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Here at the Chad’s News network command center, we have long been aware of the difference between the hard disk capacity reported in decimal bytes by the manufacturer and the the same capacity reported in binary bytes by Windows. In fact, I was once published in a print magazine after the editors incorrectly answered a question on the subject.
Most computer programmers and system engineers already know why one kilobyte (KB) can either be 1000 or 1024 bytes, and the more experienced ones know that a kibibyte (KiB) is always 1024. For others, the linked article explains all. I found the most useful part of the article to be Tables E and F, which list the measurement type used for various protocols and computer components.
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How Are Oral Clefts Treated?
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recent data shows that pregnant women who take Topamax or its generic form are twenty times more likely to give birth to babies that develop abnormal deformities, such as cleft palate or cleft lips than women who did not take the drug. It is believed that the birth defects occur during the first three months of pregnancy, so some women may be at risk before they realize they are pregnant. For these reasons, experts have suggested that physicians warn their patients, particularly those of childbearing age, about the dangers and risk of defects during the patient’s first trimester.
Russell Katz, head of the Division of Neurology Products, announced that physicians should reconsider prescribing the medicine to females of childbearing age, and that alternatives to Topamax should be considered, particularly ones that have a lower risk of birth abnormalities.
What is an Oral Cleft?
Cleft palate and cleft lips are not common in the U.S. These deformities occur when a person’s mouth does not completely develop. These conditions can cause a split in a person’s lip or a hole in the roof of the mouth. These deformities are serious in nature because they may cause other developmental issues and make it extremely difficult to eat normally and obtain adequate nutrition. Cleft lip and cleft palate may also cause speech problems, and they may lead to ear infections.
Treatment of Oral Clefts
Oral clefts can be corrected with surgery, but several procedures may be necessary. According to the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia online, cleft lip repair is usually done when a baby is between six and twelve weeks old. The infant is placed under anesthesia, and the surgeon will trim and sew the child’s lip together. The physician will use small stitches to minimize scarring.
Also according to the MedlinePlus website, cleft palate is typically treated when a baby is older, usually somewhere between nine months and one year in age. Performing the surgery at such a young age is said to lower the risk of speech trouble later in life. During the cleft repair, the child is anesthetized. The surgeon will take tissue from the roof of the mouth and position it over the child’s soft palate in order to cover up the soft palate. It is not uncommon for a child to have multiple surgeries to fix the problem.
In addition to the above, the physician may also operate on the tip of the baby’s nose, as the nose can sometimes be deformed by these birth defects.
In most cases, children who undergo the aforementioned surgeries will recover well. However, as with all surgeries, there are some risks involved. Cleft surgery may cause abnormalities in bone growth in the middle of the patient’s face. The surgery may also cause an abnormal connection between the patient’s nose and mouth. A physician or surgeon can explain these risks and any additional ones that a child may face from a surgical procedure.Free Case Evaluation
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International is a fast-growing company that is creating life and death scenarios for patients that rely on its drugs. This summer, nearly overnight, Valeant quadrupled its [...]October 5, 2015 By: Seeger Weiss LLP read more
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New research on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) looks promising, but researchers are still far from finding a cure for this global epidemic. With new HIV/AIDS studies looking at everything from vaccines to stem cell research to bone marrow transplants, it seems like researchers have thought of every approach to defeat HIV/AIDS. That being said, there’s plenty of good reason to keep trying.
According to the U.S. government, there are more than 1.2 million Americans living with an HIV infection (1). When left unregulated or in very severe HIV cases, the symptoms of HIV cause serious damage to the immune system, which causes HIV to develop into AIDS. In 2014, about 20,896 Americans were diagnosed with AIDS and since the beginning of this epidemic in 1880, an estimated 1,210,835 Americans have been diagnosed (2). These numbers pale in comparison to the number of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in developing countries, where the standard of healthcare is well below that of the United States.
According the World Health Organization (WHO), “more than 95% of HIV infections are in developing countries, two-thirds of them in sub-Saharan Africa, where over 28 million people are living with HIV” (3). The reasons why HIV/AIDS is so prevalent is sub-Saharan Africa are not completely known by epidemiologists. The rates of sexual activity are similar in both the United States and sub-Saharan Africa and despite the increasing number of sexual education programs, the incidences of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa are roughly the same. Some epidemiologists attribute the disparity to cultural differences between the U.S. and Africa, such as a higher rate of polygamy in Africa (4).
Regardless of the reasons why this epidemic is so prevalent in the developing world, any foreseeable cure for HIV/AIDS must take these staggering statistics into account. The ideal cure for HIV/AIDS would be a treatment that is inexpensive, only needs to be administered once, and doesn’t require follow up visits with a doctor. One treatment that is still in the development stages, but would fit the bill, is an HIV vaccine.
One promising vaccine trial, known as HVTN100, isn’t necessarily focusing on treating HIV/AIDS, but rather increasing a patient’s immunity in order to prevent him or her from contracting HIV in the first place. An earlier trial that took place in Thailand in 2009 showed that a vaccine like the one in the HVTN100 trial could improve immunity by 31% (5). Modifications to the HVTN100 vaccines have made it specifically viable for sub-Saharan populations. Linda Gail Bekker, deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre and president-elect of the International AIDS Society (who is leading the vaccine trials) said that focusing on providing immunity might be a better strategy for combatting HIV/AIDS because “[she doesn’t] think we are going to treat [our] way out of this epidemic. We are ultimately going to need a vaccine to shut it down” (6).
However, Bekker acknowledges that the HVTN100 vaccine alone will not be enough to stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic right away. It will need to be paired with other preventative measures, education programs, and treatment methods at least until the vaccine can achieve higher rates of immunity. Furthermore, the WHO says that optimism surrounding HIV/AIDS vaccines is hindered by lack of investment in HIV vaccines. The WHO estimates “that approximately $600 million a year is invested in HIV vaccine R&D, the majority which comes from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. However, not enough is being spent to develop candidate vaccines based on HIV subtypes circulating in developing countries (7). More resources need to be directed towards finding a vaccine for HIV because it will be the most widely accessible treatment, especially in developing countries.
(1) “U.S. Statistics.” U.S. Statistics, AIDS.gov, www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/hiv-aids-101/statistics/.
(3) “HIV / AIDS.” World Health Organization, www.who.int/immunization/topics/hiv/en/index1.html.
(4) Epstein, Helen, and Kristen Ashburn. “Why Is AIDS Worse in Africa?” Discover Magazine, 5 Feb. 2004, discovermagazine.com/2004/feb/why-aids-worse-in-africa.
(5) Senthilingham, Meera. “HIV Vaccine to Be Trialled in South Africa.” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 July 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/07/19/health/hiv-vaccine-go-ahead-aids-conference/.
(7) World Health Organization. Ibid.
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Discrimination in education essay writing service, custom discrimination in education papers, term papers, free discrimination in education samples, research papers, help. Women were and still are discriminated in society discrimination, in a general sense, simply means making a decision based on some distinctive factor. Read this essay on racial discrimination conclusion come browse our large digital warehouse of free sample essays get the knowledge you need in order to pass your classes and more only at termpaperwarehousecom. If you're applying for specific scholarships, once you get past the first round of college essays the common app, perhaps a school-specific supplement or two you're likely to run into some additional essays.
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Resorption is the loss of dental hard tissue (cementum and dentine), as a result of odontoclastic action.
External root resorption:
- Surface resorption: localized small injury to the periodontal ligament due to trauma. Small extent of resorption, shelf limiting with new cementum formed.
- External inflammatory root resorption: Bowl shaped areas of resorption of both cementum and dentine, accompanied by inflammation of the adjacent periodontal tissue. It is always related to the presence of infected necrotic pulp in the root canal.
- Pressure resorption: Periodontal ligament and cement stay intact. Caused by different kind of pressure (orthodontic treatment, impacted teeth, tumors). When pressure is removed then resorption stops.
- External cervical invasive root resorption: Resorptive process below the epithelial attachment of the tooth at the cervical region. Radiographic appearance varies from asymmetrically radiolucency with irregular margins to mottled appearance due to fibro-osseous nature of the lesion. Pulp tissue plays no role in the etiology. Possible predisposing factors: orthodontics, trauma, bleaching, bruxism, surgical procedures.
- It is a pathologic phenomenon characterized by the loss of dentine as a result of clastic cells action and represents expansion of the canal with or without perforation. It occurs in conditions of pulpal inflammation.
Internal root resorption:
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New Sea Level Rise Policies Fact Sheet
The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) updated the San Francisco Bay Plan in October 2011 to deal with the expected impacts of climate change in San Francisco Bay. The new and revised Bay Plan policies are summarized below:
Risk Assessments: Sea level rise risk assessments are required when planning shoreline areas or designing larger shoreline projects. If sea level rise and storms that are expected to occur during the life of the project would result in public safety risks, the project must be designed to cope with flood levels expected by mid-century. If it is likely that the project will remain in place longer than mid-century, the applicant must have a plan to address the flood risks expected at the end of the century.
Risk assessments are NOT required for repairs of existing facilities, interim projects, small projects that do not increase risks to public safety, and infill projects within existing urbanized areas.
Risk assessments are ONLY required within BCDC’s jurisdiction.
Risk assessments for projects located only in the shoreline band, an area within 100 feet of the shoreline, need only address risks to public access.
Sea Level Rise Projections: Risk assessments must be based on the best estimates of future sea level rise. The California Climate Action Team’s sea level rise projections, ranging from 10-17 inches at mid-century and 31-69 inches at the end of the century, currently provide the best available sea level rise projections for the West Coast. However, scientific uncertainty remains regarding the pace and amount of future sea level rise, and project applicants may use other sea level rise projections if they provide an explanation.
Protecting Existing and Planned Development: Fill may be placed in the Bay to protect existing and planned development from flooding as well as erosion. New projects on fill that are likely to be affected by future sea level rise and storm activity during the life of the project must:
Be set back far enough from the shoreline to avoid flooding;
Be elevated above expected flood levels;
Be designed to tolerate flooding; or
Employ other means of addressing flood risks.
Designing Shoreline Protection: Shoreline protection projects, such as levees and seawalls, must be designed to withstand the effects of projected sea level rise and to be integrated with adjacent shoreline protection. Whenever feasible, projects must integrate hard shoreline protection structures with natural features that enhance the Bay ecosystem, e.g., by including marsh or upland vegetation in the design.
Preserving Public Access: Public access must be designed and maintained to avoid flood damage due to sea level rise and storms. Any public access provided as a condition of development must either remain viable in the event of future sea level rise or flooding, or equivalent access consistent with the project must be provided nearby.
Ecosystem Protection and Restoration: Where feasible, ecosystem restoration projects must be designed to provide space for marsh migration as sea level rises.
Encouraging Resilient Development: The policies encourage projects if their regional benefits, such as reducing carbon emissions by locating jobs and housing near public transportation, outweigh the risk from flooding. Projects that do not negatively impact the Bay and do not increase risks to public safety, such as repairs, small and interim projects, and parks, are also encouraged.
Preserving Undeveloped Areas: The policies encourage preservation and habitat enhancement in undeveloped areas that are vulnerable to future flooding and contain significant habitats or species, or are especially suitable for ecosystem enhancement.
Regional Strategy. The policies call on the Commission, working with other agencies and the general public, to develop a regional strategy for
Protecting critical developed areas along the shoreline from flooding;
Enhancing the natural resources of the Bay by preserving existing habitat and identifying areas where tidal wetlands can migrate landward; and
Improving the ability of communities to adapt to sea level rise in ways that advance economic prosperity, social equity and environmental protection.
For the complete text of the sea level rise policies, please see the amended San Francisco Bay Plan .
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If you’re like most young people, then you can’t wait to be out and about once summer starts!
Fun in and around the pool, going places with your family or friends, pedaling or skateboarding around your neighborhood, sports, summer camps—there’s just a ton of things to do.
And being young and having fun sometimes means crashing, falling or taking a tumble. While those things are part of being a kid, you and your folks also need to know some simple steps to staying safe to avoid serious injuries. Some of these summer safety tips can even save your life or that of someone close to you!
Much of this information comes from Safe Kids Arizona, led by the Arizona Department of Health. The safety stuff about our summer monsoons comes from the National Weather Service here. So read it, learn it, and keep it in mind!
When temps crack triple digits here in Arizona, few things are as cool as a dip in the pool!
So keep things cool if you’re going to be around water by PREVENTING drownings. Sadly, when it comes to preventable injuries, drowning is the #1 cause of death for young children (ages 1–4) with most of those tragedies happening in swimming pools. Surprisingly, kids 5 years and up are more likely to drown in natural water like rivers, ponds or lakes. Never climb over or slide under a fence.
1. Kids who are in or around the pool need watching by an undistracted adult. Young children should always be within arm’s reach of an adult. Older kids should swim with a partner.
2. If you don’t know how to swim, take swim lessons this summer!
3. Kids should develop these five water survival skills:
• step or jump into water that’s over their heads and return to the surface;
• float or tread water for one minute;
• turn in a full circle and find an exit;
• swim 25 yards to exit the water;
• In a pool, be able to exit without using a ladder
4. Know that swimming in open water has special challenges—uneven surfaces, currents, ocean UNDERTOW, etc.
5. Parents should know what to do in an emergency. Learning CPR and basic water rescue skills is a very good idea.
More Safe Kids tips: Swimming Safety Tips
Riding a bike can be a great thing to do, giving you fun, freedom and exercise without any pollution, AND it’s a great family activity, too!
Helmets are a must. A properly fitted helmet reduces your risk of head injury by at least 45 percent. Sadly, less than half of kids 14 and under wear a bike helmet.
1. Wearing a properly fitted helmet is the best way to prevent head injuries and death!
2. Ride on the sidewalk when you can. If not, ride in the same direction as traffic as far to the right as you can.
3. Use hand signals and obey the rules of the road. Be PREDICTABLE by riding in a straight line, signaling when turning and not darting in and out of traffic.
4. Wear bright colors. Use lights, especially when riding at night and in the morning. Reflectors help, too.
5. Your parent should ride with you until he or she is comfortable for you to ride on your own!
Skaters and skateboarders also should wear a helmet. Did you know that 80,000 people, mostly young skateboarders, are taken to emergency rooms for their injuries?
1. Wear a helmet, wrist guards and knee and elbow pads.
2. A mouthguard helps protect your teeth.
3. Ride on smooth, dry surfaces away from traffic—avoid cars!
4. Learn how to check your skates or board before each outing.
In a Car!
Cars and car seats are designed to keep you as safe as possible. But parents must make sure that car seats and booster seats are put in properly! Amazingly, almost three-quarters of car seats are not used or installed right! When used correctly, child safety seats can cut the risk of death in an accident by up to 71 percent!
1. If possible babies until they are at least 2 years old should be in a rear-facing car seat installed in the back seat. A label on the car seat will give a max height and weight of the child for that seat. It should also have an expiration date.
2. When moved to a forward-facing car seat at around age 2, the car seat should still be installed properly in the back seat.
3. There’s an easy checklist to double-check its installation: www.safekids.org/checklist/car-seat-checklist-parents-pdf. If you have questions or problems have a certified child passenger technician check your installation. Safe Kids hosts free car seat inspection events with certified technicians.
4. Parents should always wear their seat belts as a good example for their kids. Parents need to make sure everyone in the car is buckled up.
5. A child should never be left alone in a car, not even for a minute, especially around Arizona where it’s so unbearably hot.
When to switch to a booster seat—a yes to any of these forward-facing car seat questions means it’s time to switch.
• Does your child exceed the car seat’s height or weight limits?
• Are your child’s shoulders above the car seat’s top harness slots?
• Are the tops of your child’s ears above the top of the car seat?
When it comes to storms, summer is our big season here in Arizona. Officially the National Weather Service marks the start of our monsoon season as June 15 and has it ending on
“The moisture moves up from the south—out of Mexico, and there’s moisture contributions from the Gulf of Mexico to the east, and also the Gulf of California. So the southern areas like down near Douglas and Nogales and Sierra Vista—they tend to see it start a little earlier. Up in Phoenix it’s a little later, so usually the first or second week of July they (the monsoons) really start to pick it up,” explains Carl Cerniglia, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS). These monsoon rains often account for more than half of our annual rainfall.
The last weeks of June are often our hottest with triple-digit temps.
“We actually really need the heat of June in order to bring that moisture up to our area,” Cerniglia says. “And once that’s here, most of the time the thunderstorms during monsoon season are generated by the afternoon heating.” Often, the tall storm clouds form over the mountains before moving off later in the day to dump their rain in lower lying areas.
These powerful storms can cause dangerous flash flooding and also pack lots of lightning and damaging winds. These winds also can create huge dust storms called haboobs. As early as possible, NWS puts out advisories and the much more urgent severe storm warnings through TV and radio, online and with iNWS texts to help people stay safe.
“Water can rise very quickly,” Cerniglia points out. So during monsoon season, if you’re out and about, be aware of the weather forecasts and where you are. “You generally don’t want to be in the washes or anywhere near the river bottoms. Even water flowing a foot deep will take you off your feet…possibly hitting whatever things might be in the channel! There’s a lot of debris—tree limbs, trash and rocks in that flow—you’ll be battered by that. One of the major killers of people is actually drivers trying to cross flooded areas in their vehicles,” Cerniglia continues. Drivers can’t tell how deep the water is so they should never
drive around flood barricades or try and cross flowing water—
“turn around don’t drown,” he says.
For more about thunderstorm safety, including staying safe from lightning, visit www.nws.noaa.gov/os/thunderstorm/ and for what drivers should do in a dust storm: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/airquality/dust_storm.shtml
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Brace yourself for an onslaught of news about and admonitions to be vaccinated for the flu. Recent reports indicate that this year’s flu vaccination includes protection against H1N1 but in all likelihood, H1N1 will be a non-issue. Flu vaccination manufacturers simply guess at which strains of the flu might be prevalent each season and they are reportedly accurate less than 30% of the time.
Are you interested in having a higher degree of protection from the flu and enjoying other health benefits as well? Look no farther than Vitamin D. Here are some facts:
Vitamin D is misnomer; it is actually a hormone produced by the skin upon exposure to sunlight, specifically ultraviolet B rays. For years, humans spent a huge portion of their time in the sun but recently we’ve almost all become deficient in this miracle substance, largely because we’ve been made afraid of the sun. If we do venture out, we are slathered in sunscreen, which keeps out harmful rays but actually reduces our ability to manufacture Vitamin D by as much as 95%. Small wonder modern diseases have such a stranglehold on our population.
Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way to generate vitamin D in your body; therefore it is sometimes called the Sunshine Vitamin. It takes about 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure for our bodies to manufacture all the Vitamin D we need to have optimum health. The darker one’s skin and the higher one’s latitude on the planet, the lower the effectiveness of our Vitamin D “factory”. Our bodies will shut down the factory once we have manufactured about 20,000 iu of this hormone, therefore it’s impossible to overdose. There is evidence that tanning beds can mimic the sun’s ability to facilitate Vitamin D production; readers are cautioned to use them sensibly.
Vitamin D is vital to keep our immune systems functioning. That is why it is effective at warding off the flu. Last year my doctor surprised me by advising me to supplement my diet with 2000 iu per day to avoid the flu. (Doctors are generally not prone to providing information on nutrients, hence my shock).
Vitamin D is also effective at preventing a myriad of modern diseases including heart disease, various types of cancer, diabetes, schizophrenia, depression and osteoporosis. (Many people think calcium prevents osteoporosis but in studies where calcium was supplemented without Vitamin D, the calcium was ineffective).
In fact, the recent prevalence of these diseases can be attributed in part to our Vitamin D deficiency.
- 32% of doctors and med school students are vitamin D deficient.
- 40% of the U.S. population is vitamin D deficient.
- 48% of young girls (9-11 years old) are vitamin D deficient.
- Up to 60% of all hospital patients are vitamin D deficient.
- 76% of pregnant mothers are severely vitamin D deficient, causing widespread vitamin D deficiencies in their unborn children, which predisposes them to type 1 diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia later in life.
- Up to 80% of nursing home patients are vitamin D deficient.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin D is a mere 400 iu. Remember, RDA’s were designed as nominal doses, the least amount required to sustain minimal health and prevent such diseases as rickets, a softening of bones in children, potentially leading to fractures and deformity. Some experts say we need as much as 10,000 iu per day.
Vitamin D is activated in our bodies by our kidneys and liver. Having kidney disease or liver damage can greatly impair one’s ability to activate circulating vitamin D. Obesity also impairs vitamin D utilization in the body, meaning obese people need twice as much vitamin D.
Vitamin D is found in some food products including oily fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines, fish liver oils, eggs, liver, and mushrooms. Dairy products are routinely fortified with Vitamin D but you have to drink ten tall glasses of vitamin D fortified milk each day just to get minimum levels of vitamin D. Skim milk and other low-fat dairy products reduce the absorption of Vitamin D because it is a fat-soluble nutrient, requiring fat to be transported through the body.
It is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your diet and unfortunately most manufacturers fortify foods with the synthetic version, D2. Our bodies most effectively use the natural version, D3. If you purchase supplements look for D3 or cholecalciferol; some experts advise buying gel caps instead of tablets. Vitamin D supplements are relatively inexpensive.
I urge you to consider supplementing your diet with Vitamin D, particularly in the fall and winter. If you get a chance to take a winter vacation to a sunny locale, leave the sunscreen in your bag until you’ve been out for half an hour or so. Midday sun is most damaging so if you avoid exposure between 10AM and 2PM, you may be able to dispense with sunscreen altogether.
By the way, I took my doctor’s advice and I had no colds or flu last year and I didn’t have to stand in line for a flu shot. I recently added Vitamin D to my regimen of supplements for this season and I hope to take a couple of winter escapes to soak up some sun.
Sources for this article include Wikipedia and Natural News, which has over 300 articles related to Vitamin D. It’s interesting reading that is sure to bolster your health.
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A system in Freiburg aims to eliminate single-use coffee cups through the introduction of a reusable cup, accepted town-wide.
DISPOSABLE CUPS FLOOD THE PLANET
In Germany, approximately 2.8 billion disposable coffee cups are used every year. The production of the cups alone is resource-intensive: 43,000 trees, 1.5 billion litres of water, 320 million kWh of electricity, and 3,000 tonnes of crude oil are needed. Disposable cups for coffee are in use for an average of 13 minutes and then turn into garbage, resulting in 40,000 tonnes of residual waste nationwide. Twelve million empty cups accumulate in Freiburg every year through drinking take-away coffee, polluting the environment and reducing the city’s cleanliness.
TOWN-WIDE SCHEME FOR REUSABLE CUPS
At the end of November 2016, the Freiburg waste management company, ASF (Abfallwirtschaft und Stadtreinigung Freiburg), presented the FreiburgCup pilot project: durable cups offered for takeaway coffees in cafés and bakeries in the city centre. Customers who buy their takeaway coffees in a FreiburgCup pay a EUR 1 deposit and can return the empty cup in all participating shops. Each cup should withstand at least 400 washes. Wide media coverage at the beginning of the scheme suddenly made the cup the talk of town, and the popularity of the FreiburgCup has persisted ever since.
TWENTY THOUSAND CUPS IN CIRCULATION
The FreiburgCup prevents the disposal of a paper or plastic cup every time it is used. The participation of café operators in this campaign is voluntary, with the City of Freiburg paying for the introduction of the system, coordinated by the ASF. The pilot project has been well-received with enthusiastic interest from customers and restaurateurs alike. The FreiburgCup started in November 2016 with 14 participating businesses. Now, 90 companies have joined as partners, with around 20,000 cups already in circulation. Among them are standing-room cafés, bakeries, ice cream parlours, as well as the cafeterias located in the central university buildings and the main railway station.
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Posted on July 11, 2009 by Barbara Peterson
I. Honorof, E. McBean (Vaccination The Silent Killer p28)
Source: Dr. Rebecca Carley
Very few people realize that the worst epidemic ever to hit
America, the Spanish Influenza of 1918 was the after effect of the
massive nation-wide vaccine campaign. The doctors told the people that
the disease was caused by germs. Viruses were not known at that time or
they would have been blamed. Germs, bacteria and viruses, along with
bacilli and a few other invisible organisms are the scapegoats, which
the doctors like to blame for the things they do not understand. If the
doctor makes a wrong diagnosis and treatment, and kills the patient, he
can always blame it on the germs, and say the patient didn’t get an
early diagnosis and come to him in time.
If we check back in history to that 1918 flu period, we will see
that it suddenly struck just after the end of World War I when our
soldiers were returning home from overseas. That was the first war in
which all the known vaccines were forced on all the servicemen. This
mish-mash of poison drugs and putrid protein of which the vaccines were
composed, caused such widespread disease and death among the soldiers
that it was the common talk of the day, that more of our men
were being killed by medical shots than by enemy shots from guns.
Thousands were invalided home or to military hospitals, as hopeless
wrecks, before they ever saw a day of battle. The death and disease
rate among the vaccinated soldiers was four times higher than among the
unvaccinated civilians. But this did not stop the vaccine promoters.
Vaccine has always been big business, and so it was continued doggedly.
It was a shorter war than the vaccine-makers had planned on,
only about a year for us, so the vaccine promoters had a lot of unused,
spoiling vaccines left over which they wanted to sell at a good profit.
So they did what they usually do, they called a meeting behind closed
doors, and plotted the whole sordid program, a nationwide (worldwide)
vaccination drive using all their vaccines, and telling the people that
the soldiers were coming home with many dread diseases contracted in
foreign countries and that it was the patriotic duty of every man,
woman and child to get "protected" by rushing down to the vaccination
centers and having all the shots.
Most people believe their doctors and government officials, and
do what they say. The result was, that almost the entire population
submitted to the shots without question, and it was only a matter of
hours until people began dropping dead in agony, while many others
collapsed with a disease of such virulence that no one had ever seen
anything like it before. They had all the characteristics of the
diseases they had been vaccinated against, the high fever, chills,
pain, cramps, diarrhea, etc. of typhoid, and the pneumonia like lung
and throat congestion of diphtheria and the vomiting, headache,
weakness and misery of hepatitis from the jungle fever shots, and the
outbreak of sores on the skin from the smallpox shots, along with
paralysis from all the shots, etc.
The doctors were baffled, and claimed they didn’t know what
caused the strange and deadly disease, and they certainly had no cure.
They should have known the underlying cause was the vaccinations,
because the same thing happened to the soldiers after they had their
shots at camp. The typhoid fever shots caused a worse form of the
disease, which they called para-typhoid. Then they tried to suppress
the symptoms of that one with a stronger vaccine, which caused a still
more serious disease, which killed and disabled a great many
men. The combination of all the poison vaccines fermenting together in
the body, caused such violent reactions that they could not cope with
the situation. Disaster ran rampant in the camps. Some of the military
hospitals were filled with nothing but paralyzed soldiers, and they
were called war casualties, even before they left American soil. I
talked to some of the survivors of that vaccine onslaught when they
returned home after the war, and they told of the horrors, not of the war itself, and battles, but of the sickness at camp.
The doctors didn’t want this massive vaccine disease to reflect
on them, so they, agreed among themselves to call it Spanish Influenza.
Spain was a far away place and some of the soldiers had been there, so
the idea of calling it Spanish Influenza seemed to be a good way to lay
the blame on someone else. The Spanish resented having us name the
world scourge on them. They knew the flu didn’t originate in their
20,000,000 died of that flu epidemic, worldwide, and it seemed
to be almost universal or as far away as the vaccinations reached.
Greece and a few other countries, which did not accept the vaccines,
were the only ones that were not hit by the flu. Doesn’t that prove
At home (in the U.S.) the situation was the same; the only ones
who escaped the influenza were those who had refused the vaccinations.
My family and 1 were among the few who persisted in refusing the high
pressure sales propaganda, and none of us had the flu not even a
sniffle, in spite of the fact that it was all around us, and in the
bitter cold of winter.
Everyone seemed to have it. The whole town was down sick and dying.
The hospitals were closed because the doctors and nurses were down with
the flu. Everything was closed, schools, businesses, post office
everything. No one was on the streets. It was like a ghost town. There
were no doctors to care for the sick, so my parents went from house to
house doing what they could to help the stricken in any way they could.
They spent all day and part of the night for weeks, in the sick rooms,
and came home only to eat and sleep. If germs or viruses, bacteria, or
any other little organisms were the cause of that disease, they had
plenty of opportunity to latch onto my parents and "lay them low" with
the disease that had prostrated the world. But germs were not the cause
of that or any other disease, so they didn’t "catch" it. I have talked
to a few other people since that time, who said they escaped the 1918
flu, so I asked if they had the shots, and in every case, they said
they had never believed in shots and had never had any of them. Common
sense tells us that all those toxic vaccines all mixed up together in
people, could not help but cause extreme body-poisoning and poisoning
of some kind or another is usually the cause of disease.
Whenever a person coughs or sneezes, most people cringe,
thinking that the germs are being spread around in the air and will
attack people. There is no need to fear those germs any more, because
that is not the way colds are developed. Germs can’t live apart from
the cells (host) and can’t do harm anyway, even if they wanted to. They
have no teeth to bite anyone, no poison pouches like snakes, mosquitoes
or bees, and do not multiply, except in decomposed substances, so they
are helpless to harm. As stated before, their purpose is useful, not
The 1918 flu was the most devastating disease we ever had, and it
brought forth all the medical bag of tricks to quell it, but those
added drugs, all of which are poisons, only intensified the
over-poisoned condition of the people, so the treatments actually
killed more than the flu did.
is from Vaccination The Silent Killer: Honorof, Ida and McBean, E.:
Vaccination the silent killer (U.S.A.) Honor Publications, P.O. Box
346, Cutten, CA 95534, U.S.A.
Since it is not online, I would need to purchase the book to provide
all of the the authors’ references. I do not know that the book is
still available: http://www.whale.to/vaccines/books.html
It seems to have been written from first-hand experience. When
combined with the article Innoculations: The True Weapons Of Mass
Destruction by Dr. Carley, I believe it is a valid warning, and the
authors reach reasonable conclusions.
I reprinted it from Dr. Rebecca Carley’s site.
Some other comments:
this information is true. I have read the accounts of this forming
immediately following the use of the Typhus vaccine in the 1914 time
period. The mad scientists had no more care or knowledge of the harm
they were invoking at that time then when they caused polio with the
use of monkey viruses or cancer from the adenoviruses and
herpesviruses. There is a very well done paper on the Study of
Epidemics and the link to vaccinations OR the vaccine manufacturing
centers for the start of all epidemics of last 2 centuries. Merial
vaccine manufacturer was the cause of the Hoof and Mouth Disease
outbreak in the UK not too long ago. I know several researchers
bringing out this information in timelines and the results are going to
stun the general public. Vaccinations are the most dangerous and
disease and death causing procedure in the history of man!
The “SIC” (scientifically induced causes) business?
After years of being ignored and threatened, Dr. Garth Nicolson of
The Institute of Molecular Medicine in California announced in early
February that the US Department of Defense has contracted with the
doctor’s institute in order to train scientists and physicians at the
Department of Defense and others. These medical professionals will be
trained to conduct the specialized testing needed to detect mycoplasmal
infections in the blood of Gulf War Veterans. Dr. Nicolson has said the
Mycoplasma incognitus and other mycoplasmal infections have also been
seen in a high percentage of “Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction
Syndrome” (CFIDS) patients (see winter National Forum, Vol. 1, No. 3).
The rare form of bacteria he has found in both “Gulf War Illness” (GWI)
and, “Persons With CFIDS” (PWC) who have been disabled for many years,
are treated with an antibiotic therapy. The Mycoplasma incognitus found
by Drs. Garth and Nancy Nicolson has a piece of the HIV envelope, but
HIV is not found inside the envelope. Instead, a mix of different
bacteria from other illnesses is present. This is not something that
could happen in the natural course of evolution and is proof, Dr.
Nicolson believes, of biological warfare. It is something that must
have been man-made!
There were several potential sources of chronic biological agents in
the Persian Gulf Theater of Operations. First, deployed soldiers were
given multiple inoculations of experimental vaccines in unproven
immunization schemes, such as vaccines that were given all at once
instead of using an appropriate schedule of inoculations. Multiple
vaccinations given simultaneously can result in immunosuppression and
leave an individual susceptible to opportunistic infections.
Target 5: Secret Shots
All military personnel who are headed to combat are required to take
vaccinations. Are these shots leaving some soldiers deathly ill?
60 minutes – SWINE FLU VACCINE WARNING – Part I
60 minutes – SWINE FLU VACCINE WARNING – Part II
The Swine Flu Fiasco (CBC, 1983)
Vaccines are big business. The research firm Frost & Sullivan,
predicts that the world human vaccine market will take in more than $7
billion in sales this year (2003). Along with this large market,
vaccine manufacturers tout the miracle of vaccines in reducing the
incidence of polio, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, tetanus, mumps,
rubella, hepatitis and other illnesses that often strike children.
There is no doubt that vaccines have dramatically reduced childhood
illnesses; however, there is a dark side to the universal use of
vaccines to control these illnesses. And the widespread use of vaccines
has begun to be challenged by parent groups and physicians who
recognize that although vaccines are important to public health, they
can also injure. Children are especially at risk for injury from the
multiple vaccines that are required for children to attend school in
the United States, Canada and a number of other countries.
Autoimmune illnesses, opportunistic infections different from the
infections being immunized against, chronic allergies and other
conditions are rising at alarming rates in children receiving multiple
vaccines. More and more physicians and scientists are now pointing to
the scheduling of multiple vaccines as possibly playing an important
role in these emerging illnesses. Chronic asthma is one of these
illnesses. According to the CDC asthma has increased 52% in persons
between the ages of 5 and 34, and rates of death due to asthma have
risen 42% in the period between 1982 and 1992. A more recent study by
the CDC indicates that asthma has doubled during the last 20 years and
is now the most common disorder in children and adolescents. Among the
children receiving multiple vaccines chronic asthma affects one child
in seven in Great Britain and one in eight in Canada. The greatest
increase has been in children under four years old. When researchers in
New Zealand compared the rates of asthma in children that did not
receive multiple vaccinations to rates in children receiving multiple
vaccinations, those children who did not receive the vaccines did not
present with asthma; whereas 23% of children receiving multiple
vaccines had to have asthma consultations and 30% had consultations for
other allergic illnesses. The researchers concluded that some component
of the multiple vaccines received in childhood may have increased the
risk of developing asthma in childhood.
U.S. sets aside $1 billion to develop a vaccine for swine flu.
May 22, 2009 – THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ottawa announces $10.8 million to aid pandemic flu research initiative.
June 5, 2009 – THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Drugmakers rush to make a swine flu vaccine, but politics may complicate who gets it.
June 12, 2009 – THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
UN chief says $1 billion is needed for the fight against swine flu.
July 6, 2009 – THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Garth L. Nicolson, Ph.D., and Nancy L. Nicolson, Ph.D.
Interview with Dr Nicolson
Are Vaccines Causing More Disease Than They Are Curing? 1999 by Alan Cantwell, Jr., M.D.
Everyday we ask ourselves what did we do that was perceived as so wrong
that an entire government, or at least a very strong and controlling
faction in our government and military, should mount a continual
harassment campaign against our family? In truth, all we wanted to do
was help our soldiers, and now their family members and many of our
citizens, to overcome a horrific chronic illness that is diagnosable
and treatable. We never intended to uncover a massive, illegal
Biological Weapons development and testing program, nor was it our
intent to embarrass the Defense establishment or certain sectors of the
scientific community. Because of our naive faith in our government, we
ultimately set ourselves up for a quest that involved betrayals from
people with whom we have worked for over two decades and whose very
careers and livelihoods were helped significantly by our unswerving
“There were several potential sources of chronic biological agents in
the Persian Gulf Theater [9, 23]. First, deployed soldiers were given
multiple inoculations, in some cases with experimental vaccines in
unproved immunization schemes, such as vaccines that were given all at
once instead of using an appropriate schedule of inoculations over
months or years. Multiple vaccinations given simultaneously can result
in immunosuppression and leave an individual susceptible to
opportunistic infections. Some of these experimental vaccines could
also have been contaminated with small amounts of slow-growing
microorganisms. In fact, some of the vaccine lots to be sent to the
Gulf were removed because of “microorganism contamination.” Dr Nicolson
Deadly Vaccines: Garth Nicolson, microbiologist
MICROBIOLOGIST GARTH NICOLSON interview, (Sudbury, Ontario Aug. 30, 2008).
Will YOUR doctor tell you about weaponized mycoplasma? About engineered
mycoplasma pathogens in vaccines? Or will he or she treat your
symptoms, hook you up for life (or death) on high-priced (and often
What’s the real story of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Gulf War
Syndrome, AIDS and other degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s,
Crohns, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Lupus, Lyme disease, fibromyalgia,
rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes (type one) and MANY
Chronic Diseases: Who’s killing us, and how?
The emergence of new illnesses and an increase in the incidence rate
of previously described signs & symptoms are due to our toxic
environment & the purposeful development & testing of Weapons
of Mass Destruction. Prof Garth Nicolson, Institute for Molecular
Presentation 1hour 17min Interview 10min 30sec Common Cause Medical
Research Foundation 9th Annual Conference – Sudbury, Ontario August
See OFFICIALS of GOVERNMENT; voting fraudulently -
So much is going on during a vote on the “HPV” – VACCINE MANDATE; you
really have to pay attention (1 minute and 11 seconds into the video).
Watch the fraudulent voting; it takes place in the Texas Legislature.
It continues without objection, or reprimand…what do you think would
happen to you, or me, if we were caught doing this?
LAWMAKERS…breaking the law – 4:00 video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfhO38CPlAI
Journalist Files Charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and
Intent to Commit Mass Murder. – June 25, 2009 by: Barbara Minton,
Natural Health Editor
Jane Burgermeister interview PART 3/4 SWINE FLU
My chance to talk to US Marines last night
Case about Bird Flu – Criminal charges filed in Austria about the bird flu.
Dr Rebecca Carley and Patrick Jordan are going to be discussing two
memorandums from WHO, discovered by Patrick Jordan, which strongly
support the notion that WHO has intentionally created the killer
The government of New Zealand has ordered an initial supply of
300,000 doses of H1N1 shots, in spite of the ongoing criminal
investigation into Baxter’s contamination of 72 kilos of vaccine
material with live bird flu virus in Austria this February, and in
spite of the evidence that the “swine flu” is an artificial (genetic)
virus that was deliberately released.
Australian virologist Adrian Gibbs has gone on record saying the H1N1 virus comes from a lab.
Please sign the petition, “A Universal Declaration of Resistance to Mandatory Vaccinations”, at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/613966872
Every signature counts…end this medical tyranny!
“When the government fears the people, you have liberty. When the
people fear the government you have Tyranny.” (Thomas Jefferson –
author of the Declaration of Independence of the United States)
“The less people know about what is really going on, the easier it is to wield power, and authority.” (Prince of Wales Charles)
911 Conspiracy predicted in X-Files.
A tiny clip from Lone Gunmen Episode 1: Pilot, Aired on March 4, 2001.
Prepared and Provided by: Christopher-Peter: Maingot – WITHOUT PREJUDICE
like polio and smallpox, once killed millions, now almost non-existent
in the US and Europe and most of Asia, thanks to innoculation.
the most significant development in modern times is simple cleanliness.
Public health awareness became a movement during the early part of the
last century. Garbage collection and food safety were priorities. The
related breakthrough in modern medicine was the concept of
sterilization. Doctors, whether arrogant or otherwise, were very
resistant to the idea that they were largely responsible for the
incidence of post-procedural and post-operative infections. Without any
hint of an understanding of microbiology it was assumed that infections
were unavoidable and nothing could ever be done to reduce or alleviate
them. You either lived through it or you didn’t. Eventually they came
around. Then people became less likely to die from complication
following an injury. And less mothers and newborns were lost at
We need doctors who understand the complexity of the human body but
can admit that we don’t yet know everything about human biology. They
also need to appreciate that the body always wants to heal itself. It’s
a subtle shift in attitude lost on many people. Instead of trying to
make the body do something foreign, focus on setting up the conditions
that allow the body to do what it needs to do.
Here’s an idea . . . let’s use the world’s best antibiotic to treat
minor infections and rely on the side-effect prone pharmaceuticals for
the truly worthy cases.
always thought that the basic concept of provoking natural immunity by
gently stimulating the body’s immune system to be a fairly good idea.
Our family has been forced into the anti-vaccine camp because we
questioned the modern developments of experimenting on the
public-at-large, extending the shelf-life of vaccines through the use
of questionable ingredients and zealously insisting on too many shots
at once or too many shots in quick succession. In the minds of the
one-size-fits-all medical establishment no moderation or even
discussion is permitted.
We will want to travel with our children and recognize that outside
of the states, we’ll have to consider the possibility of encounters
with diseases. If we cannot locate the exact vaccines that will meet
our needs here, we may travel to find them elsewhere. For viruses,
refrigerated attenuated viruses with no other substances is what we’d
use. For bacterial diseases, there are better treatments. There’s
always the world’s best, least promoted antibiotic. And there’s a whole
different line of treatment virtually unknown to the Western public
because it would be difficult to capitalize on. Look up bacteriophage.
They’re very cool! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriophage
sk (Stan) from July 13, 2009….don’t mean to be argumentative Stan, or
too come across as an expert on anything, but there is a wealth of
information out there. It is typical of basic, or common human nature,
to simply accept the daily programming coming down from the Main Stream
Media (MSM). It is also another basic human trait, to seek the “path of
least resistance”. It is not an easy task to de-educate ones self,
especially if you’ve lived a long life thus far. I have provided some
information below regarding “POLIO…a disease which killed millions of
people”. You may be surprised by the other facts, as indicated below. I
can also provide similar types of information on Smallpox if you would
“Provocation polio. That is the truth about those outbreaks of
polio. And I offer a well considered personal opinion that polio is a
man made disease.”—Viera Scheibner, Ph.D.
[A non-infectious (1) man-made disease from medical injections and
pesticides such as DDT that got into the milk supply–polio incidence in
the US mirrored DDT usage (1). Made worse by the vaccinators fad for
tonsillectomy. The virus hunters were used to create a smokescreen, and
bring in another profitable drug. The appointment of Dr Kumm to head up
the March of Dimes polio charity was a big red flag for that. The real
agenda of the Medical Cartel can be seen in their suppression of the
non-drug treatments for polio, such as Dr Sandler’s nutritional one, Dr
Klenner Vitamin C cure, their lies to make the vaccine appear
effective, and they were caught out recently trying to kill African
children with the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), as Kihura Nkuba discovered.
One particular “critical theory” on the origin of AIDS however, is
that it seems to have developed from contaminated vaccines, used in the
world’s first, mass immunization for polio.
Polio vaccines are grown (cultured) on monkey kidneys which may have been contaminated by SIV (Simian immunodeficiency virus).
It was not possible to screen Polio vaccines for SIV contamination prior to 1985.
In Africa, polio does not kill anybody, and they say it’s very rare
to catch the virus. It’s also actually uncommon to get paralytic polio,
and it only occurs in very rare circumstances, so what’s killing so
many people in Africa? Malaria!
Malnutrition is to blame for more than half of all the deaths of
children around the world, especially in Africa. Poor nourishment
leaves children underweight and weakened, and vulnerable to infections
that do not necessarily have to be fatal. It is estimated that feeding
children with an adequate diet would prevent;
1 million deaths a year from pneumonia, 800,000 from diarrhea, 500,000 from malaria, and, 250,000 from measles.
Knowing that measles often leads to a loss of vitamin A, researchers
began to wonder if Africa’s high death rates from measles might also be
connected with vitamin A deficiency. Children hospitalized with measles
in Tanzania were given vitamin A capsules and, the measles death rate
fell by half.
The sad part to the above story is; a similar experiment had been
conducted over 50 years ago in a London hospital, with the same evident
One of the UN’s recommendations for Africa, actually causes billions
of dollars to be taken out of their social funds, education, health
projects, infrastructure and rural development, and redirected into sex
education – No clean water but plenty of condoms.
The incidence of acquired polio and its death rate was already
declining much before the advent of the Salk vaccine. And, there is no
truly credible scientific evidence that the vaccine attributed to the
eradicated of polio anyway. As a matter of scientific fact, cases of
polio increased after mass inoculations.
