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By Bard Canning
"Afraid of dying? Don't be. It's never going to happen to you, and I can prove it."
It's said that Albert Einstein once commented that the most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile. He hypothesized that your answer to that question would determine your destiny.
Surely death is the greatest threat that we all face. For many people it gives the universe a decidedly hostile bent. They believe that the race of life can never be won; that we are born to lose.
I do not agree. In fact, I believe that the race was never started to begin with and that death itself is an illusion.
Before outlining my hypothesis, I should make it clear that the aim of my writing is the excavation and study of the truth. The truth as a pure product, consistent for all time. Through reasoned logic I intend to demonstrate that your own consciousness is not as finite in scope and lifespan as you may think.
To put it simply: I do not believe in death.
I do not think that we are immortal, far from it. My belief is that we are exempt from the unpleasant matter of death altogether. I believe that our general definition of sentience needs to evolve with our understanding of the nature of the universe and of human consciousness.
It has been my experience that once the spectre of death is stripped of its shadowy mask it becomes much easier to contend with as a concept. I believe that nothing truly known can be truly feared. If this article gives you solace and enables you to live your life with a little less fear then in many ways I have achieved my goal.
The Alpha and the Omega
"Death, in itself, is nothing; but we fear, To be we know not what, we know not where."
John Dryden
Everyone eventually reaches the point in their lives where they become fully aware of the inevitability of their own death. It is at this point that they choose to either embrace the overwhelming significance of the realization or to recoil in horror.
"Sapiens" is Latin for "being wise" or "knowing"; coupled with the human genus it forms "Homo Sapiens". Literally, we are the only animals that know – about ourselves and about the world around us. Surely the greatest gift of sentience is the ability to consider one's own existence and mortality. I cannot think of anything more appalling than the thought of someone having lived and died without ever having considered the nature of their own existence. This is what fundamentally separates us from animals. This self-awareness is the crowning achievement of the human intellect; to neglect it is to abandon what makes us uniquely human.
It's All in Your Mind
"If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain."
Morpheus – The Matrix
Though science-fiction, the film The Matrix touches on a very important scientific problem: that there is currently no way for us to know for certain if what we experience is real or a sensory fantasy fed to our brains directly. All of the input information that we receive arrives to us from our eyes, ears and other senses.
Prominent scientists and philosophers have calculated that there is at least a twenty-percent likelihood that we are all, in fact, living in a simulation.
Scientists are currently fitting deaf children with Cochlear brain implants that allow them to hear despite having no physical ear-drums at all. Similarly, there are a number of devices under development that can be implanted directly into the visual cortex of the brain, allowing blind people to "see" a digital video image of the world around them.
Reality is all in our own minds. We do not actually experience the real world, only the images, sounds and sensations fed to us by our senses. It's true that this fantasy is directly influenced by the physical universe but research has shown that we all perceive the outside world in very different ways.
Since all experience occurs within your mind, the memories that you hold leading right up to this very moment are as valid as any dream.
Is "reality" a dream? I believe that it's more like a memory of what our senses perceived a millisecond ago. A story told to us by our minds to represent our experience of the physical universe.
From an objective viewpoint your "mind" wouldn't exist at all. An objective observer would only see the movement of atoms and electrons within your brain. Subjective experience is eternally, absolutely subjective.
The Veil of Perception
"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one."
Understanding the nature of death naturally requires an understanding of one's own existence.
"Cogito Ergo Sum" ("I think, therefore I am") is the profound philosophical observation made by Rene Descartes in 1637; that there is little that we can prove absolutely except that we, ourselves, exist.
All experience and meaning is created within our minds. The objective universe does not "see" any "meaning", it simply is.
The confusion occurs for many people when they try to merge the concept of their own subjective intelligence with the objective reality of the universe.
It's true that at some point we will appear to "die", but there is no reason to assume that our experience will be anything like how we imagine death to be.
Our brains are "experience machines". All we can be is what we experience and anything outside of that is a subjective impossibility. Death denotes a complete lack of experience, and so is, by definition, something that we cannot participate in.
Death is Impossible
"I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it."
"…your lifetime is but a parenthesis in eternity."
The spectre of death is an illusion, and one that you will never have to face. It's not something that should concern you since you won't be taking any part in it.
Death may be a frightening concept, but, just like an imaginary bogeyman in your closet, you won't be present when it comes knocking.
You felt no pain, happiness, love or fear before you were born, and you won't feel anything when your time is done. If it saddens you to think that at some point in the future you will no longer physically exist then why does it not sadden you to think of the trillions of years before you were born in which you were also absent.
"Death" describes an infinite "nothingness". We cannot experience "nothing". If you are experiencing nothing, then you are not experiencing anything at all.
You cannot truly fear something which cannot exist for you. You can fear the concept of death, but it is nothing more than a shared myth, an illusion.
The Ghost in the Machine
"We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical experience."
Many terms have been used to define our "spirit", "soul", "mind" or "qualia". When the supernatural elements are removed, I believe that these terms fundamentally refer to the same concept. Since our conciousness exists in the dimension of pure thought it could be said that we are living in a "spiritual plane" every day of our lives.
A subjective experience may be created by the functioning of a complex system, but the subjective qualia cannot be experienced by an outside observer, only by the mind within the system itself.
The 19th century *** Hermann von Helmholtz proposed an experiment to demonstrate the nature of qualia: his instructions were to stand in front of a familiar landscape, turn around, bend down and put your head between your legs. He suggested that it would then be difficult in the upside-down view to recognize what you found familiar before. What you were seeing was not the landscape, but your mental representation of it.
Dream On
"Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?"
Morpheus – The Matrix
All subjective human experience exists in the dimension of pure thought. It is therefore impossible to truly conceive of anything in the physical universe.
All of our experience occurs within our brain. Even the world that we see around us is still a representation formed within our brain as an interpretation of what our senses perceive.
For example, the visual experience of color is entirely created in our brain. Light waves bounce off of objects and return to us at different wavelengths. Our brain attempts to delineate these differences by assigning different colors to these wavelengths. This evolutionary trait developed because it served a useful purpose for our species. Conversely, it was not sufficiently useful for us to perceive the ultraviolet or infra-red spectrums, so we did not evolve this capability, whilst other creatures did.
In truth, most of what we see is simply a representation for the physical world which helps us to understand and interpret it. This is highlighted in cases where these representations break down, such as during psychoactive drug experiences or in severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia.
The same is true for the other senses and experiences, such as pain. For example, if you hold your hand over a fire you experience the sensation of pain. The experience of pain is not intrinsic to the flame, it is simply a signal sent by the pain receptors in your hand to alert you that your body is being injured. It is a interpretation of what is occurring and it exists only within your mind.
Your experience of daily life is as real as your dreams, since both exist completely within your own mind. It is for this reason that our experience of life could be compared to a dream-state.
When you wake up, does the person that you were in the dream die? No, who you were was only an illusion created in your own mind. But, then, the same can be said for when you are awake.
The truth is, who you are right now is an illusion; your illusion.
I'll Be There in Spirit
Boy: "When you take apart a Lego house and mix the pieces into the bin, where does the house go?"
Girl: "It's in the bin."
Boy: "No, those are just the pieces. They could become spaceships or trains. The house was an arrangement. The arrangement doesn't stay with the pieces and it doesn't go anywhere else. It's just gone."
A popular scientific observation is that all of the atoms in our bodies are in constant transition. They are shed from our bodies and replaced at a constant rate. The atoms within your brain are replaced every twelve months and most of your body is replaced about every seven years.
Therefore, how can you say you are the same person that you were a year ago? You can, of course, because your subjective consciousness is not a physical entity, it is an intangible system that is supported, but not reliant on, a physical substrate.
As with any system in the universe, our minds are sustained by a physical substrate; in our case, the protein-based biology of our brains. The components of the system may change, but the system itself remains.
Similarly, in a PC a program can be copied from a magnetically-encoded disk drive to an electronically-encoded RAM chip whilst maintaining its integrity.
If the carbon-based biology of your conciousness is constantly changing without your mind disappearing, then why couldn't your mind be safely transferred to a silicone-based substrate, such as a computer processor?
The truth is that it doesn't matter what form your mind takes, as long as its structure is maintained. This leads us to the conclusion that our minds may one day be copied into a computer; furthermore, that this copy would itself be a sentient individual.
As uncomfortable as it may make some people feel, there is no evidence to support the notion that your consciousness is inextricably linked with the biological package of meat, bone and grey matter that houses it.
I believe that the concept of a "soul" has been created by people as a means to escape their existential fear and remains unsupported by evidence or reason. What we have is conciousness; a complex system which is reliant upon, but not restricted to, a particular physical substrate.
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The Chemistry Between Us
If you take the chemicals that create the emotion of love and combine them on a petri dish then have you created love itself? Most people would say that you haven't, but when this reaction occurs within a human brain an emotion is said to have occurred.
Scientists can describe the physical properties of a single thought by recording the electrical and chemical activity in the brain, yet what they are mapping is simply matter and energy moving through space, it is not the thought as experienced by the thinker. The qualia is "lost in translation".
There is a gulf between the dimensions of objective facts and subjective experience. The two can influence each other but are separated by a fundamental divide.
God Consciousness
"…this world known as the First Sirian Bank is a planet with a… crust consisting almost entirely of crystalline silicon… over the billenia earthquakes and so forth have caused the formation of billions of transistor junctions within that crust, forming by natural means the largest computer in the galaxy… we find the First Sirian Bank not only alive, but possessed of a universe-view sufficiently advanced to call him Human."
The Dark Side of the Sun – Terry Pratchett
If you accept that your thoughts occur as an organised system, supported by a physical substrate then you must also accept that random thoughts are occurring throughout the universe whenever a sufficiently complex and ordered system is formed. Through pure chance, emergence, evolution or conscious design, complex electro-chemical reactions could be formed to create a precise analogue of the processes taking place within a human brain.
Therefore the universe could be filled with a diffuse, disorganized intelligence. A "God Consciousness" if you like.
The only difference with the human mind is that our brains create linear cohesion and a home for these thoughts to interact and evolve.
It is a common assertion that we are sentient individuals because of the ordered complexity of our minds. Yet, it would be absurd to suggest that we would become more real or more sentient if our brains were increased in size or complexity. You are real now, and you would be real if someone removed half your brain. You might lose some of your capabilities, but you would still be a real, sentient individual. There are tumour patients who have had half of their brains removed. It would be absurd to consider them to be half as real or half an individual. The same is true if the order of your brain was to be eroded completely. You might become significantly less intelligent but you would still exist as microscopic flashes of intelligence appearing throughout the universe. Except by then you would have lost the division between yourself and other minds because your thoughts would have spread out and merged with the general intelligence "fog".
When your physical body dies your consciousness does not disappear, it merely becomes disorganized and less constrained by the linear concepts of time and space. Some people consider this to be rejoining the "God Consciousness".
