スケーラブルプログラミングp.219から少し。

1「ふるまいが再利用されないような場合」なら、具象クラスにする。

2「複数の無関係なクラスで再利用される可能性がある」なら、トレイトにする。

3「Javaコードを継承できるようにしたい場合」は、抽象クラスを使う。

4「ライブラリー」をコンパイル後の形態で配布したい場合」には、抽象クラスを使った方が良いかもしれない。(外部でトレイトを継承しているクラスを使うと、トレイトのメンバー獲得／喪失時に外部側の再コンパイルが必要になる。)

5「処理効率が非常に重視される場合」には、クラスを使った方が良いかもしれない。(Javaはインタフェースよりクラスの方が速い。トレイトはインタフェースとしてコンパイルされるので、ややオーバーヘッドがかかる)

6「以上を検討してみて、まだどちらが良いかはっきりしない場合」、まずトレイとにしてみるのが良いであろう。

個人的に特に気をつけないとなと思ったのは、4でした。トレイトの使い方によっては
、アプリの組み方ががらっと変わってきそうですね。

Coach O (R) with Tommy Amaker as Head Coach @ Seton Hall

I will post final results next week: THANK YOU for participating!

~ Coach O

————————————-

Sésame: Quand le creux étonne le plein. Ou comment construire un objet autour de son creux plutôt qu’en plein ?

La suite dans la catégorie produit!

昨日、1年ぶりぐらいにGP（General Practitioner、家庭医/一般医）に行ってきた。こちらの国営医療サービス（NHS: National Health Service）は無料で有り難いんだけれど、何事にも忍耐が必要だ。私のGPの予約は通常、約1週間先。今回は女医の方をとお願いしたら、なんと2週間待ち。ちなみに2008年10月の調査によると、誰もが2営業日以内にGPの診療を受けられるという目標を達成したGPは、たったの31％だったそうだ。1週間以内にたいてい快復するので、今はよっぽどのことでない限りGPには行かない。軽い症状の場合は、NHS Directの電話サービスに電話したりするのだが、これもあまり使えない。電話でこちらの容態を伝えた後、看護婦が電話をかけ直してくるシステムなのだが、すぐにはかかってこない。先日電話した際は、豚インフルエンザの影響からか、かかって来たのは4時間後だった。しかも、アドバイスは大したことはなく、蜂蜜をお湯に溶かして飲みなさいとか、咳がひどい時は横向きに寝なさいとか、おばあちゃんの知恵袋以上のことは言ってくれない。これなら自分でネットサーチした方が、よっぽど有益だわ。緊急の場合は、A&E（Accident & Emergency、救急病棟）かWalk-in Clinic（軽い怪我、軽症を治療する予約不要の診療所）、Minor Injuries units（MIUs、軽傷を治療する診療所）に行くというチョイスもある。しかし数が少なく近所にないので、はるばる出かけないといけない。したがって、私たちにとっては、これもよっぽどの際の選択肢だ。しかも、A&Eの待ち時間は、悪名高い日本の大学病院の待ち時間以上に長いこともある。A&Eの達成目標は待ち時間4時間以内。2004年の記事ではイングランドの96％のA&Eが達成したそうけれど、4時間待ちって、健康な人でもかなり辛いのでは？？

またイギリスでは、日本のように好きな医者、病院に直接行くことはできず、何事においても、まずは自分のエリアで登録したGPに行ってから事が始まる。彼らは一般医なので基本的なことしか分からないから、詳しい検査や専門的な知識が必要な時は、専門医や総合病院へ紹介されるのだが、これも時間がかかる。まずGPに申込書を書いてもらって、当該病院にファックス。それから２週間以内に書面で連絡が来る。それから予約日を決めるのだが、私がアレルギーテストを受けた際は、予約日を決める電話から3ヶ月後だった（待ち時間は診療科、地域によって異なる）。今回、ある検査を受けるように言われたのだが、いつになるかな？NHSのウェブサイトによると、治療を受けるまでにかかる期間の達成目標18週間をクリア、入院治療の平均待ち時間は8.6週、通院治療は4.6週と、過去最短を記録したらしい。でも、あんまり自慢できる成果ではないと思うんだけれども。。。

