text:
Memphis football crushed by UCF, 40-13: 5 things to know
Tom Schad
ORLANDO, Fla. — Saturday night's game between Memphis and UCF was expected to be a thrilling American Athletic Conference showdown between two of the league's top teams.
Instead, it wasn't even close.
The Knights silenced Riley Ferguson and Memphis' high-powered offense en route to a 40-13 victory, handing the Tigers a lopsided loss in their conference opener.
Here are five quick thoughts from the game.
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers
Memphis had by and large done a pretty good job of taking care of the ball this season... before Saturday.
After committing just five turnovers in their first three games, the Tigers had five turnovers Saturday night alone. Reigning AAC defensive player of the year Shaquem Griffin flew around the corner for a strip-sack. Ferguson made an ill-advised throw into triple coverage for an interception. Another questionable throw by Ferguson was picked off by UCF's Kyle Gibson, who made a terrific diving catch to bring it in. Then, Ferguson's 4th-and-7 pass was deflected and picked off. And finally, Memphis inexcusably bobbled and fumbled a kickoff when the game had all but been decided.
With Memphis' defense sputtering (more on that later), there's obviously a lot of pressure on the offense — and Ferguson in particular — to be perfect, or close to it. And some of that pressure showed here. Ferguson played poorly. No way to sugarcoat it. The Knights' defense deserves a ton of credit for that, but it was also clear that Memphis, at times, was simply trying to do too much. The result? Its worst offensive performance of the season.
Same defensive issues
By this point, the facts are well-established: Memphis' defense has been decimated by injuries. The healthy players it has have been forced to play tons of snaps. Freshmen have been pressed into roles they're probably not ready for. That's just how the season has played out.
Still, that doesn't make defensive performances like this one any easier to stomach: 603 yards allowed, including 7.54 yards allowed per play. Three-hundred and fifty rushing yards allowed, including a 96-yard touchdown run. Miscommunications in the secondary. Missed tackles and assignments. There were some positive stretches, but they were mere footnotes.
It will be interesting to see what defensive coordinator Chris Ball tries to do to help this group moving forward. Memphis' defense was dealt a tough hand in 2017, no doubt, but it's still got to improve regardless.
Losing the ground game
One of the most glaring disparities in the first half? Rushing yards.
UCF had 223 yards on the ground on 24 carries, including a 96-yard sprint to the end zone by Adrian Killins in the second quarter — the longest play from scrimmage in the history of the American Athletic Conference and the second-longest in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season. Memphis, in contrast, had just 54 yards on 14 carries.
UCF's ability (and Memphis' inability) to establish the running game early on set the stage the rest of the way. The Knights were able to pound away in the second half and build on their first-half lead. The Tigers, meanwhile, were left little choice but to try and throw their way out of a big deficit and became somewhat one-dimensional on offense because of that.
Hall a defensive bright spot
For all of Memphis' defensive flaws and inefficiencies, one of its bright spots has been redshirt sophomore Austin Hall.
Hall, remember, was an unheralded walk-on just two years ago. He earned a starting spot at the "STAR" hybrid outside-linebacker position as a redshirt freshman last year and has developed into one of the Tigers' defensive leaders, and most consistent players. Hall had eight tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, in the first half alone Saturday night. And Memphis will need him to continue to play like that the rest of this season if it's going to improve.
How will Memphis respond?
This one was ugly. No doubt about it. But for the "cancel the season" crowd (and there was certainly some of that on Twitter), remember that this loss doesn't take anything off the table for the Tigers. They could still beat Navy, beat Houston, win the West division, win the conference and — depending on what happens with San Diego State — still have a shot at a New Year's Six bowl.
Of course, this game could also mark the start of a skid. And that's where the intrigue is now for Memphis. The Tigers will be back on the road against next week, but with a very winnable game against a lackluster UConn team. Then it's the pivotal Navy-Houston stretch. Will Memphis be able to learn from this one and get back on track in October? Or will it let a promising season slip away?
More coverage:
Live updates: Memphis Tigers football opens AAC play at Central Florida
Jonathan Wilson uses wrestling background to emerge as defensive force
Memphis football: 2017 schedule breakdown


text:
Gates Says Missile Attacks in Pakistan Will Continue
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Defense Secretary Robert Gates said missile strikes in Pakistan will continue in an effort to root out al Qaeda members.
Gates spoke to the Senate Armed Services Committee in his first comments to Congress as President Obama's defense secretary.
In response to a question from committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Michigan, Gates said the strikes will continue to target terrorists who have based themselves across the border from Afghanistan.
"Let me just say, both President Bush and President Obama have made clear that we will go after al Qaeda wherever al Qaeda is. And we will continue to pursue this," Gates said.
Asked by Levin whether Pakistan is aware of this continued pursuit, Gates replied simply, "Yes, sir."
Seventeen people were killed Friday in two missile strikes in the ungoverned tribal area of Pakistan. A government official and two military officials said they were U.S. attacks. They were the first such strikes since Obama took office Tuesday.
The tribal region of Pakistan has seen a sharp spike in the number of aerial attacks carried out by unmanned drones.
The United States has the only military with drones operating in the area.
In 2008, there were 30 suspected U.S. missile strikes in Pakistan, based on a count by CNN in Islamabad.
Gates opened his comments with a clear message that Afghanistan is at the top of his to-do list.
In one of the clearest indications of the military planning for adding troops, Gates outlined a deployment of two brigades by spring and the third by late summer.
Additional troops, even if available to deploy, could not be added until later this year because it would take that much time to build out the required infrastructure in Afghanistan to support the troops, Gates explained.
Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, who was instrumental in pushing for a troop surge in Iraq, warned that a troop increase in Afghanistan may not achieve the same results.
Gates himself noted that increased military presence must be accompanied by non-military solutions if progress is to be made in the war.
When Gates arrived for his testimony Tuesday, he wore bandages on his left arm and had his suit jacket draped over his left shoulder. He had surgery Friday after tearing his biceps tendon while trying to attach a snow plow blade to his tractor.
Regarding withdrawal from Iraq, Gates said the military is planning various options, with the quickest withdrawal being the 16-month period — ending in May 2010 — outlined by Obama when he was running for president.
"We are working on a range of options for the president," he said. Among them is "essentially a completion of the work of the brigade combat teams and a transition to an assist-and-advisory role beginning at 16 months and proceeding further forward."
Under a recently approved agreement with Iraq, the United States is required to have all troops out by the end of 2011. Even after that, however, Gates indicated that a continued role of some kind is likely.
"As our military presence decreases over time, we should still expect to be involved in Iraq on some level for many years to come, assuming a sovereign Iraq continues to seek our partnership," he said. "The stability of Iraq remains critical to the future of the Middle East, a region that multiple presidents of both political parties have considered vital to the national security of the United States."
Gates also acknowledged that some decisions he had decided to put off when he was Bush's defense secretary are now back on his plate, especially the budget.
"As I focused on the wars these past two years, I ended up punting a number of procurement decisions that I believed would be more appropriately handled by my successor and a new administration. Well, as luck would have it, I am now the receiver of those punts, and in this game there are no fair catches," Gates noted.
"While this will undoubtedly be a long and difficult fight, we can attain what I believe should be among our strategic objectives: an Afghan people who do not provide a safe haven for al Qaeda, reject the rule of the Taliban, and support the legitimate government that they elected and in which they have a stake," Gates said.
Time to dust off that racket and hit the courts!
Civic Engagement by an Historic City Counci
11 month ago766 views0
Editorial: Recent Reports on Islam and Muslims
Head fake! Is Healthcare.gov only an empty shell MOCKUP of a working Obamacare exchange?
Mike Adams (from infowars.com) October 8, 2013 As the days of glitches, snafus, down-time and critical errors mount up, evidence…
Out of Sticks, US Offers Sudan a Carrot to Let South Secede
Recovery or Collapse? Bet on Collapse
For Sale: The Kuwaiti Dream "Hello Sir! This Is a Wake Up Call"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The cost-benefit analysis is incomplete, Ziggy Switkowski has gone rogue and there's still no clarity around how or even if the government will access Telstra's copper – yet Malcolm Turnbull happily marked NBN Co's fifth birthday with a new Statement of Expectations putting the NBN on a road to nowhere. How will future Australia judge this day?
Some day, a decade or more from now, some future government – hopefully one with more insight than the current one – will be agitating for plans to upgrade Australia's broadband infrastructure to the fibre to the premises (FTTP) network it will require through the rest of the 21st century.
Begging for another $30 to $40 billion to be carved out of the budget to upgrade the aging infrastructure that the one-term Abbott administration systematically hobbled in opposition and then short-changed in government, some aspiring prime minister will lament the short-sighted policy put in place back in 2014, arguing that better communications will be essential to helping Australia catch up with our Asian neighbours.
Dear Ziggy: They may be besties but Turnbull and Switkowski will be judged harshly in the future if they can't make their still-uncertain MTM model work.
Instead of trying to improve and complete the FTTP rollout as quickly as possible, they will argue, the Coalition ignored its own demands for due process and pursued an ideologically driven network rollout based on the flimsiest of evidence and an utter disregard for the future of the country's information industries.
Arguments will ensue, finger-pointing will be rife, and Telstra's board will watch it all from the comfort of a boardroom where the chairs have been replaced by large stacks of money.
It cannot have escaped Malcolm Turnbull that today, the day he irrevocably redirected the NBN effort towards a future as precarious as it is ill-conceived, is the fifth anniversary of the founding of NBN Co (announced on 6 April 2009 and incorporated on the 9th) and the ambitious if challenged network rollout – which has only recently begun showing signs of the vitality it always promised – it begat.
Although Turnbull will argue that he has couched the NBN in reality at last, that reality is shaky at best and completely unpredictable at worst. He has delegated the NBN's future to what his Statement of Expectations (SoE) refers to as 'fibre to the x' technologies, arguing correctly that NBN Co should prioritise areas of poor service but offering no accounting for the stew of poorly-integrated technologies that his multi technology mix (MTM) architecture will deliver.
Optimists might point out that the 'FTTx' nomenclature leaves the door open for a greater investment in FTTP, giving Turnbull a Plan B should anything fail to match his florid fantasies. Yet both the NBN Strategic Review and Turnbull have argued vociferously that Australia's broadband lies not in FTTP – which they see as some sort of futuristic anomaly available only to those lucky early adopters or people building new homes – but in fibre to the node (FTTN).
As Turnbull knows but does not readily admit in public, his ability to deliver any of his new NBN policy depends entirely on the largesse of Telstra, which is certain to take its sweet time in allowing the government to rewrite any part of the $11b deal it secured years ago.
Turnbull has been arguing that those renegotiations should be complete by June, but as recently as last night his 2IC, NBN Co chairman Ziggy Switkowski, has confessed that Turnbull's assessment is wrong; conservative estimates suggest Telstra could drag this process out through the end of the year, and Switkowski isn't arguing otherwise.
