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Harvard Classics
Sir Walter Scott
Guy Mannering
> Chapter XIV
Sir Walter Scott.
Guy Mannering.
The Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction.
Chapter XIV
The bell strikes one.We take no note of time
But from its loss. To give it then a tongue
Is wise in man. As if an angel spoke,
I feel the solemn sound.
which the poet has rather quaintly deduced from the necessary mode of measuring time, may be well applied to our feelings respecting that portion of it which constitutes human life. We observe the aged, the infirm, and those engaged in occupations of immediate hazard, trembling as it were upon the very brink of non-existence, but we derive no lesson from the precariousness of their tenure until it has altogether failed. Then, for a moment at least,
Our hopes and fears
Start up alarmed, and oer lifes narrow verge
Look downOn what?a fathomless abyss,
A dark eternity,how surely ours!
The crowd of assembled gazers and idlers at Ellangowan had followed the views of amusement, or what they called business, which brought them there, with little regard to the feelings of those who were suffering upon that occasion. Few, indeed, knew anything of the family. The father, betwixt seclusion, misfortune, and imbecility, had drifted, as it were, for many years, out of the notice of his contemporariesthe daughter had never been known to them. But when the general murmur announced that the unfortunate Mr. Bertha had broken his heart in the effort to leave the mansion of his forefathers, there poured forth a torrent of sympathy, like the waters from the rock when stricken by the wand of the prophet. The ancient descent and unblemished integrity of the family were respectfully remembered;above all, the sacred veneration due to misfortune, which in Scotland seldom demands its tribute in vain, then claimed and received it.
Mr. Mac-Morlan hastily announced that he would suspend all further proceedings in the sale of the estate and other property, and relinquish the possession of the premises to the young lady, until she could consult with her friends, and provide for the burial of her father.
Glossin had cowered for a few minutes under the general expression of sympathy, till, hardened by observing that no appearance of popular indignation was directed his way, he had the audacity to require that the sale should proceed.
I will take it upon my own authority to adjourn it, said the sheriff-substitute, and will be responsible for the consequences. I will also give due notice when it is again to go forward. It is for the benefit of all concerned that the lands should bring the highest price the state of the market will admit, and this is surely no time to expect itI will take the responsibility upon myself.
Glossin left the room, and the house too, with secrecy and dispatch; and it was probably well for him that he did so, since our friend Jock Jabos was already haranguing a numerous tribe of bare-legged boys on the propriety of pelting him off the estate.
Some of the rooms were hastily put in order for the reception of the young lady, and of her fathers dead body. Mannering now found his further interference would be unnecessary, and might be misconstrued. He observed, too, that several families connected with that of Ellangowan, and who indeed derived their principal claim of gentility from the alliance, were now disposed to pay to their trees of genealogy a tribute, which the adversity of their supposed relatives had been inadequate to call forth; and that the honour of superintending the funeral rites of the dead Godfrey Bertha (as in the memorable case of Homers birthplace) was likely to be debated by seven gentlemen of rank and fortune, none of whom had offered him an asylum while living. He therefore resolved, as his presence was altogether useless, to make a short tour of a fortnight, at the end of which period the adjourned sale of the estate of Ellangowan was to proceed.
But before he departed, he solicited an interview with the Dominie. The poor man appeared, on being informed a gentleman wanted to speak to him, with some expression of surprise in his gaunt features, to which recent sorrow had given an expression yet more grisly. He made two or three profound reverences to Mannering, and then, standing erect, patiently waited an explanation of his commands.
You are probably at a loss to guess, Mr. Sampson, said Mannering, what a stranger may have to say to you?
Unless it were to request that I would undertake to train up some youth in polite letters, and humane learningBut I cannotI cannotI have yet a task to perform.
No, Mr. Sampson, my wishes are not so ambitious. I have no son, and my only daughter, I presume, you would not consider as a fit pupil.
Of a surety, no, replied the simple-minded Sampson. Natheless, it was I who did educate Miss Lucy in all useful learning,albeit it was the housekeeper who did teach her those unprofitable exercises of hemming and shaping.
Well, sir, replied Mannering, it is of Miss Lucy I meant to speakyou have, I presume, no recollection of me?
Sampson, always sufficiently absent in mind, neither remembered the astrologer of past years, nor even the stranger who had taken his patrons part against Glossin, so much had his friends sudden death embroiled his ideas.
Well, that does not signify, pursued the Colonel; I am an old acquaintance of the late Mr. Bertha, able and willing to assist his daughter in her present circumstances. Besides, I have thoughts of making this purchase, and I should wish things kept in order about the place: will you have the goodness to apply this small sum in the usual family expenses?He put into the Dominies hand a purse containing some gold.
Pro-di-gi-ous! exclaimed Dominie Sampson. But if your honour would tarry
Impossible, sirimpossible, said Mannering, making his escape from him.
Pro-di-gi-ous! again exclaimed Sampson, following to the head of the stairs, still holding out the purse. But as touching this coined money
Mannering escaped downstairs as fast as possible.
Pro-di-gi-ous! exclaimed Dominie Sampson, yet the third time, now standing at the front door. But as touching this specie
But Mannering was now on horseback and out of hearing. The Dominie, who had never, either in his own right or as trustee for another, been possessed of a quarter part of this sum, though it was not above twenty guineas, took counsel, as he expressed himself, how he should demean himself with respect unto the fine gold thus left in his charge. Fortunately he found a disinterested adviser in Mac-Morlan, who pointed out the most proper means of disposing of it for contributing to Miss Bertrams convenience, being no doubt the purpose to which it was destined by the bestower.
Many of the neighbouring gentry were now sincerely eager in pressing offers of hospitality and kindness upon Miss Bertha. But she felt a natural reluctance to enter any family for the first time, as an object rather of benevolence than hospitality, and determined to wait the opinion and advice of her fathers nearest female relation, Mrs. Margaret Bertha of Singleside, an old unmarried lady, to whom she wrote an account of her present distressful situation.
The funeral of the late Mr. Bertha was performed with decent privacy, and the unfortunate young lady was now to consider herself as but the temporary tenant of the house in which she had been born, and where her patience and soothing attentions had so long rocked the cradle of declining age. Her communication with Mr. Mac-Morlan encouraged her to hope that she would not be suddenly or unkindly deprived of this asylumBut fortune had ordered otherwise.
For two days before the appointed day for the sale of the lands and estate of Ellangowan, Mac-Morlan daily expected the appearance of Colonel Mannering, or at least a letter containing powers to act for him. But none such arrived. Mr. Mac-Morlan waked early in the morningwalked over to the Post-officethere were no letters for him. He endeavored to persuade himself that he should see Colonel Mannering to breakfast, and ordered his wife to place her best china and prepare herself accordingly. But the preparations were in vain. Could I have foreseen this, he said, I would have travelled Scotland over, but I would have found some one to bid against Glossin.Alas! such reflections were all too late. The appointed hour arrived; and the parties met in the Masons Lodge at Kippletringan, being the place fixed for the adjourned sale. Mac-Morlan spent as much time in preliminaries as decency would permit, and read over the articles of sale as slowly as if he had been reading his own death-warrant. He turned his eye every time the door of the room opened, with hopes which grew fainter and fainter. He listened to every noise in the street of the village, and endeavoured to distinguish in it the sound of hoofs or wheels. It was all in vain. A bright idea then occurred, that Colonel Mannering might have employed some other person in the transaction: he would not have wasted a moments thought upon the want of confidence in himself which such a manuvre would have evinced. But this hope also was groundless. After a solemn pause, Mr. Glossin offered the upset price for the lands and barony of Ellangowan. No reply was made, and no competitor appeared; so, after a lapse of the usual interval by the running of a sand-glass, upon the intended purchaser entering the proper securities, Mr. Mac-Morlan was obliged, in technical terms, to find and declare the sale lawfully completed, and to prefer the said Gilbert Glossin as the purchaser of the said lands and estate. The honest writer refused to partake of a splendid entertainment with which Gilbert Glossin, Esquire, now of Ellangowan, treated the rest of the company, and returned home in huge bitterness of spirit, which he vented in complaints against the fickleness and caprice of these Indian nabobs, who never knew what they would be at for ten days together. Fortune generously determined to take the blame upon herself, and cut off even this vent of Mac-Morlans resentment.
An express arrived about six oclock at night, very particularly drunk the maid-servant said, with a packet from Colonel Mannering, dated four days back at a town about a hundred miles distance from Kippletringan, containing full powers to Mr. Mac-Morlan, or any one whom he might employ, to make the intended purchase, and stating that some family business of consequence called the Colonel himself to Westmoreland, where a letter would find him, addressed to the care of Arthur Mervyn, Esq., of Mervyn Hall.
Mac-Morlan, in the transports of his wrath, flung the power of attorney at the head of the innocent maid-servant, and was only forcibly withheld from horse-whipping the rascally messenger, by whose sloth and drunkenness the disappointment had taken place.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Precision farming – the keynote topic for this year's Central Coast Cotton Conference – may save cotton farmers thousands of dollars in production costs. Lowell Zelinski, cotton physiologist and conference director believes that all of the pieces to the precision farming puzzle have finally come together and can now benefit growers.
Attendees will have a chance to learn more about precision farming at the conference which will be held Nov. 17-19 at the Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach, Calif.
"We've been saying for 20 years that someday precision farming techniques will save us money," Zelinski said. "I'm now convinced that all of the necessary segments are available, making precision farming a viable, practical practice."
For example, Zelinski said his clients are saving about $10 per acre on defoliation alone.
"All fields are variable in their growth with some portions of fields requiring more defoliant than others. With our ability to create zone maps and the applicators' ability to apply harvest aids at variable rates, we can now tailor the most effective rates to the varying areas within the fields."
According to Zelinski, it's no longer necessary to apply the same rate on the entire field that growers have typically applied to the most vigorous portions of the field. And not only is this better for the pocketbook, it's better for the environment.
But saving the buck doesn't stop there. Using precision farming techniques, growers can also save money on soil amendments, fertilizers, herbicides, seeding rates, plant growth regulators, and in the future, possibly insecticides.
Zelinski recently created zones maps to be used for variable rate applications for King Cotton Ag in Corcoran. Ranch manager Tim Sherrill said he's excited about the possibilities.
Savings apparent
"We could immediately see (from the maps) how much we could save if we changed our rates," Sherrill said. "The fields in our ranch are real variable so knowing where to use more of a particular input is going to help us a lot."
Sherrill plans to use the zone maps for all sorts of inputs from soil amendments to plant growth regulators. Sherrill was planning to use an applicator map for defoliation.
"The numbers look good in cost savings but I haven't seen it in the field yet. But there's just no doubt that this is the direction things are going to go. The benefits are just too good," Sherrill said.
Zelinski said he's confident that variable rate applications work, but he believes the real point of the technology is that growers are now able to manage their fields in smaller areas. He believes agri-chemical companies also benefit in the long-run because treatments produce the most effective and efficient results when they're accurately applied.
He said the real challenge now is getting these tools into the hands of PCAs, consulting agronomists, farm managers, and chemical applicators.
"Now that this is a proven technology, we now need to educate others as to how it works," he said. "That's why we set precision farming as this year's keynote topic for the Central Coast Cotton Conference."
The conference is an in-depth look at cotton production practices in the San Joaquin Valley and a continuing education course for pest control advisors and certified agronomists. The meeting will include a review of the 2004 production season, as well as segments on cotton growth and development, pest management, agronomics and harvest. It's designed to assist cotton professionals further their knowledge about San Joaquin Valley cotton production.
The guided-discussion format is a hands-on, interactive approach that synthesizes a large body of past research to assist attendees with their everyday cotton production decision-making.
Panel discussion
Zelinski will be assisted by Pete Goodell, integrated pest management specialist for the University of California Extension Service, who will conduct the pest management session. The precision farming session will be a panel discussion including: Kenneth Hood, innovative Mississippi cotton grower, past president of the National Cotton Council, and owner of InTime, Inc.; Kelly Dupont, also from InTime, Inc.; Tim Stone, representative for SmartImage; Doug Picanso of Digital Globe Agri-Watch; and Mike Gomes from Precision Farming Enterprises.
The conference will begin at 6 p.m. on Nov. 18 with an opening night reception hosted by BASF/Micro Flo. There will be an 18-hole golf tournament at the Avila Beach Resort hosted by Bayer CropScience on Nov. 18 at noon and the inaugural Cotton Harvest Hoedown hosted by Monsanto that evening. The evening will include a Santa Maria Tri-Tip barbecue complete with entertainment by cowboy poet, Bud Karrer and music by the Piper Heisig Four.
Registration is $175 and includes all meals and events for attendees. Spouses and guests are welcome and encouraged to attend, and can be registered for $50. Advance reservations are requested by Nov. 1. A late registration fee of $25 will be assessed for reservations received after Nov. 5.
The Cliffs Resort is offering discounted, ocean-view rooms for $134 per night based upon availability, and stays can be extended through the weekend. Hotel reservations are available at the Cliffs by calling (800) 826-7827 or by visiting www.cliffsresort.com. Be sure to ask for the discounted conference rate.
For more information or to register for the conference, visit www.cottonconference.com, write to [email protected], or call Becky Zelinski at (805) 434-0113.


