text:
In Case You Think I’ve fallen Off the Face of the Earth……..

artwork by Shel Silverstein

I’m back!

Hi everyone!  For those of you who have followed this blog, you may have noticed that I abandoned writing for an unusual length of time.   What you don’t know is a company that didn’t appreciate one of my articles was trying to sue me.   I had received stacks and stacks of paperwork and I read every sentence.  I was never actually sued, just threatened.  They even threatened to put me in jail.  Who knew, a young rheumatoid arthritis sufferer could get so much attention?  Handcuffs could really hurt.  ;P  I don’t believe even for a second that they had a case but just for the record, anyone can be sued for anything at any time.  Guilt seems like an unnecessary ingredient in the court room these days.  It didn’t matter that I was sharing an experience, and that freedom of speech is a right. What mattered was that I grew tired of dealing with it, and in turn, they had shut me up.  They had accomplished taking away my voice.  Because of this, I left the blog world for a long while.  I even stopped writing entirely.  I didn’t even notice when I hadn’t renewed my internet hosting account.  I was sort of turned off.  Even journal-ling felt like a chore.  I turned my focus on other things, other things that were also going on in my life and taking up all of my time.  But because I stepped out of the habit of writing for so long, when I sat in front of the computer, I was stumped.  How was I able to come up with words?  You know, those letters that are grouped together and with some effort, turned into an entire sentence and then a paragraph that then becomes an entire article?  Even the very first word seemed difficult.  Hello.  Hi.  Uh…..    This time, more determined than ever and knowing that the writer in me still lives, I decided to return to some of my old habits, otherwise that very first article would never appear.  I did in fact post an article but a friend of mine let me know that it sounded like I just wanted to hear myself think….  It was the equivalent of ordering 2buck chuck for guests that are expecting fine wine.  In the right circumstance this is great, but as my first post, it needed to sound like me, not a watered down, just going to write a bunch of mucky junk and call it a post.  No, that wasn’t going to get swallowed easily.  It needed to sound like me, the old me, the me that had an opinion and was fallible and was always searching for something more.  Just an fyi, if you do like wine, I’m all about the organic red Green Fin from Trader Joe’s.  Incredibly affordable!  Oops, that’s a secret because they’re always running out.  Leave me some!  My point is, my voice was still being suppressed because I had buried it so very deep.  I am proud to say I think I’m finding my voice all over again.  I think my writing is certainly rusty and grammatical errors are bound to appear, but I want to say thank you all for your support and thank you dear friend for giving me that critique. It was the permission I needed to bear my soul.   Ahh, I like the sound of that!

Earth Angels: Part Two (Pay it Forward)

One morning I was running late for work, per usual.  My gas gauge was noticeably low, but I didn’t stop for gas, knowing that stopping would add to my tardiness.  I guess you can say I like to live on the edge, or maybe it’s a genetic thing.

See, growing up, my father was notorious for letting his car run out of gas–while his kids were still in it.  It was so bad in fact, that there was this one spot on the road that we knew if we got past it, we were somehow in the clear.  We knew the spot well because we had walked the few miles from there to the gas station a few times.  Perhaps this was a game.   I don’t know why he would do this exactly.  He claimed the gas gauge was broken.  In fact, there were other places at other times, in other areas of California that we also ran out of gas, but that’s another story.  I think  he liked to live on the edge, or maybe it was something else, maybe his reasoning skills are broken.  And Dad, if you’re reading this, you know it’s true.  Back in those days, you could hitch-hike to a certain extent without the same kind of worries that you have today.  Needless to say, I grew up thinking running out of gas was sort of fun?  Now I know that it’s terrible for your car, ruining pipes and so forth and being in L.A., it’s definitely dangerous.  So let’s just say that I don’t wait until the last-minute any longer.

I had run out of gas a long time ago, around the age of 18.  The steering wheel had locked up, something I didn’t know about at that time.  It was scary, but I was lucky because a police officer had seen me, pulled over, and literally pushed my car with his car, around the corner to a gas station.  Was he another Earth Angel?

So here I was, driving to work, with a very low gas tank.  Traffic had come to a stand-still and I started to really worry.  I was on the freeway and I really didn’t know for sure if I was going to make it to the next exit.  Sitting there, in traffic, not moving, was lowering my chances of EVER making it to work.  It was a hot day, but I knew better than to run the air conditioning or else I definitely wouldn’t make it off the freeway.

I finally made it to my exit and my gas tank still hadn’t hit the R yet.  I was convinced that I could make it all the way to work as long as it didn’t hit the R.  That was, until that familiar feeling in my steering wheel hit.  Right as it did, it dawned on me that I had just passed a gas station.  I immediately flipped a u-turn, struggling with my steering wheel.  It just so happened that there were no cars on the street at that moment when I did this, and this is L.A. in the Wilshire district, making it a strange serendipitous coincidence.

As my car struggled on its last fumes, I attempted to roll up to a gas pump.  This was going slightly uphill in the drive-way.  I realized quickly that I wasn’t totally going to make it.  As my car started to drift backwards, I immediately pulled the emergency brake to stop it from rolling back into the street.  I had at least made it to the gas station.  This was a true miracle.

I was feeling REALLY lucky at this point.   I had just ran out of gas and for the life of me, I had no idea how I had been so lucky that I was able to literally roll right into a gas station.  I am a glass is half-full kind of person, so I knew no matter what, I was going to feel lucky for the rest of the day.  I felt like someone was watching over me.  What if I had run out of gas on the freeway?  I was in a fairly safe neighborhood in L.A.  There was nothing that could keep me from smiling for the rest of the day.

Stupidly, I was un-prepared though.  I didn’t know my debit card number by heart (still) and the gas station didn’t take credit cards.  I didn’t have any cash on me and I couldn’t call anyone because my phone was dead.  I didn’t have any change on me, not even a penny.  At this point I was feeling like quite the idiot.  I didn’t worry.  I knew if I had to, I could walk to work, even if I was in heels…… it was only a couple of miles away.   I knew there was a solution, I just didn’t know what it was going to be quite yet.  The guy at the gas station wasn’t going to help me, nor was anyone in line, so I started walking back to my car, wondering what I was going to do next.

Luckily an Earth Angel came to my rescue.  He asked me what happened to my car, (as he was getting gas) and I explained that I was an idiot and ran out of gas and that I’d use my credit card but they only take debit and I’d call someone for help but my phone was dead.  I told him not to worry, that I would figure something out.  He told me to hold on.  I didn’t know what he meant but I said ok.  And then he asked me to hold the gas pump.  “Don’t put the pump back,” he said.  He asked for my keys and so I gave my keys to him.  I wasn’t worried about him stealing my car.  It didn’t have any gas and his car was far nicer than mine, how would he drive two?  So I waited, wondering what his plan was.

He got in my car, took the break off and with the help of another person, (another Earth Angel) who kindly jumped in, pushed my car up to the pump.  He put $2 worth of gas in my car and told me where a nearby gas station was that took credit cards.  I thanked him profusely and said, “I wish there was something I could give to you.”  He said in return, “Just pay it forward.”

He was right.  That kind of kindness comes from somewhere unexplainable, somewhere so sweet and true, it gives me goosebumps.  I don’t know that I’ve paid it forward yet, not quite to that extreme, but I hope to be as kind, to be as wonderful as he and someday be someone else’s Earth Angel.

I Finally Started Juicing!!

I don’t know why it’s taken me 5 years to start juicing.  It didn’t seem to matter how many times I read or heard how great juicing would be for me. The thought of  buying an expensive juicer, only to clean it daily, and buy ingredients frequently, etc. sounded terrible.  I’m not much of a cook and I am so busy, I just never realized that I could fit it in my lifestyle.

I had been thinking about juicing for some time, but I owe it to a co-worker from Gnomon School of Visual Effects, Paulli, who gave me that kick in the rear to get going.  She said, “What are you waiting for?”  And I realized, I didn’t really have an answer.  No excuse was a good excuse. This was my health I was talking about!  Buying a juicer this month sounded unrealistic, but she was right, no amount of money was worth sacrificing my health.  If this was going to make me better, then seriously, what was I waiting for?

I realized that I could at least try and use my blender.  If it didn’t work, I could buy a juicer, no excuses. I finally took it out of the top cupboard and brought it to work and put it on the counter, the same day that I bought some juicing staples for the week.  I had a few of the ingredients already, like turmeric, cayenne pepper and apple cider vinegar.

I chopped up a few stalks of celery, the entire cucumber, put a spoonful of turmeric, a spoonful of cayenne pepper, a splash of Apple cider vinegar, a splash of carrot juice that has omegas added, a splash of strawberry Kefir, and finally a splash of the green juice blend from Trader Joe’s.  And walla!  Instant juice drink!  The blender is detachable, so whatever I don’t drink, I just put in the fridge and blend again later.  In fact, day old juice tastes even better!  And the cleanup is super easy.  I just rinse out the blender and it’s ready to juice again!
It took me a bit to get used to the flavor, but I’ve actually acquired a taste for it now!  I’m planning on getting more ingredients…like parsley, ginger, almond milk, kale and whatever else I think would be great for reducing inflammation and adding antioxidants to my body.

