text:
Toward Functional Immunity
Katherine J. Wu:
Eventually, all discussions about sterilizing immunity [Ability to totally prevent infection] become nerdy quibbles over semantics. Clearly, not every infection is clinically meaningful, or even logistically detectable, given the limits of our technology—nor do they need to be, if there's no sickness or transmission. (A koan for pandemic times: If a microbe silently and inconsequentially copies itself in a tissue, and the body doesn't notice, did it actually infect?) There is, for every pathogen, a threshold at which an infection becomes problematic; all the immune system has to do is suppress its rise below this line to keep someone safe.
But that might be exactly the point. Say that sterilizing immunity is impossible, that our immune systems cannot, in fact, be trained to achieve perfection. Then it's neither a surprise nor a shortcoming that COVID-19 vaccines, or other vaccines, don't manage it: An inoculation that guards marvelously well against disease—offering as much protection as it can—can still end an outbreak. Life would certainly be easier if vaccines offered invincible armor, with pathogens simply ricocheting off. But they don't, and assuming or expecting them to manage that can be dangerous. The dubiousness of sterilizing immunity is a reminder that just about any immune response can be overwhelmed, if exposures are heavy and frequent enough, Grad told me. The best we can all hope for is functional immunity, more like a flame retardant than a firewall, that still keeps bad burns at bay.
Jeff Wills Current Events, Science Leave a comment September 12, 2021
Right now we're in a bad movie with a predictable ending
Without a doubt the winters in the Washington D.C. area have been getting milder. Of course we still get spells of arctic cold and your occasional snow storm, but if you've lived here for any length of time, as I have for almost 3 decades, there is no arguing the winters aren't, on average, what they use to be. The trend is unmistakable. The climate is changing. Our warm weather seasons are getting more severe and longer and our cold weather seasons are getting milder and shorter. These well predicted warming shifts in climate are happening in various degrees all over the planet. And we have good reason to believe the climate crisis is far worse than scientist projected.
Global warming is happening and the reasons for it aren't surprising…at least to most of us. The scientific community has been warning us for a long time—decades—that human activity is principally responsible for a drastic increase in the amount of carbon in the earth's atmosphere, which is causing global temperatures to rise. While we don't know everything about something as vast and dynamic as the earth's climate, we do know a lot, and we're about 99% certain humans are the main cause for rising global temperatures.
So I wasn't surprised to see, for example, that last month was the warmest January in recorded history. Or that Antartica, a continent usually buried in snow and ice miles deep and registering the coldest temperatures in the world, recently had its warmest day ever recorded—69.35 degrees! And we know that as the Arctic ice continues to melt at an alarming rate, the sea levels—with mathematical certainty—will rise all around the world. With the largest percentage of the world's population living near the coastlines, we can imagine the havoc this will eventually bring. There are a whole range of potentially large, global problems—increased disease, water resource problems, extreme weather events, agricultural problems, droughts, etc, etc,—that the coming climate crisis will likely bring.
But right now we're in a bad movie with a predicable ending. Right now the scientists…or imagine, say, a team of heart doctors (climate scientists), who've spent their lives educating themselves about hearts, experimenting, testing, and studying the data, are (have been) telling us we're heading toward a massive global heart attack if we don't change our diet and habits real soon….like, right now. Do you believe these doctors? Or do you just dismiss their expertise and decades of research as all part of some "hoax"?
We have these fast food minds—and their fatty food science denial agenda—telling us we'll be just fine: "Eat on! Those heart doctors are wrong! Experts can't be trusted! They're elites! The truth has a liberal bias!" Not surprising, I guess, given we're a nation with a big obesity (educational) problem. The "Eat on!" crowd has, for now, sadly, won the day. And so the long term costs and sacrifices that must and will eventually have to be made (mostly by the generation not responsible) in dealing with this climate crisis will only be greater and even more painful.
Real statesmanship (public leadership) is partly about getting people to face problems they're avoiding….because it's an uncomfortable topic to discuss…or, as we see on Capitol Hill, it cuts into their campaign donor's profits. The tragic thing about our current national leadership—-the President and a large portion of Congress—is that there is so little statesmanship and so much pure selfish tribalism. The common good is not even remotely on the agenda. Because that would require political courage and compromise and bipartisanship. And we see so little of that anymore.
Though I continue to hold out hope, it's getting harder and harder to be hopeful about the future. Whether it's with the global climate crisis, massive inequality in this country, the cost of healthcare, or our tribal politics, I'm less and less optimistic we're going to be able to avoid a major crisis. But I will continue to hope…and pray…and you'd had best do so also.
Jeff Wills Environment, Politics, Science Leave a comment February 24, 2020 March 19, 2020
In Our Scientific Age, Progress is Inevitable even if not Permanent
I have a friend, we'll call him Sam, who doesn't care for the term "progress." It's odd when you think about it, but in his case it has a lot to do with politics. The term is too close to the term "progressive," which in Sam's mind, I suspect, is what describes all that he finds wrong in the world.
Obviously Sam is for progress (the core idea of a progressivism) if it means a better iPhone for him or medication he might need, or some other technological or medical advancement that improves personal utility or happiness. Airplanes are a nice way to travel fast, and vaccines keep Sam from losing half his family to outbreaks of small pox or some other deadly virus. Surely this is "progress" Sam can appreciate?
But this is complicated, I realize. It would be fair to say that those, like Sam, who are against, or uncomfortable with, the term (or idea) of progress are mostly referring to progress on the moral plane, not the technological…or the economical, i.e. getting rich. Because, naturally, we're not against a concept or idea when it benefits us personally. My dad, a fine father and successful conservative businessman, once told me he was a conservative in every aspect except sex. For that personal policy position, he was "a raging liberal." But's it's hard, if impossible, to separate the natural connection between scientific, economic, and technological progress from its connection to social progress. They go together. It's a mindset. Something that seems lost on my friend Sam.
With the Age of Enlightenment came the scientific mind—along with an outbreak of the democratic spirit (American and French Revolutions for example) and the idea of human progress in the West. Keep this in mind. The scientific mind is the mind of learning, of analysis, of capturing nature's power (physical and social) in order to harness it for socially useful ends. The natural state of a scientific mind is agnostic (Greek for "I don't know") when it comes to a proposition about understanding (or commenting on) something the scientific mind has not seen valid evidence for. While not perfect, we know that the best knowledge we can have, the most certain, is that derived from scientific experimentation and research. So naturally such a successful frame of mind becomes adopted by people and societies that wish to improve their lives. Because it works!
At the heart of education in Western society is a scientific view of the world. That doesn't mean science will answer all questions of meaning, it can't. It does mean, however, that people will feel more empowered by their own observation and experience to question authority in matters across the spectrum of human knowledge…and that naturally includes social matters. And so if you connect the dots, as our scientific knowledge has rapidly advanced in the West, so has social change….or the push for greater social "progress." As scientific knowledge has advanced rapidly in the modern age, so has the push for social progress. In the West, these two ideas go together…along with our greater living standards, economic wealth, and way of life we cherish. It's hard to have one, it seems, without encouraging the other.
This resistance to the march of time and the social—progressive—change it brings has much to do with the fear of change and a desire to hang on to the past—the love of old times and ways of doing things and ancestor worship in general. In some ways, those with stiffly conservative minds are certain that our fathers and our Founding Fathers knew better than we—and in some ways they did!
Being a man who knows you can learn a lot from studying history and biography, I can sympathize with this way of thinking. You do learn something very important from history: It's called wisdom. If you read a lot of history and biography (but most people don't) you notice general patterns in the march of societies and people's lives that generally tend to repeat themselves, though not exactly, over and over throughout history and life. Mark Twain once said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes." Well, that nicely sum up what you learn from reading a lot of history: a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement.
So let me say that one of history's great lessons, one of its central laws, is the inevitability of change. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, "You can never step in the same river twice." The river, with its steady flow, is changing constantly. And so it is with the flow of time and human social history. The concept of social progress is indeed a relatively new concept in human history, I'll give critics of social progress that, but it's an "inevitable" part of change given the endless flow of time and the yearnings of the human spirit.
I will conclude by saying that while change is inevitable, progress is not. I mean that while progress may come about—and naturally has in America—that doesn't mean it will continue. History tells us that empires fall and societies collapse. Americans face a serious crisis because of massive levels of inequality and a declining middle-class. It's not lost on the informed observer of history that the era in-which inequality was at its lowest and the greatest middle-class in the world was created and thriving in America was a period (1945 – 1975) that was largely the result of "progressive era" inspired policies. An era, I remind you, that conservatives are nostalgic about as the good ole days. Funny how short memories are.
Jeff Wills Personal Musings, Politics, Science 3 Comments January 5, 2019 January 8, 2019
The Day Pompeii was Destroyed
In the darkness you could hear the crying of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men. Some prayed for help. Others wished for death. But still more imagined that there were no Gods left, and that the universe was plunged into eternal darkness.
— Pliny the Younger
What might the destruction of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii have looked like when Mount Vesuvius erupted? Well, we don't know for sure, but years of study and science have given us a really good idea. Here's a fascinating full length animation with sound.
Jeff Wills History, Science Leave a comment September 22, 2018 September 24, 2018
Research Scientists—Heroes of Humanity
When I was a little boy I stayed with my maternal grandmother a lot during the summers when school was out. She was a strong willed southern Baptist woman who'd been raised on a tobacco farm near Danville, Virginia. Every night before bedtime we'd say our prayers together. We asked for the forgiveness of our sins, we gave thanks for all the Lord had given us, and we asked that He bless our family and friends. As far as I knew the requests were granted. I went to bed refreshed and got up the next day ready to load up with sin.
Since then the list of those I'm thankful for and those needing to be blessed has expanded—the friends & family list, well, that may shorten depending on what day you ask me. But the thankful list, for the most part, has clearly expanded. It should have for all of us I'd hope. I'm very grateful for the military personnel who protect our nation, for the police officers who protect us from each other, for the nurses who care for us, for the teachers who educate and help shape our children, and for our political leaders—the very few, that is, who deserve a divine blessing rather than a voodoo curse.
But recently, while watching a TV commercial (below), I was reminded of those heroes—and they truly are—who I've always respected and admired but who don't tend to make the nightly prayer list for most of us…and they deserve to. We're all thankful for the doctors and nurses who care for us and our loved ones: they provide life saving surgeries and treatments and provide medications that cure disease and allow us to live normal, healthy, lives. But what about the people who actually researched, discovered, and designed these life saving procedures and medicines? Our healthcare comes from "providers." But what about the Givers to Humanity…the research scientists?
Research scientists are the one's who actually gave humanity those life saving procedures and medications. Without the discoveries of these research scientists the lives of millions would have been shortened and the quality of life for millions more would have been much worse. Just think of Edward Jenner, who discovered vaccinations. Because of him millions of lives have been spared suffering and a shortened life. Think of Louis Pasteur and the germ theory of disease. How about John Priestly's discovery of anaesthetics! How about Frederick Banting's discovery of insulin. How many people have we all known that would have died early deaths without insulin? And of course there are so many scientific discoveries—medical or otherwise—that I could list that are things we now take for granted but are things that without our world would be a much less forgiving and hopeful place. And most of these life giving and improving discoveries come to us from those dedicated to scientific discovery—from research scientists.
They are heroes of humanity. Let us be mindful and give thanks for them.
Jeff Wills Science Leave a comment January 21, 2018 January 22, 2018


