Multicore for avionics, certifying COTS to DAL-A, commercial UAVs

Every month the McHale Report will host an online roundtable with experts from the defense and aerospace electronics industry – from major prime contractors to defense component suppliers. Each roundtable will explore topics important to the military and embedded electronics market. This month our roundtable of industry experts discuss safety certification of embedded commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and software, in avionics, unmanned aerial vehicle () safety certification, and the buzz on the floor at the Aviation Electronics Europe show held last month in Munich, Germany.

Our panelists this month are: Vance Hilderman, CEO of AFuzion, Inc., Laurent Meilleur, Vice President of Strategic Markets, DDC-I, Inc., and Aaron Frank, Senior Product Manager, Intel Single Board Computers and Graphics Products, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions.

MCHALE REPORT: Last month the avionics community gathered in Munich, Germany for the annual Aviation Electronics Europe show. What trends in safety certification and avionics technology did you see emerging at the event?

MEILLEUR: First, overall it seems that the market as a whole is growing, especially in commercial aerospace. Second, processor family interests are changing. For instance, - where the Xilinx Ultrascale is getting tons of interest. We are also seeing devices out of NXP that have a strong fit for certain avionics applications.

Third, but not least, the use of multicore processors has shifted from a study phase and into initial development phases. There is a mix of multicore technologies, where RTOS [real-time-operating system] vendors are taking different approaches and relying upon different technologies – which may greatly influence the performance and level of certification challenges for these RTOS users. These technical differences along with processor use and other factors are the reasons why we are seeing a shift in jockeying amongst the RTOS vendors in avionics industry.

HILDERMAN: Several seemingly major unrelated trends are underway but when the larger picture is considered, it’s seen they are related. Trends:

  1. Smarter cockpits: Video, ADS-B, more tightly integrated avionics systems
  2. Merging of military/aerospace equipment (common components, cost leveraging, common certification criteria (DO-178/254, etc)
  3. Expanding scope of safety assessments (via soon to be released updated SAE ARP4761A) and tightening of the “Ecosystem” to remove remaining safety gaps

Overall, the above trends simply point to multiple merger-points illustrating how the Avionics Development Ecosystem really is an Ecosystem requiring ever-greater integration.

FRANK: A definite trend is the widespread adoption of multicore processors by safety certifiable hardware and software vendors, with many [operating system] vendors taking different approaches to address CAST-32 guidance on the use of multicore processors for safety certifiable systems.

Additionally, the COTS supplier base is now offering safety certifiable COTS, which will drive down the risks of custom bespoke designs, and with a focus on size, weight, and power (SWaP) optimized hardware, it will continue to shrink the size of these complex systems.

MCHALE REPORT: Are requirements becoming more accepting of COTS solutions -A? Why or why not?

HILDERMAN: Yes – Just ten years ago it was difficult to certify civil avionics software using C++ and today that’s been resolved via DO-332. Similarly, many systems are DAL-A, which requires redundancy to achieve. That redundancy is more likely to have common single-point failure areas when relying solely on unique customized solutions each time. One answer is COTS. From the new multicore DAL RTOSs to fully integrated single-board computers, COTS components are on the increase even for DAL-A.

MEILLEUR: Yes, for software it’s becoming much more commonplace for avionics companies to use COTS RTOSs. At , we are finding more and more acceptance for COTS RTOS use in the more sensitive end point control systems (e.g., flight controls, FADECs, etc.). Historically, this was all bare-metal software environments, but we have seen a shift as there is a draw towards RTOSs for the advantages of partitioning and software an certification reuse, better tooling, industry standards, more features, and the ability to reduce program schedules overall. Also multicore is driving avionics suppliers to COTS RTOSs.

The reasoning is simple. First, multicore in safety critical requires the system wide management of processor and resource management. Second, it is very hard for even the largest avionics companies to create a business case that would support the development costs, risks, and lifetime burdens of developing a multicore RTOS environment on their own.

Certifiable COTS hardware is really starting to take off. We see the market need for COTS common compute platforms, and believe the growth area for them is in commercial aircraft and UAVs. However, we find that several of these vendors are still very military focused (with different values on SWaP and packaging) for commercial aerospace, but there is an undeniably strong shift towards certifiable COTS hardware.

FRANK: We are seeing widespread adoption of COTS for safety certifiable and indeed this includes designs up to and including DAL-A. The pace of today’s technology developments cannot afford the costs and risks associated with custom designed safety certifiable modules, so the COTS model fits perfectly. However, COTS for safety certifiable must be truly designed from the start with the same processes and rigor that a bespoke design must undergo, and thus can certainly achieve all DAL levels if designed right from the start.

MCHALE REPORT: How do avionics hardware and software safety certification requirements differ in Europe compared to the U.S.? Asia?

FRANK: There are definite differences between certification authorities such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), but there are more similarities than differences. The key is to work closely with all the certification agencies and to understand the requirements applicable to each jurisdiction and design.

MEILLEUR: In the European Union (EU), it is commonplace for military systems to require formal certification - where in the U.S. it is rare for military systems to truly mandate the formal certifications processes. Although from our experience contracts will state their systems must be certifiable if later deemed necessary.

On the commercial side, there are only minor differences between the EU and the U.S. Much of Asia (e.g., China, South Korea, India, etc.) is expanding its certification experience and knowledge at a very high rate. It is interesting to note that as a whole the Asian countries are very progressive is using higher-level languages, test tools, etc.

HILDERMAN: Asia is mostly copying the U.S., but EASA has gradually, for its strongest focus which is civilian by far, adopted a more conservative stance toward DO-178C and DO-254 interpretation, whereas the FAA has become more accommodating (liberal?) in some areas. This trend continues with the FAA examining new “Overarching Conditions” which may in the near future provide U.S. avionics developers various forms of credit for proven experience and histories. Opposite for EASA.

MCHALE REPORT: What technology or standard will have the most impact on the avionics world in the next five to 10 years? Certifying unmanned aircraft for civil airspace? Satellite navigation? Other?

MEILLEUR: UAVs of all sorts as well as personal aircraft with pilot assist systems for flight. [From an embedded technology perspective] critical multicore operation, improved simulation tooling, security influences, more fly by wire (fbw) usage to the microcontroller level, etc., will be [game changers.]

HILDERMAN: Adoption of ARP4754A and ARP4761A by militaries. Adoption of DO-254 by UAV [platforms]. Adoption of civil-aviation based cert standards for space tourism. Aireon to replace many ground-based CNS/ATM [communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management].

FRANK: All the certification authorities have taken great interest in this market, and will be working hard to ensure the vast majority of commercial UAVs meet the same strict safety standards as the manned aviation industry adheres to today. And with the sheer variety of commercial applications and quantities of units involved, I see the next wave of transportation clearly in the air.

There will still be a market for small hobby drones sold at the local electronics store to the technically savvy enthusiast, but the avionics industry will benefit from the enormous growth of commercial drones, which will fill our skies with everything from pizza delivery drones (imagine the 30-minute guarantee now becomes 15 minutes and the pizza is still hot!) to automated taxis carrying human passengers across our urban skies without the limitations of roadway based traffic congestion.

Topics covered in this article


Forest, Meet Tree

In Zen, you'll often hear things like Suzuki-Roshi’s statement, “You're perfect as you are...and you need a little work.”

ZM Seung Sahn quotes from “Song of Dharma Nature”:

“The nature of the Dharmas is perfect. It does not have two different aspects.
“All the various Dharmas are unmoving and fundamentally still.
“They are without name and form, cut off from all things.
“This is understood by enlightened wisdom, and not by any other sphere.”

Some point to war, genocide, the Holocaust, child abuse, and all the other events typically perceived as evil as Not Perfect. It would be tough to think of any of those measuring up to “Perfect.” That's also the kind of thinking some use to “prove,” or at least question the existence of God, who is also thought of as perfect.

So it seems the first problem we encounter is using the common definition of “perfect.” Usually that's used to define a state that isn't imperfect, and that is just dualism and dissatisfaction--Dukkha in a nutshell. This neither perfect nor not-imperfect state is impermanent, so that's not what the Zen Masters refer to. Aiming for perfection is a decidedly non-Buddhist activity, as the Three Doors of Liberation are Emptiness, Signlessness, and Aimlessness. We can think of “aimlessness” as not expecting a payoff--we don't meditate to become buddha any more than we’d polish a brick so it becomes a mirror.

There could be a misunderstanding of the Three Doors that leads to complacency, even annihilationism. You could mistake the Heart Sutra’s message that “form is emptiness” or the Diamond Sutras all dharmas are no-dharmas, leaving out the second half of those two statements, leading to the annihilationist view that since everything is empty, nothing matters, so Par-tay! I'm pretty sure that if you read the Sutras, dialogs with the Great Patriarchs, and/or have a teacher of your own, that none of them will infer that these are the correct interpretation. You could say that “If you ain't doing what a Buddha does, you ain't  being what a Buddha is.”

But when we’re not feeling particularly Buddha-esque, when we don’t think our actions are what the World-honored one would have done in the situation we’re in now, when things are anything but perfect, there is still something Buddha-like that can be done. Our practice may include meditation as the Buddha did, in which we examine who or what it is that is feeling like not-the-Buddha. We may take refuge in our sangha, whatever that may be, and ask for some guidance, and if not guidance, at least a hint. We may take refuge in the Dharma, maybe by reading a Sutra, but maybe by going a step further and examining what the Dharma is, without so many dead words. “What is this that is asking the question?” “Help!” “Hmmm, the Buddha really read Ananda the riot act in the Shurangama Sutra. Ananda is asking the same questions and being confused just like I am. Maybe there’s something in there applicable to me.” And quite possibly, we realize that our mental image of “What would Buddha Do?” is a pointless exercise in just more thought, and more thought that we take as based in reality, when in fact, that’s not really the case. It’s just projecting our “selves” into a story that is no more real than sky-flowers.

