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A Matter of Time for Antarctic Sea Ice
Despite warming temperatures, the sea ice around Antarctica is increasing in extent. Credit: NASA/GSFC Scientific Vizualization Studio
By Cassie Martin
Oceans at MIT
For the last 30 years, scientists have observed Antarctic sea ice steadily growing in the face of rising global average temperatures. While models suggest that the Arctic could face an ice-less summer as the century progresses, Antarctica set a record high sea ice extent in May, according to data from the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center. There are many ideas as to why sea ice is shrinking in the northern hemisphere and growing in the southern hemisphere, but a prominent theory points to ozone—or lack thereof. Now, new research from MIT and University of Washington scientists provides a better understanding of ozone's role and why sea ice continues to grow in a warming world. The study was published in the Journal of Climate.
Depletion of the ozone layer in the stratosphere above Antarctica, which reached its peak at the turn of the century, combined with increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, amplify temperature and atmospheric pressure differences between Antarctica and the tropics. As a result, the westerly winds that blow over the Southern Ocean become stronger and cool the sea surface, enhancing ice growth around Antarctica and increasing sea ice extent.
Ozone concentrations above Antarctica on Sept. 11, 2014. Credit: NASA
Although observational data supports this idea, some model simulations beg to differ. Various model studies investigating the impact of ozone depletion on Earth's oceans found that when ozone was reduced or removed, wind strength increased as expected. But instead of cooling sea surface temperatures (SST), the winds drove a warming trend by inducing an upwelling of warm water from below. "That's where ideas clash," said lead author David Ferreira, a lecturer at the University of Reading and former MIT researcher. "There was a lot of confusion because ozone was not explaining the sea ice expansion." Ferreira's co-authors include MIT Oceanographer John Marshall, MIT Atmospheric Chemist Susan Solomon, MIT Meteorologist Alan Plumb, and University of Washington Atmospheric Chemist Cecilia Bitz.
Using MIT's Global Circulation Model (MITgcm), the researchers looked at ocean-atmosphere-sea ice simulations over various time periods ranging from years to decades. They found that while SSTs cool and sea ice expands under ozone forcing in the short-term—in the first decade or so — ultimately the oceans warm and sea ice declines. The models showed that although ozone depletion induces strong winds that enhance sea surface currents and sea ice formation initially, over time those currents result in upwelling of warm water from the ocean interior layers into the surface layer. Sustained winds help mix the warm water at the surface, eventually ending the cooling trend. "Now that we can reconcile that there is cooling followed by warming, and in fact you have a sea ice expansion and then decrease, it brings back ozone into the picture," said Ferreira. "It's no longer as simple as we thought."
The researchers may have resolved a key discrepancy between models and observations, but there are still questions left unanswered such as when Antarctica's sea ice decline will begin, if at all. The models agree that the response of the ocean to ozone depletion is a complex process of cooling then warming, "but they don't agree on when the change from cooling to warming happens, with temperature transitions ranging between 5 and 20 years" said Ferreira. "This basically means we are not able to make predictions because the whole process of making a prediction would rely on us knowing exactly what sets that timescale."
Which is exactly what Ferreira and Marshall are trying to do. The researchers are currently working on constraining their models with real-world data to not only better understand the mechanism of this process, but also to make predictions of when we can expect Antarctica to begin warming.
This research was funded in part by NASA and the National Science Foundation FESD project.
Categories: Oceans@MIT, Science
For the Love of Physics: From Oceans to Other Planets
Uncovering Diversity in an Invisible Ocean World
Cassie Writes Science


Let's face it: Skin care isn't exactly the most popular subject among most men—so there's no chance a 10-step high maintenance skin care routine would be, either. But just because you're busy (or you're just not all that interested in trying the latest and greatest beauty trends) doesn't mean you should skip out on taking care of your skin altogether. The good news is, you don't need a super-complicated and lengthy skin care routine to get the job done. If you prefer a lazy approach to skin care, all it takes to keep your complexion in tip-top shape is following a few simple steps and using a few must-have skin care products, like a facial cleanser and moisturizer. Let's get started!
Regardless of your gender or age, you'll want to kick things off with a facial cleanser. It's always (always) a good idea to cleanse your skin morning and night in order to help get rid of dirt and excess oils that have built up on its surface. The L'Oréal Paris Men Expert™ Hydra Energetic Extreme Cleanser Infused with Charcoal is a prime pick for getting clean, as the formula acts as a magnet to capture and get rid of all kinds of dirt (like impurities and excess sebum) and deal with common problems caused by daily city grime: dirt, oily skin, dullness, clogged pores, and sticky touch. Gently massage the facial cleanser onto your skin, concentrating on your forehead, nose, and chin, since these areas tend to be oilier than the rest of your face, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water.
After cleansing, the next step in your skin care routine should be moisturizing—and if it's the morning, you should reach for a moisturizer that's formulated with broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF value of 15 or higher, which can help protect against both UVA and UVB rays. And don't even think about skipping this step! Sun protection is necessary for everyone, every day of the year. (Seriously, you can burn all year-round, even on cloudy days.) To lock in hydration, smooth the L'Oréal Paris Men Expert™ Vita Lift SPF 15 Anti-Wrinkle & Firming Moisturizer onto damp skin post-cleansing, and take an extra moment or two to carry the product down to your neck. In order to receive the moisturizer's full effects and stay safe from the sun, to be sure to apply 15 minutes prior to sun exposure. You should take other sun protection measures as well—avoid the sun during peak hours (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.), seek shade, and cover up exposed areas in long sleeves, pants, a broad-brimmed hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses.
Your eyes can be a dead giveaway that you're exhausted, which is why it could be a good idea to add a separate eye product to your skin care routine. Plus, we swear you'll actually find this step enjoyable. Instead of trying the old school trick of splashing your face with cold water to wake up, use L'Oréal Paris Men Expert™ Hydra-Energetic Ice Cold Eye Roller. The roller's cooling effect is perfectly invigorating for the morning, but that's not all. The easy-to-use helps provide de-puffing action to reduce the look of under-eye bags. Formulated with vitamin C and caffeine, this eye serum helps fight the five signs of tired eyes: dark circles, under-eye bags, puffiness, tired appearance, and roughness. Gently roll the applicator under your eye starting from the bridge of your nose outward toward your temple to massage the entire eye area. You can use it morning and night.
Editor's tip: In a pinch, you can create a similar effect by placing your eye cream of choice in the fridge overnight. Pull out the eye cream when you wake up and ta-da, you have yourself a chilled treat.
Think about it: Dry lips aren't exactly the most attractive, are they? It turns out that your lips need some attention, too. Keep a hydrating lip balm on hand so that you can reapply whenever needed. Bonus points if it's formulated with broad-spectrum sunscreen!
Does your skin feel irritated after shaving? If you rush out the door without using an after-shave balm, you could be doing a serious disservice to your skin. The L'Oréal Paris Men Expert™ Hydra Energetic After Shave Balm helps to fight the five signs of shaving discomfort: razor burn, tightness, irritation, redness, and excessive dryness. It's formulated with vitamin E and broad-spectrum SPF 15 sunscreen and helps provide long-lasting hydration. Once you're done shaving, apply it all over your face and neck and you're good to go!
Speaking of shaving, here's The Guy's Guide to Taking Care of and Removing Facial Hair.


Over the years, I've had discussions with people on various different blogs over whether private healthcare or single payer is better. I've often found that any political commentary in favor of private healthcare is met with ferocious opposition from single payer advocates. Today, this picture came across my newsfeed, from a doc friend of mine who runs a private ambulatory surgery center in Oklahoma. He, of course, services many from around the world who have been unable to receive timely care due to the single payer system in their country.
Its clear to me that single payer healthcare is not a good long term solution to providing timely, affordable care to America's population. No matter how you spin it, it just isn't going to work. We need to find solutions that allow a private healthcare system to work…free of third party payers and government interference. Follow the links at the top and to the right of this website to find direct care that is both timely, and affordable. It's already here; we just need more Americans to learn about it and encourage their representatives to pass laws that will allow it to thrive.
With it being open enrollment season now for ACA (Obamacare) coverage for individuals and families, Americans are going to quickly see how all of this government interference in our healthcare system has basically made affordable health insurance out of reach for most middle class Americans. We, like Canada, have reached a breaking point. Middle class America can no longer bear the cost of the ACA. We need a change, so we ask our politicians to please come together in bipartisan support to help us! This petty gridlock is unfair to the people who are being hurt.
To those who believe the ACA is working, I challenge you to run a quote, and see what the cost is to those who don't qualify for subsidy. It's truly unbearable, especially for those aged 50+. The politicians who created the ACA knew that it would eventually blow up, thus hoping Americans would throw up their hands and beg for single payer. Well, this American asks my readers to consider something different! Take the time to learn about Direct Pay healthcare. Paired with deregulated, catastrophic insurance, we have a perfect combination for affordable healthcare. Let's make it happen!


Spent most of my Saturday upgrading the brake system on the S2000. The previous owner had installed some drilled/slotted rotors and pads of unknown brand, so I wanted to get them swapped out for something that I knew could handle track duty. Slotted rotors are great, but drilled/slotted is a no-no for the track due to their greater likelihood to crack under high temps.
The tricky part about this brake upgrade was choosing the pads. I wanted something that wasn't too track-oriented for the street, but wasn't too street-friendly to handle track temps. There isn't one pad that can do everything extremely well, so I did some research on a number of different options and finally chose the Project Mu HC+800.
The pad is described as a dual-duty street/track pad, that I believe will give me streetability and plenty of stopping power on the track with the level of power/grip that my stock AP1 has. The HC+800 has a max operating temp of nearly 1500*F, which should be suitable for my needs at my current driver level.
The other products that I purchased were a full set of slotted Stoptech brake rotors, Goodridge stainless steel lines, and Castrol SRF brake fluid.
All-in-all the job took about 6.5 hours. But probably 2.5 of that was changing the lines and bleeding all of the air out of the brake system. Since my wife was out of town, I was able to pull the cars into the driveway and park just the S2000 in the garage. So I was in zero rush. It's far more therapeutic when you don't have a deadline to finish the job, and you can take your time to do everything right, torque everything to spec, inspect the components, etc. I will say, this car is SUPER clean. The previous owner said it never saw winter, and I absolutely believe it. There isn't a spec of surface rust on any of the components and the bushings all look to be in great shape.
Last year, I also installed a couple of LED lights on the upper sides of my garage. I got to try them out, and they worked great!


