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Wilfrid Laurier University Leaf
October 21, 2017
Canadian Excellence

Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work

The Purity Myth: How Our Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Women

A Film Screening and Panel
Mar 19/13

Date: Mar 19/13
Time: 12:10 - 13:30
Location: 120 Duke Street West, Kitchener, Room 101
Cost: Free

The United States is obsessed with virginity, from the media to schools to government agencies. The Purity Myth is an important and timely critique of why this is so, and why it's problematic for girls and women. Analyzing cultural stereotypes and media messages, Jessica Valenti reveals the overt and hidden ways our society links a woman's worth to her sexuality rather than to values like honesty, kindness and altruism.

Brown bag. Light refrehments provided.

Registration is not required.

Contact: Iryna Balytska
Phone: N/A

View all Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work events


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My Year as a Tenant 2015

2015 has been a rollercoaster year of highs and lows for me as a social housing tenant.

In January I entered my final semester of my master’s degree in Housing Practice at the University of Westminster.  Having been studying since my youngest was 8-months old I could finally see a life beyond motherhood, scrutiny and studies.  In early March the Homes for Britain’s Betsy-the-Bus visited Witney, West Oxfordshire.  It was exciting for my boys and me to have the relay baton visit us at our Cottsway home and attend the Homes for Britain rally in Witney – hosted by Cottsway Housing Association.

I was also fortunate to attend the Homes for Britain Housing Rally, in London, 17th March 2015.  I felt like I was part of and witness to a significant time of change within the sector – I was a part of the ‘rally cry’ and there seemed to be a united positivity permeating the air.  It felt like I was in the middle of history being made.

Then the election happened!

No one anticipated or imagined the outcome.  The pollster’s predictions were extraordinarily wrong and I felt as if the housing sector took a sharp intake of breath in anticipation of what was to happen next.

Against this new political backdrop, my dissertational research began.  I wanted to research the benefits to residents from being involved with their landlord.  The Amicus Horizon DCLG report and the Tenants Leading Change report had recently been published, both of which had made a strong business case for landlords to involve residents throughout all aspects of the business to help shape and streamline services.  After my experience with Cottsway’s Resident Scrutiny Panel and the myriad of benefits I have gained through my involvement I wanted to know if other involved residents had experienced the same benefits or if I was an anomaly.  I am currently writing a 6-page brief for publication on my research findings for both TPAS & HQN, and I am looking forward to speaking on my research at the TPAS AGM in London, in December.

Shortly before my dissertation deadline August 12th I received a letter from the Job Centre Plus (JCP) for an appointment on August 13th.   The jubilation of my MA accomplishment was quickly overshadowed by my fear of benefit sanctions if I didn’t find work right away.  I didn’t have a moment to take a breath when I was thrust into the reality of what so many others on benefits have been experiencing – ardently looking for work enveloped in the fear of the threat of benefits being sanction if unsuccessful.   The usual 6-month review had now turned into every 3 months.

The reality of looking for work as a single mother, living in social housing and desperately wanting to come off of benefits, is hard.

Trying to balance the desire for a career, a need to work, with the reality and demands of being a lone parent – all the while feeling the breath of the government looking over my shoulder thinking I should be doing better and the fear of being sanctioned.   Osborne’s summer budget – cutting working tax credits and the pay-to-stay penalty if I earn more than £30,000.00 per year – has made me question what have I worked this hard for?

My life goal was not to be a single mum, living in social housing and on benefits.  However I refused to allow my new situation to be my forever reality.

I found my passion through my RSP involvement and studying for my MA.  The quandary that I now find myself in, with the governmental legislation, is I cannot receive more than £20,000.00 in benefits per year, however; once I start work I am penalised with a reduction in working tax credits, and furthermore; if I earn more than £30,000.00, I will be penalised once again having to ‘pay-to-stay’ in my home with a market rent.   I happen to live in one of the most affluent areas outside of London and my rent would increase by several hundred pounds per month.  This begs the question why would I spend £850 plus a month on rent when I could exercise my ‘right-to-buy’ which (after some preliminary research) could potentially reduce my market-rent significantly.  This makes no sense to me!   If these measures become a reality I would have no other choice but to invoke my ‘right-to-buy’.  The government asserts it wants to encourage and reward ‘hard working’ citizens, however; its policies revealed in the budget do not align with this proclamation.

I am grateful for my home and being provided with a safe place for me the raise my boys.  I have been working hard to better my circumstances for my children and I feel now I am ready to re-enter the work place I find myself in a catch-22 with the moving goal posts of housing policy.

I am passionate about housing and the work we do in our sector and I want to be able to give back without being penalised for it.

this article was first published by 24 Housing, December 2015

‘As I was watching the summer budget, I actually wept’

My thoughts on Pay-to-Stay

pay to stay

It is my understanding that the government’s ethos has been focused on getting people back into work and off state benefits; through their Welfare to Work programme, by making benefit claimants more accountable to the government, by frequently reassessing eligibility with the claimant, and having to prove that you are actively looking for work.

As a lone parent of two young boys – my youngest just turned 4 in June – I have turned up every six months for my job centre interview to check in on my journey to re-enter the work place. This has been a requirement of me to receive benefits. As I have been in graduate school the last three years the story has been the same:

‘Yes! I am still at University and the day I hand in my dissertation is on August 12th 2015 and my graduation is in November’.

A few weeks before my deadline, I received an appointment letter calling me in for an interview on August 13th, the very next day after my submission. Not only did I have the stress of completing my research whilst juggling two small boys, I now had to manage the fear of my benefits being somehow sanctioned if the job centre employee, behind the desk, decided I wasn’t working hard enough to demonstrate my willingness to work. I felt the DWP’s noose tightening around my neck. Furthermore, as a lone parent – it was slap bang in the middle of the summer holidays so I had to arrange childcare. I was full of anxiety as I attended the interview. They now want to see me every three months instead of six; they are keeping the pressure on to make sure I am looking for work.

The irony is I do want to work. Since becoming a single parent I have looked at ways to maximise my employability in anticipation of my children starting full time education. I volunteered and became involved with my HA’s Resident Scrutiny Panel in 2011, when I was still pregnant with my youngest. I even took him to meetings when he was a baby.
I have just successfully passed my MA degree and was even awarded the Chartered Institute of Housing Prize for Best Dissertation. I feel I have done everything in my power to improve my employability.

As I was watching the summer budget, I actually wept. I have just spent the last three years studying in a field that the Chancellor – in one wave of his hand – just literally smashed with a giant hammer!

Our sector is currently in crisis mode, looking for ways to absorb the one-per-cent rent reduction that has been imposed. With the inevitable cut-backs, I am fearful of benefit sanctions if I am not successful in securing employment. Conversely, when I do enter employment, I am then faced with the impact of the proposed cuts in working tax credits. It has been rumoured that single working parents will be the hardest hit by these cuts. What’s more; when I start earning above £30,000.00 per year, I will be affected by the ‘Pay-to-Stay’ scheme. However, I happen to live in one of the most expensive places outside of London and if I have to pay the market rent for my two-bed flat, it would almost certainly double my social-rent; if not more. Then the only logical choice I would have would be to invoke my ‘Right-to-Buy’.
With my discount, a mortgage could potentially be cheaper than my current social rent. Is it just me or is this madness to the nth degree? I feel tied up in knots.
I never intended to be a lone parent living in social housing and receiving benefits. My mother unexpectedly passed away almost four years ago – the plan had been for her to help out with childcare. I have worked really hard trying to better myself and the future of my children and there have been a many trade-offs in my attempt to pull myself out of my situation.
The government has now changed the goal posts. When will this lunacy end?

first published by TPAS Tenant Voices 2015

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This is a passage from Olmert's adress to the US congress on May 24th. To this, Olmert added that this conviction alone cannot preserve Israel as a 'secure democratic jewish state'.

On the basis of this assertion, Kathleen Christison raises the moral question of Zionism, not often discussed when adressing the Israeli/Palestinian issue.

