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In-Depth Interview with Fredric L. Rice – Co-Founder, The Skeptic Tank
Posted on January 3, 2019 by Scott Douglas Jacobsen
This is a "sacrifice" edible plant food ritual placement in the Angeles National Forest with a burning candle. It is a Christianized ritual. This poses a threat in spite of the placement in water. Rice notes, "In 2002 we suffered the Curve Fire which was also started by ritual
believed to be Palo Mayombe in nature. Belief in nonsense is usually not dangerous, but actions based on such beliefs is often deadly, as it was with the Curve Fire."
By Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Fredric L. Rose talks at length about his life, work, and views.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: The important and oft-said statement is extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. This is an important element of The Skeptic Tank.
What is the origin of the phrase? How has this been adapted to different concerns and voiced through different people over time? Why found Skeptic Tank? What have been some of its more important historical moments and contributions to the skeptic online repository?
Fredric L. Rice: The phrase "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" is often attributed to Doctor Carl Sagan, dating to 1979 though if I'm not mistaken, the phrase had been in use among scientists and skeptics long before Sagan made the phrase popular and well known.
Skeptics who organize in to groups of people who address, whether formally or informally, the scientific investigation in to claims of the paranormal recognize that the ideology summarized in the phrase is a fairly recent ideal. The roots of the Scientific Method began around the time of Hippocrates and Aristotle, with what we would consider to be modern science being applied some 1500 years later with Persian and English philosophers-become-scientists such as Roger Bacon and Ibn Sina.
I mention the advent of science because one of the things that skeptics recognize is that what constitutes "extraordinary" has been and continues to be subject to opinion. Newton, Kepler, and all of the great thinkers that came before all had various ideas of what constitutes what is extraordinary and what is not, so many of the greatest historic scientists considered the belief in the gods to be outside of the realm of skepticism.
As David Hume taught, only testable claims are subject to scientific inquiry, which makes theistic belief in the gods, goddesses not subject to scientific tests. Hume, as did so many others, pointed out that claims of the paranormal, however, including claims made about gods and goddesses, pixies, werewolves, fairies, ghosts and goblins, are all subject to science in those cases where testable claims about such things are made.
Skeptics may recall the Bay Area Skeptics in the early 1980s with their well-respected newsletter. In one memorial letter-to-the-skeptics which the BAS addressed in their newsletter which stuck heavily in my mind, a letter writer explained and described attributes about his Christian gods, noting "Jesus loves everybody, even atheists."
The BAS suggested that before providing evidence that their Jesus god loved anyone, it would be helpful for the letter writer to provide evidence for the existence of their god outside of the imagination, and after such evidence as offered was verified, only then could the letter writer provide evidence that their gods loved someone. Professional evidence-gathering was a good idea, so myself and other High School students created The Skeptic Tank to accumulate and debunk claims of the paranormal with a focus on avoiding deity beliefs.
The Skeptic Tank was born in 1978 when myself and other High School friends wrote one of the first modern (at the time) Bulletin Board System software in Z80 assembly code for the TS-80 with magnetic tape cassette file and message storage. As the IBM PC became relatively inexpensive, The Skeptic Tank split off in to two entities, one of which was the very popular "Astro Net BBS" which covered a much broader arena of subjects, and the more modern Skeptic Tank which culled-and-removed years of on-line discussions and philosophical discussions of untestable claims.
What became a curious phenomenon in the early 1990s was watching Astro Net BBS become much more popular than the Skeptic Tank BBS was, even though Skeptic Tank was accumulating tens of thousands of text files and group discussions about claims of the paranormal and the scientific debunking – and public relations dissemination of same. More people seemed to be interested in deity-oriented religious beliefs than in the debunking of testable claims, so in the before-time, before the DARPANet opened up commercially and became the Internet, two highly popular BBS core systems became dominant albeit with a large overlap of subject material.
Alas, the old Astro Net dissolved, with its files and old message archives being moved to the highly popular HolySmoke web site which is now defunct, and with about half of The Skeptic Tank's original file base and message discussion archives surviving to the current form of the 'Tank.
As far as the most notable of the half million or so files on The Skeptic Tank, the most popular, most aggravating, and most amusing file is the large text "Vanishing Point: How to Disappear in America Without a Trace" which I started writing decades ago, a text file which has been stolen, published, and sold in various versions without my permission.
The file has been read and downloaded tens of millions of times, peaking with the aftermath of the Presidential election of Al Gore, amusingly enough, and peaking again with the election of Trump. People search the Internet for tips about disappearing, it is a very popular fantasy in this highly-digital, high-surveillance society.
About 19 years ago a local police officer came to my door and left a note asking me to phone an FBI agent concerning a web page on The Skeptic Tank. Intrigued I called the FBI agent while I was at work in Pacoima, California and immediately asked what file could he be interested in despite having a suspicion that it was "Vanishing Point."
It was. He wanted to know how many previous versions of "Vanishing Point" there had been and, if possible, to let him know if there had been any major changes in the past two years. A suspect in a double homicide had allegedly murdered his wife and her lover and had researched disappearing in America as well as had researched the disposal of human remains using the Internet, and "Vanishing Point" was the one web page that the suspect had allegedly dumped to paper at his local library.
Jacobsen: What are the key elements in skeptical thinking, critical thinking, and scientific methodology? How can these better inform the general public's view of extraordinary claims, e.g., miracle cures, Bigfoot, UFOs, astrology and horoscopes, crystal power, prayer, seasonal fad diets, and so on?
Rice: One of the biggest difficulties to overcome in debunking claims of the paranormal is not to laugh at the people who believe in such things. Laughing and mocking is the normal primate response to highly humorous and highly ironic exclamations of certain forms of belief, and if one attempts to adhere to David Hume-class skepticism, mocking is a bad thing to do, however difficult it is to avoid when looking at Creationists' claims, astrology, horoscopes, flat Earth and such.
If someone were to wake up one morning and honestly believe that during the night they have been taken over by aliens beaming sonic control messages in to their heads and now have no control over their actions, skeptics don't mock that, scientists don't mock that, mental health academics don't mock that, we search for a physical cause of what is "obviously" a malady caused by a real, biological phenomena. That's one form of paranormal belief which skepticism has no difficulty not mocking.
But when it comes to Creationism, astrology, Tarot cards, the flat Earth and other highly-laughable beliefs, it gets difficult not to laugh at the people who harbor them.
A highly successful way to address testable beliefs is to deep-dive, learn the broad spectrum of those beliefs, perform tests on the claims which are testable, and share the results. For example, the Astro Net BBS's system operator and creator learned astrology, reading countless books, learning enough math to be able to compute planetary positions and motions, and he became an advocate for the process of astrology even as he debunked the claims resulting from astrological computations.
Performing astrology, offering Tarot card readings, and committing the process of some things can become an enjoyable past time, even if you do not believe that the results have any predictive value beyond mere celestial mechanics, and so it was with the Astro Net and later the Skeptic Tank. Skeptics and believers alike learned real science, real math alongside pure bullshit, shared our findings, argued, fought, and discussed our findings, and exactly zero minds were changed: The skeptics moved on to some new claim of the paranormal while believers walked away continuing to believe, honestly believing that their encounters survived scientific scrutiny.
Such is the nature of belief.
When it comes to other arenas of testable as well as untestable beliefs – quack medical beliefs, flying saucer landings, alien abductions, crystal power, pyramid power, ancient astronauts – skeptics who have been advocating the scientific debunking of testable claims find that advocates of nonsense are starkly split in to three groups of people: (1) The con-man crook who knows that he or she is selling lies and does so for money. (2) The believer who may or may not lack a basic understanding of the Scientific Method who none-the-less believes in a suit of nonsense even as he or she rejects other avenues of nonsense (which includes people who have mental difficulties.) (3) The con-man who has suffered mental debilitation enough to start believing his or her own blatant frauds, such as L. Ron Hubbard with his Scientology and Dianetics frauds.|
So when you ask about how to best inform the general public about why it is a good thing to employ reason, evidence, and science to claims, you're fighting a battle against criminals who defraud people, you're fighting against people who have no marketable skills other than to defraud people while your motives for advocating science are less tangible. The con-man sells miracle cures that will keep people's children from dying, if you believe, while you're selling the less-tangible ideal of the need for scientific reasoning in all things for the betterment and the survival of the species, if not the entire planet's biosphere.
Skeptics work to reduce misery among the hopeful and the hopeless, scammers work to the detriment of society. That's a hard hill for skeptics to climb, and after 40 years of organized skepticism, I have yet to find an effective way to combat bullshit, a problem which has gotten ever worse as financial and political interests work to ensure that people are kept uninformed, stupid, ignorant, and believing in nonsense.
Jacobsen: Who are the perennial fraudsters? Who are upcoming or new ones? How can the public protect themselves and others from their bogus salesmanship?
Rice: Alas, all of the old-timers have long ago fallen extinct, we no longer have the likes of self-proclaimed psychic Jeane Dixon, nor do we have the likes of any Uri Geller-like buffoon utilizing simple (yet effective) conjuring tricks to rook and swindle the rubes, marks, and suckers.
