If Deleuze and Guattari were to write and publish their philosophy of the nomadological war machine today, in the still dark light of the omnipresent retaliatory and aggressive political discourse that has emerged from the ruins of September 11, would their philosophy have a chance? And given that there is always the risk of an irresponsible reading, i.e., a reading that chooses to omit, conceal, ignore, forget, gloss over, critical premises of an argument or concept, would not the "unspecified enemy," which is also the very real and somewhat invisible ("real and nonactual" ) nomadological war machine in Deleuze and Guattari's philosophy, be terribly and terrifyingly misread as terrorist material? In that viral vein of misreading, would the text or philosophy of Deleuze and Guattari be also charged as advocating terrorism and hence a threat to the security of humanity? And consequently, would it also not risk its survivability, its possible public dissemination to a time of reading in the world, since the "comprehensive assault" by the Bush Administration is also committed to inflicting military force on "anybody who houses a terrorist, encourages terrorism"?  Is it still able to hold space within all social and/ or academic discourses? Or will it have to burrow space, move only in subterranean fashion by creating holey spaces? And even so, will it still risk itself being flushed out by "smart" thermobaric bombs — "They run to the hills; they find holes to get in. And we will do whatever it takes to smoke them out and get them running, and we'll get them"?  Taking away the innocent chronotropic distance between the present "time of terror"  and the time of Deleuze and Guattari's writing, should the reading of Deleuze and Guattari's philosophy be rejected today? Put in another way, would a contemporary philosophical counterpart of the nomadological war machine be possible today?
We will not forget to make clear that the questions posed in the beginning are still entirely hypothetical. Philosophy has not (yet) been interrogated of its risk or apparent threat to hinge toward or to appear to be in proximity with a discourse made to belong to terrorism by the State. Baudrillard's essay has not been the target of counter-terrorism. What could a text of philosophy in-itself, a mere philosophical argument, do, in any actuality of action, anyway, really? The right of philosophy, or the right to philosophy, has not yet been questioned. The hypothetical scenario depicted hence — the confrontation of politics and philosophy — is a pre-emptive strike indeed. But what is pre-emptive is most often times instigated by an imminent circumstance (an understanding of the pre-emptive shared by political discourse as manifest in the Iraq war of 2003, but surely employed with different means and justifications). In other words, the questioning of the right of philosophy and the right to philosophy by politics remains nonetheless a possibility, an approaching eclipse, given the political climate of the present time. Furthermore, there is no longer any consolation or security in being a hypothesis today either. What is a hypothesis is now also a target. "9/11 showed that threats hitherto belittled as wild speculations or hypothetical dangers of the remotest possibility are realistic, indeed actual."  Philosophy, in this wait for an imminent repression if not suppression,  would be experiencing something of a state of emergency — under siege in its own space, under curfew, movement (to the) outside prohibited. This surely would not be unlike the experience of some of us when compelled to make the decisive non-choice of "either you are with us [the State war machine of the US], or you are with the terrorists,"  when none can choose, really choose, to be in-between, not thinking in line with either. Would philosophy likewise be coerced to abdicate and make a decision from such a non-choice, in order to have a space in the real world for its present survivability and for its future?
The sense is that there is no security for philosophy, at the outside, that is. We cannot rely on an anachronistic Kantian belief in the political practitioner to think that "the theorist's abstract ideas […] cannot endanger the state," that it is "safe to let [the philosopher] fire off his whole broadside, and the worldly-wise statesman need not turn a hair."  We cannot have stubborn faith in the "saving clause," whereby the "practical politician" "must not claim […] to scent any danger to the state in the opinions which the theorist has randomly uttered in public."  No matter how philosophy is written in "correct and proper style," there is no fortress to safeguard "against all malicious interpretation."  There will always be the real threat of philosophy, especially the philosophy of counter-thought, being misread, e.g. misread as a threat, on paper. That is the risk of philosophy, the risk of the dissemination of philosophy. It is a risk that philosophy must take, though. A philosophy like Deleuze and Guattari's nomadological war-machine must continue to be written, even though it presents or it risks being mis-re-presented as a risk, a threat, to the security of global politics and its discourse. Only then will philosophy secure itself a future. Only by risking being a threat to a dominating and homogenizing political discourse, risking a war with the State, risking being a threat to itself henceforth, will philosophy think anew an armature of counter-thoughts to resist any monolithic dominant thought and its contemporary modifications that seek to veil its nonetheless fascistic determinations. That is what we will argue here, through a (re)reading Deleuze and Guattari's Nomadology  today: that philosophy, as a thought-projectile such as the nomadological war machine, remains necessary, remains necessary to be read, re-read, and written, despite its imminent risk and threat of demise, so as to secure for itself and the world a future free space of heterogeneous thoughts, so as to secure a space within which every singular thought can be free to think whatever it desires.
Let us say it again: the risk of Deleuze and Guattari's Nomadology is that it makes itself very likely to be misread as a trajectory of terrorism because of its counter-State or anti-State posture, and hence a possible threat to its own survivability amidst today's global or international anti-terrorism campaign. Saying it again, that sounds too apologetic. We might not even be hearing philosophy properly. In our apologia of philosophy like that of Deleuze and Guattari's nomadological war machine, we will not hold back. We will not striate ourselves with an apology. That would still constitute much to be remaining in a state of emergency. With a projectile of absolute speed and decisive direction, and hearing nomadology fully in its articulated resonance, we will just say: the nomadological war machine is anti-State. Forget about the risk and threat of misreading to philosophy. An understanding of the life-death logic of dissemination, from Derrida, would have braced us for that risk, which is the letting fall of the text to the outside, at the outside, letting it fall also to misappropriation, to misreading. That risk is but part of philosophy's "artifactuality," such that it paradoxically guarantees its future outside its own spatio-temporal context. We have been prepared for that. What is at stake now is another preparation, another re-reading of Deleuze and Guattari's nomadological war machine today, untimely as it seems to "social responsibility," in order to brace ourselves against another risk, another threat. So, we will just say it, for now: the nomadological war machine is a threat to the State.
The nomadological war machine is a threat to the State because it refuses to abdicate the freedom of thought to the State. It refuses to submit thinking to a function of the State. With regards to thought, the State limits it, appropriates it. It regulates thought to a dominant or dominating interpretation. From the point of view of the State, it is best that no thought deviates from the dominant one issuing from the State. From the point of view of the State, it is even better that the political, economic, and techno-scientific "progress" of the State be left unthought by the subjects of the State, left archived only by the State as its grand narrative.  "Thought as such is already in conformity with a model that it borrows from the State apparatus, and which defines for it goals and paths, conduits, channels, organs, an entire organon."  All thought would have to end with the State, or the ends of thought should find itself in service for the State. (We can read this in the case of the present Bush Administration's relation with the think-tank Project for the New American Century (PNAC) as revealed by the BRussells Tribunal. ) In other words, the State would have had captured thought, first creating for itself a captivating image that reaches out to the masses, which then arrests all autonomous and heterogeneous thinking in place for that singular image-thought of and by the State. And it would be within thought that the State creates for itself, and for the spectacle for (the fixation of) its subjects, an image which grounds itself as the necessary foundation of the territory's sovereignty — "operating by magical capture, seizure or binding, constituting the efficacity of a foundation" — and which binds peoples together — "a republic of free spirits proceeding by pact or contract, constituting a legislative and juridical organization, carrying the sanction of a ground."  It is as such that it seduces the masses into a captivating thought — an easy thought, a thought without labor, whereby the security of the sovereignty of the (thoughts of) peoples within the sovereignty of their spaces are given to the State. The economy of such capture of thought gives the State as if a universal right, as if its thought, discourse, and action are a categorical universal law, carved in stone on an imperial obelisk at the center of State's territory. "Indeed, by developing in thought in this way the State-form gains something essential: an entire consensus. Only thought is capable of inventing a fiction of a State that is universal by right, of elevating the State to the level of the universality of law."  With the capture of thought, the State gains "to be sanctioned by it as the unique, universal form."  And consequently, by an apparent appeal to the mass consensus, it is able to outlaw any form of counter-thought and fragment the community by separating those with deviant thought-trajectories: "the State becomes the sole principle separating rebel subjects […] from consenting subjects, who rally to its form of their own accord."  All these are still rigorously evident today, whereby the State war machine of the US takes itself to be the de jure international force of law against terrorism, as if given all rights to categorize other states as either supporters of the anti-terrorism campaign or sympathizers of terrorists, and as if given all rights too to conduct military violence in its own terms against those it deems hospitable to terrorism.
It is critical to note that what the State claims to be its "consenting subjects" are not exactly "free spirits" however, even though some of them claim to be thinkers or innovators within the State's territory. There is in fact no real freedom of thought for them: "The State does not give power (pouvoir) to the intellectuals or conceptual innovators; on the contrary, it makes them a strictly dependent organ with an autonomy that is only imagined."  To not resist the dominant thought of the State, or to believe in the false autonomy of thought, would be close to stepping back into the shadows of Plato's cave. The thought that comes from these supposed "free spirits" only disseminates, only repeats, only reproduces the thought of the State. What has happened is in fact only that the State has "deprive[d] them of their [autonomous] model, submits them to its own model, and only allow[ed] them to exist in the capacity of 'technologies' or 'applied science'."  This variation on a State thematic only reaffirms the delimitation of the freedom of thought, only reaffirms the gravity of the monolithic thought by the State: "Reproducing implies the permanence of a fixed point of view."  It is the permanence of the State's fixed point of view, the permanence of the State even, that is reiterated, in total disregard of other heterogeneous thoughts, other points of views.
Security, and a New International Community?
It is not difficult to see, along with Baudrillard and Derrida, that delocalization by State globalization incites and gives place to terrorism as a violent response to the indifferent siege of globalization. With globalization, the State in fact makes itself a threat to itself. And when terrorism hits hard at the State, as in September 11, and when the State retaliates with an objective of total annihilation or total war against terrorism, the State fails yet again to take time to reconsider its politico-economic operations, to take time to give critical thought of the heterogeneous Other that it has left out at the margins through the speed of delocalization. It becomes a decisive imperative of the State to secure a peace at all cost without any more irruption to its status quo. For this peace, and through the contemporary rhetoric of a "homeland security," it requires all to give up any thought that deviates from that of the State. It is a peace where all heterogeneity is homogenized into a totality of the thought of the State. "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorist." Deleuze and Guattari call such peace "a peace still more terrifying than fascist death."  This is a peace that is a threat to a space of a freedom of thought, a freedom of movement, and a freedom of difference. It is a threat to the future of the task of thinking, a threat to the right to heterogeneous thoughts. It is for the security of such a space, a future, and a right, that the nomadological war machine risks itself being misread and hence maliciously misinterpreted, risks itself being captured and smoked out by the State, by presenting itself as a threat to the State, by conducting war against the State. That is, to reiterate, the nomadological war machine's risk of philosophy.
In the opening of Kant's essay on "perpetual peace," Kant speaks of a signboard with the words "perpetual peace" inscribed alongside an image of a graveyard. For Kant, it is ambiguous as to "whether it applies to men in general, or particularly to heads of state (who can never have enough of war), or only to the philosophers who blissfully dream of perpetual peace."  There is nothing blissful about the nomadological war machine, of course. But perhaps it necessarily has to risk a possible death by a misreading, a malicious interpretation, a State, so that a perpetual peace, whereby the right to a plural and heterogeneous public opinion or interpretation of the world is affirmed without reserve, can be secured. Only when there remains such a chance for a future free space of heterogeneous thoughts in the world then will philosophy be conducting its task as philosophy, the task that secures for philosophy and the world a horizonless possibility of thinking, and the possibility of thinking in difference, in security. For this perpetual peace, Kant insists that "the philosopher should be given a hearing."  Perhaps, in this "time of terror," Deleuze and Guattari's concept of the nomadological war machine, should be once again given an untimely hearing?
 Nomadology: The War Machine. Trans. Brian Massumi. New York: Semiotext(e), 1986. pp. 119-120.
 Deleuze and Guattari. Nomadology: The War Machine. p. 117.
 Cf. Giovanna Borradori. Philosophy in a Time of Terror: Dialogues with J¸rgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
 We will not forget Derrida's call for a heterogeneity of interpretations otherwise of dominant ones coming out of political and media discourse in The Other Heading: Reflections on Today's Europe (Trans. Pascale-Anne Brault and Michael B. Naas. Intro. Michael B. Naas. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1992).
 We say "repression" because there is indeed a claim for "social responsibility" in such times, a responsibility to be sensitive to the persons, things, and institutions that were destroyed on September 11. There is a call to restrict all discourses such that they will not in any way recall or be in any way reminiscent of the specter of September 11.
 Immanuel Kant. "Perpetual Peace." Political Writings. Ed. H.S Reiss. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1970. pp. 93.
 We will recognize, of course, that the Semiotext(e) publication of Nomadology is abstracted from a chapter or "plateau" of Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus. We will restrict our discussion in this paper to that "plateau" because that would surely be the most controversial chapter in this context. And hence we will make full use of the Semiotext(e) publication rather than A Thousand Plateaus.
 Cf. Walter Benjamin's "Theses on the Philosophy of History" (in Illuminations: Essays and Reflections. Ed. and intro. Hannah Arendt. Trans. Harry Zohn. New York: Schocken Books, 1969. pp. 253-264). Benjamin speaks of the conformist imperative of State-thought (which at the same is denigrative of the thought of the social body) that gives a "conception of the nature of labor [that] bypasses the question of how its products might benefit the workers while still not being at their disposal. It recognizes only the progress of the mastery of nature, not the retrogression of society" (259). In response to the State's grand narrative of "progress," Benjamin himself launches his war machine, calling for a "theoretical armature" (262) of a counter-state-of-emergency such that the homogenized time of that narrative will be "shot through" (263) with shards of heterogeneous, immanent, plural Jetztzeit.
 See www.brusselstribunal.org 17 April 2004.
 Ibid. pp. 4/ 77/ 4.
 Ibid. p. 111. My italics.
 "Delocalization," of course, is Virilio's term for the damaging effect of the technics of tele-technology. See especially Open Sky (Trans. Julie Rose. London: Verso, 1997).
 Cf. Derrida: "[Globalization] is not taking place. It is a simulacrum, a rhetorical artifice or weapon that dissimulates a growing imbalance, a new opacity, a garrulous and hypermediatized noncommunication, a tremendous accumulation of wealth, means of production, teletechnologies, and sophisticated military weapons, and the appropriation of all these powers by a small number of states or international corporations" (In Giovanna Borradori. Philosophy in a Time of Terror: Dialogues with J¸rgen Habermas and Jacques Derrida. p. 123).
 Nomadology. p. 120. My italics.
Irving Goh is a doctoral candidate with the European Graduate School (EGS). His current research interests include the intersection of philosophy and architecture, theories of communities, the question of friendship, and postcolonial theory. His paper on Deleuze and Guattari and postcolonial theory was published by the journal genre (California State University). Irving Goh lives in Singapore.


