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The Secret Beyond Matter
Erzincan TV, 14 July 2008
Adnan Oktar: The Armenians are our brothers. They are very dear to us, insha'Allah. Armenia will also take its place inside the Turkish-Islamic Union, insha'Allah. They are distressing themselves for nothing. We regard them as friends and brothers. Insha'Allah, they will also take their place within the loving arms of the Turkish-Islamic Union. They will live in peace. Their security will be ensured... They will withdraw from Nagorno-Karabagh, but they will come to Turkey and Azerbaijan in return and do business and settle where they please there. If they wish they will be able to worship freely there. But this is a running sore. The closure of the Lachin corridor and occupation of Nagorno-Karabagh, these things are so unnecessary... There is no hatred toward Armenia in Turkey. Our Armenian brothers occupied the best and most key positions in the Ottoman period. The most famous artists and doctors were Armenian. They are the people of the Book. They are our immaculate brothers. There is absolutely no need for them to feel such unease. There may perhaps have been a twisting in their hearts in the past, but there was war then, and Armenians also annihilated Muslims en masse. But we forgive them... They must move on. We forgive them, and now let them move on. We need mutual reconciliation. There is forgiveness in both Islam and Christianity. Let us love one another.
Azerbaijan Halk Newspaper, 6 October 2008
Adnan Oktar: As you know, our president went to watch a match in Armenia. That was a great show of love and friendship. The Armenian people are normally innocent, warm and pleasant-natured. The masons pushed them in the wrong direction and involved them in wrong actions. We will again adopt this innocent nation and embrace them. We will show them our warmth and friendship. THEY WILL WITHDRAW FROM NAGORNO-KARABAGH. They will right all those wrongs from the past. In other words, all the problems will be resolved. This is not the problem, the whole problem lies in love, brotherhood and friendship. These are artificially created things. They have the revenge monument, as you know, and other things. These will all disappear. They will withdraw from everywhere they have occupied. Just so long as they see that love and friendship. They are not after land. What they want is to live in love, peace, brotherhood, calm and plenty, economic strength and material and psychological peace. The Turkish-Islamic Union will provide that for them. Once that is provided, they will have no need for such feelings. THEY WILL MAKE NO ALLEGATIONS OF GENOCIDE. THESE THINGS WILL ALL VANISH AND ALL BE RESOLVED, INSHA'ALLAH.
The First Expansion of Armenia in Karabagh
An important step toward the resolution of the Karabagh problem outside the Turkey-Armenia protocol... Yerevan will open the Lachin corridor in Karabagh up to the world by demilitarizing it.
The Lachin corridor is noteworthy as a strategic region in terms of establishing a link between Turkey and Armenia. It is being said that within the resolution process the withdrawal of Armenian units from five of the seven occupied zones around Karabagh is of great importance, as well as the Lachin corridor itself.


text: July 6, 2012 This Week's Reading What We're Loving: Underwater Art, Analytic Philosophy, Betsy-Tacy By The Paris Review Two Paris Review editors in one New York Times magazine? That's what I call a week in culture: Sadie Stein on Baby Bjorns and J. J. Sullivan on Faulkner. —Lorin Stein Like Jim Holt, I am convinced that some analytic philosophy is worth reading and rereading. If only one book could make the case, though, it would have to be Derek Parfit's work of moral philosophy, Reasons and Persons. Almost thirty years old, it endures through a combination of novel thought and unimpeachable style. And, unlike much analytic philosophical writing, Parfit's words have a vigorous sense of purpose, a compassion and focus reminiscent of Simone Weil and George Orwell. Favorite sections include teletransportation, indistinct selves, the repugnant conclusion, and the opening sentence: "Like my cat, I often simply do what I want to do." —Tyler Bourgeois I am continually captivated by the underwater art of "eco-sculptor" Jason deCaires Taylor—or, rather, what happens to it. Taylor submerges his work—predominantly human figures—in the waters of the West Indies and in the Gulf of Mexico. Over time, the permanent installations come to act as artificial reefs, attracting corals, aggregating fish species, and increasing marine biomass. Most of Taylor's figures stand with their faces upturned to the surface, their eyes closed, as they are silently and arrestingly overtaken by algae, sponges, and hydrozoans. The overall impression is one of indomitable spirit within metamorphosis: creatures coming to life. —Anna Hadfield Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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Home Page Chess Life Online 2011 April Chicago Open Photo Gallery
|Chicago Open Photo Gallery
|By Betsy Dynako
|May 30, 2011
Betsy Dynako's photo gallery from Chicago Open includes portraits of many visiting Grandmasters and top American players. The tournament sees its final day of play today, with a logjam of players standing with 5.5/7 in the Open section, including IMs Marc Arnold and Robert Hungaski, GMs Robert Hess, Alexander Shabalov, Timur Gareyev, Yury Shulman, Alejandro Ramirez, Pendyala Harikrishna and Tamaz Gelashvili. Update: Timur Gareyev takes clear first. Full story coming soon! Follow along on the official website chicagoopen.net and view live games powered by Monroi.


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Monday, December 6, 2010
Chilly Cheer
11 comments:
I have these awesome super thick wool socks. I think they're for hiking or something. But they work really well for cycling, and don't have to be washed that often. So yeah, get wool socks!ReplyDelete
PS, love the lights!
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 4:00 AM
oh my god! I totally want to put christmas lights on my bike now!!!ReplyDelete
It is definitely chilly out there - though I am disappointed they keep promising snow and then "canceling" it!ReplyDelete
The lights are very cool : )
Smartwool socks rock, as does anything lined in shearling! Just dress like a Siberian and you'll be fine. That said, I admire you and the other winter cyclists I see this week--I think I am done for the season. It's not my feet so much, but my hands and face, and I can't find gloves or mittens that keep me warm and give me the close contact I want with grips and brakes.ReplyDelete
Love the Xmas lights too!
- AnonymousDecember 7, 2010 at 10:36 AM
Awesome! That makes me smile.ReplyDelete
Seconding the recommendation for wool socks. Also, use insoles. Even the thin Dr. Scholls ones provide that extra layer of insulation between the pavement and your feet. My feet never get cold in my handknit wool socks.
those lights are cool! where did you get them?ReplyDelete
as for keeping warm, i just 'invested' over $300 into winter cycling woolens...
with wool socks and thick-soled shoes, my feet are fine. only my fingers and face were getting uncomfortably cold, and i hope to have that problem tackled.
Somervillain, I got them at Tags last year, although I've seen similar (not quite as retro) at Home Depot. A suggestion to all for keeping your face warm, is a thick lotion or face cream. I thing that helps a lot on keeping my face from feeling dry or cold.ReplyDelete
The insoles are a nice idea, although I'm not sure if they'd fit in a lot of my (tighter fitting) dress shoes. I'm off to Tj Max to scrounge some budget woolens after looking at the prices of wool undershirts online.
I actually get much much colder at jobsites, where I'm standing around in a unheated house, often in proximity to foundation walls that just suck heat out of you. I have serious sorel boots and long johns for days when I'm out there, but those are much too warm for riding.
I heart the lights. I'm going to copy you, if I can find them.ReplyDelete
- KristinDecember 9, 2010 at 8:43 AM
I passed your bike on my ride to work yesterday and admired its happy festivity.ReplyDelete
Smartwool is worth every penny. Their sock liners plus a pair of wool socks have kept my toes warm this week.
- AnonymousDecember 10, 2010 at 10:48 AM
Love love love the lights.ReplyDelete
And Smartwool socks. For other woolens, consider a trip to Goodwill. I've found wonderful merino wool or cashmere turtlenecks or quarter zip sweaters that work far better than polyester fleece for a lot less than a new Smartwool top. If using as the next-to-skin layer, I buy a smaller size than I would buy if I were acquiring a new sweater. Hard to beat $4.99...
those lights are cute, my basket is ready to go, mini-poinsettas, blinking lights and everythingReplyDelete
found you via lovely bike
nice blog - greetings from San Francisco