Maybe it’s too soon to tell but I would swear that I can already feel a difference.  Two pitchers of smoothies later, I really think this is going to take me somewhere great.  It felt as though it was cleaning my body.  My intestinal health has never been great but since having had RA, it’s been extremely poor.  After juicing I felt like my intestines were saying “Hooray!”  Maybe that’s too much information, but I can feel a giant difference.   Thank you Paulli for your encouragement!

Stay tuned and I’ll let you know how this goes!  Please feel free to ask for advice on juicing.  I have some pretty strong opinions as to what you should and should not be drinking!

many hugs,

If you like my Posts

Hi!  I just wanted to let everyone know that if you enjoy my posts then feel free to drop in on where I will also be blogging.  See the latest post and what this picture is all about and learn a little more about me!

SALE!!! $10!! DON’T WAIT!!

The Sting of Good Intentions

As with any disease, RA can be frustrating. A general work day for me consists of sitting at my desk. The consequences of this for RA means stiffness, ankle swelling, feet swelling, hip pain, etc. etc. The more you sit still, often it makes the stiffness and pain of RA an even bigger problem.

On the flip-side, exercising can be tricky. RA has fun traveling around the body, making parts swell unexpectedly. Everything from severe sharp pains, to a dull ache, to something in between can be a regular day for anyone with RA. But because it varies from person to person, from day to day and from minute to minute, there’s just no telling. Complaining isn’t something I normally do because at least I wasn’t affected with RA until I was 30. The reality is, RA can affect babies, and the result of that can even lead to blindness….but that’s a whole other topic. Sorry to be a downer but reality bites, and to not know that RA can affect children isn’t right. Knowledge is power, because with knowledge, at least then, we can work on solutions. But anyway, back to my story.

So my intention today was simply to get some exercise. It is my daily goal to exercise, even though I might not fulfill it. I took my normal long walk on a beautiful late sunny afternoon down a gorgeous street where homes leave me feeling breathless.  I like to daydream that one day I’ll be living in a beautiful house rather than my one bedroom apartment. My right foot was bothering me again as it has these past couple of days. Rather than babying it, which could lead to more stiffness or better recovery, it’s too hard to say, I decided walking was the answer. My body needed circulation, I needed the sunshine and the breeze, along with the spiritual feeling that I get on these types of walks. Only today I was limping. Limping I did, trying to take the pressure off my right foot, but flexing nonetheless, hoping this could help the stiffness and ease the swelling. I pushed through, even though over time it got worse. My walk is about four miles I’m guessing, but I really don’t know. I hit my two mile spot and turned around. I was catching up on my Sunday calls when suddenly I felt a sharp sting on my left foot.

Thinking it was nothing but a shrub or stick briefly poking me, I think I ignored it for half a second, concentrating on conversation. But when the piercing sting kept on, I heard myself say out loud, “Ow! OW! OW!” I looked down and saw a yellow hornet furiously stinging my left ankle. I brushed it off with a heavy hand, since that’s what it took to get it off of me.

“Dang it,” I said. “A hornet just bit me!”

My friend asked, “Are you ok?”

I said, “yes but I’ve never been bitten by one. Hopefully my reaction to it will be fine.”

“Do you need to call someone?” she asked.

I said, “No, there’s no one I can call.”

She said, “Well I hope you aren’t too far from home.”

I said, “Oh a ways, but hopefully I’ll be fine.”

We continued on our conversation and I ignored the throbbing sting. I was somewhat surprised at how easy it was to ignore the constant stinging where the hornet had stung me over and over. I would have preferred it sting my right foot, that way I could limp more easily. Now both feet hurt to walk. I took off my left shoe because the stings were right at the edge of my shoe and it was rubbing. Then I sort of hobbled home, putting more pressure on my left foot than right because my right foot was killing me and stepping on my left wasn’t making the stinging pain better or worse.

When I got to my apartment complex, I had a long talk with a neighbor who’s suffering from psoriatic arthritis. She’s had psoriatic arthritis for less than a year but she has two fingers that are permanently disfigured due to inflammation shortening the tendons. She asked about my foot, since I was carrying my shoe. I told her the story and said I wished it had been the other foot, but that I was fine.  Her fingers gave me another good reality check, that my situation wasn’t all that bad, even though honestly, I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself, just annoyed that my right foot was hurting more than the hornet sting.

That evening, I tried to relax over dinner and tv. My husband was coming home from a friend’s house. The surprise was that the hornet stings barely bugged me. (Pun intentional) Sure it hurt and wasn’t fun, but compared to RA, it was nothing. So I just wanted to say that if you’ve ever wondered what hurst more, a sting from a f lying insect or RA, my vote is RA. I’ll take a sting any day, or every day if RA would just go away.

Accupuncture Visits for Rheumatoid Arthritis

I admit it, I’ve done a terrible job keeping up with posts on how acupuncture is going for me.  So rather than waiting to write a post where I tell you exactly how many visits I’ve had and what’s happened at each one, etc., I’m just going to take the easy road and make it simple.  I’ve gone to every Saturday appointment except for two and last Saturday I got a parking ticket….so much for letting that relaxed feeling linger……

I can tell you that whenever I do go in for acupuncture, I get a flare during the visit.  You might think that sounds terrible, but to me I think of it as progress.  Anything natural will make you flare up, it’s just part of the process.  And that’s the hardest part really, is how to tell the difference between something that is making you worse or something that is making you better when they both have the same reactions.  This excludes immune suppressive drugs because they work entirely differently.

Within an hour usually, my flare subsides and lately I feel fairly great for a few days before the inflammation comes back to its normal state.  I would definitely say the acupuncture is making a positive difference, however it’s very slight.  I’ve decided to keep going however, based on theory.  So here are my theories on why I should keep going to acupuncture:

1.  Acupuncture increases endorphins.  Endorphins help heal the body.  Therefore, I must be doing some, even if it’s small, amount of healing during the visit.

2.  Acupuncture increases circulation.  Over time, perhaps increasing the circulation will make a bigger decrease in the amount of inflammation in my body.

3.  Even if the decrease in inflammation is very slight, it is still something.  And perhaps that small amount will slow down the erosion and disability.

4.  The Placebo effect.  As long as I don’t get any more parking tickets, perhaps the placebo effect of thinking the acupuncture is helping somewhat, will help decrease the inflammation.

Michael has been using a Chinese technique that would make some people cringe where you prick near the fingernail with a needle in certain spots (on a few of the fingers on each hand) and cause your hands to bleed for a moment.  Maybe that doesn’t sound fun to you, and it isn’t really.  It’s nothing compared to RA pain.  I do, in all honesty feel like it is decreasing the inflammation more so than it was before he had tried this technique.  I was glad that he was open to asking me if I’d like to try it because most people would probably be against the idea.  To me it makes logical sense as well, that it would increase circulation.

So there you have it in a nutshell.  I’m going in tomorrow and this time I’ll circle around for 10 minutes if I have to so I can find a parking spot that doesn’t allow for any more cruel tickets.  I hope you all have a great weekend and thanks as always for visiting!

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Reader's Digest's Best Toll-Free/800 Customer Phone Number

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And here is the story on ‘Capital Gains’ regarding Math DC-CAS Scores

Bottom Line?

More of the same. Experimental group did worse. Rhee needs to go, and so does this goofy program.

Just tables, this time. (I didn’t think the graphs were all that useful, plus they took a long time to make, and I do have other things to do.)

First, the experimental group of 15 middle schools where the kids were bribed to do the right thing; these are the percentages of students at those schools scoring ‘proficient’ or better in each of the years 2007 through 2010. The last three columns look at changes over time, and the bottom right-hand corner looks at average and median changes. Here goes:

(This has been only partly fixed. Please switch the figures for Hart for 2009 and 2010.)

And, next, much the same thing, but for the control group (where the kids were NOT bribed):

Once again, in every single instance, the changes over time in the control group were more favorable than those in the experimental group. (You do recall that -1.80 is higher (i.e., less bad) than -2.40, right?)

Enough said and done. Please keep your promise, MR!

Published in: on September 15, 2010 at 5:22 pm  Comments (2)

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2 CommentsLeave a comment

  1. This is a mess. Not worth the bother.
    First:Tell the reader the years the experimental treatments took place. Without that, one doesn’t know pre from during from post.
    Second: Tell the reader the treatment was of the whole school (or all students in middle school grades, or whatever the protocol was. As a long-time teacher, that means that both kids AND teachers were part of the experiment. Kids move on. Teachers and teaching behavior stays with the school. Now you are prepared to claim your data, when you figure out clear labeling, can mean something: that the schools were worse off after treatment.
    Third: If you don’t show both math and reading, nobody should be draw conclusions.
    Fourth: Simplify; Just pre and latest please. No patience for all the redundant comparisons.
    Fifth: Make a demand of the Chancellor that the performances of the kids who exited the experiments from promotion be compared to their pre-treatment performances. That’s the measure of the desired treatment change.

    • Oh, enlightened one. Please do it better for me so that grasshopper can learn by your shining example.

