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Hosting services
NCF provides website hosting services for individual NCF members and also for organizations too. Hosting services are available at no charge to all active NCF members.
Hosting services available to individual NCF members
Each member has available:
- web space for static (non-dynamic) web pages (see Publishing Web Pages)
- FTP access and Web File Manager (see Publishing Web Pages)
- web traffic stats (produced by the AWStats package)
- nightly back-up
- email (one account per member), including webmail, POP and IMAP access
No dynamic page generation is available (eg., no PHP, JSP, MySQL, etc) for member accounts, but these are available for 'organizational' accounts (which can be held by an individual).
Apache .htaccess files
NCF's web server is an Apache HTTP server and .htaccess files are recognized with the following modules enabled:
- mod_auth (for Basic password protection, ie., password in the clear)
- mod_alias (for redirecting)
- mod_rewrite (for remapping)
The absolute path to your web space is:
Hosting services available to organization accounts
NCF organizational accounts have available:
- all services available to members (web pages, etc)
- sub-domain hosting (eg., myOrgName.ncf.ca)
- full-domain hosting (eg., myOrgName.ca) (Note that NCF does not offer domain name registration, so it has to be done elsewhere)
- PHP5, MySQL5
- no scripting support, no shell access
Organizational email accounts are limited at the moment by old mail server technology. Not much is available beyond simple forwarding.
Package installation (such as WordPress) may be possible for organizational accounts by special arrangement.
NCF hopes to expand its hosting services as resources permit.
The absolute path to your web space is:
Setting Up Custom Domains with NCF
NCF supports custom domains like yourwebsite.ca but does not register such domains. Use the following steps to get a custom domain working with NCF.
Note: This process assumes you already have a working website on an ncf subdomain like yourwebsite.ncf.ca
- Before you can begin hosting a domain with NCF you must first register the domain with a registrar. NCF recommends www.10dollar.ca, however any registrar will do.
- You should select the I do not require hosting at this time option and click on Continue Without Hosting.
- you must register your domain for use with the NCF nameservers:
- DNS1 Hostname: dns1.ncf.ca
- DNS2 Hostname: dns2.ncf.ca
- Email email@example.com upon completion of the registration and DNS redirect and our system administrators will complete the process for you.


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There is something really ugly about a society that marginalizes its elderly, infirm and physically-challenged.
Ask any elderly Vancouver resident or even those younger or middle aged physically-challenged with mobility problems and you may be shocked at how unwelcome they now feel in Vision's Vancouver.
And it could soon get even worse.
They are the innocent victims of Vision sustained attacks against on the car … and although until now their lives have been more difficult on streets where parking has been removed in favour of bike lanes ,,, they could suffer yet another blow under new proposals to cater once again to cyclists at the cost of others … this time in Stanley Park.
The proposals (and we know what that means under Vision!) call for the present parking to be removed from Pipeline Road so cyclists can have unfettered travel along the road that cuts right through the park. (A couple of indented handicapped spots would just not cut it … nor would cutting cutting down trees to do it!)
Elderly and other physically challenged park visitors would LOSE almost all of the current convenient access to one of the favorite sites …. Beaver Lake, where brand new benches had recently been installed close to the present Pipeline road regular and handicapped parking.
Who cares! The cyclists must rule!
Of course, there would still be parking in the lots at the Stanley Park Pavilion or Children's Railway … several hundred meters away. But let's get real, for seniors or physically impaired motorists of any age … who can drive but only walk very short distances … that parking might as well be in Chilliwack!
Many of these people are veterans or were hard-working citizens of the city who just aren't capable of walking from distant parking lots any more. Think of how many physically-challenged or injured younger or middle-aged people there are who have difficulty walking, let alone cycle.
Why should they lose access to Beaver Lake? To other parts of Stanley Park? Apparently because they just get in the cyclists way!
This is what has been happening to Vancouver under Vision: we are seeing a new phony idealized portrait of a New Vancouver Society taking shape: healthy, fit athletic specimens wheeling about in the open air through the city … like those ideal images we used to see in Soviet or Aryan era posters.
Of course, those of us who live in Vancouver's real world know those images do not represent the majority, who are increasingly being marginalized to cater to the minority.
Parking will probably soon be gone on Point Grey Road and other streets as well as the assault by Vision continues on the car and those who use them… including those who NEED very close access to stores, businesses and restaurants so they can enjoy them too.
Seems to me if anyone is to go "the extra mile" so all Vancouverites can enjoy what this city has to offer it should be the fit cyclists, not the mobility-restricted among us.
And the latest proposal, to deny the elderly or other challenged residents or visitors ANY access to Beaver Lake on Pipeline Road, by removing ALL the parking nearby, goes too far.
Kudos to The Province for denouncing this latest cyclist-centric obsession by Vision …but most of the media have unfortunately reported the plan and then ignored its consequences … probably because they believe Vision's campaign against the car and those who ride in them is nothing new.
After all, soon after Vision first took control of Vancouver City Hall and the parks board that they began a multi-million-dollar reworking of the downtown core and residential streets throughout the city to cater to cyclists.
Cyclists became the untouchable Heroes of Vision … unencumbered by silly things like traffic rules or the need to respect others (vehicles or pedestrians).
And mobs of several hundred can even shut down entire traffic flows … disrupt thousands, ignore traffic lights, give their fingers to anyone who dares protest … all the while aided and abetted by police who accompany them.
When motorists or businesses or residents dared to object … they pretty well got nowhere: suck it up, you establishment remnants of the Old Four-Wheeled Society seemed to be the response … Vision's Healthy New Two-Wheeled Society would rule!
Businesses were forced to adjust, move or close; motorists had to do the same … and City Hall didn't seem to care much … removing parking spots on some streets to accommodate the heroes of its New Society.
But they also seemed to totally forget or only pay lip service to the elderly and the physically-challenged … people who simply CAN'T park and walk an extra block and a half to stores, offices, clinic or other places where they used to be able to park right outside.
There are tens of thousands of city residents … not ready yet for Handi-Dart .. who have suffered … literally …. under Vision's inadequate response to THEIR needs. And as the boomers age, there will be a hundred thousand or more … forced to pay for the New Society, but clearly not accommodated so they could participate much in it.
Now they are poised to even lose access to an important part of Stanley Park.
It's all part of the "proposed" plan.
Who cares about the old, those mobility challenged in a New Vision Society that worships the New Breed of Human!
Apparently not the current City Hall … or the Park Board
Harv Oberfeld

subset: commoncrawl


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Zaheer Khan can bowl better
A glimpse of how left-armer Zaheer bowled on Day Two against Cricket Australia Chairman's XI on his return to the Indian squad
A glimpse of how left-armer Zaheer bowled on Day Two against Cricket Australia Chairman's XI on his return to the Indian squad
The day begins with one of the locals going, "For you guys, this day is all about how Zaheer Khan shapes up. There's nothing else to it." It is half past 12 in the afternoon, India have just been bowled out for 269, leaving their bowlers a maximum of 10 minutes at CA Chairman's XI openers before the lunch interval. To the surprise of all, Zaheer doesn't take the field; Abhimanyu Mithun and Umesh Yadav share the new ball.
Long road ahead: Zaheer Khan. Pic/AFP
It's post-lunch and Zaheer begins proceedings from the Cathedral End against Ed Cowan, his dream match-up with David Warner ruined after Mithun removed the New South Wales dasher before the interval. Zaheer runs in gingerly, begins with a no-ball, with only one of the six balls on target. His next over is a lot better, regaining a bit of the lost jump at time of delivery.
From an over-the-wicket line, he gets the ball to shape away from left-handed Cowan. Encouraging signs. By this time, a handful of Indian journalists at the ground abandon the square-on press-box view for a more pleasurable long-on experience. Over his next few overs, every time Zaheer dropped it short, he was dispatched for a boundary. In the penultimate over his first spell, he almost scalped Usman Khawaja with one that nipped back in sharply. But that was it. Zaheer was off the field immediately.
Post tea-beak, he returned to the field, onto bowl again. Now, for the ball of the day -- from over-the-wicket, he brings the ball back to right-handed Tom Cooper, nearly clips the top of middle stump. MS Dhoni and the slip cordon react, they know that ball will fetch them many wickets this summer. He bowled another three overs, but nothing to write home about. Overall, Zaheer would have hit the sack satisfied, knowing he bowled to some Test-quality batsmen. Though his figures of 10-0-41-0 doesn't tell the true story.
'Lacking pace'
CA Chairman's XI centurion Ed Cowan felt that Zaheer wasn't at his best. "Obviously, he's coming back from injury, and is probably lacking that extra yard of pace. But, it's not a fast wicket so he's most likely bowling within himself," he told reporters after stumps were drawn.
Zaheer, accompanied by physiotherapist Evan Speechly, was spotted leaving the Manuka Oval immediately after the day's play. Perhaps, he wanted to get some treatment?
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text: Contact We would love to hear from you! Please fill out this form and we will get in touch with you shortly. Name Email* Comments4 + 7 =*CAPTCHAEmailThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms. Apyxx Technologies, Inc. – New Orleans 3833 Airline Dr., Metairie, LA 70001 Phone: 504-309-1025 Fax: 504-309-1026 Toll-Free: 877-733-9700


