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Fed Chair Unsexy, But Crucial to All of Us
Fed Chair may not be as sexy a job as President, but the occupant of that position is just as vital, if not more so, to every citizen. Both in front of and behind the scenes, a battle is being waged by those who would seek to influence the Presidential choice making mechanism and public opinion as well. Not surprisingly, the best candidate may not win.
Some would argue that President Obama has already made up his mind and his hemming and hawing about considering various options is window dressing to look like there is actually a contest for the job. In recent days, Obama has balked at a Senate rebellion in his own party wherein they are insisting he promote Janet Yellen, current Vice Chair to Ben Bernanke, to his position when he leaves in January. Her bona fides are excellent and she has been widely acknowledged as someone who not only warned of impending disaster back in 2007, but made many correct calls over the past twenty years. The President tipped his hand last week, however, when he offered a strong defense of his preferred candidate and former financial advisor, Larry Summers.
Summers is part of the deregulatory cabal that got us into this economic mess in the first place. He has also profited in the millions via his Wall Street connections. Here's why it matters. I looked up Fed Chair for Dummies to make sure I understood the job correctly:
Under the chair's leadership, the board's responsibilities include analysis of domestic and international financial and economic developments. The board supervises and regulates the Federal Reserve Banks, exercises responsibility in the nation's payments system, and administers consumer credit protection laws (including the Truth in Lending, Equal Credit Opportunity, and Home Mortgage Disclosure Acts).
The board plays a major role in the supervision and regulation of the U.S. banking system, including state-chartered banks that are Federal Reserve System members, bank holding companies, member banks' foreign activities, foreign banks' activities in the U.S. The board supervises approximately 900 state member banks and 5,000 bank holding companies.
The chairman also reports to Congress in re the Fed's activities and monetary policy, testifying on numerous other financial issues, and sits on the boards of the International Monetary Fund, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), and the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Policies.
In other words, we'd better get this one right.
Economist Edward Lotterman notes that "the trust of the general citizenry in the central bank is as important as the trust in the court system, legislative bodies and the chief executive." Here is his money quote:
"…[I]t is important that no one be appointed to the Fed Board who has gotten rich from Wall Street, either as an executive of a major financial firm or by giving speeches to, consulting for or serving as director of such a firm.
When Harvard economist and now apparent Fed chairman candidate Larry Summers left office as Clinton's Treasury secretary, his financial disclosure forms showed a net worth of less than $500,000. When he joined the Obama administration eight years later, they showed $17 million to $39 million in assets. Being president of Harvard for five of those years certainly brought in some money, but the bulk of it represents the sort of largesse financial mega-firms eagerly shower on those expected to have political influence at high levels.
That sort of Wall Street-derived wealth should automatically rule out Summers and anyone else with such ties.
That Obama seems not to give this a thought should worry citizens."
It is indeed worrisome that the Obama administration continues the point/counterpoint exercise of touting Summers for the job.
On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Asia and the emerging markets favor Yellen for, among other reasons, her lack of a deep allegiance to Wall Street Bankers. She is reputed to care more about Main Street than Wall Street; concerned with returning us to full employment and therefore, less likely to ram a continuation of "too big to fail" policy down the American gullet. That may not make Wall Street happy, but it should make Main Street ecstatic.
On Tuesday, Bloomberg featured a counterpoint editorial by Cass Sunstein praising Summers in rapturous terms. The significance of this is that Sunstein is married to Samantha Power, a long time advisor to President Obama. We can surmise from whence the marching orders were coming. It was odd, though, that the only case Sunstein could make for Summers being a man of the people was his role in assisting the bailout of GM and Chrysler – and more significantly, "cash for clunkers."
Self-proclaimed feminist and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, author of the #1 bestseller, Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead, even penned a commentary in support of her old mentor, Summers, stating, 'Oh no, he's not a sexist. Really!'
Meanwhile the whisper campaign against Janet Yellen, reported to have been started by Summers himself, continues unabated. The Wall Street Journal had the nerve to quote – and tout – the New York Sun's odious argument about Yellen's "Gender Backed Currency" in its editorial, The Female Dollar, while Summers' supporters whisper about her lack of "gravitas."
Poppycock.
Notice how the definition of Fed Chair refers to chairman and not chairperson. Our predisposition should be to appoint the most qualified contender. Gender should not matter. And yes, women can do the math.
The Fed Chair leads an organization with tentacles that affect our lives on a daily basis. It is bad enough so many financial institutions are still bound by an unshakeable patriarchy. Couple that with a comfort zone in which the same operators potentially watch each other's profit margins as well as backs and we have a worrisome situation.
Yellen, by virtue of her excellent qualifications, would shake things up simply because the current club would have to deal with someone who is stands apart from the modus operandi of "business as usual" that Summers surely represents.
Isn't that what we need?
(Published on EPIC TIMES)
Anita Finlay is the author of Dirty Words on Clean Skin, a shocking exposé deconstructing the biased media narrative plaguing women who dare to lead.
Available in print and Kindle editions on Amazon. #1 on Women in Politics books for 16 weeks.
makia julpo says:
Fed Chair Unsexy, But Crucial to All of Us | Anita Finlay | Author | Actor | Blogger | Speaker | Host
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UAB Magazine
Fall 2019/Winter 2020
Fall/Winter 2011 Contents
Cover Story: See the World
Academic Ambassadors
Tour of Duty
A Brain in Chains
Wired for Life
Lesson in Compassion
Fast Companies
End Page: Bright Ideas
Faces of UAB: Craig Barton
Ideas and Innovations
Maintaining the Momentum
By Matt Windsor
Somewhere around 1,600 years ago, the inhabitants of the former Egyptian royal city of Tanis decided they had had enough. With the Nile River threatening to submerge their homes, the citizens of Tanis decamped for safer ground, leaving behind a metropolis of fine houses and elaborate tombs. They never returned, and the site was lost to history until 1939. Many experts think Tanis is as important as King Tut's tomb. But apart from its fanciful role in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark, the site remained largely unknown to the public. Until this year, that is, when UAB Egyptologist Sarah Parcak, Ph.D., peeled back the sand and the centuries in front of an audience of millions in the United States and Great Britain.
Site Unseen
Parcak is a "space archaeologist," which means she uses infrared data, radar, and other information from earth-facing satellites to locate hidden archaeological sites and features. Her pioneering work attracted the attention of a producer from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), who wanted to build a show around Parcak's research. After several years of study and filming on location in Egypt and in Parcak's UAB lab, the BBC aired Egypt's Lost Cities in May. In October, the Discovery Channel presented its own version of the program, Egypt: What Lies Beneath.
In both editions, television audiences saw Parcak uncover the remains of several buried sites using satellite-imaging techniques—then watched teams of excavators confirm her findings on the ground. Parcak's research, funded by the BBC, revealed 3,100 ancient settlements and more than 1,000 tombs. She also found highly suggestive evidence pointing to the remains of more than a dozen lost pyramids. "The quality of the results really showed off the full capabilities of this technology," Parcak says.
Story continues below photo
In the course of her research for the BBC, Parcak discovered thousands of new sites, including several possible buried pyramids. The square structure at the top right of this photo is the newly uncovered "Parcak pyramid."
The pyramid discoveries in particular made international headlines and attracted unprecedented attention to Parcak's research. "Since the programs aired, I've received thousands of e-mails from people all over the world," she says. "Plenty are from crackpots asking me to help them find Atlantis or things like that. But I've also heard from many, many students and others who are just very excited about the work.
Enrollment in Parcak's UAB classes soared in the fall 2011 semester. And the funding provided by the BBC has provided her with enough research material for a decade's worth of scientific papers, she notes.
You could say that aerial innovation is a family tradition for Parcak. Her grandfather, Professor Harold Young, pioneered the use of aerial photographs to study forestry in the 1960s. As a child, Parcak's interests ran more to pyramids than timber; she remembers devouring every new issue of National Geographic. But "I do what I do because of my grandfather," Parcak says.
At Yale University and later at Cambridge University, Parcak became fascinated with the power of remote sensing—using satellite imagery and other data to study changes on the Earth's surface. Oil companies, biologists, and city police forces, among others, have used the technology for decades. "At first I thought many people must be using this for archaeology, too, but then I realized that few were," she says. Parcak, determined to be one of those few, learned how to adapt remote-sensing techniques to spot the telltale signs of buried tombs.
Each new satellite project begins in the library, not in space, Parcak notes. "We scan in maps, and we look at excavations. You don't want to say, 'We found a temple,' when the temple was found 100 years ago." Parcak's husband and fellow archaeologist, UAB assistant professor Greg Mumford, Ph.D., "has an amazing library" and supplied much of the research material for the BBC studies, she says.
As the director of UAB's Laboratory for Global Observation, Sarah Parcak is helping young investigators apply remote sensing techniques to projects far removed from her own field of archaeology. Laura Gast, who is working on a doctorate in public health, is using satellite data to map mosquito breeding grounds in Peru. Learn more
After researchers learn all they can about a site, they begin poring over the available satellite data. (Parcak says she often starts with a quick survey using the free Google Earth software.) Then it's a matter of experimenting with various techniques and combinations of imagery until they find evidence of manmade structures and "lost" cities.
Unless she's using radar, which has its own limitations, "I'm never actually seeing underground," Parcak explains. "What I'm seeing are very subtle changes on the Earth's surface that are caused by what is buried underneath." The techniques that worked on one site, however, may be useless at another. Unfavorable conditions, such as a wet winter when a dry one is necessary to spot key site features, can turn a project into a dead end.
There will never be a substitute, ultimately, for putting a spade in the sand and seeing what lies beneath. Parcak spends each summer in Egypt working on digs, except for this past summer, when the situation in the country was too unstable.
That did not stop her for long, however. In a new partnership with faculty at universities in Egypt, Parcak will begin training local students to use remote sensing techniques. "I feel very strongly that Egyptians should be trained in this technology," she says. "They need these tools to monitor and protect sites."
Back in Birmingham, Parcak's students at UAB have the opportunity to get enviable work experience while they are undergraduates. Part of the funding from the BBC supported the hiring of several student researchers to help search for new sites, Parcak notes. "All of the students who were involved are now in master's programs in archaeology or remote sensing. It's a great time to be entering this field."
See a preview of Sarah Parcak's documentary Egypt: What Lies Beneath.
The Mix Research Blog

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Centralia Municipal Airport  is a U.S. general aviation airport located two nautical miles southeast of Centralia, Illinois.

