text:
search for patents | search for trademarks
Patent Process
Patent Classification
Patent Forms
Electronic Business Center
Patent Laws, Regulations, Policies & Procedures
Resources and Guidance
Office of Data Management
Initiatives & Events
Employee Locator
Trademarks Process
Manuals, Guides, Official Gazette
Online Filing
IP LAW & POLICY
IP Policy and Enforcement
Protecting IP Overseas
Training Programs & Conferences
Office of Governmental Affairs
Office of Chief Economist
Boards and Counsel
Electronic Data Products
XML Resources - Retrospective
USPTO Contact Center Order Form
Training/Events
Online Services Hub
Patents for Inventors
Trademarks for Inventors
Inventors Assistance
Education and Information
Scam Prevention
Pro Se and Pro Bono
InventorsEye Newsletter
Testimony and Speeches
Director's Forum
USPTO Videos
Trademarks FAQs
Musicians and Artists
Browser Plugins
USPTO Leadership
USPTO Organization
USPTO Offices
Budget, Performance, and Planning
Public Advisory Committees
National Medal of Technology and Innovation
IP in Motion
Manual of Patent Examining Procedure
2216 Substantial New Question of Patentability [R-07.2015]
Under 35 U.S.C. 304, the Office must determine whether "a substantial new question of patentability" affecting any claim of the patent has been raised. 37 CFR 1.510(b)(1) requires that a request for ex parte reexamination include "a statement pointing out each substantial new question of patentability based on prior patents and printed publications." If such a new question is found, an order for ex parte reexamination of the patent is issued. It is therefore important that the request clearly set forth in detail what the requester considers the "substantial new question of patentability" to be in view of patents and printed publications cited under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 302. The request must point out how any questions of patentability raised are substantially different from those raised in the previous examination of the patent before the Office.
For requests filed under 35 U.S.C. 302, it is not sufficient that a request for reexamination merely proposes one or more rejections of a patent claim or claims as a basis for reexamination. It must first be demonstrated that a patent or printed publication that is relied upon in a proposed rejection presents a new, non-cumulative technological teaching that was not previously considered and discussed on the record during the prosecution of the application that resulted in the patent for which reexamination is requested, and during the prosecution of any other prior proceeding involving the patent for which reexamination is requested. See also MPEP § 2242.
The legal standard for ordering ex parte reexamination, as set forth in 35 U.S.C. 303(a), requires a substantial new question of patentability. The substantial new question of patentability may be based on art previously considered by the Office if the reference is presented in a new light or a different way that escaped review during earlier examination. The clarification of the legal standard for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 in KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. (KSR), 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007) does not alter the legal standard for determining whether a substantial new question of patentability exists. The requirement for a substantial new question of patentability remains in place even if it is clear from the record of a patent for which reexamination is requested that the patent was granted because the Office did not show "motivation" to combine, or otherwise satisfy the teaching, suggestion, or motivation (TSM) test. Thus, a reexamination request relying on previously applied prior art that asks the Office to look at the art again based solely on the Supreme Court's clarification of the legal standard for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 in KSR, without presenting the art in new light or different way, will not raise a substantial new question of patentability as to the patent claims, and reexamination will not be ordered.
After the enactment of the Patent and Trademark Office Authorization Act of 2002 ("the 2002 Act"), a substantial new question of patentability can be raised by patents and printed publications "previously cited by or to the Office or considered by the Office" ("old art"). The 2002 Act did not negate the statutory requirement for a substantial new question of patentability that requires raising new questions about pre-existing technology. In the implementation of the 2002 Act, MPEP § 2242, subsection II.A. was revised. The revision permits raising a substantial new question of patentability based solely on old art, but only if the old art is "presented/viewed in a new light, or in a different way, as compared with its use in the earlier examination(s), in view of a material new argument or interpretation presented in the request." Thus, a request may properly raise a substantial new question of patentability by raising a material new analysis of previously considered reference(s) under the rationales authorized by KSR.
Questions relating to grounds of rejection other than those based on prior art patents or printed publications should not be included in a request filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 and will not be considered by the examiner if included. Examples of such questions that will not be considered are public use, on sale, and conduct by parties.
Affidavits or declarations or other written evidence which explain the contents or pertinent dates of prior art patents or printed publications in more detail may be considered in reexamination. See MPEP § 2258.
2201-Introduction
2202-Citation of Prior Art and Written Statements
2203-Persons Who May Cite Prior Art or Written Statements
2204-Time for Filing Prior Art or Section 301 Written Statements
2205-Content of Prior Art or Section 301 Written Statements
2206-Submission and Handling of Prior Art or Section 301 Written Statements
2207-Entry of Court Decision in Patent File
2208-Service of Prior Art or Section 301 Written Statements on Patent Owner
2209-Ex Parte Reexamination
2210-Request for Ex Parte Reexamination under 35 U.S.C. 302
2211-Time for Requesting Ex Parte Reexamination under 35 U.S.C. 302
2212-Persons Who May File a Request for Ex Parte Reexamination under 35 U.S.C. 302
2212.01-Inquiries from Persons Other Than the Patent Owner
2213-Representative of Requester
2214-Content of Request for Ex Parte Reexamination Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302
2215-Fee for Requesting Ex Parte Reexamination under 35 U.S.C. 302
2216-Substantial New Question of Patentability
2217-Statement Applying Prior Art in a Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302
2218-Copies of Prior Art
2219-Copy of Printed Patent
2220-Certificate of Service
2221-Amendments Included in Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 by Patent Owner
2222-Address of Patent Owner
2223-Withdrawal of Attorney or Agent
2224-Correspondence
2225-Untimely Paper Filed Prior to Order under 35 U.S.C. 304
2226-Initial Processing of Request for Ex Parte Reexamination Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302
2227-Incomplete Request for Ex Parte Reexamination Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302
2228-[Reserved]
2229-Notice of Request under 35 U.S.C. 302 for Ex Parte Reexamination in Official Gazette
2230-Constructive Notice to Patent Owner
2231-Processing of Request Corrections
2232-Public Access to Reexaminations Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302
2232.01-Determining if a Reexamination Request Was Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302 for a Patent
2233-Processing in Central Reexamination Unit and Technology Center
2234-Entry of Amendments
2235-Record Systems
2236-Assignment of Reexamination
2237-Transfer Procedure
2238-Time Reporting
2239-Reexamination Ordered at the Director's Initiative
2240-Decision on Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302
2241-Time for Deciding Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302
2242-Criteria for Deciding Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302
2243-Claims Considered in Deciding Request Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302
2244-Prior Art on Which the Determination Is Based in Requests Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302
2245-Processing of Decision
2246-Decision Ordering Reexamination under 35 U.S.C. 304
2247-Decision under 35 U.S.C. 303 on Request for Reexamination filed Under 35 U.S.C. 302, Request Denied
2247.01-Examples of Decisions on Request for Reexamination
2248-Petition From Denial of Request Filed Under 35 U.S.C. 302
2249-Patent Owner's Statement in Reexaminations Filed Under 35 U.S.C. 302
2250-Amendment by Patent Owner
2250.01-Correction of Patent Drawings
2250.02-Correction of Inventorship
2250.03-Fees for Adding Claims and for Filing a Petition
2251-Reply by Third Party Requester
2252-Consideration of Statement and Reply
2253-Consideration by Examiner
2254-Conduct of Ex Parte Reexamination Proceedings
2255-Who Reexamines
2256-Prior Art Patents and Printed Publications Reviewed by Examiner in Reexamination
2257-Listing of Prior Art
2258-Scope of Ex Parte Reexamination
2258.01-Use of Previously Cited/Considered Art in Rejections
2258.02-Claiming Foreign Priority and Domestic Benefit in Reexamination
2259-Res Judicata and Collateral Estoppel in Reexamination Proceedings
2260-Office Actions
2260.01-Dependent Claims
2261-Special Status for Action
2262-Form and Content of Office Action
2263-Time for Response
2264-Mailing of Office Action
2265-Extension of Time
2266-Responses
2266.01-Submission Not Fully Responsive to Non-Final Office Action
2266.02-Examiner Issues Notice of Defective Paper in Ex Parte Reexamination
2266.03-Service of Papers
2267-Handling of Inappropriate or Untimely Filed Papers
2268-Petition for Entry of Late Papers for Revival of Reexamination Proceeding
2269-Reconsideration
2270-Clerical Handling
2271-Final Action
2271.01-Panel Review
2272-After Final Practice
2273-Appeal in Ex Parte Reexamination
2274-Appeal Brief
2275-Examiner's Answer
2276-Oral Hearing
2277-Board Decision
2278-Action Following Decision
2279-Appeal to Courts
2280-Information Material to Patentability in Reexamination Proceeding Filed under 35 U.S.C. 302
2281-Interviews in Ex Parte Reexamination Proceedings
2282-Notification of Existence of Prior or Concurrent Proceedings and Decisions Thereon
2283-Multiple Copending Ex Parte Reexamination Proceedings
2284-Copending Ex Parte Reexamination and Interference Proceedings
2285-Copending Ex Parte Reexamination and Reissue Proceedings
2286-Ex Parte Reexamination and Litigation Proceedings
2286.01-Reexamination and Inter Partes Review Proceedings, Post-Grant Review, and Covered Business Method Patent Review
2287-Conclusion of Ex Parte Reexamination Proceeding
2287.01-Examiner Consideration of Submissions After a NIRC
2288-Issuance of Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate
2289-Reexamination Review
2290-Format of Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate
2291-Notice of Ex Parte Reexamination Certificate Issuance in Official Gazette
2292-Distribution of Certificate
2293-Intervening Rights
2294-Concluded Reexamination Proceedings
2295-Reexamination of a Reexamination
2296-USPTO Forms To Be Used In Ex Parte Reexamination
Emergencies/Security Alerts
Federal Activities Inventory Reform (FAIR) Act
Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation (NoFEAR) Act
Department of Commerce NoFEAR Act Report
STOP!Fakes.gov
Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP!)
USPTO Webmaster
This page is owned by Patents.


