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No Longer A Danger To Society Oval Sticker

The No Longer A Danger To Society Oval Sticker will help you reassure the world that you are No Longer A Danger To Society - Are you reformed? Are you no longer a threat or danger to society? Are you now a person that is safe for society, maybe an asset to society? Whatever the case may be, make sure the entire world knows that you are "No Longer A Danger To Society".




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No Longer A Danger To Society Printed Calendar

The No Longer A Danger To Society Printed Calendar will help you reassure the world that you are No Longer A Danger To Society - Are you reformed? Are you no longer a threat or danger to society? Are you now a person that is safe for society, maybe an asset to society? Whatever the case may be, make sure the entire world knows that you are "No Longer A Danger To Society".




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No Longer A Danger To Society Rectangular Sticker

The No Longer A Danger To Society Rectangular Sticker will help you reassure the world that you are No Longer A Danger To Society - Are you reformed? Are you no longer a threat or danger to society? Are you now a person that is safe for society, maybe an asset to society? Whatever the case may be, make sure the entire world knows that you are "No Longer A Danger To Society".




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Review of Most Popular Online Casino Sites

This web page is definitely the most popular page on this site, as it describes the 16 most popular online Casino sites in detail.




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TNP - Normal Cholesterol Levels

Provides background information on cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol and gives guidance on normal levels.




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'Not So' Hard-Boiled Eggs

I recently made a dozen hard-boiled eggs, or so I thought. Despite timing the eggs exactly (I've done this so many times), and checking online on several sites to be sure the timing notations were correct, to my dismay when...




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PreventTurnOff 3.43

Shutdown timer PC plus prevent turn off




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Augmented Reality: Connect and Engage Using New Touchstone Technology

Augmented Reality: Connect and Engage Using New Touchstone Technology from Lynne d Johnson Presetned at PRSA Digital Impact Conference June 28, 2013 #PRSADIConf - Augmented Reality lets you overlay digital images and information on smartphone screens or computer monitors....




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What Happened To Knowing More About A Person By The Books And Vinyl On Their Shelves?

About a week or two ago, I was having a business meeting with a former business associate and friend who has always been an entrepreneur and consultant in some way. He was there with another friend who is an entrepreneur...




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LGU, 20IB, and partners launch Sagip-Tingin Project in Catubig, Northern Samar

The “Sagip-Tingin” Project aimed to provide free eye screening and eye check-ups to the residents of Catubig, especially those from former conflict-affected barangays and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas.




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1 wounded Communist NPA Terrorist captured in Northern Samar clash

A wounded Communist NPA Terrorist (CNT) was captured following an armed encounter with the government troops in the hinterlands of Brgy. Igot, Pambujan, Northern Samar on June 1, 2024.




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Another 3 towns in Leyte declares Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition

On June 12, the towns of Hilongos, Isabel, and Merida in the Province of Leyte announced that their towns are already in a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition (SIPSC).




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Another municipality in Samar now NPA-free

The people of Talalora in Samar declare their town in a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition (SIPSC) on June 21, 2024.




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NMP study exposes rising mental disorders among Filipino seafarers

The recent research study conducted by the National Maritime Polytechnic has revealed significant data on the prevalence of mental disorders and suicides among Filipino seafarers.




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NonProfit Company GroundSpring.org Names New CEO




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LXer: LibreOffice 24.8.2 Office Suite Is Now Available for Download with 85 Bug Fixes

Published at LXer: The Document Foundation announced today the general availability of LibreOffice 24.8.2 as the second maintenance update to the latest LibreOffice 24.8 office suite series fixing...



  • Syndicated Linux News

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LXer: Arch Linux Announces Collaboration with Valve for Enhanced Build Service and Secure Signing

Published at LXer: Arch Linux has announced a new partnership with Valve, the company behind the Steam gaming platform and Steam Deck. Read More......



  • Syndicated Linux News

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LXer: AmpereOne CPPC CPUFreq Schedutil vs. Performance Governor Benchmarks

Published at LXer: Similar to the ACPI CPUFreq and AMD/Intel P-State CPU frequency scaling driver and scaling governor benchmarks and power efficiency comparisons I routinely do on Phoronix, when...



  • Syndicated Linux News

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LXer: NanoPi M6: High-Performance SBC with Gigabit Ethernet and M.2 SSD Expansion

Published at LXer: The NanoPi M6 is a compact and open-source single-board computer (SBC) designed for high-performance applications, powered by the RK3588S System-on-Chip. Key features include an...



  • Syndicated Linux News

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LXer: Audacious: A Simple Open-Source Music Player That You Can't Ignore

Published at LXer: If you have been around for a longtime, you probably have seen how audio players have evolved over the years, some have stuck to the old 90s approach, some have gone for a more...



