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Discernment. For the past four nights, we’ve been talking about the three intention faculties: persistence, mindfulness, and concentration. We call them the intention faculties because they are things that you’re trying to do and trying to create. They do incorporate some aspects of attention as well, and they build on conviction and discernment, but their primary emphasis is intention: what you’re trying to do.
Tonight, we’ll return more directly to an attention faculty: discernment. Its focus is more on what you’re trying to know: what to pay attention to, and how to pay attention to it. This faculty is expressed in terms of the four noble truths. The Canon describes it in these terms:
“And what is the faculty of discernment? There is the case where a monk, a disciple of the noble ones, is discerning, endowed with discernment of arising & passing away—noble, penetrating, leading to the right ending of stress. He discerns, as it has come to be: ‘This is stress… This is the origination of stress… This is the cessation of stress… This is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.’ This is called the faculty of discernment.” [§1]
This faculty builds on conviction and it takes inspiration from the Buddha’s awakening, and particularly, the third knowledge of that awakening, when he was able to reach the deathless by focusing on the problem of suffering.
When, in the very beginning, we use the four noble truths as tools to focus on our own suffering, it’s done out of faith that we’ll get worthwhile results. This requires faith for two main reasons.
The first is that the promised results—a deathless happiness—lie beyond our current experience, raising the standard of how good a potential happiness can be. Some people take umbrage at the idea of a deathless happiness because it seems to imply that they’ve been contenting themselves with second-rate happiness; other people like the idea, because it points to a happiness that could be truly satisfying. It takes wisdom and discernment not to get offended at the idea of a deathless happiness, but even so, in the beginning it has to be taken on faith.
The second reason why the four noble truths have to be taken on faith is because their analysis of suffering is counterintuitive. In the Buddha’s analysis, we suffer in feeding on our sense of what we are and how we can get what we want. Both of these things—our sense of what we are and how we can get what we want—constitute our basic strategies for happiness. Feeding is innate to our sense of what it means to be a being. And yet here the Buddha is telling us that we’re suffering because of these things: our strategies for happiness and the activity that sustains us. This is why the Buddha’s analysis goes against the grain, and why our resistance to it can be hard to uproot.
But concentration has put us in a better position to take advantage of this analysis by changing our feeding habits. It’s like learning how to eat health food after eating junk food for a long time. It takes a while to get used to health food, but once you’ve grown used to it, you don’t want to go back to junk food anymore. As we see that the Buddha’s approach helps lessen our level of suffering, we begin to get an inkling that maybe he was right. This inkling, though, is not really confirmed until the first taste of awakening.
So what are the four noble truths? They’re not just four interesting facts about suffering. They’re a way of dividing our experience into four categories, so as to recognize what to do with events in each category for the purpose of gaining release. The four noble truths are also a value judgment, asserting that the problem of suffering you cause yourself is the most important problem to solve. Once this problem is solved, nothing else is a true problem for the mind.
The first truth is stress and suffering, the second one is the origination of suffering, the third is the cessation of suffering, and the fourth is the path of practice leading to the cessation of suffering. When you look at the four noble truths and the fact that the Buddha is taking suffering as the main problem you should focus your attention on trying to solve, you also see the role that intention plays in formulating these truths. They’re based on goodwill for yourself and others. If the Buddha didn’t have goodwill for everyone, he wouldn’t have spent time focusing on this topic. As for us, the desire to solve the problem of the suffering we cause ourselves is, of course, based on goodwill for ourselves, but it’s also based on goodwill for others: The less suffering we cause ourselves, the less of a burden we’ll be on the people around us.
So let’s look at the four truths in detail.
First, suffering and stress: The Buddha never said that life is suffering. He said something more specific and infinitely more useful about suffering. He started out by listing different examples of suffering: the suffering of birth, aging, illness, and death; sorrow, lamentation, despair; the suffering of not getting what you want, the suffering of having to be with what you don’t like, and the suffering of being separated from what you do like. Then he summarized all of these kinds of suffering under the five clinging-aggregates: form, feeling, perceptions, fabrications, and consciousness, grasped at through any of the four kinds of clinging. Each of these is an activity. And as we mentioned the other night, they all play a role in feeding.
The aggregates are not the Buddha’s definition of what you are. Instead, they’re the raw material from which you create your sense of who or what you are. Remember also that clinging, too, is an activity—and it’s also a type of feeding. So we have a double layer of feeding here. Now, each aggregate is composed of a potential that comes from the past and the act of actualizing that potential in the present moment. And we actualize the aggregates in anticipation of the pleasure we’ll get out of them. So there are three layers of activity in each aggregate, and we cling to all three: to the potentials coming from the past, to the actualizing of that potential, and to the results we anticipate as we actualize them.
We’ve been using cooking as an analogy throughout these talks, so let’s use the analogy here: The three levels of clinging are like clinging, one, to the ingredients that you’re going to prepare, and then, two, to the way you prepare them. For example, this morning, when I mentioned putting olives in ratatouille, I saw a shiver of revulsion go through the room, with some people saying, “No, no! That’s heresy.” That’s the second level of clinging: to the way you actualize ratatouille. And then the third level is clinging to your anticipation of how good the ratatouille is going to be.
Clinging gets bad when you keep repeating an activity in anticipation of getting good results even when it’s not giving good results. This is a problem of poor judgment. You may have heard the story of the wise man who was eating a bushel of hot peppers and crying from the pain. People asked him, “Why are you eating the peppers?” “I’m looking for the sweet one.” He was teaching a lesson about bad judgment. And for most of us, bad judgment is the way we live our lives.
I’ll give you an example from America. On the highway to Las Vegas, there are signs by the side of the road, advertising the various casinos, and they say, “Guaranteed 93% payback rate!” Now what are they saying? They’re saying, “You give us a dollar and we’ll give you back 93 cents.” And yet people still go in droves. While we’re on the topic of Las Vegas—and the reason I know about Las Vegas is because when I go camping in Zion National Park or the Grand Canyon, I have to pass through Las Vegas on the way—my favorite sign on the road there says: “Las Vegas: Seven deadly sins, one convenient location.” Again, people see this sign and they still go.
I read of a positive psychologist, one who studies how people become happy, and he was noticing that the people he was studying had very bad judgment about how they found happiness. They would tell him that something made them really happy, but if he actually talked to them while they were engaged in the activity, he’d find that they were not really that happy at all. He kept thinking, “Why are people so stupid?” But then he thought about himself. He liked climbing mountains, but when he was honest with himself, he realized that while he was actually climbing mountains, he was miserable. It was only after or before climbing that he liked it. So it’s a common trait: We’re poor judges of what really makes us happy.
To get past this poor judgment, we don’t stop judging. We have to develop better powers of judgment as to what’s worth doing or not. For example, the Buddha says that not only do we feed on the aggregates, but the aggregates also chew on us—and we don’t see the connection. I’ll give you an analogy. It’s like feeding chickens because we want to eat their eggs. But we have two problems. One is that we eat everything that comes out of the chickens, not just the eggs. That’s the first problem. The second problem is that these are chickens from hell. At night, they come and peck at our eyes and our ears and our brain and our heart, and yet we don’t make the connection: The more we feed them, the more they’ll have the strength to peck at us.
Insight and discernment are basically going to teach us how to see the connection and how to put a stop to it. To begin with, they teach us to eat only the good things, i.e., the eggs, that come out of the chickens—the eggs, here, standing for the practice of concentration. But eventually, insight and discernment will bring us to a point where we won’t have to feed on anything at all. That way we can stop feeding the chickens, and they won’t peck at us any more.
This means that we have to stop clinging, ultimately, even to good things. As the Buddha said, suffering is in the clinging. It’s not the case that we suffer only because we cling to impermanent and inconstant things. Even when we cling to the deathless, there’s going to be stress. So simply being in the position where you have to feed, even if it’s on good chicken eggs or on something better than eggs, you’re still in a position of weakness because there’s the tension in trying to hold on.
That’s the first noble truth.
The second noble truth deals with the cause of suffering, craving, which comes in three types: craving for sensuality, craving for becoming, and craving for non-becoming. Now, it’s not the case that all desire is bad for the purpose of release. Some desire does play a role in the path, as we saw when we were discussing the faculty of persistence. The desire we have to overcome is contained in these three types of craving. They are the cause of suffering that you have to focus on abandoning.
Under craving for sensuality, remember that sensuality is basically our fascination with thinking about and planning sensual pleasures. Craving for becoming means wanting to take on an identity in a particular world of experience. What’s interesting is that craving for non-becoming also leads to more suffering, because as you try to destroy a state of becoming, you take on a new identity as the destroyer or as the person who will benefit from the destruction.
This means that if you want to put an end to suffering, you have to think strategically. In other words, you can’t just destroy becoming, because the act of destroying creates new becoming. Instead, you have to stop feeding the causes of becoming, and then becoming will end on its own. The way you do that is by developing dispassion, which is the third noble truth: the cessation of suffering through dispassion for craving. And then the fourth noble truth is the path to dispassion, which consists of virtue, concentration, and discernment.
Each of these truths carries a duty. The duty with regard to suffering is to comprehend it. Comprehension means understanding the five clinging-aggregates to the point of dispassion.
The duty with regard to craving is to abandon it.
The duty with regard to cessation is to realize it. There are many times when we let go of craving but we’re not really aware of what we’re doing, because we let go of one craving just to hold onto another one. So, to realize cessation means noticing that when you let go of craving, there really is a lessening of suffering.
The duty with regard to the path is to develop it.
Now, the Buddha’s not imposing these duties on you. Simply that if you want to put an end to suffering, this is what you’ve got to do.
And notice that the first three duties revolve around dispassion: You comprehend suffering to the point of dispassion, you abandon craving through developing dispassion for it, and suffering ceases because of dispassion. However, the duty with regard to the fourth noble truth—developing it—requires a certain amount of passion. You need to be passionate about virtue, concentration, and discernment in order for them to grow. At the same time, you still need to feed in the course of the practice. You can’t just say, “Oh, the food and the stomach, they’re impermanent, so I’ll just stop eating.” It doesn’t work that way. You have to strengthen the mind first so that it’s in a position where it no longer needs to feed—and this is what we do as we practice the path. We develop the five strengths so that they become five faculties. When concentration is in charge of the mind—i.e., when it becomes a faculty—it provides us with alternative food. And when the other faculties are in charge, they change our relationship to feeding entirely.
