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The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) sent two delegates to Taiwan over the weekend to assess the Chinese Taipei Cricket Association's (CTCA) bid for affiliate membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
ACC official Bandula Warnapura chaired a meeting between Taiwan's cricket clubs, the CTCA and the ACC on Sunday afternoon to make clear the progress that must be made in order for Taiwan to become established in the international "cricket family."
"Taiwan has to meet the ICC affiliate criteria, but the more difficult part will be maintaining those standards," the former Sri Lanka Test captain said.
Warnapura went through the ICC affiliation criteria, starting with the requirements for player numbers. From the nine clubs nationwide, a national team should be formed and there also needs to be evidence of women's and junior teams forthcoming, he said.
Warnapura also questioned CTCA president Chen Tai-shang on the status of the office, employees and board of the organization.
If the CTCA can maintain its ACC affiliate membership, the ACC could begin funding the game in Taiwan through revenues generated by Asian Cup competitions. The cash would be earmarked for infrastructure projects within Taiwan — cricket grounds, training facilities and the like, Warnapura said.
Accompanying Warnapura were ACC official Aminul Islam, on his second visit to Taiwan after visiting in August, and Danny Lai, formerly of Hong Kong Cricket.
Islam spoke of the need for honesty and transparency in the functioning of the governing body.
"You have the people here who can do the work, but the work must be done with cricket at the center," he said.
Only three of Taiwan's nine clubs were represented at the meeting on Sunday — Formosa Cricket Club chairman Prem Purswaney, Badshaws Cricket Club chairman Ali Chang and Swingers Cricket Club captain Muthu Raam.
Later, the delegations visited Chung Jung Christian University to watch the school's women's cricket team play an exhibition match. The game was short, but the action belied the short period of time the players have been learning the sport.
Coaches Thomas Rayen and Suresh Rangapillai said the players have some problems caused by playing softball.
"Their feet don't move enough to hit the cricket ball effectively," Rangapillai said.
However, some quick advice to Wang Jia-yi saw instant and dramatic results.
Chasing 13 from the last over of the match, the left-handed Wang was instructed to try hitting into the leg side. She saw her side to victory by smashing a four and a six, hitting across the line in emphatic fashion against Zhen Miao-jun.
Earlier Ma Yi-ru, using a slingy action reminiscent of Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga, bowled straight, quick and very economically. Her two overs went for just the one run and she also picked up a wicket.
Rayen issued a challenge to Taiwan's other women's team, the Darling Devils, saying his team could easily beat the mixed expat and Taiwanese side.
"These girls can take on any team in Taiwan," Rayen said. "Consider it an open challenge."
Earlier, the delegations had visited Taichung's Asia University (亞洲大學) where professor Gene Sheu has adopted his many Indian students' enthusiasm for cricket.
"The enthusiasm with which my students play is so great," Sheu said. "Perhaps we could see Asia University taking on the likes of Chiao Tung University in the not too distant future."


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Q. Is a neutral conductor allowed to be switched for 3-way or 4-way switching?
A. Wiring for 3-way and 4-way switching must be done so that only the ungrounded conductors are switched [404.2(A), as shown in the Figure below. In other words, the neutral conductor must not be switched. The white insulated conductor within a cable assembly can be used for single-pole, 3-way, or 4-way switch loops if it's permanently re-identified to indicate its use as an ungrounded conductor at each location where the conductor is visible and accessible [200.7(C)(2)].
If a metal raceway or metal-clad cable contains the ungrounded conductors for switches, the wiring must be arranged to avoid heating the surrounding metal by induction. This is accomplished by installing all circuit conductors in the same raceway in accordance with 300.3(B) and 300.20(A), or ensuring that they're all within the same cable.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ibm FRU - Pentium 4 2.0GHz For Types 2681 2682 2683 2684 2685 2896 replaces 26P8494 SL6FK, Ibm 91P7203-06.
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text:
I guess you might have noticed that the Savoy Stomp has been slightly stalled of late.
The long and short of it is I have been a bit too busy to find much time for leisurely making, photographing, and writing about drinks.
Full time job, Bartending shifts at Heaven's Dog, Holidays, Travel. They've all contributed to a slight stagnation of content creation for the blog.
And to be honest, I don't imagine there will be much else happening until 2012.
On the plus side, there really are very few Savoy drinks left to make. A couple more Fixes, Juleps, Smashes, Punches, and Cups and we're DONE. Kaputt. Outta here.
What happens after that, with the Savoy Project and the blog, I really don't know.
We'll just have to see what develops.
As far as Savoy Cocktails go, you can always get your real world Savoy fix at Alembic Bar the last Sunday of the Month, when we hold Savoy Cocktail book Night.
Though, do note, as the last Sunday falls on December 25 this month, we'll be holding it a week early, on Sunday, December 18.
And if Savoy Cocktails aren't your thing, you can find me at Heaven's Dog on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, when I can make cocktails with ingredients which weren't included in the Savoy Cocktail Book.
Hope to see you around!


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Dominican immigrant feels "pure joy" from Powerball win
The Dominican immigrant who won the $338 million Powerball jackpot said Tuesday his head wasn't clear enough to decide what to do with his winnings, but knew he was going to help his "humble" family.
Pedro Quezada appeared at New Jersey lottery headquarters to officially claim the $338 million Powerball prize, his wife and brothers also in the room. The former shop owner from a working-class suburb of New York City has been in the U.S. for 26 years.
"I felt pure joy, just happiness," he said in Spanish, a translator by his side.
- N.J. Powerball winner says he'll help family
- Winning $338M Powerball ticket sold in Passaic, N.J.
- Seven-time lottery winner shares secret to winning Powerball
The numbers drawn Saturday were 17, 29, 31, 52, 53 and Powerball 31. If Quezada takes a lump-sum payment, it would be worth $221 million, or about $152 million after taxes. It's the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.
Casiano, one of Quezada's five children, said his family plans to keep open the Passaic bodega they have run for years.
"I know he's going to do something good with the money," he said from behind the counter of the family bodega, the Apple Deli Grocery - maybe open another store.
"It's a blessing," he said. "It's something that happened and you just have to take it as it is."
Quezada's neighbors see a lot of themselves in the winner: hardworking, a family man, an immigrant, and someone who has known hard times.
That's why they were so thrilled that one of their own has won the lottery.
"This is super for all of us on this block," said Eladia Vazquez, who has lived across the street from Quezada's building for the past 25 years. Quezada and his family "deserve it because they are hardworking people."
The Quezada family's apartment sits at the end of a short dead end block that abuts a highway in Passaic, northwest of New York City.
The block has a half-dozen three-story brick apartment buildings on each side, and Vazquez said it's a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, including what car they drive and what parking space they use.
Fellow Dominican immigrant Jose Gonzalez said he barbecues and plays dominoes with Quezada in the summers in a backyard on their street.
"He sometimes would work from six in the morning to 11 at night, so I did not see him much," Gonzalez said in Spanish Monday night. "I am happy for him. ... I don't know where he is now but I imagine he will drop by to say hi to his friends."
Neighbors told The Record newspaper that the Quezada family has suffered bad luck in recent years. Two years ago, thieves broke into their apartment and stole everything from clothing to jewelry. The year before, a fire destroyed much of their bodega, they said. At the Tuesday press conference, Quezada said he didn't want to disucss it.
He also said he wasn't sure if he'd return to the Dominican Republic, stay in New Jersey or move elsewhere.
The largest Powerball jackpot ever came in at $587.5 million in November. The winning numbers were picked on two different tickets - one by a couple in Missouri and the other by an Arizona man - and the jackpot was split.
Nebraska still holds the record for the largest Powerball jackpot won on a single ticket - $365 million - by eight workers at a Lincoln meatpacking plant in February 2006.
Powerball is played in 42 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The chance of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number is about 1 in 175 million.


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"I am excited for the ways that moms will draw on God's strength through the NIV Mom's Devotional Bible. Packed with practical inspiration, it is an incredible tool to help moms find hope and daily encouragement." Sherry Surratt – CEO and President, MOPS International
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text:
Mike Mozart: Starry Night
Mike Mozart: Starry Night
The background for this piece is authentic Wall Street Journal pages from 1919. The piece itself is created with metal flake and acrylic paint all of which is protected under a luminescent resin finish on a 48 inch by 36 inch canvas.
Mike designed a substantial amount of artwork for Alec Monopoly for almost 5 years, creating hundreds of pieces for him. Mike is a street artist from way back in the 70's. He became a Professional Illustrator and Product Designer in the 1980's and has illustrated over 100 licensed Kids Books with Disney, Warner, Ninja Turtles, and dozens more.
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text:
BO to Forum, writing to a friend
Trying to write to someone I know and basically think highly of. Problem is that she is immersed in Evangelical Christianity. She also believes all of their premises, 1. It is not religion because it is just the Bible. 2. Religion and Politics are two entirely separate things. 3. Her church is not Protestant because it does not protest against the Catholic church.
Very difficult to talk with such a person. There is very little in America which has effected politics more than religion.