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Doctors sick of anonymous-coward NHS feedback commentards
Welcome to the internet, doc
A leading GP has declared that the general public are too rude about doctors on the internet in a complaint that may amuse those of us more familiar with the culture of "Internet feedback".
In an interview with eHealthInsider, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, of the British Medical Association's GP Committee said that patient comments about NHS services on the NHS Choices website were often "malicious" or "fictitious".
Dr Nagpaul said: "In most cases the predominance of feedback is from patients with an issue they want to raise, or a complaint, which gives a very misleading impression."
He said that such comments "tar" the reputations of practices and don't represent the views of the average patient. Nagpaul added that anonymity allowed the commenters to say things that they wouldn't if they were named and also made it hard for doctors to determine the specifics of a case.
Nagpaul's complaints may not be surprising to anyone familiar with internet comment boards, but the issues surrounding internet comment culture are relatively new to the NHS - Choices launched in 2007 and became drastically more popular in 2011 notching up a 56% rise in visitors compared to the year before.
Trolling controversies have flared up around NHS Choices in recent months. The British Medical Association had to warn doctors to be nice in their comment responses in August, and according to a Guardian report one practice manager in Chelsea was sacked after falling for some Troll-bait and firing off this response to a moaning patient:
The concept of this forum is entirely flawed, as anybody can write anything with absolute impunity. I take all comments seriously, even though some of them are contemptible. Since you choose to hide behind the title of 'anonymous', I have little alternative than to dismiss your comments as unhelpful and unsubstantiated.
Practices are encouraged to respond constructively to comments.
According to eHealth stats, 68,000 comments have been posted on NHS Choices and about 12% of them were rejected for breaching their guidelines, which can include comments that contain abusive language or are disrespectful. However 3000 of the ones that were let through have been queried by medical practitioners. Nagpaul said that number was too high.
Comments are a core feature of the NHS Choices website. The comments widget on the homepage says: "If you recently visited a GP, dentist, hospital or any other NHS service, give your feedback". Readers can search by postcode to find reviews of GPs, hospitals and dental practices near them. ®


