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Talk:Arguments against the existence of god
Atrocities committed by Yahweh[edit]
I haven't found any section on this. I would say this is an argument against religion. I often, if not always, bring up some of the horrible things Yahweh is doing to people or force people to do to others. I don't think it's just an argument with an appeal to emotion, I think it's a clear sign that Yahweh is not good in any way. And I think this is, so far for me, the best counter-argument when apologetics try to dodge by basically throwing out the Old Testament and say that that was then, and this is now. It's amazing how they can justify all the atrocities that the OT speaks about by just saying Yahweh changed his mind. Like that makes him more benevolent. Does anyone have any idea on where this article should be put if it were created? Duke 18:30, 8 September 2011 (CDT)
Mentioning purpose[edit]
Shoudn't we mention the purpose of these arguments? Why do atheists argue God's non-existence and get involved in debates even when they are not challenged by believers? --Wissam hemadeh
- Go ahead. Keep these two things in mind:
- A direct challenge by a believer is not the only thing that warrants a debate. Lobbying a political candidate for legal reform that would favour a particular religious belief is a challenge to debate that belief and the basis on which it stands.
- Some people argue for entertainment :)
- --Jaban 14:44, 3 March 2010 (CST)
Where did all the arguments go? There was a long list of arguments on this page.--wissam hemadeh 13:31, 27 June 2010 (CDT)
Consider these arguments against God's existence[edit]
Ultimate 747 Gambit
Modal Ontological Argument against God
Scientific Mistakes in Bible/qur'an
Immoralities in Bible/Qur'an
Transcendental argument for the non-existence of God
Kalam argument for atheists
argument from poor design
There are much more. I'll be getting at you some time soon. Anyway, some of these are found nn iron chariots wiki, just search. I don't know how to transfer them to this category.
--wissam hemadeh 15:09, 6 March 2010 (CST)
Also, an outstanding book to read by Michael Martin: Atheism: A Philosophical Justification
--wissam hemadeh 15:16, 6 March 2010 (CST)
Universal Negatives[edit]
There are some issues under the heading "Aren't universal negatives impossible to prove?". Although it is true that they can be proven by showing that they contradict logic or are inherently meaningless concepts, the rest of the article is pretty well wrong. For example, the case give is the phlogiston. Although scientists have found something that does what a phlogiston was supposed to do, they have merely demonstrated a lack of both evidence and necessity for the phlogiston theory. Occams razor would therefore lead us to believe it does not exist. This, however, does NOT provide EVIDENCE that the phlogiston does not exist, nor does it prove that it does not exist. It merely demonstrates a LACK of evidence for the positive assertion, rather than providing evidence for the negative. Occam's razor, while being a valid tool when considering what position to take or what belief is most probable, does NOT constitute evidence; it instead operates on a lack of evidence.
Along the same lines, the argument that "This is how we can know that such things as the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, the Abimonable Snowman, etc. do not exist" is also fallacious. We do NOT know that such things do not exist and we have no evidence that they do not exist. All we have is a lack of evidence that they do exist. The fact that many instances have been shownn to be frauds does not operate as evidence for the assertion that they do not exist. The fact operates as a counter to positive evidence that they do exist, but cannot itself operate as evidence.
Suggested reading: Karl Popper, The Logic of Scientific Discovery
~~Jeremie Choquette, Physics Student at McMaster University
Strong Atheism vs. Agnosticism Argument[edit]
Is this section regarding the existence of a particular God, or a man-made religion based God? Or is it refuting the entire possibility of a God?
The argument against agnosticism is flawed.
The Atheist Writer Claims: If one lacks understanding or is incapable of such high comprehension--as animals cannot put 2&2 together beyond their basic instincts as we humans can do--then how can they argue the original point in the first place--that there may or may not be a God?
My Agnostic Perspective: Because I know the gas tank either contains fuel, or does not--but unsure of which without checking the gauge, then which answer is defaulted? Neither until further variables are found (such as checking the gauge). At our current level of logical understanding, either a God exists, or a God does not; thus, without proof from either viewpoint, one cannot pick a side.
Also, consider the logical fallacy, Ad Ignorantium: "The absence of evidence is not evidence."
Consider also how people view strangers. A stranger is neither good, nor bad necessarily (merely assumed bad in pursuit of being safer than sorry). An agnostic stands neutral, claiming it is impossible to know whether a God exists or not based on the given circumstances. Further, science cannot directly prove, but only theorize on how the universe and life was created--which is not much better than faith given its position in the scientific method.
Atheist: No proof that God exists. This inhibits an open mind.
Agnostic: No proof that God doesn't exist*. Thus, the possibility is kept open.
- Given the findings based on science, it is not enough to convince me that the universe came into any existence based on any other particular means. While science may find an approach to the universe being created outside of the realm of time (stripping the "beginnings," and the "ends"), both intelligent design and scientific theories are all just that--theories.
- Please sign your talk comments. The icon is second from the right, above the comment box.
- Your definitions of atheist and agnostic are mistaken. They are not part of a three-level system of belief (theism, agnosticism, atheism), they address different questions.
- Theism/atheism addresses the question of belief.
- Gnosticism/agnosticism addresses the question of knowledge.
- One need not necessarily claim knowledge that no gods exist to hold the belief that there are none. I think you'll find that most of us are stating our disbelief, not making a claim to knowledge.
- I apologize, but I'm not sure I understand you correctly. First, if atheists question belief, isn't atheism in itself a belief? Perhaps this is why I'm agnostic, but how can one formulate a belief or notion based on no claim or backing from knowledge--or evidence?
- Or are you saying that agnosticism and atheism are incomparable?
- --Lennybird 10:44, 4 August 2010 (CDT)
- The second one. I apologize if I wasn't clear enough. Maybe these tables will clear it up:
- How it's being presented:
Do you believe? Yes Theist I don't know Agnostic No Atheist
- But that is a sort of straw man made up by Christians. Theism and gnosticism are two separate questions:
Do you believe? Yes Anything other than yes Do you know? Yes Gnostic theist Gnostic atheist Anything other than yes Agnostic theist Agnostic atheist
- So if someone asks "do you believe?", theism is when you say yes. Atheism isn't necessarily when you say no, it's when you don't say yes. And gnosticism is a different question.
- To confuse the matter further, there are also levels of certainty in both belief and knowledge. "I don't believe in god" and "I believe there is no god" are two distinct positions of belief, but neither necessarily makes one a gnostic or agnostic. But I'm not going to go into that on this talk page - there's a whole article on it here somewhere.
- --Jaban 02:46, 17 August 2010 (CDT)
- I'd also like to respond to the quote...
- It's not true that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Sure it is. It's not proof of absence, but it is evidence. I'll admit that it's fair to say that the absence of evidence alone is not sufficient justification to reject an idea. But you make it sound like that's all we have to go on, and that's simply not true.
- --Jaban 23:50, 2 August 2010 (CDT)
- I can agree with that; absence of evidence is not proof of the absence, but absence of evidence is some degree of evidence based on our current knowledge. Couldn't one theorize that God just doesn't want to be found, and this could be entirely discredited as evidence? In any case, it's insufficient evidence alone. You mention that this isn't all we have to go on, what else is there? As far as I understand, atheists rely on the absence of evidence to justify their position, I haven't heard other arguments.
- Couldn't I merely say that there is an absence of evidence that God doesn't exist? I suppose we have to define what amount of evidence is substantial enough.
- --Lennybird 10:38, 4 August 2010 (CDT)
- You could, but then I could say that there is an equally valid absence of evidence that Thor isn't real. If the same logic could apply to an infinite number of invented claims, we generally place the burden of proof on those who make the claim.
- I don't want to write a ten-page article on a talk page about justifications for not believing. Plenty of others have done that - you just have to look. I hope you're okay with just a short list with no explanation:
- The consistent replacement of unjustified supernatural explanations about the operation of the natural world with observationally verified natural explanations.
- The lack of a specific description of any god's interaction with the natural world, other than those interactions which have been being consistently replaced with natural explanations.
- Religion's tendency to explain the world using the worst science available, along with the tendency of credulous believers to think it is the best science available.
- The evolution of supernatural explanations to fit with the changing zeitgeist. If any of it were true, supernatural explanations should not have to be adapted to suit peoples' changing beliefs.
- The failure of religion to improve its own understanding of the natural world.
- The failure, under the simplest scrutiny, of any sufficiently precise definition of a god.
- The geographical and societal positioning of various belief systems.
- The failure of believers to provide any justification for belief in their god. What they commonly claim as justification is a holy book which provides justification (albeit poor) for belief in a vastly different god from the one they believe in.
- The historical baggage associated with belief in any god.
- E.g. By what right do you claim your god is the same god Moses worshiped, if the actions and opinions you attribute to your god are vastly different from those Moses wrote about his? If you claim the history as justification, then the difference between the historical beliefs and your beliefs do matter.
- The vested interest leaders of religions have, and have always had, in placating those paying their bills, as lacking as their answers to profound questions might be when placed under scrutiny.
- I might add more to this list later, or provide clarification. But I don't have a lot of time.
- --Jaban 02:46, 17 August 2010 (CDT)
- I don't want to write a ten-page article on a talk page about justifications for not believing. Plenty of others have done that - you just have to look. I hope you're okay with just a short list with no explanation:
Multiplicity of religions as an argument against god[edit]
This page opens with There are an infinite possible number of interpretations of the idea of "god" and even of religion. Over a thousand different denominations of Christianity alone, all with their different beliefs on who or what god is.
I would propose this as itself a strong argument against any kind of interventionist god (not the deist's spectator god). Any religion that claims knowledge of a god that hears prayer or has any interest in human behavior, must explain how it is that at least 2/3 of the world's population believes in a radically different description of god or gods. Any religion founded on a revealed text, must explain how it is that at least 2/3 of the world finds their text irrelevant and honors a different one.
The fraction 2/3 is based on (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html), where all types of christianity are amalgamated into one block at 33% of the world. In fact this is wrong as it includes the LDS, who have a different scripture (the book of mormon) from christians, and several other sects (christian science, adventists) who are only barely christian. Most religions need to explain why 3/4 to 90% of the world conceive a different idea of god or see god(s) as having a quite different relationship to man.
The intro to this page says, "Surely it would be impossible to rule them all out," but in fact, this is a powerful argument against the truth of any god-belief. The many religions rule each other out by their existence.
Perhaps these facts could best be integrated into the "Argument from nonbelief" page?