  • Syndicated Linux News

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LXer: Linus Torvalds Announces First Linux Kernel 6.12 Release Candidate

Published at LXer: Linus Torvalds announced today the general availability for public testing of the first Release Candidate (RC) development milestone of the upcoming Linux 6.12 kernel series. ...



  • Syndicated Linux News

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LXer: Mission Center (Linux System Monitor) Now Reports Fan Info

Published at LXer: A major new release of Mission Center, a modern system monitor app for Linux desktops, has been released. Read More......



  • Syndicated Linux News

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LXer: GNOME 47 brings back some customization options, but let's not go crazy

Published at LXer: The latest release of the de facto default desktop of most Linux distros brings some new features � but the GNOME 4x transition isn't done yet. GNOME 47 was released last week,...



  • Syndicated Linux News

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LXer: Machine Learning in Linux: Reor - AI note-taking app

Published at LXer: Reor is a private AI personal knowledge management tool. Think of it as a notes program on steroids. Each note is saved as a Markdown file to a �vault� directory on your machine....



  • Syndicated Linux News

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LXer: Mozilla Firefox 131 Is Now Available for Download, Here�s What�s New

Published at LXer: Mozilla published today the final release of the Firefox 131 web browser, which is now available for download from the project�s download server ahead of the official release on...



  • Syndicated Linux News

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LXer: Linux SED Command: Everything you Need to Know

Published at LXer: In this tutorial, we will explain the Linux SED command using some real examples. SED (Stream Editor) is one of the most used Linux commands in scripts and command lines. It...



  • Syndicated Linux News

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Ultrathin Keyboard Folio m1 connected but no typing

Hello Gents, I wanted to connect my Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio m1 which worked OK in the past but now is not typing anything. The battery is freshly charged and connected. Removing/Adding...




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eth0: [ERROR] Set device name: No such device

I cannot change the MAC address in my Kali VM with this Python code: ---Quote--- interface = input("interface > ") new_mac = input("new MAC > ") subprocess.call(["ifconfig", interface, "down"])...




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LXer: Audacious 4.4.1 Released with Assorted Minor Improvements

Published at LXer: Audacious 4.4.1 builds on the changes introduced in Audacious 4.4 (a release that brought GTK3 and Qt6 UI choices, the return of a dedicated lyrics plugin, and better...



  • Syndicated Linux News

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Blogging or not ?

Y parait que je ne blogue plus ??? C’est le robot over-blog qui me le fait savoir tous les mois par un message de rappel… oups ! Ca va revenir, mais la c’est vrai c’est les vacances et je ne suis même pas en Chine. A+ au mois d’août… peut-être.




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Noël made in China

A pékin aussi on s’apprête à fêter Noël comme il se doit… avec ou sans le sourire. Hesiem, Pékin (Chine)




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Install Arduino IDE on Ubuntu 18.04

I had to get an Arduino IDE up and compiling on a Kubuntu 18.04 install. In order to not forget what I did, I made this little post. This is not super detailed but it should get the job done. Grad the 64-bit version of the Arduino IDE (or the 32-bit version if you absolutely […]

The post Install Arduino IDE on Ubuntu 18.04 first appeared on robotthoughts.




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Installation Notes for Kubuntu 18.10 on the Alienware 17 R5 Laptop

Before Installation Installing Kubuntu / Ubuntu on the Alienware 17 R5 Laptop NVME Drive To get the NVME drive or M.2 drive to show up as an installation candidate for the installer, you need to make a small BIOS change and modify two kernel arguments at boot time. First, boot into the BIOS on the […]

The post Installation Notes for Kubuntu 18.10 on the Alienware 17 R5 Laptop first appeared on robotthoughts.




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Mitchell Heisman's "Suicide Note"

In a couple of weeks time, it will be the first anniversary of a 35-year old intellectual killing himself on the steps of a church on the Harvard campus.

I discovered Mitchell Heisman’s “Suicide Note” via a concise article on responses to the story.

I’ve been reading “Suicide Note” since I found the article, on and off. Mitchell might have benefitted from an editor, but there is no doubt the work is philosophically an opus par excellence.

Nihilism is not my thing - I do not agree with his core philosophy that life is entirely without meaning - but the way he gets there, and some of the ideas he presents are wonderful. There are things to take away from it all that will likely resonate with me for the rest of my life - as works by all good philosophers have.

To this day, Wikipedia have repressed information about him based on a subjective rules that don’t recognise that the guy’s work is actually worth reading. I expect in due course academics will start to cite him, and that situation will change.