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[56] THE FIFTH KINGDOM (The Kingdom of God),
(1) It is a serious waste of time for a disciple to ponder upon a failure or to fear failing. There is no such thing as failure; there can only be loss of time. That in itself is serious these days of dire world need, but the disciple must inevitably some day make good and retrieve his past failures. I need not point out that we learn by failure, for that is a well known truth, and is known as such by all who are attempting to live as souls. Nor need the disciple sorrow over the failures, apparent or real, of his fellow disciples. The sense of time produces glamour and disappointment, whereas the work goes truly forward, and a lesson learnt by failure acts as a safeguard for the future. Thus it leads to rapid growth. An honest disciple may be momentarily glamoured, but in the long run nothing can really deter him. What are a few brief years in a comparative cycle of aeons? What is a second of time in a span of man's allotted seventy years? To the individual disciple they appear most important; to the onlooking soul, they seem as nothing at all. For the world perhaps, a temporary failure may connote delay in expected help, but that again is brief, and help will come from other sources, for the Plan goes unerringly forward. (4 - 634/5).
(2) The emergence of emotional conditions or of glamour in your life-expression need not necessarily indicate failure. There is only failure if there is identification with these astral conditions, and a succumbing to old rhythms. (5 - 88).
(3) Recognise failure - if it is there - but then, with a face lifted to the light, and a smile upon your lips, turn your back upon such failure and go with steadfastness forward. (5 - 366).
(4) The only regret that is justifiable, is based on failure to learn the lessons of failure. (5 - 604).
See also: (6 - 732).
(1) (Fear) is the product of ignorance, and in its initial stages it is not the product of wrong thinking. It is basically instinctual, and is found dominating in the non-mental animal kingdom, as well as in the human kingdom. [Page 120] But in the human, its power is increased potently through the powers of the mind, and through memory of past pain and grievance, and through anticipation of those we foresee, the power of fear is enormously aggravated by the thoughtform we ourselves have built of our own individual fears and phobias. This thoughtform grows in power as we pay attention to it, for "energy follows thought", till we become dominated by it. (4 - 238).
(2) Every human being knows fear, and the range of the fear vibrations extends from the instinctual fears of the savage man, based on his ignorance of the laws and forces of nature, and of his terror of the dark and the unknown, to the fears prevalent today of loss of friends and loved ones, of health, of money, of popularity, and on to the final fears of the aspirant - the fear of failure, the fear which has its roots in doubt, the fear of ultimate negation or of annihilation, the fear of death (which he shares equally with all humanity) the fear of the great illusion of the astral plane, of the phantasmagoria of life itself, and also fear of loneliness on the Path, even to the very fear of Fear itself. This list could be largely extended but suffices to indicate the prevalence of fears of all kinds. They dominate most situations and darken many happy moments. They reduce man to a timid and frightened atom of sentient life, standing afraid before the stupendousness of the problems of existence, aware of his insufficiency as a man to cope with all the situations, and unable to leave his fears and questionings behind and step into his heritage of freedom and of life. Often he is so ridden by fear that he becomes afraid of his very reason. The picture cannot be too blackly coloured, for fear is the dominant astral energy at this time, and sensitive humanity succumbs all too easily to it. (4 - 297/8).
(3) The Fear of Death is based upon:
a. A terror of the final rending processes in the act of death itself.
b. Horror of the unknown and the indefinable.
c. Doubt as to final immortality.
d. Unhappiness at leaving loved ones behind or of being left behind.
e. Ancient reactions to past violent deaths, lying deep in the subconsciousness.
f. Clinging to form life, because primarily identified with it in consciousness.
g. Old erroneous teaching as to Heaven and Hell, both equally unpleasant in prospect to certain types. (4 - 300).
[Page 121]
(The Kingdom of God)
(1) In the fifth kingdom . . . the outer phenomenal appearance will be retained, as far as the form is concerned, though refinement and quality will be intensified. The kingdom of God materialises in and through humanity. But in the realm of consciousness, a very different state of affairs will be found.
A Master of the Wisdom appears phenomenally to be a human being. He has the physical attributes, functions and habits, and mechanism of the fourth kingdom in nature, but within the form, the consciousness is entirely changed. . . . In the past each great unfoldment of consciousness, has precipitated new forms. This will no longer occur. . . . Under the divine plan for this solar system, this form-differentiation has its limitations, and cannot proceed beyond a certain point. This point was reached in the human kingdom for this world cycle. Now, in the future, the consciousness aspect of Deity will continue to perfect the forms in the fourth kingdom in nature, through the instrumentality of those whose consciousness is that of the fifth kingdom. This is the task of the Hierarchy of Masters. This is the delegated task of the New Group of World Servers who, upon the physical plane, can become the instrument of Their will. Through this group, the inner divine qualities of goodwill, peace and love, can increase and express themselves through human beings, functioning in the forms of the fourth kingdom. (15 - 252/4).
(2) The goal of all endeavour upon our planet, is right relations between man and man, and between man and God, between all expressions of divine life, from the tiniest atom up and on into infinity.
From the standpoint of our planetary evolution, there is naught but love, naught but goodwill and the will-to-good. This exists already, and its true manifestation is nearer today than at any time in planetary history.
From stage to stage, from crisis to crisis, from point to point and from centre to centre, the life of God progresses, leaving greater beauty behind it as it moves through one form after another, and from kingdom to kingdom. One attainment leads to another; out of the lower kingdoms man has emerged, and (as a result of human struggle) the kingdom of God will also appear. The bringing in of that kingdom is all that truly concerns humanity today, and all living processes in mankind are bent towards preparing each individual human being to pass into that kingdom. The [Page 122] knowledge that there may be greater manifestations than even the kingdom of God, may be inspiring, but that is all. The manifestation of the Kingdom of God on Earth, the preparing of the way for its great Inaugurator, the Christ, the making possible the externalisation of the Hierarchy upon Earth, give us each and all a fully adequate task, and something for which to live and work, to dream and to aspire. (18 - 737/8).
(3) The Kingdom of God is not something which will descend on Earth when man is good enough! It is something which is functioning efficiently today, and demanding recognition. It is an organised body which is already evoking recognition from those people who do seek first the Kingdom of God, and discover thereby that the Kingdom they seek is already here. Christ and His disciples are known by many to be physically present on Earth, and the Kingdom which They rule, with its laws and modes of activity, is familiar to many and has been throughout the centuries. (8 - 50).
(4) The citizens of the Kingdom of God are all those who are deliberately seeking the light, and attempting (through self-imposed discipline) to stand before the One Initiator; this worldwide group (whether in the body or out of it) accepts the teaching that "the sons of men are one"; they know that divine revelation is continuous and ever new, and that the divine Plan is working itself out on Earth. (8 - 65).
(5) It is only in desperation, and when completely at the end of his tether, that the disciple finds his way into that Kingdom, and is ready to relinquish the old ways. What is true of the individual must also be true on a larger scale, of humanity. (8 - 100).
(6) Your spiritual goal is the establishing of the Kingdom of God, One of the first steps towards this is to prepare men's minds to accept the fact that the reappearance of Christ is imminent. You must tell men everywhere that the Masters and Their groups of disciples are actively working to bring order out of chaos. You must tell them that there IS a Plan, and that nothing can possibly arrest the working out of that Plan. You must tell them that the Hierarchy stands, and that It has stood for thousands of years, and is the expression of the accumulated wisdom of the ages. You must tell them above all else that God is love, that the Hierarchy is love, and that Christ is coming because He loves humanity. This is the message which you must give at this time. And with this responsibility I leave you. Work, my brothers. (13 - 701).
See also: (6 - 406/7).
[Page 123]
In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.
The first is freedom of speech and expression - everywhere in the world.
The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way -everywhere in the world.
The third is freedom from want - which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants - everywhere in the world.
The fourth is freedom from fear - which, translated into world terms, means a worldwide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion, that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbour - anywhere in the world. . . . Franklin D. Roosevelt. (13 - 319).
(1) It might be said that within the limits of the intelligent direction of the intelligent man, there is free will, as far as activity in the human kingdom is concerned. Where no mind activity is present, and where there is no power to discriminate, to analyse and to choose, there is no free will. Within the vaster processes of the Plan, however, as it includes the entire planetary evolution, there is, for the tiny unit, man, no free will. He is subject, for instance, to what we call "acts of God", and before these he is helpless. He has no choice and no escape. Herein lies a hint upon the working of karma in the human kingdom; karma and intelligent responsibility are inextricably woven and interwoven. (15 - 29).
(2) The great distinction between the human kingdom in the three worlds, and the other kingdoms in nature, is the factor of freewill. In the matter of death, this freewill has, in the last analysis, a definite relation to the soul; the will of the soul is either consciously or unconsciously followed, where the decision of death is concerned, and this idea carries with it many implications, which students would do well to ponder. (17 - 248).
(3) Mankind is oft unpredictable, owing to the factor of free will. (18 - 231).
(4) (The following) are points which it will be difficult for you to grasp, but which are of major importance:
[Page 124]
The human being is influenced upon the path of evolution from above downwards; the initiate is directed from within upwards. It is this which formulates the underlying significance of the energy of the free will, and is something only truly possible through self-direction; this can be seen struggling for expression today in that great world disciple, Humanity. (18 - 566).
(5) Men decide for themselves direct action; they make their own choices and exert unimpeded the free will with which they may at any time be equipped. (18 - 640).
(6) Christ and the spiritual Hierarchy never - no matter how great the need or important the incentive - infringe upon the divine right of men to take their own decisions, to exert their own free will, and to achieve freedom by fighting for freedom - individually, nationally, and internationally. When true freedom covers the earth, we shall see the end of tyranny - politically, religiously and economically. I am not here referring to modern democracy as a condition which meets the needs, for democracy is at present a philosophy of wishful thinking, and an unachieved ideal. I refer to that period which will surely come, in which an enlightened people will rule; these people will not tolerate authoritarianism in any political system; they will not accept or permit the rule of any body of men who undertake to tell them what they must believe in order to be saved, or what government they must accept. When the people are told the truth, and when they can freely judge and decide for themselves, we shall then see a much better world. (8 - 164/5).
(7) The Hierarchy - because of the divine principle of free will in humanity - cannot foretell how men will act in times of crisis; the Hierarchy cannot enforce the good way of life against normal human desire, for this good way of action must come from out of the very depths of human thinking and feeling, and must emerge as a free and non-supervised endeavour; the Hierarchy may not take those possible steps which will prevent men making mistakes, for it is through those mistakes that men learn "by the means of evil, that good is best", as your great initiate-poet has expressed it. (13 - 636).
See also: ''Guidance''.
There is a great law which can be embodied in the words "to those who give all, all is given". . . . Most aspirants to discipleship today do not know [Page 125]or realise this law; they do not give freely and fully, either to the work of the Hierarchy or to those who need. Until they do, they limit their effectiveness and shut the door on supply, not only for themselves, but for the group with which they are affiliated in service. Herein lies responsibility. The clue to supply is personality harmlessness and dedication of all individual resources to the service of the Great Ones, without restraint and spontaneously. When you, as a disciple, try to live harmlessly - in thought and word and deed - and when nothing is held back materially, emotionally or from the angle of time, when physical strength is so given, and the gift of all resources is accompanied with happiness, then the disciple will have all that is needed to carry on his work, and the same is true of all working groups of servers. Such is the law. Perfection is not yet possible, it is needless for me to say, but greater effort on your part to give and serve is possible.
The time will, therefore, surely come when you will, as individuals and as part of a Master's group, subordinate your personal lives to the need of humanity and to the intention of the Master. You will be and not struggle so hard to be; you will give and not fight constantly the tendency not to give; you will forget your physical bodies and not give so much attention to them (and the result will be better health); you will think, and not live so deeply in the world of feeling; you will sanely and wisely, and as normal procedure, put the work of the Master and of service first. (5 - 692/3).


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Sonic the Hedgehog has become one of the world's best-known video game characters, with his series having sold more than 80 million copies. Gamers have normally enjoyed new releases of the series on home game consoles, but Sega is now releasing the latest Sonic 4 Episode II on mobile platforms at the same time. Read on as we celebrate the latest release and give away an ASUS Transformer Prime.
The Trailer
The Download
The Game
The Sonic 4 saga continues with Sonic's beloved side kick, Miles "Tails" Power. Players can now experience the Sonic 4 saga as never before with the addition of a brand new engine; bringing you gameplay with updated physics and HD graphics.
"Sonic 4 Episode II is very special because we've integrated community feedback into the game." said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. "We have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans and I hope they enjoy this next chapter in the Sonic 4 saga."
For the first time Android gamers can enjoy an experience that is nearly identical to the PS3 and Xbox versions, and it comes at half the price. Players with Tegra 3 devices like the HTC One X or ASUS Transformer Prime will enjoy higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.
Episode 2 also features a collaborative multiplayer mode where players can team up with a friend via Bluetooth and take control of Sonic and Tails as they battle against Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic.
We just installed the game on our devices, so look for our full review in the coming weeks.
Release dates:
- May 15: PS3, Playstation Network, PC digital download via Steam
- May 16: TegraZone, Xbox Live Arcade
- May 17: iTunes App Store
- June: Google Play Store (non-Tegra devices)
- July: Xbox Live on Windows Phone
- PS3 and Steam: $14.99
- Android, iOS: $6.99
- Xbox Live Arcade: 1200 points
Episode Metal bonus pack:
Players who have Episodes I and II installed on the same device will gain access to a new bonus pack called "Episode Metal." This unlockable story will feature a playable Metal Sonic, four exclusive levels, and allow players to discover the rebirth of Metal Sonic and learn more about how he survived the events at the end of Sonic CD. If you missed the first episode, grab it from the link below.
Benefits of Tegra 3
- The Tegra 3 version of Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II is the most technically advanced mobile version of the game, a near mirror-image of the full-blown PS3 and Xbox versions of the game.
- In fact, by enjoying a game with a gamepad (either with wired or Bluetooth controllers) and outputting the device to an television via HDMI, it's the CLOSEST to the actual console experience you'll get on a mobile device…. All with fast frame rates.
- Sonic on Tegra 3 has dramatically higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.
The Contest — Win an ASUS Transformer Prime!
Running latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the ASUS Transformer Prime is a high-performance tablet that with multi-color style, and productivity with expandability when connected to the mobile dock. With a 1.2MP front and 8MP rear auto-focus camera with large F/2.2 aperture and exclusive office software, staying connected and productive has never been easier.
How to Enter
Leave a comment below that describes your favorite Sonic memory and you'll be entered to win. Did you play Sonic as a kid? Were you the only kid on the block with a Sega Genesis when all your friends had a Nintendo console? What was your favorite game to feature Sonic?
We normally allow anonymous comments, but for this contest you will need to be a registered user to leave a comment. Not signed up? It only takes seconds to join.
Multiple comments are allowed on this post, but each user will only be counted once. The winner will be chosen at random, so don't bother downvoting each other.
Multiple chances to win: Today is just the first stage of a multi-week promotion. We will have additional Tegra 3 powered tablets and smartphones to give away, so be on the lookout. Sega also provided us with some limited edition action figures and comics to give away, so go buy the game if you want a chance at winning some more swag.
Contest Rules
This contest is open to residents of any country. Entries will be accepted for one week after the contest goes live. We'll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw.
Contest Winner
Congratulations to Nicholas Vettese for winning week 1 of the Sonic promotion.