Ultimately, we examine the self to forget the self, as Dogen put it. We examine and examine some more, just what is the Dharma in our life right here&now. What is the Dharma? What IS the Dharma, I need to solve this riddle now, as if there were no other time to find the answer. In a more honest and less cliched way, what WOULD a buddha do? But, most important, what is buddha. I can refer to what the Great Ancestors said, but they said them 1,000 years ago, and they said them to a monk in a Chinese temple, and frankly, I’m not a thousand-year-old Chinese monk, and that’s not who is thinking what I’m thinking.

One of the first times I went to sit with a Zen group, a man named Alan Drake took it upon himself to help coach us novices. I don’t know if he was ordained, I got the feeling he had at one time practiced Tibetan Buddhism, but he was there helping us get a handle on this thing we were basically clueless about. I’d read a lot of general Buddhist writings, and out of all of the traditions, Zen just felt right. I didn’t have a clue what any of it meant, I didn’t understand what kong-ans were when I read them, how much moreso did I not know what they did. I seriously didn’t know why he told me to read “Moon in a Dewdrop,” and really seriously didn’t know why he gave me a copy of Nagarjuna’s “The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way.” Oddly enough, I was able to wrap my arms around Nagarjuna more than Dogen, which in retrospect, is a bit odd. But Alan was there to guide us, to help us, to relieve our struggle and dissatisfaction with our situations, different as they may have been from one of us to the next. He said something that had never dawned on me, something I hadn’t even considered to consider, and that I never thought of as anything but a given.

He said that in Buddhism, there is no Original Sin. You could say the same for Judaism, but I wasn’t coming from that background, so to my thinking there was this blot on my, and everyone else’s, eternal soul. He also dispelled a number of other misconceptions is that sentence eventually, but his point was that, I, and every other being, was not born blemished. At the very least, I was starting with a blank slate; maybe not having the wisdom of the Sages, but also not any worse off than anyone else born into this world of struggle. He was planting the seed of our pristine nature in our fertile little heads, though we didn't know it at the time, or what it was called, or how much discussion has gone on about it. I didn’t attach name and form to it (whatever “it” was), didn’t have any attachment to expectations, what was right and wrong about it, whether I agreed with it, whether it was green or yellow or long or short. But it was as much as anything a relief.

Let’s say you just bought a new boat. It’s a beautiful boat, not a flaw to it. Great paint job, nice finish on the woodwork, comfortable furniture, no leaks. Nothing more could ever be asked of a boat. Taking it out on the ocean, it holds up well in both calm and choppy seas. Sure, when it’s choppy, it isn’t the same smooth ride as when it’s placid, but it holds up well nevertheless. Then the colder weather comes, and it seems like it would be a lot easier not to go sailing, at least not today...or tomorrow...or the next day. And soon, that pristine boat is starting to get a bit shabby. There was some food left in the fridge, and that was probably a bad idea, unless there’s a high school science fair coming up, or you’re trying to develop biological weapons. Some leaves got blown in from the shoreline, and they’re starting to accumulate in the corners of the deck. Someone apparently thought this boat would be a perfect place to toss some old beer cans, especially the ones that weren’t quite empty, and someone else decided the same about their soda cans. Between the leftover food and the liquids that once were liquid and now are some other consistency, there are flies, mice, a couple wharf rats spending time on deck. That’s all obvious, so cleaning it wouldn’t really take too much effort. What’s going on below the waterline however, is more insidious. Barnacles. Really well-attached, verging on embedded, barnacles. So far as the boat is concerned, it’s questionable how easily the boat can extricate itself from these little, multitudinous, calcified, clingy creatures.

Underneath all of them however, the boat is still pristine, the leaves and beer cans can go away, even the barnacles can be scraped off--they are clingy and they’re not coming off easily, but they can come off, to reveal the perfect nature of the boat. It’s never been imperfect, its perfection has just been obscured by a few things. Does that sound like any humans whose teeth you might brush in the morning? The being who only needs someone with a scraper to take care of those damn clingy, really tightly held karmic barnacles? The one who finds out he or she can be the only one to scrape those barnacles away themselves, but with others’ help humbly and gratefully accepted? And who might find out that being mindful of the next time a barnacle tries to attach itself? Those damn barnacles can always come back, we only need to keep from attaching themselves too tightly. But under the barnacles it is perfect, even with the barnacles, it is already perfect.

The barnacle is also a perfect barnacle, just doing what a barnacle does. Scrape anyway, and help the next boat owner scrape too.

Click on the title to hear the Dharma Talk, or navigate to:

The Lobster in the Tank

If you go to a seafood restaurant in the Northeastern US (maybe elsewhere), you may encounter what at first looks like an aquarium. But it’s only stocked with lobsters, and there aren't the typical deep sea diver toys, little castles, and fake seaweed as you might find in a common home aquarium. The lobsters are in fact packed really tightly, and sometimes fight leaving one or both without a claw, and maybe whatever other appendage a lobster might have that they can lose. It could be said that it’s just lobsters doing what lobsters naturally do, except lobsters aren’t typically crammed by the dozen into a 20-gallon tank. Maybe that makes them a little more irritable, like when in the evening rush hour on a subway, someone is just a little too close for comfort, and in this case “close” might mean no air gap whatsoever between him and you...and he had garlic for lunch.

The lobster tank always seemed a bit off to me. Seemed like going to a steakhouse and picking the cow you wanted your steak to come from. It seems like in both cases, this would be a really obvious violation of the old precept of not having anything killed specifically for your lunch. But, lest you fear this is going to turn into a pro-vegetarianism screed, it isn't. And likewise I’m also not endorsing omnivorism, so you can’t get any free passes justifying that either. If anything, this will be a rant against the number of “lobster tank-esque” moments we have all too often.

Virya is one of the Six Perfections, and it’s sometimes associated with “Right Effort” in the Noble Eightfold Path as well. It’s usually translated as diligence, effort, perseverance, and so on. The Sanskrit root is the same as the English “virility,” I think “strength” can work just as well.  We should practice as if “our hair was on fire,” as an ancient once said. If we extend our practice to beyond the cushion, we should live as if our hair were on fire, treating each day as the only day to do what needs to be done. If You don’t think strength isn’t part of your makeup, diligence, persistence, and effort will be short lived.

Most people think of Zen as a noun, or as a translation of the Sanskrit dhyana,, by way of Chinese Ch’an, by way of Korean Sŏn, and then Japanese Zen. Starting with dhyana, they all refer to seated meditation, but are also inclusive of the entire practice of whichever sect. That still leaves “Zen” as an umbrella noun, which in turn refers to various verbs--seated meditating, chanting, bowing, walking, practicing koans, holding a huatou, and so on. All of these on their own turn are actions. Even the “quiescent” or “silent illumination” end of things actively just sits. When fully done, it can take the fullest concentration and mindfulness as chanting or walking. When not so fully done, it might be the equivalent of lolling in a lounge chair, conceptual thinking, wandering thinking--with generally half-hearted effort.

The reason I prefer to refer to Zen as a verb is because the practice when done fully extends well beyond the edge of the cushion, covering the other 23 hours not spent there. It is active! Zen, being among the Mahayana schools of practice sets the Bodhisattva as a role model for the practitioner in addition to the Buddha(s). The Bodhisattva eschews entering the state of Nirvana until all beings have entered, according to some definitions. Once again depending on what text you refer to, there are stages of Bodhisattvahood (Bhumis), but we’ll go with ten:

  1. State of the joyous (Pramudita)
  2. The stainless (Vimala)
  3. The light maker/the luminous (Prabhakari)
  4. The radiant (Arcismati)
  5. The very hard to conquer/Difficult to cultivate (Sudurjaya)
  6. The turning towards/The manifest (Abhimukhi)
  7. The far going/Gone afar (Durangama)
  8. The unshakeable/The Immovable (Acala)
  9. The good mind/The good intelligence (Sadhumati)
  10. The cloud of Dharma (Dharmamegha)

In the Lankavatara Sutra, the Buddha spends a fair amount of time on the 8th Bhumi. It’s just past the turning point. Up to now, the Bodhisattva could say, “Yep, I’m good, let's bring on that Nirvana thing.” When the Bodhisattva hits #8, there’s no backsliding. There is a full commitment to fulfilling the Bodhisattva vows, entering into, assimilating, living the Dharma, for the sake of all beings. It’s not repeating the words of there being an infinite number of sentient beings and vowing to save them all, it’s gotten to the point where it has become, “I will help all people I come in contact with (throwing in whatever other sentient beings one might come across like lobsters and cows, for example). At this stage, the Bodhisattva is unshakeable in his/her determination only to help. No fame, no fortune, no vilification, no economic distress, nothing. You could call it “no gaining notion,” but also “no losing notion.” The notion of saving infinite beings doesn’t phase him/her any more than there being a notion of there being no beings, no Bodhisattva, nor any saving to be done. It’s just, “How may I help you?” And to do is to take fearless action.

That can be really liberating, even if a little daunting. Not being hindered by worry sounds great! Not having to second-guess ourselves because of what others might think--positive or negative--sounds like a pretty good deal. Of course, the “helpee” may be appreciative, may not notice, or may be angry for the “help.” Doesn’t matter. Takes some effort? Don’t care. People may think I’m a jerk? Meh. Likewise, people might think I’m really cool or smart? Likewise meh. If you carefully consider real-life situations where you’ve acted as a Bodhisattva, you’ll probably see that all of these potential outcomes have probably been the result of whatever the action amy have been, maybe by the same person, maybe by many. Considering Bell Curves, there's probably more “Meh” than “Magnificent!”

