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The Groovehouse, Dresden… last night of the tour. Despite having nearly lost my voice in Zwickau, and all of us being wrecked from the accumulated sleep deprivation and non-stop rocking, we were pumped up. We walked around Neustadt, the hip part of Dresden that had managed to survive the Allied firebombing. The neighborhood was full of life, crazy graf and art everywhere, lots of vinyl shops, restaurants of every stripe. One piece of renegade art declared "Mein Ohr ist ganz heiss" – "my ear is getting hot." For sure.
Our host for the evening was Olaf, AKA DJ Barrio Katz — and what a great host he was. He runs a popular bi-monthly mash-up night at the Groovehouse, and we were his special guest band. In the early evening he put out a spread of meats, cheeses, salads, and chocolates in our room, then later took us out for another round of eating at a dope Vietnamese spot. The Groovehouse was filling up with revelers, and Olaf was warming things up with a brilliant mash-up mix of northern soul, latin grooves, and electronica… he must've gone through literally hundreds of tracks.We took the stage at around midnight and kept the party jumping. We felt bad about playing a short set, but we had to stop after an hour or so — we needed to drive all night back to Amsterdam so the guys could make their next-morning flight back to L.A… We were sad about leaving in the middle of such a great party, the place was packed, and Barrio Katz had now moved into ultra-mash-up-mode, mixing up the classic ska and reggae with the most raging jungle and dubstep. Brilliant! We listened to Olaf's beats as we quickly loaded up the van and packed in all our luggage. By 3 a.m. we had hit the road.
I took the first leg, driving for as long as I could manage to stay awake, then Freddy, ever the trooper, took us all the way to Amsterdam, making it right on time by 10 in the morning. We had survived: sixteen shows in seventeen days — a real trial by fire. And we knew we would be back someday. I said goodbye to Ed and Cez, who were returning to work the very next day, and headed out to Brussels, from which I would be flying on to Israel, to spend a week recovering in my grandmother's care.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan
reply to post by Hanslune
not much, other than trying to understand the minds that came up with them.
They were hidden via codes. Francis Bacon's writings are a good example. Ciphers.edit on 15-7-2012 by bigfatfurrytexan because: (no reason given)
Symbolic anthropology views culture as an independent system of meaning deciphered by interpreting key symbols and rituals (Spencer 1996:535). There are two major premises governing symbolic anthropology. The first is that "beliefs, however unintelligible, become comprehensible when understood as part of a cultural system of meaning" (Des Chene 1996:1274). Geertz's position illustrates the interpretive approach to symbolic anthropology, while Turner's illustrates the symbolic approach. The second major premise is that actions are guided by interpretation, allowing symbolism to aid in interpreting ideal as well as material activities. Traditionally, symbolic anthropology has focused on religion, cosmology, ritual activity, and expressive customs such as mythology and the performing arts (Des Chene 1996:1274). Symbolic anthropologists have also study other forms of social organization such as kinship and political organization. Studying these types of social forms allows researchers to study the role of symbols in the everyday life of a group of people (Des Chene 1996:1274).


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Yes thats correct FREE SHIPPING if your order is $30 or more before shipping charges applied.
Once purchase is paid for and cleared you will be credited back to your account of ALL the shipping charges.(Please remember that is $30 before shipping charges)
Yes this is another special going on. FREE SCROLLS/DIE CUTS when your order totals $20.00 BEFORE Shipping. Once your order is $20.00 or more before shipping charges you will receive 5 FREE scrolls/die cuts in addition to your order. Only one 5 free scrolls/die cuts per order. So if you spent more then $20 say $40.00 you will only be given the 5 FREE scrolls NOT 10. (the free scrolls will be picked out by me) HAPPY SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PLUS look for new holiday designs that will be in the shop this weekend!! www.niklindesigns1225.etsy.com


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'There!' she cried, as she bounded from him, 'take thy first lesson in good manners. No one can rid thee of that mouthful, which is as thy evil words returned to choke thee!—Thou hadst better keep me in sight,' she added, as she gave Dick his head, 'for no one else can free thee.'
Upstill ceased his futile efforts, caught up his carbine, and fired—not without risk to Dorothy, for he was far too wrathful to take the aim that would have ensured her safety. But she rode on unhurt, meditating how to secure Upstill when she got him to Wyfern, whither she doubted not he would follow her. Her difficulties were not yet past, however, for just as she reached her own ground, she was once again met by the order to stand.
This time it came in a voice which, notwithstanding the anxiety it brought with it, was almost as welcome as well known, and yet made her tremble for the first time that night: it was the voice of Richard Heywood. Dick also seemed to know it, for he stood without a hint from his mistress, while, through the last hedge that parted her from the little yet remaining of the property of her fathers, came the man she loved—an enemy between her and her own.
The marquis's request to be allowed to communicate with the king had been an unfortunate one. It increased suspicion of all kinds, rendered the various reports of the landing of the Irish army under lord Glamorgan more credible, roused the resolution to render all communication impossible, and led to the drawing of a cordon around the place that not a soul should pass unquestioned. The measure would indeed have been unavailing had the garrison been as able as formerly to make sallies; but ever since colonel Morgan received his reinforcement, the issuing troopers had been invariably met at but a few yards from home, and immediately driven in again by largely superior numbers. Still the cordon required a good many more men than the besieging party could well spare without too much weakening their positions, and they had therefore sought the aid of all the gentlemen of puritian politics in the vicinity, and of course that of Mr. Heywood. With the men his father sent, Richard himself offered his services, in the hope that, at the coming fall of the stronghold, he might have a chance of being useful to Dorothy. They had given the cordon a wide extension, in order that an issuing messenger might not perceive his danger until he was too far from the castle to regain it, and then by capturing him might acquire information. Hence it came that posts could be assigned to Richard and his men within such a distance of Redware as admitted of their being with their own people when off duty.
Faithful foes.
Hearing Upstill's shot, and then Dick's hoofs on the sward, Richard fortunately judged well and took the right direction. What was his astonishment and delight when, passing hurriedly through the hedge in the expectation of encountering a cavalier, he saw Dorothy mounted on Dick! What form but hers had been filling soul and brain when he was startled by the shot! And there she was before him! He felt like one who knows the moon is weaving a dream in his brain.