Cassie Everts reflects on the difficulties and the beauty of passing on the Faith by exposing our little ones to the greatest form of prayer.
Lent gives mothers many opportunities to become holy. Cassie Everts reflects on how we can embrace sanctification.
Cassie Everts takes a look at New York's newly enacted abortion law and how our society has reached this point of immorality.
Cassie Everts discusses waiting as a time for God to work in our hearts and provides practical ways to live out Advent as a family.
During National Adoption Awareness Month, Cassie Everts reflects on the gift that changed her life: a love that called her deeper.
October marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. Cassie Everts shares ways our hearts can find healing as we long for the babies we never held.
Back to school can be a time of such mixed emotions. Cassie Everts reflects on the Mother we can turn to, because she has pondered all of it.
Miscarriage: many women carry the cross, but are left suffering in silence. Cassie Everts reflects on how grief leaves so many feeling alone.
We are being watched, all eyes on us. Cassie Everts writes about how every opportunity is one to advertise the beauty of family life.
Are you a perpetual list maker? Cassie Everts writes about her need to let go of the list, to stop always doing and instead learn how to be.
Cassie Everts reflects on the moments that make up this beautiful profession we call motherhood.
Cassie Everts shares her struggles with carrying her own cross, and the peace she finds in the Resurrection.
Motherhood: not for the faint of heart. Cassie Everts describes the mess that unites us as we strive to make saints.
Cassie Everts notes that while Lent is a time to stretch ourselves, we must consider out state in life when choosing a sacrifice that will aid our spiritual growth.


Trigard Memorials: Are we a part of a lost generation?
In the fast-paced world that we live in, I am continuously growing more and more concerned about our generation. With the growing trends we see happening every day in our profession, such as direct cremating and scattering. I worry that we are going to become a part of a lost generation.
Have you ever stopped to ask the question: Where does our history lie? Interesting question, isn't it? Well of course, it lies in our cemeteries around the world. While public records can be a resource, memorials in a cemetery are vital for anyone doing genealogical research. Can you imagine where they will confirm a family's history years down the road?
It is important now more than ever to educate the families we serve on the importance of memorializing their loved ones. I encourage you to be a resource for families. Be an asset to this industry and help every generation be remembered. Encourage families to Have the Talk with their families. Our generation deserves it.


The organization works closely with the Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA) which has become the focal point of popular a cappella attention, with several hundred participating groups and organizations around the world. This organization's resources are very impressive, providing attention and awards for growing ensembles and tools for starting and developing a cappella skills. The Barbershop Harmony Society (formerly SPEBSQSA) is another significant partner in highlighting the talented singing groups that reside here in Colorado, as well as to see that nationally renowned groups come through Colorado.
Vocal jazz and its a cappella ensemble outgrowth usually incorporate rhythm patterns, melodic variations and harmonic treatments which may modify the original composition and reflect similar techniques first used by both black and white musicians early in the 20th century. Through the harmonic interpretations of Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald and others, vocal groups began to develop ensemble styles that emulated these presentations. The pattern of vocal styling made popular by the Modernaires, the Four Freshmen and the Beach Boys is now heard in the music of currently popular groups like Take 6, Rockapella, and m-pact. Here in Colorado, a cappella vocal bands in this style have become very popular, with college groups like Extreme Measures and Room 46, as well as avocational groups like the Denver A Cappella Project and 3-Story Limit, and professional groups such as Cool Shooz, Groove Society and the 17th Avenue Allstars, thus expanding the genre into the younger generation.
It's an exciting time for this music, and we hope you will enjoy and support its performance in the clubs and community facilities in your own area. Contact us for more information.