Facilities and Aircraft
The airport has two asphalt runways: runway 18/35 is 5001 x 75 ft (1524 x 23 m), while Runway 9/27 3300 x 60 ft (1006 x 18 m).

For the 12-month period ending August 31, 2019, the airport has 77 aircraft operations per day, or about 28,000 per year. That consists of 92% general aviation, 7% air taxi, and <1% military. For the same time period, there are 39 aircraft based on the field: 31 single-engine and 8 multi-engine.

Flight Training
The airport is home to the Airgo International Flight School, which provides part 141 flight training through the airline transport pilot license, FAR 135 charter operations, and has previously been an aircraft dealership and fixed-base operator. The school places focus on attracting international students on the premise that the school is cheaper and moves more quickly than its international counterparts.

Accidents & Incidents
On July 23, 2022, a Beechcraft Bonanza crashed into a pool near Centralia Municipal. One passenger was killed, and the pilot was taken to the hospital for treatment.

References

Airports in Illinois
Buildings and structures in Clinton County, Illinois

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Having looked through the auction catalogues in the last couple of days I have been leaning towards bikes made previous to WWII. There is just something in the design of the early motorcycles with just the basics; Engine, Wheels, Frame, Tank. This was not a conscience effort to be minimalist, it was a technological reality that limited builders. This design was best seen in the racing bikes of the 1920's when all the rider needed were two wheels an engine and gas to make it go. This Zenith from 1928 offered on eBay has these simple components.
Zenith was a company that started making motorcycles in 1904, but like many manufactures of the time, they would purchased engines from engine manufactures. What put them on the scene and ahead of the game was their chief engineer Freddy Barnes. He developed the Gradua gear, an adjustable diameter engine pulley, which when expanded, increased the overall gear ratio. This gave a great advantage over fixed ratio competaters, and got them banned from competition, a fact that they advertised as a badge of honor.
JA Prestwich was a London based engine manufacture who first built their own motorcycles in 1904. Soon afterward they began to offer their engines to any and all Manufactures. With names like Brough Superior, Triumph, AJS, HRD all using JAP engines at one time in their history, you can see that JAP was doing a good job. This was most apparent when Bert Le Vack became the first motorcyclist to round the famous Brooklands racetrack in a JAP powered Zenith at over 100mph, and later set a speed record in 1928 at 124.62 mph on a Zenith/JAP.
This machine is fitted with the rare VINTAGE 1928 680 JAPLONDON RACING ENGINE GTO Y/C /1955.. with top oil spray to valves. AS FITTED TO BROUGH SUPERIOR & ZENITH..THE ENGINE HAS BEEN THROUGH BOLTED FOR RACING AND APPEARS EXCELLENT IN EVERY WAY. NEW PISTONS VALVES ETC.. FITTED WITH A RARE TWIN BOWL AMAL CARBURETOR, NICKLE TANK & BROUGHSUPERIORCASTLE FORKS WITH DAMPENING. FRAME IS THE EQUALLY DESIRABLE ZENITH CRADLE TYPE, VERY RIGID VERY STRONG & USED FOR RACING FOR MANY YEARS..6 BOLT STURMEY ARCHER GEARBOX, HAND MADE ALLOY PRIMARIES COMPLETE THIS REMARKABLE RESTORATION.


apartment, 4 - 6 people, 3 room/s, 2 bedroom/s, 1 bathroom/s, approx. 70 m², 1 floor/s, apartment on ground floor, separate access to the property. Please note: Non-smoking house. Owner lives at floor 1. Feature: Property in an apartment house (6 units in total). Furnishing: holiday standard, tiled floor, laminate floor. Equipment: satellite TV; DVD; internet access Wi-Fi (included); washing machine; combined heating/air conditioning (in the living room). Room layout: Living room: sofa, exit to terrace. Dining area: in the living room. Kitchenette: in the living room. Kitchen/ cooking equipment: 4 ceramic hobs, oven, combination fridge-freezer, coffee machine, water boiler, toaster. Bedroom 1: double bed, single bed, exit to terrace. Bedroom 2: double bed, single bed, exit to terrace. Sanitary 1: bath, WC.


The Moraine Mitt offers big mountain performance for small change. DriClime® lining solves the biggest challenge of keeping hands warm in winter by transporting moisture away from your skin to prevent chills. An internal heater pocket and MemBrain® insert keeps pace, breathing outward while blocking snow and water.


text:
Коктебе́льская у́лица — улица в районе Северное Бутово Юго-Западного административного округа города Москвы. Расположена между Варшавским шоссе и бульваром Дмитрия Донского.

История
Улица образована 29 октября 1991 года. Улица была названа по крымскому курортному посёлку Коктебель в связи с расположением на юге Москвы около Симферопольского шоссе. Сам посёлок Коктебель на тот момент ещё носил название Планерское, прежнее название было официально возвращено ему 1 июля 1992 года. Вместе с расположенными рядом улицей Грина и Феодосийской улицей Коктебельская улица составляет тематический микрокомплекс крымских названий.

Достопримечательности
Коктебельская улица огибает с западной и северной стороны Ботанический сад Всероссийского института лекарственных и ароматических растений. Площадь ботанического сада составляет 36 гектаров, в нём произрастает множество лекарственных растений, свезённых со всех концов страны.

Здания и сооружения
Западную сторону Коктебельской улицы занимает микрорайон, состоящий из 17-этажных жилых корпусов, отделанных плиткой. Помимо жилых домов в микрорайоне имеются взрослая поликлиника № 163 и детский сад.

Транспорт
По Коктебельской улице проходят автобусные маршруты № 18, 94, 118, 668 и 802. В 750 метрах к западу от улицы находятся станции метро «Бульвар Дмитрия Донского» и «Улица Старокачаловская».

Примечания

Улицы Москвы, названные в честь городов
Улицы Москвы, появившиеся в 1991 году


text:
Unrest Spreads in Arab world, Scalds China
by News
The Arab world continued to be rocked by defiant anti-government protests Sunday, with the toll in Libya said to cross 200. The stir also spread to Morocco and for the first time, China too witnessed demonstrators gathering in at least two major cities.
Protesters took to the streets in the Chinese cities of Beijing and Shanghai Sunday, inspired by the popular unrest that has swept Egypt and other Arab countries, DPA reported. Police promptly dispersed crowds of several hundred people in both cities, said Xinhua news agency.
Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said that more than 100 Chinese activists have been placed under house arrest or are in police custody in the two cities. The gathering was in response to a call over in the internet in 13 Chinese cities for a "Jasmine Revolution", referring to the January unrest that led to Tunisian leader Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's ouster. However, information has filtered out about only two cities.
Sunday continued to be tense in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi, that a day earlier saw the deaths of at least 15 people who were shot dead while attending the funeral of anti-government protesters. More than 200 people have been killed over the past two days, a doctor in Benghazi told Al Jazeera TV. Ali Belqasem said that bodies showed they were either shoot in the head or chest. "All young, all unarmed," said Belqasem. There was no confirmed reports about protests in the city, whilst activists said in online posts that they have also lost all contact with people in Benghazi.
The London-based news website Libya al-Youm, which put the death toll in Banghazi at 208, said the army had used rocket-propelled grenades and other heavy weapons on protesters.
Emboldened by successful revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, people in Benghazi have taken to the streets to demand an end to the rule of 68-year-old Muammar Gaddafi, who has ruled the country ever since he took
over the reins in a coup Sep 1, 1969.
Ahmed, a businessman in Benghazi, told Al Jazeera that hospitals were running out of blood as they were overwhelmed with the number of the injured following the crackdown by security forces Saturday. "It's a big, big massacre. We've never heard of anything like this before. It's horrible," he was quoted as saying.
In Morocco, a large number of protesters gathered Sunday for the first time with a youth movement vowing to go ahead with its plans for staging peaceful nationwide protests.
Citing Dubai-based Al-Arabiya TV, Xinhua reported that the movement in Morocco called for the protests on social networking website Facebook, inspired by pro-democracy protests in Tunisia and Egypt.
"Sunday is the genuine start for our struggle and there is no pull-out of it whatever rumours are being circulated," the Feb 20 Movement for Change said in a statement. The outlawed Islamist Justice and Charity, reportedly Morocco's biggest opposition force, and some leftist groups said they would take part in the
rally.
In Algeria, several people were injured when police used batons to break up a pro-democracy rally in capital Algiers. Police brandishing clubs, but no firearms, wove their way through the crowd of about 50 opposition supporters in central Algiers Saturday, banging their shields, tackling some protesters and keeping traffic flowing through the planned march route, Al Jazeera reported. The gathering, organised by the Co-ordination for Democratic Change in Algeria (CNCD), comes a week after a similar protest.
In Bahrain, thousands of anti-government protesters camped out in Manama's Pearl Square, as opposition parties are expected to hold talks with the regime of Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. Demonstrators say they will stay at the square until the regime collapses, Iran's Press TV reported Sunday.
Yemen, seeing demands for ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, witnessed seven more deaths, including a policeman, in clashes between government supporters and pro-democracy protesters. Four people died during protests in the southern port city of Aden Saturday, and a student was killed in the city of Taiz, Press TV reported Sunday. Anti-government protesters armed with rifles Sunday shot dead a police officer in Yemen's southern region of Aden, Xinhua reported, quoting the police. Saturday was the ninth consecutive day that demonstrators had called for the ouster of Saleh, after 32 years of autocratic rule.
Saleh Sunday offered to open a dialogue with the opposition, declaring in a speech to businessmen and local politicians that he was ready to talk about all "legitimate demands". Earlier in a speech on national television, Saleh renewed his call for the opposition coalition to take part in a national dialogue that will stave off the chaos.
Jordanian King Abdullah II pledged to pursue swift and effective reforms in a rare meeting with personnel of the country's three branches of government in Amman. He also warned officials against hiding behind him and said he would no longer accept ministers blaming their actions on their superiors.
The Syrian government, apparently fearing that the regional uprisings in the Middle East would have domestic repercussions, started giving out cash payments to thousands of poor people in an effort to tackle the high levels of poverty. Opposition groups have been calling on Syrians to protest what they call the "oppressive regime" of President Bashar al Assad.
More by : News


text:
Q: Interchanging of order summation in proposition 1.25 [Rudin RCA]
Hello! This proposition from Rudin's RCA book.
One moment confuses me, namely how he interchanges the order of summation in that double infinite series? Can anyone give a rigorous explanation of it?
EDIT: I know only that theorem from Rudin's PMA. Maybe we can apply it?

