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In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Reptiles I
Snakes & Lizards
[24:45] And God created every living creature from water. Some of them walk on their bellies, some walk on two legs, and some walk on four. God creates whatever He wills. God is Omnipotent.
This verse clearly refers to all of God's creatures but it specifically covers reptiles. Reptiles are a class of animals, made up of snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodilians and tuatara. The last is a rare, lizardlike reptile that lives only on a few islands near New Zealand. They are called living fossils since all the rest of their order is extinct, having died out millions of years ago. Why they survive, no one knows and little is known about them. Much, however, is known and written about the other reptiles because we interact with them regularly, and like all of God's creations there is much that is fascinating. There are more than 2500 species of snakes, about 2500 species of lizards, 250 different kinds of turtles, and about 22 different crocodiles.
Snakes live in most of the warm places in the world, ranging from harmless to deadly, from plain to colorful, from a tiny four inches to over 30 feet in length. Snakes do not have a good reputation. Biblical references to snakes are very negative since it's a snake which tempted Eve to eat the apple and thus caused the downfall of mankind. And when Moses' staff is turned into a serpent, he harbors fear. Plus, we have some pretty negative expressions in the English language taken from reptiles and reptile behavior. We call a cheating, conniving person a "snake in the grass"; a cowardly person "crawls on his belly"; a very callous action is "in cold blood," even the dictionary definition of snake includes: "a treacherous person." A snake pit is a mental institution or any very dangerous place. But interestingly, for some cultures, the snake represents re-birth and renewal, perhaps because of its ability to shed its skin and thus start over.
With all the amazing variety of other animals, why did God create something that has to walk on its belly? It, of course, has a very important place in the food chain-eating large numbers of rodents, lizards and such, and being eaten by others. But more importantly, like all the other variety, I think it's for us to study and marvel at. Part of the proof of God's creation.
Snakes are fascinating in that, as God says, they walk on their bellies, with amazing agility. There are actually four quite different types of locomotion. The most frequently used method is the simple, undulating crawl, which is called the serpen-tine method. The snake pushes against the ground and flows smoothly forward, using muscles specifically designed for this. Heavier-bodied snakes may use a method called caterpillar where the skin is moved forward and backward by strong mus-cles, and the broad belly scales grip the ground, moving the snake forward in a straight line.
Several desert-dwelling species use sidewinding to move on loose sand. In this method the snake rolls its body sidewise along the ground in a looping motion. The fourth method is known as concertina, because the body is alternately stretched out and pulled together as the snake moves from one anchor point to another. The concertina is used in crossing smooth surfaces and in climbing. So they don't actually walk, but they can move right along, some going as fast as 8 miles per hour.
Also fascinating are the adaptations God has provided which allow a snake to eat. You have to wonder how something that long and narrow can eat at all, let alone eat an animal that may be many times wider than the snake's mouth. Although they have teeth, snakes cannot tear apart an animal and eat it in pieces. It must swallow its food whole, so the snake must actually decide whether or not he can get it down. Snakes eat everything from ants to rabbits, frogs, lizards, mice and eggs. Large snakes like anacondas and pythons may take down deer, antelope, crocodiles and even humans. Most normal sized meals are swallowed easily and quickly, but a truly large meal may require several hours to consume and weeks or months to digest. A python may eat only once a year.
God has provided several adaptations to make eating possible for snakes. A special hinge in the jaw allows the mouth to open wide enough and rows of teeth pointed back pull the food in. While swallowing very large animals, the snake would not be able to breath so God provided an additional organ, a tracheal lung, around the windpipe which allows lung function to continue in spite of the pressure, and the windpipe itself can be pushed outward past the animal being swallowed to allow air in.
With over 2500 species there is great variation in color, size and of course, how they interact with humans. One of the more deadly is the black mamba of Africa which grows to 14 feet in length and moves through trees as easily as through the tall grass. It can hold its head up to 20 inches off the ground even as it moves. It's considered the fastest snake in the world and has a very deadly bite, with 100 % mortality. The victim dies very quickly, within minutes.
Cobras are also virulent with 30,000 deaths reported annually in China alone. They hang around crumbling ruins and lurk in roofs of huts. They're waiting for rodents and lizards, but if disturbed by a human they will react defensively. They strike swiftly and accurately or they spit venom several feet in front of them. The venom acts as an anesthetic so the victim feels no fear, no anxiety, no pain, almost as if hypnotized.
Rattlesnakes also have deadly venom. The young are born live, rather than from eggs, and they are born ready to strike with venom sacks full. In fact, the bite of a young rattler may be more potent than an adult's, plus multiple bites may occur as a litter of as many as 20 emerge. Emulating the rattlesnake is the harmless gopher snake. God has provided them with similar coloration and they mimic the behavior-flattening their heads, hissing, and rattling their tails (even though they don't have rattles). Most predators don't take any chances and leave them alone.
Snakes come in so many colors and wonderful patterns of spots, stripes and bands. When we study them, we see that they are one of God's miraculous creations. They should be respected not reviled.
Lizards too come in a huge variety of shapes and colors. Most lizards walk on all four legs, but there are legless lizards (which are not snakes) and there's the basilisk lizard which, when running very fast, will get up on two legs. He can even race across the surface of water on his two back legs. There's also a lizard that "flies"-it opens out flaps of skin along its sides as it leaps off a tree branch and glides from tree to tree.
The largest lizard is the Komodo Dragon which may be ten feet long and weigh over 350 pounds. The Komodo Islands of Indonesia are a dangerous place, with more deadly snakes, scorpions and poisonous spiders than anywhere else on earth. Earthquakes, tidal waves, and monsoon rains occur over half the year, followed by wildfires in the dry grass the other half, and all around are active volcanoes. It's no surprise, then, that a huge monitor lizard evolved here and was referred to as a dragon. It seemed so fantastic that early accounts were discounted as myth until 1912, and they are still not a well-understood animal.
Komodo dragons live 50 years or more, and they're considered quite smart. To hunt, they lie in ambush, remembering a place they were successful before and preparing their hiding place hours in advance. When a herd of deer passes by the hideout, the dragon lunges out with great speed to knock the deer over. If they miss, they can't run down the prey so they just go back to wait some more. If they're successful, they will take several weeks to digest the meal, probably eating only about 12 meals a year.
Smaller but still large for a lizard is the Gila Monster, the only venomous lizard of North America and one of only two in the world. This desert dweller moves slowly, feeding on eggs laid on the ground and small rodents. Since food and water are sometimes scarce in the desert, God has provided by allowing him to store fat in his tail and live off that resource in lean times.
Another desert dweller is the horned lizard or "horney toad." Their specific adaptations include a dull color and a flat body which makes them difficult to see, and horns and spiny scales which make them difficult to swallow. In addition, a unique defense mechanism allows the horned lizard to squirt blood from its eyes when severely threatened.
The smallest lizard in the world is the British Virgin Island gecko, which is less than half an inch long. Geckos are inter-esting little creatures, one of few lizards that vocalize-they emit a high squeak. They can climb anything, even walk on ceilings, because they have special toe pads which contain microscopic hooks for hanging on. Their tails detach easily when grabbed by a predator and will continue to wiggle for several minutes, allowing the gecko time to get away. They regenerate a new tail within a few weeks.
[16:13] And (He created) for you on earth things of various colors. This is a (sufficient) proof for people who take heed.
Lizards are colorful indeed. They come in all shades of green and are adorned with yellows, oranges, and reds, even blue. And if that weren't enough, there's the chameleon that can change colors at will. Chameleons are also the "sharpshooters of the lizard kingdom." They can move their eyes independently so they can keep one eye on prey as they sneak up on it and use the other eye to watch out for predators. When they get close they focus both eyes on the prey giving them an excellent binocular view. The tongue is as long as the body and tail combined and it sits rolled up in the mouth. When they let it go with a lightning strike, they are incredibly accurate. And the tip is large and sticky so they zap their prey and draw it back into their mouth.
Snakes and lizards both play an important part in preserving the balance of nature. They eat large numbers of insects and rodents, which make them beneficial to man. Their variety and their fascinating characteristics make them another proof of God's creation.
[45:3-4] The heavens and the earth are full of proofs for the believers. Also in your creation, and the creation of all the animals, there are proofs for people who are certain.
Reptiles II
Generally in nature, an animal must seek shelter from bad weather or from a threatening situation. Imagine a creature carrying its shelter or its house with it wherever it goes. When threatened, it simply retreats into its house and locks the door. That's essentially how turtles live their lives. The turtle's shell is a remarkable feat of natural engineering, a protective gift from God. The shell has two parts?the carapace, the upper section and the flat belly section called plastron. They are connected by bony bridges leaving gaps for the head, tail and four legs. The tur-tle's vertebrae and ribs have actually become an integral part of the carapace and do not move separate from the shell. When the turtle withdraws into this shell, it's almost impossible for a predator to get at it.
The shell accounts for about one third of the weight of a turtle, yet most turtles are agile, strong walkers or swimmers and many climb with great ease. They have developed strong legs, especially in giant species, like the Galapagos tortoise which travels great distances, although slowly. They could carry the weight of a man on their back and keep right on going. The tortoise travels about 4 miles a day. On the other hand, sea turtles have devel-oped flipperlike legs and sleek shells. They swim at about 20 miles an hour. The distance a sea turtle might travel in one hour would take a week for a tortoise to cover.
Turtles are ancient life forms. The earliest fossils recognized as turtles date from the Triassic period, about 200 million years ago. Turtles were in existence prior to the emergence of the great dinosaur groups and survived the demise of the dinosaurs, continuing to adapt and flourish. Turtles occupy almost every imaginable habitat-woods, ponds, rivers, lakes, marshlands, prairies, deserts and the open ocean, and they eat food as varied as insects, tender seagrasses, carrion, fruit and fish.
Turtles have great similarity yet great variation as well. The Galapagos tortoise evolved on islands with no predators and little competition. They grow very large-500-600 pounds-and live 100-150 years. Desert tortoises are much smaller. They eat cactus fruit and desert grasses and because of their environment, God has given them adaptations to be able to survive without water. They get the moisture they need from the food they eat.