Jan. 2000: World premiere of Robert Preston Jones' "The Stroop Report" draws regional and national attention.
Jan. 2004: Chance moves to larger space at front of the same business complex, expanding from 2,000 to 3,000 square feet.
Jan. 2009 and Feb. 2010: The world premiere of "Jesus Hates Me" opens at the Chance in 2009 and is remounted at SCR's Nicholas Studio in 2010.
Summer 2010 and Feb. 2011: Segerstrom Center imports Chance's production of "The Who's Tommy" to Founders Hall where it enjoys a sold-out two-week run.
June 2012: SCR co-founder Martin Benson joins the board of directors.
Feb. 2013: Wylie and Bette Aitken begin attending Chance productions and making sizable donations. They have had a significant impact on the theater through sizable donations that have allowed Chance to meet many of its capital campaign goals – and prompting the company to name its current, two-theater complex after Bette Aitken.
Sept. 2013: Chance again moves within same complex, doubling its size to 6,000 square feet.
Jan. 25, 2014: Grand opening of the Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center.
Feb. 2014: The West Coast premiere of the Broadway musical "Lysistrata Jones" is the first production on the new 99-seat Cripe Stage.
Aug. 23, 2014: First annual fundraising event in new space brings in more than $100,000.
Jan. 2015: When adjacent tenant moves, Chance adds another 3,000 square feet – then builds the Fyda-Mar Stage and adds classrooms and a scene shop.
March and May 2015: "Alice in Wonderland" and "Samsara" are the inaugural productions of the 49-seat Fyda-Mar Stage, named for then board chair Mary Kay Fyda-Mar.
Jan. 2017: The first of three annual $25,000 challenge gifts from Linda and Tod White inaugurate the Artist Fund. The funds support artists in the community, deepen the company's artistry, and offer more union contracts to Chance performers.
Are great theater companies, like great actors, born, not made? Specifically, was the greatness seen by many in Chance Theater once the Anaheim Hills-based storefront theater troupe worked the bugs out in its first handful of years encoded in its creative and business-model DNA?
From almost innocent beginnings, Chance Theater developed from a minuscule theatrical acorn of which expectations all around were fairly modest to a mighty Southern California oak that continues to expand and grow.
Its progress and growth from its inception has been slow yet steady and continuous, and its momentum unchecked by economic recessions and the general tumult and occasional disruption that come with founding and operating any theater company of any size.
Founding artistic director Oanh Nguyen, Chance's nucleus and the person most closely associated with it, met Fred Hatfield and Chris Ceballos when he joined the Anaheim High School theater program in his junior year.
"While doing theater around town" for Yorba Linda Civic Light Opera and Santa Ana College, he met Jeff Hellebrand and future wife Erika Miller.
Casey Long, Chance's managing director, came in during a casting call for the troupe's third production, but due to the eventual breadth and depth of his work, he's considered a founding member.
Jocelyn Brown, Kelly Todd and Lisa Zaradich were among the first wave of personnel to act, direct or choreograph a show, then continue to work and play a key role.
One original goal was that every show be either written by company members or an original, unproduced script – and that all performers and directors be drawn from within the company.
Within the first year, amidst general public indifference, that mandate was scuttled. Outside directors were brought in to direct shows carrying more audience familiarity, which led to an infusion of actors from outside Chance – a combination that increased attendance and recognition from both the public and the press while also stemming the tide of red ink.
Nguyen said it took the company nearly four years to make up the initial startup cost of $50,000. It quickly became apparent that increased seating capacity was needed.
A larger space located at the front of the same business complex solved that problem, yielding a larger stage area, flexible seating, a larger lobby, a larger performer dressing room and, perhaps most crucial, increased visibility via a lighted marquee facing La Palma Avenue.
With 70 seats, the new space opened in January, 2004 – and expanded Chance from 2,000 to 3,000 square feet.
As the theater company began to grow in the early 2000s, so did its artistic reputation: "Lee Miller: The Angel and the Fiend," a world-premiere drama, received an OC Weekly Theater Award in 2003.
The company was showered with awards from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and numerous Ovation and Garland awards for productions like "The Who's Tommy," "Jerry Springer: The Opera" and "Triassic Parq"; Arts OC recognized Chance with the Orange County Arts Award for "Outstanding Arts Organization" in 2004 and again in 2009.
Various Southern California venues (like The Getty Center) have taken notice of Chance's work, inviting the company to re-stage its productions in new surroundings. A year after its 2009 West Coast premiere, the Wayne Lemon comedy "Jesus Hates Me" was remounted at South Coast Repertory's Nicholas Studio in a sold-out run. And in early 2011, Segerstrom Center imported "The Who's Tommy" to Founders Hall for a sold-out two-week run.
In fall 2009 SCR co-founder Martin Benson tapped Nguyen as the associate director of "The Happy Ones," sensing the play's depiction of Vietnamese characters would benefit both from Nguyen's artistic talent and his Vietnamese heritage.
"We got to be good friends," Benson said. "I came to respect him, and the work he does, and Chance Theater itself." He also became a mentor to Nguyen, who says the association has made his skills as an artistic director and artist blossom.
The vital SCR-Chance connection would strengthen in June of 2012 when Benson joined the board of directors, then invited other heavy hitters to do the same – key examples being Wylie and Bette Aitken and Tod and Linda White.
Benson said he also urged Nguyen, who was leaning toward purchasing and moving into a new, larger space, to instead think about the intermediary step of finding and renting something larger. It's akin to what SCR did while still growing – and was, in fact, the direction the company ultimately took.
Not content to simply produce plays, for nearly a decade now Chance has been inviting playwrights to take up residence with the company and to workshop and develop new plays through a New Works Series known as "OTR" (for On the Radar). The company's Theater for Young Audiences ("TYA") productions have developed into an entire series, the TYA Family Series. Founded in 2006, the "Speak Up" community outreach program for at-risk junior high and high school students keeps expanding and growing and now includes veterans who tell personal stories from the stage through annual performances around the same time as Veterans Day.
The boundless energy of the company's core has bred a seemingly self-perpetuating cycle of raising sizable donations that are used to expand Chance's physical size and artistic resources, leading to improvements that attract new patrons and donors – and additional rounds of gifts and contributions.
The most momentous confluence of a patron and admirer stepping in and having a huge impact has been the arrival of Bette and Wylie Aitken.
In February, 2013, after Bette attended the West Coast premiere of "Triassic Parq," the Aitkens became ongoing patrons – but more importantly, expressed a desire to make monetary contributions.
Nguyen calls them "angel donors." They're the company's single largest donor of the past six years. Their gifts led directly to the company's second move within the business park and a doubling in size to 6,000 square feet.
Wylie Aitken is also a major donor to Voice of OC and chairs the board of directors that fundraises for the nonprofit newsroom.
On January 25, 2014, Chance held the grand opening of a new theater complex christened the Bette Aitken theater arts Center. Three weeks later came the grand opening of the new 99-seat Cripe Stage, named for supporters and board members Larry and Sophie Cripe.
Funds and gifts continued to roll in, allowing another 3,000 square feet to be added that includes a classroom for outreach programs, on-site scene shop, and most crucially, a second stage – the Fyda-Mar Stage, a 49-seat black box theater named for then-board chair Mary Kay Fyda-Mar.
In August of 2014, the first annual fundraising event in the new space brought in more than $100,000 in donations.
In early 2017, donations from Linda and Tod White in the form of challenge (matching) gifts helped establish the company's Artist Fund, designed to better support artists in the community, deepen the company's artistry, and offer more union contracts to performers.
Long said that for the total "Bold New Home" capital campaign that includes both phases of the theater construction, the company raised $900,000. The theater's Form 990s (publically available forms for tax-exempt organizations) for fiscal 2013 through 2018 shows that it received a total of $2,630,742 in contributions, grants and gifts.
Coming soon: Another new 'Chance'?
While Chance Theater's growth, expansion and progress may appear dizzying to most outside observers, the cool-headed Nguyen, the company's steady hand at the helm, is eager to take Chance to the next level – that of a mid-sized theater company.


The days of dropping a mobile call or an internet connection when in a lift or moving between buildings and the outdoors could soon be over thanks to a new system being trialled by Vodafone UK.
In partnership with Ericsson, Vodafone has become the first UK mobile company to start testing Ericsson's new 4G Radio Dot system, which is designed to allow customers to be on a call or using video streaming continuously throughout an office building or shopping centre and when they move onto the 4G network.
Until now the call handover between an in-building small cells and the 4G mobile data network are technically more challenging than other technologies due to the different radio frequencies and protocols in use. The new system – being tested at Vodafone UK's office in Waterloo, London – boosts indoor coverage and capacity as well as provides improved integration with 4G.
The system offers customers mobile broadband throughout a building through the deployment of small cells or 'dots', which are approximately the size of an indoor smoke alarm. The system also requires less internal wiring, reducing the need to rip up a ceiling or floor which in turn speeds up and lowers the cost of installation.
Vodafone UK Chief Technology Officer Jorge Fernandes said: "With 70% of customers using their mobile device mostly indoors, we want to eradicate the frustration of losing a conference call or video streaming session when moving throughout a business park or leaving a music venue.
Vodafone will test different office deployments and scenarios with the view of trialling the Ericsson 4G Radio Dot system with corporate customers at a later date. The system complements Vodafone's low frequency 800MHz spectrum which travels further and penetrates better through walls than other 4G signals to provide the best network coverage.