それにしてもイギリス人は忍耐強いなあと思う。イギリスでは行列は日常茶飯事。ATM、スーパー、郵便局、切符売り場等々、文句も言わず整然と列に並んで辛抱強く待つのは、典型的なイギリス人の特徴だ。それとも、これは患者をいらいらさせて、プライベートの健康保険に加入させ（2007年度の統計では、12.5％のイギリス人はプライベートの医療保険をかけている）、公共医療費を押さえるための策略か？？

I went to see my GP (General Practitioner) yesterday, one year after my last visit. It is great that UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is free, but you need a great patience for everything. Normally I have to wait about a week to see my GP with my surgery. As I requested a female doctor this time, it took even longer for 2 weeks!! According to the Guardian, in 2008 only 31% of practices met the target that every patient should be able to see a GP within two working days. I usually recover before the appointment day, so I rarely go to the surgery because it is no point to go. If my problem is not serious, I call up NHS Direct telephone service sometimes, but it is not much help either. The system is that you call and leave your details, and the nurse in charge call us back later, but they don’t ring you right away. Last time I called them few weeks ago, I got a phone call after 4 hours, due to the swine flu chaos. Their advise is not so much better than the grandmother’s wisdom, such as drinking hot water with honey or lie down on your side when you have a cough, sort of thing. It’s much faster to search myself online!! If it is an emergency, there are three choices: A&E (Accident & Emergency), Walk-in Clinic or Minor Injuries units (MIUs). However, there are not many of those around us and we have to go all the way there when we are sick/injured – therefore only for a special occasion for us as well. The target waiting time for A&E is within 4 hours. 96% of A&E in England achieved the target in 2004, according to BBC, but isn’t it exhausting even for healthy person to sit on your butt for 4 hours??

In UK, you cannot go any doctors or specialists of your choice, unless you see the GP you registered first. GPs usually know only basics (less than basic sometimes), and you need to obtain a referral letter from your GP to take tests or to receive a treatment – but this process also takes time. First a GP has to fill out the form, to send a fax to the hospital, to receive a correspondence within 2 weeks, and then to set up the appointment. It took 3 months since the phone call to make the appointment, when I took allergy tests (waiting time varies based your problem and the area you live).  I was told take a certain test this time – I am wondering when it will be. Let’s see. According to NHS website, NHS had met its “18 weeks” waiting time target, whereby patients referred from a GP for further treatment start that treatment within 18 weeks. The average wait for treatment for patients admitted to hospital is 8.6 weeks, and 4.6 weeks for out-patients, as of January 2009. It is supposed to be the shortest in their record, but is it the number they can proud of??

I really believe that British are very patient. Queueing is one of their national hobby. ATM, supermarket, post office, train ticket machines etc. – patiently and orderly waiting on a line without complaining is one of the typical British traits. Or is it a NHS conspiracy to irritate people so that more people get private medical insurance and therefore suppress the NHS medical cost (12.5% of the UK population has private medical insurance policies in 2007) ??

I never believed in personality tests, until I took this one. It’s a Myers Briggs personality test, and I took it for psychology class whilst we were studying personality traits and it ended up telling me I have an INFP personality. Anyway, I have no highly intellectual thoughts for tonight, so I thought I’d leave you with the report I had to type up about my personality type. You get to learn more about yours truly and if you’re an INFP, maybe yourself. I just found it interesting to see all my qualities come up in that one little result. Of course, there are probably people who are exceptions. But nevertheless, enjoy my lovely report.

