A Mississippi native, Guyot (pronounced GHEE-ott) worked for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and served as director of the 1964 Freedom Summer Project, which brought thousands of young people to the state to register blacks to vote despite a history of violence and intimidation by authorities. He also chaired the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which sought to have blacks included among the state’s delegates to the 1964 Democratic National Convention. The bid was rejected, but another civil rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer, addressed the convention during a nationally televised appearance. Guyot was severely beaten several times, including at the notorious Mississippi State Penitentiary known as Parchman Farm. He continued to speak on voting rights until his death, including encouraging people to cast ballots for President Barack Obama. “He was a civil rights field worker right up to the end,” Guyot-Diangone said. Guyot participated in the 40th anniversary of the Freedom Summer Project to make sure a new generation could learn about the civil rights movement. “There is nothing like having risked your life with people over something immensely important to you,” he told The Clarion-Ledger in 2004. “As Churchill said, there’s nothing more exhilarating than to have been shot at — and missed.” His daughter said she recently saw him on a bus encouraging people to register to vote and asking about their political views. She said he was an early backer of gay marriage, noting that when he married a white woman, interracial marriage was illegal in some states. He met his wife Monica while they both worked for racial equality. “He followed justice,” his daughter said. “He followed what was consistent with his values, not what was fashionable. He just pushed people along with him.” Susan Glisson, executive director of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi, called Guyot “a towering figure, a real warrior for freedom and justice.” “He loved to mentor young people. That’s how I met him,” she said. When she attended Ole Miss, students reached out to civil rights activists and Guyot responded. “He was very opinionated,” she said. “But always — he always backed up his opinions with detailed facts. He always pushed you to think more deeply and to be more strategic. It could be long days of debate about the way forward. But once the path was set, there was nobody more committed to the path.” Glisson said Guyot’s efforts helped lay the groundwork for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. “Mississippi has more black elected officials than any other state in the country, and that’s a direct tribute to his work,” she said. Guyot was born in Pass Christian, Miss., on July 17, 1939. He became active in civil rights while attending Tougaloo College in Mississippi, and graduated in 1963. Guyot received a law degree in 1971 from Rutgers University, and then moved to Washington, where he worked to elect fellow Mississippian and civil rights activist Marion Barry as mayor in 1978. “When he came to Washington, he continued his revolutionary zeal,” Barry told The Washington Post on Friday. “He was always busy working for the people.” Guyot worked for the District of Columbia government in various capacities and as a neighborhood advisory commissioner. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton told The Post in 2007 that she first met Guyot within days of his beating at a jail in Winona, Miss. “Because of Larry Guyot, I understood what it meant to live with terror and to walk straight into it,” she told the newspaper. On Friday, she called Guyot “an unsung hero” of the civil rights movement. “Very few Mississippians were willing to risk their lives at that time,” she said. “But Guyot did.” In recent months, his daughter said he was concerned about what he said were Republican efforts to limit access to the polls. As his health was failing, he voted early because he wanted to make sure his vote was counted, he told the AFRO newspaper. Funeral services are pending. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A Mississippi native, Guyot (pronounced GHEE-ott) worked for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and served as director of the 1964 Freedom Summer Project, which brought thousands of young people to the state to register blacks to vote despite a history of violence and intimidation by authorities. He also chaired the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, which sought to have blacks included among the state’s delegates to the 1964 Democratic National Convention. The bid was rejected, but another civil rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer, addressed the convention during a nationally televised appearance. Guyot was severely beaten several times, including at the notorious Mississippi State Penitentiary known as Parchman Farm. He continued to speak on voting rights until his death, including encouraging people to cast ballots for President Barack Obama. “He was a civil rights field worker right up to the end,” Guyot-Diangone said. Guyot participated in the 40th anniversary of the Freedom Summer Project to make sure a