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Community leaders, law enforcement, health educators and cannabis industry business leaders convened at Squaw Valley in Tahoe last May 12 to collaborate in a regulatory response to the legalization of marijuana (cannabis) via Prop 64 in order to protect the health of youth.
The event was chaired by River Coyote (photo above), the director of the Tahoe Truckee Future without Drug Dependence coalition. "The science of addiction indicates that the earlier youth start using, the greater the risk of addiction," Coyote said. "So we are encouraged that there is a unified desire among all stakeholders to build into the regulatory framework protective factors for youth."
With the internet and mobile devices, modern youth have access to everything they think they need or want to know about all manner of drugs and devices to get high and self-medicate. So the role of the parent in prevention is even more important than ever to inform their own children about the risk of harm, and share the expectation and confidence to make choices that value their good health. In order to do this, parents need to get educated about how cannabis is experienced in the youth culture. Below are two major truths and insights about today's marijuana (shared by featured speakers at this summit) that enable parents and youth to think correctly about the modern cannabis reality.
Truth 1: Even though marijuana is a natural plant, consumption of cannabis products is not harmless. The medicinal value of cannabis notwithstanding, cannabis today is not the same as mom's or grandma's pot. Your child needs to know that cannabis is not harmless, and must be treated like any other medication or alcohol.
Ben Cort, author of Weed Inc., serves on the Board of Directors for Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana) and is focused on educating people about the impact of the industrial complex on cannabis products. He has observed that with commercialization cannabis products are developed with greater potency as concentrates (oils and wax) which can reach over 90% THC potency (the chemical compound that makes you high), compared to one to two percent THC of marijuana consumed by previous generations. Cort further explains that the risk factors for addiction are potency, frequency of use, and age of onset, and the legalization of marijuana contributes to a new cultural environment that intensifies these risk factors. "With the increased potency and ease of consumption, the younger the age, there is increased risk of addiction of up to 50% with daily use," he said.
Indeed the previous generation's perception about marijuana being non-addictive does not hold up in this new era of pot. Cort sited further evidence of this risk of cannabis addiction: the DSM-IV, which is the authoritative reference for mental health professionals, lists cannabis withdrawal as a treatable diagnosis.
Truth 2: A teen making good grades while using cannabis is not immune to this risk of harm. Jennifer Golick, PhD., LMFT wants parents to know that the issue for youth is not about medical marijuana. "This is about adolescent use who become addicted or dependent," she said, citing a 2016 Monitoring the Future study by the National Institute of Drug Abuse indicating for the first time youth are using marijuana in the eighth, ninth and tenth grades at rates greater than they are using cigarettes. According to Golick, as the public perception of risk of harm decreases with cannabis, youth use of the substance increases. "There is a common belief among parents who don't smoke marijuana, and with those who do smoke," she said. "That it is okay [for youth] as long as you keep your grades and are responsible. It is perceived as the least bad option."
According to Golick, the science takes a while to catch up with the consequences of how cannabis is cultivated and consumed today. "There are changes in the brain chemical system induced by marijuana interacting with the cannabinoid receptor system while the adolescent brain is still under construction," she said. "It is like throwing out parts that impact mood and learning, and can result in psychiatric illness."
Golick also cautions parents to get educated about the new tools for consumption which include battery-operated vape pens that are smokeless and look like regular writing pens (some resemble asthma medication dispensers), and edibles that look like popular candies such as gummy bears and KitKat chocolate bars. "Today's marijuana is very potent, easy to conceal and use every day, even in the classroom," she said.
If you suspect that your child is using cannabis or other drugs and alcohol, even if you have evidence for one instance, the most important thing you can do is get educated about drug use, abuse and addiction and engage your teen in the process. You can find education, counseling and treatment with the following resources:
- Recovery Happens (for adolescent and young adult drug addiction education, intervention and outpatient treatment)
- To learn more about drug trends and conversations with youth about addiction, go to: Coalition for Placer Youth or Tahoe Truckee Future without Drug Dependence
About: We are a non-profit education center founded in Roseville, CA to strengthen the parent-child bond in a hyper-connected world. Our mission is to restore families with the mustard seed of faith that declares liberty already belongs to the soul because one God, the Creator of all humanity, grants every human being intelligence and free will to choose what to believe, and that is power that can never be taken, but is easily surrendered to the bully, the drug or the device. To that end, ten percent of all proceeds are donated to prison ministries. Your donations are greatly appreciated. (Donations are payable to Banana Moments Foundation).
Joanna Jullien is an author, educator and consultant on strengthening the parent-child relationship in a cyber-powered world. She is a former technology executive trained in behavioral science at U.C. Berkeley, a mother of two grown sons, and an author of books for practical guidance on parenting, growing up and family life in the network culture. As a family and technology culture advisor, Joanna has appeared on 103.9FM The Fish, 710AM Keeping Faith in America, 1380AM The Answer, and Examiner.com.
- Cyber Safety for Kids and Families (Videos)
- Follow Joanna @cyberparenting
- Like Core Connectivity
- Request Core Connectivity updates via email
- Contact: Joanna


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Root Nomenclature Cards are formatted in a 3-part card series with black-line master included. The 5 parts of the root are: root, primary root, secondary root, root hairs, and root cap. The root is in color, the individual parts are all shown in red.
Learn how to use Montessori nomenclature.
Cards with label are approx. 3¾" x 4", cards without label are approx. 1" shorter.This file is in PDF format.


text: The 2020 Country to Country (C2C) music festival—a multi-night music fest that takes place in the United Kingdom—will feature a number of A-list artists, including headliners Eric Church, Darius Rucker and Luke Combs. The eighth annual C2C festival will take place in London, Glasgow and Dublin from March 13–15. Other artists slated to perform include…… MORE


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The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK is the trade association for digital advertising, representing over 1,200 of the UK's leading brands, media owners, technology providers and agencies.
Digital advertising is continuously growing and evolving. We are not-for-profit and exist to simplify the complex and promote industry collaboration between our members to develop standards, best practices, critical research and provide the educational resources businesses need to grow their brands both successfully and sustainably.
The IAB is committed to the following three principles:
Tackle and address the big issues.
Highlight what works and celebrate digital.
Look to the future and help businesses prepare.


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Benefits of Xbox Live
The best method of improving your Xbox experience is through subscribing to Xbox live. The most popular subscription is the gold membership. The Xbox live subscriptions range from one month to three months or even a whole year. Further down are benefits of Xbox live.
1. Multiplayer
Xbox live membership enables you to play with several players in one game. Through using Xbox live you can easily play with other people and improve your gaming skills. Actually, every game that you participate in is going to be ranked depending on the outcomes you get. Such details are vital since they will be used for determining players who have similar skill levels. You are also provided the chance of choosing the gamers that you desire to compete with.
2. Entertainment
As soon as you have gotten your Xbox live membership, you can use it for other entertainment purposes other than simply gaming. You can stream various HD content, TV shows and also movies with your Xbox live subscription. It is much better to use the prepay option if you desire to use your Xbox live for this purpose as it enables you to delight in the benefits devoid of any interruption. Users also have an access to many free skins and demos for customizing their game contents.
3. Social benefits
Xbox live usually requires the creation of a profile for accessing the network. You are provided the option of keeping a friend list and you can interact with people similar to any other messaging software. An added benefit of using gold membership is that you can send messages to players in your network. This greatly improves the whole gaming experience since you can also socialize apart from playing games.
The main disadvantage of Xbox live is that you need to pay every month to continue using the service, which might not always be possible.


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Apple's latest OS X upgrade is causing problems with many users, causing Apple's email client to crash unexpectedly.
This, as you can imagine, is causing nothing less than outrage by those Mac users experiencing the fault.
The Mac OS 10.5.6 update seems to have caused the problems with only those users running the latest Leopard OS.
Archive and Reinstall
Apple's support bulletin notes that Mail's problems are due to "outdated third-party Mail plugins" or a "copy of Mail that wasn't updated properly."
So if you cannot fix the problem by running Software Update or fixing your outdated Mail plug-ins then Apple suggests you back up all your files, do an Archive and Reinstall of Mac OS X 10.5 and then re-run the update, which should solve the problem and stop you tearing more of your hair out.


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We are a boutique world sale agency, seeking auteur-driven, cinematic stories and strong character narratives that convey a universal and accessible theme. We acquire up to 12 films per year for all rights, world sales representation.
Digital distribution for film and TV content owners looking for distribution and placement on the major global VOD outlets.
We also release a select number of features theatrically in North America each year and provide sales support for broadcast and airlines based in North America.


