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Of the Remedy of Affliction for the Loss of our Friends

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IT would be a strange consideration (saith Cicero) that while so many excellent remedies have been discovered for the several diseases of the human body, the mind should be left, without any assistance to alleviate and repel the disorders which befal it. The contrary of this he asserts to be true, and prescribes philosophy to us, as a certain and infallible method to assuage and remove all those perturbations which are liable to affect this nobler part of man.

Of the same opinion were all those wise and illustrious ancients, whose writings and sayings on this subject have been transmitted to us. And when Seneca tells us, that virtue is sufficient to subdue all our passions, he means no other (as he explains it in many parts of his works) than that exalted divine philosophy, which consisted not in vain pomp, or useless curiosity, nor even in the search of more profitable knowledge, but in acquiring solid lasting habits of virtue, and ingrafting them into our character. It was not the bare knowing the right way, but the constant and steady walking in it, which those glorious writers recommended and dignified by the august names of philosophy and virtue; which two words, if they did not always use in a synonymous sense, yet they all agreed in this, that virtue was the consummation of true philosophy.

Now that this supreme philosophy, this habit of virtue, which strengthened the mind of a Socrates, or a Brutus, is really superior to every evil which can attack us, I make no doubt; but in truth, this is to have a sound, not a sickly constitution. With all proper deference, therefore to such great authorities, they seem to me to assert no more than that health is a remedy against disease: for a soul once possessed of that degree of virtue which can without emotion look on poverty, pain, disgrace, and death, as things indifferent; a soul, as Horace expresses it,

Totus teres atque rotundus;

or, according to Seneca, which derives all its comfort from WITHIN, not from WITHOUT; which can look down on all the ruffling billows of fortune, as from a rock on shore, we survey a tempestuous sea with unconcern; such a soul is surely in a state of health which no vigour of bodily constitution can resemble.

And as this health of the mind exceeds that of the body in degree, so doth it in constancy or duration. In the latter, the transition from perfect health to sickness is easy, and often sudden; whereas the former, being once firmly established in the robust state above described, is never afterwards liable to be shocked by any accident or impulse of fortune.

It must be confessed indeed, that those great masters have pointed out the way to this philosophy, and have endeavoured to allure and persuade others into it; but as it is certain that few of their disciples have been able to arrive at its perfection; nay, as several of the masters themselves have done little honour to their precepts, by their examples, there seems still great occasion for a mental physician, who should consider the human mind (as is often the case of the body) in too weak and depraved a situation to be restored to firm vigour and sanity, and should propose rather to palliate and lessen its disorders, than absolutely to cure them.

To consider the whole catalogue of diseases, to which our minds are liable, and to prescribe proper remedies for them all, would require a much longer treatise than what I now intend; I shall confine myself therefore to one only, and to a particular species of that one, viz. to affliction for the death of our friends.

This is a malady to which the best and worthiest of men are chiefly liable. It is, like a fever, the distemper of a rich and generous constitution. Indeed, we may say of those base tempers which are totally incapable of being affected with it, what a witty physician of the last age said of a shattered and rotten carcass, that they are not worth preserving.

For this reason the calm demeanour of Stilpo the philosopher, who, when he had lost his children at the taking Megara by Demetrius, concluded, he had lost nothing, for that he carried all which was his own about him, hath no charms for me. I am more apt to impute such sudden tranquillity, at so great a loss, to ostentation or obduracy, than to consummate virtue. It is rather wanting the affection than conquering it. To overcome the affliction arising from the loss of our friends, is great and praiseworthy; but it requires some reason and time. This sudden unruffled composure is owing to mere insensibility; to a depravity of the heart, not goodness of the understanding.

But in a mind of a different cast, in one susceptible of a tender affection, fortune can make no other ravage equal to such a loss. It is tearing the heart, the soul from the body; not by a momentary operation, like that by which the most cruel tormentors of the body soon destroy the subject of their cruelty; but by a continued, tedious, though violent agitation; the soul having this double unfortunate superiority to the body, that its agonies, as they are more exquisite, so they are more lasting.

If however this calamity be not in a more humane disposition to be presently or totally removed, an attempt to lessen it is, however, worth our attention. He who could reduce the torments of the gout to one-half or a third of the pain, would, I apprehend, be a physician in much vogue and request; and surely, some palliative remedies are as much worth our seeking in the mental disorder; especially if this latter should (as appears to me who have felt both) exceed the former in its anguish a hundred fold.

I will proceed, therefore, without further apology, to present my reader with the best prescriptions I am capable of furnishing; many of which have this uncommon recommendation, that I have tried them upon myself with some success. And if Montaigne be right in his choice of a physician, who had himself had the disease which he undertook to cure, I shall at least have that pretension to some confidence and regard.

And first, by way of preparative; while we yet enjoy our friends, and no immediate danger threatens us of losing them, nothing can be wholesomer than frequent reflections on the certainty of this loss, however distant it may then appear to us; for if it be worth our while to prepare the body for diseases which may possibly (or at most probably) attack us, how much more necessary must it seem to furnish the mind with every alliance to encounter a calamity, which our own death only, or the previous determination of our friendship, can prevent from happening to us.

It hath been mentioned as one of the first ingredients of a wise man, that nothing befalls him entirely unforeseen, and unexpected. And this is surely the principal means of taking his happiness or misery out of the hands of fortune. Pleasure or pain, which seizes us unprepared, and by surprise, have a double force, and are both more capable of subduing the mind, than when they come upon us looking for them, and prepared to receive them. That pleasure is heightened by long expectation, appears to me a great though vulgar error. The mind, by constant premeditation on either, lessens the sweetness of the one, and bitterness of the other. It hath been well said of lovers, who for a long time procrastinate and delay their happiness, that they have loved themselves out before they come to the actual enjoyment; this is as true in the more ungrateful article of affliction. The objects of our passions, as well as of our appetites, may be in a great measure devoured by imagination; and grief, like hunger, may be so palled and abated by expectation, that it may retain no sharpness when its food is set before it.

The thoughts which are to engage our consideration on this head, are too various, and many of them too obvious, to be enumerated; the principal are surely, First, the certainty of the dissolution of this alliance, however sweet it be to us, or however closely the knot be tied. Secondly, the extreme shortness of this duration, even at the best. And, Thirdly, the many accidents by which it is daily and hourly liable of being brought to an end.

Had not the wise man frequently meditated on these subjects, he would not have coolly answered the person who acquainted him with the death of his son — I KNEW I had begot a Mortal. Whereas, by the behaviour of some on these occasions, we might be almost induced to suspect they were disappointed in their hopes of their friend's immortality; that something uncommon, and beyond the general fate of men, had happened to them. In a word, that they had flattered their fondness for their children and friends as enthusiastically as the poets have their works, which

nec Jovis ira nec ignis,
Nec poterit ferrum, nec edax abolere vetustas.

Nor is there any dissuasive from such contemplation: it is no breach of friendship, nor violence of paternal fondness: for the event we dread and detest, is not by these means forwarded, as simple persons think their own death would be by making a will. On the contrary, the sweetest and most rapturous enjoyments are thus promoted and encouraged: for what can be a more delightful thought than to assure ourselves, after such reflections, that the evil we apprehend, and which might so probably have happened, hath been yet fortunately escaped. If it be true, that the loss of a blessing teaches us its true value, will not these ruminations on the certainty of losing our friends, and the uncertainty of our enjoyment of them, add a relish to the present possession? Shall we not, in a word, return to their conversation, after such reflections, with the same eagerness and ecstacy, with which we receive those we love into our arms, when we first wake from a dream which hath terrified us with their deaths?

Thus then we have a double incentive to these meditations; as they serve as well to heighten our present enjoyment, as to lessen our future loss, and to fortify us against it. I shall now proceed to give my reader some instructions for his conduct, when this dreadful catastrophe has actually befallen him.

And here I address myself to common men, and who partake of the more amiable weaknesses of human nature; not to those elevated souls whom the consummation of virtue and philosophy hath raised to a divine pitch of excellence, and placed beyond the reach of human calamity; for which reason I do not expect this loss shall be received with the composure of Stilpo. Nay, I shall not regard tears, lamentations, or any other indulgence to the first agonies of our grief on so dreadful an occasion, as marks of effeminacy; but shall rather esteem them as the symptoms of a laudable tenderness, than of a contemptible imbecility of heart.

However, though I admit the first emotions of our grief to be so far irresistible, that they are not to be instantly and absolutely overcome, yet we are not, on the other side, totally to abandon ourselves to them. Wisdom is our shield against all calamity, and this we are not cowardly to throw away, though some of the sharper darts of fortune may have pierced us through it. The mind of a wise man may be ruffled and disordered, but cannon be subdued; in the former, it differs from the perfection of the Deity; in the latter, from the abject condition of a fool.

With whatever violence our passions at first attack us, they will in time subside. It is then that reason is to be called to our assistance, and we should use every suggestion which it can lend to our relief; our utmost force being to be exerted to repel and subdue an enemy when he begins to retreat: this indeed, one would imagine, should want little or no persuasion to recommend it; inasmuch as we all naturally pursue happiness and avoid misery.

There are, however, two causes of our unwillingness to hearken to the voice of reason on this occasion. The first, a foolish opinion, that friendship requires an exorbitant affliction of us; that we are thus discharging our duty to the dead, and offering (according to the superstition of the ancients) an agreeable sacrifice to their manes; the other, and perhaps the commoner motive is, the immediate satisfaction we ourselves feel in this indulgence; which, though attended with very dreadful consequences, gives the same present relief to a tender disposition, that air or water brings to one in a high fever.