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Design, Build & InstallationIrrigationIrrigation Installation and/or MaintenanceLawn CareMaintenancePlantsProductsResourcesServicesTree ServicesWater Features
It's All About Relationships
Carol Brzozowski — April 1, 2013
Michael Bellantoni reflects on 50 years of service in the industry he loves
Click image to enlarge.
Michael Bellantoni Sr., and his sons, Matthew on his right and Michael Jr. on his left, are convinced that great customer service and friendly customer relations builds success.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MICHAEL BELLANTONI, INC.
Michael Bellantoni, Inc. has all of the ingredients of a successful landscape maintenance business: healthy revenues, longevity, association involvement, and customer and employee retention.
For Michael Bellantoni Sr., its founder, it all comes down to this: "Business is all about relationships."
The company celebrates 50 years in business this year, and it has revenues of $5 million and a long list of association memberships and employee certifications.
Michael Bellantoni, Inc.
Owner: Michael Bellantoni
Headquarters: White Plains, N.Y.
Markets: New York metropolitan area,Westchester and Rockland counties,and southern Connecticut
Services: Landscape design, groundsmaintenance, masonry, irrigation,drainage, plant health care, landscapelighting, water features and blacktopping
Employees: 72 in-season, including 40full-time employees
Website: www.mblandscape.com
Bellantoni eschews the image of a "mow and blow" company. Although he strives to offer competitive prices, he does so with an eye to excellent service.
"Today, more than 87 percent of all of our new work is referrals," he says. "We've built quite a reputation over the years and get a lot of references. We get calls from the phone book advertising and the Internet as well. What's not much different today than 20 years ago is you get a lot of shoppers who want the lowest price in town. Occasionally, you'll find someone who wants good quality service and that's a home run."
The company services the residential and commercial sectors as well as municipalities, mowing ball fields, traffic islands and the side of roadways.
Service is what distinguishes his company from the competition, Bellantoni points out.
"Good customer service, good customer relations and top-shelf work. We stand behind everything we do. We try to build a company that isn't like the others," he says. "We always try to have a personal relationship with clients. I think business is all about relationships. Every aspect of business is about relationships and I want to retain that type of relationship with my clients."
Realistically, he admits his company has grown beyond his ability to touch base with every client. He counts on managers and foremen to carry out the mission of sustaining client relationships. "It's important that we pick the right people to represent our company," he says.
Good, dedicated people
At the height of the season, Michael Bellantoni, Inc. employs 72 people, with about 40 being full-time employees and the remaining being seasonal. Seasonal employees work 10 to 11 months a year, depending on the weather. Layoffs start at the end of December and they return the beginning of March. The season starts with spring clean-ups and, in a typical season, the company enters full production on April 1 when many of its commercial contracts begin.
For a prospective employee, Bellantoni seeks good work ethics, morals, dependability and people free from substance abuse problems.
"We do a lot of training," Bellantoni says. "We like to see our people grow within and we've proven that over the years. We've had employees with us well over 20 years. I have retired a couple of employees who have been on board with me for 25 years."
Bellantoni has helped employees with green cards through the process to gain legal citizenship, with many people on staff who earned their U.S. citizenship while working with the company. "Today, it's a lot more difficult with everything that is going on in the country," Bellantoni adds.
"We have good, dedicated people," he says. "I love my employees. I think they're all beautiful people. We are a team. If you work with the team, you are here for a long time. We have people who are doing tasks almost similar to when they started, so we try to grow them because you can't keep giving them increases in the same spot, so we try to give them more responsibility, more tasks and teach them more things so they can earn a higher salary."
The professional path
Association memberships include PLANET, the New York State Turf and Landscape Association, the International Facility Managers Association and the New York State Turfgrass Association, as well as the International Society of Arboriculture.
Managers and technicians are landscape industry certified, a designation by PLANET to highlight the industry's highest standards of landscape professionalism, with fewer than 1 percent of all landscape professionals achieving this level of certification.
From day one, Michael Bellantoni wanted to service his clients 100 percent, including all of their grounds maintenance, planting, pest control, tree care and irrigation needs.
The company's professional landscapers are certified in the areas of horticulture, landscape architecture and landscape design. Employees are ISA certified arborists as well as certified landscape designers, and New York and Connecticut licensed pesticide applicators.
The company is guided by the following principles:
No excuses.
Have a positive attitude.
Don't make promises you can't keep.
Look professional and be professional.
Be a leader.
Provide the best value of service.
It hadn't been Michael Bellantoni's intention to go into the business, even though he grew up in it. His father was a landscape gardener in Westchester County.
As a first-generation American, Bellantoni was expected to follow the cultural practice of working with the family, which he did throughout his youth until he joined the U.S. Navy in 1958, serving as a corpsman.
After he returned home from the service, he took a job working at a local hospital and at a White Plains drugstore, a job he enjoyed.
"That served me well and then my dad called me and said he had hurt his back and asked if I could help him with his business," Bellantoni says. "The cultural practice was to say 'yes, I will help,' so I took a leave of absence from the hospital in 1962 and worked with him every day."
As the season ended, Bellantoni realized he didn't want to work indoors. "But I certainly didn't want to work for my father," he adds.
His father suggested they try being partners – Michael would own the company and his father would work for him at salary. "I still couldn't work for him," Bellantoni says. "He was a tough guy to work with."
Bellantoni decided he needed to branch out on his own, and he re-launched the company under his own name with 12 accounts, a Jeep and a lawnmower. He beefed up his business skills by studying accounting at a junior college.
Business grew quickly. With the help of a crew of four, Bellantoni worked long and hard hours. Each year brought a few dozen new accounts; the maintenance service mushroomed.
Bellantoni's strategy was to eliminate accounts, concentrate on high-profile business and condense his business into a local area, the White Plains and Scarsdale area.
"I cut out a lot of windshield time driving," he says. "I would go anywhere for anything except mowing because I wanted to keep that crew condensed."
As time passed, Bellantoni couldn't hold back the growth demands any longer. His crew grew, and in 1983, he moved his four trucks from the yard he rented from his father and bought property at another location in White Plains where he constructed his first building with his own hands at night and on weekends. The business was there for 10 years before Bellantoni ran out of space and bought a building across the street. In early 2000, he purchased two more buildings on an adjacent lot, and expansion continued.
"From day one, I wanted to service clients 100 percent," he says. "I wanted to take care of all of their needs, their grounds maintenance, planting, pest control, tree care and irrigation."
Bellantoni also is keen on continuing education for himself. In 1972, he went to an irrigation school, leading him to install and service irrigation systems. He went back to school to study lighting and now installs that.
Soon, he was joined by two of his sons who, unlike Michael, willingly entered the business to work with their father.
Matthew handles business development and sales and oversees maintenance, quality control, customer relations and efforts to find new jobs. Michael Jr. is the operations manager, who also oversees office staff and human resources.
Bellantoni has delegated much of the responsibilities for the client services to his sons and other management; he now focuses his efforts on sales and customer relations. "I like to delegate, not micromanage," he notes.
Bellantoni has no qualms about how his sons run the business. "I let my staff make a lot of decisions on their own, but they do consult with me," he says. "They do all of the research and I say, 'OK, if you think that's good, go with that' unless I have a strong objection."
Bellantoni prefers using a few vendors for everything from trucks to lawn equipment to ensure purchasing power. He prefers sending a few employees to a vendor's facility to train on how to service equipment so as to do most of the work in-house.
Every Michael Bellantoni, Inc. employee wears a uniform, which founder and owner Bellantoni believes promotes a professional image for his company and also for the industry.
The industry's image
Bellantoni has worked to improve the image of the industry. He says it's a personal mission.
"Working with my father as a child, we were looked down upon by clients," he recalls. "They'd say, 'you're my gardener, you're my servant, you're my this and that.'"
He wanted a better image for our industry, so he immersed himself in association involvement on the state and national level, chairing committees, working with others on the state level to bring certification to the landscape industry and contributing to training manuals.
Another component of promoting the industry's image is making the trucks and employees look "presentable", Bellantoni notes, adding that every employee wears a uniform.
Bellantoni does a great deal of networking. He serves as a PLANET Trailblazer and offers help to other less experienced contractors. "I know landscape contractors from coast to coast," Bellantoni says. "I help other people as long as it's not my competitor next door, but then again, I always help my competitors, too. I always say there's plenty for everybody."
However, he says, "There are people in the industry who don't represent the industry very well. In 50 years' time, I've seen homeowners, the elderly and other people taken advantage of. I see unwise shoppers looking for the best price or are not familiar with what they need to do." When he sees that, he tries to educate the consumer by talking with them, even if it doesn't result in a job for his company.
"I tell the truth when I visit with clients," he says. "I'll tell them they don't need certain things, but do need other things. The approach has been successful, because it's all honesty. I love my job and I love helping people."
To educate customers, Bellantoni sends out email flashes on sales and special products and news clips.
"We talk to them about diseases that are prevalent," says Bellantoni. "We talk to them about weather conditions and how they affect their plants and their gardens. We do this with all of the clients."
There is a trend in Bellantoni's service region toward organics and natural plant care approaches. "We jumped on board," says Bellantoni, adding that his company is partnered with "Bee Safe", an organic lawn care system that focuses on creating living, organic, microbial-rich soil as a means of producing healthy, attractive lawns.
The company is celebrating 50 years in business this year, servicing residential and commercial clients, as well as mowing for municipalities, sports fields, traffic islands and roadsides.
Looking back, if Bellantoni was to do anything differently, it would be to shorten the amount of time he would keep people who weren't a good fit for the job.
"I would not keep a person on staff who wasn't meeting our expectations and standards. I've come to realize that you don't change people's personalities. I can take a waiter from a restaurant and if he's got a good personality, I can teach him landscaping, but I can't change personalities and work habits."
These days, the company's management keeps a close eye on new hires during their training period.
"If they're not going to meet our standards, we have to let them go," he says.
To ensure quality control, project managers will look at a job when it's finished to make sure it meets the company's standards. Most of the time, clients are invited to walk through the process and provide feedback regarding their satisfaction with the job.
Bellantoni says his company continues to expand its services in each division to meet clients' requests. With the maintenance division, it has been the addition of organic products. Irrigation has been expanded to take on lighting. The company may even get into garage floor enhancements and polishing concrete floors.
Bellantoni says his greatest challenge is compliance with changing government requirements such as health care and maintaining safety in the work place.
"We're studying all of our options and trying to figure out the best way to handle all of our challenges," he says.
Bellantoni envisions his company will continue to grow over the next five years. "The teams I have in place, including my sons, are going to grow it," he says. "They're going to expand on operations. We may see ourselves opening a satellite facility somewhere, expanding into a new region. I want to grow carefully. I want to make sure that we're solid when we make a step into a new area."
Carol Brzozowski, Coral Springs, Fla., is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and a frequent contributor to Turf magazine. Contact her at [email protected]
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About the Author Carol Brzozowski
Carol Brzozowski lives and works in Coral Springs, Florida, and is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, as well as a regular contributor to Turf.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Onra
Nobody Has To Know
kaseta / Nowy
All City Dublin / ACOLPX5CS
Hip Hop / R'n'B
01. Prelude
02. Secretly
03. Let Me Fantasize
04. Love Triangle
05. No Question (ft. Pomrad)
06. Wish I Could
07. The Jam
08. Freak (ft. Lewis McCallum)
09. Not Long Ago
10. Wait A Minute
11. Nothing To Lose
12. 4U
13. All The Time
Few artforms are as apt to describing the fervour and tumult of human emotions as music is. Songs transport us to real and imaginary places, living someone else's experiences as our own, connecting with thoughts and feelings through melodies, rhythm and words. As a producer working primarily with the tools of traditional Hip-Hop – samplers, records, synthesizers – Onra has distinguished himself over the past decade as one of the best of his generation, capable of creating vivid music that sparks the mind of the listener and brings them along to uniquely detailed spaces, both real and imagined. On "Nobody Has To Know", his fifth album for All City Records, the versatile French producer created music that reflects on the various aspects of a secret relationship pulling from R&B,New Jack Swing and Funk to soundtrack the passions of attraction. Stylistically "Nobody Has To Know" picks up from the Future Funk style Onra originated on his 2010's "Long Distance" (and its 2012 companion EP "Deep In The Night" for Fool's Gold). Where those two releases mined the early and mid parts of the 1980s for ideas and references, the new album digs into late '80s and early '90s jams for smoother and richer sounds. Bolstering the record are two talented multi-instrumentalists, New Zealand's Lewis McCallum and Belgium's Pomrad, who bring touches of virtuosity to Onra's trademark smooth arrangements. The result is a record that, like its theme, oscillates between tender, torrid and tumultuous. Over its 13 tracks "Nobody Has To Know" details the ups and downs of a secret relationship, from the excitement of doing something forbidden to the aftermath of living out fantasies. On "Let Me Fantasize" a rolling bassline and sparkling melodies capture the excitement of what is possible, the mind wandering into the forbidden. "No Question" taps into New Jack Swing to act out desires that can't be suppressed, exuberant solos echoing dangerous feelings. With its hard drums and smooth horn solos, and chorus of "Freak" takes you to that place where you can do things you only dreamed about. Balancing this intensity are more introspective moments. "Not Long Ago" rolls out gentle synth solos and nostalgic samples to reflect on past relationships and the very human desire to have what you had or can no longer reach. Rich textures and a languid rhythm underpin the reflective mood of "Nothing To Lose," as you wonder what could go wrong – it's a fine line after all. The fantasizing, excitement and danger of fatal attraction are all reflected through the prism of the music. With "Nobody Has To Know" Onra deftly evolves the style he first began to explore a decade ago with his unique touch, re-affirming a unique sound rooted in warmth and setting the mood for some late-night escapades.
Tytuł Nobody Has To Know
Wykonawca Onra
Wydawca All City Dublin
Nośnik kaseta
Kategoria Kasety
Numer katalogowy ACOLPX5CS
Toeachizown
2CD | 64,90 PLN
All Melody
Limitowany
Fisz Emade Tworzywo
Numer 1 - Edycja Specjalna
Inne od Onra
Inne od All City Dublin
Gangster Music Vol.1 (Colored Vinyl Edition)
Fitz Ambro$e
Doe Quarterz
kaseta | 59,90 PLN


