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Braised beef short ribs are the epitome of "high end" comfort food. They can often be found on restaurant menus, cooked with classical French or Asian flavors and bearing a somewhat hefty price tag. I think many people have the misconception that they're pricey because they're technically difficult or labor-intensive to prepare, but those preconceived notions couldn't be father from the truth.
Yes, at the grocery store beef short ribs aren't as inexpensive as stew or braising meat, but getting the result of tender, succulent, fall-off-the bone meat is so worth extra cost. And this "fancy" restaurant dish can be prepared right in your own kitchen (culinary degree not required). Making braised short ribs at home is definitely worth the effort, and they are, in fact, pretty effortless to prepare. They even create their own sauce while they cook.
For a twist on this classic dish, I've put a Southwestern spin on it, using spices and flavors commonly found in Southwestern cuisine and — my favorite bit — tequila. Serve them on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes or sweet corn polenta (as I've done) to soak up the flavorful, gravy-like sauce.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Our Best Of 2014 extravaganza ain't quite over yet. Here's a list of 20 excellent records that were reissued on vinyl this year. (Out of stock? Add the item to your wishlist and we'll notify you when we have it in.)
Erykah Badu's second album is a neo-soul touchstone that represents her transition from her earlier work to her wilder 2000's output. Features the hit "Bag Lady."
The mother of all rock bands/albums. The Beatles' albums (all of which are pretty much essential) were reissued on vinyl this year. You gotta own this one on mono vinyl, the way it's meant to be heard.


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Group 1: Albania, Luxembourg, Malta*, Latvia
Group 2: Georgia, Faroe Islands, Lithuania*, Montenegro
14.00CET, 18 December, Nyon
The eight teams with the lowest coefficients will be drawn into two groups of four teams to be played as one-venue mini-tournaments from 4 to 9 April 2013.
There will be two pots: the hosts (Malta and Lithuania) and the remaining entrants (Albania, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Latvia, Luxembourg and Montenegro). Each group will contain one host and three teams from the other pot. The top two in each group will progress to the qualifying group stage.
©UEFA.com 1998-2017. All rights reserved.


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by Trevor Kuss, sports information assistant
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Shanteona Keys (Roswell, Ga.) of the Georgia College women's basketball team has been named to the Capitol One Academic All-District Team for District 3 the organization announced recently.
Keys, a sophomore mass communication major, was named to the team with 4.0 GPA.
During the 2011-12 year Keys was named Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Freshman of the Year as well as being named to the All-PBC Third Team. She was named to the All-PBC Preseason Team for the 2012-13 season and has gone on to average 16.1 points, seventh in the PBC.
Players named to Academic All-District teams are now eligible for the Academic All-America Team. A student athlete need to be nominated by a current member of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and then voted for by other members.
Also named to the same All-District team were Daniela Tarailo of USC Aiken, Brittany Cox of Pfeiffer University, Breanna Gleeson of Young Harris College, Alissa Diaz of Anderson University and Jazmine Kemp of UNC Pembroke.
The Division II Academic All-America Team will be released Wednesday, Feb. 20.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at www.twitter.com/BobcatSports and www.facebook.com/gcbobcats for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCBobcats.com for more information, and to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GC Athletics Hall of Fame.


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|Título Oferta:
Channel Sales Representative - LINUX
by dejobs.org
|Texto Oferta:
Develops third party sales channel and ensures partner achieve Oracle sales targets in the General Business space. As a Channel Sales Representative you will pull partners into Oracle business opportunities and manage third party transactions resulting from the relationship. Identify and develop channel partners committed to selling Oracle products. Facilitate joint selling between channel partners and direct sales team. Increase revenue from partner sources and market share through a leverage partnering model. Identify and develop joint ´go-to-market´ strategies and lead generation opportunities. Provides accurate and timely management information and revenue forecasts. May educate partners in Oracle commercial practices. Maintains an understanding of Oracle technology and articulates Oracle propositions to partners and their customers. Manage transaction contracts, business practices, and deal booking issues. Work with marketing to plan marketing events for partners. Leading contributor individually and as a team member, providing direction and mentoring to others. Work is non-routine and very complex, involving the application of advanced technical/business skills in area of specialization. 8 years field sales experience to include 3 years channel sales experience. Strong sales/marketing skills including needs analysis, business justification, and closing methodologies. Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. Negotiating skills and ability to influence. Knowledge of Oracle field sales cycle and partner program. travel as needed. Bachelor degree or equivalent. *Oracle is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans status or any other characteristic protected by law.* **Job:** **Sales* **Organization:** **Oracle* **Title:** *Channel Sales Representative - LINUX* **Location:** *BR-BR,Brazil-Sao Paulo* **Requisition ID:** *19001103*


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Bohemia "feared" how fans would react to standalone DayZ
The recent announcement of a DayZ experience away from ARMA II wasn't taken lightly by the team. The free mod has receiving stunning support since its April release, ensuring the decision to charge for future iterations was a difficult one.
Bohemia headlines
Carrier Command: Gaea Mission PC will feature 3D support
Developer Bohemia has announced that the PC version of Carrier Command: Gaea Mission will feature NVIDIA 3D Vision support when it launches this September.
US Army opens bidding process on new Games for Training title
Four years after adopting Bohemia Interactive's Virtual Battlespace 2 as its primary training game, the US Army is looking for a new shooter with an extensive list of interesting features.
Arma dev notes piracy to buyer ratio of 100 to 3
Bohemia Interactive has observed massive piracy of its games, despite an unusual DRM system.
More Bohemia Interactive titles coming to Steam
Bohemia Interactive has announced future game titles from the developer will be made available on Steam.
Free DLC on the way for ArmA II via patch 1.05
Bohemia has announced free DLC for ArmA II that includes a new campaign where you pilot a attack helicopter, after the events in the game. Details: The "Eagle Wing" mini-campaign expands upon one of the seven unique endings of the original ARMA 2 over two extensive new levels; It's the year 2012, the war in […]
ArmA 2 patch fixes issue with server window manipulation
Bohemia Interactive has released a patch for ArmA 2, which will bring your game to v1.04.59323. Here is what it fixes: Fixed: support the highest Matrox TrippleHead2Go resolutions Fixed: FPS on Dedicated server is not affected by server window manipulation (such as move or scroll). You can get it from The Patches Scrolls. Via Examiner.
Bohemia latest
US Army opens bidding process on new Games for Training title


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"Hi there! My name is Mona Pendleton and I am designer as well as an
illustrator for My Favorite Things (http://www.mftstamps.com) as well
as a Play Date Cafe alumni. Mona Pendleton Designs for My Favorite
Things is a fun and versatile line of products which includes clear
photopolymer stamps, dies and stencils. All products are made in the
USA. I am honored to be joining along this week with the talented DT
here at The Play Date Cafe. Many thanks Julie for the awesome
opportunity. I hope you join along in the fun!"
Thursday, July 18, 2013
A Few of {Our} Favorite Things!
9 comments:
Thank you so very much to the entire Play Date DT! You all made the MFT products look incredibly beautiful! Thanks for the inspiration!ReplyDelete
Lovely colors and fantastic inspiration. Thanks for the fun challenge.ReplyDelete
Hope you like my card.ReplyDelete
Shirt is Cream, used a little darker for the shade!
I love the softness of this color scheme. Blessings!ReplyDelete
Awesome job by the DT! Love Mona's card!ReplyDelete
Mona's stamp set & matching dies are on my wishlist, so will certainly try to get an entry made. Love all the inspiration!ReplyDelete
Great colours and cards girls. DxReplyDelete
Oh, my, another great color cue and beautiful DT cards!ReplyDelete
hai..nice blog!ReplyDelete
follower no.2147
done follow here,
do follow me back ? hee =)
http://email@example.com/ -->(official)
http://kucenkucenbelog.blogspot.com/ -->2nd blog


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Caffeine may slightly boost weight loss or prevent weight gain, but there's no sound evidence that increased caffeine consumption results in significant or permanent weight loss.
Caffeine is found in many beverages, including coffee, tea, energy drinks and colas; in products containing cocoa or chocolate; and in a variety of medications and dietary supplements, including supplements aimed at weight loss.
Although research about the connection between caffeine and weight isn't definitive, there are a few theories about how caffeine might affect weight, including:
Some studies looking at caffeine and weight were poor quality or done on animals, making the results questionable or hard to generalize to humans. In addition, some studies found that even decaffeinated coffee may contribute to modest weight loss, suggesting that substances or factors besides caffeine may play a role in weight loss.
The bottom line: Be cautious about using caffeine products to help with weight loss. When used in moderation (400 milligrams or less) by healthy adults, caffeine is generally safe. But too much caffeine might cause nervousness, insomnia, nausea, increased blood pressure and other problems.
Also keep in mind that some caffeinated beverages, such as specialty coffees, are high in calories and fat. So instead of losing weight, you might actually gain weight if you drink too many of these.