new generation could learn about the civil rights movement. “There is nothing like having risked your life with people over something immensely important to you,” he told The Clarion-Ledger in 2004. “As Churchill said, there’s nothing more exhilarating than to have been shot at — and missed.” His daughter said she recently saw him on a bus encouraging people to register to vote and asking about their political views. She said he was an early backer of gay marriage, noting that when he married a white woman, interracial marriage was illegal in some states. He met his wife Monica while they both worked for racial equality. “He followed justice,” his daughter said. “He followed what was consistent with his values, not what was fashionable. He just pushed people along with him.” Susan Glisson, executive director of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi, called Guyot “a towering figure, a real warrior for freedom and justice.” “He loved to mentor young people. That’s how I met him,” she said. When she attended Ole Miss, students reached out to civil rights activists and Guyot responded. “He was very opinionated,” she said. “But always — he always backed up his opinions with detailed facts. He always pushed you to think more deeply and to be more strategic. It could be long days of debate about the way forward. But once the path was set, there was nobody more committed to the path.” Glisson said Guyot’s efforts helped lay the groundwork for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. “Mississippi has more black elected officials than any other state in the country, and that’s a direct tribute to his work,” she said. Guyot was born in Pass Christian, Miss., on July 17, 1939. He became active in civil rights while attending Tougaloo College in Mississippi, and graduated in 1963. Guyot received a law degree in 1971 from Rutgers University, and then moved to Washington, where he worked to elect fellow Mississippian and civil rights activist Marion Barry as mayor in 1978. “When he came to Washington, he continued his revolutionary zeal,” Barry told The Washington Post on Friday. “He was always busy working for the people.” Guyot worked for the District of Columbia government in various capacities and as a neighborhood advisory commissioner. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton told The Post in 2007 that she first met Guyot within days of his beating at a jail in Winona, Miss. “Because of Larry Guyot, I understood what it meant to live with terror and to walk straight into it,” she told the newspaper. On Friday, she called Guyot “an unsung hero” of the civil rights movement. “Very few Mississippians were willing to risk their lives at that time,” she said. “But Guyot did.” In recent months, his daughter said he was concerned about what he said were Republican efforts to limit access to the polls. As his health was failing, he voted early because he wanted to make sure his vote was counted, he told the AFRO newspaper. Funeral services are pending. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
WiiWare was undeniably a shelter for a lot of old school genres that would have required a lot more investment if released at retail. Indeed, it has become quite hard to sell a game that can be beaten in a matter of two to three hours at full price like some old genres could...namely shoot 'em ups. The first of a series of three games -- the other two being Contra ReBirth and Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth -- Gradius ReBirth harks back to the roots of the franchise it belongs to, ignoring the advancements of technology that were used most efficiently by the teams of Treasure Co., Ltd. in Gradius V for PlayStation 2, but rather offering an experience closer to the original Arcade titles. Developed by M2, who also worked on the Gradius, Salamander, Twinbee and Parodius collections for PSP, the game certainly was put into good hands. How did it turn out, though? Read on to find out. One of the most distinctive aspects of this specific Gradius episode is its emphasis on a storyline. A lengthy intro, done in the style of the older MSX entries that were already notable for this aspect of things, sets the stage for the rest of the game. Planet Antichthon, Protectorate of the Gradian Empire, has suddenly fallen silent. It is feared that the Bacterians, the main villains in the Gradius series, may have infected their mother computer. It's now up to a single squadron of small spaceships, of which yours is going solo, to go out there and defeat the enemy leader to put an end to hostilities before it's too late. It's one of the most cliché pretexts for the action happening inside the game but in others of the same genre the storyline is often relegated to a mere mention on the game box art or the instruction booklet. Here, a text-based introduction is dedicated to setting the story, which is a nice thing, especially since the whole Gradius series has a quite complex story by genre standards when all episodes are taken together. Staying true to its roots, Gradius ReBirth has the player taking control of the Vic Viper spacecraft, initially armed with a sole cannon shooting forward an infinite flow of tiny bullets.