The coming weeks will see a number of events to mark publication of the third Inspector Devlin mystery, Bleed A River Deep. The official launch will be held in the Verbal Arts Centre, Derry on April 2nd at 7pm. Before that, however, Brian will be participating in a short Scottish tour with Peter James and Ann Cleeves between 11th -13th March stopping in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee and finishing in Glasgow with a reading at the Aye Write Festival. On Tues. 14th April, Brian and Declan Hughes will do a joint reading in Waterstones, Dublin at 6.30 pm, while Brian and Declan will also be doing a reading/signing on Thursday 16th April in No Alibis, Belfast at 7pm. All are welcome. Further details of these and other future events can be found on the Events page.


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Milestones:Moore's Law - Predicts Integrated Circuit Complexity Growth, 1965
"Moore's Law," 1965
Gordon E. Moore, co-founder of Fairchild and Intel, began his work in silicon microelectronics at Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory in 1956. His 1965 prediction at Fairchild Semiconductor, subsequently known as "Moore's Law," that the number of components on an integrated circuit will increase exponentially with time while cost per function decreases, guided the industry's contributions to advances in electronics and computing for more than fifty years.
Street address(es) and GPS coordinates of the Milestone Plaque Sites
37.4032937, -122.1111465, The Village at San Antonio Center, 391 San Antonio Rd., Mountain View, CA 94040
Details of the physical location of the plaque
The "Moore's Law" milestone plaque will be mounted in the Technology Plaza adjacent to a video information booth and a 20 foot high artwork in the form of a silicon crystal lattice.
How the intended plaque site is protected/secured
Plaque will be securly attached. Plaza is open to the public
Historical significance of the work
On April 19, 1965, Electronics magazine published an article by Gordon E. Moore, Director of the Fairchild Semiconductor Research and Development Laboratories in Palo Alto, CA that projected the growth in the complexity of integrated circuits (ICs), popularly called microchips, or computer chips, over the next ten years. Written to encourage his company's customers to adopt the most advanced technology in their new computer designs, his prediction emerged as a self-fulfilling prophecy that informed the actions and goals of industry technologists and executives worldwide.
Under the title "Cramming more components onto integrated circuits," Moore predicted "the development of integrated electronics for perhaps the next ten years." [1] He plotted a graph of the maximum number of components that Fairchild technologists had been able to squeeze onto a silicon computer chip at minimum cost per component since the development of the company's groundbreaking planar manufacturing process in 1959 until 1965. Drawing a line through just five data points he projected that "with unit cost falling as the number of components per circuit rises, by 1975 economics may dictate squeezing as many as 65,000 components on a single silicon chip." This represented a doubling every 12 months.
At the 1975 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting, Moore, by now co-founder responsible for R&D at Intel Corporation, noted that advances in photolithography, wafer size, process technology, and "circuit and device cleverness," had allowed his projection to be realized. On adding subsequent products to his original handful of simple logic ICs, notably important new devices such as microprocessors and memories, Moore modified the trend and reduced his estimate of the future rate of increase in complexity to "a doubling every two years, rather than every year." [2]
After Caltech electrical engineering professor Carver Mead dubbed this projection "Moore's Law,'" industry technologists and managers were challenged with delivering annual breakthroughs in optics, materials science, methods of wafer processing, circuit design techniques, software, manufacturing and test equipment, and management of complex industrial operations to ensure compliance with its projections. On reviewing the status of the industry again in 1995 (at which time an Intel Pentium microprocessor held nearly 5 million transistors) Moore concluded that "The current prediction is that this is not going to stop soon." [3] By 2010, commercial microprocessors from AMD, Intel, and other vendors comprised over 1 billion transistors representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in excess of 40 percent per year.
On the 50th anniversary of Moore's Law in 2015, Intel Corporation published a report developed by business information provider IHS that found that Moore's Law has played a critical role in generating a minimum estimated $3 trillion in incremental GDP over the past 20 years. The report" highlighted the profound economic, technological and societal impact of Moore's Law and how its exponential nature may have even greater implications for the future. [4]
The impact and benefits of the "Law" are evident on the economy, society and the technological universe. Improved computing performance at ever-decreasing cost enhanced existing industries and increased productivity, but also spawned whole new industries. Inexpensive, ubiquitous computing fundamentally changed the way society works, plays, communicates and lives. The foundational force of Moore's Law has driven breakthroughs in urban design, transportation, healthcare, education, and energy production.
[1] Moore, Gordon E. "Cramming more components onto integrated circuits," Electronics, McGraw Hill, Inc. Vol. 38, No.8 (April 19, 1965) [2] Moore, Gordon. "Progress in Digital Integrated Electronics" IEEE, IEDM Tech Digest (1975) pp.11-13. [3] Moore, Gordon. "Lithography and the Future of Moore's Law," Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 2437 (May 1995) [4] Ford, Dale. "Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Moore's Law" IHS Inc. (2015)
Features that set this work apart from similar achievements
While many technologists have offered predictions on future progress in microelectronics over the years, none have achieved the widespread and sustained impact of Moore's Law. A significant factor behind this success has been the author's leading role as a founder of Intel in directing the technical and financial resources and corporate strategies essential to its success. Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson has described a figure illustrating the 1965 article as "the most important graph in human history." [1] The San Jose Mercury News noted that "Since its inception over 50 years ago, today, Moore's Law has been a safe bet - it is the open immutable rule that drives Silicon Valley." [2] Similar trends in other areas of technology, from areal density in magnetic data storage to speed improvements in 3D printing have been described as "following Moore's Law."
[1] Jurvetson, Steve. "Transcending Moore's Law to Forge the Future," Computer History Museum, CORE, 2015 pp. 36-39 [2] Carey, Pete. "Silicon Valley marks 50 years of Moore's Law," San Jose Mercury News (April 19, 2015)
Significant references
Arnold Thackray, David Brock and Rachel Jones "Moore's Law", Basic Books, 2015 - all 508 pages
"Gordon Moore's Vision, Doubling Down," San Jose Mercury News, April 19, 2015, p A1 and A13
Gordon More, "Cramming more components onto integrated circuits." Electronics, Volume 38, Number 8, April 19, 1965,
"IBM Back On Track with Moore's Law," Science; July 2015, vol 349, issue 6245: p 220
Computer History Museum, CORE, 2015, Walter Isaacson, "Moore's Law @ 50," p 24-29
Computer History Museum, CORE, 2015, David Brock, "How Moore's Law Came to Be," p 30-33
Computer History Museum, CORE, 2015, Stevan Levy, "How Understanding Moore's Law Made Goggle Possible," p 34-35
Computer History Museum, CORE, 2015, Steve Jurvetson, "Transcending Moore's to Forge the Future," p 36-39
Dale Ford, "Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Moore's Law," IHS Technology
Moore, Gordon. "Progress in Digital Integrated Electronics" IEEE, IEDM Tech Digest (1975) pp.11-13.
Moore, Gordon. "Lithography and the Future of Moore's Law," Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 2437 (May 1995)
Schlender, Brent "Intel's $10 billion gamble," Fortune (November 11, 2002)
Moore, Gordon E. "No Exponential Is Forever: but 'Forever' Can Be Delayed!" Solid-State Circuits Conference, 2003. Digest of Technical Papers. ISSCC. 2003 IEEE International (February 13, 2003) pp: 20-21.
Packy, Kelly "Moore's Law Chips Confidence" E.E. Times (2.11.15)
Hachman, Mark "Intel: Moore's Law will continue through 7nm chips" PC World (Feb22, 2015)
"The Long Good- bye," IEEE Spectrum, April 2015 , p 29
Mack, Chris, "The Multiple Lives of Moore's Law," IEEE Spectrum, April 2015 , p 30-33
Hutcheson, Dan, "Transistors by the Numbers," IEEE Spectrum, April 2015 , p 33-37
Koomey, Joathan, and Naffzuger, Samuel, "Efficiency's Brief Reprieve," IEEE Spectrum, April 2015 , p 35
Courtland, Rachael, "When Mead Met Moore," IEEE Spectrum, April 2015 , p 37
"The Law That's Not A Law, Conversation with Gordon Moore," IEEE Spectrum, April 2015 , p 38-40
Huang, Andrew, "Moore's Law is Dying (and That Could Be Good)," IEEE Spectrum, April 2015 , p 42-45
Original Article Media:Moore_1965_Electronics_Article.pdf
Revised projection Media:Moore_1975_IEEE_Speech.pdf
Moore's Law at 50: https://vimeo.com/123452018
Gordon Moore: https://vimeo.com/70293585
Media:Moore's Law plot for MPUs (Linear version).jpg
Media:Moore's Law plot for MPUs (Log_Linear version).jpg
Retrieved from "http://ieeemilestones.ethw.org/index.php?title=Milestones:Moore%27s_Law_-_Predicts_Integrated_Circuit_Complexity_Growth,_1965&oldid=6527"
3 Street address(es) and GPS coordinates of the Milestone Plaque Sites
4 Details of the physical location of the plaque
5 How the intended plaque site is protected/secured
6 Historical significance of the work
7 Features that set this work apart from similar achievements
8 Significant references
9 Supporting materials