Zionism as a moral issue
Christison writes:
''Olmert's assertion of this all-encompassing Jewish "right" is certainly not a new feature of Israeli and Zionist dogma. The notion has underlain Zionism from the beginning, hidden sometimes behind a leftist veneer of accommodation to the reality of the Palestinian presence in this sacred Jewish land, but never very far beneath the surface. The Zionist belief in Jewish supremacy has never truly been hidden. I ran into this in crude form a few years ago. Shortly after the Palestinian intifada began in 2000, an acquaintance -- no friend, but an irritating bigot who always argues Israel's case openly on the basis that Jewish interests are superior to Palestinian interests -- wrote me an email in which he concluded that, because there is "simply not enough room in Palestine for both Jews and Palestinians," the Palestinians should "go back to Jordan, where they came from" and leave Palestine to the Jews, who own it and so badly need a homeland. (The erroneous notion that Palestinians came from Jordan is a conscience-clearing artifact of the Zionist imagination, designed to "prove" that Palestinians did not originally come from Palestine, are simply interlopers in a Jewish land, and therefore will not be hurt or inconvenienced by "going back" where they came from.) I told him he was factually wrong and completely immoral -- which I'm sure did nothing to burden his conscience, but which did serve, blessedly, to end our correspondence.''

''The particular argument put forth by this particular man expresses more crude racism than most supporters of Israel would admit to feeling...At bottom, this is a policy based on the assumption that there is "simply no room in Palestine for both Jews and Palestinians" and that the only possible solution over the long term is for the Palestinians to disappear in some fashion. As the PLO ambassador to the U.S., Afif Safieh, is fond of saying, Israel wants the Palestinians' geography but not their demography -- the land but not the people.''

Options for the disappearance of Palestinians:
''This Palestinian disappearance can be accomplished in one of several ways, by Israeli calculation. First, they could be induced to leave Palestine altogether; Israel has been working since its creation on some version of this option -- outright expulsion, as occurred in 1948, or inducing a "voluntary" exit by making life insupportable, as is occurring today -- as the best way to relieve itself of the Palestinian "problem." Or, as a second option, the Palestinians could be forced into submission; this has been the fate of the 20 percent of Israel's population that is Palestinian, and it was the fate of West Bank-Gaza Palestinians during the first 20 years of the occupation when they were quiescent under Israeli control. This option is no longer feasible from Israel's standpoint, however, since there are now or soon will be more Palestinians than Jews in Palestine, which makes the job of forcing submission too unseemly for a state claiming to be democratic. Or, as a third option, the Palestinians could be lulled into a political submissiveness that leads them, out of desperation, to accede to every Israeli condition; this is what Yasir Arafat did by signing on to the Oslo agreement and recognizing Israel's "right" to exist, thus giving away all the Palestinians' negotiating cards without securing in return any Israeli agreement to do more than conduct negotiations.''

Guess which option Israel is pursuing now ?

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Since March 29th 2006


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Remembering To Laugh

Have you ever wondered how your mood or attitude can affect someone else? I know it does for me. I could be having the best day and then I come across a rude store clerk and it just gets my goat. Rudeness is just about my biggest pet peeve, but I am learning to go above that. When I feel the rage climbing into my head (more often than not it’s prednisone induced), I close my eyes, take a few deep breaths and let it go.

The other day I went to the pharmacy to pick up one of my dogs’ medicine (He has a heart problem too!), and I was having a very hectic day, and was in a couple of stores already where I had to deal with a couple of semi rude store clerks (it seems I attract them*), and the man at the pharmacy counter asked me very seriously for my dog’s “pawbile” number. I was a bit confused at first and then I realized the pun. Then one after the other with a very serious face, he kept giving me pun after pun and I literally burst out laughing.

I had not laughed that much with a stranger. I listen to a lot of comedy radio** and I laugh with my wife and friends, but I don’t think I ever laughed with a stranger like that. It was as if my guides were telling him to show me not to take the day and people so seriously. Just that two or three-minute interaction changed my day around completely and it reminded me that if ever I am having what I think is a tough day, just turn on some comedy radio and just laugh. It will change everything. Laughter is always the best medicine.

*I once learned that the more you resist something, the more it would push back at you to teach you how to deal with it. My pet peeve is rudeness, so I find that i constantly come across rude people to teach me how to deal with it in a positive way. It’s a tough lesson, but I am getting there slowly.

** If you are interested in comedy radio for some levity, there are a few stations on satellite radio, but if you don’t subscribe, the Pandora app, which is free has a station as well as Amazon Music if you subscribe to Prime. It really helps the time pass happily in traffic if you are alone.

Please feel free to leave a comment, and although they are appreciated, please note that I may not be able to respond to all comments

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Language translation service Google Translate has added the ability to automatically detect the source language, streamlining translations when you don't recognize the language. When you stumble onto a foreign language web site, the most difficult part of using sites like Google Translate is that you often don't know what the source language is. Google Translate's new Detect Language feature removes this limitation altogether, so translations are quicker and easier. Apart from the new auto-detection, Google Translate has also added support for nine new languages, and can translate from any one of them to any other. Not bad.

Google Translate [via Google Operating System]


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gluten free · Italian Food · Vegan

What do you get when…

What do you get when you mix eggplant, marinated sun dried tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, chick peas and cauliflower? Absolute deliciousness, that’s what!

Yesterday, I picked three eggplants from our garden along with an abundance of peppers. I wanted to use them in something summery and light. I had a cauliflower in the fridge along with sun dried tomatoes and chick peas in the pantry so, I concocted what I’m calling sun dried tomato roasted eggplant cauliflower rice. Whew!

The key to this recipe is roasting the eggplant and chick peas in the sun dried tomato marinate. Plus, the Italian seasoning really compliments the roasted eggplant by bringing the flavor to the forefront of this recipe.

  • 3 Ichiban eggplants diced into cubes
  • 1 hot banana pepper chopped (heat optional)
  • 6 Shishito sweet peppers chopped (or  1.5 bell peppers if that’s what you have on hand)
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3-5 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 head of cauliflower riced in the food processor
  • 1 jar of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil (8.5 ounce jar I suggest julienne so you don’t have to cut them)
  • 1 can of chick peas
  • Italian seasoning
  • Red pepper flake (optional)

  • Place the cubed eggplant in a large bowl and coat with the sun dried tomato marinate. Then place parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Next, pour eggplant on to the parchment covered cookie sheet. Cook for 15 minutes on 425. Then add the chick peas to the mix along with some more olive oil marinate. Cook for another 15 minutes.
  • Chop the peppers, dice the onions and mince the garlic. Saute the peppers and onions in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes) add the garlic and saute for another two minutes. Set this mixture aside.
  • Then, rice the head of  cauliflower in a food processor. I do this in small batches to ensure all the cauliflower gets riced.
  • Next, saute the cauliflower with about 1/2 jar of sun dried tomatoes and olive oil. This will take about five minutes. Place this mixture in a large mixing bowl. Add the pepper mixture and then them roasted eggplant chickpea mixture. Add some Italian seasoning and salt to taste. I added a shake or two of red pepper flake too. I like things spicy.

You can serve this warm or chilled. I prefer it warm. Enjoy!

Please make sure that all of your ingredients are gluten free. Just because ingredients are listed  does not insinuate that they are gluten free. Please make sure you choose the appropriate ingredients for your audience of tasters. Kroger has a wonderful list on their website (71 pages) of all the gluten free items in their stores.

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Fun Questions Tag!

I find tag posts and tag videos so much fun to watch because I get to learn more about the person making or writting them. Tag posts are a great way to get to know a blogger so I thought since I’m new here a fun questions tag would be a great way for you to get to know me.

Question 1
When is your birthday?
My birthday is on 11th of July.

Question 2
What are your 3 favourite colours?
Black, Burgandy and Rose gold are my current favourites.

Question 3
What are your 2 favourite quotes?
I’m a big fan of quotes by Dr. Seuss because I think they are fun but very relatable. My favourites are You know your in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams and To the world you are one person but to one person you are the world.

Question 4
What are your 6 favourite youtubers?
Ciaoobelllaxo, makeupbytiffanyd, Kendra Atkins, britneyandbaby, Casey Holmes and Dulce Candy.

Question 5
What are 3 qualities you like in a friend?
Loyalty, genuine and supportive.

Question 6
Do you like your name?

Question 7
What is your dream job?
To own my own makeup studio.

Question 8
What makes you angry?
Violence and rudeness.

Question 9
What makes you happy?
To see people who are important to me smile.

Question 10
What are your 3 favourite snacks?
Any flavour Sensations crisps,crunchy chocolate bar and flapjacks.

Question 11
What are your 3 favourite drinks?
Ice tea, coffee and hot chocolate.

Question 12
3 random facts about you?
My star sign is cancer,my shoe size is uk 3 and my birthstone is a ruby.