Now, what can possibly, on the least examination, appear more absurd than the former of these ? When the grave, beyond which we can enter into no engagement with one another, hath dissolved all bonds of friendship between us, and removed the object of our affection far from the reach of any of our offices; can any thing be more vain and ridiculous, than to nourish an affliction to our own misery, by which we can convey neither profit nor pleasure to our friend? But I shall not dwell on an absurdity so monstrous in itself, that the bare first mention throws it in a light which no illustration nor argument can heighten.

And as to the second, it is, as I have said, like those indulgences which, however pleasant they may be to the distemper, serve only to increase it, and for which we are sure to pay the bitterest agonies in the end. Nothing can indeed betray a weaker or more childish temper of mind than this conduct; by which, like infants, we reject a remedy, if it be the least distasteful; and are ready to receive any grateful food, without regarding the nourishment which at the same time we contribute to the disease.

Without staying, therefore, longer to argue with such, I shall first recommend to my disciple or patient, of another complexion, carefully to avoid all circumstances which may revive the memory of the deceased, whom it is now his business to forget as fast, and as much as possible; whereas, such is the perverseness of our natures, we are constantly endeavouring, at every opportunity, to recall to our remembrance the words, looks, gestures, and other particularities of a friend. One carries about with him the picture; a second the hair; and others, some little gift or token of the dead, as a memorial of their loss. What is all this less than being self-tormentors, and playing with affliction? Indeed, time is the truest and best physician on these occasions; and our wisest part is to lend him the utmost assistance we can; whereas, by pursuing the methods I have here objected to, we withstand with all our might the aid and comfort which that great reliever of human misery so kindly offers us.

Diversions of the lightest kind have been recommended as a remedy for affliction; but for my part, I rather conceive they will increase than diminish it; especially where music is to make up any part of the entertainment; for the nature of this is to sooth or inflame, not to alter our passions. Indeed, I should rather propose such diversions by way of trial than of cure; for when they can be pursued with any good effect, our affliction is, I apprehend, very little grievous or dangerous.

To say the truth, the physic for this, as well as every other mental disorder, is to be dispensed to us by philosophy and religion. The former of these words (however unhappily it hath contracted the contempt of the pretty gentlemen and fine ladies) doth surely convey, to those who understand it, no very ridiculous idea. Philosophy, in its purer and stricter sense, means no more than the love of wisdom; but in its common and vulgar acceptation it signifies, the search after wisdom; or often, wisdom itself; for to distinguish between wisdom and philosophy (says a great writer), is rather matter of vain curiosity than of real utility.

Now from this fountain (call it by which of the names we please) may be drawn the following considerations:

First, the injustice of our complaint, who have been only obliged to fulfil the condition on which we first received the good, whose loss we deplore, viz. that of parting with it again. We are tenants at will to fortune, and as we have advanced no consideration on our side, can have no right to accuse her caprice in determining our estate. However short-lived our possession hath been, it was still more than she promised, or we could demand. We are already obliged to her for more than we can pay; but, like ungrateful persons, with whom one denial effaces the remembrance of an hundred benefits, we forget what we have already received; and rail at her, because she is not pleased to continue those favours, which of her own free-will she hath so long bestowed on us.

Again, as we might have been called on to fulfil the condition of our tenure long before, so, sooner or later, of necessity we must have done it. The longest term we could hope for is extremely short, and compared by Solomon himself to the length of a span. Of what duration is this life of man computed? A scrivener, who sells his annuity at fourteen years and a half, rejoices in his cunning, and thinks he hath outwitted you, at least half a year in the bargain.

But who will ensure these fourteen years? No man. On the contrary, how great is the premium for insuring you one? and great as it is, he who accepts it, is often a loser.

I shall not go into the hackneyed common-place of the numberless avenues to death; a road almost as much beaten by writers, as those avenues to death are by mankind: Tibullus sums them up in half a verse,

Leti mille repente viae.

Surely no accident can befal our friend which should so little surprise us; for there is no other which he may not escape. In poverty, pain, or other instances, his lot may be harder than his neighbour's. In this the happiest and most miserable, the greatest and lowest, richest and poorest of mankind share all alike.

It is not then, it cannot be, death itself (which is a part of life) that we lament should happen to our friend, but it is the time of his dying. We desire not a pardon, we desire a reprieve only. A reprieve, for how long? Sine die. But if he could escape this fever, this small-pox, this inflammation of the bowels, he may live twenty years. He may so; but it is more probable he will not live ten; it is very possible, not one. But suppose he should have twenty, nay thirty years to come. In prospect, it is true, the term seems to have some duration; but cast your eyes backwards, and how contemptible the span appears: for it happens in life (however pleasant the journey may be) as to a weary traveller, the plain he is yet to pass extends itself much larger to his eye than that which he hath already conquered.

And suppose fortune should be so generous to indulge us in the possession of our wish, and give us this twenty years longer possession of our friend, should we be then contented to resign? Or shall we not, in imitation of a child who desires its mamma to stay five minutes, and it will take the potion, be still as unwilling as ever? I am afraid the latter will be the case; seeing that neither our calamity, nor the child's physic, becomes less nauseous by the delay.

But, admitting this condition to be never so hard, will not philosophy shew us the folly of immoderate affliction ? Can all our sorrow mend our case? Can we wash back our friend with our tears, or waft him back with our sighs and lamentations? It is a foolish mean-spiritedness in a criminal, to blubber to his judge when he knows he shall not prevail by it; and it is natural to admire those more who meet their fate with a decent constancy and resignation. Were the sentences of fate capable of remission; could our sorrows or sufferings restore our friends to us, I would commend him who outdid the fabled Niobe in weeping: but since no such event is to be expected; since from that Bourne no Traveller returns; surely it is the part of a wise man, to bring himself to be content in a situation which no wit or wisdom, labour or art, trouble or pain, can alter.

And let us seriously examine our hearts, whether it is for the sake of our friends or ourselves, that we grieve. I am ready to agree with a celebrated French writer, That the lamentation expressed for the loss of our dearest friends is often, in reality, for ourselves; that we are concerned at being less happy, less easy, and of less consequence than we were before; and thus the dead enjoy the honour of those tears which are truly shed on account of the living: concluding, — that in these afflictions men impose on themselves. Now, if, on the inquiry, this should be found to be our case, I shall leave the patient to seek his remedy elsewhere, having first recommended to him an assembly, a ball, an opera, a play, an amour, or, if he please, all of them; which will very speedily produce his cure. But, on the contrary, if, after the strictest examination, it should appear (as I make no doubt is sometimes the case) that our sorrow arises from that pure and disinterested affection which many minds are so far from being capable of entertaining, that they can have no idea of it; in a word, if it be manifest that our fears are justly to be imputed to our friend's account, it may be then worth our while to consider the nature and degree of this misfortune which hath happened to him; and if, on duly considering it, we should be able to demonstrate to ourselves, that this supposed dreadful calamity should exist only in opinion, and all its horrors vanish, on being closely and nearly examined; then, I apprehend, the very foundation of our grief will be removed, and it must, of necessary consequence, immediately cease.

I shall not attempt to make an estimate of human life, which to do in the most concise manner, would fill more pages than I can here allow it; nor will it be necessary for me, since admitting there was more real happiness in life than the wisest men have allowed; as the weakest and simplest will be ready to confess that there is much evil in it likewise; and as I conceive every partial man will, on casting up the whole, acknowledge that the latter is more than a balance for the former, I apprehend it will appear, sufficiently for my purpose, that death is not that king of terrors as he is represented to be.

Death is nothing more than the negation of life. If therefore life be no general good, death is no general evil. Now, if this be a point in judgment, who shall decide it? Shall we prefer the judgment of women and children, or of wise men? If of the latter, shall I not have all their suffrages with me? Thales, the chief of the sages, held life and death as things indifferent. Socrates, the greatest of all the philosophers, speaks of death as of a deliverance. Solomon, who had tasted all the sweets of life, condemns the whole as vanity and vexation: and Cicero (to name no more) whose life had been a very fortunate one, assures us in his old age, that if any of the gods would frankly offer him to renew his infancy, and live his life over again, he would strenuously refuse it.

But if we will be hardy enough to fly in the face of these and numberless other such authorities; if we will still maintain that the pleasures of life have in them something truly solid, and worthy our regard and desire, we shall not, however, be bold enough to say, that these pleasures are lasting, certain, or the portion of many among us. We shall not, I apprehend, insure the possession of them to our friend, nor secure him from all those evils which, as I have before said, none have ever denied the real existence of; nor shall we surely contend, that he may not more likely have escaped the latter, than have been deprived of the former.

I remember the most excellent of women, and tenderest of mothers, when, after a painful and dangerous delivery, she was told she had a daughter, [1] answering; Good God! have I produced a creature who is to undergo what I have suffered! Some years afterwards, I heard the same woman, on the death of that very child, then one of the loveliest creatures ever seen, comforting herself with reflecting, that her child could never know what it was to feel such a loss as she then lamented.

In reality, she was right in both instances; and however instinct, youth, a flow of spirits, violent attachments, and above all, folly may blind us, the day of death is (to most people at least) a day of more happiness than that of our birth, as it puts an end to all those evils which the other gave a beginning to. So just is that sentiment of Solon, which Croesus afterwards experienced the truth of, and which is couched in these lines:

ultima semper
Expectanda dies homini, dicique beatus
Ante obitum nemo, postremaque funera debet.