The United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC) admitted that the
vaccine has become the dominant cause of polio in the US today, with
87% of cases between 1973 and 1983 caused by the vaccine. More
recently, 1980 to 1989, every case of polio in the US was caused by the
vaccine. Doctors and scientists on the staff of the National Institute
of Health during the 1950’s were well aware that the Salk vaccine was
ineffective and deadly. Some have stated that it was; “worthless as a
preventative and dangerous to take”.
The Salk “inactivated” or “killed-virus” was actually regulated to permit 5,000 live viruses per million doses.
A large vaccine trial in 1955 showed a total failure of the Salk
vaccine to protect against poliomyelitis. During a 1959 epidemic in
Massachusetts, 77.5% of the paralytic cases had received three or more
doses of the inactivated vaccine.
In 1956 with the infamous Francis Field Trials, they discovered
large numbers of children contracted polio after receiving the vaccine.
Instead of removing the vaccine from the market, they decided to
exclude from the statistics all cases of polio that occurred within 30
days after vaccination, on the pretext that such cases were
In 1958 mass vaccination triggered a disastrous increase in polio,
the highest being 700% in Ottawa, Canada. The highest incidence in the
USA occurred in those states which had been induced to adopt compulsory
Companies (four of the five) which were manufacturing Salk vaccine
stopped production of the vaccine, due to its failure, but primarily as
a result of lawsuits filed against them.
As recently as the ‘90s, some tourist visiting the Dominican
Republic, and who had been vaccinated with the polio virus in an effort
to feel safe, started a modern day outbreak by infecting the local
people there that weren’t vaccinated.
If human beings weren’t made to live like pigs, literally, living
amongst their own filth and excrement, while a certain few live in
palatial surroundings, then perhaps we would see a whole lot less of
these dreaded diseases, and so too, the equally heinous vaccinations.
I have no doubt in my mind that vaccination is a filthy process,
that is harmful in the end, and that it is little short of taking beef.
Mohandas Gandhi – 1869-1948
This information is an excerpt, provided by: Christopher-Peter: Maingot – Without Prejudice.
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Gender: : Male
Branch: : Aeronautical Engineering
City : NoidaSend Friend Request
Abstract: Machine vision refers to applications in which the PC automatically makes a
decision based on visual input from a camera. Machine vision is a term typically used in
industrial manufacturing, where applications range from culling blemished oranges from
a conveyor belt to saving lives by inspecting to ensure that the correct drug capsule has
been placed in the package before the product is shipped to the pharmacy.
Three dimensional vision based measurement systems have made their presence into production metrology applications, notably in the electronics field. However, in the more traditional fields of durable goods now dominated by hard gauges and CMMs, 3D optical systems has been hindered by perceptions and real limitations.
This paper will review where 3D vision is today, and what advances have been made to enable more quantitative, shop floor metrology applications. The field of 3D machine vision is a less established field, but one that is actively growing today. Three dimensional vision based measurements have come a long way in the past few years, moving from purely visualization tools that generate attractive color pictures, to serious measurement tools. These 3D systems include laser scanning, structured light, stereo viewing, and laser radar just to name a few.
- Machine shop ebook
- JNTU machine tool semester exam previous year question paper download pdf
- UPTU principles of machine tool design semester exam previous year question paper
- 3D Machine Vision System PPT PDF Paper Presentation & Seminar Report
- Paper Presentation & Seminar On 3D MACHINE VISION SYSTEMS PDF Download
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World's BIGGEST / MOST POWERFUL GUN Ever Built
Heavy Gustav Railway Gun...This is the Schwerer Gustav, or, in English, the Heavy or Great Gustav. And very, very heavy and great it was -- it weighed 1,350 tonnes and could fire a 7 tonne shell to a range of 30 miles.
Developed by Nazi Germany in the late 1930s, the Heavy Gustav 800 mm caliber monster canon was explicitly designed as a siege artillery weapon to penetrate and decimate the super thick reinforced concrete fortifications of the French defensive facility known as the Maginot Line.
Built by the leading German arms manufacturer Krupp AG, and in fact named after the company CEO Gustav Krupp, the Heavy Gustav Railway gun stretched 155 feet in length, including its 106 foot long barrel. It required a team of thousands to dig embankments and lay railway tracks; and around 3 days and 250 people were needed to assemble the gigantic weapon.
Check out the video...
OTHER VIDEOS OF INTEREST
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If you are trying to go green, you have probably heard the words “greenwashing”, what does this mean and what are the signs to look out for? Here 6 Simple Ways To Protect Yourself From Greenwashing!
Greenwashing is a major problem in the market place, its a shameful practice where companies try to fool consumers that their goods are indeed organic or natural.
In 1999 the Oxford Dictionary defined Greenwashing as the “disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.”
What’s the big deal? Well, greenwashing detracts from those who are truly making a difference, it also makes consumers more cynical.
The problem lies in the fact that all Green companies are placed under the same umbrella, compromising our confidence in green products and practices. But false green labeling may get us to unwittingly participate in activities or use products that actually harm the environment. So what’s the eco-conscious consumer supposed to do?
First, read the labels, if in doubt, check it out. Do your homework before you make your purchases. Now, I know it’s difficult to research every eco-label, good news, there are organizations that can help.
Greenpeace, for example, offers a checklist called CARE, it will help you determine which company is attempting to greenwash you based on four key principles. TerraChoice Environmental Marketing has also created the Six Sins of Greenwashing, after testing over 1,018 products claiming to be green and finding all but one made claims that are either false or that risk misleading intended audiences.
Here are the six signs of greenwashing:
- Some products claim to be green based on a single environmental attribute. While not exactly false, this practice paints a greener picture of the product.
- Look for proof, any claim that cannot be backed up by supporting information or by a reliable third-party certification should be questioned.
- Claims that are poorly defined or broad are usually trying to hide the real meaning, for example, chemical free pesticides. Pesticides are a chemicals period.
- Watch out for claims that may be truthful but are unimportant and unhelpful for consumers. If the product claims to be CFC free, that’s great, but keep in mind that CFC’s,ozone-depleting chloro-fluoro-carbons have been outlawed since the late 1980s.
- Also, be wary of environmental claims that may be true, but risk distracting you from the bigger environmental impacts of the category as a whole, such as organic tobacco or green insecticides.
- Finally, stay away from claims that are simply false, this happens when a company misuses or misrepresent certification by an independent authority when no such certification has been made.
Bottom line is you need to protect yourself and be vigilant about green labels.
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by Timothy E. Wilens
Packed with frequently asked questions, examples, and charts, the book explains which medications are prescribed for kids and why; their effects on health, emotions, and school performance; what parents can do to maximize their benefits; and when to consider other treatments instead.
Updating and expanding his popular guide, Dr. Timothy Wilens provides essential advice for parents facing tough choices about whether or not to give a child medication for emotional or behavioral problems. Packed with frequently asked questions, examples, and charts, the book explains which medications are prescribed for kids and why; their effects on health, emotions, and school performance; what parents can do to maximize their benefits; and when to consider other treatments instead.
Revised Edition Coverage Includes:
* New ways of dealing with side effects and protecting kids' safety
* Advances in treating specific disorders
* New and longer-acting medications that make administration easier
* Emerging research on long-term benefits and risks
* Tips for saving money on prescriptions
* Legislative and health care changes that affect children's treatment
"A godsend for parents looking for answers. Wilens takes the mystery out of medication."
"An informative guidebook....The author's straight talk about medications will help parents become 'informed collaborators' in their child's psychiatric care."
"Even the best doctor cannot spend enough time explaining to each parent all of the information this book presents."
"Filled with helpful tables and charts, definitions, commonly asked questions, and sources for further information and support."
"Our students appreciate Straight Talk for its practical information presented in a well-organized, question-and-answer format. Students repeatedly indicate that the book is a definite 'keeper' for their resource libraries."
-DeDe Wohlfarth, PsyD, Department of Psychology, Spalding University
330 Pages Size: 6" x 9"
I. What Every Parent Should Know about Psychiatric Medications for Children
1. The Preliminaries: Building a Foundation of Knowledge
2. The Psychopharmacological Evaluation: Finding Out What's Wrong
3. The Diagnosis and Treatment Plan: Laying Out a Strategy to Help Your Child
4. Treatment and Beyond: Collaborating in Your Child's Ongoing Care
II. Common Childhood Psychiatric Disorders
5. Attentional and Disruptive Behavioral Disorders
6. Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders
7. The Mood Disorders
8. Anxiety-Related Disorders
9. Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
10. Disorders of Known Medical and Neurological Origin
11. Other Mental Health Disturbances Affecting Children and Adolescents
III. The Psychotropic Medications
12. The Stimulants and Nonstimulants for ADHD
13. The Antidepressants
14. The Mood Stabilizers
15. The Anxiety-Breaking Medications
16. The Antihypertensives
17. The Antipsychotics
18. Medications for Sleep, Bedwetting, and Other Problems
Appendix: Representative Medication Preparations and Sizes Used for the Treatment of Childhood Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Example of a Completed Medication Log
Medication Log Resources
Stock: Usually ships in 3-5 business days!
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New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham officially requested a presidential disaster declaration on Tuesday to assist in fighting and recovering from the drought-fueled wildfires incinerating large swaths of the state. At least a dozen large, uncontained fires are burning across five states, incinerating a quarter-million acres so far. One fire has already burned about 170 homes and is threatening the historic town of Las Vegas, New Mexico, filling the air with soot as it incinerates mountainsides of ponderosa pine trees and meadows.
Climate change increases the frequency and severity of droughts, and thus the size, frequency, and intensity of wildfires. “My grandson has actually, um, been a little bit scared, nervous … The smoke was really bad yesterday,” Martina Gonzales, a Las Vegas resident told the AP. Despite his fear, the AP reports 4 year-old Lukas still yelled “airplane!” every time one flew by to dump water on the fire. (AP, Reuters, AP, Democracy Now; Climate Signals background: Wildfires, Western US megadrought)
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|For more information, purchase options, and for other versions (if available) please visit http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10060|
What do I mean by data mining (see Figure 15.1)? Data mining in a very general sense is finding interesting structure in databases, and structure to me is a loose word. It could be patterns, statistical models, relationships, and the models for a whole data set. A pattern is a simple description of a subset of the data. The relationships could be over just a small sample of the data. Some of the columns of the data are sort of correlated. We'll come back and argue why these things can be very meaningful even though they sound a bit fishy. Some of them are not even statistical models, but you can actually find a lot of interesting things this way.
What do you do when you are data mining? You could do predictive modeling, so you have a variable that you are predicting from other variables. Or you could solve a harder problem, such as clustering where you are just finding groups in the data. Dependency modeling is when we do a density estimate. Basically, you are trying to model the joint probability density that generated the data in the first place, a much harder problem; some techniques work. Another is summarization, which looks for relations between fields or associations. Sometimes finding correlation and pieces in the data can be useful.
Finally, the last class of techniques accounts for sequence. For example, suppose I want to analyze how people use my Web site. I can actually take each user through my home page, which is my representation of the world. Or I could actually keep track of the fact that a user visited this page before this page before this page. It turns out that there are amazingly efficient algorithms that will do things like find you all frequency concerns in there, which is an interesting reduction. A lot of people are working on trying to relate this back to classical analysis techniques. There are a lot of interesting things that can be done when you account for the sequence in data and changes in data.
I want to make data mining easy to use, so let me start with an illustration. Suppose you have a Web store. Microsoft puts out a product called SiteServer Commerce Edition 3.0, which helps you put on a Web site on the Internet. This means not just Web pages, but people now have shopping baskets. Consumers can shop around and add things to their basket. You charge them money. Of course, at a Web store, you don't have salespeople to help customers find what they want. So wouldn't it be nice to be able to predict, based on the mouse clicks and perhaps on what you have on your basket, what else in the store might be interesting. This is not a trivial problem, because these stores typically have something like 50,000 to 100,000 different products. Finding what you are looking for can be an interesting experience.
The basic idea is to take part of the pattern recognition algorithms and ask how people do analysis. How do they use analysis techniques? The traditional method is to take data out of the database. You create your own infrastructure to do analysis. You extract the data, and you start running these scripts and so forth. And soon enough you have created a whole bunch of droppings, and if you come back to this session two weeks later, you don't recall what the files meant, and so forth. That's called a data management problem. It's exactly what a database was created to solve. So the whole idea is to decompose these operations in such a way that a lot of the things can live on the server.
You never have to move data around; the data support. Of course, there are more sophisticated things that you want to do on the client, but the idea is you almost never need--at least in the cases I'm familiar with--the details of the data. You actually can get away with what we call "sufficient statistics." If the data can provide these, you can build models much more easily.
To give you an idea of how Microsoft thinks of the world, the database collectivity standard is called OLEDB, for "object linking and embedding for databases." It's the standard way to talk to databases or other data sources. The next release of our primary database product, Sequence Server 2000, will include a set of laws about part of the database engine that talks the same language, OLEDB, for data mining. We just published the specs on the Web. We have been working with approximately 100 vendors on revising the standard. The idea is basically to address some of the costs of data mining. Right now data mining is expensive. There are three big costs. One is data cleaning and data maintenance and all that kind of stuff. That's never going to go away. The second is building models, and that's usually the tiny part of it. The third is actually deploying models.
Suppose you built the data mining model and now wanted to deploy the organization. Typically, you have to build your own infrastructure for deploying it. Every vendor has his own standard, and it becomes a mess. So the idea is that if everybody agrees on an interface, hopefully everybody wins.
So this is the basic idea behind OELDB. I won't talk much about it, but OLEDB is a language-based application program interface, with the look and feel of SQL. The idea was to go out of our way to make it feel like the familiar objects and the relation of the world. A data mining model looks like a table. You insert data into it. You join it with another table to do predictions, and so forth.
Figure 15.2 illustrates the mining process. You create the mining model, and then you enter data into it and you get the model. Then, if you have one model that looks like another table in your database, you do what we call "a join" in the database to get the predicted values. The whole idea is to make it simple enough for a database developer to just use as a natural thing.
Let's talk about data mining. I will use the example of an application I did at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory with George Djorgorski and Nick Weir at CalTech called SKICAT--Sky Image Cataloging and Analysis Tool (see Figure 15.3). The idea was to take data from the Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey and turn them into a server with about 2 billion entries in it that identifies objects for every position in the sky. I think we had approximated 40 different measurements. Of course if we had done the work last year we probably would have reached 200.
The basic idea is to take the digitized images to the scatter plot (see Figure 15.4). There is a recognition problem here. The significance is that people couldn't tell you what these objects were by just inspecting them. The state-of-the-art methods at the time, maybe 4 or 5 years ago, would form at a certain magnitude level, and we were trying to go one magnitude greater, which is a lot more data in astronomy. The idea was to automate the processing and building of this catalogue.
Once you have done the basic image processing, you know that a bunch of pixels belong to an object. Now you can go and measure things about these objects. Someone asked me, "What should we measure?" Since I'm not an astronomer, I suggested using some standard reference guides and measuring everything that you can measure. We finally selected 40 measurements, because this was the limitation of what we could store eventually in the catalogue.
This is where things get very interesting. Along with the digitized photo plate, which covers about 6 degrees square of the sky, we took an image using a CCD (charge-coupled device) telescope allowing for a high resolution of a tiny portion of that plate. The trick here is that you can never know what the object is by looking at the high-resolution image. The idea is to measure all the attributes from the low-resolution plates and get the astronomer to label 3,000 to figure out the mapping. This is a standard problem, but if we solve this problem, we have this magic box that can tell you what objects are, with high reliability. Well, you actually don't know immediately what they are, but you can verify that of course.
I want to skip some of the details, but the point is that we were able to get 94 percent accuracy on this problem. Ninety percent was our magic threshold. The operating point in the field was somewhere between 65 and 75 percent accuracy. So this is a significant advance. It turns out that astronomers need the 90 percent accuracy to write papers and shoot down someone else's theory about the large structure database and how it emerged.
So there are many benefits to this work. What I think is interesting to this audience is, Why did it work? This is a problem that astronomers looked at for 20 or 30 years, and this is what blew my mind: Here I come around and know nothing about astronomy. I build an algorithm and it works. So why did it work?
It worked because this is intrinsically an eight-dimensional problem. We have thirty dimensions, and you needed eight at once. If you drop any one of those crucial eight--we didn't know which ones they were a priori--your accuracy would drop significantly. So why did astronomers not find it? They had been doing this for a good 20 years. They were plotting one variable. So when we started these charts, we threw in one more variable. The astronomers never knew that eight was the magic number. That's why they never stumbled on the right technique, because they could never look at all the data at once, which the algorithms could.
Another problem was clustering. For example, once we succeeded in recognizing these objects, we returned to the data to see whether there were new objects in the data. Other things we didn't know about.
I want to summarize quickly some of the results here. We assembled just over one weekend some 1,500 points where they were certain there were only two objects, stars and galaxies, and nothing else. We kept running the algorithms, and the algorithms kept identifying four types of objects, not two. It turns out that the algorithms never mixed stars and galaxies, they just separated galaxies into two subclasses and stars into two subclasses. I still remember the expression of shock on the graduate student's face when we pulled out the images and he recognized some classes of objects that are very well known in astronomy, and sort of very standard.
So they started believing the algorithms too much, and I said let's do some real discovery here. So what's a real discovery? Let's find some high-redshift quasars, which are some of the greatest objects in the universe. To make the story very short, we used a database to classify stars accurately to pull out the list of characters. Then we did clustering on top of that to further separate things that looked like suspicious objects. Then the astronomers went and targeted with very high resolution instruments. The point is that this is all numbers, but they discovered 20 new quasars and documented them in 40 times less observation time.
This is when we started getting a lot of attention, because they were filling out quasars more than anybody else. The point is, this is challenging. This is the kind of problem in which you can't just do sampling. You can't just pick some data and say I hope to find something, because most likely in any sample you take, you are not going to find anything of interest.
Let's go back to our 13 coin flips, since we are almost out of time, and do some analysis. Hopefully you have diligently done your experiments and you are ready to report. The point of the experiment is that in the data mining I talked about, we can model some data, and now we can do it over a lot of databases. We can build lots of models in quick time.
So what are the dangers here? I want to take you down one dangerous road and then show you how easily you can overcome it. What we are doing in our experiment is, as a group, we are going to maximize over many models. In the mutual fund industry, Peter Lynch is somewhat of a legend. One of the most outstanding things he did was that for 11 out of 13 years, he outperformed the market.
Let's do some analysis and see whether we have any Peter Lynches in the audience. What you did was to flip a coin. You're going to assume that you are mutual fund managers and that each year you have a 50-50 chance of beating the market or doing worse than the market. You can do some analysis, and you could see that any one of you has a pretty small chance of beating the market. To do something like what Peter Lynch did, forget it. You're not going to beat him, at least not in this crowd.
What's different is this: if we decide a new variable that is the maximum of all of you as random variables, the picture changes dramatically. When I asked you to keep track of who the best people in this room are in managing mutual funds, the equations change. I don't know what our size audience is here, but let's say we're about 100, since all of you did two experiments. I would have a 67 percent chance of finding a Peter Lynch in this audience. Let's just test that. How many people got seven or more heads? Eight or more heads? Nine or more heads? Ten or more? We have almost a Peter Lynch. Eleven or more? Yes, we have a winner.
This is where the danger lies. You are running lots of models, and you are going over the maximum. In fact, it turns out that in a group of 500, your expectation is 11.6 for this. So it's nothing special. Remember that there are 2,000 mutual fund managers in the market, so draw your own conclusion.
The point is this sounds scary, and it sounds dangerous, and when we were mining, it was like finding thousands of models over a fixed data set. So what is happening? It turns out that with a little bit of hygiene, you can actually avoid this problem completely.
That whole analysis collapses the minute I do something as simple as holding a sample on the side that I never touch to verify my results against. I'm pretty sure the Peter Lynch in this room would probably fail on these extra data, and that's why I can avoid that danger. So a lot of these mining dangers are actually overblown. In reality, if you do a little bit of hygiene, you can overcome them.
Let me conclude, since I'm running out of time. Figure 15.5 is the summary take-home message: Where are we today in terms of the world of databases, data warehouses, and so forth? The analogy that always comes to my mind is ancient Egypt. Why is that? Well, we know that we are building these huge data warehouses. In fact, if you look at a data warehouse, you hear about companies spending millions of dollars, and you look at how they use their warehouses. These data stores are only stores. You just store into them; you almost never take the data out. That's a data tomb. It's an engineering feat to build one of these warehouses, but there are many challenges to making them useful.
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The Bureau for the Settlement of German Jews, which is part of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, reported that since the beginning of its work in November, 1933, £70,000 has been spent on constructive works for German Jewish refugee settlers in Palestine. More than 6,000 refugees were assisted during this period.
New buildings were erected for the refugees in various colonies which cost £31,000 and provided housing for 2,700 immigrants. Over 465 German Jewish families benefitted from the purchase of land costing £6,000. Industrial training for 400 immigrants cost £4,500, while 200 received loans for constructive purposes.
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Understanding The Role Hormones Play In Health and Weight Loss.
For your Food this week repeat the Sprinter 7 day programme.
Week 3 you will get a personalised plan and we will introduce tracking.
Please download MYFITNESS PAL from the app store.
Keep a food diary this week – post it in the group or write down your food and drink.
Do you find that losing weight in certain areas seems impossible?
Mid section weight gain and weight around the hips and thighs is due to hormonal imbalances.
This talk will help you understand how to tweak your diet and balance the hormones that are causing these imbalances.
Please ensure you
Record Your Food in My Fitness Pal
2 litres of Water.
Get your 10k Steps in.
Make an effort to reduce stress.
Please post in the group so I can see how you are doing.
Week 2 Stress Challenge
Workout- Fitness Pilates
Hormonal Profiles and Body Types
There is a very commonly believed myth about weight loss — that the sole reason for slow weight loss is because you eat too much and don’t exercise enough.
The truth, though, is that weight loss is all about hormones and metabolism. Hormones control metabolism, and metabolism determines how fast you are able to burn fat off of your body.
There are four body types or shapes, and each is associated with a particular hormone-producing organ.
Someone with a sagging belly has an adrenal type of body. The adrenal gland sits on top of the kidneys, and its purpose is to help you cope and deal with stress.
The adrenal gland produces the hormone cortisol. When there’s too much cortisol, the body tells the fat to go in and around your belly. That’s because you have vital organs in your belly — liver, kidney, pancreas — and your body under stress uses fat as the main fuel source to keep these organs alive.
Someone who has weight on their hips, thighs and a stomach pouch — is an ovary / oestrogen body type. Ovaries can make oestrogen, and oestrogen creates a lining of fat as cellulite and deposits it around the pelvis.
This type has problems associated with the menstrual cycle. In menopause, the ovary type can turn into the adrenal type.
Someone who has a pot belly has a liver type of body. The liver leaks fluid into a sack around the belly, causing the belly to protrude.
Someone with fat distributed equally all over their body is a thyroid type. The thyroid gland controls every cell in the body and regulates metabolic rate.
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Businesses of all types and sizes are often at risk of a cyber-attack from harmful individuals. One of the most common places for this type of attack is through emails. Keep in mind that various types of email cyberattacks can derail a company’s system, such as malware, phishing, or spoofing. This is why knowing what these attacks are and how to recognize them will allow you to place necessary security protocols in place that will ensure maximum data protection and security.
In this article, we will share five email cyberattacks that you should know:
Malware can derail your business operations because it can damage your entire computer system. There are various types of malware, such as trojans, viruses, worms, etc. In emails, this is masked through a link, and when opened, it will infect the entire system and make it unusable.
Cybercriminals commonly use this security attack to acquire private business information, such as usernames and passwords, or details about financial accounts. Typically, they sell these pieces of information to competitors. Phishing emails look similar to an official email from a specific company, and in most cases, they contain links to sites with malware. This is why it’s vital to know how to distinguish phishing emails from the real ones, such as having links to a fake web site or needing urgent action.
Email spoofing is a cyber-attack attempt to confuse employees to divulge sensitive information. The email usually contains the exact company’s header. Aside from informing employees about such attacks and how to recognize email spoofing, companies must also invest in software to enhance email security.
Ransomware works like a kidnap-for-ransom, but this one is done virtually. In this form of email attract, cybercriminals will block all users until they get money to unblock and give their accounts back.
DHA’s goal is to access a company’s email database attached to the company domain. To protect your company from this, you can use a Mail Protection Service (MPS) that will secure email accounts from this type of cyberattack.
Now that you know the various types of email cyberattack, you should also know how you can further protect your online data. Aside from investing in security software to protect your system, here are other steps to help you from email cyberattacks:
Email cyberattacks may have a significant impact on your business, which is why it’s vital that you ensure you’re up-to-date with the latest online crimes to protect your business. Regardless of the size of your business, cyber thieves will latch onto any business just to earn money. If you want to ensure that they will not harm your company, remember to train your staff and have all the right security protocols in place.
Another way to secure your business is by using a secure VPS. Here at I/O Zoom, we offer reliable and professional VPS hosting that will keep your company protected online at all times. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help!
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1Then God told Jacob, “Get ready to go to Bethel and live there. Build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were running away from your brother Esau.”#35:1. See 28:11 and on. 2So Jacob told his family and everyone who was with him, “Get rid of the pagan idols you have with you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3We have to get ready and go to Bethel so I can build an altar to God who answered me in my time of trouble. He has been with me wherever I went.”
4They handed over to Jacob all the pagan idols they had, as well as their earrings,#35:4. “Earrings”: some commentators believe that these earrings also had some religious associations. and he buried them under the oak tree at Shechem. 5As they left on their journey, the terror of God spread over all the surrounding towns, so nobody tried to retaliate against Jacob's sons.
6Jacob and everyone with him arrived at Luz (also known as Bethel) in the country of Canaan. 7He built an altar there and called the place El-Bethel,#35:7. “El-Bethel”: meaning “the God of Bethel.” Bethel in turn means “the house of God” (see 28:19). because that was where God had appeared to him when he was running away from his brother Esau.
8Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried under the oak near Bethel. So it was named “the oak of weeping.”
9God appeared to Jacob again and blessed him after his return from Paddan-aram. 10God told him, “Jacob will not be your name any longer. Instead of Jacob your name will be Israel.” So God called him Israel.
11Then God said, “I am God Almighty! Reproduce, increase, and you will become a nation—in fact a group of nations—and kings will be among your descendants. 12I will give to you and to your descendants the land I also gave to Abraham and Isaac.” 13Then God left the place where he had been speaking to Jacob. 14Afterwards Jacob set up a stone pillar where God had spoken with him. He poured out a drink offering on it, and also olive oil. 15Jacob called the place Bethel, because he had spoken with God there.
16Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor and had great difficulty giving birth. 17When she was in the worst birth-pains, the midwife told her, “Don't give up—you have another son!” 18But she was dying, and with her last breath she named him Benoni.#35:18. “Benoni” means “son of my suffering.” But his father named him Benjamin.#35:18. “Benjamin” means “son of my right hand.” The right hand was considered more favorable. 19Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also known as Bethlehem). 20Jacob set up a stone memorial over Rachel's grave, and it's still there to this day.
21Israel#35:21. “Israel”: referring of course to Jacob after his name change. moved on and camped beyond the watch tower at Eder. 22During the time he was living there, Reuben went and slept with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Israel found out about it.#35:22. The Septuagint adds, “and it was very distressing to him.”
These were the twelve sons of Jacob:
23The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.
25The sons of Rachel's personal maid Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali.
26The sons of Leah's personal maid Zilpah: Gad and Asher.
These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him while in Paddan-aram.
27Jacob returned home to his father Isaac at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (also known as Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had lived. 28Isaac lived to be 180 29when he breathed his last and died at an old age. He had lived a full life, and now he joined his forefathers in death. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
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What is Overcapitalization?
Overcapitalization is a situation faced by a company where it has raised a lot of capital but doesn’t have sufficient revenue-generating assets to justify such a large amount of funds raised by it and therefore the required return burden of such capital is way higher than the profits generated by the company, causing a drain on the amount of retained earnings and company’s long term existence.
Initial Expectation of the company is of greater profits and therefore it raises a higher amount of debt capital, however, these expectations are either misplaced or the execution of the company is lacking, leading to lower than expected profits and thereby causing excessive interest burden and overcapitalization.
The company uses retained earnings to invest in growth prospects and if the amount of retained earnings is facing a setback due to excessive interest burden because of overcapitalization, the company will not able to come out of the low profitability situation until and unless it reduces its debt.
Examples of Overcapitalization (With Excel Template)
Let’s take an example to understand the calculation in a better manner.
Suppose we are given the information about two companies in the same industry and conducting the same business of manufactured housing:
- We see both companies have the same EBIT but the debt of O is greater than that of R so interest expense is also higher.
- Higher interest expense causes lower EAT for O which means that it has lower earnings left for equity shareholders than R.
- Further, O has higher Equity also, which further lowers the ROE of O, therefore, O is suffering from overcapitalization because the same profit can be generated by R in much less capital.
- O needs to restructure capital to reduces excessive interest expense and boost equity.
Company U is calculated as
Company L is calculated as
Causes of Overcapitalization
- Overestimation: A company raises capital in expectation of future earnings when this expectation is misplaced, the company feels it needs to raise a greater amount of capital to fund such earnings. Therefore the company raises a greater amount of funds than required to generate an actual amount of profits.
- Timing Effect: When the company starts off in the period where the prices are very high, its estimation of cost of a revenue-generating asset is higher and therefore it raises more capital, however by the time the actual CAPex is required, the prices have reduced and the capital requirement has reduced.
- Estimation of Marketing Expense: Companies may feel that they need to access different marketing channels and make an assumption of the required funds, however, the actual promotion required while the capital raised for the same is way too much as compared to the requirement
- Unusually Lower Depreciation Rate: Overcapitalization also implies that the valuation of assets is higher than the intrinsic value of these assets. One of the reasons for the same could be charging unusually lower depreciation rate that would lead to depreciating lesser and thereby showing a higher value of assets
Effects of Overcapitalization
Below smart art shows a series of effects of overcapitalization:
- Interest Burden: If a lot of debt capital has been raised, then the interest burden is also very high because debt interest needs to be paid even if the company incurs losses, let alone only breaking even. Therefore the return requirement becomes excessive in comparison to the profits earned by the company.
- Vicious Circle of Under Profitability: Due to low profitability, the amount of dividend distribution is low because whatever little profits remain after paying off the interest liability goes to retained earnings. Even so the retained earnings accumulation is also not very high to invest in the available growth opportunities and therefore the company enters into the vicious circle of under profitability as without investing into growth opportunities it is unable to increase profitability and faces this same issue year after year.
- Losses: After being able to meet the interest burden for some years, the company enters into losses as the interest burden becomes unsustainable and this is when the company reaches its rock bottom
- Collapse & Shutdown: Ultimately after the assets are reduced to almost nothing the company collapses and goes bankrupt without having enough to pay off the debt, let alone paying anything to the equity shareholders and the only option left is to shut down the business.
Difference between Overcapitalization and OverTrading
- Meaning: Overtrading is the excessive aggressive expansion of operations of the company without raising sufficient capital to sustain such expansions. Overcapitalization is the excessive capital raising, without having any good expansion, growth or scale-up plan
- Working capital: Overcapitalization leads to excessive availability of working capital while overtrading leads to the completely opposite situation.
- Impact: Overcapitalization can lead to the complete collapse of the company and its operations, overtrading would only lead to downsizing but not complete collapse or shutdown.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Below are the advantages and disadvantages of the same:
- Investment capital: If the company is prudent it can invest the capital and earn the return at least as much as to cover the return requirement if not greater than that. This can help the company in breaking the vicious circle of unsustainable returns so that it can steer itself to a growth trajectory.
- Flexibility: Excess capital gives the company immediate funding for CAPex when required and thereby not delay such investment and help the company in catering to urgent requirements of changing markets such as the production of an improved product, requiring advanced plant and machinery.
- Unsustainable: Interest burden increases beyond the sustainable levels leading to excessive losses, collapse, bankruptcy or shutdown and investors losing a lot of their invested money as in most cases the amount of money available for paying off the interest burden is not sufficient, let alone leaving anything for the equity shareholders
- Declining ROE: Due to excessive interest, the amount of net income available for equity investors is very low leading to very low return on equity and forcing the investors to sell their shares as and when possible and in turn leading to falling market prices.
- Triggers Accounting Fraud: Too much pressure to maintain the market value leads to company cooking up the books of accounts by undertaking accounting malpractices such as recognizing excessive revenues than warranted or, taking a lot of liabilities off the balance sheet through SPVs. However, these may cause some short term relief but the company lacking substance ultimately falls apart.
- Bubble in Valuation: Accounting malpractices make the financials look a lot better than they actually are and this leads to a surge in the security prices, however, this is only a bubble as the intrinsic value of the company is much lower and when such bubble bursts, it causes huge losses in shareholder’s wealth
- Need to Refinance: When the interest rate in the market is lower, it is beneficial to raise capital but if there is overcapitalization, the company loses the opportunity of raising it at a cheaper interest rate or get stuck with paying higher interest rate until and unless it refinances the capital.
Overcapitalization is the practice of raising too much capital than required to produce the level of profit that the company is producing currently and also unjustified with the current level of revenue-generating assets and future expansion plans. This causes a high cost of the capital burden when such capital is raised through debt and even when raised through equity, it causes a fall in investor confidence if the return on equity is consistently low.
Restructuring excess capital is a prudent approach if the company has to sustain over a long term so that it doesn’t get stuck in the vicious circle of under profiting and reduce the chances of getting bankrupt, shutting down or losing investor faith and money.
This is a guide to the Overcapitalization. Here we discuss the explanation of overcapitalization along with practical examples. We also provide a downloadable excel template. You may also look at the following articles to learn more –
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In the Old Testament of the Bible, Leviathan is a large sea monster who represents the forces of evil. In Arabian folklore, Behemoth is an enormous fish swimming in a bottomless sea carrying all of creation on its back.
In present times, the Loch Ness Monster remains one of the world's most famous mysteries. “Nessie” is thought to be a giant creature with a huge rounded body, maybe 100 feet long, and a long neck. Some think it is a prehistoric seagoing dinosaur, pleiosaur. It lives in the inky black waters of the immense, 700-foot-deep Loch (Lake) Ness in Scotland. “Nessie” has been sighted many times. An expedition in 1934 at the height of “monster fever” claimed 21 sightings and took 5 pictures. No one has yet caught this elusive creature or scientifically proved its existence. Tales of the Loch Ness Monster may be the basis for stories of similar freshwater serpents in other places.
Cousins of the Loch Ness Monster?
|Champ||Lake Champlain, U.S.|
|Chessie||Chesapeake Bay, U.S.|
|Ogopogo||Okanagan Lake, British Columbia|
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Sarah J. Kerr, BA
A dental veneer is a thin covering that is placed over the front of the teeth. Veneers are made from ceramic, porcelain, resin-based composite, or acrylic. Custom-made shells are created by dental lab technicians and permanently bonded to the teeth.
In most cases, dental veneers are an elective dental procedure. This means they are not medically necessary. You might choose to have veneers if you have teeth that are:
Problems from the procedure are rare, but all procedures have some risk. Your dentist will review potential problems, like:
Talk to your dentist about these risks before the procedure. If you grind or clench your teeth, your dentist may recommend a nighttime bite guard to protect your veneers.
If you are interested in getting dental veneers, you can meet with your dentist to discuss:
Your dentist will explain the procedure and anything you should do to prepare.
You will have a local anesthetic for some parts of the procedure. This means that the dentist will numb only the part of your mouth that is being worked on.
Depending on the kind of veneer you choose, you may need to make several visits to the dentist before your veneers are complete.
To make room for the veneers, the top layer of enamel will be removed from your teeth. You may be given local anesthetic for this step. It may be given as a gel that is rubbed on your gums or as an injection. The dentist will take a mold of your teeth and send it to a dental lab. The lab will make veneers to fit your teeth. This may take several days.
At your next visit, a mild chemical will be put on your teeth. This will create a rough surface for the veneer to bond to. The veneers will be carefully attached to your teeth using special cement. In some cases, a light-sensitive resin will be used to attach the veneer. A special light will be used to cure and harden the resin.
The procedure will take several hours. You may have to wait a few days between visits for your veneers to be created in a dental lab.
You may have some minor pain. You will be given a local anesthetic for some steps of the procedure. Talk to your dentist if your mouth is sore after the procedure. An over-the-counter pain reliever may be advised.
You will be able to leave right after the procedure.
When you return home, take these steps:
Call your dentist if a veneer chips or cracks.
American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
Mouth Healthy—American Dental Association
Canadian Academy for Esthetic Dentistry
Canadian Dental Association
Bonding and veneers. Canadian Dental Association website. Available at:
http://www.cda-adc.ca/en/oral_health/procedures/bonding_veneers/. Accessed January 13, 2015.
For the dental patient. Improving your smile with dental veneers.
J Am Dent Assoc.
Veneers. American Dental Association's Mouth Healthy website. Available at:
http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/v/veneers.aspx. Accessed January 13, 2015.
Last reviewed January 2015 by Michael Woods, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.
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The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) assesses an individual’s behavior in conflict situations—that is, situations in which the concerns of two. The Five Conflict-Handling Modes. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) assesses an individual’s behavior in conflict. situations—that is. The Thomas Kilmann conflict mode Instrument (TKI® assessment) is the world’s best-selling conflict management tool because it helps trainers, managers, and.
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July Learn how and when to remove onstrument template message. InCPP, Inc. If notability cannot be established, thomas-kilmann conflict mode instrument article is likely to be mergedredirectedor deleted.
This article relies too much on references to primary sources. This article relies largely or entirely on a single source.
Competing assertive, coonflictAvoiding unassertive, uncooperativeAccommodating unassertive, cooperativeCollaborating assertive, cooperativeand Compromising intermediate assertiveness and cooperativeness. These thomas-kilmann conflict mode instrument surprising results demonstrate that the TKI is measuring an aspect of conflict-handling behavior that is fairly consistent across different countries and cultures.
Thomas–Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument – Wikipedia
Your conflict behavior in the workplace is therefore a result of both your personal predispositions and the requirements of the situation in which you find yourself. This instrument requires no special qualifications for administration.
Use These Helpful Links. Two Assessments per Person.
But if you wish to receive more frequent updates, we also charge extra for such a time-consuming service. Thomas-kilmann conflict mode instrument new page will open that will provide the instructions condlict a link for taking the TKI.
The objective is to find some expedient, mutually acceptable solution that partially satisfies both parties. The Key to Leadership Excellence. These two basic dimensions thomas-kilmann conflict mode instrument behavior define five different modes for responding to conflict situations:.
Thomas–Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument
Make a positive impact on individuals and organizations. More Than Conflict Management. Retrieved from ” https: The TKI uses two axes influenced by instrumrnt Mouton and Blake axes called “assertiveness” and “cooperativeness.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Accommodating might take the form of selfless generosity or charity, obeying another person’s order when you would prefer not to, or yielding to thomas-kilmann conflict mode instrument point of view. Thomas and Ralph H.
Competing means “standing up for your rights,” defending a position which you thomas-kilmann conflict mode instrument is correct, or simply trying to win. Individuals will identify their preferred method of dealing with conflict, and learn appropriate ways to approach conflict with others.
Ralph Kilmann is the co-author of the TKI: Be prepared to experience many eureka aha moments! Retrieved 14 November thomas-kilmann conflict mode instrument The TKI is an online instrumrnt that will take you 15 to 20 minutes to complete and download thomas-kilmann conflict mode instrument personalized results—which will help you discover the most appropriate uses for each conflict-handling mode in different situations.
These two basic dimensions of behavior define five different modes for responding to conflict situations: The Blake and Mouton model uses two axes: Besides its native English language, the TKI is also available in several other languges: If you enter 50 or condlict TKIs, the total charge will be based on the relevant quantity discount. The TKI popularized instument style inventories and, according to the publisher’s website, there have been over six million copies published.
Reduce stress in your organization by addressing relational issues while improving productivity and performance in your organization. If you have any questions about how to administer the assessment or interpret your results, you won’t be able to find another person who has moee TKI knowledge and experience.
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How to Melt Snow and Ice Without Rock Salt
Rock salt is easily the cheapest option when it comes to melting snow and ice on U.S. roadways as well as on pavements at U.S. homes. Over a third of the salt sold in the United States every year is rock salt, which is basically the as-is salt mined from natural salt deposits left underground by "ancient oceans."
Rock Salt Damages Your Pavements and Landscaping
However, while rock salt is relatively inexpensive, accessible, and easy to apply, its use also brings with it a number of negative consequences.
First, rock salt (calcium chloride) does more than just melt the snow/ice on your driveway and other pavements. It also infiltrates the porous surface of your concrete and lodges, more or less permanently, inside. This might not be a problem in itself, except that salt is acidic enough to lower the pH level of concrete and render it more prone to deterioration. Salt crystals inside of concrete also has the effect of drawing water toward them and of increasing the saturation potential of concrete by 9%. Finally, if there are any uneven spots on your concrete pavement's surface, melt-off water will tend to collect there and seep slowly into the pavement below.
The end result is that water-laden concrete is cracked and spalled by internal pressures and surface abrasion caused by the expansion of water as it freezes into ice. The more freeze-thaw cycles in a winter, the worse the damage will be.
Asphalt surfaces also suffer from the salt/water infiltration and freeze-thaw cycles, though not quite as much as does concrete. Brick and stone used in home walkways and landscaping paths suffer a similar fate.
Grass, trees, flowers, bushes, and other vegetation planted near pavements where rock salt is applied will also often be damaged/killed off. The tell-tale sign is leaves, twigs, branches, or even the whole plant browning and dying. Salt absorbed in snow-melt run-off gets into the soil along pavements and causes plants to reach excessive internal salt levels. Since plants cannot "sweat off" salts like animals, they have to shed leaves/twigs. Salt also reduces soil quality and attracts water to itself, which makes it harder for root systems to pull the water into the plant.
Alternatives to Rock Salt for Melting Snow and Ice
If rock salt is not to be used, then some alternative methods of melting snow and ice and maintaining safe walking/parking areas on your premises must be found.
Here are some of the main options:
Use a different deicer: Calcium chloride, which is more effective at lower temperatures than rock salt and does less damage to concrete is one popular option. Urea is one of the safest deicers for plant life since it does not contain chloride. CMA (calcium magnesium acetate) does less damage to pavements/plants than rock salt, but it is better at preventing refreezing than at initial melting. There are many deicers available today, each with its pros and cons and each at a different price range.
Focus on mechanical removal: Using deicers minimally, and even mixing them with sand to dilute them and increase traction, is an option. Use enough chemical deicer to loosen ice and pre-brine pavements so snow does not stick and less deicer is needed later. Shoveling, snow blowing, and plowing then finish the job. The health risks of snow shoveling, the expense of plows/blowers, and the cost of hiring others to manually remove snow/ice are all potential drawbacks.
Install a heated driveway: Snow-melt systems under driveways, and sometimes also under walkways/sidewalks, are a great convenience. Simply turn them on as needed or pre-set them to activate automatically at certain times of day or at specific temperatures. No shoveling or salting will be needed to maintain the necessary snow and ice free areas. However, thousands of dollars must be invested to put in a new driveway that incorporates heating coils or hydronic heating tubes.
- Use seasonal snow-melt mats: Snow melting mats provide a clear, dry, slip-resistant surface to walk on. They can be installed at entryways, along walkways, on outdoor stairs, and even as a tire lane on driveways. Snow melting mats essentially give you the convenience of a heated pavement at a lower cost and with the ability to remove and store the mats seasonally.
In summary, we can say that rock salt creates at least as many problems as it solves, making it desirable to find an alternative deicing method. Alternate chemical deicers are superior to rock salt in some respects but cost more. Mechanical removal is cheap and safe for your pavements/plants but presents dangers such as hypothermia and accidental slips and falls. Heated driveways are a convenient solution but one that has high upfront costs. Snow melting mats are good for providing a snow/ice free zone without reconstructing your pavements.
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is a scientific discipline involving the study of structure and mechanism related to the toxic effects of chemical agents, and encompasses technology advances in
research related to chemical aspects of toxicology. Research in this area is discovery, drug metabolism and mechanisms of action, bioinformatics, bioanalytical
chemistry, chemical biology, and molecular epidemiology.