I say "alas" because what has taken their place is a flood of less-skilled-at-trickery men and women who have taken to the Internet to sell their scams and frauds, crooks who are further strengthened by foreign adversary governments who also utilize the Internet to sow fraudulent beliefs in populations to disrupt and degrade a nation's economic and scientific standing in a global market place.
About fifteen years ago, if I remember things correctly, a Chinese national was charged with accessing a computer without the owners permission, the so-called "Unauthorized Computer Access" law in California, Penal Code section 502. The Chinese national was in California and had hacked a well-known national Creationist organization in an effort to acquire the organization's mailing list.
Federal agencies got involved when it was discovered that the individual was employed by a well-known Chinese electronics company and had successfully hacked the Creationist organization's with the specific intent of acquiring the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of believers in Creationism.
Prosecutors determined that the eventual goal was not to take money from the believers but to join the Creationist arena to assist in spreading anti-science nonsense in the United States, a deliberate effort to adversely impact the reasoning and economic competition of Americans in an increasingly-global economy.
The Skeptic Tank was one of the set of computer servers that had been attacked, and I dimly recall wondering why someone in Simi Valley was SYN-flooding my servers, trying SQL injections, and buffer-overflows to test well-known vulnerabilities. It wasn't until some two years later that the FBI asked if I retained Radix or SysLog records going back that far before I learned about the incident.
I mention all this because with the advent of the Internet, the landscape has changed. Industrialized countries are now information-age countries, so it is through information and misinformation that anti-science adversely impacts us now.
What used to be con-men and women rooking the rubes for money has become well-funded organizations and nation-states joining the assault against reason for the political and economic benefit of those who advocate un-reason.
The only protection against falling for nonsense is to know that any one of us can fall for anything. Across 40 years of organized skepticism, the number 1 thing I have noticed is that any of us can fall for scams and frauds and that when we tell ourselves that we are immune from believing in nonsense, we are exactly the type of people that crooks seek.
I would like to underscore that, if I may. The belief that you can't call for scams and frauds is one of the main reasons why people fall for scams and frauds. The person who knows that he or she is susceptible to getting swindled is someone who is on the look-out and paying attention. The person who thinks that they can't be swindled are the people that swindlers seek first because none of us are immune regardless of our intelligence.
When it comes to belief, intelligence takes a back seat. It's why some people think they have gods despite otherwise being smart, together, rational, and despite their employment of science in all other things.
So my advice to people to avoid falling for nonsense, scams and frauds is this: Accept the fact that you are not immune, accept the fact that what looks to be solid evidence for an extraordinary claim will almost certainly fall apart once you dispassionately evaluate the claim.
Jacobsen: What makes the human brain distinctly capable of believing patent nonsense?
Rice: I blame leopards for that. And Darwin. The noise coming from behind that bush may or may not be a leopard, you can't see what's making that noise so you don't know whether it's a leopard or not, so what does Darwin suggest you do to avoid getting eaten and failing to pass along your genes? Believe without evidence that it's a leopard and to act accordingly by running away.
Our species was arboreal, our brains developed to map the world in three dimensions while simultaneously evaluating the risk of reaching for a tree limb that leads to darkness and unknown predators or food sources. What our ancestors worked with was close-up to hand, the world was within reach and manipulable to some extent.
Our species then became plains apes. That gave our species an added longer-distance perspective on the world and enabled us to see food sources and dangers at a distance. We adapted to evaluate risks and benefits from a broader perspective than most species whose ancestors have always been aquatic, or arboreal, or happy in their ecologic niche.
So our species, like all others to various degrees, developed an ability to measure risk versus benefit, and because we are a species that harbor the capacity to believe in things that are demonstrably not true, Darwin suggests that the ability to believe nonsense, and the ability to bifurcate and compartmentalize our thinking is a successful survival mechanism, at least successful so far.
One other thing I would note is what the future likely holds. As humans left agricultural society and entered the Industrial age, the world's populace split in to two half's, what we call the "first world" countries and the "third world" countries. It is a stark bifurcation of economics and access to food, medicine, and anti-fertility drugs.
In industrialized nations, something around 1.3 million people die in vehicle-related collisions every year in a world population numbered around 7.7 billion. The number of people killed by leopards has declined sharply in the past couple of hundred years. From that perspective, cars are a risk that is acceptable, and leopards have also become an acceptable risk to humans. We literally believe that we are safe from cars and leopards because our risk evaluation faculties tell us that we're safe.
Now we come to the warming climate and the ability for a percentage of the world's populace who know about it to dismiss the risk of climate change. Roughly a third of any populace in an industrialized nation right now rejects the truth about human-driven climate change whereas the rejection among third-world people is much less (I don't have poll data to offer on that, I go by news articles and on-line discussions for those numbers.)
When it comes to the human brain's ability to believe nonsense, my point is that there is also the human brain's ability to reject demonstrable fact, such as a warming climate. The very people who refuse to accept the fact of a warming climate are those who are being adversely impacted by the consequences of a warming planet right this very moment, while those who accept the research and publications covering climate change are generally the least impacted, so far.
Whose survival is dependent upon the acceptance or denial of demonstrable facts? Darwin says that it's those who accept the real world around them and accept what their very own eyes tell them. I mention it because Darwin also says that believing bullshit is also a survival mechanism, thus our species has the ability to compartmentalize and literally believe things that we also know are not true.
Jacobsen: What is the true architecture of pseudoscience? How does this relate to cults, cult-like behavior, and fundamentalist ideologies?
Rice: One of the more disturbing things that The Skeptic Tank has been involved with over the years is with gangs, specifically with rituals and expected behavior of gang members. Initiation rites and the expected behavior of gang members sharply mirror those of traditional cults.
Operating at core within cults as well as within criminal gangs – as well as operating within police departments, large corporations, and any other grouping of humans – is human behavioral science. Cult leaders, gang leaders, corporate leaders, police departments, they all understand the basics how to control and manipulate other people within a layered political and economic hierarchy. That phenomena are organized control and manipulation of people in groups.
On the other hand, individuals who operate on their own to manipulate and control other people in ones and twos also understand the basics of human behavior, however that is often disorganized. Once an individual manages to rook a fair number of victims, that disorganized control of others becomes more and more controlled. Just take a look at the history of Scientology as a very good example of that phenomena.
The architecture of our species belief and spreading of nonsense is, as always, nature and nurture. Just as Darwinian section molded our brains, so has social interaction with other humans molded our behavior. We get hit by people who teach us nonsense in large groups, as we get hit by people who teach us nonsense in ones and twos. The large arenas of nonsense: Religious belief in deity constructs, belief in magic diet fads which lack any basic science whatsoever, astrology, Creationism, Chiropractic, and all the other mass piles of nonsense out there. The small arenas of nonsense: Horoscopes, biorhythms, Tarot card readings.
If we could isolate humans from the consequences of nurture so that they are not subjected to the nonsense beliefs of their parents, friends, and neighbors, what would result? (Other than possibly an unhealthy child who grows up in to psychotic adults?) I believe that we would end up with humans who would re-discover all the nonsense that their immediate ancestors believed in because our brains are hard-wired to make-up and believe things that we also know aren't true.
Jacobsen: How did the Satanic Ritual Abuse panic emerge? What is its basis, not in fact but in social psychology? As James Randi notes, anyone can be fooled. How was this a good example of this cautionary note from a skeptic pioneer?
Rice: Satanic Ritual Abuse panics appear to be cyclic in nature, they come on suddenly and then disappear just as suddenly. As readers may recall, the McMartin Preschool fiasco started with a woman with some significant mental difficulties who examined her child one day, found a rash and, because she couldn't accept the fact that keeping the child clean had failed coupled to her mental difficulties assumed that "something" at the preschool was responsible for the rash.
From such little things can spring the abject criminal nonsense that we saw with the McMartin incident. People – innocent people – actually went to prison in McMartin although they were eventually released after the False Memory Syndrome Foundation and other professional psychologists and psychiatrists worked with law enforcement to debunk the many "SRA" claims implanted in to children despite all lack of evidence.
The Skeptic Tank got involved in the McMartin Satanic Panic and assisted in small ways to develop and distribute information about false memory implantation in children by adults in authority. A great deal of scientific research had already gone in to the phenomena of making people confess to crimes and other acts which they did not commit, and in to making people honestly, actually believe things had happened to them which could not possibly have happened.
Communist and Fascist States have honed the behavioral science behind the actions which were utilized against the children and parents of McMartin, but lagging far behind the glut of research and experimentation in making people believe false memories was the means, the behavioral science needed to debunk, expose, and remove such false memories.