Out there is a growing movement to recognise him. There have already been calls from some - perhaps over-excited - individuals for him to be award a Nobel Prize in literature posthumously. I wouldn’t go that far, but I would encourage those who can deal with it to consider his work. 




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"That's not a proper sport!" Oh yeah?

A couple of lovely people I know have suggested that some of the Olympic disciplines are not “proper sports”. This sentiment is one frequently echoed by compatriots of losers, stand-up comedians and miserable bastards the World over.

It has now seeped into the social consciousness and zeitgeist to the extent that many people mistakenly think “sports” are one thing - typified by physical endurance, stamina, or skill - and “games” are things anybody can do really, probably whilst having a pint at the same time.

Let’s put to one side that “the Olympics” are actually called “the Olympic Games” (or in French, “Jeux olympiques”), and just assume the “point” of the Olympics is to promote “sporting disciplines”.

Why do I feel certain that every single one of the Olympic disciplines is worthy of the name “sport”?

Even archery, which I reckon I could have a good bash at it with the right kit despite being a perfect example of how bad Guinness can be for your waistline, or boxing which is standing around and punching people when they didn’t even borrow that DVD off you in the first place.

Yes, I’d even include dressage where the horse is the one actually doing the moving about, whilst the “competitor” sits atop in a fine hat looking more English than a teapot in a red phone box (even when the competitor is French, which must be embarrassing for them).

All of these can be - and in the context of the Olympics, most definitely are - sports.

To explain, let’s just focus on what makes something nothing more than “a game”.

Any activity can be made into a game. All you need is a way to keep score and some rules to make sure the scores actually mean something. Staring at a wall: how long for without looking away? Making a cup of tea: judges could taste-test quality, or there could be speed trials. Having a nice sit down and a biscuit: how few crumbs can be counted on your lap afterwards?

Most games are obviously a bit more involved and preferably prefer people either getting naked or putting things onto a spring-loaded donkey (or both!), but the point is I could make a game out of writing this very post if I wanted. Or even this sentence. (4 words, 0.6 seconds, 100 words/minute, if you’re interested).

“Gamification” is a major social force in the web application industry right now, to the point where sitting in your office and pressing a button in an app on your phone can make you “Mayor”, which is why I don’t use FourSquare: I might become an annoying prat who asks for a third of a Londoner’s council tax to spend on bicycles and zip lines or whatever.

Games are obviously more fun when there is a degree of competition, and therefore the scores must be fairly comparable. You and I might decide to play pooh-sticks for example, and we will have a grand old time as I crush you and claim glorious victory and then we’ll go and get an ice cream or something. The fun is in me beating you without “cheating”. Or you usurping me and claiming a surprise victory, perhaps (like that’s ever going to happen, you fool), all whilst not kicking me in the head as I sing “We are the Champions”, etc.

This is a game: any activity at which there are some established rules allowing the participants to keep score, and where the point of the rules is to make different participants scores comparable with each other.

Cheating isn’t just “naughty” - it stops it becoming a game, because the scores are no longer comparable. If I turned up to pooh-sticks with laser-guided remote-controlled precision sticks with outboard motors on them, I can’t claim a fair victory when you’ve just picked up that stick with a leaf on it next to that weird moss on that rock, no not that one, that one over there, no, there you moron… yes, the bent one! 

Providing the game is fair then, I would argue that any game can become a sport. How? Other people caring about the outcome.

If whilst I am thrashing you at pooh-sticks, a small crowd appears and starts cheering one or the other of us on (hint: I’m very charismatic, they’ll be cheering for me mostly), then we have a sport. The number of people who care about the outcome or who want to have a go themselves determines how “sporting” it is. Once we start keeping World Records, or we meet regularly to do contest on a schedule we share with non-participants, and arrange ourselves into leagues, and perhaps start making money from the gullible fools who fawn in my pooh-stick abilities, then we have a moderately successful sport.

Sport is, I think, simply any game, where non-participants care about or are interested in the scores and who wins.

If the dressage, archery or boxing events at the Olympics, it’s pretty clear there were non-participants who cared about the outcome. In some cases, they really cared to the point where they flocked to Twitter, barely able to type through their blubbering tears about how wonderful and marvellous it is that somebody they’ve never met who happens to be considered by International Law to be a citizen of the same part of the World as them despite living 3,000 miles away, beat somebody who lives 300 miles away who they do not share such a close bond with due to them suffering the genetic disadvantage of being French.

