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Friday, March 19, 2010

An Open Letter from Scientists in the United States on the IPCC

Here is the start of the letter:

Many in the popular press and other media, as well as some in the halls of Congress, are seizing on a few errors that have been found in the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in an attempt to discredit the entire report. None of the handful of mis-statements (out of hundreds and hundreds of unchallenged statements) remotely undermines the conclusion that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal” and that most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations. Despite its excellent performance for accurately reporting the state-of-the-science, we certainly acknowledge that the IPCC should become more forthcoming in openly acknowledging errors in a timely fashion, and continuing to improve its assessment procedures to further lower the already very low rate of error.

It is our intention in offering this open letter to bring the focus back to credible science, rather than invented hyperbole, so that it can bear on the policy debate in the United States and throughout the world. We first discuss some of the key messages from climate science and then elaborate on IPCC procedures, with particular attention to the quality-control mechanisms of the IPCC. Finally we offer some suggestions about what might be done next to improve IPCC practices and restore full trust in climate science.

More here

** If you enjoyed this post please also check out:

The Copenhagen Diagnosis: Climate Science Report

Climate change in Australia: website and report

Estimated cost of adapting to climate change

Overcoming barriers to beat climate change

So please, tell us what you think!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Green or Greenwash?

Today's Sydney Morning Herald had a front page story on how two of LG Electronics fridges were found to be not as energy efficient as they claimed. In fact the story suggested that they had installed a devices that activates an energy saving mode when the fridge detects room conditions similiar to those of a test laboratory.
Green fridge labelled a fraud

LG Electronics has agreed to compensate potentially thousands of consumers after two of its fridges - models L197NFS and P197WFS - were found to contain an illegal device that activates an energy-saving mode when it detects room conditions similar to those in a test laboratory.

It is the third time LG Electronics has been caught making false claims about the environmental credentials of its products. In 2008, it had to repay $3 million after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ruled it had inflated the energy-efficiency star rating of five models of air-conditioner. Source (SMH)

I wondered what other greenwash had been 'discovered' in Australia. After a very quick google search, I found the following:
GreenPower retailer led investors astray: ACCC
Global Green Plan Ltd, using the name GreenSwitch, was deregistered from the national GreenPower program in September 2008 for failing to buy enough renewable energy certificates, but it continued to trade through its website until November. The company will now have to buy 4000 renewable energy certificates to make up the shortfall. ''The ACCC investigated the GreenSwitch activities and found the numbers didn't match up,'' the acting chairman of the ACCC, Michael Schaper, said. ''To take money from customers and not use it as it was intended is simply unacceptable.''    Source (SMH)

          Greenwash: company guilty of misleading claims
A carbon credits company, Prime Carbon, has been found guilty by the Federal Court of Australia of making misleading green claims. Prime Carbon is a private company that produces and trades carbon credits created through soil enhancement and carbon sequestration programs.  Source (SMH)

Regulator demands muscle on 'green' ads
Graeme Samuel, the chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, said a sharp rise in complaints about green advertising claims - from almost none two years ago to about 500 since early 2008 - was ''very unusual''.

''Five hundred suggests there's more than a moderate problem,'' Mr Samuel said. ''It's a new area and in some cases marketers don't understand - but in most cases marketers do understand and they are overselling.''   Source (SMH)

ACCC warns about 'green' marketing
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said as companies push to appear greener, it's becoming difficult to find products that do not promise some kind of environmental benefit. "Companies risk breaching the Trade Practices Act if they give an overall impression to consumers their product is environmentally friendly when it isn't," ACCC deputy chair Louise Sylvan said in a statement.   Source (SMH)
I also found this:

The Six Sins of Greenwash

In December 2007, TerraChoice, an environmental marketing company in North America , released the findings of a study titled 'The Six Sins of Greenwashing'. The company, a leader in green marketing, found that 99% of the 1018 common 'environmentally friendly' consumer products randomly surveyed for the study were guilty of greenwashing. The findings of the report were alarming and from it the company created the six sins of greenwashing, which it believes will help equip consumers with the tools to figure out the truth about environmentally friendly products. They define the six sins as:
Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off: eg, 'Energy-efficient' electronics that contain hazardous materials.
Sin of No Proof: eg, Shampoos claiming to be 'certified organic', but with no verifiable certification.
Sin of Vagueness: eg, Products claiming to be 100% natural when many naturally occurring substances are hazardous, like arsenic and formaldehyde.
Sin of Irrelevance: eg, Products claiming to be CFC-free, even though CFCs were banned 20 years ago.
Sin of Fibbing: eg, Products falsely claiming to be certified by an internationally recognised environmental standard like EcoLogo, Energy Star or Green Seal.
Sin of Lesser of Two Evils: eg, Organic cigarettes or 'environmentally friendly' pesticides.

So the message is very clear.

Beware of making 'greenwashed' claims for your products or you may end up on the front page of a major newspaper!!

That would not make good business sense.

If anyone finds any more examples of this type of thing, please let me know and I will add the company to the list of shameful behaviour. It is great to see people are making complaints when they see this type of thing ("from almost none two years ago to 500 complaints since 2008").

** If you enjoyed this post please also check out:

ACCC probing more 'green' ad claims

So please, tell us what you think.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Climate change in Australia: website and report

The Climate change in Australia website was developed by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) in partnership with the Australian Greenhouse Office through the Australian Climate Change Science Program.

Climate change in Australia is based upon international climate change research including conclusions from the IPCC's fourth assessment report. It also builds on a large body of climate research that has been undertaken for the Australian region in recent years.
Climate change in Australia
provides essential tools for government, industry and the community to understand the likely magnitude of climate change in Australia and the possible impacts.

The Climate Change in Australia report is available for download from the Technical Report page of their website.

Figure 1: Trends in annual mean Australian temperatures (left) and rainfall (right) since 1950.
Source: Summary brochure (page 2)

If you are short on time, I would suggest you at least check out the Summary brochure of the Climate change in Australia Report.

Well worth a read!

** If you enjoyed this post please also check out:

The Copenhagen Diagnosis: Climate Science Report

Changing finance - Financing change

Overcoming barriers to beat climate change

New Green Jobs ??

Top 10 Environmental Posts

So please, tell us what you think.


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Rands Ick. Ew. Bleh.

A list of things I don’t understand about Thanksgiving:

  • How I can’t peel my eyes off the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
  • Why I didn’t think to turn the sound off the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ten years ago.
  • Why I always resist the walk around the hill my parents insist on doing, but always end up disappointed when we’re done.
  • Why Thanksgiving dinner is so early and why I still snack incessantly throughout the day.
  • How stuffing can look like dog food, but taste so good.
  • How the pumpkin got such a good gig as the premiere Thanksgiving dessert when it’s a pumpkin. Ick. Ew. Bleh.
  • How I swear I’ll never eat again after the dinner, but I’m always up by myself at midnight making a turkey sandwich and trying to find Mystery Science Theatre 3000 on the satellite.

Tough year ahead. I’m thankful for editors, friends, and family.

Happy Thanksgiving.

6 Responses

  1. Love the blog. I hope you have a happy and productive year and keep the thoughtful and entertaining articles coming for a long time. Gotta disagree about the pumpkin pie though. Whipped cream or ice cream on Mom’s warm pumpkin pie is what I am looking forward to this afternoon. Oh yeah! Get out the big belt.

  2. Heh. “Push the button, Frank.”

  3. Ah yes, late night MST3K: a true Thanksgiving Day tradition. I wish I could find my scrapbook tape and have myself my own Turkey Day marathon…

  4. J. John Johnstown 11 years ago

    I know where my shoebox of MST3K tapes is. But, no time. We leave for Vegas at 11 in the morning for a friend’s 40th birthday bash. (Although, my brother emailed me from across the country today asking me where the Sampo was.)

  5. kasnj 11 years ago

    I only wish I could have found MST3K to watch on Thanksgiving. Ah, those were the days…

  6. Jeff Grimmett 11 years ago

    No kidding on the Pumpkin pie!

    On rare occasions I can handle it, but not often. Now, pumpkin BREAD on the other hand is quite tasty. But for pie, make mine pecan. Or cherry, if off-season is allowed.

    Have a great year, Rands!

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• Tarot Home Page

    Chapter 3: The Characters - Major Arcana 1 - 10

    There seem to be 11 primary archetypal characters in my
    inner universe. These are matched by the first eleven cards of
    the Major Arcana of the Tarot, as I perceive them. I have made a
    number of changes in my own personal interpretation of the deck
    as they seem to have been dictated by a combination of my dreams,
    my preoccupation with Art, my study of the Occult in general and
    the Tarot in particular, and my love of various other applicable
    sources, including Rock 'n Roll, Jung, Martin Luther King, Art, Baha'u'llah, and others.

