1 With a advanced style but cool, the Dodge Journey is a personal prepared to answer the various requirements and requirements of these appearing for a top-quality car, with big multi-passenger ability and high performance of your motor.
This Dodge car unit along with additional equivalent model offers the flexibility modern families of MPV vehicle area capacity by way of a sport utility vehicle SUV.
Another of the advantages of that type of vehicle is its modular seats minivan, along with the chance of adding two extra seats, the compartment for items, in many cases fall throughout the floor and under the front passenger seat, and great his trunk ability that allows load all of the required gear.
The main security features of a Dodge Journey or equivalent automobile makes this sort of favorite automobile for younger people.
Specifically the unit Dodge Journey is elected in the market for its excellent safety advantages, both active and passive, why was honored for safety by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety within the United States, on three consecutive occasions.
The advanced well-being equipment which include contemporary car has proactive headrest inside the driver?s seat and front passenger airbags as well as a variety of multistage, including driver, front passenger, front side airbags, side curtain airbags and extra low risk deployment front seats.
Also this vehicle has disc brakes on each wheel, Brake Assist, advanced anti-lock brakes, stability control, traction control, anti-roll mitigation and electronic tire stress control.
Other advanced elements accessible to the automobile for maximum well-being are the side coverage pubs both front and rear doorway against impacts and optionally may be placed ParkView rear camera.
The general effectiveness presenting this car is complemented with defroster power mirrors, the new opening system and keyless ignition Enter?N called Go, which does not need the use of the key, the locks which are velocity sensitive, monitoring tire pressure, folding steering column 12V auxiliary outputs and trip computer. While its comfortable inside with air conditioning, modern-day type LED inside lights and radio control during the helm, manages to turn every trip as a very comfortable and fashionable journey.
Sporty, useful and fashionable the Dodge Journey along with different similar unit minivan is recommended to move the vehicle while using the family to various destinations.
Contact: David Orenstein david_orenstein@brown.edu 401-863-1862 Brown University
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] A team of neuroengineers based at Brown University has developed a fully implantable and rechargeable wireless brain sensor capable of relaying real-time broadband signals from up to 100 neurons in freely moving subjects. Several copies of the novel low-power device, described in the Journal of Neural Engineering, have been performing well in animal models for more than year, a first in the brain-computer interface field. Brain-computer interfaces coud help people with severe paralysis control devces with their thoughts.
Arto Nurmikko, professor of engineering at Brown University who oversaw the device's invention, is presenting it this week at the 2013 International Workshop on Clinical Brain-Machine Interface Systems in Houston.
"This has features that are somewhat akin to a cell phone, except the conversation that is being sent out is the brain talking wirelessly," Nurmikko said.
Neuroscientists can use such a device to observe, record, and analyze the signals emitted by scores of neurons in particular parts of the animal model's brain.
Meanwhile, wired systems using similar implantable sensing electrodes are being investigated in brain-computer interface research to assess the feasibility of people with severe paralysis moving assistive devices like robotic arms or computer cursors by thinking about moving their arms and hands.
This wireless system addresses a major need for the next step in providing a practical brain-computer interface," said neuroscientist John Donoghue, the Wriston Professor of Neuroscience at Brown University and director of the Brown Institute for Brain Science.
Tightly packed technology
In the device, a pill-sized chip of electrodes implanted on the cortex sends signals through uniquely designed electrical connections into the device's laser-welded, hermetically sealed titanium "can." The can measures 2.2 inches (56 mm) long, 1.65 inches (42 mm) wide, and 0.35 inches (9 mm) thick. That small volume houses an entire signal processing system: a lithium ion battery, ultralow-power integrated circuits designed at Brown for signal processing and conversion, wireless radio and infrared transmitters, and a copper coil for recharging a "brain radio." All the wireless and charging signals pass through an electromagnetically transparent sapphire window.
In all, the device looks like a miniature sardine can with a porthole.
But what the team has packed inside makes it a major advance among brain-machine interfaces, said lead author David Borton, a former Brown graduate student and postdoctoral research associate who is now at Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne in Switzerland.
"What makes the achievement discussed in this paper unique is how it integrated many individual innovations into a complete system with potential for neuroscientific gain greater than the sum of its parts," Borton said. "Most importantly, we show the first fully implanted microsystem operated wirelessly for more than 12 months in large animal models a milestone for potential [human] clinical translation."
The device transmits data at 24 Mbps via 3.2 and 3.8 Ghz microwave frequencies to an external receiver. After a two-hour charge, delivered wirelessly through the scalp via induction, it can operate for more than six hours.
"The device uses less than 100 milliwatts of power, a key figure of merit," Nurmikko said.
Co-author Ming Yin, a Brown postdoctoral scholar and electrical engineer, said one of the major challenges that the team overcame in building the device was optimizing its performance given the requirements that the implant device be small, low-power and leak-proof, potentially for decades.
"We tried to make the best tradeoff between the critical specifications of the device, such as power consumption, noise performance, wireless bandwidth and operational range," Yin said. "Another major challenge we encountered was to integrate and assemble all the electronics of the device into a miniaturized package that provides long-term hermeticity (water-proofing) and biocompatibility as well as transparency to the wireless data, power, and on-off switch signals."
With early contributions by electrical engineer William Patterson at Brown, Yin helped to design the custom chips for converting neural signals into digital data. The conversion has to be done within the device, because brain signals are not produced in the ones and zeros of computer data.
Ample applications
The team worked closely with neurosurgeons to implant the device in three pigs and three rhesus macaque monkeys. The research in these six animals has been helping scientists better observe complex neural signals for as long as 16 months so far. In the new paper, the team shows some of the rich neural signals they have been able to record in the lab. Ultimately this could translate to significant advances that can also inform human neuroscience.
Current wired systems constrain the actions of research subjects, Nurmikko said. The value of wireless transmission is that it frees subjects to move however they intend, allowing them to produce a wider variety of more realistic behaviors. If neuroscientists want to observe the brain signals produced during some running or foraging behaviors, for instance, they can't use a cabled sensor to study how neural circuits would form those plans for action and execution or strategize in decision making.
In the experiments in the new paper, the device is connected to one array of 100 cortical electrodes, the microscale individual neural listening posts, but the new device design allows for multiple arrays to be connected, Nurmikko said. That would allow scientists to observe ensembles of neurons in multiple related areas of a brain network.
The new wireless device is not approved for use in humans and is not used in clinical trials of brain-computer interfaces. It was designed, however, with that translational motivation.
"This was conceived very much in concert with the larger BrainGate* team, including neurosurgeons and neurologists giving us advice as to what were appropriate strategies for eventual clinical applications," said Nurmikko, who is also affiliated with the Brown Institute for Brain Science.