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Pupu Hydro Walkway – 2 hour loop
The Pupu Hydro Walkway begins 9 km from Takaka at the end of Pupu Valley Road. Follow the road towards Te Waikoropupu Springs.
The Pupu Hydro Walkway begins 9 km from Takaka at the end of Pupu Valley Road. Follow the road towards Te Waikoropupu Springs, turning off to the right just before the bridge crossing Waikoropupu River.
The Pupu Hydro Walkway retraces an old gold-mining water race, which has been reused for power generation. Although the climb to the water race line is a little steep, the first section, across Waikoropupu River to the power station is an easy grade suitable for all ages.
Beyond the power station the track crosses another creek then zigzags uphill for about 20 minutes. From here the track levels out and follows the race 'upstream' for a short distance to a lookout point above the power station. From here on you follow a boardwalk along side the water race
It is best to keep an eye on the kids and carry small children in a backpack; parts of the race are quite high and the water race is swift flowing. The water race, which follows the steep contours of the hillside and is part canal and part aquaduct, was an engineering masterpiece for its time. If you look carefully in the water you might see large koura (freshwater crayfish).
Follow the race for 30 minutes or so to the weir (the water intake), which marks the end of the walkway and is a beautiful picnic spot. The weir channels water from the creek into the race; a large shutter was raised or lowered to vary the amount of water taken from the stream. The Hydro Society 4WD vehicle access track from the weir makes the walkway a loop walk (50 min) back to the carpark.
This popular walk has been reviewed by independent travellers on Rankers. Read what others have to say about the Pupu Hydro Walkway.


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Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, the American soldier charged with a grisly massacre of Afghan civilians, appears in a Washington state military courtroom Monday on accusations that he killed 16 villagers as they slept. TODAY's Natalie Morales reports.
TACOMA, Washington -- Military prosecutors said on Monday they would seek the death penalty for a U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan villagers when he twice ventured out of his camp earlier this year.
The lead prosecutor, Lieutenant Colonel Jay Morse, told a preliminary hearing he would present evidence proving "chilling premeditation" on the part of Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, a decorated veteran of four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The shootings of mostly women and children in Afghanistan's Kandahar province in March marked the worst case of civilian slaughter blamed on an individual U.S. soldier since the Vietnam War and eroded already strained U.S.-Afghan ties after more than a decade of conflict in the country.
Bales faces 16 counts of premeditated murder and six counts of attempted murder, as well as charges of assault and wrongfully possessing and using steroids and alcohol while deployed.
Morse said he was submitting a "capital referral" in the case, requesting that Bales be executed if convicted.
The hearing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State was expected to last two weeks and include witness testimony from Afghanistan carried by live video, including testimony from villagers and Afghan soldiers.
At the end, military commanders will decide whether there is sufficient evidence for Bales to stand trial by court-martial.
'I just shot up some people'
Bales, dressed in camouflage Army fatigues with his head shaven, embraced his wife Kari in court before the hearing began. He then sat silently watching the proceedings from the defense table as Morse summarized the prosecution's account of the events of March 10-11.
According to Morse, Bales had been drinking with two fellow soldiers before he left his base, Camp Belambay, and went to a village where he committed the first killings.
Morse said Bales then returned to the camp and told a drinking buddy, Sergeant Jason McLaughlin, "I just shot up some people," before leaving for a second village and killing more people. Morse called Bales' actions "deliberate, methodical."
According to McLaughlin, Bales asked him to smell his rifle and said "I'll be back at 5 (a.m.). You got me?" McLaughlin said he did not think Bales was serious, and "didn't think too much about it," going back to sleep for guard duty that started at 3 a.m.
Child witnesses to Afghan massacre: Bales was not alone
Prosecutors showed a video shot by night-vision camera from a surveillance balloon over the camp, showing a figure they identified as Bales walking back to the post wearing a dark blue bed sheet or throw rug tied around his neck like a cloak.
He is seen being confronted by three soldiers, including the two men prosecutors said he had been drinking with, who ordered him to drop his weapons and took him into custody as he is heard saying, "Are you ****ing kidding me?"
One of the three, Corporal David Godwin, testified that Bales kept repeating the words, "I thought I was doing the right thing," and "It's bad. It's bad. It's really bad." Several witnesses said Bales' trousers were spattered with blood. One said he had a "ghost-like look."
Drank whiskey, watched assassin film
Godwin recounted that he, Bales and McLaughlin had been drinking whiskey together in McLaughlin's room while watching the Hollywood film "Man on Fire," which stars Denzel Washington as a former assassin bent on revenge.
Several witnesses from the camp said Bales had been aggrieved over the lack of action over an improvised explosive device attack on a patrol near the camp several days earlier, in which one U.S. soldier lost the lower part of a leg.
Officials: US soldier in Afghanistan shooting spree said 'I did it'
Prosecutors said Bales had been armed with a rifle, a pistol and a grenade launcher on the night in question, and that the killings took place over a five-hour period in two villages. The dead included members of four families, most shot in the head.
When Bales returned to the camp and surrendered his weapons, he was brought to Captain Daniel Fields, team leader, at the camp's command center. "What the **** just happened?" Fields said he asked Bales. He said Bales avoided eye contact and just said "I'm sorry, I let you down."
Bales was not expected to testify during the so-called Article 32 hearing.
News that Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is suspected of killing 16 Afghan civilians has sent shockwaves through his Washington state neighborhood. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
John Henry Browne, Bales' civilian lawyer, has suggested Bales may not have acted alone and may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Kari Bales told NBC station KING5.com before Monday's hearing that she believed he was innocent, as a massacre of innocent civilians was "not something my husband would have done ... not the Bob that I know."
No motive has emerged for the killings.
Kari Bales had complained about financial difficulties on her blog in the year before the killings, and she had noted that Bales was disappointed at being passed over for a promotion.
Browne described those stresses as garden-variety — nothing that would prompt such a massacre — and has also said, without elaborating, that Bales suffered a traumatic incident during his second Iraq tour that triggered "tremendous depression."
Asked about the prospect of the death penalty, Kari Bales told KING5 that she had not "had time to worry about that."
"I know that's a possibility," she added. "If and when that happens then that's the time I will worry about it. It's in God's hands."
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Pulpit politics: Pastors endorse candidates, thumbing noses at IRS
- Boy falls into zoo exhibit, mauled to death by African painted dogs
- Weed wars: If states legalize pot, will feds still crack down?
- Delphi retirees say government betrayed them
- Nonvoters: They're too busy, fed up or say their vote doesn't count
- Video: Marathon runners racing to help out Sandy victims
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook


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The BMW Individual automobiles.
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Book Tour and Activities on the Go!
Also known as the Sacred Monkey Forest of Padangtegal, Ubud Monkey Forest is one of Ubud's most famous attractions; a characteristic woods asylum that is home to a crowd of dim since quite a while ago followed macaques. The site is very much safeguarded because of a group based administration program. The forest is situated close to Ubud Town Center, and inside simple strolling separation from guesthouses and resorts along the primary streets of Jalan Hanoman and the namesake Jalan Monkey Forest.
Other than watching perky monkeys in their natural habitat, swinging through shades, lazing along pathways or eating bananas, the site offers cool strolls along cleared pathways through a verdant nutmeg wood. Excellent old sanctuaries with gatekeeper statues canvassed in greenery additionally highlight all through the forest.
Highlights: If you want to explore few other places than the Ubud Monkey Forest you can also visit the Ubud Royal Palace and head out for some shopping in the Ubud Art Market.
Location: Ubud Monkey Forest is located at Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Timings: Open from 8:30 AM–6:00 PM
When you visit Bali, Taman Ayun Temple is a must visit attraction as it holds a supreme position in the development of Balinese culture and tradition. The astounding landmark is in the village of Mengwi in Badung regency. Brilliantly portrayed architecture makes the temple complex separated from other temples in Bali. The traditional architectural nuances can be seen in its courtyards, enclosures and the vast garden landscapes that house lotus and fish ponds.
History of the Temple: The construction of the temple was in 1634 by the then ruler, Tjokerda Sakti Blambangan. The Chinese architectural aspects had influenced the construction of this temple as well. Hence in 1937, the temple witnessed a major restoration project.
Highights: There are the towering tiers that create the profile of Taman Ayun and the temple complex is considered to be the mother temple of Mengwi. It was meant to serve as the main worship centre for Mengwi people since they were not travelling far to other main temples like Besakih in Karangasem or Batur Temple in Kintamani. Taman Ayung is believed to be the unifying factor of the people and the royal family.
Structure of the Temple: The temple complex possesses expansive landscaped gardens and courtyards. The first courtyard which is large and open is a grassy expanse while the courtyard inside has a number of meru or multi-tiered shrines. Along with them, there are pools filled with pink lotuses and fish. The complex is part of the subak which shows the complex rice field irrigation system.
Entry fee:
-Adult: 20000 Rp
-Child: 10000 Rp
Opening hours: 08:00 am to 06:00 pm
Location: Jl. Ayodya No.10, Mengwi, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80351, Indonesia
precious attraction in Kintamani which is a must visit for you is the famous
Lake Batur(Danau Batur). Take in the crisp mountain air and majestic scenes of
Lake Batur (Danau Batur) a crescent shape waterway in the shadow of an active
Mount Batur sits at the focal point of a huge caldera- - a pit like bowl shaped by volcanic action - of which the lake fills the southeastern side. Take a boat on the lake, trek to the highest point of the well of lava for shocking perspectives, and afterward go for a dunk in the hot springs ignoring the water.
Highlights: While you are here get a taste of the culture here as you explore the local village and then the museum and learn about the historical backdrop of the volcano. Also visit Pura Ulun Danu Batur- - considered the second most famous temple in Bali. The temple sits on the edge of the caldera, having been destroyed by the lava when it was initially situated within the basin.
Location: Lake Batur is located at south east side of Mount Batur.
Tampak Siring/Holy Spring Water Temple
There are a lot of temples and holy spring in Kintamani, Bali
which attracts a lot of tourist from around the world. Tirtha Empul Temple or
also called Tampak Siring Temple or Holy Water Temple is a place to purge our
self from the awful impacts in life where we can find the conventional showers
sourced from the springs at this sanctuary.
The water that comes out from the shower is accepted to dispose of all sorts of maladies incorporating unfriendly adverse effect in the human life.
Highlights: The Balinese believes that the springs ascending from the earth is the God's creation, thus in 882 Saka (990 AD) organized to be a lake refined by the sort of Indrajayasinghawarmadewa with the name of Tirtha ri air hampul. The information is contained on an engraving at Sakenan Temple.
Location: Tampak Siring Temple is located in Tampak Siring Village, Gianyar Regency, 39 km to the east of Denpasar City
Lovina Beach is a blend of littler shorelines crossing a few nearby towns between two areas in the North Bali rule of Buleleng. The shoreline is an extraordinary contrasting option to the exceptionally prevalent (and regularly swarmed shorelines of Bali's south, any semblance of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak. More settled waves, tranquil dark sand shores, excites in the offing, and a nightlife scene, are only a couple of things that entirety up this curious north Bali drift.
Evenings are a remarkable highlight here, with rather stifled nightlife after sunset. An expansive parking spot outskirts the shoreline with lines of bistros and in vogue fish eateries at its sides. Close to the sand, a solitary towering dolphin statue remains as an official point of interest.
Highlights: This beach is famous for dolphin sightseeing. People from around the world come to witness the friendly creature here.
Location: The Lovina beach is located in Kalibukbuk area of Bali.
Sometimes known as Secret Beach, this gorgeous white sandy beach is no longer unfamiliar, and iseasily reached by road from Padang Bai. Conveniently secluded from the hustle and bustle fo the famous Kuta beach, Bias Tugal Beach is small and compact just the perfect location for a relaxing day out. This beach has tiny rock pools that are fun for kids to play around in. It's the ideal destination to soak up the sun and witness the quiet sea traffic ferries making its way to and fro.
Activities: You can swim in the clear blue waters but the currents are strong so be careful, snorkel gear is sold on the beach so take a dip underwater. You can avail a relaxing beach massage at 80,000 rupiah per hour, you can also engage in some relaxing turtle spotting or just catch up on some R&R and relax under the sun.
Approximate Price: The official entry point to the beach has a ticket booth and an entry fee of 2,000 rupiah per person to help keep the beach clean. Parking is 5,000 rupiah.
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CLICK HERE to be redirected.
courses and books can help), every DBA will eventually become an Oracle technology expert. But from this point is where our uniqueness become more interesting as we each set out on a different career path.
Thanks, Craig.
To improve my teaching I spend countless hours developing stories, role-plays , and various entertaining ways to transfer very complicated topics to DBAs. But what has been frustrating for me was the lack of visualization. Pictures, white boards, and flip charts are OK, but I wanted to do something that's visually amazing, flexible, and free. Finally, I discovered that Mathematica could help me in this quest. So last year I embarked on a journey to visualize aspects of Oracle's technology.
I started with Oracle's buffer cache. Thousands of you downloaded the tool and the read the associated blog entry (its documentation). A few months ago I created an initial visualization tool for Oracle's library cache. The visualizations where jaw dropping but it was too highly abstracted for my liking, didn't relate enough with production systems, and had no associated documentation. Finally, this has changed...
Oracle's library cache (LC) is amazing. And viewing it on your PC is even more amazing and very enlightening. I just completed a significant update (still free) that is much more realistic, based on an 11g library cache dump and allows you to enter details from your real production Oracle system! Yes, it's very cool! You can download OraPub's Library Cache Visualization Tool here for free.
The purpose of this blog entry is to introduce you to the new version (2g) of OraPub's Library Cache Visualization Tool and also to introduce you (if you desire) to Oracle's library cache. I hope you enjoy this blog entry and the visualization tool!
Library Cache Introduction
Within Oracle's shared pool exists the library cache (LC). The library cache can be abstracted and viewed like a classic library's card catalog system. The cards are located by hashing to the correct catalog and then sequentially searching through the catalog looking for the desired card. Each card references a book's location and a few other details.
It's Searched
Oracle's LC is searched using a hashing algorithm. Suppose our server process is parsing the SQL statement, select * from dual. The server process attempts to minimize the time and resources required to parse the statement. One strategy employed is to check and see if the SQL statement has already been parsed and its cursor available in the library cache. But the server process must first locate the specific cursor reference, just like we must first locate a printed book's reference card.
The server process will pass the SQL statement text to a hash value generation function that will transform the text (e.g., select * from dual) into a hash value (e.g., rT4rif87ujc). The hash value is then passed to hash function which, will output a number within a specified range (e.g., 0,...,350000). The output number (e.g., 3216) is a reference to what is called a hash bucket. If our SQL statement's cursor exists in the library cache it will have a reference that is associated with this hash bucket (e.g., 3216).
Each hash bucket can have an associated chain. The chain length could be zero (which is actually the most likely on real Oracle systems) or it could be perhaps two or even three references long. The references are more properly called handles, because they reference a chunk of memory within Oracle's shared pool. Continuing my example, the server process jumps to the hash bucket (e.g., 3216) and begins sequentially scanning its associated hash chain searching for my SQL statement's hash value (e.g., rT4rif87ujc). If it finds the hash value (the cursor reference) that's a soft parse, if not, then it must create the cursor plus a bunch of other stuff...this is known as a hard parse.
The image below is a visual example of unrealistically simplified LC hashing structure...but it serves our purpose here wonderfully.
References and Relationships
The LC is responsible for maintaining the relationships between objects in the LC...and it's complex. This is why the visualization tool is so cool because we get a glimpse of this complexity. As a quick example, the LC will maintain the relationships between tables and SQL statements (more specifically child cursors). This way if the table is altered, Oracle knows which child cursors and cursors to invalidate. This invalidation process will propagate to associated views, procedures, functions, triggers, packages, etc. Oracle tries very hard to limit this propagation as it has some nasty repercussions (that I will not discuss here).
The LC handles point to memory that contains information about procedures, functions, tables, views, synonyms, cursors, child cursors, and I'm sure there are others. Not only are there references to these nodes, but references to other nodes. For example a parent cursor (select * from customers) can reference a child cursor (which has a specific execution plan) and a table (customers). When you add in the connections with procedures and functions it's gets pretty crazy. Or how about tables that are referenced in multiple statements or when a cursor is shared by multiple procedures, functions, or packages...
The image below is an example of the relationship between 2 cursors (parent cursors), their associated 4 child cursors, and their associated 5 tables. As you can see, with only a few objects and especially when sharing occurs, the relationships can become quite complex.
The Core Objects
As I mentioned, the LC references and contains meta data about Oracle objects. Not all objects defined in Oracle's data dictionary, but only those that have been recently referenced (there are exceptions) and have some cached information. For example, you can not get a good idea about the number of tables referenced in the LC by issuing a select count(*) from all_tables.
You can get a list of all the types or namespaces currently residing in Oracle's LC by issuing this simple command:
On my 11g system there was 17 namespaces. The parent cursors and child cursors (more below) are contained within the SQL AREA namespace. Personally, I find the LC dictionary views inadequate. For me, if I want to get an idea of what is going on in the LC, I dump it to a trace file. Here's how to do that:
select namespace from v$librarycache order by 1;
Of course the next question is, "Where the heck is my trace file?" In 10g and earlier in SQL*Plus issue a show parameter user_dump_dest. In 11g, here's one way to get the full path to the trace file.
alter session set max_dump_file_size=unlimited;
alter session set events 'immediate trace name library_cache level 10';
If you look closely in the trace file you will eventually see the word FullHashValue followed by a bunch of text. Look to the right and you will see Type=. Below is an example from a recent trace file with the hash value and identifier dramatically shortened.
select tracefile from v$process where addr=(select paddr from v$session where sid=(select sid from v$mystat where rownum=1));
This object is, obviously, a cursor. If I skip down a few lines I see this:
FullHashValue=9ba Namespace=SQL AREA(00) Type=CURSOR(00) Identifier=395 OwnerIdn=5
Notice the maxchild=2 entry. This means this cursor (i.e., parent cursor) has two child cursors. If was to jump back up a couple lines in the trace file, I would find.
Parent Cursor: sql_id=8zu55nbpz8fdu parent=0x3030fe60 maxchild=2 plk=n ppn=n
These are the references to the two child cursors. Interestingly, if I search for the findme table reference in the trace file, it will have a reference section and I will see it has references to handles 3030fb9c and 30303c24. So you can see there is a link from the table to the associated child cursors.
Child: id='0' Table=30310d58 Reference=303103e4 Handle=3030fb9c
Child: id='1' Table=30310d58 Reference=303105b4 Handle=30303c24
A child cursor is required for different execution plans for the syntacally identical cursor. For example, if I run the below code, one parent cursor and two child cursors will result.