INFP personality types are known as idealists, with INFP being short for Introverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving (Introverted Feeling with Extraverted Intuition). INFP personality types are intuitive, and focus on dealing about things in terms of how they feel about them or how moral or immoral they feel the issue is. Individuals with an INFP personality type are very goal oriented, and are idealists and perfectionists who will work hard to achieve their goals once they identify them. The primary goal of an INFP personality type is to find the underlying truth within events, and INFPs carefully sort through the knowledge they are presented with to see if it can help them refine their ultimate goal in life. This goal is commonly to help others and to make the world a better place.

INFPs are also highly interested in people and the society around them, and although may not be highly sociable, are good listeners, have a great amount of compassion for those close to them, put people at ease and are trustworthy. However, INFPs greatly dislike conflict. INFPs will always approach conflict by siding with not which side is right but which side appeals more to their feelings, making them irrational and illogical in conflict situations. When their own code of moral conduct is threatened, INFPs fight aggressively for their “cause”, another project or job for them to complete which they will cover determinately in detail. This counter balances the INFPs’ mediator quality, as they are good at sorting out conflicts because they are able to use their intuition to help understand people.

Other weaknesses of INFPs can include avoiding maintenance duties such as house cleaning, being shy and reserved, become easily annoyed when their own space is disturbed, a dislike of criticism, a need to receive praise, negative emotional reactions under stress, have difficulty in leaving a relationship and punishing others, have a low self opinion, are control freaks, have a reservedness about expressing themselves, find it hard to balance work and everyday life and have a tendency for self blame (usually because they set standards that are too high for them to achieve). INFPs are also generally bad at maths, because their humanistic judgement makes it hard for them to see the necessity of impersonal judgement.

INFPs are recommended to take up a career in social service professions, or writing. Though INFPs have problems expressing how they feel out loud, they are more comfortable with expressing how they feel in words. Recommended careers for INFPs are subsequently writers, counsellors, social workers, teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists, musicians and religious workers. Commonly, INFPs who develop their skills become humanistic catalysts in world events.

In terms of relationships, INFPs are deep and caring lovers. They are reserved about who they will express their innermost feelings to, and are very selective when it comes to choosing a partner. Because they are introverts, INFPs initially find it hard to trust others, but will become loyal, supportive and nurturing once committed in a relationship. In their partners, INFP personality types look for somebody who will understand the INFP’s perspective and hold the same values. However, an INFP may become uncharacteristically aggressive towards their partner if they violate their principles.

Sources: http://www.personalitypage.com/INFP.html, http://www.personalitypage.com/INFP_rel.html, http://www.personalitypage.com/INFP_car.html

x Gezza

Huile sur toile – 2m45/2m20

As with any kind of management, implementing a sales program involves motivating and directing the behavior of other people—the members of the sales force. To be effective, the sales manager must understand why the people in his or her sales force behave the way they do. Then policies and procedures can be designed to direct their behavior toward the desired objectives.

The model of the activities involved in implementing a sales program suggests that five factors influence a sales rep’s job behavior and performance:

1. Environmental variables: Regardless of how highly motivated or competent salespeople are, their ability to achieve a particular level of job performance is influenced—and sometimes constrained—by environmental factors. The ability to reach a given sales volume, for instance, can be affected by such things as the market demand for the product being sold, the number and aggressiveness of competitors, and the health of the economy. Similarly other elements of a firm’s marketing mix, such as the quality of its products and the effectiveness of its advertising, can affect a salesperson’s ability to reach a high level of sales performance.
2. Role perceptions: To perform adequately, a salesperson must understand what the job entails and how it is supposed to be performed. The activities and behaviors associated with a particular job are defined largely by the expectations and demands of other people, both inside and outside the organization. Thus, a salesperson’s job (or role) is defined by the expectations and desires of the customers, sales manager, other company executives, and family members. The salesperson’s ability to do the job well is partly determined by how clearly the sales rep understands those role expectations. Also, the salesperson may sometimes face conflicting demands, as when customer wants a lower price but company management refuses to negotiate. The salesperson’s ability to resolve such conflicts helps determine success or failure on the job.
3. Aptitude: A salesperson’s ability to perform the activities of the job is also influenced by the individual’s personal characteristics, such as personality traits, intelligence, and analytical ability. No matter how hard they try, some people are never successful at selling because they do not have the aptitude for the job. Of course, different kinds of sales jobs involve different tasks and activities, so a person with certain characteristics may be unsuited for one selling job but tremendously successful at another one.
4. Skill levels: Evan when salespeople have the aptitude to do their jobs and an understanding of what they are expected to do, they must have the skills necessary to carry out the required tasks.
5. Motivation level: A salesperson cannot achieve a high level of job performance unless motivated to expend the necessary effort. A person’s motivation is determined by the kind of rewards expected for achieving a given level of performance and by the perceived attractiveness of those anticipated rewards.