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PhilosophyPolitical Theory
The people selling us democracy believe in it the same way George F. Babbitt believes in a new listing from the Babbitt-Thompson Realty Company.
Money and Banking
Even without deficits or new taxes, Biden's infrastructure spending plan will only create more malinvestment and inflict further damage on an already weakened economy.
Taxes and Spending
Profit-seeking entrepreneurs move factors of production to their highest and most economical uses. Amtrak, on the other hand, is diverting useful factors of production from higher use values to lower-valued uses. To put it another way, Amtrak is destroying wealth.
The Dems are still claiming that welfare spending withered away during the Trump years. But that's obvious nonsense, and Trump's megaspending slathered trillions of dollars on pretty much everything.
Globalists know that so long as sovereign states have the ability to set their own tax rates, regimes are tempted to engage in "tax competition" in order to attract capital. The cure to this "problem" is a global minimum tax rate.
"Because there's so much debt today relative to 10, 15 years ago, a small debt, a small move in yields, 50 basis points in yields today is equivalent to 2% 15 years ago."
"Poverty in society is overcome by productivity, and in no other way. There is no political alchemy which can transmute diminished production into increased consumption."
A money which can be held in only one form, whether digital coin (as in the case of bitcoin), or banknote, or sight deposit, or metallic coin, for example, is crippled. Yet, exclusive digital form has become a huge selling point for the promotors of bitcoin.


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The first photo of Kevin Jonas and Danielle Deleasa's December 19 wedding has been released.
In their first official wedding photo, published on the cover of People magazine, Kevin wore a custom Brooks Brothers tuxedo with a bow tie, while his blushing bride wore an elegant strapless gown from Vera Wang.
"I've never seen a more beautiful bride," Kevin said of his ladylove.
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, the two tied the knot earlier this month on the East Coast, despite a blizzard.
According to People, the wedding, which was held at Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York, had a fairy tale theme and included a castle and an enchanted forest.
Kevin also gave his bride glass slippers in her size.
"I knew that my princess needed her glass slippers and her castle," Kevin told the mag.
"I always wanted my wedding to have that princess feel," Danielle added. "I couldn't have imagined this."
And the wedding was very much a family affair. Kevin Jonas Sr., the JoBros patriarch, who is an ordained minister, officiated the ceremony alongside Danielle's pastor Reverend Ron DePasquale Jr.
Danielle's dad, Thomas "Bucky" Deleasa, walked his daughter down the aisle to "Bella Notte" from "Lady and the Tramp," the mag reported.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: All Access: 'Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience' Premiere!
PLAY IT NOW: T.G.I.F. - Is Kevin Jonas Officially Off The Market? (December 21, 2009)
PLAY IT NOW: Dish Of Salt: Jonas Brothers Talk '3D Concert Experience'
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Kevin Jonas - Weddings - Music - TV - Young Hollywood


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Starting in May, Galway Arts Centre is offering aspiring poets a choice of three poetry workshops, all facilitated by poet Kevin Higgins, whose best-selling first collection, The Boy With No Face, published by Salmon Poetry, was short-listed for the 2006 Strong Award for Best First Collection by an Irish poet. Kevin's second collection of poems, Time Gentlemen, Please, was published in 2008 by Salmon Poetry and his poetry is discussed in The Cambridge Introduction to Modern Irish Poetry. His third collection Frightening New Furniture was published in 2010 by Salmon. His work also appears in the generation defining anthology Identity Parade –New British and Irish Poets (Ed. Roddy Lumsden, Bloodaxe, 2010) and The Hundred Years' War: modern war poems (Ed Neil Astley, Bloodaxe April 2014). A collection of Kevin's essays and book reviews, Mentioning The War, was published by Salmon Poetry in 2012. Kevin's poetry has been translated into Greek, Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Japanese & Portuguese. His fourth collection of poetry, The Ghost in the Lobby, was published last year by Salmon. Last year, Kevin's poetry was the subject of a paper 'The Case of Kevin Higgins, or, The Present State of Irish Poetic Satire' presented by David Wheatley at a Symposium on Satire at the University of Aberdeen.
Each week Kevin will give participants a poetry writing exercise for the
following week and will offer each participant constructive suggestions as to
how her or his poem can become the best possible poem it can be.
Kevin is an experienced workshop facilitator and several of his students
have gone on to achieve publication success. One of his workshop participants
at Galway Arts Centre won the prestigious Hennessy Award for New Irish Poetry, two
have won the Cúirt New Writing Prize, and yet another the Cúirt Poetry Grand
Slam, while several have published collections of their poems; two being
shortlisted for the Shine-Strong Award for Best First Collection of poems. In
2013 a group of his students set up the poetry newspaper Skylight 47, which publishes new poems, reviews of poetry books and
opinion pieces about poetry related matters. Kevin teaches poetry on the NUI
Galway Summer School programme and mentors poetry students on the NUIG BA
Creative Writing Connect programme. Kevin is also co-organiser of the successful
Over The Edge reading series which specialises in promoting new writers.
Each workshop will run for eight weeks, commencing the week
of May 12th. They will take place on Tuesday evenings,
7-8.30pm (first class May 12th); on Thursday
afternoons, 2-4pm (first class May 14th)
and on Friday afternoons, 2-3.30pm (first class May 15th).
The Tuesday evening and Friday afternoon workshops are open to both complete
beginners as well as those who've been writing for some time. The
Thursday afternoon workshop is an Advanced Poetry Workshop, suitable
for those who've participated in poetry workshops before or had poems published
in magazines. The cost to participants is €90, with an €80
concession rate.
Places must be paid for in advance. To reserve a place
contact reception at Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, phone 091 565886
or email firstname.lastname@example.com
Friday, April 24, 2015
Posted by Over The Edge Literary Events at 7:59 AM