So we ended up with a number of SRA incidents over the course of some five years, driven in part by Janet Reno, the Attorney General of the United States who was herself a believer in "Satanists" roaming the united States ritually birthing, killing, eating, and cremating up to some 300,000 children in the United States annually.
Reno believed that "Satanists" were committing such activities despite any evidence to back-up her Christian beliefs, so she latched on to claims of SRA where they emerged and she worked to inflate such incidents, doing so due to her Christian religious beliefs.
If Reno had not gotten involved, the McMartin fiasco would have been a small blip, a number of parents who thought that there was sexual child abuse taking place who would have seen absolutely zero evidence for anything remotely like it who would have subsided and mostly accepted the fact that there was nothing happening – aside from one or two parents who had a history of mental difficulties who would cling to their beliefs regardless.
Years after McMartin had died down and the victims were released and vindicated, I was contacted by one of the mothers who I believe suffered from serious mental difficulties, she contacted me via Email to reiterate her abject belief that there were tunnels under the preschool grounds, tunnels that were "confirmed" after excavators found a crushed soda can.
Because she – and other people nationwide – believe that evidence for tunnels was found, they also believe that children were abducted through those tunnels, taken to a secret airfield which nobody knew about, flown to Peru where they were ritually raped, ritually slaughtered, parts of them were ritually eaten, and the children were magically sewed back together, transported back to the preschool, and were picked up by their parents at the end of the school day with no apparent indication of what had been done to them, other than an occasional rash.
Jacobsen: What makes some faiths and fundamentalism more dangerous than others, when things stop being rather benign – comparatively speaking – and humorous?
Rice: It used to be that someone believing in astrology advising the President of the United States (and holder of the world's largest nuclear stockpile of weapons) was a concern. It used to be that politicians who control armies and weapons harboring anti-science beliefs were a limited, regional threat, threats controlled by the people around them: assistance, aids, lawyers, people who could control the man or woman who had power as well as held bizarre, un-true beliefs.
Thanks to the advent of science and technology, such people have the means to kill millions, tens of millions, if not destroy all mammals on this planet. Climate change denial among politicians paid by corporations who believe that their economic success or failure rests upon denial or acceptance is likely to result in a great many of us dying as populations are displaced, refugees migrate, water sources dry up.
Lynn Wilson worked on the United Nation's climate change sub-group, and she suggested that the time to evacuate California is now. That was some four years ago and, of course and as expected, California's human population continued to grow, nobody evacuated, at least not enough people to show.
In a sane world, with a sane species, with scientists demonstrating and describing how and why the planet's climate is changing, with scientists advocating measures to mitigate what's undeniably going to happen, California's evacuation would be underway, some 30 million people would be working toward relocating, knowing what's coming.
But corporations and the politicians that work for them see economic and political benefit by advocating a denial of what's happening and what's going to happen. And after all, change is difficult for our species to accept even as it's happening, and a warming climate happening slowly so far is only adversely impacting a small percentage of us, so it's fatally dangerous to ignore what's happening even as we can all see it happening.
Jacobsen: How is Scientology a crime syndicate? Why should buyers, even sellers, beware of it?
Rice: The Scientology corporations a criminal enterprise because it engages in criminal activities. One can isolate the untestable beliefs that some Scientology customers have from the testable, falsifiable, fraudulent claims that the Scientology corporation makes.
I do not consider Scientology to be a cult first and foremost, I consider it to be organized crime first and foremost due to its history as well as due to what the corporation currently does to its customers and to innocent people, reporters, Judges, prosecutors, the family members of victims who fall for Scientology's obvious, blatant frauds.
If you were to plot-out a Venn Diagram of Scientology's actions with the actions of other, more traditional organized crime syndicates, the vast majority of actions would overlap. If you were to diagram the beliefs of Scientology customers against the beliefs of traditional organized crime members, you would find few which overlap.
The dangers of falling for Scientology's frauds are almost always merely financial, statistically Scientology customers only get rooked and swindled for less than 2 years before they walk away and stop handing their money over. It is extremely rare for Scientology customers to stick with the scams long enough to become crooks themselves who scam others. That is the second danger of falling for Scientology: Falling so deeply in to it that you become a crook yourself, victimizing others.
Scientology is a lot like pyramid schemes in that some people who stick with it long enough "advance" to positions where they attempt to swindle other victims of their money, with the Scientology customer getting a percentage of the take.
There is one other risk when buying Scientology's programs: They are highly debilitating when inflicted for prolonged periods. Carl Sagan in "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" noted that L. Ron Hubbard had created a documented process which literally drives people insane, and looking at the consequences of Scientology, it certainly does appear to be an accurate summation of Scientology.
Scientology sells its customers what they call "Training Routes" or "TRs" for short. They literally consist of activities which work to subvert and then supplant a customer's primate behavior and reasoning faculties in an effort to make their customers pliable and obeying, all with an eye toward taking as much money from their victims as possible.
As an example, their "Communication Course" which is one of the first scams they try to sell to people involves TRs which involve sitting in a chair and then being ordered to do things. "Stand up" where-after the customer stands up. Then the Scientology operative says "thank you" and then instructs them to "Take three steps forward." The customer takes three steps forward after which the Scientology operative says "thank you" and orders them around the room, step by step until the customer is returned to her chair.
That activity advances to what Scientology calls "No Blink" and then "Bull Bait." A customer and a Scientology agent sit in chairs facing each other, kneed not quite touching, and the customer is ordered not to respond to anything that the agent says or does, not even blink their eyes. The agent goes on to perform actions, make jokes, whatever he or she can think of in an effort to make the customer react. If the customer reacts, the agent yells "Flunk! Lifting your leg. Start over!" and it starts over again.
This goes on for hours and hours until the Scientology agent says they "pass" and the "session ends," hours which the victim pays a considerable amount of money for.
During "No Blink" and many other "processes" that Scientology sells to its customers, people find that they start to hallucinate and to have their motile senses edited or culled by their brains. Victims of Scientology report that sitting there motionless for hours staring at someone else they find the can no longer feel the chair they're sitting in, they loose the kinetics awareness of where they arms and legs are located,
"Bull Bait" is like No Blink except that the Scientology agent gets further in to demeaning behavior, insulting and physically attempting to elicit a response from the customer.
What the intent here is to eliminate primate behavior and remove normal human self volition. Humans are omnivore primates, we have our eyes where carnivores wear them, out front. Staring at each other is a hostile behavior for carnivores, it means we're plotting to either screw you or eat you or otherwise cause you harm. Scientology forces abnormal behavior by forcing people to stare at each other, suppressing the normal primate flee/fight response.
Ordering customers around, literally controlling their limbs and their decisions, supplants their self volition and trains them to follow orders, including handing over their money upon demand.
Finally many customers who fall for this nonsense report that after their TR session ended, they honestly felt that it had done them good some how, that they had benefited some how. Being released from the tension of such activities is such a relief that it imparts a pleasant feeling. Induced hallucinatory events can impart a warm, comfortable, satisfied feeling, so customers who have subjected themselves to Scientology and walk away at most two years later often report that when they first started, they honestly believed that Scientology helped them some how, though they can't explain how.
Jacobsen: What are the more concerning anti-fact and pseudoscience movements and ideas cropping up, as we mover into 2019?
Rice: Anti vaccination for emerging infectious diseases as well as vaccination for long-time viral and bacterial foes of humanity is a growing problem, right up there with the growth of climate change denial and the growth of Flat Earth belief.
I'm involved in the arena of emerging infectious diseases since I have worked professionally within offices maintained by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and I deal with potential disease vectors in the San Gabriel Mountains of California which has a long history of Yersinia pestis which causes plague and other bacterial or viral zoonotic organisms.
The growth of anti-vaccination ideologies and the belief that vaccinations some how cause autism is, I believe, going to be one of the largest arenas of concern in the coming years.
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Fredric.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the Founder of In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal and In-Sight Publishing. He authored/co-authored some e-books, free or low-cost. If you want to contact Scott: Scott.D.Jacobsen@Gmail.com.
Do not forget to look into our associates: Godless Mom, Nice Mangoes, Sandwalk, Brainstorm Podcast, Left at the Valley, Life, the Universe & Everything Else, The Reality Check, Bad Science Watch, British Columbia Humanist Association, Dying With Dignity Canada, Canadian Secular Alliance, and Centre for Inquiry Canada.
Image Credit: Fredric L. Rose.
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text:
Q: How to convert JavaScript function to work in typescript If I write it like this, I can't use this keyword
  LoadDrawing(drawing_name) {
    this.glg.LoadWidgetFromURL(drawing_name, null, this.LoadCB,drawing_name);
  }

