Innate Immunity is present in all individuals at all times and does not increase with repeated exposure to a given pathogen. The response is non-specific, the exposure leads to immediate maximal response to infection and there is no development of immunological memory.
In this section you will find explanations of the mechanisms and cells involved.
Once you have read this section you will become familiar with the complement system which is a biochemical cascade.
With the aid of our colour graphics you will be able to clearly see how the pathways are activated and the sequence of events which follow.
The classical pathway of the complement system is a major effector of the humoral branch of the human immune response. The trigger for the classical pathway is either IgG or IgM antibody bound to antigen. Binding of antibody to antigen exposes a site on the antibody which is a binding site for the first complement component, C1. (Figure 1).
C1 is a macromolecular complex made up of subunits C1q, C1r, and C1s. When the intact macromolecular C1 binds to the exposed regions of at least two antigen-bound antibodies, the C1r and C1s subunits are activated and are responsible for the cleavage of the next two involved complement components, C4 and C2. (Remember, the numbers indicate the order in which the components were discovered, not the order in which they activate in the cascade). C4 is cleaved into two fragments. The larger C4b molecule attaches to the target membrane nearby while the small C4a molecule floats away (Figure 2).
The C3 convertase of the classical pathway splits C3 into two fragments, C3a and C3b. The convertase has the ability to cleave multiple C3 molecules, forming hundreds of C3a and C3b fragments. The C3a fragments float away and have a role in inducing an inflammatory response (Figure 4).
Of critical importance, some of the C3b binds to the C4b2b to form C4b2b3b – known as the C5 convertase (Figure 5).
The C5 convertase, much like the C3 convertase before it, catalyzes the cleavage of hundreds to thousands of C5 complement components into C5a and C5b, before it reverts to inactivity. C5a floats away and contributes to inflammation while the C5b fragment binds to the antigen surface. This binding of C5b is the initial step in the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC) (Figure 6).
The membrane-bound complement component C5b is bound by the next complement molecule, C6 (Figure 7).
The resulting bimolecular complex then binds C7 and then C8. The C5b-8 complex acts as a receptor for a variable number of membrane-disrupting C9 molecules. The resultant C5b-8 complex and poly-C9 is given the name "membrane attack complex." The MAC creates a transmembrane pore leading to the lysis of the target cell (Figure 8 and Figure 9).
The alternative complement pathway does not require antibody for its activation. Rather, a variety of antigens such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide and components of viruses and other pathogens have the ability to activate this pathway. It is thought to have evolved earlier than the classical pathway, which depends on the relatively recently evolved antibody molecule. Like the classical pathway, the alternative pathway produces both a C3 and a C5 convertase which leads to the production of C5b and then to the formation of the MAC. The specific molecular players and the path followed along the way are, however, different.
The complement component, C3, is spontaneously cleaved at low levels. This means that there are C3a and C3b fragments freely floating in serum. The C3b component can attach to a number of different surfaces, both foreign and host cells alike. C3b is quickly inactivated by the sialic acid found on most mammalian cell surfaces. Microbes, most of which lack sialic acid, are stable sites for C3b deposition (Figure 1).
Membrane-bound C3b fragments are bound by Factor B (Figure 2).
Factor B is then cleaved by Factor D. The fragment Ba floats away, while Bb stays associated with C3b. The resulting C3bBb molecule is the alternative pathways C3 convertase. The C3 convertase of the alternative pathway is, however, not particularly stable (Figure 3).
The alternative pathway C3 convertase acts just like the classical pathway enzyme of the same name and cleaves hundreds of C3 molecules into C3a and C3b (Figure 5).
The C3b molecule remains attached to form the alternative pathway C5 convertase, C3bBb3b. This enzyme cleaves C5 into C5a and C5b. The C5 convertase, much like the C3 convertase before it, catalyzes the cleavage of hundreds to thousands of C5 complement component into C5a and C5b before it reverts to inactivity. C5a floats away and contributes to inflammation while the C5b fragment binds to the antigen surface. This binding of C5b is the initial step in the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC) (Figure 6).
The resulting bimolecular complex next binds C7 and then C8. The C5b-8 complex acts as a receptor for a variable number of membrane-disrupting C9 molecules. The resultant C5b-8 complex and poly-C9 is given the name "membrane attack complex." The MAC creates a transmembrane pore leading to the lysis of the target cell (Figures 8 and 9).
The lectin pathway is very similar to the classical pathway. It is initiated by the binding of mannose-binding lectin (MBL) to bacterial surfaces with mannose-containing polysaccharides (mannans). Binding of MBL to a pathogen results in the association of two serine proteases, MASP-1 and MASP-2 (MBL-associated serine proteases). MASP-1 and MASP-2 are similar to C1r and C1s, respectively and MBL is similar to C1q. Formation of the MBL/MASP-1/MASP-2 tri-molecular complex results in the activation of the MASPs and subsequent cleavage of C4 into C4a and C4b (Figure 1).
The C4b fragment binds to the membrane and the C4a fragment is released into the microenvironment (Figure 2, only MASP-2 shown).
Activated MASPs also cleave C2 into C2a and C2b. C2a binds to the membrane in association with C4b and C2b is released into the microenvironment. The resulting C4bC2a complex is a C3 convertase, which cleaves C3 into C3a and C3b (Figure 3).
C3b binds to the membrane in association with C4b and C2a and C3a is released into the microenvironment (Figure 4).
The resulting C4bC2aC3b is a C5 convertase. The generation of C5 convertase is the end of the lectin pathway (Figure 5).
The C5 convertase, much like the C3 convertase before it, catalyzes the cleavage of hundreds to thousands of C5 complement component into C5a and C5b before it reverts to inactivity. C5a floats away and contributes to inflammation while the C5b fragment binds to the antigen surface. This binding of C5b is the initial step in the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC) (Figure 6).


What turns a young woman into a people smuggler?
I hope dear reader you're not sitting on the bench being judgmental. If so, for a moment I'd like you to join me in the dock. Perhaps you'll understand when I say the song of sunburnt days was so seductive it filled my brain and a compulsion stronger than me took control. But even as I took that route my subconscious told me the song would fade and too soon the days would shorten and in the cool evening air I'd evolve into a loyal wife.


Etwas verspätet hat sich diese Karte zu Nicolchen auf den Weg gemacht. Sie hatte Geburtstag und ich hoffe, dass sie ihr gefallen hat.
Beautiful card! Nice job coloring Tilda.
Very pretty card. Love the way you used 3 panels as the background. Great job coloring.
The card is beautiful. You do amazing work with the copics.
Adorable card, beautifully colored and wonderful layout and embellishments.
awe what a cute card!!
Very pretty Anna, you colored Tilda Beautifully. love the doily you used as background, very nice detail.
Very lovely card, Anna! I love the colors and your coloring.
Your card is very pretty and the colors are fresh and perfect for this image. You did a great job with coloring her, I always mess up on the butterflies. Very pretty.


Tibor graduated from the Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden) and began his career as a banker. After years of experience in the banking and finance industry, Tibor co-founded a finance company, which achieved great success under his leadership. As a veteran in the industry, Tibor has been invited to various television and radio talk shows. He has also written 9 books and over 100 articles relating to Economics and Finance.
Gustav has a Bachelor of Economics and Master's in Business Technology from the University of Lund (Sweden). Starting as a trainee in Sweden's largest recycling company, Gustav moved into corporate finance and later expanded his profile to include debt collection. An entrepreneur at heart and inspired by FinTech, Gustav ventured into Asia and founded the Collectius Group in 2014.
Pontus Sardal has work 25+ years in the financial industry. Prior to joining the board of Collectius Group most recently as deputy CEO and CFO for Hoist Finance, one of the leading debt purchasing companies in Europe. Before that close to 20 years with SEB, one of the leading Nordic Banks. Amongst other he has served as CFO for Retail Banking, SEB Finans and Latvijas Unibanka.
Andy graduated from the University of Lucerne (Switzerland). Since graduation, Andy has been working in Stena (Sweden) and is now one of their managing directors. He is a general investments specialist with over 16 years of experience in the shipping, recycling, real estate and private equity industry.
Ivar has a Bachelor of Finance from the International University of Monaco (Monaco) and a Master's in Business Management from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden). After working in a distress debt management firm, Ivar developed an interest in debt collection and acquisition. Ivar served as a managing director in one of Sweden's major debt collection agency before joining Gustav in Asia.
Lim Jick Ooi holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics specializing in Accounting and Finance from the University of Manchester (United Kingdom). He is a qualified chartered accountant (UK, Australia and Malaysia) with over 17 years of broad finance and audit experience within the banking and finance industry. Throughout his career, he improved and added value to the finance function.
From a call operator to managing director, Shirlin has come a long way. With over 25 years in the telecommunications and finance industry handing sales, marketing and operations management, She has become a customer service relations expert. Under her leadership, she managed to refine the processes of this company, doubling its headcount in under a decade.
Pimmada came to Singapore after being awarded a scholarship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore. She graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor in Business Administration and began her career as a logistics coordinator. She transited into the credit and collections soon after and remained in this industry for over 10 years. During this period, she has worked with various clients from the banking, logistics and legal industries.
Kian Foh has a Bachelor of Business in Business Administration from RMIT and Master of Business in Professional Accounting from Victoria University. Kian Foh is a qualified Professional who brings with him over 20 years of Risks and Credit Operations (Approval, Collections and Fraud Management) experience across South East Asia and Hong Kong. He is attracted by Collectius adapting FINTECH solutions and debt purchase in South East Asia.
Hashim graduated in Business Information Technology and has been working in credit risk functions for the past 16 years specializing in retail and corporate loans across South East Asia. He brings vast experience in strategy, processes, technology and automation both from banking and credit management service industry.