Toxicity of metabolites
Many substances regarded as poisons are toxic only indirectly. An example is "wood alcohol," or methanol, which is chemically converted to formaldehyde and formic
acid in the liver. It is the formaldehyde and formic acid that cause the toxic effects of methanol exposure. As for drugs, many small molecules are made toxic in the
liver, a good example being acetaminophen (paracetamol), especially in the presence of chronic alcohol use. The genetic variability of certain liver enzymes makes
the toxicity of many compounds differ between one individual and the next. Because demands placed on one liver enzyme can induce activity in another, many
molecules become toxic only in combination with others. A family of activities that many toxicologists engage includes identifying which liver enzymes convert a
molecule into a poison, what are the toxic products of the conversion and under what conditions and in which individuals this conversion takes place.
Subdisciplines of toxicology
There are various specialized subdisciplines within the field of toxicology that concern diverse chemical and biological aspects of this area. For example,
toxicogenomics involves applying molecular profiling approaches to the study of toxicology. Other areas include Aquatic toxicology, Chemical toxicology,
Ecotoxicology, Environmental toxicology, Forensic toxicology, and Medical toxicology.
is the study of the effects of manufactured chemicals and other anthropogenic and natural materials and activities on aquatic organisms at various levels of
organization, from subcellular through individual organisms to communities and ecosystems (Rand, 1995).In the United States aquatic toxicology plays an important
role in the NPDES wastewater permit program. In additional to analytical testing for known pollutants, aquatic, whole effluent toxicity tests have been standardized
and are performed routinely as a tool for evaluating the potential harmful effects of effluents discharged into surface waters.
Environmental Toxicology (EnTox)
EnTox is a young (1965) and interdisciplinary science that uses both basic and applied scientific knowledge to understand natural and anthropogenic pollutants life
cycle and their impacts upon structure and functions of biological and ecological systems. Research in EnTox includes both laboratory experiments and field studies.
EnTox wants to answer two main questions, How the release pollutant causes harmful effects? What can we do to prevent or minimize risk to biological and
Is the use of toxicology and other disciplines such as analytical chemistry, pharmacology and clinical chemistry to aid medical or legal investigation of death,
poisoning, and drug use. The primary concern for forensic toxicology is not the legal outcome of the toxicological investigation or the technology utilised, but rather
the obtaining and interpreting of the results. A toxicological analysis can be done to various kinds of samples.
A forensic toxicologist must consider the context of an investigation, in particular any physical symptoms recorded, and any evidence collected at a crime scene that
may narrow the search, such as pill bottles, powders, trace residue, and any available chemicals. Provided with this information and samples with which to work, the
forensic toxicologist must determine which toxic substances are present, in what concentrations, and the probable effect of those chemicals on the person.
Determining the substance ingested is often complicated by the body's natural processes (see ADME), as it is rare for a chemical to remain in its original form once in
the body. For example: heroin is almost immediately metabolised into another substance and further to morphine, making detailed investigation into factors such as
injection marks and chemical purity necessary to confirm diagnosis. The substance may also have been diluted by its dispersal through the body; while a pill or other
regulated dose of a drug may have grams or milligrams of the active constituent, an individual sample under investigation may only contain micrograms or
In vitro toxicity testing
is the scientific analysis of the effects of toxic chemical substances on cultured bacteria or mammalian cells. In vitro (literally 'in glass') testing methods are employed
primarily to identify potentially hazardous chemicals and/or to confirm the lack of certain toxic properties in the early stages of the development of potentially useful
new substances such as therapeutic drugs, agricultural chemicals and direct food additives that may or may not taste good.
Most toxicologists believe that in vitro toxicity testing methods can be a useful, time and cost-effective supplement to toxicology studies in living animals (which are
termed in vivo or "in life" methods). However, it is generally accepted that the available in vitro tests are not presently adequate to entirely replace animal
In vitro assays for xenobiotic toxicity are recently carefully considered by key government agencies (e.g. EPA; NIEHS/NTP; FDA), mainly due to a societal movement
to reduce the use of animals in research, and a desire to better assess human risks. There are substantial activities in using in vitro systems to advance mechanistic
understanding of toxicant activities, and the use of human cells and tissue to define human-specific toxic effects.
in toxicology, refers to a tendency to take a drug over and over again, forgetting each time that one has already taken the dose. This can lead to a cumulative
overdose. A particular example is barbiturates which were once commonly used as hypnotic (sleep inducing) drugs. Among the current hypnotics, benzodiazepines,
especially midazolam might show marked automatism, possibly through their intrinsic anterograde amnesia effect.
The term ecotoxicology was coined by René Truhaut in 1969 who defined it as "the branch of toxicology concerned with the study of toxic effects, caused by natural
or synthetic pollutants, to the constituents of ecosystems, animal (including human), vegetable and microbial, in an integral context” (Truhaut, 1977).
is the integration of toxicology and ecology or, as Chapman (2002) suggested, “ecology in the presence of toxicants”. It aims to quantify the effects of stressors
upon natural populations, communities, or ecosystems. Ecotoxicology differs from environmental toxicology in that it integrates the effects of stressors across all
levels of biological organisation from the molecular to whole communities and ecosystems, whereas environmental toxicology focuses upon effects at the level of the
individual and below (Maltby & Naylor, 1990). This broader remit is distinct from the anthropocentric nature of classical toxicology and the legislative approach of
environmental toxicology. Ecotoxicology incorporates aspects of ecology, toxicology, physiology, molecular biology, analytical chemistry and many other disciplines.
The ultimate goal of this approach is to be able to predict the effects of pollution so that the most efficient and effective action to prevent or remediate any
detrimental effect can be identified. In those ecosystems that are already impacted by pollution ecotoxicological studies can inform as to the best course of action to
restore ecosystem services and functions efficiently and effectively.
In forensic entomology
Entomotoxicology is the analysis of toxins in arthropods (mainly flies and beetles) that feed on carrion. Using arthropods in a corpse or at a crime scene,
investigators can determine whether toxins were present in a body at the time of death. This technique is a major advance in forensics; previously, such
determinations were impossible in the case of severely decomposed bodies devoid of intoxicated tissue and bodily fluids. Ongoing research into the effects of toxins
on arthropod development has also allowed better estimations of postmortem intervals.
is a field of science that deals with the collection, interpretation, and storage of information about gene and protein activity within particular cell or tissue of an
organism in response to toxic substances. Toxicogenomics combines toxicology with genomics or other high throughput molecular profiling technologies such as
transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. Toxicogenomics endeavors to elucidate molecular mechanisms evolved in the expression of toxicity, and to derive
molecular expression patterns
(i.e., molecular biomarkers) that predict toxicity or the genetic susceptibility to it.
In pharmaceutical research toxicogenomics is defined as the study of the structure and function of the genome as it responds to adverse xenobiotic exposure. It is
the toxicological subdiscipline of pharmacogenomics, which is broadly defined as the study of inter-individual variations in whole-genome or candidate gene single-
nucleotide polymorphism maps, haplotype markers, and alterations in gene expression that might correlate with drug responses (Lesko and Woodcock 2004, Lesko
et al. 2003). Though the term toxicogenomics first appeared in the literature in 1999 (Nuwaysir et al.) it was already in common use within the pharmaceutical
industry as its origin was driven by marketing strategies from vendor companies. The term is still not universal accepted, and others have offered alternative terms
such as chemogenomics to describe essentially the same area (Fielden et al., 2005).
The nature and complexity of the data (in volume and variability) demands highly developed processes for of automated handling and storage. The analysis usually
involves a wide array of bioinformatics and statistics., regularly involving classification approaches.
In pharmaceutical Drug discovery and development toxicogenomics is used to study adverse, i.e. toxic, effects, of pharmaceutical drugs in defined model systems in
order to draw conclusions on the toxic risk to patients or the environment. Both the EPA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration currently preclude basing
regulatory decision making on genomics data alone. However, they do encourage the voluntary submission of well-documented, quality genomics data. Both
agencies are considering the use of submitted data on a case-by-case basis for assessment purposes (e.g., to help elucidate mechanism of action or contribute to a
weight-of-evidence approach) or for populating relevant comparative databases by encouraging parallel submissions of genomics data and traditional toxicologic
Wikipedia for more information on definitions
|The disciplines of epidemiology and toxicology are used to identify people at risk and promote actions to protect them. Scientific research is used to develop solutions to
public health problems and provide a public service. we are committed to state-of-the art services, education, innovation, creativity, integrity, honesty, research, and
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To have your septic tank working at full efficiency you need to keep the conditions right for the bacteria in the septic tank to be able to break down the solids contained in the waste water. To keep bacteria at a working range, waste water in the tank needs to be at an acidity level or pH level of 6.6 -7.6, the optimum level for bacteria is a pH between 7.0 – 7.2.
Put in simple terms, if you put acidic cleaners, bleach or strong disinfectant cleaners down your sink, they will eventually end up in your septic tank; thus, will change the pH level of the waste water in your septic tank, which will then affect the performance of the bacteria that break down the solids.
The solids or sludge in a septic tank can be broken up into two broad groups known as organic and inorganic solids. Organic solids are derived from living things, and contain carbon in their molecules, these types of solids can be broken down by bacteria. Inorganic solids are made up of non-living things and struggle to be broken down by bacteria.
No matter how well you look after your septic tank over time sludge will accumulate in it. This is what a septic tank is designed to do – capture the sludge/solids and let the liquid pass through it. Good maintenance will prevent the rapid accumulation of organic sludge in your tank. At some stage, the inorganic sludge and part of the organic sludge – which has struggled to be broken down by bacteria, will eventually be required to be removed from the tank. The less sludge you have in a septic tank the more efficient it will work.
When you need the sludge removed from your septic tank, you will need to call Sludge busters. Sludge busters remove the sludge from the tank. The last thing that you want is for sludge levels in the tank to become so high that waste water cannot enter or exit the tank. This will cause your toilets and sinks in your house to block up, or your yard to flood. Too much sludge in a septic tank can cause it to flow into your septic systems distribution lines, effecting drainage efficiency and may also cause the drainage lines to block. This will mean expensive repairs. Having your septic tank cleaned approximately every three years will keep your tank operating to maximum efficiency and increase the life span of your septic system.
Call for Bobs Pumping for septic services: 808-885-7159
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Read Unit Summaries and learn about the pacing of the Grade 4 units.
Read a sample Session focused on computation with fractions, and the accompanying Dialogue Box. See the Assessment Checklist used in the Session.
Read a description of the Mathematics in Grade 4.
Review the Grade 4 Scope and Sequence.
View correlations between the Grade 4 curriculum and the Common Core Standards at Grade 4.
Peek into a classroom: watch video of fourth graders at work on mathematics.
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Present Continuous Tense:
Present Continuous is used for-
a. an action going on at the time of speaking.
b. an action which may not be actually happening at the time of speaking
c. an action that has already been arranged to take place in the near future
She is singing (now).
The boys are playing hockey.
I am reading a new ‘Chetan Bhagat’s’ novel. (but I am not reading at this moment).
I am going to the church tomorrow
My dad is arriving tomorrow.
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More and more literally devastating evidence of global warming keeps coming up from across the world. A glacier in Norway is shrinking fast and toxic Californian seawaters are killing marine life in their thousands.
Global warming continues to wreak havoc. A couple of days ago it was reported that a Norwegian glacier had shrunk on an island 1,000 km from the North Pole, a usually frozen fjord (a long narrow arm of sea between high cliffs) is ice-free and snow bunting birds have migrated back early.
"This glacier is dying," guide Eirik Karlsen said on a visit to a tunnel through the ice left by last summer's melt water cascading through the heart of the fast-retreating 3 km long glacier above the village of Longyearbyen.
In California environmentalists reported that toxic acid emanating from a type of ocean algae had sickened and killed hundreds of birds, sea lions and dolphins.
The algae population increases or "blooms" every year as the ocean waters warm but this year's bloom seems early, extensive and "very, very thick," says David Caron, who teaches in the biological sciences department at University of Southern California.
The Norwegian tunnel, big enough to walk along with ice stalactites hanging from the roof, snakes its way 15 meters below the surface of the Longyearbyen Glacier and shows that huge volumes of water flowed down towards the valley last year.
Many residents say bone-chilling temperatures, blizzards and storms always vary drastically from year to year around the world's most northerly village, with or without global warming.
Still, U.N. climate experts says the Arctic is heating up faster than the rest of the planet because of global warming, threatening human livelihoods and species such as polar bears that depend on sea ice for hunting seals.
They say dark sea water and land, once exposed, soaks up more heat than ice and snow. Glaciers are in retreat in many parts of the world, from the Alps to the Himalayas, and could push up sea levels in coming decades and centuries.
Snow buntings, which arrive from Siberia at the end of the winter, turned up about a week earlier than normal. Little auks also migrated to the islands early, residents say.
People have been little affected by the melt. The main business is a coal mine and food is imported from the Norwegian mainland to the south. Buildings are already built on high stilts to protect against any thaw of permafrost.
The Norwegian Polar Institute says that a melt of glaciers in western Svalbard, such as Longyearbyen glacier, has clearly accelerated in recent years.
Two climate activists studying the region stripped off to swimming costumes and sat on the ice by the fjord to highlight risks of climate change.
"If the climate keeps warming, the Arctic might be warm enough for swimming," said Rob Bell, in chill temperatures of about -5 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile in California, birds and animals have been washing up on shores from San Diego to San Francisco Bay.
In the past week, 40 birds have been taken to the International Bird Rescue Center in San Pedro with symptoms of domoic acid poisoning, which attacks the brain and can cause seizures.
In previous seasons, the center might see seven birds a week, director Jay Holcomb said.
"I have been doing this work for 35 years and I have never seen anything like this as far as the number of species affected, other than an oil spill," Holcomb said Thursday.
Domoic acid is produced by microscopic algae. Birds and sea mammals ingest the acid by eating fish and shellfish who dine on the algae.
"In five years of study I have not seen a bloom this large at this particular time of year," Caron said. "It's having an extraordinary impact on pelicans and many other species."
"There are conceivably thousands of animals being affected," Caron said.
An official at the Wetland and Wildlife Care Centre in Huntington beach noted, "The concentration of the toxin is so great this year that we haven't had a chance to react to it. Normally we're able to flush out the toxin with a treatment regimen ... This year they're just coming in dead."
Humans can't be harmed by swimming in algae blooms but consuming fish and shellfish tainted with the acid can cause nausea, seizures and even death.
The state Department of Health Services issued a warning against eating sport-harvested shellfish, anchovies, sardines, and both sports-harvested and commercially caught lobsters and crabs.
The warning came early this year. The advisory usually runs from May 1 to Oct. 31.
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Dermatofibromas are common among adults, more so in women. Their cause is probably genetic. Lesions are usually 0.5 to 1 cm in diameter, firm, and may dimple inward with gentle pinching. Most lesions are asymptomatic, but some itch or ulcerate after minor trauma.
Diagnosis of Dermatofibromas
Diagnosis of dermatofibromas can often be made clinically. There are several described dermatoscopic patterns of dermatofibromas ( 1 Diagnosis reference Dermatofibromas are firm, red-to-brown, small papules or nodules composed of fibroblastic tissue. They usually occur on the thighs or legs but can occur anywhere. This photo shows a small hyperpigmented... read more ). Lesions are sometimes biopsied to exclude melanocytic proliferation (eg, nevus, solar lentigo, melanoma Melanoma Malignant melanoma arises from melanocytes in a pigmented area (eg, skin, mucous membranes, eyes, or central nervous system). Metastasis is correlated with depth of dermal invasion. With spread... read more ) or other tumors.
Treatment of Dermatofibromas
Excision if troublesome,
Dermatofibromas that cause troublesome symptoms can be excised. Treatment with cryosurgery may alleviate symptoms.
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Improving instruction through supervision, evaluation, and professional development
- DiPaola, Michael F., 1947- author.
- Charlotte, North Carolina : Information Age Publishing, Inc.,
- Copyright notice
- Physical description
- x, 385 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
LB2806.4 .D56 2014
- Unknown LB2806.4 .D56 2014
- Hoy, Wayne K. author.
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 353-375) and index.
- Instructional leadership
- An integrated model of instructional leadership
- Creating a school context to improve student learning
- A model for classroom supervision
- Supervision of instruction
- Supervisory skills
- Professional development
- Implementing evaluation
- Improving instruction
- Supervision and professional development: an application
- Evaluation, supervision, and professional development: applications.
- Publisher's Summary
- This new book recognizes the reality that all principals are responsible for supervision, evaluation, and professional development of their teachers--tasks that are neither simple nor without conflict. The primary audience of this text is aspiring and practicing principals. We hope to help them understand both the theory and practice of supervision, evaluation, and professional development. Observing instruction, collection data for reflection, and having conversations about teaching however, are not sole provinces of principals. Master teachers, teacher leaders, and teacher colleagues can also benefit from the Supervisory sections of the book, especially the chapters on high-quality instruction, improving instruction, and the classroom data collecting tools.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)
- Publication date
- Copyright date
- by Michael F. DiPaola (The College of William & Mary) and Wayne K. Hoy (Ohio State University).
- Updated revision of Principals Improving Instruction, 2008--Page vii.
- Related Work
- DiPaola, Michael F., 1947- Principals improving instruction.
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Chinese New Year - Spring Festival
Chun Jie / CHUN gee-EH
Spring Festival in China celebrates the beginning of the lunar calendar or new year. The festivities take place in January or February for fifteen days from the evening preceding the first day of the year through the concluding Lantern Festival. Fireworks and anything red are used to ward off the mythological monster, Nian, who is afraid of loud sounds and reddish color. The celebration is a time to honor ancestors and gather for feasting. It is, also, a traditional time to clean homes, seeping away bad luck, and to give money in red paper envelopes, called hongbao, for good health and happiness. Processionals and parades fill the streets with giant dragons.
Diwali - The Festival of Lights
A 4-5 day celebration, held during October to November by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists, during which clay lamps, diyas, are lit to signify the victory of good over evil. Diwali marks the beginning of the New Year and is the biggest and brightest festival, celebrated with feasts, family, friends and fireworks. The emphasis on light represents both the peace of inner light and the triumph of knowledge over ignorance, light over darkness. Homes are decorated, legends are spoken, and prayers are shared. The traditional five days of Diwali include Dhanteras (Day of Fortune), Naraka Chaturdasi (Day of Knowledge), Diwali (Day of Light), Annakut (New Year), and Bhai Dui (Day of Love Between Siblings).
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203A.D: Death of Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, one of the Fathers of the Church, whose writings on the false teachings of the Gnostic sect played a primary role in establishing the canon of the New Testament.
1098: Three years into their campaign to re-capture Jerusalem, knights of the First Crusade win a strategic victory during the siege of Antioch, when they defeat a powerful Saracen relief army led by Kerboghan of Mosul. The subsequent victory at Antioch itself frees the Crusaders to continue their march toward the Holy City.
1284: A piper dressed in multi-color (“pied”) clothing lures one hundred thirty children away from Hamelin, Germany. They are never heard from again. The roots of this story are deep and persistent, and although the details vary, there are many constants: the town itself (Hamelin), the number (130), the date (Feast of St. John and Paul (June 26th)), the sudden disappearance, and a nefarious, colorful “leader” who takes them all away. Scholars through the centuries have proposed any number of theories as to what really happened: options include a bout of Black Death, an actual mass kidnapping by a real rat-trapper (consistent with both the basic rat story and the Black Death), mass kidnapping by a murderous pedophile, participation in the infamous Children’s Crusade (which actually occurred in 1212), or a recruitment by the medieval equivalent of a land speculator (a “lokator”). The latter theory is supported by known emigration patterns into eastern Europe during this period, after the fall of the Mongol invasions into the region. The “children” in this case could be young adults recruited to start a new life in now-open land. Consistent with this is a pattern of Hamelin- derived family surnames living in a corridor running between Hamelin, northern Berlin and into Polish Pomerania.
1314: First day of the two-day Battle of Bannockburn, a major victory of Robert the Bruce over England’s Edward II. Bruce distinguished himself at the outset of the battle when he was surveying the potential battleground alone on horseback, un-armored and armed only with an axe. Paraphrasing from the inestimable Wikipedia: “He was identified by Henry de Bohun, nephew of the Earl of Hereford, who immediately lowered his lance and charged the Scottish king. As the great war-horse thundered toward him, Bruce stood his ground, watched with mounting anxiety by his own army. With the Englishman only feet away, Bruce turned aside, stood in his stirrups and hit the knight so hard with his axe that he split his helmet and head in two. This small incident became in a sense a symbol of the war itself: the one side heavily armed but lacking agility; the other highly mobile and open to opportunity. Rebuked by his commanders for the enormous risk he had taken, the king only expressed regret that he had broken the shaft of his axe.”
1358: Establishment of the Republic of Dubrovnik. The walled city was conquered by Venice during its march of conquest to the Fourth Crusade in 1205, and for a hundred fifty years afterward served as a naval base protecting Venice’s Adriatic approaches, in addition to providing substantial raw materials in support of Venetian trade. Ironically, today’s establishment was an unintended consequence of the Fourth Crusade’s fatal weakening of the Byzantine empire: the rising Ottomans took control of the Dalmatian coast, and while they extracted a substantial level of tribute from the city, they also gave it free reign to develop its own commercial interests, essentially permitting it to become a perpetual rival to Venice during the height of the Spice Trade in the 15th and 16th centuries. Fast forwarding to today, the historic city suffered substantial damage from Serb shelling during the Yugoslav Civil War in 1991-92
1519: Charles V is elected Holy Roman Emperor. His election signals the high water mark of the Hapsburg dynasty in terms of territory under a single ruler: essentially all of civilized Europe, a feat not seen since Charlemagne, nor again until Napoleon. The Hapsburg dynasty continues to this day. The most recent leader in the public eye was Otto von Hapsburg (1912-2011), legitimate heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary from 1922 to his death seven years ago. Hapsburg was president of the “International Pan-European Union” from 1973-2004, and a prominent Member of the European Parliament, consistently speaking out on the need for a viable political union for the nations of Europe. Just in case my point is not obvious: this family represents nearly 500 continuous years of actual and potential leadership over a unified Europe. The current head of the family is Karl von Habsburg (b.1961), an Austrian politician
1613: William Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre burns to the ground, a victim of a malfunctioning stage cannon that ignited the building during a performance of Henry VIII. No one was hurt.
1778: The Continental Army, after its bitter wintering-over in Valley Forge and six months of intense military training under the tutelage of Baron von Steubin, intercepts the British army of Sir Henry Clinton en route to New York. The Battle of Monmouth (NJ) is the first real force-on-force action between the Continentals and the British, and ended in a draw in terms of ground taken or lost, and also in casualties. General George Washington distinguished himself halfway through the battle as he rallied his men to re-group and press forward with the attack. Monmouth also saw Carlisle, Pennsylvania native Molly Pitcher in action, swabbing out guns and providing water to the exhausted Americans.
1812: Having subdued virtually the entire continent of Europe under his rule, Napoleon invades Russia.
1788: The Commonwealth of Virginia becomes the 10th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
1850: Birth of Herbert Kitchener (d.1916), who rose to prominence in British arms after capturing the Sudan at the Battle of Omdurman, near Khartoum. As second in command during the Boer War he planned and executed a true scorched earth campaign against Boer farmers, which included the round-up and internment of their families in concentration camps, where the death rate approached 35 %. At the turn of the century, he became Commander-in-Chief, India, after which he became Council-General of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. At the start of the Great War Kitchener was brought back to England as Secretary of State for War, focusing his attention on recruitment for the titanic struggle that lay ahead. His is the face behind the famous recruiting poster
1870: Christmas is officially declared a U.S. Federal Holiday.
1876: Under the leadership of George Armstrong Custer, the United States Army Seventh Cavalry suffers a shattering defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The coalition of Lakota Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes under Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and Chief Gall annihilated 5 of the Seventh’s companies, killing all its key leadership including Custer himself. US casualties numbered 268 killed of approximately 700 engaged; Indians suffered approximately 130 killed of the nearly 1500 engaged. The battle is carefully studied to this day by students at the Army War College in Carlisle, PA.
1885: Birth of Helen Keller (d.1968), the blind-deaf-mute woman whose inspiring story is told in The Miracle Worker, which details the work of Anne Sullivan in opening her world to the joys and beauty of communication.
1898: Canadian-American seaman and writer Joshua Slocum (1844-1909) arrives in Newport, Rhode Island, completing of the first solo circumnavigation of the world. He wrote of his adventure in the book, Sailing Alone Around the World, published in 1899. To quote the British author Arthur Ransome: “Boys who don’t like this book should be drowned at once.”
1900: Birth of Louis Mountbatten (d.1979), last Viceroy of India. Uncle of Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, and mentor to Charles, Prince of Wales; killed by an Irish Republican Army bomb while boating at an Irish resort.
1914: On the final day of a State visit to his restive Balkan provinces, Austro-Hungarian archduke and heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie are shot and killed by Bosnian Serb anarchist Gavrilo Princip. Princip, whom you’ll recall from DLH 5/26, was part of a cabal of conspirators trying to goad Austria-Hungary into another brutal suppression of Balkan nationalism. Two Balkan wars had already been fought since the turn of the century, and Serbia was keen to get going on a third one in the summer of 1914, this time with more overt support from Russia. The relationship between Princip’s group and the Serb government is hazy, at best, but both parties had the same basic goal in mind, to wit: to shake off their Austrian overlords. Austria, for its part, was in the midst of a coordinated campaign to re-assert its authority and concern for its Balkan territories and was confident of diplomatic and potential military support from its alliance with Germany. Final note: Princip had earlier positioned himself along the planned motorcade route, where he might get a clean shot and a clean getaway. But the motorcade never passed his position. He had already given up on the attempt when he learned that the royal motorcade was delayed and disoriented in the narrow streets of Sarajevo. As Princip made his way back to his hideout, he stumbled on the Archduke’s car driving right past him. He took the renewed opportunity and fired.
1915: the First operational flight of the radical Fokker Eindecker. The German fighter’s single wing, powerful engine, and its highly innovative synchronization cam (that allowed its guns to shoot through the arc of the spinning propeller) gave the Germans a technical step up that proved devastating to the Allied air forces.
1917: The first U.S. troops arrive in France to begin training for their part in the Great War.
1918: Final day of the three weeks long (DLH 6/6) Battle of Belleau Wood- the final surge by the Marines of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines that eliminated the remaining German forces in the forest. The end was signaled by a laconic report: “Woods now U.S. Marine Corps entirely.” U.S casualties were 9,777 of which 1,811 were fatalities. The Marine Corps wasted no time in adding the German moniker “TefelHunden” to their recruiting pitch.
1919: Five years to the day after the murder of Archduke Ferdinand, and with the shock of the Great War still roiling the continent, the Allied and Central powers sign the Treaty of Versailles, the terms of which were immediately used to stoke simmering resentment in Germany that it was not a true defeat of arms. French Field Martial Ferdinand Foch was not impressed with the work of his diplomatic colleagues, and publicly intoned one of the most prescient thoughts of the 20th century: “This is not a peace- it is a twenty-year armistice.”
1942: A new German Focke-Wulf 190 fighter mistakenly lands at RAF Pembrey, in Wales. You may correctly assume that the Allies thoroughly tested its flight characteristics.
1945: The United Nations Charter is signed in San Francisco.
1948: As post-war tensions between the victorious Allies continue to mount, the Soviet Union establishes a land blockade of West Berlin in an attempt to force the western Allies to accept Soviet supply of the western zones of the city, thus giving them de facto control of the entire capital. The plan does not work: instead of Western capitulation, the Russians watch as the Berlin Airlift moots their initiative.
1950: Two days after the armies of North Korea pour across the 38th parallel, President Truman orders U.S. Navy and Air Force support to the disintegrating South Korean army. In the United Nations, the Security Council unanimously votes that member nations should assist South Korea in repelling aggression. One of the Permanent Members* of the Security Council, the Soviet Union, did not vote, oddly enough, because they were boycotting the Council in protest of the UN’s interest in the Taiwan Straits earlier in the year.
1950: The North Korean army captures the South Korean capital of Seoul.
1959: Opening day of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, linking the Great Lakes with ocean-going ships.
1963: President John F. Kennedy makes one of the most famous speeches of the Cold War, in which he proclaims: “Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was ‘civis Romanus sum’ [I am a Roman citizen]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’… All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’”
1972: Talking together in the Oval Office less than a week after the Watergate break-in, President Richard Nixon and White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman discuss ways they might use the CIA to obstruct the FBI’s investigation. The discussion was captured on tape.
1997: Death of French diver, explorer, and inventor of the aqua-lung, Jacques-Yves Cousteau (b.1910).
1997: On the 40th anniversary of the arrival of aliens from outer space, the United States Air Force releases a 231-page report entitled “The Roswell Report, Case Closed.”
2006: Death of Harriet (b.1830), the Galapagos tortoise collected by Charles Darwin on his famous voyage aboard Beagle, and long-time resident of the Australia Zoo
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ABA speech therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis is the scientific study of behavior.
ABA methods are used to support persons with autism in at least six ways:
to increase behaviors (eg reinforcement procedures increase on-task behavior, or social interactions);
to teach new skills (eg, systematic instruction and reinforcement procedures teach functional life skills, communication skills, or social skills);
to maintain behaviors (eg, teaching self control and self-monitoring procedures to maintain and generalize job-related social skills);
to generalize or to transfer behavior from one situation or response to another (eg, from completing assignments in the resource room to performing as well in the mainstream classroom);
to restrict or narrow conditions under which interfering behaviors occur (eg, modifying the learning environment); and
to reduce interfering behaviors (eg, self injury or stereotype).
ABA focuses on the reliable measurement and objective evaluation of observable behavior. Reliable measurement requires that behaviors are defined objectively. Vague terms such as anger, depression, aggression or tantrums are redefined in observable and quantifiable terms, so their frequency, duration or other measurable properties can be directly recorded.
Treatment approaches grounded in ABA are now considered to be at the forefront of therapeutic and educational interventions for children with autism. The large amount of scientific evidence supporting ABA treatments for children with autism have led a number of other independent bodies to endorse the effectiveness of ABA, including the U.S. Surgeon General, the New York State Department of Health, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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Most of the different Linux operating system distributions have similar procedures for accessing and installing the operating system. This site will use Ubuntu 18.10 which is one of the more more established and well documented Linux distributions for individual users as an example. Links will be given below to some of the distribution web sites for other open source operating systems which can be installed using roughly the same procedures as described for Ubuntu.. (Note that open source operating systems are being constantly updated and assigned new version names and numbers-- this section of the web site will not be updated unless major changes are introduced in the software.) The given links will lead to the most recently available software.One of the ongoing discussions is about the Graphic User Interface. Most versions of Linux allow loading of different GUIs.
Instructions for downloading the Ubuntu software, testing it without installing it to the computer and then installing it are available at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall
Getting Ubuntu: The Ubuntu 18.10 software can be downloaded free from the above link. If local Internet access is inadequate it is possible to order a copy from Ubuntu. Since the software is open source you could also request someone with better Internet access to make up an installation CD/DVD for you.
Testing Ubuntu Ubuntu allows users to test the software without actually loading it. The Ubuntu installation software can be downloaded to DVD which allows the system to be tested from the DVD drive.without actually installing it. This load will show whether Ethernet and wifi access are working as well as allowing users to test the software such as LibreCalc which is installed on initial installation.
Installing Ubuntu: There are several options when you are installing Ubuntu 18.10. the basic installation DVD gives you the option of installing Ubuntu as the sole operating system on the computer or as a second operating system (dual boot). If you do not have a legal copy of Windows it is recommended that Ubuntu be installed as the only operating system.
Utilities Installed: When Linux operating systems are installed, a number of software applications are also installed automatically. These usually include LibreOfrice and a web browser, but the applications vary not only for different versions of Unix, but even between different versions of the same software.
Additional Utilities: There are a number of utilities which can be downloaded using the Ubuntu Software Centre which will add functions to the the operating system. These include:
Other Distributions: Other distributions are available from Ubuntu as well as other organizations such as Debian, Mint , Fedora, Manjaro, Slackware-- these all have basically the same core operating system code, but have developed different graphic user interfaces.
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This is the third essay in a trilogy on the term "mystery" in early Christianity. My contention is that early followers of Jesus applied the term to aspects of their belief system that they could not understand rationally—i.e., it was something they believed even though it seemed contrary to reason. Instead of revising their belief to accord with reason, they admitted cognitive dissonance and branded it as a "mystery," which allowed them reasonably to continue affirming a belief they could not understand rationally. They trusted that these acknowledged disconnects between reason and faith would be worked out in the Divine economy. In the modern Christian church the term mystery, as far as I know, is not extensively used. One notable exception is the "mystery of the Mass"—the moment at which the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ.
These several uses of the term mystery, surveyed in the previous two blogs, raise the question whether or not nascent Christianity of the Pauline type should be regarded as a mystery religions cult—not in the sense of dependence on one of the ancient cults of the Greco-Roman world, but in the sense of a parallel development. In other words, the spirit of the age evoked these religions of personal salvation and also led to the transformation of the early Jesus people into a nascent Christianity of the Pauline type. At least one highly respected New Testament Scholar thought of the "religious history of the Mediterranean world in the early imperial period as 'the age of mysteries'" (Shirley Jackson Case, The Social Origins of Christianity , 113).
The mystery religions cults were rather diverse in their public celebrations, sacred objects, and theological content. So they had a public face as well as a hidden secret side. Although different, they did have several things in common. They were all voluntary associations in which people must choose to present themselves as initiates. At the heart of the cult was a private mystery rite, a secret not to be divulged to anyone. In the mystery rite the individual was brought into a close personal relationship with the deity. The myth behind the rite and the rite itself consisted of things said to the individual, or things performed in the presence of the individual, or in things done to the individual. Since these rites were secret and not divulged, scholars are left to guess from clues here and there as to the content and meaning of the different secret rites. Participation in the mystery granted individuals redemption from the evils of the earthly life and the assurance of a blessed immortality, i.e., the expectation of eternal life. Usually a sacred meal was celebrated by those initiated into the mystery cults. The goal of the initiation rite was not to impart a particular body of knowledge, but rather to produce a certain experience in the individual that resulted in a particular state of mind—about the God, life, and the hereafter. Some scholars describe the rite of initiation as "an extraordinary experience that could be described as death and rebirth" (Marvin Meyer, "Mystery Religions" Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible ).
Meyer finds several close similarities between the nascent Christianity of the first century and the mystery religions. Like the mystery religions, followers of the Christ voluntarily associated themselves together in the early Pauline communities, which also were communities of redemption and salvation. In the community they experienced baptism, a ceremonial ritual (Rom 6:1-11), in which the initiate is baptized "into Christ's death" and with Christ experienced death and rebirth. Another rite was the Eucharist (1 Corinthians 11:17-31), which commemorated the death of Christ. "By eating of the bread and drinking of the new wine [i. e., his body, his blood] in the Eucharist Christians participated in the death of Christ, and assimilated the saving power of the Cross into their lives" (Meyer gives a number of other parallels). The "myth" behind both these rituals is, of course, the mystery of Christ (1 Timothy 3:16): that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Galatians 6:14). Christ is described by Paul as the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), and Paul writes: "We proclaim in a mystery a hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification" (1 Corinthians 2:7; cf. Romans 16:25). It is difficult to make detailed comparisons between nascent Christianity and the Greco-Roman mysteries, however, because there is little extant first-hand information on the mysteries (see Marvin Meyer, The Ancient Mysteries. A Sourcebook ).
These parallels are well known, but generally scholars exclude Christianity from consideration as a Greco-Roman mystery religion with the argument that the "mystery" in Christianity is an "open" secret—in spite of the fact that nascent Christianity uses similar language, concepts, and rites, and shares similar objectives with the mystery religions. Nascent Christianity of the Pauline type evolved out of the early Jesus people into a religion of personal salvation, clearly a type of mystery religion. It managed to survive into modernity by evolving again into an institutional creedal religion, which enjoyed the political patronage of the Roman Emperor, Constantine, in the fourth century. The institutionalized religion seems a far cry from the earlier Pauline mysteries. Paul regarded himself and the initiates in his gatherings as "servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Corinthians 4:1).
Missouri State University
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Thank you for visiting wasmormon.org!
The Word of Wisdom is the health code that today is required for full participation in the church. Filled mainly with restrictions on what latter-day saints should eat or drink: no alcohol, tobacco, tea or coffee as every primary child learns. The church uses many stories to encourage members to live this word of wisdom, and these stories are presented in such a way to lead us to believe that we’ve always had the Word of Wisdom and it’s always been what it is today.
Faith Promoting Propaganda
Attending primary or Sunday school for segments on church history, you likely remember the story of Joseph Smith Jr needing surgery on his leg as a young boy. For whatever reason he had an issue with his bone and rather than amputate the infected leg, his family opted for an experimental procedure.
The operation was to cut the bad part of the bone out. As the doc prepares the family for the excruciating pain of cutting a chunk of a young boys bone with a saw, the doctor offers Joseph some alcohol (brandy) as medicine to dull the pain.
But, we learn in class that this boy is so pure and righteous, he refuses to accept the drink and he says he just needs his dad to hold him. Joseph is credited with being noble for obeying a commandment to not drink alcohol even though the doctor offered it. He’s obeying the word of wisdom even when it’s hard.
Spoiler alert, the word of wisdom didn’t exist at this point. Joseph, the boy who would pray in the woods and find gold plates and later, as an adult, establish a church, and then write the Word of Wisdom was still just a boy. This was prior to the organization of the church. The church uses this story regularly in the word of wisdom lessons to use the example of Joseph being strictly obedient.
Joseph may have written the Word of Wisdom and even preached temperance, but he never actually preached abstinence like the church does today, let alone live it. The church (and church historians) have whitewashed the history and portray Joseph as a man living current day interpretations of the health code. Quite anachronistic of them.
Mormon historians attempted to portray Joseph Smith as a teetotaler, but according to the testimonies of his contemporaries, Joseph Smith often drank alcohol in his own home or the homes of his friends in Kirtland. In Nauvoo Smith was far less discreet with his drinking habits.Temperance Movement – Latter Day Saints, Wikipedia
The Sunday School lessons don’t tell us that Joseph regularly drank alcohol. In fact one of the last things he did was to partake of wine for the “lifting of his spirits” in Carthage Jail.
5:00-6:00 p.m. Wine is brought in for the prisoners in the upper room of the jail, and Joseph Smith, Taylor, and Richards “tasted” of the wine to lift their spirits.Timeline of 96 Hours Surrounding the Martyrdom of Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith
Contributed By Aubrey Eyre, Church News staff writer
Some have even mentioned that the wine was used for a sacrament service, John Taylor, in the official history of the church put the story right that they drank this wine to revive them.
Sometime after dinner we sent for some wine. It has been reported by some that this was taken as a sacrament. It was no such thing; our spirits were generally dull and heavy, and it was sent for to revive us. I think it was Captain Jones who went after it, but they would not suffer him to return. I believe we all drank of the wine, and gave some to one or two of the prison guards. We all of us felt unusually dull and languid, with a remarkable depression of spirits.John Taylor. HC V.7:101
The lessons also neglect to mention that Joseph’s father, Joseph Smith Sr was a heavy drinker his whole life. Which may have influenced his opinion of alcohol as a young boy or at least influenced the leg surgery story. We have the story from Lucy Mack Smith, Joseph’s mother, who only shared it retrospectively. The story wasn’t recorded until after Joseph’s death when she wrote the Smith family history. By then, Lucy had even joined the temperance movement and that also may have influenced her storytelling.
“Lucy Mack Smith’s account of the surgery attracts interest as one of the few stories on record of Joseph Smith’s early childhood. Written nearly three decades later and after Lucy had embraced ideals of the U.S. temperance movement against alcohol, her account emphasizes Joseph’s refusal to take liquor for pain.”Official Church Website. Joseph Smith’s Leg Surgery, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/joseph-smiths-leg-surgery?lang=eng
Using this and other stories in this vein to lead us to believe that early leaders were different that they actually were is what we’ve become accustomed to in the church. This is an example of how the church narrative as told in the correlated material is not a representation of the actual truth. It is a narrative, a story that is retold so much that it begins to feel true. It is only a representation of a select few calculated pieces of the full story. These parts of the story are calculated to promote faith. In other words, church history, as the church teaches it, is propaganda. They omit anything that could be troubling or hard to understand and end up white-washing the whole story. This occurs not only in primary classes, but also adult Sunday School and even the advanced classes found in institute or even BYU. It makes sense that complex things would be omitted in primary, but when can more complex topics be introduced as the members mature. It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that these facts and parts of the story are kept from us because there is no way to reconcile the full story of church history with the full story of what the church is today.
To be fair, there are attempts to be more honest when teaching church history, though there is still plenty left out and incredible spin on the real story to make it feel more faith-promoting there are advances in honesty to mention. For example there is a long description of alcohol as strong drinks in this revelations in context study guide, it explains that as society was so dependent on drinking alcohol, God must have given a grace period before making the “not by way of commandment” section into an actual commandment:
Nevertheless, it required time to wind down practices that were so deeply ingrained in family tradition and culture, especially when fermented beverages of all kinds were frequently used for medicinal purposes. The term “strong drink” certainly included distilled spirits such as whiskey, which thereafter the Latter-day Saints generally shunned. They took a more moderate approach to milder alcoholic beverages like beer and “pure wine of the grape of the vine, of your own make.”Doctrine and Covenants Study, Revelations in Context, Jed Woodworth
Though this is a nice spin to put on it and it doesn’t hold water, the church is starting to talk about things like this, no matter how buried it is in study manuals. When else does god give time to “wind down practices that were so deeply ingrained in family tradition and culture”? Seems like an option he had for other commandments, but instead sent an angel with a flaming sword to force Joseph into polygamy and polyandry.
The Temperance Society succeeded in eliminating a distillery in Kirtland on February 1 1833, and by the end of the month, Joseph writes section 89 known as the word of wisdom. May members and lessons like to share that the revelation is contrary to the science and popular thought of the time. This completely ignores the whole temperance movement. It was very much a part of the religious, health and political rhetoric of the day to drink in moderation or even abstain from strong drinks.
The word of wisdom was revealed in 1833, and it took a long long time until it became the “commandment” we know it as today. It is required for things like priesthood advancement and a temple recommend, which in turn is required for a celestial marriage and exaltation. It may be a peculiar part of the religion and fully integrated with the culture and identity today, but early church members and even leaders would not recognize our current interpretations.
It’s been a shelf item to understand what it really is and see how it has changed over the years. The enforcement has changed and also the story around it has changed.
For more resources understanding the Word of Wisdom please check these resources out:
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How effective is speech recognition software for improving pronunciation skills?
01 Feb 2021
On Saturday 19th June, Bindi Clements (Instructional Design and Efficacy Manager, Wall Street English) presented a research paper (Artieda and Clements, 2019) on the effectiveness of automatic speech recognition (ASR) for providing pronunciation practice at the 54th IATEFL conference. This research was carried out by the Wall Street English product team and uses study and survey data from learners using Wall Street English multimedia activities. It was published in the peer-reviewed collection of papers ‘Call and Complexity – short papers from EUROCALL 2019’ (Meunier et al., 2019).
How can automatic speech recognition help language learners?
Automatic speech recognition (ASR) software can be effective for helping language learners improve their pronunciation in a number of ways. These include:
- Building proficiency: ASR-powered activities provide opportunities for learners to have more speaking practice outside the classroom.
- Personalising learning: Students can go at their own pace and practice according to their own specific needs.
- Giving objective feedback: Learners find it difficult to hear their own pronunciation errors. ASR-powered feedback can help to pinpoint learners’ errors and show them where they need to improve.
- Empowering students to learn. ASR-power activities enable learners to practice on their own without a teacher.
- Providing a low-anxiety environment. Learners do not feel nervous or judged when practising pronunciation with ASR-feedback
How effective is automatic speech recognition?
The effectiveness of ASR for pronunciation training depends on the technology used. Off-the-shelf speech-to-text software (such as software used for dictation) provides a low-cost and flexible tool that can be used by teachers in the classroom. However, this technology is not specifically designed to be used with language learners, and does not always give accurate feedback or tell the learner where they need to improve. Automatic Speech Assessment technology, such as that integrated into the Wall Street English learning platform, has been designed specifically to provide learners with pinpointed feedback on where they need to improve. When incorporated into a learning programme, this technology can provide accurate, actionable feedback to learners to help them with their pronunciation.