If therefore death be no evil, there is certainly no reason why we should lament its having happened to our friend; but if there be any whom neither his own observation, nor what Plato hath advanced in his apology for Socrates, in his Crito, and his Phaedon; or Cicero, in the first and third books of his Tusculan questions; or Montaigne (if he hath a contempt for the ancients), can convince, that death is not an evil worthy our lamentation, let such a man comfort himself, that the evil which his friend hath suffered, he shall himself shortly have his share in. As nothing can be a greater consolation to a delicate friendship than this, so there is nothing we may so surely depend on. A few days may, and a few years most infallibly will bring this about, and we shall then reap one benefit from the cause of our present affliction, that we are not then to be torn from the person we love.

These are, I think, the chief comforts which the voice of human philosophy can administer to us on this occasion. Religion goes much farther, and gives us a most delightful assurance, that our friend is not barely no loser, but a gainer by his dissolution; that those virtues and good qualities which were the objects of our affection on earth, are now become the foundation of his happiness and reward in a better world.

Lastly: it gives a hope, the sweetest, most endearing, and ravishing, which can enter into a mind capable of, and inflamed with friendship — the hope of again meeting the beloved person, of renewing and cementing the dear union in bliss everlasting. This is a rapture which leaves the warmest imagination at a distance. Who can conceive (says Sherlock, in his Discourse on Death) the melting caresses of two souls in Paradise? What are all the trash and trifles, the bubbles, bawbles and gewgaws of this life, to such a meeting? This is a hope which no reasoning shall ever argue me out of, nor millions of such worlds as this should purchase; nor can any man shew me its absolute impossibility, till he can demonstrate that it is not in the power of the Almighty to bestow it on me.

  1. Fielding's own daughter, Charlotte, who died in 1742 aged five. She was buried in St Martin in the Fields. (Rogers, Pat: Henry Fielding: A Biography. London, Elek. 1979. p.126.)


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#300 Steve and Alex – Passive vs. Active Vocabulary (Part 2)

Do you know a word when you can recognize it, or do you have to be able to actively use it? What does it mean to really know a word, and is having a large active vocabulary as useful as having a large passive vocabulary? In this podcast, Steve and Alex discuss different definitions of “knowing” a word, what a typical active to passive ratio might be and more.

Difficulty: Intermediate
Category: Language
Duration:  7:47

Click here to listen to Passive vs. Active Vocabulary (Part 2).

Click here to see the full transcript of this podcast.

For an excerpt from the text, click below:

Alex:I forgot the word and as soon as I heard it I’m like oh, yeah, I remember that word, but I hadn’t used it in like two years.

Steve:And the other strange this is… Well, I have experienced this. I don’t know if you have. Over the two years, of course, your Korean has improved. You know many more words. You can read stuff more easily. You can understand people more easily and, yet, there will be some words that you knew two years ago, very simple words that you’ll forget now.

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Enzo 2.4 documentation

Enzo Parameter List

The following is a largely complete list of the parameters that Enzo understands, and a brief description of what they mean. They are grouped roughly by meaning; an alphabetical list is also available. Parameters for individual test problems are also listed here.

This parameter list has two purposes. The first is to describe and explain the parameters that can be put into the initial parameter file that begins a run. The second is to provide a comprehensive list of all parameters that the code uses, including those that go into an output file (which contains a complete list of all parameters), so that users can better understand these output files.

The parameters fall into a number of categories:

These are user parameters in the sense that they can be set in the parameter file, and provide the primary means of communication between Enzo and the user.
These are mostly not set in the parameter file (although strictly speaking they can be) and are generally used for program to communicate with itself (via the restart of output files).
No longer used.
To be used later.

Generally the external parameters are the only ones that are modified or set, but the internal parameters can provide useful information and can sometimes be modified so I list them here as well. Some parameters are true/false or on/off boolean flags. Eventually, these may be parsed, but in the meantime, we use the common convention of 0 meaning false or off and 1 for true or on.

This list includes parameters for the Enzo 2.3 release.


text:
Japan Adopts "Right to Be Forgotten"

A Japanese court has ordered Google to delete about half of the search result for a man linked to a crime he didn't commit. Judge Nobuyuki Seki of the Tokyo District Court said that the search results "infringe personal rights," and had harmed the plaintiff. A recent poll also found that 61 percent of Americans favor the EU Court of Justice decision regarding the right to be forgotten. And Canada is now debating the establishment of a similar legal right. For more information, see EPIC: Right to Be Forgotten, EPIC: Public Opinions and Privacy, and EPIC: Expungement.

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Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 7:49 am
Location: Chicago

Postby vikingyouth » Wed Jul 19, 2006 9:03 am

The Chicago Burning Man community would like to offer a helping hand to any artists passing through Chicago after the burn this year by offering temporary (until October 1st, 2006), secure storage space for your large scale installations, your art cars, your tapestries, etc to help make your easing back into the default world a little less of a headache.

"But, I've always heard Chicago is full of salty troublemakers, lechers and cretins," you say. "So what's the rub?" Well, in exchange for keeping your playa art nice and safe and off your mind for a few weeks we'd like you to come back to Chicago on September 30th and set your projects up at our 1st Annual Block Party Decompression and help make the party something this city will never forget.

It's not a bad deal at all really, we'll store your crap safely away until September 30, meanwhile you can put your energy into drinking away the pain of the default world and reminiscing about the dozen ways your life changed during that Thursday morning sunrise. All you have to do in exchange is drag your self back to Chicago on September 30th for a giant outdoor party with a bunch of beautiful people and then take your stuff home with you October 1st. Sweet.

Chicago's 1st Annual Block Party Decompression will be from noon until 10:00pm on Saturday September 30th. We'll have 3 sound systems, mini-theme camps, geodesic domes, art cars, fire art, performance art, food, drinks, installations, and what ever YOU bring to the table. This should be an amazing event and a milestone in our communities history, do yourself a favor and be a part of it.

For more information please email minimonk at

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Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:50 am

Directions to the event

Postby Curmudgeon » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:56 pm

Vikingyouth seems to have accidentally left out the directions to the event, so I did a Googlegroups search and pulled up this post by Marley, which should help.

From: Marley - view profile
Date: Thurs, Jul 20 2006 12:42 am
Email: "Marley" <>

7/12/06 Chicago Decomp Meeting Minutes

Attending: Brian Buckman, Groot, Liz, Minimonk, Linda Loca, Kurt, Willie,
Devin, Justin, Striz, Damon, Shai

On Wednesday night 12 people from the various burner tribes in Chicago got
together to begin planning the 2006 Chicago Decompression. We plan to
revive the idea of a block party similar to the ones in San Francisco and
LA. After a brief discussion we agreed on a name, date, time, & place.

Name: Chicago Decomp
When: Saturday September 30th from 2:00PM to 10:00PM
Where: 1900 block of West Hubbard and we will also be using a vacant lot on
that block.

We discussed the pro's and con's of officially aligning ourselves with the
Burning Man project. They would want to be covered for liability under our
insurance policy and we would have to abide by their ten principles
( We were already
planning to follow the ten principles as we do for all the other events.
They would help us with legal and organizational matters and we could draw
on their experience in these areas. We were divided about whether it was
worth it to make this event an official one but we reached consensus and
agreed to do it.

Minimonk and Liz have been researching Chicago's rules and it looks like we
have already crossed the line from block party to special event because we
are going to involve people who don't live on the block. Minimonk will put
the special event permit in his name. We will have to buy insurance.

Groot volunteered to be the treasurer and will track expenses just like he
has been doing for our other events. He will start a budget and asks
everyone to help think of things that will cost us money and send them to
the mailing list along with amounts. He will set up a simple income /
expense budget and post it to the list.

Brian suggested that we offer the vacant lot as a staging area to theme
camps returning from Burning Man. This would make it easier for camps from
Chicago and elsewhere to participate because their stuff would already be
here when they return for the Decomp. Everyone liked the idea and Brian
will write something up so we can post it to the Jack Rabbit Speaks.

We agreed that we will need a web site and decided to morph it into a
Chicago Burning Man web site once Decomp is over. Devin volunteered to set
it up.

We made a list of tasks and got a few volunteers:
Website- devin
website forms- matty
theme camp reg- linda
sanitation- kurt/liz
ranger- kurt
clean up/ moop DPW - Matty
Sound Stage manager- matty
Security- ruby, liz
Who,What,Where,When, Why
Volunteer List- Linda/liz
placement- matty, liz, linda
art installations
city contact- matty
community outreach
press releases- matty/linda
bike parade- devin

If you want to get involved please come to our next meeting on Monday July
31st at 9:00PM at Minimonk's place. We encourage everyone's participation
and we have set up a mailing list for planning. To join the list go to
Google Groups at this address:

Is that information still accurate?

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Postby Curmudgeon » Sun Aug 20, 2006 4:07 pm

One other thing - wouldn't this be better listed under Regionals and Events?

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Imagine Time As A Tide Medium To Record Bookmarks Of Time For A Universe, But What About The Sum Of Infinite Natural Numbers Equal To -1/12 or -1/8?

Watching “Sum of Natural Numbers (second proof and extra footage)” video on YouTube, and I’m amused how the proof got to an answer of -1/12 for the summation of 1+2+3+4+n… (i.e., n to the infinity).  Part of the proof, the professor uses the geometric series (if I’m not wrong about this to be geometric series) of — 1+x+x^2+x^3+x^n… (as n to the infinity) equal to 1/1-x — to manipulate more numbers in more ways to come up with -1/12 as the answer to the sum of the infinite basic numbers such as 1+2+3+4+n… (as n to the infinity).  So, I guess if the proof in which the professor explains in the video is correct, adding basic items in a series to the infinity would equate to -1/12.  Nonetheless, what mind-blowing about this is that adding all the positive things yet it turns out to be a negative thing as in -1/12 (negative for sure).  Check out this video right after the break.