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CARSON CITY, NV - The testimony was sometimes emotional and shocking, but at all times sobering Wednesday morning as members of both the Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committees heard testimony on the problem of human trafficking and a bill designed to combat it.
It is, they were told, already a huge problem in Nevada and growing and its victims are often the very young.
"A pimp controls all aspects of a prostitutes life," a Las Vegas Metro detective told them. "What she eats, what she drinks, what she thinks, the clothes that she wears, her hair style. He controls everything."
In fact, the lawmakers were told, the young victims are treated worse than livestock. Sold, beaten and sometimes tattooed with their pimp's name.
Reno Police Sergeant Ron Chalmers says in one recent case, the pimp and three of his prostitutes had the same tattoo--his name.:
"It's his way of showing his ownership of the girl," says Chalmers.
It's branding them?
"Absolutely. That's what we call it in court. It's branding."
Though many prostitutes are now adults, witnesses said, that doesn't mean they are consenting. The prime target for recruitment are the young.
"We've had cases in the past year of kids as young as 12 or 14 that we've recovered from our streets," Chalmers says.
Amy Ayoub was an underage recruit to the sex trade. Decades later she was telling her story to a room of legislators explaining first hand how pimps control their victims.
"Pimps are physically violent," she says, "and if they're not beating you every moment, which they're not, there's the threat of that."
And that fear can block attempts to prosecute. Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto says pimps often waive preliminary hearing and go straight to trial and that gives them time to intimidate their victims before they can be heard.
Her solution, give the prosecutor the right to demand a preliminary hearing.
"It preserves the testimony of the witness because quite often in these cases what we see is when you get to trial, she's nowhere to be found because she's been threatened."
She says the bill would strengthen the hand of the legal system, provide stiffer penalties and treat those forced into the life as victims rather than criminals.
Everyone admits, however, that the state has little in the way of support and treatment.
"There really isn't except the on line meetings," says Aubrey Hall who says she was brought to Nevada and forced by her pimp to work at Storey County's Old Bridge Brothel when she was 19.
She's trying to start a local chapter of Sex Workers Anonymous to help former prostitutes recover and help those who want to leave the life.
Most who testified supported the bill, The only opposition came from the American Civil Liberties Union and defense attorneys who worried about the provision giving the prosecutor the right to insist on a preliminary hearing even if the defendant wants to waive his right.
The Attorney General says the provision would apply only to sex trafficking cases and she's confident it could withstand any constitutional challenge.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Bochy wants long-relief option on roster
Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Haft-Baked Ideas, and follow him on Twitter at @sfgiantsbeat.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Manager Bruce Bochy confirmed the assumption that the Giants' season-opening pitching staff will include at least one long reliever.
"Whoever's our best fit," Bochy said Sunday.
Leading candidates for this role include left-hander David Huff and right-hander Yusmeiro Petit. In 44 career starts, Petit is 13-18 with a 4.91 ERA, including his 4-1 finish with the Giants last year. His totals are marginally better than Huff's figures as a starter (17-27, 5.57 in 54 starts).
Until last year, the Giants' starting rotation was so consistent and effective that keeping a long reliever was mostly unnecessary. Guillermo Mota occupied the role on the rare occasions when multiple innings had to be consumed.
Read More: San Francisco Giants, David Huff, Yusmeiro Petit


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We are anodizing some parts made of 7075 alloy. I have read your article regarding the issue and wonder if anything new has cropped up since that was written. We seem to have this problem off and on with parts that happen to be polished and hard anodized to 0.0008-inch thick and then are dyed black. We do not see the blistering problem until we remove the parts from the dye tank at which time we see spots that appear as raised material that breaks away when the material is probed. We typically process these parts at 40°F with an additive. The sulfuric concentration is 165 g/liter The second question has to do with the texture of the anodic coating. It appears to be a bit rough. It seems like the anodize is increasing the surface roughness more than I would normally expect. A.F.
I have anodized plenty of 7075 and had never seen the blistering condition until someone sent me a sample of it a few years ago. If the problem is metallurgical there is nothing that you can do in the anodizing process to prevent it. You could try anodizing at a slightly higher temperature, say, 50°F or even 60°F. I don't think the hardness will suffer appreciably as long as you anodize at least 36 asf. High current density and cold temperatures can cause more roughening of the surface. There are a couple of other possible conditions that may be present with your parts, however.
Featured Content
You said the parts are polished. Sometimes when parts are polished some of the surface metal can actually be "folded over" forming small "pockets" that can open up in the finishing process. It doesn't sound like this applies to your situation. Another possibility is that the parts are undergoing electrolysis or electrolytic corrosion in the black dye tank. This can be caused by too much titanium rack surface relative to the aluminum parts surface on the rack. A battery effect can be set up between the dissimilar metals and cause current to flow. Make sure the rack is electrically isolated from the tank if the tank is made of metal. This same condition can be caused by a contaminated dye bath.
A.F. writes back:
Interesting that you would mention the higher temperature anodizing bath. I ran a part at 48°F and the part came out much smoother and did not show the blistering problem after anodize. When I dyed the part, however, the problem did surface. I think both issues were taking place. We have had trouble with this hard anodizing bath since the additive was changed. I think the new additive just needs to run at a higher temperature on these alloys in order to avoid the problem mentioned. Our chemical supplier has also mentioned that the use of a magnesium anode in the dye tank could help prevent electrolytic corrosion on the parts. From what I have seen the higher temperature has done a world of good. Now I'm trying another dye color to verify that it isn't the black dye. The black tank is our largest and oldest dye tank. I will say that this material (7075) is extremely sensitive to anodizing tank temperature and it gets very rough when processed at the lower temperatures allowed by this spec.
I once had a similar problem with the anodic coating popping off when anodized in a cold hard coat tank with an additive. I'm glad the higher temperature helped. By the way, the original Alcoa (Martin) hardcoat spec calls for anodizing at 50°F at 36 asf in a bath of 12% sulfuric and 1% oxalic acid. (The oxalic is the "additive" in that process). Even straight 15% sulfuric works well at these conditions.
As far as the mag anode in the dye tank goes, it does work most of the time, but it only "covers up" the real problem. The real problem is either excessive bath contamination and/or stray current electrolysis.
Related Topics
Anodizing for Bonding Applications in Aerospace
Anodizing for pre-prep bonding bridges the gap between the metallic and composite worlds, as it provides a superior surface in many applications on aluminum components for bonding to these composites.
Aluminum Anodizing
Types of anodizing, processes, equipment selection and tank construction.
Deoxidizing Aluminum as a Pretreatment
This important first step can help prepare the metal for subsequent surface finishing.