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Monday Morning in Miami. We are in Miami, and the sun is shining, but wow – high speed internet in the hotel is just not all it claims to be. Nevertheless, I will read a book as the next page loads and still try to turn out a respectable blog this morning.
Two stories are on my sports mind today, the first was reflecting on a week that got my hockey pants going crazy. Sidney Crosby was hyped before his career in the NHL began, and now, about 18 months into that career, I have determined he is worth every bit of the hype. After seeing the kid all week, watching him electrify the arena on Friday night, and then watching him score a goal from his rear end and get 3 more assists on Saturday in Phoenix, I am now ready to make him my default "find the guy on Directv because there is nothing else on" dude. He is the chosen one. I have high hopes for the future of the NHL on his back. Don't think one guy can do it? He will need some help, but they have the star they wished for.
The other story is the story that has been obvious for a week now. The Cowboys may interview everyone in the country, but the fact has been that they can't wait to hire Norv Turner.
I don't think this is a good idea because it is being done for all the wrong reasons.
1) He was here for the glory days.
2) He knows everyone in the Cowboys family.
3) He would appease the local media and former players.
4) He develops young QB's.
Please allow me a thought on these topics:
He was here for the glory days.
Really? Excellent. I hope then he is bringing Troy, Emmitt, and Michael Irvin back with him in the time machine. Wasn't Dave Campo here for the glory days, too? We are all looking to recapture the times we got something right, and there is no question the Cowboys got it right in the early 1990's, but there are about 50 reasons the Cowboys were so great back then and Norv may be just 1 of them.
He knows everyone in the Cowboys family.
Is that supposed to be important? I am pretty sure Ron Rivera could meet everyone quickly, and learn his way around Valley Ranch.
He would appease the local media and former players..
Once again, when I hear something is being done that Galloway and Hansen want, that Aikman and Moose wants, and that everyone else who was around the team in 1992 wants it makes me wonder: Do they want him hired because he is a good coach (career record 58-82) or do they want him hired because he is their buddy? Look, it is not a shock to anyone that Troy approves of this – Norv inducted him into the Hall of Fame! I am sure Troy would love a Bill Bates hiring, too. But is this what we need?
He develops young QB's
First, I thought that was why Jason Garrett was hired. And, besides Troy, who else is this great success story? All I know is I watched 7 years of poor QB play in Washington. Heath Shuler did not develop at all, and Gus Frerotte spared me to death, too. Sorry. I don't buy that he is a genius. And unlike everyone else around here, I cannot understand how we can all ignore nearly 10 years as a head coach in the NFL where he managed to accomplish almost nothing!
Seriously. How can we jump all over Bill Parcells for not winning a playoff game in 4 years and then be eager to hire a head coach who is 24 games under .500 9 seasons as a head coach? He only went to the playoffs 1 time!
I just don't buy this hire. I wish I had better feelings about this for you, but consider me less-than-ecstatic about this. Nevertheless, I bet they hire him in the next few days.
Norv interviewed yesterday …
On Sunday, Turner, the Cowboys' offensive coordinator from 1991 to '93, had a lengthy interview with owner and general manager Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones and met with outgoing coach Bill Parcells.
Turner is the seventh candidate to meet with the Joneses to be Parcells' successor, and while the team has offered no timetable on naming a coach, no other interviews are scheduled.
"To me, in this league, it's all about timing and circumstance, and the timing of this presents an opportunity," Turner said. "I've got a lot of confidence in the things I can do. I think there are a lot of people in this league that look at it in that manner. I'm confident that if this opportunity happens, it'll be a great opportunity."
Turner compiled a 58-82-1 regular-season record as a head coach in Washington (1994-2000) and Oakland (2004-05). However the Redskins have had one winning season since he was fired with three games to play, and the Raiders recently named their third coach in three seasons.
Having won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys, mentored Troy Aikman and overseen the formation of the Triplets – Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin – Turner has more of an 'in' with Jerry Jones than the other candidates.
Turner said the familiarity helped in the interview process.
"From a comfort level, certainly knowing what Jerry is looking for, from my standpoint now, I hope it helps," Turner said. "There is not that period of time trying to get used to someone or figure someone out. But it was very in-depth. We covered an awful lot of things in the time we were together."
One subject was Garrett, who, according to sources, would be the offensive coordinator if he is not the head coach, and the other was Terrell Owens.
"When I was hired in Oakland, I tried to hire Jason Garrett, so that tells you a little something about how I feel about Jason," Turner said. "He's coached a couple of years now, and even though he's not been coaching [long], he's been acting as a coach for a lot of years, and he's helped a lot of guys get ready to play."
Turner has experience with a controversial receiver as well, having dealt with Randy Moss in Oakland.
"I want to coach good players," Turner said. "When you get into a situation in terms of being with a new team, there's an evaluation process, and there's a lot of things that go into it. I like the players that are here, and T.O. is one of them."
Turner has the support of Aikman, whom he presented at last summer's Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony, and he has won an NFC East title and playoff game more recently than the Cowboys. In 1999, the Redskins won the division and advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs, only to lose when a field goal snap attempt went awry (sound familiar?).
Turner said he and Parcells had a conversation about the team's personnel. Having beaten the Cowboys in 2004 while with the Raiders, Turner had some understanding of the talent in place.
"This is a great job," Turner said. "It's a good football team. I think the things that Coach Parcells has done have left this team in position where good things are going to happen for it. ... This team was a playoff team, and obviously one play away from going to the next round, so, yeah, there's good players here."
And look who will run the defense! …
But he has a .411 winning percentage as a head coach in eight-plus seasons. As coach of the Redskins from 1994 through 13 games of the 2000 season, Turner went to the playoffs once and finished 1-1. Combine his time in Washington with the two seasons he spent as the Raiders coach, and Turner is 58-82-1.
"To me, in this league, it's all about timing and circumstance, and the timing of this presents an opportunity," Turner said. "I've got a lot of confidence in the things I can do. I think there are a lot of people in this league that look at it in that manner."
Turner also has experience coaching talented, but sometimes controversial, wide receivers. In Oakland, he coached Randy Moss and Jerry Porter. In Dallas, he managed Michael Irvin. That could make the possibility of coaching Terrell Owens seem less daunting.
"I want to coach good players," Turner said. "When you get into a situation in terms of being with a new team, there's an evaluation process, and there's a lot of things that go into it. I like the players that are here, and T.O. is one of them."
Another item of discussion was defense, and specifically, who will run it. On the list of names considered to be the Cowboys' next defensive coordinator is former head coach and current Jaguars assistant Dave Campo.
Gil Brandt's fun facts …Does this guy know how to party or what?
Of the 32 teams in the NFL, 26 of them have participated in a Super Bowl, 13 in the AFC and 13 in the NFC -- another sign that the competitive balance in the NFL is very good.
Six teams have lost the final game of the regular season and still gone on to win the Super Bowl. The Bears lost their final game this season.
No team has lost three games in December and won the Super Bowl. The Colts lost three in December this season.
There are three players named Manning in this year's Super Bowl. Two play for the Bears and one for the Colts. The Bears have two Browns, two Johnsons and two Mannings on the active roster this year.
The most players ever with the same last name for one team in the Super Bowl was four in Super Bowl XXII. Denver had four Jones: Daryll, David, Leonard and Rulon.
The fewest passes attempted in a Super Bowl game was seven in Super Bowl VIII by Bob Griese. The most was by Jim Kelly, 58 in Super Bowl XXVI.
Don Shula has the most games as a head coach in the Super Bowl with six: Super Bowl III (Baltimore Colts), Super Bowl VI, Super Bowl VII, Super Bowl VIII, Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XIX (Miami).
Dan Reeves has been to nine Super Bowls as a player, assistant coach and head coach -- the most by a single person.
There are nine active roster players in Super Bowl XLI (five for Chicago and four for Indianapolis) who have played in a previous Super Bowl game.
Bears: Brian Griese, Brad Maynard, Fred Miller, Muhsin Muhammad and Dante Wesley
Colts: Dan Klecko, Anthony McFarland, Ricky Proehl and Adam Vinatieri
There will be 3,500 media folks at Super Bowl XLI. The population of Bears head coach Lovie Smith's hometown of Big Sandy, Texas, is 1,322.
Of the 41 Super Bowl MVPs (there were two in Super Bowl XI), 20 have been quarterbacks, seven running backs, five wide receivers, two defensive ends, two linebackers, two safeties, one cornerback, one defensive tackle and one kick returner.
Dallas has scored the most points in Super Bowl games (221). Denver has allowed the most points (206).
The Chicago Bears are one of five teams never to lose a Super Bowl game (49ers, 5-0; Ravens, 1-0; Bears, 1-0; Jets, 1-0; Buccaneers, 1-0).
Shaq the crime fighter …
Miami Heat center and Miami Beach reserve Officer Shaquille O'Neal has done it again -- this time, helping police nab a hit-and-run driver early Sunday.
It was 4 a.m., and O'Neal and bodyguard Jerome Crawford had just returned from an away game in Chicago.
They were outside Crawford's Coconut Grove home unloading luggage when a car driven by Emmnueo Cibrin, 18, veered into O'Neal's parked 2007 Cadillac Escalade.
O'Neal and his bodyguard saw Cibrin leaving the scene, and leapt into the damaged sport utility vehicle to give chase. They tailed Cibrin and passenger Junior Rondon for about five minutes before catching up with the two Tampa friends near Southwest 17th Avenue and Coral Way.
Rondon, 20, said he and Cibrin had just left the Vision nightclub on Grand Avenue in Coconut Grove when they struck the open driver-side door of a black Cadillac Escalade parked in the street. Cibrin kept driving, Rondon said, but with good reason.
''He was going to stop, but then we saw the Escalade chasing us,'' Rondon told The Miami Herald on Sunday. ``We got scared and kept driving, you know?''
Cibrin could not be reached for comment.
They stopped a few minutes later, near a gas station, and Rondon said he and his friend were shocked to see the seven-foot-one O'Neal step out of the Escalade.
''I couldn't believe that,'' Rondon said. ``Of all the people. I mean, damn.''
The Heat center was stern with the young men, who came to Miami to party for the weekend, Rondon said.
''He told us to shut up,'' Rondon said. 'He said, `I don't want to talk to you right now.' ''
O'Neal flagged down a nearby police officer, Rondon said. Police ticketed Cibrin for several violations, including leaving the scene of an accident, Rondon said, adding that drunken driving was not one of the charges. The amount of damage done to the Escalade was unknown.
Police confirmed that they responded to an accident at the scene, and a spokesman said further details and the police report would be released today.
O'Neal has been sidelined much of the season while recovering from knee surgery, but that hasn't slowed his fight against crime. The 34-year-old has repeatedly used his police skills since being sworn in as a Miami Beach police reserve officer in December 2005.
In September of that year, while he was still in police training, O'Neal helped officers capture a man accused of a hate crime.
O'Neal saw someone jump out of a car and hurl a bottle toward two men walking near Third Street and Washington Avenue in Miami Beach. The man also shouted slurs against gays, police said.
O'Neal followed the suspect's car until he found an officer to flag down. Police arrested the suspect and charged him with assault.
Stars lose ….Turco bad – offense bad. Running on fumes…
The result was a 4-1 Anaheim victory Sunday that all but ended the Stars' hopes of winning the Pacific Division. The Stars (29-19-2) dropped 10 points behind Anaheim with 32 games remaining.
Tippett described the two McDonald goals as "big momentum swings."
"We come out and we're getting our feet wet in the game. Then we give up a soft one from one side," Tippett said. "We get ourselves back in the game and give up a soft one from the other side. We talk about all the time that our margin for error is very slim, and those are obvious plays that have an impact on the game."
After falling behind by two goals and being dominated in the first period, the Stars seemed poised for a turnaround.
Jere Lehtinen's pretty backhand on a penalty shot cut the margin to one 7:46 into the third period.
"Everybody was thinking that was good, that was what we needed," Lehtinen said.
Then Turco whiffed with his glove hand on a 35-foot snap shot, and the Stars were headed for their third consecutive loss to the Ducks. Turco has allowed 13 goals on 73 shots in the last three games against Anaheim. That translates into a 4.88 goals-against average and a .822 save percentage.
"You're not going to get the outcome you want unless you get better goaltending," Tippett said.
Turco was an unlikely candidate for a meltdown.
He had helped the undermanned Stars to a three-game winning streak just before the All-Star break.
Unlikely candidate for a meltdown???? Turco?
Gump Worsley, 77 …
Lounging at home in the off-season in 1963, Worsley got a call from a friend to tell him he had been traded to Montreal along with Leon Rochefort, Dave Balon and Len Ronson for Plante, Phil Goyette and Don Marshall.
He turned on the radio and heard it himself.
"To this day, the Rangers have never told me I was traded," Worsley told the Hall of Fame.
He went from facing 40-to-50 shots per game in New York to a team that was a perennial powerhouse, still with some of the players from the team that won five straight Stanley Cups from 1956 to 1960.
Injuries caused him to spend most of the next two seasons with the Quebec Aces, but he was called up in 1964-65 to help Montreal win four Cups in a five-year span, interrupted only by Toronto's last Stanley Cup triumph in 1966-67.
"With the trade, he got his reward by playing for a very good team," said former goaltender Ken Dryden, who joined the Canadiens in 1971.
"I played against him his last couple of seasons in Minnesota. He still wasn't wearing a mask, which was unbelievable."
Worsley was sold to the expansion North Stars for cash in 1970 and retired, but was talked into playing four more years in Minnesota.
He wore a mask only for the final six games before he retired in 1974 to his long-time home in Beloeil, Que. He then worked many years as a scout for the North Stars.
Dryden, whose No. 29 is to be retired Monday night at the Bell Centre, knew Worsley only from watching him play on TV while growing up.
"He was in that first generation of goaltenders that I watched - Hall and Sawchuk and Plante and Gump," he said.
There was a family connection, however.
Until well into the 1960s, teams carried only one goalie and, if he was hurt, the home team had a replacement on hand who would go in for either team. Dryden's brother Dave, then a junior, served that role in Toronto.
"He'd get $10 and watch the game, which I thought was just heaven," Ken Dryden said. "One game, early in the second period, Worsley got hurt and my brother had to play.
"He had to wear Gump's jersey, and they weren't exactly the same size."
Sidney Crosby loves to party …
Sometimes youth and noteriety has it's downside.
Sidney Crosby learned all about this Wednesday evening while attending a private party with all of the NHL's elite.
According to Martin Leclerc of Le Journal de Montreal, Crosby tagged along with the NHL All-Stars entourage to "The Ghost", a Dallas nightclub atop the chic W hotel.
While the NHL's leading scorer was enjoying the evening in the company of other players, some "good samiritan" pointed out to the establishments owners that Crosby was only 19.
The legal drinking age in the state of Texas is 21.
Shortly after 12:30 a.m., Crosby was asked to leave the club, even though it had been booked for the purpose of a post ASG celebration, and he is seen as the biggest star amongst the gathering.
Seemingly in Texas, the law is the law.
Unperturbed, Crosby simply hit another club in downtown Dallas, where some other players had gotten together.
Yesterday, enjoying a day off, Crosby found some icetime and worked out alone, while awaiting the other Penguins players who arrived last night in time for today's game against the Dallas Stars.
Top Rated Super Bowls of all-time …
Great Bears QB's in history …
Chad Hutchinson, Stanford: Claimed off a surfboard following Rex Grossman's knee injury that ended his 2004 season. Defeated the Minnesota Vikings in his first start, looking like the answer to the Bears' quarterback problems of the past. Played very average in four straight losses to end the 2004 season. Looked to start in 2005 after Grossman's last injury, but was atrocious in the preseason. Cut. Signed: 2004 Started in: 2004 Released: 2005
Adrian Wilson of the Cardinals does something impossible
Crosby scores Saturday from his seat…
Sidney Crosby's goal I was amazed by and asked him about the other day…
Mike Legg – the guy who scored that goal first.