This past weekend we went door to door in the Edgehill neighborhood, meeting people and handing out The Way to Happiness booklets. We passed out over 100, and met some wonderful people along the way!
We love the opportunity to spread the messages contained in this booklet. If you would like to request a free copy, contact us anytime!


Warren Smith (B.A., University of Pennsylvania: M.S.W., Tulane University) is a freelance writer and community social worker who was involved in the new age movement. He served as program coordinator for people with special needs, directed homeless programs, and worked as a hospice social worker in New Orleans and in California. He has written extensively on the subject of spiritual deception and has been interviewed on radio and TV.


text:
Edward Ernest Harrison (25 May 1910 – 12 December 2002) was an English cricketer and squash player.  In cricket, Harrison was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm fast-medium.  The son of Ernest Redford Harrison, he was born at Chichester, Sussex, and educated at Harrow School.

Harrison made his first-class debut for Sussex against Worcestershire in the 1946 County Championship, having played for the county during wartime matches.  He made eight further first-class appearances for the county in that season, before playing his final first-class match the following season against Cambridge University, in what was his only appearance in that season.  Predominantly a bowler who "bowled with indefatigable persistency", Harrison usually bowled with the new ball and took 17 wickets in his ten first-class matches, which came at an average of 29.29, with best figures of 2/28.  With the bat, he scored 120 runs at a batting average of 10.00, with a high score of 23.

Following his brief playing career, Harrison served as the chairman of the Sussex cricket committee, having served on the committee itself from the 1940s.  He played for the wandering cricket club the Sussex Martlets, where he was their secretary from 1950 to 1985 and then president.  He subsequently became the vice-president of the Friends of Arundel Castle Cricket Club.  Outside of cricket, Harrison also played squash to a high level, playing for England and twice winning the amateur doubles championship.  In his personal life, he married Susan d'Esterre Hubbard, daughter of Gerald Napier Hubbard and Bertha Caroline Garnier, on 10 September 1936.  Their marriage lasted until 1951, when they divorced.  They had a son, born 1937.  Harrison died at the city of his birth on 12 December 2002.

References

External links
Edward Harrison at ESPNcricinfo
Edward Harrison at CricketArchive

1910 births
2002 deaths
Sportspeople from Chichester
People educated at Harrow School
English cricketers
Sussex cricketers
English cricket administrators
English male squash players

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Thu Jun 10
Dirty Logic: a Tribute to Steely Dan *SOLD OUT*
with Peggy Ratusz & Daddy LongLegs
DATE: Thursday, June 10, 2021
Live on the Outdoor Stage
Genre: A Tribute to Steely Dan
Rain or Shine; No Refunds
Price: SOLD OUT: NO tickets will be sold at the box office
I'm a HUGE Steely Dan Fan! But seeing Dirty Logic for the first time was such an emotional experience for me, they had me in tears!
— BJ LIEDERMAN, NPR MUSIC COMPOSER
About Dirty Logic:
While fans can expect to hear accurate renditions of the studio recordings and solos they know and love, the band also incorporates some of the funkier, re-harmonized arrangements found in Steely Dan's live performances. Their knack for authentically recreating the bands catalog, coupled with a healthy dose of high energy improvisation, ensures that each show is a refreshing musical experience. Their song book currently includes tracks from Aja, Gaucho, The Royal Scam, Pretzel Logic, Can't Buy A Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy, Katy Lied and the FM soundtrack.
Dirty Logic's all-star cast of characters features members of national and regional acts such as: Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, Empire Strikes Brass, Grammy Award Winning Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, The Travers Brothership, The Business, Jesse Barry and the Jam, Off With Your Radiohead, The Billy Sea, The Juan Benevides Group, Chicago Afrobeat, Mucca Pazza, James Brown Dance Party, A Family Affair, Orange Crush, Larke, Fathead, The Legendary Tues Night House Band, The Mojo Brothers Blues Band, Blake Ellege and The Country Resonators, and The Stardusters Jazz Quintet among others.
...Come and see them for yourself, they do not disappoint…
Listen to Dirty Logic:
About Peggy Ratusz & Daddy LongLegs:
Peggy Ratusz – Playin' it Forward.Blues chanteuse, Peggy Ratusz has been performing for nearly 45 years; the last 17, in WNC.
Her versatility, range, depth and most of all soul-filled sincerity create a cyclical experience for audiences large and small. From cover tunes to originals, the scope of nostalgic to modern stylings she chooses to deliver effectively evokes the groove and embodies the lyrical content that distinguishes her from other great vocalists.
For the past fifteen years, she's either won or placed in the Western North Carolina Readers poll for Best in Blues. In 2016, she was named Best Vocalist as well as the area's most noted musician who gives back to the community.
With her stellar backing instrumentalists, guitarist Jonathan Pearlman, bassist Ben Bjorlie and drummer Jay Hoots, this "ruby throated" International Blues Challenge semifinalist 2008, 2010 and 2015, thrives on sharing her interpretations and influences. Chanteuse, Peggy Ratusz: Always Playin' it forward.
Listen to Peggy Ratusz & Daddy LongLegs:


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In her 11th year behind the lens, Carly Williams from CJ Williams Photography captures those beautiful special moments with a hint of vintage flair. We caught up with Carly to find out a little more about what it is like to be behind the lens at a wedding.
I worked as a photographer for quite a while before deciding to shoot weddings. It was something I felt a little bit nervous about because of the amount of responsibility involved in capturing such an important day. Once I started I was hooked because it surprised me how enjoyable and rewarding it is.
One of the things I love about my job is the variety. Most of the time I don't have a set routine, but during peak season things can be pretty hectic. A weekday would usually involve quite a bit of coffee, emails, placing album and print orders, digitally editing my recent work, then a client meeting or two.
What do you find most challenging about being a wedding photographer, and why?
I guess my biggest challenge is to keep up-to-date with wedding industry trends. There are always new ideas working their way through the online inspiration blogs and magazines, so it's essential I research and stay aware of what's going on. Bride's can be very keen to embrace a new style and do something different so I need to be on the same page.
How do you like to spend your time when you aren't taking photos?
I like to travel quite a bit, so Mr Williams and I head away as often as we can. When I'm home and the weather is nice I like to experiment with cooking and potter around in the garden.
Which location or destination would you most like to shoot a wedding?
If I could go anywhere I would love to shoot a wedding somewhere with a rich culture like New Orleans. I'm drawn to vibrant colours, great music and amazing food.
Which part of the wedding is your favourite part to photograph, and why?
I really like the end of the ceremony when the Bride and Groom walk back down the isle and their family comes over to congratulate them. There is such excitement and emotional energy which is so fun to capture, and it gives me a chance to get some great candid shots.
What advice would you give couples when they are choosing a photographer?
Choose somebody you can relate to, and that you don't mind having around. Your photographer needs to understand you and your vision if they are to capture your wedding day perfectly. Also, look at their work. Lots of it. Chances are that if you don't like their style then you probably wont like your photos.
CJ Williams' style combines spontaneity and sophistication, with lots of creative flair and a hint of vintage. She adores the beauty of natural light and to capture those fleeting little romantic moments that happen between two people in love. She strives for the emotional element in her work, to create photographs that are not only beautiful, but in time give a sense of nostalgia.


