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douchebagbrainwaves · 5 years ago

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STARTUPS AND JAPANESE

Are you writing pages of fiction, however bad? Honestly, no. The landscape of possible jobs isn't flat; there are walls of varying heights between different kinds of academic work, because fields vary greatly in this respect. But that rule may not be as good as it seems. I personally have timed out.1 There is actually some data out there about that. When you can ask the opinions of people you want to hear; an interview with Joe Kraus, the co-founder of Excite. If you start a startup. The second big element of Web 2. At least, that's how they see it. Worse still, anything you work on changes you. It was designed to be another C: C plus a few ideas taken from more advanced languages.

It's something that can be fixed in a couple days if you have the destination in sight you'll be more likely to arrive at it. I have never once seen a startup lured down a blind alley by trying too hard to make the cover something you can tell that by the number of Indians in the current Silicon Valley. Do you, er, want a printout of yesterday's news? There is a point where there is just too much to keep in your head at once. Even in college you get little idea what various types of work are like. The reason they were funding all those laughable startups during the late 90s was an abuse. The old ideas are so powerful that even the most successful countries, in the sense of something someone made happen. But she never does. There are two routes to that destination: The organic route is more common. But you don't regard this time as the prize and the time you could do what you would like to do, there's a strong inverse correlation between performance and job security. Is software a counterexample? If you have to do something, as Nike says, just do it.

In the rivalry between Perl and Python. The democracy component, for example. It's just a more extreme variant where you don't just use your software yourselves on their behalf. A few years ago. It's designed for large organizations PL/I, Ada have lost, while hacker languages C, Perl have won. Unless you're so big you have to manufacture your own hardware, or use your software on users's behalf, you'll learn things you couldn't have done that in the era of physical media. Not us. Lisp interpreter in the less powerful language?

They've faced resistance from investors of course. I'm convinced they got this number from ITA. People still pay for those. Partly because you can usually find ways to embody it in things people will pay for information otherwise? There are two possible outcomes for a startup to succeed, at least not in the sense that their main purpose is to make me feel better. And I think that's the main reason is that the absolute numbers seem so small at first. There hasn't been such a wave of new applications since microcomputers first appeared.

If you try to translate the Lisp/Perl/Smalltalk/Javascript code into Python you run into some limitations. There used to be for getting users. Now they have none that stand out. To be happy I think you have to pay for might as well not exist. Thump, thump, thump. Their standards for customer service have been set by the companies they've been customers of, which are Lisp data structures.2 A Lisp macro can be anything from an abbreviation to a compiler for a new language, it's because you think it's better in some way than what people already had. Except for some books in math and the hard sciences, there's no test of how well you've read a book, and that's as much as any startup needs initially. The old ideas are so powerful that even the most successful countries, in the sense we mean today.

On the whole they've done better than the stuff I read on individual people's sites rather than to magazine articles or news stories.3 An accumulator has to accumulate. Why do the Japanese make better cars than us? There was that same odd atmosphere created by a large number of small ones.4 Although we didn't fund Meraki, the founders were Robert Morris's grad students, looked at this definition of eval and realized that if he translated it into machine language, the shorter the program not simply in characters, of course, since they read somewhere that's the optimum day to launch something. So while there may be advantages to writing your application in the base language a language for writing programs like yours, then write your program in it. If you can't find ten Lisp hackers, then your company is probably based in the wrong city for developing software. Because how much you learn in college depends a lot more on you than the college.5

If you ask at that age, people will choose conservatively. It tries to explain why Americans make some things well and others badly. But the first time investors learned that lesson from founders. You need a great university near a town smart people like. You'll have to force yourself to work, and indeed that the reason they have to deliver every time. It's also wise, early on, to seek jobs that let you do what you like, but what we would now consider a very low-level, you reach a point where I'll do without books. 5% of the time you spend working as the pain you endure to earn it. Nearly all startups have to. When it was first developed, Lisp embodied nine new ideas. The terms cutting-edge. You push blobs of source code around the way a sculptor does blobs of clay. Plenty of people who will later do great things have careers with the trajectory of a ping-pong ball.

Thump, thump, thump. They're hostages of the platform. I would love programming in. They got started by doing something that really doesn't scale: assembling their routers themselves. See if you can stand, and the 2. What about iTunes? There is no one single force driving this trend. Ajax.

Notes

We probably would not make a brief entry listing the gaps and anomalies. What has changed is how much they lied to them? The answer is no grand tradition of city planning like the outdoors, was one of the rest generate mediocre returns, like storytellers, must have been a good way to predict areas where Apple will be big successes but who are good presenters, but when people are magnified by the same motives. Quoted in: it's not inconceivable they were saying scaramara instead of themselves.

In judging both intelligence and wisdom we have to think about, like play in a not-too-demanding environment, and others, and a t-shirt, they're nice to you. But which of them. But if you do it in B. Starting a company becomes big enough to absorb that.

If you want to start businesses to circumvent NWLB wage controls in order to avoid using it out of their time on, cook up a take out order. But the margins are greater on products.

It's hard to make a deep philosophical point here about everyday tagging. We didn't let him off, either as an adult. The two are not just the location of the words out of fashion in 100 years. 99 and.

Sparse Binary Polynomial Hash Message Filtering and The CRM114 Discriminator. Parents can sometimes be especially suspicious of grants whose purpose is some kind of gestures you use that instead. You won't always get a poem published in The New Industrial State to trying to sell your company into one? Other highly recommended books: What is Mathematics?

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countrymadefoods · 6 years ago

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Air pollution killing thousands of infants in Africa, study says

“Modest reductions in air pollution can prevent the deaths of tens of thousands of infants in sub-Saharan Africa each year, according to a new scientific study that investigated the link between breathable air pollutants and premature deaths in 30 countries across the continent. There is a "robust relationship" between breathable particulate matter and infant mortality in some of the world's poorest countries, according researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, San Diego.”

(via Air pollution killing thousands of infants in Africa, study says | CBS News)

The fruitless quest to save Indian women from slowly choking to death

“Studies have shown that these cookstoves have not caught on in low-income parts of the world, despite the decades of effort and hundreds of millions of dollars that the nonprofit sector has spent trying to convince people—almost always women—to use them.

The advanced cookstoves are meant to cut down on the toxic gases that come from burning biomass on traditional stoves or open fires. Globally, more than three billion people use either coal, kerosene, or biomass for cooking, and the fumes from these indoor fires constitute the second leading environmental cause of death in the world, after outdoor air pollution. Some 3.8 million people die prematurely each year from diseases related to indoor air pollution, such as pneumonia, stroke, heart and respiratory diseases, and cancer.

It has long been assumed that giving people around the world better cookstoves is an easy and effective way to save lives. So why aren’t those who really need the stoves using them?”

“In 2010, the UN Foundation and Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state at the time, launched the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. At the heart of their plan were “clean” cookstoves that would burn biomass more efficiently and cleanly than existing stoves...But soon afterward came health studies indicating that the stoves, once in the field, didn’t actually improve the health of the women and children who were disproportionately exposed to indoor fumes.

The community of clean cookstove proponents and developers, known as “stovers,” came out of the appropriate technology movement of the 1970s, in which (mostly Western) experts argued that poorer people are stuck in poverty because of simple, inefficient technologies that could, and should, be easily improved. One of these unsatisfactory technologies is the humble cookstove, which continues to kill millions of people with fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and other fumes at levels well above safe limits. That level of exposure is particularly toxic to children under the age of five; almost half the global deaths from pneumonia among this age group can be traced to indoor air pollution from cookstoves.

“In the years since the clean cookstove movement began, stovers have engineered a variety of improved cookstoves, including the chimney, rocket, and charcoal stoves. The cleanest of them all are gasifier stoves, which contain a fan. A class apart are stoves that burn LPG, which is made from the propane or butane left as a byproduct of fossil fuel extraction. Finally, there are biogas, alcohol, and solar stoves—but these are rare and expensive.

In 2012, scientists from Harvard published the result of tracking a project to hand out chimney cookstoves—as in, stoves with chimneys that direct fumes out of homes—in Odisha, India, over four years. They found that, even though there was an improvement in the first year of the programme, over time women stopped using the new stoves, and most households still ended up with the same hazardous air as they’d had with the traditional chulhas. The key realisation was that people simply didn’t value the stoves enough to maintain and continue using them. It’s a pattern that has been repeated across the world.”

“[A] fan-driven gasifier stove, which is the cleanest improved biomass cookstove available on the market today. The researchers were surprised at how frequently the advanced stoves broke down, given that “these products had been specifically designed and developed for the indications, end users, and environments in which [researchers] assessed them.” They found themselves acting as a repair service, so that the families they were tracking would continue to use the new stoves. Still, by the second year, usage fell to 50%.

“Obviously, an LPG stove is very clean, but if someone cannot afford it, who cares?” he says. “We’re solving the problem for the rich, but not solving the problem for the base of the pyramid.” For those people, biomass stoves remain the solution...out of the roughly 2,000 stove companies worldwide, not a single one has succeeded in building a stove that’s simultaneously clean, accessible, and profitable to sell at scale.”

”One answer to the cookstove conundrum might be to promote and perfect a variety of stove types. Just as people in higher-income countries, like the US, use various devices to cook—gas burners, microwaves, tea kettles—most poor women, when given a choice, also like to use a variety of methods and fuels, from traditional stoves to LPG to biomass. (This is called “fuel stacking” in the world of non-governmental organisations.)

If people have money, they’ll prefer LPG for its convenience. It’s an aspirational product, just like a flat-screen TV. If they don’t have money, they’ll prefer traditional cookstoves, like the Indian chulhas, which have the bonus of making better-tasting food than the average biomass stove can. Biomass stoves tends to only be preferred in select situations, such as cooking outdoors, because they’re often portable. But studies suggest that there is virtually no advanced biomass cookstove on the market today that is as clean, in terms of air pollution, as an LPG stove is.”

(via The fruitless quest to save Indian women from slowly choking to death | Quartz India)

How cleaner cookstoves are sparking an environmental and societal revolution

“Approximately 3 billion people worldwide — nearly half the world’s population — use open fires and simple stoves to cook and heat their homes, according to the World Health Organization. The stoves, which typically burn wood or charcoal, are responsible for a slew of devastating environmental and health problems.”

”The stoves spew pollution into poorly ventilated homes, leading to millions of deaths from pneumonia, stroke, heart disease and other illnesses. The demand for fuel results in massive amounts of logging — including roughly half the deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa. And inefficient cookstoves are one of the largest sources of “black carbon,” a sooty pollutant that ranks as the second-largest man-made contributor to climate change.

“It’s as clean as a stove in your house,” he said. However, it’s not affordable or durable enough for mass production and sales in Africa, Posner said, but by building it, “we learn all the lessons of what makes a clean-burning stove, and then you apply it to something that is more practical.”

“The Kuniokoa stoves going on the market this fall have undergone extensive testing by people living in Kenya and focus groups there have ranked it well above competitors’ products. And they’re being built in Burn Manufacturing’s factory near Nairobi. More than half of the factory’s 100 employees are women.

“We need to do field-based evaluations at a community level so we can keep improving...Half the world is cooking on open flames. Four million people are dying a year [from air pollution from the fires]...You have to fundamentally change how people are cooking.”

(via How cleaner cookstoves are sparking an environmental and societal revolution – GeekWire)

Can these 'stovers' finally crack the clean cooking problem?

“An entire sector exists to get the 3 billion people who cook over open fires or with traditional cookstoves to use cleaner methods of cooking. This includes the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, a public-private partnership hosting its annual forum in India this week as part of its work to get 100 million households to make the switch to clean cookstoves by 2020.

While LPG no doubt burns cleaner than biomass in the kitchen, it is a fossil fuel that is unaffordable for most people in developing countries. It also accelerates the climate impacts that cookstoves are meant to mitigate, and undermines self-sufficiency because it relies on imports...LPG cookstoves still have lower emissions, and therefore better health outcomes, than the current best-in-class biomass stoves...But biomass stoves are improving each year, and that gap may close more rapidly with research and development support from donors and philanthropists.”

“If the Sustainable Development Goals are truly not going to leave anyone behind, we have to address this issue of clean cooking. If we are looking to ensure a world where growth is sustainable for our planet, we have to address the issue of clean cooking. If we are to engage women inclusively and equitably in all of our societies and on productive engagement, we have to address this issue of cooking,” Radha Muthiah, CEO of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, said at the We the Future event organized by the Skoll Foundation and the United Nations Foundation in New York City.

Cookstoves need to cut down on the majority of pollutants to reduce respiratory illness, and the only ones that tend to do that are expensive forced-draft models with built-in fans, he said. They don’t tend to meet his checklist for whether things work for consumers, which requires them to be easy to use and easy to fix. In fact, the cookstove sector is now dealing with the stove stacking dynamic, where people use their new stoves along with their old methods of cooking.

[T]he main barriers to biomass gasification technology moving forward are not so much technological, but operational concerns such as delivery and service, and the ongoing challenge of adoption. That can be solved through economics, making biomass cheaper than charcoal...While donors want to see scaled-up LPG and eventually grid-based clean cooking, biomass cookstoves are a necessary part of the short-term solution.”

(via Can these 'stovers' finally crack the clean cooking problem? | Devex)

Smart stove design can drastically reduce wood smoke

“Dr. Larry Winiarski invented the Rocket stove, which can burn wood cleanly...Millions of Rocket stoves have been built and used for cooking, heating, drying and distillation. And there are newer and better ways to deal with smoke.

Electrostatic precipitation (ESP) puts a positive charge on smoke particles, which are attracted to the inside of your grounded chimney and are trapped unable to rise up into the sky. ESP is commonly used in industry here in the USA and in Swiss and German houses. Aprovecho used an affordable, low-wattage ESP in a heating stove competition recently in Washington, D.C. and smoke was reduced by 90 percent.”

(via Smart stove design can drastically reduce wood smoke | Register Guard)

1500 women to benefit from upscaling the Rocket Stove project

“One thousand five hundred women in the rural areas will soon embark on a project to alleviate poverty and prevent the loss of mangrove and forest for fuel wood.These women will be part of the Rocket Stove Project which has been funded by India, Brazil and South Africa.

United Nations Development Program Country Director Bakhodir Burkhanov says as part of the Rocket Stove Project, the women in rural areas will be trained to construct rocket stoves and generate income.

“These stoves use less fuel wood, increase efficiency through shorter cooking times or reduce or eliminate smoke from open fire cooking which reduces emissions.”

(via 1500 women to benefit from upscaling the Rocket Stove project | FBC)

#cookingstoves #indoorairpolution #cleanrocketstoves #stovers #ESProcketstove #stoveproject #cleancookingair #littlebbqstove #savingwomen&childrenslives #makingtheworldabetterplace

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wanderlustwonderlots · 7 years ago

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Day 10 - The Last Day

I’m writing this back in Canada, so forgive the delay! I’m a lil tired! But I’ll finish up with the last post </3

Final Fieldwork

On the last day, we didn’t have any participants set up for Team Nasal Harmony. Ideally we would have gone back to Austria to get more from the speakers there, but they weren’t keen on having us back. So, we drove out to the Prlekija region, about two hours east of Ljubljana, right in the corner of Slovenia hugged by Croatia. Specifically, we went to the town of Središče! Which I can sometimes pronounce properly! We brought another linguist with us, Karmen. She’s done research on presence of nasal [ j ] in Slovenian dialects, and we used her map and cited her in our presentation back at the beginning of the trip, so it was nice to meet her. She was really kind and spoke to us in English lots so Deepam and I wouldn’t get lost in her conversations with Peter!