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Arthritis is one of those classic examples where medicine not only doesn't sort out the problem but creates a new one besides. An estimated 8 per cent of the population suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and 12 per cent from osteoarthritis, making arthritis in all its forms one of the most common diseases in the West.Conventional medicine tends to take the view that there is no known cause or cure for arthritis, and therefore can only offer to alleviate your pain. The most common drug for both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis used to be aspirin at high doses. This is now rapidly being replaced by a class of drug entitled "non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs", or NSAIDs, as they're known in the trade. In the case of arthritis, this is a misnomer, since NSAIDs don't stop the progression of the disease, only its pain. In America, there are 14 such drugs on the market; in the past year one of them (ibuprofen) has even been taken off the list of prescribed drugs and made available over the counter. Increasingly doctors now turn to NSAIDs as a first port of call; in a 1984 study showed that nearly one in seven Americans was treated with one of these drugs, a figure that is now grossly out of date as they are prescribed for everything from headaches to period pains. Arthritis alone is a $10 billion industry.
But at such cost! Increasing evidence points to the fact that patients taking NSAIDs have a high risk of developing ulcers or other life threatening gastrointestinal problems, to the point where medicine has now developed a drug to treat the side effects of the drug used to treat the problem! Before long, undoubtedly we will see a third drug on the market to treat the side effects of the drug used to treat the side effects of the first. . . Here's a review of some of the problems with NSAIDs, with some safer options.
Arthritis actually refers to any inflammation of a joint. Osteoarthritis (OA), the milder form, is considered the result of "wear and tear", occurring with little or no inflammation. Commonly considered the inevitable disease of old age, it also strikes after infection or injury, and is mainly confined to the joints, usually weight bearing joints like the knees and hip joints and also those of the spine.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), on the other hand, is a young person's disease, most likely striking victims (usually women) between 20 and 40 years of age. Thought to be an auto immune disease, where the body reacts against itself, it not only affects one or a number of joints, such as those in the fingers elbows, wrists, ankles or knees, but spreads to other parts of the body. After the inner lining of the joint becomes severely inflamed, it becomes scarred, until scar tissue fills the space within the joint, deforming the underlying bony surfaces and wasting the muscles. This is not an inevitable progression, however; one in ten patients is thought to recover within two years.
With rheumatoid arthritis, the medicine attempts a two pronged attack, to alleviate symptoms and to stop the disease from causing permanent joint destruction. For inflammation and pain, doctors use either NSAIDs or SAIDs ie, steroidal anti inflammatory drugs. To try to treat the problem, they use what are called the anti rheumatic drugs anything from sulphasalazine to gold, anti malarial drugs to cytotoxic drugs (chemotherapy) to immuno suppressants, particularly those used during transplant operations. It is thought that these drugs will act to stop whatever auto immune destruction is going on. In every case, it is a decidedly hit and miss affair, with doctors coming upon something that seems to work in the course of treating something else.


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mainly b/c i had emergency surgery in the beginning of June! had both my appendix and my gall bladder taken out all at one time. I was bad off, and didn't know it!
anyway, my mother, sister, mother-in-law and father-in-law were all here for us, helping with the children, cooking and cleaning, and being dawlin lil lifesavers in general. i'm not sure how we'd have managed without any of them. my mom and sister came to keep the girls while i was in the hospital, and to care for me at home when i came home. then, after a couple of days, my in laws came up to stay with us so mom and sister could go back home. then mom came back for a couple days, and took the three big girls back home with her for almost a week. they are all life savers!
next week we have our SCA event (www.sca.org or www.gleannabhann.org). i think i'll be thankful when it's all over. it's a lot of work, but i hope it'll be worth it!


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Killer Deal Trailer (2016)
13 April 2016
Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante (Sharknado 1, 2 & 3), Killer Deal follows a struggling machete salesman who runs into trouble when his discount hotel room comes with an unwelcome guest. A very unwelcome guest. The experience takes all the things we love about over-the-top horror and puts the viewer right in the middle of the "splash zone."
Watch the official Killer Deal 2016 trailer in HD below or find more Killer Deal videos on Vidimovie.