So, here’s my cut-out-and-keep guide:

  1. In both games and sports, people keep score somehow
  2. In both games and sports, rules ensure the scores of different participants are fairly comparable
  3. In games only the participants care about the comparison, in sports there are non-participants who also care

If this still doesn’t make sense to you, think about what sports would become if nobody cared? Or even if the outcome wasn’t scored or measured? What exactly would those footballers be doing if nobody nobody cared about the score? What would the by doing if they didn’t bother keeping score? Just what is it that Usain Bolt would be proving by running really quickly if nobody was watching? Or some people were watching, but were not measuring how fast he was running?

So the next time you hear somebody say “that’s not a real sport”, despite there being a clear loyal following of non-participants, maybe point out that it might be an activity whose outcome they don’t care about, so that can mean it’s not a sport to them.

But to the participants and to their followers, and to the people around them, it is very much a sport. And what they’re saying is a smidge hurtful to all of them, even if it’s just pooh-sticks. So, you know, try not to say that. It makes you sound a little bit mean.




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"Projects not posts"

In recent weeks I’ve been thinking a lot about this site, and it’s sister blog p7r.io and deciding what to do next with one or both of them.

The problem with blogs is that it is so easy for them to die. A few weeks of negligence, and they lose their vibe. Also, I’ve struggled to identify what content is most suitable in both places, because whatever content I think of requires a slightly different format.

Last week as I sketched out various ideas, a phrase hit me out of the blue: “Projects not Posts”.

I don’t want to write posts. I want to work on projects. I am a developer, data miner, machine learning scripter, meta-programming type of guy with a deep interest in writing fiction, public policy, politics, technology, teaching coding, entrepreneurship, agile and lean methods and a whole load of other stuff besides.

I frequently think “I should do something around ‘x’” only to realise it doesn’t fit into a blog narrative, nor does it really suit a blog of its own, and so it gets dropped.

Why? Why not just drop the blog structure entirely? Why not go back to a traditional “personal website” structure? It might sound ridiculous to go back to some Geocities-era concept, but I’ve come to realise short-form writing doesn’t allow me to do what I actually want, and I spend more time thinking about what a blog “should” be rather than just sharing cool stuff.

Also - and here’s the killer - I want to work on much bigger projects than any blog can reasonably accomodate. I want to roll out applications, publish long-form writing, and other forms that don’t “fit” the blog format. That leads me to thinking that in this renaissance age of self-publishing I should be looking at playing with structure, and other forms of output (possibly even, dare I say it, books…)

You know what makes blogging work? RSS. However I can still maintain an RSS feed, and most people now “subscribe” to content via Twitter or Facebook if they’re interested. And everything else? For me it’s a block.

So, some 11 years after the original incarnation of iconoplex and 6 months after the first incarnation of p7r.io, I’ve decided that they will “merge” (both domains will point to the same content), and the content they hold will be… different.

I’m going to spend the next month starting a few projects and getting some content ready for “launch”, but for now it seems, blogging is over for me. Something much more exciting will follow.




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Microsano

Microsano, notas sobre un concurso y presentación de una herramienta de estadisticas de posicionamiento web en buscadores




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npm: Cannot read property ‘resolve’ of undefined

When developing software for Node.js, I use the n package manager to manage and switch between Node versions. Recently, I needed to update my installed Node version (9.2.1) to something more recent. I ran $ sudo n latest to install 13.1.0. But after the upgrade, npm installations stopped working. Any use of npm i would […]




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Leasing a Home in Austin TX – Then and Now

When Sylvia and I started leasing and managing rentals in Austin in the early 1990s, the business operation was phone-based. I had a phone, answering machine, and spiral pad on a desk in our kitchen nook. All business happened there. I also had a Windows PC, a 386 with a dot matrix printer which ran the DOS version of my property management software. If you don’t know what 386, DOS or “dot matrix printer” means, you’re probably less than 40 years old. Oh, it probably had a 2400 baud modem as well, and a 50 meg hard drive. It wasn’t until 1996 that I put up my first website and started using email for business. All rental inquiries thus originated with a phone call to that one phone. It was a “single channel” communication system. Those callers either saw a yard sign or a 3-line ad in the Rentals section ... Read more




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New Realtor.com Agent Beta Profiles now Live in Austin

I attended the Presentation in Austin this week announcing the Beta rollout of Realtor.com’s new Agent Profiles. Austin is the only city in the US with this live, though it will soon also be turned on in the state of Rhode Island. Though not fully baked, I’ve set up my profile. The “Sold Listing are not yet populating, but should be on the map by mid October. There will also be a Team Profile. Here is what it will look like when viewing a map of Sold Listings in Austin. Pretty cool, right? Are Realtors happy about this? Many are not. The Realtor online forums are ablaze with ignorant complainers, moaning and griping about this, and how it’s “unfair” to populate Realtor profiles or Sold Maps with actual closed sales because it makes the Newbies and part timers look bad. Those of you agents complaining are missing some important data ... Read more



  • Austin Real Estate
  • Business and Technology

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Should You Attend an Austin Real Estate Investing Seminar? Probably Not

Should you enroll in a Real Estate investment seminar in Austin or your home town? Be very careful if you do. Understand the risks and what you are paying.