The hunt for the puma began in a small village where a woman picking blackberries saw 'a large cat' only five yards away from her. It immediately ran away when she saw it, and experts confirmed that a puma will not attack a human being unless it is cornered. The search proved difficult, for the puma was often observed at one place in the morning and at another place twenty miles away in the evening. Wherever it went, it left behind it a trail of dead deer and small animals like rabbits. Paw prints were seen in a number of places and puma fur was found clinging to bushes. Several people complained of "cat-like noises' at night and a businessman on a fishing trip saw the puma up a tree. The experts were now fully convinced that the animal was a puma, but where had it come from? As no pumas had been reported missing from any zoo in the country, this one must have been in the possession of a private collector and somehow managed to escape. The hunt went on for several weeks, but the puma was not caught. It is disturbing to think that a dangerous wild animal is still at large in the quiet countryside.


That's a wrap for Roseanne — thanks to Roseanne Barr. The hit revival of the 1980s sitcom has been cancelled by ABC after the show's star posted a racist tweet on Tuesday, May 29.
"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Earlier today, Roseanne shared a since-deleted tweet aimed at Valerie Jarrett, one of former President Barack Obama's top aides. "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj."
She then apologized for her hurtful words. "I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me – my joke was in bad taste," she said on the social media platform. Roseanne then shared she'd be quitting Twitter. "I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter," she wrote on the social media platform."
Shortly after Roseanne announced its cancellation, Roseanne was also dropped by her agency, ICM Partners. "We are all greatly distressed by the disgraceful and unacceptable tweet from Roseanne Barr this morning," an internal memo to the company read, according to Deadline. "What she wrote is antithetical to our core values, both as individuals and as an agency. Consequently, we have notified her that we will not represent her. Effective immediately, Roseanne Barr is no longer a client."
As for the cast of the sitcom, Wanda Sykes immediately backed out of the show after Roseanne's tweets. Sara Gilbert — who played Roseanne's daughter, Darlene Conner, in the series — also spoke out about the unfortunate happenings.
"Roseanne's recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least," she wrote. "This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we've created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love— one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member," Sara added.
Emma Kenney, who played Sara Gilbert's daughter, Harris, also reacted to the cancellation. "I called my manager to quit working on Roseanne, I found out the show got cancelled. I feel so empowered by @iamwandasykes, Channing Dungey, and those at ABC standing up against abuse of power and lack of values. Bullies do not win. Ever." she wrote in a since-deleted tweet. She added, "I am hurt, embarrassed, and disappointed. The racist and distasteful comments from Roseanne are inexcusable."
Darlene and David's Baby Harris on 'Roseanne' Is a Teen Now — and a Big Sister!