Despite years of calling for a cost benefit analysis (CBA) to inform decision-making around the NBN, Turnbull has now based his new NBN policy on the conclusions of a biased and questionable NBN Strategic Review that was designed from the outset to affirm everything Turnbull had already decided. The Senate Select Committee recently detailed the sins of that review, but Turnbull doesn't care a whit what the Senate says and continues to refuse to engage critics in meaningful discussions about its content or myriad errors.
The biggest slap in the face around the new SoE, however, is that it totally disregards the governance processes that Turnbull bayed for during his years in opposition.
Despite years of calling for a cost benefit analysis (CBA) to inform decision-making around the NBN, Turnbull has now based his new NBN policy on the conclusions of a biased and questionable NBN Strategic Review that was designed from the outset (with creative maths and deceptions around HFC ) to affirm everything Turnbull had already decided.
The Senate Select Committee recently detailed the sins of that review, but Turnbull doesn't care a whit what the Senate says and continues to refuse to engage critics in meaningful discussions about its content or myriad errors. Rather, he simply dismisses legitimate critique as the work of "zealots" and moves on in his merry way.
Now, with that dodgy review under his arm, Turnbull is now steering the Good Ship NBN towards his MTM model without even waiting for the results of his own CBA – which should (one would hope) provide something resembling an impartial judgment about whether the MTM is actually the best way forward.
A CBA could expose the soft underbelly of Turnbull's MTM, whose genesis is irretrievably linked to Turnbull's utter failure to give even cursory attention to the relative benefits that a full-FTTP infrastructure offers compared with the more-of-the-same MTM.
Given that the Coalition's only concern with just about anything seems to be its costs, and that there is absolutely no discussion in a Turnbull ministry about the relative benefits of the models to be discussed, it's fair to believe the CBA's outcome is already certain.
Turnbull's third mistake is that he still has not waited for the results of his negotiations with Telstra to see if FTTN can even be realistically rolled out at nationwide scale. If Telstra proves stubborn – as it has, over and over, in the past – we can add years and billions to the MTM timetable as well as returning control over Australia's broadband future to the company it tried to free itself from 15 years ago.
Indeed, there has still not been any large-scale trial of FTTN technology to see if it will actually be able to be rolled out across Australia's suburbs and regional areas with the cost and technological efficiency he seems to believe.
Nobody is saying that FTTN and its underlying VDSL technology do not work; the real question is, how well will it work in Australian conditions? Turnbull has crowed about the results of fibre-to-the-basement (FTTB) trials that correctly identify the benefits of that model over the short-run cable installed in apartment buildings, but that does not automatically translate to the broader FTTN rollout.
If Turnbull can't tell the difference between FTTB and nationwide FTTN, he shouldn't be communications minister – and if he can, he should refrain from using the results of a single FTTB connection to justify his own FTTN folly.
These sorts of issues all speak to the extremely selective governance that the Coalition has wrapped around the NBN effort. Turnbull's decision to release a new SoE without waiting for the same level of probity that he demanded from Labor for three years in opposition, has streamrolled all illusions of due process and made a mockery of his calls for transparency and good governance around the NBN.
Any governance in the future will be entirely on his terms and designed specifically to gloss over the many, many questions that persist around the NBN's new direction. Those that question his strategy will be invited to reapply for their jobs so they can be replaced with less problematic minions.
In advocating for the purchase of Telstra's copper network, Switkowski is also effectively shellacking the former Coalition government, which oversaw the sale of that very network....Switkowski is suggesting that the Howard government was premature and incorrect in selling off that asset; for NBN Co to now be courting Telstra to buy it, hat in hand, is frankly embarrassing.
Surprisingly, Switkowski is now publicly advocating the purchase of Telstra's copper network – going against technical advice, common sense , and business logic.
He's also ignoring NBN Co's own advice, which said the unknown costs of remediation – which could be four to six times higher than those of FTTP – made the purchase of Telstra's network ill-advised. The government will rent Telstra copper services for the eventual FTTN trial, but clearly it is ownership of the copper that is – embarrassingly – now Turnbull's endgame.
In advocating for the purchase of Telstra's copper network, Switkowski is also effectively shellacking the former Coalition government, which oversaw the sale of that very network to a public that was systematically deceived about the true extent of the reform that the government would drive.
In the context of today's telecommunications environment, Switkowski is suggesting that the Howard government was premature and incorrect in selling off that asset; for NBN Co to now be courting Telstra to buy it, hat in hand, is frankly embarrassing.
This new SoE certainly sets a new direction for the NBN but it also, in true Turnbull style, glosses over the many difficult truths of his policy to give the appearance of actually doing something. Until that deal is renegotiated and signed in blood, Turnbull's new NBN infrastructure plan is just a large, fluffy pile of nothing – and sets expectations that NBN Co simply cannot deliver until Turnbull gets around to doing some actual minister-ing.
The effects of Turnbull's declaration today may not be felt for years, when FTTN is widespread and people actually start banging their heads against its technological limits. But in 2024 – when this whole debate starts all over again, and the government of the time begins considering the cost of upgrading the Coalition's folly to what even Turnbull's strategic review admits would have been delivered by 2024 – I hope Turnbull is still ready to argue that he did the right thing on that day back in April 2014.
What do you think? Is Turnbull's Statement of Expectations putting the NBN on the right course at last? Or is it the real beginning of the end for Australia's broadband future?


JA PIERDOLE JAK MNIE WKURWIAJĄ TAKIE CIOTY, NO KURWA. O JAKI JA JESTEM WIELCE HARDKOROWY MELOMAN NAWYKWINTNIEJSZE NA SWIECIE OO JAKA DOBRA WYOSKIEJ JAKOŚCI PODKREŚLAM JAKOŚCI PŁYTA. ALBO "OO ŚCIĄGNE SOBIE ALBUM, ALE NIE JAKIŚ KTÓRY MI SIĘ PODOBA, MUSI BYĆ WE FLACU. JESTEM LEPSZY BO SŁUCHAM W WYSOKIM BITREJCIE A WY DALEJ MP3 I Z JUTUBA? JA WPIERDALAM W CD AUDIO, MUZYKĘ KTÓREJ NIE ROZUMIEM, ALE SŁUCHAM, NIEBO KURWA W USZACH, GDYBY BYŁO CIUT WIĘCEJ BITREJTU TO BYM WYJEBAŁ STAREGO WE WSZYSTKIE DZIURY. TAKI BYŁBYM PODNIECONY, ZROBIŁBYM JESZCZE TEMAT, ŻE FLAC, ŻE FLAC HD I ŻE FLAC KOSMOS. JA ROZUMIEM BITREJT ALE ZABIJAĆ CAŁĄ PRZYJEMNOŚĆ SŁUCHANIA MUZYKI DLA WĄTPLIWEJ RÓŻNICY W JAKOŚCI ODSŁUCHU? KRZTUSISZ SIĘ, POCISZ I LECI CI Z NOSA, MOŻNA TO PORÓWNAĆ Z ROZSKOSZĄ PODCZAS SŁUCHANIA NAJPRAWDZIWSZEGO ANALOGOWEGO CHUJA W UCHU. PRAWDZIWE JEBANE SZOŁ ZACZYNA SIĘ KIEDY TAKI MELONAM MOŻE SIĘ WYKAZAĆ, JAKIEŚ FORUM, CZY U SIEBIE PRZY KOMPIE. CO TAM MATI PUŚCIMY, DLA MNIE COŚ Z DUŻYM BITREJTEM NAJLEPIEJ WE FLACU, NIECH TO BĘDZIE JAKIŚ BACH Z DODATKOWYMI UWERTURAMI. HEHE COŚ SŁABY TEN BITREJT, JA TO NIE WIEM JAK WY MOŻECIE SŁUCHAĆ Z MP3 xD CO TAM CHCESZ POSŁUCHAĆ SEBA? TYLKO MASZ TUTAJ DOBRY GŁOŚNIK BO NIE NA DENONIE TO SIĘ NIE SŁUCHA XD A TERAZ ZW NA MOMENCIK BO MUSZE SE WYCZYŚCIĆ MOJE MEGA CZUŁE MELOMAŃSKIE UCHO, AHH NIE MA TO JAK SPIERDOLENIE CYFERKAMI I WALENIE KONIA DO ILOŚCI BAJTÓW.


text:
Sophie Writes
UK Salary for Writers
Career Leave a comment average salary for freelance writersaverage salary uk writingaverage uk salary writersaverage uk writers salaryhow much do freelance writers earnhow much do writers earnhow much do writers makehow much money do writers earnhow much money do writers makeuk average salary for writers
The idea of the struggling artist is a common one. Just look at Moulin Rouge, the starving bohemian aesthetic permeates the entire movie, from its cast to its locations.
But do writers really earn a pittance?
Well, sometimes. But apparently according to the Office of National Statistics, it's not as little as we thought.
Average UK salary for writers
According to them, authors, writers and translators earn an average of £33,887 per year full-time. And this has actually increased a whole 1.5% based on the salaries last year (although the average increase rate is 2.5%, so we're slightly behind on that one.)
Part-time writers, understandably, take home a bit less. £13,853 per year for men and women.
But here's where it becomes interesting.
There's a huge gender pay gap when it comes to male and female writers
There is an 18.9% gap between the earnings of male writers and female writers. 18.9. And that is significantly higher than the national average of 9.1%.
More than double, in fact.
And I'd love to give you a side-by-side comparison of men vs. women full-time, but they don't have the figures for men.
How much do freelance writers earn?
Freelance writers weren't a separate category in the ONS's very thorough (and, spoiler alert, very dull survey to try and trawl through).
However, Indeed estimate that freelance writers earn an average of £32,459 per year. With the caveat that they've based this figure on 77 salaries reported anonymously to them.
Similarly, Glassdoor reported that freelancers command between £15 and £20 per hour for their services (another reason why sites that ask you to charge £5 (!) are massively underselling you and your skills).
Which sits around the same level as the ONS's report, which throws freelances, authors and translators all into one big, writer basket.
Check back in next week when I break down how much we're all going to earn when we're super successful authors. BOOM.
And in the meantime, check my advice on how to get started with freelance writing.
Follow Sophie Writes on WordPress.com
How flashforwards can make your characters more loveable November 27, 2019
How to Edit Your Novel (Part 2) October 9, 2019
How to Edit Your Novel (Part 1) May 31, 2019
Sell your book in 60 seconds: top tips for verbal pitches May 24, 2019
What are your New Year's Writing Resolutions? January 9, 2019
Categories Select Category Career (15) Digital Nomad (4) Freelance (3) Getting Published (7) Health and Wellbeing (3) Historical Fiction (5) How to Start Writing Historical Fiction: Series (4) Relocating abroad (7) London (4) Stockholm (4) Short Stories (2) Writing (35) Build Your Own Free Creative Writing MA: Series (2) Editing (3) How to Edit Your Novel: Series (2) Prompts & Exercises (5) Terrible poems (2) Writing: Craft (6) Empathy and Anachrony (1)
Is Scrivener Worth The Money? Scrivener: A Review
The Ultimate List of Literary Journals in the UK and US: Where to Submit Your Writing
What are your New Year's Writing Resolutions?