Urban's father had been a fan of country music, so he grew up listening to Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, and Jimmy Web. In order for Urban to change the style of country music, he immersed himself with the idols that came before him.
Urban had started playing at Tamworth Country Music Festival in Australia, where he went every year. After his first album, he moved to Nashville, TN, in 1992 from New Zealand. In 2004, he released "Be Here" which earned him his first Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental Performance.
While most fans believe they know much of Urban's background, most people would be surprised by the facts. Urban was born in New Zealand which is a misconception to most because fans think he's from Australia.
Surprisingly, the countries like to take turns passing Urban off.
When Urban gets into trouble, he's seen as being from New Zealand, but when he wins a Grammy, Australia instead will claim him.
Another misconception that fans have is that Urban had instant stardom. But since he was introducing a new sound to country music, it took him some years to make it in the music industry. Therefore, in the mid 1990s, he gained a lot of commercial success. Lastly, unbeknownst to most, Urban has overcome an addiction to drugs as well alcohol.
In recent years, Urban has been a judge on "American Idol." He's performed at the CMA (Country Music Association) Awards, CMT Awards, and at a special Grammy tribute to honor the Bee Gees.
According to TasteOfCountry.com, published on Jan. 17, 2018, the Graffiti U World Tour will start on June 15. According to Rolling Stone, Urban released the song, "Coming Home" featuring Julia Michaels on March 20 that incorporates a revised version of "Mama Tried" by the late Merle Haggard, another country singer who had passed away in 2016. The new song has a great beat and Haggard's beat is easy to pick up in the song.
The song is a success because it mixes the "country twang" with Urban's style, and Haggard is even credited as a co-writer. The song mixes an older style of country with a newer version of country. It shows that pioneers of country music will live on through the artists who grew up listening to them.
Urban will be performing at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on June 27 as part of his world tour.


*THE DAY REPLAYED – *Mexico sprang to the top of CONCACAF's final Hexagonal round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ with an impressive win over Costa Rica at the Estadio Azteca.
Trinidad and Tobago and USA joined El Tri in an upward trajectory with a pair of much-needed victories to earn their first points of the round. FIFA.com takes a closer look at all the action from a spicy Friday night in the CONCACAF zone.
Mexico moved to the top of the table with a comprehensive 2-0 win over a tough Costa Rica outfit that started the day in first place. Javier *Chicharito *Hernandez opened the scoring early with a brave chip over the onrushing Keylor Navas to send the crowd at the Azteca into hysterics.
Nestor Araujo then made it 2-0 just before the half with a powerful header that barely snuck over the line. With a host of influential players out through injury, including Jesus Tecatito Corona and Andres Guardado, Juan Carlos Osorio's Mexicans never missed a beat and cruised through the second half to seal the win and a clean sheet.
*Elsewhere *USA gave Bruce Arena the perfect start to his second term as coach with a demolition of Honduras in Northern California. Sebastian Lletget opened the scoring with a tap-in to an open goal early on. Captain Michael Bradley doubled the lead near the half-hour mark as the Americans were in an attacking mood.
By the time Clint Dempsey, back in action after a year out with an irregular heartbeat, slammed home the first of his three goals on the night, the game was well and truly beyond the Hondurans. It was no surprise that the contest finished 6-0 to the resurgent Stars and Stripes, who are still tied for last-place, but have reason for serious optimism.
Trinidad and Tobago earned their first points of the round with a 1-0 win over Panama at home in Port of Spain. Kevin Molino made the difference on the night, his 37th-minute right-footer from 25 yards squirreling past Jaime Penedo in the Panamanian net to see the lone remaining Caribbean side with reason for confidence of their own.
Three assists and a goal in a 6-0 win -- not a bad night's work for an 18-year-old kid.* *Pulisic is wasting no time making his mark on the US national team. The Borussia Dortmund phenom injected dynamism into Bruce Arena's attack-minded line-up and had a hand in virtually every meaningful attack. His goal ten seconds into the second half deflated the weary Hondurans and seemed to signal the start of a new era in American soccer.
* Did you know? *New coach Dennis Lawrence knows what it takes to get a Trinidad and Tobago team to the World Cup finals. He scored the winning goal in an intercontinental play-off with Bahrain in 2005 to see the Soca Warriors into their first and only world finals (Germany 2006). Fans of the colourful and athletic islanders will be hoping the former captain, in his first head-coaching gig, can do the same from the touchline.
*What they said *"Congratulations Chicharito! When will you score another and break my record? I'm sure you'll get 20 more at least." Mexican legend Jared Borgetti, known as the Desert Fox *in his playing days,* was gracious about Chicharito drawing level with him as El Tri's all-time top-scorer.
Now that's more like it. #Get3, achieved.


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Off the Beaten Path | Crashing
June 6, 2020 April 18, 2021 Joseph MacMaster
Hey everyone! It's time to hop back into the saddle for a fresh installment of Off the Beaten Path. Like how I reviewed Danger 5 after reviewing Love, Death & Robots S1, I'm dipping back into the comedy well. This time, it's for Crashing, a 6-episode Netflix original comedy show by Phoebe Waller-Bridge I didn't even know existed a week ago. You know, her other comedy show from 2016.
I bet you're wondering, "why was it that Fleabag catapulted Waller-Bridge to worldwide acclaim while Crashing ended up as little more than a footnote on Waller-Bridge's IMDB page?". I mean, I was asking myself the same question when I first found this show. Well after watching the show, I think I have an answer.
Crashing, while well made and well written, just isn't as interesting as Fleabag.
So what makes Crashing not overly interesting?
What does Crashing get right?
My Episode Recommendations
If You're Interested in Watching Crashing
So what do I mean by that? For the most part, I think Crashing is just rather vanilla as a show. For one, it's one roommate-com about fun 20-30 somethings that are dealing with life in an endless sea of them. That's not to say roommate-coms are inherently bad. Far from it. It's more that Crashing, beyond having Waller-Bridge's authorial voice, doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the countless other similar shows out there.
For another, it didn't help that Crashing was the least surprising show that I've reviewed for Off the Beaten Path, and that includes the stuff I've seen before. In this case, I predicted the outcomes of all the pairings after Episode 1.1 was done. Without fail, those predictions came true. If anything, the only mystery to me was whether or not Colin (Adrian Scarborough) would succumb to Melody's (Julie Dray) desires. Otherwise, everything was telegraphed from the very beginning.
Lastly, it also didn't help that the pairings, based on already familiar sitcom archetypes mind you, fell into one of two types of archetypal setups that you see a lot in sitcoms. At the forefront, there's the love triangle between Anthony (Damien Molony), Kate (Louise Ford), and Lulu (Phoebe-Waller Bridge). As soon as all three were in the same room, the three fell into the classic Archie-Betty-Veronica dynamic. In particular, Anthony is the bland Archie, Kate is the demure Betty, and Lulu is the wild and sexual Veronica. The only subversions there is that Lulu was the girl next door instead of Kate. Otherwise, the tropes were played straight enough (and the onscreen chemistry, can't underestimate that) that the writing was on the wall immediately after Lulu arrived.
In the background, the other pairings fell pretty neatly into a lonely man-manic pixie dream girl dynamic. If you're curious about who's who in these dynamics, check out the character bios I wrote and you'll understand almost immediately.
The saving grace with these pairings is that Waller-Bridge gives them more to go on and makes them more interesting than the shallowness the tropes imply.
Lulu meeting the other residents of the hospital
Consider Sam (Jonathan Bailey). While he may be Fred's (Amit Shah) MPDG by forcing Fred out of his shell, he has his own arc. Namely, coming to terms with his newfound sexuality while dealing with the grief from the death of his father. With Melody, she doesn't exactly grow into anything new. She starts off as a (pseudo?) french artist who likes to live life to the fullest and ends exactly there. Instead, we learn about how she ticks as a character. Namely, her having Colin as a muse is her way of processing issues she had with her father through her art, especially as Colin is only the latest in a long line of muses that bear a resemblance to her father.
Seeing these in action makes me wish we got more with the main triangle. Compared to the beta pairings, not much happens there. Kate gets the most, what with trying to become less uptight and more fun to passive-aggressively keep Anthony's attention away from Lulu. Lulu herself is pretty static. She starts off as a quirky, sex-obsessed millennial, and ends more or less the same place character-wise. Anthony just gets more confused and straight-up possessive over both ladies as time goes on.
Now don't get me wrong, Crashing is by no means a bad show. Out of the three comedy shows I've reviewed for Off the Beaten Path, Crashing is easily the most consistent. Sure, it may not reach the heights of say Lizard Soldiers of the Third Reich but it never approaches the lows of Un Sacco Di Natale.
Think of it this way. Crashing is good enough that the flaws stand out more than if it were just varying degrees of bad.
It should come as no surprise that Waller-Bridge's writing is what makes Crashing so consistent. Good lord can she mine humor out of mundane situations and character interactions. One of my absolute favorite laughs was in Episode 1.2, with the awkward song and dance Lulu and Kate play when it comes to having lunch with Anthony during their now shared workday. After many false claims business lunches and having to run off, they have this silent conversation while Kate is eating at a cafe, and Lulu stumbles on the scene. That whole scene, even though there's not a word said, was perfect comedy.
Kate trying futilely to play it cool that Lulu is in her life
Sure, the characters are rather static, especially when compared to Fleabag. Doesn't change the fact these seven were fun as hell to watch. Like you may not be getting into that deep psychological dive into the psyches of the characters and personal growth as we get in Fleabag, but man can this cast play off each other in an entertaining way. Again, this is Waller-Bridge's skills as a playwright shining through.
In a way, my complaint about this show being so predictable is partly based on the strength of the chemistry involved. As soon as Lulu and Anthony started laughing it up and flirting like old times, you knew they were going to bone at some point because they're just having so much goddamn fun together. I'd put it up there with the first time Ted saw Robin in How I Met Your Mother. When Sam and Fred started bonding, you knew they were also going to be boning at some point. It didn't even matter if Sam considered himself straight at the time. The characters work so well off each other their fates might as well have been written in the stars.
The rest of the aspects of the show are fine, but not overly noteworthy. Like the cinematography is fine for a single-camera sitcom. The soundtrack and the score are quirky yet spirited. The direction, courtesy of George Kane – who directed every episode – is fine TV directing, nothing extraordinary but it gets the job done efficiently. All in all, it's a well enough made show to not be bad but not spectacular.
So that's Crashing for you all. If it seems like I'm being overly harsh, it's honestly because of prior expectations I had for the show. After joining the Church of Waller-Bridge, I expected Crashing to be in a similar vein as Fleabag; a darkly humorous examination of a broken individual trying to navigate life.
Instead, I got a competently made, if completely unsurprising, roommate-com in the vein of classics like Friends and How I Met Your Mother with Waller-Bridge's comedic sensibilities. In other words, a good offering if you're looking for that Friends type energy, but not if you're looking for that Fleabag-style soul searcher.
So if you're going to spend an afternoon in the hospital with the Crashing crew, just keep in mind it's not going to be a proto-Fleabag tragicomedy, and you'll be all set for a fun afternoon.
My Recommendation: Recommend
Episode 1.1: Recommend
Episode 1.2: Highly Recommend
Episode 1.5: Recommend With Caveats
If you're interested in checking out Crashing for yourself, you can find it on Netflix here.
Off the Beaten Path | Star Trek: The Animated Series S1
June 17, 2021 June 16, 2021 Joseph MacMaster
Off the Beaten Path | Frank Herbert's Dune
May 14, 2021 July 9, 2021 Joseph MacMaster
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Kidnapping leads to felony charges for Carson man
Local | April 8, 2004
A Carson City man is in Douglas County Jail on $25,000 bail for charges of kidnapping and torture in a November 2002 incident.
Stephen Morse, 38, was arrested about 6:45 p.m. on March 30 in the 2000 block of Lone Mountain Road in Carson City.
He is charged by the Douglas County District Attorney's Office with a Class A felony for kidnapping in the first degree and five Class B felonies for battery, stalking, coercion and two counts of false imprisonment.
A special investigator for the DA's office became aware of the incident after he began investigating the death of another man at the request of a senator.
The charges by the DA's office allege that Morse confined a man named Brandon Robbins for the purpose of killing him.
Over a three-day period, Morse allegedly broke Robbins' kneecap, stabbed him in the leg with a knife and put a plastic ziptie around his neck. According to the justice court file, Morse was attempting to get information on Robbins' drug contacts.
At Morse's April 2 hearing, the DA asked that his bail be raised to $50,000. The Justice of the Peace refused. The $25,000 bail remains.
Morse's next hearing is scheduled for April 15.
Kidnapping in the first degree is punishable by life without the possibility of parole, life with the possibility of parole beginning after 15 years or a definite term of 40 years with parole eligibility beginning at 15 years.
Morse has prior arrests and convictions for assaults and batteries in Douglas County, Carson City, and Lyon County and an arrest by Nevada Highway Patrol for driving under the influence.