A sales manager can use several policies and procedures to influence the aptitude, skill levels, role perceptions, and motivation of the sales force. Implementing a sales program involves designing those policies and procedures so that the job behavior and performance of each salesperson are shaped and directed toward the specified objectives and performance levels.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, Lectures, Line of Sight

Heute möchte ich über Abstraktion mit Traits sprechen, und auch die Verwendung von abstrakten Type-Members, die ich schon hier vorgestellt hatte, mit einem (hoffentlich) etwas geeigneterem Beispiel vertiefen.

Angenommen, man hat die Aufgabe, Prim’s Algorithmus zur Berechnung von minimalen Spannbäumen in ungerichteten Graphen zu implementieren. Aber sollte man den Algorithmus fest verdrahten? Es kommt natürlich auf den jeweiligen Kontext an, aber wenn nichts dagegen spricht, kann es nicht schaden, auch Platz für andere Implementierungen zu lassen, etwa Kruskal’s Algorithmus.

Nun stellt sich die Frage, wie wir unseren Graph repräsentieren wollen. Haben wir eine eigene Graph-Klasse? Oder einfach eine Adjazenz-Matrix? Wenn ja, sollen wir Arrays verwenden oder doch lieber eine Implementierung für schwach besetzte Matritzen? Nun, die eleganteste (wenn auch nicht performanteste) Antwort darauf ist: Es sollte uns völlig egal sein! Und weil man es meiner Meinung nach nicht oft genug wiederholen kann, sage ich es auch nochmal: Es sollte uns völlig egal sein! Wenn wir ein paar grundlegende Operationen auf unserem Graph ausführen können, reicht das für unseren und – potentiell – viele andere Algorithmen aus. Wir abstrahieren!

Bauen wir uns ein Trait, das Typen für einen Graphen sowie seine Knoten und Kanten definiert, und dazu ein paar nützliche Operationen:

//Scala 2.8
import scala.collection.immutable._

trait GraphAdapter {
    type G; //Graph
    type V; //Knoten (Vertex)
    type E; //Kante (Edge)
    def vertexList(g:G):Traversable[V]
    def edges(vertex:V, g:G):Traversable[E]
    def vertices(edge:E, g:G):(V,V)
    def getEdgeOrdering(g:G):Ordering[E]
}

Die Typen habe ich als abstrakte Type-Members repräsentiert, obwohl auch Generics möglich gewesen wären. Aber GraphAdapter soll ja gerade die Abhängigkeit von einer bestimmten Graph-Implentierung beseitigen, insofern schien es mir aus “philosophischer Sicht” nur konsequent, die Typen auch zu “verstecken”. Die aufgelisteten Operationen sind nicht wirklich überraschend, außer vielleicht die letzte: Ordering ist die Scala-Spezialisierung von Java’s Comparator. Für die Berechnung des minimalen Spannbaums braucht man nämlich gar nicht die konkreten Abstände der Knoten, sondern es reicht schon aus, wenn man zwei beliebige Kanten miteinander vergleichen kann (totale Ordnung). Die Rückgabetypen wurden möglichst allgemein gehalten: Statt Set, List u.s.w. wurde deshalb das Supertrait Traversable verwendet.