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(via the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Hey, I just realized that it's been about 25 years since I've been to Monterey Bay…I should go again.)
(via the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Hey, I just realized that it's been about 25 years since I've been to Monterey Bay…I should go again.)
blf says
I just realized that it's been about 25 years since I've been to Monterey Bay…I should go again.
Not yet! They still haven't quite finished repairing the damage from the last time. I mean, you really shouldn't have ridden your pet kraken around the place.
Also, the lasers mounted on the otters still aren't working correctly. Well, actually, the lasers are working just fine, but the otters seem to think anyone with a beard or a kraken is you and open fire.
On the other hand, the hagfish do need feeding…
moarscienceplz says
Yes! Come! I'll even ask Captain Kirk if he can bring back the whales.
michaellatiolais says
Do it! But give us some advanced warning. I would love to spend a day with you in Monterey(I'm moving to the Bay area in a couple of months).
Anthony K says
Among so many other tells, the white knight "they're still not going to fuck you weak bitches" bullshit is a giveaway that the MRAs, PUAs, and other skidmarks don't fully believe their own evo-psych bullshit.
Remember boys, there are two motivations to men, as you like to trot out: Sex and violence.
The reason I'm a gender traitor is not because I'm interested in getting laid, it's that other easily trotted out trope about Real Men™—I desire violence, and dominating fuckheads, at least verbally, is how I legally fulfill that desire.
Joe Rogan of all dipshits should be able to appreciate that.
Anthony K says
Christ on a crutch. Fucking multiple tabs.
Ron Sullivan says
Oh yeah, go see; they make changes every now and then. Plus the Cal Academy/Steinhart has that new um medium-something octopus that doesn't quite have an official name yet and lives long enough to lay several clutches of eggs.
microraptor says
By coincidence, 25 years is about how long it's been since I visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I'd wanted to go when they had that great white on display, but couldn't get the time to do so.
ewilde1968 says
Oh! Pharyngula day at Monterey Bay Aquarium! You've brought me out of lurkerdom.
My little girls (4 year old twins) love the Aquarium and are big fans of tako (the Japanese word for octopus.)
magistramarla says
Why do you guys have to start planning this just when I'm about to move from the beautiful Monterey Bay to Hell (also known as Texas)? My dear hubby has been stationed in Monterey for the last three years, and it is the most beautiful place I've ever seen, except for Santorini.
If you ever set up a Pharyngula day at Monterey Bay Aquarium, I may have to fly there. For me, it will be a great excuse to get out of Texas.
Ichthyic says
they make changes every now and then.
Uh, the aquarium is 4 TIMES the size it was 25 years ago.
There is one of the biggest single tanks in the world there now, the pelagic tank, with schools of free swimming ADULT tuna…
yeah, much more new to see than there actually was to see totally 25 years ago!
The Mellow Monkey says
It is definitely my favorite aquarium. I'm hoping to be able to get out that way this fall at some point, as it's been a couple years since the last I was there.
madscientist says
Meh – the cephalopod is merely plagiarizing Leonardo da Vinci's "Creation". Give credit to the original artist.
madscientist says
Oops… make that Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam". It's not my fault – all those Old Masters look the same to me.
bronwyncaveney says
YES! You can stay at the lovely Wayfairer Inn where my husband works (probably for free) and do the aquarium and Carmel.
Long time lurker
bad Jim says
When is PZ going to comment about this?
Tiny octopus-like microorganisms named after science fiction monsters
UBC researchers have discovered two new symbionts living in the gut of termites, and taken the unusual step of naming them after fictional monsters created by American horror author HP Lovecraft.
The single-cell protists, Cthulhu macrofasciculumque and Cthylla microfasciculumque, help termites digest wood. The researchers decided to name them after monstrous cosmic entities featured in Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos as an ode to the sometimes strange and fascinating world of the microbe.
Stacy says
Aw. Teeny tiny little eldritch abominations!
anuran says
What a wicked octopus it was, to be sure
Samantha Vimes says
Yes, you should.


text:
Whether you're about to tackle a whole-house spring cleaning or need to wipe up a quick spill, I'm sure you'll want a dependable roll of paper towels to help you get the job done. We tested 19 different brands of paper towels to find which ones stand up to tasks big and small. Now, you know us. When we say test, we mean test. We did a lot more than wipe up a spill-we weighed, measured, and inspected. Here's what we looked for:
- Were they strong when wet? After all, chances are you'll be mopping up spills so you don't want them to fall apart as soon as they get wet.
- Did they absorb quickly? No one wants to spend more time than necessary cleaning up.
- How much liquid can they hold? The fewer you have to use, the better in terms of time, cost and the environment.
- Did they leave lint behind? Hey, you don't want to be cleaning up after your paper towels.
- How thick were they? Could you use them as a napkin?
- Did the little teddy bears and scrolled borders "bleed" when wet? They're supposed to be helping you clean, not leave stains on your countertops.
- Was the square footage and number of sheets listed on the package accurate? You want to get what you pay for.
When you're out shopping keep the following in mind:
- Look beyond price Check the total square footage and sheets per roll when you're comparison shopping.
- Shop online Websites like amazon.com and alice.com offer popular brands at discounted prices.
- Consider sheet size If you use paper towels sparingly buy "select a size" or "make your own size". On the other hand if it seems every time you turn around, someone's spilled a quart of orange juice, go for the larger sheets.
Ready to know which is best? Take a look at Top Paper Towel
Schedule a visit to the Good Housekeeping Research Institute and see how and where we test hundreds of products every year.


text:
State assembly members Paul Fong (D-Cupertino) and Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced new legislation Monday that would bring an end of shark fin soup.
Shark fins are used in a luxury soup at Chinese restaurants. It is often compared to caviar and can sell for as much as $80 a bowl.
The lawmakers want to ban shark finning all together. Finning is when fisherman catch sharks and then remove their fins and tails before throwing the remainder of the fish back into the ocean.
Huffman noted that Sharks are the top predators in ocean ecosystems. "Removing them by this senseless act of finning can seriously destabilize the food chain. To save them from extinction, our bill targets the demand for these shark fins by banning their sale and possession here in California," Huffman said.
Sen. Leland Yee is not a supporter of the bill. He gathered with ten restaurant owners Monday and they all called the ban an overreach. "This is just one of the many examples where there's been this
effort to take away our heritage and culture,'' Lee said.


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Mplus Home
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Scale unit for count modeling
Mplus Discussion
Categorical Data Modeling
Jan Ivanouw
posted on Monday, November 23, 2009 - 1:29 am
I am sorry for my ignorance, I am not quite sure about scale units in CFA-models when the dependent variables are count variables:
When setting the loading for one indicator = 1 (the default), what scale are
1) the intercepts?
2) the loadings?
3) the factor scores?
4) the residuals?
When setting the variance for the factor to one, what scale are
5) the intercepts?
6) the loadings?
7) the factor scores?
8) the residuals?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Monday, November 23, 2009 - 2:29 pm
The dependent variables, which are your factor indicators, are in the metric of elog rates in line with regression with count DVs. Here, rate is what governs the mean of the Poisson distribution for counts. See our regression pages in the Topic 2 handout. Using the default of the first loading fixed at 1, your factors are in the metric of that indicator, that is, the log rate of that indicator.
Jan Ivanouw
posted on Monday, November 30, 2009 - 3:28 am
Thank you for your answer. I am still struggling with my understanding. Could you help me whith this problem:
I have a latent variable M with 10 count indicators M1-M10 with the default loading 1 of the first indicator M1
The observed mean of M1 is 0.742 (variance = 0.668)
If I model an ordinary CFA, the intercept for M1 is as expected 0.742
But if I model the CFA with the indicators as count variables, the intercept for M1 is -0.427.
As the intercepts for a count model is in log units, I would expect to calculate the indicator mean as exp(-0.427) = 0.652. But this is lower than the observed mean of 0.742.
Calculating the means from the intercepts of the 9 other indicators also gives lower than expected means.
Where am I wrong?
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Monday, November 30, 2009 - 9:33 am
The "observed means" that you mention are probably computed by treating the count variable as a continuous variable, not a count variable. Because of the long right tail, this value would be higher than the log rate that you computed from the count model.
Yves Dejaeghere
posted on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 12:12 pm
I am using MPlus4 and estimated a path model with a count variable (number of political activities) as dependent and one mediating variable that is continuous. Chapter three of the user guide says this is possible and I succesfully ran my model. I have a number of variables that go straight to the count variable but also go through the continuous variable. What is my interpretation of the indirect effect? I mainly want to see whether the mediator (an attitude) has some remaining effect on the behaviour (the count variable) or if the effect is spurious once I control for a number of other variables. I know for the Poisson I use the antilog of the coefficient but how do I work this out with a coefficient that first goes to a continuous mediator variable? I do not find any examples for this...I just did it because I saw MPlus could handle it and it was exactly what I needed...
My syntax is like this:
Missing are ALL(99);
Count is var1
var1 on var2 var3 var4 var5 var6;
var2 on var3 var4 var6;
So what is my effect for example for var3 through var2 on var1 (taken that all are significant)?
Thank you very much for looking at this problem. I might actually be obvious, but I can't find an example.
Bengt O. Muthen
posted on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 6:21 pm
Say you use the Model command labeling (for instance):
var1 on var2 (p1);
var2 on var3 (p2);
where p1 is a log rate regression slope and p2 a linear reg slope. Then the model says that the indirect effect is p1*p2, which is also a log rate slope. You get the effect estimate and SE via
Model constraint:
indir = p1*p2;
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Lactobacillus Acidophilus
Veterinarian Reviewed on June 20, 2012 by Paulina Nelega, RH
Posted in Uncategorized
Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lactobacillus acidophilus is a homofermentative species that can ferment sugars into lactic acid. This specie of bacteria favors a temperature of 37 degrees centigrade and therefore the ideal habitats are the human gastrointestinal tract, the oral cavity and in the female genitalia.
Lactobacillus acidophilus is known to have a probiotic property which simply means that it can fight harmful fungus growth and destroy harmful bacteria; this is applied in the treatment of gastrointestinal disease, fungal infections, oral thrush and many other Infections caused by the Candida albicans yeast strain. The Lactobacillus acidophilus strain is incorporated in dairy products and in yoghurt. It is combined with Lactobacillus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii in the manufacture of yoghurt and cultured drinks.
History and Origin
The use of Lactobacillus acidophilus for yoghurt and milk products was due to the breakthrough of research regarding fighting yeast infections and fungal infections with the help of beneficial or good bacteria. Yeast and fungus are known opportunistic organisms and may thrive and grow in environments with low good bacteria population. Increasing good bacteria like Lactobacillus acidophilus is just some of the ways to control yeast issues and to keep the overall fungus population at bay.
Ancient Uses
The use of Probioitics was not utilized in ancient times, as probiotic treatment had not yet been discovered. The discovery of good bacteria and its benefits to the different systems of a person's body only started becoming evident during the 20th century. This has since led to numerous possibilities of using probiotics to gain better health.
Modern Uses
Lactobacillus acidophilus is known to be an effective cure for yeast infections within a person's gastro intestinal tract, their oral cavity, as well as in both the male and female genitalia. Increasing good bacteria population is the best option when a person is immune compromised. Eating foods fortified with Lactobacillus acidophilus, such as milk, yoghurt and milky drinks can help treat yeast infections resulting from prolonged antibiotic use and in cases where a person's immune system is at its weakest and is comprised.
Adding Lactobacillus acidophilus strains to your diet can aid digestion, ensuring more nutrients are absorbed from food and of course improve over all body functions. This can also help people who are on a diet; a healthy digestive tract can ensure more calories are burned and more nutrients are absorbed by the body.
There is a possibility that Lactobacillus acidophilus can be a promising cure for cancer and can enhance the immune system functioning of chemotherapy patients. Babies, children and adults who are lactose intolerant can drink fermented dairy products that have live strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus. This bacteria strain can prevent diarrhea, stomach pains and indigestion as a result of intolerance to lactose.
Side Effects
There are minor side effects upon taking dairy products fortified with Lactobacillus acidophilus. If taken for the first time, stomach pain and gas may be felt but can later be dismissed after taking these dairy products on a regular basis. There has been report of infection of the valves of the heart as a result of ingesting Lactobacillus acidophilus. People with artificial heart valves are cautioned against taking any dairy product with Lactobacillus acidophilus. Pregnant and breastfeeding women can drink products with Lactobacillus acidophilus with no side effects at all.
Our Expert
Paulina Nelega, RH, has been in private practice as a Clinical Herbalist for over 15 years. She has developed and taught courses in herbal medicine, and her articles on health have appeared in numerous publications. She is very passionate about the healing power of nature. Ask Dr. Jan