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Victoria and Albert Museum
Postmodernism is the notoriously slippery subject tacked by the V&A's exhibition, 'Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970-1990'. This fast-paced film features some of the most important living Postmodern practitioners, Charles Jencks, Robert A M Stern and Sir Terry Farrell among them, and asks them how and why Postmodernism came about, and what it means to be Postmodern.
Andrew Logan: Post modernism – yes, I still really don't understand what post modernism is. I've been told many times and it's been explained to me many times and I still am bewildered. But perhaps that's part of the movement – bewilderment.
Malcolm Garrett: I don't think I really know too much about what post modernism actually is. For me, it's primarily an architectural movement.
Robert A M Stern: Post modernism was a kind of style and it was kind of outrageous style at that.
Zandra Rhodes: I think we're originals, but it wasn't until I got spoken to by the V&A that I thought about anything that was post modern.
The way I worked I described as retrievalism.
Charles Jencks: The Independent said do use the word 'post modernism' because it means absolutely nothing and everything.
Malcolm Garrett: I called myself a new futurist for a while. So that's a term I would use rather than post modernism.
Andrew Logan: Well, I suppose I had a very post modernist occurrence – I took acid. Normal things suddenly turned into something extraordinary.
Zandra Rhodes: Well, in 1977 punk was just starting to happen and I thought why not do tears that actually look like tears and then got safety pins and beaded round them like 12 years before Versace.
Malcolm Garrett: I had access to the first photocopier and I was able to modify and change the look of the image using a photocopier.
Peter Saville: And, of course, in the 70s and into the 80s the record cover was this incredibly important, vital medium of visual information. There were the music papers and occasionally the Sunday Times colour supplement might just do something about Andy Warhol in New York and that would be about it.
Paula Scher: In the 70s when I first started designing there was a predominance of the international style where the ultimate goal was to be clean and I always felt that that was like trying to clean up your room. So I was looking for ways of designing typography that could be more expressive, that were not about creating order but were about creating spirit.
Robert A M Stern: Times Square was where we were in charge - the whole revitalisation of Times Square is a very interesting, complicated story, but it does show the difference between the modernist point of view of how to redevelop or to develop a city and what we were able to do …
Charles Jencks: Post modern architecture is really to do with pluralism. You'll find its depth, all of the great post modernism, the philosophy and now in literature, is about pluralism, pluralism, pluralism.
Robert A M Stern: To say, no, no, it's a mess, in fact we ought to make it more of a mess. The world comes to Times Square not for tidykins, but for mess.
Charles Jencks: It's accepting that the modern world with Freud, Marx, Henry Ford, mass production, is positive, but it can be radically improved.
Robert A M Stern: We studied the signage in Times Square and then we set minimums, minimums for sizes of signs, minimums for brightness of signs. What we were legislating in a way the capitalist impulse. Once you tell an entrepreneur that his or her sign can only be this big, he will be satisfied, he will agree with it. But if you say it can be this big or bigger or brighter, well everybody wants to compete in a capitalist society.
Charles Jencks: So you have to be on the one hand ironic about failures, probably the beginning of a new depression, another crisis of modernism, modernisation, modernity. What's going to get us out of this? We have to re-think the modern movements in all the arts and in society and post modernism is the umbrella term for re-thinking.
Robert A M Stern: We knew 42nd Street was an incredible success when the Consolidated Edison Company called the State of New York and said, you know our grid is zapped out.
Peter Saville: In the case of, particularly, Joy Division and then New Order, they could never exactly agree amongst themselves. There was no hierarchical structure, particularly in New Order after the end of Joy Division, after Ian Curtis had died. The responsibility for the covers came to me and so they were about what I was interested in, they were about in a way beginning to learn the canon.
Carol McNicoll: The thing that I was doing was I was using slip casting. A lot of the Leach tradition and minimalist things also had that idea of expressing the deep, inner, mystic qualities of clay. And I thought that was a load of complete rubbish. And I thought what was wonderful about clay was the fact that you could make it look like anything else.
Peter Saville: They decided to call their first album "Movement". The sequences and the pulse beat - there was a subtle transition from Joy Division to New Order and they had to find who they could be without Ian's writing and without Ian's singing. The pulse beat begins to become what New Order are about. I was quite happy to show New Order futurism because I was certain that Marinetti would have loved New Order.
Deyan Sudjic: Charles Jencks wrote this extraordinarily resonant sentence in 'Post Modernism' in which he said that modernism died in 1972 when Pruitt-Igoe was blown up.
Charles Jencks: In fact it goes back to the 60s really, in a radical way. Feminism, black power, a whole series of issues all over the world.
Terry Farrell: I think it was a release from constraint from the design codes – design as a function of the modern era.
Peter Saville: The notion of a singular aesthetic is untenable, is entirely unrealistic in a democratised society.
Terry Farrell: As such it was a Pandora's box, the genie was out, so it's about colour and ornament and try anything.
Robert A M Stern: If you take the actual broader, philosophical meaning of post modernism, there are no absolutes in art whether it's architecture, painting, music, literature or whatever.
Terry Farrell: It's a shift that brought the internet, the web – things were never the same again.
Reinhold Martin: During the - one of the high moments of modernism, the constructive period, artists like Varvara Steppanova and her colleagues, Rodchenko – the productivists. They were designing the way that they imagined the proletariat – the newly empowered and politicised proletariat - would dress. And the interesting question might be: What's the difference between an Issey Miyake or a Commes des Garçons iteration of modernism? Can you imagine that garment in relation to political revolution? Probably not. You can imagine it as a kind of citation and if there is a thing called post modernism, it's the absence of that thought. Can you imagine the Comme des Garçons worker? If the answer is no, then you're in the world of post modernity.
Peter Saville: When Ian died, a kind of - the legend was sort of forged, almost overnight. The message of this story was more profound than any broadcast or marketing could ever be.
Carol McNicoll: One of the things that's particular about the English tradition is that it's very impure. Yes, we had an empire, we were forever nicking ideas from other places and kind of collage-ing them together.
Iain Sinclair: You'd have a piece of London that's pre-Fire of London, that happens to have survived, right next to something that came in as a Christopher Wren development, something that came through the railway age, a cottage that's hung on until it's wiped out to put up a Westfield shopping mall, and all of these things co-exist.
Sam Jacob: That combination of complete victory of the neo-liberal economy alongside the diversity of culture, diversity of interests, I think makes it a place where things happen in a post modern way.
Iain Sinclair: And it all meshes on somewhere like the Thames, the reason for London's foundation, that we come ashore from elsewhere and we reinvent ourselves by bringing people in that keep the culture alive.


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The Republican leader of the state Senate, Dominic Pileggi, has prepared bills to abolish Philadelphia Traffic Court, after an investigation commissioned by the state's chief justice found widespread ticket-fixing for people with the right connections.
"No other county has a separate Traffic Court, and there is no objective evidence that the continued existence of the Philadelphia Traffic Court would serve the public interest," Pileggi said this week in a memo to his colleagues, soliciting co-sponsors for the legislation. "Whatever reason may have existed in the past for Philadelphia to have a separate Traffic Court no longer exists."
Pileggi 's memo said two bills would be necessary: one to eliminate references to Traffic Court in the state Constitution, the other to change the state's Judicial Code to transfer the court's authority over alleged traffic violations to the Philadelphia Municipal Court.
"This bill will be drafted so that its provisions can take effect whether or not the constitutional amendment is finally approved," Pileggi said.
The Traffic Court , located at 8th and Spring Garden streets, is already the subject of a federal investigation, which led to a series of FBI raids in September 2011. After the raids, the state Supreme Court's chief justice, Ronald D. Castille, commissioned a Traffic Court investigation by attorney William G. Chadwick.
In a 35-page report issued in November, Chadwick described Traffic Court as having "two tracks of justice – one for the connected and another for the unwitting general public." Four judges and 22 court employees had acknowledged widespread ticket-fixing in interviews, Chadwick said.
With the state Senate and state House both controlled by Republicans, solid GOP support could lead to speedy passage of Pileggi's proposals, sending them to Gov. Corbett, also a Republican.
Traffic Court now has seven authorized judgeships, with at least three vacancies scheduled to be filled in this year's elections. The positions do not require a law degree and pay $91,052 a year, according to Pileggi. In recent decades virtually all of the judgeships have been won by little-known candidates with ties to the Democratic Party.