My Current Writing Goal
Find agent representationDecember 31st, 2019
... TIME'S UP! How did I do?


Drivers have the mutual rewards with the responsible selection on the discount of Auto Insurance in Illinois. In most condition, drivers can register their car with the lowest coverage of auto insurance in Illinois. It is very helpful to save money for all drivers. Lots of questions may arise in the driver's mind before getting insurance for their car. They need to know about all information about the company. It provides the clear idea and complete knowledge about the insurance company which is essential for all clients.
The first question is that why one purchase should auto insurance? This question must be frequently asked by the client to the company. When a driver encounters an accident, the driver is responsible for the all damages. They need to pay for the physical damage, property damage with the medical costs of involved people. If a driver has no auto insurance, they have to pay for all of the cost. However, if they have an insurance policy, the insurance company will be the one to pay for all of the cost. The next question is that what types of vehicles are damaged. Auto insurance is needed for cars, buses, motorcycles, vans and trucks.
What is the process of getting auto insurance policy in Illinois? This is frequently asked by the drivers. When a driver doesn't receive the traffic quote in any accident, then the officer will create an issue. Then they need to prove that they have Auto Insurance Quote in Illinois. If the driver failed to prove then their license may be postponed. Uninsured drivers may be faced with paying $500. They also may be fined $1,000 for driving with the postponed license. If anyone has no coverage of auto insurance, then they can get one by looking online. Liability coverage is also a very important topic. Drivers should know about this.
How are drivers protested in a condition of the accident? This coverage will pay for the physical damage and property injuries. It may also pay the court and defense charges with the medical cost. The next thing driver needs to know is the amount of coverage. It is very important to get the perfect coverage. The lowest level of coverage is always set in every condition. Getting the lowest coverage can increase the charge of auto insurance rates in Illinois. But higher coverage can provide more defenses.
Auto insurance is really very difficult to understand and realize. For this reason, drivers must need to know about insurance. They can get knowledge about it by asking frequent questions. It is the vital thing to get the absolute and fair insurance. It is best that you compare quotes to get the best auto insurance quotes in Illinois.


text:
Home»Reviews»NAPOLEON'S LAST ISLAND
NAPOLEON'S LAST ISLAND
by Tom Keneally | Read by Edwina Wren, David Treddinnick
Historical Fiction • 15 hrs. • Unabridged • © 2015
In a thick Australian accent, narrator David Tredinnick begins Keneally's inquiry into how the remnants of Napoleon's largess end up in New South Wales among the family goods of Betsy Balcombe. How did they get to Australia, and how were the Balcombes associated with the French emperor? The story unfolds through Betsy Balcombe's diary, which is read by Edwina Wren in a mélange of British accents mixed with the French of St. Helena, where Napoleon was exiled. Wren's smooth and soothing tones draw the listener into this detailed first-person account of Napoleon's military career, defeat, and exile, and the Balcombes' relationship with the emperor. Tredinnick reappears in the concluding chapter of Betsy Balcombe's life in Australia. Keneally's fans will devour this enchanting novel of Napoleon's last days. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2016]
Trade Ed. • Bolinda Audio • 2015
CD ISBN 978-1-4890-9866-5 $14.99 • Thirteen CDs
MP3-CD ISBN 978-1-4890-9897-9 $9.99 • One MP3-CDs
DD ISBN $45.17
Library Ed. • Bolinda Audio • 2015


The full botanical name used in plant taxonomy for Dwarf Deutzia is Deutzia gracilis 'Nikko.' The genus name, Deutzia is pronounced DOOT-ze-a. There is no widely used common name for plants in this genus, so people just use the genus name instead of a true common name (I don't capitalize it in such cases). 'Nikko' is the cultivar name.
Botanically, the plant is classified as a deciduous shrub. However, it has a landscape use that you might not associate with a plant labeled as a "shrub" (see below under Uses in Landscaping). This bush belongs to the hydrangea family (another common shrub that you may not know belongs to this family is mock orange).
'Nikko' reaches just 2 feet high at maturity (with a spread of 5 feet). This qualifies it for dwarf status. Indeed, what sets this shrub apart is its compact stature. It bears clusters of double, white blooms on arching stems when it flowers in late spring. Just as importantly (for those of us seeking four-season interest in our landscaping), its leaves reportedly morph into a nice burgundy color in autumn, making it a good fall-color shrub. I have not gotten good fall foliage out of mine yet, but that may be due to infertile soil or a lack of water.
Grow dwarf deutzia in full sun to achieve optimal spring flowering and fall coloration. The soil in which mine grows drains well, but it is also considered clay-tolerant. Keep it evenly moist. This bush can be grown in planting zones 5-8.
Regarding geographical origin, the species plant, Deutzia gracilis is not native to North America; it is indigenous to the Far East.
How Do I Care for Dwarf Deutzia?
Other than watering the plant, care consists mainly in pruning it. The correct time to prune dwarf deutzia is right after it finishes flowering since it's one of the shrubs that bloom on old wood. See my full article for more information on the best time to prune shrubs.
Deutzia derives from a man's name. According to Ohio State University (OSU), that man was Johann van der Deutz, who was a patron of the botanist, Carl Peter Thunberg (1743-1828). Thunberg was a student of Carl Linnaeus, who is responsible for the system of scientific plant names that we still use today. But Thunberg is famous in his own right. Does Berberis thunbergii sound familiar? It should. That's the Japanese barberry shrub. It's not the only plant named after Thunberg, who was one of the great Western plant explorers who collected specimens in the Far East.
The specific epithet, gracilis is a Latin word meaning "slender" (we also get "graceful" from it). So what is slender about this shrub? It's stems, according to OSU. In fact, the bush is sometimes referred to commonly as "slender deutzia."
You may recognize 'Nikko' as the cultivar name of another plant, as well: namely, 'Nikko Blue' bigleaf hydrangea. Like Deutzia gracilis, it hails from the Far East. Nikko is the name of a city in Japan.
Given its compact growth habit, dwarf deutzia is a natural fit for landscaping in small spaces, where the homeowner may lack sufficient room to grow a larger bush.


The Morean Arts Center is ready to celebrate PRIDE with the 2nd Annual Pride Pop Up. This month-long show will highlight 3-6 artists whose work is Pride inspired. Entry is open to Tampa Bay artists only. Let's celebrate the diversity in our region!
ArtsTampaBay.com is a project of the Arts Council of Hillsborough County thanks to the support of the Hillsborough County Economic Development Department and the Florida State Division of Cultural Affairs who recognize it's arts and culture make a community great.
© 2019 - Arts Council of Hillsborough County - All Rights Reserved.


text:
Jewish Atheist
Still and all, why bother? Here's my answer. Many people need desperately to receive this message: I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone. --Vonnegut
Dennis Prager Fails the Test
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about the first Muslim to be elected to Congress who will swear in with his hand on the Koran instead of the Bible. I said at the time it would be an interesting test to see how the religious right reacts.
Dennis Prager can always be counted on as a convenient Jewish tool for the Christian Right:
He should not be allowed to do so -- not because of any American hostility to the Koran, but because the act undermines American civilization.
LOL. I should run a quiz: who said it, Stephen Colbert or an actual right-wing nut?
First, it is an act of hubris that perfectly exemplifies multiculturalist activism -- my culture trumps America's culture. What Ellison and his Muslim and leftist supporters are saying is that it is of no consequence what America holds as its holiest book; all that matters is what any individual holds to be his holiest book.
Forgive me, but America should not give a hoot what Keith Ellison's favorite book is. Insofar as a member of Congress taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is concerned, America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don't serve in Congress. In your personal life, we will fight for your right to prefer any other book. We will even fight for your right to publish cartoons mocking our Bible. But, Mr. Ellison, America, not you, decides on what book its public servants take their oath.
Devotees of multiculturalism and political correctness who do not see how damaging to the fabric of American civilization it is to allow Ellison to choose his own book need only imagine a racist elected to Congress. Would they allow him to choose Hitler's "Mein Kampf," the Nazis' bible, for his oath? And if not, why not? On what grounds will those defending Ellison's right to choose his favorite book deny that same right to a racist who is elected to public office?
I've written to Dennis Prager a few times in the past in response to some asinine columns, none as over-the-top as this one. Considering my emails have been flatly ignored, I'll simply quote him here so my readers can see how ridiculous he is.
(Via Andrew Sullivan.)
Posted by Jewish Atheist at 4:39 PM 32 comments
Religious Conservatives More Generous than Secular Liberals?
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse University professor Arthur C. Brooks is about to become the darling of the religious right in America -- and it's making him nervous.
The child of academics, raised in a liberal household and educated in the liberal arts, Brooks has written a book that concludes religious conservatives donate far more money than secular liberals to all sorts of charitable activities, irrespective of income.
In the book, he cites extensive data analysis to demonstrate that values advocated by conservatives -- from church attendance and two-parent families to the Protestant work ethic and a distaste for government-funded social services -- make conservatives more generous than liberals.
The book, titled "Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism" (Basic Books, $26), is due for release Nov. 24.
When it comes to helping the needy, Brooks writes: "For too long, liberals have been claiming they are the most virtuous members of American society. Although they usually give less to charity, they have nevertheless lambasted conservatives for their callousness in the face of social injustice."
The book's basic findings are that conservatives who practice religion, live in traditional nuclear families and reject the notion that the government should engage in income redistribution are the most generous Americans, by any measure.
Conversely, secular liberals who believe fervently in government entitlement programs give far less to charity. They want everyone's tax dollars to support charitable causes and are reluctant to write checks to those causes, even when governments don't provide them with enough money.
[L]iberals give less than conservatives in every way imaginable, including volunteer hours and donated blood.
To make his point forcefully, Brooks admits he cut out a lot of qualifying information.
That last line is pretty odd, but the rest of the article doesn't make us secular liberals look too good.
Posted by Jewish Atheist at 8:28 AM 27 comments
A Free-for-All on Science and Religion
Interesting article in the NYT. Excerpt:
Maybe the pivotal moment came when Steven Weinberg, a Nobel laureate in physics, warned that "the world needs to wake up from its long nightmare of religious belief," or when a Nobelist in chemistry, Sir Harold Kroto, called for the John Templeton Foundation to give its next $1.5 million prize for "progress in spiritual discoveries" to an atheist — Richard Dawkins, the Oxford evolutionary biologist whose book "The God Delusion" is a national best-seller.
Or perhaps the turning point occurred at a more solemn moment, when Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City and an adviser to the Bush administration on space exploration, hushed the audience with heartbreaking photographs of newborns misshapen by birth defects — testimony, he suggested, that blind nature, not an intelligent overseer, is in control.
Somewhere along the way, a forum this month at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., which might have been one more polite dialogue between science and religion, began to resemble the founding convention for a political party built on a single plank: in a world dangerously charged with ideology, science needs to take on an evangelical role, vying with religion as teller of the greatest story ever told.
