text:
Editor's note (6/1/2011): We are making the text of this July 1985 article freely available for 30 days to coincide with the publication of a paper on entropy and quantum systems by Vlatko Vedral. He authored our June 2011 cover story and blogs about his latest work, which discusses the research featured in this 1985 article.
A computation, whether it is performed by electronic machinery, on an abacus or in a biological system such as the brain, is a physical process. It is subject to the same questions that apply to other physical processes: How much energy must be expended to perform a particular computation? How long must it take? How large must the computing device be? In other words, what are the physical limits of the process of computation?
So far it has been easier to ask these questions than to answer them. To the extent that we have found limits, they are terribly far away from the real limits of modern technology. We cannot profess, therefore, to be guiding the technologist or the engineer. What we are doing is really more fundamental. We are looking for general laws that must govern all information processing, no matter how it is accomplished. Any limits we find must be based solely on fundamental physical principles, not on whatever technology we may currently be using.
There are precedents for this kind of fundamental examination. In the 1940's Claude E. Shannon of the Bell Telephone Laboratories found there are limits on the amount of information that can be transmitted through a noisy channel; these limits apply no matter how the message is encoded into a signal. Shannon's work represents the birth of modern information science. Earlier, in the mid- and late 19th century, physicists attempting to determine the fundamental limits on the efficiency of steam engines had created the science of thermodynamics. In about 1960 one of us (Landauer) and John Swanson at IBM began attempting to apply the same type of analysis to the process of computing. Since the mid-1970's a growing number of other workers at other institutions have entered this field.
In our analysis of the physical limits of computation we use the term "information" in the technical sense of information theory. In this sense information is destroyed whenever two previously distinct situations become indistinguishable. In physical systems without friction, information can never be destroyed; whenever information is destroyed, some amount of energy must be dissipated (converted into heat). As an example, imagine two easily distinguishable physical situations, such as a rubber ball held either one meter or two meters off the ground. If the ball is dropped, it will bounce. If there is no friction and the ball is perfectly elastic, an observer will always be able to tell what state the ball started out in (that is, what its initial height was) because a ball dropped from two meters will bounce higher than a ball dropped from one meter.
If there is friction, however, the ball will dissipate a small amount of energy with each bounce, until it eventually stops bouncing and comes to rest on the ground. It will then be impossible to determine what the ball's initial state was; a ball dropped from two meters will be identical with a ball dropped from one meter. Information will have been lost as a result of energy dissipation.
Here is another example of information destruction: the expression 2 + 2 contains more information than the expression = 4. If all we know is that we have added two numbers to yield 4, then we do not know whether we have added 1 + 3, 2 + 2, 0 + 4 or some other pair of numbers. Since the output is implicit in the input, no computation ever generates information
In fact, computation as it is currently carried out depends on many operations that destroy information. The so-called and gate is a device with two input lines, each of which may be set at 1 or 0, and one output, whose value depends on the value of the inputs. If both inputs are 1, the output will be 1. If one of the inputs is 0 or if both are 0, the output will also be 0. Any time the gate's output is a 0 we lose information, because we do not know which of three possible states the input lines were in (0 and 1, 1 and 0, or 0 and 0). In fact, any logic gate that has more input than output lines inevitably discards information, because we cannot deduce the input from the output. Whenever we use such a "logically irreversible" gate, we dissipate energy into the environment. Erasing a bit of memory, another operation that is frequently used in computing, is also fundamentally dissipative; when we erase a bit, we lose all information about that bit's previous state.
Are irreversible logic gates and erasures essential to computation? If they are, any computation we perform has to dissipate some minimum amount of energy.
As one of us (Bennett) showed in 1973, however, they are not essential. This conclusion has since been demonstrated in several models; the easiest of these to describe are based on so-called reversible logic elements such as the Fredkin gate, named for Edward Fredkin of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Fredkin gate has three input lines and three outputs. The input on one line, which is called the control channel, is fed unchanged through the gate. If the control channel is set at 0, the input on the other two lines also passes through unchanged. If the control line is a 1, however, the outputs of the other two lines are switched: the input of one line becomes the output of the other and vice versa. The Fredkin gate does not discard any information; the input can always be deduced from the output.
Fredkin has shown that any logic device required in a computer can be implemented by an appropriate arrangement of Fredkin gates. To make the computation work, certain input lines of some of the Fredkin gates must be preset at particular values.
Fredkin gates have more output lines than the gates they are made to simulate. In the process of computing, what seem to be "garbage bits," bits of information that have no apparent use, are therefore generated. These bits must somehow be cleared out of the computer if we are to use it again, but if we erase them, it will cost us all the energy dissipation we have been trying to avoid.
Actually these bits have a most important use. Once we have copied down the result of our computation, which will reside in the normal output bits, we simply run the computer in reverse. That is, we enter the "garbage bits" and output bits that were produced by the computer's normal operation as "input" into the "back end" of the computer. This is possible because each of the logic gates in the computer is itself reversible. Running the computer in reverse discards no information, and so it need not dissipate any energy. Eventually the computer will be left exactly as it was before the computation began. Hence it is possible to complete a "computing cycle" to run a computer and then to return it to its original state-without dissipating any energy.
So far we have discussed a set of logic operations, not a physical device. It is not hard, however, to imagine a physical device that operates as a Fredkin gate. In this device the information channels are represented by pipes. A bit of information is represented by the presence or absence of a ball in a particular section of pipe; the presence of a ball signifies a 1 and the absence of a ball signifies a 0.
The control line is represented by a narrow segment of pipe that is split lengthwise down the middle. When a ball enters the split segment of pipe, it pushes the two halves of the pipe apart, actuating a switching device. The switching device channels any input balls that may be in the other two pipes: when a ball is present in the control line, any ball that enters an input pipe is automatically redirected to the other pipe. To ensure that the switch is closed when no control ball is present, there are springs that hold the two halves of the split pipe together. A ball entering the split pipe must expend energy when it compresses the springs, but this energy is not lost; it can be recovered when the control ball leaves the split pipe and the springs expand.
All the balls are linked together and pushed forward by one mechanism, so that they move in synchrony; otherwise we could not ensure that the various input and controlling balls would arrive at a logic gate together. In a sense the forward progress of the computation is really motion along a single degree of freedom, like the motion of two wheels rigidly attached to one axle. Once the computation is done we push all the balls backward, undoing all the operations and returning the computer to its initial state.
If the entire assembly is immersed in an ideal viscous fluid, then the frictional forces that act on the balls will be proportional to their velocity; there will be no static friction. The frictional force will therefore be very weak if we are content to move the balls slowly. In any mechanical system the energy that must be expended to work against friction is equal to the product of the frictional force and the distance through which the system travels. (Hence the faster a swimmer travels between two points, the more energy he or she will expend, although the distance traveled is the same whether the swimmer is fast or slow.) If we move the balls through the Fredkin gates at a low speed, then the energy expended (the product of force and distance) will be very small, because the frictional force depends directly on the balls' speed. Infact, we can expend as little energy as we wish, simply by taking a long time to carry out the operation. There is thus no minimum amount of energy that must be expended in order to perform any given computation.
The energy lost to friction in this model will be very small if the machine is operated very slowly. Is it possible to design a more idealized machine that could compute without any friction? Or is friction essential to the computing process? Fredkin, together with Tommaso Toffoli and others at M.I.T., has shown that it is not.
They demonstrated that it is possible to do computation by firing ideal, frictionless billiard balls at one another. In the billiard-ball model perfect reflecting "mirrors," surfaces that redirect the balls' motion, are arranged in such a way that the movement of the balls across a table emulates the movement of bits of information through logic gates. As before, the presence of a ball in a particular part of the computer signifies a 1, whereas the absence of a ball signifies a 0. If two balls arrive simultaneously at a logic gate, they will collide and their paths will change; their new paths represent the output of the gate. Fredkin, Toffoli and others have described arrangements of mirrors that correspond to different types of logic gate, and they have shown that billiard-ball models can be built to simulate any logic element that is necessary for computing.
To start the computation we fire a billiard ball into the computer wherever we wish to input a 1. The balls must enter the machine simultaneously. Since they are perfectly elastic, they do not lose energy when they collide; they will emerge from the computer with the same amount of kinetic energy we gave them at the beginning.
In operation a billiard-ball computer produces "garbage bits," just as a computer built of Fredkin gates does. After the computer has reached an answer we reflect the billiard balls back into it, undoing the computation. They will come out of the machine exactly where we sent them in, and at the same speed. The mechanism that launched them into the computer can then be used to absorb their kinetic energy. Once again we will have performed a computation and returned the computer to its initial state without dissipating energy.
The billiard-ball computer has one major flaw: it is extremely sensitive to slight errors. If a ball is aimed slightly incorrectly or if a mirror is tilted at a slightly wrong angle, the balls' trajectories will go astray. One or more balls will deviate from their intended paths, and in due course errors will combine to invalidate the entire computation. Even if perfectly elastic and frictionless billiard balls could be manufactured, the small amount of random thermal motion in the molecules they are made of would be enough to cause errors after a few dozen collisions.
Of course we could install some kind of corrective device that would return any errant billiard ball to its desired path, but then we would be obliterating information about the ball's earlier history. For example, we might be discarding information about the extent to which a mirror is tilted incorrectly. Discarding information, even to correct an error, can be done only in a system in which there is friction and loss of energy. Any correctional device must therefore dissipate some energy.
Many of the difficulties inherent in the billiard-ball computer can be made less extreme if microscopic or submicroscopic particles, such as electrons, are used in place of billiard balls. As Wojciech H. Zurek, who is now at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, has pointed out, quantum laws, which can restrict particles to a few states of motion, could eliminate the possibility that a particle might go astray by a small amount.
