Click here)
"The proposed Red Lobster separation is not just a sub-optimal outcome, but one that may prove to be value destructive – potentially even worse for shareholders than the status quo," Starboard Value Managing Member Jeffrey Smith wrote in a letter to Darden's CEO and directors on Tuesday.
"The clock is ticking," said Hedgeye Risk Management restaurant analyst Howard Penney, who previously called for Otis' ouster.
Darden's proposal to spin-off or sell Red Lobster followed a call by Barington Capital Group to split the company in two. One company would operate the mature Olive Garden and Red Lobster chains. The other would expand brands such as LongHorn Steakhouse, Seasons 52, Capital Grille and three others.
Barington also pushed Darden, the largest U.S. full-service restaurant operator, to explore creating a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) to "unlock the value" of its property holdings, which it valued at around $4 billion before leakage costs.
The hedge fund has dubbed Darden's Red Lobster plan "incomplete and inadequate."
In his letter to Darden on Tuesday, Smith called Darden's Red Lobster proposal, "a hurried, reactive attempt, in the face of shareholder pressure to do the bare minimum to appease shareholders."
Smith called on Darden to consider other options to boost share value, including slashing operating costs, improving restaurant results and divesting real estate.
Starboard, which said it owns 5.5 percent of Darden's shares, noted that Darden's best-performing competitors own comparatively little real estate.
A spokesman for Darden did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company previously expressed confidence in its plan. It also said it reviewed the potential for a REIT and determined that substantial costs and other factors did not make that a viable option.
In addition to announcing the plan to spin-off or sell Red Lobster, Otis announced the retirement of Chief Operating officer Drew Madsen, a long-time executive. Madsen's successor was Gene Lee, president of Darden's Specialty Restaurant Group that includes faster-growing chains such as Capital Grill and Yard House.
"Did he buy himself some time, and if so, how long?" asked Bernstein Research restaurant analyst Sara Senatore.
Darden shares, which peaked at around $56 in September 2012, were off 0.8 percent at $50.53 in midday trading.


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The Township of Georgian Bay is an area municipality of the District Municipality of Muskoka, in south-central Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Severn River, where it empties into the eponymous Georgian Bay. The municipal offices are at Port Severn.
The township contains the communities of Bayview Park, Big Chute, Cedar Nook, Crooked Bay, Franceville, Go Home, Honey Harbour, Macey Bay, MacTier, Moon River, Potters Landing, South Bay, Wolverine Beach and Wood Landing.
Honey Harbour serves as a launching point to the "30,000 Islands" that make up the Georgian Bay geography. The islands that are accessible from Honey Harbour are dotted with hundreds to thousands of cottages. The cottages serve mostly as summer residences. Many very large cottages have been built recently, which has resulted in an increase in the property values. The economic cycle of Honey Harbour is tied to the cycle of the cottagers. Honey Harbour has a small grocery store ("Towne Centre" and Picnic Island Resort, which features its own general store and gas bar), a post office, a liquor store, a bakery, a Catholic church and school, a public elementary school, several small craft stores, a large resort (the "Delawana Inn", which has recently been placed under receivership and closed until further notice[3] ) and several marinas. In addition to cottages, there are multiple waterfront trailer park resorts available as well. There are also numerous clean beaches lining both the shore and islands, inhabited by the diverse Ontario wildlife.
Honey Harbour's founder's name was Harvey Hewitt from Pasadena, California. The double H's were a play off of his name. He was also the original pioneer and co-developer of "Woolite."
Library branches are in Honey Harbour and MacTier and there is a satellite library branch in the new Township Community Services Building in Port Severn. The library is a popular destination for recreational reading materials, DVDs and tourist information. The services include Information and reference services; Access to full text databases; Community information; Internet access; Reader's advisory services; Programs for children, youth and adults; Delivery to homebound individuals; Interlibrary loan and Free downloadable audiobooks.
Items within its collection are business directories, phone books, maps, government publications, books, periodicals, genealogy, local history.
This information is provided by the WikiPedia, the original article can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_Bay


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COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) — Derek Watt and J.J. Watt have played against each other in the yard of their parents' home in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
There will be bigger stakes on Sunday when Derek and the Los Angeles Chargers host the Houston Texans and his All-Pro older brother.
It will be the first time J.J. has played against either of his two brothers. When the Chargers faced the Texans in 2016, Derek's rookie year, J.J. was sidelined with a season-ending back injury. J.J. also missed the Texans' 2017 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where youngest brother T.J. is a linebacker, because of a broken leg.
"It's special. It is going to be a fun one for sure," Derek Watt said before Wednesday's practice.
"It's very cool. I'm not going to try and act like it's not exciting," J.J. Watt said. "It is very surreal being in a meeting, seeing him on the scouting report and flipping on the film. Just like any week you're watching the film but this time it's your brother instead of the fullback."
The brothers do have their own competitions during offseason workouts. Derek says he has the edge in speed and agility drills but J.J. and T.J. have a better vertical leap.
"It's always competitive. I've really worked out with him my whole life and we've been using the same trainer since high school," Derek said. "We always push each other."
Derek is the only Watt brother who plays offense. He has also emerged as one of the Chargers' top special teams players.
He has seen some opportunities to carry the ball during the first two weeks. Derek had a 2-yard carry for a first down during the game-winning drive against Indianapolis in Week 1 and had a 3-yard reception last week at Detroit.
"I love watching him play," J.J. said. "He's willing to take on middle linebackers, take on guys on the edge. He can catch."
Derek could end up blocking J.J. on at least a couple plays. According to SportRadar, the Texans used the blitz on 32.1% of pass plays in their first two games, which is slightly above the league average of 28.1%. They are also averaging seven quarterback hurries per game.
The Chargers are one of two AFC teams against whom J.J. hasn't recorded a sack (the Patriots are the other). The only time he has faced Philip Rivers was 2013.
"He's established himself as a dominant player and can wreck games for sure. We'll account for him," Derek said.
The Watts' parents will be in attendance. J.J. said the game will probably be more nerve-racking for their mom, while their dad will be pointing out what they did wrong. J.J. did get to experience slightly what both might be feeling last season when the Chargers took on the Steelers.
"It was very interesting, honestly," J.J. said of last year's game. "I didn't know really what to do. Because normally you're looking like, 'I want T.J.'s team to win, or I want Derek's team to win,' but then you're watching the game and normally you're like 'OK, well he plays offense and I just want the offense to do good,' but then T.J. was on defense. If Derek was not in the game, then I would want T.J. to get a sack, and if Derek was in the game, then it was like, 'I hope he gets a catch, but not on T.J.'s side.' I don't know. "
All three brothers are continuing to stay in touch this week, despite bragging rights on the line. The rivalry will resume on Oct. 13 when T.J. and the Steelers try to avenge last year's loss to Derek and the Chargers.
"For us, it's very easy to be best friends and brothers right up until kickoff and then during the game, flip the switch," J.J. Watt said.
The Watts aren't the only family that has something on the line on Sunday. Chargers coach Anthony Lynn's son, D'Anton, is the Texans' assistant secondary coach. Unlike the Watts, though, Anthony Lynn said he won't speak to his son until after the game.
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL


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En español | Many people don't know it, but drugs are among the most common causes of sexual problems. Indeed, studies show that prescription medications are responsible for as many as one of every four cases of sexual dysfunction — and this figure may understate the extent of the problem.
See also: AARP Health Record is a safe place to manage your family's health information.
If your sex life isn't what you think it should be — or what it used to be — talk with your physician or health care provider, even if initiating the discussion feels a little awkward or embarrassing. (If all those television ads can bring such subjects into your living room, surely you can bring them up in your doctor's office.) At the very least, it's helpful to rule out drugs as a cause of sexual problems before you undergo diagnostic tests that could lead to additional prescriptions.
Here's a rundown of the major classes of drugs that can interfere with your sex life. As always, it's important to remember that you should not discontinue drugs without consulting your doctor.
1. Statins and fibrates
Why they're prescribed: Statins and fibrates are used to treat high cholesterol.
How they can cause sexual dysfunction: Researchers say that by limiting the availability of cholesterol, a building block of hormones, these drugs likely interfere with the production of testosterone, estrogen and other sex hormones. Additionally, statins can cause rhabdomyolysis, a breakdown of muscle tissue, leading to joint pain and fatigue.
A review of studies of statins and fibrates, published in 2002, concluded that both classes of drugs may cause erectile dysfunction (ED). And a six-month, government-funded study published in 2009 found that men and women taking statins reported increased difficulty achieving orgasm. In the study, people's levels of sexual pleasure dropped along with their levels of LDL cholesterol.
Options: If you're among the many millions of older Americans without known coronary disease who are taking these drugs, ask your doctor or other health care provider about treating your slightly elevated cholesterol with a combination of sublingual (under-the-tongue) vitamin B12 (1000mcg daily), folic acid (800mcg daily) and vitamin B6 (200mg daily).
2. Blood pressure medications
Why they're prescribed: All blood pressure medications — and there are eight different categories of them — are used to lower the pressure inside blood vessels, so the heart doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood throughout the body.
How they can cause sexual dysfunction: While high blood pressure in itself can lead to sexual dysfunction, studies show that many of the drugs used to treat this condition also can cause sexual difficulties. In men, the decreased blood flow can reduce desire and interfere with erections and ejaculation. In women, it can lead to vaginal dryness, a decrease in desire, and difficulties achieving orgasm.
Three types of blood-pressure medications — diuretics (or "water pills"), beta-blockers and alpha-blockers — have been found to have the highest incidence of sexual side effects. Some diuretics, for example, not only interfere with blood flow to the sex organs but increase the body's excretion of zinc, which is needed to produce testosterone. And beta-blockers can sabotage a satisfying sex life at least three ways — by making you feel sedated and depressed, by interfering with nerve impulses associated with arousal and by reducing testosterone levels.
Options: Talk with your doctor or other health care provider about switching to another type of blood pressure medication. For older patients, a benzothiazepine calcium channel blocker is often the best choice, and drugs in this class have been shown to cause fewer adverse sexual effects than other antihypertensives.
3. Antidepressants
Why they're prescribed: While antidepressants are typically used to treat depression, they're also frequently prescribed for anxiety disorders, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, chronic pain, smoking cessation and some hormone-mediated disorders, such as severe menstrual cramps.
There are many different kinds of antidepressants, including tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), dopamine antagonists and lithium, among others.
How they can cause sexual dysfunction: Antidepressants cause problems in all areas of sexual function, probably by blocking the action of three brain chemicals that relay signals between nerve cells: acetylcholine, serotonin and norepinephrine.
The adverse effects of clomipramine (Anafranil), for instance, include ejaculation failure (reported by more than 40 percent of men taking the drug), impotence (reported by at least 15 percent of patients) and decreased libido (reported by at least 18 percent of patients).
Options: Talk with your doctor or other health care provider about lowering your dose (sexual side effects are often dose-related) or whether nondrug therapies might work just as well or better for you than a drug. You might also want to explore switching drugs, especially if you're older and taking one of the tricyclic antidepressants, which are considered to be potentially inappropriate drugs for older people.
4. Antipsychotics
Why they're prescribed: Antipsychotics are used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other serious psychiatric conditions. Antipsychotics also are often prescribed "off-label" to treat agitation and depression, among other conditions.
How they can cause sexual dysfunction: All antipsychotic drugs block dopamine, a brain chemical that helps regulate emotional responses and control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. They also increase levels of the hormone prolactin, which can lead to ED, reduced libido and difficulties achieving orgasm. And, like antidepressants, they block the action of acetylcholine, which researchers believe can lead to problems in all areas of sexual function.
The sexual side effects of these drugs have been difficult to tease out because many of the psychiatric conditions the drugs are used to treat are themselves associated with sexual problems. Nonetheless, the incidence of sexual dysfunction associated with antipsychotic drugs ranges in different studies from 45 percent to as high as 90 percent.
Options: Talk with your doctor or other health care provider about the possibility of reducing dosage or switching to another antipsychotic drug. If you or a loved one has been prescribed one of these drugs for Alzheimer's-related depression or agitation, talk to the doctor immediately. Antipsychotics pose heightened death risks for older people with dementia.
5. Benzodiazepines
Why they're prescribed: Benzodiazepines, commonly known as tranquilizers, are used to treat anxiety, insomnia, agitation and muscle spasms, and to prevent seizures.
How they can cause sexual dysfunction: The sedative and muscle-relaxant properties of benzodiazepines are thought to lessen sexual interest, excitement and sensation. Benzodiazepines may also interfere with the production of testosterone, a hormone important for sexual desire in women as well as men.
The sexual problems most frequently associated with benzodiazepines are diminished orgasms, pain during intercourse, ED and ejaculation problems.
Options: Many patients with mild anxiety or insomnia don't need benzodiazepines at all. And for all the conditions listed above, there are alternative drug and nondrug treatments. Melatonin, in doses from 3 milligrams to 10 milligrams before bedtime, for instance, sometimes helps to reestablish healthy sleep patterns. Elderly people should never use diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or any sleep aid with a name ending in "PM." Talk with your doctor or other health care provider.
6. H2 blockers
Why they're prescribed: H2 blockers, also called H2-receptor antagonists, are used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastric ulcers, peptic ulcers and erosive esophagitis.
How they can cause sexual dysfunction: H2 blockers can cause impotence (as well as breast enlargement in men) when taken at high doses for a long period of time.
Cimetidine (Tagamet) is associated with a wider range of sex-related side effects than other H2 blockers, including ranitidine (Zantac), famotidine (Pepcid) and nizatidine (Axid). Cimetidine's side effects include decreased libido, reduced sperm count and ED.
Options: If you are taking an H2 blocker for GERD or other reflux problems — and H2 blockers, with the exception of cimetidine, are the treatment of choice for older people — changes in your diet and sleep habits may be helpful. Some of my patients have reported success with the home remedy of apple cider vinegar and honey (one tablespoon of each in a glass of water), taken throughout the day, along with melatonin at bedtime.
7. Anticonvulsants
Why they're prescribed: Anticonvulsant drugs are typically used to control seizures in people who have epilepsy. They are also used to treat some types of chronic pain, including neuropathic pain and migraines, even though they weren't designed for that purpose. Anticonvulsants are also increasingly being used "off label" in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
How they can cause sexual dysfunction: Studies have shown that these drugs can lower testosterone levels, which can depress desire and interfere with arousal (erection problems for men, lubrication problems for women). They also can impair the ability to have orgasms.
Options: Some newer anticonvulsants like gabapentin (Neurontin) and topiramate (Topamax) may have fewer side effects than older drugs like carbamazepine (Tegretol) and phenytoin (Dilantin), so ask your doctor or other health care provider if switching medications makes sense for you — and your sex life.
"Ask the Pharmacist" is written by Armon B. Neel Jr., PharmD, CGP, in collaboration with journalist Bill Hogan. They are coauthors of Are Your Prescriptions Killing You?, to be published in July by Atria Books.
Member Discounts! Save on eye exams, prescription drugs, hearing aids and more
Remember to go to the AARP home page every day for great deals and for tips on keeping healthy and sharp.


