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Michael Snoyman - Functional Programming for the Long HaulMichael SnoymanVP, EngineeringFP Complete
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
How do you decide whether a programming language is worth using or not? By necessity, such decisions are usually based on assessments that can be made relatively quickly: the ease of using the language, how productive you feel in the first week, and so on. Unfortunately, this tells us very little about the costs involved in continuing to maintain a project past that initial phase. And in reality, the vast majority of time spent on most projects is spent in those later phases.
I'm going to claim, based on my own experience and analysis of language features, that functional programming in general, and Haskell in particular, are well suited for improving this long tail of projects. We need languages and programming techniques that allow broad codebase refactorings, significant requirements changes, improving performance in hotspots of the code, and reduced debug time. I believe Haskell checks these boxes.
Anne Ogborn - let over logic - What functional programming can learn from logic programming
45 Mins
48 years after it's invention, logic programming remains a less frequently used paradigm.
What can functional programming learn from logic programming?
Unification and nondeterminism are powerful constructs not strictly relegated to logic programming. We'll look at unification, nondeterministic completion, probabilistic computation, and constraint propagation in functional contexts.
Aaron Hsu - Does APL Need a Type System?Aaron HsuComputer ResearcherDyalog Ltd.
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
APL is known for its concise problem-solving expressiveness, and it is used very successfully in places where high-quality and rapid iteration are requirements, not luxuries. Static Type Systems have had tremendous success throughout the computing industry, even receiving positive HCI usability studies that demonstrate their effectiveness on a number of metrics with mainstream and functionally-oriented programming languages. This success leads many programmers to take the value of type systems as a given, especially as mission-criticality and the age of a project increase. Therefore, it comes as a surprise to many, when learning about APL, that it has spent so long as an untyped, interpreted language in domains and use cases where traditional wisdom would suggest the need for a typed, compiled language.
But APL is not like other languages, and its unique features and historical uses warrant a careful revisiting of the question of type systems. In this talk we will explore whether or not APL needs a type system, whether it would benefit from having one, what that might look like, and how the interaction between APL and type theory might inform the design and use of type systems in general.
Dhaval Dalal / Morten Kromberg / Ravindra Jaju - Code Jugalbandi - Exploring ConcurrencyDhaval DalalSoftware ArtisanCalixir Consultants Pvt. Ltd.Morten KrombergCXODyalogRavindra JajuSolutions ConsultantSahaj Software
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
In Indian classical music, we have Jugalbandi, where two lead musicians or vocalist engage in a playful competition. There is jugalbandi between Flutist and a Percussionist (say using Tabla as the instrument). Compositions rendered by flutist will be heard by the percussionist and will replay the same notes, but now on Tabla and vice-versa is also possible.
In a similar way, we will perform Code Jugalbandi (http://codejugalbandi.org) to see how the solution looks using different programming languages. This time the focus of Code Jugalbandi will be on exploring concurrency models in different languages. Functional Programming has made programming concurrency easier as compared to imperative programming. For deeper perspective on Code Jugalbandi, check out http://codejugalbandi.org/#essence-of-code-jugalbandi
Anne Ogborn - Declarative Expressions of Behavior
45 Mins
We write programs in a different language than we talk about them. "So we get a request, do the security mumble, pass it to the middleware that grabs ..."
Can we get closer to writing programs that describe the program's desired behavior? And why do such attempts always get poo-pooed by programmers?
This is a foofy cloud shaped drawings exploration of other ways to express software design intent, mostly by cheating.
Srihari Sriraman - Generative Testing PatternsSrihari SriramanPartner, Engineernilenso
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
Tests are good. Generative tests are better. But we don't write them often enough. Why not?
Generative testing isn't new; John Hughes' QuickCheck is now implemented in 30 languages. Yet, it is still not an every day tool for most software teams. Why not?
I have seen that maintaining a generative, or simulation testing suite can require the full-time attention of a few senior engineers. And over time, the tests become complex, brittle, ineffective, and hard to diagnose.
But isn't generative testing supposed to make testing simpler, and more effective?
I believe that it requires a rather different paradigm of thought from what we're used to with traditional testing. And recognising this paradigm shift can help us leverage it effectively.
I'll discuss a holistic perspective of generative testing to elucidate this thought paradigm.
Using a practical scenario, I'll discuss the patterns that emerge from this thinking, and how they address the concerns of making generative tests more effective, and maintainable.
Anne Ogborn - Introduction to Logic Programming and SWI-Prolog
480 Mins
As machine learning matures, it is becoming obvious that we need explainable solutions. As functional programming matures it becomes obvious that we need inference and nondeterminism. And linked open data demands reasoning. This all day workshop will introduce the logic programming paradigm, in which programs are expressed as a set of logical rules and executed by finding proofs of queries.
SWI-Prolog is the most highly developed and widely used language for logic programming.
The language, which has been in continuous use in academic research settings since it's invention in 1972, provides unparalleled power. Many problems which would be difficult to express in other languages are simple in SWI-Prolog. SWI-Prolog is a 'batteries included' modern language, ready for real world tasks like web development and process control.
In this dynamic hands on workshop we'll learn the basics of SWI-Prolog, and look at some of the amazing things it can do.
Tamizhvendan S - Demystifying Functional ProgrammingTamizhvendan SLead ConsultantAjira
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
90 Mins
Because of some perceived complexities and the mathematical background in functional programming, the beginners get bogged down while learning and putting it into practice. As a matter of fact, few people give up after some initial attempts. But it is not as much harder as we think. It is just different!
Together, let's experience a different perspective of functional programming and get started in a better way
Saurabh Nanda - "Refresh-driven" development with Haskell & ElmSaurabh NandaFounderVacation Labs
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
We sorely missed the rapid "refresh-based" feedback loop available in Rails (and other dynamically typed web frameworks), while writing Haskell. Change your code, hit save, and refresh your browser!
In this talk we will share a few tips on how we finally hit productivity nirvana with ghcid and automated code-gen.
Best of both worlds -- rock-solid type-safety AND being able to reload code with every change.
Ajay Viswanathan - Algebraic Data Types: Just my kinda TypeAjay ViswanathanSr. Software EngineerMiQ
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
20 Mins
Functional programming is built around a foundation of well-defined Types, and when you throw in Typeclasses into the mix, you get the love-child that is Algebraic Data Types. In this talk I aim to explore the mathematical foundations of Type theory and how it can be used practically in Scala for wide variety of applications like Machine Learning (Apache Spark MLlib), API design (using Vertx), DSLs and the like.
I will also be introducing the scalacheck library for Property-based testing and how you can quickly validate your ADT domains.
The talk will further deep-dive into how you can utilize the amazing Cats library and Shapeless to build generic libraries around your ADTs, having Circe as a case-study.
Sudipta Mukherjee - Creating DSLs in functional KotlinSudipta MukherjeeCompiler EngineerRaincode Labs
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
Domain Specific Languages (or Libraries because embedded DSLs are just that) are already quite popular.
Modern languages have many useful language features that are conducive to create DSLs with more ease than ever before. Kotlin from JetBrains is a beautifully blended pragmatic programming language that packages many features from many programming languages. Kotlin also have infix operation which makes code written in a DSL made with Kotlin very easy to read (and therefore less error-prone).
In this demonstration, I shall show couple DSLs made from Kotlin
and will dissect the code LIVE to show audience how several language features in Kotlin (which sometimes requires playing with higher order functions) to develop these languages.
*A Unit Testing DSL (a DSL to simplify unit testing of Kotlin, Java Code) that our grand/m/pa can use.
-- All unit test frameworks serve the purpose but elegance is a different matter. A code that works, and a code that is elegant and works is art. In this example, audience will see how they can use several language features that Kotlin has to offer can be put together to create an elegant and expandable unit testing DSL.
* A DSL for Web Scraping and Transformation.
- - A special case of ETL, where Extraction happens from raw HTML, Transformation happens in memory using the DSL designed. and the Load happens by loading this data to a different schema/db/form/representation.
Raghu Ugare / Vijay Anant - (Why) Should You know Category Theory ?Raghu UgareArchitect, Designer, DeveloperLambdaMattersVijay AnantArchitect, Designer, DeveloperLambdaMatters
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
Category Theory has been found to have a vast field of applications not limited to programming alone.
In this fun-filled talk (Yes! We promise!) , we want to make the audience fall in love with Math & Category Theory in general, and Haskell in particular.
We will address questions such as below:
- What is the mysterious link between the abstract mathematical field of Category Theory and the concrete world of real-world Programming ? And why is it relevant especially in Functional Programming?
- Most of all, how can You benefit knowing Category Theory ? (Examples in Haskell)
Harendra Kumar - High Performance HaskellHarendra KumarFounderComposewell Technologies
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
Haskell can and does perform as well as C, sometimes even better. However,
writing high performance software in Haskell is often challenging especially
because performance is sensitive to strictness, inlining and specialization.
This talk focuses on how to write high performance code using Haskell. It is
derived from practical experience writing high performance Haskell libraries. We
will go over some of the experiences from optimizing the "unicode-transforms"
library whose performance rivals the best C library for unicode normalization.
From more recent past, we will go over some learnings from optimizing and
benchmarking "streamly", a high performance concurrent streaming library. We
will discuss systematic approach towards performances improvement, pitfalls and
the tools of the trade.
Abhinav Sarkar - Many Ways to ConcurAbhinav SarkarSenior Software Engineer
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
Easy concurrency is one of the main prophesied benefits of the modern functional programming (FP) languages. But the implementation of concurrency differs widely between different FP languages. In this talk, we shall explore the methods and primitives of concurrency across three FP languages: Haskell, Erlang, and Clojure (with core.async).