For this woman, Jesus saved she and members of her family from the more serious depths of alcoholism, "If not for Jesus I'd still be crashing cars."
The husband has serious alcoholism related health problems and probably won't live much longer. The brother died living on the street, addicted to drugs and alcohol. And there all sorts of other family problems, "Jesus giving me trials."
I don't want to be disrespectful to this woman, or to senselessly anger her. But when you are dealing with people's denial systems its really hard to avoid. More and more I see that there is a relationship between Evangelical Christianity and Intoxication.
"these people are not drunk"
Its very different when one is advancing a very small minority movement, than when one is getting intoxicated and silly over the most powerful idol in the land.
For me, I have never in my life been attracted to drugs, alcohol, or Born Again Christianity.
I've never been comfortable with that sort of sociability, camaraderie.
I miss trust it and defend myself against it.
The Evangelicals want to divide the world into those who are Christians and those who are not, those who are Born Again, and those who are not, those who are Saved and those who are not.
The result of this is that real social injustices based on economics and things like access to health care are ignored. Nothing could possibly be more political than a movement which does this, and then says that it is not political. Like Alan Ginsberg said, "Theism is Cosmic Fascism."
Pentecostalism, like she is involved, purports to offer direct filiation with the deity. Okay, but the price of that is submission to a movement in America which wants to establish a theocracy, and to some degree already has.
Intoxication is political, stupidity is political, pig headedness is political, and Born Again Christianity is political.
I try to convince this woman that her "religion" is not sobriety. I try to convince her that the churches have their own interest, a parasitical interest. But to go further, to challenge theism directly, I have to decline with her for now. Seems like it has to be one in stages, like a series of methadone programs.
I am very frustrated now. Very serious things are in play for me. I do intend to write some thoughtful responses. I am reading division three of Deleuze and Guattari's Anti-Oedipus. It is a disturbing text, but I see it as the most essential text.
Views: 172
More and more I am coming to see the close relationship which has always existed between alcohol and Christianity. When a group gives the appearance of intoxication, they are doing it for a reason, power is being wielded.
Yes my friend is a nice person. I agree that based on her beliefs she should be someone to write off. But on the other hand if I want to be involved in community affairs, these are the sorts of people I have to deal with. Once you get away from the strictly cash and carry and the real estate industry influence, then you have the religious groups. This woman is far from the worst. Actually the mega church she belongs to is not the most extreme.
I know a man. Let me call him B. B. lives in a beat up old motor home with disability money payments.
The nature of his disability is in my opinion marginal. I don't begrudge him his payments as I support the development of a complete welfare state. I just think he needs to be honest.
He is a potentially bright man, its just that the socio-cultural environment he comes from does not support education of any type. So he never developed much of a career. Had these things been different his disability would not be enough to hurt him. But he sees nothing wrong, nothing to redress or remedy in his background.
He had been a long term drug user and has a felony conviction. He doesn't see anything in his drug use, except the hand of Satan and his own weakness. The idea that there is repressed pain underneath substance addictions is irrelevant to him.
Despite having a felony conviction, he believes our justice system to be fair and has opposed efforts to promote another local person who is serving a life term over something bogus.
He is opposed to President Obama and talk of a new stimulus plan to create jobs. Rather, he wants a Capital Gains Tax cut to keep employers here and he supports the Republicans.
All of this despite the fact that he hasn't held anything like a regular job in decades. Before he had the motor home and his disability money, he lived in a shack on a river way.
He gets his disability money, food stamps, and medicare. But he supports a political party which wants to take all this way.
That America's deindustrialization and the loss of unionized employement has something to do with the present state of affairs is meaningless to this man.
What he does do is promote the Born Again Christian Movement and oppposition to Satan. Most of his talk is filled with such things, when he is not saying things to support the Republicans. He also insists that Religion and Politics are completely separate.
He says that when he was a drug dealer that he had the best drugs around. Well, now is still a sort of a power broker in the role he serves in various churches and their ministries.
This is the social environment in which I live!
I want to fight back!
pending approval
I commend your efforts with individuals who seem almost beyond help.
I say almost because I think other people and conversation can have a powerful effect, for bad, but also for good. I'm not someone who thinks a conversation with a staunch believer is always a waste of time. You just don't know.
But I have tried in the past to, for want of a better word, 'save' people.
I can see that most clearly now with my mother and her depressions. I couldn't at the time. How can you see the ways in which you 'sacrifice' yourself to try and induce an attentive response from someone at the age of four? And upwards. I see it now. And I could never give up. She sometimes told me I made her feel better. Fatal!! Well, one learns how to do that. So there was always the hope. Maybe I could save my mum from her sadness.
Consequently I have attracted, to some extent, in the past, a constituency of friends with problems, who tell me the same sort of things. That I always say the right things in a crisis. They often absent-mindedly forget to respond to my pleas for support. I'm not too good at asking for help, but I've got better. Some still don't hear though.
One of those friends was my oldest friend. So close and with such a similar sense of humour people told us we should be a comedy double act.
That was a long time ago. For years now she has been lost to mental illness. After a lousy childhood (much, much worse than mine), and then a marriage to a man who seemed to be a moderate muslim but turned into a religious monster, she escaped and I gave her shelter for 6 months. She slowly became paranoid and delusional, in ways I've never witnessed before. She believed herself to be the most evil and contaminating creature in the universe (something he repeatedly told her in the foulest of ways. I was described by him as a witch. Because I burnt candles).
I finally, after many horrific dramas, got her in hospital, where she thought she was going to be killed in medical experiments. She emerged out of this, only to slide back a few weeks later. Over the years of knowing her I always felt she needed some 'insight'. Some 'enlightenment' before something tipped her over the edge. There was a fantastic intelligence and wit to her coupled with a fragile, lost, sense of self.
I can now see, again, that nothing I did or said ever helped. She is back living with this man, in an even worse situation, and has been seen by a mutual friend muttering loudly to herself on the bus. She lives a 10 minute walk from me and I haven't seen her for 7 years. We were best friends at the age of six, 300 miles away from here. I thought she was smarter than anyone I knew.
I didn't used to believe in behaviours as addictions but now I do. I think people can be addicted (without going into medical characteristics) to being depressed, to pessimism (it's safe, no-one and nothing can disappoint you, and like alcohol it can numb you out), yes, shopping and so on. But I don't think it needs attention unless it's damaging you or others. Pride can prevent people from allowing an illuminating observation into the world they've built to give themselves a 'feeling' of safety. They're not going to let you be right. Not after years of emotional investment.
And on that basis, and many others, people will fight tooth and nail to stay right where they are and possibly using the need of people like me, who want to be needed, to keep themselves cared for! Oh, you know, what they call an 'enabler' in the recovery business.
Long story short. I really don't go in for trying to help or rescue anymore. Unless ASKED. I remain available to any friend in distress of course, unless I pick up that they wish to be left to live the way they've chosen. As this friend did.
I actively cultivate emotionally stable and non-neurotic friends. And I made the happy discovery that I'm not the mild screw-up I used to think I was when younger! All that stuff from my mother was kinda catching for a while!
Yes, I (think) I'm agreeing with you that the recovery movement is about telling people they have sinned and must make amends and with the happy clappy support of the group, can turn a consumptive addiction into an emotional/religious one. It's all the same crap.
I watch people, I learn. I watch drunks hanging out in a park. I listen to stories of AA members. I listen to people make the profession, "I am a Christian." I listen online to the sermons coming from the Word-Faith Pentecostal mega churches. They are all the same people!
Probably Jesus was a drunk.
For some people there is no reason not to drink if that makes one part of the group and it helps to avoid having to be in one's own skin and face one's own pain.
Likewise for some people there is also no reason not to make professions of belief, promoting a literal theism, if that makes one part of the group and helps them avoid having to live in their own skin and face their own pain.
Same thing goes for the Recovery Movement and Psycho Therapy. The common element is always, No Redress. With redress you have to face the pain, and it is immense. Redress means engagement with the harm perpetrated and the people who did it. But so long as you can have some doctrine of Live and Let Live, you don't have to face it.
The reason children continue to be abused is denial. The reason nothing is done about it is denial. Psycho Therapy, the Recovery Movement, and the Born Again Christian Movment are the primary sources of this denial. Born Again Christianity is also probably the largest single reason the United States doesn't have universal health care, as well as being the largest threat against our democracy.
Cheryl, thanks for the reply. My Pentecostal friend does not think she is beyond help. She is a local leader in a mega church and its activities. Lots of people follow her lead and think the world of her.
I wish I could just flip off everyone tied to such relgion. But I have an interest in community affairs. A big part of such are dominated by these sorts of religious groups. Idol worshipping always has mean real power. I can't say that they mean harm either. I mean, what they do in their community outreaches is better than what they do in their evangelical work and their sunday services. Things got funny because she recommended to me in an email a book written by one Rick Warren. I tell you, he and his movement are scary. Word-Faith Pentecostalism amounts to motivationalism repackaged in verses and terminology from the Bible. I feel that it acutally is a occult teaching.
How funny you posted a link to 'Gimme Shelter' by the Stones. It's one of my all time favourite songs and I can play it endlessly without getting numb to it!! Thanks, hadn't heard that version.
