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Story highlights
The limousine's suspension system suffered a "catastrophic failure"
It created friction between the drive shaft and the floor board, igniting a fire
Five members of a bachelorette party were killed, including bride-to-be Neriza Fojas
The fire that engulfed a limousine on a bridge over the San Francisco Bay in May – killing five members of a bachelorette party, including the bride-to-be – was the result of friction between the car's drive shaft and the rear floor board, investigators said Monday.
They ruled the fire an accident and said no criminal charges will be filed.
Nine passengers were traveling in the limousine as it crossed the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge on night of May 4, including 31-year-old Neriza Fojas, who was celebrating her upcoming wedding.
Driver Ricky Brown told CNN two days later that as he drove over the bridge, one of the passengers knocked on the partition separating him from the back and said "smoke."
He thought she was asking to smoke a cigarette, he said, so he told her to wait just a few minutes because smoking wasn't allowed inside the vehicle.
After 30 seconds, she knocked again, Brown said. That's when he smelled smoke and pulled over.
Cell phone video shot by another driver shows the limo at the side of the bridge, the back engulfed in flames and the front in smoke.
A "catastrophic failure" of the limousine's rear suspension system allowed the rapidly spinning drive shaft to come into contact with the floor pan, Capt. Mike Maskarich of the California Highway Patrol's Redwood City office said.
As the fire grew, it ignited the back seat, creating black smoke and flames that filled the passenger compartment, Foster City Fire Chief Michael Keefe said. The smoke and fire blocked access to the rear doors, leaving passengers with only one exit – the small opening into the driver's compartment, he said.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Monday his office looked for anything that could have constituted a crime but found nothing.
"We've explored all possibilities, and the conclusion is that this is a horrific tragedy," he said.
Whatever went wrong with the suspension system happened after the limo started crossing the bridge, investigators said. Video of the vehicle going through the bridge's toll plaza does not show it riding low to the ground.
The investigation showed, however, that the limousine was carrying two more people than allowed. It was rated for seven passengers but was carrying nine.
The owner of the limousine company will be fined $7,500 for failing to operate safely, because there weren't enough seat belts for all nine passengers, said Brig. Gen. Jack Hagan, director of the safety and enforcement division of the California Public Utilities Commission, which oversees passenger carriers like limousines.


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Nicole S. Parent Hunter, 40, of Van Epps Road, in Fultonville, died Friday January 25, 2013, at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, embraced by her loving family.
Born in Cohoes, she was the daughter of the late Lionel and Sandra M. Roberts Parent and beloved wife of Carl C. Hunter of Fultonville.
Nicole was raised in Cohoes and graduated from Cohoes High School. She received her associates degree in accounting from Fulton-Montgomery Community College. Nicole was employed as a bank teller with First Niagara in Palatine. She was dedicated to her family and cherished their abundant love. They were the focus of her life.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her treasured children, Kacie L., Jeremiah E., and Dalton T. Hunter; loving brothers, Michael A. (Stacy) Parent of Schenectady and Bryan J. (Ashley) Parent, U.S. Navy petty officer, of Taftville, Conn.; as well as several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will be held in the Fitzgerald Funeral Home Ltd., 105 Vliet Blvd., Cohoes, NY 12047 Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Interment will be in Broadalbin-Mayfield Cemetery in the spring.
Relatives and friends are invited and may call at the funeral home Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m.

subset: commoncrawl


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More Memphis area Dunkin' Donuts are on the way.
Franchise group JP Foods LLC will develop 12 new restaurants throughout Memphis, with the first new restaurant expected to open in 2015 and the remainder by 2020.
Dunkin' Donuts is entering the prime East Memphis trade area with the sixth store in the Memphis area.
Franchisee Akshar Mendenhall Inc., doing business as Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins, has signed a 2,700-square-foot lease at 5150 Poplar Ave. on the northwest corner of Poplar and Brookhaven Circle East. This will be his fifth store.
4055 Summer Ave.Memphis, TN 38122Sale Amount: $2.8 million
Sale Date: June 30, 2011
Aaron Muschel, a New York real estate investor, has bought Goodlett Commons shopping center and the Sharky's Gulf Grill site on Poplar Avenue in separate transactions within days of each other for a total $4.5 million.
Before it builds a new manufacturing plant at Frank C. Pidgeon Industrial Park, Electrolux will set up shop in Memphis with a Downtown office.
The Swedish appliance maker has signed a 14,000-square-foot lease at One Commerce Square, 40 S. Main St., where it will occupy the building's entire 24th floor.
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text:
Notice Number: NOT-DA-08-009
Key Dates
Release Date: February 5, 2008
Issued by
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), (http://www.nida.nih.gov)
This Notice is being issued to clarify the term "research project" and to correct the page limit regarding these projects for PAR-08-073, NIDA Core "Center of Excellence" Grant Program (P30) (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-08-073.html).
The following sections are changed:
2. Funds Available
The P30 mechanism supports an administrative core and one or more other research support cores and pilot scientific projects. Applicants may apply for up to five years of support, whether as new or competing renewal applications.
6. Other Submission Requirements
[The last sentence of the last paragraph should read as follows]
Each research pilot project should be presented with its Description and 5 pages for the Research Plan (i.e., specific aims, background and significance, and methods) as indicated in the PHS 398.
Rita Liu, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Grants Activities
Office of Extramural Affairs
Fax: 301-443-0538
Email: email@example.com
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
Office of Extramural
Research (OER)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
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text:
I have listed a new property at 307 550 SEABORNE PL in Port Coquitlam.
Beautiful, Like New, 2 bedroom & 2 bath home. Quality shows throughout, Built by Mosaic, nothing was Spared, from Radiant Fir Heat, SS Appls, Qrtz Ctrs, Flr to ceiling windows to the highly efficient, Open plan layout with bedrooms on either side of the home, creating great privacy for roommates and families alike. Watch the sunrise and Views all the way to the Pitt River from your fully covered balcony. Enjoy the exceptional amenities the Fremont Green offers: Beautiful Outdoor pool, Gym, Party room/Bar, Indoor Basketball Court, Children's Playroom, Dog Wash Station & Bike share program to enjoy the 25 Kms of Riverfront Trails. 1 parking and 1 Storage Locker. Pet Friendly building. OPEN HOUSE: Sat. & Sun. Feb. 16 & 17th from 2-4pm.


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Leaders Say Pension Action Needed After Bond Downgrade
Treasurer Dan Rutherford says Illinois' credit rating downgrade is likely to cost taxpayers more in interest when the state issues bonds.
Standard & Poor's lowered Illinois' credit rating Friday due to concern over the state's failure to address its $96 billion pension fund deficit. Rutherford says lawmakers' inaction has Illinois "headed for financial disaster."
Gov. Pat Quinn said earlier Friday that rating agencies won't give Illinois better marks until the General Assembly passes pension reform.
Standard & Poor's said Friday that it downgraded Illinois' general obligation bonds from A to A-minus. The agency also gave an A-minus rating to $500 million in general obligation bonds that the state plans to issue in February.
Ratings agencies have been downgrading Illinois' credit over the last several years.


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Mu 66 - Optimo BigPanda Brushes
by Massive Voodoo
Hello Jungle Painters,
today we have another Mu for you - a Material Unpacked this time - and we will have a closer look on some brushes which are distributed by Big Panda V.
First of all let us say that these brushes are recieving a thumb up when you look at their price, the money you as a painter has to spent to get them. They are half as expensive compared to a Windsor&Newton brush. Talking about their price will directly lead us to their quality.
We did test these Kolinsky Sable brushes in the past months and we allow ourselves to give honest feedback. First of all they make a good impression when it comes to the quality of their tip and hairs.
During painting we realized that they are good to work with. As we are mainly working with W&N series 7 brushes we realized that the hairs of the Big Panda V brushes to not have the same strength in their hair compared to a W&N series 7. While working with glazes, pulling and pushing thin glazes around they turned out to not be as comfortable when looking at the results we achieved. Good results can be achieved with them but it does not feel as easy as with the strong hair of a W&N and need a little training to understand the way the hair of the brush reacts when working with it.
Their tips are good and you can work on details like freehands or small lines, but for glazing on bigger areas they lack in hair strength if you work with the side of the brush.
Summed up we can say: If you are looking for brush that offers you a decent brush quality for a very good price you are right with this one via Big Panda V - Optimo BigPanda Brushes.
They are available in different sizes and arrive in blue colour.
If you want to test them yourself, give them a try!
Keep on happy painting!