You've done it – you've found the right people for your sales team. There are definitely some challenges when hiring new people, especially for a job that has specific goals and strategies, like sales. You look around the room and maybe you see some wide eyes or some confused looks, but you also see excitement and hope – the things that make a job worth taking. You've put in the work to find these people, so what happens now? How do you, as a sales manager, show them what it means to take their job seriously and what will you do to help them stay motivated? Consider these sales motivation tools!
If you're managing a sales team or teams, you already know that sales is not an easy job for most people. It can be intimidating – people have to step out of their comfort zone for success. It can also be discouraging, receiving far more rejections than new accounts, especially when you're just starting out. So because you've been in the trenches already, you know what these new hires may experience. And as a manager, it's your job to handle them with care, not just get them to do their job. It's easy to forget how hard things were when you started in this industry, so if you can remind yourself of that, it will help you have compassion and grace for these new hires, which will cause them to trust you even more thoroughly. That is the type of foundation you want to build upon.
You don't want to take on the role of big brother, but you do need to track progress so that you know what needs to be improved. Setting weekly goals is a great way to push your new hires towards achievement – if they see that their work is paying off by meeting small goals, they will want to work harder to achieve even greater goals. You can provide incentives for making their goals, like getting to leave early or take a long lunch. You want them to know that you have realistic expectations about their progress, and that everyone can benefit when the teams works hard.
When it comes to a job like sales, it can be easy to fall into the day-to-day grind and lose sight of the overall vision for your company, and it studies show that it takes up to 6 months for a new hire to feel like they fit in. Taking the time to provide a sense of purpose to your new hires will help them see how their job makes a difference, and will cause them to gain a better understanding of the long-term goals your company wants to achieve. But purpose is nothing without positivity – if you're attempting to force the vision of your company down their throats, they will feel even more overwhelmed and could halt productivity for good. No one wants a false sense of positivity – this isn't about positive thinking and motivational posters around the office. You have to be real with your people, but it's your job to put a positive spin on it as well. You need to show enthusiasm when they don't, and offer encouragement when they're down.
When you're in the midst of the hiring process, both sides are trying to present themselves in the best possible light. But that light fades once the real work starts, and it can be disheartening to a new employee to think that their job is not everything they hoped for. Be honest – let them know where your company stands, and what difficulties they may experience. They need to have a balanced view of their job, or there will be a lot of unrealistic expectations left unfulfilled. Have an open-door policy – give every employee the opportunity to ask questions, offer ideas and bring grievances. Having clear lines of communication and transparency will help your staff to feel like they're a real part of the team.
Are you looking to keep your team focused and on message?
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This can be hard, especially if you're overseeing a lot of employees, but getting to know the newer hires can help you know what types of motivation they need. By getting to know them personally, you can understand their strengths and weaknesses, and how they may fit best in your team. You all have a job to do, but you may find that one of them is really effective with cold calls, or really good with face-to-face interactions, or even which individuals would be good for roles higher up. If you lump them all into one group, you may never know how they can truly benefit your team. If you can carve out time to meet with individuals on a regular basis, you show your commitment to them as people, not just as employees. This is extremely important, especially for the millennial generation – they want to know that they're a part of something, that they're not just a number or a face. You can maintain a professional relationship while allowing for personal interaction.
If you've been in the business for a long period of time, everything you do comes as second nature. But that's not the case for these new hires – more than likely, all of this is brand new to them. They need to know up front what your expectations are, how to use the technology and equipment provided to them and how to improve their performance without killing themselves in the process. If the majority of your sales business is done via cold calls, give them specific tips and tricks for keeping up their numbers or the best ways to use the phone system. If your main business is done face to face, help them with personal interaction, what to do when meeting someone for the first time, how to present themselves well. If they're reaching out to specific customers, let them know any personal stories you have with that client or which products work best for their business. Feeling like you're not 'in the know' is one of the hardest feelings to combat with new people, so training in these areas is not a one-time thing – your new hires need to continually learn from you, especially as elements of your job change or evolve.
You couldn't do your job without your staff, so taking the time to really develop them, especially the new hires, is imperative to long-term success. Help your team stay motivated and encouraged with these tried and true sales motivation tools. If your business depends on any kind of outbound calling system, and you're looking to provide the best tools for your employees, contact us at Call Logic. We can schedule a live demo so you can see exactly what our technology can do for you!


At Solve we work extremely hard to satisfy every need of every one of our clients and do not expect a mention of thanks.
However, on occasion clients are kind enough to share feedback on our working relationship, and we do appreciate it.
I invested in a company (Furniture Solutions NZ Ltd.) 5 years ago and with that became the Managing Director with no previous business experience. Scary stuff!!! However over this time we've used several tools that have helped us develop the company into the success that it is today. One of the most valuable tools we've utilised has been the budgeting process. This has enabled us to track month by month the various areas of the business and thus identify those areas that have required more attention than others. We have been able to see where financially the company has come from, identify monthly trends and set targets for the future based on this historical data. I am able to predict very accurately sales trends based on this historical data - this has basically removed any guesswork and we know what to expect on a monthly/annual basis. Quite simply having Andrew Johnstone on board helping me understand the budget process has been invaluable for me in the MD role. There are very few surprises and with his help and guidance, we have been able to create a sound, secure business with a very positive outlook.
In providing a broad range of financial and business services covering the full spectrum, Solve are nevertheless able to provide a service tailored to specific clients requirements. Their honest advice is backed up by prior experience and knowledge. They are flexible and responsive to the needs of their customers They are a good team with great initiative.
Topflite Ltd worked with Solve to assist us in focussing on our strategic plan and associated issues. Solve certainly encouraged us to focus on the key items needed to grow our business into a sustainable growth company. Their experience and skill showed through in their work and I enjoyed working with them and and the stimulation they created.
Solve has helped us re-structure our trading profile and develop a business plan to enable us to move forward, in what has proven to be difficult trading conditions for retailers. Having someone of Solve's calibre and experience working with us gave us the confidence to make the tough decisions we needed to make. We have found Solve to be very supportive and readily available whenever we need their advice. I have no hesitation in recommending Solve.
We don't just want our accountant to add up our figures and tell us what we have done in the past. We want our professional consultants to use past knowledge and their own business skills to help us look forward, identify problems and assist us in putting our dreams into sensible plans.
Solve Chartered Accountants do just that.
Solve have the "total finger on the pulse" of the dairy industry and are massive steps ahead of any competitor.
Solve provide us with star + service and advice. They provide great support and are importantly easy to access via phone or actually calling out here to see us. Whilst Hamish says Andrew is not as good looking as the girls he makes up for this with great advice. We enjoy working with Solve.
Solve provide fast, efficient service and are great problem solvers. The advice provided has helped immensely in growing our business. They have very friendly staff and are a pleasure to do business with.
We are very happy with Solve Chartered Accountants Ltd. They are efficient, prompt, professional, approachable and will go the extra mile to make sure we understand, among many things, how taxation laws apply to our plumbing business. They also take the time to explain in layman terms how they have arrived at the figures they show us. As our business has grown they have strived to help keep us abreast of tax changes and give suggestions how best to manage this important part of our business.
Solve provide a wonderful service with very thorough and friendly staff. They are reliable, dependable, consistent and trustworthy in all they do. Importantly they also nurture us and give sound advice to help us manage and grow our business.
Watermetrics use the budgeting and forecasting process so we have full visibility on projected and actual costs & sales. The simple structure and process we have developed around this allow us to make good business in a timely manner. The flow on affect is the ability to closely manage our cash flow options a opportunities. I would not hesitate to encourage any business to work with Solve Ltd around this process.
C Nott Architects places significant value on positive relationships and consequently has had a long collaboration with Solve.
We not only required high quality accounting but financial and business advisory services to assist and pilot us through the growth of our firm. Solve offered that in an environment that was friendly and enjoyable. We would have no hesitation in supporting Solve.
With the help of the team at Solve, Robinson Design and Building Solutions has changed the way we do business. We now have created point of difference in the market place and with better systems in place, we can now deliver a better product and services to our customers. BIG thanks to Andrew and the team at Solve.
Accounting and Planning "The Road Ahead"
Not only have we found Solve to be excellent to deal with for our general accounting needs, they have also been an integral part of helping us plan, develop and launch our new brand.
Being new to business, Solve has played an integral part in supporting and teaching us the best way to manage our accounts and tax. We are really impressed with the service they have provided us and the willingness they show when we need help with any matter. All work they have done for us is carried out in a professional, timely and accurate manner. We are very happy with Solve and would thoroughly recommend them to anyone.
Our company has been in operation just under two years and without Solve's business advice and assistance, would not be in the strong position are now in. Being able to have the ability to contact anyone at Solve at any time is great and if we aren't able to get hold of someone (not very often) then a reply is always prompt. Your sound advice for someone like myself who is new to business has been excellent and even though my line of business is very new to you your overall advice on key business fundamentals has been very beneficial. The company end of years financials and business valuation report were put together very promptly and professionally. Being able to have a one stop shop for an excellent accountancy service along with great business advice is exactly what High Country Contracting Ltd has needed.
As longstanding clients we love the friendly personal service at Solve. There is always someone there to help and the phone is always answered by a friendly welcoming person - we never have to listen to a recording (which is one of our pet hates).
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The Water Academy is working in partnership together with the German development agency GIZ, and the industrial education company Festo Didactic, in the PPP-Project ProESE (Practise-oriented Education in Sanitary Engineering).
The project aims to assist in increasing the access to clean water and improving the environmental impact of wastewater in South Africa by enriching educational programmes in the field of water treatment with practical learning modules that bring industrial technology and processes from the field into the classroom.
The project will provide a step-wise introduction to water process engineering and plant control. It will cover the water treatment cycle focusing on chemical dosing, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and water quality control with hands-on, mobile, mini-plant learning systems.