Question 13
What are your 3 favourite things to do?
Watch youtube videos,read blogs and relax on the sofa with a good movie.

I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about me? If theres is anyone out there that has any questions then just write them in the comments and I will answer them.

3 thoughts on “Fun Questions Tag!

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I woke up to a dramatization…

I woke up to a dramatization about David being confronted by Nathan the Prophet (2 Samuel 12). Nathan told David a story about 2 men, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had vast flocks and herds, the poor man only possessed a little lamb that he bought and cared for as if it was his own daughter. A traveler visited the rich man who refused to pick from his own exceeding flock to prepare a meal for him (the traveler), but he (the rich man) took the poor man’s only lamb and prepared it for the traveler. David exploded with anger and made a decree saying to Nathan “As ADONAI lives, the man who did this deserves to die! For doing such a thing, he has to pay back four times the value of the lamb and also because he had no pity.” Nathan allowed David to finish and said “You are the man!”

2 points to ponder:

1. What sin, accusations, or exposure of other people’s sins have you become aware of through gossip, the media or even the most reliable source where you rushed to judgment and/or made a decree, just like David did (not realizing Nathan was referring to him)?

2. What are the areas of sin in your life where the Holy Spirit and even your very own conscience have been speaking to you to stop, yet you refuse?

I pray if this is you, Father God, in His mercy, will send a Nathan to confront you and that you will respond like David did and repent!!!

Read and meditate on 2 Samuel 12 and Psalms 51.

If you have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, simply invite Him into your heart. Romans 10:9-13: that if you acknowledge publicly with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord and trust in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be delivered. For with the heart one goes on trusting and thus continues toward righteousness, while with the mouth one keeps on making public acknowledgement and thus continues toward deliverance. For the passage quoted says that everyone who rests his trust on Him will not be humiliated. That means that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – ADONAI is the same for everyone, rich toward everyone who calls on Him, since everyone who calls on the name of ADONAI will be delivered.

Family Discussion

My family became engaged in a conversation last night regarding the hubbub around the prediction that judgment day or the rapture of the Church is going to occur on May 21, 2011, and the end of the world is going to take place on October 21, 2011. I posed the question to everyone “if this prediction is true, what does this mean to you?”

For the sake of clarity, I do not accept the notion that any man knows the exact day and time of Yeshua’s (Jesus’) return.

Everyone expressed how they would want to repent of any sins they have committed; those wrongdoings they were aware of; and those acts they may not have recognized as sin before a holy God. My older children communicated (if this prediction is indeed true) they would want to take this period of time (between yesterday and May 21st), to “get things together.” After inquiring about what “things” they needed to “get together” and having a time of repentance, I took the opportunity to share with them…

The greatest concern with providing a specific date and/or time regarding Messiah’s return is this: What makes any of us so certain we are going to wake up and see tomorrow (let alone May 21st)? As a matter of fact, how do we even know we are going to rise up from this table at this very moment? What guarantees do we have that Jesus is not going to part the sky tonight and return for us? James 4:13-16 (KJV) Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. The Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) reads: Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such a city, stay there a year trading and make a profit”! You don’t even know if you will be alive tomorrow! For all you are is a mist that appears for a little while and then disappears. Instead, you ought to say, “If ADONAI wants it to happen, we will live” to do this or that. But as it is, in your arrogance you boast. All such boasting is evil.

What authority do any of us have to think we have the exact timing of His return determined? Was the precise date given by revelation of the Holy Spirit or were these calculations formulated by man’s so called intellect? Far too often people spend too much time claiming to understand the things of God from an intellectual standpoint. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (CJB) Now the natural man does not receive the things from the Spirit of God – to him they are nonsense! Moreover, he is unable to grasp them, because they are evaluated through the Spirit. I do firmly believe Jesus’ return is imminent (Mark 14:61-62)! No one can accurately articulate the exact day or hour.

The main point I wish to convey here is – stop taking things for granted! The only way to be prepared for either His return, or your departure from this life, is to accept Yeshua (Jesus) as your Lord and Savior. Confess this with your mouth and believe this in your heart that Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb for your sins and that He paid the complete penalty for you (Romans 10:9-10). Acceptance of Him and His sacrifice is the only way you can be reconciled to God! Invite Jesus into your heart right now! Make Him Lord over every area of your life! Renounce and repent of your sins and, while you are here, live (daily) a lifestyle that is pleasing to God. Do not ever assume you have time to get yourself together – you may not. Jesus said in Matthew 25:13 (KJV) Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.


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Friday, October 16, 2009

Hayride in winter weather!

I took my classes and their parents on a field trip to the pumpkin patch today for a hayride. Good grief, it was windy and bitterly cold. Of course that didn't stop the children from playing in the inflatable fun house, spook house, corn maze and at the playground. The baby barnyard animals were precious. I wanted to scoop the bunnies up. The three piglets were piled one on top the other; there was a pink one, a white one and a brown one with black polka dots which made the kids laugh. When the billy goat head butted a chicken the kids cackled. The chicken skittered away unhurt.

My feet were so cold, I couldn't feel my toes. That triggered a childhood memory. My mom used to say, "My feet are like ice cakes." I loved words even then and wondered if there literally were ice cakes or if she meant just the opposite of hot cakes. Grin!

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Table of contents

  1. Front Matter
    Pages i-ix
  2. Gilbert B. Forbes
    Pages 1-4
  3. Gilbert B. Forbes
    Pages 5-100
  4. Gilbert B. Forbes
    Pages 101-124
  5. Gilbert B. Forbes
    Pages 169-195
  6. Gilbert B. Forbes
    Pages 196-208
  7. Gilbert B. Forbes
    Pages 209-247
  8. Gilbert B. Forbes
    Pages 248-266
  9. Gilbert B. Forbes
    Pages 267-281
  10. Gilbert B. Forbes
    Pages 282-293
  11. Gilbert B. Forbes
    Pages 294-300
  12. Back Matter
    Pages 301-350

About this book

Man has always been curious about himself, a curiosity that began centuries ago with an examination of the soul, and that extended in the period of the Renaissance to his anatomy and certain functions such as the circulation of the blood. Chemical science entered the scene in the 18th century, and burst into prominence in the 19th century. As the various chemical elements were discovered, many were found to be present in body fluids and tissues. Organic compounds were recognized; it became known that body heat was produced by the combustion of food; chemical transformations such as the production of fat from carbohydrate were recognized; and in the 1850s it was determined that young animals differed from adults in certain aspects of body composition. As methods for chemical analysis evolved, they were applied to samples of body fluids and tissues, and it became apparent that life depended on chemical normality; and most importantly it was realized that given the necessary amount of food and water the body had the ability to maintain a degree of constancy of what Claude Bernard called the milieu interieur, in other words its interior chemical en vironment.

biology body composition childhood fetus growth health hormone instrumentation medicine methodology nutrition pediatrics pharmacology sports medicine trauma

Authors and affiliations

  • Gilbert B. Forbes
    • 1
  1. 1.The University of Rochester School of Medicine and DentistryRochesterUSA

Bibliographic information

  • DOI
  • Copyright Information Springer-Verlag New York 1987
  • Publisher Name Springer, New York, NY
  • eBook Packages Springer Book Archive
  • Print ISBN 978-1-4612-9100-8
  • Online ISBN 978-1-4612-4654-1
  • About this book


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[annotator-dev] How to query annotations created by current user only

Randall Leeds tilgovi at hypothes.is
Thu Nov 27 03:20:17 UTC 2014

On Nov 26, 2014 7:59 PM, "Chris Reeve" <paradigmsareconstructed at gmail.com>
> Hi, I am about to enter a coding academy (either Hack Reactor or General
Assembly), and have some super-newb questions to ask about the technology
stack.  I am very interested in doing an annotations-based project.  I went
to the last iAnnotate conference, but have only been working with
Javascript for about four months now.
> Does anybody have a moment to entertain some questions?  Or, should I
just post here ...?

You can use this list, but please start a new thread if your questions do
not relate to this topic.
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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Hello Spring / CREATE Magazine

Hey, friends!  Today I wanted to share one of the layouts I had published in the March issue of CREATE Magazine from Scrapbook Generation.  I really love how it turned out.  The theme was pretty obvious....Spring!  I started from scratch with white cardstock and a few cut files from The Cut Shoppe.

I used lots of inks, paints and gelatos to create the background and to color the clouds and flowers.  I didn't want to take away from the bold colors of the photo with a lot of patterned papers, so I tried to recreate a sky somewhat and a few flower accents.