    The unconsious being what it is, my dialogue between it and
    my consious is not certifiably consistant. Often, characters
    with strong resemblences to these major ones will appear with
    other names. There are always good reasons for these
    discrepencies, though said reasons are not always clear.
    Conversely, characters with these names will sometimes appear with
    other characteristics, or representing other archetypal energies,
    again with reasons, but these appearances are far less in
    frequency than the first type. Then too, some dreams are marked
    by the appearances of entirely new characters, though,
    since I began studying the Tarot, two and a half years ago at this
    writing, (Dec, 86), the following are definitely the ones by far most consistant:

    Major Arcana No. 0. The Addict. Reversed, called the Clown.
    Traditionally, the Fool. My proper name for him is Brian
    Quasimoto Jones. Blue eyes, blond hair, long, in a "Beatle Cut"
    with bangs over his forehead, very pale, fair skin. When
    unattractive, he apears hunchbacked, though still lovable,
    otherwise seductively beautiful as any eternal youth can be. He
    is Puer Aternus, Bacchus, the temptation of infinite
    possibilities, or else, when hunchbacked, the pathos of the
    burnt-out hippie who must continue believing himself capable of
    transcending his mortality. His charisma, when it comes, comes
    from his unawareness of this power struggle over his own
    mortality. Then he becomes truly the symbol of innocence
    continuely renewed; the transcendence of death that is at the
    source of all religion. This process correctly implemented seems
    to give him virtually unlimited power of seduction. Like all my
    characters, he bears a strong vein of symbolism in the rock
    world, a throw-back to the days before my involvement with the
    Tarot, when rock heros provided me almost exclusively with the
    archetypal material necessary for the essential Misterium
    Conjunictum. In his case especially, the parrallel is easily
    drawn. His Astrological connection is Piscies, the symbol of self
    injury as smbolic transformation from the physical realm to the
    astral. The Addict is the spiritual condition from whence we all
    come, that stage in human development incapable of honouring the
    distinction between the individual, consious ego and the total
    Self. In the sense that he is like the nothingness behind all
    somethingness, this symbol is similar to Ptah of the Egyptians,
    the god who was before all other gods, or the Ain Soph Aur of the
    Quabalists, the aethyr or original veil from whence comes the
    first emanation of god.

    Major Arcana No. 1. Dom (I believe, short for Dominion).
    Reversed, same. Traditionally, The Magus. My proper name for
    him is Dom. Marble white skin, very dark hair and eyes.
    Distinctly hetrosexual. Usually quite rockabilly. Of late he seems to have
    affected an increasingly American appearance.
    At first he was very financially poor and dressed in rags of a punk
    nature, though lately he has taken to wearing white tee shirts and black levis
    of an uban, working class bent and cleaner look.
    He is clearly the personification of the ideal self, the symbol
    of wholeness, integration and perfection on all planes. Also,
    the undisputed leader of the rest. Osiris, Appolonius, Hermes
    and Christ. The bearer of Recovery. He is, in my galaxy of archetypes,
    closest to what Aliester Crowley calls, "the Holy Guardian Angel",
    the conversation of which formed absolutely the
    cornerstone of his interpretation of Magick. He is the guide,
    the seer, and in the sense is closely connected with Jung's
    "Philemon" (the inner guide), The Hermit, who is explained at length later,
    under the number seven. In fact, were it not necessary for the Magus
    to embody the total individual, he would probably be
    indistinguishable from the Hermit, for he personifies that voice
    of wisdom within each of us, the voice that never lies.
    Unfortunate that we listen to it far too seldom. He always
    appears with tremendous cathartic energy and a great feeling of acompaning
    personal transformation, and leaves one distinctly
    wishing he would appear more often. His astrological connection
    is the Sun, the source of all light and enlightenment, growth and
    harvest. I believe Crowley was correct about his Conversation of
    the Holy Guardian Angel; the product of spiritual evolution
    should be lessons that allow us each to accept our own personal
    Magus as our true guide.

    Major Arcana No. 2 The Sorceress. Reversed, the Carousel Girl
    (In reference to the first dream I had of her, a script dream).
    Three proper names, in order of acompaning cathartic power:
    Ricky, least powerful, a very attractive young girl; Erin, more
    powerful and sophisticated - also more grown up; and Raleigh my
    cosmic twin - extremely powerful. Occasionally changing her age,
    she appears sometimes as a very young girl, sometimes as an old
    woman, but usually seems to be in her early twenties. She is
    always thin, with blond hair, usually long, and very pale skin,
    often to the point of transluscency. This figure I believe is
    what I call the inner anima, my female ideal, having two poles;
    the Sorceress is the guardian of the inner door on the path
    between my inner and outer self. (The other pole is explained at
    length in Major Arcana No. 6.) She is the bringer of messages
    from the Mother Goddess, my vision of ideal womanhood entirely
    untainted by my experience with females in the actual, physical
    world. A mysterious, complex and potentially dangerous figure,
    she can be terrifyingly seductive when viewed in her purest
    forms. Her astrological connection is the Moon.

    Major Arana No. 3 The Fanatic. Reversed, same general name, I
    think. Traditionally, this card is called the Hanged Man and
    occupies number 12 in the Major Arcana. But through a series of
    dream connections and occult meditations, it became apparant
    to me that this card belongs here. Numerologically, 12 reduces
    to 3, and 3 is a number of great energy and thrust, it's ruling
    planet having been assigned by me to Mars. For a male such as
    myself, I will relate the following information concerning this
    card. I'm not sure how it relates in a woman's psycie, I have a
    feeling it might be quite different. It would be interesting to
    hear such an opinion. However, for a man, when this card is
    right-side up (in other words, well aspected) it is male, and can
    represent an energy of great help, particularly in times of
    extreme need, or in times of great stress or trial. He also
    seems to come with a strong feeling of competition or challenge.
    He is the feeling of obsession that is directly connected to
    one's sense of one's own greatness. He is of fairly small
    stature, extremely high energy, quite adolescent but not
    particularly homosexual, always has bright, red hair which is
    usually cut quite short and rather punk, and usually wears
    glasses. His name is often Blaine, but I'm not yet clear on
    this. In reverse aspect, this card appears as a woman, and has
    very much the same appearance except is quite tall (though fairly
    thin), is quite androgynous and always dresses like a man, or
    boy. The same short, red, punk hair, glasses and high energy
    level. She is still sometimes called Blaine, though more often
    Kwinn, and frequently refered to as the Mannequinn. She
    represents the agressive, forceful aspect of the anima or woman
    stretched or pushed beyond a healthy level into a disticntly bi-
    sexual and usually perverse sadistic realm. I must say in her
    defense, however, that she occasionally exhibits a side which is
    very conducive to a chummy, warm, strictly platonic relationship
    which is invariably quite revealing of esoteric knowledge,
    particularly about oneself. It is a shame that her blessings so
    often seem inextricably connected to her connotations of extreme
    self injury. (Not to herself, to yourself!) Astrological
    connection is Mars.

    Major Arcana No. 4, The Protector. Also called the Thegn, after
    the Saxon witches. Proper name, the Moose, reversed, the Mule.
    Traditionally, the Emperor. A sort of perennial roomate, he
    usually goes by the given name of Daryl. He has two distinct
    incarnations, one very large and potentially frightening,
    completely heterosexual and working class, with a strong feeling of
    the biker club world. In his other role his is much smaller
    and quite thin, though with very much the same implications
    symbolically. His massive form is by far his most frequent incarnation. If
    he kept in better shape he'd be a perfect candidate for big
    league football or hockey. He is Jupiter, Zeus, Thor. Entirely
    self taught, he is very bright under a deceiving slowness. Daryl
    is a hard core biker, of the Harley Davidson variety, and I dare
    say in his more diminutive appearance he has a strong James Dean
    streak, though not as quick or bright. These "thin rebel" connotations connect
    him somewhat in physical appearance with Major Arcana No. 1.
    Stubborn and tenacious either way, with a fair share of bodily tatoos and a
    warmth that obstructs the term "macho". He is generally good-natured
    and slow to anger, but when his temper starts to smoulder he is positively
    terrifying. This is his "Moose" aspect. For a man, integrating and
    individuating a healthy and satisfying relationship with Daryl represents a
    challenge of absolute paramount difficulty, the consumation of
    which is supremely satisfying and essential to a successful
    passage into adulthood. His astrological connection is Jupiter.