  LoadCB(drawing, drawing_name) {
    if (drawing == null) {
     return;
    }
    this.DrawingName = drawing_name;
    drawing.SetParentElement("glg_area");
  }

I dont know what to pass that drawing & drawing_name get same thing when pass using params
LoadDrawing(drawing_name) {
        this.glg.LoadWidgetFromURL(drawing_name, null, this.LoadCB(param1,param2),drawing_name);
      }

A: You can preserve the this binding of LoadCB by defining it as an arrow function:
LoadDrawing(drawing_name) {
    this.glg.LoadWidgetFromURL(drawing_name, null, this.LoadCB,drawing_name);
}

LoadCB = (drawing, drawing_name) => {
    if (drawing == null) {
     return;
    }
    this.DrawingName = drawing_name;
    drawing.SetParentElement("glg_area");
}

Note that this is nothing to do with TypeScript, but ES6 JavaScript classes.
ES6 class methods treat this bindings in the same way as a function defined using the function keyword does - in a way that is dependent on the call site rather than the lexical scope of the function. Arrow functions use lexical scope and so preserve the this binding in situations such as the above.

A: Solved like this :
  LoadDrawing(drawing_name) {
        this.glg.LoadWidgetFromURL(drawing_name, null,(glg)=>this.LoadCB(glg,drawing_name),drawing_name);
      }
      LoadCB(drawing, drawing_name) {
        if (drawing == null) {
         return;
        }
        this.DrawingName = drawing_name;
        drawing.SetParentElement("glg_area");
      }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Steam revealed this weekend it was taking measures to curtail the swiftly-growing practice of review bombing by essentially hiding all reviews within the "bombing" period — even the ones from gamers who aren't participating. This would probably take out a chunk of "legitimate" reviews, and won't do much to smooth the tensions between gamers and game-makers.
Five minutes after I tell users that review-bombs can be used for good, and to wield their power with that "great responsibility" I've heard so much about — Steam comes out with this new rule. According to Valve, it's created a tool that will flag weird spikes in activity on a game's page. Once flagged, Valve employees investigate the source of the activity, determine whether a "review bomb" has, in fact, been set off. If they believe it has, they'll mask all reviews from that period of activity, meaning it won't appear in the overall review score. They won't be deleted — they just won't drag down the score.
If you've spotted several problems with this already, trust me — we'll get to them. But to dig deeper into Valve's announcement, they specify this will only be enacted against bad faith reviewers who are using game reviews to complain about something off-topic.
The answer to this appears to have been the source of much consternation among Valve's employees, who cover the basics in an FAQ. Evidentally such things as DRM don't qualify as being in-game enough, and I'll wager topics like the semi-politic art of Devotion would also qualify. It's going to be judged on a case-by-case basis.
Q: So if I post a review inside in the period of an off-topic review bomb, my review won't be included in the Review Score?
A: Unfortunately, this is correct. We've tested our process of identifying off-topic review bombs on the entire history of reviews on Steam, and in doing so, we've found that while we can look through reviews and community discussions to determine what's behind the review bomb, it isn't feasible for us to read every single review.
So we're crowding out good-faith reviews from uninvolved gamers in addition to the "off-topic" ones? What do they say about noses and spiting one's face? Steam already has two separate scores for "Overall" and "Recent" reviews, and the graphs that show spikes of positive and negative activity. At what point does Valve trust we can make our own decisions and do our own research? Additionally, Steam is offering users the chance to opt out of this entirely — so what's the point of it?
And finally, many review bombs take place in the same period as a game's release. There are exceptions — the Campo Santo/Firewatch review bomb springs to mind — but often they happen within a few days or weeks of a game becoming available for sale. So how does Valve plan to differentiate between post-release review bombs and honest, negative reviews?
It looks like Valve's intention to remain neutral isn't going according to plan. We've contacted the company for more information on just how in the heck this is going to work. We'll update if we receive clarification.