Borton is now spearheading the development of a collaboration between EPFL and Brown to use a version of the device to study the role of the motor cortex in an animal model of Parkinson's disease.
Meanwhile the Brown team is continuing work on advancing the device for even larger amounts of neural data transmission, reducing its size even further, and improving other aspects of the device's safety and reliability so that it can someday be considered for clinical application in people with movement disabilities.
###
In addition to Nurmikko, Borton and Yin, the paper was also co-authored by Juan Aceros, an expert in mechanical engineering.
The National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (Grant 1R01EB007401-01), with partial support from the National Science Foundation (Grants: 0937848) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Contract: N66001-10-C-2010), funded the research.
*Caution: Investigational device. Limited by federal law to investigational use.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: David Orenstein david_orenstein@brown.edu 401-863-1862 Brown University
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] A team of neuroengineers based at Brown University has developed a fully implantable and rechargeable wireless brain sensor capable of relaying real-time broadband signals from up to 100 neurons in freely moving subjects. Several copies of the novel low-power device, described in the Journal of Neural Engineering, have been performing well in animal models for more than year, a first in the brain-computer interface field. Brain-computer interfaces coud help people with severe paralysis control devces with their thoughts.
Arto Nurmikko, professor of engineering at Brown University who oversaw the device's invention, is presenting it this week at the 2013 International Workshop on Clinical Brain-Machine Interface Systems in Houston.
"This has features that are somewhat akin to a cell phone, except the conversation that is being sent out is the brain talking wirelessly," Nurmikko said.
Neuroscientists can use such a device to observe, record, and analyze the signals emitted by scores of neurons in particular parts of the animal model's brain.
Meanwhile, wired systems using similar implantable sensing electrodes are being investigated in brain-computer interface research to assess the feasibility of people with severe paralysis moving assistive devices like robotic arms or computer cursors by thinking about moving their arms and hands.
This wireless system addresses a major need for the next step in providing a practical brain-computer interface," said neuroscientist John Donoghue, the Wriston Professor of Neuroscience at Brown University and director of the Brown Institute for Brain Science.
Tightly packed technology
In the device, a pill-sized chip of electrodes implanted on the cortex sends signals through uniquely designed electrical connections into the device's laser-welded, hermetically sealed titanium "can." The can measures 2.2 inches (56 mm) long, 1.65 inches (42 mm) wide, and 0.35 inches (9 mm) thick. That small volume houses an entire signal processing system: a lithium ion battery, ultralow-power integrated circuits designed at Brown for signal processing and conversion, wireless radio and infrared transmitters, and a copper coil for recharging a "brain radio." All the wireless and charging signals pass through an electromagnetically transparent sapphire window.
In all, the device looks like a miniature sardine can with a porthole.
But what the team has packed inside makes it a major advance among brain-machine interfaces, said lead author David Borton, a former Brown graduate student and postdoctoral research associate who is now at Ecole Polytechnique Federale Lausanne in Switzerland.
"What makes the achievement discussed in this paper unique is how it integrated many individual innovations into a complete system with potential for neuroscientific gain greater than the sum of its parts," Borton said. "Most importantly, we show the first fully implanted microsystem operated wirelessly for more than 12 months in large animal models a milestone for potential [human] clinical translation."
The device transmits data at 24 Mbps via 3.2 and 3.8 Ghz microwave frequencies to an external receiver. After a two-hour charge, delivered wirelessly through the scalp via induction, it can operate for more than six hours.
"The device uses less than 100 milliwatts of power, a key figure of merit," Nurmikko said.
Co-author Ming Yin, a Brown postdoctoral scholar and electrical engineer, said one of the major challenges that the team overcame in building the device was optimizing its performance given the requirements that the implant device be small, low-power and leak-proof, potentially for decades.
"We tried to make the best tradeoff between the critical specifications of the device, such as power consumption, noise performance, wireless bandwidth and operational range," Yin said. "Another major challenge we encountered was to integrate and assemble all the electronics of the device into a miniaturized package that provides long-term hermeticity (water-proofing) and biocompatibility as well as transparency to the wireless data, power, and on-off switch signals."
With early contributions by electrical engineer William Patterson at Brown, Yin helped to design the custom chips for converting neural signals into digital data. The conversion has to be done within the device, because brain signals are not produced in the ones and zeros of computer data.
Ample applications
The team worked closely with neurosurgeons to implant the device in three pigs and three rhesus macaque monkeys. The research in these six animals has been helping scientists better observe complex neural signals for as long as 16 months so far. In the new paper, the team shows some of the rich neural signals they have been able to record in the lab. Ultimately this could translate to significant advances that can also inform human neuroscience.
Current wired systems constrain the actions of research subjects, Nurmikko said. The value of wireless transmission is that it frees subjects to move however they intend, allowing them to produce a wider variety of more realistic behaviors. If neuroscientists want to observe the brain signals produced during some running or foraging behaviors, for instance, they can't use a cabled sensor to study how neural circuits would form those plans for action and execution or strategize in decision making.
In the experiments in the new paper, the device is connected to one array of 100 cortical electrodes, the microscale individual neural listening posts, but the new device design allows for multiple arrays to be connected, Nurmikko said. That would allow scientists to observe ensembles of neurons in multiple related areas of a brain network.
The new wireless device is not approved for use in humans and is not used in clinical trials of brain-computer interfaces. It was designed, however, with that translational motivation.
"This was conceived very much in concert with the larger BrainGate* team, including neurosurgeons and neurologists giving us advice as to what were appropriate strategies for eventual clinical applications," said Nurmikko, who is also affiliated with the Brown Institute for Brain Science.
Borton is now spearheading the development of a collaboration between EPFL and Brown to use a version of the device to study the role of the motor cortex in an animal model of Parkinson's disease.
Meanwhile the Brown team is continuing work on advancing the device for even larger amounts of neural data transmission, reducing its size even further, and improving other aspects of the device's safety and reliability so that it can someday be considered for clinical application in people with movement disabilities.
###
In addition to Nurmikko, Borton and Yin, the paper was also co-authored by Juan Aceros, an expert in mechanical engineering.
The National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (Grant 1R01EB007401-01), with partial support from the National Science Foundation (Grants: 0937848) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Contract: N66001-10-C-2010), funded the research.
*Caution: Investigational device. Limited by federal law to investigational use.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Human trials for Streptococcus A vaccinePublic release date: 28-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Helen Wright helen.wright@griffith.edu.au 07-373-54288 Griffith University
Griffith research hits critical phase
Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics has launched human trials for a vaccine against Streptococcus A, the germ that causes rheumatic fever.