Now as I mentioned the other night, the path, too, is made out of aggregates, which, after you’ve fully developed the path and it has done its work, you’ll eventually have to let go. In other words, at first you’re passionate about developing the path, but when it’s developed, you have to grow dispassionate toward it. This is why the practice of the path has to be strategic and why it occurs in stages. Remember the story of Ajaan Chah and the banana: You hold onto the peel until it’s time to eat the banana. Only then do you let it go. It’s the same with the path. You hold onto it until it’s performed its duty. Only then do you develop dispassion for it, too, and let it go.
Now with every activity we do, we have to make a value judgment. The question is: Is this worth doing? Only when we develop dispassion for our activities can we stop doing them, and these are the steps in how that’s done: You look at your various activities and ask yourself, “Is this worth doing?” To answer this question, the Buddha has you analyze each activity in five steps so that you can make that judgment wisely [§10]. First, you look at the origination of whatever it is: When it comes, what sparks it? Second, when it passes away, what passes away with it? Third, what’s the allure of this activity? Fourth, what are its drawbacks? And then fifth, when you compare the allure with the drawbacks and you see that the drawbacks are much heavier, then you find the escape, which is dispassion.
To apply this analysis to the analogy of the chickens: We cling, one, to the chickens and to whatever comes out of the chickens; two, to our habitual ways of taking whatever comes out of the chickens and turning it into food; and three, to our anticipation of the enjoyment we’ll get out of eating the food. All too often, our attachment to the anticipation blinds us to the fact that, in clinging to the raw material, we’re clinging to chicken droppings. So the five steps help us to sort these things out. The first step is to see, when the raw material for our food first appears, that although sometimes it starts with eggs, sometimes it actually starts with chicken droppings. The second step is to see that even the good food, from the eggs, doesn’t last. The third step is to see how our anticipations talk us into finding even the chicken droppings alluring. The fourth step is to see that some of the food—from the droppings—actually makes us sick, and that even when we make good food from the eggs, our attachment to the chickens puts us in a position where they can peck our eyes out. When we see all this, we feel dispassion for everything connected with chickens, and that’s when we let go.
To apply the five steps to an actual problem in life, think of the example of anger: First, you want to see, when it comes, how is it coming and what’s sparking it?—because all too often we don’t see that point. We tend to be aware of our anger only when it’s strong. But if you really want to understand it, you have to see what sparks it to begin with. That will allow you to see that, all too often, the spark can be very minor. Then you look for the moments when the anger falls away. When it seems to last, you have to ask, is it really lasting? Are there moments when it passes away? Too often what happens is that anger comes, and the hormones start getting churned up in your body. The thoughts of anger go away for a moment, yet you’ll notice that the physical symptoms of the anger are still in the body and so you tell yourself, “I must still be angry,” and so you dig it up again. But by looking for the origination and passing away of the actual thought of anger, you’ll see that it’s more arbitrary and less monolithic than you may have thought. That begins to cut it down to a size where you feel that you can manage it.
Then you look for the allure of the anger: Why do you like it? Often we deny the fact that we like our anger. But until you admit that you like the anger—or at least one of the members of your committee likes the anger—you won’t be able to let it go. You can see the drawbacks again and again and again, but if you don’t see the allure, you’re not going to be able to make an effective comparison. When you do see the actual allure—what you really find compelling about anger, and this may occur on many levels—that’s when you can compare it with the drawbacks. And then, when you see that the pain of the drawbacks outweighs the pleasure of the allure, that’s when you develop dispassion for it. That’s the escape.
This is where the three perceptions of inconstancy, stress, and not-self come in. They’re tools for developing dispassion. They’re often called the three characteristics, but the Buddha never called them that. They are not necessarily the only characteristics of things in our experience—after all, the Buddha did admit that the aggregates have their pleasant side—but they are the aspects of the aggregates that you should focus on if you want to develop dispassion. They help you develop dispassion by focusing on the drawbacks of the things you’re attracted to, the things that are the objects of your clinging, and the act of clinging itself within the mind.
The first perception is the perception of inconstancy. This is sometimes translated as “impermanence,” but I prefer the translation “inconstancy” for two main reasons. One, the Pāli term here, anicca, is the opposite of nicca, which in normal contexts means “constant.” Two, psychologically, the fact that something is impermanent doesn’t necessarily make it a cause of suffering, but if something is inconstant, then there’s a constant sense of stress around it. For example, you might build a house on a mountain, and you know the mountain’s impermanent, but you tell yourself, “It’s going to be permanent enough for me. By the time the mountain moves, I’m going to be long gone.” So it’s not necessarily stressful. But if you build a house in an area where they have frequent earthquakes or fires or the ground is very unstable, the inconstancy of the situation makes it stressful. So that’s the first perception.
The second perception is the perception of dukkha—stress or suffering. As I mentioned the other night, I prefer “stress” as a translation because it helps to de-romanticize the problem of suffering.
And then finally, the perception of anattā, or not-self: Notice that “not-self” is an adjective. It doesn’t say that there is no self. It’s simply saying that “This is not worth clinging to as your self.” It’s a value judgment, that any clinging around what you recognize as not-self should be let go.
In line with the duties of the four noble truths, you’re going to be applying these perceptions to different things in different ways at different stages of the path. In the beginning of the path, as you’re developing your virtue, you focus these three perceptions on things that would pull you away from your virtue. For instance, the Buddha says that we might feel tempted to break a precept out of concern for our health, our relatives, or our wealth. An example would be deciding you had to lie to get out of suffering physical punishment, or to protect a relative, or to protect your belongings. For the sake of putting an end to suffering, though, the Buddha recommends that you have to see health, relatives, and wealth as not-self, whereas your virtue is what’s truly yours, a treasure you want to hold onto. So for the moment, you don’t focus on the drawbacks of virtue. You focus on the drawbacks of any attachment to the things that would pull you away from it.
Similarly, when you’re practicing concentration: Remember Ajaan Lee’s instructions, that in developing concentration you’re actually fighting against the three characteristics. This means that you focus on the drawbacks of things that would pull you out of concentration, while you still hold onto the concentration. For example, thoughts of sensual desire should be seen as inconstant and stressful, while you focus on making your concentration as constant and easeful as possible. As your concentration deepens, you then focus your analysis on things that would keep you in a more shallow level of concentration and prevent you from going into deeper concentration. For example, after you’ve made the breath as comfortable as possible, you see that directed thought and evaluation are inconstant and stressful, so you let them go. You don’t yet focus on the drawbacks of the deepest concentration you can master.
Now as you’re developing discernment, you have to hold onto the activity of discernment itself. You focus on your different attachments and then you focus on the concentration itself. The Buddha calls this “having your theme of reflection well in hand, well attended to, well-pondered, well-penetrated by means of discernment.” The image he gives is of a man standing, watching a man sitting, or of a man sitting watching a man lying down [§8]. In other words, you pull out slightly from your concentration, enough to observe it but not enough to destroy it, and you start analyzing it in terms, say, of the different aggregates: form, feeling, perception, fabrications, and consciousness, as we mentioned last night. As you observe it, you realize that these aggregates are inconstant, stressful, not-self [§9]. Then you think about how any other level of concentration would be the same thing. So what do you do? As the Buddha says, you incline the mind to the deathless. Then the mind neither stays there nor moves, and you feel dispassion for everything, even for discernment itself.
In Zen they have an analogy for this. They say you’ve climbed up a flagpole and there’s an animal climbing up the flagpole trying to eat you. The higher you go, the closer it gets. What do you do? You have to let go not only of the flagpole, but also of gravity. In other words, at that point, you’re letting go of everything. So you drop even the perceptions of discernment, the perceptions that discernment was using, and that’s when freedom is total.
This is why, when Ajaan Mahā Boowa was asked that question about nibbāna, whether it’s self or not-self, his answer was, “Nibbāna is nibbāna.” Perceptions of self and not-self, at that point, don’t apply. This is also why there was that passage in the readings where the Buddha takes the analysis that’s usually applied to attachments—in other words, dealing with the allure and drawbacks and then the escape—and applies it even to the five faculties [§11]. In other words, you have to find the escape even from them. Ajaan Lee gives a good analogy for this. He says it’s like using water to put out a fire. Once the fire’s out, the water’s not there either. The fire stands for your defilements; the water, for the path, including your discernment. It’s only when everything is let go that total freedom can be found.
However, for most of us, when we come upon our very first taste of the deathless, our first reaction is like any child’s reaction on seeing something. We want to eat it. We want to cling to the experience of the deathless. This is why awakening occurs in stages. It’s because we’re trying to hold onto nibbāna that we get pulled away from it, sort of thrown out—in other words, we can’t stay there. Our clinging is what pulls us away from it.
Now, to solve this tendency the Buddha taught not only that all fabricated things are not-self, but also that all phenomena, fabricated or not, have to be perceived as not-self, too. Otherwise, we keep clinging to good things, and that way we can never get the freedom that comes from not clinging at all. Remember the image of the fire. It’s not trapped by its fuel. It’s trapped because it clings to the fuel. When it totally lets go, then it’s freed.
But before you reach that point where you let go of all five faculties, you have to develop them so that they really do take charge of your mind. This is why Ajaan Lee gave that analogy of not letting go like a pauper. A pauper will say, “I let go of my BMW because I don’t have a BMW.” Which accomplishes nothing. First, you earn the money to buy the BMW and then you let it go. That way, even when you let it go, it’s still there for you to use for your own purposes and to drive other people around. In other words, you get uses out of these things to help others, and then when your work is done, you totally let it go, leaving it in the world for other people to use after you’re gone.
It’s like the Buddha: He developed his concentration and discernment, but even after he let them go at his awakening, they were still there for him to use to help in his work of teaching. Then when he let them go totally, at the moment of his total nibbāna, he still left his discernment in the world for us here to use now.
So we work on these things even though we know someday we’re going to have to let them go. We work on developing them because they’ll do us a lot of good—getting us to the point where we can let go and find the deathless—and a lot of good for others.
We’ve been talking about the higher levels of the practice to give you a sense of inspiration that the path is worthwhile. It more than repays the effort that we put into it—and the work does reach a point where you don’t have to do it anymore. As the ajaans in Thailand like to say, the work of the world is never finished, it never knows an end, but the work of the Dhamma does reach an end. When it’s done, it’s done. That’s why it’s so worthwhile.