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Why You Want Google Voice on Your iPhone

After over a year in limbo, Apple (s aapl) has reportedly approved Google’s Voice (s goog) application for the iTunes App Store, indicating that the iPhone may finally see the popular software, says TechCrunch. Initial thoughts for the rejection last year were based on AT&T’s involvement, but Google Voice is available for AT&T (s t) devices on other platforms, such as those running on the BlackBerry (s rimm) and Android operating systems. It later became clear that Apple held up Google Voice since it replicates native features on the iPhone. Now that Apple has loosened developer restrictions for iOS devices, Google’s app could find its way to iOS devices once Google updates it to support multitasking for iOS 4.

If you’re not familiar with Google Voice, I highly recommend you take a closer look at the software. Essentially, it can be used to route incoming calls to multiple handsets, landlines or VoIP services. You can even schedule which of your phones are active at certain times, so it’s possible to have your personal phone ring after work hours and just keep the business phone active during the day. Google Voice can also act as your voicemail service, providing speech-to-text translation of messages, which you can receive via email. Even better are the free text messages that can be sent through Google Voice on a handset or in a web browser, and low-cost international calls. All in all, Google Voice is a masterful method to manage communications.

Indeed, I found the service so appealing that it became part of my decision to switch from an iPhone 3GS  to a Google Nexus One at the beginning of this year. A few others in my circle of peers used the same criteria and also left the iPhone behind, although there were other factors involved, such as Apple’s control over the ecosystem, coverage issues with AT&T and better Gmail integration in Android. But mainstream consumers aren’t likely to see Google Voice as a “killer app” like I have, so I doubt that Android users will be swayed back to an iPhone once Google Voice appears in the iTunes App Store.

Although it’s easy to think of the iPhone when talking about Google Voice, there’s a place for the software on the iPod touch and iPad devices as well. Google Voice currently isn’t a voice over IP service, so calls are handled by cellular networks. However, I’ve routed incoming cellular calls to my Skype number in the past, allowing me to receive calls on a non-cellular device. It’s not uncommon for me to reply to or send text messages on the Google Voice website from my iPad, so having such functionality in a handy app that runs in the background would be welcome.

Now that the Google Voice for iOS brouhaha appears to be closing down, all we need is for Google to add video calls to the service. I doubt Google would use Apple’s FaceTime method for such a feature, which is sure to start another ruckus on our handsets!

Related content from GigaOM Pro (sub req’d):

Jai Loken

Is this Google Voice app completely free to install and use for texting and receiving voice mails converted into text as long as the calls aren’t international (I see that some fees apply for international calls)? I just want to use this app for texting and having voice mails converted into texts so I don’t get charges for using my minutes to call my voice mail during peak hours. Also, I could cancel the $14.99 fee I pay each month to T-Mobile for unlimited texting if my friends will text me on the google voice number.

Marc Brodeur

There are 2 google voice apps already. It’s just from private developers vs google. I have one on my phones already and they work like charm!

This service should allow elimination of a land line, potentially saving me $600/year. What I haven’t yet seen is an FXS/FXO device that connects between my computer and my existing home telephones that eliminates cell phone minutes from call originations and completions while at home.

Most of your problems can be solved if you have vonage. You can route your calls to different numbers at the same time. It has very low cost international calling rates, much lower than google voice. there are ways to call from anywhere to an international number using your vonage line, there is even an app for that.

Mark Evans

I’m embarrassed! I’ve definitely missed something. I just don’t get Google Voice for the person who has only “one” phone, doesn’t use Skype excessively, and sends about a dozen or so texts a week. And the vmail – voice to text feature is great, but not reason enough to use the service.

All this said, my friends swear by it. Do people have that many phones and use Skype so incessantly that it’s a must have service? Do we need to be “that” connected? I guess so, at least for the power-users and geek-arati; but I can’t imagine it gaining mass appeal.

I just don’t get it. Feel free to slam me, maybe I’ll learn something new. :-)

Kevin C. Tofel

Mark, don’t be embarrassed. I’m a big believer in using the right tool for the task and if you don’t have a need for a tool like Google Voice, there’s nothing wrong with that. :) FWIW, some folks have found that they don’t need to pay a carrier for a text messaging plan thanks to GV, which can save up to $20 a month. Just a thought on the economics aspect.

I use only one phone myself. The main reason I use GV is to get my cell bill way down.
I was able to stop paying verizon $50+ a month, because I set up a phone line that I could pick up at my computer (you can now place calls using gmail), make most of my calls from that, and got a pay as you go plan from page plus (had to research, uses same network) to get my phone bill down to $20/ month. (there are cheaper carriers still, check out platinumtel, or virgin mobile’s beyond talk unlimited data 300 min for $25/mo)
I am still able to use my phone as I normally would around town, but since I’m home or at work close to my computer most of the time, I can now use the cheapest option when placing/taking a call, and people only know its my ‘one’ number.

Duke Frisbee

I’m with you Mark! I’m typically an early adopter, am blessed to have the income to indulge in most any gadget I want, married, house, kids, etc. and I have to really stretch to think about who out of all the personal and business people I know that would really care about this aside from the “cool” factor! Maybe an extreme minority of mostly younger, traveling, independent consulting types should care? BTW – I had a Grand Central number back in the day and could never figure out why I’d want to give out another number!

To your point Kevin, I agree with your right tool for the job belief. Maybe consider my comments license to school me on what I’m missing! I just don’t see how 99% of the population would save time, money, be made more efficient, etc by this. I’m sure there’s some on-call 24hr/day IT consultant who would vigorously defend the need for variable forwarding, a unified number, blah, blah but how many people are like that?

Mark Evans

It’s nice to hear I’m not alone in my thinking.

Thanks! :-)

With AT&T, an individual who uses more than 900 minutes can save themselves at least $10 while a family who uses more than 1400 minutes can save at least $20.

How? Just add your google voice number to “A-List” and you can make unlimited calls through google voice to any number without using your bucket ‘o minutes.

This mean an individual who uses, say, 1,200 minutes would not need to pay $69 a month for the unlimited plan and instead could drop down to the $59 900 minute plan and just use google voice exclusively for outgoing calls.

Also, a family who uses 2,000 minutes would not need to pay $109 a month for the 2100 minute plan and instead could drop down to the $89 1400 minute plan and just use google voice exclusively for outgoing calls.

The $59 900 minute individual plan and the $89 1400 minute family plan are the cheapest plans you can get that include A-List. If you choose a cheaper plan, you will lose A-List and google voice will once again use up your bucket ‘o minutes.

Also, A-List only works for outgoing calls. When Google Voice routes incoming calls to your phone, AT&T can see that it is coming from another phone (from what I have heard).

Add on the fact that you can dump your text messaging plan ($5 – $20 a month in savings) and google voice can save you some significant cash.

Imagine a family with 5 lines and unlimited minutes, that’s $119 + 3 x $49 = $266. With google voice and the 1400 minute plan, it would cost them $89 + 3 x $9 = $116. That’s a savings of $150 a month!

Mark Evans

Great explanation of where the value is in GV for folks like me. Based on your numbers the savings are compelling in a variety of ways. I’ll look into how to do this.

All this said, though, I need to use a different number for outgoing calls, right?

Mark Evans

Thanks for doing the math. I’m starting to learn a lot more from folks who are getting value out of GV beyond my friends who have multiple phones, etc…

Thanks for taking the time to detail all this out for me.

David Chartier

Before I deleted all my Google accounts, I was using Google Voice pretty well on my iPhone. I was placing calls with the web app, taking incoming calls on my AT&T line like a champ, and replying to SMS. The return of official native apps is a great step out of the stone age for Apple, and a better experience for users, but Google Voice has been pretty usable for the last year even without the native apps.

“such as Appleâ€™s control over the ecosystem”

But you have no problem with the carrier’s control over their ecosystems? They control what apps you can install, uninstall, services you can use, what content you view/play, where you can get that content, OS updates and upgrades, even which search engine you’re forced to use.

I think that Android seemed like a good idea in theory, but in practice it hasn’t quite become that utopia of openness that so many of you want to hang on to and still believe it is. Android isn’t an open user experience that gives you free will to do whatever you want, it has become a platform for handset makers and carriers to continue to push their services and warez onto their subscribers.

This type of control is already beginning to appear from certain carriers. I’m sure in the future we’ll see a lot more of it and it’ll make Apple’s “walled-garden” will seem like paradise.

Kevin C. Tofel

“But you have no problem with the carrierâ€™s control over their ecosystems?”

Sure I do. That’s why I paid $529 for an unlocked Nexus One in January and still use it daily. The carrier doesn’t control anything in my case. I pay for monthly service that it provides. I get Android updates OTA directly from Google, have a free Wi-Fi hotspot app, and have flashed dozens of custom ROMs on the device. Unfortunately, the Nexus One didn’t break carrier control in a widespread fashion. I wish it did, but for now, I’m making the best of the situation with total control over my handset.

Kevin. You avoided Michaels point. You have access to a Nexus One. Fine. But the point being is that the carriers are wresting back control over the smartphone by repeating the same tricks that everyone had to suffer from during the rise of the race-to-the-bottom pc era.

