US warns Iraq of 'difficult days'

President Barack Obama says US troops have withdrawn from Iraqi towns on schedule, but warns of "difficult days" ahead.

Google Set To Change Ranking Algorithm

Google is set to make changes to its search ranking algorithm to combat the spate of links leading to malicious web pages appearing at the top of Google’s search results, according to an inside source. Over the past few months, cybercriminals have been using blackhat SEO techniques to manipulate search rankings. When it first began, they were marginally successful at following Google Trends to find buzzy search queries and elevating a newly created targeted webpage. But after a short period of time, these same gangs appear to have become disturbingly effective. Last week, when researching a news story, I found the top five results all led to fake scareware pages. Obviously if Google fails to do something about this manipulation, users will lose trust and the good ole days of Google will be over fast. A Googler speaking on condition of anonymity told WebProNews a ranking change is pending that tackles spam of this kind. Once the change goes live, users shouldn’t see it “nearly as often.” A report from security company PandaLabs identified over a million links targeting malicious webpages ranking for auto part searches. Google noted that many of the phrases mentioned in the report were rare. A phrase like [1989 Nissan Pickup Truck Engine Check Light Troubleshooting], for example, only appears on attack sites set up by spammers, which explains why Google brought back so many attack sites in response to it and similar queries. Google's response seems also an admission of how difficult it is to provide fresh, timely search results while simultaneously combating spammers. Part of the appeal of Twitter to many people is the platform’s ability to provide real-time information; the live Web works remarkably well there so far because Twitter’s set up isn’t very conducive to spam (yet). At least Twitter has to some extent control over accounts. Google, on the other hand, cannot control for content appearing on the Web at large, and historically its famous algorithm performed better than any other at weeding out spammy webpages and malicious results. Unfortunately, that was a version of the Web that was more static. The live Web presents entirely new challenges manifesting as the first major weakness the search engine has faced. The company naturally didn’t have a comment on the recently pondered “link velocity” ranking factor. Search engine optimization experts have identified the speed at which organic links appear as a possible important influence. Link velocity therefore aids in explaining how blackhatters were able to manipulate search results by dropping enormous amounts of link spam into comment and discussion areas of social sites. The freshness or buzzy nature of a query also aided in this pursuit, and cybercriminals merely have to follow Google Trends and Google News to know which keywords and phrases to target.

Judge DROPS The F-bomb - Constructively, Of Course

Oh no you didn't just drop the f-bomb in court, Lord Justice Nicholas Wall. He did, to make a point. As reported by the Sun: Lord Justice Nicholas Wall used the words of English poet Philip Larkin to stress the devastating impact on children when couples keep warring after they split up. The Appeal Court judge, dealing with a residence order, said he hoped he would give the mother and father a fright because they had both come “within a whisker” of losing their nine-year-old son. As he ruled the boy could live with the mother, he said the parents had harmed him by their “ongoing mutual dislike and recriminations” for each other following the break-up. The judge issued a statement overturning a decision by Luton County Court, Beds, at which custody of the boy had been given to his maternal grandparents. So what about the f-bomb? "Quoting poet Larkin’s 1971 work This Be The Verse, he said: “They f[uck] you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they do. “They fill you with the faults they had, and add some extra, just for you.” Why the f-bomb? He said: “These four lines give a clear warning to parents.” Let's hope so. They've certainly put Lord Wall on the map. Here's the source.

