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Sam Harris reports that Jordan Peterson was the person his current audience most wanted him to podcast just because the latter was the only person who spoke of religion in a way that they (largely atheists) could make sense of. The pair started their discussion by agreeing their common ground on the issue of freedom of speech, the Canadian human rights commissions being kangaroo courts and the perniciousness of embedding social constructivist theories of human identity in the law. Sam Harris then turned to identifying what he thinks is their important disagreement: a disagreement over the nature of truth. Jordan Peterson distinguishes religious/spiritual/moral truth from scientific truth, claiming that this distinction is licensed by pragmatism, and Sam Harris rejects that distinction. The conversation went on a very long time without resolution and raised two possibilities: either one or the other was confused about truth or that there was a deeper disagreement about truth than they had managed to bring to light. Quite well known philosophical theory throws a light on this question.
The first issue to get clear is what things are eligible for truth or falsity, or which things are truth bearers, as philosophers like to put it. We speak of true friends, art that is true to life and even true arrows. The first is a matter of friends who, as such, are as they ought to be, the third is a matter of arrows being straight and the second is… a highly contentious issue. It is also the kind of truth that is one of Jordan Peterson's great interests. He offers the view (developed from Jung's views on archetypes) that art gives us images of ourselves and the world that are accurate but inchoate psychological and moral theories and has written a book attempting to make such theories more explicit..
Philosophers, however, are agreed that it is a mistake to attempt to understand truth by taking apparent truth bearers such as friends, art or arrows as paradigms. It is better to start with entirely uncontentious examples and perhaps when that is sorted out we can turn to considering whether contentious uses of 'true' speak literally of truth or are mere metaphor.
The truth bearers that philosophers consider first are beliefs, sentences and propositions, the last understood as being what is believed or what is expressed by a specific use of a sentence. These primary bearers of truth are semantic entities because they are about something other than themselves, a feature we call intentionality. But not all semantic entities are truth bearers: for example, concepts are not truth bearers. Only propositional semantic entities are truth bearers. From hereon when I speak of propositions I should be understood to be speaking generally of propositional semantic entities.
So now we can turn to what is borne by truth bearers: truth. The first distinction here is between theories that deny or affirm the existence of a property of truth. Minimalist or redundancy theories deny, saying that the word and concept are merely semantic devices: that to say it is true that the cat is on the mat is to say no more than that the cat is on the mat. Their usefulness is exhibited in examples such as 'what Henry said about quasars last night was true'. On these theories there is no additional property that a proposition has when it is true.
Correspondence, coherence and pragmatic theories, by contrast, affirm the existence of a property of truth. Correspondence theory says a proposition is true just in case it corresponds to a fact (modern versions speak in terms of truth-makers). Coherence theory says that a proposition is true just in case it coheres with a body of propositions. Pragmatism says that a proposition is true just in case it is useful.
A further distinction is between realist and anti-realist theories of truth. Realist theories hold that truth is entirely independent of subjects and antirealist theories deny this. Under realism, we could be ideal enquirers who had completed an ideal enquiry and thereby be in possession of the best evidence, and yet still end up with radically false beliefs about the world. Realism creates a gap between our beliefs and the world that evidence cannot completely fill and thereby makes philosophical skepticism (that we have no knowledge of the world) a live option. We might be deceived by Descartes' evil demon and our best evidence would never reveal this to us. Anti-realism closes that gap: truth is ideally justified belief and whatever the best evidence supports is therefore true.
Turning now to the dialectic between Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson, I want to start with a bit of ground clearing. Neither deny the existence of a property of truth and prima facie Sam Harris is a correspondence theorist and Jordan Peterson a pragmatist. I think it is unfortunate that Sam Harris characterises truth as an element of epistemology, since this is ambiguous. For anti-realist theories of truth that define the nature of truth in epistemic terms (ideally justified belief), truth is secondary to epistemology, whereas for realists truth is presupposed by epistemology. In terms of this distinction, Sam Harris is a realist and Jordan Peterson manifests some anti-realist tendencies. Their discussion is sometimes obscured by arguments about evidence because absent making explicit their view of the relation of truth and evidence, such arguments can be question begging.
Sam Harris starts (and continues and finishes) by making the standard objection to pragmatism by giving examples of propositions that are true but not useful or useful but not true. Towards the end he offers two virology labs in which all the scientist have identically true beliefs about smallpox but one lab makes an error in handling and creates an epidemic which would wipe out all humanity but for the other lab, which makes a vaccine that saves half of humanity. The way I would put his objection is that according to Jordan Peterson the beliefs of the first scientists must be false because of the bad result they produce whilst those of the second scientists must be true because of the good result they produce but the beliefs of the scientists are identical and hence all the beliefs must be both true and false, which is incoherent.
Jordan Peterson's response was to deny the possibility of the example on the grounds that the difference of the outcomes means they must have different beliefs. Sam Harris attempted to block this by claiming he could simply stipulate that they do have the same beliefs and the only difference is in their actions. Jordan Peterson then rejects this kind of stipulation on the grounds that it always amounts to excluding crucial elements of the wider context that cannot properly be excluded.
The way Jordan Peterson prefers to characterise these examples is a matter of cherry picking a limited context in which a proposition is 'true enough' for some purposes but which a wider context may reveal to result in bad outcomes and therefore not be true. So the examples that Sam Harris calls scientific truths are only true as what Jordan Peterson calls micro-claims, by which I think is meant a fairly simple claim considered within an narrowed context for which the question of value is ignored. An example he offers is the claim that there is a fire in this room. When the context is widened and we take account of their value then we discover that they are not true. The extension of his example that he offers is when the question is whether we are in danger and the building is on fire even if this room is not. In this way we should understand scientific truth to be embedded in the wider moral truth, which determines whether scientific 'truth' is really true, where the last is to be understood in terms of pragmatism. We commonly think that the distinction between moral truth and scientific truth is made by the subject matter of their true propositions, but I suspect that for Jordan Peterson that is incorrect. We should rather understand moral truth to be a superior variety of truth to that of scientific truth and hence, ultimately, the true and the good are united by moral truth (or perhaps I should say by religious/spiritual/moral truth).
The broader claim that Sam Harris wants to make about his examples is that Jordan Peterson is equivocating on truth: that what he means by scientific truth is correspondence truth and when he moves to speaking of moral truth as pragmatic truth he is really changing the subject to moral questions, such as the wisdom of pursuing certain enquiries and the possibility that some knowledge ought not to be known. So the claimed ultimate unity of the true and the good is effected by changing the subject in the middle of theorising about truth. I think there may be some truth in Sam Harris's broader claim but I also think that there is another possibility: that Jordan Peterson's theory of truth is sailing under false colours and doing so unbeknownst to himself.
Jordan Peterson defines his version of pragmatism by Darwinian survival and offers an example of Irish elks that were 'true enough' to get so far but eventually became extinct because sexual selection resulted in the males have such unwieldy antlers that it interfered with feeding. The first thing I want to say about this is that Jordan Peterson frequently indulges in this kind of loose talk about truth bearers when speaking of his pragmatism. Its cogency is much reduced when we query the idea that animals or species can be truth bearers in the relevant sense because we see the danger of an illicit equation of truth with the survival property had by such animals and species. So we really need him to define how propositions have or lack the property of truth on the basis of Darwinian survival. Presumably this would have to go via beliefs, for example, that true propositions are what is believed when a belief is true and a belief is true when it promotes survival, or belongs to a set of beliefs that promote survival.
That being said, perhaps we do not need to go that way if we attend more closely to the analysis of scientific truth that Jordan Peterson offers. When offered a scientific truth, and when he thinks we need to attend to the nature of its truth, he repeatedly analyses this as a matter of being true enough for some purposes and then criticises the limited context that must be maintained to preserve this, suggesting that a wider context will reveal that it is not true enough for other purposes. When he does this I think the best way of developing what he wants to say is not as Sam Harris interprets him, and as he himself seems on occasion to grant, as affirming that the proposition has the property of truth but may lose it when the context is widened. On the contrary, the best way of developing his position is as the claim that no limited proposition is ever true sans phrase. Limited propositions are only ever partially true. The wider the context they encompass, the truer they may be, but their limitation means they must fall short of truth itself. There is only one proposition that does not fall short, an absolutely unlimited proposition that supersedes and subsumes all the partial truths, namely, the absolute truth. The absolute truth may be an ideal limit that is out of our reach but it is that to which our efforts are, or should be, directed.
So here, truth is not a discrete property, that is either had or not, but is a graded property, had to some degree, bounded above by a maximal degree had by the absolute truth, which maximal degree is therefore the only thing properly called truth sans phrase. This is naturally understood as a coherence theory of truth, of the kind developed by Bosanquet and Bradley, in which the degree of truth had by limited propositions is the degree to which they cohere with the absolute truth.
On this kind of account, being partially true may be true enough for some purposes, and for that reason we may mistake it for truth, but the partiality of its truth is revealed when we widen the context and discover that it is not true enough for others. Since widening the context must eventually include the value of the propositions, their tendency to promote better or worse outcomes, or indeed their tendency to promote beauty or ugliness, and since the absolute truth must subsume all such contexts, the absolute truth thereby subsumes goodness and beauty. Hence we have the unity at which Peterson aimed, the unity of truth, beauty and goodness.
On this account, the virology lab example poses no problems, since now Peterson does not have to reject the scientists having all the same true beliefs. Rather, the example proves the partiality of the truth of their beliefs through its illustration of their beliefs having both bad consequences and good consequences. The inadvisability of having any such labs, the possibility that the knowledge is knowledge that ought not to be known, is in part explained by the partiality of the truths involved. Indeed, the partiality is precisely articulated by the categories of goods and bads promoted by the beliefs, since these are ways in which they cohere with or are incoherent with the absolute truth. Note, however, that the evasion of the difficulty has been effected by shifting from pragmatism, the colours under which Jordan Peterson sails, to a certain variety of coherentism. What variety is that, exactly?
Well, now add in his Darwinian survival thought, that truer is survival enhancing, and the thought that survival enhancement is achieved by those parts of the world that can better understand themselves and the world. Idealise these and we have truth is absolute survival which can only be achieved by the world itself understanding itself in its entirety. Our rationality thereby is seen to be a partial reflection of the absolute rationality that the world is aimed at eventually embodying. This is a variety of Hegelian absolute idealism, with Hegel's dialectical theory of the historical process replaced by a Darwinian theory. So I think Jordan Peterson is better understood as an absolute idealist sailing under the false colours of pragmatism.