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Large blooms of tiny marine plants called phytoplankton are flourishing in areas of open water left exposed by the recent and rapid melting of ice shelves and glaciers around the Antarctic Peninsula. This remarkable colonisation is having a beneficial impact on climate change. As the blooms die back phytoplankton sinks to the sea-bed where it can store carbon for thousands or millions of years.
Reporting this week in the journal Global Change Biology, scientists from British Antarctic Survey (BAS) estimate that this new natural 'sink' is taking an estimated 3.5 million tonnes* of carbon from the ocean and atmosphere each year.
Lead author, Professor Lloyd Peck from BAS says,
"Although this is a small amount of carbon compared to global emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere it is nevertheless an important discovery. It shows nature's ability to thrive in the face of adversity. We need to factor this natural carbon-absorption into our calculations and models to predict future climate change. So far we don't know if we will see more events like this around the rest of Antarctica's coast but it's something we'll be keeping a close eye on."
Professor Peck and his colleagues compared records of coastal glacial retreat with records of the amount of chlorophyll (green plant pigment essential for photosynthesis) in the ocean. They found that over the past 50 years, melting ice has opened up at least 24,000 km2 of new open water (an area similar to the size of Wales) – and this has been colonised by carbon-absorbing phytoplankton. According to the authors this new bloom is the second largest factor acting against climate change so far discovered on Earth (the largest is new forest growth on land in the Arctic).
Professor Peck continues, "Elsewhere in the world human activity is undermining the ability of oceans and marine ecosystems to capture and store carbon. At present, there is little change in ice shelves and coastal glaciers away from the Antarctic Peninsula, but if more Antarctic ice is lost as a result of climate change then these new blooms have the potential to be a significant biological sink for carbon."
Source : British Antarctic Survey


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Deep Drawable Steels: Part One
Thermo-Mechanical Treatment (TMT) of Non-Ferrous Alloys: Part One
DataPLUS est un module complémentaire fournissant des données de corrosion, des informations pour l'assemblage, les dimensions et tolérances ainsi que les données sur les revêtements pour des milliers de matériaux métalliques et non-métalliques.
Cliquez ici pour voir un exemple.
Overview of Total Materia database 12 janvier 2022
Overview of Total Materia database 13 janvier 2022
Après plusieurs mois d'utilisation de Total Materia et après avoir pu prendre conscience de toutes les possibilités offertes, je vous remercie pour le travail que vous avez fait et les mises à jour régulières.
Total Materia reste le seul outil à disposer de telles fonctionnalités.
Massimo Manfredini
Bonfiglioli Industrial Gearmotors, Bologna, Italy
Notre mission est simple:faire de Total Materia la solution unique de premier choix pour tous les ingénieurs du monde entier où sont rassemblées toutes les propriétés des matériaux.
Prof. Dr. Viktor Pocajt, CEOTotal Materia AG
Strain ageing can have a serious detrimental effect on low carbon structural steels and so two material examples are examined to see how different pre-strain and ageing conditions affect material mechanical properties.
A carbon steel (40% martensite) and a microalloyed steel (20% martensite) were both treated under the same parameters and then the UTS and stress strain curves were evaluated to gain some valuable conclusions.
Strain ageing has been found to cause a detrimental effect in low carbon structural steels. A lot of studies have been made on the effect of different parameters on strain ageing characteristics of theses steels.
In the work of S. Gündüz, the ageing behaviour of a carbon steel with 40% martensite volume fractions and a microalloyed steel with 20% martensite volume fractions were studied. The variation of mechanical properties, especially the increase in YS was measured by tensile tests. The specimens were pre-strained in tension by 2, 4 and 6%, aged at 25, 100, 150, 200 and 250°C for 30 min followed by restraining.
The steels used in this investigation are commercially produced a carbon steel (without alloying elements) and a microalloyed steel with a chemical composition shown in Table 1. All the specimens were first subjected to an annealing treatment at 900 °C for 30 min followed by air cooling to homogenize the micro-structure.
Samples used for the annealing treatment are of dimensions approximately 170mm × 30mm × 4.5 mm. A Carbolit furnace capable of operating up to 1200°C was used. The temperature in the heat treatment furnace was measured using a K-type thermocouple and temperature variation during heat treatment did not exceed ±3°C.
As mentioned above, the specimens were pre-strained in tension by 2, 4 or 6%. After this, they were unloaded and aged at 25, 100, 150, 200 and 250°C for 30 min. After ageing of the specimens, they were subjected to a tensile test at ambient temperature at a crosshead speed of 2 mm/min. At least three specimens were tensile tested for each ageing temperature and average values were calculated.
The increase in flow stress as a result of restraining was taken as the strain ageing, ΔY2, which is illustrated in Figure 1. For samples, pre-strained in tension, ΔY2 was determined with single specimen by the difference between lower yield stress after ageing and the flow stress at the end of the pre-straining.
Figures 2 and 3 show the stress–strain diagrams of the dual phase carbon steel and the microalloyed steel pre-strained in tension by 2, 4 or 6%, aged at different temperatures, and restrained.
As shown, the dual phase carbon steel and the microalloyed steel, prior to any ageing, exhibits continuous yielding which has been commonly attributed to mobile dislocations introduced during cooling from the intercritical annealing temperature. Many dislocation sources come into action at low strain and plastic flow begins simultaneously through the specimen, thereby suppressing discontinuous yielding.
The main conclusions from this study are as follows:
1. Both steels displayed significant changes in appearance as the ageing temperature was increased for the pre-strain in the range studied. This indicated that static strain ageing takes place in both dual phase carbon steel and microalloyed steel.
2. In contrast to the negative effect of pre-strains on the change in ΔY2 produced by subsequent ageing, it was found that increasing pre-strain markedly increased the change of UTS of both dual phase carbon steel and microalloyed steel. This indicated that ΔY2 value is insensitive to dislocation density and is principally dependent on the solute segregation per dislocation.
3. Both dual phase carbon steel and microalloyed steel showed significant increases in YS, UTS and ΔY2, however the percentage elongation to fracture decreased as the ageing temperature was raised from 25 to 100°C for the pre-strain in the range studied. This is due to atmosphere formation at dislocation and precipitation of carbonitride on dislocations during strain ageing.
4. Further increase in ageing temperature to 150, 200 and 250°C caused a reduction in YS, but an increase in percentage elongation. These are signs of overageing probably due to tempering effect of martensite and coarsening of the precipitates on the dislocations.
5. The ageing in the dual phase microalloyed steel occurred more slowly than the dual phase carbon steel. This was associated with the chemical composition of dual phase microalloyed steel which, in addition to carbon atoms, contained nitrogen and carbide forming elements such as titanium, vanadium and aluminum.
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The Total Materia Extended Range includes a unique collection of stress-strain curves and diagrams for calculations in the plastic range for thousands of metal alloys, heat treatments and working temperatures. Both true and engineering stress curves are given for various strain rates where applicable.
Finding a stress-strain graph in the database is simple and takes only seconds.
Enter the material of interest into the quick search field. You can optionally narrow your search by specifying the country/standard of choice in the designated field and click Search.
After selecting the material of interest to you, click on the Stress-Strain diagrams link to view data for the selected material. The number of available stress-strain diagrams is displayed in brackets next to the link.
Because Total Materia stress-strain curves are neutral across standard specifications, you can review stress-strain diagrams by clicking the appropriate link for any of the subgroups.
Besides the stress-strain curves at different temperatures, stress and strain data are given in a tabular format which is convenient for copying to, for example, a CAE software.
It is also possible to view stress-strain curves and data for other working temperatures.
To do this, simply insert a new temperature into the 'Enter temperature' field within the defined range.
After clicking the Calculate button, a new curve is plotted and values in the table now correspond to the temperature you have defined. See example below for 250°C.
For you're a chance to take a test drive of the Total Materia database, we invite you to join a community of over 150,000 registered users through the Total Materia Free Demo.


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February 11, 2013
Now time to assess finances, check insurance coverage
Submitted by Nancy B. Peterson
With tax season approaching, a Kansas State University financial management specialist suggests that reviewing records for taxes also is a good time to check your credit report, assess personal finances and goals, and after a year with historic weather-related losses, review insurance coverage.
According to Elizabeth Kiss, K-State Research and Extension family resource management specialist, a periodic assessment is a key to building financial security and protecting your assets.
"If we are to improve our situation, we have to know where we are," said Kiss, who recommended four areas for review:
1) Request a free credit report.
2) Review bank or other financial services provider's statements, balances, fees and services.
3) Review insurance policies, coverage and beneficiaries, and
4) Make saving for an emergency fund a priority.
1) Start with your credit report.
A credit report details the types and amount of credit available; the length of time credit has been extended; use of credit; payment history and public financial records, such as filing for bankruptcy, foreclosure or a tax lien.
A credit report is different than a credit score, which, in essence, grades a consumer's use of credit, the family resource management specialist said.
Potential lenders may use one or both to evaluate risks in extending credit, such as a car loan or home mortgage. Often, a consumer with a reliable credit history and higher credit score can use the information to obtain a lower interest rate when borrowing.
Consumers are advised to check their report annually, or more often, if an error in a financial transaction has occurred or identity theft is suspected.
Checking your credit report also is recommended after major life changes, such as the death of a spouse, divorce, separation, loss of a job or a move.
To apply for a free credit report, Kiss recommended the Federal Trade Commission website, which details the Fair Credit Reporting Act entitling consumers to access a free credit report from three reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) annually.
Consumers have the option of requesting a report from each of the companies offering the reports at the same time, said Kiss, who noted that company procedures for collecting information vary, so reports also will vary.
Such reports are available online at www.AnnualCreditReport.com, by phone (1-877-322-8228), or by filling out an Annual Credit Report Request form and mailing it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.
Consumers also are eligible for a free credit report (that may be in addition to reports already requested) if information in a report has been cited as a reason for being denied employment, insurance or a loan, said Kiss, who noted that a request for a report under such circumstances must be made within 60 days of the denial.
Credit reports are free, but there usually is a charge for a credit score, said Kiss, who advised individuals who are considering applying for a loan to check their credit score before applying.
If a credit score is low and the need to borrow not immediate, consumers may want to work to improve their credit score (by paying bills promptly, making more than minimum payments, etc.), she said.
2) Review financial services providers' statements, accounts, balances, fees and services.
People typically shop for a bank when setting up financial accounts, but can become complacent about long-standing accounts, Kiss said.
Reviewing accounts, current fees and services, such as changes to lobby or drive-thru hours, charges for use of ATM's, and savings offered through online banking is recommended.
With interest rates at all-time lows, many financial service providers have adjusted services and increased fees, said Kiss, who advised customers considering a change to also assess potential costs of changing financial services providers.
Consumers considering a change also are advised to be sure to allow time for direct deposits (such as a pay or Social Security check) and automatic withdrawals, such as water or other utility bills, to be covered.
3) Review insurance policies, coverage, and beneficiaries.
Reviewing insurance policy coverage, limits of coverage, and items that are not covered is recommended.
It's best for a customer to be fully informed, and to have time to ask his or her insurance agent to explain the limits to make sure coverage is adequate before having to file a claim, Kiss said.
"The purpose of an insurance policy is to share the risk," said Kiss, who explained that insurance needs can change with the ages and stages of life. For example, parents of young children will want to invest in a life insurance policy to protect the family; once the family is grown, needs may change.
A non-smoker may be offered discounts on health insurance; a driver with a safe-driving record may earn a discount on auto insurance, and policy holders with more than one policy with the same company also may be entitled to additional discounts.
Checking to make sure beneficiaries' names and contact information is up to date is recommended.
Consumers also can lower premiums if they are willing to increase the deductible. Doing so takes a greater personal responsibility for the risk, and Kiss advises weighing the differences in the premium by asking for quotes with a $250, $500, or $1,000 deductible.
"Shopping for insurance is advisable, even though policies vary and we're not always comparing apples to apples," said Kiss, who noted the bottom line is: "How much risk are you willing to accept?"
4) Make saving for an emergency fund a priority.
Establishing an emergency fund is a must, said Kiss, who explained that having as little as $500 to $1,000 available in an emergency can be enough to eliminate the need to run up a balance on a credit card with a high interest rate or need to negotiate a loan without time to shop for the best interest rate.
Kiss offered recent personal experiences as an examples: In one year, her washing machine stopped working and had to be replaced; a storm downed a tree limb that landed on – and broke – the glass in her car's sunroof, and her cat needed surgery.
In noting that financial professionals typically recommend a minimum savings goal of three to six months' living expenses as an emergency fund, Kiss suggested breaking down a savings goal into manageable increments.
For example, if living expenses are $1,800 a month, and a three-month emergency fund goal $5,400, a 10-year savings plan will require a savings goal of $540 a year, which breaks down to $45 a month, or $10.50 a week -- the equivalent of two lunches.
Kiss advises setting up a separate account for an emergency fund, and setting up a direct deposit to the account, if possible.
"Saving something regularly is better than nothing," Kiss said.
More information on managing family finances and resources successfully is available at K-State Research and Extension offices throughout the state and online: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu.