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Dinnertime Drama
Family Features
By Lindsey Carlson
Some nights, I wonder why I even attempt to cook dinner for my family, let alone sit down for a family meal around the table.
I fix the meal while two of my kids are shouting arguments over one another, begging me to intervene. The doorbell rings and the dog pees on the floor. And oops - the noodles are boiling over on the stove. I shoo away the baby, trying to keep him from climbing on a stool to reach the boiling pot. As I trip over the dog on the way to the sink and slosh boiling water on my arm, I yelp and turn to respond to the toddler screaming at me from across the counter.
I will admit, there have been evenings when my husband walks in the door and I mentally check-out. Overly tired and overly stimulated, the hustle and bustle of dinner time is overwhelming and I'd rather not deal with the dinnertime drama.
Dinnertime is rarely the picturesque scene I'd hope for- everyone sitting politely and quietly as they take turns recounting their day. I would love for our times around the table to be a happy and relaxing end to our day, but the reality is - they never are. The kids are tired and wound up and I'm exhausted and low on patience. It's only once in a blue moon when everyone actually eats what I made and when they do, more food ends up on the table and the floor than in their mouths.
The temptation would be to give up and scrap family dinners completely. It would be much easier to let the kids eat peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches in front of the television while my husband and I hide in our bedroom eating bowls of cereal. This would certainly be the more peaceful route.
But peace isn't our goal.
My goal is relationship building for the sake of the gospel. Purposely showing up, night in and night out and persevering with intentional fellowship, valuing relationships even when they're fraught with temper tantrums and picky eaters. On these crazy nights, I must remind myself that sitting down to a meal together is worth the chaos, the noise, and the struggle to keep calm and carry on.
And so I enter most nights, into dinnertime drama, willingly.
Jesus At the Table: The Why
Jesus frequently shared meals at tables full of sinners and tax collectors. When the Pharisees questioned him for mingling with cultural riff-raff, Jesus responds: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick (Matthew 9:12)." He'd come to call the sick to repentance and forgiveness, and to do so, he patiently spent time with them, offering his mercy. Jesus even dined with lepers (Matthew 26:6). No one is too sick, or too sinful for Jesus to dine with.
Jesus uses the table as a place to teach. It was here where he often shared parables, instructions, and encouragement. Perhaps the most memorable table experience is that of the Last Supper:
And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (Luke 22:14-20, ESV)
Jesus shared a table with sinners because he wanted to offer them the bread of life - his broken body and blood, poured out for their sins. Because he'd spent so much time with his disciples, building relationships, answering questions, and demonstrating love, the disciples wanted to understand and honor Jesus' words. It wasn't until after his death, resurrection, and return that they would understand his words during their last meal together.
Like the disciples, our kids may not understand everything we share with them over meals together. And I'll admit, there are many nights where we talk more about Spiderman and My Little Ponies than we do about Jesus. But our dinners together are so much more than good food and well-behaved children. We're reclining at table with our disciples, the ones we love and hope to lead. We're meeting them where they are - obsessed with superheroes and cartoons - and giving them our presence, our attention, and affection, slowly and faithfully, so we can share the true bread of life- Jesus Christ.
This Is Why We Do It
If your family meals are stressful and you've given up hope, remember why you're doing what you're doing. It's not about the food or the table manners - it's about building a relationship and teaching your children about Jesus.
The most important thing we can teach them at the table is the gospel; God's grace to save us through repentance and the blood of Jesus Christ. This forgiveness for our sins, is pure and undeserved grace. The more we understand the grace we've been given, the more we can readily demonstrate it to our kids; even when the spaghetti is flying and the kids are up and down from the table a hundred times per meal.
Dinnertime drama can easily become more of a duty than a delight. Don't give up. Enter into the chaos of dinnertime drama with your family willingly and all for the sake of the gospel.
Lindsey Carlson lives in Houston, Texas with her winsome-worship-pastor-husband and their four young and busy children. She enjoys giggling with her littles, dating her husband, deep talks with sweet friends, and laughing really loud. Lindsey loves to challenge believers to define their worship as more than songs on Sunday morning. She writes on living the new song of the gospel at Worship Rejoices.