There’s good news in all this if you’d like a little validation before fully embarking on the path of the Bodhisattva. The 8th stage is also where we are without reservation on the path to Buddhahood. And this means that you are seeing your True Buddha Nature, which is as the Great Sages of the past have said, is indeed “Buddha.” You may think you’re at stage -1, and maybe a lot of the time, your are acting, thinking, and speaking that way. But in this fickle, ever-changing state of being/non-being, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that you are not only at stage 8, 9, or 10, but that you are a Buddha. And for that moment, there’s no backsliding. The next moment? Well, that’s the next moment. That kind of thing doesn’t bother the 8th Bhumi Bodhisattva anyway, so why worry?

What all this entails, whether it be Great Faith, Great Courage, or Great Doubt, practicing the Perfections, having the Immeasurables at the forefront of our minds, is a matter of discerning what the skillful action is at that moment. To be what a Buddha is, do what a Buddha does. We already know what that is. It will take effort, diligence, strength, and action. Can't help all beings without the act of helping, whatever form help may take at the moment. We have our choices though. We can strive to act as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or we can be lazy and live like the lobster in the tank, waiting for that hungry ghost trying to sate itself on us.

Unintentionally Consequential

There's a line between “what we are,” and “what we do.” It's sometimes very blurry, sometimes may even overlap, and sometimes diametrically opposites. It's all based on self-identification. Depending on work, we may conduct myself as an engineer, or banker. If we're in a political mode, the identification might be as Democrat or Republican, Labor or Tory, Trotskyite or Stalinis, Liberal or Conservative. Vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, male, female, gay, bi, lesbian, transsexual, transgender, Buddhist, Zen Buddhist, Forest monk, Shin, Christian, Muslim, Sunni, Shiite, Jew, Orthodox Jew, Hasidic, Reform, etc., and that's a lot of round holes we square pegs might be forcing ourselves into!

These demarcations often have behaviors we associate with them, and quite often, we make ourselves into cookie-cutter images of what we imagine those labels demand. Likewise the label we pick may even determine what hole we think we should dive into. It's one thing to be environmentally conscious and then become a member of the Greens, it's another to look at them and start acting like we think a Green should act. Neither is particularly good or bad, after all, we haven't necessarily thought of every way to be environmentally conservative and may have something to learn from what appear to be like-minded individuals.

To one extent or another, we also try to force others into round holes, and they may have a totally different hole picked out for themselves. It may come as a real shocker to find out that Hitler was a vegetarian and that he was kind to dogs. Animal rights activists might also be vegetarian dog lovers, but that doesn't mean they also have to be Nazis any more than Hitler was a tree-hugging liberal. “Fascists are evil!” we might say, and then to find out that they aren't evil 100% of the time can shake up some of our deeply held preconceptions. And lest we forget, Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency, no tree-hugger was he, at least according to conventional wisdom. These examples of “other-identifications” are as mistaken as our own “self-identifications.”

Following the Buddhist path is to lead to liberation. Following the Zen path leads to seeing things as they truly are, to experience it fully, to see our True Nature, to help others, and thus become liberated. One could even say that we're already liberated, if we looked for something that held us in chains, we'd see that there really isn't anything. And not just in an “emptiness” nothing, but in reality “nothing” except our own thinking. To be liberated from our thinking is to stop thinking “I'm this,” “You're that,” and because of this and that, it means I must do something and you do something else. Dropping this thinking includes even the notion of unity and differentiation, the notion that there's a fallback position when things get difficult. We make difficult for ourselves, and we really don't need a fallback position. That doesn't really exist either.

The bottom line is that there is no more a reason than an excuse for doing what we do. Negotiating the line I mentioned above can be tricky. Do I not eat meat because I'm a “vegetarian” or am I feeling compassion for all beings and therefore don't eat meat, so I look for the vegetarian section of a menu? Anything I do because I'm a “Zennist” is a poor excuse for doing it. Do I do things because I think it's correct action, and that just so happens to be what the Buddha would have done? Better reason for action. When I go the grocery store, do I put the cart in the little cart hut because that's what a Zennie “should” do? Do I see that someone's livelihood depends on people not putting carts back so he can gather them back up--which is what puts food on his family table? Honestly, sometimes I'll do either, largely dependent upon a whim.

To use the grocery store example further, when they ask “Paper or plastic?” which do I choose and why? Do I immediately say “paper” because I think of myself as environmentally conscious Buddhist, and the Buddha wouldn't have used paper, so ergo I must use paper?. Making the choice isn't that straightforward if I really look at it. Paper requires trees to be cut down. These trees help the atmosphere, provide habitats for animals, help stop soil erosion and so forth. The power saws used to cut them down requires power, obviously. That power is most likely a fossil fuel, the trucks that transport the timber to the sawmill likewise uses gasoline, the saws at the mill use electricity, which may have been produced by coal, nuclear, or maybe by wind, solar, or water power. The rest of the paper-making process likewise requires power, and on it goes. As it turns out, I bring my own bags, because Northampton Mass has banned plastic shopping bags, so it's a moot point here. Previously I went with paper because for all the shortcomings manufacturing entails, plastic ends up not decomposing for the most part, so the long term result is probably the worse choice. Neither choice is pristine.

Until we stop creating karma, our actions will by and large not be pristine. Some may be wholesome and positive, some negative, and some neutral. The priest at an old Zen sangha I attended once said that meditation is one of the few karmically neutral actions we can make. Virtually any action we take--writing, grocery shopping, driving, being with loved ones, working--all involve other people, and therefore will have consequences. In my estimation, the same action will be perceived differently by others involved in the ripple effect of the action. The same person may have radically different reactions to the same phenomena, depending on the flexibility of perceptions. The reaction is dependent on any number of other factors in addition to the action I have taken. It would be very naive and self-important to think my actions happen in a vacuum, that they're the only stimulus that elicits a response. Even when I'm “just writing” this, the thoughts that come to me, the mood I'm in, my physical environment all figure into creating that “just.” In reality, what is it even possible to “just” do?

As Bodhisattvas, the job of “saving all beings” may be as simple as trying not to do harm. Maybe the next notch up is to try to be helpful. We can't worry about how this help will necessarily be received, we can't be paralyzed by the possibility that an action may be taken to be other than in the spirit we intended. We do what we can, as skillfully as we can, to be of benefit to not only the one person we're interacting with, but with the realization that the ripples of our action will flow out like Indra’s Net. This is how we save “all” beings--by respecting and taking care of ourselves so we can help the next being with whom we come into contact,

If we aren't paying attention, acting mindfully if you like, then our blind wandering throughout our environment may indeed result in our actions being “Unintentionally Consequential.”

Other writing from Eunsahn can be found here:

Whose Right/Who's Right?

For followers of the Way, one of the big differences between the Zen of today and the Zen of the days of the Ch’an Patriarchs is access to the Dharma in all its forms. We may have an in-person, three-dimensional teacher, a two-dimensional on-line video teacher, academic courses, the internet, and writings from the past 2,500 years. That’s quite a bit to sift through, and other than random stumbling onto something, my experience is that one source has led to another. Sometimes they even come in chronological order, though that’s never been Buddhism’s strong suit. The Pali Canon was divided into short, medium, and long discourses, so skipping around is hardly anything that can really be avoided without a lineage scorecard that puts things in some semblance of chronological order, though even any list is not entirely complete. Each branch will have its own lineage--the Jogye and Soto lineages branch off in the Five Houses era, for example. On any given day, anyone can read anything from any source, hear about anything from any time, learn about the Dhammapada one day, Dahui the next, followed by a little Huineng, a First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, capped off by a little ZM Seung Sahn, with maybe a little Robert Aitken Roshi on the side.

Back in a mountaintop Chinese temple in the Song Dynasty, the selection was a touch more limited, and not just because 1,000 years of writings hadn’t been written yet. I can’t really say for sure that the Abbott of this temple was as well-versed as a beginning poly-Buddhist is today. How much was translated, by whom, and at what year would be more of an issue for those Ch’an monks than it is for us. When did someone write it? Even if one were capable of reading all the scriptures, I doubt there would be any time left for any actual practice. Even a hermit has to plant, harvest, and eat. In a modern temple, there are other people with whom interaction takes place, chores, meditation, chanting, bowing, interviews with the teacher, and more chores. After all, dishes don’t wash themselves after food doesn’t cook itself. The rest of us in the marketplace have to do our marketplace things.

An undercurrent of today’s Zen practice involves what’s often referred to as “Engaged Buddhism.” If your sangha isn’t as actively involved as Zen Peacemakers or Upaya Zen Center, it may run a soup kitchen, run a hospice, maybe even meditate and chant for the benefit of all beings in the marketplace. All of them are valuable, not one more than the others. Some may have more immediately visible results, but the unseen results matter, possibly more. I say more, because when the result is just out there without my hand firmly controlling the soup spoon and my eyes seeing the gratitude expressed by someone who came in hungry and is leaving staed. It’s just out there. It’s kind of like mudita, the empathetic/sympathetic joy for someone else’s good fortune. I may have had nothing to do with the cause of the joy, the fortunate one may not even know I’m joyous for them. How not-validating!  How not-instant gratification can it get? But that’s no reason not to feed the hungry or run a hospice. After all, I did say  possibly more, not definitely more. Both types of actions put the benefit of others before our own, so it all generates merit that we can dedicate to all beings.