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BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet has approved a plan to send up to 330 German military personnel to Mali to help train the country's soldiers and provide logistical support.
The plan passed Tuesday, which still needs Parliament's approval, does not authorize any German participation in combat operations.
Up to 180 soldiers will be part of the European Union's task force of about 500 that is being sent from nations across the 27-nation bloc to help train the Malian army.
Its goal is to make that army good enough to patrol the whole country, including its huge northern region, where French and African troops are fighting to unseat Islamist rebels.
The decision allows for up to 150 Germans to take part in ongoing aerial transport and refueling operations.


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Tommy Hilfiger Women Women s B01NBJSHWI Chestnut Gianna Western Boot Chestnut c5c6f93
Join Three Elements Yoga Retreats for an unforgettable adventure!
We invite you to stay connected through our Facebook page Three Elements Yoga and Instagram @3elementsyoga. Tag us on Instagram #3elementsyoga in one of your favorite yoga poses!"Nourish your mind, body & soul."


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Press release
State Sen. George Maziarz recently received high ratings from both The Business Council and Unshackle Upstate in preparation for this fall's election. Maziarz received a 90 out of 100 from The Business Council and an 88 out of 100 from Unshackle Upstate.
"I am extremely honored and pleased to have earned such high scores from both organizations," Maziarz said. "I have and will continue to be a strong advocate for Upstate New York as well as New York state businesses. Businesses are essential to this state, as they drive both our economy and jobs. Likewise, it is imperative that Upstate New York, and particularly Western New York, not be overlooked when it comes to both legislation and funding. I will continue to sponsor legislation and to fight for these organizations as they are a driving force behind the success of this state."
Maziarz lead the charge and supported numerous pieces of legislation in the Senate during the last two years that lead to his high rating from both organizations. Highlights include:
•Supporting two consecutive budgets that cut year-to-year spending (Business Council and Unshackle)
•Sponsored the 2 percent property tax cap (Business Council and Unshackle)
•Sponsored the Landmark RechargeNY bill (Business Council and Unshackle)
•Sponsored S5769, which prevents PSC regulation of voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) (Business Council and Unshackle)
•Sponsored l-S3203-B - sales tax exemption for commercial solar equipment (Business Council)
•Co-sponsor of S7662 - repeal of 18a assessment (Unshackle)


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WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has paid off the outstanding debt from her 2008 presidential campaign.
Campaign finance reports filed Tuesday show Clinton's campaign made payments of $73,000 on Dec. 31 to a consulting firm run by former adviser and pollster Mark Penn. That accounted for the last part of the debt going back to her primary campaign against Barack Obama.
Clinton had owed vendors about $12 million at the end of June 2008.
As a Cabinet member, Clinton faced fundraising restrictions to retire her debt but someone could do it on her behalf.
Former President Bill Clinton sent a fundraising email to his wife's supporters in late November, asking for their help in retiring the debt. The campaign raised about $158,000 in the last three months of 2012.


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Evolutionary history of martial arts
29-07-2012, 09:11 PM (This post was last modified: 29-07-2012 09:34 PM by ghostexorcist.)
Evolutionary history of martial arts
I've been an on-again, off-again student of martial arts over the course of my life. This was one of the reasons why I came to enjoy Asian culture and history so much. I've even studied the history of various styles for the last few years now. Well, since I switched my major to physical anthropology with an emphasis on primatology, I've decided to write a paper that traces the actual evolutionary origins of martial arts. While doing some preliminary research, I came upon this article on the subject. Overall, it's not bad. They cover issues like bipedalism, the opposable thumb, and our large brains, but it doesn't go deep enough in my opinion. It doesn't explore the reasons for these adaptations, or other things like primate social behavior and tool use, the origins of hunting weapons and their adaption for war, conflicts between early human species, or the need to further develop martial skills to protect settlements.
Primatologists study chimpanzees because their lives are believed to parallel that of our common ape-like ancestor who lived around 7 million years ago. I believe studying them helps us to understand the origins of martial arts too. For instance, young chimps like to wrestle. This helps them to hone the skills they use to protect their communities and territories as adults. This might also explain why wrestling is one of the oldest and most prevalent martial arts. They are also known to attack enemies with sticks and rocks. See this video for an example:
The slinging of sticks and stones could have easily given way to the use of clubs and staffs and projectile weapons by early human species. It is interesting to note that a community of chimps from Senegal actually hunts with spears! They sharpen the tips of branches with their teeth and then ram them inside of trees with the intent of skewering prey. This of course could have given rise to hunting spears that were later adapted for war by early human species. These are just a few examples.
Anatomically modern humans appeared in Africa 150,000-200,000 years ago. Their very thick bones indicate that they lived hard lifestyles. They lived in hunter-gatherer societies at this time. Modern examples of hunter-gatherers like the !Kung San people (! = click sound) are known to war amongst themselves, so there is no doubt that early humans did the same. The spears and arrows that were used for hunting were probably used in battles against various tribes. Humans are believed to have started to leave Africa around 50,000 years ago. Over the course of many millennia, they spread to Saudi Arabia, India, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Groups split from those in India and spread into Central Asia, the rest of the Middle East, and finally Europe. Like language, the martial skills that these people brought with them splintered and traveled with each group. The first settlements began to appear around 15,000 years ago. Naturally, these early groups of settlers would have had to protect themselves from nomads living in the area. And of course armies would have been required to protect the cities that started to appear around 6,000 years ago. Thus armed and unarmed combat progressed to meet the needs of society.
I will of course elaborate on these points and more in the actual paper. I know there are a few people on here who dabble in martial arts, so I figured that they would find this at least moderately interesting.
The following 4 users Like ghostexorcist's post:4 users Like ghostexorcist's post
kim (29-07-2012), Erxomai (29-07-2012), daylightisabadthing (30-07-2012), Arctic_Guy (21-12-2012)
RE: Evolutionary history of martial arts
(29-07-2012 09:11 PM)ghostexorcist Wrote: I will of course elaborate on these points and more in the actual paper. I know there are a few people on here who dabble in martial arts, so I figured that they would find this at least moderately interesting.
I think it's great... but I want to see these Senegalese chimps that hunt with spears - that's just freaky!!
Oh, and I'm glad that the other article included the Egyptian hieroglyphs... you should have them in your paper, too. Ok, so I got a jones on for ancient Egyptians. They're my current fav dudes.
A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move to higher levels. ~ Albert Einstein
RE: Evolutionary history of martial arts
(29-07-2012 09:36 PM)kim Wrote: I think it's great... but I want to see these Senegalese chimps that hunt with spears - that's just freaky!!
Here are a couple of videos:
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT4WiMrzByg
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyGxQq7jSA8
I will try to survey the oldest mentions or depictions of martial arts and present them within the context of how martial arts changed to meet the needs of human society. One of the points I would like to make is that martial arts are inherent to all cultures. Many people try to claim that one particular culture created it, and then it was spread to other cultures by famous soldiers or holy men. For instance, one flawed view is that Indian and Chinese martial arts are ultimately based on Pankration, a Greek style of wrestling practiced by the armies of Alexander the Great.
The following 2 users Like ghostexorcist's post:2 users Like ghostexorcist's post
Erxomai (29-07-2012), kim (29-07-2012)
RE: Evolutionary history of martial arts
It's a fascinating topic. Thanks for sharing and please continue to do so!
It was just a fucking apple man, we're sorry okay? Please stop the madness
RE: Evolutionary history of martial arts
National Geographic. The best.
So... what is the oldest recorded martial arts... at least that you've come across, so far?
Wow... I just thought... I wonder if there might be cave paintings depicting that kind of activity? There's hunting depicted of course, but humans "fighting" .. that kind of interaction... hmm... interesting.
You got some work ahead of you, fella!
A new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move to higher levels. ~ Albert Einstein
30-07-2012, 12:33 PM (This post was last modified: 30-07-2012 12:40 PM by ghostexorcist.)
RE: Evolutionary history of martial arts
(29-07-2012 10:19 PM)kim Wrote: National Geographic. The best.
I actually don't know for sure. There are many claims, but most people can't back them with evidence since they are usually based on legend. Off hand, I would guess the Egyptian tomb pictures are probably the oldest record. But I will contact professional historians in order to find out.
The oldest depiction of fighting that I've read about is a 10,000 year old piece of rock art from Arnhem Land in northern Australia. The journal paper I read is from 1994, so older examples may have been found in the last 18 years. It looks like a recent book that I just ordered may have examples from Spain that predate this.
The following 2 users Like ghostexorcist's post:2 users Like ghostexorcist's post
Erxomai (30-07-2012), kim (30-07-2012)
RE: Evolutionary history of martial arts
I am currently reading a book on the chimp community of Mahale in eastern Africa. The section on "play" discusses the various forms of locomotive motions like twirling and backflips that chimps do. The author mentions that males play this way to learn how to avoid predators, impress future mates, and show off their strength to future competitors. He believes these displays have ties to the young human athletes that liked to perform their feats of strength before crowds during the ancient Olympics. The author also mentions a book written by a sociologist that connected various aspects of human culture back to a need to play, including war. War falls under the term of playing because it is usually fought according to certain rules—i.e. rules of engagement. These are more extreme versions of rules that, say, little boys set while having mock battles of their own. And since play fighting gives animals and young boys the skills they will use as adults, the martial arts can also be considered a type of playing. Some martial arts are closely tied to dancing. Many cultures have "war dances" that they perform before going to battle. Likewise, some martial arts were born of dances. This ties back to the tumbling play of chimps and probably even our common ancestor.
I realize this seems like rambling, but the analogy to play has helped me to better understand the subject.
RE: Evolutionary history of martial arts
This is a science blog about a recent research paper that posits the shape of the human hand was adapted for punching. It's met a lot of resistance, but it's still an interesting idea:
RE: Evolutionary history of martial arts
I have to say, now we're on a subject that is close to my heart
I personally don't practice any martial arts (at the moment at least), but I have always been fascinated by them and war history. I'll look forward to this with great interest.
"Life - its the fun thing that happened on the way to the cemetery."
-Poilce Officer Janson, Raid
I live in the land of Santa, fool!
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - Voltaire
RE: Evolutionary history of martial arts
For a second I thought "I'd like to fight a chimp", but then I realized "I really don't wanna fight a chimp..." Even Brock Lesnar would be hopeless against one of those things.
Through profound pain comes profound knowledge.
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Yellow pipes for electrical ducts, red for lifts and escalators, green for water, blue for air. The same colors used for the Centre Pompidou Special Edition banderoles.
The building was designed "inside out": the pipes are not hidden inside but shown in the facade. Conceived in the 60's, it was surprisingly assigned to a team of totally unknown young architects. Their names: Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Sue Rogers.
Since 1970 the Centre Pompidou has been a multifunctional center including modern and contemporary art, books, design, cinema.
The Special Edition notebook is available at Printemps Design and Flammarion Centre bookshop, located inside the Centre Pompidou.
A new step in the collaboration between Moleskine and the Centre Pompidou, which in 2008 hosted the Detour notebook exhibition.