These flowers are actually from a background cut file, but I just cut a few and gave them some color.  I added some big yellow brads to the center.  I love how the watercolor turned out here.

I added a few strips of washi tape, some sequins, a Studio Calico butterfly and a Freckled Fawn arrow paper clip.

I love smudging gelatos with my finger...and I love how the texture of the cardstock shows through!  I stitched through the clouds and then pulled them up a little bit to make them stand out.  Finally, I added a cute sunburst button from A Flair For Buttons.

I hope this gets you in the Spring mood since I know many of you are still experiencing Winter!  It has been in the upper 80s here the past two weeks....and I'm loving it!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

  1. This is absolutely STUNNING!!!!! That background has me weak in the knees! Wow!! Amazing! ❤

  2. LOVE the stitched clouds and that photo is sooo gorgeous of her!!!

  3. WOW!! Totally amazing Missy! Love the burst in the background with the cloud cut files, and the color on the die cut flowers looks awesome!!

  4. Such a bold, bright beautiful page, Missy! Love your sky and simple palette! Delish! So sorry that I've missed so much of your creativity over here. I've been under the weather but am really trying to make my way back. Have a blessed weekend!

  5. I so love this page, you are such an artist with your colors!


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New to Las Vegas? A resource for immigrants

Frida Tju discusses the origins of the Asian Community Resource Center.
Photo by Sean Taylor

Most people in Las Vegas remain completely oblivious to the fact that the town’s transience has a byproduct: many residents with countless needs. Many people who relocate to Las Vegas remain unaware of and uninterested in the backgrounds of friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even newly acquired relatives (i.e. “in-laws”)! This baffles me, since most everyone who takes refuge within the borders of the Las Vegas metropolitan area shares an unusual trait. Something significant made them leave everything they know to move to a town with a reputation many would agree is less than stellar.

Their reasons for pulling up roots are probably as fascinating as they are diverse. With this in mind, we can conclude that Las Vegas is abundant with fascinating people, moved to act by circumstances that failed to affect their family and peers from “back home.” What stories they must have! One particularly interesting tale involves the arrival of my friend, Frida Tju. With even more inspiring acts, she, along with two colleagues, is increasing the tale’s complexity with the recent launch of the Asian Community Resource Center.

In May of 1998 I was a junior in college with very few things on my mind outside of class, local watering holes, and after-party locales. Little did I know that at the exact same time, Frida was witnessing atrocities that would lead to the crossing of our paths twelve years later.

The atrocities of which I speak occurred between May 12th and May 14th of 1998. Rioting ravaged Indonesia, during which Frida’s ethnic group, representing four percent of the population, was targeted. The horror of these riots had a profound effect on Frida, then living in her home town of Sinkawang, a small city in West Borneo Island, Indonesia. The incident served as a catalyst for lofty goals of someday making her way to another country in pursuit of her dreams. That pursuit led her to Las Vegas, Nevada.

It did not take long for Frida to become recognized among her friends as someone with skills that could help with simple tasks most of us take for granted. Frida’s knowledge of accounting and fluency in both Mandarin and English made her invaluable to her friends who could not understand their Realtors, accountants, attorneys, financial planners, or any other individual or company that provided goods or services. Without Frida, they were virtually imprisoned. Often confined to certain communities, occupations, and social groups defined by language, culture, or social codes, they were marginalized despite being legal residents or naturalized citizens. A call to their friend Frida, who could assist and watch over them, frequently led to the ability to navigate around the above listed obstacles.

Emily Higby explains ACRC objectives.
Photo by Sean Taylor

One day Frida spoke with Emily Higby, an acquaintance who also had a knack for helping friends navigate cultural and language barriers. They discussed centralizing their collective abilities in a community resource center. Emily mentioned the idea to another friend, registered nurse Sujitra (Sue) Yamkoksoung, and Las Vegas’s Asian Community Resource Center was born.

The Asian Community Resource Center is a grassroots community organization that seeks to centralize multiple resources greatly needed by expatriates in Las Vegas. Until I went to the Center’s opening in late October, I thought that this was a “neat little project.” As law enforcement, I often come across victimized foreigners alone and afraid in a country far from home. I have always believed such people desperately need resources, but I still underestimated the community’s thirst for these ladies’ creation.

It was a sunny afternoon, and I expected to meet foreigners signing up for weekend games and activities in an attempt to increase their social circle and support system. I guess my idea of a community center was skewed. I did not expect to see the first monk I have ever met as he blessed the center in an elaborate ceremony steeped in tradition. I did not expect to rub elbows with some of Nevada’s political candidates and members of their staffs. Two months prior, in mid-August this place was just an idea! Now it was taking the community by storm.

Knowing many others have tried and failed at an attempt to create a much needed resource hub for our international community, I asked Emily and Frida to explain how they hope to surpass their predecessors. The women detailed a plan that illustrated their passion and determination to accomplish their purpose…a plan very likely to help them succeed. Put simply, they will keep intense focus on their objective, which is simple and straightforward: to assist anyone who needs their help.

I mentioned that the need may extend beyond the Asian community. Emily responded with, “We don’t care if you’re blue, or any other color — we care if you have a problem.” Emily also mentioned they knew that too much involvement in the political landscape has been detrimental to similar resource centers in the past. The new center has no political agenda — it exists only to help people navigate an unfamiliar culture or language.

Reflecting Las Vegas’s diverse multi-national population and adding much-needed services for our international residents, the Asian Community Resource Center is a welcome addition to a town not traditionally known for its community organizations.

If you would like to know more about the Asian Community Resource Center, check them out on their Facebook page.


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SubjectRe: [2.6.28-rc1 regression] wmifinfo dockapp takes 100% of cpu (bisected)
Carlos R. Mafra wrote:

the line below is the key one:

> select(4, [3], NULL, NULL, {0, 5000000}) = -1 EINVAL (Invalid argument)

the application gives us an invalid timeval; it should have been (5, 0)
However, if the kernel accepted this before the kernel needs to now also accept it
obviously, I'll

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SubjectRe: [PATCH v2 0/4] ftrace: important updates

On Wed, 7 Jan 2009, Pekka Paalanen wrote:

> On Wed, 7 Jan 2009 10:49:05 +0100
> Ingo Molnar <> wrote:
> > * Steven Rostedt <> wrote:
> >
> > > ring-buffer: rename debugfs file tracing_on to writing_enabled
> >
> > writing_enabled is at least as confusing as tracing_on - if not more so.
> >
> > The user really does not care about all the deeper machinery that happens
> > in ftrace - the difference between a 'light' disabling of a tracer and a
> > 'heavy' disabling of a tracer (which means it unregisters itself
> > completely in essence).
> >
> > To resolve this, we should probably hide this difference altogether (as i
> > have suggested to do many months ago, when this first came up), by
> > removing tracing_enabled.
> >
> > A tracer can still be fully unregistered: by simply switching the current
> > tracer to the 'nop' tracer. tracing_on/off remains the lightweight version
> > that most users are interested in anyway.
> This sounds even better. We should not need tracing_enabled anymore, since
> the buffer size can be changed regardless. tracing_on is more useful to
> mmiotrace than tracing_enabled, too, since mmiotrace does not implement
> the proper pausing behaviour on the tracing_enabled trigger.
> But if Steven wants to keep the "pause" semantics, should there be a
> callback dispatched to the tracer from tracing_on, just like there is
> from tracing_enabled currently? Of course the callback semantics would
> be different and the usual reaction would be to do nothing. It would
> only be meaningful to tracers that update data outside the ring buffer,
> so that they can properly pause.

The tracing_on is implemented by the ring buffer, and disables all ring
buffers, even those that are not part of ftrace. This file really has no
concept of a tracer. It simply stops writing to the ring buffer.

Things like the irq latency tracer is will still update its "max time"
when tracing is off, although the trace output will not be updated.

I could remove tracing_enabled, and move the tracing_on to trace.c,
that just calls the tracing_off of the ring buffer, and then the file will
be at the higher layer, and have a concept of the current tracer.