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The Austin MLS Now Has a ‘Coming Soon’ Status

Update August 2018: The Austin Board of Realtors has Discontinued use of the Coming Soon Status. It caused more trouble that it was worth. Austin Realtors can now enter For Sale listings into the Austin Central Texas MLS before the listing is ready for showing. For up to 14 days prior to the “Active” date. And, therefore, buyer agents and buyers can get a “heads up” on listings that are (supposedly) about to come onto the market live in the MLS. What Problem Does This Solve? During Austin’s red hot seller’s market of the past 5 years, it had become increasingly frustrating for Buyer Agents and Buyers trying to operate in a low inventory market. We heard tales of buyers literally driving zig zag through neighborhoods looking for “Coming Soon” signs. Every new listing that popped up live in MLS became a Red Alert fire drill, as I wrote about ... Read more



  • Austin Real Estate

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An Unexpected Benefit of Online Casinos in Brazil: Supporting the Energy Sector

In a surprising turn of events, the Brazilian government has found a new ally in its fight against inflation and energy challenges: online casinos and crash games, like Aviator operators. By introducing additional taxes on these rapidly growing sectors, the government aims to channel the revenue into critical areas of the economy, including the burgeoning green energy sector. This strategy not only addresses economic stability but also aligns with Brazil's long-term commitment to sustainable development.




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PHPfr is now open-source!

I am excited to announce that PHP Function Reference is now open source, under the the New BSD License. The project is being hosted on Google Code and I have a discussion forum set up here for it as well. So far, three individuals have stepped forward to contribute to the project: Kelly Patrick Robinson was first in line at the opening of the Albuquerque Apple Store and adds to his list of conquests as first to join PHPfr; Nelson Darkwah Oppong, creator of the Fire ftp widget, is a programmer and graphic designer from Germany; and Barbara Napholtz, a longtime, paid user of PHPfr has agreed to do quality assurance testing on the widget. I am hopeful that with this infusion of talent we will finally be able to push PHPfr to a stable, 1.0 release. Thanks Kelly, Nelson, and Barbara for joining!




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George Will Go No More A Roaming

Well, well, well. Scott McClellan has written a book telling the American people what was already known, but many didn't want to admit. Our citizenry is basically fantastic, but gullible to the point of refusing to believe the truth until human cost supersedes belief. Thus far the human cost is nearly 4500 American dead in Afghanistan/Iraq, thousands of casualties and even more experiencing the horrific effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Over 107 active duty personnel committed suicide in 2007 and discharged Vets are taking their lives to the number of 150 weekly. There is no way to calculate the human grief families experience, but we all know the feeling. The damage done to our national psyche is incalculable, but living out the darkness again seems to be nearing.

Why do Americans allow a substandard candidate such as George W. Bush Jr. become President of the United States? His history indicated a silver spoon youth who flaunted responsibility and depended upon his father to bail him out of trouble repeatedly. Bush influence granted him access to the Texas Air National Guard 3 days after college graduation in lieu of being drafted though the waiting list was 18 months long. Later he was given a direct commission and allowed into flight training again being unqualified for the first and woefully for the second. Bush and his handlers have attempted to blur this man's fall from grace during the Guard period, but facts do exist. George Bush Jr. was removed from flight duty for failing to obey orders to take a flight physical and other reasons. Any flight duty removal immediately necessitates a board review composed of field officers who then document the exact reasons for this action. This document was never brought up by the press who either never knew or chose not to ask. Bush was aware of this and kept very quiet emphasizing only his discharge.

He also never admitted violating a signed contract and two other documents when he agreed to seek out a Reserve or Guard unit in Massachusetts after being accepted in Harvard Business School and discharge from the Texas Air National Guard. He simply failed to do this without fear from the FBI who regularly investigated and detained deserters. He has no reason to fear since his father was a US Representative and being a silver spoon youth. Bush simply chose his life path as he saw fit and never worried about the consequences.

His business experience is inconsequential since he followed the same routine of irregularity and authority deviation. Dependence upon his Father and George Sr.'s friends for both business advancement as well as to extricate him from delicate situations became a trademark. One business after another failed and in one situation he used his situation to make a stock market killing. Problem was he as on the board and specifically a budget committee which knew the financial status of the the corporate stock. Nevertheless, Bush dumped the stock, made a mint and was later investigated by the SEC. The SEC never really dropped the investigation, but Bush would claim, erroneously, it had been.