Red Horse Mountain Ranch Resort in Idaho is known for its all inclusive dude ranch vacations including an extensive list of guided adventures, well-appointed accommodations, first-rate Western hospitality, and a famous Kid's Program for ages 3 and up. Located on 300,000 acres, the ranch is a 1.5 hour drive from the Spokane International Airport, near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The ranch is a perfect location for a western family vacation.
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I've reached the fight with Namir. I didn't listen to my instincts and got the Bio-Chip replacement, and am disoriented. I have few weapons, or ammo, that are useful here. I also seem to lack the necessary Real Life (RL) skills. Or to put it another way, I'm screwed.
I've read a lot of guides, tried a lot of ideas, but they've all resulted in me dying, and frankly I'm wondering if it's worth it. I'd love to finish the story, but right now I'm tempted to either put DEHR aside for "something else", or perhaps start again from the beginning with more idea of what I might need.
What partially stops me is that I have Adam pretty much where I need him for my way of playing 95% of this game. It's only these Boss Fights that mean I'm at a disadvantage.
This entry was posted in Video Games and tagged Boss Fights, Deus Ex Human Revolution, Video Games, XBox 360. Bookmark the permalink.


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Q: Somewhat L2 against H1 estimate; an inequality in H1 somehow I'm a little slow on this one: Let $\Omega = [0,1]^2 \subseteq \mathbb{R}^2$ and $\emptyset \neq D \subsetneq \Omega$. Do constants $c_1,c_2,c_2\in\mathbb{R}_{\geq 0}$ exist such that
$$ c_1 \int_\Omega (u(x))^2 \,\mathrm{d}x \leq c_2 \int_\Omega \Vert \nabla u(x) \Vert^2 \,\mathrm{d}x + c_3 \int_{\Omega\setminus D} (u(x))^2 \,\mathrm{d}x$$
for all $u\in H^{1,2}(\Omega)$ with $|u| \leq 1$ almost everywhere (i. e. $\Vert u \Vert_{L^\infty} \leq 1$)? Further assumptions on $D$ may be made if necessary.
I'm having trouble finding a counterexample (I'd already be happy if I had one in 1D) and I'm not even sure if this statement is false or true. I'm afraid I'm not experienced enough yet to verify it. Any help would be appreciated.

