Could we use open-source tools to improve politics? ? Tech News ...

Open-source principles have helped create a host of useful software, including the Linux operating system and the crowd-powered resource that is Wikipedia ? but could the same approach be used to open up the process of producing government legislation? Clay Shirky argues that it could.

The philosophy behind open-source software has been used to create an operating system and a pretty powerful crowdsourced encyclopedia, among other things, so could adopting that same approach change the way that politics and government work for the better? That?s the idea media theorist Clay Shirky has proposed in a TED talk in Edinburgh. The idea is an appealing one ? to use the same process behind Linux and Wikipedia to make government more collaborative and open ? but would it work? Developing software and web services is very different thing from creating legislation, and the history of the open-source movement is fraught with infighting among quasi-religious factions. But it may be the best hope we have.

After providing a kind of whirlwind tour of the open-source movement in his talk, including the rise of Linux, Shirky devoted much of his discussion to Github ? a kind of crowdsourced platform for maintaining code that Linux creator Linus Torvalds also created, which allows anyone to edit, to ?fork? or create their own version, and to track the changes that others make. It?s not a big stretch to get from that idea to the idea of crowdsourcing legislation, which is what Shirky seems to have in mind, and there have already been some attempts at doing this via Github: for example, a German software developer has uploaded all of Germany?s laws to the platform so that citizens can recommend and track changes.

It?s an appealing idea: that a simple software platform aimed at collaboration could change the way legislation is developed and implemented, much like the process that powers Wikipedia has created a crowdsourced encyclopedia that evolves and changes over time. But is it realistic? There were plenty of skeptics who said Wikipedia would never succeed, and yet it has an excellent track record when it comes to reliability, despite some hiccups in the process, such as the recent incident involving author Philip Roth. That said, however, there are also plenty of critics who believe that the ?cabal? of editors who control the crowd-powered encyclopedia have too much authority.

Of course, some would argue that we?re already in that kind of situation with most governments anyway, and therefore Github couldn?t make things any worse. And Shirky is not the only one to make this argument: developer Abe Voelker has proposed a ?Github for laws? that would take exactly the same approach to crafting and crowdsourcing legislation. There have also been some initial experiments with similar ideas ? including Iceland?s new constitution and similar types of project in Finland and Ireland ? which shows that others are also open to the concept.

One of the problems with applying a technical solution like Github to a massive cultural and political process like government, however, is that creating laws ? even small ones ? is very different from changing a piece of code so that Linux can duplicate Windows-style typefaces, or changing the Wikipedia entry on George Bush. And if even those kinds of prosaic examples can lead to the equivalent of a Linux or Wikipedia holy war, which in many cases they have, what hope do we have that politicians can actually use a similar process to change the way that government works? As Shirky suggests in his talk, there?s also a pretty entrenched bureaucracy that has become part of most governments and likely has no interest in relinquishing that control to the crowd.

In his book ?Here Comes Everybody,? Shirky described the potentially massive impact of crowdsourcing and crowd-powered social change, and his admiration of Github seems to be part of an attempt to find tools that will help us deal with the tidal wave of human-driven collaboration. This is something we clearly need, so it?s worthwhile to start looking at solutions ? and while Github may not be the answer, at this point just about anything is probably worth a shot.

Post and thumbnail images courtesy of Flickr user Fabio Venni

Source: http://gigaom.com/2012/09/29/could-we-use-open-source-tools-to-improve-politics/

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NATO soldier, civilian, killed in Afghan "insider" attack

KABUL (Reuters) - A member of NATO's Afghan force and a civilian contractor have been killed in the latest so-called insider attack by a member of the Afghan security forces, the NATO force said on Sunday.

The attack in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday came after the United States said joint operations with Afghan forces were returning to normal.

Joint operations were halted two weeks ago after a surge of attacks by Afghan allies. At least 52 members of the NATO force have been killed this year in so-called green-on-blue attacks.

It was too early to say what impact the latest incident would have on plans to restore joint-operations with Afghan forces to normal, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.