This is one reason why if you query from v$sql you can get more than one row returned. The situation quickly becomes complex when adding even a single procedure that references the findme table. Each procedure has a reference to the child cursor of any SQL or other procedures and functions contained within it. And all the table's referenced by the procedure's child cursors also point to the procedure itself. It can become confusing very quickly.
alter session set optimizer_mode=all_rows;
select * from findme;
alter session set optimizer_mode=first_rows;
select * from findme;
The Relationship Mapping
With just the simple situation outlined above, plus some details I conveniently left out, you can see:
- Every child cursor references a parent cursor.
- A parent cursor may reference a child cursor, but not always.
- Every procedure references the child cursor of SQL, procedures, etc. it calls.
- Table references point to all procedures and child cursors that reference it.
For my LC visualization tool I made the decision to not include packages, procedures, functions, and triggers (and other objects). Their inclusion would have signifiantly increased the complexity of the visualization beyond being useful. If you keep in mind that what you are seeing is probably the least complex situation given the inputs then you'll be fine. Even the introduction of a few procedures will significantly increase the node connections.
Tool Introduction and Control
You can download OraPub's Library Cache Visualization Tool for free from OraPub's web-site here. As the tool's page indicates and links to, you will need to download and install Mathematica's free player. It works just like the Acrobat Reader in that the reader is free, but to create the document you must license Acrobat, which in this case means Mathematica. (Note: OraPub has a special relationship with Mathematica's company, Wolfram and can arrange for a discounted license. Just email OraPub for details.)
This posting is based on version 2g of OraPub's LC Visualization Tool. Other versions will operate similarly, but the images shown below could be somewhat different.
Note: You can always reset the visualization settings by clicking on the upper right hand plus sign and then selecting Initial Settings.
When you first run OraPub's LC Visualization Tool, it will look like this:
If you just can't wait, click on Preset and select Intro 2. Click on the image and drag your mouse to rotate the image...more on this below.
- Cursors w/Child Cursors is the number of parent cursors that have one or more child cursors.
- Cursors wo/Child Cursors is the number of parent cursors that do not have a child cursor. While we typically think of parent cursors always having at least one child cursor, if you examine a library cache dump you will quickly notice this is not true. For demonstrations, I usually set this to zero.
- Child Cursors is the total number of child cursors in the library cache. If you were to execute a SQL statement, dump the LC and examine the trace file, you will find your SQL statement's parent cursor and you will notice it has one child cursor. The number of child cursors be set to at least the number of Cursors w/Child Cursors. If not, the tool should automatically reset the number of child cursors equal to the number of parent cursors with children. It is common for a parent cursor to have multiple child cursors.
- Unique Table/Views is the total number of unique tables and views. While there are other objects such as synonyms and sequences in the LC, for simplicity they are not represented. A real child cursor will reference at least one table, view, synonym, etc. In this tool, a child cursor will reference one or more unique table/view.
- Table/View Share % is the percentage of unique tables that each child cursor will be associated with. This injects the messy pointer reality that a table will likely be associated with many child cursors. You will notice that when we increase this parameter, the number of memory references dramatically increases. For example, a customer table will likely be associated with literally hundreds of SQL statement child cursors. This tool will evenly (i.e., uniformly) distribute the tables to the child cursors. In a real Oracle system, obviously this will not occur as some tables will be referenced by more child cursors than other tables.
- LC Hash Chains is the number of library cache hash chains. Each LC bucket will have a hash chain, though in production systems most chains will contain no references. At the top of an Oracle 11g LC dump, you will notice a very nice table that shows the chain length by the count of chains. You may find that most of your chains have a length of zero. For fast searches we want a chain length of only one. Hashing is a fascinating topic and is very important for Oracle memory management. This is why I gave quite a bit of space on this topic in both the buffer cache and library cache chapters in my book, Oracle Performance Firefighting. For simple demonstration purposes I usually set the number of LC hash chains to around the number of tables and child cursors. In real Oracle systems, there can easily be over 100,000 chains!
- To Plot allows us to focus on only the LC chains, the other objects in the LC cache (cursors, child cursors, and tables/views), or all the objects. This is a great way to study each topic without the complexity of additional memory links. But as you'll see, when objects are fully shown the complexity can be dazzling! Parent cursors without a child cursor are only displayed with the Full option.
- Scale % allows you to enter production size values for the parent cursors, etc. but only visualize a percentage of them. This is important because a meaningful visualization of a production system must be scaled down or it will take quite a long time to create a meaningless visualization. Before you enter production size values, set the Scale % to 0.1. Then increase one tenth of a percentage point at a time until the desired visualization appears. Click on the control's plus sign and then click on the just displayed plus sign to jump 1/10 percentage point. This will also convey just how massive and complex Oracle's LC is. The scaling algorithm is very crude: the result is simply the the given percentage multiplied by the given number of objects. For example, if the number of unique tables is 20000 and the scale percentage is 10%, 2000 tables will be visualized...much too many by the way.
- Preset was implemented so we can quickly display some basic pre-defined visualizations. This is important: If you want to modify a preset, you must first set the Preset to Custom. If you forget to do this, your changes will immediately be overwritten by the displayed preset values.
- Circle Size allows the two-demonentional (2D) visualization circle sizes to be adjusted. Based on the number of objects displayed and the viewing area, for a visually pleasing image you sometimes will want to adjust the colored circle size.
- Visualization options provide you with a number of ways to view the same exact information. The Point option simply shows a single point for every node. This allows lots of information to be displayed two-dimensionally. You can mouse-over each point to see what it is. The 2D option displays each node as a circle with the node abbreviation text visible (usually visible). This is a fantastic way to learn about the LC: With all the memory object sharing and list connections, as the number of displayed items increases, the value of the two dimensional view quickly diminishes. The 3D option shows each node as a small sphere and allows you to view lots of information in a more realistic way. The spheres are color coded based on the selected Color Scheme (next item). The 3D view opens up a whole new way to study the LC. But eventually the 3D option can become cluttered and so the 3D Wire option changes the spheres to points and allows the object name to be displayed on a mouse-over (you have to be zoomed in pretty close though).
- Color Scheme allows you to pick the visualization color scheme. This allow you to pick a more personally pleasing visualization. But even more important, I find that every projector/beamer projects the same color differently. By trying the various color schemes, you should be able to find one that works well. Using the default color scheme of Multi, parent cursors are blue-ish, child cursors are brown-ish, tables/views are yellow-ish, and the beginning and ending of LC hash chains are dark green.
This is what you will see when you first run the tool. (It's the same image as the one shown at the very top.) If you have messed with the settings, just click on the Preset Intro 1.
There are two key items I want to highlight.
First is the Table/View Share % is set to zero. Notice in the above visualization no table is shared with another child cursor. Below is the result with sharing set to 100%. You can do this yourself; set the Preset to Custom and then click on the Table/View Share % 100 option. To get a good looking image, on my screen I also had to set the Circle Size to 0.15.
The second item I would like to highlight is the LC hash chains are not shown in the above image. This is because the To Plot option is set to Objects. If I click on LC Chains, as the image below shows, only the LC chains and their contents is displayed. On my screen, I also increased the Circle Size back to 0.3.
In a real production Oracle system, most LC chains are only one object in length. So the above image would never, we hope, actually occur. While not shown, if you increase the number of LC hash chains to a few more than the number of objects you will get a truer looking abstraction.
Displaying the LC chains and the other objects separately is a wonderful way to learn about LC structures. But we miss out on understanding the complexity. The image blow has the To Plot set to Full, thereby displaying all the objects with their associated links. For my screen also changing the Circle Size back to 0.15 looked the best.
You will notice even with thousands of nodes, Mathematica typically plots the LC chain begin and end points relatively far away from the mass of nodes. And when the number of nodes increases as well as the number of LC chains (remember most LC chains have a length of only one) the image looks like an exploding star.
Using the Tool - More Complexity
For this visualization select the Preset, Intro 2. This is a more realistic, though still highly abstracted, LC visualization. Immediately your eyes will pick up on a number of things.
Now change the Preset to Custom, (Don't forget to do this or your changes will be undone.) and change the Table/View Share % from 100 to 25, then to 50, then 75, and back to 100. Notice that as sharing increases so is the linking singular intensity. While sharing resources can save memory, the relationship establishment and maintenance dramatically increases (think: CPU consumption and serialization control). Also, the likelihood of a hot spots affecting overall performance increases, whereas when the sharing is minimal, widespread hotspot impact is less likely. Below is the image with Table/View Share % set to 50 and I also zoomed into the image and rotated it until I was satisfied with the image.
Using the Tool - Production Systems
Now that you are familiar with the tool, the next step everyone wants is to plug their real data into the model! Please remember the tool only shows some of the objects in the library cache and abstractions are made...but still we can learn a lot plus gain a much higher respect for Oracle's shared pool and library cache...not to mention the kernel developers and architects.
Get some real data
The first thing we need to do is extract some key information about the current state of the library cache. As an example, after I dumped the LC as demonstrated above (way above), I then run a simple shell script which parses through the file and summarizes the elements we need. You can download and see this shell script here. Here is an example of what you could see just after an 11g instance recycle.
$ getLCinfo.sh prod18_ora_21939.trc
Library Cache Dump Summary for Oracle 11g
Procs & Funcs : 60
Parent Cursors : 23802
w/ child cursors : 13870
wo/child cursors : 9932
Child Cursors : 23579
per parent (w/csr) : 1.70
Unique Tables & Views : 2970
Enter the data into the tool
The first thing you should do is set the Preset to Custom, then set the Scaling % to 0.01, and finally set the Visualization to Points. A large 3D visualization could takes minutes to render. Do yourself a favor and start with a very scaled down and simple visualization and then start making changes. Now you can carefully enter the numeric values.
The only value we don't have a production value for is the Table/View Share %. Without a more complex gathering script, you'll need to make an educated guess. A good general guess would be around 25%. A large system with only a few tables will approach 100%. A system with thousands and thousands of tables and views will approach 10%. These are simply my best guesses. It's very interesting to increase the shared percentage and see how dramatically the complexity increases!
We also need a value for the number of LC hash chains. You can determine this by looking near the top of the LC dump trace file. If Oracle tries to default the number of LC hash chains to have an average length between zero and one. Even on a very small system, the default number of LC hash can be over 100000. To reduce visualization clutter, I usually set the number of LC hash chains to the sum of child cursors and tables/views. This will ensure the default chain length is one. If this produces too much clutter, just reduce the value while knowing on a real system there are many, many chains with a length of zero. For this example, I entered 17000 LC hash chains.
The image below is the above data carefully entered along with the recommended initial settings. You could have also selected a Preset of Prod 1. It's not too exciting, but our goal is to get something visual and get it quickly. Now we can alter the visually related parameters to get a more useful and better looking visual.
Using The Tool - Myself
teaching and when working with my customers (that is, my consulting work). I find that creating a visual model of a real system or even a simple example quickly builds a conceptual framework of the LC architecture. Then I can focus on the particular aspect I'm interested in; LC latch/mutex contention, parsing, share pool memory management, hashing, etc.
Using the Tool - Now it's Your Turn
You have access to a powerful library cache visualization tool. Now it's your turn to begin exploring. My recommendation is to first use the provided presets and then customize the control settings. Then gather real production data from your system and begin using the tool to gain insights and increase your communication prowess...after all, like I mentioned at the start of this blog entry, I think what separates Oracle DBAs is their ability to communicate.
Thanks for reading and I hope you find this tool immensely gratifying!