Artificial Intelligence
"For thousands of years, we have tried to understand how we think: that is, how a mere handful of matter can perceive, understand, predict, and manipulate a world far larger and more complicated than itself."
Stuart J. Russell
If the right chemical reaction was created in a test tube which exactly mimicked the thought processes of a person sitting in a cafe eating a raspberry tart, then who is to say that this thought hasn't actually occurred? Just because it has not taken place in a brain does not mean that it is less real, or that the qualia is lost.
In fact the "person" would not even realise that they existed in a test tube rather than a cafe since they would only be aware of what they perceived through their thoughts.
You are only aware of what you perceive through your thoughts.
Your mind can never die since death is an event restricted to the physical world and does not exist in the dimension of pure thought.
A Wake
"They're made out of meat. …These creatures are the only sentient race in the sector and they're made out of meat."
"…And the ones who have been aboard our vessels, the ones you have probed?…"
"… We went into their heads and smoothed out their meat so that we're just a dream to them."
"A dream to meat! How strangely appropriate, that we should be meat's dream."
If you cut open a brain you can't see the thoughts, only the physical clues that demonstrate that a thought is occurring. The electrical currents and chemical reactions are like a wake left in the ocean behind a boat that cannot be seen. The wake is evidence of the boat, but it is not the boat itself. The wake provides evidence that the boat is moving, yet if you stood below deck and closed your eyes you would not feel as if you were moving at all. In the same way, our consciousness exists on an ever-changing ocean of atoms within our skull (which is on a planet flying through space) yet we experience ourselves as a fixed, consistent conciousness.
The existence of our mind is evidenced by the "wake" left in our physical brains, but only we can experience our own consciousness.
Hold That Thought
"Music is what feelings sound like."
A thought cannot exist within any one moment in time. If that were true then you could cryogenically freeze someone's brain, halting the electrons and chemicals in that moment, and the person would be stuck forever thinking the same thought.
A thought does not exist at a fixed point in time, rather it exists in the transition between points. Music is the same. A piece of music is not the notes on the page; rather it is the journey from one note to another that creates the song.
So are our thoughts created in the journey between moments in time.
Pause or End Game?
"You are the music while the music lasts."
T.S. Eliot
If our consciousness is a chain of connected thoughts, like a string of musical notes, then "death" describes a chain of thought that is no longer continuing.
No pain can be felt, no disappointment, nothing.
"Nothing" is nothing, so it cannot exist, and so therefore neither can "death".
Thank You, Come Again
A life can only be said to have ended when there is no chance of it continuing again. In regards to our consciousness, death is more like a pause than an end.
In an infinite universe anything is possible and everything is inevitable. There is every chance that your chain of thought may be continued again somewhere, sometime, in the infinite possibilities of time and space.
It's true that the atoms forming your mind will have changed, but take a look at your own body: in the last few years almost every atom has changed within it. Who you were then no longer exists; they could be seen as "dead". You are a copy of that body, gradually constructed around it using the proteins and enzymes absorbed from your dietary intake. If by random chance your final thought pattern was reconstructed a trillion years from now in another place, who is to say that this would not be you? Amazingly, you would not feel that any time had passed at all.
"Thus that which is the most awful of evils, death, is nothing to us, since when we exist there is no death, and when there is death we do not exist."
No person should fear death. Fearing death is a logical fallacy.
It's like a mathematician fearing that a particular formula could erase all of the numbers. This is impossible since the numbers would always remain present; a particular formula might equal zero, but the numbers that created it would still be present, ready to repeat the formula once again.
Pi in the Sky
"I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept finity."
To illustrate my point I ask you to look briefly at the number Pi. Pi is an infinite stream of chaotically generated numbers. It has been suggested that within these numbers would be the atomic positions of every atom in your body. Every thought you've ever had is contained, somewhere, within Pi. Indeed, so is every possible experience you might have.
You might say "So what? It's just numbers; it's just math. It's not real experience." Yet, your brain right now is just atomic particles moving from one position to another. Your conciousness can be reduced to pure math.
If the universe is infinite, we are destined to live out every possible experience through the infinite possibilities of time and space. We can never die. The atoms that form us may change, but they have shifted constantly throughout your life without destroying your consciousness.
The Mind as a Meme
"You can kill a man but you can't kill an idea."
Medgar Evers
One question that arises when we consider the constant changes that occur within the physical structure of the brain is how our consciousness can remain so consistent, despite the constant shifting of the physical foundations. My answer is that the mind is a highly complex and multi-layered meme.
A meme is the conceptual equivalent of a gene. It is a concept that can be shared between conscious minds without losing its fundamental integrity; like complex religious beliefs, or the simple custom of shaking hands.
Memes tend to compete with each other for survival and are subject to the same laws of evolution as other forms of life. Memes have been shown to develop self-defensive adaptations with varying levels of internal intelligence. In fact, I assert that since memes are complex intelligent systems they are as valid a form of life as our own protein-based genes or the humans which they construct.
In The God Delusion Richard Dawkins describes how memetic concepts often survive the passage of time and the transition from person to person without losing their integrity. They achieve this by utilizing a kind of conceptual compression; a step-by-step mapping of their structure that eliminates less important details in favor of the core concepts.
The example that Dawkins gives is that when a carpenter teaches the technique for building a chair he describes a single step as "nail this here", not "swing the hammer at thirty degrees and hammer five times." These details are not important in achieving the goal; a goal which can be achieved despite many small changes whilst still producing an accurate recreation of a chair.
Our minds are the same in that they are memes kept alive by neurons that transfer their information from one generation to the next without losing fidelity. Even though the cellular and atomic structures of our brains are constantly changing, our meme-mind stays intact. Small details may change as the cells die and are replaced but the core integrity survives.
Your mind is a substrate-independent system. It is a consistent meme on an ever-changing ocean of cells and neurons.
An analogy would be if you recorded a time-lapse video of a tattoo on a person's arm; it would seem to hover unchanged under the skin despite the skin cells that surround it dying and being replaced over time. Similarly, an image moving across a digital screen remains consistent despite being illuminated by different pixels as it moves.
Your mind was never intrinsically linked to a particular set of atoms or a particular location in space. Because it is a meme it can be recreated at a later date, out of different materials and in a different location.
Time Enough
The universe is not linear – nor does it move at the speed of our subjective experience. This is all our own dream and unique to us.
Just watch a fly buzzing around some time. Do you think it is experiencing the world at the same speed as you?
Physics teaches us that the universe as we see it does not exist exclusively within this moment, or any moment at all; rather, it exists in all possible moments of time.
You really do have all the time in the world, because there's no end to speak of, only the natural progression of your own story, which is all in your mind.
How can you rush a thought? A dream? You can only work against it or in harmony with it.
Work in harmony with your dream, your spirit, and you will enjoy happiness in your life.
Since the world that we see and feel is all created within our own minds, then so too is our experience of it. As Buddhists have taught for thousands of years: "You create your happiness; it comes from within."
The Answer?
"If I am killed, I can die but once; but to live in constant dread of it, is to die over and over again."
Abraham Lincoln
"Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live."
Henry Van Dyke
The ultimate answer is to find meaning, peace and happiness in your life.
Most importantly, discard your fears about death or time passing you by. There is no end to be feared.
Anything that does not ultimately increase your happiness is unnecessary. I believe that if we all act from what makes us truly happy then there should be no deliberate suffering in the world. No truly happy person would ever needlessly harm another. People only increase suffering when they are insecure, fearful or lacking personal contentment. Therefore, any thought that does not serve to increase your happiness is irrelevant. This is why I believe it is important to strip death of its mask so that it no longer stands as a forboding figure at the end of our lives.
Enjoy this dream of "life", and don't worry about the end approaching, for that too is an illusion.
The universe is not dark or cold, it is simply free of emotion and subjective experience. It is composed of energy that occasionally condenses into matter and matter that occasionally evolves into sentient beings; all of which eventually returns again to the great river of energy. This energy is the source from which we have all emanated; indeed, we have never been apart from it.
We like to draw divisions and imagine that we are somehow separate from each other and the universe, but the truth is that we are all fundamentally intertwined.
We are truly "at one" with the universe.
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Following is the poem that I wish to be spoken at my funeral (modified from the original by Mary Elizabeth Frye).
"Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow;
I am the diamond glints on snow;
I am sunlight on ripened grain;
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awake to greet the dawn
I am the day as it is born.
I am birds in circling flight;
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die."
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Contact me directly at firstname.lastname@example.com (questions, comments, publishers and literary agents are all welcome 🙂
Further reading:
If you're looking for specific ways to eliminate fear and stress in your life and connect with a deeper sense of purpose I highly recommend the book Your Erroneous Zones by Dr Wayne Dyer.
Like a Splinter in Your Mind: The Philosophy Behind the Matrix Trilogy
Pulling Your Own Strings: Dynamic Techniques for Dealing with Other People and Living Your Life as You Choose
Awaken the Giant Within : How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny!
Notes from a Friend: A Quick and Simple Guide to Taking Charge of Your Life
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Fido & Me — Formal Fido
"A new cummerbund and bow tie!" Fido yowled. "That can mean only one thing! Hey hey hey hey! It's party season!"
Fido pawed the flat box in delight. He tossed the green and red ribbon into the air.
"It's my favorite-favorite-favorite time of the season!"
"I know, Old Boy," I said. "I take it you're all set for some holiday cheer, and now you have a brand new set-up for your black tie events."
"These are just the right color," he muttered. "How did you know?"
"It was just last week, Fido. You remember Bark Friday, don't you?"
"But there was so much going on!"
That was true enough. We like to go to San Francisco for Thanksgiving, for the Dungeness crab feasts, the walks in the green hills, the ocean breezes, and …
"And Bark Friday in Union Square!" Fido said, neatly finishing my thought.
"Bark Friday really is something," I agreed. "It's hard to imagine all those people in one spot, much less all the corgies, Labradors, labradoodles, terriers, and mutts ["That's me!" Fido interrupted], all on their best behavior."
"I like the SPCA windows at Macy's," Fido said. "It's proof humans love four-footers like me. But the best part is Bags Fifth Avenue."
"Fido, I think you're getting things a little bit mixed up again. I don't believe I've ever heard of Bags Fifth Avenue."
"It's the cummerbund store!"
"Ah. Saks Fifth Avenue, you mean."
"A Sak, a bag, what's the difference?" Fido wanted to know.
"Let me count the ways," I said.
"Either way, just look at this new cummerbund!" Fido said.
Fido loves the party season. It gives him a chance to break out his formal wear, although he's never shown much of a fondness for white tie affairs.
"You're pretty much of a black-tie dog, anyway," I said. "In Mammoth, white tie is a little over the top, no matter what. Even at weddings. Black tie is the way to go."
"With black tie, I can wear my new cummerbund," Fido said.
Fido is quite a sight when he goes formal.
He has a black tuxedo jacket and although he does not wear dress pants (for obvious reasons), he likes to paint a black line down the sides of his hind legs, to simulate "the look."
Under the jacket, he wears a white dress dog shirt with turned-down collar, a black or patterned bow tie and cummerbund, which always match, and black formal anklet socks, Fido's toenails are jet black anyway, so all he needs to do is polish them to simulate patent leather oxford shoes.
Last year, he showed off a little bit too much, deftly tucking an old opera ticket into the upper fold of his cummerbund.
"That was a little too snooty, even for you," I said.
"But I still have the pièce de résistance!" Fido said, and he reached into the closet for his formal gloves. They're not really gloves—they're more like dog bracelets, and they're certainly not made of dog leather, like in the old days. Even so, Fido knows what's what.
"I'm puttin' on the dog!" he yelled. "Hey hey hey hey!"