domain: psychology


ARTIST NAME: Nōva
SONG TITLE: Heavy Hitters
RELEASE DATE: February 15th, 2019
Born and raised in the city of Montreal, Canada, music reaches deep into the singer-songwriter’s soul and influences every aspect of her life.
Classically trained in violin since the age of 7 and voice since the age of 12, experience, dedication, and creativity are not lacking. Nōva’s first two singles, “More” and “Am I the Only One” garnered much critical success with a total of over 500 000 streams…
Influenced by Lana Del Rey, Tove Lo, Banks, and Lady Gaga.
Tell us your real names, country of birth, and childhood experience.
As a child, I was always very creative. I’ve been performing on stages since I was 7 and haven’t stopped since.
I tried everything as a kid: dance, piano, violin, singing, muscle theatre, soccer, and basketball.
Tell us your academic qualification.
Bachelor in Communication and Cultural Studies.
Elaborate on your music career, band name, experience, and skills.
I grew up surrounded by music. My father would always sing and play guitar to me every morning and night. This really helped me at a young age develop an ear and also helped with my musicality.
I started playing violin at the age of 7 and continued until the age of 18. I loved the violin but my true passion was singing. I began taking vocal lessons at the age of 12. I then began to teach myself guitar and piano!
Tell us your genre and idea behind your music video or song.
My genre is pop but I definitely love jazz and alternative music as well.
The idea behind the music video for Heavy Hitters was to get all of my closest friends together and celebrate who we are.
The video is just about having fun and letting loose – expressing who you are.
Tell us how to run a record label based on your experience as an artist.
Running a label is definitely a very challenging thing to do. However, I think one element that is super important to retain is keeping the artist, above all…
Listening to the artist, their ideas, and their feedback is crucial, in my opinion for success.
Tell us how you are promoting your music.
Word of mouth and social media.
Share your press release and reviews with us.
Share your recording experience with us.
Producers on this track are the talented Alexander Bergil and Bobby Crane. Alex has worked with so many talented artists and producers including Fernando Garibay who produced some of my favorite Lady Gaga songs!
Bobby is one of my best friends who is amazingly talented.
Being able to work alongside these two creative producers was truly an honor.
Explain the story behind the song.
Growing up, I went through some ordeals. People constantly put me down – told me I wasn’t good enough, made fun of how I looked and how I sang.
It took a lot for me to feel confident enough to start releasing my own music and showing people my work.
“Heavy Hitters” is about finally letting go of all that negativity and celebrating who you are as a person. No matter what your background is, how you dress, how you look – it’s okay to be exactly who you are. Flaunt it!
List the radio stations, television stations, and blogs that have aired or featured your new song.
iHeart Radio Canada
CHLC – CHLC
Le 97.1 et 100.5
La Haute-Côte-Nord enverra (Forestville)
CIBM 107,1 – Le Géant Musical
Spotify – New Music Friday
Spotify – New Music Now
Spotify – Une Semaine, Une Playlist
Apple Music – Best of the Week
Apple Music – Made in Quebec
State the names of other members of your band, music producer, crew, or music video director.
Mark Vesprini – Co-Writer
Bobby Crane – Producer
Alexander Bergil – Producer
Director: Michaël Croteau
Editor: Alex Richard
Elaborate on the song and music video.
This song is about being who you are no matter what anyone tells you.
The video also reflects this seeing as we don’t care how we look, what we’re doing, what we say, we’re comfortable just being ourselves!
Tell us how long you have been in the music business, your experience, and your future goal.
I’ve been in the professional music business since I was 19. I’ve played at a variety of different venues and have written music in Los Angeles, Toronto, New York City, and Montreal.
My future goal is to perform at music festivals like Lollapalooza, Osheaga, and Coachella.
Tell us what makes you unique from others.
For years I thought about quitting school to pursue music but I thought why not do both. I graduated this summer with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications & Cultural Studies. I think school is very important but it’s looked at badly in this industry for some reason.
Tell us your weakness and strength pertaining to music.
Strength: Working and collaborating with others.
Weakness: Other instrument knowledge.
List your five favorite songs including the artists.
House of the Rising Sun – The Animals
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
What’s Up – 4 Non Blondes
Wicked Game – Chris Isaak
Dance in the Dark – Lady Gaga
Tell us your position on “Do It Yourself” and signing to a major label.
I think both routes are great. Depending on what the artist is looking for and what the goals are. Anything is possible with both routes.
Tell us other activities you are pursuing apart from music.
Yoga, acting, and soccer.
List your various works.
Am I the Only One
State the official date of release.
February 15th, 2019.
State your artist’s name and elaborate on it.
Nōva – Nova is the Latin meaning of new. As a child, I was put down a lot by my peers and was always very nervous to get up on stage.
When creating “Nōva” I wanted to break free from the box I had put myself in – I wanted to be a “new” version of myself.
State the title of the song and the meaning.
Heavy Hitters – Be you who are no matter what, and glow in the dark.