His wild days of college and the Guard were punctuated by stories of alleged drug abuse, alcoholic stupor and debauchery. Bush, in one account, allegedly impregnated a girl and then drove her to a Houston hospital for an abortion. Larry Flynt, renown Penthouse publisher, apparently tracked down the woman, now married to an FBI agent, but she refused to talk for fear of his husband's future. It was this type of fear Bush and his protective friends depended on to stymy any criticism whether valid or not. Another reaction was to simply attack the credibility of anyone who dared uttered a disdainful statement, but that didn't always work.

Bush was elected Texas governor and quickly embroiled himself in scandal of major proportions involving a funeral home corporation. He immediately ever meeting with any corporate officials, but others quickly corroborated seeing officers in Bush's office. The scandal didn't really follow him like Whitewater did the Clintons, but the stain remained. It was there for anyone to see and a responsible press could quickly bring up credibility questions.

Americans want to quickly forget any discrediting episode and have a tendency to positively reinforce their position. The Nixon deal is an ideal example of this since he was a law flaunter of major proportions before and during his presidency. Bush Jr. has shown a tendency not only to skirt the law, but to openly advertise the fact he has down so. Congress will not hold him accountable, but history will long after he is gone. He can't hid his record forever nor transfer records to a safe have as he did his Texas governor papers to his father's presidential library. Eventually, a lawsuit forced Bush to relinquish these to the State of Texas and archivists are busy cataloging the documents. This President has a tendency to believe what he wants, as McClellan points out, and then justify his position at that moment regardless of recorded facts. The honesty of it is fleeting, but his doesn't seem to bother the Bush administration.

The Iraqi War is stocked with pre-war propaganda and mistruths. Bush will defend his actions to the hilt without answering any questions. His handlers were very careful not to expose him to hostile questions, but facts have been bubbling up regardless. The weapons of mass destruction did not exist and in fact, had been sold to Sadaam Hussein by the Reagan and Bush Sr. administration during the earlier Iran-Iraqi War. Their hope was both sides would simply do each other in and then the US could move into the created vacuum for US hegemony. Congress did investigate this, validated the sale of both chemical/biological agents and nuclear information. It was noted this fact did not appear during this war period, but it is vitally important. The absence of historical fact only leads to widespread distortion of the truth and the ability to bend public will to a predetermined conclusion. Bush's handlers were aware of this and carefully groomed major corporate CEOs, particularly media, to their way of thinking. Consequently, the war became primarily a media affair with very little truth coming out until recently. Now a maelstrom has developed over domestic propaganda and White House involvement.

Hopefully, the press will meet their failings and rehabilitate themselves. The same exists for the White House and Congress; however, it will take the American public to force the press, government, the pentagon and many other institutions to change their wayward ways in remembrance of their basic purpose towards public trust. Until then, society's fabric will continue to tear away with each hateful utterance by the likes of Michael Savage, Michelle Malkin, Bill O'Reilly and the rest of their ilk who distort the truth with a disdain much like the White House.

Scott McClellan is not a hero, but he is a symbol of a conscience which finally prevailed in a cesspool of eruditic confusion. The wholesale desire by the White House to fabricate anything in order to spin a story and maintain public credibility whether by manufacturing a myth involving Jessica Lynch or the existence of WMDs in Iraq. It all comes down to the same disdain for the truth and the prevalence of ignorance in the highest officers of this land. We have only yet to realize the tip of this iceberg.




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To Be Or Not To Be

To be or not to be, that is the question.  The query is simple-what is going on in our country? Protests, ultra-right-wing governors, racism, fear mongering, etc. Don Rumsfeld is appearing on various programs to hawk his book, but his flawed publication is drawing immensive criticism.  He is attempting to construct a positive view of himself during the Bush Jr. administration, but documents keep arising challenging his nefarious points.  George Bush Jr. is facing arrest for war crimes if he travels to Europe and even Sarah Palin is facing the same in Australia for libel. Why have we entered a time where lies, calumny, smears and threats have become commonplace?

An era has begun where deification of the mediocre has been necessary to bolster particularly right wing politics.  Ronald Reagan, for example, was not a great president, but a multi-flawed individual.  He was a Cold War product who believed in rooting out communists, protesters and liberals wherever they existed.  In fact, he called for the "streets to run with blood" of demonstrators in Berkley, California, during the hectic late 1960s while governor. Reagan raised taxes eleven times, granted amnesty to 3,000,000 illegal immigrants, led 241 Marines to their death by ordering no defensive measures in Lebanon (GIs couldn't even load their weapons), took actions defying the Boland Amendment which forbade supplying the Contras, involved us in the illegal Irangate scandal by giving weapons/WMDs to both Iran and Iraq during their war, had over 700 indictments of administration officials and 335 convictions for corruption, traded weapons to terrorists for hostages and overall is rated as the second most corrupt administration in history.  Yet he is being deified as a "great" president.  Boggles the mind!

