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Hawk HB513Y.610 LTS Rear Brake Pads Dodge
Hawk Performance has applied their severe-duty brake pad friction technology to the braking demands of trucks and SUVs. Heavier vehicles with larger brake systems are more likely to experience higher temperatures, requiring a brake pad that has excellent heat dissipation characteristics.
The new LTS (Light Truck & SUV) Brake Pad Compound utilizes Hawk Performance's established and proven Ferro-Carbon formulation to provide superior stopping power for full-sized light trucks, SUVs and vans without noise and dust.
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Note: Hawk Performance burnishes its LTS Light Truck & SUV brake pads as a final step in the factory, but all brake pads have to be bedded-in with the rotors (new or used) that they will be used against. Properly bedding-in new brake pads results in a transfer film being generated at the pad and rotor interface to maximize brake performance.

subset: commoncrawl


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$50 million in diamonds stolen at Brussels airport
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 20, 2013
BRUSSELS (AP) — When the armored car set off for the Brussels airport carrying $50 million worth of precious stones from Antwerp's diamond district, eight gunmen knew all about it.
One of the biggest diamond heists in recent memory was about to go down.
The thieves surely knew it would be too risky to make their move in Antwerp, which is the world capital of diamond-cutting, 27 miles from the airport. The city's diamond industry has some 2,000 surveillance cameras, police monitoring and countless identity controls to protect its $200 million in daily trade of rough and polished gems.
"We are just about the safest place in Belgium," said Antwerp World Diamond Center spokeswoman Caroline De Wolf.
And the thieves no doubt realized that once Swiss Flight LX789 was airborne Monday night on its way to Zurich, the diamonds tucked in its hold, it would be too late to get their hands on the gems.
But the airport's 15-mile fence and the transfer of the diamonds from the armored car on the tarmac to the hold of the Fokker 100 twin-engine jet — now that held potential.
After weeks of lashing rain, snow, sleet and black ice, Monday evening was finally as good as it gets in late winter in Belgium. Crisp, cold air meant dry roads for a perfect getaway, and winter's early darkness was a blessing for those needing stealth.
About 20 minutes before the flight's scheduled 8:05 p.m. departure, the robbers hid in a construction site outside the airport fence. Then they apparently cut through the fence and, in two black cars with blue police lights flashing, drove onto the tarmac, speeding straight to pier A, where the armored car had just finished transferring the diamonds to the Fokker.
Dressed in dark police clothing and hoods, the thieves whipped out machine guns and stopped the pilots and the transport security crew in their tracks.
The 29 passengers?
"They saw nothing," Anja Bijnens of the Brussels prosecutor's office said Tuesday. The thieves "never fired a shot. They never injured anyone."
With speed and precision, the thieves opened the plane's hold, picked out 120 parcels and loaded them into the cars.
"Afterward, they made a high-speed getaway," Bijnens said, estimating the whole operation took five minutes.
By late Tuesday, investigators had found the charred remains of a van most likely used in the heist but little else.
Because of the heist's clockwork precision, there was immediate speculation the thieves had help from the inside. But Bijnens said only that the investigation is still going on.
Embarrassed airport officials were left to explain how thieves could so smoothly get in, stage a robbery and make a clean getaway. Diamond industry officials who pride themselves on the security of their trade were equally mortified.
Airport spokesman Jan Van Der Cruijsse could not explain how the area could be so vulnerable. "We abide by the most stringent rules," he said, noting the same apply to other European airports.
Philip Baum, an aviation security consultant in Britain, called the robbery unsettling — not just because the fence was breached, but because the response did not appear to have been immediate. That, he said, raised questions of whether alarms were ringing in the right places.
"It does seem very worrying that someone can actually have the time to drive two vehicles onto the airport, effect the robbery and drive out without being intercepted," Baum said, raising the specter of terrorists exploiting such lapses as well.
Air transport is considered the safest way of transporting small, high-value items, logistics experts say, a fact reflected by relatively cheap insurance policies. Unlike a car or a truck, an airplane is unlikely to be waylaid by robbers once it is in motion. It's also considered highly secure before departure and after arrival because the aircraft is always within an airport.
The stolen parcels contained rough and polished stones bound for Switzerland, where many of the packages were intended for different handlers.
"What we are talking about is obviously a gigantic sum," De Wolf said, giving an estimate of $50 million.
A decade ago, Antwerp was hit by one of the biggest diamond heists in history. Robbers disabled an alarm system and took precious stones, jewels, gold and securities from 123 of the 160 high-security vaults at Antwerp's Diamond Center. The loot was so abundant the thieves had to leave some of it behind, police said, estimating the 2003 robbery to be worth about $100 million at the time.
Monday's heist was a fresh blow to Antwerp's major industry, which prides itself on discretion and security.
"This is causing quite some unrest," De Wolf said. "It was incredible how easily it all went. This is worrying in terms of competitiveness, since other diamond centers are ready to pounce and take over our position."