But I presume it was the message more than the song.
I have actually done community work with the homeless. Still mean to get back to it. One time I did a Christmas stint in a homeless women's refuge shelter. I thought I'd be spending acres of time cleaning up and peeling sprouts but in fact there was a lot of 'free' time. So I talked to people. And with my artistic skills, did portraits. I was told one woman kept her portrait under her pillow and the first thing she did each morning was pull it out to stare.
How fascinating the stories were! It was a relief to be told that part of our job was to just talk. Engage. These people needed to feel part of the world. So games of Scrabble ensued and the occasional life story. One of which I so dearly wish I'd recorded. So unlike anyone else's life was it. Not full of abuse, just adventure and political jeopardy. She was then old and becoming forgotten, which was why she was there.
So, I agree that none of us should turn away from the lost, the disenfranchised, those sliding towards the bottom. In fact I think it's a sign of emotional and societal health when people can put their needs aside and give some time to the wider community in which they live, whether just their street or the world itself, but the point I was groping towards above, is that sometimes some of us become very attached to trying to rescue people when we want to be rescued ourselves. This isn't a bad thing. Just worth taking in I think. Princess Diana was a good example.
But we also need to remember that our healthy selves are our very best gift to others. People who have that neither use another's misfortune to improve their self esteem (and please..I am in no way saying those are your motives exclusively-I'll explain in a minute), nor do they make the underconfident or the quiet wounded type feel overshadowed or left out. They give themselves freely because they have enough, because they understand that community matters, and perhaps crucially, they can 'model' personal ease. How to feel comfortable in your own skin.
I think we ALL do everything for a big mixture of motives. ALL OF US. I don't believe in pure altruism. That's fine by me. Something masquerading as absolute selflessness always disquiets me. I find superficial values underneath. Religion is especially good at making martyrdom and humility attractive. These are sick aspirations. And as I've said in other places, it is IMPOSSIBLE to aspire to humility. This is automatically vanity. Because to 'aspire' and achieve is to take pride in. And martyrdom only exists where a reward is offered. No sainthood required.
So, if the best you can be is the biggest gift we can share with others (in my humble opinion), what does that look like? And what is it made of?
I think the healthy person can see humour in most things, including themselves, and they aren't threatened by different opinions from their own. They don't live in a state of morbid defensiveness. Or denial.
(I so remember meeting my friend - who became mentally ill - when she had been married a couple of years, seeing how thin and drawn she looked, ill, and how when I phoned her she sounded guarded if he was in the room. I suggested something wasn't right. She laughed it off. I said "Do you think maybe you're in denial about this?". Her answer, "Oh, I'm the Queen of de Nile, I'm the Queen of de Nile!!")
So, summing up my scattered points! We must protect ourselves as or more than we would others. No-one's no good to no-one otherwise! (Did the double negatives cancel each other out?!) Draw the line in the sand. But remember the others. Be there for them. Keep a sense of humour! It gives great perspective.
Yes, I do often listen to youtube music when I do things on the computer. Yes, Gimme Shelter is one that I can listen to over and over and over. I do want revolution. I want the forces of revolution to be unleashed. I want to strike back against things like Psycho Therapy, the Recovery Movement, and Born Again Christianity.
Personally I don't care one way or the other about people making professions of atheism. To me it seems just as arrogant and just as silly as the "I am a Christian" profession. Making professions of atheism is not opposing Born Again Christianity, its just a way of opting out privately. What's needed is more than that.
Thank you for your work at the women's shelter. I am sure that the people there get preached to and Saved continually. They are not really in a position to stand up to it either. As far as I can see, Born Again Christianity is very very similar to Alcoholism. I am convinced that both are rooted in not being able to be in one's skin, as you so aptly describe it. The pain of being in one's skin can be excruciating, when there is unredressed wrong. Alcoholism, Mental Illness, Born Again Christianity, Recovery, and Psycho Therapy all have the common element of zero redress for wrongs.
Tangible Results not Therapeutic Release.
Wars are won through Strategic Engagements with the enemy, not by Seeking Enlightenment.
There is no such thing as Healing without first restoring Honor.
Recently on a Recovery oriented forum I got booted because I protested their moderators deleting such statements about how Born Again Christianity is a drug just like alcohol out of my post.
So I thank you for being there at the shelter and just listening.
As far as writing to my Dry Alcoholic - Pentecostal friend, I don't really want to save her. Mostly I want to facilitate communications. Yes, I could be mean and flip her off. But she has power in community affairs which are of concern to me. Also, I don't see her as bad. She has rejected the worst of the mega churches too. Things became dicey when she recommended an extremely offensive book to me, by one Rick Warren. His is a motivational book, self help, striving to get ahead, wrapped in Biblical language. So I am trying to be straight with her about my feelings. Well sort of. My feelings about people like Rick Warren are negative beyond what you can possibly imagine. My views about all organized Christianity are negative. But I am bending over backwards to try and find common ground, to give a limited endorsement to a less demonic version of it. I'll post a redaction of what I am going to send her. Basically I am endorsing private reflections on the Bible and some aspects of liberal Protestantism, while denouncing the Evangelicals and Pentecostals. This way it makes it hard for her to attack me or dismiss me. While at the same time I am offering her something like Methadone. I am not trying to save her. Really I am trying to protect myself from her condemnation. Sometimes it is better to pay some tribute to local idols, like the Born Again Drunkard Jesus, when that lets you strike a harder blow at some later time.
Yes, our healthy selves are the best gift we can give to others. I've always known this, although I've never actually been in such a position.
I claim zero, ZERO, altruism in anything I do. Rather, there are circumstances which have shaped my life which compel me to fight a vicious war. These same circumstances require me to keep any details concealed as with concealment I have the greatest chance of victory.
I am not a proponent of Christianity. I am not a proponent of Atheism either. I am against professed Theism because I know that it creates idolatry and insanity. But this does not mean that people need to reject theistic feelings.
Thank you so much for your most thoughtful and insightful reply!
Thank you for reading my posts with interest. That's good to know.
Though I can't stop you from doing so, and though I am not going to try, it still sounds like you are arguing for Live and Let Live. You ask me, "what if that is alright for other people?" What this means is am I willing to approach them with Live and Let Live? Do I live by bourgiose propriety, temple of the will, or other sorts of Sacred Cow doctrines? The answer is NO!
Yes, certainly most of us do end up letting most slights roll off. Most of us do have to accept that most things which we feel were done wrong to us, we just have to let be.
Where I take exception to all of this is when Live and Let Live becomes a prescibed ideology. As I have noticed, in areas like Religion and the Recovery Movement, and amoungst people who use intoxicating substances to tune out, Live and Let Live is a prescribed ideology. It is also usually so for those who have been the most seriously abused as children.
Why? Because the pain is so so great that it is hard to live in one's skin.
I am not a supporter of religion either. But in the country I live in it is everywhere. Most community oriented groups are religious. Today it just so happened that I was interacting with one, and a man who always does so was preaching. The main message was as it always is, "Jesus died for you sins, so get down on your knees you worthless slime."
This time someone else started counter attacking, accusing the preacher of spreading falsehood and hate. Later on the preacher spoke of alcoholism and I asked him, "Do you know that Evangelical Christianity is a lot like alcoholism?"
Things were getting nasty today. I told someone that Born Again Christianity is the reason we don't have universal health care.
Yes, I could flip all of these people off. But then again, thats kind of like Live and Let Live too. In the end nothing changes.
So I asked the preacher for his influences. First he said he had none, just the Bible. So I challenged that and it went on and on and finally he recited a list. They are all people from England in the 1800's. I have just looked them up and I am going to read. Of course most of them are people who preach that the big end is coming, etc.
It makes no difference what they say, or whether this preacher is saying the same or not. Rather what is important is to surface that there are different views. There are churches that say different things. And I see things differently than this preacher.
We all have the right to our shared religious traditions and our shared scripture. Its not just those who make professions of faith, belief, or religiousness, its all of us. So if we want change, then it will come via engagement, not via silence or secession.
The man who was attacking this preacher was accusing him of being a hate monger. I agree fully. The preacher gets away with it because he keeps it very narrow, with this us versus God angle. But once in a while it comes out in other ways.
Yes, I could flip these people off. The man who was attacking the preacher finally walked out.
But I have a community interest. I also know that if we are ever to have universal health care, or meaningful employment and a living wage for all, then it is going to be necessary to stand up to religious argumentation. Again, I am against a prescriptive doctrine of Live and Let Live when it comes to religion, just as I would be were it the Nazi Party.
I commend this man who stood up to the preacher.
Now, about the larger subject of redress and those who might see no need for such. I see a very strong need for such redress. I know from things people have shared on my own forums and in private communications to me that there is a huge need for redress. I know that there are many who want it and simply do not see a means of obtaining it. Some see the State as protecting perpetrators. Often this is true, but I don't see it as insurmountable.
So once again, I don't take any issue with those who have no cause to seek redress. What I take issue with are those who precribe a doctrine against redress. Usually they do this so that they will not have to face their own pain. Often they are even getting off on the pain of others.