Carolyn Porco, a senior research scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo., called, half in jest, for the establishment of an alternative church, with Dr. Tyson, whose powerful celebration of scientific discovery had the force and cadence of a good sermon, as its first minister.
She was not entirely kidding. "We should let the success of the religious formula guide us," Dr. Porco said. "Let's teach our children from a very young age about the story of the universe and its incredible richness and beauty. It is already so much more glorious and awesome — and even comforting — than anything offered by any scripture or God concept I know."
She displayed a picture taken by the Cassini spacecraft of Saturn and its glowing rings eclipsing the Sun, revealing in the shadow a barely noticeable speck called Earth.
There has been no shortage of conferences in recent years, commonly organized by the Templeton Foundation, seeking to smooth over the differences between science and religion and ending in a metaphysical draw. Sponsored instead by the Science Network, an educational organization based in California, and underwritten by a San Diego investor, Robert Zeps (who acknowledged his role as a kind of "anti-Templeton"), the La Jolla meeting, "Beyond Belief: Science, Religion, Reason and Survival," rapidly escalated into an invigorating intellectual free-for-all. (Unedited video of the proceedings will be posted on the Web at tsntv.org.)
I think I might have to take back my claims that scientists aren't engaged in an atheistic conspiracy:
Dr. Weinberg, who famously wrote toward the end of his 1977 book on cosmology, "The First Three Minutes," that "the more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless," went a step further: "Anything that we scientists can do to weaken the hold of religion should be done and may in the end be our greatest contribution to civilization."
There are a lot of criticisms of Dawkins here, too:
[His] take-no-prisoners approach (religious education is "brainwashing" and "child abuse") was condemned by the anthropologist Melvin J. Konner, who said he had "not a flicker" of religious faith, as simplistic and uninformed.
"There are six billion people in the world," said Francisco J. Ayala, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Irvine, and a former Roman Catholic priest. "If we think that we are going to persuade them to live a rational life based on scientific knowledge, we are not only dreaming — it is like believing in the fairy godmother."
"People need to find meaning and purpose in life," he said. "I don't think we want to take that away from them."
I've quoted most of it already, just read the rest yourself.
(Via Half Sigma.)
Posted by Jewish Atheist at 10:27 AM 42 comments
On Evil
In response to a previous post, Mark asked
How about a column on your take on an atheist (or jewish atheist) view on evil, its existence, cause, and cure.
First, I'm going to avoid any discussion of subjective vs. objective morality since, regardless of which may be preferable, I've seen no evidence that an objective form of morality exists, let alone whether any person knows what it is. I explained previously that my own sense of morality is founded on empathy and sympathy. You may object that these are emotions and hardly a basis for morality, but I can find no better place from which to start. Additionally, I cannot imagine the world would be worse off if everybody else also based their morality on empathy and sympathy (as opposed to basing it on, for example, religious texts, religious teachers, Marx, or voices from God.)
My definition of evil is therefore this:
Evil is overly selfish action.
This will of course not be precise enough for my absolutist readers, because of the word "overly." However, I see no non-arbitrary means of drawing a line between an action which is reasonably selfish and one which is "overly" selfish. I see that not as a flaw in my perspective on morality, but as a strength: I understand that reasonable people may disagree on what's moral in a borderline case. Moreover, it implies that evil is a continuum, not a binary proposition. Murder is worse than stealing a car and stealing a car is worse than stealing a sandwich.
The religious reader will no doubt have noticed that my understanding of evil is more or less the same as the Golden rule as attributed to Moses:
Love your neighbor as yourself.
The cause of evil is therefore obvious: selfishness. The most evil acts -- say, mass murder -- are evil because they place more value on one's own enjoyment or advancement than on other people's lives. The borderline cases -- for example, drinking the last canteen of water when lost in a desert with another person -- come about when reasonable people may disagree whether one is valuing himself or herself significantly more than another person. Again, I'd prefer not to debate borderline cases.
Why, then, are some people more selfish than others? Some answers are obvious. Evolutionarily speaking, of course, men who went around raping and pillaging would have had more surviving children than those who only had sex with women who were willing. Similarly, there are some evolutionary explanations for altruism. Having loving feelings towards one's own children is obviously beneficial from an evolutionary standpoint and the same goes for loyalty to kin, decreasing proportionately as the genetic relationship diminishes.
Then there are cultural reasons. The human brain has a remarkable capacity for learning social norms, and such norms are often enforced by the group. Speaking evolutionarily again, being ostracized from the group would have been deadly almost anywhere on Earth until very recently in the West, when one may join another group relatively easily. People who are raised to be selfless will likely be less selfish than those raised without such concerns. Someone growing up in a Taliban training camp, for example, will learn to hate Jews and Americans and glorify killing us. It's much easier to teach someone to hate people from a different group than to hate one's own group, for obvious reasons. Tribalism is just the selfishness of a group rather than an individual.
So what's the "cure" for evil? Ultimately, I don't think we can cure evil. It's as much a part of the human experience as love. However, we can work to reduce it. Ultimately, it comes down to culture. We can exploit people's natural tendencies towards in-group loyalty by enlarging the size of the group. Small groups can remain while becoming part of a larger group, just as America has Catholics and Jews who are both American. Nations are good tools for creating larger groups, although they can be much more dangerous to those not in the group than a bunch of small, divided groups can be, as the history of warfare, ethnic cleansing, and genocide shows.
I don't know if it's possible to get the entire human race (minus rebels, who will always exist) to identify as a single group. The ascendancy of Democracy and secularism (not atheism, per se) are surely steps in the right direction. Secular democracies do not go to war against each other. Most of the non-nation wars in the world today are warring religious sects, whether it's Sunnis and Shiites, Muslims and Hindus, or, well, mostly Muslims and anybody.
Within America, there are the "culture wars," which are a result of religious or idealogical groups clashing, usually orchestrated by powerful people with something to gain. Luckily, they rarely have resulted in violence, and aren't close to civil war. I think this is because our founders successfully created a system in which people of different ethnicities and religious could identify as Americans in addition to their smaller allegiances. The war in Iraq, for example, can only be won if Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds manage to identify themselves as Iraqis as well as members of their tribes.
Those of us who would reduce the amount of evil in the world should work to, to paraphrase our president, be uniters, not dividers. It won't be done on the battlefield, short of extreme genocide, which is so evil it wouldn't be worth it. Rather, if it is to be accomplished, it will be by winning the hearts and minds.
Maybe Lennon said it best:
Except we don't need to get rid of countries and religions, just subsume them into something greater, so "the world will be as one." Osama bin Ladin would have gotten nowhere if middle-eastern Islam had merged with the rest of the world. Hitler would have been a nobody if he couldn't convince his countrymen that "Aryans" were a super-race and Jews, pygmies, and gays were vermin. There will always be crime and there will always be criminals. But maybe, we can cut back on war and genocide.
Interview with a Scientologist
In honor of Tom Cruise's wedding, ABC News has reprinted a 1992 interview with Cruise's best man David Miscavige, who is "Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that controls the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology, and controls the copyrighted teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard." (Wikipedia, via Metafilter.)
Before the interview, there are some reports on Scientology from Forrest Sawyer, including video of L. Ron Hubbard and testimony from former Scientologists.
Regarding L. Ron Hubbard:
ABC's Forrest Sawyer: Scientology's founder was a man with an imagination. L. Ron Hubbard wrote pulp science fiction for a penny a word and, critics claim, manufactured his own life history as well. He called himself an explorer and a war hero, the man who discovered the keys to the universe and used them to heal his own war injuries. Critics say Hubbard's claims were so fanciful that one California Superior Court judge declared Hubbard to be "…virtually a pathological liar."
Sawyer: Scientology's founder was a man with an imagination. L. Ron Hubbard wrote pulp science fiction for a penny a word and, critics claim, manufactured his own life history as well. He called himself an explorer and a war hero, the man who discovered the keys to the universe and used them to heal his own war injuries. Critics say Hubbard's claims were so fanciful that one California Superior Court judge declared Hubbard to be "…virtually a pathological liar."
Jentzsch: These are a bunch of people who never caused anything in their lives to begin with, and who I would say are jealous of a man who brought a technology of religion to this world the like of which has never been seen before, and it works.
Sawyer: In 1950, Hubbard turned away from pulp novels with a new book that would change everything. It was, Hubbard said, the "true science of the mind," and it sold millions. When psychiatrists challenged his claims that Dianetics could heal illnesses and increase intelligence, Scientologists fought back.
Jentzsch: Psychiatry is Russian and Nazi. Remember, it's an import. It's like bringing the bonic, the bubonic plague into America, as far as I'm concerned. They are not American, and we are. And they can go back to where they came from.
Sawyer: Hubbard said psychiatry was part of a vast conspiracy to destroy his newly formed church and control mankind. Recent Scientology films still attack psychiatrists as potential killers.
Regarding Hubbard's wild stories:
Sawyer: Hubbard also announced he had gone beyond psychiatry, by literally traveling in space to Venus and Mars, and to a distant radiation belt.
Hubbard: I was up in the Van Allen Belt. This is factual. And I don't know why they're scared of the Van Allen Belt, because it's simply hot. You'd be surprised how warm space is.
Sawyer: Hubbard said he had discovered secrets of the universe so powerful they could only be heard by Scientologists who had spent hundreds of hours studying his programs. Anyone else would be struck dead by the knowledge. He told stories of how, 75 million years ago, an evil tyrant collected beings on other planets to be stored in volcanoes on earth.
Hubbard: Boxed them up in boxes, threw them into space planes. DC-8 airplane is the exact copy of the space plane of that day. No difference, except the DC-8 had fans, propellers on it, and the space plane didn't.
Sawyer: As this film depicts, the spirits' bodies were destroyed by hydrogen bombs, and today their troubled spirits are attached to human bodies by the thousands. Called "body thetans," they cause endless problems. Only Scientology knows how to shake them loose.
On Psychiatry:
Koppel: During one of Forrest Sawyer's pieces a moment ago, we heard one of your colleagues talking about psychiatry, right?
Miscavige: Right.
Koppel: You guys are deaf on psychiatry. The criticism that was made was that this is foreign to the United States. He referred to its origin in Nazism and Communism. And that your religion, Scientology, is an "American" religion. Fair enough so far?
Miscavige: Well, American-of-the-mind. Yeah. That's right.
Koppel: What does that do for Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and all the other isms that also did not--
Miscavige: Oh, I think--
Koppel: …originate in this country?