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John Boyko wants someone held accountable for the boys who broke into his Price Township home and threw rocks at his pet American alligators, injuring two and indirectly causing the death of one of them.
John Boyko wants someone held accountable for the boys who broke into his Price Township home and threw rocks at his pet American alligators, injuring two and indirectly causing the death of one of them.
Boyko wants the boys' parents or legal guardians to cover the more than $15,000 he now owes in veterinary expenses for the gators' injuries stemming from the June 2011 incident.
But, at the end of a recent Monroe County Juvenile Court hearing, charges against all but one of the five boys who had been accused were dismissed.
One was found delinquent and placed on juvenile probation, Boyko said.
Charges were dismissed after only one neighbor testified he could positively identify just one of the boys, who were ages 9 to 13 at the time of the incident.
It's unclear what exactly the one boy was found delinquent of, since juvenile court proceedings are not public record, and neither Boyko nor his neighbors who testified on his behalf know.
The attorneys involved were unavailable to comment.
"This sends the wrong message to kids that they can get away with committing crimes against others," said Boyko, 51, of Bridgeport, Conn.
Boyko in 2005 relocated his gators from Connecticut to Pennsylvania, which doesn't require people who own exotic animals to get permits, and has since been housing them at his Price Township property.
Since gators require less constant attention than do other animals, Boyko has been traveling from Connecticut to check on the gators once a week, ensuring they have ponds and everything else they need, and relying on neighbors to watch over them when he's not there.
On June 29, 2011, when Boyko was in Connecticut, his neighbor, Dave Trechel, was heading out when he saw five boys take off on bicycles from the front of Boyko's home.
Trechel said Boyko's front door was open when the boys took off.
Having no time to chase after them, Trechel told another neighbor, Mario Alzate, that the boys had just broken into Boyko's home and to call 911.
Alzate did, got onto his ATV and followed one of the boys to his home in a separate development.
Alzate talked to the boy's family, telling them what had happened, and stayed until police arrived.
"The kid started crying when his father came to talk to him, but I couldn't hear what they were saying," Alzate told the Pocono Record.
It was later discovered that rocks had been thrown at the 11 gators and that two of them, 9-year-old "Juvi" and 6-year-old "Baby," were the most seriously injured.
Juvi had a fractured leg and Baby had ulcers and a hernia from eating some of the rocks the boys had thrown, though the rocks were later removed from its stomach.
After questioning the boy Alzate had followed home, police identified four other boys, and all five were charged in juvenile court.
Juvi and Baby were taken to Creature Comforts in Saylorsburg and then flown in November to Spartan Animal Hospital in McFarland, Wis., for surgery.
In January, while the gators were still recovering at Spartan, Baby was found dead, having apparently been drowned by Juvi in the pond they shared.
"Gators are territorial," Boyko said. "I think Juvi was hurting, uncomfortable and cranky as a result of having been injured, maybe saw Baby getting a lot more attention and got jealous. None of that ever would have happened had my gators not been hurt by these kids in the first place."
At the juvenile court hearing, Trechel testified to being unable to positively identify the boys as the ones he saw fleeing Boyko's home.
"They looked like they could have been the kids I saw, but I couldn't be 100 percent certain," he said.
Alzate could identify only the boy he followed home.
"The other ones, I only saw the backs of their heads," he said. "I'm guessing police identified who the other four were from talking to the one I followed."
Because only one of the boys was positively identified, charges against the rest were dismissed.
"It's a shame," Trechel said. "There's no justice for John."
Alzate agreed, voicing concern for community safety.
"If these boys are truly guilty and they're now off scot-free, whose house are they gonna break into next?" he asked. "What other kind of crime are they gonna commit next?"
As of now, the nine of the surviving gators are still in Boyko's Price Township home. Juvi is still at Spartan Animal Hospital in Wisconsin.
"Juvi is waiting to come back home with me, and I still have to bury Baby," Boyko said. "But, I can't go out there until I figure out how I'm going to pay these vet bills."
He said he owes $2,400 to Creature Comforts for the initial work done there on the gators, while veterinarian Dr. Michael Wenninger at Spartan said Boyko owes more than $13,000.
"We're very sympathetic to John's situation," Wenninger said. "He has a good prior history with us, and we know he's not trying to scam us. He went to court expecting justice and restitution for veterinary expenses and got neither.
"We admit John's situation is one we've never had with any other customer," he said. "We'll do what we do in other cases and try to work out some type of payment plan."
Boyko said it seems the only option left to him at this point is hiring an attorney to take legal action against the parents of the boy found delinquent.
"That takes money I don't have," said Boyko, whose website is www.thegatorguy.com.


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New Wizard of the Month on JKRowling.com
May 31, 2007
The clock strikes midnight in the UK, and it is time for a new Wizard of the Month on JKRowling.com! Our favorite author has updated her calendar for the month of June with a Hogwarts founder who left his fingerprint on the school indelibly. Be sure to check it out!


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GAINESVILLE, TX-Just over a year ago, concerned Cooke and Montague County residents requested a public meeting with Texas environment officials about a proposal to build an industrial sand processing plant in Cooke County near the Red River. Wednesday, these North Texans finally got the chance to speak with the TCEQ about their concerns.
Cooke county residents said they're worried that the proposed sand plant Enron Oil and Gas wants to build on FM-373 could threaten their health and natural resources. Wednesday night, several people told TCEQ and EOG officials why they don't want it built close to their homes.
Cooke and Montague county residents got into a heated discussion with the TCEQ and EOG concerned about whether the by-products of sand mining could contaminate the air in surrounding areas. Residents pointed out that compounds found in sand--like silicates--could cause respiratory diseases and even cancer.
TCEQ attorney Betsy Peticolas said the agency called for this public meeting to address residents' questions and concerns before contested case hearings begin. Those hearings will ultimately decide if EOG's air permit application will be approved.
"I hope the people in charge here, obviously it's good to have these forums, but if the people on the stand are not gonna answer the questions or don't have the right answers or the authority, then they shouldn't make the decision for those who have the authority," said concerned citizen, Jim Mann.
"The real problems begin when they start operating. We're gonna have air pollution, that's our major concern, we're gonna have water problems, that's another major concern, we're gonna have truck traffic, emissions from those trucks," said another citizen, Ozlem Altiok.
TCEQ's contested Case Hearing on EOG's permit application starts Thursday. A judge will determine who will be affected by the sand processing plant and whether the plans to build can proceed. The public is invited to attend.
Cooke County Court Annex building.
112 South Dixon
Gainesville, TX
10:00 a.m.


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Update!Posted 21:27
Thu 07 November
by Ahvia
Hey everyone! Sorry for the long delay in updates, work has been really intense for me for the last couple months, with old jobs wrapping up and new ones just beginning. I hope to get back in the flow after my current deadline (followed by MUCH NEEDED VACATION) at the end of November. Thanks so much for reading!


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Eschewing Obfuscation since 1955
Non Sequitur Of The Day
posted by Shiltone at 8:49 PM
<< Home
I've lived on both coasts, the Midwest, and the Deep South. I play trombone and have deceptive speed -- I'm slower than I look.
View my complete profile
Nobody ever came home in a body bag because of Monica Lewinsky.


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Product Information
Ingredients: Ethyl Acetate, Butyl Acetate, Nitrocellulose, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol/Trimellitic Anhydride, Copolymer, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Stearalkonium Bentonite, N-Butyl Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, Styrene Acrylates Copolymer, Benzophenone 1, Polyvinyl Butyral, Trimethyl Pentanediyl Dibenzoate. May Contain +/-: CI 15850 Red 7 Lake, CI 15850 Red 6 Lake, CI 77499 Black Iron oxide, CI 77891 Titanium Dioxide, CI 15880 Red 34 Lake, CI 77019 Mica, CI 77163 Bismuth Oxychloride, CI 77491 Red Iron Oxide, CI 77510 Ferric Ferrocyanide, CI 19140 Yellow 5 Lake, CI 77000 Aluminium Paste, Silica, CI 60725 Violet 2, Polyethylene Terephthalate.
Size: 11ml / .37 fl oz (boxed unit)
Other: Big 3 Free, Formaldehyde Resin Free.
Application Guide
Apply to clean, oil-free nails. For a base coat we recommend All Your Base. Let each coat dry completely before applying the next coat of colour. Seal with Aqua Coat or Crystal Coat.
About Pretty Serious Cosmetics
Pretty Serious Cosmetics is an Australian based company creating cruelty free and vegan products. Our products are moulded with personality, fun and class.
Product image courtesy of Every Little Polish.


