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Rep. Nancy Pelosi's Republican challenger, John Dennis, won just 15 percent of the vote versus her 80 percent in the 2010 midterm elections, a very good year for the GOP, which took over the House after delivering a historic beat-down to the Democrats.
So to say is unlikely to defeat the House Democratic leader this year in a rematch for the congressional seat representing San Francisco is putting it mildly. The seat is deemed so safe for Pelosi that it would be hard to consider Dennis anything other than a sacrificial lamb.
Which makes a new ad by Dennis seem like something of a visual Freudian slip because it contains, no kidding, a sacrificial lamb — and actors dressed as zombies, led by an actor portraying Pelosi, who pretend to sacrifice an actual lamb when Dennis comes to its rescue.
The ad is obviously meant to get Dennis, co-founder of the ergonomics design firm Humanscale, some attention. And the fact that I've written this post proves his strategy is working.
This isn't Dennis' first weird campaign TV ad rodeo. In 2010, he had an ad that depicted Pelosi as the Wizard of Oz's wicked witch.
If the ad gives you the sense that Dennis is not your typical Republican House candidate, you'd be right. He's an anti-war libertarian who supports Texas Rep. Ron Paul, gay marriage and medical marijuana.
Also, if the ad triggers memories of another political ad out of California, maybe it's the "demon sheep" ad run by U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina in the 2010 Republican primary against former GOP congressman Tom Campbell. She lost to Sen. Barbara Boxer.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Minimum order is $100.00. We only sell to CEMs and OEMs in the USA.
No sales to Import/Export Distributors, Students or Individuals.


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On Nov. 9, thousands of Tibetan students gathered in the historic monastery town of Rebkong to protest Chinese rule over the restive Tibetan plateau, where nearly 70 Tibetans have lighted themselves on fire since March 2011 in gruesome displays of desperation. Two days before, five Tibetans had self-immolated in three different parts of the high plateau, among them three teenage monks and one young mother from Rebkong (known as Tongren in Chinese). Two other Tibetans burned themselves in Rebkong this week, according to overseas Tibetan groups.
Separately, in Xining, the provincial capital of China's western Qinghai province, where many Tibetans live, hundreds of Tibetan students joined together on the evening of Nov. 9 for a candlelight vigil to honor the protesters who, as flames engulfed their bodies, invariably shouted for an end to Chinese repression and the return of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader who fled into exile in India after a failed uprising against Chinese rule more than five decades ago.
(PHOTOS: Tibetans Protest Hu Jintao in India)
The same day, on the edge of Beijing's Tiananmen Square, Communist Party delegates gathered to discuss the situation in Tibet. The afternoon meeting was part of the 18th Party Congress, a once-in-five-years communist leadership confab that began on Nov. 8, a day after the record five self-immolations took place. (A sixth fiery protest occurred on the Thursday the Party Congress first convened.) The site of the Tibetan-delegation meeting was a room in the Great Hall of the People, adorned with brightly hued murals of Tibetans happily harvesting barley, frolicking in green fields under a rainbow and even sitting astride a horse while wearing a People's Liberation Army uniform. The room was signposted in misspelled English as the "Tiebet Room."
In filed a line of men in dark suits, some of Tibetan ethnicity but many others from China's Han ethnic majority. (A Tibetan has never filled the top Communist Party leadership post in the Tibetan Autonomous Region.) A handful of women in traditional Tibetan dress, resplendent with coral and turquoise jewelry and geometrically patterned long skirts, sat down and proceeded to utter not a single word for the entire 90-minute session. Instead, they occupied their time taking pictures of one another, slowly writing notes while the senior cadres droned on or, in the case of one elderly female delegate, nodding off when the flood of socialist verbiage became too soporific to resist. Two broad-shouldered Tibetans wore the cowboy hats associated with the Khampas, the eastern Tibetans who most fiercely resisted the People's Liberation Army troops when the Chinese marched in and declared Tibetan regions part of the new People's Republic. Chinese television crews crowded around them, and sure enough the Tibetan delegates showed up on state television that evening as examples of the ethnically harmonious spirit of the communist brotherhood.
The meeting began with an extensive paean to the keynote work report that China's outgoing leader Hu Jintao had given the day before at the 18th Party Congress, a 100-minute treatise in which he outlined the accomplishments of his decade in power. We were regaled with just how perfectly Hu's concept of "scientific development" suited the needs of Tibet. (Scientific development appears to be a theory in which a scientific and pragmatic approach to governance will lead to a sustainable and harmonious society, hardly the most groundbreaking of political ideologies.) Delegates at the Tibet meeting referred to one another as "comrade." Not a word of Tibetan was spoken, only Mandarin, the Chinese dialect that is referred to in mainland China as "the common language."
(MORE: As Tibetans Mark 'National Uprising Day,' Tensions Simmer on the High Plateau)
Those of us in the foreign press corps, who were watching the proceedings from a roped-off area, received our history lesson. "The last 10 years was the period when the people in Tibet have gained the most benefits," we were told by Padma Choling, the chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The accomplishments of the communist government in Tibet were examined in voluminous detail. Airports have been built, schooling made free. Complimentary medical checks are being offered for monks and nuns, who can now watch the state-run news on televisions powered by new power lines. Kilometers upon kilometers of new roads have unfurled across the Tibetan moonscape.
The government has built greenhouses, shower facilities and garbage dumps for thousands of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries or nunneries with more than 20 clerics. Government health officials have given crucial information to nuns about how women's bodies work. All Tibetan farmers and herders will be gifted "safe new houses" by 2013, according to Padma Choling. The urban unemployment rate is only 2.69% in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, reported a Han official in charge of the local Organization Department.
Tibetan capital Lhasa, we were instructed, has been voted the happiest city in China four times in a five-year period. "Happiness is dynamic, happiness needs to be experienced," said Che Dalha, the Communist Party secretary for Lhasa. "Today's Lhasa is just like what they sing in the song: The sky in Lhasa is the most blue/ The clouds in Lhasa are the most white/ The water in Lhasa is the clearest/ The air in Lhasa is the freshest/ The sunshine in Lhasa is the brightest/ And the people in Lhasa are the happiest."
(PHOTOS: Funeral of an Exiled Tibetan Activist)
The word happy was a mantra during the meeting, perhaps only rivaled in usage by Hu's concept of scientific development. (Conveniently, scientific development is what helps make Tibetans feel particularly happy.) Nowhere was it mentioned that many Tibetans feel as though they have not profited equally from the region's economic expansion, as an influx of Han migrants flood the region and snap up some of the best jobs. No cadre at the Great Hall of the People admitted that many of the new roads are designed to truck out Tibet's bountiful and largely untapped natural resources.
Even as the new greenhouses and showers in monasteries were hailed, no one talked about the culture of fear that exists in Tibetan Buddhist institutions, where spies ferret out anti-Chinese sentiment or catch people illegally worshipping the Dalai Lama, whom the Chinese government considers an enemy of the state. Tibetan education in local schools has declined dramatically over the past five years, and monks are being forced to imbibe socialist propaganda because they are also, as Losang Gyaltsen, vice chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, noted, "grassroots citizens" who are part of "Tibetan Buddhism adapted to socialist society."
The assembled journalists were told by Padma Choling that we were "warmly welcomed to go visit Tibet, to feel the development and changes in Tibet." Barely stifled giggles erupted in the press gallery. Practically no foreign journalists have been given official permission to visit Tibet since the months following a 2008 eruption of chaos when some Han and even more Tibetans were killed in internecine riots and the violently suppressed Tibetan protests that followed.
(MORE: Tibet's Next Incarnation)
It wasn't until the question-and-answer period — in which delegates gamely took a few questions from the foreign media, as well as softball queries from members of the Chinese state press — that the self-immolations even came up. Losang Gyaltsen read his answer from a sheaf of paper, a signal that he was expecting the issue to come up, even if it didn't merit any mention during the working group's official meeting.
"We think the reasons for the self-immolation incidents are varied. Some of the cases were caused by personal reasons. But we also see that some of the self-immolation cases were incited and planned by separatist groups abroad. The overseas Tibetan separatist forces hype all these incidents. They call these heroic acts and they consider the people who set themselves on fire heroes. They extremely beautify and incite such extreme behavior. As we all know, in the laws of a lot of countries, instigating and inducing others to commit suicide is a crime itself. In the laws of China, this is criminal behavior … But the overseas Tibetan separatist forces and the Dalai clique sacrifice other people's lives to reach their ulterior political motives."
Che Dalha, Communist Party secretary for Lhasa, added his take:
"Lhasa is a city of happiness. We won't allow anybody to make trouble in it, to set themselves on fire. But indeed, supported by overseas forces and for other reasons, we are facing people who came from other areas and have tried to set themselves on fire in Lhasa. As of last year, everybody who enters Tibet needs to bring their IDs. We moved our checkpoints outside of Lhasa city to prevent people from going to the city to self-immolate … I read in the papers that in the West, in the U.S. and Japan, there are a lot of people who set themselves on fire or commit suicide. There are a lot of people who have fatally shot themselves with a gun, jumped in a river, self-immolated or hanged themselves. Only a few cases have happened in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. So some of the media have ulterior motives. It's not necessary to spread propaganda."