Severe damage to a patient's heart is just one of the possible long term consequences of rheumatic fever. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has twice had heart surgery to repair damage suffered from rheumatic fever when he was a child.
Professor Michael Good, Principal Research Leader at the Institute for Glycomics has devoted more than 20 years to beating this disease. The key to the vaccine lies in targeting a particular protein found on the surface of Strep A bacteria.
"Previous studies have shown that the vaccine induces a very effective immune response in rabbits and mice," Professor Good said.
"The next important step is to ensure that it is safe and does not cause any adverse effects in people, in particular that the vaccine itself doesn't cause any heart damage."
Professor James McCarthy, Head of the Infectious Diseases program at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research will carry out the year-long trial involving 20 healthy adults.
"Participants will be monitored very closely for the next 12 months," Professor McCarthy said.
"Each volunteer will be given two doses of the vaccine and we'll be watching carefully for any signs of heart problems."
Rheumatic fever is a major issue in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in northern Australia.
"Infection rates in these remote Queensland communities are among the highest in the world. Nine out of every ten sufferers in this State are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people," Professor Good said.
###
The vaccine trial is funded by the Co-operative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.
Much of Professor Good's early work was backed by the National Heart Foundation, The Prince Charles Hospital Research Foundation, the United States National Institutes of Health, the Co-operative Research Centre for Vaccine Technology, the Perpetual Foundation and the NHMRC
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Human trials for Streptococcus A vaccinePublic release date: 28-Feb-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Helen Wright helen.wright@griffith.edu.au 07-373-54288 Griffith University
Griffith research hits critical phase
Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics has launched human trials for a vaccine against Streptococcus A, the germ that causes rheumatic fever.
Severe damage to a patient's heart is just one of the possible long term consequences of rheumatic fever. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has twice had heart surgery to repair damage suffered from rheumatic fever when he was a child.
Professor Michael Good, Principal Research Leader at the Institute for Glycomics has devoted more than 20 years to beating this disease. The key to the vaccine lies in targeting a particular protein found on the surface of Strep A bacteria.
"Previous studies have shown that the vaccine induces a very effective immune response in rabbits and mice," Professor Good said.
"The next important step is to ensure that it is safe and does not cause any adverse effects in people, in particular that the vaccine itself doesn't cause any heart damage."
Professor James McCarthy, Head of the Infectious Diseases program at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research will carry out the year-long trial involving 20 healthy adults.
"Participants will be monitored very closely for the next 12 months," Professor McCarthy said.
"Each volunteer will be given two doses of the vaccine and we'll be watching carefully for any signs of heart problems."
Rheumatic fever is a major issue in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in northern Australia.
"Infection rates in these remote Queensland communities are among the highest in the world. Nine out of every ten sufferers in this State are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people," Professor Good said.
###
The vaccine trial is funded by the Co-operative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.
Much of Professor Good's early work was backed by the National Heart Foundation, The Prince Charles Hospital Research Foundation, the United States National Institutes of Health, the Co-operative Research Centre for Vaccine Technology, the Perpetual Foundation and the NHMRC
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
In a recent article, Dennis Prager wrote an oversimplified and sweeping criticism of self-esteem (?Behavior Matters Most,? Feb. 15). He claims that self-esteem promotes the idea that feelings are more important than actions.
True self-esteem comes from a personal recognition of a job well done, of a life well lived. It brings to the individual constant, reliable internal support when storm clouds arrive. I believe that constructive action generates self-esteem, and this aim of doing good works is the goal and that this positive action generates self-esteem, not as the goal but as a byproduct of doing good works. This is true for adults in their actions and equally true for children whose self-esteem can be boosted by reaching appropriate goals, supported and aided by aware parents, teachers and even peers.
I have known Prager for many years and he has an ample supply of self-esteem. Does he believe that his feelings of self-esteem are more important than his actions? No way.
I agree that a false sense of self-importance can come from an effort to meet unfulfilled needs.?But to condemn self-esteem with such a broad brush seems totally inconsistent with Prager?s persistent claims of objectivity.
Richard Gunther Los Angeles
Editor?s note: For a response to this letter, please read Dennis Prager?s column here.
Bring Back Vocational Training?in Jewish Education
This is a very important development for Jewish education (?Empowering Our Children With Vocational Skills,? Feb. 22). Although vocational training was an integral part of Jewish education at the turn of the last century and is still integrated in European Jewish schools, it has dropped out of the North American Jewish day school curriculum. Notwithstanding Zionism?s dignity of labor, we need to address the vocational and manual skills of children as part of a holistic and spiritually creative learning environment.
Michael Shire via jewishjournal.com
Men of Distinction
Roberto Loiederman?s article captured the essence of the Brandeis Men?s Group (?Old Jewish Men and a Place to Call Home,? Feb. 22). He showed how men who had led useful, active lives are able to continue doing so after they retire.?
Our members range in age from the mid-60s and up. They were judges, doctors, lawyers, salesmen, educators and businessmen. Many were distinguished.? They include Walter Graf, a pioneer of paramedicine in the United States; Harold Savinar, the founder and owner of one of the largest luggage stores west of the Mississippi;?and Gerry Sallus, one of the leaders of the General Motors team that built Sunraycer, the vehicle that won the first Australia solar-powered race.
The enthusiasm of our membership for our many activities each month and for helping Brandeis University grow its scholarship program and its scientific research centers makes the Brandeis Men?s Group a great organization.
Thank you for the excellent article.
Richard S. Harmetz, co-chair Brandeis Men?s Group
Pushing Back Against BDS
Thanks, Jewish Journal and?Jonah Lowenfeld, for an update on our Israel bashers from the Boycott-Divest-Sanctions (BDS) movement (?BDS Call Pushes California Pension Funds,? Feb. 22). Readers can Google Anna Baltzer, Estee Chandler and Shakeel Syed, executive director at the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, to see all the local mishegoss. You would be surprised to see what lengths they are going to in order to disparage the Jewish state.
But don?t despair. Find ways to help Jewish students on campus, send Jewish and Muslim students to Israel, and connect Israeli universities with their counterparts here. That?s what?s happening with Orange County Jewish Federation & Family Services under the auspices of their president, Shalom Elcott. Let?s turn a negative into a positive.
Richard Bernstein Los Angeles
What?s in a (Spacecraft) Name?
I wish the Jewish people and the State of Israel success in embarking upon the exciting but challenging venture to the surface of the moon by 2015 (?One Giant Leap for the Jewish State,? Feb. 22). I think it would be a splendid idea if SpaceIL renamed the craft ?Ramon? as its final designation in honor and memory of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, who perished in the Columbia shuttle disaster.