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Changing Bow Thumb Placement
How old do kids usually change from thumb below frog to inside?
I use other factors then age to determine if they are ready to move the thumb. For example, it should be moved before the minuets because of the longer bow strokes needed at this point in Suzuki book 1. Also if the bow hold is solid and comfortable with the thumb on the outside then it is safe to move it in. I have also switched to inside thumb very early for one student with a small hand who just couldn't reach her middle fingers around the bow with her thumb on the outside. It truly depends on the student.
Laura M
Suzuki Violin
Oh, so early on? Actually my boy's teacher did ask him to work on moving in the thumb sometime ago at beginning of Book 2 early this year, and he did, but somehow we forgot about it along the way, and we just went on and on. He's midway thru book 3 already now and very happily has his thumb on the outside still. ;P
My children's violin teacher has them move their thumbs in before the Minuets as well. My daughter is just starting to work on moving her thumb in and just started working on Andantino. She puts her thumb in for her easy songs and plays with it on the outside for her newer songs, for now. My older child moved in her thumb before my younger child because she had a stronger bow hold.
If the student is ready to use the whole bow, then they need to have the thumb inside. Mechanically, it is difficult not to hit the thumb against the corner of the C-bout, and/or the bridge or strings, if the student is trying to actually get to the frog.
(I generally teach whole bows around Vn or Vla book 1's Allegro, usually).
If the student is anywhere between middle school and adult, I might start the student with the thumb inside. Or, at most, keep the student on the thumb-outside bowhold for several months. If the student is 3 or 4, they might be on the beginner's bow hold for (maybe) 6 months to a (maybe) a couple of years.
Oh, Ok. My son finally got his thumb in when we were doing the last piece in Book 3. And it's very stable, tucked in there now. ;D Somehow something clicked finally. haha. He's just over 5yrs old now and doing Book 4 Vivaldi 1st mvt.
Several of my students complain(ed) when transitioning to inside thumb—it's too hard, it's uncomfortable, I don't like it, etc. It takes weeks/months of reminding before they get used to it!
It took us about 3 weeks when we finally consciously remembered to work on the placement everyday during practice.
I like how the Bow Hold Buddies sets position the thumb, and keep it flexed—so my students start from Day One with the thumb where/how it will always be. Simple.
the bow hold buddies' 2 parts—the "hole" is just a tad too wide for my son's 1/16 violin bow's "stick". So it slides around instead of stay in place.
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Please do not use the discussion forums to advertise products or services


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Multi-Threading poller for cacti
DescriptionSpine is a replacement for the default cmd.php poller in the cacti package. It primarily strives to be as fast as possible, and is designed for sites with large numbers of hosts and devices polled. If the default poller provided by cacti works for you, then you should not use this package. You should only use this package if the default poller is unable to complete a polling cycle in the required amount of time.
Upload more screenshots Please help extend the collection of screenshots. Just make a screenshot and upload it here. You don't need to register or anything.
Please help extend the collection of screenshots. Just make a screenshot and upload it here. You don't need to register or anything.
6777 other people were interested in this package here. The newest known version of this software is 1.2.12-1 (Information last updated 1 day ago.)
Upload new screenshots
Thanks for uploading more screenshots. Please note:
- Your screenshot should contain a typical scene when working with it.
- Take only a screenshot of the respective application and not of your whole desktop (unless the screenshot is meant for a window manager).
- Your screenshots must be in PNG format.
- You can upload multiple images at once.
- Your screenshot need to be approved by the moderators first. You will already see your screenshot but it will not be visible to others instantly. If moderators reject your upload you will get notified next time you visit this site (requires cookies).
- Images larger than 800x600 pixels will automatically be reduced. So don't try to capture too much detail in a screenshot. It may become unreadable. Shrink the applications window if possible.
- Screenshots are made public and can freely be used by anyone.
- Useful programs for making screenshots are shutter, ksnapshot (KDE), gimp, xwd or scrot. See the Debian wiki for more information on how to make screenshots under Debian.
- Please set your language to english so that everybody understands it. If you don't use english by default please start your application from a shell using after setting "export LANG=C".


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The Inner Lives of Introverts
With the recent launch of her second edition of Introvert Power, Laurie Helgoe, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and author, is back to tell us about hiding places, luscious solitude versus dreaded loneliness, and some surprises about acting for introverts.
NA: Describe a highlight of the new edition of Introvert Power.
LH: The second edition is enriched with reflections from introverts from around the globe. Peeking into these solitary spaces was like looking into warmly lit homes while on an evening walk. It's a great privilege to "grow" a book, to let it learn from new research, from my added life experience, and from the discoveries shared by other introverts. It's also a bigger book—it feels good in my hands.
NA: How do you maintain a public persona as an author—particularly now amid another book launch—and balance that with your need to honor your introvert's nature?
LH: I ready my hiding places. I am one of those introverts—and there are a good number of us— who loves public speaking, especially when I'm speaking about something that has been cooking inside me for awhile. As number nine of 10 kids, it was hard to get a word in, so having a platform to share what's inside me is wonderful. That said, being "out there" does make me miss "in here," and that's why it's crucial for me to also indulge in hiding.
I used to push aside my fantasies about running away, about being unknown—wishes that ironically come hand-in-hand with dreams of fame—and try to rev myself up for being out there. Now I nourish those fantasies, let them come with me on speaking gigs, and promise them fulfillment after hours and in-between. I was talking with Beth Buelow, the Introvert Entrepreneur, recently about how we sometimes go out to a social event just to experience the joy of returning to that luscious solitude. When I'm on the road and know I can look forward to a quiet walk, a private hotel room, strolling solo in a new city, I can more freely indulge in the self-expression of public speaking. And when I agree to give a presentation, I'm upfront about my need for time to myself.
Though I've been talking about public speaking—it's on my mind because I'm preparing to speak in three different regions of the United States in one week—most PR these days happens right from home, through phone interviews and writing. Right now, I'm sitting in the quiet of my office, sun streaming over my desk, writing about hiding—pretty good gig for an introvert!
Writing is a favorite form of expression for introverts, because we get to be thoughtful and say things just the way we want to say them. But even when I put myself out there online, I need the balance provided by my journal which stays at home, my sloppy time on the couch, the book I'm reading or the jigsaw puzzle I'm constructing, and my evening run in my quiet neighborhood.
NA: We have many quiet strengths as introverts, yet speaking on the spot isn't typically one of them. Preparing for important meetings and practicing for presentations takes us a long way toward putting our best foot forward, especially on topics that aren't our areas of expertise. Studying improvisation can take us the next step—to trust ourselves to share our first, unedited thoughts. From your background as an actor and a psychotherapist as well as an author specializing in introverts, what else helps introverts speak effectively off the cuff?
LH: The reason I love acting is because I get to start with a script and a character. The better I develop that character and learn that script, the more freedom I have. The words and actions start to become my words and actions. I think we can use the same approach to prepare for our more informal, spontaneous interactions. Think about who you are, how you got to be that way, what you believe, and as a director might ask, "What's your motivation?" You can even use a questionnaire from an acting text and write down the answers. In acting, the more "self-aware" you are in the role you are playing, the more easily your actions flow from that.
Introverts often feel they have to choose between being real and being public because we so often associate "public" with the demand for a pared-down, superficial version of who we are. So we guard our best selves and put out there what we think people expect. Successful performers have the ability to respond in an unexpected, but very real way, making others think, "I wish I'd said that!"
I think it's a myth that good improv comes out of thin air. I love that you used the phrase "off the cuff" in your question. When I looked at the origins of that idiom, I discovered that the cuff was a place where people kept notes! British pub owners kept tallies on the starched cuffs of their shirts to keep track of patron's tabs, and public speakers in the '30s were said to use their cuffs for jotting down last-minute thoughts. So if you want to type a few thoughts into your smartphone for easy reference, you'll be drawing on a long tradition of planned spontaneity!
NA: What advice can you give to bosses and parents of introverts who are hell-bent on pushing their introverts out of their shells?
LH: I would tell bosses and parents that, instead of assuming the shell is harmful and you need to get the introvert out, consider the function the shell is serving and learn more about what's going on inside. Is your employee generating good work from that shell? Is your child enjoying imaginative play? Is the quiet employee or student contributing by listening and considering what others are saying? If all is well in the shell, perhaps you are responding more out of your own anxiety or expectations about what being a good boss or parent means (and maybe you'd like a little more of what the introvert is having!).
If the introvert is closed off in a counterproductive way, investigate why. Maybe the shell is protecting the introvert from overstimulating surroundings. If so, pulling the introvert out into the chaos won't help. Bosses will profit more by asking these introverts how the company might better support their productivity: Could we move you to a quieter location? Seek your input via e-mail so you can write out your thoughts? Make a better effort to recognize you during meetings? Designate an interruption-free window of time each day? Bosses can also be proactive by identifying employees' personality styles and determining what helps them work at their best. I'm thrilled to be speaking at an upcoming Diversity Best Practices conference that is focusing entirely on how to work with personality diversity.
Parents need to remember that they are shaping the way the child feels about his or her introversion. They can help by: 1) recognizing that introversion is healthy; 2) supporting their child's decisions to seek solitude, read books, or participate in individual sports, 3) telling their child that they love the fact that he or she knows how to enjoy time alone, and 4) letting the child know that half of all people in America are just like them.
NA: If you look at images of happiness on TV, in advertisements, and throughout our culture, you'll see groups of people socializing, gesticulating big, and yukking it up. Yet, to introverts, too much of all that can be exhausting. Describe your ideal of happiness for an introvert.
LH: Introverts enjoy a lower-key version of happiness, what scientists call "low-arousal positive affect." That includes feelings like calmness, tranquility, peacefulness, and relaxation. We also like to savor feeling good, rather than broadcasting it to the world. Though we can enjoy high-energy happiness too, a revved-up, smack-on-the-back sense of "feeling good" can actually be overstimulating to an introvert. So, paradoxically, trying to cheer up an already-content introvert might sour her mood! Unfortunately, in American society, we tend to confine our definition of happiness to the excited, revved up version. And when that version is in the room, we overlook the subtler manifestations of happiness. In societies that have a more introverted bent, such as those of China and Japan, calmer emotions are more valued, and it's the high-volume happiness that looks suspect.
NA: In the new edition of Introvert Power you tell how you wrestled with loneliness when your husband worked a two-year stint in Afghanistan. Explain how an introvert, who is by definition energized by quiet time, can still experience loneliness. And in your case, what did you do to manage the loneliness?
LH: I asked myself the same question. I knew I would miss him, but I wasn't prepared for some of the challenges that came with living alone. I had come to rely on having my "comfortable person" around – that person I don't have to be "on" with or interact with all the time, the one who knows me intimately and is there for me. Because introverts don't readily fill the void by seeking out people, we may feel the absence of a loved one with particular intensity. When my husband is home, though we aren't together 24/7—that would be another problem! —I always know my solitude will eventually be broken by his presence. When he was gone, I had long stretches of solitude without the ability to call him at will—he was sleeping on the other side of the world during my afternoons and evenings, and he would wake up just as I was going to bed.
Sometimes it was an indulgence to have our home to myself, to move at my own pace and be in full charge of the remote control. And even when it was hard—and it was very hard at times—I was selective about how to fill the solitude. I learned to plan ahead for weekends. While I enjoyed my empty home at the end of a busy weekday, an empty weekend was a bit much. I learned that I needed to get out, if only to enjoy that relaxed sigh when I got to return to my cozy home. And I did make some new comfortable connections and expand others: having movie nights with a neighbor I really enjoy—an introvert who had lost her husband and also enjoyed low-key entertainment, or hanging out at a close friend's house as part of the family.
But there were many times when I stayed with the solitude and learned to be a better friend to myself. I love that about being an introvert – we are friendly with solitude even when it challenges us. I also learned that solitude is not always this rich, generative source. Though we may avoid small talk, we are capable of small thoughts—petty or repetitive or self-defeating ruminations. I learned the importance of engaging and feeding my mind. What I read and watch and look at and do with my mind makes a difference. I have to say that, through it all, I have fallen more deeply in love with solitude, even as my love for my husband has deepened through the stretch we had to make across the world to stay connected.
NA: For some introverts, using the telephone is an efficient way to connect and even a vehicle for deep conversations. Yet for others, phone conversations—not to mention the likes of Skype and other media that enable both parties to see one another—can be an energy drain. I have introvert clients who avoid phone contact, and reply to most voice mails by e-mailing or texting. Yet others love the one-on-one aspect of most phone conversations. Occasionally, I'll even meet an introvert who loves making cold calls. How do you relate to using the telephone as an introvert?
LH: Isn't it wonderful how customized our introversion is for each of us? I am eternally grateful to Skype for having kept me connected with my husband during his time abroad, though I haven't used it regularly for other contacts. When I want to get out a quick message without having to engage in a long conversation, I love the option of texting rather than calling. As for the telephone, I have mixed feelings As an introvert, I don't like interruptions, so I often let voicemail pick up and then call back when I'm more present. I hate to navigate a phone conversation when I'm with someone else—and equally dislike when others talk on the phone when they're with me. When I'm alone and present and focused, I can enjoy a leisurely phone conversation. There's something intimate about talking to a close friend while plopped on the couch at home. But, too often, one of us is distracted, and it's too easy to multitask while on the phone. There's no substitute for sitting across the table from each other and having a face-to-face conversation. If we're together, we're both more fully present. I guess my bottom line is, I like to be either in the conversation or out of it – not somewhere in between.
Copyright © 2013 Nancy Ancowitz