The pancake tortoise of Africa has a flat, soft shell, instead of the hard dome common to most turtles. It looks sort of like someone dropped a frying pan on him. This allows him to easily climb rocks and lie under them. When threatened, he will wedge himself into a rocky crevice and then inflate his body so he's almost impossible to pull out.
The red toad-headed turtle with its brilliant red head is an example of the variation in bright and beautiful colors. Various beautiful design patterns on the shell show God's wondrous creation. These include map turtles, so named because of the intricate patterns of yellow lines that actually look like lines on a topo map; the radiated tortoise of Madagascar has yellow circles with lines radiated out from them; and the leopard tortoise of Africa whose shell is covered with distinctive and beautiful yellow spots.
One fascinating turtle species is the alligator snapping turtle, which may grow to 200 pounds. He lives on muddy river bottoms, sitting quietly with his brown shell blending with the mud. He keeps his mouth open and wiggles his tongue which is a bright pink. Like a lure, this attracts fish which swim right in and the turtle simply snaps its mouth shut. They may move no more than a few feet their whole lives.
Tortoises live almost exclusively on land. Many turtles move between land and water. Sea turtles spend virtually their whole life in water. The female comes out to lay eggs and she will return to the very beach where she was hatched. The whole process is truly amazing. She comes on shore, usually at night, and digs a nest into which she lays up to 100 eggs. She buries the eggs and leaves. As the embryo grows into a fully developed hatchling, the shell that has offered nourishment and protection becomes a kind of prison from which the baby turtle must escape. God has provided an "egg tooth," actually a horny projection located on the tip of the snout (which disappears as the turtle grows). The tiny hatchling uses it to pierce its shell, then pulls it apart with his forelimbs. All eggs in a nest hatch at virtually the same time and they use that community spirit in order to escape from the nest. Experiments with single eggs show that few break free on their own. Together the baby turtles scrape down the walls and ceiling of the nest and instinctively climb upward till they break free.
Then these hatchlings, only a couple of inches long, know that they must scramble for safety, perhaps a hundred yards or more across the open beach to the sea. And it's not just the hundred-yard dash that's difficult; predators of all kinds are waiting-birds, dogs, skunks and others seem adept at knowing where nests are and when they will hatch. Only a fraction make it to the sea and even then they are easy pickings for large fish and sea gulls.
Little is known of the first year of wild hatchlings. They simply disappear from sight, going weeks without food if necessary and struggling to escape predators of all kinds. Those that survive to adulthood will spend their lives, perhaps 50 years, swimming around in the open ocean.
The male turtles may never leave the ocean their whole life; the female only to lay eggs. We do not understand how turtles, migrating over great stretches of open ocean, find their way around. How does the female green turtle find her way back to the beach where she was hatched decades before? "The feat of locating Ascension Island, barely seven miles across, after negotiating 1400 miles of open ocean, by an animal that is hopelessly myopic when it raises its eyes above the level of the water, seems little short of miraculous." And it is miraculous, God's miracle.
One marine turtle, the Kemp's ridley, the smallest, rarest and most endangered of all sea turtles, has unusual nesting behavior. Unlike most sea turtles which nest individually, the Kemp's ridley all come to the same location, a remote beach in Mexico, gather offshore and then swarm onto the beach together-perhaps 40,000 strong. Until the 1940's this event, known locally as "arribada", was a well-kept secret. Natives used it as a way to obtain meat and eggs. Once it became common knowledge the turtles were exploited nearly to extinction. Today the Mexican gov-ernment patrols the beaches with armed guards during arribada, but in recent years only about 400 females come ashore to nest each season, one percent of the number just 50 years ago.
Turtles through myth and legend were generally regarded as symbols of strength, stability, benevolence and wis-dom. We generally like turtles, unlike most reptiles. Yet, we kill them for their shells and take away their habitats, leave many species on the brink of extinction. We need to appreciate these creatures of God, remembering Verse 11:6 There is not a creature on earth whose provision is not guaranteed by God. And He knows its course and its final destiny. All are recorded in a profound record.
[42:29] Among His proofs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the creatures He spreads in them. He is able to summon them, when He wills.
Of all reptiles, the most feared and perhaps least well known are the crocodilians, which includes 22 species of crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials. I knew almost nothing about them, except how fearsome they look-especially when you're sitting in a canoe and see one on the shore (that happened for me in Florida a few years ago). I learned a lot of fascinating things about these creatures of God. They've been around about 200 million years. They, like the turtles, were contemporaries of the dinosaurs. As primitive as they look, they are actually the most advanced of all reptiles, and are in fact more closely related to birds than to lizards. They have a more efficient circulatory system; they are more intelligent; and they are way more attentive of their young.
Crocodilians inhabit North America, Central America, South America, China and Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, India, Pakistan and many Pacific Islands. The Indopacific Crocodile is the largest reptile living. It reaches 23 feet or more, weighing maybe a ton. Even the smallest croc, the dwarf crocodile of Africa, is about 6 feet long.
There's a lot that's interesting about the way they care for their young. The female makes a nest, lays eggs-it varies from species to species, but anywhere from 20 to 80 eggs-and covers them with mud and plant material. Then, unlike other reptiles, she stays close by. In some species even the male stays around for protection. When the young crocs are ready to hatch they begin to make noise inside the eggs. She will dig into the nest and take the eggs one by one in her mouth. She rolls them gently back and forth until the shell cracks. She then takes the tiny crocs down to the water-she can carry up to 20 at a time in her huge mouth. They will then stay close together for weeks or months. Some even remain in family groups for years.
Despite all this attention and care, mortality rates are as high as 90% in the first year. Many things happen. The female doesn't sit on the nest like birds so climatic conditions will affect the eggs. If it's too cool, too wet, or too hot, the eggs will not develop. In many cases, the whole clutch will perish.
Predators hang around even though the female is nearby, because croc eggs are a prime source of food for so many other animals. Many female crocs fast while standing guard but they do need water. Predators wait for her to go get a drink. Lizards, birds, raccoons, foxes and monkeys all raid the nests. If the eggs survive, the hatchlings face a lot of dangers, as the tiny crocs also are food for all kinds of predators-frogs, snakes and turtles, herons, raccoons and other mammals. Interestingly, if the croc survives to adulthood, all these predators will become his prey.
[53:45] He is the One who created the two kinds, male and female.
[75:39] He made it into male or female.
The most interesting thing about crocodilian offspring is that it is truly God who decides the male and female. We know that's true for everything, but in this case, the sex of the offspring is determined by temperature, not by chromosomes. When the egg is laid, its sex has not been decided. Temperatures during the first half of incubation will determine the sex of each individual. In the American alligator, high temperature creates males, low temperature makes females, but in the crocodile high and low temperatures create females, only intermediate temperature makes males. A small difference in temperature-One or two degrees-makes a marked difference in sex ratio. Within a nest, all may be the same sex or the temperature may vary enough to have all females in the lower layer of eggs and all males above or vice versa. In American alligators, those who build their nests in cool marshes will have all females; those who nest in warm mounds will have all males. Muggers of India nest at different times throughout the season, in fact a single female may nest twice. Those that nest early in the season will produce mostly females; those who nest later when the soil temperature has risen will have mostly males. I think this is fascinating. God is the One who makes each of these creatures into male or female.
Crocodilians are well adapted as predators. When in the water, they swim casually using a gentle "s" motion of their tail to propel them. They stay almost completely submerged with only nostrils and eyes above the water, looking like a small log. They may smell prey on shore from a great distance and swim closer, with a final lunge that may carry the croc several times its own length up onto the beach. If it gets a hold of any part of the animal, it will win. It will pull the victim into the water where it drowns. If it doesn't get a hold, it may knock the animal over with several blows of its head. In addition, crocs will sneak up on a wading bird and as it takes off, the croc can leap out of the water almost vertically. And if large game isn't available, the croc will use its tail to sweep schools of fish toward its mouth and gobble up as many as possible.
As to diet, one book said adults will eat "anything they want." They regularly take down mammals that come to drink at the water's edge, like gazelle, even zebras and wildebeest. They can crush the strong bony shells of turtles. They may try to take a hippo or elephant calf but the mother will be protective and have been known to crush crocs. The Nile crocodile has a reputation as the number one killer of beast and humans on the African continent. A crocodile wouldn't go out of his way to find a human victim but they will take anything presented to them. A horrible incident from World War II happened off the coast of Burma. A thousand Japanese soldiers, fleeing the allied advance, tried to cross a mangrove swamp at night. British troops reported the horrifying sounds, and at dawn only about 20 were found alive. The crocs were simply following their instincts and taking advantage of an easy meal.
Had I known all this, I might not have been so blasé in my encounter with the alligator in Florida. My sister and I were canoeing and we knew that alligators were present. The canoe rental place had basically said not to worry, just keep paddling. We heard a huge sound and both of us saw the alligator at the same time. Fortunately it was at least 50 feet from us, on shore, but looking our way. Everything stopped, including my heart. It was a typical American alligator, about 8 or 9 feet long, and I felt incredibly small and insignificant. I said Bismillah and started to breath again and we kept paddling. When we came back the alligator was gone.
This was a great gift. The opportunity to see one of God's amazing creatures in its natural habitat. I'm thankful that I don't live where I have to wash my clothes in the same river where crocodiles lie in wait, but I'm also thankful for the opportunity to see one and know a little bit of that fear and awe.
Reptiles are awesome creatures, nearly 6000 different species, so many variations. They walk on their bellies, they walk on two legs, they walk on four. They are part of God's intricate interwoven plan on this earth. We like them or we fear them, but we need to appreciate them. For their part, they just want to be left alone, in their submission to God. Unlike dogs and cats, they don't want to bond with us or serve us; they just want to be allowed to do their own thing. A naturalist, Henry Beston, wrote in The Outermost House: "For the animal shall not be measured by man….They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth." How true, for God says in 6:38:
[6:38] All the creatures on earth and all the birds that fly with wings are communities like you. We did not leave anything out of this book. To their Lord, all these creatures will be summoned.