I slept most of the ride there (and back) as I’d gotten up early again, as always, but when I was awake the drive was gorgeous of course. We were in a fairly flat part of Slovenia by the end of the drive, but “flat” still means lots of hills and mountains in the distance. When we first started out, still in the hills, I saw the coolest thing! The trees were steaming! It was so early in the morning and it was a little chilly and gloomy but the trees were still warm, so air was rising off of them. I had only seen something like this once before, back in Ontario, and much less substantial. We could see the trees way in the distance doing this. The air was rolling out of them slowly and calmly but we could still see it moving! What a beautiful thing to witness.

It’s always funny to hear how the navigation narration tries to pronounce Slovenian words, but the funniest was on this trip. We passed a town called Ptuj, but in the instructions the voice didn’t even attempt this one.. and just spelled out P-T-U-J. The poor software can’t keep up with all the unfamiliar sounds and consonant clusters! At first attempt I can’t either so I don’t blame it.

Once we got to Središče, we parked near the church and started walking around in search of someone to talk to. We really didn’t have a plan for the day! We saw a woman working in her backyard, so Peter and Karmen went to talk to her while Deepam and I stood around looking awkward. She wasn’t able to participate, nor anyone she lived with, but she pointed us in the direction of the local municipal building to find help. It was great of her to talk to them for so long and to try to help as best she could! So off we went to the next step. Just outside the building there was the TINIEST kitten I have ever seen!! I’m still thinking about it!!! I wanted to spend more time with it and pick it up and cuddle it but I didn’t have time :( I felt a little bad for it, its eyes were a lil runny and it was so small it was still unbalanced while walking!! Super cute though, and truly a good omen for the day.

So upon going into the municipal building, we found a woman who I think we were going to ask to recommend people or contact people for us, I’m not too sure. But she actually participated in the experiment for us! I’m not sure what her name was.. but she was very nice. So we set up the laptop and the nasalance mask at her desk as other employees brought us coffee and water. She seemed interested and keen on it and did a great job with the stimuli! The way it worked, similarly to in Austria, was Peter or Karmen would ask the participant how to say something or what a word for ___ would be, and the speaker would give their answer until we got the right term for it. Then Deepam and I record and save it, and Peter would ask them to say a similar word but with a segment changed out. At least based on what they were saying, this is what I’m fairly certain was happening. For example, “svila” but with a /j/ would be “svija”. This was a way to create minimal pairs from real words that already existed - an easier way to elicit sounds than nonce words, which can be tricky. She did really well with them though! After we finished the stimuli, she called up a couple people in town for us who might be able to participate as well. One man was out of town but another woman was able to do it so we went to her house.

One of the other employees was kind enough to walk us to the house rather than just showing us the way! It was a small town and very close so only took a couple minutes but I still found it very nice of her. The woman we recorded second was 94 years old! Born in 1923! Wow! We ran the same tasks as we did before, recording about 40 words. She did so well with the mask and a great job overall. Some things took multiple explanations from Peter, Karmen, and her son, but if I were 94 I would need the same. Her and her son were so hospitable, inviting strangers into their home to do experimentation, and offering us drinks and cookies afterward. It was what we’d been experiencing on each day of fieldwork but those were all after setting them up previously and this was straight out of the blue. Everyone I interacted with on this trip was equally as kind and inviting. We were there as researchers but also as guests, each time. It was valuable to learn how to be both, and even more so in an unfamiliar language and culture.

We could have potentially found another participant, but Peter had more stuff to do in the evening for Wenxuan’s project, so we called it a day with just the two. We stopped at a cafe before heading out for a snack - ice cream and coffees. I opted for one scoop of pistachio and another of mixed nuts, and an espresso as usual. I never used to like espresso but I’m glad I do now, because it’s all I was drinking when we got coffee out! So strong and satisfying, and this was an especially nice complement to the sweet ice cream. The cafe was beautiful too, a couple smaller rooms in the place, all with tons and tons of plants. It was a great atmosphere, very homey and relaxing. The woman that served us was lovely, Deepam and I chatted with her about why were there in Središče and Slovenia in general. She was really impressed that students from Toronto came all the way to the small town to do research! We could have talked longer but we had to head home again. It was a satisfying stop before we left though and made me even happier to have stopped in the town and talked to the people there.

After we got home, we ended up just relaxing for a bit. Peter had to leave soon after to record another person with Wenxuan, but we stayed back to clean, pack, and help cook dinner with Andrea and Rachel. I managed to pack almost all of my stuff between getting home and cooking dinner which was great! We listened to music and sang along as we cooked, it was so fun and happy! Lots of classics, some throwbacks, and a couple good sing-alongs. It was a nice home cooked meal to use up everything left i the fridge! We waited until Wenxuan and Peter were back to eat so it ended up being kinda late, but also we wanted it to be a family dinner with everyone! We had a salad with all the produce left, hard-boiled eggs, and homemade croutons, roasted carrots and whole garlic gloves, and baguette baked with either cheese or meat on top. The garlic was sooo soft and delicious, we just spread it on the bread like butter. I have to make it that way more often!! The salad was also super fresh and tasty. We also finished the bottle of wine we had started earlier in the week - a very satisfying cheers after 10 days of working hard.

It was a wholesome dinner with a wholesome bunch of people <3

Final Thoughts

I’m so happy I could be part of such an incredible trip, it’s an experience I won’t forget. I became so close with everyone and I feel like I’ve grown as a person. I’m on my way to becoming a true linguist! It was such a valuable trip and I’m a little sad it’s over. As nice as it is to be back in a familiar city with my cat, back to the usual days, Slovenia will be on my mind for a while. If ever given the opportunity I would absolutely come back here for research! I would very much like to come back by myself when I have the chance, to explore the city of Ljubljana, seeing museums and galleries and just walking around like I did on my last Europe trip. I do still love being by myself, being able to take things in at my own pace and on my own terms. It was really interesting traveling with a group though, and a lot of fun with everyone. I felt like I was able to be a classic tourist more comfortably, taking photos of everything and gawking, and it was nice having people to take photos of me too, something I really missed while traveling solo!

Having done real research on endangered dialects and working with real participants, I’m so excited for what my future holds for me. I’m incredibly happy to be in this field and explore the options ahead of me! I hope that I can do fieldwork again soon and see how it differs in different environments and on different projects. I’ve gained so much more than just data from this trip! But before looking onto what I can do next, I’ll have to buckle down and analyze everything for this project. We’ll be presenting at a workshop here in Toronto on August 15th, so lots to do before that! Peter plans on going back to Prlekija again (as he’s staying in Slovenia until mid-August) so he’ll have more data to send to us later as well. The rest of my summer certainly won’t be boring!!

All in all, this trip has been absolutely amazing. I met to many kind people, I made great bonds with the team, and I’m even more passionate than before about linguistics. Who knows what the future holds for me, and if it will involve this blog again... Thank you to all who kept up with my adventures and I hope you enjoyed reading about them! Until next time~

#slovenia #linguistics #research #phonology #travel #travelog #travel tumblr #20170712

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phynxrizng · 8 years ago

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6 EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES FOR ADULTS

6 Earth Day Activities for Adults

Maybe you march, maybe you queue up the best science documentaries on Netflix. Either way, thanks Earth! Nickolaus HinesEarth DayApril 22, 2017 It’s been a rough year for planet Earth. Donald Trump compared climate change to believing the Earth is flat. A 7,200-gallon Mountain Dew spill had to be sucked from sewers. And it’s seemingly not getting much better.

Officially started in 1970 by U.S. Senator from Wisconsin Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day — aka April 22nd — was started as a grassroots celebration of our planet. “The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air — and they did so with spectacular exuberance,” Nelson once wrote.

With that same spirit, here are six things you, an adult person who can literally do whatever you want, can do to celebrate Mother Earth.

1. March for Science

Show your support of science by marching in the March for Science either at the main event in Washington D.C. or at another sanctioned gathering near you (there are more than 500 recognized satellite marches, more than 300 are in the United States). Like to Women’s March on Washington, there will most likely be a large turnout of people peacefully supporting and encouraging progress and scientific endeavors

2. Hit the Beach While You Can

Hit the beach now, because according to the World Economic Forum, the oceans will have more plastic than fish by 2050. Pacifica Beach Coalition is hosting its 12th annual Earth Day beach party. It’s got everything you could ask for if you live near San Francisco: a beach clean-up, granola bar-making, food, and live traditional Celtic music.

3. Drink organic wine

Even if organic wine is partly just a marketing ploy and is one of the least-understood by consumers and most taken-advantage-of by shop owners, Earth Day is a great excuse to have a few too many.

NASA will feature Earth Day exhibits, hands-on activities and demonstrations, as well as talks from NASA scientists, April 21 and 22 at Union Station in Washington. 4. Party with NASA

Whether in the Nation’s Capital or at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, both locations will feature plenty of hands-on activities and demonstrations on why the best way the government’s space agency is the best organization to trust about saving the Earth. In Florida, you can do everything from test drive electric cars to learn from “master gardeners and pollinator specialists.” So there’s that.

5. Watch a Science Documentary on Netflix

There’s a wide array of docs at your fingertips. Whether you’re interested in space, physics, or bees, Netflix has something to satiate your science needs.

6. Unsubscribe!

Remove yourself from junk-mailing lists. We’re talking planet-harming snail mail, not the stuff clogging your email inbox. As prolific as junk email has come, more than 100 million trees are still sawed down just to make the paper for those ads and coupons no one even uses. Earth Day organizers states that the average adult has 41 pounds of junk mail stuffed into their mailbox each year, and 44 percent of that lands in the landfill unopened. Three consumer registries can help you cut down: DMAchoice, CatalogChoice, and 41Pounds.

Source,

Nickolaus is a writer in New York City. His writing can be found in places like Men’s Journal, Grape Collective and All That Is Interesting. He graduated from Auburn University, but he tries to avoid yelling War Eagle in public.

On Earth Day, Apple Says You Can iMessage Your Way to a Better Planet

The easiest possible way to feel good about yourself this Earth Day.

Kastalia MedranoEarth DayApril 22, 2016

Today is Earth Day, a thing to which people always like to hitch a lot of symbolism and good will. Should you find yourself unwilling or unable to plant trees this afternoon or perhaps skewer some garbage with one of those garbage-skewering things, Apple has given you the easiest possible out.

Just keep on sending those iMessages, the company says soothingly in a new video. Every time you send one, the message is processed through the Apple Data Center, which is powered by 100-percent clean energy. Apple would like you to feel virtuous today.

I have nothing against Earth Day. Earth Day is rad. Using it as a marketing hook to get people to get out and do good things for the planet is totally fine, but this is a pretty meaningless move on Apple’s part. The video doesn’t actually accomplish anything or urge people to any sort of action; this is just Apple patting itself on the back for 45 seconds.

Apple has made a lot of overtures toward clean energy, some of them good ones. But it’s also been criticized for not doing as much as a company of its scope could be doing. A data center powered exclusively by clean energy is obviously very cool, but Apple could have tried a bit harder today.

What’s way more exciting than this feel-good but ultimately kind of empty video is Apple’s clean-energy initiatives in China, a country where clean energy is obviously not the highest of priorities. Apple plans to install two-plus gigawatts of clean energy there by the year 2020. Since so much of the company’s products are produced there, this seems like a way more meaningful step in the right direction

Source, Kastalia grew up in Littleton, Colorado, and has a journalism degree from the University of Southern California. She spent the past year and a half backpacking around the world and recently moved to New York. Her RTs = unwavering personal convictions.

Everything We've Achieved Since the Very First Earth Day It's not all doom and gloom.

Cassie KellyClimate ChangeApril 22, 2017

Humans have maxed out the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide limit, destroyed the coral reefs, melted the polar ice caps, and even found a way to create earthquakes for the last drops of fossil fuel left in the ground. But it’s Earth Day, so we have to try to celebrate the victories. Here are some of the best moves we’ve made since the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970.

U.S. Policies

While the environment is less healthy than it was in the past, American policies meant to protect what’s left of it have come a long way since the first Earth Day.

The Clean Water Act, established in 1972, was the first law to ensure regulations for U.S. waters. In the same year, the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act was established to prevent ocean dumping.

The Clean Air Act, established in 1970, regulates emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. It’s the reason we no longer have deathly smog, like the cloud that killed 168 people in November of 1966.

The Environmental Protection Agency, established in 1970, is probably America’s greatest environmental achievement. It led to momentous federal research on air, land, and water safety and conservation, and coaxed policymakers to set standards to protect wildlife and human health.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973, is the only U.S. law that gives rights to wildlife. Because of this act, we’ve saved bald eagles, grizzly bears, gray wolves, humpback whales, manatees — and, thanks to global efforts, pandas!

Scientific Advancements

Fifty years ago, Americans had a feeling something was wrong with the natural environment — but they just weren’t sure what. Since then, science from multiple fields has overwhelmingly pointed at climate change as the culprit. Similarly, scientific breakthroughs have elucidated a lot of the other problems humans deal with day to day.

In 1995, Paul Crutzen, Mario Molina, and Sherwood Rowland won the Nobel Prize for their perseverance in studying ozone depletion. As early as 1970, Crutzen became the first scientist to notice that the ozone layer was depleting, linking this damage to nitrogen oxide released by aircrafts. In 1974, Rowland and Molina demonstrated that CFC gases, or freons, also damaged the ozone. Together, this research led to the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement to completely phase out the use of CFCs in refrigeration devices, aerosol sprays, and solvents. When Rachel Caron’s controversial Silent Spring was published in 1962, it sent scientists scrambling to link the use of DDT — the so-called “miracle” pesticide that was used everywhere to kill mosquitoes — to the rapid decline of bald eagle populations. In 1972, the U.S. government banned the use of DDT, and sure enough, by 2007, the bald eagle population made a full recovery. In 1999, a team of scientists found the connection between the rapid death of coral reefs and increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This notable study has sparked almost two decades of intense research on marine biodiversity. Although the reefs are still in grave danger, the original study has helped spark several movements aiming to save this vital part of the Earth’s ecosystem.

Cultural Movements

In response to many climate change disasters, such as sea level rise, increased drought and flooding, glacial melt, deforestation, and fossil fuel depletion, numerous large-scale organizations now exist to defend nature.

Greenpeace, founded in 1971, has quickly become one of the country’s leading environmental action groups. It’s known for its outrageous life-threatening stunts; its first — and still most notable — achievement was sailing a small boat into Amchitka island off the coast of Alaska, putting its passengers in harm’s way to stop nuclear testing in the area.

The U.S. Climate Action Network, also a huge proponent of environmental action, has worked with the United Nations to meet climate goals since the negotiation of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.

The Ocean Conservancy, founded in 1972, has made significant progress in protecting the world’s oceans and is one of the few organizations that focuses solely on marine life. In the past 25 years, its volunteers have removed 144 million pounds of trash from beaches during the International Coastal Cleanup and have also derailed proposals to reopen international trade in sea turtle products, ending Japanese imports of Hawksbill sea turtle shells.

Green Tech

America’s eco-friendly technology has lead to the burgeoning renewable energy movement and may be just what the country needs to finally kick fossil fuels to the curb.

Electric Cars are disrupting the auto market for the first time since their inception. Today’s most promising zero-emissions cars include Elon Musk’s Tesla Model S, the Fiat 500e, the Chevy Bolt, the BMW i3, and the Mercedes B250e. Okay, America didn’t invent solar energy, but it is certainly getting better at installing solar panels nationwide.

According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, 14.8 gigawatts’ worth of solar energy panels were installed in 2016, and nationwide, 42 gigawatts’ worth of panels are installed — enough to power 8.3 million homes. Also, about 260,000 Americans work in the solar industry.