text:
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During your stay, you'll wake up to a view that Facebook cover photos were made for. Bali beach accommodation runs the gamut from quaint bungalows to resort-style high rise hotels. Whatever you fancy, Wotif saves you time and money with the best deals going. Booking with us is easy through our simple online system. You can imagine happily sipping a cocktail out of a coconut shell one day and the next, you're splayed on a couple of towels with your mates, having realised a lifelong dream. Well done! Next up, paddle board lessons and a sunset barbie followed by the simple joy of laying in cosy, sand-free sheets while the sound of the ocean lulls you to sleep.
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U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Transcript
|Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and Kim Kwan Jin, Minister of National Defense, Republic of Korea
|October 24, 2012
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON E. PANETTA: Good morning. It's my privilege to again welcome Defense Minister Kim to the Pentagon.
This is the fourth time the minister and I have met, and the second time that he and I have led the annual Security Consultative Meeting held between the civilian and military leadership of our two defense establishments.
In the course of these meetings and numerous other consultations that we've had, the two of us have established, I believe, a very strong working relationship. And that relationship reflects the strength of the United States-Republic of Korea alliance.
Today, Minister Kim and I affirm that this alliance will remain a cornerstone of stability in Northeast Asia into the future.
I assured the minister that the United States stands fully committed to the security of the Republic of Korea. Make no mistake, we will provide the forces and the military capabilities needed to help maintain security on the Korean Peninsula. And we are also committed to deepening and adapting our defense cooperation to meet evolving security challenges in the region.
The focus of much of our discussions was North Korea. North Korea remains a serious threat to both of our nations and a serious threat to regional and global stability. Over the past year, North Korea has continued its pattern of defiance and provocative actions, including the unsuccessful test of a ballistic missile capability.
Minister Kim and I reaffirmed that North Korean aggression or military provocation will not be tolerated and that we will continue working shoulder to shoulder to demonstrate our combined resolve.
The United States and the Republic of Korea are committed to maintaining close consultation to develop a comprehensive set of alliance capabilities to counter North Korean threats.
We will continue to enhance close alliance cooperation to address wide-ranging global security challenges, including through stabilization and reconstruction efforts, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and counter proliferation.
And, finally, Minister Kim and I agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation with respect to protection of space and cyberspace domains. We must ensure that this alliance stays ahead of the cyber threat.
We also welcome the signing of a space cooperation terms of reference for bilateral military space cooperation, which formally establishes a United States-Republic of Korea defense working group that will address space policy, architecture, training and [personnel] exchange.
The new defense strategy of the United States makes clear that as the military emerges from a decade of war we will rebalance towards the Asia-Pacific region, because of its importance for global security, its importance to global prosperity in the 21st century. A stronger U.S.- Republic of Korea alliance is a critical part of this -- this rebalancing effort.
Let me conclude by noting that we are approaching now the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War and the birth of the alliance between the United States and the Republic of South Korea. For 60 years, our two countries have stood side by side and forged security and prosperity for our nations.
We have been tested time and time again, but we have met every challenge. And the reality is that over the last 60 years we have preserved peace in the peninsula and in that region.
As a result, today this alliance is stronger than ever. I'd like to thank Minister Kim again for his commitment, for his friendship to this alliance, and to our shared goal of a secure and prosperous future for our people and for our nations.
Thank you.
MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENSE KIM KWAN JIN (through translator): This year's Security Consultative Meeting was held amidst increasingly unpredictable security situations in the Korean Peninsula due to the North Korean leadership change and its long-range missile launch, following its earlier sinking of the warship Cheonan and artillery shelling against the island of Yeon pyeong.
The SCM was also held at a meaningful time since next year will mark the historic 60th anniversary since the Korean War armistice agreement and the forging of the Republic of Korea-United States alliance.
At such time, Secretary Panetta and I discussed, among others, a number of alliance cooperative measures for the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, as well as tasks for the future development of the alliance.
Our discussions at the SCM have proved -- produced significant outcomes. First of all, Secretary Panetta and I shared our common view that the two countries should have a shared vision to ensure the progress of our alliance into perpetuity, and as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of ROK-U.S. alliance next year, we agreed to jointly develop a long-term defense vision that will allow our relationship to continue evolving into future strategic alliance.
Furthermore, we noted that the ROK-U.S. combined defense posture deters North Korean provocations and makes positive contribution to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia and agreed to continue maintaining a robust combined defense posture in the future.
To this end, as part of these tangible measures, the U.S. reaffirmed its firm commitment to the security of the Korean Peninsula by maintaining the current level of U.S. forces in Korea, further strengthening military capabilities and readiness posture, and rapidly providing overwhelming reinforcement in the event of contingencies.
Today, Secretary Panetta and I reaffirmed our shared view that North Korea's asymmetric military capabilities, such as nuclear weapons program and missiles, pose a serious threat not only to the security of the Korean Peninsula, but also to that of Northeast Asia and the world as a whole.
In particular, in order to promote the effectiveness of the U.S. commitments to provide extended deterrence, the two countries agreed on the concepts and principles for a bilateral deterrence strategy against North Korean nuclear and WMD threats and decided to develop a tailored deterrence strategy based on these concepts and principles.
Also, in order to better address increasing WMD threats from North Korea, the two countries, through close bilateral consultations, agree to revise the missile guidelines. Secretary Panetta and I highly noted this achievement and had a shared view that the revision will greatly contribute to the development of combined response capabilities and eventually to a stronger alliance.
We also noted that the transition of wartime operational control and the relocation of the USFK bases are proceeding as scheduled through the implementation of the Strategic Alliance 2015 and reaffirmed that we will continue to work closely in this area.
In particular, the two countries agreed to jointly develop a future command structure that will ensure military efficiency after the transition of wartime operational control.
Secretary Panetta highly appreciated the ROK contribution to global peace and stability, including the ROK support to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and Haiti, counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, participation in P.S.I. activities, PKO forces in Lebanon, and the recent decision to send PKO forces to South Sudan.
Secretary Panetta and I agreed to continue working closely to address regional and global security challenges.
Furthermore, in order to meet the rising demands for security cooperation in the areas of space and cyberspace, the two countries included -- concluded -- the terms of reference on military-space cooperation based on which we will form and operate a regular consultative body for space cooperation and decided to further promote cyber cooperation among defense agencies.
Let me conclude by expressing my gratitude for the hospitality of Secretary Panetta and all the Department of Defense officials during the course of this meeting. This year's 44th SCM has served as an important opportunity to further strengthen the Republic of Korea-United States alliance.
The Republic of Korea and the United States will continue to work even more closely so that our alliance will go beyond the 60th anniversary, well into the future as it evolves into an enduring strategic alliance.
Thank you.
GEORGE LITTLE: The secretary and the minister are now delighted to take questions.
The first question will come from Ms. Kim, Yonhap News.
Q: I'm a reporter from Yonhap News Agency. I have two questions for Secretary Panetta.
Inter-Korean tensions have escalated following a series of minor clashes near maritime border and North Korea's warning of merciless attack against civic group's plan to attempt to send propaganda leaflets.
So I was wondering if the U.S. government is considering any kind of plans to deploy its troops in the Korea as well as -- as well as the globally available forces in case of North Korean provocation? And if so, I want to know what extent the government is planning and the agreement made in today's meeting.
And secondly, after the announcement of revised missile guideline, opposition lawmakers in South Korea raised speculations that Washington wants Seoul to join its missile defense system. So can you tell us the U.S. government's position to clarify about the issue?
SEC. PANETTA: On the missile defense, what did you want me to clarify again? I'm sorry.
Q: Opposition lawmakers in South Korea have raised speculations that Washington wants Seoul to join its U.S. missile defenses in the Asia-Pacific region.
So we'd like to hear the U.S. government's position to clear about that.
SEC. PANETTA: Okay.
First of all, with regards to any provocations from the North, I think it's very clear that South Korea and the United States have a strong cooperative relationship and that, when those provocations occur, that we will work together to determine what -- what kind of response should be provided if necessary.
I was relieved that the -- the balloon incident, which -- which raised concerns about potential provocation, that that did not occur. But, at the same time, I think, both Minister Kim and I in our discussions have made clear that we're going to continue to watch closely to make sure that those kinds of provocations do not take place and that in the end, if they do take place, that both South Korea and the United States would be prepared to respond.
With regards to the missile guidelines, South Korea and the United States have worked through the issue of missile guidelines. We have various conditions that -- that both of us have agreed to as to how that would operate. We're going to continue to do further work to try to refine those conditions and make sure that we're clear as to how that -- that decision would be implemented in the future.
With regards to future missile defense, that's an area that we continue to discuss in order to make sure that we have all of the defenses necessary to deal with -- with the missile threat coming from North Korea, and whatever steps are necessary to try to make sure that we're prepared for that.
We just deployed -- or we just talked about deploying a TPY-2 radar system to Japan specifically in order to protect against that kind of missile threat, and we will continue to work with our friends in the region to further develop that kind of capability.
MR. LITTLE: Next question will go to Bob Burns of Associated Press.
Q: Mr. Secretary, a question for you about the situation in northern Mali. Is it your view that outside military intervention is needed there in the short term? And what role, what military role would the U.S. be prepared to play? And also could you comment on reports that the rebels in Syria now have U.S.-made Stinger missiles?
SEC. PANETTA: With regards to the second point, I have -- I have no comment on -- on those reports, and that shouldn't be interpreted as affirmation one way or the other. I just don't know that -- I don't know what the reports are and I certainly don't know of us providing any -- any such missiles in that area.
Secondly, with regards to the issue of Mali, you know, I've made clear in the positions that I've had, both as director of the CIA and now as secretary of defense, that we have to ensure that Al Qaida has no place to hide and that we have to continue to go after them wherever -- wherever they are, wherever they try to develop a command-and-control capability from which they could conduct attacks, either in Europe or on this country.
In order to confront that threat, which has now moved throughout that region -- I mean, we're doing it in Yemen, we're doing it in Somalia, we're obviously continuing to do it in the FATA. And I believe the effort now ought to be to work with nations in that region to ensure that Al Qaida does not develop that kind of base in Mali. But it ought to be an effort that is developed in conjunction with other countries in the region that share the same concern.
Q: So is the U.S. willing to play some sort of military role in doing that?
SEC. PANETTA: I think what we're prepared to do is to discuss with our regional partners a plan that -- that would deal with that threat and how to respond to it.
MR. LITTLE: Next question from Mr. Jun of Chosun Ilbo.
Q (through translator): I'd like to ask a question to Minister Kim. Through the 44th SCM following the OPCON [Operational Control] transition in 2015, I heard that the two countries agreed to form a combined group to discuss a future command structure. But there are speculations that this is a way to build a second CFC [Combined Forces Command]. And what kind of a structure do you think this new command structure have in the future?
MIN. KIM (through translator): Prior to the OPCON transition of 2015, yes, we agree to form a group that will deal with future command structure. Once the OPCON transition does take place, the ROK military will be the supported and the U.S. the supporting. But this will cause some inefficiency because this will be a bipolarized system.
For that reason, we know that the CFC, the Combined Forces Command decision-making structure has a great strength. Therefore, we are trying to seek a future command structure that would leverage the know-how from all the experiences that we'll build through this Combined Forces Command.
But we are trying to build a system following the dissolution of the Combined Forces Command. We are not trying to build another Combined Forces Command.
MR. LITTLE: And finally Rosalind Jordan of Al Jazeera.
Q: Thank you, Mr. Secretary, Mr. Minister.
You both have raised the matter of North Korea and its efforts to develop a nuclear weapons arsenal. The world has been surprised by Pyongyang's previous nuclear and weapons test in general. And there's very little that the U.S. and its allies understand about the new leader Kim Jong Un.
Is there any credible information to suggest that Kim may be about to launch another weapons test, particularly another nuclear weapons test? How much more belligerent is his regime compared to that of his father Kim Jong Il?
Can the U.S. military's pivot to the Asia-Pacific region provide the U.S. and its allies more understanding, more intelligence of how Kim plans to exert his own influence around the region?
And finally, gentlemen, can the pivot be leveraged as a way to get North Korea to return to the six-party talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula?
Thank you.
SEC. PANETTA: Mr. Minister, I'm going to let you go first.
He's -- we -- we discussed the new leader of Korea, and I had the minister discuss that in the sessions we had, what his thoughts were. And I think he's got a pretty good summary of kind of our initial analysis of -- of the new leader.
MIN. KIM (through translator): Your question can be summarized into three.
The first concern are North Korean nuclear -- potential nuclear test. What kind of regime this new Kim Jong regime is. Number three, what about the future of the six-party talks?
Let me first turn to the Kim Jong Un regime. Let me tell you that this is very much based on a very peculiar North Korean system he has succeeded from his father, Kim Jong Il, the system. And I have to say that Kim Jong Un's regime, for now, seems to be quite stable as far as a nuclear test, and North Korea's conducting nuclear test on two occasions. And there are chances of a third nuclear test. And that's how we see the situation.
In fact, North Korea has been preparing for this for quite a long time. And when the time comes for a political decision, it may in fact resort to this third nuclear test.
Kim Jong Un recently is trying to introduce new economic reform measures. He seems to be making attempts to bring a better life to his people, but the likelihood of success, it's still -- it's yet to be seen.
What I do want to say is that Kim Jong Un will continue to hang on to the military first policy that -- which was his father's policy. He is still young, meaning that he may be a lot more aggressive compared to old people, because he's still young.
The six-party talks, I have to say that it's the only international system to deal with the North Korean nuclear issue. And I believe that this system should be implemented, and we need to continue to shape the environment for North Korea to return to the six-party talks table.
SEC. PANETTA: I think -- I think the minister has done a very good job at kind of analyzing, you know, what we know about this new leader at this point. I think bottom line is we still don't know whether or not he will simply follow in the steps of his father or whether he represents a different kind of leadership for the future.
The -- the concern we have is that they continue to prepare for missile tests. They continue to prepare for nuclear tests. They continue to engage in enrichment of uranium against all international rules. And so they -- they continue to behave in a provocative way that threatens the security of our country and obviously of South Korea and the region.
And so it's for that reason that I think it's extremely important that our two countries, working with other countries in the region, do whatever we can to ensure that it's made clear that that kind of behavior, the kind of behavior that we've seen in the past, is not the kind of behavior that we will tolerate in the present or in the future.
And to do that, that's one of the purposes of rebalancing to the Pacific region, is to make clear that -- that as a Pacific power, we intend to maintain a strong presence in the Pacific, working with other countries -- working with South Korea, working with other countries in the ASEAN nations, working with China to try to ensure that we promote security and prosperity in that region.
The hope is that by doing that, by acting with strength, that we can send a clear message to North Korea that it would be much -- much more preferable for them to, instead of behaving in a provocative way, instead of threatening their neighbors, if they would sit down and try to negotiate a resolution to these issues.
We'll continue to pursue that. But the most important thing, in order to assure that -- that we -- we are able to engage in that kind of negotiation, is to make sure that we have a strong military relationship between the United States and South Korea, that we work closely with other countries in the region, to make very clear that our interest is in peace, not in any kind of provocative behavior.
MR. LITTLE: That's the final question. Thank you all very much. Mr. Minister, Mr. Secretary, thank you. Have a good day.
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text:
By Staff Reports
(Oahu)– Applications are being accepted at the William S. Richardson School of Law from foreign attorneys seeking an Advanced Juris Doctorate that will give them up to a year's credit for their foreign law degrees, and potentially speed up their course of study.
The newly launched Advanced JD program offers advanced standing to foreign-trained applicants, allowing them to earn a JD degree in as few as two years of study rather than the traditional three, with the option of taking a U.S. bar exam at completion.
It provides yet another alternative for foreign-trained attorneys who want to study in the U.S., get a grounding in American law, and have the ability to practice anywhere within the U.S.
"This is really an extension of our LLM program (a one-year Master of Laws degree for foreign attorneys), which after 10 years is now a mature program and has brought us wonderful students from 48 countries around the world," said Professor Alison Conner, director of International Programs at the Law School on the UH Mānoa campus.
"We have found that many foreign-trained lawyers want to take a U.S. bar exam. While many don't plan to practice in the U.S., they do want another credential. When they return to their countries, they can advise on U.S. law and have a better chance to work for an international firm if they are admitted to the bar."
While the new program gives foreign-trained lawyers up to a year of credit for their training in their home countries, it also ensures that they can cover courses required by the Richardson Law School for a JD degree.
"The ABA permits U.S. law schools to accept up to one year's worth of foreign study at an accredited law school," said Conner. "If the credits are equivalent to ours, then those credits can transfer to the Law School."
Conner said this new program should be especially attractive to mid-career professionals who may have been practicing for 10 or 15 years in their home countries, and who would like a U.S. JD but can't afford to take three years to pursue it.
"If they already have legal experience and a law degree, they can get advanced standing under this program," said Conner.
Spencer Kimura, director of the LLM program at Richardson, said there is already interest from attorneys in China, Japan, Poland and Taiwan.
"It does give foreign law graduates an additional option to our one-year LLM program," said Kimura, "and it also gives them more time to prepare for the bar exam or to participate in one of our certificate programs, such as Environmental Law or Pacific Asian Legal Studies."
Kimura said the two years are needed to cover all the required courses at Richardson so that foreign attorneys will have sufficient grounding in the American legal system. In the second year, a four-credit seminar writing project is required of all students. They also must fulfill the Law School's requirement of a specified number of hours doing volunteer legal service in the community.
Minara Mordecai, Director of Special Projects at the Law School, notes that this new option will continue to enrich the diversity of the student body at Richardson and open up the school even more to international students.
"The Law School offers unique cross-cultural legal training," said Mordecai, "and it's a tremendous opportunity for foreign-trained attorneys to become well-versed in American law. It gives them the flexibility to remain here, or return to practicing law in their home country."
Law School Dean Avi Soifer added, "We already have been greatly enriched by the presence of foreign-trained lawyers through the LLM program, and we are very pleased to offer this new opportunity to lawyers from around the globe who want to earn a regular American JD degree."
Deadline for applications is May 1, 2014. Inquiries may be made to the AJD Program via an email sent to firstname.lastname@example.com or by calling (808) 956-7966.