The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile, based in the Indian hill station of Dharamsala, have said repeatedly that they are not orchestrating the self-immolations, 56 of which have occurred this year. It is true that the bulk of these burning protests have not occurred in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, which is a far smaller entity than the cultural sphere of Tibetan influence across western China. Significant populations of Tibetans live in Qinghai, Sichuan and Gansu provinces. The self-immolations have occurred mostly in Sichuan's Kham foothills but are now increasingly flaring in the high plains of Gansu and Qinghai. Only eight self-immolations have occurred in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Although earlier protests were carried out by monks, nuns and former clerics, recent burnings have proliferated among laypeople — a disturbing sign of radicalization among Tibetans.
Such distinctions and trends, however, weren't analyzed in the Great Hall of the People's Tiebet Room. Instead, the language was both stern and hopeful, as in Padma Choling's words:
"Over the last 10 years, we have always persisted in 'stability overrides all thought.' We have put stability as our first task, as the first responsibility of the government. The key point of stability is to improve people's lives, so we have implemented a series of measures and policies for the people. We can say that currently Tibet is implementing stabilization and is on the way to long-term stability. We are determined, and we have confidence to build Tibet into a better place. In a word, right now the social system in Tibet has achieved a historical leap; economic development has achieved a historical result; social undertakings have achieved historical progress; people's lives have achieved a historical improvement and all [ethnic] nationalities in Tibet have achieved historical unity."
After 90 minutes, the media were ushered out of the Tibet-delegation meeting room. Outside, on Tiananmen Square, firefighters in bright orange-red uniforms stood like stern-faced pillars. Each was armed with a fire extinguisher. Near them, a loop of propaganda played on a giant screen, showcasing happy citizens of various ethnicities glorifying the People's Republic of China.
— With reporting by Chengcheng Jiang / Beijing


text: / Thesaurus / R Synonyms of rorippa Find synonyms for: Noun1. Rorippa, genus Rorippa, dilleniid dicot genususage: annual and perennial herbs of damp habitats; cosmopolitan except AntarcticaWordNet 3.0 Copyright © 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Related Content Daily Word Quiz: rotund Analogy of the Day: Today's Analogy Spelling Bee: Today's Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language


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Valid device control types that can be used with these requests include the following:
The XGetDeviceControl request returns a pointer to an XDeviceControl structure.
XGetDeviceControl can generate a BadDevice or BadMatch error.
The XChangeDeviceControl request modifies the values of one control on the specified device. The control is identified by the id field of the XDeviceControl structure that is passed with the request.
XChangeDeviceControl can generate a BadDevice, BadMatch, or BadValue error.
XDeviceControl is a generic structure that contains two fields that are at the beginning of each class of control:
typedef struct { XID class; int length; } XDeviceControl;
The XDeviceResolutionState structure defines the information that is returned for device resolution for devices with valuators.
typedef struct { XID control; int length; int num_valuators; int *resolutions; int *min_resolutions; int *max_resolutions; } XDeviceResolutionState;
The XDeviceResolutionControl structure defines the attributes that can be controlled for keyboard Devices.
typedef struct { XID control; int length; int first_valuator; int num_valuators; int *resolutions; } XDeviceResolutionControl;


text: Latviešu tautas dziesmas, (Chansons populaires lettonnes) volumes I — XII . Edited by Arveds Švābe, Kārlis Straubergs, Edīte Hauzenberga-Šturma. Copenhagen: Imanta, 1952-1956. The project is grateful to Mrs. Eiženija Reitmane, the holder of the copyright of Latviešu tautas dziesmas, for permission to create this electronic edition. The University of Virginia also gratefully acknowledges permission from Dr. Imants Freibergs to utilize his keyboarded text version of Latviešu tautas dziesmas in ASCII format, known as the Boston-Montreal Dainas Data Base, in creating this searchable XML edition. This project was made possible by the many contributors to the Milda Zīlava Memorial Fund, established at the University of Virginia Library by Professors Maruta and Benjamin Ray. The memorial gifts of the friends and admirers of Milda Zīlava (1908-2003), actress of the Latvian National Theater and Latvian films, and the gifts of the deans and staff of the Office of the Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, have provided the funding for this project. The University thanks each contributor. |


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We offer a Free quote and UK design service, get in touch today.
We are able to supply sand play equipment for use in schools and nurseries. This includes fun toys and equipment along with a sand box which is perfect for many activities.
This feature can help develop a child's sensory touch and help with both their mental and physical development throughout life.
There are a large number of different equipment designs and products that are designed to help improve the overall development and progression of children in schools and nurseries.
It's vital that children have an area outside of the classroom where they can not only have a good time and relax but also keep their minds in gear, ensuring that they are still engaged when they get back into the classroom.
A good playground should be able to do this, and to be able to get your play area to the point where it offers both of these properties requires a vast array of different playground equipment.
An example of an ideal item is a sand ideas box as it helps to encourage creativity and physical development.
To learn more about the different products and services we have on offer please use the enquiry form. We can help talk you through the different designs and specifications available to you and how we can alter them to fit within your budget.
There are various types of sand play equipment designed to enhance children's sensory experiences and promote their physical and cognitive development. Here are some common types of sand play equipment:
When choosing sand play equipment, it's important to consider the age of the children, the available space, and the level of supervision required. Different types of equipment offer diverse play experiences, catering to various aspects of a child's development.
The average cost of sand play equipment is £150 - £500.
The cost of outdoor sand play equipment varies based on the type of equipment, type of design, its size and quantity of play equipment.
If you would like a quote for sandboxes and sand play accessories, please get in touch and we will be happy to provide you with some costs for these products.
Engaging in sand sensory play offers numerous benefits for children's development. Here are some of the key advantages:
You must bear in mind a range of different aspects when selecting an outdoor play apparatus provider.
Using diverse appliances may help increase a child's growth both physically and mentally because of active play. Making use of all of these different equipment may boost thinking abilities within young people which means that it is necessary to plan these equipment thoroughly.
To find out more about how the sand toys can help the growth and development of a child, please fill in the contact form provided and one of our team will get back to you shortly and answer any questions you may have.
You could choose to have a creative playground sandpit for your outdoor area so pupils can make up their own fun games.
The discovery sand box offers a world of possibilities for the children to learn with as there is no set way of using the equipment.
This helps to improve physical abilities such as sculpting and the sensory benefit of feeling a material that is different in texture than most.
It can also help improve muscles in the child as the movement of sand can work parts of the body that wouldn't typically be used.
Sand play also greatly improves creativity and imagination. Kids can enjoy playing role play games and use the sandpit as a prop or as an imaginary environment.
There are so many ways to use the sand play equipment and it has many benefits for children of all different ages including EYFS and primary level.
OFSTED will sometimes suggest that schools have interactive items like this in the playground as it helps with developing many physical and mental skills.
When it comes to choosing the right products, the school sand box prices can vary depending on what you would like.
The pits come in a variety of sizes and shapes with different toys and extra items included. It is totally up to you which product you decide to have, but we would be happy to advise you on the range of designs that are available.
Just let us know if you have a particular budget to stick to and we'll advise on some products which would be best for your school or nursery.
There are many sandpit EYFS activities which can be beneficial for young children, in addition to games for KS1 and KS2 pupils to enjoy.
These versatile products are useful for sensory play where kids can learn about different textures and now natural materials move and work.
Additional toys such as buckets, spades, diggers and plastic shapes can be supplied as well to help you make full use of these boxes.
Playing with sand can significantly contribute to a child's overall development in various ways:
To engage in sand play, here are the basic items you'll need for a fun and educational sand play experience:
If you wish to receive more information regarding sand play equipment that we provide to schools, nurseries and other facilities, then please fill in the contact form provided.
Our expert team at School Playground Equipment can offer you any help and advice which you may require and can answer any questions you may have. Or if you would like to know how adjusting the specifications and designs can help reduce the overall costs of your playground then please feel free to use the enquiry form and we will get back to you as soon as we can.


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Hi Gertie, I work from home as a freelance writer and a SAHM. Here are my 5 uncomfortable truths about working from home (this applies to the work of motherhood as well):
1. Clothes are like money: bad clothes drive out good.
When you wake up in the morning you (or maybe just me) will always be pulled, as though in a riptide, to the ugliest, slouchiest pjs or sweats or jeans you own "just for today." Always.
Solution: Your nice stay at home clothes have to be just as comfortable as your slouchy clothes -- that means no tight waistbands, few buttons.
I've gathered a bunch of skirts I can wear with T-shirts and some nice wrap dresses. I have just two pairs of jeans (one in flat length, one in heel length) to wear when I need to. I wear longer skirts when I'm going to the playground.
2. If you are at home during the day, you WILL nap.
Just plan on it right now. It's natural to nap after lunch, like it's in the human physiology.
Solution: Wear something you feel comfortable napping in on the couch, whatever that is for you.
3. You will NEVER dress to look nice "just for yourself" no matter what your good intentions are.
Solution: plan to go out for lunch or coffee once a day -- to provide structure, and to make sure you see other people to get that motivation to look good.
4. You will be tempted to turn your home into a personal "nest" and alienate the people who live with you.
If you wear pjs and sweats all day (and sometimes even if you do dress up nice), the house will become more like your "den" and the people who live with you will start to feel like they are intruding on your lair when they come home. And that's not good.