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I then spent the next day googling and reading numerous forum threads on suggestions on improving battery life which ranged from resetting the phone and starting fresh to turning off all features. I followed some of the advice and have noticed a little change but nowhere close to what people are reporting overseas. My battery drops 8-10% every hour even if I am not doing anything. I get around 12 hours standby and 3-4 hours usage before the battery goes flat.
I called up apple who opened a case and were willing to provide a refurb unit under warranty but I had to go back to he retailer if I wanted a new handset. So I returned the phone to Telecom last week and they promptly sent it to Telegistics for an assessment. Given that I barely had the phone was two weeks, I thought it would be covered under DOA and replaced immediately ?
I called up Telecom today and was advised that tests showed that the battery is fine. I don't accept that as my usage proved otherwise and all they ran were standby tests. The irony is that TNZ have given me a loan iphone4 and its battery is a lot better than the 5.
I have a number of actual screen shots comparing my iphone 5 to a colleagues 5 and now the loan 4.
I think I have consumers guarantees act on my side with this one and really want Telecom to replace the set with a new iphone OR provide a refund. A refurb is not acceptable. I am also drafting a letter quoting the CGA and asking for a replacement or refund given that the description does not match the phone.
Anyone from Telecom here who may be able to help me with this please ? How do I get this resolved ?


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Yes, much of the stigma has been taken out of online dating, but does that make it any less complicated? If the numbers are any indication, definitely not. Click through to see the breakdown of how men and women use online dating sites from the way we choose profile photos to how often we lie.
Online Dating: Men vs Women [Infographic] [The Truth About Online Dating]


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Q: This is my first winter with a pond. Do I need to bring in my plants?
Bonnie – Dover, NJ
A: You've been watching your aquatic plants flourish all year. Your water lilies and hyacinth put off big blooms, your irises and cattails became homes for frogs and dragonflies, and your submerged plants provided a home for your fish and snails.
With the cold weather on its way, now what do you do with them? Well, it all depends on where you live and what types of plants you have.
In the Zone
What's your hardiness zone? The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map will help you determine which plants will thrive in a particular location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree Fahrenheit zones.
In general, if you live in a hardiness zone that's frost-free, congratulations! All you need to do is trim off dead foliage with your Scissors & Pliers, fertilize the plants as necessary and enjoy them all year round.
If you live in an area that freezes, however, you have some work to do.
Like terrestrial plants, aquatic plants – whether floating, marginal or submerged – are sensitive in varying degrees to freezing temperatures. Some species will overwinter just fine in frostier hardiness zones, while others will wilt and die at the slightest hint of ice.
So before you do anything, get to know your plants and identify which ones are in your zone and which ones aren't.
Overwintering Your Plants
Winter care of water lilies, marginal/bog plants and submerged plants will depend on if they're tropical (anything that likes temperatures above your hardiness zone) or hardy (anything geared for temperatures in your hardiness zone or lower).
- Tropical Plants: These sensitive beauties, including tropical water lilies and canna, will need to be removed from the pond and replaced next season, or removed and relocated to a warm indoor space for winter. Read about how to overwinter tropical water lilies in this blog post.
- Hardy Plants: These easy-care troopers, including hardy water lilies and submerged plants, only need to have dead foliage removed after the first hard frost. Simply use your AquaGloves™ and Scissors & Pliers to trim away any spent leaves, lily pads or flowers. Once trimmed, sink the plants to the deepest part of your pond. Hardy plants will go dormant for the winter and regrow in the spring.
Floating plants, like hyacinth and water lettuce, can be treated like an annual; they will die over the winter, so remove them from your pond once they begin to yellow. Luckily, they're inexpensive to replace and will grow quickly once re-added. Please note: hyacinth and water lettuce can be invasive so be sure to dispose of them properly and never release into public water.
Good luck caring for your first winter pond!
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Filed under: Aquatic Plants, Pond Accessories, Seasonal Care, Water Gardens & Features, WG-Winterizing | Tagged: plant hardiness, plants turning brown, transfer plants in doors, trim plants, winterizing aquatic plants | 7 Comments »