Wie sieht nun eine konkrete Implementierung aus? Hier eine ziemlich krude Version für Adjazenz-Matrizen:

trait AdjacenceMatrix extends GraphAdapter {
    type G = Array[Array[Option[Int]]]
    type V = Int
    type E = (Int, Int)
    def vertexList(g:G):Traversable[V] = (0 until g.length).force
    def edges(v:V, g:G):Traversable[E] =
       g(v).zipWithIndex.filter(_._1 != None).toList.map(w => (v min w._2, v max w._2))
    def vertices(edge:E, g:G):(V,V) = edge
    def getEdgeOrdering(g:G) = new Ordering[E] {
       def compare(x:E, y:E) = {
           g(x._1)(x._2).get - g(y._1)(y._2).get
       }
    }
}

Knoten sind einfach Ints, Kanten sind Tupel zweier Knoten. Die zweidimensionale Matrix hat allerdings nicht Int als Elementtyp, sondern Option[Int]. Dadurch können “nicht vorhandene Verbindungen” durch None gekennzeichnet werden, so dass man nicht auf gefährliche “magische Werte” (wie -1 oder Integer.MIN_VALUE) zurückgreifen muss. Die edges-Implementierung sieht komplizierter aus, als sie eigentlich ist, was der wenig objektorientierten “low-level” Repräsentation unseres Graphen geschuldet ist.
Die hier verwendete Implementierung ist ziemlich fragil, denn es wird einfach vorausgesetzt, dass die Matrix quadratisch und symmetrisch ist. Für unser Beispiel ist das nicht weiter schlimm, trotzdem sollte man das für ernsthafte Anwendungen nicht unbedingt nachahmen.

Nun schreiben wir ein Trait, das für einen gegebenen Graph-Adapter den Spannbaum berechnet. Damit wir schön abstrakt bleiben, wenn wir den Algorithmus einmal austauschen wollen, haben wir auch ein “abstraktes” Supertrait:

trait MinimalSpanningTree  {
    self:GraphAdapter =>
    def minimalSpanningTree(g:G):Traversable[E]
}

trait PrimMST extends MinimalSpanningTree {
    self:GraphAdapter =>
    def minimalSpanningTree(g:G):Traversable[E] = if(vertexList(g).isEmpty) List[E]() else {
        implicit val edgeOrder:Ordering[E] = getEdgeOrdering(g)
        val vList = vertexList(g)
        val edgeSet = vList.foldLeft(TreeSet[E]())((e,v) => e ++ edges(v,g))
        def loop(vIn:Set[V], vOut:Set[V], mst:Set[E], eOut:Set[E]):Set[E] =
        if (vOut.isEmpty) mst else {
            val newE = eOut.find(e => vIn.contains(vertices(e,g)._1) ||
                vIn.contains(vertices(e,g)._2)).getOrElse(error("disconnected graph"))
            val newV = if (vIn.contains(vertices(newE,g)._1)) vertices(newE,g)._2
                       else vertices(newE,g)._1
            val new_vOut = vOut - newV
            loop(vIn + newV, new_vOut, mst + newE, eOut.filter(e =>
                new_vOut.contains(vertices(e,g)._1) || new_vOut.contains(vertices(e,g)._2)))
        }
        loop(Set(vList.head), Set[V]() ++ vList.tail, Set[E](), edgeSet)
    }
}

Auf die Details des Algorithmus will ich gar nicht weiter eingehen – einen Schönheitspreis wird meine Implementierung bestimmt nicht gewinnen. Die Grundidee ist recht einfach und wird im Wikipedia-Artikel sehr anschaulich dargestellt. Wichtig ist in unserem Beispiel der “Selbsttyp”, das self:GraphAdapter => am Anfang: Damit sagt man dem Trait, dass es nur zu einem GraphAdapter “hinzugemixt” werden darf. Theoretisch könnte man stattdessen auch Vererbung verwenden, aber das wäre semantisch falsch: Der Algorithmus ist kein GraphAdapter, er arbeitet auf einem. Entsprechend werden die GraphAdapter-Operationen auch nicht implementiert, sondern nur benutzt.