However, whether or not speech recognition technology is effective also depends on learner attitudes towards pronunciation, and to their beliefs about the effectiveness of the technology. If learners do not believe they can improve their pronunciation, and/or do not believe the technology ‘works’, then they will not be motivated to use the online pronunciation activities. Other factors, such as nationality and age, can also have an impact on how learners use the pronunciation activities. Our research, which was based on a pilot programme involving over 2,800 Wall Street English students in four countries, set out to answer the following questions:
- Do students think pronunciation activities with ASR help them improve their pronunciation?
- Do students in four countries (China, Vietnam, Italy and Saudi Arabia) make different use of ASR activity features?
- Are there differences between age groups and nationalities in students’ beliefs and perceptions on learning pronunciation using ASR?
The research found that Wall Street English learners were overwhelmingly positive towards using ASR-powered pronunciation activities to improve their pronunciation. There were, however, significant differences between the use of these activities between learners of different nationalities, and learner beliefs about pronunciation instruction had an effect on how the activities were used.
IATEFL is one of the best-recognised events in the English training market, attended by 3,000+ professionals from over 100 countries. Its 2021 International Conference took place from June 19th to 21st involving a programme of a variety of talks and workshops.
Artieda, Gemma; Clements, Bindi. (2019). A comparison of learner characteristics, beliefs, and usage of ASR-CALL systems. In Meunier, Fanny; Van de Vyver, Julie; Bradley, Linda; Thouësny, Sylvie (Eds), CALL and complexity – short papers from EUROCALL 2019 (pp. 19-25). Research-publishing.net. https://doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2019.38.980
Meunier, Fanny; Van de Vyver, Julie; Bradley, Linda; Thouësny, Sylvie (Eds). (2019). CALL and complexity – short papers from EUROCALL 2019. Research-publishing.net. https://doi.org/10.14705/rpnet.2019.38.9782490057542
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THURSDAY, July 17, 2008 (HealthDay News) -- People with certain common genetic variations that affect their nicotine receptors seem to be at higher risk for becoming life-long nicotine addicts if they begin smoking before they turn 17, a new study says.
"We know that people who begin smoking at a young age are more likely to face severe nicotine dependence later in life," Robert Weiss, study lead author and professor of human genetics at the University of Utah, said in a university news release. "This finding suggests that genetic influences expressed during adolescence contribute to the risk of lifetime addiction severity produced from the early onset of tobacco use."
The findings should one day help with public health interventions to counter smoking, the researchers said.
"In recent years, we've seen an explosion in the understanding of how small genetic variations can impact all aspects of health, including addiction," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), also in the news release. "As we learn more about how both genes and environment play a role in smoking, we will be able to better tailor both prevention and cessation programs to individuals."
The study was published in the July 11 issue of PLoS Genetics and, in addition to researchers at the University of Utah, involved investigators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The gene variations in question are called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNPs that are linked and passed on together are called a haplotype.
In this study, which involved 2,827 long-term smokers of European-American descent, one haplotype for the nicotine receptor increased the risk of individuals becoming heavy smokers later in life.
Participants who took their first drag on a cigarette before the age of 17 and who also had two copies of the high-risk haplotype had a 1.6- to almost five-fold increased risk of being heavy smokers as adults.
Those who had the haplotype but did not begin smoking until 17 or later were not at an increased risk of life-long addiction.
People with a second haplotype had a reduced risk of becoming heavy smokers as adults even if they acquired the habit as youngsters, the study said.
To learn more, visit the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
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There are several free iPhone-iPod Touch apps that let you look at the acceleration of the device using the built in accelerometer. I was planning on reviewing some of these free apps, but I didn’t. When I started playing around with them, it was clear that I needed some way to make a constant acceleration. There are two simple ways to do this – drop it, or spin it in a circle. I decided to go with the circular motion option because I like my iPod and because Steve Jobs told me to.
While playing with this, I realized that the acceleration depends on the distance of the sensor from the center of the circle of rotation. Where is this sensor? Don’t tell me, I want to figure it out experimentally.
I am going to spin my iPod in a circle with the “bottom” (you know, where the home button is) towards the center of the circle. I will record the acceleration. I can find the distance to the sensor if I know the angular speed. Next, I will turn the iPod sideways and do it again.
I am not going to go over all the circular motion stuff – if you want more details, check out this old post on centripetal acceleration. Basically, if something is moving in a circle, it is accelerating because it is changing velocity (even if just the change in direction of that velocity). The direction of this acceleration is towards the center of the circle and it has a magnitude of:
Note – omega is the angular velocity in radians/second (just to be clear).
You will not believe how many different ways I tried to rotate this iPod. I wanted to do it with stuff you could maybe find at home. My first failed attempt was to build a small Lego centrifuge (clearly, this guy knows how to build a home made centrifuge). I finally settled on this awesome PASCO rotating platform. It is great because you can stand or sit on it if you don’t mind getting sick from spinning. And then, how do you get it to rotate at a constant speed. I tried some complicated rotation device, but it turns out that if you just give it a good spin, it won’t slow down that much.
I found the iPhone app AccelGraph. Not a perfect app, but I think it is the best free one that could do the job. Originally, I had planned to use app AccelMeter because it has a great visual display. I was going to jailbreak my iPod so I could use VNC and record the screen. Failed. Anyway, using VNC makes it easier to start and stop the acceleration recording (especially since I mount the iPod with the glass down).
After making the video, I used Tracker Video Analysis to determine the angular velocity of the iPod. Note – autotracking feature on Tracker is the awesome.
How fast was the first set up spinning? Here is a shot from the video. A couple of notes. I put the laser on the platform so that I could use that to measure the rotation rate if I needed to (turns out, I didn’t need it). The CD was taped there for reference of size, again – I didn’t need this. In this configuration, AccelGraph says the acceleration is in the negative y direction. Oh, I put a marker on the back of the iPod so that I could have a reference point. In this case the marker is centered on the “dot” over the “i” in the label that says “iPod”.
After getting x, y, and time data from Tracker Video, I wanted to plot position vs. time and get a function to fit so that I could get the angular frequency. For some reason, Tracker Video was not quite fitting a sinusoidal function correctly. I used LoggerPro instead.
Both the x- and y-motion have an angular frequency of around 9.85 rad/sec. I am pretty happy with that. What about the data from AccelGraph? Here it is:
Notice there is some fluctuation in the data. Even in the z-direction. I guess this could be of “bumps” and stuff. Really, I want the x and the y accelerations (and the total magnitude in the x-y direction) Oops – I just realized that AccelGraph gives the acceleration in untis of “g’s”.
The location of the reference point is at r = 0.174 meters. From the acceleration above, the sensor should be at:
Ok – now I will repeat the above for the iPod turned 90 degrees. Using the same methods, I get an angular velocity of about 11.2 rad/sec. Here is the data from the video:
The data from AccelGraph gives:
This gives an “r” of:
So, I know the distance from the center of the rotation to the sensor for the two orientations. Using some uber-drawing skills, I draw a circle with the same radius as the sensor for the two orientations and then put the two pictures on top of each other. Notice the marking circle on the back of the iPod. This was used to line up the two images.
The yellow box is the location where the two radii intersect. This could be the location of the acceleration sensor. Oh, I know. There are some problems. The biggest problem I had was measuring from the center of the circle of rotation. I kind of guessed. Perhaps I should have put a better marker on the rotation device indicating the center. Oh well.
Also, this would have been a great opportunity to show the error in the measurements and the propagation of this error in the location of the sensor. I did do this – mainly because I don’t want this post to be too long. You can do that as a homework assignment.Go Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.
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Composition and resolution of forces (Parallelogram law, polygon law, Lami’s Theorem, (l – m) theorem). Resultant of a number of coplanar forces, parallel forces.
Moments : Varignon’s theorem of moments, Couples Resultant of two Coplanar Couples, Equilibrium of two Coplanar Couples, Resultant of a force and a couple. Equilibrium of coplanar forces. Friction, Laws of friction, Equilibrium of a particle on a rough plane. Centre of Gravity : Centre of gravity of a rod, Triangular lamina solid hemisphere, hollow hemisphere, solid cone and hollow cone.
Vector differentiation, Gradient, divergence and curl operators, line integrals, Vector identity, Vector integration, Theorems of Gauss, Green, Stokes and problems based on these.
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Renal Blood Flow
- The volume of blood flow to the kidneys is a key physiological variable as it determines the rate at which the kidneys can filter and process the body's extracellular fluid. In general, the kidneys receive nearly 20% of the total body's cardiac output over a very wide range of systemic arterial pressures. Importantly, the vast majority of renal blood flow is directed through the renal cortex and only a small minority travels through the renal medulla. This arises from the fact that the only vessels that perfuse the renal medulla are the vasa recta which are rather few. Because of this tenuous blood supply the renal medulla is highly prone to infarction, yielding renal infarction.
- As discussed in hemodynamic integration the blood flow volume to a particular section of vasculature is purely determined by the blood pressure gradient across it and its resistance. When applied to the kidneys as entire organs the relationship is as follows:
- Total Renal Blood Flow Volume = (Renal Artery Pressure - Renal Vein Pressure) / Total Renal Resistance
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The importance of talking about teenage suicide
When the show ’13 Reasons Why’ aired last spring, it was instantly popular, but it also created a significant amount of controversy. With season two set to be released at some point soon, it brings the concerns regarding the show front and center again. What are those concerns? Should teens be allowed to watch the show? What should parents and educators do to alleviate these concerns?
The Netflix-based television version of ‘13 Reasons Why’ was released March 31, 2017. It is a teen mystery drama that is based off of the 2007 book of the same name that is written by Jay Asher. It focuses on a high school student, Clay Jensen, and his friend, Hannah Baker. After experiencing several demoralizing situations involving a few individuals at her school, she commits suicide. Before her death, Hannah records several cassette tapes that give the 13 reasons why she decided to end her life. Each episode of the show represents one of the cassette tapes. The show covers topics like sexual assault, substance abuse and several other morally heavy topics. The finale contains a graphic account of Hannah’s suicide. Due to the explicit nature of some of the scenes, Netflix added strong advisory warnings prior to several of the episodes.
Shortly after the show’s release, there was a significant amount of backlash because many people felt that the show glamorized the idea of self-harm and suicide, which they thought could cause an increase in the number of self-harm incidents and suicides among teens. It has been demonstrated in the past that when a group of people, especially teens, are exposed to a suicide with their family, group of friends or through media, then the occurrence of suicides rises. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), suicide is the third leading cause of death for those between the ages of 10-24 and about 157,000 people in this age group receive medical care for self-inflicted injuries in emergency departments every year. In April 2017, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) released a statement: “Research shows that exposure to another person’s suicide, or to graphic or sensationalized accounts of death can be one of the many risk factors that youth struggling with mental health conditions cite as a reason they contemplate or attempt suicide.” The following month, the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (SCCAP) released a similar statement and requested that Netflix add a message to the end of each episode that provides mental resources and informs viewers that depression and suicide can be successfully treated by qualified mental health professionals. There is now a website (13reasonswhy.info) setup that provides resources for those who need help.
Given the popularity of the show among teens, these apprehensions seem to be valid. The best way to address them is by talking about the show and its content with teens. This should be done both in the classroom and at home. The important thing is to listen to what they think, talk about their concerns, let them know that help is available and you’re available to talk if they need it. By watching the show with your child, it will be easier to address the issues discuss in real time. It is essential to know the signs that a child might be depressed and contemplating suicide, such as spending more time alone, being secretive with their phone or computer and cutting themselves in a non-suicidal way. Bullying plays a key role in the show as to why Hannah decided to commit suicide. So, this should be discussed as well. In most cases, bullying does contribute to suicidal ideation, but it isn’t the sole reason that people commit suicide. Often the bullied person has a mental illness and inadequate coping skills. Both of these could be treated with the right help from a medical professional.
There is no question that ‘13 Reasons Why’ has brought to light several sensitive topics that should be discussed to provide accurate information. Offering support that encourages teens, and adults, to seek help if they are depressed, feeling unable to cope with their current situation or having suicidal thoughts will result in more positive outcomes. This provides an excellent opportunity to address the importance of assisting others in getting help by being aware of others’ behavior and how changes can mean that something is wrong. While it may only be a television show, it definitely provides the platform needed to address topics that can be challenging. Instead of viewing it negatively, we should be urging teachers, parents and teens to talk about the issues in an open and honest way. By doing this, we will help to pave the way for people to seek the help they need, for people to be more aware of others’ needs and, hopefully, have a better understanding and more compassion towards people who are going through difficult times.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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The ground dove is a small
dove. It is frequently seen feeding on the ground. In
addition to its small size, a key characteristic is a proportionately
short, squared off tail. Their soft cooing is a pleasant sound to
wake up to. In the 1970's the ground dove became common here,
since the 1990's they have disappeared from the area..
This picture shows the ground dove
setting on its nest. It built on a nest used the previous year by
mocking birds. Being in the hibiscus bush
right outside my
dinning room window, it made for easy observation.
If your eyes are sharp, you will see
that the elongated white spot in the center of the picture is
two eggs in the nest.
The shadowed lighting among the
foliage makes it difficult to make out the heads of two little ones
looking over the edge of the nest.
A pair of ground doves on the ground. The male is at
the top, the female below.
[Birds] [ Back Yard Biology] [ Science Can Be Fun]
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- What does “Sikh” mean?
- What is the Sikh faith?
- Where do Sikhs come from?
- What do Sikhs believe?
- What is the Sri Guru Granth Sahib?
- What is the Sikh language?
- What are the rules Sikhs follow?
- What is the gurdwara & langar?
- What are the Sikh articles of faith?
- Do Sikhs ever remove their articles of faith?
- What is the significance of the turban?
- What is the significance of the turban’s colour and style?
- What is the Kirpan?
- What about Sikh women?
- But I know Sikhs who don’t wear turbans or keep their hair?
- What is the traditional Sikh greeting?
- What is the Sikh attitude towards non-Sikhs?
- What do Sikhs believe about the afterlife?
- What are the origins of Vaisakhi?
- How did Guru Gobind Singh create the Khalsa?
- What is a Nagar Keertan?
- What is the significance of the orange and yellow colours?
- Who can participate in Vaisakhi celebrations?
- Is there any special dress I should wear?
The word Sikh means student. According to the Sikh Rehit Maryada, a Sikh is defined as “any human being who faithfully believes in One Immortal God; ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh; Guru Granth Sahib; the teachings of the ten Gurus and has faith and belief in the Amrit initiation of the tenth Guru; and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion”
The Sikh faith is the fifth largest world religion with over 25 million devotees worldwide. It is a monotheistic religion founded in 1469, by Guru Nanak. It holds as its basic tenets, the equality of mankind, the equality of men and women, and the fundamental equality of all religions. Guru Nanak rejected idolatry and the caste system, and taught that there is a universal, genderless and formless God, who is accessible equally to all, irrespective of their race or religion.
Born in the Punjab region of South Asia, Guru Nanak travelled far during his lifetime and taught the principles that have become the core of Sikh belief. Everywhere he travelled, a community of disciples arose, called Sikhs. The term Sikh literally means a student or disciple.
Towards the end of his life, Guru Nanak nominated a successor to carry on his teachings. This successor, the second Guru of the Sikhs, in his turn nominated a successor towards the end of his life. The evolution of the religion continued in this manner for a period of about 200 years, with a succession of ten living Gurus from 1469 to 1708.
Guru Nanak and his successors wrote extensively, choosing spiritual poetry set to music as the primary form of disseminating their ideas. The fifth Guru, Guru Arjan, put together the complete set of writings of the Gurus in the form of the Adi Granth. In the Adi Granth, Guru Arjan also included the spiritual verses of individuals from different social, faith and cultural backgrounds, thereby firmly entrenching within Sikh ideology and practice Guru Nanak's philosophy of the universality of humanity.
The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, took the final steps in codifying Guru Nanak's ideology within Sikh practice. He gave instruction that after him, there would be no more living Gurus, that instead the Adi Granth would become the 'Guru' for the Sikhs. The word 'Guru' itself means spiritual teacher or guide, and after Guru Gobind Singh, the Adi Granth became the Guru Granth, and is revered by Sikhs as such.
Guru Gobind Singh also created the contemporary ceremony by which an individual is formally initiated within the Sikh faith. This ceremony, called the Amrit ceremony, first took place in 1699, under Guru Gobind Singh's direction, and Guru Gobind Singh, in an act of humility, asked his disciples to formally induct him also through this ceremony.
A Sikh who has undergone the Amrit ceremony is called an Amritdhari Sikh. Both men and women are inducted similarly through this ceremony. Once inducted, an Amritdhari Sikh also adopts Five Articles of Faith.
The Sikh faith was founded by Guru Nanak in 1469 in Punjab. Punjab is located in South Asia and is currently divided between India and Pakistan. Although most Sikhs have their roots in South Asia, and Punjab specifically, there are Sikhs of diverse backgrounds and nationalities. It should be noted that Guru Nanak himself travelled across the world from China to the Middle East teaching his message of the universality of One God and the unity of humanity.
Sikhs believe in One God who is the creator of the universe and resides within creation. The purpose of human life is unite the soul with God during one’s lifetime. This is possible through accepting the teachings of the Guru and following the “three golden rules,” namely, meditation on God’s name (nam japna), earning an honest living (kirat karna), and sharing one’s earnings with others (vand shakna).
Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the Sikh scripture containing the compositions of the Sikh Gurus and other saints and poets of diverse social, caste and faith backgrounds who united with God. The verses or bani are considered by Sikhs to be the divinely inspired word of God. The compositions of Sri Guru Granth Sahib are written in traditional musical measures or raags. The verses and hymns of Sri Guru Granth Sahib are reflections upon God and also establish moral guidelines for spiritual development and union with God. Sri Guru Granth Sahib is composed in 31 raags or traditional musical measures and spans 1430 pages, known as angs or limbs.
Most Sikhs speak Punjabi and Sri Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script. That having been said, the languages in Sri Guru Granth Sahib include Persian, Hindi, Braj and others.
Sikhs follow the Rehit Maryada or Sikh code of conduct. The Rehit Maryada establishes guidelines for a spiritual lifestyle. This includes rising daily before sunrise for meditation and prayer and also giving one tenth of one’s income back to the community. In addition to basic rules of morality shared by people of all faiths, initiated Sikhs cannot cut or remove the hair on their body, use intoxicants such as tobacco or liquor, etc., eat meat or engage in extra-marital sexual relations.
The Sikh place of worship is called the gurdwara or “door to the guru” and serves as the most important Sikh institution. Gurdwaras are open to all people regardless of gender, faith or culture. Sri Guru Granth Sahib is installed in each Gurdwara and the congregation engages in the contemplation and singing of verses along with discourses on Sikh history and spirituality. Each gurdwara contains a langar or free community kitchen where all persons are welcome to share a free vegetarian meal.
Sikhs who are initiated into the Khalsa commit to follow the rehit maryada or Sikh code of conduct. This includes a daily discipline of meditation and prayer and also wearing the five Sikh articles of faith or kakaars at all times. They are as follows:
1. kesh – unshorn hair symbolizing acceptance of God’s will; the hair must be kept covered at all times with a keski or dastaar (turban or head-covering) representing spiritual wisdom;
2. kangha – a wooden comb representing self-discipline; worn in the hair and used to keep it neat and tidy;
3. kara – an iron or steel bracelet worn on the wrist; the circle signifies the oneness and eternity of God and to use one’s hands for the benefit of humanity;
4. kachhera – cotton undergarment representing high moral character and restraint;
5. kirpan – a stylized representation of a sword, which must be worn sheathed, re strained in a cloth belt, and next to the body; the kirpan signifies the duty of a Sikh to stand up against injustice. Most kirpans range in size from 6 to 9 inches in length.
The articles of faith are considered sacred and a part of the body. They remain on the person at all times. At home and while sleeping, most Sikhs wear a smaller turban.
Significance of the Turban
To understand the spiritual significance of the turban, one must understand the history and philosophy of the Sikhs.
Sikhs are vehemently opposed to the differential treatment of people for reasons such as gender, race, or religion, which is reflected in Sikh teachings, philosophies, and practices. They believe in the abolishment of class distinctions (like a caste system of social hierarchy) and denounce the persecution of individuals on the basis of distinctions like race, creed, gender, ethnicity, belief, tradition or lifestyle. Sikh Scripture remains universally unique in that it demonstrates many of the principles of equality that Sikhs believe in. Women are given a significant role in Sikh scriptures, which are in many places written in the feminine voice and reflect a belief in a God who is referred to as both mother and father.
Guru Nanak (1469-1539) inspired people to feel the presence of God through hard work, family, community service and defence of the downtrodden. A cornerstone of his philosophy was the emancipation of women, who faced significant discrimination in 16th century India.
In the society in which Guru Nanak lived, women were required to cover their faces before men, as a sign of humility and respect for men, who held a higher social status then women. Guru Nanak rejected this tradition, and stated that no woman should be required to cover her face before man, since God had created men and women as equals. Both Sikh men and women were enjoined to cover their heads as a mark of respect and humility before God and in doing so the Sikh faith reinforced the fundamental equality of both men and women.
From the time of Guru Nanak, the turban became synonymous with the outward identity of a Sikh, and has continued to stand for the Sikh belief in gender equality, humility, and the supremacy of God.
Over the centuries, the Sikh community developed and prospered under the leadership of Guru Nanak's nine successors. This culminated in the creation of the present day initiation ceremony in the Sikh faith by the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. For philosophical reasons outlined above, and the additional practical reason of covering the unshorn hair (one of the five articles of faith mandated by Guru Gobind Singh), the wearing of the turban is an integral component of the Sikh identity and a sacred article of faith.
Wearing of the Turban
For practicing Sikhs, the turban is essential to their identity, and removing it is inconceivable. The turban not only serves a spiritual function, as noted above (ie. to reflect the Sikh belief in gender equality, humility, and the supremacy of God), but also serves the practical function of covering, and keeping in place the uncut hair of a Sikh.
The turban is not a religious symbol but an article of faith. While items like a crucifix or other jewelry are optional, the turban is mandatory and cannot be removed. Symbols are simply representations of the real object. The turban has a religious significance but it is much more than just a symbol. The identity of the Sikh is reflected in the wearing of the turban.
The turban is not like a hat in that it cannot simply be put on and taken off. It is carefully tied every day. It is worn at all times indoors and outdoors by observant Sikhs. There are various styles and sizes of turban. Younger children often wear a patka which is a square piece of cloth tied on the head. At home or for sleep, a smaller turban or keski is worn in place of the larger turban. Depending on personal preference, wearers choose different colours or fabrics for the turban.
It is inconceivable that Sikhs who keep their unshorn hair would not cover it with a turban.
As the turban is such an integral part of the Sikh identity, being forced to remain without it is tantamount to asking Sikhs to do something which is completely against their beliefs. Sikhs believe that God is everywhere, and as a sign of respect for God, and a reflection of their humility and belief in equality between men and women, Sikhs wear the turban everywhere.
Just as an individual would be extremely embarrassed in having to appear in a state of undress, a Sikh would feel a similar level of humiliation in being forced to remove the turban. Bodies across Canada such as police forces and the Canadian Border Security Agency hold the removal of the turban to be tantamount to a strip search.
Le Turban et La Foi Sikhe
Qu’est ce que la foi Sikhe?
La foi sikhe est la cinquième religion du monde avec plus de 22 millions d'adhérents dans le monde entier. Il y a environ 10 000 sikhs au Québec. La foi sikhe est une religion monothéiste fondée en 1469, par Gourou Nanak, le premier de 10 gourous sikhs. Le mot «sikh» signifie étudiant, et les sikhs sont des élèves ou disciples des gourous. La foi sikhe a comme base, une croyance en un Dieu unique et l'égalité de chaque personne, peu importe leur sexe, leur classe, leur race ou leur foi.
Après la mise en place de la religion par Gourou Nanak, la religion a traversé une période d'évolution de plus de 200 ans, qui a abouti à la création d'un groupe nettement distinct de disciples qui étaient identifiables de vu par leurs articles de foi.
Les trois règles fondamentales de la foi sikhe sont de se souvenir de Dieu en tout temps, de gagner sa vie par des moyens honnêtes et de partager cette vie et ses ressources avec d'autres.
Il est important qu'un sikh vive et incarne les valeurs de la foi sikhe, ce qui rend la manifestation externe des croyances essentielles. La foi sikhe est intrinsèquement porteuse d’un message de vie, avec l'idéal d'une vie de travail, de pratique religieuse et de charité. L'identité sikhe est une manière pratique et visible de reconnaître un individu qui s'est lancé dans cette voie. Ainsi, les articles de foi, portés par un sikh sont intrinsèques à l'identité des sikhs.
Signification du Turban
Pour comprendre la signification spirituelle du turban, il faut comprendre l'histoire et la philosophie des sikhs.
Les sikhs sont farouchement opposés aux différences de traitement des personnes pour des raisons telles que le sexe, la race ou la religion, ce qui se reflète dans les enseignements, les philosophies et les coutumes sikhes. Ils croient en l’abolition des distinctions de classe (comme un système de hiérarchie sociale des castes) et dénoncent la persécution d'individus sur des différences de race, de croyance, de sexe, d’appartenance ethnique, de tradition ou de mode de vie. Les Écritures saintes sikhes restent universellement uniques, car elles illustrent plusieurs des principes d'égalité dont les sikhs croient. Les femmes sont données un rôle très significatif dans les Écritures saintes sikhes, qui sont dans de nombreuses sections, rédigé dans la voix féminine et reflètent une croyance en un Dieu qui est mentionné comme mère et père.
Gourou Nanak (1469-1539) inspire les gens à ressentir la présence de Dieu à travers le travail acharné, la famille, le bénévolat et la défense des opprimés. Une pierre angulaire de sa philosophie était la libération des femmes qui faisaient face à une grande discrimination en Inde au 16e siècle.
Dans la société dans laquelle vivait Gourou Nanak, les femmes étaient obligées de couvrir leurs visages devant les hommes, en signe d'humilité et de respect envers les hommes, qui détenaient un statut social supérieur aux femmes. Gouru Nanak a rejeté cette tradition et a indiqué qu’aucune femme ne devrait être obligée de couvrir son visage devant les hommes, étant donné que Dieu avait créé les hommes et les femmes égaux. Les hommes sikhs et les femmes ont été donc invités à se couvrir la tête en signe de respect et d'humilité devant Dieu et de cette manière, la foi sikhe a renforcé l'égalité fondamentale des hommes et des femmes.
Depuis l'époque de Gourou Nanak, le turban est devenu synonyme de l'identité externe d'un sikh et a continué de supporter la croyance sikhe dans l'égalité des sexes, l'humilité et la suprématie de Dieu.
Au cours des siècles, la communauté sikhe a développé et a prospéré sous la direction de neuf successeurs de Gourou Nanak. Ceci a abouti à la création de la cérémonie d'initiation actuelle dans la foi sikhe par le 10e gourou, Gourou Gobind Singh en 1699. Pour des raisons philosophiques expliquées ci-dessus et de plus une raison pratique de couvrir les cheveux longs (l'un des cinq articles de foi mandatés par Gouru Gobind Singh), le port du turban est une partie intégrante de l'identité sikhe et un article de foi sacré.
Le port du Turban
Pour les sikhs pratiquants, le turban est essentiel à leur identité, et l'enlever est inconcevable. Le turban sert non seulement une fonction spirituelle, comme indiqué plus haut (ex. pour refléter la croyance sikhe de l'égalité des sexes, l'humilité et la suprématie de Dieu), mais également une fonction pratique de couvrir et maintenir en place les cheveux non-coupés d'un sikh.
Le turban n'est pas un symbole religieux, mais un article de foi. Alors que les articles comme un crucifix ou d'autres bijoux sont facultatifs, le turban est obligatoire et ne peut pas être enlevé. Les symboles sont simplement des représentations de l'objet réel. Le turban a une signification religieuse, mais il est bien plus qu'un symbole. L'identité des sikhs se reflète dans le port du turban.
Le turban n'est pas un chapeau, car il ne peut pas simplement être chapeauté et enlevé. Il est enroulé avec soin tous les jours. Il est porté en tout temps par les sikhs pratiquants autant à l’intérieur et qu’à extérieur. À la maison ou pour dormir, un plus petit turban ou keski est porté à la place du plus grand.
Il est inconcevable que les sikhs qui gardent leurs cheveux longs ne les couvrent pas avec un turban.
Comme le turban est partie intégrante de l'identité sikhe, les forcer à rester sans celui-ci équivaut à demander aux sikhs de faire quelque chose qui est totalement contraire à leurs croyances. Les sikhs croient que Dieu est partout, et comme signe de respect pour Dieu et le reflet de leur humilité et leur croyance en l'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes, les sikhs portent le turban en tout temps.
Tout comme un individu serait extrêmement embarrassé d'avoir à se présenter déshabillé, un sikh sentirait le même niveau d'humiliation en étant obligé de retirer son turban. Des organisations partout au Canada, telles que les forces policières et l’Agence des Services frontaliers du Canada maintiennent que enlever le turban équivaut à une fouille corporelle (nue).
None necessarily. Although traditionally Sikh turbans are white, black, blue and yellow/ orange, many Sikhs wear other colours and shades to suit their personal preferences. It is a personal choice. There are several styles of Sikh turbans and these too are chosen as a personal preference.
The kirpan is often described as a dagger or a miniature sword, which is what it resembles, but that description is so far removed from the purpose of a kirpan as to make it misleading. The kirpan is an article of faith that plays a role in the Sikh religion that is similar to that of a Christian cross, a Jewish Star of David, or a Muslim hijab, with one crucial exception: it is not optional. As has been noted in Canadian jurisprudence,
“The kirpan as one of the five k’s is thus far more than a religious adornment. Mandated to be worn always, it is an integral part of the Khalsa Sikh’s person and cannot be properly compared with a cross which a Christian might choose to wear. Not wearing the kirpan at any time, day or night, constitutes a grievous transgression for a Khalsa Sikh.”
The word kirpan is a combination of the words grace and honour. The kirpan is worn by initiated (Amritdhari) Sikhs, both men and women, and is one of five articles of faith, often called the 5Ks. Sikhs wear them as a reminder of their commitment to the tenets of their faith including justice, charity, morality, humility, and equality. These articles of faith are:
- kesh -- unshorn hair symbolizing respect for God’s will; covered at all times with a keski or dastar (turban)
- kangha -- a wooden comb representing self-discipline; worn in the hair it reminds the wearer to rid oneself of what is morally undesirable;
- kara – an iron or steel bracelet worn on the wrist; the circle signifies the oneness and eternity of God and to use one’s hands to benefit humanity;
- kachhera – cotton undergarments representing high moral character and fidelity;
- kirpan – a stylized representation of a sword, which must be worn sheathed, wrapped in a cloth belt, and worn next to the body; the kirpan signifies the duty of a Sikh to stand up against injustice.
Kirpans must be made of iron or steel and most range in size from 15 to 22 cm (6-9 inches) but sizes do vary depending of the preferences of the wearer. Some have elegant, ornate hilts and sheaths. They must be held securely in place with a fabric belt (called a gaatra). The gaatra is worn across the torso, keeping the kirpan next to the body.
Canadian Courts have accepted that,
“[t]he Kirpan is also the symbol of sovereignty and dignity. I suppose in a similar way…that in the Canadian parliament below the speaker’s chair we have a mace which is an undoubted weapon and a reasonably brutal one. But this mace goes far beyond the aspect of being a weapon, but is instead a symbol of authority, a symbol of dignity, a symbol of sovereignty as it were the body that is involved.”
We all handle blades of all sorts daily, in public. Letter openers, scissors, knives in restaurants, kitchen knives, nail files, Swiss Army knives, scalpels, saws, ice skates… the list is long. It grows longer if we add forks (which are still found on airplanes) and other sharp, pointy implements. But we assume these tools will be used for their intended purpose, and we don’t assume our neighbours and coworkers are dangerous.
What prevents Sikhs using an article of faith for violence is that very faith, coupled with the same social customs that we all observe. Of all the blades used in daily life, kirpans are the least hazardous because they are sacred: they come with a philosophy that is an integral part of how Sikhs practise their faith. It’s not just a talisman or a piece of jewelry. Removing the kirpan is a serious matter for Sikhs. It is done rarely and only under extreme circumstances – Sikhs even wear the kirpan while sleeping and bathing.
The idea of a Sikh attacking someone with a kirpan is far more frightening, horrifying, and repugnant to those of our faith than to anyone outside it.
Women are considered completely equal to men and have the same rights and obligations. As such, Sikh women follow the same religious code of conduct. The Sikh Gurus were well before their time and declared that gender discrimination was wrong and spoke out against practices such as ritual impurity, the burning of widows (‘Sati’) and mandatory veiling of women.
Just as in any community there are different levels of observance. Many people who self-identify as Sikh do not keep the Sikh articles of faith. That is a personal choice and each person progresses on their spiritual journey at a different pace.
The traditional Sikh greeting is “Vahiguru jee ka Khalsa Vahiguru jee kee fateh” meaning the Khalsa belongs to God and all victory belongs to God. A shorter greeting that is often used is “Sat Sri Akal” meaning Timeless God is Truth.
Sikhs believe that all persons are equal. Freedom of religion and conscience are core Sikh values. Everyone has the right to believe in and practice the faith of their choice and no one is condemned to hell simply because of their religion. The Sikh Gurus taught that loving God is the greatest religion of all and people must be judged on their actions, not on the labels of race, nationality or caste.
The focus of the Sikh faith is to find happiness and unite with God in this life through meditation on naam (the name of God). The soul continues to be reincarnated until it becomes one with God. Sikhs also believe in the doctrine of karma, whereby each action has a reaction and each person must bear the consequences of their own deeds.
Although Vaisakhi has traditionally been a harvest festival in Punjab and across South Asia for centuries, the day has a very special significance for Sikhs. On Vaisakhi Day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh created the Order of the Khalsa. The Khalsa are those Sikhs who have accepted the Sikh initiation or “khande kee paahul” and commit to live their lives in the service of humanity and the spirit of equality and compassion. The founding of the Khalsa was a seminal event in Sikh history which gave the Sikh faith its final form.
Guru Gobind Singh summoned the entire Sikh community to Anandpur Sahib in Punjab on Vaisakhi Day. During the large gathering, he called for a Sikh who would be willing to sacrifice their head for the faith. The call was answered by five Sikhs who were lead, one by one, into a tent. The five Sikhs who stepped forward are known as the five beloved ones, or Panj Pyare:
• Bhai Daya Singh
• Bhai Dharam Singh
• Bhai Himmat Singh
• Bhai Mokham Singh
• Bhai Sahib Singh
Guru Gobind Singh then dressed them in the same clothing as himself, and prepared the amrit or nectar of initiation. He knelt by an iron vessel, filled with water, and stirred it with a double edged sword while reciting verses from the Sikh scriptures. Guru Gobind Singh’s wife, Mata Jeeto jee added sugar crystals to the water to sweeten it. When the Amrit was prepared, it was administered to all five Sikhs. Upon initiation, they were given the name “Singh” or lion.
Guru Gobind Singh then asked for the five to initiate him in the same way and declared that any Sikh who wished to be initiated into the faith would follow the same rite and receive amrit from five initiated Sikhs. Sikh women like Mata Jeeto jee who received the initiation were given the name “Kaur” or princess.
The word nagar means town and keertan is singing of hymns. A nagar keertan refers to a Sikh parade that is lead by the Punj Pyare (the five beloved ones, who represent the first five Sikh to have been initiated) and the Sri Guru Granth Sahib or the Sikh scripture, which is installed in a decorated float. The congregation
follows the parade while singing hymns and verses from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, along with displays of the Sikh martial art gatka and distributing free food (langar). The nagar keertan begins and concludes with a religious service and the serving of langar.
Yellow and orange are the traditional colours of Vaisakhi. They represent the spirit of rebirth and sacrifice of the Punj Pyare but are also a colour of joy and celebration. When Vaisakhi is celebrated in Punjab, the golden yellow wheat fields are ready to be harvested.
Everyone. The Sikh faith considers all persons to be equal, regardless of gender, race, nationality or class. Sikh gurdwaras are open to all people. The langar or community meal is also offered to both Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike.
The only requirements to visit a Sikh gurdwara are that visitors take off their shoes and cover their heads. Any intoxicants such as tobacco products or liquor are also not permitted on the premises.
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During gene transcription – the process inside the nucleus of cells by which DNA, the genetic material, is copied into RNA molecules – a large, ever-changing multiprotein complex is enlisted to assist the DNA-copying enzyme in its challenging job.
Like an exquisitely choreographed dance, each step in the process has to be performed with precision, in order for the copy to be accurate and useful in subsequent events. These events culminate in a version of the RNA copy exiting the nucleus and serving as the template for the production of new proteins.
Scientists have documented a host of mechanisms involved in the assembly and behavior of the "helper" protein complex. A team at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has now discovered a mechanism, which, according to Professor William P. Tansey, Ph.D., "provides a paradigm for how the components [of the helper complex] could be disassembled and how the complex falls apart." Their results will appear in the December 16th issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A "wedge" in transcription
One of the mechanisms that influences critical interactions in transcription is called ubiquitylation. It involves the addition of small protein molecules called ubiquitin to other, larger proteins. When ubiquitin "tags" are added to these larger molecules, it has the effect of marking them for destruction. Tansey's team has previously characterized how the ubiquitin-triggered destruction of transcription factors – proteins that help switch on genes – was connected to the regulation of gene activity.
The addition of ubiquitin, however, was later found, in other contexts, to modify proteins in non-destructive ways, too. This suggested to Tansey the existence of a more benign link between transcription and ubiquitylation. Working with yeast cells, Tansey's team has now identified this link: a protein called Asr1.
Understanding its role has enabled Tansey and colleagues to more comprehensively grasp how ubiquitin functions. They have discovered that Asr1 "glues" ubiquitin on to specific spots in the DNA-copying enzyme, called RNA polymerase II (abbreviated by scientists as RNA pol II). This enzyme is composed of 12 modules, each with a distinct function. When Asr1 binds to the enzyme, bits of ubiquitin that glom onto it form little wedge-like features between the enzyme's different modules. This causes two of the 12 modules to be jettisoned from the enzyme, thereby "inactivating" it. "The activity of Asr1 is an example of how ubiquitin can regulate gene transcription by using its non-destructive functions to pull a complex apart," says Tansey.
A new class of proteins
Along with other proteins that resemble it in structure, Asr1 is present in most multicellular organisms, and appears to be well conserved in most species, from yeast to humans. The fact that evolution has "preserved" them is an indication that this class of proteins performs an important job.
The CSHL team made another notable discovery. They found that Asr1 has the unique ability of homing in on RNA pol II molecules that are actively turning on genes, while at the same time ignoring otherwise similar enzymes that remain idle. This fact, according to Tansey, suggests that Asr1 is a "negative" regulator of gene transcription.
He hypothesizes that Asr1 might selectively glom on to RNA pol II molecules that are making mistakes in copying or copying DNA in the wrong location. It is also possible, according to Tansey, that Asr1's ubiquitin-adding ability enables it to help terminate the normal transcription process. In addition to pursuing experimental evidence of these possibilities, Tansey's team is now also hunting for other Asr1-like ubiquitin-adding proteins that may influence gene activity.
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
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A HUSBAND and wife team are solving ancient mysteries by exposing DNA secrets with the type of forensic techniques normally used to snare criminals.
Professor Terry Brown is discovering the origins of agriculture, while his wife, archaeologist Keri Brown, is about to uncover the powerbrokers of Greece during the Bronze Age.
Their team, from UMIST's Biomolecular Sciences Department, has also appeared on BBC TV's Meet the Ancestors, showing how malaria could be one reason for the fall of the Roman Empire.
And team member Dr Robert Sallares is now investigating the rise of malaria in medieval London.
Colleague, Abi Bouwman, is examining the spread of syphilis in 16th Century Europe and Asia, to discover if the disease really did come from the New World.
Keri said: "It is fascinating work and it generates a lot of interest. The viewing figures for television programmes such as Time Team and Meet the Ancestors are huge. Students are looking for careers in forensics, to find out about the past and where we come from."
Keri and Terry have been working with archaeological DNA for a decade, since it was first extracted from ancient bones. Their work was made possible by the Nobel Prize-winning invention of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) by Kary Mullis in the 1980s.
The method allows them to target sections of DNA from cleaned and powdered bones or wheat seeds, then produce copies from which to glean information.
Keri has collaborated with a number of archaeologists, including a team reconstructing the faces of the people of the Shaft Graves at Mycenae, in Greece.
Having taken pieces of bone from lower jaws found in the Shaft Graves, under the watchful eye of curators from the National Museum in Athens, she retrieved nine samples - a better result than expected as DNA degrades over the years.
These will show whether the skeletons are from the same family or an assorted band of people - who were rich and powerful enough to be buried with 15 kilos of gold artefacts - and thus how society was ordered in Bronze Age Greece.
The team has also collaborated with archaeologists at a site near Rome, where it appears that a whole community was killed by malaria 2,000 years ago.
DNA detectives on ancient mystery case
HUSBAND and wife team solve ancient mysteries using DNA techniques normalled used in solving crime.
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Producing Romantic Like
Love interactions are the https://bride-chat.com/latin/montserrat/ subject of much speculation and debate. Many psychologists assume that our species evolved to reply to consideration and attention in the form of special someone selection. Corresponding to this watch, humans will be wired to seek out love human relationships and, as a result, evolved to become attracted mainly to others so, who exhibit these traits. Nevertheless , a number of research have shown the benefits of a loving relationship do not always outweigh the expenses. In fact , the alternative is true.
Addition theory, by definition, becomes love as an attachment to another person or a approach of obtaining emotional developing. The theory is usually not a stationary concept. Because attachment mindset advances and improvements further acclaim among psychologists and clinicians, the idea that there is such thing being a single unbreakable, innate unconscious trait linked to love and relationships has been challenged. That is particularly the case for those who are near to a client within a therapeutic setting. When a therapist asks an individual about his or her sexual experience in youth or if the client attends counseling, most likely these problems will generate responses concerning early accessories to parents or siblings.
Different theories concerning absolutely adore draw in different viewpoints of how humans develop these types of attachments. Still, there are some common elements shared by many. Typically, a healthy romance is one in which the person feels emotionally bonded to at least one various other person. Developing such an emotional connection can be a task for some people, especially those exactly who lack a loving relationship inside their lives. Probably the most common troubles individuals encounter is great levels of tension.
Stress and high amounts of anxiety can be factors that lead to infatuation on many occasions. In fact , increased levels of stress and anxiety are often a sign of high degrees of emotional distress. In this case, a psychologist could very well ask the affected person to represent back on their earlier childhood days experiences. Any reflection may be the fact that trauma within your childhood may have generated a failure to successfully relationship with other people or to efficiently deal with adverse emotions. This kind of failure may then have led to a profound commitment into a therapist or perhaps counselor by means of therapy or psychotherapy.
If this sounds the case, then a successful romantic relationship can be considered to start with a commitment of some sort to a Psydex Practitioner. In this way, the psychologist is not merely participating in an individual relationship using a client but is investing time and energy to develop and work through a significant relationship. The therapist may also guide the customer in emotional creation sessions, quite often with the assistance of various fine art therapies. An effective therapist is usually someone who understands the importance of working with clients in order to gain their desired goals. Many psychologists will provide ongoing guidance as their customer makes progress with their restoration.
All people have emotional attachments to a single other person. When these types of attachments will be developing at a wholesome pace, they will create a place that is conducive to producing romantic take pleasure in. If these emotional parts are being nurtured, in this way a successful and meaningful relationship that is well intentioned of equally partners and respectful of some other partner’s needs. The outcome is known as a happy, healthier, fulfilling and long term relationship.