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We take design very seriously at Linkam. We don't stop at ensuring that our products excede our users expectations in terms of technical specifications. We want to deliver a bit of WOW when they open the box.
When it comes to our electronics, we don't just get it working and then throw the bits in any old off the shelf third party box then slap our logo on it. We consider many factors including, how much space it takes up on a likely already crowded lab bench? How quick and easy it is to set up? How easy is it to clean spilled solutions? How simple is it to remove a failed component in the field so that users in obscure locations can repair on site? How can we ensure that the materials can be recycled at the end of the instruments lifecycle? How can we ensure that it complies with all the many criteria for low voltage directives necessary for the unit to be used in almost any lab environment anywhere in the world?
When we've answered all of those questions, we still don't let it go into production until we are all satisfied that we've answered the last unmeasurable design challenge. Do we really like the look and feel of it?
Take a look at the new DC95 Warm stage controller. Even better temperature control and performance with compact dimensions of just 160 x 104mm and 25mm thick controlled by an in built touch screen display. Just a warm stage controller? No, I suggest it's quite a bit more.
Posted by Vince Kamp

subset: commoncrawl


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Galloway Forest Wreath
30 90 £30.00 - £90.00
per item
A natural wreath handmade at the Flower Farm in Galloway.
The foliage is lush, richly textured & includes a wide selection of conifers, hollies, mixed evergreens & cones. Every wreath is made to order so all are lovely & exact details (such as foliages included & ribbon colour) vary.
We make wreaths in 4 sizes.
- Extra Large - in excess of 21inches (53 cms.) diameter across foliage
- Large Wreaths - approximately 15 inches (38 cms.) diameter across foliage
- Medium Wreaths - approximately 13 inches (33 cms.) diameter across foliage
- Small Wreaths - approximately 11 inches (28 cms.) diameter across foliage
Wreaths can be made with or without a bow - just let us know your preference.
- Delivery free to Balmaclellan, Borgue, Bridge of Dee, Castle Douglas, Carsphairn, Corsock, Crocketford, Dalbeattie (town), Gatehouse of Fleet, Kirkcudbright, Mossdale, New Galloway, St. John's Town of Dalry, Twynholm.
- Collection by arrangement.


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If you have a basic understanding of Meta Tags, they are brief HTML elements regarding web pages. Search engines and surfers find them very useful to identify websites among the millions according to subject areas. Meta Tags are rather simple and must be written in a code pertaining to the CMS. Consider the most important in terms of SEO.
The Title Tag
Like the title of a chapter of a book, above all are the title tags that inform search engines and surfers accurately about the website. The keywords are highlighted in the search engine results.
<title>Title is placed here</title>
Restrictions are imposed upon the length of the title tag to perhaps 70 characters. Longer tags may be shortened by the search engine. The Page Title Pixel Meter helps identify if the title tag is too long.
The H1 – H6 tags
The H1 tag appears at the top of the page and usually the headline or title is indicated by that tag. H2 to H6 refer to subheadings in the writing. The content must use several paragraphs in a decreasing logical order of importance in the article.
The Meta description
You must have read them in the search engine result pages. The Meta description is a very short paragraph that appears under the page URL. That description should tally with the title and the content of the article.
According to page content, use the best keywords in the title, the most important occurring at the beginning and the lesser later. Keywords should not only cater to search engines but to users too.
Separate keywords with pipes (|), very convenient to include short information. Words like but and the, is, which and then don't help SEO and occupy space. (keywords1 | keywords2 |keywords3)
Include Brand names
The title could begin with a powerful brand name and that elevates SEO and helps those in search of a particular brand.
Considering the vast quantities of data used in social media nowadays, companies like Google+, Facebook and Twitter allows the use of tags that lead to better content creation. Samples of Facebook Open Graph Meta Tags that arrange the user's timeline contents are og:title, og:type and og:image.
Meant for search engine bots, the robots meta tags help to indicate that the page and its links should not be indexed or followed. <meta name="robots" content="noindex"/>
Use Meta Tag Analyzer Tool


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Last week we reported on the potentially negative effects of using genetically modified crops. However, it seems that a large scale cultivation of transgenic crops may be the only solution to India's fast growing food and land issues according to Mangala Rai, secretary of the Department of Agriculture Research and Education.
In an international conference Mr Rai, said that the production of food from less land would be achieved only through the widespread use of GM crops, stating that "self-sufficiency in food is crucial and the only way to ensure that is to adopt the GM technology. There cannot be two views on the issue." The official added that "whether we like it or not, transgenic crops will soon be a reality."
Indeed, India is becoming increasingly desperate to solve the increasing demand for food, created by its rapidly expanding population. Although reported to be the second biggest producer of wheat, India has imported vast quantities of grain in the last two years to meet the gap between supply and demand. The government therefore, is increasingly "turning to the laboratory" for answers. Last month, officials approved the first big trials of GM crops.
However, pitted against the politician's statements are the views of those who argue that genetically modified food may not only harm the environment, but may also threaten the health of those who eat the products. The decisions of Mr Rai and the Indian government have provoked outrage and protests from social activists, who believe that the crops may cause ecological damage and destruction.
If you find this information useful and would like to get daily updates, feel free to subscribe to our RSS feed.


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The Clarion Hotel (formally the Greek Isles Hotel and Casino) is located two blocks west of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
A 7,000-square-foot slot casino includes games such as Megabucks, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.
Guests who desire time away from the casino can soak up the sun at the resort's pool.
305 Convention Center Dr
Phone: 702-952-8000