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WASHINGTON — Senior defense officials say Pentagon chief Leon Panetta is removing the military's ban on women serving in combat, opening hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs after more than a decade at war.
The groundbreaking move recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff overturns a 1994 rule prohibiting women from being assigned to smaller ground combat units. Panetta's decision gives the military services until January 2016 to seek special exceptions if they believe any positions must remain closed to women.
A senior military official says the services will develop plans for allowing women to seek the combat positions. Some jobs may open as soon as this year. Assessments for others, such as special operations forces, including Navy SEALS and the Army's Delta Force, may take longer.
Women comprise 14 percent of the 1.4 million active military personnel.


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Query Analyzer is one of the most frequently used utilities in SQL Server's tool set. As every DBA knows, Query Analyzer is essentially SQL Server's command console. Query Analyzer's GUI makes it easy to use. In fact, you can easily overlook the fact that Query Analyzer doesn't just provide a GUI-style point-and-click interface—it also provides full support for a set of keyboard shortcuts that make Query Analyzer a more effective and productive tool. Taking advantage of these shortcuts lets you quickly enter and execute SQL statements without needing to take your hands off the keyboard to use the mouse. Here are seven keyboard shortcuts that can help you be more productive when you're using Query Analyzer.
The F5 key is the keyboard shortcut that I use most frequently. Pressing the F5 key runs the current query and lets you avoid taking your hands off the keyboard to click the green run icon.
You can use the F8 key to quickly toggle the display of the Object Browser window in the left side of the Query Analyzer window. If the Object Browser window is displayed, pressing F8 closes it. If the Object Browser is closed, pressing the F8 key displays it.
Pressing the F4 key displays Query Analyzer's Object Search dialog box. Object Search lets you search for a table name, view, stored procedure, user-defined function (UDF), column, index trigger, extended stored procedure, or constraint in one database or in all the databases on the server. You can set up more than one search criterion by pressing F4 multiple times.
4. Alt+F1
The Alt+F1 keyboard shortcut is a quick way to run the sp_help stored procedure. If nothing is selected in the Query Analyzer window, Alt+F1 runs sp_help for the current database. If the name of a database object is selected, sp_help runs for the selected database object.
3. Ctrl+1
Another handy keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+1, runs the sp_who stored procedure. If a SQL Server login name is selected in the Query Analyzer window, sp_who runs for the selected database object. If no name is selected, Ctrl+1 runs sp_who for the database you're currently in.
2. Ctrl+2
The Ctrl+2 keyboard shortcut executes the sp_lock stored procedure for the current database. This keyboard shortcut doesn't let you use parameters.
1. Your Own Shortcuts
The best keyboard shortcuts are always your own, and Query Analyzer lets you add as many as nine of them. From the Tools menu, select Customize, then select the Custom tab. You can choose a keyboard combination and enter the name of a stored procedure that you want to run when you press that keyboard combination.
Hide comments


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Kiva.org is excited to announce our newest Field Partner, ADMIC (Asesoria Dinamica a Microempresas), operating in Mexico.
ADMIC was established in 1980 in Monterrey, Mexico, by a group of business visionaries.
ADMIC's mission is to fight poverty and unemployment in the informal economy by promoting the growth of micro-businesses. Close to ninety percent of this program's beneficiaries are low-income women who are part of solidarity groups, a lending method that allows members to cross-guarantee one another's loans in lieu of collateral. ADMIC's clients represent some of the poorest people in Mexico - many are artisans, seamstresses and agricultural workers.
ADMIC is partnered with ACCION International, one of the world's largest microfinance institutions, who provided technical assistance to ADMIC during its establishment and now continues to work with them in various capacities. For the past two years, ADMIC has had an ACCION resident advisor on-site providing technical assistance and support.


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Mini Lathes
We found 3 great machines priced from $225 to $1,550.
By Judy Ditmer & Kara Gebhart
Pages: 76-79
From the December 2004 issue #145
Buy this issue now
Mini lathes, which used to be a tool for crafters, have evolved into capable, powerful machines. Most manufacturers now offer a mini, midi or maxi version of their full-size lathe. And most woodworkers have one or want one.
The market is diverse. You can spend $160 or as much as $1,550 and still be in the so-called mini lathe category. The premium Oneway aside, all the lathes we tested have 1⁄2 hp motors. All provide adequate power and torque for basic turning and have a 10″ swing. Differences arise when examining their moving parts.
From the December 2004 issue #145
Buy this issue now


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July 2, 2012, 3:50 pm
Medal of Honor: Warfighter gets military-exclusive edition
Electronic Arts recently teamed up with GovX.com to create Medal of Honor: Warfighter Military Edition, a special edition that is exclusive to U.S. military and government employees.
According to a release, this is the first time a major video game will offer a special edition that is only available for military personnel.
The edition comes with a number of exclusive in-game unlocks, including the Project HONOR camouflage pattern.
Part of the proceeds of the sales will go to a number of different military branch associations.
Check out the trailer below.


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Beaumont/Port Arthur
A Beaumont man has undergone at least one surgery and is recovering after he was wounded in a gunfight with Beaumont police Saturday night, Aug. 24.
While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us "that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas," we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We're of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.
For this week's New York Times crossword puzzle, pick up a copy of this week's The Examiner on newsstands now.


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How old is your LO?
How many times (average) does LO nurse during the week?
How much EBM do you leave (if any) with LO during the day when you are at work?Does LO eat solids?
Do you offer any other liquids (juice, whole milk) or just water?
Just trying to see if my DD (14 months) seems to be "average".
She nurses 2-5 times (once in AM before work, sometimes once after work, always at bedtime, and sometimes 1-2 times during the middle of the night)
I leave her 3 bottles w/ 4 oz each and she drinks them all.


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Bowhunters in South Florida get to chase white-tailed deer earlier than any other place in the country, which is good news and bad news.
By Steve Waters
Instead of having to wait until October to grab your bow and treestand to head for the woods, you're hunting deer in late July on private land and early August on public land.
But that also means you'll probably slog through a foot or two or three of water to get to your hunting spot before daylight while hoping to not attract the interest of an alligator or water moccasin.Wherever you set up, clouds of mosquitoes will soon be there to welcome you, which means you'd better have a fresh pad and butane cartridge in your ThermaCELL. A bug suit wouldn't hurt, either.
Shortly after the sun rises, so does the temperature, which typically tops 90 degrees in the summer. Combined with the high humidity, that'll have you sweating in the shade. And don't be surprised if you get rained on — thunderstorms sweep across the Everglades pretty much every afternoon.
The sounds you hear bowhunting in South Florida are different, too. Instead of the crunch … crunch … crunch of dry leaves, it'll be splash … splash … splash as deer walk through cypress swamps and flooded prairies.
Check out this great deer call!
I'll never forget my first hunt deep in the Big Cypress National Preserve, a sprawling 711,000-acre public hunting area an hour west of Miami. I asked my friend Jack, who had hunted there for 40 years, what type of hunting boots to bring. He told me to just wear old sneakers and plan on getting my feet wet.
Jack would drive us through the woods in his homemade buggy, which had a raised platform with seats atop the chassis of an old Suburban fitted with tractor tires. My feet were wet 30 seconds after he dropped me off each morning and they stayed wet until we got back to camp each evening. (My sneakers took a week to dry out after the hunt.)
One afternoon, with the wind increasing and thunder booming in the distance, the pine tree my stand was attached to began to sway. I climbed down just as the rain and lightning arrived, crawled under some palmettos and prayed that none of the branches that were snapping in the storm would land on me.
After the storm passed, I heard Jack approaching, so I grabbed my gear and rode back to camp with him. After drying my bow and changing shirts, I sloshed about a mile away, put my stand in a tree at the intersection of two flooded trails, hunted til dark and spooked a couple of deer on the way back.
The following morning was gorgeous and after climbing into my stand, I stretched and took in the beauty of the woods before pulling up my bow into the stand.
While I was stretching, I heard a tinkling sound. I looked and 20 yards broadside was a buck relieving himself in the trail.
If you've ever tried to pull up your bow quietly, you know it can't be done. The buck wasn't sure what made the noise, but he walked 50 yards away just to be safe, leaving me with no shot and a valuable lesson learned.
Steve Waters is the outdoors writer for the Sun Sentinel newspaper in South Florida. View more of his stories at SunSentinel.com/outdoors.


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The Democrats didn't throw environmentalists many bones at their convention this week -- at least not any with much meat on them. Yet it was striking how even bland, unspecific statements about the environment drew stark contrasts between the parties. Take a few lines from Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee's speech, who is not a Democrat but an ex-Republican turned Independent. Speaking for those in the political middle -- "traditional conservatives," as he called them -- who support President Obama's re-election, Chafee said: "We love this land -- literally. We believe in environmental stewardship -- protecting our air and our water."
Of course, it's not news that this GOP, in its current incarnation, is a pretty anti-environmental beast. Still, I find myself continually surprised by how radically the party has shifted its view in recent years.
Let's take a trip down memory lane: Brad Plumer wrote a great post for Wonkblog recently contrasting the GOP's official platforms in 2008 and 2012 that illuminated this transformation. Plumer points first to a section on climate change in the 2008 platform, which asserted: "The same human economic activity that has brought freedom and opportunity to billions has also increased the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. While the scope and longterm consequences of this are the subject of ongoing scientific research, common sense dictates that the United States should take measured and reasonable steps today to reduce any impact on the environment. Those steps, if consistent with our global competitiveness will also be good for our national security, our energy independence, and our economy."
This year, Mitt Romney's only nod to the environment created a baffling false dichotomy between what's good for planet and what's good for people. (Though in less visible quarters, Romney has at least struck a more nuanced tone.) The section on climate change has disappeared from the platform. It now advocates taking "quick action to prohibit the EPA from moving forward with new greenhouse gas regulations," and restoring scientific integrity to public research institutions, something it claims "is especially important when the causes and long-range effect of a phenomenon are uncertain." Nevermind that among the vast majority of the world's scientists, such fundamental uncertainties about climate change don't exist.
Plumer compared and contrasted the Democrats' platforms as well, and they too have changed their ways, taking more of a shine to domestic fossil fuel production after pledging to end "the tyranny of oil" in 2008, and adopting what Plumer calls "a less apocalyptic take on climate change." The total package, as Plumer puts it, "tries awkwardly to juggle these competing concerns," embracing oil and gas drilling while acknowledging climate change as "one of the biggest threats of this generation."
Answering Romney's climate jab in Charlotte last night, Obama said: "My plan will continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet. Because climate change is not a hoax. More drought and floods and wildfire are not a joke. They're a threat to our children's future. And in this election, you can do something about it."
Environmentalists, who have been disappointed by Obama's lack of bold action on our climate conundrum, may be justifiably skeptical. His speech last night likely frustrated more than satisfied them: the president briefly cheered clean coal, and touted his support for an ongoing expansion of domestic oil and gas drilling, while promising to "not let oil companies write this country's energy plan or endanger our coastlines or collect another $4 billion in corporate welfare from our taxpayers." Awkward as this balance may be, at least somebody is still trying to strike it -- something the GOP seems increasingly disinterested in.
Obama also told the crowd of party faithful last night that, "When you pick up that ballot to vote, you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation." On the environment, at least, that appears to be true.
Cally Carswell is HCN's assistant editor.
Image courtesy of NewsHour, licensed under Creative Commons.