Although the discussion so far has been based primarily on classical dynamics, several investigators have proposed other reversible computers that are based on quantum-mechanical principles. Such computers, first proposed by Paul Benioff of the Argonne National Laboratory and refined by others, notably Richard P. Feynman of the California Institute of Technology, have so far been described only in the most abstract terms. Essentially the particles in these computers would be arranged so that the quantum-mechanical rules governing their interaction would be precisely analogous to the rules describing the predicted outputs of various reversible logic gates. For example, suppose a particle's spin can have only two possible values: up (corresponding to a binary 1) and down (corresponding to a 0). The interactions between particle spins can be prescribed in such a way that the value of one particle's spin changes depending on the spin of nearby particles; the spin of the particle would correspond to one of the outputs of a logic gate.
So far this discussion has concentrated on information processing. A computer must store information as well as process it. The interaction between storage and processing is best described in terms of a device called a Turing machine, for Alan M. Turing, who first proposed such a machine in 1936. A Turing machine can perform any computation that can be performed by a modern computer. One of us (Bennett) has shown that it is possible to build a reversible Turing machine: a Turing machine that does not discard information and can therefore be run with as small an expenditure of energy as the user wishes.
A Turing machine has several components. There is a tape, divided into discrete frames or segments, each of which is marked with a 0 or a 1; these bits represent the input. A "read/write head" moves along the tape. The head has several functions. It can read one bit of the tape at a time, it can print one bit onto the tape and it can shift its position by one segment to the left or right. In order to remember from one cycle to the next what it is doing, the head mechanism has a number of distinct "states"; each state constitutes
In each cycle the head reads the bit on the segment it currently occupies; then it prints a new bit onto the tape, changes its internal state and moves one segment to the left or right. The bit it prints, the state it changes into and the direction in which it moves are determined by a fixed set of transition rules. Each rule specifies a particular set of actions. Which rule the machine follows is determined by the state of the head and the value of the bit that it reads from the tape. For example, one rule might be: "If the head is in state A and is sitting on a segment of tape that is printed with a 0, it should change that bit to a 1, change its state to state B and move one segment to the right." It may happen that the transition rule instructs the machine not to change its internal state, not to print a new bit onto the tape or to halt its operation. Not all Turing machines are reversible, but a reversible Turing machine can be built to perform any possible computation.
The reversible Turing-machine models have an advantage over such machines as the frictionless billiard-ball computer. In the billiard-ball computer random thermal motion causes unavoidable errors. Reversible Turing-machine models actually exploit random thermal motion: they are constructed in such a way that thermal motion itself, with the assistance of a very weak driving force, moves the machine from one state to the next. The progress of the computation resembles the motion of an ion (a charged particle) suspended in a solution that is held in a weak electric field. The ion's motion, as seen over a short period of time, appears to be random; it is nearly as likely to move in one direction as in another. The applied force of the electric field, however, gives the net motion a preferred direction: the ion is a little likelier to move in one direction than in the other.
It may at first seem inconceivable that a purposeful sequence of operations, such as a computation, could be achieved in an apparatus whose direction of motion at any one time is nearly random. This style of operation is quite common, however, in the microscopic world of chemical reactions. There the trial-and-error action of Brownian motion, or random thermal motion, suffices to bring reactant molecules into contact, to orient and bend them into the specific conformation required for them to react, and to separate the product molecules after the reaction. All chemical reactions are in principle reversible: the same Brownian motion that accomplishes the forward reaction sometimes brings product molecules together and pushes them backward through the transition. In a state of equilibrium a backward reaction is just as likely to occur as a forward one.
In order to keep a reaction moving in the forward direction, we must supply reactant molecules and remove product molecules; in effect, we must provide a small driving force. When the driving force is very small, the reaction will take nearly as many backward steps as forward ones, but on the average it will move forward. In order to provide the driving force we must expend energy, but as in our ball-and-pipe realization of the Fredkin gate the total amount of energy can be as small as we wish; if we are willing to allow a long time for an operation, there is no minimum amount of energy that must be expended. The reason is that the total energy dissipated depends on the number of forward steps divided by the number of backward steps. (It is actually proportional to the logarithm of this ratio, but as the ratio increases or decreases so does its logarithm.) The slower the reaction moves forward, the smaller the ratio will be. (The analogy of the faster and slower swimmers is valid once again: it requires less total energy to go the same net number of reaction steps forward if the reaction moves slowly.)
We can see how a Brownian Turing machine might work by examining a Brownian tape-copying machine that already exists in nature: RNA polymerase, the enzyme that helps to construct RNA copies of the DNA constituting a gene. A single strand of DNA is much like the tape of a Turing machine. At each position along the strand there is one of four "bases": adenine, guanine, cytosine or thymine (abbreviated A, G, C and I). RNA is a similar chain like molecule whose four bases, adenine, guanine, cytosine and uracil (A. G. C and U) bind to "complementary" DNA bases.
The RNA polymerase catalyzes this pairing reaction. The DNA helix is normally surrounded by a solution containing a large number of nucleoside triphosphate molecules, each consisting of an RNA base linked to a sugar and a tail of three phosphate groups. The RNA-polymerase enzyme selects from the solution a single RNA base that is complementary to the base about to be copied on the DNA strand. It then attaches the new base to the end of the growing RNA strand and releases two of the phosphates into the surrounding solution as a free pyrophosphate ion. Then the enzyme shifts forward one notch along the strand of DNA in preparation for attaching the next RNA base. The result is a strand of RNA that is complementary to the template strand of DNA. Without RNA polymerase this set of reactions would occur very slowly, and there would be little guarantee that the RNA and DNA molecules would be complementary.
The reactions are reversible: sometimes the enzyme takes up a free pyrophosphate ion, combines it with the last base on the RNA strand and re-leases the resulting nucleoside triphosphate molecule into the surrounding solution, meanwhile backing up one notch along the DNA strand. At equilibrium, forward and backward steps would occur with equal frequency; normally other metabolic processes drive the reaction forward by removing pyrophosphate and supplying the four kinds of nucleoside triphosphate.
In the laboratory the speed with which RNA polymerase acts can be varied by adjusting the concentrations of the reactants (as Judith Levin and Michael J. Chamberlin of the University of California at Berkeley have shown). As the concentrations are brought closer to equilibrium the enzyme works more slowly and dissipates less energy to copy a given section of DNA, because the ratio of forward to backward steps is smaller.
Although RNA polymerase merely copies information without processing it, it is relatively easy to imagine how a hypothetical chemical Turing machine might work. The tape is a single long backbone molecule to which two types of base, representing the binary 0 and 1, attach at periodic sites. A small additional molecule is attached to the 0 or 1 group at one site along the chain. The position of this additional molecule represents the position of the Turing machine's head. There are several different types of "head molecule," each type representing a different machine state.
The machine's transition rules are represented by enzymes. Each enzyme is capable of catalyzing one particular reaction. The way these enzymes work is best demonstrated by an example.
Suppose the head molecule is type A (indicating that the machine is in state A) and is attached to a 0 base. Also suppose the following transition rule applies: "When the head is in state A and reads a 0, change the 0 to a 1, change state to B and move to 'the right." A molecule of the enzyme representing this rule has a site that fits a type-A head molecule attached to a 1 base. It also has one site that fits a 0 base and one site that fits a B head [see illustration on opposite page).
To achieve the transition, the enzyme molecule first approaches the tape molecule at a location 'just to the right of the base on which the A head resides. Then it detaches from the tape both the head molecule and the 0 base to which the head was attached, putting in their place a 1 base. Next it attaches a B head to the base that is to the right of the 1 base it has just added to the tape. At this point the transition is complete. The head's original site is changed from a 0 to a 1, the head molecule is now a type B, and it is attached to the base that is one notch to the right of the previous head position.
During the operation of a Brownian Turing machine the tape would have to be immersed in a solution containing many enzyme molecules, as well as extra O's, 1 's, A's and B's. To drive the reaction forward there would have to be some other reaction that cleaned the enzyme molecules of detached heads and bases. The concentrations of the reactants that clean the enzyme molecules represent the force that drives the Turing machine forward. Again we can expend as little energy as we wish simply by driving the machine forward very slowly.
The enzymatic Turing machine would not be error-free. Occasionally a reaction that is not catalyzed by any enzyme might occur; for example, a 0 base could spontaneously detach itself from the backbone molecule and a 1 base could be attached in its place. Similar errors do indeed occur during RNA synthesis.
In principle it would be possible to eliminate errors by building a Brownian Turing machine out of rigid, frictionless clockwork. The clockwork Turing machine involves less idealization than the billiard-ball computer but more than the enzymatic Turing machine. On the one hand, its parts need not be manufactured to perfect tolerances, as the billiard balls would have to be; the parts fit loosely together, and the machine can operate even in the presence of a large amount of thermal noise. Still, its parts must be perfectly rigid and free of static friction, properties not found in any macroscopic body.
Because the machine's parts fit together loosely, they are held in place not by friction but by grooves or notches in neighboring parts. Although each part of the machine is free to jiggle a little, like the pieces of a well-worn wood puzzle, the machine as a whole can only follow one "computational path." That is, the machine's parts interlock in such a way that at any time the machine can make only two kinds of large-scale motion: the motion corresponding to a forward computational step and that corresponding to a backward step.
The computer makes such transitions only as the accidental result of the random thermal motion of its parts biased by the weak external force. It is nearly as likely to proceed backward along the computational path, undoing the most recent transition, as it is to proceed forward. A small force, provided externally, drives the computation forward. This force can again be as small as we wish, and so there is no minimum amount of energy that must be expended in order to run a Brownian clockwork Turing machine.
According to classical thermodynamics, then, there is no minimum amount of energy required in order to perform a computation. Is the classical thermodynamical analysis in conflict with quantum theory? After all, the quantum-mechanical uncertainty principle states there must be an inverse relation between our uncertainty about how long a process takes and our uncertainty about how much energy the process involves. Some investigators have suggested that any switching process occurring in a short period of time must involve a minimum expenditure of energy.