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I was happy to be able to attend this year's henna gathering in Connecticut and I thoroughly enjoyed it. During the day, we attended classes teaching all sorts of fun stuff from design, technique and history. After hours you can find the artists sharing henna with each other, which is a really wonderful way for everyone to get to know each other and learn from each other. I did not get to participate as much I would have in this aspect of the gathering because I had my kids with me, but I found a few spaces in between to take some photos these talented creative henna'ing hands of the henna gathering. Thank you to all of the artists for sharing :) I am looking forward to watching how the new knowledge I have unfolds in my henna work.
creative hands: gardening hands
Meet Jenna. Jenna has been a gardener at Coral Bay Organic Gardens in St. John for the last two years, where she has fallen in love with plants. Gardening is a creative art, and like other arts, can be done in countless ways. It is a clear give and take. You feed the plants nutrition and love, and they grow to give love and nutrition back. The more you give, the more you receive. There is much wisdom to be learned from plants. I spent a summer as a plant lady around Boston and was fascinated with the insights about life that would reveal themselves naturally to me throughout my days. Working with plants is grounding, fulfilling, peaceful, and inspiring work. It is powerful to get to know a place by digging your hands in its earth, and empowering to eat the food you grow. I believe one of the best things we can do on earth at this point in time is to figure out ways to heal the dirt, and live in balance with nature, through the practice of growing organic food in a sustainable way.
Coral Bay Organic Gardens are a real gem of St. John. They have been growing food there for 20 years, and also sell supplies to get your own garden growing. They were started by the husband and wife team of Hugo and Josephine, who specialize in growing greens, which are a food high in nutrient density, and can add a good dose of iron, magnesium, and calcium to your diet. My personal favorites of their crops are the (best I've ever had) arugula and the delightful sunflower sprouts. They also grow fruits and vegetables, as well as a variety of fresh herbs for your cooking pleasure. You can purchase them at the garden center in coral bay and at starfish market in Cruz bay, or enjoy them at one of many restaurants around the island.
We decided to do a design based off an embroidered panel by the Shibipo people in the Peruvian Amazon. They are a culture who has a rich tradition in plant medicines and are carriers of a song pattern tradition. Life is a song and everything can be sung. They weave and paint their healing songs into cloths. The cloth then carries that healing energy to those who look at it. Jenna and I bonded over our love for Peru, which is what inspired this choice in henna designs for her palm. It was the first time I have ever drawn one of their patterns. Every time I try a different style, it is like learning a new rhythm and can take a few times to learn its flow, but then as I internalize the pattern, it flows more naturally. I like this idea that everything has a pattern, whether it is sung or painted, or lived, or felt. To hear one of their songs, check out this video.
I once took a plant spirit medicine class, which introduced me to the idea that each plant has a spirit and that it is the spirit of the plant that heals us. Through meditations, one can connect directly with the spirit of the plant, who will teach you how it can heal you (rather than reading it from a book or learning it on an intellectual level). The healing power of plants is something we may take for granted in our modern world, but has existed all over the world in endless ways. I have been interested in this idea in regards to the henna plant and is another reason I love henna! It has long been regarded as containing Baraka (divine blessings) in Morocco, which carries joy and luck into the lives of people to whom it is applied. The experience of being henna'd is wonderfully relaxing, which allows people to open up, that is the first step in the healing process. It is also inspiring, which instigates positive action in our lives! I will be interested to learn more about the healing powers of henna as I grow with this plant and its traditions.
creative hands: healing hands
Meet holly. Holly's creative hands are healing hands. I am inspired by all of the creative ways to heal. I think healing is an amazing and high form of art. Healing energy is in abundance all around us all the time and healers are conduits of this energy. There are many different ways to be a channel; many different modalities of healing. I look forward to exploring some of the ways in this creative hand project over the course of this year.
When Holly discovered energy healing along her own journey in wellness, it changed her life and has inspired her to want to share it with others. She spent four years studying at the Barbara Brennan school of healing, where she learned to heal herself, and in the process, became a healer. Barbara Brennan was a NASA physicist who also has the ability to see people's energy bodies, which allowed her to develop her technique of healing. She uses a combination of hands-on healing techniques, body-oriented psychotherapy, high sense perception, channeling, creative arts and meditation, to aid in the healing of her clients.
Existing alongside the physical body are the emotional, the spiritual, and the energy bodies. There are seven major chakras (spinning energy centers) in the body whose job it is to distribute the energy and keep it flowing. A healthy person is one whose energy flows throughout the body unimpeded! When the flow becomes blocked, it manifests as dis-ease. We are born clear, with an unimpeded flow, but over time, when we get hurt or experience intense fear, we develop defense mechanisms to cope, which create blocks in our energy field. Most of the time this hurt is passed on over generations. Our energy blocks get in the way of living our lives as our true self, allowing our core essence to shine.
The unfolding movement of human consciousness and its path of healing inspires me on a personal and group level. We have the ability to heal ourselves, change the way we live our lives, and reprogram our cellular make up, changing the patterns in our DNA, which we pass on to our children. By healing ourselves, we can literally change history! As a mom of two small children, I think about this a lot. I am conscious enough to be aware of the patterns which I am passing on unconsciously (because I am tired and don't know another way), and on the other aware that my children are blank slates and full of potential and deserving of the best I can give them, but it takes a lot of work to find a new way. That is where having the help of a trained healer can be really helpful.
I had the pleasure of receiving a session from Holly in Cruz Bay last week. We talked for about a half hour about my history and an issue that has been coming up for me lately and I wanted to work on. Then i lay, fully clothed, on the healing table while Holly balanced my chakras and charged my energy body by placing her hands over my body, starting at the feet and working her way up to my head. It was a wonderfully relaxing experience, and when I got off the table, I felt a sense of peace. We sat back down and she gave me a few more insights regarding my issue and also some homework to help further my progress. I felt something shifting in my perception of my issue and am looking forward to doing more sessions with her in the future.
Holly sees people in Cruz Bay. Check out her website Wave Healing here to contact her and book a session. She offers discounts for locals. To learn more about this school of healing, check out this insightful interview with Barbara Brennan.
For Holly's henna design on her palms, I used a Moroccan Fessi style heart in the center of her palms to represent the loving healing energy that flows through the palms of her hands. I worked off a photo from Henna Lounge, but have also enjoyed the abundant resource of THE book on Moroccan henna called "Moor: A Henna Atlas of Morroco" by Lisa "Kenzi" Butterworth and Nic Tharpa Cartier. I love the idea of our hands being an extension of our hearts and the idea of creating with love, which inspired this design.
creative hands: musical hands of Lauren
Meet Lauren. Lauren plays the guitar. She also has an ama(aaa)zing voice. She has been singing since she was a little girl in church, and took up the guitar when she started playing solo gigs around St. John in 2005. Her husband, Bo, is also a great musician. Together they make a beautiful team both in music and in life. They are some of the nicest people you will ever meet and they also have an adorable little girl who can be seen on the mic from time to time. Their music is infused with this love and when you are in its presence, it seeps into your being and warms your soul.
I henna'd up Lauren's hands with a design representing the sound waves she creates with her fingers. I modeled them after Japanese styled ocean waves and music staff lines with some clefs in there. We took some photos with my phone at Maho beach and a couple days later at my house with an audience of adorable little people.
You can hear Lauren's beautiful music around St. John. Check out Lauren and Bo's website to hear samples of their music and find out where you can catch them playing next. They can also be booked for events. Their heartwarming vibes are a perfect mood setting for a wedding. Currently on Thursdays, you can find me henna'ing to the music of Lauren and Bo at Skinny Legs in Coral Bay from 5:30-7:30pm. I will be there through Easter, with the exception of two weeks when I will be heading to a henna conference in New England (yay!) The Thursdays I will be there this season are: March 6, 13, and 20. and April 10, 17, and 24th. Come on down for some henna infused with the sounds of Lauren and BO! They will be there every Thursday from 6-9 through the season.
creative hands: massage therapy
The inspiration for this henna project is creativity, and this includes the wonderful world of healing arts. There is no shortage of creative ways that people can heal each other, and I look forward to exploring some of these ways throughout this year of henna'ing.
Meet Vicki. She is my first pair of healing hands I have Henna'd for this project. She is a massage therapist at Caneel Bay here in St. John, who specializes in structural integration, also known As Rolfing. This technique optimizes the body's relationship to gravity by working with the body's connective tissue to release bound muscles.
I had a wonderful time getting to know Vicki and hearing her story while I doodled up her hands with a gulf style henna design. It was her first time getting henna, and she said that it was a tribute to her hands, that have been working hard all of these years.
Vicki has been massaging people as long as she can remember. This path was a clear calling that became her life's work. She is happy and grateful that her work is an offering and also a service to others. It is always inspiring to meet people who are doing what they love!
The art of henna is a healing art in its own playful subtle way, and I love it for that. The henna plant is considered to carry divine blessings of joy and luck in its essence (with or without a beautiful design), that soaks into your life through your skin. The artist, like a healer, also is a channel of energy. Before I start henna'ing someone, I like to take a moment to breathe and center and connect to a higher force to bring into their life a little bit of positive energy through their henna experience.
While writing this, I found myself going on many a thought adventure regarding the relationship and interchangeability of healing and art, and decided I could spend a lot of time writing about that, but what it all boils down to is LIFE IS ART! It is how we live our lives and what kind of energy we want to channel that underlies all forms of creativity and healing in the world. We can all be healers and we can all be artists if we so choose!!!
"There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground" (rumi)
creative feet : travelling shoes
My friend Chris came to visit last week and I Henna'd some magic slippers on her feet. Slippers are a common theme in bridal henna designs of India and Morocco and they are especially fun to henna on barefoot beach feet. Because this project is inspired by creativity, I decided to henna Chris's feet. She is a traveling girl and has made a creative lifestyle out of her love of traveling for many years, so I thought it would be fun to henna some traveling shoes for her. The design is based on Moroccan Fessi style henna and then I personalized them by adding symbols from Chris's earth walk within the design.
Traveling is a way to leave our routine behind, open ourselves to new possibilities, to feel free, and to discover ourselves. There is always an outward journey and an inward journey. Symbols are relative to each of our personal beliefs, cultures and experiences, and are common in henna as well. People paint symbols onto the body to bring the energy of symbols into their lives. It was interesting to hear which symbols Chris chose to represent her path through life thus far.
The om symbol stands for the first sound of the universe, and represents music for Chris, which is one of her passions that she carries with her everywhere she goes. The symbol comes from India, where Chris and I both had our first big independent backpacking trip together after we graduated from college. The elephant represents wildlife and her time Kenya, studying at a school for wildlife while in college, where giraffes could be seen walking by in the distance during class. The guitar represents Chris's instrument of choice, and her time living in Seville, Spain, the birthplace of flamenco, where she learned to speak Spanish.
Mountains are Chris's favorite landscape. She loves the simplicity of hiking up them and being rewarded with views at the top. Chris and I hiked around the Annapurna circuit in Nepal for 3 weeks, which still maintains a top spot as one of coolest things I've ever done. The photo to the left is from that adventure. Chris is on the left, our friend, and travelling companion Christin in the middle, and I on the right. The Annapurna ciruit is one of the most walked paths in the world, and is shared by pilgrims, locals and tourists. Our feet carried us all the way through villages starting in tropical climate zones up into snowy landscapes and over the highest pass in the world. They braved some storms including infected ankles and extra toes, but ultimately carried us all the way home.
Chris spent years leading camping tours across North America, where she guided people on countless hikes in America's beautiful nature preserves. In this job, she met the love of her life, Pete, which was a pivotal moment (all paths lead to now). During their time off from leading tours, they traveled far and wide. They became engaged in the mountains of Guatemala and hiked through the mountains of Patagonia in Argentina on their honeymoon, and are also connected through their love of mountains.
There are four Mayan glyphs that represent herself, husband, and their two little girls. They feel connected to the Mayan symbols because they not only traveled extensively through Mayan country while they were single, but also got engaged in Guatemala and then returned to Mayan county of Mexico to get married. The tree represents Chris's passion for plants, a love that kept returning to her through her travels. Now, Chris is studying horticulture while raising her children in Brooklyn, but still gets out for some traveling on road trips and coming to the Caribbean to kick back and escape the winter of New York. The St. John petroglyph represents the here and now. This is the third time chris has visited me here. I love that she is my traveling friend, a soul sister, and a friend who visits.
The earth represents, of course, our magnificent planet. Chris loves the earth's variety of wild landscapes. and the feet represent her own two feet, which she loves that can carry her anywhere.
I feel extremely thankful and blessed that I was able to travel as much as I have, and can thank some friends, including Chris for inspiring me to get out and go. When Chris told me that she was planning on going to India after graduation, a bell went off and I asked if I could join. That trip changed my life and inspired me to keep traveling and make art. Oftentimes, when I am henna'ing up a high school or college girl, i offer some inspiration to Take some time to travel after studying. A lot of people don't realize how easy it is. You just save your pennies, buy a ticket (and a lonely planet guidebook) and go! As Chris pointed out, sometimes, it is more expensive to stay home.
I have to say that I really loved henna'ing these personalized slippers for Chris and would love to do more of this. I am organizing a variety of symbols from around the planet for people to choose from if they ever want a pair of medicine shoes to be Henna'd on their feet, to represent where they have been on their path and what energies they want to carry into the future. look out for that on my website in the future!
One note on the henna due to babies waking in the night, our henna actually took 3 nights to complete! if you notice in some of the photos, one foot is a darker stain than the other, it is because they were henna'd on different nights. May it serve as an example of how a henna stain takes time to darken. While the darker foot is 36 hours after application, the other is 12 hours after application.
creative hands: fabric painting by monika
Meet Monika.
Monika has an amazing energy. It is grounding and inspiring and a joy to be around. The story of her life is rich and full of adventures around the planet, and yet she lives whole-heartedly in the present moment. Originally from Poland, her family emigrated to Brazil when she was 7, where she was introduced to the vibrant colors of the tropics. They moved around a lot, but she felt most at home in the islands south of Rio, where they built a house surrounded by nature. After she retired from a career in journalism to be more present in the lives of her children, she started painting pillows, hammocks, and panels to decorate island homes. Her business was taking off in Brazil, but crime was also on the rise, which led to a tough decision to move to the United States, where her children could grow up in a safer environment. Painting went on the back burner as she worked in real estate while living there.
After her little birds left the nest, she and her husband Jorge, who was off surfing when I visited (and just have to add was once a race car driver), moved to St. John, where they now call home. Here, they reconnected with island life and Monika started painting on fabric again. When I came to photograph her creating with her Henna'd hands, she was working on a child's sarong and a fish pillow. She uses soft, feel-good fabric for her sarongs and carefully mixes her paints so they will soak in to the fabric, rather than sit on top, which keeps the fabric soft and flowing. Her work can be found at the Full Moon Cafe in Cocolobo shopping area in Coral bay
The henna design I painted on Monika is from Amelia Dregeiwicz's dream book. I am picking every week a different design aesthetic to henna. This week I chose Amelia because she and Monika are both from Poland :) I love Amelia's style, so I was happy to try out one of her designs from her new design book, which you can purchase by messaging her on Facebook. My henna paste was made from the organic Rajasthani crop of 2013 I purchased from henna lounge. In mixing This batch, I used molasses instead of sugar for the first time, which i really enjoyed, but could have done with a bit less (1 tsp/100 g rather than 2 tsp). These photos were taken 36 hours after application.
Monika and Jorge also built an adorable rental home called "Sea Cottage" in a guava berry grove on top of Bordeaux mountain, that is fashioned with Monika's beautiful hand painted decor and carries the amazing vibration of Monika and Jorge. Check out their page on villa rental by owner and read some of the inspiring reviews from happy guests here.
creative hands: homeschooling mama
Meet Clare.
Clare worked as a teacher for many years and has a fun creative soul. She is also an amazing mom and one of my role models (and a henna model), with her patient, positive, and loving attitude. She has an encouraging and firm tone of voice and way of giving directions that kids respond to. Her son, Audie, is one of my little Brian's best buddies. When they were little tiny bundles and could barely move their necks, they laid on the bed next to each other and wiggled and squealed in excitement. It is always a treat to get together with them. The other morning, we went around for a craft morning play date. Clare set the boys up with some paint and stamps to make some creations and off they went.
Being a mom is one of the most creative jobs I have ever had. It is important to stay inspired with activities to teach the kids, recipes to keep everyone fed (because they want to eat EVERY day ;), and most importantly, creative ways to react/disciplin. I find inspiration is KEY and it is connecting with other moms and sharing ideas that keeps that inspiration flowing.
My favorite part of this craft day, and most others like it, was when the kids are full of painting and run off to play, and the moms carry on crafting, drinking tea, eating snacks, and catching up on life.
As I said in my last post, i learned about photoshop actions in my photography class this past week, and have been playing around with a few of them. My favorite one so far, because I am a big fan of vivid colors, is one replicating a toy camera. I applied this action to these photos because the colors of the day were calling for it. Because the action makes the colors pop, it changes the true color of the henna stain as well. For photos that represent the color of the stain accurately, check out the photos in my gallery page.
The style of the henna design is from the Persian gulf. My compliments go out to the unknown artist that created this design from which I copied. The website was in Arabic, and then didn't seem to be running when my friend offered to translate. I do love the whimsy of the bold flowers and negative space for tendrils to dance in. I look forward to doing more gulf-style henna in the future. These photos were taken 36 hours after application.
creative hands: caribbean hook bracelets by maya
Happy New Year. This is the first entry of my 2014 Henna'd Hands project. I am very excited to start this :) The idea was born a few months ago, when I was working on building a portfolio for my new henna website. I started with some models and took photos on the beach of their hands. A couple models were yogi's, and I had been recently inspired by the work of Robert Sturman, a yoga photographer, so I took some photos of the girls doing yoga with their henna on. That inspiration next moved on to art when I henna'd the hands of a potter, Jill Hale, who I then took photos of down at Maho Bay Clayworks at Pickles, while she was making some pots . I loved watching her henna'd hands in their creative element and it inspired me to want to do more of this sort of thing.
For Christmas this year, I was gifted with an introductory DSLR camera, and a photography workshop online by my amazing parents. I have never taken photography before, but have always appreciated it and "became a photographer" when my children were born a few years ago. I still don't know what I am doing, so I just take a LOT of photos and hope for the best. My plan is to practice my henna skills and photography skills over the course of 2014 through this project. i make art to share, so please join with me as i ride the wave of learning and meet a lot of creative, inspiring people along the way :)
So, let's get started!
Meet Maya Craig.
After the sun goes down and her husband returns from work, she sneaks out of her mountainside house in the trees to the Cocolobo shopping area in Coral Bay, where she can be found making her Caribbean hook bracelets. Maya rents the studio of Sandi Stein, which is accessed from the parking lot on the side of the complex. I have never been into a jewelry studio before. It was filled with so many tools and gadgets that were cute and foreign to me. Maya makes impeccable work, as you will see in the following photos I took of her in her process.
Maya makes a variety of hook bracelets, and they are all made out of recycled silver and gold. My personal favorite is the Maho Bay Camps logo, which is, I do believe, the coolest logo I have ever seen, and of course, representing one of the most special places on the planet. For those who haven't been to Maho, it was a Dr. Seuss tree house-like complex made of a screen houses, boardwalks, and stairs, which led to white sand beaches in a turquoise bay. There were white puffy clouds over head and stars at night that the tree frogs would sing to. Good old fashioned magic! I was the henna girl there for 6 seasons, which was my favorite job ever. I used to think on my way there how lucky I was to be doing this work. Not only was it fun for me to henna people up and connect with inspiring guests, but it was gratifying when I saw how it brought a happy buzz to the vibe to the night. Henna IS a fun sort of healing and I am happy and grateful to be a carrier of this medicine. I was sad to say goodbye this summer when it closed after 37 years, but the spirit of Maho is real and still lives on in everyone who had the luck to find out about it and experience its magic (and everyone who wears a Maho hook bracelet).
One note on the photos, for those checking out the henna: I have been playing around with a few "actions" in Photoshop that alter colors in these photos as part of my fun (I somehow just discovered them), which makes the henna stain look darker than it really is in some of the photos. The true color of the henna stain can be found in the photo at the bottom of the page in the photo with all of the finished bracelets. This stain was from 36 hours after application.
Maya can be found on facebook by clicking HERE. Contact her directly to inquire about purchasing her work.
henna at maho bay clayworks
Today I headed down the mountain with my two little assistants to Maho Bay Clayworks at Pickles in Coral Bay where Jill Hale was working on some mugs with hands I recently henna'd. Jill is one of the fabulous people I befriended at this studio, which has served as an inspiring space for creating pottery and a community center on St. John for many years. It has since moved from its original location at Maho Bay camps, to its new home at Pickles. I love throwing pots with henna on my hands. They are both ancient natural art forms whose earth toned colors compliment each other so well.
Check out Maho Bay Claywork's Facebook Page to find out about current open studio times and a list of classes. Come join the art party!
if you were to be sitting
under the magic tree
looking out to sea
this is what you would see!
the magic tree
here is my little baby sitting under the magic tree :)
henna is a little magic tree!
i love how life unfolds.
a few years back, i made a t shirt design of a tree. it was a primitive drawing that looked like a cross section of a tree. i really enjoyed drawing the leaves and letting them flow upon each other in different shapes (i love the meditative flowing doodling part of drawing). as i drew this tree, i started to see trees differently. i have heard this phenomenon once called the Tao of drawing.. by drawing something, that something allows us to see it in a different light. its true essence reveals itself to us. later, when the shirts were printed, i showed a coworker the shirt and he saw the tree as a set of lungs. (it also said breathe underneath it, so that could have helped that imagery) but from then on, i started to think about it more and realized, wow. trees are lungs of the earth! what an amazing refection of the human body and the body of earth. life is so cool like that. trees breathe, just like our lungs, creating an exchange of air, which i knew, but now, for the first time, i could actually see that trees are lungs!
(i put see in italics because it is a special kind of seeing)
for a long while after that, my consciousness went on many different thought journeys regarding this subject. i was fascinated with the idea that i created something without thinking and then that creation revealed wisdom and understanding to me. in a similar way, i am currently in the process of switching my artistic identity from planet carolyn to "under the magic tree." i have been since thinking about trees and surfing the web on tress and was reminded how people from all over the planet have respect and worship trees. there is a lot of interesting symbolism. for example, they are both the masculine and feminine (bearing fruit). their roots grow down while their branches grow up, which means that they are a bridge that connects heaven and earth. when going into the underworld of shamanic journeying (meditations), a very common method for getting there is to find a tree, go inside and climb down through its roots (like the rabbit hole in alice in wonderland). also, in some cultures when people die, they believe the soul climbs up the tree to heaven. the human body is also like a tree. Our legs are roots, drawing energy up to flow through our bodies. to be a healthy human is to have the abundant energy that rises up from the earth flow unimpeded through our chakra system (which distributes the energy outward) in the spinal column and up through the top of the head. In India, this is called kundalini energy and is described as a coiled up snake at the bottom of our spine. the path of healing is to uncoil that snake and draw it up through the body our out through the head. hospitals use this same symbol.there are 2 snakes (masculine and feminine) climbing up the staff.
the more i think about everything, the more i see that everything is interconnected. we are all reflections of each other. this can be seen and applied on so many levels. it is inspiring and i could go on, but then this may never end!
the magic tree is my new name for my creative adventures (which is magic like the world we live in). there are many branches to this tree, to accomodate all of the mediums i like to use. the henna branch is naturally called magic tree henna, which is this website.
( And what was my point?) since i have been working on my website, i have been thinking about henna a lot lately and realized that henna is actually a magic tree! it is a very special little tree; one who's leaves you can pick and grind into a powder, mix into a paste, paint on the body and leaves a beautiful stain behind. meanwhile, it was also used as a medicine for skin ailments and cooled the body temperature down in the deserts where it grows. this is magic, no?
magic is all around us! we are magic. we can make babies (i still am amazed by that on) as well as lots of other amazing things. when was it, along the way that we stopped relating to the amazing phenomenon of LIFE on earth as magic and then call this other something magic that is a show of illusion. It hit home when a friend said once that she didn't want to lie to her daughter when she asked if the tooth fairy was real because she does not like we are passing by the magic that surrounds us all the time and trading it in for a "magic" that is not real.
I also read somewhere and loved: if you want to teach your children about magic, plant a garden!
anyway, this is where I will end this thought adventure for now :) there is a beautiful drawing of the magic henna tree! Oh what fun it is to be human:)
under the magic tree
let us start again.
the magic tree is my favorite beach spot in st john, virgin islands, where i live with my beautiful family. my art world has been known for quite a few years as planet carolyn, i have decided to change my name since i no longer feel like an orbiting planet, but a tree growing roots and settling into the earth as i raise my kids. we live on top of the top of the island in a magical spot surrounded by bay rum trees, orchids, passionfruit and mangos. on a perfect day, we go to spend the morning under our favorite magic tree on maho beach and in the afternoon chill at home in the speckled light of the forest, drinking tea and watching hummingbirds in the mountaintop breeze.