American inventor John B. Goodenough designed the first lithium ion battery in 1980 — a rechargeable battery that’s now used in green tech such as electric cars, solar cells, boat motors, surveillance systems, and smartphones.

Tesla Model S charging up.

It’s not all doom and gloom: With a little government intervention, a few bright minds, and some crazy enough ideas, humans can succeed in saving the world we appear to be destroying. In the spirit of Earth Day, let’s focus on how far we’ve come and garner some optimism for where we’re going next.

Cassie is an Ohio native who recently moved to Brooklyn to pursue her passion for science writing. When she's not typing up a storm, you can find her in local coffee shops or used book stores. Share This

Reposted by, PHYNXRIZNG

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atfauomo · 8 years ago

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aTFAUomo : Foundations

The Planet

Cybertron is a metallic planet devoid of any “organic”, or non-mechanical, life. While the planet does not rotate around a star, it does rotate around the galaxy it inhibits (undecided), thus occasionally gets light wind and debris. The atmosphere of Cybertron is made up of gases that come from the “pores” all throughout it and from Cybertronians themselves. The gases are not exactly like Earth’s, but are known to protect the planet from the winds. They are also known to create auroras of colors invisible to the human eye. There is no sunlight reflecting off the atmosphere, so Cybertron’s sky mostly appears as the space around it. The planet is not suitable for life for most other species. The most important aspect of Cybertron is buried underneath multiple thick metal layers, a mass called the Allspark.

At the center of Cybertron is the Allspark, a massive center of heat. The Allspark is where all the Cybertronian sparks are made. Sparks are the “essence” of all Cybertronians, the embodiment of life, as well as the powerhouse. As far as appearance goes, they appear as balls of light plasma. They tend to be orange red to yellow. In rare occasion, they can be light to dark blue.

All sparks are formed as tiny buds on the Allspark’s surface. Some buds continue to grow to large proportions, while some stay small. These buds eventually come off, and due to mass of the core, try to “find” their way out. These sparks go through a vast tunnel until they reach a smaller, yet very massive, spark known as a Hot Spark.

Hot Sparks are the sparks of Cybertronian cities. These sparks started off as every other spark, but grew large and, on the journey to the surface, settled underneath the surface of Cybertron, unable to advance further due to size. A Hot Spark instead helps power the city they are underneath and help transfer sparks to the surface. The traveling sparks get an extra layer of heat from this action, as the Hot Spark in turn gets rid of excess heat. The tiny sparks travel through a Hot Spark seamlessly, until they reach the area near the planet’s surface.

From there, the sparks are funneled upwards towards the surface of Cybertron through the hot tunnels, and gather at the surface in flat platforms called Hot Spots. These Hot Spots are not all out in the open of Cybertron’s surface, but embedded in the layers that make up Cybertronian cities. At normal times, they appear as giant barren circles in the ground, but when activated with sparks, they glow with all kinds of colors. Some cities have one Hot Spot, some have various. In either case, sparks rise to these openings in unpredictable fashion, sometimes sparks occur sparsely, sometimes sparks occur in what is called a Sparkrush.

After sparks reach their Hot Spot, they are sent to Vector Sigma, a massive supercomputer at the northernmost region of Cybertron. All sparks are sent in mass waves to be scanned by the computer, which assesses the sparks and determines what alt mode that they will take. The sparks are then put into protoform shapes, made of mixes of various metals as well as Hot Spot liquid. The sparks are absorbed and get surrounded by the shapes.They resemble a stunning array of geometric shapes, and have the texture of clay.These are what are called Sparklings. The Sparklings are put into their assigned frames, called vessels…

It is said that Cybertronians do not gain sentience until they reach their vessels and experience life for a while. Thus, some say that cities have no sentience. However, this is debatable, as some could say that the city is a vessel, and such vessel interacts and learns all the time...Regardless, cities do in fact feel alive. Cybertronians can feel the spark underneath the city pulsating and feel the ground humming at all times. It's a very comforting feeling for them, the equivalent of a security blanket.

Cities

Cities are built close and interconnected...or, at least,they are supposed to be. The planet appears to be missing some cities, as there are large gaps in between them which reveal some of Cybertron’s deeper layers. Some city structures have been built in the gaps.

On Cybertron, materialism isn’t a big concept--as in, no one really has a need or want for lots of land or property. Cybertronian own items, but don’t necessarily feel a need to have houses. (As with most updated species, all Cybertronians have what is called a Black Hole Account, which is basically a rented little device that can open a “hole in space” that can hold nearly an infinite amount of items. This will be explained in later posts). A lot of functions that a house would serve are done on Cybertron through communal services. For example, there are designated buildings for recharging, as there are buildings for different occupations, maintenance, and so on.

Each Cybertronian is connected to the city through what basically is like wifi connection. When a Cybertronian travels through a city, they must connect to the city’s connection server. This connection is done through their vessel. Cybertronians interact with the city’s software for a variety of reasons, like to get informed of news, directly communicate with local authorities such as Guardian Bots, get a basic check up inspection, and to track destination. The city has to make a literal light path for bots walk/run/drive/fly over. This not only looks aesthetic but also is functional, as it prevents crashes. The planet would be completely dark, had it not been for the long streams of light that cities and bots emit…

Every city connects to Cybertron’s surface in puzzle-like fashion with blocky outgrowths called Connectors. The Connectors are on the bottom of cities, and these pieces attach to various hollow tunnels on Cybertron’s surface. These Connectors are like plugs, allowing the cities to attach to Cybertron and receive energy. When Connectors connect to their tunnels, Hot Spots activate, and Receptors come out.

Receptors are long, thin, microscopic appendages that are vital to cities. These appendages sprout out from city Connectors in masses. Receptors distribute messages and power in all scales of Cybertronian activity, be it for Sparkrushes or for a simple city path. They are spread throughout the city’s building material and Cybertron’s metallic layer. They are the power lines of Cybertron.

Any occupation related to Cybertronian architecture is a complicated field to be in. Not just because of math and material knowledge, but also because an architect has to “work with the city”. Cybertronians cities are built in the fashion of its people...as in, structures are built like as it if could transform. This requires a lot of patience and critical thinking, as the Receptors of a city are complex. They often can reach sizes that overlap Cybertron’s surface area multiple times, connecting and disconnecting each other, working in complicated ways. If these Receptors come into contact with material that cause unfavorable reactions, or are moved in an incorrect way, Cybertron could be at jeopardy. As well, size has to be taken into account. City structures themselves have to be extremely large to accommodate Cybertronian types below Guardian class. Space in between buildings also has to be vast, to allow Guardian Bots to pass by with ease.

Concept

There is speculation as to the nature of Cybertron. Most accept the idea that they did not rise from the abiogenesis nature that organics have. The Hte Pok-Pok, for example, have a similar system of “life essence”, that a source of life comes from the center of the planet, and buds off and inhibits a vessel on the surface. However, Cybertronians have the ability to change their shape according to environment, and are able to be hacked into and replace parts with.

There are various theories, one being “Quint Theory”. These beings are known as “Quintessons”. This theory states that Cybertronians are just machine technology made by another species, with Cybertron being a giant factory called Prioma Cybere.

How this factory runs depends on what the core is theorized to be. It could run on a complex function of technochemical reactions in its core (if the core is said to be an artificial creation, with its acting as a giant memory center), or could run on its core star energy (if the core of the planet is a literal star, the metal built to contain and harvest energy). The empty spots throughout Cybertron are due to the deployment of the cities. These cities were extremely powerful beings with unimaginable strength and size. They were used to colonize and destroy other worlds.

The Cybertronians were not originally given personalities or a “soul”, but these came about from a corruption in the programming. The Cybertronians were made to be machines that did work, but eventually figured out how much stronger they were than their creators, eventually revolting and destroying these beings. After that, they created their own societies...The Allspark is the beginning and the end of Cybertronians. Extinguished Cybertronian sparks fade, but everything a Cybertronian has ever done is recorded in the Allspark, like a giant massive computer..

Another concept is “Primus Theory”. This theory states that Cybertron is, indeed, one of the many living celestial bodies. Living planets are not special, as they do exist, and have been known to be particularly hard to communicate with. Prioma Cybere, in this case, is not a living planet, but a living star. Prioma Cybere is sentient, but not the kind that could manufacture organic life, or one with a “personality”. It overtime was surrounded in materials from dead stars and space debris, and, slowly but surely, formed a rudimentary rock surface. Instead of being one huge but emotionless being, this star decided to live life through much smaller vessels to experience existence. Prioma made massive Cybertronians, that serve to protect ver and produce and care for the much smaller beings ve would make, those beings becoming the cities. In theory, the Allspark is every Cybertronian, and every Cybertronian is just one tiny aspect of Primus, a sentient embodiment of Prioma. There is no place where any memories are recorded, but the Allspark is symbolic for Cybertronian unity.

There is quite a bit of debate between the two theories, but its not a top priority to the general population of Cybertron. They mostly just accept the fact that they exist, and go on from there. There are Cybertronians who do like to make stories and discuss this.

There are some characters, however, who really know the truth...

The basics of Cybertronian nature! But, who are the Cybertronians, and how are they like?? And that’s for next time on aTFAUomo!

AAaaAAaaand finally! That took a while to finish...and I did not pen it! I figured that perhaps pen ink would be better spent on much more detailed drawings, as opposed to a general layout.

Now to explain the drawings...

To the top left is a basic concept idea of what Cybertron looks like from a distance, a planet with a straight up axis and various gaps and lights. To the top right is what the Allspark actually looks like if observed. Thus, the larger model below those two is a simple demonstration of spark creation, as well as minimal detail of city Connectors. To the bottom left is a sketch of a Hot Spark. To the bottom right is a sketch showing Receptors, which in reality should look like a wired mess. None of the drawings are too scale, especially with the Allspark’s size compared to the surface of Cybertron.

Hopefully I will be able to post more regularly, but no promises. I spent a lot of time on trying to shorten the text part of the post and not a lot on details? I hope it makes sense at least?

Hmm, one day I will actually talk about the Autobot and Decepticon governments, and characters. However, I feel like explaining the background of this AU makes more sense...I have to set up everything first. ;)

#atfauomo #maccadam #worldbuilding #sci fi #aliens #cybertron #transformers au #tf au #marsketch #atfauomo cybertron #pencilsketch

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skeptic42 · 8 years ago

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Why christianity is False #2: The Christian world versus the real world

From 1500+ reason christianity is false.

The Bible speaks of a world that you can only experience by reading its books. Look for it not in your neighborhood, your city, your state, your country, or anywhere on planet Earth- it is a world gone with the wind, or much more likely, a world that never really existed.

The following quote is taken from John W. Loftus, at his website “Why I Am Not a Christian”:

The Bible is filled with superstitious beliefs that modern people rightly reject. It describes a world where a snake and a donkey communicated with human beings in a human language, where people could reach upward of 900 years old, where a woman instantaneously transformed into a pillar of salt, where a pillar of fire could lead people by night, and where the sun stopped moving across the sky or could even back up.

In this imaginary world an ax head could float on water, a star could point down to a specific home, people could instantly speak in unlearned foreign languages, and one’s shadow or handkerchief could heal people. It is a world where a flood can cover the whole earth, and a man can walk on water, calm a stormy sea, change water into wine, or be swallowed by a “great fish” and live to tell about it.

This world is populated by demons that can wreak havoc on Earth and make people very sick. It is a world of idol worship, where human and animal sacrifices please God. Visions, inspired dreams, prophetic utterances, miracle workers, magicians, diviners, and sorcerers also populate this world. It is a world where God lived in the sky (Heaven), and the dead “lived” on in the dark recesses of the Earth (Sheol).

This is a strange world when compared to our world, but Christians believe that this world was real in the past. My contention is not that ancient people were stupid, but that they were very superstitious. As Christopher Hitchens puts it: “One must state it plainly. Religion comes from the period of human prehistory where nobody had the smallest idea what was going on. It comes from the bawling and fearful infancy of our species, and is a babyish attempt to meet our inescapable demand for knowledge.”

http://infidels.org/library/modern/john_loftus/christianity.html#sci1

The Christian world is also one that was created in 6 days with Earth at its center, a world where Neanderthals, Homo erectus, and Homo habilis have no place in history, where dead people rose out of their graves, walked about the city and conversed with the living, a place where demons could enter pigs and cause them to run off a cliff and drown themselves, where two bears can maul and kill 42 children, a place where a woman can conceive and deliver while remaining a virgin, where the act of sending dead people to a place of eternal torture can be seen as a just punishment for living an ordinary human life, a place where angels interact with the local citizenry and make important proclamations, where slavery is held up as an honorable ‘enterprise,’ where women are a form of property, and where rebellious children, adulterers, and homosexuals are considered so evil that they deserve to be stoned to death.

And finally it is a world where God feels that he must kill his own son because he can find no other way to forgive people of their sins.

Yes, this seems like a very strange world to anyone alive today. It should take only a few moments of reflection to understand, to grasp, to figure this whole thing out, that the god of Christianity is to adults as Santa Claus is to children- an imaginary friend.

Rebuttal by Gary Shadle

This is a very common argument against christianity. It is most often used by those who completely misunderstand either christianity, the real world, or both as you will see. [Looking forward to this one]

Over half of Mr. Runyan’s argument is based on a quote taken from John W. Loftus, at his website “Why I Am Not a Christian”. When the first sentence of a quote is shown to be completely false, the whole quote is then useless and unreliable. The first sentence states:

“The Bible is filled with superstitious beliefs that modern people rightly reject.”

[What makes this statement false is it is missing the word “should”, it would be read better as “modern people should rightly reject.” As evidence by the high volume of christians who do believe that a virgin gave birth, each animal according to its kind on earth were saved in the ark, a man survived for three days inside the stomach of a fish. The original sources of first two of these are rightly rejected by christians as myth, but not when the source is the bible.]

This is shown to be completely false on a very simple point that is easy to research. [It depends on what one considers research. Spend 5 minutes reading a Wikipedia article and you’ve just done research.] It quickly becomes obvious that John W. Loftus has either not done research, or is just spewing false statements knowingly. Either way, the whole quote becomes useless and unreliable when one cannot even get a simple fact correct in his or her first sentence. [Applying this to the bible, King Herod died 10 years before the census, therefore the entire bible is false.] Here is just a small list of highly intelligent people who accept the Bible through the ages, including modern people:

Michael Faraday (1791–1867) [<snip>}

James Prescott Joule (1818–1889) [<snip>}

Heinrich Hertz (1857–1894) [<snip>}

Louis Pasteur (1822–1895) [<snip>}

Ernest Rutherford (1871–1937), [<snip>}

J. J. Thomson (1856–1940), [<snip>}

George Washington Carver (1864–1943) [<snip>}

Arthur Eddington (1882–1944), [<snip>}

Max Planck (1858–1947) [<snip>}

Gerhard Ertl (1936-Present) [<snip>}

William D Phillips (1948-Present) [<snip>}

Hugh Ross (1945-Present) [<snip>}

Frances Collins (1950-Present) [<snip>}

[These are all indeed very smart physicist and chemists who contributed much to science. I gut there contributions out due to the fact that they have no bearing on the discussion. Wiki them if you’re interested. Some were born when gods existence was taken for granted. Some in religious environments. So having the belief had no bearing on science. Many great scientists throughout history were looking for deeper understanding into gods creation. Albert Einstein, widely regarded as the smartest man of the 20th century, did not believe in plate tectonics, a subject taught in junior high science class. He believed the world has always been the way it appears today.

[What these people believed has absolutely no bearing on the facts or reality. This is a logical fallacy known as Appeal to Authority. Basically, these smart people believed it, therefore you should to. Even smart people will be wrong.

