text:
History is filled with cautionary tales about militarily powerful empires that collapsed because they spent far too much on guns over butter. The United States is now tempting a similar fate behind a ruling elite that uses fear and propaganda to maintain control, as Gary G. Kohls notes.
By Gary G. Kohls
Years ago I read a newspaper story about an elderly man, a loner, who lived in an impoverished area of Cleveland. Neighbors had noticed his mail piling up on his porch. When they received no responses to phone calls or to knocks on the door, they called the police, who broke into the man's house. What they found is an allegory for our time
The withered old man was dead in his bed, surrounded by rifles, pistols and guns of every description. Boxes of bullets and cartridges were stacked on the floor. He had a knife in his cold, dead hand and an actual harpoon was leaning against his refrigerator, which was empty.
In a nation of plenty and with grocery stores in the man's neighborhood, he had starved to death.
He had fiercely upheld his Second Amendment rights but had ignored his health. He had apparently heard the National Rifle Association's sermons about defending one's property against trespassers – by lethal means if necessary – but he died, alone and friendless.
He had wasted away, in a paranoid state, while "defending" himself against "the other," who never did come to rob him. He had spent all of his money his Social Security checks, his pension, everything on guns and ammunition, but he had spent nothing on food or life-giving activities. He was afraid of burglars and thieves and had developed an obsessive fear that had cost him his life.
And, what was perhaps a more tragic reality, he had been suspicious of his neighbors who probably were keeping their distance from that crazy and scary old man who had all the guns in his house.
Guns or Butter?
For Americans, our paranoid, militarized and heavily armed nation doesn't seem to be capable of learning the lessons that is obvious from that story.
The arms race that financially bankrupted the Soviet Union and morally bankrupted and nearly financially bankrupted the United States during the Cold War, was at the expense of the sick, hungry, under-employed, homeless and desperate people everywhere, including many who were living, unnoticed, in our own backyards – in the local ghettos on the other side of the tracks.
Mutual fear of "the other" caused the two superpowers and their allies to spend obscene amounts of money on inedible weapons systems. The training of tens of millions of "kill or be killed" warriors (ultimately depriving many of them of their physical and mental health for the rest of their lives) drastically weakened the moral integrity of the nation as well, all in the name of "national security."
Contrary to what patriotic believers in American exceptionalism want us to believe, a nation can't afford, for very long, both guns and butter.
During the Cold War, the saber-rattling superpowers each spent/wasted an irretrievable $12 trillion dollars. In the case of the U.S., this spending was done mostly with borrowed money that accrued handsome interest rate repayments that went mainly to wealthy investors, and which are still not even close to being paid off!
America spent trillions of dollars on: recruiting, training and retaining troops; researching, developing and producing costly weapons systems; maintaining hundreds of budget-busting military bases in both friendly fascist states as well as democracies, all the while virtually ignoring the growing numbers of impoverished and under-privileged people and oppressed minorities who helplessly watched their health, savings, civil rights, jobs and food security disappear.
America has been ruled by a powerful insider group of over-privileged, body-guarded, and indifferent Wall Street elites who live in gated communities and are the 1 percent fingered by the Occupy Wall Street movement. That 1 percent has been responsible for what is destined to become the Great American Depression of the 21st Century.
The nefarious group that is responsible for the crash has, with its ill-gotten gains, managed to buy and pay for most of our politicians (and even our judges), who are now faithfully serving that 1 percent by helping to implement the ubiquitous neo-fascist agendas in right-wing statehouses around the nation.
Most of our elected pro-corporate state and national political leaders (including five of our nine Supreme Court justices) are serving that ungodly agenda. These traitors to true democracy only preach fiscal responsibility when the bottom lines of their paymasters are at risk, but they never seem to do it when those of us in the lower 99 are in crisis.
The moneyed ruling class, with its large fortunes and its casino capitalism to protect, has conveniently forgotten that it was the Reaganomics-inspired, profligate borrowing and spending (the propaganda trick called trickle-down economics) that sky-rocketed the national debt to unmanageable levels.
The debt crises that followed were only met by more borrowing, raising the debt ceiling and cutting the spending on programs of social uplift, while never questioning the obscene budget requests from the Pentagon. These budget requests were, year after year, invariably approved by large majorities of our chicken-hearted legislators in the dark of night, after the limited scrutiny of the daily news cycle had passed.
Chickens Home to Roost
And now, predictably, the chickens (in more than one sense of the phrase) have come home to roost.
Strongly deluded that there is "glory" in war and trusting in blank-check borrowing and spending on weaponry, America has spawned tens of millions of sick, hungry, homeless, under-employed, under-educated, addicted, psychologically-traumatized and impoverished people, many of whom are conveniently hidden in inner cities that the out-of-touch elite policy-makers never see.
Universal health care, which large majorities of the population desire, is habitually rejected by the powers-that-be in the medical, pharmaceutical and insurance industries.
After all, the politicians that have been financed by such industries have great health insurance and health care themselves. So why would greedy power-mongers want to have their taxes go to help those that are sick, poor and hungry? (For that matter why should the 1 percent want to pay taxes that support public libraries and parks when they themselves have personal libraries and private playgrounds? Let the average folk eat grass.)
But America's rapidly deteriorating infrastructure can't and won't be fixed while bloated and wasteful military budgets go unopposed in Congress. You can't afford both guns and butter!
If readers are seeing cuts to the programs that make life worth living, understand that much of the responsibility lies in the massive Pentagon borrowing and spending that has gone on every year since the Vietnam war, with massive increases in spending on nuclear weaponry during the late, lamented Reagan/Bush administrations.
What is the eventual outcome of putting basic human needs last? Poor mental and physical health, poor educational opportunities, a poorly trained workforce, hopelessness, suicidal tendencies, addictive behaviors, drug use, domestic abuse, street gangs, prostitution, violence, ignorance, malnutrition, desperation, crushing poverty and, inevitably, anger at a system of government and corporate control that neglects its people and then shows no signs of remorse for having done so.
It shouldn't surprise us that the Occupy Wall Street and Arab Spring movements have, at long last, emerged. The despair and desperation behind these movements (summarized in the preceding paragraph) are what the mainstream news media and the talking-head "experts" pretend not to understand.
Are average Americans going to continue to allow themselves to be perpetually and increasingly sickened and impoverished while blindly and patriotically cheering an unaffordable "we're number one" military-superpower status?
Are we going to continue to waste scarce resources on bankrupting wars and military occupations world-wide while ignoring investments that would foster a sustainable peace, a sustainable economy and a sustainable planet?
Are the weapons-makers, the Pentagon, the CIA, the FBI and the dozens of other intelligence agencies in reality expensive make-work jobs programs that enrich and protect the wealthy war-profiteers at the expense of the poor? When one adds in all the "black box" budgets of the intelligence agencies, one wonders if the United States has a military or if the military has a nation.
Are we going to continue ignoring the fact that war industry jobs cost taxpayers at least twice as much to generate and fund as health-care, education or green-technology jobs? Are we going to continue to allow excessive military spending at the expense of the disappearing middle-class and the already lost lower classes?
Are we going to continue fearing the wrath of the 800-pound gorillas of the 1 percent that intimidate and threaten us into silence? Or are we going to courageously organize and band together to demand justice from the ones who are withholding it from those of us in the lower 99?
Is It Too Late?
The unchecked spending of taxpayer money on the biggest and most bloated of the gorillas – the military/industrial/congressional/media/investor-class complex – which has flourished since World War II, has finally been proven to be disastrous for non-wealthy Americans.
That complex has orchestrated the extinction of small-family farms and small businesses while creating the heartless multinational corporations that try to pay slave wages. That complex has been behind the "fouling of the nest" (the poisoned, exploited environment) with tens of thousands of lethal and cancer-causing industrial pollutants, radioactive waste disposal sites and toxic military dumpsites that are poisoning the water, soil and air.
Unsustainable levels of borrowing by powerful corporations and government entities have created obscene levels of debt and obscene disparities in wealth between the haves and have-nots.
Unsustainable levels of personal credit-card debt and home-mortgage debt among the 99 percent, who were tempted by predatory lenders to imitate the actions of the 1 percent at the top, have resulted in an epidemic of under-employment, home-mortgage foreclosures and personal bankruptcies.
Although it might already be too late, the lower 99 may finally be waking up and trying to reverse the orchestrated descent toward total economic collapse, at which time the 1 percent, with their fortunes undepleted, will snap up everything they can afford at fire-sale prices.
Being armed to the teeth and universally feared and hated (because America's exploitative bullying behavior around the world) is not a sustainable path to security. Rather, we are destined to be pariahs as we sink into moral, spiritual, physical and brain malnourishment.
Because of America's misbegotten over-spending on inedible weapons systems and its bullying behavior that is victimizing billions of people, we will soon have nobody who will be interested in rescuing us from our self-imposed, suicidal path towards collapse.
Americans cannot continue to delude themselves by thinking that they can afford both butter and guns. America cannot have refrigerators that are well-stocked with nutritious food and also be armed to the teeth. It must reject one and embrace the other.
Gary G. Kohls is a retired physician who practiced holistic mental health care. Dr. Kohls feels is it his professional duty to warn others of the dangers to mental and physical health that are inherent in the participation of violence, especially military violence.