The carriers and the manufacturers are going out of their way to remove the openness from the open system by remaking the open handset in their own image.

This is great for Google and their activations but for end users it is nothing short of bait and switch. This cannot be good for people going forward.

Kevin C. Tofel

RattyUK: I don’t disagree with Michael’s point, nor yours. Yes, the carriers have control. I accept that and have bashed that control in the past. What exactly would you like me to do about the situation? ;)

I could already use google’s web app for voice to make calls, listen to voicemail, etc and manage a lot of the service.

Why would you use that reason alone to dump iPhone?

Kevin C. Tofel

Brian, it wasn’t that reason alone. As I said in the post, it was part of my decision. You’re absolutely right though, much of the service can be managed via the web. However, it enables far more productivity when it’s deeply integrated in the native functions of the phone and messaging apps IMO. When it gets approved – assuming it can offer that same deep integration on iPhone – I’d be curious if you agree or not.

Yes, and have Google know every damn thing that goes thru the app, your phone calls, text messages–all for Google to capture for advertising purposes…no thanks, I’ll keep my privacy, what little I can…

Your naivete is showing. Google privacy is the flavor of the day. Did you forget about the Microsoft products you use or maybe you’re an Apple fanboi. Do a search for flash cookies, then tell me about privacy on the net.

Concerns about privacy are so close to being paranoid. Do you imagine a million of little elfs reading your messages to figure out whether you like andriod or hate it and them sending you adds like “buy android”/”kill android” respectfully? Oh please.

Actually if you take out the word “elfs” (actually “elves”), and replace it with “software routines,” that’s pretty much *exactly* what happens. Google reads your email and your IM’s and determines what adds to send you based on what they find. That’s exactly how it works. Look it up.

This exact thing happened to me a few weeks ago after a couple of email exchanges (gmail) with my girlfriend discussing getting a trailer hitch for one our vehicles. The next day I noticed 3 ads for trailer hitch companies showing up randomly on sites I visit on a regular basis. Don’t think they filter your mail? Think again.

Just signed up for FaceTime via a new iPod Touch. It asked me to choose the email address I wanted to use as my handle. Since people may assign a lesser-used email address, there’s not a lot of compatible hardware out there and there doesn’t seem to be a look-up service in the app, it ain’t easy to find someone to talk with.

Every iPhone user must be looking forward to video-enabled Google and Skype apps.

Other services have already built strong positions (as defined by Metcalfe’s Law).

To be successful, FaceTime will have to offer unique and valuable new features, be much easier to use, be much cheaper or be simply the only available alternative.

Not sure how much room there is for the kind of huge feature improvements to video chat that might let FaceTime stand out. You have picture. You have sound. Er…

Fixing user discovery problems can only bring them to parity w/Skype, and maybe a little ahead of Google, for ease of use.

As for price, I suppose Apple could try to pay us to use FaceTime, but this is unlikely. Perhaps they can figure out a way to have carriers charge for anything but FaceTime…

So FaceTime’s best option seems to be exclusion of competitors. How well can that work for a communications service when you’re the high-end niche player in a market?

Conclusion: It’s dead, Jim.

Carlos Chinchilla

I think that what Facetime needs is to be opened — a open platform. And extend itself to cover all the available technologies that are out there, just like Facebook did with their apis and technology libraries (PHP, AS, PERL…).

I forgot! This is Apple!…

BTW, where is SkypeTime?

“Google Voice currently isnâ€™t a voice over IP service”

Using Goolge Chat with Google Voice, it certainly looks and feels like a VOIP service.

I’d like to be able to see an app like this integrate much more directly with the phone capabilities on the iPhone, but I doubt that will be allowed.

Kevin C. Tofel

Mike, that’s definitely the future of GV across all platforms, but not yet for handsets. When that happens though, it will add a ton more value to Wi-Fi and 3G data devices like the iPad, iPod touch and other connected devices. I can’t wait!

Good point on the integration – I wonder if Google will try to pull contact data from the iPhone, for example. Hmmm…..

“Google Voice currently isnâ€™t a voice over IP service, so calls are handled by cellular networks.” As an android user, I can testify that the Google Voice application is indeed VOIP. If you configure GV to call your cellular number then you will use your cellular minutes. I have configured Google Voice to specifically not use my cellular number and all my calls on Google Voice are using VOIP (Data). On Android devices, you can configure your outgoing calls to use GV or cellular.

Comments are closed.


text:
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STEP 1Like GiveawayBase Facebook Page!

STEP 2 – Follow the link and scroll on the bottom of the page -> Muse One Headband Giveaway

STEP 3 – Submit your name and email address and click “Enter now!” button to receive 1 entry.

STEP 4 – Like, Tweet, Subscribe and watch video to receive the entries. (For Sharing and Tweeting you get 5 entries!)

Official rules.

GIVEAWAY END: Friday, August 29 2014

OPEN TO: Worldwide

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Good luck!
GiveawayBase Team


text:
CofC Logo

Bishop Robert Smith Society

Robert Smith

The College of Charleston established the Bishop Robert Smith Society (BRSS) to recognize donors who have made lifetime philanthropic commitments of $1 million or greater to benefit the College.

The donor society is named after the Rev. Robert Smith, who was elected principal of the faculty – now known as president – in 1790. He served in this role until 1797 when he became the first Episcopal bishop of South Carolina. Smith helped build the College’s academic reputation, personally recruited students, and gave of his personal finances to ensure the College’s financial future.

Bishop Robert Smith Society donors are celebrated for their leadership and generosity with a personalized plaque on the BRSS donor wall in Randolph Hall, through an exclusive annual reception with the President and receiving special invitations to exclusive events at the College.

For information about the Bishop Robert Smith Society, please contact Carin Jorgensen at 843-953-5859 or


text: Japan native CheapyD from gaming deals site Cheapassgamer got his hands on Nintendo's new exercise game Wii Fit and undressed it for the world to see. Verdict: We forget how thin the board is. While the concept resembles step aerobics, nothing about the experience does (from the brief trade show hands-on we had). So despite this being yet another extra console peripheral—putting the cherry on top of the Rock Band sundae that we call our living room—it should fit under a couch with ease. [cheapassgamer]


text:
 President Duarte? Duterte spokesperson justifies Trump’s boo-boo | INQUIRER.net
Friday, February 23, 2018
  • share this

President Duarte? Duterte spokesperson justifies Trump’s boo-boo

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. INQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

No offense taken.

Malacañang on Thursday said it was not offended after US President Donald Trump mistakenly called President Duterte “President Duarte” in a speech at the White House.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the incident showed that Mr. Duterte and  Trump shared another trait: They sometimes err when it comes to the names of people.

“No slight taken, you know. I think that’s another commonality between the two Presidents. They’ve made mistakes in names,” Roque said in Thursday’s press briefing.

Observers have noted the similarities between the two leaders, including their bluster and controversial statements on human rights and the rule of law.

White House speech

On Thursday, Trump spoke at the White House about his recent trip to Asia, including his visit to the Philippines, where he attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)   Summit in Manila.

But in his speech, he called Mr. Duterte President Duarte.

“President Duarte of the Philippines thanked the American people and our Armed Forces for supporting the recent liberation of Marawi from Isis (Islamic State),” Trump said.

“We pledged to strengthen and deepen our longstanding alliance,” he added.

The Philippines has had no President surnamed Duarte but El Salvador had Jose Napoleon Duarte as leader in the early 1980s.

Duarte headed a civilian-military junta in El Salvador from 1980 to 1982 that was linked to death squads.

Mr. Duterte, who was linked to death squads when he was  mayor of Davao City,  has been criticized for alleged extrajudicial killings in his administration’s war on drugs.

Russian drug suspects

Roque also said that it was perfectly legal for Mr. Duterte to promise comfort for Russian nationals facing drug cases in the Philippines.

The President, in a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Monday, said he would have the Russian drug suspects detained in a “comfortable house” and vowed that they would get a fair trial.

This came amid allegations that Mr. Duterte has encouraged state forces to kill drug suspects, a claim he disputed by saying that he only told police to fight back if they met violent resistance in the course of their operations.

Roque rejected the criticism of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) that Mr. Duterte was giving the Russian nationals special treatment.

He said the President made the statement as chief architect of the country’s foreign policy.

De Lima’s case

“For me, that is within the power of the President, that is legal, and there is no basis to the observation that this is special treatment. This is a statement made to forge a closer relationship with Russia,” he said in a radio interview.

The decision is within the President’s power, he added.

Roque pointed out that Sen. Leila de Lima, one of the President’s most vocal critics facing drug charges, was detained in a cell at the Philippine National Police’s Custodial Center all by herself instead of being held in a regular jail cell with other inmates.

American soldier Joseph Pemberton, convicted of murder in the Philippines, also has his own detention cell in Camp Aguinaldo, he noted.

Roque said there were reasons for these, as people being tried for cases were facing different circumstances.

If the CHR would insist  on regular jail cells for the Russian nationals, its position must also be applicable to De Lima, he said.

Mr. Duterte has been seeking closer ties with Russia, which he thanked for providing arms and other military equipment to the Philippines.