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Xolo Company has launched New Smartphone Xolo Play T1000 with an NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-Core Processor Price at Rs 15,999.
The Xolo Play T1000 handset came with a 4.7 – inch touch screen display. It has HD IPS one – glass solution display screen. The Smartphone runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It also supports NVIDIA TegraZone for gaming. It has also come with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and density of 293ppi pixel.
The Phone supports 12-core GeForce GPU with 1GB of RAM. It has 8 – megapixel back camera with BSI sensor and 2 – megapixel front camera. Xolo Play T1000 Smartphone also came with full HD screen (1080p) video recording and playback.
According to storage specification, the device has come with 4GB internal storage and it can expand up to 32GB Storage memory via MicroSD card slot. And other features wise the handset include 3G / WI-Fi / Bluetooth & GPS support. It is powered by 2000mAh battery capacity.
Xolo Play T1000 Key Specifications
- Display: 4.7 – inch touch screen display
- OS: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
- Camera: 8 – megapixel back camera with BSI sensor & 2 – megapixel front camera
- Processor: 1.5 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-Core Processor
- Storage: 1GB of RAM, 4GB internal storage & expended up to 32GB via MicroSD card slot
- Connectivity: 3G / WI-Fi / Bluetooth & GPS support
- Battery: 2000mAh battery capacity
Priced in India for Rs. 15,999
Xolo Play T1000 Smartphone Now available all the across retail stores and You can also buy this phone at Xolo's official website.
Also Read: Nokia Lumia 1020 Vs Karbonn Titanium S9 Comparison Review