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Gemma Briggs and Louise Westmarland
International Centre for Comparative Criminological Research
The Open University
Most people probably think that they would be able to provide a good account of what happened if they witnessed a serious crime. Being able to identify the person who attacked them, for example, from a line up, might seem to be a fairly straightforward matter. However, a recent report from a committee tasked with assessing the factors affecting eyewitness testimony, recommended that all law enforcement agencies should '…provide their [personnel] with training on vision and memory and the variables that affect them'. Whilst it may appear to be common sense that research-based policing practice should be the norm, it is evident that this is not always the case. Why, then, has this recommendation been made and how could such training help to reduce erroneous convictions?
Fredrik Fasting Torgersen in the centre of a police lineup
Initiatives such as the Innocence Project highlight an alarmingly high number of cases where individuals have been convicted of crimes they did not commit on the basis of eyewitness identification. Whilst advances in forensic techniques, such as DNA testing, can help overturn some such miscarriages of justice, where forensic evidence isn't available there still remains a tendency for jurors to assume that a confident eyewitness provides reliable evidence (Smith et al, 1989). So how should eyewitness evidence be regarded by jurors? Many researchers would claim that such evidence should be regarded with caution. This is because although police interviewing strategies, used in the UK at least, can help to focus a witness's account of an event before their evidence is presented in court, the reliance on the witness's memory remains. An eyewitness to a crime may feel very confident that their recollection of the event represents clearly what happened, regardless of the speed or traumatic nature of the event. They may also feel highly motivated to help the police secure a prosecution.
The desire of a witness to help the police and the confidence with which they present their account of events represent different problems for assessing eyewitness evidence. The police can control so called system variables – the methods and procedures employed to gather information from a witness, such as the cognitive interview and identification line up procedures – yet they can't control factors such as the impact of stress, anxiety, distance from the perpetrator or the visual conditions at the time of witnessing the crime – the estimator variables (Wells, 1978). This type of 'noise' can affect how eyewitnesses process the crime as well as how they later recall the events. For example, an individual who witnesses a street robbery in a dark alley as they walk home from work may experience anxiety at being physically close to the attacker and fear for their own safety when the assailant sees them phoning the police. In these conditions, they may struggle to provide a clear description of the attacker or the sequence of events. Whilst poor lighting could explain the inability to describe the perpetrator's face, the effect of fear, anxiety and distraction may be less obvious. Afterwards, the witness may feel able to provide an accurate description of the sequence of events and the physique of the attacker, which could potentially help police with their investigation, yet the emotion and distraction they experienced may well have altered their perception of the scene (Easterbrook, 1959). All of these factors, which are outside of the police's control, are estimator variables.
A great deal of research has been conducted on memory for, and recall of, witnessed crimes, demonstrating the constructive nature of memory (Garry et al., 1996), the effect of leading questions (Kassin and Gudjonsson, 2004) and co-witness effects on accounts (Gabbert et al., 2003), as well as the suggestibility of vulnerable witnesses (Henry and Gudjonsson, 2007). This type of research has proven beneficial in controlling some of the system variables which could affect the evidence provided by eye witnesses. However, estimator variables are harder to pin down. Research on visual attention helps to highlight how what we perceive may differ from what is actually presented to us, and that simply looking at a scene doesn't necessarily equate to seeing all aspects of that scene (Mack and Rock, 1997). The phenomena of change blindness (the inability to detect changes in a scene despite full attention being paid); and inattentional blindness (the inability to detect changes in a scene due to attention being allocated elsewhere, or being overloaded) can both demonstrate how a witness's perception of an event may be affected, potentially leading to incorrect identifications.
Classic change blindness investigations (e.g. Simons and Levin, 1998) have shown that people can fail to notice a change in the identity of a person they are talking to if their contact with that person is briefly interrupted (e.g. a person ducks behind a counter and a different person then stands back up). If people fail to notice a change in the identity of someone they are talking to, how good are they at noticing changes from the perspective of an onlooker? Fitzgerald et al. (2014) showed participants a film of an innocent man entering a building. A theft then occurred, and a different (guilty) man left the building. 64% of participants who viewed the film failed to detect the change in identity. They were then shown a 6 person line up which was either target absent (contained the innocent man and 5 fillers) or target present (contained the guilty man and 5 fillers) and asked to rate their confidence in their identification. The 36% of participants who detected the change reported higher confidence in their identification accuracy than those who demonstrated change blindness, despite their identification accuracy not being significantly greater: those who demonstrated change blindness were more likely to misidentify an innocent filler in the line up (44%) than those who had detected the change (21%), but both groups showed similar rates of correct identifications in the target present line up
In a similar study, Smart et al. (2014) questioned whether expertise could affect change blindness susceptibility and identification accuracy. They showed groups of students and law enforcement officers a video of a staged traffic event, involving a speeding car being stopped by a police officer, during which the identity and clothing of the driver changed. Participants were asked whether they detected a change in identity, a change in clothes or both before viewing a line up containing six people. There were four different versions of the line up available: two where the target was absent (i.e. only innocent fillers were present), one containing driver 1 and another containing driver 2). Results revealed that students and law enforcement officers showed similar levels of change blindness (37.5% and 50.8%, respectively) but that students were significantly more likely to detect both the change in identity and the change in clothing than police officers (22.5% and 1.6% respectively). Further, only 3.3% of police officers detected the change in clothes, compared to 40% of students. Moreover, whilst those who detected the change in identity made more correct identifications than those who did not, police officers were less accurate on the identification task than students and demonstrated a greater likelihood of selecting an innocent person from a target absent line up. Smart et al. claim that their findings demonstrate that everyone is prone to change blindness and the 'attentional set' an individual applies to a scene may affect detection of different changes to that scene (e.g. officers were attending more to the driver's behaviour than his clothing).
If the attentional set, goals and level of arousal of a viewer can affect what they see when witnessing a crime, it is easy to understand how two witnesses can provide different accounts of the same event. When witnessing a crime, an eyewitness isn't just a passive surveyor of the events – they bring with them their own goals, past experiences and current concerns – all of which can affect what they look at, process, perceive and remember of the event. Given these factors, along with research into memory and identifications, it is crucially important that eyewitness accounts are treated with caution both by the police and jurors at trial. Educating and informing these groups of the potential pitfalls of eyewitness testimony at both the time of witnessing a crime and at police interview can only be a positive thing.


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Chapter three: Turning connection into Compatriots.
- The only way to get anyone to do anything is to recognize their importance and thereby make them feel important. That's everyone's desire.
- In your initial conversation with someone, find out what motivates them and follow up from there.
- 80 % of building and maintianing relationships is just staying in touch.
- You can be more successful in two months by becoming really interested in other people's success than you can in two years trying to get people interested in your success - Dale Carnegie.
- Learn to become indispensible by start thinking about how to make other people successful, e.g when someone mentions a problem, try to think of solutions.
Chapter four: Trading up and giving back.
- Be interesting.....people tend to hire people they like and they think can make them and their companies successful.
- There is no better way to learn something and become an expert at it than to have to teach it.
- Identify the people in your industy who are successful and try to connect with them.
- Develop a niche. Preferrably an area that is underserved and/or unattended.
- Consider writing articles for your publications.
- There is no substitute for personal initiative
Hope you enjoy the summary. I will be several posts referencing this skill set and I hope I have nudge you in the direction of learing more about it.
Andy G. Rodie


text: Ultimately it wasn't a fulfilling marriage for either of us. We got married so young," Rimes told Shape of why she cheated on Sheremet with actor Eddie Cibrian. Her ex quickly fired back, telling Us, "Age had very little to do with why we got divorced. I was very content and satisfied.


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KRAKOW, Poland — Intolerant governments across the globe are "slowly crushing" activist and advocacy groups that play an essential role in the development of democracy, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Saturday.Does this mean Clinton will be pushing our government for an independent probe of the G20 police response? Will she condemn government attacks on critical NGOs in Israel and Canada?
She cited a broad range of countries where "the walls are closing in" on civic organizations such as unions, religious groups, rights advocates and other nongovernmental organizations that press for social change and shine a light on governments' shortcomings.
Among those she named were Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Venezuela, China and Russia.
"Some of the countries engaging in these behaviors still claim to be democracies," Clinton said at an international conference on the promotion of democracy and human rights. "Democracies don't fear their own people. They recognize that citizens must be free to come together, to advocate and agitate."
Will she be publicly asking her own country's police force to renounce tactics like 'kettling' or other elements of the Miami model?
Or is this just a display of hypocrisy and calculation, referencing countries that are either international competitors or compliant client states that the US could administer more control over if they wished?


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This huge chess board was great fun.
This layout was inspired by the Stuck?! May 15 sketch:
Thanks for stopping by!
Great take on the sketch! That bg paper fits your photos so well! Thank you for joining Stuck?! Sketches! Hugs Åsa
Great page and such perfect papers! Thanks for joining us at Stuck?! Sketches!


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Don't forget to enter my Driscoll's berries giveaway!
I'm not very good at bookmarking recipes from magazines that I want to try. I've subscribed to Bon Appetit for several years now and have only made a handful of their recipes. Addie was rearranging our magazine stash one day when I saw a headline on the cover of the April 2013 issue that caught my eye - caramel glazed brownies. How on earth did I miss this almost a year ago?
I read through the ingredient list, and lo and behold, I already had everything on hand. I found some time on a busy Sunday morning to bake these and asked my little girl to help. She liked seeing the dark chocolate-y brownies go into the pan and kept watching the oven as the brownies baked. When the brownies were done, she said, "Mmm! Those look yummy!"
She was right, of course. The brownies were outrageously good and very rich. I underbaked mine a bit so my brownies would be gooey instead of cake-y. They firmed up overnight and were the perfect texture... almost a melt-in-your mouth kind of brownie. The caramel sauce was ridiculous, and I could have eaten that straight with a spoon. I recommend adding a generous sprinkling of flaky sea salt on top of these to cut down on the brownie's sweetness, since you get a double whammy from the bar itself and the caramel sauce.
Yes, these brownies are a bit more complicated than your average brownie, but then again, these aren't your average brownie. These were fantastic and something that I'd make to wow my friends and family.
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Dark)
- 1 TBSP instant espresso powder (I omitted)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 TBSP water
- 2 TBSP heavy cream
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
For the brownies: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease or line an 8x8 inch baking pan and set aside (I used my silicone baking pan and did not grease it).
In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter and chopped chocolate in the microwave. Heat in 15 second bursts until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir well so that chocolate mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, mix the eggs and sugar together on medium speed until it is pale yellow. Add in the vanilla extract and continue mixing. Turn the mixer down to low and add the melted chocolate mixture until it is fully incorporated. Then slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until everything is uniform.
Turn off the mixer and add the chocolate chips in by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber/silicone spatula.
Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool completely.
For the salted caramel sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Turn your stove to medium high heat and allow the sugar to boil. Use a silicone spatula to stir until the sugar completely dissolves. Once the sugar has dissolved, allow the sugar to continue boiling until it turns a deep amber color (about 5-8 minutes). Do not stir the saucepan during this stage. Remove the caramel from the heat and turn off the stove.
Quickly whisk in the heavy cream and butter and continue to mix until the sauce is smooth. The mixture will bubble vigorously. Allow the caramel to cool slightly - it will thicken up a bit.
Once the brownies are fully cooled, slice into 16 squares and drizzle the tops with the caramel sauce. Sprinkle the tops with the flaky sea salt and serve.
Brownies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and will keep for several days. They can also be stored in the refrigerator.
Yield: 16 brownies
Source: Zest! Exciting Food Creations in Indianapolis, via Bon Appetit, April 2013 issue