There is no such thing as abstract awareness, awareness in a vacuum, awareness without action. So one will see the need for redress, the cause for redress, when one sees that redress is a possiblity. As long as one sees redress as impossible, the awareness of the need for it will be absent.
I do see redress as possible. Difficult, but possible. The reason it is not realilzed is that things like Religion, the Recovery Movement, Psycho Therapy, and the Self-Reliance Ethic are designed to prevent us from seeking it. So it is these things which I oppose. And no, I reject Live and Let Live in dealing with these things. So I do not ask for a law against religion, but I demand separation of Church and State and I encourage eductation about the problems with religion. Same goes for the Recovery Movement, Psycho Therapy, and the Self-Reliance Ethic.
I want to follow up a little more. I spoke of a preacher yesterday and a clever young man who started taking him on. He accused the preacher of being an "Aggressive Christian". Well I love it any time someone can turn the word Christian into something dirty. I just laughed and then asked, "Is that like an aggressive panhandler?" He said, "Yes, except the panhandler is straight up, he just needs the money. The Aggressive Christian is saying things to you while he's got a knife ready." And he made a belly stabbing gesture.
The man was so angry that he compared the preacher to Satanists, and then left shortly after. The preacher just go louder and more rigid. I would not have called the preacher a Satanist because that too is reinforcing yet another of the Christianists dichotomies. I want to attack them directly. The Biblical Prophets attack by showing how people don't live up to their own values. Sometimes that is good. But here I don't want to do that. I want to attack Christianism without in anyway legitimating any aspect of it.
Maybe I should try to follow those like the late Rap Artist Tupack Shakur, How Do You Want It? .... "comin' up as a nigger in the cash game ... " ( sorry, its not the X-rated version )
Or like Akon from Senegal who says that what we all need is, "Money, Power, and Respect".
I said about the Pentecostal Alcoholic that I want to answer her. She has embraced a moderate strain of mega churches. I know, that's rather like talking about a moderate member of the Ku Klux Klan. But she and lots of other people see nothing wrong with such churches. So I want to answer her thoughtfully. If I make broad sweeping condemnations then I am being "intolerant and judgemental". I once got an indignant response back from a Born Again, "As a Christian I am prohibited from judging."
So to some extent you have to learn to beat these people at their own game. Although when one really does want to sever contact, its great if they can be provoked to anger. Better still if they can be provoked to violence.
Live and Let Live is not acceptable. It is necessary to retake social space and drive the Christianists out of it. We have to fight them street by street and house by house. And no, this is not like the hatred many of them display for gays. Its different because gays are not a totalizing force which wants to destroy democracy and replace it with theocracy and demand that everyone make verbal prostrations to their idol.
So on the one hand I want to offer methadone in the form of a nationally recognized liberal Protestant church. But one problem is that I don't really want to endorse that either. I can't even say that it is 100.00% different from what this Pentecostal woman has embraced. So I am having to study it all closely.
And then I want to make cogent criticism of her moderate form of mega-church.
So I am reviewing both. These days most everything is online. I will probably have to write my text over again. This is taking time.
The current form of Pentecostalism is Word-Faith. But as it has developed, it is pure motivationalism, though wrapped in Biblical language. So for anyone who has had their understanding of the Bible and their own spirituality shaped by an orthodox understanding of scripture, Word-Faith is pure non-sense, its down right superstition. But to someone who lacks that, then it might just sound really appealing, and not like the occult teaching that it is.
It was after the 2000 Presidential Election that I decided that it was necessary to learn to criticize religion, and to do it directly. What I mean is, the news media will criticize it when there is a scandal involving sex or money. They can do this because these churches seem to be violating their own standards. But what if they are not violating their own standards? What if it is not based on homophobia and assaults on reproductive choice. Does that mean it is just okay to be manipulating people as these groups do? Its still a drug. Its still at core based on demanding statements of explicit theism. Even the non-Biblicalized forms of motivationalism are poison. The news media does not know how to criticize any of this. So it all becomes just one big Sacred Cow.
Make no mistake, these Mega-Churches are 100% manufactured. No different from political candidates. Their doctrines and presentations are concocted after doing surveys and focus groups. They have learned that getting like minded people makes the church grow faster. They need this in order to pay their mortgages. So even if it sounds moderate, its still totalizing because of how narrow it is. If one has contact with it and finds that its hard to give cogent comment, its because it has been developed in such a manner.
So I do my best to offer reasoned and insightful criticism. But the truth is that I don't support any of it, nothing what so ever of the "I am a Christian" movement. But this per se does not mean that I am intolerant. I just want to stop the movement. Beyond that, yes we all have vices. I actually am tolerant of such.
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What Nintendon't
Skim through our list of the most important games of all time and you'll notice a trend: Nintendo is everywhere. From Super Mario 64 to Pokemon to the Legend of Zelda, the Japanese company has been a guiding hand, moving the industry along with innovative new hardware and software. And yet, as we speed through 2013, it would appear that it has lost its footing. Though the 3DS is doing well, Nintendos Wii U is stumbling where the Wii so proudly stood. Its time for Nintendo to make some big moves, and it needs to make them soon.
Which brings us here, today, to the list that invariably comes up every time we discuss Nintendos troubles. The mind-numbingly obvious things that, we believe, could help right the ship. The business decisions that seem so blatant from the outside, but, for one reason or another, stay on the outside. They're on the tip of every gamers tongue, and hopefully one day they come to fruition.
Read more: Star Fox Zero review
7. Nabbed third-party sequels to fan-favorite franchises
As the cost of game development rises, so too does the number of copies that need to be sold in order to make a sequel a sure thing--no matter how much fans seem to want it. When games are on the cusp of being profitable, or just below, theres a good chance that publishers will pass on a successor, leaving some of our favorite franchises in limbo.
But, as Bayonetta 2 proves, it doesnt need to be that way. Nintendo is flush with money, sitting on 813 billion yen (6.7/$10.5 billion) as of last year, and its time to take out the checkbook and start nabbing sequels. Throw a few million at Ubisoft and get a new Red Steel, or send Capcom a truck of money to finally get a new Mega Man going. Still have some leftover cash? Fund a sequel to Crystal Dynamics amazing Tomb Raider and make it the Uncharted of the Wii U. Nintendo needs exclusives, and there are plenty of developers that could do the heavy lifting for them if they had a paycheck.
6. Added an Achievement/Trophy-style system
People love being told they did something right. Seriously, we absolutely freak out when we get a pat on the head and a thumbs up. That's essentially what an Achievement/Trophy is--a little, blinking, "You done good, kid." Microsoft finally caught on to this reaction and added Achievements, and for better or worse, it's a part of gaming now. Well, most of gaming.
Nintendo is behind the curve on this one, and needs to add some sort of Achievement system into the Wii U/3DS. Honestly, it's in a good position to do so--integrating them with Miis would lead to some interesting gamification opportunities, and that's an area Nintendo has always thrived. Mix Achievements with Find Mii and have them unlock Mii clothing and hats and badges, and suddenly there's a metagame element that makes the Pavlovian response go from just drooling to projectile-vomiting saliva.
5. Released more Wii games for the 3DS
Know why no one played any Wii games? Because they all wanted to have an excuse to keep making, "Looks like I finally have an excuse to dust off my Wii!" jokes. Honestly, that's the only reason we can think that people didn't buy titles like MadWorld, or Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, or Deadly Creatures. Nintendo's last home console was a veritable smorgasbord of unappreciation, but that doesn't mean these unsung greats need to die lonely deaths--with some retooling, just about all of them would do well with a re-release on the 3DS.
Seriously, why not? Nintendo could outsource the updates to third-party developers that specialize in that sort of thing, pumping out loads of cheap 3DS games for a fraction of the cost of a new title. The hardware isn't too far off, either, so most games would likely work without any real changes to the visuals--it's just a matter of getting it working on the hardware and collecting the easy money.
4. Dropped the price on the Wii U
Rewind time a few years and you'll find the 3DS was, at one point, in the exact same position the Wii U is in. It cost too much for what it was, there weren't many good games, third-party developers were abandoning it, and naysayers were eagerly reading the system its last rites. Nintendo needed to do something drastic, something remarkably un-Nintendo, and... it did. It slashed the price of the system and gave everyone who bought it pre-price cut a slew of free games. And now the handheld is as healthy as could be hoped.
Hey, Nintendo, do that for the Wii U. The Wii U might be more powerful than the current-gen, but it can't hold a candle to the consoles coming out later this year. Slash the price by $50-$100, launch a new ad campaign, and give gamers a bunch of awesome games. Sales will spike when people realize that it's the "cheap next-gen system" and developers will be forced to bring their third-party games to the console.
3. Bought more non-Japanese studios
If you've made it this far, you've likely noticed a trend: Nintendo has a game problem. The games themselves are usually great, it's more the frequency of them that's the issue. Nintendo takes its sweet old time to polish a product into perfection, and while we don't want them to stop doing that, we do think Nintendo needs to release more games. The solution? Get some new non-Japanese developers on staff and have them crank out sequels to popular franchises.