text:
This is a read-only mirror of pymolwiki.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search
create creates a new molecule object from a selection. It can also be used to create states in an existing object. NOTE: this command has not yet been throughly tested.
create name, (selection) [,source_state [,target_state ] ]
create name = (selection) [,source_state [,target_state ] ] # (DEPRECATED)
- name = object to create (or modify)
- selection = atoms to include in the new object
- source_state (default: 0 - copy all states)
- target_state (default: 0)
cmd.create(string name, string selection, int source_state, int target_state,int discrete)
If the source and target states are zero (default), all states will be copied. Otherwise, only the indicated states will be copied.
User Comments/Examples
# merging two multi-state objects with the create command
# obj1 has 25 states and obj2 has 40 states
load multi_state_obj1, obj1
load multi_state_obj2, obj2
# merge the two multi-state objects back to back into obj3
# 0 indicates every states from obj1 should be included
# 1 indicates that the first state of obj3 is the first state from obj1 etc.
create obj3, obj1, 0, 1
# as obj1 has 25 states, the first state of obj2 must be state 26 to create a multi-state object of obj1 and obj2 back-to-back
# 26 indicates that the 26th state of obj3 is state nr. 1 of obj2 etc.
create obj3, obj2, 0, 26
# Obj3 now has 65 states (25 from obj1 and 40 from obj2)
# save obj3 as a multi-state pdb file
# use state=0 to get all states into one pdb file
save obj3.pdb, obj3, state=0


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Welcome to GOSA (Gloucestershire Old Spots of America Inc): The founding breeders registry for GOS hogs in the United States. GOSA promotes the GOS herd population in the United States by supporting breeders, pork producers, small farmers, new farmers, chefs, University researchers, peer heritage breed conservancy's, and YOU.
GOSA was established in 1996 and holds the original records and institutional history that will lead this important heritage breed to a vibrant future.
GOSA is a non-profit membership based organization that is run entirely by volunteers. GOSA's purpose is to preserve and promote Gloucestershire Old Spots Hogs which are a heritage and critically endangered breed of livestock.


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In episode 61 of the Functional Nerds Podcast, Patrick Hester and John Anealio welcome Ken Denmead, author of the new Geek Dad's Guide to Weekend Fun, and publisher of Wired's Geek Dad blog and podcast.
This week we chat about: Wired, Geek Dad, Borderlands, Star Trek, blogging, RP games, books, Geek Mom and the Geek Dad's Guide to Weekend Fun.
Patrick and John also chat about Apple's new iCloud service.
Welcome this week to our new sponsor – MapHook.com.
Music in the episode:
- Geek Dad (Excerpt) by John Anealio
- Angry Robot-Singularity Remix (Excerpt)
© 2011 Patrick Hester & John Anealio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS
11 Responses to Episode 061 – Ken Denmead
Hey, I still am running a play by email game. Actually, two…Not Star Trek, but I understand the principle. 🙂
[…] Ken Denmead on The Functional Nerds Podcast […]
[…] Ken Denmead on The Functional Nerds Podcast […]
[…] Ken Denmead on The Functional Nerds Podcast […]
[…] interviews John Grant.Suvudu (Matt Staggs) interviews Victor Hao.The Functional Nerds interview Ken Denmead. NewsJohn Glasby (1928-2011).L.A. Banks in Hospital.Scientific American's 100 Year Archive is now […]
(fighting the urge to use all caps . . .)
I want the geekdad book. (also fighting the urge to add exclamation points . . .)
(unable to stop myself from adding parens and ellipses . . . sorry)
I want the Geek Dad book.
It looks awesome.
[…] Functional Nerds interviews Ken Denmead […]
I want the Geek Dad book. Throw me in the hat. 🙂 Oh wait, am I eligible to play?
I want the Geek Dad book.
Thanks for the book. I'll post pictures online if I get any good ones. Were working on the LED kite (from book 1). I'm attaching an attiny44A and charlieplexing a bunch of LEDs. I was hoping to have it done for the 4th of July, but we didn't get it done in time.


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Soccer is a contact sport and players get injured. Concussions, sprains and bruising are not unusual. Swimming may not come with the usual injuries found in contact sports, but stress injuries are common.
There are basic safety precautions your teen can take to reduce injury:
- Schedule a check up with your child's doctor to make sure there are no health concerns that would prevent participation.
- Follow the rules. Many rules in competitive youth sports, especially those involving equipment, are designed to help prevent serious injury. Wearing shin guards, mouth guards, helmets and protective cups should be routine.
- Encourage your teen to stretch before and after each workout or game.
- Don't let your child play through pain. An injury can worsen if your child continues to play. Be extra cautious with head injuries and make sure a doctor clears your teen to return following an injury.
- Have your child remove jewelry and piercings before playing.
- Make sure your child stays hydrated. They should drink plenty of water before, during and after a game or practice.


text: Swingin' Doors is dedicated to a wide range of country sounds and styles, from honky tonk and western swing to alternative country and bluegrass, in sharp contrast to the tight playlists and narrow focus of today's commercial country radio. \n\nAs might be expected from a show named Swingin' Doors, there's usually a bit more honky tonk than anything else, though you'll hear everything from old-time fiddle tunes and boppin' country boogie to lush Countrypolitan sounds and hard-charging alternative twang-rock. \n\nYou'll hear country giants like Loretta Lynn, Ernest Tubb and Lefty Frizzell alongside more obscure but talented folks such as Joe Carson, the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers and Charline Arthur. You'll also hear plenty of new music ranging from hardcore honky tonkers like Roger Wallace and Heather Myles to edgy alt-country artists like Neko Case, the Drive-By Truckers and Fred Eaglesmith. \n\nI try to keep listeners up-to-date with what's happening now in the wide world of country music, while also bringing to light the richness and diversity of country's past. I'll also do my best to put the music in context by structuring the show so you can see the connections between different songs, artists and styles, along with sharing anecdotes and other bits of information about the music. I'll also try to give folks a chance to hear country artists that are coming to town soon, while also supporting Seattle's twang community by regularly playing the music of local artists. \n\nMore than anything else, I try to play music that moves you, whether it's a song that makes you jump with joy or one that rips your heart out. -- Don Slack


text:
Size: 5×7 one-sided card (to make this into a two-sided card, add a page to your project)
Paper (your choice of):
– Premium-Weight Satin: 100 lb card stock, smooth, white, semi-gloss finish
– Ultra-Thick Matte: 130 lb card stock, smooth, white, matte finish
Price includes envelopes: Yes
Rounded corners available: Yes, add $5 per order.
Production time: 1-2 business days. (Add extra time for shipping.)
Pickup options: Select Burnsville, MN or Lakeville, MN locations at no extra charge.
Shipping: $12.95 per order. (Allow an addl. 3-5 business days for ground shipping.)
Regular Pricing:
Add .15 cents per card when selecting 130 lb ultra thick matte card stock.
Download and install Focus in Pix FREE software to create and order this card.
If you have already installed Focus in Pix, launch Focus in Pix software application to get started. You may need to update your software with this product before you can begin.