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This time last year, Phil Jackson, then the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, complained that the NBA scheduled games on Christmas Day. It seemed, he said, that "Christian holidays don't mean anything" any longer.
A few players echoed Jackson's sentiments, but the complaint died aborning. This Christmas, Sunday, the league has scheduled ... (to the tune of "The 12 Days Of Christmas"):
Of course, this year the pro basketball quintuple-header is not so much a Christmas bacchanalia as it is a debutante coming-out party for the NBA, inasmuch as the whole season so far has been lost to the lockout.
If ever pro basketball were going to give up Christmas, it would not be 2011, because Christmas is to the NBA, well, what Thanksgiving is to the NFL.
All that old-fashioned Currier and Ives/Norman Rockwell stuff –– with the family gathered 'round the turkey, and then the Christmas tree –– is nice. But winter holidays are now primarily for gathering the family 'round whatever games are on television.
Anyway, sports are pretty agnostic when it comes to religion. As joyous as Christmas might be, the holiest day in the Christian calendar is Good Friday, and baseball has never shied away from scheduling games then. Nor, for that matter, has Our National Pastime been any more considerate about the most sacred times in other religions.
Yom Kippur is most famous athletically as the day the World Series went on as usual — but Sandy Koufax didn't pitch. Muslim athletes have an even more trying time during Ramadan, when they must fast during daylight. I spent a day of fasting once with Hakeem Olajuwon, and I couldn't help but believe that his dining routine had to have some debilitating effect on his ability to play 40 minutes or so a game.
Some people get terribly upset when players offer any displays of personal faith. Tim Tebow's kneeling has become a cause celebre in some circles, but games are not government, and athletes are not elected officials.
And, good grief, that Tebowing sort of thing has been around forever. I remember playing Catholic schools in basketball, when every kid on the team would cross himself before he took a foul shot. I asked a Jesuit priest I knew if that helped. "Well," he said, "it does if you're a good free-throw shooter."
Rather than worrying about Christmas Day, if I were the NBA, I'd be worried about all those days on the schedule before Christmas this year, when nobody much seemed to care that the NBA was missing in action. If there's one thing the lockout showed us, it's that no matter how many shopping days before Christmas, we can very well do without any basketball days before Christmas.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Many years ago I started following Ricki Heller's blog, then called Diet Dessert and Dogs. Witty, warm, entertaining and generous, it was a joy to read her blog and we struck up a long distance friendship. I am delighted today to feature an interview with Ricki to celebrate the publication of her cookbook: Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free: Allergy friendly vegan desserts. At the bottom of this post is a giveaway of the book.
Back in 2007 when Ricki and I first met, we were both in our first year of blogging and on a steep learning curve. Since then I have seen her develop into a blogging superstar. She has written for many sites, guest posts, a magazine gig, self publishing her own book (Sweet Freedom), e-books and now she has a publisher.
Ricki's blog is full of recipes I want to make, and often do. She is vegan, and in more recent years has followed a gluten free, sugar free, anti candida diet. This is quite different from my vegetarian diet. Yet it is her innovative approach to flavours and baking that makes me want to try her recipes. She also tells great stories about the HH (her husband), The Girls (her dogs) and a host of fascinating characters.
Her new book, Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free has the creative recipes together with her whole foods approach. She uses minimally processed foods. You wont find gluten free flour mixes or vegan cream cheese in her recipes. What you will find is temptation after temptation accompanied by beautiful food photography. (The photo of the book cover is from Sellers Publishing but the rest are my own and not quite so beautiful.) It was a pleasure and privilege to talk to Ricki about the book and her life.
Grain-Free Raw Cookie Dough Bites. Great little healthy snacks. |
Ricki: The book was an outgrowth of my first book, Sweet Freedom, which was an outgrowth of my catering business. When I closed the business I was asked to provide recipes. This became Sweet Freedom. I was able to sell it on Amazon and in local bookstores. Then I sought a publication deal to help distribute it more widely.
At first Sellers Publishing planned to publish a cookbook using the recipes in Sweet Freedom. As it was to be marketed as allergy friendly, I suggested developing the recipes to be gluten free and free of refined sugar. More recipes from my blog were added. In this way, Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free became truly allergy friendly and reflected the way that I eat today.
My adaption of Ricki's original Chocolate peanut butter fudgies that featured eggplant puree. Delicious! The new version in Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free are Chocolate Almond Butter Fudgies, which now use applesauce and reflect the changes in Ricki's diet. |
Ricki: When creating recipes for the blog, I am the only person making and tasting the recipes. Sometimes HH and colleagues also taste it. I will test it between 5 to 10 times. I am like a dog with a bone once I have an idea for a recipe. If it doesn't work the first time, I will keep trying.
For Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free, I had 29 testers across different kitchens and different skill levels. I had a lot more feedback, not just on taste, but also on how clear the instructions were. It was an eye opener. Some of the things I took for granted were not always obvious to the testers. For example, the feedback on the cinnamon rolls recipe gave me helpful suggestions for writing up the process of rolling up the dough.
And the eggplant? [JM: My question referred to a recipe for Chocolate-Almond Butter Fudgies that included pureed eggplant on the blog but not in the cookbook version.] I could have left it in. However I didn't test the gluten free version of the recipe with eggplant because I usually use applesauce when I make it. It probably makes the recipe more widely acceptable too.
Marbled Halvah and Sweet Potato-Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins. E said the muffins were the best he had ever had when he tasted one warm from the oven. They were that good! |
Ricki: In the past I have spent quite a bit of time developing some recipes. When I wrote Sweet Freedom, it took a long time to get the texture of whipped coconut cream right. I also took about 50 attempts before I was happy with a brownie that was appropriate for my Anti Candida Diet.
The recipes in Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free usually came together with only a few tries. One of the recipes in it that was a challenge was the Cashew Choc Chip Cookies. Getting the chewy texture right was tricky because coconut nectar has a different consistency to agave. However, my style of allergy friendly cooking seems quite natural to me now and I love cooking this way.
Johanna: What recipe out of Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free would you most like to make for your mum if she was alive?
Ricki: For sentimental reasons, My Mother's Cheesecake. It is my recipe that is most like the ones she baked. She made it for my dad so this is also the recipe I would make for him. It was not too sweet and used cottage cheese – not the watery one you buy in the shops but solid cheese that she bought in 1lb blocks. The criss-cross pattern of the dough looks like dad's mother's cheesecake that she made on the farm.
Ricki: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Chocolate cake with chocolate chips and chocolate frosting. And it would be decorated with chocolate. There would be more frosting than cake and it would be really healthy so I could have a big piece. [JM I'll have a big piece of that too, thanks!]
Johanna: Do you have advice for anyone who wants a career in food catering and food writing?
Ricki: You have to love it. There is a big difference between baking once in a while because you feel like it and baking every day because it is your job. When I did the catering job I took leave of absence and was baking massive quantities from 7am to 7pm. I was exhausted – physically tired – but I wasn't sick once that year. And at the end of the year, I still loved it.
Don't give up if this is what you really want to do. I tried a lot of things before I found my place. At the time I didn't even realise this is the way things were going. When I was 30 and first married, I catered for friends of my husband and one thing led to another.
Sweet Potato Muffins and Marbled Halvah. My halvah didn't look so pretty but goodness it was lovely. It lasted well in the fridge for a week or so. |
Ricki: In my kitchen I have a table near the largest window down stairs. It has the space and the light. It's my "favourite" space to take photos because it's the only one I have!
I learned a lot about set-up with Celine Saki, the photographer for Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free. All the photo shoots were done at my house. I created the layout for photos using my own linens and dishes. I did 80% of the food styling. I thought it looked fine, and then Celine would make a small change that would make it just perfect.
I only use natural light and the auto settings on my DSLR camera. My goal is to develop more technical skills in photography.
[JM And where are your dogs - aka The Girls - while you photograph food?] The Girls are very well trained and know not to go on the tiles when we are eating. Likewise they would wait while the photographer was here and just lie quietly.
Johanna: Has SEO killed off the poetry in naming recipes?
Ricki: I never think of SEO until I have finished a post. It doesn't affect how I name recipes. My way of naming is haphazard. It depends on whatever comes into my head. Preferably something snappy.
Sweet potato brownies. Satisfactorily crinkly on top. I was pleased how well they turned out because I made them for a baby shower. |
i) Which fictional characters would you invite?
- Jean Luc Picard from Star Trek: the Next Generation (I'm a huge Star Trek fan);
- Laura from "Flowering Judas" by Katherine Anne Porter (since I wrote my PhD on Porter and I loved that story);
- Catherine from A Farewell to Arms (I loved that character and thought she was a great feminist role model);
- House from TV show House (I'd be curious to see what kind of conversation we could get into--I might have to make him guess what was in my food!);
- Annie Hall from the film of the same name (mostly because I wouldn't have to talk at all if I didn't feel like it!); and
- Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird (again, I'd be fascinated by the workings of such a brilliant mind).
Ricki: I would serve something light and fluffy or Buttertarts, because they are quintessentially Canadian, and a little side of caramel ice cream.
c) where would The Girls [Ricki's dogs] be?
Ricki: Lying just outside the kitchen, waiting for the meal to finish so they could get a few crumbs. Sometimes when we have friends over for dinner they want to pat The Girls and call them over. Elsie is older and more hesitant. Chaser will be straight in. I would be glaring at them and calling them out.
Johanna: Why did you change your blog name from Diet Dessert and Dogs to Ricki Heller?
Ricki: With Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free coming out, two e-books to my name and regular magazine contributions, I wanted the name of my blog to be consistent with my other work. I thought Diet Dessert and Dogs might be confusing. When I started the blog in 2007 I was really focused on dieting and wrote a bit about it. That is no longer a focus. I have changed. My blog has changed. It has evolved with me.
The Sweet Potato Brownies were really fudgy inside. I loved them. I was surprised that some people who tasted them could identify something like fruit or veg in them. |
When I was asked to be part of Ricki's virtual blog tour to celebrate the publication of Naturally Sweet and Gluten-Free, I had already pre-ordered a copy of the cookbook. Rather than cancel my order, I decided to use Ricki's copy for a giveaway.
I love hearing about what everyone else is baking. To have a chance to win your own copy of the wonderful Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free, just leave a comment sharing a favourite allergy friendly sweet recipe. It could be:
- your favourite recipe from Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free or www.rickiheller.com
- the url of a favourite allergy friendly sweet recipe from your blog
- the url of a favourite allergy friendly sweet recipe from any other blog
This giveaway is open to anyone with an Australian postal address whether you have a blog or not. (If you don't have a blog that lists your location, please make your location clear in your comment.) Entries must be made before the closing date: Saturday 26 October 2013.
I will use a random number generator to choose a winner and will announce the winner on my blog on 27 October. (Please either make sure I have an email address or visit on that date.)
If you don't have an Australian postal address, you can still share a favourite allergy friendly sweet recipe with me.


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Amazing Animals – Live
By thevlm In Daily Feedings/Enrichments
Date(s) - July 21st
1:00 pm - 1:15 pm
Make your summertime visit to the Virginia Living Museum even wilder by attending a live animal program. Meet and greet a selection of nature's most fascinating wild creatures – some native to Virginia, some not. Learn about how and what they eat, how they protect themselves, how they interact with their habitats – and more.
Presented at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. in the lobby of the Wason Education Center.
Included in museum admission.
Add to Calendar