Miscavige: Well, no, that isn't really the point. The point there is this -- that those people, the Fascists, the Communists, have used psychiatry to further their ends. That's just a fact. I mean, you want to look at the studies that brought about the Holocaust of the Jews, that the Nazis justified killing the Jews, they were done at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Leipzig, Germany, and that justified the killing of six million people. If you look at the report that even Forrest Sawyer did on mental institutions in Russia -- several months ago he did this -- you saw that that was a tool of the state. That's the point he's making there. But let me tell you what our real problem is. Number one, understand this. Psychiatry, psychology, that comes from the word psyche. Psyche means soul. These people have preempted the field of religion, not just Scientology, every other religion. They right now practice and preach the fact that man is an animal, and I guess that is where philosophically we're at odds with them. But to understand what this war is, this is not something that we started. In fact, 22 days after "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health" came out, the attacks from the American Psychiatric Association started. This was the first popular book on the mind ever in existence, it was running up the best-seller list, it was popular with the people. I have the letter sent out by the man who was in the American Psychiatric Association asking for ad hominum reviews on the subject of Dianetics. These people absolutely felt that we were cutting across their vested interests, and the lengths with which they have gone to destroy Scientology and Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard is absolutely mind-boggling. They attempted to do so through the 1950s. First they tried to attack L. Ron Hubbard's credibility, then they recruited the American Medical Association and the Food and Drug Administration, and they then proceeded to infiltrate our organization.
Koppel: May I stop you just for a moment? Because, you know, when you talk about undermining L. Ron Hubbard's credibility -- and again, I have no idea whether that video and the tape that we heard--
Miscavige: Yeah, but why don't touch on that?
Koppel: …that we heard was representative of L. Ron Hubbard. But when I hear about a man talking about having been taken out to the Van Allen space radiation belt of space ships that were essentially the same thing as the DC-8, I've got to tell you, I mean, if we're talking about this man's credibility, that certainly raises some questions in my mind about his credibility.
Miscavige: Okay. Well, let me ask you, have you read any books on Dianetics or Scientology?
Koppel: I've been reading little else over the last two days.
Miscavige: You see, here--
Koppel: I must confess, I'm not a student of--
Miscavige: But you haven't read "Dianetics" or any books on Scientology?
Koppel: You're absolutely right.
Miscavige: Okay, fine. Then that's why you would make a comment like that? I mean, let's not joke around here. That bit that Forrest did there pulled out of context items. And let's not forget something else, by the way. I told Forrest Sawyer -- and I was open about this the whole time, I have been in communication with "Nightline" numerous times -- I said, "Forrest, if something comes up, you want to bring me up an allegation, you confront me it before this so I can do away with this garbage and not have to do it on the program." "Dave, I promise you I'll do it." Numerous calls have been put in to him. I have never heard it from him. I never heard about these. To do that is take anything out of context. Ted, when I talk about--
Koppel: Can you--
Miscavige: No, but let me just give you an analogy.
Koppel: You know that there are going to be a lot of folks out there -- and I'm sure there are a lot of Scientologists, and I don't want to offend anyone who truly believes this -- but there are a lot of people out there who will look at that. You say it was taken out of context. Take a minute, if you would, and see if you can put it into context for us so that it does not sound ridiculous. Because, quite frankly, the way it sounded there, it sounded ridiculous.
Miscavige: Okay. Well, let me tell you-- Let me ask you to do this, then: I want you to take the Catholic Church and take right now and explain to me, to make sense that the Virgin Mary was a virgin, scientifically impossible, unless we're talking about something-- Okay, I'll be like you. I'll be the cynic. If we're talking about artificial insemination, how could that be? If you're talking about going out to heaven, xcept we have a space shuttle going out there, we have the Apollo going out there, you do that. I'm not here--
Koppel: I will--
Miscavige: Wait--
Miscavige: I'm not here to talk--
Koppel: Let me do it, and you're-- You were a Catholic as a child, right?
Miscavige: Yeah.
Koppel: So you know full well that those issues are questions of faith. Are you telling me that what we have heard L. Ron Hubbard say on this broadcast this evening, that they, to Scientologists, are issues of faith? If that's what you tell me, then that's fine.
Miscavige: No, no. As a matter of fact--
Koppel: Then it doesn't have to be explained logically.
Miscavige: Talk about the Van Allen Belt or whatever is that, that forms no part of current Scientology, none whatsoever.
Koppel: But what did he mean when he was talking about it?
Miscavige: Well, you know, quite frankly, this tape here, he's talking about the origins of the universe, and I think you're going to find that in any, any, any religion, and I think you can make the same mockery of it. I think it's offensive that you're doing it here, because I don't think you'd do it somewhere else.
Koppel: I'm not mocking it. I'm asking you a question, and you know, you turn it around and ask me about Catholicism. I say we're talking about areas of faith.
Miscavige: Well, it's not even a matter of faith, because Scientology is about you, yourself and what you do. You're bringing up something that isn't part of current Scientology, that isn't something that Scientologists study, that is part of some tape taken from, I have no idea, and asking me about it and asking me to put it in context. That I can't do.
Posted by Jewish Atheist at 10:53 AM 6 comments
Bush Puts Anti-Contraception Nut in Charge of Family Planning at HHS
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has appointed a new chief of family-planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services who worked at a Christian pregnancy-counseling organization that regards the distribution of contraceptives as "demeaning to women."
Keroack, an obstetrician-gynecologist, will advise Secretary Mike Leavitt on matters such as reproductive health and adolescent pregnancy. He will oversee $283 million in annual family-planning grants that, according to HHS, are "designed to provide access to contraceptive supplies and information to all who want and need them with priority given to low-income persons."
The Keroack appointment angered many family-planning advocates, who noted that A Woman's Concern supports sexual abstinence until marriage, opposes contraception and does not distribute information promoting birth control at its six centers in eastern Massachusetts.
"A Woman's Concern is persuaded that the crass commercialization and distribution of birth control is demeaning to women, degrading of human sexuality and adverse to human health and happiness," the group's Web site says. MSNBC, via Aetiology.
Tara C. Smith of Aetiology sums it up nicely:
The Republican War on Science strikes again.
Posted by Jewish Atheist at 2:32 PM 4 comments
Interesting Test for the Christian (and Jewish) Right
Apparently, Keith Ellison, the first Muslim U.S. Congressperson, will take his oath of office with his hand on a Koran instead of a Bible. We'll see how the Christian Right likes it when it's not their holy book.
Ed Brayton at Dispatches from the Culture Wars, points out a column with a telling quote:
Ellison will be sworn in on a Koran. So now the Bible is equivalent to the Koran in the halls of Congress? Doesn't this then mean he is pledging allegiance to Islamic Law (Sharia) rather than our Constitution? Where is the outrage here?
Brayton comments:
Stunning, isn't it? If one of us secular humanist types suggested that a Christian, by swearing an oath on the Bible, was pledging allegiance to the Mosaic law rather than our Constitution, she would likely accuse us of religious bigotry... On the other hand, it's entirely possible that for someone like Markell, swearing an oath on the Bible does mean pledging allegiance to Biblical law over the Constitution.
Personally, I'd prefer if religious books were left out altogether. Also, I'd like to win the lottery.
Posted by Jewish Atheist at 9:58 AM 7 comments
Introducing: Ask a Jewish Atheist
So I was joking around with a friend that it would be fun to have an advice column called "Ask a Jewish Atheist." It occurs to me that this is my blog and I can do whatever I want with it, so why not? :-) E-mail me any questions and I'll be happy to answer them in a future post. If you want to remain anonymous, please provide a nickname and I won't reveal your identity.
To be clear, I'm looking for people who want advice about their personal lives, not questions about atheism or Judaism per se. Also, I have no qualifications whatsoever.
Fear is at the Root of Fundamentalism
Fear of uncertainty.
Fear of ambiguity.
Fear of meaninglessness.
Fear of insignificance.
Fear of death.
Letting Your Opponents Save Face
The other day, I was driving on the highway and I witnessed what was almost a very bad accident. The car ahead of me was driving normally when suddenly, a large pickup truck to his right turned right at it, apparently shifting lanes without looking. The car swerved evasively to the left, rocking back and forth, almost spinning out and just barely maintaining control. It was clear to me, an unbiased observer, that the truck driver was entirely at fault.
Imagine my surprise when I saw the truck driver screaming and gesturing furiously at the other driver. The car driver, with his great reaction, saved them both from a terrible accident at 70 mph, but the truck driver instantly convinced himself the other guy was at fault.
The fact is, people don't want to be wrong. They'll lie to you and even to themselves to maintain the illusion that they're right, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Early on in my blogging career, I tried to get people to admit that they were wrong. This was almost always counterproductive as people will often do everything in their power to avoid admitting that. They'll spin, bend, contort, and outright lie in order to save face.
Now I just make my points and move on. I know that people aren't going to admit I've changed their minds, but that maybe in the future, they'll accept my argument. They might maintain, of course, that they've always believed my argument, in order to preserve the illusion that they were never wrong while bringing their beliefs more in tune with reality.
We see this transition often in theists who begin to think for themselves. Their views change radically, but they find ways to pretend they've been consistent throughout. Maybe it's a good thing that someone can go from worshiping Pat Robertson's Big Daddy in the Sky to Bishop Spong's atheism-with-a-different-name or from young-Earth creationism to barely-theistic evolution while thinking themselves consistent.
For a long time, I was frustrated with the slipperiness of the word "God." Now I'm thinking maybe it's a good thing. Better reasonable people who believe in "God" than a nation of fundamentalists who believe in "God." If defining words so loosely they barely mean anything is the price we pay for such improvement, it might be worth it.
The Torah, Pedophilia, and Subjective Morality
Here is a list of sexual acts banned explicitly by the Torah in Leviticus 18:
Uncovering the nakedness of one's close kin, which includes your father, mother, step-mother, sister, half-sister, granddaughter, step-sister, aunt, daughter-in-law, or any woman and her daughter.
Marrying two sisters.
Uncovering the nakedness of a woman "as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness." (KJV.)
Lying with your neighbor's wife.
Ejaculating into a fire for Moloch.
Lying with a man as with a woman.
Bestiality.
Have you noticed that pedophilia isn't among them? The Torah spends 14 verses spelling out whose nakedness one may not uncover, and even a whole verse forbidding ejaculation for Moloch, but not one word against pedophilia. Nor is premarital sex explicitly prohibited. Finally, it offers no age of consent for either sex or marriage.
The Talmud later corrects some of these omissions, of course. A girl can't be married until age 3 or 12, depending on what page you're reading. Still, it's interesting to note that the document Jews point to as the source of objective morality contains not a single word against pedophilia.
It's obvious to me that pedophilia is worse than every sexual offense mentioned explicitly in the Torah, as I think it's obvious to most Orthodox Jews as well. I believe this is evidence that despite claims of objective morality stemming from the Torah, people turn to subjective morality in cases where the "objective" version is lacking or incorrect.
Edit: It doesn't mention rape, either! In other words, although the Torah bans sex during a woman's period and male homosexual sex, it does not explicitly forbid what any reasonable person would say are clearly the worst two sexual offenses: pedophilia and rape.