Summer white

BOB is back

Don't worry Hillary, we love getting run over by busses

I have seen post after post and comment after comment on blog after blog talking about the race baiting Hillary and Bill Clinton have engaged in. I have seen people state how angry and disappointed they are with the Clintons. And in the next breath I have seen these same people state that if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic Nominee come this November, they will vote for her.I wonder what the conversation between Bill and Hillary Clinton was like as they decided to use race baiting as their political strategy. I imagine it went something like this;Bill - You know Hill, we can do a little race baiting since your campaign is sputtering a bit.Hillary - But Bill, African Americans are our most loyal supporters. If we race bait we may lose their support in the general election.Bill - Are you kidding me? (Hearty Laugh) If Martin Luther King, Jr. was the Republican Nominee African Americans still wouldn't vote for him. (Belly laugh) African Americans are afraid of Republicans! Hillary - So you don't think there would be a political price to pay if we use race baiting as my political strategy? Bill - (on the floor laughing) Hill, sweetheart, African Americans don't have any pride, haven't you seen the Flava of Love on VH1. We can say anything we want about them and they will still love us. Black people are more loyal than puppies. Oh sure a few of them might say how hurt they are but when the chips are down they will not vote for a Republican. In fact we could show up at a campaign rally in Blackface and they'd still vote for us, ahem, I mean you. (Crying from laughing so hard) Hillary - Okay then Bill, let's do it! Race baiting it is! White House here we come!I'm not trying to convince anyone to vote for John McCain or Barack Obama. I am just wondering how we, African Americans, will ever have any political power if we allow ourselves to be thrown under the bus time and time again. We have seen many a Democrat show us that they have little respect for our votes. And why would they, we give our votes to them with out expecting anything in return.If Hillary Clinton is the Nominee, most African Americans will vote for her. Our political fate will be assured. We will be assured that the next time it's politically expedient, Hillary Clinton will throw us under the bus, again.What do you think?If Hillary Clinton is the Democratic Nominee should African Americans support someone else?

Wearable Towel.

Do you get a "check up" at the doctor every year?

I was just wondering if peoples still get check up done every year.I know i do,i think it's important to get a physical to make sure i'm healthy.Since i was 21 yrs old i've been going once a year for a physical and my son get one too since he was born(he is 6 now),but my husband won't go...What's up with man,they always seem too scare,maybe not every man,but most of the one i know think they don't need to go see a doctor once in a while.Anyway,so do peoples still get physical anymore?

Unlocked Blackberry Bold & Flip, HTC HD, 8& 16 GB 3G iphones & More (NE Philly / Chalfont) $100

1st. Prices are firm but I may accept partial trades and must be able to meet me at one of the listed locations. 2nd. I will not ship nor respond to generic e-mails without information or specific offers. As in what's my price, are they still available, do i accept trades. Make an offer and I will respond. Sorry too many emails that just say nothing come to my mailbox. If you want to buy everything listed we can make a good deal I am sure. All prices are firm and for local meeting at either the BestBuy in NE on Roosevelt Blvd during the day (9-6pm)or the Bestbuy on Bethlehem Pike in Montgomeryville after work (around 7pm) The Iphone will come in the original box with all accessories and a glass reflection screen protector already installed. it is currently jailborken but not unlocked and I will need to wipe my personal information out of it. Again it is in Excellent Condition always in a cover and never dropped or damaged in any way. I simply use my Blackberries more. HTC HD (3.8 in 800*480 screen iphone has 3.5 in. screen to compare) ( It's best and clearest screen in the industry right now) In Box with accessories etc Screen protector already installed. Excellent condition with a blemishes but no scratches or marks. Some people are very specific about marks or trying to resell that's why I try to clarify. $425 Iphone 3G 8GB will come without box but with all other original accessories and in perfect condition, No blesmishes or marks, full body Zagg Invisible Shieled Protector installed on the phone from day 1 $325 Firm Blackberry Unlocked Flip 8220 will come with just the phone and charger again in excellent condition.Unlocked for T-Mobile or AT&T, $175 Firm Blackberry Unlocked Bold 9000 will come with all the original accessories but no box, perfect condition original plastic on the screen. Unlocked for AT&T or T-Mobile - $320 Firm (Will trade for Palm Treo Pro unlocked) PSP 3000 will come with unit, charger, a 4GB mem card, and a few games, $100. Like new condition, no box. If you want everything we can work something out.