I would be very grateful for comment/answer.

A: Tonelli's theorem is not necessary since one of the sums is finite.
Given two sequences $x_n$ and $y_n$ it is easy to prove using the definition of a limit that $\lim_n (x_n + y_n) = \lim_n x_n + \lim_n y_n$.  This extends to the limit of any finite sum of sequences by induction.
Hence,
$$\sum_{i=1}^n\sum_{r=1}^\infty\alpha_i \mu(A_i \cap E_r) = \sum_{i=1}^n \lim_{m \to \infty}\sum_{r=1}^m\alpha_i \mu(A_i \cap E_r) \\ = \lim_{m \to \infty}\sum_{i=1}^n \sum_{r=1}^m\alpha_i \mu(A_i \cap E_r)  . $$
Since finite sums can be interchanged,
$$\sum_{i=1}^n\sum_{r=1}^\infty\alpha_i \mu(A_i \cap E_r) \\ = \lim_{m \to \infty} \sum_{r=1}^m \sum_{i=1}^n \alpha_i \mu(A_i \cap E_r) \\ = \sum_{r=1}^\infty \sum_{i=1}^n \alpha_i \mu(A_i \cap E_r)$$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I don't think it's actually related to starting the drill, but in it's current state, that's all I need to do to get the game to crash seconds after I load from save. I've verified the game on steam, and saved right away after loading into the game, still get the crash. Here is the error that's stored on the clipboard after the crash occurs, and I will be attaching the save folder.


God sent His Son to die on the cross so as to provide cleansing for our sins and healing for our sicknesses. Possibly the most challenging circumstance to pray over is when we are suffering from sickness or when we lose someone to sickness. The Bible says we are to praise God nonetheless, both during the good and the hard times.
Isaiah 53:5 ESV But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
Thank you that Your steadfast love never ceases – even when I am not always close to understanding that love, especially when times are hard! Thank you for Your Word, and its promises that Your mercies are new every morning.
You are ever faithful even when I am weak in my faith and trust. Help me to seek to renew myself each day with Your new mercies. Even though our bodies grow weaker, thank you that our spirits are renewed each day!
2 Corinthians 5:1-4 ESV Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.
Father, thank you that You have made this body the temple of the Holy Spirit. Help me to take care of it as a precious gift from You.
I know that healing is in your hands, so I ask in Jesus name, for complete healing of this body from illness. Nonetheless, whatever happens, I thank you that my soul has been forever healed by His stripes on the cross and it is in that new spiritual body, that I will live with You forever.
Help me to remember how great a price Jesus paid to take on my iniquities and sin, by becoming a curse on my behalf, so that I can have this daily renewal in the spirit.
Thank you that His suffering can hardly be compared to my current suffering, and thank you that Jesus understands my pain. And I also thank you that my suffering now does not compare to the glory that awaits me. So help me stay focused on You and to stay positive, never losing the hope You have bought for me with Your own blood.
I bring all my cares and anxieties to Your footstool and lay them there, and ask that You fill me anew with the hope that we have in you. Thank you for all the people, experiences and second chances in life that You have blessed me with, thank you for making me, me.
I praise You for everything You have done in my life and will continue to do. You are worthy of all praise.


text:
Kevin Gausman, Manny Machado give Orioles reason to dream
Tom Verducci
Baltimore is hoping Kevin Gausman will be the homegrown ace they've long been searching for.
Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
The future of the Orioles was on display Thursday night at Rogers Centre in Toronto, and while it doesn't quite reach the level of what April 28, 2012 meant for the Washington Nationals -- the night Bryce Harper, then 19, joined Stephen Strasburg, 23, on the field for the first time -- it was plenty good enough for Baltimore to dream it may lead to division titles of its own.
Righthander Kevin Gausman, 22, made his major league debut while third baseman Manny Machado, 20, increased his batting average to .330 and his league-leading doubles total to 21 with three more two-base hits. That the Orioles lost, 12-6, hardly mattered in the long run. Gausman, who received a no-decision after five decent innings (four runs, seven hits, two walks and five strikeouts) showed the kind of big arm and poise to make Baltimore think it soon may have a homegrown ace -- of which it has produced just one (Mike Mussina) in the past 30 years. The kid even made his debut with his nickname stitched into his glove: Goose.
Gausman hit 98 miles an hour with his fastball and featured a plus breaking ball and plus changeup. Though he did walk two batters, he is a strike-thrower who walked only five batters in eight minor league starts this year. Watch Gausman's right hand after he releases his fastball: it whips well behind his body -- farther than most pitchers, an indication of tremendous arm speed and loose-limbed easy power.
LEMIRE: Breaking down Gausman's major league debut
The Orioles have acquired many fine young pitchers through the draft, trades and free agency in the past five years, but none of them profile at the front of the rotation. The club knows it needs an ace to win a championship. Gausman isn't that pitcher now -- not when he has yet to throw over 100 pitches as a professional, is averaging 5 2/3 innings per start and still needs to fill out his long frame. But in time he could grow into that role. For now he has supplanted Dylan Bundy, who has yet to throw this season because of a forearm injury, as Baltimore's best hope for that kind of impact pitcher.
Meanwhile, Machado continues to impress, especially with his ability to square up pitches consistently and hit to all fields. He could join Alex Rodriguez, Vada Pinson, Cesar Cedeño and Orlando Cepeda as the only 20-year-olds to lead the league in doubles (all of them passed 2,000 hits in their careers) and perhaps even threaten the record of 67 doubles by Earl Webb that has held up since 1931.
CHEN: Machado arrives as a superstar
Machado at least has put himself in the conversation with Mike Trout and Bryce Harper in terms of their impact on the big leagues at such a young age. Through their respective first 98 games, Machado has more extra-base hits (46) than did Trout (38) or Harper (34), though keep in mind that Harper was a year younger than either one at that junction. Here are the numbers for Trout, Harper and Machado through their first 98 games:
2. Matchup to watch for at Midsummer Classic
We still have a month and a half before the All-Star Game, but one thing seems clear no matter who you like: the two starters will be in their 20s. This era of pitching dominance is being driven by young pitchers in particular. The Cubs' Scott Feldman, 30, is the only pitcher not in his 20s among those with the 10 best ERAs in baseball. Among the top 30 pitchers, 22 of them are in their 20s. Only three pitchers in the top 30 are older than 32: Hiroki Kuroda, A.J. Burnett and Cliff Lee.
So who do you want to see start the All-Star Game at Citi Field in New York? You can't go wrong with Clayton Kershaw, 25, of the Dodgers against Clay Buchholz, 28, of Boston. You could go very young and take Patrick Corbin, 23, of Arizona or Shelby Miller, 22, of St. Louis against Matt Moore, 24, of Tampa Bay. But in terms of intrigue and excitement, you could not to any better than taking Matt Harvey, 24, of the Mets against Yu Darvish, 26 of Texas.
3. The case for -- and against -- Phil Hughes
Phil Hughes could make for a fascinating free agent this fall. He will be just 27 at the end of the season, throws hard, has seven years of experience and has won as many as 18 games in a season -- and yet he has a 4.47 career ERA and is maddeningly inconsistent.
Hughes has made 112 career starts. He has been out before the sixth inning in 53 of them, or 47 percent of the time. He is a great example of how sticking around long enough with a great team can make a mediocre pitcher look very good. Hughes has the worst ERA by far of any pitcher in Yankee history with at least 100 starts (4.47). And yet his career winning percentage is .581 (54-39). Why is that? Two words: run support.
Check out this list of the best run support among active starting pitchers with at least 100 starts:
1. Phil Hughes: 6.01
2. Darren Oliver: 5.49
3. Andy Pettitte: 5.30
4. Kyle Kendrick: 5.21
5. Colby Lewis: 5.18
Nobody is even close to Hughes in that category.
Being in the right place at the right time has its advantages. If you took all the pitchers in history with at least 100 career starts and an ERA at least as high as 4.40, Hughes has the best winning percentage. Here are the best of the lucky ones with such a high ERA:
Why the Orioles should trade Manny Machado now
The Orioles are declining and missed their competitive window. They'd be smart to trade Manny Machado while they can recoup value for their star youngster.
By Tom Verducci
Manny Machado: Talent, fire on display for Orioles star
Thoughts on Baltimore Orioles stars Manny Machado and Adam Jones and a change in batting practice that would benefit fans.
Orioles' Manny Machado health, hopes to play full season
Orioles to call up pitching prospect Kevin Gausman for start
The Strike Zone
Orioles banking on Kevin Gausman, and with good reason
By Cliff Corcoran
Machado has 3 hits in Orioles' 3-1 win over Yankees
Gausman ejected after another hit batter in Red Sox-Orioles
Orioles name right-hander Kevin Gausman opening day starter