-- Steve

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SubjectRe: keyboard under X with 2.6.31
On Thu, 8 Oct 2009, Dmitry Torokhov wrote:

> On Wed, Oct 07, 2009 at 05:19:25PM -0300, Frédéric L. W. Meunier wrote:
>> My keyboard (ABNT2 PS/2) seems to be broken under X with After
>> less than an hour, it starts acting crazy. The first time, all leds
>> turned off and I couldn't type anything. The second time, all leds also
>> turned off, but since it happened while I was pressing the Backspace key
>> to delete text, it continued deleting, like if the key was pressed.
>> In both cases, the mouse (USB) still works and I can exit X, where the
>> keyboard works. There's nothing in the logs.
>> No problem with Is it supposed to be a kernel or X bug ?
> It would be interestig to see if the same keyboard continues to work in
> console... if it does then I'd blame X.

I can exit X with the mouse and do anything in the console after

I just reported it to the XOrg mailing-list.

Anyway, I wonder if DRI could mess with the keyboard. I suppose
there were changes (and Radeon related) from 2.6.30 to 2.6.31.
But I can test with it disabled.
 \ /
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August Gusto XI 5K / 1 Mile Run/Walk

Event Date

Sat, Aug 23, 2014

Arlington, TX

About This Activity

This is another fun & competitive race in beautiful River Legacy Parks in north Arlington. Is the anchor leg of the SST (Summer Scintillation Troika) race series. The course -- relatively flat & fast, mostly tree-shaded. Come have fun running, walking, strolling … Parking available in the park. Donated packaged/boxed/canned foods  are encouraged for the Arlington Charities; and the net race proceeds will go to that organization. For more info, call 817-265-4578 or e-mail

5K @ 8:00 AM;  1M @ 9:00 AM ****

Our racing mission continues to be to produce affordable, hedonistically fun & athletically competitive races, that are technically sound (correctly-measured courses with minimum turns and visible distance – mile or Km – markers),  that also benefit some charity(-ies) with a populist & gender parity focus – for the average runner/walker (including the novices) and also for the seasoned, serious racer****.

The eleventh edition  of the August Gusto 5K / 1 Mile Run/Walk will engage the trails at beguilingly attractive River Legacy Parks. Come join us, have an august marvelous time, get a lovely leg workout and at the same time lend a helping hand to Arlington Charities, a compassionate facility helping some of the needy families in our midst.. See you there. This race is the last or anchor leg of  the Summer Scintillation Troika (SST) series.  ****

By the way, as in past years, there will be a special recognition award for everyone that registers for all three SST races. ****

Net proceeds from the race will benefit Arlington Charities --  “catering to some of the needy families in our midst.”  ****

More info  -- including online registration -- is available on the Web at  The race flyer/entry form can be downloaded from this Web page.  ****

Aug 24 8:00 AM   August Gusto XI 5K / 1 Mile Run/Walk

                           Legacy Pavilion, River Legacy Parks, 701 NW Green Oaks Blvd,  Arlington, TX 76006

                           817-265-4578 /

                           Benefits Arlington Charities.

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near Southlake, TX

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  • Oct 28 2017 Details

    Stephenville Lions Halloween Spooktacular

    Stephenville, TX

    1 Mile, 10K, 5K
    The Stephenville Lions Club is proud to announce our  8th annual  Spooktacular, a multi race event including a Fun Run, 5K, 10K and a half marathon -...
  • Nov 12 2017 Details

    Blue Red Run 5k, 10k and Half Marathon

    Grand Prairie, TX

    1 Mile, 10K
    Come Join Us at the 4th Annual BLUE RED RUN that will take place at a NEW VENUE in Grand Prairie on Sunday November 12, 2017!The Half and 10K route is an...
  • Nov 26 2017 Details

    First Responder Half Marathon

    Waco, TX

    1 Mile
    Join us on November 26th, 2017 in the Heart of Texas to Celebrate, Honor, and Remember First Responders from all across our country. A flat course of 13.1...
  • Jan 27 2018 Details

    Miracle Match Marathon

    Waco, TX

    Other, 10K, 1 Mile, 5K, 15K
    The Miracle Match Marathon WeekendSaturday, January 27th: 5K, 1 mile and Miracle Match KIDS, Fire Truck PullSunday,   January 28th Marathon: 1/2...
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    1 Mile, Other
    The Xpress Half Marathon Is probably one of the most flat and fast Half Marathon around. Only 67 ft elevation for the whole course. Our 12k route is even...

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GCA Superhero 5K and Fun Run

Oct 20, 2017 - Frisco, TX

1 Mile, 5K


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Log Change IP 1.0

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No man wants to know that his better half has set her eyes on another man. What is considerably more heart shattering is the disclosure that she has officially done the impossible and undermined you. You should likewise be watchful for a more authoritative sign of cheating. Women are a difficult lot to understand.

So, there is the chance, however slight, that she is really doing some of these things to incite envy or to draw in you, so be watchful, be shrewd and, most importantly, be practical.Here are a few signs your girlfriend is cheating on you.

In any case before you begin suspecting your girlfriend for deceiving you, remember that these are simply signs. Moreover, sometimes things are not as they seem. Eventually, you ought to trust your impulse too.

She doesn’t condemn you for the things she used to

Some time ago she thought about what you did or said, actually, she used to call you about those kinds of things. Presently, it appears that she couldn’t give a second thought to the fact that you are in a bad condition worrying about your problems. She may have essentially abandoned her interest and concern over you.  You might be wondering when she last acknowledged your worries, only to realize that she could have simply reached for another person who does not have your flaws.

Did you catch her lying to you?

Catching her lies is a key sign that she is undermining you and is quite a deceptive person. When you find that the individual you should be able to blindly trust has been misleading you, your sentiments will most likely run the extent, from annoyance to anger, and from dissatisfaction to trouble. As a result you have to put them to rest.

Does she say she has to stay back for work?

This is perhaps the most common excuse men and women both use when it comes to cheating in a relationship. So unless she has recently advanced in her career, her work hours should stay pretty much steady and not fluctuate much. Therefore if she has been saying that she is busy at work when it is highly unlikely for her to be in the office after a certain time, there is a high chance of her deception. A private investigator comes in handy at such a time, they can follow your girlfriend to bring you proof.

Is she acting a little paranoid about you?

She believes that you are out to get her when you are really confused about her deceiving ways. She falters and stresses unreasonably when you put forth guiltless inquiries. She answers some telephone calls and responds cleverly, while she totally evades your calls.

These are some of the hints to look out for when in a relationship with a cheating partner. To further investigate on, these hints you can hire a private investigator and quell your worries. You may be wrong which of course would be a relief, but it is better to know for sure than to keep on worrying.


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Leading Infotainment Portal in Africa

END TIME!! Dead Bodies Discovered in Foundation of Enugu Church Building – Nigeria […See Photos]

Share This Article

An Enugu based man of caused a stir when three dead bodies were discovered under the foundation of his new church building,He has been arrested by law enforcement agents.

The strange discovery of dead bodies buried in shallow graves under the foundation of a popular church located at the Ugwuaji area along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, in January, 2016, has caused serious outrage amongst the residents with the police vowing to do everything possible to bring the run away pastor to book.

It was later discovered that the three bodies found under the church foundation were members of the Tricycle Riders Association in the state, who had been declared missing earlier by the Keke Riders’ body.

The pastor is currently cooling his heels in the cell of the State Police Command.

Click “Continue Reading” to see more photos.. OH! NIGERIA! AFRICA!

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Bizarre murder-for-hire case in Texas

Michelle Gaiser admitted murder plots against the wife of her married lover, Texas attorney Jeffrey Stern. But now, Gaiser may have been involved with previous murder plots as well. In the meantime, the wife, Yvonne Stern, stands by her man.

Story and video on Good Morning America:

Trial of Houston lawyer accused of plotting to kill wife is delayed after new evidence surfaces about former mistress

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Blaming the World Without

Since after I scrapped my car of 9 years, i have been feeling uncertain about my future .There is an empty feeling where something is gone in my life.  I did not realised an object can have this impact in my life .

I am writing my journal now because I need some clarification in my mind . My mind currently is a big mess ( that’s what I feel) . My mind become Super sensitive and worry a lot. Now I am worrying about my future , my parent’s health , my finances , my career etc. Since now I don’t have a car to blame for all the financial hardship . I realised that all this time while having a car , I blame my car for making me not financially stable. I put all the blame on my car . Only after scrapping it , I realised that , it is me that I should look deeply inside for all the financial hardship I had suffer in the past.

I blamed the outer world(World Without) for my suffering , I blame my car, my parents , my career etc. Except I did not blame myself . I am not saying that if things doesn’t go our way we should blame ourselves . I am saying that , I should have look more into myself for solution and not blaming everything .

I have no reason not to be financially stable now.