These are primarily the states we do business with. Have an order needing to get place outside this region? Give us a call at (800) 248-2099 to see what we can do for you!
For over 35 years Southeastern Seating has been providing safe quality indoor and outdoor aluminum bleachers all over the United States. We can accommodate any size event, a modest golf tournament, or small beach wedding to the largest parades in the nation. Southeastern is centrally located in Tampa but moves bleachers all over the southeast. We pride ourselves on being able to provide service to numerous events: rodeos, raceways, high schools and universities to name a few. Customer care and satisfaction are our top priorities.
With such a large inventory no one can match Southeastern's long term pricing.
How do we keep our costs so low?
Southeastern is also a nationwide outdoor aluminum bleacher seating manufacturer. Since we produce our own material we are able to distribute savings onto our customers pricing.
We offer assistance in your design seating needs, temporary or permanent.
Interested in renting bleachers now and purchasing later?
Southeastern's sales inventory includes new bleachers and also used stock at discounted rates. We also can discount a purchase for past rental customers.
Aluminum rental bleachers inventory comes in both 15 foot and 21 foot increments, joining bleachers together increases the amount of seating.


In this lesson, we will learn how to apply the commutative property of multiplication within 100 using arrays and area models.
Compare the expressions. Pick the symbol that is missing.
Use < , = , or > to fill in the blank: 4 × 6 6 × 4 .
The flowers in a garden are in 3 rows and 7 columns. How many flowers are in the garden?
Which calculation describes the total number of flowers in this garden?


text:
From the Science Citation Index to the Journal Impact Factor and Web of Science
By: Svetla Baykoucheva, Posted on: July 7, 2015
"The impact factor is a very useful tool for evaluation of journals, but it must be used discretely. Considerations include the amount of review or other types of material published in a journal, variations between disciplines, and item-by-item impact." – Eugene Garfield
People write books for different reasons. Sometimes they even cannot explain why they are doing it. As for me, I know why I wrote my book — it is because of Eugene Garfield (Garfield, 2015).
Early in my research career, I became fascinated with his essays published in a little weekly journal called Current Contents. These essays triggered my interest in information science and the thought that someday I would be part of this world has always stayed in the back of my mind and later made my transition from the lab bench to information science seamless.
Eugene Garfield created the Science Citation Index (SCI) and was the founder of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) in Philadelphia. The SCI became the basis for important information products such as Web of Science, Essential Science Indicators, and Journal Citation Reports (JCR). It is a predecessor of the search engines, which utilize the principle of citation indexing to create algorithms for relevancy of documents. "Citation linking" is the central concept on which the SCI was built, and it was evidently on the minds of Sergey Brin and Larry Page when they officially mentioned Google in a paper for the first time (Brin & Page, 1998).
Several years ago, I interviewed Dr. Garfield (Baykoucheva, 2006), and later regretted about not asking him some more questions. I feel honored that he agreed to do another interview included in my book, "Managing scientific information and research data." In his two interviews, Dr. Garfield talks about how he came up with the idea to create the Science Citation Index and discusses the citation practices of authors. He also gives his opinion about open access, peer review, scientific ethics, and the future of scientific publishing and scientific information. The book includes an extract from an interview that I did with Bonnie Lawlor (Baykoucheva, 2010) , who worked for 28 years at the Institute for Scientific Information. In her interview Lawlor vividly describes the atmosphere at ISI in the 1960s, and what it looked like to work with Eugene Garfield.
Several chapters of the book discuss the Impact Factor, h-Index, Google Scholar Citations, and other metrics used to evaluate scientific research. One chapter is devoted to the new area of Altmetrics and the role of social media in indicating attention to research.
Click here for my interview with Eugene Garfield.
Baykoucheva, S. (2006). Interview with Eugene Garfield. Chemical Information Bulletin, 58(2), 7-9. http://acscinf.org/content/interview-eugene-garfield.
Baykoucheva, S. (2010). From the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) to the National Federation of Advanced Information Services (NFAIS): Interview with Bonnie Lawlor. Chemical Information Bulletin. 62, from http://www.acscinf.org/publications/interviews/lawlor2010.php
Brin, S., & Page, L. (1998). The Anatomy of a Search Engine. Retrieved September 8, 2014, from http://infolab.stanford.edu/~backrub/google.html
Garfield, E. (2015). Home Page. Retrieved July 2, 2015, from http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/
Svetla Baykoucheva (Baykousheva) is the head of the White Memorial Chemistry Library at the University of Maryland College Park. For more than 20 years she has performed interdisciplinary research in infectious microbiology and biochemistry, and has published more than 40 articles in peer-review scientific journals such as the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Biochemistry, Journal of Chromatography, and FEBS Letters. She was also the editor of the Chemical Information Bulletin (published by the ACS Chemical Information Division) and manager of the Library and Information Center of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Washington, D.C. In 2005 she moved back to academia to become head of the White Memorial Chemistry Library at the University of Maryland College Park, where she teaches scientific information and bibliographic management.
Innovative technologies are changing the way research is performed, preserved, and communicated. Svetla's book, Managing Scientific Information and Research Data, explores how innovative technologies are used and provides detailed analysis of the approaches and tools developed to manage scientific information and data. It is available for purchase on the Elsevier Store using discount code "STC215″ at checkout to save up to 30% off the list price and free global shipping.
The general scope of social sciences is vast, and Elsevier's collection of journals, books, and eBooks examine in detail a wide range of topics in this area, from sociology, law, and cognitive science to political science, education, and linguistics. Our Chandos imprint in particular, known for high-quality scholarship in Asian studies, library and information science, and business management, reflects Elsevier's continuing commitment to these crucial areas of study.
Like Social Sciences on Facebook
Follow Social Sciences on Twitter
Tweets by @Els_SocialScien
Here's Why Academics Should Write for the Public
Cyberbullying Explained
How China's Education Strategy Fit Into Its Quest for Global Influence
The World's Urban Population Is Growing - So How Can Cities Plan for Migrants?
Transforming Singapore into a Smart Nation
Idea tree: A tool for brainstorming ideas in cross-disciplinary teams
ASIS International Awards Elsevier Book With 2018 Security Industry Book Of The Year
Redefining 'Safety' For Self-Driving Cars
The Economics of Ridiculously Expensive Art
The Man Who Tried to Read All the Books in the World
Bodies In Distress
Elsevier's New Smart Cities Book Series Launched
Taking your Library Career to the Next Level
Treating Hidden Wounds – the Case for Putting Psychologists in Trauma Programs
Cognitive Development in Digital Contexts

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Art & Science of Health Promotion Conference | Art & Science of Health Promotion Institute
30th Annual Art & Science of Health Promotion Conference
Register for Conference › Join Our Mailing List › Facebook LinkedIn
Intensive Training Seminars
Wage Matters: Health Promotion Engagement and Outcomes Across the Earnings Continuum
Social Determinants of Health & Community
Bruce Sherman, MD
Chief Medical Officer, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions; Owner, Sherman Consulting
When it comes to employee socioeconomic status, are health promotion programs meeting everyone's needs? How can organizations ensure that their health promotion programs are relevant and accessible – and effectively aligned with core organizational values? If business leaders intend to claim the mantle of a 'culture of health', then they may want to ensure that the needs of low-wage workers, who are generally the least healthy members of the workforce. This session will include an overview of recently published research showing that lower wage status is associated with significantly lower likelihood of engaging in health promotion activities, and provide insights as to how employers can make their health promotion programs more attractive to a broader range of employees and family members.
Presenter Bio(s):
Bruce Sherman, MD, FCCP, FACOEM, is the Chief Medical Officer for the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, where he provides guidance for clinically-related organizational activities. He also serves as medical director for the Cone Health System employee health benefits offering. His primary areas of responsibility include health/well-being strategy and data analytics, with the goal of implementing integrated, data-driven approaches to optimize workforce health, productivity, and performance. Dr. Sherman has research interests in the areas of employer health benefits strategies and the business value of workforce health. Previously, he has served as the consulting corporate medical director for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Whirlpool Corporation, and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
A frequent speaker, Dr. Sherman has presented on a broad array of workforce health, productivity, and human resources practice-related topics to diverse audiences, and has published numerous related, peer-reviewed articles. He received his MD from NYU School of Medicine, his MA from Harvard and his ScB from Brown, and continues as a member of the clinical faculty at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Website designed and developed by Web Ascender
Art & Science of Health Promotion Conference © 2019 | Login | Site Map | Privacy Policy


text:
Green Versace dress of Jennifer Lopez
American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez wore an exotic green Versace silk chiffon dress to the 42nd Grammy Awards ceremony on February 23, 2000. The sheer fabric was printed with a tropical leaf and bamboo pattern, and cut with a very low neckline that extended well past Lopez's navel, while the waist of the dress was studded with citrines.
This garment instantly received significant global media coverage, and it has been cited, along with Elizabeth Hurley's black Versace dress, as one of the most high-profile dresses that made the designer Versace a household name. In addition, this dress was described as a turning point in designer Donatella Versace's career after the death of her brother, Gianni Versace. It was chosen by the fashion journalist Lisa Armstrong to represent 2000 in the Fashion Museum of Bath's Dress of the Year collection, at which point it was described as a key example of the close relationship between fashions, celebrities and publicity.
Another duplicate of the dress is displayed at The Grammy Museum while, as of 2015, Lopez herself still owned the original gown.
Read More About Green Versace dress of Jennifer Lopez
Lists containing Green Versace dress of Jennifer Lopez :
List of 98 Most Popular Indian Singers (Male)
60 Most Popular Indian Male Players
List of 26 World Religions
55 Popular And Great Indian Rulers
66 Popular Indian Rappers
94 Indian Popular Female Singers
List of All 28 Nakshatras
17 Tallest Women in the World
10 Unsolved Murder Mysteries In India
96 Popular Indian Philosophers