text:
Germinating Seeds
Dec 15, 2021 5 min read essay
Truth is a conclusion drawn from legitimate premises. Only with complete and accurate inputs can logic be applied to arrive at a destination. Pack your bags and get to the station...
Research and writing and seeking truth in 2021 has been humbling and has opened many doors. This year brought the opportunity to coauthor three books and work on two others. Playing the role of title workshopper for more than 45 authors was also a window into the world's transition toward speaking up. Friends and acquaintances have sought me out to talk about their work and bring their writing to life. That creative spirit and outpouring of energy is a welcome release for the holder and receiver. Money and energy should not be hoarded. (Money is a kind of energy, isn't it?) Consider your knowledge, your "know" ledger—hat tip Travis Corcoran, author of Restoring Reason: How the Ancient Liberal Arts Defend Against Modern Manipulation. The information you "have", best drawn and described from your experiences, could be put to others to tinker with, in attractive ways from the written word to video to music.
Giving thanks for these exchanges has become a daily occurrence. In the most promising cases, the exchange is not transactional but offers a sense of deepening. No doubt those relationships have given me as much to consider and ultimately output through writing than the chance happenings I enjoy in walks around the neighborhood or in the unexplored turns of the city.
When it comes to writing, at my best, readers will apply logic to inputs I offer and draw their own conclusions. Aside from a brief study of The Logic Games Bible ahead of sitting the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) the week after graduating college, it was made apparent very recently that I'd never formally been taught logic. Have you?
The application of logic to premises and the careful drawing of conclusions is a fundamental departure from talking heads, from influencers, from teachers, each of which have the answers that will come on next week's "test," whether that test is in the form of a political correctness at a neighbor's barbecue, the purchase of a certain 'on-brand' brand, or the decision whether to examine the school curriculum having looked into the books your sons and daughters are being exposed to.
The difficulty, the work, the real test, is whether you can overcome the deceptive voices in the shadowy corners of your mind which assure you it is just fine not to apply logic to inputs and see for yourself what the outputs turn out to be. Inconvenient truths aren't welcome from the standpoint of the status quo.
From one vantage point, truth is a conclusion drawn from legitimate premises. Only with complete and accurate inputs can logic be applied to arrive at a destination. Pack your bags and get to the station, wait for and get on the train, ride it, and see where it takes you, getting off where it makes sense to—even if you've discovered you set out eastward but would like to head west after all. Meanwhile, the whispers from the dark recesses suggest you can go ahead and accept the broad brush stroke premises as given, because "I'm an expert" or "I'm a CEO" or "You trusted me in the past." But these are examples of appeals to authority, a rhetorical appeal that is, I submit to you, to become a red flag for you going forward, an indicator to stop and think. By think I mean to use logic.
If I am to take personal responsibility for how my mind works, then it suggests a more thorough investigation of many basic premises, from how I live day to day, from the kind of work I engage in, to committing to defining terms in simple conversations.
In the first case, some of my routines no longer suit the person I've become. Put them away, try on new ones. Like cross-country skiing the last four days (including with our kitten). In the second—the work I do—though it won't be the only thing I do, I'm sensing a pull into a bit of citizen journalism. Grateful as I am for not having fallen into the trap of employment to traditional media where I might have developed bad habits, there's nevertheless much groundwork to learn how to write, how to find subjects, and how to represent them. Robert A. Caro is a mentor, through his work. There are other mentors who I'm in deep gratitude toward. So, in what will I invest this reporting? Perhaps as Martin Geddes plans to do in the UK, I'd like to see what is going on in Minnesota, where I've chosen to be, to help those aiming to make life flourish receive more light. (If you know of people, regular people, doing interesting things with integrity, whether homeschooling or starting a farm or a new business, please let me know.) For instance, a friend of mine bought wooded property outside the city and has intriguing plans for the acreage. On the third point in the prior paragraph, I'm trying to fall less for given manipulations of language. For instance, by a simple definition of a liberal—one who is pro liberty and freedom—and a conservative—one who desires to conserve what works—I bet that every single person reading this is both a liberal and a conservative. (Even the Amish use a surprising amount of technology despite colloquial connotations of their primitiveness.) It is only the political language that has twisted these words to suggest incompatibility, when, to me, they are inseparable, and not only in the sense that a well run society needs both types of people, but indivisible within each individual. That sentence reads analogously to Solzhenitsyn's well-phrased point about good and evil driving right through every man's heart. Perhaps it is where we put our attention that matters in the end. That's a choice, isn't it?
For me, much has depended (to paraphrase Nikola Tesla) on not focusing on the external but rather on attending to that which is within. Else, those vulnerabilities would remain untended and may grow like a cancer.
An example of how those weaknesses manifested this year: because I was easily angered, I lashed out at those around me. Similarly, I wrote in a flammatory tone, which saw more than one hundred people, about 17 or 18 percent of readers, leave my email list. Recently, I've begun more intentionally practicing the application of logic to new information or even outright attempts to disturb me. With patience, I don't always have to react when others pressure me to; instead, I can simply wait for more data to be gathered or new information to be released.
On the latter point, I've lately become very interested in declassified government documents. The fact a document is classified to begin with suggests the record was at one point not for public disclosure. Was that so that you and I couldn't react? That's not always easy to discern. This year has made me privy to layers of psychological operations... a post on this to come.
Of many declassified documents, some dozens or even hundreds of pages long, in particular those relating to Nikola Tesla, appeal greatly. You may know him for the AC induction motor—U.S. patent 382,279 (filed November 30, 1887)—which was fundamental to developing today's power grid more than 130 years after the patent filing. There were yet more spicy ideas in the trunks he left behind. His ideas feel like seeds which have long been germinating, ready to sprout. If you don't mind me expressing a kind of yearning, I imagine the general application of some of them we will get to see rather soon, in our lifetimes. If you've not yet come across those to which I'm referring, there is plenty of enjoyable exploration ahead of you!
Getting into 2022, expect further evolution of how these writings come into your inbox. Many of you are simply on for example the All the Books newsletter because you were colleagues or connected professionally. As always, feel free to unsubscribe at the bottom. However, if you took something with you from this essay, consider sharing it with one other person who might benefit. I've lately been very thankful for a couple of readers who reached out to me to speak on previous writing—one in person, my favorite way to talk! I was enriched by both of those conversations. I write in part to learn something, to process inputs and create an output; that said, real-life conversations are a bonus and a blessing.
How many more seeds will germinate if we have the patience and the courage to see them grow?
Where to read more from Erik:
Personal Blog and Citizen Journalism
https://world.hey.com/writer -> RSS feed = https://world.hey.com/writer/feed.atom
Independent Book Reviews
https://allthebooks.net -> Free newsletter; Paid options are donations for same output
Was 1984 a Disclosure?
Does 1984 really lack any hope? - On rebellion, or how to access Orwell's hidden door
We don't have a choice what we read
On translating debates & literature

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


30 October 2013 - UNFPA office in Ukraine together with UN Women Program in Ukraine held a training workshop for the government officials in Kyiv supported by the European Commission on "Gender analysis, gender component integration into the socioeconomic development programs and gender budgeting".
The training workshop was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Social Policy, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, experts of the National Academy of Public Administration under the auspices of the President of Ukraine.
The two-day event was aimed at facilitating the integrated gender approach implementation into the process of legislation, public policy measures and programs development at the national and local levels, to make it an integral part of the policy effectiveness' monitoring and assessment in all spheres of Ukrainian social life.
During the theory and practice sessions facilitated by the famous trainers Larysa Magdiuk and Tetiana Ivanina, the participants had an opportunity to familiarize themselves with notions and information sources for gender analysis, gender sensitive indicators of gender equality and social justice; to analyze the prospects and challenges of the gender component integration in Ukraine due to the large array of socioeconomic, psychological, physiological and cultural features of our society.
The government officials also received information on the best international gender budgeting practices using the experience of France, Austria, Great Britain, Sweden, as well as learned about the gender focused budgeting research of one of the Ukrainian local budget – the one of Poltava region.


2 Bedroom Flat For Sale in London for Guide Price £1,375,000.
A superb Penthouse situated in an excellent location. This spacious and well-presented two bedroom penthouse has a lift which goes directly into the Apartment. The flat enjoys an excellent view with private covered balcony and large south west facing communal garden. The property has off street allocated parking.
Lingfield Road is a sought after residential road in the heart of Wimbledon Village. The village offers an exclusive range of boutiques, bars and restaurants. Kings College School, Wimbledon High School and the Norwegian School are within easy access. Wimbledon Town Centre offers further shopping, leisure and transport facilities including a District Line link, Tram link and mainline station with regular services to Waterloo.
The property has access to the large south west facing communal garden which is mainly lawn with trees and mature plants and shrubs. To the front is a paved parking area with allocated parking for the flat and visitors parking.
The property has an underlying lease of 125 years which was granted in December 1997. The seller informs us that the Service Charge is approximately £1,600 per annum and the Ground Rent is £600 per annum.