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|Aston Martin Vanquish S
|Image gallery (14)
Page 1 of 1
Aston Martin has turned up the heat on it's ultimate Super GT to create the new Vanquish S. Sharper styling, greater potency and increased athleticism define this latest evolution of an illustrious model line. One that originated from Aston Martin's legendary Works in Newport Pagnell and has proudly served as standard bearer for the marque's sporting and stylistic values since 2001.
In this, the second generation Vanquish's evolution to S specification, careful attention has been paid to the engine, chassis and aerodynamics to create a machine honed to deliver more intense thrills and even more scintillating performance.
Central to this is the naturally-aspirated 6.0 litre V12 engine, which now produces up to 600PS (up from 573PS) and enjoys sensational throttle response, thanks to a revised, freer-breathing intake system. These larger volume inlet manifolds allow a greater volume of air to flow into the engine at high revs, creating a relentless power delivery and a stronger feel all the way to the redline.
Building on this increased intensity, the calibration of the 8-speed Touchtronic III transmission has been revised to deliver faster gearshifts and greater refinement at low speeds for a greater sense of precision and immediacy.
Likewise, the suspension, damper internals, spring rates and anti-roll bar bushes have also been re-tuned to give the Vanquish S a keener edge in the more sporting suspension modes, without compromising its ability to deliver supple ride quality on demand.
Visually the Vanquish S can be readily distinguished by a new aerodynamic package. Fashioned from exposed carbon fibre, this revised front splitter and rear diffuser combine to deliver a meaningful reduction in frontal lift with a minimal penalty in additional drag. Combined with visually striking new quad exhaust outlets the Vanquish S has more aggressive appearance, entirely fitting for Aston Martin's most overtly sporting GT production model.
This look can be further enhanced with a range of new options. These include carbon fibre bonnet louvres, new forged 5-spoke diamond turned wheels and a choice of striking painted graphics packs. A new Vanquish S badge sits proudly on the tailgate as the perfect piece of jewellery.
Inside, the Vanquish S can be further personalised with a choice of spectacular new 'Filograph' quilted leather and the use of new materials and finishes, such as the Satin Chopped Carbon Fibre fascia panel. Sumptuous Bridge of Weir Caithness leather offers an added touch of luxury and tactility, while Vanquish S embroidery on the headrests provides a crafted finishing detail.
Dr. Andy Palmer, Aston Martin President & CEO said: "From the moment the original Vanquish was launched it became a modern icon. It propelled Aston Martin from an era of hand-built cars to one where craftsmanship and technology combined to create a new kind of great British GT.
"In its second generation the Vanquish maintained that momentum with huge engineering advances such as its all-carbon fibre bodywork and compelling, contemporary styling. Now, the Vanquish S takes things a step further, confidently asserting itself within the Aston Martin range and distinguishing itself from the new DB11. A spectacular machine in every sense, the Vanquish S is a magnificent addition to our range."
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text:
PARIS (AFP) - As French President Francois Hollande wades through the fallout of revelations he has been having an affair with an actress, companies are looking to drum up business by having a laugh at his expense.
Mr Hollande has had a rough two weeks both personally and politically since glossy magazine Closer published pictures of him hopping off the back of a motor scooter, his head clad in a large black helmet, for an apparent rendezvous with actress Julie Gayet at an apartment near the presidential palace.
While most French voters say the President's love life is his own business, news of the affair has trended on social networks, prompting businesses to seek to tap in on the issue in their ads.
A car-hire company, Drive, ran a newspaper ad with a map tracing the route from the Elysee presidential palace to the apartment where Mr Hollande's tryst ocurred - and pricing the trip at five euros (S$8.63).
"Unseen. Unknown. Private cars, tinted windows. At prices this low, you should choose discretion," it said.
Another rental car company, Sixt, made a similar crack in a newspaper insert telling Mr Hollande: "Mr President, next time avoid the scooter. Sixt rents cars with tinted windows."
The company, which is headquartered in Germany, is known for picking on French Presidents. It also had a go at Mr Hollande's diminutive predecessor, Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, after he divorced his wife and married actress, singer and fashion model Carla Bruni.
"Do like Mrs Bruni and opt for a small French model," it told customers in a German ad.
Online dating site Be2 tapped into sympathy for Mr Hollande's partner Valerie Trierweiler, mocking a line from the President's 2012 election campaign against Mr Sarkozy.
"Dear Valerie, the time to change is now," it said on its homepage.
Virgin Radio for its part compared the President's motorbike helmet to those worn by French electronic music duo Daft Punk.
"Mr President, we know you're a fan. Daft Punk is on the Virgin Radio playlist," it said.