Home » Topics » Nutrition » Research » Characterization of Lipid-Protein Interactions and Lipid-Mediated Modulation of Membrane Protein Function through Molecular Simulation.
Summary of "Characterization of Lipid-Protein Interactions and Lipid-Mediated Modulation of Membrane Protein Function through Molecular Simulation."
The cellular membrane constitutes one of the most fundamental compartments of a living cell, where key processes such as selective transport of material and exchange of information between the cell and its environment are mediated by proteins that are closely associated with the membrane. The heterogeneity of lipid composition of biological membranes and the effect of lipid molecules on the structure, dynamics, and function of membrane proteins are now widely recognized. Characterization of these functionally important lipid-protein interactions with experimental techniques is however still prohibitively challenging. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations offer a powerful complementary approach with sufficient temporal and spatial resolutions to gain atomic-level structural information and energetics on lipid-protein interactions. In this review, we aim to provide a broad survey of MD simulations focusing on exploring lipid-protein interactions and characterizing lipid-modulated protein structure and dynamics that have been successful in providing novel insight into the mechanism of membrane protein function.
Determination of Sec18-Lipid Interactions by Liposome-Binding Assay.
Hydrogel Microelectrodes for the Rapid, Reliable, and Repeatable Characterization of Lipid Membranes.
Mesoscale Computational Modeling of Protein-Membrane Interactions Based on Continuum Mean-Field Theory.


text:
import { Component } from "@angular/core";
import { SiteStatisticsService } from "./siteStatistics.service"

@Component({
  selector:"site-statistics",
  template:require("./siteStatistics.html"),
  styles:[require("./siteStatistics.scss")],
  providers:[SiteStatisticsService]

})
export class SiteStatistics{

  public charts:any;

  constructor(private _service:SiteStatisticsService){
    this.charts = this._service.getData();
  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


As a shipping container full of quantities of matzah, wine, grape juice, kosher-for-Passover food stuffs, hagaddahs and other Passover necessities sits in the cargo hold at port in Calcutta, India, with no word of imminent release, thousands of Israelis and other Jewish visitors traveling in Nepal are concerned. A full-blown strike by Israel's Foreign Ministry that began Sunday, only weeks away from Passover, now leaves many are wondering if the famous Seders in the Himalayas coordinated by Chabad of Nepal, will be cancelled.
Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky of Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters in New York pledged that the Seders will go on as expected. "We are sending rabbinical students as we do every year to assist Rabbi Chezki and Chani Lifshitz, and we are confident that we will find some kind of solution to this crisis so that the Seders will take place as always," he told lubavitch.com.
Likewise, Chabad representatives to Kathmandu dismissed media reports about Seder cancellations. "Anyone who knows us and the kinds of miracles that we survive on, knows that there's no way in the world, come Passover, we will not make a Seder for the thousands of Jews who are relying on us," said Chani.
Still, the Lifshitzs may need to consider other alternatives. Even if the container holding $40,000 worth of Passover provisions would be released immediately, it will be a close call given the time it would take for it to reach Nepal.
"Two weeks by sea from Calcutta, and two weeks by truck to Nepal. If the container is not released within the next few days, we will have to think about making it happen some other way." Adding insult to injury, Chabad of Nepal is incurring a fee of $150. for every day that the container continues to sit in the hold.
About 1,500 guests participate at the Largest Seder in The World, as the Chabad Seder in Nepal has been dubbed. Another 800 participate at the one in Pokhara. And for those Jews who didn't make it to either of those locations—the "Fifth Child" who didn't think of joining the seder—said Rabbi Lifshitz, Chabad of Nepal hosts another one in remote Manang, at 11,614 feet above sea level. Inaccessible by road, Chabad airlifts Seder provisions and rabbinical students by helicopter.
But that isn't all. On the second night of Passover, the Lifshitzs host a "small" Seder at the Chabad House for several hundred. Passover is a weeklong holiday when special kosher-for-Passover foods are consumed. The Lifshitzs expect that some 10,000 people will have joined Chabad at any of its locations for at least one meal during the 8-day holiday.
The strike, blamed by the foreign ministry employees on "the draconian decision by the Treasury to cut workers' salaries," has paralyzed all activities related to Israel's foreign ministry and has prompted the postponement of Prime Minister Netanyahu's planned visit next month to Mexico, Panama and Colombia, as well as Pope Francis' planned visit to Israel in May.
The inspiration for Kathmandu, a popular Israeli TV series in 2012, the Lifshitzs have been conducting these Seders for the last 10 years. The go-to people for Israeli backpackers who have found a welcoming home, a good meal—nurture for body and soul—so far from home, they have weathered numerous challenges with aplomb.
"If we'd lose our heads whenever there are bumps in the road," said Chani, laughing, "we wouldn't manage to live in Nepal and raise a family here where power outages and no running water are frequent and unpredictable occurrences.
To contribute to Chabad of Nepal's Passover Seders, click here.


The motto for the Kirchentag was "Du siehst mich (1 Mose 16:13)", you see me. We as the African Good Governance Network see the needs of Africa. Africa needs better health systems, good transport systems, governance systems which should be people-centered, Africa needs partners who are concerned about its development and not just to drain its resources, Africa needs better socio-economic policies that can improve food and nutritional security and eradicate poverty, Africa needs to produce more and import less. Africa needs to come together as a continent, group of nations, as one community and a family where men and women can contribute to its growth, "Africa needs us".


My name is Masha Itkin and I have been a passionate cook since I can remember. I want thank my very kind mom who took the time and patience to cook with me and give me not only a surviving skill, but a passion that I share with my family, friends, kids and all of you new friends.
My curious mind and love for experimenting has led me to a few kitchen disasters but mostly it led me to create hundreds of thousands of tasty recipes. I have spent a lot of time honing my craft and experimenting and now I would like to offer you a few bits of advice to make your meals easy, healthy and memorable. Let's connect with the amazing people around us.
It is safe to say that I have gotten my hands on all kinds of yummy recipes, techniques, travels, markets, products, and restaurants that I can find. Trust me, my experience is not just in making dinners for 4, I have a vast array of tricks up my sleeve when it comes to entertaining – from small dinner parties to large banquet events. I have studied what other chefs have done, learned from their techniques and experiences, and add my own flair to make it special for my family.
When I am home, you will most often find me cooking in the kitchen and spending time with my kids. They are young but already love to cook and are so passionate about spreading the joy of cooking that they have created their own recipes and made the dishes on camera with the help from their school friends. A few years back, we were cooking and started filming and quickly realized that we have a BLAST creating the episodes and explode with laughter when we watch the bloopers over and over! Not only is filming them over-the-top entertaining, but they are learning about cooking techniques, improving their communication skills, exploring new tastes, and even inviting their friends over for cooking playdates. Right now, my team and I are compiling their kid-friendly recipes into a cookbook.
I often have family and friends that call me and ask me for my advice. After many requests I created "Mi" Advice for them and for you. I figured if they benefit from my advice then so could you. I am humbled to live on this amazing planet in present time and have the opportunity to share with you!


A very stylish aluminum safety ladder with black anodized extra wide 5" treads with red trim and extendable rail for greater stability. Also includes Multi-function tray for paint cans and tools. With bucket hook, cable clamp and Aluminum platform with non-slip ribbing and hinge spreader. Safe, high-tech riveted rail-step joints. Slip-resistant feet. Maximum load capacity 485 Lbs. EN 131 Certification. Backed by 10 Year Limited Warranty.
HEIGHT TO TOP STEP/PLATFORM RANGE48"-59"
Pros: Love everything about this ladder- The grip handle at the top-the rubber on the steps-width of the steps-light weight to carry.
Cons: None-except that with the 6 steps it is long.
Your review: Comfortable to use and very light o move around.
Your review: I was pleasantly surprised. The ladder was exactly what I needed. I originally bought this ladder to decorate our 11� Christmas Tree. Talk about comfort, the wide treads are fantastic for your feet, legs and back. I also like the way that the top step locks together both the front and back of the latter to each other, instead of having locking braces on each side of the ladder like that of a conventional stepladder (you still have to flexible wires in place of the locking braces, but this makes it easy to get the ladder close to the tree). The wire assist in keeping the front railing connected to the back railing. Not only is this ladder comfortable, but lightweight. This ladder has many multiple uses both inside and outside home. As for as Safety, I highly recommend it.


Stick to your budget without sacrificing comfort by choosing our Choice Inn & Suites in Ft Lauderdale. Quality Inn & Suites Hollywood Boulevard is proud to be a trusted member of the Choice family of hotels, promising quality and value with a warm welcome. We can offer convenient shuttle service at a low cost, making it easier to get to our hotel or onto your next adventure. With the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport just 6 miles away, these journeys are fast, stress-free, and very affordable.
Each morning at our Choice Inn & Suites of Ft Lauderdale hotel, Quality Inn & Suites, our guests are greeted with a fresh, hot, and healthy continental breakfast. For late risers looking for the nearest caffeine dispensary, our 24-hour coffee and tea bar is always fully stocked and fresh. Of course, we would recommend that you take a break to let your meal settle before heading out to our heated outdoor pool. We are proud to offer many exciting and fun amenities across our facilities.
You may not even want to leave you room when you find out how comfortable, quiet, and stocked with private amenities they are. Our spacious and contemporary rooms are set atop a gorgeous tropical landscape with an abundance of fluffy pillows, soft plush blankets, and fresh linens on a premium mattress. It's easy to get a good night's rest when you stay with our Choice Inn & Suites near Ft Lauderdale. Call 877-981-1800 or click Book Direct & Save to get the lowest rates on a room at Quality Inn & Suites Hollywood Boulevard.


text:
/*
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */
package io.trino.tests.product.launcher.suite.suites;

import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
import io.trino.tests.product.launcher.env.EnvironmentConfig;
import io.trino.tests.product.launcher.env.environment.EnvMultinodeAllConnectors;
import io.trino.tests.product.launcher.suite.Suite;
import io.trino.tests.product.launcher.suite.SuiteTestRun;

import java.util.List;

import static io.trino.tests.product.launcher.suite.SuiteTestRun.testOnEnvironment;

public class SuiteAll
        extends Suite
{
    @Override
    public List<SuiteTestRun> getTestRuns(EnvironmentConfig config)
    {
        return ImmutableList.of(
                testOnEnvironment(EnvMultinodeAllConnectors.class)
                        .withTests("TestConfiguredFeatures.selectConfiguredConnectors")
                        .build());
    }
}


Enjoy the closeness and freedom that carrying your child brings with this gorgeous print from SleepyNico. Rainbow Starburst is just that, an explosion of colour and joy.
We are so excited to be working with Wild Things to make this sensational baby carrier. This playful toddler carrier will brighten your day and remind you that carrying your child can be a really colourful experience.


text:
Q: Probability of being Second Highest Suppose there are $n-1$ draws from a uniform distribution $[0, 1]$, then I get a draw from the distribution.  What is the probability that if I shout out an $x$, then $x$ will be exactly the second highest of all the draws?  I have a feeling its something like $n x^{n-1} (1-x)$, but I can't show it rigorously.