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(CNN) -- Former Sen. Tom Daschle has withdrawn his nomination to head the Department of Health and Human Services, according to a statement Tuesday from the White House.
Former Sen. Tom Daschle apologized for making mistakes on his tax records.
Daschle had been fighting to save his nomination after controversy over his tax records and questions over his work in a field that some consider lobbying.
In a statement announcing his withdrawal, Daschle said it was an honor to be chosen to lead the reform of America's health care system.
"But if 30 years of exposure to the challenges inherent in our system has taught me anything, it has taught me that this work will require a leader who can operate with the full faith of Congress and the American people, and without distraction," he said.
"Right now, I am not that leader, and will not be a distraction. The focus of Congress should be on the urgent business of moving the president's economic agenda forward, including affordable health care for every American." Watch what the administration loses with Daschle's withdrawal »
The Obama administration had stood by his side, and fellow Democrats lined up behind him, but Daschle's problems, coupled with other nominees' issues, gave critics ammunition to question President Obama's call for a "new era of responsibility."
The president said Tuesday he accepts Daschle's decision "with sadness and regret."
"Tom made a mistake, which he has openly acknowledged. He has not excused it, nor do I. But that mistake, and this decision, cannot diminish the many contributions Tom has made to this country, from his years in the military to his decades of public service. Now we must move forward, with our plan to lift this economy and put people back to work," Obama said in a statement.
However, in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper later Tuesday, Obama said he made a mistake in handling the nomination of Daschle.
"I think I screwed up. And, I take responsibility for it and we're going to make sure we fix it so it doesn't happen again.
"Ultimately, I campaigned on changing Washington and bottom-up politics," Obama said.
"And I don't want to send a message to the American people that there are two sets of standards -- one for powerful people and one for ordinary folks who are working every day and paying their taxes."
Daschle's resignation came hours after Nancy Killefer's withdrawal as Obama's chief performance officer, a new post in the administration. View past Cabinet nominees who withdrew »
Officials said privately the reason for Killefer's withdrawal was unspecified tax issues. The much-touted post was designed to scrub the federal budget. iReport.com: Share your thoughts on Obama's cabinet choices
Daschle, the former Senate majority leader, apologized Monday for failing to pay his taxes in full. He said earlier he was "deeply embarrassed" for a series of errors that included failing to report $15,000 in charitable donations, unreported car service and more than $80,000 in unreported income from consulting.
Daschle recently filed amended tax returns and paid more than $140,000 in back taxes and interest for 2005-2007.
A New York Times editorial on Tuesday called for Daschle to withdraw.
The paper's editorial board particularly took issue with Daschle saying he identified the unpaid taxes in June but did not pay them until his nomination for the top post at the Department of Health and Human Services.
The editorial also criticized Daschle for generating a sizable income from health-related industries while working in the private sector. Watch how Daschle's consulting work also caused some concern »
"Mr. Daschle is another in a long line of politicians who move cozily between government and industry. We don't know that his industry ties would influence his judgments on health issues, but they could potentially throw a cloud over health care reform," the editorial said.
Shortly after news of the tax quandary broke, a number of Democratic senators released statements expressing their support for Daschle, including Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts, Charles Schumer of New York, Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts. In their opinions, Daschle identified the problem and corrected it.
Daschle's supporters said that given his record of three decades of public service, he was still the right man for the job.
"One cannot underestimate how widely admired Tom Daschle is in Washington for his integrity, for his public service. And many, many Democrats look to him as one of the favorite people. He's got a lot of support in this White House, starting with the president," said David Gergen, a senior political analyst for CNN.
Obama and Daschle have a longstanding relationship. Daschle endorsed Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in February 2007 -- nearly 11 months before the first contest. Daschle was also considered to be a contender for Obama's No. 2 spot.
Daschle also has a history with members of Congress. He represented South Dakota in the House of Representatives for four terms, and he served in the Senate for three terms. He was the Senate majority leader from June 2001 to January 2003, and was the minority leader before losing his re-election bid in 2004.
Daschle's work in his post-Senate years was also a point of contention on his path to confirmation.
After leaving the Senate, Daschle went on to serve as a special public policy adviser at the law firm Alston & Bird.
According to the firm's Web site, Daschle advised clients on "issues related to financial services, health care, energy, telecommunications and taxes."
His work, for which he reportedly made millions, seemed to contradict Obama's strict rules on lobbyists working in his administration.
Promising "a new era of openness in our country," Obama signed executive orders relating to ethics guidelines for staff members as one of his first acts in office.
"If you are a lobbyist entering my administration, you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years," the president said.
The administration had defended its choice of Daschle, pointing out that he was not technically a lobbyist.
"If you're not registered to lobby, you can't be a lobbyist," said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, according to Time.com. Time.com: When is a lobbyist not a lobbyist?
Daschle and Kellifer were not the first of Obama's nominees to come under scrutiny.
Before Tim Geithner was confirmed as treasury secretary, he was questioned over concerns involving his personal taxes and the immigration status of a former housekeeper.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson also withdrew his nomination to be commerce secretary, citing the distraction of a federal investigation into ties to a company that has done business with his state.
Given Obama's pledge for "unprecedented transparency, rigorous oversight and clear accountability," some said the controversy surrounding Obama's appointments are calling into question the president's vetting process.
"Mr. President, your picks to help run the federal government don't have to be perfect, but is it too much to ask that they pay like everyone else, to keep that same government functioning? And more importantly, that they don't wait until everyone, including you, is watching?" CNN's Campbell Brown wrote in a commentary. Read the commentary
Asked if the president is embarrassed by the slew of appointment problems, Gibbs was quick to negate that idea.
"No, I don't think that -- that we believe there's any problem in the vetting," Gibbs said Monday.
CNN's Ed Henry and Kristi Keck contributed to this report.
All About Thomas Daschle • Barack Obama • Timothy Geithner

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Want a free password for one of the world's most popular adult websites?
YouPorn, one of the world's most popular porn video websites and one of the top 100 websites of any kind in the world, appears to have been caught with its pants down – after a list of many of its users' email addresses, passwords and dates of birth were left exposed on a public-facing server.
According to security blogger Anders Nilsson, the credentials of well over a million YouPorn users were publicly accessible.
Unlike the recent Brazzers porn site hack, however, sloppy practices are being blamed for the YouPorn incident, with debug data about users seemingly being stored in a public fashion since 2007.
Hackers have been sifting through the information, and…
Read more in my article on the Naked Security website.
Found this article interesting? Follow Graham Cluley on Twitter or Mastodon to read more of the exclusive content we post.


text:
Created before the widespread use of archival film and video, the production has been handed down from one trusted lieutenant to the next, each generation altering the imprint a little bit. The current version comes to Boston via the 2009 Broadway model, rethought and directed by Arthur Laurents, and passed on to David Saint, who directed the road company. This genealogy is important, because while the dances and the music became iconic signs of urban tension and longing ("Maria," "Tonight," "Cool"), over time the show as a whole was sliding into the dissociated grooves of memory.
In Boston the production captures Robbins's choreography very well under dance director/reconstructor Joey McKneely, who entered the Robbins history as a dancer in Jerome Robbins' Broadway. Who doesn't recognize those thigh-high finger snaps and crouching, jump-rope leaps that rally the Jets? Or the Sharks' strutting mambo in the dance at the gym? Or the realistic, surging violence of the gang fights — every inch of it choreographed?
The seamless interface of styles — dancing and action, singing and speech — is the key to Robbins's great power in the theater. His ballets too wove steps together with realistic behavior, as seen this spring in Boston Ballet's production of Afternoon of a Faun. Perhaps it's too much to expect a touring show to muster actors who can sing and dance, but that's what Robbins insisted on. In fact, he spent a few years in the '70s on a workshop project, American Theater Laboratory, to strengthen these crossover skills and develop new theater forms that would exploit them.
West Side Story's Boston cast is unevenly proficient in what the show demands. Some principals talk and move as if they've never been above 57th Street. The members of the dancing ensemble look strenuous, athletic, chronically angry, but they don't convey any distinction between white and Hispanic personas. That chasm, the crux of the plot, is strongest when the dialogue breaks into Spanish. Interpolated by Laurents for the 2009 revival, this linguistic shift has been controversial, but to a native New Yorker it seems perfectly natural. It's what you hear today in the streets of Gotham. In fact, the Spanish-English ping-pong felt more authentic to me than the generic flouncing and can-can kicks of the women's numbers, "I Feel Pretty" and "America."
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text:
The 360fly app allows you to capture 360° photos directly from your recorded videos in a variety of photo formats.
Capturing A Photo
1. While playing a video click on the icon to enter the editor menu.
2. Click on the icon to go into Photo Capture mode.
3. Choose the photo image ratio that you wish to capture.
4. As you play the video, click on the icon at the point you want to capture the photo.
360 View
With the latest iOS update of the 360fly app, you can now make your Square and 16:9 photos into "Tiny Planets" as well as "Normal" photos!
Tiny Planet
Tiny Planet
5. You can also add a filter to your photo to add some creative effects. Click the "Apply" icon to lock in your filter.
6. Click the "Save" button in the top right corner to save your changes.
Please Note: Your photos will be stored in your device gallery and can be shared like and other photo you take with your Phone or Tablet.
Now you are ready to share your Fly photography with the world!