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The DB2 10.5 "Cancun Release" was previously available as DB2 LUW Version 10.5 Fix Pak 4.
The short list of prerequisites and summary DB2 10.5 "Cancun Release" features list is here at the IBM DB2 10.5 "Cancun Release" Fix Pak Knowledge Center website.
Within the release there are many important features, and some of the most interesting ones are related to the new DB2 Explain information. New Explain columns provide more information on the DB2 SQL access path attributes used within our applications.
There are 14 new columns which have many values to support a variety of DB2 optimizer access path information. These are highlighted below, along with a description of what the new Explain provides for our debugging and performance research.
- Provides an indicator related to whether the SQL Explain output was built from SQL that was reused. This can be important to identify SQL that could be reused from your system statement cache, be resident for a long time, and not the new refreshed version that was just pushed into the test environment.
- Indicates whether the sort process is used to buffer the result set information as it is retrieved from the database.
• BYDPART and RANDACC
- Help identify and describe the Zig Zag Join access path. These columns indicate if the DB2 access part is partition dependent which is especially important for pureScale systems. The RANDACC Explain parameter highlights whether the Zig Zag Join uses a TEMP table to facilitate and improve random access.
- Indicates that XML data may be moved between DPF partitions during the execution of the SQL.
- Indicates that the access path references the index block entries within a Multi-Dimensional Clustered (MDC) index to FETCH the result set data. This is similar to index-only access on a standard table.
- Indicates DB2 SQL optimization error(s) occurred during the parsing or applying of SQL Profiles, a new feature. By defining specialized SQL optimization profiles, access paths can be improved or standardized for access-path-challenged tables. Sometimes by applying this profile information, the parsing or optimization can encounter an error. This column, along with the diagnostic messages, can help debug the error situation.
- Tells whether the bind option for skipping locked data during the SQL execution is enabled. Skipping locked data can be troublesome especially in robust systems with detailed result set requirements. Be careful and monitor this for accounting and other critical result set data applications.
• PLANID, STMTID and EXECUTID
- Help uniquely identify the SQL statements for the DB2 plan, statement, and the execution id used for the Explain. These unique identifiers are very important due to the new ability to set up execution profiles which the optimizer can use to favor critical DB2 access paths for better performance.
• BUSTSENS and SYSTSENS
- Indicate whether the SQL could be impacted by the value of the CURRENT TEMPORAL SYSTEM_TIME special register. This is very important since SQL can have specific DB2 temporal table business time or system time requirements. The temporal special register and the process's SQL temporal requirements now provide more information about the flexibility for using the business or system temporal time.
- Indicates the DB2 access path isolation level used for the SQL against a specific table. Since the isolation level can be adjusted through a number of mechanisms, this Explain column provides the information indicating whether it is Uncommitted Read, Read Stability, Cursor Stability, or Repeatable Read.
All of these new Explain columns in the new DB2 10.5 "Cancun Release" provide more critical information about the development of DB2 SQL access paths by the DB2 optimizer. Knowing how the DB2 optimizer is treating your SQL is always better for getting the best DB2 SQL performance possible.
Dave Beulke is a system strategist, application architect, and performance expert specializing in Big Data, data warehouses, and high performance internet business solutions. He is an IBM Gold Consultant, Information Champion, and President of DAMA-NCR, former President of International DB2 User Group, and frequent speaker at national and international conferences. His architectures, designs, and performance tuning techniques help organization better leverage their information assets, saving millions in processing costs.
Also look to the IBM Insight (formerly Information on Demand-IOD conference) for more information. For more details go here.
Support IDUG through the European IDUG conference in Prague, CR November 9-14. For more details go to www.idug.org.


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Who doesn't like birds, what with their penetrating stares from glassy eyes that so perfectly mask the quiet intelligence at work? (Except in the case of ostriches. Boy, they're stupid. Tasty, though. Tasty and dangerous.) But what the devil is a bird, exactly?
Obviously I'm bringing this up in relation to a paper by Xu et al that's been getting quite a lot of attention. Rather predictably the media has already been fudging the science; in fact, even Nature News made a bit of a hash of things.
After analysing the traits present in Xiaotingia and its relations, Xu and his colleagues are suggesting that the creatures bear more resemblance to the dinosaurs Velociraptor and Microraptor than to early birds, and so belong in the dinosaur group Deinonychosauria rather than in the bird group, Avialae. (Source)The suggestion seems to be that 'birds' are something quite separate and distinct from 'dinosaurs', whereas the consensus view among palaeontologists has for years been that Aves (or if you prefer, Avialae) is a clade within the Dinosauria. Avialae is just as much a 'dinosaur group' as Deinonychosauria, and it would have been pretty hard to tell apart primitive examples of either in life (and so it is proving with the fossils).
The Guardian's also chosen to sensationalise the idea that Archaeopteryx might be a feathered nonavian dinosaur, rather than a bona fide bird. "The fossil Archaeopteryx may not have been one of the earliest birds but just another feathered dinosaur," we are told. But what's the difference? Birds are 'just' feathered dinosaurs, and Xu et al do not dispute this. The article (written by our old friend Ian Sample) goes on to talk of birds as if they are something separate from dinosaurs. The simple fact is that they are not. Of particular irritation is this paragraph:
If archaeopteryx [sic] was a dinosaur, this means flight evolved at least four times in vertebrates: in reptiles, birds, dinosaurs, and most recently in bats. (Source)According to various theories currently floating around, avian and nonavian dinosaurs in Paraves (the clade that includes deinonychosaurs and avians) could have a common flying/gliding/arboreal ancestor (or maybe even a ground-dwelling one), or various nonavian and avian dinosaurs could have evolved and lost flight over millions of years. Some people even think that the distinction has become quite meaningless, and will readily call Velociraptor a bird. Then there's that use of the word 'reptile'. Presumably, Dr Sample meant 'pterosaurs'. I suppose we'll let him off on that one.
The BBC are at it too.
Birds are dinosaurs. They are not special, or different, just because they're still alive and don't fit pop culture expectations of a giant, reptilian monster with huge fangs. The sooner newspaper journalists learn this, and stop misleading the public, the better.