A: The statement is true and the bound on $u$ is not needed. The following argument are standard in deriving these "Poincare type" inequality. First of all, we assume that $\Omega\setminus D$ is of positive measure (If it is measure zero, the inequality is obviously false by considering constant function). Also $c_1 >0$ or the inequality is trivial. So we ask whether there is $C>0$ such that
$$\int_\Omega u^2 \leq C \bigg( \int_\Omega |\nabla u|^2 + \int_{\Omega \setminus D} u^2 \bigg)$$
for all $u\in H^{1, 2}(\Omega)$.
Suppose such a $C$ does not exist. Then for all $n\in \mathbb N$, there is $u_n \in H^{1, 2}(\Omega)$ such that
$$(1) \ \int_\Omega u_n^2 > n \bigg( \int_\Omega |\nabla u_n|^2 + \int_{\Omega \setminus D} u_n^2 \bigg) >  n \int_\Omega |\nabla u_n|^2\ .$$
By multiplying a constant if necessary, we assume $||u_n||_{L^2(\Omega)} = 1$. Thus the above inequality implies
$$ (2) \ \int_\Omega |\nabla u_n|^2 < \frac{1}{n} <1$$
Thus $||u_n ||_{H^{1, 2}(\Omega)} \leq 2$ and the Sobolev embedding theorem implies then $u_n$ converges weakly in $H^{1, 2}(\Omega)$ and strongly in $L^2(\Omega)$ to $u \in H^{1, 2} (\Omega)$. These two implies that
$$\int_\Omega |\nabla u|^2 \leq  \liminf_n \int_\Omega |\nabla u_n|^2 = 0$$
(The last equality is by (2)). Thus $u$ is constant and is nonzero as $||u||_{L^2(\Omega)} \neq 0$. But by (1),
$$\frac{1}{n} \geq  \int_\Omega |\nabla u_n|^2 + \int_{\Omega \setminus D} u_n^2 $$
so when $n\to \infty$ we have
$$\int_{\Omega\setminus D} u^2 = 0\ ,$$
which is impossible as $u$ is nonzero constant. This contradiction proves that such a positive $C$ exist.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Anniversary of the Olympics return to Greece
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Golden Fizz #2
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This day in 1896, Athens hosted the Summer Olympics, the first international Olympics of modern times.
The city was the natural choice, given that the games originated in Ancient Greece sometime around 776 BC, although these first contemporary Olympics were relatively low key. The whole affair ran for a mere ten days and included just nine different sports. As at the original Ancient Greek Olympics, only men were allowed to compete. Unlike in Ancient Greece, they did so fully clothed.
Honour champions past, present and future, as well as the first-ever Olympic gold medallist, America's James Connolly, with an aptly named Golden Fizz. A long, gin-based cooler, it's the perfect post-workout refreshment.
It's new beer's eve
At midnight on this day in 1933, Prohibition began to ease away, as beer with a noticeable quantity of alcohol -- a whopping 3.2% -- became, as if by magic, legal.
President Roosevelt had just come into power thanks to the support of anti-Prohibitionists known as "the wets", and passed the Cullen-Harrison Act, enabling beverages as strong as - gasp! - 3.2% to be legally sold. In 21 states, at least. The emotions of drinkers in the other 27 can only be imagined. Breweries had dispatch trucks loaded and ready to go on the dot of 12.01am, some of them carrying cases of beer for Congress. Over 1.5 million barrels of beer were sold within the first 24 hours, raising $7.5 million in tax, or over $130 million today.
In some parts of the US, today is known as New Beer's Eve. We're toasting the occasion with a De Beauvoir, Andrea Montague's winning drink in our 2013 Beer-tail competition. We're also looking forward to tomorrow, as America celebrates the passing of the Cullen-Harrison Act every year on 7th April with National Beer Day.
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A pinch and a punch for the first of the month! Today is the day for hoaxes, when the world's newspapers sneak fake tales into their August pages and small
Finnish Language Day
Hei! Tänään on Suomen kielen päivä, aika juhlistaa mahtavia kirjaimia J ja K, sekä lisätä pisteitä mahdollisimman monen vokaalin päälle. Or,
International Kummel Day
Henry Jeffrey of The Guardian and Master of Malt blog proposed that kummel be dedicated a day of its own at an event with other drinks hacks, including
Amaretto Day
Who doesn't like the bittersweet almond and vanilla flavour of amaretto liqueur? It's delicious, indulgent and surely deserved of its own celebratory day.
Happy birthday Your Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II turns 95 today, and, being the Queen she gets to celebrate all over again in June on her official birthday. She has been head of state
St George's Day
Saint George is the patron saint of England and gives his name to the English flag, the Saint George's Cross, a red cross on a white background. (For readers
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You are here: Home / Steroids in Sports / Steroids in Bodybuilding / Polygraph Testing for Anabolic Steroids in "Natural" Bodybuilding Contest
Polygraph Testing for Anabolic Steroids in "Natural" Bodybuilding Contest
By Millard Baker | Steroids in Bodybuilding
The International Natural Bodybuilding Federation (INBF) was created to provide "natural bodybuilders" with the option to compete against athletes who do not use anabolic steroids, human growth hormone (hGH) or any other muscle-building drugs prohibited by the INBF. As with all athletic competitions, there have always been people that don't play by the rules. In spite of the fact that most bodybuiding contests tacitly allow the use of steroids and don't test for steroids, some steroid-using bodybuilders still insist on trying to gain an advantage in bodybuilding competitions specifically designated for "drug-free" bodybuilders.
Canada's Vancouver Cup, sanctioned by the INBF, is reportedly "going to great lengths" to ensure a drug- and steroid-free competition at Capilano University on July 28, 2012. However, the INBF testing will be seriously limited by the size of their budget.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has long been considered to provide the gold standard in steroid testing. The WADA Code has been adopted by numerous sports including all Olympic sports. Millions of dollars, usually taxpayer dollars, have been used to develop and administer sophisticated tests for detecting the use of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs. Still, efforts to eliminate steroids and PEDs from sports have been largely ineffective.
Natural bodybuilding faces a major problem when it comes to steroid-testing. WADA-type testing is prohibitively expensive for bodybuilding competitions in general but especially for smaller budgets of drug-free bodybuilding organizations. So, what can organizations such as the INBF do?
INBF is forced to rely on the scientifically-questionable polygraph as an anti-doping test. Christen Kwan, the organizer of the INBF Vancouver Cup, hopes that polygraph testing will at least deter the participation of "big" and "freaky" bodybuilders who uses steroids.
"We polygraph all of our athletes before they're allowed to compete," said Kwan. "It almost becomes a bit of a freak show. The bigger the better, the more veins, the leaner, and it just doesn't look . . . natural. It's just about being big and being freaky. In the eye of the public, that's what bodybuilding has become."
The effectiveness of polygraph testing does not have strong scientific support. The problem is that well-publicized countermeasures can be implemented that allow for steroid-using athletes to easily pass the test.
These methods involve creating a physiological response that is similar to the response polygraphers believe are associated with a "lie." If a steroid-using bodybuilder produces an physiological response associated with a truthful answer that is indistinguishable from a deceitful answer, they can easily pass the anti-doping test. A polygrapher may suspect the use of countermeasures but they will not be able to prove it.
If the gold standard of steroid testing (i.e. WADA code) has failed to successfully reduce the use of steroids from sports competitions, the use of the cheaper polygraph will be far less effective at ensuring drug-free competition.
St. Denis, J. (July 25, 2012). Bodybuilding takes on steroids: Tests, lie detectors aim to drive drugs from CapU muscle contest. Retrieved from http://www.nsnews.com/sports/Bodybuilding+takes+steroids/6985642/story.html
2009 NPC Mr. Ohio Sentenced to Sixty Days in Jail for Steroids
New Zealand Bodybuilder Caught Importing Steroids While Already Facing Steroid Charges
Steroids Help As Much as a Sun Tan According to Arnold Schwarzengger
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Greg Doucette Busted With Large Quantity of Anabolic Steroids


OKLAHOMA CITY – May 22, 2018 – Payne Education Center, an Oklahoma City-based nonprofit teacher training and dyslexia advocacy center, announced that its summer training course schedule is now finalized and open for online registrations.
Each year, Payne hosts over two dozen professional development courses focused on reading instruction for Pre-K through 6th grade teachers. In addition to learning how to implement discovery-based multisensory methods of learning, proven successful in teaching all learners to successfully read, write and spell, teachers who receive Payne's specialized training learn to clearly recognize potential reading problems in their students at a young age, and they are trained to provide a strong, successful reading remediation solution.
Payne's scientifically based teaching methods can help children overcome their reading difficulties and improve the lives of the 15-20% of the population who has the language-based learning disability of dyslexia which affects their ability to successfully develop strong reading skills. Since 1984, Payne has trained more than 18,000 teachers.


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Deare is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

C. R. Deare (1852–1921), South African cricket umpire
John Deare (1759–1798), English sculptor

See also
Dare (name)
Dearie (surname)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


See the Official mod website, or the Minecraft Forum thread.
Here are listed some possible sorting configurations, that you can freely use.
Copy and paste the configuration contents to your config/InvTweaksConfig.txt file, replacing all contents between the "==[ SETTINGS ]==" and the "==[ HELP ]==" lines.
Save, and load the new configuration by keeping the sort key pressed if the game is already open (default is R).
The default configuration only makes sure that items from the hotbar are not moved during sorting.
The configuration commonly used by Jimeo Wan.
Here is a set of configurations to be prepared for most situations you may face. You can swap between them by holding the sorting key for 1 second.
This page was last edited on 9 February 2019, at 16:40.


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Soldiers guarding Welland Canal during WWI faced some big risks
Niagara | St Catharines | Welland | History |
By Don Redmond
A lone soldier patrols the Welland Canal during World War One. (Photo: St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre)
How dangerous could marching up and down the Welland Canal to stand guard over it during WWI actually be?
After all, Welland, St. Catharines and Port Colborne – the three municipalities the canal runs through – are pretty far removed from the European fronts.
According to the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre's "Stories from the Front" blog, it was a lot more dangerous than you'd think.
The troops that protected the property, dubbed the "Welland Canal Force," never had a single gun aimed at them and yet more than 30 of them died.
"Those whose loved one left for the front acknowledged the dangers that they faced," the blog said. "Those whose loved one remained in Niagara guarding local structures, were in less imminent danger but still faced losses."
The post noted that illnesses like pneumonia took the lives of some of the men "but the biggest culprits were drowning or related injuries. Fourteen of the thirty casualties were ascribed to drowning."
'Harmful' team name in baseball league with Hamilton, Welland clubs quickly struck
What Niagara Falls looked like in 1925
Zellers to bring back diner dishes to Mississauga, Burlington and St. Catharines
One St. Catharines soldier was specifically mentioned – Private Thornton Wallace Dunn. "Private Dunn fell into a lock while on duty. A life ring was thrown down to him, but he was unable to maintain a hold on it. Thornton drowned at the age of 21 in April of 1917."
So why exactly was the Welland Canal being guarded at all? As mentioned above, it's thousands of kilometres away from the frontline.
Canada declared war on Germany in 1914 (the United States were still neutral), "the 19th Lincoln Regiment and the 44th Lincoln and Welland Regiment were placed on active duty. The men from these regiments were charged with protecting potential targets in Niagara including the hydroelectric sites, bridges, railways and the canal."
So was the canal really at risk? Very much so, it would seem. Due to Niagara Falls, the only shipping route through the Great Lakes from one end to the other depended on the canal that connected Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.
Shipping was, of course, a necessity for getting munitions, food and other items to the soldiers fighting overseas in Europe.
Thus the Welland Canal became a German target. The post notes, "There were known plans by the Germans to sabotage the Canal to prevent materials getting from Canada to Europe."
The most notable plan to destroy the canal has become known as the Von Papen conspiracy. "(German agent Franz) Von Papen served as a military attaché, in the then-neutral United States. He was based out of New York City. Von Papen sent his agent Paul Koeing to determine the best way to destroy the Welland Canal."
Koeing came to St. Catharines and took rooms at the now-burned-down Welland House Hotel. "He spent time surveying the canal from Port Colborne all the way to Port Dalhousie. His mission was to return and let German agents know where to plant explosives that would do the most debilitating damage to the canal."
The enemy agents that were to plant the explosives were meant to pose as a tree removal service when crossing the border.
However, the post added, "When the team arrived, they saw how well protected the Welland Canal was and they decided to forgo their plan. Had this plan succeeded, it is unlikely that the canal would have been repaired swiftly."
However, since it never happened, how do we know about the plan to destroy the canal?
It turns out Koeing was on his way back to Germany after this plot failed when his ship was diverted to England and he revealed the plan under questioning.
As for the mastermind Von Papen? He returned to Germany where he subsequently rose to the role of Chancellor in the 1930s and Vice Chancellor when Adolf Hitler he came to power.


text:
Q: Почему у переменной значения, которых не должно быть? Сама задача такова: Найти максимальный элемент двумерного массива.
Сразу говорю на PascalABC код прекрасно работает. Вот код на Delphi:
Так вот, единственная проблема в том что Imax=1242752, я незнаю почему у нее такие значения
procedure Mass1();
var i,j: byte;
var a: TMatrix; // TMatrix = array [1..n,1..n] of integer;
var Imax: integer;
begin
  Imax := a[1,1]; // Iznachalno Imax=a[1,1]
  Form1.Label1.Caption := '';
  Randomize;
  for i := 1 to n do
  begin
    for j := 1 to n do
    begin
      a[i,j] := random(100);
      if Imax < a[i,j] then Imax := a[i,j];
      Form1.Label1.Caption := Form1.Label1.Caption + IntToStr(a[i,j]) + ' ';
    end;
    Form1.Label1.Caption := Form1.Label1.Caption + #13;
  end;
  Form1.Label2.Caption := 'Max = ' + IntToStr(Imax); // Pochemyto Imax=1242752
end;

A: То, что программа работает, еще не означает, что она работает правильно.
На официальном сайте PascalABC сказано:

Глобальные переменные инициализируются нулевыми значениями. Для локальных переменных это не гарантируется - их надо инициализировать явно.