text:
i smelled you on my skin today
sugary sweet
as if you had slipped in while I slept
traced footsteps on my eyelids
left before I woke
no notes on the nightstand
no kisses on the cheek
no lipstick "I love you"s
scrawled on the mirror
wandering specter of
the poltergeist of my haunted head
you creak the stairs
flicker the lights
and appear in reflections
an apparition of my past life;
a past wife that mysteriously disappeared
and now haunts the halls
like a Jane Austin novella
your absence is unbearable
so I'm inventing the technology
to clone you from your fingertips
duplicate your smile
from the one tattooed to my lips
but replicating your motion proves a complication
because you are anything but tame
salsa and samba
shake your hips
like a sidewinder
though I never saw you dance
but the venom of that vision
makes my limbs limp
don't suck the poison out
it hurts
how I love it
it hurts how I
love it
watching you toss those hips
like a South American coup
every other second
Lorca and Neruda
spin in their sonnets
because the were born too late
to know you
Pablo keeps asking for an introduction
and Federico is full of false promises
begging to see your skin
but only I know
how you are three shades more bronze than me
a color that does not exist except on you
so I'm spending way too much time
trying to match your complexion
like they do paint at Home Depot;
soon it will cover every inch
of every room in my house
only I know how to read the cartography of your back like a treasure map
charting a course starting at your neckline
meandering down your spine
to the basin of your back
just above those vicious hips
only I know the imprint of your aroused aroma
and could bottle it as 'Arizona nights'
but Hilfiger and Klein couldn't pay me enough
to surrender a drop of your scent
I told them Tommy cologne on day-old skin
and cold tortillas fresh from the fridge
once reminded me of you
the same way warm bread
makes one recall grandmother long gone
or peaches bring back the morning
after you traded your virginity
for whatever this is called …
but their marketing departments
said that analogy wasn't economically viable
it doesn't matter
because you never made sense
like freeway speed bumps,
dehydrated water
a Republican with a soul
or martyrs who would rather burn than lie
you'd think a burning saint
would smell like ambrosia or lavender
but they reek like your arm
brushing against the carburetor
indistinguishable from a sinner's skin
the difference between that scar and a sign
is interpretation compounded by time
which means we're a circumstance
and a coincidence
closer to god than we thought
which is closer than I'd rather be most days
so close, in fact,
you can almost smell it
This is the official blog of Northern Arizona slam poet Christopher Fox Graham. Begun in 2002, and transferred to blogspot in 2006, FoxTheBlog has recorded more than 670,000 hits since 2009. This blog cover's Graham's poetry, the Arizona poetry slam community and offers tips for slam poets from sources around the Internet. Read CFG's full biography here. Looking for just that one poem? You know the one ... click here to find it.
Sunday, November 23, 2003
dream deferred
The thoughts of FoxThePoet at 11:44 AM No comments:
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Thursday, November 6, 2003
Adriatic Haiku
I have never sailed
along the Dalmation coast
do the boats have spots?
along the Dalmation coast
do the boats have spots?
The thoughts of FoxThePoet at 3:49 AM No comments:
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text:
Grace the Spot is an entertainment, lifestyle, pop culture and current events blog founded by two lesbians.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Blog Spotlight: Grace the Spot
Posted by Queers United at 4:00 PM
Labels: lesbian blog, lesbian bloggers
1 comment:
- Diane J Standiford said...
I'll check it out. 2 chicks, right? LOL
- November 14, 2009 at 11:45 AM
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text:
An arrogant young prince and his castle's servants fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns him into the hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. The spirited, headstrong village girl Belle enters the Beast's castle after he imprisons her father, Maurice. With the help of his enchanted servants, including the matronly Mrs. Potts, Belle begins to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation.
This relaxed family screening will also have a break-out space available.


text:
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 at 4:40 PM
When we announced the launch of Google Book Search (then called Google Print), we were bowled over by how many people wrote to tell us how excited they were about Google working to make the world's books searchable online. One of the most memorable emails came from Laura Moody, a librarian at the Gulf Shores Public Library in Alabama. She wrote:
I admire a company that is so in line with the premise of library ideals. The dissemination of knowledge, especially the scanning in of the university collections and making them available to all in the WORLD, is truly noble. You are not just working at a job. You will enable, in a strange way, the remaining doors of ignorance to be blasted away. You will allow those people who are still isolated from the rest of the world to experience the light of knowledge. Remain true to your vision. Go home at the end of the day with a sigh of well-earned satisfaction. Some people talk about changing the world. You are actually doing it.
On top of making our day (week? month? year?), this email prompted us to think more deeply about how similar Google's mission is to a librarian's, and to explore ways we can work more closely with librarians in the quest to connect people and information.
Since then, we've launched the Google Librarian Center, a new resource center for librarians. While we're still in the early stages of the project and there's plenty more to come, we recently released our first teaching tool: a downloadable "cheat sheet" poster providing web search tips for librarians and their patrons. We also posted the archives of the Google Librarian Newsletter, which by our last count reaches nearly 30,000 librarians all around the world. So far in the newsletter, we've answered common questions librarians ask us about Google tools, including "How does Google rank search results?" and "How does Google Earth work?" Then we passed the baton to librarians, asking Karen Schneider of the Librarians' Internet Index (LII) how she makes sense of search results. And in the next issue, scheduled for release at the end of June, we'll focus for the first time on Google Book Search.
If you're a librarian, a book lover or just curious about how to get the most out of Google tools, we invite you to visit the website and sign up for the Google Librarian Newsletter. You can join the newsletter group and receive the next issue by entering your email address here.


text:
< Features
Set Empathy as the default IM client
- Desktop SIG
- Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Current status
- Targeted release: Fedora 12
- Last updated: 2009-09-02
- Percentage of completion: 100%
Empathy 2.27.3 has replaced Pidgin as the default IM client in rawhide.
The current release in rawhide is 2.27.91.
The geolocation feature has been enabled. Note: GTalk's server does not support geolocation publishing.
Detailed Description
Ubuntu is also looking at switching to Empathy in their next release, see https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/desktop-karmic-messaging-and-communication-selection.
In the F10 cycle, GNOME added Empathy. During discussion this Ubuntu evaluation was cited. General consensus was that we would like to revisit Empathy for next Fedora cycles, keeping track of which issues have been fixed in the Ubuntu evaluation, as well as any we want to add.
Benefit to Fedora
Stay in sync with upstream. Get an IM client that is closely integrated with the rest of the desktop.
Outstanding issues:
- Track bugs to be fixed upstream
- #548717 Collapsing "Advanced" section doesn't return Accounts window to original size
#548716 First text field when adding account (e.g. "Login ID") isn't focused by default #548707 "New Account" title and "I already have an account" checkbox are contradictory #548704 "Add" button requires further action but lacks an ellipsis
- #548712 "Create" button in Accounts window doesn't create an account
#535042 All IRC chats are titled "Conversation" instead of with channel name
- Fedora issues are tracked in the Empathy Default IM client tracker bug
- Reevaluate Empathy around alpha time
Test Plan
For Empathy:
- Try various protocols: XMPP, MSN, etc.
- Try using Fedora Talk.
- Try Google Talk/XMPP.
- Look at the things that were called out in the Ubuntu review. Have they improved ?
User Experience
For upgrades, Pidgin will remain the default. For new installations, we'll use Empathy.
The geolocation feature depends on a newer libchamplain. libchamplain has not been ported to the clutter 1.0 api yet. Upstream plans to sort this all out in time for Gnome 2.28.
Contingency Plan
- Stay with Pidgin as the default IM client.
- See the Gnome 2.24 release notes
- Also see the Empathy wiki
Release Notes
Fedora 11 includes the latest version of the Gnome desktop. Gnome 2.24 included a new instant messaging application, Empathy, that replaces Pidgin as the default instant messenger in Fedora.
For more information about what is new in Gnome, see the Gnome 2.24 release notes.