In fact the uncertainty principle does not require any minimum energy expenditure for a fast switching event. The uncertainty principle would be applicable only if we attempted to measure the precise time at which the event took place. Even in quantum mechanics extremely fast events can take place without any loss of energy. Our confidence that quantum mechanics allows computing without any minimum expenditure is bolstered when we remember that Benioff and others have developed models of reversible quantum-mechanical computers, which dissipate no energy and obey the laws of quantum mechanics.
Thus the uncertainty principle does not seem to place a fundamental limit on the process of computation; neither does classical thermodynamics. Does this mean there are no physical limitations to computing? Far from it. The real limitations are associated with questions that are much harder to answer than those we have asked in this article.
For example, do elementary logic operations require some minimum amount of time? What is the smallest possible gadgetry that could accomplish such operations? Because scales of size and time are connected by the velocity of light, it is likely that these two questions have related answers. We may not be able to find these answers, however, until it is determined whether or not there is, some ultimate graininess in the universal scales of time and length.
At the other extreme, how large can we make a computer memory? How many particles in the universe can we bring and keep together for that purpose? The maximum possible size of a computer memory limits the precision with which we can calculate. It will limit, for example, the number of decimal places to which we can calculate pi. The inevitable deterioration processes that occur in real computers pose another, perhaps related, question: Can deterioration, at least in principle, be reduced to any desired degree, or does it impose a limit on the maximum length of time we shall be able to devote to any one calculation? That is, are there certain calculations that cannot be completed before the computer's hardware decays into uselessness?
Such questions really concern limitations on the physical execution of mathematical operations. Physical laws, on which the answers must ultimately be based, are themselves expressed in terms of such mathematical operations. Thus we are asking about the ultimate form in which the laws of physics can be applied, given the constraints imposed by the universe that the laws themselves describe.


text: In this demo, the DevExtreme Chart component is used to create a Pareto chart. This example of a Pareto chart summarizes complaints about the service provided by a pizza shop. From this chart, the pizza shop owner may infer that to satisfy most of the customers, he or she needs to eliminate two most frequently encountered issues: delayed delivery and cold pizza.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Monterey Forum Draws Language Professionals from Across the Globe
"The key terms that come up after this invigorating conference are collaboration and distance learning," says professor Kayoko Takeda, head of the Japanese translating and interpreting program at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and one of the organizers of the Monterey Forum. Last week's biennial Forum brought Monterey Institute faculty and students together with close to fifty outside scholars and language professionals to talk about current issues in their field.
The third Monterey Forum was held on April 8-9 and was dedicated to innovation in the field of translator, interpreter, and localizer education. The use of technology was a hot topic, and in particular the opportunities new technology offers for collaboration among professionals, for example through social networks and cloud platforms. Issues related to "machine translation" and "post-editing" were the main subjects of the student panel. Technology also plays a large role in distance learning, another common topic of discussion.
Twenty-seven local seventh graders in a dual-immersion program at Branciforte Middle School in Santa Cruz received a glimpse into the field of international language professionals when they attended the Forum as special guests. They had the opportunity to observe simultaneous interpreting in Spanish and then try it out themselves in a mock interpreting session with Monterey Institute students.
A Monterey Institute Japanese Translation and Interpretation student received a unique opportunity as a result of his simultaneous interpretation of the conference. One of the speakers was so impressed that she arranged for him to meet with the head of interpretation at the International Labour Organization, when he will be in Geneva as a visiting WIPO fellow next summer. Not a bad start to life after graduation!
For More Information
Jason Warburg
Eva Gudbergsdottir


text:
Ace Frehley's Space Invader Artwork by Ken Kelly Revealed
Founding KISS guitarist and 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Ace Frehley has tapped long time friend and artist Ken Kelly to create the album cover for his upcoming LP SPACE INVADER, due out July 8th. The reveal comes exclusively through Rolling Stone today. Kelly, who created the iconic cover art for two of KISS's best selling LPS, Destroyer (1976) and Love Gun (1977), says, "It was very exciting when I was approached with the idea of doing an album cover for Ace."
Ken Kelly is also widely known for his paintings in the sword and sorcery and heroic fantasy sub genres, most notably for the Conan the Barbarian novels. He continues, "I had spoken to Ace on a few occasions about the possibility, so I was delighted when it actually happened."
Ace Frehley himself comments, "I've been talking with Ken Kelly since 2007 about painting a CD Cover for me and it has finally happened! I couldn't be more excited about the new Space Invader cover and the music behind it is also going to rock your world!"
With nearly 35 years between projects, KISS fans will surely be excited about this long-time duo working together again. Kelly concludes, "I am very pleased with the results and proud to play a part of Ace's continuing successful career!"
ACE FREHLEY will release SPACE INVADER, his first new solo album in five years, via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music) on July 8th, 2014. The album will include at least nine brand new original songs as well as a cover of Steve Miller's "The Joker." This album is the first release under Frehley's new universal deal on eOne Music.
Widely known as the original "Space Ace" and founding guitarist for 16 cumulative years (over 2 tenures) of the multi platinum selling rock band KISS, Frehley is demonstrably the most popular original member. In addition to having the best selling solo album career (vintage or current) among the original foursome, Frehley's self titled Ace Frehley, released in 1978, went on to sell over one million copies, producing the only Top 40 single, "New York Groove," from any of the legendary KISS solo albums; (peaking at #13). The massive hit was most recently featured in an episode of cult show Entourage and was also KISS' second best selling download in 2012, besting such KISS Army anthems as "I Was Made For Lovin' You," "Beth" and "Calling Dr. Love" even after 36 years.
Since departing from KISS, Frehley went on to release four more solo albums and one live EP including his most recent effort, Anomaly in 2009, which debuted at #27 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and received a welcoming response among critics. "'Anomaly' shows why many rock and metal guitarists list 'Space Ace' as a prime six-string influence," said Rolling Stone.
You can catch Ace Frehley accepting his award at the 29th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction Ceremony on May 31 at 8pm on HBO


text:
Responding to "Green Politics," Part Three
- Michael Craven Center for Christ & Culture
- 2007 27 Jun
If you'd like to catch up on the discussion to date, you can read Part One of this series here, and Part Two here.
As we have previously examined, the idea that human population growth and presence is an affront to the earth and nature is grossly overstated and frankly, a myth.
In a sad bit of irony, this myth and its resulting environmental extremism have their roots in the writings of an 18th-century Anglican preacher named, Thomas Malthus. Malthus was the first to suggest that environmental catastrophe would be brought on by the unchecked growth of the human population.
A London talk by Benjamin Franklin sparked Malthus' imagination. Franklin had proudly proclaimed to his English audience that the population of their former colonies was growing at a rate of 3 percent per year. Malthus, who fancied himself something of a mathematician, knew that this meant that America's population was doubling every 23 years or so. He pondered this geometric progression, becoming increasingly concerned about the staggering numbers that would soon result. He imagined the boroughs filling up with people, until every available nook and cranny was choked with human misery.
Malthus wrote in his widely published tract, An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798):
This perspective, especially shocking owing to the fact that Malthus was a member of the Christian clergy served to persuade the British upper class to take up his cause against humanity. This horrific premise was made palatable by being presented as the "most humane" action given the pending "crisis." How could the self-perceived bearers of civilization allow such human suffering to result by being indifferent to the unchecked reproduction of the lower classes? These Malthusians, as they came to be called, received coincidental reinforcement for their views from the rise of Darwinism and in particular the ideas of Darwin's cousin, Francis Galton. In Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development, Galton gave a pseudo-scientific gloss to what he saw as the declining genetic stock of the British nation. To counter this trend, he proposed an active policy of "eugenics," a word he coined meaning "good births." Eugenics would encourage more children from the "fit," and fewer--or no--children from the "unfit," with the ultimate goal of engineering the evolutionary ascent of man. You can see how this notion would have appealed to the British upper classes and it still holds strong appeal among secular humanist elites today.
Malthus' idea identified a plausible "problem," runaway population growth, which aroused a primal fear among the wealthy, who felt threatened by the poor and their rising numbers. For Malthusians, Darwinism offered a substitute morality which could justify the campaign against humanity. (Meaning: the less desirable elements of humanity in the mind of the cultural elites.) I contend this same basic premise remains at the root of modern "population control" (cf. Planned Parenthood) and to some extent, today's environmental extremism.
Another major influence within environmental extremism is socialist Marxism. Patrick Moore, a co-founder of Greenpeace speculates that the latter 20th century collapse of communism left neo-Marxist activists floundering and without purpose. Hijacking the environmental movement would offer these a new, and even more effective medium in which to oppose capitalist growth and with it the expansion of capitalism. With the failure of political Marxism, the environmental movement and its "green language" offered a clever guise for the advancement of Marxist ideals. Moore, who now advocates a "common sense" approach to the environment, became disillusioned with the movement and said in a British documentary:
By the mid-1980s, the environmental movement had abandoned science and logic in favor of emotion and sensationalism. … I think one of the most pernicious aspects of the modern environmental movement is the romanticization of peasant life. And the idea that industrial societies are the destroyers of the world. The environmental movement has evolved into the strongest force there is for preventing development in the developing countries. I think it's legitimate for me to call them anti-human.
Up to this point we have examined the foundations of environmental extremism that are driving the argument of climate change as a consequence of human activity. As you can see, this is about much more than environmentalism—at the heart of this issue there exist two competing views of reality, humanity, and moral truth. One is true and the other is not and so we seek to expose the truth as all truth edifies Christ who is the Truth. This is the basis of our examination.
Next, we will begin to dissect the global warming debate, look at what is really happening relative to climate, and evaluate its alleged causes.