Just the Facts: by Stephen Altrogge. 144 p. Published April 2011 by Crossway Books. Advanced review copy received in electronic format courtesy of the publisher, through NetGalley.
Short Bio: Stephen Altrogge delves into our society's most commonly found malady: discontentment. How could residents of the richest nation in the world, of whom most are in the world's top 1% wealthiest, be so discontent? Altrogge examines what this discontentment looks like in our lives, what's at the root of it, and how we combat it.
Eyewitness Account: Moment of truth: I expected this book to bore me. It had "yeah, yeah, I know all that" written all over the blurb. If you looked at the five-star rating above, you can imagine just how surprised I was to find these short 144 pages a down-and-dirty, "in the trenches" look at the battle for contentment. Altrogge examines the nature of discontentment (which is ultimately a form of idolatry – finding or believing that true satisfaction is in something God created rather than in God himself), the lies we believe when we're not content ("God owes me", "God is holding out on me", "If I could just get this one thing then I'd be truly happy", and finally, "I know what's best for me"), what we truly deserve from God (punishment for being the rebellious idolaters that we are), what we actually get from God (not only forgiveness for our death-causing sins, but also a place in God's family as his children and inheritors of his kingdom), and the root of what we are truly longing for – the Heaven we were created to enjoy.
When I read books on my Kindle, I like highlighting good quotes so that I can peruse them later when I write my book reviews or when I want to share good parts with my friends. I went back into my highlighted quotes for this review and found FIFTY-THREE PASSAGES that I had marked (my average for a really good book is about 20)! With just the right mix of personal anecdotes, too-true illustrations, and scriptural backing for each of his chapters, I found this book enjoyable, humorous, well-paced, deeply thought-provoking, and extremely practical to apply. Two thumbs up and a big gold star sticker for Stephen Altrogge!
Just the Facts: by Derryl Murphy. 320 p. Published March 2011 by ChiZine Publishers. Advanced review copy provided in electronic format courtesy of the publisher, through NetGalley.
Short Bio: (from ChiZine Publishers) Dom is a numerate, someone able to see and control numbers and use them as a form of magic. While seeking a mathematical item of immense power that has only been whispered about, it all goes south for Dom, and he finds himself on the run across three countries on two continents, with two unlikely companions in tow and a numerate of unfathomable strength hot on his tail. Along the way are giant creatures of stone and earth, statues come alive, numerical wonders cast over hundreds of years, and the very real possibility that he won't make it out of this alive. And both of his companions have secrets so deep that even they aren't aware of them, and one of those secrets could make for a seismic shift in how Dom and all other numerates see and interact with the world.
Eyewitness Account: This is the second ChiZine galley I've read (I read both this last weekend) and, like Eutopia, it has a very unique and intriguing plot. Murphy posits a Matrix-like world in which a few select people can not only see the "numbers" that make up our world, but they can also manipulate them to defy normal physical laws (a la Obi Wan and The Force). Dom, the main character, is thrown in with the ghost-like shadow of a former numerate and a newbie who is just discovering her mathematical gift. As they are hotly pursued by the most powerful numerate in history, Dom gets a whole new education in the nature of numbers and how numerates can use and abuse them.
Although the books are nothing alike, I found myself comparing Napier's Bones to Eutopia – perhaps because they both bore the distinctive ChiZine mark of somewhat bizarre plots. However, where Eutopia was strong on characterization but slightly weak on plot and setting, Napier's Bones is much the opposite. The "numerate" world was very believable and engaging – something I could see Hollywood picking up and exploiting for its awesome special effects and endless possibility of plot lines. The fast-paced storyline kept me turning pages from the beginning, and the author deftly walked the thin line of describing the "rules" of the numerate world without info dumping. The only major weakness, in my opinion, was the character development – they all fell a little flat and never managed to take on any real personality (I couldn't picture which actor would play them in a movie adaptation – which is how I know they could have been fleshed out a bit better).
The long dead mathematicians and poets that Murphy pulls into the present numerate world are kind of fun and I learned a few things I didn't know. If you want a great explanation for how John Napier's "Bones" actually work, check out this website.
This would be a great summer reading pick, especially for readers who like action, math, or science fiction.
Just the Facts: by David Nickle. 259 p. Published April 2011 by ChiZine Publishers. Advanced review copy provided in electronic format courtesy of the publisher, through NetGalley.
Short Bio: (from ChiZine Publishers) The year is 1911.
In Cold Spring Harbour, New York, the newly formed Eugenics Records Office is sending its agents to catalogue the infirm, the insane, and the criminal—with an eye to a cull, for the betterment of all.
Near Cracked Wheel, Montana, a terrible illness leaves Jason Thistledown an orphan, stranded in his dead mother's cabin until the spring thaw shows him the true meaning of devastation—and the barest thread of hope.
At the edge of the utopian mill town of Eliada, Idaho, Doctor Andrew Waggoner faces a Klansman's noose and glimpses wonder in the twisting face of the patient known only as Mister Juke.
Eutopia follows Jason and Andrew as together and alone, they delve into the secrets of Eliada—industrialist Garrison Harper's attempt to incubate a perfect community on the edge of the dark woods and mountains of northern Idaho. What they find reveals the true, terrible cost of perfection—the cruelty of the surgeon's knife—the folly of the cull—and a monstrous pact with beings that use perfection as a weapon, and faith as a trap.
Eyewitness Account: So, ChiZine is a new publisher for me and I've just read two of their galleys this weekend (look for a Napier's Bones review soon). They are admittedly a publisher of "weird, subtle, surreal, disturbing dark fiction and fantasy" and Eutopia certainly fits that bill. I don't know if it was the cover, the title, or the blurb, but I had expected this book to be a futuristic dystopian novel – and was instead plopped down in a historical novel with some bizarre sci-fi/fantasy twists.
The plot jumps between two main protagonists – Jason Thistledown, the sole survivor of a plague in his small Montana town, and Andrew Waggoner, a black doctor invited to work in a logging town in Idaho. Both are confronted with the plans of others to make a "perfect" society – through Eugenics ("culling" out the weak in society, which means killing or sterilizing them) and through the creation of a "Garden of Eden" in the isolation of Idaho. The two men soon find that they are entangled in more than just the cruel working of man when encounter Mister Juke, who doesn't seem to be quite human and proves that he can manipulate the minds and wills of the local hillbillies.
Perhaps it was the dichotomy between my preconceptions and the reality of the novel that made me confused for the first half of the book, but it took me a while to really get into the plot. However, the wait was worth it – the second half of the book really picks up some plot momentum and has a fairly smashing conclusion. The novel deals with a wide range of topics, from racism and the Eugenics movements to faith and the quest for perfection. Nickle's main characters – Jason Thistledown, Aunt Germaine, Andrew Waggoner, and Mister Juke – were the best part of the novel, as each one is very distinctly and uniquely drawn (no mixing up characters in this novel!). Nickle gets two thumbs up for originality, as I'm fairly certain there isn't another story like this – you might find yourself turning the pages of Eutopia just so you can see how he pulls all these diverse plot threads together.
I would like to caveat this book by saying its gets an N-17 rating from me; there are some graphic scenes that, while not necessarily containing violence, are slightly disturbing. This is certainly a book to try if you like the Twilight Zone or somewhat twisted/strange stories.
"Did any of them ever mark the day, he wondered, when they fell from reason into madness?
Just the Facts: by David Platt. 240 p. Published May 2010 by Multnomah Books. Book received as a gift.
5. Participate in a faith community.
Eyewitness Account: This book is certainly one of the most challenging and engaging reads I've had in a while – and I read almost all of it in one day because I was so interested in it! I'm not usually big into marking up books, but my copy has underlines and notes and exclamation marks all through it (hopefully those will amuse whoever borrows it from me) because I wanted so much to engage in the author's discussion. I completely resonated with the struggle of fleshing out what it means to be a disciple of Christ in an American context – what exactly is our purpose in life? Is it to climb up our career ladder and work for the comfort and security of our family's future? Is it even to regularly attend church and ensure that you give to good charities? Or is it to radically hunger and thirst for God's word and presence in your life in a way that causes you take ridiculous risks?
I enjoyed Platt's honesty about his own spiritual journey and the times when he himself has fallen victim to the American Dream. I was left challenged with the idea that even having been a Christian for many years, I still think with my American brain. When I am excited or touched with a need that I sense God asking me to step up to fill, I immediately start thinking "How can I fulfil it? How can I accomplish that task? What resources do I have?" I've slipped into my American mindset already – and if I were to succeed, who would get the credit? Would anyone look at what I'd done and praise God? No – they'd praise me. God chooses to use the weak and the powerless and asks them to do ridiculous, impossible things because He knows that's how He gets the credit!
I LOVED the examples of hard-core disciples that Platt gave – people like George Muller, Jim Elliot, and John Paton who did seemingly crazy things that ended with God getting praise from people who were definitely against God before. I also found this book to be exceptionally well organized for something of this content – I really appreciated how Platt walked the reader through Matthew 10 to discuss how Christ sent out the disciples, what he told them to expect, and how he equipped them. I also found his walk-through of the Romans Road a very provocative and logical exposition on our status before God and the need to share the message of Christ with others.
Although I already have portions of his "experiment" imbedded in my daily life, I was challenged to be more consistent and intentional about them. I found this book though-provoking and and look forward to re-reading it again soon (hopefully I can talk my book club into it)! If this book really intrigues you, I'd urge you to check out the insightful review done on the Gospel Coalition's page (linked below) – it has some thought-provoking questions about the content of this book and Platt's response.
What are other people saying? Another book review from Lets Eat Grandpa, a book review and dialogue with the author at The Gospel Coalition, and a reader who evaluates her progress on the "experiment" on year later at The Coffee Shop.
Just the Facts: by Trevin Wax. 240 p. Published April 2011 by Moody Publishers. Advance review copy provided in electronic format courtesy of the publisher, through NetGalley.
Not-so-Short Bio (from NetGalley): What if the biggest danger to the church of Jesus Christ is not blatant heresy, the moral failures of church leaders, persecution, the rise of Islam or the loss of our rights? What if the biggest threat is counterfeit gospels within the church, ways of thinking and speaking about the good news that lead to a gradual drift from the truth of Scripture?
The gospel is like a three-legged stool. There's the Gospel Story – the grand narrative of Scripture (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration). Within that overarching framework, we make the Gospel Announcement about Jesus Christ (His perfect life, substitutionary death, resurrection, exaltation). The gospel announcement then births the Gospel Community: God's church – the embodiment of the gospel, the manifestation of God's kingdom. A counterfeit gospel is like a colony of termites, eating away at one of the legs of this stool until the whole thing topples over. This book exposes six common counterfeits (Therapeutic, Judgmentless, Moralist, Quietist, Activist, and Churchless) that would get us off track.
Eyewitness Account: The title of this book intrigued me – and I was not disappointed! Wax and Chandler break out their definition of "the gospel" (mainly the three pieces mentioned above, Story – Announcement – Community) and how many of the "gospels" being taught/preached in churches today change one of those pieces. I was impressed not only with the content of this book, but also with how the authors organized it; after each "counterfeit" is defined and explained with examples, the authors describe why we fall for it (what elements of truth are still in it) and what dangers result from holding to that counterfeit. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in what the core beliefs of Christianity are and how Christians and the Church can most accurately reflect those beliefs. Counterfeit Gospels is a very thoughtful and well-written response to the increasing number of Christian churches who have succumbed to off-target or incorrect doctrine.
Just the Facts: by Peter Godwin. 384 p. Published March 2011 by Hachette Books. Advanced review copy received in electronic format courtesy of the publisher, through NetGalley.
Short Bio: Peter Godwin relays the stories he gleans from several trips through Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the 2008 election, chronicling the unbelievable stories of assault, torture, intimidation, and murder of President Robert Mugabe's regime against their opposition. Mugabe, who helped lead Zimbabwe's fight to independence 30 years ago, ruthlessly held his power in a "democratic" society by employing brutal intimidation tactics against all opposing political parties and supporters. Although the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), claims they won the presidential vote in 2008, Mugabe refused to abdicate his power to their candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai, and stepped up the incredible violence perpetrated against MDC supporters. He is currently still the President of Zimbabwe.
Eyewitness Account: I don't think I've read such a shocking narrative since I read about the Rwanda genocide in We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Shall All Be Killed With Our Families. Godwin isn't chronicling a genocide so much as he is detailing a politicide – the systematic wiping out of all who did not support Robert Mugabe's regime. I have never before been so utterly grateful to live in a country where the worst a presidential election degrades to is a smear campaign; I can vote for whomever I please without wondering at the polling booth, "Should I return home to the thugs waiting to torture and kill me, or simply flee for my life now?" I had no idea what the state of welfare for the average person was in Zimbabwe – the fact that almost their entire population relies on food from foreign aid agencies because all the farmers have been run off their land, that torture victims would die from sepsis because they wait two weeks to seek medical help from their wounds out of fear of further attacks if they are seen at a clinic, and that their currency was so hyperflated that you had to bundle the bills in bricks of millions to buy bread.
Although I give this book a full 5 stars for its incredibly compelling narrative, I hesitate to recommend it unilaterally – because story after story contains descriptions of some of the most inhumane torture I have ever heard described. The book is aptly named, as Mugabe's regime truly imploys every possible way to instill immobilizing fear in the heart of all voting Zimbabweans. If you can get past the descriptions of horrendously brutal torture and truly heartrending situations faced by thousands of ordinary citizens, I highly recommend this book as a snapshot of how one man has catalyzed the utter collapse and ruination of a country and of the many brave people who have stood proudly in defiance of him.