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Praise be to Allah.
If a man has intercourse with his wife, he will be rewarded for that, because he is doing something halaal and avoiding something haraam. This is what is stated in the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
It was narrated from Abu Dharr that some people from among the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "O Messenger of Allaah, the rich people will get more reward. They pray as we pray, and they fast as we fast, but they give in charity from their excess wealth." He said, "Has not Allaah given you things with which you can give charity? Every tasbeehah (saying 'Subhaan Allaah (Glory be to Allaah)') is a charity. Every Takbeerah (saying 'Allaahu akbar (Allaah is Most Great)') is a charity. Every Tahmeedah (saying 'al-hamdu-Lillaah (praise be to Allaah)' is a charity. Every Tahleelah (saying 'Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (there is no god but Allaah)') is a charity. Enjoining what is good is a charity. Forbidding what is evil is a charity. Having intercourse (with one's wife) is a charity." They said, "O Messenger of Allaah, if one of us fulfils his desire, is there reward in that?" He said, "Do you not see that if he does it in a haraam way he will have the burden of sin? So if he does it in a halaal way, he will have a reward for that."
(Narrated by Muslim, 1674)
Imaam al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"The phrase, 'Having intercourse is a charity' – the word bud' (translated here as 'having intercourse') may mean intercourse, or it may refer to the private part itself…
This indicates that permissible actions may become acts of worship, if there is a sincere intention. Intercourse may be an act of worship if the intention behind it is to fulfil the rights of one's wife, to treat her kindly as enjoined by Allaah, to seek a righteous child, to keep oneself or one's wife chaste, to prevent both partners from looking towards or thinking of haraam things, and other good intentions. 'O Messenger of Allaah, if one of us fulfils his desire, is there reward in that?'"
(Sharh Muslim, 7/92)
With regard to your comment that the reward is equivalent to seventy naafil prayers"
Perhaps this question about the reward for having intercourse with one's wife comes from your reading of Imaam Nawawi's commentary on Saheeh Muslim (Sharh al-Nawawi 'ala Saheeh Muslim). It is a comment which we will quote below, where the shaykh (al-Nawawi – may Allaah have mercy on him) was discussing the issue of enjoining what is good and saying that it is obligatory. Then he discussed the issue of saying Tasbeeh and dhikr, which he noted is Sunnah. Then he explained that the fard act of worship is equivalent to seventy times the naafil act, and said: they reached this conclusion from a hadeeth… Then at the end of this discussion he referred to the phrase "Having intercourse…"
If this is indeed the case, then you should note that the first comment has nothing to do with what follows it. The phrase "from a hadeeth" means from some hadeeth, but Imaam al-Nawawi does not quote it. When he finishes discussing the issue of fard and naafil acts of worship, and the status of each, he then starts his discussion of the phrase "Having intercourse..." So the confusion has arisen from this juxtaposition.
This is what we think. But if you mean that the reward for fard acts of worship is equivalent to the reward for seventy naafil acts, then al-Nawawi did discuss this point and said that there was a hadeeth about it, but he did not quote it.
We know what al-Nawawi was referring to, and this is what was pointed out by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him).
Al-Haafiz said:
In Ziyaadaat al-Rawdah, al-Nawawi narrated from the imaam of the Haramayn from some of the scholars that the reward for a fard act ofworship is seventy times more than the reward for a naafil act. Al-Nawawi said: they reached this conclusion from a hadeeth."
The hadeeth in question was quoted by Imaam al-Nawawi in al-Nihaayah. It is the marfoo' hadeeth of Salmaan concerning the month of Ramadaan: "Whoever seeks to draw closer to Allaah during (this month) by doing some good deeds will be like one who does an obligatory action at any other time, and one who does an obligatory action (during Ramadaan) will be like one who does seventy obligatory actions at any other time."
This is a da'eef (weak) hadeeth which was narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah, but he was uncertain as to whether it was sound or not.
(al-Talkhees al-Habeer, 3/118)
What he meant (may Allaah have mercy on him) by saying that Ibn Khuzaymah was uncertain as to whether it was sound or not may be understood more clearly by referring to Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah (3/191), where he includes it under the chapter heading, Baab Fadaa'il Sharh Ramadaan in sahha al-khabr (Chapter on the virtues of the month of Ramadaan, if the report is saheeh).
And the isnaad of this hadeeth includes 'Ali ibn Zayd ibn Jad'aan, who is a da'eef (weak) narrator.
And Allaah knows best.


text:
ACS News Service Weekly PressPac: September 25, 2013
Improved smartphone microscope brings single-virus detection to remote locations
"Fluorescent Imaging of Single Nanoparticles and Viruses on a Smart Phone"
ACS Nano
Scientists are reporting an advance in smartphone-based imaging that could help physicians in far-flung and resource-limited locations monitor how well treatments for infections are working by detecting, for the first time, individual viruses. Their study on the light-weight device, which converts the phone into a powerful mini-microscope, appears in the journal ACS Nano.
Aydogan Ozcan and colleagues note that conventional imaging techniques for detecting disease-causing bacteria and viruses rely on expensive microscopes with multiple lenses and other bulky optical components. In places with limited resources, doctors have few options for determining how well a treatment is working. To address the need for more portable and less expensive medical equipment, researchers, including Ozcan's group at the University of California, Los Angeles, recently have developed various compact microscopes that can be fitted onto smartphones to detect microbes or to check patients' eyesight. The team set out to build on these advances and produce a more refined imaging device that works on the nanoscale to count the number of sub-micron bacteria or viruses in a sample.
The result is a portable imaging system that harnesses the digital power of today's smartphones to detect individual viruses and determine viral load — the severity of infection — which can indicate the effectiveness of a treatment. It only weighs six-and-a-half ounces, or little more than a baseball. Using their new smartphone microscope, the scientists detected individual, fluorescently labeled human cytomegalovirus, a member of the herpes virus family that can be life-threatening in patients with low immunity. It's also one of the leading causes of virus-associated birth defects. The scientists conclude that the microscope "holds significant promise for various point-of-care applications such as viral load measurements or other biomedical tests conducted in remote or resource-limited environments."
The authors acknowledge funding from Nokia University Collaboration Funding, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the U.S. Army Research Office, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the National Institutes of Health.


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Today's Top 3 Oil and Gas Stocks
Oil and gas prices were on the move today as positive economic releases in the U.S. pushed all markets up. At 5:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Brent crude was up 1.29% to $109.56 and WTI crude was up 1.46% to $96.19. U.S. natural gas was up 2.06% to $4.00.
Today's top stocks
Today's oil and gas stocks leader was Quicksilver Resources , up 9.46% to $2.43. After the market closed Friday, Quicksilver Resources filed its annual report and announced that its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings were better than reported in its preliminary look on Feb. 25, as the company determined that certain hedges didn't qualify for hedge accounting. The change makes QuickSilver's Q4 net loss just $548 million, as opposed to the previously reported $1.1 billion. The change also makes the company's full year loss just $2.4 billion, down from a loss of $2.5 billion.
While the changes make Q4 net income look better, they're just a change in accounting, and as the company states in its report, "All adjustments described above are non-cash." With a large debt load and questionable ability to continue for the long run, I'd pass on Quicksilver Resources.
Second among oil and gas stocks today was Gulfport Energy up 7.75% to $46.44. The company hit a 52-week high today on no news. Gulfport Energy has significant holdings in the Utica Shale, just behind Chesapeake Energy which is the largest leaseholder in the play.
While Gulfport Energy may make money for shareholders, its management is not aligned with shareholders. Gulfport has been buying acreage from a private equity firm run by its chairman of the board, Mike Liddell. He has a 0.86% stake in Gulfport but gets 10% of the profits of the private equity firm. It seems related-party transactions have been a mainstay of the oil and gas business the past few years, with Chesapeake's Aubrey McClendon finally kicked out. More recently we've seen Tom Ward get in trouble at SandRidgeEnergy for similar deals, as well as allowing a firm run by his son to purchase land and drill wells near SandRidge operations. With management not aligned with shareholders, this is an easy pass.
Third among oil and gas stocks today was Halcon Resources , up 5.51% to $7.66. Halcon makes the top three for the second day in a row. Yesterday, ZaZa Energy announced that it was selling acreage in the center of Texas, and the company also announced that it's partnering with "one of the largest independent crude oil and natural gas companies in the U.S. to further develop ZaZa's Eaglebine assets." Halcon has major holdings throughout the region (denoted by the yellow in the following chart), and increased interest in the region is positive for Halcon's asset values in the region.
Source: Halcon Resources investor presentation.
Motley Fool energy analyst Joel South recently laid out why Halcon Resources is one of his top two holdings. You can see his video here to find out why.
Foolish bottom line
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The article Today's Top 3 Oil and Gas Stocks originally appeared on Fool.com.
Find Dan Dzombak on Twitter, @DanDzombak, or on his Facebook page, DanDzombak. He owns shares of Chesapeake Energy. The Motley Fool 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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Guinness® has always been a beer of the world. So when it came to the 200-year anniversary of the signing of the 9000-year lease on the brewery, we wanted to do something to celebrate. Something radical that told the story of our pioneering past, an unexpected offering that would delight people across the globe. Call it a grand gesture, but dropping 150,000 bottles into the Atlantic Ocean seemed like a fair salute to Arthur's legacy. He wasn't one for doing things in small measures, after all. 38 ships, six weeks: this was a mission befitting Guinness history of exports over the high seas.
The bottles were sealed tight, for they contained some unusual documents. Namely a certificate from 'the Office of King Neptune', a booklet recounting the story of Guinness, a special gold-coloured Guinness Stout label and even instructions on how to turn the bottle into a table lamp. 40 years later, these bottles are still turning up on foreign shores… most recently in California, South Africa, Wales, Canada and the Bahamas. A fitting outcome for a beer so well travelled.
Certificate from 'the Office of King Neptune'
Marking Milestones
In 2009, Guinness marked 250 years of innovative brewing with an entire year of firsts, including a retrospective campaign that paid homage to 80 years of Guinness advertising and a spectacular live TV commercial. Arthur's Day festivities kicked off a remarkable worldwide toast – joined by 50 million people – and a €2.5 million Arthur Guinness Fund was launched, created to empower social entrepreneurs across Ireland. With this in mind, it's worth noting that in 2059 we'll have been brewing extraordinary beer for 300 years... now that's a celebration you won't want to miss out on.