Solution: Schedule two "transition times," once in the morning before you "go" to work, and once in the afternoon as you "leave" work. Spend this time cleaning up after yourself. You are there more, you'll be making more mess, you will have to clean more. Just get over it and do it (this is gender neutral advice, btw).
Most importantly, if you wound up wearing pjs all day, change into real clothes so they are greeted by a real person when they come home and not a den monster.
And finally, slightly OT, but a must mention,
5. You will probably gain weight unless you guard against it.
Solution: Pack yourself a lunch and snacks or go out to lunch and a coffee break, whatever you did when you were going into the office. Keep your old office habits at much as you can, until you can figure out what works right for you for working at home.
Whatever you do, don't torture yourself by planning to "throw together" a salad every day for lunch. A salad is the most labor intensive thing to make in the kitchen and leaves the biggest mess to clean up. In fact don't plan to cook anything for yourself for lunch, it will just make another mess that you will have to clean up (maybe you find cooking and cleaning a relaxing break, more power to you. I used to too, until I had to do it every single day while also finding time to work.)
Now, granted, it seems stupid to pack a lunch when you are at home all day anyway; but it really works. Make the kitchen off limits when you are "at work." This is even BETTER advice you if you are taking care of kids. I started packing my kids and myself a lunch and snacks everyday even if we aren't going anywhere, and it is so much easier on everyone and there is much less tendency on everyone's part to mindless snacking.
Good luck Gertie, I can't wait to see what you wear to work from home. =)
Thanks to Elizabethe for providing our first featured comment!


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A new trend is emerging — patients entering their doctors' offices armed with copies of diagnosis, treatment and articles downloaded from medical websites and other sources. All this information is making it more complicated for doctors to diagnose, treat and prescribe like they used to. The message is clear - doctors now have to pay attention to more informed patients and share decision making with them. HR managers have wondered (probably doubted) if their covered people were really using the medical web sites and other information they have made available. The answer seems to be yes! A lot of people are getting more medical information and are going through an attitudinal change. Writes big pharma consultant Al Topin: They (patients) no longer salute the doctor's white coat and do exactly what they are told. They have multiple sources of information, loads of questions . . . and they expect to play a major role in treating their health problems. While the Internet, smart phone apps and social media have served both as enablers and enticers of greater patient information, the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, is being seen as a major mover in getting patients to do what benefits managers have long wanted them to do; not just seek medical care, but actual medical value. Pharma consultant Greg DiPietro writes, "With the approval of the healthcare law, the conversation has moved . . . to one of overall 'value,' which reflects the ACA's stated mission to deliver more effective care at a lower cost." This value orientation is extending to closer patient scrutiny of medical services in the area of frequently over-used elective services. This evolution is assisted by a newly codified concept, found in Section 3506 of the ACA, "shared decision making," or SDM. Again, Mr. DiPietro: "Reform legislation calls for pilot projects exploring SDM, which creates a formal process that lets patients participate in making 'informed choices' about elective procedures.' The good news keeps coming. HR managers don't have to go out and buy some new thing or service to help their employees participate in SDM. Many of the medical web sites and other informational tools available and used today can already assist in SDM. From the Jan. 3, 2013, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine: For many health situations in which there's not one clearly superior course of treatment, SDM can ensure that medical care better aligns with patients' preferences and values. One way to implement this approach is by using patient decision aids — written materials, videos, or interactive electronic presentations… Not sure if your health plan's website's tools measure up? Look no further than the National Business Group on Health's suggested SDM tool list. Want to know if SDM has any payoff? Consider what the New England Journal of Medicine says:
Mr. Chelko is president and founder of The Chelko Consulting Group, a health and welfare benefits consulting firm in Westlake.


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Federal agents interviewed new witnesses this week in an ongoing investigation of government scientists that's been called "polar bear-gate," according to the scientists' lawyer.
The controversial probe, now entering its third year, is looking into allegations of scientific misconduct related to a 2006 report by wildlife researchers Charles Monnett and Jeffrey Gleason, who described seeing dead polar bears floating in Arctic waters.
The apparently drowned bears raised concerns about the effect of melting ice in the Arctic, and they were mentioned in Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth. Critics say the current probe is a witch hunt being conducted because the dead polar bears became potent symbols of climate change.
Earlier this week, the Department of the Interior's Office of Inspector General interviewed employees of the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, says Jeff Ruch of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, who is providing legal representation for Monnett and Gleason.
Investigators were apparently interested in archived data from aerial surveys of bowhead whales. It was during one of those routine surveys in 2004 that Monnett and Gleason saw four bear carcasses floating in open water, according to their report in the journal Polar Biology. They stated that, in earlier surveys from 1987-2003, "no dead and floating polar bears were observed."
In January, special agent Eric May wrote an email to John Bengtson, the director of the National Marine Mammal Laboratory, and listed some questions he wanted to ask about the historical database on the whale surveys: "Specifically, we need to determine if dead polar bears were documented in the BWASP database between 1987-2003?" The email was obtained by PEER through the Freedom of Information Act.
Bengtson, when asked in late March about being contacted by the inspectors, told NPR via email, "Because this is an ongoing investigation, I have been advised that it would be inappropriate for me to respond to your questions."
The recent inquires by the Office of Inspector General suggest that the investigation remains focused on the scientific integrity of the polar bear paper, after veering into questions about whether Monnett violated laws that govern the management of federal contracts. Ruch has said his client's actions related to contracts were consistent with standard procedures in his office.
The scientific integrity allegations regarding the journal article stem from a complaint made by a Department of the Interior employee in March of 2010, according to an August 2011 letter from the Office of Inspector General to Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who had requested information on the probe.
The letter noted that although the office would like to be able to respond to allegations made by PEER and other outside entities, it could not do so until the investigation was complete, because to do otherwise would be unfair to all parties involved.
Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.


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There are new icons for the "like"/"dislike" buttons, there's a new way to show the navigation sidebar and the "more from" section has been removed.
The homepage looks a lot different if you're not signed in. YouTube shows popular videos from topics like entertainment, sports, news, movies. The topic pages are automatically generated by YouTube.
You can check some screenshots from the previous YouTube experiment.
Here's how you can try the new interface. If you use Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari or Internet Explorer 8+:
1. open youtube.com in a new tab
2. load your browser's developer console:
* Chrome - press Ctrl+Shift+J for Windows/Linux/ChromeOS or Command-Option-J for Mac
* Firefox - press Ctrl+Shift+K for Windows/Linux or Command-Option-K for Mac
* Opera - press Ctrl+Shift+I for Windows/Linux or Command-Option-I for Mac, then click "Console"
* Safari - check this article
* Internet Explorer - press F12 and select the "Console" tab.
3. paste the following code which changes a YouTube cookie:
document.cookie="VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE=jZNC3DCddAk; path=/; domain=.youtube.com";window.location.reload();
4. press Enter and close the console.
Update (December 7, 2012): The new interface is available for everyone and you can no longer go back to the old layout.
{ Thanks, Abhishek and Lukáš. }


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Did you see Jimi Hendrix in concert? Did you meet Jimi Hendrix or have the opportunity to interview him or have some other unique, first-person encounter with Jimi Hendrix? If so, Experience Hendrix wants to hear from you.
Jimi Hendrix
Did you see Jimi Hendrix in concert? Did you meet Jimi Hendrix or have the opportunity to interview him or have some other unique, first-person encounter with Jimi Hendrix? If so, Experience Hendrix wants to hear from you.
The Experience work at the Record Plant in New York City. During the session, the group creates the basic track for "House Burning Down" and complete the recordings of "Gypsy Eyes" with take 5 being marked as 'complete.' The group also revisit "Tax Free" with Hendrix playing his guitar through a Leslie speaker on two of the takes; the later being marked as 'use.'
Gypsy Eyes House Burning Down New York City Record Plant Recording the experience
Recording for "Three Little Bears" would take place at the Record Plant, where Steve Winwood, Jack Casady and a host of others visited the group. Although Hendrix originally coined the title, "Cherokee Mist" for the session, he later settled on "Three Little Bears" as its final working title. Throughout the session, Jimi developed a jazzy rhythm pattern that would eventually become "South Saturn Delta." As the session progressed, Hendrix and bassist, Noel Redding get into a heated argument about the number of people in the studio. In his autobiography, Are You Experienced? Redding says, "There were tons of people in the studio – you couldn't even move. It was a party not a session. He just said, 'Relax man…' I'd been relaxing for months, so I relaxed my way right out the place, not caring if I ever saw him again." Taking a break from the session Hendrix leads an entourage to their local hangout at the Scene Club for some fun. Afterwards, Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell, Eddie Kramer, Winwood, Casady, Larry Coryell and others, return to the Record Plant to jam. These jams would become the foundation of "Voodoo Chile." A number of recordings with Winwood and Casady participating were laid to tape on this night, with 3 of the takes being fused together as "Voodoo Chile Blues," which was released on MCA's 1994 release – :Blues.
Casady eddie kramer Hendrix Jack Casady Larry Coryell Mitch Mitchell Noel Redding Record Plant Recording Steve Winwood Three Little Bears Winwood
Larry Coryell (playing 12-string guitar) joins Noel Redding, at this early morning session at the Record Plant for the recording of his self-penned number, "Little, Little Girl." A rough mix of the recording was also produced during the session. Later, Hendrix and Kramer prepare rough mixes of "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and "House Burning Down."