1942 Ray-Ban.

Freaky Friday

This is for reader Gwyneth, who requested more pictures of the Great Soba: That is one of my favorite pictures of her ever. I know the quality is poor, but she's so perfect, all asleep on the sheets in a ray on sunlight with her head on the pillow. This was taken a few months ago when I had a cold and was spending a weekend day lying in bed reading and sniffling, hence the Kleenex and The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. That red notebook on top is my constant companion, I go through about a notebook a month. Compulsive much? - - - Yesterday something so weird happened. I had gotten home from work a little early, it was quarter 'til six and I was in the kitchen, trying to figure out what to make for dinner when I first heard the noise. It was a heavy, loud noise almost like an airplane. Now I live on the Valley floor which is right under the flight path of practically every Southwest airplane to and from Burbank airport, and we get planes and corporate jets from Van Nuys airport, too. And there are the ever-present helicopters of course. This is actually a really noisy city, now that I think about it. So I'm used to hearing planes go by just like in Chicago folks get used to the train going by. It fades into the ambiance of the city. You know what a plane sounds like and it just becomes background noise. But this sound was different. For one thing, it was LOUD. Screaming loud, like a roaring projectile, a deafening noise like you hear in movies when missiles streak across the sky. And it was FAST, whatever it was, because it roared closer in just seconds, so loud it obliterated any other noises. I immediately dropped what I was doing and ran to the front door and it was even louder and scarier and as I put my hand on the doorknob, I thought, Holy shit, that's a missile! and then I thought, We're going to vaporize. And I knew when the blinding light came I did not want to be standing in the yard looking at my neighbors who cannot get inside their cars without setting of the alarm. No, I wanted to be inside with my cats, who were now hiding under the sofa. And since I can't fit under the sofa, I just sat down on top and waited. Then as quickly as it came, it was gone. I could still hear it screaming through the air but it was getting further away. I felt that panic feeling all over me, just shaking a little and heart beating fast. I know I have an active imagination and all, but this was real. I know I'm reading all this crazy Michael Crichton books but I'm reading about dinosaurs, so it would make sense if I heard a noise in the yard and thought the raccoon hiding in the ivy was a velociraptor or something, but this wasn't made-up. It was real. So I walked out the front door and there were my neighbors, everyone staring up in the sky. You could see this huge arc of white smoke -- longer than anything I'd seen from an airplane before -- and at one end something that looked white or maybe silver in the sunshine, and it was definitely not a Southwest plane bound for Omaha. I just looked at my neighbors. Then I said, "Oh my God, what was that thing?" I was asking in the general direction of everyone, and the guy in the red baseball cap from across the street answered me. "No idea," he replied. "I have no f---ing idea what that was." Everyone else was just quiet. So I turned and went back inside and shut the door, then locked the deadbolt for no reason at all, and called my dad. I was shaking trying to dial the numbers. I called him because I am five, and I needed my daddy. I told him the story and he said to watch on the news, that it was probably something from one of the military bases nearby and he was just talking all calm, turn on the news, and I already had the TV on and the Channel 7 news on but there was just some dumb sports report, and finally I hung up and poured myself a glass of wine. A big glass. Then I gave the cats a big can of Fancy Feast. Because I was still shaken up and we all needed to be comforted. Now I'm wondering if it even happened at all. The news hasn't said anything at all about it. My dad pointed out it was probably some normal military fly over or something. But it wasn't anything I'd ever heard before, except almost like the time we saw the Space Shuttle launch in Florida. It was weird. Mostly I can't believe how scared that sound made me. I know I live in a big city, and we all sort of go about our lives with this necessary denial that anything bad will happen today. It's just what you do. I try really hard not to listen to the horror stories on the news or the stuff about terrorists and missiles because there is nothing I can do about any of it, so there's no real reason to focus on it, worry about it, stress out over things which I have zero control over. But it must have sunk in there somewhere, North Korea test fires a missile or whatever the fearmongering headline was. It took me a while to calm down, and if it weren't for all my neighbors standing out there in their yards, too, looking up at the sky I would wonder if it had really happened at all. It wasn't on the 6 o'clock news, or the 6:30 report and it wasn't on this morning either, not at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. Just some stuff about a minor earthquake out in Yorba Linda, and the traffic report and the weather. Weird.

eye exercise have you done this so far?