The 2012 campaign seems to value alienation more than participation in the electoral process.  Extremist governors and their legislative counterparts have zeroed in on voter lists shouting fraud and began screening voters out.  Commensurately, voter identification cards have passed into laws in another effort to eliminate citizens from their constitutional right.  Are Republicans so afraid of the electorate they are stooping to these tactics in an effort to salvage a win?

The recent Republican convention reminded me of a contest whereas speakers competed with each other over the biggest falsehood.  Black is white; white is black....wherever you travel, there you are!!!  I am of the belief they should all be given a hot lead enema to cleanse their souls and return to representing constituents; not big business and the love of money.




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No Reality For Stars and Near-Stars

       America, listen to this fact:  Joe and Teresa Giudice are convicted felons! True, since both were convicted in federal court after admitting they bilked $5 million by submitting phony documents to obtain construction and bank loans; concealed assets, lied to bankruptcy officials and failed to file a 2004 tax return. Both were ordered to pay restitution: Joe, $414,000 and Teresa,  $200,000.  She is currently serving a 15 month sentence and Joe will report for a 41 month term in federal prison when she is released on parole.  Exact charges for both were bankruptcy and mail frauds; and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  This crime doesn't make sense since Teresa had a net worth of $11 million, but it doesn't end there!

     Joe recently appeared in Passaic County Court for driver license fraud. Apparently, he borrowed his brother's identification papers and sought a new one to replaced his suspended one for driving while intoxicated. The judge described Giudice's driving record as "mind boggling" since it contained thirty-nine (39) suspensions!  

       Giudice had accepted a plea agreement, but attempted several ploys to even downsize that.  He was hesitant to accept the deal, convinced of his innocence, but relented after a hurried conference with his attorney. Giudice was sentenced to license revocation of two years and a $10,000 fine.  His attorney attempted to argue Joe was destitute, but the judge reminded them Joe had recently been paid $75,000 for a tabloid interview.  Giudice was also sentenced to 18 months in jail, but this will run concurrently with federal incarceration. Both never seem to accept reality nor the harm their children are experiencing.  Joe was heard bragging about a return to Real Housewives of New Jersey for a "lot of money."  Yup, he has learned his lesson.

       I recently cancelled a subscription to a tabloid magazine for several reasons, but the most prominent was the Guidice Family brandished prominently in several issues in an apparent attempt to evoke sympathy. Yet, Mr. and Mrs. Guidice created their own angst through acts resulting in prison and great sadness for their children.  These kids deserve some publicity to illustrate harm done by their parents' greed, avarice and self-sanctification.  Joe and Teresa deserve no positive publicity since he will probably be deported to Italy after prison release.  Their actions will undoubtedly result in a family breakup with Joe's forced Italy return courtesy of fraud and lying. Teresa is claiming she is so innocent and it was all Joe's fault; disregard her lying to bankruptcy officials; those pesky Teresa Guidice signatures on the bilking documents; and, oh, concealed assets.  

      This particular magazine and others post continuous articles which tend to influence others it's all right to commit felonies-just look at all the money the Guidices are going to make afterwards. No felony stigma for Teresa since Bravo Network, allegedly, wants Teresa back for season 7 of RHONJ. Don't get me wrong; I believe everyone deserves a second chance for redemption and regain societal position.  Yet some magazines, net sites and possibly Bravo Network seem to think redemption isn't necessary nor paying for crimes against society. Both need to experience humility, pay their restitution, endure prison and chastise themselves for the impact upon their children; and the institutions bilked-not to receive positive publicity treating them as innocents. 

     Change focus to the Kardashians whose claim to fame emanated from Kim's sex tape.  Never mind many celebrities who spend years of blood, sweat and tears to gain the public eye; just put forth a sex tape and take it for all its worth! The only one who has earned legitimate adulation is Bruce Jenner for his Olympic feats.  Other family members have used a scripted reality show, sex, failed marriages, good spin and of course, MONEY to gain entry into the wide, wide world of celebrities.  Spin, public relations, drama; all combine to bring them into your home while the resulting influence is for little people to emulate their actions: and voila, SUCCESS-NOT.  Its all make believe for a gullible public.

       A side note-Martha Stewart was also convicted of a felony and served time in prison.  She is almost regarded as never being there; it just didn't happen since Stewart possessed MONEY and hired good PR people.