    Major Arcana No. 5 The Nymph. Reversed, the Queen, or
    Darlequinn. Proper name, Lorien. Traditionally, this card was
    number 10, the Wheel of Fortune, but through a series of psychic
    meditations, dreams and revelations, I came to the realization that cards
    number 5 and 10 should be reversed. Numerologically, the number 5 is
    indicative of the never-ending fluctuations of desire and
    retribution, a karmic outpouring of the human attempt to
    intervene in the forces of nature and truth, and unfortunately an
    all too familiar constellation in human archetypal experience.
    Lorien is the personification in my life of Set, Loki or Lucifer.
    Quabalistically, this is the working out of the lesson of Geburah
    and Chesed, the balancing of ones moral wisdom. Transcending
    this situation leads to number 6, the resolution of one's natural
    need to understand the phenomenon of Love. The mechanisim by
    which this granite is worn away is called Temptation, and it
    seems to take two forms. In one aspect, Lorien appears as a
    blond girl with very dark eyes, indeed, difficult to distinguish
    from the Sorceress, and of course if we examine the situation
    numerologically, we can easily see a sublimation, or dilution of
    the forces of number two, the Sorceress, the full, untainted
    power of the anima, working through the energy of the Fanatic
    (Kwinn, number three), because two plus three equals five.
    Lorein usually appears in her female form with a very simple,
    transluscent, one-piece-little-girl dress, and nothing else.
    Noticably absent are shoes and make-up, without exception. She
    is very waif-like and silent, also very inert, in fact barely
    percievable. She is the incarnation of mischief, and her
    enigmatic smile betrays no motives. In her opposite aspect she is
    the drag queen, and always with black hair, usually eyes that are
    so light blue as to be virtually colourless, and wearing silk
    stockings, high heels, leather mini-skirt, etc. everythng black,
    including black make-up, and is the very dangerous seemingly
    omnipotent eternal adolescent, also an addict, and bears a great
    deal in common with a much more volatile and much less
    charasmatic Major Arcana No. 0. This figure seems generally
    accompanied by a volcanic desire of daemonic magnitude. The
    Astrological significance is the planet Uranus.

    Major Arcana No. 6. The Companion. Reversed, same.
    Traditionally, The Lovers. Proper name, Lindsey. Actually, her
    full name is Lindsey Louise Cerlwzie, as was specifically
    revealed to me in a dream. Lindsey first unveiled her true
    identity to me in a very powerful dream in the Spring of 86 in
    which she read my Tarot, and told me she would always be with me.
    Without a doubt she has appeared far more frequently than any
    other character I have ever dreamt about, before or since. She
    always appears with black or very dark brown hair, light skin and
    usually with very dark eyes, although occasionally she will
    appear with very light blue eyes, and I am convinced this
    descrepancy (and resemblence to No. 5!) bears great significance but I haven't
    yet unraveled it. She represents exactly what her title implies. She is the
    Companion, the perennial support, eternal comforter; can also be
    construed as the female ideal, the eternal girl friend, literally
    the dream girl, with no pun intended. She is the alter ego of
    Major Arcana number two, and guards the outer door to the pathway
    between the inner and outer self. She is the Mother Godesses
    first gift to me, and the prime medium through which I may
    converse with Her. She is my unconsious image of the female
    after having mingled with the reality of life and digested a
    soul-interpretation of its lessons. A very flexible, complex
    creature of far reaching implication, her degree of
    attractiveness varies greatly, depending on my emotional and
    spiritual climate as she seems to be the most accessable mirror
    of my soul. An encyclopedea of information, or far better yet,
    poetry, can and has been written about her infinite variety of
    appearances in human experience. She is represented
    astrologically, of course, by the planet Venus.
    These first seven seem to be the most important, and the ones
    that appear the most. In a seperate, secondary catagory then,
    lie interpretations of the next four.

    Major Arcana No. 7. The Philosopher. Reversed, the Beat
    Philosopher. Traditionally, the Hermit. This card was situated
    at number nine, but through a series of meditations, dreams and
    psychic experiences, it was revealed to me that this card's true
    position is actually number seven. Seven is the largest prime
    number among the original nine digits, and that gives this card a
    peculiar relationship to the number one. Seven has always been a
    number of great magical significance historically, and is
    invariably associated with hidden wisdom revealed, hidden magical
    power, imagination, mystery, transcendence, intuition and the
    spiritual realm generally. I believe that with the Piscian Age
    drawing to a close and the Aquarian Age drawing near, it's
    important to shed the notion of the Sage as the one who is
    vaulted away from society at large and pursuing some near-
    impossible spiritual quest on some distant mountaintop or secret
    monastary. So, in the name of pursuing at least my own better
    attitudes, I perfer to think of him as the Philosopher, rather
    than the Hermit. In my astral journeys, this archetype has
    fairly short, curly, blond hair and a short beard, a markedly
    receeding hairline, dark blue eyes, a very soft spoken manner,
    wears loose fitting clothing, is a vegetarian. Contrary to what
    one might think, he generally appears as a fairly young man,
    perhaps in his early thirties. He is the revealer of hidden
    knowledge, the voice inside that never lies, the Magus' closest
    ally. He is that aspect of the Magus that functions as spiritual
    guide. He is Merlin, a symbol of wisdom in the collective
    unconsious that predates Christianity. He is therefore a
    personification of the Watcher, the one who, as opposed to
    expecting an active God who maniuplates history to save man,
    rather, is continually present in myriad forms; a God, therefore,
    whose appearance is dependent on our own continued vigilance.
    Badly aspected, his penchant for esoteric thought can imprison
    one in the mire of meaningless details. In essence, this is only
    a colourful and complicated mask for a selfish need for escape.
    His astrological connection is the planet Neptune.

    Major Arcana No. 8. The Driver. Reversed, the same.
    Traditionally, The Chariot, or Victory. This card is very
    important in that it's symbols are the ones that actualize
    spiritual lessons in the day to day experiences of human life.
    This card has been placed at this number because eight has always
    invoked the forces of oganization, status, analysis, higher
    mental faculties and wordly esteem, and this is what the Driver
    teaches. The Driver is the last of the original ten archetypes
    to concern himself with the experiences of the physical world.
    It has been revealed to me that Numbers 1 to 10 of the Major
    Arcana are all archetypal beings as exemplified by the ten
    planets. The remaining twelve cards of the Major Arcana, 11 to
    21 plus 0 are representative of archetypal experiences, and their
    astrological connections are with the twelve zodiac signs.
    Therefore the name of this card has been changed from the Chariot
    to the Driver, as this card invokes the form of a being rather
    than a place. The Driver is fairly small in stature, with short,
    dark hair, muscular, masculine, with a bearing of great dignity.
    He has dark eyes, a peculiar accent and wears an as yet
    indecipherable uniform. His Astological connection is the planet
    Mercury. It has always been the custom for the victorious army
    or team, upon returning home from the battle or tournament, to
    drive the chariots through the streets of the city, the crowds
    showering them with tributes, cheers and flowers. This is no
    different from the ticker tape parade that we use today to honour
    Olympic teams, Astronauts, anyone whom we feel captures our need
    to express great worthiness, esteem and exaultation. These are
    the aspects of human experience that the Driver gets us in touch
    with. He is the driver, as one says, "So and so is driven"
    meaning, "filled with great ambition". Also the driver connotes
    the aura of the chauffer, the helper, the valet, the one who
    provides aid to one's sense of ambition and worldly esteem.
    There are many subtle and not so subtle approaches to this
    archetype. Which one you use can have far reaching implications
    in your worldly fortune and karma. I believe it's important that
    the power of Number 2, the Sorceress, is mediated through the
    influence of Number 4, the Protector, for a healthy approach to
    the Driver (2 x 4 = 8). I also believe it is very important that
    as the ideal self is invoked through the power of Number 1, the
    Magus, that it should be mediated through the thoughtful wisdom
    of Number seven, the Philosopher, in order to establish a healthy
    esteem and karma (1 + 7 = 8). These numerological patterns
    deserve meditation in that they provide clues to many others that
    may be helpful in arriving at a personal and accomplished
    approach to one's spiritual program.

    Major Arcana No. 9. The Judge. Reversed, same. Traditional
    name, Justice. This name has been changed from Justice to Judge
    for the same reason as is explained in Number 8 above, namely
    that this card represents an archetypal being rather than an
    archetypal experience. His true number is, indeed nine, for nine
    is the number of completion, of supreme spiritual awareness, of
    worldly compassion, of integration on a third octave of the
    energy that begins as obsession with Number 3, the Fanatic and
    reaches it's first resolution in Number 6, the Companion. Nine
    is the number of the one who has arrived at the knowledge of the
    true essence of things, it is the number of universality, of
    intergration, of the awareness of the total whole. This is a
    very important number in the Baha'i faith, in that it signifies
    justice, which by their description is "the appearance of unity
    among all people". The Judge has for his astrological
    significance Pluto, the guardian of the gate to the land of the
    dead. This has been greatly misinterprited in recent years, and
    it is best to understand the Egyptian interpretation of Anubis,
    who was much more than simply the lord of the underworld. He was
    not a devil at all, in the Christian sense, he was the one who
    watched over the soul while it was out of the body, whether
    between incarnations, during astral projections or even simply
    under the influence of anasthetics. The Egyptians were very
    preoccupied with the issue of morality, in fact the rise of their
    empire has been described as synonymous with the rise of human
    awareness of morality itself. They did not see the land of the
    dead as some kind of horrible, foul smelling land of eternal
    fire. Their spiritual value system having formed long before the
    connection of Greek rationalism with the dualistic thesis of the
    Christians, the Egyptians saw reward and punishment as something
    far beyond the simple "you're either good or bad" routine. In
    this sense the Judge is an incarnation of Thoth, the scribe of
    the soul, who placed one's soul on a balancing scale at the time
    of one's death. Thoth then read aloud to the other gods what
    that soul was proported to have absorbed through it's experiences
    on Earth this time around. At the other end of the scale was a
    feather. If the soul weighed more, it had absorbed too much bad
    karma. Osiris stood as apologist, to defend the deceased in
    light of his or her finer points. This number can be seen as a
    pinacle position in one's ability to surmount the realm of human
    morality, or the Geburah, Chesed plane on the Quabalistic Tree of
    Life. The concept of the Judge is a very subtle and
    sophisticated one, and it takes much spiritual work to come to a
    true understanding of it's implications.