We often take for granted the little things that really matter such as taking good care of our eyes by doing eye exercise. I know some exercises that my optometrist recommended to me one of this is to every 20 minutes you have to look farther than your pc like staring at a tree and just try to relax your eyes to its greenery or you could blink your eyes 20 times every 20 minutes I guess she says every 20 minutes because it has something to do with 20 -20 vision which is a perfect vision for a human eyes and by doing this one could actually have a good eyesight even how long you stay online on your PC. actually there are lots of ways and exercises for the eyes do you know of this care to share?

goat tower

How Do You Deal With Someone Who Is Miserable?

What is your attitude towards someone who is miserable or walks around with a sad, miserable face? Do you feel sorry for them, or do you steer well clear of them? Do you wonder what they have to be miserable about and do you think being miserable is infectious?
Or do you have a friend or work colleague who is always miserable do you give up on them and does everyone give on the miserable person because they know whatever they do they cannot make them happy?
Do you have a partner who is miserable or an ex partner that was so miserable that you had to ditch them because it was making life unbearable?
I tend to be miserable a lot I have to admit most of the time I have a face that says leave me alone, I guess it's because I am an unsociable person and more of a loner in life and I don't want contact from people
Do you think some people actually enjoy being miserable or go out of their way to be miserable not to attract self pity but because they want to be left alone?

Poor Peggy Pony Keg (or, diabetic crackheads stole my car)

So, some of you probably already know this, but Peggy Pony Keg (my trusty 1991 Honda Civic hatchback) was swiped from in front of my coworker's house while we carpooled to work last week. She was found super late that night, but in totally trashed condition. missing: * front bumper (but for some reason I got the front license plate back) * speakers, stereo (even though I have the stereo face) * gym bag (with gym stuff, may its smell rot the lungs of the thieves) * library book: Moral Politics, which I actually hope to get to finish sometime, it was really good. newly added to my car: * diabetic blood-sugar-test-things (yuck) * needles (double yuck, and danger) * candy (smart thinking, diabetic crackheads) * 1 pair women's underwear (yuck) * garbage: papers, fast food trash, and other crap i've never seen before (total yuck) I think that my insurance is going to total it out. The repeated use of the phrase "due to the low total value of your car" does not sound good to me. It's a bummer, because that car was just so damn rad, and I didn't really get to say goodbye or take flattering pictures of her and/or her tattoo (a small bat, from the year that Rosin Coven built the bat art car). I need to figure out what to do; I'm thinking of either buying a used, older Prius with a carpool sticker, or a shiny new one with some additional features. Since people always seem to have lots of advice when you're sick, dealing with a breakup, about to have a baby, or buy something expensive, I thought I'd see what people had to say about it. Any opinions, thoughts?

A neat story from the field

This picture is from her first visit to Ernie & Jan. You can see she is quite sickly looking here.Last month Ernie and Jan wrote and told us about a woman who had been sick for a long time. She accepted the Lord and her family turned her over to the Christians to see if they (or their God) can make her well.They said if she gets well the whole family will accept the Christian's God. She came to visit them early one morning. She is so little and frail—but has a BIG smile. Her son and daughter-in-law had brought her in to the doctor so they stopped to see us on the way. It was really fun to see her. The latest news is that she is eating well, walking all over the village. The swelling in her hands is gone and she is a happy lady. Pray with us that God will continue to work in her family. They cannot help but realize that God has healed her. It is their turn to keep their promise to Him.Pray for her. Her name is Ashita. Pray that she can continue to grow in her faith, and that the Lord will reward her desire to follow Him. Pray for her family that yes, indeed the family will be willing to hear more of Jesus, and follow Him.It is stories of people like this that make Africa so compelling. God is working in Southern Mali amongst these Senufo people. It is so exciting to see Him rise to thise kind of challenge, and win people to Himself. I never get tired of these testimonies/stories.Thanks for stopping by,Tom & Lisa

Summer icecream

Eatting too much is bad for your stomache.