We shall learn about and compare the trade-offs between
- the green threads and STM channels oriented concurrency of Haskell
- everything-is-a-process and message-passing actor pattern of Erlang
- macro-based CSP transformation of Clojure/core.async
Ravindra Jaju / Dhaval Dalal - The Clojuring: (hit rubber road)Ravindra JajuSolutions ConsultantSahaj SoftwareDhaval DalalSoftware ArtisanCalixir Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
480 Mins
distance(clojure-code, production)→ 0
Clojure is capable of leveraging everything your JVM provides. And you are convinced of the benefits this LISP brings to your productivity. In this workshop, we target bridging the gap between your expressive and beautiful Clojure code, and the huge, daunting world of the Enterprise. With some small, helpful steps.
We'll specifically target
- Going beyond the linear flows - making core.async practical
- Confidence building measures - Clojure spec
- Demystifying the wormhole - JVM interop
- Practical tidbits - Introducing Clojure to your existing apps
- Graduating - Build tooling and publishing for both library and standalone application use-cases
Tony Morris - Parametricity, Functional Programming, TypesTony MorrisSoftware EngineerSimple Machines
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
In this talk, we define the principle of functional programming, then go into
detail about what becomes possible by following this principle. In particular,
parametricity (Wadler, 1989) and exploiting types in API design are an essential
property of productive software teams, especially teams composed of volunteers
as in open-source. This will be demonstrated.
Some of our most important programming tools are neglected, often argued away
under a false compromise. Why then, are functional programming and associated
consequences such as parametricity so casually disregarded? Are they truly so
unimportant? In this talk, these questions are answered thoroughly and without
We will define the principle of functional programming, then go into
detail about common problems to all of software development. We will build the
case from ground up and finish with detailed practical demonstration of a
solution to these problems. The audience should expect to walk away with a
principled understanding and vocabulary of why functional programming and
associated techniques have become necessary to software development.
Michael Ho - Making the Switch: How We Transitioned from Java to HaskellMichael HoSr. Software EngineerSumAll
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
Case Study
In this case study presentation, SumAll's CTO, Todd Sundsted, and Senior Software Engineer, Michael Ho, will discuss the move from Java to Haskell along two parallel paths. First, the business/political story — how SumAll convinced the decision makers, fought the nay-sayers, and generally managed the people impacted by the transition. Second, the technical story — how they actually replaced their Java code with Haskell code. Along the way, they will address their hopes and expectations from transitioning from Java to Haskell, and will conclude with the results they've gained and seen to date.
Anupam Jain - Purely Functional User Interfaces that ScaleAnupam JainUI ArchitectArista Networks
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
A virtual cottage industry has sprung up around Purely functional UI development, with many available libraries that are essentially just variants on two distinct approaches: Functional Reactive Programming (FRP), and some form of functional views like "The Elm Architecture". After having worked extensively with each of them, I have found that none of the approaches scale with program complexity. Either they are too difficult for beginners trying to build a hello world app, or they have unpredictable complexity curves with some simple refactorings becoming unmanageably complex, or they "tackle" the scaling problem by restricting developers to a safe subset of FP which becomes painful for experienced developers who start hitting the complexity ceiling.
In this talk I give an overview of the current Purely Functional UI Development Landscape, and then present "Concur", a rather unusual UI framework, that I built to address the shortcomings of the existing approaches. In particular, it completely separates monoidal composition in "space" (i.e. on the UI screen), from composition in "time" (i.e. state transitions), which leads to several benefits. It's also a general purpose approach, with Haskell and Purescript implementations available currently, and can be used to build user interfaces for the web or for native platforms.
The biggest advantage of Concur that has emerged is its consistent UI development experience that scales linearly with program complexity. Simple things are easy, complex things are just as complex as the problem itself, no more. Reusing existing widgets, and refactoring existing code is easy and predictable. This means that Concur is suitable for all levels of experience.
- For Learners - Concur provides a consistent set of tools which can be combined in predictable ways to accomplish any level of functionality. Due to its extremely gentle learning curve, Concur is well suited for learners of functional programming (replacing console applications for learners).
- For experienced folks - Assuming you are already familiar with functional programming, Concur will provide a satisfying development experience. Concur does not artificially constrain you in any form. You are encouraged to use your FP bag of tricks in predictable ways, and you are never going against the grain. It's a library in spirit, rather than a framework.
Debasish Ghosh - Managing Effects in Domain Models - The Algebraic WayDebasish GhoshPrincipal Software EngineerLeadIQ
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
When we talk about domain models, we talk about entities that interact with each other to accomplish specific domain functionalities. We can model these behaviors using pure functions. Pure functions compose to build larger behaviors out of smaller ones. But unfortunately the real world is not so pure. We need to manage exceptions that may occur as part of the interactions, we may need to write stuff to the underlying repository (that may again fail), we may need to log audit trails and there can be many other instances where the domain behavior does not guarantee any purity whatsoever. The substitution model of functional programming fails under these conditions, which we call side-effects.
In this session we talk about how to manage such impure scenarios using the power of algebraic effects. We will see how we can achieve function composition even in the presence of effects and keep our model pure and referentially transparent. We will use Scala as the implementation language.
In discussing effects we will look at some patterns that will ensure a clean separation between the algebra of our interface and the implementation. This has the advantage that we can compose algebras incrementally to build richer functionalities without committing to specific implementations. This is the tagless final approach that offers modularity and extensibility in designing pure and effectful domain models.
George Wilson - Laws!George WilsonFunctional Programming EngineerPaidRight
schedule 5 years agoSold Out!
45 Mins
Laws, laws, laws. It seems as though whenever we learn about a new abstraction in functional programming, we hear about its associated laws. Laws come up when we learn about type classes like Functors, Monoids, Monads, and more! Usually laws are mentioned and swiftly brushed past as we move on to examples and applications of whatever structure we're learning about. But not today.
In this talk, we'll learn about Functors and Monoids, paying close attention to their laws. Why should our abstractions have laws? We'll answer this question both by seeing powers we gain by having laws, and by seeing tragedies that can befall us without laws.


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New Movies This Week: 'Need for Speed,' 'Veronica Mars' and 'The Single Moms Club' [Video]
Talk about a weekend with a little something for everyone. New films hitting theaters on Friday feature car-racing action, the big-screen debut of a beloved TV character and a new Tyler Perry movie for the millions of Tyler Perry fans.
'Need for Speed'
A former underground street-racer seeks vengeance on the former associate who framed him and sent him to prison for two years.
Directed by Scott Waugh
Starring Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots and Dakota Johnson
'Veronica Mars'
Former amateur private investigator Veronica Mars heads to her hometown of Neptune to help her ex-boyfriend Logan with some legal trouble, but soon finds herself back in the world she thought she left behind.
Directed by Rob Thomas
Starring Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Krysten Ritter and Ryan Hansen
'The Single Moms Club'
A group of five women start meeting regularly and find new things they have in common and strength through sharing, helping them cope with the day-to-day stresses of being a single mom.
Directed by Tyler Perry
Starring Wendi McLendon-Covey, Nia Long, Amy Smart, Zulay Henao and Cocoa Brown

subset: commoncrawl


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In my previous post I've shown you how to bootstrap CDI in several environments (GlassFish, Tomcat, Jetty, Java SE). So now let's go a bit further and use it in real code. As its name states, CDI (Contexts and Dependency Injection) is also about Dependency Injection, so let's focus on just this feature for now. I will not define what DI (Dependency Injection) is. If you don't know I'll leave you to check the definition, the origins of this pattern and even a book that covers it all.
Dependency Injection was introduces in Java EE 5. Well, to be more precise it was resource injection, i.e. you could inject container resources such as EJBs, entity managers, data sources and JMS factories and destinations into a set of defined components (Servlets, JSF backing beans and EJBs). For this purpose Java EE 5 introduced a few annotations : @Resource, @PersistenceContext, @PersistenceUnit, @EJB and @WebServiceRef. But Java EE 6 goes way beyond by introducing two specifications :
- Dependency Injection for Java (JSR 330) defines a set of annotations (@Inject, @Named, @Provider, @Qualifier, @Scope and @Singleton) mainly used for injection. If you download this JSR (which is actually javadoc) and read through it, you will be surprised to see that no semantic is defined (i.e. the behaviour is not portable across implementation, you could implement the injection mechanism you think is appropriate). This specification is implemented in Spring 3, Guice, and also in Java EE 6 with CDI
- Contexts and Dependency Injection (JSR 299) gives semantic to JSR 330 and adds more features such as context management, events, decorators, enhanced interceptors and extension mechanism.
This blog post is about adding CDI to an existing Java EE 6 application.
Use case
My previous post focused on bootstrapping CDI, so I didn't care much about the business code, that's why I used a Hello World scenario. This time let's make it a bit more real. I took some code from my Java EE 6 book that you can find on GitHub. It's about CRUD operations on a Book entity. Here are the components involved :
- Book : an entity describing a book (title, ISBN number, price…)
- ISBNGenerator : a managed bean to generate random ISBN numbers (you can see it as a helper class)
- ItemEJB : a stateless EJB to have transactions for persisting, updating, removing, finding from a database
- ItemRestService : a service that gives a RESTful interface to the EJB
- ItemServlet : a servlet that uses the EJB to display a list of books
Injection without CDI
As I said earlier, resource injection was introduced with Java EE 5 and is still available in Java EE 6. Except for the Book entity, all the components of our use case are injectable using Java EE 6 resource injection (i.e. without CDI). The class diagram below shows you the injection annotations (@Resource, @PersistenceContext and @EJB) used to make the entire thing work.