    Major Arcana No. 10. The Yogi. Reversed, same. Traditional
    name, The Heirophant. This card is switched with Wheel of
    Fortune. This is partially explained in number 5, the Nymph.
    Here we come to the first double digit number, being a
    combination of 1, the Magus, and 0 the Addict. And indeed, we
    find that the number is a representation of the all-important
    link between the the individual concious ego, or ideal man, and
    the all-encompassing Self, the nothingness that preceeds all
    existance. The Hindu interpretation of the word Yoga means
    "link", and the study of Yoga is, in its totality, the study of
    the relationship between the individual and the totality of the
    cosmos. Attainment on this plane is the perfect understanding
    of the nature of God, or at least as perfect an understanding as
    is probably possible in human form. So, whereas in the number 8 we have
    reached the zenith of accomplishment the physical world, and in
    number 9 we have reached the zenith of wisdom on the moral plane,
    here with number 10 we have reached the zenith of understanding
    in the spiritual realm. We have joined the beginning with the
    end, the one with the zero, the something with the nothing, and
    as the Malkuth of one plane is the Kether of the next, so may our
    journey start all over again. In my dreams and revelatory
    experiences, the Yogi comes as more of a presence than an actual
    physical embodiment. One could say that whenever a dream is felt
    to have that transpersonal aura to it, a feeling that what
    has been communicated is certainly beyond simply intellectual processes,
    that feeling that one has just witnessed something really true,
    then the Yogi is present. This experience seems capable of
    taking an unlimited number of forms and often comes in unexpected
    times and places. I believe it is behind all true artistic
    inspiration, and of course behind all spiritual revealation.
    Perhaps it is best then, that the details of the Yogi's true face remain
    hidden in its details, for we should always keep in mind that there is
    no single religion that has the exclusive rights in the interpretation
    of God's will. In our era, to be spiritually prejudiced is a
    dangerous thing. As wonderful as the Tarot is as a
    representation of the universality of the archetypes of the
    collective unconcious, the simple fact is that no one else can
    really describe God's face to you. The human race is rushing
    relentlessly towards a vision of unity, and we are quickly becoming
    members of the same community. It is important that we already
    begin to think and act as if that goal has been accomplished, for
    in our era it is inevitable that events on one side of the world
    have repercussions on the other. The Yogi's face then, like the
    beard of the Macroprossopus in the Quabala, is at once a
    universally recognizable form to all people of all times and
    places, and yet takes a truly personal form to each individual.
    One's relationship with God is, ultimately something that no one
    can really interfere with. This is why the genuine spiritual
    quest is so terribly difficult, and why we all have such an
    overwhelming urge to simply resign from the burden of human
    choices and let some prefabricated nonsense drag us into an
    apathetic situation in which political organizations get mistaken
    for spiritual movements. My experience has been that the key to the
    understanding of life involves a serious attempt to grasp on a spiritual level
    what the number ten implies, with it's illustration of the relationship between
    the idealization of the conscious self (No. 1), and the expression of
    the limitless totality (Number 0).

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Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Critcism of Bush 43 is un-American: A left-wing fairy tale

Mark Noonan says:
September 7th, 2009 at 6:31 pm

Not actually - you see, its a leftwing myth that any conservative ever said that criticism of Bush was unpatriotic.

Mark - You're completely full of shit.

Count Istvan said...

shouldn't Nooner be gearing up for his ass reaming err senate run?

et said...

What a load of crap from Noonan.

Good luck with that run for office. Should it honestly move forward...this blog is about to become a nightmare for the guy.

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Saturday, September 25, 2004

What is a "Paladin?"

Pitt played the Furman Paladins at Heinz Field. After smacking Pitt around the field for three quarters, it is safe to assume this Division I-AA school won't be a guest again. Great game! Pitt did win in overtime.

RTO Trainer said...

A Paladin is a Crusader knight. Usually of one of the Crusading orders (Templar, Malta, Hospitaler...). The word in modern contexts usually means anyone who fights for a cause.

Also, Paladin was the protagonist character on Have Gun Will Travel.

Finally, the M-109A6 Paladin is a self-propelled 155mm howitzer in the US Army inventory.

Anonymous said...

Current Pitt and former Connellsville High School running back Marcus Furman has the all-time Pennsylvania single-game rushing record of 455 yards. Hall-of-Famer Tony Dorsett ran over, around and through defenses while starring at Hopewell High School.


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5 Olympic Court Forest Hill, VIC 3131

Sold for $850,000 on 11 Apr 2015
  • 3 Beds
  • 1 Bath
  • 1 Car

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House in Forest Hill

Be quick to secure this amazing opportunity!

  • 3 Beds
  • 1 Bath
  • 1 Car

Enjoying a peaceful court location and a warm energy throughout, this much loved residence offers a plethora of exciting possibilities. On a generous allotment of 735sqm (approx), developers out there will be rubbing their hands together with delight!

There is a fabulous opportunity to redevelop the site, or perhaps build your new dream home (STCA). The existing home could be rented out whilst plans and permits were being approved by council.

Alternatively keen D.I.Y.ers out there could breathe new life into this classic home and renovate or extend it. Investors will also see the potential to add to their property portfolios, as will first home buyers starting out. Original in condition, the home consists of 3 separate living areas, including a spacious sunroom with court views, a formal lounge room and a dining room.

The light filled kitchen adjoins a cosy meals area. There are 3 bedrooms which share a central family bathroom, with a separate toilet next to the laundry. Extras: Air conditioner in lounge room, Storage/garden shed, SLUG and ample car accommodation on the driveway for visitors.

In an unbeatable location, it's a short walk to Forest Hill Chase, offering many specialty shops, banks, supermarkets including Coles, Aldi and Safeway, various dining options, coffee shops, a Hoyts cinema and a bowling alley. Close to Blackburn Lake Sanctuary, Blackburn Village and train station, Burwood Heights Primary, Emmaus College, Forest Hill College, Mahoneys Reserve, Mt Scopus, PLC and Deakin University are all readily accessible. Buses run from Canterbury Road.

Photo Id required at all open for inspections.

  • Single Garage

Forest Hill

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16 Larkin Crescent Flinders, NSW 2529

Sold for $890,000 on 8 Feb 2017
  • 4 Beds
  • 2 Baths
  • 2 Cars

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House in Flinders

Single Level Dream Home!

  • 4 Beds
  • 2 Baths
  • 2 Cars

Live the modern and executive lifestyle in this single level brick home catering to the premier class of contemporary living in a prestige locale. Beautifully presented with a classic design, revealing a stylish kitchen incorporating stainless steel appliances, breakfast bar and an arsenal of storage options. Accommodating space for a large family with four carpeted bedrooms and the main bedroom appointed with a WIR and sleek ensuite. Put your feet up in the living room to be taken advantage of as a peaceful sanctuary whilst the kids can have their own area to relax in the rumpus room. Entertaining is not a problem in this home when you have the spacious dining area opening out to the alfresco with the added convenience of your own pizza oven. Set on a large 788.3m2 (approx) block making this home the ideal family oasis, with plenty of yard for the kids to run and play. Complete with double garage, essential extra storage, ducted air conditioning and alarm system. Promising lifestyle excellence just minutes from local schools, shopping precincts, world class beaches and the future waterfront marina. Contact Amanda Bonnici on 0408 966 651 to register an interest.

  • Air Conditioning
  • Alarm System
  • Built-In Wardrobes
  • Close To Schools
  • Close To Shops
  • Close To Transport
  • Formal Lounge

2 garage spaces

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Monday, September 9, 2013

Killer Nashville Blog: The Fictional Serial Killer by R. Barri Flowers

Friends and fans, check out my blog in the Killer Nashville Guest Blog Series, as I talk about the fictional and real life serial killers; as well as my latest bestselling thriller, BEFORE HE KILLS AGAIN.