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What I'd Like to See More of in 2015
As 2014 draws to a close, I would like to talk about the types of books I would like to see more of (or in some cases any of) in the coming years.
1. 20th Century Themed Books: Nostalgia is very big lately. There are car commercials targeting Gen X with 80's era toys and people are having 80's and 90's themed parties, so why not write books that take place in those times. We may not like to think about it, but times have changed a lot since then (hell, I caught the beginning of A Cinderella Story last night, a movie that was made just 10 years ago, and I couldn't get over the old school cell phones that Hillary Duff and Chad Michael Murray were using to text each other). Sure, there are many books that were written in the 80's and 90's that we could go and read, but so many of those are undesirable because of the ridiculous rapist heroes that were everywhere in Romancelandia during that time. Not all of them did, I've read many Nora Roberts and Debbie Macomber novels written during the 80's and none of them involved rape, although as I mentioned in my review of Home for the Holidays, Macomber is no stranger to slightly misogynistic heros. Plus, many of those books are out of print and can only be found in used bookstores, on ebay, or at the library.
Any 20th Century decade would be nice, to be honest. I love the Deadly series by Brenda Joyce, which takes place in 1902 and uses the Progressive Era as a back drop. At times, it does have a 19th Century feel to it, there are nice moments in them where the dawn of modern technology is present--like when Rick Bragg is depicted as driving a Daimler instead of a horse drawn carriage, the use of electricity in the upper class households, and the fact that Francesca's family, Rick, and Calder Hart all have telephones in their homes. There is also the presence of a more modern policing structure in Joyce's New York City, although there are still instances of the extreme police brutality that characterized the 19th Century (and that seems to be celebrating a resurgence in many cities across the country right now). It also draws a nice picture of what it was like to reign in the police, a challenge faced by Teddy Roosevelt when he held the position of NYPD Commissioner in the years prior to becoming president in 1901.
I would definitely love to see an increase in the number of books that take place in the 1920's, which I've previously posted about on here. Jamie Brennan did a great job of translating the turmoil of that time period when she published The Gin Lovers, and while I enjoyed the books I did have some issues with things that were left unfinished. Unfortunately, this was the only non-paranormal novel that I have been able to find that takes place in the 1920's, which doesn't make much sense because if ever there was a time period more suited to romance novels it was the 1920's!
2. Non-Regency Books: It is time to face it, folks, the Regency is played out. It would be great to see more Victorian Era books, especially since that covers a much wider swath of history than the Regency Era does. There is so much more that could be done with Victorian themes than can be with Regency ones. Also, books that take place during the Renaissance would be nice. Can you imagine Shakespeare as an ancillary character? Jane Austen pops up in quite a few novels (like Lauren Willig's The Mischief of the Mistletoe), so why can't Shakespeare?
3. Historicals Outside of England: At this point, I know more about Regency Era customs of the British aristocracy than I care to know. Let's visit some other places. How about Italy or Spain? What about African or Asian locales? Let's have some diversity in 2015. In the last few years, Ms. Willig has published books taking place in India and Kenya and next summer the last Pink Carnation novel will be set in Portugal. That's definitely a start. Way to go, Ms. Willig!
What about you, Dear Readers? What would you like to see more of in 2015? Please, don't say vampires because I don't think I can take more of those.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Malaga Island: A century of shame
Analysis: A new exhibit at the Maine State Museum tells the story of the eviction of Malaga Island's residents, one of the state's most disgraceful official acts ever.
By Colin WoodardStaff Writer
AUGUSTA — A century ago this spring, Maine Gov. Frederick Plaisted oversaw the destruction of a year-around fishing hamlet on Malaga Island, a 42-acre island in the New Meadows River, just off the Phippsburg shore. The island's 40 residents — white, black and mixed race — were ordered to leave the island, and to take their homes with them, else they would be burned. A fifth of the population was incarcerated on questionable grounds at the Maine School for the Feebleminded in New Gloucester, where most spent the rest of their lives. The island schoolhouse was dismantled and relocated to Louds Island in Muscongus Bay.
Stones mark the graves of island residents whose bodies were dug up and reburied at what became Pineland Farms in New Gloucester. Jack Milton Telegram file photo/Jack Milton
Kate McBrien and Linda Carrell arrange artifacts from Malaga Island for the exhibit "Malaga Island, Fragmented Lives" at the Maine State Museum in Augusta. John Ewing/Staff Photographer
Kate McBrien, front, and Linda Carrell evaluate the placement of a cemetery burial book from the Maine School for the Feebleminded, circa 1915. John Ewing/Staff Photographer
Students gather on Malaga Island in 1910. Courtesy of Peter Roberts
Rosella and John Eason pose with their children in 1911. Courtesy of Peter Roberts
The Loring Wallace family in 1900. Courtesy of Peter Roberts
A 1907 postcard is part of the Maine State Museum's collection. Courtesy of Peter Roberts
The Murphy family poses on Malaga Island in 1910. Courtesy of Peter Roberts
John Eason repairs a building on Malaga Island in 1908. Courtesy of Peter Roberts
Leaving no stone unturned, state officials dug up the 17 bodies in the island cemetery, distributed them into five caskets and buried them at the School of the Feebleminded — now Pineland Farms — where they remain today.
Several islanders spent the rest of their lives in this state-run mental institution. One couple, Robert and Laura Darling Tripp, floated from place to place in a makeshift houseboat, but, unwelcomed, wound up moored to another scrap of an island. Malnourished, Laura fell sick during a gale; when her husband returned with help, he found the couple's two children clinging to her lifeless body. Many others suffered from the stigma of being associated with the island.
"After the island was cleared, people did not really want to talk about this incident, especially the descendants, because to raise your hand and say you were from Malaga supposedly meant you were feebleminded or had black blood in you or both," said Rob Rosenthal, whose 2009 radio documentary "Malaga: A Story Better Left Untold" helped draw attention to what is one of the most disgraceful official acts in our state's history. "Nobody wanted to declare that."
Now the Malaga story is being told, openly and thoughtfully, in the shadow of the State House dome, from under which the evictions were hatched. "Malaga Island, Fragmented Lives" opened Saturday at the Maine State Museum, with descendants and Gov. Paul LePage in attendance. The exhibit tells the story not just of the eviction, but of the community it destroyed. Malaga, the artifacts, documents and photographs on display make clear, was a fairly ordinary coastal settlement at the time of the eviction.
In the late 19th century, the islands of the midcoast were dotted with the homes of hermits, squatters and fishermen. Malaga's people lived like so many others, eking out an existence trapping lobsters, hooking cod, digging clams or laboring at boardinghouses and farms on the mainland. But the fact that many islanders were of at least partial African descent put the community afoul of the burgeoning eugenics movement, whose practitioners married racist assumptions with a social Darwinist policy agenda. And the island they occupied — and may well have had title to — was thought ripe for development as a summer colony.
"Racism is an undeniable linchpin to this story, but it is far from the only reason things happened the way it did," said Allen Breed, a North Carolina-based reporter for The Associated Press, who has been researching a book on Malaga for more than a decade, and said there were other mixed-race hamlets on Great Yarmouth and Hen islands that were left alone. "They were on a very visible, potentially valuable piece of real estate near the mouth of arguably the state's tourism crown jewel, Casco Bay."
Malaga's people were certainly poor. The island's soil is inappropriate for farming, and fishing, laboring or doing laundry and carpentry for mainlanders didn't pay well. Their homes were modest, and one family lived in a converted ship's cabin. Some relied on charity from the town to get through the winter, and in 1908 private donors stepped in to help build an island school. School ledgers have survived.
"The papers written by the students show their penmanship was perfect and their spelling was better than mine," said Lynda Wyman, a trustee at the Phippsburg Historical Society, which also will have a small Malaga exhibit this summer. "It absolutely shows that kids were educated, not illiterate or so-called feebleminded or any of those things."
Archaeological digs by University of Southern Maine researchers Nathan Hamilton and Robert Sanford show the islanders caught lobsters, shellfish, cod and even swordfish. Thousands of buttons near the home of the island's laundress attest to how much washing she took in from Phippsburg's boardinghouses.
They built their homes on piles of discarded clam, mussel and scallop shells because they could be made level and provided excellent drainage. In doing so, they inadvertently gave a valuable gift to 21st-century archeologists.
"The shell middens protected almost all the artifacts and household stuff they mixed into it, and we actually know who lived on each spot," Hamilton said. "To actually have a patch of ground where we know the name and age of the individuals associated with it, their race, their jobs and when they lived there — that's really interesting and unique."
The fish and shellfish remains have proven a boon to fisheries ecologists and geneticists seeking to reconstruct what area fisheries looked like in the late 19th and early 20th century. "I got into this research because I thought it would enhance the university's African-American collection," Hamilton said. "But when we got into this, I realized it was fantastic bioarchaeology."
But the shell middens offered no protection from Gov. Plaisted, who visited the obscure island with his entire executive council in July 1911. That December, the governor ordered the eviction of the community, and officials institutionalized eight residents, some for failing to identify a telephone (which none had likely seen) or for not knowing that William Howard Taft had succeeded Teddy Roosevelt as president. Those who remained were given payments for their homes and ordered to leave — with or without them — by the first of July, 1912.
Later that year, the cemetery was cleared and the island sold to a close friend and business partner of the chair of Plaisted's executive council, Dr. Gustavus C. Kilgore of Belfast, who played a central role in the creation of the governor's policies, including signing the commitment orders for those sent to New Gloucester.
Nobody has lived on the island since.
"It's heartbreaking to think about family members having gone through something like that that could have been avoided," said Charmagne Tripp of Hartford, Conn., a singer/songwriter whose grandfather Harold was one of the children on that houseboat when her great-grandmother Laura died a century ago. "When you think about the greed and how you can make people so insignificant for their own gains, that's a painful discovery."
Over the past decade, more and more people have been discovering the Malaga story. There were articles in Island Journal, Down East, and this newspaper. Gary D. Schmidt's children's book on the tragedy — "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" — won a Newbery Honor in 2005 and a lyric play based on it premiered in Minneapolis this March. Descendants spoke out in Rosenthal's documentary, which aired on WMPG and later on Maine and New Hampshire's public radio networks. Many descendants networked via Facebook and met in person. Others were discovering the story for the first time.
"My aunt would take me to visit my uncle in Maine, and it was one of the friendliest places I've ever been; everyone was so nice," said Akinlawon Tripp, Charmagne's brother, who also lives in the Hartford area. "You go through a series of emotions when you learn about all this that happened, that this fate came from a state that's known as 'Vacationland.' I mean, the North was supposed to be the free land — what the heck went on here?
"The way everyone from the island was played — I think of my granddad, the one who was on the boat with his mom, and he would go through all these tribulations in his life. It kind of made him the way he was. But what was most disturbing to me was the fact that they moved the graves. That took the cake for me."
But in 2010, the state finally expressed contrition. A joint resolution drafted by then Rep. Herb Adams, D-Portland, was passed unanimously at the State House and expressed "profound regret" for the numerated injustices of the incident. On a rainy day late that summer, then-Gov. John Baldacci joined a historic gathering of descendants on Malaga and delivered an apology to them for what his predecessor had done. "I thought it was very important that I go there as governor and try as much as possible to right a wrong that had been done many years ago," Baldacci said. "I don't think it was reflective of Maine's history, heritage and roots.
"I have to tell you, it was very emotional. I didn't foresee the impact of that just saying sorry would have for people."
"I remember that day when we were out on Malaga and the governor gave his apology, and everything was silent," said Marilyn Darling Voter of Windham, whose great-great-grandfather's sisters, nieces and nephews were among those evicted. "When he ended it, the aspen trees started quivering (in the wind) and the sun came out. And believe me, we all noticed it. It felt like something had broken in the other realm, like literally a cracking of the lies."
In the two years since, Rosenthal has perceived a change in the atmosphere around the story. "You could tell that a cloud had lifted, maybe not all the clouds, but most of them," he said. "Since then, I get the sense that people in the town of Phippsburg — descendants and otherwise — perhaps feel a little freer."
Last fall, Voter organized a family reunion of descendants of Malaga founder Benjamin Darling at the Phippsburg Congregational Church, which plays a role in "Lizzie Bright." More than 125 people reportedly attended, including the Tripps and family friends of some of those interred at Pineland. "People can embrace it now and say, yeah, my family came from Malaga, and I'm proud of it," she said. "We all stood and said, 'We're Darlings and we're proud.' "
The Maine State Museum exhibit — running through May 26, 2013 — will likely increase awareness of the Malaga story, which has often been told inaccurately, when it was mentioned at all. (Many accounts relied on early 20th-century newspaper stories by reporters accustomed to inventing or embellishing details.)
"We're trying to present the facts as we know them, and bust some of the myths," said curator Kate McBrien, who developed the exhibit.
Relatives of the Malaga evictees say having a high-profile exhibit at the state's official museum is cathartic, but there is another step Voter would still like to see. "Closure for me is to return the bodies to the island because my aunts died there believing their bones would become part of it," she said. "Removing the bodies was the difference between eviction and annihilation."
Colin Woodard is State and National Affairs Writer for The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram.
CORRECTION: This story was update Sunday, May 20 to reflect that William Howard Taft succeeded President Theodore Roosevelt.