So, these past few days I have really gotten annoyed with Facebook! Good grief oh golly! It is all over the place. That works though since I'm doing my best to not be on Facebook all day everyday anymore! So what do I do with my time? I join a gym! The last week of doTerra's 6 week blog experience, I join a gym. How ironic? It actually kind of is. I kind of thought it wasn't affordable, and that it would be bad for my daughter. Yeah right; my almost-7 month old loves it. We bring her in and the ladies love her, and the other kids want to play "baby" with her. My 7-month post-partum body also loves it.
So, how do Essential Oils play a role at the gym? Well… let me tell you! My mid-lower back hurts more than usual. Yeah, that myth about where the epidural was… that spot. It hurts. Lets fix it!
DEEP BLUE Oil or Lotion… doesn't matter too much which. No, it doesn't directly help you loose weight, but once you start exercising, you mind find it more important than the slimming Peppermint or Slim & Sassy to your brain! Maybe even the detoxing Lime and Grapefruit oils. You maaaay not find it as "necessary" as all those other oils helping you avoid your cravings, but being in good spirits and pain free is very important!
Here's the deal, for me at least.
2. Don't put it on right before, after, or during the workout or shower unless it is VERY diluted. I learned this the hard way with Biofreeze/IcyHot awhile back, take that times 10 and you get Deep Blue consequences. Learned that the hard way too 😡 Your pores open, and I'm telling you – A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY! These essential oils are POTENT!
Now here I sit 20 minutes later feeling limber and great!
PS: This stuff is also awesome for bruises, headaches and migraines, inflammation (obviously), and sprains. Its expensive, but so worth the cost. This is the one oil I would choose if I had to choose one single thing ever. Maybe, because it has solved any migraine I've ever had — and those are the worst pain ever in my opinion.
Week 5! Almost there! How have your past 5 weeks been? I found myself regressing almost this week! Possibly, more so than I thought … so I did some research. We've talked about doTerra's Slim and Sassy blend, doTerra's Grapefruit oil, doTerra's Lime oil, and last week, doTerra's Peppermint oil. This week, I did some research, and ran across an article which referenced Dr. Alan Hirsch. He has done research on hunger and what causes it. According to Dr. Hirsch, whereas it is often believe hunger is associated with blood sugars and amount of food in the belly, he disagrees. Apparently, with my understanding of this article which referenced him, satiety (the feeling of being full) can be triggered by scent.
The goal here is not to NOT eat, but rather eat what you want when you want and how you want — with regulation and conscious decision. When I got pregnant with my daughter, I thought to myself, "Oh – I'm suppose to gain weight. I'm hungry, lets eat!" While I was pregnant, I ended up having to do that, or I got sick sick sick from not eating. The problem was, after giving birth, I continued to do so, and now half a year later, here I sit still doing so. I've cut out soda. YAY! I've increased my water by, ohhh… I don't know…. 9-10 cups/day. YAY! But, I still eat just to eat.
This past week, I've done some concious studies of my actions and foods. I know I must eat more than "average" per say to maintain my milk supply. I know this. And, add in my exercise, which because of supply problems I'm only doing in moderation… I MUST eat. So, I've decided on three meals a day, with two smaller "snacks" in between. By the time I'm done and settled with my child and family, it's usually 7:30 before I can eat dinner. So – scratch that. I've selected 2 meals a day, and three snacks. Not ideal, but this will work. My issue? I don't do that – I eat all day, and not healthy foods all the time. Stress eaters don't always select the best food afterall.
SOOO….. at the beginning of the day select two or three of these. Carry them with you, and change out the chosen oils daily. Get different ones for max effects. Throughout the day, smell them 3-6 times per nostril, with the other nostril closed. 6 deep sniffs is considered "adequate." If you under smell, your hypothalamus will be triggered to be "hungry" and you will in fact eat more. Scents supposedly work too: chocolate, peach, maple syrup….
Please feel free to comment with any questions you have about essential oils and use in your home, or EMAIL ME (csnoodles@yahoo.com) to inquire about samples, purchase, or enroll in your wholesale account.
A month or so ago I was watching Pioneer Woman, which doesn't happen very often, and she made hand cookies with her daughter during a sleep over. My mind immediately started spinning searching for a time in our schedule when we could hand cookies. I knew I wanted it to be during the week and when the older boys were home but between football practice and karate class that doesn't leave much time. I checked the calender and the boys had October 7th off. Now that I had the date picked out I started to worry about my rolling pin skills or lack of to be exact. I figured I would never get better if I didn't just try! The boys were looking forward to making their hand cookies so this past Monday I set out to make hand cookies. Callum fell asleep so he didn't get to make one but he still makes a fist when I try to make his hand print with paint so I wasn't to heart broken. We followed the recipe from the Pioneer Woman's website that you can find here.
My skills with a rolling pin have not improved at all but I will get there, maybe. The boys loved making the cookies and painting the cookies. I was very surprised with how Mason did. He did ask me this morning if we could make hand cookies again since it was raining and since it was raining on Monday I guess that makes rainy days baking days. Here is what they looked like when I took them out of the oven. Mason smashed his hand down when I was cutting his out so it was a little thin. Alex's hand (the green one) was a zombie hand and Wyatt's was the red one. I love baking with my kids and this was actually one project they wanted to do with me. Have you baked with your kids lately? No matter how little they can help and they love helping and then eating right after.
On a side note the boys were off because it was a teacher work day and yesterday was REPORT CARD DAY!!! That day happens to be one of my favorite days. Alex is rocking the 6th grade and brought home 4 A's and 2 B's. Such an improvement over last year and he said it's because he has friends this year. (Last year kids still considered him the "new kid" and a "city boy" and here being a city boy is a bad thing I guess) Wyatt brought home straight A's and was very excited! I am so very proud of my boys and probably as a reward (even though we don't do rewards or punishments for grades if they do their best) their dad will take them to a haunted hay ride this weekend. I will stay home with the little ones. Hope ya'll are enjoying the fall weather!
I have absolutely loved this series of posts with you guys. Week one, we discussed doTerra's Slim and Sassy blend, week two we discussed doTerra's Grapefruit oil, and last week we discussed doTerra's Lime oil. In addition to these oils, I have began working out once more, (finally! it only took my daughter turning 6 months old!) and have cut sodas from my diet. Today, I introduce Peppermint Essential Oil.
I still encourage you, please email me csnoodles@yahoo.com with "DoTerra Questions" in the subject line, or comment here for more information, questions, comments, samples, or wholesale enrollment opportunities. I'll be more than happy to talk with you!
I absolutely love Peppermint EO. It boosts my energy, refreshes my mind, and is EXCELLENT for my GI system. There are so many uses for the Peppermint oil. A study showed that those who used Peppermint Oil in a daily routine ate 23% fewer calories on a consistant bases than those who didn't, and on average that added to nearly 3,000 calories a week, or equivalent to loosing 20 pounds in 6 months with healthy eating habits and moderate exercise activity. This is not a "diet" oil, this is a lifestyle. What's awesome? Unlike Lime used topically, Slim and Sassy used topically, and Grapefruit used topically (also used internally or diffused) this one I tend to use diffusing only (unless I have an upset stomach or headache in which case internal or topical is my choice of application). A cold air diffuser is amazing, but I tend to stick it on a crotchet flower hooked onto the air vent of my car.
Now, some studies link Peppermint to milk – production problems for nursing mothers. I haven't noticed this with doTerra's pure oils, and won't risk it with other brands. I tend to be super careful and haven't used it internally at all since birth, but diffusing… seems safe for my milk thus far!
How are your weight loss and fitness plans going? Making goals? Reaching your goals? Tell us, share!


text:
Sugimoto Etsu Inagaki (jap. , Sugimoto Etsuko; * 1873 in Nagaoka in der Präfektur Niigata (früher Provinz Echigo) Nordjapan; † 1950), war eine japanische Autobiographin und Romanschriftstellerin.

Leben
Etsuko wurde als Tochter eines Karō, ersten Ratgebers im Kaiserreich, geboren. Der Zusammenbruch des Feudalsystems kurz vor ihrer Geburt bedeutete für ihre Familie eine entscheidende Veränderung der wirtschaftlichen Verhältnisse.

Nach japanischem Brauch war Etsuko schon als kleines Mädchen einem japanischen Kaufmann anverlobt worden, der in Cincinnati in den USA lebte. Nach dem Besuch einer Methodisten-Mädchenschule wurde Etsuko nach Tokio gesandt, um sich für ihr Leben in Amerika vorzubereiten. Sie wurde Christin und fuhr im Jahre 1898 in die neue Heimat, um zu heiraten.
Bald wurde sie Mutter von zwei Töchtern, die sie später in Japan erziehen ließ. In New York City wandte sich Etsuko dann der Literatur zu und gab an der Columbia University Unterricht in japanischer Sprache, Geschichte und Kultur. Nebenher schrieb sie für Zeitungen und Zeitschriften. Sie kehrte 1927 nach Japan zurück. Sie starb 1950.