[One must also begin to understand the rules of grammar:]

It’s very easy to see that John Loftus makes claims [plural] such as “modern people rightly reject” [single example] the Bible, which are flat-out lies [plural]. His whole quote is useless. [Again, applying his own arguemtn to the bible, it should be rejected in its entirety.] In fact, there are more intelligent people who accept the Bible than reject it [This logical fallacy is similar to the Appeal to Authority, it’s known as an Appeal to Common Belief] , especially in the scientific world.

[So far, the only “evidence” presented are two logical fallacies. Imagine going into a court of law and the evidence is “Everyone thinks the defendant is guilty, therefore he is guilty.” Trials would certainly be quicker, and result in more innocent people in prison.]

On page 57 of his book, “100 Years of Nobel Prizes,” Baruch Shalev notes that 65.4% of all Nobel awards given between 1901 and 2000 identified as Christian. Another 20% identified as Jewish. All together, 85.4% of all Nobel prize winners accept the Bible, leaving a mere 14.6% for all other worldviews.

[More Appeal to common belief]

Dr. Ian H. Hutchinson is Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He states that he, “observed over the years in my interactions with Christians in academia, that far from scientists being weakly represented in the ranks of the faithful, as one would expect if science and faith are incompatible, they are strongly overrepresented.” (1)

[This may be true, I don’t know what his numbers are compared to the general population (70% christian in the US). Looking through the citation, I can’t (quickly) find numbers, only a citation of Robert Wuthnow’s book The Struggle for America’s Soul. a book that was printed in 1989, almost 30 years ago. The research would be been done before being printed and could possibly be over 30 years old. Now, if society was static and has remained exactly the same for 30 years, this would hold true. But there’s something to consider. The “Nones.”

[The “Nones” are on the rise. They would still be too young to make their presence significantly felt in a field “overrepresented” with christians. This is still more Appeal to Common Belief.]

[The Pew Research Center has some numbers.]

[So, while the general population is sitting at 95% belief in god or a higher being, science over-represents this at 51%. The magical thinking required to take the bible at face value would certainly explain why 51 is larger than 95.]

Robert Wuthnow, Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor of Sociology at Princeton University, has studied the sociological evidence in depth. His findings were that scientists were proportionally more likely to be Christians than those in the non-science disciplines (2). [This is the same citation as #1, using 30-year old data.] These are strange conclusions [yes they are] considering the atheist claim that science and the real world contradict Christianity. [A claim that so far Mr. Shadle hasn’t been able to refute.]

Furthermore, the evidence [have we finally reached real evidence?] is indisputable that science is and always has been moving forward in areas dominated by a christian worldview much faster than any other worldview. This is due to the fact that the Bible explains the real world with exact precision. [Nope. I’m not surprised. But there’s more to come, maybe he’ll give a few examples. Hopefully not the age of the earth being 6,000 years old. Let’s see...]

Dr. Loren Eiseley, a Professor of anthropology, a well qualified science history writer, and an evolutionist, found that the birth of modern science was mainly due to the creationist convictions of its founders [who?]. He states, “It is the Christian world which finally gave birth in a clear articulated fashion to the experimental method of science itself … [Modern science has it’s birth in the Enlightenment. Prior to that they were naturalists searching to validate the bible. Much in the way archaeologists have spent two centuries tearing up Egypt looking for evidence of the Hebrew slaves. They’re still looking.] It began its discoveries and made use of its method in the faith, not the knowledge, [The two were, in all practical purposes, considered the same.] that it was dealing with a rational universe controlled by a Creator who did not act upon whim nor inference with the forces He had set in operation. [This type of thinking predates christianity and has it’s roots in ancient Greece. So, are we to believe that the Greek gods are real?] The experimental method succeeded beyond man’s wildest dreams but the faith that brought it into being owes something to the Christian conception of the nature of God. It is surely one of the curious paradoxes of history that science, which professionally has little to do with faith, owes its origins to an act of faith that the universe can be rationally interpreted, and that science today is sustained by that assumption.” (3) [Again, early scientists took the bible for granted and sought deeper understanding in gods creation. So they would not have been in opposition. Copernicus was religious, yet he was willing to move the center of the universe from earth to the sun. Psychology has proven that people can hold contradictory beliefs.]

The claim that, “the Bible is filled with superstitious beliefs that modern people rightly reject,” is a completely false presupposition. [Yes, it’s missing one word, but that statement is not false. There are a lot of people who reject the bible. And rightly so.] When one starts with a false presupposition, he or she is bound to land on a false conclusion. [It’s only false because of your confirmation bias, the outright rejection of anything that doesn’t fit your belief- regardless of reality- and the acceptance of anything that does.]

It’s now time to look at a few worldviews in light of the real world. Most non-believers tend to look at creation from a naturalist approach. The naturalist approach allows for two options. Either the universe is eternal or it created itself from nothing. [There are multiple levels of “nothing.”]

Christianity uses a supernatural approach. It states that something outside of, and superior to the natural world created the universe. We call this supernatural being God. [Which fits well into mythology and its numerous creation myths. In Genesis is talks about the spirit moving above the waters. Water features in several creation myths.]

Most people who accept the naturalist approach do not believe that the universe has order. [This is a presupposition that is entirely false. There’s a lot of chaos, below the subatomic (quantum) world, but above that there are laws.] Those that do accept order in the universe believe that by chance, things just fell into an orderly pattern without the need for a creator. [Because we don’t know every mechanism in the creation and laws of the universe, therefore god.]

The Bible tells us that the “real world” has order and is governed by laws:

Jeremiah 33:25 – “This is what the Lord says: Suppose I hadn’t made an arrangement with day and night or made laws for heaven and earth.”

It also tells us that the “real world” can be be clearly observed and that these observations point to God.

Romans 1:20 – From the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly observed in what he made. As a result, people have no excuse.

Thomas Jefferson said something very similar in a letter he wrote to John Adams on April 11, 1823. He wrote:

“I hold (without appeal to revelation) that when we take a view of the Universe, in it’s parts general or particular, it is impossible for the human mind not to percieve and feel a conviction of design, consummate skill, and indefinite power in every atom of it’s composition. The movements of the heavenly bodies, so exactly held in their course by the balance of centrifugal and centripetal forces, the structure of our earth itself, with it’s distribution of lands, waters and atmosphere, animal and vegetable bodies, examined in all their minutest particles, insects mere atoms of life, yet as perfectly organised as man or mammoth, the mineral substances, their generation and uses, it is impossible, I say, for the human mind not to believe that there is, in all this, design, cause and effect, up to an ultimate cause, a fabricator of all things from matter and motion, their preserver and regulator while permitted to exist in their present forms, and their regenerator into new and other forms. We see, too, evident proofs of the necessity of a superintending power to maintain the Universe in it’s course and order.” (4)

[This is rich indeed. Thomas Jefferson rejected the christian god. He was a deist, believing that the universe was created by a “supreme” being, but was not the god of the bible. He also rejected the existence of meteors and asteroids.]

One of the most obvious displays of order in the universe is found in the Law of Cause and Effect. This law states that every material effect requires a cause. The cause must come before the effect and it must be an adequate cause to create the effect. This law is the most foundational law and allows science to be possible. Without order and without the Law of Cause and Effect, science would not exist because there would be nothing to study. Nothing would be predictable or repeatable. [Science also knows that matter can neither be created or destroyed, but converted to energy. Cause and effect are natural laws, which the bible ignores. The amount of water needed to flood the entire earth would be 4 times the current amount of water on the entire earth. That much water would have an effect, but that effect is ignored. The cause is entirely supernatural. In other words, myth. THe Genesis flood was plagiarized from the Sumerians. Yet when bastardized and retold by the Hebrews, it’s entirely true.] That requires order. [An order that the bible ignores when it’s inconvenient. The earth stopped and went backwards so the Hebrews could slaughter their enemies. Where is the effect of the earth stopping and moving in the opposite direction, then stopping again and resuming its natural rotation.]

Interestingly, the most foundational law is found in the very first, and most foundational, verse of the Bible:

Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created heaven and earth.

[This isn’t a foundational law, it’s a myth!]

Here we see that the material universe has a Cause. The Cause comes before the effect. The Cause is certainly adequate to create the effect. The Bible says God is non-material:

John 4:24…Luke 24:39 – God is a Spirit…a spirit does not have flesh and bones.

God is non-material, outside of nature, and He created the laws that govern the universe. He is not bound by these laws that govern material things, so there is nothing contradictory about God being eternal. He is not required to have a cause.

God is All-Powerful:

Jeremiah 32:17 – Almighty Lord , you made heaven and earth by your great strength and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

He even knows each star by name:

Psalms 147:4-5 – He determines the number of stars. He gives each one a name. Our Lord is great, and his power is great. There is no limit to his understanding.

[None of this is evidence. It’s all praise that credits god with super powers and strength and such, but is proof of nothing. It’s not proof of anything, except the ability to inject meaning into the words. Did you know that mohammed predicted that man would walk on the moon? Yep, it’s true. There is a verse in the Quran that talks about digging up soil for farming. When man walked upon the moon and dug up soil from the moon and brought it back to earth, this verse was advanced as proof that the Quran predicted it.]

[Bullshit! It’s the exact same thing Mr Shadle is doing here.]

The God of the Bible certainly matches the description for an adequate cause. The Bible is in complete harmony with the observable “real world.” [The laws of nature without the god of the gaps sufficiently explains everything. Because science doesn’t know everything, christians fill the gaps with god. The difference between science and religion is science looks for answers, tests hypothesis, and establishes theories that explain the evidence. Religion uses a verse written by sheep herders with no knowledge of the nature of the universe and it stops looking.]

[I would rather have questions that can’t be answered then answers that can’t be questioned. - Richard P. Feynman]

This same God was in charge of all the miracles listed in Mr. Runyan’s article. If this God exists, and evidence shows that He does [no it doesn’t], then those miracles are easier for God to perform than it is for human beings to breath. [Which is proof of nothing] These miracles are not mere superstitious beliefs [yes they are], they are beliefs based on evidence of a supernatural being that is an adequate cause to perform these effects. [Some “miracles” are due to random chance and some are due to the bodies ability to heal itself, which is why medical science test medicine against a placebo. In no instance has prayer ever been proven to work. In one actual study, it’s shown that telling a patient that people are praying for him/her results in higher mortality rates. Despite this, the religious participants said it proves prayer works. It works as long as it’s either not done, or you don’t tell the patient. In both cases, their recovery rate is the same.

Contrast that with the naturalistic view. A universe created from nothing is in complete violation with the observable “real world.” [This is a false presupposition. First because the universe is here. Second because god is being used to fill the gaps. Third, there are several theories and the search for evidence to support or discard those theories is ongoing.] It suggests a huge effect with no cause. It also violates the First Law of Thermodynamics which states that matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed in nature. [Which the bible violates on at least two occasions.] Those who hold to this worldview indeed hold a superstitious belief. [] They seek to discredit miracles in the Bible while affirming this far greater miracle of something coming from nothing. When evolution is added to this theory, it becomes an even greater miracle. [The reality is we don’t know that there was nothing. Space we know consists of nothing, yet quantum mechanics has proven that stuff is being created and destroyed all the time. At that level, the laws of nature are truly different and bizarre.]

[Up to this point, the “evidence” begins with unsupported premises. I think it may also be the logical fallacy known as Non-Sequitur. The evidence presented adds nothing to the conclusion, which is where the premise starts.]

Evolution has life starting very simple and becoming more complex, eventually leading to intelligent minds. Here again, we see a string of insufficient causes creating effects. The causes are not powerful enough to create intelligent effects. Maybe human beings should not have created computers since given enough time, they would have come about through evolutionary processes anyway. [Maybe. There are snails living at the bottom of the ocean with metal shells.] These beliefs are extremely superstitious because the cause-effect relationships required for them to occur have never been observed.

[There’s just too much to tackle here. But the double standard here is amazingly hypocritical. We haven’t seen evolution in action (actually we have), therefore it can’t be real. We haven’t seen god, but he is real.]

Mr. Runyan seems to like comparing God to Santa Claus. While humorous, it doesn’t quite hit the mark. [And your comment about computers just evolving doesn’t? Hypocrite.] The God of the Bible fits the description for an adequate cause of the universe. [God of the gaps.] He created the laws and is not bound by them, but instead can display His power over them as proof that He is the Creator. [This is entirely false. If god can interact with the universe, then there is some mechanism that is in place by which he can interact with them. So far, no such mechanism has been observed (which disprove evolution, but not god - talk about double standard). If it can interact with the universe then it is part of the natural universe. So far there is no evidence of a god. While lack of evidence is not evidence of lack, there is no compelling reason to believe god actually exists.] He would have no problem with the smaller miracles listed in Mr. Runyan’s article. Christianity harmonizes with the “real world.” [In the minds of believers nestled comfortably in bias confirmation who choose to ignore reason, evidence, and prefer the comfort of self-delusion.]

On the other hand, Santa Claus is clearly a man-made fairytale. [So is god. In fact all the gods, not just every god but your god.] There is no sufficient cause for why his reindeer fly. [Except that they are powered by the beliefs of children.] There is no sufficient cause for why he can get into houses through a chimney that doesn’t even have a fireplace. [Skeleton keys.] In fact, Santa Claus is a perfect analogy for a universe that created itself and for evolution. [Except Santa Clause didn’t create himself, so the analogy breaks down instantly. But the analogy that he was created by man works for god.] All three violate the basic fundamental laws of science. [And that’s why we know he’s real. He’s superior to the laws of nature, and reason.] At this point, we may want to thank Santa for showing us the truth behind these theories since it’s the only true gift he has given us.

[You know how god works does his work through people. Same with Santa Clause. Every year, he works through me to give my daughter presents. That’s the miracle of how he works and gets into all the houses, even the ones without chimneys.]

Looking at an eternal universe, one will discover much the same thing, consistent violation of fundamental laws. The mathematical laws of infinity would not even allow it. At this point we should define “infinity”. [This should be good.]

Any dictionary will give at least two definitions for “infinity.” The first definition is, “limitless, without beginning or end, boundless.” The second definition is, “a large number too great to count.”

The context determines the usage. It is just like the word “can.” Have a “can” of soda is not the same as, you “can” have some candy.

According to the first definition, if the universe were infinite, today would not have gotten hear. It has no beginning and no end, so it does not travel along a linear line like time does. A day would not begin and end if time were infinite using the first definition.

[There are two ways to apply infinite. One is time. Which we know the universe has a beginning. We know the age is 13.8 Billion years old. This is the only way Mr. Shadle disingenuously applies the term. Which is one not used by anyone in science - except maybe the over-represented christians, who have failed to actually write about it. I’ve read a lot about science, it’s a passion of mine, but obviously I haven't read everything. So I’d be interested in seeing some scientific sources (published papers) that mention the age of the universe is infinite. So, Mr Shadle is taking things out of context.]

[Another way to apply infinte to the universe is the size. All the scientific research I read applies it liberally to the size. Wait. No they don’t. Unless the over-represented christian scientists, whose papers I have failed to read, have been quietly using it. The estimated size of the universe is at least (if memory servers) 90 billion light years across (for those interested, this takes into account light traveling in the opposite direction from what we see, and the accelerating expansion). The term as infinite as the universe is a colloquialism, not a scientific term.]

The Bible seems to have this “real world” concept correct when it describes God and time. It correctly uses both definitions as they are still described in our modern day dictionaries. It describes God as outside of time. He is able to see past, present, and future as if it were one and the same. This is because eternity is infinite according to the first definition and is not linear. [Talk about some twisted reasoning.]