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09 May 2013 Coke anti-obesity campaign to go global
The Atlanta-based company, which makes Sprite, Fanta and Minute Maid, already offers diet drinks in most markets. But there's no consistency in their availability, particularly in emerging markets such as China and India.
Coca-Cola also said this week that it would support programs that encourage physical activity and no longer market to kids younger than 12. The company had made a similar promise in 2007 but said the new push would create a "global standard" for the commitment.
It did not elaborate on what changes that would include or set a timetable on when it planned to meet its new goals.
With sugary drinks often blamed for making people fat, Coca-Cola has been more aggressive in trying to convince customers its products can be part of a healthy lifestyle. Earlier this year, the company aired its first TV ad addressing the matter in the US and has since been rolling out the spot to other countries.
The ad touts Coca-Cola's wide range of lower-calorie offerings. But executives have also made a point of standing by the company's full-calorie drinks, saying that physical activity plays an important role in fighting obesity.
"There is a place for all of our beverages in a healthy lifestyle," CEO Muhtar Kent said in a call with reporters.
The announcement from Coca-Cola comes as packaged food companies across the industry look for growth in emerging markets, where middle-class populations are growing rapidly. As more people head to cities and see their incomes rise, health advocates have warned that growing consumption of packaged foods in such countries could fuel obesity rates as they have in developed nations.
The shifting populations around the world nevertheless represent an enormous opportunity for companies. For example, Coca-Cola has noted that Americans on average drink 403 servings of its various beverages a year. That compares with just 12 servings per year in India and 38 in China.
And the company's diet options aren't nearly as popular in such countries as they are back at home. In the US, where soda consumption has been declining for years, diet drinks now account for 41 percent of sales for the flagship Coke brand. That's up from single-digits in the 1980s.
Even in major Chinese cities, by contrast, the percentage of sales that diet options account for is in the "high single digits," Kent said.
Coca-Cola says its goal is to have diet options available wherever regular versions are sold. But that doesn't mean there would be a diet alternative for every particular brand. For example, if a store in India sells Coke it might also offer Sprite Zero, which doesn't have any calories, to meet the goal.
The company also says it's working to have cans and bottles around the world display calories counts on the front of labels, as it does in the United States.
- test
- tedt
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Enter for a chance to see
Monday, April 1st
Harkins AZ Mills IMAX
(Winners will be selected and notified on Saturday, March 30th by 12pm PST)
We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson's (Asher Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Zachary Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard (Djimon Hounsou). Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them! Can he fly? Does he have X-ray vision? Can he shoot lightning out of his hands? Can he skip his social studies test? Shazam sets out to test the limits of his abilities with the joyful recklessness of a child. But he'll need to master these powers quickly in order to fight the deadly forces of evil controlled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong).