subset: commoncrawl


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Last night, Kalonji and I attended a wonderful benefit fundraising dinner on behalf of the African Legacies Foundation and the African Union-African Health Diaspora Health Initiative (AU-ADHI). We really didn't have all the details of the event before we went, but we were pleasantly surprised.
The event was held in Gallatin, TN at the Africa House — a former plantation home that is now owned by Dr. Arikana Chihombori (aka Dr. C – pictured below in green), a physician based in Murfreesboro, TN and her husband, Dr. Nii Saban Quo. As soon as we started going up the very long driveway, I had to look the history of the home and quickly found a descriptive article from a Florida newspaper. The plantation used to have many slaves, and what a striking contrast to it's current use as a meeting place for people of African descent.
The purpose of the evening was to raise awareness of the health care needs in Africa and overall awareness of the health disparities in hypertension, diabetes and stroke among African-ancestored individuals. The stories shared were incredibly moving and greatly illustrated how important it is to increase access to basic healthcare services. The AU-ADHI has a new initiative to promote Vital Signs — that we all need to know our numbers (blood pressure, blood sugar, etc) and that health care facilities in Africa all have ways to collect vital sign information in patients, for as Dr. C noted, it is via vital signs "…that we enter the healthcare system".
We also learned about Panafest Nashville, an event sponsored by the African Legacies Foundation, and now I'm really looking forward to attending. Panafest is a cultural event held in Ghana and the Nashville event (April 26th and 27th) is meant to celebrate it here also.
Overall, we had a great time getting to learn more about the group's work and their upcoming activities. Though so much more needs to be done, they are doing a great job and helping to raise overall awareness!


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If you want to buy stocks, you're going to need a broker. And who wouldn't want to own stocks? Over the past 100 years, your long-term savings would have fared better in the stock market than anywhere else -- not in bonds, not in real estate, not in gold, and certainly not in Beanie Babies.
But before you enter the first ticker symbol on your Fool Portfolio tracker; before you start tracking the Dow's every move; before you run the numbers on a company's cash flow, you should set some expectations.
Here's one good rule of thumb: If you've got money you won't need for five years or longer, you should invest it in the stock market. Money earmarked for use in less than five years (such as for a down payment on a house, or a graduating high school senior's college tuition) should be put in a short-term savings vehicle, like a money market account, savings account, or certificate of deposit (CD). And, heaven forfend, if you have high-interest credit card debt, send all your extra shekels directly to your lender and pay off that bill!
But your long-term money belongs in stocks. Why? It's simple: Historically, there is nowhere you could have gotten a higher rate of return than in the stock market. Even though the bear market of 2000-2002 put a damper on returns -- the S&P 500 returned only 6% annually over the 10 years ending in November 2007 -- the historical average annual S&P return since 1926 exceeds 10%. And while the market has performed quite well since those 2002 bottoms, that trend won't continue forever, and before you start investing, you should consider that.
Nevertheless, over the long term -- during bull markets, bear markets, depressions, recessions, and elections -- the stock market has been the place to be. And a discount brokerage account will get you there.