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D-Lib Magazine
Dr. Michael Mönnich
Marcus Spiering
Recommender systems are useful tools for adding a reference component to a library catalog, and they help develop library catalogs that serve as customer-oriented portals, deploying Web 2.0 technology. Recommender systems are based on statistical models, and they can lead users from one record to similar literature held in the catalog. In this article we describe the recommender system BibTip, developed in Karlsruhe University, and we discuss its application in libraries.
Recommender Systems in General
Recommender systems are flourishing on the Internet. One can hardly find a web shop that doesn't provide recommendations; the systems give customers hints about other interesting products and thereby boost sales. Probably, the example best known to librarians is the recommender system used by the online bookseller Amazon. Nearly any title there contains a link: "customers who bought this also bought ..." These referrals are generated by analysis and evaluation of the buying patterns of Amazon customers.
Before the advent of the Internet, most recommendations came to us either from people we knew or from published reviews. Today's electronic recommender systems, on the other hand, function automatically and are generating recommendations without human intervention. Basically, electronic recommender systems function by statistically utilizing the data generated automatically by the user, from which the recommendations are then compiled. In this process the following variables are relevant: customers, products and shopping carts. To generate recommendations, the product selection in the shopping carts of customers is observed. The ability to identify which merchandise the customer actually purchased together at one shopping occasion is crucial for the quality of the recommender. Merchandise bought unintentionally together may not lead to reciprocal recommendations; merchandise purchased intentionally together are to be recommended. Recommender systems use statistical methods to differentiate between intentionally and unintentionally selected merchandise compilations. What determines the quality of the generated recommendations are the underlying statistical procedures used by the recommender systems. These vary according to the field in which they are applied. Their efficiency depends on the system's ability to separate the relevant from the irrelevant in the large number of clicks.
Library services are well suited for the adoption of recommender systems, especially services that support the user in the search for literature in the catalog. From a librarian's point of view, a recommendation system can be seen as a form of catalog enrichment or as a substitute for traditional subject classification. The recommendation systems assist librarians in setting up and keeping up-to-date the library's holdings. From a more technical viewpoint, a recommendation system may be seen as a Web 2.0 application, since the user indirectly generates the data used by the system, and the integration into the catalog is being done by means of a mashup two aspects of Web 2.0 applications.
The Recommender System BibTip
Between 2002 and 2007, several projects funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG)1 were carried out in Karlsruhe, all of them concerning the development of recommender systems for libraries. We called the first one the Karlsruher recommender system, but we changed its name to BibTip in 2007. Project partners in the development were Karlsruhe University Library2 and the Institute for Information Services and Electronic Markets of Prof. Dr. Andreas Geyer-Schulz.3 The Institute developed the algorithms and the scientific basis for the Karlsruhe recommender system, and the Karlsruhe University Library was responsible for the system's integration into the library catalog, the collection of statistical data and, most recently, the development and operation of BibTip as a service. The recommender system projects proved to be successful and were presented by the DFG at the Fall 2007 Task Meeting of the Coalition for Network Information CNI in Washington, DC, December 10 - 11.4
The BibTip recommendation system is based on the behavioral patterns of users interacting with a library catalog. This so called "implicit" recommendation service rests upon the observation of user patterns and the statistical evaluation of the usage data. All the data stored and processed are anonymous (identification numbers and session IDs). On a technical level the BibTip architecture may be seen as an agent architecture involving three software agents: the OPAC Observation Agent, the Aggregation Agent, and the Recommendation Agent. The OPAC Observation Agent observes the selection of titles within defined OPAC sessions. These data are transferred to the Aggregation Agent, which then does computations on the statistical material to arrive at a list of recommendations. Lastly, the Recommendation Agent presents the list of recommendations to the user.
Whereas in the field of Internet commerce, user data are generated by purchasing transactions or clicks on links in web pages, in the case of BibTip, data are generated by aggregating the calls of full title displays during sessions in the online catalog. During the session, the user's views of full title displays in the catalog are counted. Based on the sessions, co-occurrences between pairs of titles are established if the two titles were viewed together in at least one session. These co-occurrences are counted and summarized in a co-occurrence matrix. In a further step, this matrix is evaluated in order to generate the recommendations. In this step the algorithms used play a crucial role. The algorithmic process upon which BibTip is based is particularly robust concerning disturbances, and the algorithm was developed especially for data in library catalogs. The basis for the Karlsruhe Recommender System is the Repeat-buying Theory developed by Andrew Ehrenberg, which describes regularities in a large number of consumer product markets on the basis of the analysis of shopping carts.5 The usage of the underlying theoretical distribution of independent purchase processes in a Poisson framework and applying the logarithmic series distribution-algorithm involved allow the setup of a recommender system that combines 100% automation, high precision and robustness against aberrations.6 (More detailed information about the mathematics behind BibTip can be found in the publication list of the project page "Recommender Systems for Meta Library Catalogs"7 at the Institute for Information Services and Electronic Markets.)
After the calculation is done, recommendations generated by BibTip appear as hyperlinks in the full title display of the OPAC, and the links lead the user to content-related titles, as shown in Figure 2 below in Karlsruhe's catalog.8
Experience with BibTip in the library
Obviously, BibTip offers added value in the OPAC to library patrons. Many of the library's younger patrons are already accustomed to this type of service, because it is offered by web shops, Youtube and other Web 2.0 Services.
The deployment of BibTip has several advantages for the library. One is that the recommendations never become outdated. Unlike the notations of a traditional classification scheme such as Dewey, Biptip recommendations are being constantly re-evaluated and are dynamically adjusted to the changing usage of literature by the user. If users at one point begin to use books in a different context than had been used before, this will be reflected in the lists provided by BibTip.
As the number of recommendations represents a measure for the use of a title, a recommendation system may help in the development of the library's holdings. If a title has no recommendations, it would appear to be of little interest to the users. On the other hand, many recommendations for a particular title shows heavy usage of that title. Another point is that recommendations are completely media neutral. The lists can be created for any item in the catalog, whether they are books, videos, audios or journals. In addition, BibTip can be used in all databases containing bibliographic data, such as current contents or factual databases like PubMed. Last but not least, BibTip is very cost effective, since it entails a purely automated process. Once set up, BibTip needs no staff to run it.
One might ask why BibTip uses the statistical analysis and evaluation of the catalog's usage for recommendations instead of using circulation data. This is because the latter approach would have several disadvantages. One is that reference books and all other literature excluded from lending would not be observed. Another point is that the accumulation of data is much higher using the catalog, since there are usually more catalog searches than books actually checked out. In addition, if the recommendations were calculated on circulation, then the recommendations would be influenced by the availability of the materials to be loaned. For example, books in high demand that are available only in one copy would be ranked lower than less interesting books that are available in more copies, because library users have the tendency to check out whatever is currently available to them.
When dealing with recommender systems, the security and privacy of user data is an important aspect to consider. This matter is especially important in Germany where the legislation in this respect is strict. However, this is not a problem with BibTip, because BibTip collects and stores only data about anonymous OPAC sessions and title Ids or ISBNs. If BibTip were using circulation data though, these data would need to be anonymized to meet privacy and security considerations.
BibTip, like other recommendation services, works better the larger the database is, since the statistical data are meaningful only if they are calculated on a sufficiently large number of transactions. Therefore, an observation period for the collecting and analyzing of data is necessary before the first recommendations can be displayed. This period is shorter the more data are stored, i.e., the more intensively the catalog is being used. The requirement for ample use, however, is bound to be fulfilled by most libraries, at least those at the university and college level. Besides this, the amount and usage of data, the number of titles called up during an OPAC-session, and the diversity of titles all influence the duration of the observation period. It should be noted that it is not necessary to have recommendations for all titles in the OPAC. The invocation of catalog data in ratio to the complete holdings usually follows a common Pareto-allocation, so that approximately 80% of the searches affect only 20% of the titles in the catalog. Therefore, it is sufficient to supply recommendation lists for this 20%. At Karlsruhe we now have approximately 200,000 recommendation lists in our library catalog. Since this catalog contains 1,000,000 titles altogether, a sufficient coverage of 80% has been achieved.
Nevertheless, a correct prognosis of the length of the observation period is quite difficult. It is probably a reasonable assumption that it will take several months before enough statistical material has been gathered for the first valid recommendations. One way to accelerate the build-up of sufficient data to generate recommendations is to pool the statistical data of several libraries. This might be particularly feasible for libraries with a common interest in their choice of titles and similar clientele (and comparable user behavior), for example, public libraries.
Using BibTip as a Web Service
We consider a recommender system to be an important feature of an attractive OPAC and see a high potential in BibTip to improve the quality of catalog service to the user. The results from a user survey conducted in Karlsruhe between the years 2005 to 2006 that asked the users to vote on the quality of the recommendation service on a scale of 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good) showed that most users found the recommender service to be very helpful; the average rating came to 4.21.9 We decided to continue the development of the recommendation service even after the DFG funding ended in 2007, and to offer BibTip to other libraries interested in providing their users with recommendations. Therefore, we redesigned the software in a way that would allow us to run BibTip as a web service, and also to make it more flexible and scalable.
Subscribing to BibTip can be a convenient way for libraries to offer a recommender system to their users, as no local software has to be installed or maintained, and all the statistical data analysis, the procurement and the administration of the recommendation system takes place on the servers located in Karlsruhe. To maintain these servers and the staff involved, we charge a moderate annual fee for the use of BibTip. Part of the fee is also being used to ensure the further development the software. So far, a substantial number of libraries have already opted for BibTip, including the German National Library at Frankfurt/M., universities at Freiburg, Braunschweig, Berlin, University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, and Stuttgart, the Baden State Library and several college libraries in Baden-W�rttemberg and Berlin. With this community of libraries using it, the development of BibTip has been put on a secure basis for the future.
Technical Aspects
The requirements for the integration of BibTip are:
There are two forms of BibTip integration: the standard integration through the title-ID and a simplified version using ISBN. The simplified ISBN integration allows the integration with only two additional lines of static HTML code in the full title representation. In this context "static" means that these code lines are always the same in each full title representation. The standard integration through the title-ID requires the addition of three more lines to the HTML code of the full title presentation. These lines contain dynamic parts that change depending on the text displayed.
Table 1 provides an overview of the two forms of integration.
Table 1
ISBN Integration
In the case of ISBN integration one needs to modify the HTML code of the full title display at the following points:
Below is a sample HTML source code for the simplified representation ISBN Integration:
 Content Full title