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The Story
We are All Antarctica is a story about my father George W. Gibbs, Jr's adventures as the first person of African descent to set foot on the continent of Antarctica. He sailed on the famous ship the USS Bear in 1939 to 1941 on Admiral Byrd's III expedition to the South Pole. It was the first joint venture with the US military and private exploration. Gibbs went on to serve humanity in countless ways, paving the way for not only people of color in the community of Rochester, MN but for all people to become more human, serve their community and appreciate differences.
Through compassion, tenacity, faith and countless hours in the trenches, Gibbs' life is a model for community service, equality and fun. As the lowest rank on the ship, he was honored for his contribution at a time when people with dark skin were considered less than human.
This story integrates my experiences with natural healing, the arts, the science of the ice, the metaphysics of the South Pole and the history of the expedition and its mystery.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Gentoo Penguin 'Meditation'
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subset: commoncrawl


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Exiting the train station in downtown Antwerp you find a typical tourist strip, ripe with McDonald's and H+M's and Gaps all playing Gwen Stefani (imagine, the South Shore Plaza in Belgium!). I need to get away from this silly region, off the main road, and find a nice little cafe with high quality Belgian brew on hand.
The mission – Get lost in an old European city and experience first-hand the wonder that is one of Belgium's most renown exploits: making beer.
Exiting the train station in downtown Antwerp you find a typical tourist strip, ripe with McDonald's and H+M's and Gaps all playing Gwen Stefani (imagine, the South Shore Plaza in Belgium!). I need to get away from this silly region, off the main road, and find a nice little cafe with high quality Belgian brew on hand.
I'm walking around the neighborhoods about roughly half an hour maybe, already lost (wisely, I did not get a map at the rail station) when, suddenly, I stumble upon just what I've been looking for: a small town square, with four or five cafes ready to serve. I pick one, sit down, and wait 20 minutes for the jolly Belgian man to take my order; European service at its finest!
I order a mozzarella and tomato salad, one of the few things on the menu I actually understand (it's in Dutch), and to go with, a Grimbergen Trappist beer. The Belgians take their beers quite seriously; many of them are only to be served in a certain glass, made expressly for that beer to — according to the brewers that make them — bring out that beer's specific flavor.
Shortly after placing my order the jolly Belgian man brings out my Grimbergen. It is black with quite a bit of head, much like a Guinness, and served in this grail-shaped glass. I've never drank from a grail before. How do I hold this? Do I hold it with one hand on the side like a regular pint glass? Do I grip it from underneath? With two hands? Do I get down on my knees, hold this grail of barley and hops above my head, arms outstretched, and poor this nectar of the gods from on high into my mouth?I feel unworthy of this beer.
But, a sight more beautiful my eyes have rarely seen, and it must be enjoyed. So I sip, and to say it tastes amazingly good would be a vast understatement. It absolutely lives up to the hype of Belgian beers. About one-third of the way through the jolly Belgian man brings my salad, a perfect accompaniment to my Grimbergen.
The meal complete, another two hours of wandering lead me to an empty Moroccan café, where I stop in for a Jupiler, one of Belgium's more well-known (though not necessarily best) brews. While sipping the Jupiler the young man behind the counter asked me how I got here, and by here he did not mean Antwerp but rather this part of Antwerp. After leaving the cafe and starting to continue along this road, I can see why he asked this...this is not a very touristy part of town. I am in the Muslim neighborhood, with many of the adult men wearing traditional thobes and many of the adult women wearing shawls.
After weaving from street to street in that area for a little while I make it back out to a main road, where I stop at another cafe to sample more beer. I ask the waitress what she recommends, and she says the "normal" beer there is Haacht. I go with it, and normal is an appropriate adjective to describe it.
Shortly after I start drinking my normal-tasting Haacht I notice a man sitting to my left, and he looks like he came straight from a Hollywood movie set. He is probably early- to mid-50s, silver-gray hair finely coiffed, sunglasses, salt-n-pepper 5 o-clock shadow, cigarette hanging coolly from his lower lip, stylish black blazer, fashionably colorful sport shirt tucked into his perfectly pressed white chinos, rolled up just above the ankle to show off his nice loafers, worn without socks, on his table a very tasty-looking amber brew in a fancy glass.I am inferior to this man in every way imaginable.
I must have what he is drinking so we can be on level terms, at least suds-wise. After my Haacht is done I ask the waitress for whatever this cool, great, wonderful man is having, and a minute later I have a Palm Especial to call my own. It is quite good, though not as good as the Grimbergen.
After my Palm, I wander around and get lost and stumble upon another cafe again. I am hungry, so I order a steak to go with my Chimay Trippel, another Trappist beer from the monks. The steak comes out about five minutes after I order it, which I find somewhat disconcerting, but I am hungry. It's actually pretty good, and so is the Chimay.
And so is Antwerp. While paying for my salad and Grimbergen, the jolly Belgian man said to me, "Eating and drinking beer, relaxing on a nice, warm day…It is paradise, no?"For a day, yes.


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RIBOcRibonuclease III family
|SMART accession number:
|Interpro abstract (IPR000999):
Prokaryotic ribonuclease III (EC 220.127.116.11) (gene rnc) [(PUBMED:3903434)] is an enzyme that digests double-stranded RNA. It is involved in the processing of ribosomal RNA precursors and of some mRNAs. RNase III is evolutionary related to a number of proteins including [(PUBMED:9241229)]:
|GO process:
|RNA processing (GO:0006396)
|GO function:
|RNA binding (GO:0003723), ribonuclease III activity (GO:0004525)
|Family alignment:
There are 9364 RIBOc domains in 8342 proteins in SMART's nrdb database.
Click on the following links for more information.
- Evolution (species in which this domain is found)
- Literature (relevant references for this domain)
- Metabolism (metabolic pathways involving proteins which contain this domain)
- Structure (3D structures containing this domain)
- Links (links to other resources describing this domain)


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More Mistakes In The Megaupload Prosecution: Videotape Of The Mansion Raid Has Gone Missing
from the destroying-evidence dept
So, how about releasing the footage. No can do. According to Ars Technica, that seems unlikely to happen:
Since January, the Dotcom legal team has asked for the footage, but police refused, until finally the agency agreed that an IT expert for DotCom could come and collect a copy of the footage. When the IT expert arrived at the police station, he found the server completely disassembled, and authorities said they could not reassemble it or give him any footage. Now, no one outside the police agency is sure the footage still exists.Even if the case against Megaupload is really solid, it's amazing at how law enforcement involved so far appears to keep making pretty serious mistakes that make them look fairly clueless. It does not inspire confidence in the more important details of the case itself.
The New Zealand police declined to give an interview to Campbell, but sent an e-mail stating, "Police would happily release the footage in question but currently have no authority to do so. The footage is contained on a hard drive lawfully seized on a warrant obtained by police at the direction of Crown Law following a properly formulated mutual legal assistance request from the United States."


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Sh*t Crazy: Comedian From Comic View & Now A Trainer Is Being Sued For Taking His Client's Fiance & Making Him Fat So He Can Steal The Girl! (Girl Claims He Was Too Nice)
Suing his personal trainer for stealing his fiance and making him gain weight
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Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
The Desert Palms Hotel & Suites offers a prime location across from the Anaheim Convention Center and is one-half mile from main entrance of the Disneyland® Resort. Honda Center, a major sports-and-entertainment venue, and Angel Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Angels, are within 2.5 miles.
The outdoor pool is open from early morning until late evening. The large fitness room with mirrored walls contains cardio and resistance machines. A complimentary breakfast with hot food items is served daily. There is 5,005 square feet of meeting and event space on site. Complimentary high-speed Internet access is available in the 24-hour business center, and WiFi access is complimentary in the lobby. The hotel is nonsmoking.
- Bar/lounge
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Elevator/lift
- Fitness facilities
- 24-hour front desk
- Free breakfast
- Conference space
- Business center
- Restaurant
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Meeting rooms
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Outdoor pool
- Smoke-free property
- Conference space size (meters) - 465
- Luggage storage
- ATM/banking
- Concierge services
- Conference space size (feet) - 5005
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Laundry facilities
- Parking (limited spaces)
- Spa tub
- Total number of rooms - 196
- Number of floors - 5
- Wedding services
- Multilingual staff
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Outdoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Languages Spoken
- English
- Spanish
Self parking (surcharge), Parking (limited spaces)
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Air conditioning
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Free local calls
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Spring water bathtub
- Shower/tub combination
- Cable TV service
- Iron/ironing board
- In-room safe
- Desk
- Daily housekeeping
- Flat-panel TV
- Number of bathrooms -
- Room service (limited hours)
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
- In-room climate control (heating)
- Free WiFi
Where to Eat
This Anaheim hotel serves a complimentary breakfast each morning in the fifth-floor Palms Room. Typical selections include scrambled eggs, house potatoes, oatmeal, cereals, breakfast pastries, sausage patties, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, juices and milk.
Oasis Kitchen and Bar - Burgers, sandwiches, pasta, appetizers, draft beers, cocktails. 50-inch plasma TV for sports events. Indoor and outdoor table seating, bar. Open daily, late afternoon until late night.
Nearby Dining Options:
Bubba Bump Shrimp Co.
P.F. Chang's
The Cheesecake Factory
Nearby Things to Do
The heated outdoor pool has a courtyard setting, surrounded by four walls but open to the sky. A spa tub is adjacent. The fitness room, open from early morning until late night, contains cardio and resistance machines.
The Disneyland® Resort offers a vast array of thrill rides and adventures for active families, such as Splash Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Space Mountain, and the Grizzly River Run. The Block at Orange shopping center, 3.25 miles from the hotel, has a popular skateboard park. Fifteen miles from the hotel, Huntington Beach, also known as "Surf City," offers a 3.5-mile stretch of ocean beach.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
- Golfing nearby
- Surfing/boogie boarding nearby
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 15.0 per night.
- Free cribs (infant beds)!
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property. The policies listed are provided by the property.
Optional extras
- Self parking fee: USD 16 per night (in/out privileges)
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 15.0 per night
Hotel Name
- Desert Hotel
- Desert Palms Anaheim
- Desert Palms Hotel
- Desert Palms Hotel Anaheim
- Palms Desert
- Desert Palms Hotel And Suites
- Desert Palms Hotel Suites
We should mention
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