I can feel the stress building up . Last time when I have a car, I can put 101 reasons that why my finances are not stable. I will tell my friends and family that my car eat up most of my income . I give all kinds of reason just to hide the truth that I am a lazy person who do not wish to work and want to enjoy life and be rich . Who doesn’t want to enjoy life and be rich.

I am consider a very lucky person , Universe always somehow help me when i need money . And like magic , money always come when i need it for my case. So I begin to think that most of the time worrying is a waste of time and energy .

Scrapping my car , let me see myself more clearly . Without the car , I have financial freedom . I do not need to worry about how on earth I am going to pay for my next month installment and my repair fee. I have no big financial commitment right now!!! I am a free person!!!

I should be happy , relax and enjoying life right ?

I recently question myself , now that I am free of commitment . What’s Next ??? I have been focusing and blaming of my car for all these 9 years. Now it’s gone !!! I feel lost …..

This is where My Mind starts to create useless thoughts . Last time I only need to worry about my car . Now, I worry about EVERYTHING!!!!

I really hope this period will be over , once I get use of not having my car in my life to blame . You can call me crazy , I think I am .

This is a lesson that I have to learn in my life . Thanks for reading my journal , I really need to write out or else I will go crazy.

Thanks Universe for the love .

Love & Light

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Dragon Age: Inquisition

$24Buy from Mighty Ape

Price history

Explore a vast, fantasy world at the brink of catastrophe in Dragon Age: Inquisition, a next-generation action RPG, where your choices shape and drive the experience. In this upcoming video game from BioWare, makers of Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age: Origins, you'll make your mark in an expansive, story-driven open world filled with complex characters, challenging combat and difficult decisions. A cataclysmic event has plunged the land of Thedas into turmoil. Dragons now darken the sky, casting a shadow of terror over a once-peaceful kingdom. Mages have broken into an all-out war against the oppressive Templars. Nations rise against one another. It falls to you to restore order as you lead the Inquisition and hunt down the agents of chaos – your choices will forever change the Dragon Age. Features: MULTI-REGION OPEN WORLD: Dragon Age: Inquisition uses the spectacular Frostbite 3 engine to bring to life a vast and varied open world including ice-capped mountains, twisted marshes, and scorching deserts. FIGHT YOUR WAY: Choose and lead a group of characters into challenging, visually spectacular battles against a variety of enemies – from earth-shattering High Dragons to demonic forces from the otherworld of the Fade. Go toe-to-toe in visceral, heroic combat as your followers fight by your side, or switch to tactical view to coordinate devastating offensives using the combined might of your party. TRANSFORM THE WORLD OF THEDAS: See the tangible, visible results of your journey through a living world – raise structures, customize outposts, and change the landscape itself as environments are re-shaped in the wake of your Inquisition. DEEP AND COMPLICATED CHARACTERS: Lead a party chosen from nine unique, fully-realized characters – each of whom react to your actions and choices differently, forming complex relationships both with you and with each other. CUSTOMIZE YOUR JOURNEY: Create your own character from multiple races, customize their appearance, and select their powers and abilities as the game progresses. Extensive customization options allow you to choose everything from the color of your follower's boots to the features of your Inquisition stronghold. MAKE YOUR MARK ON THE DRAGON AGE: Become an agent of change in a time of uncertainty and upheaval. Shape the course of empires, bring war or peace to factions in conflict, and drive the ultimate fate of the Inquisition. Will you stop the cataclysmic anarchy gripping the Dragon Age? Updated .

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Healing Ponds Farm, one of our Toggenburgs.

Do you see any blackberries in this picture? There’s a reason.

Click an item from the list:

Toggenburgs are the oldest known dairy goat: a gentle breed from Switzerland’s Toggenburg Valley. Their milk, relatively low-fat and renowned for cheese-making, has a great flavor.

We have four mother Toggenburgs at Healing Ponds Farm. Sheila and Melody are the originals of the herd, currently in their second lactation. April, our youngest mother, is still in her first. We’re happy to say that all four had babies this year: a set of triplets, a set of twins, and two only-kids.

Edward is the father, of course, and the only intact adult male of the herd. But we do have a few wethers as well – one born just last year, at home, plus two Boer/ Nubian crosses we were given.

Together, the herd lives on two acres of rolling, wild pasture, where they enjoy all the grass and blackberry vines they can eat.

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We sell beef. 100% pastured.

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Monday, 29 October 2012

CfP: Models and Decisions (Munich, 10-12 April 2013)

6th Munich-Sydney-Tilburg conference on

Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy / 10-12 April, 2013

Mathematical and computational models are central to decision-making in a wide-variety of contexts in science and policy: They are used to assess the risk of large investments, to evaluate the merits of alternative medical therapies, and are often key in decisions on international policies – climate policy being one of the most prominent examples. In many of these cases, they assist in drawing conclusions from complex assumptions. While the value of these models is undisputed, their increasingly widespread use raises several philosophical questions: What makes scientific models so important? In which way do they describe, or even explain their target systems? What makes models so reliable? And: What are the imports, and the limits, of using models in policy making? This conference will bring together philosophers of science, economists, statisticians and policy makers to discuss these and related questions. Experts from a variety of field will exchange first-hand experience and insights in order to identify the assets and the pitfalls of model-based decision-making. The conference will also address and evaluate the increasing role of model-based research in scientific practice, both from a practical and from a philosophical point of view.

We invite submissions of extended abstracts of 1000 words by 15 December 2012. Decisions will be made by 15 January 2013.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Luc Bovens (LSE), Itzhak Gilboa (Paris and Tel Aviv), Ulrike Hahn (Birkbeck), Michael Strevens (NYU), and Claudia Tebaldi (UBC)

ORGANIZERS: Mark Colyvan, Paul Griffiths, Stephan Hartmann, Kärin Nickelsen, Roland Poellinger, Olivier Roy, and Jan Sprenger

PUBLICATION: We plan to publish selected papers presented at the conference in a special issue of a journal or with a major a book publisher (subject to the usual refereeing process). The submission deadline is 1 July 2013. The maximal paper length is 7000 words.

GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS: A few travel bursaries for graduate students are available (up to 500 Euro). See website for details.

Sunday, 28 October 2012

Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Bristol (2 posts)

University of Bristol – Department of Philosophy

Applications are invited for two three-year Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in the Department of Philosophy, University of Bristol as part of the ERC-funded research project Epistemic Utility Theory: Foundations and Applications, directed by Dr. Richard Pettigrew.

The two postdoctoral researchers will work full-time on the project for three years, doing individual and collaborative research and helping organise project events. This post represents an excellent opportunity for someone early in their academic career to be an important part of a high-profile project and to gain experience of cutting-edge research, while also developing a substantial publication profile.

Duration of appointment: 1 October 2013 – 30 September 2016.

Contact: Dr. Richard Pettigrew, Department of Philosophy, University of Bristol, 43 Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UU,

Closing date: 24 November 2012.

Friday, 26 October 2012

Suppes on neuroscience as foundations of mathematics

(I posted this originally at NewAPPS, which is where I usually post my thoughts on philosophical methodology, but on this topic in particular I look forward to the opinions of readers of M-Phi as well.)

Between today and tomorrow, the workshop ‘Groundedness in Semantics and Beyond’ is taking place at MCMP in Munich, co-organized with the the ERC project Plurals, Predicates, and Paradox led by Øystein Linnebo. The workshop’s program seems excellent across the board, but the opening talk is what really caught my attention: Patrick Suppes on ‘A neuroscience perspective on the foundations of mathematics’. The abstract:
I mainly ask and partially answer three questions. First, what is a number? Second, how does the brain process numbers? Third, what are the brain processes by which mathematicians discover new theorems about numbers? Of course, these three questions generalize immediately to mathematical objects and processes of a more general nature. Typical examples are abstract groups, high dimensional spaces or probability structures. But my emphasis is not on these mathematical structures as such, but how we think about them. For the grounding of mathematics, I argue that understanding how we think about mathematics and discover new results is as important as foundations of mathematics in the traditional sense.
I cannot stress enough how fantastic it is that someone like Suppes, who has done so much groundbreaking foundational work in the traditional sense, now turns his attention to this more ‘human’ aspect of mathematics. (And also how amazing it is that he is over 90 years old and rocking!)