Alexander Harold Hersh via jewishjournal.com
Seeking Memories
Did you go to Louis B. Silver Religious School at Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center in the last 26 years? Our much loved school director, Debby Singer, is retiring. We are looking for letters, photos, and your special memories for a tribute book. Please contact executivedirector@pjtc.net for information.
Stacy Miller via e-mail
We welcome your feedback. Comments may not exceed 700 characters.
Your information will not be shared or sold without your consent. Get all the details.
JewishJournal.com reserves the right to use your comment in our weekly print publication.
MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's borrowing costs rose to their highest in four months on Wednesday at the first bond auction since an election that raises the prospect of prolonged political instability.
No party won a parliamentary majority in the weekend vote, rattling investors in the euro zone's third largest economy and rekindling concerns over the region's debt problems.
Although the treasury sold the maximum planned amount of 4 billion euros of the new 10-year bond, the yield it had to offer jumped to 4.83 percent, the highest since October. Yields in the secondary market were, however, a little easier than on Tuesday.
There were signs that foreign investors had stayed away from the auction, concerned at the political uncertainty, leaving Italian institutions to buy up most of the paper.
"Demand for both lines was relatively solid, probably led by domestic accounts who took advantage of higher yields," wrote Newedge strategist Annalisa Piazza.
"We rule out foreign accounts have played a major role at today's auction as political risks remain high."
The bid-to-cover ratio was a healthy 1.65 - bids totaled 6.6 billion euros - and Italian debt prices and European stocks briefly rose on Wednesday after the results, with investors relieved that the sale had gone smoothly.
Rome's 10-year yields in the secondary market fell 7 basis points to 4.83 percent.
The 10-year yield at auction also compares with a level of 4.97 percent on the grey market this morning and with a 2012 peak of 6.19 percent in June, before the European Central Bank's pledge to buy government bonds of weaker euro zone countries.
That promise defused the euro zone debt crisis at the time.
Italy also issued 2.5 billion euros of a five-year bond on Wednesday, paying a yield of 3.59 percent, up from 2.94 percent one month ago.
"They got it done. The yields are higher than anything they've done for quite some time but that's hardly a big surprise," said Elisabeth Afseth, a rate strategist at Investec.
An auction of six-month bills on Tuesday also saw yields on short-term debt rise sharply compared with the previous sale.
CREDIT NEGATIVE
The election results, notably the dramatic surge of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement of comic Beppe Grillo, left the center-left bloc with a majority in the lower house but without the numbers to control the upper chamber.
Pier Luigi Bersani, head of the center-left Democratic Party (PD), has the difficult task of trying to agree a "grand coalition" with conservative former premier Silvio Berlusconi, the man he blames for ruining Italy, or striking a deal with Grillo, a completely unknown quantity in conventional politics.
The alternative is new elections either immediately or within a few months, although both Berlusconi and Bersani have indicated that they want to avoid a return to the polls.
For his part, Grillo, whose new movement won the most votes of any single party, has indicated that he believes the next government will last no more than six months.
Moody's Investors Service said on Wednesday the outcome of the vote could be bad for its credit rating because it raises the possibility of new elections, prolonging the country's political uncertainty.
Standard & Poor's said that the election would not immediately affect the country's rating but could in the future.
S&P's rates Italy BBB-plus. Fitch rates the country A-minus, and Moody's rates it Baa2. All those ratings already carry negative outlooks from the agencies.
The Italian treasury had taken advantage of a benign market environment at the beginning of this year to cover more than 20 percent of its total 2013 refunding needs.
(Additional reporting by London and Milan bond desks; Editing by Anna Willard and Alastair Macdonald)
The history of Internet-based poker forums is as instructive as it is colorful, from its raw roots in the late 1980?s at?a forum dominated by zealous blackjack counters and systematic craps players to the latest debates by legal experts fueled by Howard Lederer?s storytelling about the rise and fall of his Full Tilt Poker site in interviews and follow-up full of fanfare.
Poker Forums: The world at large!
Today the lives and lifestyle of poker players and poker businesses are chronicled and?dissected.?They are subjected?to all manner of online scrutiny, chatter, and commentary?to the delight and chagrin of the industry?s inhabitants, part-time warriors, devoted enthusiasts, dedicated personnel and visionary entrepreneurs--around the world.
Increasingly poker forum participants are the first to shed light on a crisis or breaking news in the industry. Some ignite raging flame wars for sport, while others provide intellectual food for thought, and a few visionaries test their brainstorms and solicit feedback on their grand?plans at their favorite forums.???
The expanding breadth and depth of content has also attracted attention far beyond the community it was designed to serve, including investigators associated with federal and state government agencies, ?the judiciary in developing opinions for court decisions, and legislative bodies responsible for making laws to govern gambling activity. ?
These days, poker forums provide regular reading for Congressional staff and legislators across the country, according to a survey recently conducted by Eolis International Group which has submitted a white paper to a law firm that advises the executive branch of federal government on online, commercial and tribal gaming matters.
At the end of the day, however, no one is consistently more interested in or intrigued by online poker forums than the poker world itself. From the early years of Wild West acceptance of ?anything goes? to their emergence as hubs for research as well as sophisticated discourse and problem solving, these sites typically appeal to posters and lurkers?with a zest for gamesmanship, confidence in their gambling skills, and an insatiable thirst for information on? happenings inside the perimeter of the poker universe. Today?s poker forums showcase the power, peril, and evolution of free speech in an Internet driven world.
A Big Choice Awaits the Forum Enthusiast
In this two part article we look at the anatomy of poker forums and shine a light on a small sample of them. RGP is highlighted as an originator; BARGE is spotlighted for its expanded appeal; twoplustwo demonstrates the results of harnessing a significant audience through the use of moderators; Wednesday Poker Discussion Group showcases the ability? of a forum to be combined with live events to enhance communication within a city and beyond it; and finally we get insights from pocketfives.com which focused from the beginning on making?sense of? forum contributors as much as the contributions; chasing down? ?Who ?s Who? among the most avid anonymous posters around the globe. ? Who are the key players? Who are the moderators? Do moderated forums stymie free speech? Do they enhance civil discourse? Should anonymous posters be taken seriously? How do you follow a thread? How have poker forums affected industry movers and shakers?positively or negatively? Do flamers succeed in trouncing their prey? How does one counteract a smear campaign? Will the Internet veer toward lawlessness?or more conventional rules applied to libel in the foreseeable future? Who's posts should? you trust? ?And, most important of all---how can you figure out who and what is reliable when you find the information at an online poker forum. ?
These are questions that have been asked and answered across the country in a six month nationwide probe into the world of poker forums?including conversations with founders of sites, well-known posters, moderators and lesser known participants as well as a world of savvy lurkers that rarely express their views for public consumption.