Co-Founder and COO, Luxury VR Home Showings Inc.
Diane is an established professional with over 25 years of experience in the not-for-profit and various business sectors, ranging from real estate sales, property management, landscape and ground maintenance, clothing design, including a school of martial arts. Prior to establishing her virtual reality marketing business, she worked at the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) leveraging her diverse set of skills and talent for building strong client-focused relations. Previous to CCAB, she worked at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in the Indigenous Leadership program area.
Diane is a Mohawk/Anishnawbe kwe from the Mississauga territory. She holds a B.A. Honours from Trent University majoring in Indigenous Studies including a diploma in Indigenous Management and Economic Development. She currently serves on various boards and advisory committees and is dedicated to driving social innovation and transformation in various fields including adult professional development, health and enterprise development.
After being called to the Ontario Bar in 2003, Cherie has established a commercial real estate, renewable energy and Aboriginal law practice. Cherie provides strategic counsel to several First Nations and industry clients seeking to develop projects with First Nations and to understand and address Aboriginal rights and interests. Cherie has been named one of Lexpert magazine's Rising Stars, Leading Lawyers Under 40.
Cherie completed the first 100% First Nation owned windpower project in Ontario and is active in providing both on-going advocacy for renewable energy development proponents. As lead counsel to the First Nations Energy Alliance (a consortium of twenty First Nations) on the Integrated Power System Plan review before the Ontario Energy Board, her counsel was instrumental in promoting Aboriginal participation models for renewable energy procurement. She serves as a member of the Hydro One Board of Directors.
Cherie is a member of Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and has family from Wikwemikong First Nation on Manitoulin Island.
Joe has had extensive experience in working with Aboriginal organizations for more than 25 years. His experience has included working as Assistant Executive Director for the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto and as Executive Director for the Niagara Regional Native Centre. Joe has also had a consulting career through Obonsawin- Irwin Consulting Inc.
Joe started his career with Anishnawbe Health in 1993 as Director, Programs and Services and a few short years later became Executive Director for Anishnawbe Health Toronto. In all, he has been with Anishnawbe Health Toronto for 24 years.
Joe has a long standing history of involvement through his memberships and affiliations with Aboriginal groups. Most recently, he was a member of the Advisory Circle that developed the first Indigenous Health Strategy for the Toronto Central LHIN and Toronto Public Health.
In the early 1990's Joe's Educational pursuits included Business & Management studies at the University of Lethbridge and Native Studies Program at Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario.
Elisa Levi is currently enrolled at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine in the class of 2021. Prior to this, she worked towards improving Indigenous health alongside organizations like the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, the Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada & Assembly of First Nations. As a consultant she has advised several non profit organizations on food & health strategies working with Indigenous peoples. She is a member of the board for Edkaagmik Nbiizh Neyaashiinigamiingninwag Edbendaagzijig Trust in her community, and sits on the boards of Red Sky Performance and the Anishnawbe Health Foundation. She has a Master of Public Health from Lakehead University and Bachelor of Science with a focus on Nutrition from Ryerson University, where she currently teaches Indigenous Food Systems at the Chang School. She is a proud Anishinaabe, mother of two and member of the Chippewas of Nawash in Ontario.
Andre (Ojibway) is an enthusiastic advocate and ambassador for Aboriginal arts, culture and public affairs. A member of the Fort William First Nation (Thunder Bay) where he maintains a home, Andre is based in Toronto. Over the past 15 years Andre has served on numerous boards of directors including the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, Native American Journalist's Association (NAJA), Aboriginal Voices Radio Network (AVR) and the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre. In 2003, Andre was chosen as one of the first three recipients of Toronto's Aboriginal Affairs Award.
For five exciting years Andre worked as the Secretariat for the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF) now Indspire. For the past three years he worked as the Communications Officer for the Chiefs of Ontario (COO). He is the current Chair of the James Bartleman Aboriginal Youth Creative Writing Awards Jury.
Judith is a member of the Delaware Nation of the Six Nations. Judith has had a successful career at federal and provincial levels, serving in Ottawa in numerous line departments and central agencies up to the rank of Senior Assistant Deputy Minister. Judith's field of experience has covered employment and labour market training and development, machinery of government, agriculture and rural affairs, merit-based human resource development and training delivery, international development, export financing, federal-provincial relations, aboriginal affairs, among others. She led the central agency review in the OPS that led to the creation of the Ministry of Government Services.
Judith was a partner in McLaughlin-Moses Strategic Advisory Services, a government relations firm, has run her own consulting practice and ran as a federal candidate in the '08 election and for the provincial candidacy St. Paul's in '09.
Judith has served in various local community service capacities, as Chair of HIPPY Canada, Board Member, World Relief and Development Fund, Member, Primate's Commission on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights Of Indigenous People and on the Board of Governors of Carleton University.
She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Guelph and studied at the Oxford Centre for Management Development.
Margaret is a Certified Fund Raising Executive with more than 25 years of experience in fundraising, not-for-profit management, board governance, and financial management. In her current role at March of Dimes, Margaret directs all aspects of Individual Giving Programs including major gifts, planned giving, monthly giving programs, online, donor recognition and stewardship strategies to support programs and services for adults and children with physical disabilities. Prior to this organization, Margaret served as Executive Director of PEN Canada, the Canadian arm of a nonpartisan organization of writers that works with others to defend freedom of expression as a basic human right, at home and abroad. She has also worked with causes dedicated to the protection of the environment, including World Wildlife Fund and the World Congress: Education and Communication on the Environment and Development.
In addition to her volunteer role with AHF, Margaret has volunteered in leadership positions with the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the United Way of Greater Toronto and York Region and the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic. Margaret is a graduate of The University of Toronto (B.A.) and holds a Masters in Environmental Studies from York University.
Dr. Shah is a practising physician, a public health practitioner and an advocate for improving the health and well-being of marginalized groups in Canada. He was a Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto from 1972 –2001. After his retirement from the University, he worked at Anishnawbe Health Centre Toronto from 2001 – 2016, where he provided primary healthcare to clients and also conducted research in urban Aboriginal health issues.
At the University of Toronto he was the driving force in establishing the Annual Visiting Lectureship Program on Native Health in 1990. , He also worked to raise nearly $2 million in endowments to establish an Endowed Chair in Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing at the University of Toronto in 2000, the first of its kind in Canada.
His textbook, Public Health and Preventive Medicine in Canada, now in its 5th edition, is a unique resource that is widely used by Canadian undergraduate and graduate students from a range of health disciplines.


text:
VANISHING STRIPES
Save Tigers from Extinction
WED 2018
Though the tiger is one of the most powerful mammals, it also faces the worst chances of being extinct.
Tigers have been hunted heavily by humans over the past few years. The tiger population in the Indian sub-continent has declined seriously in the past fifty years. Nepal has only two hundred tigers, while India has only about one thousand five hundred, a serious decline from the past figures. China and Korea are the biggest criminals as far as tiger poaching is concerned. In the nineteen hundreds, the entire tiger population was more than one lakh. However, today the global tiger population is between five thousand and seven thousand animals.
Of the 8 species of tigers, only 5 are still in existence today. Once they are gone, they will be gone forever. What would life be like if we couldn't show our children and our grandchildren the beauty if these animals? It would be a great tragedy. That is why something must be done now before they become extinct.
Tigers have been hunted by humans since time incarnate. In ancient times, some tigers were also tamed and kept as pets by royalty. Indeed, a tamed cat would add much color to the royal nature of people at that time. Tiger hunting was a sport played by royalty in ancient times. Also, in many Asian countries, there many superstitions regarding tigers. It doesn't matter whether wearing a talisman made out of a tiger's claw has any supernatural powers or not - a tiger will lose his life so that someone makes money out of it.
Other than that, tigers have been hunted for their fur. Ironically, the biggest enemies of tigers may be the connection they have with masculinity and strength in the minds of their largest predators, humans. Almost everything related to the tiger has been sold and held in high esteem and price, be it their claws, their fur, their teeth and in some cases, their eyes.
The tiger's body organs have also been rumored to be a cure for many of human ailments. This has also resulted in the reckless poaching of tigers, making the tigers an endangered species today.
Most of the tiger's body parts are said to be aphrodisiacs, medicines or poisons - possibly the most powerful in the world. This false notion has therefore made hunters hunt tigers for their whiskers, the aforementioned whiskers, their eyes, the aforementioned talismans and their penises, liver and fat, the aforementioned aphrodisiacs. The bones of a tiger are also said to be prized medicines.
Other than simple hunting, humans have also changed the natural habitat of the tiger. Humans have encroached on tiger land, which more often than not results in hunting tigers in the end. They have also destroyed their habitats by cutting down trees and polluting the atmosphere. More seriously, humans have hunted their prey, forcing tigers to either starve or take more risks. In reality, the tiger does not hunt any animal larger than itself, for example the elephant.
There are now serious actions taken for the survival of this majestic beast at the brink of extinction. All sub species of the tiger, like the white tiger has been proclaimed to be endangered. China has banned the sale of all and any tiger related products since 1993. Since then, illegal poaching of tigers for their fur, bones and other organs is rampant.
Preservation of tiger reserves needs to be enforced with stiffer penalties for those who break the law. Educate yourself and others on tigers. Learn everything you can about these how to save these animals. Knowledge truly is a powerful tool. Start writing campaigns and petitions to send to the magazines and media. The more support the better. Financial support to tiger preservation groups will help. They are doing great things for these animals and they need support. Most zoos have information available for organizations in your region. Check with them for more information.
Crafted with ❤ by AR
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text:
mercury theater lady esther presents orson welles
Orson Welles was an American actor, director, and writer, best known for his radio broadcast of the science fiction novel "War of the Worlds." His performance of that novel was so brilliant and realistic that people mistakenly believed that the planet is really under attack by the aliens from Mars. He was also known for his role in the 1941 movie "Citizen Kane", which is considered by many critics as the best movie ever created.
Orson Wells first worked on the radio before his Hollywood career took off. In fact, he is considered a creative genius, and has appeared on various radio shows during his truly amazing radio career. From 1936 to 1941, he worked as an actor, director, and writer of hundreds of radio dramas. Among his first radio appearances was in the popular series called "The Shadow," where he took the lead role, albeit uncredited. His most famous work would probably be the Mercury Theater. After Mercury ended, Welles continued to appear on virtually all major radio shows of his time. He also continued his work on on other shows such as the "Columbia Theater Workshop" and Suspense. He was on the radio until the early 1950s. Click here to read more about Mercury Theater - Lady Esther Presents Orson Welles
09.15.1941 shrendi vashtar an irishman and a jew
09.29.1941 lady esther presents (03) the interlopers the song of solomon i'm a f
+ Orson Welles reads, "The Song Of Solomon." This excerpt has been described as being from a "Radio...
10.06.1941 lady esther presents (04) the black pearl anabel lee
10.13.1941 lady esther presents (05) if in years to come poetry used in drama
11.03.1941 lady esther presents (07) wild oranges
12.01.1941 lady esther presents (11) wilber brown, habitat brooklyn something's going to happen to henry
12.22.1941 lady esther presents (13) the happy prince
01.12.1942 lady esther presents (16) the apple tree
+ "The Apple Orchid". Sponsored by: Lady Esther. A British romance about a London man who falls ...
01.19.1942 lady esther presents (17) my little boy
+ "My Little Boy". Sponsored by: Lady Esther. A delightful portrait of a father and his son. Welles...
Spoiler : I think all were probably true.
Spoiler : There were a LOT of details very specific about Hearst as well, though. Enough that it enraged him
Spoiler : Nearly all about Hearst either irrlevant or misinterpreted by the media. His anger was directed at Dorothy Comingore's supposed impersonation of Marion. Welles always denied that this was his intention and thought Marian swett, bright and talented. An example of not being about Hearst -- the family. While his father did give him the San fRancisco newspaper, he was never estranged. Theywere warm and wonderful, but Orson was abandoned by his parents through his mother's early death, and his father's alcoholism.
Spoiler : I thought Welles in Touch of Evil was his finest role. Charlton Heston as a Mexican even went down smoother with Welles role
Spoiler : He was great at all times
Spoiler : "Citizen Kane" One of my favorite movies.
Spoiler : "Citizen Kane" the best i ever saw
Spoiler : So lovely
Spoiler : The Man Who Saw Tomorrow..Hosted by Orson Welles. Amazing Talented Man...
Spoiler : A genius ! A wonderful actor, a beautiful man, a talented director, a man of great vision !
Pascaline
Other "Drama" Shows you may enjoy:
By the people
Hollywood star theater
Larosa theater of stars
Make believe town hollywood
American Trail