Larry Coryell Little Little Girl Noel Redding Record Plant Recording Voodoo Child
Returning once again to the Record Plant, the Experience prepare a rough mix of "House Burning Down" but later mark it 'Don't Use' and discard it. Overdubs, including Jimi's lead guitar part for Redding's "Little Miss Strange" are completed, as is the final mix of the track.
House Burning Down Little Miss Strange Record Plant Recording the experience
The Experience complete rough mixes for "Three Little Bears," "Voodoo Chile," and "Long Hot Summer Night" during sessions at the Record Plant. Jimi also returned to the April 22 recordings of "1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be)" by adding a series of new recordings that were later added as edit sections to create a single, unified master. With Hendrix taking the music in his own direction, Chas Chandler stepped down as the producer for the Electric Ladyland project. "Both I and the group were exhausted," explained Chandler in an interview with John McDermott for the book Jimi Hendrix Sessions. "I had spent three years with the Animals, and the next day I was working with Hendrix. I had put in as much time on the job as Hendrix, Mitchell, and Redding – plus my time with the Animals. The last thing I wanted to be doing was fighting with Jimi in the studio and then (Michael) Jeffrey in the office. I just walked away." In a separate session, also at the Record Plant, Noel Redding worked recorded "How Can I Live" with engineer Gary Kellgren.
Electric Ladyland Long Hot Summer Night Record Plant Recording the experience Three Little Bears Voodoo Chile
The Experience completed an overdub and mixdown session for "Gypsy Eyes" at the Record Plant.
Hendrix reportedly jams with Noel Redding, Frank Zappa, Arthur Brown, Steve Paul and Jimmy Carl Black at the Wreck Bar in the Castaways Hotel in Miami, Florida during the early morning hours. Redding boards a plane to return to London later that day.
Arthur Brown Castaways Hotel Florida Frank Zappa Jimmy Carl Black Miami Noel Redding Recording Steve Paul Wreck Bar
Hendrix jams with members of Traffic, including Dave Mason, Chris Wood, Steve Winwood, Trevor Burton, Carl Wayne and Vic Briggs at Hallenstadion. Chris Wood records the jam on his portable tape recorder. The second night of performances for the Pop-Montserkonzert take place at Hallenstadion. Afterwards, Keith Altham interviews Hendrix for the June 8 edition of New Musical Express.
ave Mason Carl Wayne Chris Wood Recording Steve Winwood Trevor Burton Vic Briggs


text:
The streets of Caracas, Venezuela, were awash in joy Monday, as fencer Rubén Limardo brought home the country's first gold medal in 44 years. That's right: the last time a Venezuelan Olympian won gold was in 1968. So, Limardo's fans could be forgiven for going a little crazy over it.
"I never imagined they'd receive me like this," he said.
Limardo was treated to a parade to celebrate Venezuela's second gold medal in its history. The country's first Olympic gold was won by boxer Francisco "Morochito" Rodriguez, who met Limardo at the airport as he returned from London. Rodriguez wore his gold medal — and the pair then compared their Olympic bling.
It took a string of upsets for Limardo, the No. 12 seed, to reach the gold-medal match in the epee.
And he kept a workmanlike attitude throughout the Summer Games, endearing himself to many in England by taking a packed commuter train after his triumph — still in his track suit and with a gaudy gold medal hanging around his neck.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
During squash/pumpkin season I fairly often find myself with extras. Having leftover pumpkin is certainly not a problem as I really like it and I enjoy coming up with new ways to use it. This time when I realized that I needed to use that pumpkin in the fridge I had been thinking about texmex flavours and about that open jar of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce that also needed to be used. I thought that some cheesy pumpkin quesadillas would hit the spot. Of course I had to roast the pumpkin to bring out its flavour and I decided to toss it in the chipotle chilies and adobo sauce before roasting it. Other than the pumpkin I went with some pretty standard quesadilla ingredients. The pumpkin quesadillas turned out pretty good! I may have gone a little too heavy on the chipotles but the fiery heat went well with the sweet roasted pumpkin and the gooey melted cheese. I served the quesadillas with some salsa verde for dipping. My texmex flavour cravings have been satisfied for another day. 🙂
Pumpkin Quesadillas
- 1 cup pumpkin/squash (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (chopped)
- 1/4 cup black beans
- 1 jalapeno (chopped)
- 1 green onion (chopped)
- 2 large tortillas
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
- 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped, optional)
- Toss the pumpkin in the oil and chipotle peppers to coat.
- Roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until caramelized, about 30 minutes, tossing after 15 minutes.
- Mix the squash, black beans, jalapeno and green onion.
- Melt a touch of butter in a pan.
- Place a tortilla in the pan and top with the pumpkin mixture, the cheese and the remaining tortilla.
- Fry until both sides are golden brown and the cheese has melted. (Tip: Place a plate on top of the quesadilla in the pan and flip so that it ends up on the plate and then slide it back onto the plate to flip it.)
Squash Chili Mole
Pumpkin and Black Bean Burritos
Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas
Corn and Zucchini Quesadillas
Turkey and Cranberry Quesadillas
Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
Roast Beef Quesadillas
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos with Swiss Chard Pesto
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas with Swiss Chard Pesto
Pumpkin Chorizo and Black Bean Soup


text: Bakcell Arena Stadium name: Bakcell Arena Club: Neftçi PFK Bakı Address: Nakhchivanski St, Baku 1119, Azerbaijan Club website: ---------- Disability Access Officer (DAO) details DAO name: Alihuseyn Madatov Phone number: 00994504441937 Email: [email protected] Disabled Supporters Association (DSA) details DSA name: ---------- Phone number: ---------- Email: ---------- Website: ---------- Getting to the stadium Train: ---------- Bus: ---------- Air: ---------- Metro/Tram: ---------- Taxi: ---------- Accessible parking and drop-off/pick-up points ---------- Ticketing ---------- Entering the stadium ---------- Stadium map ---------- Spectator viewing areas Wheelchair User spaces: ---------- Easy Access seating spaces: ---------- Other areas: ---------- Accessible concessions ---------- Accessible toilets ---------- Accessible services ---------- Useful publications and policies For further information, please refer to 'Access for All' – the UEFA and CAFE Good Practice Guide to Creating an Accessible Stadium and Matchday Experience. The guide is available to download in multiple languages here. Stadium photos ---------- Last Updated: ---------- Fans comments If you have visited this stadium before, CAFE invites you to HAVE YOUR SAY and share your matchday experience. Comments, photos and videos can be uploaded below, and you can upload anonymously if you would prefer. Your comments are important and will assist other disabled fans planning to visit this stadium. There has also been a number of instances where disabled fans comments have directly led to a stadium or club improving its existing facilities and services. If you wish to send more detailed feedback, you can download the CAFE matchday evaluation form here. For further information, please contact CAFE at [email protected]. Manage Cookie Preferences


text:
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Philip Klass and the FBI
45 comments:
- cda said...
I have never seen Hynek's article so cannot comment on it, but Klass should have remembered that the FBI had a passing interest in UFOs going back to 1947, and that there were internal memos on the subject, at least in the early days.
Therefore it was perfectly natural for Hynek or anyone else to publish an article encouraging UFO reports to be sent to CUFOS, seeing that the AF had closed down its own investigations over 5 years earlier.
In fact Hynek had merely said in effect: "forward your UFO reports to a civilian agency that will investigate them for you" and was thus saving the FBI the trouble & expense of investigating it themselves.
You are probably correct that Klass had over-reacted to Hynek's piece. I don't think CSICOP had been formed in 1975, so there was no skeptical UFO investigatory body to handle the reports. Things would change in the next 12 to 18 months (I think) when Klass became chief of the UFO subcommittee of CSICOP, as it was then known.
You can look at it another way and say that all Hynek did was to try and save the FBI time and money on a subject they were not equipped to investigate. Klass evidently thought CUFOS were the wrong organisation for this, and Hynek the wrong person, despite his long experience as Blue Book consultant. - December 30, 2012 at 4:31 AM
- Anthony Mugan said...
The psychology of the extreme ends of the spectrum of opinion in this particular debate is fascinating. As someone without a psychology background I wonder if there are any studies that have been done on what seems to me a rather odd and pseudo-religious approach by both the extremes?
- December 30, 2012 at 6:51 AM
- Don said...
Hoover had taken the FBI out of UFO investigations by the autumn of 1947. Thereafter, as can be found in the FBI files, some of the correspondence about UFOs they received was forwarded to the AF, others received a form letter explaining that UFOs were not the agency's area of responsibility and suggesting the correspondent send their info to the AF.
With the official end of the AF interest in UFOs, I do not know what the FBI was doing with UFO inquiries anymore. Hynek suggested they be sent to CUFOS. This would have been, as Kevin wrote, a win win for both.
Some skeptics are 'religionists', and if they are not, they are tempted by it at one time or another. By 'religionist', I mean a true believer in something or other. Klass appears to have fallen into 'religion' on more than one occasion.