text:
Ntawv Nkauj 45:10
10Mentxhais 'e, cia li mloog,
cia li ua tib zoo xav
thiab tig koj lub qhov ntsej mloog.
Cia li tsis nco ntsoov koj haiv neeg
thiab koj txiv tsev neeg.
Text Copyright © 2004 Thailand Bible Society
Quotations of the White Hmong Holy Bible Standard Version, in any form, must obtain written permission from Thailand Bible Society if the quoted material is inclusive of at least 1,000 verses, or a copy of any book wholly or partially which amounts to 50 percent of the book quoted. For any long quotation, notice of copyright must appear as follows: Text Copyright © 2004 Thailand Bible Society. Used by permission.


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Hot Fudge & Beyond: 9 Sauces to Drizzle Over Ice Cream
Probably the easiest and most welcome dessert in the summertime is a big bowl of ice cream, drizzled with hot fudge. It's so simple to bring out a quart of decent store-bought ice cream, but serving it with a homemade sauce really puts it over the top and transforms it from a weeknight dessert into something extra-special.
Here are nine delicious sauces, from essential hot fudge to an Oreo twist on the classic, and for you maximalists, a creamy candy bar sauce. Want to go lighter and fresher? Warm raspberry or fresh cherry is where it's at.
Any of these sauces will really set off that after-dinner dish of ice cream. And nearly all of them can be made ahead of your dinner party and stored in the fridge. Heck, if you're going to a vacation cabin with a pack of friends, make a big jar of fudge sauce, bring it along, and be the dessert hero of the hour.
Serving Tip! If you want to get even fancier for a dinner party, try slicing your pint or quart of ice cream instead of scooping it, and serving the slices on pretty plates drizzled with one of these sauces.
→ See more: Look! Serve Ice Cream in Slices
Caramel & Chocolate
Fruit & More
Have a favorite ice cream sauce we missed here? Do share!


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The Sailing Courses are fast approaching and we want to give you all plenty of notice to get your boats ready and seaworthy for the first morning of the course.
2018 Course Dates are as follows:
There will be a thorough safety check on the first morning of the course and if any boats are deemed unseaworthy, or unavailable for whatever reason, I cannot guarantee your child will be on the water until the situation is rectified. A safety check list to assist you in this matter is available to download on the BSC website. So please get organised!!
Please also ensure that each boat has a trolley marked with the sailors name and sail number where appropriate.
Registration will take place from 10.00am on the first morning of the course. There will be the usual introduction of instructors and information relevant to the course. We urge all parents to attend.
Please note that is essential that each participant either has their own boat or are a named person on a two-person boat. If sharing, the other sailor must be on the same level.
Application Forms for all courses and levels are now available below.
Taster Course application forms can be found here.
You may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF documents above.
Alternatively, please use a different browser - Chrome, Internet Explorer or Firefox. "Safari" does not work in all instances!.
In the event you are unable to open/download any of the forms please email firstname.lastname@example.com, let us know what forms you require and we will email the pdf directly.
Dates for the Summer Sailing Courses 2019 are as follows:-
July Course - 1st to 19th July (3 weeks)
August Course - 6th to 23rd August (3 weeks)
Taster Courses - 22nd - 26th July (1 week)
Further details and application forms will be available online from the end of January. Please keep an eye for further information.Read More
Baltimore Sailing Club The Pier Tel: +353 (0)28 20 426 Follow Us On Twitter & Facebook Home | News | Contact Details | Members Area | Members Login |
West Cork
Email: email@example.com
The Pier
Tel: +353 (0)28 20 426
Follow Us On Twitter & Facebook
Home | News | Contact Details | Members Area | Members Login |


text:
A new option has been added that allows you to default the value to save your private messages to your "Sent Items" folder. The default at this time is to not save PM's you send out.
To enable this option you need to go to UserCp and then Edit Options as shown in the picture below:
Now find the "Messaging & Notification" section:
Once you find that section, go to the last option of the section and you will see a "Save Sent Private Messages" (The title has been updated since the screen shot):
Check the box to save your sent PM's or leave it unchecked to not save your sent PM's. When sending out PM's you will notice below the text area if your PM will saved tot he "Sent Item" folder by the following:
If you have any questions or concerns please let us know.


text:
With grounding in the design industry for the past 17 years, Pam Mehta's sense of style that comes out in her creations is truly enviable. With no formal training in fashion, yet gifted with a keen eye for shaping the right silhouettes, Mehta's creations have met with tremendous critical and commercial success, both among Western and Indian buyers. She has won hearts wherever she has set foot, be it the exacting markets of Beverly Hills and New York or the fashion hubs of Europe. Her clothes were a complete sell-out at exhibitions in Los Angeles, with reputed fashion stores such as Ann Taylor, SAKS and Guess Marciano picking up her products in one go. Her belief in relaxed couture has a very global appeal and her design sensibility is beyond belief. Her style can be customized to suit one and all.
Buy Here-http://www.kimaya.in


text:
UPDATED: 2 killed in crash while fleeing from ICE agents
NOTE: This story was originally published Tuesday, March 13, but the below version was updated Thursday morning.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) -- Two people were killed in a crash Tuesday morning while fleeing federal immigration agents in Delano, police said.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement said its officers arrived at a home to arrest a "previously removed Mexican citizen." ICE said a man matching the target's description came out of the house and drove away.
The agents turned on their emergency lights and pulled the vehicle over. When the agents got out of their vehicle to approach the man's vehicle, the man sped away, ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley said.
Delano police said the driver crashed the vehicle shortly afterward, around 7 a.m. on West Cecil Avenue. The driver went onto the dirt shoulder, lost control and flipped the SUV, police said.
A man and woman in the SUV were killed in the crash. They were identified by authorities as 35-year-old Santo Hilario Garcia and 33-year-old Marcelina Garcia Profecto.
The United Farm Workers told Eyewitness News that they were married and had six children between the ages of 8 and 18.
According to ICE, the driver, Santos Hilario Garcia, matched the description of the target, but he was not the target.
Santos Hilario Garcia had been "voluntarily returned to Mexico" several times, had been subject to "expedited removal" and had a previous DUI conviction, ICE said.
Police are handling the crash investigation.
An ICE spokeswoman released the following statement:
"On March 13, ICE deportation officers arrived at a residence believed to belong to a previously removed Mexican citizen. A male matching the target's description exited the residence and entered a vehicle. Officers performed a vehicle stop by activating their emergency equipment and as they attempted to engage the driver, the vehicle drove away at a high rate of speed. As the officers departed the location of the attempted engagement, they came across the overturned vehicle and immediately dialed 911 for assistance. Local officials were on the scene moments later. Both the driver and passenger in the vehicle passed away. The male driver was identified as Santos Hilario Garcia, a citizen of Mexico, who was voluntarily returned to Mexico three times between 2008 and 2017 and was removed under the provisions of expedited removal in 2017. Hilario's criminal history includes a 2014 DUI conviction. The female passenger was identified as Marcelina Garcia Profecto. Garcia Profecto had no prior encounters with ICE."


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Season 3 of "The Walking Dead" was a deadly one, with the survivors losing T-Dog, Lori Grimes, Merle Dixon and Andrea.
In the finale, The Governor went on the lam and the Woodbury survivors moved into the prison where Rick's (Andrew Lincoln's) group was holed up.
If you think there's safety in numbers, think again. Check out the new, four-minute sneak peek of Season 4, which just debuted at Comic-Con. Not only are the survivors continually threatened by zombies (who are increasing in number), but it looks like there's a threat from inside the prison that will tear the group apart. Enough talking, more watching:
It looks like new regulars Chad Coleman (Tyreese) and Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha) will be getting plenty more screentime, with Tyreese finding himself in lots of trouble -- in the form of a herd of walkers!
We also get our first look at Larry Gilliard Jr.'s character Bob Stookey, a former army medic.
And of course, Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) is in danger ... again! Season 4 of AMC's "The Walking Dead" premieres Sunday, October 13, 2013. In the meantime, vote for the most shocking moment of Season 3, below:


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Dangerous rail crossing needs redone
Issue: Supervisors and Nebraska Department of Roads at impasse.Help Requested: Custer County Corn Growers launch petition asking for the public's help to bring about the needed change.Here's How: To sign the petition look at the top right hand corner of this website (www.custercountychief.com) and click on Hot Topics.The Story: There's a railroad crossing in Custer County that is a tragedy waiting to happen. If you ask the local corn growers, it isn't a matter of if, it is a matter of when.Nebraska Department of Roads and Burlington Northern Sante Fe are in agreement. They have the same suggestions ... close the crossing. For these entities, compromise and/or alternate suggestions are not part of the conversation."We've met with the members of the board. Between the county board and the state, we are at an impasse," said Ellis Tompkins of the Nebraska Department of Roads."The (Custer) County Supervisors want to build something that doesn't meet our design standards .... the state suggest that the crossing be closed and have the traffic go through Anselmo."This seems simple enough, until the issue is given more thought.Local residents want the crossing to stay open. Area emergency rescue volunteers want it to stay open, it is an important access venue for emergency vehicles. Don Cantrell and area corn growers want it to stay open to have a direct route into The Andersons' grain facility.When a semi comes from the east, to go through Anselmo adds an additional seven miles per trip. If the estimated 10 million bushels of grain that come from that direction go that route, it adds up to 70,000 additional miles per year.Using a cost estimate of approximately $2 per mile, that is an additional $70,000 per year, explained Cantrell. A meeting Sept. 23 with Cantrell, three supervisors and representatives from BNSF and the State Highway Department (NDR) did not produce any change in opinions."Look at Anselmo. It is like a ghost town. What are there - like six people in the town? There may be one kid under 12 in the town," said Ab Anshasi of NDOR, according to written notes provided by Cantrell and verified by Custer County Board of Supervisors Chairman Larry Hickenbottom. "The meeting was a waste of time. Going all that way and all they could talk about was closing the crossing. We talked but it wasn't productive. We asked if there was any way they would help to make the crossing safe and they wouldn't answer," said Hickenbottom of the meeting."So far we haven't had any cooperation from the railroad or the state, without their cooperation we can't do anything."There is a solution Tompkins said Monday in an interview with the Chief."Close the crossing. Have the trucks and everyone else go through Anselmo and then up the road The Andersons have already paved."State appeals to county to close crossing:In January 2013, BNSF and NDOR representatives appeared at the Custer County Board of Super-visors to place their appeal to close the crossing, saying that safety was an ongoing issue.At that meeting Tompkins said that the county would receive $5,000 from the state and $5,000 from the railroad and an additional $12,000 to erect barricades in exchange for voting to close the crossing. The BNSF Manager of Public Projects Andy Amparan said he was authorized to increase the payments from BNSF to $25,000 to close."The crossing has a passive warning system (a sign) and no cross arms, no bells and no whistles, and at that time did not have enough traffic to justify an active warning system. Tompkins said that even if there were they would never approve of an active warning system for a crossing at an angle."We have no power to force the closing of the crossing, but we are respectfully asking that it be closed," he said at the time.At the time the tracks and highway were first laid, trucks were about the size of a good kitchen table. When asked at the meeting how many crossings allow for the necessary clearance for today's semi and Tompkins replied, very few.At the time of this meeting there were approximately 60 trains per day. This crossing .. two tracks ... no active warning system ... not enough clearance for an 18 wheeler ... the road intersecting at an angle ... forms a dangerous combination, said Tompkins.When asked again about gates, Tompkins said that nationwide, 50 percent of the railroad accidents happen at a gated crossing."Having gates does not stop people from being stupid," he said.Emergency personnel restated their concerns and their desires for the crossing to be kept open and for the crossing to be improved and made safer.Supervisor Richard Hodson added his opinion."Safety is an issue, but I see it as an effort to close the crossing. We would not be mitigating the issues but merely transferring the safety issue from the county to the community and I don't care to take that responsibility. The safety would then be transferred to a different populace, the children," Hodson said. County submits plans to make the crossing safer to the stateThe county has already paid to have the necessary engineering completed for a way to make the crossing safer, to change the crossing so it is perpendicular to the highway, and to bring the road up to grade. The plans were submitted to the State Department of Roads and the Plans were turned down. Estimated cost, says Cantrell, is $450,000.When Tompkins was asked why the State would not accept the re-engineering of the road as presented by the Supervisors he said that the crossing did not meet the state's minimum setback standards. The tracks are 80 feet from the edge of the driving lane to the center of the closest track according to Cantrell, Tompkins says the tracks hit at 82 feet, but the state standard is 110 feet.This is a figure Cantrell finds interesting ... The crossing at the Fairgrounds in Broken Bow measure 79 feet, Ord measures 72 feet 6 inches, Sweetwater measures 53 feet 3 inches and the three crossings between Cairo and Grand Island measure 76-77 feet. This distance is necessary, says Tompkins because when you cross the tracks with a tractor trailer you need that kind of distance to have the trailer clear the tracks before clearing the road.Cantrell finds it even more interesting that when BNSF built their second track, they built it between the first track and the highway shortening up this already 'questionable' distance. "The railroad says they never close the crossings (when a train stops), but if you talk to the people in Anselmo they say it differently," said Hickenbottom. Anselmo Fire Chief Mark Christen reiterated his department's desire to keep the crossing open."There are three crossings at or near Anselmo and a train can block any two at the same time. If there is a fire on the other side of the tracks and the train is sitting, it could take a half hour to get there," said Christen. "Even 15 minute is a long time if your place is on fire." Anselmo citizens express opinions through community-wide public hearingA packed public hearing in the spring of 2012 provided an opportunity for the community to express their desire to have the crossing stay open. The hearing followed an accident where a train collided with the trailer section of a tractor trailer unit that was crossing the tracks at this particular crossing. There were two trains on the track, both approaching from the west. The truck driver was turning north across the tracks, on its way to The Anderson site. The driver looked west and saw one of the trains, the one closest to the highway. This train was moving at a slow rate of speed.The driver did not see the second train. He didn't see it until after he had crossed the tracks, but the trailer had not. The flatbed and the machinery it was carrying were destroyed. At the time of the accident no injuries were reported.A week later, BNSF announced that the crossing would remain open. During the community meeting, safety concerns were expressed about the crossing as it sits today, but the idea of having it closed scared the community even more. Custer County Corn Growers start petition drive to gather signatures and commentsCantrell summarized the situation at a meeting in May ..."I have truck drivers who use that crossing. I use that crossing, my neighbors and my friends use that crossing. We need it open, the community needs it open and we want it safe."With impasse in place, Cantrell and the Corn Growers are asking for help from the area citizens."The solution is not to closs the crossing, the solution is to fix the problem." They would like to present the governor with a peition, with as many signatures as possible when he comes to Broken Bow at the end of the month.To sign the petition and/or comment on the crossing go to the top of this website (www.custercountychief.com) and click on Hot Topics located at the upper right hand corner of the web page.


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Volvo logo is property of Volvo


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ACParadise Network: American Cosplay Paradise American Cosplay Experience American Cosplay Snapshots
Hello ^_^ Welcome to my ACP profile! Thank you so much for looking at my cosplay costumes. I have been cosplaying since the first Animazement convention in '98. Yeah, I know a long time ago ^_~ Cosplay is one of my favorite hobbies because it allows me to combine my enjoyment for manga, anime, video games and the creativity of sewing ^_^ I also enjoy making new friends so please say hello ^_^
Recent Updates
Newest Favorites
Newest Fans
Recent Comments
- Probeman says, "Very cute!"
- For Sakura Kinomoto from Cardcaptor Sakura
- Probeman says, "Lovely, would like to see more."
- For Rabi en Rose / Usada Hikaru from Di Gi Charat
- kawaiikittybree says, "Gorgeous =]"
- For Pearl from Legend of Mana
- cherryteagirl says, "very cute Sakura!!"
- For Sakura Kinomoto from Cardcaptor Sakura
- pandamonium says, "Amazing. Absolutely gorgeous. The fact that you made Hikaru's crazy hair work is a triumph in itself XD"
- For Hikaru Shidou from Magic Knight Rayearth