(Reporting by Jessica Donati; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nato-soldier-civilian-killed-afghan-insider-attack-041708339.html

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When Banks Erase a Debt That Isn?t There - New York Times

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Source: www.linkfest.com --- Saturday, September 29, 2012
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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/business/when-banks-erase-a-debt-that-isnt-there.html

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Video: Spain?s budget bailout

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/49203582/

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Rian Johnson Talks Looper

Hitman Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is confronted with his future self ? in the form of a time-traveling Bruce Willis ? in Rian Johnson's Looper, the writer-director's third feature and one of the freshest original science fiction tales in years. Before debuting the September 28 release at Fantastic Fest over the weekend, Johnson spoke with Movieline about the pre-Brick short script that gestated into Looper, the film's dark streak and the 1970 soul ballad that serves as "the heart of the movie."

Take me back to the beginning ? the idea for Looper began as a short story in your notebook around the time of Brick, right?
Before I made Brick. It was a script for a short film, and it was a few years before we made Brick, during a time when we were spending all of our time looking for money to make Brick ? Steve [Yedlin], my cinematographer, and I. We realized we were just driving ourselves crazy and to alleviate the pressure we decided to start making some shorts, and we made a few but this was one that I wrote but we never ended up shooting.

What was the original seed of the idea that started it?
It?s funny, at some point after the release I?m going to put the three-page script up on the internet but it started with the same voice over that the feature starts with. It explains the guy and his job, and when his older self shows up, it was a foot chase between the two of them across the city, then it ended when they caught up with each other. It has a similar ending to the feature which is why I don?t want to put it out too soon. I had been reading a ton of Philip K. Dick and was in a period when I had just discovered his books, so I think my brain was full of sci-fi ideas.

Were you feeling super existential?
I must have been going through one of those existential phases we all go through, continuously. The honest answer is it was ten years ago and I don?t exactly remember. Ten years ago I was 28.

The quarter-life years or so.
It?s true, my God. Now I?m going through an existential crisis, thanks a bunch!

I?m sorry! One thing I like about the concept is that it?s so much about identity, our past selves, our future selves, how we see ourselves and the potential to change the future.
And our relationship with this kind of character, our future self, our notion of what we?re going to turn into and our ideas of how our lives are going to go. That?s usually personified in your relationship with a mentor or parent, someone who?s indicative of a path you could take in life and whether you want to or not, that?s kind of the interesting question.

I found the film to be quite romantic.
Nice!

And that was not something I was really expecting. That song you use, Chuck and Mac?s ?Powerful Love,? is so beautiful and perfect.
Isn?t it incredible? It?s such a beautiful song. I literally picked up blind, I think on vinyl on the Twinights [album]. Listening to that song just sticks, then the lyrics somehow attach themselves to the meaning of the whole thing and it ends up jamming in your head and it becomes a really obvious choice, you know? Actually, in pre-production I sent an mp3 of that song to Bruce [Willis] right when he signed on and told him this song is the heart of the movie, and he got really excited about it. I was listening to that song over and over while we were shooting it. That and a lot of Sam Cooke.

A soul connection.
I?m really happy that you felt that from the movie. There is a real deep heart of romance in the movie, and not just boy-girl romance but romance with a capital R.

Love.
Yeah ? love in the sense that love can somehow fix things. I hope that that?s baked into it. As dark and as bleak as the movie can get at times, the reason I feel comfortable having it go there is I hope that it gets to a really hopeful and redemptive place at the end.

Do you see Looper as dark and bleak?
I think it goes to some pretty dark, bleak places and shows these characters, even the ones who are supposed to be good guys, doing some terrible things. I think it shows the dark side of everybody and gets to some spots where you wonder if it?s all going to be okay, but I hope it shows you that people can change and people can make decisions for the right reasons.

I was really surprised to be crying as the credits rolled.
Yes! I was trying to make you cry. That makes me really happy. My little sister cried! That?s what we were going for, that kind of rush of emotion at the end.