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I am sooooooo happy today that my Mom made a new stock of agar-agar sirap merah! Wooohooo!!! Yum yum.......I can eat this with condensed milk!! Ooooooppppsssss......there goes my diet! LOL! Alaaaaaaa.......I only put just a little bit of condensed milk....just a little...ehehehehe......I hope it won't effect that much to my weight. Must cycle more in the morning ehehehe! ;)
It's all because of the hot weather........the agar-agar is suppose to cool the body. Not make us fat.....no no no......no more fat in me....I have too much fat already ehehehe......this time I asked my Mom to put less sugar in it so that it won't be too sweet. It's best to be eaten during the afternoons when the temperature is high. Cools off the body......yup....it's true.....it does work! Try it! :)


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The inspiration came from the urge of mine to use up every last bit of something. I had a tiny bit of DK Echo from my jumper to use up. I hate putting scraps like that in my wool stash they sort of niggle at me. So I went into my cotton yarn zippy bag (I know, I have one!) and found some dishcloth yarn and some red patons smoothie left from a school jumper.
The wrapped present is one of the chicken brooch pins from the left hand bar for Big Sis's teacher - she loves a bit of crochet!
I made some more for another time to finish the blue and red yarn with enough cream cotton for a another little project - maybe a jam jar cover, dish cloth, flower brooch, who knows?


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7th grade GOAL classes: You are the first GOAL classes to work with Breakout Boxes. Reflect on your experiences.
1. How would you define "Breakout Box" in your own words? How would you tell another person what Breakout Boxes are?
2. You worked to solve two teacher-made Breakout Boxes in class, a Communication Through the Ages box and a Mark Twain box. What are the skills needed to solve a Breakout Box like these? Explain.
3. You helped to design your own Breakout Box. What skills are needed to design a Breakout Box?
4. Describe what went well when the other team tried to solve your Breakout Box.
5. What were unexpected challenges when the other team tried to solve your Breakout Box? What do you think were the reasons for the challenges?
6. Think of at least one other classroom setting or topic that would make a good Breakout Box, and explain.


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Monday, February 8, 2010
Was checking out Eric Graham's website and was inspired to do a "study". Grabbed the first interesting picture i saw. This is sort of new territory for me, even though i should be doing this sort of thing more.
Anyway, pen and paper then ruined in Photoshop.
Go buy Eric's prints at 20x200.
Posted by Jeremy at 1:56 PM
4 comments:
- cate said...
I like!
- February 8, 2010 at 7:19 PM
- cate said...
oh and I found another interesting designer you might like...
- February 9, 2010 at 9:22 AM
- Jeremy Hughes said...
Awesome. I saw this guys stuff awhile back at Kitsune Noir and forgot about it. It is really nice. Will have to add him on flickr.
- February 9, 2010 at 11:31 AM
- SibbSabb said...
seriously do 100 more of these this weekend. choose the best and color them in photoshop.
- August 10, 2010 at 3:47 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Disclosure / Disclaimer: I participated in the Idina Menzel Holiday Wishes album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided an album to review but all opinions are my own. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it
Idina Menzel, the voice of Elsa in the mega-hit Frozen and star of Wicked, Rent, Glee andIf/Then , has a new album called Holiday Wishes! It's 12 tracks of holiday hits, including guest performances by Kenny G and Michael Bublé.
Did you just scream with joy/
I did when it was offered to me for review,
after we had seen a video preview at the movies 2 days before!
This new album is one you will want in the car, at home, on your phone, everywhere you go! It is perfect for your Frozen divas at home to sing along with! For me, it slid right up their to number 2, behind Vanessa William's Silver and Gold, for all time fav Holiday albums! And yes, I do find it ironic that 2 in my top 5 are holiday albums sung by female singers who were raised Jewish (NOBODY can reach Barbra Streisand's Ave Maria cd)
Idina has recorded 12 holiday classics including "All I Want For Christmas Is You", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", and a duet with Michael Bublé, "Baby, It's Cold Outside".
Check out the preview trailer:
The album was produced by Grammy Award-winner Walter Afanasieff (Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey) and features such classic favorites as "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," as well as Joni Mitchell's Christmas-themed "River," one of Menzel's favorites.
Holiday Wishes Track Listing
The Christmas Song- another belt out loud song, this song is pure Indina!
Baby It's Cold Outside (Duet with Michael Buble)- this is a great duet, I'm just more partial to Vanessa's version!
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas- it's hard to change this song, but a jazzy arrangement and Indina's voice acting as an instrument, and you have a new version that you will adore!
All I Want For Christmas- finally someone has knocked Mariah's version off it's pedestal! You'll fall in love with this rockin' number
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?- you may feel a little Broadway bound on this song, but it so suits the song, that you'll be singing along and emoting with Indina
December Prayer- Indina co-wrote this song and it is one of our favorites off the cd! I was thrilled to hear Miss Grace singing along with it, on the second hearing- it is such a lovely song and one you will want your kids singing too!
When You Wish Upon A Star- the Disney classic sung as only Indina can! this will be the version you think of from now on, I promise!
Silent Night- this one is more true to the original, with lovely harp accompaniment, that sets just the right tone
Holly Jolly Christmas- Miss Grace started dancing around when this one came on, and it is way more upbeat than the rest. It's traditional, but spunky!
White Christmas- a traditional song that is brought to new heights by Indina's incredible voice! It is the perfect song to end the album with!
You can order the album off iTunes and Amazon, or you can purchase an exclusive Target edition, that features two bonus tracks- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! and Mothers Spiritual. I would recommend getting the bonus CD for yourself, as Let It Snow is just too fun!
You may find yourself buying a copy for everybody on your gift list! It's a great CD and makes a gift that keeps on giving!
About Indina:
You may find yourself buying a copy for everybody on your gift list! It's a great CD and makes a gift that keeps on giving!
About Indina:
Idina's career has traversed stage, film, television, and music. She was most recently heard as Elsa in Disney's global box-office smash Frozen, in which she sings the film's Oscar-winning song "Let It Go." After her performance of the multi-platinum song at the 86th annual Academy Awards, she made history as the first person with both a Billboard Top 10 hit and a Tony Award for acting. Idina currently stars as Elizabeth in the original Broadway production of If/Then. Check out her website, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube pages for more updates!
Be sure to check out her website for her upcoming 2015 tour!!!!!! That's one show you will NOT want to miss!


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The first line of any written or spoken passage can potentially make or break the point that the author is trying to achieve. A novel's first line can set the tone for the entire book, in either a negative or positive way. Just think, where would A Christmas Carol be if Dickens had started out by saying, "Marley died the other day?" Not nearly as powerful as the alternative. What is important to remember, however, is that just because an opening line is outstanding it doesn't mean that the book is going to be. It is just a jumping off point (albeit a very large jump).
Together we have compiled a list of our top 10 favorite opening lines of books. Just because the opening line is on here doesn't mean it's one of our favorite books (even though some actually are). Rather, for various reasons we feel that these particular openers stand out when compared to others and compel you to read further. Hopefully some of you will recognize one or two of your own favorites. If not, hopefully they will do their job and inspire you to want to read more. Enjoy!
"We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold."
We choose Fear and Loathing to kick us off. Let's be honest...how could you not read on after that? Already, your eye has been bombarded by Steadman's tripped-out pictures. Then, when that first line hits you, it's like BAM! Here we go!
#2. The Stranger by Albert Camus
"Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know."
This pretty much sums up Camus' main character better than I could even begin to describe. This line makes you wonder what kind of heartless, deranged individual could not actually know these details. Following this line, he does not disappoint.
#3. Lord Jim By Joseph Conrad
"He was an inch, perhaps two, under six feet, powerfully built, and he advanced straight at you with a slight stoop of the shoulders, head forward, and a fixed from-under stare which made you think of a charging bull."
Padfoot just liked this description. She pretty much wanted to see his 'O Face' from this line alone. Floozy.
#4. Gravity's Rainbow By Thomas Pynchon
"A screaming comes across the sky."
This made the top 10 due to its sheer ingenuity. Not many writers have been able to so fully master the idea of an abstract opening, while still keeping it interesting. Beautiful wording definitely entices you to read further.
#5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis"There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."
Humor is another one of those openers that is hard to really nail. Lewis did an excellent job of being funny, not being too corny, and still setting up a good lead into the following story. I mean, honestly, who really deserves the name Eustace?
#6. 1984 by George Orwell
"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."
Arguably one of the best opening lines to come out of a novel. Orwell has already purposefully put the reader into a mood of wonder and excitement with his foreshadowing of a futuristic world. Just excellent!
#7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
"It was a pleasure to burn."
This personally strikes us as one of the most beautiful compilation of words ever put together. Somewhat like the phrase 'Cellar Door,' it is one of those things that you hear and are immediately attracted to. The ordering of these words could not be improved in any way. It is especially powerful when used as an opening.
#8. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
"He was awake a long time before he remembered that his heart was broken."
Although we are not huge fans of Hemingway, there is no denying that he knew how to kick off a book. The reader is already becoming invested in the main character before we have even reached the second paragraph.
#9. Anthem by Ayn Rand
"It is a sin to write this."
Wow. Can you say dynamic? There are very few lines that that can accomplish such an intense reaction in such few words. This is the perfect example that more is not always better. It took Rand 7 simple words and we were hooked.
#10. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
You knew it was coming, so let's be fair. Even though this might not be the most historically revered or profoundly written book, there is an undeniable magic that Rowling has been able to embody in her books. This usually starts with the first line. It was with the single spark of this line that millions of people, both young and old, awakened their love of literature and books and that is truly magical.
Well we hope that you enjoyed our list. Feel free to comment with your own personal favorites or comment about our selections. For a list of the 'Top 100' literary quotes check out this site.
See which ones you agree with.
Mischief managed!