Werke

  A Daughter of the Samurai, mit Florence Wilson 1923, Erstveröffentlichung in der Zeitschrift Asia
 dt. Tochter des Samurai. Rowohlt 1957.
 With Taro and Hana in Japan (in Zusammenarbeit mit Nancy Virginia Austen 23. September 1926)
 A Daughter of the Narikin (1932)
 In memoriam: Florence Mills Wilson (1933)
 A Daughter of the Nohfu
 dt. Heirat in Nippon. Holle & Co. 1935.
 Grandmother O Kyo (1940)
 But the Ships Are Sailing (1959)

Literatur
 Textausgabe A Daughter of the Samurai (englisch)

Weblinks
 "Dual Images of 'An Ideal Japanese Woman' in a Critical Historical Period - through the analysis of A Daughter of the Samurai", Essay von Hiroko Kugisima (engl.)

Einzelnachweise

Autor
Literatur (20. Jahrhundert)
Literatur (Japanisch)
Pseudonym
Japaner
Geboren 1873
Gestorben 1950
Frau


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text:
This is a list of LGBT characters in modern written fiction. The historical concept and definition of sexual orientation varies and has changed greatly over time; for example, the word "gay" was not used to describe sexual orientation until the mid 20th century. A number of different classification schemes have been used to describe sexual orientation since the mid-19th century, and scholars have often defined the term 'sexual orientation' in divergent ways. Indeed, several studies have found that much of the research about sexual orientation has failed to define the term at all, making it difficult to reconcile the results of different studies. However, most definitions include a psychological component (such as the direction of an individual's erotic desire) and/or a behavioral component (which focuses on the sex of the individual's sexual partner/s). Some prefer to simply follow an individual's self-definition or identity. See homosexuality and bisexuality for criteria that have traditionally denoted lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.

Items listed here must have verifiable third-party sources commenting on the sexuality of the character(s) in question, and additional explanation may be necessary. Additionally, only notable/significant characters from a given work (which may have multiple LGBT characters) need to be listed here.

The names are organized alphabetically by surname (i.e. last name), or by single name if the character does not have a surname. If more than two characters are in one entry, the last name of the first character is used.

19th century

20th century

21st century

See also

 Gay literature
 Lesbian fiction
 Transgender publications

Notes

References

Lists of literary characters
Modern written fiction


text:
Volume 2 Chapter 11
After Transformation, Mine and Her Wild Fantasy Volume 2 Chapter 12
Chapter 12 Pandora
Translated By: Naervon
Lunaria's sense of sight, Cut!
Lunaria's sense of touch, Cut!
Lunaria's sense of smell, Cut!
Lunaria's. . . . . . . . .
Tyre gained more and more clarity as boundless power flowed back into his brain, causing his entire body to shake violently and his blood flow to almost reverse directions.
Lunaria's sense of perception, Cut!
*Boom!*
With that final sense cut off, Tyre's head was knocked backwards as if it was hit by a blunt weapon and his entire body suddenly went limp on the train seat.
LongTu watched from the side with her brows tightly furrowed. She didn't know if Tyre was too nice of a person or too dumb of a person, because why else would he have used such a dangerous technique for a random mercenary?
But, having known Tyre for quite a while now, LongTu knew that Tyre was not the type of person to do something out of kindness, because he was more of the type of person who goes on about with his business unless it was something that affected him directly, kind of like a person who cares only about himself and would not go out of his way to help out a person in need. Only, he seemed to have changed just recently, and this change in attitude seemed to make him more stubborn on somethings.
The white haired girl also noticed the sudden changes in Tyre, and she also frowned a bit, but the very next moment, Tyre abruptly opened both of his eyes.
*There are a total of 394 people in this compartment. 276 males, 118 females, 124 martial artists, 12 magicians.*
"Phuuu" Tyre breathed out and then put his eyes on the map.
*Now then, I only have 19.1852 seconds to find out an accurate route.*
*From the north city gates of Hess city, calculating the route based on the speed of the mercenary group by foot as well as their confidence in their success, their speed should have allowed them to reach the mountain in 20 minutes 57 seconds. Calculating the time it took for them to find and scale over the mountain, they should have taken another 20 minutes with a error margin of 18.56% due to weather and topography conditions. From that point, they face the lake to their right side, so they will take the left side. Narrowing down the route.*
At the same time that he was calculating the route, Tyre was also speaking through the specter stone in a toneless voice
"Miss Shasha, please exit the city and head towards Beard Mountain, and then enter the Great Forest from the left side. If you check your map, you will see the area labeled for Immortal Pleasure flower zone, the entrance to the trail should be obvious."
As Tyre finished with the instructions, he switched over to Jack and said
"Mr. Jack, head over to the tunnel to your left side. Judging from the sound of airflow and the directions that the sound is bouncing off of the walls, 【Pandora】should arrive at your current location and find you in exactly 3 minutes, so you must leave immediately."
Jack was scared pale white, but he did not hesitate as he followed Tyre's instructions and ran for the tunnel.
On the other group's side, Shasha was confused on how Tyre knew her name, could the branch head have told him her name?
Of course, Tiska was not the one who told Tyre, but rather, Tyre took a glance at the mercenary leaderboard when he first entered Hess City, and on that leaderboard, there was a girl's name in the upper ranks of the board. Making the deduction based on the confidence that Tiska showed when she contacted this group of mercenaries without too much thought and matching that with the female voice from the specter stone, Tyre made the connection between the two and estimated that Shasha was her name.
Tyre looked back at the map and as he did so, the white haired girl also looked over with a thoughtful look on her face.
*The mutant beasts showed up in this area of the forest, and this was before they reached the flowers. The tree density of this place limits their movements, and since those beasts move in packs, there was no reason for the group to stay there for too long, so they must have pushed straight through this zone. The bounty creature is a fly like humanoid magic beast, and based from the habits that it has shone, then the creature must prefer an open habitat. Adding to the fact that it has a bounty on its head, then that means it must have made its den somewhere close to where it has easy routes to nearby villages and make its attacks.*
Tyre looked up slightly, and when he located the nearest village, sudden understanding flashed on his face.
"So that's how it is."
Jade Star also died to that thing
The nearest village was very close to where the ogre king was located. Speaking of that village, how unlucky does that village has to be to have two powerful bounty creatures visit it one after the other, and from the sheer bounty gold the village had to pay alone, most of the villagers had already left the place.
Recalling the wounds on Jade Star's body, the incisions were made by human like teeth, and judging from current informations, Jade Star must have ran into 【Pandora】after she left the group.
Now then, it should be very easy to lock down on the exact location of that cave.
"Miss Shasha, please head into the Great Forest and then turn 38 degrees to the right, then continue that direction at a running pace for exactly one thousand seven hundred and sixty four steps. After which, you should find yourself to be in the presence of mutant beasts. From that point, turn left and run exactly five thousand one hundred and twenty four steps. At this point you will have found the dead body of the vice captain. Follow the clear slime trail left by the creature 【Pandora】and you will be able to catch up to it."
". . . . . . . ." Shasha felt speechless, thinking isn't that guy being too pretentious? Did he really have to pretend to know the exact number of steps to sound smart and all… Especially since he is not even where they are, so how does that guy know how much distance she covers with a single stride, and even if he is really able to precisely calculate the distance, isn't it still off if she did not keep the same pace or if her strides were bigger or smaller at times? Doesn't that mean she would go past or not reach the spot at that step count??
"Everybody, lets speed up our pace!" Shasha didn't believe that person, but she still told her group to speed up, and instantly, everyone in her group burst out sprinting into the Great Forest at terrifying speeds, heading deeper into the Forest.


SAN DIEGO (AP) — His lips turning blue and his face purple, the Navy SEAL trainee dressed in full gear was struggling to tread water in a giant pool when his instructor pushed him underwater at least twice — actions a medical examiner ruled Wednesday made his death a homicide, not an accident.
The homicide ruling on the May 6 drowning of 21-year-old Seaman James Derek Lovelace raises questions about the safety of the grueling training that produces the U.S. military's most elite warfighters. It also raises questions about where the line is drawn between what is considered to be rigorous training designed to weed out the weakest and what is abuse that leads to a homicide.
Lovelace, of Crestview, Florida, was in his first week of training in Coronado, near San Diego. An autopsy found he drowned. The report noted he also had a heart abnormality but said the problem was only a contributing factor.
The medical examiner said some may consider the death an accident, especially in a "rigorous training program that was meant to simulate an 'adverse' environment."
But "it is our opinion that the actions, and inactions, of the instructors and other individuals involved were excessive and directly contributed to the death," the report said.
The drowning marked the third death of a SEAL trainee this year, including one who committed suicide after dropping out of the training and another who was killed in a car accident.
It's highly unusual for a training death for any service branch to be classified a homicide.
Lovelace showed signs he was having difficulty treading water in fatigues, boots and a dive mask filled with water in the heated pool, which ranged in depth from four-to-15 feet. While struggling, he was seen on surveillance video being dunked at least twice by an instructor, the report said.
At one point in the training, a fellow trainee tried to help Lovelace keep his head above water. Video appears to show the instructor dunking Lovelace and later pulling him partially up and out of the water and then pushing him back, the autopsy report said.
Multiple people stated that his face was purple and his lips were blue, according to the report. One individual was even considering calling a "time-out" to stop the exercise, the report said.
Instructors are supposed to create adverse conditions by splashing, making waves and yelling at the students but they are reportedly advised not to dunk or pull students underwater, according to the report.
The Navy briefly paused its training to review safety standards, such as how to recognize when someone is in trouble, but it has not changed its pool exercises, Navy spokesman Lt. Trevor Davids said. He declined to identify the instructor or say how long he had been in that position or a SEAL.
Several former SEALs told The Associated Press the instructor's actions did not strike them as unusual.
Former Navy SEAL Keith David went through basic training about eight years ago. He doesn't remember whether instructors ever dunked him in the pool exercises, but he said they were tough. During an exercise that tested the stamina of trainees to stay underwater, he recalled, some of the trainees didn't want to give up and stayed at the bottom too long.
"I know it wasn't uncommon. Guys pushed themselves so hard to stay down, they would force themselves to black out, but instructors would be ready to bring them back to consciousness," he said.
David said the medical examiner's ruling surprised him.
"These are high-risk trainings so if they are done enough times, they're going to have a death," he said. "I'm surprised there are not more deaths. They do a great job of mitigating all that."
Dan O'Shea, a former Navy SEAL commander, remembers fellow candidates in his basic training passing out during pool exercises and then would come up, coughing up water. He said that's what the training is designed to do, push men to the limit and beyond so they are prepared to take on any challenge, anywhere.
On average, only 25 percent of SEAL candidates become SEALs.
"What people have to understand is what SEALs train for, is to go to war," he said. "It's inherently dangerous, and so is the preparation."
A host of instructors run the exercises, which are closely monitored by senior officers. Many instructors are SEALs who have returned from multiple combat missions to train people who may one day serve next to them in combat.
O'Shea is concerned the medical examiner's ruling could lead to changes. SEALs' ability to handle themselves in water sets them apart from other special operations teams.
"Changing standards would mess with a process that has proven its mettle since 1962 and produced the most elite fighting force on the planet, one that took out Osama Bin Laden. Why mess with perfection?" he asked.
This story has been corrected to show the medical examiner made the ruling Wednesday, not Thursday.