Retro's the most obvious success story, but there are plenty of other examples of Nintendo handing over the keys to a foreign developer. For instance, the excellent Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon was put together by Vancouver-based Next Level Games. Nintendo should snap these studios up and get them to work on Star Fox or a new Punch Out!!--and while they're at it, why don't they buy Monster Games? They did a good job with Pilotwings Resort, Excitebots, and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D; give them the keys to F-Zero or a new Wii Sports and let them go to town.
2. Turned the Virtual Console into the Netflix of retro games
Right now, if you want to play a retro game, you're... just going to pirate it. We're not condoning it, but that's what's going to happen. Emulators and ROMs grow on trees and no one wants to spend $5 on another copy of Super Mario Bros., so you're just going to download it. Worse than that, Nintendo seems to think that a slow trickle of releases is the best way to maintain interest in the Virtual Console when that simply isn't the case. It's time for Nintendo to open the floodgates and release every single game it can on the Virtual Console, but it shouldn't stop there.
Stop segregating handheld and console Virtual Console games. It's ridiculous. We should be able to play Revenge of the Gator on the Wii U VC and Earthbound on the 3DS VC. Better yet, if they really want to make a killing, give us the option to spend a monthly fee to play whatever games we want. $10? $20? Whatever. Just let us stream--or at least download and play--all of the Virtual Console games we want as long as we're subscribed.
1. Made a Pokemon MMO
It all comes down to this. Pokemon has proven itself much more than a fad, continuing to be one of the most successful game and entertainment products of all time (take that, pogs). It's not hard to understand why--people love the idea of living in a fantasy world that seems more fun than the real world. It's like Harry Potter or Star Wars--everyone wants to be a wizard, or a Jedi, or a Pokemon trainer. The handheld games enable that to a point, but not as much as they could if they were MMORPGs.
The franchise is already set up in a way that would adapt well to the genre--just turn each region into a "zone" that supports different levels of trainers and you're on your way to creating one hell of an overworld. There are pre-made mounts, plenty of items to buy, and an emphasis on friendly duels. Developer Game Freak has stated that it plans on keeping the franchise's core games as they are on handhelds, but we're hoping it eventually changes its mind and helps evolve Pokemon into the game it was destined to be. For now, we'll just have to gawk at the image above that we grabbed from a Pokemon forum and pretend it's a real game.
The mother of gaming
Nintendo has the means to print money, that's what it really comes down to. With a few smart choices it can establish the Wii U as a contender, give gamers all the games they want, and secure a future for our favorite franchises. What do you think? Is there any seemingly simple thing that you're shocked Nintendo hasn't done yet? Let us know in the comments!
And if you're looking for more, check out the Top 7 Nintendo games not made by Nintendo and the best NES games of all time.


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Another Celeb Chef Goes to Seaby Paul Motter | 07.05.12
Big Apple's Geoffrey Zakarian will take on Norwegian Breakaway in a new venue for the line.
Geoffrey Zakarian already conquered the Big Apple, so he might do equally well on the high seas. And heck, is there a celebrity chef out there who has yet to stake his name and reputation on a cruse ship restaurant? The trend ever continues as this Food Network star joins forces with Norwegian Cruise Line to provide three dining outlets for the new Breakaway. The ship, currently under construction in Germany, will arrive in her year-round home port of New York City in early May 2013. Breakaway will offer weekly summer seven-day cruises to Bermuda. In the fall, it will sail from the heart of Manhattan to the Bahamas, Florida and the Southern Caribbean.
So who is Geoffrey Zakarian? He may not be a household name like Wolfgang Puck or the once ever-present Emeril Lagasse, but this New York-based chef is a Food Network star. He won "The Next Iron Chef, Super Chefs" (no mean feat) on the fourth season, and he is a recurring judge on the uber-popular Food Network series "Chopped." He has also appeared on other television programs, like NBC's "Today" show. His cookbook, "Geoffrey Zakarian's Town/Country," was well-received.
Does this add to your "Breakaway" excitement? Tell us in our forums.
Zakarian earned his way onto the Food Network. His career spans some 20 years, fittingly, mostly in Manhattan (the home base for Norwegian Breakaway). He got his first kitchen gig at legendary Le Cirque, learned more of his craft working with Europe's superstar chefs, and in 1987, became an executive chef at New York's 21 Club. Remember when hotel dining got sexy in the '80s? Zakarian helped start that trend when he became executive chef of 44 at the Royalton Hotel. And did you recall reading about the hot hotel, Delano, in Miami? In 1995, he opened the Blue Door there to instantaneous acclaim.
More recently, he became owner of his first restaurant Town in 2001, receiving three stars from "The New York Times." He also received three stars from "The New York Times" for his follow-up, Country - and a much-coveted Michelin star. He's also scoring with more trendy Manhattan hotel restaurants, like The Lambs Club at New York's Chatwal Hotel, and The National at The Benjamin Hotel.
Have you tried Zakarian's food? Tell us in our forums.
This modern American - and very much a New York chef - will open Ocean Blue as a luxury seafood dining experience onboard this new Norwegian ship. He will also run The Raw Bar, an adjacent bar highlighting seafood and wines by the glass. This third outlet is dubbed Ocean Blue on The Waterfront, a more casual version of Ocean Blue. Talking about Ocean Blue, Zakarian says: "I am planning, preparing and recruiting for this restaurant the same as if I were opening on land, and truly, I have been humbled and inspired by Norwegian's vision to elevate hospitality on the seas."
Unlike many star chefs who take on ventures at sea, Zakarian has much experience running hotel restaurants, which gives him an edge over his competition. And with cruises only a week long, the ship should be able to secure impeccably fresh fish. The freshness of fish at sea is always a weak point for ships, no matter what quality they buy and how carefully they store it. Some celebrity chefs score big at sea (take Nobu Matsuhisa with Silk Road & The Sushi Bar aboard Crystal Cruises) and others, not so much. Their alliances end (think Charlie Palmer and Seabourn Cruise Line) or just slowly fade away.
The bigger issue is just how dedicated the chef is to the venture. Is it a public relations and marketing event or a serious commitment? Geoffrey Zakarian is promising the latter, and in time, we will see.
Any questions or comments on this article? Tell us in our forums.


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South Korea's won and Malaysia's ringgit led Asian currencies' decline this week, as signs that Chinese growth is slowing and the crisis in Ukraine deterred risk-taking.
The Bloomberg-JPMorgan Asia Dollar Index fell 0.3 percent from March 7 as data showed that exports from the region's largest economy slumped and growth in factory output eased.
Making investors extra cautious this week is today's vote to decide whether the Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula will join Russia, as well US Federal Reserve policymakers meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday to decide whether to proceed with another US$10 billion cut to its monthly debt purchases.
"There's risk aversion with the upcoming Ukraine referendum and weakness in China's industrial production numbers," said Saktiandi Supaat, a head of foreign exchange research at Malayan Banking Bhd.
That concern about slowing growth in China saw the New Taiwan dollar post its biggest weekly decline since January this week, with investors fearing that a slowdown in Taiwan's largest export market will hurt the economy.
"Taiwan has quite a big export surplus with China, so if mainland demand weakens, it will have a bigger impact on Taiwan," Credit Agricole CIB Hong Kong-based strategist Frances Cheung said.
UBS AG and Nomura Holdings Inc were among banks that cut their forecasts for Chinese expansion this year after data on Thursday showed gains in factory output and retail sales trailed estimates.
Central bank Governor Perng Fai-nan (彭淮南) said that China's shift to a more consumption-driven economy harms Taiwan's growth more than US stimulus cuts.
The NT dollar fell 0.3 percent this week to NT$30.381, compared with NT$30.302 on March 7, prices from Taipei Forex Inc show. That is the biggest five-day drop since the period ended on Jan. 24.
The currency fell 0.2 percent in the last 10 minutes of Friday trading amid suspected central bank intervention. The monetary authority has sold the NT dollar in the run-up to the close on most days since March 2012, according to traders.
In Seoul, data compiled by Bloomberg showed that the won also posted its biggest weekly drop since the period ended on Jan. 24, falling 1.1 percent to 1,072.78 per US dollar this week, as the ringgit weakened 0.7 percent to 3.2801 to complete its first five-day loss since January and the Philippine peso declined 0.6 percent to 44.655.
In Bangkok, the baht fell 0.1 percent to 32.275 per US dollar this week, as the yuan shed 0.36 percent to 6.1502.
Global funds pulled US$1.5 billion from South Korean and Indian stocks this week, while pumping US$376 million into Taiwanese, Thai and Philippine equities, exchange data show. The funds bought NT$6.5 billion (US$213 million) more Taiwanese equities than they sold this week, the data show.
Standard Chartered PLC is more bullish on the prospects for emerging market currencies in the second half of the year, with the Indonesian rupiah and India's rupee likely to lead total returns, analysts led by Singapore-based Callum Henderson wrote in a note on Friday.
Elsewhere in Asia, Indonesia's rupiah climbed 0.8 percent to 11,355, the Indian rupee fell 0.2 percent to 61.1900 and Vietnam's dong was steady at 21,100.