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Lawrence Clinton, the first of the name in New Haven, Connecticut, was born in 1679, died in 1757-58. He settled in what is now North Haven, Connecticut, in 1704, and became a member of the Center Church, at New Haven, that same year, and was one of six men who united in forming an Episcopal Society in North Haven, in 1723. by occupation he was a mason. He married, about 1700, Mary Brockett; (second) Elizabeth, married, January 20, 1725-26, James Bishop; Abigail; Mary, married, October 21, 1725, Isaac Griggs; Lydia; Sarah; Anne, and Phebe. Children of second wife: Lawrence, January 1, 1737; John, born April 9, 1740.
(I) Shubael Clinton, possibly a brother of Lawrence Clinton, probably came with him to New Haven from Massachusetts, and was doubtless born in England, as early as 1690. He married Elizabeth ___. He joined the Episcopal church, at West Haven, and this religious affiliation is almost positive proof of English birth. Shubael, his wife Elizabeth and six children were baptized in the Episcopal church, at West Haven, in 1734. Children: Elizabeth, married June, 1737, Eliphalet Stevens; Mercy; Mary; Shubael, died in the service in the French and Indian war (p. 105, vol. ix, conn. Hist. Society French and Indian War Rolls), he was in the Seventh Company, First Regiment, and was reported dead October 13, 1756, he served under Captain David Baldwin, of Milford (Jesse, Henry, Joseph and John Clinton were also in the French and Indian wars), in the inventory of his estate an item apprears, "for service in his country's cause, 7 pounds"; Henry, mentioned below.
(II) Henry, son of Shubael Clinton, was born in 1727, probably at New Haven, and died April 1, 1814, at North Colebrook, Connecticut. He was a soldier in the French and Indian war, in Captain Joseph Woodruff's company, of Milford, and, in 1757, marched to the relief of Fort William Henry (p. 220, vol. ix, French and Indian War Rolls). In 1790 he was living in Litchfield county. He settled at Barkhamstead, Connecticut, and afterward located at New Milford, Litchfield county Connecticut, in 1763. He married, in 1760, at Derby, Rachel Pierson. Children: 1. Elijah P., baptized at Derby, April, 1762, died young. 2. Henry, 1765, at New Milford. 3. Sheldon, born in 1767, at New Milford. 4. Lyman, mentioned below. 5. Clarissa, born 1780, at New Milford; married, 1799, Ira Andrews.
(III) Lyman, son of Henry Clinton, was born at New Milford, April 3, 1771, died April 30, 1855, at Newark Valley, New York. He moved from Colbrook, with his family, to Newark, Tioga county, New York, in 1831, after visiting Newark Valley the previous year and buying six hundred acres of land, which he later shared with his sons. He married Mehitable Pease, who died at Newark Valley, September 7, 1834, aged fifty-seven years. Children: 1. Lyman, mentioned below. 2. Samuel, born April 2, 1800, died December 6, 1858, at Ithaca, New York; married Rachel Knapp. 3. Henry, born September 2, 1802; married Mary ___. 4. Mehitable, Juley 24, 1805, died September 29, 1868, at Newark Valley, unmarried. 5. Sheldon, born October 20, 1807; died June 22, 1876, at Williamsport, Pennsylvania; married, in June, 1840, Elinor Ogden. 6. George, born June 14, 1809, died April 17, 1853, at Newark Valley. 7. Eli, June 25, 1811, died August, 1892. 8. Rhoda, born June 12, 1814, died March 9, 1875; married, in 1837, Albert Williams.
(IV) Lyman (2), son of Lyman (1) Clinton, was born May 7, 1798, at Barkhamstead, Connecticut; died July 4, 1873, at Newark Valley, New York. He removed with his father from Colebrook, Connecticut, to Newark Valley, in 1831. His farm was a mile and a half east of Newark Valley. By trade he was a cooper. In politics he was a Democrat. He married, November 1, 1821, Miranda Stone, born December 29, 1801, at Sharon, Connecticut, died February 1, 1882, at Newark Valley, New York. Children, born at Colebrook and Newark Valley: 1. Royal Wells, mentioned below. 2. Elizabeth, born April 10, 1824, died January 26, 1899. 3. Annis M., born April 6, 1825, died April 20, 1885; married James Ayres. 4. Julian, born May 6, 1826, died September 30, 1857; married Mary Strong. 5. Stephen P., born November 7, 1827, died January 3, 1881. 6. Corinda, born February 8, 1830, died April 25, 1832. 7. Lucy, born August 27, 1831; married Myron Hayford. 8. Oliver P., born June 11, 1833. 9. Amaryllis P., born February 23, 1837, died October 30, 1898; married Edgar Boyce. 10. Gilbert S., born June 1, 1840, died April 20, 1851. 11. Edwin V., born May 9, 1841; married, November 16, 1861. Ellen Plasted. 12. Alvira, twin of Edwin V., died April 20, 1842. 13. Alvira M., born October 11, 1842, died August 7, 1872; married Porter Moore.
(V) Royal Wells, son of Lyman (2) Clinton, was born at Colebrook, Connecticut, March 1, 1823, died at Newark Valley, March 20, 1895. He was educated in the public schools, and from his youth followed farming for a calling. From 1850 to 1865 he lived on a farm a mile and a half east of Newark Valley, and from that year to 1895 in the village of Newark Valley. He built the first stream sawmill operated in New York, and was extensively interested in the lumber business for many years. In religion he was a Methodist, and for forty years was superintendent of the Sunday school. He was a director of the South Central Railroad Company from 1868 to 1895, and a trustee of the Tioga National Bank, of Owego. he was generous and public spirited. He gave a handsome school building to the village of Newark Vallely. In politics he was a Republican. For many years he represented the town in the board of supervisors. In 1891 he represented the district in the state assembly and served on important committees. He married, at Newark Valley, May 16, 1844, Anna C. Knapp, who was born at New Marlborough, Massachusetts, September 7, 1825, died at Newark Valley, June 13, 1882. Children: 1. Ella J., born April 20, 1845; married, November 22, 1865, Morris Elwell, born August 3, 1840, died December 31, 1894; children; i. Cora, born August 20, 1867, married (first), October 27, 1886, at Scranton, Pennsylvania, Grant Dilley, married (second), February 17, 1898, A.L. Morrison; ii. Clinton, born April 14, 1869, married, January 30, 1895, Mary C. Lawrence; iii. Anna C., born March 20, married, September, 1901, Harry Miller. 2. Austin W., mentioned below. 3. Arthur g., born March 3, 1856; married, June 15, 1880, Addie Roys, born April 27, 1858; children: Edith K., born August 8, 1881; Leonard, June 22, 1885; Ruth, May 15, 1892.
(VI) Austin W., son of Royal Wells Clinton, was born March 11, 1850, at Newark Valley, New York. He attended the public schools of his native town, the Cazenovia Seminary, the Wyoming Seminary, and Cornell University, from which he was graduated in the class of 1872, with the degree of Bachelor of Science. From 1872 to 1874 he taught natural science in Wyoming Seminary. He then when abroad, and upon his return, in 1875, he located at Harford, New York, and engaged in the lumber business and operated a sawmill. In 1882-83 he was supervisor of the town of Harford, and for ten years was postmaster there. He removed to Galeton, Pennsylvania, where he had lumber interests. Since 1895 he has been in the lumber business in Binghamton, and has made his home in that city. He is a director of the Tioga National Bank, at Owego, of the People's Bank, in Binghamton; treasurer of the Lestershire Lumber and Box Company, and president of Lestershire Spool and Manufacturing Company. In politics he is a Republican, in religion a Methodist, and is a trustee of Tabernacle Church, of Binghamton, New York.
He married, October 13, 1876, Alice Davis, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, daughter of David R. Davis. Children: 1. Emelius, born July 3, 1878, at Harford Mills, New York; died May 28, 1892. 2. Harry Davis, born November 7, 1879, at Harford; entered Cornell University, in the class of 1903; was a sergeant in the British army, in South Africa, in 1901; engineering in Ecuador, South America, in 1902; was in Cuba in 1903; at present manager of the Leicestershire Spool & Manufacturing Company; married, June 15, 1907, Elizabeth Newcomb, born April 7, 1886; children: Austin W., born August 15, 1908; Harry Davis Jr., July 16, 1910. 3. Louis Royal, born July 4, 1881, at Harford Mills; entered Cornell University, in the class of 1901; married, September 27, 1904, Jessica M. Ostrom, born May 20, 1880; child: Royal Duane, born January 2, 1910. 4. Helen Bessie, born April 13, 1883, at Harford; graduate of Vassar College, class 0f 1905. 5. Caroline Mabel, born March 11, 1889, at Galeton, Pennsylvania; graduate of Vassar College, in 1911.
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Created March 6, 1999
LAST UPDATED: Saturday, 21-May-2011 13:58:04 MDT
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Acclimatization critical in preventing problems
OSHA has announced the launch of its annual Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers. For the fourth consecutive year, OSHA's campaign aims to raise awareness and educate workers and employers about the dangers of working in hot weather and provide resources and guidance to address these hazards. Workers at particular risk are those in outdoor industries, such as agriculture, construction, landscaping, and transportation.
"Heat-related illnesses can be fatal, and employers are responsible for keeping workers safe," says U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "Employers can take a few easy steps to save lives, including scheduling frequent water breaks, providing shade, and allowing ample time to rest."
The Importance of Acclimatization
Thousands of employees become sick each year and many die from working in the heat. In 2012, there were 31 heat-related worker deaths and 4,120 heat-related worker illnesses. Labor-intensive activities in hot weather can raise body temperatures beyond the level that normally can be cooled by sweating. Heat illness initially may manifest as heat rash or heat cramps, but can quickly escalate to heat exhaustion and then heat stroke if simple preventative measures are not followed. Heat illness disproportionately affects those who have not built up a tolerance to heat (acclimatization), and it is especially dangerous for new and temporary workers.
"Acclimatization is a physical change that the body undergoes to build tolerance to heat, and it is a critical part of preventing heat illnesses and fatalities," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "Over the past three years, lack of acclimatization was the cause in 74% of heat-related citations issued. Employers have a responsibility to provide workplaces that are safe from recognized hazards, including outdoor heat."
Last year, OSHA issued 11 heat-related citations. In some of these cases, the employer and staffing agency were cited because they involved temporary workers.
In preparation for the summer season, OSHA has developed heat illness educational materials in English and Spanish, as well as a curriculum to be used for workplace training, also available in both English and Spanish. Additionally, OSHA provides online information and resources on heat illness for workers and employers: including how to prevent it and what to do in case of an emergency.
OSHA also has released a free app that enables workers and supervisors to monitor the heat index at their work sites. The app displays a risk level for workers based on the heat index, as well as reminders about protective measures that should be taken at that risk level. Since its 2011 launch, more than 130,000 users have downloaded the app. Available for Android-based platforms and the iPhone, it can be downloaded in English and Spanish here.
In developing its inaugural national campaign in 2011, federal OSHA worked closely with the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration and adapted materials from that state's successful campaign. Additionally, OSHA is partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to incorporate worker safety precautions when heat alerts are issued across the nation. NOAA also will provide pertinent worker safety information on its heat watch Web page.
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Select and click for a larger image.
|Distribution:||Africa: South Africa: Eastern Cape:|
Ledebouria coriacea is an unique species found only at one location near Aloes railway station in the vicinity of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.
It is an epigeal bulb with attenuate bulb scales and dull leathery leaves. According to S. Venter the bulbs are not closely allied to other Ledebouria species.
Reference: Ledebouria synopsis - S. venter,
|Complete plantnames alphabetically|
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jeudi 12 février 2015
A New Way to View Titan: 'Despeckle' It
NASA/ESA - Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn & Titan patch.
February 12, 2015
-- Radar images of Titan have always had a grainy appearance due to electronic noise.
-- A new tool suppresses the noise, resulting in clearer views than ever before.
During 10 years of discovery, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has pulled back the smoggy veil that obscures the surface of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Cassini's radar instrument has mapped almost half of the giant moon's surface; revealed vast, desert-like expanses of sand dunes; and plumbed the depths of expansive hydrocarbon seas. What could make that scientific bounty even more amazing? Well, what if the radar images could look even better?
Images above: Presented here are side-by-side comparisons of a traditional Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) view and one made using a new technique for handling electronic noise that results in clearer views of Titan's surface. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI.
Thanks to a recently developed technique for handling noise in Cassini's radar images, these views now have a whole new look. The technique, referred to by its developers as "despeckling," produces images of Titan's surface that are much clearer and easier to look at than the views to which scientists and the public have grown accustomed.
Typically, Cassini's radar images have a characteristic grainy appearance. This "speckle noise" can make it difficult for scientists to interpret small-scale features or identify changes in images of the same area taken at different times. Despeckling uses an algorithm to modify the noise, resulting in clearer views that can be easier for researchers to interpret.
Antoine Lucas got the idea to apply this new technique while working with members of Cassini's radar team when he was a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Image above: This Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image is presented as a perspective view and shows a landscape near the eastern shoreline of Kraken Mare, a hydrocarbon sea in Titan's north polar region. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI.
"Noise in the images gave me headaches," said Lucas, who now works at the astrophysics division of France's nuclear center (CEA). Knowing that mathematical models for handling the noise might be helpful, Lucas searched through research published by that community, which is somewhat disconnected from people working directly with scientific data. He found that a team near Paris was working on a “de-noising” algorithm, and he began working with them to adapt their model to the Cassini radar data. The collaboration resulted in some new and innovative analysis techniques.
"My headaches were gone, and more importantly, we were able to go further in our understanding of Titan’s surface using the new technique," Lucas said.
As helpful as the tool has been, for now, it is being used selectively.
Images above: This montage of Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images of the surface of Titan shows four examples of how a newly developed technique for handling noise results in clearer, easier to interpret views. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI.
"This is an amazing technique, and Antoine has done a great job of showing that we can trust it not to put features into the images that aren’t really there," said Randy Kirk, a Cassini radar team member from the U.S. Geologic Survey in Flagstaff, Arizona. Kirk said the radar team is going to have to prioritize which images are the most important to applying the technique. "It takes a lot of computation, and at the moment quite a bit of 'fine-tuning' to get the best results with each new image, so for now we'll likely be despeckling only the most important -- or most puzzling -- images," Kirk said.
Despeckling Cassini's radar images has a variety of scientific benefits. Lucas and colleagues have shown that they can produce 3-D maps, called digital elevation maps, of Titan's surface with greatly improved quality. With clearer views of river channels, lake shorelines and windswept dunes, researchers are also able to perform more precise analyses of processes shaping Titan's surface. And Lucas suspects that the speckle noise itself, when analyzed separately, may hold information about properties of the surface and subsurface.
Images above: Presented here are side-by-side comparisons of a traditional Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) view, at left, and one made using a new technique for handling electronic noise that results in clearer views of Titan's surface, at right. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI.
"This new technique provides a fresh look at the data, which helps us better understand the original images," said Stephen Wall, deputy team lead of Cassini's radar team, which is based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "With this innovative new tool, we will look for details that help us to distinguish among the different processes that shape Titan’s surface," he said.
Details about the new technique were published recently in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed, developed and assembled the Cassini orbiter. The radar instrument was built by JPL and the Italian Space Agency, working with team members from the US and several European countries.
More information about Cassini: http://www.nasa.gov/cassini and http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Cassini-Huygens
Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/JPL/Preston Dyches.
Publié par Orbiter.ch à 13:44
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The purpose of today's word problem is to get students engaged in problem solving, to show there are multiple ways to solve the same problem, and to get students thinking about how they can express their mathematical thinking in writing.
I begin today's class by handing out cafeteria actions and reactions. I read the problem aloud with my students. There is a lot of written information in this problem, so I make sure to go through it slowly. I encourage students to highlight or underline important information. NOTE: In today's class we only use the first problem about the trays. We work on the second problem about the number of students at the front table in the next lesson.
When we finish reading the problem, I ask students what the problem is asking, "What are they looking to find?"
Now, I let students get working on the cafeteria actions and reactions problem. I think it's best for them to work individually, but I might have have students work in pairs. Many students will struggle with not knowing where to start. I will have manipulatives available so students can "act out" or model the story.
If they are stuck, I ask students to pick a random number of trays in one carton to start with. Then, I have them go through the various events in the problem. For example, a student might chose to start with 20 trays to a carton. If so, they will have to go through the different parts of the problem, multiplying 20 by 4 to get the total number of trays, then subtracting 24, etc. If they started with 20, students will realize that they have too many trays left at the end, and therefore should adjust their starting point accordingly.
I make sure to look out for students who work the problem in reverse order. That is, they may think about those twelve trays in the three lines and go backwards through the story. If they work this way, they will have to multiply by three first and then add. This is an interesting reversal that I will highlight in the discussion if it occurs during the lesson.
DIFFERENTIATION: If some students solves the problem easily or early and are ready for an extension activity, I will ask them to try to substitute a variable for the unknown in the problem. For example, Elvira wants to know how many trays are in a carton (and therefore, how many trays she started with); we can use x to express this number. I challenge students to come up with an equation that would represent this problem situation. This equation involves complex fractions and my students may need a review on how to work with them.
This task also has a second part that students can move on to if they quickly solve the first task. The second task asks students a similar problem, and additionally focuses on whether the order of the steps in the problem matter.
It is likely students in my class will solve the problem in different ways. So, I want to give students the opportunity to highlight their thinking and the diversity of strategies. I will also try to make connections to the different ways of solving the task as explicit as possible. For example, a student who works backwards through this problem will do the steps in the opposite order of the student who uses a guess-and-check strategy.
If a majority of students used guess-and-check to solve the problem, I will show them a strategy for turning their work into an algebraic expression. Guess-check-generalize is a method that helps students to see their repeated calculations and translate that repetition into algebra. For example, each time a student uses a new guess to try in the problem, s/he multiplies that number by 4, subtracts 24 and then divides by 3 to see if the answer is 12. I typpically show students that they can replace their guess with a variable and write an equation to represent the problem.
Before concluding, I emphasize to students that ALL ways of solving are equally valid. I make sure to give praise to students who took non traditional approaches. And, I always ask students HOW they know their answer is correct. This is an important part of MP3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
To continue to make progress around writing about math, I provide a sample student Write Up for this problem. I hand out copies of the writeup to students. I ask the students to read through the sections either aloud or on their own. As they read, I ask them to highlight or underline any good mathematical thinking that they see in writing. When the class has finished reading the write-up, I ask students to share out what they underlined/highlighted and WHY. I highlight the following points:
I ask students to write up the Process section of their own experience with Cafeteria Actions and Reactions. I explain to students that the Process section should include how they got started on the problem, where they got stuck, what they tried, how they moved forward, and if anyone helped them.
I remind students that they started this kind of work on the Broken Eggs problem. I may assign the completion of the write-up for the Broken Eggs problem at this time. No further time in class will be spent on that problem.
Cafeteria Actions and Reactions is licensed by © 2012 Mathematics Vision Project | MVP In partnership with the Utah State Office of Education Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.
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What about perimeters for midpoint pentagons? For a regular pentagon, the midpoint polygon is another regular pentagon with sides equal to one-half the length of each diagonal. The ratio of the midpoint perimeter to the original is then the half the ratio of a side to a diagonal, i.e. one-half the reciprocal of the golden section, = 1/(2t), about .806 The same analysis shows that for a general convex pentagon, the perimeter of the midpoint polygon is half the sum of the lengths of the diagonals, and this definitely is not a constant.
Now what about the areas of midpoint pentagons for convex pentagons? For a regular pentagon, the area of the midpoint pentagon divided by the area of the original figure is 1/(4t2). However for a pentagon close to a triangle, with two vertices close to one vertex on the bottom and two close to the other vertex on the bottom, the area of the midpoint figure is as close to 3/4 as we please. This appears to be the maximum ratio attainable for pentagons.
Demonstration 4. Area of midpoint pentagons
Note at this point, that for convex polygons with six or more sides, the ratio of the area of the midpoint pentagon to the area of the original is as close to 1 as we please. We can achieve this by placing the first two vertices near one vertex of a triangle, the next two near the second, and all the rest near the third. The ratio cannot be larger than 1 since the midpoint polygon lies inside the original convex polygon.
Figure 4. Area ratio approaching 1 for a midpoint hexagon
Surprisingly although the area ratio for a pentagon is not constant, we can still find a relationship between the area of the original, the area of the midpoint polygon, and the area of another figure. This is first seen analytically, and later by a direct geometric argument.
Recall that for a convex polygon with the origin in the interior, we can find the area by adding up the areas of the triangles with the origin as one vertex and a side of the polygon as the opposite sign. If the coordinates of the ith vertex are (xi,yi), then the area of the ith triangle, with vertices (0,0),(xi,yi), (xi+1,yi+1) is
In vector notation, if (xi,yi) = Xi, then the area is
The vertices of the midpoint polygon on the other hand are Yi = (Xi+Xi+1)/2 so the area of the midpoint polygon is
What is the meaning of the additional term? Formally, in the case of a pentagon, it represents 1/4 times the area of the polygon with vertices X1, X3, X5, X2, X4. This is the so-called "star pentagon" formed by taking the five diagonals in sequence, a self-intersecting polygon. The sum of the five triangles will give the area of the star, but with the middle pentagon in the star counted twice.
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Herrenberg Collegiate Church
The Collegiate Church (Stiftskirche) towers over the town of Herrenberg, dominating the cityscape. It was built in two main phases of construction (1276-1293 and 1471-1493) and was the first Gothic hall church to be completed in Württemberg. In 1749 the two Gothic towers were demolished and replaced by the Baroque onion dome.
Among the church's outstanding features are the baptismal font from 1472, the stone pulpit from 1504 by Master Hanselmann and the choirstalls from the year 1517 with carvings by Heinrich Schickhardt, the grandfather of the famous architect. The high altar dating from 1519, with paintings by Jerg Ratgeb, is now to be found in the State Gallery in Stuttgart. The Stiftskirche is home to the Herrenberg Bell Museum – and it also boasts the oldest rose window in Swabia.
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- “No time of life is notably happier or unhappier than others” (p. 11). The kind of things that affect happiness may change with age but age alone is not a key to knowing how happy a person is. (supported by a study of over 16,000 people in 16 countries).
- Although there are differences between women and men in the experience of happiness, overall the levels of happiness are about the same for women and men.
- The empty nest when children leave home is more often a happy time. The “empty nest syndrome”, depression from children leaving home, “turns out to be rare.”
- Knowing how happy a person feels does not tell you anything about how bad they might feel. People who are intensely happy tend to experience bad events or difficulties intensely also.
- Nations do vary in reported overall levels of happiness. For example, Inglehart (1990) found 10% of the people of Portugal indicated they were “very happy” whereas 40% of people in the Netherlands indicated they were “very happy.” In general countries that are more collectivistic (emphasis on family, groups, community) report lower levels of happiness than individualistic cultures, where the emphasis is on the individual.
- The relationship between money and happiness is “modest’. “Wealth . . . is like health: Its absence can breed misery, yet having it is no guarantee of happiness . . . Satisfaction is less a matter of getting what you want than wanting what you have” (p. 13).
Myers, D. G., & Diener, E. (1995). Who is happy? Psychological Science, 6 (1), 10-19.
"Denali." © John Ballard, 2013. All rights reserved.
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A lumpectomy is a surgical procedure to remove malignant or other abnormal breast tissue with some healthy tissue around it. It is often also called a partial mastectomy, as we are only removing a part of the breast. In the majority of breast cancers, this can be accomplished with one surgery, however, sometimes this may require multiple operations. If you are a candidate for a lumpectomy, as many women are, the details will be explained by your surgeon. In the majority of times after a lumpectomy, you will require a short course of directed radiation therapy to reduce the likelihood of cancer from returning. Again, this will be more thoroughly explained by the surgeon.
The Procedure Of Lumpectomy
The procedure of a lumpectomy for cancer is most commonly performed as an outpatient procedure in the hospital. This means you go home the same day as the surgery. It can be done either under local anesthesia with IV sedation or under general anesthesia. The surgeon will discuss this with you when you are planning your surgery. A lumpectomy sometimes will require an additional procedure at the time of surgery, localizing cancer. This is done by a radiologist just prior to the surgery and will be discussed with the surgeon.
Recovery for a Lumpectomy
After a lumpectomy, the patient returns home after surgery the same day. She can resume normal activities in a short period of time, but the surgeon will discuss that in full detail during the postoperative office visit, which is usually the week after surgery.
The following measures are commonly taken to assist in healing:
- Ice packs to the affected area
- Wearing the compression bra that the surgeon placed you in at the time of the operation
- Avoidance of strenuous activity until discussed with the surgeon
- Prescribed pain medicine
- Caring for the incisions
- Being aware of signs of infections
- Follow up appointment with the surgeon in 1-2 weeks
Risks Of Lumpectomy
There are a few risks associated with the lumpectomy including:
- Infection, signaled by redness or swelling at the surgical site, or fever
- Bleeding and bruising
- Allergic reaction
These will be discussed in greater detail by the surgeon before and after surgery.
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For more than 40 years, humanity has been digging itself deeper into debt. Since the early 1970s, we have been demanding more of nature than what our planet can sustainably replenish.
Our demands for food, timber, carbon dioxide sequestration and land for our infrastructure – that is, our ecological footprint – were once easily met by Earth’s ecosystems. Today, our footprint outstrips supply by approximately 50 percent.
In short, we now use the renewable resources and ecological services of 1.5 Earths. If population and consumption trends increase at even the most conservative UN projections, Global Footprint Network’s data show we will need the equivalent of two Earths to meet our demands by 2030.
Look no further for a definition of “unsustainable.”
Today, August 20, marks the day we bust our ecological budget for 2013. In approximately seven months and 20 days, we have used all the renewable resources and ecological services that Earth was able to replenish this year. For the remaining of the year, we’re in overshoot.
You might be asking yourself: “I live in a wealthy country. Should I worry?” I think you should.
There is still plenty of nature on the planet, of course. The problem is, there’s not enough for everyone everywhere. Since we went into ecological overshoot in the early 1970s, we have been eating into our ecological capital. And as consumption and populations increase, there’s less to go around. In many parts of the world, more people are getting less.
Many high-income countries may not feel the sting right now. But all economies and societies — indeed, life itself — depend on access to ecological resources. Nations have spent natural capital as if it were infinite, but most haven’t bothered measuring it. They do not check on the oceans before deciding how much fish to take, or measure ecosystems’ sequestration capacity before emitting CO2. They don’t track the availability of wheat, rice, potatoes and other foods before paving over agricultural land.
And waste is something to throw out into the atmosphere, with little regard for the cost.
Our planet, however, has kept track of all that, and is exhausted for it. From today, we start spending beyond our means. We’re in ecological overshoot, two days earlier than last year.
On a global scale, this is extremely worrisome. For nations, it can be another step toward crisis. A country running an ecological deficit — that is, using more than it has — can fill some of the gap between the natural capital it has and what it requires, as long as it has the financial means to access outside resources. But this cost burden imposes economic pressure on the purchasing country. What happens when resources become more constrained and ever more costly?
We have only a 15 to 20-year window in which to turn the tide. Long-term economic health depends upon sound management of ecological resources. It is in governments’ own interests to deal with the reality of climate change and resource limits. Spending our natural capital without measuring its availability is foolhardy. I worry it might be a tragedy.
• Alessandro Galli is a Senior Scientist at Global Footprint Network, an international think-tank promoting a sustainable economy by advancing the use of the Ecological Footprint, a resource management tool that measures how much nature we have, how much we use and who uses what.
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The largest tree-living animals in existence, orangutans are an icon in Malaysian minds and memories.
But very soon, we may lose them for good.
In just 20 years, the orangutan population has decreased by almost 50%.
Back in the mid-80s, Sabah itself had a total of 20,000 orangutans. According to WWF Malaysia, there’re only 11,000 now.
The culprits? Inhumane poaching and deforestation. These two reasons alone kill up to 2,500 orangutans a year.
You may ask, aren’t the government or NGOs doing something? They are doing something, right?
They are already investing over US$30 to 40 million to help with the declining rate of wild populations annually. But it seems like that still isn’t enough and awareness needs to be raised more.
It’s a battle that has to be fought on multiple fronts. To kickstart a change, the Sabah government is now committed to certifying its palm oil.
But How Does This Play A Part To Help Our Primates?
When grown unsustainably, oil palm agriculture can have damaging impacts on the environment, potentially destroying forests and the habitats of wildlife, such as our beloved orangutan and Sumatran tiger.
The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)—through the implementation of a set of environmental and social criteria which members should comply in order to meet certification standards—works with different stakeholders to minimise these negative impacts.
The said criteria prevent RSPO members from clearing primary forests or high conservation value areas for palm oil. Through this, RSPO envisions to create a space where palm oil agriculture and the environment can co-exist.
For the socially aware, there are criteria that also touch on proper practices such as how growers and millers are to contribute to local sustainable development wherever appropriate.
No new plantings can be established on local peoples’ lands where the rights of the local people including the indigenous community are affected. One way of ensuring this is by making sure that consent is given by these communities freely.
There are results showing how being certified is enough to make a difference.
There was a study called “An Impact Analysis of RSPO Certification On Borneo Forest Cover and Orangutan Populations” conducted this year. It delved into how having a sustainable plantation can create a positive impact to the environment compared to an unsustainable plantation.
The study showed that RSPO-certified concessions lose 25 times less forest than non-certified ones.
This further proves that non-certified companies have made no real attempt at stopping deforestation and they have very little incentive to do so.
Positive impacts of RSPO certification so far demonstrate that these standards can work for Malaysian palm oil. However more plantations just need to start implementing good practices regarding forest conservation and the conservation of orangutan habitat.
About 10,000 orangutans are found in areas that have been allocated for oil palm development.
They’re actually very adaptable, and with the right management, can survive side-by-side with plantations and agricultural lands.
However, they’re slow breeders. If these areas are converted to plantations without changes in current practices, the steep population decline will continue.
So it’s really crucial for their habitats to be conserved so the orangutans will not be distressed by any sudden changes and can build their population safely in their own territory.
“Viable populations of large roaming animals such as the orangutan require a network of protected forests that are properly managed, and sustainable practices outside of these protected areas,” said Dr Marc Ancrenaz, a Sabah-based orangutan scientist.
Since oil palm plantations certified by RSPO must abide by its Principles and Criteria (i.e criteria 5.2 where the status of rare, threatened or endangered species are to be maintained), orangutans and other wild animals that exist in RSPO-certified oil palm plantations will be protected by the plantations—or they will risk losing their certification.
“We also call on oil palm plantations to allocate part of their lands as wildlife corridors so that wild animals such as orangutans and elephants can travel in and out of the plantations, and join the rest of their population in adjacent forests,” said Max Donysius, Sustainable Finance & Business Industry Engagement Coordinator, Sabah Terrestrial Conservation Programme.
What Can WE, As Average Consumers Do?
The sector that can really lead in solving this issue are the Bornean oil palm producers themselves, with changes in their policies and ramped up conservation efforts. Kudos to Sabah State government for taking the first step in 2015, and pledging their commitment to a jurisdictional approach to getting their palm oil RSPO certified.
This approach utilises the government’s initiatives in collaboration with the private sector and local NGOs to work towards long-term solutions for sustainable development.
It’s a significant step towards collectively working to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and conserving the important forest areas for biodiversity and environment. Since then, Central Kalimantan and Ecuador have followed suit.
Businesses are another party who can be more involved. You have big names like Sime Darby, one of the largest producers of certified sustainable palm oil, who have sponsored reforestation in Bukit Piton Forest Reserve, a formerly degraded orangutan habitat.
The 10-year project which was started in 2008 in partnership with the Sabah state government and WWF Malaysia, is a great show of what real collaboration can achieve.
A total of 4,724ha of degraded land has been reforested with 350,000 seedlings of various trees, and is now becoming more habitable for the orangutans.
Consumers have an equally important role to play in driving a stronger demand for CSPO, which in turn helps out with these conservation efforts.
RSPO has made it easier for consumers to recognise products that use sustainable palm oil. Just keep a lookout for their trademark.
With just a few more seconds added to your shopping time, it does make a difference.
You could go the extra mile and reach out to your favourite brands to ask if they’re using certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO).
You could even request for manufacturers and retailers to source CSPO, not only in their own-brand products, but in all the products they use or sell.
Taking time to research and understand what ingredients are in your food and household products and how they might impact the wellbeing of people and the environment is also a huge step in improving our mindset as consumers.
When we show the right kind of demand, the right kind of supply will eventually follow.
Orangutans have been known to express care and empathy, not just to their own kind, but even to other species, like us.
Let’s just say it would be better that we don’t get outdone by an animal when it comes to showing compassion.
This article was written in collaboration with RSPO.
Feature Image Credit: wsj.com
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Instructor: Patricia Piros
This program is based on the premise that students will be exposed to a wide range of concepts and technical skills to help build foundational skills in the following areas: software development, computer programming, and graphic design. Instruction and application of the developmental process of gaming, from the story board, through research and then, to the marketing process will offer students opportunity to develop creative, innovative and critical thinking skills.
While developing programming skills, students will learn through the following methods: drag-n-drop, programming, writing code, as well as learning technical and increasingly complex programming instructions. Additionally, skills in creating and programing games, authentic to the student, using digital design resources and color theory to draw and animate sprites, objects, platforms, backgrounds and loops will be addressed. Troubleshooting existing game programs to fix bugs and ensure optimal performance will enhance critical thinking skills. Finally, students will learn the skill of technical writing in the following areas: user instructions, game directions, game rules and document development process within a development team.
Computer Science – Project Lead the Way (PLTW)
Project Lead The Way is the nation’s leading provider of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. Through world-class K-12 curriculum, high-quality teacher professional development, and outstanding partnerships, PLTW is helping students develop the skills needed to succeed in the global economy.
Designed to be the first computer science course for students who have never programmed before, ICS is an optional starting point for the PLTW Computer Science program. Students work in teams to create simple apps for mobile devices using MIT App Inventor®. Students explore the impact of computing in society and the application of computing across career paths and build skills and awareness in digital citizenship and cyber security. Students model, simulate, and analyze data about themselves and their interests. They also transfer the understanding of programming gained in App Inventor to learn introductory elements of text-based programming in Python® to create strategy games. The course aligns with the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) 3A standards.
Check out this online post about the program:
Students Experience “Aha!” Moments
Students Compete at CyberPatriot Regionals
A team of high school students from East Providence Career & Technical Center, recently concluded an exceptional round of competition in the eighth season of CyberPatriot – the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. Established by the Air Force Association, the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program was created to excite, educate, and motivate students toward careers in cyber security and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation’s future.
CyberPatriot’s core program – the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition – challenges teams of two to six students across the United States and Canada, and from Department of Defense schools abroad, to find and resolve cybersecurity vulnerabilities in simulated environments. The CyberPatriot field is divided into three divisions – the Open Division, the All Service Division, and the Middle School Division.
The Cynatics, a team from the East Providence and Career Center participated in the CyberPatriot Competition. They started their journey in October by putting many hours in after school to practice. They competed in two qualifying rounds and placed 4th in the State for Round 1, and placed 3rd in the State during Round 2. Their work placed them in the Gold Division for the State Competition. They competed in the State Round on January 31 and placed 3rd in the State which qualified them to move onto the Northeast Regional Rounds on January 20.
Led by Mrs. Piros the team’s Coach and Mr. Gawel, the team’s Mentor, the team of students from East Providence Career & Technical Matt Azevedo, Corey Motta, Jeff Pereira, Alex Buteau, Andrew Holstein, and Edward Crevier excelled in the CyberPatriot VIII qualifying rounds, demonstrating teamwork, critical thinking skills, and technical knowledge key to a successful career in cybersecurity. The team’s performance earned it a spot in the Northeast Regional Open Division Round held February 19-21, during which they outscored other teams to place 8th in the Open Division’s Northeast Region.
In all, 3,379 teams registered to compete in CyberPatriot VIII.
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Howard University graduate Patricia Roberts Harris was the first black woman to hold a cabinet position in the U.S. government, the first black woman to serve as an ambassador, and the first National Executive Director of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.
Patricia Roberts Harris was born in May 1924 in Matoon, Illinois. Her father worked as a pullman porter for the railroad, but left the family, leaving her to be cared for by a single mother. Harris was an advanced student, earning a scholarship to Howard University in 1941. While in college, Harris was active with the NAACP, participating in one of the first lunch counter sit-ins in America. After graduation, she continued her education at the University of Chicago, studying industrial relations.
Patricia Roberts Harris worked as the National Executive Director of the African American Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. Her husband encouraged her to move forward with her study of law, so she attended George Washington University National Law Center and graduated in 1960 at the top of the class.
Harris was an advocate of women’s rights, and was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to co-chair the National Women’s Committee for Civil Rights. In 1965, one year after the civil rights act, Patricia R. Harris made history under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the first black female U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg. She broke another barrier two years later as the first Dean of Law at her alma mater, Howard University; she became the first black woman to head a law school in the U.S.
Patricia Roberts Harris served as the U.S. Secretary of H.U.D., and U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Carter in 1977. She made it her mission to address the needs of the urban communities and was said to be demanding of her staff.
When she left her cabinet position, she tried her hand at running for mayor of Washington but lost against Marion Barry. Harris returned to teaching as a professor at George Washington University Law School until she died of breast cancer at age 60.
In October 1987, Howard University established the Patricia Roberts Harris Public Affairs Program, to encourage students to work in the public affairs sector. Her papers, research, artifacts and other memorabilia were donated to the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center in 1988.
On January 27, 2000, Howard University hosted a tribute to Patricia Roberts Harris by unveiling a U.S. postage stamp in her honor. She was the seventh woman to be recognized with a U.S. postage stamp.
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Your article suggesting that text e-mails may contain viruses is misleading (9 December, p 14). The bulk of the article makes it clear that the messages you say could be infected with viruses are "HTML-encoded" messages, rather than plain text e-mails.
Any system, such as HTML, that allows the sender of a message to remotely execute programs, such as Word macros, Java applets, or Visual Basic Script, is vulnerable to abuse. Mail tools that start these programs put our machines at risk. HTML-encoded messages are littered with tags, but if the mail tools do not try to execute the tags, the computer will not be put at risk.
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With Mr Edwards, Miss Marks and Mrs Stalker
A warm welcome back after the Easter holidays. We hope you had a great time and didn't eat too much chocolate.
The children are already back in the full swing of things. Below is a brief overview of what we will covering this term.
This term we will be focussing on subtraction, multiplication and division. Generally the children will receive homework on Tuesday to be handed in by Friday.
The children will be given spellings homework this term. These will be based on key words that they are expected to be able to read and write by the end of year 2. Generally these will be given on Monday for a quiz on Friday.
Please, please, please try to listen to your child read each night. Even if it's just for 10 minutes. It makes a huge difference to thier learning.
There are lots of website to support reading. Please try out the Oxford University Press website. It has lots of ideas and free online books which your children will love.
This term we will be recapping and extending many of the things we have done this year. As mentioned before our main focus will be subtraction, multiplication and division.
This term we will be looking at Castles, travelling back in time to see the amazing places where Lords, Ladies, Kings and Queens used to live.
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WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.
To get the breakthrough innovations in Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing had to rethink the way it makes airplanes. Tom Cogan, director of Airplane Development, explains how the game-changing jetliner that is built in a revolutionary way. Learn more about the stories of the innovations that define Boeing .
Responding to the overwhelming preference of airlines around the world, Boeing Commercial Airplanes' launched the 787 Dreamliner, a super-efficient airplane. An international team of top aerospace companies is building the airplane, led by Boeing at its Everett, Wash. facility near Seattle.
The 787-8 Dreamliner will carry 210 - 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers), while the 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250 - 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 kilometers).
In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 provides airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The airplane uses 20 percent less fuel than today's similarly sized airplanes. It will also travel at a similar speed as today's fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85. Airlines will enjoy more cargo revenue capacity.
Passengers will also see improvements on the 787 Dreamliner, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience.
The key to the exceptional performance of the 787 Dreamliner is a suite of new technologies developed and applied on the airplane.
Composite materials make up 50 percent of the primary structure of the 787 including the fuselage and wing.
Modern systems architecture is at the heart of the 787's design. It is simpler than today's airplanes and offers increased functionality and efficiency. For example, the team has incorporated airplane health-monitoring systems that allow the airplane to self-monitor and report systems maintenance requirements to ground-based computer systems.
New engines from General Electric and Rolls-Royce are used on the 787. Advances in engine technology are the biggest contributor to overall fuel efficiency improvements. The new engines represent nearly a two-generation jump in technology for the middle of the market.
The design and build process of the 787 has added further efficiency improvements. New technologies and processes have been developed to help Boeing and its supplier partners achieve the efficiency gains. For example, manufacturing a one-piece fuselage section has eliminated 1,500 aluminum sheets and 40,000 - 50,000 fasteners.
The 787 program was launched in April 2004 with a record order from All-Nippon Airways. Fifty-eight customers from six continents of the world have placed orders for 851 airplanes valued over $175 billion, making it the most successful twin-aisle launch of a new commercial airplane in Boeing's history. The 787 program opened its final assembly plant in Everett in May 2007. First flight of the 787 Dreamliner occurred on December 15, 2009.
More than 50 of the world's most capable top-tier supplier partners are working with Boeing to bring innovation and expertise to the 787 program. The suppliers have been involved since the early detailed design phase of the program and all are connected virtually at 135 sites around the world. First delivery of the 787 to ANA took place on Sept. 25, 2011.
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The concept of community is defined as "a group of people who share some important feature of their lives and use some common agencies and institutions." The concept of health is defined as "a balanced state of well-being resulting from harmonious interactions of body, mind, and spirit." The term community health is defined by meeting the needs of a community by identifying problems and managing interactions within the community
The six basic elements of nursing practice incorporated in community health programs and services are:
(1) promotion of healthful living
(2) prevention of health problems
(3) treatment of disorders
(5) evaluation and
The focus of nursing includes not only the individual, but also the family and the community, meeting these multiple needs requires multiple roles. The seven major roles of a community health nurse are:
(1) care provider
(6) leader, and
Settings for community health nursing can be grouped into six categories:
(2) ambulatory care settings
(4) occupational health settings
(5) residential institutions, and
(6) the community at large.
Community health nursing practice is not limited to a specific area, but can be practiced anywhere.
The commonly used theories are:
- Nightingale’s theory of environment
- Orem’s Self care model
- Neuman’s health care system model
- Roger’s model of the science and unitary man
- Pender’s health promotion model
- Roy’s adaptation model
- Milio’s Framework of prevention
- Salmon White’s Construct for Public health nursing
- Block and Josten’s Ethical Theory of population focused nursing
- Canadian Model
- Nancy Milio a nurse and leader in public health policy and public health education developed a framework for prevention that includes concepts of community-oriented, population focused care.(1976,1981).
- The basic treatise is that behavioral patterns of populations and individuals who make up populations are a result of habitual selection from limited choices. She challenged the common notion that a main determinant for unhealthful behavioral choice is lack of knowledge. Governmental and institutional policies, she said set the range of options for personal choice making. It neglected the role of community health nursing, examining the determinants of community health and attempting to influence those determinants through public policy.
- Mark Salmon White (1982) describes a public health as an organized societal effort to protect, promote and restore the health of people and public health nursing as focused on achieving and maintaining public health.
- He gave 3 practice priorities i.e.; prevention of disease and poor health, protection against disease and external agents and promotion of health. For these 3 general categories of nursing intervention have also been put forward, they are:
- education directed toward voluntary change in the attitude and behaviour of the subjects
- engineering directed at managing risk-related variables
- enforcement directed at mandatory regulation to achieve better health.
Scope of prevention spans individual, family, community and global care. Intervention target is in 4 categories:
Derryl Block and Lavohn Josten, public health educators proposed this based on intersecting fields of public health and nursing. They have given 3 essential elements of population focused nursing that stem from these 2 fields:
- an obligation to population
- the primacy of prevention
- centrality of relationship- based care
the first two are from public health and the third element from nursing. Hence it implies to nursing that relation-based care is very important in population focused care.
The community health nurse works with individuals, families, groups, communities, populations, systems and/or society, but at all times the health of the person or community is the focus and motivation from which nursing actions flow. The standards of practice are applied to practice in all settings where people live, work, learn, worship and play.
The philosophical base and foundational values and beliefs that characterize community health nursing - caring, the principles of primary health care, multiple ways of knowing, individual/community partnerships and empowerment - are embedded in the standards and are reflected in the development and application of the community health nursing process.