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Monday, April 2, 2007
The Predictions of a 14-Year-Old (Milwaukee Excelsior, 1901)
"How it may appear a hundred years hence, when modern inventions have been carried to their highest point of development that even Edison would feel jealous of the great inventions in the year 2001. In the year 2001 you will see sky-scrapers sticking far above the clouds over 200 stories high. On the streets there will not be any room for street cars, so they will build lines way up in the air, and there will be landings fastened to the high skyscrapers, where the people will wait for the cars. The carlines will have different kinds of names and you will see the name "Manhattan Air Line" many hundreds of feet above the ground. You see air-ships and carriages fastened to balloons for the transportation of the people through the air, and you will often see collisions in the clouds. In one of the sky-scrapers on the 119 story you will see a sign, 'Old People Restored to Youth by Electricity, While You Wait.'"
The belief that electricity would eventually cure all ills was surprisingly common. I guess that's why I'm so amazed that people still receive electro-shock therapy. It seems so primitive and naive.
75 comments:
He was right on the right track at least. It is all a little exaggerated, but for the skyscrapers, if you look at Dubai, the guy was spot on!
As far as electricity development, people always thought of it as hyper fast advancements. Just 20 years ago, a lot of people thought we would have and live with robots by the year 2000.
OhCash Business - April 3, 2007 at 7:32 AM
But they couldn't have anticipated so many things because they hadn't been discovered. Stem cells, the internet, nuclear power, etc. Any guess we could make about the state of technology a century from now would probably seem just as naive to someone in 2107.
- April 3, 2007 at 8:16 AM
Electroshock therapy works. It used to be the only effective treatment for depression, but now it's a last resort. The fact that we still have to use it probably shows that our psychiatric drugs will be considered laughably primitive in the future.
- April 3, 2007 at 8:27 AM
This guy pwned the future.
$ - April 3, 2007 at 8:34 AM
ECT is performed humanely now, in the sense that the recepient is put to sleep before the procedure. It's no longer the torture it once was.
- April 3, 2007 at 9:05 AM
Just to be clear about the lines attached to buildings part: at first I thought to myself that his prediction was naive; but the first part of his prediction describes exactly Washington D.C.'s metro system. I wait in line for the elevated (and subterranean) cars every day.
As for the second prediction the claim that oils, magnets, rocks, botulism and simple massage restores and reinvigorates is the cornerstone belief of our multi-billion dollar "beauty and personal healthcare" industries. - April 3, 2007 at 10:09 AM
He forgot the best part about 2001 -- abortions for some, miniature American flags for others.
- April 3, 2007 at 11:00 AM
"I guess that's why I'm so amazed that people still receive electro-shock therapy. It seems so primitive and naive."
Electroconvulsive therapy does work for certain mental illnesses. It does seem archaic; however it is very effective for depression. A family member of mine needed ECT and it helped him a lot. - April 3, 2007 at 11:16 AM
And so, as the comments show, on the subject of electroconvulsive therapy, you're the one that's naive.
- April 3, 2007 at 11:20 AM
- the_big_wedding said...
Very cool...I especially liked the prediction:
"In 2001 a small criminal cabal within the state intelligence/governmental apparatus of the United States will use a dramatic clandestine state-sponsored terrorist act to create a faux terror war; and then through the fear created impose a draconian economic regime designed to loot the public wealth and infrastructure; and put into place a police state structure to protect the power they obtained through this contrive terror war."
Boy, this kid was some kinda genius! - April 3, 2007 at 12:38 PM
He was definitely on the right track. The signs I see today are "Old people restored to youth with computerized lasers". But guess what computers and lasers run on? Electricity!
- April 3, 2007 at 1:13 PM
- Mark p.s.2 said...
There is not one test to prove anyone has mental illness(blood, urine, brain scan). Then you people say ECT is humane, now that people don't thrash around. Are you stupid? What do you think electricity does to peoples brains? It fixes chemical imbalances( there is no test for any chemical imbalance). ECT DAMAGES PEOPLES BRAINS,THIS IS HOW IT WORKS.
Then people FORGET if the ECT is voluntary or involuntary, is the "patient" informed before of the BRAIN DAMAGE that will occur?
http://www.idiom.com/~drjohn/ectseize.html - April 3, 2007 at 1:23 PM
This is a hoax. Besides, anyone who claims to see the future is like anyone who claims to have seen angels or spoken to god...schizophrenic.
Still, it makes you wonder about what life will be like in as many years from our own present. - April 3, 2007 at 2:29 PM
Electric shock therapy is used today to restore youth - it's called cardioversion and has a very good success rate in eliminating cardiac arrythmias (sp?).
- April 3, 2007 at 2:39 PM
They had a lot of electric-shock quack devices at the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices in Minneapolis, that's now at the St. Paul Science Center.
the website:
http://www.mtn.org/quack - April 3, 2007 at 2:39 PM
Thanks Mark. For some people, brain damage is preferable to suicide when nothing else has helped.
- April 3, 2007 at 2:42 PM
quoting anon: "This is a hoax. Besides, anyone who claims to see the future is like anyone who claims to have seen angels or spoken to god...schizophrenic."
How is this a hoax? it is a historical piece of writing and makes no mention of "seeing" the future, but merely predicting it based on whatever.
To claim that you see this as a hoax makes you a schizophrenic - April 3, 2007 at 2:43 PM
- Dave said...
Love your blog, but on ECT I have to disagree. In the days of "one flew over the cuckoo's nest" it got a bad rep- part of the problem is it LOOKS bad, the patient going into spasm etc. but these days the pulse is tiny and the patient is anesthetized.
Chronic mental illness is a serious and potentially deadly problem. Anything that will alleviate the pain and suffering is worth keeping on the table.
There have been many, many studies on the effects of ECT, and, contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence that it causes brain damage.
Besides all this, the bottom line is that for many people, it works. It's got a proven track record of alleviating a range of problems from chronic depression to psychosis. - April 3, 2007 at 2:44 PM
- Dave said...
just to repeat: ECT does not cause brain damage.
Check the medical literature on the subject if you don't believe me. - April 3, 2007 at 2:46 PM
- Slo Gin Fizz said...
From the Amazon site"(admission of Nicaragua and Mexico to the Union)" Wow. not far off the mark there as far as Mexico goes.
- April 3, 2007 at 2:47 PM
Sorry, I digg down ignorance.
- April 3, 2007 at 3:01 PM
The kid was right. He did not write that in the future old people would actually be restored to youth by electricity, on the spot. He (as related here at least) wrote that there would be a sign claiming that. Today, I see many such signs...
- April 3, 2007 at 3:02 PM
Wow. That kid was surprisingly correct. While we don't have airlines as he imagined, we do have sky scrapers in the triple digits. The predictions have come about in a different form though.
- April 3, 2007 at 3:41 PM
Cool Site - we're gonna link you! kes me want to re-read a lot of Jules Verne.
- April 3, 2007 at 3:49 PM
- Rio said...
I think it's sad that part of what he envisaged is true, and how one expects life in the future to be so grandiose. Does life in the future necessarily have to be so much greater than it is today? I would do anything to go back to the 1900s, however inconvenient that may be.
- April 3, 2007 at 3:58 PM
Maybe he could come back and tell us about the year 3001.
- April 3, 2007 at 4:20 PM
What exactly in this is so prophetic?
- April 3, 2007 at 4:29 PM
- Warren said...
ECT kills, that's the bottom line. it is a barbaric treatment and destroys life. All of those who advocate it have obviously never seen the effects it has on people, that is if they don't die shortly after it. It was discovered when a pig got electrocuted right before going into the slaughter house... reports say the pig wasn't as resistive to being killed and from that account psychiatrists began to apply to patients. How's that for scientific research? No matter what the excuse behind it is, it kills.
- April 3, 2007 at 4:53 PM
Actually, the most interesting thing about the article is that there are no misspellings and he made it through without using the words, fuck yeah! Those were the days.
- April 3, 2007 at 5:02 PM
Don't believe everything you read on wikipedia.
- April 3, 2007 at 5:21 PM
...and we all know that Arthur went on to invent the PalmPilot.
- April 3, 2007 at 5:29 PM
The author came out of left field with the blurb on electroshock, I'm guessing he has first hand experience. Other than that this article was pretty skimpy on details and useless.
- April 3, 2007 at 5:30 PM
ECT doesn't always work. I got it and it didn't help for shit.
- April 3, 2007 at 5:47 PM
Well, my dad had ETC about three years ago for severe depression. Last I checked (about 20 minutes ago) not only is he alive, but he's doing much better thanks to his therapy. While ETC should never, under any circumstances, be administered as the default treatment, I echo what others have said here in saying that it has its benefits for those who really need help. Yes, my dad suffered some short-term memory loss while undergoing ETC, but his memory has made a full recovery.
So, do your research before you start spouting opinions guised as fact. - April 3, 2007 at 6:25 PM
"ECT kills, that's the bottom line. it is a barbaric treatment and destroys life. All of those who advocate it have obviously never seen the effects it has on people, that is if they don't die shortly after it."
So sayeth Xenu! - April 3, 2007 at 7:38 PM
Yet another payola digg article... BUY MY BOOK PLZ
snooze - April 3, 2007 at 8:58 PM
haha. very interesting. the article is too short though.
Hail Xenu! - April 3, 2007 at 9:05 PM
- Unknown said...
Electroconvulsive therapy is still the ONLY cure for depression. Only Cure...there is no other. So it isn't so naive.
- April 3, 2007 at 9:51 PM
- facted said...
As a medical professional who just completed a rotation in psychiatry, I can tell you that ECT is considered both safe and very effective (more so than anti-depressants such as SSRI's). It is associated with short-term memory loss surrounding the treatments that usually resolves quickly but can take up to 6 months.
As for when it is used, it's generally reserved for cases of depression refractory to medication/psychotherapy. It is, however, first line in patients who are depressed w/ psychotic features (a subtype of depression that is not the same thing as schizophrenia or any other psychotic disorder).
Also, it is done quite humanely now, under general anesthesia with complete muscular block (paralysis) and a seizure is induced but there is no shaking as you would see with a normal seizures (due to the paralysis). Patients begin to see improvement after the 1st treatment (generally), but many patients will undergo 10+ treatments over the course of days/weeks. - April 3, 2007 at 9:59 PM
"...even Edison would feel jealous of the great inventions in the year 2001."
Please, give me a break. Edison was jealous of the inventions being achieved in the 1890s. After Nikola Tesla's brilliant invention of polyphase alternating current, Edison set out to discredit it to promote his inferior direct current. As Tesla achieved success after success, Edison and his millionaire cronies set out to do the only thing they could - sling mud on his name and rewrite history.
Incidentally, many of Tesla's predictions of the future were right on! - April 3, 2007 at 10:37 PM
- Sickmind Fraud said...
As seen on the PsychWatch Weblog, recent research has proven that Electroconvulsive Therapy causes permanent amnesia And cognitive deficits, according to a prominent researcher.
For the past 25 years, ECT patients were told by Sackeim, the nation's top ECT researcher, that the controversial treatment doesn't cause permanent amnesia and, in fact, improves memory and increases intelligence. Psychologist Sackeim also taught a generation of ECT practitioners that permanent amnesia from ECT is so rare that it could not be studied. He asserted that most people who said the treatment erased years of memory were mentally ill and thus not credible.
Unfortunately, he has discovered that he made a grave error, damaging hundreds of thousand if not millions of people - April 3, 2007 at 10:46 PM
- Nathan said...
Electro shock therapy is harmless. It has done me a lot of good. I think if everyone had doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnne itttttt itttt woullld be betttttttttteer forrr socciieeeettyy zzzzzzzzzz
- April 3, 2007 at 10:51 PM
I guess this kid coined the phrase "sky-scraper".
- April 3, 2007 at 10:59 PM
The reference to using electricity for medical uses was probably not refering to electro convulsive shock but was most likly derived at from the work of a man named Royal Rife. He used electricity and resonant frequencies to successfully treat many diseases that are today still not curable. His methods were acclaimed to be a great discovery. He was born in the late 1800's.
- April 3, 2007 at 11:06 PM
- April 3, 2007 at 11:14 PM
Electroshock Therapy is still used today, along with chemical treatments for depression. Electroshock Therapy helps increase the effectiveness of some chemical treatments. There is no pain involved; the muscle spasms are involuntary. The way it works is that it erases the short-term memory, thus making the person forget about their present worries, and they respond better to chemical treatment as a result.
- April 3, 2007 at 11:17 PM
Electricity is used for youth. It fuels the lights in the surgery room. It powers the life support systems that measure heartbeat and blood pressure. It give s the little suction vaccum that extra pull so the fat can be sucked out of the stomach for a tummy tuck.
Electrity makes the old young again. The kid was far from wrong. - April 3, 2007 at 11:26 PM
Electricity has been used on many human brains. Seems to have ill effects including lowering IQ points. They are called Democrats.
- April 3, 2007 at 11:50 PM
I would like to say that my mother went bonkers (I know that isn't PC, but if you had to listen to someone screaming day in and out for months) after my dad died.
We (brothers and sister) took her to a psychiatrist who mentioned Electro shock therapy (EST) and said it had a very high rate of success. I don't remember if it was 98 or 89 percent, but it was high.
He further said that while they used to apply it like head phones across the head, which led to memory loss and lots of other problems, now they apply it from the forehead to one side of skull where the memory loss and the associated symptoms don't occur.
(Aside: Mom is on meds, and didn't need the last resort: EST. While EST is effective, it is also emotionally unacceptable for many people. Including me. And my exception to it is emotional. I have met two people who got the old version and the last thing I would allow is that same technique to happen to my mother. These people just weren't home, even though they could clean their apartments, meet people at coffee shops, etc.
Instead, the meds have done a wonderful job. But the family did discuss the possibility of EST. - April 4, 2007 at 12:11 AM
I think electrical restoration of youth may refer to either MySpace or adult battery-operated toys. This kid was smart, albeit overly zealous about run-on sentences.
- April 4, 2007 at 12:48 AM
- Unknown said...
I remember watching an episode of the twilight zone. It took place in the future(1997). And man had apparently mastered human AI and space travel. And I couldn't help but laugh because here we are 2007 and we are a far cry from that. However we are making remarkable advancements in our own ways.
But i can understand where he got his predictions from. He took the popular technology from the day and overexaggerated them to the point where they seemed futuristic. It would be impossible for him to possibly predict the creations of such things like iphones, tivos etc. My laptop alone could have been the strongest laptop in the world in 1991.
Im actually considering making my own predictions to see what could happen in 10 years past. - April 4, 2007 at 1:09 AM
He did pretty well considering this was 100 years ago.
I really need to comment on the ECT issue however. I too, thought it was barbaric. Then my dad became severely, suicidally depressed. He went through hours of therapy of all sorts, was on every med available, was committed a number of times and nothing worked. Then they tried ECT. My dad is back. He is as he was prior to the depression; it didn't harm him, destroy his brain or make him into someone else; it DID prevent him from killing himself or locking himself away from the world forever. So for you fools who denigrate ECT without doing the research (I did before I would let them touch my dad) or experiencing its result, shut up. Without it I wouldn't have a dad; I'd have a gravesite and a headstone. - April 4, 2007 at 1:16 AM
I too, need to comment on the ECT-part.
2 years ago I was committed to a psychiatric hospital with severe depression. Besides medication (which I need to take today as well), I was administered 10 ECT-sessions. And I can say that without them, I would not be here today.
The electricity is not the cure, but the seizure that it provokes is. The current used today is much lower than previously and only 5% goes through your brain. The remaining 95% is routed through the skin and skull, and does not pass through the brain.
Seizures usually makes your muscles cramp up and prevent oxygen in the blood from reaching the brain. So nowadays you are given a general anestisia (?) and a muscle relaxant. No pain, no cell damage and it works! - April 4, 2007 at 3:07 AM
As someone who was actually GIVEN EST (i refuse to use the nice new sparkling and padded term they've given this), i figure my two cents ought to be worth something here. Yes, it works. You become so traumatized by the experience that you'll do anything not to have it done again, so you act happy, put on a front, even though you really don't feel that way, just to not have to experience it again.
There are also several lies i was told by the doctors, and are points that i've seen brought up here to excuse this medieval barbershop quackery. 1: You will experience a little bit of temporary amnesia as a result of this process. 5 years later i still have massive chunks of my memory missing, events described to me in detail by friends or relatives who were there with me of which i have absolutely no recollection. Lie number 2: You won't feel any pain. Utter Bullshite. If they get the dose of muscle paralyser you are given correctly, you will still feel extremely sore after each session, and your head will feel like you ran headfirst into a brick wall at top speed for the next 12-36 hours. If they mess up the dose a little, as happened more than once with me, you will be in so much physical agony that dragging yourself from your bed to the lavatory is nearly impossible. This will wear off in 2-3 days, just in time for another session.
They told me it was a last resort, and supposedly i consented to it, though i had been repeatedly told by an eager doctor that it was the only hope, and in my highly medicated state (not to mention the mental duress) at the time did not have my judgement fully intact in allowing them to pump electricity into my brain, causing a seizure, 3 times a week for 6 weeks.
I don't care what anyone says about how safe, humane, and/or effective it is because they read it somewhere or heard it from some doctor, i have actually experienced the procedure and it is a barbaric and inhumane practice. If you say you know someone who was "saved" by it, i guarantee you they were just traumatised enough to no longer let anyone know how depressed they are. - April 4, 2007 at 4:47 AM
"How is this a hoax? it is a historical piece of writing and makes no mention of "seeing" the future, but merely predicting it based on whatever.
To claim that you see this as a hoax makes you a schizophrenic"
Just because it's in someone's blog doesn't make it fact. It's the internet, for Christ's sakes. It's cool, yes, but don't take it for granted that everything on the world wide web has nothing but genuine information. - April 4, 2007 at 4:47 AM
- Bucky said...
Technology is no where close to what people would have imagined it was...even 20 years ago.
http://www.bloggingwv.com - April 4, 2007 at 4:55 AM
sorry but jetsons seems to get more things right then this kid..1901..hmm may
- April 4, 2007 at 5:59 AM
Someone mentioned The psychwatch article as proof that ECT caused long-term memory loss (the article is from Jan 07). But they neglected the part where the researcher only studied memory effects over six months or less (where common sense would say it takes a week to three years to regain memory) and "he used his grant money largely to compare different types of ECT to each other, not to examine the effects of ECT; and only less than a handful of his 200+ published studies used normal controls, an absolute necessity to isolate the effects of ECT." This is a researcher who took ten million dollars over the past 25 years and waited until they stopped giving him so much grant money to say, hey, ECT's bad...gimme more money and I'll tell you why. I understand that he's the top researcher when it comes to ECT--but that's only because he's received the most money to study it, and that does not mean that he's an ethical man or that his conclusions should be taken above all the rest of the research.
- April 4, 2007 at 9:17 AM
kids were dumb in 1901 lol
- April 4, 2007 at 10:56 AM
Electrocution therapy does indeed benefit society. Consider that multiple recent news stories detail thieves electrocuting themselves while attempting to steal copper wire.
If THAT isn't a benefit to society, I don't know what is.
Darwin heartily approves! - April 4, 2007 at 12:42 PM
- Mark p.s.2 said...
sanktp said 5% goes through the brain.
I read that they have turned UP the voltage due to the power of the new med/drugs that make the patient unconcious/immobile. If you know anything about electricity, you know current flow is dependant on resistance(in this case).Resistance of the human body can vary wildly,and its path is a random straight line (taking the easiest/less resistant path) like a lighting strike.Maybe you had an important memory, thought, belief or idea there?
At the gas pump they have officials that go around measuring the volume used to make sure no one is stolen from. In ECT/EST who checks the machines?
If you want brain damage to feel better, get the temporary kind from alcohol.Its much safer. - April 4, 2007 at 1:08 PM
Sounds like someone needs a little ECT/EST...and someone else needs a little MORE. I love how you call the ppl whose LIVES WERE SAVED by it liars. (sarcasm alert) Cool.
- April 4, 2007 at 2:28 PM
Okay, people, we get it. Each one of you is so much smarter than everyone else who has posted here... You all know all the answers. Hooray for you.
But if we can break out of our (peeing) matches for just a moment and take the article at face value, we'll find a mildly amusing and typical look into the future from a voice long past. You'll see similar accounts in the Worldbook Encyclopedia series from 1967. Look up Automobile and you'll see very similar accounts to what this child predicted in 1901.
Every attempt to predict the future is going to yield mixed results as the logical progression of some technologies unfolds as expected and other, unforseeable, technologies change the face of the world in ways previously unimagined. It's the nature of the beast. - April 4, 2007 at 4:41 PM
well said.
- April 4, 2007 at 6:53 PM
- April 4, 2007 at 10:31 PM
Skyscrapers? The term wasn't even coined yet. This is total BS.
- April 6, 2007 at 11:58 AM
- Sickmind Fraud said...
As noted in the article, the study was several times larger and longer than previous studies on the subject.
Not shorter than usual, longer.
The six-month study followed about 250 patients in New York City hospitals, an unusually large number; most ECT studies are based on 20 to 30 patients.
Sackeim's previously published studies were short term, making it impossible to assess long-term effects. "However, in other contexts over the years -- court depositions, communications with mental health officials, and grant protocols -- Sackeim has claimed to follow up patients for as long as five years.
This raises serious questions as to how long he has actually known of the existence and prevalence of permanent amnesia and why it wasn't revealed until now," Andre said.
Besides finding that ECT routinely causes substantial and permanent amnesia, the study contradicts Sackeim's oft-published statements that ECT increases intelligence and that patients who report permanent adverse effects are mentally ill. - April 6, 2007 at 11:24 PM
- Cliff Hanger said...
The pain of any psychiatric treatment has to be compared with the most common treatment of all (for severe cases): imprisonment. Treatments may all have side effects, but those side effects are often less serious than those resulting from prison rape.
- April 29, 2007 at 4:00 AM
ECT does seem primitive; however it works quite well on MDD that isnt responding to anything else..
And really, where are our personal flying machines? Id like one please. - April 29, 2007 at 11:33 AM
rickl said...
I like how he said that we would see "collisions in the clouds". He was referring to airships, not heavier-than-air airplanes, but he realized that accidents do happen and will continue to happen in the future.
Most "futurists" are either of the utopian or dystopian variety. This kid was pretty well grounded in common sense. - April 29, 2007 at 4:28 PM
the_big_wedding said...
Very cool...I especially liked the prediction:
"In 2001 a small criminal cabal within the state intelligence/governmental apparatus of the United States will use a dramatic clandestine state-sponsored terrorist act to create a faux terror war; and then through the fear created impose a draconian economic regime designed to loot the public wealth and infrastructure; and put into place a police state structure to protect the power they obtained through this contrive terror war."
Boy, this kid was some kinda genius!
I think the kid also predicted that there would be clueless left wing ideologues who refuse acknowledge the real threats to peace and freedom. (i.e. islamic fundamentalists, Iran, Venezuela),
because it might ruin their standing among the militant, socialist "progressives" who inhabit the campus coffee houses. - May 27, 2007 at 6:42 PM
Warren: "ECT kills, that's the bottom line."
THIS IS TRUE, NOBODY HAS EVER SURVIVED ECT, EVER. - September 1, 2007 at 6:50 PM
I think the kid also predicted that there would be clueless left wing ideologues who refuse acknowledge the real threats to peace and freedom. (i.e. islamic fundamentalists, Iran, Venezuela),
because it might ruin their standing among the militant, socialist "progressives" who inhabit the campus coffee houses.
Wow, stop being feeded by the media, kiddo, there's a real word outside of your brain. Venezuela a threat to peace and freedom? Our president is not called Bush and is not trying to invade your country for oil. Come and see, on your own, the social reality and the massive support Chavez has from his country, otherwise keep being ignorant. - September 11, 2007 at 7:33 AM
As someone who collects old medical books from this period, this kid was not a genius but rather just parroting the "medical electricty" rage of the times. Nothing more. Medical electricity was touted for everything in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
- January 7, 2008 at 2:42 AM
Also, the skyscraper "prediction" reflected nothing more than the recent advances(early 1890's) in building that used steel to create taller buildings, starting with the Monadnock Building in Chicago in 1891. It was a big deal then.
Some of you would benefit from turning off cable tv/youtube and going thru an old book store.
These predictions are like saying "someday we'll have robots"
Wow, look at me, I am genius now! - January 7, 2008 at 3:02 AM