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Outfit Much better Using These Excellent Style Ideas In case you are a style misfit, it is likely that you just do not feel and look as good as you would like. Creating a excellent sense of style will not be as challenging as you might believe. The advice and tips loaded into this short article will help you rapidly enhance your style. For those who have really dry skin, you might want to use lotion prior to utilizing your preferred scented items. Doing this will help the cologne or fragrance remain for a longer time on your own entire body. It can function best if you make use of an unscented lotion, therefore the odors don't contend or produce a new, unpredicted fragrance.Emphasize the good. Search for items of clothes that show away your characteristics. For those who have an excellent waist, search for clothes that has an adorned middle-collection or include a beautiful belt. If possess a excellent neckline, pull the eye in this path having a extravagant collar or enjoyable necklace.An excellent style suggestion would be to begin buying at thrift shops for a few of the clothes. You can often discover truly distinctive clothes at thrift shops and you also don't need to pay an arm along with a lower leg possibly just like you would in the event you purchased new clothes at some large department shop.Don't squander a single decrease of elegance item. For items that are available in tubes, make use of the little gadgets intended for toothpaste tubes to press the final little bit. You are able to transform a container around the part or upside down to acquire all of the item out. Slicing the product packaging open up enables you to scoop the final little bit of item. This might help you save some cash.Many people do not know how far gorgeous skin area may take you on the planet of style. The skin problem may have a massive impact on your current style appear. Consequently, it is essential which you keep your gorgeous skin area. Then, the skin will enhance the stunning clothing which you put on.An essential style suggestion is to ensure that your trousers would be the proper duration. This is very important simply because getting trousers which are too much time or brief could be a essential error in looking good. Make sure to arrange for the kind of footwear that you will be putting on since it can make an enormous distinction.When buying denim jeans, choose ageless appears. For instance, traditional directly lower leg or boot reduce denim jeans never ever go out of design. Choose possibly of those designs in either a darker denim or somewhat faded to stay in style throughout the years. By choosing these designs, you will be in style regardless of present style.Use numerous colours when designing an attire. You do not want each and every item to complement flawlessly, which is not the point of style. Rather discover methods to produce innovative colour strategies. For instance, a purple outfit could be matched up with yellowish, sterling silver, dark or eco-friendly add-ons. Simply have enjoyable by using it. In case you are a mother, style is probably the final thing on your mind, But know that it is possible to appear great and sensible simultaneously. Regardless of whether using the children towards the recreation area, sporting events or some other occasion, liven up your look having a great T-T-shirt, knee-duration skirt and a pair of level sandals! Simply because style guidelines really exist, does not mean you are able to not imaginative. Issues may not look great before you really check them out. Mix and match colors and styles to get the types you prefer. The only way to determine your look would be to play around by using it. As stated in the opening up of the post, enhancing your style design can significantly enhance your look. The style advice and tips you've just discovered, if placed on your daily life, will help you to feel and look much better than you ever have prior to. You no longer have to be a style misfit.


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Erica Andrist
The Dirty Bird: Farewell and keep it class, Badgers
By Erica Andrist | May. 2, 2012
I started writing the sex column first at the Badger Herald and then at The Daily Cardinal. I was an undergrad. It was 2008. I started writing because I thought I had a lot of training and knowledge I could share on subjects about which training and knowledge weren't always readily accessible. I wasn't sure how well the column would be received, and I certainly didn't expect to be writing for several years. The reason I did is because of you. Students wrote in with their own questions and issues. Some weeks, I had more e-mails than I had time to answer. I made referrals, sent private e-mails and published some columns for the paper. I like to think I made a difference, and I like to think people learned from me.
Graphic by Kaitlyn Veto
The Dirty Bird: Gimme, gimme more: Sexifying your weekly regime
By Erica Andrist | Apr. 25, 2012
Dear Erica,
The Dirty Bird: Crazy new beau or pesky old ex?
The Dirty Bird: "Safety tip" for spring break: don't be a rapist
By Andrew Haffner and Erica Andrist | Mar. 21, 2012
I'm not a UW student, but I have a daughter who is… I have read some of your pieces and have been impressed by both the intelligence and bravery evident in your writing… My daughter is going on a spring break trip this year, and I would like to see a hip, common-sense guide to spring break safety that she and other girls can depend on… I think you would be a good person to write such an article, and that's why I'm sending this email… Thanks for continuing to write your articles. I'm glad UW has resources like this available for its students.
The Dirty Bird: The ubiquitous cum conundrum
By Erica Andrist | Mar. 7, 2012
Boobalicious tricks, tips and treats
By Erica Andrist | Feb. 29, 2012
Sex education for dummies
The Dirty Bird: Resetting your orgasm clock: orgasms in tandem
The Dirty Bird: Make the "O" face come a little faster
By Erica Andrist | Feb. 8, 2012
To be or not to be?: Keeping or losing the V-card
By Erica Andrist and Jackson Helmer | Feb. 1, 2012