Your films have been quite different, playing in different genres. When you decided Looper would be your next feature did you have any trepidation about tackling the time travel aspect knowing the geekosphere would scrutinize it?
Well, yes ? especially because I?m part of the geekosphere and I?m one of those guys. The thing is, I?ve never had time travel inconsistencies in a movie deny me the pleasure of enjoying a movie. For me those are two separate things. And that?s something I can?t understand. I can?t understand someone who says ?I didn?t like that movie because that, that, and that?? For me it?s like, wow, that?s a cool movie with a well-told story that was awesome, and this didn?t make sense and that?s fun to dive into and pick apart. But every time travel movie that?s ever been made, if you really dig into it you?re going to hit bedrock where paradoxes kind of hit each other and it doesn?t make sense. The important thing is that the storytelling works and that it has a consistent set of rules that it plays fair by. But I was mostly terrified just because time travel is a tough thing to work into the fabric of a story. It?s a tough thing to put into a story and still have the whole thing tick ? it can be like pouring grape jelly into a clockwork watch. It?s a messy ingredient that?s hard to tame.

As your films have gotten bigger and your career has gone from indie to increasingly more mainstream audiences, how do you feel your trajectory has evolved?
I guess the movies have gotten bigger, one by one ? I still haven?t worked with a studio. Sony?s putting this out and have been awesome and I would love to work with a studio someday, but so far we?re doing each of these independently. I guess I?ve crept up in scale with each one, but at the end of the day they?re all motivated by the same thing; they all start with a story that I care about that I want to tell. It is fun to see how broad a canvas we can accomplish; even with the next step I think it would be really fun to do something bigger, working on a broader canvas and reaching a bigger audience. But it can never come from that place. It?s so much work to make a movie, and for me it has to get me off my butt. To get me actually writing you have to strike something inside, you have to hit a power main to get the energy. You have to strike something you care about.

Have studios approached you a lot more in recent years with projects?
Not so much after Brick ? I got anything that was dark and had to do with high school. Not so much after Brothers Bloom. In the lead up to Looper there have been more people calling? but the thing that?s interesting to me is if this group, this little family that we have that we?ve made these movies with, can tell one of our stories on that scale ? and that doesn?t just mean doing something, I think you have to be conscious of the size of the canvas that you?re working on, the amount of money you?re spending, and the audience you?re trying to reach and you have to adjust your storytelling. I think that?s part of your job as a storyteller.

You mention this ?family? of filmmakers and collaborators, from using Joseph Gordon-Levitt again to working with Nathan Johnson on the music. You named Noah Segan?s character after his own nickname. Even Joe?s character is named Joe.
I was really lazy with these names! [Laughs]

When it comes to working with this group of people again and again, how do you synthesize all this? Did you write these characters with their personalities or capabilities in mind?
Their capabilities more than their personalities, their strengths. This is a unique case with Noah and Joe, but usually I don?t have any idea who?s going to play [my characters]. It?s not like when I?m writing these characters I?m picturing my friends. You?re creating a completely new character and hiring somebody to play to that and against it and shatter your expectations of what that character could be in some ways. With Joe for instance, the way that Joe loves transforming himself on film and the way that he loves disappearing into his role I knew was specifically suited to something where he was going to have to sell himself as a younger version of an older actor. And there?s just something about Noah that?s inherently likeable and I knew that?s a trait I wanted to shine through with this weird little pathetic villain character ? I wanted there to be something where you could see the little boy in him who?s trying to be a cowboy. That?s the sort of thing you know from your friends that you can hopefully use to your advantage.

How much do you think our world will be like the world of Looper by the year 2044?
I think that our world will be much nicer. I?m an optimist, actually. I think everything?s going to get better. I think we?re evolving.

Looper is in theaters Friday.

Read more from Fantastic Fest!

Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter.
Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1925948/news/1925948/

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And bring back Offspring, Nirvana, way before Rihanna. There was No Doubt, and Tori, and music still came on CD. (Unqualified Offerings)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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The Santa Barbara Zoo : Luxury Real Estate Blog

Courtesy of Staci Caplan and Michael Humphrey Sterling Properties & Estates - Santa Barbara Luxury Homes and Real Estate

The Santa Barbara lifestyle is one of refined beachside elegance. Visions of grand luxury homes and real estate properties, fine local wines, pristine beaches and resorts ideal for your next vacation, and incredible natural beauty come to mind, attracting countless visitors and luxury home seekers each year. Imagine a 30 acre property within walking distance to the glimmering Pacific Ocean, filled with lush botanical gardens, overlooking the Andree Clark Bird Refuge and the Santa Ynez Mountains?does this sound like a dream property? Welcome to the Santa Barbara Zoo, hailed as one of the most beautiful zoos in the world and the dream home of more than 400 animals from 160 species!

The coastal city of Santa Barbara has a rich and interesting history, and the Santa Barbara Zoo is no exception. The land that the Santa Barbara Zoo is located on was purchased in the late 1800s by a tea and coffee merchant who rode on horseback from Pasadena to Santa Barbara ? and who was so charmed by Santa Barbara?s beauty that he decided to stay! When he died, his widow graciously allowed a self-policed community of victims of the Great Depression to live on the property ? so long as they abided by her rules on order and neatness. Once she was no longer able to maintain the estate, she donated it to the Santa Barbara Foundation. When the time came for the Santa Barbara Foundation to decide what to do with the land, they ultimately decided to give back to the community by using the land as the site for the Santa Barbara Zoo, which opened its doors in August 1963.

Today, the Santa Barbara Zoo continues to be a well-loved community establishment. With animals from every corner of the globe, there is sure to be something for everyone. In addition to observing the many creatures in residence at the Santa Barbara Zoo, visitors can get take part in activities such as hand-feeding the giraffes and penguins or participate in the Keeper For A Day, Backstage Pass, and Behind-the-Scenes Tour programs to get up close and personal with the zoo?s wildlife. The Santa Barbara Zoo also provides a number of other great community events such as Zoovies (outdoor movies at the zoo) during the summer, the upcoming Boo At The Zoo, a Halloween themed festival, and the Thanksgiving Day Pumpkin Smash (click here for a complete list of events at the Santa Barbara Zoo).

As people scour the globe searching for their perfect home, the animals at the Santa Barbara Zoo already enjoy prime Santa Barbara real estate with an ocean view! If you?re searching for your dream home in the Santa Barbara area, Sterling Properties is glad to be of service to you - contact us today!

Source: http://blog.luxuryrealestate.com/articles/2012/09/24/the-santa-barbara-zoo

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Apple loses German patent case v Samsung, Motorola

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Michael Bisping kicks ?disrespectful? fan out of UFC 152 workouts

Michael Bisping has a fight with Brian Stann at UFC 152 on Saturday night, but before that, he found a fight with a fan who disrupted his workout on Wednesday. He explained why he threw the fan out of the open workouts to MMA Fighting. (The explanation is at the beginning of the video.)

"I was just trying to do my pads and stuff, and the guy's got no respect. He annoyed my boxing coach more than anything. My boxing coach got a little upset. I could see it in his eyes," Bisping said.

"I was trying to get a workout in, and he's just disrupting the whole thing. He's upsetting my boxing coach, and so I'm like, you gotta go. You gotta go. If you can't have respect ... we're here. We're putting on a display for you guys. If you can't respect it, you have to go outside with the naughty children."

During big fight weeks like this one, the UFC will often offer three free events to fans: open workouts, the press conference and weigh-ins. Open workouts are undoubtedly the best option, because it lets fans get close to fighters to take pictures and see how they train.

The fans and media being there make the workouts more casual than a normal pre-fight training session, but it's still a workout. Fighters are cutting weight and thinking about their bout and should get to do that without being heckled. Even someone like Bisping, who loves to jaw with anyone and everyone, deserves to work out without distraction.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/michael-bisping-kicks-disrespectful-fan-ufc-152-workouts-190248224--mma.html

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Everything Everywhere announces the UK's first major LTE service, EE: combines Orange and T-Mobile networks

Finally, after gaining approval from UK regulator Ofcom, Everything Everywhere announced today that it's calling its incoming 4g service EE. It's a new company, new network and a new brand, we're being told here at London's Science Museum. Officially formed of the combined network might of Orange and T-Mobile, the union has been allowed to use 4G services on its 1800 MHz spectrum starting today, although we're still waiting to hear precisely what hardware will be compatible with the UK's first LTE network. EE will also start offering a fiber service.