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The decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit marked a victory for Republicans and business groups critical of the labor board. If it stands, it could invalidate hundreds of board decisions over the past year, including some that make it easier for unions to organize.
When Obama filled the vacancies on Jan. 4, 2012, Congress was on an extended holiday break. But GOP lawmakers gaveled in for a few minutes every three days just to prevent Obama from making recess appointments. The White House argued that the pro forma sessions — some lasting less than a minute — were a sham.
The court rejected that argument, but went even further, finding that under the Constitution, a recess occurs only during the breaks between formal year-long sessions of Congress, not just any informal break when lawmakers leave town. It also held that presidents can bypass the Senate only when administration vacancies occur during a recess.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said the administration strongly disagrees with the decision and that the labor board would continue to conduct business as usual, despite calls by some Republicans for the board members to resign.
"The decision is novel and unprecedented,"
Carney said.
"It contradicts 150 years of practice by Democratic and Republican administrations."
Under the court's decision, 285 recess appointments made by presidents between 1867 and 2004 would be invalid.
The Justice Department hinted that the administration would ask the Supreme Court to overturn the decision, which was rendered by three conservative judges appointed by Republican presidents.
"We disagree with the court's ruling and believe that the president's recess appointments are constitutionally sound,"
the statement said.
The court acknowledged that the ruling conflicts with what some other federal appeals courts have held about when recess appointments are valid, which only added to the likelihood of an appeal to the high court.
"I think this is a very important decision about the separation of powers,"
said Carl Tobias, a constitutional law professor at Virginia's University of Richmond.
"The court's reading has limited the president's ability to counter the obstruction of appointments by a minority in the Senate that has been pretty egregious in the Obama administration."
The ruling also threw into question the legitimacy of Obama's recess appointment of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Cordray's appointment, made on the same date, has been challenged in a separate case.
Carney insisted the court's ruling affects only a single case before the labor board and would have no bearing on Cordray's appointment. Obama on Thursday renominated Cordray for the job.
The case challenging the recess appointments was brought by Noel Canning, a Washington state bottling company that claimed an NLRB decision against it was not valid because the board members were not properly appointed. The D.C. Circuit panel agreed.
Obama made the recess appointments after Senate Republicans blocked his choices for an agency they contended was biased in favor of unions. Obama claims he acted properly because the Senate was away for the holidays on a 20-day recess. The Constitution allows for such appointments without Senate approval when Congress is in recess.
But during that time, GOP lawmakers argued, the Senate technically had stayed in session because it was gaveled in and out every few days for so-called pro forma sessions.
GOP lawmakers used the tactic — as Democrats had done in the past — specifically to prevent the president from using his recess power to install members to the labor board and the consumer board. They had also vigorously opposed the nomination of Cordray.
The three-judge panel flatly rejected arguments from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, which claimed that the president has discretion to decide that the Senate is unavailable to perform its advice and consent function.
"Allowing the president to define the scope of his own appointment power would eviscerate the Constitution's separation of powers,"Chief Judge David Sentelle wrote in the 46-page ruling. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan.
The court ruled that during one of those pro forma sessions on Jan. 3, 2012, the Senate officially convened its second session of the 112th Congress, as required by the Constitution.
Sentelle's opinion was joined by Judge Thomas Griffith, appointed to the court by President George W. Bush, and Karen LeCraft Henderson, who was appointed by President George H.W. Bush.
"With this ruling, the D.C. Circuit has soundly rejected the Obama administration's flimsy interpretation of the law, and (it) will go a long way toward restoring the constitutional separation of powers,"said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
GOP House Speaker John Boehner welcomed the ruling as "a victory for accountability in government."
If the ruling stands, it would invalidate more than 600 board decisions issued over the past year. It also would leave the five-member labor board with just one validly appointed member, effectively shutting it down. The board is allowed to issue decisions only when it has at least three sitting members.
Obama used the recess appointment to install Deputy Labor Secretary Sharon Block, union lawyer Richard Griffin and NLRB counsel Terence Flynn to fill vacancies on the labor board, giving it a full contingent for the first time in more than a year. Block and Griffin are Democrats, while Flynn is a Republican. Flynn stepped down from the board last year.
All three vacancies on the labor board had been open for months before Obama acted to fill them.
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa called the ruling "a radical departure from precedent" and argued that Obama had no choice but to act.
"Throughout his presidency, Republicans have employed unprecedented partisan delay tactics and filibusters to prevent confirmation of nominees to lead the NLRB, thus crippling the board's legal authority to act," Harkin said.
If Obama's recess appointment of Cordray to the newly created consumer board is eventually ruled invalid, it could nullify all the regulations the consumer board has issued, many of which affect the mortgage business.