The conflict between those who view humanity as an enemy of nature and those who view man as nature's steward culminates in the dispute over global warming. At odds in this debate is not the question of whether or not we are experiencing a period of warmer temperatures, we are. Rather, it is the competing theories relative to the causes of the present temperature increase and the implications thereof.
Humans have only been trying to measure the temperature on a consistent basis since about 1850, during which time we think the world may have warmed by about 0.6 degrees centigrade, within a margin or error of 0.2 degrees plus or minus. Most of the climate community has agreed since 1988 that global mean temperatures have increased about one degree Fahrenheit, or roughly one half degree centigrade, over the past century. The majority of this increase occurred from 1919 to 1940, then decreased between 1940 and the early '70s, increased again until the '90s, and has remained essentially flat since 1998.
The fact is, these temperature fluctuations are nothing new. Scientists have long understood that the earth's climate naturally experiences cyclical changes--even sometimes dramatic changes. In addition, when you stop to consider the massive variables involved in trying to pinpoint the earth's mean temperature; it is very difficult to achieve a precise measurement even when exact measurements are available. The land heats and cools differently than the oceans or the atmosphere, temperatures are taken on a very disparate basis in proportion to land and water volume, location, seasonal fluctuations, and so on and so forth. Simply consider your local forecast. Temperatures vary between cities that are only a few miles apart. The bottom line: determining an accurate mean global temperature is a very complex and difficult challenge.
So, how did these long-recognized natural changes in climate and temperature suddenly transform into apocalyptic conditions that threaten to "send our entire planet into a tail-spin of epic destruction," according to Al Gore?
Michael Mann is a well-known climatologist whom you may not have heard of but you are probably familiar with his famous conclusion: that the present temperature increase is "likely to have been the largest of any century during the past 1,000 years" and that the "1990s was the warmest decade and 1998 the warmest year" of the millennium.
How could Mann make such claims when we have only consistently collected temperature readings since the latter 19th century? In the absence of direct temperature measurements, i.e. thermometer readings, Mann reconstructed temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere over the last 1000 years using what are known as "proxy" methods. Essentially, scientists compare proxy data such as recent isotope data from snow and tree rings to local temperatures. This real time comparison then serves as a sort-of scale from which scientists can examine similar proxy sources to infer temperatures in the distant past. These proxy reconstructions are indirect inferences of temperature and obviously have less accuracy than data collected by direct methods such as the thermometer. Remember, the global warming debate centers around temperature variables of less than 1 degree centigrade within a margin of error of 0.2 degrees plus or minus even using the most sophisticated measuring devices.
Mann published his findings in 1998, producing the infamous "hockey stick" graph illustrating cooler temperatures throughout the last 1000 years until the last decade of the 20th century, at which point temperatures seemed to rise "dramatically." If you watched Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth this graphic featured prominently. In simple visual terms, it was very compelling.
Mann's findings were arguably the single most influential study in swaying the public debate, and in 2001 they became the official view of the International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body that is organizing the worldwide effort to combat global warming.
However, Dr. Edward Wegman, a professor at the Center for Computational Statistics at George Mason University, chair of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Applied and Theoretical Statistics, and board member of the American Statistical Association was asked by the energy and commerce committee of the U.S. House of Representatives to evaluate the statistical validity of Michael Mann's findings.
Wegman conducted his third-party review by assembling an expert panel of statisticians, including outside statisticians and the Board of the American Statistical Association. At its conclusion, the Wegman review repudiated Mann's work saying:
Dr. Wegman is considered the preeminent expert in the world on "computational statistics." (He actually the coined the term). Wegman found that Mann made a basic error that "may be easily overlooked by someone not trained in statistical methodology." When Wegman corrected Mann's statistical mistakes, the "hockey stick" disappeared.
Furthermore, Wegman pointed out "there is no evidence that Dr. Mann or any of the other authors in paleoclimate studies have had significant interactions with mainstream statisticians." In other words, Wegman believes that much of the climate science that has been done should be taken with a grain of salt--despite the fact that the studies may have been peer reviewed, the reviewers were often unqualified in statistics.
What is most telling is the reaction of the climatology community to Wegman's revelation. Many now agree that Mann's "hockey stick" graph may be wrong but they nonetheless say his conclusions are correct. In response, Wegman later testified before the energy and commerce committee saying: "I am baffled by the claim that the incorrect method doesn't matter because the answer is correct anyway. Method Wrong + Answer Correct = Bad Science." Science which begins with and stubbornly clings to its materialistic assumptions about reality is not science; it is false religion.
Lesslie Newbigin, noted theologian and author, makes the point, "For modern Western peoples--nature has taken the place of God as the ultimate reality with which we have to deal." The creation of an epic battle against catastrophic global warming provides these a tangible means of "dealing" with their new god, expressing their "worship," and finding a sense of meaning and purpose. In support of these goals it should not be surprising to see them make the science fit their belief system even when presented with contradicting evidence. This is where the "faith" of these true believers comes into play.
Next week we will explore the question of causation.
Link to Part 4/5 of this series.
Please Click
Here to view Michael's Crosswalk.com blog
Here to give Michael feedback on this article
Here to request e-mail delivery of Michael's weekly commentary
Here to subscribe to Michael's free podcast
S. Michael Craven is the Founding Director of the Center for Christ & Culture, a ministry of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families. The Center for Christ & Culture is dedicated to renewal within the Church and works to equip Christians with an intelligent and thoroughly Christian approach to matters of culture in order to recapture and demonstrate the relevance of Christianity to all of life. For more information on the Center for Christ & Culture, additional resources and other works by S. Michael Craven visit: www.battlefortruth.org.
Michael lives in the Dallas area with his wife Carol and their three children.
© 2007 S. Michael Craven


text:
Hairy Ass Young Guy Getting Barebacked By The Maverick Men
The Maverick Men new video this week features a return appearance from that sexy hairy Latin guy, Little Wolf. If you missed the last Little Wolf video you really missed out, but this one is even hotter than the last one. The hairy bubble butt on Little Wolf is enough to make you cum with one quick look, and just wait until you see him getting that hairy ass fucked for the first time. Little Wolf has been helping The Maverick Men on set helping them film their amateur videos. When Little Wolf was filming his last video, The Maverick Men noticed that he kept rubbing his dick while he was filming. As soon as the shoot is finished, The Maverick Men invite Little Wolf back to their house so they can get down his pants. Little Wolf and the two hairy muscle daddies strip out of their clothes and Little Wolf starts sucking on those big daddy cocks until they are rock hard. Little Wolf is strictly a top, but The Maverick Men were relentless in their pursuit of fucking that hairy ass. After some hard spankings and begging, Little Wolf agrees to open up his hairy ass so The Maverick Men can bareback his butt. Little Wolf spreads his hairy ass cheeks and The Maverick Men start by taking turns rimming his hairy hole. When his hole is sloppy wet, they take turns barebacking his raw hairy ass until all three guys are shooting hot loads of jizz! Fucking hot!
Click here to download this full length amateur bareback sex video and hundreds more amateur gay porn videos at The Maverick Men.
Click here to download this full length amateur bareback sex video and hundreds more amateur gay porn videos at The Maverick Men.


text:
Texas Relocation Specialist & Dallas Real Estate Expert REALTOR®
"Not just your REALTOR® but your trusted advisor"
LOOKING FOR A NEW CONSTRUCTION HOME IN Allen?
Hire the Allen new construction experts >>>
We're here to help new home buyers in Allen make the right decision. Our team has years of experience working with local and national builders. We've built homes with most builders in Allen in different communities, giving us an intimate understanding of the home building process. We know what can go wrong and what to do right. Most importantly, we know how to find the right home for you and your family.
Allen Buyer's Agent for New Homes: Hire a Buyer's Agent When Buying New Construction in Allen
You are here: Home / Allen New Construction for Sale
MLS Listings - Builder/Community Search - New Home Stats
Allen New Construction Real Estate Agent
Many new construction buyers in Allen think that the sales manager giving the Model Home tours at the new construction community is working for them. However, the on-site sales agent in fact represents the builder (not you)! In Texas, they are not even licensed real estate agents. When buying a new construction in Allen, you can have your own buyer's agent in Allen representing your interests when buying new construction (new homes) in Allen, and I'd like to apply for the job. I am often able to save my clients money, time, and headaches when dealing with new construction purchases (and it's probably not going to cost you any extra money to hire me).
NEW CONSTRUCTION HOMES FOR SALE IN Allen
Allen New Home Construction & Builders - Find Allen, TX New Real Estate
Allen NEW HOMES FOR SALE – CUSTOM HOMES AND NEW BUILDS
Reasons You Need A Allen Buyer's Agent For New Construction
Here are some of the things that a buyer's agent like me can do for you when you're buying new homes or new construction in Allen:
Help you locate all the new home communities in Allen that might work for you (those that are already being built and those that are in the works).
Remember that not all the new construction homes available for sale are listed in local MLS. So, you may never know all the homes the builder has in inventory that have not been released to the public unless you are using a top Allen real estate agent. An aggressive agent like me who brings builders business knows how to find out about these properties before they hit the market.
Answer all of your questions about the Allen real estate market. Not just about homes for sale in Allen, but about schools in Allen ISD, top neighborhoods in Allen, the local economy and more.
Visit and tour the model homes in Allen with you.
Show you resale homes for sale in Allen if you are curious to see how much money you can save by buying a resale in Allen.
Help you research the builder and recent sales in Allen.
Help you identify a fair offer price by providing you the Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) based on the actual sales price data available in MLS.
Help you negotiate with the new home builder in Allen at the time of the initial offer.
Help you understand the purchase contract. Buying a new construction home in Allen can be tricky. Every new construction builder has a different contract, different terms, and different incentives. You should make sure that you understand the contract before you sign on the dotted line.