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The other day we had a discussion in a lesson about German music and German hits, which gave me the idea to look for German songs that also were hits in English.
And here they are, in reversed order!
No 5: Nicole, Ein bisschen Frieden
and in English:
No 4: Nena. 99 Luftballons
and in English:
No 3: Rammstein, Du hast
and in English: Sadly, the English version is not available anymore and I can't find a different video on YouTube. As soon as I do, I will add it again.
No 2 is Kraftwerk: Das Modell
and in English:
And no 1 is the silly, catchy tune from Trio, da da da
and in English:
What do you think of this selection? Did I miss any?
Next week I tell you about my favourite German cover version of English hits. Stay tuned 😉


text:
MiFID II: Where are we now?
Held on Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Alex McDonald (EVIA)
Steve Kelly (Euro IRP)
Gabriel Callsen (ICMA)
Michael Sholem (Davis Polk)
After seven years of haggling and one-and-a-half million paragraphs of drafting, MiFID II and MiFIR finally came into force this January.
As ever, the stated intentions of the regulations were pure – clearer (and cheaper) outcomes for investors, greater competition between firms, more transparency and stability in the markets. But even at the eleventh hour there were still concerns as to how the effects of the regulation would play out in practice – on independent research firms, market liquidity, and even whether the hoped-for efficiencies would offset all the extra compliance costs.
So, is MiFID II / MiFIR a step forward (or at least no great step backwards) in practice? Joining us to discuss the new world, we are pleased to have assembled a group of experts from across the market:
- Alex McDonald is CEO of the European Venues & Intermediaries Association (formerly the WMBA), whose members facilitate much of the global OTC markets. Previously he spent twenty years as a trader and portfolio manager at both fund managers and bulge bracket banks.
- Steve Kelly is special adviser to the European Association of Independent Research Providers (Euro IRP). He was for many years the MD of Extel, the leading provider of equities market surveys.
- Gabriel Callsen is a member of Market Practice and Regulatory Policy at ICMA, responsible for coordinating the Association's work on MiFID II implementation across the secondary markets.
- Michael Sholem is counsel in Davis Polk's corporate department, in the London office. His practice focuses on the supervision and regulation of banks, investment firms, insurance companies and asset managers.
If you (or a colleague) would like to join us (and perhaps share your own thoughts), please let us know by calling 0207 621 1056 or emailing firstname.lastname@example.com. As usual, wine and sandwiches will be provided.
Many thanks,
Sincerely yours,
Andrew Hilton