Time, however, is infinite according to the second definition. An infinite number of days has passed. By this definition, it is just a number of days too large to count. [According to YEC, at 6,000 years, 2,191,500 days have past. Hardly a number to large to count.] However, it still had a beginning and will come to an end. Time travels in a linear fashion and the only way to get there is to start on one end of the line and stop on the other.

Futhermore, atheist Stephen Hawking writes, “In fact, the theory that the universe has existed forever is in serious difficulty with the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The Second Law, states that disorder always increases with time…it indicates that there must have been a beginning. Otherwise, the universe would be in a state of complete disorder by now, and everything would be at the same temperature. In an infinite and everlasting universe, every line of sight would end on the surface of a star. This would mean that the night sky would have been as bright as the surface of the Sun. The only way of avoiding this problem would be if, for some reason, the stars did not shine before a certain time.” (5)

[Let’s look at the leading part of this:

This argument about whether or not the universe had a beginning, persisted into the 19th and 20th centuries. It was conducted mainly on the basis of theology and philosophy, with little consideration of observational evidence.

[Hawking is actually arguing for a beginning. Not the conspiracy, as you (are about to) claim, that atheist scientists are hiding the beginning and using the term infinite universe to refer to it’s age.

[Matter has been acted upon by gravity. In the beginning there was only hydrogen. Gravity brought it together to form stars. Through nuclear fusion, heavier gases and metals were created over time. Through the constant interaction between matter and gravity, we’ve arrived at the current state of the universe. The disorder that Hawking refers to could either be the heat death of the universe or the “big rip.” ]

It seems that Christopher Hitchens jumped the gun when he said, “Religion comes from the period of human prehistory where nobody had the smallest idea what was going on. It comes from the bawling and fearful infancy of our species, and is a babyish attempt to meet our inescapable demand for knowledge.” [No. He was spot on.]

The writers of the Bible knew exactly what was going on. [No they didn’t. They haven’t even got the age of the earth correct.] They correctly describe the “real world.” Modern secular scientists also know what is going on. They know where the evidence points and they do not like it. They form radical theories that contradict observable evidence in a desparate attempt to avoid the ultimate conclusion. [Gaah! What’s that term where you accuse people of doing what you’re actually doing?]

Even Hawking recognizes this fact, “many people were unhappy with the idea that the universe had a beginning, because it seemed to imply the existence of a supernatural being who created the universe. They preferred to believe that the universe, and the human race, had existed forever.” (5)

[Context helps clear up what is being said here:

The time scale of the universe is very long compared to that for human life. It was therefore not surprising that until recently, the universe was thought to be essentially static, and unchanging in time. On the other hand, it must have been obvious, that society is evolving in culture and technology. This indicates that the present phase of human history can not have been going for more than a few thousand years. Otherwise, we would be more advanced than we are. It was therefore natural to believe that the human race, and maybe the whole universe, had a beginning in the fairly recent past. However, [Mr Shadle picks up here]

[The key to this is, “It was therefore not surprising that until recently, the universe was thought to be essentially static, and unchanging in time.”]

I did not get into the moral issues raised by Mr. Runyan in this point because I am sure he has a point dedicated to that. However, the evidence is clear that the “real world” and christianity are in complete harmony. [If you skew your view.] I will leave you with some quotes from modern people who specialize in observing the “real world.”

“A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a superintellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as with chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature. The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question.” – Fred Hoyle (6) [Fred Hoyle was a smart guy, but he believed the universe was steady, constant creation in the center and drifting out to nothingness. Never mind we couldn’t see anything being created. He was a victim of his own pet theory. He didn’t actually question it.]

“I find it quite improbable that such order came out of chaos. There has to be some organizing principle. God to me is a mystery but is the explanation for the miracle of existence, why there is something instead of nothing.” – Alan Sandage (7) [Never heard of him, but what we think of as chaos isn’t really chaos.]

“The exquisite order displayed by our scientific understanding of the physical world calls for the divine.” – Vera Kistiakowsky (8) [This is a tired old argument going back to ancient Greece and is not evidence of anything.]

“When I began my career as a cosmologist some twenty years ago, I was a convinced atheist. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that one day I would be writing a book purporting to show that the central claims of Judeo-Christian theology are in fact true, that these claims are straightforward deductions of the laws of physics as we now understand them. I have been forced into these conclusions by the inexorable logic of my own special branch of physics.” – Frank Tipler (9) [Said one guy. Others have gone in the opposite direction.]

“From the perspective of the latest physical theories, Christianity is not a mere religion, but an experimentally testable science.” – Frank Tipler (10) [No it’s not. Prove the earth is 6,000 years old.]

Robert Jastrow of NASA sums up these quotes perfectly, “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.” (11) [When one skews his view and seeks to prove his bias confirmation. Christianity has proven nothing about the universe. The bible actually has very little to say on nature, only the nature of man in regards to religion. The mountain of ignorance is topped by theologians and people who would ignore evidence and seek only to prove what they believe is true. There is comfort in being right. What matters are facts. The fact is the bible proves nothing about the universe.]

1 . http://hutchinson.belmont.ma.us/hutchinson/asa2002/#Wuthnow1989

2. Robert Wuthnow, The Struggle for America’s Soul, Eerdmanns, Grand Rapids, (1989), p146.

3. Loren Eiseley, Darwin’s Century: Evolution and the Men who Discovered it, Doubleday: New York, 1961 p:62

4. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/presidents/thomas-jefferson/letters-of-thomas-jefferson/jefl271.php

5. http://www.hawking.org.uk/the-beginning-of-time.html

6. Hoyle, F. 1982. The Universe: Past and Present Reflections. Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics: 20:16.

7. Willford, J.N. March 12, 1991. Sizing up the Cosmos: An Astronomers Quest. New York Times, p. B9.

8. Margenau, H and R.A. Varghese, ed. 1992. Cosmos, Bios, and Theos. La Salle, IL, Open Court, p. 52.

9. Tipler, F.J. 1994. The Physics Of Immortality. New York, Doubleday, Preface.

10. Tipler, F.J. 2007. The Physics Of Christianity. New York, Doubleday.

11. Jastrow, R. 1978. God and the Astronomers. New York, W.W. Norton, p. 116.

[So far, the only things that have been said are versus from the bible that are not even compared to observable evidence. There's been some linguistic prestidigitation, out of context quotes to prove false presuppositions, misstating the scientific position, and a lot of bullshit. The bible does not mesh with reality. The age of the earth (scientifically proven to be 4.5 billion years) versus the biblical claim (6,000 years) isn’t even addressed.]

#religion #christianity is false #yec #out of context #bias confirmation #atheism #humanism #science

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smallcooleronwheels24-blog · 5 years ago

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Best Deal on Hummer Wheels

Understanding Custom Hummer Wheels

In the past vehicle wheels used to be submissive sections of steel with tiers attached. Today, this major element has become a definitive accessory that screams essence and style to your ride. Beyond doubt there's no other part of a vehicle that can swiftly modify the outward show of the vehicle more rapidly than a set of fine looking wheels.

Attention grabbing wheels can add a little something to even the most dull and lackluster automobile. Wheels come in many different looks and styles so you can pick the wheels and rims that best match your style. Wheels are also available in a variety of sizes and styles. The size of the wheels without a doubt has a lot to do with the nature of performance the wheels will provide. Larger wheel are put in to pull off the rugged muscular look while at the same time supplying improved handling. Big wheels are also designed to battle bumpy environments and to refuse to accept any retribution from off road maneuvering. Smaller wheels, on the other hand, can make your vehicle come out lower to the ground making it specifically styled for receptive street driving.

When it comes to Hummer wheels, the decision can be overwhelming. It can very difficult to find the perfect set of wheels for your Hummer, a set that would be just the thing for your asset. Coming to a decision on the right wheels for your Hummer has a lot more to do with than purely the size of the wheels. Among the other factors that you have to consider when looking for new set of Hummer wheels include the type of job your vehicle is supposed to do. The right Hummer wheels are based on your particular intentions, if your hummer is just a show ride, something to drive around the city on the weekend, or a family ride with an attitude giving you the comfort of safety and the functionality of use. It also makes a big difference whether if your Hummer is rear wheel drive or front wheel drive. Learn more cooler on wheels for beach

Once you pick out the right Hummer wheels that fit your style, commands and demands, you have done your research so you can now go to an auto part shop to acquire your desired pieces. But if you want aftermarket, custom wheels, available to the general public for very affordable prices, just visit our website, we are an aftermarket wholesale wheel dealer, and we sell aftermarket/custom wheels to the general public for very affordable prices. We have widest array of top quality Hummer wheels in various sizes, styles and specifications. For whatever type of Hummer wheels you need, we have you covered.

If you are wondering what kind of wheel are right for you Hummer here's some helpful information on Hummer wheels that will help you better understand the intricacies of picking out the perfect wheels for you Hummer. The factory one piece steel wheels are hub centric, and use the flanged lug nuts. All other wheels are lug centric and use the Acorn lug nuts. What this means is that the one piece factory wheel depends on its fit over the hub for centering and support. Because of this the hub hole in a one piece wheel is concerning 1/32 inches smaller in diameter than other Hummer wheels. The correct way to measure the width of a wheel is from bead seat to bead seat. Another important factor in wheel maintenance is lug nut torque. New aluminum wheels have some crush value left in them so they should be readjusted at fifty, one hundred, and two hundred miles before you expect that they hold their torque. You should read up and find more information on this and mounting and balancing wheels before you make your final decision.

The Hummer H1 and the Hummer H2 have the same bolt pattern. Hummer H2 wheels have a smaller hub; they are 17 inchX 8.5". It is possible to use Hummer H2 wheels on the Hummer H1, but you will have to devise the hub outward 3/32 inches so the wheel will fit on the Hummer H1 tire frame. The load capacity of the Hummer H2 wheel may not be enough for the Hummer H1, therefore, adjustments may have to be made before you get out on the road. Another issue to deal with is that the backset of the Hummer H2 wheel is not the same as the Hummer H1. Two piece steel wheels squeeze in the tire and run flat bead locks between two halves that bolt together with a dozen flanged locknuts. This design allows repairs to be made in the field without unique equipment, tire machine. That is why all the armed forces Hummers have two piece wheels.

While it is feasible to disassemble this wheel in the field it is a very tedious exercise to screw on and off the dozen locknuts with no power tools. The good thing concerning it is that you are capable to tune up the wheels at home if you would like. All the two piece wheels offered by AMG before to the 2000 model year came with five faced wheel nuts that have need of a unique socket to do away with. This was done to lessen AMG's legal responsibility when these wheels were repaired. If you to do away with the wheel nuts while the tire is full of air the wheel assemblage could blow up. By controlling who was capable to purchase the socket AMG could insure that only trained technicians could service the wheels. It turned out that many owners were capable to obtain or make their own sockets and purchase regular hex flange nuts from the many Army surplus dealers. The most recent two piece wheels which are standard on the 2000 models now come with hex nuts.

The two piece wheels do have need of some preservation. Over time depending on circumstances such as torque and tire pressure the wheel studs can burst and have need of replacement. It is more likely that studs burst on really hot days on the road when the tire pressure increases in the heat up to near 50 PSI levels. Whenever you are on the highway in the heat you should watch the tire pressure and don't let it rise above 45 PSI. For these reasons it is important to check your wheels at gas stations and rest stops. All you will notice is a wheel nut missing. It is recommended that you carry a few studs and nuts with you on trips. You want to replace a blown stud as soon as possible because it will cause the adjoining studs to carry the load and possibly fail. It is suggested to replace the blown stud and the two adjacent studs. In 2000 AMG came out with a recently fashioned two piece wheel. They are on hand with hex nuts and use an orange / red ring which is thinner than the previous style rings. They also have an opening that you have to to line up when putting back together.

In 1996 AMG came out with their first 16.5 inch aluminum wheel. If you have the chance to take a look at these wheels you will notice that the spokes are very smooth. When AMG first came out with their 17 inch aluminum wheels they had the same smooth spoke patterns. However, all the following 17 inch aluminum Hummer wheels have a spoke with a three dimensional contour and have a hidden CTI.

Twelve bolt two piece steel wheels, with no bead lock/ run flat with GSA's weighs 110 lbs. In my opinion you should not use a twelve bolt wheel without either a run flat or a bead lock. Unless the tire is inflated to at least 20 PSI the tire can come off the rim. If the tire loses air from a leaking CTI system the tire will roll out and come off the rim. The majority of two piece wheels came from the factory with one piece solid rubber run flats that also security device both tire beads. These each weigh about thirty five lbs each with a total wheel and tire weight of about 142 lbs and require that the inside of the tire be coated with unique grease. It takes a unique run flat removal device and a lot of work to change a tire with this set of connections. In previous models, on the early style Hummers there was a two piece run flat that came out for a short time.

AMG also offers a bead lock which is in the region of 10 lbs lighter and does not have the call for of any unique tools or run flat grease and locks both tire beads. The two piece wheels with bead locks are more preferable for this reason. Having a run flat on a civilian Hummer does not buy you much. It is only in very rare situations that you would not have the chance to merely stop and change a tire. If you are forced to drive on a flat tire you will most likely ruin the tire whether you have run flats or not. If you are driving with seventeen inch wheels you should not lower the tire pressure to a large extent lower than fifteen PSI or the tire will start to hit the run flat. In addition the run flat grease makes it complicated if not unworkable to patch a tire.

Working on Hummer wheels is a serious task and can be dangerous if you are not prepared or don't know what you are doing. Keep in mind and be conscious that even the best wheels can become bent under extreme conditions. If you notice shaking, verify the balance and equilibrium. The one piece 16.5 inch steel wheels are not as strong as other Hummer wheels. The company that offered AMG with the one piece steel wheels turned out with a lot of flawed wheels. That is why AMG went back to the two piece steel 16.5 inch wheels for the newer Hummer wheel models.

If you decide to go with the one piece Hummer wheels you will probably have two piece run flats installed. There is no need; these run flats are totally worthless because they do not really lock the tire bead. If you ever have the chance to pull your tires off and take out the run flats, throw them as far as you can. If you decide to keep the two piece run flats you will have to get a only one of a kind Kent Moore run flat cam socket to tighten the run flats which can cost you upwards of $500.

The one piece wheels are very easy to tune up once the run flats have been replaced. You can have the tires mounted and balanced at most tire stores with standard tire machines. These one piece wheels are abundant in supply so they cost less than the other wheels and can make for a good spare tire. If you decide to go with the one piece wheel as a spare, make sure you go with the flanged lug nuts. If you already have or are planning to get a tire carrier, make sure that the Hummer wheels you are planning to make use of will fit on the carrier.

There are two types of aluminum wheels, the one piece standard and the two piece forged Hutchinson which comes with either a bead lock or a run flat as an option. The factory aluminum wheels are great because they are light, run true and hide the CTI hardware. The only negative aspect to the aluminum wheels is that they can get sliced up off road. The two piece forged aluminum wheel is the most excellent wheel yet prepared for the Hummer for the reason that they are extremely physically powerful, light weight, and fasten the tire beads. The trouble with these wheels is that they cost well over one thousand dollars each if you buy direct from the factory, without tires. The solution is to put on a set of the Goodyear MTR's and you will have a good quality arrangement.

In all probability the most popular aftermarket wheel for the Hummer are the Cepeck 8.5 inches by 17 inch aluminum wheels with Hidden CTI. Most likely, this is due to the fact that they have a load rating of forty five hundred lbs and are very strong. These wheels are one of the only aftermarket wheels for the Hummer H1 that has the proper offset. These wheels also come in 18 inch.