What is even more nifty is that I found another video on YouTube which relies on the video above to refute the -1/12 answer to the sum of positive things, and the video would argue that -1/8 is the real answer to this scenario.  Well, by now I’m totally confused by both videos for sure.  So, is it -1/12 is the answer to 1+2+3+4+n… (to the infinity) or the answer would be -1/8?  Check out the next video right after the break.

Anyway, it’s quite amusing, and I’m not sure if I’m ever going to be able to understand this proof.  Anyhow, maybe someday my mind will be a little brighter than now and I’ll definitely see how -1/12 would be the answer of the sum of infinite positive numbers.  Or is it that only the sum of all positive number series would equate to -1/12 or -1/8, but adding non-series numbers in total to the infinity would not equate to such answer?  But, all numbers like natural numbers can always be counted to the positive, thus does it really matter that non-series numbers in total to the infinity would turn out to be any differently than -1/12 or -1/8?

To be honest, I was wondering about how time and space can be infinite or not, and a similar question on Quora (Can time be infinite and space be finite?) got an answer which directs me to the first YouTube video which I had posted near the very top of this blog post.  Yep, that’s how I found out about these videos.

Personal thought:

Right now, I imagine time as in a single tide travels to an imaginative beach in which this beach got no sand barrier to block the tide, and this tide would ride on into the infinity and would never be able to hit against the sand barrier of the beach.  I imagine that each tide is a time.  Thus with this imagination I can conclude that each tide is an origin which represents a time medium.  Nonetheless, this time tide medium isn’t a regular tide, and so it would have history of time, like bookmarks of time.  Anything which rides upon the time tide medium would move forward with time, but leave history in bookmarks of time tide medium.  This imagination would allow me to go further by concluding that I can travel in time by revisiting the bookmarks of time tide medium, or perhaps I can jump to another time tide medium to visit the bookmarks of time of not my own altogether.  If this is possible, does it mean jumping to another time tide medium would mean escaping the current universe?  After all, I assume that different universe should allow a different behavior of time tide medium, because each time tide medium could behave differently altogether.  Anyway, this whole crazy mess I just ranted on is my imagination, and it has no proof of anything — meaning it’s nothing in reality and just an imagination (i.e., a fairy tale).

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Dangerous Curves

May 6, 2010

…in Tokyo. (From the wonderful Satorialist that keeps me on my toes)

Who is she?

Victorian lace speaks of a delicate sensibility. Military jacket adds a bold streak. Glossy 1950s hair sweeps with sensual waves. Black aviators whispers of dangerous liaisons. Nude decorative nails makes a feminine statement. The icy Starbucks drink cooly says that she’s not too cool to be mainstream.

And that tiny trace of a gold necklace…whimsical beyond belief and stunningly modern at the same time, also probably worth more than the entire outfit combined.

And those lips.

She may shop in Harajuku, but resides in Ginza. Doll-faced but wild. Bright but naïve. She never knew what she wanted and didn’t care to find out. Her smile is your weakness and lace is her choice of weapon.

Some day I will have all that (minus the starbucks), and walk with this:

Some day, in my own little spy thriller, I will be dangerous with curves in Tokyo.

15 Comments leave one →
  1. May 6, 2010 1:47 PM

    I really love this post so descriptive of the aesthetic reactions so often experienced in my second favorite city in the world! Just terrific. I hope I get to read your own little spy thriller some day.

    Grace: me too.

  2. May 6, 2010 2:01 PM

    Lovely. Both the image and your words resonate with my own notions of Tokyo, in my subconscious a city that looms large, a city where some part of me roams while I sit at my 9-to-5, longing for escape. Certainly a city ripe for living the life of a romantic or of a lethal super-spy, or both.

    I’ve not yet been there, but I travel there at every opportunity in novels and films. My concept of it is surely at least as much fantasy as reality, but I think perhaps Tokyo, more than most cities, lends itself to such fantasy. Images of Shinjuku Crossing, huge and almost alive with neon stimulation, always quicken my pulse.

    I especially love the line, “She never knew what she wanted and didn’t care to find out.” You’ve made her a character I would very much like to know more about.

    Grace: I’ve been to Tokyo, more than once, and each time it is all too short. The city is like your dreams and nightmares combined. I’ve never felt more alive and alone at the same time anywhere else.

    You should go.

  3. May 6, 2010 3:04 PM

    I love Tokyo – the train ride from Narrita to Shinjuku and then walking out into a cityscape that I had only seen in science fiction is one of the most treasured moments of my life. The whole country is just incredible, beautiful and the best kind of confusing.

    I love your writing, it’s always a pleasure stopping by.

    Grace: I love that train ride, always so peaceful even though beyond the glass pane the whole city is just whipping by silently, gracefully, somewhat hauntingly. Ah…now you have me nostalgic. Thanks for sharing, and stopping by.

  4. May 6, 2010 4:50 PM

    Grace: I’ve never felt more alive and alone at the same time anywhere else.

    What an astute statement! You get that sense of being alive and being alone more astutely when you’ve stayed there for a while. I’d also add that you can feel ennui there one day, only to discover new places to go, do, and see the next.

    Man, you’re making me miss my second home, Grace.

    And the women who inhabit it. ;-)

    Grace: Yeah. You’re not the only one. You all want to be that green straw.

  5. May 6, 2010 5:51 PM

    Yummy…in case you’re wondering, I’m talking about both that drink and those lips :) As usual you verbalize what you see with natural abilities.

    Grace: Saucy! That’s a first from you :)

  6. May 6, 2010 7:38 PM

    I have a feeling she’s not even going to drink that Starbucks… ^^

    Grace: Wouldn’t you like to know?

  7. May 6, 2010 11:37 PM

    I trained to be a barista, and I don’t even know what the letters on the side of that cup mean. And it’s not because the initials are for the Japanese name of the drink, for there is no “C” in the Japanese alphabet.

    Also, I was hoping these comments would concern themselves with Tokyo and foreign cultures, but it seems that since my comment, the responses here have gone into the toilet, for which I apologize.

    But those lips ARE something. :-)

  8. May 7, 2010 9:03 AM

    Someday, somehow I’ll be dangerous in Florence :)

    Grace: Florence…that’ll be easy :)

  9. May 7, 2010 8:39 PM

    The following thought from me is…. how many calories does that drink have?

    I have had a little interest in clothes, Grace, but I was surprised about myself during my trip in US. I really wanted to look good to others. Probably because people really mattered to me unlike before. I was worried about my attire before I met Roger during private screening…. but, thank god, he was as casual as I was. I wish I had photographed our moment, but I was too flabbergasted to think about that while being with him.

    Oh, and thank you for leaving the comment in my site. You’re the first.

    Grace: SeongYong you looked good all the time at Ebertfest. I was going to mention that to you.

  10. homecomeexpat permalink
    May 7, 2010 11:14 PM

    Wow, now you’re making my itchy feet crave the embrace of travel again Grace …

    After years and years of being that family member; the one that has tripped from place to place around the globe, while the rest got married, mortgages, settled, trying for kids, etc, etc … I came home, to settle down, to have a career … but yet, now I feel the siren call ever more strongly, despite not being back for not even a year …

    I have stood in the central downtown forests of so many mega-cities, seeing the dangerous girls and women swarm past me … and as a femme, albeit queer, woman, maybe I have come close to being her myself from time to time (starbucks in hand, naturally *smile*) … but the wonderful juxtapositions of their beautiful humanity with the concrete, brick, and steel jungles around them, I miss it …

    Grace: wanderlust is the most potent natural high…and once you catch the itch, it never stops. I know what you mean.

  11. May 8, 2010 5:25 PM

    I love this blog entry! And kneel at the alter of your pop-cultural observations. It gives voice to my own thoughts about that shot – only in words far better than I’d have been to come up with. :-)

    P.S. the lips have been photoshop’d.

    Grace: seriously?!? It’s from the Satorialist site who focuses on real photos of real people…how can you tell?

  12. May 9, 2010 4:04 PM

    I’m pretty sure I saw actual lips like that in Japan, so even if this photo was photoshopped (and again, how can you tell?), there are many more women out their with lips like hers. Well, maybe not many, but more than just her.

    Concerning wanderlust, mine started in high school. I had gone to Bermuda on a research field trip in eighth grade, but it wasn’t until I visited France in my junior year of high school than my wanderlust began. It has brought me to France, Sweden, and England for extended stays (the last for a semester abroad), brief jaunts to Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, and Germany (on a college band trip), and three years in Japan (with a side trip to visit one of my best friends in Australia, though she is originally from the UK). I suppose it also led to my move out here in Seattle from the East Coast. And there are still so many places that I want to see….

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Lonesome Town

December 27, 2011

Somewhere in southern Ontario, in the midst of a frozen parking lot on an early winter evening, there existed the most beautiful sunset.

Entire sheets of sky washed in throbbing ambers, golden pinks, and exquisite violets. Expanding, stretching, over masses of metal cubes that lay dormant below. Deserted shopping carts tremble in the wind. Dark figures huddled in layers of black shuffle slowly toward alien-size concrete structures. Street lamps suddenly appear, like rescue beacons on a forgotten mission, flood lights after a finished game; Except they stand in a field instead of a street, guarding temporary passages in place of permanent fixtures. Everything is fleeting. The silence is deafening. Humongous words glow with concepts of our collective destiny: Home, Food, Beyond… There is nowhere to be and no one to tell. The moment is beautiful. It was there and then it was gone.