A: There are $n-1$ draws, then you draw $x$ on the $n$-th draw.
The probability that the $n$-th draw is the second-last order statistic of the $n$ draws, when given the value of that draw is $x$, is:
$$\frac{(n-1)!}{(n-2)!\;1!}x^{n-2}(1-x) \\[4ex] = (n-1)(1-x)x^{n-2}$$
Reasoning:  Of the $n-1$ draws preceding yours, the favoured space is formed by $n-2$ of them being no greater than yours (individual probability $x$ each), and $1$ of them being no less (probability $1-x$), and there are ${n-1\choose n-2}$ ways of arranging these favoured results.

A: The problem is equivalent to finding the probability that $x$ is the second last order statistic.
In that case, out of the remaining $(n-1)$ draws, there should be $n-2$ draws which are smaller than $x$ and 1 draw is bigger than $x$. The probability of a draw being smaller than $x$ is $F(x)=x$. There are in total $n$ independent draws, out of which $n-1$ are smaller than or equal to $x$ so each has probability $F(x)=x$, and the last draw is greater than $x$ having probability $1-F(x)=1-x$. Note that these draws form a Binomial distribution with parameters $n$ and $F(x)$.
So you have the required probability as $\dfrac{n!}{(n-1)!1!}$$x^{n-1}$$(1-x)$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It's been such a nice day today. Greg's home and he and I and Kepler spent most of the day together, with a few short glimpses of our 16yo, a couple of cute selfie from our California sun (a nice typo which should say son), and texts from the other two kids.
I was excited to take this picture since it's the first branch Greg has gotten to visit with us. We had just finished a swimming lesson at a different place than Bear Paddle (although we'll be back there on Monday), and this branch was on our way home.
Kepler has gotten into the habit of taking a lot of video of everyday moments, and I'm enjoying having these little films of our life together.
I saw a neat spider web this morning covered in dew.
Kepler finished of our day taking multiple videos of me reading to him, and he managed to get this sweet photo of his daddy smiling at him.
We sure do have a good time together.


We find out Peter works for a publishing house. Together these short plays form a complete story of Peter, a publishing executive; Ann, his wife; and Jerry, a stranger Peter meets in the park. He talks about… 1128 Words 5 Pages The Zoo Story It was your typical Sunday afternoon in Central Park. Wait—that's not a universal experience? If you haven't read this story, you've missed out on something intense and truly spellbinding. There was the Peter I had always known—a full three-dimensional person and—wow! There's a lot of standing around, doing very little, often in bizarre situations. The Zoo Story premiered in 1959, making it Albee's first performed play.
Can you think of anything more absurd? You see that as Jerry mocking Peter and making fun of his meaningless references to a religion he probably doesn't really believe. The Zoo Story, on the other hand, is much more realistic in its approach — although it should be noted that realism and absurdism are not mutually exclusive. He had a difficult relationship with his parents, particularly with his mother, whom he saw as distant and unloving. It is sudden and final, though. He has a wife, two daughters, two cats and two parakeets. Your home, your spouse, your job? He describes his unsavory neighbors and the junk that comprises his possessions — including two empty picture frames. Worse leads to worse, and Jerry ends up killing himself.
The Zoo Story launched Albee's career as a playwright when it was presented in Germany in 1960. Is Peter less absurd than Jerry? For more information on the second act,. The play explores themes of isolation, loneliness, miscommunication as anathematization, social disparity and dehumanization in a commercial world. It's secluded here; there's never anyone sitting here, so I have it all to myself. Meanwhile, Jerry enjoys being the aggressive, odd outsider.
The tension escalates in the next act, The Zoo Story. When Peter decides to leave the park and go back to his home, one gets the sense that if Jerry had let him leave, then their relationship would have ended just like that of he and the dog, that of sadness and suspicion, where neither is loved nor hurt by the other. The play ends simply because Jerry dies. Jerry is, after all, happy after he's stabbed, and feels that he's connected with Peter in a new and wonderful way. It's a classic American play staged on Broadway and other places , but so few have probably read it these days. For a reading experience, they can be useful since they give the audience hints about what to expect from the characters.
Jerry, though, who is now sitting uncomfortably close to Peter on the bench, finally gets to the zoo, or almost does: I went to the zoo to find out more about the way people exist with animals, and the way animals exist with each other, and with people too. He supported an archetypal family---two kids, his wife, and an anthology of many pets. A violent philosophical statement about the impotent alienation of young men and the raging bulls of the absurd. Stefani Hunzinger, who heads the drama department of the S. Jerry talks about watching the people and animals. And Jerry randomly is going to tell a random guy at the bench about what happened during his zoo visit.
Peter takes his book and dashes off before passers-by notice that Jerry is dying. There is absurdity in their lives, but also a stark reality. Jerry comes up and says he's been to the zoo. And then Jerry tells a very long story about his landlady's dog, which attacks him when he goes by. In the end, Jerry's desire to be killed in anger is a response to a struggle he seems to have with himself and those around him. Not only did I understand it, but it was broken down so well I was blown away.
Gecmis deki cevirmenler gibilerini bulmak zor oluyor. I think this play is going to be my favorite. In other words, he might not be asking random questions, but in fact asking questions designed to irritate and anger the man he believes Peter to be. Because it really is a character I think a lot of people have in them. Peter was content with his life; his complaints were few. The play presents characters who suffer from lack of real human relationships, the sense of loneliness from being alienated and isolated from other members of their own society. Both plays chronicle the relationship between two antagonistic characters who are forced to spend time together, and more importantly, both plays are absurdist in style.
After being stabbed, Jerry keeps talking for a while as Peter flees. Read for my American Lit class. The Zoo Story is ridiculous because it refers to a story that is never told Yi 20. In act one, Homelife, we see Peter and his wife Ann in their Upper East Side apartment; in the second act, the classic The Zoo Story, Peter is forever altered by an oddly persistent stranger in Central Park. The women referred to by each of the male characters affects, or has affected, their perceptions and routines in life. They all want to know what happened at the zoo, but they soon will understand the absurdity of their lives and will get disappointed. And yes, one can talk three hours on a short, one act play like this one and still feel the need to talk more because somehow you are not satisfied and want to dig deeper and talk more about how these two can be doppelgänger and etc etc etc etc.
I had to read this for my English class and I am so glad I did. It's a not a page-turning thriller which I love. This phallic symbol at the end, refers to Freud ideas and by considering his ideas you can say The knife that Peter wields and Jerry falls upon can be seen as a symbol of a p-e-n-i-s. I said, I've been to the zoo. It has gone on to have—at this writing—49 years of frequent performances and general acceptance. Ladies and gentlemen, I have found the king of my absurd.


Sometimes the best rate alone does not always provide you with the best mortgage plan.
Contact a Power Mortgages Agent today to learn more about the diverse mortgage options that are available.
*All rates may vary provincially and are subject to change without notice OAC.