What are the benefits of tax saving strategies and how they can prove as a helping hand for your future?
Your retired life starts when your liquidation pays off as such your gratuity, superannuation fund, and other things. All those benefits have been securing by you from many decades of saving that will be sent to you for enjoying your retired life after working a lot and get rid of all the tensions of being in trouble from your financial account. This transfer to your account for having the stress-free life ahead, but what is the most crucial thing to keep in consideration while you are thinking about a secure life that overlooking your all tax liabilities over these beneficial things will lead you to the worst stage, where you will have to tackle the financial difficulties. Only this can be proved as the biggest wild problem for you.
Everyone hates to pay taxes. Unfortunately, you have to pay them in retirement on your pension or him payment you received from Government tax imposed on you. A fee is defined as a charge on your wealth that forced implement onto the taxpayer. It cants just imposed on an individual but a company as well. Fee applies by a national standardization for funding the various public expenses.
Generally, a tax is the name that no one is want to even listen to it. The most significant benefit of using a tax service even when you are a retired one is they have a group of the specialist with taxes for looking after the accounts of their customer. They will surely find out the best options for their customer to save their money or even to collect more than they have. If you have a look, you will find many more opportunity for you, but they will require a wall to wall great worksheet to be filled or reports to be filed.
However, you don't need to worry about it the tax specialist services will help you out in this matter that how can you can get rid of all these puzzles. Because they have been in this failed for so many days that's why they can guide you with more devotion and concentration. Hiring them can be very pragmatic because they solve your puzzles you are having. If you have stuck in a problem about finance, you can call them, or they will be there for solving your problem and guide you. This question appears in many of us minds that why you should you hire a tax service? So the answer to this simple question is: these companies will avoid you to make wild mistakes and secure your money to secure your future.
You have to check out the social safety you have or other income combination.
In this term, if you had worked in a company or for someone else or got the net profits independently before you resigned, so you are going to have social benefits in your retirement. Your social benefits can be taxable, and it comprises and how much money you have from other cradles.
The main and the crucial thing is you will have to diversify your income when you have retired. To increase your retirement income mostly, professionals say that it is foremost to expand your income when hypothetical. Like if you have your retired income from many of the sources you are just supposed to have a little bit from your taxable and nontaxable mediums. You have to concentrate on your RMD needs. We should be planning for retirement taxes: This planning for your retirement should start at an early age. Some people start planning their life after retirement at 20's and in 30's. Professionals say that people who think their retired life at an early age have broad chances to handle both Roth IRA and Roth 401 k planning's into thousands of dollars.
Last and the important one is that lessen your taxes on your distribution of retirement so you can retire in style.
Always make sure that you have to be known about your tax code so that you can quickly figure it out that what is the exact amount of the tax that has deducted from your amount. This is the crucial thing to remember.
Aware yourself from all of the liabilities of your retirement benefits will enable you to make more money, or you can also maximize your investments or reduce the financial and legal difficulties when you are about to start your retired life.


Onsite registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
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Participate in the forum on Twitter! Follow us at twitter.com/Altarum and use the hashtag #AmericaCares to take part in the discussion.
Altarum Institute integrates independent research and client-centered consulting to deliver comprehensive, systems-based solutions that improve health and health care. A nonprofit, Altarum serves clients in both the public and private sectors. To learn more, please visit www.altarum.org.


It's a little later than usual, but Netflix has finally announced their upcoming streaming releases for August — which is next week, by the way. Among this month's offerings are new Netflix Original titles, like Baz Luhrmann's series The Get Down and the animated adaptation of The Little Prince. As usual, there are several new films hitting the streaming library, including contemporary favorites like Blue Is the Warmest Color and No Country for Old Men. Read on for our full guide to August's new Netflix Instant Releases.


This gorgeous gemstone and diamond band features a channel setting. The gemstones alternate between the diamonds along the top portion of the ring.
This gorgeous gemstone and diamond band features a channel setting. The gemstones alternate betwe..
This is surely a delicate ring that will grace the finger with an air of royalty. A perfectly oval c..


text:
Aquesta llista de peixos del riu Sena inclou les 12 espècies de peixos que es poden trobar al riu Sena, a França, ordenades per l'ordre alfabètic de llur nom científic.

A
 Alosa fallax

B
 Blicca bjoerkna

C
 Gatet (Cobitis taenia)
 Cottus perifretum

H

 Hypophthalmichthys molitrix

L

 Lampetra fluviatilis
 Leucaspius delineatus
 Lota (Lota lota)

P

 Pseudorasbora parva

R

 Ródeus (Rhodeus amarus)

S

 Silurus glanis

T

 Thymallus thymallus

Referències

Enllaços externs
 Patterns of fish species richness in the Seine River basin, France
 Contamination of fish from different areas of the river Seine (France) by organic (PCB and pesticides) and metallic (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) micropollutants

Sena
Natura de França

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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When you find yourself in a hole,PUT DOWN THE SHOVEL!!!
Probably belongs in political section, although sounds like quite a few varmints are involved.
1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF.
why don't you put your rantings on the political section with the other ranters, please.
Wow and Bob has 19,500 posts!
Probably miss posted it, we all have our moments.
Your absolutely correct Trace. Please accept my apologies. Since there were answers to the post, the only thing I could do is an edit and erase the post. Again, my apologies.


Stone door houses, or shikumen, line long and narrow alleyways as if trying to contain some secret. Locals hang their laundry out of windows above the various cafes, art studios, and craft stores held inside the shikumen, as mesmerized shoppers shuffle between shops. The aromas of Indian food, Moroccan food, and Chinese food all fuse with the bohemian atmosphere that permeates this little slice of city life.


For the last three years, Racery cyclist Sarah Tacker has been tracking her cumulative mileage using a physical map on her office wall.
The upside: "a vi sual on the wall is a good conversation piece," says Tacker, who is a programmer at SAS in Cary, North Carolina.
The downside: it's a lot of work. With an annual goal of 4,000 miles, Tacker has traveled virtually along the nation's major highways, including I-40, I-85 and the Pacific Coast Highway. Armed with a sharpie and a ruler and using a separate whiteboard for the tally, Tacker traced her daily progress in increments, highlighting daily progress along the chosen route.
Search engines yielded no answers. But a friend at SAS who runs told Tacker about Racery's virtual race platform, which allows runners, cyclists, swimmers and rowers to compete with one another while seeing their progress automatically plotted in real-time on a virtual route.
(SAS employees have participated in a number of Racery's virtual competitions including the Triangle Tech Challenge and a fundraising race benefitting TechGirlz).
Since January, Tacker has logged almost 3,500 miles on a custom Racery route averaging 115 miles per week. Racing from Walt Disney World in Florida to Denali National Park in Alaska, @Sarah2.0 is already 73% of the way through. She picked the 4,600-mile route because she thought it would push her to surpass her 4,000-mile goal.
There's a big bonus, too, versus her paper map: "Now I have friends doing it with me!" says Tacker.
Tacker recruited nine other racers from a group of local cyclists she bikes with in real life. The group uses Racery to keep in touch, when not physically together for rides and high fives.
Want to launch your own custom race for a group of friends or coworkers? Fill out this form to get started.


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The Ikthian's Central data hub might have information on Whitevale's past, perhaps even information on how it became frozen. Hack into their terminals to find out.
You've recovered valuable information connecting the Ikthian's involvement with the Focus of Water to Whitevale's cryogenic state.


text:
\section{Introduction}
\label{sec:intro}

Escalation in games is the phenomenon where agents keep playing (or betting if
the game consists in bets) forever, leading to their ruin.  Since
Shubik\cite{Shubik:1971} people claim that such an attitude is not rational.  Based
on formal proofs we are able to refute such a claim and to say that \emph{if
  agents assume that resource are infinite, escalation is rational}.  Since our first
work\cite{DBLP:journals/corr/abs-0805-1798} which took place before the 2008
financial crisis, evidence\cite{bland18:_devel} show that stating the rationality of
escalation makes sense.  The only solution for avoiding escalation is then to assume
that resource are finite.