Help you understand the zoning and adjacent land use in a community. Builder's representatives practice how to present less desirable aspects of a lot or community to buyers to minimize questions and objections. A top Allen new construction Buyers Agent like me is going to explain to you how those aspects affect the resale value and how the community might change. An example is land not owned by the builder that is currently undeveloped. It could be in the process of being developed or could be developed in the future. What type of housing or commercial buildings or the proximity of future roads that might be built is very important information a buyer should consider before purchasing a new home.
Help you get additional incentives from the builder. As a Allen new construction expert real estate agent, I often get notified of new construction incentives and they can be beneficial for a buyer! Buying a home is a huge investment! So, any additional benefits and incentives that come from the builder are a great bonus!
Refer you to a top-notch home inspector (Home inspections are highly recommended even though you're buying a new home).
Help you negotiate and communicate with the builder regarding any issues during the building process.
Help you determine what sort of upgrades are worth it and which ones are not. Not every dollar you spend on updating your new construction home adds value to the home in the eyes of the appraiser.
Be your teammate throughout the whole process from start to finish.
Help you find good loan officers so that you can shop around for your loan to find the best rates and fees.
Work with the top Allen new home specialists and you'll quickly realize how valuable it is to work with agents who care and who know new construction inside out. We are members of the Collin County Association of Realtors, and we are transparent, honest, hard-working, and like to have fun. From day one we're on this journey together. Your calls / texts / emails are responded to very quickly, and your wants and needs are our absolute #1 priority.
HIRING A Allen BUYER'S AGENT: NOT ALL BUYER'S AGENTS ARE CREATED EQUAL
As a buyer of new construction in Allen, you need representation. You need someone on your side, someone willing to help and fight for you. Hire a buyer's agent. And, this brings us to another issue. Not all real estate agents are created equal.
Some real estate agents call themselves "buyer's agents" and some are truly Accredited Buyer's Agents – ABR – accredited by the National Association of Realtors and REBAC, Real Estate Buyer's Agents Council. They have gone for extra education and know how to get the job done with buyers. Which one would you rather have? Right! The ABR – Accredited Buyer's Agent. Look for it when looking for buyer's agents.
If you have any questions about buying a brand new home in Allen, please remember our services as a REALTOR are at no cost to you when purchasing a new home! It's important for you to have representation before you walk into a sales office / model homes - the agent in office typically represents the builder's interests. Feel free to call or text directly at: 469-269-6541 or send an e-mail to: email@example.com
We are here for you. Our goal is to make the new home buying process easy. With the help of our Allen new home expert real estate agents, we know how to find you the perfect new home quickly and save you money in the process.? We know the builders, the communities and the houses. We can streamline and simplify your home search, saving you time and money. We represent you and not the builder. We can help you avoid mistakes, pitfalls and protect your investment. We know ways to help you save money and get the best deal/incentives when buying a new home.
And the best part? Our services are free for our clients! Builders pay our commission.
DFW Home Builders
Addison New Homes
Allen New Homes
Anna New Homes
Argyle New Homes
Arlington New Homes
Aubrey New Homes
Bedford New Homes
Bluffview New Homes
Castle Hills New Homes
Cedar Hill New Homes
Colleyville New Homes
Coppell New Homes
Corinth New Homes
Dallas New Homes
Deep Ellum New Homes
Denton New Homes
Desoto New Homes
Double Oak New Homes
Downtown Dallas New Homes
Duncanville New Homes
East Dallas New Homes
Euless New Homes
Fairview New Homes
Farmers Branch New Homes
Farmersville New Homes
Fate New Homes
Flower Mound New Homes
Fort Worth New Homes
Frisco New Homes
Garland New Homes
Grand Prairie New Homes
Grapevine New Homes
Heath New Homes
Highland Park New Homes
Highland Village New Homes
Hurst New Homes
Irving New Homes
Keller New Homes
Kessler Park New Homes
Knox Henderson New Homes
Lake Dallas New Homes
Lake Highlands New Homes
Lakewood New Homes
Lancaster New Homes
Lantana New Homes
Las Colinas New Homes
Lewisville New Homes
Little Elm New Homes
Lower Greenville New Homes
M Streets New Homes
Mansfield New Homes
McKinney New Homes
Mesquite New Homes
North Dallas New Homes
North Richland Hills New Homes
Oak Lawn New Homes
Plano New Homes
Preston Hollow New Homes
Richardson New Homes
Rockwall New Homes
Rowlett New Homes
Royse City New Homes
Saginaw New Homes
Southlake New Homes
Tarrant County New Homes
The Colony New Homes
Trophy Club New Homes
Turtle Creek New Homes
University Park New Homes
Uptown New Homes
Valley Ranch New Homes
Victory Park New Homes
West Village New Homes
Wylie New Homes
Altura Homes
American Homes
Amercian Legend
Antares Homes
Ashton Woods
Beazer Homes
Belclaire Homes
Bloomfield Homes
Britton Homes
Brockdale Hillwood Homes
CalAtlantic Homes
Cambridge Homes
Castle Rock Homes
Cavender Homes
CB Jeni Homes
Centex Homes
Centre Living Homes
Centurion American Homes
Chesmar Homes
D.R. Horton Homes
David Weekley Homes
Darling Homes
Del Webb Homes
Drees Homes
Dunhill Homes
Emerald Homes
First Texas Homes
Gallery Custom Homes
Gehan Homes
Grand Homes
Gray Point Homes
Grenadier Homes
Harwood Homes
HistoryMaker Homes
Highland Homes
Horizon Homes
Huntington Homes
Impression Homes
Integrity Group Homes
John Houston Homes
KB Homes
K. Hovnanian KHOV
Landon Homes
Lennar Homes
Legend Homes
LGI Homes
Lillian Custom Homes
M/I Homes
MainVue Homes
Megatel Homes
Meritage Homes
Newport Homebuilders
Normandy Homes
Oak Creek Homes
Olerio Homes
Our Country Homes
P Custom Homes
Pacesetter Homes
Peckham Custom Homes
Perry Homes
Plantation Homes
Pulte Homes
RISLAND Homes
Rendition Homes
Ryland Homes
Serene Global Homes
Shaddock Homes
Southgate Homes
Starlight Homes
StoryBuilt Homes
Taylor Morrison Homes
Terrata Homes
Toll Brothers Homes
Tradition Homes
UnionMain Homes
Vendera Homes
Village Homes
Wall Homes
Westport Lakeview Villas
Search Actively Selling Allen New Homes & Floor plans
In addition, a top Allen new construction real estate agent can help you answer the following questions:
💲 How is the Buyer's Agent Compensated For The Purchase of the New Home?
💡 What are the Steps to Buying a New Construction Home?
❓ What are the Questions to Ask When Buying New Construction Homes?
🏗 What are the Pros & Cons of New Construction in Allen?
❓ What should I expect at a new home design center?
🏗 What Should you Not Upgrade when Buying New Construction Homes?
💰 Should I Use the Builder's Lender?
💡 Can a Buyer Make Changes to the House When Buying New Construction Homes?
🔍 Should I get a Home Inspection for a New Build in Allen?
❓ What is the Best Time to Buy a House in Allen?
Every real estate transaction has different issues that come up, and it helps to have a professional on your side who is advising you and helping you through the whole process, especially when you're buying new construction. Before you start going to see model homes at the new construction communities in Allen, please contact me for an interview, and let's talk about how it would work with me as your Allen New Home Buyer's Agent.
Here's a list of just some of the many new home communities in Allen - more are being added all the time, so check back often! Allen New Construction Communities.
Are You Buying a Home in Allen?
If you're thinking about buying a home in Allen or the surrounding communities, we'd love to help you. Call us today at 469-269-6541
Preconstruction and Builder Homes in Allen
View Preconstruction Homes for Sale in Allen! (Click Here)
Preconstruction homes in Allen gives you an opportunity to buy magnificent, energy efficient homes at a lower-than-market price!
Through "getting in early", you can often purchase at a 10-15% discount compared to buying a completed inventory home after 6 months.
Many of our recommended new homes are within convenient distance from excellent Allen sought after areas such as top Allen schools and parks. Here you and your family can enjoy beautiful homes with innovative features with no worries about repairs or breakdowns.
New Homes for Sale in Allen
Allen, Texas is one of America's largest growing cities, and with growth comes new homes and new subdivisions in Allen. New homes for sale in Allen can be found for a wide variety of budgets, desires and tastes. From simple condos, patio homes and townhomes to single family homes and luxury gated communities with sparkling pools, there is a new home for every prospective homebuyer in Allen TX.
Click Here to be notified when New Homes in Allen are added to the MLS
Contact Us to view properties or to inquire about listings not listed on the MLS
If you're not in the market for a new home in Allen, but would like to learn about other homes for sale in Allen, you can learn more about all Allen homes for sale.
We highly recommend that you Contact Us and we will create a custom search for you that will automatically alert you when new homes come up for sale in Allen. We can also prepare a free report for you that provides all the statistics you want to know about Allen including historical data, projections, recent sale prices, and information about Allen's surrounding neighborhood.
Why Us?
We are Allen's first and only real estate brokerage that puts you in control. We ensure that you find your dream home quickly and get FULL service.
Enjoy The New Home Buying Process!
Loosen up, have a little fun, and enjoy our promise. The last thing you want is more stress while trying to buy your dream home. We promise to be professional, responsible, competent, responsive, honest, and transparent.