text:
Posts Tagged 'Archbishop of Canterbury'
TheIDIOCY
manicstreetpreacher assesses the latest pathetic attempts by believers at squaring the ultimate circle.
Further to my recent post on Pat Robertson's theory behind the Haitian earthquake, I notice that the world's more "moderate" believers are trying to make sense of how an all-powerful, all-good, all-loving, omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent God would allow all this to happen. Evil Burnee, Paul S Jenkins, has posted to some well and truly dire attempts by the faithful to dream up excuses for their imaginary God, such as on Thought for the Day when "theodicy's guilty vacuity was brought to a new low" by Giles Fraser:
…at a moment like this, I prefer to leave the arguments to others. For me this is a time quietly to light a candle for the people of Haiti, and to offer them up to God in my prayers. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.
Christopher Hitchens, as always, can be relied on to inject a piece of rationalism into the situation with this piece on Slate (also posted on RichardDawkins.net):
The Earth's thin shell was quaking and cracking millions of years before human sinners evolved, and it will still be wrenched and convulsed long after we are gone. These geological dislocations have no human-behavioural cause. The believers should relax; no educated person is going to ask their numerous gods "why" such disasters occur. A fault is not the same as a sin.
However, the believers can resist anything except temptation. Where would they be if such important and frightening things had natural and rational explanations? They want the gods to be blamed. After the titanic eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, the Muslims of Indonesia launched a hugely successful campaign to recruit terrified local people to Islamic repentance. Following the more recent Asian tsunami of 2004, religious figures jostled to provide every possible "explanation" of tectonic events in terms of mere human conduct.
It reminds me of the time that ultraconservative Catholic hack (and seemingly now a human punch bag for the Hitch!) Dinesh D'Souza attempted to make religious capital out of the Virginia Tech massacre of April 2007 with this god-awful post on his AOL blog:
Notice something interesting about the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings? Atheists are nowhere to be found. Every time there is a public gathering there is talk of God and divine mercy and spiritual healing. Even secular people like the poet Nikki Giovanni use language that is heavily drenched with religious symbolism and meaning…
To no one's surprise, [Richard] Dawkins has not been invited to speak to the grieving Virginia Tech community. What this tells me is that if it's difficult to know where God is when bad things happen, it is even more difficult for atheism to deal with the problem of evil. The reason is that in a purely materialist universe, immaterial things like good and evil and souls simply do not exist. For scientific atheists like Dawkins, Cho's shooting of all those people can be understood in this way – molecules acting upon molecules.
If this is the best that modern science has to offer us, I think we need something more than modern science.
Have no fear by visiting the piece itself: it's well worth reading virtually every commenter tear D'Souza a new one! The post also found its way onto RichardDawkins.net where the responses there were not exactly complimentary either…
One good thing that did come out of D'Souza's reprehensible piece of trash was this beautiful response by an atheist professor at Virginia tech:
We atheists do not believe in gods, or angels, or demons, or souls that endure, or a meeting place after all is said and done where more can be said and done and the point of it all revealed. We don't believe in the possibility of redemption after our lives, but the necessity of compassion in our lives. We believe in people, in their joys and pains, in their good ideas and their wit and wisdom. We believe in human rights and dignity, and we know what it is for those to be trampled on by brutes and vandals. We may believe that the universe is pitilessly indifferent but we know that friends and strangers alike most certainly are not. We despise atrocity, not because a god tells us that it is wrong, but because if not massacre then nothing could be wrong…
I am to be found on the drillfield with a candle in my hand. "Amazing Grace" is a beautiful song, and I can sing it for its beauty and its peacefulness. I don't believe in any god, but I do believe in those people who have struggled through pain and found beauty and peace in their religion. I am not at odds with them any more than I am at odds with Americans when we sing the "Star-Spangled Banner" just because I am not American. I can sing "Lean on Me" and chant for the Hokies in just the same way and for just the same reason…
With or without a belief in a god, with or without your asinine bigotry, we will make progress, we will breathe life back into our university, I will succeed in explaining this or that point, slowly, eventually, in a ham-handed way, at risk of tears half-way through, my students will come to feel comfortable again in a classroom with no windows or escape route, and hell yes we will prevail.
You see Mr D'Souza, I am an atheist professor at Virginia Tech and a man of great faith. Not faith in your god. Faith in my people.
As wonderful as that article is, I can do no better than this beautiful poem by former Christian preacher turned atheist, Joe Holman:
I am God. I know your pain.
I was there for every trial you've ever faced.
I was there when you fell and hurt your knee at the age of three.
I was there when you were shunned on the playground more recently.
I was there when your mother was in the hospital. I stood by and watched as the doctors worked to save her life. I appreciated the prayers you sent Me to spare her.
I was there when mother died, as her immortal spirit drifted back to Me.
I was there when your family mourned her loss and cried with unceasing tears.
I was there when your father passed, when he forgot who you were, when you closed the lid to his casket.
I was there when dear Aunt Olga was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
I was there when she bravely went through test after test until her condition was finally confirmed.
I was there when she lost her will to live. I watched as the family pleaded with her to continue treatment and not to give up; I waited where her tears fell.
I was there when your Uncle Hank died.
I was there when you told your first lie.
I was around the first time you touched yourself; on that day, all the angels cried; on that day, you lost your innocence.
I was there, in the corner of your room, watching you sin. I testified to your inner-man that you fell short of My Glory, as a sinner, an impure and fallen man, another of Adam's reproachful sons, wicked from birth.
I was there when young Ben, your childhood friend, was killed in the car wreck. I was in the driver's seat of the other car, watching, looking on as a drunken man fell asleep at the wheel. I did not wake him, but said: "Sleep, you foolish man. Sleep."
I was there when your best friend from high school decided to take his own life. My holy eyes saw the blood from his slit wrists run down through the cracks of the hard wood floor.
I was there when you wept at his funeral. Jesus wept too.
I was there when you sobbed uncontrollably, leaning on the casket of your bosom friend, pushing away the comforts of your spouse.
I was there when your youngest child was born, when it was said of the doctors: "Your son's spine did not form correctly. He will never walk and will need surgery to live."
I was there when the doctors performed the operation.
I was there as their hands took the scalpels, as every incision, every cut into his newborn flesh was made.
I was there, and I am here. I am God: "and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28: 20)
When the Asian tsunami struck on Boxing Day 2004, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, was famously misquoted in a screaming headline by The Sunday Telegraph as saying that the disaster had made him doubt the existence of God. Williams of course immediately pointed out that this was a ploy on the newspaper's part to grab the reader's attention: the Archbishop was actually addressing his flock's concerns with so much suffering.
A pity. For a moment there I thought that a clergyman had finally said what we heretics had known all along: shit just happens.
Tags:Archbishop of Canterbury, Asian Boxing Day tsunami 2004, Cho, christianity, christopher hitchens, Dinesh D'Souza, earthquake, Giles Frasier, Haiti, Joe Holman, making excuses for god, Notes from an Evil Burnee, Paul S Jenkins, Radio 4, Radio Four, Religion, Rowan Williams, shit happens, theodicy, Thought for the Day, Virginia Tech Shooting, where was god
Posted in christianity, Religion | 2 Comments »
After life is there more? (And would we want there to be?)
manicstreetpreacher muses on the pros and cons of departing this veil of tears to a big theme park in the sky or to somewhere less pleasant…
I was invited to speak at Liverpool University on 18 November 2009 on an inter-faith discussion panel on the topic of the afterlife, called "Follow My Way 2: Life, Death & Beyond". Originally, the discussion was to be on the rights and wrongs of religious tolerance. I was amazed that the University of Liverpool Atheist Society (ULAS) had asked me whether I wanted to speak following the disastrous public reaction to my outspoken views on religion in March earlier this year, about which you can about in piece, "More Than I Could Chew?"
I have had to up sticks and move to the opposite end of the country in order to find employment in a recession. To travel to Liverpool and return to my new home would have meant a £100 return train fare and my last two days of paid leave which I had been saving to get home ahead of the Christmas rush. In case you are new to this blog, speaking out against the parties of God is just about my favourite pastime at present and I leapt at the chance. If nothing else, it would have been an opportunity to repair some of the damage done at the beginning of the year and learn to keep a cool head against a hostile crowd and potentially baiting opponents.
However, the topic changed overnight, away from the role of religion in the world and to the rather saccharine topic of the afterlife. With great reluctance, I declined to speak. I felt that I only had a very limited amount to say on the motion which essentially boiled downed to:
I don't believe in the afterlife.
Like telekinesis, Father Christmas and fairies at the bottom of the garden, it would be lovely if we did have a soul separate from our bodies which floats off our brains at the moment of death towards a tunnel of life to be reunited with our loved ones and/ or to wait for our loved ones to join us once their time on Earth is up but there simply isn't any evidence for it.
The consequences of certain people believing in an afterlife can be truly sinister for the rest of us in this life whether we share their beliefs or not.
We ought to stop looking forward to our deaths and make the most of the one life we do have.
ULAS have managed to persuade a member of The National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies (AHS) to speak and I wish him all the very best of luck. If I was still living in or closer to Liverpool, I would probably have still spoken despite the change of topic, but it just wasn't worth the train fare or the holiday time.
However, as is so often the case, the experience of being asked to speak on a topic has made me think deeper about that topic. I half-regret turning down the opportunity now and present my further thoughts to anyone who cares.
If I was there, I would… apologise for all the offensive things I am going to say
I think it would be best to start off by trying to wash out the bad taste I had left in the mouths of the religious members of the audience after last time by making clear that nothing I say is done deliberately for effect and while I am bound to offend a lot of people in the room, this is not intentional.
I have half a mind to say the most offensive thing I could possibly say right away by quoting Jimmy Carr and saying that it is a shame about all the wounded British soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, but at least we would have a cracking team for the 2012 Paralympics.
There's a more than 50 percent chance of that one going down like a lead balloon…
It would be wonderful if it were true but…
After the apologies and explanation, the first thing to be said would be that there are loads of things that I wish did exist – such as The Force, lightsabres, telekinesis, telepathy and fairies at the bottom of the garden – but there simply isn't any evidence for them. The religious instinct is informed by the same mentality as astrology and tarot reading: the human tendency to see patterns in everyday events and infer some greater meaning to them.
I blogged on this at length following a lecture given by Professor Chris French of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths College hosted by the Merseyside Skeptics Society in September 2009. We are swimming in probabilities; it would be more incredible if these coincidences didn't happen! There may be some anecdotal evidence for telepathy and reincarnation, but these studies are flawed by what is known as the "Clustering Illusion", also known as the "Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy". Rather like a marksman emptying his magazine at a barn door and then drawing on the target afterwards, if you repeat the same experiment enough times you are bound to see patterns emerge, but the conclusions drawn from them will be false.
American physicist, Victor J Stenger, touches on the search for a world beyond matter in his 2007 book, God, The Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows that God Does Not Exist and describes how the search for a soul, an afterlife, reincarnation and psychic powers has failed miserably.
Professor Susan Blackmore of Plymouth University charts her journey from naïve believer in the paranormal to hardened sceptic after she set out on a mission to prove in the lab that supernatural forces were at work, only to find that the experiments were flawed and the data inconclusive. The story is told in her book, In Search of the Light: Adventures of a Parapsychologist. At the time of writing, I hadn't read Blackmore's book myself, but she summarises her journey very eloquently in her debate on religion against Christian theologian Alistair McGrath at Bristol University on 13 November 2007.
A few years ago, thirty of the world's "top" theologians met at the Vatican to discuss what happened to the souls of unbaptised babies after they die and whether St Augustine's doctrine of limbo was valid. I am struggling to think of a more intellectually forlorn exercise; did any of those theologians have any actual evidence of what does happen to the souls of said un-baptised babies, or even whether they possess a soul in the first place?