With Athleta launch, will Gap Inc. learn from Piperlime missteps?

The Retail Email Blog monitors the email marketing campaigns of more than 100 top online retailers. Here are highlights from my inbox this morning:Banana Republic, 4/22 — Introducing Athleta, the newest member of the Gap Inc. family.Gap Inc. formally introduces their new brand, Athleta, to their Banana Republic subscribers. It will be interesting to see if they apply the lessons learned from their Piperlime launch. For instance, they don’t incentivize email sign-ups for the new brand—or even mention that you can sign-up for Athleta emails—like they recently did for Piperlime (see Apr. 20 AM Inbox). However, they did add a separate opt-out for Athleta to this email, which is something they eventually did for Piperlime after months of sending Piperlime emails to their other brand subscribers (see Apr. 4, 2008 AM Inbox). I’ll be curious to see if they cross-promote merchandise in an integrated fashion, pairing Athleta products with products from other Gap Inc. brands, as they did in a Banana Republic email back in 2007 (see Mar. 7, 2007 AM Inbox).Spiegel, 4/23 — Celebrate "Bring Our Daughters to Work Day" with 25% OFF ALL Washed Linen!‏This is one of the most delightful creatives I’ve seen all year—plus Spiegel deftly ties this dress-up session into their Style Quiz segmentation program. Simple and brilliant.TigerDirect, 4/22 — Earth Day Deals: LG 50" HDTV $999...22" LCD $149...4gb Dell Laptop $649...Go Green, Save Green‏TigerDirect’s Earth Day email is a nice mix of Energy Star-certified products, refurbished and recertified products, RoHS-compliant products, and reduced power consumption products. They even have a list of 5 things to do to be green…however, many subscribers will probably never see the list because it’s out past the 680-pixel mark, pushing the design out to more than 900 pixels wide. As we mention in the Soon Even More Emails Won’t Be Optimized for Width reportlet, a width of 600 to 700 pixels is recommended.SUBJECTIVITY SCANNER: Select noteworthy subject linesSports Authority, 4/22 — Celebrate Earth Day - 15% Off Your Order - Today Only!‏Petco, 4/22 — PETCO Celebrate Earth Day with 10% Off and Eco-Friendly Products!‏Bluefly, 4/22 — Extra 10% Off Everything - Celebrate Earth Day!‏Norm Thompson, 4/22 — $10 off Earth and Ecco shoes + ALL SHOES SHIP FREE!SmartBargains, 4/22 — Extra 22% Off & Free Shipping for Earth DayRalph Lauren, 4/22 — Celebrate Mom On May 10 With The Gift Of Style‏Cabela’s 4/22 — Mother's Day Favorites @ Cabelas.com‏Wal-Mart, 4/23 — Mom Will Love the Gift. You’ll Love the Price.Tiffany & Co., 4/22 — Make It a Brilliant Mother's Day‏Barnes & Noble, 4/22 — 40% Off One Book in Our Mother's Day Gift Guide‏RedEnvelope, 4/23 — Valued Customer, It's time to celebrate Mom - 25% OffFTD, 4/23 — Gifts Starting at $19.99 -- Mother's Day Preview Sale!‏Lane Bryant, 4/22 — Today's Shopping Report: Heavy Traffic In Graphics‏