Consider the people you know outside the UFO debate...the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker. If they think UFOs are hogwash, they are unlikely to give it another thought. Same for those who don't believe in God. But the Atheist or UFO skeptic can hardly hold their pee at the opportunity to witness. They are evangelists and missionaries.
Klass wanted to protect the naive and innocent FBI from the machinations of the wily believers. This is probably the most stupidly hilarious thing I have come across in the UFO story, so far.
The most obvious machination going on is Klass seeing an opportunity to get published by the FBI.
Don - December 30, 2012 at 7:55 AM
- Steve Sawyer said...
"...I wonder if there are any studies that have been done on what seems to me a rather odd and pseudo-religious approach by both the extremes?"
Interesting question, AM. I'd like to know if any such studies have been done, also.
And, I wonder what parallels in terms of the Demo/Repub divide, for example, or what's been termed the "Blue Brain/Red Brain" political and psychological differences in right wing vs. left wing may have related or similar cognitive differences in terms of traits and social functions.
I suspect there may be. - December 30, 2012 at 12:47 PM
- Steve Sawyer said...
"Klass wanted to protect the naive and innocent FBI from the machinations of the wily believers. This is probably the most stupidly hilarious thing I have come across in the UFO story, so far.
"The most obvious machination going on is Klass seeing an opportunity to get published by the FBI."
Yeaaaah, good ol' "Uncle Phil" -- what a "Klassy" guy. - December 30, 2012 at 12:52 PM
- Don said...
Anthony: "I wonder if there are any studies that have been done on what seems to me a rather odd and pseudo-religious approach by both the extremes?"
None that I know of. I don't think UFO skepticism is a cult, or cult-like, but UFO believers can be, and sometimes are. If a skeptic is "extreme", it is more individual and personal. There seems no need for a support community.
Kevin has posted some interesting comments on some "exteme" UFO believers, for example, about Del Rio and 'Colonel' Willingham, as well as others.
Don - December 30, 2012 at 6:16 PM
- Ross said...
There are skeptics' organizations ("support communities"), and their ranks include "extreme" skeptics.
- December 30, 2012 at 10:51 PM
- Isaac Koi - New Uploads said...
Hi Kevin, I thought it worth adding to this page a link to a scanned copy of the FBI's file on Klass (on the CUFON website): http://www.cufon.org/cufon/Klass_FBI.pdf
The CUFON website also has extracts from the FBI file on Hynek:
I'm currently finalising a fairly long item about FBI files online relevant to ufology, having touched on this point in an item I wrote last year at:
The item I'm currently writing seeks to highlight the fact that the 16 files PDF files on the FBI website labelled "UFO" aren't the only FBI files relevant to ufology, e.g. files on UFO researchers and contactees.
All the best for the New Year,
Isaac - December 31, 2012 at 2:01 AM
- Steve Sawyer said...
And (thanks Isaac for the cufon.org link), here is a copy of the article Dr. J. Allen Hynek wrote for the February 1975 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin" cited:
["The UFO Mystery / Investigating Reports of Sightings"] - December 31, 2012 at 3:20 AM
- Kal Israel said...
And let us not forget about Kal K. Korff who used this tactic (or really in most cases, threatened to use this tactic), which he learned from Klass after Korff befriended Klass, Friedman and others while still a teen. What is it with these UFO extremists and the letter "K"?
- December 31, 2012 at 9:00 AM
- Don said...
What seems common to both extremes are paranoia and delusion. I don't mean to imply anything 'clinical', just the common and casual meanings of the words.
An example on the advocate side is Stanton Friedman's insistence that Kevin made "FALSE claims". 'False' is not a synonym for 'incorrect' or 'untrue'. It implies the intention to deceive, and legally it explicitly means (re: "false statement") intention to do damage or harm. Is this a rhetorical turn of polemic or does it express paranoia?
On the skeptic side, if David Rudiak refers to the weather balloon story being the AF explanation of the Roswell case, Bruce Hutchinson is will accuse David of being dishonest and deceptive. Is it a tactic in debate or is it paranoia?
Zoam claims we are not discussing what we appear to be discussing re McMinnville. Instead he asserts we are discussing spaceships from other planets. He is here to expose our wily deception, much like Klass regarding Hynek and the FBI.
I think it debatable whether Stan or Bruce are delusional. Stan might mean the "claims" are simply untrue, and Bruce just might be persnickty on the matter, and therefore neither are really extreme. Zoam's performance, though, is very convincing.
Don - December 31, 2012 at 9:25 AM
- Lance said...
I applaud Don for always managing to keep things civil in his discussions about these matters. That is something that I all too often fail to do.
Kevin, as well, keeps things reasonable here for the most part, even when the arguments get heated.
The differences between skeptics and proponents, of course, almost always lie in interpretation of evidence. I said on a recent radio show appearance that if Kevin were to relay a fact to me about Roswell, that I would assume that the fact was true. I feel very much the same about Dr. Rudiak, who surely is the master of the Roswell data.
But when any interpretation is placed on these facts, my confidence goes down precipitously. As a simple example, note above how Kevin calls Klass's complaints about Hynek, "slander". Whatever you may think about what Klass did, it was hardly slander.
It seems to me that the same kind of shading that Kevin is complaining about is being practiced in this very piece. And I'm not blaming him for it. It's rhetoric.
Most of the Roswell discussion is based upon interpretation, since none of the actual hard evidence in hand advances the space ship idea at all.
And that is where the arguments come from.
- December 31, 2012 at 10:52 AM
- Anthony Mugan said...
Hello Lance
Speaking of facts and interpretation I've been meaning to drop you a line to see how the consideration of the data concerning the Mogul flight trajectory is getting on. My own interpretation is still that the work of Rudiack and Sparks pretty much establishes it as falsified but your thoughts appreciated.
- December 31, 2012 at 11:01 AM
- KRandle said...
Lance –
I chose my words carefully. According to the law, slander is oral defamation, in which someone tells one or more persons an untruth about another which untruth will harm the reputation of the person defamed. Slander is a civil wrong (tort) and can be the basis for a lawsuit.
Libel is to publish in print (including pictures), writing or broadcast through radio, television or film, an untruth about another which will do harm to that person or his/her reputation, by tending to bring the target into ridicule, hatred, scorn or contempt of others.
So, when Klass called Hynek a fraud, this was the very definition of slander. When he wrote that Hynek was "the spiritual leader of a vocal group of believers and kooks," it wasn't quite as egregious. It didn't rise to the level of libel though calling Hynek the spiritual leader of... believers and kooks, certainly comes close.
My use of the word slander was dead on, based on the legal definitions. You might object, but the truth is, calling Hynek a fraud to the FBI was slanderous.
- December 31, 2012 at 11:53 AM
- Lance said...
I see where you are quoting someone else's interpretation of what Klass said. Do you have the actual text from Klass in which he used the word, "fraud."?
Lance - December 31, 2012 at 12:58 PM
- KRandle said...
Lance -
It came from an FBI document. It was based on the content of the telephone conversation with Klass.I quoted precisely what is in the FBI document. I am inclined to accept the FBI interpretation here. It is not out of line with other things that Klass had said.
In the letter that Klass wrote, being employed in publishing, he was more circumspect in what he said.
I notice that we have moved away from the definition of slander here. - December 31, 2012 at 1:35 PM
- Lance said...
Here again, you seem to not understand the nature of what a direct quote is and what is hear-say.
This is grade school stuff.
But don't worry, it fits what you and many others want to believe so I am quite certain that you are unlikely to be called on it even though it is a basic foundational concept.
Among UFO folks, you'll be fine.
@ Anthony: Hi, I sent an email.
- December 31, 2012 at 2:11 PM
- KRandle said...
Lance -
I do get it, and I understand "other bad acts," which is Klass making similar claims against those with whom he disagrees. I also noted exactly where the information originated, gave you the date of the memo, who wrote it, and who it was sent to. Your complaint is not with me on this. And I give the FBI the benefit of the doubt on this.
If you don't like that quote, then we can use the one from Klass' letter, which is not as egregious, but does, in fact slander Hynek.
I was surprised that you waited so long to jump to Klass' defense in this but not that you reject the FBI statement because it does not fit your philosophy (though it certainly fits with Klass').
I have presented evidence, from Klass' long written record of this sort of thing, but you refuse to admit that Klass might have been a tad overzealous in his statements and writings. You object to my use of the word slander, then change the tone of the debate to something else... typical debunker tactic... The only thing you have yet to do is defend Klass in his communications with the FBI. - December 31, 2012 at 2:38 PM
- Lance said...
I actually don't disagree with much of what you say about Klass.
He was the classic grumpy old man and I am sure that he was sarcastic and uncomplimentary about Hynek and Hynek's article.
One of the things that apparently set him off was when he perceived any sort of government acceptance or support for the UFO idea.
To some extent, I understand this.
If I heard about tax funds being used for UFO research, I would probably complain as well.
But, Klass gave as good as he got. Note in his FBI file how some nut sent in reams of conspiracy nonsense using Klass's name. I have heard plenty of what you might call slander against Klass as well.
Ah, well, UFO believers need to have their devil. Most of them never bring up the often ingenious sleuthing he did on several cases.
For instance, note that Hynek's source for his article is the dubious Incident at Exeter.
Klass figured out how the hoax UFO image on the cover of that book was created. Of course, the UFO community insisted that the sacred photo was real.