Poker Forums: Poker Strategy
?Let us begin the journey with a tip of the hat to all of the forums that offer strategy discussions, coaching, and training and related videos as well as poker book reviews, general gambling advice, reliable referrals to accounting and legal services etc. All of the sites in our sample are known for these discussions, but for the most part we point the laser beam on participant involvement and commitment to inform, debate, advocate, and challenge poker businesses and poker?poker players.?As one sage poker forum poster quipped, "Beyond the insular community of my poker friends,?I am? caught up in daily discussions?about matters of money, reputation, and stature." And so it is on poker forums!?? ? The analysis of gossip and news on these forums is variably illuminating,??often transmitted from behind a curtain of hidden identity, rarely mistake-free, and too frequently?presented as gospel?at least until the first vociferous critic takes the stage. But there is no denying that?forums?present myriad opportunities and used artfully have an abundance of merit.
PokerStars Respects the Online Poker Community
PokerStars is a prime example of a company that has taken advantage of the benefits.?A uniquely enlightened small company, in its earliest days, Poker Stars saw the wisdom of following the conversations at the?emerging poker forums, taking note of articulate and sound thinkers for roles in their nascent operations, including the company's top executive in marketing.? ? Some ten years later,?in a splashy brochure for the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, the Company cited the importance of feedback it received over the years and personnel selections it made from the this community. And?even while in?the midst of its feud with the US Department of Justice last year,??the Company? green lighted (quietly) the sponsorship of a lavish banquet? for online forum enthusiasts who had taken to a land-based??casino to party and talk poker,?signaling its continued support of a vibrant interactive poker community far beyond its immediate market.?
History of Poker Forums
Now, let us turn back the clock of time to trace a bit of history in the world of online poker discussion groups.?? Rec.gambling. was established in 1989; it notably attracted?hard core gamblers fixated on the development of winning systems. In the early 90?s it attracted to its ranks card aficionados beyond blackjack counters and?gamers skillful at bankroll management.?The poker players?soon overtook part of the discussions, demanding?a sub-set? which came to be known?as rec.gambling.poker?around 1995.
In 1991, however, the first BARGE event was established?before it became known either as the Big August (or Annual) Rec(reational) Gambling Excursion. The excursions of? online forum members?to brick and mortar casinos?were an immediate success. BARGE has not only survived to become the poker forum with perhaps the broadest intellectual exchanges, but also it has spawned many regional members to plan special live events around the country with other ?ARG? gatherings?annually over the years.
By most accounts, however, it was poker author and theorist, Mason Malmuth who most effectively harnessed broqad scale interest?in moderated online poker discussions. He has grown the twoplustwo poker forum into a must read site for movers and shakers of the poker world, devotees of the game, mainstream media focused on the business of poker, and? government officials tasked with poker-based investigations. While ?RGP? posters may have gotten ?their biggest publicity boost from a trio of cheaters who long monopolized the forum with criticism of casinos and players they themselves had taken to the cleaners, other forums gained steam with less volatile fare. Some emerged as great strategy discussion sites,others served special interests of an online poker gaming site to build a customer base.?Others? have had more pointed appeal?such as the Wednesday Poker Discussion Group which got its start in Atlantic City but later?took up?residence in the City of Las Vegas with a welcoming forum and land-based- events for its cultivated membership and guests from around the world.? ?
And?the initiative of a couple of other curious poker players interested in learning who was who?among their forum??brethren on poker forums, opened up pocketfives.com? with a dogged determination to?build a loyal client base not just with interesting topics for discussion , but with more knowledge as to?identity of? major contributors in the online poker forum world.
Next PPN Tips Off Readers on the Ins and Outs of Poker Forums
The value in a poker?forum ?lies in understanding its mission, its population, its most prolific speakers,??its controls and the quality of a given contribution. The devil is in the details!? Part 2 of this article? addresses these issues in the next edition of? PPN.
Editor?s Note: Wendeen H. Eolis is CEO of Eolis International Group, an internationally recognized legal consultancy?legal consultancy. Ms. Eolis has?also?served as first assistant/ senior advisor to NY Governor George E. Pataki. Her responsibilities included gaming affairs and an initiative to legalize gambling. A proponent of poker as a game of skill, Ms. Eolis has to her credit 10 record-setting performances for a woman in major tournament competition including? first woman to cash at the WSOP main event? (and first to do so twice) and winner?of the European Open. This article and related research is part of material planned for use in connection with other writings of the author. She can be reached at?eolis@eolis.com?and at the website?www.eolis.com?you can also find her on?Facebook?and?LinkedIn.
Marriage and divorce are huge decisions and both are not made hastily. At Fields and Dennis, we deal with the repercussions of divorce on a daily basis, finding resolutions to some of the most difficult situations. Divorce is not something easily decided upon by our clients, but sometimes it is the only solution. In our ever-changing society, we must adapt to newly emerging concerns and issues that arise in our technology-driven world.
Relationships are complex, unique, and ever changing. An article from the largest Psychology website in China [www lansin. com] recently explored the benefits of social media on marriage and how social media may also negatively enforce existing problems within failing relationships headed for divorce.
The article examines how Sina Weibo, China?s social media network on par with Facebook and Twitter, has provided a resource for married couples in need of new outlets of communication. We are all too familiar with the affects of social media on interpersonal relationships and it is usually negative tales of infidelity and deceit.? It is rare we hear an account of social media positively impacting a couple?s relationship.? Yet it appears that in China, for couples using Sina Weibo, it might be the case ? when used correctly and respectfully.
The amount of time spent on social media is tremendous. While it won?t necessarily fix a relationship headed for divorce, the Lansin article argues that it is a way to share interests and start conversations. The article offers the example of a married couple who used a celebrity divorce story posted to the outlet to spark conversation on divorce and their own marriage.
According to a translation of the original article from womenofchina. cn, ?Over 70 percent of a couple?s daily discussion topics come from Weibo.? It is, after all, the leading source of entertainment and news, updating as consistently as Twitter.
Yet, it is not all positive. Social media can impact a marital relationship through what a couple posts to their accounts. How beneficial is posting photos of one?s wedding, children or new home? Obviously, the happy married life depicted on social media outlets may not represent the full picture of a couple?s situation. In this respect the posting has more to do with how they wish others to perceive the relationship. Yet problems linger that are unknowable from an outside perspective and failing marriages come off idyllic based solely on social media representation.