Guest Designer Cathy Edgar

This week, Cathy used "A Year of Flowers" and "A Charmed Life" to make a wedding present. Candles are inexpensive and easy to stamp on and always make a great gift. (I'm sure her niece enjoyed receiving it this weekend, it's always so wonderful the first several times you hear the word "couple" after you get married!) ;) Little heart brads are pressed into the candle for some added bling. The wedding colors were pink, black and white, so the color choices here are very appropriate! She added the date of the event to the bottom, along with the diamond ring charm "with this ring, I thee wed..." what a sweet reminder of the event! For a tutorial on stamping candles, please see this link. Expect to see a few more projects from Cathy and "A Charmed Life", thrown in between all our new release sets you'll be seeing over these next few weeks! First sneak peek of our new Gina K Designs release (TWO sets tomorrow!) is just a few hours away, can't wait, can't wait! :)

How to tell who's paid

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/631650
Next issue for TTC: How to tell who's paid
Tess Kalinowski
TRANSPORTATION REPORTER
And how will you be paying for that streetcar ride?
As the city and province squabble about funding 204 new Toronto streetcars, the TTC is grappling with how to design a proof-of-payment system for the vehicles it wants to order from Bombardier.
A proof-of-payment system allows the cars to board passengers more quickly by using all four doors available on the new streetcars on 11 busy transit routes.
With tens of thousands of riders boarding for relatively short hops, the answer may be more complex than simply adopting the GO Transit model: an honour system, with random checks by fare enforcement officers.
Nobody's even sure what kind of payment will be accepted on the TTC when the new cars starting hitting the streets, perhaps in 2012.
The TTC is investigating electronic payment options, including using the new chips in credit cards and the region's Presto fare card. But electronic payment probably won't be fully operational until the middle of the next decade.
Streetcars on the Queen St., Queensway and Lake Shore Blvd. route already use a proof-of-payment system to get people onto the cars faster during busy periods. Riders with a valid transfer or Metropass can use the back door. Those using a ticket or token have to board at the front and get a receipt from the driver in case they are randomly checked by a TTC special constable.
Between 2004 and 2008, only 726 charges were issued for fare-related transgressions.
But how will that system hold up once the driver is sequestered in a separate compartment at the front of the new streetcars, no longer monitoring the fare box?
One possibility is installing machines that issue paper receipts in exchange for tokens or tickets, says TTC chair Adam Giambrone.

Slow running

1600m slow running

twice a week

Recovering

Easter was beautiful (although a bit chilly) and, unfortunately, mostly picture-less. As usual there was just a bit too much going on (dying Easter eggs, making sure all the tights were washed, dresses were ironed, making a blackberry roulade for dessert, eating way too much chocolate etc., etc.) and consequently the thought of taking any pictures just never crossed my mind. Okay, well wait, actually I did think of pictures just once--the family Easter photo. Oh my, getting a decent picture of all five of us is almost impossible these days (and I say "almost" because I think one out of ten photos might be okay.)So now we're halfway through our post holiday week. It's been a rough week. Up too late, up too early, too much travel, too much chocolate, too much post-holiday clean-up--we're having a tough time getting back into a comfortable routine and as a result crankiness levels are at an all time high.To try and snap us out of our foul moods I suggested to the girls that we go birdwatching. This was met with much enthusiasm as it meant a real opportunity to use binoculars (something the girls have been dying to do.)I had high hopes for this outing. Last time we'd taken this same walk we had spotted not only the usual birds (sparrows, chickadees), but had also seen a woodpecker and a cardinal. So I brought along my camera and told the girls we could start a bird book with the pictures we took.Well, wouldn't you know it, but we couldn't spot a single bird. We heard a few (waaaaay far off somewhere), but didn't see a single one! Thankfully, though it is early spring, we spotted a few other things the girls enjoyed. For example this butterfly-a Mourning Cloak. Which gave us the great opportunity to discuss camouflage. Now you see it...now you don't.And the girls thought these very tiny flowers......were pretty cool. They're the only flowers, besides dandelions, out at this time of year. They're called Whitlow Grass and are very, very, tiny. Size did not prevent the girls from trying to pick a whole boquet of them though!And that was the extent of our nature walk . No birds and, much to Pookie's disappointment, no beetles or caterpillars either. I'm thinking I'll print off these pics and help the girls start a nature journal. Something we'll start....maybe next week when we are all (hopefully!) feeling a bit better!