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Kwikset Premis Review: A Solid, Reliable HomeKit Smart Lock
On first glance, the Premis looks like just another electronic deadbolt with a keypad, but it's actually an excellent smart lock that gives you another good product option if you live in the HomeKit world.
Ah, smart locks. An interesting category of home automation product. If you boil all the details down, they're just a fancy deadbolt replacement (sometimes entirely, sometimes just partially) that turns your deadbolt for you. Some might say, "you can't be bothered to lock or unlock your door? When I was your age, I had to lock my door by hand while dragging it uphill in the middle of winter with frozen boots!" But there are some truly non-lazy, helpful features of many of these smart locks:
Auto-Unlock: As you approach your home, your lock will sense your presence (via your smartphone, usually) and unlock automatically.
Auto-Lock: Most smart locks have an optional, customizable timer, that when set, can automatically lock the door after it was successfully unlocked.
Did I Lock The Door? Many smart locks work only with your smartphone via Bluetooth, but can be extended to work with your phone over greater distances via special Wi-Fi hubs, bridges, etc. The peace-of-mind of knowing that your door(s) is indeed secured is very, very helpful. Also, the ability to "buzz somebody in" remotely by unlocking the door is just as helpful, especially with our busy lives these days.
Electronic Keys: Need to allow someone to access your home on a regular basis, or even a one-time basis? You can set them up with access to your smart lock very easily, and without making physical copies of keys. Most, if not all, smart locks have this handy feature that can be adjusted based on days, times, etc.
Before starting to test the Premis, I decided to remove my previous smart lock and go completely without one for a month. I wrote an entire piece on it, check it out here.
The Physical Details
I'm not going to go into the details of the physical install and setup of the lock, because you can check out the first few minutes of the video for it, but suffice it to say, they're really easy. Kwikset includes just about everything you could possibly need to do the install, minus tools. The process is well-documented and takes just a few minutes. The Premis replaces both the front and rear side of your existing deadbolt, so just know that to start with. And, it's about 2 3/4" wide by 5 3/4" tall on both sides, so be sure that it will fit on your door when closed before purchasing it.
The Premis that I reviewed is in a Satin Nickel finish, but also comes in a darker Venetian Bronze. One great thing Kwikset did with the Premis was that they basically just added Apple's HomeKit functionality to their existing SmartCode touchscreen-locks. So it means that if you like this design but want a different home automation technology, like Z-Wave or Zigbee, or even just a touchscreen lock, you can get it. Just follow the links to see more details.
One final note of caution before I go further, and this applies to ALL smart (or motorized) locks: If your door doesn't align properly right now, you may have trouble. A misalignment between the deadbolt and the "receiver" in the door frame or secondary door, even a small one, could cause a motorized lock to fail prematurely, not work at all or shorten its battery life. Doors tend to sag over time, warp during different weather conditions and so on. Check to make sure that your deadbolt turns easily when the door is closed, without any noticeable friction, and you should be in good shape to upgrade to a smart lock. I truly can't stress this enough.
And speaking of smart locks and motors, the physical movement on the Premis is smooth and a reasaonable speed, but it's a bit loud...even compared with some other Kwikset motorized locks. Not ridiculously loud, but slighty noticeable. Watch the video review and you can hear it for yourself. It's not really loud enough to hear on the other side of your door, as in outside your home.
To potentially alleviate some of the issues I've mentioned above, the deadbolts that come with the Premis are tapered, which can help somewhat. Kwikset includes two kinds, depending on how your existing deadbolt is mounted inside your door, and even a new strike plate, so that everything can be shiny and new. I chose to utilize some of my existing components, as my deadbolt was already a Kwikset model.
Speaking of existing deadbolts and locks... If you have one from Kwikset, there's a good chance you can re-key your new Premis smart lock to your existing key with their SmartKey technology (a special tool is included with the Premis). The Premis is also equipped with Kwikset's latest physical-lock innovations, for picking and drilling resistance and more. As this lock comes from a trusted, established brand, I'm not worried about having it installed on my front door.
Easy Control Options
OK, enough about the physical parts and details, how do you control it?! There are a few ways: Traditional keys, the touchscreen, the Kwikset app, and HomeKit.
Beyond using a regular physical key, the touchscreen is the first obvious choice for controlling the lock when you first glance at it. It's actually one of my own favorite ways to use the lock, more on that in a little bit. Up to 30 user codes can be setup, and users can have full or limited access based on days, times or single-use access...all configurable via the Kwikset Premis app. Each user code can be between 4 and 8 numbers in length. A special security feature, turned on by default, for the touchscreen is the Secure Randomizer. It lights up two random numbers of the 10 digits on the screen and you need to input those numbers before entering your own code. This prevents anyone from deciphering your user code based on fingerprints / smudges on the touchscreen surface.
While you can control the lock via the Kwikset app, check its status, manage its settings like auto-lock, user codes, etc, once you generally have the lock setup you'll probably use it infrequently. Aside from the auto-lock feature, there are no other automation features within the Kwikset app itself. To make the magic happen, head over to HomeKit.
HomeKit Magic
I'll go relatively light on HomeKit, because it is independent of the Premis itself. In general, for all smart locks on the market, HomeKit just knows if a lock device is locked, unlocked or jammed. And it can request it to lock or unlock. That's it. HomeKit is Apple's home automation technology that's built into iOS, by the way, just in case you've been living under a rock for the past few years.
HomeKit lets you control and check the status of the Premis smart lock via your iPhone or iPad when you're within Bluetooth range of the lock. You can get access to the Premis (and other HomeKit devices) from outside your home by adding an Apple TV to your setup (it acts as a gateway between Bluetooth-only devices like the Premis and your home's Wi-Fi network.) And, knowing the status of your lock and being able to control it remotely is the "killer app" of home automation.
And here's the magic I promised: With HomeKit, Premis can automatically unlock when you approach your home, participate in scenes (think: double-check that the front door's locked before bedtime) and you can receive alerts anytime the lock is unlocked or locked. These functions really aren't rocket science, but if you're "all in" on Apple and want to get into home automation, HomeKit is the way to go because it's really simple.
In the video review, you can watch as I create some automation magic live on camera with Apple's Home app and the Premis lock, so I won't go into too much detail here. But it goes without saying that you can get up and running very quickly. HomeKit works even better once you add a few different HomeKit-enabled products, so that you can make more magic happen when you leave home, arrive home, throw a party, watch a movie, wake-up...the ideas are endless.
One thing that HomeKit adds, specifically for the auto-unlock functionality, is an extra layer of security. If you choose to automate the lock based on your location or possibly some other automation trigger (time, a sensor activation, etc), you'll get a notification on your iOS device and/or Apple Watch asking you to confirm that you want the automation to run. If you're coming home and your hands aren't free, but you can still type in a code, then you'll love the touchscreen that's on the front of the Premis. I use it for that specific reason, and a few other times, too.
The Premis is a solid, reliable smart lock. I could complain about the lock noise, but it's not a big enough negative to truly list here. I did have (see the video) some glitchy behavior occasionally where the Premis thought it was jammed even though it wasn't, but that still never really concerned me. Some other reviewers would knock points from this lock because of missing features in HomeKit, but that's not something that Kwikset can control.
So I'll return to my original opinion. This is a very good product. For me, I really like the touchscreen, it really completes the set of options on how to operate the lock. The Premis has never failed to operate, connectivity to my iOS devices has been consistent, and battery life still sits at 50% or above after three months of daily use. Kwikset makes the Premis in multiple finishes, and the physical design matches their other smart locks, for those who may like this design, but not HomeKit.
The Kwikset Premis is a bit pricey at $229. It's similar in price to other smart locks, but near the top of the price range.
Buy a Premis smart lock on Amazon (using our affiliate links helps support us).
Disclosure: Kwikset provided the Premis smart lock to Smarter Home Life, making this review possible.


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For this article I could not resist covering the World Championship Match that has just concluded in New York City. One of the things that I like about World Championship matches is the number of chess fans around the world - super GMs and lesser mortals - that share their opinions on social media. I even got involved, and it turns out that my tweets about this match have not gone unnoticed, since I took part in an enjoyable Twitter exchange with none other than super GM Peter Svidler.
Going into this match, Magnus Carlsen's main opening move was 1.e4 - indeed he used that opening move exclusively in his match in 2014 against Vishy Anand. Sergey Karjakin also prefers the opener that Bobby Fischer famously dubbed, "best by test." If anything, Karjakin's White repertoire is even more limited than Carlsen's. Of course, it has to be pointed out that when I comment on both players' respective strengths and weaknesses, it is all relative! Any world class player could play any opening for either side and still probably beat any untitled player! As Black, Karjakin tends to employ the (in)famous Berlin Defence, which seems a particularly good fit for a match, since the traditional match strategy is to equalise comfortably out of the opening with Black, and with White try to gain a slight edge, or at the very least a position that is easier to play.
Carlsen's repertoire looked very much the same, but he had been known to play the Breyer on occasion, usually when he wanted to keep a few more pieces on the board. However, few questioned that Carlsen would rely heavily on the Berlin in this match, assuming he did not fall behind. Since Karjakin almost always plays 1.e4, unless he completely changed his White repertoire between the Candidates' and the World Championship, I thought we would be in store for six Berlins when Karjakin had White, and more or less the same when the colours were reversed. With that in mind, let us move onto the games!
I have decided to analyse all of Karjakin's White games first, followed by all of Carlsen's White games. This is because what happened in the previous game often has very little relevance to what you will play in the next game because you played with a different colour (apart from games six and seven), unless you won or lost. And I am going to stick my chin out by assuming that every single reader of this Magazine already knows the result in every game from the match, because if you do not, then...well...you should follow more top games! :) Before the match, Vlad Tkachiev weighed in with his match preview: "How many decisive games there will be depends on the strategy chosen by Karjakin and his team. A quick win in one of the first games of the match is the only chance. Will Karjakin stake his hopes on a 'blitzkrieg'? I do not know the answer to that. It is more than ninety-five percent likely, meanwhile, that victory will be achieved by you know who - the clear favourite."


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Since accepting my fate with gluten and wheat, bread is what i have missed most, if only because the smell of bread toasting in the morning or alongside bubbling soup is both unbearable and unbeatable. This miracle bread is named so as it looks hopeless in the mixing bowl but bakes miraculously to form the ideal loaf of bread, made without gluten, wheat or yeast. It's not the kind of light, fluffy bread you may be used to, but there is more body to it, meaning it fills you up for longer and IMO tastes better. I like the crunchiness of this straight from the oven, it's as if it's been toasted but its just it's natural nature. High in fibre, protein, healthy fats and all kinds of vitamins and minerals, this multidimensional recipe takes only 5 minutes to prepare, and once the oven's done its thing, you've got a life giving loaf for the next week or so.
350ml water
150g pumpkin seeds plus extra if you want whole seeds in the bread
100g quinoa flakes (can also use oats or buckwheat flakes)
150g raw skin-on almonds
140g sunflower seeds
140g golden linseeds
3 tablespoons psyullium husk powder
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
4 tablespoons of dried mixed herbs (such as basil, mixed herbs, oregano)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
A pinch of black pepper
2 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons black onion seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Measure out the almonds, quinoa flakes and pumpkin seeds and place them in a blender or food processor. Once they have formed a floury consistency, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly until everything is fully combined. Next, gradually pour in the water, stirring constantly. Knead the dough for a minute or so just to be sure it isn't too wet that it sticks to your hands, and also to ensure the mixture is compact. Grease a loaf tin with coconut all on all four sides and along the bottom. Push the mixture down firmly with the back of a large spoon and cook for 45 -55 minutes, until the top begins to brown. Stick a knife in the middle and if it comes out clean then remove the bread from the oven and leave to cool. Ones it is cool enough to handle, transfer onto a cooling rack. Slice immediately for some fresh, warm bread, or leave to cool before slicing and storing. I store mine in the fridge.
The bread is wonderful eaten straight from the oven, with coconut or olive oil instead of butter. It melts into the bread and tastes amazing. The bread also toasts really well and is delicious with coconut oil, nut butter or nut pesto, and with my favourite topping, mashed avocado with himalayan salt and lemon juice. It is a sweet, sweet feeling to know that bread is back in my life, and better than ever for my wellbeing!