WiiWare was undeniably a shelter for a lot of old school genres that would have required a lot more investment if released at retail. Indeed, it has become quite hard to sell a game that can be beaten in a matter of two to three hours at full price like some old genres could...namely shoot 'em ups. The first of a series of three games -- the other two being Contra ReBirth and Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth -- Gradius ReBirth harks back to the roots of the franchise it belongs to, ignoring the advancements of technology that were used most efficiently by the teams of Treasure Co., Ltd. in Gradius V for PlayStation 2, but rather offering an experience closer to the original Arcade titles. Developed by M2, who also worked on the Gradius, Salamander, Twinbee and Parodius collections for PSP, the game certainly was put into good hands. How did it turn out, though? Read on to find out. One of the most distinctive aspects of this specific Gradius episode is its emphasis on a storyline. A lengthy intro, done in the style of the older MSX entries that were already notable for this aspect of things, sets the stage for the rest of the game. Planet Antichthon, Protectorate of the Gradian Empire, has suddenly fallen silent. It is feared that the Bacterians, the main villains in the Gradius series, may have infected their mother computer. It's now up to a single squadron of small spaceships, of which yours is going solo, to go out there and defeat the enemy leader to put an end to hostilities before it's too late. It's one of the most cliché pretexts for the action happening inside the game but in others of the same genre the storyline is often relegated to a mere mention on the game box art or the instruction booklet. Here, a text-based introduction is dedicated to setting the story, which is a nice thing, especially since the whole Gradius series has a quite complex story by genre standards when all episodes are taken together. Staying true to its roots, Gradius ReBirth has the player taking control of the Vic Viper spacecraft, initially armed with a sole cannon shooting forward an infinite flow of tiny bullets.
- completed a major project - finished the project faster than if I did it in short bursts; it takes me a long time to get back on track if I leave a complex task even for a short period of time - hyperfocusing helped me remember details in a complex, multi-faceted task - felt a sense of satisfaction sacrificing other things for a worthy goal - proud of my self-discipline and commitment to a goal in saying “no” to a lot of opportunities - chose long-term over short-term gratification – not easy for someone who’s impulsive - super-motivated to get back in shape now that the project is over, and excited about that - aware that I was hyperfocusing and conscious that I’d need to catch up on other things when the project was done Con - out of touch with my friends - other activities sacrificed: exercise, bass practice, other interests - physical and spiritual well-being compromised (no time for exercise, yoga, meditation, contemplation) - forgot about some important commitments at the expense of the larger project (e.g. this Wednesday’s blog post, part three of a series which, by the way, I intend to make up next Wednesday) - feeling guilty about missed commitments - lost track of a bill thrown in a pile of papers and snapped at the employee when they called to remind me to pay it - feeling out-of-balance Could I have gotten this project done without hyperfocusing? Honest answer: doubtful. I’m reminding myself that this year was exceptionally challenging. Time-robbing life events culminated in sabotaging my ability to establish a steady work routine. With the deadline looming, I had to pull out all the stops to make it to the finish line. Chemistry Whenever I’m hyperfocusing, I’m also aware of the toll it’s taking on my body. I worked late into the night, and got up early the next morning to finish the project. Three days later, I’m aching all over. I have a headache. I’m exhausted and I think I’m coming down with the flu. On the other hand, the adrenaline rush of a deadline always sharpens and keeps my focus (hyperfocus), gives me a rush of energy, and helps me meet my goals. It’s the same way before a performance. I’ve always suffered intense stage fright, but three or four minutes onstage, and hyperfocus kicks in. My nervousness evaporates. Will working in spurts of hyperfocus have a long-term negative effect on my health? I worry about that. Do I think I can change this pattern of hyperfocusing to achieve major goals? When I first started reading about ADHD, I was stunned when I discovered several writers who described people with ADHD as going full-out, giving 100% in short bursts of productivity. This is contrasted with the more usual, 20 to 30% effort over the course of the day, day in and day out. In Tom Hartmann’s book Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception, he describes people with ADHD as “hunters,” with short bursts of energy, focused on the hunt, followed by lulls. This describes the way I’ve always worked to a tee. No wonder we get exhausted. If, as some authors suggest, we have a genetic predisposition to work this way, how can I hope to change it? In spite of all the tips, guidelines, books, articles, and other time management tools written for people with ADHD, I feel like I’m swimming against the current if I try to force my natural energy flows through a contrived system of dams and channels. As long as it doesn’t kill me (I need to do more research on the physiological effects of hyperfocusing) I like the idea of literally going with the flow. My goal is not to fight it, but to make sure (if at all possible) the rest of my life doesn’t get quite as out of balance as it has recently. I need to keep reminding myself that the past year has been exceptionally overwhelming, and see what the new year holds. Now, before I snuggle in bed with a hot toddy, a good book, and the hope that sleep will fend off illness, let me ask you this: do you use hyperfocus to accomplish big goals? Do you use it consciously? Have you tried to change that? Why or why not? I’d love to hear your stories. Be well.