To be sure, focus on mathematical practices as an alternative approach to the philosophy of mathematics has been gaining popularity in recent years (see for example P. Mancosu’s Philosophy of Mathematical Practice), but emphasis on the philosophical importance specifically of empirical findings from the psychology and cognitive science of mathematics is still quite rare (exceptions: Marcus Giaquinto, Helen de Cruz, Dirk Schlimm, among others). And yet, work on the cognitive science of numbers such as e.g. S. Dehaene’s seems to lend itself quite easily to philosophical theorizing. The point is not that this approach should supplant more traditional approaches, but rather that a number of philosophical questions cannot be adequately addressed unless we adopt such an integrative methodology (or so I have claimed several times at NewAPPS, here for example).

For those of us who couldn’t be in Munich this morning (myself included), we can now look forward to the video podcast of the talk which is bound to become available at the MCMP iTunes channel in due course. But for now, here is a picture of Suppes in action, courtesy of Olivier Roy.

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

The best medieval solution to the Liar ever

It's been much too long since I last posted here at M-Phi! (I've been unusually busy with all kinds of things.) What follows here is still not a proper post: it is in fact a review of Stephen Read's edition and translation of Bradwardine's treatise on insolubles, which I just wrote for Speculum. But I figured that it may be of general interest -- after all, any M-Phi'er worthy of the title should be familiar with Bradwardine on the Liar.

Thomas Bradwardine (first half of the 14th century) is well known for his decisive contributions to physics (he was one of the founders of the Merton School of Calculators) as well as for his theological work, in particular his defense of Augustinianism in De Causa Dei. He also led an eventful life, accompanying Edward III to the battlefield as his confessor, and dying of the Black Death in 1349 one week after a hasty return to England to take up his new appointment as the Archbishop of Canterbury.

What is thus far less well known about Bradwardine is that, prior to these adventures, in the early to mid-1320s, he worked extensively on logical topics. In this period, he composed his logical tour de force: his treatise on insolubles. Insolubles were logical puzzles to which Latin medieval authors devoted a considerable amount of attention (Spade & Read 2009). What is special about insolubles is that they often involve some kind of self-reference or self-reflection. The paradigmatic insoluble is what is now known (not a term used by the medieval authors themselves) as the liar paradox: ‘This sentence is not true’. If it is true, then it is not true; but if it is not true, then what it says about itself is correct, namely that it is not true, and thus it is true after all. Hence, we are forced to conclude that the sentence is both true and false, which violates the principle of bivalence. It is interesting to note that, in the hands of Tarski, Kripke and other towering figures, the liar and similar paradoxes re-emerged in the 20th century as one of the main topics within philosophy of logic and philosophical logic, and remain to this day a much discussed topic.

Bradwardine’s De insolubilibus has been recently given its first critical edition, accompanied by an English translation and an extensive introduction, by Stephen Read. One cannot overestimate the importance of the publication of this volume for the study of the history of logic as a whole; prior to this edition, Bradwardine’s text was available in print only in an unreliable edition by M.L. Roure in 1970. Moreover, Bradwardine’s treatise is arguably the most important medieval treatise on the topic. So far, the general philosophical audience is mostly familiar with John Buridan's approach to insolubles; the relevant passages from chapter 8 of his Sophismata have received multiple English translations and been extensively discussed. But Buridan's text pales in comparison to Bradwardine’s treatise; Bradwardine not only offers a detailed account and refutation of previously held positions (chapters 2 to 5), but he also presents his own novel, revolutionary solution (chapters 6 to 12).

The backbone of Bradwardine’s solution is the idea that sentences typically signify several things, not only their most apparent signification. In particular, they signify everything they entail. Moreover, Bradwardine postulates that, for a sentence to be true, everything it signifies must be the case; in other words, he associates the notion of truth to universal quantification over what a sentence says. Accordingly, a sentence is false if at least one of the things it signifies is not the case (existential quantification). He then goes on to prove that insoluble sentences say of themselves not only that they are not true, but also that they are true. Hence, such sentences say two contradictory things, which can never both obtain; so at least one of them is not the case, and thus such sentences are simply false.

Unlike Buridan, who merely postulates without further argumentation that every sentence implies that it is true, Bradwardine makes no such assumption, and instead proves (through a rather subtle argument, reconstructed in section 5 of Read’s introduction) that specific sentences, namely insolubles, say of themselves that they are true. In this sense, Bradwardine’s analysis can rightly be said to be more sophisticated and compelling than Buridan’s.

Bradwardine’s solution to insolubles is not only of interest to the historian of logic, and indeed Read and others have written extensively on its significance for contemporary debates on paradoxes of self-reference. In fact, a whole volume was published on the philosophical significance of Bradwardine’s analysis (Rahman et al. 2008). According to Read, the Bradwardinian framework allows for the treatment of a wide range of paradoxes as well as for the development of a conceptually motivated, paradox-resistant theory of truth in terms of quantification over what a sentence says. Alas, the latter project was not to succeed, for the following reason. As pointed out by Read himself in his critique of Buridan (Read 2002), a theory that says that every sentence signifies (implies) its own truth cannot offer an effective definition of truth, as every sentence becomes what is known as a truth-teller: one necessary condition for its truth is that be true (as it is one of the things it says), ensuing a fatal form of circularity. Now, as it turns out, while Bradwardine does not postulate that every sentence signifies its own truth, this does follow as a corollary from his general principles (Dutilh Novaes 2011). Thus, Read’s own criticism against Buridan’s approach applies to Bradwardine as well. This does not affect the Bradwardine/Read solutions to the paradoxes because all of them (paradoxes) come out as false, but ultimately Bradwardine cannot deliver a satisfactory theory of truth.

However, this observation should in no way be construed as a criticism of Read’s work in general and of his edition and translation of Bradwardine’s treatise in particular. It is indeed the job of a reviewer to spot shortcomings in a volume, even if only minor ones, but this reviewer failed miserably at this endeavor. Read’s volume is an absolutely exemplary combination of historical and textual rigor (for the edition and translation of the text) with philosophical insight into the conceptual intricacies of the material; it is both accessible and sophisticated. As such, it is to be emphatically recommended to anyone interested in the history of logic as well as in modern discussions on paradoxes and self-reference.

Thursday, 11 October 2012

Dig into "Coherence"

The MCMP recently announced the publication of the 200th recording in the MCMP video channel on iTunes U. Today we are happy to announce the publication of the “Round Table on Coherence Media Package”! Many attended the working session with Branden Fitelson and Richard Pettigrew in July, the second edition of the MCMP Round Table series. Many have been asking about the video recordings we made on this occasion. The whole package is online now – videos, slides, and additional material are available on the MCMP website at Enjoy!

Saturday, 6 October 2012

CFP: Special issue on Infinite Regress in Synthese

My colleagues Sylvia Wenmackers and Jeanne Peijnenburg are editing a special issue on Infinite Regress for Synthese, and are looking in particular for formal/mathematical treatments of the topic - certainly something of interest to M-Phiers of all stripes! See the CFP below.

We are happy to announce this first call for papers on "Infinite regress", a special issue to appear in Synthese, edited by Jeanne Peijnenburg and Sylvia Wenmackers (University of Groningen).

The theme of the special issue is infinite regresses in various contexts, including epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, etc. The topic of infinite regress is an old one in philosophy, but recent developments in theoretical philosophy suggest that the time is right for a new approach to this ancient problem.

We invite novel contributions in which probabilistic models, logic, or other tools from contemporary formal philosophy are brought to bear on the problem of infinite regress. We are also interested in analyses of the relationship between aspects of traditional epistemology or metaphysics on the one hand and these technical results on the other hand.

Deadline for submission: July 1st, 2013.

For more information, please see the website:

Thursday, 4 October 2012

FEW2012 on iTunes

More than 30 videos have been published recently on iTunes U by the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy. These are talks from the 9th edition of the Formal Epistemology Workshop (FEW2012), held in Munich last spring. You can also retrieve the videos very effectively from the MCMP fb page (scroll down a bit and check the items released around mid-September). It'll be like you were there ;-)

(Thanks Roland Poellinger and the LMUcast Team for this amazing work.)

UPDATE: The videos are now also linked directly on the FEW2012 webpage.


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Panama: Boxing to a better life

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Alberto Lowe/Reuters/File

(Read caption) Roberto Duran as a world champion boxer.

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A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.

PANAMA CITYEusebio Pedroza, a former world boxing champion, started punching at age 9 in a local gym. But he hid it from his parents for a decade, sneaking off to Friday night fights with his trainer uncle, until he made it professional. “They wanted me to study,” he says.