The 2017 Szombathely Challenge Cup was held from September 8 through September 10 in Szombathely, Hungary.
I was trying to check out the scores from the finals, so I went to the event organizer's (?) website, which is all in Hungarian. Google Translate offered some solid gold: instead of "finals" it just says "DEATH LOVERS DAY 1." In the same vein, this is what they say about Sundays competition: "On Sunday, at 15 o'clock, the men go to the jumping, the railing and the stretcher." Sounds about right. OK I'm done, just had to share this somewhere b/c I died laughing.
GT for Hungarian is my actual favorite.
Because I'm a human person who can't sit at a computer 24 hours a day.
They'll be up later today.
what happened to amy tinkler during vault finals?
She ran up to the board and off to the side twice and then realised her board wasn't correct. Think they didn't score her vault as they counted her moving the board as a touch.
I think you're only allowed one false start so after her second it was a DNS no matter what.


text:
Q: EPPlus ExcelPackage.GetSpreadsheetByteArray "Cannot access a closed stream" If I run the following code with the second line commented out as shown, no exceptions are thrown.  If I comment out the first line and uncomment the second line, ExcelPackage.GetAsByteArray() throws exception "Cannot access a closed Stream".  What am I doing wrong?
public byte[] GetSpreadsheetByteArray()
{
    using (ExcelPackage excelPackage = new ExcelPackage(new FileInfo(Server.MapPath(@"Config\StarterSpreadsheet.xlsm")),true))
    {
        ExcelWorksheet worksheet = excelPackage.Workbook.Worksheets.Add("MySheet");
        //ExcelWorksheet worksheet = excelPackage.Workbook.Worksheets.Copy("Sheet1","MySheet");

        return excelPackage.GetAsByteArray();
    }
}


text:
package com.xiaofeng.service;

/**
 * @author Chen Xiaofeng
 * @version 1.0.0
 * @date 2017/04/05
 * @email chenxf84@gmail.com
 */

public interface ComputeService {
    Integer add(int a, int b);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