New Homes For Sale Are Also Available In
Abbott, Abilene, Addison, Alba, Albany, Aledo, Allen, Alvarado, Alvord, Anna, Annetta, Anson, Aquilla, Argyle, Arlington, Aspermont, Athens, Aubrey, Aurora, Avalon, Azle, Bailey, Baird, Balch Springs, Bardwell, Barry, Bartonville, Bedford, Bells, Ben Franklin, Wheeler, Benbrook, Blair, Blooming Grove, Blue Mound, Ridge, Bluff Dale, Blum, Bonham, Boyd, Bradshaw, Brashear, Bridgeport, Buffalo Gap, Burleson, Bynum, Caddo Mills, Callisburg, Campbell, Canton, Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Celeste, Celina, Chat, Chatfield, Chico, Cleburne, Clifton, Clyde, Colleyville, Collinsville, Combine, Commerce, Como, Cool, Coolidge, Cooper, Copeville, Coppell, Copper Canyon, Corinth, Corsicana, Covington, Crandall, Cranfills Cresson, Cross Plains, Crossroads, Crowley, Cumby, Dallas, Dalworthington Gardens, Dawson, De Soto, Decatur, Denison, Dennis, Denton, Dike, Dodd City, Dorchester, Double Oak, Dublin, Duncanville, East Tawakoni, Ector, Edgecliff Village, Edgewood, Elmo, Enchanted Oaks, Enloe, Ennis, Era, Eula, Euless, Eureka, Eustace, Everman, Fairfield, Fairview, Farmers Branch, Farmersville, Fate, Ferris, Flower Forest Forney, Flower Mound, Forreston, Fort Worth, Frisco, Frost, Fruitvale, Gainesville, Garland, Garrett, Glen Rose, Glenn Heights, Gober, Godley, Gordonville, Granbury, Grand Prairie, Saline, Grandview, Grapevine, Greenville, Gun Barrel Gunter, Hackberry, Haltom Hamby, Hamlin, Happy Valley, Haslet, Hawk Cove, Hawley, Heath, Hebron, Hickory Creek, Highland Park, Hillsboro, Honey Howe, Hubbard, Hudson Hurst, Hutchins, Impact, Iredell, Irene, Irving, Italy, Itasca, Ivanhoe, Josephine, Joshua, Justin, Kaufman, Keene, Keller, Kemp, Kennedale, Kerens, Kirvin, Klondike, Kopperl, Krugerville, Krum, Ladonia, Laguna Lake Kiowa, Lakeside, Lakewood Lancaster, Larue, Lavon, Lawn, Leonard, Lewisville, Lillian, Lindsay, Lingleville, Lipan, Little Elm, Lucas, Lueders, Mabank, Malakoff, Malone, Mansfield, Maypearl, McCaulley, McKinney, Melissa, Meridian, Merit, Merkel, Mesquite, Mexia, Midlothian, Mildred, Milford, Millsap, Montalba, Morgan, Morgan Mill, Mount Calm, Muenster, Murchison, Murphy, Nemo, Nevada, New Hope, Newark, Noodle, North Richland Hills, Northlake, Oak Leaf, Point, Old Glory, Ovalo, Ovilla, Palmer, Pantego, Paradise, Parker, Peacock, Peaster, Pecan Pelican Bay, Pickton, Pilot Plano, Ponder, Poolville, Potosi, Pottsboro, Powell, Poynor, Princeton, Prosper, Rice, Richardson, Richland, Rio Vista, River Roanoke, Rochester, Rockwall, Roscoe, Rosser, Rosston, Rotan, Rowlett, Royse Rule, Runaway Sachse, Sadler, Saginaw, Sanger, Sansom Savoy, Scurry, Seagoville, Seven Points, Shady Shores, Sherman, Slidell, Southlake, Southmayd, Springtown, St. Paul, Stamford, Stephenville, Stith, Streetman, Sulphur Bluff, Sunnyvale, Sweetwater, Talty, Teague, Telephone, Terrell, The Colony, Tolar, Tom Bean, Trent, Trenton, Trinidad, Trophy Club, Tuscola, Tuxedo, Tye, University Park, Van, Van Alstyne, Venus, Walnut Watauga, Waxahachie, Weatherford, West Westlake, Westminster, Weston, Westover Westworth White Settlement, Whitesboro, Whitewright, Whitney, Willow Wills Wilmer, Windom, Winnsboro, Wolfe Wortham, Wylie, Yantis
New Homes For Sale Are Also Available By Following Builders
Ashton Woods • Bowen Homes • Centex Homes • Coventry Homes • Diamond Homes • Engle Homes • Gehan Homes • Green Hill Homes • Holiday Builders • KB Home • Landstar Homes Frisco/Allen • Mercedes Homes Ft. Worth • Park Place Builders • Portrait Homes • Ryland Homes • Standard Pacific Homes • Wall Homes • Beazer Homes • Cambridge Homes • Cheldan Homes • Darling Homes • Drees Homes • First Texas Homes • Goodman Custom Homes • Hammonds Homes • Horizon Homes • Dallas Legacy Homes • Lennar Homes • Monterey Homes • Partners in Building • Pulte Homes • Sharif Munir Custom Homes • Stonewood • William Ryan Homes • David Weekley Homes • Classic Homes of Texas • Cary Clark Homes • Blue Green Communities • D.R. Horton • Fox & Jacobs • Grand Homes • Highland Homes • K Hovnanian Homes • Ft. Worth Legacy • Mercedes Homes Dallas • Meritage Homes • Perry Homes • Richmond American Homes • Sotherby Homes • Trophy Homes • Woodhaven Homes • DR Horton • Lennar Corp. • PulteGroup • NVR • KB Home • Taylor Morrison • Meritage Homes • Toll Brothers • Century Communities • LGI Homes • M.D.C. Holdings • M/I Homes • Beazer Homes • Hovnanian Enterprises • TRI Pointe Group • David Weekley Homes • Habitat for Humanity International • Ashton Woods Homes • Clayton Properties Group • Shea Homes • Mattamy Homes • Highland Homes • Perry Homes • Dan Ryan Builders • Brookfield Residential Properties • The Related Group • Drees Homes • Fischer Homes • Dream Finders Homes • Bloomfield Homes • Chesmar Homes • Smith Douglas Homes • First Texas Homes • Green Brick Partners • GL Homes • Minto Communities • HistoryMaker Homes • Highland Homes • American Legend Homes • Milestone Community Builders • Essex Homes Southeast • Stylecraft Builders • H&H Homes • Ole South Properties • Rocklyn Homes • HHHunt Corp. • Ball Homes • Saratoga Homes • Van Metre Cos. • John Houston Custom Homes • Westin Homes • Anglia Homes • Homes by Westbay • Caviness and Cates Communities • ICI Homes • Signature Homes • Bill Clark Homes • Kerley Family Homes • Knight Homes • Park Square Homes • United Built Homes • Home Creations • Eastbrook Homes • Grand Homes • Pacesetter Homes • William Ryan Homes • Arthur Rutenberg Homes • 13th Floor Homes • Crescent Homes • San Joaquin Valley Homes • Newmark Homes Houston • Tilson Home Corp. • Comstock Homes • Camden Homes • Edward Andrews Homes • Regency Homebuilders • Flagship Homes • Stone Martin Builders • Hubble Homes • Ideal Homes • Regent Homes • Williams Homes • Altura Homes • Wathen Castanos Homes • Frontier Communities • The Olson Co. • Viera Builders • Level Homes • The Warmington Group • Fieldstone Homes • Miller and Smith • Granite Ridge Builders • SK Builders • The Jones Co. of Tennessee/Consort Homes • Beechwood Homes • Charter Homes and Neighborhoods • Hakes Brothers • Chesapeake Homes • Geonerco Group • Berks Homes • Landon Homes • Southern Homes of Polk County • Elliott Homes • Devon Street Homes • Keystone Homes • Simmons Homes • Dorn Homes • Payne Family Homes • Traditions of America • Shaddock Homes • Colina Homes • Hills Properties/Inverness Homes • Hubbell Homes • Pacific Communities Builder • Truland Homes • New Tradition Homes • Grayhawk Homes • A. Sydes Construction • Cornerstone Communities • Eagle Construction of Virginia • Van Daele Homes • SeaGate Homes • Capstone Homes • Greenstone Homes • Liberty Home Builders • Lokal Homes • Our Country Homes • Main Street Homes • Stonehollow Homes • McKee Homes • Baldwin & Sons • Silverstone Communities • Windsor Homes • Greenland Homes • Stoneridge Homes • Insight Homes • First America Homes • Mandalay Homes • Palo Verde Homes • Robert Thomas Homes • Davidson Homes • Legacy Homes of Alabama • PSW Real Estate • Boulder Creek Neighborhoods • Braselton Homes • Esperanza Homes • Saussy Burbank • Craftmark Group • Florsheim Homes • Sumeer Homes • Kendall Homes • Tropicana Homes • Landmark Homes • Empire Communities • Garman Homes • Reliant Homes • StyleCraft Homes • Sabal Homes • Riverwood Homes • Tim O'Brien Homes • Manuel Builders • Bonadelle Neighborhoods • Robertson Brothers Homes • Stock Development • Pratt Home Builders • Marrano Homes/Marc Equity Corp. • Homes By Dickerson
Allen new homes for sale
Search Allen Texas new homes for sale and new homes communities in Allen Texas. Allen is known for great new homes, and new builds from top new home builders in Allen. Find all the popular new construction homes in Allen built by top new home builders in Allen. Find Allen new homes, new home communities, builder close-outs, and custom homes with your Allen new homes specialist - Nitin Gupta!
Allen Texas New Home Search – Find Allen New Homes
Click here to search all of the new homes for sale in Allen. Search new construction homes in Allen by map, school, neighborhood, price, style of home and more. If you would like more information on any of these new real estate listings, just click the "Request More Information" button when viewing the details of that property. You can also "Schedule a Showing" if you are ready to go see a home. We can also provide you with dates and prices of new homes recently sold nearby by the builder, and more.