Find a candidate who fits well with your company, then train and nurture them to be a great employee.
Culture is a way of thinking, behaving or working that exists in a place or organization. Every company has one and those who use it as a guideline to build strong, loyal teams are some of the most successful around.
Whatever your company culture is, you'll have the most success recruiting if you hire based on those principles. If, like many companies, your culture is to be in business to help people, then finding the right employees to achieve that is most crucial.
It's no secret in this industry — good technicians can be difficult to find. Consider this: 53 percent of HVACR field personnel are within 15 years of retirement age and enrollment in HVACR programs is down 32 percent.
Suddenly, it's painfully apparent that finding the "good ones" is only going to continue to be difficult in the years ahead. That said, it's time to change the way we, as an industry, recruit and hire technicians.
and, while one can be taught, the other can be extremely difficult to change.
A prospect with good aptitude has an instant ability to generate revenue and can replace an experienced employee, most times, without missing a beat. In many cases, they may also be familiar with your company's service system, which also quickens the pace at which you can bring them up to speed.
On the other hand, they also bring with them habits, both good and bad. In many cases, a prospective employee with good aptitude often believes they know a better way to do things than, perhaps, you're comfortable teaching.
If they have experience and are looking for a job with your company, there may be a good reason they're available and their attitude may not fit well with your company culture.
A great attitude cannot be taught. If you can find a prospect with a great attitude that matches your company culture of like minded people, you won't have to spend a great deal of time trying to "re-program" them to fit within your company.
Of course, if they lack the technical skills needed for a position with your company, it will take some time to get up to speed.
Ideally, you want employees with both great aptitude and a great attitude — and if you can find that person, hire them immediately. Often, though, you're faced with a one or the other choice. In those cases, it's better to go with a great attitude rather than the "quick fix."
Nearly 20 years ago, we hired a high school co-op student with a great attitude who we've been able to teach and train throughout the years. Today, he is our lead commercial service technician. It took many years to realize this worked well, but now it's the primary way we hire new technicians.
Hiring for attitude doesn't mean you can totally overlook aptitude. Sure, we want employees who are going to fit well within our company culture, but we also require them to have either completed an HVACR program or currently be enrolled in one.
There are many places to find candidates today, with multiple job posting sights on the Internet. In addition, it's a good idea to build relationships with local trade schools and community colleges.
And, don't forget about referrals — customer referrals can be a great source of business, and employee referrals can be an excellent way to find additional, like-minded employees. You can certainly sweeten the deal by offering a recruitment reward for employees.
After you've targeted your potential candidates, the first step should consist of a brief phone interview.
If you're satisfied with that initial interview, you can have the candidate take an employment survey, such as the one offered by Acumax, which will help narrow down the position for which each candidate is best suited.
If the results come back as a match for your needs, you can proceed to the next step of the hiring process. If not, send the candidate a polite rejection letter.
The next step is to schedule multiple visits/interviews, which will ensure all questions on both sides have been addressed, as well as give both parties a better idea about the candidate's fit within the company culture.
The first interview should take place with the reporting manager and another member of the management team. After that, the candidate moves on to a two-step, second interview.
In the first step, have the candidate bring their tools and meet with your technical trainer. They may have limited experience, so you should look at their sense of how to proceed with troubleshooting.
After the assessment from your technical trainer, the candidate should meet with two different members of the management team.
Finally, upon completion of those first two interviews, the technical trainer, reporting manager and members of the management team should meet to compare notes and make a hiring decision.
A third interview with the candidate is nothing more than a job offer, which, if accepted, is contingent on passing a background check and drug screening.
The majority of our new hires work in the warehouse for a period of time, generally less than six months. Once they graduate to the field, or if they're placed directly into the field, they ride with one of two field technical supervisors.
Each technician rides for a minimum of four weeks before they're promoted to a Level 1 Technician.
In addition to the ride-along training, our new technicians complete 20 hours of technical classroom training and enroll in our service system training.
On a weekly basis, the department manager, technical trainer and field technical supervisor have a brief meeting to discuss the new employee's progress.
To be promoted to a Level 1 Technician, they must obtain all tools listed in their job description. Once they're on their own, we have a technical supervisor ride with them on a weekly basis for an additional six months.
When a technician moves into a truck on they're own, they're also given the next level job description, so they'll know what it required to move up. To move up a level, each technician must pass written and practical exams.
In addition, technicians who move from Level 1 to Level 2 must earn NATE certification.
Each technician is required to attend 40 hours each year of in-house, technical training. Technical training is designed to advance technicians through the ranks, preparing them for the written and practical exams.
In addition, it's a good idea for your service technicians to receive a performance report on a monthly basis, as well as a customer feed back report.
Making sure you recognize those who are an active part of your culture is key, and spreads like wild fire — in a good way. Celebrate and reward those employees who are caught going above and beyond and you'll soon have a workforce that is strong and loyal to your company.
Matt Marsiglio is operations manager at Flame Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electrical in Warren, Mich. For additional information, visit www.flamefurnace.com.


There are a lot of things to worry about when you're the parent of a toddler. Did I close the lid to the toilet? When are they going to start eating something other than hot dogs? Mickey Mouse Clubhouse isn't on TV right now, dear God, is the whole world going to explode? You know — normal stuff. But if you notice your toddler seems uninterested in the world around them, has little to no energy, and doesn't seem to find joy in the world like other kids their age, you may be asking, "Can toddlers be depressed?"
I know — it sounds harsh. Some kids are just sad or feeling blah that day, right? But toddler depression is actually very real, just like depression in adults and adolescents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry noted that about five percent of children and adolescents in the general population suffer from depression. Although it doesn't always look like the depression that adults and older children suffer from, it's still very much real and can be characterized by frequent sadness, tearful moments, crying, decreased interest in activities, hopelessness, persistent boredom, low energy, frequent complaints of physical illnesses like headaches or stomachaches, increased irritability, anger, or hostility, and extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure.
According to U.S. News and World Report, depression in toddlers isn't a well-known issue. In fact, some pediatricians may not even be privy to the situation. When you think about the symptoms of depression and the general behavior of a toddler, the lines can be blurred. Is your child crying because they are sad and feel hopeless or because the iPad only has five percent battery left? The trick is to recognize when your child feels excited and when they don't. For example, a toddler throwing a fit because they don't want anything to eat other than cookies isn't depression. But a child who shows no enthusiasm for their favorite treat or activity, and that attitude is consistent, could be depressed.
A 2009 study on depression in toddlers and preschoolers decided to focus on children between the ages of 3 years old to 6 years old. Previously, studies had only been conducted on school-age children. The study found that not only were children as young as three years old suffering from depression, but depression that young was very similar to childhood depression — it is not a transitional, developmental stage. It is consistent and/or recurring and deserves attention.
Again, because toddlers are such a whirlwind of personality and they don't have much of an emotional stick to measure up to, it can be hard to determine if your toddler is depressed or just a 2-year-old. Parenting suggested that you have to pay attention to when your child is just sad because of a particular situation or if they are consistently unhappy. A toddler whose sadness disappears from activity to activity or whose unhappiness comes and goes, depending on the incident, is most likely just a toddler. But if your child seems to have a gloom hanging over them, making them feel uninterested in life, and it remains consistent, you may want to seek out professional help to get your little one the care they need.