To start our final day as a team, we all got on the bus to head to a hospital by the name of "Ayúdame a Vivir," a hospital for children with cancer, where Sus Hijos has been to only a few times before. We arrived and first saw the waiting room, where there were around 20 people, mostly women and children, sitting. We began handing out blankets and treat bags to all the kids we saw in the waiting rooms, we prayed for the kids we were with and prepared everything we would need to take with us when we visited the kids, as well.
The night before, our team stuffed 100 teddy bears, which we had ready to give out, as well as a few bags of the stuffing and empty teddy bears so that the kids could make their own. When it came time, the group that I was with, along with a translator went to the back to wash our hands and get a mask before visiting the kids in the hospital beds. We talked to about 10 kids, and each one was so special in a different way. We asked them their names, ages, gave them stuffed animals, and prayed with them. It was so special, and a true blessing from God to be able to spend this time with them. Especially to bless the family members with the kids, letting them know how loved they are, and that God is so present on their journey now, no matter how tough it may seem. It brought me to tears, the kindness they showed. One boy in particular was so excited to be able to make his own teddy bear and had it all made by the time we had talked to all the other kids. God was so present in that hospital, and I pray that the families felt Him then, and for all the days to come, no matter how difficult it seems. After praying with all the kids we went back to the waiting room and laughed and played with the kids for a while longer. It was hard to leave, but worth it to know we made them smile, if only for a few hours.
After, we ate dinner at States Diner, and headed to the Souvenir Shops. It is always so cool to see the market, and the incredibly detailed handmade items they sell, following this, we went to another orphanage, called "Puerta de Amor."
This orphanage had 7 girls and 1 boy that we got to visit. It was small, but I was very excited to be able to spend time with these few kids, so that we could be able to get to know them all. We became by introducing ourselves and the activities for today. The one boy and the boys on our team headed outside to plays games and one of our translators, Miguel, began to explain to the girls the bracelet we were going to make with them. He told them what each color represented, and spoke to them about God's love and the meaning behind each color representation. It was really powerful, and following that, we separated into about two girls with 2-3 of our team along with a translator.
This was my favorite part. I got to explain to them what each color means to me, what God's love means to me, and how much we love and care for them as well. I could tell they really heard what we said and it was so cool for me to speak to them in this way. Following this, we spent the rest of our time there, playing softball and volleyball and truly having so much fun with these kids. We prayed and got to hear a few of the girls say their thanks, which is so special to hear, because what they don't know as they are thanking us for being there, is how much they are actually blessing us. We toured their orphanage, and it brought me joy to see it in such good conditions. I am happy leaving knowing that they have people who love them, beds to sleep on, and smiles on their faces from the few hours we spent together today.
After this, we had pupusas and walked to the overlook to finish off an amazing week. I can't speak for everyone, but I know that this week God spoke to me, God gave me strength to serve wholeheartedly everyday, and He has blessed me significantly in letting me see and experience everything I have this week.
Today, we woke praying the rain would hold off so we could enjoy a beautiful day with some young ladies from CIPI, Trata, and teen moms from SVDP. Our team ate our breakfast, prayed and left to go pick up girls from one of the centers. After a long bus ride, we made it to the beach house where we unpacked and began setting up for the fabulous day ahead. There was a pool, hammocks, and of course sand and ocean all available for our pleasure. We started in the pool where kids began laughing and splashing instantly. There is truly no language barrier that can separate the fun and loving smiles we shared. One young lady in particular came right up to me and a few other gringos and started acting like we had been best friends for years. She called us all her "Moms #s 1-5".
Then "Despacito"started playing and one little girl hopped right out of the pool to dance, turning the heads of everyone without saying a word. Next, we moved on to the beach for some salty fun. The waves were huge and knocked us down but with hands interlocked, we stood right back up. Alternating between the pool and beach happened until the call for our delicious lunch prepared by States Diner. Following lunch we set up stations for the girls to rotate between. We had games, a bible lesson, crafts, and tattoos. I worked the craft station where we had a makeshift build a bear. The girls picked a patterned bear, drew on the faces, stuffed them, and finally added a small felt heart that was sealed with a kiss. When the bears were stuffed we tied them off at the top and sent the girls on their way to the next station with a new fluffy friend. Other stations consisted of soccer, pool volleyball games that quickly turned in to chicken fights, tattoos galore, and even some tears shed by those that were touched by Kelli Ellermann's words.
All the while, the rain held off which was a true gift from God. The girls from the orphanage left around 3pm and the rest of us stayed until sunset. We walked on the beach , took photos and relaxed. In this time, we were able to reflect on our precious time we spent with them. This group of girls was supposed to go to the beach a few weeks ago but it rained all day. God knew what he was doing holding off their beach trip until today. It's safe to say all of our team members were blessed by their company and we hope to have changed their lives in even one small way. I hope when they looked into our eyes, they saw God and the love He has for all of us. From Psalm 37: 7-8, "Rest in the Lord, wait patiently for him to act ...Don't fret and worry--it only leads to harm." This verse is perfect for today. It's all in God's timing and I know in my heart it was our team who was supposed to serve with those girls today. So thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to worship you in a beautiful setting with beautiful people and for clearing the skies for us to have an amazing day.
Today we headed back to an island to finish up,working on the houses that we had continued working on yesterday. After taking a 20 minute boat ride and seeing a lot of black crabs, we made it to the island. Once we made it to the dock we had to unload all of the furniture for the two houses and all the other supplies we had brought with us for the day.
We started our day at the school on the island. They had two classrooms for all the kids on the island. As an elementary school teacher, this was bizarre to me. I am used to having one classroom for my 20-25 students, who are all the same age, but these teachers had two classrooms that they had to split the kids up within. The younger kids, elementary school level, went to school in the morning, and the older kids, middle and high school level, went to school in the afternoon.
After visiting with the kids and showing them a puppet show, we began handing out supplies for the kids. Each child got one bag of rice and one bag of black beans, a treat bag full of goodies, and some clothes. Being able to be the hands and feet of God by proving these kids with food and clothes was such a blessing. Having something to eat and some clothes to wear is something I take for granted, but you could see the gratefulness in these children's' eyes as they received these items.
Once we made sure all the kids received everything we had to offer, we began walking to the two concrete houses we had finished building so we could begin decorating and putting the furniture inside the homes. After this was done we got to give the keys to the new owners of the homes. Being able to be a small part in helping make these homes a possibility was a huge blessing to me.
After returning back to the mission house and eating a delicious dinner of build-your-own tacos and tortilla soup, we made the meals to go out and feed the homeless. I had already done this two other times this week, but this time would be different because we would be doing so from the bed of a truck. In the two previous times we had gone we rode in a van and handed the food bags out of the window. This time we would be experiencing just a small taste of what these people go through every night.
Once we loaded up the truck it began to rain extremely hard. Being in the pouring rain and literally shivering broke my heart when I saw a little boy, probably around 6-7 years old come run up to the truck so excited because he would be getting something to eat tonight. When I handed him his meal he squealed because he was so excited. It's hard to imagine having to go through that at all, let alone being a child and living on the streets not knowing where you would be getting your next meal. God truly blessed me by sending me on this trip and I know that my heart will be forever changed from everything I have experienced here so far.
Matthew 5:16 " Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven"
Today was unlike any other, as we continue to adapt to the new and vibrant culture. After waking up and eating French toast casserole, we headed out to the boat. We sailed across to the island on which we are building a Forever Home. We have the privilege this week to build a home for a family in need across the water from the city. When we arrived, we split up into two teams: one to paint, and the other to pour concrete into the interior of the house.
Part way through the building process, we took a break for sandwiches for lunch. At one point after eating, Aaron was approached by a kid in the surrounding area. The kid proceeded to tag him and exclaim, "Mica!" He ran away, followed by around forty kids. We proceeded to run around and play a never ending game of tag with the Niños by our build site. As if a forty kid tag game wasn't already crazy, paint proceeded to get involved. The kids started painting our legs out of the blue. In the middle of this painted mayhem, it was time to clean up and head back to the boat. Covered in paint, our team rode back to dry land. Being 80 some degrees here, the boat ride was extremely humid and water splashes began to be thrown between teammates.
Though painted and soaked, today was an extreme blessing. Around El Salvador, Forever Homes are not common. Most homes are easily destroyed and made out of scraps, so for a home to be concrete and indestructible is rare and Divinely planned. As a team we feel so incredibly honored to be able to provide this home for a family of 9, and have so appreciated being able to put smiles on the faces of these Salvadorians by doing God's work. It's been indescribable to be able to see God's work in this country and are so thankful to be called and chosen as His Children!
In 1986 a major earthquake hit the country of El Salvador causing major devastation. Many buildings and homes were destroyed. Numerous families lost their livelihood and were unable to recover. Sadly, many historic buildings and landmarks still remain unrepaired, full of cracks and huge gaping fractures to this day.
This afternoon we visited Guirola, a special needs orphanage. I have been to El Salvador 4 times now, and this was my 3rd time to visit the beautiful children that call Guirola home. As you enter the gate to Guirola, you pass by a beautiful church that is filled with cracks, holes in the exterior walls, and many signs of aging and decay. However, there is something about this building that has always fascinated me. Where others may see a decaying and cracked building, I looked at each crack and crevice and see a story that is untold. I try to imagine how each imperfection made its way to its resting place and what narrative it would portray.
On my first trip to Guirola, one of the translators for Sus Hijos, Josué, took the time to explain the history of the church. After asking a hundred questions and hearing the history, I was even more captivated by its beauty. In October while at Guirola, I was able to get an up close look at the church and take numerous pictures. One of my favorite pictures is one of a large crack that runs straight up the side of the building from top to bottom. Today as I stood looking at this same crack, and admiring its beauty and antiquity, it dawned on me how God must see us the same way. Where friends and family members see all of our imperfections and how many times we mess up, and where society sees "cracks" in our lives, God sees beauty.
God sees beauty in each of the amazing individuals that our team was so very blessed to be able to visit this morning at San Martin. San Martin is a special needs adult facilty. On the exterior, it is not a very beautiful place to look at. The grass is overgrown, the buildings need a fresh coat of paint, and the iron gates leading into the complex are full of rust. However, once you get past the gate, you see how beautiful that place really is on the inside, how happy the people that live there are, and how much your face can hurt from smiling while dancing and laughing.
This afternoon, while at Guirola, we were able to play games, dance, and color with the special needs children that live there. We were also each given the task to feed a child his or her dinner. While feeding a child would normally be a quite simple task for me, I could not even get the first spoonful into his mouth. The child that I was asked to feed appeared to be around 8 to 10 years old. He was confined to a crib and had plastic guards on his arms and legs due to violent thrashing fits. Today, I could not even get the spoon close to his mouth because he was moving back and forth so forcefully in his bed. Finally after it was obvious that I was not going to be able to have any success, the nanny, or "tia" as they are called in El Salvador, saw the crack in the situation and came to my rescue.
Many times in our society, we tend to overlook special needs individuals. Almost like the Disney movie "Peter Pan", special needs individuals would be this world's lost boys. However, we are all lost. And just like each one of us, they have an imperfection. Their crack just happens to be a learning or physical disability. However, in God's eyes, He looks past the cracks each of us has and sees his wonderfully made creation. He sees His child. And regardless of how many times we mess up or cause another crack to form in the once perfect potter's clay, He loves us enough repair all of our cracks.
Think of how different our life would be if God looked at us and saw all of the cracks that we have in our lives and in our hearts. Think of what our fate would be if He decided that we weren't worth salvaging just because we didn't appear to be perfect. Think about what our future would hold if after self inflicted devastation and destruction, God left us to just recover on our own full of cracks and huge gaping fractures. However, He decided that we were so undeniably worth the cost of repair the minute He stretched out his perfect and unflawed arms and died on the cross for all of our imperfections and flaws. May God help us all to look at others' imperfections and flaws with the same loving eyes.
As our team began the journey to El Salvador, we knew we would experience and witness many incredible things throughout the week. Although there were a few bumps in the road during our arrival, we immediately began to see God work through us when we took our first steps, as a team, into the Mission House.
Our first night here, we all got onto a bus and went out to feed the homeless. Within 2 minutes of the ride, we were stopped with people crawling out from under any sort of cover up they used to keep warm, to come to the bus and get a bag of food. Inside the bags we gave the people a bologna sandwich, chips, cookies, an apple, a juice box, and a t-shirt. It may not seem like much to us, but to the people in El Salvador that live on the streets, it's one of the best gifts they could ever receive.
The famous quote, "People say actions speak louder than words," has never been more true than it is on these mission trips. Most, if not all, of the team members do not speak Spanish and need a translator to communicate with the people here. On our first full day in El Salvador, we attended their church service and helped with the children's Sunday School. Their service was in Spanish, where we all got to sit and watch the true cultural experience of a church service in El Salvador, occur. During the service, we were able to stand and hear worship songs that we know in English, but listened to in Spanish. In Sunday School, we gave the children a craft that helped them learn and discuss bible verses. All of us gathered around with the children and involved ourselves in the project. The quote comes in because even though we couldn't have a full conversation, the amount of thank you's we were told shows that actions speak louder than words.
The second half of our first day was spent at an orphanage, CISNA, which had about 27 teenage boys. At this orphanage, our team split up into three groups. One group for playing soccer, one group for playing volleyball, and the third group for doing crafts. We spent about 3 hours playing with these kids, enjoying their company, almost, if not more than they enjoyed ours, and ended the day giving them a pizza dinner and treat bags. In the last few moments of our visit, an orphan that Starfish had previously built a house for, came up to Laura and said thank you along with giving her his craft that he tried so hard to make. Moments like these make us realize how blessed we truly are, and how much these children can change our lives in just a short amount of time.
Thank you to those who are following us on our journey. Please continue to send prayers our way and for the people in El Salvador. God bless each and every one of you.
To start the day off we set sail for the second time to get to the island where Gods work was to be done! After a 2 hour packed bus ride and 30 minute boat ride we unloaded 99 bags of beans, 96 bags of rice, a PA system, and party supplies for 130 school children. The School on the island was an open area with 2 classrooms, dirt floors, roaming stray dogs, and broken desks. Our eyes did not focus on the devastating conditions, but only on the big eyes and smiles as we entered the school. Face painting, bead making, singing, chalk, and soccer changed the atmosphere immediately. All eyes were on our team members as they performed our "Jesus Walks on Water Skit" in dual languages. The look of joy and appreciation as children clutched their pillow case dresses, stuffed animals, goodie bags, and Bibles made us all realize how much we take for granted.
While the skis were blue and the palm trees swayed, the waste, trash, and putrid smells were a constant reminder of the poverty of the island. Straw huts with chickens and pigs roaming freely on dirt floors describe the typical island home. Our team worked to make only a dent in these conditions by painting the first concrete block home neon yellow. Windows and doors will be added to complete this project. The team divided to begin the construction of another small home by hand mixing concrete, and sifting sand to be poured into the hand dug footers. As well as house building, the others entertained the neighboring children. There is no better feeling at the end of a hot and tiring day than seeing first hand a mother and her children beaming after being blessed with a new home. May we always be reminded of those less fortunate.
Are those shark infested waters?
We started at 7:30 this am. We drove for 1:45 min and then took the boats to the island. The boat ride was interesting and took about 25 min. We then walked for about 15 to 20 min. We just about finished the first house and started on the second one. The family was really excited and very happy. The group really worked hard. The teenagers were great at working and playing with the kids. These adults are some hard workers. We left the island at about 6:15 with a 2hour road trip ahead of us. God has really blessed us today. We are tired and hungry but we LOVED IT! God is good all the time, and we realized how blessed we are at home in the states. Thanks to everyone who has helped with prayers and financial help. You have helped us bless so many people and this is just Tuesday, I think. Haha Continue to pray please and we thank God for this chance to be his hands and feet!
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15 Today the team saw true Joy! They rejoiced with adults with special needs; People living with what the world sees as great affliction, rejoicing and gleaming with God's love! It is impossible to visit this center and not see the love of Christ shining.
Team members shared bible stories, did arts & crafts with the residents and danced the day away!
David won the best dancer award & won a UK jersey autographed by the whole mission team!
After a full morning, everyone headed to the States Diner, a restaurant ran by teens in the Sus Hijos transition homes.
After fueling up on some delicious food, they headed to an orphanage with more than 250 kids.
The kids loved the bible story! They also shared God's love through playing soccer, basketball & volleyball. While some played sports, others enjoyed expressing their creativity through crafts and other art.
Please continue to pray not only for the Starfish team, but for the hearts of everyone they encounter this week.
We started this trip with a verse for our mission: to go and make disciples.(Matthew 28:18) Little did we all know, we would be the ones getting humbled and a heart check of our own. Last night a group of us went out to feed the homeless. We prepared one hundred and forty four meals to hand out to people who lived on the streets. We loaded the bus up and headed out to feed. As we drove through the streets we saw the homeless come running to the bus to get their only meal of the day. These people huddled under trash to keep dry and feel safe. The people who were receiving the food were so thankful and giving some of their own meal to there fellow peers. They would take care of those that who were also homeless, especially those who were hurt or weak and couldn't get up to eat. This was a much needed eye opening and humbling experience.
We woke up this morning headed to church knowing that the language barrier would be tough. When we arrived we were very welcomed and the people were so happy to see us. They started to worship and these people could sing! After beginning to worship, the language barrier was no longer there, and we were worshiping our God together. It was so beautiful to see different people of different social and financial classes, ages, genders, and races all worship together as brothers and sisters in Christ.
The much anticipated soccer playing happened today, we visited the boys orphanage. Seeing the boys reactions were priceless. They didn't have the nicest place to stay, but that didn't stop them from enjoying themselves by playing a fun game of soccer. Seeing the boys' reactions and experiencing how grateful they were to just have a fun time was such a humbling experience, and is something many of us take for granted.
We all look forward to the amazing things that will take place for us this week. Please continue in lifting us up in your prayers. You may be the only Jesus that person will ever see ever know or ever care to see, so make it count!