eCafe Slim also outed, only 0.8-inch thick
Hercules has introduced its eCafe EX HD and eCafe Slim HD 10.1-inch smartbooks that deliver long battery life as well as mobility. The pair differs from netbooks in that they run ARM Cortex A8 processors as well as a lightweight customization of the Linux OS. This combination helps the eCafe EX HD to deliver up to 13 hours of battery life and a near-instant boot time from standby of only 4 seconds.
Update arrives much later than promised
Toshiba has finally posted an Android 2.2 update for its AC100 smartbook, several months after the promised time-frame of an October release. The update brings the standard set of Froyo features, including Flash support, along with Toshiba's own app market and additional support for the Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities of the 3G version.
Qualcomm wins case, can keep smartbook title
Qualcomm scored an important if now largely symbolic victory in its dispute with Smartbook AG over the "smartbook" label. Germany's Patent and Trademark Office ruled that Smartbook AG's two trademarks on the formal name couldn't be applied to the generic term, which Qualcomm applied to any small, ultralight notebook using a cellphone-class processor and OS. Qualcomm can now use the term freely as long as it isn't in the formal context.
Google-branded ARM-based Inventec enroute
Google is reportedly set to launch a Google-branded smartbook this month running its new Chrome OS. The ARM-based smartbook is purported to be built by Inventec, a Taiwanese-based electronics manufacturer. It is expected to have 60,000-70,000 units ready for the initial launch run. According to the rumors, the sales model for the Google-branded device will be online only.
Qualcomm says iPad filled in smartbook role
Qualcomm chief Paul Jacobs made remarks today indirectly acknowledging that the iPad had all but eliminated the smartbook category. During an event, he argued that tablets like Apple's had displaced the smartbook category Qualcomm had been trying to make through devices like the Lenovo Skylight by achieving the same goal. A tablet fulfills the same role of a device with a persistent Internet connection and all-day battery life, he said.
Toshiba Android smartbook goes live
Toshiba's UK wing today finally started taking orders for its first Android device, the AC100. Its smartbook unveiled in June is available in its Wi-Fi-only version for £293 ($451). The core model ships with 8GB of storage, although Toshiba's site incorrectly mentions 128GB.
Lenovo and Toshiba getting faster CPUs
Lenovo's smartbook has been pushed back again while Toshiba is now turning its attention to tablets, rumors asserted today. The former's already delayed Skylight is now believed to be delayed again, to the end of the year, but will get a major performance upgrade in the process. It had originally been scheduled to get a single-core 1GHz Snapdragon processor but should now leap to a dual-core 1.5GHz version in return for the delay.
Toshiba AC100 gets Tegra 250, Android
Toshiba's last portable launch of the day is as equally unique as the others, as it signals the company's first step into smartbooks. The AC100 is just 0.8 inches thick and weighs 1.9 pounds but should be capable of more than an Intel notebook through its processor. Through a 1GHz, dual-core Tegra 250, it should handle HD video but still survive for up to seven hours on a charge.
Lenovo delays Skylight and U1 again for Google OS
Lenovo settled questions around its ultra-mobile PCs on Friday by planing a switch in OS for the Skylight smartbook and the IdeaPad U1 detachable tablet. The two will drop Lenovo's in-house Linux OS for Android in what's treated as a reaction to "market conditions and user feedback." Future plans now involve creating an entire ecosystem of Android devices that would include devices like the LePhone.
Lenovo, others held up by Flash optimizations
Adobe's repeated delays for Flash are a large part of why smartbooks haven't launched yet, ARM marketing VP Ian Drew said this week. Optimizations needed to make the plugin work have prevented the Lenovo Skylight and similar ARM-based mini notebooks from meeting their original spring targets. The Skylight, for example, now may not ship until July.
Dell to make ARM-based smartbooks with Google UI
Yet another Dell roadmap today has slipped out plans for full smartbooks. The convertible tablet Sparta and conventional Athens should both use ARM chips and either Android or pure Linux. Unusually, they may have 4:3 ratio, 11-inch 1024x768 displays, although they should have the usual options for 3G and Bluetooth.
Lenovo sees own smartbook as poor vs iPad
Lenovo's decision to delay the Skylight until July may have stemmed directly from competitive pressure from the iPad, according to an alleged leak. While the company hasn't explained it publicly, notebook industry contacts said Lenovo isn't happy with the performance versus the Apple tablet and that both the control and feature set aren't as strong as they could be.
HP Compaq Airlife 100 gets 12-hour runtime
HP ahead of Mobile World Congress has confirmed the Airlife 100. The company's first smartbook, the 10-inch touchscreen system is much like the concept design shown at CES and switches away from x86 to ARM, likely a 1GHz Snapdragon. The switch, along with the use of a 16GB flash drive, gives the system 12 hours of battery life (and 10 days of standby) even though the design is thinner than a typical Atom-based Mini netbook.
ARM wants to power netbook PCs in the future
Chipmaker ARM believes netbooks will make up 90 percent of the PC market, according to the company's chief executive Warren East. ARM is the biggest competitor to Intel's Atom CPUs in the netbook market, and East believes the company will not rely on Windows support in order to be successful. In a typical netbook, the main chip is usually an Intel or AMD device, with two or three ARM microprocessors for features such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and East says ARM is trying to change that.
HP slate and Android smartbook in works
(Updated with smartbook photos) As rumored, Microsoft at its CES 2010 keynote showed off an HP-designed tablet computer. The "slate" is completely new and lacks a physical keyboard, instead relying on capacitive touch. It also runs on Windows 7, sports multi-touch and adjusts for the orientation of the display, suggesting it has both an x86-based processor and an accelerometer.
Lenovo Skylight uses Snapdragon, 3G
Lenovo this morning became the first company to release a computer in the newly coined smartbook category. The Skylight has the 10-inch screen of a netbook but uses a 1GHz Snapdragonprocessor that lets it defy a number of expectations compared to an Atom-based system. It not only gets about 10 hours of real-world use but is thinner than some smartphones, weighs less than 2 pounds and can play HD video, even when in a web browser.
Qualcomm banned from using brand in Germany
German computer maker Smartbook AG has continued to threaten companies, including EE Times, that have been using the term "smartbook." The manufacturer recently sought a restraining order against the chip maker Qualcomm. Although Qualcommm and other companies, such as Freescale, use the term smartbook as a generic reference to portable Internet-ready devices that fall between the typical classifications for netbooks and smartphones, Smartbook AG has argued that it owns the sole rights to the trademark.
Lenovo smartbook uses Snapdragon chip
Qualcomm at its investor conference today showed what should be one of the first production smartbooks. The Lenovo design (pictured) would sit in between netbooks and smartphones in size and will run one of Qualcomm's own Snapdragon processors. It's similarly expected to use AT&T-based 3G for Internet access beyond Wi-Fi.
Qualcomm sales restrained
Qualcomm can no longer sell products that carry the "smartbook" name in Germany, as Smartbook AG has filed a restraining order against Qualcomm, Digitimes said on Tuesday. If Qualcomm fails to comply, it faces an equivalent fine of nearly $358,000 or an arrest for contempt. Smartbook AG CEO Dirk Pick says Qualcomm's German website, which divert users to the US page, are blocked to Internet users with German IP addresses.
Qualcomm netbook due in 09
Qualcomm has confirmed its Snapdragon-based smartphone and Smartbook netbook will launch in its home market of Korea later this year, according to a Monday Telecoms Korea report. The company is apparently engaged in talks with the country's local mobile operators to launch the products. The Smartbook will become available in the fall from Taiwanese companies, while the Snapdragon handset will come from a Korean phone maker late this year or early next year, said Qualcomm marketing director Jordan Lim.