Where the Song Dynasty monk may not have heard much about the Eightfold Path while sitting at Linji’s feet, the monk received teachings nonetheless--teachings that were aimed at providing the opportunity to awaken, equally as much as the aforementioned Path. I daresay that the Zennist of today who didn’t know his Eightfold Path from a Six Pack would run the risk of being laughed out of the meditation room by the less charitable, and given some guidance in Buddhist basics from the more charitable. I wonder sometimes whether all the teachings in all their value and all their length and breadth may just be a distraction from the task at hand for the Zen practitioner who has taken the Bodhisattva Vows. The lay Precepts are based in the Eightfold Path. Right Livelihood, for example, mentions livelihoods that should be avoided: Trade in deadly weapons, trade in animals for slaughter, trade in slavery, trade in intoxicants, and trade in poisons. A couple Precepts are covered right there, and the other Seven of the Path follow suit in much the same way. Of course, in true Buddhist fashion, it’s a combination of what to do, and it’s what to avoid doing. If there are 84,000 choices of what to do, practicing Right Livelihood still leaves you with 83,995 other things to do. If we are living by the Precepts we’ve received and Vows we’ve taken, the “Rights” of the Path take care of themselves. If pondering the Path precludes practice, is it practical?

In today’s society, where do Right and right meet the road, and where they do, is there a headon collision? One interpretation of Right Speech is not lying, slandering, using harsh words and gossip, and I’d add in speaking in a tone of perceived superiority to the list. In the US and elsewhere in the world, there is the right to freely expressing oneself, and this often includes “the right to freedom of speech.” This right to free speech often doesn’t equal Right Speech unfortunately. As a Zen Buddhist in the US, how do we deal with what we perceive as right and wrong, harmful and helpful, lovingkindness in speech and hate speech? From an Engaged perspective, how do we tolerate the hate speech, and as Americans point out the intolerance perceived in this expression of at least perceived malevolence? Third Patriarch said the Great Way was easy for those with no preferences, those who eliminate love and hate. But how do we not prefer Right over “wrong,” how do we not love “love,” and hate “hate?” How do we “man the barricades” without engaging in the same vitriol as our perceived opponent?

As per usual, we make it more difficult for ourselves. Differing views (as opposed to Right View) are simply an element of relative reality. We accept that. We don’t even have to think of the differences as creating the two sides of the coin, it’s all just speech and opinions that cover a broad spectrum of greys, even if it looks black and white. We accept it, but don’t have to settle and leave it as is. It’s said that Right View is No View. If we maintain the view that those greys have evolved from previous greys, and will change into the next shades of grey, it’s a more accurate View, maybe even No View. We don’t have to attach to our view/opinion as incontrovertibly the correct one. To this end, Great Faith, Great Doubt, and Great Courage--three great legs of the Zen tripod--are used, and not just one of them. Great Faith without Great Doubt is falling into the hell of relying on dogma. Grreat Doubt without Great Courage can lead to nihilism and inertia. Great Courage (or Great Determination it’s sometimes called) without Faith and Doubt can manifest as anger or thoughtless action rather than thoughtful acton. Faith, Doubt, and Courage can manifest as correct action through No Thought, or put another way, before thought. Living in accordance with our True Nature can’t help but be right or Right.

Is it unawakened intention or awakened intentioned our “view” supplies? Sencan’s nondiscrimination is manifested through looking deeply at our motives and intentions, and what leads up to them. Even clinging to an awakened view is still a view, and therefore negates the awakened nature of it. Not thinking this is Right or right, but just acting, speaking of doing them in accordance with our True Nature. We doubt that our mundane views are necessarily right or Right. We have faith in ourselves--more accurately our True Selves--are innate and don’t need force to emerge. And we have the courage and determination that this manifestation, this unveiling comes to be. It hasn’t gone anywhere, and doesn’t come from anywhere, it just is. No birth or death, just there. But where is it in a protest march? It’s with us all the time, but maybe in the heat of the moment doubt is pushed aside by faith in our virtuous cause. Torching a car or throwing a brick may seem to be a good idea at the time, but will it stay the same after some introspective investigation? Participating in injustice, even through inaction, is complicity with the oppressor. It is no more correct than actively denying food to the hungry or incarcerating someone who is innocent. Fear is most certainly the opposite of courage, and to be in a state of fear is not great. Quite often, fear is what drive the lack of determination.

Not having a preference does not mean not engaging. Somewhere between fighting a “just war” and passive pacifism is awakened action. This could even take the form of having the courage to point out to the “opponent” that their thoughts, words, actions, views, etc. are open to question-- their faith without doubt. Likewise the skepticism they express toward your stand may be their doubt in you and your cause, but no doubt in themselves.  Their determination just to plow under the opponent and bulldoze the barricades may not be too courageous, just a manifestation of fear, hatred, or simply unawakened behavior. It shows disinterest in finding out what the awakened version might constitute. We don’t have to point out how unawakened “they” are and how awakened “we” are at the top of our lungs. Sometimes No Speech is Right Speech--silently man the barricades without engaging the other on their terms. If you’re on a football field, play football, even if the other team is cheating. We don’t have to play their game and cheat in return.

One thing Zen Masters have done is to allow their student to go down through their own path. They may see that the direction the student is headed will probably not work out so well, but having learned that heading South is not the shortest direction to North, but it is a way to get there. The teacher may give the student the compass of the Dharma, but if the student still decides heading South is the better course because directly North has an obstacle or two, the teacher will not forcibly turn the student around, just let them go, and “letting go” in more ways than one. The student has the right to be wrong in his or her own way. The teacher has faith that the student will right themselves eventually, and if he really crashes and burns, the teacher will be free to use the fire extinguisher of lovingkindness. We could take this approach with those whom we think of as going down the wrong path politically or socio-economically, but I have my doubts about this being Right anything. If one were to just let others cause suffering to another being, isn’t that being complicit in the harmful act itself. Even when justified by such maxims of freedom of expression or freedom of speech, letting injustice just happen because it might lead to the final goal of enlightenment may not be all that skillful if the reason behind it is fear or misapplied doubt.

In the final analysis, it’s a balancing act, as much of our work as concerned, engaged Bodhisattvas is. We must act quickly, decisively, and naturally as an awakened being would. That entails practice until instant where the awakening happens. It may be on the barricade, it may be on the cushion, it may be hearing a rock hit bamboo, or bamboo or truncheon being firmly applied to your shin or head. Awakening can happen if we peel away the firmly head beliefs about it, and everything else. We need to be able to discern whose right is being violated, and who’s right about standing up for the right. As I write this, it comes to mind that this may be the huadu of the barricade: Whose right/who’s right? Don’t know. Act from a stand of True Nature, there’s no knowing that matters.


How to Recognize a Toxic Friend

1. Is this a person who always puts you down? A friend is someone who accepts you as you are – and allows you to be different, and to think for yourself, and to make your own decisions – without an explanation. However, if a person is demeaning or always puts you down, criticises your opinions, or the way you dress or look, then that’s someone to avoid as they’re a toxic friend.

2. Do they gossip about you? A friend is someone you can totally trust. You can share your deepest secrets, and say what’s on your mind – and they won’t tell a person or betray your trust. However, if you always have to watch what you say around a friend, as they’re likely to gossip or let a secret slip, then it’s likely that this person is a toxic friend.

3. Do they constantly mock and make fun of you? A bit of gentle ribbing shows affection between friends. But if they’re always making fun of you, or highlighting your faults, or attacking you in public, then they’re not a genuine friend.

4. How do you feel after being with your friend? Think about your answers to the following:

- Do you feel defensive when you spend time with them?

- Do you feel hurt or upset after spending time with them?

- Do you feel as if you always have to justify yourself instead of being “natural” around your friend?

- Do you enjoy their company or do you feel ambivalent?

- Do they undermine your confidence and self-esteem?

- Do you feel attacked and used after spending time with them?

- Does the friendship feel unbalanced and require a lot of work?

- Is it more a competition than a genuine friendship?

Note: If you recognize the signs of a toxic friend, then it’s time to move on and find a different friend. Being with this person will wreak your happiness.
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Sunday, March 26, 2000

Bass Guitar Chords And Tips For Bassists

Bass tablature, or bass tabs, is probably one of the easiest ways to figure out your favorite bass licks. A lot of times, the bass guitar tends to get buried in the mix of a song, or in older recordings, the lower frequencies are especially harder to hear due to the recording technology at the time, so bass tabs can be a great way to quickly get your fingers walking up and down that neck. I will always recommend learning standard notation too, mainly because it can be applied to almost any instrument, but it is a bit more time consuming to learn, which doesn’t go over well when you’re a beginner and just want to start rocking.

When I first started playing bass 4 years ago, I really had no knowledge of music theory or notation. I knew I had to learn it, but I really was dying to be able to play some of my favorite songs right then and there. I purchased a few books on theory and notation, but I also picked up a Rage Against the Machine bass tab book. That one really got me going fast. Granted, bass tabs, and all tablature in general, don’t indicate certain helpful things, such as the duration of the notes, but only after a few minutes of listening and tinkering around, I was playing the song “Killing in the Name”. I’ve been hooked on bass tabs ever since. It wasn’t until years later that I dusted off those books I originally bought and finally learned standard notation. I’m glad I know it now, but I rarely use it unless I’m officially charting music.

Eventually, I reached a point, like most well-practiced musicians do, where I didn’t need bass tabs, sheet music, etc, anymore. I can now just listen to the song, and pick up exactly what is being played with minimal problems. However, I’m not a musical genius by any means, and there are still times when I’ll hear a bass fill, or interesting, “notey” bass line that is quite tricky. If I can’t figure it out by ear, you should bet that I’m going to look up the bass tab, and not the sheet music.

I guess the point is that unless you are planning on being a studio musician, composer, or something like that, you really don’t need to know standard notation. Bass tabs, and all tablature are easier to read, and can help get you to a pretty high skill level. However from my experience, once I fully learned theory and notation, things really opened up for me, and I felt good about being a well-rounded musician. There will always be a special place in my heart for bass tabs though! Here is a list of some great bass tab sites (no need for bass tab books anymore, right?)

Other Resources:

Monday, February 7, 2000

Big Punisher R.I.P.