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In celebration of Cern's Large Hadron Collider, (LHC), going live September 10, 2008 Black holes is going micro, that's right microscopic. I've always been fascinated with the microscopic world and so every once in a while I am going to post some micro images with the help of the Celestron LCD digital microscope.
The above image is what my meteorite that my wife bought me for Christmas looks like under a microscope at 160X magnification, notice the pitting caused by the meteor's travel at more then 30,000 MPH through our atmosphere, if you were to look at it normally it looks and feels very smooth, not so, it's amazing what stuff looks like magnified under a microscope, what's cool is you are looking at a remnant of the building blocks of our solar system, some 4.5 billion years ago.
Mark your calenders September 10 2008, that's the date when they flick a switch, or many, probably many, to send particle beams of protons or heavy ions , called hadrons around a 27 km circular tunnel in opposing directions and then guide the beams to collide into each other.
I know what you're thinking, why would they want to do something like that. Well by smashing particles into each other at such high energies they hope to break down the proton into even more smaller indivisible fundamental particles known to humankind, in essence re-creating the conditions that were present less then a billionth of a second after the big bang.
Have you ever starting reading a book , lets just say for argument sake at page 20?, doesn't work, you have no idea what's going on, nothing makes sense, crap, I start at page 2 I'm screwed, well that's where we started, page 20 in the theory of life book, a lot of things don't make sense, dark energy, dark matter, black holes, we have to get to page 1, the Large Hadron Collider promises to take us there, to page 1 and in doing so will give us the proper background as to why things work the way they do, to understand the big stuff like you, me, and the Universe you have to know how the little stuff works, understand why things are the way they are so as to be able to go forward, build a better mouse trap, to figure out a lot of the crazy stuff that's happening, like are there really more dimensions? what is dark energy? we know there are such things as black holes, or do we, there is no irrefutable proof they exists, they figure they can once and for all prove their existence by creating one every second, mind you it will be a real small one and is supposed to evaporate before it sucks us and the Earth in it, due to a theory called Hawking Radiation. Guess we'll find out September 10.
By understanding how something works puts us one baby step closer to harnessing it's power, "Beam me up Scotty" may one day actually happen.
I like to leave you now with another microscopic image of, well I don't know what it is , what ever it is it was hitching a ride on a rock the size of a pin head, it is at 400x, I like to call it Alien guy with a tail holding a laser gun.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Black holes Goes Micro, Cern's LHC Starts Up September 10
44 comments:
- welles said...
Interesting blog about space!
- August 22, 2008 at 10:59 AM
- Susanne49 said...
It really looks like a creature out of space, Bob! Microscopic photography is a very interesting media and the prints are amazing. I did once 2 semester study of that, back in the 90's.
Great post again!
- August 22, 2008 at 4:05 PM
- Sherer said...
Very frightening post my friend! I am acutally really excited about the results of Sept. 10th and beyond, what an amazing tool. Hopefully they were right about that evaporation thing. Also the alien with a gun was pretty cool. Maybe were not looking small enough for extra terestrials.
- August 22, 2008 at 6:58 PM
- tatiana said...
awesome post Bob, and thank you for the info :-) :)Loved the micro photo of yours too. And i'll definitely mark my calendar as I am very interested in how everything started - from page 1.
It's only day after my BD so it wnt be difficult to remember too.
What according tome is missing in science is the addition of magic to it. Metaphysics does recognize it more than other sciences that there is more, much more thanwhat we think is IT and meets the eye.
- August 22, 2008 at 8:30 PM
- Will said...
I wonder how long after Sept. 10th it will be before all the data is interpreted? I know some are worried about the machine getting out of control or something and the earth being swallowed up b a man made black hole. Sounds like science fiction to me. I hope!
- August 22, 2008 at 8:59 PM
- Swubird said...
That's a nasty looking rock all right. I would never have guessed it to be a meteorite.
Your post was very interesting, and thanks for putting all of that heavy duty scientific stuff in layman's terms so that it's a little more understandable. I am so glad that money is being put into this kind of high-brow stuff. But looking back to t plus one billionth of a second is getting very close to the fire. I just hope we don't get burned in the process.
Happy stargazing old buddy, and thanks for the double comment.
- August 22, 2008 at 11:18 PM
- Priyank said...
Bob, you going micro is a macro change to your blog :) It will be exciting to know what happens to those protons. Since I am lazy, I'll just keep an eye on your blog for updates :)
- August 23, 2008 at 12:22 AM
- Bob Johnson said...
Thanks welles and thanks for dropping by.\m/\m/
- August 23, 2008 at 9:01 AM
- Bob Johnson said...
Thanks Susanne, cool you did a study of microscopic photography.\m/\m/
- August 23, 2008 at 9:03 AM
- Bob Johnson said...
Hey Jesse, lol didn't mean the post to be all that frightening, not to worry about the black holes, most people don't know that similar nano black holes are created daily by cosmic rays bombarding the Earth's atmosphere at even higher energies then the LHC produces, they evaporate.\m/\m/
- August 23, 2008 at 9:11 AM
- Bob Johnson said...
Thanks Tatiana, Happy birthday now if a forget to wish you one on the 9th,lol.
Tatiana,good point, the LHC may turn what we once thought as magic into science it's magic right now because we don't understand it.
- August 23, 2008 at 9:20 AM
- Bob Johnson said...
Lol, hey Will I was just watching a show called " Six Billion Dollar Experiment" one of the Professors in charge of the LHC actually said and I quote him "These black holes actually evaporate as soon as they're produced, so it's almost impossible that these black holes can devour the experiment or Geneva or the Earth", notice the "almost impossible" part,lol.
They figure there will be upwards to 800,000,000 collisions a second, and even though only a fraction of them will be of any interest it will still take quite awhile I would think to get some hard results, the computer systems network they have developed to send the data to all the various universities for study is in itself quite remarkable to say the least, we shall see.\m/\m/
- August 23, 2008 at 9:30 AM
- Bob Johnson said...
Thanks swubird, we shall see, I figure we are on the edge of some of the most important discoveries ever made by humankind.\m/\m/
- August 23, 2008 at 9:32 AM
- Bob Johnson said...
Lol priyank, no worries, I'll be on top of it for you.\m/\m/
- August 23, 2008 at 9:33 AM
- Anonymous said...
Bravo Bob, bravo! This is what I like to see. Innovation. Microscopic images are truly fascinating and your foray into this field has not dissappointed. Ummm, what are you doing introducing new species on our planet?
- August 23, 2008 at 4:51 PM
- Bob Johnson said...
Lol, thanks JD, amazing what you can find in the microscopic world, who knew about micro aliens before this blog? I have all kinds of things planned for the micro world.\m/\m/
- August 24, 2008 at 8:42 AM
- Max-e said...
Hi Bob, ben enjoying your earlier posts and photos of the Milky Way. My dream is still to see the aurora.
Your macro picture of the meteorite is very interesting. I must one day write about two incrdible meteorite experiences I have witnessed. The one was a fireball that traveled right across the sky from horizon to horizon, back in 1970 at sunset. The second was one was in 1973, when I was in the army on guard duty. This one lit up the night like an arc lamp and was followed by a sonic rumble. Some buddies said the felt it hit earth near where they were on patrol, about 50kms away. It is probably under the Cabora Basa dam in Mocambique now.
- August 24, 2008 at 10:38 AM
- Bob Johnson said...
Thanks max-e, very cool that you had those experiences with the meteor sightings, the auroras are unbelievable to view in person, I consider myself lucky to have witnessed some great ones this year, hopefully you will one day see them.\m/\m/
- August 24, 2008 at 7:34 PM
- John Maslowski said...
Amazing image, great creative processing. Outstanding composition.
- August 24, 2008 at 7:49 PM
- SolReka said...
Time is short Bob.
The human consciousness awakes on the 10th Sept.
Bring on the branes (other Universes)
We welcome all beings.
- August 24, 2008 at 9:25 PM
- Don said...
Maybe aliens are microscopic! I like how you help us non-techies able to read and understand. Your photos are phab!!
- August 24, 2008 at 9:32 PM
- Drowsey Monkey said...
OMG I saw a documentary on this a while back. I was wondering when the date was. I think we'll all be gone on the 11th won't we? Huh? ;)
- August 24, 2008 at 10:09 PM
- Bob Johnson said...
Wow thanks John, appreciate the great feedback.\m/\m/
- August 24, 2008 at 10:13 PM
- Bob Johnson said...
Thanks for dropping by solreka, great things are about to happen, can hardly wait, like Christmas for me,lol\m/\m/
- August 24, 2008 at 10:16 PM
- Bob Johnson said...
Thanks Don, glad you think the photos are phab!\m/\m/
- August 24, 2008 at 10:18 PM
- Bob Johnson said...
No chance, well as they say in the industry, almost no chance, geez everybody knows the end of the world is in 2012,lol. I am not worried in the least about the Black holes, we are on the edge of great discoveries all thanks to the LHC.\m/\m/
- August 24, 2008 at 10:20 PM
- Max said...
Hello Lord of the Astropics!
It is amazing to the see these microscopic images (although my favourite is the one where the Alien is holding the laser gun lol)! Can you imagine if humans had such an eye sight?
Oh my...they are really on the roll to find out how to beam us around, eh? Does this mean that soon we will have light-speed aircrafts? Now that would be awesome!! I detest long travelling hours *nodding*.
Bob, great post as always! :D
I wish you a fantastic week ahead, my friend :D!
- August 25, 2008 at 10:11 AM
- Two Feathers said...
I too love the little alien dude... I'm also curious to see what will happen when they start using the collider... and I'm glad that you will keep us informed. Lots of people are really worried about it - but I figure that if they manage to turn the earth into a black hole - well at least I won't have financial problems anymore!! LOL!!
- August 25, 2008 at 10:56 AM
- AngelBaby said...
I like your alien guy. He is pretty cool and he travels really cheap! What a catch! I will be back to see what they find out after September 10th. I can't wait to find out the rest of the story.
Love and Blessings,
- August 25, 2008 at 12:41 PM
- Bob Johnson said...
Thanks max, yeah, the alien guy is very cool, I think all kinds of new and better technologies will be the result of the LHC. Lol, I hate air travel period, rather be beamed around,lol.\m/\m/
- August 25, 2008 at 7:14 PM
- Bob Johnson said...
Lol, that's the way to look at it, no more bills, hey If we are going to go, might as well be sucked into a black hole, very cool, who knows maybe the grass is greener on the other side,lol.\m/\m/
- August 25, 2008 at 7:16 PM
- Bob Johnson said...
Thanks angelbaby, glad you like the alien guy, I'll keep you posted on the ins and outs of the collider.\m/\m/
- August 25, 2008 at 7:17 PM
- Ruth said...
It's fascinating stuff. You know we have the National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab here at MSU, and they just had a piece from the CERN courier. It talks about the stop-start approach to rare isotope beams:
"A better technical approach is to stop the beams, extract them and then reaccelerate them or use them at low energies," writes Don Monroe in a feature for the July/August CERN Courier, describing the various ways to create low-energy beams for rare isotope research. "This is the path that MSU has opted for in upgrading its NSCL facility."
"To provide isotope beams with lower and more tightly distributed energies, it will combine new and established technology to stop the beams, increase the charge on the ions and then reaccelerate them. The resulting beams will enable users at NSCL to explore the excitations of rare isotopes – by either nucleon transfer or Coulomb excitation – to reveal their internal structure."
- August 26, 2008 at 11:38 AM
- Ruth said...
Coincidentally (I meant to say in that last comment) I was planning to go over to the Cyclotron later today to photograph a mural by a Brazilian artist who contacted me, and whom I'm going to post about . . .
- August 26, 2008 at 11:40 AM
- kml said...
I can tell we are going to be getting some very interesting photos of micros! Can't wait - macro photog is my favorite and this is even better!
- August 26, 2008 at 3:50 PM
- Marvin the Martian said...
It's the end of the world as we know it.... and I feel fine.... LOL!
Nice microscope pix. You are SO talented.
- August 26, 2008 at 4:57 PM
- Bob Johnson said...
Okay Ruth I am sooo impressed, I wasn't aware of that,I was just over at the NSCL website to read about it, it is very cool.
We here in Saskatoon have the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron. Actually had a guest speaker about its function at one of our RASC meetings, very cool.
Hey would you like to do a guest post here on black holes, about the research being done there and maybe sneak some of your viewpoints about the LHC in I can get you lots of 3D glasses as payment. \m/\m/\m/\m/\m/
- August 26, 2008 at 7:11 PM
- Bob Johnson said...
Thanks Kathy, I think the micro world is very interesting, the microscapes are unbelievably cool.\m/\m/
- August 26, 2008 at 7:17 PM
- Bob Johnson said...
Lol, and thanks marvin, and you have such excellent taste in music.\m/\m/
- August 26, 2008 at 7:18 PM
- viagra online said...
Greetings Bob!
I got your point! We still have lots of research left in order to understand the universe in which we live. The Large Hadron Collider's a fantastic machine that's capable of creating micro black holes that won't destroy our planet but will show us some answers to many doubts we have had since ever
- July 8, 2010 at 11:19 AM
- Web 2.0 Design said...
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- July 21, 2010 at 2:33 AM
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- December 20, 2012 at 11:19 AM