NWC saluted our employees at at last week's annual Employee Recognition Banquet. We honored employees' years of services as well as our retirees, faculty receiving emeritus status, faculty receiving promotions and tenure, and Outstanding Service Award recipients.
Team Award – Central Assessment Team members Eric Atkinson (Biology), Dave Erickson (Sociology), Gerry Giraud (VP, Academic Affairs), Rachel Hanan (English), Micah Humphreys (Ag), Jan Kliewer (Music), Aura Newlin (Sociology and Anthropology), Astrid Northrup (Engineering and Mathematics), Susan Richards (Library Director), Lisa Satterlee (Business Office Technology), and Lisa Smith (Institutional Researcher).
Congratulations to all of our honorees. You are all superheroes.


text:
Sarah Ferguson Says This Royal Family Member Still Makes Her Nervous
Can't say we're surprised.
ByBrittany Wong
10/25/2016 05:44pm EDT | Updated September 20, 2017
Anwar Hussein via Getty Images
Sarah Ferguson has remained close to ex-husband Prince Andrew.
Twenty years have passed since Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew divorced. But after all these years, there's still one member of the royal family Fergie finds intimidating: Her former mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II. (Hey, who wouldn't be a little nervous in the queen's presence? The woman is fierce.)
"I always get really nervous before meeting the boss," Fergie said during an interview on KIIS FM in Sydney, Australia.
The 57-year-old Duchess of York was quick to clarify that her former MIL always puts her at ease.
"Oh, of course, she's brilliant," she said. "She makes you feel comfortable within the first five seconds."
Though Fergie's 1996 divorce from Prince Andrew was a messy one (the tabloids accused Fergie of cheating, with lurid pictures as proof), the exes have maintained a close bond since the split. As recently as 2015, they lived together at Prince Andrew's home at the Royal Lodge and both remain a strong presence in the lives of their daughters, Beatrice, 28 and Eugenie, 26.
Hulton Archive via Getty Images
The royal family at Clarence House. From left to right; Prince Andrew Duke of York, the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, Queen Elizabeth II, The Queen Mother, Prince Charles, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana.
As any devoted royal follower can tell you, there have been been rumors of a possible reconciliation for the pair for years. When the KIIS FM hosts asked Fergie if she'd ever get back together with Andrew, she gave a rather cryptic response.
"Well, I always think ― we're divorced to each other right now...so we never really left each other," she said.
Fergie has addressed the remarriage rumors before. While promoting her latest children's book at the Bath Children's Literature Festival in 2013, the duchess responded to questions about a possible reconciliation.
"[Andrew's] still my handsome prince, he'll always be my handsome prince," she said. "It's lovely that we are such a family and the story has a happy ending all the time."
OK, we're really pulling for a royal reconciliation now.
A Look Back On Princess Diana And Prince Charles' Emotional Divorce
The Best Thing About Prince George, According To A Royal Family Photographer
Princess Beatrice Just Upstaged Everyone At The Queen's Birthday
The Sweetest Photos Of Princess Diana With William And Harry
Sarah Ferguson's Style Evolution
queen elizabeththe royalsSarah Ferguson
Brittany Wong
Senior Lifestyle Reporter, HuffPost
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Lay your weary head to rest. The problem is when you do, sleep evades you. Insomnia is more prevalent in today's world and is a common sleep disorder; 30% of adults suffer from short-term insomnia and 10% with chronic insomnia. This loss of sleep is causing 4.7% of people nodding off while driving and 37.9% unintentionally falling asleep during the day. Drowsy driving has resulted in 1,550 fatalities and 40,000 nonfatal injuries annually in the United States. They must not know about CBD yet.
Why are so many people tired? Adults function best with 7-9 hours of sleep each night. There are different stages of sleep. The deepest sleep is called REM (Rapid Eye Movement). You need to enter into this stage of sleep on a regular basis. A study on rats showed that only four days of REM sleep deprivation affects the part of the brain that contributes to long-term memory. A lack of REM sleep affects physical and emotional health, such as learning, memory, and mood. This has been linked to reduced coping skills, migraines, and being overweight. That is why cannabidiol (CBD) may benefit people suffering from sleep disorders.
Do you know anyone who gets grouchy due to lack of sleep? You probably want to tell them to take a pill—a sleeping pill. Is that the best solution considering there are often many side effects associated with that choice? The goal is to improve health, not compromise it. Some people drink alcohol or smoke a cigarette or weed thinking it promotes sleep. Those may help at first, but they can disrupt good quality sleep and alter the mind. Smoking a joint containing THC (Tetrahydrocannabinols), that is what causes the high feeling, can make you drowsy in the morning and can other side effects. There is another species of cannabis plant called hemp. CBD oil comes from that species; it affects the body, not the mind. Could this natural, therapeutic product help with insomnia?
CBD oil is favored for the alleviation of insomnia. This natural alternative remedy provides a safe and affordable solution. The production of CBD products is flooding the market. Read customer reviews to see which brand is best for you. All the choices can be mind-boggling. The results will vary according to the quality of the brand. That is why it is crucial to know that it is organically extracted and processed using safe solvents. Pick the right one, and it may be a dream come true for you.
Once you have the CBD oil in your hands, it is best to start with a low dosage and increase the amount gradually to get the desired effects. Go slow. Everyone is different. Feel free to check with your doctor. You may need a higher dose to help induce sleep and relieve your insomnia, but again, start slow until you see how your body responds. A lower dose in the daytime may actually help with staying alert and relieve anxiety. Did you know that anxiety is a risk factor for insomnia? In a study done on rats, it was found that CBD is effective in regulating the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep. Take charge of your health. You know your body the best. Be glad to know that you can finally get some quality rest.
You will feel like a new person once you have improved your sleep quality. Now you know using CBD oil may be the solution. You can be more alert and enjoy life, instead of dragging through the day and feeling like sleeping at the drop of a hat, only to not being able to sleep once night falls. Maybe you have a job where you work shifts. I'm sure that messes with your sleep pattern. CBD could possibly be of benefit to you too.
Now that you have the energy to do the happy dance after discovering CBD, you will be delighted to know there are more benefits to this amazing hemp-based plant product. CBD has been shown to reduce insomnia in people with chronic pain issues including migraines. Cannabis may help to reduce pain and improve quality of sleep in people with Parkinson's disease and also people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
It's time to leave "team no sleep" and join "team dozes off". Feel peaceful knowing you have a natural solution of CBD for insomnia. Turn down your bed, lay your head on your pillow and rest easy. Sweet dreams.
Studies have shown that CBD can be a solution to insomnia for some people. CBD has been shown to reduce insomnia in people with chronic pain issues including migraines, Parkinson's disease and people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).


To ensure that those who want to learn the Agile approaches and the foundations of Scrum learn these by experiencing Scrum trough workshop studies. *A basic level training organized by Scrum.org and preparatory for the PSM'I certificate.
To provide theoretical information on how the teams performing creative and knowledge-based production can use Kanban to reduce their workload, enhance the output quality, establish a predictable working system, and to reinforce this with practices/examples.
To ensure that IT Managers become knowledgeable about Agile approaches and Scrum, and make them experience how to lead agility within the organization with exemplary practices in their sector.
To ensure that IT and Non-IT employees acquire basic knowledge about Agile approaches and Scrum, and create awareness in this regard.
Communicating accurate information on philosophy, principles and practices of Lean Kanban, which has adopted the flow-based evolutionary change model, presenting the beginner level information that will contribute to the organization's transformation.
To ensure that everyone who wants to learn and implement the Agile approaches and Scrum, learns the Agile approaches and foundations of Scrum by practicing both theoretically and practically with examples and games.
Become Agile by radically changing the way you do business in order to bring the correct value to the market faster in the digital age.
To strengthen the current Agile and Scrum infrastructures by means off exemplary case discussions from real life, and to ensure that in-depth knowledge is acquired about the Scrum Master role. *A training organized by Scrum.org and preparatory for PSM II certificate.
To ensure that detailed knowledge is acquired about how product must be developed in complex systems in Scrum framework and the role and responsibilities of the Product Owner. *A training organized by Scrum.org and preparatory for the PSPO I certificate.
Professional Scrum with Kanban™ (PSK) is a 2-day training teaching those who implement Scrum how to apply the Kanban practices in their works The participants will understand the importance of transparency and flow with regard to Scrum framework through case examinations and practical exercises.
To ensure that practice and knowledge is acquired concerning the topics of Agile scope and backlog management, Agile planning, writing effective user story, and prioritizing user stories.
To ensure that one understands how a stable, balanced and fast adapting working environment can be established by improving the processes using Kanban systems in a certain division within the organization, followed by establishment of a decision making mechanism.
To teach how the entities working with Scrum teams what resources they can use and how they can deploy(Scale) these activities in the organization.
To understand what the sustainable steps are needed and how progress can be made on the path of evolutionary change to deploy the Kaizen culture within the organization and to become a predictable organization with supportive measurements.
To ensure that the necessary understanding is gained to transform an organization with Agile product development and agile portfolio management skills.
To make the persons and consultants who will realize the change within the company implement the Scaled Agile Framework® so that they can lead transformation, and prepare them for being able to provide the necessary trainings, receive the certificates.
To ensure that fast, efficient, open-to-change, customer-focused and high-quality software development techniques are taught in a practical manner through the TDD technique, which is at the heart of Agile software development approach.
Provides advanced skill for design, development, use and running of the software and services faster.A basic training organized by DevOps Institute and preparatory for DevOps Foundation certificate.
To teach in a practical manner how to use the software development engineering practices such as Test Driven Development, Refactoring, Continuous Integration in Scrum framework.
To introduce the Design Patterns in a broad perspective, and set forth the principles together with examples.
To ensure focus on minimizing the inefficiencies through automation by analyzing the current software processes.
To help the software developers write simple, lean, testable, subsequently interceptable and easily readable quality code.
To teach in a practical manner the problems solved by Docker and Container technologies and how they solve such problems.
It teaches how it can be managed in a modern way with high accessibility, error tolerance, minimum human intervention, self-management and scaling features.
To provide theoretical information about Git commands, usage practices, measures to be taken against mistakes, interactions of Git with different systems, and ensure gaining of experience by practices.


text:
Q: How to serialize form data with collection field and deserialize it on the server side? I've got a simple HTML form that represents data of the User objects on the backend side. On the server, there's a Spring boot application with a rest controller.
Here is the form:
<form id="new-user-form">
  First Name:
  <input type="text" id="firstname" name="firstname" value="" />

  Last Name:
  <input type="text" id="lastname" name="lastname" value="" />

  Age:
  <input type="number" id="age" name="age" value="" />

  E-mail:
  <input type="email" id="email" name="email" value="" />

  Password:
  <input type="password" id="password" name="password" value="" />

  Role:
  <select class="col-12 form-control" name="roles" multiple size="2">
    <option>ADMIN</option>
    <option>USER</option>
  </select>

  <button
    type="submit"
    id="submit-new-user"
    class="btn btn-primary btn-success"
  >
    Add new user
  </button>
</form>

So, I need to take user data from the form, send it to the server via feth API, and put it to the database.