Big Pun, his wife, and children were staying at a hotel in White Plains, New York. They were there because their Bronx home was being worked on. On February 7, he experienced difficulty breathing and collapsed in his hotel room. His wife called 911, but emergency medical workers were not able to revive him. Only 28 years at the time, Big Pun died of heart failure, weighing nearly 700 pounds at the time.

The hip-hop and Latino communities mourned the passing of one of its stars. Thousands of fans attended his wake in the Bronx a few days after his death. To honor him, a local sign painting company, TATS Cru, painted a large mural about him on a building in his neighborhood. Famous friends also expressed their grief over his death. “He was a source of pride for the Latin community, a great artist and a great person,” Lopez told MTV. “I lost a brother,” Fat Joe said to The New York Times.


Concerned over 31st candidates’ education views | Letter

I am a teacher at Enumclaw High School. I’ve worked there for 16 years and I take great pride in what I do. That said, I have some wonderings about some of our local candidates’ recent comments about education.

Drew Stokesbary believes that for most students, smaller classes don’t “produce smarter kids.” My question, beyond his sources because the research I’ve seen in my professional capacity indicates the exact opposite of his opinion, would be how is he defining “smarter kids”? Is he going by standardized test scores? In my view, test scores are only one small measure of a child’s growth. What shows up on a test and what a kid really has learned and can do are often very different things. I also know that the quality of the experience students have in my classroom is highly dependent on class size. Twenty-five students in a class is dramatically different from 33 students; it just is. Managing the classroom, the amount of feedback I can give student writing and the amount of individual instruction I can give kids are just a few differences class size makes.

I was also a bit confounded by Mr. Stokebary’s comment that teachers earning master’s degrees shouldn’t get raises. Does Mr. Stokesbary think that if something can’t be measured through test scores it doesn’t exist? Does he believe that teachers do not improve by advancing their education nor deserve avenues for advancement? I felt my master’s program absolutely made me a better teacher. Before I actually stood in front of a class and had to sink or swim as a teacher, I didn’t really know what teaching was. Everything was theoretical. Going back to school with the context of my real experience to apply made the learning much more valuable. I feel this is short-sighted and misguided idea.

My final concern was Cathy Dahlquist’s solution to meeting the Supreme Court’s education spending mandate, which included “reforming teacher compensation to ensure we maintain high quality teachers.” This sounds like a proposal to tie teacher salaries to testing, adding even more emphasis to the high stakes assessments our kids are taking. Does this improve education? I know a lot of great teachers, teachers far more skilled than myself, that make profound differences in the lives of the children of our community every day. I’m not sure how making their living dependent on student test scores, and the myriad of factors that go into them, is going to motivate them.

I go to work every day with dozens of amazing people who strive to make a positive difference for kids. People who are giving their all and playing a vital, positive role in the lives of our children. This is something we take pride in. We need to work together as a community to improve education for everyone, not throw darts in the dark with politically motivated guesses at how to make things better.

Tyler Crane


Boeing Performs Drop Test of its New Space Capsule

The CST-100 is the most traditional in concept of the current designs being developed for CCDev with its parachute landing system. Boeing touts its “heritage hardware” including the “Apollo heritage parachute system” as part of its plan to keep costs down and the project on schedule. During Wednesday’s test the spacecraft was carried to 14,000 feet by a massive Erickson Air Crane helicopter before it was dropped. a small drogue parachute was released as planned, followed by the three main parachutes. as the CST-100 nears the ground, six airbags are deployed around its base to further cushion the landing on the Nevada desert ground.

The two other companies selected for the second phase of CCDev funding from NASA and using capsule designs are SpaceX and Blue Origin. SpaceX will initially use parachutes for the return flight of its Dragon spacecraft, which is currently waiting to launch to the ISS as part of a separate cargo program funded by NASA. but SpaceX eventually plans to use small rocket engines built into the capsule to provide a controlled and steerable, precision touchdown on the ground. little is known about Blue Origin’s landing system, but the company did release images last month of a slightly flattened capsule design with small flaps that would allow greater maneuverability and range during reentry and the flight back to the ground.

Boeing is working with Bigelow Aerospace on the development of the CST-100. Bigelow is one of the new space companies with a focus on developing orbital space stations rather than the vehicles used to get to orbit.

Like the other vehicles being developed in the CCDev program, the CST-100 is designed to be a  reusable spacecraft with the hopes of greatly reducing the cost of delivering cargo and astronauts to orbit. With the remaining space shuttle orbiters being delivered to museums, the United States currently must rely on Russian Soyuz spacecraft as its taxi and pickup truck to the ISS.

Boeing plans on more tests this year including multiple air bag landing evaluations, an orbital maneuvering engine test and a test that will include a forward heat shield jettison on the capsule. the company is hoping the first flights of the spacecraft will happen in 2015-16.

Boeing Performs Drop Test of its New Space Capsule

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Smooth, smoky and tasty; this hummus tastes like summer. I hesitate to liken this hummus to "barbecue" flavour since it can mean so many different things.  But, it's kind of like barbecue potato chips (my weakness).

Start with the spice blend and the basic hummus ingredients:  garlic powder, smoky paprika, onion powder, salt, olive oil and lemon juice.  I use tinned chickpeas, but I always make sure to wash them.  This rinses away the thickeners and some of the gas producing compounds.

Add all the spices, the oil and lemon juice to a food processor, or high powered blender.  (I used a Vitamix).  Then add a bit of water ~250ml, and half the chickpeas.  It's important to add only half if you're using a blender.  It allows the ingredients to liquify, which makes it easier for the rest of the chickpeas to integrate in the blender.

Puree until the ingredients are liquified, then add the last half of the chickpeas.  Blend until smooth, adjusting the seasoning and liquid (oil and water) to suit your tastes.

Enjoy this smooth, smoky spread with pita bread, or in a veggie wrap.


Head - Storm Shadow
Upper Torso - Kamakura
Arms - Para Viper
Legs - Red Fang Ninja

Machine Gun - Various ROC
Pistol - Various ROC

"Yin Yang" is the martial arts expert on The Expendables. The other team members joke about his small stature but he is dangerous. There is some animosity between "Yin Yang" and Gunnar Jensen. After Gunnar tried to kill "Yin Yang" they have forgiven each other.

"Yin Yang" was portrayed by Jet Li in the movie The Expendables. I made The Expendable team for my collection after seeing the movie.


Posted in Second Life, tips, Viewers

Oh no! I deleted half my house! (and other disasters)

A friend recently IMed me with exactly that. And, to be fair, most of us have been there. But don’t panic, and all is not lost.

Likewise do not panic if you accidentally moved something. Or if you rezzed something and exceeded your prim count and half your house got returned to you instead (that happened to me once), or your landlady had a blonde moment and returned half your stuff (happened to me also).

Here are some handy hints on what you can do in each circumstance.

You moved something

If you’ve moved something by accident the first thing you should do, if your Viewer supports it, is to hit Ctrl-Z which is the shortcut key for “undo”. Very often this will snap things back exactly as they were.
Phoenix and Firestorm both have this functionality, and doubtless many other Viewers do too.

However, this does not always work. So you will have to move it back manually. Now your first inclination will be to grab the object and start dragging it around but this is the worst thing you can do as, trust me, you will not get it back to exactly where it was. Oh, sure, it may be “good enough” and that’s fine. But then you wouldn’t be reading this if you were happy with just that. Besides, in the case of segments of a house it will not look right unless correct down to the smallest decimal point.
What you need to do it right-click on the object, select Edit, and then choose the Object tab. If you look at the screenshot above you can see what I mean. I was running Firestorm Viewer so if you’re using a different Viewer it might look slightly different.
If you look on that you’ll see all the numbers for the exact placement of the object. Now, with some rezzboxes (the box that rezzed your house) they add the exact position co-ordinates of when they were rezzed to the description field. So if that’s the case then you’re sorted as you can manually set them back to the correct value. They will very likely write the X, Y and Z values as , eg. <105.83778, 146.98111, 35.75515>
If not, you may be able to deduce the settings by looking at surrounding objects. This is often hard though.
One sure-fire way, albeit rather tedious, is to rezz a copy of the house (you may need to go to a sandbox if you have insufficient prims to do that) and examine the values of the offending segment and also those of an adjacent one, and with some very simple maths deduce the offset of one to the other. Then return to your proper house and apply the same offsets, thus returning the moved segment to its correct position. So if, for example, SegmentA is at 100,100,100 and Segment B is at 100,110,100 on the new house, and on the proper house SegmentA is at 200,200,100 then SegmentB should be at 200,210,100 because there is an offset of 10 on the Y co-ordinate.
I find that using a simple spreadsheet to do this helps enormously. If there is enough demand I could make one available.

Finally, prevention is better than cure. Once you have things back the way you want, be sure to lock the object. All this does is mean you can’t accidentally move it again until you unlock it; it’s just like the safety catch on a gun. You’ll find a tick box to lock & unlock objects on the same tab as all the numbers we’ve been looking at – it’s called “Locked”.

You deleted something

First thing to do is to find it in your inventory, and it will be in your Trash.
Note the name of the object, then right-click on it and choose “Restore” to undelete it. Do NOT click “Purge”!!
Then find the object again (searching for it by name if necessary) and see what menu options are available. On some Viewers there is the option to “Restore to last position”. Phoenix and Firestorm definitely have this, and I’m sure many other Viewers do too. If that is the case then use this option and you will very likely find the object restored to its correct place. However, I disclaim all responsibility if for some reason it doesn’t, especially if it is a no-copy item that disappears into the far blue yonder never to be seen again. You have been warned.
The other option is to just rezz the object in approximately the correct place and then use the techniques mentioned earlier for moved objects (although obviously not the first one to do with “Undo”)

You had something returned

First thing to do is to find it in your inventory, and it will be in your Lost & Found. Something worth bearing in mind is that if a large number of objects are returned to you, SL may package them up. You will find what looks like just one of your objects but it will have an icon that looks like a pile of building blocks rather than the normal icon for an object which is a box. Rezzing this will rezz all the returned objects inside the package, although possibly in the wrong place. But at least they will be rezzed in the correct relative positions to each other so it should be a case of calculating the offset to their correct position (as I outlined earlier) and then moving them.
However, if it is just one object, and not a package, then use the same technique as outlined above for deleted objects.