Wofür nun der ganze Aufwand? Wir haben damit den Grundstein gelegt für einen kleinen Baukasten, mit dem man nach Lust und Laune Graphen und Algorithmen zusammenstöpseln kann, und es dann “einfach funktioniert”:

val calc = new AdjacenceMatrix with PrimMST
val data = Array(Array(None,    Some(2), Some(2), Some(4)),
                 Array(Some(2), None,    Some(3), None ),
                 Array(Some(2), Some(3), None,    Some(5)),
                 Array(Some(4), None,    Some(5), None))
println(calc.minimalSpanningTree(data))
//--> Set((0,2), (1,2), (0,3))

Ich bin sicher nicht der einzige, dem das erst einmal “ein bisschen zu magisch” vorkommt. Aber gehen wir in uns: Hatten wir nicht alle schon Fälle, wo wir uns geärgert haben, dass diese verdammt komplizierte und clevere Methode, die unser Kollege geschrieben hat, nur mit ints und nicht mit doubles arbeitet? Oder dass diese nützliche Bibliothek leider nur ihre eigenen Datentypen verwendet, die man erst einmal mühselig “von Hand” füllen muss? Hatten wir noch nie Schmerzen bei einem Refactoring, bei dem ein grundlegender Datentyp des Systems geändert werden musste, und damit alles und jedes, was mit ihm irgendwie in Verbindung stand? In solchen und ähnlichen Situationen hätte uns eine abstraktere Implementierung das Leben sehr erleichtert, und Scala hätte uns wiederum bei der Implementierung dieser Abstraktion sehr geholfen.

Unser Beispiel ist auch in anderer Hinsicht interessant: Es wurden keine Klassen verwendet, nur Traits. Sicher, ich hätte z.B. aus AdjacenceMatrix auch eine abstrakte Klasse machen können. Aber Traits erlauben durch die “Zusammensteckbarkeit” (a.k.a. Mixin-Komposition) eine erstaunliche Flexibilität – etwas, mit dem man als “einfach-vererbender” Java-Programmierer erst einmal lernen muss umzugehen. Wenn man keine Konstruktor-Argumente übergeben muss, spricht in Scala kaum etwas dagegen, ein Trait zu verwenden.

Unser Beispiel ist nur eine von den vielen Abstraktions-Möglichkeiten, die Scala bietet. Wer Scala nur als “besseres Java” verwendet, verpasst solche Chancen zu höherer Abstraktion. Natürlich sollte man nicht den Fehler machen, auf Teufel komm raus bis in die Stratosphäre hinein zu abstrahieren, denn wie heißt es so schön: Das Gegenteil eines Fehlers ist wieder ein Fehler. Aber da, wo Abstraktion wirklich gebraucht wird, kann sie unheimlich nützlich sein.

Ich hoffe nur, dass meine Ausführungen jetzt nicht zu abstrakt waren…

Spotted on the internet:

LOVE the music used.

Apparently, this is a really famous test used in the ’60s. Quite intriguing, read about deferred gratification here.

Exerpt from Wiki:

I watch this with amusement and can’t help but imagine that Tristan would swallow his marshmallow even before the tester left the room and hand her the plate for seconds, lol.

One of my favorite people to look to or to quote is Albert Einstein. I think is because we both are so much a like…. (I’ll let that one sink in a bit before I move on…….)