We work with ALL the new home builders in Allen including following Actively Selling Builders in Allen
American Legend • Ashton Woods • Beazer Homes • Belclaire Homes • Bloomfield Homes • Britton Homes • CalAtlantic Homes • Cambridge Homes • Castle Rock Homes • CB Jeni • Chesmar Homes • Coventry Homes • D.R. Horton Homes • Darling Homes • David Weekley • Del Webb Homes • Drees Homes • Dunhill Homes • Emerald Homes • First Texas Homes • Gehan Homes • Grand Homes • Tradition Homes • Grenadier Homes DFW • Highland Homes • HISTORYMAKER Homes • Toll Brothers • Horizon Homes • Huntington Homes • John Houston Homes • KB Homes D/FW • KHOV Homes • Landon Homes • Lennar Homes • Lillian Custom Homes • M/I Homes • MainVue Homes • Megatel Homes • Meritage Homes • Model Homes for Sale • New Home DEALS! • Normandy Homes • Pacesetter Dallas • Perry Homes • Plantation Homes • Pulte Homes • Rendition Homes • Risland Homes • Ryland Homes • Shaddock Homes • Southgate Homes • Taylor Morrison


text:
One of the more frequently mentioned names attached to the Phoenix Suns during the draft process has been Anthony Bennett. The former UNLV star came in to interview with the team today concluding the process of interviews for the No. 5 pick, on the surface.
With Bennett (No. 7 on the Big Board) still recovering from left shoulder surgery he was not able to workout, but was interviewed by the team, measured, and then taken out to lunch. Like all the other top prospects he will get the full service to see if he fits the teams future. He had rotator cuff surgery in May that successfully repaired a "SLAP tear" in his left shoulder. The surgery will sideline him through Summer League, but should not effect his attendance at Training Camp.
As a versatile forward Bennett can play the three and the four, but is more suited for the four with his strength. The team is not concerned with him being "undersized" because he has adequate length and reach.
In this group Bennett was the only option for the No. 5 pick so far the only prospects that have not been brought into town are Nerlens Noel (unlikely according to reports) and Otto Porter Jr. who has been quiet on the workout front.
The rest of the group was rounded out with some interesting options for the No. 30 pick in Archie Goodwin (21), Jackie Carmichael (33), Erick Green (46), and Nate Wolters (47). Over the past three days the Suns have exhausted the point guard options bringing in eight in over the last three days. Green is a scorer, combo guard, and the team seemed to really like what he provides as a threat from the perimeter. Wolters is an elite shooter, but lacks top end athleticism for the position.
The really intriguing prospects today were Goodwin and Carmichael.
After the workout the praise of Goodwin was being sung by the entire staff. He impressed them with his shooting and he told me that he has shot the ball really well his last two workouts. Goodwin has the potential to be a very good NBA player with his athleticism and raw ability, but he has not learned how to put it together just yet. Like most 18 year old prospects. A future backcourt (if Goodwin reaches his potential) of Goran Dragic and Goodwin is about as athletic as they come with tremendous potential defensively.
The other side of the spectrum is where Carmichael lies. He is a polished four that will have a very defined role at the next level. As a rebounder and energy player there are not many prospects at the four better than Carmichael at No. 30 or in general. He is a talented and polished four, but where does he fit in long term?
Here is a scouting take on the prospects:
- Anthony Bennett -- UNLV -- Freshman power forward: Full Scouting Report
- Archie Goodwin -- Kentucky -- Freshman shooting guard: Full Scouting Report
- Jackie Carmichael -- Illinois State -- Senior power forward: Full Scouting Report
- Erick Green -- Virginia Tech -- Senior point guard: Full Scouting Report
- Nate Wolters -- San Diego State -- Senior point guard: Full Scouting Report
- Jake Cohen -- Davidson -- Senior center: Above average center that can block shots and rebound the ball. He lacks strength and a defined role on the offensive end, but is a smart player overall.
- Romero Osby -- Oklahoma -- Senior power forward: Undersized at the four and a quality offensive rebounder with energy. Osby is a quality athlete, but is not a great rebounder, defender, or offensive player at this point in his career.
***The team has now had in Ben McLemore, Alex Len, Victor Oladipo, Rudy Gobert, Trey Burke, Michael Carter-Williams, C.J. McCollum, Cody Zeller, Shabazz Muhammad, and now Bennett in for workouts as options at No. 5
***The direction the team goes with the No. 5 pick will likely dictate the direction they go with the No. 30 pick. "I think it is tough to bring in two rookies at the same position, there can be times where they stunt each others growth," GM Ryan McDonough
***There will be workouts schedules for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday


text:
Stetson Siler of Oak Park went out to his mailbox one day last week, saw an envelope for a new Ventra card and wondered who would be getting one first, him or his wife.
Turns out, neither.
The disabled Air Force veteran, who was eagerly awaiting his Ventra ride-free military service pass so he can use it on the CTA, discovered that the card was for his mother, Ann, who died five years ago.
"She hasn't ridden the 'L' since,'' said Siler, 60, who is a frequent transit rider.
"We both laughed when we saw it was for my mother, but this made me wonder how many dead people are receiving cards," Siler said. "This looks like a big opportunity for fraud."
The RTA has a database of deceased former riders to help weed out fraud, one it has used during the Ventra rollout. When contacted by the Tribune, agency officials looked into the Ventra card issued to Siler's late mother and said that two or more digits in her Social Security number could have been transposed, thereby preventing her card from being flagged.
The RTA projects that by deactivating cards that would otherwise go out to dead people, the CTA, Metra and Pace avoid losing about $350,000 a year.
An RTA audit found that about 5 percent of senior free-ride cards were used after the cardholders' deaths, anywhere from a few times each to 1,400 times before being deactivated.
Siler's wife, Katherine, did finally receive her Ventra reduced-fare card, the couple said Monday.
But until informed by the Tribune, Stetson Siler was unaware that military service passes, which are handled through the CTA, are distributed on an in-person basis only.
Disabled veterans can go to CTA headquarters, 567 W. Lake St., Chicago, through Wednesday or after Nov. 27 to the Ventra customer service center, 165 N. Jefferson St., Chicago, or call 888-YOUR-CTA.
Twitter @jhilkevitch


text:
Design of JUpdate
From Joomla! Documentation
This is an attempt to document many of the design decisions behind the JUpdate class in Joomla!. Since this package seems to be contentious, I figure I'd put a whole heap of documentation here and compile a significant chunk of what has been rewritten into a single place.
For most of this document, I in this context is Sam Moffatt. This is perhaps written more like an email than a wiki page but this isn't Wikipedia.
JUpdate and the update package in general was designed to provide a generic, reusable update system for extension within Joomla!. The main aim was to be able to support a directory the size of the JED in a scalable manner and where possible shift workload from the central Joomla servers and provide mechanisms for each Joomla site to be able to handle some of the work. It was also designed to support a decentralised model so that we weren't 100% dependent upon the JED having the supporting infrastructure (which it hasn't got yet due to the usual reason: nobody has the time or interest to develop it). Initially people suggested it should be tied entirely to the JED as it already has the information but that wouldn't be as inclusive. Building a distributed model fits more with the way the Joomla project works with third party extensions.
Design Inspiration[edit]
Much of the design of the update system is based on Debian's DEB and APT system. APT provides a mechanism for finding and installing packages including their dependencies. The main source of this information is in the "control files" for a package[1][2]. Many of the fields in the extension.xml file can be related to the fields specified in the control system. These include the use of tags, maintainer and section. Relationships were also intended to be included matching the style and format of the Debian though with an XML inspired interface[3].
I personally believe that expanding on a Debian inspired design for Joomla in the long term is a solid mechanisms for moving forwards. Debian have been working on their system for a long time and it has been demonstrated to be a solid and reliable base for their system. It contains many pieces of information that aren't presently included and could be included. Additionally it provides features that are much desired with standard and defined structures on how that should work (e.g. how dependencies work and a complete dependency model[4]).
The decentralisation of the system is also a side effect of looking at how APT works. APT permits multiple "repositories" to be defined which you can use to search for packages for installation and update. The JUpdate implementation follows along with some of this concept and the general ability to configure locations to look for new files.
Since 2005, I've been trying to build an update system for Joomla! (at the time Mambo). It was kicked off when Google in mid 2005 announced their first "Summer of Code" program. I'd personally been seeing a major problem with Mambo extensions that it was hard to know when they were out of date and to update them. It was also hard to be able manage dependent packages and have them install properly. I put in my proposal for SoC but started before I was accepted on building out the system. That update system was originally based on XML-RPC which obviously requires a dedicated server and has a communication overhead. The project did push some stuff like the development of a libraries folder with jimport's predecessor, mosFS::load[5], to facilitate shifting the installer libraries out of the installer component and putting them somewhere more generic. Ultimately the fork from Mambo to Joomla halfway through SoC meant that there was a terrible amount of disruption and none of the projects really succeeded past the fork in their original form.
For those curious, here's some links:
- http://osmsoc2005.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/osmsoc2005/4.5.x/administrator/components/com_update_server/
- http://osmsoc2005.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/osmsoc2005/4.5.x/administrator/components/com_update_client/
- http://osmsoc2005.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/osmsoc2005/4.5.x/components/com_update_server/
- http://osmsoc2005.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/osmsoc2005/4.5.x/libraries/mambo/installers/
- http://osmsoc2005.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/osmsoc2005/4.5.x/libraries/mambo/update/
You'll find web install was added here as well, an early onBeforeInstall similar to our current onExtensionBeforeInstall and an early library installer. While the web install was added with 1.5 in 2008 (three years later), it wouldn't be until Joomla 1.6 that much of other items were added (2009).