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Halloween is officially under way, with numerous fesitivities having gone down this past weekend. As always, many took the opportunity to dress up as their favorite celebrity. In fact, even parents got in on the fun and went as Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. Weird.
Anyway, one of the popular choices this year was also Houston rapper RiFF RAFF, who seemed to have enjoyed the imitations and retweeted almost everyone who copied his signature braids, sideburns, and wild outfits. Some were pretty accurate, while renditions of the Neon Icon were just hilarious. We went through Twitter and Instagram to find you The Most Ridiculous RiFF RAFF Halloween Costumes on Social Media. Peruse through if you're still recovering from the weekend, or want to get stoked for the 31st.
RELATED: Perfect Clothing Items for Halloween That Aren't Stupid Costumes
RELATED: The Most Ridiculous Kanye West Halloween Costumes on Instagram
RELATED: 10 Celebrities Who Don't Need to Dress Up for Halloween
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The Andrew Cassell Foundation supports individuals with physical disabilities, mental health conditions or long term illness to take part in yacht racing and cruising, encourages the integration of sailors with disabilities alongside able bodied sailors. Much of an individual's ability to deal with the serious, personal and lifelong challenges caused by their condition is centred around personal confidence. The Foundation helps to restore confidence lost through three primary interactions – adventure, socialisation and achievements. Sailing in keelboats and yachts provides the ideal environment for these to occur. Lasting impact is achieved through coach mentoring within an expert supportive culture over many years.
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4 Aug 2018 by Matt Grier


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Whenever I read about yet another new development being constructed in the Las Vegas valley, I have to suppress the urge to yell and scream and pull my hair, "and where are you going to get water from in five years? Ten years? Twenty years?!"
The Vegas valley gets its potable water from Lake Mead, a man-made creation resulting from the damming of the Colorado river. Lake Mead is presently nearly 200 feet below capacity. It hasn't been this low since the completion of the Hoover Dam in 1936. Currently, another intake "straw" is being constructed at Lake Mead to reach water at lower depths. This will help transport more water to the region after lake levels have fallen dangerously low but it's only a bandaid. Without significant, measurable and prolonged rainfall, the drought will worsen and the water in Lake Mead will continue to be consumed by the citizens and tourists of Vegas as it slowly evaporates in the blazing Mojave sun.
Climate change deniers clamber on to their pedestals and shout that no one knows what the future will be. That we should continue development unabated because everything may change tomorrow. Here's the problem with that stance…
1. The Facts – The irrefutable scientific data amassed that climate change is happening full force and is contributing to drought conditions in the west.
2. The History – The sophisticated, industrial civilization that was the Anasazi culture of the Southwest was thriving when it suddenly collapsed approximately 1000 years ago. It is generally believed that the Anasazi people were forced to disperse to wetter climes as a result of the Great Drought which brought about repeated crop failures and left their irrigation canals dry.
The western drought has been on-going for nearly a decade. Our society has had time to steel itself and prepare to avert catastrophe. And yet the Vegas region is presently seeing brand new development. Proof that the dollar will win out over facts, history and logic every time.
In his pointed and critical article featured in Slate last summer, meteorologist Eric Holthaus doesn't hold back in accusing Vegas of sticking its head in the parched sand. From the article:
"Tim Barnett, a scientist at UC-San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, has calculated a 50/50 chance that Lake Mead will reach an unusable state—so-called "dead pool" levels—by 2036, barring aggressive cutbacks in water use."
2036! That's 21 years from now that the water in Lake Mead could be in an unusable state! And yet hundreds of new homes and businesses are being constructed in the Vegas valley! Facepalm!
If any one person has helped to shape this callous, indifferent attitude towards our water crisis, it's the former general manager of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, Pat Mulroy. In a recent interview given to the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, Mulroy smugly, dismissively "answers" questions put forth to her about the challenges ahead for Vegas. I quote Mulroy; "On paper, we will take a shortage, but in real terms, we won't be affected by it."
If by "won't be affected by it" she means that residents will eventually be forced to uproot and flee to moister environs once their water bill skyrockets to dizzying heights due to the shortage, then yes, we won't be affected by it.
The Sun goes on to ask, "Is there a point where the resources we have can't sustain the West's growth?"
Mulroy: "This isn't a western growth issue. It's a global growth issue. It's raw human numbers. So what do you do? Put a moat around Las Vegas and not let anybody cross it? Come on, let's get real. Do we get to decide who gets to have children and who doesn't? These become ridiculous questions"
Mulroy's evasiveness and defensiveness in no way either answers this important question nor helps citizens of the region plan for their future.
Oh and there's one other aspect of the drought that the Vegas media seems to be avoiding – the almost certain increased frequency of dust storms as the land becomes more arid. Scenes like this one in Arizona will happen with more regularity across the Southwest as the land gets drier and vegetation shrivels up, bringing about more respiratory and lung ailments and an overall lessening in the quality of life.
"But Angel, who are you to lecture on this topic? Aren't you just a song/poetry/art/photo slinger?" That and I'm also a woman who was on the Dean's List at George Mason University as an anthropology major with a concentration on Southwestern culture. And a person who has held a keen interest in climate/meteorology for decades and has followed the rise of climate change closely, that's all.
I write this as I sit at my dining room table, in my Henderson, Nevada home on the outskirts of Vegas, occasionally sipping from a glass full of precious Lake Mead. This slow moving catastrophe is bearing down on all of us residents of the Southwest. The unstoppable engine is churning and our cities and inhabitants stand to go the way of the Anasazi. Now is the time to take action, to make our plans while our heads are still well above the drying sand.
Further reading – Here's a study from the Journal of Climate that puts the chances of a multi-decade megadrought in the west at over 50%