text:
La Santa Cecilia Concert
April 18, 2018
111 E Robinson Ave, El Paso, TX 79902
- The Lowbrow Palace
- $17.00 - $20.00
La Santa Cecilia is a Mexican-American band based in Los Angeles, California who play a blend of many forms of music, including cumbia, bossa nova, and boleros. The name La Santa Cecilia is based upon the patron saint of musicians, Saint Cecilia.

domain: artistic


text:
How ketamine relieves depression by suppressing the brain's "anti-reward" center
The anti-depressant qualities of ketamine, initially developed as an anesthetic before drifting into recreational circles due to its hallucinogenic properties, have been a booming topic of research over the past few years. Anecdotal evidence of the drug's effects have been so strong that "ketamine clinics" have popped up all over the US, delivering experimental treatments to patients for hundreds of dollars a dose. Researchers at Zhejiang University in China have now uncovered exciting new insights into a mechanism that may finally explain how ketamine has such a rapid anti-depressant effect.
Research from Columbia University Medical Center has recently clinically verified the drug's ability to rapidly reduce major depressive symptoms in a matter of hours, but the actual mechanism underlying these effects has been unclear. It's been known for some time that ketamine blocks a protein receptor in the brain called N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and it is this process that some have suspected is the cause of the drug's fast-acting anti-depressant qualities. But until now it hasn't been clear where in the brain this process is occurring.
The new research focused on a very small area deep in the center of the brain called the lateral habenula. This area is commonly referred to by researchers as the "anti-reward center," as it's known for suppressing nearby reward areas of the brain that release dopamine and serotonin. Following growing evidence suggesting that overactivity in the lateral habenula is related to depression, the researchers examined how ketamine directly affects activity in that region of the brain.
Using rodent models, they found that certain patterns of rapid bursts of neuronal activity in the lateral habenula resulted in major depressive behavior in the animals. This correlation was verified by genetically engineering rats to enhance this particular type of brain activity, confirming that it did indeed promote symptoms of depression. The next part of the research revealed that this particular bursting neuronal activity in the lateral habenula was dependent on NMDA receptors, and knowing that ketamine was an NMDA receptor blocker led the researchers to examine if this could be the elusive mechanism behind the drug's rapid anti-depressant effects.
Administering ketamine directly into the lateral habenula of rats resulted in a very quick reversal of depression-like behaviors in the animals. A second experiment using a more specific NMDA receptor antagonist achieved the same reduction in burst activity and associated anti-depressant effects, suggesting that this is the probable mechanism behind ketamine's rapid positive effects.
The researchers do note that while this study addresses the rapid effects of ketamine, it doesn't account for the long-term anti-depressant qualities of the drug. However, suppressing burst activity in the lateral habenula does look like a promising area for new antidepressant research. A second accompanying research paper from the same team examined what could be causing this overactivity in the lateral habenula and suggests a potential protein target that could be manipulated to block it.
While there is a growing amount of research into the use of ketamine for depression, the drug's strong psychoactive effect and potential for abuse will certainly limit its widespread application. This research into how ketamine works on the brain will hopefully direct scientists toward the development of new ketamine-inspired drugs that target these same brain areas without the other negative psychoactive effects.
The study was published in the journal Nature.
Please keep comments to less than 150 words. No abusive material or spam will be published.

domain: biology


text:
The beach comes first on most summertime must-do lists, but some of this season’s most scorching heat is coming from new kitchens cropping up around the country. So, pull your toes out of the sand and bask in the glow of hot chefs and cold craft cocktails at these six essential restaurants. Just remember to put your sandals on first.
Unveiled in May at Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star resort The Broadmoor, Ristorante Del Lago’s interior was inspired by Lake Como’s countryside. Famed hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany brought the idea to life with reclaimed materials from Italian villas. As for the culinary creations at the 148-seat restaurant, they’re conceived by executive sous chef David Patterson and chef de cuisine Justin Miller. Dishes reflect the design’s casual sophistication, encompassing the culinary traditions of Italy with vitello tonnato, a Piedmontese veal appetizer, and housemade sausages with red peppers. Exposed wooden beams and a retractable glass wall overlooking the Rocky Mountains make it easy for you to relax into a leisurely meal. A charcuterie course from the temperature-controlled salumi and cheese room, and a grappa or an Amari from the digestif cart only help to complete the mood.
Love chef Tim Graham’s modern take on Mediterranean fare at Travelle? His new, intimate concept at The Langham, Chicago, which sits right on the waterfront between the State and Wabash bridges, serves up creative taco fillings (such as crispy chickpeas or piri piri chicken) either folded into flatbread or served on a bed of greens. Bring a group, because while three tacos are fun, a dozen spread across the table is a mini fiesta. (Want a real party? Thanks to strategically placed jam boxes around the establishment, you can choose your own music.) Housemade sauces that range from mild to blazing will leave you thirsting for one of Elle’s punchbowls — a heaping Better Than a Bradford (Tanqueray, watermelon, basil, lemon) serves six and can arrive topped with prosecco.
Just below Central Park, in new luxury lifestyle hotel The Quin, sits the Wayfarer. The two-level space is reminiscent of old New York clubs that were all the rage a century ago. Leather banquettes and vintage lighting in a plush dining room and lounge help the vision. Serving 22-ounce rib-eyes and locally sourced catches, executive chef Braden Reardon’s menu combines steak tartare and seafood towers made of oysters and clams, with the more unexpected pickled beets and braised bacon. Mixologist Christian Sanders, of Evelyn Drinkery fame, crafted the cocktail list.
The food and fashion marketplace mash-up “combining retail, restaurant and café” has been the city’s most-anticipated opening since rumors swirled of its planning more than two years ago. The brainchild of chef Eric Bruner-Yang of Toki Underground and Will Sharp of the Durkl clothing line, the H Street NE space will house several of Washington’s best food artisans, including Frenchie’s Bakery, Vigilante Coffee and Bruner-Yang’s famed Cambodian sandwiches when it (hopefully) opens in late summer. Though design details have been vague, expect the spot to be a modern reinterpretation of an Asian night market.
Just opened on June 26, the 10,000-square-foot, three-level eatery on Chicago’s Gold Coast brings the olive-oil-centric restaurant’s Mediterranean food to the Midwest. At the oasis meant to resemble the French Riviera (limestone, stucco walls and a top-level garden terrace), servers deliver fresh and seasonal dishes such as zucchini carpaccio and paella del mar with a choice of three distinct olive oils. Savor executive chef Pascal Lorange’s selections with a glass of heart-friendly red wine or, our choice, a blood orange vodka Rossellini. Two standouts you won’t find on the menu: the ground-level crostini station and linen sofas in the second-floor bar area.
The latest offering from Amy and Spike Gjerde (the team behind B-More’s beloved Woodberry Kitchen), Parts and Labor continues with a national trend toward combined restaurants and butcher shops. The Gjerdes focus on whole-animal butchery here, so along with the de rigueur organ meats, they offer unusual cuts such as plate steak. Fortunately, the menu provides recommended cooking temperature and flavor profiles. The renovated industrial building is filled with wooden tables and brick, while a sharp, attentive staff gives the restaurant warmth. A menu that also features salads, sandwiches and hearty sides such as braised collard greens offers the place some diversity. For carnivorous DIY-ers, order cuts at the adjacent counter to experiment at home.
Photo Courtesy of The Wayfarer