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For Conor McGregor it's time to rest and allow his ACL tear to properly mend. The Irishman took to Twitter to send out the news.
"Surgery is done. Rehab starts now in the O.C. Feeling great. #RecordSetReturn"
In his second UFC outing, McGregor took an easy victory over Max Holloway. McGregor's pace slowed as his UFC Fight Night 26 contest went on, injuring his knee halfway through the second round.
Since McGregor took his latest win, he's basically put the entire featherweight division on notice by calling them out.
There's no return date for McGregor, but he wants back inside the Octagon this year.
(This post originally appeared on FightLine.com.)


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My Aunt Laura, as we called her, was the wife of John Henry Boardman. She was a little person with an independent spirit and lots of determination. She lived alone for years (26) after the death of John, I know because I knew her personally.
After John's death on 15 January 1957 in West Seattle, King Co., Washington, Laura came and joined us at Christmas, birthday celebrations and other events. So I came to know her from the age of about 9 years and on. She was a lovely and gentle person but very determined to continue living on her own and remaining independent till the very end. She had a nice giggle.
Laura has an interesting ancestry because she is a Cuthbert. I am not an expert on her family line but this is what I know and I have taken this from an Ancestry.com tree – see source info below:
Laura was the daughter of William James Cuthbert born 8 Mar 1862 Darwen, Lancashire, England and died 16 May 1930 in Long Beach, Los Angeles. Her mother was Charlotte Elizabeth Wilson born 8 Sep 1860 and died 29 Mar 1911 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Laura has two siblings a William James Cuthbert born 28 November 1887 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and a Charlotte Elizabeth Cuthbert born 28 November 1887 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Laura's father's parents were a William Cuthbert and Susan Howarth. Her mother's parents were James Stewart Wilson born 18 Aug 1835 in Kingston, Ontario and Eleanor Branscombe born 6 May 1835 in New Brunswick and died 14 May 1924.
They had 8 more children besides Charlotte Elizabeth. They were David, George, William, John, Martha, Nell, James and Mary Catherine.
James' father was a John Wilson born about 1809 in Barrhead, Renfrew, Scotland and died 21 December 1856 in Sydenham Twp., Grey (is all I have). Eleanor's parents were Mill Branscombe and Charlotte Day (1816-1903). She is buried in Sarawak Daywood Cemetery.
Charlotte's father may have been a Peter Day. Charlotte had some siblings: Eleanor, George, Miller and then she had married a Charles R. Noble (16 Oct. 1813 to 4 Jan 1891) and had Mary, Walker, Buzza and Frances.
Source: Ancestry One World Tree, A Community Tree, Feb. 2008. There are other family trees at Ancestry, some with pictures and stories about Laura. Apparently she had earned some medals for service. They are public trees so you can access them easily with an Ancestry.com subscription or try Rootsweb.
I have her birth as the 8th of May 1891 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It comes from her naturalization record which I talked about in an earlier post.
Laura tenaciously lived on her own till about six months before her death when she moved into a nursing home somewhere in West Seattle. I vaguely remember my Aunt Aileen struggling with the issue of caring for an aging person.
The story goes that she was wandering around one day in the nursing home and went into a room, climbed on the bed and passed. It was not her room. She was 92 years old.
Laura Eleanor Cuthbert Boardman is buried in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in West Seattle next to her husband John, her in-laws Robert and Ethel Boardman and other family members.
It never occurred to me at the time to ask Laura about the family and John, so I say to you, go now and ask questions of your family don't be like me!
My mother received a letter with tax forms from Laura's niece Peggy Korver regarding her estate, dated March 1985. Apparently Peggy was the executrix of her aunt's will.
I do believe that Laura and Aileen were close throughout the years up until the end. Laura was sixteen years older but that didn't seem to matter. Their friendship spanned probably, if I guess correctly, from about 1921 to Laura's death in 1983, which is 62 years. The picture below was probably taken when they all gathered in Pasadena for the reunion I have posted about in a past post: 9/12/2012, "A Series of Photographs Give a Clue to a Family Reunion."


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After a weekend of almost nothing but reading, I'm 600 pages into the book—two-thirds of the way through volume one, in other words—and my enthusiasm hasn't flagged a bit. This is some of the best history I've read. Branch manages to tell a compelling story that doesn't just focus on King, but, rather, manages to encompass seemingly all civil rights activity in the entire United States. He juggles hundreds of characters and dozens of locations while still keeping everything clear and compelling. He explores the ideas and forces that shaped King's thought and his life, and he shows both the strong, eloquent public King and the care-worn, questioning private King.
But despite King's centrality to the story, the progress of civil rights in the period encompassed far more than just King, and Branch gives everyone his due. He brings the reader right into the thoughts and words and actions of everyone from Bayard Rustin to Harry Belafonte to Bobby Kennedy. The nuanced portrait he draws of Kennedy alone would be worth reading the book. King leaves the scene for dozens of pages at a time, and his absence does nothing to slow the book's momentum. The movement was too big for one man, and Branch presents facet after facet, event after event, and he makes us understand how the pieces fit, pushing and pulling with and against one another, making up a whole.
In the midst of all this, there's horror and drama, honor and dishonor. Reading about the all-night meetings of black activists in Montgomery after Rosa Parks was arrested, I could feel the energy and fearful excitement. And reading later about the firebombing of King's house, I felt the astonishing calming power of the words he spoke from his porch to a worried, angry crowd:
Holding up his hand for silence, he tried to still the anger by speaking with an exaggerated peacefulness in his voice. Everything was all right, he said. "Don't get panicky. Don't do anything panicky. Don't get your weapons. If you have weapons, take them home. He who lives by the sword will perish by the sword. Remember that is what Jesus said. We are not advocating violence. We want to love our enemies. I want you to love our enemies. Be good to them. This is what we must live by. We must meet hate with love." By then the crowd of several hundred people had quieted to silence, and feeling welled up in King to an oration. "I did not start this boycott," he said. "I was asked by you to serve as your spokesman. I want it to be known the length and breadth of this land that if I am stopped, this movement will not stop. I f I am stopped, our work will not stop. For what we are doing is right. What we are doing is just. And God is with us."
Branch reveals people engaging in repeated acts of bravery and integrity in situations where none of us should be confident we'd be willing and able to do the same. Over and over, people acted on their beliefs in the face of hardened, violent opposition. That staggering courage means that, despite all the depravity and hatred on display, the overwhelming effect of the book is one of awe at human capacity to persevere and struggle towards the good. I don't expect I'll read a more astonishing or inspiring book this year.


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Artist / director: Terry Westby-Nunn
Poet / voice / performer: Tanya van Schalkwyk
Cities are the dressing rooms of our dreams / fantasies. "The Electrician" romps through another side of Cape Town's blackouts and energy crises, as well as the mind of a city dweller. Is the electrician a figment of her imagination or is she part of an underground city - alternate to the one we read about in the papers and believe to be true? Reality or imaginary, the city plays dress up with our minds.


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Just picked up Washingtonian Magazine's 100 Best DC-Area Restaurants Issue. I'll be perusing it for some suggestions, and commenting on any I've experienced. Still trying to find a place like noodle house Wagamama that I went so crazy over in London. Damn, maybe I will have to make a road trip to Boston in the next few months.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
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Rainier Cherries and Chevre Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
This is a sweet and tangy summer salad topped with a naturally fat free dressing that will have you licking the bowl. The dressing gets its thickness from the pectin in natural raspberry preserves and omits oil from the dressing all together. The fats you need to maximize nutrition from all those fruits and greens comes in the form of creamy and smooth soft chevre cheese. The sweetness of Rainier cherries is set off by the slight hint of heat from cayenne and a lingering touch of anise to surprise the palate. Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Nutritional Information
Which is a long and fancy way of saying: go out and make this salad while cherries are still in season. But then again, I probably had you convinced as soon as you saw that succulent photo. This salad makes a delightful lunch or a great first course. It is a nice summery change from the more standard pear or apple salads. Best of all, you can easily whip it up for a solo lunch for one, or multiply the recipe to serve a small army.
2 teaspoons raspberry preserves
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
pinch sea salt
pinch anise seed
pinch Mediterranean oregano
2 turns freshly ground black pepper
small dash cayenne pepper
Whisk preserves and vinegar together in a bowl until well combined. Add seasonings and whisk to combine. Taste. Adjust seasonings to your preference. If you are sensitive to hot spice, start with a very small pinch (a "smidge") of cayenne, and build up from there.
1 ounce chevre cheese
8-10 Rainier cherries, pitted
fresh dill
Toss salad greens in raspberry vinaigrette. Top with chevre, dill and cherries.
Note: The fat content comes almost entirely from the fat content of the chevre. My brand has only 5 grams of fat per ounce serving. The content may vary, so be sure to read your labels and select accordingly. Also, if you are watching your sugars, this dressing mixes up very well with the low-sugar style of preserves as well.
I'm sending this one on over to Astrid from Paulchen's Food Blog for Weekend Herb Blogging
Raspberry VinaigretteServes 1. (May multiply for more servings)
Salad2 cups mixed spring greens
Nutritional InformationServing size: 1 recipe (162 grams). 168 calories, 6 grams of fat, 24.5 g total carbs, 3.3 g fiber, 17.3 g sugars