text:
Exothermic welds offer long-life connections and are simple to make.
Exothermic welding connects cables, ground rods, terminals and structures; the resulting molecular bond produces a permanent connection that won't loosen or corrode over the lifetime of the installation. You should use exothermically welded connections when: you require long life/permanent connections; you expect high current faults; or corrosive conditions exist.
The equipment required to make exothermic connections is lightweight, portable and does not require outside power. The resulting bond is a permanent joining of metallic parts that form an electrically conductive path. This will ensure electrical continuity and the capacity to conduct any potential current safely.
These permanent connections will carry as much, or more, current as the conductor. These connections eliminate bimetallic corrosion at the point of the weld. All strands of the conductor will equally share the current load.
Exothermically welded connections are easy to make by following a few basic instructions and taking the following precautions.
• Do not mix parts and materials from different manufacturers. Since they did not undergo testing together, this may create an unsafe situation.
• Do not attempt to make a connection to a wet conductor. The hot metal will turn the moisture to steam, which may cause spewing of hot metal.
• Check mold openings before initiating the reaction. Any opening may allow molten metal to leak.
When finished, clean the loose slag from the mold before making the next connection. The mold does not have to cool before proceeding to the next connection.


text: As we continue to add features like Donation Points to our services, the security of your account becomes more and more important. To that end, the team has been working to provide you with updated systems and tools that will help to ensure that your account and content do not fall into the wrong hands. reCaptchaMany of you have no doubt already noticed the first of these new features when logging in to the website, known as reCaptcha. Most of the time, this system will not require any input from the user, but if deemed necessary, you may be presented with a challenge or puzzle that is intended to be easy to solve by us humans but prove difficult for bots. Only after carefully reading and successfully completing the challenge, will you be able to log in. We realize that this may be a bit of an annoyance, but we feel these systems are necessary to help ensure that our services are not compromised, keeping your accounts and content secure. More information about our primary captcha service can be found here: https://support.google.com/recaptcha/Though most people will see Google's reCaptcha 2 system, if it fails to load for whatever reason, the website will fall-back to a similar alternative. Only when you are logging in will this affect you. So as long as your account remains logged in on your device(s) of choice, you will not be bothered by this minor hurdle (though always be sure to log out when using a public device, of course).Two-factor AuthenticationThe more recent addition to our account security suite is known as Two-factor authentication. When enabled, this system serves two purposes. First, it is designed to keep your account secure by ensuring that you, and only you, have access to your account. Secondly, it provides a method to regain access to your account in the event that you lose control of the email address associated with it.Though optional, we highly suggest that you enable this feature to help ensure the security of your account. More detailed information about our new Two-factor Authentication system can be found here: https://help.nexusmods.com/article/74-two-factor-authentication-for-nexus-modsThat's all for now. We hope that these new systems serve you well. If you have any questions or concerns, comment below or contact [email protected] Cheers!