- completed a major project - finished the project faster than if I did it in short bursts; it takes me a long time to get back on track if I leave a complex task even for a short period of time - hyperfocusing helped me remember details in a complex, multi-faceted task - felt a sense of satisfaction sacrificing other things for a worthy goal - proud of my self-discipline and commitment to a goal in saying “no” to a lot of opportunities - chose long-term over short-term gratification – not easy for someone who’s impulsive - super-motivated to get back in shape now that the project is over, and excited about that - aware that I was hyperfocusing and conscious that I’d need to catch up on other things when the project was done Con - out of touch with my friends - other activities sacrificed: exercise, bass practice, other interests - physical and spiritual well-being compromised (no time for exercise, yoga, meditation, contemplation) - forgot about some important commitments at the expense of the larger project (e.g. this Wednesday’s blog post, part three of a series which, by the way, I intend to make up next Wednesday) - feeling guilty about missed commitments - lost track of a bill thrown in a pile of papers and snapped at the employee when they called to remind me to pay it - feeling out-of-balance Could I have gotten this project done without hyperfocusing? Honest answer: doubtful. I’m reminding myself that this year was exceptionally challenging. Time-robbing life events culminated in sabotaging my ability to establish a steady work routine. With the deadline looming, I had to pull out all the stops to make it to the finish line. Chemistry Whenever I’m hyperfocusing, I’m also aware of the toll it’s taking on my body. I worked late into the night, and got up early the next morning to finish the project. Three days later, I’m aching all over. I have a headache. I’m exhausted and I think I’m coming down with the flu. On the other hand, the adrenaline rush of a deadline always sharpens and keeps my focus (hyperfocus), gives me a rush of energy, and helps me meet my goals. It’s the same way before a performance. I’ve always suffered intense stage fright, but three or four minutes onstage, and hyperfocus kicks in. My nervousness evaporates. Will working in spurts of hyperfocus have a long-term negative effect on my health? I worry about that. Do I think I can change this pattern of hyperfocusing to achieve major goals? When I first started reading about ADHD, I was stunned when I discovered several writers who described people with ADHD as going full-out, giving 100% in short bursts of productivity. This is contrasted with the more usual, 20 to 30% effort over the course of the day, day in and day out. In Tom Hartmann’s book Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception, he describes people with ADHD as “hunters,” with short bursts of energy, focused on the hunt, followed by lulls. This describes the way I’ve always worked to a tee. No wonder we get exhausted. If, as some authors suggest, we have a genetic predisposition to work this way, how can I hope to change it? In spite of all the tips, guidelines, books, articles, and other time management tools written for people with ADHD, I feel like I’m swimming against the current if I try to force my natural energy flows through a contrived system of dams and channels. As long as it doesn’t kill me (I need to do more research on the physiological effects of hyperfocusing) I like the idea of literally going with the flow. My goal is not to fight it, but to make sure (if at all possible) the rest of my life doesn’t get quite as out of balance as it has recently. I need to keep reminding myself that the past year has been exceptionally overwhelming, and see what the new year holds. Now, before I snuggle in bed with a hot toddy, a good book, and the hope that sleep will fend off illness, let me ask you this: do you use hyperfocus to accomplish big goals? Do you use it consciously? Have you tried to change that? Why or why not? I’d love to hear your stories. Be well.
The flagship $4.5 billion carrier, a 100,000 ton floating city with a crew of 5,000, was despatched four months earlier than planned to bolster the United States Navy's already formidable force in the region, the Fifth Fleet. Its mission is to keep some of the world's busiest shipping lanes open in its most combustible region; at any moment America's standoff with Iran could escalate into a crisis. "Could there be a threat?" asked Rear Admiral Mike Shoemaker, the man who would command any mission to force open the sea lanes. "Yes is the answer. Is it manageable? Also yes." Admiral Shoemaker, a wiry man with a Navy buzz cut, runs through the likely threats: anti-ship cruise missiles; midget submarines; speedboats on suicide missions. Iran's conventional air force and navy are clapped out and no match for the US Navy, but they had years of practising mine-laying. "If they sunk a tanker, that could shut the Strait for a couple of days or a week," Adm Shoemaker said. "But we could deal with that quite quickly. A massive mine-laying effort, though, would take a while to clear.