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Translation of certified copy of proceedings concerning Revilla Gigedo's dispatch relative to the restitution of soldiers of Los Adaes detailed for the protection of San Xavier Mission, and to the investigation of French contraband trade and advance into the interior. It quotes Barrios y Jáuregui's report of December 31, 1750, to the Viceroy, concerning the French.
February 10, 1751
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Overland gets $15m tide-us-over cash
Is this the last fundraising exercise?
Overland Storage is raising $15.4m to tide it over before new product sales lift revenues.
That's our take on the struggling data protection and storage appliance vendor's private placement of 8,722, 904 common stock shares plus warrants to buy up to 3,838,069 more. These warrants have an exercise price of $1.71 per share and expire on 21 March, 2016. This gives Overland five years in which its executives hope that revenues will greatly increase and share values follow suit. The shares are currently trading at $1.96, but don't get excited: we bought our 300 at $2.19 last year.
Overland's statement said it will use the cash for "general corporate purposes and working capital, including the funding of product development and sales and marketing expansion, as well as the repayment of certain indebtedness". The sales and marketing expansion probably refers to channel expansion, bodies on the street, and marketing programmes.
Product development funding is self-explanatory but indicates that the expense of that is substantial.
The Clinton Group is leading this placement of shares and a portfolio manager there, Joe De Perio, has joined Overland's board.
This might be Overland's last fundraising exercise before new products arrive and, hopefully, lift sales.
Once again Overland has been able to demonstrate to investors that it does have a great future story to tell. That story will probably start to come out publicly later this year with product announcements, possibly including tape products, an area lacking innovation according to VP engineering and chief technology officer Geoff Barrall. His blog doesn't give anything away but may make interesting reading.
If I were working for Quantum, HP, IBM, SpectraLogic and Tandberg Data in the tape automation area I'd be wondering just what the fertile Mr Barrall is developing. ®


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Jorgensen Guest Filmmaker Series
Eliza Hittman
- 2017
- Lecture
- 75 Minutes
- Friday, October 13, 2017 3:00 p.m.
Tickets are required for all IU Cinema screenings. You can purchase tickets online and pick them up at the IU Auditorium box office during regular hours or 60 minutes prior to any screening. Learn more about IU Cinema tickets »
Parking is available near the IU Cinema at the Jordan Avenue Garage (the top level is open to all visitors). If you have an IU parking pass, you can park at surface lots near the IU Auditorium during the week after 5 p.m. Parking is free on weekends. Learn more about IU Cinema parking »
Jorgensen Guest Filmmaker Series


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Church Of The
Swimming Elephant
Network Working Group
Request for Comments: 1725
Obsoletes: 1460
Category: Standards Track
J. Myers
Carnegie Mellon
M. Rose
Dover Beach Consulting, Inc.
November 1994
This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
This memo is a revision to RFC 1460, a Draft Standard. It makes the
following changes from that document:
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Once again, I invited Mario Carrington into the studio as a guest DJ. He brought in music by the Crusaders, David Sanborn, Sonny Fortune, Coltrane, Cannonball, Stanley Turrentine, Wayne Shorter, Grover Washington, and Dexter Gordon. I brought in only one selection, by Denver saxophonist Aakash Mittal.
A mixed bag of old, new, vintage vinyl, CDs, and digital files for today's music. Started with Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Smith, went on to Wayne Shorter, Miles, Gary Burton Quartet, Jeff Berlin, the Illicit Sextet, Nancy Harms, Gerald Wilson, and the Mack Avenue Super Band. Today's 45 of the week was Fly Me To The Moon, by Sinatra & Count Basie.
A day of vocal music, with special guest Tommy Lieberman on hand to talk about his new CD, Common Denominator. Songs from Kevin Mahoganny, Maurice Jacox, Diana Krall, Anita O'Day, Nochola Miller, Peggy Lee, Ben E King (yes, that Ben E King), Lambert Herndricks, and Ross, Nancy King, Sheila Jordan, King Pleasure, Stacey Kent, and Gregory Porter.
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These short videos introduce learners to the electromagnetic spectrum though eight animations including an introduction to electromagnetic waves and one animation for each wavelength of the EM spectrum (Radio, Microwave, Infrared, Visible,... (View More) Ultraviolet, X-Rays and Gamma Rays). Each wavelength of the EM spectrum offers a construct to illustrate and teach about NASA sensors, missions, and science. Emphasis is placed on relevant science (e.g., lunar exploration) and hot science topics (e.g., climate change). Each video is computer animated and offers engaging illustrations to appeal to middle and high school age learners. The examples and narrative for each wavelength animation build on the learners' prior knowledge then introduces examples from NASA missions. These examples explore the use of spectral analysis and visualizations that help scientists make discoveries about the world around us using EM waves. (View Less)
Materials Cost: Free
This resource uses an everyday example of walking a dog as a context where students can observe changes in shadows over the course of a day, and deduce that light travels and tends to maintain its direction of motion. The activity is from PUMAS -... (View More) Practical Uses of Math and Science - a collection of brief examples created by scientists and engineers showing how math and science topics taught in K-12 classes have real world applications. (View Less)
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ArtsQuest Celebrates 25 Years May 10-12
May 2, 2013 by SoWal Staff
ArtsQuest Fine Arts & Music Festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a new location at the WaterColor Inn & Resort. ArtsQuest will be held Mother's Day weekend, May 10-12, and feature special activities including Back to Grayton, WineQuest, TreasureQuest and Songs on the Lawn.
"We're excited about the new location," said Jennifer Steele, executive director of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA), producer of the festival. "The beautiful setting within Cerulean Park and Marina Park provide the perfect centerpiece and the festival will extend to the streets and unique spaces throughout WaterColor."
ArtsQuest weekend features 130 exhibiting artists, art workshops, live demonstrations, music, and more. One of the largest arts festivals in the Southeast, ArtsQuest attracts talented artists from around the country to South Walton to participate in the juried art show and compete for $10,000 in cash awards. Exhibiting artists' mediums include glass, metal, mixed media, and sculpture, among many others.
New this year, Chan's Wine World is partnering with the CAA to host WineQuest, wine and cheese tasting. With a passport in hand, wine lovers will have the opportunity to try wine and cheeses from five of the world's top wine-producing regions--Italy, France, Chile, Spain and South Africa. The wine stations will be arranged throughout the festival and guests who purchase a WineQuest passport may use it in a single day or throughout the weekend.
Kids will have their own Quest! Parents may purchase a map to TreasureQuest, a hunt that leads children throughout the festival looking for clues that lead them to "ImagiNation-Where Kids Rule." With their TreasureQuest map in hand, children will enjoy a treasure trove of interactive arts and crafts stations that encourage creativity.
Children may also sign up for special workshops, including Camp WaterColor's wax hand workshop and Meyer Skimboards' custom designed skimboard workshop. The ImagiNation Stage will have family-friendly performances by Seaside Neighborhood School Band, Ohana Institute Bands, 30A Dancewave, Seaside Rep Storytelling and Boxtop Jenkins.
For adults interested in developing and expanding their skills, ArtsQuest features two of the CAA's most popular workshops at various times on both Saturday and Sunday. Carol Dickson will lead a basket weaving workshops and Sharon Long will teach watercolor workshops throughout the weekend. Each participant will go home with a special self-made piece of art.
South Walton is home to a thriving arts community and talented local artists' works will be on display at the "Betty & Johnny CAA Member Tent." More than 40 local artists will show their work and compete for the coveted "Best in Show" award and a $250 cash prize.
As the sun sets on Saturday, "Songs on the Lawn" lights up WateColor's Marina Park with a concert under stars. This past January, two songwriters made their South Walton debut at the 30A Songwriters Festival. Cory Chisel with his musical partner Adriel Harris and Asheville-based Kellin Watson will headline the 2nd annual Songs on the Lawn on Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available for this special evening performance. Throughout the festival, entertainment will be taking place continuously on one of five stages.
ArtsQuest began as a small community gathering along Hotz Ave in Grayton Beach in 1988. Over the years, the festival has enjoyed many scenic locations, including Eden State Gardens, the Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin and Seaside. In honor of the festival's humble beginning in Gratyon Beach, the CAA will once again host "Back To Grayton," a reunion event that brings art and music lovers back to the place where it all started 25 years ago. Hibiscus Coffee & Guest House will host of the special gathering in the "Backyard of Love" and 30A Songwriters Festival audience favorite, Humming House, will take the stage to entertain the crowd.
Presented by Visit South Walton and the St. Joe Foundation, ArtsQuest Fine Arts and Music Festival includes free and ticketed events. ArtsQuest will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free, but a $5 entry donation is suggested. Complimentary shuttle service will be provided from Publix Super Market in WaterColor Crossings on CR 395.
"Back to Grayton" takes place Friday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. at Hibiscus and is $10 or free for CAA Members. "Songs on the Lawn" will be held on Sat., May 11 at 7 p.m. and tickets are $20 per person for general admission and $300 for a VIP table for 10. Picnic dinner baskets for 10 may be pre-ordered by calling (850) 231-7768 by May 8th. (Coolers, outside food and beverages and pets will not be permitted inside the concert area).
Volunteers are always appreciated and anyone interested in volunteering may contact Renee at the CAA office at 850-622-5970. Passes for workshops, WineQuest and TreasureQuest may be purchased on-site or in advance by visiting www.ArtsQuestFlorida.com or call 850-622-5970.