Design Notes[edit]
As noted above, the aim was to deliver a generic, reusable update system. Primary client for this work was to be able to integrate with the JED which has a large repository of the base information we would need and is already pre-existing. However the Joomla! community is also less centralised as a rule so the system was designed to be decentralised by it's nature. This is reflected by the fact that Joomla is less centrally controlled than similar projects like Wordpress and Drupal, both of which have a heavier more centralised approach towards development (particularly with Drupal). Throughout the period there were also issues with what the JED did and didn't include which meant there were some extensions that would have never benefited from the update functionality. Providing a decentralised model still permitted having a major central repository of extensions in addition to also permitting flexibility for third party extensions.
As the JED was the primary target for this the design of the system followed the perceived needs for a JED level system. It was to be expected that the system would receive a large number of hits from Joomla sites around the world and would need to handle the load. For this reason the earlier idea of using XML-RPC to handle the updates backed onto a database layer was scrapped. Much of the information in the system didn't update that often which meant that for the most part it was static. While some extensions would update each day, this wouldn't likely be all of them so having such a high level of responsiveness was an unnecessary burden on the server.
Instead of relying on this mechanism, a simpler mechanism around using plain XML files was used. Plain XML files can be hosted without a PHP interpreter being invoked or a database connection made: a simple Apache (or even more lightweight HTTP daemon) could be used to serve the files. The operating system would be able to cache the files in memory efficiently and other layers of caching in front of the service could also be added easily and effectively. XML files also added an extra feature: as they didn't require any significant server infrastructure, they could be authored and maintained by anyone and hosted online.
Utilising XML files didn't preclude tying into a database system. Instead what could happen is either that the static XML files were re-generated from a third party application as required or a web service layer could emulate XML file paths but really be using mod_rewrite to map that onto a Joomla component not dissimilar to how the SEF layer works. This means that for commercial developers they would create a process where they added update site paths that mapped to their customers and used tools like IP address verification of the server to show or hide updates in addition to including a token in the URL. Sadly nobody seems to have taken the initiative to build such a system.
Why use PHP's HTTP stream wrapper API and XML Parser?[edit]
The decision to use the HTTP stream wrapper API was to support being able to stream larger files. When this work was started, the PHP memory limit was set to 16MB. Roughly half of this could be consumed at any given time by the core Joomla install. This means we have 8MB of memory to handle processing an update file. Given that using SimpleXML will trigger a 10 to 15 times increase in memory usage against the base data, a half a megabyte file may be sufficient to trigger memory exhaustion. For this reason both streaming the remote file and stream processing the XML was chosen to minimise the amount of memory that is used. At the moment the JED has nearly 9000 listings, this would mean that to fit in all listings at one version a listing would require around half a kilobyte each. Fortunately memory limits have increased which mitigates these concerns a little and since then code was originally written, the HTTP stream wrapper API has been replaced by JHttp meaning that there will be a few copies of the response body in memory.
Client versus Client ID[edit]
Client is used in the update system as the name of the client being targeted for templates, modules and plugins. The name is used instead of the internal client ID to ensure that the system is compatible should the internal ID change or new items be added. In holding with the general aim to be generic and not specific. Originally client wasn't required for components but a change to make components default to administrator instead of site[6]. This triggered a response which instead of fixing the root issue just made things worse[7][8]. The sad reality is that the client doesn't matter beyond cosmetic purposes in the UI.
- ↑ Debian Policy Manual - Control files and their fields
- ↑ Debian Package Required Files - control
- ↑ Sample Extension com_alpha/alpha.xml Line 100
- ↑ Debian Policy Manual - Declaring Relationships Between Packages
- ↑ OSM SoC 2005 Repository - mosFS class
- ↑ #24305 3rd party components install in location "site" instead of "administrator"
- ↑ #24338 Autoupdate fails for components after applying a patch from issue #24305
- ↑ Platform Pull Request 676


text:
The biggest gathering of WordPress users and developers takes place each year at WordCamp San Francisco. At this year's three-day event, I gave a short presentation on the history of spam. Here's the video:
2 comments
I really hadn't planned to watch this whole presentation but I enjoyed it and found it very helpful. My sites have only been up for a short while and already I'm being bugged by spam. You answered the question whether a filter would be worth the money. Sign me up!
Hallo, Sorry for my bad english! I am an ITALIAN blogger, and i was wondering if akismet clockworks run also in my language 🙂 Often spam in italian is automatically or anyway badly translated, so that italian language is not real italian. Often human spammers that write in italian are not italians, so, another time: that italian language is not good (maybe like my english here is bad!).
Are akismet techniques working good with languages other than english?
Thanks for your attention! 🙂
Comments are closed.


text:
Vegan Pate
Put Aside Paté For a Sophisticated Red Lentil Spread
Red lentil terrine might not elicit a delicious food reaction for you, so think of the vegetarian appetizer this way: it's like combining Japanese condiments with red lentils. The mixture is baked until it sets, which makes it a terrine; once it's cooled and served, the red lentil terrine spreads upon crackers like a paté.
Unlike brown or French lentils, red lentils cook into a puree, so don't be surprised when the lentils transform into an orange mush. Caramelized onions and mirin, or Japanese rice wine, add a natural sweetness to the earthy spread, while umeboshi plum paste and miso contribute to the savory umami flavors. Toasted walnuts, processed into a nut butter, thicken the mixture, ensuring that the terrine bakes into a sliceable loaf.
For parties, opt to serve the whole loaf, or for smaller gatherings, cut a one- or two-inch slice and save the rest for another occasion. Serve the terrine with the crackers of your choice, although I especially love it with either Japanese rice crackers or Mary's Gone Crackers Black Pepper Crackers.
Red Lentil Terrine
From the Natural Gourmet Institute
Umeboshi paste is a Japanese plum spread that is incredibly salty and savory. If you cannot find it, then add another tablespoon of white miso.
- 2 cups dried red lentils
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 cup mirin
1 cup walnuts, toasted and cooled
1 tablespoon umeboshi paste (or 2 umeboshi plums, minced)
3 tablespoons white miso
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 box of crackers, for serving
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a large saucepan, combine the dried lentils, stock, and bay leaf. Cook on medium heat until the lentils are soft and mushy, about 1/2 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat, then add onions. Cook onions until caramelized, then add garlic and dried basil. Cook for one to two minutes, then deglaze the pan by adding mirin, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn off heat and pour mixture into saucepan with lentils.
- In a food processor, grind the walnuts until a they develop the consistency of a nut butter. In the large saucepan with cooked lentils, stir in onion mixture, walnut butter, umeboshi paste, and miso until thoroughly combined. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon lentil mixture into parchment-lined loaf pan. Bake until firm, about 20 to 30 minutes. Let terrine cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator. To serve, invert the pan onto a plate, and serve the loaf with crackers.
- Category
- Appetizers, Spreads
- Cuisine
- Japanese
- Yield
- Serves 10


text:
Know how to kill! Nothing is rarer, and everything depends on that. Know how to kill! That is to say, how to work the human body like a sculptor works his day or piece of ivory, and evoke the entire sum, every prodigy of suffering it conceals in the depths of its shadows and its mysteries. There! Science is required, variety, taste, imagination… genius, after all.
… So spake the lyrically impassioned and thoroughly blood-splattered master torturer from Octave Mirbeau's exploitative allegory 'Le Jardin des Supplices' — a work often regarded as the French parallel to Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' in its mutual objective towards smashing the moral edifices of Western civilization and exposing the corrupted, putrefying soul beneath. Framed in this excerpt is a rational, eloquent and yet sickeningly grotesque declaration of sadism as a fine art — or even a manifestation of divine love — which so happens to mesh very excellently with the more measured methods that Massacra had undertaken for their second opus Enjoy The Violence, an album that has historically competed with its predecessor Final Holocaust for total lordship over the death metal world. While the ivory sceptre is generally awarded to the debut by merit of its raw, inexorable and blindingly brilliant riff-saladry, an equally convincing case can be argued on behalf of Enjoy The Violence — a sophomore effort in the greatest sense of the word. No longer does songwriting resemble frantic tornadoes of jagged phrases, bewildering developments and hazardously unhinged instrumentation: here we find Massacra, having done their thorough "research of tortures", limiting their machinations of aural infliction down to a choice but variegated selection, with all parts oiled, honed, and sharpened for excruciating efficiency.
Markedly fewer motifs are employed — a few even resurface on multiple songs — and yet it is this very spareness that imparts such character and memorability unto each composition, along with a newfound, almost cinematic command over tempo, texture, voicing and atmosphere. In addition to the familiar Destruction-esque, adrenaline-rushed thrashing fare, songs of pure death-doom are introduced, serving to showcase both the band's ability to stage ominous and imposing dirges in the grandiosely operatic tradition, as well as the most tasteful musicianship yet to be wrought by the Duval/Tristani guitar duo and even percussionist Chris Palengat. Bassist and co-vocalist Pascal Jörgensen, whose efforts were unfortunately somewhat smothered by the crêpe-flat production on Final Holocaust, now rises to the status of an eminent narrator, complete with audible basslines and a dictatorial roar that bears with it the all the glorious and savage atavisms of the Gallic warrior spirit. A richly imagined, brutal and at times sardonic album, Enjoy The Violence is very much Massacra's second masterpiece and — like the aforementioned Mirbeau — speaks to the undercurrent of murder and pillage that flows blackly through even the modern, safe, and plastic societies that have pleasantly stultified us in this age of oblivion.
You take pleasure
In using violence
It's in your nature
Psychopathic sense
Psychological conflict
You're under my influence
You can't repress your instinct
I incite you to violence
Tags: death metal, Enjoy the Violence, French Death Metal, massacra, social realism, Speed Metal


text: Just a heads up - tomorrow is the beginning of the Fall Into Fall Quilting Bloggers Giveaway! I am participating in this, along with about 150 other bloggers and on-line shops - lots of loot is up for grabs! So be sure and check in tomorrow to see what you can win!