Positing that humans possess a soul separate from our bodies simply commits the philosophical fallacy of begging the question. When did the soul evolve? Do non-human animals have a soul? Why would a deity bother with a mortal life at all and just have the afterlife as the norm so we can all enjoy his or her company straightaway? How can a soul survive the death of the brain? In what state is your soul when it leaves your body for good? It wouldn't be very enjoyable to be permanently suffering from a stroke for all eternity.
Sounds like hell to me
Most people can't bear to sit in church for an hour on Sundays. How are they supposed to live somewhere very similar to it for eternity?
I suppose my ideal version of the afterlife would be to live in a temple of knowledge and philosophical discussion with a library where you could read any book you chose for as long as you wanted and have discussions with the greatest thinkers of all time from Plato to Hume to Spinoza to Jefferson, one-to-one or in an auditorium. But again, there's just no evidence for it.
I have to say though that the Christian version of the afterlife sounds absolutely ghastly, as Mr Twain summarises so beautifully above. I'm sorry, but did I miss something? Spending all eternity singing the praises of your maker? And you thought I was going to go for one blog post without quoting Christopher Hitchens, but it sounds like hell to me!
In 2000, Hitchens travelled to North Korea under his guise as a university professor and reported on the abject serfdom endured by the wretched population who are expected to wake up in the morning praising the Great Leader, Kim Ill Sung and his son the Dear Leader, Kim Jung Ill, only to wake up again in the morning and begin the process all over again.
Kim Ill Sung became President of North Korea in 1949, the same year as George Orwell published Nineteen Eighty Four. It is almost as though someone lent the Great Leader a copy of the book challenging him to put it into practice and he gleefully accepted.
According to Hitchens, you will not open a newspaper, turn on a television set or watch a theatrical production, that is not dedicated to worshipping the cult of Fat Man and Little Boy. However, Kim Jung Ill is only the head of the party and the army. The head of state is still his father; surprisingly, since the guy has been dead since 1994. Hitchens dubs the government a "necrocracy", or a "mauselocracy" or a "thanatocracy". Indeed, the son is said to be a reincarnation of his father. This should strike a chord with the Christian apologist on the night. It's just one short of a Trinity.
But at least you can die and get out of North Korea. Under Christianity and Islam at least, it's only when you're dead that the real fun begins. Who would want this to be true?
Silly souls
Atheists constantly have the charge levelled against them that they cannot justify why they are moral and altruistic. If we all end up the same way and there is no final judgement for our lives' deeds, then why should we care what happens in this life? Leaving aside for a moment my stock retorts about the intrinsic satisfaction of doing one of your fellow mammals a good turn without expecting reward or avoiding punishment, the theistic worldview hardly settles matters more satisfactorily.
Perhaps it is too cheap a shot to ask why religious people don't just commit suicide rather than bothering with this veil of tears. But the question still remains frustratingly unanswered: if there is going to be an in-gathering, if there is going to be a magical place where all tears will be dried and all injustices put right, then why do the religious care so much about what happens in this life? Why do they want to control what people do in the privacy of their own bedrooms?
It would appear that at least Mahatma Ghandi pre-empted my challenge. Ghandi was undoubtedly the twentieth century's most influential pacifist with his devastating policy of non-cooperation against India's colonial masters, which sealed independence for the Jewel in the Crown in 1947.
However, it must be remembered firstly that Ghandi's command to turn the other cheek only worked because the British Empire had by then been crippled by two World Wars in the space of 25 years and secondly, his ideals took a much more sinister side. Ghandi's remedy for the Holocaust was for the Jews to commit mass suicide because this "would have aroused the world and the people of Germany to Hitler's violence."
Even if we grant Ghandi's religious dogma of karma and rebirth, is the suffering and agony of millions of people in this world an acceptable price to secure their happiness and freedom in the next? Ghandi's world was one where millions of people would have died in order for the German people to doubt the goodness of their Thousand Year Reich. How would a world full of pacifists respond once they became "aroused" to the evil of Nazism; commit suicide as well?
The concern for human souls seems to have trumped the care for human beings when you consider the Bush administration's denial of funding at the Federal level for potentially ground-breaking stem cell research. Apparently a middle-aged father succumbing to Parkinson's Disease or a young girl suffering from third degree burns are less important than the souls of three day old human embryos in a petri dish comprising no more than 150 cells. If you think that still sounds like a large number of cells, there are over 100,000 cells in the brain of a fly. You inflict far more pain and suffering every time you swat a household insect than if you use a three day old human embryo potentially to save another human being's life.
You lot may be looking forward to checking out, but don't demand the rest of us to come with you
Opinion polls have consistently shown that a majority of the American population believe that Christ will return to Earth someday to judge the human race for 2,000 years of sexual indiscretion. At least 20% think that this event will happen within their lifetimes.
To an atheist, this might seem like a ridiculous belief – particularly when you consider that we have waited long enough following Jesus' promise to return to Earth within the lifetime of his followers at Matthew 16 among several other instances – but it does not appear to be a potentially harmful preachment. Until you consider that there are fundamentalist American Christians hard at work in the Holy Land to this day attempting to incite the already warring religious factions into nuclear Armageddon.
Ronald Reagan brought in Hal Lindsay and Jerry Falwell – a pair of religious lunatics of the first, second, third and fourth orders – to advise the Pentagon on biblical prophesy regarding the end of the world when it looked like he was going to turn the Cold War hot. Falwell in particular worked hard at inciting the worst and most fanatical elements among Jewish settlers on the West Bank in Israel and was even awarded the Jabotinsky Centennial Medal in 1980 by Menachem Begin.
A former Archbishop of Canterbury (!), Dr Geoffrey Fisher throughout the 1950s and 1960s consistently refused to condemn the apocalyptic madness of Russia and the West during the Cold War. When some observers were proposing all-out surrender to the Soviets in order to avoid doomsday, sheepish Dr Fisher wrote a tract that could have been produced by Ahmadinejad in the present day:
I am convinced that it is never right to settle any policy simply out of fear of the consequences… For all I know it is within the providence of God that the human race should destroy itself in this manner.
There is no evidence that the human race is to last forever and plenty in Scripture to the contrary effect. Though, as you say, the suffering entailed by nuclear war would be ghastly in its scale, one must remember that each person can only suffer so much; and I do not know that the men and women affected would suffer more than those do who day by day are involved in some appalling disaster. There is no aggregate measure of pain. Anyhow, policy must not be based simply on fear of pain.
I am not being unfeeling. Christ in His Crucifixion showed us how to suffer creatively. He did not claim to end suffering, nor did He bid His disciples to avoid suffering. So I repeat, I cannot establish any policy merely on whether or not it will save the human race from a period of suffering or from extinction.
In a later interview, Fisher commented that "the very worst it could do would be to sweep a vast number of people at one moment from this world into the other and more vital world, into which anyhow they must pass at one time."
As Sam Harris comments in Letter to a Christian Nation:
According to the most common interpretation of biblical prophecy, Jesus will return only after things have gone horribly awry here on Earth. It is, therefore, not an exaggeration to say that if the city of New York were suddenly replaced by a ball of fire, some significant percentage of the American population would see a silver lining in the subsequent mushroom cloud, as it would suggest to them that the best thing that is ever going to happen was about to happen – the return of Christ. It should be blindingly obvious that beliefs of this sort will do little to help us create a durable future for ourselves – socially, economically, environmentally, or geopolitically. Imagine the consequences if any significant component of the US government actually believed that the world was about to end and that its ending would be glorious. The fact that nearly half of the American population apparently believes this, purely on the basis of religious dogma, should be considered a moral and intellectual emergency.
I don't even want to get started on radical Islam's commitment to Jihad, martyrdom, and three score and a dozen nubiles in paradise, so I'll again defer to a man who is blessed with a far more eloquent turn of phrase:
The irony here is almost a miracle in its own right: the most sexually repressed people found in the world today – people who are stirred to a killing rage by reruns of Baywatch – are lured to martyrdom by a conception of paradise that resembles nothing so much as an al fresco bordello.
Apart from the terrible ethical consequences that follow from this otherworldliness, we should observe how deeply implausible the Koranic paradise is. For a seventh-century prophet to say that paradise is a garden, complete with rivers of milk and honey, is rather like a twenty-first century prophet saying that it is a gleaming city where every soul drive a new Lexus. A moment's reflection should reveal that such pronouncements suggest nothing at all about the afterlife and much indeed about the limits of human imagination.
– Sam Harris, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror and The Future of Reason
A rather less pleasant place
I could not finish a piece on this topic without a reference to the dark side of an afterlife: that of eternal punishment. This is an utterly evil concept that has surely ruined the lives and peace of mind of many children and which some have said is a worse form of abuse than the mildest forms of physical and sexual abuse.
Before the first "Follow My Way" in March 2009, I had read extracts of the Koran as quoted by others, namely Sam Harris in The End of Faith and the excellent treatment by prolific secularist and anti-fascist blogger Edmund Standing on Butterflies and Wheels.
I had also purchased my own copy of Arthur J Arberry's English translation of the Koran, but I had not read it in full. I have now done so, cover-to-cover, and it was an appalling experience. I am currently in the middle of writing my own opinion on the Koran for this blog, but I can't bring myself to complete the piece, because the prospect of re-reading the central text in greater detail is utterly unpalatable.
Every time I now see someone wearing traditional Muslim dress or facial hair, I can't stop myself from wondering, "What do you really think about me as an unbeliever, an infidel, a kuffar? What do you really believe is going to happen to me after I depart this life? Given that it says on practically every page of your holy book – which you claim is a miracle explained only if it were authored by an omnipotent deity – that I as unbeliever will face a painful chastisement in hell, fire or Gehenna for all eternity?"
I have not had the chance to ask this question of a believing Muslim myself yet, but I would certainly ask it of the Muslim apologist were I speaking on the night.
For the one life we do have
How's this for an ending?
We're all doomed. One way or another we all end up dead. The party will go on without us and we won't be able to look down on it from on high. The human race will go extinct one day. Maybe at its own hands. Certainly if the religious fanatics attempting to acquire apocalyptic nuclear weaponry while I write get their way.
But if we don't finish each other off, then disease, famine or tempest ought to do the trick. And our goose will be well and truly cooked in about half a billion years time when our sun runs out of hydrogen and swells up into a red giant and consumes half the solar system. And if there's anything left of us after all that, then the Andromeda Galaxy, which you can see now in the night sky on a direct collision course with the Milky Way and will be upon us in [theatrical glance at wrist watch] ooooh… four billion years time.
If that doesn't do it for us, then maybe I'm wrong and there is a God!
We have but a few short precious years of consciousness. But try to make it count. Try to enjoy the time you have. And above all, try to help other people enjoy their time as well.
We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Sahara. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively outnumbers the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here.
– Richard Dawkins, Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and The Appetite for Wonder
Tags:1984, 72 seventy two virgins, afterlife, Ahmadinejad, AHS, Archbishop of Canterbury, Arthur Arberry, atheism, Augustine, Benedict Spinoza, bible, Butterflies and Wheels, chris french, christianity, christopher hitchens, Clustering Illusion, David Hume, Dear Leader, death, Death and Beyond, debate, edmund standing, Follow My Way 2: Life, Gehenna, Geoffrey Fisher, George Orwell, god, Great Leader, Hal Lindsay, Heaven, hell, holocaust, Humanist and Secular Student Societies, islam, Jabotinsky Centennial Medal, jerry falwell, jews, judaism, Kim Ill Sung, Kim Jung Ill, koran, letter to a christian nation, Limbo, liverpool university, Liverpool University Atheist Society, Mahatma Ghandi, Mark Twain, Martyrdom, martyrs, mass suicide, mauselocracy, Menachem Begin, National Federation of Atheist, necrocracy, Nineteen Eighty Four, North Korea, Paradise, Paranormal, Parapsychology, plato, Qu'ran, Reincarnation, Religion, richard dawkins, sam harris, soul, stem cell research, susan blackmore, Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy, thanatocracy, the end of faith, Thomas Jefferson, Trinity, ULAS, Unweaving the Rainbow
Posted in christianity, islam, judaism, Religion | 8 Comments »