Some things to look carefully at :
- @EJB is used to inject an EJB into the Rest web service and the servlet
- In our example, @Resource is used to inject a javax.annotation.ManagedBean
- ISBNGenerator needs to be a javax.annotation.ManagedBean to be injectable (Managed Beans were introduces in Java EE 6). If not, the container will not consider it as being a resource
- @PersistenceContext injects an entity manager
- ItemRestService is annotated with @Path (which is normal for a REST web service) but also with @ManagedBean. In fact, if a REST service wants to inject a EE resource (like an EJB) it needs to either be a @ManagedBean, @Stateless or @Singleton. In Java EE 7 all the components will be managed beans, so this double annotation would not be needed any more.
Injection with CDI
This Java EE 6 example works fine without CDI if you use resource injection. By adding CDI you will get a few enhancements that I will explain in future posts. But for now let's just concentrate on how do you add CDI to an existing Java EE 6 application ? Very easily as I shown in my previous post, just add an empty beans.xml path to your application and this will bootstrap CDI. Then, just replace all the @Resource and @EJB with @Inject. You will get the following class diagram :
The code doesn't change much :
- You don't need @EJB or @Resource anymore, just use @Inject
- Because anything is injectable with CDI, ISBNGenerator doesn't need to be a managed bean but just a POJO.
As you can see, to add CDI to your existing Java EE 6 application you just need to add a beans.xml file, replace all @EJB and @Resource by @Inject and get rid of the @javax.annotation.ManagedBean. Well, you might think that there is not much interest in CDI if it's only a few replace all in your code. But as you will see in my coming posts, by doing so you enter a new world : the context and dependency injection world.
Download the code, give it a try, and give me some feedback.


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"Chapter 15: Jacob 1–4," Book of Mormon Student Manual (2009), 113–21
"Chapter 15," Book of Mormon Student Manual, 113–21
Chapter 15
Jacob 1–4
Because of pride and exceeding wealth, the Nephites during the time of Jacob succumbed to many sins, particularly the sin of immorality. Feeling the weight of his prophetic calling, Jacob denounced these evil practices and boldly called the people to repentance. When have you witnessed the prophet and other Church leaders speak plainly to share an important message? By understanding the divine mandate of a priesthood leader to give spiritual correction, you will better understand the warning voice of modern-day prophets in an ever-increasingly wicked world.
Note that after teaching the Nephites the consequences of their sins, Jacob turned their attention to the Savior. He taught that we have power to overcome sin and weakness through the grace of Christ. Therefore he asked, "Why not speak of the atonement of Christ … ?" By so doing, we gain "knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come" (Jacob 4:12). Then we can develop a greater appreciation for the gift of redemption from sin and death that the Savior provides.
Jacob 1:2–8. Jacob's Purpose in Writing
Notice that Jacob had the same intent that his brother Nephi did as he prepared to continue keeping the record on the small plates. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles put Jacob's intent into perspective:
"Jacob seems to have been particularly committed to presenting the doctrine of Christ. Given the amount of space he gave to his witness of the Savior's atonement, Jacob clearly considered this basic doctrine the most sacred of teachings and the greatest of revelations.
"'We … had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy,' Jacob said, 'wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come.
"'Wherefore, we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ. …
"'Wherefore, we would to God … that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world.' [Jacob 1:6–8].
"No prophet in the Book of Mormon, by temperament or personal testimony, seems to have gone about that work of persuasion any more faithfully than did Jacob. He scorned the praise of the world, he taught straight, solid, even painful doctrine, and he knew the Lord personally. His is a classic Book of Mormon example of a young man's decision to suffer the cross and bear the shame of the world in defense of the name of Christ. Life, including those difficult early years when he saw the wickedness of Laman and Lemuel bring his father and mother down to their graves in grief, was never easy for this firstborn in the wilderness" (Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 62–63).
Jacob 1:9–19. Nephi and the Reign of the Nephite Kings
After Nephi separated from his brethren, who later became known as Lamanites (see 2 Nephi 5), he established a kingdom among his people, and they came to be known as Nephites. Although reluctant, Nephi became the first king (see 2 Nephi 5:18–19). Nephi referred to his time as a king-leader as "my reign" (1 Nephi 10:1). The second king and the other kings who succeeded him were all referred to as Nephi (see Jacob 1:11–15). The record of the kings and the secular history was primarily kept in the large plates of Nephi (see Jarom 1:14; Omni 1:11; Words of Mormon 1:10).
Major Leaders during Nephite History—600 B.C. to A.D. 421
Year-Reign of Judges
Christian Year
King, Chief Judge, or Governor
Historical or Church Leader
Military Leader
Nephi (2 Nephi 5:18–19)
Nephi (1 Nephi 1:1–3; 19:1–4)
Nephi (2 Nephi 5:14; Jacob 1:10)
Others designated (Jacob 1:9)
Jacob (2 Nephi 5:26; Jacob 1:1–4, 17–18)
Enos and many prophets (Enos 1:22, 26)
"Mighty men in the faith of the Lord" (Jarom 1:7)
Jarom and the prophets of the Lord (Jarom 1:1, 10–11)
"Mighty men in the faith of the Lord" (Jarom 1:7)
Omni (Omni 1:1–3)
Amaron (Omni 1:4–8)
Chemish (Omni 1:9)
Mosiah1 (Omni 1:12–23)
Benjamin (Omni 1:23–25; Words of Mormon)
Abinadom (Omni 1:10–11)
Amaleki (Omni 1:12)
Benjamin with the holy prophets (Words of Mormon 1:16–18; Mosiah 1–6)
Mosiah1 (Omni 1:12–23)
Benjamin (Omni 1:23–25)
Mosiah2 (Mosiah 1:15)
Mosiah2 (Mosiah 6:3)
Alma1 (Mosiah 25:19; 26:28)
Alma2 (Mosiah 29:44)
Alma2 (Mosiah 29:42)
Alma2 (Alma 2:16)
Nephihah (Alma 4:17, 20)
Moroni (Alma 43:17)
Pahoran (Alma 50:39–40)
Moronihah (Alma 62:43)
Shiblon (Alma 63:1)
Helaman2 (Alma 63:11)
Pahoran2 (Helaman 1:1, 5) and Pacumeni (Helaman 1:13)
Helaman2 (Helaman 2:1–2)
Nephi1 (Helaman 3:37)
Nephi1 (Helaman 3:37)
Cezoram (Helaman 4:18; 5:1)
Last reference to Moronihah (Helaman 4:18)
Cezoram's son (Helaman 6:15)
Seezoram (Helaman 6:39; 9:23)
Lachoneus1 (3 Nephi 1:1)
Nephi2 (3 Nephi 1:1–2)
Gidgiddoni (3 Nephi 3:18)
Lachoneus2 (3 Nephi 6:19)
Nephi3 (?) (Superscription to 4 Nephi)
Amos1 (4 Nephi 1:19–20)
Amos2 (4 Nephi 1:21)
Ammaron (4 Nephi 1:47)
c. A.D. 321–335
Mormon (Mormon 1:1–3)
Mormon (Mormon 2:2)
Moroni (Mormon 6:6)
Jacob 1:15. What Is a Concubine?
Concubines in the Old Testament "were considered to be secondary wives, that is, wives who did not have the same standing in the caste system then prevailing as did those wives who were not called concubines" (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 154). Concubines had full protection as wives and did not violate the law of chastity when the marriages were approved by the Lord (see D&C 132:34–43). During the time period of the Book of Mormon, however, concubines were not approved by the Lord (see Jacob 2:27; Mosiah 11:2).
Jacob 1:18. "Consecrated Priests and Teachers"
President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) defined the kind of priests and teachers that were referred to in Jacob 1:18: "The Nephites officiated by virtue of the Melchizedek Priesthood from the days of Lehi to the days of the appearance of our Savior among them. It is true that Nephi 'consecrated Jacob and Joseph' that they should be priests and teachers over the land of the Nephites, but the fact that plural terms priests and teachers were used indicates that this was not a reference to the definite office in the priesthood in either case, but it was a general assignment to teach, direct, and admonish the people" (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 1:124).
Jacob 1:19. "We Did Magnify Our Office unto the Lord"
While discussing the duty of priesthood holders to serve others, President Thomas S. Monson explained:
"What does it mean to magnify a calling? It means to build it up in dignity and importance, to make it honorable and commendable in the eyes of all men, to enlarge and strengthen it, to let the light of heaven shine through it to the view of other men.
"And how does one magnify a calling? Simply by performing the service that pertains to it. An elder magnifies the ordained calling of an elder by learning what his duties as an elder are and then by doing them. As with an elder, so with a deacon, a teacher, a priest, a bishop, and each who holds office in the priesthood" (in Conference Report, Apr. 2005, 59; or Ensign, May 2005, 54).
Jacob 1:19; 2:2. "Answering the Sins of the People upon Our Own Heads"
Individuals who have a responsibility to lead in the Church shoulder a sobering responsibility. Jacob taught that when a leader neglects to teach the word of God to those whom he is called to lead, he becomes partly responsible for their sins. President Hugh B. Brown (1883–1975) of the First Presidency elaborated on the responsibility Jacob described:
"President John Taylor said on one occasion, speaking to the brethren of the priesthood: 'If you do not magnify your callings, God will hold you responsible for those you might have saved, had you done your duty.'