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Who Are the Richest Artists in the World Today?
Art is hardly a profession that promises a hefty monthly paycheck and a safe retirement in 2016. Instead, it is volatile, dependent on luck as much as on talent, marketing and endless promotion in news and videos as much as hard work. Many give it a try, many quit, some stick around and make a decent living out of it – and then there is the select few that hit it big and manage to stay on top. For those, having a work selling and auctioned off for a billion or two is not altogether impossible, just like in music or sports. Working with prestigious teams, institutions, and celebrities, they can achieve a status of true modern-day richest masters. And while commercial success may not always be a sign of true quality nor promise appreciation of one's genius by the generations to come, it is inevitably one of the criteria we search for and use to judge top-notch artists and gain insight into what sort of art, in a way, represents our times. Listing top-grossing richest creative minds of our day and age can (and does) give as a nice cross-section and contact of the trends, the ideals, and the issues humanity is facing as a whole.
Featured images in slider: Cindy Sherman – Untitled #96, 1981 – image via artblart.com; Damien Hirst – For the Love of God, 2007 – image via bhmpics.com; Jeff Koons – Lady Gaga's ARTPOP Cover – image via pinterest.com; Andreas Gursky – Rhein II, 1999 – image via tate.org.uk
Damien Hirst - Anti-Christ of Contemporary Art
Touted the "enfant terrible of the art world", the controversial master of installation, conceptual art and painting Damien Hirst easily tops the news list with an estimated net worth estimated between $350 million and $1 billion. The richest among artists famously sold a platinum skull encrusted with 8,601 flawless diamonds for £50 million, while several of his other works (such as the Black Sheep with Golden Horns) easily raking in seven-figure numbers at auctions. The most famous of the Young British Artists (YBA), he was a protege of the collector Charles Saatchi in the 1990's but has since then built his own empire. In possession of an extraordinary portfolio of mansions, manor houses and farmland, Hirst is as much an artist as a savvy businessman.
Find our more works by Damien Hirst on our marketplace!
Featured image: Damien Hirst – Eternity, 2007 – image via cloudfront.net
Jeff Koons - Richest Living Sculptor
Selling one of his Balloon Dogs for $58.4 million in 2013, Jeff Koons broke the record for the most expensive sculpture by a living richest sculptor ever sold. With the help of around a hundred or so employees in his New York studio, he deals with popular culture subjects and often creates reproductions of banal objects, elevating their status to becoming works of art. While much of his oeuvre has been criticized as rough, impolite and based on cynical self-merchandising, the artist has stated that there are no hidden meanings in his works, nor any critiques. A true contemporary master of pop art with a net worth of well over $300 million, Koons has worked with Lady Gaga on the visual identity and music videos of her albums. He has also worked with many other musicians, such as Madonna.
Featured image: Jeff Koons – Balloon Dog Red, 2002 – Courtesy of Sotheby's
Jasper Johns - Master of Pop Art
American painter, sculptor and printmaker, Jasper Johns was Initially working in the styles of abstract expressionism and neo-dada, but eventually burst onto the scene as a true master of pop art, cementing his status next to the likes of Warhol and Lichtenstein. Johns' innovative technique and style, unusual and outstanding, and a legacy that goes well beyond his 1955 Flag make his presence in the art world nothing short of monumental. In 1980, the Whitney Museum of American Art acquired his 1958 Three Flags for $1 million, then the highest price paid for the work of a living artist. Since then, the sums have only continued to grow. His current fortune is estimated at around $290 million.
Featured image: Jasper Johns – Corpse and Mirror, 1974 – Courtesy of the artist
David Choe - Rapture of a Dirty Style
Painter, muralist, graffiti artist and graphic novelist, David Choe (40) is the youngest on the list. Having started spray-painting on the streets of LA in his early teens, he soon spread out into various different creative pursuits, amassing a fortune of $200 million in the process. Covering a wide variety of urban culture and entertainment contexts, his work explores themes of desire, degradation, rapture and exaltation in a raw, "dirty style". In 2007 Choe was famously commissioned by Mark Zuckerberg to paint a mural at Facebook's headquarters. He was paid in shares of the company which are today worth well over $150 million.
Featured image: David Choe – Original Facebook Mural – image via facebook.com
Andrew Vicari - Rembrandt of Riyadh
Welsh portrait painter mostly working in France and the Middle East, Andrew Vicari remained a figurative artist working in oil throughout his career. This "Rembrandt of Riyadh" was appointed the official painter to the King and Government of Saudi Arabia in 1974 and in the next few decades painted most of the members Saudi royal family, as well as scenes of Riyadh and Bedouin life. He became so famous in the Gulf area that three museums in the Middle East are solely dedicated to his work. As of 2004 Vicari was Britain's richest living painter and, at one point, Britain 18th richest person with a net worth of $142 million.
Featured image: Andrew Vicari – La Naissance de la Nuit (Detail), 2006 – image via flickr.com
Takashi Murakami - Between High and Low Art
Native of Tokyo, Japan, Takashi Murakami is a contemporary artist famous for constantly blurring the line between high and low art. Working in fine arts media of painting and sculpture, as well as more commercially-oriented areas of fashion, merchandise, and animation, Murakami regularly ventures into lucrative collaborations which have so far earned him over a $100 million. Starting with Louis Vuitton (on the invitation of Marc Jacobs), he went on to design the cover for Kanye West's album Graduation as well as the animated music video for West's song Good Morning. His sculpture, a collaboration with Pharrell, sold for more than $2 million at Art Basel in Switzerland.
Be sure to check out works by Takashi Murakami on our marketplace!
Featured image: Takashi Murakami – The Simple Things (collaboration with Pharrell Williams), 2008-2009 – image via kaikaikiki.co.jp
Anish Kapoor - Creator of Large-Scale Public Commissions
Having represented Britain in the XLIV Venice Biennale in 1990 and winning the Turner Prize in 2002, the British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor is one the biggest names on the art scene today, worth just over $85 million. His reflective mirror-like sculptures are instantly recognizable. The Sky Mirror outside the Nottingham Playhouse and Cloud Gate outside Millenium Park in Chicago are but two of his numerous large-scale public commissions. Much like his colleague Damien Hirst, Kapoor has branched out into real estate, but with earnings of $27 million in 2008 from art alone, his star seems constantly on the rise.
Featured image: Anish Kapoor – Sky Mirror, 2009 – Courtesy of the artist
Antony Gormley - Finding Inspiration in Human Body
Another Turner Prize winner, Antony Gormley is a British sculptor whose fortune is now estimated at $50 million. His sculptures are almost always figures, more often than not based on casts of his own body. Gormley's most famous works include Event Horizon (a project consisting of 31 life-size male bodies installed separately in Rio, Sao Paulo, NYC, and London), Another Place (100 cast iron sculptures of the artist's own body installed at Crosby Beach), and the monumental installation Angel of the North near Gateshead. The small-scale replica of the latter sold at auction for approximately $6 million in 2011.
Featured image: Antony Gormley – Event Horizon, 2012 – Courtesy of the artist
Gerhard Richter - Stellar Prices of Abstract Paintings
German visual artist Gerhard Richter is known for producing both abstract and photorealistic works, completely dismissing the idea of the artist's obligation to maintain a single cohesive style. One of the pioneers of New European Painting, he is perhaps most notable for the constant rise in prices of his paintings. Continuously knocking down records (both his own and those of other people), his Abstraktes Bild was sold for $37.1 million in 2013, and Domplatz, Mailand for $44.52 million in 2015, each setting a record price for a painting by a living artist. Richter's current wealth is said to be somewhere in the neighborhood $42 million.
Featured image: Gerhard Richter – Abstraktes Bild (Detail) – Courtesy of Sotheby's
David Hockney - Extraordinary Stage Designer
A central figure of the British art scene for almost half a century, David Hockney is remarkably wealthy (with a net worth of some $40 million), yet still less so than some of his peers. Artist, draughtsman, stage designer and photographer, he began his artistic search as an important contributor to the Pop art movement in the mid-1960's. Later on, he changed styles, methods and mediums several times over, proving to be a truly versatile artist who also collaborated with many musicians. Appointed by the queen to the Order of Merit, Hockney is also a Royal Academician and his works are held in some of the most prestigious museums and collections in the world.
Featured image: David Hockney – A Bigger Splash (Detail), 1967 – image via tate.org.uk
Cindy Sherman - Most Expensive Female Photographer
Well over a century after the art academies in the western world opened their doors to women, it is strange and somewhat disheartening to find only one female name on this list. American photographer and film director with a net worth of $35 million, Cindy Sherman is an exceptional artist who has achieved fame through both her groundbreaking conceptual portraits as well as lucrative commercial collaborations with high fashion brands, makeup companies, and magazines. The 3rd and 7th most expensive photographs ever sold in the world are Sherman's work with a print of Untitled #96 selling for almost $4 million at auction in 2011 and that of Untitled #154 for $2.7 million.
Featured image: Cindy Sherman – Untitled Film Still #17 (Detail), 1978 – image via tate.org.uk
Richard Prince - Controversial Mastermind of Appropriation
Prolific painter and photographer Richard Prince is an artist who has successfully bridged the gap between the world of street culture and fashion blogosphere and the fine arts. Through collaborations with prestigious brands such as Louis Vuitton and Supreme, as well as other creative and commercial pursuits, he has gathered a cool $30 million (as of 2015). His Cowboy, a 1989 rephotographing of a photograph (originally by Sam Abell and appropriated from a cigarette ad) sold for $1,248,000 in 2005. while his paintings from the Nurse series went for anywhere between $6 and $8 million a piece in 2008.
Featured image: Richard Prince – Millionaire Nurse, 2008 – Courtesy of Sotheby's
Andreas Gursky - Creating an Illusion of Wide Spaces
Holding the title of Professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and working in a studio created by architects Herzog & de Meuron (of Tate Modern fame), German photographer Andreas Gursky is an all round successful artist. Already a multimillionaire (his wealth has been estimated around $29 million), he achieved a string of records, including the highest price at auction for a single photographic image (for Rhein II which sold for USD $4,338,500 at Christie's in 2011). Often employing a high point of view, his large format architecture and landscape color photographs create an illusion of spaces larger than the subjects photographed.
Featured image: Andreas Gursky – Chicago Board of Trade II, 1999 – image via flickr.com
Chuck Close - Wheelchair Bound Creative Genius
With the wealth of well over $25 million, the legendary painter Chuck Close easily makes it to this list. Initially achieving fame with his exceptionally large portraits based on photographs, he expanded his efforts to an endless number of artistic mediums, including prints, tapestries etc. Wheelchair bound since 1988 due to a spinal artery collapse, his creative urge never subsided and he continued to produce pieces of superb quality, always keeping in demand for his work which doesn't show any signs of slowing. In 2011, he gained additional media exposure when, with a group of other artists, he sued Christie's and Sotheby's auction houses for allegedly violating the 1977 California Resale Royalty Act.
Featured image: Chuck Close – Lucas (dyptich), 1986–87 – image via umich.edu
Georg Baselitz - Playing with Vibrant Colors
German neo-expressionist, post-modern painter, temporarily a part of what is often referred to as the Neue Wilden movement, Georg Baselitz has been painting for over 50 years, and creating sculpture for just over 30, climbing up to an estimated net worth of $20 million in the process. Seemingly playing with spellbindingly vibrant colors and endlessly varying the style, his choice of powerful subject-matter goes hand in hand with his life-long focus on the artistic potential of deformation. Since 1969 Baselitz has mostly painted his subjects upside down, confronting the human and cultural tragedies of our time in his own, unique way.
Featured image: Georg Baselitz – Wir Daheim (Detail) – image via pinterest.com


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IBM Research has presented the 2009 John Backus Award to Michael Ernst, an Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington.
Ernst is being honored for his contributions to programmer productivity. "My primary research area is programmer productivity, which spans the spectrum from software engineering, to program analysis (both static and dynamic), to programming language design," explains Ernst. "My broader computer science research interests range over a wide variety of fascinating topics, with no end to the fun in sight."
Created by IBM to honor mid-career university faculty members -- one from a developed and another from an emerging country -- 2009 is the award's inaugural year. In May, Radu Marinescu, an Associate Professor of Automation and Computer Science at the University of Timisoara, Romania, was recognized as the recipient among faculty in the emerging world. Recipients were decided upon by both an internal and external committees.
"We chose this year's winners of the Backus award from an outstanding field," said Mark Wegman, IBM Fellow and head of computer science at IBM Research who also helped create the award. "I expect that more than one of the applicants will have an excellent chance at winning the Turing Award or other top honors as their careers unfold."
Both award recipients follow in the footsteps of John W. Backus, the creator of the Fortran programming language, as they work to enable programmers to gain productivity through their research accomplishments.