text:
Zoon is a Canadian shoegaze band from Hamilton, Ontario, whose core member is Anishinaabe musician Daniel Monkman. They are most noted for their 2020 album Bleached Wavves, which was a shortlisted finalist for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.

Originally from Selkirk, Manitoba and a member of the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Monkman moved to Hamilton after stints living in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Calgary, Alberta. He abandoned music for a number of years during which he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, before getting sober with the help of the traditional Anishinaabe Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers.

He reestablished his musical career in Hamilton, initially using the band name Bloom before adopting the name Zoon from the Grandfathers' teaching of zoongide'ewin (bravery and courage). The band, whose music blends shoegaze rock with elements of traditional First Nations music in a style which Monkman refers to as "moccasin-gaze", features a varying lineup, with its current members being guitarist Daniel Wintermans, bassist Drew Rutt and drummer Andrew McLeod.

Selected tracks from Bleached Wavves were released as an EP in 2019, before the full album was released in 2020 on Paper Bag Records as the band's full-length debut.

Monkman has also collaborated with Adam Sturgeon of Status/Non-Status in OMBIIGIZI, who released their debut album Sewn Back Together in 2022.

References

Canadian indie rock groups
First Nations musical groups
Musical groups from Hamilton, Ontario
Canadian shoegaze musical groups
Paper Bag Records artists

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


By 2030, Australia would like to grow the space market segment from AU$3.9 billion to AU$12 billion and double space industry employment from about 10,000 today to 20,000. This agreement features Boeing support for investments in R&D, innovation, STEM education and government programs aligned with the Australian Space Agency's priorities.
Jim Chilton, Boeing SVPnt, Space and Launch, stated that expanding the company's relationship with the Australian Space Agency is a significant step for Boeing and a reaffirmation of the firm's longtime teaming with Australia in space. This means a lot that Boeinge signed this agreement during a year when the world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, when both Boeing and Australia played important roles in that historic achievement. There is great opportunity ahead for all as Australia continues to grow its space industry and national capabilities.
Dr. Megan Clark AC, head of the Australian Space Agency, said the signing of the statement was an example of how collaboration and engagement across countries is an important aspect of the growing space economy, both in Australia and internationally. This Statement of Strategic Intent highlights Boeing's existing collaboration with CSIRO, universities and industry in broad areas such as space debris monitoring, advanced manufacturing and fuel production in space, on-orbit imaging, VR and remote space craft operation. This partnership opens the doors for Australian innovators to participate in the global supply chain of the space sector.


Access the password retrieval system through the Forgot your Password? link on the Control Panel log in page. The password retrieval system requires your account username, which is a seven digit number (e.g., 0012345). The username is in the welcome email you received when you opened the account.
Enter your account username into the "Username" field and click "Submit."
An email will be sent to the primary account contact. Click the link in the email (if you do not click the link within 24 hours, it will become invalid).
When you visit the link a new login page will appear. Enter your username.
A second email will be sent to the primary account contact containing a randomly generated password. Go back to the log in page and enter the new password.
The first time you log in to Control Panel with the randomly generated password you will be prompted to enter a new password. Entering a new password is optional. You may keep the randomly generated password if you choose to. You will only be prompted to change the password once.
Note that if you repeat steps 1 and 2 at any time a new request will be generated and the first request will be invalidated.
If you fail to receive the lost password messages, be sure to check your spam/junk/bulk email folder, as many spam filters will flag legitimate emails. If you are using spam filters, please whitelist the winhost.com domain name.
If you do not know your account username, use the Forgot your Username? link on the Control Panel log in page. The username retrieval system requires your primary account email address. Note that you will receive login information for every account associated with the email address that you submit. If you enter an email address that is not associated with an account, you will not receive an email or an error message. We do not provide an "email address does not exist" error for security reasons.
If you do not have access to the primary email address for the account, we will require authentication of account information, typically the answer to the security question that you provided when the account was created. To insure customer privacy we cannot provide any account information without this authentication.
To begin the authentication process, send an email to billing@winhost.com or support@winhost.com. Include your domain name, and the answer to your security question in your initial email for speedier resolution. We will reset the account password and send you an email with a randomly generated password. Once you have logged in you can update your primary email contact.


I will happily print a tote to order from my existing print designs. Simply scroll down and select the "Custom Tote" option and detail the print and color you want in the NOTES at checkout. You will find most of my designs on my Instagram feed on the home page.
Please also see my SHIPPING page for more information on receiving your order.
*** PLEASE NOTE THAT ORDERS PLACED AFTER NOON, SATURDAY, APRIL 13TH WILL NOT SHIP UNTIL MONDAY, APRIL 22ND AS I'LL BE TRAVELING. THANK YOU!


I did promise at the end of my last blog post that the next post I would write would be about pianists. I'm afraid that will have to wait as the last ten days have been so exciting and different and therefore worthy of an extra blog post! Settle down for a very long yet hopefully, riveting read……….
On March 10th the CBSO left Birmingham to embark on one of its longest tours for years. Seventeen days with 13 concerts all over Europe, with our Music Director, Andris Nelsons. For me, this tour would involve conducting off-stage in a performance of Tristan & Isolde in Paris and then playing violin for the remaining 12 shows.
Whilst on tour with the CBSO I am often asked to go out into a hall and check the balance of the orchestra for Andris. We also often swap these roles with me conducting and Andris going out into the hall and hearing things for himself. It is a role that I am comfortable with and thoroughly enjoy. It means I need to be familiar with all of the scores but not necessarily "note perfect". For instance, Andris asked me in advance to conduct two specific bits of Tristan in the rehearsal so that he could go out into the stalls of the Theatre Champs Elysees and hear how the opera sounded. It gave me time to quickly study those passages before I helped out.
The performance went very well indeed. I ended conducting quite a long way away from the stage in a stair well out near the artists entrance!
The next time I was asked to help was in the famous Musikverein in Vienna. I listened in one rehearsal and then conducted bits of Ravel's Daphnis & Chloe in another rehearsal. I do at least have evidence that I have conducted, if only briefly, in the world's most celebrated concert hall!
And so, as we neared the end of the tour, all seemed well. The audiences had received us well, concerts had been very well attended and the orchestra were in fine form, on and off the platform! And with three concerts to go we had reached Dortmund.
Having arrived, I went for lunch with my good friends of the lower brass. I then got a phone call from Andris asking me where we were all eating and I guided him to the restaurant. We chatted and all seemed fine – he had just bought some new clothes for his baby daughter, Adriana and seemed in fine spirits. I returned to the hotel to have a shower before the 18.45 – 19.15 rehearsal.
I left the hotel at 18.05 and my phone rang. The call was from Stephen Maddock, CEO of the CBSO. The thrust of the conversation was that little Adriana had been rushed to hospital and that Andris was going to fly home as soon as possible but probably tomorrow. Would I mind conducting the last two concerts of the tour? After mentally working out the repertoire and how much time I had to learn some of it, I agreed and then asked what was happening that night. At that stage Andris was still conducting that night in Dortmund!
By the time I had got to the hall, it had changed! Andris was now not going to conduct that night as he had to go immediately to Frankfurt in order to catch the earliest available flight home. I had 20 minutes to get my head around conducting the concert that night. As it happens, I had conducted two thirds of that nights programme before – both Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 and Sibelius Symphony No.2 were pieces I had conducted fairly recently. The only problem was the opener I had rehearsed Britten's Four Sea Interludes with the CBSO YO a few years before but never conducted them in concert.
Two minutes before the short seating rehearsal, I met with the soloist for the Beethoven, Rudolf Buchbinder. We had worked together before and in 30 seconds we discussed two places in the concerto and then he said that it would "all be fine"! I then rehearsed the CBSO for 30 minutes, mainly on the Britten but also in a couple of corners of the Sibelius. Then 45 minutes to relax and then it was concert time!
The problem was that I had so little time to get my head around the change of role! Firstly flicking through the scores and making a few discreet notes for yourself. Then trying to get as much water inside me as possible – I find I need much more water to cope with the added activity that conducting demands than when I am playing. Then just trying to keep focused while all around you people are flying about making sure that everyone knows what is going on. Both the CBSO management and the Dortmund concert staff couldn't have been more helpful and I thank them for keeping everything seemingly low-key and stress-free for me.
That night I experienced a level of support and collective will from the CBSO that I have never experienced with any other orchestra ever! They played superbly and with real panache, swagger and power. Rudolf Buchbinder was incredible and so supportive – always glancing up at me and smiling and coupled, as ever, with the most beautiful of touches at the piano you will ever wish to hear. The audience seemed to like it – a standing ovation! To top it all off, free beer for the orchestra afterwards from the Konzerthaus.
The following day was a 4 hour coach trip to Heidelberg. Often the conductor on a tour will travel between concerts in a limo but I have to say I was happier on the coach on this particular occasion, and here is the reason why.
The previous night had been a whirlwind that had happened so quickly that I had not got time to be nervous. Now I had 4 hours to sit and digest four scores I had never conducted before and some nerves were starting to appear! I wanted to be somewhere familiar, somewhere I could relax and divert my attention should I need to. The back of the bus was the ideal spot, with my friends around for company and not just sitting in a car on my own worrying myself stupid!
I had played all of these pieces earlier in the tour and most of them many times over the last 20 years in the CBSO. The music was clear in my head. What can put you off however is never having seen them on paper and, more importantly, seeing someone else's markings on a score.
Andris, like myself, is a voracious marker of scores but his style differs from mine in so many ways. Conductors have many different ways of marking things in scores, almost to the point where you have your own "code"! This is the place where a conductor writes down his thoughts on balance, tempi, historical references etc. – and his scores are no different. The biggest difference was that they were all in Latvian! Conductors also have their own language of lines, squiggles and geometric shapes all of their own – what I had to do was try to decipher Andris's code whilst keeping my own thoughts on the music as clear as possible!
We had an hours rehearsal in the lovely hall in Heidelberg but this time I had to squeeze in two pieces I had never conducted before at all – the Wagner and Debussy. We also had to give the radio company a little of both the Britten and Beethoven for their balance engineer and, in such a tight hall, this was a necessity!
The orchestra again played superbly and Rudolf was the dictionary definition of cool again! Having listened to the broadcast (sadly I cannot find a link to it) the highlight was probably the Storm from the Sea Interludes which prompted a "Whoop" from one lady in the audience!
And finally, Baden-Baden. The same symphony (Sibelius 2) but the whole first half was taken up with Mahler and Strauss, sung by superstar tenor, Jonas Kaufmann. Frankly I was nervous about meeting him but he was such a lovely man and so helpful, singing during the one hour rehearsal and happy to help explain corners and tempi with me as much as I wanted. He arrived with messages of support from both Simon Halsey and Simon Rattle, who he had been working with the day before.
Jonas seemed visibly and rightly disturbed by this but chose to address the person concerned. The gist of what he said was, "Sorry you cannot see me but we need to stand like this so that the conductor and myself can see each other and the conductor can see the leader". This drew a justified round of applause from audience, orchestra and myself! How he then managed to sing the rest of the first half so beautifully after being disturbed like this is beyond me? It was sublime singing of the highest calibre.
I shall cherish his hug at the end of that half – it meant a lot to me as someone who had been quite nervous earlier in the day but by the concert had just decided it was better just to have a ball and make music with this great tenor as best I could.
Two more concerts back home followed, one in Manchester and one at home in Brum. I am still overwhelmed by the personal votes of confidence and best wishes from my colleagues during these concerts and also amazed at the level at which they played over these 5 concerts – just staggeringly good! But of course all of this pales into insignificance compared to the feelings we all have towards Andris, Kristine and little Adriana. All of us at the CBSO, as well as our loyal supporters, wish them all the best for a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing all three of you in Birmingham as soon as we can.
Next time, pianists!! It will be shorter next time, promise……….
I live in Australia and tried to get Spotify as advised on Intermezzo, however, it is not available in this country. Again, I was disappointed when trying to hear the concert via OE 1 last Sunday, as the line kept dropping out but I heard enough to want to hear the complete concert. Any chance of another broadcast or c.d.? I have followed the career of Jonas Kaufmann since his first c.d. and many c.d.s and d.v.ds later my esteem has only grown. To his many talents, one must also add his obvious personal charm, his gentlemanly behaviour and his attitude to life generally. Congrats to you and best wishes to Andris Nelsons & family.
It seems that it is impossible to get a copy of the Kaufmann concert! Shame as I would love to have heard it again myself!
I shall definitely pass on your regards to Andris when I see him again.
Fantastic, Michael. And some big programs to cope with on a few hours' notice. You're so blessed to have been playing them for donkeys years. I'm sure the band was behind you all the way and you came up trumps. Bravo! Such a reputation will definitely lead to bigger and bigger things – soon you'll have your own orchestra!
2 Pings/Trackbacks for "A tour I will never forget"