"This is a challenging statement. If I by reason of sins of commission or omission lose what I might have had in the hereafter, I myself must suffer and, doubtless, my loved ones with me. But if I fail in my assignment as a bishop, a stake president, a mission president, or one of the General Authorities of the Church—if any of us fail to teach, lead, direct, and help to save those under our direction and within our jurisdiction, then the Lord will hold us responsible if they are lost as the result of our failure" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1962, 84).
Jacob 2:8–10. Admonish "According to the Strict Commands of God"
Rather than teach "the word which healeth the wounded soul" (Jacob 2:8) or speak "the pleasing word of God" (verse 9), Jacob felt compelled by the Lord to address a subject that, regretfully, would "enlarge the wounds of those who [were] already wounded" (verse 9). Sometimes blunt and challenging words are necessary when a priesthood leader cries repentance to Church members.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described the challenging balance of teaching the truth both sensitively and boldly:
"Jacob spends much of ten full verses apologizing, in effect, for the sins he must address and the language he must use in addressing them. He notes that he does so with 'soberness,' being 'weighed down with much more desire and anxiety for the welfare of [his hearers'] souls' (Jacob 2:2–3). Knowing him as we do, we would be surprised if he had said otherwise.
"Listen to the mournful tone of these passages—literally the grief of them—as he single-mindedly pursues what he has always been single-minded about—steadfast loyalty to God and His commandments.
"'Yea, it grieveth my soul and causeth me to shrink with shame before the presence of my Maker, that I must testify unto you concerning the wickedness of your hearts. …
"'Wherefore, it burdeneth my soul that I should be constrained, because of the strict commandment which I have received from God, to admonish you according to your crimes, to enlarge the wounds of those who are already wounded, instead of consoling and healing their wounds; and those who have not been wounded, instead of feasting upon the pleasing word of God have daggers placed to pierce their souls and wound their delicate minds.' (Jacob 2:6–7, 9.)
"We are not even into the discourse per se before we sense that, quite literally, this bold and unyielding manner of preaching is almost as hard on Jacob as it is on the guilty ones in his audience. But perhaps that is as it should be always, and why Christ in his preaching was ofttimes 'a man of sorrows.' The commandments have to be kept, sin has to be rebuked. But even such bold positions must be taken compassionately. Even the sternest of prophets must preach from the depths of a sensitive soul" ("Jacob the Unshakable," in Heroes from the Book of Mormon [1995], 39–40).
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that when priesthood leaders feel "constrained" by the Spirit to give admonitions and warnings, members of the Church have a responsibility to act upon the correction and instruction given to them:
"Last week I was talking with a member of the Quorum of the Twelve about comments we had received on our April conference talks. My friend said someone told him, 'I surely enjoyed your talk.' We agreed that this is not the kind of comment we like to receive. As my friend said, 'I didn't give that talk to be enjoyed. What does he think I am, some kind of entertainer?' Another member of our quorum joined the conversation by saying, 'That reminds me of the story of a good minister. When a parishioner said, "I surely enjoyed your sermon today," the minister replied, "In that case, you didn't understand it."'
"You may remember that this April conference I spoke on pornography. No one told me they 'enjoyed' that talk—not one! In fact, there was nothing enjoyable in it even for me.
"I speak of these recent conversations to teach the principle that a message given by a General Authority at a general conference—a message prepared under the influence of the Spirit to further the work of the Lord—is not given to be enjoyed. It is given to inspire, to edify, to challenge, or to correct. It is given to be heard under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord, with the intended result that the listener learns from the talk and from the Spirit what he or she should do about it" ("The Dedication of a Lifetime" [CES fireside for young adults, May 1, 2005], 1, www.ldsces.org).
Jacob 2:12–19. "Before Ye Seek for Riches"
Jacob taught that God does not condemn the wealthy for their riches. Instead, any condemnation comes from their pride or misuse of their abundance (see Jacob 2:13–14). Some of the people of Nephi chose riches rather than God as the center of their lives. Their search for wealth led them to persecute their brethren rather than assist them (see verses 18–19).
President David O. McKay (1873–1970) counseled us to be cautious regarding that which we seek. Though we may obtain almost anything we work for, it may come at a high price: "What seek ye first? What do you cherish as the dominant, the uppermost thought in your mind? What this is will largely determine your destiny. … You may win in this world almost anything for which you strive. If you work for wealth, you can get it, but before you make it an end in itself, take a look at those men who have sacrificed all to the accomplishment of this purpose, at those who have desired wealth for the sake of wealth itself. Gold does not corrupt man; it is in the motive of acquiring that gold that corruption occurs" (Treasures of Life [1962], 174–75).
President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, provided additional instruction concerning the pursuits of life:
"We want our children and their children to know that the choice of life is not between fame and obscurity, nor is the choice between wealth and poverty. The choice is between good and evil, and that is a very different matter indeed.
"When we finally understand this lesson, thereafter our happiness will not be determined by material things. We may be happy without them or successful in spite of them.
"Wealth and prominence do not always come from having earned them. Our worth is not measured by renown or by what we own. …
"Our lives are made up of thousands of everyday choices. Over the years these little choices will be bundled together and show clearly what we value.
"The crucial test of life, I repeat, does not center in the choice between fame and obscurity, nor between wealth and poverty. The greatest decision of life is between good and evil" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1980, 28–29; or Ensign, Nov. 1980, 21).
Jacob 2:17. "Free with Your Substance"
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, fast offerings assist the poor and needy. Church leaders encourage members to be generous with their offerings. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917–2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles provided counsel regarding how much to contribute:
"How much should we pay in fast offerings? My brothers and sisters, the measure of our offering to bless the poor is a measure of our gratitude to our Heavenly Father. Will we, who have been blessed so abundantly, turn our backs on those who need our help? Paying a generous fast offering is a measure of our willingness to consecrate ourselves to relieve the suffering of others.
"Brother Marion G. Romney, who was the bishop of our ward when I was called on a mission and who later served as a member of the First Presidency of the Church, admonished:
"'Be liberal in your giving, that you yourselves may grow. Don't give just for the benefit of the poor, but give for your own welfare. Give enough so that you can give yourself into the kingdom of God through consecrating of your means and your time' (Ensign, July 1982, 4)" (in Conference Report, Apr. 2001, 97; or Ensign, May 2001, 75).
Jacob 2:20–22. "Proud in Your Hearts"
Pride is sometimes called the great sin of the spirit; it was Satan's sin in the premortal realm (see Isaiah 14:12–14; Moses 4:1–2). Furthermore, pride leads to failure and destruction as the Lord repeatedly warns us:
"Beware of pride, lest thou shouldst enter into temptation" (D&C 23:1).
"For the hour is nigh and the day soon at hand when the earth is ripe; and all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth" (D&C 29:9).
"Be not ashamed, neither confounded; but be admonished in all your high-mindedness and pride, for it bringeth a snare upon your souls" (D&C 90:17).
"He that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that abaseth himself shall be exalted" (D&C 101:42).
Jacob 2:23–30. Plural Marriage
Jacob clearly taught that the Lord did not want the Nephites to practice any form of plural marriage. He stated that men were to have only one wife unless the Lord commanded otherwise (see Jacob 2:27–30). In our time President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) stated the Church's position on plural marriage:
"I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. Most of them have never been members. They are in violation of the civil law. They know they are in violation of the law. They are subject to its penalties. The Church, of course, has no jurisdiction whatever in this matter.
"If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church. An article of our faith is binding upon us. It states, 'We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law' (Articles of Faith 1:12). One cannot obey the law and disobey the law at the same time. …
"More than a century ago God clearly revealed unto His prophet Wilford Woodruff that the practice of plural marriage should be discontinued, which means that it is now against the law of God. Even in countries where civil or religious law allows polygamy, the Church teaches that marriage must be monogamous and does not accept into its membership those practicing plural marriage" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1998, 92; or Ensign, Nov. 1998, 71–72).
Jacob 2:28. Chastity
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles clearly defined the law of chastity when he taught: "Any sexual intimacy outside of the bonds of marriage—I mean any intentional contact with the sacred, private parts of another's body, with or without clothing—is a sin and is forbidden by God. It is also a transgression to intentionally stimulate these emotions within your own body" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 51; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 38).
Elder Scott also affirmed the divine sanction of marital intimacy, as well as the divine condemnation of sexual immorality. He warned:
"Those intimate acts are forbidden by the Lord outside the enduring commitment of marriage because they undermine His purposes. Within the sacred covenant of marriage, such relationships are according to His plan. When experienced any other way, they are against His will. They cause serious emotional and spiritual harm. Even though participants do not realize that is happening now, they will later.
"Sexual immorality creates a barrier to the influence of the Holy Spirit with all its uplifting, enlightening, and empowering capabilities. It causes powerful physical and emotional stimulation. In time, that creates an unquenchable appetite that drives the offender to ever more serious sin. It engenders selfishness and can produce aggressive acts such as brutality, abortion, sexual abuse, and violent crime. Such stimulation can lead to acts of homosexuality, and they are evil and absolutely wrong" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 50–51; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 38).
Jacob 2:31–35. "Many Hearts Died, Pierced with Deep Wounds"
Many Nephite husbands had broken the hearts of their wives and lost the confidence of their children. Families can be destroyed when the law of chastity is broken. Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained how more than just those who participate in the sin are affected by the consequences:
"Unchastity and infidelity bring serious consequences such as the rippling, even haunting effects of illegitimacy and fatherlessness, along with disease and the shredding of families. So many marriages hang by a thread or have already snapped. …
"Therefore, the keeping of the seventh commandment is such a vital shield! (see Exodus 20:14). By our lowering or losing that shield, the much-needed blessings of heaven are lost. No person or nation can prosper for long without those blessings" (in Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 96; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 78).
Jacob 3:10. Damage Caused by Poor Examples
Children constantly learn from the examples set by those around them. Unfortunately, an unrighteous example can have a destructive influence on the young. Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone of the Seventy cautioned, "A word to adults and parents: Elder Bruce R. McConkie's father [Oscar Walter McConkie] counseled that when we violate any commandment, however small, our youth may choose to violate a commandment later on in life perhaps 10 times or 100 times worse and justify it on the basis of the small commandment we broke" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 15; or Ensign, Nov. 1999, 14).
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles admonished parents of the Church to demonstrate personal faith and righteousness to their children:
"I think some parents may not understand that even when they feel secure in their own minds regarding matters of personal testimony, they can nevertheless make that faith too difficult for their children to detect. We can be reasonably active, meeting-going Latter-day Saints, but if we do not live lives of gospel integrity and convey to our children powerful, heartfelt convictions regarding the truthfulness of the Restoration and the divine guidance of the Church from the First Vision to this very hour, then those children may, to our regret but not surprise, turn out not to be visibly active, meeting-going Latter-day Saints or sometimes anything close to it.
"Not long ago Sister Holland and I met a fine young man who came in contact with us after he had been roaming around through the occult and sorting through a variety of Eastern religions, all in an attempt to find religious faith. His father, he admitted, believed in nothing whatsoever. But his grandfather, he said, was actually a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 'But he didn't do much with it,' the young man said. 'He was always pretty cynical about the Church.' From a grandfather who is cynical to a son who is agnostic to a grandson who is now looking desperately for what God had already once given his family! …
"To lead a child (or anyone else!), even inadvertently, away from faithfulness, away from loyalty and bedrock belief simply because we want to be clever or independent is license no parent nor any other person has ever been given. …
"Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made. Give priesthood blessings. And bear your testimony! Don't just assume your children will somehow get the drift of your beliefs on their own" (in Conference Report, Apr. 2003, 91–92; or Ensign, May 2003, 86).
Jacob 3:11. "The Second Death"
The second death is also referred to as spiritual death. The Guide to the Scriptures explains that spiritual death is "separation from God and his influences." The spiritual death or second death Jacob referred to "occurs following the death of the mortal body. Both resurrected beings and the devil and his angels will be judged. Those who have willfully rebelled against the light and truth of the gospel will suffer spiritual death. … (Alma 12:16; Hel. 14:16–19; D&C 76:36–38)" (Guide to the Scriptures, "Death, Spiritual").
Jacob 4:5. Worship the Father in the Name of Jesus Christ
Jacob's writings provide us with an important insight into the law of Moses and the Old Testament. In Jacob 4:5 we learn that the Old Testament prophets prior to Jacob's time knew of both Christ and the Father as distinct individuals and appropriately worshipped the Father in Christ's name. Jacob's words indicate that the law of Moses was far more than simply a law of strict commandments and legal codes, as some modern scholars claim. The law of Moses testified of Jesus Christ and led the righteous to sanctification through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Jacob 4:10. "Seek Not to Counsel the Lord"
President Marion G. Romney (1897–1988) of the First Presidency explained what it meant to "counsel the Lord": "Now I do not think that many members of the Church consciously urge the persuasions of men or their own counsel instead of heeding the Lord's. However, when we do not keep ourselves advised as to what the counsel of the Lord is, we are prone to substitute our own counsel for His. As a matter of fact, there is nothing else we can do but follow our own counsel when we do not know the Lord's instructions" ("Seek Not to Counsel the Lord," Ensign, Aug. 1985, 5).
Jacob 4:14–18. "Looking beyond the Mark"
While serving in the Seventy, Elder Dean L. Larsen explained that the Israelites in ancient times "got themselves into great difficulty" because they "placed themselves in serious jeopardy in spiritual things because they were unwilling to accept simple, basic principles of truth. They entertained and intrigued themselves with 'things that they could not understand' (Jacob 4:14). They were apparently afflicted with a pseudosophistication and a snobbishness that gave them a false sense of superiority over those who came among them with the Lord's words of plainness. They went beyond the mark of wisdom and prudence, and obviously failed to stay within the circle of fundamental gospel truths, which provide a basis for faith. They must have reveled in speculative and theoretical matters that obscured for them the fundamental spiritual truths. As they became infatuated by these 'things that they could not understand,' their comprehension of and faith in the redeeming role of a true Messiah was lost, and the purpose of life became confused. A study of Israel's history will confirm Jacob's allegations" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1987, 11–12; or Ensign, Nov. 1987, 11).
Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained how "looking beyond the mark" can be avoided today: "This incredible blindness which led to the rejection of those truths spoken by prophets and which prevented the recognition of Jesus for who he was, according to Jacob, came 'by looking beyond the mark.' Those who look beyond plainness, beyond the prophets, beyond Christ, and beyond his simple teachings waited in vain then, as they will wait in vain now. For only the gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us of things as they really are and as they really will be" ("On Being a Light" [address delivered at the Salt Lake Institute of Religion, Jan. 2, 1974], 1).
Points to Ponder
Jacob mentioned that he received his "errand from the Lord" (Jacob 1:17). What must a person do in order to receive an errand from the Lord?
Jacob taught that we should treat everyone as a valued child of God (see Jacob 2:21). How can you do this more fully?
What are some of the consequences, immediate and extended, that come when someone violates the law of chastity? What have you chosen to do so that you will not violate this sacred commandment of God?
What does it mean to "counsel the Lord" rather than to "take counsel from his hand?" (Jacob 4:10).
Suggested Assignments
From the following scriptures, make a list of the Lord's counsel concerning financial matters: Jacob 2:12–19; Mosiah 4:16–26. Use the list you have compiled to develop some personal financial guidelines to follow throughout your life.
After reading Nephi's counsel to Jacob concerning what should be recorded on the small plates in Jacob 1:1–4, make a plan to improve the strength of your personal history.


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GPS Users Fear Getting Lost In Wireless Expansion
GPS devices have become ubiquitous: Millions of drivers rely on them for directions.
The government hopes to construct a new air traffic control system based on GPS navigation rather than the use of radar.
They've also become an important tool in agriculture.
But a multibillion-dollar proposal to provide broadband Internet access using satellites and a network of 40,000 antennas could interfere with their devices. This could potentially make it harder for first responders to find emergencies, aviators to fly and drivers to navigate.
A Powerful Signal
Rick Richter, owner of Richter Aviation in Maxwell, Calif., flies what used to be known as crop dusters. He uses GPS every day.
"It provides swath guidance to within one meter accuracy of where we would like to put the chemicals, or the crop protection products, or the seeds or fertilizers," he says. "So it allows for a precise application of our products and reduces the environmental impacts."
Richter is president of the National Agricultural Aviation Association, one of several groups that want to put the brakes on the construction of a new broadband service by a company called LightSquared.
In a video on its website, LightSquared offers an enticing vision:
"Wireless devices will work in every single part of the country," the video explains. "People will be able to send e-mail from the Grand Canyon. Download a full-length movie in mere minutes while on the move. Make a phone call far away from Anywheresville."
Richter says the problem is that the radio signals the broadband carrier wants to use for its wireless network would interfere with signals GPS uses.
"There's no doubt there's going to be interference," he says. "You can almost guarantee that because the signal is so much more powerful than a GPS signal."
In fact, the government's own tests have shown the LightSquared signals cause some GPS receivers to lose signal strength and others were knocked out entirely.
We want to make sure we're deploying our network responsibly and that requires us to sit down cooperatively and talk with the GPS folks and figure out the most efficient way to do it.
'A Zoning Dispute'
That's because the part of the radio spectrum which the FCC granted to LightSquared is right next door to the part of the spectrum GPS services use.
Communications consultant Scott Cleland of the Precursor Group says it's a bit like a zoning dispute, "where people already have houses or they already have buildings and somebody comes along next to them and wants to build a skyscraper or wants to build something that has a very different use than what they had before. And so, what this is, is like a giant spectrum zoning spat."
LightSquared, the new guy in the neighborhood, has already invested billions of dollars in its network. Based on the FCC's go-ahead, LightSquared launched a satellite that's seven stories tall last November, and it plans to build about 40,000 ground transmitters.
Company Vice President Jeff Carlisle is confident the two sides can work something out.
"We want to make sure we're deploying our network responsibly and that requires us to sit down cooperatively and talk with the GPS folks and figure out the most efficient way to do it," he says. "If that requires some filtering on their side and some transmission modifications on ours, we're open to talking about that, absolutely."
One possible solution would be for LightSquared to use the part of the spectrum it has been allocated that's farthest from the part GPS receivers use.
The company had hoped to roll out its network later this year, but it's clear it has some obstacles to navigate around first.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Top Items:
Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch:
Mining The Thought Stream — What if you could peer into the thoughts of millions of people as they were thinking those thoughts or shortly thereafter? And what if all of these thoughts were immediately available in a database that could be mined easily to tell you what people both individually …
Discussion: metarand, Thanks:kevendones
John Markoff / New York Times:
Do We Need a New Internet? — Two decades ago a 23-year-old Cornell University graduate student brought the Internet to its knees with a simple software program that skipped from computer to computer at blinding speed, thoroughly clogging the then-tiny network in the space of a few hours.
Discussion: Howard Lindzon, isen.blog, ThreatChaos and The Technology Liberation …
Richard Stiennon / ThreatChaos: The Internet we have is just fine — Thanks to the New York Times …
Philip Elmer-DeWitt / Apple 2.0:
Tracking the iPhone's bubble of hype — Think of the jagged light blue line in the fever chart at right as the bubble of hype that keeps Apple's (AAPL) iPhone floating above of its competitors. — What you're looking at is a snapshot of a Google Trends chart comparing the number of times the word …
Discussion: 9 to 5 Mac and Silicon Alley Insider
Cleve Nettles / 9 to 5 Mac: 'iPhone' searches far exceeding competitors
Henry Blodget / Silicon Alley Insider: iPhone Still Winning Mindshare War (AAPL)
Michell / Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog:
'Idou' is Sony Ericsson's upcoming 12.1-megapixel phone — Along with the launching of Entertainment Unlimited, Sony Ericsson showcased an upcoming mobile phone by the concept 'Idou', which is going to give us a glimpse of what lies ahead for us, and what Sony Ericsson is currently working on.
Discussion: Unwired View and Mobilewhack.com
Darren Murph / Engadget:
Sony Ericsson gets official with "Idou" 12 megapixel mobile
Sony Ericsson gets official with "Idou" 12 megapixel mobile
Discussion: SEMC Blog, Boy Genius Report, Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog, Gizmodo, Electronic Pulp, Electronista, Unwired View, PMP Today and Ubergizmo
Maximys / SEMC Blog: Sony Ericsson unveiled Idou
Kelly Hodgkins / Boy Genius Report: Sony Ericsson announces the 8 megapixel W995 and the 12 megapixel Idou
Jack Loftus / Gizmodo: Sony Ericsson Idou Arrives In Second Half 2009 With 16:9 Touchscreen, 12MP Camera
David Gonzales / Electronic Pulp: Sony Ericsson's Symbian-powered Idou with 12MP camera unveiled, coming in summer
Ilinca Nita / Unwired View: 12MP Sony Ericsson Idou unveiled; Sony Ericsson W995 Hikaru announced too
Mark Hendrickson / TechCrunch:
MTV Pulls The Plug On Embeddable Videos — When NBC Universal and News Corporation-backed Hulu launched in Fall 2007, it was a signal that old television media might actually grasp the distributive power of the internet. Not only were great programs made available for free as streaming videos …
Discussion: HipMojo.com and MTVN Content API
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / HipMojo.com: Is MTV Doing the Smart Thing?
Rob Walker / New York Times:
A Successful Failure — FAIL WHALE — Yiying Lu, an artist and a designer in Sydney, Australia, has made a number of appealing illustrations, many featuring animals. But one image in her portfolio is far more likely to be familiar to at least some of you than any of the others …
Discussion: TechNation Australia, Thanks:atul
Kim Heras / TechNation Australia: The History Of The Aussie Fail Whale
Janko Roettgers / NewTeeVee:
The Definitive Primer to the Pirate Bay Trial — The trial against the Pirate Bay will start in Sweden on Monday, and file sharers and P2P journalists alike can hardly contain themselves. The Times of London has dubbed it the "Internet piracy trial of the decade," and the Pirate Bay's staff …
Discussion: TorrentFreak, WatchingTV Online, p2pnet and Guardian
Jack Schofield / Guardian: Pirate Bay trial starts Monday
Lidija Davis / ReadWriteWeb:
A Computer Repair Utility Kit You Can Run From a Thumb Drive — Technibble, the Australian site for aspiring computer techies, recently released the second version of its popular Computer Repair Utility Kit, a collection of 57 hand picked tools to help you diagnose and repair your Windows machine.
Discussion: digg.com, Thanks:kevendones
Brooke Crothers / CNET News:
A brief history of chip fibs, flops: Intel, IBM, AMD — Even the biggest chip companies churn out their share of flops. But the hype that surrounds these chips is more fascinating than the failures. — It's been almost a year since I posted A brief history of chip hype—and flops (part 1).
Vindu Goel / New York Times:
How Google Decides to Pull the Plug — GOOGLE recently set the blogosphere abuzz by announcing that it was pulling the plug on several products. — The victims included Lively, a virtual world that was Google's answer to Second Life; Dodgeball, a cellphone service aimed at young bar-hoppers …
Discussion: Dare Obasanjo aka Carnage4Life, BloggingStocks, Slashdot and Smalltalk Tidbits …, Thanks:atul
Douglas McIntyre / BloggingStocks: Google finally gets aggressive in closing loser products
Soulskill / Slashdot: How Google Decides To Cancel a Project
James A. Robertson / Smalltalk Tidbits, Industry Rants: From Small and Hungry to Big and Conservative
Fred / A VC:
How Patent Trolls Are A Tax On Innovation — I've written on the subjects of patents before on this blog and on the Union Square Ventures weblog. There have been good discussions around this issue, both in this post and in the sessions event that the USV weblog posts talks about.
Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch:
As The Economy Sours, LinkedIn's Popularity Grows — As layoffs continued to pound the economy in January, one beneficiary was job networking site LinkedIn. According to the latest January data from comScore, the LinkedIn's U.S. unique visitors shot up 22 percent to 7.7 million, up from 6.3 million in December.
Discussion: CNET News
Natalie Weinstein / CNET News: LinkedIn traffic grows


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More renewable energy is created on and in the earth every day than humans could consume in a thousand years. Now, for the first time in history, the world is in a position to access this energy on a global scale. However, shifting from conventional fossil fuel energy resources to renewable ones entails several key factors. These are:
- Financial incentive
- Environmental incentive
- Governmental action
- Technological innovation
- Increased knowledge of energy creation and usage by the individual
- Motivation for, and interest in, the subject
- Commitment to this change
The Energy Groove is dedicated to driving these factors.
The below interview with Jeremy Rifkin provides some clear insight as to where we stand today with renewable energy.
If you can't see the video displayed, CLICK HERE.


text:
TonePort™ UX8 Users Get POD Farm™ Platinum FREE!
TonePort® UX8 has been providing eight simultaneous channels of 24-bit/96kHz audio to countless discerning guitarists and producers worldwide. Now, the sturdy and stylish black box offers even more power with a FREE download of POD Farm™ Platinum!
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TonePort UX8 has the studio-standard specs you need to create platinum-album recordings, including a comprehensive I/O with eight XLR inputs boasting high-quality mic pres and phantom power, eight 1/4-inch line-level inputs, eight 1/4-inch balanced line outputs, stereo RCA S/PDIF input and output, and much more. Plus, it provides an incredibly wide dynamic range, the most headroom of any similar interface and exclusive latency-killing ToneDirect™ monitoring.
Get TonePort UX8 today and revel in pro-grade components, rock-solid construction and the stunning sound of POD Farm Platinum!
*Contains a Line 6 license that cannot be transferred to an iLok USB Smart Key.


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MONDAY, Oct. 29, 2012 (HealthDay News) -- Prostate cancer patients who received Viagra before and after their radiation therapy had improved sexual function, according to a new study.
Sexual woes, including erectile dysfunction, are a common side effect of prostate cancer care. The new study included patients with prostate cancer that had not spread who underwent external-beam radiation therapy and/or permanent implantation of radioactive "seeds."
The men were randomly assigned to take either a 50-milligram-a-day dose of Viagra (sildenafil citrate) or an inactive placebo during treatment and for six months after therapy.
The men completed sexual function questionnaires before their first radiation treatment and at six, 12 and 24 months after treatment. The questionnaires asked them about their erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction and overall sexual satisfaction.
"Men who received the drug showed significantly improved overall sexual function, including improved erectile function," said study lead author Dr. Michael Zelefsky, vice chair for clinical research programs in the department of radiation oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Cancer Center.
"Results like this are important because they demonstrate that drug therapy used before and after radiation treatment may lessen the risk of impotence, a common side effect of radiation therapy," Zelefsky said in an American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) news release. Future studies will be needed to further define the drug's role and the optimal duration to prevent loss of sexual function after treatment."
Pfizer, the maker of Viagra, provided partial funding for this study.
One expert said this type of study is valuable for patients.
"Since erectile dysfunction occurs as often with radiation as it does with surgery, this is an important study," said Dr. Warren Bromberg, a urologist at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y. However, he noted that "while [the researchers'] report an improvement with Viagra compared to placebo, the amount of benefit is not revealed."
Erectile dysfunction medications do have their own issues, Bromberg added, including "the expense of a daily dose of such oral medication, side effects such as facial flushing, headache, stuffy nose, and adverse interactions with other medications."
Still, many prostate cancer patients could benefit, depending on their individual case, Bromberg said. "One difference in how radiation may affect erections compared with surgery is that men who have undergone surgery may see a progressive improvement in their erections for up to 3 years after treatment, whereas men who have undergone radiation may see a progressive decline," he noted. "Therefore, the use of oral medications for men undergoing radiation may be more important in the long run."
The study was to be presented Monday at ASTRO's annual meeting in Boston. Findings presented at medical meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The Prostate Cancer Foundation has more about erectile dysfunction after prostate cancer treatment.


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text: Most U.S. consumers believe they\u2019re protecting their computers against cyberattacks, but their actions indicate they aren\u2019t as safe as they think, according to a study released Monday.Eighty-seven percent of U.S. consumers surveyed believe they have antivirus protection installed on their computers, but scans of their systems found only 52 percent have antivirus software that\u2019s been updated in the last month, according to a study by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and McAfee Inc. More than nine in 10 consumers surveyed said they believe their computers were protected from viruses.In addition, 70 percent of U.S. consumers believe they have anitspyware software installed on their computers, but only 55 percent do, the study said. And 61 percent believe they have antispam software installed, but only 21 percent do."Consumers at this point in time have a false sense of security," said Bari Abdul, vice president of worldwide consumer marketing at McAfee. "What they say they have on their PC doesn\u2019t match with what they actually have."Seventy-eight percent of computers McAfee scanned for the study did not have what Abdul called "core protection" -- a combination antivirus, antispyware and firewall software -- on their computers. The survey was conducted through e-mail invitations, and the 378 people who answered the survey allowed their computers to be scanned.McAfee and NCSA, an educational group made up of U.S. government agencies and private companies, released the survey during a day-long event in Washington, D.C., to launch October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month.During the event, Deborah Platt Majoras, chairwoman of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and Greg Garcia, assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, both encouraged private companies to work with government to educate consumers and organizations about the importance of cybersecurity defenses."Individual and enterprise cybersecurity are really two sides of the same coin," Garcia said. "It\u2019s not possible to have one without the other."Majoras and Garcia said their agencies are both working hard to improve cybersecurity with efforts to educate consumers and businesses. One of the current problems that "drives me crazy," Majoras said, is phishing attacks, where people receive an e-mail that looks like it\u2019s from their bank, credit card or other business provider, asking the recipients to click a link to update their personal information.The phishing problem would be largely fixed if more consumers were educated about the identity-theft scam, Majoras said.In the McAfee\/NCSA survey, 75 percent of respondents said they had heard of phishing, but only 54 percent of those could describe it accurately, Abdul said. Forty-four percent of respondents said they believe they have spyware or adware installed on their computers.Nearly 90 percent of those who responded store personal information on their computers and conduct sensitive activities such as banking or stock trading online.More education is needed, Abdul said. "It\u2019s extremely important to take this dialog to the next level," he added. By Grant Gross, IDG News Service (Washington Bureau)


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Exposure to ionizing radiation is believed to be dangerous for humans. The rays or particles can damage human tissue based on the exposure; typically, the more radiation, the more damage.
As Japan's nuclear disaster continues, the Fukushima 50 and others risking their lives to prevent a nuclear catastrophe have been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation as they attempt to stabilize the power plants. The Fukushima Daiichi plant was badly damaged in the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that knocked out nuclear reactor cooling systems and caused radiation leaks.
Workers at the plant, more than 200 total, rotate in groups of 50 (thus the name) and are exposed to higher radiation levels than a typical plant worker would be exposed to throughout his or her entire career.
Dr. Ronald DeMeo, president and CEO of Miami-based Radiation Shield Technologies (RST) was at home watching news coverage from the devastated Japanese areas when he was shocked to see workers at the plant wearing nonwoven fabrics.
"Would you ever think of wearing a nonwoven fabric in an X-ray environment in a hospital? No, it's worthless," says DeMeo. Nonwovens are fabric-like material made from long fibers, bonded together by chemical, mechanical, heat, or solvent treatment; they typically lack strength unless reinforced by a backing.
"The nonwoven surgical gown doesn't do anything for radiation, so why would it be any different in the field? If you're dealing with ionizing radiation, such as X-ray or gamma, which is really just the same in terms of photon energy, why on earth would you use a nonwoven to attenuate that? You're talking about paper vs. heavy metal. It's silly even to ask to compare."
DeMeo is the developer of Demron, the world's first nuclear radiation-blocking, anti-chemical, and biological-protective fabric for personal-protection systems (full-body suits, shields, etc.) DeMeo had some penetration in the Asian markets, but he knew it wasn't the time or the place for a sales call. With such a fluid and chaotic situation, DeMeo felt that the path of least resistance was to go ahead and send more than 200 full-body nuclear radiation-protection suits to Japan. Because of their unique material, the radiation-blocking suits protect against multiple threats, such as infrared radiation, extreme heat, nuclear fallout, and biological and chemical agents.
According to DeMeo, the initial product was very different from the product used today. "I was trying to better protect myself against ionized radiation from the X-ray machine in the operating room," says DeMeo. A board-certified anesthesiologist and pain-management specialist, DeMeo mapped the radiation dispersal in the operating room and tried to place shielding products between himself and the X-ray. In doing so, he realized that the aprons he was using were not nearly adequate. By his best estimate, the apron only covered about 30 percent of his body's surface area.
"People in my field were beginning to develop carcinomas [invasive malignant tumors that consist of transformed epithelial cells], skin burns, and dysplasia [a pre-cancerous change in cells and tissues]," says DeMeo.
The shielding products weren't cutting it, and DeMeo started searching the market for an apron and shield alternative — he came up empty-handed.
"The design was quite inadequate, often with a lot of gaps and openings, and they didn't fit well," says DeMeo. "I started tinkering with different types of metals and trying to incorporate them in different ways. I started using brand products and combining them into a fiber with limited success — the fiber would often fall out of the substrate. I started incorporating resins to try and hold the metal in place in the fabric."
As DeMeo tinkered with different resins, resin technology continued to advance. Metals were incorporated into resin, and metals became smaller, down to the nano scale. Using nano-procedures, DeMeo tried to achieve a higher density in a better packing material without losing the ability to flex and blend. After ten years of development, Demron is a dense fabric that still acts like a metal, but makes us feel more comfortable. Meanwhile, it has increased compliance use as the resins have advanced to make them more impermeable to oxygen, which leads to better attenuation and barrier qualities for chemical agents. DeMeo's pet project evolved into a multi-hazard fabric.
DeMeo buys the nanos direct — and notes the high cost — and uses a one-step proprietary process that allows him to have a decent population of metal, around 20 nm, for tighter packing inside of the polymer. The metal-to-metal interaction remains because the distance between the metals is close enough that the material retains some of its thermal conductive properties without losing its ability to flex and bend.
The nano-fiber is embedded into a resin, which varies according to the product. DeMeo started out with basic polypropylene and metallocene polyethylene resins, and as the polymer technology advanced he incorporated it into the resin.
"We worked with multiple polymer groups and experts, machine manufacturers as well," recalls DeMeo. "The machines weren't designed for incorporating these types of products into resin, and a lot of modifications had to be made."
In turn, the suits can be customized to fit the situations, but they top out around ten pounds in weight. If the scenario calls for additional protection, RST adds a torso vest to the suit since the chest is more sensitive to higher energy sources.
Working with Machine Manufacturers
The greatest machine design challenge for RST wasn't retrofitting existing machines for a new process; it was the sales dance between company and client. Every time DeMeo called the manufacturer in an attempt to modify his machine, the company in question pushed a new custom solution rather than offering a re-engineered remedy.
"The hardest part was trying to use conventional equipment and processes to try and make the product," says DeMeo. "To use customized equipment would not really be cost effective."
"The people that helped us the most were the actual resin manufacturers," says DeMeo. "They had machine technicians onsite since they had a vested interest in our success."
RST incorporated fibers to give the suit the texture and feel of fabric — it has the characteristics of denim in terms of tear strength, flexibility, and breathability. The fibers have inherent problems with attracting particulate, and, if exposed, the user has to undergo standard decontamination procedures.
The suit cost averages $1,700 dollars, but DeMeo stresses that he doesn't outsource anything. RST manufactures from raw materials to the finished product all in-house. And the end-users love it, according to DeMeo. After all, it's designed specifically for, and by, the end-user.
"You have to let the end-user drive the product," DeMeo insists. "Don't let yourself drive the product. You want to get your data and testing done appropriately and get some honest feedback so you can make the changes that fit the person you are trying to serve, not what you think they need." Remember, DeMeo is a doctor, not a fashion designer; understanding size, fit, weight distribution, and ergonomics wasn't his forte.
Honest feedback was easy to find for DeMeo's bottom-up approach to product design. He approached several firemen, policemen, and army infantrymen who were eager to participate, to test the product. "Many of these guys feel that manufacturers really don't include them," he adds. "When you go with a top-down approach, and you're shooting for spec, you wind up with a big, green Gumby suit."
DeMeo presented his suit as an R&D project and asked the servicemen if they would like to be a part of the process, because at the end of the day, he believes that they will be the greatest influencers in the purchase of the product.
"You want your suit to be your best marketer. You want it to sell itself," DeMeo says. "The more time you spend doing that, the less time and money you spend marketing the product to try and convince the end-user. If you come out too early, you're basically competing against yourself. Sometimes you only get one shot to see somebody, especially those in the military and police. You want to make sure that the first encounter is a positive one. You'll spend a fortune trying to convince people that you're right."
Seven days after DeMeo shipped the suits out to the Fukushima 50, delivery remains the greatest challenge. As the suits lie in a box in a Singapore warehouse, he is working diligently with embassies, navigating through the many channels in the political process. Here's hoping the suits find their way before greater tragedy strikes.
For more information, please visit www.radshield.com.


text: Today's Weird Photo Wednesday is a scary view of Hoover Dam. Here we have a historical photograph with a unique viewpoint. Working at the top and around the dam requires people that aren't afraid of heights. For more information about this photo, please click here. For more unique and different photographs, see our Digital Collections.


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IMPORTANT RECALL INFORMATION: Before a Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle is listed or sold, GM requires dealers to complete all safety recalls. However, because even the best processes can break down, we encourage you to check the recall status of any vehicle at my.gm.com/recalls and
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IMPORTANT RECALL INFORMATION: Before a Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle is listed or sold, GM requires dealers to complete all safety recalls. However, because even the best processes can break down, we encourage you to check the recall status of any vehicle at my.gm.com/recalls and
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You can't judge a book by its cover, but you can judge our Certified Pre-Owned vehicles by their great benefits. All of our vehicles are hand-selected to help meet your standards. In addition, every Certified Pre-Owned vehicle must be a Chevrolet, Buick or GMC; be less than 6 years old; have fewer than 75,000 miles; and must have a clean title. Keep scrolling to discover all of the benefits of a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle.
More coverage means more confidence. Every Certified Pre-Owned vehicle from Chevrolet, Buick and GMC comes with a 6-year/100,000-mile1 Extended Powertrain Limited Warranty, including Roadside Assistance3 and Courtesy Transportation available during your limited warranty period. We believe in our vehicles and we aren't afraid to stand by them.
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When you own a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle you're covered. That's because every Certified Pre-Owned vehicle comes with an Extended New Car Bumper-to-Bumper Limited Warranty for 12 months/12,000 miles.2 Please keep in mind there are some exclusions. Some examples are: the warranty does not include tire damage or wear, damage due to bedliners, damage due to insufficient or improper maintenance, damage due to contaminated or poor-quality fuel and misuse of the vehicle such as driving over curbs, overloading, racing or other competition (proper vehicle use is discussed in the CPO Owner's Manual).
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IMPORTANT RECALL INFORMATION: Before a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle is listed or sold, GM requires dealers to complete all safety recalls. However, because even the best processes can break down, we encourage you to check the recall status of any vehicle at my.gm.com/recalls and www.SaferCar.gov.
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VEHICLE EXCHANGE PROGRAMFinding the perfect fit is key. So, if for some reason something changes, you have 3 days or 150 miles (whichever comes first) to exchange7 your Certified Pre-Owned vehicle for something that you'll love. Did your lifestyle unexpectedly change? Are you adding a new member to the family? Not loving the color? Whatever it is, our exchange policy allows you the option to find a better fit for your needs. It's just another one of the perks we offer that make Certified Pre-Owned vehicles a step above all other used vehicles.
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If you find a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle in the dealer's inventory, you can ask the dealer or look up its service history and previous ownership records, so you can make sure the vehicle you purchase has a clean record. CARFAX®, the most trusted name in Vehicle History Reports, is our preferred provider.
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- Whichever comes first, in addition to any remaining original factory Bumper-to-Bumper warranty. See participating dealer for limited warranty details.
- Whichever comes first, from original in-service date. See participating dealer for limited warranty details.
- During your powertrain limited warranty period, 6 years or 100,000 miles from new vehicle delivery, whichever comes first. Limitations apply. Roadside assistance provided by Allstate. See dealer for details.
- Maintenance visits must occur within 2 years or 24,000 miles of vehicle delivery, whichever comes first. Does not include air filters. See participating dealer for other restrictions and complete details.
- Eligible vehicles receive 1 month of Premium Plan coverage, inclusive of the OnStar Safety & Security Plan and the Connected Vehicle Plan. Services are subject to user terms and limitations, and capabilities vary by model. Certain services require working electrical system, cell service and GPS signal. OnStar links to emergency services. When you select a paid monthly plan within 15 days of activation, you'll receive an additional 2 months of the plan you select at no additional charge. The 2-month extension must be redeemed within 15 days of activation date and requires that you enroll in a monthly service plan and associate a payment method on file. After trial expires, OnStar will automatically bill your payment method each month. Plans containing 4G LTE data will be billed every 30 days by AT&T. You may cancel at any time by pushing your blue OnStar button or by calling 1.888.466.7827. Data plans provided by AT&T. Availability subject to change. Mobile app features require automatic locks and factory-installed and enabled remote start system. See onstar.com for details and limitations.
- Your SiriusXM service will automatically stop at the end of your trial unless you decide to subscribe. If you decide to continue service, the paid subscription plan you choose will automatically renew and you will be charged the rate in effect at that time and according to your chosen payment method. You may cancel at any time by calling 1-866-635-2349. See SiriusXM Customer Agreement for complete terms at siriusxm.com. Fees and programming subject to change.
- Whichever comes first. Vehicle exchange only. Limitations apply. See dealer for details.


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SYDNEY – Thousands of rabid rats were found on a Qantas plane. Twelve passengers were killed.
Authorities determined that the rats were in a compartment holding medical equipment, They escaped and then attacked passengers – killing twelve.
The rodents were found in every part of the plane – the flight attendants galley, First Class, Coach, and even in the cockpit. One of the victims killed by the rats was the pilot, Captain Darryl Woozer.
Passengers tried to fight off the rats as best they could but there were just too many of them. "I pulled off my seat and used it as a battering ram against the rats," said passenger Abigail Montrose. "But I couldn't stop them, they kept coming. My husband was bitten about seventy times, but luckily he survived."
She did kill a few of the rats. Here's one of Abigail's rat kills:
A Qantas spokeswoman called the incident "very unusual." She declined to be named, citing policy.
But Randy O'Brien of the Transportation Workers Union told WWN that members have had concerns about flying again on Qantas flights. They fear that rats have target the airline.
A Qantas spokeswoman denied that was the case. "This is a very irregular occurrence," she said. "We doubt passengers will be bitten by rats any time soon."
Qantas, Australia's national carrier, has experienced a series of troubles in recent months, including an engine explosion and forced landings.
American authorities are looking into the incident. The FAA wants to ensure that no rat attacks will occur on flights originating in America. "We've already had a snake problem and an alligator problem on flights," said FAA representative Cindy Sharlin, "we don't want a rat problem too."


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by Joe Giambrone, The Political Film Blog
In a time when people dread the next pseudo-political bullshit-fest that Hollywood poops out…
In an age of war, of genetic engineering, of rising fascism, of the propaganda state…
In a world gone mad with terrorism, covert proxy armies, the reign of billionaires, and Kim Kardashian…
…yet another jingoistic American muscle picture smells like an Oscar."
I've long ago given up on Hollywood providing anything in the neighborhood of a "true" story. I've spoken with more than a few screenwriters who feel no obligation toward the actual objective history, or to piecing together what surely happened according to the available data. Breezily they would prefer to toss out the facts in favor of "story." That's the self-serving claim, anyway. The reality is that history is always in second position to the "notes" of their superiors, and Hollywood scribes are simply corporate employees. Any studio executive or producer in the chain can rewrite history at their own whim. That is the reality of the American movie business, which few would dispute.
Enter Osama Bin Laden (boo, hiss!). But, the first trailers for the Zero Dark Thirty snuff film actually omitted showing the dark lord bad guy, for some inexplicable reason. Would he appear as an underdog up against the hyper-charged, well-armed younger Navy Seals?
Very much like the real history provides no actual photographic evidence that bin Laden was even there in Abbottabad, or shot that night, or dumped into the ocean. In this film, in addition to producers and studio heads, we have the federal government giving notes and purporting to give us the truth (from a demonstrably unreliable source).
Be that as it may, we are certain to get nothing in the way of truth about whom this villain bin Laden actually was, what he did, who he worked for, and with, and what the hell he might actually have had to do – if anything – with the September 11th attacks. Our glorious hit men are clearly the stars of this tense, gripping, riveting thriller. Not just good Americans, but the best of the best, these gunslingers ask no questions and go anywhere to silence crucial witnesses who could provide some very damaging trial testimony.
No doubt the Dark Thirty script will provide the he-men no choice, and bin Laden will wield a bazooka while wearing a dirty bomb vest as he cackles maniacally, "Say hello to my little Jihad! Ha ha ha."
Maybe not. We'll have to wait and see.
Some disturbing subplots, which I don't expect to find in this patriotic tale of guns and glory—
When asked why there was no mention of the 9/11 attacks on Osama Bin Laden's FBI's Most Wanted web page [FBI Spokesman Rex Tomb] said, "The reason why 9/11 is not mentioned on Usama Bin Laden's Most Wanted page is because the FBI has no hard evidence connecting Bin Laden to 9/11."
Osama bin Laden fought on the same side as the United States in several conflicts including Afghanistan in the 1980's, Kosovo and Bosnia in the 1990's. Reports indicated cooperation with the US Central Intelligence Agency.
The Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) served as the go-between for the US intelligence and the bin Laden network tracing back to the 1980's. As bin Laden is alleged to have taken refuge in Pakistan, half a mile from the Pakistani military academy, what was the role of Pakistan's ISI in protecting him, and who in the US intelligence community knew of this? Bonus financial subplot – why are we still giving Pakistan billions of our tax dollars and who is trying to stop it?
Bin Laden, a prominent Saudi national, maintained ties to Saudi Arabia as well, and the Saudi government was repeatedly implicated in the September 11th attacks, although never prosecuted for an act of war. What is the relationship between the Saudi royals, the bin Laden network and those in the United States who would cover up these connections?
Was bin Laden given the green light to be airlifted out of Kunduz Afghanistan in November of 2001, at a time when the US Air Force could easily have shot down any escaping aircraft?
Was Osama bin Laden admitted to a Rawalpindi, Pakistan military hospital for treatment on September 10th, 2001, as reported by CBS?
Was Osama bin Laden treated at a United States military hospital in Dubai, UAE, in July of 2001, as reported by French intelligence in Le Figaro?
No. Of course the Obama administration won't be providing details to the eager filmmakers about any of that, not one whit. Obama's justice department (sic) actually sided with the Saudi royals and against the 9/11 victim's families in their lawsuit. Disclosure was thwarted, and the lawsuit dismissed on the grounds that the Saudis – whether guilty or not – enjoyed "immunity" from lawsuits by pesky citizens whose families were murdered on September 11th.
Don't expect true stories from the US federal government, nor from the Hollywood motion picture business. Put them both together, and surely this must be a comedy, a very dark comedy.
JOE GIAMBRONE is editor in chief of the Political Film Blog.