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When your vision contradicts your surroundings, do not be crushed by the weight of the destiny, instead learn to lift the weight and become stronger, become wiser, and move forward toward the person you know that you have been created to be!! Do not allow anyone to deter you from your destiny, whether they are family, friends, co-workers, teachers, or pastors/spiritual advisors …Not everyone who is speaking into your life is for you!! Learn to discern the motives of those around you and let go of anyone who operates from the position of a wrong spirit or selfish motives!! You are to important to allow yourself to be used by people and not by God!! Your gifts are essential in this earthly realm and will bring about a dimensional shift should you choose to walk forward in the gift. Do not cast your pearls on swine or in other words, do not waste your time with those who do not recognize your gift or those who only want to utilize your gift for their own purpose. For your Heavenly Father has placed these gifts in you, for your divine purpose and for you to prosper through those gifts!! He did not create you to live lowly in spirit or in lack of material wealth; He created you to live furiously in your divine calling, with the abundance of Heaven in this earthly realm!! Follow the vision and clean out the clutter of any hindering souls…If the Holy Spirit instructs you to lie something or someone down…turn away immediately because it or they are not part of your destiny at this present time!! In the same respect, if He tells you to pick something or someone up, do so immediately; for it or they are divinely weaved into Heavens purpose for your life. Our destiny is our passion and your passion releases the prosperity of Heaven; your passion is the very thing that has been with you all along…it never leaves you!! It is the one thing that you always come back too; no matter how many times you stray off the intended path of your passions purpose……It is the whispering voice of hope found in your spirit that wants to flourish and fly…Let it fly, the world needs your passion, the world needs your gift!! Let it flourish, Let it fly!!!
May you move forward into all that the Heaven has for you, Love and Blessings ~Sincerely Pastor Cindy 🌹🌹🌹
Matthew 7:6 Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.
Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
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flat assembler
Message board for the users of flat assembler.
> Heap > Interesting reading about C++
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tom tobias
Perhaps I am in error, but, in my opinion, most applications requiring some kind of sort algorithm work on a FINITE list of objects to be sorted. How can one sort an infinite sample? If the quantity is finite, by definition, it is possible to QUANTIFY the list. Quantification in turn, renders pointers redundant. If one does not know the size of the data to be sorted, one guesses, and OVERESTIMATES, if necessary, by a factor of ten. OOH! Horrors, wasteful of all that memory!!! Ah, help, there's a mouse in the house. What will I do??? Tom is wasting memory---eeek!
Pointers make sense in an architecture designed to MAXIMIZE the capabilities of a MODEST amount of random access memory. It is the solution to a problem which no longer exists, not too different from the situation 130 years ago, when electric lights began replacing the traditional, kerosene lanterns. Imagine someone who had developed a really nifty method of remotely igniting a kerosene lamp 4 meters off the ground, without depending on a scaffold, chair, or ladder. What's the poor fellow to do, when some guy comes along and proclaims kerosene lamps useless? Many programmers are accustomed to writing CODE with pointers. They find the "opportunity" to use arrays instead, to be a nuisance, not an advantage. But, for a STRUCTURED design, based on a blueprint, not an impromptou spiel an der klavier, nothing beats a READABLE data structure. Pointers to pointers to pointers guarantees longevity and financial support for the "systems" programmer, as the original, very realistic submission to this thread suggested. While it may have been entirely tongue in cheek, and falsely attributed to the author of C++, I thought it was an accurate portrayal of both C++ and the nonsensical "object oriented" debacle. The best program is the one that anyone can read and understand. Pointers guarantee inability to follow what someone is trying to accomplish. Pointers may well have been a necessary evil forty years ago, when one megabyte of RAM was beyond anyone's wildest imagination, (my first RAM purchase, in 1976, in Deutschland, was 128, not 128K, just plain 128) but today, one can sort a whole encyclopedia from a conventional desktop computer equipped with the customary gigabyte of ram. The pointer today has the same utility as the remotely operated kerosene lantern ignition controller.
|14 Feb 2006, 22:32
I do agree with you. And the fact that we had an assignment in school that involved pointers proves, that there IS NEED to LEARN pointer and they are NOT easy to grasp. I did it and lot of my classmates did it, but it wasn't easy.
I think nobody grades a pupil for an assignment where you have to Dim your way through the code. "Dim x(10)" Yeah! I did it!. Pointers are tricky and this is why they grade you
Perhaps too tricky if you ask me because of the abstraction. I had to insert INT3s into the C-code and debug before I knew what was going on. Oh, and what horror the C-code brings. Stack is its friend
|15 Feb 2006, 08:16
tom tobias wrote:
Perhaps I am in error, but, in my opinion, most applications requiring some kind of sort algorithm work on a FINITE list of objects to be sorted. How can one sort an infinite sample?
You need to differentiate between INFINITE and UNKNOWN size of input.
Without pointers (unless you use some REALLY high-level language) you need to specify some maximal size of input so it can fit into statically declared buffer. Then it won't be able to handle bigger inputs, even if computer has enough memory to handle such input, and it won't run on system with less memory, even for inputs which don't require such big amounts of memory?
Really, how would you sort lines of std input and print them on std output, without using pointers? Show me some (pseudo) algorithm please.
|15 Feb 2006, 09:07
tom tobias
This thread began with a wonderful satire suggesting that the oft-praised "object oriented" programming was largely a hoax, a scheme designed to funnel money into the pockets of "system programmers". From this bit of comedy, we diverged somewhat, to weigh the merits of FASM and Pascal, compared with C or C++. In proposing some potential liabilities associated with Pascal, (obscure pointer useage), Vid clarified his opinion that Pascal lacked several features, of utility to contemporary assembly language programmers. Vid's honest portrayal of a programming language, Pascal, offending his modus operandi, represented the silvery salmon swimming in front of a hungry bear, and I took the bait. For me, Pascal is nearly sacrosanct, not the language per se, but rather, Wirth's ideas embedded within it: in particular his ABSOLUTE requirement to DEFINE data prior to using it, and the RELATIVE goal of compelling authors to follow certain conventions in order to promote readability, at the cost of speed of implementation (and perhaps execution speed as well.) The logic behind this sacrifice of programmer time is the realization that ULTIMATELY, it is the ability of a program to withstand MODIFICATION by someone other than the original author, that demonstrates the true skill of the original architect. Most software is flawed in some respect, often because of an inadequate original design. Modifiability thus becomes crucial, in assessing the potential success of any program.
To answer the question raised in Vid's most recent post: How does one treat an array of data, whether for sorting, or any other manipulation, when the length of the array is unknown? Estimating space needed, (or time required!!) is a bit of an art, i.e. one improves at this task with experience. It is not black and white. However, since Vid is dissatisfied with this suggestion to waste memory by overestimating the maximum size needed for an array of unknown dimension, then I suggest writing a small program to capture all the data in a huge memory, a thousand times larger than the largest possible size imagined, and then, having captured all the data within this huge memory, it is possible to determine with absolute precision, the exact size of the hithertoo unknown array size, and then the original task can be completed, using now the precise, much smaller amount of memory required. Of course, compared with using pointers, this approach wastes time, and memory. That's a lot of sacrifice for what gain? Readability. Yup. Worth reiterating: READABILITY trumps every excuse offered for generation of CODE.
Pointers are FASTER, perhaps in execution, but probably in implementation by the programmer,
Pointers lead to a quicker completion date, because there is less typing, and MUCH less thinking about data structures required. Pointers permit programmers to generate code FIRST, and then, reflect, if at all, on the data structures which their pointers access. Pascal disallows such sloppiness. Pascal, instead, demands that the programmer, like an engineer designing a tall building, FIRST contemplate the nature of the data structures required for the program to attain success, THEN type the code to fulfill the requirements of the task at hand.
Pointers are far more efficient, saving LOTS of memory.
So, if one works with a variety of 1970's era computers when a 4 megabyte upgrade, doubling system RAM, represented a machine of such lofty attributes that it was available to only the most senior staff members at the most prestigious research institutes, then pointers may have some value.
|15 Feb 2006, 14:36
tom tobias wrote:
Hmm, I have rarely encountered a more concise explanation of the elegance, beauty, and POWER of Pascal--unquestionably the best programming language (invention of Niklaus Wirth) to date, vastly superior to C or FASM, or anything else, PRECISELY for the reasons you have provided::
I think what you call READABILITY means more easier to understand, doesn't it? Well, it depends on the guy who's reading it, and his experience! I, for example, prefer short symbols, pointers, etc.. For that reason I use C for my 'test' programs (sure, release is usually in asm). And I find Pascal less readable than C or asm (I know it well enough).. why?? because of my experience with C or asm, or because of my styles. I prefer functionality over the look of a language.
This is the same thing as one saying ASM is hard.. well, just because he doesn't code in asm (thus, no experience) doesn't mean it is hard (true, it's a bit harder for 'human' logic, which is kinda flawed, btw). If I, for example, didn't know Pascal, I might as well say 'it sucks', even though it's a great language. Seriously, I don't like Pascal, but I don't say it's a 'sucking' language either, 'cause I know many of us still learn from or are using it, and I let them make their own path, I'm not someone who forces them to hate the language by expressing my opinions, just because I don't like it.. it's a matter of personal style, anyway.
And about pointers -- they are necessary, it's how computers really work or how their flawless logic works (it's not really flawless, since they are designed by flawed humans). If you're being abstracted, that doesn't mean it works without pointers. I don't like these kind of languages who abstract me, since I want to appreciate how the computer works.
Saying that a 20 year old 'design' is useless, is disgusting (at least for me).. I don't say you have to use it (woow, imagine 128 bytes RAM), but it's not like you throw a stick to trash, you know. It's complex, and I just say it should be appreciated, for all it has done. And 'new' doesn't always mean 'better' either.
Back to READABILITY: well, I assume you say more readable to you. Well, from the computer's point of view, they use pointers and they see Pascal or abstracted languages less readable than more low-level languages (i.e C, or even asm). It's a matter of 'designing' your code, not necessary algorithm 'optimization' (i.e it's different if you design something with OOP and then with procedural, NO MATTER what kind of compiler you're using).
And I don't know how many people think in 'my' way, but I PREFER TO THINK IN LOW-LEVEL TERMS, even the high-level code I browse from different sources, I translate it with my mind into low-level code. Thus, I see low-level code more READABLE than high-level (abstracted) code. It may seem than I am farther from human-logic (aka OOP, abstractions, flaws like lazyness or easyness, etc), and closer to computer-logic (aka bits). Computer-logic is not flawless either, since it was designed by creatures with flaws (guess what--humans).
At least I try my best to appreciate the computer (and free it from my mistakes, 'cause I'm a human too, so that's inevitable), but at least I hope when the machines begin to take over (Terminator anyone??), they will show some mercy for me, since I appreciate and 'understand' how they work, not just coding 'easier' for me, but also 'easier' for them (faster). (just jokin' of course)
The conclusion might be: what you consider more readable is less readable by another (for example, me), and what I consider more readable is less readable by another (for example, you). It depends on the styles/experience/skills after all of every one of us, so what I am trying to say is that it's false to consider something more readable than another, simply because it depends on the one who's coding/reading. hope to clarify it up a bit
ps: no offense intended, of course. just i'm not native english speaker, so I don't know if I wrote something I didn't want there. pls say if something 'doesn't make sense'
Last edited by Borsuc on 15 Feb 2006, 21:09; edited 2 times in total
|15 Feb 2006, 19:34
tom tobias: i want exact way how you implement it, not some theoretical thoughts. Saying "something is like something" is not an argument.
You mean you would allocate (estimated) space for data and keep it stored there? That is pointer too. And you still need to know maximal size of string? Or you would "estimate" that user wants to use at most N - sized input and disallow bigger?
|15 Feb 2006, 19:48
tom tobias
Data input: commercial retinal scanner:
image: 1024 x 768, each pixel has two components: (color range) 24 bits, + 8 bits for magnitude (intensity) of signal. Scan frequency is 72 hz, therefore total data in = 1024 * 768 * 72 * 5 pixels per second over the five second window comprising the retinal scan.
So, one needs to set aside 300,000,000 32 bit memory locations.
Ok, so what if we weren't sure about this calculation? Suppose, for sake of discussion, that we have 4 gbytes of memory on the motherboard. Then suppose we allocate the entire space to a large buffer, which we first clear, then assign an arbitrary value to, for example FFFF FFFF.
Now the data comes pouring in, at the end of the five seconds, all of the data has been received. The buffer is not full. But, the section beyond the last bit of buffer input will contain a lot of F's. Now we can determine precisely where the end of the real data is located, and then assign that length to the space needed for this input buffer, saving, for some other purpose, the unused memory. For many on this forum, such labor will be ridiculed, as it is much easier to simply use a pointer. With pointers, who cares how large the buffer is? No one. It is an unimportant, trivial, silly waste of time, right? But not to me. I like to know what is going on. I want to know exactly what is going where, why and when. I dislike pointers precisely because they not only PERMIT, they ENCOURAGE programmer ignorance of details--details which are admittedly USELESS when CREATING the program, but not so useless when, now, 11 years later (the retinal scan doc was published in 1995) someone wants to MODIFY this program, perhaps adding fluoroscein dye angiography: http://www.vrmny.com/angiography.htm
Where is the original programmer? gone. Where are his notes? none ever existed. Where is his documentation? He wasn't a native speaker, and didn't like English too much.....
How often has this happened? Countless times. The number of stars multiplied by the number of grains of sand, divided by the current population. In essence that was the thrust of the article that introduced this discussion---methods whereby programmers could create deliberately incomprehensible CODE, rather than writing PROGRAMS, that anyone could read and understand.
CODE: pointers--single integer to represent the starting address of an array of location specified not by the programmer but by the operating system or compiler.
Programs: ARRAYS--ACTUAL physical assignment of a specific, fixed locus for a finite, measurable amount of data.
|15 Feb 2006, 22:32
I think that the cause of our problem is here:
mov eax,[ebx]
ebx is a pointer here and you can't read from a memory source without a pointer to it. This is why pointers are neccessary in any language. If this is not the problem....let the debate continue
|16 Feb 2006, 07:56
tom: you can't be serious. OK, i will try to formulate my question once again and clearly:
Note that i am not saying about infinite or unmeasurable input size. You just don't know how big it will be at compile-time.
Method you described (take all memory and use only required part of it) may have worked on DOS, but not on multitasking operating system.
|16 Feb 2006, 11:17
tom tobias
1. The size is NOT UNKNOWN to me. It may well be ERRONEOUS, but it has a size. I don't work with UNDEFINED DATA STRUCTURES. If I don't know the size, I make one up, thereby SQUANDERING precious memory, by having a data structure LARGER than it really needs to be.
2. Real time tasks, like the retinal scan example I gave, do not work well with DOS, or any other desktop operating system. Some folks have succeeded (I have not) to MODIFY desktop operating systems so that they become less ponderous, and more amenable to data gathering: I think Barry Kauler has worked with Linux, to pare it down to a more useable interface:
3. "multitasking" operating systems, at least traditionally, prior to the advent of multicore cpu's, or multiple cpu's on the same motherboard, really ran SINGLE tasks sequentially, with interrupts tricking the human nervous system, so that the operator imagines that several different activities operate concurrently. ANY SINGLE TASK then, has the same opportunity to employ or disregard pointers, as the architect wishes. I choose to disregard pointers, and the indirection addressing modes offered by the Intel cpu. When accessing a data element from an array, I do not employ pointers. I do not write programs with arrays of unspecified length, leaving it to FASM or some C compiler to determine where the data rests in memory. In my programs, I decide, not Bill Gates, where my data structures are located.
|16 Feb 2006, 12:18
Tomasz Grysztar
The problem lies here also in finding the difference between the array index and the pointer. When you've got the address of some array in EBX and access its fifth byte this way:
mov al,[ebx+5]
you're definitely employing the pointer, since EBX is pointer to the array.
But when you've got an array at address 5, and in EBX you've got the index into this array (like when making a "for" loop to go through the whole array), this:
mov al,[5+ebx]
is the instruction that uses the direct addressing, and EBX serves only the role of index.
The machine code in both cases is the same, it's their interpretation that differes.
Actually a pointer from the assembly point of view can be treated to be just an index into the array of bytes that compose the whole memory. And the assembly language syntax suggests it. The original Intel syntax was designed to imitate the array_name[index] syntax of some languages. Thus array_name[ebx] in Intel syntax is just the element of array, indexed by EBX. And simple [ebx] is the element of the "all memory array". (Is it what did you mean, Madis731?)
|16 Feb 2006, 12:45
okay, we're getting somewhere.
To the first point: and what does your program do, when real input size shows to be larger than place you reserved?
In my programs, I decide, not Bill Gates, where my data structures are located.
No you don't. Operating system loads your program wherever it wants it.
|16 Feb 2006, 12:46
i think... if pascal is so good, why we dont see the hot stuff (OSes, large database stuffs, etc) coded in pascal, but almost all in c/c++? why peoples end choosing c/c++ over pascal?
and the argument of the power of computers today made pointers obsolete is like saying that, with the power of the engines todays, the round wheels are obsolete, and with a squared wheel the cars will go forward anyway
ps: sorry for my terrible english
|16 Feb 2006, 19:35
tom tobias
"Operating system loads your program wherever it wants it"
Sorry, Vid, no, not with my programs!!!
I tell the cpu exactly where to put all data (fixed addresses!!)
Hmm. Not very modern. Yes, and I like Thoreau too:
(by the way, your English is EXCELLENT!)
your question was very good:
"why peoples end choosing c/c++ over pascal"
Wow, what a neat way to REJOIN the original post to this thread, which tried to explain, somewhat sarcastically, HOW C++ came to be so predominant.
Two comments regarding your very astute inquiry:
Old timers (ok, fuddy duddies like me) but not most of the FASM community, will remember the "good ole days", of CPM: a really nifty operating system for the first generation of affordable desktop computers, released back in the late 1970's. Microsoft with IBM put that puppy to rest permanently!!! Even to this day, if you peruse the internet where old foggies hang out, and raise a question about CPM, there will be archives of vituperative exclamations directed towards you. For, there is little that so arouses the ire of us old folks, like the memory of how that clever bit of software was DESTROYED, not because of some kind of superiority of DOS, compared with CP/M, but because of MONEY--i.e. the point of the humorous article that started this thread. So, in other words, JMGK, a particular implementation of some project, which can probably be accomplished with any language really, appears to the public, including the commercial sector, industry, universities, governments, bookstores, etc, NOT BECAUSE OF ITS intrinsic superiority, but because of financial considerations.
Wirth is European. C was developed at Bell Labs in New Jersey, in the late 1960's, during the war in Viet Nam. Wirth's work was TRANSPARENT, and based on computer science, unlike the hodge podge from the Bell Labs, which would ALWAYS receive praise for opacity and obtuseness. C, and UNIX based upon it, were 100% USA products, not European, like Wirth. Pascal supporters were few and far between in USA, most of them either university faculty, fellow mathematicians, or communists, or all of the above. In those days, (war in Viet Nam) politics played a LARGE role in software development. Given the importance of gaining USA military dollars, folks tended to drift towards the choice of C/UNIX, rather than Pascal, by a ratio of about 1000:1, due to the proverbial expression: BECAUSE THAT's WHERE THE MONEY IS -- the answer to the question posed to a famous bank robber in the 1940's, inquiring about his motivation to rob banks.
So, I would not conclude that Pascal is inferior to C, or C++ based on the existance of commercial projects (which require secrecy, hence INABILITY to READ and comprehend) favoring CODE over PROGRAMS.
However, there was one operating system developed using Pascal, I used it so long ago, I have forgotten what little I once knew about it, but, the point is: there is nothing intrinsically superior about C or C++ compared with Pascal. All of them are much better than the horrible languages I had to learn back in the 1960's: Fortran, Lisp, Cobol and BASIC. None of them are as good as Assembly, in my opinion.
|16 Feb 2006, 23:19
nice, lot of text, but again you omited most important part:
and what does your program do, when real input size shows to be larger than place you reserved?
|17 Feb 2006, 12:48
Heh. As if pascal code was magically easier to read than C/C++ code... you still haven't come with one single objective reason why pascal is better than anything, it's all a bunch of subjective vapor.
And what's with the aversion against pointers / dynamic memory? How are you going to handle, say, a customer system? Set aside memory for 1000 customers and hope that'll be enough? Which would use 10x more memory than needed for 100 customers, and fail for 10.000, or even 1001 customers?
|02 Mar 2006, 14:38
tom tobias
Welcome back Fudder!
Addressing your second point first:
memory useage in a customer tracking system, for example, some small enterprise, somewhere, wishes to keep a mailing list of customers with names, addresses, telephone numbers, and products of interest, including dates when contact was made, and the nature of the inquiry.
suppose 10 kilobytes of data, (about 5 pages of text)
with a list of 100 million customers, or potential customers, gosh, that's ONE GIGABYTE of memory.
Not many companies in the world have a list of customers larger than 100 million.
In 1970 or 1980, or even 1990, in fact, right up to 1999, that would be an UNIMAGINABLY LARGE data base for a desktop computer.
In 2006, a person would be unwise to purchase a desktop computer with LESS than a gigabyte of memory, and MOST motherboards sold today support 4 gigabytes of RAM.
So, I see no justification for writing CODE using pointers, instead of writing PROGRAMS with named ARRAYS, defined in the data section, PRIOR to writing any "code", (i.e. JUST THE EXACT opposite of what is "normally" done, at least on this forum). First define the data structures, then develop the algorithm = PROGRAM.
Mishmash a bunch of pointers here and there, add a dash of arithmetic to the pointers, omit any pattern to the resultant "code"--with data intermixed with instructions, and one cooks up an UNINTERPRETABLE mess, impossible to decipher or digest.
|02 Mar 2006, 16:15
tom tobias: what is more important for you? Better program, or easier process of creating program? And what do you think is more important to people who use that program (majority)?
|02 Mar 2006, 16:29
tom tobias
Vid, your questions, as usual, are very appropriate, and worthy of a more profound answer than I am capable of providing.
I mentioned in a recent post, on another thread, the tragic, and unexpected death of a great assembly language programmer, scholar, and teacher, Dr. S. Dandamudi. Here is a powerpoint presentation from one of his recent books:
I am not citing Dr. Dandamudi's famous publications as some sort of vindication of my arguments, on the contrary, I suppose one could examine his writing and find criticism of, rather than support for, some of my wilder notions. No, I am not including this reference to suggest that my thinking is "mainstream", or something of that sort. No, I simply think that Dr. Dandamudi's writings, following the traditions elaborated by many scholars and teachers before him, some of whom, like Knuth and Wirth, are well known to participants of this forum, deserve a broader audience than exists at present. I have uploaded a jpeg copy of page 262 from his book on Assembly language programming from 2005, dealing with a variant of insertion sort algorithm. The whole module is not there, just an extract, to ensure that there are no copyright violations. The point is, I think glancing at this extract, one understands immediately, the distinction between writing CODE, and writing PROGRAMS.
Hope this helps address your questions.
|02 Mar 2006, 17:11
how about shrinking image so it will become readable?
|02 Mar 2006, 17:31
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Grandma is an ornery, chain-smoking Chinese grandmother with a small-time gambling habit. When a local fortune-teller predicts a most auspicious day in her future, Grandma decides to go "all in" and lands herself on the wrong side of luck, and in the middle of a Chinese gang war.
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About Yoga Therapy
What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga therapy uses the tools and techniques of yoga (movement, breathing practices, deep relaxation and meditation techniques) to focus on an individual's or small groups needs. Practices are adapted to the client's particular health issues, schedules and frequency of visits.
Complementary, not diagnostic.
Yoga therapists do not diagnose health issues. The goals of a yoga therapist include working with healthcare professionals who have diagnosed medical issues and consider yoga to be a complementary therapy.
Yoga therapists listen
Yoga therapists will also listen to individuals concerns and work with them to teach them practices that they can do on their own.
Here are some of the health issues that I have had positive results with using yoga and mindfulness techniques:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Anger Management
- Memory Issues
- Panic Attacks
- Chronic Pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Cancer Recovery
- Back Pain
- Multiple Sclerosis
- High Functioning Autism
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
Nancy Sinton – Yoga Therapist
Complete wellbeing
Improving mental, physical & emotional health
The movements, breathing exercises, relaxation and meditation techniques are helpful for improving:
- Overall stress response (immune, endocrine and nervous system all working together)
- Sleep issues
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- Focus & Concentration
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- Constipation
- Weight Management
Learn More about Breathlink Yoga Therapy
About Breathlink Yoga Therapy
Breathlink Yoga Therapy uses the tools & techniques of yoga and mindfulness to enhance and restore general health and wellbeing at all levels of a person.
Yoga Therapy for Health Issues
Further Resources
Recommendations from Nancy for use in your home practice. These music tracks, books and websites have a rich font of information to assist in restoring your health and energy.