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How our Dan Certificates are awarded
The following has been copied from our Policies section 7.4 - Dan Certificates and Grades:
We monitor the progress of our members' ratings and award official dan certificates when specified targets have been reached. Official dan certificates are never revoked, even if a player's rating subsequently falls.
You will be awarded an X dan certificate when:
- your strength reaches X.0 d at the end of a tournament you played in.
In addition:
- you must be a member of our Association; and
- you must have played enough games in the ratings for your strength to be
More precisely, you must have had a run of tournaments during which you played ten or more rated games, where your rating at the end of the run was at least as high as it was before the beginning of the run.
Note that in some cases the European rating algorithm will reset your rating. If this happens, you must meet this condition between the rating reset and being awarded a dan certificate.
Some comments
How can I check whether I'm eligible for a certificate?
The easiest way is to email us and ask.
Another way is to look at your individual results on the EGF site, via the our ratings list. The rating list shows your current strength and the EGF site shows how many games you've played and the ratings at the end of each tournament.
Exact threshold
Note that since the strengths on the rating list are rounded to one decimal place, the threshold for promotion to, say, 3 dan, is actually 2.95 d.
Changes in calibration
Note that the conversion factor between rating and strength varies each month (as explained in the FAQ). This means that it is possible for the strength of a player to change from 2.9 d to 3.0 d on the rating list without playing in a tournament, but just because of small changes in the calibration and the effects of rounding. This is not good enough for a promotion. Certificates are only awarded due to changes in strength caused by tournament results.
Meaningfulness of ratings
The first time you play in a rated tournament, your rating is initialised to what amounts to a guess. Only after you have played in several tournaments does it settle down to reasonable measure of your playing ability. The final condition ensures that certificates are not awarded during this initial settling down period.
You can work out whether you have satisfied this final condition by looking at the table underneath your rating graph (go to the ratings list and click on your name). This table lists all the rated tournaments you have played in, and for each one tells you (among other things) what your rating was after that tournament, and how many rated games you played during that tournament.
As a worked example, consider Tim Hunt's rating graph. The relevant part of the table is reproduced here:
|Tournament Code
|GoR before -> after
|Wins/ Losses/ Jigo
|Northern Open
|2248 --> 2283
|41 / 62
|Mind Sport Olympiad
|2253 --> 2248
|6 / 18
|Welsh Open
|2230 --> 2253
|4 / 43
You will see that Tim played in the Welsh Open, Mind Sport Olympiad and finally the Northern Open tournament on 7th September 2002. Together these constitute 11 tournament games (5 + 3 + 6). Before the Welsh Open Tim's rating was 2230, and after the Northern Open tournament it was 2283, which is higher. Therefore Tim could be awarded a dan certificate any time from this Northern Open tournament onwards as the 3.0 dan strength at that time was about 2270. (Note: this dan promotion system only applied from 29th November 2003.)
So this condition will probably already be satisfied by any player who has worked their way up through the kyu grades while playing in European tournaments. It is most likely to affect strong players who play in a rated tournament for the first time when they are already of dan strength.
Rating resets
The EGF rating site says:
If a rank professed by the player had improved significantly (at least by 2 grades for amateur players or by 1 professional grade) with respect to the highest previously professed rank, the rating of the player is reset. This measure helps to deal with fast improving players and with players who participate at included tournaments only occasionally.
Once a reset like this has happened, you must satisfy the "have a run of tournaments during which you play ten or more rated games, where your rating at the end of the run is at least as high as it was before the beginning of the run" condition again before you can earn a certificate.
Distribution of the strengths of European dan players
This graph was generated from the 7th November 2003 European rating list. It shows the distribution of strengths of all European dan players at each dan grade (and 1 kyu). The white arrows show the thresholds at which we award dan certificates. These thresholds are above the majority of players at the lower grade, and within, but near the bottom of, the main body of players at the higher grade. (Note: the Strength axis has been compressed above 7.3 d.)
If you have any comments, please email the webmaster on web-master AT britgo DOT org.