Orange and T-Mobile will still exist, with the colored carrier concentrating on giving customers "more from their phone" (whatever that consists of), while T-Mobile will appeal to customers chasing value. We've been told both 4G and fiber offerings will be launching soon, though this will also depend on hardware availability. We're also hoping there will be more on the cards than just a WiFi dongle, but more as we get it. The first cities to get the service are London, Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol, with 16 more launching by the end of the year -- including the likes of Manchester and Southampton. EE puts that at covering a third of the population of the UK.

We were given an ever-so brief glimpse at incoming devices for the new 4G service -- Brits can expect to pick up devices from Samsung, Nokia, Huawei and more "in the coming weeks" -- the same timeframe that with encompass the launch of the network to its customers after testing. (The offering from EE will also include MiFi and USB dongles.) It even dropped a iPhone-tinged "one more thing" that more devices are incoming. Possibly something we'll hear about tomorrow.

Continue reading Everything Everywhere announces the UK's first major LTE service, EE: combines Orange and T-Mobile networks

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/11/everything-everywhere-announce-the-uks-first-major-4g-network/

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H.S. Football Season Opener Central V Putnam

Friday, September 07, 2012 9:48 PM

9/7/12 Springfield - Staff photo by Michael Beswick - Putnam (6) Milton Crawford eludes Central's (15) Luis Ortiz in the first at the start of the High School Football Seaon opener that had Division I Central against Division II Putnam.

Source: http://photos.masslive.com/republican/2012/09/hs_football_season_opener_central_v_putnam_8.html

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Why Auto Loans With No Credit Checks Is the Better Finance Option ...

The biggest hurdle for those of us seeking a loan is a poor credit history. A negative track record in repaying loans might not be enough to completely rule out approval, but it certainly does not help. So, the availability of auto loans with no credit checks can only be welcomed with open arms.

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Source: http://fastsfives.typepad.com/blog/2012/09/why-auto-loans-with-no-credit-checks-is-the-better-finance-option.html

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McIlroy, Woods together again in playoffs

CARMEL, Ind. (AP) ? This was a role reversal in more ways than one.

Two weeks ago when the FedEx Cup playoffs began, Rory McIlroy was just starting his interview when he noticed Tiger Woods waiting his turn at the back of the room. It prompted the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland to jokingly say he would like to go off first against Woods in the Ryder Cup and "kick his (behind)." They both laughed, and later had lunch together at Bethpage.

On the day before the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick, it was McIlroy who came into the back of the room to wait on Woods. And while there were no playful exchanges, a question that came McIlroy's way after Woods had left showed how much times are changing.

Woods is 36. Do you still look for him to be back winning majors?

"He's old, huh?" McIlroy said. "Yeah, for sure. ... He's had his chances in the majors going into the weekend, and it just hasn't quite happened for him. But for sure, he's going to keep putting himself up there in position, and he's going to have a lot of chances to win tournaments and majors."

These are the questions no one ever asked about Woods.

But then, there hasn't been another player since Woods went on the first of several big runs who was worthy of getting such a question. McIlroy elevated his position even more last week when he closed with a 67 to win the Deutsche Bank Championship.

The victory put him at No. 1 in three categories ? the world ranking, the PGA Tour money list and the FedEx Cup, which could set up a showdown in two weeks at the Tour Championship.

Both have three wins, although McIlroy became the heavy favorite as PGA Tour player of the year because one of his wins was a major; that eight-shot win at Kiawah Island in the PGA Championship last month. Majors are big in the minds of players, who do the voting on this award, and Woods might have to win the next two events to be considered.