The community health nursing process involves the traditional nursing process components of assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation but is enhanced by community health nurses in three dimensions:
- individual/community participation in each component,
- multiple ways of knowing, each of which is necessary to understand the complexity and diversity of nursing in the community; knowledge and utilization of all these ways of knowing forms evidence-based practice consistent with these standards, and
- the inherent influence of the broader environment on the individual/community that is the focus of care (e.g. the community will be affected by provincial/territorial policies, its own economic status and by the actions of its individual citizens). The standards of practice are founded on the values and beliefs of community health nurses, and utilization of the community health nursing process.
The model illustrates the dynamic nature of community health nursing practice, embracing the present and projecting into the future. The values and beliefs (green or shaded) ground practice in the present yet guide the evolution of community health nursing practice over time. The community health nursing process provides the vehicle through which community health nurses work with people, and supports practice that exemplifies the standards of community health nursing. The standards of practice revolve around both the values and beliefs and the nursing process with the energies of community health nursing always being focused on improving the health of people in the community and facilitating change in systems or society in support of health. Community health nursing practice does not occur in isolation but rather within an environmental context, such as policies within their workplace and the legislative framework applicable to their work.
- Allender J.N; Spradely B.W. Community Health Nursing Concepts and practice. (8th edn) 2001.Lippincott,342-45.
- Stanhope M; Lancaster J. Community Health Nursing Promoting health of Aggregates, Families and individuals.(4th edn) 2001.Mosby,265-80.
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Despite numerous attempts to delay the ruling, and to reverse it, the first marriage licenses were issued to same-sex couples on May 17,and the ruling has been in full effect since that date. Bush called for a similar amendment to the U. Retrieved April 24, On February 4, the Supreme Judicial Court issued its Opinions of the Justices to the Senate confirming that a proposed civil union bill does not meet the mandates of liberty and equality of the state constitution. The November 18,decision was the first by a U. CowinMartha B.
Recognizing the right of an individual to marry a person of the same sex will not diminish the validity or dignity of opposite-sex marriage, any more than recognizing the right of an individual to marry a person of a different race devalues the marriage of a person who marries someone of her own race.
The Mass. judge who first legalized same-sex marriage calls the Supreme Court ruling ‘wonderful’
The Governor's legal counsel, Daniel Winslowwarned that a Justice of the Peace who could not in conscience officiate at a same-sex wedding should resign. Bush called for a similar amendment to the U. Archived from the original on September 26, SosmanRobert J. Marty Rouse, national field director for Human Rights Campaign — the largest advocacy organization for gay and lesbian rights — said the Goodridge case transformed the way Americans viewed same-sex marriage.
Civil unions weren't acceptable to the gay community in Massachusetts. Gay marriage legal in Mass". Gays have right to marry, Mass. The 4 justices who formed the majority in the Goodridge decision wrote: This form only gathers feedback about the website. The same laws and procedures that govern traditional marriage also apply to same-sex marriages.
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By Juan Luna 1884
The first cry of human rights in the Philippines through Luna's painting.
The blood compact of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna of Bohol was a betrayal for the Filipinos during those times.
After 400 years my people are still being drag like a dead gladiator into the darkness of poverty.
Spolation still exist in the Philippines and hunger is exploited by a living skeleton.
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Some roads in England may be going electric -- or at least they could make electric vehicles a more feasible form of transportation if a new trial of wireless charging lanes is successful.
"Vehicle technologies are advancing at an ever increasing pace and we're committed to supporting the growth of ultra-low emissions vehicles on our England's motorways," Highways England Chief Highways Engineer Mike Wilson said in a statement.
The goal is to allow ultra-low emission vehicles to travel longer distances without the need to stop and charge, which, in turn would cut down on air-polluting vehicle emissions and gas usage. Currently, most all-electric vehicles can only travel 10 to 40 miles before needing more power. The super-luxury Tesla electric boasts about 240 miles. But the challenge is to make electric charging more accessible, in a way that governments can afford.
Later this year, Highways England will begin off-road tests of charging lanes for electric and hybrid vehicles. They will create mock roads built with charging coils under the pavement, which correspond to special receivers that will be fitted to electric vehicles. If the trials are successful after 18 months, the agency will conduct trials on working roadways. The UK government has committed £500 million ($784 million) over the next five years to advancing this technology.
"The off road trials of wireless power technology will help to create a more sustainable road network for England and open up new opportunities for businesses that transport goods across the country," Wilson said.
Similar projects are in progress in the United States. A Utah-based company called WAVE has tested electric vehicles and various ways to charge them. They ran small pilot programs using in-ground induction charging for shuttles at two Utah universities. A newly-launched trolley in Monterey, California currently uses this wireless sync technology to transmit electricity via magnetic waves that charge the vehicle as it transports passengers.
Highways England says that, in addition to testing the wireless and in-road charging solutions for electric vehicles, they are committed to installing plug-in electric charging stations every 20 miles on the highway.
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February 2018 Pulse
Our world is currently facing a displacement crisis at an unprecedented scale.
In 2015 alone, more than 65 million people have been forced from their homes by conflict and persecution, over half of whom are under the age of 18. This tally is greater than the combined population of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
It must be recognised at the outset that forced migration is never a cause for celebration. These refugees, who out of desperation leave their own lands and cultures in the hope of attaining a safe and secure life, often endure untold hardships.
But the migration crisis has also created unique opportunities for people-smugglers vying to get a larger stake in the extremely lucrative sex trade. Additionally, extremist groups like Daesh have also taken advantage of this phenomenon to plant terrorists in unsuspecting host countries.
Countries like Australia have introduced strict measures to deter asylum seekers, and to detain those who arrive illegally at their shores. Over the years, Australia has proliferated detention centres in isolated locations like Baxter, Curtin, and Christmas Island. These detention facilities are so poorly run that Peter Young, the former chief psychiatrist of Australia’s detention centres, described them as “factories for producing mental illness and mental disorder”.
What would a Christian response to the pressing and complex migration crisis look like? What appropriate actions should governments take to ensure that genuine asylum seekers do not become victims of further injustice, humiliation, and suffering?
It must first be acknowledged that there is no consensus among Christians on this difficult and pressing issue.
On one end of the spectrum, there are Christians who advocate an open border policy, urging governments to allow the masses fleeing oppression free entry into their countries. On the other end, Christian restrictionists advocate tighter border control.
The Christian Scriptures offer penetrating insight into the modern migration crisis, even though the geo-political realities of its authors are radically different from ours.
The injunctions in the Old Testament concerning the proper treatment of the alien (i.e. foreigner) and sojourner are grounded in a profound theological anthropology articulated in the very first chapter of Genesis. Regardless of their ethnicity and social status, human beings are deserving of special dignity because they are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27).
In addition, the instruction to the Israelites to welcome the alien is accompanied by the clear reminder that their ancestors were once displaced people – slaves in Egypt and wanderers in the wilderness.
“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)
Every time Christians read the Gospels, they are reminded that their Saviour and Lord Himself once lived as a refugee in Egypt because His own homeland was not safe (Matthew 2:13-15).
These passages of Scripture, together with the principles of solidarity, compassion, and the hospitality they inspire, shape the Christian moral vision of the human community. It is therefore impossible for Christians to turn a blind eye to asylum seekers.
In addition, Christians of every stripe have always emphasised the preferential option for the poor, which includes the vulnerable, the oppressed, and the disenfranchised.
While these moral principles are clear, the chaos of the modern migration crisis makes their application very challenging indeed.
But if displaced people are to get the justice they deserve, the international community must make every attempt to abide by these principles, even if the policies of individual countries may differ. By the same token, it would be immoral for any country to categorically refuse refugees for whatever reason.
This of course does not mean that countries should open their borders unconditionally and accept every refugee indiscriminately. While host countries should do their level best to receive asylum seekers, they have every right to regulate their borders and control the influx of immigrants.
The realism of the Christian approach to migration is expressed well by the American Bishops’ pastoral statement, Welcoming the Stranger: “While people have the right to move, no country has the duty to receive so many immigrants that its social and economic life is jeopardised.”
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Testicular cancer refers to cancer (a growth, lump) in or on your testicles (balls). It is the most common form of cancer among young men aged 15 to 40.
Many forms of cancer are very dangerous and even terminal but testicular cancer can be cured if it is found early and before it starts spreading to other parts of your body.
Signs of testicular cancer are a small pea-sized lump on the front or the side of either of your testicles, one or both of your testicles becoming significantly bigger, or dull pain in your testicles or scrotum. Your testicles could also feel significantly harder when you touch them, or may change from being smooth to lumpy.
- Do this after a warm bath or shower so that your scrotum is relaxed and soft.
- First look in a mirror and check whether the testicles are hanging normally – one testicle usually hangs lower and is slightly bigger. Look for any changes.
- Hold each testicle from behind and feel the front and sides with your thumb; it should feel smooth, spongy and not painful.
- Don’t worry about lumps at the back of your testicles; these are vessels for blood and tubes for semen to flow through.
- If you feel anything that may be abnormal or see any changes in your testicles go see your healthcare provider.
- Testicular cancer is usually treated with a simple operation, and if it is found and treated early there are no further problems.
Risk Factors For Testicular Cancer
- You are between 15 and 40 years old.
- You have male relatives (your father, brother, uncle or grandfather) who had testicular cancer.
- You have female relatives (your mother, sister, aunt or grandmother) who had breast cancer.
- You have either one or two undescended testicles (either one or both your testicles remain in your body and have not dropped into your scrotum).
- You smoke or used to smoke dagga (ganja, cannabis) regularly.
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The Apple Macintosh
System Software (known as Mac OS after version 7.5) is the software that makes a Mac a Mac, more or less. Its common user-visible parts are the Finder
, a file management shell; the Desktop
, a metaphor for a real desktop managed by the Finder; the Apple menu
, a parking spot for small mini-applications called desk accessories
(arguably succeeded by the Konfabulator-like Dashboard
under OS X) and, starting with System 7, shortcuts to anything you like (mostly handed over to the Dock
in OS X); and the Control Panel
("System Preferences" in OS X), where various system settings are managed.
Disks and files appear on the Desktop as icons
, representing what they actually look like in the case of drives (for example, a floppy disk will show up as a small picture of a 3.5" disk, and a hard disk will show up as, well, a hard disk), and representing what application created them in the case of documents. (If all of this sounds horribly trite
, there's a reason for it: The Mac pretty much started it all.)
In the beginning: The Mac 128k and 512k
The first Macs had the majority of their OS stuffed into 64 kilobytes of ROM
, a huge amount for the time, to help conserve the machines' tiny 128 kilobytes of system RAM
. Floppy disks
were the only media supported, folders weren't actually implemented (the original Macintosh File System faked them using some OS trickery), and only one application could run at a time.note
It ran on Motorola's powerful 32-bitnote 68000 CPU
, but between the extremely limited RAM and the 16-bit-wide data bus, it was not very fast. They sure looked cool, though.
The later 512k upgrade made things less painful.
The Mac grows up: Mac Plus, II and System 5/6
Starting in 1986, the Mac got its first signs of becoming a usable PC. The Mac Plus added new, larger ROMs and a SCSI bus for hard drives and scanners. The Mac II was a workstation-class machine with full 32-bit addressing and massive expansion capabilities. All this required a new Mac OS, and the new code added things like color support and the Hierarchical File System (still in use in one form or another to this day). Later, MultiFinder made it possible to run more than one application at once, but most Mac users (especially on the Plus and its follow-on, the SE) didn't have the memory to use it well.
System 7, Pink and Taligent
Apple started a project in the late 1980s to completely revamp the Mac OS. According to legend, the "easy" ideas were written on blue index cards, and the "hard" ideas were written on pink index cards, thus fueling rumors about a new object-oriented OS called "Pink". While the details of Pink were worked out, Apple set about updating the existing Macintosh System Software with most of the ideas from the blue cards, and the result was Macintosh System Software version 7 (or System 7 for short), released in May 1991.
System 7 was a huge improvement over System 6. Fonts, extensions and drivers were much easier to manage, the Finder allowed desk accessories to run as "real" applications, and the system in general was more capable; however, this came at the cost of a lot more memory, and many older systems had trouble running it (keep in mind, System 7 was the Mac's last OS that could run in under a megabyte of RAM and disk space.)
Apple also experimented with porting the Mac OS to other architectures for the first time with the "Star Trek" project, which more-or-less successfully moved the entire OS to an IBM-compatible PC. They also entered into discussions with longtime nemesis IBM and CPU supplier Motorola on the subject of revamping the Macintosh architecture, an agreement that became the "AIM alliance". The first order of business for AIM was making "Pink" a reality, and a new company called "Taligent" was founded to manage the project. Taligent didn't last long; conflicts between Apple, IBM, and Novell (the latter two of which had managed to get several projects of their own merged into "Pink") meant that the company had no product to show for many years. Taligent never released a full OS by the time it was shuttered, and what was developed went back to IBM and was used in their VisualAge IDE products. A few of the ideas from "Pink" made it into later revisions of System 7.
Apple stumbles: System 7.5, the PowerPC, clones, OpenDoc, Copland
AIM's second task was a project to move the Mac to a RISC architecture, which culminated in the combination of Motorola's 880x0 and IBM's POWER architectures to produce the PowerPC RISC architecture. Its first appearance was in 1994 with the introduction of the Power Macintosh, a line of three new Macs running the brand new PowerPC 601 CPU. The new machines were not much different from their 680x0-based ancestors on the outside, but inside, the increases in speed the RISC architecture provided were breathtaking, especially considering that 68k code had to be emulated. Using several neat tricks, including hiding a microkernel inside the Power Mac ROM, Apple managed to make the Power Macs nearly 100% software compatible with the previous Quadra range, which in turn made porting Mac OS (which was still largely in 68k code) much easier.
The Power Macintosh also marked the beginning of another unusual chapter in Apple's history, that of the legal Macintosh clone. Almost immediately following the Power Mac's launch, Apple granted licenses for companies like Motorola and Radius to sell Mac clones, and it soon burgeoned into a substantial business. The PowerPC was received so warmly that many other companies ported their OSs to run on it, such as IBM (OS/2, AIX); Sun (Solaris); Microsoft (Windows NT); and Commodore (AmigaOS
). Along with this variety of operating systems, AIM intended to produce a Common Hardware Reference Platform (CHRP) which all PowerPC computers would comply with, so that any PowerPC computer could run any PowerPC operating system, including the Mac OS (similar schemes were underway by other RISC architectures, such as Digital Equipment's AlphaPC and MIPS' RISCPC, both of which followed the Microsoft-championed "Advanced RISC Computer" specification).
Despite the high hopes for CHRP, it never gained popularity outside of Apple itself and a few machines made by IBM and Motorola as AIX workstations. The industry was already crowded with ideas that were supposed to replace the IBM Personal Computer
, and the PC market was still waiting for the years-late release of what would eventually become Windows 95. That left the Mac OS-only cloning business, which was popular, but ended up cannibalizing Apple's existing customers instead of recruiting switchers from other platforms as Apple had hoped.
After Taligent's failure, Apple started yet more projects to update the Mac OS, chief among them the ambitious "Copland" project. Copland was intended to add "buzzword-compliance" (preemptive multitasking, modern virtual memory, kernel integration, etc.) to the OS, but Executive Meddling
and strife in the engineering ranks meant it was never actually finished. A second try at the project, Gershwin, never got off the ground. Separate from Copland was OpenDoc, a document-centric development system and environment that developers could slice their Macintosh applications into component features with, allowing users to assemble them into full applications that could run under any OS running OpenDoc. Aside from the fact that Windows and OS/2 versions of OpenDoc (developed outside Apple) were extremely late
, most developers of major bloatware packages were rather unreceptive to the idea of allowing users to buy their software piecemeal and combine it with that of their competitors, so OpenDoc died off quietly for lack of software to run.
Meanwhile, the Mac hardware was starting to outstrip the stopgap Mac OS's capabilities. Users complained about slow I/O, frequent crashes (due to a lack of memory protection), and a general lack of polish, especially in the face of Microsoft's blockbuster Windows 95
launch. Worse, the OS had several quirks in its design that dated to its early days; these design decisions, most of which were required by the first Mac's severely limited memory, made it extremely difficult to run a traditional Mac OS application in a multitasking environment without virtualization. The Copland engineers found this problem the hardest to solve, and it was probably the biggest contributor to Copland's eventual abandonment.
In 1995, Gil Amelio took over control of Apple, and one of the first things he did was clean up the R&D division. The new management decided that it would be best to buy another OS and build a new Mac OS around it, rather than attempt another from-scratch rewrite.
The rebound begins: NeXT, Mac OS 8, the iMac and Rhapsody
After a six-month search, and briefly considering using BeOS, Solaris, or even Windows NT, Apple decided to buy NeXT in late 1996, bringing founder Steve Jobs back into the fold and giving Apple a platform that was in far better shape than anything Apple had been working on internally, and (most importantly) had room to grow. OS development work turned to improving NeXTStep, updating its older parts using code from FreeBSD and NetBSD
, making the interface more Mac-like, and writing new graphics handling code (due to Adobe restrictions on using Display PostScript). The new OS was years away, however, and something had to be done right away to make the current Mac OS salable.
The result was Mac OS 8.0, released in 1997. Several features were rescued from Copland and placed here, including a new multithreaded Finder, and the OS in general sported the new "Platinum" theme seen in screenshots of Copland. Later versions of 8.x replaced more and more old 68k code, and starting with version 8.5, it no longer booted on 68k hardware at all.
Apple's comeback started in earnest in 1998, with the introduction of the Bondi Blue iMac sporting the brand-new Mac OS 8.5. The iMac brought other changes, including moving to the OpenFirmware
BIOS that made supporting OSes other than the original Mac OS much easier. This setup, referred to by Apple developers as "New World" after the tech note that first described it ("The Macintosh ROM Enters a New World"), put the majority of the classic Mac OS ROM in a file on the hard drive and officially made it possible to boot non-Apple OSes without workarounds.
Work on NeXTStep's renovation continued briskly, and in 1999, the first version of what would become the new Mac OS was released as Mac OS X Server 1.0
, better known to fans by the codename Rhapsody
. Rhapsody was something of a shock to veteran Mac users, combining bits of the Mac OS 8.0 interface with the far different NeXTStep 4.0 GUI. There was also no way to port classic Mac applications to Rhapsody at the time, forcing Apple to develop a subset of the old Mac APIs called "Carbon" that would allow properly made programs to work on both Mac OS 8/9 and Mac OS X. Carbon was announced in early 1998, and shipped along with the first releases of the OS X development tools in 1999. Along with carbon was Classic, an emulator for running Mac OS 9 inside OS X (which, by the way, is pronounced "oh ess ten" and not "oh ess ecks"
; the X is a Roman numeral).
1999 also saw the release of Mac OS 9.0. 9.0 also added better text handling (including, finally, 255-character file name and Unicode support), the Disc Burning subsystem, and more. It would be the last major version of an OS that, by this time, had remained practically unchanged at its core for well over a decade.
2002: The Death of Mac OS 9
Finally, by late 2001, OS X was usable to the point where it was able to replace most of the old Mac OS's functionality with the release of OS X 10.1. This prompted Apple to perform a mock funeral ceremony
for OS 9 at the 2002 Worldwide Developers Conference, thus officially dropping support for it and casting OS X as the future. 10.1 still had some rough edges and was a bit slow, but it was quite usable for the time. Application support was still a problem, as many long-time Apple developers were still in the process of porting to Carbon then, and vast swathes of OS X were still unfinished or being rewritten until OS X gelled with the arrival of 10.3.
The 80x86 transition
At the 2005 WWDC, Apple dropped a bombshell on the Mac community: The Mac was moving to the 80x86 family of processors (specifically the Intel Pentium M and Core architectures), effectively making the Mac a PC clone. The main reason stated was that Apple could not get IBM and
Freescale to cooperate on developing a low-power version of the PowerPC G5 CPU, forcing Apple to continue using the aging G4 CPU instead in the highly popular PowerBook and iBook ranges. The G5 itself was infamously power-hungry, with many of the faster models requiring water cooling, and that meant more heat and more fan noise. This was especially irksome to Apple, as the earlier PPC G3 was one of the most efficient CPUs ever made, allowing Apple's laptops to easily hold the title of "World's Fastest" for years. Amusingly enough, Apple's abandonment of the PPC occurred just before the entire 7th generation of Video Game Systems
unanimously switched to it, coinciding with enormous upgrades to the PPC architecturenote
This was met with some concern from some longtime Mac users, especially after years of Apple advertising touting the RISC-based PPC CPUs over the "snail-like" 80x86 family, but by then times had changed, and most of the standard PC's warts had long since been wallpapered over (by fusing the CISC x86 instruction set with a simple RISC architecture inside the "CRISC" CPU) or had been filled in by new APIs
such as ACPI. Moreover, Apple's own machines had slowly been absorbing technologies from mainstream PCs, such as PCI, ATA, and USB, since the mid 1990s. Finally, OS X's UNIX base made it so that changes on the underlying hardware would not severely impact the user experience, though processor-specific code (usually for math-related things like Photoshop filters) would need to be tweaked or rewritten. Much like the old Mac OS did during the 68k-to-PPC transition, OS X supported "fat binaries", with code for more than one processor type inside note
. Apple labeled applications using this trick as "Universal binaries," and added options in their developer tools to build for both x86 and PowerPC at the same time. An Intel version of OS X 10.4 was first offered on new Macs immediately after the transition; 10.5 was the first and only standalone PowerPC/Intel version of the OS available in stores. Mac OS 10.5 was also granted a license by the Open Group, certifying full compliance with the Single UNIX Specification, which means that Mac OS is now officially a version of UNIX
. In 2009, Apple announced that PowerPC processors would not be supported for 10.6, making the break final.
Things were somewhat harder on developers, though; quite a bit of older Mac OS code had been written with outside or outdated tools (such as Macintosh tools like Think, CodeWarrior, and Apple's MPW or PB; or non-Mac tools like Microsoft Visual Studio) for the Carbon API. The most common, easiest way to write 80x86 programs for OS X is with Apple's Xcode IDE — this is part of what held up Universal releases of popular apps like Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office until 2007-2008. The impact was not significant on developers that had already moved to Xcode, and applications built there were some of the first to go Universal.
The 64-bit transition.
Mac OS has had some form of 64-bit support since 10.4, but those were limited to command-line tools at the time. 10.5 had most of Mac OS's APIs move to 64-bit, notable exceptions are QuickTime (Apple suggested the use of QTKit instead), Sound Manager (CoreAudio was the replacement), QuickDraw (Quartz/CoreGraphics, again, the replacement), and Carbon GUI callsnote
(use Cocoa instead). Despite having 64-bit frameworks, most apps in 10.5 were still 32-bit (the Chess app being an exception). 10.6 took the large leap of making most apps 64-bit, as well as being exclusive to Intel-based Macs. It also introduced a 64-bit kernel, a first for the Mac OS. However, most drivers needed to be re-written to be used with the 64-bit kernel, and it was disabled by default except for a select few models.
With the coming of 10.6 and 64-bit applications in common use, Carbon support under OS X is being phased out in lieu of Cocoa (Objective-C natively, bindings for many other languages exist) which means that developers of legacy Mac apps will often need to rewrite their user interface for Cocoa.
10.7 dropped support for PowerPC emulation, making the installation smaller, but leaving many older apps in the dust. Because of this, 10.6 is still going strong. 10.7 also made the 64-bit kernel the default on supported hardware, while also requiring a 64-bit processor. 10.8 continued the trend of dropping older hardware by making it only have the 64-bit kernel, most likely due to the fact that due to the re-write of the graphics driver implementation also meant the same Macs wouldn't have accelerated graphics.
Apple had been grappling on how to deal with high-density displays as far back as 10.4. The APIs for handling it included support for non-integer scaling, which broke a lot of code. A break came when Apple released the iPhone 4, which doubled the width and height of the previous iPhone's. 10.7 moved away from selectable (and non-integer) scaling to HiDPI mode, which made the user think the screen resolution was a quarter of what it actually was, while properly-coded apps drew the GUI at a higher quality. In 2012, Apple released the Retina MacBook Pro, which took advantage of this feature.
App Store Release
Apple began lowering the price of Mac OS X with the introduction of Snow Leopard (10.6) making it be $30 instead of $130. This helped adoption of the new OS. With the rise of popularity of iOS and its App Store, Apple decided to make its own App Store for OS X, unoriginally dubbed the Mac App Store, with 10.6.6. Like its iOS counterpart, there was some limitations put on apps that could be put on there, such as: no installers, no access to administrator level, and most drivers couldn't be installed. Later, Apple would demand sandboxing on apps sold there. Frustrating to third-party developers, Apple's own apps sold did not follow all of those restrictions.
Apple then did a bold move and announced that their next version of OS X, Lion, would be made available only on the Mac App Storenote
. Instead of booting off a DVD, you would download an installer. The price was lowered by $1, to $29. Mountain Lion continued the trend with its price being $20. Both versions could have an installer thumb drive made from the installer, but to do so would require some know-how or a utility. The installer would even create a small recovery partition (About 600 MB big), which could be used to repair the hard drive or reinstall the OSnote
Mavericks, 10.9, is the first major update to the Mac OS available for free, to all compatible Macs running the latest version of Snow Leopard to Mountain Lionnote
. Making a bootable thumb drive was made easier due to the inclusion of a command-line utility included in the installer.
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Nicole suffers migraines and headaches caused by light. So much so she installed custom blackout blinds on her bedroom window. Over the blinds, she placed heavy blackout curtains, velcroing together where they met in the middle, and nailing the curtains to her window frame to prevent light from getting in around the edges. Then she hung a regular decorative curtain over all that.
Still, she could see light coming through.
Even at work where she practices law, she dimmed the light, removing all but two of the 12 light bulbs in a ceiling fixture in her office.
When she has a migraine, light bothers her and she doesn’t want anything touching her forehead or face like an eye mask.
“When I don’t have a headache, light is bothersome,” said Nicole. “When I have a headache, light is unbearable.”
It’s not fully understood why light makes migraines worse, said Kim Hutchinson, a neurologist at Oregon Health and Science University who works in the Sleep Disorders Program and the Headache Center. Blocking light doesn’t generally make migraines go away, but it removes a factor that can make it significantly worse.
“If you have migraines, it’s almost always worse with light,” said Hutchinson. “All migraines have a number of different triggers.”
Migraine sensitivity to light, sound and other triggers.
A range of factors can trigger migraines from food to weather patterns to hormonal changes. Stress and sleep deprivation can also play a role. In certain cases, light can trigger them and so sometimes people will wear sunglasses all the time to reduce their exposure. A sensitivity to sound can also trigger a migraine or make an existing migraine worse.
Nearly one in four U.S. households has someone suffering from a migraine and 12 percent of the population suffers from migraines, according to the Migraine Research Foundation. Also, research published in the journal Headache has found migraines and severe headaches disproportionately affect women, disadvantaged racial groups and the poor.
Often the first symptoms of an attack appear as migraine sensitivity to light, sound and smell. Alternately, those same things can be triggers, according to Andrew Charles in “The Evolution of a Migraine Attack“.
Reducing sensitive-to-light headaches
Nicole complained to a friend about her struggle to block all the light in her bedroom. After doing research, her friend directed her to Indow and she bought a custom-fit Sleep Panel for her window. The insert is opaque and blocks more than her blackout blinds and blackout curtain combined since it’s laser measured to fit precisely into the interior of her window frame. Because it’s edged in silicone compression tubing, she can easily pull it out of her window. Together, the Sleep Panel and her decorative curtain make the room completely dark. She posted on Facebook and reached out to Indow because she said, “I just want to help people – I know what it’s like.”
“If someone doesn’t have to suffer because they get to use this product, then I’m happy.”
Because noise can trigger a migraine or make it worse, it’s worth pointing out the Sleep Panel also blocks 50 percent of noise coming through a single-pane window. So it makes a room dark and quiet.
Preventing Migraines Naturally
- Get enough sleep and maintain a regular sleep routine.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat a well-balanced diet and record any food triggers that may induce headaches.
- Stay hydrated and avoid fluctuations in caffeine levels.
- Manage stress and identify migraine triggers by keeping a headache journal.
If you suffer migraines and they’re exacerbated by light and noise, consider trying Indow’s Sleep Panel to block all the light and 50 percent of the sound coming through your bedroom windows. Contact us today so we can help determine whether this is the right solution for your windows.
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In 1995, PBS produced “The Tuskegee Airmen: They Fought Two Wars,” which brought their story to the public’s attention. Starring Laurence Fishburne, it depicts their acts of courage, bravery and skill while flying missions as bomber escorts in Europe, and, unsparingly, too, the segregation they faced when they returned home, in 1946, a condition they found to be much as they had left behind, in 1941, after leaving to train and to fight for their country.
More recently, of course, there is “Red Tails,” a George Lucas film starring Cuba Gooding, which is inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen. (“Red Tails” because the pilots painted the tails of their fighter aircrafts red.)
The brief is this: During the Second World War, a special project begun by the U.S. Army Air Corps to integrate African American pilots into the Fighter Pilot Program, trained this select group of men. The name, “Tuskegee” comes from the airbase where they were trained. The superbly trained men were subjected to constant harassment, prejudice, and much behind-the- scenes-politics, until they were able to prove themselves in combat.
Two of these airmen have Rutgers stories: The first, William Neal Brown of Montclair, New Jersey, pictured above, served prior to becoming one of the first African-American faculty members at Rutgers. Brown, who died in April 2009 at the age of 90, was noted for boosting morale among his fellow pilots. He was among the 300 surviving Tuskegee Airmen who attended the inauguration of President Obama in January 2009.
The grandson of a former slave and son of a steelworker in Pennsylvania, Brown grew up in poverty. Though he graduated first in his high school class, Brown was denied the honor of being valedictorian because of his race. He went on to the Hampton Institute, now Hampton University, in Virginia, where he excelled as a debater.
After the war, Brown earned his M.S.W. degree at Columbia University and his Ph.D. in social work at the City University of New York. He was member of the Rutgers School of Social Work faculty from 1956 until his retirement in 1989.
The Rutgers Oral History Archives has an interview with Brown that was conducted in February, 2005.
The second "Red Tail" with ties to Rutgers is alumnus Walter G. Alexander, II. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in 1944 and trained at the Keesler and Tuskegee army airbases but didn't see action. World War II ended before he could be deployed. The mechanical engineering graduate later became a distinguished dentist in New Jersey. He was interviewed for the Rutgers Oral History Archives in November, 2009.
The full profiles of Brown and Alexander, and links to their interviews, are available in the Archives.
This exceptional collection is available to us because of the work of talented people who collect, edit and maintain the archives, painstaking, demanding work. Not surprisingly, the Archive is ranked #15 on the top 100 list of oral history websites by Oral History Online putting it on a par with the Library of Congress, the Presidential Libraries and other universities.
The Rutgers Focus, in January, 2012, featured the Tuskegee airmen in a column, “’Red Tails’ in our Ranks: Rutgers salutes its own Tuskegge Airmen as Movie Debuts,” and includes an observation by Suzanne Zimmer, a longtime associate of Brown’s, about the reception the airmen received on their way to the inauguration of President Obama. As they rode from McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey to the inauguration in Washington, D.C., traveling in ten white buses with “Tuskegee Airmen” printed on their sides, Zimmer says:
“On each corner, there was an airman or soldier or policeman on duty for security, and when they saw those buses, each one saluted. My God, I could have cried.”
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Using computers to aid in the complex task of weather prediction is not all that new, at least in the timescale of modern technology. In fact, computers have been used to help forecast the weather even since the first electronic, general-purpose computer debuted. In 1950, using the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer) Drs. Charney, Von Newmann et al. ran a simple (by today's standards) set of mathematical equations to predict the air flow in the upper levels of the atmosphere. The success of their experiment would lead to the formation of the first branch of the U.S. Government dedicated to numerical weather prediction (aka using computers to help forecast the weather). Today the organization now known as NCEP, or the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, continues to ever-improve the accuracy and skill of numerical weather prediction.
ENIAC Forecast Ca. 1950 - Source: NCEP
Advancements in numerical weather prediction over the years have come from many different sources, the first of which is the improvement of the mathematical equations that are used by the computer. Expressing how the fluid atmosphere behaves in mathematical form is a task which is still being refined to this day. Equations must take into account how temperature, pressure, and humidity change in the real world, which is also complicated by the fact that the Earth spins about an axis. Next, equations need numbers (data) to be input into them to output some sort of answer (prediction). This is another area where advancements have been made. Satellites and even commercial aircraft are now being used to fill in the large gaps where measurements of the atmosphere used to be only sparsely taken by weather balloons. Surface weather stations and radar have proliferated since those early 1950's computer experiments and also serve important roles in providing data to be input into the computers.
Early TIROS Satellite Imagery - Source: NOAA
Finally, enormous increases in computing power since that first ENIAC forecasting experiment in 1950 now enable today's computers to run much more complex numerical weather models much more quickly. To put this increase of computer power into perspective, ENIAC with its over 17,000 vacuum tubes and which covered the same square footage as some homes, is now less powerful than even a simple pocket calculator. Moore's Law, first introduced in 1965, says that the number of transistors on computer chips doubles every two years. Even though ENIAC used vacuum tubes instead of transistors, its computing power can also be plotted on the exponential curve of Moore's Law; a curve which still holds true even with today's computational advancements. Expressed in terms of the number of operations per second, ENIAC could perform 500, while today's modern supercomputers can perform trillions even quadrillions of operations per second.
Moore's Law 1900-2015 - Source: Steve Jurvetson
Recently, the National Weather Service (NWS) has added a pair of new supercomputers, nicknamed "Luna" and "Surge", to its stable of ever improving "weather crunching" computers. Both machines together can perform 5.78 petaflops (quadrillion operations per second), compared to the previous supercomputers used by the NWS which could only manage 776 teraflops (trillion operations per second). The higher processing power of these new supercomputers will enable NWS scientists to expand water quantity forecasts to better predict droughts and floods, as well improving hurricane track and intensity forecasts. Interested in tracking how fast the most powerful supercomputers in the world are currently? The site TOP500 comes out with an updated ranking twice a year.
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Life itself is a sublime adventure, a constant series of veils, beyond which the pilgrim passes, the one after the other. And each evolutionary initiation is a revelation in the sense of an unveiling, although strangely enough this means a re-veiling. And why? Because every time we receive a new light we are temporarily blinded by it, the increase in knowledge blinds us for the time being to all that is still higher. And we have to live through the new revelation until we learn that it is a re-veiling, and then we pass on to a higher revelation. — G. de Purucker
What we are each a pilgrim echoes from many traditions around the globe, and at the end of the journey the pilgrim expects something special: perhaps forgiveness, help in times of sorrow, pain, or illness, some kind of revelation, or an expansion of consciousness. Often people undertake hardships to reach their goal; their yearning for the promised reward makes up for privations. In any case, the impulse for starting the journey comes from within, and through participation in this journey the connection with the spiritual/divine aspects of our composite nature are fortified. The result cannot be weighed or measured, yet in ancient Egypt we find the picture of the heart of the deceased being weighed against the feather of Truth. A lighter heart reflects the individual’s thinking, speaking, and acting in accordance with his higher nature during life on earth. This allegory shows life itself as the pilgrimage — following a certain road eventually leads to a blessed state of existence. During our life we may choose to open a door leading to peace and freedom for all beings. Yet it is not so easy to find this door.
Just as we need schools and universities for our children’s general education, so through the ages there have been schools for the education and growth of our souls, for the development of our ability to awaken an understanding of our own nature and its laws. Never was mankind without help or alone on the path, but always under the guidance and instruction of teachers. According to theosophical writings, the first mystery schools were founded long ago when human beings through selfishness and egoism had lost contact with their higher nature. The founding of these schools ensured that the wisdom teachings were preserved for future generations. Each mystery school was a focus of the spiritual light which threatened to wane or go out. The teachers of these schools belonged to the hierarchy of compassion: they had sacrificed their own progress because they heard the heart cry of humanity and wanted to help relieve that pain. The method was to have each student realize what all beings are in their inmost core: divine beings, sparks of the eternal Light, children of the one Father. Once perception of their true nature had been refined, the students’ higher thinking awakened and began to lead them on the path; growth towards a harmony of thinking and acting could begin.
It was pointed out that a messenger or envoy is sent from the Brotherhood into the world for the purpose of striking anew a keynote of spiritual truth when a sincere call comes from the heart of mankind . . . when wickedness and moral decay are in the ascendancy among men, then . . . an especial effort is made by the Brotherhood to inaugurate at least the beginning of a period of spiritual fertility. — G. de Purucker, The Esoteric Tradition, 3rd & rev. ed., p. 571
Throughout human history messengers have appeared when the longing for a connection with the higher parts of our nature is sincere and true. The primal impulse for this connection lies within us because we would like to drink from the Source in order to bring to flower the seed sleeping in our heart with the help of a teacher. The teacher cannot carry out the task for us, but can provide signposts for coping with our many problems and for eventually overcoming them. Just as fertile ground combined with the gardener’s diligence allows each seed to bring forth flowers of special scent, color, and beauty, so the teacher like a gardener can help foster the growth of the human soul. Such a teacher may appear in different forms: as a buddha, an avatara like Jesus or Krishna, a tulku, mahatma, or other messenger. We also find various scriptures dating back to some great teacher which may bring inspiration and instruction into our lives. But every success on the path depends only on the determined will of each individual to start working independently and to put their feet on the first rung of the ladder.
The initiative to start successfully along the path lies within ourselves, all else are impulses from without to stimulate and support our own self-directed growth if we have “eyes to see and ears to hear.” The field for our work is daily life, all the small duties turning up from morning to night — at home, in the office, with neighbors, and with those we meet “accidentally” along the road. The challenges are manifold: How can I help, how can I be compassionate, brotherly? How do I behave to be pure of heart? Hints and instructions about how to gain insight into these truths can be found in all cultures. For example, in the Dhammapada the Buddha says:
Those who take the non-real for the real and the real for the non-real and thus fall victims to erroneous notions, never reach the essence of reality.
Having realized the essential as the essential and the nonessential as the nonessential, they by thus following correct thinking attain the essential.
The Tao Te Ching advises:
Act without action, assert non-assertion, find the taste in the tasteless, treat the small as great and the few as many. Requite injuries with good deeds. Deal with the hard while it is still easy, and the great while it is still small. The most difficult things originate in the easy, and the largest issues in what is small. Therefore the Sage never has to deal with the great, and so achieves greatness. — ch. 63
And all over the world we find expressions of the Golden Rule: do to others as you would have them do to you.
World scriptures and traditions explain how acting ethically may become a bridge leading from our lower nature to an ever fuller understanding of our higher nature, from the transitory to the lasting, from the false to the true, from darkness to light, from the personal to the impersonal, from being driven by earthly desires to distinguishing between good and evil, from a life focused on sensations to a balanced state in which the opposite poles are given their due places, the lower nature becoming the servant of the higher.
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Sometimes it is in the smallest things that we find solace, that we discover greatness. “As above, so below” expresses the Hermetic universal law of analogy. We see the great in the small and the small in the great. A candle or a star — each carries a flame toward the future and lights our way. In the swirl of drain water descending we see the image of a galaxy forming.
Flower in a crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies,
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower — but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, and all in all,
I should know what God and man is.
— Alfred, Lord Tennyson
As we journey through our lives we pass innumerable “things.” We encounter countless images, from the huge to the infinitesimal. All these come from one Life, from one Source. They are clues which trigger us to ask the larger questions; signposts for us to stop and wonder at the unity and harmony inherent in all things. — S.J.O.
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COMM 401Interpreting Strategic DiscourseWeek Four Power/Ideology
Meanings of Ideology Ideology = the study of ideas (earliest meaning) Roots in the French Revolution Contemporary uses Ideology = the ways in which meaning serves to sustain relations of domination (Thompson) Ideology = the political language that defines a community, dictating parameters for collective thought and behavior (McGee)
Assumptions of Ideological Analysis Ideological formations (expressed in discourse) reflect power relations Power is related to knowledge through rules of discourse (Foucault) Members of a society may be complicitous in their own subjugation (hegemony)
Ideological Test How many of you will change your name to the surname of your spouse upon marriage? What will that change involve? Why will you make the change, or not?
Studying Ideology Strategies of subjugation: Categorization = societal groupings; definitions Exnomination = the process of naming and not naming as a source of power Metaphor = defining social/political relationships by virtue of comparison Narrative structures = using the tools of narrative analysis as a means of understanding power relationships.
Studying Ideology Studies of Institutional Power Three levels: Industrial/ institutional level—markets/competitive relationships Organizational level—norms and habits of organizations Individual level—impact/power of key individuals
Harry Potter and the Paradoxical Critique of Celebrity Culture Trevor Parry-Giles University of Maryland
Harry Potter as cultural celebrity Seven books (4,224 pages) 400 million copies; 67 languages Seven films; eighth released July 19th Theme park opened in 2010 ‘Pottermania,’ write Terego and Denim (2006), ‘has reached epidemic proportions [and] the whole world is wild about Harry.’
Meanings & Messages Many themes and messages emerge from the 4,224 pages of the seven Harry Potter books. Their author, J.K. Rowling, uses the books to comment frequently on politics and oppression, social norms and identity issues.
Other Meanings in HP My focus here is on another dimension of the messages put forth through these tales. Following the lead of critics Waetjen and Gibson (2007), I strive to identify and examine the ways that the Harry Potter novels speak to the culture industry and offer a commentary on a specific dimension of cultural production in contemporary society, namely the identification and construction of celebrity.
I examine how the Harry Potter novels articulate a deep and sustained critique of celebrity culture on two different levels (the affectivity of celebrity culture and the commodification of the cultural celebrity) even while celebrity works as a dominant theme in the stories. Examining how Rowling’s celebrity critique is manifested throughout her novels, I seek to explain how they ultimately construct an ideological representation of celebrity rooted in dichotomies between celebrity and hero, image and reality, fake and authentic.
Celebrity and the power of affect A defining characteristic of celebrity discourse in contemporary culture is the dominance of affect and emotion in the creation of celebrity meaning and power. We react to and understand celebrities not because their discourse is rationally superior or because the discourse about them appeals to rationally derived ideas or concepts. Instead, our reaction to celebrities is affective, characterized by the non-rational, the emotional (Marshall, 1997)
Affect in HP The critique of celebrity affectivity in the Harry Potter tales emerge primarily in the fleeting and changing emotional reactions that Harry’s celebrity status in the magical world provokes from a range of other characters. They reflect what Evans (2009) calls ‘cathexis’ where ‘emotional energy and meaning’ are invested into people and objects and ‘away from self.’
Affect in HP Initially, Harry’s celebrity is constructed in emotionally positive terms. ‘He’ll be famous—a legend—I wouldn’t be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future—there will be books written about Harry—every child in our world will know his name!’ (Rowling 1997, p. 13).
Affect & Anxiety in HP ‘Everyone thinks I’m special,’ he confides to Hagrid, ‘but I don’t know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I’m famous and I can’t even remember what I’m famous for’ (Rowling 1997, p. 86). Similarly, Harry discovers that one of his teachers, Potions Master Severus Snape, also dislikes him, calling Harry ‘Our new—celebrity’ and warning Harry that ‘fame clearly isn’t everything’ when Harry is unable to answer unreasonably complicated Potions questions (Rowling 1997, pp. 136-137, emphasis in original).
Celebrity and the power of affect Harry constantly quests for real virtue, actual accomplishment, true heroism, throughout all seven of the novels, and Rowling establishes this search for the real and the authentic as opposed to the extended and unrealistic expectations of his fame and celebrity. At every turn in Harry’s adventures, people react to him as a celebrity, usually in highly emotional ways, and all the while he is working to ignore or reject such reactions, preferring instead to be ordinary or truly virtuous and brave rather than simply well-known.
Celebrity and the power of affect Ultimately, though, the affectivity at work in Rowling’s construction of Harry Potter’s celebrity speaks to the critique of contemporary celebrity culture that the author represents via the novels It is Harry’s perpetual quest for authentic heroism that evidences most clearly Rowling’s critique of celebrity—Harry sees through the fickle and often cursory affective reactions that his celebrity occasions and spends considerable energy striving for true, real acclaim.