*

*The first question is: how to serialize form data (using js) to JSON meaning that it has value represented by Set (roles)?
I guess, JSON object to be sent via fetch, should look like this:

{ "firstname": "Bob",
"lastname": "Marley",
    "age": 30,
    "email": "bob@mail.com",
    "password": "password",
    "roles": ["ADMIN", "USER"]  // or just ["USER"] or ["ADMIN"]
}

How can I take data from the form and get such JSON?

*Which is the best way to convert incoming in request body User JSON-data to the User java-object in rest controller? I've tried via Gson and Object mapper but didn't succeed. So far I iterate via JSON string and build new users from JSON keys and values, but this approach seems to be too complicated.  This is the fourth day I'm trying to resolve this issue, please, I need help!

A: There are a few things to consider here:
1- Creating a JSON from your form content inside your JS file, before submission:
Example:
function onSubmit( form ){
  var data = JSON.stringify( $(form).serializeArray() );

  console.log( data );
  return false; //don't submit
}

Ref: Serialize form data to JSON
2- Send Created JSON using Fetch API (Post) towards your backend springboot application
  const response = await fetch("backend:8080/api/user", {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: data  // <-- Must be in JSON format
  });

3- Your backend Springboot application needs to have a Controller with a an endpoint that accepts this call.
Your User pojo needs to be defined in the backend application as well.
public class User{

    @JsonProperty("firstName")
    private String firstName;

    @JsonProperty("lastName")
    private String lastName;

}

@RestController
@RequestMapping(value = "/api")
public class EmailControllerImpl {

    @PostMapping("/user")
    public ResponseEntity<String> addUser(@RequestBody User userPojo){

          //Deal with your User

    }

Springboot will de serialize the JSON string you sent into the User pojo class on its own.  You dont have to do anything at all.
You do need the following dependency:
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
</dependency>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Web 2.0 Summit Schedule
Opening Lunches
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Robin Li
Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO, Baidu, Inc.
Robin Li is the co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Baidu, Inc., and oversees the company's overall strategy and business operations.
In the nine years since founding Baidu in January 2000, Robin has turned the company into the largest Chinese search engine, with over 70% market share, and the third largest independent search engine in the world. In 2005, Baidu completed its successful IPO on NASDAQ, and in 2007 became the first Chinese company to be included in the NASDAQ-100 Index.
Prior to Baidu, Robin was already regarded as one of the world's top search engine experts. His hyperlink analysis, patented in 1996, is among the inventions that shaped today's search engine technology. Robin worked as a staff engineer for Infoseek, a pioneer internet search engine company, from July 1997 to December 1999, and as a senior consultant for IDD Information Services from May 1994 to June 1997.
Robin received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Management from Peking University in 1991, and a Master of Science Degree in Computer Science from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1994.
A Conversation with Robin Li, Chairman & CEO, Baidu
Location: Grand Ballroom Level:
John Battelle (Federated Media Publishing Inc.)
Robin Li (Baidu, Inc.)
(4.57, 7 ratings)
TBD Read more.
Reach business leaders and technology influencers at the Web 2.0 Summit. Call Rob Koziura at (415) 947-6111 or email rkoziura@techweb.com
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text:
package com.github.gdefacci.briscola.web.util

import argonaut.EncodeJson

import org.http4s.dsl._
import org.http4s.Response

import scalaz.Functor
import scalaz.{-\/, \/, \/-}
import scalaz.concurrent.Task

import scala.language.higherKinds

trait PresentationAdapter[D, P] extends (D => P) {
  def apply(d: D):P
}

object PresentationAdapter {

  def apply[D, P](f: D => P) = new PresentationAdapter[D, P] {
    def apply(d: D): P = f(d)
  }

  def apply[D,P](d:D)(implicit pa:PresentationAdapter[D,P]) = pa(d)

  implicit def functorPresentationAdapter[D, P, F[_]](implicit pa: PresentationAdapter[D, P], F:Functor[F]): PresentationAdapter[F[D], F[P]] =
    PresentationAdapter[F[D], F[P]] { d:F[D] =>
      F.map(d)(pa)
    }

}

class ToPresentation[Err](errorToPresentation: Err => Task[Response]) {

  import org.http4s.dsl._
  import com.github.gdefacci.briscola.web.util.ArgonautEncodeHelper._

  //  def just[D,P](v:D)(implicit pa:PresentationAdapter[D,P], ej:EncodeJson[P]): Task[Response] =
  //    apply(\/-(Some(v)))

  //  def apply[D,P,Err <: DomainError](v:Err \/ D)(implicit pa:PresentationAdapter[D,P], ej:EncodeJson[P]): Task[Response] =
  //    create(v.map(Some(_)))

  //  def found[D,P](v:Option[D])(implicit pa:PresentationAdapter[D,P], ej:EncodeJson[P]): Task[Response] =
  //    apply(\/-(v))

  def apply[D, P](vo: Err \/ Option[D])(implicit pa: PresentationAdapter[D, P], ej: EncodeJson[P]): Task[Response] = {
    vo.map {
      case None => NotFound()
      case Some(v) =>
        Ok(asJson(pa(v)))
    } match {
      case \/-(v) => v
      case -\/(err) => errorToPresentation(err)
    }

  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Nigel Terry (* 15. August 1945 in Bristol, Gloucestershire; † 30. April 2015 in Newquay, Cornwall) war ein britischer Schauspieler.

Leben
Als Sohn eines Royal-Air-Force-Piloten wurde der Schauspieler unter dem Namen Peter Nigel Terry kurz nach Ende des Krieges in Bristol geboren. Bald darauf zog seine Familie nach Truro, Cornwall, wo Terry die Truro School besuchte. Während seiner Schulzeit entdeckte er sein Interesse an der Schauspielkunst. Nachdem Terry unter anderem kurze Zeit in der Forstwirtschaft tätig gewesen war, trat er auf Anraten seiner Eltern dem National Youth Theatre bei. 1963 absolvierte er eine Ausbildung zum professionellen Schauspieler an der Londoner Central School of Speech and Drama.

Terry begann seine Karriere auf Theaterbühnen in Oxford und seiner Geburtsstadt Bristol und zählte zu den anerkanntesten zeitgenössischen Theaterschauspielern Englands. Er agierte oft in Produktionen der Royal Shakespeare Company und trat in bekannten Theatern wie dem Bristol Old Vic und dem Royal Court Theatre in London auf. Terry gab sein Kinodebüt 1968 an der Seite von Peter O'Toole und Katharine Hepburn in Der Löwe im Winter. Seine bekannteste Filmrolle spielte er 1981 unter der Regie von John Boorman als König Artus in Excalibur. Dies war nach Der Löwe im Winter erst seine zweite Kinorolle.

Nigel Terry begann in den 1980er Jahren eine fruchtbare Zusammenarbeit mit dem britischen Regisseur Derek Jarman, die erst durch den frühen Tod des Regisseurs beendet wurde. So verkörperte er 1986 in Jarmans Filmbiografie Caravaggio den Titelcharakter. Weitere Auftritte in verschiedenen Filmen und Fernsehproduktionen schlossen sich an. Unter anderem hatte Terry Gastauftritte in namhaften Serien wie Highlander und Doctor Who. 2004 verkörperte er in Wolfgang Petersens Historienepos Troja in einer Nebenrolle den trojanischen Hohepriester.

Terry lebte etwa dreißig Jahre lang in London, ehe er 1993 in seine alte Heimat Cornwall zurückzog. Dort verstarb der Schauspieler am 30. April 2015 im Alter von 69 Jahren an den Folgen einer Lungenerkrankung.

Filmografie (Auswahl)

Weblinks

Filmschauspieler
Theaterschauspieler
Brite
Geboren 1945
Gestorben 2015
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
from ..abstract import ServerElement

from .resources import main_server, beta_server

class OGSElement(ServerElement):
    server = main_server
    server_shortname = str(server)

class OGSBetaElement(ServerElement):
    server = beta_server
    server_shortname = str(server)