text: In the previous parts of this series, I blogged about issues commonly raised in objection to cloud computing: difficulty of migrating existing applications, managing risk, and meeting SLAs. In this post, I'd like to address an issue I've heard raised a number of times: that cloud computing, far from saving IT organizations money, actually costs more than providing the same services in-house.\n \nRead the Whole Case Against Cloud Computing Series\n Part One: Migrating Apps Part Two: Managing RiskPart Three: Meeting SLAsPart Four: TCOPart Five: Managing The CloudConclusionI hear this most commonly identified as an issue with Amazon EC2, put in this way: A large instance of a Linux server (15 GB memory 8 EC2 Compute Units (4 virtual cores with 2 EC2 Compute Units each); 1,690 GB instance storage (4 by 420 GB plus 10 GB root partition) 64-bit platform I\/O Performance: High) costs $.80\/hr, or $576\/month). A Windows instance is even more expensive: A large instance with Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Authentication Services, and SQL Server costs $3.20\/hr, or $2304\/month. A like-for-like comparison for a similarly-sized Windows instance sans the additional software is $1.20\/hr, or $864\/month). \n\nBy comparison, Amazon's small instances (1.7 GB of memory, 1 EC2 Compute Unit (1 virtual core with 1 EC2 Compute Unit), 160 GB of instance storage, 32-bit platform) are $.10\/hr, $72.00\/month for Linux, and $.125\/hr, $90\/month for Windows. \n\nSo certainly we can see that large instances of Amazon EC2 instances are pretty expensive. On the other hand, those are pretty beefy machines\u2014they could do some serious computing. For many light load systems, the cost is much lower. One can recognize the obvious conclusion: the monthly cost varies according to how much capacity you purchase. Purchase more capacity, pay more. Purchase less, pay less. \n\nHowever, despite the obvious conclusion, the argument raised is that Amazon is more expensive for equivalent computing capacity compared to other options. In discussing this with one person, he noted that even if an IT organization didn't want to host a machine itself, it could use an outsource provider. His opinion is that Amazon ends up being more expensive than the established ways of obtaining computing capacity. \nHe derives this opinion based on the obvious: $2300 per month for a Windows server? That's got to be more expensive than it costs for a Windows box in the data center! After all, how much can a server run? $1500? Maybe $2000? Throw in a Windows Server license and a SQLServer license and you're still in for less than $10,000\u2014compared to $25,000 per year at Amazon! And even if the IT organization isn't very good at operations, it can always turn to an outsourcer, and everyone knows they can do it really cheap. Do the Math CorrectlyIn evaluating the (supposed) high cost of Amazon EC2, that raises the question: compared to what? In other words, to assert that Amazon (or one of the other cloud providers) is more expensive than doing it internally or outsourced, one has to know exactly what it costs to run a machine internally or via an outsourcer. And I'm not convinced those costs\u2014despite the opinion expressed by my colleague\u2014are truly known. In fact, I would go so far as to say that most IT organizations really don't have much of an idea what their true cost of, say, provisioning a 1U pizza box server actually is. But having an intuition on this topic is not the same as facts, so I decided to do some research. \n\nHere's what I turned up. \n\nFirst, I turned to everyone's favorite research tool: Google. There is a well-established school of cost accounting called Activity-based Costing (going, inevitably, by the moniker ABC). I learned about it during my MBA program. So I researched it. There's a ton of ABC literature on areas it has been applied, especially in manufacturing\u2014and, by the way, ABC is the real deal; when it's applied it can provide real enlightenment about the true cost of creating a good or providing a service. On the other hand, I couldn't turn up a single example of ABC applied to IT. Nada. Zip. Either it's not an interesting application of ABC, or it's too hard. But it doesn't exist. \n\nSo I then turned to everyone's next favorite research tool: the wisdom of the crowd, expressed via LinkedIn. I posted a question to my network asking if anyone knew of good studies of internal IT organization costs vs. outsourcer costs. \nI got a number of replies and actually had an extended dialogue with a fellow named David Moufarrege, who has had a long career in outsourcing, and specifically worked in outsource proposal pricing. I asked him about his experience in doing this pricing and he told me that one of the biggest problems his company would face in making a proposal is that the IT organization being proposed to didn't really understand their true cost structure. IT organizations would count up the number of machines, assign a putative cost, do a headcount review, and assert an overall cost. David's company would then have to point out that there are software licenses associated with the machines, including management software, etc., etc., to come to a more realistic cost picture. \n\nIn turning to the outsourcer side, I asked David how they knew their own costs of running a set of machines and so on to enable a bid to be placed. He noted that the pricing was typically parity-based; that is, the number proposed is typically a comparison to the IT organization's own costs (after suitable adjustment as noted just above). So I guess the outsourcing motto really is "Your mess for less." Outsourcers establish a current running cost for the IT organization doing the work itself and then bids something less than that number and figures it will make money by spreading labor costs across multiple customers (e.g., an Oracle DBA manages databases for four different companies; each company's share of that DBA\u20141\/4 his or her loaded salary plus outsourcer profit margin\u2014is much lower than the cost of each company employing its own Oracle DBA). \n\nWhen I queried David about the pricing of an individual system (to establish a fairer cost comparison to Amazon, the point of this exercise), he noted that outsourcers try and avoid a menu pricing arrangement, preferring to provide an overall price, thereby precluding the ability of an IT organization to comparison shop\u2014this reinforcing one of my old truisms: "everyone loves transparency\u2014in somebody else's business." And, in fact, it may be that outsourcers themselves do not really know what it costs to run a single piece of equipment; one response to my LinkedIn query was a suggestion that I speak to a particular individual at one of the very large outsourcing firms, as his current assignment is figuring out its true cost of service. \n\nBeyond the obvious problems of comparing Amazon pricing with internal pricing\u2014the lack of awareness of all the real direct costs and the lack of transparency in actual outsourced costs\u2014there remains another. In comparing the intuitive assessment of internal costs (a 1U pizza box server runs around $1500, and one SA can manage around 25 machines, so add 4% of an SA's cost to the cost of the machine) to the costs of Amazon, the comparison is based on marginal cost\u2014Amazon cost versus the cost of one internal or outsourced server. \nThere's a whole range of indirect costs that are not assigned in this approach: (1) the cost of all the extra personnel necessary to manage server procurement\u2014 internal technical people to do assessments and trials of different hardware offerings, procurement people to do the negotiating for hardware purchase, internal and external costs for data center designers, facilities management, etc.; (2) other technical personnel necessary to keep a data center up and running\u2014network and data admins, etc.; and (3) contract and account people to keep track of all the various licenses, leases, etc. There's a ton of indirect costs associated with IT that never get thought of as being part of an individual server's cost, but get added into the cost structure of the IT organization or the overall company itself. \nAnd, by the way, many of these costs occur even if an outsourcer is used\u2014instead of the accounts payable people tracking a contract with a particular hardware vendor, they're tracking a contract with the outsourcer. As a side note, these indirect costs are what ABC is focused on identifying and assigning; the lack of ABC within IT is a good indication that nobody really does a good job of identifying the true marginal cost of internally-provided IT resources. \n\nAnd all of these costs don't even include what may be the biggest: the cost of senior management time\u2014time spent worrying about operations staffing, and data center buildout, and server leases, etc., etc., instead of how to use technology to further the primary aims of the business: selling more stuff, reducing overall operational costs, communicating better with customers and partners, and so on. Every minute spent on reviewing an RFP for procuring another tranche of servers is a minute not devoted to how to use IT for competitive business advantage. The Cloud Cost AdvantagesFor all these reasons, it's a mistake to look at Amazon pricing, calculate the cost of a server in one's head, and conclude that Amazon is more expensive. And Amazon (and its brethren in the cloud providers) offer other advantages: \nThe pricing is transparent: you know just how much it will cost to run a server per hour. The pricing is posted, so there's no surprises. And if you decide to change something, you can calculate what the new pricing will be, unlike outsource contracts where change orders are seen by outsourcers as a margin bump opportunity. \nThe pricing is fixed you can calculate what the total cost per month will be. Don't underestimate the attractiveness of certainty. Most of us buy mobile plans that overprovision us with minutes of service; we do this because we prefer knowing just now much each month's service will cost us. \nPurchase is easy: you need nothing more than a credit card to get going with Amazon. No need to endure visits by sales people, create RFPs, buy machines, etc., etc. The period from decision to do something to actually getting to work is minimized, enabling organizational agility. \nAnd really, the pricing is cheap: I don't know what electricity costs where you do your computing, but in Silicon Valley, where I live, I think the cost just to power a machine is not much less than $.10\/hr; add in the cost of the machine itself and all the other costs, and Amazon may well be cheaper on a per-hour basis. \n\nSo what should you do if you want to get going with Amazon but are concerned about being cost-effective? Here are some tips: \n1. Don't overprovision system resources: unlike internal machines, where the penalty for under-provisioning is often a wasted server and an additional outlay for a new, bigger server, with Amazon it's easy to upgrade the capability of the system. So start smaller; if you need to upgrade, do so. \n2. Look for applications that leverage Amazon's ease of use: EC2 instances can easily be brought up and quiesced; it's not necessary to keep an instance up and running 24\/7. Unlike a data center, where once a server is installed it's easier to keep it running than to power it up and down, Amazon is ideally suited for applications that are used in a transient fashion, or even a temporary fashion. For example, one company I worked with had an application where it needed to test a system with 100 simultaneous browser instances. The company fired up 100 Amazon EC2 instances, ran a browser script on each one overnight, and completed the test the following day, whereupon it shut down the instances and discarded the systems. It accomplished all of this over a period of three days. Imagine how long it would take to do this in a traditional IT environment. Even better: the total cost for the simulation: $100. \n3. Prove the financial case for yourself: Take a low-importance application, migrate it to EC2, and figure out what it costs. Use the app as though it were in your data center. Evaluate how much it costs on EC2 and compare it to running the system internally. That's the best way to calculate internal vs. cloud costs. \n\nIt's a mistake to evaluate cloud computing's cost in isolation. Assessing the overall cost of delivering a server's computing capability is the right yardstick, and there the putative cost disadvantage of cloud computing is much less clear. \n\nBernard Golden is CEO of consulting firm HyperStratus, which specializes in virtualization, cloud computing and related issues. He is also the author of "Virtualization for Dummies," the best-selling book on virtualization to date.