According to the article, more well-known Weibo celebrity users, including Chinese actress Yao Chen, who often posted about her happy marriage had their relationship end publicly in divorce. The original article cites marriage and family counselor Zhang Xin, who explains that recently married couples feel the need to brag about their newlywed life online. Zhang Xin furthers that ?Some just want to show off because they may not feel confident or secure in their marriage. They should concentrate on their real lives rather than waste time and energy on showing off on Weibo.?
There appears to be both positives and negatives associated with the popularity of social media and its impact on marriages and divorce. While it can be a tool to a stronger and more connected partnership, it can also cause existing problems to intensify. It is interesting to think about something as trivial as one?s social media account playing such an important role in a marriage, and yet it seems that in today?s social media driven world it should not be too quickly overlooked.
, 27 February 2013 -- BedandbreakfastEuro.com is the European's leading online Bed and Breakfast reservations agency by room nights sold, attracting hundred of thousand visitors each month via the Internet from both leisure and business markets worldwide.
BedandbreakfastEuro.com is the European's leading online Bed and Breakfast reservations agency by room nights sold, attracting hundred of thousand visitors each month via the Internet from both leisure and business markets worldwide.
BedandbreakfastEuro.com provides online local search capabilities for its visitors. A typical search includes what the user is seeking (B&B , bed and breakfast, Inn, Accomodation in Europe etc.) and the location from which the search is to be performed, entered as a specific address, neighborhood, city/state combination, or zip code.
Each business listing result contains a 5-point rating, reviews from other site visitors, and details such as the business address, hours, accessibility, and parking.
Site visitors can aid in keeping the business listings up to date, with moderator approval, and business owners can directly update their own listing information.
Site visitors can also make an online reservation for a room in just 3 steps.
Listings and related content are organized by city and a multi-tier categorization system. Content and listings can also be discovered through categorized reviews or via BedandbreakfastEuro member profiles and their review lists.
People are willing to pay up to 99 percent more for services after reading positive online reviews about them, according to new research.
Maps leveraging Google Maps show reviewed businesses to further aid in business discovery.
The information is available for free in English, German and Italian.
Bed and Breakfast provide mutual benefits for both the visitor and the operator. Visitors have the opportunity for a relaxing break in a homely environment. Operators have the opportunity to develop a profitable business, make new friends and contacts, understand the cultures and lifestyles of others, and to educate guests about their way of life.
Generally, guests are accommodated in private bedrooms with private bathrooms, or in a suite of rooms including an en suite bathroom. Some homes have private bedrooms with a bathroom which is shared with other guests. Breakfast is served in the bedroom, a dining room, or the host's kitchen.
The main objective of BedandbreakfastEuro.com is to provide the best possible assistance to people making decisions when planning their Bed and Breakfast holiday in Europe.
Plan your holiday in B&B in Europe now online on http://www.bedandbreakfasteuro.com
# # #
Submitted by waqar on Wednesday, 27 February 2013 at 5:52 PM Category: Business
The next frontier in electronics are the flexible, stretchable kind. Yes, that means a rubber, bouncy smartphone (eventually), but it also means heart monitors threaded into cardiac tissue. For devices like that to work, they require flexible, stretchable batteries. And such batteries are here, according to researchers who just published their work.
Yonggang Huang, an engineer at Northwestern University, created the battery with materials wizard John Rogers at the University of Illinois, who received the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2011 for his work on flexible electronics designed for integration with the human body.
How much give and take does the invention allow? ?We can stretch the device a great deal ? up to about 300 percent ? and still have a working battery,? Huang noted. (Please don't try that with your smartphone's battery.)
?Such stretchable batteries enable true integration with stretchable electronics in a small package,? Huang told NBC News in an email.
The background of the research team means that medical applications will be primarily targeted, but there are other applications for bendy batteries such as wearable solar cells and electric-eye cameras that make studio-quality photographs.
The flexible lithium-ion battery reported today in the journal Nature Communications completes the flexible electronics package with a cordless power source. When the battery runs out of juice after about eight hours, it is recharged wirelessly.
To make the battery, the researchers start with tiny, individual, rigid battery storage components arranged next to each other. The bendy and stretchy characteristics stem from tightly packed, wavy wires that connect these components.
?When we stretch the battery, the wavy interconnects unravels, much like yarn unspooling, while the storage components almost keep undeformed, because of their much larger rigidity than the interconnects? Huang explained.
The breakthrough was demonstrated with a light emitting diode that continues to work when stretched, folded and twisted on a human elbow. It continued to work well through 20 recharge cycles.
John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks jumped on Tuesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke reassured investors about the continuation of stimulus measures, bucking a downward trend in global equities and the euro on the uncertainty created by Italy's election.
A closely watched gauge of European stock market volatility hit a 2013 high after the muddy election outcome in Italy raised fresh concern about the outlook for the euro zone's debt crisis.
Investors are fearful that the strength of the vote for anti-austerity parties will weaken efforts to reform Italy's public finances and its labor laws, damaging the euro zone's efforts to resolve its three-year old debt crisis.
Markets across Europe fell on the vote results, with Italy's FTSE MIB among the hardest hit, tumbling 4.9 percent.
"This should remind us the crisis has only been in remission," said Bruce McCain, chief investment strategist at Key Private Bank in Cleveland, Ohio.
The uncertainty led to a sharp rise in volatility, with Europe's VSTOXX index, which reflects demand for protection against a drop in major European equities, hitting a new year's high on Tuesday at 24.73.
The MSCI world equity index was down 0.5 percent, while the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index ended 1.4 percent lower.
Southern European government bond prices sank. Italy's 10-year bond yields rose as much as half a point to 4.86 percent, their highest since mid-December.
U.S. stocks climbed as Bernanke strongly defended the Fed's bond-buying stimulus, easing worries that monetary policymakers might be getting cold feet about continuing the extraordinary measures to support the economy.
Bernanke "certainly said everything the market needed to feel in order to get comfortable again," said Peter Kenny, managing director at Knight Capital in Jersey City, New Jersey.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 117.34 points, or 0.85 percent, at 13,901.51. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 9.09 points, or 0.61 percent, at 1,496.94. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 14.22 points, or 0.46 percent, at 3,130.47.
In the foreign exchange market, the euro dropped against the dollar and remained highly susceptible to further selling as political gridlock in Italy caused the government's borrowing costs to jump.
"Events in Italy show that politicians are pushing back at fiscal austerity measures," said Paul Robson, currency strategist at RBS. "It is negative for the euro."
The euro last traded at $1.3048, down 0.1 percent on the day, but above a low of $1.3017 hit during early London hours, which was the lowest level since January 7. Against the yen, the euro last traded down 0.6 percent at 119.24 yen.
The dollar erased early gains and was down for a second straight day against the yen. It last traded at 91.34 yen, down 0.5 percent on the day and not far from a low of 90.92 yen on Monday, its lowest in nearly a month.