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Book throws for 5 TDs as No. 7 Notre Dame routs New Mexico
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Ian Book and No. 7 Notre Dame got some kinks out Saturday against New Mexico and now have No. 3 Georgia on their minds.
"It felt good to get in a rhythm at Louisville . and in this game," Book said after throwing a career-high five touchdown passes and adding another rushing TD in a 66-14 rout of the Lobos in the home opener.
The senior quarterback rebounded from a lackluster opening performance in a 35-17 victory at Louisville to complete 15 of 24 passes for 360 yards against New Mexico. Book finished with another 46 yards rushing yards before sitting the final 1½ quarters.
"To come in here and get the win that we wanted felt really good," Book said. "We'll enjoy it tonight and once tomorrow hits it's Georgia week and everyone knows that."
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly couldn't agree more.
"To get this game under our belts going into Georgia was really big for us," Kelly said.
The Fighting Irish (2-0) had their way with the Lobos (1-1), who were without head coach Bob Davie. Saga Tuitele acted as head coach for Davie, the former Irish head coach from 1997-2001 who was hospitalized following New Mexico's opening victory Aug. 31 against Sam Houston State and did not make the trip.
"When you turn the ball over and give anybody a chance, it's going to be a tough uphill swing," Tuitele said. "Against a good team like that, it could've gotten uglier, but our kids fought our tails off. They didn't give in."
The Irish had three first-half interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown by freshman Kyle Hamilton.
Notre Dame finished with 591 total yards to 363 by New Mexico, which got touchdown runs by Bryson Carroll (47 yards) and Bobby Cole (37). The Lobos outrushed the Irish 212-157.
"I think we needed this game to find some of the right pieces that are going to be needed to make explosive plays," Kelly said. "You're not going to beat Georgia by just 3 yards here, 4 yards. You're going to have to make some explosive plays. We needed to see that happen today."
Three of Book's "long" scoring passes were short throws that receivers turned into big plays. Avery Davis went 59 yards, Javon McKinley went 65 and Chris Finke had a 54-yarder. The touchdowns by Davis and Finke came on shovel passes while McKinley turned a 3-yard cross into his score.
McKinley added another TD on a 20-yard scoring reception in the third quarter after Chase Claypool had a 37-yard TD reception in Notre Dame's 31-point second quarter.
"We were able to make the big play when we needed it," Book said. "I thought we might have started a little slow in the beginning, but you saw we were able to pick it up as the game went on."
New Mexico: The Lobos struggled offensively in the first half, gaining just 80 yards on 35 plays in their seven possessions before going 75 yards on five plays, three of them rushes, the last being Carroll's 47-yard TD run. Starting quarterback Sheriron Jones, who was 4-of-15 passing for 19 yards with three interceptions in the first half, was replaced by sophomore Tevaka Tuioti at the start of the second half.
Tuioti completed 6-of-13 passes for 132 yards before being relieved by freshman Trae Hall late. Tuitele wasn't going to say if Tuioti's performance was enough to get him the starting nod next week against New Mexico State.
Notre Dame: The Irish were outgained 136-54 on the ground in the first half. Book threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns as offensive coordinator Chip Long had the Irish senior throwing from the start to build his confidence for next Saturday night's rumble between the hedges in Athens.
"From an offensive line standpoint, could we have done better today?" Kelly said. "Yeah, probably. But they weren't going to let us run the ball up inside so we had to move on to some other things we do. That's the nature of college football today. You've got to be able to do both."
After an ineffective 2018, Notre Dame moved Avery Davis from running back to cornerback during the spring and he was battling for playing time there until Jafar Armstrong's injury at Louisville. Upon their return to South Bend, Kelly and his staff moved Davis back to offense, and on his first touch of the season he scored.
Because of his willingness to make another move to benefit the team, Kelly awarded the junior the game ball in the locker room.
"For him being so humble as a player," Kelly said, "and unselfish to flip from quarterback to running back to defense and back to the offensive side of the ball and come up big with an electric run. That really got the entire team and stadium into it."
Kelly was also impressed again with the play of Hamilton. "That kid 14 (Hamilton), he just has a great nose for the football," Kelly said. "The interception for a touchdown got us great momentum. We were able to feed off that."
New Mexico: The Lobos return home next Saturday afternoon to play New Mexico State in the Rio Grande Rivalry for the 110th time.
Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish play Georgia for the third time, looking for their first victory.
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and http://www.twitter.com/AP_Top25


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WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The Justice Department's watchdog agency is objecting to more than $12 million in fees racked up during the first three months of Hawker Beechcraft's bankruptcy proceedings.
In a filing Thursday, U.S. Trustee Tracy Hope Davis particularly chided the company for fees lawyers billed for the company's failed attempt to pay its eight senior executives millions in bonuses. The government called the fees excessive and unreasonable. And the trustee noted the lawyers spent more time working on the bonus plan than other projects.
More than $12.2 million in compensation and $642,000 in expenses were billed between May and July.
The trustee is asking the court not to grant any fees sought in connection with the executive bonus plan.


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Below is the press release of the U.S. Department of Justice on Ahmed Abu Khatallah detained and now indicted for his alleged role in Benghazi attacks of U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya in September 2012, resulting in deaths of American diplomats. He's believed to be one of several terrorists who organized and executed the attacks.
Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah, made his first appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on a federal terrorism offense arising from his alleged participation in the Sept. 11 through 12, 2012, terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.
Khatallah was indicted by a federal grand jury on the charge of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists, knowing and intending that these would be used in preparation for and in carrying out a killing in the course of an attack on a federal facility, and the offense resulted in death.
The investigation is ongoing and the Justice Department can bring additional charges as the case continues.
"Now that Ahmed Abu Khatallah has arrived in the United States, he will face the full weight of our justice system," said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. "We will prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, the defendant's alleged role in the attack that killed four brave Americans in Benghazi."
"Capturing Ahmed Abu Khatallah and bringing him to the U.S. to face justice for his role in killing American citizens in Benghazi is a major step forward in our ongoing investigation," said FBI Director James B. Comey. "Our work, however, is not over. This case remains one of our top priorities and we will continue to pursue all others who participated in this brazen attack on our citizens and our country."
"Ahmed Abu Khatallah's capture and his appearance in court today were critical steps toward bringing him to justice for his role in the terrorist attacks on our diplomatic facilities in Benghazi," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Carlin. "We will not rest in our pursuit of the others who attacked our facilities and killed the four courageous Americans who perished that day."
"In a courtroom in our nation's capital, today we took the first step down the road to justice for the four American heroes killed in Benghazi," said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. for the District of Columbia. "This prosecution is a reflection of our determination to honor the sacrifice of U.S. citizens who perish on foreign soil in service to our country. We will be steady, deliberate and relentless in seeking to hold accountable all who were responsible for this deadly act of terror."
"The capture and return to the United States of Ahmed Abu Khatallah should be a warning to all those who want to harm the United States," said Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's New York Field Office George Venizelos. "As alleged in the indictment, Khatallah participated in September 11-12, 2012, terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of four innocent Americans. Now he is in the United States to stand trial for his actions. The FBI will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who conduct such heinous acts no matter where they are located."
Khatallah, a Libyan national approximately 43 years of age, was taken into custody earlier this month. He initially was charged in a criminal complaint that was filed under seal on July 15, 2013, and that became public on June 17, 2014. The Justice Department secured the defendant's initial indictment on June 26, 2014, and the charging document was unsealed today.
An indictment is merely a formal allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the FBI New York Office's Joint Terrorism Task Force with substantial assistance from various other government agencies. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department's National Security Division.
Source: Department of Justice


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[1863-11-03] BOMBARDMENT OF FORT SUMTER.; Heavy Firing Opened Last Wednesday. Twelve Hundred and Fifteen Shots Fired During the First 24 Hours. THREE OF THE MONITORS ENGAGED REPORTS FROM THE REBELS
[1863-11-04] FROM CHARLESTON HARBOR.; The Second Bombardment of Fort Sumter. CONFIRMATION OF THE REBEL REPORTS. The Speedy Destruction of the Work Considered Certain. NO CASUALTIES ON OUR SIDE. Throwing Greek Fire into Charleston Discontinued for the Present.
[1863-11-04] The Military Situation Another Magazine Discovered In Fort Wagner Personal and Miscellaneous Items.; ANOTHER MAGAZINE DISCOVERED IN WAGNER. RETURN OF GEN. SEYMOUR. GEN. TERRY AT THE NORTH. A DISTINGUISHED GUEST. FURLOUGHS. OHIO ELECTIONS AND OHIO TROOPS. A WORTHY EXAMPLE.
[1863-11-04] Prospects at Charleston.
[1863-11-05] LATER FROM CHARLESTON HARBOR; The Bombardment of Fort Sumter Vigorously Continued. Fall of the Sea Face Wall of the Work. Thirteen of the Garrison Buried in the Ruins. Shot Thrown at the Rate of Four per Minute.
[1863-11-06] The Election in Maryland Emancipation Accepted.


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We love Michael Ruhlman's writing, whether it's in a cookbook, his blog or even twitter. But this article in the July issue of Conde Nast Traveler about his culinary pilgrimage to Gascony is enough to make the stomach rumble. It's possible that we are a little biased; Ariane is quoted in the article, and of course, she is Gascon to the bone.
Settle in and give Michael your undivided attention for a little while. You will be rewarded with an appreciation for Gascony; the people, the beauty of the countryside, the way that agriculture and food are intertwined, and the intense devotion to eating, drinking and living well.
Plus, you will get a sense of the ethos that built D'Artagnan, as Ariane has worked for 28 years to bring these sensibilities to the culinary scene in the United States.
You may want to pour yourself a glass of wine (or Armagnac) to sip while you find out why ancient Gascony is France's new foodie destination. And then book your trip. It's that inspiring.