I CAN'T believe it has been six years since I was sat at ringside as a judge when a body hit the canvas with a thud in front of me. Breidis Prescott retired to a neutral corner as Amir Khan struggled to his feet trying to work out which planet he was on, and I thought to myself 'That's another English hopeful up the pictures'.
Amir has had another couple of setbacks since then, gone down a different route, and although he is in some exciting fights I didn't worry too much about missing them. But on Saturday night, or Sunday morning as it was, I decided to have a look at Amir as nothing else of note was on TV, and boy am I glad I did.
The fight was in Las Vegas, America. The judges were three Americans. The referee was an American, and the opponent, Devon Alexander, was American. All these factors against Khan, yet he went out brimming with confidence, relaxed, and in pristine condition. I thought Amir took the first five rounds, there was a slim case of him losing the sixth – it was a very slim case – but he got back to the job in hand and bar the eighth, which I thought was Devon's last hurrah, the Englishman was in total control. At the end of the 11th it was clear Alexander was a beaten man.
The commentators were telling us that Devon was going to go for broke, and try to take Khan out, but it was obvious he had nothing left in the tank. My uneasiness over the appointment of all US officials, among other things, was unnecessary as they only gave Devon two rounds between all three of them and the referee Robert Byrd was faultless. I do wonder if the British Boxing Board of Control asserted any pressure to try and get at least one neutral official. I saw the Board President Charles Giles at ringside,but if we couldn't have some parity at least with the officials, I can't see the need for a representative from the Board of Control to attend the fight, especially when his attendance costs money.
On Sunday Kell Brook was saying Khan should fight him next as he has put the hard yards in. Well, Kell son, you have put the hard yards in but so has Khan. After four years as a professional, Kell was the British welterweight champion whereas after the same time, Khan had claimed the WBA light-welterweight title – amongst others – after working his way back following that loss to Prescott. Admittedly, Khan was catapulted into the professional ranks with an Olympic silver medal, but he has dealt with high expectancy, come back from three defeats, and tested himself against the best – beating most – in their own backyards.
I know the readers will say Kell won his IBF title abroad in Carson, Calfornia with a great win over Shawn Porter but his overall body of work is inferior to Khan's. The pairing of Khan against Brook is one to savour but let's save it for the future. If Khan is in the same frame of mind and condition as he was last weekend Kell needs to leave him alone for a while, and let him fight Mayweather. Let Khan get a wee bit older, because at this moment I think he would beat Manny Pacquiao and I wouldn't bet against him with Mayweather, either.
In the meantime, Brook needs to up his stock while waiting for his opportunity. Maybe seek out the likes of Marcos Maidana or Robert Guerrero – now that is what I call having it tough.