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Explained: Knightian uncertainty
The global economic crisis of the last two years has stemmed, in part, from the inability of financial institutions to effectively judge the riskiness of their investments. For this reason, the crisis has cast new attention on an idea about risk from decades past: "Knightian uncertainty."
Frank Knight was an idiosyncratic economist who formalized a distinction between risk and uncertainty in his 1921 book, Risk, Uncertainty, and Profit. As Knight saw it, an ever-changing world brings new opportunities for businesses to make profits, but also means we have imperfect knowledge of future events. Therefore, according to Knight, risk applies to situations where we do not know the outcome of a given situation, but can accurately measure the odds. Uncertainty, on the other hand, applies to situations where we cannot know all the information we need in order to set accurate odds in the first place.
"There is a fundamental distinction between the reward for taking a known risk and that for assuming a risk whose value itself is not known," Knight wrote. A known risk is "easily converted into an effective certainty," while "true uncertainty," as Knight called it, is "not susceptible to measurement." An airline might forecast that the risk of an accident involving one of its planes is exactly one per 20 million takeoffs. But the economic outlook for airlines 30 years from now involves so many unknown factors as to be incalculable.
Some economists have argued that this distinction is overblown. In the real business world, this objection goes, all events are so complex that forecasting is always a matter of grappling with "true uncertainty," not risk; past data used to forecast risk may not reflect current conditions, anyway. In this view, "risk" would be best applied to a highly controlled environment, like a pure game of chance in a casino, and "uncertainty" would apply to nearly everything else.
Even so, Knight's distinction about risk and uncertainty may still help us analyze the recent behavior of, say, financial firms and other investors. Investment banks that in recent years regarded their own apparently precise risk assessments as trustworthy may have thought they were operating in conditions of Knightian risk, where they could judge the odds of future outcomes. Once the banks recognized those assessments were inadequate, however, they understood that they were operating in conditions of Knightian uncertainty — and may have held back from making trades or providing capital, further slowing the economy as a result.
Ricardo Caballero, chair of MIT's Department of Economics and the Ford International Professor of Economics, Macroeconomics, and International Finance, is among those who have recently invoked Knightian uncertainty to explain the behavior of investors in times of financial panic. As Caballero stated in a lecture at the International Monetary Fund's research conference last November: When investors realize that their assumptions about risk are no longer valid and that conditions of Knightian uncertainty apply, markets can witness "destructive flights to quality" in which participants rid their portfolios of everything but the safest of investments, such as U.S. Treasury bonds.
One solution offered by Caballero to stem these moments of panic is government-issued investment insurance for large financial institutions. In this sense, the existence of Knightian uncertainty is not just a quasi-philosophical dispute; the subjective perception of Knightian uncertainty among businesses is a pressing practical problem.
More information: You may find other "Explained" articles via Physorg search.
Provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology