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Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Is India a Good Buy?
Chris Mayer, editor of leading investment advisor Agora Financial, writes:
I think now is a good time to pick up India's blue chips, if you can sit with them for a while. I like emerging markets still. This is a pause, and not the end, of the emerging market growth story. It's much bigger than most people think. India has less exposure to exports than China, has a lot of savings, little debt, a very young population (half under the age of 25) and some leading companies dirt-cheap…
Lots of problems, to be sure, as all emerging markets do, but India will come back.
BreakingViews.com writes in its VIEWSFLASH email service:
In an article entitled How India Avoided a Crisis, the New York Times reports that while India has been severely affected by the economic crisis, it was not nearly as exposed as the U.S. Specifically, the Times reports that Indian regulators largely kept India's banks away from derivatives, securitizations, and other risky investments.Japan is the least sick rich economy.Neither November's export slide, nor Toyota's profit woes, are what they seem. Corrected for yen appreciation, exports were down 8.9%, imports up 6.9%. Japan's recession is mild and its fiscal stimulus modest. The yen's strength is a sign currency markets see underlying health.
While the Indian economy is slowing, and is in recession, it is still doing better than just about any other economy. As Bloomberg writes:
Indian companies should prepare for economic growth of 7 percent in the year ending March 31, down from 9 percent or more the previous three years, the government said Dec. 23.So buying some Indian stocks might be smart, as long as you can buy and hold for the long-term (until the worst of the depression is over).
That pace is still the second-fastest among the major economies -- behind only China.
Note: I am not an investment advisor and this should not be taken as investment advice.
2 comments:
- AnonymousMarch 5, 2009 at 6:12 PM
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- AnonymousMarch 25, 2009 at 10:56 PM
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The Work of the Holy Spirit.
Bible VersionCross Reference
Matthew HenryJFB CommentaryWesley's NotesPeoples New Test. Geneva Study Bible Darby's Synopsis
SUMMARY.--Persecution Predicted.
The Comforter to Come.
He Will Reprove the World of Sin; of Righteousness; of Judgment.
Will Guide into All Truth.
Sorrow and Rejoicing.
Overcoming the World.
1. These things have I spoken. The warnings found in the
14th and 15th chapters.
They were given beforehand lest they should stumble. To be forewarned
would be a help to their faith amid the dark scenes of the next few
days, and in the persecutions that would come later. [391]
2. They shall put you out of the synagogues. Excommunicate you.
The first persecutions were Jewish.
Whosoever killeth you, etc. Even so Saul of Tarsus thought while
persecuting the saints.
Fanaticism has always held the slaughter of those who are deemed
heretics to be praiseworthy.
3. These things will they do, etc. Had they known Christ, or the
Father, and received the Holy Spirit, they could not do thus.
4. These things I said not unto you at the beginning. He had
made his instructions as they were prepared to receive them, lesson by
5, 6. Now I go my way to him that sent me. To the Father, by way
of the Cross, the Sepulcher, the Resurrection and the Ascension.
None of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? They had asked this
question, but in the stupefaction of their sorrow they had ceased to
7. It is expedient for you that I go away. What seemed then a
crushing sorrow was a real blessing. His mission could never be
accomplished unless he went away.
For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come. While Christ
was present in person, in bodily form, the Holy Spirit, the
representative of the Godhead, could not come. Christ, as King, must
send him, and on the day of Pentecost Peter declared, "He hath shed
forth the things ye do see and hear."
8. Will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of
judgment. The Revision more correctly renders, "Will convict the
world in respect of sin." There are three points concerning which the
world would be convicted, concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.
The Holy Spirit would effect these important results through some
means. If we would understand the methods we have only to turn over to
the fulfillment of these predictions recorded in the Acts of the
Apostles. In
Acts 2:38,
the Holy Spirit fell upon eleven apostles and they spoke as "the Spirit
gave them utterance."
The words that they spoke were the words of the Holy Spirit. In the
record of what was said by the mouth of Peter, we find that the Spirit
convicted (1) of sin, in that those who heard had rejected the Lord of
life and glory; (2) of righteousness, in that it was demonstrated by
the manifestations of that hour that God had exalted the Lord whom they
had condemned to his own right hand; (3) of judgment, in that they were
assured of the "wrath to come,"
and warned to "save themselves from this untoward generation."
9. Of sin, because they believe not on me. In naming sin, the
chief of all sins is singled out. All sin springs from unbelief. To
destroy sin, the heart of man must be pierced with the sword of the
Spirit. Hence, the aim of the Spirit on Pentecost, and always, is to
destroy unbelief.
10. Of righteousness, because I go to my Father. Human tribunals
convicted him of blasphemy, because he said he was the Son of God, and
put him to death. God exalted him to a throne, [392]
thereby showing that the condemnation was wrong and that he was
righteous. Of this the Holy Spirit bore witness in words and by
11. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. In
chapter 14:30,
he declared, "The prince of this world cometh." It was the prince of
this world, the spirit of the world, Satan, as the ruler of the world,
who slew him. When Christ rose from the dead, and all power was given
into his hands, this was a judgment in the court of the universe
against the prince of the world.
13. When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into
all truth. He is about to go away and his own personal teachings
will be ended, but those things that he desires them to know will be
taught them still. The Spirit of truth will guide them into all
14, 15. He shall glorify me. "All things that the Father hath
are mine," and the Spirit "shall receive of mine and shew it to you."
"These three are one;"
a striking illustration of the unity of the Godhead. They are so united
that what proceeds from one proceeds from all.
16, 17. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little
while, and ye shall see me. On the morrow he would die, be buried,
and for "a little while" they would not see him; then he would rise,
and for another "little while," a space of forty days before "he went
to his Father," they would see him while he remained on the earth. When
he ascended to his Father, they, in a spiritual sense, would "see him
coming in the kingdom of God."
20. Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice. How
sad were the [393]
broken-hearted disciples, as they wept at the tomb! At the same time
their enemies were gloating over their triumph. Soon all was changed,
your sorrow shall be turned into joy. The glad news came, "The
Lord is risen!"
Then they heard that "all power was his,"
saw him ascend into heaven, and "returned to Jerusalem with great
22. Ye now therefore have sorrow. Are in travail, but soon there
shall be a birth, "the First Born of the new creation"
from the tomb.
23, 24. In that day. After the Kingdom comes on Pentecost.
Ask the Father in my name. We must come to God through him. His
is "the only name."
Before, when they prayed, he told them to say, "Our Father," etc.
Now they must pray in the name of the ascended Lord.
25. Spoken in proverbs. In figures.
31, 32. Do ye now believe? The disciples had just asserted that
they did, because they thought they understood him, but before morning
their faith would give way and, instead of clinging to him in the hour
of trial, they would leave him alone. [394]
33. I have overcome the world. In this world his disciples would
be persecuted and have sorrow, but he bids them
Be of good cheer. The world can only afflict for a season; it is
a conquered world; Christ has overcome it.
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BOJ nominee vows swift action as orders data disappoints
The Japan government's choice to lead the country's central bank promised on Monday to move quickly to implement fresh monetary stimulus to lift the struggling economy, a case underlined by a surprisingly sharp drop in a gauge of capital investment.
However, Haruhiko Kuroda's declaration that "speed is important" appeared to run into resistance from Bank of Japan board member Koji Ishida, who in separate comments voiced caution against taking unorthodox steps too hastily.
The divergence of opinion highlights that while the nine-member board generally agree on the need for further stimulus, there are differing views on how best to revive an economy that has struggled for consistent growth for years.
"I want to debate policy steps with the monetary policy committee and implement these steps as soon as possible," Kuroda told lawmakers in a one-day upper house confirmation hearing.
He said he would do what ever it takes to hit the Bank of Japan's inflation target of 2 percent. The economy has rarely seen that level of inflation since the early 1990s.
Kuroda is expected to be approved by parliament later this week because opposition parties, whose support is needed in the upper house, have indicated they would back him.
Supporters of the more aggressive monetary policy advocated by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe can point to a 13.1 percent drop in core machinery orders in January from December as highlighting the need for urgent action.
Analysts and government officials suggested the much weaker than expected figures released on Monday were a blip in a typically volatile data series, but they did show companies remained cautious in their spending plans. Analysts had expected a fall of just 2 percent.
Japan has been in deflation for most of the past two decades and figures last week showed that the economy edged out of its fourth recession since 2000 in the last quarter of 2012.
Critical of the BOJ's gradual easing steps under outgoing chief Masaaki Shirakawa, Abe last month nominated Kuroda to replace him. Kuroda has advocated bolder and swifter action such as buying more risk assets and more longer-dated government debt, points he repeated to the upper house.
"We're in an environment where there is limited room to lower interest rates further," Kuroda said. "That's why it is important to try to influence market expectations."
If approved by parliament, Kuroda would step down next week as president of the Manila-based Asian Development Bank and take over the BOJ after Shirakawa's term ends on March 19. The BOJ's next policy meeting is due on April 3-4, with financial markets expecting action.
"The next BOJ meeting under Mr Kuroda will ease monetary policy, which probably should be an aggressive one," said Akito Fukunaga, chief rates strategist at Royal Bank of Scotland in Tokyo.
Despite Kuroda's sense of urgency, the BOJ board has expressed a variety of views on how to move beyond its current policy of buying assets or making loans totaling 101 trillion yen ($1.07 trillion) by the end of 2013. That includes buying government bonds with maturities of up to three years.
In contrast to Kuroda's wish to move quickly, Ishida voiced caution, saying major changes to the current policy should only be considered after a thorough review.
"Changing this would be a big shift in its policy framework and would require a comprehensive examination of the purpose, means, costs and effects as well as the transmission channel of monetary policy," said Ishida, considered a moderate member of the board and who has voted with the majority most of the time.
He was speaking at a news conference after meeting business leaders in Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo.
Kuroda also said the BOJ should consider starting an open ended policy of asset buying earlier than 2014, the scheduled beginning date agreed at a policy review in January.
A similar proposal by board member Sayuri Shirai at the central bank's policy review last week was turned down by eight votes to one.
The sharp drop in seasonally adjusted core machinery orders in January followed three months of solid increases. The monthly decline was the second-biggest drop since 2005 after a fall of 14.8 percent in May last year.
The Cabinet Office said the orders, considered a leading indicator of corporate capital spending, overall were "showing signs of moderately picking up."
It blamed the sharp drop on declines in big-ticket items such as turbines and boilers and forecast they would rise 0.8 percent in the first quarter after a 2 percent increase in the final quarter of 2012.
"The fall was bigger than expected but I would still say this is a temporary fall," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute.
"The yen's weakness helps expectations for exports to pick up and business sentiment has also been improving," he said.
Abe's prescriptions of monetary and fiscal stimulus, dubbed Abenomics, have so far helped drive the yen to 3-1/2 year lows against the dollar, supporting exporters such as Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T>.
Japan's financial markets were mostly focused on Monday on strong U.S. jobs data, which raised hopes for the outlook of the world's biggest economy.
Abe has also nominated academic Kikuo Iwata, who supports unconventional monetary policy, and BOJ official Hiroshi Nakaso as deputy governors. Their upper house confirmation hearings are on Tuesday.
The nominations must be approved by both houses of parliament. Abe's ruling camp controls the lower house but lacks a majority in the upper house.
($1=94.665 yen)
(Additional reporting by Leika Kihara in Utsunomiya and Kaori Kaneko in Tokyo; Writing by Tomasz Janowski; Editing by Neil Fullick)