1 - Expanded conception of how big (or small) a movement could be.
By increasing the size of the exposition in the 1st movement of a symphony or chamber work, B. also had to increase the remaining parts proportionately. He did this sometimes by writing a kind of "double development" - that is 2 developments connected by a transition or a false recapitulation. This happens in String Quartet Op. 59 No.1, Symphony 3 (Eroica), and several piano sonatas (including the Waldstein, Appassionata and Hammerklavier). B. also tried miniaturization of some movements, some of which can also be considered as musical ligature (see #3 below) (ex. late string quartets, Piano Sonata Op.78, String Quartet Op. 95, 8th Symphony).
2 - Created greater continuity between adjacent movements.
B. worked to unite movements so that they would fit together to form a unified statement. One technique he used was parcelling out similar interval relationships between the first and last movements (ex. a major third interval is used in the first and last movements of Piano Trios Op.1.3 and Op.1.1). A minor third interval is integral to the 1st, 3rd and final movements of String Quartet Op.130 (the Grosse Fuge being the final movement).
He also wrote connected movements which would not otherwise work alone (Piano Sonata Op.27 No. 1 and 2 (Moonlight), as well as sometimes cutting out a final cadence or landing on an unstable chord to produce a feeling of connectivity (Appassionata sonata, also Violin Sonata Op. 96, Piano Trio Op 97 "Archduke", Cello Sonata Op.102 No. 2). His Violin Concerto Op. 61 and the 5th Piano Concerto both have motivic material connecting the 2nd and 3rd movements without pausing.
Sometimes slow movements were reduced so that they seemed to fit the role of introductions to the final movement rather than "adagio" movements in their own right. (Waldstein Sonata, Cello Sonata Op.69, Piano Sonata Op.101).
Many times B. worked at setting up the finale as the emotional center instead of 1st movement (as was more typical of Haydn and Mozart). In the 5th Symphony, the 3rd movement is "relieved" by the victorious modulation to C Major in the finale. The 9th Symphony and String Quartet Op. 130 both have their finales as the "heavyweight" portions of the larger form (the Grosse Fuge in the case of Op. 130).
3 - Utilized musical chunks to create larger compositions.
As mentioned above, String Quartet Op.130 has 6 movements which create a kind of harmonic "arc" from the 1st movement to the last. String Quartet Op. 131 has 7 movements, of which parts 2, 3 and 6 are very short and can be seen as "chunks" connecting larger statements. Piano Sonata Op. 110 also has a final movement in which there are discrete sections actually within the same movement (introduction, arioso dolente, fugue, recall of arioso dolente...).
"By a variety of techniques Beethoven breaks down the concept of 'movement' in many of his works, and makes the work as a whole the artistic unit of measurement...This is a quality one senses in much of the best of Beethoven's mature works, even those which are morphologically (structurally) more conventional. Works like the Eroica, 5th and Pastoral symphonies, and the Hammerklavier and late E major piano sonatas, to name just a few of the most obvious ones, are stories told in music."


text:
In sommige talen zoals Latijn of Turks komen bijzondere telwoorden voor,  de verdelingsgetallen die aangeven dat een bepaald aantal aan elk van de genoemde partijen toegekend wordt. In het Turks bijvoorbeeld is er naast het telwoord "iki" (twee) een verdelings getal "ikişer" (telkens twee, twee elk):

Çocuklara iki elma verdi.
Hij gaf de kinderen twee appels. (= in totaal 2 appels voor alle kinderen samen)
Çocuklara ikişer elma verdi.
Hij gaf de kinderen twee appels elk. (= elk kind krijgt 2 appels)

Er zijn ook verdelingsgetallen in het Latijn, bijvoorbeeld naast "duo" (twee) een verdelingsgetal "bini"

Pueris mala duo dedit.
Hij gaf de kinderen twee appels.
Pueris mala bina dedit.
Hij gaf de kinderen elk/telkens twee appels.

De vertaling met "telkens" is degene die in alle Latijnse woordenboeken wordt gehanteerd.

Woordsoort


Few people will argue about the desirability of having a car that can drive by gas stations and leave no pollution behind, yet solar power cars have not become very popular. The solar cells are very fragile, they generate a small amount of power and motors powered in solar power cars produce too small an amount of horsepower to make them efficient.
For about 20 years the annual race of solar power cars runs in Australia from Darwin to Adelaide, a trip of about 1,877 miles at top speed of nearly 62 miles per hour. These races are part of the World Solar Challenge with teams from many major universities and corporate enterprises competing. During the first race of solar power cars in 1987, top speed was just 42 miles per hour and is run to promote research into solar powered vehicles.
There are few efficient applications of solar power cars in use, however a few golf carts are run by solar power and they can recharge while sitting in the sunlight each year. Part of the problem is that the number of solar cells attached to the vehicle is limited by the vehicles size and the motors they operate are generally between two and five horsepower. Batteries are still to heavy to be able to receive enough power to push their weight as well as the weight of the vehicle and operator.
Batteries within solar power cars serve much the same purpose as a gas tank on convention cars. While lead-acid batteries are more efficient and easier to connect, the power to weight ratio makes them a reluctant choice in solar power cars. Nickle-cadmium, lithium ion and lithium cadmium batteries have a better range, but are more difficult to incorporate into the vehicles electrical system. Typically, solar power cars require between 80 and 170 volts to operate.
While hybrid vehicles using gas or diesel engines are growing in popularity, hybrid bicycles using solar power and human peddle power have also grown recently. Being able to get a vehicle moving by human energy before adding power from solar energy is now being viewed as a possibility for solar power cars. Except, instead of using human power, stored battery operated motors are being used.
Since there are no established designs for solar power cars many designers are focused strictly on reduced drag. This has brought about development of many vehicles bearing a strong resemblance to airplanes.


text:
Men Are Killing Thousands of Women a Year for Saying No
For every mass shooting on the national news, there are countless smaller gun-related murders the media overlooks perpetrated by angry men who can't bear rejection.
Caren Lissner Oct 24, 2017
Three weeks before the deadliest mass shooting in American history—in which Steven Paddock murdered 58 people from his Las Vegas hotel room—another deadly mass shooting took place in a backyard in Plano, Texas. On September 10, a 32-year-old man went to his estranged wife's Sunday cookout, reportedly the first social event she'd organized since filing for divorce. He shot her and seven other adults to death before he was killed by police. That tragedy was tied for second-deadliest mass shooting of the year with another killing spree on May 27 in Brookhaven, Mississippi, in which a 35-year-old man, also angry at his "estranged" wife, allegedly killed five of her relatives, as well as a sheriff's deputy and two children. He told the local media on-camera that he was hoping police would kill him.
Surprisingly, these two incidents, with 16 victims between them, were not the most infamous domestic violence murders to make national news in the past six months. Several other intimate partner killings received more widespread attention, likely because of their unusual nature. In July, a man stabbed his wife to death aboard a cruise ship, reportedly later telling a witness, "She would not stop laughing at me." (The statement calls to mind the famous quote attributed to Margaret Atwood about domestic violence: "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.") Three months earlier, in April 10, a 53-year-old man walked into a San Bernardino, California, elementary-school classroom and shot to death his wife, who was a special-ed teacher there, and her 8-year-old student, before turning the gun on himself. Six days later, a 37-year-old man named Steve Stephens, apparently distraught over difficulties with his "estranged" girlfriend, shot a random older man to death on the streets of Cleveland, live-streaming it on Facebook. Before killing him, Stephens made the victim say his ex's name.
Those two murderous incidents in April particularly resonated with me because, nearly two weeks later, at the small newspaper chain where I work in New Jersey, a local story came across my desk: The body of a 51-year-old woman was found wrapped in blankets in Jersey City—the town just next to mine. Police arrested and charged the woman's 56-year-old ex-boyfriend in her death. Five days later, a 23-year-old woman was killed by a 29-year-man who then turned the gun on himself—also in Jersey City. Police told the press that the two of them had had a "dating relationship."
The upshot: It's safe to say that for every domestic-violent murder that makes national news—whether because of its brutal nature, victim tally, school setting, or something else—there are hundreds of small incidents in our own backyards that barely receive coverage. Often, when a domestic incident or murder-suicide occurs in a community, officials reassure the public that no one else is in danger and the matter quickly fades. But what are the dangers of ignoring a national conversation about the high number of murders of "estranged" wives and girlfriends each year, especially when federally funded agencies and organizations estimate that more than 1,000 women are killed annually by someone they know? That total doesn't include the children, relatives, and bystanders who suffer or are killed as well. (A Dallas Morning News story about the Plano mass shooting in September noted that in 2015, 158 women in Texas were murdered by an intimate partner, climbing steadily from 102 women in 2011. And those 158 murders claimed 19 collateral victims.)
It's hard to get an exact number of "estranged" spouses and girlfriends murdered each year by partners or ex-partners in this country, as the FBI and CDC collect data in different ways and don't always label the relationship between victim and perpetrator for public consumption. And a woman who's been on several dates with someone doesn't always qualify as a girlfriend or "intimate partner." But data made available in recent years tells a dark story: In 2015, according to the non-profit Violence Policy Center, which relies on FBI homicide numbers, 1,450 women were killed by a man they knew. To break the data down more specifically in terms of relationships: A searchable online database funded by the Justice Department says that in 2013—the most recent year available—in 36 states reporting information, 322 men killed a wife, current girlfriend, or ex-wife. (This database does not include ex-girlfriends or people who were dating, numbers that would surely drive up the totals.) For comparison's sake, that same year, according to the database, 83 women killed their current husbands, ex-husbands, or boyfriends.
As far as murder-suicides go, the American Psychological Association reports that 74 percent of all murder-suicides in the United States involve an intimate partner, and of those, 96 percent are women killed by their partners.
And this past July, the Centers for Disease Control finally made the results public of a long-term study of murders of women. According to that report, from 2003 through 2014, out of 10,018 adult women killed in 18 states, approximately 50 percent were murdered by an intimate partner. (The study did not look at murders of men.) While the number would put intimate partner murders of women at only 417 per year, the study, again, drew from 18 states.
The CDC study noted that at least 1 in 10 of the tragedies was preceded by a prior incident and thus, some may have been preventable. While the statistic could imply that 90 percent of the murders didn't have a precedent on record, it actually begs a question: if 10 percent of these incidents are forewarned, how many can be forestalled? In other words, what can be done within our culture to combat the problem of intimate partner violence before it reaches a breaking point?
Of the many important issues that should be at the center of national consciousness right now—and not just because October is National Domestic Awareness Month—finding new ways to anticipate or head off domestic violence killings should be a priority. There are so many issues that could be woven into the discussion, putting aside for a moment the hot-button topic of gun access: What's the best way to counsel someone who wants to leave an increasingly dangerous relationship? How can restraining orders and domestic violence laws be adjusted and improved? (The San Bernardino school shooter had two prior relationships in which restraining orders were taken out, according to media reports, and had been arrested four times between 1982 and 2013 — but without being convicted.) Perhaps more under-discussed: How can girls and boys be taught from a young age to respect their partners and accept their relationship decisions? How many parents and educators, right now, are having those discussions before college and even before high school? Are men encouraged to get mental health counseling in the same way women are? Is there enough funding for domestic violence shelters and counseling?
Clearly there could be many sorts of discussions around domestic abuse, and just like with gun access, the answers won't be a cure-all, particularly since each tragedy has different roots – but that doesn't mean anyone should give up completely, either.
This year, it's been difficult to decide which tragedy to prioritize. Important issues have been shoved to the back burner, not just–of course–by natural disasters, but also by White House snafus and political wrangling, to start. On the April morning of the San Bernardino school shooting, social media users were hotly debating a Texas rally against Donald Trump's crackdown on immigrants, the controversial Supreme Court confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, and a doctor being dragged off a United Airlines flight the day before.
Fast-forward six months to Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the majority of social media conversation in October has focused on the Harvey Weinstein harassment and assault allegations, displacing attention from hurricane-recovery efforts, health care issues, and the Las Vegas mass shooting. The Weinstein issue, of course, is a very worthy issue that has prompted necessary conversations, but it also has something in common with the "estranged" partner murders this year: The incidents indicate a need to look at how men respond when a woman says no. (Even the Paddock issue has relevance to domestic abuse, as Starbucks workers told the media early this month that they saw Paddock verbally abuse his girlfriend when he was in public with her. More attention to all types of domestic abuse might help quell violence against women.)
One thing the small and large domestic violence killings should make clear—besides an urgent need for conversation about how to prevent these tragedies—is a continued need for a strong women's movement that calls attention to life-or-death issues affecting our sisters, mothers, daughters, and friends. Unfortunately, it seems that in the last year, various publications and individuals (particularly on the internet) have questioned the need for women's activism, suggesting that there's no need for modern feminism because women have more opportunities now. Since the election, I've seen and heard almost every mocking statement that could be made about women's activism, and I'm guessing it's true of most women who pay even a little attention to the news. Right after the election, I received a gleeful, belittling email from an older relative, a former Democrat who now watches only conservative news media, who wrote, "I've recently heard many modern women's activists say that Susan B. Anthony and others sought equal treatment for females, not preferential." He later criticized the women's march by sarcastically citing Madonna as a "shining star to emulate," as if women are so flighty that we take guidance from one celebrity on what to do, or that one person's comment represents what all 128 million of us want or think. A different relative pointed out that when TV reporters interviewed random participants in the January women's march, the marchers didn't have an explanation ready for their goals (it's not that easy to have domestic violence and rape statistics on the tip of one's tongue or to condense a raft of complex issues into a five-second soundbite).
A gentleman on Twitter recently responded to my encouragement of a new women's publication by complaining about feminism and saying "I'm all for equal rights, and I don't think women receive any unequal treatment." Perhaps he hasn't seen the Justice Department statistics about intimate partner violence or was only thinking of the office where he works, which may be the problem.
Anyone who believes women are treated equally these days, or don't need vocal advocates, should be reminded how many women are killed each year for saying "no." Modern women's groups have made domestic violence a major plank in their platform while simultaneously attempting to smash stereotypes about feminism that distract from critical issues. Caroline Dorey-Stein wrote on the website for the group Progressive Women's Leadership, which trains women for leadership positions, "We are working to end violence against women in our nation as well as others. We are still fighting for acceptance and a true understanding of the term 'feminism,' … It is a term that has been unfairly associated first, with ladies in hoop skirts and ringlet curls, then followed by man-hating women."
Domestic violence murders are, of course, not only a women's issue, particularly since—whether the number of victims is one or eight—the killings affect generations of loved ones and friends.
Three years ago, after 22-year-old Elliot Rodger shot two California sorority girls to death, thousands of women across the country began sharing their stories of being harassed, assaulted, or intimidated. In light of the recent revived national discussion on sexual harassment and assault, we also need to revive the discussion about violence against women, particularly intimate partner violence. If first-wave feminism is remembered as focusing on voting rights, and second-wave was concerned primarily with the workplace, it's clear that today's women need the right to make relationship decisions without fear they'll receive a death sentence because they said "no."
Domestic Violence Guns war on women
Caren Lissner is a journalist and novelist who has written for the New York Times, The Atlantic, and Columbia Journalism Review. Her first novel, CARRIE PILBY, was made into a film that's currently running on Netflix. Read more of her writing on carenlissner.com
Find her @CarenLissner
More by Caren Lissner
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Kunming is the capital of the Yunnan Province in southwestern China. It is situated in the east-central part of the province in a fertile lake basin on the northern shore of Lake Dianchi, surrounded by mountains to the north, west, and east. The Yunnan Ethnic Village next to Dianchi Lake, is a theme park that displays the various folklore, culture, and architecture of 26 ethnic groups in the Yunnan Province, the main ones being the Han and Yi tribes. It is classified as a AAAA-class tourist attraction. Some 60 miles (100 km) southeast of the city is the Shilin or Stone Forest, a karst formation, consisting of rock caves, arches, and pavilions; a popular tourist destination, it was collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007.