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CONCORD, N.C. – Jordan Noe earned his first career win with the King Tornado while helping guide the men's team to a near-perfect score and a first place finish at Friday's Pre-Conference Championship meet. The women's team completed the sweep with King's second first place team finish behind Evan Ferrell's team-leading time. The event took place at historic Frank Liske Park in Concord, N.C. and was hosted by Belmont Abbey College.
Jordan Noe (Morristown, Tenn.) took the individual title in the Pre-Conference Championship meet for the first time in his career with King, also marking the first time the sophomore was the team's leading finisher. Noe crossed the finish line in front of all other competitors with a time of 16:10 on the 5k course.
King continued its long run of successes on the day by taking six of the top seven overall individual positions. The Tornado controlled the top three spot with junior Spencer Frantom (Morristown, Tenn.) finishing second, just two seconds behind Noe. Dickson Kurgat (Naidi Hills, Kenya) took the third overall position with a time of 16:21.
The youth of the men's team continued to bring in the successes, taking the fifth through seventh overall positions in the results.
Freshman Brent Swiney (Bristol, Va./John Battle H.S.) was the fourth King harrier to clock in a sub-17-minute time at 16:57, good for fifth overall. Sophomore Jordan Smith (17:02) finished sixth overall while freshman Garrett Watts finished seventh, one second behind Smith.
With King taking six of the top seven spots, the Tornado nearly posted a flawless score in their first place team finish. King scored 17 points in Friday's meet, just two points shy from achieving perfection (15 points).
Trailing King in the team standings was Barton (62), Coker (69), and Lees-McRae (87), respectively.
The Lady Tornado shared in similar successes, also placing first in the team standings.
Evan Ferrell (Richlands, Va.) placed third overall to lead the team with a 15:21 run on the 4k course. Her finish marks the first time the junior was the top finisher for King in her career.
Kendra Sokol (Kingsport, Tenn./Dobyns-Bennett H.S.) crossed the line fourth overall with a 15:24 time, just three seconds behind Farrell. Freshman Eliza Parker (Oswego, N.Y.) finished seventh overall at 16:09, while senior Danielle Beauvais (Winchester, Va.) rounded out the list of top-10 individual finishers with a 16:42 run.
Freshman Tabitha Arwood kept pace with Beauvais, just missing the top-10 with her 11th place finish and a 4k run time of 16:47.
King finished first overall, tallying 27 points and beating out the competition by nearly twice as few points as the next team.
Barton earned its second, second place team finish with 55 points on the women's side. Lees-McRae (73) came in third place while Queens (N.C.) placed fourth with 78 points.
"Both teams are really responding well to the training," said Head Coach Peter Dalton. "Their results today definitely showed that they are focused on what we have been preparing for all season long, the conference and regional competitions with aspirations of advancing to nationals. They all ran great races today and we look forward to returning to Concord for the conference championships."
Recent King graduate Danielle Alfano ran the race unattached from all schools and won the women's race with a 15:10 time.
Full results will be available at a later time.
King will compete in the Conference Carolinas Championships, held on Oct. 19. The championship will be held where Friday's meet took place, Frank Liske Park, in Concord, N.C. and begin at 8 a.m.


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Here is a magic ideal model link that has given me some valuable insight:http://photo.tutsplus.com/articles/theory/light-photography-exposure-and-tonal-range-considerations/
...just sayin' Ya might wanna learn how to use ACR 7.x and LR 4.x to get the best end result.
And, no... contrary to the article all digital cameras are not limited to 5 stops of DR nowadays... no.
All respect, but I would instead highly recommend Capture One Pro. I prior used Camara RAW and found that and Photoshop made me think too much technical, as opposed to photographically when processing an image.
you should give it a try if you hadn't already.
Quote AndersNotably the one thing that matters most in digital photography is where we place our highlight end, including (if there is) a transition into highlights before clipping. UnquoteThat is correct but has nothing to do with the zone system imo. My understanding is that you pick out the area of interest - usually the focal point - and make a judgement as to the light falling on it and use the EV up or down to make it a new midtone. It could be 1,2 or 3 steps. What you are saying is you spot meter for the highlight. lock exposure and usually dial in +2 - or maybe +3 if you are feeling brave - and this means the whole scene is lightened by two or three stops. Two different ideas.
The way I see it you would try to reach maximum exposure without clipping (that is saturating any channel of the sensor). Having maximum exposure reduces shot noise. If you call ETTR or not doesn't really matter.
Depends on if you want saturated white in any part of the image, and/or if you want to capture part of the highlight transition by recovery of one or two channels.
I very seldom see an advantage in having blown out white
If it looks good to your eye and looks good in the viewfinder, snap it. Who cares how many pixels fit into mid-range? Even if you could arrive at some formula for best number of pixels in mid-range, there are too many other elements that go into a good shot such as composition, compelling subject, framing, etc.
Erik: I looked at your portfolio and I really like it. Your pictures seem to have nice contrast and good color. They also have good composition but may main point about contrast and lighting is I doubt that the mid-range pixels match among the various shots. I think we all have to shoot a picture that looks compelling to us first. Then damn where the pixels wind up.
Nice shots. The composition does follow the rules of thirds- naturally. This rule just follows what our brain considers pleasant design. It's really a statement of how our brain operates not really a rule. The same with focus, contrast, mid tones, highlights, etc. If it looks good to the brain, we can write a rule about it. "People's faces look better in focus than out" "Provide higher contrast pictures - low contrast flat pictures are boring to our brain" etc.
All three shots have balanced elements to one another. That's your brain selecting the best arrangement. It comes naturally for you. You don't need to be told a rule or how to apply it. Your brain is doing it naturally. Like I said, the rules only reflect what our brain already know the best way to arrange it. Some people like you do it innately. Other don't see it so easily so the "rule" helps them to "see" better. I could nevunderstandtnd why in most other things we do, there are rules and suggestions and practices we follow to improve what we do. But when it comes to [photography, photographers think these things are just plain silly. Oh well.


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By Samuel P. Jacobs
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (Reuters) - Eighty-six days after Paul Ryan was introduced as Mitt Romney's running mate aboard the U.S.S. Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia, the Republican vice presidential candidate returned to his home state of Wisconsin late Monday night, putting an end to a marathon stretch of campaigning with one final rally.
"We were in Nevada. We were in Iowa. We were in Ohio. We were in Colorado," the Wisconsin congressman said, checking off the day's stops before his arrival in the state, "but it is really great to be back here in Packer land, God's country, back here in Wisconsin," Ryan said.
Ryan was introduced by Governor Scott Walker as "our fellow cheesehead," a nickname for state residents proud of their dairy farms and professional football team, the Green Bay Packers.
Starting Monday morning in Reno, Nevada, Ryan hop-scotched through five states, four time zones, and more than 2,800 miles in a last sprint before the polls open across the nation on Tuesday.
Ryan's home state is one of a handful of states whose victor is likely to determine the winner of the presidential campaign.
"They have always taken us for granted, Wisconsin," Ryan told 2,500 people gathered in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin airplane hangar. "They thought it was easy. We haven't gone Republican since 1984," Ryan said, noting the last time the state voted for a Republican presidential candidate.
"Let's prove them wrong," he said.
Earlier on Monday, in Johnston, Colorado, Ryan entered a truck stop in search of a photo opportunity and cinnamon roll and received a blessing from a Roman Catholic priest instead.
Ryan, who is Catholic, introduced himself to a patron and began talking to Father Greg Ames of Northglenn, Colorado.
Ryan removed a black string of rosary beads from his jacket pocket and asked for Ames's blessing.
On Tuesday morning, Ryan will vote in his hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin. While there, he'll have the rare distinction of voting for himself twice. Ryan also is on the ballot for reelection to Congress as well.
(Reporting By Samuel P. Jacobs; Editing by Paul Simao)


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LONDON (AP) — British police say 12 people have been charged with a variety of offenses in relation to ongoing protests over shale gas extraction in southern England.
Surrey Police said Saturday that they have made two further arrests on top of the 16 a day earlier, of whom 12 are facing charges.
The charges range from assault on police to preventing drivers and workers from entering a test-drilling site.
The protesters are campaigning against the extraction of gas by hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking.
They have been gathered for three days in Balcombe, England, where Cuadrilla Resources Ltd. is poised to start test drilling.
Cuadrilla has said it intends to conduct only exploratory drilling in a temporary operation that will not include hydraulic fracturing.