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Two new homeless shelters are on the drawing board for southern Brooklyn — one of which is already facing community opposition, officials said Thursday.
Proposed shelters in Sheepshead Bay and Coney Island would be managed by Women in Need, a nonprofit serving homeless women and children that is headed by former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
While there isn't a "hint" of resistance in Sheepshead Bay, according to Quinn, the Coney Island plan is coming under fire.
"I am gravely concerned that the limited social services, economic opportunity and transportation infrastructure in Coney Island will be insufficient to support an additional high-need population," said City Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Brooklyn).
"I know this sentiment is shared by the other elected representatives of this community."
Treyger complained that a public meeting hasn't been held yet to air out the plan.
Quinn said one is in the works.
The new shelter on Neptune Avenue would be managed by Women in Need under a $49.9 million contract through 2022.
The Sheepshead Bay facility on Emmons Avenue is a hotel already housing the homeless that would be converted into a shelter with social services.


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The Olivier Cornet Gallery represents very accomplished contemporary Irish and international artists working in a variety of visual media such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, fine prints and photography. Their work is affordable and already in some great collections such as the OPW and other institutions here in Ireland and abroad.
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Outland's Web Net helps to easily secure cargo onto the Receiver Rack. It's durable design includes reinforced hooks to make packing cargo a breeze. Optional side bar not included.
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Easy and Cute Handmade Valentine's Day Gift Tutorials
Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays so it was lots of fun to put together this list of craft tutorials for you. In addition to the tutorials, I found some lovely clip art, sweet recipes and a link to some great frugal decorating tips that is sure to come in handy.
Valentine's Day is all about celebrating the love we feel for those special people in our lives and handmade gifts are always a great way to express that love. Instead of the usual greeting card or box of chocolates, how about something handmade this year?
Matchbox Valentines
Inchmark has these cute little matchbox Valentine's Day treats.
Felt Fortune Cookies
How ingenious is this? Little felt fortune cookies! This would be such an awesome and perfect gift for Valentine's Day.. don't you think? Imagine getting a handmade batch of these in some type of pretty packaging and the joy of opening each one to read the sweet sentiment inside.. or what about making some up and passing them out to your friends on Valentine's Day. I love this! See the tutorial for these fabulous felt fortune cookies at Our Big Earth.
Craft Elf has this cute foam heart magnet tutorial. Make animals and shapes out of foam hearts. You can even get glittery foam hearts. Dollar tree usually has a ton of these foam stickers for every holiday. A big bag of them for only $1. The thing I like about this tutorial is it's not messy and you make them fairly quick. It's a good one for kids, too.
Dollar Store Crafts has such cute, inexpensive tutorials! This deck of cards love book is so easy to do and who wouldn't love to get one of these for Valentine's Day? I sure would.
Valentine's Day Cards with Recycled Crayon Hearts
This free, very cute printable Valentine's Day card can be found At The Long Thread. The attached heart is made from recycled crayons. I think these would be perfect for pre-schoolers or even kindergarteners to pass out to their classmates for Valentine's Day! You can use the tutorial contained in the link above for the recycled crayon heart or you can visit my hub on how to recycle old crayons to make new crayons here. There are a few different ways to do it.
Deck of Cards Valentine's Day Book
This is another neat little book made from a deck of cards. Maybe you can change it up a bit this year and give this neat little handmade book instead of the usual greeting card. Check out this easy tutorial at Bulb In Blue.Com. I bet your special someone would really appreciate it!
Handmade Conversation Heart Soaps
Who else but Martha Stewart, right!? These are fantastic handmade conversation heart soaps made from skin softening glycerin. These looks so pretty I just want to eat them up!!
Go to marthastewart.com to see this tutorial, as well as tons of other great tutorials for all the seasons of the year.
***Tip*** You can find cute silicone and candy heart molds on Ebay super cheap!
Kid Giddy has these little gift pouches. They are simple to sew with a machine and if you don't have a machine, they can be sewn by hand easily as well. Make some and fill them with little candies to give as Valentine's Day gifts to friends and family.
Woman's Day has this heart flower photo holder.. isn't it cute!
Get a small flower pot and put some rocks inside with some green shredded paper on top. Then take three small wooden hearts and paint them and then glue them to painted green round skewer sticks. Then glue small clips on the back of the small hearts and stick them in the flower pot. Add your photos! Don't forget to add the bow on the pot. You can decorate this your own way with whatever colors you like. Go ahead and get creative :)
Look what I found at FloralShowers! There are no words for the level of cuteness- these little chocolate kiss love mice are not only cute but super easy to do. In fact, they are so cute I wouldn't even want to eat the chocolate!
Christine Chitnis has the tutorial for these felt conversation hearts. You first embroidery the wording on and then sew them together with a blanket stitch-very easy!
At FaveCrafts you will find the tutorial for this cute button heart ornament. I love buttons... especially when they are a mixture of the different shades of the same color like these on this ornament. There are LOTS of great tutorials on this site. Have a look.
Mary Sew has the tutorial for some SUPER cute flat glass marble Valentine's Day jewelry. As cute as they are, they are actually pretty easy to make. LOVE THESE!
I found this project at Creative and Crafty! I am so glad she shared how to make these with us! I've never seen them before and they really are something. Decorating pink and red shovels with conversation hearts or red hots or really any valentine candy would be perfect for Valentine's Day!
This is a very pretty Valentine's Day sparkle ball! I found it at Jeanne Winters blog. It's an easy tutorial and I love how the finished ball sparkles.
That concludes my Valentine's Day Crafts, etc list. I hope you've found something here you are interested in and may want to give a try or better yet, maybe I've inspired you to make one of these for that someone special :0)
Happy Valentine's Day!
I ♥ Comments!
so amazing keep it up
I love your hub and the gift ideas! Please keep sharing more of these cute ideas! Thank you!
this is great ideas i love it i did all of them
great work keep it up
I luv it its so cute
You have lots of fun ideas here! I have actually tried the fabric heart wreath and it turned out great!!
These are some great craft ideas thanks for sharing them!
Nice colorful ideas for things to make for Valentine's Day, a bright and cheery page to visit.
Jamie, what great craft ideas for Valentine's Day. The Handmade Conversation Soap idea is great as is all the others.
Lots of fun ideas! I love the little card book (I like making books out of different materials.)
I have a site (valentinesdayclipart.net) that has lots of Valentine's Day clip art, retro and vintage Valentine's cards, hearts & many other images. They're great for handmade cards, scrapbooks, blogs, etc. I'm an obssesive image collector & that's just one of my sites. I hope you enjoy it!
Very inspiring crafts! I was just trying to decide what I could do differently for my girl scout troop this year,and then I read your hub! Thanks!


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on being northerners.
Sunday night, when we were taking out the recycling, I pushed the box of cardboard from our porch and it slid, perfectly, like it was on a conveyor belt, all the way to matt at the bottom of the driveway. That's how icy everything was this weekend.
We had a few mild mild days and everything that has slush and snow on it became a puddle, and then overnight it all became a skating rink.
Sunday afternoon we were showing friends the barn and Matt essentially towed me up the path to the barn. One of our friends brought trekking poles. Saturday a visiting friend got out of the car and stood still while he slid down the driveway a few feet. It was crazy.
So on Saturday night, when we gathered around a friends table for the most perfect lasagna dinner, glasses full of wine and a roaring fire just a few feet away, our friend said a few words of thanks.
"Thank you for this food and company, and thank you for letting us be northerners. For this gorgeous weather, and this place we call home."
Maybe it was the wine, or the wood fire, or the cozy cottage on the lake we sat in, but my eyes welled to the brim with tears. Because in all the craziness of sliding down driveways and moving snow and our entire backyard being a mud pit in a few weeks, 'thank you for letting us be northerners.' I've lived up north for 6 years now, and finally it seemed someone had simply summed it up. We should be grateful for being able to live in such a crazy place.
Everyday I drive past an enormous dairy farm on our road, and every day, the guys are out there working. It's be -15 below and I've seen him. My friend Emily has ducks and goats and animals that need her everyday at her farm. And so it is, we hunker down, but we also can't hunker away. Things need us.
Friends, family, animals, barns, clients, we can slow down, but we can't stop in the winter.
I spent an hour last week just walking around the farm with Maple. Assessing the holes she's dug, finding the spot where I estimate there are 25 rabbits living underneath a porch on the bunkhouse. (Matt wants rabbit stew. A post for a different day.) We have to keep moving, inspecting. Looking for holes in fences and boards that need repairing.
Last week the sun was so bright and brilliant it hurt to look outside. But when I came out to feel it on my face, a small avalanche fell from the barn. Months of snow and ice releasing the ties that held it up there and falling to the ground. In that spot now, there's a 7 foot tall snow pile that will be there till June.
Winter is packing her bags. I can tell. It'll still be 5 degrees here Thursday night, but the long stretch? The bitter bitter days? The darkness? It's fading. We'll get another monster snow storm, and schools will be closed, but the worst is behind us, and it wasn't even that bad.
And so, we wait for spring. For bulbs to sprout and trees to bud, grass to green and the birds to return. And I wait with anxiety for when the critters who have infested this yard for 2 years while the farm was empty, find out theres a 90 lb dog living here who thinks this is her turf. Skunks, raccoons, possums, they will all emerge from their hiding spots.
Earth needs to be turned, and seeds put in the ground. It'll be Memorial day before I put anything actually in the ground, but the way the weeks are flying by it'll be here before we know it.
And until then, we'll savor these last few weeks of long dinners & icy driveways and be oh so thankful to be 'northerners.'