The sensitivity of the blueback herringAlosa aestivalis to acidity and aluminum (AI) in reconstituted, soft freshwater (23–25 mg I−1 hardness as CaCO3) was investigated in a continuous exposure laboratory study. Mature (20–24 h postfertilization) embryos were more tolerant than 1- to 5-day-old yolk-sac larvae. Significant mortality of embryos occurred only when pH was 5.0 and the total Al concentration was 0.42 mg I−1 (predicted MIBK-extracted total monomeric AI=0.34 mgI−1). Moderate acidity dramatically decreased the survival of yolksac larvae. Mean mortality was 99% in pH 5.0 and 89% in pH 5.7 compared to 38% in pH 6.5 and 16% in pH 7.8 without AI. The toxicity of AI to yolk-sac larvae was pH- and dose-dependent. Total AI concentrations up to 0.34 mg l−1 (predicted total monomeric AI up to 0.21 mg l−1) were not toxic at pH 6.5 and 7.8. At pH 5.0 and 5.7, AI increased the rate at which yolk-sac larvae died during a 96-h exposure (i.e., time to 50% mortality decreased with increasing AI). Continuous exposure to a predicted total monomeric AI level of only 0.03 mg I−1 at pH 5.0 killed all yolk-sac larvae in <24 hours. The mechanisms of acid and AI toxicity were apparently physiological and not associated with extensive cellular damage. Acidification events measured in Chesapeake Bay tributaries may reduce survival of blueback herring yolk-sac larvae and embryos exposed to those events.
American Public Health Association. 1985. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 16th Edition. Washington, D.C. 1,268 p.
Ashton, W. D. 1982. The Logit Transformation with Special Reference to Its Use in Bioassay. Charles Griffin and Co., London, 88 p.
Baker, J. P. 1982. Effects on fish of metals associated with acidification, p. 165–176.In T. A. Haines and R. E. Johnson (eds.), Acid Rain/Fisheries. Northeastern Division, Am. Fish. Soc., Bethesda.
Barnes, R. B. 1975. The determination of specific forms of aluminum in natural waters.Chem. Geol. 15:177–191.
Bayless, J. D. 1972. Artificial Propagation and Hybridization of Striped Bass,Morone saxatilis (Walbaum). SC Wildlife Resour. Dept., Moncks Corner, SC. 135 p.
Beamish, R. J., andH. H. Harvey. 1972. Acidification of the LaCloche Mountain lakes, Ontario, and resulting fish mortalities.J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 29:1131–1143.
Bonzek, D. F., andP. W. Jones. 1984. Assessment of the Population Dynamics of Important Commercial and Recreational Fish in Chesapeake Bay. An Atlas of Commercial Fishery Statistics in Maryland and Virginia, 1929–1980. Tech. Memo. No. 5, MD Dept. Nat. Resour., Annapolis, MD. 246 p.
Bowman, M. L. 1984. Acid deposition monitoring projects in Maryland, p. 15–28.In M. L. Bowman and S. S. G. Wierman (eds.), The Potential Effects of Acid Deposition in Maryland: Report of the Maryland Interagency Working Group on Acid Deposition. MD Dept. Nat. Resour., Power Plant Research Program, Annapolis, MD.
Annals of the Association of American Geographers Association of American Geographers.


text:
Commentary: A miracle at the Roy Maas youth center
Opinion // Commentary
Bill Wilkinson, For the Express-News
"I've watched our staff grow as they confront COVID-19 and care for our residents," writes Bill Wilkinson, CEO at Roy Maas' Youth Alternatives, about his staff, pictured sorting donated blankets.
Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News
When we think of people fighting COVID-19 and the people on the front lines, we usually think of police officers, firefighters, EMS, health care providers and hospital employees. They are at the top of most people's lists of "essential" workers.
There's another group of people who face the ravages of the coronavirus every day, but they rarely get credit or recognition for their work — people like our employees at Roy Maas Youth Alternatives and other shelters across our country, where the staffs work diligently to protect children and adults. Those workers are essential, too.
At Roy Maas, also known as RMYA, we care for hundreds of Texas children in crisis. Many come to us from the streets, where some have been exposed to the virus and other threats. Many of those kids have been abused. Our staff welcomes them, settles them down and cares for them as if they were our own children. We do this work because it's the right thing to do.
I've watched our staff grow as they confront COVID-19 and care for our residents. The pandemic is a test none of us ever expected to confront. Our workers come back day after day determined to do what is in the best interests of our residents: Keep them safe and help them recover from trauma.
Flexibility has always been a critical attribute of our staff. Let me share an example that made me so proud of our team.
For 30 years, a local chef who had gone through our program at RMYA prepared and served Thanksgiving meals for residents and staff. It was his way of giving back. He was scheduled to do it again this past Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, his family was exposed to COVID-19 the night before Thanksgiving, and he had to quarantine.
On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases
It was understandable, of course, but still a major disappointment for our residents who'd been promised a traditional Thanksgiving dinner — something most had never experienced. It would have been easy for staff to tell our kids, "Maybe next year."
But that's not what happened.
Our staff was determined to make an old-fashioned Thanksgiving meal happen. And they did. Plus, they turned the day into a wonderful teaching opportunity for residents by inviting kids to help prepare the meal.
Together, our staff and kids learned how to prepare and cook a turkey. They mastered whipping mashed potatoes and cooking string beans. Staff and residents put their heads together and figured out how to make dressing. And together, they learned how to make fresh rolls, pecan pies and other desserts. Several kids later told staff they'd like to continue helping in the kitchen. They embraced what they had done and perhaps saw cooking as a career interest. Residents who did not cook instead decorated the dining room to capture the spirit of Thanksgiving. Others helped set the tables for the meal.
The day turned out to be a master class in meal preparation and more — and according to what I heard, everything tasted great.
What I learned that day is how resilient our staff and residents are — how a bump in the road was no problem for them. What's so difficult about making an old-fashioned Thanksgiving celebration compared with battling a pandemic?
Bill Wilkinson is CEO of Roy Maas' Youth Alternatives.
Bill Wilkinson