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Black Wealth Channel
Intellectual Chocolate
Dr Boyce Watkins: Why black people give everything and receive almost nothing
by Dr Boyce Watkins
One of the most important books for you to read on the history of black economics is the book, "Black Labor, White Wealth," by Dr Claude Anderson. In this book, Dr Anderson breaks down the legacy of wealth in America and how black people are the primary reason that America is now one of the richest countries on earth.
One way in which the wealth gap came to be is due to what Dr Anderson refers to as "The Doctrine of Unequal Exchange." This is where black people are often sold worthless consumer goods with little to no long-term value, in exchange for valuable resources that whites have used to invest in their communities.This trend started in Africa and it continues till this day. As a result of black financial addiction, we not only spend most of our money during holidays like Black Friday, we also end up giving our money away to people who do not have our best interests at heart. Even worse, these individuals are often selling us things that don't make our lives better.The factors that lead to economic exploitation often link to a lack of understanding of economic systems, a lack of hope, low self-esteem, a lack of organization or commitment to a core mission and many other factor that continue to plague the descendants of slaves in this country.Because we don't see ourselves as worthy, we don't understand the value of what we are giving away. When we don't understand all that we can build with our $1.1 trillion in spending power, we are effectively donating these resources to those who are building institutions for themselves and their children.This trend should cease to exist. Black power of all forms links first and foremost to the economic decisions we make individually and collectively. We must wholeheartedly commit ourselves to the principles of Black Economic Intelligence in order for other communities to respect our power and be forced to acknowledge the contributions that we've made to American society and to life around the world.My hope is that if you spend heavily during the holidays or any other season, you do all you can to a) buy black and b) buy things that will improve the condition of your family and community, like shares of stock, books and educational materials for your children. Just by doing these two things on a regular basis, we can rise from among the downtrodden and find ourselves among the most advanced, most prepared and most unified groups of people on the planet. Not everyone is going to get the memo, but those who commit to being builders will find their families in the driver's seat.Never fail to be at your absolute best. You deserve it.Dr Boyce Watkins is a Finance PhD who has taught at several major universities, including The University of Kentucky, Indiana University, The Ohio State University and Syracuse University. He is the founder of The Black Business School, The Black Wealth Bootcamp, and the Black Millionaires of Tomorrow wealth-building program for children. To learn more about Dr Watkins and his programs, please visit BlackFinancialLiteracy.com
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Dr Boyce Watkins: Her mother was dying, but the corporation still forced her to go to work
I've often heard people tell me that I am overly ambitious in my quest to convince black people to consider starting their own businesses. These people, whom I refer to as "negro naysayers" are the ones who seem to find a problem for every solution.
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Many of us teach our kids how to grow up and work for other people.
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The Georgia Bulldogs were victorious over the Oklahoma Sooners during the Rose Bowl. Photo courtesy of Michael C. Floch.
Georgia Bulldogs Win Thrilling Double OT Rose Bowl
PASADENA—We should all hope and pray 2018 is anything like the 104th Rose Bowl- where the No. 3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs defeated the No. 2 ranked Oklahoma Sooners in double overtime, 54-48 on Monday, January 1.
It set the record for points (102), the first Rose Bowl to go into overtime was capped off by a 27-yard walk off touchdown run by Sony Michel sent the Dawgs barking at the stunning moon.
The Rose Bowl was one half of the College Football Semifinal, meaning Georgia will face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Monday, January 8 for the national title, from Mercedes Benz stadium in Atlanta, GEORGIA!
Although the matchup was billed as Oklahoma's explosive offense against the Dawgs' ferocious defense, from the opening kickoff it was an inspiring, heart pounding Score-a-Thon. Oklahoma quickly jumped out to an early lead, holding a 31-14 edge, prior to Georgia's second half comeback.
The impressive comeback was spearheaded by the two headed monster running back duo of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Ripping through Oklahomas' defense for a combined 360 yards. Including Michels 27 yard stunning walk-off TD.
"I'm a physical running back and I don't mind contact, I like to get out there and just run," said Chubb on Media Day. Media Day was held Saturday, December 30.
The Bulldogs defense also awoke in the second half, Linebacker Raquan Smith and the defense held OU to 170 yards; and clobbering Heisman Trophy winner QB Baker Mayfield to the turf for five sacks.
Michel, who had a fumble in the fourth quarter returned for a go-ahead Oklahoma touchdown, ran for 181 yards and three scores for the Bulldogs (13-1), but nothing as monumental than the last one.
"I made plays. I gave up plays. My team just had faith in me," said Michel. He coughed up the ball late in the fourth, when Oklahoma returned the fumble to the house, taking a 45-38 lead.
In the final game of his great career, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns, and caught a touchdown pass that gave the Sooners a 17-point lead with 6 seconds left in the first half.
But the Heisman Trophy winner could not get the Sooners (12-2) into the end zone in the first overtime when a touchdown would have ended the game.
For the first time in 104 years, football fans were treated to not only one but two record setting overtime periods. The teams swapped field goals in the 1st OT before unsung hero Lorenzo Carter lept like a gazelle blocking a Sooners field goal.
True freshman QB Nick Fromm, one of only 2 freshmen to ever start in a Rose Bowl game, was poised for such a task.
Trailing by seven with 3:22 left on the clock; he guided his team 59 yards down the field to even the score 48 all. Chubb punched it in from 2-yards, making a nifty cut before crossing the goal line.
This instant classic was headed for "Free Football."
The come from behind victory had fans shaking the rafters of the Rose Bowl proclaiming "Proud to be a Georgia Bulldog"
Yet the season isn't over, this was college football semi-final; Alabama cruised to a 24-6 win over Clemson in the Sugar Bowl. Georgia Head Coach, Kirby Smart, is very familiar with legendary Head Coach Saban and Bama, after all, he was the Defensive Coordinator for Alabama for six years, resulting in two National Championships.
It sets up an all SEC final- Georgia crushed Auburn in the SEC title game in December. Can the Georgia Bulldogs beat another Alabama powerhouse in the span of a month? Akin to the 1st SEC Championship, this one will be played a stone's throw away from the Bulldogs campus in Athens. On Monday, January 8 from Mercedes Benz stadium in Atlanta!
2018 Rose Bowl
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City Arts on Pearl, 233 Pearl St.
The historic 1927 Moorish Revival structure at 233 Pearl St. in downtown Hartford now houses the Gallery of American Art, a rotating exhibition space featuring artworks from the expansive collection of the New Britain Museum of American Art. City Arts on Pearl also features permanent installations of large works in the building's majestic lobby, a reconfigured TheaterWorks box office and a lounge/bistro operated by bin228 Café and Wine Bar.


text:
About FtB
FTB Shop
Mano Singham
Just another Freethought Blogs site
Customer service: is run by John and Stacy
I am a theoretical physicist and retired Director of UCITE (University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education) at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. My latest book THE GREAT PARADOX OF SCIENCE: Why its conclusions can be relied upon even though they cannot be proven was published by Oxford University Press in December 2019. I am the author of three other books: God vs. Darwin: The War Between Evolution and Creationism in the Classroom (2009), The Achievement Gap in US Education: Canaries in the Mine (2005), and Quest for Truth: Scientific Progress and Religious Beliefs (2000).
You can email me at mano'"dot'"singham"'at"'case'"dot'"edu.
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Good riddance, Paul Ryan
An aide to the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives has announced that Ryan will retire from congress at the end of the current term. At 48 he is very young by congressional standards and this has prompted immediate speculation as to why he is leaving. He has, of course, given the common and usually bogus reason of wanting to 'spend more time with his family'.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday morning, Ryan insisted that he had never sought the job of speaker and that his plans to retire were focused on his desire to spend more time with his children. "If I'm here for one more term my kids will have only known me as a weekend dad," said Ryan.
Others are suggesting that he fears that Republicans may lose their majority in November and thinks it better to bail out before that happens.
"This is a titanic, tectonic shift," an unnamed Republican told Axios, which first reported the news. "This is going to make every Republican donor believe the House can't be held."
In a statement, Tyler Law, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said: "Speaker Ryan sees what is coming in November, and is calling it quits rather than standing behind a House Republican agenda to increase healthcare costs for middle-class families while slashing social security and Medicare to pay for his handouts to the richest and largest corporations."
Others are suggesting that with the passage of a massive tax cut for the wealthy, Ryan has achieved his life's ambition.
Friends said Ryan was ready to step down after passing a tax reform bill, one of his longtime goals, Axios reported.
What kind of person has a major life goal to give tax cuts for the rich? I'll tell you. It is a person who is a fanatical follower of Ayn Rand. But I don't buy this reason either because it has long been Ryan's goal to cut Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid benefits too, something he has said he fantasized about while still a college student because he is a Randian true believer who thinks that the poor are moochers and looters and parasites who leech off the hard work of the truly virtuous that comprise the one-percenters. His attitude was captured aptly by Charles Pierce who referred to him as the 'zombie-eyed granny starver'.
So what will happen to his congressional seat?
The Wisconsin congressman also may leave behind a competitive race in his district. Although Trump won there by 10% in 2016, Barack Obama won the district in 2008 and narrowly lost it in 2012.
There is a competitive Democratic primary there between ironworker Randy Bryce and schoolteacher Cathy Myers. The only other Republican candidate running, Paul Nehlen, is a vocal antisemite and white nationalist.
We already have an openly white nationalist and anti-Semite as the Republican nominee for a congressional seat in Illinois. If another one wins the Republican primary in August, the Republican party's true brand will be even more apparent.
I have long despised both Ryan and the media who fawned over his pretend wonkiness to treat him as some kind of serious policy thinker, when he was just one of your run-of-the-mill servants of the oligarchy who had the ability to use numbers to snow journalists. So what do I think are the real reasons for his leaving? It is the true Randian reason of wanting to make more money. He likely feels that he is most marketable to the oligarchs while he is still speaker and that if he is relegated to mere minority leader his negotiation leverage is diminished.
So say hello to Paul Ryan, future lobbyist.
Helge Heinrich says
May be he has been chosen by Pence as new VP when DJT resigns.
That way the R's can avoid a special election for his old seat.
alkaloid says
He knows on some level that everything he's ever promoted is going to crater the country, so he's going to leave in order to build a case that he shouldn't be associated with the impending onslaught of Greek-style austerity/social demolition that's likely to take place unless there's a massive revolt against it.
The summarized version: rat leaving a sinking ship. I wonder where he'll climb onto next?
I wish I could edit previous posts, but you also spelled anti-Semite incorrectly.
coragyps says
Though you must admit that "antismite" deserves a spot in the dictionary!
Mano Singham says
alkaloid @#2,
Thanks! I've corrected it.
hyphenman says
First Boehner and now Ryan cut and run when the going gets tough.
I'm no great fan of Pelosi, but she, at least, stuck around to fight.
anat says
Regarding the spelling of the English for 'hatred of Jews': From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism
From the outset the term anti-Semitism bore special racial connotations and meant specifically prejudice against Jews.[2][13] The term is confusing, for in modern usage 'Semitic' designates a language group, not a race. In this sense, the term is a misnomer, since there are many speakers of Semitic languages (e.g. Arabs, Ethiopians, and Assyrians) who are not the objects of anti-Semitic prejudices, while there are many Jews who do not speak Hebrew, a Semitic language. Though 'antisemitism' has been used to describe prejudice against people who speak other Semitic languages, the validity of such usage has been questioned.[26][27][28]
The term may be spelled with or without a hyphen (antisemitism or anti-Semitism). Some scholars favor the unhyphenated form because, "If you use the hyphenated form, you consider the words 'Semitism', 'Semite', 'Semitic' as meaningful" whereas "in antisemitic parlance, 'Semites' really stands for Jews, just that."[29][30][31][32] For example, Emil Fackenheim supported the unhyphenated spelling, in order to "[dispel] the notion that there is an entity 'Semitism' which 'anti-Semitism' opposes."[33] Others endorsing an unhyphenated term for the same reason include Padraic O'Hare, professor of Religious and Theological Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations at Merrimack College; Yehuda Bauer, professor of Holocaust studies at the Avraham Harman Institute of Contemporary Jewry at Hebrew University of Jerusalem; and James Carroll, historian and novelist. According to Carroll, who first cites O'Hare and Bauer on "the existence of something called 'Semitism'", "the hyphenated word thus reflects the bipolarity that is at the heart of the problem of antisemitism".[34]
Objections to the usage of the term, such as the obsolete nature of the term Semitic as a racial term, have been raised since at least the 1930s.[24][35]
anat,
Interesting! So it seems like 'antisemitism' is the recommended way of writing it. One learns new things all the time.
lanir says
In addition to seeming to be a Randian true believer, Paul Ryan is pretty adept at presenting himself. We'll see him again running for president. This maneuver now is just him leaving before things tank but I'd imagine he'll spin it into a sort of "Once and Future King" style legend among the Republican faithful.
Mobius says
Rand. Ugh. What a reprehensible person she was.
As for why Ryan is quitting, I think it has two aspects. One is that he would likely have faced fierce competition from a Democrat for his seat. Two is that he would likely have faced fierce competition from the Tea Party wing of the Republicans. Ryan is not popular with the Tea Party. He isn't ideologically pure enough for them. Given how conservative Ryan is, that says a lot about the Tea Party.
KG says
I think he may be considering a 2020 or 2024 Presidential run, depending on circumstances -- but in either case, wants to be out of the way when the bodily waste hits the air conditioning device.
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Q: Stata: save name of variable with max value as a string I have several variables in the same row: x1 x2 x3 x4
With egen and the rowmax function, I create a new variable containing the value the x* with the highest value:
egen max_x = rowmax(x1 x2 x3 x4)
However, instead of saving the maximum value, I would like to save the name of the variable which contains the maximum value as a string. How can I do that?