То, что у вас a[1,1] до инициализации не превосходило все сгенерированные random'ом значения - случайность.
В зависимости от реализации транслятора и действий, которые программа выполняла до этого, вероятность такого поведения может быть очень большой, стремящайся к 100%, но полагаться на то, что так будет всегда - нельзя.
Как правильно сказал MBo нужно инициализировать Imax после Random.
Например, можно заменить фрагмент
if Imax < a[i,j] then Imax := a[i,j];

на
if (i=1) and (j=1) then
  Imax = a[i,j]
else
  if Imax < a[i,j] then Imax := a[i,j];


Dangerously close to another meltdown this morning. Everything became too much. Yes, I know what you are thinking, some of you have spoken to me as recently as yesterday and I would have said I was feeling really good. I am still desperately struggling with the face-to-face stuff. I do feel so much better putting on a happy face. I do try to convince even myself that all is good.
And then I think, am I just a drama queen? Aren't these all just first world problems? That everyone has.
I had a bit of a moment this morning. I was just recovering from a conversation with HM about insane work choices and realised something had to give. I simply cannot keep working day and night (and I mean till 2am and later) and missing out on all the good family stuff. Some nights HM has been asleep for six hours before I even get into bed. I cannot remember the last time I sat in the loungeroom at night without my lap top. I am either too tired to or I am working.
And I am a boring mum at the moment. Sometimes the only quality time they are getting with me is the bedtime story extravaganza. Which could soon to be made into a movie I might add.
So after my almost-crash, I buckled down to work this morning and lo and behold, an email from the publisher. Turns out there were a few things she forgot to mention about the books that I am currently writing. It would appear that the series has "evolved" since we signed the contract some months ago. Apparently the books I am writing are not even going to be BOOKS (!). They are going to be INTERACTIVE WORKSHEETS. This "evolution" of theirs seems to have happened sometime over the weekend. What goes on in that place?
Now I won't bore you with the details but the ramifications for this lack of CRUCIAL information in the publishing brief are bigger than Ben Hur. Essentially, almost everything I've written so far cannot be used. MONTHS of work now rendered useless. Naturally, I remained extremely calm upon reading this news. I wrote a nice reassuring, carefully worded, soothing email expressing that I did not mind at all that everything I've done so far has to be binned. I did not feel at all put out that I have spent so many nights ignoring my family. I mentioned that I was more than keen to redo everything and start again following their impossibly limited, new interactive format that evolved since last FRIDAY. I also pointed out that I was not fazed in the slightest at having to forward on far, far, far more interesting and highly lucrative projects to my other colleagues, so as to fully focus on these BOOKS that aren't going to be books. Yes, that's what I did.
Just kidding. Of course that's not what I did, at all.
What really happened is that I fired off one of my horror angry-bird emails again. And I do have to say, my publisher--god bless--who I have never met face-to-face, is either VERY USED TO THIS KIND OF ABUSE or she is on serious happy drugs and whatever they are I would like some. She never writes anything remotely unpleasant back. She just goes with it and actually agrees with me. She even said, she will pay me for the book that is going in the proverbial bin. And that I do not have to rewrite it. I can just move onto the next books and she will give it to an editor who will "FIX IT" for me.
So I'm stopping now. I think my posts are far too long anyway. And I just wanted to end on a happy note. Also, just checking, who of you are actually reading all the way to the bottom? I want a show of hands. No, I want a comment. Anything to prove that you read this far. I'm off for a walk in the sunshine.
One sympathetic hand, straight up. How completely frustrating! But at least you will be paid for it. Hoping the sunshine helps.
I should think she did!!! Bloody annoying and so frustrating!!!
But seriously you've got to knock this working all hours on the head!!! Your lack of sleep and exhaustion isn't good for you and I'm as ratty as hell when I'm tired, it can't be helped!
There's no such thing as superwoman!!! Just either lots of exhausted stressed out mums or women who have nannys!!!!
I have a part-time nanny. Called HM. He's very efficient and incredibly patient.
Hands up here. I feel your pain and frustration. I am a crazy freelancer too and know what you mean about putting your hand up for everything just in case... I love your writing and enjoyed reading about your crazy day. Today my sis-in-law fell down a flight of stairs and broke both ankles and now can't come and visit us for her hols (not allowed to fly). I thought my day sucked until she emailed. Tomorrow will be a better day!
Thanks for the show of hands! Very sorry to hear about your sister-in-law. How awful. Makes me think my whinging is just completely puerile.
Tomorrow will definitely be a better day for you and me and hopefully your sister-in-law!
hand's up here! Can't believe that happened, I would definitely be firing of an angry bird email as well!
I have become aware of Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Very Successful People. The last habit is Sharpen the Saw. That is, look after yourself and have a balance between all the social, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of your life.
Working day and night is not a good way to go.
Yes, all very wise. It's just difficult at the moment when you think you have enough time but don't anticipate how long things are going to take. You also have no idea what projects lie ahead so you say yes to everything. Also doesn't help when there is a breakdown in the childcare scenario. I don't think I'll have this problem next year. Having said that, I do seem to do my best work at night! Also, I have renegotiated things with the ever-easy going publisher. Shouldn't be too bad from her on in.
I know you know but who knows who they really are, anyway?
Glad that things worked out with the publisher. I am sure that they value your excellent work.
By the way have you checked out Kahnacademy on u-tube. Salman Khan was featured in TIME magazine. His free tutorials are brilliant and will turn education around. Students will work on his tutorials at home and go to school for individsualised assistance from their teachers.


I grew up and live in western Columbus County. The majority of the members whose accounts were assigned to me when I started my career with NCFB have known me most of my life. Most of my new customers are referred by these clients. I want to be able to look these people in the eyes and say that I did the best job I could for them. If I take care of them, they will take care of me by referring new customers to me.


text:
New 3D Printer May Speed Biomedical Wearable Development
In a matter of minutes, 3D printers can render complex structures that typically take days to create. While this technology has revolutionized the manufacturing industry and enabled the quick creation of complex structures, current printers can only apply one material at a time, limiting their application. Now a team from the University of Glasgow has developed a novel approach to printing multiple materials simultaneously, which could speed creation of biomedical wearables and prosthetics.
The research aims to provide an affordable solution for the production of customizable wearables with integrated sensors. Medical prosthetics and wearables often need to be customized for individual needs, whether it's the fit of the device or the function it serves for the individual. By 3D printing these biomedical devices, manufacturers are able to place sensors and electrical components inside the materials, as opposed to affixing them on the outside. Utilizing this three dimensional space fully seals the electrical parts, and prevents them from any outside contact, minimizing wear and tear.
"Ultimately, this 3D printing process can produce unique advanced structures," said Ravinder Dahiya, a Professor of Electronics and Nanoengineering at the University of Glasgow. "Such structures include fully customizable, biocompatible medical implants that are patient specific and possess fully embedded components, allowing for features such as wireless power transmission."
To test this novel approach the researchers set out to create a bendable sheet of plastic, with LEDs and strain sensors embedded, using a modified 3D printer. Because light-based 3D printers, including laser-printers, are not suited for modifications to print multiple materials, the researchers employed an ink/paste-based printer for their approach.
Figure 1: Modified 3D printing set up
After modifying the printer, a base layer of plastic was printed with ingrained spaces to place LEDs. Once the LEDs were placed in these designated spots, the 3D printer created and applied a silver palladium paste to connect the LEDs to strain sensors. Finally, another plastic sheet was printed on top of the sensors to fully seal the package. The steps taken were completed in one print, with only a brief pause to place the LEDs.
Figure 2: Design of the printed structure (a) The bottom layer. (b) LEDs. (c) Silver-palladium paste printed. (d) Top plastic layer printed. (e) Y-axis bending. (f) X-axis bending.
The completed structure was tested under bending strain to ensure the LEDs still functioned as they would need to in a wearable or prosthetic device.
Figure 3: Bending test to evaluate sensor
By directly integrating sensors and electrical components into devices, this approach greatly reduces the manufacturing time of complex structures and prevents wear and tear that would otherwise be unavoidable. Moving forward, the researchers are considering the application of this technology to include dexterous sensory robotic limbs and have already developed a prosthetic hand with embedded sensors as a prototype.
For more information on 3D printing, visit the IEEE Xplore Digital Library.
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REINVENT: Leveraging Virtual Reality and Neurofeedback to Help With Motor Rehabilitation
Virtual reality, neurofeedback and a brain computer interface can now be combined to foster stroke rehabilitation for patients suffering from motor loss.
Making Ballistocardiography "Wearable" for the Prevention of Heart Failure
Ballistocardiography engineers develop world's first prototype of a low-power, wearable medical device for the prevention of heart failure.
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text:
Home FINDINGS Prose The Comedy Mines
The Comedy Mines
by John Hodgman
From More Information Than You Require, published by Dutton in 2008.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARTIN SHORT! When he was born, Short was immediately proclaimed the 124th Child King of Ontario. His was a unique, though unhappy, childhood. His first twenty-two years were spent entirely within the walls of the Golden Horseshoe, Ontario's forbidden city, where he was trained in royal etiquette and calligraphy, and he was regularly bound in stiff bandages in order to maintain the proper elfin stature as befits an Ontarian king. When Ontario's monarchy was abolished in 1972, Short was forced to flee the Golden Horseshoe, but his exile came as a relief to Short. He did not miss the royal life, and soon joined a common work gang in Canada's vast comedy mines, where he still labors today.
ONTARIO DE CANADA: Famed circus elephant "Jumbo" is killed by a train.
One legend has it that Barnum's great pachyderm gave his own life to save another, pushing a smaller elephant named "Tom Thumb" out of the path of the train and safely onto a group of small children. A lovely story of heroism and children-crushing, to be sure, but is it just another Jumbo-load of Barnum bunkum?
There are just as many who suggest that Jumbo committed suicide . . . that after all those years of zoos and trains, the big, sad beast stood on the tracks, the hot white circle of the locomotive's headlamp growing on his face like an African full moon, and waited to be taken home to the land he just couldn't ever forget. But that's just sentiment: Elephants forget all the time, especially if they drink the way Jumbo did.
Luckily, Jumbo's worldwide celebrity did not end at his death. At some thirteen feet high, his corpse was a much-desired oddity: The skeleton went to the Museum of Natural History, his Volkswagen-sized heart went to Cornell University, and his hide was stuffed and proudly displayed on the campus of Tufts University until 1975, when it was destroyed in a fire (the university had been hit by a train). This is where we get the saying "An elephant always dies twice."
But as for Jumbo's brain, its whereabouts remain a mystery. I certainly don't have it in a jar, and I certainly haven't attached electric probes to it or held séances around it trying to understand why Jumbo killed himself.
Findings Geist 71
Tweets by @geistmagazine