It was only years later that the photographer admitted that Klass was right all along and that the photo was bogus.
- December 31, 2012 at 3:21 PM
- JAF said...
Klass didn't discover the hoax behind the photo on the cover of Incident at Exeter. He endorsed it as real! It was William Hartmann of the Condon Committee who uncovered the hoax.
http://www.gpposner.com/klass_inter.html - December 31, 2012 at 3:50 PM
- Lance said...
JAF is right and I am wrong.
Apparently, Klass figured out part of the story (the hand and saucer bit) but didn't know enough about photography to go any further.
- December 31, 2012 at 4:01 PM
- KRandle said...
Lance -
While you often take off into the irrelevant, I will point out that the article was about Klass' attack on Hynek... not someone else attacking Klass. Do you have an example of Hynek attacking Klass in a similar fashion? Who make Klass keeper of the flame?
And while you name some nut case who slandered Klass, that is still irrelevant to the discussion.
Given your comments about tax money, I take that to mean you are outraged that not only was half a million dollars wasted by Condon, they actually gave him more money. And Hynek wasn't advocating spending tax money but promoting a lan to save it.
And some of us have actually thanked Klass for making us work harder... and we also know that he would invent testimony to fit his creative explanations. - December 31, 2012 at 5:38 PM
- Don said...
Lance: "The differences between skeptics and proponents, of course, almost always lie in interpretation of evidence."
There are disagreements over what constitutes evidence, too. The problem is the positions are polarized and I doubt there is any common ground.
I've nothing to say about Klass or Hynek here, so I'll bow out.
Don - January 1, 2013 at 6:50 AM
- Kurt Peters said...
do your homework, children:
1. CUFOS was formed in 1974
2. Hynek was asked to join CSICOP during their formation process, but declined as he felt they leaned towards predetermined conclusions, NOT actual scientific method
3. Klass' whole career was as Senior Avionics Editor for the Cold War's primary CIA anti-Soviet disinfo publication - January 2, 2013 at 1:47 AM
- Kurt Peters said...
....Klass' industry magazine posting was/is called "Aviation Week'..... known in the business as 'Aviation Leak'
(...a fact that I trust will be the subject of Tony Bragalia's next breathless "EXCLUSIVE!!!!!") - January 2, 2013 at 1:52 AM
- JAF said...
Phil Klass had at least one UFO which he believed to be "real".
As Bruce Maccabbee puts it on http://www.ufoupdateslist.com/2000/sep/m18-009.shtml ,
My analysis of the photo taken by Canadian Air Force pilot RJ
Childerhose in 1955 is now available at
This was, and I think still is, the only photo endorsed by none
other than Philip J. Klass as a real unknown "UFO"... although
he believes it to be a huge plasma/ball lightning. This photo
appears on the front cver of his first book. This case was
presented at the "Sturrock Panel" discussion in Tarrytown, NY,
several years ago and has been mentioned by Jacques Vallee as an
example of the optical power radiated by some UFOs.
As plasma/ball lighting has been pretty much ruled out as an explanation for this sighting, it gets tossed back into the unknown category, which according to zoamchomsky doesn't exist because "real" UFOs don't exist. But a nice color photo of that non-existant UFO disputes zoam's conclusion.
The intensity of light from the UFO overexposed the film giving it a blurry look which it didn't possess in real life. The object was said to have very distinct edges according to the RAF pilot who saw it. - January 3, 2013 at 7:47 AM
- zoamchomsky said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 3, 2013 at 9:41 AM
- zoamchomsky said...
JAF; As we've just seen with the Trent photos, anyone can make a photo and make up a "UFO" story about it--that is, force their photo into a "UFO" context. And anyone can take a photo of some ambiguous light in the sky and honestly believe they've seen something extraordinary, and tell a story about the event.
Here we have an image of dubious provenance and a third-hand guesswork account of the details of its creation. Bright mirages, reflections of many kinds, are often seen above water, above or below clouds, and very often at sunset. So, given these real-world considerations, the likelihood of this being a rather mundane event is much more plausible than it being an extraordinary one.
But if it really was one, where's the rest of the story? There were four Sabres. - January 3, 2013 at 11:38 AM
- Robert Sheaffer said...
So far as I know, Kal Korff never 'befriended' Klass. I recall seeing some very contentious correspondence that Klass sent to Korff. Perhaps this mellowed a bit when Korff had become an active Roswell skeptic, but some of Korff's investigations were so far-out (he told me about archaeological evidence of the Pharaoh's men being drowned in the Red Sea) that I don't think Klass ever was comfortable with Korff.
As for the Lucci photos, Klass was inclined to believe they were 'genuine plasma UFOs,' even after Condon and the Hartmann analysis. I was the one who persuaded Klass that they were hoaxes, and made some replications of them on my own. Much later, one of the brothers confessed the hoax to CUFOS.
If Hynek was initially asked to join CSICOP, I haven't heard about that. But recalling that Marcello truzzi was the co-founder of CSICOP, along with Paul Kurtz, I would not be surprised if Truzzi had invited Hynek. Of course, Kurtz, Klass, Randi, Gardner, etc. would all have objected to this. You can understand why Truzzi and Kurtz did not last long together. - January 3, 2013 at 3:04 PM
- JAF said...
zoamchomsky wrote "image of dubious provenance." Credit to the pilot of the F86 is shown on the image (http://brumac.8k.com/RJC/Childerh1.gif). Now if you've got some reason to think that is not his photo, you've an obligation to notify him or Dr. Maccabbee. Otherwise you've made a frivolous claim which can be made about every photo on the web.
Mirages are seen near the horizon. There is no horizon visible in the photo. Maccabbee discussed the issue of reflections in his report and ruled them out. In short, any mundane cause of the image would have been detected by someone in all these many years since the photo was taken.
As the object did not move around, I'm not going to suggest anything as exotic as an intelligently controlled craft. A much more likely explanation would be an unknown atmospheric phenomenon. Now that to me meets the definition a "real" UFO. Or would you care to identify the object and end the mystery?
Now this is assuming it's not a hoax. You are correct, any photo we look at could be a hoax. But to jump for any to ALL photos are hoaxes is a leap in logic which you've already taken by asserting that there are no real UFOs. It's a big leap in logic which I feel uncomfortable with as I can come up with no rational justification for making it. - January 3, 2013 at 5:42 PM
- Terry's Bazaar said...
I agree that Director Hoover was chomping at the bit from 1947 to perhaps 1955. I have been going through the Project Blue Book files for several years. The FBI was often on distribution for teletype messages at the HQ USAF level. In my opinion Hoover became convinced there was no way to use UFO investi-
gations to build up the FBI or to make political hay. In the mid-1950s there were many FBI letters addressed to PBB passing along reports. I am now in early 1959, and haven't seen a FBI letter for quite some time. Others might save that Hoover was pressured into getting out of the UFO investigation business. I just think he may have retained a personal interest.
Terry "sweating in Thailand" Colvin - January 4, 2013 at 4:29 AM
- zoamchomsky said...
JAF; Addressing your paragraphs one through four. We have a photo of clouds and a bright spot--that appears to show nothing more than a typical sundog--and the pilot's ordinary account of how it was made which strongly suggests the sundog identification: the Sun is near setting; he's headed west into the Sun approximately; and the sundog is at an angle of 22° necessarily and at the same elevation as the Sun. He was UNSURE of the exactly position of either or the angle between them.
Various mirages, sundogs and other reflections can occur under many different circumstances. And no number of Sherlock Holmes mathemagical mumbo-jumbo eliminations will prove the bright spot in the photo is not a mundane reflection and so be transformed into an extraordinary "unidentified" of some kind.
Making far too much of the compounded imprecision of subjective measurements, and intentionally ignoring the real but mundane contingencies inherent in real-world events, are well-known devices used by pseudoscientists for manufacturing a bare possibility of an extraordinary explanation. It's merely a disguised appeal to ignorance.
A photo is never going to be evidence of a real "UFO," much less BE a real "UFO" of any kind. A real "UFO" (TRUFO) would be an unambiguous celestial object that exists in the world--has presence, substance, persistence--but defies explanation. So far, there are no real "UFOs" in the world, there are no "UFO" facts of any kind. - January 4, 2013 at 9:44 AM
- JAF said...
A sundog would maintain its relative position to the sun as the pilot traveled west. It would always be in front of him. In contrast, this is what the object did:
As he continued westward the sighting line to the object rotated backward to an "eight o'clock low" position before he lost sight of it, indicating that it was stationary in the lee of the anvil of the thunderhead
at an altitude considerably below the plane.
As he flew past he decided to take a photo of the object.
The pilot can't fly past a sundog. It would continue to be in front of him as he headed west. So it's not a sundog, not even a good impersonation of one. But I must say you do a mean impersonation of Phil Klass by ignoring the parts of the sighting which conflict with whatever hypothesis you're proposing. Congratulations! :-) - January 4, 2013 at 1:56 PM
- zoamchomsky said...
JAF; As I thought I made very clear, third-party interpretations of the event cannot be evidence. All we have are the two photos; the pilot's changing, admittedly confused account over time; his statement that none of four considered it anything significant, the flight leader saying it was just "reflected sunlight," and later he didn't even recall the event. In the photo we have, the sundog is obviously below to his left and ahead.