text:
Today we'll talk about XFX HD 5670 1GB. AMD announced its Radeon HD 5670 card on 14th of January 2010, and it ended up being the only sub-€100 DX11 card. Not long after the HD 5670, AMD followed up with even more affordable DX11 cards – HD 5570, HD 5550 and HD 5450.
Review: Good bundle at a discount
Review: Good bundle at a discount
Back when ATI had a nicely filled out DirectX 11 offer, Nvidia was struggling to announce its Fermi GF100 based high end GTX 480 and GTX 470 cards. It turned out thatGF100, which was announced on 26th of March, was indeed powerful but it was also large, hot and expensive to make, so Nvidia had to get down to business once again and launch the GF104.
Nvidia launched Geforce GTX 460 on 12th of July and we're talking about a card based on GF104, which is much smaller and rakes in more profit than the GF100, but Nvidia still has no answer for the budget market. As you could've guessed already, our today's card belongs in the budget market segment, whereas Nvidia's more affordable Geforce DX11 cards won't be ready before the end of august or back-to-school period.
Radeon HD 5670 is based on the RV830 40nm chip codenamed Redwood and it belongs to Evergreen family of DirectX 11 cards. Redwood, just like all the ATI chips so far, has been announced in two flavors; Redwood XT is used on Radeon HD 5670 whereas the slower Redwood LE ended up on Radeon HD 5570 and HD 5550 cards. The slowest ATI DirectX11 card uses Cedar chip and it's called Radeon HD 5450.
HD 5670 is the fastest PCI-E powered Evergreen card, making this an interesting choice for HTPC owners – the card doesn't consume much but it packs enough punch for multimedia and occasional gaming at lower detail settings. All the power is fed via the PCI-E slot, which means the card won't consume more than 75W. AMD says the card's maximum TDP is at 65W, whereas in idle mode it consumes only 15W.
Redwood XT chip comes with 400 stream processors, which is one quarter of what ATI's fastest Evergreen cards have (1600). Let us refresh your memory – above Redwood you'll find Juniper GPUs (HD 5770), which pack 800 stream processors and 128-bit memory interface. The fastest chip in the Evergreen family is known as Cypress and it comes with 1600 stream processors. Cypress-based cards (HD 5870/HD 5850) come with 256-bit memory interface and use GDDR5.
Radeon HD 5670 comes with 8 raster operation units (ROPs), 20 texture mapping units and with GDDR5 memory combined with 128-bit memory interface. Specs say that the HD 5670 isn't your go-to card when it comes to gaming, but it does come with UVD 2.2 and will be great for multimedia.
Our XFX HD 5670 card comes with 1GB of memory, but you should know that the same card is available with 512MB of GDDR5 memory as well. XFX didn't change GPU clocks so we're still talking about reference clocks – 775MHz GPU and 1000MHz (4000MHz effectively) for the GDDR5 memory.
XFX HD 5670 comes in a small and appealing box. Within the box you'll find the graphics card wrapped in plastic, driver CD, installation manual and the "Don't bother me, I'm Gaming" door-sign. On the back of the box we learned that XFX offers its 5-Star support for the HD 5760, but in order to do that you'll have to register on XFX's website.
XFX HD 5670 is a small graphics card; it's only 16.8cm long and one slot wide, making it a perfect candidate for barebone and small HTPC cases. Height-wise, this is a standard sized card so you might want to check for compatibility with smaller cases.
The cooler is miniature, with a 13-fin fan (about 5cm in diameter). There was no need for a larger cooler since the small Redwood chip (40nm, 627 million transistors, 104mm2) doesn't get hot much.
XFX made sure that the card comes with CrossFire connectors, which aren't there on the reference version. If you're planning on adding another HD 5670, you can do so, but note that the second card needs a CrossFire connector as well. Of course, we decided to test the card in CrossFire mode as well and you'll find the results on the following pages.
Apart from cooling the GPU, the cooler touches four memory modules. XFX HD 5670 1GB comes with 512MB of memory on each side of the GPU. The memory modules on the back aren't cooled.
XFX opted on Samsung K4G10325FE-HC05 memory. The memory is rated at 1000MHz (4000MHz effectively), which combined with 128-bit memory interface allows for 64 GB/s bandwidth.
XFX HD 5670 1GB is ATI Eyefinity ready, meaning that the I/O panel comes with a DisplayPort out. There are also dual-link DVI and HDMI outs.
Gainward GTX 460 Golden Sample Goes Like Hell 1GB
EVGA GTX 460 768MB (675MHz/3600)
Sapphire HD 5670 1GB
Motherboard: EVGA 4xSLI
CPU: Core i7 965 XE (Intel EIST and Vdrop enabled)
Memory: 6GB Corsair Dominator 12800 7-7-7-24
Harddisk: OCZ Vertex 2 100 GB
Power Supply: CoolerMaster Silent Pro Gold 800W
Case: CoolerMaster HAF X
Fan Controler: Kaze Master Pro 5.25"
Operating System: Win7 64-bit
Unlike reference cards, XFX's HD 5670 1GB comes with CrossFire connectors. This means that you can boost your graphics performance by adding another card. However, the HD 5670 isn't quite aimed at gamers so we're not sure that many users will opt on CrossFire, but the mere fact that it is possible with XFX D 5670 1GB is pretty neat.
Two Redwood chips can score a nice frame-rate for gaming at 1680x1050.
Using two HD 5670 cards without the CrossFire bridge will result in the following message:
If the setup is done right than you will be advised to enable CrossFire for enhanced performance.
Some partners, such as Axle3D, sell the HD 5670 with one CrossFire connector and that will be enough for turning on CrossFire in ATI Catalyst.
Radeon HD 5670 is not a graphics card that will score an excellent frame rate at 1680x1050, let alone 1920x1200. Still, if you pair two of these cards, you'll be set for some nice gaming. 30fps at 1920x1200 and no AA is pretty nice; even more so, it's comparable to what the GTX 460 768MB scored. Users with one HD 5670 will have to settle for 1280x1024 or 1680x1050 with lower graphics settings.
XFX HD 5670 1GB scores a playable framerate in Dirt 2, even at 1920x1200.
Metro 2033 is not the game that will cut slack – not even a €200 card manages to score a playable frame-rate at 1920x1200.
The following results show that XFX HD 5670 does pretty well compared to similarly-priced cards.
XFX HD 5670 1GB is a DirectX 11 card and tessellation plays an important role. Unigine Heaven test is directly concerned with this exact feature.
All Evergreen cards come with UVD 2.2 video processor, and the HD 5670 is no exception so you can use it to decode HD video in hardware. DXVA or Direct X Video Acceleration will attempt to to accelerate content via the GPU wherever possible, taking some load off of the CPU. Using mpc-homecinema.1862 we played James Bond Quantum of Solace 1080p trailer.
The cooler is miniature and takes up only one slot. Single slot cooler is good for saving space, but a 13-fin fan with only 5cm in diameter can't be expected to be inaudible. During FurMark, temperatures didn't exceed 64°C, but you'll definitely hear the fan. However, sound levels emitted by some more powerful cards in 3D mode make XFX HD 5670 1GB's cooler one of the more silent ones. The only problem with our today's card is that you'll hear it when the card is in idle mode, so we guess that HTPC users won't like it if their HTPC is in the living room.
Fan speed in auto mode climbs up to 88% RPM, whereas idle operation sees it duck to still high 50% RPM (temperatures in idle are at 37°C).
We decided to make the fan quieter so we set the RPM to 39%, which resulted in FurMark testing temperatures rising from 64°C to 70°C. Idle temperatures were at 38°C.
Radeon HD 5670 was announced on 14th of January and was at the time the most affordable DirectX 11-supporting graphics card. If you're looking for an affordable DirectX 11 graphics card, know that the situation hasn't changed much as Nvidia's sub-€150 DirectX 11 offer is nowhere to be seen. AMD made sure that its offer is nicely filled out and is now reaping the rewards, as the aforementioned price segment packs a really nice offer. XFX sent us its HD 5670 1GB card, which comes based on reference design and runs at reference clocks, but comes priced at €98.
The HD 5670 offer is pretty rich with nonreference models, which almost all run on reference clocks – just like our XFX HD-567X-ZNF3 model. XFX HD 5670 comes with 1GB of GDDR5 memory and features dual-link DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort outs, which will come in handy in those three-display configurations. Apart from ATI Eyefinity support, HTPC users will really like the UVD 2.2 and integrated audio device with HDMI 1.3a support, which includes Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio for up to 7.1 channel configurations.
Talking about gaming, you should know that the HD 5670 will allow for pleasant gaming at resolution 1280x1024. XFX HD 5670 1GB card is one of the few HD 5670 that comes with CrossFire connectors and you can use it to boost your gaming performance. As you could've seen for yourself in our tests, HD 5670 1GB CrossFire is capable of playable frame-rates at 1920x1200.
XFX HD 5670 1GB comes with single-slot cooling which, unlike dual-slot HD 5670, makes it a great candidate for HTPC cases. Unfortunately, the fan didn't quite meet our requirements in idle mode. It's far from being loud but HTPC users who keep their PC in the living room find the slightest noise pretty annoying. Good thing about it though is that you can use ATI Catalyst driver to make it completely silent.
We must say that XFX really seems to really know how to treat its customers as the company offers Aliens vs. Predator with every purchased cards, and to top it off – certain e-tailers add Dirt 2 in for a good measure. This means that you get two excellent treats which will make sure you go for instant, out-of-the-box gaming. We found the first AvP + Dirt2 bunle, and all that at about €98. If you're looking for a single-slot HTPC card or simply an affordable multimedia DirectX 11 card, then XFX HD 5670 1GB is one choice you have to consider.