Slink Mesh Boots!!, originally uploaded by Nana Minuet.

Posted in Imprudence, Opinion, Phoenix / Firestorm, Second Life

Is Imprudence withering on the vine?

I like Imprudence. I’ve been using it for 3 months now and I feel very attached to it. But I think the time is approaching when I’m going to have to look to other Viewers, with Phoenix as a prime candidate.

Why is this? Well, one reason is that there is a show-stopper of a bug in v1.3.0 which is forcing me to continue to use an earlier Release Candidate (RC3) as it directly affects my photography.
Imprudence v1.3.0 was released in early October (ie. 2 months ago) and around a month ago this bug was fixed, along with Jacek commenting that it should provoke an immediate v1.3.1 due to the severity of it. However, this has not happened and I’m unwilling to adopt a beta release to get this fixed.

However, for me, the writing is on the wall for two very significant reasons. One is that there have been no releases at all for several weeks, not even Experimental releases, suggesting that the development team are spending all their time on Kokua (the new Viewer based on SL 2.x) at the expense of Imprudence. And the other is the thorny issue of Multiple Attachments.

The developers of Imprudence have always been quite bullish about multiple attachments, stating that they would not support Emerald’s “hacky” multiple attach point code, not even to properly render avatars being run by people using Phoenix (despite it being easily added to Imprudence by simply updating a single XML file as it turns out) because they were going to support the “proper” Multiple Attachments of SL 2.x by back-porting it.
Well, a couple of days ago a new version of Phoenix was released that supports just that, whilst Imprudence still does not.

This, to me, says that Phoenix is still actively being developed and supported and Imprudence is withering on the vine and is not. It also feels as rather an egg-on-face moment for Imprudence (in my humble opinion).

As I said, I really like Imprudence, but I feel like it is being left further and further behind by Phoenix and eventually I’m going to have to jump ship.

Sorry, Imprudence. It’s been nice knowing you.

Posted in Opinion, Privacy & identity, Second Life, Viewer 2.x

Privacy concerns with Viewer 2.0

[First posted 09-Mar-2010 here]

I’m kind of surprised how few people seem bothered by this.


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Europe steers lander towards Mars surface

Mariëtte Le Roux
1 / 2

An artist's impression depicts the separation of the ExoMars 2016 entry, descent and landing demonstrator module 'Schiaparelli' from the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), heading for Mars

An artist's impression depicts the separation of the ExoMars 2016 entry, descent and landing demonstrator module 'Schiaparelli' from the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), heading for Mars (AFP Photo/D. Ducros)

Paris (AFP) - Europe sent a tiny lander on a three-day, million-kilometre (621,000-mile) trek to the Martian surface Sunday to test-drive technology for a daring mission to scout the Red Planet for evidence of life.

There were nervous moments for ground controllers when the unmanned mothership, dubbed Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), stopped sending status updates just as it despatched the paddle pool-sized lander, Schiaparelli, on its way.

"Everything is back on track," spokeswoman Jocelyne Landeau-Constantin of the European Space Operations Centre told AFP by telephone after an anxious hour of resetting commands and waiting for a response.

There were "a lot of relieved people," at mission control in Darmstadt, Germany, she added -- some 175 million kilometres (109 miles) from where the space manoeuvre was executed.

The TGO and Schiaparelli, launched into space in March, comprise phase one of a joint European-Russian Mars-probing mission named ExoMars.

As planned, the 600-kilogramme (1,300-pound) Schiaparelli separated from its mothership TGO at 1442 GMT, after a seven-month, 496-million-km trek from Earth.

It is scheduled to arrive at Mars next Wednesday, while the TGO must head for Mars orbit.

ExoMars is Europe's first attempt at reaching our neighbouring planet's hostile surface after its first failed bid 13 years ago to place the first non-American rover on Mars.

The TGO's job, apart from carrying Schiaparelli, will be to sniff the Red Planet's thin, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere for gases possibly excreted by living organisms, however small or primitive.

Schiaparelli's purpose, in turn, is to test entry and landing technology for a subsequent rover which will mark the second phase and high point of the ExoMars mission.

After a two-year funding delay, the rover is due for launch in 2020, arriving about six months later to explore the Red Planet and drill into it, in search of extraterrestrial life -- past or present.

- 'Complex mission' -

While any life is unlikely to be found on the barren, radiation-blasted surface, scientists say traces of methane in Mars' atmosphere may indicate something living underground, most likely single-celled microbes.

Mars has become a graveyard for many a mission seeking to explore a planet that has captured the human imagination for millennia.

Getting a lander on Mars "is a complex mission," said Thierry Blancquaert, Schiaparelli's manager.

Since the 1960s, more than half of US, Russian and European attempts to land and operate craft on the Martian surface have failed.

The last time the European Space Agency (ESA) tried, the British-built Beagle 2 disappeared without a trace after separating from the Mars Express mothership in December 2003.

It was finally spotted in a NASA photo in January 2015.

Mars landers must be built to survive a long trip from Earth, then a high-speed, ultra-hot journey through Mars' carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere.

They require protection against a heat of several thousand degrees Celsius (Fahrenheit), generated by atmospheric friction upon atmospheric entry, extreme braking, and a soft touchdown in terrain where any jagged rocks or craters could spell doom.

Schiaparelli should reach the atmosphere at an altitude of 121 km and a speed of nearly 21,000 kilometres (13,000 miles) per hour.

The extreme ride through Mars' atmosphere will take six minutes.

A discardable "aeroshell" will protect the lander against heat generated by atmospheric drag, while a supersonic parachute and nine thrusters will brake it.

A crushable structure in the lander's belly is meant to cushion the final impact.

With a 10-minute delay -- the time it takes for a message to reach Earth -- Schiaparelli will send data on temperature, humidity, density profile and electrical properties -- information seen as crucial to plan a safe landing for the much bigger and more expensive rover to follow.

Battery-driven and without solar panels, the lander should last for two or three days.

Having released its precious charge, the TGO will be commanded overnight Sunday to change course to avoid joining Schiaparelli on the surface, instead entering an elongated and erratic orbit Mars orbit.

It will then start a 12-month process of "aerobraking" -- skimming the Martian atmosphere to bleed off energy -- to change its orbit into a more regular, circular one.

Once this is achieved, in early 2018, it will begin its work of analysing the Mars atmosphere from about 400 km for methane.


Meine Freundin, du bist schön

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Johann Christoph Bach

Johann Christoph Bach was a German composer and organist of the Baroque period. He was the son of Heinrich Bach, Johann Sebastian ...


Call for Papers

Swarm Intelligence (SI) refers to the complex collective behavior of self-organized and decentralized systems, typically composed of a (spatially distributed and often large) population of individuals, or agents. These agents interact among them and with the environment in different but simple and local ways, coordinating their actions, and making the swarm inherently robust, effective, and flexible. A plethora of application scenarios have hitherto resorted to SI when addressing optimization, inference and prediction tasks. Among them, Swarm robotics (SR) refers to the application of SI methods to scenarios where the population of agents is embodied by physical or simulated robotic devices. The focus of SR is to thoroughly analyze how a swarm comprised of relatively simple physically embodied robots can be controlled to collectively accomplish different kind of goals that are out of the common capabilities of a single robot. Algorithms and methods relying on SR have been so far exceled over a wide range of complex real-world problems, such as localization, mining, disaster rescue missions, agricultural foraging or scenery mapping problems. The interests in SR form a popular topic that lays at the core of many research activities and contributions in the literature. This special issue aims at disseminating the latest findings and research achievements in the areas of SI and SR, with an intention to balance between theoretical research ideas and their practicability as well as industrial applicability. To this end, scholars and practitioners from academia and industrial fields are invited to submit high-quality original contributions to this special issue.

Computational Intelligence encompasses a number of nature-inspired computational methodologies, mainly artificial neural networks (ANNs), fuzzy sets, genetic algorithms (GAs), and their hybridizations, such as neuro-fuzzy computing and neo-fuzzy systems, for addressing real-world problems to which conventional modelling can be useless due to several reasons such as complexity, existent of uncertainties, and the stochastic nature of the processes. Computational Intelligence is a powerful methodology for a wide range of data analysis problems such as financial forecasting, industrial, scientific, and social media applications. The recent advances in computational intelligence have shown very promising results in industry, business, sciences and social media studies. Meanwhile, the online social networks (OSNs) such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram have become very popular and attracted many users from all around the world. Recommender systems in combination with OSNs have also produced new business opportunities, making the social impact of OSNs more critical for product marketing, establishing new connections and improving the user’s experience by personalization of the user’s contents. This has led to new diverse challenges for practitioners and researchers of OSNs and recommender systems in terms of large-scale social network interactions and diversity of social media data from a multitude of OSNs. Given the success of computational intelligence methods and techniques in big data analysis applications, it is expected that they can also be applied successfully in the analysis of large-scale raw data in OSNs. In this context, computational intelligence paradigms comprising of numerous branches including neural networks, swarm intelligence, expert systems, evolutionary computing, fuzzy systems, and artificial immune systems, can play a vital role in handling the different aspects of OSNs and recommender systems.