domain: food


text:
Avondale might see more shipbuilding
Published: September 17,2010
AVONDALE, La. — Two members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation say the U.S. Navy has agreed to move up the construction of double-hulled tankers from 2017 to 2014, giving the Avondale shipyard an opportunity to compete for new contracts.
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and Congressman Charlie Melancon said late yesterday that the Navy will make its plans public today.
Northrop Grumman Corp. plans to close the shipyard in 2013 and consolidate its Gulf Coast military shipwork at Pascagoula. Currently, 4,700 people work at Avondale.
Landrieu and Melancon say the quicker tanker schedule could enable the yard to maintain a work force through 2013 — and make it more attractive for purchase by another shipbuilding company.
Currently, Avondale is building its last two ships in the Navy’s series of amphibious attack vessels.
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domain: news


NBA Contracts: Few will argue that Rajon Rondo has the best contract in the NBA (5 years, $55 million). That’s excellent value for one of the 10 best players in the league. But we’ll disagree that Matt Barnes (2 years, $9 million) has the third best deal in the league. A smart move by the Lakers? Certainly. But not Top 10 worthy. Two names missing from the worst contract list: Troy Murphy (his expires next summer) and Andrew Bynum (4 years, $58 million). The latter has been pivotal during LA’s two title runs – during the regular season. He’s been inconsistent and perpetually-injured in the postseason. The upside is that he’s only 22. [Oklahoman]
Gray temples and dishevelment aren’t very jocular apparently.
Getting down at the Vandy game.
Huge win for Ron Turner!
Clean. Classic. Maize.
Canadians stick together.


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domain: entertainment


text:
This product is In stock at Mighty Ape and ready for immediate dispatch
It should arrive:
using Same Day Delivery
Mighty Ape can deliver this product in the evening
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to qualifying addresses in Auckland.
using standard courier delivery
Seventeenth-century Amsterdam - a city in the grip of tulip fever. Sophia?s husband Cornelis is one of the lucky ones grown rich from this exotic new flower. To celebrate, he commissions a talented young artist to paint him with his beautiful young bride. But as the portrait grows, so does the passion between Sophia and the painter; and ambitions, desires and dreams breed an intricate deception and a reckless gamble.
Deborah Moggach is the author of many successful novels including Tulip Fever and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which was made into a top-grossing film starring Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Maggie Smith. Her screenplays include the film of Pride and Prejudice, which was nominated for a BAFTA. She lives in Wales.


Re: checkout ends with error
From: Ryan Schmidt <subversion-2014_at_ryandesign.com>
Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2014 22:25:37 -0500
On Aug 3, 2014, at 10:43 AM, Chris Carman wrote:
> When I run the following checkout command, the directories are created as expected, but the checkout ends with an error:
I get the same on OS X with svn 1.8.9.
Note that it is a user error to attempt to check out the root of a repository. Instead, check out the trunk or the specific branch or tag you want. Perhaps you're just checking out the immediates so that you can later get the specific tags or branches you want; that's probably ok.
It may be relevant to know that you are not talking to a Subversion repository on a Subversion server; you're talking to a git repository, served using a Subversion translator written by the developers at github. As such, this may well be a bug in their translator that you need to report to them. I tried a couple other github repositories and got the same error.
This is an archived mail posted to the Subversion Users mailing list.