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|Mobile Site
|eMail Author
|Caption Comp
|Monthly Poll
|Sudden Death
|Colour Key
|Cookie Usage
|Series :
|Deep Space Nine
|Rating :
|Disc No :
|Episode :
|First Aired :
|19 May 1997
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|Director :
|Mike Vejar
|Year :
|Writers :
|Bryan Fuller
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|How come all the exterior views of Empok Nor showed it tilted at an angle? There's no reason any ship in space would have the same orientation as any other, after all. So really, perhaps the better question is why isn't every other ship and station shown tilted at an angle!
|Factoid :
|Andrew Robinson first gained widespread prominence when he played the psychotic Scorpio killer in the Clint Eastwood movie, Dirty Harry. Robinson, who is by all accounts a very pleasant and gentle person, fought for years afterwards to avoid having to play similar killers over and over again. So he was quite disappointed to find Garak turned into an insane killer for this episode.
The original concept for this episode had Worf and Garak in a Runabout, discovering a derelict spacecraft in deep space. They would beam aboard and find it to be an Obsidian Order ship with bodies all over the interior.
At one point, Amaro laments Stolzoff's death and notes that he would like to kill the "spoonhead" responsible. The line was intended as background dialogue, which is usually unchecked by producers since it is generally inaudible. This line, however, could clearly be heard, and the use of a racial slur by a Starfleet officer was considered to be highly controversial. Ultimately the line was left, as the producers felt it highlighted the intensity of the situation.
|Copyright Graham Kennedy
|Page views : 20,894
|Last updated : 16 Feb 2017


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The ZEISS Master Control Center organizes measuring machines, measuring software, reports and documents of different formats on the corporate intranet. This is a management system and knowledge portal specially optimized for coordinate metrology. It ensures that centrally organized metrology information is available where it is needed. Its technical basis is a secure server on the corporate intranet with web-based user and access management.
Due to its intuitive operation and easy management, users of the ZEISS Master Control Center do not require any training or special courses. The content is clearly structured and easy to understand. It can be customized at any time and supplemented with new forums, albums and files. The index-based full text search enables users to access the data they need quickly and easily. The search function scans all types of documents: PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Text and others.
Because the ZEISS Master Control Center has a modular structure, investment costs can be easily calculated. Implementation can be performed step by step to meet your specific requirements.


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Former Chicago Bulls and NBA star Michael Jordan said Monday he "can no longer stay silent" about the shooting deaths of black Americans at the hands of police officers, as well as the recent "cowardly and hateful" targeting of law enforcement.
In an op-ed for sports and culture website The Undefeated, Jordan announced two major contributions to organizations he believes can make a positive change.
"I was raised by parents who taught me to love and respect people regardless of their race or background, so I am saddened and frustrated by the divisive rhetoric and racial tensions that seem to be getting worse as of late," Jordan wrote. "I know this country is better than that, and I can no longer stay silent. We need to find solutions that ensure people of color receive fair and equal treatment AND that police officers – who put their lives on the line every day to protect us all – are respected and supported."
U.S. & World
He used the ESPN-owned website to reveal his donation of $1 million each to the NAAPC's Legal Defense Fund and the International Association of Chiefs of Police's Institute for Community-Police Relations.
"Although I know these contributions alone are not enough to solve the problem, I hope the resources will help both organizations make a positive difference," Jordan wrote.
The op-ed penned by the celebrity athlete and business mogul was paired with an article likening his actions to those of Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, all vocal advocates for the black community.
Jordan's comments and financial contributions come on the heels of several spates of violence throughout the country involving black men shot by police, and the targeted killing of law enforcement officers.
In a blog post on ESPN's website, public editor Jim Brady described The Undefeated as a "long-awaited sports and culture site for African-Americans -- helmed by former Washington Post managing editor Kevin Merida."


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" The most authentic tasting Thai food Worcester has seen " .... Worcester Magazine
" Give Yourself Some Time "
Thai Time Worcester ~ 107 Highland St. ~ Worcester, MA ~ 01609 (508) 756-7267
Check Out Our Lunch Box Combo
Create your own choice of Appetizer, entree and house
salad. Now serving from 11:30am to 3pm
Welcome to Thai Time! We are excited to be a part of Worcester's new dining destination. If you have visited us in the past, we thank you for your business. If not, we invite you to try us and experience true taste of Thai.
We, at Thai Time Worcester, are a family owned and
operated business, who take pride in our cuisine and strive to bring you the best quality of food and service. Come in for a light meal, try our Thai iced
Tea or coffee, or bring in the family and friends. We look forward to your
We are a full service restaurant serving authentic flavored Thai food inspired by a combination of
old school recipes and street vendor styling. Located on Highland Street, we serve lunch and dinner and are a BYOB restaurant.
We offer a range of Thai cuisine including appetizers and soups (including Tom Yum),
noodle and rice dishes (Pad Thai and Drunken Noodles, curry dishes and a variety of chicken, pork, beef and seafood combination meals that are sure to
satisfy your hunger. In addition, we have a large selection of vegetarian dishes
to choose from. We have a series of dining areas, some painted in vibrant colors and brightly lit, while others offer a more intimate and private dining experience. We also offer take out and delivery service.
Lunch prices start from $7.95 and dinner at $9.95. Appetizers are priced from about $5 to $11 for shared sampler.
Street parking can be found on Highland and surrounding streets.