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text:
MISOPHONIA UK
NEW! and updated content
For sufferers
Dealing with misophonia
Personal experiences 1
Personal experiences 2 UPDATED
The Misophonia Activation Scale
Drugs in clinical trials
Professional bodies
Medical specialists and other professionals
Listing request form
Misophonia Research Foundation
Poll: your worst trigger?
Awareness day and awareness ribbons
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Misofonia Worldwide
Misophonia Matters
Register for free updates
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A work in progress...
This glossary is provided by Misophonia UK as an informational aid only. It is no substitute for professional medical advice. If you are in any doubt about your symptoms, you should see your GP or consultant in the first instance. No warranty is made, express or implied, to the effectiveness or otherwise of the treatments and therapies described. Misophonia UK reserves the right to amend definitions as scientific knowledge of the condition advances.
Author: Guy Fitzmaurice. Last content review: 1 June 2012.
See "selective sound sensitivity syndrome".
abdominal breathing
The process of breathing air into the lungs using the diaphragm (the muscle between your chest and stomach), which delivers more oxygen to the body than chest breathing. This is a helpful technique in coping with panic attacks and has the additional health benefit of increased energy if practised regularly (10 minutes a day).
acousticophobia
Literally "fear of noise". Another synonym for phonophobia. This word is not in common usage and Misophonia UK prefers not to assign any special meaning to it. See phonophobia.
A medical term for the causes of a disease. Spelt etiology in American English.
age of onset of symptoms
People with misophonia often experience their first symptoms from the ages of 8-12.
The development of misophonia has been compared with that of an allergy. The trigger/allergen may at first provoke no response but over time, a reaction can become stronger and stronger. However, there is no evidence to suggest that misophonia is in fact caused by allergic mechanisms.
allodynia
See auditory allodynia.
anticipatory anxiety
The anxiety experienced by misophonia sufferers before a full -blown attack, provoked by audio-visual cues from their trigger person.
audiological medicine
Audiological medicine concerns the investigation, diagnosis and management of auditory, balance and communication disorders, including misophonia, tinnitus and auditory processing difficulties.
audiological physician
A doctor who practises audiological medicine. Also known as an audiovestibular physician.
A healthcare professional who specialises in the evaluation and rehabilitation of those with hearing loss and related disorders, including misophonia. An audiologist assesses hearing function and dispenses hearing aids and other devices to assist hearing. Some audiologists have a doctorate (PhD or AuD) in audiology, but they are not to be confused with medical doctors (MDs).
The study of hearing.
audiovestibular physician
See audiological physician.
auditory allodynia
A condition where the hearer suffers pain from only some normal-volume sounds, where there is an affective component to the experience of the sound. May result from tissue or nerve damage.
auditory hypervigilance
Many people with misophonia are hyper-aware of people's breathing and eating sounds, particularly in members of their close family. Even if their trigger sound is not being made, they are constantly "on the look-out" for it.
People with autism often suffer an intolerance of certain sounds. The connection between misophonia and autism has not been investigated in the research literature. However, Koegel and others (2004) have indicated that sound sensitivity in people with autism may be generated by fear rather than pain.
autogenic
Self-produced, coming from one's own body. See autogenic training.
Relaxation techniques, such as self-hypnosis, meditation and biofeedback, that centre on the patient controlling their own body states, such as body temperature and blood pressure.
autophonia
Autophonia is intolerance to the sound of one's own voice. This symptom may be accompanied by a similar intolerance to other autogenic sounds, such as breathing and eating.
brown noise
See colour noise.
See household pets.
See cognitive analytic therapy.
See cognitive behavioural therapy.
chasmology
The science of yawning.
Cinderella diagnosis
A medical condition which attracts little professional interest, awareness and research funding.
clinical misophonia
A term used to distinguish misophonia as a medical condition. Virtually everybody has sounds they don't like. An oft-quoted example is fingernails scratching against a blackboard. That dislike could properly be described as "misophonia" as it is a "dislike of sound". However, we use "clinical misophonia" to refer to a condition where the reaction to the sound has grown out of all proportion to what might be considered normal. A useful analogy would be the use of the expressions "depression" and "clinical depression". People often say "I'm a little depressed today" to refer to the fact that they are a little "down in the dumps". However, clinical depression is a much more serious condition which usually requires medical attention. It is the same with clinical misophonia.
Clinical psychologists diagnose or assess mental and emotional disorders. They then devise treatment programs with the aim of reducing psychological distress.
cognitive analytic therapy
Cognitive analytic therapy focuses on analysing coping strategies that have been ineffective in the past, particularly in childhood, and modifying them so that they become more effective in the present. It relies on both cognitive and traditional psychoanalytic approaches. The emphasis is on brevity (or, rather, value for money to the NHS!). The client can expect to have anything between 8-24 sessions, although 16 is most common. CAT employs buzzwords such as Reciprocal Roles, Snags, Dilemmas and Traps. It is practised mainly in the UK. Despite their slightly different theoretical underpinnings, the difference between CBT and CAT in practice may be minimal. Cf cognitive behavioural therapy.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a relatively brief form of psychotherapy which asks people to focus on the ways they think (cognitive) and act (behaviour) in the present, rather than dwelling on past experiences and underlying psychological causes. The emphasis is on problem solving. A clinical psychologist will devise an individual treatment plan with the patient, which seeks to eradicate inaccurate negative thoughts and improve response to more positive stimuli.
colour noise
A noise's "colour" simply refers to the bias it has towards a particular range of frequencies. Colour noises sounds something like the background hum on a radio set, although those of a more imaginative disposition may be reminded of the sound of the ocean or other natural phenomena. On a more practical level, some courts use white noise to mask the deliberations of the bench in court. People with misophonia can use colour noise to help mask their trigger sounds, usually by playback through earphones or headphones. Although there are a wide range of colours, the more popular ones tend to be white, pink and brown noise. Some practitioners and sufferers claim that over-use of colour noise can exacerbate sound sensitivity, but Misophonia UK are not aware of any published research on the subject, and it is a popular coping mechanism.
confrontational coping skills
See coping skills.
continuum theory
One suggestion is that everyone has an intolerance to sounds to varying degrees, in various environments, due to any number of factors. According to this theory, people presenting with clinical misophonia simply have a stronger reaction to various sounds than the general population. While it is no doubt true that sound intolerance is universal to a certain extent, this theory does not really explain the emergence of a very clear set of symptoms in people with soft sound misophonia.
co-operative coping skills
Methods a person uses to deal with stressful situations. These may "help a person face a situation, take action, and be flexible and persistent in solving problems" [taken from the US National Cancer Institute's Dictionary of Cancer Terms]. In the absence of a reliable and effective medical therapy, people with misophonia often rely on coping skills to mitigate the worst effects of their condition. Coping skills may be classified as co-operative/non-confrontational (for instance, asking the trigger person to stop or discreetly covering one ear) and confrontational (for instance, overt mimicking or display of annoyance).
decreased sound tolerance
An umbrella term used to describe hyperacusis, misophonia and phonophobia.See "misophonia" for a comparison of these terms. Go here for a tabular representation of the suggested differences in terminology.
definitional clarity
As in any new field, terms have been introduced or meanings appropriated from existing terminology, when describing misophonia, in slightly different ways by different commentators. Misophonia UK does not claim to have a "monopoly on the truth", particularly since so little research has been conducted around this Cinderella diagnosis. However, in the interests of everyone knowing what we mean when we use a particular term, we have introduced a schema for words commonly used to describe sound intolerance. Please refer to the "misophonia" entry. Go here for a tabular representation of the suggested differences in terminology.
desensitisation
See systematic desensitisation.
ear, nose and throat specialist
A medical or surgical doctor who specialises in otolaryngology. Also called an otolaryngologist or otorhinolaryngologist.
echolalia
See mimicking.
echopraxia
elective deafness
A desire to become deaf, either through surgical intervention or self-harm.
emotional component
If misophonia is a neurological, rather than psychological, condition, there is however an emotional component. This is most clearly evidenced when a person with misophonia hears what they think is their trigger sound, but then realises it is not. Their panic/rage reaction may subside in a fraction of a second. This is not to say that the sufferer is necessarily in a position to control their reaction.
See ear, nose and throat specialist.
The study of factors affecting illness in a population.
See aetiology.
"exploding head" syndrome
A rare symptom that has been associated with decreased sound tolerance, where the listener spontaneously hears a noise akin to an explosion or gunshot going off in their head, often during drowsiness or sleep. May be accompanied by visual phenomena, such as a flash. While the subjective experience of "exploding head" syndrome can be quite distressing, it is not believed to be otherwise harmful. May occur with use of some antidepressants.
fight or flight response
The physiological response, including nervous and endocrine changes, to a perceived acute threat to survival that prepares a human (or animal) to react or retreat, first described in detail by the American neurologist Walter Cannon in the early twentieth century.
Also known as exposure therapy or immersion therapy. The patient is exposed to an extremely anxiogenic (anxiety-causing) situation, with no gradual introduction. Once their fear has receded, it is claimed that they will enjoy lasting relief. Anecdotal evidence suggests that flooding is ineffective as a therapy for misophonia and may even exacerbate it. Cf systematic desensitisation.
genetic basis for soft sound aversion
US audiologist Dr Marsha Johnson reports that selective sound sensitivity syndrome often runs in families and she strongly suspects a genetic element to the condition.
habituation
A decrease in the psychological and behavioural responses to a stimulus after repeated exposure over a period of time. See flooding and systematic desensitisation. Reports in the literature suggest that some, if not most, forms of decreased sound tolerance are impervious to habituation therapy.
household pets
Household pets, particularly cats and dogs, are known to trigger some people with misophonia. The noises they make when grooming themselves or eating may trigger a misophonic reaction.
hyperacusis
An intolerance to normal environmental sound due to oversensitivity to certain frequency ranges. A person with hyperacusis can experience normal sounds as unpleasantly loud or hear soft sounds that are imperceptible to others. See odynacusis. Cf misophonia, soundscape sensitivity.
hyperreflexia
Literally "overactive reflexes", a symptom of which can accompany loud sound misophonia. The sufferer displays a pronounced startle reflex (ie "jumps") on hearing a sound, even if they are anticipating it.
ideation, violence (or violent)
See violence ideation.
incidence (epidemiology)
The rate of occurrence of new cases of a particular illness, ie the likelihood of being diagnosed with it. Not be confused with prevalence.
Jastreboff model
A neurophysiological model of tinnitus, developed by Pawel Jastreboff at Yale University in the 1980s, and now widely accepted. It posits a central role for the limbic (emotional) and autonomic nervous systems in tinnitus and hyperacusis. Empirical support for Prof Jastreboff's model has been provided by positron emission tomography (PET) scanning.
known trigger (person or sound)
A sound (or person) that a person with misophonia knows will (or is likely to) trigger a misophonic reaction in them, on the basis of past experience or emotional connection.
ligyrophobia
Literally, "fear of sharp noises", particularly sudden and unexpected sounds, such as a balloon popping. Ligyrophobia is often used to describe loud sound misophonia (LSM) and this is Misophonia UK's preferred definition. See "definitional clarity." For a website dedicated to ligyrophobia, click here.
loudness discomfort levels (LDLs)
The intensity at which sound, particularly speech, causes discomfort - a term used by audiologists in the evaluation of decreased sound tolerance and other conditions. LDLs are of doubtful utility in soft sound sensitivity as the patient's tolerance of loud sounds is often normal. It is soft sounds which they are unable to tolerate.
loud sound misophonia (LSM)
Loud sound misophonia is, as the name implies, an extreme fear of loud sounds. Also called "ligyrophobia". This may be accompanied by hyperreflexia, where the sufferer displays a pronounced startle reflex (ie "jumps") on hearing a sound, even when they are expecting it. Loud sound misophonia may well have a different aetiology [cause or causes] to soft sound misophonia, but research needs to be done to back any claims in this area. Cf soft sound misophonia (SSM).
See loud sound misophonia.
MAS-1
See Misophonia Activation Scale.
mesophonia
A common misspelling of misophonia. Correctly used, mesophonia is a grammatical term which means: "the repetition of a word or phrase in the middle of a sentence".
mimicking
A coping skill used in misophonia, where the making of a sound identical or similar to that of the trigger sound (or movement similar to that of the trigger movement) can bring some psychological relief to the sufferer. There is obvious scope for misunderstanding by the trigger person that their manners are being adversely commented on. Mimicking is a frequently observed characteristic in autism, but any correspondence with misophonia awaits research. Also known as echolalia (imitation of sounds) and echopraxia (imitation of movements).
misophobia
A common misspelling of misophonia, which, when used correctly, means "fear of dirt" or "fear of contamination".
misophonia
Fear or hatred of certain (or all) sounds. A term coined by US scientists Pawel and Margaret Jastreboff in 2001. Misophonia, SSSS, phonophobia and hyperacusis are often used interchangeably which is not helpful to definitional clarity. Misophonia UK's position is that:
● misophonia should be used to refer to a dislike of some, or all, sounds. Two apparently distinct kinds of misophonia are loud sound misophonia (LSM) and soft sound misophonia (SSM), better known as selective sound sensitivity sydrome or 4S.
● query whether misophonia should not be used to refer to a non-pathological dislike of sounds generally considered to be "noise", such as nails screeching against a blackboard.
● selective sound sensitivity should be considered a type of misophonia, where soft sounds (typically eating and breathing sounds made by emotional attachment figures) are the focus, and the quality of those sounds causes annoyance and rage in the listener.
● ligyrophobia should be restricted to loud sound misophonia.