Why We Can't Win in Iraq and Why Israel Can't Defeat the Palestinians or Lebanese
I've realized over the last few years that Americans have some misguided notions of how war works these days and this is the cause of some of our bad decisions regarding war. The War Nerd has an excellent piece about asymmetric warfare which is applicable to Iraq as well as most of the conflicts in the world, including Israel's struggle with the Palestinians and its neighbors.
Too many Americans and right-wing Israelis are still under the impression that you can win asymmetric wars by killing your opponents. (I'm looking at you, Ezzie.) The reality is that they only need a "few hundred urban guerrillas" if they have civilian support. You'll never kill enough of the enemy that they can't muster a few hundred bloodthirsty young men. Asymmetric wars are un-winnable. We should have learned that in Vietnam. We could -- and did -- easily take out Saddam and his conventional military. We're just wasting our time, lives, treasure, and goodwill trying to defeat the insurgency.
His summary:
1. Most wars are asymmetrical / irregular.
2. In these wars, the guerrillas / irregulars / insurgents do NOT aim for military victory.
3. You can NOT defeat these groups by killing lots of their members.
In fact, they want you to do that.
4. Hi-tech weaponry is mostly useless in these wars.
5. "Hearts and Minds," meaning propaganda and morale, are more important than military superiority.
6. Most people are not rational, they are TRIBAL: "my gang yay, your gang boo!" It really is that simple. The rest is cosmetics.
[Old-fashioned] wars are rare, and going to get rarer. Because there's a much cheaper, easier way to make war. This way doesn't require any of the building blocks of conventional war: you don't need industry, aircraft, armor or massive armies. In fact, this kind of war can be played by any group of wackos that can round up a dozen or so bushwhackers. All you need is small arms and a grudge -- and those are the only two commodities most of the world has a surplus of...
Most of the "armies" in the world right now avoid battle and focus on killing civilians. This is the hardest thing for Americans to understand: armies that don't aim at victory and actually avoid battle...
[You cannot win by killing the enemy.] In this kind of war the enemy wants you to kill a lot of people. A lot of irregular warfare groups start their campaigns with a suicide raid, where they expect to be slaughtered...
[Lo-tech beats high-tech.] If we take Iraq 2003 as a familiar and painful example, you saw a classic outcome: our hi-tech beat their wanna-be hi-tech in the conventional battles. Then we started getting picked off by low-tech ambushes where the insurgents used homemade IEDs in combination with old, rugged Soviet weapons like the RPG-7 and Kalashnikov. After two years, those simple weapons are still effective -- and they're actually getting lower- and lower-tech...
Americans are pretty well anti-death, but lots of other tribes are in love with the idea of the martyrdom thing...
We have a problem with the Iraqi Sunnis. There are about seven million of them. All you need for an effective insurgency is a few hundred urban guerrillas (with a much bigger base of civilian supporters). So they're never going to run out of young men. And no overwhelming force short of neutron bombs will solve the problem...
[People don't care about democracy.] Look around the world and you'll see that people are divided into ethnic gangs, like the planet's one big San Quentin. All they want is for their gang to win. If they have any ideology beyond that, it's more of the God stuff, and you need Thorazine to cure that. Godfearing gangbangers, that's exactly what we ran into in Somalia, 1993. Half the population of Mogadishu turned on our guys who were trying to provide aid for the starving. They didn't want peace, democracy or any of that shit. They wanted their clan to win and the other clans to lose. And if stopping the aid convoys from getting food to those enemy clans was the only way to win, they were ready to make it happen, ready to die fighting our best troops backed by attack helicopters and APCs. We killed maybe a thousand of these "civilians" and lost 18 Rangers and Delta operators. And the Somalis made the anniversary of that fight a national holiday. It's worth giving a moment to let that sink in: these people fought to the death against overwhelmingly superior US forces, because they wanted their clan to win by starving rival clans to death.
Yes, Grasshopper, you must meditate on the fact that People are superstitious tribalists. Democracy comes about 37th, if that. Nobody wants to face that fact: we're tribal critters. We'll die for the tribe. More to the point, we'll kill for it. We don't care about democracy. And I'm not just talking here about people in tropical hellholes like Somalia, I mean your town, your street. Most Americans are just like me: old-school nationalists. We want America to be Roman, to kick ass. The rest is for Quakers.
Who Causes More Jews to Leave Orthodoxy? Me, or Cross-Currents?
Assuming blogs have any significant impact at all, I wonder sometimes which blogs do the most to cause people to leave Orthodoxy. Is it skeptical blogs like mine or religious ones like Cross-Currents?
They've been on a roll the last couple days.
Shira Schmidt, not content to merely juxtapose homosexuality with bestiality, goes one further:
With deep psychological insight the Midrash points out that God did not regret his Creation even when, in the era of Noah, homosexuality and bestiality took place. He did not bring the Flood upon the world because homosexual couples conducted parades. Rather, the last straw was when they drew up contracts conferring the veneer of normality on aberrant behavior.
The Midrash rabba observes: "The generation of the Flood was not blotted out from the world until they wrote marriage deeds for males and males, and males and beasts, thus fully legalizing such practices."
That's right. With "deep psychological insight," the Midrash "observes" that God destroyed the world because of gay marriage (and, of course, man-beast marriage, which I'm sure was all the rage back then.)
Next, Yitzchok Adlerstein argues that Ted Haggard was less of a sinner than an openly gay person:
As long as we are uncomfortable with our sin even while committing it, we are better off than those who welcome it into their homes as a welcome guest.
Finally, Yaakov Menken implies that God Himself caused the parade to be canceled:
This is the third time that the parade has been canceled due to other demands on police resources, the latter two having been entirely unforeseeable. Mere coincidence? You decide.
Wow. If I were still an Orthodox Jew, I'd tell them to pipe down for fear of scaring off the others.
Whoo-hoooo!!
Democrats Win House, Lead Key Senate Races
We've got the House. Looks like we'll get the Senate. Santorum is out. Allen is losing.
The lunatics may still be running the asylum, but there's finally some sanity around to keep them in check.
No longer is my country represented solely by the representatives of Big Business and the Christian Right. No longer can our bumbling president ram through whatever idiotic measures he sees fit. We've got people in power who will fight for all people instead of the top 1 percent. We're going to be pushing things like health care, stem cell research, and the minimum wage instead of tax cuts for the rich, emasculating the Bill of Rights, and the gay marriage amendment. We've got subpoena power to fight the lying, secretive torturer-in-chief. We may force Bush to finally dump Rumsfeld. We're going to have less corruption.
Bush is still president, but with a sub-40% approval rating and a Democratic House and (hopefully!) Senate, his potential for damage may finally be limited.
To use a trite phrase, it's morning in America. Or at least dawn.
Edit: Now Rumsfeld is quitting! Can this day get better for America?
The Ted Haggard Post
Although I didn't know who he was at the time, Ted Haggard has appeared on this blog before. He was in the trailer for the terrifying documentary Jesus Camp.
Here he is preaching to his congregation (not in the trailer):
How creepy is that?
His hypocrisy pretty much speaks for itself, but I'd like you to imagine what his life would have been like if (many) Christians didn't consider homosexuality a sin. Haggard could have been open about his sexual orientation from the beginning. He could have found himself a nice Christian boy instead of ensnaring an innocent woman in a fraudulent marriage. He could have had a meaningful relationship instead of paying for sex from a meth-dealing prostitute. He and his partner could have adopted orphans in need of parents and raised them honestly instead of fathering five children who must now feel humiliated and betrayed beyond measure. He could have preached for love instead of against homosexuality.
Homosexuality isn't a sin. Treating it like a sin is a sin.
(Video clip via Andrew Sullivan.)
Haredi Jews Riot In Jerusalem
A police officer and a Haaretz photographer were wounded in a confrontation between ultra-Orthodox protesters and police forces in the capital, as demonstrations against the city's upcoming gay pride parade raged for the third consecutive day.
Some 1,000 ultra-Orthodox protesters took part in Thursday's demonstration against the parade, which is scheduled for next Friday. At the end of the demonstration, the participants marched Jerusalem's Bar-Ilan Street in an attempt to block traffic. The police deployed officers on horseback to prevent the roads from being blocked.
The crowd threw stones and firecrackers at police officers, who attempted to disperse them by firing a water cannon. At least five protesters were arrested.
Prior to the clashes, Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, head of the ultra-Orthodox legal authority, addressed opponents of the parade.
Wearing a sackcloth to signify mourning, Sternbuch addressed the assembled crowd of several hundred in Yiddish, telling them "complete devotion" should be given to preventing the parade from taking place.
"By fighting with all our strength, we will be rewarded with the coming of the messiah," he said. (Ha'Aretz)
Wow. Total lack of perspective anybody? Sackcloth? "Fighting with all our strength?" "Rewarded with the coming of the messiah?" This must be the most important event in the history of Judaism! It's a modern-day Megillat Esther.
Ed Brayton at Dispatches from the Culture Wars links to another article describing the same events. My favorite part:
Twenty-five protestors were arrested but leaders of the sect vowed that after a break for the Jewish Sabbath they will continue to demonstrate.
They're so pious they refrain from hurling stones and firecrackers at their fellow Jews on the holy Sabbath.
See also J-blogger Robbie's Why I'll Be Marching in the Jerusalem Pride Parade.
Life Has No Meaning if God Exists
Drill Sergeant: Gump! What's your sole purpose in this army?
Forrest Gump: To do whatever you tell me, drill sergeant!
Drill Sergeant: God damn it, Gump! You're a goddamn genius! That is the most outstanding answer I have ever heard. You must have a goddamn I.Q. of 160. You are goddamn gifted, Private Gump.
If we're here as a result of a series of improbable events with no divine hand behind it all, then life has no meaning.
That's what theists like to tell me, anyway.
But what is the meaning of life if God exists?
To serve God.
No thanks. God doesn't need service and I'd rather fly a kite.
To go to Heaven.
Heaven seems awfully boring, unless we're talking about the Muslim Heaven. But I don't see how that would be more meaningful than, for example, trying to have sex with 70 virgins here on Earth. (Why virgins, though? I think I'd get sick of newbies.)
To become one with God.
Sophisticated theists have redefined the whole Heaven thing because the original version was too silly. Now it's all about becoming one with God or something. Eh. That doesn't seem so meaningful either. Why don't I just become one with my couch?
To be a living expression of God's greatness.
Okay, God's going through His angsty adolescence and wants to express Himself all of the sudden. If I wanted to play a part for some frustrated megalomaniac, I'd join the local theater.
Tikkun Olam. To bring the world to a state of peace and harmony where the world can live as one, with much singing and frolicking.
That would be just as meaningful without God. Besides, He's the one who kicked us out of the goddamn garden in the first place.
Edit: Apparently I totally stole this post from Bacon Eating Atheist Jew!
Skeptics/Ex-frum
Abandoning Eden
Off the Derech
OrthoModerndox
Orthoprax
OTD Resources
Skeptic but Jewish
The Orthoprax Rabbi's Blog
Three Jews, Four Opinions
Undercover Kofer
2 Blowhards
... and now for something completely different
DovBear
The Curious Jew
Half Sigma
JRants
Seeking a Little Truth
SerandEz
The Sarchasm
True Ancestor
Unqualified Reservations
Religious Conservatives More Generous than Secular...