The Italian elections weighed on oil prices. Brent crude oil futures fell by more than $2 a barrel to $112.41, touching the lowest level since January 24. Brent crude for April delivery was down $1.94 at $112.50.
U.S. BONDS SLIP
The fear of an uncertain political and economic landscape in Italy, along with Bernanke's comments, inspired a persistent bid for U.S. debt, cushioning a fall in Treasury prices.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was down 4/32, with the yield at 1.8774 percent.
U.S. financial markets were rattled last week when minutes of the Fed's January meeting showed some officials were thinking of scaling back its monetary stimulus earlier than expected.
In his testimony, Bernanke also urged lawmakers to avoid sharp spending cuts set to start taking effect on Friday.
"Bernanke's commentary showed the Fed chairman wants to continue quantitative easing (i.e. bond purchases) and keep its general stance of monetary policy accommodation," said Eric Stein, vice president and portfolio manager at Boston-based Eaton Vance Investment Managers.
The Fed is currently buying $85 billion in bonds each month and has said it plans to keep purchasing assets until it sees a substantial improvement in the outlook for the labor market.
Adding to support for U.S. stocks, U.S. home prices closed out 2012 with the biggest annual gain in more than six years, according to the S&P/Case Shiller index. U.S. government data showed that sales of new homes spiked in January, the latest sign that the long-suffering housing market was on the mend.
A separate report showed U.S. consumer confidence rose more than expected this month as Americans shrugged off worries about fiscal policy.
(Additional reporting by Ryan Vlastelica, Ellen Freilich and Julie Haviv in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler and Leslie Adler)
A 15-year-old rape victim from the island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll was convicted of premarital sex at the Juvenile Court today and sentenced to 100 lashes and eight months of house arrest.
In June 2012, the girl gave birth to a baby that was discovered buried in the outdoor shower area of her home.?Her stepfather was later charged with child sexual abuse, possession of pornographic materials and committing premeditated murder.
Her mother was meanwhile charged with concealing a crime and failing to report child sexual abuse to the authorities.
An official from the Prosecutor General (PG)?s office told Minivan News in January this year that the fornication charges against the minor were related to a separate offence of premarital sex that emerged during the police investigation. The charges were filed on November 25, 2012.
In its verdict delivered today, the Juvenile Court ordered the state to transfer the girl to the Children?s Home in Villigili to enforce the sentence of eight months house arrest, according to local media reports.
The girl reportedly confessed at the trial to having consensual premarital sex.
The Islamic Shariah punishment of flogging would be administered when the girl turns 18. However, the sentence could be implemented earlier should the minor request expedition, a court official explained to local media.
In late January, the PG?s Office told Minivan News that it was reviewing the decision to press charges against the minor. Two hearings at the Juvenile Court were subsequently cancelled upon request by the PG.
However, the trial resumed after the PG decided earlier this month?not to withdraw the charges.
Officials from the PG were unavailable today to clarify whether the male offender faced the same charge of premarital sex.
The case of the 15 year-old had prompted concern from the executive following international media coverage. The government?announced last month that it would review and ?correct? laws that victimise young women and minors who have suffered sexual abuse.
President?s Office Spokesperson Masood Imad told Minivan News that from government?s perspective, the 15 year-old girl was a victim who needed to be?protected, not punished by authorities.
?We will be talking with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs over this manner and will review and correct the problem,? he said.
Masood said that the Maldives had experienced a number of similar cases of late where young women had been victimised and punished by authorities ? a situation he said the government was looking to prevent.
?We are reviewing this right now and if we have to go to the extent of changing existing laws then we would look to do this,? he said.
?Absolute outrage?
The criminal charges against the minor was slammed by Amnesty International last month, which called the prosecution ?an absolute outrage.?
?This is an absolute outrage, regardless of the reason for her charges. Victims of rape or other forms of sexual abuse should be given counselling and support ? not charged with a crime,? said Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International?s Maldives Researcher.
?We urge the Maldivian authorities to immediately drop all charges against the girl, ensure her safety and provide her with all necessary support.
?Flogging is a violation of the absolute prohibition on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. The Maldivian authorities should immediately end its use regardless of circumstances. The fact that this time a 15-year old girl who has suffered terribly is at risk makes it all the more reprehensible,? said Faiz.
?Flogging is not only wrong and humiliating, but can lead to long-term psychological as well as physical scars.?
In response to a Minivan News report in 2009 of an 18 year-old woman fainting after a 100 lashes, Amnesty International called for a moratorium on the ?inhumane and degrading punishment.?
Of the 184 people sentenced to public flogging in 2006, 146 were female, making it nine times more likely for women to be punished.
In November 2011, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay urged the authorities to impose a moratorium on flogging and to foster national dialogue and debate ?on this issue of major concern.?
?This practice constitutes one of the most inhumane and degrading forms of violence against women, and should have no place in the legal framework of a democratic country,? the UN human rights chief told MPs during a maiden visit to the Maldives.
Her remarks sparked protests by Islamic groups outside the UN building and drew condemnation from the Islamic Ministry, NGOs and political parties.
According to statistics from the Department of Judicial Administration, almost 90 percent of those convicted of fornication in 2011 was female.
Of 129 fornication cases in 2011, 104 people were sentenced, out of which 93 were female. This included 10 underage girls, 79 women aged 18-40 and and four women above 40 years.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Oscar Pistorius on Monday informed South African authorities that he wants to resume athletic training while on bail for the murder case against him, a government official said.
A spokeswoman for the Olympic runner, however, denied that he was making immediate plans to return to the track while awaiting trial for the Feb. 14 shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
"Absolutely not," said spokeswoman Janine Hills. "He is currently in mourning and his focus is not on his sports."
The double-amputee Paralympian discussed bail terms with his probation officer and a correctional official at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court in the capital, Hills said. The guidelines will determine his daily routine until his next court appearance on June 4.
"It's his wish to continue to practice," James Smalberger, chief deputy commissioner of the department of correctional services, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
Smalberger said the issue came up because authorities need to know his movements whenever he leaves the home where he is staying.
The timing of any resumption of training was uncertain.
Pistorius' longtime coach, Ampie Louw, declined to comment on any training plans for the runner, referring questions to a spokeswoman for the athlete's family.
Louw had said when the runner was in detention that he wanted to put him back into training in the event that he was granted bail. But he had also said Pistorius could be "heartbroken" and unwilling to immediately run again.
Pistorius, who was released on bail Friday, is staying at the house of his uncle, Arnold, in the affluent suburb of Waterkloof in Pretoria. He faces life imprisonment if convicted.