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What games do you all like to play? I have quite a few I never get bored of. Minecraft, Empire Earth(the first one, the sequels are terrible[imagine that!]), Happy Wheels, and World of Tanks are what I spend my free time on. What do you guys like?
I plan on playing Deadly Premonition the Director's Cut next week. Other than that, nothing really at the moment. I haven't been hearing good things about the Director's Cut though, which worries me.
As for Deadly Premonition itself, I love the game and would even pay double the price for a worse version of it just to have it. It takes the awful and turns it into the wonderful in such spectacular ways. It's broken, yet it has fun with it without frustrating the player. It's also weird, hilarious, and even strangely sentimental and endearing. There are those who will hate it, but for me it's an example of art. It's been described as a beautiful train-wreck and I agree with that statement. Please give it a chance if you haven't, there's some really memorable moments in this game.
As for games that I can enjoy anytime: Portal, Half Life 2, Silent Hill 2, Hotline Miami, and The Binding of Issac.
Recently, I've been replaying some of the Myst series; I'm about a third of the way through Riven, I finished Myst III Exile, and I'm about a third of the way through Myst IV Revelation. All really good titles, if you like puzzle/exploration style games.
Other recent games I've played:
Games I enjoy anytime:
Games I've lost interest in:
I'm also looking forward to playing Bioshock Infinite, though I'm planning to wait a bit for it to go down in price.
I've just finished "The Cat Lady" not too long ago....It's heavy stuff, but it deals with depression and suicide in a mature and unique manner. It's very dark and disturbing though, even for my tastes.
May I also wholeheartedly recommend "Jazzpunk" on Steam? I think I can. It's hilarious, and I recommend that everyone here try it.
Well, to tell you all the truth, I've mostly grown up on Star Wars games for as long as I can remember. Since I was a little kid, six or seven, when my Mom or Dad went to Target, I would go to the video game section to play some of the games there (they were console games and the console were locked away behind a barrier of some type). Any way, I played games like Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles, Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (maybe), and Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter. However, I can remember playing Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike for the Gamecube and I desperately wanted it so badly! In 2003, I got the console and the game for that Christmas.
Of course, I've been to the old LucasArts site and checked out some of their latest games (Star Wars games usually) and I liked what I had seen in the trailers and what they showed for it. I was beyond thrilled for several of those games like X-wing Alliance, Star Wars Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight, Star Wars: Starfighter, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2002), Star Wars: Republic Commando, Star Wars: Battlefront and its sequel, the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith video game, Star Wars: Empire at War and its sequel Forces of Corruption, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and its sequel, and more. Yep, I have most of the games I have mentioned and I love them to death.
There aren't many other games that I love as much, but I do enjoy Halo every once in a while. So far, I have Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo: Reach. I personally would like to own Halo 2 and 3, maybe Halo 4, but that might be it.
So there you have it! If any more games come to mind, I'll gladly mention them.
Oh, why not. I'll bump this thread.
I actually haven't been playing many games recently. I think I've only played two games in the past two weeks:
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City: Who doesn't love the 1980's Miami setting? I'm at around 50% completion at the moment.
Mother: The (Japan only) predecessor to the game EarthBound. Playable in English thanks to emulation and a translation patch. I'm only about a quarter of the way through this one.
I've been playing a bit of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter...one of those games where you walk around, solve puzzles, and have a story told to you. Quite interesting and recommendable if you like those kinds of games. Make sure you fully explore the environment in order to get the whole story.
Play MechWarrior Online and X-COM:Enemy Within (Long War Mod) mostly these days.
Hyrule Warriors, the Dynasty Warriors meets Zelda spinoff is currently my most played game of this year. It's a niche title, but I love the living hell out of it.
ThePuppetMaster said:
Hyrule Warriors, the Dynasty Warriors meets Zelda spinoff is currently my most played game of this year. It's a niche title, but I love the living hell out of it.
It's like a beat-em-up game, right? I've heard a lot about it, but I've never played any of the DW's before.
I bought that Captain Toad game on a whim a few weeks ago, and it's surprisingly pretty fun. It's also a good game to play when you want to unwind after a long day, before bed, etc.
KoopaKalamity said:
ThePuppetMaster said:
Hyrule Warriors, the Dynasty Warriors meets Zelda spinoff is currently my most played game of this year. It's a niche title, but I love the living hell out of it.
It's like a beat-em-up game, right? I've heard a lot about it, but I've never played any of the DW's before.
I bought that Captain Toad game on a whim a few weeks ago, and it's surprisingly pretty fun. It's also a good game to play when you want to unwind after a long day, before bed, etc.
It's more of a hack and slash. You preform simple combos and eliminate hundreds of enemies at once. While each character uses a similar move set (Press Y a couple of times followed by X), each feels and preforms differently than the other. If you're a fan of the Zelda games (notably Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword), I'd say it's worth it just based off of all the fan service that's in the game. There are weapons and loot that change up the game as well. The point is basically to dominate the battlefield while not allowing the enemy to satisfy the defeat conditions, while you satisfy the victory conditions. DW games are way underratted, IMO. It's no less in depth than Super Smash Bros, or the left trigger right trigger shooters. I'd say rent it and see if you like it. There's a lot of content in the game, so a rental likely wouldn't suffice for a full analysis, but for getting a feel of it, it'll do the trick.
"Until Dawn" is a horror movie fan's dream game. I dunno if I'd recommend it to anyone else here who doesn't like slasher flicks, but it's certainly got that campy charm. It's the 'Dragon's Lair' game that no one asked for, but is brilliant all the same. n.n
"Metal Gear Solid V: TPP" is not really a traditional Metal Gear game from what I've played and I keep telling myself that I wouldn't play it, but of course, temptation took over. It's...okay? The beginning was brilliant, but I'm not sure the open world structure helps this game in the long run. Kojima is best for his wacky fun and much less so when it comes to mature and taboo themes, but so far, nothing here is questionable, besides maybe Quiet's character.
I really like the new Doom.
@ThePuppetMaster said: I really like the new Doom.
On here, it could be a new kind of Doom starring Jenner who is back from the grave and wants to bring doom to the Thorn Valley colony, and it is up to Justin to prevent that from happening.
I finished Metal Gear Solid 2 for like..the 3rd time.
I feel the game has aged really, really poorly in terms of gameplay. It's just a frustrating affair when it isn't boring.
That being said, you don't play the old Metal Gear games for gameplay, you play them for the 40 minute long cutscenes and exposition dumps inbetween the mediocre gameplay. In that case, MGS2 is more successful. When I say successful, note that I'm an insane person trying to understand an even more insane person like Hideo Kojima.
Trying to piece together the plot I think would be missing the point. Basically it's about an adopted son of an ex-President who was a child soldier trying to forget his past while being manipulated by an AI who is testing to see if it can manipulate people and events while simultaneously filtering out what it deems irrelevant information in the digital age to preserve what it thinks mankind's history should be. If the previous sentence doesn't make any sense and raises your eyebrows, then play the game and see if you could sum it up better.
So the story is complete lunacy and the gameplay sucks, so why do I still enjoy this game?
We all want to make a mark on the world somehow, for better or worse. With human population being about 7-8 billion combined with the fact that people (including myself, ironically) can very easily be a part of a big picture via the internet, we all can make a mark on the world with a press of a keystroke. We live in an age of information overload as a result. What I think Hideo meant when he made this insane game is that we shouldn't be too impressionable and always question what we see because the world we live in now is too easily overflowed with false and misleading information.
The red herring is an often criticized literary/storytelling device, but here Hideo uses it in a way that actually works. What we are told by characters isn't usually relevant because they're being manipulated by incorrect facts themselves. Basically the AI I talked about in that short sentence of me paraphrasing the plot wants to control the flow of information by only showing the public what it believes is relevant. The AI (called The Patriots), has the ability to control the public's media consumption (I won't go through how they are able to do it) and has the ability to manipulate people (which is how the story of MGS2 came to be, the AI is testing its ability to manipulate people and setting up historical events).
I understand a lot of what I'm saying makes little sense. The game itself makes little sense and you can probably poke holes in its plot (assuming you're able to make sense of it) until it's nothing but a giant hole, but it's the message this game has parted on to me is the reason I like it. Free will, information, our sense of self...these things all determine the state we leave the world in. Once we accept that this is a world of people constantly vying for control over others by any means possible, we learn that perhaps our most important tool with dealing with it is doubt. Perhaps by doubting this reality we set for ourselves, we can find our sense of self, our inner peace, and share our happiness and love with others. That way we can truly make our mark on the world. That way we can see the truth through all of the clutter.
That was a lot of philosophical gibberish over a 16 year old game on a forum for an animated film. Hopefully what I'm saying here makes sense. I'm not saying what I've said here is 'correct' or even morally right. It's just what I got out of the story. n.n