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Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Lawrence Krauss: another physicist with an anti-philosophy complex
I don't know what's the matter with physicists these days. It used to be that they were an intellectually sophisticated bunch, with the likes of Einstein and Bohr doing not only brilliant scientific research, but also interested, respectful of, and conversant in other branches of knowledge, particularly philosophy. These days it is much more likely to encounter physicists like Steven Weinberg or Stephen Hawking, who merrily go about dismissing philosophy for the wrong reasons, and quite obviously out of a combination of profound ignorance and hubris (the two often go together, as I'm sure Plato would happily point out). The latest such bore is Lawrence Krauss, of Arizona State University.
I have been ignoring Krauss' nonsense about philosophy for a while, even though it had occasionally appeared on my Twitter or G+ radars. But the other day I read this interview Krauss just did with The Atlantic, and now I feel obliged to comment, for the little good that it may do. And before I continue, kudos to Ross Andersen, who conducted the interview, for pressing Krauss on several of his non sequiturs. Let's take a look, shall we?
Krauss is proud (if a bit coy) of the fact that Richard Dawkins referred to his latest book, entitled "A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather Than Nothing," as comparable to Darwin's "Origin of Species," on the grounds that it upends the "last trump card of the theologian." Well, leave it to Dawkins to engage in that sort of silly hyperbolic rhetoric. (Dawkins still appears to be convinced that religion will be defeated by rationality alone. Were that the case, David Hume would have sufficed.) The fact is, Krauss's book is aimed at a general audience, popularizing other people's (as well as his own) work, and is not the kind of revelation of novel scientific findings that Darwin put out in his opus, and that makes all the difference.
Krauss's volume was much praised when it got out in January, but more recently has been slammed by David Albert in the New York Times:
"The particular, eternally persisting, elementary physical stuff of the world, according to the standard presentations of relativistic quantum field theories, consists (unsurprisingly) of relativistic quantum fields... they have nothing whatsoever to say on the subject of where those fields came from, or of why the world should have consisted of the particular kinds of fields it does, or of why it should have consisted of fields at all, or of why there should have been a world in the first place. Period. Case closed. End of story."
That's harsh, and Krauss understandably doesn't like what Albert wrote. Still, I wonder if Krauss is justified in referring to Albert as a "moronic philosopher," considering that the latter is not only a highly respected philosopher of physics at Columbia University, but also holds a PhD in theoretical physics. I didn't think Rockefeller University (where Albert got his degree) gave out PhD's to morons, but I could be wrong.
Nonetheless, let's get to the core of Krauss' attack on philosophy. He says: "Every time there's a leap in physics, it encroaches on these areas that philosophers have carefully sequestered away to themselves, and so then you have this natural resentment on the part of philosophers." This clearly shows two things: first, that Krauss does not understand what the business of philosophy is (it is not to advance science, as I explain here); second, that Krauss doesn't mind playing armchair psychologist, despite the dearth of evidence for his pop psychological "explanation." Okay, others can play the same game too, so I'm going to put forth the hypothesis that the reason physicists such as Weinberg, Hawking and Krauss keep bashing philosophy is because they suffer from an intellectual version of the Oedipus Complex (you know, philosophy was the mother of science and all that... you can work out the details of the inherent sexual frustrations from there).
Here is another gem from this brilliant (as a physicist) moron: "Philosophy is a field that, unfortunately, reminds me of that old Woody Allen joke, 'those that can't do, teach, and those that can't teach, teach gym.' And the worst part of philosophy is the philosophy of science; the only people, as far as I can tell, that read work by philosophers of science are other philosophers of science. It has no impact on physics what so ever. ... they have every right to feel threatened, because science progresses and philosophy doesn't."
Okay, to begin with, it is fair to point out that the only people who read works in theoretical physics are theoretical physicists, so by Krauss' own reasoning both fields are largely irrelevant to everybody else (they aren't, of course). Second, once again, the business of philosophy (of science, in particular) is not to solve scientific problems — we've got science for that (I explain what philosophers of science do here). To see how absurd Krauss' complaint is just think of what it would sound like if he had said that historians of science haven't solved a single puzzle in theoretical physics. That's because historians do history, not science. When was the last time a theoretical physicist solved a problem in history, pray?
And then of course there is the old time favorite theme of philosophy not making progress. I have debunked that one too, but the crucial point is that progress in philosophy is not and should not be measured by the standards of science, just like the word "progress" has to be interpreted in any field according to that field's issues and methods, not according to science's issues and methods. (And incidentally, how's progress on that string theory thingy going, Lawrence? It has been 25 years and counting, and still no empirical evidence...)
Andersen, at this point in the interview, must have been a bit fed up with Krauss' ego, so he pointed out that actually philosophers have contributed to a number of science or science-related fields, and mentions computer science and its intimate connection with logic. He even names Bertrand Russell as a pivotal figure in this context. Ah, says Krauss, but really, logic is a branch of mathematics (it's actually the other way around), so philosophy can't get credit. And at any rate, Russell was a mathematician (actually, he was largely a logician with an interest in the philosophy of math). Krauss also claims that Wittgenstein was "very mathematical," as if it is somehow surprising to find a philosopher who is conversant in logic and math. Nonetheless, Witty's major contributions are in the philosophy of language.
Andersen isn't moved and insists: "certainly philosophers like John Rawls have been immensely influential in fields like political science and public policy. Do you view those as legitimate achievements?" And here Krauss is forced to reveal his anti-intellectualism, and even — if you allow me gentle reader — his intellectual dishonesty: "Well, yeah, I mean, look I was being provocative, as I tend to do every now and then in order to get people's attention." Oh really? This from someone who later on in the same interview claims that "if you're writing for the public, the one thing you can't do is overstate your claim, because people are going to believe you." Indeed people are going to believe you, Prof. Krauss, and that's a shame, at least when you talk about philosophy.
Krauss also has a naively optimistic view of the business of science, as it turns out. For instance, he claims that "the difference [between scientists and philosophers] is that scientists are really happy when they get it wrong, because it means that there's more to learn." Seriously? I've practiced science for more than two decades, and I've never seen anyone happy to be shown wrong, or who didn't react as defensively (or even offensively) as possible to any claim that he might be wrong. Indeed, as physicist Max Plank famously put it, "Science progresses funeral by funeral," because often the old generation has to retire and die before new ideas really take hold. Lawrence, scientists are just human beings, and like all human beings they are interested in mundane things like sex, fame and money (and yes, the pursuit of knowledge). Science is a wonderful and wonderfully successful activity (despite the more than occasional blunder), but there is no reason to try to make its practitioners look like some sort of intellectual saints that they certainly are not (witness also the alarming increase in science fraud, for instance).
Finally, on the issue of whether Albert the "moronic" philosopher has a point in criticizing Krauss' book, Andersen points out: "it sounds like you're arguing that 'nothing' is really a quantum vacuum, and that a quantum vacuum is unstable in such a way as to make the production of matter and space inevitable. But a quantum vacuum has properties. For one, it is subject to the equations of quantum field theory. Why should we think of it as nothing?" Maybe it was just me, but at this point in my mind's eye I saw Krauss engaging in a more and more frantic exercise of handwaving, retracting and qualifying: "I don't think I argued that physics has definitively shown how something could come from nothing [so why the book's title?]; physics has shown how plausible physical mechanisms might cause this to happen. ... I don't really give a damn about what 'nothing' means to philosophers; I care about the 'nothing' of reality. And if the 'nothing' of reality is full of stuff [a nothing full of stuff? Fascinating], then I'll go with that."
But, insists Andersen, "when I read the title of your book, I read it as 'questions about origins are over.'" To which Krauss responds: "Well, if that hook gets you into the book that's great. But in all seriousness, I never make that claim. ... If I'd just titled the book 'A Marvelous Universe,' not as many people would have been attracted to it."
In all seriousness, Prof. Krauss, you ought (moral) to take your own advice and be honest with your readers. Claim what you wish to claim, not what you think is going to sell more copies of your book, essentially playing a bait and switch with your readers, and then bitterly complain when "moronic" philosophers dare to point that out.
Lee Smolin, in his "The Trouble with Physics" laments the loss of a generation for theoretical physics, the first one since the late 19th century to pass without a major theoretical breakthrough that has been empirically verified. Smolin blames this sorry state of affairs on a variety of factors, including the sociology of a discipline where funding and hiring priorities are set by a small number of intellectually inbred practitioners. Ironically, one of Smolin's culprit is the dearth of interest in and appreciation of philosophy among contemporary physicists. This quote is from Smolin's book:
"I fully agree with you about the significance and educational value of methodology as well as history and philosophy of science. So many people today — and even professional scientists — seem to me like someone who has seen thousands of trees but has never seen a forest. A knowledge of the historical and philosophical background gives that kind of independence from prejudices of his generation from which most scientists are suffering. This independence created by philosophical insight is — in my opinion — the mark of distinction between a mere artisan or specialist and a real seeker after truth." (Albert Einstein)
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As someone in philosophy, let me say that not all of us would endorse the sort of childish namecalling in the blog post above. I agree that physicists often do embarrass themselves when they moonlight as philosophers, and Krauss's comment on "nothing" is one such example. But surely they're right when they make the point that philosophy has basically done nothing to advance the progress of physics. Philosophy is typically contrasted with mathematics, another armchair endeavor which surprisingly does do a great deal to advance the progress of physics. I'm inclined to forgive a physicist who takes progress of physics to the only sort of intellectual progress worth mentioning.ReplyDelete
The truth is that physicists are doing just fine without us, or if they're not, it won't be we philosophers that get physics back on track. So if physicists want to hold us in contempt, they have every right to because we really don't help them answer their questions. The converse is false: We can't hold physicists in contempt, because they do help us answer our questions, and we don't accept their help as much as we should. For example, I don't see philosophy departments wrestling with the mind-boggling consequences of framework-independent fundamental theories. What is space and what is time will not be answered without great help from physicists. I'm not saying that we should pass over in silence their philosophical mistakes, but we shouldn't be sniveling at them.Replies
yes but... Krauss' interview is quite edifying.Delete
I'm confused. Didn't Massimo spend quite a lot of keystrokes emphasizing that Philosophy is not in the business of solving scientific problems, and that is precisely why it is unreasonable to accuse Philosophy of failing to do so? Do any philosophers claim to be solving scientific problems by doing Philosophy? When trying to resolve the philosophical issue of confirmation, do philosophers claim that they are actually confirming any particular Scientific theory?Delete
>>>Didn't Massimo spend quite a lot of keystrokes emphasizing that Philosophy is not in the business of solving scientific problems, and that is precisely why it is unreasonable to accuse Philosophy of failing to do so?Delete
Yes quite. It might have been a good idea if Anonymous had bothered to actually read Massimo's post (and the interview with Krauss to which it is a response) before posting such a breathtakingly idiotic set of comments. (Seemingly Anonymous even fails to notice that if anyone has been guilty of a whole lot of "childish name-calling" of late, it is Krauss himself.)
As for Anonymous's claim to be "someone in philosophy", I very seriously doubt it, considering the views s/he sets forth: e.g. that philosophy has never contributed to the progress of physics, and never will; that it's "surprising" that mathematics does contribute to the progress of physics; that it's perfectly fine to take progress of physics to be "the only sort of intellectual progress worth mentioning", and for physicists to hold philosophers in contempt for not solving problems in physics, etc.
At any rate, if this commenter really is "someone in philosophy", little wonder that he or she prefers to remain anonymous.
that's a really sorry statement to see from a philosopher. You seem to be missing the basic point: philosophy isn't in the business of doing science (we've got science for that). Which means that Krauss's (and your) position is sheer anti-intellectualism.
A very odd, but quite common assumption in Krauss's argument (which seems to be hinted at by Anonymous above) is that philosophy of science isn't valuable unless it influences scientists. It's a very odd claim, assuming that philosophy of science can't stand on its own -- a brilliantly circular argument, when you sit back for a moment to admire it.ReplyDelete
Zac Ernst
surely, even krauss would agree that phi sci is no less relevant to scientists than particle physics is to fundamental particles and ornithology to birds ;-)Delete
Dan Dennett (whom I contacted when the Atlantic interview with Krauss was first published) has just sent me this link:ReplyDelete
All good points--especially the one about ornithology. But by far the most annoying aspect of Krauss' dialectic is that when he is presented with examples of philosophers who have contributed to physics, or computer science, or whathaveyou, he replies that "they were essentially doing physics" or math, or whatever. Um, so, is it actually logically possible for a non-physicist to contribute to physics under these parameters?ReplyDelete
'What is philosophy?' is a question that will tend to draw a lot of different answers from practitioners. Some of the most prominent philosophers of the twentieth century (I am thinking Quine here and the school of naturalism he influenced) have thought that there is no properly philosophical subject matter and that philosophy, properly construed should be continuous with science. I think Quine would agree with Krauss, not Albert (or Leiter, or Massimo) on this matter. The only interesting philosophical question about 'nothing' is the scientific one.ReplyDelete
well, nothing I have written necessarily contradicts Quine's take (though I do think it would be a good idea to start taking with a couple of grains of salts what he wrote). Still, the sort of moronic attack that Krauss launched on philosophy in general, and philosophy of science in particular, simply doesn't follow.
I remember seeing the review when it came out in the NYT review and thinking Huh??, reading through abuut a third of the nearly 175 critical comments on M. Pigliucci's cross-post on his home blog devoted to this thing called 'rationality' (which in its derision of this other thing called 'nonsense' can sometimes get pretty nonsensical), thought "Huh??". Reread the review and bits about this Krauss, got no further with Huh: 'Huh' defined loosely as why did he attack philosophy? Finally made some headway with junk on the internet you can research yourself, but basically we have a Cormac McCarthy / Krauss relationship with events containing keys to Krauss' printed internal conflicts. I don't know the lurid details, but its easy enough to figure out that both McCarthy and Krauss are using each other to change professional gears and advance other agendas. In Krauss' case, I did not see anything new on the anti-spiritual front. Anyway, NYT readers got the benefit of a misguided rant.ReplyDelete
Both non believer Krauss and believer Albert however made the same mistake about physical stuff that most do. The existence of a quantum field is not a physical thing, unless of course it is observed by a physical thing. Same of course goes for a tree.
One of these days, possibly within 1-2 years we will bury our Blackberries in favor of Androids and iPhones. But in doing so we would do well to remember the legacy of the Blackberry. Much of its profits were invested in the study of quantum information up in little Waterloo Ontario Canada via the Perimeter Institute, that science may have some more surprises for us in 20-30 years that rival the Bell work starting in the 60s and I think put to rest in the 70s.