text:
I'm pleased to announce that I'll be giving the keynote address at this year's Nederburg Auction in Paarl, South Africa. I was already planning to attend Cape Wine 2012 as a guest of Wines of South Africa, so I was delighted to receive an invitation from the Nederburg Auction organizers to extend my visit by a day or two in order to address their international audience.
About the Nederberg Auction
A premier event on Cape Town's wine calendar, the Nederburg Auction serves to showcase the spectrum of award-winning wines and rare Cape finds created by the country's most talented winemakers. Since its beginnings in 1975 with the 'famous five' founding participants; Delheim, Groot Constantia, Overgaauw, Simonsig and of course Nederburg, and an offering of just 15 wines, the Auction has evolved into an international event where major local and overseas wine buyers bid for a stringently selected range of the finest wines created by South Africa's most talented winemakers.This year marks the 38th year of this prestigious event.
Here's a video about the 2011 Nederburg Auction.
The Press Release
Guests at this year's prestigious Nederburg Auction won't want to miss the keynote address by best-selling US author and wine expert Mike Veseth on Saturday 29 September at Nederburg in Paarl.
- With the state of the global economy crisis posing many challenges to the wine world and the South African wine industry in particular, this acclaimed US economics professor and "wine economist" will bring his considerable expertise to the speaker platform, tailoring his keynote address around the subject of how South Africa can win the Wine Wars. This aptly follows the fresh insight presented by last year's speaker, David White, into the changing wine landscape and the future implications for the industry and consumers.
He will discuss the market trends that are redrawing the world wine map and the terroirists (those focused on a wine's terroir or place of origin) who resist them. Veseth believes that wine businesses are at a critical crossroads, shaped by the powerful forces of globalisation, corporate branding and the exploration of new markets.
As a professor in international political economy at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, Veseth is regarded as an authority on the political economy of globalisation and the global wine market, applying his sharp and astute mind to analyse and understand the complex dynamics of the international wine world.
Nederburg Auction Business Manager Dalene Steyn says: "While believing in preserving the essence and the soul of wine, Mike is also well-versed on breaking into new markets in China, Australia, France and the US. With this combination of a love for wine along with extensive business and economic acumen, we believe he will inspire and motivate wine lovers in South Africa – just like he has done elsewhere in the world."
The editor of The Wine Economist blog and author of more than a dozen books has won critical praise for his recent book"Wine Wars: The Curse of the Blue Nun, the Miracle of Two Buck Chuck and the Revenge of the Terroirists (2011)", which draws remarkable conclusions on the market forces that drive the wine industry. The book has won several awards and prizes, including being selected as Best American Wine History Book 2011 by Gourmand International and a Wine Book of the Year by JancisRobinson.com.
Mike Veseth will address guests of the Nederburg Auction at 09:00 on Saturday 29 September in the Graue Hall, prior to the start of the day's bidding session. For further information visit http://www.nederburgauction.co.za. The Nederburg Auction is sponsored by Nederburg.
I'm honored to be asked to give this keynote address and pleased to be associated with such a prestigious event.


text:
Stuffed Shells
Pasta shells filled with sausage and stuffing, covered with sauce and topped with cheese! This has been a favorite of mine since I started living on my own. An easy dish even for a beginner cook. What a hearty and delicious meal and one you will want to save!
Click on the link below for the step by step directions with pictures and a printable recipe card.
Categories: Uncategorized


text: Brocade compatible SFP+ transceiver supports up to 40km link lengths over single-mode fiber (SMF) via an LC duplex connector. This transceiver is compliant with SFF-8431 and SFF-8472 MSA standards. Digital diagnostics functions are available via a 2-wire serial interface, as specified in SFF-8472, to allow access to real-time operating parameters. With these features, this easy to install, hot swappable transceiver is suitable for fiber communications application up to 8G.