 Content Full title
BibTip Standard integration
In the case of standard integration, the required extensions of an OPAC full title display are:
Below is an example of HTML source code for the BibTip Standard Integration:
 Content Full title
3-8266-1762-2,978-3-8266-1762-1

Ajax ge-packt / Seeboerger-Weichselbaum, Michael; 2007

26214927
 Content Full title  Content Full title

 Content Volltitel
The operating mode of the integration of BibTip is described in further detail at the BibTip Homepage.10
Future development
As the number of libraries using BibTip increases, interesting options open for further development, among these are the opportunity to pool data from several libraries and generating cross-library recommendations. This could be of interest to libraries with similar user profiles such as public libraries or to college libraries with similar disciplinary or research emphases. In that way libraries with only small catalogs (or low catalog usage) might also provide recommendations to their users.
Another area for future development of BibTip is the provision of advanced administrative tools that give IT departments in their local libraries the ability to customize the layout and the texts produced by the recommendation agent without interference from the staff at Karlsruhe. Further scientific research on BibTip may also include analyzing and decreasing the build-up time needed before valid recommendations can take place, or clustering groups of recommendations to create entry points to subject searches in the catalog.More Information about BibTip can be found at the website at <http://www.bibtip.org>, and those who wish to try out the BibTip recommender system may do so using the library catalog at Karlsruhe.
Notes and References
1. DFG - Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, <http://www.dfg.de/>. (For the English language version of this web page, see <http://www.dfg.de/en/index.html>.)
2. Homepage of the University Library Karlsruhe, <http://www.ubka.uni-karlsruhe.de/index_engl.html>.
3. Information Services and Electronic Markets <http://www.em.uni-karlsruhe.de/index.php?language=en>.
4. CNI Fall 2007 Task Force Meeting, <http://www.cni.org/tfms/2007b.fall/>.
5. Ehrenberg, Andrew S.: Repeat-buying: theory and applications. Amsterdam: North-Holland Publ., 1972.
6. Andreas Geyer-Schulz, Andreas Neumann und Anke Thede: Others also use. In: Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, 2003 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; 2769), pp.113 - 125.
7. Recommender Systems for Meta Library Catalogs, <http://www.em.uni-karlsruhe.de/research/projects/reckvk/index.php?language=en>.
8. University Library Karlsruhe Catalog, <http://www.ubka.uni-karlsruhe.de/katalog>.
9. Andreas Geyer-Schulz, Andreas Neumann und Anke Thede. An Architecture for Behavior-Based Library Recommender Systems. Information Technology and Libraries 22(4), pp.165 - 174 (2003).
10. BibTip flyer in English, <http://www.bibtip.org/bibtipFlyer_en.pdf>.
Copyright © 2008 Michael Mönnich and Marcus Spiering
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Regional Director Internship
Location: Nationwide (Telecommute Volunteer Role)
Salary: Unpaid
Duration: 6-months
Hours: 4-6 hours per week
Start Date: New programs begin every month; you choose the month you wish to start
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- Build a network of people engaged in the cause.
- Serve as The Borgen Project's ambassador in your city.
- Basic understanding of U.S. Politics and international development.
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"We make your imagination fly"
The idea of flying has fascinated man through the ages. The gods, angels, devils, witches and other fantasy characters have always had the ability to fly in the folk tradition. Through the effects of flight, humans manage to break the chains of gravitational physics can create a new reality and fantasy that fills our spectacular theatrical and cinematic imagination, where characters like Peter Pan, Mary Poppins and Neo from Matrix, dance , fight, fall in love and dream in flight.