text:
to Aspen Country
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accessories, lawn and garden decor, affordable fine art sculptures
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Celestial Theme Garden Accessories & Celestial Plaques:
Sun, Moon, and Stars Motif Garden Decorations
Motif Sun, Moon, Star Garden Wall Plaque
Astral adornment for home or garden. This striking celestial
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stars. Celestial garden plaque measures 10 1/2 x 1" x
11" high and makes a cool decoration suitable for the
garden or any room of the home. Item:32269 $12.95
Garden Decor: Moon Sun "Glow in the Dark" Stepping
Lovely by day, and truly magical by night! Place this celestial
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beautiful glow-in-the-dark moon and stars image at night!
Stone look circular plaque makes a fun stepping stone and
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thick. Polyresin Item:39697 (Regularly
Celestial Sun Wall Mirror: Retro Style Golden Rays Mirror
A stunning addition to any room, this gorgeous mirror takes
a touch of vintage style and makes a modern masterpiece. It
features a beveled mirror inset in a burst of shimmering golden
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Light-Up Celestial Sun, Moon, Stars Wind Chimes
Star light, star bright... this celestial theme wind chime
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Acrylic with metal chimes. 3 5/8" diameter x 34 1/4"
(Regularly $12.95) SALE!
Wind Chimes: Yellow Sun, Moon, Blue Stars
A fun window decoration or great for the patio! Colorful celestial
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Sun, moon, stars celestial decor chime is 2 3/4" x 2
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Blue Sky Bed Canopy for Girl's Bedroom
Wishing upon a star is easy and fun with this charming blue
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Sun, Moon, and Stars Candle Holders, Celestial Candles,
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Candle Lantern with Star Cutouts
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Wrought Iron Candle Lantern with Star Shape Cutouts
A traditional style candle lantern gets a fresh contemporary
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Black Metal Candle Lantern with Star Cutouts at Top
Stylish rectangular candle lantern features a simple near
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Turn the dark of night into star light with this beautiful
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& Circle Segments Design Wrought Iron Wall Sconce for
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for your favorite candles. Iron, glass and felt. 22"
x 2 5/8" x 11 1/2" high. Item:10017179 (Regularly
Celestial Decorations and Sun, Moon, Stars Home Decor:
| Celestial Candle
Holders, Incense Burners, Fragrance Oil Warmers |
Celestial Stars Decorations, Star Decor Accents, Celestial
Table Lamp with Sun, Planets, Solar System Design Lamp Shade
The sun lights up your life during the day, but it can also
light your nights! This fantastic solar system lamp features
a dark shade that has captured all the planets orbiting that
big ball we call the sun. The slim stainless steel design
of the base makes this the perfect lighting accent for your
students desk or science lover's den. Stainless steel. 7"
diameter x 16 1/2" high. Item:12010236 $34.95
"Texas" Star Wall Plaque Wreath - 25" High
Legend has it that everything's bigger in Texas, even the
stars! This magnificent southwestern wall wreath is a fun
and stylish way to declare your love for the Lone Star State.
Boldly styled and richly detailed in chocolate finish metalcraft.
Measures an impressive 25" across. Painted metal. 23
1/2" x 3" x 25 1/2" high. Item:38595 (Regularly
Iron Texas Star Wall Decor: Stars in Circles Metal Wall Plaque
Saddle your wall with Wild West style! This dramatic iron
wall decor features a large star surrounded by circles with
six smaller stars, giving your space a little kick of cowboy
flair. Makes a fun western decoration or a celestial theme
garden accent. Iron. 24" x 4" x 24" high. Item:10017000
(Regularly $39.95) SALE!
Wrought Iron Horseshoes & Stars Candle Holder Decor
Lucky is the home that is accented with this lovely Western-style
candle holder. Horseshoes and stars make the light of five
candles dance with cowboy flair, set in a wrought iron base.
It includes five glass candle cups and makes a great table
centerpiece or mantel lighting accent. 14 1/2" x 5 1/8"
x 5" high. Iron and glass. Item:10015298 (Regularly $29.95)
West Wall Plaque: Metal Horseshoe with Large Star "Welcome"
Give your friends and family a big western "Welcome"
with this striking iron wall decoration. A large lone-star
rests inside a lucky horseshoe, emblazoned with welcome in
Wild West style with six star cutouts. Iron. 19 1/4"
x 4" x 18 5/8" high. Item:10016999 (Regularly $29.95)
Wrought Iron Corner Shelf Unit with Decorative Star Accents
This black iron corner shelf is ready to be the star of your
room! It features four semi-circle fanned shelves that are
perfect for displaying your collectibles or potted plants,
and the star details make it stand out with western or celestial
style. Iron. 24 7/8" x 17" x 63 3/8" high.
FREE SHIPPING!* Item:10017315 (Regularly $129.95) SALE!
Shooting Stars Xmas Tree Ornaments - Set of 6
A set of celestial bodies to bring wonder to your Christmas
tree, Plus these hanging shooting star ornaments are fun any
time of the year in a celestial theme room. Plastic. Set of
6. 2 1/4" x 1/2" x 4" high. Item:37269 $6.95
Stars Motif Garden Fire Pit: Cast Iron Fire Pit
Whether your home is on the range or a little more suburban,
this Western-style fire pit will keep you warm as you enjoy
a night under the stars. The metal mesh lid features four
stars and a convenient handle for easy removal, and the base
has four metal feet. 22" x 22" x 13" high.
Cast Iron. Item:15284 (Regularly $89.95) SALE!
Celestial Decorations and Sun Moon Stars Decor:
| Celestial Motif
Aroma Oil Warmers, Incense Burners, Candle Holders |
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Test shot of Dakota and Horsa Glider, before and after a moving cloud layer has been added in Aftereffects to enhance the distance from the 1/72nd planes and full scale Czech hedgehog. (Beach obstacle). There's a slight wobble in the planes which needs fixing.
1/72 Dakota model with the Horsa Glider, nylon wires running through both models. The nylon wires visible in these shots, in the picture of the Dakota, 3rd from bottom the nylon wire that was used to pull both models is just visible at an angle running down from the front of the model. The bottom pic is the rig used to connect the nylon wires, one at each end.
Horsa glider test: A 1/72 scale Airfix kit, the glider was run down three nylon wires, one through the centre and the other two through the wing tips. The clip was slowed down by 50% in editing, after each take the model had to be repaired as parts fell off as it bounced off of a spring used to cushion the stop at the bottom. The plastic kit needs to be reinforced before further shots are done, the model was 11-12 feet of the ground at it's start point, dropping to 6'6" 20 ft away.
The Glider model with the central brass tube.
The loop of the central nylon wire just visible at the front of the glider.


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Quick goals from Federico Fazio and Vitolo gave Sevilla the advantage, and Carlos Bacca made sure of the points with an impressive third in the 58th minute, running from the halfway line to fire home.
Tue, Nov 12, 2013 - Page 18 News List
Cesc Fabregas shines for Barca after Messi injury
JOY ON THE ROAD:Fabregas scored a brace in the leaders’ 4-1 win, while Sevilla ended a run of 22 away games without a victory by beating RCD Espanyol 3-1
This story has been viewed 1278 times.
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The dessert mash-up trend is clearly still alive and well in Cape Town, if Bootlegger’s latest sweet creation is anything to go by. The icessant (a croissant filled with ice cream) is now available at the new Bootlegger Coffee and Ice Cream Parlour at Surfer’s Corner in Muizenburg – and we’re not angry about it.
First, the golden, flaky pastry takes the form of an ice-cream cone. Buttery and still slightly warm, the vessel is filled with home-churned, non-aerated double-cream vanilla soft serve. It’s topped with a drizzle of Bar-One chocolate sauce and chocolate dust, naturally, and then topped off with a Flake. Move aside, Nutella on a croissant. The icessant is probably the best breakfast food we’ve ever laid eyes on.
If mixing your pastries with ice cream is not your thing, the new parlour is also serving chocolate-lined waffle cones filled with ice cream and finished off with toppings like salted-caramel popcorn dust, dark chocolate and white chocolate. Rumour has it that Bootlegger is also busy concocting some mean soda floats.
Gone to the beach, be right back.


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A wise man once said, “Success is a journey, not a destination.” Authors were using the idea of a journey before Homer wrote the Odyssey. This literary tradition has continued to the present. Two authors that embrace this idea are Voltaire and Sinclair Lewis. In their books Candide and Arrowsmith respectively, a man is followed on his trek through life and the discoveries that he makes along the way.
The two young men start out life as two completely different men.
Martin Arrowsmith, the main character of Arrowsmith, begins life in the small town of Elk Mills in the state of Winnemac. Young Arrowsmith is different from the other boys. He has an intense curiosity that leads him to help out the local doctor during his free time instead of playing with the other boys. At one point the author comments, “Martin had one characteristic without which there could be no science: a wide-ranging, sniffing, snuffling, undignified, unself-dramatizing curiosity, and it drove him on” (Sinclair 280).
His stubbornness and lack of tact dooms him to insult, offend, and generally annoy those that surround him. Despite these strong characteristics, Arrowsmith often sways from his path and has to force himself to go back. He is constantly being tempted by fame, money, or even the pleasures of the flesh. Candide, the title character of Candide is very different from Arrowsmith. Candide is the bastard son of a baron’s sister that is taken in by that very same baron. Candide has an “unaffected simplicity” that causes him to be nave to the ways of the world (Voltaire 19).
His tutor, Pangloss, easily persuades Candide to his philosophy in life of everything happening for the best. Candide takes this philosophy to heart, even though he really does not understand it and relies on Pangloss to explain why things happen. Candide is an honest, trustworthy young man that is taken advantage of for those very reasons on several occasions. At one point, Candide gives money to a prostitute and a monk in the hopes of making each one’s life better, but the two quickly squander the money and return to him to take care of them. These character’s personalities quickly set them up for the journey that they are going to take.
Both, Candide and Arrowsmith would have been content to remain where they were, but circumstances forced both to leave on a journey of self-discovery. As the young Arrowsmith graduates from college, he is forced into a new world that contains unforeseen obstacles. Arrowsmith is now burdened not only with his own care, but the care of his wife, Leora. So in pursuit of a stable life, he travels to the small town of Wheatsylvania. At first he is happy and feels that he is “almost freed from the impatience with which he had started out” (Sinclair 139). Then as Arrowsmith is familiarized with the people that live there, he becomes restless and is forced to leave by the prejudice of the local community. Candide was also forced out of the home in which he had lived. He was in love with the baron’s beautiful daughter, Cunegonde, but had never been able to tell her. Cunegonde knows of Candide’s love and uses him when she wants to conduct a “scientific experiment.” The baron discovers the two in a shocking embrace and drives “Candide from the house with powerful kicks on the backside” (Voltaire 21). Now both characters are banished from the familiar and must now find their way through the confusion of the unknown.
The actual travels of the two characters are complicated plots that jump from location to location. Arrowsmith leaves the small town of Wheatsylvania for the glittering metropolis of Nautilus. Even in Nautilus he cannot be happy because of all the political wrangling. He moves to Chicago, then New York, with a brief stint on the small island of St Hubert. Arrowsmith only becomes happy when he abandons the big city for the wilderness. He retreats to a small cabin owned by a fellow scientist and basks in “the rapture of being able to work twenty-four hours a day without leaving an experiment at its juiciest moment” (Sinclair 426). Candide also does not have a specific destination in mind when he begins. At first he aimlessly wanders through Europe. Almost immediately he is impressed into army service by the Bulgars. After escaping during his first battle, Candide travels to Holland and then to Lisbon where he discovers that his beloved Cunegonde is not dead and that she is willing to run away with him. They escape to Buenos Aires where they are separated when Candide is force to go to Eldorado. Eldorado is a Utopia, but Candide cannot be happy without Cunegonde. Candide says that, “There is nothing solid but virtue and the prospect of seeing Lady Cungonde again” (Voltaire 85). He waits in Paris for her and then Turkey and finally rediscovers her and settles in a small farm outside of Constantinople. There he finds peace even though Cunegonde is not the woman that he imagined her to be, because he discovers how to think for himself. Arrowsmith and Candide take different paths that both lead to self-discovery and the security that comes with it.
A remarkable change can be seen in both characters at the end of the book. Arrowsmith emerges from his trials with a cynical outlook on life. He detests the medical profession and the commercialism that it contains. He develops an “indifference to publicity and flowery hangings” and once he separates himself from it, he feels free. He says, “It seemed to him that this was the first spring he had ever seen and tasted” (Sinclair 428). Candide’s change is a bit more dramatic. He no longer blindly follows the thoughts of others. When two philosophers are arguing on philosophy, “Candide did not agree, but admitted nothing” evidencing that he is now capable of making rational judgments. Their journeys now complete, the two characters are completely changed from how they began.
The two characters of Candide and Arrowsmith take a long time to find what they are looking for. Along the way, circumstances cause the plans to change. These changes shape the person into who they will become. In a way, the journey is more important than the intended destination.