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wazifa for marriage 2018
These are the best wazifa for marriage problem solution such as marriage proposals,marriage soon,early marriage,successful marriage,quick marriage,arranged marriage,second marriage and removing all kind of hurdles in marriage.
The quick marriage solution is to recite sura rahman each day for 11 times in such a way that when word"fabeayeala e rabbe ka ma tukazeban" shall be read repeatedly for21 times ,and during this wazeefa one shall stay clean and shall say his/her prayers 5 times a day and read the protection verses for best results.
wazifa for marriage proposal:
If some one is having trouble in getting married and is finding no suitable match then no worries do this powerful wazifa to get married quickly ,take a golden paper with white front and on sunday or thursday in the hour of moon right surah al-fatih on it wazefa for marriage:with saffron and rose water.now recite the same surah for 141 times and blow it on paper and tie it to your right arm for beat rsults.
Wazeefa for marriage soon:
If some one wants to get married soon and remove the obstacles coming in the way shall preform the following ,read surah muzamil for 7 times after each prayer for a week,just keeping your goal in mind and realizing that all the problems will vanish and belive and strong will is keyto the success.
wazifa for early marriage:
This is a famous remedy for an early marriage and if the relationship is not working well and a marriage has been done in early age.take a piece of white cloth and infuse it with smell or rose incense.now write sura hadeed on it with a red marker and read same on itfor 313 times ,now rub it onyour body over the clothes and burn it ,do this for a week and every thing will be fine.
Wazeefa for quick marriage:
Here is a golden vazeefa for quick marriage,get 3 eggs from a black hen,shallbe pure black and write write surah kosar in the numerical way in the fire element,now write the name and name of the person who wants to marryand bury it in sand in a claypot and put it on fire for three days.now throw it in the well and your desired results will be there.
best wazifa for marriage:
The most result oriented and old arabic vazefa for marriage is to read gods own personal name"isme-zaat" for 5000 times after each prayer and you will besurprised to see that how spiritual help comes your way.but you have to be clean and wear clean clothes and say your prayers regularly for the results to be there.many people have done this with successful results,at least do it for 41 days.
king wazifa for arranged marriage:
This is called the king because it is more powerful than any other wazifa and plus it works forboth love and arranged marriage.for this pourpose a group of people sits together in a room with a clean atmosphere and a pleasant incense shall be burning which shall facilitate the process of positive energies.now you have to read the ayat kareema for 125000 times in one sitting and by doing this your desired wish will come true.
wazifa for removing hurdles in marriage:
Today many people faces hurdles in marriage ,to remove these problems if the last verses of surah baqarah are recited for 11 times after each prayer all sort of problems and hurdles will be eliminated by an unseen force.
islamic wazefa for marriage:
This is the best practice if some one can afford umrah,when he reaches to kabbah and his first sees it pray for his/her marriage and send drouaud to the prophet and recite surah fatiha 7 times and surah qul for 11 times then 7 salams from the quran.no doubt his wish will come true very soon.
roohani wazifa for marriage:
At night choose a separate room for your enchantmentand prepare it as it makes you feel comfortable and fully relaxed,now sit in yoga position and close your eyes and breath from your nose keeping your mouth shut for 10 mins this will make all your thoughts of the day go away,now concentrate on your subject inhaling word Allah inside and imagine it glowing on your heart,just do this for few days and see the results.
wazeefa for second marriage:
If some one is looking for second marriage then he shall first take permission from his first wife and shallsee that if he can give both of them equal rights then do this wazifa for success in marriage,reciting surah muzammil 101 times daily will bring him good luck and fortune in marriage.