2017 was a whirlwind year for my family and me. 2016 was a year of hurt and division in our family, so with the new year upon us we fought hard for, healing, fun, and adventure TOGETHER. it was a year of restoration. we created an epic year of memories. the joy of last year's bucket list was that each of us poured in our desires and hopes for new experiences. we created our list and off we went!
another adventure for Miss A's animal love/obsession! i am certain she is an animal whisperer.
back to Mexico with the best of friends celebrating marriage. oh how I miss the sunshine this time of year.
one hour, one list, a picture for proof!
set fitness goals, find a friend (or two, or three) who has those similar aspirations to physically challenge themselves, and then ride… read more.
because what girl doesn't need to make her own chemical free lipstick, body spray and nail polish?
this was started from a store-bought pineapple. i'm positive that in about 5 years i might actually have a pineapple! slow but sure.
color run 5k in Minnesota! what a blast!
verdict- she will leave hockey with her brother and she is going to "stick" (see what I did there) with dance.
an escape in the north woods. fire, four wheeling, and food.
this was for Miss A- future fashion designer, but i've promised myself that i too will learn!
visiting the grandparents – 4 generations together for the week! zip-lining, golfing, zoo trips and escape rooms… oh and bass pro! gotta love a bass pro shop trip!
tranquil river ride until you get half way down the river and forget the keys to the vehicle you are headed to! dang it!
because life is too short not to have a little fun with color!
an amazing fall day enjoying the home cooked goodies and picking the best pumpkins around!
first stay at an air b n b. hot tubing in the cold & a ton of laughter… including unintentional mudding.
this has been on my list for some time- hubby surprised me with an early birthday present! ROAD TRIP!
packed dinner, wine and a deck of cards. parked the truck and got comfy. happy birthday baby!
there has since been a fence placed, because apparently deer and bunnies like my garden as much as I do!
habitat for humanity, cancer survivors day and feed my starving children. give back to others. no strings attached. nothing in it for you. learn to give of yourself.
took grandma for a road trip to take in the views of this beautiful church and breathtaking surroundings.
this is it. 2017 in review. 2017 taught me a lot. don't give up. never stop being real to who you are. challenge yourself. enjoy life. love your family. stop worrying so much. but most importantly, God is so good!


text:
Q: Convert Html or RTF to Markdown or Wiki Compatible syntax? Is there a .net api that can do this?  I saw Pandoc has a standalone exe that I could wrap but I'd rather not if there is something already out there.  Any suggestions?

A: Here's the code I used to wrap pandoc.  I haven't seen any other decent methods so far unfortunately.
public string Convert(string source)
{
    string processName = @"C:\Program Files\Pandoc\bin\pandoc.exe";
    string args = String.Format(@"-r html -t mediawiki");

    ProcessStartInfo psi = new ProcessStartInfo(processName, args);

    psi.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
    psi.RedirectStandardInput = true;

    Process p = new Process();
    p.StartInfo = psi;
    psi.UseShellExecute = false;
    p.Start();

    string outputString = "";
    byte[] inputBuffer = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(source);
    p.StandardInput.BaseStream.Write(inputBuffer, 0, inputBuffer.Length);
    p.StandardInput.Close();

    p.WaitForExit(2000);
    using (System.IO.StreamReader sr = new System.IO.StreamReader(
                                           p.StandardOutput.BaseStream))
    {

        outputString = sr.ReadToEnd();
    }

    return outputString;
}

A: I have created a library Html2Markdown. Usage is very simple.
var markdown = new Converter().Convert(html);

Where html is the string representation of the HTML you wish to convert. I actively support it and happily accept contributions.