Pistorius is charged with premeditated murder in the killing of Steenkamp, in the early hours of Valentine's Day. Prosecutors say the pair had an argument before Steenkamp was killed; Pistorius says he mistook her for an intruder and shot her accidentally.
Smalberger said officials will visit Pistorius at his uncle's home at least four times a month, and that the runner indicated his interest in training again. More planning must occur before the start of any training.
"We want a training program from his coach so that we have backup for his movements," Smalberger said.
"He's not under house arrest, but his movements need to be known to us so that we don't pitch there and he's not there," he said. "We agree on 'free time' normally during the course of the day, and in the evening we expect him to be home."
Pistorius' 2013 season had been geared towards the Aug. 10-18 World Championships in Moscow, where the South African 4x400 relay team will be trying for another medal to add to the silver it won at the 2011 edition.
Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair had set bail at 1 million rand ($113,000). The 26-year-old track star was also ordered to hand over his passports, turn in any guns he owns and keep away from his upscale home in a gated community in Pretoria, the scene of the crime.
He cannot leave the district of Pretoria without his probation officer's permission and is not allowed to consume drugs or alcohol, the magistrate said.
If you want to find happiness and self-fulfillment, you need to focus on yourself. Think about ways to improve your personality, your character, the type of person you are ? then act on them. At least that?s what the world usually tells you.
The Academy Award-nominated movie ?Silver Linings Playbook,? on the other hand, presents a more complex solution ? a solution that also involves the exact opposite advice.
Bradley Cooper stars as Pat Solitano, a husband who wound up in a mental institution for eight months after he beat up and nearly killed the man with whom his wife, Nikki, was having an affair. The incident was prompted by more than just anger though. Pat suffered from bipolar disorder, OCD and severe mood swings which had never been diagnosed.
When Pat?s mother, Dolores (Jacki Weaver), gets him out of the institution to live at home with her and his father, Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro), it?s obvious that Pat is still deeply troubled emotionally and mentally. To give himself direction to win back his wife, who has a restraining order against him, he keeps repeating the motto, ?Excelsior,? meaning ?ever upward.? He also tells himself, ?I?m gonna take all this negativity and I?m gonna use it as fuel, I?m gonna find a silver lining.?
Pat soon meets Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence in her Oscar-winning role), a young widow who is struggling with her own set of mental and emotional issues after her police officer husband is killed. Though they don?t exactly establish a friendship right away, the brokenness each of them brings to the table draws them to each other. They?re also alternately attracted and repelled by the fact that they each say anything that pops into their minds without applying the filter that most of us have in social situations. In other words, they?re a handful.
Because of the restraining order, Pat isn?t allowed to contact Nikki, so he asks Tiffany to get a letter to her explaining how he?s changed. In return, Tiffany wants a favor from Pat. In order to get her mind off her troubles, she?s signed up for a dancing competition and needs a partner. He reluctantly agrees and the two start training together, while also getting to know and rely on each other on a much deeper level.
Some people have praised ?Silver Linings Playbook? for the way it presents the struggle against mental illness. I don?t have any personal knowledge of that topic, so I can?t say how accurate the movie?s treatment is.
What I did see, however, is that Pat?s mental and emotional state started improving more when he stripped the focus off himself and onto the goal of helping Tiffany.
For years, Pat?s focus had been on himself because Nikki never seemed to love him for who he was. He admits they went into the marriage with the goal of changing each other and keeps insisting that?s normal. In reality, that?s only normal for people in troubled marriages ? or between couples who probably never should have gotten together in the first place.
When Pat gets out of the institution, he wants nothing more than to restore his marriage and finally become the man Nikki wanted him to be. He starts reading her favorite books, like Ernest Hemingway?s ?A Farewell to Arms,? but can?t deal with the fact that it has an unhappy ending. Along with this, he still struggles to admit to himself that he suffers from genuine mental problems.
Even though Pat seems to be focusing on Nikki?s needs, he?s really still steeped in his own illusion of what their relationship was. In that sense, there remains a level of self-absorption in his struggle.
Tiffany has her own self-absorption issues. After her husband was killed, she started living a sexually promiscuous lifestyle because she blamed herself for his death. (It makes sense in the context of the story; I?m just trying not to give too much away.) Misplaced guilt can be its own form of self-absorption.
When we meet Tiffany, though, she?s fighting to move forward and forgive herself for past mistakes. She?s also willing to accept herself, flaws and all.
With Tiffany, Pat finds someone who challenges him, but who also accepts him. She sees the brokenness inside him and is reminded of the brokenness within herself. There?s a wonderul scene in which one of Tiffany?s former lovers comes to the door of her parents? home looking for her because he wants to ?get together.? Pat is there at the same time and sends him away, telling him that Tiffany is a nice girl, not an object to be used for his own gratification. Tiffany overhears this and gets a view of herself that she hasn?t heard for a long time. Pat?s opinion of her buoys her opinion of herself.
When the two of them start training for the dance competition, it accomplishes their goal of taking their minds off their own problems. Ironically, Pat finds his best self when he forgets about himself, when he becomes immersed in the dancing and in his feelings and responsibilities toward Tiffany. She also finds the healing she?s been looking for through her attempts to help Pat move forward with his life.
Though the movie isn?t at all overtly religious, the undercurrent of self-forgetfulness ? of lifting yourself up by loving someone else ? is a major presence in the story, much like it is in Christianity. It?s a method that should be in the playbook of anyone who is in pursuit of a silver lining.
(?Silver Linings Playbook? is rated R for foul language, sexual themes, and adult themes.)
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sqipPHYTFa3ZV2vP_QV_FF8uybrK9B4Qsk5hpA065IagNIZZHlVfk6xNvQ54qT0eHSyDOSKS0VT1EQVKIoj4FZ3rYfFEH9dr04OC9l7iM=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 28-Feb-2013
Share ] 
If you want to find happiness and self-fulfillment, you need to focus on yourself. Think about ways to improve your personality, your character, the type of person you are ? then act on them. At least that?s what the world usually tells you.
Pat soon meets Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence in her Oscar-winning role), a young widow who is struggling with her own set of mental and emotional issues after her police officer husband is killed. Though they don?t exactly establish a friendship right away, the brokenness each of them brings to the table draws them to each other. They?re also alternately attracted and repelled by the fact that they each say anything that pops into their minds without applying the filter that most of us have in social situations. In other words, they?re a handful.
When the two of them start training for the dance competition, it accomplishes their goal of taking their minds off their own problems. Ironically, Pat finds his best self when he forgets about himself, when he becomes immersed in the dancing and in his feelings and responsibilities toward Tiffany. She also finds the healing she?s been looking for through her attempts to help Pat move forward with his life.