In previous
works\cite{DBLP:journals/corr/abs-1305-0101,DBLP:journals/corr/abs-1112-1185} we used
an approach based on \textsf{Coq}{}\cite{boutillier:hal-01114602} and coinduction (a dual of
induction aimed at reasoning on infinite data structures\cite{DBLP:books/cu/12/0001R12}).  Especially
in\cite{DBLP:journals/jfrea/Lescanne18} we used dependent types together with
coinduction.  In this paper, we use coinduction in
\textsf{Agda}{}\cite{DBLP:conf/tldi/Norell09}, because it allows a terse style closed to this
of mathematicians.  \textsf{Agda}{} is a formal proof computer environment as well as a
dependently typed programming language.

Notice other works using proof assistants for proving properties of
agents. For instance, Stéphane Le~Roux proved the existence of Nash equilibria using \textsf{Coq}{} and
Isabelle\cite{DBLP:conf/tphol/Roux09,roux17:_formal_nash_coq_isabel}.  In a
somewhat connected area, Tobias Nipkow proved Arrows theorem in
\textsf{HOL}{}\cite{DBLP:journals/jar/Nipkow09-2}.  \textsf{Agda}{} code of this development are available on \href{https://github.com/PierreLescanne/DependentTypesForExtensiveGames-in-Agda}{GitHub}\,\footnote{\url{https://github.com/PierreLescanne/DependentTypesForExtensiveGames-in-Agda}}.

\section{ Games and Strategy Profiles}
\label{sec:StPG}

Since we study game theory, lest us first define games. A \emph{game} is either a \emph{leaf} or a \emph{node}.
A leaf is a assignment to each agent of a \emph{Utility} (sometime called a
\emph{payoff}).  Note that the type of utility depends on the agent (dependent
type). A node contains two entities, put in a record: an \emph{agent} (the agent who
has the trait) and a function \emph{next} which tells the next positions to be played.
\pagebreak[4]
\begin{minted}{agda}
 mutual
  Game = ((a : Agent) → Utility a) ⊎ NodeG

  record NodeG : Set where
    coinductive
    field
      ag : Agent
      next : Choice → Game
\end{minted}
Notice the key word \textsf{coinductive} which shows that we deal with infinite
games.  The main concept in game theory is this of \emph{strategy profiles}.
Strategy profiles are like games with at each node a choice, which is the choice of
the agent who continues the game.  In \textsf{Agda}{} the sum comes with to unctions
\textsf{inj₁} and \textsf{inj₂}.  In our case, if \textsf{u} is a utility assignment
of type \textsf{((a : Agent) → Utility a)} then \textsf{inj₁ u} is a \textsf{Game}
and \textsf{n} is a \textsf{NodeG} then \textsf{inj₂ n} is a \textsf{Game}.  Strategy
profiles are abbreviated \textsf{StratProf}.
\begin{minted}{agda}
mutual
  StratProf = ((a : Agent) → Utility a) ⊎ NodeS

  record NodeS : Set where
    coinductive
    field
      ag : Agent
      next : Choice → StratProf
      ch : Choice
\end{minted}
We can define the underlying game of a strategy profile
\begin{minted}{agda}
game : (s : StratProf) → Game
game (inj₁ u) = inj₁ u
game (inj₂ n) = inj₂ (gameN n) where
  gameN : NodeS → NodeG
  NodeG.ag (gameN n) = ag n
  NodeG.next (gameN n) c = game (next n c)
\end{minted}
The underlying game of a leaf (strategy profile) is the same utility assignment, i.e., a leaf (game). For nodes, games are attributed corecursively.
Now let us look at another concept.
Given two strategy profiles, one may wonder whether they have the same
underlying game. This is given by the binary relation \_≈ˢᵍ\_.
\begin{minted}{agda}
mutual
  data _≈ˢᵍ_ : StratProf → StratProf → Set where
    ≈ˢᵍLeaf : {u : (a : Agent) → Utility a} → inj₁ u ≈ˢᵍ inj₁ u
    ≈ˢᵍNode : {n n' : NodeS} → n ○≈ˢᵍ n' → inj₂ n ≈ˢᵍ inj₂ n'

  record _○≈ˢᵍ_ (n n' : NodeS) : Set where
    coinductive
    field
      is○≈ˢᵍ : ag n ≡ ag n' → ((c : Choice) → next n c ≈ˢᵍ next n' c)
\end{minted}
A leaf has the same game as itself, two nodes have the same game if all their
``next'' strategy profiles have the same games.  Notice that we use the symbol
$\circ$ for concepts associated with \textsf{NodeS}, when the concept without $\circ$
is associated with \textsf{StratProf}.  Given a strategy profile, we may want to
compute the utility of an agent.  This assumes that the path that follows the choices
of the agents leads to a leaf.  A strategy profile~\textsf{s} with such a property is
said \textsf{convergent}, written $\downarrow$~\textsf{s}.  This is defined as
follows:
\begin{minted}{agda}
mutual
  data ↓ : StratProf → Set where
    ↓Leaf : {u : (a : Agent) → Utility a} → ↓ (inj₁ u)
    ↓Node : {n : NodeS} → ○↓ n → ↓ (inj₂ n)

  record ○↓ (n : NodeS) : Set where
    inductive
    field
      is○↓ : ↓ (next n (ch n))
    \end{minted}
Notice that  not all the strategy profile are convergent, for instance the strategy profile \textsf{AcBc} of Section~\ref{sec:two} is not convergent.

We define the utility assignment \raisebox{3.5pt}{\xymatrix{*+[o][F]{\tt u}}}{} of a convergent strategy profile.
\raisebox{3.5pt}{\xymatrix{*+[o][F]{\tt u}}}{} takes two parameters: a strategy profile \textsf{s} and a proof
that \textsf{s} is convergent.
\begin{minted}{agda}
  ⓤ : (s : StratProf) → (↓ s) → (a : Agent) → Utility a
  ⓤ (inj₁ u) ↓Leaf = u
  ⓤ (inj₂ n) (↓Node p) = ○ⓤ n p

  ○ⓤ : (n : NodeS) → (○↓ n)  → (a : Agent) → Utility a
  ○ⓤ n p = ⓤ (next n (ch n)) (is○↓ p)
\end{minted}
\emph{Subgame perfect equilibria} are very interesting strategy profiles.  They are
strategy profiles in which the choices of the agents are the best.  A leaf is always a
subgame perfect equilibrium{}. A~node is a subgame perfect equilibrium{} if the next strategy profile for the choice of the agent
is convergent and is a subgame perfect equilibrium{}, if for any other node which has the same game and
whose next strategy profile is also convergent and is a subgame perfect equilibrium{}, the utility of the
agent of  the given node is not less than the utility of the agent of this other node.
This is defined formally in \textsf{Agda} as follows, where we use
$\rightleftharpoons$~\textsf{s} to tell that \textsf{s} is a subgame perfect equilibrium.
\begin{minted}{agda}
data ⇋_ : StratProf → Set where
  ⇋Leaf : {u : (a : Agent) → Utility a} → ⇋ inj₁ u
  ⇋Node : {n n' : NodeS} →
    n ○≈ˢᵍ n' →
     ⇋ (next n (ch n)) →
     ⇋ (next n' (ch n')) →
    (p : ↓ (next n (ch n))) → (p' : ↓ (next n' (ch n'))) →
    (ⓤ (next n (ch n)) p (ag n)) ≮ (ⓤ (next n' (ch n')) p' (ag n)) →
     ⇋ inj₂ n
\end{minted}

\section{Escalation}
\label{sec:esca}

We are now interested in strategy profile leading to escalation.

\subsection{Good strategy profile}
\label{sec:good}

A first property toward escalation is what we call \emph{goodness}.  A strategy profile is
\emph{good} if at each node, there is a subgame perfect equilibrium{} with the same game and the same
choice.
\begin{minted}{agda}
mutual
  data ☺_ : (s : StratProf) → Set where
    ☺Node :  {n : NodeS} → ○☺ n → ☺ (inj₂ n)
  record ○☺_ (n : NodeS) : Set where
    coinductive
    field
      is○☺ : (n' : NodeS) → ⇋ (inj₂ n') → n ○≈ˢᵍ n' → ch n ≡ ch n' →
        ☺ (next n (ch n))
\end{minted}
In other words, this strategy profile is not itself a subgame perfect equilibrium, in particular, it can be
non convergent, but each of its choices is dictated by a subgame perfect equilibrium.  Goodness can be considered as \emph{rationality} in the choices of the agents.  Reader may notice that goodness is of interest only in infinite games, because in a finite game, there is no difference between a good strategy and a subgame perfect equilibrium.

\subsection{Divergent strategy profile}
\label{sec:div}

Another property of strategy profiles is \emph{divergence}. In a divergent strategy
profile, if one follows the choices of the agents, one never gets to a leaf, but, on
the opposite, one runs forever. A divergent strategy profile is written
$\uparrow$~\textsf{s}.  The formal definition in \textsf{Agda} of divergence looks like this of
convergence, but the test for divergence is based on a coinductive record and never
hits a leaf, therefore there is no \bl{$\uparrow$\textsf{Leaf}} case.
\begin{minted}{agda}
mutual
  data ↑_ : StratProf → Set where
    ↑Node :  {n : NodeS} → ○↑ n → ↑ (inj₂ n)

  record ○↑ (n : NodeS) : Set where
    coinductive
    field
      is○↑ : ↑ (next n (ch n))
\end{minted}

An \emph{escalation} is a strategy profile which is both \emph{good} and \emph{divergent}.