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On most linksys routers, to log in you have to go to the routers ip address in a web browser. (192.168.1.1 by default) Does anyone know of a way to log in from the command line in either linux or windows?
Results 1 to 8 of 8
Thread: Linksys Router


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When healing turns to scarring: Schulich research reveals why it happens and how to stop it
Friday, September 19, 2008
For the first time, research from The University of Western Ontario has revealed the mechanisms involved in the origin of scarring or fibrotic diseases, as well as a way to control it. The study, led by Andrew Leask of the CIHR Group in Skeletal Development and Remodeling, is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
"People are generally unaware of how prevalent scarring diseases are, and the impact they have on our health," says Leask, a professor in Dentistry and Physiology and Pharmacology at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. "Cardiovascular and other diseases including diabetes, cancer, and pulmonary fibrosis all involve scarring, which affects the organs' ability to function. Another example is scleroderma, a progressive scarring disease affecting 300,000 people in the United States and 40,000 Canadians. It's estimated about 40% of all deaths and health care costs in North America are related to scarring or fibrosis."
During tissue repair, specialized cells called myofibroblasts migrate to the wound where they generate the adhesive and tensile forces required for wound closure. Normally, these myofibroblasts then disappear from the wound. But if they persist and continue to make connective tissue, it can become too thick, preventing the organ from functioning properly. So for instance, in the case of diabetes, this scarring could cause the kidney to shut down, requiring dialysis or a transplant.
The research team which included investigators from Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto and University College London in England, identified that a particular protein called glycogen synthase kinase 3 normally acts as a brake to terminate repair. If this protein is impaired, scarring results after wounding. Investigators also found elevated levels of a protein called endothelin-1. Next, they used a drug, already on the market, which blocks endothelin-1 and found it prevented scarring but did not affect wound closure in mice. While the use of the drug for this purpose would still have to be tested in humans, Leask believes this therapy could stop fibrosis from occurring without affecting normal tissue repair.
The research was supported by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, CIHR, the Arthritis Research Campaign, the Reynaud's and Scleroderma Foundation, and the Scleroderma Society.


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U.N. Urges Eating Insects; 8 Popular Bugs to Try
From beetles to stinkbugs, people in dozens of countries eat insects.
Ants are sweet, nutty little insects, aren't they?
I'm not talking about their personalities, but how they taste. Stinkbugs have an apple flavor, and red agave worms are spicy. A bite of tree worm apparently brings pork rinds to mind.
This information will come in handy for those of us following the latest recommendation from the United Nations: Consume more insects.
A report released Monday by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization reminds us that there are more than 1,900 edible insect species on Earth, hundreds of which are already part of the diet in many countries.
In fact, some two billion people eat a wide variety of insects regularly, both cooked and raw; only in Western countries does the practice retain an "ick" factor among the masses.
Why eat something that we usually swat away or battle with insecticides? For starters, many insects are packed with protein, fiber, good fats, and vital minerals—as much or more than many other food sources.
One example: mealworms, the larval form of a particular species of darkling beetle that lives in temperate regions worldwide. Mealworms provide protein, vitamins, and minerals on par with those found in fish and meat. Another healthful treat: small grasshoppers rank up there with lean ground beef in protein content, with less fat per gram. (Related video: Family learns how to cook and prepare mealworms.)
And raising and harvesting insects requires much less land than raising cows, pigs, and sheep. Insects convert food into protein much more efficiently than livestock do—meaning they need less food to produce more product. They also emit considerably fewer greenhouse gases than most livestock (think gassy cows).
Entomophagy, the consumption of insects as food, is also a safe and healthy way to help reduce pest insects without using insecticides. Plus, gathering and farming insects can offer new forms of employment and income, especially in developing tropical countries where a lot of "edibles" live.
That helps to explain why 36 African countries are "entomophagous," as are 23 in the Americas, 29 in Asia, and even 11 in Europe. With so many species swarming the globe it's difficult to parse out the specific ones most often eaten, so we'll go a little broader—to the top edible insect groups. According to my favorite cookbook, Creepy Crawly Cuisine by biologist Julieta Ramos-Elorduy, a leading proponent of the entomophagy movement, here are the eight critters most often ingested worldwide.
1. Beetles
The most commonly eaten beetles are the long-horned, june, dung, and rhinoceros varieties. These are munched by people living in the Amazon basin, parts of Africa, and other heavily forested regions, both tropical and temperate, as diverse species are easily found in trees, fallen logs, and on the forest floor. (Native Americans, I've heard, would roast them over coals and eat them like popcorn.) They are efficient at turning cellulose from trees (indigestible to humans) into digestible fat. Beetles also have more protein than most other insects.
2. Butterflies and Moths
They do more than look pretty fluttering across a meadow; these winged insects, during their larval and pupal stages, are succulent and full of protein and iron. They're very popular in African countries, and are an excellent supplement for children and pregnant women who may be deficient in these nutrients. In Central and South America, fat and fleshy agave worms, which live between the leaves of the agave plant and turn into butterflies, are highly sought after for food and as the famed worm dropped into mescal, a Mexican liquor. Cultivation of these worms could help protect them from overharvesting.
3. Bees and Wasps
We love bees for their honey, but they have more to give. Indigenous people in Asia, Africa, Australia, South America, and Mexico commonly eat these insects when they are in their immature stages. Stingless bees are most commonly munched, with wasps a distant second. Bee brood (bees still in egg, larval, or pupal form tucked away in hive cells) taste like peanuts or almonds. Wasps, some say, have a pine-nutty flavor.
4. Ants
You're probably thinking that it takes a lot of ants to make a meal. True. But they pack a punch: 100 grams of red ant (one of thousands of ant species) provide some 14 grams of protein (more than eggs), nearly 48 grams of calcium, and a nice hit of iron, among other nutrients. All that in less than 100 calories. Plus, they're low in carbs.
5. Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Locusts
Grasshoppers and their ilk are the most consumed type of insect, probably because they're simply all over the place and they're easy to catch. There are a lot of different kinds, and they're a great protein source. The hoppers have a neutral flavor, so they pick up other flavors nicely. Cricket curry, anyone? Meanwhile, locusts move in swarms that devastate vegetation in countries where people are already struggling to eat—one of several reasons to turn them into dinner. (See video: Family prepares a cricket stir-fy.)
6. Flies and Mosquitoes
Not as popular as some of the others, these insects—including edible termites and, yes, lice—still have a place at some tables. Flies that develop on various types of cheese take on the flavor of their host, and the species from water habitats may taste like duck or fish.
7. Water Boatmen and Backswimmers
Easy to cultivate and harvest, these cosmopolitan little guys deposit eggs on the stems of aquatic plants, in both freshwater and saltwater environments—even in stagnant water. The eggs can be dried and shaken from the plants to make Mexican caviar (tastes like shrimp), or eaten fresh for their fishy flavor.
8. Stinkbugs
If you can get past the funky smell, these insects apparently add an apple flavor to sauces and are a valuable source of iodine. They're also known to have anesthetic and analgesic properties. Who would have thought?
Share your insect-eating stories in the comments.