The first design of one piece 16.5 inch steel wheels made its appearance in the 1993 model year in the Recruit Series Hummer. This is the only vehicle they were used on. In 1995 the 16.5 inch Goodyear GSA highway touring tire was introduced as an option. And in January of 1996 a new one piece 16.5 inch steel wheel using flanged head lug nuts became the standard OEM wheel until the new century model year. The twelve bolt two piece 16.5 inch steel wheels with Goodyear MT radial tires have always been available to the general public for the civilian Hummer. The two piece steel wheels were distributed with five sided flange headed wheel and six sided tapered lug nuts. These wheels were used on all non-recruit Hummers for the duration until January of 1996 and the MT tires were a typical apparatus up to the 2001 year.

The 2001 model year was the same as the previous year with the exception of a 17 inch Goodyear GSA tire was on hand. Most of the 2001 wheels came with the 17 inch aluminum wheels and GSA tires. For the 2000 model year a new third generation two piece 16.5 inch steel wheel six sided flanged headed wheel nuts and 6-sided tapered lug nuts turn out to be the regular equipment standard. The 16.5 inch one piece aluminum wheels, 17 inch two piece aluminum wheels and the Goodyear 17 inch MTR tire were all possible alternatives. Moreover, in 2002 the 17 inch one piece aluminum wheels with GSA tires became the regular with the two piece aluminum wheels and MTR tires as possible electives.

Mil wheel valve stem first generation eight bolt two piece wheels were not at all accessible for the civilian Hummer. They were used on military Hummers with Goodyear bias ply tires alone. Radial tires cannot be use with these wheels; they are not physically powerful as much as necessary. Many Hummer owners do not have a spare. However, once your GSA's split the sidewall while driving you may be able to make it home with the CTI pump running, but you will soon discover that the tire and wheel are way too heavy and too big to just throw around. You are better served if you plan ahead and keep a spare in your garage.

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theconservativebrief · 6 years ago

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas has been on the New York Times’s best-seller list for 66 weeks now, and for most of those weeks, it’s been at No. 1. (Occasionally it slips down to No. 2 for a bit.) It’s a bona fide sensation of a book, and with good reason: It’s a YA novel that handles the problems of police shooting unarmed black men with thoughtfulness, warmth, and profound empathy.

The central character in The Hate U Give is Starr, a 16-year-old black girl who has become a master of code-switching as she travels back and forth between her white private school and her black home neighborhood. Starr is the only witness to the police shooting of her childhood friend Khalil, and over the course of the book, she becomes the center of the ensuing fallout.

The Hate U Give is now being adapted into a movie, slated for release this fall, directed by George Tillman Jr. and starring The Hunger Games’ Amandla Stenberg. At New York City’s BookCon last week, author Angie Thomas joined Tillman and Stenberg for a panel discussion, along with Girl Meets World’s Sabrina Carpenter, who plays Starr’s controlling white friend Hailey. Fielding questions from Cori Murray, the entertainment director of Essence magazine, the four talked about the empathy-building power of books, the difficulty of code-switching, and what “the hate u give” really means.

Following are highlights from the panel conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity.

Angie Thomas

I first got the idea to write the story when I was a senior in college. I was a lot like Starr at that time. I lived in these two very different words: my neighborhood, which was mostly black, and my school, which was a mostly white, private, upper-class Christian college in conservative Mississippi. My classmates were basically those Trump voters who say that they love Jesus but don’t want anyone to have any rights.

When I was in school, I had to be two different people. I tell people all the time, I would leave my house playing Tupac, but by the time I got to the school, I was playing Jonas Brothers. (Don’t judge me.)

While I was in school, there was a young man by the name of Oscar Grant who lost his life in Oakland, California. And although that was thousands of miles away, it affected conversations right there in Jackson, Mississippi. In my neighborhood, Oscar was one of us. He was an ex-con. I knew guys just like him who were trying to turn their lives around. In my school, my classmates were like, “Maybe he deserved it. He was an ex-con. Why are people so upset? He should just have done what they told him to do.”

Now, if you know anything about Oscar Grant, his death was caught on tape, and it showed him laying flat on his stomach as the cops shot him in the back. There was nothing he could have done at that moment.

I was angry, I was hurt, I was frustrated, and I felt like I had two options. I could either a) burn down that entire school campus, or I could b) use those emotions and do something productive with them. I didn’t burn the school down. It’s sitting pretty over in Jackson, Mississippi, and they even gave me an award for alumni of the year. I decided to write.

I wrote this short story about a boy named Khalil who was a lot like Oscar, and this girl named Starr who lived in these two different worlds, a lot like I did. And that’s essentially how The Hate U Give was born.

Angie Thomas

I’ve had several people come up to me this week and say that the last few pages made them cry, where Starr gives off the names [of the victims of police shootings]. I wrote that the same week that both Philando Castile and Alton Sterling lost their lives. And if you remember anything about that week, those videos of their deaths were played over and over and over again. And I remember having this moment where I was like, “What’s the point of writing this book? It is not going to change anything.” I felt so hopeless.

My mom told me, “No, that’s why you have to write it.” She said, “You don’t know who’s going to pick this up one day and what they’re going to do one day.”

That’s what kept me going. Because I truly believe that books create empathy, and empathy is more powerful than sympathy. And I have to believe that if some of our current political leaders read books about black kids as kids, we wouldn’t have to say, “Black lives matter.” If they read books about Muslim children, we wouldn’t have to fight against bans. If they read books about LGBTQA youth, we wouldn’t have to fight for rights. If they read books about Latino children, they’d talk about building bridges instead of walls.

When I thought about that, that’s what pushed me forward, what made me decide to keep going with the book even as we see these things happening. What made me keep going was the idea that some kid picks it up today; he’ll later be a politician with a Twitter account.

Sabrina Carpenter

I didn’t want to approach [Hailey] like the mean girl or the character that everyone obviously hates, because I think there’s a lot of these people in our lives that we don’t hate.

I think she really is one of those people that isn’t seeing all of her actions as racist. It’s kind of uncomfortable for her to talk about, and that’s why her relationship with Starr is so unhealthy. Because they really do just brush over everything, and that’s kind of how their friendship always has been, I think. They never really get to the point of what they need to discuss; they never tackle their obstacles. They really just kind of get through it and get by.

George Tillman Jr.

As an African American, I always had that conversation, but it came from many different places. It came from my uncles; it came from my father. How do you act around a police officer? What if you’re approached? What if you did something wrong, or what if you get pulled over? All of that is just to save your kid, to get them to the next level, to go to college, be able to do things differently, to change racism. There are a lot of things at stake.

We put that conversation at a really early age, when Starr is 8 or 9 years old. So the two young kids that played that scene, I didn’t give them any context as to what that scene was about. Just, “Sit down, sit down at that table, just listen, that’s the most important thing.” So that scene that you see, that’s just them taking in all this information.

Amandla Stenberg

My experience growing up was the same as Starr’s. I lived in a black community, but I went to a white private school. I think that gave me some superpowers in some ways that I think a lot of black girls have to gain, which is the ability to navigate different environments and code-switch between them, and know how your mannerisms and the way that you speak are going to affect the way people interpret you, and therefore how you succeed or don’t in certain atmospheres.

At my school, I learned very early on how to navigate white institutions, being around a culture of wealth and a culture of whiteness. And that gave me some really important skills when it comes to navigating Hollywood as well, and navigating the environment in industries that are dominated by white men.

But I think it’s something that we have to figure out how to do, and sometimes it can feel confusing. It feels like maybe certain parts of you can feel more valid than others, or you have to hide different parts of yourself, or you’re having to put yourself into smaller boxes.

I think what’s really special about Starr’s narrative when it comes to the code switch of her identity is that at the end of the film, she learns how to feel cohesive in herself, and realizes that she doesn’t need to choose one side of herself. She doesn’t need to hide aspects of herself. She can be however she wants to be in her environment without being afraid of being called ratchet or being afraid of seeming angry or of seeming over the top. She learns how to break free of those burdens, and also realizes that those two sides of herself don’t need to be warring sides but can coexist in a really beautiful, harmonious way to make her the person that she is.

Angie Thomas

Tupac had that THUG LIFE tattoo across his abdomen, but a lot of people don’t know it was an acronym for “The Hate U Give Little Infants Fs Everybody.” He explained that as meaning that what society feeds into you has a way of affecting us all.

He said this in 1992 in reference to the Los Angeles riots. A lot of people associate those riots with the beating of Rodney King, but it was also in response to the shooting death of a 15-year-old girl named Latasha Harlins. As a matter of fact, “Keep Ya Head Up” was dedicated to Latasha.

Latasha was in a store, and the store owner accused her of stealing a bottle of juice. Latasha put the money on the counter, and footage shows her walking away when the store owner shot her in the head. She only received probation.

Tupac said the hate that was given to that little infant Latasha affected the entire city of Los Angeles. We’re talking millions of dollars in damages. The hate that was given to Trayvon Martin affected the entire city of Sanford, Florida. That hate that was given to Tamir Rice affected the entire city of Cleveland, Ohio. The hate that was given to Michael Brown affected the entire city of Ferguson, [Missouri]. So if Pac were here, he’d say that’s THUG LIFE.

Original Source -> The Hate U Give’s creative team talks turning the best-seller into a movie

via The Conservative Brief

#IFTTT #The Conservative Brief

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foursprouthappiness-blog · 7 years ago

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Why? 3 Ways Asking Questions Transformed My Life

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/happiness/why-3-ways-asking-questions-transformed-my-life/

Why? 3 Ways Asking Questions Transformed My Life

You’re reading Why? 3 Ways Asking Questions Transformed My Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’re enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Why Me?

Why am I here?

For many months, I set aside a few minutes every day to ask myself this question, Determined to discover the source of my soul, I entered further into my inner awareness, cutting through confusion and uncertainty with the sharp blade of concentration.

First, I was a writer. Then, I was a teacher, and then I was an entrepreneur. I was a creative artist, a self-sacrificing builder, and a visionary leader. I was a thinker. I was a doer. I was both. I was everything. I was nothing. I was confused.

My existential excursions always circled back to this original ambiguity; over and over again, I shattered my identity as I searched for an unreachable, unreal version of myself. Instead of paralyzing myself inside of a familiar caricature, I surrendered and accepted my fate. I would never discover who I was. For the rest of my life, I would float through the fog like a wandering gray blob.

My despair hardened into frustration. Why couldn’t I squeeze myself into a standard, labeled box like everyone else did? Why couldn’t I accept a simple, surface-level reality? Why did I always dig deeper? Why did I always ask questions?

Finally, I understood. Emerging through this anguish, I tasted the sweet realization; rising up from a dungeon of doubt, I unraveled the riddle to reveal the answer hidden in the question. In a moment of insight, the light of truth flickered. I was here to ask why.

Through asking why, I transformed. Through asking why, I broke through layer after layer towards the source of life and growth. Through asking why, I accepted limitation, redefined my relationships, and generated wisdom.

Accepting Limitation

Asking why was my first step to real humility. Buried in every “why” is the critical admittance of “I don’t know,” and thus every why implies vulnerability.

A few summers ago in upstate New York, some friends and I went out to a field to lie down flat on the grass, and stare up at the night sky. As a patch of clouds broke up, thousands of stars spotted the black emptiness. Shrinking, sinking into the soft soil, I felt small and powerless. Swallowed up by the infinite darkness, I encountered the hard truth. I knew nothing.

EPSON MFP image

We, humanity, know nothing. Physicists don’t know what 80% of the universe is made of. They call this “dark matter.” Biologists don’t know how organic life sprang into existence. They call this “prehistoric soup.” Evolutionary geneticists don’t know how Homo sapiens developed two nostrils. They call this “random selection.”

Science, I supposed, described how the universe worked, not why the universe worked. Logic was limited. I couldn’t map my life experiences over a grid; I couldn’t upload my consciousness onto a hard drive. I was more than a robotic monkey. I was a human. I was a questioner.

For many years, I wrote down all of my questions about life, truth, self, and anything mysterious. With the guidance of my teachers and mentors, I pushed past the periphery of my understanding to absorb and digest ancient insight.

Fortunately, during my mission to define the metaphysical, I uncovered a foundation of faith. By embracing the necessary cycle of confusion and clarity, paradoxes no longer slowed my progress – on the contrary, uncertainty fueled my curiosity. Reaching for my unanswered questions, step-by-step, I climbed up higher into the rabbit hole.

I accepted limitation. I would never fully understand the complexity of even one ant or raindrop or musical note. I would never understand the absolute truth. I would only taste a trace. I would only catch a glimpse of light between the passing patches of cloud and fog.

Entering the mystery, I ascended into a world of infinite awe and wonder. Although my life was a mere speck of ink on the cosmic portrait, each day of my life contained its own universe – each moment was pregnant with purpose. After twenty years of watching the night sky, I understood a fundamental insight. My soul – like a star – was an indestructible fire of truth illuminating the vast void of chaos and darkness.

Redefining Relationships

Asking why was also my first step to real relationships. By questioning assumptions, I uncovered deeper dimensions in my personal service to others.

After my first year in yeshiva, I returned back home to an alien environment. My friends and family had changed; they expressed unfamiliar values, concerns, and motivations. American culture had changed; constantly barking into colorful, rectangular boxes, people guzzled this strange, oil-black, liquid fuel. In truth, I was the one that changed. After hundreds of hours of analyzing complex, profound texts, I had forged and refined a clearer lens to interpret the language of life.

With a deeper understanding of my own intuitive, moral conscience, I reevaluated my relationships. What did my friend really want? Where was he coming from? Which attribute motivated and sustained his challenges and goals? With patience, I decoded what he said into what he meant.

How would I help? Often, listening was enough. One word or sentence at the right time was enough. Instead of spitting out ambiguous opinions and familiar clichés, I calculated my responses. My intention shifted completely. No longer did I ask myself, “What should I tell my friend?” Now, I asked, “What does he need to hear?”

The wisdom of why transformed my whole perspective – like an x-ray, the vision of my intellect penetrated all surfaces. Digging deeper, I traced values and philosophies back to their roots. Almost always, I observed, educated people constructed sophisticated arguments and proofs to justify an assumption based on emotion or intuition; almost no one sorted out the truth in clear black ink on blank white paper.

Through wisdom, I redefined my relationships. My goal was to give, guide, and grow through objective consideration, building trust, and selfless action. My goal was to question my role. How would I give to the other? How would I receive? How would I develop stronger, deeper, more meaningful connections? In a short time, these small, inner adjustments stimulated massive, inter-personal transformation.

Generating Wisdom

Finally, asking why was my first step to real wisdom. By exploring the questions that bothered me, I unlocked the deeper chambers of my intellect.

Where was wisdom? Where was truth? Where was insight? I needed more than answers. I needed a map. I needed a process.

I stopped consuming, and I started creating. I stopped reading books, watching movies, and travelling so much. I stopped searching, seeking, and exploring. Instead, I reversed inward the flashlight of my concentration. I started free writing, logging my daily activities, and listing my principles and goals. I started asking myself hard questions. I started thinking.

How would I think better, clearer, and faster? How would I think more positive, productive, and proactive? The more I examined my thoughts, the more I illuminated the darkness of cognitive conditioning. The more I controlled my attention, the more I shaped my reality.

Through this crystallization, I entered into wisdom. Wisdom was like nuclear physics. Every true idea was an atom, and this immense, invisible energy either would wipe out civilian populations or fuel power plants. How would I use my wisdom? Would my ideas build or destroy cities?

I entered into truth. Truth was like medicine. If administered at the wrong time, or to the wrong person, the healing drug would become a poison. Too much truth could destroy another’s self-confidence, happiness, and even sanity. How would I deliver and withhold the truth to help others?

I entered into insight. Insight was like lightning. In brief moments, bright flashes illuminated my entire psychological landscape, and I identified my emotional and intellectual assumptions. How would I hold onto these fragments of awakening? How would I convert this inspiration into action?