Bucking the downward regional trend was the yen, which gained the most versus the US dollar since January as demand for haven assets surged due to the Ukraine and the signs of Chinese instability.


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You'll Like The 2009 Ford Super Duty F-250 If...
Whether you're into commercial construction, agriculture or recreational towing, if you use a truck as a truck you'll benefit from the Super Duty's enhanced capability, refinement and convenience. And while the custom-spec car may have died a long time ago, the variety of permutations available from Ford's Louisville truck plant gives the Super Duty customer a chance at real customization, seemingly with more content variables than the U.S. tax code.
You May Not Like The 2009 Ford Super Duty F-250 If...
If you're looking for a pickup (especially in Crew Cab configuration) as a substitute for your SUV, you'll quickly realize the Super Duty's principal mission: Hauling things and people – not just people. To be sure, both Extended and Crew Cabs accommodate passengers quite comfortably, but if you're not regularly hooking up to a 10,000-pound trailer or loading an eight-foot bed with more than a couple of two-by-fours, you've overbought what Ford has overbuilt.
What's New
Two new trims, the Harley-Davidson and Cabela's editions, join the Super Duty line-up. Also new are an available spray-in bedliner, an integrated trailer brake controller and Ford's Work Solutions program that offers such unique features as in-dash Internet connectivity.
Interior Features
With the debut of the current F-Series, Ford established a benchmark for pickup interiors. In the new Super Duty the benchmark is moved upward in available choices, functionality and appointment. The XL interior provides feet-on-the-dash utility, XLT, Cabela's Edition and Lariat trim levels give the customer more expressive design and the King Ranch and Harley-Davidson packages coddle you in highly refined leather and wood trim. Lariat and King Ranch owners will enjoy dual-zone climate control. All audio systems are MP3-capable, so download your Toby Keith collection.
Exterior Features
The Super Duty's corporate three-bar opening is flanked by expansive vertical inlets and topped by "SUPER DUTY" in big capital letters. The expansive grille is for more than simply show – it fronts a confluence of cooling capability for engine, transmission and the intercooler that serves the diesel's two sequential turbochargers. Better cooling means, of course, bigger towing. Beyond the imposing edifice are new fender-mounted vents, available telescoping mirrors and optional 20-inch forged aluminum wheels. When compared to the last generation Super Duty, the grille and hood blister provide the main visual differentiation.
Driving Impressions
In most recent redesigns much is made of a "stiffer structure." Ford's design team complies, with higher-strength front-end structures, fully-boxed front frame rails, thick C-channel frame rails and crossmembers secured by, according to Ford, a "method that optimizes frame capability." The end result, enjoyed over some two hundred miles of south Texas roadway, is a truck offering the maximum in capability while still providing a full measure of comfort and control. This is a big truck but, from steering, to braking, to ride motion – enhanced by lengthened rear leaf springs – to interior quiet, the Super Duty impresses as one highly refined tool, and not merely a "truck."
Pricing Notes
Regardless of budget, Ford builds a 2009 Super Duty model to fit it. At a base price of just over $26,500 (the diesel adds about another $7,000) the two-wheel-drive F-250 Regular Cab will serve most fleet and commercial needs, while the diesel-powered Crew Cab F-450 in the XL trim level has a base price of about $43,000 and, depending upon trim and options, can top out at well over $61,000. The pricing of a 2009 Ford Super Duty is fully competitive with what Chevrolet and Dodge are marketing for the 2009 model year. Chevrolet prices its base regular cab around $27,000; the diesel is an additional $7,000. Dodge has a base of $30,000 and opting for the the diesel is an additional $6,000. As far as resale values, Ford's residuals are slightly higher than Chevrolet's when compared over time, and both trump those of Dodge.
Notable Equipment
We'll start at the front, where Ford has located a front step bumper – under-the-hood checks are made easier when the step-stool is built-in and not something you need to carry with you. In back Ford includes a hitch receiver – matched to each model's capabilities – on every Super Duty, along with seven-pin and four-pin connectors. Given the importance of towing capability to the Super Duty mission, the receiver is a standard feature any owner can appreciate.
Notable Options
Those intending to tow with their 2009 Ford Super Duty trucks will appreciate Ford's factory-installed TowCommand System. The system fully integrates the trailer brakes, anti-lock brakes (ABS), TorqShift automatic trans and tow/haul mode into one safe, capable towing platform. Functional enhancements include a foldable bed extender, which improves load utility when in place and stays out of the way when not needed, and a spray-in bedliner. Accessing the bed is made easier – and safer – by the why-didn't-they-think-of-this-before tailgate step option. And for those venturing off into the Great Unknown, an optional navigation system should get you there and – hopefully – back again.
Favorite Features
King Ranch Trim
Constituting both interior (Chaparral leather) and exterior (PowerScope mirrors) upgrades, the King Ranch enhances over-the-road comfort with material, workmanship and appointment upgrades, adding immeasurably to the Super Duty's attractiveness. And, unlike some luxury pickups, there's no intention of appealing – overtly – to the Country Club set; this remains a work truck and not a work-in-progress.
Power Stroke Diesel
With its 6.0-liter predecessor, the clattering came from both under the hood and consumer websites. But with last year's introduction of the new 6.4-liter version, Ford has created a diesel offering more power (350 horsepower) and torque (650 pound-feet), along with a cleaner burn, quieter operation and better throttle response (via dual sequential turbos). Add a five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty for peace of mind and you've got a segment-leading package.
Under the Hood
Ford offers three engine choices for work, play or any combination of the two. Base powerplant is a 5.4-liter Triton V8 offering 300 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. For those seeking more from the gasoline side of the Ford family, the 6.8-liter Triton V10 should satisfy, putting 362-horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque under your right foot. Finally, there's the aforementioned 6.4-liter Power Stroke diesel, infusing the Super Duty with both "tow" and "go."
5.4-liter V8
300 horsepower @ 5000 rpm
365 pound-feet of torque @ 3750 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: N/A
6.8-liter V10
362 horsepower @ 4750 rpm
457 pound-feet of torque @ 3250 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: N/A
6.4-liter V8 Turbo Diesel
350 horsepower @ 3000 rpm
650 pound-feet of torque @ 2000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: N/A
Editors' Notes
Despite Toyota and Nissan's incursion into the half-ton pickup market, those who need serious towing and hauling capabilities still rely on the domestic manufacturers to supply them heavy-duty power, and no truck does it better than the 2009 Ford Super Duty. Constituting some 40 percent of Ford's F-Series sales, the Super Duty is intended to secure the most profitable segment of the pickup market. Ford stakes its claim to "best in class" with improved platforms, upgraded drivetrains and dramatically enhanced capability, particularly with the F-450.


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Researchers find majority of Latinas are unaware of their risk of diabetes
Approximately 5.5 million Latinas suffer from elevated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and nearly 4 million of those women were never told by a healthcare provider they were at risk for diabetes, pre-diabetes, or were borderline for diabetes.
The study, "Latinas with Elevated Fasting Plasma Glucose: An Analysis Using NHANES 2009-2010 Data," led by Dr. Shiela M. Strauss, Associate Professor, New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN), points to the urgent need for alternate sites of opportunity for diabetes screenings. There is also a need for effective and culturally sensitive follow-up care and case management.
"Almost 1 million of these 4 million Latinas had not seen a doctor or other healthcare provider in the past 12 months," explains Dr. Strauss. "This is of particular concern as it eliminates a potential opportunity for them to learn about their diabetes risk and their elevated FPG before it causes serious avoidable harm."
The study's data were drawn and analyzed from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2010. The researchers examined data from 1,467 women—Hispanic, non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black women—who were all given a physical examination and participated in interviews that asked questions about their socioeconomic status and demographic and health-related issues. The researchers looked at how many women reported never being told by a health provider that they were at risk of diabetes, had pre-diabetes, or were borderline for diabetes. They then analyzed data from Hispanic subgroups, as cultural differences may argue for the development of different diabetes-related health-preserving strategies.
"In addition to our finding regarding lower health care utilization for Latina women, the finding that the majority of women with elevated FPG levels who had not been told they were at risk, even among those with higher levels of contact with a health care provider, indicates the urgent need to incorporate diabetes screening and culturally competent care across a broader range of health care visits," said Sherry Deren, Ph.D., Director, CDUHR and Senior Research Scientist, College of Nursing, a co-author on the study. "Incorporating this assessment as part of most (if not all) health care visits is likely to increase the early identification of women who are at risk for diabetes."
Latina women are at considerable risk for complications from diabetes. Their fear of, and cultural misconceptions concerning diabetes, together with their lack of understanding of diabetes risks makes diabetes screening and self-care a challenge. The study suggests considering alternative sites like optometry venues, pharmacies, dental visits, mobile delivery via health vans, or even places of worship in order to increase access, education, and culturally sensitive self-management programs.