\section{Strategies with two agents and two choices}
\label{sec:two}

To build escalating strategy profiles, we consider the case of two agents
\textsf{Alice} and \textsf{Bob} and two choices \textsf{down} and \textsf{right}.
\begin{minted}{agda}
data AliceBob : Set where
  Alice Bob : AliceBob
\end{minted}
\begin{minted}{agda}
data DorR : Set where
  down right : DorR
\end{minted}
We take the natural numbers $\ensuremath{\mathbb{N}}$ as utility\,\footnote{We could have taken a utility
  with only two values, but we feel that the reader is more acquainted with natural
  numbers for utilities.} for both agents\,\footnote{In this case, the type of utility
  does not depend on the agent.} and for the $\nless$ relation we take the
$\succcurlyeq$ relation defined as:
\begin{minted}{agda}
data _≽_ : ℕ → ℕ → Set where
  z≽z : zero ≽ zero
  s≽z : {n : ℕ} → suc n ≽ zero
  s≽s : {n m : ℕ} → n ≽ m → suc n ≽ suc m
\end{minted}

A utility assignment is for instance this which assigns $1$ to \textsf{Alice} and
$0$ to \textsf{Bob}:
\begin{minted}{agda}
uA1B0 : AliceBob → ℕ
uA1B0 Alice = 1
uA1B0 Bob = 0
\end{minted}
from which we can build a leaf strategy profile:
\begin{minted}{agda}
A1B0 : StratProf
A1B0 = inj₁ uA1B0
\end{minted}
which is convergent.
\begin{minted}{agda}
↓A1B0 : ↓ A1B0
↓A1B0 = ↓Leaf
\end{minted}
From the utility assignment which assigns $0$ to \textsf{Alice} and $1$ to
\textsf{Bob} on can build the convergent strategy profile \texttt{A0B1}.

Moreover, we build an infinite strategy \textsf{AcBs}, in which \textsf{Alice}
continues always and \textsf{Bob} stops always:
\begin{minted}{agda}
mutual
  AcBs : StratProf
  AcBs = inj₂ ○AcBs

  ○AcBs : NodeS
  ag ○AcBs  = Alice
  ch ○AcBs  = right
  next ○AcBs down = A0B1
  next ○AcBs right =  BsAc

  BsAc : StratProf
  BsAc = inj₂ ○BsAc

  ○BsAc : NodeS
  ag ○BsAc = Bob
  ch ○BsAc = down
  next ○BsAc down = A1B0
  next ○BsAc right = AcBs
\end{minted}
We notices that by mutual co-recursion, \textsf{AcBs} is defined together with an infinite
strategy profile \textsf{BsAc} which starts with a node of which \textsf{Bob} is the
agent.  Those strategies are like infinite combs.
 \begin{displaymath}
    \xymatrix{
      *++[o][F]{\Al}\flr{r}&*++[o][F]{\Be}\fld{r}&*++[o][F]{\Al}\flr{r}&*++[o][F]{\Be}\fld{r}&*++[o][F]{\Al}\flr{r}&*++[o][F]{\Be}\fld{r}%
      &*++[o][F]{\Al}\flr{r} &*++[o][F]{\Be}\fld{r}&*++[o][F]{\Al}\flr{r} &\ar@{.>}@/^/[r]^r&\\
      0,1&1,0&0,1&1,0&0,1&1,0&0,1&1,0& 0,1&&}
  \end{displaymath}
With \textsf{down} one reaches always a leaf
and with \textsf{right} one goes always to a new strategy profile, which is a node.  There is a
variant of the node $\circ$\textsf{AcBs}, in which the first choice of \textsf{Alice}
is \textsf{down} instead of \textsf{right}.
\begin{minted}{agda}
Var○AcBs : NodeS
ag Var○AcBs  = Alice
ch Var○AcBs  = down
next Var○AcBs down = A0B1
next Var○AcBs right = BsAc
\end{minted}
\begin{displaymath}
    \xymatrix{
      *++[o][F]{\Al}\fld{r}&*++[o][F]{\Be}\fld{r}&*++[o][F]{\Al}\flr{r}&*++[o][F]{\Be}\fld{r}&*++[o][F]{\Al}\flr{r}&*++[o][F]{\Be}\fld{r}%
      &*++[o][F]{\Al}\flr{r} &*++[o][F]{\Be}\fld{r}&*++[o][F]{\Al}\flr{r} &\ar@{.>}@/^/[r]^r&\\
      0,1&1,0&0,1&1,0&0,1&1,0&0,1&1,0& 0,1&&}
\end{displaymath}
We prove that $\circ$\textsf{AcBs} and \textsf{Var}$\circ$\textsf{AcBs} have the same
game.  Likewise we prove that \textsf{AcBs} is convergent i.e.,
$\downarrow~$\textsf{AcBs}.  Those two facts are key steps in the proof that
\textsf{AcBs} is subgame prefect equilibrium i.e., that
\ensuremath{\rightleftharpoons}~\textsf{AcBs}.

On the same paradigm we built a strategy profile \textsf{AsBc} in which \textsf{A}
stops and \textsf{B} continues and which is proved to be convergent and to be a subgame
perfect equilibrium.

We also build a strategy profile in which \textsf{A} and \textsf{B} both continue.
\begin{minted}{agda}
mutual
  AcBc : StratProf
  AcBc = inj₂ ○AcBc

  ○AcBc : NodeS
  ag ○AcBc  = Alice
  ch ○AcBc  = right
  next ○AcBc down = A0B1
  next ○AcBc right =  BcAc

  BcAc : StratProf
  BcAc = inj₂  ○BcAc

  ○BcAc : NodeS
  ag ○BcAc = Bob
  ch ○BcAc = right
  next ○BcAc down = A1B0
  next ○BcAc right = AcBc
\end{minted}
\textsf{AcBs}, \textsf{AcBc} and \textsf{AsBc} have the same game.  Unlike \textsf{AcBs} and \textsf{AsBc}, the strategy profile \textsf{AcBc} is divergent, i.e., \textsf{↑\,AcBc}.  Moreover \textsf{AcBc} is good which means \textsf{☺AcBc}.

\section{Conclusion}
\label{sec:conc}

Since \textsf{AcBc} is good and divergent, \textsf{AcBc} \textbf{is an
  escalation}. Hence we proved formally the claim of the introduction, namely
\emph{if agents assume that resource are infinite, escalation is rational}.

In the current implementation, the type of choices is the same for all the
agents. However, one may imagine that this type may depend on the agents. Making the
type of choices depending on the agents is object of the current investigation.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