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Located along the Potomac River on the north side of Alexandria, Bellevue was home to Alexandria merchant William Hodgson and his wife, Portia Lee, beginning in 1801. The 17-acre property had a house, kitchen, dairy, stables and other outbuildings. They raised their own vegetables and, at times, also grew cherries and collected wild blackberries.
But it was under the ownership of John Slater that Bellevue became well known for its production of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Slater, an awarding-winning horticulturist who had worked with William Yeates of Yeates Gardens, acquired Bellevue around 1840 and successfully developed greenhouses to grow flowers and other plants there.
Among the vegetables Slater grew and sold were asparagus, lettuce, peas and tomatoes, and his vegetable production continued during the Civil War. He also cultivated Catawba grapevines, roses, dahlias and strawberries, which received rave reviews. In 1845, a local paper remarked that Slaters were the finest strawberries we have seen this year and show his great success as a horticulturist. They are not only very large, but finely flavored, and really almost as good to look at, as they are to be eaten.
Bellevue remained in the Slater family for multiple generations and a descendant described the house, seen to the left of the greenhouses in this photo, as having a wide main hallway and a porch with pillars.
The house, which faced the river, suffered significant damage in a storm in the early 1900s. The property was later developed, and today, the eastern side of Slaters Lane is surrounded by a power plant and high rises.
Out of the Attic is provided by the Office of Historic Alexandria.


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These Giclee prints feature an original hand drawn map of the state of Colorado done by artist Katie Ford. Giclee prints are on archival matte paper, and they are UV resistant.
Your print will arrive carefully packaged and wrapped with backing board in a sealed plastic sleeve.
While three sizes are currently available, feel free to inquire about custom sizes and color combinations.


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It's that time of year again: rumors about the next-gen iPhone and iPad(s) are beginning to pick up. iLounge claims to have details on what's being referred to as the "iPad 5" and "iPhone 5S," as well as the second-generation iPad mini. All devices are expected to be introduced in the second half of the year—iPhone 5S around July, and iPad(s) in October—and the full-size iPad is expected to go through some serious design changes to closer resemble the iPad mini.
In its first report on Friday, iLounge said the iPad 5 would be "a lot smaller than one would guess was possible" thanks to the near-elimination of the left and right bezels around the 9.7" screen. iLounge editor-in-chief Jeremy Horwitz claims to have personally seen a physical model of this iPad, noting that it's thinner and "smaller in every dimension than its predecessors."
The iPhone 5S information comes from sources: the device reportedly looks like an iPhone 5 (surprise, surprise) with a "larger rear flash." In his second report, he added that the iPhone 5S is also expected to come with an improved camera, "perhaps featuring Sony's 13-Megapixel sensor." As for the iPad mini, Horwitz only claims to know its code name ("J85") and its October release date. The sources assume—like the rest of us—that the device will come with a retina display, but further information is lacking in the mini department.
So far, these rumors aren't hugely radical, though the idea that Apple might redesign the look of the full-sized iPad is a fairly new one. One of the arguments for the lack of bezels in the iPad mini is the ability to hold the device with a thumb on one side and fingers wrapped around the back (as seen above)—most users can't do this with a 9.7" iPad, the width of which is compounded by the device's added weight. But perhaps there are other usability reasons to get rid of the left and right bezels—if Apple manages to cut down on the footprint and thickness of the device, it could be more appealing to use when compared against the portability of the iPad mini.