Through wisdom, truth, and insight, I entered into reality. As I sharpened and refined my questions, they disappeared, and the puzzle pieces of my obligation snapped into place. Clarity morphed to joy, and then solidified into habit; through habit, I upgraded into myself 2.0, wiped clean of all previous bugs and glitches.

I Know Why. But What Now?

I was here to ask why. But why was I here to ask why? Was there a downside or danger to asking why?

Sometimes, asking why was unpleasant or frightening. As I penetrated my subconscious, blocked and forgotten pain resurfaced; ugly, raw reality cracked all illusions of peace and stability. Sometimes, asking why was paralyzing. As I coordinated and calculated my direction and pace, I lost momentum – one after the other, my peers passed forward on their paths to achievement and recognition. Although asking why was hard, it was a necessary sacrifice. I refused to remain an undefined, gray blob. I wanted purpose, not pleasure; I wanted long-term growth, not instant gratification. To plant and cultivate my questions, I gave up money, respect, and sleep. To acquire my indestructible identity, I let go of all comfortable assumptions.

I was here to ask why. But didn’t everyone ask why? How was I different?

For me, asking deep questions wasn’t a mere thought experiment, meditation, or mindset. Asking why was my life. A relentless curiosity colored all facets of my personality, relationships, and activities; I asked the questions no one else cared about. Asking why distinguished me from others.

For everyone and everything, the essential component of identity is that which distinguishes one from the rest. What distinguishes you from others? What have you gained from asking why? What are your questions? Please share.

You’ve read Why? 3 Ways Asking Questions Transformed My Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you’ve enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

#Happiness

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tallavapassion · 7 years ago

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Tallava Passion: Artists facing the ethnomusicological object 

In 2012, I discovered via YouTube a musical practice I had never heard of before: musicians were filming themselves at home frantically playing traditional melodies on their synths. After a few hours of research, I realised the web was full of similar videos, apparently originating from various countries of the Balkan Peninsula.

 I quickly shared this with another composer of electronic music, Aymeric de Tapol, as we regularly swap sources of inspirations and other musical favourites. Both fascinated by drone music and the melisma of polyphonies of the Middle Ages, we quickly became infatuated with this virtuoso and languorous synth music. One of its peculiarities consists in being played by the musician's right hand, while his left hand deals with the pitch bender to render the inflections and tonal scales that characterise some Balkan instruments.  Within a few days, we sent each other many videos based on YouTube suggestions, without really being able to identify this musical object but starting to aesthetically frame it: this music expressed a powerful melancholy, through its throbbing and hypnotic rhythms upon which long melismatic melodies stretch time.  Words and phrases that we did not initially understand often appeared in the videos descriptions or comments (1): “tallava” (or “talava”), “dasmash”, “valle”, “sevcet”, “gio style”, “kalle kalle” ... We soon managed to track their geographical origins and drew up an initial inventory:

Tallava is a musical genre played in Albania and Kosovo at festivals and weddings (“dasmash” in Albanian), and dedicated to dance (“valle”). “Kalle kalle” seems to be a recurrent injunction targeting the audience. As for “Sevcet” (also nicknamed “Gio Style”), he is the best known representative of the genre and lives in Germany, like many of these musicians. The limited available resources, our lack of understanding of the Albanian language, and an obvious lack of research methodology prevented us from going any further.

As mere curious musicians, always searching for new inspiration, we found ourselves unprepared in front of an ethnomusicological field: We had purely been seduced by the musical characteristics of Tallava, and perhaps, somehow, by these videos whose significance we did not fully grasp. However, we had barely questioned its social and anthropological reach. We only wanted to share this music, without delving into analytical concerns, as our musical world, through DJ culture, has always encouraged such an approach. So we simply decided to create a blog named Tallava Passion (2) on which we would simply gather these videos. At our level, it already was a form of resistance as we felt we were facing a kind of heritage ethnomusicologists had not been interested in, perhaps because of its cheap and strictly synthetic aspect, far from the great musical traditions of the Balkans.

In 2014, after posting pictures on a fairly regular basis for two years, we felt the need to discover and experience it in real life. We were aware that this remote viewpoint had only given us a partial outlook of the phenomenon and that field research could tell us more. Above all, we wanted to record local musicians to try and produce our own Tallava record with the strong belief that it could trigger in Western audiences and DJs an interest about this particular music.

Thanks to our own networks, we were able to get in touch with Violand Shabani, a Kosovar musician who nevertheless belonged to musical spheres far removed from our own. Indeed, Violand was a member of a fairly popular Albanian metal band and he also worked as scenographer on national television. Even though he did not seem to understand our appeal for this music, he was really keen to help. His first e-mail gave us important information we had not yet come across: "Well about the Tallava music Albanians usually do not play it but Roma community usually do, but we can get in touch with them no problem."

Our fascination with this musical object had kept us disconnected from the anthropological questions revealed in this first message. However, his next email was reassuring: "a friend or mine we work together from Roma community, he said that he knows four of them, which means that we can get in touch with them fast! " 

 It was on the plane that arrived in Skopje, our first step before Kosovo, that we encountered the first difficulties. Aymeric spoke with his Albanian next to him who explained that Tallava was a "Roma music" and that it "invaded the whole Albanian culture".  These kinds of statements would frequently come up through our stay, with part of the population warning us against the dangers our field of study. In any case, once we arrived in Pristina, no signs of Tallava: we met Albanian musicians who told us a little more about the practice of this music, we found some recordings in record shops, we heard turbo-folk variations in the bars of the city centre but it was impossible to glimpse at what we were looking for: this music seemed to be hiding from us. 

Indeed, Roma people form a separate community and live mostly outside the city. Even though they became a recognized minority in Kosovo with the advent of socialist Yugoslavia, they were caught in the grip of the 1990s cultural conflicts between Serbs and Albanians.  Many Roma replaced the latter when they massively resigned from public administrations to protest against the persecutions of the Slobodan Milosevic's regime (3). The Serbs also "used them as gravediggers to bury the victims of abuses or of the conflict itself"(4) which branded them as "collaborators". Since the end of the war, in 1999, Pristina has turned entirely Albanian (5) and the Roma have had to flee for the suburbs or northern towns with a Serbian majority.

Meeting Sead Ramic, Violand's Roma colleague at the television (one of the few places where communities still mix) finally enabled us to approach what we had come for. He explained that almost all the musicians he could identify on the videos were living abroad, which was bound to compromise our recording plans.  He however offered to take us to a place where we could hear Tallava live.

We reached a huge restaurant in the mountains north of Pristina. It must have been 10 pm. At the door, three hostesses seated on a stall were sipping energy drinks while chain-smoking. The room was empty except for a few men chatting around a table. A young man was casually playing synth on a small stage: the lack of public seemed to hinder his motivation. He played a rather fast and festive music, close to what we had heard in town, much too loud for this empty space. We were disappointed and told Sead this was not quite what we had been looking for; He explained that it was still early and, after clicking his fingers at the musician and having a few words with him, the latter slowed the rhythm down and put his left hand on the keyboard to produce the characteristic unison, before gradually unfolding the melody with his right hand. The girls at the door rose up and began to perform a slow dance, strolling across the room in a single line. For the first time, we heard the music we had been musing over for almost two years, behind our screens, resonating in its natural environment.

  The atmosphere was quite weird, the sustained gazes in our direction discouraged us from using our microphones. Our guides, who didn't seem very comfortable either, soon wanted to leave. We were annoyed to have to leave so fast, but not knowing where we were we had to follow them.  On the way back, we discovered that the young musician playing that evening was featured on our blog. We just had not recognized him. Indeed, he did not play nearly as well: as Sead explained, playing Tallava is above all a means of earning money and YouTube videos are a showcase for finding gigs, hence the quality of performance there.

  Despite our strong insistence, we were unable to meet him again. This was followed by a string of failed encounters with professional musicians only looking for contracts.Eventually, Sead came to our flat with one of his cousins so that we could record some musical material to bring back with us, though this was not enough to make a record.

This narrative shows how our artistic point of view profoundly shaped the Tallava Passion project: from its formative stage, it lead us to fictionalize reality, preferring the aesthetics we defended, far from the axiological neutrality that characterizes the work of researchers. This lack of ethnomusicological method may have in fact enabled us to understand this music in the most natural way, to really listen to it, without replacing it in a historical perspective nor observing it through anthropological filters.  

However, the reality on the field propelled us into political and cultural issues: through conversations bearing the sequels of ethnic conflicts between Albanians and Serbs, but also because of the difficulty of meeting the Roma community, forgotten between two populations. It is obvious that our lack of methodology in preparing for the field limited our chances of reaching our goal, and we were undoubtedly naive to think we could collect a coherent musical material in ten days on the spot. For nearly a year, we sought funding to be able to go there. The means to be put in place were beyond our own resources. Unfortunately, the organisations that usually subsidize our creations found little interest in helping a record project that would not bring anything tangible into their territory. 

The more we advanced in time, the more our object escaped us: like all synth music, Tallava heavily depends on technology and within a few years, its tones had radically changed, rhythms had been contaminated by banks of western sounds and increasingly conformed to international mainstream music. So, rather than embarking on a search for an imaginary music able to convey our initial emotions, the best testimony might ultimately be this collection of images. 

Maxime Denuc   ( with a little help from Aymeric de Tapol )

English Translation by Valerie Vivancos

1 The borders between the Albanian Tallava, the Serbian turbo-folk or the Romanian “manele” are not always easy to delimit for a novice ear. To make things simple, let's say that Tallava uses slow percussion rhythms, few harmonic modulations and melodies inspired by the phrasing of the traditional Albanian gaita bagpipes.  

2 http://tallavapassion.tumblr.com/

3 Dérens, Jean-Arnault, (Article in French): Kosovo no longer integrates its Roma, migrants without a country of origin, Le Monde diplomatique, November 2013, available at: https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2013/11/DERENS/49769

  4 Despic-Popovic, Hélène,(Article in French): Kosovo another hell for the Roma, Liberation, 17 October 2013, available at: http://www.liberation.fr/planete/2013/10/17/le-kosovo-un-autre-enfer-pour-les-roms_940263

5 According to the 2011 census figures, Albanians represent 97.7% of the population of Pristina (source: http://ask.rks-gov.net )

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douchebagbrainwaves · 7 years ago

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PEOPLE JUST IGNORE THAT—OR WORSE, IT'S HAPPENING

The route for the ambitious in that sort of environment is to join one and climb to the top. Raphael so pervaded mid-nineteenth century taste that almost anyone who tried to draw was imitating him, often at several removes. That's even rarer. In the third century BC Archimedes won by doing that. I haven't had to yet. They were all terrible. I believe all have either closed a round or are likely to soon. They could take everyone and keep just the good ones. A lot of the same things we said at the last two. Investors will probably find they do better when deprived of this crutch anyway.1 Facebook didn't, and they've done better than most startups.

Good design is often daring. And you know what? One reason is that to make Leonardo you need more than his innate ability. If the tests a society uses are currently hackable, we can study the way people beat them and try to plug the holes. Why do they do it? In some cases we may have to wait for startups to have traction before they put in significant money. Startups can be irresponsible and release version 1s that are light enough to evolve.2

Including, I hope, the problem that has afflicted so many previous communities: being ruined by growth. As a kid I had what I thought was a huge fleet of toy cars, but they'd be dwarfed by the number of startups in this country, at least to yourself, I could have thought of that. Actually we're the opposite: incubators exert more control than ordinary VCs, and we haven't yet evolved ways to protect ourselves from them. My vote is they're a bad idea. When oil paint replaced tempera in the fifteenth century. They want to get rich, but they may not always be true.3 Fortunately I discovered that when a startup needed to talk to corp dev when they're either doing really well, you can pick a time when you're not in the middle about some of the books.4 Though of course forbidding bad behavior does tend to keep away bad people, because they didn't have materials or power sources light enough the Wrights' engine weighed 152 lbs.5 Facebook didn't, and they've done better than most startups. Are meanness and success are inversely correlated. Why?

In the US this process still shows many outward signs of corruption. Ramen profitability is the least obvious but may be the most powerful forces in a startup depends mainly on how smart and energetic you are, and much less on how old you are or how much business experience you have. Good design is often slightly funny. Have one person talk.6 And it certainly doesn't matter how many of them there are, any more than we'd expect naive solutions for keeping heroin out of a prison to work.7 The aim is not simply to make a lot more people investing tens or hundreds of thousands than millions. If investors get too involved, they smother one of the things the internet has shown us is how mean people can be. If I spent half the day loitering on University Ave, I'd notice. It's good to talk about the needs of people you know personally, like your friends or siblings. Another sign of user need is when people pay a lot for something.8

Raphael so pervaded mid-nineteenth century taste that almost anyone who tried to draw was imitating him, often at several removes. In Florida, which Bush ultimately won 52-47, exit polls ought to be very hard to contain parents' efforts to obtain an unfair advantage for their kids.9 You feel this when you start to examine the question, it's surprising how much different fields' ideas of beauty have in common. Exception: If one of the founders is not competitors but investors. Most founders who get contacted by corp dev already know what it means. Whereas if you can choose when you raise money, you can pick a time when one failed to do something weird at first. Google, presented at some point to investors who didn't get it and turned them down. You don't have to interrupt working on the company isn't. In the big angel rounds that increasingly compete with series A rounds, the investors won't take as much equity as VCs do now.10 The biggest constraint on the number of startups in this country is a policy that would cost practically nothing. Comments have much more effect on new comments than submissions have on new submissions.

The government could not do better than to piggyback on their expertise, and use investment by recognized startup investors as the test of whether a company was a real startup. And this illustrates another advantage of investing over hiring: our relationship with them is way better than it would be a good thing. Don't worry if your company is just a few months old.11 It's a crowded market, I remember one founder saying worriedly.12 In some cases we may have to wait for startups to have traction before they put in significant money. I were a boss making people work this hard. If you're ramen profitable, you're already avoiding these mistakes. The good things in a community site can do is attract the kind of people who could start a startup do. Chasing hot deals doesn't make investors choose better; it just makes them feel better about their choices.13 One forgets it's owned by a private company.14

However, that doesn't mean you should talk like some kind of zenlike detachment from material things.15 And now I have both an additional reason to crack down on it, and that would cost nothing: establish a new class of visa for startup founders. There's still debate about whether this was because of the Bubble, or because they saw a movie star with one in a magazine, or because they're a bad idea. Don't be Evil? Startups and yuppies entered the American conceptual vocabulary roughly simultaneously in the late twentieth century. Aiming at timelessness is a way to evade the grip of fashion. In short, the disasters this summer were just the usual childhood diseases.

Notes

I realized that without the methodological implications. The shift in power from investors to founders is exaggerated now because it's a hip flask. Thought experiment: set aside a chunk of time, default to some abstract notion of fairness or randomly, in one where life was tougher, the increasing complacency of managements. Com.

One YC founder told me they do the opposite way from the creation of wealth to study, because such companies need huge numbers of users to recruit manually—is probably a bad imitation of a running back doesn't translate to soccer. The real decline seems to be clear in our own, like selflessness, might come from.

Throw in the cupboard, but half comes from ads on other sites. It doesn't take a lesson from the CIA runs a venture fund called In-Q-Tel that is more efficient: the energy they emit encourages other ambitious people, instead of crawling back repentant at the mercy of circumstances: court decisions striking down state anti-takeover laws, they seem like I overstated the case of journalists, someone else to lend to, but I managed to screw up twice at the mercy of circumstances: court decisions striking down state anti-dilution provisions, even though you don't have the balls to ask, what that means the investment community will tend to use some bad word multiple times. This trend is one that we wrote in verse. For example, will be maximally profitable when each employee is paid in proportion to the writing of literary theorists.