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H.R. 6. Energy/Vote on Passage of The Energy Policy Act of 2005, a Comprehensive Bill Dealing with Research and Development of Numerous Sources of Energy
house Roll Call 132 Apr 21, 2005
In this vote, the House passed The Energy Policy Act of 2005, a comprehensive bill dealing with research and development of numerous sources of energy. Making the Progressive argument, Eliot Engel (D-NY) condemned the bill as favoring "special interests over consumers." Progressives specifically criticized a number of the bill's provisions, including those that: protected manufacturers of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MBTE), a gasoline additive, from product liability lawsuits; authorized the spending of significant funds on behalf of the nuclear power industry; allowed for the first time drilling for oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR); repealed the Public Utilities Holding Company Act (PUHCA), which they alleged would allow large companies to drive smaller utility companies out of business; and included "a variety of special-interest favors for oil and gas production despite the fact that producers are already reaping profits from record high energy prices" and that these measures would not reduce gas prices. (Martin Meehan (D-MA).) All in all, they maintained that the bill was wrongheaded in that it would not reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and it did not take a sufficiently forward-looking approach to energy production, conservation and consumption. Republicans, however, hailed the legislation. They cited the rising price of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. and said that the bill would reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and thus improve U.S. energy security, take a major step toward production of environmentally safe, renewable fuels, boost citizen access to more fuel-efficient cars, provide incentives to state and local governments to acquire alternatively-fueled vehicles, and create jobs. (Dennis Hastert (R-IL).) Handing Progressives a defeat, the House passed The Energy Policy Act of 2005 by a vote of 249 to 183, with a 41 Democrats joining Republicans to vote in favor of the bill while 22 Republicans opted to vote against the bill with most Democrats. Thus, the House adopted a comprehensive energy bill that took a number of steps that might or might not successfully reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, but did specifically permit drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge and provide a waiver of liability for manufacturers of the gasoline additive MBTE, amongst numerous other provisions.
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Anonymous, LulzSec spawn hacker crew offshoots
With names like "LulzSec Reborn," "MalSec," and "SpexSec," hacking groups are cropping up in the wake of LulzSec arrests and Anonymous dissatisfaction.
It's been three months since the arrest of a handful of people accused of conducting denial-of-service and other attacks on police and corporate networks as part of the notorious LulzSec hacking crew.
Yet rather than laying low following the arrests, hacker activists are still going strong and, in fact, regrouping, taking up the baton from the Lulz crew or citing dissatisfaction with the schizophrenic nature of all the various Anonymous operations. Suddenly, there is "LulzSec Reborn," "MalSec," and "SpexSec," fresh names for groups of malicious hackers using old techniques.
It's unknown if they are legitimate splinter groups with members of the old guard taking charge in a new direction, the way LulzSec was a spinoff of Anonymous. Or they could also just be wannabes hoping to exploit the maverick LulzSec name. On the Internet, no one knows you are a dog, especially if you call yourself "Anonymous."
"In our eyes, LulzSec is a disposable and reusable brand. Anyone within Anonymous can selectively pick it up or drop it as they need," said Brian Martin, founder of the Attrition.org security site who uses the handle "Jericho" and who has been studying Anonymous. "By doing so, they cash in on the name recognition, and specific actions that may not be affiliated with Anonymous can be done under this banner."
This weekend, someone using the "LulzSec Reborn" name and the LulzSec Love Boat ASCII graphic took credit for hacking TweetGIF, which allows people to share animated GIFs on Twitter. The group had claimed credit for hacking a military dating site back in March.
A group calling itself "SpexSec" posted on Pastebin this week the passwords and visa information of more than 200 suspected terrorists following the release of names, Social Security numbers, and birthdates of thousands of Tennessee residents earlier. Death and Taxes Magazine reports that SpexSec is comprised of two members of TeaMpoisoN, which collaborated with Anonymous on Operation Robin Hood last year. Scotland Yard claimed to have arrested several suspected members of TeaMpoisoN, which the group has denied.
And in April, a group called "MalSec," for "Malicious Security," released a video in the vein of Anonymous announcing its debut and discussing its differences with factions of Anonymous.This is the nature of hacking groups and large collectives of people who may agree on one cause and technique but not on others. They last awhile before they break up and form together in different bands, until those groups get arrested or go their own way.
Anonymous members leave the hive "if there is no organizing principle, if they grow frustrated that they are not having enough impact or are not satisfied with their investment of time or they're sick of trolling," said Josh Corman, director of security intelligence for Akamai, who has researched Anonymous along with "Jericho." "They'll do one really noble, principled Op and that same week there will be three or four aggressive ops that damage the brand."
Gabrielle Coleman, Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy at the Department of Art History & Communication Studies at McGill University in Quebec, believes LulzSec Reborn is LulzSec in name only. "I am almost 100 percent [certain] that the Antisec/LulzSec guys have nothing to do with the LSR [LulzSec Reborn] and in fact there is still a small crew of antisec/lulzsec guys in existence," she said in an e-mail.
With Anonymous, the family tree gets pretty complicated. For instance, the Anonymous team in the UK probably overlapped with Anti-Sec, according to Coleman. "Then Cab1n Cr3w was well and alive and kicking for a long time through that period (though they were also sort of making fun of Anti-sec). They did disband after all the arrests and rumors of informants have skyrocketed."
The sheer size and diversity of Anonymous participants ensures steady turnover. MalSec appears to have formed out of a desire by some Anons to distance themselves from the more erratic acts of some of their brethren."MalSec has new methods and ideas. We have witnessed aggressive hacks that included, the general public getting attacked, and credit card information being stolen," the MalSec video says. "We also have witnessed Anonymous supporters harming each other within the collective. Do you not see that this is a tactic to divide us and make us lose sight of our goals, of what is truly important? We cannot sit by idly and watch as our values are ripped away and disgraced. This is ineffective and counterproductive to achieving our goal. We do not wish to take from the people, or to harm them, but rather to empower them."
What the crew does not say is who their targets will be. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.
Update 6:30 p.m. PT The "lulzboatR" Twitter account objected to the characterization of LulzSec Reborn in this article and pointed to an exclusive Softpedia interview with someone from the crew in March.


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It's Wednesday so that means it's question time. It's time to ponder and then answer just one question. Okay, you can add all you want as a reason for your answer too. We'd all like that.
Here's this weeks question: Do you believe in astrology readings?
I know that many do and it's all good, but I don't. Hubby had his done some years back and it seemed to be mostly boilerplate kinds of stuff. Some things fit, but much didn't. I know many famous people have their charts read and stay on top of the stars and all that other stuff. Greek to me.