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HomeHe Who Believes In His Powers, Works Only To Please Himself
He Who Believes In His Powers, Works Only To Please Himself
November 7, 2020 March 3, 2021 Quintus Curtius Literature, ThoughtHerman Melville, Moby-Dick, Samuel Johnson, visionary
Samuel Johnson makes the following comment in his Lives of the Poets when discussing the life of the seventeenth-century poet John Gay:
Whoever is apt to hope good from others is diligent to please them; but he that believes his powers strong enough to force their own way, commonly tries only to please himself.
Johnson is reminding us that the creative spirit does not find its deepest motivations in the approval of others; the creative spirit does his work because he must do it. There is an inner voice, a secret siren, that calls out to him: and he will allow neither fortune nor approbation to deflect him from this task. I was reminded of this line recently. Some aspiring writer on Twitter asked the question, "Is the novel no longer a viable art form for influencing culture?" This question, combined with some other despairing comments I had seen this writer make, made it immediately obvious that the writer was indirectly referring to his own plight. Badgered by self-doubt, he sought affirmation from the crowd. Insecure in his craft, and feeling the sting of rejection, perhaps, one time too many, he had come to question his chosen path.
What a poisonous, self-defeating attitude this is! For the written word will always influence the culture: it is just that not every writer will be the one to do the influencing. But does this even matter? If one creates to serve his own inner need, is this not enough? Why is any more necessary? What vain hopes inspire an artist to a transitory, empty adulation! And how many great writers and artists have seen their works consigned to oblivion by the passage of years! There is a quiet greatness, a mens divinior—a mind more divinely inspired—in the writer who can toil on, who can brace himself against the howling winds and move forward despite all obstacles, and who seeks only to serve his own muse. Herman Melville was one such writer.
His first written reference to Moby-Dick appears in the form of a letter to his fellow writer Richard Henry Dana, Jr. in May of 1850. Melville cryptically mentions "a strange sort of book" tinged with whaling references. He had already written several sea-books, with none of them matching the success of his first effort, Typee; and his mind was clearly afire with ambition for this latest project. Sadly we possess no journal or notes from Melville himself about his creative process in composing Moby-Dick. We do not even have a manuscript; his wife apparently destroyed most of his papers immediately after his death. But we do have his correspondence to his friends and associates. He told his London publisher Richard Bentley in June 1850 that he expected his book to be "a romance of adventure, founded upon certain wild legends in the Southern Sperm Whale Fisheries, and illustrated by the author's own personal experience, of two years & more, as a harpooner." But here he was not being strictly truthful. For his goals were far more ambitious.
Melville had been awakened to metaphysical themes early in his life. He was one of those personalities that liked to explore the "whys" of life; he could not be satisfied with pat answers. As his commercial successes dwindled, he must have sensed that time was running out for him. He resolved to throw caution to the wind entirely, and give the public something they had never seen before—and commercial viability be damned. His intense reading of Milton, Virgil, and Shakespeare had taught him to use language with a heroic cadence and glorious resonance. And he must have acutely felt the absence of any maritime novel that had yet dealt with life's greatest and most awe-inspiring mysteries. Why not metaphysics on a whaling ship? Why not?
Yet is difficult for us today to appreciate just how radical this idea was. Whaling was a dirty, grimy, dangerous business; there was nothing romantic or glamorous about it. It would be like a writer today using smoke-jumping as the backdrop for a philosophical novel. Such things were simply not done in the 1850s. But Melville dared to try. He would not be deterred. He had collected a small library on the profession of whaling, and mined various passages that caught his attention; we find the results in those seemingly out-of-place chapters in Moby-Dick that describe the technical business of whaling. All the while, the book was taking its own course, as such projects often do. At some point he hit on the idea of incorporating a totally original character in his tale—the monomaniacal Captain Ahab. It turned out to be a stroke of genius, for Ahab remains one of the most compelling characters in American literature, a harbinger of the kind of self-destructive political personality that would make the twentieth century such a bloody one. One of the principal influences in the creation of Ahab seems to have been Mary Shelly's novel Frankenstein. Melville was fascinated by the book and its ethical propositions, specifically its dark themes of obsession and moral corruption. He suspected he had created a monster of sorts, for in September 1851 he wrote to an acquaintance named Sarah Morewood:
Don't you buy it—don't you read it, when it does come out, because it is by no means the sort of book for you. It is not a piece of fine feminine Spitalfields silk—but is of the horrible texture of a fabric that should be woven of ships' cables & hausers. A Polar wind blows through it, & birds of prey hover over it.
We will not here discuss the literary attributes of Moby-Dick, for that falls outside our purposes here, and has already been done countless times. It is enough to say that his novel is an extremely ambitious one, a book that penetrates territory no American writer had yet explored. It was Melville's last roll of the dice; he was a writer whose marketability was fading quickly, and he longed to tell the world what he really thought of it. There is a grand, desperate, wild rashness in Moby-Dick, as if it had been spat out of Vesuvius like so many chunks of cinder and ash. It came straight out of the churning magma of Melville's own soul. Whatever else one can say about the book, it could never be described as insincere.
But the novel was not accepted by nineteenth-century audiences. Readers in Melville's day wanted linear, unified narratives with identifiable themes. Moby-Dick gave them something entirely different: a fractured, weird piece of maritime mysticism, clothed in the sooty, greasy garments of the whaling industry. It must have seemed a shocking piece of effrontery, and the public punished him for it. Its publication at the end of 1851 did nothing but plunge Melville into further literary disfavor. One biographer notes that in Melville's lifetime, Moby-Dick never came close to selling out its first edition of three thousand copies. Reviewers were baffled by it. One particularly cruel critic at the United States Magazine and Democratic Review dismissed Moby-Dick with this acid comment:
Mr. Melville is evidently trying to ascertain how far the public will consent to be imposed upon. He is gauging, at once, our gullibility and our patience. Having written one or two passable extravagancies, he has considered himself privileged to produce as many more as he pleases, increasingly exaggerated and increasingly dull. The field from which his first crops of literature were produced, has become greatly impoverished, and no amount of forcing seems likely to restore it to its pristine vigor…Mr. Melville never writes naturally. His sentiment if forced, his wit is forced, and his enthusiasm is forced.
His royalties amounted to a pittance. The book would have to wait over seventy years—until the end of the 1920s—to find recognition as a visionary and unique piece of literature. Yet despite all this Melville refused to compromise. He had his own conceptions, and he was compelled to put into written form the ideas that were percolating in his mind. He had the supreme confidence to stay true to his literary muse, even though it brought him little in the way of remuneration or recognition. He would not give in. He would not write for the critics. He believed in his powers, and he followed his muse. He had done what he set out to do, and went to his grave knowing that time would vindicate his efforts.
Read more in Thirty-Seven:
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Top 10 Reasons It's Time to Re-Think OCO
"Overseas Contingency Operations" (OCO) was originally intended to be a relatively small line item in the Pentagon budget to fund emerging requirements. In an effort to stop using unbudgeted emergency supplemental spending bills to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the OCO account was expanded. While our involvement in Iraq has ended and military operations in Afghanistan are winding down, OCO has actually increased over the past year. Meanwhile, recent statements from Defense Department officials indicate a desire to see sustained OCO funding at least through the next three years.
Here are 10 reasons why it's time to reexamine OCO spending:
OCO is becoming an offset "slush fund": Mindful of Congressional Budget Office scoring rules, some lawmakers are attempting to tap future OCO spending as the funding source when other offsets fall short or in order to avoid tough decisions. Since January alone, OCO has been floated as a spending offset for a range of bills that would expand veterans programs, extend federal unemployment insurance benefits, and even continue the "Doc Fix." Recent actions in the House Armed Services Committee would even use OCO money to fund Congressional pet projects.
OCO allows circumvention of budget caps: Rather than eliminating wasteful spending, the Pentagon has shifted base budget funding into OCO, which is not subject to spending caps, in a sleight-of-hand to comply with the modest limits imposed by the Budget Control Act and more recently, the Ryan-Murray Budget.
OCO hides bad accounting: Taxpayer funds provided annually to the Pentagon are supposed to fund national security. If additional money is essential to achieving that, the Administration can request supplemental funding on a one time basis. After that, it should be on-budget and accounted for in a transparent manner. Keeping OCO off-budget misrepresents the true cost of our defense.
OCO funds are being misspent: A surprisingly large amount of money isn't being spent on the war in Afghanistan. As much as $30 billion in non-war related funding is included in the OCO account for FY14. The Pentagon has even used OCO funds to replace a V-22 Osprey destroyed in a domestic training operation.
Overseas commitments are winding down: Despite the fact that from FY13 to FY14, personnel deployed in Afghanistan dropped by 39% , OCO increased during the same time period. As our engagement in Afghanistan comes to a close and troops are withdrawn, taxpayers expect to see a commensurate reduction in OCO spending.
There is bipartisan support for reining in OCO spending: Last year an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill to cut OCO spending by $3.5 billion sponsored by Reps. Mulvaney (R-SC), Van Hollen (D-MD), Coffman (R-CO), and Murphy (D-FL) passed the House with bipartisan support. Likewise, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed S. 1429, the DOD Appropriations legislation that included less spending for OCO, with bipartisan support.
Taxpayers can't afford a bloated OCO: Out-of-control spending, large deficits, and a growing national debt are dragging down our already sluggish economy. OCO spending needs to be brought back in line with our national priorities to ensure the proper allocation of limited funds.
OCO kicks the can down the road: Using a temporary account to pay for ongoing costs makes it harder to enact real reforms later when the funds aren't available. Using OCO to keep the A-10 out of retirement, for instance, fails to confront one of the main issues driving the debate over whether and how to keep the aircraft flying: the F-35 program, which has suffered from higher costs and lower-than-anticipated performance. Cannibalizing a placeholder account like OCO may, on paper, "save" the A-10, but it can't serve as a substitute for tough funding decisions over other out-of-control weapons systems.
OCO was intended to deal with short-term, unexpected "contingencies": There is no longer anything that is short-term or unexpected in our involvement in Afghanistan. It's important to have emergency funds on hand, but it's equally important to plan and budget for identifiable threats over the long-term. When funding has been in place for over a decade of conflicts, it can hardly be considered an emergency.
OCO sets a poor example for other genuine emergency funds: Such accounts, with carefully defined expenditure rules, can at least help to spare taxpayers from some of Congress's worst impulses to enact "emergency" spending bills that are loaded with pork. When schemes like OCO are allowed to become bloated , the notion of prudent planning across all budget accounts is tainted, and policymakers are incentivized at all levels of government to play similar games with programs such as crop assistance or humanitarian aid.
The Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) in the discretionary budget has recently been strengthened with several oversight mechanisms. Neither DRF nor Congress's policymaking toward natural disasters is perfect, but OCO is far less transparent. The longer OCO continues, the greater the risk it poses to progress for real contingency planning throughout government.
To learn more, visit NTU.org or Taxpayer.net.


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Hedge Funds of All Sizes Are Using More Alternative Data, But Not Without Concerns, According to Lowenstein Sandler Survey
Over 80 percent of surveyed hedge funds are using alternative data for detailed industry analyses, but data cost and quality issues remain.
Access Alternative Data = Better Investment Strategies, But Not Without Concerns.
Lowenstein Sandler announced today the release of Alternative Data = Better Investment Strategies, But Not Without Concerns, its hedge fund industry survey and one of the only reports addressing the topic. The survey, which found that over 80 percent of hedge funds are using alternative data in some capacity, is the first survey of its kind from the firm's Investment Management Group.
The report was authored by Peter D. Greene, partner and Vice Chair of Lowenstein's Investment Management Group, with contributions from Benjamin Kozinn, a partner in that group.
"It is not surprising to me that an overwhelming majority of funds are using alternative data," said Greene. "What is interesting is how funds of various sizes are using it and how they plan to expand their use in the future. In a changing industry, it is more important than ever to learn what alternative data can do, while also acknowledging the limitations and concerns that come with using such data."
Completed by C-level executives, data scientists, equity analysts, portfolio managers, and legal/compliance officers in the private funds industry, the survey assessed funds' use of alternative data. Funds were grouped by size–less than $500 million, $500 million to $5 billion, and greater than $5 billion–to determine how data use, and concerns about it, differ at varying levels of asset value.
According to the survey results, 82 percent of hedge funds are already using alternative data in some capacity, and 75 percent of respondents are using it to make better investment predictions. With more funds using alternative data, the results evidence an increasing interest in using newer data sources such as web scraping and biometrics to stay competitive. But, factors such as new regulations and privacy laws, cost and time investment, and the ability to distinguish relevant information from large volumes of data could stymie those plans for growth.
Key findings from the report include:
Ninety-eight percent of respondents who use alternative data utilize it in combination with fundamental analysis to make investment decisions.
Respondents selected consumer transaction data, followed by data gathered through social media and cloud platforms, as the most popular alternative data sources for the next six to 12 months–but only social media is expected to grow in popularity.
Fifty-seven percent of respondents expect to use web scraping as a data source within a year, a jump from the current 49 percent using it. Similarly, 32 percent use biometric data now, and 45 percent expect to use it in the future.
Eighty-one percent of respondents' organizations plan to increase their budgets for alternative data. Of those, the majority plan to increase budgets by 11-25 percent.
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