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Blown away: Wapak recovers from 90 mph winds
Sustained winds in excess of 80 mph and gusts topping the 90 mph mark Friday afternoon toppled trees, downed power lines and damaged buildings throughout Wapakoneta and the region.
Wapakoneta Mayor Rodney Metz said he knew of two people who suffered injuries as a result of damage from the high winds. A person in the showroom of Mike Swaney's automotive dealer suffered cuts when a plate glass window shattered from the wind.
A woman suffered injuries when she was struck by a fallen tree limb while walking near the Wapakoneta branch of the Auglaize County Public District Library.
"We are working on restoring power as we speak," Metz said early Friday evening. "We have had to check a 69k line coming into the city and crews are walking the line which is difficult as it gets darker. When we complete that we will switch off all the substations, restore power and start turning on each substation one at a time."
He said it may take longer for power to be restored to the industries on Industrial Drive.
Power, which was interrupted at approximately 4:30 p.m. Friday, was restored to most of the city by 10 p.m.
Trees and branches blocked several city streets including West Auglaize Street, while roofing material was in front of the City Bakery and a wood awning fell in front of an East Auglaize Street business, while glass was strewn across Park Street when a window at the Bridal Emporium shattered.
At Veterans Memorial Park, two dugouts on the larger baseball diamonds blew over. The roof of the first-base dugout on the field closest to the concession stand blew off and took down the fence on the baseball diamond to the southeast. The dugout was blown over at its base.
The roof and walls of the third-base dugout on the other large field also blew over at its base.
Electrical lines to several of the lights at the field came unattached.
Damage was not isolated to the city as the ball diamonds at Wapakoneta High School sustained extensive damage.
"We are still evaluating everything at this point," Operations Director Mike Watt said. "We are documenting the damage with photos and have already contacted the insurance company.
"During walk-thrus of the buildings, everything seems OK with the exteriors, but we haven't been up on the roofs yet," he said. "What is noticeable is damage to the varsity softball and baseball diamonds. The varsity baseball field's two dugouts had roofs blown off. They will have to be torn down and we will have to start over. The left-field and center-field fence at the varsity softball field was dismantled."
The batting cage at the softball diamond was mangled as it hit a fence. The batting cage at the baseball diamond blew over to the kindergarten playground.
Watt said the pole vault pits were scattered at the track, but they have been secured.
The Auglaize County Health Department is storing vaccines in the refrigerator at the high school because power is being provided by a generator.
Auglaize County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Troy Anderson said he measured sustained winds 82 mph with gusts of 90 mph.
"I see a lot of wind damage and we are looking at doing assessments," Anderson said. "As of 5:40 p.m., DP&L is reporting it has 1,708 customers in Auglaize County alone without power. I am working on getting numbers from Midwest Electric."
Anderson said numerous barns across the county collapsed. Roofs lost shingles and fallen trees caused the closure of some roads in the area.
"The Liette farm on (Ohio) 703 had one building go down," Anderson said. "There was a pontoon boat blow over on the southside of the lake the ended up on the road. Ohio 364 south of St. Marys near Otterbein is closed at this time due to trees on the road."
Anderson said he is looking for any photos of storm damage as well as evidence of possible tornadoes.
"Someone had photos on a phone of funnels — one was on I-75 near mile marker 109 and another was on U.S. 33," Anderson said. "If anyone has copies, they can post them on my Auglaize County EMA Facebook page. I need those to confirm what we had. We had a lot of wind damage and I'm not saying it was a tornado. Without those photos, all I can say now is we had a wind event."
Auglaize County Fairgrounds Manager Fred Piehl called workers to the fairgrounds to cut up 11 large trees that were uprooted or were toppled at the base.
"I just thank God that this was not during the fair — we avoided anyone getting hurt," Piehl said. "We did lose 11 trees which provided a lot of shade and they were probably as old as the fair. We also had damage to the roof of one of the horse barns and the roof of the Fruit Hall sustained some damage."
Piehl said they planned to tear down the horse barn, but money was always diverted to make improvements. Now, they will have to come up with the funds to raze the building.
They also will need to come up with the money to fix the Fruit Hall's roof.
Several electrical lines were downed on the grounds because of the trees.
While no one was injured at the fairgrounds, Piehl said several tents for the Fourth of July Festival, organized by St. Joseph Catholc Church, were damaged by fallen trees since they were setting up early for the two-day affair.
The damage extended across the entire county.
"Right now we are driving around and taking assessments," St. Marys Police Chief Greg Foxhoven said Friday night. "There's a lot of damage — there's homes with trees on roofs, trees on cars and limbs and branches everywhere."
Foxhoven said a home on Royal Oak sustained damage from a falling tree. Downed power lines also posed initial safety risks as crews hurried to fix the infrastructure.
"Those have been secured," Foxhoven said. "I think a lot of the town should be back on and if they aren't they should be soon."
Police officers and Public Works Department crew members in Wapakoneta and St. Marys directed traffic or posted four-way stop signs to keep motorists safe at intersections. In St. Marys, members of the general services department placed four-way stop signs at major intersections while crews rushed to restore power — section by section.
The storm also caused extensive damage at Grand Lake St. Marys State Park.
"There was very little, if any, damage at the campgrounds," State Park Manager Brian Miller said. "I've had a full crew working in the campgrounds as soon as it ended. We haven't started on East Bank Road and it's closed at this point."
Miller said downed trees and limbs are blocking portions of the road. He expected the road to be cleared sometime today.
The storm also caused a delay in the New Knoxville Independence Day Celebration. Organizers canceled Friday's slate of activities. However, activities will resume, as scheduled, today. The festival also will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
"Some tents got blown around and some trees are down, but nothing significant," Southwestern Auglaize County Chamber of Commerce Director Scott Frey said. "People should come out Saturday and Sunday and enjoy the fun."
Staff Writer Mike Burkholder contributed to this story.


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Wolf-Girl90 wrote:Black wrote:I can't believe Kyle's not on there.
He's not my favorite, but he should get a spot before the Seeker does!
I agree! He wasn't my favourite character, but I did have a soft sopt for him!
I didn't start liking him until after he started being all sweet with Sunny.
I totally wanted him banished at the tribunal.