For now, they will be in the same group for the opening two rounds at the BMW Championship, which starts Thursday. Players are grouped based on the FedEx Cup list, so Woods and McIlroy also played together at The Barclays. Woods got him by five shots, though McIlroy had the better weekend and finished ahead.

"I think it definitely creates some more interest for the fans and for golf in general," McIlroy said. "I don't see any challenge in it. I mean, it's just good fun. It's good fun to be out there and have such an atmosphere and such a buzz around a grouping like that, and it's just nice to be a part of."

Barclays winner Nick Watney will be joining them.

The buzz might have existed even without Woods and McIlroy in the same group. The highest level of golf returns to Crooked Stick for the first time since the 1991 PGA Championship, when a PGA Tour rookie who was the ninth alternate ? John Daly ? drove up from Arkansas and overpowered the Pete Dye design.

No one in the 70-man field at the BMW Championship played in that PGA. Davis Love III and Billy Mayfair were around back then, but both were eliminated in the first round of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Ernie Els remembers, even if he was a thousand miles away.

"I was in Tulsa that week for the Hogan Tour," Els said. "We were all watching, because it was like a family. John came from the Hogan Tour."

That's where the similarities between those two end.

The size of the gallery for the Wednesday pro-am was not as large as expected because of a severe storm that blew through Indianapolis, chasing fans back to their cars and dumping even more rain on a course that really didn't need it.

No course is too long for these guys, and the soft, pure greens should mean low scoring.

"You can be pretty aggressive," Woods said. "I think the guys will be firing at a lot of flags this week."

They should be used to that by now. After an opening playoff event at Bethpage Black, they went after the TPC Boston last week. McIlroy won at 20-under 264 to beat Louis Oosthuizen, while Woods was third, making a birdie on the last hole for a 66 to finish two shots behind at 266.

For Woods, it was the 12th time in his career that he shot all four rounds in the 60s without winning, and the first time since Dubai Desert Classic in 2007. The only other time he had a lower score than that without winning was at Disney ? twice ? at 265.

"It was advantageous to hit the ball a long way," Woods said after playing 16 holes in the pro-am before rain interrupted. "But you've got to hit the fairway. If you do hit the ball in the fairway, driving it out there, you can attack a lot of these flags. A lot of these corners don't really come into play with it being this soft. The ball is just going to hit and plug."

Anytime a player says "soft," that usually means low scoring. Woods did not disagree.

"But we've never played here," he said. "With that said, guys will start getting a feel for it, and I'm sure you'll see some low scores. But then I think the guys will start going lower and lower."

What matters this week is getting higher and higher ? at least in the FedEx Cup.

The top 30 from the 70-man field advance to the Tour Championship, a reward in itself because that comes with an exemption into the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open (and with rare exception, the PGA Championship). Then, everyone in the field at East Lake has a crack at the $10 million bonus for winning the FedEx Cup.

The top five players going into this week are McIlroy, Watney, Woods, Brandt Snedeker and Oosthuizen. The idea is to stay in the top five, for those are the players who would be assured the $10 million by winning the Tour Championship no matter what anyone else does.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mcilroy-woods-together-again-playoffs-094548281--golf.html

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Making a Splash in Midlife ? The Sandwich Lady

Call my agent! The pool gives us an excuse to take a much-needed break from work.

After 20 summers of wishing and hoping, my husband Bob finally achieved a longtime dream: a backyard swimming pool and spa.

Bob has been talking about a pool since he bought our home 20 years ago, before we were married or even dating. ?It has the perfect back yard for a pool!? he announced the first time I visited his new home, when I was living 350 miles away and we were merely friends. Over the next five years we fell in love, married, and his home became our home. We expanded the house to accommodate our blended family. Ten years after that, with college costs largely done, we renovated our totally dysfunctional kitchen. Then came the dining room and other unglamorous but necessary renovations, like a new driveway.

As we got older and grayer and all but our youngest child grew up and moved away, I hoped thought Bob might become practical and re-think the pool. But he continued to talk wistfully about ?someday, when we have a pool?? Last spring this intensified into ?let?s go out back and figure out where would be a good place for a pool,? and ?I think we should go look at pools.?