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Halcyon Days for Halcon Resources
Wall Street pros have nothing on retail investors who stake small sums of money monthly on undervalued small-cap stocks. Because the big guns mostly ignore them, these types of stocks can offer outsized opportunities for growth.
I screened for stocks under $3 billion in market cap with long-term earnings growth forecast to be at least 15%. One stock that floated to the top was oil and natural gas developer Halcon Resources , whose focus is on the Woodbine, Eagle Ford, and Bakken shale regions. With substantial proven reserves that will support a program of growth, it posted a loss of a penny per share in profits, compared with a $0.10-per-share loss in the year-ago period. With analysts anticipating earnings growth 32% annually for the next five years and with a $2.0 billion market cap, it comfortably makes it into our range for potential investment candidates.
Of course, don't jump on a stock just for those reasons. It should just be a starting point for more research, as we need to look more closely to see whether analysts' faith in them is well-founded.
It's all wet
On the back of strategic acquisitions such as the recently completed purchase of properties in the Williston Basin from Petro-Hunt and Pillar Energy, Halcon is moving to exploit those resources through a drilling program focusing on oil and natural gas liquids. It's an area where many exploration and production firms are finding profits these days as natural gas prices remain depressed.
The movement away from dry natural gas and toward liquids and oil started as a trickle but has quickly become a torrent. SandRidge Energy was one of the industry's early movers, seeing the coming shift as early as 2008 and hedging all of its natural gas production for two years as it set the stage for the switch to oil. It subsequently acquired oil-focused Arena Resources but was soon joined by EOG Resources, which sold off non-core natural gas assets, and Chesapeake Energy in turning its attention to the more profitable liquids market.
Similarly, BHP Billiton just reported that its onshore NGL assets are growing, contributing to the 4% increase in volumes it saw at the end of the fourth quarter, while Range Resources reported a 41% spike in NGL production.
The stampede, in turn, is spurring additional investments by storage and transportation specialists that are investing in facilities to handle the increased production. ONEOK Partners , for example, announced plans to invest approximately $465 million to $500 million between now and 2015 in the Williston on a new 95-mile pipeline and a new 100 million cubic-foot-per-day storage facility.
An embarrassment of riches
Halcon has approximately 115 million barrels of oil equivalent of proven reserves and production of approximately 26,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day, with oil and natural gas liquids accounting for more than three-quarters of its reserves, of which almost half are characterized as proved-developed, a fine position to find itself in.
Of course, all of this growth has come at a price for Halcon, as it added a substantial amount of debt to its balance sheet to finance its acquisition program. It now has $1.18 billion outstanding, but with greater liquids production should come increased cash flows to pay for it all, though it may find itself constrained, as it's probably maxed out its credit cards here.
It's a gusher!
Shares of Halcon enjoyed a nice run-up from their November lows, jumping 50% and giving a nice return to company insiders who were buying up stock in the $5.70 range at the time. They've still lost a third of their value over the past year, but at 15 times earnings estimates, it seems a reasonable valuation for a company with such favorable tailwinds.
Let me know in the comments section below if you agree thast the story remains fluid here and there's more room to move higher.
A small price to pay
Investors were startled after SandRidge plummeted when natural gas prices reached 10-year lows, but with the company halfway through its ambitious three-year plan to profitability, the future looks bright. If you're unsure about the future of this emerging oil and gas junior and are looking to find out more about its strengths and weaknesses, you should view this brand-new premium report detailing SandRidge's game plan and what to expect from the company going forward. To get started, click here!
The article Halcyon Days for Halcon Resources originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Rich Duprey has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends ONEOK Partners and Range Resources and has options on Chesapeake Energy. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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For the week ending 19 October 2013 / 15 Heshvan 5774
Rabbi Yossi
"...All your actions should be directed to Heaven." — Rabbi Yossi (Avos ).
One should intend to be healthy and strong in order that he should have a spirit capable of knowing G-d, for it is impossible to understand wisdom if one is hungry or ill, or if one of his limbs aches. If he follows this course all his life he is constantly serving G-d, even in his business activities and his marital relations, for his motive is always to achieve the wholesomeness required to serve G-d. If he sleeps in order to rest his mind and body and so will avoid illnesses that prevent him from serving G-d, his sleep is also considered a positive act of service.
Solomon wisely put it: "Know Him in all your ways".
- Rambam (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Dayot 3:3)


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Votes were cast in three of the four parliamentary committees preparing the EU Parliament's final decision on ACTA. Citizens' concerns, as well as Internet innovators & start-ups' interests have been upheld in "Civil Liberties" (LIBE) and the "Industry" (ITRE) committees. Even the "Legal affairs" (JURI) committee, usually very conservative and keen to support repression on copyright issues, rejected Marielle Gallo's pro-ACTA opinion. On June 4th the Development (DEVE) committee also rejected ACTA. Citizens should rejoice but keep up the pressure for the upcoming steps, up until the final vote scheduled for early July. A massive rejection of ACTA would create a political symbol of global scale.
► Development committee rejects ACTA: Repression not the right tool for emerging economies
Within the "Development" (DEVE) committee, the adoption of the pro-ACTA report by Jan Zahradil amended with a recommendation to the Parliament to reject ACTA is a very good news. This means that 4 out of 4 committees adopted opinions calling for the rejection of ACTA by the whole Parliament.
This vote means that exporting EU failed policies in the field of copyright, and relentlessly pushing for more repressive measures is not a valid option for EU's foreign and development policies. Developing countries whose economies are often based on the sharing of knowledge rather on its control greatly suffer from the kind of expansive copyright and patent regimes found in ACTA. The free flow of information, culture, knowledge and vital resources such as generic medicines is more important for development than the business interests of a few western industries.
► Industry Committee of the European Parliament crushes ACTA
The Industry Committee of the European Parliament (ITRE) voted with a majority in favour of Amelia Andersdotter's (Greens, SE) report, despite some ALDE Members attempts (contrary to their group position!) to help the pro-ACTA EPP to neutralize the final vote recommendation against ACTA. It is nevertheless an unequivocal rejection of ACTA in the name of free competition and innovation online, and against the copyright industry's attempt at controlling the Internet.
This vote should resonate as a wake-up call for legislators in EU and beyond: Attempts to enforce an obsolete vision of copyright can only hurt a free Internet, and the interests of the innovative actors who are building the foundations of tomorrow's economies. This vote is an invitation to reform copyright so as to take into account new practices and technologies, and lift the burden that it creates for innovative online services.
► ACTA: A Blow to the Copyright Fundamentalism in Legal Affairs committee
The extremely conservative Legal Affairs committee of the European Parliament (JURI), which has traditionally voted in favour of tougher repression of an old copyright regime rejected as a whole the proposal of Marielle Gallo (EPP, France) to include in the lead "International trade" committee's (INTA) final report a pro-ACTA opinion.
"Such a vote shows that even the most conservatives Members of the Parliament now understand that ACTA must be rejected, and that the current conceptions of copyright cannot hold in the long run. They will eventually come to the conclusion that it is inevitable to legalize the sharing of culture online, between individuals and not for-profit." said Philippe Aigrain, co-founder of the citizen organization.
► Total Victory for Citizens' Rights in Civil Liberties Committee
The Civil Liberties committee (LIBE) voted by an overwhelming majority the excellent report by rapporteur's Dimitrios Droutsas (S&D, Greece). Not only does the adopted report outline most of the harms that ACTA would do to fundamental freedoms online, but it is also complemented by the adoption of an amendment recommending to the lead committee and the Parliament as a whole to further reject the agreement during the upcoming plenary vote.
The LIBE vote shows that civil society was right from the start to be outraged at the impact ACTA would have on freedom of communication and privacy, and that its voice has been heard. What is more, the report demonstrates a clear understanding of the need to profoundly reshape the balance between copyright and access to culture. Together we can destroy ACTA and create a political symbol of global scale that will have an impact on the future of Internet-related and copyright policies. While working to reject ACTA forever, we must pave the way for a post-ACTA world where copyright will finally respect our freedoms online.
The attempt by some in the ALDE, against their group position, to help the conservatives to neutralize the ITRE report (vote on recommendation, paragraph 6 against amendments 39, 40 and 41) failed by a very short majority. It shows, beyond the lack of coherence of the ALDE group, that there remains a risk of pro-ACTA manoeuvres in INTA or in the plenary votes.
Citizens must therefore pursue the effort until ACTA is effectively rejected, during the upcoming vote of the final report in the main committee (INTA) around June the 20th, and during the final plenary vote in early July. Mobilized, we will win!
Excerpt of the LIBE report The culture of file-sharing, enabled by the remarkable technological advance of the last decades, certainly poses direct challenges to the way we have dealt with compensation of artists and proper enforcement of intellectual rights for the past decades. Our task, as policymakers, is to overcome this challenge by striking an acceptable balance between the possibilities that technology unravels and the continuation of artistic creation, which is an emblematic token of Europe's place in the world. We are therefore, at a defining moment of this debate, an exciting juncture of change. In this sense, your Rapporteur believes that ACTA comes at a very premature stage and a possible adoption of the Treaty would essentially freeze the possibility of having a public deliberation that is worthy of our democratic heritage. (...) In light of all of the above and without prejudice to CJEU's assessment on the matter, but taking into consideration EP's role in the protection and promotion of fundamental rights, concludes that the proposed ACTA to which we have been asked to give consent is incompatible with the rights enshrined in the Charter [of Fundamental Rights] and calls on the Committee on International Trade, as the committee responsible, to recommend that Parliament declines to consent to the conclusion of ACTA.


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Wada progressing, could throw 'pen session soon
SARASOTA, Fla. -- Orioles pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada inched closer to throwing a regular bullpen session on Friday, throwing 15 pitches off the half-mound after long tossing on the back fields at the team's Ed Smith Stadium complex.
Wada, via interpreter/athletic trainer Seob Yoon, said it was the best he's felt so far in rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in May, and the plan is for him to throw off a regular mound Monday.
"I feel that it's gradually getting better and better, day by day," said Wada. "Today was more like getting ready for Monday -- that's the whole purpose of today's half-mound -- and it went well, so I'm happy about that."
Wada's early timetable is a May or June return to Baltimore.