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ArtsWatch: International Antipiracy Treaty Made Public
The Recording Academy actively represents the music community on such issues as intellectual property rights, music piracy, archiving and preservation, and censorship concerns. In pursuing its commitment to addressing these and other issues, The Recording Academy undertakes a variety of national initiatives. ArtsWatch is a key part of an agenda aimed at raising public awareness of and support for the rights of artists. To become more involved, visit Advocacy Action @ GRAMMY.com and sign up for Advocacy Action E-lerts.
On Oct. 6 U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced the first public release of a draft of the international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. "We must now work quickly with our partners to finalize the results achieved," said Kirk. "This work represents a significant victory for those who care about protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights." RIAA Executive VP, International Neil Turkewitz welcomed the draft and said, "It may not be a precise road map, but it is a powerful expression of a common vision and unity of purpose.... The implementation and execution of the treaty will be essential. We look forward to working with governments to turn this agreed-upon vision into a reality." Previous working drafts of the ACTA were commonly leaked and provoked public debate, but consumer activists Public Knowledge acknowledge the latest revisions softened most of the language that antagonized consumer groups. What is left in the full text of the document includes some aspects of a road map that could prove very significant in the coming years, including public awareness campaigns against infringement, and publication of enforcement procedures, efforts, statistics, and best practices — national commitments to transparency that offer unprecedented growth in shared information about international enforcement. As expected, civil and criminal provisions will put pressure on countries to bring their practices more in line with the strict approach favored by the U.S. and international IP treaties — especially when directed against commercial infringers. Although giving each country the flexibility to develop their own unique solutions, the ACTA should make it much more difficult for participants to cover up inaction.
A Department of Commerce Notice of Inquiry published in the Federal Register on Oct. 5 provides U.S. stakeholders with a potentially important opportunity to influence national policy — in particular, the balancing act between protecting innovation on the Internet and helping copyright owners crack down on the prevalence of infringing content online. Comments are due by Nov. 19, will be posted on the website of the department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration Internet Policy Task Force, and will be analyzed in an IPTF report. Unfortunately, the questions posed by the NOI reflect the current stalemate in which Internet service providers are fully shielded by safe harbor provisions while copyright owners must pursue extensive takedown procedures against individual pieces of content. More recently, the focus of debate has shifted — for example, in Senate bill S. 3804 introduced last month — to questions such as how to interfere with pirate websites' revenues by going after financial services middlemen, and the looming debate over what evidence a court should consider when trying to determine whether a website's primary purpose is content piracy. Rather, the NOI seems to focus on approaches that have either failed or have been unfruitful so far, such as voluntary cooperation agreements between copyright owners and ISPs. Its best example of multi-stakeholder cooperation is the upcoming UltraViolet online movie platform — a technological fix that unites many major players but has not yet had a chance to prove itself. U.S. creators of intellectual property have been bullied and damaged by more powerful industries that profit from the Internet, but hopefully some comments to the NOI will suggest practical tools to better empower IP owners without battling against the freedoms of the online environment that have made the Internet such an important engine for economic growth.
The Department of Justice announced more than $2 million in discretionary awards for IP law enforcement at a Sept. 30 training summit titled Real Crime — Real American Jobs, Why You Should Care about Intellectual Property Rights. In addition to eight smaller awards, five grants of $200,000 each were announced for California's Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Sacramento County, City of San Antonio and Texas' Houston Police Department, and Virginia's Chesterfield County. Commending the year-to-date total of $4 million that has gone to assist local IP enforcement, MPAA President and Interim CEO Bob Pisano said, "We appreciate the Justice Department's continuing commitment to combat intellectual property infringement and its dedication to protecting the rights of American creators..."
On Oct. 5 Microsoft Corporate VP of Trustworthy Computing Scott Charney attracted some choice comments when he blogged about a research paper he presented in Germany proposing that malware-infected computers hijacked by zombie-network botnets could be disconnected from the Internet. Calling attention to several successful case studies, he said, "It is important to focus on building a socially acceptable model. While the security benefits may be clear, it is important to achieve those benefits in a way that does not erode privacy or otherwise raise concern." Using a social health metaphor, Charney noted how efforts to prevent epidemics focus on how people can know when they are infected and what they can do to help protect themselves.
In the UK cyber protesters shut down the website of record label Ministry of Sound on Oct. 3 using denial-of-service attacks, retaliating for copyright infringement lawsuits. One statement by the hackers said, "They have declared themselves our enemies by sending out thousands of blackmailing letters against innocents, seeking compensation for copyright infringements that don't exist." This follows similar attacks last month directed against the websites for the MPAA and RIAA.
On Oct. 6 advocacy group Copyright Alliance announced that it has begun a search process to replace its departing Executive Director Patrick Ross. His outstanding work since 2007 launched the Copyright Alliance as an important voice, but Ross said, "I've come to realize that I only have so much creative fuel in my tank, and if I'm ever going to write all of those books and stories that are knocking at my brain, I need to hand over the daily responsibilities...to another capable and passionate individual." The car metaphor ties into the summer road trip he concluded last month — traveling 6,800 miles across 35 states to conduct video interviews with 43 artists for the organization's Creators Across America campaign.


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Everyone knows that those stories of unemployed people turning down dozens of jobs to keep cashing government checks are extreme cases.
That said, you might wonder how it's possible to spend 99 weeks -- 693 days -- without finding a job.
Get your answer from dozens of people who wrote letters to PBS, which just had a special on the "99ers". First, the single mother with medical training:
I'm a 49 year old single mother of a 15 year old. I was laid off in September of 2008 and my unemployment ended in April of 2010. The way New Jersey calculates your base year made me ineligible for more than 79 weeks. I apply to just about 50 jobs per week and I went to school and got some medical certifications that are just about useless. Everyone I speak with says "your certifications are great, but we're really looking for some experience." I have been unable to pay my rent since June and expect to be evicted shortly. I have no one in a position to help, and can't even imagine what it's going to be like, telling my daughter that we have no home. [...] Although I can't consider suicide, I understand where these people are at!
Second, the IT manager with social networking skills:
I have been unemployed since November 2008 and have no prospects for employment.
I worked as an IT manager for a company for 30 years who moved our production facility overseas and has outsourced IT support to now be handled by the corporate facility in Tulsa, Okla. Our company once employed 130 and now is reduced to 35 through what is called a reduction in force program.
In an effort to see employment and to make myself more employable I have taken the following steps to enhance my chances of success.
Attended UMass Lowell College using my own money to finish my degree.
Attended Valley Works unemployment center seeking help in my jobs search.
Registered with an employment agency in Boston.
Registered with an employment agency in my home to of Acton.
Assisted in the development of a networking support group with my Church, Acton Congregational.
Posted my resume at several job-seeking websites.
Networking through Classmates.com.
Networking through LinkedIn.
Sent emails to all of my friends and former business associates asking for help.
As a result of these efforts for the last 19 months, I receive few responses form online submissions and the few I do receive seem to have eliminated the jobs posting or have found the posting to expire. I have done extensive job searching through USAJOBS.COM hoping to land a government job. Many of the positions require very specific talents or require a security clearance which one cannot acquire on their own.
Hear from more 99ers at PBS or meet them tomorrow when the 99ers march on Wall Street.
Now check out 23 occupations that will never recover from the recession -->


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Taylor Swift and One Direction have topped a list of the most charitable celebrities in 2013.
The Love Story hitmaker was named the most generous star for the second year in a row by bosses at DoSomething.org, topping the sixth annual Top 20 Celebs Gone Good list.
Her good deeds in the past 12 months include donating $100,000 to The Nashville Symphony and her impromptu performance of Livin' On A Prayer with British royal Prince William at a fundraiser for homeless London youths.
British boyband One Direction came second having volunteered to work with U.K. charity Comic Relief in Ghana, while Harry Styles and Liam Payne also raised $800,000 for a cancer research organisation.
Tragic film star Paul Walker was also included in the list - following his death in November (13), Universal Studios chiefs announced a portion of the Fast & Furious 6 DVD sales would be donated to Walker's Reach Out WorldWide charity.
Other celebrities noted for their charitable efforts in 2013 include Carrie Underwood, for her fundraising for those affected by the Oklahoma tornado, and Justin Bieber, who raised $1 million for victims of the Philippine typhoon.


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-Matthew Geagan
FOXBORO (CBS) – Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski offered little by way of an update to his injured ankle after New England's 23-20 win over the Ravens in the AFC Championship.
"It's good," he said when asked what happened to his left ankle late in the third quarter.
When asked what happened on the play, and then what was going through his mind as he limped off the field, he gave the same answer.
"Nothing," he said with a chuckle to both questions.
A source tells WBZ-TV's Dan Roche that Gronkowski will be "fine" for Super Bowl XLVI in two weeks. He was seen wearing a walking boot, but that is just a precautionary move.
Read: AFC Championship Highs & Lows
Gronkowski left after being taken down by safety Bernard Pollard at the end of a 23-yard gain with 24 seconds left in the third quarter. The Pats tight end limped off the field and walked to the locker room, where the ankle was re-taped. Gronkowski returned for the end of the Patriots' touchdown drive in the fourth quarter and finished the day with five catches for a team-high 87 yards.
When asked if he was worried he would have to sit out the final quarter, the 22-year-old was again his jovial self.
"No, I'm never worried," he said with a laugh.


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Experience matters!
Vander Hyde certified heating and cooling technicians offer the best in HVAC repair and installation to residents in Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood, Forest Hills, Grandville, Holland, Muskegon, and surrounding areas. Call (616) 454-5400 for a No Cost, Professional, Onsite Estimate?!