Can you tell that I went into this pool thing reluctantly? Any financial advice regarding home improvements will tell you that pools are the junk bonds of renovations, with little chance of making back your investment. A pool might make the house hard to sell because people are afraid of the liability. And of course the pool is just the first stage of the financial hemorrhage. The tree clearing, the electrician, the energy-efficient pump, the decking, the fencing, the poolside furniture, the pool toys, the weekly maintenance?all add to the real cost. In short, there is never a good time to cannonball into such an expense.

But most people who?ve taken the plunge will tell you that the decision is emotional rather than practical; otherwise nobody would install one. A pool represents a reward for hard work and a respite from it; a place to welcome friends and neighbors and for children to hang out with buddies; a carrot to lure adult children home for a visit. That last selling point convinced me to sign on the dotted line.

Coffees in hand, we?d stroll the back yard that we never used, and Bob would talk about where he wanted the pool, the deck and a pool house for stashing all the gear. We

Reason #2 to have a pool: Our grown kids now have an incentive to visit.

visited the local pool showroom, talked with family and friends who?ve installed them about the tradeoffs of vinyl versus gunite, and dragged templates for various sizes and shapes of pools around our yard. Finally, settled on a lagoon-shaped pool and wrote the first big check and then the excavators arrived, unearthing boulders resembling mutant baked potatoes.

A few weeks later, after running our hose for four days to fill it, we opened the pool. It delivered on all of its promises the first week. Our grown children visited on John?s 14th birthday and enjoyed the pool and each other, while John played Marco Polo with his friends until they were red-eyed from pool water. On another day we invited our next-door neighbors to come for a swim, and they brought champagne so we could enjoy the spa like rap stars.

Bob has begun arranging his workday so that he can carve out some pool time in early afternoon, when the sun is warmest and the pool water shimmers. Watching my workaholic husband swimming laps, relaxing on a float and enjoying our yard for the first time melted away the last of my reluctance over whether this was the right thing.

The pool has also encouraged us to be a little goofier. We bought a blowup alligator and shark. We started a rule with some of our close friends that our pool must be an otherworldly place where life can be like a Hollywood musical; where guests are encouraged to break into song whenever possible. Last night, fully sober, we sat in the spa with our friends Linda and Bill under a starlit sky and sang the theme songs to ?Mr. Ed,? ?Petticoat Junction? and other long-lost TV sitcoms.

Next year we?ll put in a patio around the pool and a shed (Bob calls it a ?pool house,? and I am trying to promote the ?shed? concept) for all the poolside furniture and for guests to change. He now says he wants to carve out a play area near the pool ?for little kids.? Whose little kids?, I wondered.

And then it dawned on me what this pool really is: a commitment to staying where we are for a long time, possibly forever. We?ve talked idly in the past about downsizing to a smaller place, perhaps in a really great town where we can walk to everything, once John goes off to college.

But the pool strengthens our ties to this home, and our children?s ties too, so we don?t talk about that any more. Now we know we?ll be here when we really need the handrail to go down the steps into the shallow end, when grandchildren are playing Marco Polo; when the spa is used to soothe arthritic joints instead of as a place to feel like Jay-Z. The pool doesn?t say that we?ve ?arrived,? just that we are never ever leaving. And I?m happy with that!

Source: http://catherinebuday.wordpress.com/2012/09/04/making-a-splash-in-midlife/

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Tumor Treating Fields to Live with Brain Cancer - Everyday Project ...

After the Burzynski Clinic, the next brain cancer treatment we were evaluating for my Mom before she passed away was using Tumor Treating Fields. ? We had started the paperwork process to get her into the program in Boston. ? It was a little bit of a hard sell as it would have required her to have her head shaved for as long as the treatment took (which could have been years).

Here is great TED talk that shows the efficacy for treating cancers of all types. http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/bill_doyle_treating_cancer_with_electric_fields.html

This entry was posted on Monday, September 3rd, 2012 at 12:35 pm and is filed under curing brain cancer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Source: http://www.michellelabrosseblogs.com/2012/09/2215/

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