Information diffusion research originates from the study of the spread of infectious disease among a population. The process of diffusion of various types of information, like technological innovations, news, topics, and opinions, is described as a contagion that spreads from node to node like an epidemic.
As online social networks (OSN) are emerging and flourishing, massive amounts of data are produced and consumed in a rapid rate. This rapid production and consumption of large-scale OSN data bring two new challenges to the study of information diffusion. First, events (topics), issues, rumors, etc. happen and evolve very quickly in OSN. Analyzing and modeling this fast diffusion of these types of information, and eventually detecting and predicting diffusion outbreaks, have attracted a great deal of research interests. Second, due to the huge volume of OSN big data, researchers have recently focused on how to extract valuable information from OSN big data to analyze diffusion and on how to accelerate computation speed when dealing with large-scale diffusion network.

With the exciting developments in several areas and with the advent of ever-increasing and pervasive computational resources, huge opportunities arise for developing intelligent Computational Techniques to solve a variety of real-life problems which have uncertainty, imprecision, vagueness.
Computational Techniques rapidly converted from a research topic with few commercial applications for a next generation technology with applications in every sector of the economy. Hybridization of Computational techniques with traditional methods has become a topic of increasing interest for both researchers and developers from academic fields and industries worldwide. A large number of intelligent computational algorithms with increasing computational power of computers have significantly extended the number of potential intelligent applications in every sector.

Journal of Computational Sciences solicits high-quality papers for a special issue focusing on topics related to computational and algorithmic finance. We are particularly interested in novel research papers on advanced numerical and computational techniques in pricing, hedging and risk management of financial instruments.

Complex systems are ubiquitous in physics, economics, sociology, biology, computer science, and many other scientific areas. Typically, a complex system is composed of smaller aggregated components, whose interaction and interconnectedness are non-trivial (e.g., interactions can be high-dimensional and non-linear, and/or the connectivity can exhibit non-trivial topological features such as power-law degree distribution, and high clustering coefficient). This leads to emergent properties of the system, not anticipated by its isolated components. Furthermore, when the system behavior is studied form a temporal perspective, self-organization patterns typically arise.

This special issue will primarily encompass practical and methodological approaches that advance research in all aspects of modeling and simulation for architecturally complex systems. Successful contributions may range from advanced technologies, applications and innovative solutions to concurrently dominate the architectural, applicative and system specifications.


USE FOR LUXURY BATHING &WATER SUPPLY System advantagesMicrohydro power is generated through a process that utilizes the natural flow of water.[11] This power is most commonly converted into electricity. With no direct emissions resulting from this conversion process, there are little to no harmful effects on the environment, if planned well, thus supplying power from a renewable source and in a sustainable manner. Microhydro is considered a "run-of-river" system meaning that water diverted from the stream or river is redirected back into the same watercourse.[12] Adding to the potential economic benefits of microhydro is efficiency, reliability, and cost effectiveness.[12] [edit] System disadvantagesMicrohydro systems are limited mainly by characteristics of the site. The most direct limitation comes from small sources with minuscule flow. Likewise, flow can fluctuate seasonally in some areas.[12] Lastly, though perhaps the foremost disadvantage is the distance from the power source to the site in need of energy.[12] This distributional issue as well as the others are key when considering using a microhydro system.


Dog on Dog Aggression

Submitted By Bandit

This behavioural problem is associated with dog on dog aggression. This p roblem can be a breed specific or what is known as a genetically linked trai t such as the case with Akitas, Pitbulls or othe...More

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Bully Breeds

The Bully breeds (Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier and American Pit Bull Terrier) are a group of three breeds often known collectively as Pit Bulls, but many...

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Photographs of Australian Shepherd "Bunk"

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Greyhound Medical Idiosyncrasies

This packet is made available through Greyhound Adoption of Ohio, Inc. by William E. Feeman III, DVM.

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Developed in the northern mountainous regions of Korea, the Pungsan (sometimes spelled Phungsan or Poongsan)  is the rarest of the three dog breeds native to Korea; the other two breeds being...

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pmdd precipitation

I just made up my first batch of pmdd per the new recipe, and initially
had a little sediment in the container.  After storing it (in the fridge)
there is now a lot of material settling out.  I realize the solubility is
dependent on temperature, but my question is this:  is the recipe designed
to make a saturated solution, or should I dilute it until everything
dissolves and adjust my dosing accordingly?

In case you are interested, I used microplex as the trace element mix and
made the solution up to 500 mL.

Adeana in humid Urbana, Illinois


Vermiculite substrate

I have a substrate consisting of vermiculite below a layer of gravel. I've
spread out pieces of Job's plant sticks as evenly as I could (concentrating
on the areas where the plants are).

How might I expect this substrate to work compared to a clay/laterite

Stephen Boulet, Grayslake, IL, USA
spboulet at enteract dot com


Brain Scan

Hilary Spurling's two-volume biography of Henri Matisse leaves no doubt as to the reaction of families, friends and compatriots in the face of his magnificent obsession with painting. First his parents and neighbors, when he was young and expected to take over the family feed store, cast scorn upon his choice of art. Tragically, in his later years as well, his children and many in the art world tried to control his output, determine his subject-matter and dictate the workings of his studio. Creative people of every sort will recognize the rejection and disparagement of those around them. There is something about the spirit of independence and the need to follow an inner voice that strikes fear into others.

This month we point you to several recent studies of the brains of creative people, in the hope that you will pursue the subject in depth on your own. Oh, and have you hugged an artist lately?

In 2002, Britain's Science Museum produced an extensive exhibit on the anatomy of the brain, the connection between its insides and its outsides, and the model of a mind that is so essential to artificial intelligence. Titled "Head On: Art with the Brain in Mind", the exhibit utilized the works of artists in the Wellcome Trust, and attempted to integrate studies in science and creativity, art and bioscience, philosophy and neuroscience. The curator's statement begins: "It weighs 1.5kg and contains 28 billion cells, with a mind-boggling 10,000 billion connections between them. We each have one, and yet they are all different. While we are alive, they are constantly switched 'on'; turning them 'off' kills us." The Museum reminds us that Albert Einstein's brain has been exhaustively analyzed, while the brain of Charles Babbage (inventor of the computer) was retained in two halves by the Royal College of Surgeons. More information can be found at http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/node77109.html

United States and Australian researchers at laboratories across the world from each other claim to have developed a new kind of creature, the "semi-living artist", whose output is controlled by the brain signals of several thousand rat neurons in a petri dish. The commands of the neurons are communicated to a robotic arm by means of a Multi-Electrode Array (MEA). The mechanical arm is situated at the University of Western Australia in Perth, while the rat neurons are located at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The scientists hope to create an entity that can evolve, learn, and create art to express itself. The semi-living artist follows another project called "Fish and Chips", which used music to stumulate fish neurons into moving a robotic arm. You will find more at http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=160

Several new studies claim to have observed differences in the functioning of brains of gifted individuals versus those with normal intelligence. The differences were especially remarkable in the area of the brain called the posterior parietal cortex, long thought to contain memory. Scientists noted that this area was enlarged in Albert Einstein's brain. An alternative theory, however, states that highly intelligent people have less, not more, activity in the cerebral cortex because their brains are simply more efficient. Details can be found at http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/050902_intelfrm.htm

Psychologists have discovered that Rembrandt used modern theories of brain activity in his paintings. He also seems to have treated males and females differently. In male portraits, for example, 74% of the models present their left cheek to the viewer, while the same percentage of female models shows the right cheek. Researchers studying the artist's work showed his paintings to 73 college students. The students found the women models to be more "approachable", while the men were felt to be more threatening. Details can be found at http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/051013_rembrandtfrm.htm

c.Corinne Whitaker 2005


Drop In Outdoor Temperature Increase The Risk Of Respiratory Infection

Drop In Outdoor Temperature Increase The Risk Of Respiratory Infection

You can pretty much put a mark in your calendar for when the annual flu epidemic begins. Using 20,000 virus samples and weather statistics, researchers have now discovered more details about how outdoor temperature and flu outbreaks are linked.
"According to our calculations, a cold week with an average temperature below zero degree Celsius precedes the start of the flu epidemic" says Nicklas Sundell, a researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy and infectious diseases specialist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.

The study comprised three seasons and 20,000 virus samples taken with nasal swabs from people who sought medical care in the Gothenburg area. The incidence of respiratory viruses was then compared over time with weather data from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) and the results are clear: Flu outbreaks seem to be activated about one week after the first really cold period with low outdoor temperatures and low humidity.

Kickstarting the epidemic
"We believe that this sudden drop in temperature contributes to "kickstart" the epidemic. Once the epidemic has started, it continues even if temperatures rise. Once people are sick and contagious, many more may become infected," says Nicklas Sundell.
The study supports the theory that aerosol particles containing virus and liquid are more able to spread in cold and dry weather. If the surrounding air is dry, it absorbs moisture and the aerosol particles shrink and can remain airborne.
Of interest, according to the researchers, is the predictable timing with the flu outbreak each studied season starting the week after a cold snap.
Nicklas Sundell says that, at least at our latitudes, this is probably a more important factor for the flu epidemics than indoor crowding during poor weather wintertime.

Other viruses too
"Cold and dry weather and small aerosol particles are important perquisites for the flu epidemic to take off. But cold weather isn't the only contributing factor. The virus has to be present among the population and there have to be enough people susceptible to the infection," he says.
The study shows that weather conditions are not only important for the seasonal flu (Influenza A), but also for a number of other common viruses that cause respiratory tract infections, such as RS-virus and coronavirus. These viruses seem to have the same behavior with a significant increase of incidence during cold and dry weather. On the other hand some viruses such as rhinovirus, that are a common cause of cold, are independent of weather factors and is present all year around.
"If you can predict the start of the annual epidemics of the flu and other respiratory viruses, you can use this knowledge to promote campaigns for the flu vaccine and prepare emergency wards and hospital staff in advance for an increased number of patients seeking care. The recommendations are the same as previous years: vaccination of risk groups, cough and sneeze into your elbow, and remember to wash your hands," says Nicklas Sundell.