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3316 - Egg Lounge Chair Anniversary - Black base - Leather Grace Chestnut
|Seat: Category 5
|Variant Custom: Grace Chestnut
The Egg is one of the triumphs of Jacobsen's total design - a sculptural contrast to the building's almost exclusively vertical and horizontal surfaces. The Egg sprang from a new technique, which Jacobsen was the first to use; a strong foam inner shell underneath the upholstery. Experience originality and design that ages with beauty with the Egg in leather and indulge in its sculptural curves that will last for generations. When Arne Jacobsen in the end of the 1950ies designed the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, he too created the Egg™, the Swan™, the Swan Sofa™, the Series 3300™ and the Drop™. With this furniture Arne Jacobsen wrote history within Danish design worldwide.
Dimensions DxWxH: 79.95 x 86 x 107 cm
Sitting height: 37 cm
Manufacturer Fritz Hansen
Designer Arne Jacobsen
Year 1958


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Some people spend countless hours watching reality TV shows. Others like to collect leaves. Then there are a few who enjoy watching the washing machine go round. And lastly, there are those who play Million Tap Challenge on their iPhones.
Vizio's Latest TVs Go All Quantum
This 99 cent app has only a blank screen and one objective: Tap your screen one million times. Stupid, you say? Madness? Who is going to spend a dollar in something as absurd as this? Apparently, plenty of people. Not only that, but there's even a worldwide high score table which I simply refuse to believe. I'm sorry, but I just don't even want to think about the possibility of someone spending almost three days of their life tapping 844,683 times. My faith in Humanity is pretty damaged as it is. [Krapps]


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Memoirson September 9, 2011 at 7:00 am
And here's a comic, despite Wes and Tony packing up their muskets and heading to Bethesda!
And here's a comic, despite Wes and Tony packing up their muskets and heading to Bethesda!
Can't wait for the movie hope it stays true to the book though i hate it when they change it loads.
Still better than Twilight.
Possibly the BEST-COMMENT-EVER, If this was facebook I would have just liked this post and then created a dozen alternative profiles so that I could like it again and again. Good thing this isn't facebook because I have other things to get done tonight. Like checking facebook.
One dead author finds success of book on Twitter for one day.
No way! I had a similar experience. I too, was born in Ontario.
If there is one thing that being born in Ontario taught me it's that at least it wasn't Quebec.
In death, people who were born in Ontario have a name. His name was Robert Paulson.
Oh my heck, that hidden comic…
The way I was laughing, think they heard me in China.
(FYI, at that moment I was kinda FAR from China)
I love that the "about the author" photo reveals no clues as to what happened in the time between his birth in Ontario and his later heart attack. It also means someone was there and took a photo instead of calling an ambulance.
On an unrelated note, why does he have pen and paper on him?
He was planning on writing his memoirs perhaps.
I was born in Ontario… one thing down, one left to go! Also, I have to start balding, get red hair, glasses, and wear green polo shirts (tucked in, of course) for the rest of my life!
We need a book update! some of us have birthdays that are going to pass, and our girlfriends were really hoping not to buy us a disappointing gift
After some printer delays, it looks like the projected date is "somewhere in October." Stay tuned, we'll let you all know as soon as we know!


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When a Bloomberg television host opened her segment with Spike Lee on his Kickstarter campaign, saying that the famed directed was under fire over his financing approach, he didn't take it too well.
Trish Regan of "Street Smart" started off the segment by saying, "Do the right thing. That's what many are saying to Spike Lee as they call on the famed director to end his new Kickstarter campaign. Now, if you don't know, Kickstarter is a website that…"
At this point, Lee cuts Regan off and criticizes her opening. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," he said. "Why you open like that? Why would you open like that?"
Laughing off Lee's interruption, Regan touched Lee on the shoulder and said, "We're all about controversy here. We'll let you answer here in a second. I just have to tell the people here what the Kickstarter thing is."


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The Tantus Tsunami combines beauty and performance in a single waterproof toy. Tsunami features a series of waves along the shaft, designed to stimulate the G-spot during thrusting. Perfect for both advanced users and those new to G-spot play, the crests provide anatomically targeted pressure and a torrent of sensation. Available in Lavender and Bubble Gum.
Vibrator: Single Speed Removable Waterproof Bullet Vibe, Uses 1 x 1.5 V N Type Battery
Safe For Your Body: Made from Tantus' own unique formula of 100% Ultra-Premium Silicone
Easy To Clean: Eco-Friendly, Hypoallergenic, Hygienic, Boilable, and Dishwasher Safe.
Diameter: 1.5"
Length: 6.75"
The toys people just can't get enough off
The famous Strapless Strap Ons


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Houston's Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park is unique in the United States, offering an 8 month season of professional entertainment that is artistically excellent, culturally diverse and always FREE of charge to the public. This is the largest "always free" program of its kind in the country.
Miller Outdoor Theatre offers the most diverse season of professional entertainment of any Houston performance venue, and it's all FREE! Classical music, jazz, ethnic music and dance, ballet, Shakespeare, musical theatre, classic films, and much, much more are included in this year's outstanding line-up. Relax in the covered seating area or enjoy a pre-performance picnic on the hillside. All performances at Miller are family-friendly!
The theatre is located on approximately 7.5 acres of land in Hermann Park, site of the Houston Zoo, the Garden Center and the Museum of Natural Science. Seating is provided for 1,705 patrons and 20 wheelchair spaces, plus a sloping lawn that accommodates approximately 4,500 more on blankets or lawn chairs.
Theatre structure – 64 x 41 foot stage; 54 line sets for hanging lights, curtains and scenery; an orchestra pit which can be raised and lowered; dressing rooms; offices; full complement of theatrical equipment; 110-ton air conditioning system cools the performance area.
In its 2009 season, nearly 431,000 people were entertained by 132 performances, including HITS' Disney's Beauty & The Beast, the Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats, SPA's Ritmo Latino with Esperanza Spaulding, Theatre Under The Stars celebrating 42 years of performances at Miller Theatre with 42nd Street, the Ensemble Theatre's smash hit The Wiz, The Houston Grand Taiko Festival, the 30th Anniversary Festival Chicano, the Houston Symphony, the Houston debuts of Stayin' Alive-One Nite of the Bee Gees, LUMA Light Show, Cirque Mechanics-Birdhouse Factory, Pablo Mayor & Folklore Urbano, the Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance, the Houston Shakespeare Festival, and other multicultural performances and festivals.


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I'm planning on using Rafflecopter next month for my giveaways (reviews/giveaways are my niche, so I expect to use it about 20 times each month!). The feedback from readers is overwhelmingly in favor of it because it takes less time to enter.
But I'm worried about the impact it has on a blog's statistics, specifically page views. Can anyone who uses Rafflecopter comment on what their stats look like now compared to what they looked like before using the system? Big difference (good or bad)? No difference? I
I'd love to hear the perspective of bloggers who use it! Thanks!
Views: 321
I put my first Rafflecopter giveaway up on Monday & so far it's just been a pain! I use Live Writer to write my posts & I guess Java scripts don't work in Live Writer (that's what the Rafflecopter folks said). So I write my post & then have to open it in blogger again to add Rafflecopter (yes, I'm still using Blogger). Blogger changes my formatting, so I have to reformat my post. Anyway, the first time took me forever to get it all worked out.
Now, though, I've had a couple readers contact me because they didn't know how to use the Rafflecopter entry or they couldn't see it. Also, when you use it with Blogger, if the reader is viewing it from your main blog page, they can't see the form. They have to click on "Read More" to go to the post page & see it. My giveaway still has 4 days left, but I have less than half the entries I had on my last giveaway at the same time point.
When I enter a giveway, I love Rafflecopter, but right now it's not looking too hot for me. I might go back to Google Docs. We'll see at the end of this giveaway. Maybe I'll poll my readers & see what they think.


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Roseville, CA 95661
Dr. Worth and his Team are happy to welcome you to our office specializing in orthodontics.Our goal is to provide the most efficient and highest quality treatment for you and your family.
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This team is dedicated to helping each patient achieve a healthy and beautiful smile!
We look forward to meeting you and would be happy to answer any questions that you may have at any time.
Dr. Worth and Team
Dr. Peter Worth has a passion and dedication for creating healthy, functional, and beautiful smiles.
"Having practiced Orthodontics for more than 30 years has given me great satisfaction while working with patients in the communities I serve." read more…


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Titi Island is a 32 hectare slab of schistose tuff and sandstone tilted upwards towards the north, with a moderately steep forested slope opening up to a breathtaking façade of high cliffs overlooking Cook Strait. Shearwater surveys on the island in January provided an opportunity to record local plant communities. A summary of the vegetation zonation is given here.
On the southern slope facing the mainland, dry ridges of broken sandstone alternate with gullies where deeper soil is heavily burrowed by shearwaters (sooty and flesh-footed). On ridges, the vegetation sequence above the fringing low cliffs starts with a herbfield of native ice plant (Disphyma australe) and glasswort (Sarcocornia quinqueflora), festooned by a narrow band of silver tussock (Poa cita). Above that, thickets of saltburned mountain flax (Phormium cookianum) and kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum) extend upwards to a windshorn taupata (Coprosma repens) scrub fringed by mahoe (Melicytus ramiflorus) and its shrubby relative Melicytus obovatus.
Higher up on ridges, the taupata scrub grades into a low dry forest dominated by akiraho (Olearia paniculata) and large-leaved milk tree (Streblus banksii), both of often impressive girth, and with scattered karaka (Corynocarpus laevigatus), fierce lancewood (Pseudopanax ferox), and titoki (Alectryon excelsus), the latter only in the western half of the island. Sometimes thick undergrowth of kawakawa and red mapou (Myrsine australis) laced with New Zealand jasmine (Parsonsia sp) and pohuehue (Muehlenbeckia australis) can make progress rather unpleasant. Occasionally, this dry ridge forest opens up into patches of mountain flax with a few scattered cabbage trees (Cordyline australis).
The vegetation zonation is quite different along gullies, starting with a salt sprayed herbfield of New Zealand celery (Apium prostratum) and shore groundsel (Senecio lautus), then of lush blue wheatgrass (Anthosachne solandri) and Cook's scurvy grass (Lepidium oleraceum) growing on the run-off from the shearwater colonies upslope. This herbfield abuts onto a taupata forest at first totally devoid of undergrowth, but soon invaded by a thick ground layer of shining spleenwort (Asplenium oblongifolium) higher up.
The tallest forest is found in the mid to upper catchments of the gullies, where taupata is replaced by a wharangi (Melicope ternata) and pigeonwood (Hedycarya arborea) dominated forest, with scattered mahoe and five finger (Pseudopanax arboreus). In this forest type, barren ground coinciding with the densest shearwater colonies alternates with thick groundcover of shining spleenwort and tree nettle (Urtica ferox).
The transition between gully and ridge forests is generally marked by a belt of kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile) and karaka. Seedlings of karaka are conspicuously confined to the footprint of the parent tree, as there are no pigeons on the island to disperse the seeds. The local karakas also have markedly smaller fruits than those seen in the Wellington region.
The vegetation again changes when reaching the "skyline" of the island, where dry akiraho and milktree ridge forest abuts onto a tight windswept scrub or low forest that fringes the high north facing cliffs, with a band of Melicytus obvoatus marking the transition. The windswept clifftop scrub is a tight mosaic of ngaio (Myoporum laetum), fierce lancewood, five finger, akiraho, kowhai (Sophora sp.) and native broom (Carmichaelia sp.). Sparse mountain flax, silver tussock and taupata grow on the cliff faces below, with denser stands of those same plants on the top of promontories at the base of the cliffs. All in all a remarkably diverse island despite its modest size.
By Jean-Claude Stahl, Te Papa, with thanks to Dominique Filippi and the staff of DoC Havelock for their support with trip logistics.