More on Torture... and More

Roger's comment after yesterday's entry about the torture issue left me wondering, uncomfortably, if I had abandoned some of the ideals and principles of my younger years. Would I have felt differently about the matter, say, twenty years ago? Thirty? Fifty? Sadly, in some ways, I think the answer is Yes. Re-reading my entry, I found evidence of compromises I would have been unwilling to make back then. And I have sympathy--no, admiration--for those who reject such compromise. I think of another friend, whose work and dedication I much admire, who has also given up on "democracy" as we know it here, and on the promise for change. He is one of those stand-out independent thinkers who strives, constantly, for the fulfillment of a vision of a way of life that is free from the toxic influence of politics and greed; and who distrusts all politicians equally.I wonder to what extent age has tainted my ideals. People do tend to become more conservative as they age, and it saddens me to contemplate the possibility that the socialist ideals I embraced in my young years may have been sacrificed along the way. But then I remind myself that my ideals have always been tempered by a measure of that British pragmatism I learned from an early age.Having started this entry and put it on hold to allow for a walk down to the Saturday market, I ran in to a friend down in the village and struck up a conversation about the state of the world. I knew him to be an old lefty peacenik type, and before long we found ourselves talking about the conflicts taking place in the Middle East. I was not surprised to hear him insist that we should be out of there immediately, out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and that we should keep our noses out of the events in Pakistan. And of course this followed naturally on what I'd been thinking earlier, about ideals and pragmatism. I felt once again that inner struggle between the heart and its revulsion against every form of violence and warfare, and the head that reminds me of the Taliban's encroachments in Pakistan, the militant Islamic vision of international conquest by a medieval, fundamentalist world view and the barbaric means by which they seek to impose it, their ruthless dedication to terror and suppression to achieve their ends...My friend reminded me of the catastrophe in Iraq. I'm sorry, I don't see all this to be anything like Iraq. To begin with, there's not just the suspicion of nuclear weapons, there's the fact of Pakistan's possession of them. If there's anything approaching the appeasement of the 1930s, it's the current situation in that country, where a weak government seems unable to control the advance of the growing ranks of an angry minority and could all too easily succumb to their fanatical power. What then? Is the world to stand by and wring its hands, hoping for the best? When, if ever, will enough be enough to satisfy the appetite for power and control, when the militants have made it clear that they intend to extend their vision of the Caliphate to the entire human race? It's abundantly clear that these are not people you can talk to. At what point, then, will it become a matter of resorting to violence? The idealist in me rebels against war. The Buddhist in me reminds me that violence breeds only violence. The pragmatist insists that we can't simply abandon the Middle East to those who have made unambiguous their intent to rid the world of any vision other than their own. I would not want to place my trust in the hope that they do not have the power to do so. At the very least, it seems not improbable that they could seize power enough to create a catastrophic global conflict--starting with with India and Israel. Perhaps the best I can do, as Voltaire suggested at the end of his satirical rant in the story of Candide, is to tend my own garden, peacefully. I can, after all, achieve nothing particularly useful by compromising my ideals. Than Geoff (Thanissaro Bhikkhu) has offered much the same advice: Is there anything you can do? he asks. Of course not. Then quit worrying about events over which you have no control and attend to your own integrity. I get that. And yet... I agonize.

When did your child stop napping?

I just put my 16 month old down for a nap. He's only just recently cut back

from 2 naps to 1. His one nap is still a morning nap though, he usually has

to be in bed by 10am. My 3 year old was like that too, but he stopped napping

around the age of 2. He just wouldn't fall asleep for me anymore. My twins

did the same thing right around the same age.

My 3 year old still might fall asleep for a nap from time to time. It's

usually when we're out driving in the car. Occasionally he can fall asleep

while watching TV in the afternoon. But if I try to put him down for a nap,

he will not sleep!

How old was your child when they stopped taking scheduled naps?