text:
For people like me who grew up in places like Kaduna any news about fleeing Nigerian soldiers will be totally inconceivable. The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), before its relocation to the new site around Kaduna airport, was a stone's throw from my family home in Unguwar Shanu where I spent the greater part of my youth. From our houses we could overhear voices of the cadets chanting military songs whenever they were out for fitness activities or other trainings. The zeal to join the NDA is in every young man, but that desire was stronger in youth from areas like Unguwar Shanu, Abakwa, Kawo, Unguwar Kanawa and Unguwar Sarki, because they see and admire the cadets as they move proudly in these places or during their parades. The only demarcation between us and the NDA was a deep ravine after which lay farmlands, a burial ground and a vast field for sporting activities for the military. During the annual NDA passing out ceremonies, we formed the majority of spectators due to our proximity to the Academy.
Thus we saw in these young officers of NDA self-confidence, security and great aplomb. Many youth from Kawo, Unguwar Shanu and Abakwa axis, like numberless others from every part of this country that share neighbourhood with the military, joined the Academy and are now officers in various military formations in Nigeria.
The people of Kaduna State, and myriad other Nigerians who live in crisis prone areas, be it religious, ethnic or political, have witnessed the other side of the military, which is brutality, fiendishness and extra-judicial killings. During the Kafanchan, Zagon Kataf and Shariah crises, to mention a few, we witnessed horrors of the gun in the hands of people deployed to bring the crisis under control, but who ended up shooting at sight every object, man or beast, indiscriminately. In such situations innocent people were killed by soldiers because they did not leave their shops before the sudden appearance of the armed men in uniform, or because they dared to pray in the mosque in front of their houses.
With this mixed feeling of both admiration and awe in our minds, we never thought that there would come a time when a dusty and dishevelled band like Boko Haram will make our armed forces turn their backs and flee. Are we living witnesses to reality or this is an orchestrated political design to achieve a contrived plan against certain parts of this country? If this is the reality on ground why is it possible for local hunters and vigilantes to succeed where our armed forces woefully failed? Could it be, as some have alluded, that this was a case of collusion? Did someone sell out for a pittance? Or are we churning out misfits from the NDA and the Army Depot? I think not. The military is now coopted into the local hunters league in the fight against Boko Haram. What a shame!
Wherever Boko Haram army approaches people disperse. They scatter in all directions. This hurried, improvised dispersal only reminds one of the Day of Judgement when 'a man shall flee from his own brother, and from his mother and his father, and from his wife and his children. Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern (of his own) to make him indifferent to the others.' (Qu'raan 80, Abasa, 34-37)
We have heard tales of those lost in the bush, not knowing where exactly they were even though they had their mobile phone with them; communication eventually ceased as the battery of these devices ran out, and the people died of hunger, thirst and exhaustion. Wives had no contact with their husbands, children lost any trace of their parents; many only saw each other again at the refugee camps, or in the house of relatives in other cities or towns. Another case of internally displaced people!
The military is said to be among the fleeing flood of the frightened. Nothing remains but the aged and the sick who could not runaway. Boko Haram usually declares the 'conquered' town or city as part of the Islamic Khilaafah , christens it with a new appellation, (like Madinatul Islam), occupies the deserted dwellings of the people and shares of spoils unopposed.
Emir Muhammad Sanusi II
Recently the emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has called on the people to defend themselves against Boko Haram, and not to rely on any succour from the military who are sure to desert them and runway at the hour of need. The emir made the call during a weekly prayer session at the City Central Mosque, Kano. I listened to the recorded version of the speech which the emir presented in the Hausa language after an introduction in his well-articulated Arabic, and supporting each point with a succession of quotations from the Glorious Qur'an.
My only concern was that His Royal Highness was carried away by the fact that majority of his immediate addressees in that mosque were Huffaaz (those who committed the entire Qur'an to memory), he did not translate any of the verses he copiously quoted. He took it for granted, I assume, that they know the meaning of the verses. He is, by the way, the only Emir I know in recent history that leads his subjects in the Jumu'ah prayers as should be.
Translating the verses would be better for two reasons - 1) in that mosque, there could possibly be people who are not as versed as the Huffaaz who formed the bulk of the audience, and, let us face it, not all Huffaaz know the meaning of what they have memorised of the Qur'an; 2) the emir's message is now all over the world, because of its timeliness and relevance in the current situation of our country, in both print and electronic media, but not one of them, in either Nigeria or elsewhere, mentioned any of the supporting verses quoted in that speech. His Royal Highness will do well to translate whatever he quotes in Arabic in his future assemblies for the benefit of those who do not speak the language.
On fearlessness and gallantry, the emir urged imams, in their sermons and khutbah, to goad people to exhibit greatheartedness in answering the summon of the Qur'an at the period of confronting the enemy. He said, in such encounters, we shall suffer hurt, but we should remember that the enemy is not immune from hurt; that we should not be weakened by the exploits and apparent successes of the enemy in some cities. They will be short-lived according to the emir, because these verses have explained that - So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: For ye must gain mastery if ye are true in Faith. If a wound hath touched you, be sure a similar wound hath touched the others. Such days [of varying fortunes] We give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks Martyr-witnesses [to Truth]. And Allah loveth not those that do wrong. (Aali 'Imraan, 3:139 - 140)
Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II stressed the need of conveying the message to the people in plain language during the Friday Sermon by imams. He said even in mosques where the Khutbah is not rendered in the Hausa language, the imam should mount the Minbar and deliver the message in Hausa so that the people will understand and prepare their response in confronting the enemy, in compliance with the Qur'anic directive - Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into [the hearts of] the enemies, of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know. (Anfaal, 8:60)
The era of fear and desertion is over, the emir emphasised. He said the local hunters should see their skills as a gift from their Lord, and using that skill in repelling any aggression against the people shall be amply recompensed by their Maker.
Boko Haram has taught us that fear of the gun is in our DNA, military or common civilian. People now know that security agencies and even the armed forces are not invincible and should not be so feared as to stop speaking out in the face of oppression. The fear of the uniform is fast diminishing as people are emboldened by what they see on YouTube of the sameness of both the Nigerian military and the hapless civilians fleeing from the insurgents, and the fact that local hunters could reclaim territories conquered by Boko Haram.
The inhabitants of Azare showed their mettle sometime ago when Boko Haram came calling. They bare had any weapon to speak of, but they repelled the murderers. The people of Ngala-Gumboru did the same and lately the brave hunters.
No matter how many official explanations we may get, it does not explain how a few poorly trained and poorly equipped rag tag of insurgents could route a bigger and better equipped army. We had been told that the army was less equipped than Boko Haram but the videos online show a different picture.
Boko Haram was fighting in one video with about four machine gun-mounted trucks and two anti-aircraft guns. No armoured tanks, no serious artillery, just a few RPGs. They were attacking Giwa Barracks and in the video we could see that they took over the place and there was an armoured tank in the barracks. Almost all weapons recaptured by the hunters and vigilantes from Boko Haram belong to the Army. They left them behind at some point and fled. It is so sad!
Ambrose Redmoon said, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." I want you and I to apply this in fighting this scourge that knows neither Muslim nor Christian. May Allah grant us the courage to do what is right and the strength to resist what is wrong.
WRITING BOKO HARAM