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The Answer To The Question
The answer was one of quite astonishingly commonsense pragmatism. He doesnt believe that British troops have been given the equipment to do the job of 'counter-insurgency', let alone fight the war that we should be fighting. He also doesnt believe that any British interests either were served or are being served by British troops being in Iraq. He pointed out that not only was Saddam Hussein not truly a real threat to Britain, WMD or not, but that by creating a 'meeting engagement' situation in Iraq we have allowed Syria and Iran, the actual true threats (regimes of madmen as he referred to them) to become the focal points and logistic powerbrokers for Islamic power in the region.
And, most tellingly of all, this 'little Englander' has a strong enough grasp of foreign affairs that he understands that, no matter how distasteful the idea may be, the truth is that the only end to the murderous internecine hatred between Sunni and Shia (with both trying to off as many Kurds as possible on the way to killing each other) is a three-state solution.
And he's right of course.
He identified immigration as the absolute key issue that concerns the British public today. A year ago you'd have been hard put to find a single UKIP official to admit that there was any issue at all facing Britain today that wasnt the EU itself. He wants - shockingly - actual proper work permits to be issued instead of National Insurance numbers for everyone who gets off the boat or plane, EU nationals or not. The fascist! Or something.
In short, I was very impressed. The man's shorter than I realised as well, he actually had to look up at me when pumping my hand and asking me to stand at the Locals next year...I didnt have the heart to tell him I havent been a member for about fourteen months.
Mrs RWZC will endeavour to ask the question next time he's available, of that I have no doubt. Until then, I have to give a definite thumbs up to UKIP's new supremo - if the party's next big policy initiative on Law and Order is as excellent as their Flat Tax proposals and Education paper then I have to predict one new UKIP member and one renewed one for early next year.


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Lumbar spinal stenosis is painful condition in which the spine is constricted in the lower back, which puts pressure on the nerves and spinal cord. It can be triggered by arthritis or a degenerative disc condition. Key symptoms are lower back pain, numbness in the extremities (especially the hands and arms) and leg discomfort. People with lumbar stenosis can do stretching and strength-building exercises to relieve symptoms.
The Exercises
Lumber exercises are designed to bend your spine either forward or backward. Kneeling and standing exercises will do the latter, and exercises with your back on the floor will accomplish the former. It is recommended that you do 10 repetitions of each exercise up to three times. Hold each position for five seconds. Do the exercises as often as you can.
Exercises to Bend Your Spinal Column Backward
Lying on a hard surface with your legs extended will allow the spine to align itself naturally. Try relaxing in this position for a few minutes to start out.
While still on the floor, bring your knees up and press your lower back to the floor. Repeat 10 times. This exercise will build strength in the lower back, which can help stabilise the spine.
With your knees still up, squeeze your buttocks together, then release them. This is another good strength movement. The buttocks help support the lower back, so they need to be worked.
Next, pull both of your knees up together and hold them against your upper body. Lower your feet to the floor, then repeat.
You can also do the above exercise pulling up one leg at a time. This will stretch each side of the lower back separately.
Now, with your knees up and feet on the floor, lift your buttocks off the floor. This movement will strengthen the area between the lower and middle back. People with lumbar stenosis should work surrounding muscle groups as well as the lower back to better stabilise their spine.
Extend you legs and perform leg lifts. Try to hold your feet 6 inches off the floor. Lower your feet, then repeat the movement. On the next set, try raising your feet 12 inches off the floor; then do 18 inches on the last set. Strong abdominal muscles will help support the spine.
With your legs still extended, lift the right leg up and twist your body to the left. Place your right foot over your left one and get a good stretch. Repeat on the other side.
Exercises o Bend Your Spinal Column Forward
While kneeling on the floor, slowly lean and move forward, stretching your arms as far as you can. This is a good warm-up exercise.
To perform "The Cobra," lie on your stomach with your arms to the side. Squeeze your buttocks and abdominal muscles simultaneously, but relax your legs. Slowly lift your upper body off the floor and hold that position. Do not raise yourself up too high, or you'll risk injury. Just a few inches should do.
While still on your stomach, put a rolled-up towel on the floor. Place your forehead on it. Slowly lift your right arm and leg an inch or two off the floor. Relax and do the same thing with the other arm and leg.
Marching in place is another exercise for people with lumbar spinal stenosis. Raise each leg up about 3 or 4 inches while marching. Do this for 30 to 60 seconds, take a short break, then do two more sets of this exercise.


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I spotted a Red Tailed hawk high up in the trees. There were a lot of deer around and I stopped counting after I saw a dozen.
There were quite a lot of people out along the paths as well. Maybe everyone was out getting their walk in the morning because of the rain that was expected for later in the day.
At one point I looked off the path and saw Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy having a rest on a wall. I walked over to them and took their picture. : ) They were made out of stone and I wondered who put them there.
Steps for my walk today were 12,983.
The rain started just as I was walking to my car to go home.
I'm going to read some more of my book. A rainy afternoon seems the perfect time for that. : )
A happy day to you.
Happyone : )
Comment replies:
Vee - The white bubble on the other side of the lake is a big tent over a concrete slab. Bands play there in the summer and different organizations rent it for their events. As I looked at the picture after I posted it, I had a feeling you were going to ask what that was! : )


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Various Highland presbytery and kirk session records from the presbyteries of Inverness, Ross, Sutherland, Lochcarron-Skye and Abernethy are are to return north to Inverness to be housed in the new part-Lottery funded Highland Archive Centre at Bught, upon its completion.
Other documents to be housed at the centre will include papers relating to the Clearances (na Fuadaichean) and papers pre-Culloden, as well as the Highland photogrpahic archive, containing some 150,000 images.
The BBC has more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8140753.stm
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research