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Red Bank Elementary
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Subjects Taught
First Grade

My higher academic endeavors began in Fall 2006. I left the wintry North to go to Covenant College on Lookout Mountain, GA. There, I pursued and acquired a Bachelor of Arts in English. Books and creative writing are my two main hobbies in life. I love getting lost in a story, delving out my thoughts in a story, and spreading the word about how amazing our language is. Once I left college I wasn't sure what to do. I ended up with a lot of jobs in childcare. So, I decided to put my love of learning and love of children together by becoming an elementary teacher. In the Spring of 2012 I went back to Covenant where I completed an adult degree program and acquired a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. In the Fall semester of my senior year I student taught in kindergarten and second grade at Red Bank. I was blessed to be able to take over a classroom in first grade that Spring semester.

I began my teaching career as a substitute in Hamilton County. It gave me an idea of the different communities in Chattanooga. In November 2014 I took over a first grade classroom at Red Bank Elementary. I've enjoyed growing here as a first grade teacher. This will be my third full year in first grade.

I grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. My four siblings are all older than me and still live up North. I decided to make my own path by coming down South for college. I love the mountains here and have stayed since graduating the first time in Spring 2010. I regularly attend Lookout Mountain Presbyterian where I met and married my husband, Drew Baxley. He was born and raised in Chattanooga. It's been great making a home with him here in Red Bank. We love to cook new recipes and bake many pies and cookies.

Among my two main hobbies, reading and writing, I also love to sing. I have been a member of the Chattanooga Bach Choir and sung some amazing scores such as, Bach's B Minor Mass and Mendelson's Elijah. I'm always up for good challenge. I also enjoy singing for my church family in our church choir.


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Better Roads

March 2014

Better Roads Digital Magazine

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Contents of this Issue

Page 12 of 31

Better Roads March 2014 11 By Tina Grady Barbaccia Applications & Innovations Control Equipment and Techniques for Snowﬁ ghters Snow & Ice W ith the extreme cold temperatures this past winter, a number of times dropping several degrees below zero, this year's spring pave- ment repair and pothole patching plans will be on a greater scale than in recent years past. Brian Anderson of the Ontario Good Roads Association and member of the American Public Works Association (APWA) Winter Maintenance Committee, says with the ex- treme cold temperatures, he expects to see more pavement break up in the spring because an extended timeframe will be needed for the frost to come out. Butch Riddell, general superintendent for Kansas City, Missouri-based Superior Asphalt, agrees, noting "the winter weather conditions with their extreme warm-cold cycles will lead to accelerated changes to roads across the country. We're already seeing damage in our local infrastructure, which will only increase with the current conditions." The cold weather also not only had an effect on pave- ments but also caused "quite a few" water main breaks in the City of Dubuque, Iowa's distribution system, points out John Klostsermann, street and sewer maintenance supervisor for the city. Salt brine is often applied to roadways as a pre-treatment for approaching winter weather events. This thin layer of salt brine effectively inhibits the otherwise natural bonding of snow and ice to a road's surface. However, salt brine pro- duction can have its limitations, including cost of installing a dedicated facility: transportation of brine to satellite loca- tions; being labor intensive to produce, changing tempera- tures can affect brine accuracy, attaining adequate produc- tion rates and the ability to blend in additives. Salt brine to help cities crippled by winter weather Some Southern and Southwestern states that experience snowfall and major ice storms this winter were "held hos- tage" from the inclement weather. In Atlanta, Georgia, mo- torists were stuck on the road for hours and children were stuck on buses and at school, without parents being able to reach them after 3 inches of snow, much of it turning to ice, totally shut down the this city with very little snow-removal equipment. Professional-grade salt brine making, blending and truck loading systems are being used as a mobile solution for municipalities and state agencies to help prevent such a crip- pling situation. Brian Evans, marketing manager for Henderson, which manufactures a salt brine, says if predictions are correct,

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Sunday, January 31, 2016

January - This Month in Reading

January was a productive reading month for me - I read 16 books, and managed to almost read at least 1 book for each challenge that I've signed up for. I made a lot of headway with some of the series that I have to read in order to get to a couple books on my TBR pile, and I am really enjoying these - it's fun to get to know the characters in this compressed timeframe.

For February, I'd like to keep up this momentum and read another 16 books at least. I have a bunch of books coming to me from the library (the recent snowstorm messed up their system of bringing books from one branch to another, so a lot of the books I had on hold have been delayed). And of course I have my faithful TBR pile to draw on, so I should have plenty of books to read.

How did your January reading shape up?

Friday, January 29, 2016

January Reread - The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde

I have been meaning to reread this series for ages now, but with my looming TBR pile I felt guilty about rereads when there were so many other books I should be reading instead. However, the combination of the Read It Again, Sam Challenge and the need to read the latest book in this series for my TBR Pile Challenge now allows me to reread this guilt-free - hooray!

Having reread this book now, I'm really glad I insisted on doing this, as I didn't have strong memories of the details. In fact, I would have been hard pressed to come up with the significant events in my mind, and as fun as this series is (and it is!), it's also full of important story points that one needs to keep in mind. All in all though, I was happy to revisit this favorite series, and I'm really looking forward to going along for the ride again.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Around the World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne (Spoilers?)

In my challenge post I predicted this book would be a ripping yarn, and I was right! This was indeed a fun adventure story. It's funny now, knowing that I could go around the entire planet in just over 2 days using airplanes, to realize that at this time it would have taken at least 80 days to make the same journey. On the other hand, assuming one was more interested in the local surroundings than Mr. Fogg, I would rather travel the same route in 190 days in order to have some fun experiences (that preferably didn't involve an overeager cop) along the way. I liked the character of Passepartout and although I kind of came to an understanding of Phileas Fogg he was sort of unknowable throughout the book - it wasn't a problem but at the same time a part of the ending made less sense without any character development. I think Verne did a good job of creating suspenseful situations that left us wondering how the characters could get out of them - and then resolving them in a fairly logical way. All in all, I see why this is a classic, and I look forward to reading more Verne.

As a note, I happened to read Penguin's Michael Glencross translation, and it was excellent, complete with interesting notes, as well as an introduction and other good info - if you're looking for a well-done edition of this book.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

The Redbreast - Jo Nesbø (Spoilers?)

The third book in the Harry Hole series is a corker - it was very entertaining. There were 2 parallel stories that intersected - one in the past and one in the present - and I liked the way the stories came together in the end. It was fitting that during a huge snowstorm, I was reading a book where Inspector* Hole (mostly) stays put in Oslo for once. I haven't been to Oslo (yet) but it was helpful to imagine it while snow was falling, especially since there were a lot of winter scenes in the book. I will say that Part Five was very touching and well done, and I liked the way it was handled overall, giving us exposition while also giving us an emotional wallop.

I still like Hole; sometimes he is hard to like and sometimes it's just circumstances that happen to cause others around him to have bad things happen to them that reflect poorly on him in a way and make me feel bad for the people close to him on his behalf. Does that make any sense?? I doubt it, sorry. Just assume I've had a long evening at Schrøders, ha ha ha.

In any case, if you like suspense novels, murder mysteries, and etc., you should like this series.

*I think I inadvertently gave Hole a promotion in my last review - in any case it's all good now

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) - Mindy Kaling

This was a fast and enjoyable read. It skipped around a lot, so it was sort of like hanging out with a fun and funny friend and just chatting about things. This book was published in 2011, so it covers her career up to The Office, as well as talking about her childhood and college days and etc., as well as general musings on life. Great beach or vacation reading.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Cockroaches - Jo Nesbø

Book 2 of the Harry Hole series. I like the gloomy character of Inspector Hole, and the setting in Thailand was enjoyable. From time to time I found the plot slightly hard to follow but in the end it all worked out. The next book will be coming up soon!

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe

Having read this book, it's easy to see why it's held in high regard and is considered a classic - it's a very specific story and yet the story of the main character is also a highly universal one in some ways. The writing is clear and elegant and it allows the reader to experience the events in the book emotionally while reading. The author does a wonderful job of helping the reader understand the motivations that drive the main character's actions, so that we can understand even if we don't necessarily sympathize with some of them. This was a deceptively fast and easy read that will stay in my mind. Evidently there is a sequel; I will have to read that, as I would love to hear more. Highly Recommended.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel (Spoilers?)

The writing in this book reminded me a bit too much of this book - it seems like it should be better than it actually is. I think I can better express my thoughts about this book in list form:

Good things:
1. This was a really fast read - it kept me turning pages and it read really quickly.
2. I like post-apocalyptic settings and/or stories about people surviving in a place without easy access to food, water, technology, etc. so the premise was interesting to me.
3. I didn't mind the shifting back and forth in time in the storytelling - but it was a bit dragged out here and there. I did like seeing the characters making connections and making connections in my mind as I read.
4. For some reason I had a very easy time mentally casting a few of the characters - not sure why but it enhanced my reading.

Not-so-good things:
1. Parts of the ending were anticlimactic. Things were built up but then didn't come to much. On the other hand, it might have been too cliche if they had.
2. Things are brought up and dropped too easily. Much is made of the prophet's symbol but it comes to nothing. I can guess at the meaning but it would have been nice to flesh it out.
3. Speaking of the prophet, I would have liked to know more about this character... or maybe I can just guess at this too, since I watch the Walking Dead  and Game of Thrones TV shows and they have had similar characters... ?
4. I wish the author had worldbuilt a little more. So the flu didn't affect animals? Wouldn't there be packs of wild dogs and etc. then? What happened to the prophet's mother? Where did all the weapons come from - did people make crossbows or find them someplace or what?

I'll stop here but in general this was another mixed feelings book. I didn't hate it or anything, but I wanted to like it a lot more than I did.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Sweet Thursday - John Steinbeck

Couldn't resist this book after falling in love with Cannery Row last month. Why on earth didn't I get into John Steinbeck long before now? He has rapidly become a serious literary crush. Parts of this book really made me laugh. It was great to catch up with the characters from Cannery Row and see how they have changed (or haven't, as the case may be). In some ways the love story was silly and farfetched, but that didn't bother me much, since the book as a whole is so entertaining. I even like the characters I don't like, if that makes any sense. Hasn't everyone known a person like Mack, who tries to do the right thing and is all too often thwarted by fate or life or whatever? The only drawback to this book is that there are no others to continue this story. Recommended.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Purity of Blood - Arturo Pérez-Reverte

This book, the second in a series*, had a slightly different tone than the first book, and I really enjoyed that. While the first book was a more straightforward swashbuckling tale, this book, while still featuring a decent amount of action, intrigue, mystery, and etc., seemed to have more of a message. There were some things that happened that I would have liked to hear more about, but that isn't a big deal, and who knows, maybe they will come up in later books. Once again, this was a fast read, and a great choice for readers who like historical fiction.
*My review of the first book can be found here

Thursday, January 7, 2016

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

This book was an enjoyable take on adolescence. I think the author was trying to create a kinder, gentler Holden Caufield, sort of updating The Catcher in the Rye (which is referenced in the book) for a late 20th century audience. Initially the letter format sort of annoyed me, but I soon got used to it and ended up enjoying it, as opposed to reading a more conventionally structured book; I think it works well for conveying a first-person narrative of adolescence when one is an "outsider" in some way. Although I'm not in the YA target audience, I can see how this book would be valuable to young people, and I'm sure I would have loved it had I been able to read it when I was younger.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

The Bat - Jo Nesbø

This is the first Harry Hole novel, and I am happy to say I enjoyed it. The mystery kept me reading, and the Australian setting was unexpected but worked well. I liked Inspector Hole as a character, although I wouldn't mind reading about him on his home turf.

One thing that bothered me a little was that many of the characters talked in riddles from time to time. To be fair, this is called out in the text itself, so it's not a flaw, it's a deliberate choice, and in the context of the story it works. I am a fan of clear communication, however, so I didn't like it, and it would have driven me nuts if I were Inspector Hole.

I have the next book in this series ready to go so I will be reading that one this month also. I think I will enjoy this series - definitely a winner if you're a fan of mysteries, police procedurals, and/or Scandinavian crime books!

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Quiet As They Come - Angie Chau

Found this book in the library and couldn't resist, seeing as how I need a book with a title starting with the letter Q for the Alphabet Soup challenge this year. And I was not disappointed! Although it's short stories, not my favorite book format, the stories follow the same characters, so this is actually refreshing - we get to hear things from different perspectives and the end result is more like a novel. Recommended.

LGBTQIA Books Reading Challenge

Hooray, I found another Quiltbag challenge for 2016! This one is hosted by Alexia at Pretty Deadly Reviews, and you can read all the details and sign up here.

I'm going to go for the lowest level, Red, which is 5 books, because with all the series reading I have to do this year I am not sure if I will be reading books with a main character that will count for this challenge, so I'm going to play it safe. I know I have one book that will definitely count, and I'm sure there will be at least four more - or four more that I can discover.

I'll keep track of the books I read for this challenge in this post as I read.

1. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky (one of the main characters is a gay teenager; story deals in part with his struggle to have a relationship with another closeted gay teen)
2. Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen - Jazz Jennings (author is transgender; book is autobiography about growing up as a transgender girl, becoming an activist, etc.)
3. Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition - Katie Rain Hill (author is transgender; book is autobiography about growing up as a transgender girl, becoming an activist, etc.)
4. Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen - Arin Andrews (author is transgender; book is autobiography about growing up as a transgender boy, becoming an activist, etc.)
5. Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family - Amy Ellis Nutt (nonfiction book about trans woman)
6. Luna - Julie Anne Peters (LGBT author; book is about a trans woman)
7. Always - Nicola Griffith (LGBT author; main character is a lesbian)

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Orange Is the New Black - Piper Kerman

Another mixed-feelings book. Something in the author's tone reminded me too much of this book and also this book; the author's insane level of privilege was just layered on too thick for me. She tells us over and over and over again about her many many visitors, and how much her family loves her and supports her no matter what, and that perfect strangers (friends of friends of her wonderful friends) sent her heartwarming letters and boxes bulging with books, and how NO ONE thinks she (an expensively educated blonde white girl) looks like she belongs in prison, etc. Prison sounds awful, no doubt about it, and it's clear that drug-related sentencing desperately needs reform in the US. However, in my opinion this message gets lost because all we really hear about is how successful the author is at prison life. Everyone wants to be her best bud! No one ever rips her off or gets one over on her! She even loses so much weight (because she spends a lot of time running on the prison's track, doing yoga, etc.) that her tons of visitors rave about how nice and skinny she is!

The last straw for me was when she went on about how angry she was at the woman who got her into the prison predicament. That would be fine, if this woman had hoodwinked her or something - but she willingly participated in drug smuggling and money laundering. So what is there to be angry about? You knew what you were doing was illegal, and didn't care until it caught up with you.

You know what - I confess that this type of thing makes me irrationally angry because I was raised in the kind of "family" where the smallest mistake resulted in all h3ll breaking loose. For example, I frequently received an hours-long screaming fit followed by days or weeks of the "silent treatment" because I did something "horrendous" like loaning a school friend less than $1 for a snack. I would NEVER have received ANY support from these people had I been busted for shoplifting a 50 cent item, let alone being indicted by the Feds for drug-related charges. So yes, I bring a lifetime of bitterness to books where people have what I never will.

Sorry, readers, I apologize for this outburst.

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

Got this book in a Yuletide gift exchange, and I had wanted to read it so that was fab. In the end, I enjoyed it; it was a fast read and a mind trip, and was skillfully done. Will it stick in my mind? No; but there's a place for quick and enjoyable and a place for lingering mind-changing classics, and I can enjoy all of the above. I will happily pass it on to some other bookish friends who also want to read it.  If you liked Gone Girl you should like this too.

Friday, January 1, 2016

The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros

I've been wanting to read this collection of vignettes for a while, and finally made it happen. The very short stories are impressionistic; they give the reader data points that form a larger picture when the reader considers them later. It's a deceptively fast and easy read that creates a vibrant story.

Not on Fire, but Burning - Greg Hrbek

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of this author's writing - see my review of a previous book here. It was nice to read a longer format story so I could really revel in the writing. This story is a speculative fiction mind trip and it will keep me thinking for a long time. Hrbek neatly captures adolescent voices, including their inner voices, and it's easy as a reader to place oneself in the minds of the characters, even when they are doing things you don't like. This was a great way to start my 2016 reading - highly recommended.

2016 Reading Challenges

This post is just a list of all the challenges I am participating in for 2016, with links to the posts I made for each one to help me keep track of the books I read and etc. Click the links for more info about each challenge; my posts have links to the challenge sign-up posts on the hosts' blogs, etc.

Back to the Classics Challenge - read 12 classic books in specific categories

Mount TBR Challenge - read at least 60 books from the TBR pile

Color-Coded Reading Challenge - read 9 books in color categories

Read It Again, Sam - reread 16+ books

2016 Banned Books Challenge - read 3 - 5 banned or challenged books

Books in Translation - read 10 - 12 books translated from their original language of publication

French Bingo 2016 - get bingo by reading at least 5 books in various categories on the bingo card

Literary Loners Reading Challenge 2016 - read books about loners, introverts, etc.

Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge - read 26 books, each beginning with a letter of the alphabet

TBR Pile Challenge - read 12 books (and possibly 2 bonus books) that have been lingering on the TBR pile for far too long

LGBTQIA Reading Challenge - read 5 books with a LGBTQIA main character

Planet Earth Challenge - my ongoing challenge to read a book set in each country on Earth

If I join more challenges during the year, I'll update this post.

TBR Pile Challenge 2016

So I just found out the sad (for me!) news that Adam at Roofbeam Reader is not going to be hosting this challenge in 2016. I started this blog back in January of 2011 for the express purpose of participating in Adam's challenge. As I have related many times before, I am not a person who has awesome powers of stick-to-it-iveness in general, so in the back of my mind I suspected I'd lose interest in blogging and maybe read the 12 books I had chosen for the challenge during 2011 and that would be about it; I assumed I wouldn't blog any longer than a couple months or so. Although I was correct about completing the challenge, I am still blogging (mostly) regularly 5 years (!) later - in fact, I have written more than 700 posts. I have cleared at least 60 books from my TBR pile thanks to Adam's challenge over the past 5 years. Along the way I have really felt a sense of accomplishment from keeping my commitment to finishing the books I signed up for. I've also found some amazing books that were just waiting on my pile to be read. So I want to thank Adam for starting me down the path to book blogging and reading the books I actually own. I wish him all the best!

Before I discovered the challenge wouldn't happen in 2016, I had thought about which books to include and made a tentative list. It just seems really weird to not have this as a challenge, so I decided to make a list as a personal challenge just for fun. So without further ado, here are the 12 books I will be reading in 2016 as part of my unofficial TBR Pile Challenge, in no particular order.

1. The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet - Arturo Pérez-Reverte - read May 2016

2. A Case of Two Cities - Qiu Xiaolong - read Apr. 2016

3. The Glass of Time - Michael Cox - read Nov. 2016

4. The Snowman - Jo Nesbø - read Mar. 2016

5. The Fire Engine that Disappeared - Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö - read Dec. 2016

6. Sea of Poppies - Amitav Ghosh - read Nov. 2016

7. The Woman Who Died a Lot - Jasper Fforde - read Dec. 2016

8. The Fifth Floor - Michael Harvey - read Nov. 2016

9. The Celestial Globe - Marie Rutkowski - read Nov. 2016

10. Always - Nicola Griffith - read Nov. 2016

11. The Silent Cry - Kenzaburo Oe - read Apr. 2016

12. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher - Kate Summerscale - read Apr. 2016

Adam's challenge always called for 2 alternates, but I'm going to call these books "bonuses" because I hope to read them anyway.

1. The Children's Hour - A.S. Byatt - read Nov. 2016

2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee - Dee Brown. It's no mystery why this book has remained unread: I'm terrified that it will make me really angry. But that's a poor excuse to leave a book unread, so I need to get over myself and make it happen.

So there you have it - wow, I have a lot of book series to read in 2016 - should be fun!


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This Blog is Dedicated to our dear friend Karen.
When she left this life she left a hole in our hearts as well as several to be read books.
We, her friends, will read these books for her.
This blog will be a sort of book club for us to post our thoughts and feelings about the stories and feelings we have of Karen while we read.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

#411 Be The Pack Leaderby Cesar Millan

(Read as part of our "Reading with Karen" project. I'm kind of surprised she had this book on her to-read list, since her Yorkie Chubbs is such an incredibly good dog. Maybe she watched some of Cesar's show and wanted to learn more about him.)

So many people try to deal with their dogs (and other animals) from a human reference point. They think animals think of things in the same way as humans, and that's just not the case. For example, dogs are pack animals, and they approach things from that pack animal mentality - where do I fit into the pack? What is my "job" in the pack? Who is the pack leader?
On his television show, Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan helps people address problems with their dogs by approaching the problem from that same pack mentality - whether it's a dog not recognizing the "alpha dog" status of its owner, or a dog who's stressed out about conflict among the humans in the household, for example. This book is essentially Millan explaining how pack animals think, and showing readers how to establish themselves as the pack leader in their dogs' minds.
One of the main points made throughout the book is that dogs respond to the energy and non-verbal communication put out by their owners. You place yourself as the pack leader, and keep your dogs from being stressed out, by putting out calm, assertive energy. Millan gives lots of great examples of how this helps you to work out problems with your dogs, but I wish he had done a better job explaining how to project that calm-assertive energy.
There are a few other minor issues that I have with the book, but for the most part, it's a good resource for people trying to establish a strong, respectful relationship with their dog.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

#287 Button Button Uncanny Stories by Richard Matheson

As with any collection of short stories, there are some that really shine,and others that... don't. "Button, Button" is classic Matheson, with that Twilight Zone feel that made him such an important contributor to that show. "Shock Wave" has a similar feel to it. "A Flourish of Strumpets" was a funny take on door-to-door prostitution. "Tis the Season to Be Jelly" was just... strange. But the best piece, in my opinion, was the only poetry piece in the book: "The Jazz Machine".

Monday, December 5, 2016

#419 Sense and Senibility by Jane Austin

Finally finished this, after over a month of reading it. I read Wuthering Heights not long ago, and it didn't give me *too* much trouble, so I thought this one would be relatively easy. I was so wrong.
First off, Austen's writing is so difficult to follow. Each sentence must have a minimum of eight commas, and there are so many instances of adjectives or clauses not being put anywhere near the word they're describing. There is also Austen's annoying habit of referring to people as "Mrs. So-and-so", but providing no clue as to which of the married women with that surname she is referring. For instance, there are two Mrs. Dashwoods, three Miss Dashwoods, two Miss Steeles, two Mr. Ferrars, etc., etc. This makes things so confusing for the reader. And as I mentioned in my review of Wuthering Heights, I needed a scorecard to understand the interrelationships among the various families: The Dashwood sisters' half brother is married to the Ferrar brothers' sister, and the Steele sisters are somehow related to someone, and Sir John is somebody's cousin, and I don't know what else. And understanding all these relationships is crucial to understanding the plot.

To me, the only redeeming factor was the sense of satisfaction I got when I understood one of Austen's little jokes. And, of course, the satisfaction of finally finishing the book.


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After leading the world during most of the 20th century in economic, political, technological, military, and even social terms, Americas role is now being challenged. Its values questioned, and its methods often disparaged, America had become the clear example to be followed or even copied, yet its more recent strategic and political decisions gained little international support and a lot of outright opposition. The quality of its national planning and decision making has been severely compromised, and risk management appears to be largely absent. India and China are now emerging as new economic powers, with advancing technological prowess. Their focus is on socioeconomic development, but their capabilities and potentials are much broader and may challenge America's leadership before long, unless it recognizes the changing demands of the new wide open globalized world.

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This 2009 book focuses specifically on bin and bulk parameterizations for the prediction of cloud and precipitation at various scales - the cloud scale, mesoscale, synoptic scale, and the global climate scale. It provides a background to the fundamental principles of parameterization physics, including processes involved in the production of clouds, ice particles, liquid water, snow aggregate, graupel and hail. It presents full derivations of the parameterizations, allowing readers to build parameterization packages, with varying levels of complexity based on information in the book. Architectures for a range of dynamical models are given, in which parameterizations form a significant tool for investigating large non-linear numerical systems. Model codes are available online at Written for researchers and advanced students of cloud and precipitation microphysics, this book is also a valuable reference for all atmospheric scientists involved in models of numerical weather prediction.

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Coding for MIMO Communication Systems is a comprehensive introduction and overview to the various emerging coding techniques developed for MIMO communication systems. The basics of wireless communications and fundamental issues of MIMO channel capacity are introduced and the space-time block and trellis coding techniques are covered in detail. Other signaling schemes for MIMO channels are also considered, including spatial multiplexing, concatenated coding and iterative decoding for MIMO systems, and space-time coding for non-coherent MIMO channels. Practical issues including channel correlation, channel estimation and antenna selection are also explored, with problems at the end of each chapter to clarify many important topics.A comprehensive book on coding for MIMO techniques covering main strategiesTheories and practical issues on MIMO communications are examined in detailEasy to follow and accessible for both beginners and experienced practitioners in the fieldReferences at the end of each chapter for further readingCan be used with ease as a research book, or a textbook on a graduate or advanced undergraduate level courseThis book is aimed at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers and practitioners in industry, as well as individuals working for government, military, science and technology institutions who would like to learn more about coding for MIMO communication systems.

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In Dark Age Bodies Lynda L. Coon reconstructs the gender ideology of monastic masculinity through an investigation of early medieval readings of the body. Focusing on the Carolingian era, Coon evaluates the ritual and liturgical performances of monastic bodies within the imaginative landscapes of same-sex ascetic communities in northern Europe. She demonstrates how the priestly body plays a significant role in shaping major aspects of Carolingian history, such as the revival of classicism, movements for clerical reform, and church-state relations. In the political realm, Carolingian churchmen consistently exploited monastic constructions of gender to assert the power of the monastery. Stressing the superior qualities of priestly virility, clerical elites forged a model of gender that sought to feminize lay male bodies through a variety of textual, ritual, and spatial means.Focusing on three central themesthe body, architecture, and ritual practicethe book draws from a variety of visual and textual materials, including poetry, grammar manuals, rhetorical treatises, biblical exegesis, monastic regulations, hagiographies, illuminated manuscripts, building plans, and cloister design. Interdisciplinary in scope, Dark Age Bodies brings together scholarship in architectural history and cultural anthropology with recent works in religion, classics, and gender to present a significant reconsideration of Carolingian culture.

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The landscape of development is changing with the growing recognition that the 'marketplace' cannot guarantee benefits for the poor. This has led to a reawakening of interest in the capacity of governments to plan and facilitate poverty reduction. Reflecting calls for a more holistic and multidisciplinary exploration of development planning for poverty reduction, this collection brings together economic and anthropological views to facilitate a dialogue between two perspectives that are often seen as competing. The contributors interrogate the definition of poverty and the relationship between the donors and recipients of development assistance. They critique attempts to increase the poverty focus of development projects and government strategies, and consider some microeconomic perspectives for assessing the distribution of benefits from investment projects and programmes.

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You, too, can understand geometry---- just ask Dr. Math ? !Are things starting to get tougher in geometry class? Don't panic. Dr. Math--the popular online math resource--is here to help you figure out even the trickiest of your geometry problems.Students just like you have been turning to Dr. Math for years asking questions about math problems, and the math doctors at The Math Forum have helped them find the answers with lots of clear explanations and helpful hints. Now, with Dr. Math Presents More Geometry, you'll learn just what it takes to succeed in this subject. You'll find the answers to dozens of real questions from students in a typical geometry class. You'll also find plenty of hints and shortcuts for using coordinate geometry, finding angle relationships, and working with circles. Pretty soon, everything from the Pythagorean theorem to logic and proofs will make more sense. Plus, you'll get plenty of tips for working with all kinds of real-life problems.You won't find a better explanation of high school geometry anywhere!

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The Forex Options Course is a practical, hands-on guide to understanding and trading forex options. Designed to build a trader's knowledge base in a step-by-step manner, this reliable resource moves from the straightforward to the more sophisticated with discussions of everything from basic plain vanilla calls and puts to intriguing first-generation exotic binary options. Written in a straightforward and accessible style, The Forex Options Course will help you develop the skills and strategies needed to succeed in today's dynamic forex market.

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In the last decade, the development of new ideas in quantum theory, including geometric and deformation quantization, the non-Abelian Berry's geometric factor, super- and BRST symmetries, non-commutativity, has called into play the geometric techniques based on the deep interplay between algebra, differential geometry and topology. The book aims at being a guide to advanced differential geometric and topological methods in quantum mechanics. Their main peculiarity lies in the fact that geometry in quantum theory speaks mainly the algebraic language of rings, modules, sheaves and categories. Geometry is by no means the primary scope of the book, but it underlies many ideas in modern quantum physics and provides the most advanced schemes of quantization.

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William C. Oates is best remembered as the Confederate officer defeated at Gettysburgs Little Round Top, losing a golden opportunity to turn the Union's flank and win the war. Now, LaFantasie has written his gripping biography, an evocative story of Southern life before, during, and after the Civil War, based on exclusive access of family archives.

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Kancha Ilaiah, the author of the best selling book Why I am Not a Hindu, pens a thought-provoking critique of Brahmanism and the caste system in India, while anticipating the death of Hinduism as a direct consequence of, what he says is, its anti-scientific and anti-nationalistic stand. This work challenges Hinduism`s interpretation of history, with a virulent attack on caste politics, and also takes a refreshing look at the necessity of encouraging indigenous scientific thought for the sake of national progress. It establishes Hinduism as a `backward` religion that suppresses the latent scientific and productive potential of the DalitBahujan communities. The author says this oppressive system of spiritual fascism is detrimental to both the future of religion and the nation-state. He thus criticizes the idea of spiritual justice or varnadharma, used to justify the caste system, as rooted in spiritual inequality.On a micro-analytical level, it is based on a thorough study of the productive knowledge systems of the DalitBahujan communities of Andhra Pradesh, and provides a detailed day-to-day analysis of the scientific technological processes and events at work in the life of a member of these communities. On a macro level, it shows how Hinduism fails to negotiate between faith and reason, unlike other major religions of the world.Kancha Ilaiah critiques the intellectual imagination of the dominant communities and inspires the marginalized. In the process of doing so he crafts a work of immense socio-political interest which appeals to academics, and also to all those who are concerned about contemporary India`s polity and social fabric.

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Traditionally, there have been two strands in the analysis of poverty, inequality and development a micro strand that focuses on individual behavior, welfare economics and the measurement of inequality and poverty; and a macro strand that analyzes economy-wide policies and the role of institutions. This unique volume brings together both strands in a series of essays written by leading experts in the field of economic development. Topics include measurement issues, micro-behavior determinants of poverty outcomes, economy-wide models in the SAM-CGE tradition and the institutional framework underlying macro policies.

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Power Generation from Solid Fuels introduces the different technologies to produce heat and power from solid fossil (hard coal, brown coal) and renewable (biomass, waste) fuels, such as combustion and gasification, steam power plants and combined cycles etc. The book discusses technologies with regard to their efficiency, emissions, operational behavior, residues and costs. Besides proven state of the art processes, the focus is on the potential of new technologies currently under development or demonstration. The main motivation of the book is to explain the technical possibilities for reducing CO2 emissions from solid fuels. The strategies which are treated are: more efficient power and heat generation technologies, processes for the utilisation of renewable solid fuels, such as biomass and waste, and technologies for carbon capture and storage. Power Generation from Solid Fuels provides, both to academia and industry, a concise treatment of industrial combustion of all types of solid, hopefully inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists.

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RADIOACTIVITY RADIONUCLIDES RADIATION is suitable for a general audience interested in topical environmental and human health radiological issues such as radiation exposure in aircraft, food sterilisation, nuclear medicine, radon gas, radiation dispersion devices ('dirty bombs') It leads the interested reader through the three Rs of nuclear science, to the forefront of research and developments in the field. The book is also suitable for students and professionals in the related disciplines of nuclear and radiochemistry, health physics, environmental sciences, nuclear and astrophysics. Recent developments in the areas of exotic decay modes (bound beta decay of bare or fully ionized nuclei), laser transmutation, nuclear forensics, radiation hormesis and the LNT hypothesis are covered.Atomic mass data for over 3000 nuclides from the most recent (2003) evaluation are included.

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Contemporary epistemology debates have largely been occupied with formulating a definition of knowledge that is immune to any counterexample. To date, no definition has been able to escape unscathed. Moving away from debates about definitions, Virtue Epistemology shows what conditions are essential for knowledge and applies this account to different domains. It proposes that agents must be motivated correctly to acquire knowledge, even in the case of perception. Stephen Napier examines closely the empirical research in cognitive science and moral psychology to build an account of knowledge wherein an agent must perform acts of virtue in order to get knowledge. In so doing, Napier provides answers to two key questions: 'what is knowledge?' and 'how do we get it?

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Home Videos Is PlayStation Plus Worth Your Money? UPDATED

Is PlayStation Plus Worth Your Money? UPDATED

This is a video explaining what you get with Playstation Plus and how it’s awesome.

Is PlayStation Plus Worth Your Money? UPDATED

  1. So basically you get nothing because you can't play the free games when your subscription expires… So basically it sucks lol.

  2. I haven't had PlayStation Plus per month and I still get to play my games and download one

  3. if your ps plus is gone and u do buy the game u do get keep it but when u seed you ps plus expires do u still get to keep the game u buy

  4. Can specifically choose what games you can download for free or can you only get what they show you on the screen? Like if I wanted to get xenoverse I could just like type it in and it will let me download it or

  5. What if you don't want to get free games with ps plus and just play multi play with the physical copy

  6. Thats not true if you dont have psn live u cant play the games y downloaded for free until you renew psn i had lots of games that i was not able to play til i renew my psn and yes it his worth your money

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January 17, 2018

Calif. Sales Fall Due to Big Drops in REOs

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Calif. Sales Fall Due to Big Drops in REOs

Fewer distressed homes on the market are contributing to inventory shortages in California, the California Association of REALTORS® reports.

CAR reported that its Pending Home Sales Index dropped 3.8 percent from May to June. Still, it was up 4.7 percent year-over-year.

REOs made up 20.2 percent of the state’s pending home sales in June, which is a decline from 29.2 percent a year ago. All distressed properties -- which includes REOs, short sales, and others -- made up 42 percent of June’s pending sales. That’s down from 49.5 percent a year ago, CAR reports.

"Pending sales declined in June, partly due to a lack of housing supply -- especially in REO properties," says CAR President LeFrancis Arnold. "The shortage of REO inventory is also putting upward pressure on bank-owned home prices, with the median price of REO properties showing a double-digit year-over-year gain of 11 percent in June."

In recent weeks, California lawmakers and CAR have tried to stop “REO to rental” programs in the state, arguing that bulk sales of REOs to investors is unnecessary because REO inventories are already low and that home buyers in the state already are “competing with small investors and encountering multiple-offer scenarios."

Source: “Decline in REOs Blamed for Sagging California Home Sales,” Inman News (July 24, 2012) and “Calif. Lawmakers Try to Stop REO Bulk-Sales Program,” REALTOR® Magazine Daily News (May 21, 2012)

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