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Free pitbull puppies. 8 weeks old blue nose available for adoption.
San Diego Reader Classified ads, February 19, 2020 .
3 p.m., Feb. 19
Eduardo Ochoa teaches social justice at Lincoln High School in Chollas View. Ochoa is also a coordinator for the Advancement Via Individual Determination program, or AVID, as everyone calls it, a high school elective designed to help midlevel students prepare for college and meet college eligibility requirements.
During this school year, six of Ochoa's students dropped the program in favor of the military science program, the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or JROTC. According to Ochoa, military science instructors told the students that their class was easier and would also help students get into college.
Across town, at Mission Bay High School in Pacific Beach, 11th-grader Anay Barajas was placed into the newly offered Marines JROTC class at the beginning of the school year. She says she had no idea what the class was about, but when she saw it involved drills and marching, she wanted out and into the AVID and Spanish classes that she had picked as her electives. "I went to my counselor," Barajas says, "and she told me, 'Yeah, we'll call you in,' but they never did. So after two weeks I had to get my dad to call, and they finally changed me."
It wasn't the end of Barajas's experience with the military program, as was first reported in online publication Voice of San Diego. "So the second term, we got all-new classes and everything, and they put me in the class again! I was, like, 'Wow, I already got out of the class once. Why would they put me in it again?' "
Ochoa and Barajas weren't the only ones in San Diego's public high schools who found the military science program disturbing this year. Other students and teachers have objected to the course and its policies. The complaints have led community activist groups like Encinitas-based Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities, known as Project YANO, to form the Education Not Arms Coalition. According to Rick Jahnkow, a founder of both the coalition and Project YANO, support has grown, and over 150 people showed up at a San Diego Unified School District board meeting in early May to show their opposition to the military science course.
JROTC has been a staple in San Diego Unified's high schools for almost 90 years. San Diego High, the city's first high school, adopted the program in 1919. Of the district's 16 high schools, only 3 — La Jolla, Clairemont, and University City — do not offer the program as part of their curriculum.
The class claims to teach students leadership skills, self-reliance, and self-discipline, as well as how to set life goals. Master Chief Rik Alberto is a military science instructor at Mar Vista High, an Imperial Beach school in the Sweetwater Union High School District. "The great thing about this program, sir, is that it teaches a kid to act like an adult after high school," Alberto says. "We teach basic leadership concepts, public speaking. We build self-confidence. We teach job-interview techniques, good manners, and self-conduct, pretty much which knife and fork to use. We basically prepare them for the adult world, sir."
The Education Not Arms Coalition has rallied behind three points in its opposition to the military science program.
The coalition's first concern is marksmanship training on public school grounds. Each JROTC program represents a branch of the armed forces. In San Diego Unified schools, 7 of the 13 programs are Army, 3 are Navy, 2 are Air Force, and 1 is Marines. Every program has a rifle range except for the two Air Force programs, at Scripps Ranch High and Mira Mesa High (at Crawford the range is not in use). The rifle ranges typically are in an old classroom where students, supervised by instructors, practice shooting .17-caliber air rifles at targets. Jack Brandais of the district's Media Relations Department explains, "This is a controlled, very specific type of program. At one time it was a CIF [California Interscholastic Federation] sport. It's still an NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] sport and an Olympic sport, so it's taught under very tight control, in tight conditions, in a specific area of the campuses."
Lincoln High School's Ochoa says his students questioned the mixed message the school was sending. "We teach our kids to think critically," Ochoa says, "so as soon as my kids became conscious about a gun range on campus and other students being trained to shoot weapons, they started asking questions about the zero-tolerance policy. Since day one at this school, they've been told about there being no exception to having any weapons on campus, so they started making petitions and getting signatures from other students and staff members."
Cristabel A., who graduated from San Diego High last year, was a member of the school's Army JROTC marksmanship team. In 2007, the team won the California Junior Olympics. She recalls the experience of being on a shooting team. "For one thing, it is the one sport that needs the most teamwork," she says. "It takes a team to win. It helps with concentration, good health, and dedication. It teaches a group of people how to be a team. Through that, the team becomes family, like my team did."
The second concern of the Education Not Arms Coalition is that students are being placed in JROTC who have not chosen it as an elective. Once they are enrolled, it is difficult for them to transfer out. The allegations come despite a districtwide policy requiring that parents provide written consent to their child's enrollment in the class. The instructors pass out the consent forms at the beginning of the term. However, the program's own manager, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Janus, has reported missing forms at some schools.
Barajas, the Mission Bay High student, is aware of several classmates who had a difficult time transferring out of the class. "During the few weeks that I was in the class, some kids signed up because they thought it was going to be an easy class," she says, "and there were others who were just placed in it without them knowing what it was. Another boy said that he was in there even though he didn't want to be, so he told the instructor, and the instructor just told him that he was going to have to figure it out."
However, according to Brandais, the district's media representative, the school district has not received any formal complaints concerning students in the program who do not want to be there. "We require all of our students to return a consent form for the class," he says. "Our assistant superintendent has never received an appeal call from a parent about their child in Junior ROTC. Now, if the parent wants their child to be in the program, but the student doesn't want to be there, then that's a matter the student must resolve with the parent."
Jorge Mariscal, professor of literature at UCSD and a Vietnam War veteran, feels that it is a common occurrence for students who have not chosen the elective to be placed in the class. "The most troubling development in some Los Angeles and San Diego schools is the placement of students in JROTC programs without student or parent consent," he says. "This is an infringement on students' rights, and any school official that condones this practice should be reprimanded."
The coalition's final objection to the military science program stems from allegations that JROTC instructors are recruiting cadets by stating that the course meets college eligibility requirements. Jahnkow, of Project YANO, says, "Even those who choose to go into the program are often doing it based on misinformation given to them to hype the program and make them believe that it provides benefits it really doesn't. Specifically, students have been told this will help them qualify for college, when, in fact, the credits that students get for this elective aren't even counted by colleges, and the grades aren't even counted for eligibility for financial aid."
Brandais disagrees. "It does help them on the college applications, for a couple of reasons," he says. "One is the shooting program is an NCAA sport, so there are scholarships available for that, and if they decide to go into the military science field and enter the college ROTC program, it helps to get in. The final one is that it qualifies as a leadership skill, and that is one of the things they judge you on on college applications."
Captain Gladimiro Vasquez, professor of military science and a recruiting officer for San Diego State's ROTC program, acknowledges that the high school program does not meet any college eligibility requirements. "It is considered a leadership quality, though," he says, "and that's equivalent…kind of like ASB president or something like that. They ask for extracurricular activities, and JROTC would be something you put down for that."
In recent months, there have been accusations of intimidation by school administrators. Mission Bay High students said that in April during a school walkout protesting the program, school faculty followed them with a video recorder. Students also reported that a school administrator confiscated an anti-JROTC button a student was wearing and never returned it.
More serious allegations surfaced from Mission Bay High students claiming that during an open house on February 20, principal Cheryl Seelos prevented them from passing out leaflets. The action prompted the American Civil Liberties Union to send a formal letter of complaint nine days later to the principal and to the district's general counsel requesting no further infringement on the students' right to free speech.
In late April, matters got even worse for Seelos, according to a May 2 Voice of San Diego story, when she released a student protester's confidential medical records to the publication in an attempt to defend the school's program. Assistant superintendent Nellie Meyer told the Voice that the action led to an unspecified disciplinary action by the school board. According to Brandais, the situation has also resulted in a districtwide ban on JROTC instructors and school administrators from commenting on the program.
Brandais says the gag order will remain until completion of the school district's independent investigation on the policies of the military science program as well as the actions taken by school administrators in response to the mounting opposition. "We're hoping to have the review completed by the end of the school year," he says. "If it goes beyond the end of the school year, we have telephone numbers to contact parents and students. If parents want to contact the staff, they can call the office of Nellie Meyer, assistant superintendent for high schools."
JROTC is good.
Thank you, Fred Williams, for your great comments. You should contact Project YANO and volunteer to speak in high school classrooms. Students need to hear your perspective.
Paula, teacher Education Not Arms Coalition
Minorities should embrace JROTC. Afterall, it's this country's great Military that allows the freedom that so many flock here to find.
Maybe they should start protesting wrestling next-- since it trains students in the art of grappling and submission.
Hi Girl in Oceanside,
I served in the military, completing two cruises with squadrons at Miramar. I was Sailor of the Month for my squadron and recommended for the academy by my commanding officer.
Since that time I've lived and worked not only here, but in Europe and Asia, interacting with people from around the world and learning a few languages along the way.
So I can completely disagree with you with total confidence.
Our military is NOT what makes us great. Quite the contrary. The military is a necessary evil in an unjust world. Our founding fathers didn't even want a standing military, prefering to only call up soldiers as the need arose.
The world admires us (or used to admire us) for our freedom, our creativity, our ability to advance from poverty to wealth.
The world admires our music, our films, our open spaces and natural places. Only a few isolated nuts are gung ho about our advanced weaponry.
The military doesn't allow freedom. In fact, when you sign that contract you sign away a number of constitutional rights for the duration. And if the military chooses, they can unilaterally extend that contract as long as they like. It's like indentured servitude, the close-cousin to slavery.
Recruiters lie. I know it. Everyone who's ever been in the military knows it. They take the gullible young and tell them whatever they want to hear. The truth is you sign your life away when you sign that contract.
The fact that minorities are over-represented in the military is because for many it's the only choice they have left. There is often no other path to getting out of the ghetto. So they believe the promises, only to find themselves chipping paint in the sun, all the offers of job training long forgotten.
I was one of the fortunate few who got real world training that served me well in later life. The overwhelming majority of my shipmates were taught skills relevant solely to the military. There isn't a lot of demand for bomb loaders in the civilian world, my friend.
The truth is that the schools have so abdicated their responsibilities to teach basic academic skills like research and writing that we are falling far behind as a nation. The proliferation of JROTC and the shanghaiing of students into the programs against their will is a bad sign.
I do support JROTC, but only as a conscious choice. Not as a place to warehouse students until they are graduated and left with few alternatives but enlistment.
Thank you, Paula, for your kind words.
I do support JROTC, but only as a choice, not a default.
For me, enlisting turned out okay. It got me out of a trailer trash environment, and because I was careful to get my rating and training as part of the enlistment agreement (NEVER go in unrated!) I learned some valuable skills.
I found out when I attended college that the paltry sum I got each month (the stingy VEAP program, replaced by the much better GI Bill that I wasn't eligible for) was automatically deducted from any student aid. So I gave four years of my life for educational benefits I would have gotten without my enlistment. I hope this is no longer the case. I just recently finished paying off student loans. So the Navy did NOT pay for my education afterall. And taking classes at Miramar College while enlisted was NOT encouraged, but made very difficult by the squadron and frequent work up deployments.
Just because I was considered to be very responsible, I was put in charge of the ready room during the night check. This meant that when we finally got into port I was too tired during the day to enjoy it much. Yes, I traveled the world, but ended up falling asleep while sightseeing, and then laying awake all night.
I lost about 20 percent of my hearing in the Navy, sleeping under the Kitty Hawk's arresting gear, and then right between the Carl Vinson's forward catapults.
I found out that some fighter pilots are dumb as rocks. I think about half of my squadron's pilots were PE majors...football players who weren't good enough for the pros. It's more important to have a lot of muscle mass and withstand a lot of G's than to be smart. In fact, I was told that too much brains is a disadvantage in the cockpit, since second guessing is worse than quick reactions and instantaneous obedience to oral commands. (Former fighter pilots, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.)
So I'd probably have been just as well off working at McDonalds and going to community college as enlisting in the Navy.
But there were other reasons to enlist. I sincerely love this country and felt obligated to serve. The cold war was still on, and fighting against tyrany and oppression, on the side of freedom, was and is important to me.
Unfortunately, this country seems to have lost its mind in recent years. Now WE are torturing prisoners, and our leaders are taking away our freedoms. We've become a surveilance society. Instead of being admired, we are loathed around the world.
This is a tragedy that will haunt us for decades to come.
So joining the military now is probably not a good move. Instead, I urge young people to join a political campaign, help elect new leadership in this country, and fight for peace rather than Halliburton, KBR, and Blackwater.
How did this turn into a debate about the philosphy of war and whether or not it's "right"? JROTC is not war, it is an elective and students CAN decide to take it or not. Also, who cares if they are trained to shoot an AIR gun?!? Wrestlers learn how to submit people on school grounds, too.
Besides all of that, this is a porrly written article with little to no substance. It's propoganda.
Fred - never have I read such truer words. I also went the same path you did and just recently finished paying of over 100k of student loads and financial aid. I got the GI bill but the limitations of that particular "perk" make it all but unusable. What it boils down to is that it may pay for half of your books. There is still tuition, room and board, and the rest of the supplies you need (including the other half of the books).
I was an AT in the Navy. I worked IM on the ship but that doesn't mean I didn't have my share of encounters with pilots. The technicians favorite running joke while I was on the ship was that pilots misunderstood the meaning of the On/Off switch. We would joke that the pilots thought that Off was yet another Navy acronymn that meant On Full Force.
That's the level of intelligence that non-commmisioned personel, who probably had little to no college, attributed to the pilots who were all officers and as such, had at least 4 years of college. This, of course, doesn't count Warrant Officers who are usually mustangs anyway. Those guys are usually the most respected.
The officers who commanded the most respect from the enlisted were usually mustangs. In my squadron, there was one pilot who had previously been enlisted in the marines. He was great.
Unfortunately, mustangs also tended to be blocked from advancing beyond commander.
Oceanside Girl:
This article is not the first to tell how students are put into JROTC against their wishes. There was something similar in VOSD a few weeks back. So I don't think it is "propoganda".
I also fail to see any reference to the current war or philosophy in either the article or any of the comments. Could you please point them out?
If you served in the military, or attended JROTC, perhaps you could share your perspective. But I think we've pretty much dismissed your assertion that the military makes us great.
As to your comparison with wrestling, that's known as a straw-man argument, a logical fallacy that's best ignored.
I'll repeat, in case you missed it. I support JROTC and don't want it abolished. As an avid archer, I think shooting is a good thing to know how to do.
I simply oppose sending students into JROTC when they don't want to be there. I'm sure you'll agree that this was the main point of the article, and something that is counterproductive.
Getting the cannon fodder ready.
Never ascribe to malice what can be adequately explained by clerical error and bureaucratic intransigence.
Fred: Yes, unfortunately the military is probably the largest Good Ole' Boy network in the world and mustangs are usually not given the same opportunities as officers commisioned through the academy.
That being said, to A Girl: I really can't believe you made that statement, that minorities should look into JROTC because that's their only chance. That is probably the most ignorant thing I've read all day. Are you trying to say that your skin color or ethnic background dictates what you can learn and do? You do realize there is this institution called a University right? And at that University you can learn to be anything or do anything you want, therefore making you, in my eyes, the best you can be.
The military regulates you to a particular role, or billet, that they have a need for. They sometimes try to match your skillset but that's not always the case. If they have to fill a billet recruiters have been known to stretch the truth somewhat. So, that being said, in the military your worth is dictated by the needs of the miltary. I wouldn't call that personal growth.
Bootcamps are hard for a reason, or at least they used to be. The general idea is to stress you to the point of breaking and see how you handle it. We had more than one person flip out in the first week crying for their mommy - literally. If the military decides to just push through people in an assembly line fashion what is going to happen when the crap hits the fan, as it were? Bedlam, thats what.
Don't get me wrong, the military taught me valuable lessons. Some good, some bad, but they all worked to formulate a specific discipline and state of mind. Some people have that naturally though and are self-motivated. They don't need the military to teach them self-discipline and motivation. Therefore, I submit, the miltary is NOT for everyone.
Me and my friends are part of the JROTC program at MMHS. After reading this article on the Reader we quickly rushed to the computer to create an account so we could post a comment. We were all really upset that this article was giving the entire JROTC program a bad face just because there have been some problems in some schools. JROTC is a great class that teaches kids leadership and trust. We learn how to work in groups. There is no 'I' in JROTC. We all either swim together or we sink together.
I'm not going to lie. The only reason I joined JROTC was because I didnt want to do PE. After a while, though, you begin to like the program. JROTC pretty much forces you to interact and eventually become friends with people you normally wouldnt even talk to. You learn to work for what you want because nothing is just handed to you in JROTC.
This might sound corny, but after a while JROTC stops being a class, and the poople in it just classmates. They become your family. That is why we were all really upset by that article. Not all JROTC programs are like the ones described on this article. We just hope people realize that. ^_^
Hi Tomo,
I think all of us approve of earnest young people who desire to learn more about military careers by participating in JROTC.
Just as joining a sports team gives you a sense of place and purpose, so it is with JROTC...or the chess club, or swing-dance nights.
Extra-curricular activities can be good for your development into a productive and proud member of the community.
I think you'll agree that no one should be forced into JROTC, just as no one should be forced onto the chess team. When the JROTC instructors exagerate their subject's importance in gaining college admission, they need to be called-out on their deceptions. The military may be a good choice for some, but only those who go in with their eyes wide-open are likely to succeed.
Hopefully they are giving you the "straight skinny" on how the military works, and not just filling your head with "No 'I' in JROTC" sloganeering. You should be in JROTC out of real desire, not brainwashing about "be all you can be" "keep the faith" or "give a hundred ten percent" nonsense. You deserve better than that.
Best of luck to you and your colleagues. I hope it turns out well for you. But be careful of blind loyalty. It's what turns a democracy into a dictatorship. The truest American value is questioning authority, not mindlessly obeying it.
Dear Mr. Williams, Thank you for your wise outlook... we all know in our hearts that the military and the police are not really the aggessors that they are sometimes made out to be and have saved many a person in the course of doing their jobs... the problem of jrotc lives more with the greed and ambitions of the local (or national) administrators, that you have so wisely conseled against: blind obedience my father was rotc, and my grandfathers were in the military (navy) and i am proud, BUT I don't want my sons ages 20 and 24 to go to any of the current wars that have been enacted lately thought misunderatnding, greed and ambition of the local or national administrators: power corrupts... mp