What would you do, if you see your bf doing this??

I talked to my bf as i usually do. He was tired at the end of the day because of work and all because of which he was sending those one word text messages.. which was irritating me. Then we ended up saying goodnight to each other..and suddenly there was another message from my bf mentioning 'hhmmm..do you know any good girl'?? I was like what?? i called him up and angrily asked what was it?? He said he was kidding with one of his friends, which was hard to believe for me.

Next day we had a fight, he said u don't trust me. He was more angry on the way i spoke to him, he was like there are 100 other ways of sorting out a problem instead of yelling at each other. How can i be so calm reading something like this?? We are in relationship from past 2 years.. i don't know how to take it.. was it really a joke or something else??

Judge Judy Would Have Never Let This Happen...

This may sound familiar to you...You're young, impressionable. You've just turned 18. You want to do something rebellious. And you love the Steelers... So naturally, you get the world's most embarrassing Steelers tattoo.Or at least I imagine that to be the thought process behind this chick's decision to pay someone for what she could've gotten in jail for a pack of smokes and a few choice oral favors.Here's a tip - if the artist's shop is a six foot by four foot shed in his backyard, and all he can show you in the way of "work samples" are glorified cave drawings he's inked what appears to be skin off of another human being's back, you might want to reconsider...and maybe also run for cover.This thing may cost you $20 now, but down the line it'll cost you your dignity, whatever self-esteem you may/may not have, and probably several thousand dollars when you realize what a retard you are. Tattoo removal ain't cheap. Anyhow...Things You Don't Need to Worry About: Why I was watching Judge Joe Brown in the middle of the day.Things You DO Need to Worry About: Friends don't let friends smoke crystal meth and get tattoos of the Steelers logo. Oh yeah, and Alexander Ovechkin apparently has a job for one of you in the DC area...Sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime. Do it.Now, I'm back to this Employment Law take-home final. Anyone who tells you a take-home final in law school is going to be easy is a joke. If I have to write one more sentence about the Family and Medical Leave Act, I'm going to family and medical leave my life. This shit is so brutal that I'm not even making sense anymore...Don't call me, I'll call you. Obligatory Footer - If you haven't already, become a fan of OFTOT on Facebook, join the blog network and follow me on Twitter. Or don't. Your choice, really.

The Real Ghostbusters, “Collect Call of Cathulhu” (Yeah, it’s misspelled).

I am positively obsessed with the movie Ghostbusters. So, naturally, when the movie eventually became the cartoon The Real Ghostbusters, I was glued to the television every damn Saturday when it came on. And then one day&out of nowhere&what the hell is THIS? I had just turned on the cartoon and&did that guy named Clark Ashton just say Necronomicon? He sure as hell did! And thus begins The Collect Call of Cathulhu, truly the best episode of The Real Ghostbusters EVER for its metric tonne of Lovecraftian references. Below youll find the entire episode split into three separate YouTube videos. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for shoggoths, spawn of Cthulhu, Weird Tales, the Book of Dzyan (mispronounced as The Book of DYzan), the Pnakotic Manuscripts, and many other HPL/Cthulhu Mythos references. The episode was written by Michael Reaves, who may be familiar to Lovecraft afficionados for his work co-editing the HPL-meets-Sherlock-Holmes anthology Shadows Over Baker Street, a generally sub-par collection which every cephalophile must nonetheless have in his/her/its library for Neil Gaimans amazing story A Study in Emerald (available as a downloadable PDF at the preceding link). Anyway, on with the Ghostbusters VS. Cthulhu action! Needless to say, this episode of The Real Ghostbusters has been lurking in the back of my mind as Ive been writing City of Pillars. Particularly perceptive readers may spot quite a few references to this cartoon in the story&especially the next two chapters, which Ill have online this Friday. In the meantime, I hope this bit of eldritch humour has whetted your appetite for Lovecraftian monsters destroying New York (or, well, attempting to) while Im still beating these goddamned words together!

Weight what animal?