text:
The urgent message went well beyond Robert Painter's usual areas of legal expertise — personal injury, commercial disputes, medical malpractice.
In less than 48 hours, the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus bataar, a fierce cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex, would be up for auction.
"Sorry for the late notice," the email said. "Is there anything we can do to legally stop this?"
The president of Mongolia, whom Painter had met 10 years before at a public policy conference, was now asking the Houston lawyer to block the sale of a fossil that scientists believed had been looted from the Gobi Desert. The auction catalog described the specimen:
"The quality of the preservation is superb, with wonderful bone texture and delightfully mottled grayish bone color. In striking contrast are those deadly teeth, long and frightfully robust, in a warm woody brown color, the fearsome, bristling mouth and monstrous jaws leaving one in no doubt as to how the creature came to rule its food chain."


text:
|2010-04-28, 02:29
|Link #9381
Mystery buff
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Gone Fishin!
or that Kanon is the culprit because he's the hanged man?
|2010-04-28, 02:31
|Link #9382
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Meta-Meta-Meta-Space
Genji, Kumasawa, Nanjo
I guess the only one I don't feel the need to be innocent is Gouda and Hideyoshi, both of which have not really that much character development.
But I doubt I can construct the answer with just Hideyoshi. So, I'm naming names, ignoring my feeling that they *should* be innocent. I feel pretty much the same as Battler was feeling... (Except George is getting suspicious after all we've discussed about him...)
By the way, I understood Hempel's Raven but I thought I was stupid or something not understanding Beatrice's explanation. 8) Thanks for making me feel normal again.
EDIT: I think Oliver is saying that as we eliminate suspects, we'll end up with someone we thought should've been innocent?
|2010-04-28, 02:36
|Link #9383
Mystery buff
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Gone Fishin!
|2010-04-28, 02:49
|Link #9384
Back off, I'm a scientist
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: In a badly written story.
It is therefore very likely that every episode features more than one culprit. They either have to all be innocent of murder and it's all a giant magic trick, or many of them have to be guilty at the same time. That's the only practical way to keep the surprise up while we're working with single culprit theories because this way no single elimination will remove the surprise in the end.
|2010-04-28, 02:49
|Link #9385
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Meta-Meta-Meta-Space
In terms of 'proof' for a detective novel, we will never be able to come up with and solve using proofs. This is because what is presented are clues, rather than proofs and sometimes evidence.
I'm putting forth the idea that when Ryukishi gives us an 'answer' he gives us 'evidence.' Evidence like the word 'explosion' in Erika's tips or evidence like the statement that 'everyone choose a room to lie down in.' in EP6. But before we are given this evidence/answer, what are we given?
I'm thinking we are only given 'clues.' Clues like, Ange not being able to find the dock or the remains of the house. Or clues like the Battler saying 'murder means it wasn't a closed room.' And these clues are very easy to 'explain away.' I propose that if we are arguing away too many clues that our thought process is not proceeding down the correct path.
If we take a case example, the 10th Twilight Explosion, we can see that the clues provided:
- EP1 body parts were found rather than whole corpses
- EP1 only Maria's jaw being found
- EP2 Rosa feeling the need to get off the island no matter what on 10th Twilight
- EP3 Eva surviving by being 2km away from the mansion
- EP4 The murders being referred to as 'incident' and not 'murders' by police
- EP4 Massive geological changes when Ange visits
Now before the 'answer' was provided in EP6 these clues existed and maybe a lot of people agreed that it was possible... but no one took the clue and used it as a basis for other theories. There was a lot of arguing back and forth (and still was in the EP5 thread.) I don't remember what it was but there were a lot of arguments against the clues, especially the last two.
Ok, after the 'answer' was provided, I think we've all come to think this is true. Certainly we're coming up with theories on the idea that it's a rigged explosion of some kind. Although not everyone's accepted it and still attempt to explain away the EP6 TIPs. (Not here though. Especially not after that Ryukishi interview.)
So what I'm getting at is we'll never have proof. We can still argue away Ryukishi's blatant 'evidence' or 'answers' too. But if we start thinking once we have an 'answer' then really we'll have to be spoon-fed all the answers until the final answer is obvious.
So, no, I think the only method we have if we want to get anywhere is to base our ideas off of clues. It will be like being presented with half-played chessboard and imagining up the entire tree of possible outcomes.
Just food for thought. Not like I'm saying this will be easy though..
|2010-04-28, 02:57
|Link #9386
Homo Ludens
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Canada
Age: 29
There can't be a singular culprit. No one person could pull off everything by themselves.
|2010-04-28, 03:02
|Link #9387
Back off, I'm a scientist
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: In a badly written story.
Notice that Battler never actually looks for a single culprit, and in his attacks against Beatrice always leaves the possibility of an undefined person doing it whenever possible. This is because he doesn't want to suspect anyone. However, if he suspects anyone, he would prefer it to be a single person -- sacrifice one to save everybody else from damnation, so to speak. This is why for every episode we end up with a 'most likely singular culprit' which is then exonerated or re-evaluated later or just dies early in the next episode. But murders still happen!
I am not advocating completely abandoning the idea of slimming down suspects, but I am insisting that no single episode has all the murders committed by one singular person or even faction, and so far, most of our theories concentrate on only exposing a single one, even when we're assuming more than one is present.
That would be the best way to surprise the most of us while we're trying to save the most people by sacrificing one, like Battler does.
|2010-04-28, 03:02
|Link #9388
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Buffer overflow
Some of these are some of her hardest mysteries to solve, even though the 'answer' is the most obvious.
|2010-04-28, 03:10
|Link #9389
|2010-04-28, 03:13
|Link #9390
Mystery buff
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Gone Fishin!
I got that idea from this post here
Anyway I've been thinking that the people in different factions may be chosen at random or that the leaders of the factions are different in every episode and they choose different people to join their group. That's a good way to use the Roulette idea.
A different faction leader in every episode would explain a lot of things.
For example if Hideyoshi or Kyrie were one of the leaders of the faction in episode 4 that frames people in all the episodes it would explain why Kinzo was framed in episode 4.
If Jessica was the culprit in both episode 1 and 5 Natsuhi being framed could be explained.
|2010-04-28, 03:18
|Link #9391
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Meta-Meta-Meta-Space
I'm looking for ways to solve it before we come to the end. In some ways we are late already as we've been given two episodes with answers already... 8)
|2010-04-28, 03:21
|Link #9392
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Meta-Meta-Meta-Space
So this idea that even the factions, the leaders and who they may be recruiting will rotate is a good idea.
EDIT: I remember talking about this idea before. I was calling Umineko a result of Faction Wars...
|2010-04-28, 03:23
|Link #9393
Back off, I'm a scientist
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: In a badly written story.
By the time 5th rolls in, some of them are shelved away, because other actions make them impossible -- people die and can't follow up, crucial accomplices die so plans become unfeasible, people learn new information, motives become more or less appealing due to that information -- and several play out simultaneously. Sometimes it results in a different person doing something in each episode, and no single person or faction committing all the crimes within the space of one episode.
Somehow all those plans by seemingly unrelated groups have a singular root, which is Ryukishi's excuse for saying we can actually uncover all of them if we find it.
|2010-04-28, 03:25
|Link #9394
|2010-04-28, 03:28
|Link #9396
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Meta-Meta-Meta-Space
Could running away from his responsibilities to someone like Kinzo be the cause for anything? Responsibilities to Shannon?
Battler got more than one of the girls and women pregnant at the bright early age of 12! He takes too much after Rudolf. This is why at least two aunts like him. Although technically the women wouldn't really 'like' him if he did.
|2010-04-28, 03:31
|Link #9398
Homo Ludens
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Canada
Age: 29
Who's the most obvious person in Umineko?
Last edited by Tyabann; 2010-04-28 at 04:06.
|2010-04-28, 03:34
|Link #9399
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Meta-Meta-Meta-Space
At least in EP1, it's most likely him still sneaking around. EP3 he probably did kill Nanjo and led Jessica away. EP4 he may have gotten killed early.
You know what, maybe we weren't supposed to make any sense of EP4. Maybe it was the episode that showed us that none of the sequence of the events matter on the gameboard; if you know which factions want to do what you'd know the order anyways.
|2010-04-28, 03:34
|Link #9400
|Thread Tools


text:
Geological Engineer
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Preferred Qualifications
Life at Gannett Fleming
For more than 100 years, we've been a leader in global infrastructure solutions with a focus on planning, design, technology, and construction management services for a diverse array of markets and disciplines. Across more than 60 offices, 2,000+ highly qualified professionals are united in an unyielding commitment to deliver excellence to every client and every project, every day.
Gannett Fleming is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer, including veterans and disability status. Gannett Fleming Inc. will not sponsor an employment visa (e.g., H-1B visa), including any visa renewal during employment, for any candidate for this position. No relocation assistance will be provided for this position. Local residents will be given preference.
NO AGENCIES PLEASE: Unsolicited resumes from third party agencies will not be accepted.