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18 September 2017

HMRC research about transition from tax credits to universal credit

Last week, HMRC published 3 new research reports about the transition of tax credit claimants from tax credits to universal credit and the in-year finalisation process:

1. Understanding the impact of stopping tax credits on the self-employed: Phase 2

In-year finalisation is the process that closes down a tax credits award, once universal credit has been claimed.

This research tested various ways of explaining what was required from self- employed claimants to enable them to close down their tax credits claim, once they had claimed universal credit. Previous research had identified that this was a particular issue for the self-employed.

The research explored a number of different methods to explain how to calculate the in-year income required by the in-year finalisation process.

2.  Understanding the in-year finalisation process for self-employed customers

The research explores self-employed claimants’ thoughts about the concept of moving to universal credit, including their response to and information needed to enable them to comply with requirements specific to the self-employed.

3. Stopping tax credits and the transition to universal credit: qualitative research to explore customer experience

HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) commissioned this qualitative research to explore former tax credit customers’ experiences, information and support needs during the transition from tax credits to universal credit.

The findings from this report are being used by HMRC and DWP to continually improve the service for claimants and other stakeholders.


11.1.2 Donkey Sentences

Motivation of discourse phenomena: Donkey Sentences.

A similar problem is also manifested in so-called donkey sentence s. (Incidentally, the example sentences that led to increased study of anaphoric pronouns in discourse in formal semantics, due to Peter T. Geach, staged as main characters donkeys and farmers.) One of the most famous donkey sentences is: `` Every farmer that owns a donkey beats it. ''

If we use our systematic method of translating into first-order logic and use free-variables to translate pronouns, we would get something similar to:

However, this is not a correct translation since there is an occurrence of a free variable (namely, the occurrence of y in (x,y)). In other words, it is not a logical sentence. So let's try to repeat the trick that we applied in our previous example and extend the scope of the existential quantifier.

Unfortunately, our ``scope-extending-trick'' doesn't work in this case. This formula does not assign the right truth conditions for the donkey sentence (Why is this so? Try to imagine a situation where there is a farmer owning a donkey and a pig, and not beating any of them. The above formula will be true in that situation, because for each farmer we need to find at least one object that either is not a donkey owned by this farmer, or is beaten by the farmer. Hence, if this object denotes the pig, the sentence will be true in that situation.).

A correct translation into first-order logic for the donkey sentence seems to be:

Recall from Chapter 3 that we translate determiners such as ``every'' with universal quantifiers, and that the indefinite articles (such as ``a'' and ``some'') are translated into existential quantifiers. However, this seems not the case for donkey sentences. As the translation above shows, the indefinite noun phrase ``a donkey'' is translated as a universal quantifier.

In other words, our approach about being systematic when it comes to translating natural language to semantic representations seems not to rhyme with a correct treatment of indefinite noun phrases: depending on the context, sometimes they are translated as existential quantifiers, and sometimes as universal quantifiers. But exactly when?

Exercise 11.1

Give a first-order translation for the sentence ``If a farmer owns a donkey, he beats it.'' Explain which quantifiers you chose to translate the indefinite noun phrase and motivate your choice.

Version 1.2.5 (20030212)


Energy Security, Trade and Transition to Green Economy in Africa

Opeyemi E. Akinyemi, Evans S. Osabuohien, Philip O. Alege, Adeyemi A. Ogundipe

Environmental challenges have enhanced renewed focus on the need to drive the economy in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner; therefore resulting to the emergence of the concept of green economy. In driving the economy towards a green growth path, the pattern of trade and security of energy will play a vital role. Energy (renewable) has been identified as one of the 6 sectors that would provide trade opportunities for export markets in the transition towards a green economy, particularly for developing economies, Africa inclusive. This can be done through use of appropriate policies and trade remedies geared towards enhancing the infrastructural and technological capacities of these countries towards the exchange of environmentally friendly goods and services. Through the export of renewable energy such as solar, wind, biofuels, given their abundant supply in Africa; energy security would be achieved with transition to a greener growth path as against a “brown” or (“dirty”) growth. From the foregoing, this study explores the components of trade-offs and synergies in relation to trade and security of energy in Africa in the wake of the need for the continent to switch to green economy using a sample of 43 selected African countries (2006-2013). The data engaged are sourced from the World Development Indicators. Some important findings and their policy implications are documented in the study.

Keywords: Energy security; Green economy; Sustainable development; International trade,

JEL Classifications: F18, Q27

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Libya and NATO´s Killer Narratives.

Khamis Ghadafi

Words can kill. The first victim of war is the truth. We know the proverbs but tend to forget that the killer force of narratives is thousand fold potentiated when there is war, and the force of the pen is combined with the force of the sword. Various media, including Arrai TV reported yesterday and today of the death of Khamis Ghadafi, commander of the 32nd Elite Brigade that stood for implementing the strategy that since has given NATO a serious dent in it´s armor, and decimated NATO´s army of mercenaries, terrorists, indoctrinated Jihadis and opportunistic vultures hired by contractors like XE. So far, the death of Khamis Ghadafi could not be confirmed for nsnbc, and even alternative media seem to be missing one point. The Libyan Liberation is a struggle against new colonialism, not directed against a family, but against all Africans. The resistance is not a family or person, but African People who are waking up to the aggression of the Anglo American Empire. Words can kill, also if they neglect to focus on central issues.  By Dr. Christof Lehmann

After the successful implementation of a new phase of resistance on Friday, that began with nation wide demonstrations, and resulted in the liberation of large parts of Tripoli, and other cities in Northern Libya, the message that the commander of the 32nd Elite Brigade of the Libyan Armed Forces, Khamis Ghadafi had been killed. The reports were aired on several media, including ARRAI TV, which is widely recognized as the “official voice” of the legitimate Libyan Government. Other usually well informed media, like the Algeria ISP inform that the death of Khamis Ghadafi is fabricated by NATO Intelligence. In the light of the recent months repeated false alarms, and the fact that nsnbc so far has not received a positive confirmation, it would be premature to either confirm or reject the reports.

Military and Intelligence Analysts co-operating with nsnbc have for a long time had suspicions that the repeated fabricated messages of the capture of prominent political and military functionaries of the legitimate Libyan Government are functions of an operation with the purpose of tracing lines of communications between the political and military leadership and media. The hypothesis was strongly supported, when nsnbc received reports that NATO had begun targeting buildings in Sirte, from where cellphone and satellite phone calls were made to abroad. Analysts agreed that this was not only an attempt to isolate the population, and to prevent reports of the massive war crimes to get out to the European and American Public. With Western Corporate Media firmly controlled, that would be a secondary consideration only. The main function of the strategy was expected to be the reduction of lines of communication for the Libyan Government and Military leadership to media, in an attempt to target leadership structures. Algeria ISP could today confirm the hypothesis, when it reported that NATO and TNC have implemented the disinformation campaign for enabling them to find Government and Military functionaries.

The attention on leading political and military functionaries of the legitimate Libyan Government has one more, equally critical function, which is, distracting the public from the fact that the war is not directed against “a Libyan Government”, or “a Libyan family” “a Libyan Political or Military Leader” or “the State of Libya”, but that it is part of a long planned, gradually implemented war against every independent nation state in North- and North Western Africa, as part of a war on China and Russia.

As much as Muammar Ghadafi, Khamis Ghadafi, Dr. Moussa Ibrahim, and other governmental and military leading functionaries of the legitimate Libyan Government are loved by the Libyan people, as much is it a fact, that the regrettable murder of any of them would not stop NATO´s Colonial War; neither would it diminish the will and ability of the Libyan People to resist. NATO is desperate in maintaining a narrow spectrum narrative in media coverage, and this narrow narrative is what is killing thousands, by keeping Western European and American Populations suspended in a Soap Opera like coverage of what is part of the new colonization of Africa. Besides that, the narrative distracts attention from the fact, that NATO and the TNC are loosing the war on the ground, and the fact that the most grotesque war crimes are committed on the Libyan People on a daily basis. As for nsnbc, an obituary for Khamis Ghadafi will be delayed, until the legitimate Libyan Government has had the time to use save channels of communication to either confirm or reject NATO´s and TNC´s claim.

The military situation in Libya is volatile, but in spite of NATO´s absolute dominance in the air, special forces, and imported mercenaries, the resistance is making an agonizingly slow, but steady progress. According to the latest reports nsnbc received directly from Libya, most of the residential districts of Tripoli are controlled by Libyan Forces and popular resistance. The green flag was hoisted over the Rixos Hotel, and Military Camp 77 in Tripoli. There are heavy clashes in the inner city as well as throughout greater Tripoli. In Bani Walid most of the city is under Libyan Forces control, but an isolated group of TNC Fighters is holding an estimated 20 % of the city under their control. The city of Zawiyah is free. There is heavy fighting in Tarhuna, where one of the TNC´s most prominent military leaders, Hakim Abu Zoadh Naaji was killed. Hakim Naaji is one of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group members and prisoners that were released from Abu Salim Prison during an amnesty granted by Saif Al-Islam.

The initiation of the new phase of resistance on Friday and the transfer of the fight into Tripoli has forced the TNC and NATO to withdraw a significant amount of fighters from Sirte. The amount of attacks into the city has been reduced, and there have been mounted fierce counter attacks. There seems to be a shift towards a not less lethal, and not less criminal strategy. Throughout the night, Sirte has been subject to relentless barrages of light, medium range and heavy artillery.

It is not only artillery fire, bombs and machine guns that are NATO´s most potent weapons against Libya. One of the greatest weapons against the people of Libya and the People of Africa is NATO´s Pen, represented by corporate media, which do not report the fact that the USA, EU and NATO are in the implementation phase of an aggressive colonization of Northern and Western Africa, which may result in a global conflict of unfathomable consequences.

Christof Lehmann

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