"With the proportion of Latinas with diabetes expected to rise dramatically, there is an urgent need for increased efforts to enhance use of traditional health services by Latinas, and to develop alternate sites for diabetes screening," said Dr. Helene D. Clayton-Jeter, Director, Cardiovascular and Endocrine Liaison Program, Office of Health and Constituent Affairs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a co-author on the study. "There is also a critical need for effective strategies that are considerate of culture and language preferences, including case management, extended follow up care, and a team approach for supporting Latinas and others with pre-diabetes and diabetes in order to respond to an increasingly serious public health threat."
"Unfortunately, adults with undiagnosed pre-diabetes and diabetes are denied the opportunity to receive support and treatment to avert the onset and progression of serious diabetes-related complications," states Dr. Strauss, "As public health care providers, we must make the creation of targeted programs to encourage Latinas to get screened for diabetes a priority."
The study appears in Hispanic Health Care International, Vol.12:1, March 2014.
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SKF received Volvo Cars Quality Excellence Award
2014 January 21, 10:00 CET
Gothenburg, Sweden, 21 January, 2014: SKF has been certified with Volvo Cars Quality Excellence (VQE) Award. In doing so, SKF reached the highest quality ratings in areas such as product quality, supply precision, logistics, and efficient quality systems to name a few.
Tryggve Sthen, President, SKF Automotive says, "Quality is a must in all areas of our business; it is a key part of our way of working with Business Excellence. Being recognized for this, performing according to our customers' high demands, is very satisfying. This type of award is one of the highest recognitions we can receive and acknowledges that we deliver on our promises, which is highly appreciated by our customers."
SKF has been a partner to Volvo Cars since SKF founded Volvo in 1927. The journey started with the first car model informally called Jakob equipped with the bearing from SKF called VOLVO. Today, Volvo Cars produce car models for the premium-segment with safety and high performance in focus, equipped with optimized solutions from SKF. VQE was established by Volvo Cars in 2012.
Aktiebolaget SKF
For further information, please contact: Press Relations: Monique Turner, +1 215-801 8722; +1 267 436 6836; email@example.com
SKF is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems, and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 15,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2012 were SEK 64,575 million and the number of employees was 46,775. www.skf.com
® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group.
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Mali: Aid Groups Mull Expanding in Northern Mali
Dakar — Relief groups are considering resuming or expanding their operations in northern Mali after French and Malian troops took key towns from militant Islamists who controlled the region for nine months.
Insecurity in the north during this period disrupted and restricted aid operations and also prevented free movement of the local population.
"The problem of access was double-edged. Many people who were being treated for malnutrition could not get to the health centres while health workers could not reach them. The main roads were blocked," said Lucile Grosjean, the emergency communication coordinator for Action Against Hunger (ACF).
"The situation is still fluid. We have to wait and see how it evolves. Just a month ago Gao [northeastern town] was under the control of MUJAO [Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa]," Grosjean told IRIN. MUJAO was one of three Islamist and Al-Qaeda-linked militant groups that seized swathes of territory in Mali's north.
ACF, which runs nutrition and health programmes in northern Mali, continued operations throughout the period of Islamist rule, but only in the main towns and had to suspend field operations by mobile medical teams, Grosjean said, adding that the priority now was to "expand our programme around Gao".
Islamist fighters looted World Food Programme (WFP) warehouses, forcing the closure of offices and the withdrawal of staff. WFP, which has since been working through NGO partners in the north, is slowly resuming operations there, said Zlatan Milisic, WFP country director for Mali.
"The year 2013 represents a shift in our activities from a combined drought-and-conflict emergency response of last year to one focusing mainly on the consequences of the conflict in the north," Milisic told IRIN.
"As soon as the barges that operate on River Niger started going north from Mopti, we started planning for resumption of activities," he said, explaining that WFP has since late January shipped some 600 tons of food for around 35,000 people to the Timbuktu area.
WFP plans to triple the amount of food sent to the north and open a transport route between Niamey, the capital of neighbouring Niger, and Gao, Milisic said.
The occupation of northern Mali worsened the plight of residents there (previously hit by serious food shortages and drought in 2011-2012). The recent military offensive that has seen many food traders, mainly Arabs or Tuaregs, flee after reprisal attacks, has caused food and fuel price hikes, Oxfam said in a statement.
Markets are running out of stocks after looting, and food prices have now risen by almost 20 percent in Gao since the Franco-Malian armed intervention began on 11 January, Oxfam added. Money is also getting scarce in Gao Region, where banks have been closed for several months, and cash supplies from the capital Bamako are dwindling due to restricted movement, ACF said.
"There is a huge food security problem which adds to the [insecurity] during the last nine months. Fields were not sufficiently cultivated and the harvest was low," Grosjean explained.
Limited access
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which also maintained operations in the north during the Islamist occupation, said access to some areas still remained off-limits to aid groups.
"We cannot travel to certain places as the situation is still uncertain. Like everybody else, we are waiting," said Julie Damond, MSF's regional communications officer.
However, in central Mali, humanitarian access is improving.
"The north is still pretty much closed off. There is a very small presence of some NGOs in the north. Access… is blocked because it's still considered a military zone," said Sean Gallagher, the resident representative of Catholic Relief Services, which is currently operating in central and southern Mali.
"People [aid groups] are anxious to get up there to assess the situation and help those who are suffering. They are anxious but at the same time there are security issues," Gallagher said. "There is a lot of hope too after the forces rapidly took those areas which were under the militants and are now securing them. It gives hope that access will come soon. We are mulling moving to Gao, but the decision will be based on access."
The recent fighting has displaced nearly 10,000 people who have sought refuge in Bamako and the central towns of Ségou and Mopti. Some 15,000 others have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries.
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.]
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Category: Africa News


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I love my life the way it is
a project by Ali Alvarez
A few from California...
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There's something about the whole lottery thing that doesn't feel right to me - getting your hopes high, dreaming, escaping, and then usually being let down.
This happens to me on a daily basis WITHOUT the lottery's help, muchas gracias. So as an experiment, I started buying scratch cards and not scratching them.
It felt funny.
Then I showed it to a few people. It made them feel funny.
It made me think... "I think I'm onto something here."
So, I started this project: I LOVE MY LIFE THE WAY IT IS... a mass collection of unscratched lottery tickets... a small statement that says a lot of things to different people.
One day, I'd like to show this collection in a small space of some kind... a gallery even? Just to see what people's reaction is. And make a book of all of them. Hell, just to make it worth collecting all these damn tickets and never scratching them.
If you think life's a'ight the way it is (relatively speaking, of course), or you see a ticket that's just a bit funny, then send one in and add it to the collection. I would love to have one from your part of the world.
Promise I won't scratch it. Ever.
I've worked out that I need 8,000 tickets to fill a 12ftx12ft room from floor to ceiling. this is my goal. PLEASE HELP!
Ali Alvarez
69C Shrubland Road
London E8 4NL
Who links to me?


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Stocks gain on earnings; fake tweet shakes stocks
NEW YORK -- Companies that do well when the economy is improving led the market higher Tuesday after several of them notched strong earnings.
Coach, a maker of luxury handbags, and Netflix, which streams TV shows and movies over the Internet, were big winners after reporting profits that impressed investors. Financial stocks rose after Travelers' earnings beat analysts' expectations.
That's a change from earlier this year. The stock market's surge in 2013 has been led by so-called defensive industries such as health care, consumer staples and utilities. Investors buy those stocks when they want reliable earnings and regular dividends. Until now, they have been unsure about the strength of the economic recovery and been less enthusiastic about stocks whose fortunes are more closely tied to swings in the U.S. economy.
The markets closed higher even after stocks and other markets were shaken in the early afternoon when a fake tweet on the AP's Twitter account prompted a sudden sell-off.
A posting saying that there had been explosions at the White House and that President Barack Obama had been injured was sent at 1:08 p.m.
The Dow immediately plunged about 143 points, from 14,697 to 14,554. The AP said its Twitter account had been hacked and the posting was fake.
Within five minutes the Dow had snapped back.
AP spokesman Paul Colford said the news cooperative is working with Twitter to investigate the issue. The AP has disabled its other Twitter accounts following the attack, Colford added.
Joe Fox, chairman and co-founder of online brokerage Ditto Trade, was at work in L.A. when he got a call from the Chicago brokerage offices telling him what had happened. Fox watched the market tanking, and its quick bounce back.
"It was a tipsy-turvy rollercoaster for a few minutes there," Fox said.
Fox said the news didn't sound right to him when he first heard it. He thinks that traders are being more cautious in the wake of the 2010 "flash crash," which sent the Dow spiraling 600 points in a matter of minutes.
After the brief sell-off investors turned their focus back to earnings.
A resurgence in corporate profits after the Great Recession has been one of the drivers that pushed the Dow up 12 percent and the S&P 500 up 11 percent this year. However investors remain unsure how much further earnings can improve without the outlook for growth in the global economy improving as well.
Tuesday's upturn in stocks put both indexes back in the black for April and closer to the record high closes they reached on April 11. It was a sharp change of tone from last week, when the market had its worst drop since November. That sell-off started after economic growth in China, the world's second-largest economy, slowed.
So far, 69 percent of the companies that have reported earnings for the first quarter have beaten analysts' expectations, better than the 10-year average of 62 percent, according to data from S&P Capital IQ.