Celebrity and the power of affect The paradox in Rowling’s critique of the affectivity of Harry’s celebrity, of course, stems from the very dependence upon such affectivity in the public, ‘real’ reactions to the Harry Potter cultural phenomenon. Fans and consumers of Harry Potter books and films (and merchandise) are invited into his magical world not because of its rational, measured discussion of contemporary problems or issues and not because of the aesthetic or distinctive quality of the narratives.
HP as Celebrity Commodity Central to the affective power of Harry Potter as a cultural celebrity is the self-evident goal of the phenomenon’s affectivity—namely, the sale and perpetual marketing of a cultural commodity. As with all cultural celebrities, ‘Harry Potter’ is relentlessly merchandised and marketed and the range of commodities bearing his imprint is endless. Such commodification is not uncommon—indeed, commodification is a defining characteristic of historical and contemporary celebrity discourses.
Commodification Marshall (1997) argues, the commodification of cultural celebrities is also valuable for what it tells us about social structure, the exercise of power, and the creation and maintenance of relationships of domination and control. Celebrity culture and the commodification of celebrities are about more than just marketing and selling and profits. The very industry (and the development of that industry) that markets and manifests cultural celebrities operates on a discursive domain as well, and indicates important and powerful dimensions of contemporary social life and identity.
Celebrity Commodification Despite the absence of the usual commodification industries that dominate postmodern ‘Muggle’ societies and that are responsible for the cultural performance and circulation of celebrity, the Harry Potter novels still manage to indict the cultural commodification of celebrity. This rhetoric largely emerges from the novels’ discussion of the practices of book publishing and journalism.
Celebrity Commodification The most egregiously superficial, commodified celebrity in the entire Harry Potter series is Gilderoy Lockhart, a wizard who has published a series of books recounting his adventures around the globe fighting demons and dangerous magical creatures. Lockhart’s celebrity is clearly constructed within the commodification systems at work in the magical world—namely through his authoring of several books and through his consistent level of exposure in newspapers and magazines.
Celebrity Commodification Lockhart’s perfidy identifies Rowling’s critique of celebrity and its commodification in contemporary culture. Operating alongside Harry’s perpetual quest for an authentic or real fame and honor, Lockhart’s artificial, manufactured celebrity is condemned for its hyper-constructedness, for the fact that it worked and that Lockhart and the publication outlets that supported him profited from it.
Celebrity Commodification Rowling’s critique of celebrity journalism is most fully developed through the depiction of celebrity journalist Rita Skeeter throughout the series, but especially in HPGF. Skeeter is a stereotypical celebrity journalist, prone to exaggeration and hyperbole and unscrupulous in her reporting methods.
Celebrity Commodification Ultimately, Skeeter is exposed for her illegal methods of collecting information—she is an ‘unregistered Animagus,’ or a magical person with the ability to transform into an animal at will. In Skeeter’s case, she transforms into a beetle, enabling her unobtrusive eavesdropping on private conversations. Rowling makes much of the ‘bugging’ metaphor as she details Skeeter’s methods, though the metaphor is also useful as another insight into Rowling’s critique of celebrity culture.
Celebrity Commodification Rowling’s indictment of celebrity culture, here in terms of its commodification, is rooted in a distinction between ‘reality’ and artifice, between genuine, authentic achievement and that which is manufactured. Harry, at every turn, is concerned with finding the true and the just, whether it be in his quest to survive the Triwizard Tournament or to defeat Voldemort, and at every step, he is opposed by individuals who either react to him in purely affective ways that belie his true purpose or who believe lies written about him (and others, e.g., Gilderoy Lockhart) in a cultural industry of book publishing and celebrity journalism unconcerned with truth and honor.
Celebrity Commodification The irony, indeed the paradox, of Rowling’s critique of celebrity culture and the commodification of celebrities should be obvious. Harry Potter’s success is, in no small measure, due in part to celebrity journalism (in newspapers, magazines, and on the Web) that generates countless stories about Rowling, the books, the films, and the various actors and actresses involved in their production. Thus, even as Rowling indicts these industries and their role in manifesting a bankrupt vision of celebrity in Harry’s magical world, that world would not exist for many were it not for those very industries that endlessly promote and circulate meaning and information about Harry Potter.
Celebrity in HP Rose (2003) maintains, ‘the response to celebrity always harbours a political subtext,’ (p. 206) and such a subtext is powerfully present in Rowling’s reading of celebrity culture as well as in my reading of Rowling. As I indicate here, following a similar tack by Waetjen & Gibson (2007), Rowling’s critique of celebrity culture is paradoxical precisely because of her reliance on that culture for the success and circulation of the Harry Potter phenomenon.
Celebrity Critique in HP Rowling’s cleverness, though, does not absolve her hypocrisy even though hypocrisy may be the inevitable, paradoxical price of celebrity culture critique. In many ways, the most meaningful critiques of celebrity culture come from those who are subject to it, who live within it, and who reap its benefits. So thorough has celebrity culture become, so immersed are we in that culture and its trappings, that critique is most compelling from within and is only meaningful for audiences who consume it.
Celebrity Critique in HP Metaphorically, Harry’s scar stands for many things in the novels and one of those representations is Harry’s role in the celebrity culture of his magical world. The scar is the prime identifying feature that people use to appreciate, value, and condemn Harry’s celebrity, both interpersonally and through the magical world’s culture industries. At the same time, the scar is a source of evil and pain, emblematic of Rowling’s embedded sense of the dangers of celebrity culture. Only at the end of the last novel is the pain erased with Voldemort’s demise. Not unlike celebrity culture in Rowling’s vision, the scar is both a source of power and pain, representing both good and evil.
Celebrity Critique in HP So compelling is Harry’s scar as a metaphor for Rowling’s vision that it operates as the final, lasting image of the seven novel series. Her concluding image also works to explain how the problems and paradoxes of celebrity culture are resolved in and through the Harry Potter phenomenon. As Harry waves at his son as the train drifts away, ‘he lowered his hand absentmindedly and touched the lightning scar on his forehead.’ Knowing that his children will be safe at Hogwarts, the last line of the novel and the series remarks ‘The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well’
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What Are Cannabinoids?
by Chris Tam
A year ago
What Are Cannabinoids?
Cannabinoids are important compounds in the cannabis plant. They are what provide the plant’s effects in the body. Without cannabinoids, there wouldn’t be much benefit to using the cannabis plant. Not all cannabinoids are psychoactive. The cannabis plant has 85 known cannabinoids.
Most Prominent Cannabinoids
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the two primary cannabinoids. THC provides psychoactive effects.
It is important to pay attention to THC concentration and strain lineage. Too much THC may not be ideal for those with anxiety and paranoia disorders. Researching the lineage of a strain will help you understand the expected effects, what medical conditions you may be able to help and what, if any, negative side effects to expect.
A CBD-rich cannabis strain helps reduce strong psychoactive effects, so you are still helping your body but aren’t feeling as high.
The Endocannabinoid System
Every mammal has an endocannabinoid system. It wasn’t discovered until the late 1980s due to restrictions on research. The brain makes cannabinoids naturally, but is sometimes incapable of creating enough natural cannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system works in conjunction with your central nervous system and helps regulate multiple functions in the body like mood, appetite, sleep, pain and mobility.
When a deficiency is present, the body reacts adversely. This means that a lack of cannabinoids may cause you to feel more physical pain, it may lead to depression or even mild insomnia. By introducing natural cannabinoids via medical or recreational cannabis, you can help put your endocannabinoid system back in sync with the rest of your body.
Important Cannabinoids Often Ignored
Much of the cannabis industry focuses on just THC and CBD but there are other important cannabinoids that deserve a little recognition too. Cannabichromene (CBC) is rarely discussed but plays an important role in the body. In some strains, it can be more present than CBD.
If you need to reduce symptoms of a specific health condition, or just need to relax socially, it is ideal to research the cannabinoids in each strain before you purchase it. Purchasing strains or products that contain the cannabinoids your body needs helps your overall wellbeing and general health. In terms of CBD, even if you don’t have a medical condition, it is still hugely beneficial for your body in terms of general health.
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On Wednesday, NASA unveiled a rather large postcard sent back from Mars by the Curiosity rover. It’s in the form a panoramic image packing more than one billion pixels that was stitched together from 896 images. NASA sees the gigapixel image as a way for “armchair explorers” to take a close-up look at the Red Planet by means of an interactive webpage.
This is not the first such panorama of the Red Planet. In March, we reported on a four-gigapixel image put together from NASA images by Andrew Bodrov. However, this is the first one put together by NASA itself. The 1.3-billion-pixel image shows “Rocknest,” where Curiosity collected its first scoops of Martian soil. The individual images that make up the mosaic were collected over several Martian days from October 5 to November 16, 2012.
The view is centered toward the south, with north at both ends, Curiosity in the foreground and Mount Sharp on the horizon. Since the images used to make the panorama were taken over several Martian days at various times and under various weather conditions, the end product has a slightly uneven look as the light and dust levels change from place to place.
"It gives a sense of place and really shows off the cameras' capabilities," says Bob Deen of the Multi-Mission Image Processing Laboratory at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "You can see the context and also zoom in to see very fine details."
Deen made the panorama from 850 frames from the telephoto camera of Curiosity's Mast Camera instrument, 21 frames from the Mastcam's wider-angle camera and 25 grayscale images from the Navigation Camera. GigaPan took the panorama and converted it into an interactive pan and zoom image. It’s available through the NASA website and at GigaPan, with a scaled down 159 MB version also available for download.
“The NASA JPL gallery on the GigaPan site allows researchers and the general public to zoom in on the intricate features of unique terrain in these Mars images,” says Josh Friedman, CEO of GigaPan. “We hope this level of interactivity will not only support the mission’s overall research goals, but also help increase public interest in the Mars exploration program.”
The video below details Curiosity’s cameras.
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Health Benefits of Kiwi Fruit
People are attracted to kiwifruit because of its brilliant green color and exotic taste. But, the real uniqueness of kiwi fruit comes from its health benefits. Read the kiwi’s fourteen health benefits, interesting facts, and how to use this amazing power food.
Helps your digestions with enzymes:
Raw kiwi contains actinidain, a protein-dissolving enzyme that can help digest a meal.
Helps Manage blood pressure:
Kiwis high level of potassium helps keep our electrolytes in balance by counteracting the effects of sodium
Boosts your immunity
Kiwis high vitamin C content along with other antioxidant compounds has been proven to boost immune system
Smart Carb for weight Loss
Kiwis low glycemic index and high fiber content means it will not create a strong insulin rush like other fruit with high sugar contents-so the body with not respond by storing fat.
Improves digestive health
Kiwis are a great source of fibre. This prevents constipation and other intestinal problems
Helps clean out toxins
The fuzzy fibre of kiwi helps bind and move toxins from your intestinal tract.
Helps fight Heart Disease
Eating 2-3 kiwis a day has been shown to reduce the potential of blood clotting by 18% and reduce triglycerides by 15%. Many individuals take aspirin to reduce blood clotting, but this causes many side effects including inflammation and intestinal bleeding. Kiwi fruit has the same anti-clotting benefits with no side effects, just additional health benefits!
Suitable for Diabetics
Kiwi is in the ‘low’ category for glycemic index, meaning it does not raise your blood sugar quickly. It has a glycemic load of 4 which means it is safe for diabetics.
Protects against Macular Degeneration and other Eye Problems
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults. A study on showed that eating 3 or more serving of fruit per day decreased macular degeneration by 36%. This is thought to be associated with the kiwi’s high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin — both of which are natural chemicals found in the human eye.
Create Alkaline Balance
Kiwi is in the ‘most alkaline’ category for fruits, meaning it has a rich supply of minerals to replace the excess of acidic foods most individuals consume. A few of the benefits of a properly acid/alkaline balanced body are: youthful skin, deeper sleep, abundant physical energy, fewer colds, less arthritis, and reduced osteoporosis.
Great for the skin
Kiwis are a good source of vitamin E, an antioxidant known to protect skin from degeneration.
Exotic taste and look for food variety
Kiwis look and taste great. Kids often love them because they are so different from most fruits.
For nutritional balance it is always good to eat a variety of foods. Each food has its own unique qualities and powers. The trouble with most people’s diet is that we eat such a limited number of foods. It increases our chances of not getting enough of important nutrients.
Kiwi fruit is on the list of foods that are generally safe from a lot of pesticide residues. For 2012 it came in with the Top 10 safest foods .
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Interactive Map: Manhattan in 1609
Have you ever wondered what New York was like before it was a city? Find out here, by navigating through the map to discover Manhattan Island and its native wildlife in 1609. Map provided courtesy of The Mannahatta Project.
Posted: Sep 9th, 2009 | Comments: 7
Document: The Purchase of Manhattan Island, 1626
Read the infamous document detailing Peter Minuit's purchase of Manhattan island from the Lenape Indians.
Posted: Sep 1st, 2009 | Comments: 34
Timeline: Dutch American History
Explore a timeline chronicling 400 years of Dutch history in New York, from 1609 to 2009.
Posted: Sep 1st, 2009 | Comments: 1
Video: Women in Dutch New York
Early America expert Professor Joyce Goodfriend describes the role women played in preserving Dutch culture in America.
Posted: Sep 1st, 2009 | Comments: 5
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Estonia, the most northerly of the Baltic states, regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It is a mainly flat country on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, with many lakes and islands. Much of the land is farmed or forested.
The Estonian language is closely related to Finnish, but bears no resemblance to the languages of the other Baltic republics, Latvia and Lithuania, or to Russian. About one quarter of the population is of Russian-speaking origin.
The capital, Tallinn, is one of the best-preserved mediaeval cities in Europe, and tourism accounts for 15% of Estonian GDP. The economy is driven by engineering, food products, metals, chemicals and wood products.
Famous Estonians include the writer Jaan Kross whose work has been translated into at least 20 languages, the author of the national epic (Kalevipoeg) Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, and the writer, film-maker, diplomat and politician Lennart Meri.
Estonia is a member of the European Union.
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There are many unique traditional and religious customs that are still found in Bali in this modern day and age. These unique customs are very characteristic of daily Balinese life on the Island. The Balinese people have protected and maintained their heritage for thousands of years. And, today the customs are still highly regarded by the community and the Balinese are very dedicated to their religious beliefs, customs and practices.
One of the traditional customsis referred to as a“Tooth filing”ceremony or called Metatah/Mepandes by the Balinese people.One wonders about the Tooth Filing ceremony” –doesn’t that hurt? But for the Balinese this is ritual ceremony is performed torid the person of un-natural desires (animal desires) and the six negative spirits. The six negative spirits attempt to enter the body at the start of the menstruation or puberty phase of life (this called theSadRipu) and this is when the ceremony is performed.
The six negative spirits within a humanare :Kama(lust /desire), Loba(greed), Krodha(anger), Mada(selfish pride), Moha(confusion), and Matsarya(envy). These six negative spirits are believed to be able to plunge peop leinto the pit of “Non Perfection”.
The ceremony is required for both men and women starting at the age of 15 years old. And, there are six teeth that must be filed; two canines and the four upper incisors.
This ritual is mandatory for the Balinese people. Even if there is someone who dies before performing a tooth filing ceremony, his or her family must perform the tooth filling ceremony before the body can be cremated.
Very unique is it not? This is only one of many Balinese customs, there are so many more.
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Researchers affiliated with the Graphene Flagship have demonstrated novel high-speed graphene-based data communication at a data rate of 50 Gb/s. Integrating graphene sheets into silicon photonics could form the basis for next-generation data communications.
The project was a collaboration between Flagship partners AMO GmbH (Germany), the National Inter-University Consortium for Telecommunications (CNIT) (Italy), Ericsson (Sweden), Ghent University (Belgium), the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) (Spain), imec (Belgium), Nokia (Germany and Italy), the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) (Austria) and the University of Cambridge (UK).
Silicon is widely known to be suitable for monolithic integration for photonics. However, increasing the speed and reducing the power and footprint of key components of silicon photonics technology has not been achieved in a single chip, to date. But graphene—with its capacity for signal emission, modulation and detection—can be the next disruptive technology to achieve this.
"Graphene offers an all-in-one solution for optoelectronic technologies," notes Daniel Neumaier from AMO GmbH, Leader of the Graphene Flagships Division on Electronics and Photonics Integration. Its tuneable optical properties, high electrical mobility, spectrally broadband operation and compatibility with silicon photonics allow monolithic integration of phase and absorption modulators, switches and photodetectors. Integration on a single chip can increase device performance and substantially reduce its footprint and fabrication cost".
Light modulation and detection are key operations in photonic integrated circuits. Lacking a bandgap, graphene makes broadband light detection with a single material possible as it absorbs uniformly across a broad range in the visible and infrared spectrum. Graphene also displays electro-absorption and electro-refraction effects that can be used for ultrafast modulation.
Instead of relying on the expensive silicon-on-insulator wafer technology widely used in silicon photonics, Graphene Flagship researchers proposed a more convenient configuration. This consisted of a pair of single-layer graphene (SLG) layers, a capacitor consisting of an SLG-insulator-SLG stack on top of a passive waveguide. "Such an arrangement boasts several advantages compared to silicon photonic modulators," explains Neumaier. As he further states, modulator fabrication does not rely on the waveguide material or the electro-absorption and electro-refraction modulation mechanisms. In addition, replacing germanium photodetectors with SLG removes the need for the fairly costly modules of germanium epitaxy and the accompanying specialised doping processes.
Silicon nitride (SiN) provided a good substrate for synthesizing graphene, enabling high carrier mobility, transparency over the visible and infrared regions and perfect compatibility with silicon and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies. As a passive waveguide platform, SiN facilitates laser integration and fiber coupling to the waveguide, thereby enabling the design of miniaturized devices.
The researchers successfully demonstrated data communication with graphene photonic components up to a data rate of 50 Gb/s. A graphene-based modulator processed the data on the transmitter side of the network, encoding an electronic data stream to an optical signal. On the receiver side, a graphene-based photodetector converted the optical modulation into an electronic signal. "These results are a promising start for using graphene-based photonic devices in next-generation data communications," Neumaier concludes.
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In Social Studies students explore big questions related to citizenship and Identity. Students explore who they are in relation to others in their local, national and global communities.
At each grade level, students explore topics related to: Time, Continuity and Change; Power, Authority and Decision-Making; The Land: Places and People; Global connections; Economics and resources; and Culture and Community.
Learners inquire into issues and consider them from multiple perspectives. Teachers design learning opportunities so that students develop an appreciation of the communities in which they live today, and an awareness of how our past informs our decisions for the future.
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The Mother Teresa of Mud Creek
The forgotten legacy of the War on Poverty
Lyndon Johnson grew up poor on a farm in a small Texas town, only to helicopter into Martin County, Ky., decades later as president and promise to end the poverty problem. His ambitious “War on Poverty,” declared 50 years ago, aimed a behemoth of government funding and innovation at stemming the tide for those hardest hit by the scourge of capitalist democracies — the poor underclass.
It was as revolutionary as it was foolhardy for him to believe he had the power to do what had never been done in the history of civilization. But with the initial push by JFK, and Johnson’s call to arms, the war was set in place. With some of the lowest economic and health indicators in the country, Appalachia, and eastern Kentucky in particular, proved to be an ideal warfront.
In the earliest days of the war, a pioneering group of eastern Kentuckians — including famed Congressman Carl D. Perkins — convinced Sargent Shriver of the Johnson administration’s Office of Economic Opportunity to allocate millions to Floyd County. First and foremost, they lobbied for a health program that could serve as a pilot for the nation. It was well known that eastern Kentuckians had trouble affording care, but the fact was that the vast majority had never even seen a primary care physician. The advocates argued their plan would improve access, affordability and outcomes of health services in a region with a dire need.
The Floyd County Comprehensive Health Services Program (FCCHSP) launched in 1965, but proved to be a miserable failure. In less than one year, corruption abounded, patients had to pay enormous sums of money for simple life cycle health needs, and health outcomes were showing no signs of improvement. The funds were swiftly pulled, the outsiders pushed out of town, and the general tenor toward enterprising activists turned nasty.
Luckily, one woman continued the fight. Medically uneducated and lacking any funds whatsoever, Eula Hall, born and raised in the hollers of eastern Kentucky, decided she couldn’t just sit by and let her friends and family live in “absolute rock-bottomness.” She would give health care to her people whether anyone helped or not.
Eula’s work on behalf of her community and the legacy of empowerment she represents is a testament to a war many call a failure. Her story of activism, born out of the tumultuous ’60s, touches on nearly every major issue that affected Appalachia in the 20th century — and answers some heavy questions from a war left unfinished.
• • •
Much has been written about the woes of Appalachia and eastern Kentucky. Few think there is hope for a better future, and critics claim the drug scourge and transfer economy will forever keep the eastern counties in dependency. Appalachia has always been a caricature of backwardness in the psyche of the nation at-large, but within, it holds some of the best American stories of grit and resilience.
Standing for some 225 million years and stretching from Maine to Alabama, these mountains have been a refuge for those worn by modernity, a timeless and enduring testament to the nation’s humble beginnings. Appalachians gave the country its first indigenous music and art; Appalachian woodsmen gave the nation timber to build its bustling cities and towns. Appalachian youth fought disproportionately in our overseas wars. And Appalachian coal miners trudged and labored throughout the past century to keep the lights on.
It’s that knowledge and history that has captivated so many to search for remedies to the awful poverty, and hopefully reintroduce Appalachia to the American mainstream. Local leaders continue to corral smart people together to come up with answers, but solving big issues of industry, equity and economics is simply hard, and answers are scarce. There is no panacea and few market levers left to pull.
The politics continue to skew corrupt, and the energy companies that once employed many are leaving and failing to keep capital local. We continue to watch as corporations run wild and unregulated — as we did recently with the West Virginia chemical spill — and yet very little changes. As one commenter suggested, the nation would have stopped at a standstill had a terrorist poisoned Appalachian waters the way Freedom Industries did. As a result, many folks nationwide and in the media have retrospectively asked: “Fifty years later, has the ‘War on Poverty’ accomplished anything in Appalachia worth noting?” — hearing crickets in response.
But many of them haven’t asked that question to Eula Hall.
“Oh, hell yes, it did, and I’m living proof of it!” Eula answers with her characteristic charm. Her story is just one of many that represent the best possible outcome of our poverty fighting, but Eula’s is better than any Horatio Alger story Hollywood could come up with.
Born into abject poverty in Greasy Creek, Ky., in 1927, Eula was born on the same cabin dirt floor as her five other siblings. At the age of 6, she witnessed her mother nearly die from a miscarriage as the midwife was unable to handle a complicated birth and the doctor from Pikeville was too expensive to bring out to the hollers. She watched helplessly through the years as family and neighbors passed away from dysentery, typhoid and a host of other thought-to-be-eradicated diseases.
She was one of the smartest in her class but was forced to quit school early out of a need to work. At age 14, she was swiftly robbed of her innocence and thrown into a job performing slave-like housework for well-to-do families. Eula worked to feed and clothe men working intermittent jobs in the mines, their transience an excuse to be aggressive and depraved toward the girls who looked after them.
She married young to escape that life, only to suffer severe abuse from an alcoholic husband. “I didn’t know there were people on this Earth so cruel,” she would later tell me as I wrote her biography. Years of torment and pain would ensue, but Eula’s spirit remained strong, and her desire to help others even less fortunate in her community of Mud Creek, Ky., billowed beneath the surface.
It wasn’t until the War on Poverty that she found her escape. Eula slowly got involved with community groups after witnessing too many of her friends be denied care at local hospitals. In fact, Eula herself never saw a doctor until the 1960s.
Eula read about Mother Jones and her fights alongside labor organizers, and she studied Harry Caudill’s epic tome “Night Comes to the Cumberlands.” She joined the East Kentucky Worker’s Rights Organization (EKWRO), which gave her not only a voice but also a community to fight the injustices she saw. She rallied parents to picket the school board for lunches to be provided to all children, not just the wealthy. She organized Mud Creek residents to petition the state government for clean water and potable wells in the hollers. And she ran her own version of a health navigator service, often helping women in Floyd County access prenatal and childbirth services.
Even through abusive marriages and raising five kids, she persevered and became a professional community activist joining the VISTA program and eventually the Appalachian Volunteers (a program styled as a domestic Peace Corps). She, like so many others, became a true foot-soldier in Johnson’s War on Poverty.
After the abrupt and unceremonious end to the FCCHSP, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Eula may have only graduated from the eighth grade, but she had an intuitive sense of right and wrong, crystallized over the course of the war.
Along with the help of a few enterprising young doctors, Eula built one of the first free community health centers in Appalachia — the Mud Creek Clinic. The clinic, started in her trailer park home, attracted a fascinating cast of supporting characters, such as Harvard-trained doctors, liberation theologists and Holocaust survivors. The clinic provided care to the indigent, the poor, miners and anyone who walked in the door. Today, the clinic still stands in Floyd County and serves as a testament to one strong woman’s will to stand up for her community when no one else would.
Eula’s life highlights the best outcome of the War on Poverty, one missing from the national narrative — local empowerment. As Eula’s activism grew, she became a well-known local figure deeply possessed by a commitment to helping the most marginalized.
“I don’t know if I would have done what I did if it wasn’t for the VISTA and Appalachian Volunteers. They showed me how to fight for what’s right,” she would later say.
• • •
When the War on Poverty was launched, it attempted a large-scale reinvention of not just how people lived their lives, but what they thought was possible of themselves. The legacy of the war isn’t government programs created, government dollars spent or the made-up poverty rate. The real legacy is one of empowerment — and it’s one to celebrate.
The war’s designers wanted to use the vast resources of the federal government to rip power away from local — and often corrupt — politicians and empower the poor citizens it was meant to help. A major piece of legislative language in the Economic Opportunity Act forced money to be deployed with the “maximum feasible participation” of local citizens, nonprofits and community organizations. It was revolutionary in its simplicity. For the longest time, social service dollars had been transferred to governors, mayors and county judges. For the first time, it was going straight to citizens.
Many big-city mayors, like Richard Daley in Chicago, claimed the federal government was subsidizing a “War on City Hall,” but to Eula and other empowered citizen activists, that wasn’t such a bad idea. “Our democracy needs a kick in the ass every now and then,” says Eula, and she and her friends were happy to be the ones to do it.
With that, a slew of pioneering activists found inspiration in the War on Poverty. John Rosenberg, a Holocaust survivor and civil rights litigator at the Department of Justice, relocated to Prestonsburg, Ky., after he and his wife decided that the next great civil rights battle was to pull Appalachia out of poverty. He started the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund (AppalRED), which served as the first free legal defense fund in the mountains. Joe Begley and his wife Gaynell from Blackey, Ky., used their general goods store as headquarters to organize against destructive strip mining and “broad-form deeds,” which gave coal operators free reign to mine without permission and keep all revenues from the owners. Dr. Donald Rasmussen became a driving force for new black lung legislation after discovering traditional x-rays didn’t capture the extent of damage to miners’ lungs.
Their stories are not unique. While Eula’s life is a remarkable story of a tough mountain woman who wouldn’t accept the status quo, the War on Poverty helped her understand that it didn’t have to be this way. That others in America had it better, and the whole of America was behind them in their struggle to pull themselves out of poverty. Her story is as grand as it is informative to a generation that has perhaps forgotten about Appalachian poverty.
Her story of becoming a citizen-activist is the legacy of the War on Poverty — and one that we should all be proud of.
Through all of Eula’s travails and accomplishments — the clinic, clean water, school lunches and workers’ rights — she has helped paint a picture of poverty alleviation seemingly missing from today’s discussions about the economy and individual responsibility. Poverty is omnipotent, spatial, violent and can attack from many angles. There is no panacea. There is no single market efficiency or lever government can pull. It requires many things — health, safety, jobs and, most importantly, an understanding of dignity — to overcome. Eula Hall found dignity in her work during the War on Poverty, and offered it to those around her who wanted to be part of the same struggle and invested in their community. If they’re lucky, like Eula, they can rise out of poverty self-sufficient, without handouts but with self-worth — and a community behind them.
• • •
President Barack Obama acknowledged early last year during a climate change speech that a changing energy industry would force us to “give special care to people and communities that are unsettled by this transition.” A few mountain legislators have voiced similar concerns over the years, specifically that the eastern counties need to diversify their economy if they are to weather the transition to cheap natural gas and renewable energy.
Months later, during the Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) summit held by Gov. Steve Beshear and Congressman Hal Rogers of Kentucky, speakers told stories of new economies not being helicoptered in, but rather being built from the “ground up.”
Like magic, President Obama announced “Promise Zones” to direct federal attention to needy areas across the country — including to southeast Kentucky. And Frankfort announced a $700 million proposal to extend the Mountain Parkway from Lexington to Pikeville to expand access into and out of the mountains.
This renewed focus on the region is important and will serve to build vital infrastructure for the region. But if the lessons of the War on Poverty teach us anything, it’s that we should also look to the individuals inside Appalachia for answers as well. If we take a closer look, we’ll see that in order to make lasting progress, we need more homegrown entrepreneurs and more mountain-bred activists like Eula Hall, who understand Appalachia better than anyone else.
Kiran Bhatraju is a writer and entrepreneur from Pikeville, Ky. He is the author of “Mud Creek Medicine: The Life of Eula Hall and the Fight for Appalachia,” available at local bookstores, Amazon.com and ButlerBooks.com.
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Published: 2020-05 (May 2020)
Verified with: Apache Maven 3.6.3
Link to an index, to find other blogs in this series
In this blog, the Project Object Model (POM) is explored.
What is the Project Object Model?
First, a maven POM is not a popular pomegranate juice nor is it related to the colorful pom-poms. A maven POM is definitely is wonderful and brings as much joy to a developer as does a pom-pom to a kid.
A POM describes build management needs of a project:
- project coordinates – uniquely identifiable set of properties by which the project artifacts can be consumed elsewhere.
- dependencies – libraries and code needed to execute the project build management
- plugins – helper tools that execute build and build management aspects
- properties – common and extracted values used in the project
- inheritance details – the ability to create a hierarchy of re-usable POM components
- profiles – alternate execution pathways that can be activated on a per-execution basis
- . . .
How does maven interact with a POM?
Maven utilizes content in the POM for its build management. However, maven also has convention-based defaults. Maven thus has the onus of amalgamating defaults and applying overrides and additions discovered in the project’s pom file (typically a
This amalgamation of defaults and applying overrides and additions results in an effective POM.
What is an effective POM?
An effective POM is:
- an assembly of execution steps, properties and profiles
- the content that maven can execute for the project
- an exhaustive set of dependencies and plugins needed for such an execution
- determination of any transitive dependencies (dependencies of dependencies, full depth imaginable)
- any conflict resolution in terms of dependency versions
How does maven assemble the effective POM?
Maven assembles its effective POM by traversing the layers that act as building blocks. Each layer used has the ability to override or enrich the content of what will become an effective POM. Maven internal defaults and the super POM are built-in to the maven installation, so ideally not subject to customization. The layers below, the global settings and user settings are, as their name suggests, inclined towards hosting and overriding any settings for maven. The parent, bill-of-material and project POM files are where maven instructions can be customized. Default values from above layers are utilized if no customization is made.
The layers explained
Going through the layers:
Maven Internal Defaults
This layer is within the maven’s own code. Unless the intent is to modify maven’s source code, it is safe to assume that these defaults are not modifiable.
Location: Internal to the maven installation.
Maven Super POM
This Super POM exists in the maven’s own code. Once again, unless the intent is to modify maven’s own source code, it is same to assume that the Super POM is not modifiable.
Location: Internal to the maven installation
Maven Global Settings
Once Maven is installed/unarchived on a computing device, it creates a directory structure. One of the base directories, (right below the maven directory) is
conf. This directory contains a
settings.xml referred to as a global settings file. Since this file exists on the local computing device, it is editable. Typically, any settings that apply to all projects being managed on the computing device are managed in this global
settings.xml. Examples may include proxy settings, corporate server URLs, mirrors etc. It should not often be modified, in any case.
Unix/MacOS: <maven installation>/conf/settings.xml
Windows: <maven installation\conf\settings.xml
Maven User Settings
Similar to the global settings, but at a different location, it is possible to create a user settings file. This file is also named
settings.xml but its location is under the user home in an
.m2 directory. The purpose of the user
settings.xml is to setup any settings that apply to projects managed by the specific user (there could be multiple users on a given computing device). Examples include usernames and passwords to connect to the network, repository ordering etc.
Parent / Bill-of-Material POMs
Maven has an inheritance and version-trait model. Maven can inherit content from a parent pom and version-traits from a bill-of-materials pom. Typically parent POMs contain re-usable dependencies, plugins and properties used by a project POM. The Bill-of-Material (BOM) POM is a specialized POM that allows to group together dependency versions of dependencies that are known to be valid and tested to work together. Using a BOM POM reduces the developer grief from having to test compatibility of different dependencies. Modification of either is possible if there is a need and the entitlement to change. Since changes to either can impact several other projects, appropriate version increments and reviews are recommended for changes.
Location: Various locations, either on device or elsewhere in some repository.
This is the Project Object Model for the project. Project specific maven instructions are detailed in this location. Typical contents include: a unique set of coordinates used to identify the project, name and description of the project, a set of developers associated with the project, any source control management details specific to the project, all project-specific dependencies and plugins, any profiles that allow for alternate executions of maven on this project and so on. All these will be covered in a blog in this series. The file containing this POM is, by convention, named pom.xml, but other names can be used. If an alternate name is used, then the maven executable will need to be pointed to the the filename for execution.
The next blog will cover POM hierarchies. Have fun!
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10 Lies Taught To Us In School
by Andrew Handley, January 20, 2013
The school system is a bastion of education and enlightenment, a fortress of higher learning where our children can safely discover the facts about the way our world works. Through this system we have the opportunity to grow and mature into responsible adults, secure in our knowledge of history, science, and mathematics.
Except, of course, for all the ridiculously irresponsible lies we’re being fed. Here are ten of the biggest lies taught to us in school.
Deoxygenated Blood Is Blue (Which Is Why Your Veins Appear Blue)
If you look closely at the inside of your wrist, you’ll probably see a small network of blue veins running up into your hand. Despite what they might teach you in elementary school, that’s not blue blood running through there. The myth is that deoxygenated blood is blue, while blood leaving the heart is red because it’s been filled with fresh oxygen. When you bleed, the blood is immediately red because it’s exposed to oxygen in the air.
But if you’ve ever given blood or had blood taken at the doctor’s office, you’ll know that it’s not some alien blue liquid filling up that sealed tube—it’s, well, it’s blood. The reason your veins look blue is a simple trick of the light, and the way your eyes perceive colors. When light filters through the layers of skin, the low frequency wavelengths (like red) are refracted by pigmentation and thin fat layers, leaving mostly blue light to reflect back to your eyes. An albino person will usually have red veins because of the lack of pigmentation in their skin.
There Were Thirteen Original Colonies In America
It’s easy to understand why people believe this lie, but it is a lie nonetheless. The American flag has thirteen stripes representing the original thirteen colonies—but really there were only twelve.
That’s because Delaware was never a separate colony. After the British invaded the region and stole it from the Dutch in the 1660s, the Delaware territory was juggled between Maryland and Pennsylvania. Eventually it ended up under the ownership of William Penn—the guy who also owned Pennsylvania—and it remained a part of Pennsylvania until the Revolutionary War. In fact, it wasn’t even called Delaware—it was just known as “The Three Lower Counties.”
The myth: old windowpanes are thicker at the bottom because glass is a slow moving liquid.
At some point in time, a historian looked at an ancient windowpane and noticed something unusual: the glass was thicker at the bottom than at the top. Since there was no other way to account for it, he came to the conclusion that glass was an extremely slow moving liquid that settled over the years, resulting in thin, brittle glass at the top that gradually thickened towards the bottom edge of the windowpane.
And then everybody believed him. The myth spread until even college professors were teaching it in their classes, since even scientists don’t understand science sometimes. But one researcher recently decided to test the viscosity (rate of flow) of glass, and came to the result that even the least viscous type of glass wouldn’t change much before 10^32 years—about three times the length of the existence of the universe. Though why we should believe him more than the first scientist is a bit of a mystery—effectively they are both making it up.
The real reason antique glass windows are bottom-heavy goes back to the way they were made in the Middle Ages. Window-makers would blow glass into a large sphere, then flatten it into a disk by spinning it. The spinning motion caused the edges of the disk to thicken, much like spinning a pizza dough. And when they cut the disk into windows, they placed the thicker side at the bottom for stability.
Europeans Invaded Africa and Kidnapped the Slaves
Slave Trade Map
This isn’t meant to trivialize slavery, or pardon any of the people who took part in it, or condone it in any way. But let’s face it: most Americans are under the impression that colonial-era slavery got its start with white people sailing over to Africa, kidnapping hundreds of thousands of people, and bringing them back to Europe and America in chains.
Parts of that are true. There were a lot of chains, and many Africans were certainly kidnapped. But despite the picture painted by many history textbooks, the majority of those slaves were actually sold to Europeans by other African slave traders—slave traders who had been operating on the continent for thousands of years. Slavery is nothing new to the world; it was actually pretty normal around that time. In fact, Egyptians were using Caucasian slaves in their armies during the thirteenth century. Heck, even the Bible endorsed the practice!
As far as the Atlantic Slave Trade was concerned, in-country African slaves were typically members of a defeated tribe. But as soon as slave traders realized that Europeans would pay for their slaves, they actively began kidnapping people just to sell them on the Nigerian coast.
And speaking of lies about slavery…
Abraham Lincoln Was Strongly Opposed to Slavery
Postage stamp with Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln is often put on a pedestal as one of the greatest opponents of slavery for freeing the slaves with his Emancipation Proclamation in 1862. In fact, he struggled with conflicting and ambiguous views on slavery—not to mention sexuality—during his entire Presidential career. He wasn’t a stalwart supporter of abolition; he only wanted to do what would make the Union stronger (remember, this was a time when the Confederate states had split from the Union and were at war).
In his own words: “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union.” This is called talking out of both sides of your mouth.
The Emancipation Proclamation didn’t really touch on racial equality or human rights. It was a wartime decision: “as a fit and necessary military measure. . . . All persons held as slaves in the Confederate states will thenceforward . . . be free.” In other words: only the enemy’s slaves were freed. Hooray to the great emancipator!
Let’s face it—if Honest Abe really wanted equality, Martin Luther King probably wouldn’t have a holiday named after him.
Diamonds Are Made from Coal
Diamonds and Coal
If you believe that diamonds are made from highly compressed coal, don’t worry—so does everyone else. But it’s completely false: diamonds are found in vertical shafts filled with rocks formed by volcanoes, while coal is mainly found among other types of rocks—like limestone and shale.
Coal is almost never found in the same type of environment as diamonds. Coal is formed near the surface from plant matter, while diamonds are formed in the Earth’s mantle—over ninety miles (145 km) closer to the core—and then carried up to the crust during volcanic eruptions.
It’s true that diamonds are formed from carbon by intense heat—2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,100 degrees Celcius)—and high pressure, but it’s unlikely that the carbon comes from coal. So while the idea of a lump of coal becoming a beautiful diamond makes a pretty picture, it’s still one big spoonful of lies.
On the other hand, modern science can pretty much turn anything into a diamond in the lab: even the corpse of your recently deceased loved one. Aww.
The Founding Fathers Were All Christian
One of the prevailing myths taught in history classes is that the Founding Fathers of America were all Christian. The Declaration of Independence talks about God; the pledge of allegiance (which, incidentally, wasn’t even created until more than a century later) uses the words “under God”; and it all sort of jumbles together into the idea that Washington and crew were Bible-thumping Christian men.
Well, they weren’t. For starters, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were both believed to be deists, who don’t follow the Bible explicitly but assume there’s a “god” because nature is so great. George Washington most likely followed pantheism, which is the belief that nature is god. John Adams was a Unitarian, an offshoot of Christianity that believes Jesus was a great guy, but not God’s Son. Alexander Hamilton was a typical Christian—but only later in life, after his son was killed.
Van Gogh Cut Off His Own Ear
Van Gogh Self-portrait after sliced ear
If you ask a random person to describe Vincent van Gogh, they’re more than likely to tell you he cut off his ear and mailed it to his girlfriend. None of that ever happened—but the truth is probably even more gruesome.
The new theory on van Gogh’s ear is that it was sliced off by his fellow painter Paul Gauguin during a fight. After looking through old records and letters from van Gogh, historian Hans Kaufmann believes that the two painters got into a scuffle, during which van Gogh threw a wine glass at his friend. Gauguin responded by unsheathing his sword—as you do—and sliced off van Gogh’s ear; he then made up the entire story of van Gogh going mad so that he wouldn’t be arrested.
There was obviously a rash of it going around because the homosexual lovers Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine got into a similar scuffle. In their case Rimbaud stabbed Verlaine in the hand with a fork—under the influence of absinthe—and then proceeded to get a rather painful reprimand in the behind, which landed Verlaine in the clink.
Humans Evolved from Apes
Evolution From Apes
In this scenario Christians have it right—but not the way they think. Early classes on evolution usually leave one basic impression: humans evolved from apes. Go to a zoo, and you can watch your genetic ancestors frolicking and flinging poop at each other.
But that’s not the way it happened. After all, evolution works by eliminating the inferior species while the stronger, better-adapted ones thrive. If that had happened then there wouldn’t be any apes left, because we would have outcompeted them. The more likely theory is that humans and the great apes—chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans—started with a common ancestor, and then evolved in separate directions over the years. Specifically: four, eight, and twelve million years ago, respectively.
And it’s still happening—in the animal kingdom, at least. Researchers believe that less than one million years ago the eastern and western gorillas parted evolutionary ways, and are now developing in different directions.
Thanksgiving (All of It)
The First Thanksgiving
Here’s the lie: Pilgrims on the Mayflower arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Unprepared for the harsh winter, they were saved by the friendly natives, who gave them food and taught them how to plant corn. The following autumn, on their first harvest in the New World, they had a feast to commemorate the hardships they had survived, and Pilgrim and Indian (sorry, Native Americans) joined hands in celebration.
The real story is a touch more cruel, murderous, and genocidal. Three years before the Pilgrims arrived, European fisherman and settlers had introduced a plague that had swept through the tribes of coastal New England and wiped out nearly ninety-six percent of the entire population. There were reportedly so many bodies that settlers would leave the towns rather than deal with them—only to introduce the bug to the next tribe they encountered. One report from a man named Howard Simpson stated, “Villages lay in ruins because there was no one to tend them. The ground was strewn with the skulls and the bones of thousands of Indians who had died and none was left to bury them.”
There’s also evidence that the Pilgrims already knew about the plague, and so chose Cape Cod because they knew that the Indians had already been wiped out, leaving cleared lands and corn fields ripe for the taking. Even worse, the Pilgrims would steal food and tools from any Indians left alive, who were too weak to fight back. But the settlers in Virginia were actually eating the Indians, so I guess the Pilgrims weren’t that bad by comparison. Yes, I did say eating them.
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The term social revolution or social revolt may be used in varying ways.
In libertarian socialist and anarchist parlance, a "social revolution" is a bottom-up, as opposed to a vanguard party-led or purely political, revolution aiming to reorganize all of society (see Spanish Revolution). In the words of Alexander Berkman, "social revolution means the reorganization of the industrial, economic life of the country and consequently also of the entire structure of society." More generally, the term "social revolution" may be used to refer to a massive change in society, for instance the French Revolution, the American Civil Rights Movement and the 1960 hippie or counterculture reformation on religious belief, personal identity, freedom of speech, music and arts, fashion, alternative technology or environmentalism and decentralised media.
In the Trotskyist movement, the term "social revolution" refers to an upheaval in which existing property relations are smashed. Examples include the October Revolution in Russia in 1917 and the Cuban Revolution, as both caused capitalist (and in some cases pre-capitalist) property relations to turn into post-capitalist property relations as they operated by plan rather than by market. Social revolutions is contrasted with purely political revolutions in which the government is replaced, or the form of government altered, but in which property relations are predominantly left intact. Social revolutions do not imply necessarily that the working class as a whole has control over the production and distribution of capital and goods - in many countries this control passed to a new elite in the form of a communist party - they just mean that the market is no longer used, and that the capitalist class has been expropriated.