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Review: A Conflict of Visions, by Thomas Sowell
Sowell is an economist, newspaper columnist and Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He is a prolific writer on economics, public policy, history, culture and the politics of race. His opinions are often controversial and he has strong detractors and supporters. Agree or disagree, he is an opinion leader of considerable influence in our society today.
In observing arguments for and against a wide variety of positions, Dr. Sowell reports that he noticed that in many cases participants seemed to be arguing not so much against each other, but past each other. In other words, each person was arguing not against the others' position but what they perceived those positions to be, which was often far different from the actual positions held.
Over time he refined his observations into the theory expressed in, A Conflict of Visions – Ideological Origins of Political Struggles (Basic Books, 2002). I believe this book has critical insights important for understanding the major ideological conflicts within Western civilization and has specific application to understanding the controversies concerning academic and journalistic bias.
His thesis is that prior to paradigms, world-views, theories or any rationally articulated models there is an underlying vision, defined (quoting Joseph Schumpeter) as a "pre-analytic cognitive act". Sowell further defines a vision, "It is what we sense or feel before we have constructed any systematic reasoning that could be called a theory, much less deduced any specific consequences as hypotheses to be tested against evidence. A vision is our sense of how the world works."
Visions are a sense of the possibilities of human reason and power to act purposefully to achieve desired ends and are broadly defined as Constrained and Unconstrained. An unconstrained vision sees articulated reason as powerful and potent to shape human society, a constrained vision sees human beings as more limited by human nature and natural law.
Dr. Sowell concedes that visions are rarely pure but range from strongly to weakly constrained or unconstrained. People may hold one sort of vision in a certain sphere of opinion and another in a different sphere, there are hybrid visions (Marx and John Stuart Mill are given examples) and people sometimes change predominant visions over their lifetimes.
It is important to note that he does not equate constrained and unconstrained visions with the Left/ Right model of the political spectrum, nor do they strongly reflect the Libertarian/ Authoritarian dichotomy. An unconstrained vision characterizes the Utopian Socialists of the early nineteenth century (such as Fourier) but is also strongly expressed by William Godwin, considered by many to be the founder of modern Anarchism, in his Enquiry Concerning Political Justice.
The unconstrained vision is more often characteristic of those who would use the coercive power of the state to affect great changes in the structure of society and human nature, but it cannot be assumed that a constrained vision leads to a blind defense of the status quo. He gives the example of Adam Smith, an exemplar of a strongly constrained vision, was an advocate of sweeping social changes such as the abolition of slavery and an end to mercantilist policies.
Once grasped, Dr. Sowell's theory makes sense of some seeming inconsistencies and contradictions in both Left and Right positions.
For example, though there is a tendency for the constrained vision to predominate among the politically Conservative and free market advocates, it is not absolute or consistent. A Conservative may argue for the superior efficacy of market processes to serve the social good (as opposed to purposeful direction of the economy) but fail to see the market for illegal drugs as subject to the same laws of supply and demand as other commodities or consider the argument that the process costs of drug prohibition may be higher than the social costs of drug addiction. In fact, the phrase "consider the argument" is misleading. It is possible that the argument simply does not exist in his perceptual universe and is interpreted as advocacy for drug use.
On the other end of the political spectrum, a thinker such as Paul Ehrlich (in The Population Bomb) may argue from the highly constrained view of Thomas Malthus on population and food resources, combined with an unconstrained view of the ability of the state to effectively control population and allocation of resources for the general good of mankind.
And we see on both the Left and Right, visionaries holding strong beliefs about the ability of humans to deliberately shape culture to reflect whichever set of values held by their respective advocates. Though much experience in the twentieth century has shown how limited the ability of men is to design culture as if it were an engineering project, and how disastrous the attempts often are, men and women of unconstrained vision persist in their advocacy of policies intended to rid society of gender defined roles on the one hand or of behavior considered "vice" on the other.
So the question arises, if the concept of the contrasting visions is hedged about with so many qualifications, is it at all useful in categorizing belief systems or explaining behavior?
I believe it is highly useful. In Western civilization there exists no serious argument about the desirability of that condition expressed by the words "freedom" and "equality". Yet in the West we find that whenever advocates of various causes argue for their sides, their definitions do not coincide, i.e. they argue past each other.
Advocates of redistributionist policies, affirmative action to achieve more socioeconomic equality and a high degree of taxation and market regulation are seen as tending towards totalitarianism by advocates of a less intrusive government.
Contrariwise, advocates of leaving the pursuit of the social good to voluntary and market processes are seen by political opponents as apologists for powerful and rapacious economic elites in their drive to impose a quasi-royal authority on society via economic coercion.
For those who see government as a powerful engine for social engineering, it is desired results that matter. If it is possible for the state to eliminate poverty and insure socio-economic success for historically disadvantaged groups then it follows that it is immoral not to do so. Arguments that the goals lie outside the state's competence or that process costs are too high or that the attempt itself is counterproductive will simply not register and almost inevitably must be interpreted in terms of ulterior motive.
Thus a TV journalist can make a parenthetical remark on a broadcast about how African-Americans are still not as "free" as Whites in the US. One who considers freedom to be the absence of legal coercion might ask how are they not free today when all forms of legal discrimination have been abolished by Supreme Court decisions and federal law? The answer would reflect the definition of "freedom" as opportunity, a definition that will conflate "poor and disadvantaged" with "unfree".
The definition that limits freedom to a relationship of men in society where physical force or fraud in human relationships is made illegal with no further attempt to redress inequalities of wealth, education, opportunity etc, is sometimes derided as "freedom to starve".
Likewise the condition called "equality" is seen by those with opposing visions as either a process or a result, leading them to almost diametrically opposite interpretations of the term. To someone of unconstrained vision who views equality as a result, the socioeconomic lagging of certain groups behind others is prima facie evidence of externally imposed inequality (such as persistent discrimination) in society. To someone who views equality as the absence of legally imposed barriers to opportunity, the outcome is the result of values and choices and irrelevant to questions of justice as seen by people of unconstrained vision.
Those with a constrained vision tend to regard socioeconomic inequalities between individuals and groups as the inevitable result of inborn human variations in ability, different cultural indoctrination in values that promote or retard economic success and individual choices. Those of unconstrained vision tend to regard them as the result of artificially imposed constraints and when inequalities persist beyond the removal of obvious constraints will keep looking for them rather than change their model of causation.
Dr. Sowell has elaborated this theory far more than can be covered in a short review. He examines in detail visions of justice, power and equality and the difference between visions and paradigms, values and theories.
What is important to the problem of both academic and journalistic bias is how contrasting visions lead to unconscious assumptions about how the world works, and how that affects their interpretation of events. For those of unconstrained vision, though socioeconomic equality may be a strongly held value, they are nonetheless going to tend strongly towards intellectual elitism. If articulated reason is held to be the most powerful force for the social good then it must follow that society should be lead by the most advanced and progressive thinkers. Those who view the collective wisdom of individuals operating within their own spheres of experience to be superior to the ability of others to direct their destinies will be seen as self-interested, reactionary and apologists for injustice.
Those who see themselves as being in the intellectual vanguard of progress will tend to be strongly attracted to the fields of teaching, liberal arts, humanities, and journalism, and moreover, will tend to regard journalism as an extension of the teaching profession.
Unconstrained visions flourish in the absence of deep experience. In business, the natural sciences and engineering, theories about the way things ought to work (within their sphere of activity) are constantly tested against the way they do in fact work: profitability, repeatable experiments and bridges that don't fall down all serve as reality checks against extending theory further than is warranted by the facts.
An academic environment tends to insulate against experience and journalism, by the nature of the news cycle, tends to expose practitioners to a superficial kind of experience, most especially among the newsreader "talking heads" who are basically presenters rather than researchers.
The consequences of the predominance of this vision among many academics and journalists are subtle and powerful and may include:
*Dismissal of other points of view as unworthy of reporting rather than attempting to refute them, not from motives of conscious fraud but simply from failure to take them seriously, often because of…
*Attribution of motive. It noteworthy how often arguments give the "real" motive of the opposing point of view – the one thing that cannot be known for certain. Motives can be strongly inferred only by a ruthlessly honest appraisal of one's own nature – but it is seldom the case that a partisan for a particular point of view argues that "His motive is probably thus because that is what I experience in myself."
*Unsupported parenthetical remarks among university lecturers and telejournalists. A broadcast from location often cannot be edited due to time constraints. It is interesting to note how often among the narrative of events a sentence that is unsupported comment can be slipped in.
*The use of ad hominem attacks (both Direct and Circumstantial) on someone's credibility, probably coming from the unconscious assumption that since articulated reason can show the way to the social good, then conclusions about how to achieve it must be consistent among reasonable people. Disagreement about means and ends are seen as coming from ulterior motives, villainy or stupidity.
Dr. Sowell sees the theory as explaining a lot about the ideological struggles of the past two centuries – and sees no end in sight for the conflict of visions. However an appreciation of the role of visions in shaping worldviews can help make sense of opposing views for those who disagree and shows us that opposing views are not capriciously chosen or necessarily stemming from ulterior motives, but are internally self-consistent within the framework of the underlying vision. One may even hope that this appreciation may lead at least to genuine argument of the points at issue rather than character assassination and attribution of rapaciously self-interested motive.
It is fairly obvious that the constrained vision is behind much economic thinking. Economics is after all fundamentally about the way that human beings allocate finite resources. It is not clear that Dr. Sowell is making a blanket condemnation of the unconstrained vision though. He has noted that in the years since he first published, Malthus (on the constrained side) has been proven consistently wrong and he has credited both William Godwin and Ayn Rand (both exponents of the doctrine of the godlike power of human reason) as contributing to the evolution of modern libertarian thought. Possibly a certain element of the unconstrained vision serves to fire the imagination and may be necessary for motivating the spirit of social reform. Only when carried to extremes does it become a demand that society be everywhere remade to conform to a vision of perfection.
It also seems evident that though America was founded by men of largely constrained vision, there have been elements of both visions in our national culture from the beginning. The Founding Fathers did in fact design our federal institutions and were quite aware that they were creating a new social order by an act of will. However, they did so with a realistic appraisal of human nature, careful research of historical confederations and built upon local institutions that had been in operation for nearly two centuries. Since our beginnings American culture has reflected both utopian and pragmatic visions, a pattern that shapes our political discourse to this day.
The following chart is drawn from some of the major points of Dr. Sowell's theory of visions. Since it is a collection of very short abstractions, responsibility for how well it represents the author's thought rests with me.
Constrained Vision:
Sees human nature as fixed, unchanging, selfish and ambitious, which must be subordinated to society to some extent.
Unconstrained Vision:
Sees human nature as malleable, perfectible whose uncorrupted form will be expressed in the good society.
CV: Freedom is defined as the absence of coercion by other human beings.
UV: Unfreedom seen as the absence of opportunity.
CV: Emphasis on process costs. Seeks optimum trade-offs.
UV: Emphasis on motives and the desired results. Seeks solutions.
CV: Sees tradition as expressing the accumulated experience of the culture.
UV: Sees tradition largely as outmoded superstition.
CV: Sees articulated reason as less important than "distributed knowledge" expressed in market processes. Emphasis on experience.
UV: Sees articulated reason as powerful and effective. Emphasis on logic.
CV: Seeks the social good in making allowances for human nature, such as checks and balances in government, using mutual jealousy as a counterbalance against ambition and greed on the part of the powerful.
UV: Seeks the social good in the elevation of an enlightened and progressive leadership.
CV: Preference for evolved systems.
UV: Preference for designed systems.
CV: Characterized by the belief that the evils of the world can be explained by inherent characteristics of human nature. War and crime may be rational, if immoral, choices.
UV: Characterized by the conviction that foolish or immoral choices explain the evils of the world. War and crime seen as aberrations.
CV: Tends to compare the status quo with worse alternatives.
UV: Tends to compare the status quo with hypothetical perfection.
CV: Exemplary thinkers: Adam Smith, Thomas Hobbes, Edmund Burke, The Federalist, Thomas Malthus, de Tocqueville, Oliver Wendell Holmes, F.A. Hayek, Milton Friedman…
UV: Exemplary thinkers: William Godwin, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Paine, Condorcet, Fourier, Harold Laski, Thorstein Veblen, John Kenneth Galbraith, Ronald Dworkin…