● phonophobia should restricted to conditions where the patient unreasonably fears the sound will cause damage to their ears (ie not simply an extreme version of misophonia). [Ed: the problem with this definition is that phonophobia is already a term used to describe general noise intolerance associated with migraine].
● hyperacusis should be used to refer to intolerance of the experienced level (quantity) of a sound; noises simply sound "too loud".
Go here for a tabular representation of the suggested differences in terminology.
Misophonia Activation Scale
A diagnostic tool for clinicians and patients, developed by Misophonia UK.
negative affectivity
A disposition to negative moods such as anger, fear and nervousness.
neural plasticity
see plasticity, neural
A medical specialty which concerns the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems. The related surgical specialism is neurosurgery.
Neuromonics
A tinnitus treatment modality using a pleasant acoustic neural stimulus embedded in music as the therapeutic agent.
The branch of physiology that deals with the functioning of the nervous system.
See plasticity, neural.
Unpleasant, confused or loud sound.
Noise is, by definition, more troubling to humans than sound. Stansfeld describes noise as "a prototypical environmental stressor" which has health effects in addition to causing hearing loss. He finds that "[while] the evidence of elevated levels of aircraft noise leading to psychiatric hospital admissions and psychiatric disorder in the community is contradictory… there are well documented associations between noise exposure and changes in performance, sleep disturbance and emotional reactions such as annoyance… Although noise level explains a significant proportion of the variance in annoyance, the other major factor, confirmed in many studies, is subjective sensitivity to noise."
He finds that noise sensitivity is "moderately stable and associated with current psychiatric disorder and a disposition to negative affectivity… [It is] related to higher tonic skin conductance and heart rate and greater defence/startle responses during noise exposure in the laboratory. Noise-sensitive people attend more to noises, discriminate more between noises, find noises more threatening and out of their control, and react to, and adapt to noises more slowly than less noise-sensitive people."
non-confrontational coping skills
nosology
Nosology is the science of classifying diseases, typically by aetiology [cause], pathophysiology [mechanism of action], or occurrence of symptoms.
ocd/ocpd
See obsessive compulsive disorder/obsessive compulsive personality disorder.
obsessive compulsive disorder/obsessive compulsive personality disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a very common mental condition characterised by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and behaviours (compulsions) that cause anxiety, and the carrying out of repetitive behaviours to attempt to reduce those anxieties. OCD should not be confused with obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), which involves an obsession with perfection, rules, and organisation. People with OCPD may feel anxious when they perceive that things are not right. This can lead to routines and rules for ways of doing things, whether for themselves or their families. One can have either OCD or OCPD without necessarily having the other. One theory is that SSSS is a form of OCD or OCPD but there is no research to investigate this. [Definitions of OCD and OCPD taken from Wikipedia].
odynacusis
Probably synonymous with hyperacusis, being a lowered uncomfortable-loudness threshold irrespective of the listener's hearing threshold. Differs from misophonia and auditory allodynia because all sounds reaching a certain level are problematic, not simply those with affective connotations.
A physician or surgeon who specialises in otolaryngology.
A medical and surgical specialty concerned with the diagnosis, management and treatment of diseases of the ear, nose and throat. Otolaryngology is more commonly known as ENT and sometimes as otorhinolaryngology.
See otolaryngology.
A common subjective experience in a person undergoing a "full-blown" misophonic reaction. The reaction has also been described in term of rage and fear.
The DSM-IV [the American Psychiatric Association's official classification of mental disorders] describes a panic attack as "a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort in which (at least four of 13) symptoms develop abruptly and reach a peak within 10 minutes." The symptoms are:
● palpitations/accelerated heart rate
● sweating
● trembling or shaking
● sensation of shortness of breath or smothering
● feeling of choking
● chest pain or discomfort
● nausea or abdominal distress
● feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed, or faint
● derealisation (feeling of unreality) or depersonalisation (being detached from oneself)
● fear of losing control or going crazy
● fear of dying
● paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
● chills or hot flashes
See positron emission tomography.
phantom (auditory) perception
Phantom auditory perception, a subjective discernment of sound which cannot adequately be explained by external stimuli, has been proposed as a characterisation of misophonia as well as tinnitus. In "Understanding Sound Sensitivity in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders", Lillian Stiegler and Rebecca Davis, of Southeastern Louisiana University, suggest that misophonia and related conditions may, instead of originating in the auditory pathway, stem from centrally stored information about negative past auditory experiences, citing research by Ramachandran and Hirstein (1998) into the phenomenon of phantom perception in other contexts.
phonophobia
Literally, "extreme fear of sound". Phonophobia is often used to characterise a particularly severe reaction to sounds. In this respect, phonophobia is often considered a sub-set of misophonia. However, phonophobia is also used to refer to a condition where the patient fears that a sound will actually damage their ears, while another meaning ascribed to it is "fear of telephones/telephoning."The previous "official" meaning of phonophobia was "fear of speaking", but this is now considered a subsidiary definition. To aid definitional clarity, Misophonia UK's view is that the use of phonophobia as a term of art should be restricted to fear of sound causing damage to one's ears. Just to complicate matters further, phonophobia is used to describe a well-recognised symptom in migraine, but this condition's relationship to misophonia has not been investigated in the literature. Cf misophonia and ligyrophobia.
The science of the functioning of living organisms.
pink noise
plasticity, neural
A change in the functioning of neural pathways. Neural plasticity may orginally give rise to misophonia and is therefore a potentially fruitful area of research.
positron emission tomography (PET)
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine imaging technique which produces 3D images of the functioning body. A study using PET has given support to the Jastreboff model of tinnitus.
potentiation
Potentiation refers an increase in sensitivity to the trigger person or trigger sound. A common temporary cause of potentiation is tiredness.
prevalence (epidemiology)
The total number of cases of a particular illness in a population, ie how widespread the condition is. Not to be confused with incidence.
A medical doctor specialising in psychiatry.
The diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders by a medical doctor. Not to be confused with psychology or psychotherapy.
See clinical psychologist.
The most common subjective experience of a person undergoing a "full-blown" misophonic reaction. The experience has also been described as panic, fear etc.
selective sound sensitivity syndrome (SSSS or 4S)
Extreme dislike of everyday sounds, typically eating and breathing noises made by people or animals to whom the sufferer is emotionally attached, eliciting a rage or panic reaction. Some practitioners use the term synonymously with misophonia, while others claim that SSSS is a discrete condition.
The intentional injuring of body tissue without suicidal intent. There are anecdotal reports of misophonia sufferers doing self-harm to alleviate the rage reaction in misophonia.
self-triggering
Uncommonly, a person with misophonia may trigger a reaction in themselves by their own eating or breathing sounds, typically when they are overtired.
sexual arousal, unwanted
Some people with misophonia experience a feeling of unwanted sexual arousal on hearing one or more of their trigger sounds. This may be caused by over-activation of the hormonal circuits during the rage/panic stage. Adrenaline (epinephrine in American English) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine in American English) are both involved in fight-or-flight and sexual response.
soft sound misophonia (SSM)
Another term for soft sound sensitivity syndrome, used to differentiate it from loud sound misophonia.
soft sound sensitivity syndrome
soundscape sensitivity
A non-medical term for hyperacusis.
Perhaps due to its youth and lack of familiarity, misophonia is a term that is often misspelt. Although there are many permutations, "mesophonia" and "misophobia" seem to make regular appearances. They are both existing English words, meaning "the repetition of a word in the middle of a sentence" and "fear of dirt", respectively.
See soft sound misophonia.
A syndrome is a collection of patient-reported symptoms and/or clinically-observed characteristics that are frequently found together, suggesting the presence of an underlying condition, albeit one whose pathophysiology [mechanism of action] may not yet be understood.
systematic desensitisation
Systematic desensitisation is a graduated exposure therapy, where the patient is exposed to an anxiety-causing situation in discrete, manageable amounts. Once the situation has been confronted and the fear receded, another manageable situation is introduced. Systematic desensitisation should not be confused with flooding, where patients are expected to withstand intense anxiety. See flooding.
Desensitisation is used in Tinnitus Retraining Therapy but the Jastreboffs say that it is not an effective therapy for misophonia. Desensitisation works on the auditory system and consequently does not affect misophonia. What is required is active extinction of conditioned reflexes between the auditory and limbic systems. Their protocol claims to achieve this through the therapeutic use of pleasant music.
term of art
A word or phrase that has a special meaning in a particular context.
Treatments for misophonia may be classed as a) medical, b) physical and c) talking therapies.
a) No medicine has yet been licensed for misophonia and, to the knowledge of Misophonia UK, none is on the horizon. There are a few anecdotal reports that SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants can help with the symptoms but this is not by any means a widely accepted therapy.
b) Talking therapies include cognitive behavioural therapy and psychotherapeutic hypnotherapy.
c) Physical devices that mask ambient sounds can be deployed, but the advice of an audiologist should be sought first.
Again, anecdotal evidence suggests that all these therapies have the potential to do more harm than good. See also: coping skills.
A ringing or other sensation in the ear that is heard only by the sufferer.
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)
Treatment based on the Jastreboff model. TRT aims to change the body's reactions to a trigger sound, as well as the perception of the trigger sound itself. The goal is to re-educate the patient so that they accept the trigger sound in the same way as they would the noise of their refrigerator. They are not normally aware of it, and if they become aware, it does not trouble them.
Tiredness can cause a person with misophonia to be more sensitive than usual to their trigger sounds. They may even trigger a reaction in themselves with their own breathing or eating sounds.
see therapy.
trigger person
A person who elicits a misophonic reaction in a sufferer.
trigger sound
A sound which elicits a misophonic reaction in a sufferer.
violence ideation (or violent ideation)
Thinking about doing violence without necessarily intending, or even desiring, to do it. (The Oxford English Dictionary defines ideation as "the formation of ideas or mental images of things not present to the senses."). Violence ideation is a common although not essential component of the misophonic reaction. Whether those ideas are ever acted out is not clear. There are anecdotal reports of people with misophonia doing violence to others in response to a misophonic attack, but there is no research on how common a phenomenon it is. [Ed:Common sense suggests that most people with misophonia do not assault their trigger people].
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Home » Press » Journal of American Folklore. Leo Levi, the Man with the Nagra
Journal of American Folklore. Leo Levi, the Man with the Nagra
Steve Sipporin
Leo Levi-The Man with the Nagra. 2011. By Yaala Levi Zimmerman. 90 min. DVD. In He- brew and Italian, subtitles in English. (Jerusa- lem, Israel: Ruth Diskin, Ltd.)
Leo Levi-The Man with the Nagra is a film that will appeal to several audiences, exploring as it does the diverse yet profoundly interwoven pas- sions of Leo Levi's life (1912-1982). One of those passions, the ethnomusicology of Italian Jewry, will be of particular interest to readers of this journal, especially since his ethnomusi- cological work was a unique, single-handed salvage operation, undertaken at the last pos- sible moment. Levi's story is all the more engag- ing because his was a committed ideological life in which the collection, transcription, preserva- tion, and analysis of traditional music brought together all the other threads of his life and became his most fulfilling and fruitful labor.
Leo Levi was not just an ethnomusicologist of Italian Jewry; he was virtually the only col- lector of traditional Italian Jewish music. He mainly recorded synagogue melodies-hymns, chants, blessings, holiday prayers, the Torah cantillations, and other liturgical music. He also collected non-liturgical folk songs, including local variations of widespread Passover songs like Had Gadya/Capretto ("One Little Goat"). Italy is famous, of course, for its distinct re- gional folk cultures, and Italian Jews, being as much regional Italians as Jews, replicated pat- terns of regional variation even in their reli- gious expressive culture. Their communities consisted of descendants of both those who had come (or had been brought as slaves) from an- cient Judea to Rome (the "Italkim") and gen- erations of Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews who had been expelled from Spain, Portugal, France, and Germany. The proportions of this ethnic mix varied according to the community, a city like Livorno being completely Sephardic and a city like Venice having roughly equal numbers of Sephardic, Ashkenazic, and Italkic Jews. Three small cities in Piedmont-Asti, Fossano, and Moncalvo-preserved a liturgy from France. The different musical traditions from these sources mixed in various ways in each synagogue and were passed on orally/aurally. Thus, musical traditions varied not only be- tween regions, but even between synagogues within the same cities.
Leo Levi's gift to the world began with his realization, after World War II, that although much of this repertoire had already disap- peared, and many singers who knew the melo- dies were old and were the last singers of par- ticular traditions, it was still possible, if he acted quickly, to save a great deal of it. He convinced RAI, the Italian state-owned public broadcast- ing station, to fund his fieldwork as part of It- aly's folklore (a hard sell in postwar, pre-boom Italy, as Israeli ethnomusicologist Edwin Se- roussi points out in the film). Subsequently, during the 1950s and early 1960s, Levi suc- ceeded in recording over 1,000 melodies from 27 different liturgical traditions. During his lifetime, he disseminated articles in scholarly publications, and in 2002, these articles were collected in an anthology, Canti tradizionali e tradizioni liturgiche: Ricerche e studi sulle tra- dizioni musicali ebraiche esui loro rapporti con il canto cristiano,1 edited by Roberto Leydi, the leading Italian ethnomusicologist with whom Levi sometimes collaborated. Two sets of Levi's field recordings are available in archives, one at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the other at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. …