All this is sad, but true, but the new moniker is :
Felonies go away if you have the MONEY!: AT LEAST IN THE PUBLIC EYE!! (But they remain in NCIS!)





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What Not To Wear

I’ve decided to let Craig have a break from posting so he can get some work done. Besides, I’ve had something on my mind that is worth mentioning. I think.

It has become increasingly interesting at the variety of exercise clothing participants wear to class. For the most part, they are dressed comfortable, in easy to move in outfits. Some have outfits that match – right down to the shoes, and some could care less how ‘in style’ they are – they just came to get a great workout. Then there are the ‘others’. You know who you are – the ones in the low cut tops, the shorts with the really wide legs, the shorts with no legs at all, you get the picture. For us, it makes it difficult when we are watching for form because we don’t want to appear like we are staring at something we shouldn’t! Does anyone else have this problem?

There has also been the rare occasion where someone has forgotten his or her shoes. I had one lady work out in her hiking boots! Craig has had to work out in his socks before. He would have had to work out barefoot but I went to the local drugstore and bought him socks! He has also forgotten his shorts and had to workout in his jeans. Not very comfortable.

Personally, I am one of those who likes to look somewhat put together. (I confess – I have Nikes that match my outfits…) My biggest issue is finding clothes to wear. Right now I teach 6 classes per week – that will increase to 11 in a couple of weeks so I need plenty of outfits! Being one of those who are vertically challenged, it makes it especially hard to buy pants that don’t need to be hemmed. I love Capri’s’, but on me they always come down to my ankles making me look like someone chopped off my legs. Tops are another issue. I’m short waisted so most tops on me are too long – leaving a wad of material at my middle. And then, exercise clothing is soooo expensive! And unfortunately, if you buy cheap stuff, it doesn’t last. Thank goodness I don’t have a problem with shoes….

It is great to see Body Pump clothing getting away from so much red and black. Don’t get me wrong – I DO like it, but it is nice to have some variety. However, I can’t afford to keep up with all the BP latest fashions.

Men don’t seem to have the same problems women do. When Craig went shopping for his BP attire, he got everything he needed at one store. I on the other hand have to go from store to store – and when you live in a small town with not a lot of stores, your choices are even smaller. Most everything looks all the same – black or navy pants, solid or print tank style top. I have seen some great websites offering cool clothes – but I generally like to try things on before I buy.

So, I guess for now I will continue to wear my same outfits. (Maybe a new pair of sneakers would brighten up an old outfit) Or maybe I’ll call Stacey and Clinton from TLC’s “What Not To Wear”!




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Body Pump 62 Lunges: To Bench, or Not To Bench?

As we pointed out in our review of this latest release, the floor's clearly the best place for the bar to rest during Body Pump 62's killer lunge track. After all, the amount of weight a bar adds to the lunge workout is relatively small in comparison to a person's total body weight - it's actually the extra work involved with maintaining your balance and form that really ups the ante when you lay that bar across your shoulders. Do the math - you're probably adding maybe 5-10% more weight, at most.

But what about the bench? After giving this track a fair run for the money in our classes, there's little doubt in our minds that it's pretty doggone easy to underestimate the effect this has on the workout. Get out your measuring tape and likely to find the average bench probably sits a good 1/3 the height of whatever vertical distance the typical lunge covers. And if that figure's even remotely accurate, consider this: You'd have to extend the usual 4:45 lunge track to well over six minutes long just to get the same workout! Yeah, the bench takes it to a whole new level.

So here's what we tell our classes: Leave the bar on the floor for the 62 lunge track. And, if you're new at this stuff (we define "new" as anything less than a month, at three times a week) then you're probably best served by setting the bench aside as well. There's no shame in perfecting your form before graduating to the tougher workout regimens. But for the regulars who've got that form nailed - complete with right angles in both knees on the downstroke - adding a bench to the mix is just what the doctor ordered. Grab your weapon, folks - it's lunge time...




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Notice The Longer Lunge Tracks?

Fellow blogger, instructor, and long distance friend Mr. Timothy dropped us a line this morning with a couple of rather interesting observations. He points out that over the last 10 or so releases (since Glen Ostergaard took over as lead choreographer) there's been a definite uptick in the lunge track length. To be sure, 9 of the 10 longest lunge tracks are Ostergaard-choreographed routines. Since Pump soundtracks need to fit within a ±49 minute time window, something has to give - and it looks like the bicep track has been the primary donor. Which isn't all bad, really... the longer lunge tracks work a much larger group of muscles, burning more calories and building core strength.
Bottom line: Now may be the time to amp up your bicep workout with an extra plate on both sides of the bar. And take an extra deep breath between tracks 6 & 7!

Notice any other trends in the Pump workout over the last couple years? Tell us about it!