text:
Confusion and illusion
What is Antichamber? Well, that's a tough question. Antichamber is many things, all at once. It's unique, surprising, lovingly crafted, and gorgeous. It is not conventional, straightforward, or ordinary.
The less you know about Antichamber the better, so without further ado here are many words about Antichamber.
Antichamber (Windows)
Developer: Alexander Bruce
Publisher: Demruth
Release: January 31, 2013
While it may not seem like it during the opening sequences, there is a semblance of a plot hidden somewhere within Antichamber. It isn't intrusive; it isn't really explained; but what little there is may have the player asking some important questions when all is said and done. It is also incredibly vague, and some players may completely ignore it and never look back.
The true star of Antichamber is its level design. It's a giant labyrinth of sorts, but is less coherent and has way less David Bowie. The level design isn't what I'd call…conventional. In fact, it's anything but.
Imagine you're walking down a series of hallways, one after another. Every turn you take only results in another hallway. You don't even know where you're going, but you do know that you don't want to be there anymore. In an act of desperation, you turn around. Suddenly, the area behind you is completely new. It is most certainly not where you came from, but it is where you are going now. That is a simple example of one of Antichamber's tricks.
Around each corner in Antichamber awaits a complete mystery; you never know what you're going to get. Even when viewing something, it is hard to be certain what is there and what isn't. It's because the game succeeds in using non-Euclidean geometry, or a set of geometric rules that aren't consistent in logic. Thinking of the level design as an M.C. Escher painting will help convey the sense of non-traditional architecture that Antichamber is brimming with.
Learning the game's bizarre geometrical tricks is essential to navigating the various rooms, sometimes through trial and error. The game is rarely predictable with its tricks, though you do learn what to expect in some situations as time goes on since certain ideas get reused.
While navigating terrain can be a puzzle in itself, there are also traditional puzzle elements strewn throughout. A gun is soon acquired with the ability to collect and shoot colored blocks. The puzzles start out innocent enough, blocking lasers or stopping doors, but as the labyrinth grows so do the gun's abilities.
As the gun gains new abilities, it is up to the player to utilize the right one to solve the puzzles they will encounter. These puzzles eventually get quite difficult, but many of them begin to rely on the same trick towards the later stages of the game. There are a handful of puzzles that have easy solutions with tedious execution. While I anticipated the next great level design mechanic, I almost loathed seeing another block puzzle. And then another. And then a few more.
That being said, learning the devious little intricacies of Antichamber's puzzles, both block and level based, is a lot like taking a math class. Just because you learned something early on does not mean that you can forget about it later. Every little bit of information just keeps building up.
After each puzzle there are brief hints accompanied by a picture. Although it may seem curious to place hints after the solution is determined, remember that it is imperative not to leave information behind as if it is no longer needed. Sometimes, running across a previous hint on accident after getting lost is just what the doctor ordered.
Calling them hints almost feels like selling them short. They are snippets of advice, applicable in many more situations than playing Antichamber.
The starting area contains a map of all the rooms and how they connect, each room revealed only as it is encountered. This main lobby area can be accessed at any time by pressing the Esc key. This becomes useful in a handful of situations, since it shows the room you were last in. It also allows you to teleport to any previously visited area, without traversing the maze and puzzles again.
Options can also be changed here, and the controls are displayed on the wall, as there are no menus. That's just the kind of game that Antichamber is.
Antichamber looks fantastic. Bright, vivid colors against pale white walls creates an incredible visual style. Objects grab your attention from a distance and entice you in, sometimes intentionally distracting you from the bigger picture. The look is simple, a staunch contrast to the confusing and complex layout of the rooms.
The score is subtle, adding ambiance as you explore the labyrinth's corridors. It's unobtrusive and incredibly fitting, sometimes adding a bit of tension to the more harrowing puzzles. Some of the sound effects are actually, believe it or not, in spoiler territory, but they are certainly unexpected and a bit…inspiring.
Antichamber is a perfect example of how a player learns to play videogames. There's no gameplay tutorial, no loading screen tips (or loading screens, for that matter), just good ole' fashioned learn-as-you-play information aided by the in-game advice. There's never a reference of mouse or keyboard, outside of the main lobby area.
Antichamber is a unique and delightful first-person puzzle game that relies a bit too much on the wrong kind of puzzles. The plot is intentionally vague and some players may completely ignore it, but it hardly detracts from the overall experience. Antichamber looks great, is confusing in all the right ways, and may change the way people approach not only videogame puzzles, but real life obstacles as well.


text:
Elite Sports California was founded in April 2008. Our objective is to produce high quality sporting events throughout California. A portion of the proceeds at each event are donated to local youth groups.
Our hope is that these events will ignite the spark of friendly competition that lives deep inside all of us.
Remember...its mind over matter, if you don't mind it, it don't matter... We will see you on the starting line
Rancho Simi Park - 1765 Royal Ave, Simi Valley CA 93065


text:
AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul LePage vetoed 10 bills late Friday, including a measure to tighten reporting requirements for donors who contribute to a newly elected governor's transition and another to offer further protection to working mothers who breast-feed. The Legislature is scheduled to reconvene Wednesday and will override or sustain the vetoes then.
In one of his veto messages, LePage said the law to require more transparency in transition funding questions the integrity of the governor-elect and "disrespects the decision made at the ballot box," when voters implicitly express their confidence in the winning candidate's ethics.
LePage said he disclosed his transition donors after being elected in November 2010 because "it was the right thing to do — I did not need a law to tell me that."
He also said the state provides only $5,000 for a two-month transition, "and oftentimes additional money is needed," requiring a governor-elect to seek out donors.
A related bill, to increase the penalties for campaign finance reporting and late-reporting violations, was vetoed by LePage because he said it would increase the use of the state ethics commission as "a place for political warfare." LePage said some alleged violations of finance laws come from a candidate's political opponents, who "file claims they know have little merit to win a headline leading up to Election Day."
"Everyone reads the headlines, but no one reads the corrections," LePage wrote.
A measure to allow women who feel they are being discriminated against for expressing breast milk at work to turn to the state Human Rights Commission would require employers and employees to hire lawyers to appear before that panel, LePage said. He said existing laws protect breast-feeding mothers' rights at the workplace, and mothers can pursue any claims of discrimination in court.
LePage vetoed bills to order state agencies to come up with plans to reduce homelessness, to study professional development services for child care providers, to broaden voter registration opportunities to those with disabilities and to strengthen legal protections against defective medical implants. LePage said they would duplicate existing laws or programs.
The governor also rejected a proposed increase in registration fees for all-terrain vehicles; a law to require more towns and cities to work together on Community Development Block Grants; and a review of the state and federal regulations of compounding pharmacies.
Edward D. Murphy can be contacted at 791-6465 or at:
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