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Tuesday, February 12, 2013
9 comments:
- Ann said...
Love this!! And I am right there with you. Cropping is amazing!!!
- February 12, 2013 at 6:14 PM
- Andrea Graf said...
Still better than my room :-)
- February 13, 2013 at 7:59 AM
- April said...
Love it :)
- February 18, 2013 at 8:53 AM
- Nestkeeper said...
LOL, I feel so much better since you shared this. I imagined your house in perfect order, your hair perfectly styled, perfect nails, perfect kids, as well as your immense creativity, and talent for blogging. At least your sewing room is messy. LOL.
- April 8, 2013 at 2:28 PM
Oh my, those tiny glasses are killing me! I certainly love it! It's really really cute. What a unique and stunning you have. You really are creative and patient making those tiny dresses and fitting all the tiny dress and shoes into that lovely doll. How awesome! Enjoy the rest of the week!
Please visit My Webblog: Online PhD UK
- June 9, 2013 at 11:31 AM
- The Journey said...
do you hand sew your tiny doll clothes. They are so neat!
- July 3, 2013 at 10:10 AM
- The Journey said...
do you hand sew the doll clothes?
- July 3, 2013 at 10:11 AM
- Care said...
Hi The Journey!
I sew them on my machine! :o) It's a blast!!
- July 3, 2013 at 10:34 AM
- Elizabeth S said...
I have to laugh at your bravery in revealing the backstage chaos, since I can relate to it- 100%!!! :D
- November 2, 2014 at 10:10 PM


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New Evidence
New kinds of evidence can play an outsized role in building more resilient lives as people around the world work to diminish poverty. And a host of low-tech and high-tech innovations are providing new kinds of evidence: New ways of monitoring from the top down or the bottom up to provide real-time alerts about everything from weather to the risks of disease. New ways of mapping and modeling social, economic, and environmental conditions empower people to change those conditions. New indexes reframe the goals and therefore the very nature of development efforts. All these tools connect people with information and with one another, creating feedback loops that individuals, communities , and even entire regions can use to catalyze change in the ecologies of poverty and wealth.The Pivotal Challenge
Action Zones
The Pivotal Challenge
Freedom of Information under Threat
As powerful as new evidence is in catalyzing change, its potential is minimized if it is systematically suppressed or controlled. From Latin America to Africa and Asia, freedom of information—whether from traditional press or new media channels—is under attack from those who stand to lose wealth or power. A key challenge over the next decade will be securing the right to these new forms of evidence.
Attacks on journalists
Press and Society Institute has emergency number for journalists
Censorship strategies
FACT reports blocking of 500 websites a day in Thailand
Restrictive information laws
OSISA blocked recent Angolan legislation to limit Internet freedoms
Discover More Signals
Bangladesh harnessing mobile phones for early warning systems
Tourism quantified
Low-tech aids in tracking maternal and infant care
Australia laws to promote building efficiency
GPS cameras monitor remote development projects
Trapia: Traceable Tilapia all the way from "egg to plate"
Multi-stakeholder data and analytics platform to track education interventions
Growth in India's slum population…or census accuracy
Students in India launch satellites to help farmers, fishermen, and the environment
Mapping, digitizing records fight corruption, aid in proper distribution of land to the poor in Bangladesh
Correlation does not equal causation
Bibliometrics as a tool for R&D, emerging tool for foresight
Living Well principles written into Bolivian constitution
United Arab Emirates government to address coastal pollution in region
India's five-year plan calls for double-digit growth
Media, ICT as a tool for minority empowerment in Morocco
Citizen oversight of government spending via mobile phones and social media in Indonesia
User-generated media opens new digital watchdog battlegrounds
Social media, mobility of labor connects diasporas and ethnic/political minorities
Urbanization, mobile phones, aging, NGOs and media shaping GLBTQ identity in Southeast Asia
Peruvian television gets hyperlocal


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The end of the line for existing stem cell research? Thursday, 14 May 2009 Time is short for scientists to respond to the call for comments on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposed guidelines for the use of human embryonic stem (ES) cell lines and their eligibility for federal funds. On May 26, the window to provide feedback will close, and the drafted rules leave the possibility that funding for almost all existing cell lines will disappear. In a Forum article to be published online on May 14 by Cell Press in the journal Cell Stem Cell, Patrick Taylor, deputy general counsel at Children's Hospital Boston, explains some of the legal implications of the NIH's new funding rules, should they be adopted as written. Since the rules are retroactive, he explains, ongoing research is threatened. "Research with almost all existing cell lines will not be fundable, leaving almost no federal funds for research using cells created ethically since 2001. This will mean a loss of much of the research benefit of the last eight years, even though that research was independently reviewed and determined to be ethical under federal standards," says Taylor. "It is vitally important that scientists are aware of this problem and that the situation is resolved as quickly as possible." Ronald McKay, director of the NIH Stem Cell Unit, agrees and points out that, as proposed, the current draft guidelines may not even allow for continued research on the 21 ES cell lines approved by President Bush in 2001. "It is important to recognize that continued access to the ES cells themselves is important for medical research," says McKay. "It is common to use the economic metaphor of the 'gold standard' when discussing the value of human ES cells. But unlike gold, stem cells will not retain value if they are locked in a bank and we cannot analyze their secrets. Continued access to these cells will ensure no delay in understanding the links between human genetics and disease," he adds. The slow pace of commenting is symptomatic of a broader tendency within the scientific community. "Despite federal encouragement and the ease of posting a comment, scientists do not seem to be participating unless the proposals directly impact their research," outlines science writer Amy Maxman in an Analysis piece to be published by Cell Press in the journal Cell on the same day. The article explains how scientists can offer their views as part of the consultation on items listed at the Federal Register, such as by providing comments on the draft human ES cell guidelines currently under consideration, to ensure that federal agencies receive a balanced perspective of public opinion. Researchers from all scientific disciplines and interested members of the general public can comment on the proposed guidelines at http://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm until 11 p.m. EST on May 26. ......... ZenMaster
For more on stem cells and cloning, go to CellNEWS at http://cellnews-blog.blogspot.com/ and http://www.geocities.com/giantfideli/index.html


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Miley Cyrus jetted into New York to surprise her dad Billy Ray at a showing of his Broadway musical Chicago on Sunday (18Nov12).
The singer and her siblings Brandi, Braison and Noah turned up unannounced at the Ambassador Theater, where their country star dad is currently playing Billy Flynn in the hit production.
The Cyruses, including Miley's mom Tish, posed for family pictures backstage, and Billy Ray admits it was a treat to be reunited with his loved ones.
Billy Ray tells Entertainment Tonight, "It was awesome. This was a great surprise, it's been almost three months since I've seen my family. I left California, I went and finished the album, then I spent a couple of weeks finishing my book. Then I went straight into filming this new pilot, called Still The King - that took a few weeks. Then I headed straight up to New York and began rehearsals for this. It's just been a blur, but it was a great surprise, a great way to start off Thanksgiving."
Cyrus wraps up his Chicago stint on 23 December (12).


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Wide Engine API - Sample Source Code
The Wide Engine API is a comprehensive set of web services that lets you add intelligent idea management features of enterprise grade to an existing or new application. JSON is available as request and response format, with OAuth 2 as authentication method. Innovation is all about creating value from ideas.


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Allegiant Air to fly nonstop from PTI to Ft. Lauderdale
Allegiant Air to fly nonstop from PTI to Ft. Lauderdale
Triad travelers heading to Fort Lauderdale soon will be able to get a nonstop flight.
Allegiant Air is offering two flights a week from PTI Airport to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport starting June 6, PTI officials said Thursday.
The flights will take place on Thursdays and Sundays and take about two hours.
The extra flights mean the low-cost carrier will fly to three Florida destinations directly from PTI. Allegiant carried 2,500 passengers from PTI to Florida in January alone.