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First, I'd like to applaud the author, Vladimir Stojanovski, for concluding there are differences, and for trying to get at what those differences are.
The article states that this:
To tie this all back to the question of BI vs. Predictive Analytics (PA), a metaphor I've heard used to describe the difference goes something like this: if BI is a look in the rearview mirror, predictive analytics is the view out the windshield.
In my experience, this is a common definition. Predictive Analytics and Data Mining are seen as predicting future events, whereas OLAP looks at past data.
While I'd love to jump on this bandwagon because it makes for a simple and compelling story, I cannot ride this one. And that's because both BI and PA look at historic data. PA isn't magic in coming up with predictions of the future. In fact, both BI and PA ultimately look at and use the same data (or variations of the same historic data). Both can predict the future, so long as the future is consistent with past, either in a static sense, or in a dynamic sense (by extrapolating past data into the future).
I think it is better to describe the difference in this way: BI reports on historical data based upon an analyst's perspective on which fields and statistics are interesting, whereas PA induces which fields, statistics and relationships are interesting from the data itself. I think it is the combinatorics, sifting, iterative nature of PA that gives it better predictive accuracy of the future (coupled with using business metrics to assess if the fields found truly are predictive or not).
So let's not oversell--what PA does is reason enough for it to be an integral part of any analytics or BI group.


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15 years ago Bill Gates published The Road Ahead, a book in which he laid out his vision for the future of personal computing. The Atlantic took a look at his predictions and how they're holding up IN THE FUTURE.
Kinda well, it turns out. Gates seems to fare better when he's talking about the future of computing devices themselves—he's on point with his prediction that we'd all be carrying wallet-sized PCs (read: smart phones) in our pockets and purses—but in terms of how we're using the technology, he's no prophet. As The Atlantic's Tom McNichol explains, Gates's initial vision of the internet is fairly vague:
Prediction: Gates's 286-page book mentions the World Wide Web on only four of its pages, and portrays the Internet as a subset of a much a larger "Information Superhighway." The Internet, wrote Gates, is one of "the important precursors of the information highway," along with PCs, CD-ROMs, phone networks, and cable systems, but "none represents the actual information highway. ... today's Internet is not the information highway I imagine, although you can think of it as the beginning of the highway."
Verdict: Miss. Gates's notion that the Internet would play a supporting role in the information highway of the future, rather than being the highway itself, was out-of-date the day The Road Ahead was published. Even Gates realized it. Shortly before his book hit the stores, Gates reorganized Microsoft to focus more on the Internet, and he made major revisions to a second edition of The Road Ahead, adding material that highlighted the significance of the Internet. In many ways, Gates's cloudy crystal ball regarding the Internet amounted to wishful thinking.
Still, in many ways this vision is correct—The Atlantic might be evaluating Gates a little too literally—and in any event it's incredibly fascinating to see one of the greatest minds in the industry try to turn the clock forward and predict what was on the horizon. You can read the full analysis at The Atlantic.