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After nearly a full day of board deliberations on 25 proposed regulatory changes, the Cook Inlet's personal-use fishery remains largely unchanged in the midst of a process that has dramatically restructured commercial set and drift gillnet fishing in the same region.
Board members, dipnetters and commercial fishers agreed that personal-use fishing — particularly on the Kenai River — has been growing in popularity.
"I'm not inclined to change the fishery," said board member from Petersburg, John Jensen.
"It's a good channel for Alaskans to get sockeyes and the commercial guys can share a little bit."
The Alaska Board of Fisheries deliberated for several hours on proposals ranging from restrictions on the size of boat and wake generated, to several limiting personal-use fishing permits and the prohibition of king salmon in the fishery.
Of the three proposals that passed, one bumped up the number of sockeye salmon needed to liberalize the Kenai River personal-use, or dipnet, fishery from 2.0 million fish to 2.3 million.
The proposal, submitted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, or ADFG, brought the regulations in line with the Kenai River Late-Run Sockeye Salmon Management Plan which increases the inriver sport bag and possession limits when 2.3 million more sockeye salmon are expected to hit the river.
Another proposal that clarified the term "fishing site" was passed.
In the personal-use fishery, a person is required to record personal-use harvest before concealing the salmon from plain view or transporting it from the shoreline or bank near waters open to personal-use fishing.
According to ADFG data, more than 400 citations were issued between 2012 and 2013 for failure to record personal-use salmon harvest before leaving the fishing site.
The board also extended the smelt, or hooligan, personal-use fishery by 15 days from April 1 through June 15 in the Kenai River.
Among the proposals that failed was one that would have prohibited ADFG from opening the fishery to 24-hour use on the Kenai River. The proposal would have allowed for increased harvest limits on sockeye salmon.
The city of Kenai passed a resolution supporting the proposal before the two-week board meeting.
The seven-day-a-week fishery typically operates from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. from July 10-31 — a time period that gives city crews time to clean the beaches and remove waste.
Without that window of time, Kenai City Manager Rick Koch told the board, crews cannot effectively clean and maintain the beaches.
The large tractors and heavy machinery are too dangerous to use when dipnetters are on the beach, he said.
During deliberation on the proposal to limit the fishery to its normal prescribed hours board member from Talkeetna Tom Kluberton said he encouraged the city to figure out how to organize in the face of the large crowds.
"We're managing the fisheries resources and they are managing the infrastructure," said board member from Kodiak, Sue Jeffrey.
"I feel for the city, but it's like with anything, change is constant and we're seeing change."
Paul Dale, owner of Snug Harbor Seafoods and a representative from the Alaska Salmon Alliance, said the board had not moved carefully when considering proposals to ease the burden on the city.
Equating the fishery to an unfunded mandate, Dale said the board owed the city of Kenai some assistance.
"The city of Kenai, I think plainly came up here, sat through public testimony in order to tell the board what their problems are in terms of managing the fishery and said very plainly, 'You know, we need some time in the middle of the night to clean up the beach without hurting people,'" Dale said. "I think it's a very legitimate concern and I think it's very unfortunate that the body that directs ADFG that has the ability to make that sensible change, dismisses it so unceremoniously."
Dale said it was indicative of the poor relationship between a board that had the opportunity to manage the fishery and a city that was stuck with managing the fishery.
Ricky Gease, executive director of the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, said he used the Kenai River dipnet fishery every year.
"It's a very efficient way to harvest fish in a short period of time," he said. "Fish harvested there go a long way toward providing food security for families. It's on the road system, which is why it's the largest PU fishery in the state."
The Kenai River dipnet fishery is lacking the regulatory complexity of other fisheries on the river, Gease said.
"One of the bright spots is that it concentrates use at the mouth of the river," he said. "It keeps the bulk of those users off of the banks and protects the riparian bank fishing zones further upriver."
Board members said the growing population of the Mat-Su Borough needed to be given consideration when proposals were considered. Jensen called the area the "population center" of Alaska.
"It's an emerging user group and I think we are being cautious. We want to be thoughtful," Jeffrey said.
Rashah McChesney can be reached at email@example.com.


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BENTONVILLE, AR—Retail giant Wal-Mart has announced in recent weeks that, effective immediately, it is cutting as many as 13,000 of what it somehow has the audacity to refer to as "jobs" from its corporate payroll.
According to Wal-Mart representatives, the, for lack of a better word, positions will be cut from the company's underperforming Sam's Club division. Analysts reported that Monday's layoffs marked one of the largest so-called downsizings of what can hardly even be termed employment in the company's history.
"Obviously, it is a sad day whenever we have to let go of any of the people we have dehumanized so thoroughly that we can barely muster the will to describe them as employees," Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke told reporters. "However, this is a business, and we must do what we can to stay competitive while still paying our existing workforce what we actually refer to with a straight face as wages."
Sources inside the company confirmed that roughly 1,200 people will be forced to leave what one might very charitably characterize as their careers in the neon-lit dungeon known as the membership recruitment office. In addition, another 10,000 worn husks of human beings will be relieved of what it literally induces pain to say are their job responsibilities handing out free in-store samples to customers.
"We tried to solve the problem by cutting what is hard for me in good conscience to even call benefits," Duke said. "We even tried negotiating with what we would probably refer to as the workers' union if, in fact, they even had such a thing. But ultimately, our only feasible option, financially, was to make what I'm going to just lie and call a very hard decision and let go some of the faceless drones that I condescendingly refer to in public as members of our 'corporate family.'"
"There's no way I can actually say what I am about to say without literally inducing deep, hearty peals of unbelieving laughter from anyone within earshot," he added. "But all those laid off should still hold their heads up high."
Thousands of what it just feels really, really wrong to describe as anything other than wage slaves have responded to the layoffs with strong objections.
"It doesn't seem fair, after all the time I put in with this abusive prison state regarded for some reason as a company," said former membership recruiter Robert Weldon, 46. "Obviously, this is going to severely reduce the overall quality of the unceasingly grim reminder of financial hardships that I call my life."
Although many experts have deemed these layoffs an unfortunate reflection of the economic climate, instead of what they actually are, which is a borderline fucking human rights violation, a number of prominent analysts said current market trends show that Wal-Mart may soon recover from its current woes, as if anyone with an ounce of human decency even gives a shit.
"Clearly, this move signals what I'm coldly and unemotionally going to describe as a change in Wal-Mart's current business strategy, and statistics show that it may pay off for them in the long run," economist and author Jeffrey Fields said. "And as for the poor, exploited creatures whom I shall skirt the issue and refer to simply as workers, I'm sure they will be back on their feet in what no honest observer of the facts could possibly describe as no time."
Added Fields, "This is, after all, what we still somehow have the nerve to call America."


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Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Clustering is the method Pyle used so often to arrange a tight group of detail in one interest area, in contrast with large blank areas. This composition, called "Extorting Tribute from the Citizens," packs dozens of faces in one small section in front of the arch, while keeping the wall above and the street below completely empty.
Anyone but Pyle would have painted this scene from "Sinbad on Burrator" with the figures spaced out evenly, each silhouette separate from the others. By clustering them all together, the eye sees them as one shape first and wants to go in and sort them out.
Shape welding and clustering look easy, but in my experience it takes real determination to pull them off. I have to fight the lunkhead instinct which wants to line up the toy soldiers, spread out the cookies on the table, give everything equal importance, and define every edge equally.
I can't wait until this Friday, when we'll bring you via this blog to the Delaware Art Museum, home of Howard Pyle's originals.
16 comments:
- Unknown said...
Mr. Gurney's thoughts put me in mind of Ruskin's Elements of Drawing. Has anyone read this? His ideas about composition are great, a composition is the way in which every element interacts with every other element in a drawing. Pyle's compositions are fantastic examples of what this looks like when done right and how ridiculously hard it us. I think Degas said, "the more you know about painting the harder it is "
- October 9, 2007 at 10:46 AM
- Michael said...
James..your daily blog continues to inspire (or should I say "inflict" me with a singular concept in the studio. Keep up the great work. I'm a big fan...
- October 9, 2007 at 10:07 PM
- tlchang said...
Eric, these discussions of Pyle's compostional methods also reminded me of some of the exposition in Betty Edward's "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" (which I used a great deal when teaching Beginning Drawing). I love the terms "clustering" and "shape welding", partly because they seem to describe so well one of the phenomena that Edward's discusses in regards to visual patterns: how our right-brains "extrapolate from incomplete information to envision a complete image" (i.e. lost edges, 'shape welding', etc...). Also "the right brain seems undeterred by missing pieces of information and appears to *delight* in 'getting' the picture, despite its incompleteness."
I think this is why paintings that make you 'work' a bit are SO much more satisfying than those that spell it all out (as Mr. Gurney describes - laying out the cookies evenly on the table) - it is tough to do. Pyle was a master at it. And you never get tired of looking at his compositions.
Enjoy your stint at the Delaware Art Museum! That and the Brandywine Art Museum are amongst my favorites in the country! All those Pyle, Parrish and Wyeth originals... *sigh*
- October 10, 2007 at 1:32 AM
- Unknown said...
I see that book everywhere, Tara but havn't yet read it. Is it really good?
- October 10, 2007 at 7:56 AM
dl7PRO Your blog is great. Articles is interesting!
- October 26, 2007 at 6:28 AM
P1QO8z Thanks to author.
- October 26, 2007 at 2:11 PM
Nice Article.
- October 26, 2007 at 3:22 PM
Hello all!
- October 26, 2007 at 3:49 PM
Wonderful blog.
- October 27, 2007 at 3:26 PM
- October 27, 2007 at 4:13 PM
Nice Article.
- October 28, 2007 at 11:01 AM
- October 30, 2007 at 2:27 AM
- October 30, 2007 at 5:42 AM
Thanks to author.
- October 30, 2007 at 9:32 AM
pxaXit Magnific!
- October 31, 2007 at 2:46 PM
Please write anything else!
- October 31, 2007 at 3:14 PM