- January 4, 2013 at 4:12 PM
- Unknown said...
The fact that Klass was Chief UFO Killer for CSICOP tells us something about that organization. I can tell you exactly what CSICOP's position on any given issue will be before any CSICOP spokesman says a word. Admittedly, most of the things CSICOP doesn't believe in are probably physically impossible...but alien spaceships aren't impossible, whether or not they actually exist.
Besides, "Skeptical Enquirer" is, in my opinion, a crashing bore on almost every subject, ludicrous or not. - January 4, 2013 at 5:34 PM
- JAF said...
Sundogs are caused by refraction of the sun's rays through ice crystals. The amount of the refraction varies with the wavelength of light. Reddish rays are refracted the least, blue the most (similar to why a sunset is reddish and the sky is blue). This shows up both visually and in photos of sundogs with the portion of the dog facing the sun having a reddish tinge. But you don't need to take my word for this. You can visit http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/dogfm.htm which has a nice page on the formation of sundogs.
There is no reddish side to the object in the photo. It's nothing but white. Maccabbee comments on this very thing in his arguing against it being a reflection. Even though the image is overexposed and thus whited-out, the refractive nature of a sundog would create a reddish outside edge visible in the photo on one side of it. There is none. In Maccabbee's discussion about it not being a reflection, he points out that a reflection would cause a reddish tinge all around the object, which isn't present. A sundog would differ in that it would produce the reddish tinge only on the side pointing towards the sun.
I've seen any number of sundogs in real life. They can't be mistaken for anything else once you've seen one. Possibly you've never seen one.
It's not even a "maybe". Hey, it might be a hoax. But a sundog? Not possible. - January 4, 2013 at 6:24 PM
- Kurt Peters said...
for the 'Robert Sheaffer' entity:
"If Hynek was initially asked to join CSICOP, I haven't heard about that."
His UFO Secretary during that time, Margo Metegrano, can certainly attest to the letter from CSICOP.... - January 5, 2013 at 11:50 AM
- zoamchomsky said...
JAF; I've seen all kinds of sundogs--from faint spectral to bright white. Granted, most are red-tinged, but that doesn't mean that all are. The group leader said it was just "reflected sunlight." Even if not a sundog, it was certainly a reflection of the Sun--if of an uncommon sort. As I said earlier, various mirages, sundogs and other reflections can occur under many different circumstances, even seemingly unique situations as this, as are presenting themselves more often to high-flying pilots. So this was a weather or atmospheric physics event rather than a "UFO."
- January 5, 2013 at 1:15 PM
- Larry said...
Zoam: I've noticed that your speculative explanations of UFO reports seem to be entirely innocent of any accordance with the laws of physics. The 1956 McLeod photo taken from an F-86 aircraft was the subject of a photometric and photogrammetric analysis by Bruce Maccabee. Bruce, of course, is a highly competent and experienced optical physicist and in his analysis he used standard mathematical models that have been validated through many decades of use by members of the relevant technical community. His results were published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration, Volume 13, Number 2 under the title: "Optical Power Output of an Unidentified High Altitude Light Source". The paper can be accessed in pdf format at http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/articles.html
The idea that this image is a solar reflection of some type is, of course one of the very first hypotheses that a competent scientist would consider. Bruce did consider it and rejected it because it disagrees with the physical evidence recorded on the film by a very large margin. Taking into account the geometric view angle, the apparent size of the object and the saturation of the film, the optical power radiated by the surface of the object (radiant emmitance) was estimated to be about 6 Watts per square cm, or 60,000 Watts per square meter. You (or any interested party) can use an online calculator to estimate the optical power of the Sun (insolation) available for reflection at that latitude (49.5 deg, N), time of year (August 27) and time of day (20 minutes before sunset). It comes out to about 100 Watts per square meter.
In other words, the surface of the phenomenon—whatever it was—was emitting optical power at a rate around 600 times faster than it was receiving power from the Sun. Clearly, the phenomenon was self-luminous. Equally clearly, this means the phenomenon had some type of internal energy source and was not a simple passive reflection of Sunlight.
If you disagree with the conclusion, you should be prepared to show where the analysis went wrong. - January 6, 2013 at 2:14 PM
- Steve Sawyer said...
Don't expect Zoam to respond with an objective or empirical argument, Larry.
I don't know what the famous Childerhouse photo actually shows, nor did Childerhouse. It could very well be some bizarre, extremely rare form of "atmospheric plasma" formation, as Philip Klass would have it. I doubt very much that it's a "sun dog" phenomena.
But, you'll get no concessions or balanced discussion from Zoam. He does not wish to be bothered by the facts, since his mind is made up. There are just simply no UFOs, only reports, as he incessantly claims.
The fact that he is wrong never seems to enter his hidebound brain.
Ignore the radar tracking cases, from both ground and airborne radars, and that include direct, close-up visual sightings, the UFOs that have been witnessed to react and interact during pursuit by jet fighters or flying near commercial airliners, EM effects picked up by aircraft, solid multiple-witness incidents involving skeptics, scientists, military and intelligence personnel, theodolite tracking, photos, film, etc.
It's all either misidentification, fabricated hoax, prosaic atmospheric phenomena, or delusional confabulation.
You see, to Zoam there is zero possibility, regardless of the facts, appearance, behavior, and actions of any UFO ever witnessed and/or reported, past, present, or future, that would rationally suggest even the potential of any form of non-human intelligence, maybe, being involved. Or simply unknown, and undecided or unresolved. The issue is settled.
It must be comforting to have such certainty in the psycho-social hypothesis and it's mundane corollaries. One might even say self-satisfied. Zoam has solved the great mystery for us. So, sit back and relax, Larry. Nothing to see here. Move along.
As Stanton Friedman has often said (and no, I don't adhere to Friedman's conclusions about Roswell, MJ-12, or the Hill's "abduction," just to be clear), pseudo-skeptical debunkers follow these four dictums:
"Debunkers seem to employ four major rules:
"1. What the public doesn't know, we certainly won't tell them. The largest official USAF UFO study isn't even mentioned in twelve anti-UFO books, though every one of those books' authors was aware of it.
"2. Don't bother me with the facts, my mind is made up.
"3. If one can't attack the data, attack the people. It is easier.
"4. Do one's research by proclamation rather than investigation. It is much easier, and nobody will know the difference anyway.
Simple, in more ways than one. - January 6, 2013 at 2:59 PM
- zoamchomsky said...
Larry; I've explained why Scientific realists routinely dismiss ufoolergists' after-the-fact mystery-mongering mumbo-jumbo. They're irrelevant. An eye witness said it was just "reflected sunlight" and all four pilots agreed there was nothing "flying saucerish" about it. The simple facts of the matter in the real world are worth much more than any Believer's insular pseudoscientific photo analysis.
Larry, I've seen equally qualified self-styled ufoolergists employing very similar mathemagical manipulations to "prove" there was a city on Mars; that Apollo 11 was followed by a "UFO;" that routine Shuttle ice blown about by thrusters was an intelligently controlled "UFO;" that Terauchi was followed by a "Giant Mothership;" and that Ed Walters' laughably crude fakes were real visiting spacecraft from another world! All exercises in utter nonsense of course and having currency only in the silly subculture of the "UFO" collective delusion. - January 7, 2013 at 8:24 AM
- cda said...
Larry described Maccabee as "a highly competent and experienced optical physicist". Maybe so.
Presumably this is the same Maccabee who endorsed the Gulf Breeze (Ed Walters) "laughably crude fakes" as genuine UFO photos.
But then Maccabee did rake in a sizeable royalty for doing so and for writing the foreword to Walters' book, didn't he?
Perhaps I have gone off topic and better shut up. - January 7, 2013 at 8:41 AM
- KRandle said...
All -
And away we go into things that have nothing to do with Phil Klass and his telephone call and letter to the FBI...
If you have nothing to say on topic, I think I'll just delete everything else. - January 7, 2013 at 5:45 PM
- Fred Milton said...
Around 20 years ago Phil Klass offered me a wager involving staging a UFO landing hoax. I still have the letter somewhere. I replied that what he had suggested was illegal, but was indeed possible. I declined his wager as I interpreted it as an invitation to entrapment.
Nice to see that you are now concerned about the definition of slander, Kevin, considering some of the things you said about me some years back. Everyone experiences growth. - January 20, 2013 at 3:12 PM
- Isaac Koi - New Uploads said...
When posting a link above to the FBI file on Klass, I mentioned I was working on an item to highlight the fact that the 16 files PDF files on the FBI website labelled "UFO" aren't the only FBI files relevant to ufology, e.g. files on UFO researchers and contactees. I've now posted that (fairly long) item at the link below: http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread924183/pg1
All the best,
Isaac - February 8, 2013 at 5:16 AM


text:
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text:
More than 30 people died and nearly 175 reportedly remained missing after a ferry collided with a cargo vessel and sank in the central Philippines.
Reuters reports that a gaping hole was left in the bow of the cargo ship after the collision with the ferry, MV Thomas Aquinas, on Friday near the country's second-largest city of Cebu:
"The 40-year-old ferry was approaching Cebu when it collided with the departing cargo ship, the Sulpicio Express 7, at about 9 pm (1300 GMT). It sank in minutes.