Bush Puts Anti-Contraception Nut in Charge of Fami...
Interesting Test for the Christian (and Jewish) Ri...
Why We Can't Win in Iraq and Why Israel Can't Defe...
Who Causes More Jews to Leave Orthodoxy? Me, or C...
politics (84) religion (78) obama (57) atheism (46) bush (34) iraq (34) judaism (31) republicans (29) war (28) orthodoxy (27) links (21) belief (19) propaganda (19) bible (18) homosexuality (18) gay marriage (17) mccain (17) torah (16) blogging (15) god (15) orthodox judaism (15) christianity (14) torture (14) apologetics (13) documentary hypothesis (13) science (13) skepticism (13) denial (12) morality (12) palin (12) bigotry (11) creationism (11) homophobia (11) media (11) psychology (11) 2008 (10) civil rights (10) clinton (10) evolution (10) administrative (9) democrats (9) economics (9) family (9) intermarriage (9) iran (9) life (9) parenting (9) rhetoric (9) children (8) church and state (8) community (8) death (8) gay (8) gay rights (8) history (8) israel (8) terrorism (8) censorship (7) christian right (7) economy (7) foreign policy (7) hillary (7) hypocrisy (7) intellectual honesty (7) islam (7) sex (7) surge (7) basketball (6) bias (6) christianism (6) debate (6) health care (6) intellectual dishonesty (6) justice (6) leaving (6) meaning (6) modern orthodoxy (6) racism (6) tolerance (6) wackychristians (6) afghanistan (5) argumentation (5) atheists (5) beliefs (5) blogs (5) conservatives (5) discrimination (5) education (5) elsewhere (5) family values (5) fundamentalism (5) intelligent design (5) language (5) lies (5) meme (5) military (5) murder (5) otd (5) parents (5) philosophy (5) sports (5) wright (5) assymetric warfare (4) authorship (4) books (4) brainwashing (4) cheney (4) conservatism (4) corruption (4) culture (4) drugs (4) evil (4) faith (4) fearmongering (4) going off the derech (4) huckabee (4) injustice (4) jews (4) law (4) liberalism (4) logic (4) love (4) marriage (4) mormonism (4) movies (4) mythology (4) personal (4) petraeus (4) race (4) rationalization (4) reason (4) richard dawkins (4) sociology (4) theocracy (4) tragedy (4) abortion (3) abstinence (3) abstinence only education (3) agnosticism (3) america (3) biblical authorship (3) biden (3) bullshit (3) circumcision (3) colin powell (3) compartmentalization (3) compassion (3) compassion religion (3) conservative (3) cosmology (3) courage politics (3) courts (3) deconversion (3) election (3) endorsement (3) ethics (3) evidence (3) exodus (3) experience (3) ezzie (3) fear (3) fiction (3) film (3) fun (3) funny (3) global warming (3) gop (3) government (3) halakha (3) happiness (3) health care reform (3) heresy (3) hillary clinton (3) homophobes (3) honesty (3) human rights (3) humanistic judaism (3) interdating (3) interpretation (3) interview (3) jesus (3) jibs (3) laws (3) leaving orthodoxy (3) linguistics (3) manipulation (3) mormons (3) muslims (3) nba (3) origins (3) pain (3) paul krugman (3) physics (3) polls (3) press (3) primaries (3) purpose (3) quotes (3) rabbis (3) rant (3) reality (3) relationships (3) reviews (3) romney (3) ron paul (3) scandal (3) sex ed (3) sexuality (3) skeptics (3) soul (3) speech (3) statistics (3) stimulus (3) strategy (3) suffering (3) support (3) theodicy (3) ultra-orthodoxy (3) war crimes (3) wedding (3) what liberal media (3) xgh (3) Catholicism (2) UFOs (2) advertising (2) advice (2) advocacy (2) andrew sullivan (2) antisemitism (2) archaeology (2) arrogance (2) at risk teens (2) athletics (2) authenticity (2) bill maher (2) biology (2) bloggers (2) brain (2) bris (2) brutality (2) caucus (2) chana (2) chizuk (2) christianists (2) cognitive dissonance (2) coming out (2) contributions (2) courage (2) crime (2) crisis (2) dating (2) david foster wallace (2) discourse (2) double standards (2) einstein (2) ellen degeneres (2) emotions (2) eulogy (2) excommunication (2) existentialism (2) extremists (2) ezra (2) falwell (2) faq (2) films (2) framing (2) frum sex (2) frumkeit (2) giuliani (2) greenwald (2) grieving (2) guilt (2) haggaddah (2) haredi (2) hasidim (2) hedonism (2) hirhurim (2) holiday (2) holocaust (2) housing bubble (2) humanism (2) humor (2) immigration (2) incest (2) insanity (2) integrity (2) intelligence (2) interrogation (2) iowa (2) jblogosphere (2) jewish blogs (2) joy (2) knowledge (2) kobe (2) lying (2) massacre (2) media bias (2) medicine (2) mind (2) miscegenation (2) moses (2) nazis (2) neurology (2) neuroscience (2) noah (2) nobel prize (2) nuclear weapons (2) nytimes (2) olympics (2) pakistan (2) pleasure (2) politicians (2) pope (2) pope benedict (2) president (2) progressive taxation (2) reagan (2) reasoning (2) recommendations (2) religious wackos (2) ritual (2) rumsfeld (2) school (2) science fiction (2) scientology (2) separation of church and state (2) sheltering (2) spin (2) stephen hawking (2) strong atheism (2) study (2) stupidity (2) suicide (2) survey (2) testimony (2) truth (2) truthiness (2) video (2) vietnam (2) virginia tech (2) vote (2) war on science (2) washington post (2) wiretapping (2) yeshiva (2) youtube (2) 1984 (1) 9/11 (1) COIN (1) Israeli Taliban (1) Nietzsche (1) SETI (1) abiogenesis (1) absurdity (1) abughraib (1) abuse (1) acceptance (1) accountability (1) activism (1) acts of god (1) addiction (1) administration (1) adolescence (1) ads (1) advertizing (1) afa (1) afterlife (1) ageism (1) agnostics (1) aids (1) aish hatorah (1) al sharpton (1) alarmism (1) aliens (1) allah (1) altruism (1) american family association (1) animaniacs (1) answers in genesis (1) anthropology (1) anti-semitism (1) antichrist (1) apologetics. bible (1) apostasy (1) ark (1) army (1) art (1) article (1) ashcroft (1) assumptions (1) atheist activism (1) atlantic (1) attrition (1) authoritarians (1) authority (1) awards (1) baalei teshuva (1) babies (1) badatz (1) bail out (1) bailout (1) banality of evil (1) bdsm (1) beautiful (1) beauty (1) before and after (1) bertrand russell (1) beyondbt (1) bible codes (1) biblical literalism (1) biblical scholarship (1) big bang (1) big brother (1) big business (1) bigot (1) birth certificate (1) birth control (1) birthers (1) bitulzman (1) blind faith (1) blinders (1) bloglines (1) book burning (1) boys (1) bridge to nowhere (1) britain (1) bt (1) bush 41 (1) business (1) bybee (1) california (1) campaign (1) capitalism (1) carl sagan (1) carlin (1) carter (1) cartoon (1) catholics (1) celibacy (1) celtics (1) ceremony (1) chamberlain (1) change (1) chanukkah (1) characters (1) charedi (1) charisma (1) charity (1) charles murray (1) chelsea clinton (1) chess (1) chicago school (1) choice (1) chokim (1) christian (1) christians (1) christmas (1) church (1) churchill (1) chutzpah (1) civil liberties (1) civility (1) class (1) class wars (1) climate change (1) clip (1) closet (1) coersion (1) cognition (1) collaboration (1) collusion (1) comedy (1) comic (1) communism (1) competence (1) compromise (1) computer programming (1) computer science (1) concentration camp (1) conditional love (1) condoms (1) condtional love (1) conformity (1) conspiracy theorists (1) constitution (1) contraception (1) convention (1) cool (1) cops (1) correction (1) counterinsurgency (1) cowardice (1) crash (1) creation (1) creator (1) crock (1) cross currents (1) crossfire (1) cult (1) cult-like behavior (1) culture wars (1) curse (1) dadt (1) damon fowler (1) darwin (1) dead see scrolls (1) deaths (1) defense (1) deism (1) democracy (1) democrat (1) democratic (1) depression (1) descriptivism (1) destiny (1) dfw (1) diet (1) diplomacy (1) discipline (1) disease (1) disgusting (1) diversity (1) divisiveness (1) dnc (1) dogma (1) dole (1) dostoevsky (1) doublespeak (1) doubt (1) dovbear (1) edwards (1) egypt (1) elections (1) elizabeth dole (1) email (1) empiricism (1) enablers (1) england (1) english (1) equality (1) essay (1) essays (1) evangelism (1) ex-gay (1) extreme sports (1) extremism (1) faith-based initiatives (1) falsifiability (1) famine (1) fareed zakaria (1) farrakhan (1) father (1) fetuses (1) financial (1) financial meltdown (1) firearms (1) firings (1) first amendment (1) fiscal responsibility (1) fish (1) flash (1) flood (1) flynt (1) food (1) football (1) footsteps (1) force (1) foreclosures (1) foreskin (1) fossils (1) founders (1) free market (1) freewill (1) friends. (1) fundamentalists (1) funeral (1) games (1) gay adoption (1) gaza (1) genes (1) genetictesting (1) george carlin (1) george will (1) germany (1) gil student (1) girls (1) gods (1) gonzales (1) gop jews (1) gore (1) gotcha (1) governor (1) great britain (1) greenspan (1) grief (1) gss (1) guest post (1) gun (1) gun control (1) guns (1) habeas corpus (1) hamas (1) hammurabi (1) hannity (1) hate (1) hate crimes (1) hatred (1) hawking (1) health (1) heat (1) hebrew (1) heckuvajobbrownie (1) hell (1) heroic denial (1) high school (1) highlights (1) historicity (1) hitchens (1) hitler (1) homicide (1) homoeroticism (1) honor (1) hope (1) human nature (1) humanist (1) humanity (1) humans (1) ida (1) identity politics (1) ignorance (1) illegal immigration (1) illlustrations (1) imfamous (1) impeachment (1) innocence (1) inquiry (1) insider politics (1) interregation (1) investigation (1) islamophobia (1) james kugel (1) jblogs (1) jeb bush (1) jedi (1) jesse ventura (1) jewish (1) jewish taliban (1) jews for jesus (1) jilette (1) john paul (1) journalism (1) judgement (1) judges (1) judging (1) judgment (1) judicial activism (1) just war (1) kabbalah (1) ken ham (1) keynes (1) kibbutzim (1) kids (1) killing (1) killing spree (1) kippah (1) kiruv (1) kitzmiller (1) kofer (1) kofers (1) kofrim (1) kosher (1) kucinich (1) kugel (1) kurdish (1) lakoff (1) lapdog (1) lapdogs (1) learning (1) letters (1) liberal (1) liberal theocrats (1) liberals (1) liberty (1) lieberman (1) life is too short (1) literature (1) loneliness (1) lou dobbs (1) luddite (1) lynndie england (1) magesteria (1) maher (1) manufacturing consent (1) mark (1) marketing (1) materialism (1) matt dillahunty (1) mccarthyism (1) melancholy (1) meltdown (1) memorial day (1) memory (1) memos (1) mencken (1) mental programming (1) metaphor (1) metrics (1) michelle obama (1) middle east (1) military intelligence (1) misdirection (1) mishna (1) misinformation (1) missionaries (1) mlk (1) mob justice (1) monotheism (1) monty hall (1) mortgage crisis (1) mourning (1) mudslinging (1) museum (1) music (1) mysterious ways (1) mythos (1) nash (1) national disgrace (1) nationaldisgrace (1) natural disaster (1) navi (1) negotiations (1) neocon (1) netherlands (1) newprofessionalism (1) newspaper (1) newsweek (1) nfl (1) nihilism (1) nixon (1) noah feldman (1) noble lie (1) nominations (1) non-kosher (1) north korea (1) novak (1) objective morality (1) observance (1) off the derech (1) online (1) optimism (1) organ donation (1) orthodox (1) orwell (1) othering (1) out of body experiences (1) outsider politics (1) paey (1) pagan (1) paleoconservativism (1) pandering (1) pantheism (1) paper (1) parable (1) paradigm shift (1) paralympics (1) partisan (1) partisanship (1) passing (1) passover (1) pat robertson (1) patriot act (1) patriotism (1) patrobertson (1) paulsen (1) peace (1) people (1) personality (1) perspective (1) pesach (1) photography (1) photos (1) picture (1) pictures (1) playoffs (1) pleasantville (1) polarization (1) police (1) policy (1) polytheism (1) pomposity (1) posts (1) pr (1) prayer (1) prayer in school (1) predictions (1) premarital sex (1) prescience (1) prescriptivism (1) priggishness (1) primitive (1) priorities (1) prison (1) problem of evil (1) prognosticators (1) progress (1) progressivism (1) proliferation (1) prop 8 (1) prostitution (1) prosyletizing (1) pseudo-polymath (1) pseudopsychology (1) pseudoscience (1) public discourse (1) public option (1) pundits (1) purity (1) quackery (1) quagmire (1) questions (1) quiz (1) quote (1) rabbi horowitz (1) rahm emanuel (1) reaganomics (1) redactor (1) reform (1) reformation (1) regent (1) regulation (1) reliability (1) religiosity (1) religious (1) religious right (1) religious test (1) religulous (1) reporting (1) research (1) resources (1) revelation (1) richard paey (1) rick warren (1) right wing ideology (1) right-wing machine (1) right-wing media (1) rightwingbubble (1) rounders (1) roundup (1) rove (1) rule of law (1) rules (1) russia (1) sad (1) sages (1) sam harris (1) scalia (1) scandals (1) scapegoating (1) school shootings (1) schools (1) season (1) secrecy (1) segregation (1) selfishness (1) senator (1) senseless tragedy (1) sensitive subjects (1) shaq (1) shermer (1) sherwin wine (1) shidduch (1) shiva (1) shootings (1) silliness (1) slander (1) slavery (1) small government (1) snobbery (1) social justice (1) social spending (1) solstice (1) sorrow (1) soulfulness (1) south (1) space (1) spending (1) squares (1) startrek (1) stenographers (1) stephen (1) stereotypes (1) steroids (1) steve nash (1) stoning (1) story (1) style (1) subprime (1) substance (1) suffrage (1) suns (1) superstition (1) supreme court (1) swiftboating (1) sy hersh (1) talmud (1) tax cuts (1) taxes (1) teaching (1) ted haggard (1) teen sex (1) teenagers (1) television (1) terminator (1) terminology (1) terorrism (1) terrorist (1) testability (1) textual criticism (1) thanksgiving (1) the rav (1) theism (1) theistic evolution (1) theology (1) thought (1) thought police (1) timewasters (1) tony blair (1) tools (1) transcendence (1) transexuality (1) transformations (1) treatment (1) troops (1) tv (1) ugarit (1) undocumented workers (1) universe (1) upbringing (1) values (1) victimology (1) victory (1) violence (1) virginity (1) vonnegut (1) voter suppression (1) voting (1) wapo (1) war on drugs (1) war on terror (1) warfare (1) warondrugs (1) washington times (1) waterboarding (1) weak atheism (1) wikipedia (1) wilbon (1) wine (1) withdrawal (1) wmds (1) wonder (1) worldnutdaily (1) writing (1) wsj (1) wwii (1) yawheh (1) yec (1) yeshiva university (1) yezedi (1) yglesias (1) yoo (1) yu (1) zizek (1)


text:
Title, Publisher/link, Date Published
Todd Veldhuizen
"Expression Templates". C++ Report, June 1995.
Peter Naur (ed.)
"Report on the Algorithmic Language ALGOL 60". CACM, May 1960.
ISO/IEC
"ISO-EBNF", ISO/IEC 14977: 1996(E).
Richard J.Botting, Ph.D.
"XBNF" (citing Leu-Weiner, 1973). California State University, San Bernardino, 1998.
James Coplien.
"Curiously Recurring Template Pattern". C++ Report, Feb. 1995.
Thierry Geraud and Alexandre Duret-Lutz
Generic Programming Redesign of Patterns Proceedings of the 5th European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs(EuroPLoP'2000) Irsee, Germany, July 2000.
Geoffrey Furnish
"Disambiguated Glommable Expression Templates Reintroduced" C++ Report, May 2000
Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Jhonson, and John Vlissides
Design Patterns, Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software. Addison-Wesley, 1995.
Alfred V. Aho, Revi Sethi, Feffrey D. Ulman
Compilers, Principles, Techniques and Tools Addison-Wesley, June 1987.
Dick Grune and Ceriel Jacobs
Parsing Techniques: A Practical Guide. Ellis Horwood Ltd.: West Sussex, England, 1990. (electronic copy, 1998).
T. J. Parr, H. G. Dietz, and W. E. Cohen
PCCTS Reference Manual (Version 1.00). School of Electrical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, August 1991.
Adrian Johnstone and Elizabeth Scott.
RDP, A Recursive Descent Compiler Compiler. Technical Report CSD TR 97 25, Dept. of Computer Science, Egham, Surrey, England, Dec. 20, 1997.
Adrian Johnstone
Languages and Architectures, Parser generators with backtrack or extended lookahead capability Department of Computer Science, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, England
Damian Conway
Parsing with C++ Classes. ACM SIGPLAN Notices, 29:1, 1994.
Joel de Guzman
"Spirit Version 1.8", 1998-2003.
S. Doaitse Swierstra and Luc Duponcheel
Deterministic, Error-Correcting Combinator Parsers Dept. of Computer Science, Utrecht University P.O.Box 80.089, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherland
Generalizing Overloading for C++2000 Overload, Issue 25. April 1, 1998.
Dr. John Maddock
Regex++ Documentation http://www.boost.org/libs/regex/index.htm
Anonymous Edited by Graham Hutton
Frequently Asked Questions for comp.lang.functional. Edited by Graham Hutton, University of Nottingham.
Standard Template Library Programmer's Guide., Hewlett-Packard Company, 1994
Boost Libraries
Boost Libraries Documentation.
Brian McNamara and Yannis Smaragdakis
FC++:Functional Programming in C++.
Techniques for Scientific C++.


text:
Giver: переход (2009-10-15 08:31:28)
e16 > StumpWM
mrxvt > mlterm + screen
Firefox > Vimperator
Azureus > ctorrent
sonata > ncmpc
gqview > qiv
mouse > keyboard
What next? (Правильный ответ — emacs)
O2ZCRA http://pills2sale.com/ cheap viagra
Harris от 2020-10-16 17:08:55:
I've got a full-time job wifi calling samsung a50 india He was photographed in a clinch with a female colleague, just over a year after he admitted taking out an injunction to hide an affaitr with another journalist. But he said that after his stroke his relationship with his wife is stronger than ever.
Maya от 2020-10-16 17:08:55:
Looking for work erythromycin cost uk Yellen's nomination was "a dark cloud for the largest U.S.banks hoping for a reprieve from tough new rules," Karen ShawPetrou of Federal Financial Analytics, a consulting firm, saidin a note to clients on Wednesday.
Sebastian от 2020-10-16 17:08:55:
I quite like cooking kamagra jelly gel einnahme Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland said the consumer price index will show signs of the shutdown for at least seven months, though the year-over-year inflation rate "will continue to be quite reliable."
Miquel от 2020-10-16 17:08:55:
I'm on a course at the moment finasterida 2.5 mg "Fundamentally, however, this tragic story presents much more than just a question of whether a particular will is valid or not," the relatives' lawyer, John R. Morken, said in a court filing. The larger issue, he wrote, is whether there's an ethical limit to what caregivers and advisers can ask for or accept — "and if there is, how can professionals and institutions be held accountable?"
Johnathon от 2020-10-16 17:08:56:
One moment, please anyone ever buy clomid online This is even more true of Ellison's huge dream cats, knownas AC72s. Instead of a traditional mainsail, they are powered by135-foot-tall fixed "wings." Forward, they usually carry just asmall sailcloth jib to help turn their twin bows through thewind when coming about.
Clint от 2020-10-16 17:28:07:
Would you like to leave a message? kamagra oral jelly thailand but online Here, visitors can learn all they ever wished to know about the history of this most loyal and unassuming piece of garden machinery. If you don't visit, you might never learn that the mower was the brainchild of the gloriously named Edwin Beard Budding, who in 1830 attempted to revolutionise the cutting of guardsmen's uniforms. Instead, he accidentally revolutionised Sunday mornings and brought the steady, soothing drone of the mower to suburbs everywhere.
Jorge от 2020-10-16 17:28:08:
How do I get an outside line? buy metformin hcl online The discovery of marijuana in a carry-on or checked bag does not automatically mean that a passenger will be turned over to local police, and the agency adds that "the final decision rests with TSA on whether to allow any items on the plane."
Kyle от 2020-10-16 17:28:08:
What's the current interest rate for personal loans? sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim acne Earlier this year, O'Connor read a verbal opinion supportingthe case brought by the American Federation of State, County andMunicipal Employees, claiming Detroit short-changed its membersbeginning in November 2011 when the city council ended thepolicy of paying bonus pension checks. The city's GeneralRetirement System board issued the checks.
Gobiz от 2020-10-16 17:28:08:
this is be cool 8) pharmacy technician abbreviations quizlet The right-of-center Conservatives - who do not have to facean election until October 2015 - have been on the defensivesince May, when two members of Parliament's upper house, theSenate, quit the party caucus after improperly claimingexpenses.