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Sightseeing breaks on your Northland road trip
Road trip through Northland: Kawakawa Hundertwasser toilets, Puketi forest walks, Whangarei Falls (waterfalls)
It's quite a drive to go up to Paihia, Waitangi and further north, but you'll have lots of opportunity for very scenic and curious sightseeing breaks.
The top 10 things to see in Northland, according to my guidebook, included something I had to read twice to believe it: the Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa.
Yep, public toilets as a tourist attraction. BUT, constructed by a star architect. I had no idea what to expect due to the lack of pictures in my book, so curiosity had us stop in Kawakawa.
In hindsight I have to say it was the most enjoyable, colourful and stylish loo break I have ever had. The only structure ever built by the artist in the Southern hemisphere, the Hundertwasser toilets even feature on New Zealand's AA list of 101 Kiwi must-sees!
An equally water-rich and picturesque experience can be had nearby at Whangarei Falls.
They're located just 5 km from Whangarei city centre and are easily accessible. From the parking lot, take a walk down the path leading to the foot of the falls to fully appreciate their splendour.
It's like a scene from a film, that's how beautiful it is. So peaceful. There are many waterfalls on both South and North islands, but these are my absolute favourite.
There are no toilets to be found around though, so if the noise of water gives you the urge to "go somewhere", you know where to head!
And last but not least, if you're cruising through Northland and need to stretch your legs for a while, stop in Puketi forest or Waipoua forest.
There are plenty of tracks, walks and boardwalks leading through stands of gigantic kauri trees. Depending on where you stop, you'll have the option of 15 minute boardwalks, hour-long walks or tracks that take a few days to complete.
For more information see The Passport Philatelist.


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Financial planners at National Australia Bank have been warned to brace for big cuts to their commissions-based income, as a slowing market, higher consumer expectations and new regulations trigger changes to companies' pricing structures, according to an internal document.
The adjustment, to begin in December, will likely send shockwaves through the ranks of senior financial planners who for years have enjoyed a steady income thanks in part to percentages earned on previous sales – with the clients themselves often unaware of the ongoing costs.
"Whether it's right or wrong to have been sitting on these books, to suddenly have your [the financial planners'] revenue cut in some cases by 50 per cent, it doesn't allow you to continue to live the life you've been budgeting for," said one financial planner.
"Having it taken away with a couple months' notices will be a challenge for some people – that's for sure."
The change will end the practice of ongoing commissions generated by past sales of products, which in some cases are passed from one planner to the next upon retirement. That revenue has helped financial planners achieve monthly sales goals by NAB financial planners, keeping their incomes high.
"Since the global financial crisis in 2007, markets have been and remain subdued," according to an NAB employee briefing obtained by BusinessDay. "'The growth experienced in the preceding decade is unlikely to return.
"Subdued revenue puts immense pressure on our cost base."
The briefing also hinted that customer inertia could no longer be counted on to ensure revenue.
"Increasingly, more customers are demanding value be delivered, and where actual value is not deemed to be sufficient, customers are moving relationships, accounts and holdings to other providers where the value exchange is deemed more equitable," the document said.
It noted that clients, defined as generating more than $1320 per year in revenue for NAB, "do not always receive the services we received a fee for".
The NAB briefing said 15 per cent of customers surveyed said they would opt out of their current adviser relationship. A further 40 per cent said they were unsure about sticking with their current provider.
Attrition rates across NAB's book were "above average" with a "significant percentage" of superannuation accounts dormant, the NAB document said.
The changes will lead to a dramatic reduction in pay for some financial advisers.
"We are empathetic that these changes have a personal impact on people," the briefing said.
Under the proposed changes, clients will receive "scaled" services, with high-needs clients getting direct advice. Customer who need less advice will be serviced by phone-based advisers.
The changes will also bring NAB into line with planned Future of Financial Advice reforms.
The NAB financial planner, who asked not to be named, said the NAB changes would prevent clients potentially paying hundreds of dollars a year in fees to get "bugger all" for service. At the same time, he said, senior financial planners would no longer receive revenue that added to the bonus targets, just for "getting out of bed".
MLC advice and marketing executive general manager Richard Nunn, who speaks for NAB's financial planners, said the changes put the company at the forefront of the industry's evolution.
"NAB Wealth has led the industry in championing for increased transparency within advice relationships," he said.
"This latest move keeps us ahead of key legislative changes such as the Future of Financial Advice reforms and in step with evolving customer behaviour.
"These changes will ultimately improve our clients' ability to access quality financial advice from the NAB Wealth network," he said.
About one in five Australians receives financial advice, according to the office for the Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation.
However, the availability of investment information has created more savvy customers in recent years who are willing to rely less on professional advice, even as the demand for more products grows.
The Future of Financial Advice reforms, which prohibit conflicts in financial-planner pay structures and expand the availability of low-cost "simple advice", took effect in July and will become mandatory for the industry in July 2013.
This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.