A: There might be a single command for this, but here is one approach...
// generate some test data
set obs 10
forvalues i=1/4 {
    gen float x`i' = runiform()
}

tempvar valmax argmax
gen `valmax' = x1
gen `argmax' = "x1"
foreach v of varlist x2-x4 {
    // does value beat the current highest value?
    replace `argmax' = "`v'" if `v' > `valmax' & !mi(`v')
    replace `valmax' = max(`valmax', `v')
}

list

You should also consider how ties and missing values are handled.


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Q: Reset Animation from previous page I have page transition animation where all elements move upwards (slide up) and then go to SearchPage...
@override
  void initState() {

    super.initState();
    controller =
        AnimationController(vsync: this, duration: Duration(seconds: 1));
    offset = Tween<Offset>(begin: Offset.zero, end: Offset(0.0, -2.0))
        .animate(controller);

    offset2 = Tween<Offset>(begin: Offset.zero, end: Offset(0.0, -1.0))
        .animate(controller);
  }

And on button tap I trigger this animation and move to another page:
Navigator.push( context, MaterialPageRoute(builder: (context) => SearchPage()),;

However, I want to reset animation from first page (HomePage( )) when back button is pressed.
How can I get this controller property from SearchPage? Probably I have to do controller.reset() or there is another way?

A: class Page1 extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _Page1State createState() => _Page1State();
}

class _Page1State extends State<Page1> with SingleTickerProviderStateMixin {
  AnimationController _controller;
  Animation<Offset> _offset;

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    _controller = AnimationController(vsync: this, duration: Duration(milliseconds: 500));
    _offset = Tween<Offset>(begin: Offset.zero, end: Offset(0.0, -10.0)).animate(_controller);
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
      appBar: AppBar(title: Text("Page 1")),
      body: Center(
        child: SlideTransition(
          position: _offset,
          child: RaisedButton(
            onPressed: () async {
              await _controller.forward();
              Navigator.push(context, MaterialPageRoute(builder: (_) => Page2())).then(
                (_) => _controller.reverse(), // this is all you need, you can also use reset here
              );
            },
            child: Text("Navigate"),
          ),
        ),
      ),
    );
  }
}

class Page2 extends StatelessWidget {
  @override
  Widget build(context) => Scaffold(appBar: AppBar(title: Text("Page 2")));
}


David Balcom from Moovweb and I recently teamed up to present the Accelerating Mobile Charitable Giving webinar. The session focused on optimizing the ways in which donors interact with your organization on their phones, whether it's through a website, email or app. Emerging populations of mobile-only users, coupled with the fact that a majority of email and web traffic now come from mobile devices make this topic relevant to any organization. It doesn't matter if you already have a mobile-friendly website or you plan to implement one in the future, optimizing your donor's mobile experience is crucial. We've broken down the top tips from the webinar in this blog, but if you missed the webinar, we encourage you to watch it on-demand.
A central theme of our presentation revolved around not simply 'going mobile,' but making sure that experience is tailored to fit exactly how your donors interact with your organization. Undeniably, more and more people are using their phones to complete tasks (smartphone purchases have actually eclipsed sales of desktops and laptops). In addition, users are feeling more comfortable with online monetary transactions. So if your donors are already on their phones and motivated to give, why not provide them the best possible user experience to do so?
Studies have shown that many users will switch between devices to complete a goal. They might read your email on their phone, google your website on their tablet and then open their laptop to actually make the donation. What this means for you is that each of these channels must be consistent and optimized. It goes further than just making sure the physical layout of your website will fit the variety of mobile screens, it means providing the user a visible call to action no matter where they access your site or view your email.
Another theme from the webinar is the importance of gathering and using your data. Your organization's online presence will provide you with a wealth of user data, but how do you make use of all these numbers? Monitor how users interact with your mobile sites by starting with the total number of visitors, and then breaking this down by device type, then by conversion rates and even further to find those trends and opportunities that aren't always immediately visible.
The webinar features many more helpful hints and detailed checklists to make sure your organizations mobile presence is moving in the right direction, but the main idea is about cultivating a relationship with your donors. They will associate their experience interacting with your website, app or emails with your organization as a whole, and that's why it's imperative to make sure your appearance is consistent, and that the experience is enjoyable. If you still need more proof, it's been proven that improvement in mobile conversions will lead to an immediate and growing impact on your ROI. Get the whole story by watching the full webinar here.


text:
Q: 3d rectangle switches visible side in negative z? I'm playing with vertexes and normals using the following code:
    float col = 0;
    float row = 0;
    float level = 1;

private Vector3 tmp(float x, float y, float z) {
        return new Vector3(x, y, z);
    }

    meshPartBuilder.rect(tmp(col, 0, row +1),

            tmp(col, level, row +1),

            tmp(col, level, row),

            tmp(col, 0, row), new Vector3(-1, 0, 0));

This gives me the expected result:

Now i got into negative z area:
    meshPartBuilder.rect(tmp(col, 0, row - 1),

            tmp(col, level, row - 1),

            tmp(col, level, row),

            tmp(col, 0, row), new Vector3(-1, 0, 0));

Now suddenly the rectangle is invisible. For unknown reasons it is visible from the other side, it seems the "visible" side has switched when going to negative z.

How can i make the rectangle visible when going into negative z?

A: This is called backface culling. The order of the vertices (counter clock-wise) are used to determine which side of the face is front and which side is the backside. The back sides are by default not rendered (culled) so the GPU doesn't have to render things which wont be visible anyway.
The MeshPartBuilder#rect method allows you to specify the corners when you look at the front side of the rectangle. Corner00 is the lower left corner, corner10 is the lower right corner, corner11 is the upper right corner and corner01 is the upper left corner.
The perspective projection uses by default the right-handed system. Meaning that the Z axis point towards the viewer. So you practically have to swap the horizontal corners to make it visible from the other side. Alternatively you could swap the vertical corners if you prefer that.