Truthfully I do see a lot of similarities between us, no I am not as smart as him, no were near, but we both share a thinking pattern. For anyone who reads my blogs or knows me personally will know that I am a person with an imagination and a positive attitude. Albert also has this trait, and I have quoted him several times, in fact I have a small postcard of his hanging in my office and I have read biographies on him. I find him to be a very interesting person. I have no ability to understand his math or his logic (most of the time), but I can understand his outlook and his way of dealing with the world. Today as I was thinking I should blog about something, but I didn’t know what. I didn’t want to blog about politics again, not because I don’t have anything to say, because I do, but because both of my blogs are not primary political they are primarily spiritual. So my latest rant concerning Obama will have to wait…. So what than do I blog about. As I often do when I don’t have a solid idea I will look up quotes on the internet (God’s gift for writers block). What I found was this quote from Mr. Einstein:

The important thing is not to stop questioning. -Albert Einstein

I like that, in fact I teach that… I have from the start, I have always valued questions. To me if you are not questioning that you are dead, dead to the topic at hand, dead to the presenter, dead to the faith, dead to what ever it is you are not questioning.

To an insecure presenter or teacher the questions may come across as attacks, as if the questioner is challenging there domain. And they very well may be doing just that, and that’s ok. Hell if it was good enough for old Albert, than it’s good enough for me!

My overriding passion is my faith and teaching my faith to youth. In fact this will be the first time since 1990 that I will not be actively involved in a teaching ministry, but back to my point… My passion is my faith and the passing on of my faith (teaching). Part of this passion is also learning more about my faith on my own and taking formal classes. It is the process of questioning my teachers and my students that grow and learn more. It is the process of questioning that allows my mind to explore other areas it normally would not travel. It allows me the freedom to play the “devils” advocate in the name of knowing.

Questions are what makes America a land of the free, if were are not allowed to question of government, than we are no better than and no different than present day Cuba. Our ability to place our public officials under the microscope of public questioning is our key to freedom. My ability to question my faith is what makes my faith mine is my ability to question her teachings and to question my understanding.

Albert got it right, The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Think about a toddler and there constant why? why? why?, it is their ability to ask why that allows them to grow, why should that be any different for a pre-teen or teen, a parent of grandparent. Our ability to grow never ceases, just our own limitations placed on ourselves do. We have that same power as the curious 3 year old, the power of WHY… That power to change the course of events is not limited to the mind of a 3 year old, it is innate in all of us, it is our nature to question. God created us to question and he celebrates us when we do so.

A single question has changed the course of history, a single question can place common scene on it’s ear and turn right to wrong and evil to good. The power of a question should never be over looked nor should it be played down or belittled.

The question was asked of Jesus, “Are you the Messiah, the King of the Jews?” and all of history was changed for ever. The question was asked, “What is the price of liberty” and a new nation was born.

The ability to question is our basic right as part of humanity, to stop questioning is to stop participating in humanity. Teacher and politicians and parents that stifle the questions of those they are charged with not only stifle that individual but also all of humanity.

Just imagine if:

• Edison never question electricity
• Ford never question the assembly line
• Jefferson never questioned Liberty

It is the questions that have created the humanity we know today. With each stifled question our next Ford, Edison, Einstein or Jefferson might never be able to ask that all important, life changing question.

If we do not allow questions, than who will question poverty, hunger, global war’s and the outer limits of space or the inner limits of the mind? Sniffle one is the same as stifling all.

Just something to question….

Paul

From l>r we have Lydia, elder Serafina, Cassie and Ty, elder Gabi, sitting we have Isadora (red skin), then we have Serafina’s twin girls Raya and Chloe.

Monday morning and Ty gets up at 3am, he manages to bring his painting up to 4 before going to work. Gabi and Serafina are 84 days old, they might make it to next Monday. Also it’s Cassie’s and Ty’s birthday today, to adults. I think it’s cute that they have the same birthday. Serafina now has time for other things since her girls are off at school. She manages to bring her cooking up to 8. Lydia, (the one who looks like a young Serafina) who should be practising her guitar, brings her painting up to 4. The girls come home and do their homework.

Cassie and Ty have their birthdays minutes apart.

Ty “Hey, I’m no Edward Cullen, why do i sparkle“

Cassie “agh your contagious, get away from me you fool“

They are adults now, they really should get on with the kids soon. Once there is room of course. She actually rolled the wish as soon as she married Ty, I accepted it. But there has obviously hasn’t been any room. Anyway next day I told that it’s going to be the girls birthday in a few days. Also Ty has been promoted to “freelance writter“. The interviews, reports and reviews will start soon.