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text:
Friday, February 23, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte

Militant group advises President to reject US part in Marawi offensives

August 09, 2017 BY:  Jhoanna Ballaran
Asia & Pacific

Southeast Asian diplomats open talks in Manila

August 05, 2017

Duterte challenges Joma to ‘return home and fight here’

July 27, 2017 BY:  Jhoanna Ballaran

US solon doesn’t want Duterte invited at White House

July 21, 2017 BY:  Jhoanna Ballaran

LOOK: Duterte is most traveled PH president in first year of office

June 25, 2017 BY:  Inquirer Research, Sara Isabelle Pacia
latest stories

Cabinet members quizzed on drug war, EJKs at WEF forum

May 11, 2017 BY:  Kristine Angeli Sabillo
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text:
Inline warnings with GCC 4.2 in C99 mode

Ludovic Courtès ludo at
Tue Apr 8 13:23:55 CEST 2008

"Steve M. Robbins" <steve at> writes:

> Is the effect of this patch the same as compiling with -fgnu89-inline,
> or does it do something different?

Yes.  The trick is that 4.2 does not support C99 "extern inline" but
does support the `__gnu_inline__' attribute whose sole effect is to turn
off this warning, just like `-fgnu89-inline' but limited to the
declarations that use that attribute.

More information about the gmp-bugs mailing list


text:
Bug - Test fail from make check

Niels Möller nisse at lysator.liu.se
Mon Nov 28 19:23:43 UTC 2016

"Smith, Randy" <rlsmith at lanl.gov> writes:

> I received a segmentation fault during the make check for gmp-4.3.2.

Please use a more recent version. And if you were recommended somewhere
to use gmp-4.3.2, please try to change that recommendation.

Niels Möller. PGP-encrypted email is preferred. Keyid 368C6677.
Internet email is subject to wholesale government surveillance.

More information about the gmp-bugs mailing list


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text:
Monday, March 23, 2009

Out from the finals week's shadows crawls two bloggers

(5 stories of book loving heaven)

We have been completely exhausted!!
from the horror that is finals week. It's been more than a week since a new post and we know you must be out there crying for the wonderfulness that is Padfoot and Prongs. I just NOW (Padfoot) got into reading another book (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), and Prongs is deep into Invisible Man so look for the next review here in a few days.

But on to shopping. For our spring break we are going to a huge bookstore with used and rare older books (this week), as well as organizing Prong's book collection. We may even test our man-skills and build us some shelves. Look for a post about the bookstore in a few days.

So...not much to say here currently, just letting you know we are not dead. I'll leave you with a new poll (a la derecha---->) and also this link about book review websites.

Hopefully this will help quell that hunger!

Until next time America,

-mischief managed-

  1. Oh, I can't wait for your wonderfulness to return :) LOL! Congratulations on surviving the finals! Yeah! Now it's time for you two to have some fun :)
    Best of luck with the "man skills" are too funny!

  2. :) Thanks Chic!!!

    Glad you appreciate my weirdness hahahaha

  3. I recommend IKEA for shelves, they're also actually possible to build without the help of a flesh-and-blood-man (provided you have all the parts).

  4. Haha cool, I hope your brains are not in tangles after the Finals LOL! Glad to know you guys are back and kickin'

    Wonder what you're gonna dig from that library, I voted "Yes it makes the experience better.."

  5. Yay!!! come back soon - but have some fun first!!! Finals. Yikes.

  6. Congrats on finals being over!!

    I really enjoyed The Invisible Man, so I can't wait to read your review.

  7. Thanks every one! We are so excited to head to this book store. Its basically been our only spring break plan for weeks! We can't wait to get back up and posting for everyone.

    Bella Lee- I am glad to hear that you enjoyed Invisible Man. Currently I am really enjoying it but I just got to the paint factory part and I have 2 friends who both told me they quit reading the book there because it was just to boring. I'm slightly nervous but plan to just power through it.

  8. Love the title for the post!

    I have given you ladies an award. Be sure to come by and pick it up!

  9. Certainly don't miss those days! Glad you are getting a break! You deserve it! And thanks for your great comments on my scavenger hunt entry ... the scavenger hunt is so fun! I'm really enjoying it!

  10. Glad finals are behind you. :) Now get on back here and tell us all about your books. ;) Okay...take your time.

  11. Haha oh don't worry we are slowly coming back. I am about done with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea so I should have a review of that up here in a day or two. Permitting the new quarter of school does not leave me in shambles.

  12. Yea and I am almost done with Invisible Man. Sadly my new Wii has distracted me from my huge pile of spring break reading... but we will be back and kicking soon!

  13. WHAT IS THIS PLACE ?? 5 stories!! Now I'm gonna literally DREAM about it all night along.

You solemnly swear you are up to no good...


text:
Guest Blogger: Guanqun Li

Back to like three weeks ago, Steve Jobs passed away. From that time on, I was thinking what makes Apple successful?

First of all, I think Apple brings innovation to the products. Take iPhone for example, it does not have any keyboard; its touch screen is highly accurate; it contains various kinds of apps from entertaining to academic. 21 century needs creativity! As a product of innovation, iPhone leads the whole cell phone industry, as shown below:

Another point to address here is about their tricky strategy. For example, rather than launching iPhone 4G after iPhone 3G, they produced iPhone 3GS, which did not make big differences than iPhone 3G. However, soon after iPhone 3GS, 4G popped up with brand new design, display, capability, performance, and battery life. People are surprised by these changes; they just want to buy it!

In addition, they know our necessity and preference. When more and more people are complaining about the screen of iTouch is small. They launched the iPad, which had a much bigger screen. Although the price tripled, a lot of people would still buy it because it’s just cool!

Last but not least, compared to the people back to 80’s, we are more sensational: we care more about our feeling. Take laptop for example, Macbook Pro is just like caffeine. Although it may not be the best, it gives people good feeling when we are tired with heavy and noisy laptop. Also, the system is just great to use. Personally, I enjoy iCal a lot. It just simplifies my life. Maybe Macintosh operating system is not better in the aspect of academic than Linux; not better in the aspect of business-use than Windows. However, it is definitely better in the aspect of easiness, beauty, and convenience.

All in all, Apple’s products combine technology and art. Just as Jobs said:

Technology alone is not enough, it’s technique married with the liberal arts, married with humanities, that yield us the result that make our heart sing.

Apple is just like an icon, which spread around the whole world with its aesthetics and convenience.

Guest Blogger: Emily Andersen

“Baby, Baby, Oh, like Baby, Baby, Baby, NOOO!!”

Recently these lyrics have taken on a whole new meaning. A young woman, Mariah Yeater, has come forward with some shocking news for Bielebers; a claim that her 4-month-old son was fathered by the teenage mega-star.

Now I know that many JB fans didn’t believe Yeater for a second. How could their beloved, cherub-like idol (who is currently madly in love with his fellow teenstar girlfriend Selena Gomez) have a child with a 20-year-old he met backstage at one of his concerts?

This seems like an age old ploy in order for some poor girl to get her 15 minutes of fame and some probably much needed funding. However unbelievable Yeater’s claim is, it’s still a scandal, and scandal’s are news in our society. Magazines and Entertainment News shows can’t get enough of this possible blemish on Bieber’s all too pristine record (minus some “inappropriate” photos of him kissing his girlfriend, not exactly a career-damaging infraction). Star Magazine was the first to snatch up pics of the baby and it’s mother, with an exclusive interview that painted Bieber in a not-so-romantic light.

Reporters took this information and ran, trying to milk as much money out of the incident before Yeater’s 15 minutes were up. Jimmy Fallon did a very accurate and hilarious parody of Bieber’s first hit “Baby” on his late night show, and even Matt Lauer addressed the Baby Mama Drama during JBieb’s appearance on the Today Show.

Recently, Camp Bieber has released a statement that Justin will be taking a paternity test in order to prove that he had no part in the conception of the child. I can’t help but feel like this won’t be the last time Bieber will be sending out a DNA sample in order to squash baby rumors. Although this is the only guaranteed way to prove Yeater’s claim false, Bieber seems to be opening a floodgate for future paternity suits. Hopefully Bieber’s obvious talent and the support of his fans won’t let this drama overshadow, or become reoccurring for the rest of his career.

Guest Blogger: Aminata Dansoko

Fun Does Not Destroy Our Education Instead, It Helps It

A science geek that I am, I was on the ScienceNews website to check out some new in the science world. I came across this article call “Skateboarders Rock Physics.”

The article talks about how Skateboarders are learning physics without realizing that they are. The way the jump and do tricks are all in the name of physics.

It is said that Skateboarders use their intuition and motor memory to determine that a sharp early descent creates a speed advantage and this is something not even physicists can grasp the idea of. So Skateboarding has it advantages in that a skateboarder might know more physics then a person with a PhD in physics. This is amazing.

Now it is up to you to decide if you believe this or not. But I think education is not just want we learn in school. It is more than that, sometimes we learn more outside the walls of a class. I challenge you to go have fun and see the relation between what you learn in class and the activity your doing. You might just find a connection!!! Skateboarder’s certainly have.

FW: Burgess

Today’s freewrite is based on the Burgess reading, “The Boss in Common” from our text (p. 158). I asked everyone to find a piece of music that they can connect with personally, that reminds them of a family member. I had to really think about this. But not for long. by the time I had logged into the blog, I had my song in mind. Brian Eno’s “Baby’s On Fire”

when I was a kid, my oldest brother used to play this song, nonstop. It’s a pretty creepy song–the opening lyrics set you up:

Baby’s on fire
Better throw her in the water
Look at her laughing
Like a heifer to the slaughter

if that isn’t enough to scare the living hell out of any little kid, I don’t know what is. So not only are the lyrics disturbing, but Eno sings them with a high pitch screeching. When my brother would play this song, he would chase me all over our house and try to catch me. When he did, it was head first into the nearest toilet. I knew when I heard those first few opening bars, I better run or I was gonna get it and get it good.

When I moved away at 18 to go to college, my brother sent me my first care package. It was a great box full of fantastic stuff from home: food from the area (I was in art school in the south so anything from the far-away north was welcome) and books to sink my teeth into. He also made me a mix tape.

I remember opening that box after a full day in the studio, home late and exhausted. I popped the tape in and sure enough, the first few bars of “Baby’s On Fire” came whining through my little 80s-era boom box. At 18, away from home and feeling homesick, my first response wasn’t one of nostalgia but a response that made me run like hell. I was certain that my brother was hiding somewhere close and if I didn’t run, I would be taking a swan dive into the closest commode.

you know, just finding the video on the computer here in the lab, the minute I played the first few seconds, I realized that I instantly made a check for the door. I was so certain my brother would come out of nowhere to direct me to the nearest bathroom. The last thing I want in the middle of the workday is a swirly.

Guest Blogger: Maddie Carens

This clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live has to be one of the more creative ideas on a comedy show that I have seen in a while. This particular Jimmy Kimmel clip captures children at what seems to be the “end of the world” for them, but in retrospect it uncovers something that is a bit terrifying about todays youth.

The funny thing is, at that age I can totally see how their reactions are plausible. For them that candy is supposed to last for months. Getting the candy in the first place involved hours of their hard work, running around neighborhoods in costumes that are not always easy to maneuver in… But the sad thing is how small the issue of Halloween candy disappearing is, compared to other worldwide issues.

Now although this clip was extremely entertaining, lets get the serious part. How ridiculous is it that children in our country are so traumatized when their candy vanishes? There are children in America that can’t even have a Halloween; either costumes are too expensive, neighborhoods are not safe enough, or parents can’t afford to give their children the experience. There are people in the world starving to death, and we are upset about candy?

It is definitely something to think about, and a wake up call to those parents whose children responded in this way. It is the parent’s job to inform their children that they can’t always have everything their way, and that there are people in the world whose food situations are extremely different and challenging. This clip gives parents an incentive to step in and teach a good lesson to their children early on.

Guest Blogger: Krista Longo

I am not big on reading, but if I find a book that interests me that completely changes. Recently, my best friend told me about a book that she read. She told me it was one of the best books she had ever read and she started telling me about it. After I thought, “This book sounds amazing, I definitely need to borrow it!”

So I asked her for the book and I began reading. Something Borrowed, by Emily Giffin, is about a forbidden romance. It tells the story of Rachel, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. She had always been the perfect good girl, until she turned thirty. Her best friend Darcy throws her a surprise birthday party. After a night of too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed that night with Darcy’s finance.

Although she wakes up the next morning wanting to forget everything that happened that night, Rachel is soon discovering that she has feelings for Dex, the one guy that is off limits. As the wedding date nears, Rachel knows she needs to figure her feelings out. She realizes that the difference between right and wrong is sometimes blurry and that you have to risk everything to achieve true happiness.

Something Borrowed is the first book of a five book series. Although I haven’t yet finished the series, I am in love with it. These books always keep me entertained and interested in what is happening. There is so much suspense and drama involved that you feel like you are a part of it. Each book takes a new perspective from a different character, continuing on the story from the first novel.

I would definitely recommend reading these books. Giffin is a very talented writer who knows how to capture her audiences’ attention. She makes it hard for you to stop reading and put down the book. Giffin is also very good at sending out life lessons through her writing.

Next time you are at the bookstore, invest in the book Something Borrowed to begin reading a fantastic series.

Guest Blogger: Rich Jarrett

Why the St. Louis Cardinals will not even make the playoffs next year?

The St. Louis Cardinals made us all remember how important it is to never give up, even in the very end. With their come-from-behind victories in games six and seven, thanks to third baseman David Freese’s heroics, the Cardinals won their first Championship since 2006. But I am afraid to tell you Cardinals fans that this is the last Championship for a while.

With the departure of Tony La Russa, arguably one of the best baseball managers ever, the Cardinals don’t know where to turn. So far, they have been searching through the minors, looking for a young, rising star coach. But right now, the foundation of their winning franchise is retired, and does not want to return. Leaving them with no leadership.

Probably the biggest reason why the Cardinals will not be a winning team nest season, is because they are about to lose Albert Pujols, the cornerstone of the franchise, and arguably the best player in all of baseball. Pujols has been the face of the team ever since he was brought up in 2001. Winning rookie of the year that season, Pujols quickly developed himself into one of the most feared hitters in the game, and with his passion for the diamond turned himself into one of the greatest baseball has ever seen. Pujols carried these characteristics into the 2011 postseason and carried the cardinals on his back all the way to the World Series.

But, the problem is not that Pujols is aging, it’s that he may not be wearing a redbird jersey in 2012, which is incredibly hard to imagine. Pujols is now a free-agent, and the cardinals are trying to gather enough money to pay the immensely talented player, who is looking for Adrian Gonzalez money that the Cardinals just don’t have right now, due to being tied up in the contracts of Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman and Adam Wainwright. If Pujols doesn’t return, its safe to say that the Cardinals will not be a contender.

Another mystery in the world-series winning franchise is their pitching staff. This is because their only reliable pitcher, Chris Carpenter, is constantly injury-prone, and is their only truly reliable option on the mound. No one knows what Adam Wainwright (their obvious second-best option on the team) is going to look like after missing two whole seasons by getting Tommy-John surgery. He very may well turn out to be another Brandon Webb, who showed much promise, but career ruined by the popular medical procedure.

The Cardinals will not be a good team in the 2012 season, and most certainly will not repeat for a ring. The reasons are blatant and every analyst is unanimously agreeing. I think that the cardinals should do everything they can to rebuild for a brighter future by trading everyone away and investing in young prospects. But for now, well see what they can do with what they have.

FW: what pisses me off?

This is a huge news week: Lindsay was sent to jail, Justin Beiber is being sued for paternity and we are only a day after the big Kardashian blowout. yep, the Kim Kardashian/Kris Humphries wedding has ended after only 72 days of bliss. Wedded bliss? not quite.

It amazed me to see how many people commented on Emily’s Kardashian blog post. So many of you are totally into the Kardashian family. I never got it. I pretty much absorb pop culture like a sponge– and support it: I am in total support of Lindsay getting the rehabilitation she needs to pull a Robert Downey Jr. career revamp.

but those Kardashian chicks? no use for them. Not only are they in that place of being famous for being famous, they really have nothing whatsoever to offer me or the community at large. That I know of.

So I am not really bothered that this was just a 72 day marriage; I am not that concerned with weddings and marriage to be bothered by this. But I am pissed that they are flat out lying to the American (global?!!) public that they made NO MONEY on the wedding and actually think we are dumb enough to believe that there was any resemblance of love in that union.

I think there are a lot of celebrities that do some pretty brilliant things for attention.

Kim Kardashian is not one of them. Not only is she NOT brilliant, she cannot even pull off this stunt as believeable. So yeah, this pisses me off more than anything: people who think I am that dumb to believe their bullshit.

Suck it Kardashians. You carry no ethos with me. Hmph.

Guest Blogger: Aminata Dansoko

A Strong Woman

Wangarĭ Maathai was an environmentalist, and a women’s rights activist.

She was also the founder of the Green Belt Movement Kenya, where she helped women in Kenya plant and maintained millions of trees.

She believed that trees are a key to spiritual values and it brings the idea of love for the environment, gratitude, commitment to service and self-betterment and that tree’s bring healing to our earth and us.

As an activist Wangari Maathai had face many political opponents in Kenya and even spend some time in jail because of her stand on women’s right. Most African countries do not acknowledge woman’s rights and Wangari Maathai took the risk and tried to end the idea of man superiority. She changed the view of women role not only in Kenya, but also in many parts of Africa.

She won a Nobel Peace Prize.

and wrote lots of books like Replenishing the Earth, The Challenge of Africa, and Unbowed.

The most amazing fact thing is that she came to Hobart and William Smith Colleges as a guest speaker. This is so awesome and amazing that I am attending a school that had one of my favorite role model of all time. I wish I could have met her, so I can see how powerful this woman is in person.

Unfortunately, Wangari Maathai has left us on September 25, 2011. She died of ovarian cancer. She has change the life of many and the role of women in Africa and I hope her movement will still be continued.

Guest Blogger: Emily Andersen

The Kardashian Wedding.

There has been so much hype surrounding this event, you’d think that the man was about to land on the moon all over again! I often wonder why the Kardashians are famous and why they feel the need to expose every single aspect of their family to us. I mean seriously! Soon Kourtney’s baby son Mason is going to have his own spin off!

Maybe that’s why they’re all so intriguing. We have to watch them constantly in case they expose some hidden talent that’ll explain how they merited such fame. So far, however, this observation has yielded no such enlightening explanation. Anyways, back to the wedding! Now of course Kim, the second oldest Kardashian, has finally found a man who she has deemed suitable enough to marry, and share all of those intelligent and scintillating moments of her life with.

Kris Humphries, first and fore mostly, has a first name that begins with a “K”. This is an all important marketing aspect that Kim’s mother, also Kris, required in order to sign off on this whole shindig. An NBA player, Humphries also has the bank account to ensure that Kim will be able to continue to live in the outlandish, yet humbly modest lifestyle that she has so grown accustom. Kim’s, now hubby, also has a small case of the crazies which is necessary in order to for one to commit oneself to the Kardashians. (Oh yeah, when you marry one you marry them all!).

The newlyweds reportedly received (is it just me, or is there something innately wrong with paying two people to get married?) $17.9 million in net profits and a huge discount on almost everything at their wedding, from the flowers to the cake. The nuptials themselves were a star-studded event and lasted well into the night. It was a seriously “tre fab” set up with a ten tiered cake inspired by the other royal wedding earlier this year. There were some beautifully heart-felt moments of memorial for Kim’s father and honestly, by the end of the program, the Kardashian-Humphries wedding really got to me! (I still wanted to rip that diamond headpiece off Kim’s head though…. seriously, what was she thinking!!!!)

But, why? Why was it so easy to become emotionally invested in the Kardashian’s life? Maybe it’s because they’re all simply famous for being famous, they’re all actually a really normal family that just happens to get paid for breathing. I mean I know that my family has its share of drama, and me and my sisters definitely get into the kind of shenanigans that the three Kardashians do (but obviously with a smaller budget). As much as people don’t understand and therefor look down at this celebrity family, you can’t help but appreciate that at the end of the day, the Kardashians are closer than most other families.


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Green’s Dictionary of Slang

lamb n.1

[note Williams for 17C use of lamb as a novice whore]

1. [mid-17C–1960s] a simpleton, a fool, esp. one easily cheated of their money; also attrib.

2. [mid-19C] a prostitute.

3. [late 19C] a rough, a thug.

4. [1920s–70s] (mainly US prison, also kid lamb) a young homosexual boy, esp. one who accompanies a tramp.

5. [1940s+] (US black) an innocent.

In compounds

lamb-brained (adj.)

[2000s] (N.Z.) weak, stupid.

SE in slang uses

In compounds

lamb and spinach (n.)

[mid-19C] (UK Und.) women and gin.

lamb cannon (n.)

[1990s+] the penis.

lamb chop (n.)

[1970s+] a term of affection; usu. of a woman, occas. a man.

lamb-pie (n.) [a pun on the SE lamb/lam v.1 (1)]

[late 17C–early 19C] a beating, a flogging.

lamb pit (n.)

[1950s–70s] the vagina.

lamb sauce (n.)

[mid-19C] (UK Und.) fine clothes.

lambskin man (n.) [the ermine-bordered robes]

[late 17C–mid-19C] a judge.

lamb’s tongue (n.) [1930s–40s] (US prison)

1. $1.

2. a $5 bill.

In phrases

fresh lamb (n.)

[mid-19C] (UK Und.) a new prostitite.

holy lamb (n.) [a pun on Lat. agnus dei, the lamb of God, used as the first words of the Catholic mass. The term lamb was given to the particularly violent troops led by the soldier of fortune Colonel Percy Kirke in 1684–6. Their flag carried an image of the paschal lamb, known in heraldry as the holy lamb, and the troops were known as ‘Kirke’s lambs’. Lambs also referred to gangs of thugs used to intimidate voters at 19C elections, e.g. the ‘Nottingham lambs’, which flourished 1860–70]

[late 18C–19C] (Irish) a complete and utter villain.


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October 19, 2017 Pollution Written by Emily Folk
Can We Develop LED Lights that Can Reduce Light Pollution
Light pollution isn’t usually the first kind of

pollution you think of, but it is there, and it is a problem. Many nocturnal animals use the light of the moon to navigate by. Hatchling sea turtles move toward it to find the ocean, corals release eggs and sperm based on the moonlight, and other animals adjust their communication methods depending on the moon cycle.

With light being so important to other species at night, it’s easy to see how light pollution can disrupt their habits. LED lights are pretty commonplace now, being used in most of the outdoor lights. They’re better for the environment, and they burn out less, but they still add a whole lot of light pollution. To try and combat that, people are starting to consider changes to the lights that might help reduce light pollution.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to see the stars even from a city? Animals probably think so too!

LED revolution

Right now, we don’t have LED lights that can help to reduce light pollution, unless we just start uninstalling lights. But there are some options that you can do to make your lights less distracting. LED’s came out as being one of the most efficient, cost-effective green options to replace traditional light bulbs. They’re so much more energy efficient that they can give up to 25,000 hours of service, which is 25 times longer than a CFL bulb and 25 times longer than an incandescent bulb [1]. In theory, this should have meant that the light pollution remained at the same level it was before, but that’s not exactly what happened.

Instead, what’s happened is the Jevon’s Paradox. This is where new technology increases efficiency, but demand for the products continue to rise regardless. In other words, making better lights didn’t result in us using fewer lights. It just meant people wanted more of them. Overall, the development of LED technology has led to more light pollution, not less. It’s the opposite of what environmentalists were hoping for.

Silver lining

Even though people have a hard time getting enough of a good thing, some ideas are being set up to reduce light usage. One place where the government, on the local level, is working on light pollution is along the coasts. Ever since we discovered that light pollution can cause turtle hatchlings to go toward the light instead of toward the ocean, some cities and towns have been working to reduce that light.

This so-called “mood lighting” has had a dramatic effect, and with minimal effort. The local governments have started installing light “curfews,” they’ve put in downward facing light poles, and many have asked beachfront citizens to turn their lights inland, so they aren’t visible from the beach.

So far, those efforts are working. As for the ideas the government has mandated, you can do those things even if you don’t live on the coast. You can also try to minimize how much outdoor light you produce. You don’t need floodlights and a lit pathway to the front of your house for 10 feet. You can also shield your lights, so they only hit where you want them too. Get rid of unused lights and reduce the wattage on outdoor floodlights.

There are a lot of ideas floating around about shielding streetlights for the same purpose. However, this can cause a severe glare issue. It’s not that big of a deal on your driveway, but it could impair people’s ability to drive at night on a highway. This is especially true of older people or anyone wearing glasses. However, accurately aiming the streetlights can be beneficial. It can reduce light pollution while also making the most of the lights you use, which means you can use fewer of them.

So, if we want to use LED’s to reduce light pollution, we should do the opposite of what we’re doing. We need to reduce the wattage and manufacture the lights with maneuverable shields that allow the light to be directed.

It’s not a complicated solution, but it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon. Right now, people love the high-intensity LED’s. It’s unlikely that the issues associated with light pollution will cause an abrupt change in the manufacturing designs.

This is a guest post written by Emily Folk.
Emily is a conservation and sustainability writer.
She is the editor of Conservation Folks, and you can see her latest updates by following her on Twitter.

[1] http://lippoliselectric.com/why-transition-led-lights/


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Saturday, September 12, 2015

Workbench Saturday Update

Not too much happening on my workbench today. This guy is still the focus of my attentions for the moment. I've got his head swap completed, next will be some greenstuff work: bedroll, more pouches, etc.

I've got a hike planned for this afternoon, then more work on this guy tonight and tomorrow.

1 comment:


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Thursday, January 12, 2017

Terrain: Technobridge 001

Some years ago I got myself a Pegasus Technobridge. I still think its one of the coolest simple terrain kits to come along ever. Nothing ever got done with that first bridge past assembly. I had ideas aplenty but just wasn't comfortable enough to try em. I did end up using Google Sketchup to mock up a couple things.

Fast forward to the present and I've got four technobridges in my stack of terrain material. I scored two for the price of one on eBay over the holidays and when they arrived I couldn't resist...

I took a few measurements and got to sketching.

As it came together in my head and notebook, I told myself I wouldn't let this one get away from me like the (still incomplete) drawbridge project or sump ruin... but the bridge is 24" long to begin with. This project was already out of hand. The overall footprint will be 24"x18". Two inches of foam will form the base that the bridge ramps will sit on, The deck will be 3.5" above tabletop. I plan to add pylons made of CoD tiles and a pedestrian walk to one side. Under the bridge will be a canal and some pipelines.

I've got a pretty good idea how this will all come together in the end. As far as materials go all I need is bit of MDF for the base and some 2" foam; everything else I have already. This is very much a project still in planning. In reviewing prior builds I've come to realize that I lose momentum and focus when I don't have a proper plan. This project has a lot of little things to get knocked out before I start putting it all together. If I do it right though, the final assembly will be like putting a Lego set together.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Leman Russ Salvage 003

Build phase continues this month with the second to last bit of the Leman Russ salvage project before paint. I poured a mound of some essential pieces not so readily available. Before anyone asks, these aren't up for sale at all.

The last thing to do on both of these models is some greenstuff in the form of lenses on the turret targeting array and gap filling. I plan to get greenstuff work done on a few different projects all at once.

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Inq28: The Witchhunter

The first model I have put time into in 2017 is my Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor. Witchhunter Lutor, the 40k equivalent of Witchhunter Gero from Mordheim. I decided against using Gideon Lorr to head this warband.

I was quite proud of that sculpt, the hat especially. The varnish ended up way to glossy and no matter what I tried it never toned down.

As mentioned in a previous post, I am building this new warband to reflect my old one. So a Witchhunter Inquisitor will lead five priests with chainswords that count as eviscerators. The Empire Priest will be an Arbites Enforcer. I've got one priest, one of the old Imperial Missionary models. I decided to track down the other Imperial Missionary as well as the Imperial Priest models to fill the other four slots. More on them once they arrive. The hounds are accounted for,

Witchhunter Lutor is armed with a powersword with antique hotshot laslock inbuilt. The sword comes from the Empire Freeguild Outrider kit unless I miss my guess. The torch comes from the Flagellant kit, the body is from the Bretonnian Men at Arms kit, and the head from the Space Marine Scout kit. I have to greenstuff his left arm into place as well as some gubbinz on the sword. After that I'll be waiting on some backpacks from Mad Robot Miniatures to arrive before I can finish him up.

Monday, January 2, 2017

Happy New Year

Man, 2016 was brutal.

It swept through and took beloved celebrities while leaving us with President Elect Trump...

I hope 2017 is a brighter year.

This past year I only managed to get ten minis painted. TEN! Man what a slack job... This year fortunes have turned and I'll have about twice the hobby time I had last year. Maybe I can get as many as twenty minis painted.

I spent the first night of the new year sorting bits and eating Christmas candies.

Build Phase will continue through January as previously reported.


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Adventures in Porting: GnuPG 2.1.x to Android!

PGP started with Phil Zimmerman’s Pretty Good Privacy, which is now turned into an open IETF standard known as OpenPGP. These days, the reference OpenPGP platform seems to be GnuPG: its used by Debian and all its derivatives in the OS itself for verifying packages and more. It is also at the core of all Debian development work, allowing the very diffuse body of Debian, Ubuntu, etc developers to communicate and share work effectively while maintaining a high level of security. It is also used for email encryption in Thunderbird + Enigmail, Apple Mail + GPGMail, GNOME Evolution, KDE KMail, Microsoft Outlook + Gpg4win.

lots of one and zeros

Yes, encryption means lots of ones and zeros that you can't read!

After actively using GnuPG for a few years, I thought it would be a good idea and not too difficult to port it to Android. I dove in and started with the code from git since I was hoping to involve the GnuPG developers. I had recently seen that they were stopping development on the 1.4.x branch, so the 2.1.x branch seemed like the logical choice to give us a reasonably complete OpenPGP implementation. Now I am happy to say we have it working on Android, with a couple of loose ends to tie up in order to get everything working.

One thing I do have to say is that GnuPG has evolved into a large and elaborate project that not only covers OpenPGP, but also PGP/MIME and things that have nothing to do with PGP like AES symmetric encryption and S/MIME email cryptography. That means it know is made up of many moving parts. It uses many libraries: libassuan, libgpg-error, libksba, npth, openldap, pinentry, and more if you want. It is also made up of a handful of programs to handle different aspects: gpg is the command line interface, gpg-agent seems to be the central key handler and task broker, dirmngr manages connections with directories like OpenPGP keyservers, pinentry handles getting passphrases from the user, etc.

The complexity does not stop there for our purposes: we need a Java API so we can make an Android app. So next up we built the GPGME (Gnu Privacy Guard Made Easy) library to provide a C/C++ API which is then wrapped in gpgme-for-java, a JNI library to make the GPGME functions available in Java. And just to heap on the layers, we are making a GUI on top of all that so that when you use it, you have no idea that all these little pieces that I have just described are even there at all.

You can follow our progress on this work on our PSST wiki:

(coming soon: sketching a mobile UI for OpenPGP, follow our notes here:

18 comments for “Adventures in Porting: GnuPG 2.1.x to Android!

  1. 2012/03/18 at 2:10 pm

    Can you please briefly explain how this compares/differs to APG (Android Privacy Guard)

  2. hans
    2012/03/19 at 11:49 am

    We started this project because of these specific features that APG lacks:

    * no method for uploading personal public key
    * no method for signing other people’s keys
    * no method to view signatures on a key
    * no PGP/MIME support

    Since signatures on keys is the essential building block of the OpenPGP Web of Trust, we really wanted an OpenPGP app for Android that fully handled all of the standard operations related to signing and verifying keys. There are also many other features in GnuPG that we then get for free, like S/MIME support, but we aren’t necessarily targeting those.

  3. n8fr8
    2012/03/22 at 2:02 am

    Let’s also not forget performance! With our work on the SecureSmartCam project, we need a fast way to gpg encrypt large video files, or perhaps even encrypt in realtime via a pipe. This is just not possible with the Java-based APG.

    • derpsec
      2012/10/31 at 11:11 pm

      If you need a fast way to encrypt video files perhaps look into Skein/Threefish, or PySkein instead.

      • hans
        2012/11/01 at 11:13 am

        Those two look promising, but our mission is not so much about developing and testing new cryptographic algorithms. Instead, we focus on making crypto best practices widely available and easy to use properly.

  4. vlad1m1r
    2012/04/05 at 4:23 pm

    I’d pay good money for an XMPP app that supports key negotiation to have encrypted conversations as you can do with Psi on a computer.

    • hans
      2012/04/05 at 4:39 pm

      You don’t have to pay anything, there is already many XMPP clients that support OTR encryption. Gibberbot and Beem on Android; Pidgin on Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux; Adium on Mac OS X; etc. This paper from the OTR authors outlines why OpenPGP is not well suited to streams like XMPP chats:

  5. jimmy
    2012/07/27 at 12:01 pm

    so hows the project coming along?

  6. hans
    2012/07/31 at 10:14 am

    We have the command line gpg working on Android for everything that doesn’t need a password (encrypting, verifying, searching keys, etc.). We are just picking up this effort again right now, starting with implementing the gpgme framework for C++ and Java, and creating a pinentry for Android, so we can feed passwords to gpg. Once we get that working, we’ll start in on creating Android Intents so other apps can trigger actions. After that, we’ll then start working on developing the whole GUI for GPG.

  7. mini me
    2012/10/09 at 12:46 pm

    I can’t send email on the onion tormail onion page as there is no send or compose email option so is there a android email client to use or do I configure my droid email client? Ex gmail app or stock email client on my smart phone? Can someone help me please

  8. Peter
    2013/02/15 at 3:29 pm

    Thank you very much for the great and so important work! On the K9-Mail site is a discussion taking place, that supporting PGP/MIME would require major changes of the whole architecture of the programm. What is your idea at the moment for implementing it? Which email client do you have in mind?

    • hans
      2013/02/18 at 10:15 am

      I was thinking that K-9 would be the best candidate for PGP/MIME support. Too bad its such a big project. Is there interest in taking it on with the K-9 community? We would certainly do what we can to support the effort, anything from tailoring the PGP/MIME API to K-9 needs to direct code contributions.

      Does any have other recommendations for Android email clients that could potentially support PGP/MIME?

  9. Peter
    2013/03/01 at 12:02 pm

    This is the issue, where K-9 developer are discussing MIME integration. Maybe some of you could join the discussion and figure out how to solve it. Unfortunately I have no programming skills, but I would like to help in any other regard.

  10. 2013/07/23 at 2:38 am

    Thanks for sharing some details about this project. I too would love to see K-9 integration, as that seems to be Android email client of choice these days.

  11. uwe
    2013/09/09 at 2:15 pm

    you could use r2mail2 for android. it also support pgp/mime and certificates. it is based on k9mail and developed in austria. one reason for me to trust this app. i do not like all these US apps :-/

    • Hans-Christoph Steiner
      2013/09/10 at 3:37 pm

      r2mail2 sounds interesting, we are always happy to see more people work on privacy-enhancing software. Hopefully they will contribute back their improvements to the k9mail project so we can build upon them. As far as I could tell, r2mail2 is currently proprietary software. That means you have to blindly trust the authors. As a holder of both Austrian and US citizenship, I don’t think that that model of trust works any more. Basically every government has a spy agency, and they are more and more pushing hard in the same direction as the NSA, GCHQ, etc. If the source code is open, it can be audited. That also means that the build process can be verified as well, which is perhaps more important.

  12. uwe
    2013/09/11 at 3:10 pm

    @ Hans-Christoph
    Why not get touch with this guy?
    He is very friendly, I had once a bug report.
    I can not help very much, I have not the knowledge in this subject.

    • Hans-Christoph Steiner
      2013/09/11 at 4:12 pm

      Done! 🙂

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