2 Comments leave one →
  1. g. e. schwartz permalink
    January 10, 2012 7:58 AM

    Where we are may not be lonesome town though that’s part of it too, but the common-sense world’s still our favorite fantasy. We call it home and believe in it. Realities needn’t be real though they do make intrusions from time to time. Do we want them living with us every day?

  2. May 27, 2012 3:54 PM

    Gracie, did I not tell you what a gorgeous prose poem this is? I thought I’d posted that.

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Mo’ Better Jazz and Blues

Jai Johanny Johanson, better known by his stage name, Jaimoe, has been playing drums and percussion since he was 16. From the beginning, he was so certain of his career path that he didn’t even want to finish school. “I just finished because my mother asked me to,” he says. Before touring with the likes of Otis Redding, Percy Sledge and The Five Stairsteps, a young Jaimoe would wash dishes in restaurants between drumming jobs.

“That would usually last about 4 or 5 months, and I’d be off on the road again,” he says.

In 1969, Jaimoe helped to found legendary southern rock group the Allman Brothers Band, which earned him a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. After 45 years, the band members—hailed as pioneers of the jam-band genre—still rock the stage together.
To say that Jaimoe is a master of his craft after 54 years of performing is somewhat of an understatement. At 70, The 1995 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is still keeping time in the rhythm section; only, now, it’s literally to the beat of his own drum.

Today, instead of washing dishes between gigs, Jaimoe jams on. In 2006, he assembled a seven-piece ensemble to indulge in the jazz side of his musicality. Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band naturally features Jaimoe on drums. The group’s seasoned musicians also include guitarist and vocalist Junior Mack, bassist Dave Stoltz, keyboardist Bruce Katz and a show-stealing horn section comprised of saxophonist Kris Jensen, trumpeter Reggie Pittman and Paul Lieberman, who splits his time between saxophone, flute and piccolo.

jaimoe's Jasssz Band on stage

Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band delivers a masterful blend of jazz, R&B, blues and rock-n-roll, all of which is definitively captured on its third album and first studio-recording project, “Renaissance Man,” released in 2011. Jaimoe pays homage to his Allman Brothers roots with a bossa nova version of the classic tune “Melissa” from the Allman Brothers Band’s 1972 studio album, “Eat a Peach.”

Jaimoe’s  played in Jackson for the first time for the Mississippi Blues Marathon’s after-party, but Jaimoe wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with the local music scene. His list of jam-session partners features a few notable Jackson natives, such as singer Tommy Tate. Jaimoe has also heard about Jesse Robinson’s guitar-playing, and said he wouldn’t mind meeting him while in town.

After Jackson, Jaimoe headed to his hometown of Gulfport. “That’s where I went to school, and I lived there until I was 22,” he says. He was in town for the unveiling of a Mississippi Blues Trail marker in his honor on Jan. 13, at 3 p.m. at the intersection Arkansas Ave. and Martin Luther King Blvd.

jaimoe grooving

While Jaimoe won’t pin down a release date for the band’s fourth album, only saying to expect it “in the next year and a half, maybe sooner,” fans can expect another worthy addition to the drummer’s ever-growing legacy.

Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band performed at the Mississippi Blues Marathon After Party, 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Iron Horse Grill (320 W. Pearl St.)
Keep up with Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band at

An edited version of this article first appeared in Jackson Free Press (January 7-13, 2015)

photos courtesey of

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Power’s Lela Loren explains how they captured Tommy’s drug rage

If you don’t know by now, Lela Loren plays Angela Valdes, Ghost’s mistress on the oh so hot Starz drama, Power, now in it’s third season. In a nutshell, Ghost (Omari Hardwick) is a complicated, three-headed monster of a character. So naturally, everyone from castmates to crew have to be just as complicated to keep up with his crazy. In season 3 episode 2 (“It’s Never Over”) Joseph Sikora shows just how true that is. Sikora, who does an amazing job playing Ghost’s bromance partner Tommy, goes on a little coke induced rampage. In a blog post for EW.com, Loren gives up the goods on how that 1 minute and 5 seconds scene was expertly captured by the cameras in only 9 hours. Yes, 9 hours!

joseph sikora power s3e2
Screenshot: Tommy (Joseph Sikora) in a drug rage in season 3 episode 2 of Power on Starz.

Check out Loren’s post to find out what Joe really snorted and how he was able to take the audience with him on his crazy trip.  Power fans will be happy to know that Loren does a weekly blog for each episode over at EW.com. If you have yet to see Power or you missed this episode which aired on July 24, 2016, catch up on the Starz app with a free trial.

Are you a Power fan? What are your thought about the show!

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Valentine's Pack 12

12-101 Valentine's Pack 12"x12" - Series 31 Removable Indoor Vinyl

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12-155 Easter Pack 12"x12" - Series 31 Removable Indoor Vinyl

12-103 Spring Pack 12"x12" - Series 31 Removable Indoor Vinyl

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Expressions Vinyl Series 31 Removable Indoor Vinyl

The 12"x12" Indoor Color Packs include 6 sheets of 12"x12" Expressions Vinyl Series 31 matte finish vinyl. This vinyl has an adhesive backing and a liner to protect the adhesive until it is exposed and ready for use. Indoor vinyl is compatible with all personal hobby and craft cutters including: Cricut, Silhouette, Xyron, Craft ROBO, Graphtec, Quickutz, Inspirations, Pazzles, etc. and is perfect for home décor, signs, stencils, scrapbooking or any temporary application.

  • Spring Pack includes: Lilac, Bright Berry, Flamingo Pink, Cover, Caterpillar Green and Cloud White
  • Expressions Vinyl Series 31 – Matte Finish Vinyl
  • Water-based adhesive removes cleanly and easily for up to 2 years
  • Not recommended for prolonged exposure to water (see Outdoor Packs)
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• Druzy Drop Earrings Mint

  • $52

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A little sparkle goes a long way, especially when it’s emanating from the daring druzy droplets on these DECADORN beauties. Featuring naturally formed crystals hanging from 9K gold-dipped ear wires, these glitzy, one-of-a-kind adornments are the pinnacle of organic beauty.

  • This item is in stock and ships immediately.
  • We will gladly accept returns for any reason within 30 days of receipt of delivery.
  • Ships to United States

Drop diameter: 0.3”. Thickness: 0.2”–0.375”. Due to the nature of the product, the earrings you receive may differ from the image shown.

Helen Bailey
Wipe with a soft cloth. Avoid exposure to liquids and lotions.
Druzy, 9K Gold-Plated Brass
United Kingdom
Mint, Gold

Founded by Helen Bailey in 2011, London-based DECADORN is a line of one-of-a-kind druzy and semi-precious statement jewelry. Bailey received a degree in textile design from Nottingham Trent University before embarking on a 10-year career as an accessories buyer and eventually striking out on her own. DECADORN can be found at high-end boutiques such as Harvey Nichols.

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Balsall Heath St Paul, Worcestershire Genealogy

From FamilySearch Wiki
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England go to Worcestershire go to Worcestershire Parishes

Guide to Balsall Heath St Paul, Worcestershire ancestry, family history, and genealogy: parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Parish History

BALSALL HEATH, a chapelry in King's Norton parish, Worcester; on the Birmingham and Gloucester railway, 2½ miles S of Birmingham. It was constituted in 1853; and it has a post office under Birmingham. The church is ancient.[1]

Additional information:

Balsall Heath was agricultural land between Moseley village and the city of Birmingham until the 1850s when expansion along Moseley Road joined the two. The area was originally part of the Worcestershire parish of King's Norton, and was added to the county borough of Birmingham in Warwickshire on October 1, 1891.

Balsall Heath initially had a reasonably affluent population, which can still be seen in the dilapidated grandeur of some of the larger houses. A railway station on Brighton Road (on the Birmingham to Bristol line) led to further expansion, and the end of the 19th century saw a proliferation of high-density small terraced houses.

By the 1980s, many of Balsall Heath's houses were in a dilapidated condition, some were still without bathrooms or indoor toilets. The local authority considered demolishing these properties but chose to refurbish them as part of an Urban Renewal scheme.

Balsall Heath's low rents also attracted a bohemian student population. Its proximity to the University of Birmingham, the city centre and the ‘trendy’ area of Moseley were all contributing factors.

In July 2005 Balsall Heath was hit by a tornado, which devastated many buildings around Church Road and Ladypool Road. Birmingham City Council offered loans to those who were unable to repair their properties, and the area has now made a full recovery.[2]

Civil Registration

Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records

Census records

Census records from 1841 to 1911 are available online. For access, see England Census Records and Indexes Online. Census records from 1841 to 1891 are also available on film through a Family History Center or at the Family History Library. The first film number is 464208.

Probate records

Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Worcestershire Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers

Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.

Worcester Branch of the Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry
Add any relevant sites that aren’t mentioned above.

  1. John M. Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, 1870. Date accessed and adapted: 30 September 2013.
  2. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. URL: Date Accessed: 23 March 2012


text:
Calculate Impulse in OnCollision Method

Topics: User Forum
Jul 29, 2012 at 2:11 PM

Farseer Newbie question: I am trying to to figure out how to use Contact that is provided in OnCollision event to calculate the collision impact. I am trying to create an Asteroids game to learn Farseer Engine.