Analysts expect earnings to rise by 2.3 percent in the first quarter, slower than the 7.7 percent growth in the previous three-month period.
Netflix soared $42.62, or 24 percent, to $216.99 after reporting a big gain in subscribers. Coach, which makes Luxury handbags and other accessories, soared $4.96, or 11 percent, to $55.55. Travelers rose $1.77, or 2.1 percent, to $86.35.
The Dow closed up 152.29 points at 14,719.46. The S&P 500 ended 16.28 points higher at 1,578.78. Both indexes are about 1 percent below their record high closes from nearly two weeks ago.
The Nasdaq composite rose 35.78 points, or 1 percent, to 3,269.33.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.71 percent, from 1.70 percent late Monday.
AP Business Writer Christina Rexrode contributed.


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A Japanese lawmaker was reprimanded on Friday for breaking a taboo by trying to involve Emperor Akihito in politics when he handed him a letter expressing concern about the health impact of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear crisis.
A furor erupted after Japanese Councilor Taro Yamamoto gave Akihito the handwritten missive at a garden party last week, the first such bid in more than a century to draw the emperor's attention.
The incident highlights Japanese sensitivities about the emperor that linger nearly 70 years after his father, in whose name the Japanese military waged World War II, renounced his divine status.
The topic was also unwelcome for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, under pressure for his handling of the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. Abe faces demands from some in his party and from charismatic former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi to give up nuclear power altogether.
"There's a consensus in the ongoing political squabbles of the day that the emperor ought not be involved. It's crossed the line," said Jeffrey Kingston, director of Asia studies at Temple University's Tokyo campus. "And clearly nuclear energy is a huge political issue in Japan today."
On Friday, Parliament's upper house barred Yamamoto from attending events with the imperial family and issued a stern warning, an official said.
"Always keep in mind that you are a lawmaker and do nothing to dirty the name of parliament," ran the warning, media said.
Yamamoto, an actor and anti-nuclear activist elected to the upper house in July, said he had wanted to tell the emperor about the "endangered future" of Japanese children due to health problems from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, which has been leaking radiation since being struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.
About 150,000 people were evacuated after the disaster, and a vast swathe of land remains off-limits, while traces of radioactive contamination have been found in rice and far out in the Pacific Ocean.
Demands that Yamamoto quit were voiced immediately, and a magazine poll of 1,100 readers said 90 percent disapproved of his action.
He apologized for "worrying His Majesty" earlier this week, but refused to heed the calls for his resignation.
"The standard for 'political use' is not clear," Nihon University political science professor Tomoaki Iwai said. "The issue of nuclear reactors is a minus for the LDP [Liberal Democratic Party], and that's one probable reason the reaction is so strong."
Generations of Japanese have believed their emperors to be gods, but Akihito's father, Hirohito, gave up the status of divinity after World War II.
The post-war constitution declares the emperor to be "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people," with no political powers.
The only previous instance of an emperor being directly handed a letter was in 1901, by a former lawmaker protesting pollution from a copper mine. He was arrested on the spot, but helped set off a citizens' movement on the issue.
A scientist who researches fish, Akihito, who turns 80 next month, has tried to draw the imperial family closer to the people. Conservative Japanese revere him, while many others feel a fond affection. Some Japanese feel the whole family is irrelevant.
Iwai and other political experts said Tokyo's successful Olympic campaign included a speech by a princess, and Akihito attended a government event early this year to mark Japan's regaining sovereignty after World War II, a bid to restore national pride by conservatives like Abe.


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Selected colour: Blue
About GESSE
Style: 954433695068950K709
- The Gesse is the perfect boy's version of one of the must-haves for adults, a piece that guarantees comfort and the total freedom to move. This entirely down quilted iconic vest in nylon laqué is the ideal playmate for little heroes and their adventures between fantasy and fun.
- Down quilted nylon laqué vest
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DOVER — What do you get when you cross "gospelized" Christmas carols, rich harmonies, a full blown horn section, and a downright good time for music fans of all ages? The annual Rockin' Holiday Concert with Rock My Soul and The RMS Five at St. John's Methodist Church, 28 Cataract Ave in Dover on Saturday, Dec. 8. The show starts at 4 p.m.; doors open at 3:30. This year, the occasion will be even more festive with the release of The RMS Five's new CD, "Christmas Every Day."
For the past eight years, both groups have been quietly putting their mark on the seacoast music scene. Rock My Soul, a 20-member secular gospel choir based in South Berwick, specializes in a lively, roots-based style that hearkens back to gospel's "Golden Age.". Its "sister group," The RMS Five, is made up of five soloists from Rock My Soul and is known for rich harmonies and unique arrangements of roots, blues, Americana, and gospel. Both groups have gained quite a bit of critical acclaim in New England, appearing on TV shows such as NH Crossroads and 207. In 2009, one of Rock My Soul's songs was featured in a PBS documentary called Freedom Songs: Music of the Civil Rights Movement.
"All of us are influenced by gospel and the music that comes from it: blues, doo wop, rock 'n roll, and R&B," says Dawn Boyer, founder and director of the two groups. "Those influences make their way into our harmonies and arrangements. We have a great time, and our audiences love the style of our music. Our holiday shows are a particular favorite."
So much so, in fact, that fans have been asking for a Christmas CD for more than five years. But raising enough money proved to be a tough obstacle. "Producing a high-quality CD costs thousands of dollars," said Boyer. "We're nonprofit, so that kind of money has been out of reach."
Until this year, when Boyer heard about a new "crowd funding" web site called Kickstarter, which helps artists raise money for specific creative projects. "Kickstarter acts as patrons of the arts once did," Boyer said. "We figured, why not give it a try?" She and other group members set a goal of $3,000, offered different rewards for pledge levels, made a video, posted the project on the Kickstarter site, and held their breath.
To their delight, 71 backers pledged a total of $5,150. Kickstarter charged a small fee for credit card processing, and the rest went to recording, producing, and manufacturing the CD. "We were astounded at the support," Boyer said. "It enabled us to produce the high quality CD we wanted to make, and, thanks to our producer, Brett Hartenbach, and engineer, Joe Rogers, we're very proud of the results. This is truly a community-funded music project — our backers were part of the entire process."
Songs on the CD range from spirited tunes such as "Sleigh Ride" and "I Pray on Christmas," to quieter songs such as a Temptations-inspired arrangement of "Silent Night" and a New Orleans-flavored version of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)."
"We asked our fans what songs they wanted us to include," says Boyer. "And the 11 we chose are based on those responses. One woman said, 'Are you going to include 'O Holy Night?' I saw you guys last year, and you have to put that one on the CD!' We're happy to say the answer is yes."
Due to both groups' popularity — the past two years' shows have sold out — advance ticket purchase ($15 adults / $10 seniors 65+) is strongly recommended. Tickets and CDs may be purchased online at www.projectmusicworks.org or by calling 207-450-8016. All tickets at the door will be $18. Kids 12 and under are free. The RMS Five will also hold a separate concert on Sunday, Dec. 16 at the Community Church of Greenland, 2 Post Road, at 4 p.m.
Proceeds from CD sales support ProjectMusicWorks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to performing free outreach concerts at hospice, homeless shelters, rehab programs, and other facilities that support those in need.


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Is the Federal Reserve Heading Towards Insolvency?
A recent statement from the Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee, points out that both rounds of quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve have dramatically altered the maturity structure of the Fed's balance sheet. Normally the Fed conducts monetary policy using short-term Treasury bills, which allows the Fed to avoid most interest rate risk. In loading up its balance sheet with long-dated Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities, the Fed has exposed itself to significant interest rate risk.
Recall that the yield, or interest rate, on a long term asset is inversely related to its price. So if you're holding a mortgage that yields 5% and rates go up to 6%, then the value of that mortgage falls below par. The same holds for Treasury securities. I think it is a safe assumption that rates will be higher at some point in the future. When they finally do rise, and if the Fed still maintains a large balance sheet of long-dated assets, those assets will suffer losses.
Of course the Fed is not subject to mark-to-market rules and can avoid admitting losses by holding these assets to maturity. But if the Fed, at some point in the future, wants to fight inflation, the most obvious way of doing so would be to sell off assets from its balance sheet. It is hard to see the Fed engaging in substantial open-market operations without using its long-dated assets. But if it is to sell these assets, it will have to do so at a loss (once again, because of higher rates).
Now the Fed claims to have other avenues by which to tighten, besides open-market operations. For instance, it can raise the interest rate on excess reserves. But then this would further erode the value of assets on its balance sheet. Not to mention that they have to find the money somewhere to pay these higher rates on reserves.
Ultimately the Fed can continue to pay its bills, not out of earnings from its balance sheet, but by electronically crediting the accounts of its vendors and employees, but that would also be inflationary. The real danger, again pointed out by the Shadow Committee, is that the Fed may avoid raising rates in order to minimize the losses embedded in its balance sheet. One of the very real dangers from QE1 and QE2 is that the Fed has exposed itself to potential losses that are correlated with any efforts to fight inflation, raising serious questions as to its willingness to fight inflation.