Lydia went off to play for tips, just because she wanted too. Thought going to the park would be a good place to find friends too. Isadora earned herself a promotion to “snack hawker“.

• Also Cassie athletic is at 9 now.
• Lydia guitar is at 6 and
• Ty’s logic is at 7.

Wednesday morning and Serafina’s girls are up chatting at 4am. Talking about the weather it seems..

Serafina herself also upgrades enough to have completed the “plumber skill challange“. Lydia also brings her charisma up to 7. Next day is Chloe’s and Raya’s birthday to the teenage years. Where we will finally get too see what they look like.

I also take some time out to re-do my portraits area.

Starting with the left we have Lydia on a workout machine, can barly see Lulu next to her, then on the main wall we have, Malcolm, then Connor, then a blury Cassie, then Jude, then you cant really see, Serafinas and anther blury Cassie

Heres a better look at them. (this is 2 screen shots in one picture, the wall is straight)

I have Gabi do some portraits. I will have a page for them. I don’t want the portraits littered throughout the posts. I want them all on one page. I do get two I want to share here, one of the elder Serafina and one of Isadora napping, which is appopriate as she is a “heavy sleeper”.

Ty was promoted to a “professional blogger” I don’t know which number he is on.

Raya and Chloe have their birthday. Searfina throws it for them and invites family and friends. Chloe gets the “ambitious” trait. Raya gets the “green-thump” this is very good for her career, she will need to master her gardening, handiness and fishing. Alot of work!?!

Chloe - “Can we stop the fat man from eatting me please.. or my cake….”

I bring both of them to the mirror and Raya has horrible fat cheek. I should never have used Malcolm.

I will pick so much better the next time.

Chloe gets herself some cool purple hair and I love it. Well of course I do, I picked it.

Purple is her favourite colour….. “purple is a fruit..” Simpsons

• Lydia athletic is up at 5.

Friday and Saturday and Gabi and Serafina are still alive. Cassie mastered her athletic, which is great news. It also means she will live longer when I want her to die. So don’t get too attached to her. Incase you may not have remember, completing her athletic means that she has finished her LTW.

That is 8 of them done. She won’t be around long, she don’t paint, cook or write.

Raya needs the gardening for her career, Ty needs the writing for his and I can get anyone to cook. The only way she will stick around is to find gems.

I Have Gabi do a portraits of the sistes, Cassie, Lydia and Chloe, Chloe is only a half sister. There was only room for 3 on the couch. So that’s why Raya isn’t there. Apart from the fact that she is ugly.

It comes out all blury and i am very disapointed with it. Does she not have any idea how dificult it is to get all 3 to sit there so that i can take a shot of them, bah !

• Cassie gardening is at 7
• Chloe’s logic is at 5.
• Lydia’s painting is now at 5.
• Serafina’s cooking is up to 9.

Saturday morning, Gabi does Chloe’s portait.

Serafina completes her cooking skill, that is 4 skills she has mastered. Ty’s painting is at 5, just in time as Gabi is 90 tomorrow. His paintings won’t be as good, but I don’t even know if he has the time to paint, his writing is more important. Raya who should be bringing up her handiness has improved her writing instead as her “wishes” want to.
Sunday and my elders still aren’t dead.

• Cassie brings her cooking up to 4.
• Isadora gets tutored in cooking by Searfina and brings it up to 3.
• Chloe improved her logic to 3

So it’s Sunday night and neither if them are dead. No doubt they will die at thee most annoying time.
That’s it then, a very uneventful week. Next week they WILL die.

LTP
Searfina – 212,319
Gabriella’s- 210,878
Cassandra – 101,304
Ty- 22,407
Isadora – 52,128
Lydia – 37,457
Raya – 9,090
Chloe – 8,433