I have a Rock class that has a body_OnCollision(Fixture, Fixture, contact) method. Using the contact I should be to calculate the impact each rock will create on collision and Apply it to FixtureA using fixtureA.Body.ApplyLinearImpulse(impulse);

Could someone please advise me how to accomplish this. Also is using ApplyLinearImpulse the correct method that I should use to apply the collision impulse to.

private bool body_OnCollision(Fixture fixtureA, Fixture fixtureB, Contact contact)
    if ( (ObjectType)fixtureB.Body.UserData == ObjectType.ROCK )
        //using contact how do I calculate impulse of collision between two rocks
        //Vector2 impulse = calculation of collision impulse

    if ( (ObjectType)fixtureB.Body.UserData == ObjectType.BULLET )
        //do something....
    return true;

Jul 29, 2012 at 6:56 PM

Are you implementing a custom collision response because the default one is not good for you?

Normally the solver calculates the impulses. You can get the result in PostSolve/AfterCollision but there they have already been applied.

Jul 29, 2012 at 9:55 PM

At the moment when rocks in my scene collide they stick to each other, sometimes they disperse their merry way but most of the time they stick onto each other. What I did earlier on collision, set their Restitution = 1f so they would bounce off each other, and in OnSepration event, set Restitution = 0f.

Unfortunately, they are not bouncing off each other as I had thought. I think what I probably need is based on 'contact' somehow calculate the impact, then subtract it from its current LinearVelocity or somehow change body.Rotation of each Fixture so it after collision it looks natural that the two rocks changed their direction path on impact.

Any ideas how I could use the contact and calculate the change in Rotation or LinearVelocity of the two fixtures to accomplish the desired effect I am trying to achieve?

Jul 29, 2012 at 10:35 PM

Just a note regarding  the problem you describe. If you're getting a perfectly inelastic collision either the restitution is wrongly 0 despite you trying to set it to 1 or you might have a scale issue. I'd bet it's the former.  As for the latter if the velocity is below a certain threshold the engine will treat the collision as an inelastic collision. This is done to prevent bodies standing on top of each other to bounce constantly due to gravity and the like. And this will also make bodies stick to each other mid-air for no apparent reason.  The setting that controls this is in Settings.VelocityThreshold.

Jul 30, 2012 at 11:31 PM

You are right, my Linear Velocity is between 0.2 and -0.2, but not sure how the -ve came to play. Printed string outputs to track it. I tried to lower the Velocity Threshold to 0.2, but could not get the result I was expecting. Just might have to take the Box2D route of using BeginContact/EndContact and PreSolve/PostSolve approach to fine tune control the collision impact to the way I would like to make it happen. I'll look at some college physics books to learn about collision impact calculation. Let me know if you have any good game physics resources that might help me in this pursuit.

Once I figure it out, I'll post it on the forum, so others won't have to take as along as it is taking me.

At some point in time, I do have to learn box2D so I can port my Farseer learnt skills to Android and iOS development. So better suck it up and start learning.


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Foveaux Street, Surry Hills, Sydney

Private room with shared bathroom

4 Bedrooms

4 Beds

3 Bathrooms

3 Baths

4 Flatmates

4 Flatmates

Room details

Room TypePrivate room
BathroomShared bathroom
Length of StayMinimum 4 weeks

Charges for the room

Weekly rent$290
Bond4 weeks rent
BillsSome included in rent
InternetUnlimited included in rent
ParkingNo parking

Students accepted
All female flat

Amazing all girls flat in the middle of Surry hills!
The location of this flat cannot be beaten- 4 mins walk to central, 5 mins walk to crown street (super close to Messina..).
The flat has an open plan kitchen and living area, TV with Foxtel so has all the channels you'll need! We also have a dishwasher.
There are 3 bathrooms in total, 2 toilets, 2 showers so there's never a queue!
Internal washing machine and dryer.
The bedroom includes: bed, bedside table, lamp and wardrobe.
Unlimited internet and foxtel are included in rent.

Bond is $1000

drop me a message if you've got any other questions don't hesitate to ask!

This is an all girls flat, including myself there are 5 of us living here.
3 english, 1 Brazilian, 1 German so there's a fantastic mix! We have a mixture of hospo workers/students so there's different people in a different times. Everyone is super nice in this flat we have a really chilled vibe, everyone helps out with the general cleaning so our flat stays nice and lovely!

This listing is no longer available so you cannot make contact.


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Flying E Season Begins

November 1, 2017

On November 1, the gates of the Flying E Ranch open for another memorable dude ranch season. Enjoy beautiful sunny days and cool evenings, the perfect weather for cookouts and riding the trails. Pull in, unpack your car, and settle in for a vacation filled with all the West has to offer.

With daily trail rides for all experience levels, a heated swimming pool that is inviting all year long, tennis and basketball courts, a giant outdoor chess set, a well-stocked game room, family-style dining, scenic and historic road trips, and much more, the Flying E is one of the best dude ranches for kids and families in all of the Southwest. Take a look at all our family dude ranch activities.

The Flying E is your perfect dude ranch vacation destination. Horses, Hats, Hospitality, Heritage, Honesty & Heart.


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The Look Book- a fashion feature

Welcome to The Look Book- A New Weekly Feature here at ftlob. If you're in love with fashion, this party is just for you! We like to see what's in everyone's closets and invite you to link your favorite pieces up! We want daily looks only. Nothing you pulled off the internet, it MUST be you, a friend or a family member.

It can be an older post and you may link more than one post BUT it must be linked directly to the post! All others will be deleted along with unrelated.
Get those looks a going! Can't wait to see! Party starts every Monday and ends WED. of every week!

Design Update: from Masto Mama

Remember this Giveaway?! Well Heather {winner} has finally received her makeover! Masto Mama did a wonderful job! Please head over to take a PEEK and then Head over to Masto Mama's Personal Blog and Her Design Blog to Thank Her! What a Pleasure to Work with! I hope you will find a true friend in her and if you love her designs as much as we do, it's worth every penny!

Stay tuned for more updates and giveaways! We Heart You, friends!

Featured Blog: A Perfect Dose of Life

Meet the Streeters!!

I, Kristina here, have been blogging since 2007 (off and on over the years - I have gotten much more consistent!). I started blogging when we lived in our little apartment and Ryan worked nights and it seemed whenever I wasn't. So, I began to blog!! I blogged for a long time just for my own sake, never telling the world or following other blogs, it was ... my space. Little did I know what the blog world was really about and how many other people blogged just like I did. So, within the past year a little, but mostly in the last few months I have really started finding new blogs and friends. Now, I'll clarify something - Ryan doesn't blog, hehe - I am definitely the blogger, but since it's a blog about life, our life - I thought I would introduce the co-star of this lovely blog! ;)

Our Story-
We met in the summer of 2004, through his best friend at the time, in Colorado - I was out visiting my Grandparents. We saw each other off and on during my visits over the next year and a half through our mutual friend. The fall of 2005 - during his internship for culinary school in the Bahamas - we began to speak over myspace, and became close, very close. It became something I looked forward to, and I would read his messages and I would get butterflies and so gitty. So, spring break of 2006 I went to Colorado just to see him - went on our first date, had our first kiss, decided the long distance thing was what we were going to do. 10 months of traveling back and forth between Kansas and Colorado - and long phone calls, and an extreme amount of phone minutes later, I moved to Colorado in December of 2006, and moved in with him into our 2 bedroom apartment. We dated until June 2009, when we got engaged - then got married on December 5, 2009. In August 2010 we moved back to Kansas, which is where we are currently. If we will stay in Kansas, who knows. Oh, and as of right now, there are no baby Streeters - someday though! [It's all about God's timing!] We are just sticking with our 4 legged children for now (2 dogs, 3 cats), who always keep us on our toes!

Our Blog: A Perfect Dose of Life
Here at our blog you will read good & bad, some happy & some sad, dreams, adventures (travel adventures and adventures of life), wellness stuff (I'm a massage therapist & wellness coach), some cooking tips & recipes (he is a chef - trained chef, doesn't do it for a living though- long story) . In other words - this blog is about life - our life - and the journey and beauty of a little thing called love! Every week I have a Quote of the Week, and most weeks I have a Someday I [we] Will..., and a Thoughts of Today Series. I plan to have some guest posts, and a couple new series, coming very soon.

I love to blog, and am loving it even more that I have started finding new blogs and blog friends! I am convinced that there is nothing else like the Blog World and the People that are a part of it!!

Outside of blogging we love to travel, spend time outdoors, spending time with our family and friends, photography, art, fishing, and mostly enjoying this crazy thing called life and holding on with this beautiful thing called love!

A Perfect Dose of Life

Want to learn more? Come by and see us at A Perfect Dose of Life!

love letters - week four

hello lovelies!  we hope you all had a beautiful weekend.  today is the last monday in february, which means this is the last chance you have to link up your love letters.  we thank you all for sharing your letters with us...we have really enjoyed them.

even though today is the last day for love letters, there are plenty of new features that FTLOB has to offer.  so stay tuned!

coming up later today is a new look book link up...have you posted your recent looks?  be sure to share with us later today!

okay friends lets see those love letters!  remember to link directly to your love letter post!  happy day ♥

It's Comment Love Day

Good Morning Sunshines. This week we are bringing back comment love day, In between The Album. The album is hosted once a month. If you have photographs throughout the month that you share such as wordless wednesday, a 365 project, etc; The Album is for you, link those posts so we can see. We encourage everyone to take a moment to look at the album and visit some friends. There are some awesome photographs!
With our hectic schedules, I like to set aside a day to do some much needed comment love. It's nice to receive comments and although we may be reading posts throughout the week, sometimes it's just impossible to comment on every one of them. Sundays are perfect for catching up.

As many of you know, we have NO rules for our Hops-EXCEPT this one!