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The civilian version of the AR-15 used by the DEA and FBI is one sweet rifle, with all the needed accessories to boot. Here's a look at the Rock River Arms Pro Series Government.
Civilian gun owners often benefit from the competition among gun makers vying for government contracts. The Rock River Arms Pro Series Government AR-15 is but one very good example.
Back in the early fall of 2002, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) began to search for a 5.56 AR-style carbine to replace the 9mm submachine guns it had been using. 11 companies submitted samples, but it was a then-fledgling company out of Colona, Illinois, that survived the pass/fail test.
Rock River Arms (RRA) was awarded a 5-year DEA contract to make 5,000 carbines, with the FBI and U.S. Marshals acquiring the same gun with follow-up contracts. The civilian version is the Pro Series Government Model.
A Look at the Gun
What really impressed me about the RRA Pro Series is that it comes as a complete package. You get a LAR-15 5.56mm-chambered carbine, with a 16-inch chrome lined, chrome moly 1:9 twist barrel (the DEA version had a 14.5-inch barrel) fitted with an A2 flash hider.
The trigger is two stage, and breaks just over 5 pounds, very nice. It comes with a flat-top Picatinny rail and pre-installed A.R.M.S. flip-up rear sight. Not only that, there's an EOTECH 552 Holosight (though we actually tested the rifle with a Trijicon RSR Reflex, but that's another story).
The combination of EOTECH and rear sight allow you to "cowitness" both sights at the same time — a well thought out touch.
In the case you get a Viking VTAC Single Point Sling, Cleaning Kit, and Surefire M951 Weapon Light. When you consider the included EOTECH and other goodies you get, the retail price of $2375 makes this a very good value.
The RRA Pro-Series at the Range
We didn't do extensive off-the-bench accuracy testing of the gun (RRA says 1.5 MOA accuracy out of the box) but instead opted for real-world shooting from standing and kneeling positions. We fed it with Hornady 55-grain TAP ammo, and she shot excellent groups out to 50 yards (see photo).
We experienced no malfunctions. And the rifle, which weighs in at just over 8 pounds, produced virtually no recoil to speak of. It was downright enjoyable to shoot.
Check out the Rock River Arms Pro Series Government. It's a proven gun that exceeded the government's very rigorous testing and comes complete with an accessory package of all the best-quality stuff. It'll surpass your expectations, too.
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Agile Project Management For DummiesExplore Book Buy On Amazon
The first core value of the Agile Manifesto is to value individuals and interactions over processes and tools. When you allow each person to contribute unique value to your software development project, the result can be powerful.
If processes and tools are seen as the way to manage product development and everything associated with it, people and the way they approach the work must conform to the processes and tools. Conformity makes it hard to accommodate new ideas, new requirements, and new thinking. Agile approaches, however, value people over process. This emphasis on individuals and teams puts the focus on people and their energy, innovation, and ability to solve problems. You use processes and tools in agile project management, but they're intentionally streamlined and directly support product creation. The more robust a process or tool, the more you spend on its care and feeding and the more you defer to it. With people front and center, however, the result is a leap in productivity. An agile environment is human-centric and participatory and can be readily adapted to new ideas and innovations.
If you value processes and tools, the benefits are that the processes are generally clear and well-understood, and you have a written record of communications about the project. However, if you value individuals and interactions highly, you realize greater benefits:
Communication is clear and effective.
Communication is quick and efficient.
Teamwork becomes strong as people work together.
Development teams can self-organize.
Development teams have more chances to innovate.
Development teams can customize processes as necessary.
Development team members can take personal ownership of the project.
Development team members can have deeper job satisfaction.
Of course, development team members must have the capacity to be involved, responsible, and innovative. Team members may need to let go of ego to work well within the team. But these disadvantages are minor compared with those that often attend processes that value process above people:
People may over-rely on processes instead of finding the best ways to create good products.
One process doesn't fit all teams — different people have different work styles.
One process doesn't fit all projects.
Communication can be ambiguous and time-consuming.


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Earlier this week, the International Energy Agency announced that China was now the world's largest consumer of energy (oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear power and renewables), surpassing the U.S. for the first time.
With 1.3 billion people, China is unlikely to reach current U.S. energy consumption per capita for some time, if ever, but to double energy consumption in the last ten years is still an impressive achievement. But keep in mind that the average American is still consuming five times as much energy each year as the average Chinese. China had not been expected to overtake the US for another five years, but the global recession reduced U.S. consumption and China's strong economic rebound in the last sent Beijing's consumption soaring.
Interestingly, Chinese officials immediately denied that the IEA's announcement was correct. This is not because the Chinese do not want to be the world's number one energy consumer, but because they do not want to be known as the number one polluter and contributor to global warming emissions. As global temperatures set new records, Beijing would rather be thought of as the leader in efficient use of energy and developer of renewable technologies, rather than as a giant pollutant-belching smokestack, which may be closer to the truth for much of China's energy comes from coal.
The key issue for the next few years is whether China can keep up its frenetic growth. Earlier this year, after a heavy dose of financial stimulus and much loose lending, China's GDP was growing at an annual rate close to 12 percent. Keep in mind that China's definition of GDP growth does not exactly square with what is used in other countries. So while China's economic growth may be spectacular by OECD standards, it may not be quite that spectacular. When inflationary pressures appeared last spring, Beijing tightened up on lending which seems to have cut inflation, taken a point or two off of GDP growth, and cut back on industrial production.
Beijing is about to fall victim to rapidly increasing oil prices, and eventually, shortages.
Whether Beijing's formula of mixed capitalism and state control of key enterprises will prove to be durable over the long run has yet to be seen. What we do know, however, is that a few more years of surging energy consumption will soon be playing havoc with energy prices around the world. Even with GDP growth down to 8 or 10 percent each year, China seems to be on course to import at least an additional 500,000 barrels a day (b/d) on top of the 5.4 million b/d imported in June. Beijing's oil imports have doubled in the last five years. Given that other Asian states are increasing imports and the Gulf oil exporters are consuming increasing amounts of oil, something has got to give. That of course will be prices.
There are a few dark clouds on Beijing's horizon, however. Labor unrest is growing and the realities of China's decades of neglect for the environment are closing in. Natural and man-made disasters — droughts, floods, hurricanes, melting glaciers, polluted air and water, falling aquifers – are accumulating at an alarming pace. Someday these problems, especially when they cause persistent food shortages, are going to reach the point where they impact the nation's ability to sustain any kind of economic growth. However, the consequences of these problems do not seem imminent.
Like everyone else, Beijing is about to fall victim to rapidly increasing oil prices, and eventually, shortages brought about by peaking world oil production. The government clearly recognizes this and has embarked on multiple programs to increase the efficiency of its energy use, increase production of renewable energy, and to buy up at top dollar as much foreign coal, oil and natural gas production as anybody is willing to sell them. This will in turn prove to be a major problem for the oil importing OECD countries that will see their sources of foreign oil disappear more quickly than anticipated.
For now the Chinese economic juggernaut appears ready to keep moving along right into the age of oil depletion. While the country has social and environmental issues none appear to be a hindrance to continued rapid economic development for the immediate future. With massive reserves of foreign exchange, Beijing should be in best position of any major oil importers to weather at least the initial stages of much higher oil prices.
The next few years are likely to be critical for should China keep increasing its imports of oil and even coal at anywhere close to their current rates of increase, major price spikes in the world's oil markets seem inevitable. The U.S. and OECD may not do too well economically in the next few years, but their oil and coal consumption are unlikely to take more than minor dips. These dips in consumption are unlikely to be enough to offset increasing oil consumption in Asia and the oil exporting nations.
China's new status as the world's number one energy consumer may or may not last long, but it serves as a reminder that there are serious troubles ahead.
Tom Whipple is a retired government analyst and has been following the peak oil issue for several years.