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Last Updated on by
Regardless of what happens in life there's one thing we can guarantee – we're all going to age! When I was really young preventing lines and wrinkles wasn't exactly at the forefront of my mind. I had more important things to think about like preventing spots or trying out new makeup looks. However, once I started beauty school that all changed. We would have anti-ageing advice drilled into us day in, day out. Now I'm a lot older I'm so grateful because I took everything onboard and still to this day people I meet look shocked when I tell them my age. When I look in the mirror I don't really see it myself, but it happens so often that I have to believe it. If what they say is true, it's either down to good genes or the following advice….
Deep Hydration Mask: Courtesy of VERSO
Cleanse, tone and moisturise twice daily
If you're a regular reader you must be fed up of me saying this by now, but it really is the key to helping prevent lines and wrinkles and to having beautiful, healthy looking skin. Don't forget to use a good eye cream too!
Look after your neck
So many of my clients used to tell me they didn't put any creams on their neck! Seriously, what's that all about? Have you ever looked at an old person's neck? Even when they are botoxed and fillered up to the max, the neck always gives the game away. When it comes to this area prevention really is better than cure. Make sure you include this area in your daily routine.
Use SPF all year round
Most people probably assume we should only use SPF on a hot summers day, but the truth is the sun can damage our skin all year round. To avoid premature ageing and wrinkles apply an SPF of at least 15 whenever you go outside. You'll be protecting it from all types of weather, including the cold and wind. My current favourite product for this is La Roche-Posay Anthelios Dry Touch Gel.
Use a body lotion daily
It's not just the skin on our face that ages. Look for a moisturiser that helps to tone, repair and nourish the skin on your body to help prevent saggy skin.
Eat well
Some foods are proven to combat the ageing process. My favourite is tomatoes. They're packed with Vitamin C which helps skin to build collagen. I eat baby plum tomatoes like they're sweets! I just love them so much. Others include berries which help cell renewal and avocados which are anti-ageing due to something called glutathione. Another fave of mine is oranges – again for the Vitamin C. I used to have a massive picture of a beautiful lady and some oranges in the salon (it was for a Vitamin C Collagen Facial that I offered) and this was such a good reminder to eat oranges as often as I can!
Avoid sunbeds
I've never used a sunbed and never will. They're so bad for your skin, and this is another thing they drill into you when you study beauty therapy via NVQ. What might seem like a short-term fix for a golden glow will lead you to a one way ticket to skin like Madge from Benidorm in the long run. Try using fake tan instead. My personal favourite is Self Tan Express Mousse by St Tropez.
Protect your face in the sun
It's a good idea to keep your face in the shade where possible, after all as I said previously – you can easily fake your tan, but how are you going to undo a load of lines and wrinkles? It's just not worth it. Who wants a face that looks like an old leather handbag? Not me for sure!
Don't smoke
There's nothing like a good cigarette to reduce your collagen and deplete your body of Vitamin C. When it comes to ageing, smoking really is the worst! Constant puckering of those lips will lead to lines too. If you don't believe me, have a look at someone who's been smoking for years. You'll see exactly what I mean.
Drink alcohol in moderation
Excessive drinking can definitely lead to premature ageing of the skin. It's so dehydrating and can lead to diminished collagen, a complexion that looks sallow and dilated blood vessels. This is never going to be good.
Be aware of facial expressions
I always thought this one was a little over the top, but still the people that teach this stuff have a point. Just like when a smoker ends up with lines around their mouth, someone that constantly frowns will undoubtedly get more lines in certain areas. I guess the same could go for smiling too though, so maybe we'll just stop right here….
What do you think of the anti-ageing tips I learnt at beauty school? Could they be true, or is younger looking skin simply down to good genes?
Carly x
Snapchat: carlysusanne
Add me if you like!
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* Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links *