In order to participate you MUST FOLLOW THE RULES-it's not nice when someone gets left out!
IF YOU DON'T-I will DELETE your ENTRY Right Away-

2.) Head to the person's Blog who left a COMMENT in front of YOURS! Leave them a Nice Comment!

3.) Visit 2-3 Other Blogs in this HOP and Leave some COMMENT LOVE!

5.) RETURN the LOVE!

FTLOB Twitter Party

Who's Down for a Little Fun Next Weekend!? We, here at FTLOB love to TWEET so we know this will be an exciting time for all of us! We want to throw some fun questions out there and have you answer to win some prizes. Sponsors; if you'd like to offer a treat for this event, please email us at bloglove {at} aol {dot} com -We will be promoting your shops in exchange for a giveaway.

Party Details:
Time-12pm est SATURDAY 3/5/11
Who's Invited-Everyone
This will be our very first FTLOB party and we are just looking for fun, interaction time with our favorite tweeple. The party will go on until, well....we don't know! whenever we end it i guess!

We will have several Re-Tweets for you, making it easier to tweet. The Hashtag #FTLOBPARTY is important in answering the questions.

If you have any ideas or want to help out, just holler! we'd love to have you! this should be loads of fun! Set your cell phones, so you don't forget!:) hope to see you there.

If you can leave a comment, saying, "I'll be there," with your @ names, we can add you to the Party List. Thanks.

Weekend Wander

Welcome! to the weekend wander where we relax and visit some awesome blogs. Link up and share whatever you have going on this weekend. Take a moment to browse. We have some fresh new blogs added to the community. You must search up and down! Be sure to add yourself to a category and link to our twitter, facebook, etsy, bloglovin', giveaways, and other party link ups! Also, don't forget the groups. We've cleaned the comments out-please feel free to jump right in.

You all are simply AAAAAHHHHH-MAZING! Have a super blessed weekend! xo

Maggie's Hand Knits: on We Heart Shops

Meet Maggie's Hand Knits where you'll find the most adorable scarfs, ear warmers, fingerless gloves, baby blankets and more!

These re-usable face scrubbies are the next best thing! I personally never seen such creative items.

Each item comes perfectly wrapped. The baby blankets are super warm and soft, making the touch oh so snuggly.

Take a peek at these fingerless gloves. Stylish. What I love is the PRICE. It's remarkably cheap! No worries here. She'll take good care of you.

Visit We Heart Shops for more great items such as vintage fashion, handmade items, art, jewelry and more!

Featured Blog: Frogs, Snails and Fairytales

Hello blogging friends! I am Nicole over at Frogs, Snails, and Fairytales. I started this blog to give family who lived far away, a way to feel involved with our lives.

We are a family of five! Tim, my fiance, and I have been together 9 years. It will be 10 in October. We met when I was a Freshman in high school, and he was a Sophomore. We met on line through AOL instant messenger, because apparently that was the thing to do back then. It was a coincidence that we went to the same high school. We started to date shortly after that.

I became a mom in 2007, at the age of 19, with the birth of my first son Timothy. In 2008, 17 months after having Timothy, I gave birth to my second son Mason. And wouldn't you know it 20 months later in 2010, I gave birth to my daughter, finally!

Timothy James

Mason Paul

Taylor Ann

The crazy thing is I was on birth control with ALL THREE kids! The boys I was on the pill (although, I have to be honest, not sure they were taken 100% perfectly), and Taylor, my daughter, I had the Mirena IUD in. I had it removed the day after I found out I was pregnant at 7 weeks. I have the Mirena IUD again. I am just praying it works this time, if I can get past her 1st birthday, it will be the longest I have went without getting pregnant again.

I use my space as a place to reflect, to get feelings out, and to express myself. I also use it as a place to share my children with you, our lives, my life as a stay at home mom. There will be tears, laughter, stuggles, and successes as I nagivate on my journey as a young mom to three little ones.

I sure hope you can make it by my little space in bloggy land, and maybe even sit and stay awhile. I would love for you all to share this journey with us.

Frogs, Snails, and Fairytales

Fab Friends Friday

Hello friends, TGIF! I don't know about you but I'm ready for the weekend. It's supposed to be cold and rainy where we are so I can't wait to curl up with a blanket and cup of joe and head out and meet some fab friends. Today we'd like you to meet the following awesome blogs. Please head over and introduce yourself.

Photobucket TheTaleofTwoTaylors

Before you get going on making some fab friends, take some time to look around at all that's going on here, there are so many ways to get involved. Be sure to vote for blog of the month, the poll is up!

Happy Friday! XO

Voting Poll is Up!

These are our nominees for March Blog of the Month! Be sure to check them all out and Vote for Your Fave!

Bread and Butter

Be One of a Kind

Chrissy in America

Positively Positive

Eisy Morgan

Colie Chronicles

Preserving the Past

A Candid Life

Dirt and Lace

You can nominate April's Blog starting now! Have Fun!

Featured Blog: Our One Sweet World

Hi there lovelies! I am *S....
I am a thirty something mother of 1.
Meet J.
{I call him Bug}
I am married to my best friend.
We met in High School.
Meet the Husband, T.
{He has many pet names, Cupcake is one of them!}
Together we are T&S
& this is
Our One Sweet World
I blog about life, love and all things silly & random..Oh & moments I want to remember.
{an online journal if you will}

I have had the opportunity to connect with some very awesome people in the blogging world and it makes me happy!

I have a slight obsession with Starbucks.
I'm kind of a techy nerd.... I love me some gadgets
& I want to learn more about photography.
T& I love date nights.
We love love love Movie's {we own over 500 and counting}
We also love Music.
{Don't even get me started there.. ha!}
Dave Matthews is a Favorite.
{also a slight obsession in our house!}
& we totally like to go to the movies & rock a licorice straw in our soda pop.

Thirsty Thursday Blog Hop

well ladies and gents! it's ALMOST the weekend,.. I don't know about you but I know it's relax time for us! grab a drink and get settled, we're going to enjoy the company and make even more friends.

whatever you may be drinking this morning; a tea, warm cocoa, coffee {hot or iced}, we want you to link up so we can visit stalk you all day long!

have a recipe you'd like to share? send it in! we'll glady link back to you!

for this evening, grab a frozen strawberry margarita! these are my all time fave and make any girl liven up! sorry guys, go grab a cold brewski.

i never measure anything so just go with the flow- throw some ice in a blender, {i prefer a lot}, a cup of frozen strawberries {if you are anything like me, you'll mix a ton of other fruits in there}, 3/4c. tequilla {or more to satisfy your desire}, 4oz. frozen limeade, and about 2oz. triple sec....blend, place some sugar on some wax paper and squirt some lime on it, dip the cold glass in it and dazzle the rim of the glass, pour the strawberry mix in the glass and granish with a strawberry. YUM.

enjoy the day-let's party

Featured Blog: Virginia Beach Housewife

Hey there!

I am so excited to meet some new friends. I have been stalking several home decor/DIY blogs for the last few years, including yours.  In doing so, I have attempted various projects in my first house and now this one that I probably would have never even dreamed of without the inspiration.  Being a first grade teacher and new mommy, I needed a little "me time," an adult outlet, and turned to blogging.

My little blog, Virginia Beach Housewife, documents all of my domestic attempts.  I DIY, I decorate, I cook, I party, I craft, and I raise a baby boy.  Basically, life is busy, and my  attempts are not always pretty and certainly not proper, but I have a great time living my life and writing about it.  A few of my favorite projects so far have been:

My DIY stenciled curtains:

My mirror transformation and guest room makeover (still a work in progress):

My Diet Soda Cupcakes and Frosting

And my chalkboard calendar

I blog because I enjoy writing.  It’s my grown up escape, my way to “talk” with other adults.  Because of that, I talk about the things that excite me the most: my boys, our house, and our life.   I hope you will stop by and join me!

Pamplemousse1983- on We Heart Shops

I think we can all agree that one of life's greatest pleasures is discovering new things. Having just opened We Heart Shops, we've already met some of the most inspiring small business owners yet.

Pamplemousse1983 sells fine art photography such as this beauty.

This expectant mother also enjoys making her latest creation-onsies. This robot one is so clever and unique!

I personally love vintage anythings, so when i seen these old walkie talkie's on photograph,
I was in L-O-V-E.

You can find Pamplemousse1983 on We Heart Shops, Her Blog, Twitter and of Course Etsy.

if you'd like to be featured, visit We Heart Shops.

Featured Blog: Walking Contradiction

Walking Contraditcion

I am the most atypical military wife you will ever meet. Sometimes I am still unsure about how this became my life, but it brought me to beautiful sunny southern California, so for that I am forever grateful.

The day I met my husband I knew I would never be the same. He was everything that I am not. And some 6 years after meeting we brought the most amazing little boy into this world. I never thought I would be a stay-at-home mom, in fact my father likes to remind me every day how he wasted, $40,000 a year on my college education however I choose to impart every bit of education that I have pursued onto son therefore my college degree will never go wasted. Yes, I was meant to go to law school and open my own business but all of that was put on hold when I peed on a stick and two lines showed up but I am forever grateful for those long sought after two lines.

I am a sweet midwesterner at heart and a snooty ivy leaguer by trade and yet here I am in California knee deep in cloth diapers, and eco-conscious living. I grow a slew of vegetables in my backyard, I make nearly everything from scratch to avoid preservatives and ingredients that I can't pronounce, and I do yoga in my living room yet I enjoy a good pair of designer jeans and lululemon yoga pants, sue me, they make my butt look fabulous.