" 'Search and rescue operations by the navy and coast guard are continuing with the help of some commercial vessels,' acting coast guard chief Rear Admiral Luis Tuason told local radio.
" 'The number of missing is still huge.' "
Tuason, in an interview with Manila's DZBB radio, said: "The captain managed to declare abandon ship and they distributed life jackets, but because of the speed by which it went down, there is a big chance that there are people trapped inside."
One survivor, Jerwin Agudong, told the radio station that he and other passengers jumped into the water in front of the cargo ship after the two vessels hit.
"It seems some people were not able to get out," Agudong said. "I pity the children. We saw dead bodies on the side, and some being rescued."
It was not immediately clear what caused the accident.
The Washington Post, quoting Philippines' Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Abaya, reports that the death toll was at 31, with 629 passengers rescued. Abaya says the ferry carried 831 people at the time of the collision, but the BBC, quoting the Philippine coast guard said 715 were on board. Reuters says many of the survivors were "sick from swallowing oil and seawater."
The Philippines archipelago is no stranger to ferry accidents. As recently as June, 14 people were killed in two separate ferry sinkings in as many days. In the world's worst peacetime shipping disaster, a ferry collided with an oil tanker off Mindoro Island near Manila in December 1987, leaving more than 4,300 people dead.
Update at 12:40 p.m. ET:
The Manila Times quotes Lt. Jim Alagao, the public affairs officer of the military's central command, as saying 35 people were dead and 171 missing. The paper said at the time of the accident it was windy and the seas were rough.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Zoketsu lectures on Daniel Goleman's Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama. – Proceedings of a dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Western philosophers and scientists. Discussion of the spirit of working with and studying our emotional life. Rather than taking it as a given, it is something with which we are actively engaged. Description of the brahnmaviharas: loving kindness, equanimity, compassion, and sympathetic joy
Working with Emotions Part FourTalk given: Summer 2004 Dharma Seminars in Mill Valley, CA.
Zoketsu lectures on Daniel Goleman's Destructive Emotions: A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama. – Proceedings of a dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Western philosophers and scientists.
(Transcribed and abridged by Barbara Byrum)
What is radical about our practice or about what Buddhism proposes is not just that we are working with emotions that come, but we are working with the underlying basis of emotions, so that the way emotions come could be different. So it is very radical. As Jeff said in his talk last week, it is being proactive, working with emotions even before they arise, so that the emotions that arise would be a result of the work that we had done.
In the conventional Western notion of the mind, it would be expected, normal, and usual that under certain conditions people would become angry, hostile, or disgusted. The question then would be how you deal with it. Could you exercise enough calm and good will to deal with it? In Buddhism, we have the faith that we would have the arising of more humane and lovely emotions. We would have negative emotions, but we would receive and experience them in a different way. Not to say that we are there or halfway there, but this is the ideal, that is different from the normative Western psychology.
I was struck by Jeff's mentioning a practice that he received from Katagiri Roshi, something really simple, like when your mother told you, "When you get angry, count to ten." Be mindful and reflective when an emotion arises, instead of being swept up and being overcome by an emotion, to have presence of mind. The practice of zazen definitely helps to have that presence of mind to say, "Ah ha, this is the state of mind I am in. This is what is happening. I can understand this, I can be with it, rather than immediately being overtaken by it."
The main thing is that we have a spirit of working with and studying our emotional life. Rather than taking it as a given, it is something with which we are actively engaged. We study the flow of our emotions and feelings, and every time an afflictive emotion arises, it is always an opportunity and a chance to see something that we have not seen before. When an afflictive emotion arises, we hit the boundary of where we are able to go, and we say, "Good. Now I can stay calm. I can breathe, and I might be able to stretch the boundary a little bit." Breathe with the feeling of my experience. Don't take at face value what you are feeling, but ask, "What is this?"
Getting back to the book, I would like to discuss my reactions to the chapter, "Cultivating Emotional Balance." They are again talking about the key difference between Western psychology and Buddhism in its view of the emotional life. Western psychology begins with and is founded on a medical model of pathology. Emotional pathologies occur as difficult pathologies that we want to cure without any particular vision of emotional health or beautiful emotions. It does not start with what the ideal human being would be manifesting as an emotional life. Can we overcome these difficult and destructive emotions, or at least have some moderation? But there is no tradition on how to cultivate or envision what would be a beautiful emotional life for a healthy human being, how a Buddha conducts himself or herself in the world.
I see our practice as an awakening to the flow of beautiful human feelings. Awakening is a transformation in the life of the feelings. We would not just only feel the beautiful emotions – compassion, equanimity, lovingkindness- but also, depending upon our karmic background, we would also feel the negative emotions, but without the sting, the pressure, and the obsession. Instead of that, we would sense them with the awareness "This is anger or sorrow or fear. I don't have to become overwhelmed by this emotion. I can even appreciate it and know that it connects me with other people who feel this emotion." There could be an element of compassion and appreciation, even for the negative emotions.
I want to return to the idea that from the Western perspective, there is thought on the one hand and emotion on the other. We are supposed to be ruled by our thought, and if there is a lot of emotion, we should just get over it. Astonishingly in the complex system of Buddhist psychology, no distinction is made between emotion and thought. There are not words to distinguish the two of them. There are moments of gestalt in the mind, and in the moment there are also elements that we would call emotional or cognitive. The mind that is arising in this moment is an interconnected network in which you cannot tease one thing apart from another. So our practice becomes using emotional intelligence, to use Goleman's term.
I have been reading this unbelievable treatise about 800 pages long called, Upheavals of Thought, by the philosopher Martha Nussbaum, who is an incredibly thorough and beautiful thinker. This is as major psychological treatise on emotion, in which she argues just this, that emotion and thought are not two different things. When we separate them, we do violence to ourselves and lose the emotional side of life, and our thought becomes brittle. She argues that emotion is not just some messy animal feeling that we have that has to be reined in by our thinking. Emotion is a form or operation that occurs within thinking. Emotion is an "upheaval" of thought. It is a mountain range up in the otherwise flat plain of thought.
So when we are practicing zazen, when we are really breathing a complete breath in and a complete breath out, when we experience a flow of life, nothing disturbing the free flow of life and experience, emotion and feeling coming and going, and when mindfulness is strong, then we could say we are touching emptiness with our whole body. We are seeing things as simply what they are, not what we think they need to be, not what we project them to be, or somebody told us they were, but things that just come and go. We are able to allow that. I think that one of the beautiful things about a long retreat is that you often feel that. There is a beautiful sense of feeling life in its flow, touching emptiness, letting things be as they are. Since holding onto things as things, as objects of our desire, as objects of our projection, instead of seeing them as a flow, is actually the root of all afflictive emotions. Seeing ourselves as an object in the world is the root of all afflictive emotions, and so there is a sense that we can melt and flow and understand our feelings, and transform them in the retreat environment. When we experience reality as a flow, then our feelings flow with reality. That is the relationship between our deep experiences on the cushion and our emotional life.
Then, as we have been discussing, that is hitting at the root of emotional issues. But then we also work with emotions off the cushion in two different ways. First of all, when strong emotion arises, or what the book calls destructive emotion, we pay attention. We know the afflictive emotions for what they are. This is anger; this is greed; this is confusion. Instead of doing what we usually do, which is to deny the emotion, or leap over the emotion to action, we turn around. I like that expression because usually we are running to stay one step ahead of our emotion, but in this case, we stop, turn around and in effect embrace the emotion. "Here it is. This is what I am experiencing." So that is one kind of practice, to be very attentive to the arising of afflictive emotion, and to turn around, right there, face the emotion, and know the emotion for what it is.
The other kind of practice off the cushion is to make a positive effort to cultivate positive emotions. In this chapter there is a description of the four brahmaviharas, the four unlimiteds, which are loving kindness, equanimity, compassion, and sympathetic joy. They are the four positive emotions to cultivate and make strong. In Buddhism it is seen as necessary to cultivate positive emotions. I would like to suggest another practice for those of you who are up for it: the practice of sympathetic joy. It is to take joy in someone else's joy. This takes a little cultivation. It is easy to feel sympathetic joy for one's own child; you don't feel jealous, or angry, or dubious, wondering if he really deserves this. "Of course he deserves this! He is the best person in the world!" He is your kid. The idea is to extend that idea to everyone, so you are on the look-out for any instances in your vicinity for something positive happening to someone around you. When you see it, you pounce on it, thinking, "Ah, yes, this is my joy!" It is as if I myself had received this. So, be on the look-out for any instance when someone has any joy or happiness, and then get in on it. Take the joy and happiness for your own and really feel the delight in it. Actually, when you think about it, it is a very practical thing to do because the conditions that would cause happiness to arise in you are limited compared to everyone in the room. If there hundreds of people, you have a much bigger chance for joy and happiness. There are prizes, and big vacations, and falling in love over and over again, and having children, all the great things you could do if only you keep your eyes peeled. Smile and tell them how delighted you are in their happiness.
You can use your time on the cushion to train yourself. In other words, when you are on your cushion, you can think of someone who is having some happiness in their life, you can invoke that person's image, and project your heart into that person's happiness. You create a thread of this on the cushion so that during the day you will remember this because you have already worked on this on the cushion. I really recommend this practice. I worked on this for a long time and really got good at it.