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An erupting volcano challenges the sunset for Leena Tailor's attention.
I have a burning question.
It's just after 6pm in Honolulu and like every other tourist lining the beaches, boardwalks and restaurants of Waikiki Beach, I'm indulging in another spectacular ocean sunset.
The first was from a pier perched along the white sand where we stumbled upon the perfect viewing spot. About 20 people are gathered here, fingers glued to cameras, while a local strums Hawaiian tunes on his ukulele. As the final glitter of florescent orange dissolves into the ocean, the small crowd erupts in applause with one woman declaring, 'Yay! We made it to a Hawaiian sunset,' mentally ticking it off her bucket list.
The second was from the middle of the sea, aboard the Star of Honolulu, where a deck full of lobsters are abruptly abandoned as diners flock outside to witness the blazing horizon blend into a shimmering sea of gold, dotted with paddle boarders, surfers and sailboats.
The third was from the Top of Waikiki - a revolving 20th floor restaurant offering happy hour specials at sunset for those coming early enough to nab a spot. From up here, the sinking fi reball paints the sea dazzling shades of amber.
There's something different about Hawaiian sunsets. They're not blinding. There's no squinting involved. It makes it extremely difficult to tear one's eyes away, so by day three I'm wondering how locals don't go blind with the daily temptation to watch the beauty unfold, or whether tourists leave Hawaii with a squint.
Curious, I consult my optometrist cousin. "I'm not sure why it wasn't blinding, but if you stare at it for even five seconds that's really bad," he replies. "And sunglasses won't help. Look up solar retinopathy." Google informs me this is common damage to the retina, usually from staring at the sun.
Harmful it may be, but local eyesight appears to be fine, with every optometrist store I walk past virtually empty. As for visitors, sipping Mai Tais while soaking in sunset views becomes a natural part of the daily schedule. Night after night, the sky show is met with applause from holidaymakers, whether it's couples enjoying romantic getaways or friends huddled on the beach taking new Facebook photos.
O'ahu has plenty else on offer for adults taking a break from families, jobs or impending winter.
For first-timers, the tourist hub of Waikiki Beach is the natural starting point. The buzzing beach strip, a blend of Miami's South Beach and Surfer's Paradise, offers an endless waterfront line-up of big-brand hotels. If it's adult time you need, Hotel Renew is a peaceful haven. Barely a minute's walk to the ocean, or dining and shopping precincts, the 72-room designer hotel was the work of Jiun Ho, who wanted to create a "marriage of sexy chic and casual coastal".
From here, popular tourist attraction Pearl Harbour is about a 30-minute drive away. You can catch a shuttle, but go early as the memorial attracts long queues. What started as another sunny Hawaiian morning in 1941 was forever tarnished with the words "Tora Tora Tora" - meaning the Japanese had achieved complete surprise with their attack on the naval base, an attempt to prevent the US Pacific fleet from interfering with their military actions in Southeast Asia.
The attack saw 2390 Americans killed, many injured and 21 vessels sunk or damaged. The USS Arizona burned for three days, eventually sinking, and now serves as a tomb. Visitors are escorted by boat to an eerie viewing platform overlooking the wreck. The surrounding patches of oil are harrowingly described by survivors as "tears of their comrades".
The site is also an active reef where hammer-head sharks flock to give birth in the summer and divers can explore the ship's remains.
Back at Waikiki, Aqua Zone runs diving sessions for beginners. Within seconds of anchoring, a monk seal peeks out of the water, but as we descend 30-feet into the ocean I'm more enamoured by the giant sea turtles, carelessly floating past. One-metre wide, the friendly creatures aren't fazed when we parade around them for silly photos.
We also come face-to-face with spotted eagle-rays, octopus and sponge-crabs, a sight which takes me back to the lobster dinner on our cruise the previous night.
From the minute we're ushered on-board, past a Hawaiian band and up to a table with personalised place-names, it's clear this will be a memorable evening.
I happen to wander past the kitchen and stop short at the sight of endless Maine lobsters; I'm told the kitchen serves an average of 448 daily. The best bit is that the charming waiters help de-shell the creatures, making eating them as classy as our surrounds.
Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar is another sunset dining spot with a menu reflecting the Japanese cuisine common throughout Hawaii. The melt-in- your-mouth Shrimp Dynamite - tempura shrimp soaked in garlic masago aioli - is a must-try.
For a more casual vibe, a few bucks and a 20-minute walk will get you a traditional Hawaiian plate lunch of meat, macaroni-salad and rice at the Rainbow Drive-in.
If tourist hotspots make you dizzy and it's seclusion you crave, the Hawaii Island Retreat on Hawaii Island's stunning North Kohala Coast slows down the pace dramatically. It takes a winding gravel road to get to the gorgeous entrance lined with fan palms and pom-pom trees, but once you arrive it's like entering your own sanctuary. On one side a forest of pine trees overlooks the ocean where I spot a whale within seconds, and on the other a valley lined with tropical trees (cloves, lychees, avocados - you name it) is home to sacred "peace-giving" stones. They include a fertility stone, which women struggling to conceive have fl ocked to.
"Do you hear from them afterwards with good news?" I enquire, to which owner Jeanne grins and proudly nods yes.
This is not a place for families. Rooms don't have televisions, radios or WiFi and the aim is for people to connect without modern gadgets.
Food, such as the fresh pawpaw and pineapple served at breakfast, is grown on-site and even contributes to bathroom amenities such as the passionfruit shower gel. By the time I'm finished bathing, I'm ready to embrace the back-to-basics vibe, letting my hair dry in Hawaiian heat and even heading out for dinner sans-makeup.
With a massage therapist, infinity pool, 20 hectares of land to explore, the cute nearby town of Hawi and even luxurious yurts for those who want more of a "glamping" experience, there's no reason to leave.
Still, if you're going to make the trip to Hawaii Island you will get asked, "Are you going to the volcano?" That would be Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanos. Blue Hawaiian Helicopters runs various tours, like the two-hour 'Big Island Spectacular' .
From up high the diversity of the land is mesmerising as we soar over rolling NZ-like greenery, rainforests and waterfall-lined valleys one minute, and post-apocalyptic plains dotted with dead trees the next.
But it's the volcano which everyone is itching to see.
Kilauea started erupting in 1983 and hasn't stopped.
As we hover over the crater, blobs of glowing crimson bubble beneath us, while in the distance, spitting steam indicates it's one of those lucky days where we'll get to witness lava flowing into the ocean.
While it's not the gallons of liquid gushing into the sea which I imagined, the murky patches of red against turquoise water forms a rare and enthralling sight.
You can get dangerously close to lava, our pilot Greg informs us, adding that in the past 30 years around 30 hikers have gotten too close.
If your schedule allows, Kilauea appears at its finest at dusk, according to locals. It' s the one thing that could tear your eyes away from those glorious Hawaii sunsets.
Where to stay: Hawaii Island Retreat.
Volcano tours: Blue Hawaiian Helicopters.
Oahu links:
Hotel Renew
Star of Honolulu
Aqua Zone
Sansei Seafood Restaurant Sushi Bar
Rainbow Drive-In
Top of Waikiki
Pearl Harbour
Leena travelled to Hawaii courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines.