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Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ matrix which depends smoothly on a variable $x\in \mathbb{R}^n$ and such that there are constants $C_\alpha > 0 $ so that $\| \partial ^\alpha A \| \le C_\alpha $ for all multi-indices $\alpha \in \mathbb{N}_0^n$ (i.e. $A$ together with all its derivatives are bounded in matrix norm). Call the set of such matrices $S$. Assume moreover that at some point $x_0 \in \mathbb{R}^n$ we have $A(x_0) = I$ (identity matrix).
I now want to prove that we can find a matrix $B\in S$ that is supported away from $x_0$ and such that $A + B$ is invertible for all $x\in \mathbb{R} ^n$.
My approach was that, since $A$ is smooth, we can find neighborhoods $V_0$ and $V_1$ of $x_0$ with $\overline{V_0}\subset V_1$ such that $$ \|A - I\| \le 1/3 \text{ on } V_0 \quad \text{ and } \quad \|A - I\| \le 2/3 \text{ on } V_1 $$ and then take $B=t\chi I$ for some suitable $t\in \mathbb{R}$ where $\chi $ is smooth and $\chi = 0$ on $V_0$ and $\chi = 1$ outside $V_1$. I tried making $A+B$ within distance 1 to identity but did not succeed.
Any ideas?


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Tuesday, while filming beautiful B-roll ay Captain Joe's dock, for my Monarch butterfly project, my friend Joey suggested I ask each lobstermen what they were thankful for. It was alot of fun, as you can see, and although I made this video for Good Morning Gloucester, I thought my readers would enjoy. And as you can see, I also got lots of gorgeous B-roll of lobstermen in action and lobster boats, which will help establish a wonderful sense of place for my film. You can watch the video on Good Morning Gloucester if you'd also like to read all the great comments.
Wishing everyone a happy and joyful Thanksgiving filled with lots of yummy food.
Brought to you by Good Morning Gloucester and the crews of lobster boats The Lady J and The Degelyse, and Brian O'Connor. Thanksgiving interviews with, in order of appearance, Joey Ciaramitaro, Ryan, Skipper Dave Jewell, Brain M O'Connor, Michael, Skipper Tuffy, Sean, and Frankie Ciaramitaro.
I've Got Plenty to Be Thankful For, sung by Bing Crosby and How Sweet It Is by Marvin Gaye.
Once again, a million and one thank yous to Joey and Frankie for allowing me to film and photograph from the dock at Captain Joe and Sons.

subset: commoncrawl


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Careful With That Axe, Pichu!
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The Consuming Shadow (Beta)
[Warning: People with certain sensitivities be advised that this game contains an option to commit suicide.]
Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw draws inspiration for everything from indie hit Faster Than Light and cult classic Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem for his roguelike survival horror adventure game The Consuming Shadow. Currently playable for free in Beta, the game stars you as humanity's last hope to perform a ritual to banish an ancient god whose shadow is slowly consuming the world... but the catch is, you're not sure which god it is, and banishing the wrong one would be disastrous. The only option you have is to drive from town to town, investigating rumors, taking odd jobs, and clearing out places the evil has infested, but the clock is literally ticking. Every action you take takes time, and with only 72 hours remaining before the world is swallowed by darkness, you don't have a lot of it. You'll need to work fast, but balance your health and even your sanity, as you search a landscape ravaged by desperate, terrified people and dark forces. Oh, and did we mention? The game is randomized every time you play, so don't expect to quit after a run of bad luck and have everything be all hunky-dory because you think you know where everything is, you filthy cheater.
A lot of the basic gameplay plays out something like a choose-your-own-adventure text game. From your car's trusty GPS, you'll select and travel to destinations, and in towns you'll have a handful of options to choose from, like getting medical attention, finding people to sell you supplies, or looking for work. A town marked with red is a potentially hostile place with a dungeon to explore, location that's green is somewhere safe(ish) you can find goods and services in, and an orange location is a place you have an objective in. All manner of random events can pop up, and how you decide to deal with them can have unexpected outcomes. A family member might text with an encouraging message or whatever funds they can spare... but they also might insist you're delusion and plead for you to seek help. All you can do is keep hunting for clues by examining everything you can and searching everywhere, but if you fail, don't worry. Based on whatever you accomplished before you died, the game will grant you experience points, and whenever you level up, you're granted upgrade tokens you can spend on improving everything from your maximum health and sanity to your initially abysmal ammo capacity for your next playthroughs.
Your ultimate goal is to both figure out the components of the ritual needed to banish the god invading the world, as well as which of three unspeakable entities that god is. Both the god responsible, and their colour and runes, change on each playthrough. In dungeons, towns that have been overcome by the shadow, you can find a variety of clues. It might be a rune scrawled on the wall whose meaning and target might help you contextually figure out the relationships between the deities or what they stand for, or it might be a scrap of journal or ancient text that more bluntly spells out a portion of the information you need. Your notes and spellbook will keep track of these more obvious clues for you, but you might want to jot down the colours and meanings of the runes you find on your own. When you have the ritual and the god, or at least think you have enough to make an educated guess, you'll need to head to Stonehenge and fight your way through it to cast the spell.
When you enter a "dungeon", the game switches to a side-scrolling view where you can use [WASD] to move around, or click the onscreen arrows to do so too. These are the dangerous places where you'll have to deal with monsters, and if you didn't stock up on ammo you'll learn how hazardous kicking a crawling flesh beast to death is. You can leave a room without killing the monsters in it, but your mental health will take a hit. Sanity can be your biggest enemy as it decreases from certain events, and low sanity might lead your character to struggle in general, and even consider taking their own life rather than battle with literal demons. Still, if you want to try casting spells, during dungeon exploration click on the circle of runes, select in order the runes you wish to use, and then click the play screen to cast. While some spells can have beneficial abilities, all of them cost you some sanity to cast, and discovering a spell as part of a dungeon's treasure is safer than experimenting with runes and hoping to stumble across something.
Analysis: The Consuming Shadow is one of those games whose difficulty primarily comes from its randomised roguelike elements, since it's impossible to predict how something is going to go for you. That twitchy guy who wants a ride could turn out to be a needy soul who will repay your kindness, or he could steal your car and dump you bruised on the side of the road, and you won't know unless you take the chance. Frustrating? Sure, but it's also tense and realistic, aside from being a staple of the genre, and helps create an atmosphere of paranoia and self doubt. Considering you spend so much time staring at the road, it's a remarkably creepy game, and one that relies on suggestion to scare more than anything else. Yahtzee has always excelled at crafting frightening worlds and scenarios with just a few lines, and The Consuming Shadow is no exception.
At first blush, gameplay seems a little clunky when you're exploring and fighting in dungeons. It takes a bit to nail the timing when firing so you don't waste bullets, which you definitely don't want since melee is... awkward... and even then combat still feels more like a chore than anything else. After a while it all starts to feel a bit repetitive. There are never really any surprises to be had in the dungeons once you've played a bit, and at the moment there's only a handful of random text options for any given situation, so you'll start to see repeats before long. Perhaps most tedious of all is the suicide function, which just starts to get annoying rather than tense as it starts to crop up with increasing frequency and no difference throughout and loses the weight it might otherwise carry as a result.
Of course, the game is still in Beta, and Yahtzee is currently looking for feedback on how to improve and expand it. Being able to see where a job location is in relation to you before you accept it would be handy so you don't need to memorize the map. Likewise, letting you plot a course through several different towns to a destination that's farther away would cut down on tedious clicking and menu re-navigation. Mostly, however, it just feels as if the dungeons need to be fleshed out with more elements to make them more interesting... puzzles, random occurrences, quick time events... uh, maybe not that last one.
In spite of its early state, however, The Consuming Shadow is still an engrossing and engaging horror game that manages to be far more unsettling than most. The decision to leave the monsters in silhouette is incredibly effective, moreso than if they had been fully illuminated, and the range of disgusting to downright terrifying (such as the "special" monsters) is handled well. The text and mood effectively craft an atmosphere of loneliness and desperation as you drive through the dark and hostile countryside, and assembling the ritual components as well as sussing out the contextual clues makes you feel like a proper clever hero when you figure things out. And the unexpected ally at the MoO? Great touch for fans of Yahtzee's earlier work. Though it clearly has a ways to go before its done, for its flaws The Consuming Shadow manages to be an arresting and unique experience you'll want to keep coming back to, and one we can't wait to see more of in the future.
Get the free full version (Beta)
Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.


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Sex therapy may be helpful for some men who have erection problems (erectile dysfunction). Sex therapy doesn't involve having sex with or in front of the sex therapist. Also, isn't long-term or open-ended therapy. It usually involves working with a therapist who recommends gradual steps to change sexual behavior.
Sex therapy helps you understand and accept that emotions (such as anxiety or sadness) can easily become associated with physical factors or reactions. This therapy is based on the following:
- Both partners share responsibility for helping solve the problem, even if it is due to physical causes.
- You and your partner receive information and education about sexual techniques.
- It is necessary to change any negative attitudes toward sex.
- It is necessary to open up lines of communication between you and your partner.
Sex therapy may involve:
- Talking about the multiple causes of sexual problems and how emotions can play a role in physical causes.
- Using a variety of psychological tests.
- Talking about the natural changes in sexual function that occur with aging.
- Offering specific suggestions for enhancing sexual enjoyment (such as changing foreplay, using lubricants, getting enough rest, eliminating distractions).
Your family doctor may be able to refer you to a sex therapist. Or you can get a referral from a psychologist or social worker.
Related Information
Current as of: February 9, 2022
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Christopher G. Wood MD, FACS - Urology, Oncology
- Top of the page
Next Section:Related Information
Previous Section:Overview
- Top of the page
Next Section:Credits
Previous Section:Related Information
- Top of the page
Current as of: February 9, 2022
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Christopher G. Wood MD, FACS - Urology, Oncology


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MS Belle De Cadix
Admire the beautiful views from the spacious sundeck or enjoy a drink in the panorama bar, all 88 cabins are well equipped on this 3 deck ship.
or call us on 1800 804 006
Sail under the Mediterranean sun into Spanish Andalusia and Seville on this eight-day voyage by cruise and coach taking in the highlights of this vibrant region. Follow the Guadalquivir River into Cordoba and onward to Seville and Cadiz. Enjoy coach tours from the ship, wine tastings, flamenco shows and more on this river adventure.
Important information: This cruise is a combination of cruising and coach tour. Cruising takes place on Days 3, 4 and 5. Other journeys are taken from the cruise ship by coach.
Depart London on your scheduled flight to Seville. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your ship, MS Belle De Cadix. Board your ship and enjoy a welcome cocktail with the crew before dinner. The ship will remain docked in Seville until Day 3.
Disembark for a guided tour of Cordoba, a city whose Moorish roots are evident in its Mezquita-Cathedral - a cathedral built in the heart of a mosque. Enjoy a delicious lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Seville.
Take a guided walking tour of Seville, a city renowned for its tapas bars, flamenco dancers and fragrant orange trees. This afternoon, cruise past the Donana National Park. Arrive at Cadiz in the evening for a night-time city tour.
Start the day with a visit to a Ganaderia in Jerez, where bulls are raised. Enjoy time in Cadiz with a guided tour of this ancient port city. Later, enjoy an evening of traditional flamenco dancing on board your vessel.
Take a tour of the Osborne Bodega, including a local wine tasting session. . In the afternoon, cruise towards Isla MInima for a hacienda tour and equestrian show. Return to the ship and set sail for Seville where the ship will dock for the remainder of your trip.
Depart Seville for a tour of Granada, including lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the fortress of Alhambra and discover the country estate of Palacio de Generalife.
Enjoy some free time to explore Seville. Later, depart by coach for a nature reserve. Enjoy a private tour of the area and visit a bird watching site. In July and August, this will be replaced by a visit to Rabida Monastery.
After breakfast, disembark for your extension or airport transfer for your flight to the UK.
A visa is not required for British nationals travelling to Spain. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
If booking more than 10 weeks before departure a deposit of €300pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 10 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 10 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
Your flight is to Seville airport with easyJet (EZY) departing from London Gatwick North Terminal. Each passenger is entitled to 20kg of hold luggage plus 1 item of hand luggage not exceeding in size and 1 personal item such as a handbag, briefcase or laptop case. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-In should be at least 2 hours before departure.
IMPORTANT: Please note that final flight details will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to
you approximately 10 days before departure. You will not receive an E-ticket, all you need to do is present your passport and online check-in boarding pass to the staff at the desk.
If you wish to arrange Airport car parking, lounges or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extra Tel. 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313. Your final documentation will include transfer vouchers for your pre-organised return airport transfers and your river cruise boarding passes.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
This river cruise is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves moderate days of walking on cobbled streets and getting on and off the cruise ship. This cruise is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
Optional excursions are escorted by an experienced, English speaking guide.
The currency in Spain, as well as onboard, is the Euro (EUR). We recommend that you exchange currency before you leave the UK, however cash machines are available in most towns and cities to withdraw money in the local currency.
This cruise is All-Inclusive, so you will only need to take a little extra money with you to cover any premium drinks on board and souvenirs, drinks and snacks purchased when off the ship, as well as any optional excursions you wish to book. Tipping is at your discretion. There is an envelope in your cabin for this purpose that can be handed to the reception at the end of your cruise. Credit cards are accepted on board ship and throughout Spain.
|Depart UK
|Arrive UK
|2023 Dates
|12 Oct 2023
|19 Oct 2023
|26 Oct 2023
|02 Nov 2023
|2024 Dates
|14 Mar 2024
|21 Mar 2024
|28 Mar 2024
|04 Apr 2024
|25 Apr 2024
|02 May 2024
|04 Jul 2024
|11 Jul 2024
|18 Jul 2024
|25 Jul 2024
|01 Aug 2024
|08 Aug 2024
|15 Aug 2024
|22 Aug 2024
|29 Aug 2024
|05 Sep 2024
|10 Oct 2024
|17 Oct 2024
|17 Oct 2024
|24 Oct 2024
Treat yourself to a better vista! Cabin and Deck upgrades are available for an additional supplement. For prices and availability please call our Reservations Consultants or Book Online.
If you're travelling alone single cabins are available for a small supplement. For prices and availability please call our Reservations Consultants or Book Online.
The Captain and Croisieurope reserve the right to alter/modify an itinerary at any time, should safety or external circumstances make this necessary, changes are also subject to tides. Some of the highlights may only be seen on optional excursions at an additional cost, or by exploring independently.
Spanish, English
Please familiarise yourself with the climate charts below.
Admire the beautiful views from the spacious sundeck or enjoy a drink in the panorama bar, all 88 cabins are well equipped on this 3 deck ship.
All cabins are equipped with shower and toilet, hairdryer, satellite TV, radio, safe. Spaced across the Upper and Main Decks, all cabins are outside facing and located above the water affording outstanding views from the large picture window.
Your day will always begin with an impressive buffet breakfast. Chefs prepare succulent 3-course meals for lunch and dinner which are served in the onboard restaurant. Midday and evening meals are paired with excellent and carefully chosen beers and wines, included in the price. An open bar is available throughout the voyage (not including Champagne, special wines, premium spirits or fine brandies).
All cruises start with a welcoming cocktail reception where you'll meet the captain, crew and staff of your ship. Facilities onboard include a comfortable lounge with a dance floor for your enjoyment and relaxation as well as a gift shop. FREE Wifi is available in lounge bar and reception. The sun deck, complete with deckchairs, offers a panoramic view of the landscape's beauty as you cruise.
2 nights from €256ppView
Call our experts 1800 804 006
Characterised by imperial grandeur, old world charm and opulent architecture, cruise along a dramatic watercourse into the cities of Vienna in Austria, Budapest in Hungary and Slovakia's Bratislava.
Beginning in one of the world's most beautiful cities, set sail from Paris along the serene Seine river for an eight day cruise, passing some of Normandy's most stunning communes and picture-postcard sceneries.
Characterised by opulent chateaux, charming cities spliced by winding cobbled lanes, scenic beauty that flanks the Dordogne and of course, world-renowned wines from sprawling vineyards.


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Challenges: Tension, stress, harsh words, conflict, fights, arguments, quality of family life together, synergy, emotions that are rampant and patience wearing thin, upset at the smallest little thing. Lack of focus and direction.
Rewards: How you as a family can bond together and work through things, caring and supporting each other, even when the going gets tough, making the bonds and connections even stronger than before. Talking about things that are hard and how you are coping can be an eye-opener, sharing perspectives and solutions very empowering!
Providing stability, order, schedule, routine and a firm foundation amidst uncertainty is a huge responsibility BUT also an immense opportunity to reconnect with each other.
Getting, staying and keeping everyone else on track and organized, fed, clothed, taken care of, on time, where they need to be, when they need to be, in clean clothes and staying sane in the process can be quite the challenge for any single parent. The reward is that is provides you with the opportunity to inspire, engage and mobilize your kids into and in your family unit. They take part in building and shaping their own happiness, family life and future. That is the great reward. A new start and beginning, possibilities and potential. Keep focusing on the positive as opposed to dwelling in and upon the past. It is of extreme importance that anyone and everyone stay connected, have a voice, speak up, communicate clearly and check in with each other regularly. This is the perfect opportunity to help starting the healing process, strengthening the bonds and connections between parents and kids, individually and collectively as a family unit.
You are the authority and disciplinarian in the family unit. Demand and earn respect, trust and honesty. Be fair, open and consistent. Do not over-react and set some rules that you all can live with in this new situation. Organizing and customizing your lives the way you want it. Who gets to do what, when? Which sports and after-school activities, weekends and hobbies and more can be discussed and decided together. The sole parent, guardian and champion of course has the final say and input.
Do everything in your power to foster your children's uniqueness and personality. Everyone has something that makes them unique NEVER FORGET THAT. Encourage their self-sufficiency and independence. Let them do chores around the house, take control of their lives and stop acting like victims, try and play guilt-games or manipulate, disobey, rebel or act out. Teach them to respect you, each other and others at all times.
- How does your family (new) handle conflict, stress and crisis?
- Are there verbal arguments in the household?
- Can you still love and care for each other, despite the difficulty and or words that you are having? How do you stay grounded and connected with each other?
- Are there opportunities for the family and you and the kids, one-on-one to discuss how they feel, what they want, concerns, disagreements?
Communication lays a solid and important foundational element and nature to the family relationships and unit. It strengthens it and deepens the bonds, connections, trust and intimacy you share. Making it a home of comfort, reassurance and shared love.
Modeling effective communication as a parent is a refined skill. Showcasing what you would like to see and be treated can help give 'voice' and coping skills to your kids to deal with expressing how they feel, what they need, want, desire, fear, are anxious about. It will make them more brave to open their mouths and hearts and you will all benefit from this open platform sharing in the family.
Negative communication like sarcasm and ridicule hurts and should not have a place in your home from or directed towards anyone. Kids will mimic what we do. If we do see behavior or expression that is inappropriate, we have to start in our own backyard and change our own ways FIRST! What example are you setting for your kids?
- Expressing thoughts and emotions openly and honestly and sharing experiences, fears, uncertainties, feelings, memories, pain, hurt, loss, concern, worries and more. It is healthy to talk about how and what we feel, need, desire and want – even what we miss. It helps us heal and reach out, bond and connect with each other MORE.
- Explaining things , making them clearer and leaving no room for misinterpretation, manipulation or misuse. Sharing our opinions, beliefs, perceptions, interpretations, points of view with each other, helps us look at things from each others' and different perspectives (even multi-angles or from opposing sides). This brings us calm focus and the ability to solve problems, not emotionally over-react just because we are upset per se.
- Asking questions, probing for understanding is a great way for family-member to reconnect, celebrate a life and plan a future!
- Confrontation of unacceptable behavior, language or treatment is also important and it cuts both ways parent to child and child to parent (and yes, throw in sibling rivalry here too!) Respectful disagreement and speaking up when you feel that you have been wronged in any way is imperative.
- Resolution and resolving of issues, hurt, pain, distances, problems and even disagreements can be mighty powerful.
- Not everything in the family has to be about fighting and arguments. Create and environment that encourages, rewards children to speak up and model good behavior that makes them confident to voice what they have to say. Create a risk-free, safe environment where open communication and honesty is encouraged and valued. You are in effect enabling and empowering your kids, preparing them better for life, their future and adulthood.
Repressed anger, silences and punishment can have quite the opposite effect on them. They will detach, not say what is on their mind, defer to others, be followers and just accept things for what they are, without probing, questioning or verifying if the information is correct and reliable, worthy of being followed. Plan to set your kids, yourself and your family on a good path. Not only to recovery, but coming together as a unit, preparing for life, now, here and now, but also for the future, what lies ahead and whatever life might still throw at you.
Family values are shaped as time passes by. The single parent is not the embodiment and 'enforcer' if you will of these values, authority and discipline. Norms, rules and guidelines for behavior needs to be laid down, boundaries set and some 'security' and known lines in the sand so to speak drawn. Kids need to know what is acceptable and what is not. As the single parent you will state, shape and build these into your daily lives and routines. IT IS UP TO YOU TO ESTABLISH WHO AND WHAT YOUR NEW FAMILY IS, BELIEVES AND HOW THEY TREAT EACH OTHER AND THOSE AROUND THEM. You will set the pace and the nature of these 'family rules'. This is where kids will not learn right from wrong.
Again, there are FIVE KEYS to unlock this phase of the transition. They are as follows:
- Stating clearly any demands, rules and orders with authority and consistency
- Setting limits and boundaries for them to live by, obey and use
- Probing and asking lots of questions
- Discussion, conversation and confrontation (if required and necessary)
- Discipline and consequences if they are not adhered to (also reward if they are stuck to and good outcomes need to be celebrated)
All of a sudden, when dealing with your kids there is no 'backup' It is because you say so and they have to accept it. It will not always be smooth sailing and sometimes kids will act out, rebel and not want to listen to you at all. Kids do not like NOT getting what they want and parent do NOT like NOT being listened to. This can be a recipe for disaster or a perfect opportunity for some great discussion and communication, bridging the gap so to speak and finding some common middle-ground both sides of this loving family equation can live with.
Work towards conforming, compliance, obedience, respect, love and trust and you provide security for your family and life-rules to live by now and in the future. Discipline can be hard for a single parent, but when it is necessary, do not let 'guilt' stand in the way of doing what is right, fair and acceptable.
You are not in this family to win a popularity contest, this is about being the parent, not merely the friend! You give direction and shape to the lives of your children – no-one else is going to do it for you or on your behalf. You need to personally embrace the fact that you are now the sole 'leader' and provider of this house, which included the authority and discipline aspects of parenting. THIS DOES NOT MEAN CONTROLLING OR MANIPULATING YOUR KIDS TO DO YOUR BIDDING AND BEND TO YOUR WILL!
It has to be from a position of love, care and respect. Giving your permission to 'rule their lives' , consenting to the adult in the house, through careful supervision, guidance, structure and pro-active, positive exchange and dialogue is the best.
You will oftentimes find yourself explaining and persuading, giving some feedback. Guard against criticism and judgments.
Insisting that things get done (like chores and homework) can be hard on and for both parties. It is not necessarily nagging, but it needs to be done, repeated and enforced.
Consequences for actions, discipline and/or punishment is the hardest thing for any parent to do, yet it is almost most important for children to learn. DO NOT EVER PHYSICALLY HURT YOUR CHILD! It instills fear and mistrust. Deprivation is negative, reparation and the chance to make things right again to be encouraged.
Dealing with discipline can be a challenge. Curbing freedoms and taking away privileges (like video-games or computer access for example) has been shown to be effective in the short-term. Making discipline a pleasure not a chore and using it as a positive experience to bring you and your children closer together is the task at hand for the single parent – regardless of how agitated and angry you might be at what has transpired.
Establishing the roles and responsibilities, as well as the acceptable behavior guidelines, boundaries and actions make it easier to operate and function as individual within this family and out in the real world, together. Remember to not be ambiguous or inconsistent. Be clear and purposeful in your punishments and communications. Lead by example and do not have double standards.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RULE YOUR HOUSE WITH AN IRON FIST! Discipline can be done in loving, caring, yet strict and firm way.
Getting your children to a comfort zone, prepared to deal with life and taking care of themselves requires fostering some sense of responsibility, self-pride and independence, self-sufficiency. As the single parent it is now up to you to equip them for living their lives. What a wonder, what a weighted task! It is here, at their home base and in this risk-free, ,safe environment that life-skills are practices and come to fruition.
Creating the right atmosphere, security and environment for them to thrive in is what is important. Picking up your stuff, doing your homework, helping with the chores in and around the house, getting to and from school for example are all great ways to practice these responsibilities, ,skills and freedoms.
Letting go and allowing them these freedoms involves risk and letting go. This can be extremely hard on single parents who instinctively want to shield, guard and protect their kids from any more hurt, pain or failure. You have to empower, not debilitate your kids. Allow them to experiment and live their lives. They have to be able to learn to be self-sufficient and do things for themselves (make their bed, breakfast, get dressed themselves, pick out their clothes and more.) You can worry – all parents do, but it should not interfere with the lives and activities of your kids. There is truth in the saying IF YOU LOVE IT LET IS GO FREE! Discussions on consequences and possibilities are essential to unlocking the secret of working together and not only finding yourselves at opposing sides of the fence, battling each other and getting nowhere fast!
Always coming to their immediate defense, rescuing and bailing them out is not the answer. Accountability, consequences, aftermath are all part of growing up. You have to allow your kids to go through these things, even if it is hard for you! It is the only way they will learn the difference between right and wrong, that decisions and choices are responsibilities and freedoms, with rights!
Mishaps and accidents do happen, how you deal with it, not blaming, letting them cope and rectify the situation if they can, will give them coping skills for life, developing into well-rounded individuals and human beings.
Operating independently and by/for themselves is very important (if age appropriate of course) It will help you out tremendously balancing the loads and demands on time, energies and help your family to get done what has to be done and live and enjoy your lives to its fullest potential! YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AND MEANS TO MAKE THIS A HAPPY HOME!
Stop trying to be everything for everybody and DO EVERYTHING FOR THEM! This behavior is not helping them to be able to help themselves and others. Rather ask yourself how and what you can do to boost their confidence and build or refine their life-skills. Naturally we want to nurture, foster and protect, we have to learn to let go and have them try (even fail) for and by themselves. It is the only and best way to equip them not only for living their lives in this new family unit today and move on, but also for their lives and futures ahead.
Honesty, truth, safety, intimacy are all qualities you have to strive for in your family. It is up to you and your kids to create the atmosphere and environment that you want. You enable, control and orchestrate your lives, living conditions and emotional well-being. You opt how to treat yourself and each other. Being truthful and earnest goes a long way to strengthen the bonds and connections in your family. Lying undermines all of the above! NEVER LIE TO YOUR KIDS (not even convincing yourself that you are protecting them by doing so!) They will lose all respect for you as a person, parent and human being. Ensure that you have all your facts straight before acting. DO not be misled by half-truths or outright lies – probe and ask question, ,to ensure you do not give permission or say no, when you should not have. There are many reasons for kids to lie to you and they do is seemingly so easily these days! It happens, there is no denying it. Sometimes it is meant to avoid painful consequences, hurt, anger. Your kids might not be feeling so good about themselves or what they have done, covering up, not wanting you to know, being involved in something they do not have permission for or know is wrong.
Kids can be master manipulators. Beware and not taken in by these, look for evidence and confront when necessary. Always letting them know that you love them and want to trust them, that it is the behavior you do not condone. THERE IS NO PLACE FOR MISLEADING EACH OTHER AND SUSPICION. Get the communication channels open and encourage sharing openly when problems or challenges come up. Rules set by parents help and assist children to develop into well-rounded, decision-making, self-sufficient adults, without it, it will simply NOT HAPPEN. Parents do not necessarily like making or enforcing rules, but they are an essential part of your kids growing up. You are shaping their future and writing on the slates of their lives, whether you want to or not. Kids do not like rules (even if they know it is for their own good) They might rebel or try to push the boundaries, make you feel guilty and/or even retreat or give up! DO NOT QUIT!
You are all that they have. Without you there will be no guidelines, no boundaries and no learning taking place to prepare them for life in the real world. The rules of the house and family that you lay out, need to be respected, followed and adhered to. You need to make it clear and stick to them consistently.
Be sympathetic and understanding, yet lovingly firm and stick to your guns! (figuratively speaking)
The home and family is also where we learn to treat ourselves and others with respect. You set the tone and behavior in your own home. We like routine, habits and repetition. It is how we learn and master. We are creatures of comfort and habit. You can use these to set up your new family rules quite easily. Practice makes perfect. Assign chores and see that they get done – that simple. Involve and engage your kids in family life. Do not try to do everything yourself or go it alone all the time. Allow them to help out, ,build their confidence and thrive in the space and new context that you are shaping and creating together.
Teaching them to have a balance between self-interest and the interests of others is extremely important. We do not have or give permission to be treated or treat other badly. We need to be sensitive, compassionate, compromise when necessary and give back, treat others like we would like to be treated. Fair and acceptable behavior and treatment of others will be front and center in a multiple child household, but is also just as important for a one-child family! If they do not learn it at the knee of their single parent, where will they?
Foster two-way communication, open and honest exchange and good connection, giving and receiving, with trust and respect. Do not allow kids to be selfish and get away with it. Do not let your kids walk all over you, take advantage of your good, forgiving heart and hold them accountable for their actions.
Actively seek some middle-ground when required when there is conflict or difference in opinion about something. Learning to compromise, even share and being unselfish are all part of life-lessons in the family home. Finding your family's unique way of dealing with things can be quite the unifying principle "This will be our way of/for dealing with things, OK?" generates buy-in and compliance, acceptance and practice. Teach kids that not everything in life is about instant gratification. You can not always get what you demand and want. Life does not work that way. Help them save for something special for example, as opposed to just buying it because they are asking for it.
Consideration and compassion for others need to be taught at home too. There is no-one else that will be looking our for the emotional well-being of this family. It is up to all of you. Pushing each others' buttons, soft or weak-spots to get your way is unacceptable and this needs to stop before turning into abuse, bullying or even worse, permanent distrust or abuse.


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|Courtesy: iamtwixietops.com
Many Americans are undergoing needless thyroid biopsies, researchers say, and simplifying clinical guidelines would go a long way toward curbing the problem. The investigators from University of California, San Francisco analyzed the medical records of about 8,800 patients who underwent thyroid ultrasound scans. Reporting in the Aug. 26 online issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, they said that more than 98 percent of the thyroid nodules found in patients were not cancerous.
"Right now, we're doing far too many thyroid biopsies in patients who are really at very low risk of having thyroid cancer," study lead author Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman, a professor in the department of radiology and biomedical imaging, said in a UCSF news release.
Based on the finding, her team is recommending that biopsies should be performed only when medical imaging reveals a thyroid nodule with tiny flecks of calcium, known as microcalcifications, or a nodule that is more than 2 centimeters in diameter and completely solid. Patients with any other findings have too low a cancer risk to require biopsy or continued surveillance, the researchers said .
"Compared with other existing guidelines, many of which are complicated to apply, following these simple, evidence-based guidelines would substantially decrease the number of unnecessary thyroid biopsies in the United States," Smith-Bindman said. She noted that the procedures are discomforting, cause worry for patients, and require time off from work and other activities. "Plus, they are often inconclusive. And that can lead us down the path of open surgical biopsy, which is hardly trivial, and quite risky in itself, even in patients without cancer," Smith-Bindman said. Other experts agreed with the need to rein in thyroid biopsies.
"Due to the high prevalence of thyroid nodules in the United States population, the increase of incidental detection of these nodules, the demand for higher cost-efficiency, and the avoidance of unnecessary invasive procedures, it is crucial that we begin to limit the number of fine-needle biopsies of these lesions," said Dr. David Hiltzik, director of otolaryngology and head & neck surgery at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City. Hiltzik believes the new study will help doctors "risk stratify each patient and to help decide which patients should and should not be biopsied."
"Any cancer diagnosis has a psychological impact," Hiltzik added. "However, in light of the fact that the majority of thyroid cancer has a high survival rate, we must become more judicious in our diagnosis of this disease." Another expert in thyroid care concurred, and added that there may be better, noninvasive means of determining whether a thyroid growth poses a health risk. "The majority of thyroid nodules, particularly in women, are benign," explained Dr. Eric Genden, chair of otolaryngology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
"Although current techniques to assess a nodule for malignancy rely on cystology (viewing a sample of cells under a microscope), new techniques using molecular testing have the potential to decrease the risk of unnecessary surgery." About 15,000 men and 45,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer this year and 1,850 people will die of it, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.


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(Executive Summary) (skip to conclusions)
With plurality voting, your ballot can be invalidated by voting for two candidates (overvoting).
With instant runoff voting, there are more ways to go wrong. E.g. you can co-rank two candidates at any level of the ranking, skip a ranking-level, etc. So it seems "obvious" there are going to be higher ballot spoilage rates with IRV than with plurality.
With range and approval voting, there are fewer ways, in fact many would say no ways, to go wrong, because every way to vote or to fill out numbers within the permitted range, is a valid vote. So you similarly might expect range and approval voting to have lower spoilage rates than plurality.
All that, however, is just a theory. The real proof of the pudding is the experiment. As PhD advisors are fond of saying to their poor graduate students, "Show me the data!".
According to official plurality-vote totals: Florida's ballot spoilage rate in 2000 was 3%, and for the US nationwide 2000 presidential election, 1.9 million ballots were spoiled and hence uncounted versus 105 million that were counted, for a spoilage rate of 1.8%.
However, the distribution of invalid ballots in the USA is uneven: USA Today reported that voters in Florida's majority-black precincts were four times as likely to have their 2000 ballots invalidated than white precincts: 8.9% versus 2.4%. Among the 100 precincts with the highest numbers of disqualified ballots, 83 were majority-black. Allan Lichtman (history professor at American University) conducted a study of ballot rejection rates in Florida for the US Commission on Civil Rights. He found that overall, there was enormous difference in the rate of white votes and African-American votes counted in Florida. When one looks at the variation in the ballot spoilage rates for each Florida county, about one-fourth of the variation can be explained solely by knowing how many African American voters were registered there. Controlling for the number of high school graduates and literacy failed to diminish this relationship. For the entire state, the rate of spoiled ballots for African Americans was 14.4% while it was 1.6% for non-African Americans. The US Commission on Civil Rights subsequently claimed that, in 2000 Florida, 54% of the ballots discarded as "spoiled" were cast by African Americans, who were only 11% of the voters.
And here are some spoilage rates from other countries:
|Mexico 2006 presidential (5 major candidates)
|Yugoslavia 2000 (5 major candidates)
|Taiwan 2004
|Taiwan 2000
|Russia 1996
|1.0 to 1.6%
|France 2002 Presidential
|France 2007 Presidential
In California, 1.59% of ballots for governor went uncounted in 1997, and 1.8% of presidential ballots went uncounted in 2000, but only 0.97% of ballots for governor went uncounted in 2001. The 2001 decrease was attributed to new voting machine protocols which immediately reported invalid ballots to voters to give them the option of correcting them.
Although in our 2004 range voting exit-poll study (#82 here) we did not collect enough data to get a statistically significant prediction of ballot-spoilage rates, nevertheless we shall report our data for whatever it is worth. It is possible to draw some statistically significant conclusions.
Out of 54 range vote ballots in which we demanded the voters fill in every score slot with a numeric score (no Xs – intentional blanks – allowed) one score on one ballot was unclear. That is a total ballots-with-problems rate of 1.9%. However, by using all the other 6 scores on that 7-candidate ballot and regarding the unclear one as an X, our unused-score rate is only 0.026%.
Out of 68 range vote ballots in which we allowed blank scores, there were zero errors (but 5 voters refused to fill in their ballots at all for privacy reasons). That is a total ballots-with-problems rate of 0%. (Of course, it makes sense that allowing blanks would reduce the error rate.)
Despite the paucity of our data, it is actually possible to turn the per-entry error figure into a statistically significant weakened conclusion by using Poisson statistics. The calculations are as follows. First, our observed per-entry range error rate based on a single error in 117 ballots each with 7 entries, was 1/(117×7) which is a factor of 14.8 smaller than the US nationwide 1.8% plurality per-race spoilage rate. Second, if our true error rate were 3 (or fewer) times smaller than the plurality rate, the probability we would have observed at most one error, would have been at most 5.93e-4.93=4.2%. Third, if our true error rate were 2 (or fewer) times smaller than the plurality rate, the probability we would have observed at most one error, would have been at most 8.4e-7.4=0.51%. Therefore, with 96% confidence we can say that the range per-entry error rate is at least three times smaller than the plurality per-race error rate, and with 99.5% confidence we can say that the range per-entry error rate is at least twice as small as the plurality per-race error rate.
Why does range-voting have a much smaller per-entry error rate than plurality's per-race error rate? One might conjecture that the very "complexity" of having to fill in a number for each candidate makes the voter pay more attention; another conjecture would be that the repetition involved – you fill in a number next to every candidate – makes errors less likely. (In contrast, in many US punch-card-based plurality elections, the voter has to find punch-hole 53, randomly located somewhere on a card, corresponding to a candidate on a separate ballot where it says: "punch hole 53." This is a one-time, error-prone operation.) Range voting may seem more "complicated" than plurality at first glance, but what the data is saying is, that impression is misleading, since the so-called complexity in this case actually helps voters.
Much more range voting data – 1752 ballots – became available thanks to the government-sponsored French Range Voting study. It entirely confirmed all the conclusions discussed here from our own smaller and less-good study above, and now is enough data to make all the conclusions statistically significant.
|Northern Territory
|New South Wales
|Western Australia
|South Australia
|Australian Capital Territory
|Nationwide average
Later note: I do not have state-based data for other years, but it may be that 2004 was an atypically bad year for ballot spoilage in Australia, since the nationwide average figures for other years were
election invalid-ballot rate ============= =================== 24 Nov. 2007 3.95% national invalid rate, 10 Nov. 2001 4.82% 3 Oct. 1998 3.78% 2 March 1996 3.2% (turnout 95.77%) 13 March 1993 2.97% (turnout 95.75%) Time-avg (93-07) 3.98%
But it seems even a good year for Australia has comparable ballot spoilage to a pretty bad year for a plurality-voting country.
Ireland holds its presidential elections using the IRV system, an event of low interest because the position is largely powerless and ceremonial in nature, and often only one candidate runs unopposed. (7 year terms.) In the 1997 election, which was the last contested one (according to http://www.electionsireland.org and the Binghampton elections archive), Mary McAleese won in a 5-candidate race. (In the first rounds 3 candidates were eliminated and then McAleese beat Banotti in the final round by 706259 to 497516.) The total number of votes which failed to transfer to these two final candidates, i.e. which were not counted in the final round, was 66061 out of 1269836 cast, i.e. 5.2% invalid. Also, there were 0.80% "spoilt" ballots (which could not even be used in the first round) for a total of 6.0% ballots unuseable at some stage of the election process. However, this 6.0% figure is not really a true measure of the rate of invalid ballots because some of those 5.2% perhaps intentionally did not wish to specify a preference between McAleese and Banotti, as opposed to having it discarded due to an error. In 1990 the same websites report Mary Robinson won in a 3-candidate election with 1574651 "valid" and 9444 "spoilt" votes, which is a tiny 0.60% spoilage rate. But in addition to these "spoilt" votes there were 25548 votes which failed to transfer, i.e. failed to specify a preference between the final contenders Robinson and Lenihan, which is 1.62% and makes 2.22% when both kinds of spoilage are summed. All of these 1990 and 1997 numbers were larger than the exceedingly tiny spoilage rate (0.56%) in the 1973 election, which effectively was a plurality election since there were only 2 candidates.
Conclusion: Australia IRV ballots have far higher invalidity rates than the USA's and other countries' rates for plurality ballots above – every Australia area listed here did worse than every plurality country listed there. Also, although our Irish data may not be what you really want, as far as it goes it also indicates larger invalid-ballot rates in IRV than plurality contests within Ireland.
Table 1. Valid votes, overvotes and undervotes (also known as DROP-OFF) in IRV races:
Final official results from the SF Dept of Elections (www.sfgov.org/elections)
|Total Voters
|Overvotes +
|Invalid ballots
|Total valid ballots
|156 (0.508%)
|1,778 (5.8%)
|95 (0.241%)
|4,879 (12.4%)
|74 (0.261%)
|2,338 (8.3%)
|394 (1.004%)
|3,752 (9.6%)
|236 (0.676%)
|3,030 (8.7%)
|172 (0.655%)
|1,235 (4.7%)
|219 (0.879%)
|1,507 (6.1%)
|1347 (0.602%)
|18,519 (8.3%)
(Total voters – Invalid ballots = valid ballots)
Overvote means a voter selected two or more candidates for their top IRV ranking.
Undervote/drop-off means voter ranked nothing on their ballot.
Table 2. Undervotes/dropoff and overvotes in non-IRV (i.e. plurality)
San Francisco races:
Based on official data released 5 Nov. 2004. The report lacks about 80,000 absentee and provisional ballots that had not yet been counted.
|Undervotes/ Drop-off
|% Overvote
|Total valid ballots
US Senate
US Rep – 8
US Rep – 12
State Sen – 3
State Ass – 12
State Ass – 13
Overvote means a voter selected two or more candidates for the same office. Undervote/drop-off means voter selected no candidate for that race. In either IRV or plurality voting, undervoting has the same effect as not voting at all in that race.
So from this we see that the overvote error rates in San Francisco – same place, same time, same voters, just IRV versus plurality races – ranged from 3 to 11 times higher with IRV than with plurality voting, typically 7 times higher. (If double-ranking a non-top candidate in IRV were also considered – we haven't – then IRV overvote error rates would have been even higher.) And this conclusion is fully statistically significant.
Meanwhile, the undervotes and dropoffs probably mostly were "intentional" rather than "errors," but anyhow were comparable for both Plurality and IRV.
After Aspen Colorado adopted instant runoff voting for its Mayoral Election, the Aspen Times led off its article about the election [Janet Urquhart: Aspen's instant runoff voting quick but confusing, 6 May 2009] with
Aspen chose a mayor and two City Council members Tuesday in an election that left plenty of voters confused at the polls and equally mystified as the ballots were tallied in televised proceedings late into the evening.
The city's first use of instant runoff voting, which eliminated the need for a June runoff election, got mixed reviews at the polls. And the whirlwind runoffs after three hours of tallying votes left plenty of observers at a loss to explain exactly how the results were tabulated.
and quoted City Clerk Kathryn Koch as saying
There were 168 spoiled ballots Tuesday; two is typical.
Minneapolis MN adopted "ranked choice voting" (instant runoff in single-seat elections) holding the first such elections in 2009. To quote from the report Minneapolis commissioned to assess the results:
Of the 45,968 total ballots cast, there were 1,888 spoiled ballots and 2,958 voter error ballots, which indicates ballots with voter errors specific to Ranked Choice Voting, including overvote, repeat candidate, skipped ranking and undervote. Comparatively, during the general municipal election in 2005 [plurality voting], there were 755 spoiled ballots of the total 70,987 absentee and in-person voters...
The above numbers mean that in 2005 1.06% of all ballots cast were spoiled, as opposed to 4.1% in 2009. Additionally, 6.43% (2,958) of the ballots cast had errors specific to RCV. These ballots were ultimately counted [at least in the first IRV "round"] because voter intent could be ascertained.
...combined the two accounted for 7.49% of all the ballots cast... errors on nearly 7.5% of all the ballots cast are potentially troubling. Such a high error rate is significant enough that should it persist it could affect the outcome of elections in the future.
Here's some of the report's spoilage rate data split up by ward-by-ward comparing the spoilage rate before (2005) and after (2009) ranked-choice voting was enacted, in graphical form:
We thank Joyce McCloy for giving us this report, "SJVoter" for the ward-by-ward part of the graphic (from Minneapolis election dept data), and here's blogger Dale Sheldon-Hess ranting about continued mis-representation of this truth about Minneapolis by ranked-choice-voting propagandists.
Prof. Alan Sherman conducted an 'election' in a kindergarten using three different voting methods. 41 children voted in each. With plurality voting, there were 6 invalid ballots, i.e. 15%, or with a 1σ error bar (16±7)%. But both approval and range voting yielded no errors, i.e. (2±2)% each. ("Dog" won with all three voting methods.)
This exit-poll study of a few thousand real voters in two towns in several German elections in January 2008 and September 2009 found ballot spoilage rates of 0.07%, 0.14%, and 0.62%.
These compare favorably with the official nationwide spoilage rates of 1.7% in Sept. 2009 and 1.4% in 2005.
Based on our data, the ballot spoilage rate with range voting would be about one third of what it now is with plurality, in terms of the count of ballots-with-problems, and below 10% of what it now is, in terms of the entries-affected rate. These are fully statistically significant conclusions. And keep in mind that our voters had never range-voted before in their lives and did not have the benefit of voting machines – with experience and machines, range error rates presumably would improve even further.
With IRV in San Francisco 2004, the ballot spoilage rates were 7 times larger than under plurality voting, while in Minneapolis 2009 it got multiplied by a factor of 4 (and the rate of errors, i.e. including both spoiled and not-fully-spoiled ballots, got multiplied by a factor of over 10) – and these too are fully statistically significant. Australia in IRV races reports higher spoilage rates everywhere, than every entry in our collection of plurality countries' spoilage rates, but the increase is not a factor of 7, it is more like a factor of 2-to-6. One might conjecture this improvement versus San Francisco is due to the greater level of IRV experience the Australians possess.
One would expect Approval Voting also to be better than plurality since "overvoting" is a form of ballot spoilage that is no longer possible. And indeed due to its greater simplicity one might further expect (although one should beware of theoretical expectations) approval's error rates would also be below those for range voting. The only approval-voting spoilage-rate data I have – the French study and German study – had in the French case 10 spoiled ballots out of 2597 for an extremely low (0.385 ± 0.122)% spoilage rate. The German rates ranged from 0.07% to 0.62%. Those rates are an order of magnitude smaller than the spoilage rate in the official French 2002 plurality+top-2-runoff election happening simultaneously with the French exit-poll study (and also are 2 to 23 times better than the official German spoilage rates) and they are lowest spoilage rates ever observed among all the elections and studies recounted on this page. So these results certainly are consistent with our optimistic expectations.
In short: Approval Voting is better than Range Voting is better than Plurality is better than IRV with respect to ballot spoilage rates.
Each "better" here appears to represent a multiplicative factor between about 2 and 10 under otherwise-similar conditions.
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A "vast phishing attack" that attempts to capture the credit card information of Apple customers was launched on Christmas day, according to a report from Mac security-software company Intego.
In a posting on its Mac Security blog, Intego says that the attack is an attempt to fool Apple customers into clicking on a link under the guise of updating the billing information of their Apple accounts:
If you click on the link in the message, you will be taken to a realistic looking sign-in page, then, after entering your Apple ID and password, you'll be taken to a page asking you to update your account profile, notably entering your credit card information. Again, this page looks realistic, and many of the elements it contains are taken from Apple's own webpages.
Intego reports that the messages are being sent with the subject "Apple update your Billing Information" from a spoofed email address of "email@example.com," though of course future emails from the same source might vary somewhat.
If you hover your mouse over the hyperlink in the (impressively forged) email address, you'll see a floating box that reveals the real destination of that link: the telltale chain of four numbers that specifies a numeric IP address, rather than a link to somewhere within the apple.com domain. As Intego rightly points out, "if it's not something.apple.com (it could be www.apple.com, store.apple.com, or something else), then it's bogus."
In addition to hovering your cursor over any links before you click on them, another way to stay secure is to enter links yourself in your browser rather than click on them in emails. If you type store.apple.com into your browser, you know it's a legitimate site. If you're using Safari any secure connection to Apple (i.e., any URL beginning with https: rather than http:) will show a green verification item in the top right corner of the address bar. (There are similar indications in other browsers.) And no legitimate site will ask for personal information, especially of the credit-card variety, without using a secure connection.
This isn't the first such scam posing as an email from Apple recently. In a less sophisticated attack earlier this month, a fake MobileMe message requested that users send an email containing their username and password.
In general, you should be skeptical about any email messages, however legitimate they appear to be, that ask you to go to a website or compose an email containing personal data.


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Yes, you read that right. I wrapped bacon around slices of avocado and fried them up in a pan. They were soooo good. It really was very easy to make and one avocado and a small package of bacon fed the two of us. We ate some plain and then we took some and put them into a corn tortilla with lettuce and salsa. A bacon avocado soft taco. Oh, it was so fun. I'm starting to drool just typing about it. I may have to get busy on this one again. I'm definitely rolling this one out when our friends come over. You can take these little jems and attach them to a toothpick or skewer and arrange a fancy appetizer or hors d' oeuvre.
Organic uncured bacon
Haas avocado
Cut your avocado into wedge shaped slices. I got 8 slices from one avocado. For directions on how to select and cut avocados, please see Friday Foodie Fix- Avocado.
Next take a slice of bacon and wrap it around the avocado in a spiral direction. Take a toothpick and enter the avocado through the bacon on one end and out the other. If your slice is too long then you may need to do this on each end.
Place into a pre-heated skillet on medium high. Turn on all sides as each side of the bacon crisps. Once all of the sides are cooked, remove from pan and serve.
Give a little sprinkle of chili pepper or cayenne pepper and a tiny squeeze of lime. You can also sprinkle Sea Salt on top. Enjoy!


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At first blush there is nothing redeeming about chapter 34 of Genesis. it is a story of rape and revenge full of deceit and brutality. Jacob has returned to the land of Canaan, found his brother Esau to be without grudge for past slights and settled near the city of Shechem with the intent to stay. While on a visit to the city, Dinah, his one daughter, is abducted and raped by the son of the country's ruler, who then falls in love with her and wishes to marry her.
Without returning Dinah, father and son enter into negotiations with Jacob's sons for her hand, offering a generous financial settlement. Jacob's sons ask only that the males of the city undergo circumcision, for the women of their clan are forbidden to marry anyone uncircumcised. Father and son prevail on their fellow citizens in Shechem with a grand vision of union between natives and foreigners. However, three days after the mass surgery, Simeon and Levi, the second and third sons of Jacob, attack the city, killing its convalescing males and seizing its assets, including women and children. Jacob, who has remained strangely silent till now, is mortified by the ruse, but only for fear of reprisal. He departs quickly, without falling victim to the vengeance of the other Canaanite cities in the area.
The dominant motif of this story pervades the book of Genesis: while Canaan is destined to become the home of Abraham's clan, there should be no intermingling with its inhabitants. The assailant of Dinah "committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter – a thing not to be done (Genesis 34:7)." The spouses of Isaac and Jacob came from Haran, whence Abraham hailed, and not from Canaan. Under no circumstances was Abraham's chief servant to take Isaac back to Haran, but neither was he to arrange a marriage for him with a native Canaanite woman (Genesis 24:3-8). Similarly, the cardinal difference between Jacob and Esau is that the latter takes his wives from among his immediate neighbors to the dismay of his parents (Genesis 26:34, 36:1), though Genesis preserves another tradition that even Esau heeded the aversion (28:6-9).
And in later books of the Torah, the aversion culminates in the sweeping injunction to cleanse Canaan of all its indigenous population at the time of the conquest, a veritable call for genocide. For example, Moses is instructed by God on the steppes of Moab at the end of the 40-year journey through the wilderness: "When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land; you shall destroy all their figured objects; you shall destroy all their molten images, and you shall demolish all their cult places (Number 33:51-52)."
In a brilliant article (Prooftexts, January 1990) on chapter 34 of Genesis, Professor Stephen A. Geller of the Seminary has argued forcefully that the Canaanite threat to ancient Israel as imagined by the Bible was an intellectual construct and not a concrete population. "Canaanism" as an idea was construed to be the polar opposite of Israelite monotheism. Whereas the Bible posited a transcendent God without form or gender, "Canaanism" embraced an immanent divinity approachable through child sacrifices, divination and fertility cults. The natural religion of the "Canaanites" especially promoted sexual licentiousness to eliminate the space separating human and divine. In response, ancient Israel transformed circumcision from "a puberty or marriage ritual intended to increase fertility of seed" into a rite of passage at birth "as a 'sign' of the covenantal promise of seed."
Returning to our chapter, Professor Geller writes: "The emblematic rite of circumcision is employed not only for literary effect ('measure for measure') but also to signal the utter religious distinction between Israel and Canaan, focusing on sex. The Shechemites invite Jacob's clan to assimilate through peaceful intercourse, in all senses. To them the demanded ritual still has its older meaning as preparation for marriage. But by using circumcision as a ruse to frustrate that Canaanite enticement, the covenantal author reminds the reader that it is through the Word, not through sex, through transcendence, not immanence, that Israel will take possession of the land."
To this point, I trust that I have made the rape of Dinah at least instructive. It clearly touches on some large issues of biblical theology. But I wish to show also that it exhibits an edifying dimension in the manner in which the story is told. The author drops enough hints here and elsewhere to convey his repugnance at the duplicity and violence of Jacob's sons. Tradition may have imposed on him the choice of subject matter; it could not deny him the freedom to render it with a measure of independence.
First, the narrator tells us at the outset of the plot hatched by Jacob's son that they spoke to the Shechmites "with guile (Genesis 34:13)." Since the story-line would have revealed their true intention soon enough, the elimination of any suspense suggests to me the narrator's note of disapproval.
Second, the sons of Jacob profit handsomely from their dastardly crime, a detail the author would readily have omitted if he meant to exalt the purity of their zeal. Are not female Canaanites as potent a source of religious contamination as males? In the days of Joshua, all plunder of any sort was roundly condemned. Nor would the Jews in Haman's Persia deign to touch the possessions of those Persians whom they killed in self-defense (Esther 9:10,15,16).
Third, the author soon goes on to remind us that sexual perversion is not restricted to the Canaanites. After the death of his beloved Rachel, Jacob is assaulted by the knowledge that Reuben, his first-born, had sexual relations with Bilhah, Rahel's maidservant and Jacob's concubine (Genesis 35:22).
Finally, all moral ambiguity is set aside at the time of Jacob's deathbed testament. The aged patriarch condemns Simeon and Levi with righteous indignation. Their unjustified violence leaves no doubt that they are unsuited for leadership. The narration of chapter 34 thus anticipates the repudiation of chapter 49 in a heartening display of self-criticism.
Shabbat shalom,
Ismar Schorsch
The publication and distribution of Dr. Schorsch's commentary on Parashat Va-yishlah are made possible by a generous grant from Rita Dee and Harold (z"l) Hassenfeld.


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UnBooks:The n00b Survival Guide
"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender to n00bs!"
They're everywhere, spreading across the internet like locusts, or even worse, like old people who are unfamiliar with the internet and keep sending e-mails in HTML. What are "they" exactly? They're n00bs, and there are millions of them.
You've never met one, but they hate your guts and want to kill you with their crazy manipulation of the English language and poor gaming skills. Or, you've perhaps met one, but you were unable to communicate with it, so you called animal control and got whatever it was euthanized. Fortunately, you did the right thing.
But what if you could communicate with these beings? Who are these "n00bs" who are so "un-1337"? Where did they come from? Can I befriend one of them? Why is the sky blue?
These are all frequently asked questions, and unfortunately, your guess is as good as ours. We don't know, but we can definitely make something up that's entirely believable and sounds convincing as long as you're gullible, stupid, and easily entertained.
Chapter One: The n00b[edit]
The n00b is an interesting creature. In the last century, it evolved from the homo sapiens sub-species, virginus nerdius, making n00bs a sub-species of a sub-species, which up until completion of the evolutionary process was a feat only accomplished by the horse-fly.
Recent biological research into n00bs has uncovered some astounding facts. The most recent discovery is that n00bs CAPS LOCK keys are permanently stuck in the down position from birth. Scientists also conjecture that the common n00b phrase "GI3v M0nIez PLz i Wuz PKD!!!1" is the closest thing n00bs possess to a battle cry.
The term "n00b" is also commonly confused with noob, nub, fr00b, b00b, and also q00u. This is a misconception, because, although n00bs are identical in every virtual way to newbs, noobs, and q00us, in reality each belongs to a different phylum in taxonomic classification. n00bs are more closely related to the common chocolate biscuit than to noobs or q00us.
Anatomy of The n00b[edit]
The Brain[edit]
The brain of the n00b is small in proportion to the rest of a n00b, and functions at lower capacities than a human brain (only about 0.05%). Since most of the brain is dormant (particularly the cerebellum which controls balance and coordination), most n00bs are novice at just about every aspect of society which they try to assimilate into (unsuccessfully of course).
The Heart[edit]
All that separates a n00b from an earthworm is one thing: the heart. Earthworms have five pairs of hearts (ten hearts), while a n00b only has one. This is impressive, considering the circulatory system similarities between an earthworm and a common n00b. They also both eat dirt.
The Guts & Diet[edit]
n00bs have very complex digestion systems, including both gizzards and an ass-load of vestigial organs, including some undiscovered in previous carbon-based life-forms (although the status of a n00b as a carbon-based life-form is debated).
While we're speaking of digestion, the diet of a n00b is similar to that of a nerd, including Pop-Tarts, Hot Pockets, and various other microwavable food items.
The Skin[edit]
The skin of a n00b is scaly like a lizard's, slimy like a fish and rough and pimpley like sandpaper. And by pimples, we mean P-I-M-P-L-E-S. These things are massive, ginormous craters, even larger than the ones found on the Lunar surface. Speaking of which, the face of a n00b is 9 times out of 10 inside-out.
The pimples, which act the same way as other animal markings (for example, the spots on a leopard) have significance. Although their significance is unknown, it is speculated that they're there for a number of reasons:
- Indicating age. Progression through life bears more pimples.
- To indicate how many hit-points one has left.
- For the purpose of attracting mates (the pimples usually have more personality than the n00b itself, thus getting him all the babes).
Chapter Two: Origins[edit]
As previously mentioned, n00bs evolved, as opposed to the common theory that n00bs have been around for thousands of years and were former slaves of the Egyptians until Poses, the great n00bian leader, lead the n00bs out of Egypt following the Black Sabbath, sending them into a long-walk through the barren desert. They all died from a combination of exhaustion and hyperthermia. The story goes on to tell of a city called n00bia which currently stands where the last remaining n00bs died. To date, no such place exists.
And this story never happened in real life (but you will be able to read the full story later in Chapter Six). In real life, the n00bs never had a great exodus. No n00b has ever walked further than his own refrigerator, and if they have, it still wouldn't be a remarkable feat.
The reason for their evolution is unknown. Usually, there's some incentive for evolution. For example, some scientists theorize that dolphins are an evolved form of cows. Their explanation for this evolution?
According to them, some cows just decided to jump into the water and evolve. We all know this just doesn't happen (unless you're an Animorph, Power Ranger, Transformer, that one enemy shapeshifting robot from the future in "Terminator 2", Dana Carvey, or Cyborg Jesus).
Now they suggest the n00b did the same thing. They would elaborate more in-depth about it, but they got their funding cut by the state, and were forced to make vague euphemisms to the dolphin and cow story, which they affirmed was a crock of shit.
Chapter Three: How To Speak n00bish[edit]
n00bish is in the Indo-European lingual family and is very distantly related to English due to its lack of spelling rules. The precursor of n00bish is 133tspeak, which social outcasts spoke long ago in the n00bian slave society. They considered themselves "elite" in their deluded drunkard fantasies, which led to one of the fundamental terms in n00bish, 133t, pronounced "leet".
Even if you're not a native speaker of n00bish, you've probably heard of some popular words in n00bish. n00bish, like Spanish, has many different dialects.
NOTE: n00bish is a very hard language to learn, and even harder to type, and it's not recommended that you try to comprehend it unless you have an anti-dragon shield. An easier way to type n00bish is to slam your face into the keyboard repeatedly. Or, if you are the proud pwner of a wireless keyboard, the other way around.
n00bish is an extremely complex language, which comprises of several other languages such as Klingon, chess board coordinates, ebonics, random nonsense, AOL speak, and the most complicated of them all: abbreviations.
Below are a few basic words in n00bish and their English and Spanish equivalents:
|ZOMG wtf!!1one1
|wtf that is so gay!!!11
|I died/I'm dead
|Estoy muerto.
|hAEL M3 PLZ!!1111!!
|Heal me, please.
|Healeame por favor
|i am so 1337, u haxor!!!
|I believe I've misplaced my car keys
|¡Soy 1337, usted el pirata informático!
|i h8 Y0U!!!11!1
|I wish to kill your babies and eat your intestines. I will rape your mother and make love to your father. You shall never see the next sunrise!
|Hay una máquina de discos en mi silenciador.
|omg ur a n00b!!1
|I suck/I am a loser
Chapter Four: n00b Culture[edit]
They have a culture dedicated to anything with the word "Star" as the beginning of the title.
Chapter Five: n00b Habitat[edit]
|Uncyclopedia n00bs
|Other n00bs
n00bs can be found all over the world, but they are, as a sub-species, more predominantly found in North America. Their habitat consists of mostly urban areas where they are deemed as pests and have been known to damage the wooden foundation of homes by ingesting the cellulose of wood. We know this contradicts with what we said earlier about their diet, but don't think for a minute that just because we're inconsistent and probably wrong that they won't eat your house. A few explorers report viewings of n00bs in the Big Bright Room Outside.
n00bs in Captivity[edit]
We don't like the word "captivity"; we prefer to use the term "an enclosed space, recreated to simulate the n00b's natural habitat so that visitors can stare in awe".
There are currently 30 n00bs in an enclosed space, recreated to simulate the n00b's natural habitat so that visitors can stare in awe at the San Diego Zoo. n00bs in an enclosed space, recreated to simulate the n00b's natural habitat so that visitors can stare in awe tend to live longer than n00bs in the wild (60 years). n00bs in the wild have only been seen to live as long as 40 years.
Owning a n00b is illegal in all 50 states and in just about every country in the world, except Pakistan, where they enforce strict leash laws.
n00bs in the Wilde[edit]
n00bs who are not in an enclosed space, recreated to simulate the n00b's natural habitat so that visitors can stare in awe (also known as the Wilde) are undomesticated, crazy wild beasts with one intent: kill, KILL, KILL! If it moves, they kill it; if it doesn't move, that's because they've killed it already.
n00bs in the Wilde live in packs which usually comprise of over five n00bs. After birth, they leave their mothers at the age of eighteen in accordance with federal law and embark into a life of loafing, 1337ing, and losing.
Found in such habitats as Run Escape, WoW, and the basement, these n00bs claim their territory much like the common canine: by urinating on it. n00bs have been known to urinate on everything, ranging from fire hydrants to even their own food, and it's also not uncommon for n00bs to enjoy anime and suck at most first-person shooters and RTS' (Real Time Strategies).
What To Do If You Spot A n00b[edit]
Spotting a n00b is a very serious matter. You should almost never approach a n00b in the Wilde, and you should never leave your laptop sitting out when you go camping, lest a n00b might stumble into your campsite and get you banned from your favorite forum(s).
If you do spot a n00b in the Wilde, do any of the following:
- Call 911
- Shoot it
- Play dead
- Pour salt on it and watch it melt
- Yell at it in C++
- Call a mod (may not work if you are in GameFaqs).
- Confuse it by talking to it using big words that it can't understand. (Four letter words should be enough.)
Chapter Six: "Dealing with n00bs"[edit]
In 2003, a short book was published by self-acclaimed "Master of Diablo" Eric Shaeffer, titled, "Dealing with n00bs". I stole portions of his book because I couldn't think of anything else to write for chapter six. Below is an excerpt from the book, page 49:
Under no circumstances should you ever talk to a n00b. They are highly dangerous. If you DO get in a direct conflict with a n00b, it is best to use one of the following tactics explained below.
n00bs are often confused on internet games with deranged, semi-conscious, amputated llamas with little brain matter, because of the similarity in their game-play abilities. In the event of an encounter with a n00b, one should take the following precautions:
- Turn off chat to prevent grammatically incorrect language overloads.
- If you cannot disable chat, turn off your computer immediately and curl up on the floor in a brace position. Do not contact relatives as n00bism is contagious and can spread to your loved ones.
The most primitive way to deal with a n00b is to smash their skull in with a large object. While they often inadvertently do get to do this to themselves by running into concrete walls, it still proves to be an effective method of n00b destruction.
Alternatively, you can fill their MSN inbox with spam and chain-mail; unable to contemplate their sudden popularity, they will jump off nearby cliffs in the false belief that they will be caught due to their immense popularity. Be sure to use more than one email address, as they, will, in rare instances, realize the truth.
A more indirect way of n00b destruction is telling one that there is candy in the middle of the freeway. This will make the n00b retrieve the 'candy' while getting their ass ran over.
Remember n00bs, regardless of their constant training, are totally inept at the usage of 1337. Whenever attempts to converse with n00bs are made using 1337 it will cause their small brains to blow and ooze out their ears. n00bs that are exposed to such verbal pwnage for prolonged periods will eventually die.
Also, you must remember that a n00b will eventually destroy themselves (because they don't reproduce, if I know what you mean). The typical n00b has so much Spyware on their PC, and respond to so much of it's crap, that they eventually sell themselves to North Korea and/or Roger Moore and are never seen again.
The following is another excerpt from the chapter on "Foreign Noobs" and "Origins", pages 87-92:
When, on the rare occasion that they acquire a PC, some Mexicans have found a way to hook up to the intarwebs. They can often be spotted by their native bastardization of n00berisms. For example, "We are noobs" would be "nosotros somos nooblamos", and so on. Also, they often times feel it necessary to insert their dialects into text-based communication, and will be prompted to place a G at the end of words that end in an and on.
Asian players are often times prompted to use internet translators to communicate with other English speaking players, resulting in a butchered version of Engrish. Common phrases that are used include "I am lag!" and "We roll on item now". Why these people even bother is still unknown, seeing as any attempt at communication results in ninja-looting the Sacred Charge from my Warrior.
The Dutch variety of n00b is easily confused with the other nationalities, especially English speaking nations. This is because they tend to communicate in nearly comprehensive ways. You can however spot a Dutch n00b by his very large ego, his absurdly high self-esteem and general bastardlyness. Also, Dutch n00bs (like any other Dutch) are drunk most of the time, or high on pot, or both. This makes the Dutch n00b rather harmless and easy to deal with. Also, they react overly sensitive whenever hearing the word dyke.
By far the worst are the Americans. These people constantly lag and can't spell words like "you" or "potato". Many often find their ways onto overseas servers causing chaos and disrupting the general happiness of the server, then question why they got booted.
Recent studies show that the majority of n00bs found these days are often extremely timid. As such, an effective means of removing a n00b is to send him to a shock site. You shall most likely never see him again unless you are in the neighborhood of the local insane asylum.
'WARNING:' n00bs can'tnot spellld muchly correctly, their4, if u cn't deal w/ they, then quit game NOW!!! B'cause we r 1337 chethupè! hackzors!!!!1!!1! PS3 iss the ROXXERS!!! 4 ,reel leIf!!!
n00bs trace their beginnings to ancient Egypt. "n00bians" were kicked out of Egypt for being retarded; they embarked on a great exodus to a barren, empty wasteland which they didn't name, where they built shitty ass pyramids to try to copy the pyramids of Egypt's but their pyramids sucked.
Their first ruler was King n00b I. They were again conquered by the Egyptians and were made slaves but sent into exile because the n00bians were useless. n00bians remained in obscurity until the invention of the computer.
Chapter Seven: Farewell[edit]
n00bs are all over. They infiltrate servers at random and due to their inability to conduct rational thought, and have always been a menace to society and the bane of mankind. Want proof? Okay, North Korea's current dictator, Kim Bassinger Jong or whatever his name is, is a n00b. Hitler? Yeah, he was a n00b too. Joseph Stalin = n00b.
It's a well-known fact that some of history's greatest assholes have been n00bs. If I haven't convinced you enough about these evil bastards, then you should throw the book away. Don't refund it though. You can't (sorry, no refunds).
There are plenty of things that are yet to be discovered about this boring and ridiculously useless life-form. What we do know however, is that they are a threat to the American way. They are a threat to not only America, but to the rest of the e-world. The intarwebs will never be tranquil until the n00b threat has been eliminated.
Good night, and rAmen.
About The Author[edit]
The Author is an extremely attractive, intelligent, athletic, attractive, suave, debonair, charming, attractive, testicularly endowed American. He has black hair, blue eyes, and is about 5'9" in height. If you're interested, we can please chat more maybe.
My Warcraft account is "westwood42", and I am level 2. I am really need some help gaining levels. Oh, and don't forget please about other crap I said about myself earlier too as well. I am single and also enjoy RuneScape very much. My family is very important to me because they are my family.
Additionally, I love techno and the moonwalk. I have l33t hx0rs skills at CS:S.
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Bright Beginnings Breastfeeding Support Group
Tickets & PricingThis event is free.
Breastfeeding is hard work and Henry County Medical Center's Bright Beginnings Program wants to provide education and support to its mothers.
Join our weekly support group for expecting moms and new moms who are interested in breastfeeding or who are currently breastfeeding newborn babies or
babies up to one year of age. Our goal is for you and your baby to be successful at breastfeeding.
Every Wednesday at 10 a.m.
(meetings will last approximately one hour)
HCMC Women's Center Training Room
Provided by Angie Natero, RN, IBCLC. HCMC Women's Center Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Each session will focus on a specific topic related to breastfeeding, but topics will be open to the needs of the participants and questions are welcome.
Each class is FREE to moms who have delivered at HCMC within the last year or who are currently expecting and scheduled to deliver at HCMC. There will be a $10 charge per class for other participants.
For more information, call (731) 644-8521 and leave a message and a nurse will return your call.


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Via Hawk: Yahoo Giving Up on Quest for Search Dominance.
I don't know … this quote sure ain't in character with the folks I know at Yahoo:
"We don't think it's reasonable to assume we're going to gain a lot of share from Google," Chief Financial Officer Susan Decker said in an interview. "It's not our goal to be No. 1 in Internet search. We would be very happy to maintain our market share."
Update: Hawk covers Caterina's response: Blathering bullshit!


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Monday's Market: How Cyprus Will Play Out
At this stage, anything that's written about the outcome of the Cypriot situation is still speculative, as the Eurogroup working group that includes finance ministers from the 17 eurozone countries met in Brussels from 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) to hammer out an agreement with Cyprus. I'd expect negotiations to continue into the early morning hours. If you haven't been following the news, here's what you need to know about what will probably happen next.
Cyprus needs to come up with EUR 5.8 billion to receive EUR 10 billion in aid from the troika (the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Central Bank) to recapitalize its banking system. The plan developed last weekend -- which called for a levy on all bank depositors to pay for Cyprus' contribution -- collapsed after it was unanimously voted down by Cypriot lawmakers.
Time's up!
Cyprus has one more shot at this, as the European Central Bank gave the nation a Monday deadline to reach an agreement with international lenders; failing that, the ECB will withdraw its emergency liquidity -- which is the only thing that has been keeping the Cypriot banking sector afloat for months.
These are the broad strokes of a new agreement, as reported earlier today:
All uninsured depositors (i.e., those with an account that exceeds EUR 100,000) at the Bank of Cyprus, one of the country's largest lenders, will suffer a penal haircut. The reports I have seen refer to either a 20% or 25% levy.
Uninsured depositors at other banks in Cyprus -- whether Cypriot or one of the 26 foreign banks operating in the country -- will suffer a 4% haircut.
Cyprus Popular Bank (known as "Laiki"), the country's second largest lender, will be wound down. Laiki has now limited ATM withdrawals to EUR 100.
What does all of this mean for U.S. investors? If we wake up tomorrow morning with an agreement in place, the effect on U.S. indexes, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average will, in my opinion, be negligible -- this outcome is largely discounted in Friday's closing prices. That is as it should be -- I think this is the most likely option. Cypriot lawmakers will (hopefully) have realized that they have run out of road, there are no good outcomes available, and a bad outcome is still preferable to a catastrophe. Should they choose collective suicide, however, the fallout would probably hit the shores of the U.S. stock market, and investors should expect a bumpy ride on Monday.
If you're tired of being a victim of "risk on/risk off" and you're ready to become a business-focused investors, The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for this year. Find out which stock it is in the brand-new free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.
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text:
Filters: First Letter Of Last Name is M [Clear All Filters]
The Aquisition of Musical Percepts with a New Scale, , Stanford, CA, Stanford University, CCRMA, 07/1987.
"The Computer as a Musical Instrument", Scientific American, vol. 256, no. STAN-M-37, 1987.
Pickups for the Vibrations of Violin and Guitar Strings Using Piezoelectric Bimorphic Bender Elements, , Stanford, CA, Stanford University, CCRMA, 05/1988.
The Conductor Program and Mechanical Baton, , Stanford, CA, Stanford University, CCRMA, 05/1988.
"Spectral Fusion, Spectral Parsing and the Formation of Auditory Images", Department of Hearing and Speech, vol. Ph.D., Stanford, California, Stanford University, 05/1984.
"The Laptop Accordion", New Interfaces for Musical Expression, Brisbane, Australia, 07/2016. Abstract
"Event Formation and Separation in Musical Sound", Department of Computer Science, vol. Ph.D., no. STAN-M-77, Stanford, CA, Stanford University, 12/1991.
"Musical Tapestry: Re-composing Natural Sounds", Journal of New Music Research, pp. 36(4):241-250, 2008. Abstract
The Bounded-Q approach to time-varying spectral analysis, , Stanford, CA, Stanford University, CCRMA, 1986.
"On Finding Rythmic Patterns in Musical Lines", ICMC '85, no. STAN-M-30: CCRMA, 07/1985.
"Real Time Interactive Computer Music Synthesis", Electrical Engineering, vol. Ph.D., Stanford, CA, Stanford University, 1977.
On the Loudness of Complex, Time-Variant Tones, , Stanford, CA, Stanford University, CCRMA, 1975.
"The Synthesis of Complex Audio Spectra by Means of Discrete Summation Formulae", Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, vol. 24, no. STAN-M-5, 1976.
"On the Segmentation and Analysis of Continuous Musical Sound by Digital Computer", Department of Computer Science, vol. Ph.D., no. STAN-M-3, Stanford, CA, Stanford University, 1975.
"Embedding Equal Pitch Spaces and The Question of Expanded Chromas: An Experimental Approach", Department of Music, vol. Ph.D., no. STAN-M-93, Stanford, CA, Stanford University, 12/1995.
"A Non-negative Framework for Joint Modeling of Spectral Structure and Temporal Dynamics in Sound Mixtures", Music, vol. PhD: Stanford University, 06/2010.
"Relative Pitch Estimation of Multiple Instruments", IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP), 2009. Abstract
"Non-negative Hidden Markov Modeling of Audio with Application to Source Separation", International Conference on Latent Variable Analysis and Signal Separation (LVA / ICA), St. Malo, France, 09/2010. Abstract