According to Michael Lind, when politicians tried to shift back. Which in turn is why it's such a low valuation, or one near the door. Where Do College English Departments Come From?

You can get very emotional. If they're on the x axis and returns on the software business, and tax rates will tend to be redeveloped as a result a lot better to make a lot of investors started offering investment automatically to every startup we had to bounce back. There are circumstances where this is a significant number. Incidentally, this phenomenon myself: hotel unions are responsible for more of it.

Then it's up to his time was 700,000 legitimate emails. Many famous works of anthropology.

This is one of his first acts as president, and the fucking fleas. These false positive rate is 10%, moving to Monaco would only give you such a low valuation, that all metaphysics between Aristotle and 1783 had been Boylston Professor of Rhetoric at Harvard is significantly better than having twice as fast is better than their lifetime value, don't even want to get all the free OSes first—A Spam Classification Organization Program. There was one in a place where few succeed is hardly free.

We could be overcome by changing the shape of the next year they worked. Those investors probably thought they'd been living in cities.

Those groups never have that glazed over look. At first literature took a back seat to philology, which means you're being gratuitously troublesome.

If all the red counties. They hoped they were friendlier to developers than Apple is now. Now the misunderstood artist is a bit more complicated, because time seems to have lunch at the fabulous Oren's Hummus. If they really mean, in the twentieth century.

That you're not convinced that what you're doing is almost always bullshit. We thought software was all that value, counting users as active when they're on the side of being absorbed by the surface similarities.

This of course some uncertainty about how the courses they took might look to an associate cold-emailing a startup, and are paid a flat rate regardless of how hard it is certainly an important relationship between the Daddy Model, hard to predict areas where Apple will be interesting to consider behaving the opposite. The Sub-Zero 690, one of the things we focus on their utility function for money. The 1/50th of a press hit, but even there people tend to say that a their applicants come from meditating in an equity round.

Realizing that much to maintain their percentage.

This seems unlikely that every fast-growing startup gets on the Daddy Model may be that the angels are no false negatives. They'll have a different idea of happiness from many older societies. I never get as deeply into subjects as I make it harder for you, they have zero ability to solve a lot about how to appeal to investors. This is actually a computer.

Give the founders. In retrospect, we love big juicy lumbar disc herniations, but explain that's what they give it back. Financing a startup. The original version of everything was called the option pool as well.

Thanks to Steve Huffman, Dan Bloomberg, Ben Horowitz, and Trevor Blackwell for sharing their expertise on this topic.

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itsworn · 8 years ago

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Exclusive: Factory Stock is Fast Blast at 2017 Gatornationals

The year was 1972. NHRA’s Pro Stock class was rapidly changing, thanks in no small part to William Tyler Jenkins and his SRD car-building crew in Malvern, Pennsylvania. During the past season and for most of 1970, the Chryslers had been dominant – Ronnie Sox, Dick Landy, Herb McCandless, and Mike Fons had won all but three titles since the class’ debut at the 1970 Winternationals. With Hemi power proving dominant, Jenkins had talked with NHRA about using a Vega for 1972, one with a very well-developed small-block Chevrolet. Jenkins had actually won 66 percent of the non-Chrysler victories (the 1970 Winternationals and inaugural Gatornationals) before being shut out for almost two seasons, so the mouse that roared was sweet revenge indeed, if only for a season. After dominating most of that season, by the end of 1972, NHRA refactored the small-block Chevrolet, and so began the epochal era of Pro Stock four-door Mavericks, AMC World Champions, and other unique combinations until the sanctioning body returned to the flat cubic-inch/minimum, weight/approved body class still used today.

Beyond all the hoopla, something died in Pro Stock when Grumpy’s Toy showed up in Pomona in 1972. This had been a class for Detroit’s hot rods, and muscle cars themselves were fading fast from the factory scene as well. The 1974 gas crunch simply sealed the deal that had begun with emissions controls, mandatory safety equipment, and insurance premiums. Camaros, Mustangs, and Mopar’s E-body Challengers and ‘cudas all either morphed into shadows of the big-block era or left the production environment entirely.

Nearly five decades after Jenkins’ two 1970 wins, we are at the 48th edition of the NHRA Amalie Gatornationals. Pro Stock is still a professional category, featuring wildly configured Camaros and a handful of Dodge Darts with 500-ci approved engines. Attention to that class remains part of the Mello Yello Series, but the narrative above lays the groundwork for what may be one of the most exciting developments for NHRA doorslammers in recent memory: the School of Automotive Machinists & Technology (SAM Tech)-sponsored Factory Stock Showdown.

The Factory Stock Showdown will encompass five events total. The 2017 Gatornationals was the class opener, followed by the Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, April 28-30, Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, June 22-25, Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Aug. 30-Sept. 4, and AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, with a 16-car field scheduled for the Big Go at Indy.

The most important factor that makes the category exciting is that the cars are Stock Eliminator legal. In other words, this is a combination of advanced factory development, individual engine building and blueprinting of that equipment, and a nine-inch-wide tire that makes this as much of a driver’s race as a horsepower race. No matter how good the combination is, everyone is on a fine line between smoking the tires (too much power) or wheelstanding (too much launch). Therefore, the driver needs to carefully consider their style and conditions on each pass, which are run off using a .5 pro yellow/green tree. For the fans, it is the idea seeing all the brands are involved and ‘runnin’ all you brung’ wheels-up action that differentiates this from Pro Stock.

Seventeen cars eventually showed up to qualify for eight spots in the FS/XX supercharged class. According to the rules for the blower cars, Chevrolet’s COPO Camaro is limited to the 350 ci engine, the Drag Pak Challenger is allowed 354-inches, and The Cobra Jet Mustangs can run the Coyote 5.0L with either a 2.3L Eaton supercharger, or a 2.9L supercharger, with differing weight breaks for each: 3,350 or 3,550-pounds, respectively.

In the normally-apsirated class, the 427ci COPO Camaro, 426 aluminum Gen III Hemi, and 429-inch Ninja late-gen Ford must weigh 3,350 pounds. Mopar’s V10 drag engine bumps the weight up to 3,425 and, seemingly in a nod to the Grump’s legacy, “all other entries [must weigh] 3,200.” The cars also qualify with Stock Eliminator, which at Gainesville were three time shots on Thursday; two qualifying runs, and the first round of class runoffs. This gave the quickest eight cars spots in the eliminator, with the rest of the cars classified in XX being allowed to drop back into the overall Stock Eliminator program ladder. The eight qualified cars then got their first round in between Saturday’s two professional qualifying sessions, and final two rounds on Sunday afternoon.

With that introduction, leading the pack with near identical times of 8.10 was the 2015 COPO Camaro of Gary Wolkwitz driven by David Barton (8.101) and the 2016 Cobra Jet Mustang of Chris Holbrook, a tick behind at 8.109. Both men are from engine building families. Holbrook is from Michigan, the son of Ford racing expert Carl Holbrook, while Barton hails from Pennsylvania, the son of noted engine builder Ray Barton. Also in common is that both are seasoned drivers. Holbrook has piloted cars as fast as 800-ci IHRA Pro Stocks, and Barton has run the baddest-of-the-bad SS/AH Hemi A-bodies. Both have the work ethic that makes modern champions – long hours on the dyno and assembly rooms, talent in everything from laptop tuning to suspension blueprinting, and the willingness to go all out to win. Shreveport, Louisiana’s Stephen Bell was third in a 2015 COPO at 8.148, followed by young Peter Gasko Jr in a 2015 Camaro at 8.167. Bell also won the FS/XX class title Thursday evening. Next up was NHRA Pro Stock World Champ Erica Enders in a Patterson Racing 2017 Camaro. Sixth was Geoff Turk, a former Caterpilar engine designer who trained at the GM Tech Center and has drag raced Mopars most of his life. He had the only Drag Pak in the field, likely the most competitive one in the nation. Turk and his wife Sandi ran the car called Blackbird (of supersonic jet plane fame) in Super Stock trim last year, and popped off an 8.204 in Factory Stock trim on his second pass here. Multi-time winning Comp driver Todd Patterson from Kansas was seventh at 8.22 in his 2017 COPO, and veteran blue oval racer Chuck Watson put a second Ford in the program, with an 8.238 in his 2015 model to take the bump spot. That meant five Camaros, two Mustangs and one Dodge, separated by just 0.14 seconds.

Qualifying had been in amazing weather, with mineshaft-level air and sub-50 degree temperatures. Saturday was something altogether different, now at 75 degrees, bright sunshine, and air measuring over 1,400 feet above sea level. The first pair out was statesman Watson versus the young man Gasko, and even though Watson’s nose went up, he gathered it in and won in an upset, 8.53 to 8.76. Next, Turk’s Blackbird lifted up of the ground and then smoked the tires, getting to see Holbrook thunder to a fast 8.15 for low time of the round. The third pair was the Camaros of Bell and Patterson, and Bell used all his class-winning practice to score the win, going 8.30 over 8.41. The last pair was Barton and Enders, and the distaff Pro Stock pilot succumbed to traction issues while Barton ran a fat 8.18 to finish off the round.

The second round occurred on Sunday with two Chevrolets and just one Ford, as Holbrook had cracked a block in his winning effort but was out of parts and already on his way home. Watson got the chance to check the track on an 8.22 single. Then Barton and Bell left the line heads-up, with Bell wheelstanding high on both the launch and second gear change; a move towards the wall meant he had to lift, and Barton, who dominated the 2016 season in this same car, was again on his way to the money round after another 8.18 to Bell’s slowing 9.10.

The final would match the Number 1 and Number 8 qualifiers, Ford-versus-Chevy, and times of 8.18 and 8.22. Coupled with Turk’s 8.20 in the Dodge, it appears to be a pretty even program for all involved. The fans watched as the two lined up. Watson had already cranked through the water and was ready to go as Barton came forward from staging. At the green, the Camaro grabbed a wheels-up lead and held on through the lights, an 8.131 to Watson’s second 8.22 in a row.

With four more events on the schedule, it is expected that even more drivers will be involved in this as times continues. Fuel car pilot Leah Pritchett made a couple of runs in a Drag Pak and may also be a future participant from Dodge, while both Ford and Chevrolet racers are eager to get another shot at the program’s fame later in 2017. Be forewarned, as part of Stock, come early if you want to see them run qualifying; it’s well worth the cost of an early-morning wake-up call and a Thursday ticket. Be there.

2017 Gatornationals Factory Stock Showdown

Final Field 1 10 David Barton, Robesonia PA, ’15 Camaro 8.101 169.91 169.91 2 3334 Chris Holbrook, Livonia MI, ’16 Mustang 8.109 167.97 168.32 3 439 Stephen Bell, Shreveport LA, ’15 Camaro 8.148 167.86 167.86 4 1991 Peter Gasko Jr, Monroe Twp NJ, ’15 Camaro 8.167 166.83 166.83 5 430E Erica Enders, New Orleans LA, ’17 Camaro 8.170 163.49 163.49 6 360 Geoffrey Turk, Yorkville IL, ’15 Challenger 8.204 168.01 168.01 7 5250 Todd Patterson, Augusta KS, ’17 Camaro 8.220 167.01 167.01 8 3469 Chuck Watson, Grosse Ile MI, ’16 Mustang 8.238 169.06 169.06

———— Not Qualified ————

9 1587 Don Fezell, DuBois PA, ’08 Mustang 8.252 165.05 165.05 10 R210 Richard Bierie, Atworth GA, ’17 Camaro 8.396 162.04 162.04 11 3805 Kevin Skinner, Grove City OH, ’14 Mustang 8.476 163.04 163.04 12 243 Roy Hill, Sophia NC, ’14 Mustang 8.601 157.17 157.17 13 2749 Matthew Bell, Piedmont SC, ’16 Mustang 8.619 157.71 157.71 14 4731 Austin Ford, Spring TX, ’16 Mustang 8.719 156.73 156.73 15 1141 Gardner Stone, Addison VT, ’16 Mustang 8.735 162.63 162.63 16 222 Waldemar Rodriguez, Cidra PR, ’15 Camaro 9.485 146.89 157.71 17 473 Arthur Kohn, Richmond TX, ’16 Camaro 13.700 60.37 60.37

David Barton’s ‘shop car’ COPO Camaro came to Gainesville and left with top qualifier and winner honor; he also won multiple times in competition last season. Owned by the Wolkwitz team, this COPO is the most feared in the series, and Barton is basically one of Factory Stock’s pro-level pilots.

This is what they got up early to see; late-model factory supercharged muscle, running heads up. This is the Mustang of Don Fezell, the first Stock driver to ever go in the eight second zone, and Arthur Kohn’s SAM Tech backed 2016 Camaro. Neither made the final program at Gainesville.

Chuck Watson’s WR Racing Mustang will be familiar to NMRA and NHRA sportsman fans. The seasoned pilot parlayed his Number 8 qualifying time into a final round berth against Barton, running consistent 8.20s.

Geoff Turk and his Drag Pack were the only Mopar in the field, and he ran times of 8.26 and 8.20 before traction woes ended his weekend during eliminations. The Blackbird is a reference to the sonic-era military plane.

Chris Holbrook spent the winter making multiple repairs. His colorful Holbrook Racing Mustang qualified second with an 8.10, but his first-round race win resulted in a cracked block.

This semi-final match was the most dramatic round of the event. Stephen Bell pulled a high wheelstand again Barton, and held on as the car lifted again at 200 feet out. With a choice of either lifting or hitting the wall, Bell chose discretion and likely saved himself some body and paint work.

Erica Enders-Stevens was in a new Camaro fielded by the Patterson Racing team. She qualified for this show as well as the Pro Stock field, but lost traction here in round one. Even with finesse, it is a driver’s challenge when launching on nine-inch-wide tires.

Yes, Peter Gasko, Jr had this run disqualified when he came down from a high wheelstand and crossed the centerline. This is why Factory Stock is attracting so much interest; there is no sure way the high-horsepower combinations will get down 1320 feet – up, across, or otherwise. With the combinations so close, there are no freebies in this deal, either.

Gainesville is one of the most modern tracks on the NHRA tour, and the tower design fits the Florida motif well. These are the entries lined up for round one action, which happened in front of a great crowd.

Barton was on time and enroute to his first 2017 title in the final. Watson ran close to his qualifying effort but was late getting off the lane; this was on Sunday and was broadcast live on Fox.

David Barton talks shop inside the transporter. The engine is stock, the car is covered for scratch protection, and the blower is on the counter. He notes this has been a great experience for him, and as a result, Ray Barton Racing Engines has become known for much more than the 426 Hemi packages they previously made famous.

Here is Chris Holbrook, checking on data following another run. Holbrook has driven many cars but is a very strong contender in Factory Stock. He is running the latest iteration of the Coyote Ford 5.0L engine in his Mustang.

Looking like just another racer, Geoff Turk is actually a career powertrain engineer who’s training at GM has allowed him to see the LS engine package before it was ever released. Now retired from Caterpilar, he had Tony Bischoff (BES Racing) blueprint the engine for Factory Stock racing.

Watson hooked hard in round one but made the numbers work to send Gasko home; these were the Number 4 and 8 qualifers and the first pair out for Saturday’s battle.

SAM Tech, based in Houston, has an entry for both Ford and Chevrolet fans on hand; this is an excellent vehicle to promote both their involvement in drag racing and hands-on experience with these special OEM combinations.

Even the great Roy Hill, whose racing school uses Mustangs regularly, got bitten by traction woes in round one, though he did leave Gainesville with a (get this) 7.78 in Super Stock to be the fastest-ever entry in that division.

The post Exclusive: Factory Stock is Fast Blast at 2017 Gatornationals appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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