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The Higgs Boson 'God Particle' Discovery Explained in the Context of Conscious Cosmology
Mike Adams, Divinity Now
Waking Times
The ultimate goal of the study of physics is to decode the rules and laws of the universe; to understand what "makes it all tick," so to speak. That goal, of course, has remained elusive, but great strides have been made toward it over the last few thousand years. Newton's formulations of the laws of gravity, Kepler's laws of motion, Bohr's modeling of the atom, Maxwell's equations on electromagnetic behavior… these all contributed to a deeper understanding of the very fabric of reality. Einstein's theory of Special Relativity, and then General Relativity, soon followed.
Our understanding of physics accelerated throughout the 20th century with theories on the Big Bang, inflation and the inflaton field, string theory, M-theory, supersymmetry, quantum mechanics, parallel worlds, bubble universes and much more. It's truly fascinating to observe all this as a conscious being sitting inside the very universe we're all trying to figure out, and one thing I really appreciate about physicists in general is that they require an extraordinarily convincing burden of proof before they announce something to be "discovered."
That's in great contrast to the pharmaceutical industry which essentially just "makes stuff up" and passes it off as "science." Drug companies give science a terrible name, but physicists are the redeeming individuals who help restore credibility to the very name "science."
(For example, in clinical drug trials, a pharmaceutical only has to work on five percent of the test group in order to receive FDA approval as "safe and effective for everyone!" In the realm of particle physics and cosmology, however, experiments usually have to reach a level of certainty approaching 2,999,999 out of three million (5 sigma), thereby leaving only one chance in three million of the conclusion being wrong. Now that's what I call confidence!)
This is why physicists, chemists and other "hard sciences" people who end up throwing their hats in with the pharmaceutical / vaccine / chemotherapy industries only end up discrediting themselves. The for-profit health care industry is largely based on quackery that merely borrows the label of "science" but follows none of its stringent requirements for proof. Physics and cosmology, in great contrast, has (almost) nothing to patent and nothing to sell to the public at monopolistic prices. Particle physics, cosmology and even quantum field theory is truly all about the quest for knowledge and not about hyping up some false pandemic to sell more dangerous vaccines to an unsuspecting public.
Even with the extreme attention to evidentiary detail, however, there's still something the physicists have been overlooking for a long, long time: Consciousness.
The quest for particles (while ignoring consciousness)
Why would anyone want to spend a few billion dollars smashing atoms together and analyzing the results of the splatter? To find out what atoms are made of, of course. But more importantly, to find out what the universe is made of. That's what CERN is all about, and as long as its results are understood in the proper context, it's valuable science.
There's a huge gap in all this, unfortunately, and that gap has its origins in the thinking that atoms are made entirely of particles. The wildly misnamed "God particle" known as Higgs boson has been the single most sought-after particle by physicists in their quest to find physical evidence to back up their mathematical equations of the "Standard Model" of the universe.
To understand why that matters, let's back up for a minute. Physicists and especially cosmologists spend an enormous amount of time working in the abstract realm of mathematics. The purpose of the mathematics is to attempt to model physical reality, which is, of course, engineered into the fabric of the universe with the language of mathematics. (Consciousness is also woven into the fabric of reality, many argue, but that's a subject I'll revisit later.)
What's often lacking in this scientific quest is physical experimental evidence that backs up the math. So it only makes sense to attempt to conduct real-world experiments to either prove or disprove what the theory predicts. That's what CERN is all about. Now that the Higgs particle has been convincingly demonstrated to exist, this helps nail down all sorts of answers, thereby leading to a deeper exploration of other questions, each of which grants a measure of understanding to human civilization.
Ultimately, physicists are attempting to understand the origins of the universe, which has turned out to be a tricky question for lots of reasons, some of which are almost impossible to imagine. In addition to the parallel worlds and multiverse theories that have joined the complexities, there is also "brane theory" to deal with. It's a theory that says, in a nutshell, multiple universes coexist intertwined with each other but not interacting. You can't touch another brane world even though it may exist right alongside our own brane world.
What's important to realize in all this is that even the so-called "Standard Model" of explaining everything is currently an unsatisfactory patchwork of equations and mathematical transformations that don't play well together when it comes to different physical contexts such as really small things or really large, massive things. Try to meld large-scale equations of gravity, for example, with really small phenomena such as quantum fluctuations of atomic nuclei, and you get nonsensical mathematical answers such as "the answer is X divided by zero!"
Virtually all present-day reality modeling equations break down at singularity events such as black holes, too. The Standard Model is seriously lacking, in other words, and one of the reasons there is so much excitement about Higgs boson is because it would help fill in the gaps of the Standard Model explanation.
There's little doubt that the Standard Model is only a temporary quick fix in the bigger picture, of course. It's not "wrong" in the sense of being terribly incorrect; it's most likely just incomplete. Ultimately, physicists hope to find a "unified theory" that explains everything with a single set of mathematical understandings and equations that apply to all observable phenomena in the universe: electromagnetism, gravity, mass, light and so on. Einstein spent a considerable portion of his life in search of the unification of these fundamental forces but was unable to achieve it. This is a goal of understanding that may yet take lifetimes to achieve.
If it were achieved, it would represent one of the most profound achievements in the history of humankind.
Conscious cosmology
Yet, as I hinted above, there's still something missing from all this: Consciousness. Without consciousness, the universe cannot be fully explained, as consciousness is increasingly emerging as a fundamental force impacting the very fabric of reality. This is really, really frustrating for many scientists because, for starters, the majority of them don't even believe in the existence of consciousness. Stephen Hawking is famous for his rather short-sighted remarks that people are mindless, soulless beings — "biological robots" — and that religion / spirituality is a realm for "people who are afraid of the dark."
He titles chapters of his book, "The Theory of Everything" and yet does not even acknowledge the existence of consciousness or free will — two things that are fundamentally tied into quantum theory equations in the context of the "Observer." It goes without saying that until modern-day physicists can embrace and attempt to understand consciousness and the role of the Observer in shaping the physical universe, even their most determined efforts to find a unified theory of everything will come up short.
This is frustrating for physicists because, to date, there are no equations that describe the behavior or properties of consciousness. Although consciousness can be experienced first-hand by conscious beings, it so far has defied measurement and experimental validation. How can anyone prove consciousness exists? Other than the fact that it is self-evident to those who possess it, is there an independent way to measure it and thereby confirm its existence?
This may ultimately prove impossible because of an error in the question. An "independent" measurement, in classical physics, describes a measurement being conducted by a mechanism that has no ties to any conscious observer. Yet in order to become aware of the measurements, a conscious being must, one way or another, interact with the results of the experiment. This interaction, as quantum theorists are increasingly realizing, is itself part of the experiment and may alter its outcomes even after the fact. The Observer cannot be isolated from the events observed.
This also means that all of today's science is, in fact, biased toward consciousness. All the evidence that makes up the entire history of known science suffers from a glaring "selection bias" because it was all observed and selected by conscious beings. Even this recent Higgs boson discovery may have been brought into existence solely because so many conscious beings were focused on bringing into reality what they imagined to be real. I know this almost starts to sound New-Agey, but such is the nature of things in a conscious universe: All science being conducted today is carried out under the influence of "consciousness bias." And so we need to understand what this means and how it impacts our understanding of reality.
Gaining a deep understanding of this may be exceedingly difficult for human beings to achieve. It may, in fact, be beyond the capabilities of biological beings with limited neurological capacity. Nevertheless, I believe that the more modern science understands about the Higgs boson, quantum theory, particle physics and cosmology, the closer science will be to initiating a scientific study of consciousness.
We've got to get the hard sciences out of the way first, in other words, before the interaction between mind and matter can even be approached.
Consciousness, parallel worlds and more
Consciousness, you see, isn't made of particles. Thus, you can't smash consciousness in a particle accelerator and hope to see the tiny bits of what it's made of. (You can crush free will, of course, but that takes a government.) Yet there is increasingly compelling evidence that consciousness interacts with the physical world and may even create parallel physical worlds when it is exercised. Hints of this are emerging from the study of quantum physics, which immediately leads to the possibility of "multiple worlds" and parallel realities.
The search for Higgs boson, ultimately, is an important one, but the approach is incomplete if our civilization seeks to uncover the fundamental forces that unify our observable universe. Those forces do not exist in a vacuum absent the minds of the conscious inhabitants of the universe. Where there is life, there appears to be consciousness, and if there's one thing most physicists and cosmologists agree on, it's that life is ridiculously abundant across the cosmos. Not in terms of units of life per square meter, of course, since most of the universe is, physically speaking, just empty space. The average density of the known universe (roughly 28 billion light years across) has been estimated at 6 hydrogen atoms per cubic meter. That's a lot of empty space, but it's filled with literally trillions of stars, each of which may harbor life and therefore consciousness.
To achieve a fundamental understanding of the origins and mechanisms of our known universe without factoring in the impact of consciousness and the conscious observer is, to put it bluntly, a blind approach to ultimate understanding. It's like trying to bake a cake but leaving out the flour. The recipe of reality from which our universe has sprung must take into account consciousness. If it does not, no unification of fundamental forces will ever be complete, I believe.
Who or what created our reality?
Then there is the question of the Architect of this reality. Even if humankind manages to decode the fundamental laws which govern the physical universe, there's not only the question of "Who or what created the universe in the first place" but the even more difficult question, "Who or what created the laws of physics that govern the universe?"
Because on that question, even a particle accelerator the size of the entire planet can't shed a single photon of light on the question. The consensus view in physics circles today — which is dominated, remember, by people who don't believe in consciousness or free will — is that our universe created itself out of nothing, without any intelligent intervention. This is a strange argument of "effect without a cause," and it simply doesn't add up.
The far more believable argument is that our universe was created by a Great Intelligence — an Architect or Creator, if you will. The explanations for this Creator run the gamut. Several prominent physicists are right now suggesting that our universe is a simulation, a physics experiment created by a vastly superior race of beings who inhabit a higher dimension. On the more spiritual side, the explanation quickly centers on a single consciousness known as God. There are seemingly endless additional theories and thoughts on this subject involving a vast array of philosophical and religious beliefs, but they all have in common one idea which should be obvious to even a brilliant physicist: The reason there is something rather than nothing is because someone (or something) had to put it there, and that means there is an intelligence — a consciousness — that exists above and beyond our known universe. Something with the power to create our known universe, in other words.
That creative force / intelligence / consciousness is what I call The Divine. It is divine because it is a Creator in every sense of the word. It creates realities. It carefully selects cosmological constants so that those realities have the capacity to support life. It imbues that life with small slices of consciousness and grants that life the capacity for self awareness and self determination.
These are divine concepts that underpin the deepest inner workings of our universe… far beyond Higgs boson or any theory of particle physics. This gets to the Creator behind the very laws of physics. How was the framework of quantum mechanics created in the first place? Who selected and fine-tuned the cosmological constants to support the formation of stars? How was the framework of dark matter and dark energy engineered?
I intend to begin exploring precisely these questions in a series of upcoming videos and articles on NaturalNews and other websites. I call this "exploring conscious cosmology," and in my view, it dwarfs the importance of almost anything else that might normally concern us, including politics, nutrition and even exposing fraud.
Watch for announcements on "conscious cosmology" here on NaturalNews.com.
And yes, for the record, in case you were wondering, I am trained in the sciences and have long been a student of many fields of knowledge, including physics, philosophy, cosmology, anthropology, neurology and spirituality. I'm not a master in any of these fields but rather a student of them all. My strength is in understanding complex concepts and explaining them in simple, everyday terms, usually in a way that's interesting to read. I intend to bring that skill to the forefront as I spend more time focusing on conscious cosmology which necessarily encompasses philosophy, spirituality, quantum theory, physics and more.
After all, if we are conscious beings, shouldn't we exercise our consciousness and do something with it?
About the Author
Mike Adams is a natural health researcher, author and award-winning journalist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams launched NaturalNews.TV, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also the CEO of a highly successful email newsletter software company that develops software used to send permission email campaigns to subscribers. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center/a>, a non-profit consumer protection group, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, martial arts and organic gardening. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website includingNaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.comand HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Harvard MRI Study Proves Meditation Literally Rebuilds Brain's Gray Matter In 8 Weeks
A study conducted by a Harvard affiliated team out of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) came across surprising conclusions regarding the tangible effects of meditation on human brain structure. An 8 week program of mindfulness meditation produced MRI scans for the first time showing clear evidence that meditation produces "massive changes" in brain gray matter.
Study senior author Sara Lazar of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program (as well as a Harvard Medical School instructor in psychology) stated that meditation practitioners aren't just feeling better. They are literally undergoing changes in brain structure that create the associated sustained boosts in positive and relaxed feelings.
Fellow MGH researcher Sue McGreevey notes that previous studies by Lazar's group found structural differences in the brains of meditation practitioners compared to those with no prior experience most notably in the thickening of the cerebral cortex; the area responsible for attention and emotional integration. These prior studies, however could not narrow down the structural differences to meditation specifically until now.
This most recent study found that an average of 27 minutes of a daily practice of mindfulness exercises stimulated a significant boost in gray matter density, specifically in the hippocampus; the area of the brain in which self-awareness, compassion, and introspection are associated. Furthermore, this boost of gray matter density in the hippocampus was also directly correlational to a decreased gray matter density in the amygdala; an area of the brain known to be instrumental in regulating anxiety and stress responses. In stark contrast, the control group did not have any changes occur in either region of the brain thus ruling out merely the passage of time as a factor of influence regarding the drastic change in gray matter density fluctuations.
MGH fellow out of Glessen University in Germany, Britta Hölzel, states that neuroscientists are finding far more plasitidity in brain structure than anticipated and that most importantly we are now aware from a scientific point of view that we can play a very active role in altering our brain structure to improve our overall well-being and quality of life.
About the Author
Christopher is a Maryland native, a yoga teacher, and a graduate student at Sofia University pursuing a M.A. in Transpersonal Psychology. His current research interest revolves around psychosomatic healing, esoteric anatomy, dreamwork, and psychedelics. In his spare time he enjoys doing yoga, writing poetry, and performing music.
Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you found this information helpful, please share it with your friends and family. Your support in our endeavor of sharing free information would be much appreciated.
Feelguide November 19, 2014. Harvard Unveils MRI Study Proving Meditation Literally Rebuilds the Brain's Gray Matter in 8 Weeks. Health, Spirituality, the Human Brain. Retrieved from: http://www.feelguide.com/2014/11/19/harvard-unveils-mri-study-proving-meditation-literally-rebuilds-the-brains-gray-matter-in-8-weeks/
McGreevey, S. January 21, 2011. Eight weeks to a better brain; Meditation study shows changes associated with awareness, stress. Harvard gazette. Retrieved from: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/01/eight-weeks-to-a-better-brain/
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