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Posterior Tibial Tendinopathy
Tendinopathy is an injury to the tendon. It can cause pain, swelling, and limit movement. The injuries can include:
- Tendonitis — an inflammation of the tendon
- Tendinosis — tiny tears in the tendon with no significant inflammation
The posterior tibial tendon runs from the posterior tibial muscle to the inside of the ankle and the arch of the foot. The main job of this tendon is to support the arch of the foot. If the tendon is injured or weak the arch of the foot can collapse. This will make the foot pronate, or roll inward. These injuries can make it painful to walk.
Treatment depends on the severity of the tendinopathy.
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
Causes of posterior tibial tendinopathy include:
- Overuse of the tendon
- Poor blood supply to the tendon
- Biomechanics that cause degeneration of the tendon, such as overpronation of the foot
Posterior tibial tendinopathy is more common in women and in people over the age of 40 years. Other factors that increase your chance of posterior tibial tendinopathy include:
- Flat feet
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Previous surgery or trauma
- Local steroid injections
Posterior Tibial Tendinopathy Symptoms
Symptoms may include:
- Pain and swelling near the arch of the foot and on the inside of the ankle
- Pain that increases when standing on the ball of the foot or if the foot is flexed
- Pain that increases with activity
- Tiredness in the foot after little activity
- Pain that becomes more disabling
- Later in the course of the tendinopathy, a flattening of the arch of the foot and pronation
- An inability to push off well when running
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Pain in the foot and ankle can be due to many causes. Posterior tibialis tendinopathy can be difficult to diagnose.
The doctor will try to feel the tendon through your skin. He will note how the foot moves and handles resistance to moving the foot inwards. The doctor will look at the foot from behind and from the side and see how flat the arch is. You may be asked to try to stand on the ball of your foot. If you cannot do this you are likely to have a problem with your posterior tibial tendon.
Your doctor may recommend image tests to see the the structure of the foot and ankle. Tests may include:
- X-rays
- Ultrasound
Posterior Tibial Tendinopathy Treatment
Talk to your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Options include:
Home Care
To reduce pain and swelling:
- Avoid activity that causes pain. Reduce shock or vibrations to the foot and ankle.
- Apply an ice pack for 15-20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Place a towel between the ice pack and your skin.
- Wrap your injured foot in elastic bandaging. Don't wrap the bandage too tight. It may cut off circulation.
- Elevate your foot above your heart.
To help support the foot and promote healing, you may need:
- A strap or tape for your foot
- A brace or cast
- Custom-made orthotics
To help manage pain, your doctor may recommend:
- Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDs)
- Topical pain medications that are applied to the skin
- Prescription pain relievers
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy will help:
- Stretch and condition the the posterior tibial muscles
- Maintain muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance
- Improve balance and range of motion
In rare cases, surgery may be required to repair the tendon.
To reduce your chances of posterior tibialis tendinopathy, take these steps:
- Avoid activities and sports that repeatedly stress the foot and ankle.
- Maintain proper muscle strength.
- Gradually increase the frequency and intensity of exercise.
- Wear good, supportive shoes that provide arch support.
- Use proper technique for sports and dance activities.
Call us at 434.243.3675.
Content was created using EBSCO's Health Library. Edits to original content made by Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice.


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Beyoncé Was Lip-Synching the National Anthem [Update]
Let's remember that Whitney Houston's legendary Super Bowl performance also turned out to be prerecorded, but this still hurts: Beyoncé was lip-synching at the inauguration. The London Times reports that Beyoncé decided to go with the studio version "shortly before her performance," and The Washingtonian says the band wasn't even playing the song. Kristin DuBois, a representative for the United States Marine Band, confirmed the former but not the latter, to the New York Post's "Page Six," saying, "All music is pre-recorded for the ceremony because there are so many eventualities and conditions that day. We performed, live, the band. But we received last-minute word that Beyonce was going to use the pre-recorded vocal track. Those were the instructions we were given. We don't know what the reason why." DuBois's statement has apparently gotten the Marine Band in some hot water, because Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Gregory Wolf is now offering the following: "Regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter's vocal performance, no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded." He also added that the band itself used a pre-recorded track, which directly contradicts DuBois. Who are we supposed to believe? What happened to trust?
Meanwhile, band director Colonel Michael J. Colburn says Beyoncé didn't rehearse with the group until the night before the performance — which possibly explains why she was reluctant to do it live (or maybe indicates that she never intended to sing it live in the first place). If you're wondering: yes, Kelly Clarkson sang live. Further, devastating updates as events warrant.
Update: As we enter day two of Beyoncégate, some Internet theorists are pointing to the following WSJ video as evidence that Beyoncé was in fact singing along. The video is compelling. On the other hand, it does not prove that Beyoncé's live-sung version was the track that was broadcast — and lip-synchers often sing along with a prerecorded track to create a more believable performance. (See: Whitney Houston's National Anthem.) One has to assume that if the live version had in fact been broadcast, Beyoncé would have released a statement yesterday. But see for yourself!
Update No. 2: The White House declines to comment. Also, the White House is making fun of us.
Update No. 3: An unnamed Inauguration official tells CNN that Beyoncé "did not sing live." The decision was made the night before the ceremony. "Because she didn't have time to rehearse with the Marine Band, she decided to use her recording with the Marine Band. It was all Beyoncé."


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NSA attains the Holy Grail of spying, decodes vast swaths of Internet traffic
rhtrar wrote:
Sounds ominous, but details are still lacking regarding what exactly the NSA is capable of decrypting.
This headline is way over the top for the amount of details provided. Did they break ssl or did they just coerce google and yahoo to give them a back door access? Both are frightening, but getting a back door is not the 'Holy Grail'


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Lucille Booker Tillmon
Lucille Booker Tillmon, 92, died Saturday, June 18, 2011, in Borger.Services are pending with Minton/Chatwell Funeral Directors of Borger. Cremation is under the direction of Minton/Chatwell Funeral Directors of Borger.Mrs. Tillmon was born on April 1, 1919, in Caddo Mills, La. She was a homemaker and a longtime resident of Borger. She was preceded in death by her husband George Tillmon in 1960.She is survived by two stepdaughters, Emma Jean Harrison of Ralls and Hurlene Porter of Enid, Okla., friend Shirley Hood of Borger, special friends at Borger Healthcare Center, seven grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren.The family would like to thank everyone for their kind words.To send condolences, sign the online guestbook at www.mintonchatwell.com.


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How News! If you want to get free Mac Sony AVCHD to FCP Converter, now you can join buy one get one activity.
Summary: Tips and Tricks for Sony HDR-CX580V, AVCHD and Final Cut Pro (X)? How to import Sony AVCHD to Final Cut Pro (X), first you need to convert Sony CX580V 1080p AVCHD to Final Cut Pro (FCP X) friendly format on Mac Mountain Lion 10.8.
Sony CX580V is an excellent camcorder which offer us vivid image. Bring your memories to life in Full 1920x1080/60p HD and the world becomes your stage for composing your personal best. Sony has brought its most advanced video imaging technologies together to create a camera-recorder that brings image and resolution to new heights.
This article is mainly to solve the HDR-CX580V recordings to FCP importing problems. As many users get CX580V camcorders, more problems are coming up, some of them have the need to import Sony AVCHD MTS to Final Cut Pro for editing on Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8, but they always have the importing problems due to the video codec and format. As we know, the FCP only supports few formats, it doesn't support Sony AVCHD MTS files well.
In order to import Sony CX580V AVCHD MTS to FCP (X), you need to convert CX580V AVCHD MTS videos to FCP compatible formats, such as Apple ProRes 422 codec MOV format, this format is best supported by Final Cut Pro. Now you can follow the steps below to convert Sony CX580V AVCHD MTS to Apple prores 422 MOV for FCP.
1. Free Download Mac Sony AVCHD to Final Cut Pro Converter. It's the professional AVCHD MTS convert, this software can help you convert AVCHD MTS to common formats, such as MP4, AVI, MKV, or Apple ProRes, AIC, etc.
2. Install and launch the Mac Sony AVCHD to FCP Converter, import Sony CX580V AVCHD MTS videos to the AVCHD MTS converter for Mac.
3. Click "format" bar to choose the best video format for output. You are recommended to choose "Final Cut Pro -> Apple ProRes 422 (*.mov)" for importing Sony AVCHD to Final Cut Pro (X) editing on Mac Mountain Lion 10.8.
4.You can click settings button to adjust the output video's parameters, such as resolution, bitrate, etc.
5. Edit function is easy and useful, you can trim, crop, or add watermark to the video.
6. Click "convert" button to start converting Sony CX580V AVCHD MTS to Apple ProRes for FCP on Mac Lion 10.8.
After conversion, you just need to transfer the converted AVCHD to FCP (X) then you can edit the recorded videos as you want. This software can convert all Sony camera or camcorder recorded AVCHD videos.
You can learn more solutions in AVCHD MTS column on Pavtube website. If you want to convert Sony HD videos as well as DVD, Blu-ray movies, you can try iMedia Converter for Mac.