I am a woman yet I live for football season, in fact it's one of the only reason's we have still have cable, that and E! those Kardashians, they suck me in every time. I know it's cliche but ever since my son was born, it completely changed my life he has taught me to live better and love bigger. I learned from the best, my mom who taught me anything and everything domestic never left out a single detail, i know how to cook, bake, sew, knit and garden because of her. All of these are a part of my everyday life. But something that can't be taught, an artistic eye, that is pure talent baby and yeah, I got that too.

I document my life not only through words on these pages but through my camera lens as well. My camera is like my purse. Photography is the new skinny jean after all so at least I don't look that crazy with a camera hanging around my neck all day. I over use adjectives and I often get sentimental, I can't help it, I am a hopeless romantic but I also keep it real: I am neurotic, every baby cries, all newborns are ugly(yes even yours) and my child is the smartest.

So while I don't really believe in fairy tale endings I do believe everything in life happens for a reason so here I am, come enjoy the ride with me! After all, it is better to be a walking contradiction then cater to the status quo.

After Nine to Five-on We Heart Shops

In creating We Heart Shops, our number one goal was to bring prolific owners to every interested buyer out there. After Nine to Five has been discovered and we'd like to invite you to meet the fabulous lady behind it all. One of the best things is being your own boss. Ashley is doing what she loves. Making jewelry is her passion.

This airplane necklace is perfect for flight attendants or pilots who would wear this with pride.

Many items in her shop have a very unique feel to them. There is something for everyone. She just recently added journals which are lovely and a must for all.  And best, they are made from recylced paper.

You can read more about this inspiring business owner here on We Heart Shops, her blog, and of course etsy.

To become a featured Shop Owner, visit We Heart Shops!

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Start Using Solar Power for Schools

solar panels schools

Target: North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory

Goal: Make it possible for schools to install solar panels.

North Carolina could potentially save millions of dollars on school utility bills, and be more environmentally friendly, if they help schools install solar panels. This would require statewide policies to change in order to fund the installations.

As schools are not tax-paying entities, they do not receive the same federal tax breaks that businesses and homeowners do when they install solar panels. Across most of the country, this means that schools rely on third-party financing to help lower the upfront costs. Schools can lease the equipment and make monthly payments. However, under current legislation in North Carolina and four other states, third-party financing is prohibited.

Allowing for third-party energy sales and upgrades, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Durham Public Schools could save $54.6 million and $16.3 million respectively over the next 25 years. The positive environmental impact would also be substantial, as it would mean the schools are less reliant on traditional energy from fossil fuels and gas.

The only way to make it financially viable for schools to install solar panels is either to subsidize their installation or to change policy statewide to allow for third-party financing. Sign this petition to urge the Governor of North Carolina to consider changing the financing policies for solar energy in schools.

Dear Governor McCrory,

A coalition of North Carolina parents, teachers and students have asked the school districts to begin using solar power, like their counterparts have already done across the country. The potential savings on utility bills alone should be incentive enough, not to mention the environmental benefits of using renewable solar energy.

As of 2014, almost 4,000 U.S. schools have installed solar panels with success and are reaping the benefits. The problem in North Carolina school districts is the prohibitive upfront costs of the installation. As it stands, these costs would have to be borne by the schools themselves or through direct government subsidy because of the legislation regarding third-party financing for solar projects. North Carolina is one of only five states that prohibits this type of financing.

Clean, renewable energy is what the teachers, students and parents have asked for. A change in legislation allowing for third-party financing would mean that districts could save millions over the next two decades, meaning more money for other essential projects. This is the smart decision for the future of North Carolina. I urge you to look into the policies and do everything possible to get solar energy for these schools.

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: Jim Heaphy

Sign the Petition

  • Only your name will be displayed. By signing, you accept our terms and may receive updates on this and related causes.
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One Comment

  1. Contact Pavegen Systems and get the kids to generate energy to run the schools

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Foreword Communications

Having spent several years in the human resources department of a local urban school district, as well as having three school-age children, I’ve witnessed way more than anyone should have to about the functioning of our nation’s educational system.

Honestly, even solutions such as the No Child Left Behind Act are mere band aids on a bullet wound.

I don’t have all the answers either.

©2008 ForeWORD Communications

All Rights Reserved

For intelligent writing solutions for your business, visit my website at

ForeWORD Communications – Freelance Writing Services
Intelligent Writing Solutions for Individuals and Businesses

Articles – eBooks – eCourses – White Papers – Web Page Content – Etc.

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  1. The potential, challenges, and obstacles currently littering the public education landscape are discussed in the novel, The Twilight’s Last Gleaming On Public Education, a portion of which may be viewed online by contacting the publisher at, clicking on their Bookstore link, then Searching by title. This intriguing, socially relevant, and enlightening story, which possesses many of the elements commonly found in just about every school system throughout the United States, is designed to leave the reader with a sense of time well invested in the reading of this book. Check it out for yourself. The author solicits comments for consideration in future editions of the continuing story. Your comments are right on target. It is a shame that school administrators too frequently are more concerned with enhancing their personal political careers than implementing sound principles of education for the benefit of the children entrusted to their care. Navigating the plot to a well-conceived and logical conclusion, the author includes several unexpected twists that should maintain the readers interest throughout. It is high time teachers were treated more like professional educators, and less like clerks hired to do the bidding of politically oriented administrators. Help spread the word.

    Comment by edbooked — Monday, June 23, 2008 @ 4:12 pm

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Anemic Musical Fidelity A300

I recently purchased a demo A300 from Audio Advisor. I need to turn the volume knob up to halfway to get decent volume. Is this "normal"? I'm using this in conjunction with a pair of Epos M15's. Also, when I first began using the amp, the mm phono stage sounded simply horrible. It has improved with use, but still sounds a bit closed-in and one-dimensional. Anyone had similar experiences? I would like to determine if the amp simply needs a longer break-in period or is defective in some way.
This amp does take some time to break in, but the volume issue is a little strange. At 12 o'clock it should play very loud with 88dB/W/m speakers (like the ones you have).
Assuming all the connections are correct, the next place I'd look would be the input. What source do you use? If it's a TT, is the right phono input selected (the MM/MC switch on the back?) If it's another source, does it have a proper output level? If you have any other components connected to the tape or preamp outs, try and disconnect them and see if it helps.
At any rate, this does not look normal. You should probably contact the vendor.
I have an A300 and I don't recall ever having to turn it halfway up to get decent volume though, frankly, I don't listen to music as loudly as I did when I was younger. I have B&W N804's and don't know the relative sensitivities are or how loud you like to listen, but it sounds odd to me.

As for breaking in, I would have thought that a demo unit would have already been broken in. Doesn't AA have a 30 day return policy that they are pretty good about? May be worth talking to them.
Don't know about your amp in particular, but FWIW I have had an experience buying an MF demo piece from AA and having it show up with an operational defect (which I returned for AA to fix themselves, but they didn't succeed and I had to do it myself - and my problem might well have been simpler than yours seems likely to be).
With 85db and 88db speakers with a normal load, the volume at 12 would make you deaf sitting 10 feet away. I'd say call AA immediately.
Thanks to everyone for the input. Back to AA it goes!


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Purist elementa advance anyone heard ?

Has anyone heard these cables? I have the aqueous IC for my source and its great. I dont wanna break the bank on speaker cables however. I was told Venustas speaker cables are great with aqueous IC but they are expensive. FYI I tried musaeus but they were too mushy sounding.
Yes, I purchased EA speaker cables from Albert Porter and swapped them in for my Signal Cable Ultra's and WOW - they are very nice cables. I am using Venustas IC's. What I heard (and two audiophile friends also heard) was a warm yet detailed sounding cable. Perhaps a bit rolled off on the top (Albert told me it would have a bit less extension than the Venustas), but good bass and the midrange was just so right, both in terms of tonality and resolution. I heard lots going on there - lots of detail without being forward or aggressive. I was very happy with those cables driving my Maggie 20.1's.
Yes. These were my fav's after hearing museaus, red dawn, jps suppercond+ and a few synergistic research in same price range. System is JRDG Capri, NuForce, B&W 805s.
There are a couple sets on usedcable.com at the moment i think.


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Protection for Macbook in backpack?

Discussion in 'Buying Tips and Advice' started by silversyren, Aug 8, 2007.

  1. silversyren macrumors member

    Apr 9, 2006

    My sister is off to college with a Macbook (.. fresh with new innards from applecare after a month of mixups.) She plans on carrying it around in her backpack -- just a normal backpack. The macbook has a Speck SeeThru case. What other protection does it need? A booq-type sleeve? Or should we just get a laptop backpack?

  2. BillyBobBongo macrumors 68020

    Jun 21, 2007
    On The Interweb Thingy!
    Depends really.....if she's got a great backpack that she really likes the style of then I'd lean towards a sleeve. If it's an old tatty backpack, then hey, here's a great new opportunity to get something new and stylish. That said...I have a sleeve and an over the shoulder bag for my own! :rolleyes:
  3. mac4life2007 macrumors newbie

    Aug 1, 2007
    Get a PAQ AS-309 carrying bag, great padding for MacBook and space for books

    I really enjoyed my PAQ AS-309 carrying bag. It is stylish and it comes with a padded case inside the bag. It gave the MacBook great shock protection and it looks really cool, unlike other backpack. I paid only $45 shipped for mine. Highly recommend this bag.
  4. byakuya macrumors 6502a

    Jul 26, 2007
    With her already using a speck see thru case I think she's already set to go...there is no need for additional protection if the backpack is decent. If she wants a sleeve also for other occasions I just reviewed the Tucano Second Skin Sleeve on my blog. Click here.

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