In Islamic thinking, especially in the Shi'a school of thought, a social revolution is needed when any form of government is tyrannic and despotic to its people. The underlying concept of Islamic Revolution maintains that moral freedom is the most important aspect of a human's fundamental needs.
Theda Skocpol in her article "France, Russia, China: A Structural Analysis of Social Revolutions" states that social revolution is a "combination of thoroughgoing structural transformation and massive class upheavals" (175). She comes to this definition by combining Samuel P. Huntington's definition that it "is a rapid, fundamental, and violent domestic change in the dominant values and myths of society, in its political institutions, social structure, leadership, and government activities and policies" and Lenin's that revolutions are "the festivals of the oppressed...[who act] as creators of a new social order" (Skocpol 175). She also states that this definition excludes many revolutions, because they fail to meet either or both of the two parts of this definition.
Social revolutions are distinct from coup d'etats, from insurrections, from mutiny, and from rebellions. As Theda Skocpol a leading figure in the literature indicates social revolutions are rare and transformative events that fundamentally alter class structures, states organizations, and dominant ideologies.
- Rwandan Revolution, also called the "Social Revolution"
- Sociology of revolution
- Social Revolution festival
- Alexander Berkman, wikisource:Now and After: The ABC of Communist Anarchism/Chapter 25
- The 1960s Cultural Revolution — www.greenwood.com
- ◦Skocpol, Theda. 1979. States and Social Revolutions: A Comparative Analysis of France, Russia and China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., p.3.
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For the Mental State Examination of your patients you may use the Questionnaire in this document. You may print this form AS it is and give it to your patients for examining their Mental State.
Text Version of this Form
MINI-MENTAL STATE EXAMINATION
5 What is the (year), (season), (date), (day), (month)?
5 Where are we (country), (state), (county), (city), (clinic)?
3 Name 3 objects allotting one second to say each one. Then ask the resident to
name all 3 objects after you have said them. Give one point for each correct
answer. Repeat them until he/ she hears all 3. Count trials and record number.
APPLE BOOK COAT
ATTENTION AND CALCULATION
5 Begin with 100 and count back by 7 (stop after 5 answers) 93, 86, 79, 72, 65.
Score one point for each correct answer. If the resident will not perform this
task, ask the resident to spell “WORLD” backwards (DLROW). Record the
3 Ask the resident to repeat the objects above (see Registration). Give one
point for each correct answer.
2 Naming: Show a pencil, and a watch and ask the resident to name them.
1 Repetition: Repeat the following: “No ifs, ands or buts.”
3 Three Stage Command: Follow the three-stage command. “Take paper in
your right hand; fold it in half; and put it on the table.”
1 Reading: Read and obey the following: “Close your eyes.” Show the resident
the item written on the reverse side, or attached.
1 Writing: Write a sentence (on reverse side)
1 Copying: Copy the design of the intersecting pentagons (on reverse side).
30 Total Score Possible
CLOSE YOUR EYES
WRITE A SENTENCE
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Governors and the Redistricting Process
It is 2020 and, despite the coronavirus, the U.S. Census has officially begun. Once the numbers are in, the next step—the drawing of new districts both at the state legislative and federal congressional levels will take shape. But what role do governors play in the process and could redistricting become an issue in the 2020 gubernatorial races?
The answer, as with many questions of gubernatorial power, is that it depends on the state. Different states approach the process in a variety of ways, leaving governors to play vastly different roles in drawing and/or approving new district maps. Indeed, some governors play a critical role in the redistricting process, while others have virtually no say at all. Even within the states themselves, a governor may play a different role in apportioning state districts than in creating federal districts.
While 39 states already know who the governor will be during the redistricting process, the other eleven will choose governors in 2020. Those governors will preside over their states as the process takes place and—depending on the state—could play a crucial role in its outcome.
Of the governorships that are up for election in 2020, the winners of the Indiana and Missouri elections will have the greatest opportunities to shape the district maps of their states for the next decade. The governor of Missouri, in particular, is able to appoint the entire commission that draws the state legislative map. (Although party committees do make the initial nominations that comprise the pool from which the governor selects). In Indiana, in the event that a backup commission is necessary because the governor and legislature are unable to agree on the maps, the governor has the power to appoint one out of the five members of the commission. This could be particularly important if the governor and legislature are controlled by opposite parties and disagree on partisan grounds.
Winners of 2020 gubernatorial contests in Utah and Vermont, meanwhile, will have the power to appoint members to their state’s advisory commissions. Although these advisory commissions cannot ultimately approve maps, they could exert influence over the drawing of district boundaries.
The sections below break down how each state approaches the redistricting process for both state and federal level districts. They include analysis of the role of each state’s governor, which states provide for special or rare gubernatorial powers, and the current party breakdown in each state (as well as where it could change).
The information was collected and organized by Rutgers undergraduate student Fiona Kniaz (class of 2022) as a research project for the Eagleton Center on the American Governor.
Virtually no two states redistrict in precisely the same way and no two governors have exactly the same role in the redistricting process. Gubernatorial redistricting powers can range from quite strong, as with Arkansas’s 3-member elected official commission in which one member is the governor, to relatively weak, as in states like California and New Jersey, where a commission not chosen by the governor in any capacity independently draws and approves maps that are not subject to gubernatorial veto.
Each of these systems creates potential politically charged challenges. In states where the legislature or another partisan body is charged with redistricting, for example, the possibility for partisan conflict is high, especially if the majority party of the state legislature differs from that of the governor. However, in states where the state legislature and governor are of the same party—or where checks do not exist to prevent highly partisan maps from being drawn—the possibility for gerrymandered districts is greater.
While state legislatures still draw and approve districts subject to gubernatorial veto in a majority of states, there has been a push in several states since the 2010 Census and subsequent redistricting toward alternate redistricting processes. Many pitfalls remain, however. For example, one possible area for concern is the fact that most states do not have a backup plan if the redistricting body is unable to approve new district maps. This is especially worrisome in states in which the state legislature passes maps as regular legislation, and the possibility for partisan divides between the governor and the state legislature may make it difficult to pass a map on the first try.
|Governors and Redistricting Power
|More than average amount of power||Alaska, Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Utah, Vermont, Virginia|
|Average amount of power||Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming|
|Less than average amount of power||Florida, Mississippi, Pennsylvania|
|Virtually no power||Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, Washington|
The chart above categorizes the gubernatorial redistricting powers of every governor in the United States. Most governors simply have veto power over districts drawn by their state’s legislature, which we have classified as an “average” amount of power in the redistricting process. The governors of Arkansas and Ohio arguably have the greatest amount of power of all United States governors, as they sit directly on the committee responsible for redrawing their respective state legislative districts. In Maryland, the governor submits a state legislative redistricting proposal (assisted by a governor-appointed advisory commission), but the legislature can still choose to pass its own proposal. In Alaska and Missouri, the governor makes appointments to a political appointee commission in charge of redistricting and in Utah, Vermont, and Virginia, the governor appoints members to serve on advisory redistricting committees. The Governors of Florida, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania have slightly less than average redistricting powers because they have no role to play in the state redistricting process, but they still have veto power over congressional maps. The governor has no power in the process in some states because they rely on either independent commissions or political appointee commissions in which the governor does not pick any appointees. In the case of North Carolina, the state legislature redraws districts and the governor has no veto power.
Current Legislative Control (by Party)
As of the 2019 elections, this is the current party map for state legislatures. In 19 states, both houses of the state legislature are controlled by Democrats, compared to 29 states where both houses of the state legislature are controlled by Republicans. In Minnesota, Republicans control the state senate and Democrats control the state house of representatives. Nebraska has a unicameral state legislature that is elected on a nonpartisan basis.
All states except for Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia will be holding state legislative elections in 2020, so it is very likely that this map will change before redistricting takes place—especially in states where one party narrowly controls one or both houses. In the states that are not holding legislative elections in 2020 (and therefore are unlikely to change control before the redistricting process), Alabama, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia have a state legislature and governorship controlled by the same party, while Louisiana and Maryland have split partisan control.
Drawing State District Lines
In the most common approach to state legislative redistricting—used in 27 states—the legislature draws and passes state legislative redistricting plans as it would regular legislation. (The power of the governor to veto this legislation varies by state; see below). Nine states use a similar process, but with an advisory commission that advises the legislature in drawing the maps. The state legislature then has the final say in approving them. In both scenarios, the plans must be approved with a simple majority vote in each chamber (or, in Nebraska, in the unicameral chamber), except for in Connecticut and Maine, where a 2/3 majority is required for approval.
Non-legislative political appointee commissions draw state legislative districts in nine states. These commissions are comprised of members who are directly appointed by elected officials, party leadership, and/or party committees. In some cases, the appointees themselves select a final tie-breaking member. In most of these commissions, the members are not themselves elected officials. Arkansas is the only state to use a politician commission fully comprised of current elected officials. Ohio, meanwhile, uses a hybrid political appointee/politician commission, as the commission is largely appointed except for the governor of Ohio, who sits on the commission as an incumbent politician. Finally, four states use an independent commission comprised of members who cannot be public officials or current lawmakers and who are selected through a screening process conducted by an independent body.
Drawing Congressional Districts
As with state legislative redistricting, most states—28—redistrict at the federal congressional level by having state legislatures draw and pass maps as regular legislation. Seven states involve an advisory commission in this legislative process. The plans must be approved by a simple majority vote in each chamber (except Nebraska, which has a unicameral legislature) with the exception of Connecticut and Maine, which require a 2/3 majority, and Ohio, which requires a 3/5 majority (including the approval of at least half of the minority party).
Four states use political appointee commissions to draw new maps and an additional four states use an independent commission.
Note that seven states do not need a federal legislative redistricting procedure as they currently have only one congressional district due to their small populations. It is, of course, possible that the upcoming Census could find that some of these states’ populations have increased enough to award them a second district. Several of these states, however, have never had more than one congressional district, and thus have never had to redistrict at the congressional level, leaving them without clearly defined plans in the event they are awarded a second district.
Gubernatorial Veto Power
Governors have veto power over state and federal maps approved by state legislatures in 31 states. Each of these 31 states pass maps as regular legislation. Some states, however, have different veto rules for state maps than for federal. In seven states, the governor has veto power over congressional maps but not for state legislative maps. Three of those states—Florida, Mississippi, and Maryland—expressly deny the governor the power of veto over state districts by law, while Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania use different approaches for federal and state maps. Those four states use the legislature for federal maps but a non-legislative system for passing state maps, making the veto power irrelevant at the state level.
In 10 states, the governor has no veto power over state or federal maps because the legislature does not play a role in passing the maps.
Finally, in North Carolina, while the legislature does pass both state and federal maps as regular legislation, the governor is expressly denied veto power over those maps.
Drawing Backup Maps
In the (relatively common) event that the body responsible for redistricting in a given state cannot come to an agreement on a map, many states have opted to have a backup plan. State Supreme Courts are charged with drawing backup maps in California, Maine, and New Jersey for both state legislative and congressional maps and in Florida and Louisiana for state legislative maps only. In California, after final maps are approved, they are voted on by the public via referendum. If a map is overturned by the public, the California Supreme Court must appoint a committee to draw a new map. Backup commissions are called on to draw maps for both state legislative and congressional districts in Connecticut, for state legislative districts only in Illinois, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas, and for congressional districts only in Indiana and Ohio.
Other states have more specific and unique methods for drawing backup maps:
Iowa: If the first maps drawn by Iowa’s Legislative Services Agency (LSA) are not passed by the legislature, the LSA is given the opportunity to draft a second proposal. If that proposal also fails, the LSA drafts a third proposal. If the third proposal also fails, then the LSA is given the authority to pass its own maps without legislative interference.
Kansas: If the state legislative map (passed by the state legislature) is overturned by the Kansas Supreme Court, the legislature may attempt to redraw lines.
Maryland: The governor proposes a backup state legislative map that takes effect if the legislature is unable to come to an agreement.
Missouri: The state demographer proposes a backup state legislative map that becomes law unless the political appointee commission amends the map via a 70% vote.
New York: The state legislature may amend maps proposed by the advisory commission if it votes the maps down two times.
Oregon: If the state legislature is unable to pass a map, Oregon’s Secretary of State is responsible for drawing the state legislative map only.
Pennsylvania: If the first 4 members of the political appointee commission are unable to select a fifth tie-breaking member to serve as the commission’s chair, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court must appoint a chair.
Special Gubernatorial Powers
The following is a list of special gubernatorial powers by state, as they relate to redistricting. States that do not appear on this list do not provide their governors with special redistricting powers.
Alaska: The governor directly appoints two out of five commissioners on the political appointee commission.
Arizona: The governor, along with a 2/3 vote in the Arizona State Senate, can remove a commissioner from the independent commission “for substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office, or inability to discharge the duties of office.”
Arkansas: The political commission charged with drawing state legislative maps is comprised of 3 members: the governor of Arkansas, the Arkansas secretary of state, and the attorney general of Arkansas.
Indiana: The governor appoints one of the five members of the backup commission. The backup commission is for the congressional district map only.
Maryland: The governor submits a state legislative redistricting proposal. The governor is assisted by an advisory commission that is appointed solely by the governor.
Missouri: For state legislative redistricting, there are two political appointee commissions, one for the state senate and one for the state house of representatives. For the senate redistricting commission, the state committee of each major party chooses 10 nominees from which the governor chooses five per party, for a total of 10 commissioners. For the house redistricting committee, the congressional district committee from each major political party nominates two members per congressional district, for a total of 32 nominees, from which the governor chooses 16 commissioners.
Ohio: The state legislative redistricting commission consists of seven members, one of whom is the governor. If the legislature fails to adopt a new congressional map, a seven-person backup commission, one of whom is the governor, will be formed to adopt a map.
Oklahoma: The governor appoints one Democrat and one Republican to the backup commission, if necessary. The backup commission is for the state legislative map only.
Utah: The governor selects the chairperson of the advisory commission.
Vermont: The governor appoints one member from each political party to the advisory commission. Each commissioner then appoints another member.
Virginia: In 2011, Governor Bob McDonnell created an advisory commission by executive order. This advisory commission is appointed solely by the governor.
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The number of kidney transplants performed worldwide is increasing year by year, exceeding 95,000 in the latest statistics from 2019. Today there are more than 1 million kidney transplant patients in the world, however, 50% of them reject the transplanted organ by 10 years.
These patients require long term treatment with different immunosuppressive drugs and doses to limit the risk of graft rejection due to immune-mediated kidney injury.
Immunosuppressive therapy is the basis of the patient’s clinical evolution. Considering the level of resistance and sensitivity to each drug, personalised treatment is essential in the management of the patient’s response.
Along these lines, the IMMUNOBIOGRAM®, an IVD that allows the doctor to know the sensitivity level of immunosuppressant drugs, helps to optimize and personalize the immunosuppressive treatment for each patient.
How does it work?
- A blood sample is taken from the transplant patient for the processing of the immune system cells.
- The response of the cells to each immunosuppressant is measured in order to obtain levels of resistance or sensitivity to each drug.
- The doctor receives a report of the results along with an interpretation guide.
What are the potential benefits?
- Improves the patient’s quality of life
- Helps the doctor to prescribe a personalised immunosuppressive treatment
- Costs savings for the healthcare system.
This message is exclusively intended for health professionals
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As I said in the first post in this series, on Matthew’s presentation of Jesus, an author’s introduction of a character tells us a lot about what they want us to think about that person. My earlier post looked at how Matthew introduced Jesus – emphasising his authority as a Jewish Davidic Messiah, king and religious leader.
Now we turn to Mark, who uses different techniques to emphasise qualities of Jesus’ character that don’t come across so strongly in Matthew.
The God-king of prophecy
Mark starts by doing something that, by modern standards, would be unthinkable. He takes two old testament verses, Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3, mashes them together in a quote he says comes from ‘Isaiah the prophet’ and, perhaps most surprisingly of all, alters the wording of Malachi 3:1 to make it say exactly what he wants it to say. As you can see here, with Mark’s changes in bold:
Malachi 3:1a – “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.”
Mark 1:2b – “I will send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way.”
Unless Mark is quoting a different version of the Old Testament to ours (though, as far as I can see, the Septuagint text is pretty much the same as our standard OT), Mark has consciously decided to change Malachi’s words for his own uses. In this instance, the pronoun switch changes the passage from God clearly speaking about Godself to God clearly speaking to another person.
Why would Mark do this? I don’t think he’s being manipulative. I think, instead, he is providing his own interpretation within the text as a way to show what he thinks the Old Testament passage means (i.e. that God is sending John the Baptist to prepare Jesus’ way)…not so different from the kind of thing we see in paraphrased Bibles like The Message nowadays.
Furthermore, by switching first person pronoun to a second person pronoun, Mark could be suggesting early Trinitarian theology, showing that Jesus is a separate person from God the Father, but a person who can still be considered God, thus preserving the original sense of Malachi’s prophecy.
What’s the overall effect of this? Like Matthew, Mark places Jesus in a Jewish messianic tradition, but there is a hint of Jesus status as one of the persons of God, giving Jesus a more cosmic, universal appeal that Mark will unpack further.
The mighty son of God
John the Baptist is the first person in Mark’s gospel to speak about Jesus, calling him ‘mightier’ than he is and predicting that Jesus will baptise with the Holy Spirit. The famous baptism seen that follows includes God’s direct confirmation of the prophet’s words, as God calls Jesus ‘my beloved son’ and the Holy Spirit descends on him like a dove.
What do we make of all this? Mark doesn’t feel the need to use genealogies and other conventional Jewish devices to legitimise the authority of Jesus – he goes straight to the top. Mark very quickly shows God’s approval of Jesus and identifies the Holy Spirit as the mark of that approval.
This also has implications for Mark’s first readers. Writing for the early church, Mark wastes no time showing how the baptism and commissioning of the Spirit were integral to the start of Jesus’ ministry, happening before Mark records any of Jesus’ words. This would send a clear message to early Christians that the ministry of the Holy Spirit preached and enacted by the apostles is a direct heritage from the man in whose name they claimed to act.
A man to be followed
So what is the first thing Jesus says? After very briefly touching on Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, with an almost throwaway reference to Satan, wild animals and angels, Mark tells the story of how Jesus called Simon (aka Peter) and Andrew fishing (1:16). Jesus calls out to the brothers, saying, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
He then goes on to call James and John immediately after. Mark doesn’t recall any response from either pair other than that they instantly left their nets and families and followed Jesus.
This is Jesus’ first action after his baptism and temptation. Before any teaching or healing, he calls followers. This not only shows how compelling Jesus’ personality must have been to draw these men to him, it also shows how important his followers were to his ministry. The implication is that these first four at least were with him for everything that happened next.
Jesus the healer
The rest of chapter 1 focuses on the healing of someone with an unclean spirit, the healing of large numbers of people and the healing of a leper. Taken together, these episodes introduce a recurring theme in Mark: Jesus’ power over both spiritual and physical afflictions.
I think this highlights one of the most important of Jesus’ traits according to Mark: his actions legitimise his authority. For Matthew, Jesus’ authority was legitimised by his character and his place in Jewish religious tradition. For Mark, while those things remain true, his authority is really legitimised by what he did.
Right from the start, Mark relates a series of powerful events in Jesus’ ministry, that apparently happened in quick succession. These actions back up the claims of the prophets that Mark sets out in the first verses and work in tandem with the blessing of God through the Holy Spirit that happened in the baptism.
Jesus, according to Mark, is a man of tangible power, who’s followers were there with him right from the start. The implications for the early church, and now modern day Christians, is that Jesus’ followers have always been a part of his mission and that his power is available to us all now through the same commissioning of the Holy Spirit. This theme will be unpacked throughout Mark’s gospel and the whole of the New Testament, but it is a basic truth that must remain central to our Christian lives today.
Jesus, in the assurance of his standing before God, was proactive and obedient to the Father’s will, and so should we be.
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Personality Disorders can be considered as extreme expressions of characteristics which we all possess. In the DSM-IV-TR these disorders are subdivided into three groups: (A) the so-called odd/eccentric group, where subjects indeed appear as strange and rather off-beat; (B) the dramatic, emotional or erratic group, in which those affected tend to be histrionic, impulsive and emotionally unstable; and (C) the anxious/fearful group, which comprises people that often express deep-rooted fears and anxiety. The first group includes the Paranoid Personality Disorder, Schizoid Personality Disorder and the Schizotypal Personality Disorder; the second includes the Borderline Personality Disorder, Histrionic Personality Disorder, the Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder; and the third group is formed by the Avoidant Personality Disorder, Dependent Personality Disorder and the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder.
Group A: odd or eccentric disorders
Paranoid Personality Disorder. Subjects presenting a paranoid personality are characterised by deep-rooted suspiciousness, mistrust and diffidence with respect to others. The actions and motivations of others will be analysed carefully in an attempt to discover their hidden threat, betrayal or manipulation, which are often erroneously identified in normally insignificant gestures and/or words. The expectation is always that of being mistreated or exploited, therefore these subjects prefer to remain encapsulated within themselves and are unable to confide in others and establish healthy interpersonal relationships. Their relations with other people are always characterised by doubt and suspicion and quite often also by unjustified jealousy in the case of a sexual partner or spouse. Individual with a paranoid personality describe their relations in detached terms and are unable to let themselves go in the affective sense as they believe that this would result in their becoming vulnerable in the face of possible threats or attacks.
The general attitude of these individuals is one of hostility and they express considerable rancour with respect to people they believe are guilty of plots, betrayals and other actions perpetrated to their detriment. There is a distinct incapacity to forgive presumed offensive action. An example is that of the person who spends his days spying on his neighbours from behind closed shutters in an attempt to quickly uncover the plots he is certain are being laid to harm him or her despite the fact no real proof exists to support such a conviction. Such persons might reach the point where they make telephone calls in which they declare they have discovered everything, and thus the may actively disturb their unwitting ‘victims’. PPD occurs most frequently in males and often presents comorbidity with the Schizotypal Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and the Avoidant Personality Disorder (Bernstein, 1994; Morey, 1988).
Schizoid Personality Disorder. This personality type has no desire to nurture social relations and derives no pleasure from them. Those individuals diagnosed as suffering from this condition usually have no intimate friends. They appear insensitive, calm and aloof and manifest no affection or warmth with other people. They rarely refer having strong emotions, they are not interested in sex and find very few activities pleasant. Indifferent towards praise, criticism and other people’s sentiments, such subjects are very solitary figures and dedicate themselves only to interests they can cultivate alone. The disorder often shows comorbidity (see glossary) with the Schizotypal, Avoidant and Paranoid Personality Disorders as there are many similarities amongst the four conditions. The symptoms of Schizoid Personality Disorder also have many elements in common with the initial phases of Schizophrenia.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder. The modern concept of a schizotypal personality emerged following the studies conducted in Denmark on the adopted children of schizophrenic biological parents (Kety et al., 1968). Although during adulthood some of these children developed an ascertained form of schizophrenia, an even greater number developed what appeared to be a mild form of the disorder. Subjects affected by Schizotypal Personality Disorder generally present the same difficulties in their interpersonal relations as those who suffer from Schizoid Disorder and also excessive social anxiety which their familiarity with others does not manage to dissipate. The disorder also presents various other rather more bizarre symptoms, although these are not so serious to justify a diagnosis of schizophrenia. These latter symptoms are essentially akin to the type that appear in the initial phases of schizophrenia, i.e., strange beliefs, magical thinking, superstitions, being convinced that one has acquired the powers of a clairvoyant and has become telepathic, and also recurring perceptive alterations. For example, these subjects may ‘feel’ close to them the presence of a force or a person who is in fact not there. The speech of persons affected by the disorder is sometimes unusual and not very clear, and their behaviour and appearance may be quite extravagant. Again, by way of an example, they may talk to themselves or wear old, shabby and dirty clothes. Delusions of reference are also often present, whereby they are convinced that certain events or stimuli – entirely unrelated to their own existence - have a particular and unusual meaning, and regard them in particular.
Group B: dramatic, emotional or erratic disorders
Histrionic Personality Disorder. In the past this disorder was known as ‘Hysteria’. It is diagnosed in persons who show behaviour excessively dramatic and ‘histrionic’, and who continuously try to attract the attention of others; for this purpose they also often use their own physical appearance, through eccentric clothing, a particular type of makeup or an unusual colour of the hair. Although they present strong emotions in a theatrical manner, it is believed that their emotions are in fact rather superficial. These are individuals who focus mainly on themselves and are excessively interested in their physical appearance and they feel ill at ease when they are not the centre of attention. These subjects can be sexually provocative and seductive in situations and in ways which are not appropriate and they are easily influenced. Their style of speech is often impressionistic and lacking in detail. For example, they may vehemently express an opinion and yet be unable to support it with appropriate arguments. Histrionic Personality Disorder is more common amongst women than men (Corbitt and Widiger, 1995). The most common comorbidity is with the Borderline Personality Disorder.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Subjects showing clear evidence of this disturbance have grandiose ideas about themselves and their capacities. They are convinced they are exceptional people and fantasize continuously about their future success. They are totally concentrated on themselves and seek the constant attention and admiration of others, believing that they can only be understood by very special people or individuals of very high social rank and standing. Their interpersonal relations are disturbed by a lack of empathy (see glossary), sentiments of envy, arrogance, attempts to exploit others and by the conviction they have special rights, as if other people were obliged to render them particular favours and have no right to receive a favour in return. Symptoms of this disorder are frequently concomitant with certain traits of the Borderline Personality Disorder.
Borderline Personality Disorder. Individuals affected by Borderline Personality Disorder present a persistent instability in their interpersonal relations, mood and self image. Their emotions may undergo brusque and sudden changes (although their most common mood is that of anger), as may their consideration of other people. Their relations tend to be very intense, and periods of idealization (see glossary) and overestimation of friends or significant others may rapidly end as the subject quickly veers in the opposite direction, even quickly assuming an attitude of scorn and disdain with respect to the same people. Their relationships are characterised also by exclusiveness and their short duration. Borderline patients can be polemical, irritable, sarcastic and touchy, and very difficult to manage for those who live with them. They present frequent threatening attitudes and also attempts to commit suicide or some form of self-harm, which are induced by a sense of emptiness and depression that chronically afflicts these individuals. Other traits may include gambling, spending sprees, sexual promiscuity and binge eating.The sense of self in the Borderline patient is not clear and coherent and no fixed points exist with respect to values, ideals and choices. The subject will tend to fear abandonment (whether real or imaginary) and will make desperate attempts to avoid such an occurrence. These individuals cannot stand being left alone and feel a constant need to be at the centre of other people’s attention. During periods of high stress they may manifest paranoid ideation and dissociative symptoms (see Dissociative Disorders). The crucial characteristic is in any case represented by the presence of intense and unstable interpersonal relations (Modestin, 1987). The onset of Borderline Personality Disorder occurs during adolescence and is more frequent amongst women than men (Swartz et al., 1990). The most common concomitant disorders are substance abuse (Clarkin, Marziali and Munroe-Blum, 1992) and the Histrionic, Narcissistic, Dependent, Avoidant and Paranoid Personality Disorders (Morey, 1988). Continues on page 2 >>
OTHER DISORDERS - DSM --> INDEX:
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When I study our culture, I have always found that I have an unusual tendency to look at what is not being spoken of, or taught, what is not being openly discussed. Subjects such as respect, trust, inner beauty, and especially forgiveness. Today I want to address forgiveness.
Because no matter how many caturangas we do, no matter how much wheat grass juice we drink, no matter how many kirtans we attend, we will not have a happy life if we are carrying resentment and hate inside of us. (It’s not what you eat, but what’s eating you.) Anger and resentment destroy our lives, whereas, forgiveness is perhaps the most powerful tool we have for healing the damaged, shadow aspects of ourselves. To forgive another, heals oneself, just as anger toward another poisons oneself. Even for the body to heal, often times what is most vital is to heal the broken heart or spirit.
This is no academic or theoretical premise; it is grit and blood real. Failure to forgive affects our stress level, power to heal the body, discernment, and all of our relationships. Our yoga will take us quite far down the road, healing past wounds, purging us of ghosts of traumas past, but at some point down the road we have to do some earnest self-enquiry, and in that work we arrive at forgiveness.
I am not suggesting that you should suppress your anger and immediately forgive. There are very few with that ability and they are usually called saints. Anger must be appropriately expressed and felt, but at some point- six months later – six years later, sixty years later, forgiveness is your last best hope for a happy life.
What is forgiveness exactly?
Let us define forgiveness first by what is isn’t:
- To forgive does not mean forget. Sometimes to forget will cause us to be harmed again by a repeat offender.
- To forgive does not mean denial. There is a word for that – it’s called denial. You pretend no wrong was committed. Once again, this will likely cause you to be harmed again by a repeat offender who experiences no repercussions for harmful behavior.
- To forgive does not mean you have no boundaries and never say “no.” Do you let a two-year old play with sharp scissors or gently take them away? Taking them away is an act of love and care, but to the two-year old it is an act of betrayal and theft. Same thing with adults with other kinds of scissors.
- To forgive does not mean, most importantly, that you condone or approve of the harmful action committed. This is why so many of us will not forgive. There are many of us that could tell our story of unbelievable tragedy, wrongs done to us or our loved ones that we will never approve of or condone. Ever.
So what is forgiveness?
Forgiveness simply means;
“I let the anger go. I let the pain and anger and infectious poison of resentment leave my body. I pull the splinter from my heart. I spit out the red-hot coal I have swallowed. I release it all.”
To stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake
To say I will never forgive you is also saying, I am committed to be angry for the rest of my life.
But aren’t some things unforgivable?
We had better hope not, or we are doomed to an unhappy life, and we will pass on that unhappiness to our children. If some things unforgivable, then you have condemned yourself to a lifetime of seething resentment, and having your anger affect/infect all of our relationships. And it means reliving the past painful event over and over.
The first key to understand is that you can forgive a person without forgiving the action. “What you did was wrong, but I forgive you. Now don’t do it again.” That doesn’t mean that you must then be friends again, or married again, or business partners again, or even speak to each other again. It just means that you are releasing the anger.
Forgiveness is a practice – just like any yoga practice, you don’t do it once. Forgiveness is not a one-time event – it is an everyday practice. You may forgive someone and then find yourself one or two weeks later, angry again. Forgiveness is daily work, you will likely need to do it again even after you think it is finished.
Mark Twain once exclaimed, “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
The choice is hard yet simple, to forgive or to resent. Forgiveness brings peace, while resentment fosters pain in us and cultivates anger, and anger usually leads to harmful behavior. When we suffer, we become self-centered. When we heal we become more selfless. It is our choice. When we grant mercy to others – we may find, quite surprisingly, that we grant mercy to ourselves.
join Max Strom in camden…
inner axis: releasing stress – a weekend of workshops
01 – 10 september 2017
Max is a teacher, speaker, author and teacher trainer, and is known for profoundly inspiring and impacting the lives of his students for nearly two decades. His Inner Axis system includes a philosophy for real world living, self-enquiry, breath-work, yoga postures, and meditation. His teachings are a culmination of his life experience and decades of study and application. Find out more at www.maxstrom.com
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For example, an article's title would look like: Revell actually placed his hand on the range of social pretend play. If you include the author's name s in the text of a sentence in the paper, you may omit their names from the parentheses as follows: This section goes at the end of your paper.
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Essay to describe myself. Sep 14, · A Works Cited page is a complete list of the works that you cite in your paper, and it’s different than a Bibliography, which includes any works you used to write your paper, whether you cite Views: K. How to write a reference page for a research paper notes Konsolidierung at equity beispiel essay good and evil in macbeth essay ambition (essays for tasp) college essay plagiarism version the rose that grew from concrete poem analysis essay essay for college scholarship you tube.
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Italian Americans: Assimilation and Perseverance
The Italian assimilation into the US was particularly difficult, marred by stereotypical images of unsavory people prone to criminality. Despite these depictions, Italians focused on building their American identities. Interestingly enough, it was through their food that Italians forced the rest of America to adjust. It was the Italian restaurants opened by immigrants here that changed and improved America’s understanding and appreciation of Italian culture. Once only available in their neighborhoods, Italian food has won its way into the hearts, minds and stomachs of all Americans. Here’s to another delicious week of featuring some of the most famous food from around the country!
Classically styled Chardonnay has a rich creamy palate of baked apples, poached pears and pineapples. Balanced and elegant with threads of baking spice and citrus. The majority of the wine is aged in French oak, lending a toasty creamy note to the finish.
Once in a while you see something in a film that, no matter how much time passes, you cannot forget. For me it is the pub scene in Pane e Cioccolata (Bread and Chocolate) when actor, Nino Manfredi’s character, an Italian immigrant in Switzerland, can no longer contain his national enthusiasm as he watches a televised soccer match – Italy vs Germany. Throughout the film he has been desperately trying to assimilate into a country that dislikes him and his kind by dying his hair blond to pass as Swiss. But he simply cannot suppress his deep feelings of Italian identity and sportive pride when Italy scores, and he springs to his feet shouting “GOAL, GOAL, GOAL!” It is a poignant scene depicting the premise of national identity and how immigrants’ dignity can be compromised daily by their circumstances. The scene ends when the “imposter” is forcefully thrown out of the bar, landing on a pile of garbage. (See scene here: https://youtu.be/mczHiP-1C7k or, if you have the time, I highly recommend the whole movie with English subtitles here: https://youtu.be/ixHxPFrk48Q)
It is interesting to note this film depicts the plight of Italian immigrant workers in the 1960s and 70s when more then two million Spanish and Italians worked in Switzerland, a nation of only five million. These struggles for acceptance have plagued immigrants for generations. The Italian assimilation into the US was particularly difficult. The great majority of immigrants were from the impoverished areas of semi-feudal southern Italy and Sicily. Stereotypes of Italians developed, aided by newspapers and media’s portrayal of Italians as dirty and prone to criminality. Despite these depictions, Italians focused on building their American identities. My grandmother - an excellent Italian cook - attended the then-famous Fanny Farmer Cooking School known for revolutionizing American cooking through its use of precise measurements and recipes, a novel culinary concept at the time. She wanted to learn the American way to help her family assimilate through food. Interestingly enough, it was precisely the area of food that the Italians influenced the rest of America to adjust.
This week’s menu features dishes invented or popularized in different areas of the US. The Italian American community known as “The Hill” in St. Louis, Missouri, has a specialty known as Toasted Ravioli, breaded and deep fried ravioli served with Marinara sauce (also thought to be an American rendition.) It is said to have been invented when a ravioli accidentally fell into the fryer at Mama Campisi’s Restaurant.
Growing up in New York, I knew of Italian Wedding Soup, so when planning our wedding dinner in Florence, I requested it to be served. Once again, the sophisticated Florentines had never heard of it. “Minestra Maritata” originated in Naples where the name describes the delicious “marriage” of its ingredients – meat, leafy butter greens, pasta and a hearty stock. Somewhere down the line, the word “maritata” was translated to mean “wedding” and so the assumed legend began that it was served to the bride and groom to provide energy on their special day.
Chicken Vesuvio is undoubtedly the signature dish of Chicago’s Italians. Just about every restaurant there serves it, and it is the quintessential Sunday night special in many Italian American homes. It is hard to know who invented it. Some say it first appeared on restaurant Vesuvio’s menu in the 1930s, while others believe the name pays homage to Mount Vesuvius, near Naples, from which many immigrants came. It is a flavorful combination of crisp roasted chicken, potatoes, and peas with lots of garlic, white wine and oregano.
It was well known in NY that Sinatra’s favorite restaurant was Patsy’s, a vintage Italian American eatery near Carnegie Hall, owned and operated by the Scognamillo family since 1944. Among the dishes he always ordered was Patsy’s Lemon Ricotta Torte, a perfect Italian ending to our menu as well.
The American wine world would not be what it is today without the vision and hard work of Robert Mondavi, whose family emigrated from the Italian Marche region. This week’s Chardonnay from Napa Valley with its mouth filling texture and lingering finish, pairs perfectly with our Italian American menu.
Traditionally the best cooking in Italy was not found in restaurants, but in the home. However, it was the Italian restaurants opened by immigrants here that changed and improved America’s understanding and appreciation of Italian food. Once only available in their neighborhoods, Italian food has won its way into the hearts, minds, and stomachs of all Americans.
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Protestant Christians -- and especially Lutherans -- have come a long way on LGBTQ issues since their founder and namesake, Martin Luther, is said to have nailed his 95 theses (“On the Power of Indulgences”) on the door of a Roman Catholic Church in Germany 500 years ago.
Post submitted by Michael Toumayan, former HRC Senior Religion and Faith Program Manager
Protestant Christians -- and especially Lutherans -- have come a long way on LGBTQ issues since their founder and namesake, Martin Luther, is said to have nailed his 95 theses (“On the Power of Indulgences”) on the door of a Roman Catholic Church in Wittenberg, Germany, 500 years ago. His theses publicly challenged the Catholic Church, spawning protest movements that formed the Lutheran, Baptist, and Calvinist traditions that nearly half of Americans affiliate with today.
While Luther’s Reformation questioned the repressive and ecclesiastical policies of the Catholic Church that lead to the flowering of Protestantism, his denunciation of LGB people remained embedded in the teachings of the church.
But today, there are more than 5,000 Protestant churches in the U.S. that are welcoming and affirming of LGBTQ people. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran church body in the U.S. that traces its theological foundation to Luther himself, consecrated an openly gay bishop in 2013 and allows clergy to perform same-sex marriages. Other major mainline protestant denominations, including the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA), have also opened their doors to LGBTQ people and advocate for LGBTQ equality.
These reforms have been driven because the LGBTQ faithful are Coming Home to Faith, to Spirit and to Self. They are the fruits of the prophetic work being done by faith-based LGBTQ organizations and their allies, including DignityUSA, the Reformation Project, Gay Christian Network, Soulforce, the Metropolitical Community Churches and and HRC's Religion and Faith Program. LGBTQ people are engaging the church in the same spirit of Luther -- the original Protestant -- whose intention was not to break away from the church, but rather reform it for the better from within.
The New Testament calls on Christians to be as one. Toward that goal, years of dialogue led to Pope Francis last year to formally apologize for Catholic slaughters of Protestants, and the Catholic Church and various Protestant denominations have signed agreements recognizing each other’s baptisms.
One lesson we can learn from Catholic-Protestant rapprochement during this time of shifting understanding on faith and LGBTQ issues, is that it has never been more important to engage in dialogue with respect and love, and with the goal of deepening the understanding between the faith and LGBTQ communities so we can truly be as one, as God’s children. It is not always easy but critical to the LGBTQ movement’s goal -- to save lives.
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in 1934, this Silver Arrow was the winner without paint.
The race organizers were working to reduce the vehicles’ power and with it their racing speed, as tires and brakes weren't evolving as fast as the top speed and aerodynamics, so they limited engine size at first... this car was a 205 cu in, and weighed 750 Kg, at 354 Hp then it was upgraded in steps that went:
M25A 3360cc 354HP,
M25AB 3710cc 398HP,
M25B 3990cc 430HP,
M25C 4300cc 462HP
ME25 4740cc 494HP
the 750-kg formula had been created to curb the ever-escalating speed of the powerful racing cars – built for example by Alfa Romeo, Bugatti and Maserati.
The very opposite was achieved since design engineers at once resorted to bigger displacements.
The actual output of the eight-cylinder engine at the beginning amounted to a massive 354 hp (260 kW). Several engine versions with boosted power output followed. The M 25 AB (3710 cc) variant generated 398 hp (293 kW), followed by the M 25 B (3980 cc and 430 hp/316 kW) and C (4300 cc and 462 hp/340 kW) variants, and eventually, in 1936, the ME 25 version (4740 cc) producing 494 hp (363 kW) – always at 5800 rpm.
With the W 25, the Mercedes-Benz engineers ended up removing the previously customary white paint to make weight, because the car was 1 kilogram too heavy.
Until the paint was sanded off. Paint was leaded back then... and heavy.
Neubauer told how these white-painted W25s then proved overweight during scrutineering for the next race, the EifelRennen at the Nürburgring in June.
Another non-start was unacceptable; in Berlin, a former house painter was expecting a return on his government's investment. (Hitler who was bankrolling the Mercedes team for winning results to support his German superior race propaganda)
What to do? Neubauer had a brainwave: "Scrape off the paint!" Next morning, in bare metal, the new cars met the 750kg limit and works driver Manfred von Brauchitsch won the race. "And so silver replaced white as the German national racing colour - the Silver Arrows had been born."
Initial power ratings for the car was 314 bhp at 5,800 rpm. Using a new fuel mixture provided by Standard Oil that replaced the gasoline/benzol with methyl alcohol horsepower was bumped to 354 bhp. A new era of exotic racing fuels was evolving
Adopting a national official racing color goes back about 117 years, to the Gordon Bennett races
In 1900 just four national colours were allocated: blue for France, yellow for Belgium, black for Germany, red for the United States.
How did the British get the color green?
There are two stories, equally plausible:
A) In 1901 the great capital-to-capital Paris-Berlin race saw wealthy British sportsman Charles Jarrott order a Panhard. The car was painted green... M. Clément gave me a reason for this. My number in the race was 13, because no one else would have it. But they had been struck with the happy idea of painting the car green (the French lucky colour) to nullify the unlucky number..."
B) Road and Track magazine reader Hayden R. Shepley's comment, concerning an article in the Cyril Posthumus in April 1969... The origin of the color British Racing Green is from 1903 when the British wouldn't allow the Gordon Bennett race to be held in Britain. Ireland was asked to hold the race on their roads after Parliament had a special act passed to allow this. This act allowed certain public roads to be closed, thereby making this the first ever closed circuit race in automobile history. As a compliment to the Irish, all the English cars were painted a dark green.
I haven't read yet how Germany went from Black to White, but they went from White to Silver right there with the 1934 W25.
The long years of national racing colours, with no overt advertising, crumbled in 1968 after motorsport's previous big-money backers - the international oil companies - slashed support. Non-motoring sponsors had to be found and the rule makers dropped opposition to on-car advertising. Colin Chapman immediately sold space on his Lotus cars to John Player for its Gold Leaf cigarette brand. Almost overnight, modern Grand Prix cars became mobile advertising hoardings.
as for why there are now Grand Prix races, and no Gordon Bennett Cup races?
The Gordon Bennett was contested between teams of no more than three cars, representing each nation's motor industry. The French felt this to be enormously unfair, as their motor industry was by far the world's largest and most diverse, and yet they were restricted to the same number of race cars as little Belgium... or emergent America.
French discomfort led eventually to their replacing the Gordon Bennett Cup from 1906 with their own new race - the Grand Prix.
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Cellular Brain Damage: Diffuse Axonal Injury
Particularly when the brain injury involves diffuse axonal injury (DAI), the primary injury is to the brain cells, cellular brain damage, predominantly the neuron. While the neuron may only be stretched at the time of the initial trauma, that stretching can cause a defect in the cell membrane that allows brain chemicals, principally calcium, to invade the neuron in abnormal ways, resulting in cell death, “even days or weeks after injury.”
(Greenfield’s Neuropathology, 1996, page 197.)
Cellular brain damage is thought to occur primarily to axons. The axon is the long thin extension of the neuron. It is covered by a fatty sheath that increases the speed of the nerve transmission, the part which the cell signal travels down on its way to the axonal bulb, the transmitting part of the neuron. Axonal damage is one of the most common and most important causes for traumatic brain injury. This is a result of a blow to the head. It is associated with long periods of unconsciousness and the outcome is not good. Normally axons are soft and flexible but when exposed to brain trauma they become brittle and cause cellular brain damage. Rapid stretch of axons can damage the axonal cytoskeleton, resulting in a loss of elasticity and impairment of axoplasmic transport.
As stated in the page dedicated to axon with in our TBILaw Site, Axons are like electrical wires. An example would be a vacuum cleaner cord. I know myself have done this many times. In the course of vacuuming I have let the blades of the vacuum head sit on the cord, unknowingly. Will the vacuum cleaner quit working because the wires are bare? No, it will continue to vacuum but if I touch the part of the cord in which the rubber has been worn off, I will get an electrical shock. This is because the “insulation” from the electricity is no longer there and now it is exposed to do damage. Our anatomy has all types of protection equipment or insulation against unexpected force. The brain is insulated by your skull. Our nerves, arteries, veins and organs are insulated or protected by our skin. If any one of the insulation factors of our bodies is damaged, the parts that it was placed there to protect is now exposed and injury will occur.
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