A friend felt her stomach turn; I got teary and had a terrible sense of disbelief. I listened closely as CNN interviewed the Mayor of Ferguson and police officials. I heard the news that the FBI was taking over the investigation into the shooting of an unarmed African-American teenager in North County on Saturday by a police officer.
Last night, while an angry crowd looted stores and fired shots in the air, demanding that the officer be named publicly and fired, I was attending a workshop with a woman who is traveling the country in search of grassroots led solutions to some of our country's most pressing problems. What a wake up call. If ever a story warranted moderation and measured thinking, this is it. Sadly, it also reflects what a touchpoint race still is in this country.
North County has been in the news a lot lately. It has seen school districts lose accreditation, manufacturing dry up and a loss of key retail. There is so much hope and energy going into reversing the fortunes of many North County municipalities that we need to make sure this situation doesn't eclipse the good work going on there.
Let's let the Department of Justice do its job now in uncovering the facts without anymore casualties or fanning the flames of this fire. We have a choice in how we respond.
Anyone with children older than 10 has slowly come to terms with the fact that there is no summer. OK, that was an exaggeration. Of course, there's a summer. According to the calendar, summer lasts about three months. Mentally, it lasts six weeks. Emotionally, summer is 16 reasonably pleasant days sandwiched in-between the end of school wrap-up and the back-to-school check-up.
I can't find my charger.
It's as if the woodwind section of a very bad orchestra is warming up in my living room. I want to yell with abandon, but part of me knows it's uncalled for and another part is worried Cranky is secretly recording me and posting the video for her friends. Instead, I calmly encourage Whiny to take the dog for a walk, and Punch to call a friend. The boys protest with their laundry list of canned excuses, returning to the virtual world before I abandon the discussion. Meanwhile, Cranky documents her reactions with a series of adorable selfies.
I have to get them out of the house. I have to. I have a pretty decent book collecting dust, the full season of 24 recorded—that and I'm going to go absolutely bat-guano crazy if I don't get five minutes alone. Think, dammit, think. I go back to every hostage negotiation movie I have ever seen: Get them talking. Hey guys, what's up today? Nothing. The games continue their high-pitched humming, Cranky snaps another photo. I went to the store. I got food. That does it. Whiny and Punch beeline to the kitchen—and one room closer to the door—Cranky wanders in behind, apparently documenting the journey as if it's a trail hike.
Once they've emptied the pantry, like a swarm of locusts descending on a fig tree, we are at a crossroads. I've gotten them this far. Three more steps and they're in the yard. They make a move to return. I block the door with my body—my sanity is on the line. Cranky grabs her keys and gestures for the boys to follow. She mentions something about ice cream or swimming or knocking off a convenience store—who the hell cares? They are leaving, they are going out in the sunshine, with the other three-dimensional people. I look around at the crumpled potato-chip bags, empty milk jugs, damp towels and odd array of flip-flops that litter the room and wonder idly, When will summer be over?
So, school's out. Cranky, Whiny and Punch are loose for the summer. It's great—truly. No more grueling classes from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon. No more sports teams. No more homework. No more 'school-night' curfew. The problem is, those were the only things that simultaneously kept the kids accounted for and out of my hair.
In a strange way, I dread summer. When other moms pass me in the grocery store and give me that Summer's here! Aren't you sooooo happy? look, I give a weak smile and nod my tempered enthusiasm. I don't dread summer because because my kids run off like a Jurassic Park raptor that has found a hole in the fence. I dread summer because summer makes me feel, well, inadequate.
Summer means you're handed back all the responsibility you relinquished when your kids started school. I mean, seriously, when people ask you what you've planned for your kids for the summer, apparently making sure they get a meal at least once a day doesn't cut it. Jeffrey's doing Kumon, then he's building huts in the rainforest before he heads to NASA for space camp. Impressive. And I'm left wondering, What the heck is a Kumon?
There are several schools of thought on how to approach a child's summer itinerary. Regrettably, 'hanging out' is not one of them. I guess you could let them hang out, the way we hung out. You could, but you wouldn't just be imagining the whispers: Her kids are hanging out this summer. Good luck getting them into an Ivy. Good luck, indeed.
So, the first and most popular option is dedicating your child's summer to sports. Swim teams, tennis clinics, lacrosse camps, there's no shortage of options. The problem is, most kids are not phenoms. All the coaching in the world won't turn a Cutler into a Manning. Without that potential, summer sports programs are a lot like visiting the wineries: an overly long drive to spend a hot afternoon doing something you could have done in your yard.
Next up is continuing education, the tiger-mom concept that school goes all year long. Let me pause. If you have a child who is willing to take classes over the summer, I applaud you. The summer I tried to make Whiny and Punch take a reading course, I feared a violent outcome.
Then there's camp. Camp is a phenomenal way for a kid to spend the summer. They are gone for three to eight weeks under the protective wing of several (hopefully) capable adults—hopefully being the operative word. Now, it's absurd to keep your child from going to camp because of a firmly planted belief that no one can or will watch your child as vigilantly as you. That would be crazy. Let's just say when your child sends you a letter explaining how he tipped a canoe, hit his head on a rock and no one realized he was missing until he waded into camp, be glad you're on the other side of it.
I don't know what the answer is, but I do know I need a plan. Even if my children are just hanging out this summer, I need an elitist, academic, politically correct way to describe it. Cranky is doing independent research on noncompetitive recreational and solar-influenced sedentary activities. Whiny is developing a first-world, non-nutritional calorie base. Punch is exploring observational athletics and streaming sports image transfer.
It doesn't make a huge difference to me what they do this summer, as long as they are having fun. I just need an answer for when people stop me in the grocery store.
It seems most of what comes out of Hollywood these days are sequels and prequels…and remakes and re-imaginings and reinterpretations. It's green, actually: Reuse, reduce, recycle. If there's an additional dollar to be made…like I said, green. So it may surprise you to know that at some point, industry executives dropped the ball. Either that or they exercised some discretion and halted work on an ill-conceived sequel. Perhaps someone learned a valuable lesson from Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo and Weekend at Bernie's 2. Believe it or not, according to screenanswers.com, these sequels were actually in the works until the plug—for whatever reason—was pulled.
Honestly, there was so much going on in the first movie, I can't imagine what was left to film. You can only cover so many decades.
As a child, I'd often hoped for E.T.'s return. Sure, that freakishly adorable alien was 'right here' in our hearts, but I wanted to see that darn bike fly again. As time passed, it occurred to me that the perfect sequel would be a film where Elliott is an off-track adult with a family of his own and E.T. returns. The sequel they actually had planned involved evil aliens invading and abducting children. Go big or go home. Fortunately, they went home.
At least, there was no ridiculous subtitle following the colon. The film would have reconnected with the high-school outcasts: the nerd (Anthony Michael Hall), the princess (Molly Ringwald), the jock (Emilio Estevez), the rebel (Judd Nelson) and the poet (Ally Sheedy). The film fell through when star Judd Nelson had a very public falling out with writer/director John Hughes. Maybe Nelson knew he was the only one who wouldn't have a career going forward.
Always an interesting undertaking when the main character dies in the first film, rumor has it this sequel involved Russell Crowe's Maximus in the afterlife. Fortunately, everyone came to their senses.
I guess there is only so much pot people can smoke.
This may be the only regrettable decision on this list. Tarantino planned to follow Vernita Green's (Vivica A. Fox) daughter as she grows up, with a life mission to avenge her mother's death and kill The Bride (Uma Thurman). It's not too late.
It may not star Will Ferrell, but this will happen—trust me.
OK, maybe not another day off in high school or even college, but the idea of Ferris as a buttoned-up lawyer who has lost his zest for life taking a day off, that's appealing. Maybe Ferris' hypochondriac buddy Cameron (Alan Ruck) changed the course of his life when he liberated his father's Ferrari from its glass garage. Maybe sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey) ran off with the bad boy (Charlie Sheen) in the police station. Think of the possibilities.
One need only look at the American Pie franchise or Ocean's Eleven to see the lengths to which Hollywood is willing to go to milk a concept. For now, everything seems fine on the sequel front. If Stallone tries to turn Grudge Match into another Rocky franchise, we may have a problem.
I drive a lemon. Let me clarify: According to Webster's Dictionary, a lemon, in the vehicular sense, is a car that 'does not work the way it should.' So, in that sense, my car is a lemon. According to the state of Missouri, however, it is not. Not that I disagree with that. The 'lemon law' exists, and is effective because it deals with cars that have more immediate and obvious defects. In other words, the lemon law deals more with car heart attacks—my car has cancer.
Let me be the first to admit that I am not the easiest person on a car. The 'check engine' light is more of a guideline than a rule. I once found a Ziplock bag of Cheerios in my tailpipe. A certain car wash politely requested I take my business elsewhere after discovering a somewhat disturbing odor source. So suffice it to say that when the bells and lights on the dash started going off like a winning slot machine urging me, ordering me, to pull over immediately and turn off the engine, I did what any normal woman with a car full of groceries would do: I drove it home and tried not to think about it.
After a quick once-over at the mechanic, I was informed that my little malfunction actually was a big malfunction. Something that apparently is integral to the car's operations was dead, and the repair would cost several thousand dollars. Now I am hardly a nitpicker. If I'm overcharged at the grocery store, so be it, but $3,000 is a pretty big nit. So, at the urging of my mechanic, I called the manufacturer. What could go wrong there? Surprisingly, they were willing to help. In fact, there was a chain of command already in place for just such situations (something that perhaps should have concerned me, but didn't), and they were going to cover a substantial portion of the work. Sure, I was still writing a four-figure check at the end of the day, but it seemed like something that it was less than I originally thought. It's the same reason I'm a sucker for sales.
Things seemed dandy with my then 5-year-old car. The dash board would warn me to get gas, the radio scrolled the band that was playing, the seat warmer toasted my back nicely. Then…the slot machine again, warning after warning, alarm after alarm. If it hadn't been so sluggish, I would have worried it was going to blow up. Well, I'd already had the big repair, so how bad could it be this time?
So I replaced the engine. It was a small fortune, but it was still less than a new car. Now my 6-year-old car has a brand-spanking new engine. At least I will have a newish car. I mean everything that could break has broken. Cranky even pulled off a windshield wiper over the summer. For the most part, I should be good to go, literally.
Apparently, there is this thing called the transmission. It makes the car go. According to the mechanic, my transmission looks like the bottom of a junk drawer. He assures me; however, that he thinks my friend up north will be willing to assist with this particular repair and sure enough, they are in for half. I don't know the ins and outs of it, but I assume this particular malfunction is not, shall we say, expected. I'm not sure how taking responsibility for half a defective part makes sense, but if I think too hard about it that little vein that throbs in my forehead will threaten to burst.
So I drive a lemon. When it's working, I actually like it. I guess that's all I wanted to say. I won't buy that brand of car again. That seems to be my only recourse; after all, there aren't many items one has owned for seven years that can be returned. So, much like the airbag that will no doubt deploy without need or warning, I just wanted to get that off of my chest.
It's warming up. Yes, I've lived in this town long enough to know not to declare with any certainty the rough part is over, but still, it is March. Even if this little heatwave is just a temporary reprieve from what no one can argue has been a brutal winter, it gives a temperate moment of reflection to thoughtfully ponder what the hell went on for the last three months. I mean, if one more person posted a screen shot of a -18 degree day…We heard the explanation dozens of times: The polar vortex.
At first, I thought it was one of those made-up weather words like tornadic, but it turns out the polar vortex is an actual thing. And no, it's not the name of Jor-El's fortress of solitude or a new North Face jacket. It's a weather phenomenon. It's also what my husband calls our bedroom after his syndicate poker night, but I digress. The polar vortex, according to Wikipedia, is a "persistent, large-scale cyclone, located near either of a planet's geographical poles." It can last for more than a month, and I'm guessing you already know what it brings.
Apparently, the polar vortex also brings a terminology shift. It's hard to sell people on the idea of global warming after a winter out of a Dostoyevsky novel. So now, it's global climate change; and the polar vortex is both a causeand a symptom. I'm not discounting climate issues but changing the moniker to that catch-all really takes the wind out of the sails: possibly due to climate change, but there's no way to be sure.
So, back to the polar vortex: It's a whirling, swirling expansive air mass that every 20 years or so swoops down from the Arctic (or swoops up from the Antarctic), and blasts bone-chilling cold across several hundred miles at a stretch. The polar vortex can be responsible for ozone depletion, sub-zero temperatures, brutal wind-chill factors, depression, weight gain, over-sleeping, road rage, an increase in chili production and a subsequent baby boom.
So whatever the Polar Vortex was, it appears to have dissipated. I picture the thing swirling violently into a cave that instantly seals shut–Bam! Then silence…and perhaps a bird chirping. Slowly people emerge from their homes, stretching in the sun and seizing the 40-degree day. Who knows? My next weather column may be titled, The Long Hot Summer; but for now, at least it's not frigid, we can bask in the brisk.