text:
Mark Rockwell
Government Security News
March 4, 2013
As the massive federal budget cuts move ahead, Customs and Border Protection moved to curtail travel for its employees and issued a framework to minimize the impact on trade.
President Obama signed an order on March 1 that implemented billions of dollars in government budget cuts.
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By the way, people who know what's coming are taking advantage of our healthy & delicious storable food!


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SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. -- Behind a final-round 72, Lipscomb head golf coach Buddy Hartson claimed his fourth Tennessee State Senior PGA championship in five years.
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Harston will make the trek to Virginia for the tournament slated for Oct. 6-10.


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Independent Unionist MLA Claire Sugden has been announced as the new Justice Minister.
East Londonderry MLA Claire Sugden has been unveiled as the agreed Democratic Unionist and Sinn Fein candidate.
The move ends any uncertainty over whether a new coalition would be formed in Belfast.
The other ministries will be shared out between the DUP and Sinn Fein during an Assembly sitting later on Wednesday.
With the Ulster Unionists and SDLP having opted to form an official opposition and the Alliance Party also deciding not to re-enter the power-sharing executive in the wake of the Assembly election, the DUP and Sinn Fein had faced somewhat of a quandary as to who would be justice minister.
Both parties previously vetoed the other taking the job, instead relying on the cross-community Alliance Party to fill the post.
Without a justice minister an executive would not have been formed and another election would have been likely.
Ms Sugden's elevation from the opposition benches has avoided that scenario.
DUP First Minister Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness flanked the 29-year-old in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings in Belfast as her appointment was confirmed.
Ms Sugden, the daughter of a former prison officer, said the job represented a "huge challenge" but she was "up for it".
"This is probably the most difficult decision I have had in my life," she said.
"It did cause me a lot of anxiety over this last week but it is an opportunity for me, for my constituency and most importantly it's an opportunity for Northern Ireland.
"And I am looking forward to it."
Mrs Foster said the independent MLA would be a minister for "all the people" of Northern Ireland.
"Martin and I are delighted that Claire has agreed to be the new justice minister in the new mandate and we are very much looking forward to working with her," she said.
Mr McGuinness hailed Ms Sugden as "impressive and progressive".
"I am equally as delighted as Arlene that Claire has agreed to take up this onerous responsibility, this very challenging position but we have every confidence in her ability," he said.
Unlike most posts in the executive, the justice post can only be filled with the endorsement of a cross-community vote - meaning that a majority of nationalist MLAs and a majority of unionists must support the candidate.
When the Assembly sitting started, Mr McGuinness formally nominated Ms Sugden for the job.
A scheduled debate on her nomination followed, though her appointment was a foregone conclusion given the backing of the DUP and Sinn Fein.
After Ms Sugden's appointment was confirmed, Assembly business turned to the less contentious process of filling the other ministries.
The posts were allocated using the D'Hondt formula.
The DUP had first pick and selected Simon Hamilton as Economy Minister.
Sinn Fein then selected Mairtin O'Muilleoir as Finance Minister.
The DUP nominated Peter Weir as Education Minister and Sinn Fein announced Chris Hazzard as the Minister for Infrastructure.
The DUP took the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs with Michelle McIlveen as minister.
The party also took the Communities Department, with Paul Givan.
In the last ministry selected, Sinn Fein took health, appointing Michelle O'Neill.
The DUP's Alastair Ross and Sinn Fein's Megan Fearon were appointed as the administration's two junior ministers.


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I think the flight BJ/Tyler can't get on is in Bangkok's airport.
Boingo !!
We have so much to work with Boingo ...we need to find the winners
Honest at this point I don't care who wins , as long as Moanica did not ! I love all these teams ...best final 3 evah
Yep, it's Bangkok's Don Muang Airport! (For those searching, remember that Bangkok now has a new airport, which was not open when the teams raced there.) The counter advertises the (relatively new, since 1 May 2005) Bangkok-New York non-stop flight.
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BStolzberg necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web codificada y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
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