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Organisers of TEDxBodija have announced that human performance consultant by profession and vocational motivational speaker, Awesome Joshua will be speaking at this year's edition holding this weekend October 18 at Nu Streams Conference Center Ibadan.
For more than a decade, Joshua has been delivering speeches at seminars, sessions and summits. He is also an emcee and comperes to events locally and internationally. In all, he has coached more than 100,000 persons including professionals.
Joshua is a member of the US-based International Society For Performance Improvements (ISPI); he is also a member of Professional Speakers Association Of Southern Africa (PSASA).
He is the Founder and Executive member of the Motivational Speakers Network (MSN) Nigeria. He is also the Managing Consultant of Awesome Associates, Lagos, Nigeria, and Awesome Impact Media CC South Africa.
He describes himself as a proud Diplomat/Ambassador of Nigeria that had successfully taken the Nigerian flag to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Joshua will be joining other speakers at TEDxBodija 2014. They include Bryce Edem from the United Kingdom, and Nigeria's hip hop music superstar Reminisce.


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Plenty of you disappointed when Samsung's Galaxy Nexus car dock for the Verizon LTE version of the phone turned out to be less of a dock and more of a snugly-fitting piece of plastic. So far Verizon customers haven't been able to take advantage of the three electrical contacts on the left side of the phone at all. Though Google states (emphatically and repeatedly) that the docks on the Google Play Store are for the GSM model only, at least one LTE Gnex owner on XDA got it to work.
According to XDA member Wade-0, the LTE model will indeed fit into the GSM car dock, even with the popular extended battery in place. The biggest problem is that the volume rocker is slightly depressed when doing so, an issue that Wade got around by slicing a small part of the plastic off. There's also a little bit of confusion over whether or not the phone will actually charge, since he's got custom kernel that allows faster charging via USB. (Good on ya.)
Other small issues like the dock partially blocking the camera and auxiliary port can probably be solved in the same fashion, so long as you're OK with taking a knife to your $54 car dock. Based on this, I think I'll just stick with the dock I've got now for my personal vehicle. Ain't it a shame that all this could have been avoided if Samsung had done right by Verizon customers in the first place?
[device id=2091]
[via Droid-Life]


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Lone Stranger
The Brandon Teena story
By Scott Heller
OCTOBER 25, 1999: In nowheresville Nebraska, Brandon Teena was the coolest guy around. Small in stature, he'd stand up to bullies who harassed a girl minding her own business at a bar. He could take a beating, dust himself off, and ask for more. The next day he'd wear his shiner like a badge of honor.
And, man, when it came to girls, Brandon could walk the walk and talk the talk. He had a smile like the high beams on a Cadillac, and a jawline worthy of a baby Marine. For all his braggadocio, though, he knew what girls really liked -- the little gifts, the sweet whispers, the tender way of making love.
The only this is, Brandon Teena wasn't Brandon at all. He was Teena Brandon, a confused teenager who spent a few reckless, glorious years pretending to be a boy, seducing a girl named Lana and an entire community along the way. Then the shit hit the fan. This truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story exploded into national news in 1993, when two ex-cons were arrested for the Christmas-eve rape and murder of Brandon/Teena.
From the grim wake of a hate crime, first-time director Kimberly Peirce has fashioned a harrowing yet often lyrical film. For better and worse, Peirce considers Brandon Teena a hero -- a girl who transcended her crummy circumstances to make just the life she wanted and was punished for it. Whether Brandon was a lesbian who couldn't deal or a transsexual who couldn't afford the operation is beside the point to Peirce and co-screenwriter Andy Bienen. Aided by a tremendous performance by Hilary Swank, they depict Brandon as Thelma, Louise, and James Dean rolled into one -- an American outlaw fearlessly crossing the gender frontier.
Boys Don't Cry smartly dispenses with the details of impersonation at the start. We meet Brandon as he's about to meet a girl for a date at the roller rink. Despite warnings from his cousin, Brandon is committed to the ruse. Hair cut short, a sock stuffed down below, he checks himself in the mirror and likes what he sees. Known (if she's known at all) for throwaway roles in The Next Karate Kid and Beverly Hills 90210), Swank is a revelation as Brandon. The key to the characterization: Brandon doesn't just want to be a boy -- he wants to be a cowboy. Swank nails the cocksure attitude, Brandon's ability to lie and cheat his way out of any mess. But through nervous glances and overeager smiles, the actress lets you see Brandon's nagging fear that the whole charade will fall apart.
As the film proceeds toward its inexorable conclusion, I wondered whether Brandon Teena could have escaped his fate had he hopped a Greyhound and headed to New York. Instead, his horizons went no farther than Nebraska. When life gets uncomfortable in Lincoln, he hits the road and ends up in the even more godforsaken Falls City. There he falls in with a misshapen family of outsiders who offer comfort and, ultimately, spell his doom. Looked after by the lady everyone calls Mom (a bruised Jeannetta Arnette), Brandon becomes a sidekick to John (Peter Sarsgaard) and Tom (Brendan Sexton III), a pair of criminal waste cases who drift in and out of Mom's home. Brandon's fatal mistake is to fall in love with Lana Tisdel (Chloë Sevigny), Mom's daughter and John's on-and-off girlfriend. Slouchy and sloe-eyed, Sevigny plays Lana like Veronica Lake chained to a trailer park. She's the girl who knows this is nowhere and hopes that Brandon can be her ticket to somewhere, anywhere else. Peirce stages their meeting, courtship, and sex as otherworldly. Time stops when Brandon watches Lana aimlessly sing karaoke with her friends. It's Romeo and Juliet all over again when he gazes from below as she smokes a cigarette in the blue glow of the factory where she works nights.
The film's penchant for romanticizing Brandon and Lana is both its most audacious move and its biggest problem. A 1997 documentary called The Brandon Teena Story took the opposite tack, tersely chronicling the before-and-after of a shocking crime. I found it seriously unsatisfying; it never really explained what made Brandon tick and how he pulled off his biggest tricks. Boys Don't Cry creates a compelling Brandon and even a Lana you can believe would stand by him despite mounting evidence of his deceptions. But the film's dreamy streak made me uncomfortable; the story of Brandon Teena is as sad as they come, not a cause for any kind of rejoicing.
Don't get the wrong idea: a film that culminates in a ferocious rape and
devastating murder is by no means celebratory. Yet Peirce closes Boys Don't
Cry with the image of Lana behind the wheel, highway lights streaking as
she races away to somewhere better. An end title tells us otherwise: the real
Lana Tisdel ended up pretty much back where she started, with a baby in tow and
without Brandon Teena to persuade her that dreams were worth holding onto.
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