domain: library


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Recently TMC CEO Rich Tehrani interviewed the VP of Products for GrammaTech, Mark Zarins. The company, a spinoff of Cornell University founded by a couple professors, specializes in software development, with their niche being static analysis tools, source code analysis tools.
One of the company's products is Code Sonar, a tool that analyzes code, identifies common programming defects. Tehrani noted that of all the various defects a programmer could make, what are the ones it detects?
Zarins said it doesn't work with design errors, but picks up things like memory leaks or buffer overruns, "what we would consider kind of generic programming defects that would bring down the application or crash the system, it can identify a set of those."
We have users using Code Sonar to identify problems that can lead to serious vulnerabilities too, he said, noting that buffer overruns can lend themselves to malicious attacks.
Recently Michael Weissman, vice president of corporate marketing for Sigma Designs, sat down for an interview with TMC's CEO, Rich Tehrani. The company is a semiconductor company, it makes chips used in IPTV, for media processing and in set top boxes, among other uses. "We have post-processing home processing chips for home theater," he said, as well as chips for home automation and control.
Addressing different segments of the market he said they're all doing well, IPTV is a growing market globally, and they're the leading supplier of media processors for services such as Netflix and YouTube.
The media processors are positioned to do well in the 3-D explosion you're seeing, he said, noting some firsts with 3-D broadcasts of cricket in India and the World Cup in France. "All of the segments of the business are really gorwing really well," Weissman noted, adding that the economic environment "hasn't slowed things a lot. We haven't seen any drop-off in sales, but it's hard to predict what our sales could have been. We didn't see a massive downturn, maybe we didn't see the explosive growth we would have."
Read more here.
The new NOVO 1 Contact Center in southeast Holland, Michigan is set to open in early September.
About 15 people have been fielding calls since mid-July, company officials say, adding that "NOVO 1 provides call center operations for industries including health care, insurance, utilities, retail and finance. The Texas-based firm projects 125 jobs within the first year at the Holland center that has a capacity for more than 300."
NOVO 1 officials say the Holland area has a "dynamic workforce and a great business location," citing a recent survey "ranking the area second in the nation in sense of well-being," according to
an article in the Holland Sentinel, which added "when you want your contact center agents to share a smile over the phone, there is no better place."
The contact center received a $1.4 million in equipment and renovations funded in part by a $1 million Community Development Block Grant, the Sentinel says, adding that NOVO 1 "also got a 100 percent tax break on those improvements worth a projected $115,800 in tax savings over nine years."
Recently Umberto Milletti, founder and CEO, InsideView, posted some thoughts on CRM magazine regarding a successful CRM application. The entire post
is well worth reading, a summary follows:
Much to the disappointment of the many companies who have invested in CRM, it often hasn't lived up to the massive productivity gains expected across the customer-facing organization, especially for sales. Nor has CRM delivered on its ultimate promise of "synchronizing" the business processes between two key stakeholders: the sales professional and the target buyer.
This is where the CRM application economy can help transform CRM into the true business-productivity platform it should be. But three key things to keep in mind.
Easy Intelligence. Applying Maslov's hierarchy of needs to business, organizing and automating processes are essential first steps for successful CRM. But while workflow automation can bring in much-needed efficiencies, it will not make customer-facing teams more effective in engaging with those customers. To complicate matters further, buyer expectations are changing dramatically.


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Synopses & Reviews
A New York Times bestseller
Shes got it all figured out.
Or does she? When it comes to relationships, Remys got a whole set of rules.
Never get too serious. Never let him break your heart. And never, ever date a musician.
But then Remy meets Dexter, and the rules dont seem to apply anymore.
Could it be that shes starting to understand what all those love songs are about?
Remy and Dexter jump off the pages into the hearts of readers, who will wish for a romance like this of their own.” Booklist
Also by Sarah Dessen:
Along for the Ride
Keeping the Moon
Lock and Key
The Moon and More
Someone Like You
The Truth About Forever
What Happened to Goodbye
Dessen's most captivating novel yet introduces readers to a girl who believesher heart is made of stone--and the boy who proves her wrong. 5 1/2 x8 1/4.
In this entrancing new novel, the author of "Dreamland" and "Keeping the Moon" introduces a girl who believes her heart is made of stone--and the boy who proves her wrong.
Remy always knows the perfect time to give a boyfriend "The Speech" telling him it's over-after the initial romantic whirl, but before the reality of an actual relationship hits. Her friends tease that her boyfriend tally is nearing the triple digit mark, but she's a girl who knows just how to avoid any messy emotional entanglement. After all, she's had the example of her five-times-married mother to show her what not to do.
So what, then, is it about Dexter that makes it so hard for her to follow her own rules? He's everything she hates: messy, disorganized, much too vulnerable, impulsive, and worst of all, a musician like her father: the father Remy never knew, the father who wrote a famous song for her, the father who disappeared from her life.
Sarah Dessen's most captivating novel yet introduces readers to a girl who believes her heart is made of stone-and the boy who proves her wrong.
When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what those love songs are all about? From acclaimed author Sarah Dessen, this is a captivating novel about a tough-as-nails girl and the unexpectedly charming boy who's determined to soften her up.
Unabridged CDs ? 6 CDs, 8 hours
Sarah Dessen's captivating novel introduces readers to a girl who believes her heart is made of stone-and the boy who proves her wrong.
About the Author
Sarah Dessen is one of the most popular writers for young adults. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, which have received numerous awards and rave reviews, and have sold more than seven million copies. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband, Jay, and their daughter, Sasha Clementine. Visit her online at www.sarahdessen.com.