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First night a hit for 'Tonight' host Jimmy Fallon
NEW YORK (AP) — If Jimmy Fallon had already proven he was a natural hosting NBC's "Late Night," he left no doubt Monday that "The Tonight Show" now fits him like a glove.
As promised during the much-promoted run-up to his "Tonight Show" debut, Fallon made no drastic changes to the "Late Night" formula that had served him for five years. He remained funny, gracious, bubbly and, above all, comfortable presiding over a show that was different mostly for its earlier time slot, its classier production values and legendary brand name.
"We can book people from the West Coast?!" he joked at his newfound status.
He did pretty well with his bookings on opening night: Will Smith and the rock group U2.
But all that was ahead.
First, his viewers beheld his new set, boasting burnished-wood paneling and panoramic blue curtains.
They had seen his filmed opening — Jimmy as the New York nightcrawler — shot by director Spike Lee.
They discovered that his band, the Roots, had grown by two from its already husky eight pieces.
Then out he came, to thunderous applause, and planted himself on his mark (a four-leaf clover) to deliver his first monologue.
"I'm Jimmy Fallon," he began, and, with a nod to past late-night turbulence that most recently saw his "Tonight" predecessor, Jay Leno, make an unsought exit, he added, "I'll be your host — for now."
He expressed gratitude for his new gig, introduced his parents in the studio audience, and dispensed love in every direction — and made it sound authentic.
He had a few Olympics jokes, one offering sympathy to NBC sportscaster Bob Costas, who was sidelined from several days of Olympics coverage with a blinding bout of pinkeye.
"You could tell he was having trouble when he spent half-an-hour interviewing a mop he thought was Shaun White," Fallon cracked.
Back at his desk, he voiced what seemed like an aside: "To my buddy who said that I'd never be the host of 'The Tonight Show' — and you know who you are — you owe me a hundred bucks, buddy."
With that, Robert De Niro burst through the curtain and plunked a hundred dollars on Fallon's desk.
But that wasn't all. In rapid succession, a parade of other celebs circled through right behind him. They included former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath, ex-mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Lindsay Lohan, Lady Gaga, Mike Tyson, Stephen Colbert and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Joan Rivers was also among them, repaying her "debt" and making a bit of history in the bargain: 49 years earlier to the day, the veteran comedian had made her first appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in that very studio, and had not appeared on "Tonight" since 1987, when she was banned by Carson after jumping to Fox to host her own short-lived show.
A key part of the celebratory spirit for Fallon was the fact that, after more than 40 years in Los Angeles, he and NBC have brought "Tonight" back to New York and Rockefeller Plaza, where it has reclaimed Studio 6B, once the home of Carson and, before him, "Tonight" host Jack Paar.
If viewers needed visual evidence of "Tonight's" restored New York state of mind, Fallon delivered it with flourish.
From the observation deck atop the G.E Building he occupies, he introduced U2, who, 70 stories aloft, performed a new song, "Invisible," against a magnificent New York cityscape at a perfect moment of dusk. The backdrop was so beautiful you might have sworn it was computer generated, but it was real, as was the bitter cold that had the musicians, and a legion of fans gathered round, clad in heavy winter wear.
But after a commercial break, Fallon and his musical guests were cozy, back in the studio, where U2, seated on the powder-blue couch, performed an acoustic version of their Oscar-nominated song, "Ordinary Love.
It was a fine ending to a much-assured hour.
"I just want to do the best I can and take care of this show for a while," Fallon told viewers. "If you guys let me stick around long enough, maybe I'll get the hang of it."
No worries. For five years on "Late Night" he was getting the hang of it.
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The World Grain Trade in the Next Decade; published in Ag World, Vol. 2, No. 5, June 1976, reprint
Publication Date
Report Number
The difference between futures forecasting and scientific prediction is not one of rigor but of purpose. The scientist's purpose is to test a specific model about the world; anything which threatens that test must be controlled by (a) elimination, (b) experimental manipulation, or ( c) statistical manipulation. The futures researcher's goal, however, is not to test a model but to suggest ( through discovery or logic) a model which encompasses and extends our perception of reality sufficiently well to permit choices or decisions to be made.


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Classic & Traditional Cribs
Creating the perfect nursery for your new arrival is one of the great joys of pregnancy. As you indulge your nesting instinct, you'll feel tremendous satisfaction in making the world — or at least your home! — ready for baby. The possibilities are nearly endless, which is all part of the fun: You can choose soft pastels, chic neutrals, or bold, primary colors and practically any theme you can dream up.
The centerpiece of the nursery is, of course, your baby's crib. It's where your baby will learn to sleep and feel safe in the world, and it's the one item you can't live without when you bring baby home from the hospital. A classic crib is a well-crafted piece of furniture as sturdy as any bedroom set you'd purchase for an adult. Though they look as though they've been part of your home for years, new cribs are only designed to look like valuable antiques:Bambi Baby classic baby cribs are all manufactured according to strict safety standards that guide the spacing of the bars and types of finishes used to get that beautiful look. Your baby's safety is crucial.
Choosing from a collection of classic baby cribs can be challenging, but it's also hugely rewarding and great fun. You can design your nursery first and then search for the crib based on color and style for the right finishing touch, or you can let yourself fall in love with a gorgeous centerpiece of a crib first and design the room around it. Bambi Baby has standard baby cribs with solid headboards and footboards for a luxe look, or you can choose traditional bars for an airier, lighter nursery. Other popular features include adjustable mattress heights and convertible side panels that allow you to use your crib as a toddler bed as your baby grows up. From breezy white paint and upholstered headboards to rich mahogany finishes, you're sure to find the classic crib that's right for your growing family.


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comme des garcons top, risto bimbiloski shorts, happy socks from tobi.com, pierre hardy for gap shoes. /ignore hair wtfery.
Basically just doing the old different prints/same colors thing here, but HOLY HELL DO NEBULA CLOTHES MAKE MY DAY. They are by/were sent to me by Risto Bimbiloski, aka, Evil Mastermind Who Will One Day Rule Us All With His Magical Shorts. I didn't even wear these to the astronomy session of the IdeaCity conference on purpose. But then Edna DeVore started talking about the insanity of hubble telescopes and how freaky the universe is and I stared at my shorts and got all scared.
I started to write something about how nice summer is but deleted it because it's a million degrees and I have a million mosquito bites and summer is so easy to romanticize when you have homework to do but then it comes and you don't do all that creative stuff you anticipated and you're kind of like OH WAIT, ALL I'VE BEEN DOING IS SITTING ON THE COUCH AND FALLING ASLEEP, AND NOW IT IS FALL; SHIT. And then you miss your mosquito bites! And wish you were sweating buckets in your living room as opposed to gym class! And you realize that watching people be annoying on Two And a Half Men is better than having to witness that kind of annoyingness in real life! And then you remember that you have those awesome nebula shorts, and you don't care about the other stuff because I HAVE NEBULA SHORTS MUAHAHA.