text:
Columbia's Library Building Features The Names Of Male Authors; So They're Adding Unworthy Females
Apparently there are people that are huffy because Homer, Herodotus, Sophocles, Plato, Aristotle, Demosthenes, Cicero & Virgil are on the Columbia library building.
You see, they're all MALE. Of course, they're not up there because they're male, they're up there because they're some of the greatest thinkers and authors in human history.
If you're wondering if there are any women that have made intellectual contributions that measure up to any of the men on that list, the honest answer is "no."
But since it's 2019, people can't admit that; so they have to pretend that having all these great men on there is a terrible slight to women.
HOMER. HERODOTUS. SOPHOCLES. PLATO. ARISTOTLE. DEMOSTHENES. CICERO. VERGIL.
Male. Male. Male. Male. Male. Male. Male. Male.
These are the author's names chiseled into the stone facade of Columbia University's Butler Library. In case it hasn't become clear yet, every single one of them is a man.
…This week, a new banner for the 21st century has been stretched across the face of Butler Library.
It won't stay for a day or a couple of minutes, but for the entire fall semester as part of a student-led exhibit supported by Columbia University Libraries.
In an op-ed for the Columbia Spectator, representatives of the Butler Banner Project explained that the names displayed prominently on historic campus buildings are more than just tributes to donors or revered figures.
"They are constant yet subtle reminders of the values of their respective institutions," they write. "Every time someone walks past Butler, they see the names of eight white men and internalize that these are the writers and thinkers that Columbia deems deserving of cultural admiration."
The new 140-foot banner emblazons the last names of Toni Morrison, Diana Chang, Zora Neale Hurston, Ntozake Shange, Maya Angelou, Leslie Marmon Silko, Gloria E Anzaldúa and A. Revathi across the face of Butler Library and directly above the original names.
Comparing that list of women to giants like Plato and Aristotle is like comparing a child's finger painting to the Mona Lisa.
Don't get me wrong, there are certainly talented female authors. I'm a big fan of Ayn Rand's work and I thought Sylvia Plath was amazingly talented. There are also unquestionably classic books written by women like Uncle Tom's Cabin, Pride and Prejudice and if you want something more contemporary, the Harry Potter books could have a long shelf-life as fiction classics.
But, pretending that writers like Leslie Marmon Silko and Ntozake Shange deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Cicero and Homer should make any educated person roll his eyes. You want to acknowledge female writers? Do it, but don't lie by trying to pretend these female authors are much greater than they are to do it.
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Tony Bellew says his dream has come true after becoming the new WBC world cruiserweight champion at Goodison Park.
Bellew (27-2-1 KO17) enjoyed a fairy tale night at the home of his beloved Everton on Sunday, claiming the WBC strap with a thunderous third-round knockout of Ilunga Makabu (19-2 KO18).
The 33-year-old took a short break from the ring last year to star alongside Sylvester Stallone in the Hollywood movie Creed, but he insists his world title win has topped that experience.
"It was the most defining moment in my whole life. I have built this thing up for 20 years. I've wanted to be world champion and now I am champion of the world," Bellew told Sky Sports News HQ.
He added: "If someone wrote my story and my life, the director would probably say 'take it away, it's nonsense, it couldn't happen'. But it has happened and this is far beyond movies, this stuff.
"It's what dreams are made of, it really, really is. The movie, Creed, was amazing, but this far supersedes and exceeds my wildest of dreams.
"The people who were in the dressing room last night know how much it means to me and how much I've put at stake. I have always dreamed of being this WBC champion.
The former WBA world heavyweight champion returned to the ring in January following a three-year absence and has since claimed victories over the unheralded Mark de Mori and Arnold Gjergjaj.
When asked about potential upcoming opponents, Bellew added: "I am best the cruiserweight in the world right now and I know that is a fact.
"I've got to speak to Eddie, who has been fantastic for me. The day I met Eddie Hearn was the day that this dream was close to become a reality.
"Through the ups and downs that we've had, we're here and I am champion of the world."


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FeaturesNJ/NY
Shoreworld: Dragster And Friends and The Brookdale Guitar Show
John Pfeiffer
NJ/NY
Dragster And Friends—The Stone Pony—LIVE!—Feb. 12
Snow, snow and more snow. Yes, that powdery white stuff has caused more problems than a clown car full of Amy Winehouse's and tonight's storm front was no exception. Multiple inches were bearing down fast and while that usually scares away the lightweights, the Stone Pony crowd and staff managed to turn a dismal night it into a rock and roll "school closing" extravaganza. Tonight was a homegrown event and featured several locals such as Agency, Colie Brice and the New Age Blues Experience, Captain James And The Pain and Dragster.
Agency started things off and quickly drew people front and center as they blasted through a cross selection of early material and settled into a helping from their current disc entitled Revolutions. Agency is a stand-alone band on the edge as far as playing, writing and direction. Not afraid to turn left when all go right, this is an example of a group that have survived in the path of many other disintegrations and I hope they continue.
The New Age Blues Experience grunted and groaned through their voodoo stew, using unpretentious Strats and sax to grease your weather weary mind. Brice's stint as vocalist with Phantoms Opera comes back to mind, as his vocals are clear, high, and toned. I never really stopped and listened to that aspect of the Brice-man before. Special mentions to horn-man Matthew Gerald Lott for his infectious enthusiasm and unabashed timbre. While he's one of the cats that play with many, he manages to keep each individual contribution unique. He also played with Captain James And The Pain, another cool group that I covered here recently.
Dragster is a band infamous for its Spinal Tap outbursts of passion and fire. They've been known to fight like legendary jackals and because of that they've had a few line-ups over the last couple of years. But having said that, it's always a beautiful competitive effort and the original members were all back for a solid set of cream-toned tunes written by Geena Buono. Geena always comes up with interesting ideas and has been a staple in the scene for several years.
Buono worked her frontperson stance with the precarious off the cuff nod of a surfer. Riding dynamic keys, horns and six-string strategy, the band steered her dark and gritty direction right down the aural pipeline that we all love to hang in. Tunes like the textured crescendo of "Far From Chelsea" and the forward full-jolt gallop of "My Name Is Heaven" are two well-known songs that demonstrate her fast paced pop and rock prowess ala 1980's Duran Duran, Killing Joke, and The Records. Geena also gave us a taste of something new with the acoustic "Summer Rain," a cool tune off the yet-to-be-named upcoming debut. She also threw in Asbury favorite "Castaway" and a rousing version of Lennon's "Glass Onion."
I asked Geena about the night in general and she said, "It's always an honor to play for your peers and an audience that really knows music. It's even hotter when you're on a bill with other great bands and you walk onto this legendary stage with some of the best soundmen in the business working hard to make your set sound clean and tight. That's when you say to yourself, 'Snow or no snow, I'm glad I made it here to do this and I'm not gonna whine like some of these other cross town bitches down on Cookman. We're out here rockin' The Pony in a blizzard and I'm really kind of loving that.'" Check out Geena and Dragster over at myspace.com/geenadragster.
The 14th Annual Brookdale Guitar Show—Feb.14
The act of physically picking up a guitar that I'm looking to purchase is still a preferred method over perusing eBay and Craigslist. It gives you the chance to think about attributes, check the overall feel of the instrument and get the pre-buy excitement that the Internet just can't duplicate. The Brookdale Guitar Show runs the razor's edge of being able to provide that while at the same time offering peripheral festivities aimed at a wide audience.
That, however, is also my gripe. The two showrooms were so overpacked with people (including strollers and lots of kids) that you couldn't get close to, let alone really look over, any of the guitars without fighting for a space in the human traffic jam. From the shopper's point of view, what's the point of paying $10 bucks if you can't stop and enjoy the very reason you came?
Even vendors were shaking their heads, knowing that the only buyers unaffected by this overload would be the few wholesalers who at least have a chance of convincing Daddy to buy Junior a cheap little Chinese guitar for $150. I swear I heard a kid blurt out, "Hey Dad, that's better than the Guitar Hero kind." The guy selling a 1969 telecaster for $5,000 was basically going back home with that axe.
As far as the actual instruments on display, I found this year to be more focused on common things I could pick up at any music store in the state. Gear that was in the "vintage" category was priced too high in a room that couldn't afford to pay the asking price. I mean come on, who has $28 grand for a gorgeous 1959 ash blonde Stratocaster with amp? Unfortunately, I think the most successful vendors this year were the ones selling inflatable kiddies guitars and "Tele"-shaped air fresheners.
The good part of the show is always the performers and teachers. Kudos this year goes to Tony Tedesco's "Filthy Three" who toughed out a 10 a.m. performance and walked away with some new fans. The Filthy Three have been described as, "Duane Allman sitting in with Iggy And The Stooges, entertaining at a Kurt Vonnegut book club meeting, pretending they're Ray Davies." While my intention this year was geared towards product, these guys deserve a mention. I mean seriously, rock and rollers up before 12?
One segment in particular stands out in my mind and that was "The Healing Power Of Music," a panel that included high-end talent like Jo Wymer and focused on the question, "Can the power of music make the brain come alive?" The panel looked at the age-old question as well as well as exploring the role music has as far as in mood elevation, thought process and helping people battling neurological disorders. Demonstrations were key evidence that music does indeed provide the healing power that's been claimed for years.
If this wasn't enough, adding Marc Muller, Sonny Kenn, and Chris Buono to the mix always makes the small admission fee well worth the return in priceless knowledge. These talented players explained technique, tone and tenacity to the myriads of up and coming newbies as well as old school road dogs, teaching new tricks from the time tested bag of tricks. When it comes to that aspect of the show you couldn't have a better day. I can live without the Guitar Hero contests and rubber blow-up Strats, but after all is said and done, it's still the best show in the state. For more info on next year's opportunities head over to brookdaleguitarshow.com.
brookdale guitar showdragster
Interview with Ben Weinman of Dillinger Escape Plan: More Than They Were Destined For
Interview with Galactic: Leading The Way With Ya-Ka-May
Shoreworld: Chemtrail And Brookdale Guitar Show, April 10
UNK Guitars And The 12th Annual Brookdale Guitar Show—Feb. 15
Colie Brice March 6, 2010
John thanks so much for coming out that night and covering this show. FYI, we're hosting another event at the Stone Pony on April 9th.


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Luvuno, sokhela, dangazela, mafuyazandile, owehla ngeslulu kwasoshangane, ababhemi bensangu bayanyinyitheka.
Vusumuzi Makhaza Hi Nqobile, I have been looking for my family praises for years - thank you for this!! do you know the makhaza origin? do you know others of Makhaza clan?
Vusumuzi Makhaza Hi Nqobile, I have been looking for the Makhaza tree for years - have you got more information?
Share: Makhaza with friends & Family!
I found Makhaza's clan praises on Wakahina and thought you might be interested to learn more about it.


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