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These days kids have nothing to hide – as boxing is making a comeback across Panama. In April, the government inaugurated the Roberto Duran arena, a $16.5 million renovation expected to attract world-class title events. Panama currently boasts three world champions – no small number considering the country’s population of 3 million.

It is in this context that Mr. Pedroza has set up a nongovernmental organization to help the kids in the same hardscrabble neighborhood where he grew up shining shoes and selling candy on the streets as a small boy.

The two-year old Association for Organic Human Development helps in all kinds of ways: with tutoring or after-school activities to steer boys away from gangs and girls from prostitution. Boxing is just a piece of it, but one that Pedroza is willing to teach.

“Boxing is more than just an art, it is defense for an individual and it teaches discipline,” he says. But education is what he tries to underscore. “Education is always the priority,” he says.

And he teaches by example. He might not have the celebrity status of Roberto Duran, but Pedroza has an advanced degree, has served in public office, and continues to work in a variety of capacities for the government.


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The Best Food Events in St. Louis This Weekend: December 5 to 7

Holiday cocktails at Brasserie. | Corey Woodruff
  • Holiday cocktails at Brasserie. | Corey Woodruff

There are tons of events this weekend to get you into the holiday spirit. You can brave the cold (perhaps with a little holiday, um, spirits to keep you warm?) or stay inside next to a cozy fire. Because it's also the season of giving, there are multiple events benefiting many local charities and nonprofits. Continue on for our food-related recommendations.

See also: 5 Local Gifts for the St. Louis Foodie

Friday (Dec. 5):

Brew for the Band @ Market Pub House

Market Pub House is teaming with the Angel Band Project for an evening benefiting the organization's music-therapy programs. The all-inclusive ticket includes the restaurant's 30 draft beers, four tap wines, well cocktails, a buffet and live music from Bryan & Elliot Ranney, Letter to Memphis and the Occasionals. A VIP ticket gets you a beer flight featuring Perennial Barrel Aged Abraxas, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, and Abita Baltic Porter aged in Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon barrels, plus a special pairing menu prepared by chef Quentin Curry. From 6:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. This event is 21 and up only. General admission tickets are $40 in advance and $50 the day of; VIP tickets are $75, and all are available here.

Bells and Bowls @ St. Louis Artists' Guild

The fundraiser for the St. Louis Artists' Guild features soups and bread from St. Louis restaurants paired with live art from guild members, a silent auction and music. Soups include mushroom soup from Avenue Restaurant, chicken and white bean chili from the Boathouse Restaurant, shrimp and lobster bisque from the DeMun Oyster Bar, cauliflower bisque with roasted garlic from Home Wine Kitchen, tortilla soup from Milagro Modern Mexican and tomato basil soup with saffron couscous from Remy's Kitchen and Wine Bar; all of the soups will be paired with bread from Companion Bakery. Whisk and Clayton's Bakery and Deli are also providing sweets. There will be an open bar with beer, wine and soft drinks. From 6 to 9 p.m. General admission tickets are $30 and VIP tickets are $50, which gets you reserved seating, parking and $10 to spend at the silent auction. You can purchase tickets here.

Saturday (Dec. 6):

Cookie Decorating Class and Lunch @ Crêpes, Etc.

Learn to create delicious holiday cookies at guided cookie stations at Crêpes. There will also be a light lunch buffet, pastries, a hot-chocolate bar and handmade card stations. Bring a toy to go to for the Saint Louis University Toy Drive and get a Crêpes, Etc. mug and candies. From 1:30 to 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 per child. RSVP here.

Holiday Hop and Shop @ Mad Art Gallery

ALIVE magazine is hosting an evening of local handmade and ethically imported goods from more than 30 vendors, plus live entertainment and food and drinks. Cocktails will feature SkinnyGirl, Pinnacle vodka and 2 Gingers Irish whiskey. If you RSVP on Facebook, you'll be entered to win a $10 shop voucher. From 7:30 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and are available here.

Winemaker's Dinner @ Chaumette Winery

Owner Hank Johnson and chef Adam Lambay host this annual event with Chaumette winemaker Mark Baehmann. It features six courses paired with Chaumette's new wine releases. The menu starts with Ladd farm chicken breast, dressed-up deviled Flieg Farm egg, winter greens and chicken cracklins paired with the 2013 rosé. The second course is butter-poached walleye in a light chowder broth with winter squash paired with the 2013 Chardonel Reserve. The third course is a wild mushroom nage, beef short ribs and garlic biscuit crumble paired with the 2013 Chambourcin Reserve. The fourth course is pork and cranberry curry paired with the Mosaic, N.V. The fifth course is cocoa-dusted Hinkebein elk with a mélange of beans and lentils paired with the 2013 Norton Reserve pre-release. For dessert, it's pumpkin cheesecake with ginger-snap crust and cinnamon whipped cream paired with the Bouvet Blanc, N.V. From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $70 for wine club members and $80 for non-members; call 573-747-1000.

MOFU Tofu Ramen Pop-up with Sump Coffee and Ices Plain & Fancy @ Sump Coffee

MOFU's latest popup features winter-ready ramen and a mini menu of other treats. Offerings include danji, takoyaki, boudin and more. There will also be beer from Perennial Artisan Ales, coffee from Sump and ice cream from Ices Plain & Fancy. From 4 to 8 p.m. Admission is free.

Wintermarkt @ Greg Freeman Park

"The citizens of the Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood get their Christmas on German style with Wintermarkt, an annual outdoor festival and crafts show. Holiday shoppers can browse for gifts among the treasures created by local artists and vendors while warming their holiday spirits at the beer and wine station. For the famished there will be barbecue, roasted chestnuts, pretzels and soup. This Yuletide tradition also features a bake sale featuring tasty confections and desserts made by residents with proceeds benefiting the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council." From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Grinchmas @ MoKaBe's Coffeehouse

MoKaBe's is raising money for the Shriners Hospitals for Children -- but not with Santa. Instead, the coffeehouse has enlisted the Grinch to spread holiday cheer. The green scrooge himself will be on hand for photos for a $7 donation at MoKaBe's and the Tower Grove Creamery. If you bring a toy, you can get a photo for $5. There will also be Shriners clowns there for face painting and balloon animals. A children's menu will be available at MoKaBe's, plus the full menu for adults. Tower Grove Creamery will be offering $1 ice cream for kids. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is free.

Sunday (Dec. 7):

Central West End Holiday Bazaar @ Maryland Plaza

Peruse more than twenty local vendors to the tunes of the William Lenihan Jazz Trio. There will be complimentary coffee, holiday cider specials and tastings, a hot-chocolate bar, gluehwein (mulled wine), a Spirits of St. Louis tasting, a bloody-mary bar and more. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.


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Arts & Entertainment » Culture

The RAW facts

Who is conspiracy theorist Robert Anton Wilson

And then I saw the fnords...

Between Adam Weishaupt and Dan Brown at the conspiracy banquet table sits Robert Anton Wilson (, keeping the conversation lively. (He and Umberto Eco provide the best banter all night long.) In the wake of the Da Vinci Code, you might think that a few of the conspiracy classics could creep onto the bestseller lists, but we are a fickle people. Wilson is responsible for some of the most engaging entries in the secret societies library: The Illuminatus Trilogy (co-authored with Robert Shea), along with a shelf worth of related tomes (The Historical Illuminatus Chronicles, Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy). As opposed to Brown, Wilson was never satisfied with one or two hidden puppet masters. His work tries to find the synchronicity between every bit of vaguely believable real-world idiocy (Casanova and Watergate, for instance), those edge-of-vision unbelievable facts (North American Vikings, Nazi occult research), and the full-blown manic wah-wahhs (Area 51 aliens, Templars in space). Despite the weight of all this combined weirdness, Wilson succeeds where so many have failed because he uses levity to significantly lighten the load born by his prose.

If his name otherwise sounds familiar, Robert A. Wilson was a quasi-celebrity a few years ago when the officials in Santa Cruz, California, made him their first citizen to receive medical cannabis, which had been recently legalized. That was a short-lived experiment for Wilson once the federal government intervened. Sometimes the conspiracies are large and thoughtless.

Sometimes the conspiracies are miraculous and blessed. Nowadays, Wilson is in the process of dying from post-polio syndrome. Word went out a few weeks ago that he had been reduced to destitution. A community of Internet angels conspired to let one of the good guys die at home in peace by raising funds for his continued care. Fnord.

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