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You may have noticed that the vice presidential debate took place on the same day as four crucial games in this year's baseball playoffs. In case you were distracted at all by the latter, here's some of what you may have missed:
1) Joe Biden still has his fastball.
He will be 70 in a matter of weeks, but he can still step into a highly charged game situation with the bases loaded. He had his wits about him and his Irish up and did what his team needed done. In this case, his team was desperate for a save after President Obama, thought to be the ace of the Democrats' staff, turned in a memorably forgettable performance in the first debate.
2) Paul Ryan is fully ready for the major leagues.
At just 42, he is still a new commodity on the national political market. He has never run even statewide before, and his first weeks as the vice presidential nominee did less for Mitt Romney's cause than the campaign had hoped. But he was fully ready to do battle with the sitting vice president, held the stage, got his lines in and showed both brainpower and boyish charm.
You have to swing the bat if you want to win.
Biden went after Ryan on the details of Republican tax plans (which current deductions would be cut for the middle class?) and changes to Medicare and Social Security (precisely as the president had not). Ryan continued Romney's earlier assault on the Obama administration for its confusion regarding the Benghazi, Libya, consulate attack and for giving money to solar power projects that failed.
4) You have to be well-practiced to play position defense.
Both men were quite aware of the likely points of attack they faced and were obviously prepared. At one point Ryan objected to Biden's repeated interruptions and said he understood Biden was "under duress to make up for lost ground." But Biden was ready to point out Ryan's requests for grants under some of the very federal programs he called wasteful, as well as to note that Ryan's budget in Congress reduced funding for security at U.S. embassies and consulates.
5) Working the umps doesn't always work.
Some conservatives had complained prior to the debate that moderator Martha Raddatz of ABC News had ties to the Obama-Biden ticket because the president, as a student, had attended her wedding to her first husband. But Raddatz ruled the evening with her expertise and evenhandedness, showing no signs of pressure or overcompensation. She set a new standard for moderating and may just have saved the concept of the debate moderator.
6) Sometimes it is better to sit and talk than to stand and fight.
The expression is "let's sit down and reason this out," and there is a reason. Having the debaters stand emphasizes ego and exposure and reinforces all the combat metaphors. Having them sit and converse with the moderator suggests an entirely different activity.
7) Winning one game is not the same as winning a series.
We have not seen a presidential election decided by the vice presidential debate, nor even by the vice presidential candidates. But each contest in a series influences the dynamic of the next. Running mates can alter the impression the ticket makes, and their debates in the past affected the dynamic of the presidential clashes as well. George W. Bush doubtless drew strength from the performance of Dick Cheney in his meetings with Democrats Joe Lieberman (2000) and John Edwards (2004), both of which Cheney clearly dominated. But what really matters is how the No. 2 energizes and bolsters the No. 1. This VP debate filled the bill for both the president and his challenger, but it was the president who had to be the most grateful.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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WASHINGTON —The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) announced today the following hearing:
Belarus: The Ongoing Crackdown and Forces for Change
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
10:30 am
Room 210 Cannon House Office Building
Nearly one year after the brutal post-December 19, 2010, election crackdown, the human rights picture in Belarus remains bleak. Brave and committed individuals who attempt to promote a democratic future for Belarus continue to be crushed by the dictatorial Lukashenka regime. Civil society continues to be under assault, with NGOs facing ever greater constraints, and freedoms of assembly and expression are severely curtailed. Yet the ongoing economic turmoil has produced growing disaffection, as manifested in Lukashenka's plummeting popular support, and a changing domestic and international environment.
The hearing will focus on the extent and impact of the crackdown on the lives of its victims and on the larger society, and what more can be done by the U.S. and our European partners to promote democratic change in Belarus.
The following witnesses are scheduled to testify:
Ales Mikhalevich, Prominent Belarusian pro-democracy activist and former presidential candidate arrested and tortured in the post-December 2010 election crackdown
Rodger Potocki, Senior Director Europe, National Endowment for Democracy
Susan Corke, Director for Eurasia, Freedom House


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5-Axis Milling Expertise for High-Tech Tool Making
C 42 U - C 52 U | Hirschmann Automotive | Injection moulds and mechatronic assemblies
Fully integrated high-performance, 5-axis machining centres from Hermle allow engineers at Hirschmann Automotive to turn technical innovations into high quality mechatronic products more efficiently than ever before.
The roots of the current technology firm Hirschmann Automotive GmbH from Rankweil, A-6830 Austria, go back to Richard Hirschmann Electronic GmbH, which developed and produced telecommunication devices. The company first established a plant in Rankweil in 1959, and the building still serves as the headquarters of the international Hirschmann Automotive Group. The Group maintains seven production units in Austria, the Czech Republic, Romania (two factories), Morocco, China and, in the not too distant future, Mexico, at which 4,500 employees develop and produce numerous mechatronic products for the automotive sector across four product groups: overmoulded technology, connector systems, special cable assemblies and sensor systems. The level of diversification at the seven production units results from the fact that customers producing products on a global scale demand local sources of supply that guarantee the flexible JIT delivery of products and services, while expecting full technical support throughout the process, from design, through development to production.
As mentioned above, the factory in Rankweil is the Group's head office, even though the individual production units are equipped and organised as centres of excellence for specific products and services. Management, administrative, development and manufacturing activities for connector systems, sensor systems, overmoulded technology and mechatronic subassemblies are concentrated in Rankweil. A further key role is played by the tool, machinery and plant construction departments, which employ 170 specialists in Rankweil alone. From the initial idea and development of products to the production of prototypes/samples, mould tools and the construction of assembly plants and robots: this is where all the elements of design, build and networking come together to implement the process chain all the way from basic drafts to commercialisation.
Into the future with high-performance, 5-axis CNC machining centres
Gerhard Zech, machinery construction manager at Hirschmann Automotive GmbH explains the structure of his department: "Using relevant technologies, we develop ideal tool solutions that give guidance to the other production units, the majority of which have their own tool making departments. The tool making departments in the various countries enable the factories to respond quickly and flexibly to any problems and/or changes that may arise. The tool making branches are adequately equipped and basically responsible for carrying out maintenance, repairs and modifications." Living up to the company's motto: "Live the Innovation", Hirschmann Automotive GmbH has never been afraid to go its own way in many respects. A special mention must also go to the comparatively high number of trainees and the efficient way in which streamlining and investment plans are carried out after taking objective decisions. An excellent example of this is the refinement of the tool making machine portfolio in Rankweil. Andreas Bolter, tool and plant construction manager in Rankweil, comments: "Our work is governed by the efficiency of external tool manufacturers and we always have to be one step ahead. By focussing on the premium automotive sector and small to medium volumes of injection mould parts, we are able to offer a wide range of designs and tools. As we have to deliver just-in-time tool making services to the plant in Rankweil and the production unit in the Czech Republic, and soon in Mexico, problems in terms of machining capacity began to emerge. This was the incentive we needed to take a closer look at our machine portfolio for milling operations, especially as replacement purchases were necessary. There were a number of reasons why we selected Hermle as our partner of choice and started making extensive investments in 5-axis CNC machining centres. We had obtained very good results over a number of years with two Hermle C 20 U machining centres, one equipped with an IH 60 workpiece magazine and handling system, and were impressed with the provided performance and, in particular, the service. In contrast, other manufacturers had trouble meeting our expectations."
Five machining centres in one fell swoop for workpieces ranging from 5 x 5 x 10 mm to 1.5 tons
Actually, it was an unprecedented situation for Maschinenfabrik Berthold Hermle AG from Gosheim, D-78559: Hirschmann Automotive GmbH ordered a whole fleet (five for Rankweil and one for the Czech Republic) of cutting-edge, high-performance, 5-axis CNC machining centres of the Hermle C series, (C 12 U, C 22 U, C 32 U, C 42 U and C 52 U). They help to cover a wide range of capacities for individually machining items whose dimensions are just a few millimetres to large components and assemblies weighing up to 1.5 tons and measuring upwards of 500 x 1000 mm. Since the working ranges of the individual machine sizes overlap to a certain degree in the peripheral zones, milling capacities can be utilised in a highly flexible way for all machining tasks delivered on a direct application or prioritised basis. The tool making department was brought up to date in one fell swoop, thus experiencing enormous technology and productivity gains. At present, workers operate multiple machines on two shifts and unmanned production is carried out in a third shift. The 5-axis machining centres at the plant in Rankweil are currently still operated manually for one-offs and small-scale machining of tools and special machine components, the two larger machining centres, C 42 U and C 52 U, are however equipped with pallet changers or workpiece magazines for automated production. All the new machining centres feature more or less identical equipment and CNC technology, which is clearly advantageous in terms of training, programming, operating concepts and, last but not least, practical usage."
Effective synergies for greater acceptance and higher productivity
As a result, all the machines are equipped with the new TNC 640 Heidenhain control, NC rotary tables, HSK-A63 tool holding fixtures, main spindles with top speeds of 18000 rpm and, apart from the "smallest" 5-axis CNC machining centre (C 12 U), ACC function (Active Chatter Control) and AFC function (Adaptive Feed Control depending on the respective spindle output and other process parameters/data). Some of the machining centres are also fitted with additional magazines that, depending on the specific type and tool demands, enable complete machining of very complex workpieces in one setup. Once again the advantage of an overlapping effect between all the working ranges is very clear, since, depending on the size of the part and the machining requirements, the programmer and/or operator can choose the most suitable machine for the job, thus guaranteeing comprehensive capacity planning. For instance, mould inserts for injection mould tools with a high number of cavities are milled at the smaller machining centres, while the basic mould plates, etc. are produced in parallel at the larger machines, thus offering an effective and time-saving way to meet deadlines. The versatility, flexibility and multi-functionality provided by the Hermle machining centres offers many other benefits according to Gerhard Zech: "Roughly 2000 tool systems are in use worldwide. This means we have to overhaul about 120 tools a week. The similarity of the concepts and equipment of the Hermle machining centres and the daily experiences of employees have a highly positive impact on the working environment. Above all, training at the high-performance, 5-axis CNC machining centres, which is subsequently put into practice, is very relevant and practical, and staff have shown a high degree of acceptance from the start. We've discovered increased positive effects on identification and confidence among our highly-qualified operators in terms of the process components 'machine-tools-operator', which ultimately leads to maximum chip volume and higher productivity."